The posts on the Edwards Blog have been moved to the unifed blog.
So, what do you think?
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The goal of Winning Back the White House in 2008 is to provide people with the opportunity to meet each other and to meet speakers and candidates for the Democratic Nomination for President in 2008. This is the unified Blog and our chronicle.
Blog Archive
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2007
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April
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- From Jan Brown
- Interesting Post from Nadine North re Edwards
- Edward's Energy Plan
- Interesting Article from the National Journal - s...
- Clinton campaign unveils gay supporters
- Stanford U panel discussion - Election 2008: Rheto...
- More comments from the Richardson Campaign
- An Interesting Op Ed from the Richardson Campaign
- "How are we going to raise money for the candidate...
- National LGBT Leaders Endorse John Edwards For Pre...
- Anna Matranga's Notes from Video-Conference with G...
- Some thoughts on biofuels...
- The Unified WWH08 Blog
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April
(13)
5 comments:
Thank You
Okay, I guess this is our new home.
Thank you again, Jeff, Nina, Judy, Nazly, Jeff, and Catherine for organizing this unique experience. Thank you, too, for the Richardson event last night. I must say I've been impressed by all of the candidates and find my job of choosing MORE difficult now than at the beginning of the process. But this has been a very informative and exciting process.
Watch debate on the 26th?
I just read in the news this morning that all of the Democratic candidates will be debating at South Carolina State University on April 26th from 7pm to 8:30pm (ET). It will be carried live on MSNBC. Is there a possibility or any interest in meeting early to see this or to record it and play it before the caucus? I realized this will extend what already promises to be a long evening. But this might be important additional information of the sort that none of us have seen yet.
Well, I will put my toe in the water, and start engaging with the group. Other than the obvious desire to want to become more politically involved in the electoral process with a politically experienced, activist and financially sophisticated DEMOCRATIC group, the salon meetings have really helped me - as I assume they have helped others - in becoming spokespersons for a candidate. We've seen them, we've heard them, and we've seen them react to one on one questions - there is no substitute (message to the hosts: get Obama to agree to a video link).
As I said at the salon, electability in the general election is the key for me. I don't want us to pound our chests and feel proud and vindicated that we are backing a candidate that supports our core values - only to have our hopes dashed and our platform set back another 4 years - crucial years - by a more conservative majority that is able to convince the general electorate that those "bozos" in California have done it again, backed the most liberal candidate in the pack that is promoting the most liberal positions that are out of step with the country and undermines "American values."
Look - for me, one of the most important issues is what Federal jusdges the President will nominate, including U.S. Supreme Court Justices, and who sits in the Attorny General's office. It's all about enforcement of civil rights and balancing the desire for less regulation versus protecting civil rights. If we Democrats lose this next election - given both the opportunity that Bush is giving us and the challenges that we face, both domestically and in the world generally, we will lose something much greater when the next two 80+ year old justices on the Supreme Court turn over, and when more hate backed legislation is passed that intrudes on each of our personal lives, and when the "private" health care system we have in place now polorizes a "have" and "have not" society.
But, I want to stake out one other key position for me - I think there is a war going on, and it may not be in Iraq (actually it definitely is NOT in Iraq), but there are signficaint forces that have gathered that want to attck the United States, both metaphorically and physically, and inflict grave damage. I think there are terrorists out there. I think, Mr. Guliani has it right when he says (as quoted in Saturday's NYT):
"What they say in Washington is not going to affect the fact that there are terrorists around the world that are planning to come here and kill us,” he said in Iowa, in the most spirited part of his newly honed stump speech. Pointing his finger and bouncing up and down on his toes, he declared, “It is something I understand better than anyone else running for president."
So, with that as a premise, I pose two (self revealing) questions:
1. Does the fact that Hilary Clinton has raised the most money among Democratic faithful supporters, and has the best machine, make her the best candidate in the general election? I fear she is the candidate the Republicans want most to see in the general election because she has the most baggage and that her "scorched earth" policy of responding to attacks (see the Geffen incident) is really her most obvious character flaw. I am willing to listen to others because her appearance before the group "knocked the ball out of the park" - especially her closing comments.
2. Which candidate has come out with the most specific plan or strategy for cobbling together the necessary states needed to win the general election - and who is the most attractive candidate in the South and the mid west - the great swath of red states? I challenge those who support Barak Obama to come up with an argument in this regard. I wanted to ask Gov. Richardson: great, your a Governor, you balanced budgets and you are "pro growth" - name one Governor from New Mexico that has ever held a signgicant position in a Democratic or Republic adminsitration other than you (I know, you could have said the same thing about the Governor from Arkansas). But, what states will Richardson carry - other than his home state and perhaps Calfirnia and Nevada? He is a long shot. Just compare his closing comments to the way Hillary connected with us about her personal history.
I will try and refine my thoughts as we go forward, and I look forward to the caucus.
Oh, one last thing - one of the benefits of the WWH08 group is the ability to meet people who have run and are running for office locally. It's been an honor to meet them and see up front what makes an ordinary person do extraordiinary things.
Bob, great heads up on the SC State debate from 4 p.m. to 6:30 pm our time on the day of the caucus! Since it's the tail end of the work day, I imagine that not everyone would be able to attend, but we might get a good size group that would be interested. Let me work with the other hosts and the Fairmont to see what it would take to setup a watch party somewhere in the Fairmont before our caucus begins. I'll keep you posted.
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