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Woo Hoo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Another Political Post

As all of you must know by now, Barack Obama made history last night by securing enough delegates to clinch the democratic nomination.

Let me start off by saying, I believe this is a monumental moment for our country. We have come a long way from the days of Dr. Martin Luther King, but I do believe we still have a long way to go.

I do believe Barack Obama is the best possible candidate for President of this country, regardless of his race, I just feel that is is quite an accomplishment someone of African American decent was able to get the nomination.

As for Hillary. I have tried my best to stay off the Hillary topic on my blog. I think I have done a reasonably good job at voicing my support for one candidate without "bashing" or disrespecting another.

Today, however... it must be done. I must voice my opinions.

Let me say, when this race for the democratic nominee first started, I had a high degree of respect for both candidates. I did my research, I listened to both sides, I listened to hard core Hillary supporters as well as hard core Obama supporters, I read both of their websites in depth, and so on. I was ecstatic that I was able to chose between a Woman and an African American!! This, too, is historical and just, wonderful. I was not going to make my choice based on Gender or Race, however.

I chose Barack Obama for a variety of reasons. We all know, by now, where he stands on the many issues. We all know his personality, his hopes, beliefs, dreams for our country. So I am not going to get into it in depth why I chose him.

I still had so, so much respect for Hillary, however. Tremendous amounts.

As the campaigns rolled on, and on and on and on, I found myself losing tiny bits of that respect here and there. I felt like she was unfairly attacking Barack at times, while it seemed like he was trying his best to keep his campaign focused on the issues, where HE stood, and NOT on the other candidate.

Up until last night, I still had respect left for Hillary. I didn't mind that she wasn't going concede before either candidate had clinched the nomination, why should she? She has broken barriers, and it was such a close race, and her supporters from every state had a right to cast their votes. Yes, I was starting to grow concerned about the "unity" of the party, but... let the democratic process continue!!

Considering the candidates we had running, I knew it was inevitable that talk of racism and sexism would come up. And yes... Racism and Sexism are both alive and well in this country. And yes, Racism and Sexism were effecting both campaigns. Only one candidate could win this nomination, and I knew, whoever won, people would be crying out either Racism or Sexism about the other candidate. And regardless, they would probably be right to a certain extent. But the fact is, only ONE candidate could win this. So, either the country would be accused of Racism in the case of Hillary winning, or sexism is the case of Obama winning. It was, and is, inevitable.

I think it is incredible that Hillary made it as far as she did and I respect that. I really, really do. And the fact that the race was so, so so close speaks volumes about the progress we are making as a country in both areas of racism and sexism. But the fact of the matter is, only one could win, and Obama did it.

Last night, was Obama's night. Hillary has a lot to be proud of, but... it was Obama's night. We have to give him that. Our Children and Grandchildren and generations to follow will be reading about this in their history books. Thanks to Hillary, they will also someday be reading about the first Woman nominee and/or President, but last night was the night for THIS particular historical moment.

Last night was also the night that should have begun the healing in our Party. We DO need to unite, we need to come together. Hillary had an opportunity for that to begin, to start that process, to stand behind Barack Obama, to get her supporters behind him. Barack Obama has clinched this nomination fair and square. She needs to accept that and even embrace that. As democrats, we need to stand united and proud that we had a woman and an african american make it so far, and we have to stand proud behind our democratic candidate... Barack Obama.

What did she do instead? She refused to officially concede, she made her speech all about her when, in my opinion, it should have been more about Obama... like I said, it was HIS night. She pumped up her supporters to continue to stand with HER. she barely mentioned him, except in one short, almost obligatory phrase. And, she stated she was not making any decisions? Well, I'm very sorry, but... there are no more decisions to make. The American People have already decided. The democratic process played itself out, the outcome has been reached. If the party is going to come together, unite, and heal... SHE needs to accept this, and SHE needs to help this happen.

I have another thing to say that has been bothering me.

In my opinion, I don't think it was very fair for her to publicly announce that she would consider the VP position. Her saying this, in combination with the speech she gave last night, has put Barack Obama in very tough position. I feel like she has put him in a position where he almost HAS to chose her for VP to keep the party united. By declaring she would accept this, and by saying all the things she said last night, getting her supporters more rallied around her than Obama, she has made it so that if Obama does NOT chose her, her supporters might get even more upset.

Is she doing this on purpose? Maybe, Maybe not. I tend to think she is, though. I feel as though is after a "co-presidency" more so than a vice presidency. I, personally, don't really like that idea.

I am not completely 100% against her being VP, I can think a lot of good reasons to like that idea, but... I can't honestly say it would be my first choice. For many dems it may be, and that's fine. And if she were to be the VP choice, I would rally around the both of them and show my full support.

I will end this long rant of mine by saying, Obama's speech really blew me away last night. I also love the fact that he was so, so gracious and respectful to Hillary, even more than just respectful. He spoke so little of himself, too. He should have been the one to go and on and on about his accomplishments, instead he chose to go on and on about Hillary's and then focus on trying to untie the party. Thank you, Barack Obama.

Also, did anyone happen to watch McCain's speech? I'm sorry but, that was just awful.

I am done now. I just had to get that all out. I probably didn't even say half of all the things I've been thinking, and I may not have gotten it all out right, but... I tried.

WOOOOOHOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!

Barack Obama has clinched the democratic nomination!!!!!!

Woo Hoo!

So, how about these primary results tonight, eh?

:)

A whole Lotta Nothin

I'm not going to blog about the obvious. No, not tonight. You all know how I feel, You all know where I stand, you all know what has happened and you all know what I believe the future holds despite what has happened. So, let's move on for now, shall we?

My mind is all over the place, so bear with me.

Tonight at work, I "played" with one of the Nikon DSLR's. I've got it bad, people. Real bad. The photoholic bug. I thought strep was bad... HA. Strep ain't got nothin' on this virus.

The moment that beautiful camera touched my hands, my fingers were literally tingling. Seriously. I was holding my breath and fighting back tears.

Sigh.

Now... I lied, up there when I said I wasn't going to blog about the obvious. I changed my mind, really. I do have one thing to say. Numbers, people. MATH. In other words, IT DOESN'T MATTER!!!!

There, I feel better!!

Guess what I did today...

Well, today's the big day here in PA.

Will Obama pull this off, and get the big win here? Honestly... probably not. I'm still hoping, don't get me wrong. I'm not trying to be a pessimist, either. despite what the polls say, despite what the media says, I do think he has a chance, but I have to be realistic and say it's not likely.

It will be close, for sure.

Regardless of whether or not Obama gets PA, I still believe very strongly he will get the nomination in the long run.

I want him to win my state, though. So many volunteers like myself have worked so hard for this.

For now, I wait. Sigh. I hate waiting.

I saw Barack Obama!!!

Haiku Friday. The OMG I GOT TO SEE BARACK OBAMA LIVE AND IN PERSON edition!

Do you see this girl?
It is I! Waiting to see
Barack Obama.



And Look! There he is.
In a photo that I took!
I got to be there!



Live and in person
So much closer than I thought
I would ever get.

I can not even begin to describe to you how completely amazing and just, awesome it was to be a part of this. I took a TON pf photos as you may have guessed, you can check them all out here at my flickr page. At least 2 pages worth of photos over there!!

I will get into details about the event here tomorrow!!

A Chance to Be a Part of History

Wordless Wednesday. and check out my new Deviant Art page!

Yay!

Guess who is going to see Barack Obama speak at a town hall meeting?? Like, live and in person? Guess!! Give up?

ME!!!

Yay!

We The People

I mentioned in my previous post that I could not find the words to tell you how I was feeling about the whole matter. Well, true to form, Barack Obama found them for me. It is long, but I urge you to listen to the entire speech.



For a complete copy of the transcript of this amazing speech, Go Here.

Your Pastor Tells You He Loves To Murder Kittens

...therefore, You must love to murder kittens! Sounds ridiculous, doesn't it?

I have it up to my eyebrows with this whole Obama's pastor crap. Have a mind of you own, people. Think about it.

One of the things I can't stand about politics is the digging up dirt and continual bashing. If you read Obama's book and maybe actually did a little research on the guy, you would find out that he hates that side of politics, too.

I am frustrated, because there are so many thoughts flitting around in my head and I can't find the right words to get them all out.

My father was an Obama supporter. Now he is not. Why? Because of Obama's pastor. In case you haven't heard:

The Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Obama's pastor for the last 20 years at the Trinity United Church of Christ on Chicago's south side, has a long history of what even Obama's campaign aides concede is "inflammatory rhetoric," including the assertion that the United States brought on the 9/11 attacks with its own "terrorism."


Apparently the pastor is also racist towards white people (Um, Hello people, Obama's Mother was white).

Anyone who cares to actually research Senator Obama's character, views, values... would know that Barack Obama does not hold the same views as this guy.

I am begging you, do a little digging of your own. You may not agree with Obama's views yourself, and that's ok... but please, please make sure they are actually his views before you decide.

So, guess what? I am still supporting the muslim, terrorist, inexperienced, unpatriotic, liberal communist, anti-christ, racist for President of the United States of America. Because I know the truth.

And for the record, it's not like there is a whole lot of true equality in the country. I'd have to say that some African Americans have the right to get a little testy at times.

I'm sorry, I just really had to vent there.

Women's History Month

Almost didn't post in time for NaBloPoMo.

I'm exhausted and have nothing to write about. No photos to post. So, I'm stealing something from Barack Obama. Heh.

Here is a statement he made. I got this from his Official Website. Enjoy!

"Women's History Month isn't just a chance to celebrate women's history; it's a chance to honor the extraordinary role women have played in shaping American history. From midnight journeys on the Underground Railroad to marches for women's suffrage and civil rights, from the bomber assembly lines of World War II to the boardrooms of today, women have always shown us what we can achieve when we refuse to settle for the world as it is and choose to remake the world as it should be.

But despite the achievements we honor this month, we know we still have challenges to overcome. We need to build an America where women earn the same pay as men for the same work, and have time off to care for a loved one who's sick; where women have control over the health care decisions that affect their lives, and don't have to choose between their kids and their careers. It's not enough to have a holiday that honors women if we don't also make sure our laws value women.

This holiday is particularly meaningful to me because I would not be the person I am without the women in my life. I was raised by a single mother across two continents, and by a grandmother who instilled in me her own Midwestern values. And my wife Michelle - a woman who's overcome a number of challenges as a lawyer and hospital executive - continues to make me a better man.

Every night I'm home, Michelle and I tuck two little girls into bed. And we want to make sure that they have the same opportunities as every little boy in this country. That's the dream that women have fought for throughout our nation's history, and that's the dream I'll fight to make real as President of the United States."

- Barack Obama

Live Chat - Online Primary Party!

Chat LIVE on my blog tonight as you watch the results and numbers come in for tonight's Super Tuesday 2.

Supporters of either candidate welcome, Just keep it good natured and respectful!

A big thank you to all who stopped by and participated last night: Christina, Jen, Fabooj, Katautumn, Brian. Thanks to Kelly, Scylla, David, CindyW, and 2 anonymous readers for stopping by to say hi and check things out! If I have forgotten anyone, please let me know!

This online party was made possible by CBox.

Party Time!

Time for Photo Hunter and Weekend Snapshot.

Weekend Snapshot: Everyone knows I went to my very first Obama campaign meeting this weekend!



The theme for Photo Hunter was "Party" and I took a little bit of an alternative take on it:

Day One of NaBloPoMo - March!

Welcome to my first NaBloPoMo post. The theme for this month is "lists" and somedays, I may stick to that theme but not always. Today I am going to tell you about my very first campaign meeting for Barack Obama.

Oh. My. God. It was awesome. These are my people!! I'm am so, so excited about the campaign now, and it feels so good to be involoved with something I feel so strongly sbout. I have a shiny new Obama bumper sticker, and 2 Obama buttons. Right now we are trying to get as many to register to vote as possible. Myself and a guy from our team are going to be setting up a voter registration booth, should be interesting!

We are also trying to plan a major rally for our county, which is going to be very cool. Trying to get college students on board, young voters. I am also going to be part of a phone bank, calling registered democrats. I love this. It's really bringing out the activist in me!

I am a listed on the Pittsburgh Blogs site, so if anyone from this area is reading this and you want to get involved somehow, let me know!

And last but not least, a big shout out to my fellow March NaBloPoMo bloggers... here we go!

Friendship Chain

I was tagged by Juliana to do this friendship chain. I'm tagging everyone on my blogroll!!

~~Begin Copy~~

This is the easy way and the fastest way to :

1. Make your Authority Technoraty explode.
2. Increase your Google Page Rank.
3. Get more traffic to your blog.
4. Makes more new friends.

Rules :

1. Start copy from "Begin Copy" until "End Copy" to your blog.
2. Put your own blog name and link.
3. Tag your friends as much as you can.

1.Picturing of Life 2. Juliana's Site 3.Not Another Mom Blog!

~~End Copy~~

In other news, I have officially signed up to be a volunteer for the Barack Obama campaign in my county. So excited!!

Also... any liberal blogging moms out there? Would you be interested in joining a Liberal Mom's social network? I'm considering creating one, but please, let me know what you think!

The One Where I Get Political

I've decided that I have some things to say. I am an Obama supporter. It's come to my attention that some women think that I am somehow betraying my gender, that I should be voting for Hillary because she's a woman, etc etc etc.

Please note: I know not all women Hillary supporters are voting for her just because she is a woman. Scylla for instance is an extremely informed voter, knows her issues, knows where she stands, and though I may not agree with her on some points I have the utmost respect for her views and her reasons for being a Clinton supporter.

I am all for having a woman in the white house, I really am. The thing is, I am not going to vote based on anything except the issues and what I believe in. I am not supporting Obama because of his gender, his race, his eye color, or the type of shoes he wears. I am supporting him for many, many reasons but none of them are listed above.

I agree with his views on healthcare, I respect the fact he was against the war in Iraq from day one, I agree with his views on almost everything. I think we do need change. I do not think he is all talk and no action, I have read about actions he has already taken in his life for the issues he cares about. Issues that I, too, care about. He inspires hope in me, which is something no other candidate has done since I was old enough to begin caring about this sort of thing.

Do I respect Hillary Clinton? You bet I do! She is a strong, passionate woman, intelligent and motivated, and has done some wonderful things. I just agree with Obama more. Will I be devastated if she gets in the wite house? No way! I think all democrats and liberals on both sides of the fence can agree on one thing: Bush is finally going to be gone and we need another republican like we need holes in all of our heads. And I will add this: Nader better not screw things up again!

Now that I am done rambling on and on, I just want to say that I know not everyone who comes here is going to agree with me on some or all of my points, and you know what? That's great! That's what makes this country so great. We can all have our own minds, our own opinions, and voice them freely. I am not of the "I am right and you are wrong!" mindset, I am of the "everyone is entitled to their own opinions and theoretically majority rules so voice your opinions and get out there and vote!" mindset.

You may agree or disagree all you want in the comments, I welcome that... all I ask is that you keep it respectful!