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Politics : Liberalism: Do You Agree We've Had Enough of It? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: SGJ who wrote (54159)	11/3/2008 12:24:26 AM
From: tejek	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 224708

My wife made me canvas for Obama; here's what I learned This election is not about major policies. It's about hope. By Jonathan Curley from the November 3, 2008 edition Charlotte, N.C. - There has been a lot of speculation that Barack Obama might win the election due to his better "ground game" and superior campaign organization. I had the chance to view that organization up close this month when I canvassed for him. I'm not sure I learned much about his chances, but I learned a lot about myself and about this election. Let me make it clear: I'm pretty conservative. I grew up in the suburbs. I voted for George H.W. Bush twice, and his son once. I was disappointed when Bill Clinton won, and disappointed he couldn't run again. I encouraged my son to join the military. I was proud of him in Afghanistan, and happy when he came home, and angry when he was recalled because of the invasion of Iraq. I'm white, 55, I live in the South and I'm definitely going to get a bigger tax bill if Obama wins. I am the dreaded swing voter. So you can imagine my surprise when my wife suggested we spend a Saturday morning canvassing for Obama. I have never canvassed for any candidate. But I did, of course, what most middle-aged married men do: what I was told. At the Obama headquarters, we stood in a group to receive our instructions. I wasn't the oldest, but close, and the youngest was maybe in high school. I watched a campaign organizer match up a young black man who looked to be college age with a white guy about my age to canvas together. It should not have been a big thing, but the beauty of the image did not escape me. Instead of walking the tree-lined streets near our home, my wife and I were instructed to canvass a housing project. A middle-aged white couple with clipboards could not look more out of place in this predominantly black neighborhood. We knocked on doors and voices from behind carefully locked doors shouted, "Who is it?" "We're from the Obama campaign," we'd answer. And just like that doors opened and folks with wide smiles came out on the porch to talk. Grandmothers kept one hand on their grandchildren and made sure they had all the information they needed for their son or daughter to vote for the first time. Young people came to the door rubbing sleep from their eyes to find out where they could vote early, to make sure their vote got counted. We knocked on every door we could find and checked off every name on our list. We did our job, but Obama may not have been the one who got the most out of the day's work. I learned in just those three hours that this election is not about what we think of as the "big things." It's not about taxes. I'm pretty sure mine are going to go up no matter who is elected. It's not about foreign policy. I think we'll figure out a way to get out of Iraq and Afghanistan no matter which party controls the White House, mostly because the people who live there don't want us there anymore. I don't see either of the candidates as having all the answers. I've learned that this election is about the heart of America. It's about the young people who are losing hope and the old people who have been forgotten. It's about those who have worked all their lives and never fully realized the promise of America, but see that promise for their grandchildren in Barack Obama. The poor see a chance, when they often have few. I saw hope in the eyes and faces in those doorways. My wife and I went out last weekend to knock on more doors. But this time, not because it was her idea. I don't know what it's going to do for the Obama campaign, but it's doing a lot for me. Jonathan Curley is a banker. He voted for George H.W. Bush twice and George W. Bush once. csmonitor.com

To: SGJ who wrote (54159)	11/3/2008 12:31:25 AM
From: tejek	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 224708

....its important what they think of us. Total BS. We are the leaders. We stepped up and did what no one else would do. We freed Iraq from a murderous tyrant. Oh crap. Don't give me that tired old song. We got rid of Hussein for three reasons: there is oil in 'dem der hills'; we needed a new place for our Mideast bases since we are getting kicked out of Saudi Arabia and GW has some weird rivalry/rebellion thing going on with his father. So stop with the "murderous tyrant" BS........there are plenty of murderous tyrants in this world, some of whom Bush calls a friend, that we have no interest in taking out. Who cares that socialist dictators hate us. Or weak-willed Euro-leftist governments who's countries are getting poorer and poorer from following proven failed Marxist doctrines. You need to want better for your country and future generations for this last bastion of freedom on the planet. How long have you been feeding yourself with these fantasies? How old are you? You sound like a teenager. For the past 8 years we have done the world a great disservice. There are only two countries because of vested interests where GW Bush's America is not hated......and that's Georgia and Israel. Sorry, dude, I'll take the rest of the world over those two tired countries any ole day.