Daily Archives: 09/18/2008

(Community Matters)

(Community Matters) here

(Community Matters) This is a super story. It’s going on all over the country. Treat yourself and read beyond the small, pasted snippet.

John Kerry beat George Bush by 5,700 votes and a little better than 63%-36% in McKinley County, New Mexico. That’s a mirror image of the 5,988 votes by which Bush won statewide. McKinley represented 2.7% of the overall New Mexico vote. Parts of the Navajo nation and Zuni reservation spill into McKinley.

In our personal Gallup poll, it seems clear Barack Obama will exceed the Kerry margin in McKinley, simply because Democrats are working with an unprecedented presence here. Having an office open 2-3 months before a general election versus sweeping in for the final 10 days makes all the difference, especially in a state where early voting by mail needs to be organized well ahead of time. continued

(Community Matters) I’m proud how Barack has handled his involvement in the economy as a US senator and as the Democratic nominee for president. While in constant contact with Treasury Secretary Paulson and Fed chairman Bernanke, he’s responded responsibly to the economic situation this week, not wanting to second guess the Fed, knowing he doesn’t have all the information. Instead of second guessing the AIG loan, Senator Obama has focused on ensuring protections for taxpayers’ interest.

In contrast, Senator McCain said that under no circumstances should taxpayer money be lent to AIG. He says this without sufficient information on the implications to our financial system, jobs and wealth of American taxpayers. It’s another example of his shooting from the hip without information. We all heard him say yesterday morning that the fundamentals of this economy are strong. [and yeah, today he reversed himself on AIG.  The point being, he doesn’t even think or gather facts before he speaks.  hmm, 4 more years]

Barack’s economic plan and response to the current crisis is informed by real information, an understanding of macro and micro economics and advice from his highly esteemed team of economic advisers: Robert Rubin, Larry Summers, William Donaldson, Jason Furman and Austan Goolsbee.

(Community Matters) Well, I don’t blame them . . .

A friend wrote to thank me for my recent email and to inform me that I’d have to decode 4 it before she’d understand it. Come to think about it, I don’t blame her.

BTW – by the way
NYT – new york times
AIG – american international group
NFC – national finance committee

(Community Matters) Dismissal of national polls notwithstanding, I’m hearing the NYT poll shows Obama up by 5 after being down by 2 last week.

In the state by state polls which haven’t been fully vetted at 538 nor do I think yet entered into the models, among the battle ground states the only of real note seem to be: competing polls on Ohio, the latest and largest sample showing Obama +2 (the smaller and last week’s poll showing McCain +6). Virginia still sending mixed messages favoring Obama, though thought to be a lean McCain state. And, the juiciest is a CNN/Time poll showing Obama +4 in Florida (this poll includes the independent candidates).

Remember, Obama winning any one of Colorado, Virginia, Ohio or Florida probably means he wins.

(Community Matters)

(Community Matters)

By Tim Wise

For those who still can’t grasp the concept of white privilege, or who are constantly looking for some easy-to-understand examples of it, perhaps this list will help.

White privilege is when you can get pregnant at seventeen like Bristol Palin and everyone is quick to insist that your life and that of your family is a personal matter, and that no one has a right to judge you or your parents, because “every family has challenges,” even as black and Latino families with similar “challenges” are regularly typified as irresponsible, pathological and arbiters of social decay.

White privilege is when you can call yourself a “fuckin’ redneck,” like Bristol Palin’s boyfriend does, and talk about how if anyone messes with you, you’ll “kick their fuckin’ ass,” and talk about how you like to “shoot shit” for fun, and still be viewed as a responsible, all-American boy (and a great son-in-law to be) rather than a thug. continued here