First, I must offer my heartfelt apology to John Edwards, because I am going back on my word. In an email I sent last week that will probably never be read by human eyes, I pledged that I would stay with John Edwards to the end, be that a nomination, election, and inauguration, or his leaving the race.
I still believe that John Edwards is speaking about the single greatest issue that must be dealt with in the United States today : the class war. And I still believe he would make a fantastic President.
However, after further consideration I must reluctantly and apologetically rescind my support for Mr. Edwards, and place it with Barack Obama. For whatever that may be worth.
The main opposition to an Obama candidacy seems to be centered on the notion that all he has to offer is flowery rhetoric and feel good stories. That his post-partisan ideas are too full of idealistic sunshine for this dark, dismal age of win at all costs politics.
I’m not here to argue whether or not that is all that Obama has to offer because I honestly do not know. Besides, there have been billions of words written on that account by people much more knowledgable and articulate than myself.
Instead, I will posit that maybe hopeful rhetoric and eloquent oratory are exactly what we need right now.
What we desperately need.
Tonight a small, petty man is going to take the podium in front of his enablers and sycophants, and try to further the cloud of discord that keeps him and his ilk in power. He will attempt to appeal to our baser instincts, our fears, and our prejudices.
This administration has been a cancer not only on our reputation, our treasury, and our discourse, but on our nation’s very soul. They push unsustainable policies in a political environment that is unsustainable itself.
The problems we face cannot all be solved simply by policy handed down from above. They are too large to be the task of one man or woman, or even one party.
It is said that in a democracy, when the people lead the leaders will follow. And if the people are inspired, they will lead. I believe strongly this is the only path that does not end in catastrophe.
I desperately want the people to be inspired. I still believe, as Bill Clinton said long ago, that there is nothing wrong with America that can’t be cured with what is right with America. But I also believe we are dangerously close to the tipping point.
It is because of this, because of the need to appeal to our good qualities, our hopes, and our aspirations, that I hereby endorse Barack Obama for President.
I will leave you with V’s speech to the people of London, from V for Vendetta, and the hope that you will remain open to being inspired.
Good evening, London. Allow me first to apologize for this interruption. I do, like many of you, appreciate the comforts of the everyday routine, the security of the familiar, the tranquility of repetition. I enjoy them as much as any bloke. But in the spirit of commemoration – whereby those important events of the past, usually associated with someone’s death or the end of some awful bloody struggle, are celebrated with a nice holiday – I thought we could mark this November the fifth, a day that is sadly no longer remembered, by taking some time out of our daily lives to sit down and have a little chat.
There are, of course, those who do not want us to speak. I suspect even now orders are being shouted into telephones and men with guns will soon be on their way. Why? Because while the truncheon may be used in lieu of conversation, words will always retain their power. Words offer the means to meaning and for those who will listen, the enunciation of truth. And the truth is, there is something terribly wrong with this country, isn’t there?
Cruelty and injustice…intolerance and oppression. And where once you had the freedom to object, to think and speak as you saw fit, you now have censors and systems of surveillance, coercing your conformity and soliciting your submission. How did this happen? Who’s to blame? Well certainly there are those who are more responsible than others, and they will be held accountable. But again, truth be told…if you’re looking for the guilty, you need only look into a mirror.
I know why you did it. I know you were afraid. Who wouldn’t be? War. Terror. Disease. There were a myriad of problems which conspired to corrupt your reason and rob you of your common sense. Fear got the best of you and in your panic, you turned to the now High Chancellor Adam Sutler. He promised you order. He promised you peace. And all he demanded in return was your silent, obedient consent.
Last night, I sought to end that silence. Last night, I destroyed the Old Bailey to remind this country of what it has forgotten. More than four hundred years ago, a great citizen wished to embed the fifth of November forever in our memory. His hope was to remind the world that fairness, justice and freedom are more than words – they are perspectives. So if you’ve seen nothing, if the crimes of this government remain unknown to you, then I would suggest that you allow the fifth of November to pass unmarked. But if you see what I see, if you feel as I feel, and if you would seek as I seek…then I ask you to stand beside me, one year from tonight, outside the gates of Parliament. And together, we shall give them a fifth of November that shall never, ever, be forgot!
Hehe, couldn’t resist.
Please tell me that is made out of Legos. That would kick ass.
you know it, just a small hat tip on its 50th Birthday today.
Excellent. It’s funny you posted that, I was just thinking earlier today that I should pull out my legos and create some brick Republican candidates and host a faux youtube debate with them.
We’ll see how motivated I feel 🙂
you should do it. one of my favorite parody sites is The Brick Testament.
THAT is why Google’s logo was done in Lego’s today. Thanks. I’ve been puzzling about that all day!
I.e.,
that’s actually what tipped me off that something was afoot. It’s such a small thing, but I love how Google doesn’t take themselves too seriously with their designs. A sense of humor is priceless in marketing.
Well ManEe, it looks like I’m not the only flip-flopper…Congressman Grijalva has switched his support from Edwards to Obama as well.
I saw that this morning. Grijalva is a demi-god here so it’ll be interesting to see what this does for Obama’s momentum in southern AZ. While endorsements don’t mean all that much (in my opinion), Grijalva will now be out campaigning and canvassing for him, which will be a big deal.
I think endorsements are important for primarily one reason, and that is free coverage. We saw it nationally yesterday with the Kennedy endorsements, and I’m sure the Grijalva endorsement will at least get some air time on the AZ stations.
l will continue to support edwards in the caucus, for many reasons. but l will admit, obama is, unlike hillary, someone l could support in the general election.
l’ve kept this chris floyd snippet for some time now:
“…So whatever we can do, we must do it ourselves. If
we have no power or influence, if we cannot take large
actions, then we must take small ones. Every word or
action raised against the overthrow of the Republic
will find an echo somewhere, from one person to
another to another to the next — each isolated,
individual voice slowly finding its way into a
swelling chorus of dissent…”
peace
lTMF’sA
Well said ejmw.
I listened to Obama for the first time after his win in SC. Hope? Yes. Time for a change? Yes. But I also heard him say twice that change will require “sacrifice.” Interesting.
I think people are willing to sacrifice if they know they don’t do so needlessly, or at least have some hope that it is for the ‘greater good’. For whatever reason (and thank goodness), most people are wired to intuitively understand that we are part of a larger collective. No man is an island, and whatnot.
Don’t cry John. You’ll make a fantastic VP, Secretary of Labor, or Attorney General.
AG. He could do soooooo much good there!!!
I just emailed my son telling him I officially switched to Obama today. The Kennedy Family has had a profound effect on my growing up a liberal. JFK’s death was a blow that I will never forget. I was only 11 years old at the time.And RFK’s death was just so crushing. He was a real man of and for the people. They gave me hope at a time when we were told to duck under our desks in case of a bomb.
I hope Edwards will stay in for the long haul and then wipe that smirk off Billary’s face when he gives his delegates to Obama at the convention. This is gonna be a real barn burner folks. Braqvo Teddy!!
Though my birth was still well over a decade off, the JFK assassination had a profound effect on me as well. I’ve written here before, in comments, about growing up and watching my mother cry each year during the anniversary coverage.
I think that for a lot of people hope died that day. Or the day that Martin Luther King Jr. was shot. Or Bobby Kennedy.
And I don’t know (or care, truthfully) if Obama will ‘live up’ to the JFK legacy. But he does give me hope, not in nebulous ideas of the future or in self aggrandizing visions of himself, but simply in the ability of the American people to rise and find solutions to problems that until now have been more politically expedient not to solve.
I definitely agree about Edwards. This is not a zero sum game, where support withdrawn must equal support given. I will be ecstatic when either or both of them are on the ticket.
I was too young to remember JFK, but I’ll never forget Bobby’s assassination. My Mom was on hands and knees crying in front of the TV. That was scary to me. The next day or shortly thereafter, a two-hour David Wolper special aired. It was supposed to be a campaign piece, but after Bobby’s death, it became a tribute. It ended with pictures of all the people lined up to watch the funeral train.
Even as a child, I felt horrible. A great man had been unfairly cut down, and all these people were so sad. What had we lost? I made it my mission to find out. And what a loss.
If I wasn’t already an Obama supporter, today would have been the day I signed on as well. There’s no one I respect more in politics than Ted Kennedy, bar none.
Whose picture is that? Love the smile!
Thanks 😉 That would be me. I’m not sure what BooMan is really trying to do with that pic other than to make me retaliate by posting one of him in his boxers.
those are some nice drawers, no?
Can you believe that was a year ago this past weekend? Incredible.
yeah, went incredibly fast. Depending on the outcome of the nominating process, I think it would be cool to organize something for the inaugural next year.
Count me in, I think that’s a great idea.
Damn, I’d fly out if the nominee is Obama. But why bother if it’s Clinton? I have a free ticket I have to book by mid-Feb. I’ll have to wait and see….
My eyes are burning!!!
All this time I thought you were a girl!
That’s one of the nicest compliments I’ve received 🙂
It is funny how we generate an image of someone in our head based solely on their writing, and how often we’re wrong about it.
During the first YearlyKos, I posted a photo of me and someone thought I was gay Asian guy. I was floored by that one.
I loved that speech by V. Best part of the film.
Me too. I won’t even admit how many times I’ve dreamed of hacking and splicing that into the middle of a Faux News broadcast.
I feel the same way. Would you believe I paid to see it 8x at full price when it was still in the theaters? I’ve never done that before (and hopefully never will after!) I tried to drag different people each time.