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Donnie Doubter....

What if there was no financial crisis. If Bush had decided not to invade another sovereign nation and lied about his motivation for doing so. What if all we were concerned about right now was whether the Tennessee Titian's, were as good and their record or whether Brad and Angelina are really splitting up. If the country was fine and dandy, would America have made history?Would America elect its first minority president?

I thought of this, because the other day there was a story on the news about if the push for alternative energy would subside now that gas prices have dropped dramatically. Remember way back in the summer when people were actually conserving? Thinking before we drove that extra mile and thinking that regular coffee from McDonald's was better than that $4 latte from Starbucks. It took $4 a gallon gas to make us park are minivans and favorite SUVs. It took a market collapse and rampant gas speculation to make us steer clear of caffeine dispensing baristas and $4 specialty coffees or decide to walk or take the bus or bike for daily trips.

Politicians rarely want to tell us that we are a country of excess. That we are spoiled. Jimmy Carter tried to tell us in his famous "Malaise" speech and was quickly replaced by the ever positive Ronald Reagan. "We're not spoiled. We're a shining city on the hill". Like telling a country full of over eaters that your only fat if you think so."

My point is that this country seems to only make serious changes when we have to. We only seem willing to take a chance when our collective backs are against the wall.

I guess I should not be surprised that desperation is one of the strongest motivators of change. Like the Alabama bus boycott in the '50's. The bus companies were losing so much money that they caved and let blacks ride anywhere they wanted to on the bus. Our military was so hard up for recruits that they lowered their standards for admission.

But is this why America made history last week? Did Bush,Congress and Wall Street mess things up so much that it drove the electorate to consider the formally inconsiderable? Or is this just the ramblings of a suspicious black man unwilling to believe in the "new" America. I hope it is the latter.

My Life on the Campaign Trail

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

I'm so late...

Well, I have gotten some sleep after 72 hours with only 4 hours of sleep in Chicago. So it has taken a little time to respond to this moment in history. I was so consumed by making sure that I was in the right spot at the right time in Grant Park that night. I was in a cab making my way to Grant Park when a roar like wave rushed down Michigan Avenue announcing that history was made.

My tears began the night before the election in my hotel room in Florida. I was watching an Obama rally in North Carolina. That was when I learned of the passing of Obama's grandmother. It wasn't just the tragically ironic timing of her death, but what he said she represented in his life. What she had sacrificed for him to succeed. It made me think of my own mother who used to clean houses, and worked in factories so that my sisters and I could have better opportunites than she had. It moved me to see how connected this man was and is to the everyday person. How I could relate to him by more than race and gender.

The graciousness of Senator McCain's concession speech, the recognition and appreciation in President Bush's comments and the pride of blackness in Condi Rice's voice all showed that Barack Obama was right when he said we are all connected by something bigger than political affiliations, we are connected by a country, we are all children of God.

Everyone we spoke with that night gave a sense that anything is possible now. During the past 21 months of the campaign I remember "hope" being ridiculed as lacking in substance, but this night hope was something you could taste in the air. It was on every face. It was in the fact that 125,000 people of every ethnic background could gather together to celebrate in common cause and not have one negative incident occur.

Of course I thought of my children also. Two adopted Ethiopians, (one boy and girl) and one biracial biological daughter. The corny but real feeling that they might inherit an America that will judge them by the content of their character not by the color of their skin.

What Michelle Obama was vilified for saying in response to her husband's early success, "for the fist time, in a long time, I'm really proud of my country", was uttered by tens of thousands of Chicagoans that night and by millions of Americans . Its what I felt. Not just satisfaction in the victory of Barack Obama, but the knowledge that it took more than black votes to accomplish this highest of goals. It took millions of Americans including a considerable amount of white voters to accomplish this mandate. In the end proving that it was not about race, but about the two candidates and how they handled the issues and challenging situations they were faced with.

That was what I was most proud of. Not that we elected a black president, but that we elected the best candidate for the job, who happens to be black.


Tomorrow I will post a slideshow of photographs taken by me on my geeky groupy picture takin' palosa

Man Tagged

One of my two readers has tagged me. I feel honored. I felt honored as soon as my wife explained to me the importance of being tagged. Then I felt honored and important. I was tagged by this lady. Let's see, random facts, and 7 of them.

1. I was born with 6 fingers. On one hand. Unfortunately, a surgeon removed my extra finger just after I was born. I would have like to have kept it. I think it would have made me very interesting. I do not get to brag about this as often as I would like, because it does not come up in conversation easily.

2. The first time I visited with my mother in law we went for a walk. She lived in a very white, upper crust European neighborhood. The kind with tree lined streets, cobblestoned sidewalks, and lots of classy Europeans walking insane, and tiny little dogs. I lost my balance and fell on top of her. She was carrying groceries. I was holding a cigar that I was smoking. The groceries rolled all over the tree lined street. My mother in law broke her arm in 3 places. I am a big guy. I did not drop my cigar though. The classy Europeans and their little annoying dogs thought that I had mugged her. I could see it in their faces. My mother in law forgave me eventually and was mostly mad at me because I had ruined her golf game for the summer.

3.  I won an Emmy a long time ago. My wife dropped it during our move and it broke. She has not told me this yet. But I figured it out when I saw it in the back of her car. She tried to cover it up with some bags. She reads my blog once in a blue moon, so now she will know that I know. She will blame her sister.

4. I won a singing contest on a cruise liner once. I sang 'Someone to Watch over Me' and rocked the boat.

5. I have been trying to learn to speak Danish for over 7 years. I can only say 'the pink car is old'. This does not come up very often in conversation either. Danish is very difficult.

6. I was educated by Quakers for the first 8 years of schooling. And no, I did not wear those funky shoes with the big buckles.

7) As an 8 year old I looted a jar of peanut butter which I shared with my fellow 8 year old accomplis. As a result we both got very sick.

Words Matter..

Did you see McCain and Obama yucking it up at the Al Smith Dinner? I have to admit I had no idea who Al Smith was until I saw this on the news. Yeah, like you knew who he was. Anyway, I thought they were both very funny. Especially John McCain. It made it almost a shame that that John McCain didn't show more in this campaign. I never thought of Barack Obama being a funny but he pulled it off.

The television networks played the jokes all day long but the best part for me were Senator Obama's comments at the end about the people that were not as fortunate to be dress in white tie and tails.




I think that Governor Palin is a good communicator as well. She deliver the party line in a way that is understandable in a plain spoken way. Either way, eloquent or plain spoken words matter When you use them to accuse someone of being anti American, not like us, a terrorist. These words incite responses like "traitor" and "kill him."

Hopefully, words of compassion, empathy and unity can be just as powerful.

Is It Because He's Black

I have asked myself on more than one occasion if my support for Barack Obama would be different if he were not black. (For the purpose of this argument I am defining Obama as black, although he is biracial). That question was harder to answer at the outset of the campaign. As a black man, it was definitely satisfying to see an intelligent, articulate, young African American in the race. I still did not think that he would have a shot against the Clinton machine.

It was his winning overwhelmingly white Iowa that made me believe that he could have a chance. It was his loyalty to Rev. Jemimah Wright when it was not in his political best interest. How he took disaster and turned it into the opportunity to speak to Americans as adults about the subject of race. The way that he inspired people These are the reasons that Barack became more than an black candidate to me. He was not just a good black candidate for president, he was the best candidate for president who happened to be black.

In his endorsing of Obama Sunday on Meet The Press, Colin Powell admitted that part of the reason he was voting for Barack Obama was because of race. But that was not enough or he would have endorsed him long ago. He named a number of reasons from the narrowing perspective of the Republican party, to trivial nature of the McCain campaign. He spoke of Obama's intellectual curiosity and his reasoned judgment. The more you listened the more you saw his reason for condemning his party had less to do with race and more to do with sensibility.





Of course I will feel a great sense of pride, as a black man, should Obama win the election but I take even greater pride in the fact that he has proven he's more than a black candidate, but is the better man for the job.

It Should Be Over..

Wednesday night, I shot the 3rd presidential debate at Hofstra University on Long Island NY. They are really all the same for the media. You set up your gear to record the debate about 8 hours before it starts. Then you wait... The fun part is that companies like Budweiser set tents up where they have food and beer and cheesecake...its great. Especially the cheesecake.

Then the debate started. Its hard to follow what is going on because I have to listen to see if the sound I am recording is working and the video is good. Its only when I go back to the hotel that I can watch the replay of the debate and really pay attention to what was said. I thought to myself while watching it, that if this were a fight they would have stopped it.

I also thought it was appropriate that Senator Hillary Clinton was in the audience. To keep my boxing analogy going, she has to be the best political sparring partner in history. I doubt that Senator Obama would be the candidate we saw tonight without her and their more than 20 debates together.

On issue after issue Barack Obama displayed a grasp and knowledge that seemed presidential. He seemed simply, more comfortable in his own skin. Most of the pundits seemed to think that this was John McCain's best performance and maybe they're right. I am sort of in the tank for Obama, but what I saw was an angry and cynical old man. Illinois Congressman Rahm Emanual told us in an interview, that McCain reminded him tonight of the old man that screamed at the kid for hitting the baseball into his yard . Mr. Wilson from the Dennis The Menace Show is who he reminded me of.

I watched the replay on C-Span. They played the entire thing in a split screen where you had both candidates on the screen the whole time. This is a great way to watch something like this because you see both their reactions to what is said. McCain looked like he was trying to keep himself under control. He spent much too much time talking about things that don't really matter to people that are struggling to make it. For example, 60's radical William Ayers, the John Lewis statement regarding the violent turn the McCain/Palin rallies were taking. I don't believe that even Republicans and John McCain himself truly belive that Barack voted to not support infant children in the Illinois senate. But that is what Senator McCain spent most of his time on. He, John McCain, looked desperate. He looked like a man that knew he had lost the race.

Senator McCain commented repeatedly that Barack Obama was an eloquent speaker, like that meant nothing. But we interviewed many of the people who were in the debate audience and they said that this is what they liked the most about Obama. His clear responses to the questions being presented. One woman said that 8 years of a president who can't pronounce the word nuclear is enough.

The McCain campaign may think that their candidate landed some serious body blows to Senator Obama with "Joe the Plumber", a closet McCain supporter who confronted Barack Obama in Ohio over his inability to start his own plumbing business, under what would be Obama's tax plan. Or maybe the line about not being President Bush. "If you wanted to run against George Bush, you should have run 4 years ago." A good line but that's all it was.

I know it must be frustrating after fighting your way to the top of the Republican ticket. Rising from the political grave to leader of your party and come up against such a dynamic opponent. When I watched McCain in the split sceen, eyes blinking, temples flexing a tight grin or grimace on his face as he listened to Obama respond eloquently to questions and attacks. I was just wondering what he might be thinking. "Damn this guy is good" or 'this bastard is cleaning my clock".

John McCain had little to offer as far as substance and this presidential race should be over. If you get the opportunity and you did not watch the debate I urge you to watch it online or on the news replays. While these debates were a pain in the ass to cover as a news person their importance can't be understated. It is really the only time you see both of the major candidates on the same stage.

I believe that this is especially important in this election. There are many among the voting public that hold preconcieved notions in regards to race, culture and values. People need to see that Barack Obama is not scary or unintelligent. That his values are not radical or out of step. That he is cool, calm and thoughtful.

Maybe....

I noticed in a town hall rally, they used to be called meetings, but that was back when Senator McCain would actually attempt to discuss issues. Anyway, at this town hall rally in Wisconsin, John Sydney McCain was continuing to stir the pot of hot boiling anger among his faithful with questions about Senator Obama's judgment and character, I noticed that McCain looked uncomfortable. Stumbling through a slanderous diatribe against Senator Obama, eyes twitching nervously.

I would like to think that the Senator McCain was having a battle with his conscience. Maybe thinking, while hearing his supporters yell threats and insults toward his opponent, what the hell did I get myself into? What the hell am I doing? Maybe his memories of the 2000 Republican primary started creeping in. Back when the Bush campaign slandered him. When they spread rumors that his adoptive Indonesian daughter was a black child that he had fostered out of wedlock and implied that his captivity in Vietnam had left him unstable and unfit for office.

Or maybe, just maybe, he was realizing that this was no longer his campaign but the campaign of the people around him. That he was becoming a logo, a front man for all that he has said he despises about Washington politics. It could be that he was beginning to see that the presidency was slipping away and he didn't want to go out this way. The idea of confronting Senator Obama and accusing him of this BS to his face in a debate, as he promised a supporter he would, might have brought a moment of conscience. Or maybe he was awakening to the fact that the strategies these Carl Rove disciples, like Steve Schmidt, were devising was not only politically tone deaf and dumb but also a possible threat to Senator Obama's safety and ruinous to the McCain reputation.

So at another town hall rally late Friday, where one journalist characterized the audience members as "pitch fork wavers", he found his decency. He corrected a supporter by saying that Barack Obama was not an Arab and is not someone to be feared but a decent man who could be president.

I remember the other Senator McCain who supported comprehensive immigration reform and when racist comments about Hispanics were being said, Senator McCain reminded people during the Republican debates how many Hispanic names dawn the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall. That we were all God's children. The way he spoke so forcefully and sincerely against torture in response to his then rival, Mitt Romney. He was the John McCain I liked despite myself. At least among the long boring list of Republicans running at the time. I wouldn't vote for him but I respected him.

But in running for presidency he began to comprise his stated principles. First it was his change on immigration to appeal to his Republican base, then the Bush tax cuts and downhill from there. I can't believe I'm writing this, but he stopped being the so called "Maverick." He allowed himself and his campaign to be kidnapped by people that have no clear strategy on the issues, no clear or consistent message and apparently no moral compass.

At the risk of repeating myself from other blog entries, I believe that the candidates campaigns are a microcosm of how their administration would work and how they would govern. Like an administration with training wheels and John Sydney McCain just fell off his bike.

Have You No Shame..

At the risk of sounding sexist toward both women and men, men usually don't let their women do their fighting for them. John McCain doesn't see it that way. First it was the Governor Six Pack and now his wife.

Cindy McCain using her son to express outrage over Barack Obama vote to not fund the troops,(by the way, the McCain's said they would not use their son, who was serving in Iraq, for political purposes). Senator Obama voted against the bill she is referencing because it didn't have a timeline for troop withdrawal. She neglected to mention that her husband voted to not fund the troops because the bill had a timeline in it.

On CNN's Anderson Cooper 360, former presidential advisor David Gergen said that we should give McCain credit for not bringing the rhetoric spewed at his political rallies and in his ads to the second debate. None of the questions asked by the audience or the moderator entailed anything concerning the character of either candidate. The questions had to do with health care and the wars and the economy.

McCain is smart enough to realize that slandering your opponent is great for the rallies of the faithful but to smear a man to his face takes conviction. Do you really think that John McCain believes what he is saying about Barack Obama? This is a sitting senator in the United States Congress that you are implying and out right saying is not "American".

Like George W. Bush squandered the goodwill towards the US following the attacks of September 11th 2001, John McCain is squandering the goodwill of a majority of the electorate.
At this rate people won't be remembering John McCain the war hero but John McCain the angry old man that sold his soul to be president.

Joe Six Pack?

A scary number of Americans voted for George W. Bush because he was the kinda guy you wanted to have a beer with. Since 2000 we have paid in more ways than one for the "every day guy", "Joe 6 pack" in the ultimate seat of power. What we should have learned when you put an average every day person in such a lofty position you get, in recent history, someone that is out their league. They are easily manipulated by the people around them, (Dick Cheney) who we did not vote for at least not directly.

These offices of President and Vice President require brilliance at best competence at the least. Barack Obama has shown that he is cool under pressure, not reactionary or impulsive. He was steady during the turmoil of the financial crisis while his opponent was all over the map. He has shown throughout this campaign that he has one of the most important qualities of a president, empathy and the innate ability to not only see how things are but also to look forward to how things might be in the future. Thoughtfulness from a president. What a concept.

Governor Palin in the one and only vice-presidential debate showed the ability to recite talking points but offer nothing of substance. She went nearly the whole debate without directly answering a question. Like I'm talking to you about baseball and all your answers are about football. In this day of 2 ground wars and a economic recession what should we be looking for in a potential leader is not style points or how many pieces of flair you have or how down home folksy you are. Not how good they look getting off Air Force One but how thoughtful they are. How calm they are in a crisis. How much do they really understand how their decision will effect you, "joe six pack" or you that hockey mom .

So Joe, I hope you are looking for someone that offers ideas and not just attacks on the opposition. Look to judgement shown in the campaign both in policy and in the running of their campaigns in making your decision. Remember if your at risk of losing your house or job, if your on the verge of bankruptcy because of health care issues if your wondering how to send your children to college to live a better life than your own, that its not about if the President is someone that you want to have a drink with but rather or not he can help you.

Dear Sen. Obama

Dear Senator Obama: I saw the debate last Saturday and thought you handled yourself well. When they got into finding Bin Ladin and what you would do if you knew where he was you gave the standard answer that you would kill him if you got the chance. Too often is sounds like that will cure the terrorism problem. It was actually Senator McCain that talked about needing the help of the people of Pakistan to capture or kill the infamous terrorist leader. Called it counter terrorism. While I believe that McCain sees this as only a strategy or means to an end, i wish you would have taken the opportunity to not only agree with this "strategy" but expand it to say helping people in despair is the number one too in fighting terrorism both Islamic and other violent.groups that mean us harm. As evidence you could have sited where America is revered. Like in many parts Africa where Americans are much admired for our help in HIV-AIDS and malaria prevention and eradication. It is of the few things that the Bush Administration can be proud of is their out reach in places like Rwanda. It has done more to keep Africa and America safer than the billions of dollars of military hardware we have give to countries like Ethiopia. You, Senator Obama, I know understand this. That to change our image in the world, the way we are perceived, is the best way to keep this country safe. I know that you because of who you are, have to appear to be just as tough as your elder Senator rival. But you have proven yourself to be also more thoughtful and wise. You have said in the past that you would tell America not only what it wants to hear but what it needs to hear. Now is your chance. Sincerely, Hope for the future

Leadership

So why are the Democrats so afraid to push this urgent deal of a financial bailout for Wall Street through. Why do they need the Republicans? We elect these people to Washington to represent us, to look out for us. If the Secretary of the Treasury and the Chairman of the Federal Reserve come to you and tell you that this is needed, the President says its needed and you yourselves know its needed why let angry voters that know very little about this situation, scare you out of making a decision they know they need to make.

Is the purpose of being elected to get re-elected? Or is it to lookout for the people that you represent. They sit on banking committees and commerce committees, we work and take care of our kids and try to make a living to support our families. We don't have time to follow the banking regulations or how Wall Street even works. Not that we are a dumb electorate or have no need to monitor the goings ons in Washington but the politicians job is to lead. Its not always the popular decisions being made but that's your J.O.B.

So if the people are upset that they have to pay for someone elses mess remember what you tell your children when they scream about something not being fair. Life sometimes is not fair. Remind them, like Senator Obama has, that the cost of doing nothing will be worse.

Everyone, including the people on "Main Street", were happy when money was abundant. Now we have to pay the piper. America may not be a nation of whiners but we do seem to want something for nothing. We have crumbling roads and poor schools in part because no one wants to pay for it. To mention rasing taxes is political suicide. Just ask George Bush Sr.

The reason nothing gets done in Washington is not just lobbyist but being re-elected. So Dems show some leadership don't concern yourself with blame but with purpose. You are the majority. To much is given much is required.

Who Is John McCain

I was a sophomore in college in 1980. My mother was able pay for college in large part through government grants, known as BEOG now known as Pell Grants. I had a work study job to pay for books and food as well. This was also the beginning of the Reagan years. You remember, smaller goverment, less regulation. A free market economy. Tax cuts for the wealthy. The birth of trickle down economics. My grant was cut by more than half.

Reagan was all about de deregulation. That the markets would grow if we left them alone. John McCain idealized Ronald Reagan and proudly claims he's a Reagan Republican. On many occasions has said he's a de regulator. Now with a infestion of lobbiest, connected to both Wall Street and the mortgage industry in his campaign, he's a populist looking out for the little guy. Now he is suspending his campaign and flying back to Washington just in time to get in the way and take credit for whatever is decided. Says that its no time to be debatin' when the country is in trouble my friends. Presidential debates have gone on through everything from the bombings in New York during the '60's to the bombing of the USS Cole in 2000. Country first right John?

The real John McCain is being revealed to even the most clueless of the American electorate. He has been reactionary and volatile since this economic bombshell was dropped. His first reaction was to say that the fundamentals of our economy were sound. Then when it was apparent that not only were the fundamentals not sound but that we were about to collapse his first response was to fire the Securities and Exchange chairman. Then when informed that the president can't fire the SEC chairman he changed course. Then he was against the government bail out of the insurance giant AIG. Then when informed of the consequences of letting AIG fail, he was for the bail out. He then called for a blue ribbon panel, (yet to find out what make a panel blue ribbon), to figure out how we got into this mess.

In the past few weeks the McCain campaign has systematically eliminated reporters that he deems bias. You know the one's that question his judgment with legitimate questions. His very popular vice presidential running mate has held 1 1/2 interviews, (the one with the Fox network was not an interview as much as a feel good session), in almost 4 weeks. They didn't even allow a single reporter to ask a question on Sarah's "Great Adventure" to the United Nations for photo ops with foreign leaders. You do know that she only got a passport last year.

This man is a genuine American hero and a train wreck as presidential candidate. He lacks the temperament and thoughtfulness to be president. It has been said about President Bush that the problem with him is he is too single minded. Its his way or the highway. He's the "Decider". In more ways than one we knew where he stood. You may not agree with but I know who Bush is. Who is John McCain.

Which Will You Choose

What does it mean when a presidential candidate would rather make up stories about their opponent than talk about the issues. I had the opportunity to cover for the Danish people the Democratic and Republican conventions. One was about unity and what we can do to address the serious problems we face. The other was wrapped in the flag. Lots of references to country and open disdain for Europe and remarkably little mention in word or in signs of the party they represent. I'll let you figure out which was which. Barack Obama had muted criticism for John McCain but he also talked about his vision and plan for the country. He talked about policy instead of just acceptance speech rhetoric. His speech fell on the anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King's March On Washington speech. Some in the black community were upset that he did not make a bigger deal out of the magical coincidence. But the night was about him and not Dr. King. I think Dr. King would agree. John McCain's speech was about country and service. His time spent in a Vietnamese prison camp. While a heroic story it did not speak to the millions of Americans losing their homes, our lack of affordable health care. Just a simplistic answer to a complex problem, "drill baby drill". In a "tribute" to the victims of 9/11 the Republicans showed not the way people pull together and helped each other. They didn't honor the dead by showing a plane crashing into one of the towers and what appeared to be a person leaping to their death or the towers crashing to the ground. They used it to scare the public. "If you don't vote for us this will happen again". That is what I took from this "tribute" to 9/11. So we have a choices. What do we want this election to be about. The issues or smear. Pandering or substance. Will we accept a presidential election, in this crucial time, that is about race or the future for you and your children. Which will you choose?

Who are you really hurting...

Tonight in Denver Hillary Clinton gave one of the greatest speeches in support of Barack Obama that has been heard. She also refurbished her somewhat tarnished reputations as a sore loser. It was a moving speech filled with political zinger for the McCain campaign like, "no way, no how, no McCain". She challenged her supporters to answer the question, were they in this political fight for her or for what she stands for. Meanwhile, in a beautiful park in Denver on a picture perfect summer evening, a group of her supporters and passers by watched her speech on a big screen TV that was set up in an open air theater. They were for the most part unmoved. When I interviewed them they were literally hostel towards Barack Obama. Many of them said they would vote for John McCain. Their love of Hillary Clinton boarded on obsession. For them the love they feel for Hillary was not transferable. Not by a speech, not by persuasion. Hillary Clinton had become a cause bigger than herself. She was a symbol of their lives. Of their success and failures. Their anger and resentment over how they perceived she was treated during the primaries was real and unrelenting. They look at Barack Obama as less experienced and arrogant. Everyone wants to make history. If Barack had lost in the primaries do you think the reaction among his supporters would have been any different? But to vote for McCain out of spite? To cut you nose off despite your face? When there will be more than one retirement on the Supreme Court within the next 4 years. When the economy for the middle class and the less fortunate is decenter grating. When unequal pay for women is still a common occurrence. Your going to cast your vote for a man that doesn't know how many houses he has. Worst yet, in the year that we celebrate the 88th anniversary of the women's right to vote, some are considering sitting out the election. Who are you really hurting?.

What Do You Really Want?

There was a time when congress worked together. They had to to pass things like the civil rights bill or even lowering the speed limit on federal highways to 55 mph If you were a Democrat you most likely have to compromise with a Republican to get what you wanted passed. And vise-verse. Politicians gained fame by getting bills passed. Getting things done.

Today's politician believes admitting that your opponent has a better or good idea is political poison. So in the end nothing gets done even when the issues are as universal as energy independence. Compromise is the sign of the weak. Working in a bi-partisan way is to compromise on your principles. Even if credible arguments are made against your idea you can't change or evolve on an issue.

So it was no surprise that when Obama compromised on off shore drilling, in announcing his energy policy, he was attacked. Barack said if that is what had to be added to get a comprehensive energy policy focused on, alternative energy done, then so be it. (Sidebar)-Does anyone wonder why the oil companies don't drill on the tens of thousands of acres that they already hold leases on? Why do they have to drill in Santa's rain deer coral? Bastards!!)

Barack Obama has said from the beginning of his campaign that the reason that things are not getting done in Washington is because the atmosphere is so hostel. You have to disagree and be disagreeable. No compromising. My way or the highway, "I'm shaving this dog's ass you just hold its tail"... Got the last one from my father, he was pretty funny.


The Republicans in general and John McCain in particular, made fun of Barack's energy plan. Calling him a flip flopper. Mocked him by giving out free tire pressure gauges to the traveling press. They were referring to an Obama answer to a woman's question at a town hall meeting who ask what ordinary Americans can do to make a difference in lowering our dependence on foreign oil. He replied that Americans can do simple things like making sure their tires are properly inflated. The Department of Energy(that's the Bush administration), estimates that keeping tires properly inflated can help improve gas mileage by about 3.3 percent. It's one step the agency recommends to reduce fuel costs, along with removing items from the trunk, replacing clogged air filters and getting regular tuneups. By the way, the estimated savings in gas consumption if we all followed these simple steps, would be around 800,000 barrels of oil.

Off shore oil drilling, according to every expert, will take at least 7 years before they produce any oil. Then that oil produced will go on the world market not in straight into American gas tanks. Yet polls say that some 75% of Americans are for off shore drilling. So John McCain switched his position on off shore oil drilling and its the center piece of his energy plan. He wants a pump in every yard, every city, every hamlet, every valley and mountain.

Obama found himself making a political mistake by not jumping on the gas propaganda bus so he has included the ludicrous idea of getting gas from the strategic oil supply. For the most part he has been contestant on this issue. That we have to think long term in regards to energy independence. Telling people that there is really not many short term answers other than checking your tire pressure, keeping your car tuned and driving less.

If you believe that more off shore drilling is the silver bullet ending our foreign oil dependency. If you believe that building more nuclear power plants without finding out how to get rid of the toxic waste they produce. If you believe that the oil companies will be hurt and have to raise prices by sharing some of their record profits with the country that help make them rich, maybe you want a politician that tells you what you want to hear rather than what you need to hear.

The Right Stuff..

I was watching a program on CNN hosted by that squinting Anderson Cooper, (I know, maybe he can't help it), called "Extreme Challenges". It was an interesting discussion about the..well, extreme challenges the next president will face when he takes office. The two experts former presidential advisor David Gurgin and Fareed Zakaria of Newsweek and CNN and a bunch of good books ie; "Post World America". They discussed everything from nukes in Iran to job creation as obstacles in the way next presidents success. All the tough choices he will have to make.

Among the things that the new president must do is get the American public to understand that not only is the United States in crisis economically but in order to turn it around is going to require sacrifice. Paying $4 and up for gas. More money for food and other basics. If everyone is to receive world class health care than the services offered will have to be rationed. No you can't get 6 MRI's maybe you can only get 2 or 3 a year.

Obviously politicians can't and most won't talk about sacrifice to a Walmart, Costco, Sam's Club society that we have become. Barack Obama has hinted at the notion of sacrifice but has not expanded too much. The Americans that brought us out of the depression and fought in WWII in shared sacrifice of a national causes are retired or dead. For a politician to ask their constituents to give something up in today's America is political suicide.

With 2 wars, the financial pressure of the deficit and the rise of the rest of the world economically and the nuke inevitably in Iran means that the next president will have to be able to get the world involved with global warming and shoring up the credit markets along with making sure the war on terror does not turn out like the American war on drugs.

So the next president will have to have the "right stuff". The ability to bring much need credibility and leadership back to the US. Because, believe it or not the world wants the United States to lead on issues like global warming. The cowboy, unilateral American diplomacy of the Bush administration has meant that the world is not looking for an American leader that knows how to win wars, as John McCain has so infamously said. But a president that has the ability to listen compromise and act as a partner in the world community.

I have pointed out in past blogs that I believe that Barack Obama, given his background and upbringing, is more connected and in tuned with the world community than any other candidate in this campaign. It takes more than being a black candidate to bring out 200,000 Germans waving American flags. Given the recent closeness in the polls here in the States it proves that maybe the Europeans are ahead of the US in more than alternative energy commuter trains and smaller servings sizes.

Mind Your Place...

For the longest time Barack Obama's problem was he was perceived  too soft politically.  Could he stand up to the heat the Clinton's "kitchen sink" strategy during the primaries.   Just weeks ago John McCain was challenging him to go meet with the troops and generals in Mesopotamia "you can't miss it its right on the border with border with Pakistan".  He was accused of not having the experience to deal matters on the world stage, like meeting with the president of Checkoslovacia.-Isn't it funny how McCain can get away with inaccurate statements like that?  Really the country of Checkoslovacia has not existed for nearly 15 years!! And this is the guy with the experience.

Anyway, Obama goes to Iraq but Afghanistan meets with the troops and much heralded General Petraeus, a general that by all accounts has done a remarkable job given the circumstances.  Barack Obama being the neophyte in the category of military leadership showed leadership by sympathizing with the generals position but saying that his strategy 

was different.  It was not just the McCain campaign saying, "who does this Obama guy think he is, questioning the judgement of Gen. Petraeus.  Cries of he's arrogant started to pop up in the main stream press.  

From saying that going to war in Iraq was a mistake to we have drop the ball on prosecuting the "true" war on terror by neglecting the front in Afghanistan , to saying that it is time to end this war in Iraq, Barack Obama has laid waste to the notion that experience equals good judgement.

Obama met with the same leaders that John McCain had met with shortly after he secured the Republican primaries.  You might not remember because you were more interested in the Democratic primary.  John McCain gave speeches in Columbia and Canada among others during that period.  Obama was criticized for taking a premature victory lap.  Overlooking the fact that his candidacy in itself is a testament to hope, not only in this country but around the world.  

Believe me, if John McCain had the charisma to attract over a 200,000 people to one of his speeches he would not turn it down.  Nor do I think that he would be perceived as arrogant.  

The more I hear Barack Obama referred to arrogant and pompous, I hear as a black man, "uppity".  The fact that he can handle himself with confidence and strength and does not shrink from the responsibility of the office that he seeks, I think that some parts of the American family feels threaten.  They warn Obama indirectly to mind his place.  Who are you to question the judgement of generals or shake the hands of heads of state.

It is the reason why given all the advantages of youth, party affiliation , the issues and a fantastic world wind tour, that  Barack Obama shows little separation in the polls.  That's why even with an electorate that put George W. Bush into office twice, think that Obama is the more risky choice.  Now I'm am not filled with racial paranoia just a healthy scepticism  of America's ability to turn the page in this country.

Goldie Locks

When you don't have anything to run on, not the economy, not the environment, not taxes you can always count on the Republicans to turn to scaring the American people. "The next president will be tested" says former Democratic loser turned independent Senator Joe Lieberman. John McCain is now saying to anyone that will listen, that Barack Obama can't be trusted because he changed his mind on campaign financing in the national election. We have documented extensively McCain's 3 pages of flip flops. He is not the John McCain of the 2000 campaign.


From what I have observed and read of Sen. Obama's positions from his speech on race to his fathers day speech on fatherhood and the black community have been common sense or centrist positions. He has called for personal responsibility and understanding of the other persons views. As possibly the first black president in United States history, he has no other choice than to play the middle. He can't be too far left or too far right. Like the children's story of "Goldie Locks", his positions have to be just right. Jessie Jackson's campaign in 1984 registered a large number of new voters and he won a couple of states in the primaries but his leftest views on many issues gave him no shot at the democratic nomination.

Barack Obama's upbringing in a multi cultural society also contributes to his centrist positions. Growing up black, white and Indonesian gives him a unique vision to see things from a lot of different perspectives. He is a politician running on the platform of change and compromise to get things done in Washington. His politics run to the center because that is where the majority of people in America are. Its hard to compromise with a zealot on either side of the isle.

If you want to be president of all the people by representing half of the people.

Are You Serious?

So Sen. Obama seems to not be all idealism and lofty rhetoric. His decision to decline to use public funding in the general election after saying that he would " aggressively pursue an agreement with the Republican nominee to preserve a publicly financed general election". He put out a soundbite response as to why he changed his mind on his website. His reason didn't pass the smell test. Saying that the current finance rule was easily manipulated. No the real reason is, he had no idea that he would raise more money than OPEC during the primary campaign. It is not guaranteed that Obama will raise as much money in the general election as in the primaries but I wouldn't bet against it. So now John McCain is saying straight forwardly that you can't trust Barack Obama because he changed his mind on accepting public financing.  The same John McCain that was for opting out of public financing is now for it and on and on..  From tax cuts for the wealthy to off shore drilling  And this from the website, "The Carpetbagger Report" In 1999, McCain was in New Hampshire, campaigning for the GOP nomination as a moderate he said he was pro life but would not support repeal of Roe v. Wade, saying "it would force women in America to (undergo) illegal and dangerous operations."  But a year and a half ago, now running as a conservative he told  ABC's George Stephanopoulos  "the Supreme Court should--could overturn Roe v. Wade, which would then return these decisions to the states, which I support...Just as I believe that the issue of gay marriage should be decided by the states, so I do believe that we would be better off by having Roe v. Wade returned to the states"  I heard a great quote the other day that "John McCain is both sides of the same coin that doesn't add up to much change".   I thought it was clever anyway.  You can read more of McCain's flip flop list here. The list of McCain's flip-flops, according to MSNBC, is 3 pages long.  To be fair, he has been in political office for a long time.  But most of these "flips" are recent.  In quest of the presidency. At worst it a kind of a put your finger to the wind of political expediency, whatever it takes to get the vote.  Or at best its a man that has no judgement or direction.  Politicians should be able to evolve on certain issues but this seems like a trend for the Senator.   Is the John McCain that was unbelievably disciplined and principled as a prisoner of war under the most unimaginable torture going to sell his soul for the office of president?   Even George W. Bush's record is stubborn, stupid but somewhat consistent.  He's not going to surprise you.   Does John McCain really believe that given the evidence, he can't questioned anyone's integrity on the issues?  Stick to the issues...At least on side or the other.

Lost

I used to work in local television for NBC in Washington DC as a news photographer for 11 years. We were located in the same building with the NBC network. I worked the early morning shift. When I would be driving my live truck back to the rear of the building to prepare to go home, I would often run into Tim Russert getting out of his car in the parking lot. I would tease him about hockey in Buffalo, (I was a Detroit Red Wing fan), and he would smile and talk to me a little about hockey and sports. I can't say that he would remember my name but he would recognize me and wave if he couldn't stop. When I told him that my Danish father in law was a huge fan of his and "Meet The Press", he said "Why haven't you brought him by the show?" I did and my father in law was overjoyed to not only to see a taping of the show but to meet Tim and get a picture with him. He was as kind as he was famous. A big shot that never acted like one. Never made you feel inferior but just like you were shooting the shit with any other guy.

I will miss him..

Wow!!

As you might have guessed, should you have read some of my other installments on this blog, I'm a Barack Obama supporter. I have said in the last blog installment, that Hillary showed at the very least, poor political sportsmanship in her speech on Tuesday. I thought that it showed what a bitter person she was. A sore loser. That was her chance, on Tuesday night, to embrace the fact that she lost, endorse the winner, in this case Sen. Obama and get off the stage. I was lacking what I think is Barack Obama's strongest suit, empathy. Losing any election is personal. Its a personal, very public rejection by the voters. Add to that that you were the "inevitable" candidate to not just win the presidency but to also make history. Seeing the nomination slip away to someone that has less experience than you, seeing it slip away when you have truly found your voice, developed a constituency and winning primaries in end by large margins. That is a lot to take in and come to grips with in a short period of time. There is evidence in primary history where the concession came after weeks of losing the primaries. Sometime its never comes, like with Ted Kennedy in 1980 against Jimmy Carter. I have often said during this primary season, that Barack has been the larger person in this election when faced with adversity but today, Hillary was the "large" person. Her speech today took so much courage and humility. She spoke from the heart and there can be no doubt of her support for Sen. Obama. She does not need to be vice president to make history, she is history.

History..

I wish my kid's were older so I could explain to them the historical significance of this day! I would tell them that this day is going to change the rest of their lives, hopefully.... That now they can be whatever they want to be, that their voices will be heard and their faces will be seen.

I would tell them that this NEVER could have happened when I was their age. That the America they will grow up in is going to be a different America from the one in which I was raised. The America I knew had me sleeping under a window for an entire summer during the Detroit race riots in the sixties. It was the safest place to sleep to avoid being hit by a stray bullet, and I was just 7 years old. This same America had my mom applying for special grants for minorities to get me out of poorly run inner city schools, just so I could get the decent education that I deserved. That my America had me watch my mother struggle to explain to me, when I was just 4 years old, why I could not take a sip from a water fountain while on a trip to New Orleans .


I know that racism is not going to be wiped out in one fell swoop, but this certainly is a huge step in the right direction-I can't help but imagine what it could mean for my children if Obama becomes the next President. My kids are upstairs sleeping, completely unaware of this gift of a better future that was just given to them. 

How Can I Miss You When You Won't Leave

I think that Barack Obama is singing that country song, "How can I miss you when you won't leave." He is, at this hour, 37 delegates from the Democratic nomination. She is 198 delegates away with less than enough delegates to make up the difference. She lost and now its her time to be gracious and back up her words that she is in this for the American people. That the "big picture" is a Democrat in the White House. The historic news agency AP was reporting early this morning that she would concede the nomination tonight, paving the way for Obama to announce his victory in the same Minnesota arena where John McCain will accept the Republican nomination later this summer.

It would appear that Hillary Clinton is going to take the low road of raining on the Obama parade. This is not a fighter but a sore loser. America had a wealth or reservoir of sympathy after 9/11 but Bush, with ill guided policies used up that surplus of empathy. It may not be a totally fair comparison but Hillary is using up her wealth of respect for all that she as accomplished in the same way by not being a gracious loser.

I say again, "How can we miss you when you won't leave."

What You Can Learn From A Primary

If you can't run a proper presidential campaign, does that not speak to your ability to run a proper administration? Both Senator's Clinton and McCain have had turnover in their campaigns at the very top. Both have run out of money. In John McCain's case, his "rise from the dead" campaign of the end of '07 with a victory in New Hampshire primary left him on top of the Republican race but without money. This has led to him whoring himself to the very people that he has stated he wants out of Washington. Namely, lobbyist.



Hillary Clinton on the other hand had a war chest of money but by late January, she had to loan her campaign $5 million,(she would make more loans later to keep her campaign afloat). They seem to have planned, apparently, for a 2 month campaign. Past February's "Super Tuesday", they seem to have no strategy.

Meanwhile, Barack Obama was raising record amounts of money through tens of thousands of new voters. Voters that were donating $5 and $20 to the sum of some $33 million in January. He has raised more than a quarter Billion dollars to date. Obama is not without dirty hands in the fundraising department. He did accept money from PAC's, (political action committee's) and lobbyist in running for the state legislature in Illinois and for his senate race in 2004. But he has appeared to run a cleaner campaign than his closest and fading rival, Hillary Clinton, who has accepted more money from lobbyist and PAC's than anyone else in the campaign.

Its not just money, where the "experienced" candidates have been out maneuvered by the "upstart". He seem to master the caucus system of voting, winning all 7 caucus states. Hillary explanation for her lack of a showing in caucus states rang hollow saying, ""You have a limited period of time on one day to have your voices heard.' "That is troubling to me. You know in a situation of a caucus, people who work during that time -- they're disenfranchised. People who can't be in the state or who are in the military, like the son of the woman who was here who is serving in the Air Force, they cannot be present." "You have a limited period of time on one day to have your voices heard," Clinton, D-N.Y., said. "That is troubling to me. You know in a situation of a caucus, people who work during that time -- they're disenfranchised. People who can't be in the state or who are in the military, like the son of the woman who was here who is serving in the Air Force, they cannot be present." She would go on to win only 6 out of 16 primaries following February's "Super Tuesday" to date.

My point is that with the coming and going of her brain trust in the campaign, the loaning of money to keep her campaign running, the pain-in-the-ass husband who can't stop putting his foot in his mouth. McCain belching out registered lobbyist from his campaign and unable to raise money on his own. A man running on national defense that doesn't even know how many troops are in Iraq...If your campaign is run like this what can we expect of their possible administration's?

Who Cares About The Book

Scott McClellan, former White House press secretary, has written yet another book about how, among other things, the Bush Administration lied about their reasons to go to war in Iraq. It is all over the news today on all the 24 hour cable news shows. Osama bin Laden's high tech cave complete with high speed Internet and a television studio not withstanding, you would have to live in a cave to not be aware of this administrations manipulations of the press and the intelligence leading to this "military engagement."

The real news is the new Republican nominee, John McCain and the continuing infestation of registered lobbyist running his campaign. In particular former Texas Sen Phil Gram, co-chair of the McCain campaign who, according to MSNBC.com ,"was being paid by a Swiss bank to lobby Congress about the U.S. mortgage crisis at the same time he was advising McCain about his economic policy, according to federal records." The report goes on to say that, "UBS filed paperwork deregistering Gramm on April 18 of this year. Gram continues to serve as UBS vice chairmam.' As early as October, 2006, RealClearPolitics.com reported that Gramm was advising McCain on economic issues. Politico.com quoted McCain advisors saying that Gramm had input on McCain’s March 26 policy speech about the mortgage crisis. McCain himself has often cited Gramm’s influence as a way to establish his bona fides with economic conservatives."

So this is the man that, according to Gallop Poll, 28 percent of Democrats who voted for Hillary Clinton would vote for instead of Barack Obama. A man who's campaign is being advised by the very people that took or is in the process of taking your hard working, blue collar home.

The media dropped the ball today. Just as they had on Bush's march to war. Next time maybe they will let the publisher pay for the advertising and the media can get back to truly covering the news.

Trying Not To Get My Hope Up

The idea of a minority at the head of the US Government is finally real. I'm trying not to get my hope up there's still Pennsylvania, Texas, Ohio, Kentucky and West Virginia, where they seem to be largely old racist, uneducated and believe in witches. People that seem to really be "bitter," about their situation in life. Their standard of living has not changed much, other than getting worse. It may be a more widely held view in Appalachia but I would say its a view that showed its ugly face in Ohio. According to Hillary Clinton, these so called "hard working blue collar workers), like her and not Sen. Obama. For whatever reason. Many of these voters say, if Hillary is not the nominee they will vote for McCain instead of Barack Obama. He is young.. I say he is young not only because he is but because that is what I'm hoping the reason is. We are 8 years into a new millennium, the very essence of word millennium is change. new beginnings. So why do I feel like the country will go for the 71 year old man...Oh yeah, because they were the same people that put Bush Jr. ,(with the help of the US Supreme Court) and wanted someone they "could have a beer with" in the White House in 2004, (that worked out nicely).

I would hope that the country and these voters in particular realize that we really are "at a defining moment in our history." In every point in American history where this country was, as they use to say, "up against it" we have had inspirational leader, from The Revolutionary War to The Great Depression and WWII. Now when we are losing our homes and jobs and an alarming rate. When we are no longer respected in a large part of the world. In a time when we practically have to strip to go on an airplane because someone wants to kill us...Along comes someone that has energized the young and the young at heart.

You can tell a lot about a person running for president by the way they run their respective campaigns. Barack Obama has raised more money than any other candidate, Democratic and Republican in history. When controversy arose, ie; Rev. Wright, he shown that he is "larger" than the other candidates as far as character and judgment. He could have thrown the Rev under the "political bus" but instead did not. He took the opportunity to have an adult conversation on race in America.

All along in this campaign he has shown judgement beyond his years. He has shown probably the most important ability of a potential leader; empathy. The ability to listen and keep your own council. But again I'm trying not to get my hopes up.

Ok, Now You Really Need to Go

Women are the most amazing of God's creations. They are natural multitaskers. They run most homes, have the ability to produce life. Carol Burnett once said that if a man wants to know what its like to go through labor, "just pull your bottom lip over your head." If women all over the world sat still, did nothing for one hour the world would stop. Men may think they run the world but it is only because women let us. I had three sisters and was raised predominately by my mother. She gave me the insight of what women can achieve despite the odds. How strong they can be, how much pain they can absorb, both physical and mental without complaint.



Many countries have had or have women as leaders of state. Hillary Clinton with her strong showing in the Democratic primaries has plowed the way for women candidates in the future. Her strength as an opponent, her driving ambition is admirable. Its that ambition that has shown to be her downfall. At some point when you compete for something don't you realize that you've lost. From the reports I hear she is staying in the race "in case something happens." But everything bad that has happened has happened to her. The "white people like me more than him" comment and now the Robert Kennedy assassination is another reason to stay in the race. You know, Kennedy was shot in June and who knows the same could happen again. I know she probably did not mean she was stay in the race in case something happened to Sen. Obama..but a pretty creepy when I heard. it.

I'm not a woman but I can't imagine that the women supporting her candidacy want a champion at any cost.

When you want it too much

I was watching a debate between two women, on the subject of sexism in the campaign and how it affected Hillary Clinton's presidential run. I wondered how the "Clinton Machine"had come to this point of looking so desperate.

There is a laundry list of reasons why she lost the nomination and being a woman is not near the top. John Edwards in endorsing Barack Obama said "she is made of steel" Barack Obama said she was a "role model for his two daughters." She was the best equipped woman ever to run for president. Former first lady of a two term president, who left office, (despite the scandals), with popularity numbers rivaling Ronald Reagan. Numbers so favorable that it no doubt helped this Illinois girl who lived in Washington for 8 years to move to New York, claim citizenship in the Big Apple and run against a four term New York Congressman, (Rick Lazio-R) and spanked him by 12 points. She was a political star. Her opponents tried to say that she was running on her husbands scandalized but long coat tails..."she was a northern version of a carpetbagger". There was no talk of sexism by the Clinton's in the wake of that successful run for political office.

She was for sure the front runner in the Democratic '08 Presidential race. Arrogance and a sense of entitlement doomed her campaign. Along with the many "faces of Hillary"...The Hard Hillary on the attack, The compassionate Hillary who found "her voice" prior to the New Hampshire primary..(See Video below)..











And Attack Hillary...(see video below)

When her campaign finished third in Iowa she then played the sexism card complete with a tearful moment, that worked in New Hampshire- it was time to take compassionate Hilliary on the road south. Her "Comeback Kid" status following her New Hampshire victory, gave her new confidence. She was the fighter again. On the offense. However she made the mistake of insulting the "black vote"after seeming to give Lyndon Johnson the credit for the successes in the civil rights movement over Dr. Martin Luther King...

Until this point, Barack Obama was still a somewhat unknown commodity in large portions of the African American community. Hillary was leading in polls with blacks and a number of prominent black congressional leaders, like Congressman John Lewis of Georgia were backing Sen. Clinton. She took a beating in the South Carolina Primaries. Former President Bill Clinton responded this way following the loss;

That's when I jumped to the Obama campaign. To be honest, until that point in the election, I had my doubts that he could win. I had seen them both in Selma Alabama at churches that were literally in the same block, speaking at almost the same time. Hillary gave a strong and convincing speech. I didn't look at her as a good woman candidate but a good candidate. But time is always the real "revealer" of the truth about something. Be it personal relationships or politics. Over time Senator Clinton has revealed herself as a fighter, fabricator,(remember the sniper fire she was under in the former Yugoslavia?) and now we can add sore loser playing the sexism card. I think America has shown that it is ready for a female leader, just not this one.

Move your luggage..

My employer is one of the largest public/private run television networks in Northern Europe. They employ thousands of workers and operate out of one of the most technologically advanced facilities in the world. However since our audiences are not the target of any of the campaigns we may as well be channel 57 out of Poplar Bluff Missouri. Since this was the beginning of the primary season all the media was in tiny Des Monies Iowa. It was tough sometimes to get into the "hot" events like a Barack or Hillary rally unless you basically camp out like your waiting for concert tickets to go on sale. So you go to a Mike Huckabee town hall meeting or a Romney round table discussion or maybe a John Edwards rally..(did you know his father worked in the mines?)

The afternoon of the Iowa primary eight hours before the polls closed, I walked four blocks to an arena where Barack Obama would address his supporters giving what would be a inconceivable victory speech. This four block journey would be a test in courage for me and a true sign of my dedication to the job. You see, in the young hours of that morning in my hotel room nature called and I stumbled to the bathroom. In the dark I tripped over my size 15 shoes then in trying to catch my balance, my foot hit my camera case. My next step was on the very sharp edge of my open equipment case slicing open my big toe, (I later found out it had a hair line fracture as well). It looked like someone was murdered in my bathroom. I hope all the bloody rags and bloody toe prints didn't scare the maid too much. Anyway, when I finally arrived at the arena a nice lady had me sign a waiting list...I was number 275. Needless to say, we didn't get on the camera platform. This happens often so consequently, most of the foreign media either rely on news feeds from the American networks or choose another angle for the story. The excitement over the democrats had forced much of our coverage to the republicans who are not as "sexy" this election cycle.

What I also found interesting since starting on this campaign trail, is that it seem to be a policy of American politicians to not give interviews to foreign press. I'm still trying to understand why California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger refuses to grant interviews to foreign news outlets, even Austrian networks. I mean, what does a former steroid using body builder turned action hero turned politician have to hide anyway...."the steroid use over some years has changed me into a true girly man." So where would you expect the first transsexual Governor to be but in the Golden Bear State. But I digress.

We ended up election night in an upscale suburb of Des Monies. They were holding a Republican caucus at a country club. My correspondent, who has covered elections all over the world was very excited to see this unique process of American democracy in action. I have to say that I have never seen a caucus in action. This process of voting is practiced in twelve and a half states, (I say half a state because Texas has both a primary and a caucus). So most most Americans have no idea how this process works.

The buzz was still around the Democrats and turnout was supposed to be heavy. After many scandals, the war in Iraq and a sagging economy the Republican party brand was damaged goods. The Republican electorate nationally were less than enthusiastic about their eleven choices for president according to the polls. Imagine our shock upon arrival at the club, people were lined out the door. So many Republicans showed up that they had to vote in shifts to accommodate the crush of people. This is how I remember it going that night...They come in and register then go to a section of the room representing there candidate of choice. Then each candidate on the ballot has a representative that explains the candidates position and why you should vote for him. Then like collections plates at a church service, they pass clear plastic bowls to collect the ballots. They are counted while, (in this case), the MC of the event goes through the process of electing local delegates for the state convention using those Parliamentary system...You know, "who will second the motion" and so forth. Then the vote tally for that caucus is announced. Mike Huckabee was the winner at the country club. I may have left a few steps of the vote out but this is how I remember it. Depending on the setting this way of voting can be pretty wild. People on chairs barking at other voters to get their support. People debating each other over the merits of their candidate. Its a system of voting that can be controversial but they have been doing it for over 200 years in this country. My correspondent said afterwords, "only in America. " I had to agree.

On the way back we found a local station on the radio broadcasting election results...We were speechless. A black man running for President in America, had won in a majority white state. And big!!

In the beginning I was on the fence about Barack Obama's chances in this election. I liked what he had to say but I just believed that America would elect the first white woman before they would elect a black man. No matter how smart or charming, no matter how eloquent. My correspondent saw it differently. He saw a country with mixed race marriages, he had black neighbors in his middle class community, he saw a black Secretary of State and brought up the popularity of Colin Powell, black CEO's of Fortune 500 companies. Times have changed...

A little Late To The Party...

I’m an American working as a news photographer for a northern European television network. I started this blog because I wanted to share my experiences as an American shooting and editing news stories for a European audience. I worked for a major American television network for over a decade before marring a beautiful Nordic woman and switching sides, The contrast in coverage of this presidential election through a foreign lens is a bit different than what we receive from American media. In northern Europe they have many political parties and the election is very short. Our primary season seems to have lasted forever!!. They have results in a couple of months where here we have been in presidential “mode” for over 2 years. I find American media, (television in this case), to be much more interested in the candidates. Europeans want to learn about Americans as much as the candidates. So I have found myself doing a lot of stories that emphasize the "voter". Where they live, how they live and why they think the way they do. My journey on this campaign trail has been spotty because of my second adoption of an Ethiopian child, my wife has a blog about our adoption adventures at http://www.habeshahouse.blogspot.com/. But even during my two week stay in Africa the buzz was about the American presidential election. I would stay up until 2am to watch "The Situation Room" on CNN International. I started in Iowa interviewing what pundits call; "value voters", in cold that you could only experience to relate to. I have heard of "conservatism" but I found out that I didn't really understand how conservative, conservative really was. One cold evening we went to interview an older couple watching the Republican debate, (I don't remember where the debate was). They were Christian Conservatives and favored Mike Huckabee, the reverend/former governor from Hope Arkansas. Their home was modest and comfortable. They were big in the Iowa republican party and attended the last two inaugurations of George Bush and have beautifully framed pictures on the wall to prove it. They were nice and polite and welcoming. The opinions they espoused on the election were just what I expected...They thought Hillary was of the "Evil One", (the husbands description), and McCain was not a real conservative, Romney was too religiously "weird". As for Rudy Giuliani, he was too liberal. The wife had the most shocking, she said that "women are not strong enough to be president'. We're too emotional for that job...Its a man's job". While I found her comments to be pre-historic it fit my preconceived notion of what people in middle America were like. No way a mixed race, black man with a funny name had a chance in this state...I was wrong! Boy, was I wrong. Not only did Barack Obama win but won BIG!! It sent an ominous message to the rest of the field of candidates and to the rest of the nation, that the times they are a changin...