Father along than I imagined

It is hard to realize that it was a few weeks ago, give or take a few centuries, that the USA finally made strides towards living up to it's declared promise of equality. I knew the day would come when the content of one's heart would matter more than outward apperance I just didn't know it would be this year, this decade or even the next decade We are about twenty years farther down the road than I think any of us except President elect Obama realized. As a southern male who remembers and supported the civil rights movement of the 60's, I'm proud to see change arrive. Make no mistake, there is much work to be done but at least we now know that the costly down payment of blood, tears and sacrifice was meaningful. This years election while unable to erase past wrongs certainly gives back hope. Tomorrow is a lot closer than it was in October.

A Legacy of Resentment I finally understand the switch of doom that tripped somewhere deep in my soul during Sarah Palin's speech at the Republican National Convention. Her rhetorical star turn—the exuberant snideness, the gut-level rapport with the audience, the frank pleasure at being a yokel on the big stage—reprised the great gifts of the politician who dominated my youth: George Corley Wallace, perpetual governor of Alabama and frequent candidate for president of the less-than-United States. Slate By Diane McWhorter

Hard Truths About the Bailout ...Americans need to be told a more fundamental truth: This crisis is the result of a willful and systematic failure by the government to regulate and monitor the activities of bankers, lenders, hedge funds, insurers and other market players. All were playing high-stakes poker with the financial system, but without adequate transparency, oversight or supervision.
NY Times (Editoral)

Art from Hondo Creative

On Thursday night, August 28th, Barack Obama accepted the Democratic nomination for President of the United States.

Im sick and tired of hearing things
From uptight, short-sighted, narrow-minded hypocritics
All I want is the truth
Just gimme some truth
Ive had enough of reading things
By neurotic, psychotic, pig-headed politicians
All I want is the truth
Just gimme some truth

No short-haired, yellow-bellied, son of tricky dicky
Is gonna mother hubbard soft soap me
With just a pocketful of hope
Money for dope
Money for rope

No short-haired, yellow-bellied, son of tricky dicky
Is gonna mother hubbard soft soap me
With just a pocketful of soap
Money for dope
Money for rope

Im sick to death of seeing things
From tight-lipped, condescending, mamas little chauvinists
All I want is the truth
Just gimme some truth now

Ive had enough of watching scenes
Of schizophrenic, ego-centric, paranoiac, prima-donnas
All I want is the truth now
Just gimme some truth

No short-haired, yellow-bellied, son of tricky dicky
Is gonna mother hubbard soft soap me
With just a pocketful of soap
Its money for dope
Money for rope

Ah, Im sick and tired of hearing things
From uptight, short-sighted, narrow-minded hypocrites
All I want is the truth now
Just gimme some truth now

Ive had enough of reading things
By neurotic, psychotic, pig-headed politicians
All I want is the truth now
Just gimme some truth now

All I want is the truth now
Just gimme some truth now
All I want is the truth
Just gimme some truth
All I want is the truth
Just gimme some truth

Fair Play for False Prophets In March, Obama tried to explain the anger in the black community and insisted that "to condemn it without understanding its roots only serves to widen the chasm of misunderstanding that exists between the races."

In light of this racial gap, it's worth pondering why white, right-wing preachers who make ridiculous and sometimes shameful statements usually emerge with their influence intact.

The catalogue goes back to Bailey Smith, a former president of the Southern Baptist Convention. Speaking at a 1980 religious convention that was also addressed by Ronald Reagan, Smith declared that "God Almighty does not hear the prayer of a Jew." Washington Post By E. J. Dionne Jr.

Wright's wrongs AFTER he became notorious as the man who urged God to damn America, Jeremiah Wright claims he wrestled with two impulses. The first was to heed the proverb: “It is better to be quiet and be thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.” The second was to “come across the room” and fight back. Mr Wright's decision to come across the room with his mouth wide open is proving a disaster for all concerned. Economist

Iraq five years on
THOMAS JEFFERSON once said, speaking of slavery, that America was holding a wolf by the ears: it could neither continue to do so, nor afford to let go. Something similar might be said about America’s role in Iraq, five years after the American-led invasion began in March 2003. Economist

Dear Barack and Michelle

While this is certainly not a time to panic, if winning not just the nomination but the general election is the point then concern is certainly in order.

On the one hand you have demonstrated that a large number of white men will vote for you, the truth remains that a sizable portion of the country will also vote against you simply because you're a black male. Does this equal the number that will vote against Hillary simply because she is a women = maybe. but what about John McCain. This election must be framed a manner that highlights your strengths.

You're strengths being your oracle ability to inspire but it must be combined with the understanding that you are honest and sincere. In the same manner that you defended your ministers bitter statements you must also show that small town rural america shares a sense of bitterness and that the only way for the country to get beyond this division is for both parties to communicate and work together.
Both parties use religion to salve wounds and seek answers. But somewhere, somehow both angry groups that feel isolated and disenfranchised must have a focus that allows all to see they have more in common with one another than they have with the Republican party of wealth and fear.

To be successful you have to identify the common denominator. For too long the far right has been allowed to divide and separate common allies. You are losing the non college educated whites for the same reason Democrats have lost them for the last 40 years. You have been unable to make them see what you and they have in common. The fact being that as far as fears and desires there is little difference between a poor and lower middle class back and a poor to lower middle class white. Yes the black citizen has more obstacle, but both both groups have the same desires,same goals and similar fears.

You have reached the intellectuals of all races, but to reach everyone else you have to realize that we are in most ways the same. Emphasize what we have in common even the common bitterness and sense of powerlessness. Give us all a hope of having someone represent us and someone that knows our dissatisfaction yet realizes that deep down we are all still very hopefully, still want to believe in America's great promise. We all want freedom from the fear of want, fear of the unknown and freedom from fear for what our children will face.

While you can't offer guarantees, you can offer empathy and understanding.

Don't let the attacks keep you off message, The message being we are in this together and we can only make things better together.
You must bring us together not through fear, as is the Republican mantra but through hope.

I have watched the primaries with interest and at times even with relish. Once upon a time I even thought I would be content with any of the Democrat nominees. But now as the debates and political ads near the lowest possible level of pettiness, I find, to my surprise, that should Hillary Clinton be the Democratic nominee, I may actually vote for a Republican presidential nominee.

This would not be a step I would take lightly. Since my first vote was cast for George McGovern in 1972, I have never voted for a Republican Presidential nominee, never even came close. My 10th time voting for a President may be different.

First, I have always been a bit uneasy about the idea of the same two families running the country for more than a quarter of a century. Even so, I once thought ideology would outweigh the dynasty issue. Second, the tactics of the Clinton's reminds me of previous Republican campaigns and leaves me lamenting that should the Clinton's be the Democrat's nominee, the only justification I can find for giving them my vote would be concern over Federal Court appointments, which by all means you would think should be enough to solidify my vote.

Nevertheless, I find that it will be very hard for me to return the White House to the Clinton's. Maybe even harder than voting for a Republican.

Of course if Baraack Obama wins the nomination my quandary is resolved.