2008 Elections

2008 Elections

Community Organizers Take Different Approach than Political Campaigners - 5/18/07

Among our Democratic presidential candidates, Barack Obama (who was a community organizer before becoming involved in politics) is clearly far better than his competitors at grass roots mobilization. With lesser poll ratings than Clinton, he is getting massive turnouts at his appearances and surprised everyone with his fundraising and the breadth of his donor base. I am guessing that these miracles are based upon unpublicized organizing. Being unanticipated, they have created a huge impression. Go to Barack Obama’s, John Edwards’ and the Democratic Central Committee’s websites to see their alternative approaches to establishing and empowering local grassroots groups

If Barack Obama’s local groups can canvass and get out the vote in next winter’s primaries the way they have gotten people out for his appearances and raised funds, we may see another miracle: vote totals far exceeding those predicted by the polls. For us strategy enthusiasts, we want to know the respective values of local organizing, electronic politicking and media campaigning. What is the ideal mix for various political situations?

Differences among Democratic Presidential Candidates – 11/16/07

C-Span showed six Democratic presidential candidates making speeches at the Iowa Jefferson-Jackson celebration. Hillary Clinton’s speech began with an impassioned description of our National Nightmare and need to restore our American dream. She then shifted her tone and tempo to describe the difficulties experienced by various people she had met while campaigning in Iowa. She then indicated her eagerness to play offense against the special interests that are obstructing our public interest. Finally she became a cheerleader for Democratic presidential and congressional victories in 2008. Her twenty minute speech was like four 5 minute speeches, each compatible with the others, but different in style.

By contrast all of the other candidates’ 20 minute speeches seemed boring. Obama stressed what he was for and not for, and his desire to bring people together. John Edwards described his mission to provide others with the freedoms and opportunities to achieve the success that he has achieved. But voters are not primarily interested in the candidates’ motivations. Voters want to know how their challenges will be met, including who the opponents are which must be beaten. Voters recognize that we can not work closely with intransigent Conservatives who are dependent upon campaign contributions from the enemies of what we want. We have to overwhelm them. That’s why voters voted for ‘Give them hell’ Harry Truman.

Bill Richardson, Joe Biden, and Christopher Dodd primarily speak of their experience and qualifications. But they have failed to distinguish what they think must be achieved and how from what the frontrunners would do.

Hillary Clinton has not been my first preference. But voters increasingly support her to the other Democratic candidates and to potential Republican opponents. I also predict that all of the Republican candidates will become more unpopular as they compete with each other perhaps clear through next summer to their convention.

Even self identified liberals are increasingly supporting Hillary Clinton. The number of voters who view her unfavorably is declining. It will be difficult to persuade her many women supporters to switch to another candidate. If she is likely to be our Democratic candidate, our priority should become to stimulate her to take firm consistently liberal stands against Conservative opponents, with no unnecessary compromises. The larger the congressional Democratic majorities we can provide, the more our president will feel free to stand firm.

Replacing our Republican members of congress requires a disciplined statewide effort to get our voters to vote, especially those which need coaxing. We first must identify those who without stimulation might not vote. We must canvass our precincts to identify our less passionate and active likely Democratic voters. None of our other activities can have such an impact. We need 20-50 hours of canvassing in each precinct, directed toward the households containing unidentified potential voters.

Predicting Our 2008 Democratic Presidential Nominee - 12/28/07

In Our Puget Sound Liberals newsletter #70 published on May 18, 2007, under Liberals and Democrats, They Don’t Know How to Mobilize Grassroots, I published the following:

Community Organizers Take Different Approach than Political Campaigners

Most of the political activists I meet assume that a major objective is to obtain maximum publicity concerning intentions and capabilities. My background is not politics. It is community organizing which makes a very different assumption. We seek to quietly create an infrastructure, which enables us to perform. Without advance publicity, when we perform something that no one believed could happen, it appears as a miracle which surprises them and catches their attention. We avoid raising expectations and creating vaporware. Our credibility may come more slowly, but if it comes it is much more deeply rooted in a product rather than a dream. Miracles entice people to become involved.

If Barack Obama’s local groups can canvass and get out the vote in next winter’s primaries the way they have gotten people out for his appearances and raised funds, we may see another miracle: vote totals far exceeding those predicted by the polls. [Bold red added] For us strategy enthusiasts, we want to know the respective values of local organizing, electronic politicking and media campaigning. What is the ideal mix for various political situations?

More recently, I was persuaded by Hillary Clinton’s high poll numbers, especially among women that she would become the nominee. In our newsletter #92 published on October 19, 2007, I wrote:

President Hillary Clinton and Vice-President?

Hillary Clinton has maintained and widened her lead over her competitors for nomination as our Democratic party presidential nomination. Her lead over Rudolph Giuliani and the other Republican candidates is widening. Her lead is especially large among women voters, whose support is unlikely to diminish. So, our next president appears increasingly to be Clinton. If so, what can we expect?

It is always difficult to predict what a candidate will do after they become president. Even they don’t know what they will do when they encounter unexpected challenges. While running they find it tempting to emphasize what voters want to hear and deemphasize what they don’t. Presidents never perform up to our highest expectations and often disappoint us, as is demonstrated by a review of even our most revered presidents.

Facing large Democratic congressional majorities and favorable support from mainstream America, Clinton will have the opportunity to enact much liberal legislation in accordance with our agenda presented at the beginning of this newsletter. The major challenge will be resistance from powerful and wealthy corporations and industries who defend their special interests, so well-served during the Bush administration. Unfortunately, these corporations and industries may corrupt many Democrats just as they have our Republicans.

It is difficult to distinguish Hillary Clinton’s past performance from that of her husband, Bill Clinton. He repeatedly compromised liberal causes with special interests, although it may be noted that he had much less support from congress or the American public than we can expect Hillary Clinton to have. Hillary Clinton’s track record independent of her husbands’ has been primarily her performance as a New York Senator. As senator, she has made few ideological statements, mainly focusing upon creatively helping New Yorkers. The result is that her popularity has continually grown.

If she can achieve a lot of our liberal agenda, does it matter that she doesn’t speak ideologically. FDR didn’t speak ideologically until after he had been president for several years and encountered stiffening resistance from Conservatives. Perhaps Hillary Clinton will do the same. If she becomes our Democratic nominee, I expect to support her wholeheartedly, grant her a limited honeymoon period and encourage the best.

Another interesting question. Who will Clinton select as vice president? Imagine a second Clinton-Gore ticket. Al Gore brings a Nobel peace prize, expertise concerning new technologies and our military, and a track record of making our government more efficient and smaller. Dave Thomas

More recently yet, Barack Obama’s poll numbers are increasing markedly, especially in our early primary states. This is what in May, I predicted might happen. But while I think Barack Obama wins in early states could increase his poll numbers elsewhere, I still predict that Hillary Clinton will retain enough women’s votes across the country to win.

More on Hillary Clinton

It has been said that John Edwards emphasizes confrontation, Barack Obama emphasizes reconciliation and Hillary Clinton emphasizes perspiration. Barack Obama also emphasizes good judgment and creativity. I think that John Edwards also emphasizes his background and that Hillary Clinton also emphasizes her willingness to confront special interests. But since Hillary Clinton is closely connected to establishment campaign advisors and donors, many Liberals distrust that she will confront special interests. It may be that Hillary can use some of the establishment to confront other parts which resist public interest reforms.

In Mark Halperin and John Harris’s The Way to Win, they describe Hillary Clinton’s many advantages:

”She is already her party’s best-known figure, and is the most prolific fund-raiser in politics besides George W. Bush. She is popular with large segments of the electoral pillars of her party, including women, labor unions, African-Americans, Hispanics, and gays and lesbians. Like her husband, she has been part of the Democratic Party’s national Conversation for more than three decades. She has close ties to the elected officials, policy experts, activists, consultants, and political operatives who are needed to run for president. She has been traveling to key early nominating states such as Iowa and New Hampshire for years and, more recently, has been hosting important activists from those states at her Washington home.

She knows about the importance of not giving up when conditions look dire in a presidential campaign; about the necessity of projecting optimism; about the consequence of appearing strong and consistent in message and policies; about the relevance of reading a poll correctly; about the reasons national security and homeland security are critical to the job of president; about the imperative of addressing perceived flaws with alacrity; about the though processes of values voters; about keeping a keen focus on the Electoral College; and about why it is vital to reflect on the strengths and weaknesses of both parties when formulating a campaign platform.”

Edwards, Obama or Clinton? No Circular Firing Squad. - 12/28/07

Several Liberals who prefer John Edwards or Barack Obama have told me they will be quite unhappy if Hillary Clinton wins our Democratic presidential nomination. I hope we don’t form a circular firing squad, as Liberals have done so often in the past. I argue that all three of our leading candidates are tremendously better than any of the Republican candidates.

Edwards, Obama and Clinton have some differences. For example one commentator summed up their emphases as confrontation, conciliation and perspiration. But all three of them have increasingly displayed similar amounts of all three as ingredients necessary to making changes. Most of all, I believe that based upon what we know about a candidate when we vote, we can never be sure what he or she will do if elected.

When FDR ran in 1932, voters could not have predicted the New Deal. Most of those who voted for Lyndon Johnson in 1964 could not have predicted the extent of his Great Society programs, the enactment of the Voting Rights Act or the escalation of the Vietnam War, all of which contributed to weakening our Democratic Pary. Who could have predicted that Richard Nixon would visit China, impose price controls, and support many social service and environmental proposals? When Bill Clinton ran in 1992, voters could not have predicted that he would have worked toward a balanced budget, instead of increasing funding for our social and physical infrastructure. Or that he would give NAFTA priority over universal health care.

I will be very happy to vote and work for the election of whomever becomes our Democratic presidential nominee. I will never know what any of the other candidates would have done. But I am confident that I will be happy with much that will occur and unhappy that some. This would be true no matter who is elected.

After being unhappy with the exaggeration of our Cold War for 40 years and unhappy with our National Nightmare of going on 8 years, I am patient enough to avoid letting the perfect become the enemy of progress. Particularly when I can not be sure how much progress is possible and how fast.

Major Issues Not Addressed – 12/28/07

Our Democratic presidential candidates have addressed some major issues, such as ending our occupation of Iraq and creating universal health care. But neither our Republican or Democratic presidential candidates have given much attention to some major issues which should be addressed:

· creating a fair tax system which creates sufficient revenue to support our American Dream,

· ending the legal treatment of corporations as people,

· instituting an expenditure budget (including subsidies) which eliminates waste,

· stimulating the revival of our innovation society

· providing leadership toward democratic and powerful international governance.

At the state level, no candidates are addressing the need for substituting a fair income tax for part of our unfair property, utilities, sales and business and occupation taxes. Nor is there much legislative leadership toward eliminating private campaign financing.

The issues are major because their resolution has major impacts. Due to these major impacts, deciding them will involve major struggles against entrenched special interests. They may be third rails for political candidates. But we need candidates who are willing to lose if raising these issues is necessary to resolving them favorably.

Iowa and New Hampshire – 1/11/08

Democrats Will Soon Pick a Nominee

The main thing is that the Democrats are reduced to 3 candidates (Barack Obama, John Edwards and Hillary Clinton), with only 2 likely to survive this month. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama won't quit, but with only two of them, one will win a majority of the delegates.

Hillary Clinton began with more name recognition, a vast network of established supporters and great fund raising capability. I believe Barack Obama’s success is due primarily to his superior grass roots organizing. His emphasis on change based upon reaching across traditional party lines has attracted young voters and independents. By contrast, voters have been less attracted to Hillary Clinton’s and John Edwards’ emphasis of their experience.

I was surprised that a majority of Iowa women supported Barack Obama. But in New Hampshire, a majority of women voted for Hillary Clinton. In future state contests, the women’s vote will be crucial. Wasn’t it fun to see the pollsters fail? From now on, the pundits will have less influence on voters. Also important is: Will John Edwards supporters mostly support Barack Obama?

Republicans Will Continue Their Rivalry

The Republicans have 6 candidates (Huckabee, Romney, Giuliani, McCain, Thompson and Paul) who received over 10% points in Iowa or nationally. While all of the Republicans are appealing to Christian conservatives, their various different emphases and approaches to the Iraq War, dealing with terrorism, global warming, immigration, our social safety net, campaign reform and corruption provide each of them with a unique set of supporters.

So their race may continue for a long time. This means they may spend their limited funds attacking each other and trying to appeal to their Christian conservative base right up to their national convention, leaving little time and money for the wounded winner to appeal to mainstream voters, who are already turned off by Republicans. For more.

Many more Democrats than Republicans are participating in the caucuses and elections. Leading Democrats have much more money. I predict our fall elections will initiate our third Liberal revival in the last 75 years, the previous ones beginning in 1934 and 1964. While I have supported John Edwards, I think it will be wonderful to have a president who isn't a white man. Dave Thomas

Different Democratic Campaign Messages – 1/11/08

As I have expressed previously, I believe Barack Obama’s superior campaign organizing has contributed much to his surging popularity. I am also trying to understand the influence of the various campaign messages upon candidate popularity. Here are some of my tentative thoughts. These are based upon the differing emphases upon Vision, Challenges, Strategies, Cooperation and Experience (See our Liberal Spirit commentary below.)

Barack Obama

More than the other candidates, Barack Obama has emphasized his vision of an America of the people, by the people and for the people. He implies that our greatest challenge is disunity and that attaining unity is necessary for meeting our other challenges. Through unity, we can overcome the special interests and cooperate to restore our American Dream. He stresses his history of being a uniter, not a divider. Barack Obama also avoids canned presentations and clichés, showing a remarkable ability to respond directly to his audience through on-the-spot reflection. We also see his reflective ability (unusual in politicians) in his two autobiographies.

Barack Obama reminds me of Howard Dean. Both emphasize that we need to become a movement to realize our Dreams. The difference is that Howard Dean wanted to mobilize the Democratic wing of the Democratic Party to overcome the failing Democratic establishment. Barack Obama wants to mobilize both Democratic and Independent Liberals and even disillusioned Republicans to overcome the failing Washington D.C. gridlock to restore our American Dream. For more.

John Edwards

John Edwards often expresses the same speech he used in 2004. He describes the challenge of two Americas, one poor and powerless and the other rich and powerful. He relates his experience to earn his way from the former to the latter, through protecting the former from the latter. He proclaims that his long time commitment to creating one America is the outgrowth of his experience. He emphasizes the challenge, his commitment and experience. He has also presented more specific strategies (policies) than the other two candidates.

My conclusion is that people are more excited by Barack Obama’s vision than by John Edwards’ emphasis upon our challenge of two Americas. We are more excited by Barack Obama’s reflection on the American Dream (freedoms and opportunities) which allowed him his success than we are by John Edwards’ story of success based upon serving the abused. Other than us few policy wonks, most voters aren’t interested enough in detailed strategies (policies) to study them enough to understand them and the differences among candidates.

Hillary Clinton

Hillary Clinton began with major advantages of name recognition, experience, networking and fundraising. Like John Edwards, she has not emphasized a vision for America. She has focused upon the challenges, how difficult they are and how much experience is needed to deal with them. She has been reluctant to present specific strategies (policies), emphasizing that she will have to deal with the very specific situations she encounters. She and Barack Obama are right not to commit to specific strategies (policies), since it is unlikely they can predict the situation they will find and since the voters don’t understand them. Expressing detailed strategies primarily opens a candidate to attacks in which rivals take their statements out of context. This is why most candidates won’t answer the questions posed by Vote Smart.

Some people have believed Hillary Clinton to be a divider. Others have feared that with her relations to the Washington establishment, she would be unable to produce change. Also important is that Americans don’t like bad news. In politics, we are perhaps suckers for visionary ideas, and turned off by even realistic statements of our challenges. Remember the reactions to President Carter’s malaise speech. See an analysis and recommendations for Hillary Clinton.

Hillary Clinton still has enormous advantages, especially her support from women. I thought that these women would stick with her, so I am surprised that in Iowa, a majority of them supported Barack Obama. To win, his popularity will have to increase throughout our big states. It now looks much more possible than before Iowa. But New Hampshire shows that Clinton still will be tough to beat.

Tentative Conclusions about Campaign Messages

We voters prefer Sunshine in America and visionary statements compared to gloomy statements of our challenges. We like Happy Warriors. Our few policy wonks demand policy and strategy statements. But most of us prefer simple narratives about the best that America is and can be, some examples of wrongs to be righted, and what is to be done. Barack Obama appears have two advantages: grass roots organization and an inspiring message.

Many Issues Are Ignored by Democratic Candidates - 1/25/08

Our Democratic candidates are appearing together at many forums. But they are ignoring many important issues. Partly this is because the moderators of the forums are primarily raising issues concerning which they hope to provoke controversy among the candidates. But even their campaign speeches and their proposals on their websites largely neglect the following issues.

Perhaps because they don’t think them important. Perhaps because they don’t think our voters care. Perhaps because they think their views will be unpopular. Nevertheless, we need to know the extent to which our candidates care about these issues, what they think about them and what they would do.

· What global governance do we need to control conflicts between and within nations and to regulate globalization to our benefit? How should we reform our United Nations and other global organizations? What role should our government play in this reform.

· What role should our United States play to minimize global warming and other environmental challenges? What changes should we make. What global changes should we work with others to make.

· How should the Israeli colonization of Palestine be ended? What role should our United States and other parties play?

· How should we act toward Arab and other dictatorships? What carrots and sticks should we use?

· What should we do about are farm subsidies and other economic and trade policies which negatively affect the workers of other countries? What should we do about immigration?

· What role should our armed forces play. Toward what objectives should they be used? What type and size of our armed forces are needed to achieve these objectives? How do we avoid the waste that comes from preparing to fight previous wars, of types that are unlikely today? How do we avoid the hidden costs of our military, such as environmental pollution and dealing with long term injuries to our troops.

· What should we do to encourage innovation, both at home and abroad?

· What legislation do we need to restore our civil liberties that have been weakened by our fear of terrorists and by technological change?

These are issues that have been largely neglected so far. There are others that haven’t come to mind? We should attempt to stimulate our candidates to address them. This would be more likely to occur if we had more political parties to take positions on these issues. Dave Thomas

Barack Obama’s Huge Victory – 2/1/08

Barack Obama’s victory in the South Carolina Primary was huge. He received twice as many votes as his major competitor Hillary Clinton. He received large majorities of votes from most groups of voters, many of whom were voting for the first time.

Barack Obama’s South Carolina Victory speech (video) expressed clearly his vision of one America, in which members of all of our diverse American groups come together to change America, Washington DC and our political establishment. In which we have hope. In which we want change. In which we believe that together “yes, we can.”

Barack Obama recognized that the struggle to win the presidency and to make change will not be easy. But his speech may be a major factor in stimulating voters across our county to vote for him on February 5^th and beyond. Barack Obama’s speech was a major contrast with Hillary Clinton’s ‘business as usual’ presentation in Tennessee. We have posted it on our website.

See Caroline Kennedy’s endorsement. And endorsements of other Kennedy family members. See video. See Barack Obama accepting Kennedy endorsements (video). Will Al Gore endorse Barack Obama? Could Al Gore become Vice President again, serving with President Barack Obama? Paul Krugman warns that Barack Obama’s specific policies are important.

Presidential Races Narrow: Giuliani and Edwards Quit – 2/1/08

I have been hoping and predicting that our Democrats would choose our presidential nominee by the end of March. And that Republicans would be unable to choose their nominee until much later. If so, Republican candidates would be spending time and effort trying to appeal to their Conservative base while the Democrats are readying for the general election. The Republicans would arrive at their convention with little money and little time to reorient their message toward our broader more liberal American opinion.

With Giuliani out, three viable Republican candidates remain: Senator John McCain, Mitt Romney and Michael Huckabee. Unless Huckabee remains viable, Republicans may quickly choose their nominee. With John Edwards out, we should know by the end of March whether Senator Hillary Clinton or Senator Barack Obama will become the Democratic nominee. See what John Edwards proposed.

At present, Hillary Clinton appears to have more support. But Barack Obama appears to be catching up. Will he catch up enough by Super Tuesday on February 5, 2008, particularly in large winner-take-all states?

No Circular Firing Squad – 2/8/08

Our Democrats have a well known tendency to lose presidential elections, even ones in which American mainstream voters agreed with us. We need to not just win. We need to win big, so our Democratic president has a clear mandate to create a Liberal future. Our largest threat this fall is the failure of Democrats to enthusiastically support our candidate.

After one of our candidates wins the nomination, it will be important that supporters of the other do more than reluctantly vote for the winner. They should also canvass, phone and otherwise campaign to elect our Democratic candidate, hopefully by a large margin. I have heard in conversation and read in emails, far too many supporters of Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton (locally and nationally) bad-mouthing the other candidate. How can these bad-mouthers then expect the supporters of the other candidate to support theirs.

Say good things about your favored candidate. Say bad things about Republican candidates. But please avoid saying bad things about other Democrats. Such talk can only cause some of us to drop out when our support is needed. Our support is needed for all of our Democratic candidates. Remember that one of the appealing things about our candidates is their intention to bring us together to deal with the lobbyists and others who have obstructed our progress. Dave Thomas

I Was Wrong – 2/8/08

I have anticipated that the Republicans might be unable to choose their presidential nominee until late in the primary/caucus process. I hadn’t expect Fred Thompson and Rudolph Giuliani to receive so few votes and quit the race. I also hadn’t realized that John McCain would benefit from the Republican winner-take-all rules in many states in which Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee split the consistent Conservative votes. It appears that they have selected John McCain.

But luckily the Republicans are not united behind John McCain. And it’s difficult to imagine that his hawkish stance on Iraq and Iran will attract any Liberal votes. I believe either of our candidates can beat John McCain easily, unless our Democrats refuse to act together. Dave Thomas

What if Obama Was a Woman? Or Clinton a Black? – 2/8/08

If Barack Obama was a woman, our choice would be between two women of different races. How would this affect the number of voters for each? Would more voters stay home.

What if Hillary Clinton was black? And our choice was between two blacks of different genders? How would this affect the number of voters for each? Would more voters stay home?

Similarly, we can imagine a race between the two if they were both white. Or both men. What would be the effect of these changes upon the voting of White men, White women, Black men and Black women? I don’t know. It is raises interesting questions about the role of gender and race in our elections.

Where Were You During the Revolution? 2/15/08

A political revolution is occurring. The third Liberal renewal since the 1930s, the previous ones occurring during the early thirties after the election of President Franklin Roosevelt and during the 1960s when John Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson were presidents. We are being called to create change. Change in America. In Washington D.C. In our politics. In our Democratic Party. In ourselves.

We are being called to hope. To a tough hope, which recognizes that change is not easy. Change is a struggle. Change includes both ups and downs. Change requires the spiritual fortitude which enables perseverance. Change requires hope to sustain action, when passivity and cynicism can easily defeat us.

Change requires the discomfort of cooperating across previous divides. Creating unity without sacrificing integrity. Change requires recognizing our past, its virtues and defects. Being ready to give up our defects to experiment with new and uncomfortable ways.

But participating in a revolution is also exhilarating. The excitement of joining with kindred souls. The excitement of being part of something greater than ourselves. The excitement of seeing change to which we contributed, even when it is difficult to see the fruits of our particular actions. The excitement of risking our comfort and more. The excitement of our deepest emotions and values being touched profoundly. The lingering excitement of the stories of our involvement.

What will you say, when people ask, “What did you do during the revolution?” “What did you contribute?” “What were your experiences?” What will you tell your grandchildren? Will you be able to tell them that you tried to create a better world? Will you be able to inspire them to do the same?

What a terrible thing it is to waste a revolution, by sitting on the sidelines. By being a voyeur, when others are having all the fun. Like a child at the beach, we must decide whether to join in building sand castles, or simply sneer at those who do. Come and join in the fun. Come and win and lose with us. Come and test yourself. As President Roosevelt said, “We have nothing to fear, but fear itself.” Dave Thomas

Who’s on Second? Vice President Nominee? 2/15/08

A Clinton/Obama or Obama/Clinton ticket have discussed. I can’t imagine either happening. Only in the case of the Kennedy/Johnson ticket can I remember someone choosing a rival with an independent political base as Vice Presidential candidate. That may have enabled them to win the election, but they never were close.

I am amazed that no one has suggested that Al Gore would be a great candidate for either one of them. He is popular, from a border red/blue state and has expertise (concerning military, technology, environmental and government organization issues) which adds to the expertise of either Clinton or Obama. He certainly would be ready to act on day one. He might not accept it. But it would provide him a great bully pulpit for promoting his environmental concerns and proposals.

Either candidate should choose John Edwards as Attorney General. Zbigniew Brzezinski, Richard Holbrook, Strobe Talbot and Bill Richardson might be considered for Secretary of State. Wesley Carter might be considered for National Security Advisor. For more. If he can be spared from the Senate, Christopher Dodd might be appointed secretary of Health and Social Services. In an Obama administration, Hillary Clinton might become our delegate to the United Nations, a role compatible with Bill Clinton’s international projects. All of the cabinet members should be highly qualified and oriented to changing their departments toward more effectively meeting current challenges. Unlike virtually all those who who President Bush chose for political purposes. Dave Thomas

Johnny One-Note McCain – 2/15/08

Johnny One-Note McCain wants us to spend up to 100 years occupying Iraq. That would leave us few resources for doing anything else. So that would be our only priority? Does he also want to resume our war with North Korea, since we didn’t win that one? Resume our war with Vietnam? And he has indicated that we should start one with Iran.

Eisenhower in Korea, Nixon after much delay in Vietnam, and Reagan in Lebanon, all had the good sense to cut and run. But then, Johnny One-Note McCain is no Eisenhower, Nixon or Reagan. He’s a war hero who became our most avid super-war-hawk. With Johnny One-Note McCain, it’s: Goodbye economy. Hello war.

Try to sell all these wars to our American people. Try to sell even one of them. His foreign policy is dead on arrival. And his attempts at other policies don’t please either Liberals or Conservatives. We Liberals should say: Bring him on. Bring Johnny One-Note McCain on. Hello Democratic president. Goodbye Johnny One-Note McCain.

Barack Obama will win Democratic Nomination – 2/22/08

I am again risking a prediction. I believe that, due to his superior grassroots organization, his ability to raise campaign donations and his reflective (the Urgency of Now, Change You Believe In, Tough Hope, Yes We Can) speeches, Barack Obama will win the Democratic presidential nomination. More than that, he is creating a broad-based movement to support both his election and his proposals as president.

I believe both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama can easily beat John McCain. But instead of uniting Republicans against him, Barack Obama may stimulate some of them to support him. Focusing upon Americans hoping and struggling together to produce changes necessary to restore our American dream instead upon himself and his biography, Barack Obama provides little target for swift-boating. The comparison between him and his comprehensive vision and much older Johnny One-Note Warhawk McCain will work tremendously to his favor. Instead of only playing defense, I expect that his offense will cause Johnny One-Note McCain to mainly play defense. In addition, we can expect the best grassroots campaign ever, with Barack Obama providing long coat tails for congressional candidates, who are necessary to pass his proposals. After Obama wins the election, Johnny One-Note McCain can appear in Viagra advertisements.

Barack Obama’s Cabinet – 2/22/08

In one of our Democratic presidential candidate forums, participants were asked what book they had recently enjoyed. Barack Obama replied with Doris Kearns Goodwin’s 750 page 2005 book, Team of Rivals, The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln. This book describes how President Abraham Lincoln chose his political Republican, Whig and Democratic rivals for his 1961-1964 cabinet, how he treated them, and how he won their affection, even though several continued to promote themselves to replace him in 1865. This book engrossingly describes Abraham Lincoln’s political genius enough to make reading such a long book worthwhile.

I don’t know how much this book affected Barack Obama’s views concerning his appointments to his administration. But in response to another question, he said he wanted a diversity of opinion reflecting the concerns of the American people. Unlike President Bush, he wanted his colleagues to be able to challenge his thinking, since he would not always be right. If Barack Obama follows Abraham Lincoln’s example, who would he include among his appointments?

Hillary Clinton is an obvious example (perhaps as delegate to the United Nations). Obvious to me also is Al Gore as Vice President with the mandate to provide American leadership to a global response to climate change and the reclamation of our American reputation. Some of the other Democratic presidential candidates would be chosen, if congressmen can be replaced with other Democrats. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger should be chosen. Perhaps also Colin Powell, Christine Whitman, Paul O’Neal and some moderate Republican members of congress. A cabinet including such Democratic, Independent and Republican members as these would be a major part of bringing us together as one United States of America.

What Would Be President Barack Obama’s Priorities? – 2/22/08

With a clear mandate, President Obama would immediately begin the process of withdrawing our troops from Iraq, while shifting some to Afghanistan. He would announce strong support for stopping the ethnic cleansing in Darfur, indicating that global responses are needed for other cases of governments abusing their people.

President Obama would quickly focus upon providing leadership for a global response to climate change. He would encourage public and private investments in sustainable energies, which do not release carbon into our atmosphere, with an emphasis upon the jobs these investments would produce. Conservation would be encouraged.

President Obama would initiate legislation to greatly curb the power of