Friday, January 25, 2008

How To Win On February 5




When You Get Hit, You Hit Back


If there is a fundamental law to campaigning, like there is a Newtonian law saying for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction, this is it: when you get hit, you hit back. If you don't hit back, you lose. It does not matter that the hits on you were lies. Complaining a week later that you got lied about makes you look inept. Your hit back has to feel like a rapid response.

Clinton 08 lied about Obama in New Hampshire and they won. Obama 08 should have been able to see immediately that the attacks are coming, have come. If you act like you did not even know you got hit, you look inept.

And the rebuttals have to be immediate. Like within the hour. And they can't sound like you are complaining. It can't be like, don't lie about me. Or stop hitting.

The new kind of politics, the politics of hope does not change that fundamental law of campaigning: when you get hit, you hit back. You have answer back every single time. Let no attack go unanswered.

What the new kind of politics does change is that when you hit back, you don't have to lie yourself, you don't have to sound mean, you don't have to engage in the politics of personal destruction.

But little else changes. When you get hit, voters have to notice that you noticed you got hit. And then then watch if you hit back, how long it takes you to hit back.

A great example of hitting back is this, this one from Hollywood. The tabloids came out saying George Clooney had wrecked a Julia Roberts' relationship. Clooney responded, "I was too busy breaking Tom and Nicole, I did not have the time."

That is a great way to do it. He noticed he got hit. He did not take long at all to respond. He did not complain. He did not say, stop lying. And he did not get mean in his response. He used humor to top it all off.

Obama 08 has to do something similar every single time it gets attacked.

Barack got attacked on abortion the day before the New Hampshire vote and he is responding to it now. That is way too late. His "present" vote was the best pro-choice vote in the context, and he has to educate the voters on that. He has to issue rebuttals in real time.

Obama 2008 has really been hurting from the viral emails that claim he is a Muslim. Here going on TV to say you are a Muslim will not do. That will not be enough. That is like Bush attacking Al Qaeda - no state, no standing army - with a standing army. That is not too smart. This virus needs a new medicine. Similarly Obama 2008 has to be able to issue viral emails of his own that use some humor. For example: Barack Obama has been attending the same church for 20 years and he has been praying to Jesus. Does that make him Christian or Muslim? Another example: Barack happens not to be Muslim, but how much sense does it make to demonize those who are? That hurts our war on terror where we are trying to not only protect ourselves but also trying to rescue hundreds of millions of Muslims from a few thousand fanatics?

Can Obama 08 reach those same audiences through the same methods - viral emails - with his counter messages. Obama 08 has a larger bank of email addresses than any other campaign. He could send out emails urging all to forward them to everyone they knew, urging them in turn to forward it on.

If you don't exhibit you have capability for reflex action, if you don't show you can hit back in near real time, voters lose respect for you. You lose.

The new kind of politics does not change the fundamental law of campaigning.

The same applies to strong arm tactics of voter suppression Clinton 08 used in places like New Hampshire and Nevada. You have to know when it happens. You have to make noise about it. You have to take immediate legal action as necessary. You have to make political hay about it.

I am surprised that Obama 08 is not taking the media to task for saying Clinton won in New Hampshire and Nevada. She did not. We got as many delegates as them in New Hampshire, we got more than them in Nevada. This is a contest for delegates not votes.

White Media Says The Clintons Won Nevada

Granted Obama 08 slipped on the hitting back thing in New Hampshire and Nevada, it could still hit back now. But the week before February 5 will be merciless.

The new kind of politics does not change the fact that politics is a contact sport.



Iraq

Iraq continues to be the number one issue on which Obama 08 can hope to go on the offensive. You turn it into a safety issue. Iraq was a dumb, expensive diversion from the war on the Al Qaeda. You keep hammering that point. You report on the fact that the Al Qaeda is stronger today than ever before. And Hillary has to take some responsibility for it.

I Don't Doubt Hillary's Compassion Overall, Just Her Judgment On Iraq
Hillary's Iran Vote, Not That Different From The Iraq Vote
Iraq Did Not Have The Bomb, Iran Does Not Either
Obama's Card: Iraq
Hillary Messed Up On Iraq, And Al Qaeda Is Strong, America Insecure
Iraq, Energy, Global Warming: All Interlinked
Obama Gameplan: Stable, Democratic Iraq
Iraq On My Mind

If Obama does not go on the offensive on Iraq, he is essentially saying him and Hillary are like Coke and Pepsi, it does not really matter who you pick, we are both nice people who will do you proud.

Coke Gatorade, Not Coke Pepsi

Iraq is what will win him the nomination, Iraq is what will win him the presidency.



Race

After South Carolina, Barack has to give a major speech that addresses the question as to how he will take race relations in America to a whole new level. If all the first black president is saying is it will be nice to have a black face in there for a change, a lot of white folks might decide, not really.

The Need For A Race Gender Coalition
Don't Do The Bill Richardson Thing

Also, reach out to Hispanics.

February 4 might be a good day to deliver a major national address on race.

Barackface: JFK, Obama Parallels: Catholic, Black

Gender

Tackle gender, and you tackle California.

A Vote For Barack Is Not A Vote Against Hillary

California, New York, New Jersey

If Barack does not pull at least 40-60 in these three states, he is in trouble. Otherwise he is looking real good in the between the coasts states.



The Need For A Race Gender Coalition
Don't Do The Bill Richardson Thing
A Vote For Barack Is Not A Vote Against Hillary
February 5: Big Prizes
Building Social Muscles
Barack Is Deaniac From 2004: His Anti-War Image Is No Fairytale
Progressive Political Religion: No Place For Superpowers
Tackling Race As An Issue The Average Person Way
Why Bill Clinton Is Misbehaving
An Ode To White Women: I Think I Am Going Hispanic
5.0 With Manhattan Organizations
Let's Finish This Thing On February 5
Howard Dean Was Grassroots 1.0, Barack Is Grassroots 2.0
White Media Says The Clintons Won Nevada
Which Clinton Is Running For President?
Global Trafficking Of Women
Become Aggressive, Or Become Adlai Stevenson
Nobody Quite Like Benazir
How Ganesh Got His Elephant Head
Mother
What Are We Looking At
It Is A RSVP: Here I Come DL21C
The Al Qaeda And Political Organizations In Manhattan
Barack's Fairytale Position On Iraq War, Fairytale Candidacy, Fairytale Lifestory, Fairytale Hairstyle
2.0 Penetrates DL21C
And The British Left India On Their Own
Martha Outed Kenton And Women With Issues
The Swift Boat Aspect Of Hillary's New Hampshire Victory
Spitzer Is Right, Albany Is Wrong
How To Play The Race Card In South Carolina
An Open Letter To Elizabeth Caputo
Hillary Cried, Women Responded, She Won
Iowa: One And A Half Victory Parties


The Need For A Race Gender Coalition


Race Gender

There are those who say but do you think America can handle a black man a-n-d a woman at the same time? The suggestion is that if Barack is the nominee, he should not pick Hillary as running mate. The alternate suggestion is that if Hillary is the nominee, she should not pick Barack as her running mate.

I am absolutely for a race gender coalition. This is not identity politics to me. If it were, I would say, let's have a black guy, white guy ticket, but I am not saying that. For me this is part and parcel of being a progressive. Progressive white guys, if they truly are progressive, will have to agree that a race gender coalition is not an anti white male suggestion any more than anti-segregation was an anti white thing.

Race is a really, really big issue. Gender is a really, really big issue. And that is precisely why both have to be tackled together. If you tackle only one, you will not make as much progress as if you tackled both together. So if you are for making major progress on race, you have to be for a race gender coalition. And if you are for making major progress on gender, you have to be for a race gender coalition.

Race and gender are identity, big time. But I am not talking identity. I am talking policy. Making progress on race is a progressive cause, it is not a black cause. Making progress on gender is a progressive cause, it is not a women's cause.

Progressive Political Religion: No Place For Superpowers

Both Barack and Hillary have acted like the less they talk about race and gender, the better it is. The important point is to get elected as a black man, as a woman, than it is to talk race and gender. And that might be smart politics. But there is a part of me that itches to have full blown conversations on race and gender. You don't make progress on race by talking about the weather. You don't make progress on gender by talking about the weather.

Tackling Race As An Issue The Average Person Way
The Grassroots Power Woman
Muscular Gender Agenda

I feel like there is an urgent need to declare a global war on domestic violence with a just say no kind of firmness. And I don't mean just domestic violence, big as that problem is: more than a third of the women in India end up getting beat up by their husbands. I am also talking the global trafficking of women. Which is worse, picking cotton or getting raped under bondage?

Global Trafficking Of Women

Women in America face gender as an issue on a daily basis. This country is nowhere close to resolving family and career as issues. Women end up facing a false choice. The outwardly suggestion is that women are free to pursue careers. But the reality is, well, not really. The American workplace has been designed for bodies that do not bear children. That is fundamentally wrong. Birthing children should not hamper your career at all. Both spouses should take maternity leaves. Both spouses should share the raising of children. There is a part about redesigning the workplace, and telecommuting options should make it easier over time. But then there is the part about changing gender attitudes of men. Men need to go to class on gender.

And then there are the legal battles waiting to take place on the question of equal pay. Sexism is a tool designed to give women less money for the same work. Racism is also a tool like that.

The important thing is to stake out policy positions that will take race and gender to the next level, and then to build progressive coalitions around those policy positions. So progress on race is not about saying, okay, black people, holler up. Progress on gender is not just about sounding a wake up call for women. We are not talking identity politics, we are talking issue politics, we are talking policy politics. Although there is not escaping identity politics when talking race and gender.

Sexism is not good for men, it is unhealthy, it is suffocating. Racism is not good for white people.
So making progress on race and gender is about building a progressive coalition of men and women, white and nonwhite.

Black Hispanic

I am surprised there is no major effort at the community level of black community leaders supporting Obama reaching out to the Hispanic communities across the country. Instead of the feeling that we are both Blac - Black, Latino, Asian Coalition - there is almost this antagonism among blacks and Hispanics. Who is the bigger minority? They ask each other in a foolish way. Both of you are minority, big time. That is a sign of a lack of political consciousness that such an antagonism exists.

Don't Do The Bill Richardson Thing
Barackface: Blacks, Hispanics At The Core Of The Democrat Rainbow ...

Minority Women

Black men and white women have the privilege of debating which is the bigger issue. Between those two groups, race is. But minority women don't have the privilege of asking that question. They are at the receiving end of both. A race gender ticket is needed for minority women more than for black men and white women.

Race Gender Coalition Got The Numbers

Between them, they got 65% of the country, and that is not even counting the progressive white men. Going together is the only way for Barack and Hillary to move forward to make the big gains they want to make on behalf of historically marginalized groups.

Only if both are in the White House together they will feel bold enough to give both race and gender the boldness they ask for. It is about time. Let's shape the 21st century as the one when race and gender no longer mattered, race and gender no longer held you back.

Grassroots Organizing

Barack will need more of that as president than while running for president. The black community has got to build family and community for the sake of it, to make use of opportunities that already exist, and to fight to expand the opportunities for blacks at all levels. One medicine for three challenges.

Tackling Race As An Issue The Average Person Way

New York City Women

Women in NYC have to take the lead on behalf of women nationwide. You build a huge, leaderless organization that is seamless 2.0 and 5.0. I believe that is the best way to make progress on gender. Women in NYC need to reach out to women in small town America. There is a culture among politically active women in NYC that says we just get together and socialize and partake in small political action, with the emphasis on socializing. I am all for socializing. But when it takes so little extra effort to reach out to women in small town America, why will you not do it as residents of the progressive capital of America and the world?

Martha Outed Kenton And Women With Issues

Michelle's Time To Shine

If Barack wants to carry February 5, he has to make sure America learns two things before then, that his mother was white, and that his wife is a South Side native, she really knows what it means to grow working class.

NYC Effort For Obama

From day one I have refused to sit on any committee, become part of any structure, refused any leadership role. But I have been big for Barack from day one. Of course there are so many more Obama volunteers today in the city than there were only a few months back. So many new leaders have emerged. And that is great. I try to show up and experience events, get to know a few people, collect a few emails to share my blog, but primarily I keep looking at the big picture to offer tips to the people running the show at the Chicago headquarters. I act like I were Obama 2008's self-proclaimed shadow national campaign manager. 2.0 makes that possible. If what you have to say is important, word will get through.

Yesterday I went to an Obama event. There were a few old-timers, but mostly I saw new faces. Mostly people who had come in after Barack's Iowa victory. I expect the crowd to swell during the final week before February 5.

It was a good event on West Houston. This guy Todd was the organizer, Brooklyn dude. I met some interesting people. I am so glad I went. I need to go to many more of these events to build my social muscles. I sure am going to the big rally tomorrow. (Barackface: Building Social Muscles)

I will have to work hard to get back my easy social ways of back in the days. I am recuperating. Physical exercise helps, eating oranges helps, but face time is where it really happens. You end up with many awkward moments while you are working at it.

"I am a nobody. I got a young startup."

"No, I am not Republican." The response I got to that was, I wouldn't give a damn even if you were.

I don't know where that comes from. I have got that a few times before. At Barack's Washington Square Park rally, one dude asked me if I was a Ron Paul supporter. Once I was in the Bronx for Fernando Ferrer, and one guy said to me earnestly, "Take Bloomberg's money if he gives it to you, just don't do the work." The first time Rudy, the state director for Obama 2008, met me, he asked me if I was a "spy!" Spy for who? Hillary? Rudy? My blog cured him, but that was an interesting start.

Once not long after I cut my hair short, I showed up at Drinking Liberally, and these two women were talking to each other, once in a while glancing at me: "Bloomberg has infiltrated the liberal groups in the city!"

It is not like I dress fancy. I am blaming Bobby Jindal.

Barackface: NYC, Obama, Structure, Me

Leah and Sylvan were there. Arthur was there. Sylvan said, "Come to the rally tomorrow with your video camera." Sure will. Leah asked me about my company.

"I found a great business partner. And that is making all the difference."

In The News

South Carolina Democrats Head to Polls After Spirited Campaign
U.S. News & World Report Obama had 38 percent, Clinton 30, and Edwards 19, with blacks overwhelmingly backing Obama and whites split between Edwards and Clinton. ...... much of the talk in the past few days has focused on former President Bill Clinton, who has gone on the attack against Obama, prompting some of his ex-advisers and friends to say he is going too far with his harsh tone ...... He's playing the role of a vice presidential candidate, the attack dog. He is becoming too much of an issue ..... accused Obama, his wife's main rival, of putting out a "hit job" on him. He also scolded a CNN reporter in South Carolina for playing up the racial issue, which he said the Obama campaign was "feeding" the media. ...... the Clinton strategy is working, at least in the short term, by causing Democrats to have second thoughts about Obama. To that end, the Clintons are questioning his experience, his toughness, his commitment to "progressive" ideas, and his electability. ...... "Obama is going to have to do something dramatic, something that shows he represents a new politics, or Hillary is going to win" ....... Clinton is favored to win the biggest states that have primaries on February 5, when 24 states will hold contests. Among her strong spots are California, New York, and New Jersey. It turns out that Clinton is benefiting from a sorting-out process within the Democratic Party. While African-Americans and many young people are gravitating toward Obama, Clinton is gaining support from women, Hispanics, and blue-collar workers
McCain Leads Giuliani in NY, NJ U.S. News & World Report
France, India fire up military cooperation, nuclear energy ties AFP
Was Al-Qaeda Behind Beirut Bombing? TIME heightened activity by al-Qaeda-related groups in Lebanon. ..... bin Laden described the U.N. peacekeeping force in south Lebanon as "Crusaders" sent to Lebanon "to protect the Jews" of Israel ..... Al-Saadi Nahed, a Saudi extremist and veteran of the insurgency in Iraq, has been appointed "emir" for al-Qaeda in Lebanon ...... al-Qaeda's coordinator for Lebanon, Jordan and Syria ..... the truth behind Eid's death lies lost in the depths of Lebanon's Gordian knot of intrigue, conspiracy, prejudice and deceit.
The Democrats' Turnout Triumph Democratic primaries and caucuses in record numbers, doubling, tripling or even quadrupling the turnout totals ...... In Iowa, some 239,000 Democrats turned out at the caucuses, almost twice the all-time record. ..... In New Hampshire, some 287,000 Democrats turned out to vote, up from 156,862 in 2000 ..... In Nevada, more than 116,000 voters attended Democratic party caucuses in a state where, eight years ago, the gatherings attracted only about 1,000 votes. .... As of now, the level of primary participation is nearing the levels seen in general elections. ...... Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada are all closely contested swing states in presidential elections ..... Barack Obama, whose age and cross-party appeal has helped attract unusual numbers of independents and young people
Obama eyes South Carolina win, Clinton urges calm AFP Local councillor Bernice Scott asked: "If all the black people in the world voted for the black people where would we go?" ..... "I love you," someone shouted from the crowd "I love you back!" he joked. ...... being an ex-president does not give you license to abuse the truth. Things have been said about Barack Obama's positions that are just plain untrue." .... Obama's standing among whites in the southern state had plunged 10 percent in just one week ...... troubling signs for Obama, showing Clinton now leads the Democratic race nationally among white Americans 53 percent to 24 percent, compared to a 40-23 percent margin last month.
Obama looks ahead to countrywide votes after South Carolina contestThe Canadian Press she's got an attitude of entitlement." .... South Carolina, which is plagued by a deep racial divide and economic inequities that include severe underfunding for rural schools where the vast majority of students are black ...... noting that he and his wife were once paying more each month on education loans than their mortgage. ..... told NBC she wouldn't stop responding to barbs from Obama.
Senior Dems to President Clinton: Back Off Bill NPR
Should Obama campaign against Clinton or against the Clintons? Chicago Tribune
Clinton calls for calm as Obama attacks Times Online
Delegate Math, Super Tuesday and Clinton Washington Post Clinton is urging her delegates to vote to seat delegates from Michigan and Florida ..... "I feel very good about Super Tuesday," she said. .... The audiences at Clinton's events over the last two days -- with the exception of a rally at a black college in Columbia on Friday -- have been largely white
Poll: Clinton maintains lead in Ariz., but Obama closing gap AZ Central.com Clinton had 37 percent to Obama's 27 percent compared with a similar November poll that showed Clinton further ahead, with 44 percent to Obama's 14 percent. ...... Clinton clings to a lead that appears to be shrinking ..... "What you see now won't be what you see a week ago."
Obama attacks Hillary over Iraq war vote Telegraph.co.uk Clinton aides hold out hope that they could squeeze a surprise victory that would effectively kill off Mr Obama's hopes. .... Obama accused Mrs Clinton of having "simply blamed the civilian and military leaders who carried out the policy she authorised". ...... "You can't undo a vote for war just because the war stopped being popular." ..... white voters and Hispanics are increasingly supporting Mrs Clinton.

Don't Do The Bill Richardson Thing



Don't do the Bill Richardson thing. No Hispanic ever found out he was Hispanic. Or he would have done better, at least better than some other single digit people. He sure had an impressive resume. But if you can't even win your own homeground, why will white people - white women - take you seriously? Bill Richardson never was able to get past the Hispanics thinking he is Anglo. His first and last names are Anglo.

I am disappointed Barack as the first nonwhite who has a clear shot at the presidency has not been able to reach out to the Hispanics. Hillary has been striking all the right Democratic notes on immigration, but it is Barack who has been out there on the cutting edge of immigration. Hillary does what is safe, Barack does what is right. And the difference is stark on how the two handle immigration.

But the Hispanics don't know. They are all enamored with the fact that Bill Clinton is not your classic southern white male racist dude. Hillary's name recognition helps her even more among the less well educated Hispanics. They have heard the Clinton name and they like it. There is also some anti-black Hispanic prejudice going on. Curious.

Barackface: Hillary's Pro-War, Anti-Immigration Plank
Barackface: Immigration, Duh
Barackface: Bill Frist's Ancestors Came From The Moon
Barackface: Immigration Makes Economy Sense, Democracy, Justice ...
Barackface: Trent Lott, That Is Latin For Racist Asshole
Barackface: Blacks, Hispanics At The Core Of The Democrat Rainbow ...

And it is Michelle Obama who has a working class background. If the blue collar workers of America want themselves represented in the White House, you put Michelle there in as First Lady. Hillary has so much money she thinks people making more than $97,000 a year are middle class.

Clinton 2008 peddled lies about Barack's pro-choice position in New Hampshire and successfully so. Clinton 2008 used strong arm tactics in Nevada and successfully so. If they manage to do it one more time on February 4, we are over. If you can't even protect yourself and your image and your record and your campaign, how can you protect the American people from Bin Laden? That is what people end up asking.

Clinton 2008 and shadow forces that have been dishing out viral emails that say Barack is Muslim, they have to be countered.

Barack has to lay claim to the Hispanic vote, and Michelle has to lay claim to her solidly working class family background. Barack will be JFK as president, but he was no JFK as a child or in his youth. For a long time the dude did not have enough money, and he was bumming cigarettes from others.

Sophisticated Surfacing

In The News

Bill Clinton Stirs Crowds, Critics on Stump Wall Street Journal For nearly three hours, the former president held sway with a friendly crowd ..... Mr. Clinton can't seem to talk to a reporter these days without getting into a shouting match ..... Mr. Clinton's actions were reminiscent of the late Republican strategist Lee Atwater, known for bare-knuckled politicking. ...... "If you've got to go, please go, but remember I asked for your vote." ..... Obama tries to win the nomination with a novel coalition of independents, Republicans, and Democrats ....... "The whole idea of universal healthcare is such a core Democratic principle that I am willing to go to the mat for it," she said in last night's debate. ..... his campaign is targeting congressional districts in upcoming primaries and caucuses where independents and Republicans carry influence ..... Clinton won Nevada and New Hampshire in part because she beat Obama by double digits among self-identified Democrats; Obama won Iowa by barely edging Clinton among Democrats but racking up big margins among Republicans and independents.
Battle to win reverses Clinton, Obama roles Boston Globe
Tired Bill turns off anger Chicago Sun-Times spent three hours answering questions about his wife Hillary's policies on Social Security, health care, Iraq and the environment. ...... that Hillary's father was an "old rascal" and he dearly would have loved to see Hugh Rodham's face when he learned "his little girl was running for president." ...... On Wednesday, Bill Clinton lashed out against CNN's Jessica Yellin, who raised questions about Barack Obama's claims the Clintons were distorting his record. ...... sent a man to the moon and created the Internet.
Giuliani faces Florida freefall as campaign plans backfire Guardian Unlimited Giuliani's strategy of ignoring the earlier caucus and primary states and staking everything on Florida is now beginning to shape up as one of the biggest miscalculations in US election history. ...... McCain, who so far has not shown a strong grasp of economics
Republicans Focus On Economy And Clinton In Cordial Debate U.S. News & World Report CBS also reported on "the growing annoyance among supporters of the Clinton who is running with the actions of the Clinton who is not." ...... we all know that John F. Kennedy chose Lyndon Johnson, but I can't even imagine [these] people coming together ........ Amongst blacks, it's Obama, 59%. Clinton, 25%. Edwards 4%. With white voters, Barack Obama at 10%. Clinton at 35%. And John Edwards with 40% leading the field with white voters in South Carolina. ...... Senator John McCain of Arizona is the only Republican who promises to end the George Bush style of governing from and on behalf of a small, angry fringe. With a record of working across the aisle to develop sound bipartisan legislation, he would offer a choice to a broader range of Americans than the rest of the Republican field. ...... The next president needs to start immediately on challenges that will require concrete solutions, resolve, and the ability to make government work. Mrs. Clinton is more qualified, right now, to be president" despite the "enticing" upside of a Barack Obama presidency. ..... Jay Leno: "Did you all see 'American Gladiators' the other night? Not the NBC show, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama." ..... Jay Leno: "Rudy Giuliani and Mike Huckabee are both asking their staffs to work without pay. They want them to work without pay to help them get across their message, 'I'm the best one to fix the economy.'"
India to join nuclear mainstream Aljazeera.net expected to spend an estimated $30 billion on defence purchases over the next five years. ... France was the second largest arms supplier to India after Russia but has now been overtaken by Israel. .... Sarkozy will be the guest of honour at India's Republic Day celebrations Saturday.
Clinton, Obama Back Off Attacks Washington Post Clinton retreated first. ..... Even former president Bill Clinton -- the catalyst for much of the heated rhetoric between the two campaigns this week -- toned down his comments in a series of town hall meetings that saw the return of his political alter ego, the policy wonk. ...... "I'm just a hired hand here, and I work for nothing" .... "I don't feel the candidates are being bloodied up," Obama said. "This is good practice for me so, you know, when I take on these Republicans I'll be accustomed to it." ...... "Black voters shouldn't blame Senator Clinton for running a vigorous campaign against me," he said. "That should be a source of pride. It means I might win this thing. When I was 20 points down, I was a 'person of good character' and my health-care plan was 'universal.' The fact that we've got this fierce contest indicates I'm doing well, and I don't think there's anything wrong with that."
Poll: Clinton, McCain Hold Primary Leads The Associated Press Clinton's 24-point lead shrunk in the past month to 15 points as Obama picked up support. Clinton still leads among women and men, liberals and non-liberals. She holds a 3-to-1 edge over Obama with Hispanics.
Michelle Obama Finds Her Voice Too TIME This week, for the first time since Barack Obama launched his campaign 11 months ago, Michelle Obama has left the couple's two young girls at home with her mother and hit the campaign trail full-time. While she's no Bill Clinton, Obama does have sharp elbows. One of her more pointed remarks is about how "things have gotten continually worse over my lifetime," implying the Clinton era did little to help "regular folks" like her and her family. ....... The only amazing thing about my life is that a man like my father could raise a family of four on a single city worker's salary. ..... growing up between Hawaii and Indonesia, to which few of his supporters can relate. ..... the story of my father is the story of America, I don't care what color what folks are, I don't care if they grew up on a farm or in the inner city ..... how a "little black girl from the south side of Chicago" could be "the next First Lady" ...... You're too tall," she said as the audience chuckled (Michelle is 5'11") ..... "Each and every one of you here has heard and felt those ceilings, somebody pushing you down, defining your limitations ....... From her shy, awkward first months in a role that she talks frankly about not wanting, Michelle Obama is finding her voice.
How An Italian Government Falls
Obama wins endorsement of largest South Carolina newspaper Baltimore Sun
Clinton, McCain win New York Times endorsements Reuters the depth of her knowledge, by the force of her intellect and by the breadth of, yes, her experience
Fighting with your spouse can make you live longer: study Fighting with your spouse can actually be good for your health with people who bottle it all up found to die earlier ...... four categories: where both partners expressed anger when they felt unfairly attacked, where neither partner expressed their anger, and one category each for where the wife suppressed her feelings and where the husband did so. ..... if you don't express your feelings to your partner and tell them what the problem is when you're unfairly attacked, then you're in trouble ....... those who kept their anger in were twice as likely to die earlier than those who don't. ...... resentment was the real threat -- and suppressing anger led to resentment ...... it is the resentment that interacts with any medical vulnerabilities a person might have ..... "It's healthy to recognize that you're being attacked unfairly and it's even more healthy to speak up and to talk about it and try to resolve the problem if you want to live longer"
Obama Accuses Clinton of Suppressing Nevada Vote AlterNet the Clinton campaign gave precinct captains guidebooks that told them to close the doors to caucuses at 11:30 a.m. a half hour before the party-sanctioned start time. Once the caucus doors are shut, no more participants are allowed inside. ...... Clinton campaign workers also blocked Obama voters from signing in at the caucus -- preventing them from participating, and that some ballot cards given to attendees were pre-marked for Clinton. ....... The letter, by Obama's campaign attorney, Bob Bauer, one of the country's top election lawyers, said the Clinton campaign encouraged its representatives to stretch the rules. ..... more than 1,000 complaints ..... an entire week's worth of false, divisive, attacks







A Vote For Barack Is Not A Vote Against Hillary


This message is primarily to the women of California, especially white women.

I, as a man, admit to carrying 10,000 years worth of guilt. This is a sexist planet we live on and that has to change for the better. If the race were for president of the world, I would say, let's go for Hillary. We need a woman at the top. At the global level, gender is a bigger issue than race. I would know, I am a Desi, a South Asian. South Asia is one of the most sexist parts of the world.

But in the American context, race is a much bigger factor than gender. Race is the bigger issue to be resolved. And also, a black man in the White House, biracial man, would be a much more powerful message to the rest of the world than a white woman. But I am for putting both, Hillary would be a great Vice President. Barack is JFK. Hillary is Lyndon Johnson.

Let's give February 5 to Barack.

It Is Hillary Or It Is Nobody






(I wrote most of this on November 9, 2007 thinking Barack will be the nominee, and I would want Hillary to be his running mate.)

The Grassroots Power Woman
Muscular Gender Agenda

Bill And Hillary: A Love Story


Bill Clinton came to Yale a year late. He had gone to Oxford. He left Oxford without completing his degree there. He came over to Yale. Hillary graduated before he did, and she stuck around. Bill Clinton graduated and left for home. They were then in this long distance relationship. They would visit each other. Bill Clinton had proposed to Hillary more than once. She had said "No, not right now." Finally Bill Clinton gave up, "When you are ready, let me know." In her mind, Hillary was doing work that spoke to her mother's childhood travails. To Bill Clinton it felt like maybe she is not so sure. Arkansas was too much of a stretch.

After one of the trips Hillary made to Arkansas to visit with her boyfriend and left, Bill Clinton turned to his mother Virginia and said, "Mother, pray for me, it is Hillary, or it is nobody."

Once he ran round and round a field, and lost major weight. He became thinner than he had ever been since high school. Maybe Hillary will find thin attractive. The dude was getting desperate.

If Bill Clinton thinks so very highly of Hillary, that goes into the standard wisdom that she is the smarter in that marriage. What if this had not been a sexist planet? Where would Bill be? Where would Hillary be?

First Sight

I first came across the Clintons in the Time and Newsweek magazine articles at high school in Kathmandu when they first surfaced in 1991. I have not not liked them since, not for one split second.

In my mind, Bill Clinton's presidency has been one of the top five in history.

He made dot com possible. Dot com allowed me to dream again. No thanks to term limits, before I could take any of my concepts to fruition, I found myself facing what is called the "nuclear winter" in the industry.

If you are a progressive, the Clintons are like royalty.

10,000 Years

Men have been ruling for 10,000 years. Now in this 21st century it is about time women started getting into leadership positions in all countries all over the world. Enough.

Women are not unequal - all human beings are equal, equality is a political concept - but women are different, like the Chinese and the British are different from each other, only women are more so different.

I think the Monica thing might have done major emotional damage to Hillary. I refrain from commenting on that issue. It is between two individuals.

Women's participation enriches the overall experience. We are all better off for it.

Men have feared women over the centuries. It is the fear that the powerful have of the powerless. The fear of that which is not understood. Like Freud said, "What do women want?"

Barack had Boston, Hillary had Beijing.

Hillary's Beijing Speech

I am Madhesi in Nepal. The Madhesi have been outsiders for centuries. When I left Nepal for America, I had the feeling, finally it is over, I am leaving. But years later, I found myself very invested and very involved in the Madhesi Movement in Nepal. I got this very real, strong feeling that unless the Madhesi in Nepal achieve liberation and equality, a major part of me will always feel the bondage, it will keep me pulled down. Getting and staying involved was not social service, it was self interest. I needed it for me.

If Hillary feels the same about the women of the world, that has got to be a major tug down. It must be painful to be aware of all those women who get trafficked like they were so much cocaine.

Lincoln liberated the blacks from slavery. Who will liberate these trafficked women?

Forgiving Hillary On Iraq

What Hillary lacks on the foreign policy front, she more than makes up for on the domestic front. She has encyclopedic knowledge on health care, for example.

She has been wrong on Iraq and Iran. But then she has already paid the price for it by losing the nomination. Now she has to toe the winner's line. But, mind you, you can not blame Hillary for the mistakes of Bush. Iraq has been Bush' war, first, foremost and last.

But don't throw the baby with the bath water. Hillary has much to contribute.

After a decade of Ken Starr and Lee Atwater, no wonder Republicans feel negative about Hillary. I don't. I never bought into their lies. We can't let Hillary's political enemies define Hillary for us. The new kind of politics, the politics of hope that is the Obama brand is about redeeming Hillary's image from the right wing demonizations.

New York, Eliot

If you are going to be competing against Rudy, and the most serious third party ticket ever, possibly of Bloomberg and Arnold, a match made in Omaha, you better have a New Yorker for running mate. The Dems must carry New York. Got to beat the Republican nominee on home turf.

The only other person I have thought of in terms of running mate has been my Governor Eliot Spitzer. This guy is sheer possibility. Spitzer has to end up president, that I know. As to how to get there, I don't know. Will he go there the Vice President route? Or the two term Governor of New York route? I don't know.

I think the two term Governor route might be better.

Spitzer's Daughters

Before Hillary announced she will run, she had a breakfast at Spitzer's residence. She wanted to seek his advice on if she should run.

After Hillary left, Spitzer's daughters saved Hillary's tea bag for memento.

Hillary was a woman. Spitzer's daughters are women. They felt the bond. It is a valid bond. That bond has to be celebrated.

Saving Spitzer For The Next Round

Spitzer is a raging bull. He rams head in. There is no tough issue he is not willing to tackle. I don't see anyone like him in American politics. He is my idea of a progressive. You carve out ground that is right, and then you bring along the people because democracy asks for it.

The vice presidency will kill Spitzer's spirit. It is too national, too second in command.

After eight years, Obama-Clinton will be over. Clinton will likely retire like Cheney. She will be almost 70. And then Spitzer bursts onto the national scene like he had been in the opposition all along. He has tackled all the tough issues in New York in eight years, including gay marriage and total campaign finance reform. Then he will be ready. When he comes from that angle, he will be able to go in for eight years. Coming in as Vice President, he might get only four.

Spitzer, Watch Out For Bobby

I have a feeling Spitzer and my fellow Indian Bobby are going to collide. I do take ethnic pride in Bobby. I am one of those who do not think an Indian has to be Hindu to count for Indian.

Bill Clinton, Back In The Ring

You buy Hillary, you get Bill free.

Anyone can do AIDS, even Bill Gates can do AIDS. But only Bill Clinton can do Palestine. Send him out to create Palestine. A separate state, a model democracy. And once he does that, give him the Nobel.

Palestine really is the thorn. You can't imagine peace in the broader Middle East without the creation of Palestine. A democratic Palestine will also create a tsunami for democracy in the Arab world, the only true cure to the problems arising out of that region, all the numerous headaches.

Bill Clinton, Global Citizen

This white guy from the South has done enough for the world that he has made serious amends for the racial sins of his South. Let him do more. The South has sinned plenty.

60 Is Not Old

The Clintons will live to be 100. They are only half way there.

(January 8, 2008)

Gender, Race

I am not American. I was in my early 20s when I came to America. I could have told you minute details from the lives of Lincoln and MLK before I ever got here. But that was intellectual knowledge. I lacked emotional knowledge of personally experiencing racism in a persistent fashion, although the British had given me a good headstart right there in Nepal, but there it was mixed up with ethnic prejudice of the most serious kind. In Kentucky I got it unfiltered.

My point being Hillary's understanding of global sexism is primarily intellectual. Pound for pound gender is 10 times bigger than race as an issue, globally speaking. America's wealth is a veneer. America is not that less sexist than India as it might like to believe.

My mother's cousin was Education Minister of Bihar, India's second most populous state and the state with the most imponderable brand of politics. My mother has had six years of schooling. I think the only institution she really understands is the family. That makes for some really interesting conversations. For example, she does not recognize the institution called the US embassy in Kathmandu.

You can't badmouth sexist Indian men enough for me. And they exist right here in America. There is an organization called Sakhi run by the wife of my good friend Sree, dean of the Columbia Journalism School, the most networked Desi I know in this country. That is what women friends call each other, sakhi. A lot of Indian women come along to the US as tag-alongs. Sometimes they find that leads to major abuse. Major, mainstream emotional abuse because you are so dependent on your spouse. What is your Plan B? You got no Plan B. You are in America. What could you complain about? People back home will not understand why you are in America and complaining.

The idea that you can't badmouth sexist Indian men in my presence because I am Indian and male, makes me wanna puke.

If not now, then when? If not Hillary, then who? I just read in the news two men in New Hampshire went into an anti-Hillary chant in her presence: "Iron My Shirt!" How would you like to shove that shirt up yours? That is your Plan B for ironing your shirt. Those two guys just helped me cement my resolve that it is Hillary or it is nobody. Bug Hillary for her Iraq vote, not for being a woman. If you like men, who is your man? Huckabee? Chuck Norris? McCain is kind of good looking. Rudy? Romney is rich. Do you like rich men?

It is Hillary or it is nobody.

Beijing, Boston

Hillary's Beijing speech was far superior to Barack's Boston speech. But Monica messed her up big time.

Hillary's Beijing Speech

Relating To Hillary

I am not in the same league as Hillary, nowhere close. I am a nobody. She is somebody. But I relate to her in a very personal way.

When she was working on health are in 1993, there was so much sexism out and about. Newt Gingrich said to Robert Reich, "Tell the president, we like him, but his wife should not be making policy." Her response was to produce a 1300 or 13,000 page document. She thought if she could only prove she is smart, the sexism will go away. Not true. You don't make progress on gender by talking about the weather, or health care.

Within six months of landing, I broke all college records at the number one liberal arts college in the South to get myself elected student body president. In office, when I got hit with my first bout of racism, my response was to socially cut myself and to dig deep and to try and come up with the most dazzling policy proposals possible. I was naive too.

Every sexist man out there who wants to go after Hillary can find at least one, usually more than one woman suffering from internalized sexism who will happily talk more sexist than the men: they will badmouth Hillary. I know how that works all too well. Race and gender and all the ISMs come with triangles. There are three angles: the racist, the anti-racist, and the internalized racist. The racist and the internalized racist exist in a seeming happy equilibrium. Together they always outnumber the anti-racist. And their bonding is often intense, dense. Same applies to gender. I have experienced on ethnicity and race what Hillary has on gender. I know how Hillary feels when the internalized sexists badmouth her.

Terry McAuliffe: E=mc^2

Spitzer

Maybe he will just be a wonderful Attorney General at the federal level after having served two terms as Governor of New York, I don't know. How would that be a bad thing? I need him to turn Albany around, from being America's most dysfunctional state capital to being its most functional.

Albany's dysfunction: it is racism. The upstate whites have so far managed to deny one person one vote democracy to the state because they don't want the nonwhite big city to take over the state. New York state has so far treated New York City like it were constipation.

Citizen or noncitizen, give everyone a right to vote in this city. If you pay a utility bill in the city, if your landlord certifies you are a tenant, you should be able to vote. That would be the best, cheapest way to spread democracy into all corners of the earth.

Reorganize the Senate and the House. Let the Senators be elected through a fully proportional election system. How many seats are there? 50? Then a party must get at least 2% of the votes to get recognized as a state party. And each state party must get state funded. And you are looking at the existence only of state funded parties. No more fundraisers. And all parties must keep their bookkeeping totally transparent and online. For the House, you go for multi-member constituencies. That happens to be the most popular form of elections in the world. The Governor would be directly elected, of course, and must get at least 50% of the votes or there would be a second round between the top two.

Transparency, democracy, transparency, democracy.

Bloomberg

You think he is running for president? No. He is running for Governor. He wants to run for president and lose and then cash the national name recognition two years later to unseat Spitzer. Not happening. Bloomberg does not get Albany. But Spitzer sure has his work cut out for him.

Nobody Quite Like Bill Clinton

He is going to be a progressive inspiration globally for the next 40 years. This guy never accidentally does something. There is always, always a method to the madness. He is Pele, he is Michael Jordan, he is Elvis, he is one of those guys. Get him back in the ring. This horse is not done running yet.

When the Monica thing first surfaced, and I mean no disrespect to the two Clinton women, my first reaction was, this guy got sick and tired of Ken Starr. This was Maradona taking the ball from the midfield to scoring.

Mark Penn

I don't know what he looks like. I have never seen his photo. Perhaps he is a shy person.

A Personal Message To Hillary

Guys on your payroll messed you up. At some level they were never able to imagine you as president. Sexism runs deep. I never met a man who is not sexist. It is just that some are less sexist than others.

Think Safety

It is okay to shake a few thousand fewer hands.

Take It

I Want To Join The DL21C Steering Committee

I think you are overqualified to be Vice President, but you should take it nevertheless to make it easier for the next woman who might give it a shot.

Damned If You Do, Damned If You Don't

I be damned if I believe a word of what the cons have to say about Hillary. Her negatives are high for a reason. If someone spent a few hundred million dollars to paint me as a bad guy, I would also start looking like a bad guy. But I am not a bad guy.

I am not listening to the cons and the sexist Dems on Hillary. I have a mind of my own. I had read a ton about her before I got to meet her in person twice. She is real. She is substance. She is ready to lead.

There is nothing status quo about a woman holding the second most powerful office ever invented. You know why? Because it has never happened before. And if it does not happen this time, we might have to wait decades more. Why wait? Hillary is available and she is ready to lead.

Smarter Than Bill

She got better grades at Yale. What more is a woman supposed to do?

Hawk

As long as Barack is president, actually it is a good thing that Hillary voted the way she voted on Iraq and Iran. There are bad guys out there. Evil does exist. You need a hawk in the wings just in case.

Iraq: Not Hillary's War

W misused the authorization. He was supposed to let the inspectors do their work first. If you are going to blame Hillary for the mess in Iraq, you are also going to have blame her for the trillion dollar tax cuts, and W's broken English and half brain.

She Has Good Judgment

I have always thought Bill stands out in how he can shake so many hands and learn so many names. I have also always thought Hillary is such a better judge of character than Bill.

Act 1, scene 1. 1991. Little Rock, Arkansas. Bill Clinton has invited over George Stephanapoulos, a DC guy, a whiz kid. It is Hillary, Bill in his underwear and Boy George. That was a bad idea by a smart but desperate, insecure Southern governor. Don't show your underwear to someone you can fire at any time, technically speaking.

Scene 2. A few years later. His mother has just died. He is grieving. He is on a conference call with his First Lady wife and Boy George. The debate is should or should not Ken Starr be authorized to start investigations. Hillary says a firm no. Boy George says a big yes. Boy George wins. Bad idea. Very bad idea. The single biggest mistake of the Clinton presidency. George acted Judas. That was evil on his part.

Hillary can smell rat. Bill has a running nose. This woman's got something up her sleeve.

Switching To Obama

"First Nancy Pelosi, Then Hillary"
Google Video: Bill Clinton
Hillary 2008: Enough White Men
YouTube: Bill Clinton
Hillary In The White House, Bill At The UN In 2010
Advice To Hillary
Hillary's Formula For 2006
Hillary 2008
2008 Countdown: Hillary-Obama
Karl Rove, Hands Off Hillary
Hillary In Person
The Spectrum On Gender
Michelle Bachelet: Yet Another Woman
Bill Clinton Is Now Anti War Like Dean
The Israeli Wall Is Wrong, Hillary
Bill Clinton Had Icecream For Lunch
Bill Clinton Has Left The Building
50% Women Friends, 50% Women Colleagues
Dean-Hillary-Obama Ticket
Hillary Speaks Up For NYC

Obama Was In Town And I Missed It