Eyes on Obama

A play on names

2007-07-25T15:54:00.000-07:00

The images are from DailyKos. Right wing hating on Obama and Clinton. Is anyone surprised by this?

Obama debate comments set off firestorm

2007-07-24T16:25:00.000-07:00

This is amusing. I guess no one told Obama that this country doesn't want to make peace with Cuba, North Korean and Iran....

Barack Obama's offer to meet without precondition with leaders of renegade nations such as Cuba, North Korea and Iran touched off a war of words, with rival Hillary Rodham Clinton calling him naive and Obama linking her to President Bush's diplomacy.

Debate Video: Barack on the Iraq War -- Now and Then:

2007-07-24T13:57:00.000-07:00

He is good!

Barack Obama fighting poverty

2007-07-18T17:07:00.000-07:00

There are 37 million poor Americans. Most poor Americans are in the workforce, yet still cannot afford to make ends meet. And too many poor Americans are single mothers who are raising children.

Clinton leads in congressional endorsements

2007-07-18T16:15:00.000-07:00

Who is your representative endorsing as the next Presidential candidate?

The Hill - Wednesday, July 18, page 30.

Hillary Rodham Clinton (54)
Barack Obama (22)
John Edwards (15)

Obama, Clinton have $30 million-plus

2007-07-15T19:32:00.000-07:00

This is good news for Obama. He just may win the Democratic primary and possibly the presidential bid. This may mean that the people are going to take back control of the government.

WASHINGTON - Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton ended the first half of the year with more than $30 million each for the presidential primaries, a formidable financial performance for the two leading Democratic White House contenders.

Obama reported having about $34 million in primary cash on hand; Clinton reported $33 million.

Obama led in fundraising for the period covering April though June, raising nearly $32 million for the primary election and about $1 million for the general election, according to reports filed Sunday with the Federal Election Commission.

Math and Science Bills sponsored by Obama

2007-07-08T14:28:00.000-07:00

Obama's various math and science bills that he's the sponsor or cosponser:

House, Senate Pass Bills to Bolster Math and Science Education

Remarks of Senator Barack Obama at National Education Association Annual Meeting

Obama Is Given a Code Name by the Secret Service

2007-06-18T21:43:00.000-07:00

Sen. Barack Obama has a new tag: "Renegade."

That's what Secret Service agents are calling the Illinois Democrat, in the time-honored tradition of giving "secret" code names to presidential candidates and other protected dignitaries. As is custom, the Obama moniker reflects something of the man himself (though he might prefer "progressive" or "independent").

Why are they calling Obama a "Renegade"?

Merriam Webster defines renegade as

1) A deserter from one faith, cause, or allegiance to another
2) An individual who rejects lawful or conventional behavior

What faith has he deserted? What allegiances have been broken? Who has he turned his back on? And what laws has been broken? This sounds like a tactic to distract and cause confusion of the weak minded.

Obama Girl

2007-06-15T08:54:00.000-07:00

This is too cute. Obama Girl can sing and dance. If you haven’t seen this, make sure you look at the YouTube video of I got a crush on Obama. Watch out Michelle, you just may have some competition lurking in the shadows.

Spielberg Gives Clinton Top Billing

2007-06-14T14:58:00.000-07:00

Don't you just wonder what really happen to make Spielberg switch from supporting Obama to supporting Clinton.

LOS ANGELES — Steven Spielberg’s exploratory phase is over: He’s a Hillary Clinton man.

After a flirtation with Senator Barack Obama in February, and maxing out his contributions to both Mr. Obama and former Senator John Edwards, the famous filmmaker today threw his support formally behind Senator Clinton.

It’s the most significant indication yet that Hollywood luminaries are returning to what was expected to be their default position at the start of the campaign, before Mr. Obama suddenly grew white-hot.

Two interesting posts

2007-06-12T12:04:00.000-07:00

I found these over at TPM

Poll: Hillary Least Electable Dem, Obama Most Electable

A new Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg poll finds Hillary Clinton losing to the top three
Republicans — Rudy Giuliani, John McCain and even the lesser-known Mitt Romney. The other top Democrats all do better. John Edwards tops Romney and McCain, while losing out to Giuliani. Barack Obama is the most electable in this poll, beating Giuliani 46%-41% and doing even better against McCain and Romney. Approval of Congress is at 27%, its lowest level in a decade, down from 36% in January when Democrats took power.

Tribune: How Brand Obama Was Built

From his first days in the U.S. Senate, the Illinoisan has followed a strategy envisioning a White House bid. Obama and his advisors considered how he could establish himself with the limited power of a freshman Senator in the minority party, and they considered a possible run for governor in 2010, but not an attempt at the White House until 2012 or 2016. "My profile outstripped my power in the Senate," Obama said in a recent interview in his Capitol Hill office. "I was mindful of the importance of establishing good relationships with my colleagues early on, and making sure that people didn't think I bought into all the hype."

Here is some conflicting data about who is electable (Clinton or Obama): Clinton Owes Lead in Poll To Support From Women. The article states that it is less educated women who are big Clinton supporters. I guess this is a buzzword for minorities.

Obama seeks advice from Colin Powell

2007-06-11T22:19:00.000-07:00

It is these types of antics that make me wonder about Obama. All of us are aware of the lies told by Powell leading up to the Iraqi war. I guess this is what happens when you are running for the President, if you are a Democrat, you must be in the middle, if you are a Republican, it is ok to be right of the center. One has to wonder about the logic of the Democrats.

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama has sought and received foreign policy advice from former Secretary of State Colin Powell.

Barack Obama's 2006 Tax Return

2007-04-17T18:29:00.000-07:00

Commentaries on his returns from the Associated Press and the Chicago Tribune.

Although his income decreased significantly, the amount of monies earned is still impressive for the Junior Senator of Illinois.

Barack's Blues: Will "Blessing" Boomerang into a Smear?

2007-04-02T13:23:00.000-07:00

Seems every week in Obama's presidential campaign there's something new and potentially damaging and distracting: From "magical Negro" to Saviour.

David Cordero, an artist and student at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (and apparent Obama supporter) unveiled his life-sized exhibit called "Blessing" depicting Barack Obama cloaked in white and red robes with a blue neon halo--Jesus Christ as black. Interestingly, Cordero's 'Barack-as-Christ' exhibit seems inspired by filmmaker, Kevin Smith's, "Buddy Christ" from his 1999 controversial movie, Dogma.

About Obama, Cordero said in an interview,

"He's sort of emerged as this really sort of charismatic and really popular person. I think that people really like him and I think it's because of his message of unity and sort of his political platform."

All well and good, but will another well-meaning effort of an Obama supporter boomerang into an unintended smear or become another means of keeping him on the defensive? The melding of politics and religion and the color of Christ is taking center stage right before Resurrection Sunday. People are asking: Is it art? Or is it blasphemy?

Bruce Jenkins, the dean of the Art Institute's undergraduate program, said the school has been flooded with calls regarding Cordero's sculpture, "some of them from angry people."

However, he said the sculpture has gotten mostly positive feedback.

AP quotes him as saying, "When you see it, when you spend time with it, you understand it's not a provocative work at all. It opens a set of questions."

The Obama camp has made it clear that the Illinois senator has nothing to do with the piece.

"While we respect First Amendment rights and don't think the artist was trying to be offensive, Senator Obama, as a rule, isn't a fan of art that offends religious sensibilities," Obama spokesman Jen Psaki said.

Will there be an outcry for the disexhibition of Cordero's "Blessing?" It happened before. Controversial art has a tradition at the School of the Art Institute.

About twenty years ago a graduating senior, David Nelson's painting, "Mirth & Girth" of the late African American Mayor of Chicago was so offensive that several alderman removed the painting exhibition and attempted to take it out of the building, but security stopped them. Amazingly, they then convinced police to "arrest" the painting and removed it from the building. A Judge ruled four years after the incident that three aldermen had violated Nelson's First Amendment rights, and as a result was entitled to receive damages.

While it is highly unlikely that anything that drastic will occurr to the "Blessing" exhibit, the religious right and neo-cons are singing praises. Why?

One blogger believes,

To a sophisticated viewer, it should be evident that the artist, David Cordero, was making a sarcastic comment about media attention and pseudo-religiosity in politics. The sculpture is clearly an indirect criticism of those journalists who assign, in Cordero's words, “all these inflated expectations.”

Obama for President or VP?

2007-03-29T12:14:00.000-07:00

From everything I've been reading and hearing about Obama, it appears he is either going to be the Democratic Presidential nomination or at the very least, the VP to whomever is the Democratic pick. The Irregular Times, News Unfit for Print has been selling Presidential Dream Ticket items and appears in every single combination Barack Obama is the central player.

In December 2006, Irregular Times sold over 200 of these items; Barack Obama took the presidential position in most of the running-mate items. Obama is not only dominant: he is also central.

I wonder if the stats are still the same now. It is being speculated that if Gore wins the Nobel Prize for his environmental piece, he will be pressured into running for the President and Obama will be he running mate. Only time will tell.

Barack Obama asks...

2007-03-27T15:05:00.000-07:00

How can we engage more people in the democratic process?

Barack Obama - Community get togethers

2007-03-27T12:40:00.000-07:00

On March 31st, people across America with be gethering from Barack Obama around the theme of "Hope". You’ll have an opportunity to join Barack in a discussion, streamed live at BarackObama.com. The discussion will be centered around "how we can reinvigorate our democratic process and change America". Click here to find a community gathering near you.

"Hillary 1984" Attack Ad Creator Revealed

2007-03-21T22:05:00.000-07:00

An email from TechPresident to the "Hillary1984" Vote Different ad creator under the username ParkRidge47 (Hillary Clinton was born in Park Ridge, Illinois in 1947), led to this disclosure:

"The idea was simple and so was the execution. Make a bold statement about the Democratic primary race by culture jacking a famous commercial and replacing as few images as possible. For some people it doesn't register, but for people familiar with the ad and the race it has obviously struck a chord."

Arianna Huffington followed-up and sent out a challenge to the HuffPost team asking them to put their ears to the ground, and learned the video was the work of Philip de Vellis, an employee of Blue State Digital, a company created by members of Howard Dean's Internet Team--that now advises the Obama campaign.

What was he thinking? Did he consider his stealthy creativity might damage Sen. Obama's presidential campaign philosophy once it got out that he was an Obama campaign consultant? Apparently not: Proudly he declares,

"I made the "Vote Different" ad because I wanted to express my feelings about the Democratic primary, and because I wanted to show that an individual citizen can affect the process. There are thousands of other people who could have made this ad, and I guarantee that more ads like it--by people of all political persuasions--will follow.
This shows that the future of American politics rests in the hands of ordinary citizens.
The campaigns had no idea who made it--not the Obama campaign, not the Clinton campaign, nor any other campaign. I made the ad on a Sunday afternoon in my apartment using my personal equipment (a Mac and some software), uploaded it to YouTube (on March 5th), and sent links around to blogs.

The specific point of the ad was that Obama represents a new kind of politics, and that Senator Clinton's "conversation" is disingenuous. And the underlying point was that the old political machine no longer holds all the power."

Well, the ad has now cost him his job: Here is Blue State Digital's statement on this situation.

Statement from Thomas Gensemer, Managing Director, Blue State Digital:

This afternoon, an employee at our firm, Phillip de Vellis, received a call from Arianna Huffington of "The Huffington Post" regarding the "1984" video currently circulating online. Initially, de Vellis refused to respond to her requests. He has since acknowledged to Blue State Digital that he was the creator of the video.

Pursuant to company policy regarding outside political work or commentary on behalf of our clients or otherwise, Mr. de Vellis has been terminated from Blue State Digital effective immediately.

Blue State Digital is under contract with the Obama Campaign for technology pursuits including software development and hosting. Additionally, one of our founding partners is on leave from the company to work directly for the campaign at headquarters.

However, Blue State Digital is not currently engaged in any relationship with the Obama Campaign for creative or non-technical services.

Mr. de Vellis created this video on his own time. It was done without the knowledge of management, and was in no way tied to his work at the firm or our formal engagement [on technology pursuits] with the Obama campaign.

I have spoken with David Plouffe, Sen. Obama's campaign manager, to inform him of this action and am appreciative of his understanding and ongoing support of our work.

In any event, like Geffen's gaff last month, Mr. de Vellis may have created new storm clouds to block out the clear blue sky of Obama's pragmatic political idealism that he so admires. Many will wonder: Could anyone on Obama's staff not have known about the ad before it was uploaded? Zack Exley of TechPresident believes,

"This was a funded project, involving lawyers and an ad agency or at the very least a professional video person who's time is worth hundreds of dollars an hour.

This brings up an interesting possibility. In primary campaigns--where viral ads like this can influence game-changing numbers of voters--will privately-funded creative like "Vote Different" become a major factor? It might not be such a pretty picture. Think ahead to what ad agencies, with checks from Republican political donors, would produce against Hillary, Obama or Edwards in the General Election.

This could really change the way politics are done, at least in this cycle, and probably will bring regulation of this kind of thing soon."

What if de Vellis was a mole? Was the hidden agenda to create another situation to smear Obama? Who would have hired him? There still is a mystery: Who made the cheap imitation "Barack 1984 ad?"

Obama the 'Magic Negro'

2007-03-21T13:58:00.000-07:00

The Illinois senator lends himself to white America's idealized, less-than-real black man.

The Magic Negro is a figure of postmodern folk culture, coined by snarky 20th century sociologists, to explain a cultural figure who emerged in the wake of Brown vs. Board of Education. "He has no past, he simply appears one day to help the white protagonist," reads the description on Wikipedia.

He's there to assuage white "guilt" (i.e., the minimal discomfort they feel) over the role of slavery and racial segregation in American history, while replacing stereotypes of a dangerous, highly sexualized black man with a benign figure for whom interracial sexual congress holds no interest. As might be expected, this figure is chiefly cinematic — embodied by such noted performers as Sidney Poitier, Morgan Freeman, Scatman Crothers, Michael Clarke Duncan, Will Smith and, most recently, Don Cheadle. And that's not to mention a certain basketball player whose very nickname is "Magic."

A Compelling Political "Mashup" Ad--"Hillary 1984"

2007-03-19T12:47:00.000-07:00

A chillingly creative ad has opened a Pandora's box of new ways outsiders can anonymously attack their opponents to influence political campaigns. This compelling ad called a "mashup" where old and new elements are combined to create a new message, uses footage from the "1984" Super Bowl ad, produced by director Ridley Scott, that introduced Apple's MacIntosh Computer, and then splices in footage from Sen. Clinton speaking on the presidential campaign trail. It wasn't broadcast: it's posted on the Internet on YouTube.

In the updated ad: "Hillary 1984," Clinton's face is seen on an IMAX sized screen as she talks about holding conversations with the public, while a mass of zombie like people (mainly men) watch mindlessly until a young blond female athlete carrying a sledgehammer, chased by a band police officers, races into the room and smashes the screen; a blinding light appears, a new tagline rises up: "On January 14th, the Democratic primary will begin. And you will see why 2008 won't be like '1984;" the screen then fades to an updated Apple logo showing a rainbow colored O and the Web address BarackObama.com at the bottom.

The outside activists who created this video remain a mystery...for now. Someone else (a Clinton supporter?) retaliated and used the same Super Bowl anti-Hillary ad concept calling it "Barack 1984." Now Obama is in the mix: The setup is he seemingly is giving his announcement to run for the presidency; the ad shifts to his announcing "the (Chicago) Bears to go all the way baby" and win the Super Bowl; a caption then appears, "The Bears Lost, So Will Obama." Both the Obama and Clinton Campaigns absolutely deny any connection with these ads.

Observing the impact this video will have in political campaigns, Carla Marinucci writes in the San Francisco Chronicle,

[I]n the weeks since its early March debut, the expertly created video remix -- called a mashup in blogosphere circles -- has "changed the zone" between political campaigns, their followers and the Internet, said Simon Rosenberg, president of the Washington-based New Democrat Network, an influential party advocacy group based in Washington, D.C.

With presidential campaigns now poised to spend hundreds of millions of dollars in advertising that will blanket television before November 2008, this seemingly home-produced video -- created with software and a laptop, and likely without the benefit of a team of expensive political consultants -- opens a new window, Rosenberg said. It has dramatized a brave new world in which passionate activists outside the structure of traditional campaigns have the power to shape the message -- even for a presidential candidate.
The ad is proof that "anybody can do powerful emotional ads ... and the campaigns are no longer in control," Rosenberg said. "It will no longer be a top-down candidate message; that's a 20th century broadcast model."
It also dramatizes that today, political activists with the Internet as their ammunition have gone from being "just donors to the cause," he said, "to being partners in the fight. And they don't have to wait for permission."

While the original provocative Apple ad borrows themes from George Orwell's book, 1984, in which Big Brother coerces conformity among the masses to control the future, I am reminded of a recent subversive film, V for Vendetta--the Wachowski Brothers (The Matrix Trilogy) adaptation of the graphic novel V for Vendetta, by Alan Moore and David Lloyd starring Natalie Portman, Hugo Weaving, and Stephen Rea. Next we might see movie trailer political mashups.

Obama surge in new poll

2007-03-19T11:01:00.000-07:00

Sen. Obama surges to within striking distance of Sen. Clinton according a March 19, 2007 Rasmussen Report Poll: Clinton 35% Obama 30% Edwards 11%.

The race for the Democratic Presidential nomination is getting a bit tighter. Illinois Senator Barack Obama (D) has closed to within five points of the frontrunner—Senator Hillary Clinton. A week ago, Clinton held a 12-point lead.

The former First Lady now attracts 35% of the vote down slightly from 38% last week. Obama gained four points and now is the top choice for 30% of Likely Voters. That’s the highest level of support for Obama in any Rasmussen Reports survey since the Election 2008 season began.

Uncovering the Secret to Sen. Obama's Appeal

2007-03-07T18:59:00.000-08:00

Many pundits wonder what is it that makes Obama so appealing across multiple psychodemographics. How is it that he connects so effortlessly and empathically with people? Is it his young age, his wit, his diverse ethnic background, his untainted political resume, his consistent opposition to the Iraq war, his membership in the "Joshua generation" (the post civil rights or "Moses" generation), or his vision of politics?

Imagine something more basic: Voice, facial expression and body language. Communication expert, David McGrath has done an analysis of Obama's and other political leaders communication style. And beyond the obvious--Obama smiles a lot--he postulates,
"that an audience responds positively or negatively to a speaker, less on the basis of what he represents with his words and sentences than on the message he conveys with tactile, sensory and spatial engagement of his body. And Obama apparently is ahead of the pack of presidential candidates when it comes to cues of body language."

Obama in Selma: Video clips on the psychology of "acting white" and "absentee fathers"

2007-03-05T17:23:00.000-08:00

Insights into Sen. Obama's authenticity can be gleaned from these two video excerpts of his 35 minute speech at the Brown Chapel A.M.E. Church commemorating the 42nd anniversary of the attempted crossing of the Edmund Pettus Bridge by 600 people, led by John Lewis (now a U.S. Congressman) and SCLC's Hosea Williams.

Obama weighs in on the false perception, generated by popular culture, held by many black youth that equates academic achievement with "acting white." In the manner of Bill Cosby, Obama also addresses personal responsibility and the difficulty growing up without a father, which calls to mind Mary J. Blige's song, "Father In You."

Like a jazz musician soloing, Obama's gave an inspiring speech, but some of the notes he hit didn't ring true. Pumping the pulse of the people from the pulpit, Obama's metaphoric narrative of the connection of his African grandfather and father, his birth and the civil rights movement, specifically the Selma situation had a number of fuzzy facts (which many of the elders surely recognized). Yet, apparently, they were not offended; they knew the perils of preaching. "Keeping it real" via connecting with the people's hearts is what's important, and that's what Obama deftly did.

Click here for a more complete video of Sen. Obama's speech.
Click here for Sen. Obama's Selma speech text.

View photographer Spider Martin's excellent exhibit on this historic event of March 7, 1965.
View videos of the unsuccessful "Bloody Sunday" march and successful one two weeks later.

Barak Obama Vote Database

2007-02-23T19:09:00.000-08:00

According to the Washington post information, Obama is very progressive. However, if you look at his overall record, a different picture emerges. There are those who believe Barack Obama is the best new Senator money can buy.

See how Barack Obama voted on key votes -- the most important bills, nominations and resolutions that have come before Congress, as determined by washingtonpost.com.

This is mighty big of Obama

2007-02-23T18:54:00.000-08:00

In a world that is dominated by attack dogs, he seeks to end the "tit-for-tat" politics.

Getting to no Obama's brother-in-law

2007-02-23T18:36:00.000-08:00

This is a story about the long road to finding inner peace.

Interesting quote:

“In order for Barack to win, it’s going to be important for people to know everything there is to know about him,” Robinson said. “Getting to know the rest of his family is just as important. The country doesn’t know how to understand a black candidate. They’re going to want to evaluate him up and down, know his background and his family’s background.”

Why Hollywood is endorsing Obama

2007-02-23T18:16:00.000-08:00

Like me, those in Hollywood think Clinton has moved too far to the right and doesn't stand a chance of defeating a Republican candidate.

The real reason for not desiring a Hillary coronation, as described to me by California Democrats, is resentment of her cautious sidestep rightward over the past six years. They still cannot get over her sponsorship in 2005 of legislation against flag burning. The whispered worry is that Clinton as the presidential nominee would be a loser in a year when the stars seem aligned for a Republican defeat.

FOX ATTACKS OBAMA

2007-02-23T17:46:00.001-08:00

Right Wing Bullshyt!

Obama Behind Closed Doors

2007-02-23T15:43:00.001-08:00

The current video presents the erroneous and slanted stories Fox recently ran about Barack Obama. In response, Obama refused to appear on Fox.

The Clintons can be some nasty characters

2007-02-22T06:22:00.000-08:00

These are some interesting statements and it shows what Obama will be up against. The more I hear about Hillary, the more I dislike her. This woman is not a nice person.

Hillary Clinton lately has deployed the argument among Democrats that she should be nominated because she has a proven record of vanquishing her enemies. So she might think it's to her advantage to put her knife-fighting skills on display. Former Vice President Al Gore has privately told friends that his familiarity with the Clintons' hardball campaign style is one of the reasons he would be leery of making a run against Hillary. Geffen told Dowd he expected a brutal primary because the Clinton "machine is going to be very unpleasant and unattractive and effective." But Obama showed, despite his official disdain for pugnacious politics, that he knows how to punch back when he's hit.

Can Obama maintain the momentum

2007-02-22T06:07:00.000-08:00

Obama is drawing huge crowds like Howard Dean did in 2004 primary race and parallels between Obama and Deans are being made. Will Obama be able to avoid Dean's pitfall of peaking too early, only to be brought down by his own gaffes and criticism from rivals.

This is significant - Obama apears to be moving in front of Clinton

2007-02-21T21:02:00.000-08:00

While Sen. Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign launched a weeklong, $1 million fund-raising drive, the Hollywood gala raised $1.3 million for Sen. Barack Obama in a single night.

This is probably the real reason why Hillary Clinton is upset and wants Obama to give the money back to David Geffen. He's simply outshining her.

Is Hillary coming unraveled?

2007-02-21T11:56:00.000-08:00

I have just one thing to say to Hillary don't make this personal. Americans still have the rights to the freedom of choice. How small minded of Hillary. Is this what we can expect from the first woman's president. She may be too emotional for the oval office. I got one eye on Mrs. Clinton.

The battle to be the 2008 Democratic candidate for president went negative Wednesday, as leading contenders Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama got into a virtual shouting match. This is a spin by Fox!
The campaigns exchanged heated words after Clinton suggested Obama return funds to Hollywood bigwig David Geffen, who insulted Clinton in a newspaper article.

Minnesota Congressman Ellison Endorses Barack Obama for President

2007-02-21T11:42:00.000-08:00

The fact that he had to mention that exposes the race problem in America. You will never see or hear anyone make this type of statement pertaining to a White male presidential candidate. And White people make a point to support each other all the time.

When Ellison made this statement, he is saying there is a race-based issue in America but he is not supporting Barack because both of them are Black, yet feels the need to clarify his position, which is problematic in and of itself. Why do we feel we have to clarify these types of issues when Whites don't have to clarify their positions no matter what racial group the individuals belong to? Would Blacks be attacked by White America if they didn't clarify their position?

Minnesota U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison says he supports Illinois Sen. Barack Obama for president."Not because he's black," said Ellison, who is black, on Tuesday. "That's identity politics. I reject identity politics.

Obama's Hollywood Debut

2007-02-21T11:33:00.000-08:00

It was very successful. $1.3 million was raised at the event.

Obama draws bigger crowd in South Carolina than Clinton

2007-02-20T16:01:00.000-08:00

This is more good news for Obama! But, this is still the South. Only time will tell.

More than 3000 people gathered to see Senator Hillary Clinton make her first presidential campaign stop in South Carolina today, while over the weekend, Senator Barack Obama of Illinois drew a crowd approaching five thousand at historically black Claflin College.

Authentically Black: The Real Question about Obama’s Candidacy

2007-02-20T14:41:00.000-08:00

Interesting questions posed by Imani Perry

I don’t believe the authenticity problem lies with African Americans. The authenticity problem lies with white Americans. The real question is: Why have White pundits, journalists and newscasters been so eager to comment on Obama’s being biracial and the son of an immigrant, rather than his history of civil rights activism or his long time involvement in African American social and political communities? Does it reveal a desire, among whites, that he not be authentically black (whatever that means), but somehow “different?”

Sen. Barack Obama Tests Hollywood Appeal With Fundraiser

2007-02-20T12:37:00.000-08:00

This is a nice story told from the perspective of those at Fox News, the very ones who broke a fictitious story trying to smear Obama's name. Maybe this new portrayal by Fox of Obama is a direct result of Obama refusing to give Fox an interview. This may be the calm before the storm.

Sen. Barack Obama received rock-star treatment here from Democratic donors. On Tuesday, he tests his appeal in Hollywood — a political stage long owned by Bill and Hillary Clinton.

Photo of Barack & Michelle on that faithful day

2007-02-20T06:18:00.000-08:00

Sen. Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, in Springfield, IL.

The Week Ahead

2007-02-20T06:07:00.000-08:00

With Congress out of session — this is a week for fund-raising, campaigning and one gathering of potentially high interest. The Democratic presidential contenders are appearing Wednesday in Carson City, Nev., for a forum sponsored by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees;

Obama, in S.F., decries Bush policies

2007-02-20T05:56:00.000-08:00

Obama says Nation's crisis is division between people and governement. I wonder how many people believes this statement? I certainly think this is part of the crisis.

He warned that if government doesn't address such issues as global warming, the federal deficit and lack of investment in education, ``We may be consigning the next generation to an America that is a little meaner and a little poorer than the one we inherited.

The young Obama got his start in civil rights practice

2007-02-20T05:50:00.000-08:00

This photo provided by Harvard University Law School shows Barack Obama as a student at the school in Cambridge, Mass., Feb. 6, 1990. Obama came to Harvard in the fall of 1988 after graduating from Columbia University and spending four years as a community organizer in Chicago. At the end of his first year, Obama was selected to serve on the Law Review as one of 80 "editor"-students; midway through his second year, on Feb. 5, 1990, Obama was elected president, becoming the first black president of the prestigious Harvard Law Review. (AP Photo/Harvard University, Joe Wrinn)

You have to admit, this is a pretty cool photo of the young Obama.

Of course Obama is 'black' enough

2007-02-20T05:39:00.000-08:00

Is Barack Obama "authentically" black? Come on, be real. Is the pope Catholic?

"People talk as if this is, like, some kind of option for him," Cobb-Hunter said. "When Obama looks in the mirror in the morning, what do you think he sees? There is no way that he has any confusion about being a man of color. I think this issue is being manufactured by people who want to get us off focus. I don't hear the national media questioning Hillary Clinton about being a woman."

I would love for them to question Hillary Clinton's identity as a woman if for no other reason than to show the absurdity in this approach towards Obama. If Barack isn’t Black enough, then Hilary isn’t woman enough. I would love to see a debate on Hilary's womaness!!!

The Obama Illusion

2007-02-20T05:02:00.000-08:00

If anyone thinks Obama is progressive or liberal, it is definitely an illusion.

If the Democrats’ candidate in 2008 is Obama, we can be sure that the right-wing Republican noise machine will denounce the nation’s potential first non-white male president as a dangerous “leftist.” The charge will be absurd, something that will hardly stop numerous people on the portside of the narrow U.S. political spectrum from claiming Obama as a fellow “progressive.” Certain to be encouraged by Obama and his handlers, this confusion will reflect the desperation and myopia that shaky thinking and the limited choices of the U.S. electoral system regularly instill in liberals and some squishy near leftists.

So what sorts of policies and values could one expect from an imagined Obama presidency? There is quite a bit already in Obama’s short national career that has to be placed in the “never mind” category if one is to seriously to believe his claim (cautiously advanced in The Audacity of Hope) to be a “progressive” concerned with “social and economic justice” and global peace.

Obama has arrived!

2007-02-19T14:33:00.000-08:00

Obama to Campaign in Los Angeles Tuesday (Feb 20)

Barack Obama will be holding a rally in Los Angeles, as well as attending a big money fundraiser in Beverly Hills Tuesday evening, organized by DreamWorks SKG partners Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg and David Geffen.

Internship information - Office of Barack Obama

2007-02-19T13:16:00.000-08:00

In case you have students, family or church members who may be interested. Summer internships in Washington DC are still available through March 23rd.

You can get further information and the application

One Million Strong for Barack

2007-02-19T10:46:00.001-08:00

The successful Facebook group One Million Strong for Barack

A Generational Split in the Black Caucus

2007-02-19T09:38:00.000-08:00

It may be time for some new blood. It's about time someone in power in the Black community speaks out against this type of non-productive verbiage. I'm not sure why so many Black people think they owe the Clinton's anything. If you look at Clinton record while he was President, we should turn our backs on a Clinton dynasty.

In the black caucus at the DNC meeting Illinois State Senate President Emil Jones caused a ruckus when he slammed the caucus for murmuring that Barack Obama isn't 'black enough'.

The general gist of his comments was 'how long are we going to have to pay back the Clinton's', and it revealed a generational split among black political leaders between the old patronage model and a newer movement model.

Will you vote for Obama in the primaries?

2007-02-19T09:08:00.000-08:00

Tell the truth, is Obama worthy of your vote?

I think this is history, I will vote on him.

Virginia Governor backs Obama's 08 bid

2007-02-18T20:58:00.000-08:00

Can you believe the Governor of the former capital of the Confederacy endorsed Obama? This is a good sign. Obama is off to a good start.

Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine, a Democrat, became the first governor outside Illinois to endorse Obama, a first-term senator.

Obama responds to criticism he cannot be president

2007-02-18T18:28:00.000-08:00

The time is now!

In Orangeburg, S.C. - White House hopeful Barack Obama, taking a fellow black lawmaker to task, said Saturday voters are ready to elect a black president.

Decoding the debate over blackness

2007-02-18T12:01:00.000-08:00

It's clear to even the casual observer that Obama's blackness is being challenged because he was impoverished. The bottom lines is that Obama is still treated as a Black person. The one drop rule still applies. It's like Muhammad Ali said, a Black man with a million dollars is still a Ni**r with a million dollar.

Brent Staples on decoding the debate over blackness:

The rush of upward mobility produced the inevitable identity crisis, which led in turn to endless discussions about the meaning of blackness in a world where skin color was beginning to matter less.
Black Americans who came from successful, upwardly mobile families were regularly dismissed as white or inauthentic. The authentic black experience, it was said, was limited to the hard-core, impoverished upbringing that black people often chose to brag about, even when they had actually grown up in the lap of luxury.

Black Like Me?

2007-02-18T11:34:00.000-08:00

Marjorie Valbrun says that those asking if Barack Obama is 'Black Enough' are asking the wrong question.

What does it mean to be black, and who is the arbiter of authentic blackness? As Sen. Barack Obama's "blackness" has increasingly been discussed on black-oriented radio shows, at political conferences and on Sunday morning news shows, I've grown more dismayed by the day.
This is a narrow-minded and divisive notion. At a time when blacks living in this country, whether by birth or by choice, should be harnessing their collective political clout to empower all black people, we're wasting time debating which of us are truly black.

I want a black president, if he speaks his mind

2007-02-17T21:10:00.000-08:00

Curtis Lawrence

I think Obama's appeal to some white people is his perceived calmness -- that's he's not stuck on the civil rights movement, that he can shrug off a Biden comment and do the good ol' boy thing with Sen. John McCain.

I've been told that I'm naive, and that of course Obama can't say what he thinks and still win. Sorry, folks, but I would like to go to the polls and vote for someone who I believe in.