Yes He Can

Get elected, that is. As soon as Barack Obama's acceptance speech ended, I said, "Well, I now think he'll win this thing." The speech wasn't what I was hoping for but I believe it struck the chords requested from voters and will give people who want to vote for him enough justification. A historian on PBS gave this pithy assessment: "He sacrificed eloquence for electability."

The next morning, I realize that the most remarkable thing about his speech last night was that immediately after it ended people were discussing its content, its delivery and whether or not this speech helped Barack in this election. Why is that remarkable? This was a black candidate. I cannot do this topic justice, but how about just a pause to comprehend, a deep breath that we let out slowly in deep satisfaction that we are here. In Barack's own lifetime, we have gone from dehumanizing segregation, criminal denial of voting rights and rank prejudice to the actual possibility that a black man will be elected President. Sigh.

Back to the convention speech. I like eloquence, oration, inspiration. This one was not in the same vein as his masterpieces like the Keynote Address of 2004, his speech on religion and politics in 2006, his victory speech in Iowa, his Yes We Can speech in New Hampshire or the Unity speech in Philadelphia. For that, I was disappointed. But I accept the reality that not every voter thinks like me. I read the texts of those speeches and think "I want someone who thinks like that as President." I think Barack's convention speech was aimed far more at the "rest" of the people. For that, the speech was nearly perfect.

I had one serious problem. It was the only distortion I heard, but Barack did say that McCain defined middle class as anyone making less than 5 million dollars a year. I heard the Q&A giving rise to that distortion and while McCain gave a poor answer, that is not what McCain said. McCain has said and done enough to justify accusations that he doesn't know or doesn't get the middle class (as Barack said elsewhere in his speech), but it was a pure distortion to use the 5 million dollars statement like that.

On economic issues, energy issues and education I believe Barack laid out a direction that will resonate with the majority of voters. On social issues of abortion, guns and gay marriage, I believe Barack sought common ground but I'm sure there will be many for whom these issues are all-or-nothing. Health care seemed to me the only traditionally liberal issue laid out by Barack, but in my opinion that is an idea whose time has come.

The best political points of the night were turning McCain's "celebrity" attack against Barack on its head. Well executed and true. And seizing the McCain campaign slogan and deftly exposing its implication.

At least Barack threw me a bone at the end.

This country of ours has more wealth than any nation, but that's not what makes us rich. We have the most powerful military on Earth, but that's not what makes us strong. Our universities and our culture are the envy of the world, but that's not what keeps the world coming to our shores.

Instead, it is that American spirit - that American promise - that pushes us forward even when the path is uncertain; that binds us together in spite of our differences; that makes us fix our eye not on what is seen, but what is unseen, that better place around the bend.

That promise is our greatest inheritance. It's a promise I make to my daughters when I tuck them in at night, and a promise that you make to yours - a promise that has led immigrants to cross oceans and pioneers to travel west; a promise that led workers to picket lines, and women to reach for the ballot.

And it is that promise that forty five years ago today, brought Americans from every corner of this land to stand together on a Mall in Washington, before Lincoln's Memorial, and hear a young preacher from Georgia speak of his dream.

The men and women who gathered there could've heard many things. They could've heard words of anger and discord. They could've been told to succumb to the fear and frustration of so many dreams deferred.

But what the people heard instead - people of every creed and color, from every walk of life - is that in America, our destiny is inextricably linked. That together, our dreams can be one.

"We cannot walk alone," the preacher cried. "And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back."

America, we cannot turn back. Not with so much work to be done. Not with so many children to educate, and so many veterans to care for. Not with an economy to fix and cities to rebuild and farms to save. Not with so many families to protect and so many lives to mend. America, we cannot turn back. We cannot walk alone. At this moment, in this election, we must pledge once more to march into the future. Let us keep that promise - that American promise - and in the words of Scripture hold firmly, without wavering, to the hope that we confess.

Yes They Can

On Tuesday night at the convention, Hillary Clinton reminded us all how competent she is, but also why she will never be elected president. The woman is utterly competent, she'd make one hell of a director for the Department of Motor Vehicles. But despite this being her best speech ever, she was still as calculating as ever. Her words of support for Barack were the minimum necessary. Especially grating was her question, "Were you in this for me?" Um, the audience was there to elect Obama. So, no, only a few were in it for you. It's audacious, alright, but not the audacity of hope.

Bill Clinton's speech, on the other hand, was Bill at his best (for better or worse). Whatever crack-ups he's suffered this campaign, and Lord knows there's been several, he came out in full support of Barack and reminded everyone why he, Bill, used to be the best communicator in the land.

A preview of tonight? Who knows, but here is an edited few minutes of Barack's convention speech from 4 YEARS ago, so he's been talking this talk for a lot longer than this presidential race:

Yes She Can

A quick report on Michelle Obama’s speech last night: I have no plans to watch much of the Democratic convention, but there are a few speeches I want to catch. I want to see Bill’s because it could be entertaining, but I want to see the Obamas’ because they actually matter in the voting decision. I think Michelle’s speech mattered because of the characterization of her that has been used as a tool against voting for Barack, and Barack himself made her speech important when he said recently that Michelle would be someone he relied on heavily in his administration.

Through her speech, I found Michelle believable, reasonable, intelligent, and passionate. She focused almost entirely on her family, both her family of origin and her immediate family. Based on her speech, her dad was one hell of a guy! And even without the White House she is certainly a success story. I can’t say there was "issue" substance in most of her speech, but when Barack says he would rely heavily on her I don’t think he meant he’s looking for tax specifics or ideas on responding to Russian aggression. I have wise friends that I rely on in many areas and not because they are subject matter experts but because they have similar values, have navigated life well, know my strengths and weaknesses and can help assure or direct my thinking. Thinking in that vein, I came away with the impression that Michelle knew Barack well, held the same values, and those values were integrity, love for family, fairness, and a vision of those same values for all people.

Near the end of her speech, Michelle also made obvious that she shares Barack’s passion and ability to motivate. Not quite the level of "Yes We Can," but definitely inspiring:

And as I tuck that little girl and her little sister into bed at night, I think about how one day, they’ll have families of their own. And one day, they — and your sons and daughters — will tell their own children about what we did together in this election. They’ll tell them how this time, we listened to our hopes, instead of our fears. How this time, we decided to stop doubting and to start dreaming. How this time, in this great country — where a girl from the South Side of Chicago can go to college and law school, and the son of a single mother from Hawaii can go all the way to the White House — we committed ourselves to building the world as it should be.

Neither she nor the speech was perfect, of course. For example, I believe the above clip, though inspiring, lacks some historical context. Men from meager means have risen to the presidency in the past. Men have been elected president because of hope instead of fear in the past. And technically speaking, “a girl from the South Side of Chicago” went to Ivy League college and law school during the Reagan presidency. The message itself is better served aiming at more recent history, attempting to break from the Karl Rove and James Carville molds of playing on voter fears. I do think Barack understands this; for example, he drew unfair criticism for acknowledging Reagan’s accomplishments.

Bootstraps and hope may not be new, but there is one obvious first in Barack’s nomination and possible election. As thrilled as I am to see another barrier cracking in America, I am not capable of feeling its impact as deeply as those it directly affects. Immediately after her speech, award-winning writer and correspondent Juan Williams was pretty emotional in trying to describe for us the positive impact on African Americans of Michelle’s present position and attention, and the family portrait of the Obamas: http://www.wikio.com/video/397984

"I’m just thrilled. I mean, it’s almost emotional. … We’ve never seen anything like that. As a human being, as an African-American, it’s unbelievable. And then to have a family situation, given all the tension in Black America over families, and to see that positive image there for everybody to see. … Man, that’s just awesome."

If Michelle in any way enters into your vote, I encourage you to watch for yourself.

Listen as Hope and Peace Try to Rhyme

Something I have been contemplating this week:

"What you resist, persists"

Something I want to grow is my ability to meditate. I find I'm terrible at it. My efforts are more aimed at contemplating than vacating, but it seems I can't contemplate without first vacating. Yet I can't "resist" thoughts, because then they persist. I'm learning.

See the World in Green and Blue

“One person can make a difference and every person should try.” JFK

Any good boycott should be about change: First me, then the wrong. I am choosing to boycott the 2008 summer Olympics. My boycott includes refusing to watch any Olympic TV coverage, read any Olympic online or print coverage and be prepared to answer “why?” if asked. Every time I exert perceivable effort to implement my boycott, I want to remember why I am doing this.

The evidence is irrefutable that China is the largest country in the world that systematically and violently oppresses independent thought, individual freedoms and (even worse) freely exports the tools of oppression and terror. You can likely find examples of each of these transgressions from every other country in the world. But you will not find any country that is as sweeping and methodical as China in its blatant disregard for its people, the world population and the environment.

I believe that activities such as diplomacy and trade can still be carried on with a country such as China, because such utilitarian efforts can be done at arms length and create leverage to benefit the Chinese people and may eventually undermine the oppressive government. But hosting the Olympics should be reserved for world members who have real efforts and processes for basic human rights. There is a difference between doing business with a guy and spending your holiday weekend with him.

Any argument that the Olympics will in fact push open the doors to China is easily rebutted by China’s run of behavior right up to the Olympics of outright lies, selfish environmental decisions and tyrannical destruction of any perceived protesters.

Right or wrong, I find it impractical to protest every act of oppression and impossible to try to right every wrong. But this seems like an obvious opportunity to me to evaluate how I live what I say I value and maybe make a small difference. Now that you read this, you at least thought about it, eh?

I've Been Told That You've Been Bold

I got an email today from the Republican National Committee. Strangely enough, less than 100 days from the presidential election, the RNC email does not mention John McCain; 461 words yet not a single mention of McCain. But I’m writing about something it does say.

The email quotes Obama saying: "we can't drive our SUVs and eat as much as we want and keep our homes on 72 degrees at all times . . . and then just expect that other countries are going to say OK" (emphasis was in the email). I read that and immediately thought, "Damn! How could he SAY that?!" I of course verified for myself that Obama had indeed said that. So am I upset? Absolutely. Maybe shocked is more like it. I am shocked that so many people can be so uncaring or unknowledgeable that this accurate and bold statement can be used as a NEGATIVE. And I am shocked that anyone wanting to get elected by Americans would dare tell us truth we don’t like to hear. By the way, Barack’s next line was "That’s not leadership."

It’s not that the world cannot afford to join us in driving their SUVs and eating as much as they want and keeping their homes at 72 degrees. The world cannot afford for us to keep doing those things. We don’t like to hear it, we want to believe in trickle down economics for the rest of the world, we don’t like anything that sounds like we need permission from others. There are many positives happening and improvements in some areas, but it will take serious (and painful) leadership to drag our fat, chilled asses into a place of responsibility in this world. So thanks for the heads up, RNC. I see Obama is taking that lead.