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The Morning After: Our Reactions to Obama's Change Promise

LibertySugar — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 10:30:34 -0700

Liberty: Last night I saw Americans who have been hiding in the shadows of apathy or cynicism come out and get excited about the future of their country. Americans who showed that they can wait in a line for hours, just to participate in a celebration of their power to make a difference.

Barack Obama's speech stressed individual and mutual responsibility. He said Democratic leadership, and an Obama presidency, would not do everything for Americans. It would, though, help them accomplish the things they cannot do for themselves, like protect the country from national security threats in Afghanistan, and give those who do not have bootstraps a pair so they can pull themselves up into the promise of middle-class prosperity. And while he was at it, Obama fiercely made the case that John McCain has and will turn his back on America's urgent needs because he just doesn't get it.

Whenever a politician claims that government can make peoples' lives better, critics become skeptical. But last night I saw a candidate that will, and did, make a commitment to ordinary people. Who did the best he could to offer specifics, without falling prey to a typical Democratic weakness of ignoring an emotional argument. Democracy became an action verb, not something that the well-connected took care of for you.

To see Citizen's reaction and more pictures we took at the event, read more.

Citizen: At its heart, there wasn't so much about the speech that was innately objectionable, the broad strokes he painted are a fine landscape - but he doesn't speak to me. Whether a fundamental difference of political philosophy or a complete lack of chemistry with the man, as much as I enjoyed witnessing the spectacle, I was not moved by it. I was not inspired by the parade of done-wrong stories. When he said, "More of you have cars you can't afford to drive, credit card bills you can't afford to pay, and tuition that's beyond your reach. These challenges are not all of government's making." My head screamed, but does that mean they're for the government's fixing?

I'm all for roads and a smart, no-waste globally beneficially governmental structure (and let's get it right), but I sure as hell don't want to rely on that as my complete bedrock of security. With great reliance comes great power, and I don't want my government to have that power over me. My building blocks of support come from the ground up, not the top down. When things go wrong, I want solutions to come from self first, then family, then community, on up - the government would never be my first call. As Liberty and I hashed it out afterward, it's a different philosophy. If you have a safety net you're more likely to fall. It's just human nature. If someone will fix your problems for you, why wouldn't you let them? Though he said this: "Ours is a promise that says government cannot solve all our problems, but what it should do is that which we cannot do for ourselves," that was not the real message conveyed last night, at least not to me.

Then there was the event itself. I've loved this week - you don't have to support a candidate to support the effort of democracy. But last night's dressed-down, come as you are, jumbo-soda and plate-of-nachos stadium setting was disappointing. With the crowd doing the wave and the half time-style line up, I kept waiting for kickoff. Between the utter distraction and screaming every time a famous person appeared, for much of the event what was happening on stage was an after thought.

And on that stage? A veritable variety show. Sheryl Crow? Stevie Wonder? Where is the sense of decorum and humility and ceremony in the midst of a rock concert? There is a time and place for celebration, but this most serious and sterling of occasions isn't it. I'm here for the speeches, not the snacks; the weight of grave responsibility, not the wave; and the gracious dignity, not the grandstand.

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Barack's Big Speech: What Was It Like at Invesco Field?

CitizenSugar — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 03:00:55 -0700

What a night! While Liberty and I hashed out the finer points of Barack's speech over dinner, one thing was clear: the setting was pretty unbelievable (for reasons we'll get into soon.) Wading through the mile-long line to the Mile High Stadium, we scored front and center seats - so front and center, we were right under the Oprah, Kanye, Angela Basset, Gayle King, Forrest Whittaker suite.

Shawn Johnson leading the pledge and Jennifer Hudson singing the national anthem was just the beginning. From Sheryl Crow to Stevie Wonder, to Will.i.am and John Legend, the stage was a parade of stars before Barack even thought about taking the stage. I'm telling you, when Oprah showed up, the screams from the crowd? I thought someone had died, or worse. The weather was like bathwater, and was a perfect stage for the speeches - the real main event - that we'll get into very soon, because we sure didn't see eye-to-eye on this one. In the meantime, take a peek at who else took in the view tonight.

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To see Will.i.am and John Legend's performance of "Yes We Can," read more.

What Is Your Favorite Barack Obama Moment?

LibertySugar — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 09:30:25 -0800

On Nov. 4 we found out that we have at least another four years to make Barack Obama memories, but I'm sure some of the all time best will come from this year. Before he beat Hillary Clinton for the nomination, Barack delivered a compelling speech in Philadelphia addressing the recurrence of questions about Jeremiah Wright, as well as the effect of race on his candidacy. After locking up the presumptive-nomination Obama launched a world tour, stopping in Germany to speak before tens of thousands of Berliners.

In the week before the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Barack had supporters waiting by their cell phones for a text message about his choice for VP. We finally found it was none other than gaffe-machine Joe Biden, who would soon join Obama on stage after his rock-star sized acceptance speech before thousands at Invesco Field. After a slump in the polls Obama fought back and used his debate performances to hold his lead. Finally, on Nov. 4 he gave a somber victory speech, but one that included the triumphant proclamation that change had come to America.

Obama capped off his eventful year (to say the least) by unveiling his administration's team of rivals, including rival, and now cabinet member, no. 1 Hillary Clinton. Since we already asked you about your favorite John McCain moment in our roundup of the best stories of 2008, tell me which Obama moment did you like the best!

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Palin v. Biden: Who's Watching the VP Debate With Us?!

LibertySugar — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 15:45:41 -0700

Forget Super Tuesday, guessing when Hucakbee and Hillary will drop out, the seemingly never-coming Obama VP text, Obama's massive speech at Invesco, or waiting for John McCain's next surprise - tonight's vice-presidential debate could be the most anticipated event of this campaign! We have no idea what will ensue when the action starts at 9 p.m. (EDT), but we'll be here commenting during the whole thing. Please join us! We're dying to know what you think!

Want to do some predebate prep? The New York Times asked people with knowledge of the vice presidency and the candidates to suggest questions they’d like to hear. And if you're heading to or hosting a debate festivity, PartySugar has all the tips you need. I know I will be filling out my Palin Bingo Card throughout the face-off, and depending on how things go, a VP debate drinking game might be just what you need.

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Executive Producer Mark Squier Gives DNC a 9 Out of 10

LibertySugar — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 10:00:00 -0700

The Democratic National Convention, and the Obama-bump that followed, may seem far in the past, but the event will surely live on in history. I got a chance to ask a few questions to Mark Squier, an executive producer of the extremely successful (and fun) Democratic National Convention. When he's not coordinating massive political pageantry, Mark masters smaller-scale political messaging. He has produced ads for numerous members of Congress and governors, and acts as a strategic adviser to many more politicians. Now that the dust of both conventions has settled, take a behind-the-scenes look at the DNC with Mark!

On a scale of 1 to 10 how happy are you with how the DNC turned out?
10 being the highest - a 9. Nothing is ever perfect but this was close. When you consider we had a late primary so we didn't get guidance from a nominee until June - and we had two venues. We didn't have a major malfunction. You have to be happy with the way it turned out. And a shout out to everyone who worked at the Denver convention - the team that was put together was outstanding and it was easy to look good when you had such a committed and hardworking team in your corner. Oh - and not to mention Barack Obama - an incredible candidate to work with in every way.

How do you explain viewership that beat even the Olympics Opening Ceremony?
Americans are worried - it's human nature - they know things are on the wrong track; the wars, the economy, gas prices, health care costs, high unemployment, the national debt, the mortgage crisis. Voters feel these things every day and they know that this election is critically important to getting our nation back on track - so they watch.

To find out if Mark would have done something differently if Hillary Clinton would have won the nomination, how he kept the convention from looking like C-Span, what he thought of the RNC, and if there were any close calls with disaster, read more.

How do you keep the convention from looking like C-Span?
By using the best of all technologies. Television is a great amplifier of communications but it is not interactive. The Internet and all the new technology tools are great for making people feel connected - but it can't compete with the visual spectacle of Thursday night at Invesco field with 80,000 people on television. Using them both - TV to entice and the new technologies to connect - we think really helped get voters to be more involved and take a stake in electing their office holders and their democracy.

You began working on the convention before the Democrats chose Barack Obama. How did the message, or your approach, change once he became the presumptive nominee?
Not a lot. Change has been the message and theme really since Democrats were elected to the majorities in the House and Senate in 2006. In fact, you can see that McCain himself has now gone from arguing experience to trying to be an agent of change with his pick of Governor Palin for VP. Voters are angry - they think the country is off on the wrong track - they want change.

What was the closest call with disaster backstage that the viewers at home had no idea about?
Not telling - but there were a couple.

How do you think the RNC went?
Well. The Palin pick for VP created a lot of curiosity and that drives viewership.

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The Last Day! Obama's Speech of a Lifetime at Invesco Field

CitizenSugar — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 16:30:33 -0700

The moment we've been hearing about for months is here: Barack Obama will formally accept the nomination for president in front of thousands at Denver's Invesco Field. On the anniversary of King's "I Have a Dream" speech, though Obama was just 2 years old when it happened, comparisons between the two are rampant.

At 10 p.m. EST, Obama will have to live up to this: "I have a dream, that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed - 'We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.'"

Liberty and I are lucky enough to go and see it live - with the thousands of people in attendance, we won't be able to get you our reactions to the speech immediately, but we will soon! In the meantime, tell us what you thought! Did the performance match the hype? Was it truly a speech of a lifetime?

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Front Page: Day Four of the Convention - Obama Speaks Tonight, New Orleans May Evacuate, EU Considers Sanctions

CitizenSugar — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 07:01:31 -0700

Obama Speaks Tonight:
After his surprise appearance on stage with VP nominee Joe Biden last night, Obama is set to deliver his nomination acceptance speech at Invesco Field in front of 75,000 people tonight. On the 45th anniversary of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech, it's scheduled to start at 8 p.m. EST. John McCain may announce his VP pick shortly after.

New Orleans May Evacuate:
City officials have begun preliminary measures to evacuate the city of New Orleans as Hurricane Gustav threatens the coast on the eve of Hurricane Katrina's third anniversary. Gov. Bobby Jindal has declared a state of emergency and has put 3,000 National Guard troops on standby.

EU Considers Sanctions:
The EU is considering sanctions and more against Russia over the crisis in Georgia. France has called an emergency summit on Monday to reassess relations with Russia after Moscow refused to pull out all of their troops. Meanwhile, Georgia's foreign minister says that ethnic cleansing in South Ossetia is nearly complete.

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Kucinich: Corporations Have Erased Public Space - Agree?

LibertySugar — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 12:15:47 -0700

Before Kucinich's speech last night during the pre-primetime portion of the convention, I caught him discussing how America has sold its public sphere to corporations. In the video bellow he says:

Corporations have infiltrated our political process so seriously that they've put labels on all of us. There's not one on me. But I can say that when I go to my own Ohio delegation and I see Dominion on everything. I know that's a natural gas company that's jacking up everybody's rates and needs the support of the state administration to do it. . . . We're in the Pepsi arena. Obama is gong to give his acceptance in Invesco stadium. What's this about? It's like we're forgetting the public space.

Yesterday he drove home his take-back-America message at the DNC. I watched him practically jump over the podium, urging Americans to ditch apathy:

Wake up, America. The insurance companies took over health care. Wake up, America. The pharmaceutical companies took over drug pricing. Wake up, America. The speculators took over Wall Street. Wake up, America. They want to take your Social Security. Wake up, America. Multinational corporations took over our trade policies, factories are closing, good-paying jobs lost. . . . Wake up, America. This is not a call for you to take a new direction from right to left. This is a call for you to go from down to up.

Do you agree that corporate interests have taken over the United States?

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