An open letter to February 5th voters

Hello, voter, how's it going?

If you live in a state that is holding a primary or caucus on February 5th, you're likely being inundated with information: ads, mailers, phone calls. Trust me, I know: Nevada had it's primary on January 19th.

And by all rights, I should be taking it easy now. I've already caucused. I've already gone door-to-door, day after day, educating voters about the process and the candidate I'm supporting. I've bought my shirts and buttons and gone to my rallies.

But while Nevada is over, the job of selecting the Democratic nominee continues. And while my opinion doesn't carry the weight of Ted Kennedy's, I believe passionately that Barack Obama has the unique skills and temperament to bring Americans together and lead the country in a new direction. And so I continue to speak out.

FOR MANY YEARS I have bemoaned what seems to have been lost in Washington, D.C.; indeed, what seems to have been lost across the country: a sense of the common good, of our collective heritage and of our shared future.

Only one candidate in either party embodies this sense as a core value of his or her campaign: Obama.

Only one Democratic candidate looks beyond this election as simply being about returning a Democrat to the White House; only one believes that this is an opportunity to build a new nationwide majority that moves beyond partisan politics. Obama.

Only one person vying to occupy the White House wants to bring all the rest of us along, to re-connect Americans with the promise of our Constitutional government and re-ignite a shared sense of responsibility for solving the challenges confronting us. Obama.

Over the past few years I have become increasingly pessimistic about our future. I have worried about threats to our civil liberties. I've worried about our ability to continue to grow our economy in a world of limited resources. And I've worried about my nieces growing up in a world that would be far bleaker than the one I grew up in.

And then, last November, I started listening to Barack Obama as he spoke about why he is running for the Presidency. And somehow, against all the odds, I began to hope again. And for the first time since 1992, I am voting for someone, voting for something. In 1996 I voted for Nader, a protest vote against Bill Clinton who I had supported in '92. My votes for Gore and Kerry were essentially anti-Bush.

But like so many who have been electrified by Obama's message of possibility and transformation and change and MOVING FORWARD, for the first time in my life a candidate has me believing in our ability to transcend our differences and not simply "beat the other guy."

I MADE MY DECISION to support Obama in November; at the time I had no big beef with any of the other candidates. But as I have watched the campaign proceed, I've become increasingly disenchanted about the character and behavior of Hillary Clinton. Initially I was primarily concerned about the baggage that she carries: I know of few Democrats who will mobilize and energize Republicans as Hillary will. And quite frankly, it seems that her answer to that concern is that she "knows how to fight them."

To me, that's not the right answer.

I've seen no attempt on her part to address this issue in any manner that reaches out to those who hold negative views of her. Perhaps, as I think may be the case, she assumes that those people have made up their minds about her and nothing she can say or do will change that.

But my assessment of what she has to offer as a President has taken a turn toward the negative. I believe that she has unfairly distorted Obama's record. I believe she has found herself sacrificing some of her core principles in the pursuit of political gain. And I have been offended by the sight of a former President so blatantly breaking tradition and campaigning so negatively against a fellow Democrat.

AND SO I CAUCUSED FOR OBAMA. He is the best American running for the White House. He has the greatest capacity to bring us together as a country. And he has the best chance of any Democrat to beat a Republican in November precisely because he appeals to many Republicans, not to mention Independents.

SO NEXT TUESDAY: I urge you to vote or caucus for Obama. Let yourself believe again in what is possible. Be willing to reach for more than what the cynics tell you can be achieved.

And make a difference... let your voice change the world.

Yes we can! Si, se puede!

Smiling,
m

P.S. It's hard to pick one Obama speech to showcase here, but listen again to his powerful victory speech in South Carolina.

P.P.S. For more specifics on where Obama stands on a variety of issues, check out this page or go to his website.

I don't watch TV...

And in case you don't either, here are links to some of Obama's new television ads, plus a playful radio spot that is airing in Missouri:

• Caroline Kennedy
• New for February 5th states (includes the radio ad, look for the second, smaller player below the video player)
• And in Spanish

Okay, back to studying alkanes, alkenes, and alkynes (organic chemistry :-).

Powerful

OMG, I just watched the video of Ted Kennedy endorsing Obama. It was one thing to read his remarks, but watching and listening to him knocked me on my ass. Watch it!

And if you've got some time to read some analysis of the campaign, check out this from Dick Morris, this from Time magazine, and this from Marc Ambinder at The Atlantic.

I know I'm writing about Obama a lot these days, and I hope my enthusiasm is contagious. I was in Mexico when he won South Carolina, and I only watched his South Carolina victory speech today. His win there and his message to America afterward reinforces so strongly why I believe that Obama has the singular ability to shine a light on something that I have long believed had been lost: a belief in a common good and how we can work together to achieve it.

Great endorsement from the San Francisco Chronicle

Yesterday the San Francisco Chronicle endorsed Obama for President:

Clinton, who arrived in the U.S. Senate four years before Obama, has tried to make experience the issue. As senator, she has proved skillful at representing diverse New York interests and working with Republicans. But if she wants to highlight her White House experience as a defining difference, then it's only fair to point out that two of the projects she was most deeply involved with produced a debacle (health care) and scandals (fund raising). Especially in recent days, her campaign has shown the sharp elbows that evoke the ugly underside of the Clinton years, and the (Karl Rove inspired) Bush years that succeeded them: the reflex to scorch the Earth, to do what is necessary to vanquish political adversaries ... all is justified if you are left standing at the end.

America deserves better than these cycles of vengeance and retribution. Its possibilities are too great, its challenges too daunting, for partisan pettiness.

In a Jan. 17 meeting with our editorial board, Obama demonstrated an impressive command of a wide variety of issues. He listened intently to the questions. He responded with substance....

He radiated the sense of possibility that has attracted the votes of independents and tapped into the idealism of young people during this campaign. He exuded the aura of a 46-year-old leader who could once again persuade the best and the brightest to forestall or pause their grand professional goals to serve in his administration.

Of all the candidates who talk about change, Barack Obama has made the case most forcefully and most convincingly. He gets our endorsement for the Democratic nomination.

Ted Kennedy endorses Obama

No time to cut and paste but check out what Ted Kennedy had to say today at American University when he endorsed Obama for President. His powerful speech follows Caroline Kennedy's in this blog post. Video here.

The New York Times reports on the endorsement here.

Just back from Mexico

Had a short but great time in Puerto Vallarta with Victor, celebrating my birthday and our six month anniversary. Perfect weather, fun on the beach, so many cervezas, and some really good food at La Palapa and BarrioSur.

Now, back to class...

Happy hour in Puerto Vallarta

at the Blue Chairs Hotel :-)

(Tried to send this from my cellphone on Thursday but it didn't get delivered until I was back in the States...)

Gay marriage yes, maguro no

Gore defends gay marriage, and testing of tuna sushi in NYC finds unacceptably high levels of mercury. (The article notes that similar levels are likely in tuna sushi in other parts of the country.)

Adios, talk to you next week!

Silence

I started this post on December 5th, the morning my Aunt LuJean died. I wrote only a few words and then got caught up in my thoughts about her life and her passing.

The day before she died was her 67th birthday, and though she was unconscious throughout the day, she was surrounded by family: her children Butch, Michelle, and Kim, and her brothers Jerry and Allen. I had a ticket to Kansas in my hand. I was heading there later that week to see her; instead, it got me back in time for her funeral.

I feel fortunate that I was in Kansas for Grandma Mary's 80th birthday in November and made a three hour drive to see LuJean. I was able to talk to her on one of her last good days.

I was also there visiting her in August, less than two months after cancer had been found in her lungs and brain. She had moved back to Kansas from Maui, and her condition had degraded rapidly. Only a few months before she had climbed to the top of Diamond Head with my dad during his first visit to Hawaii. She was as active then as ever, though complaining of being "a little short of breath."

LuJean smoked for many, many years, and I remember Kim wanting her to stop even when we were children. My own mother smoked back then, as did my maternal grandparents. My grandmother stopped after a bout with pneumonia, my grandfather followed suit. I can't remember why Mom did but I'm glad whatever the reason.

YESTERDAY WAS MY BIRTHDAY, and a voicemail from my cousin Kim reminded me of my 40th birthday two years earlier. Friends and family joined me for the celebration in San Francisco. LuJean came, as did my mother, father, his girlfriend Connie, my sister Molly, and Kim.

We had a dinner before my party, and afterward they joined my friends and me at one of the larger gay clubs in town. My friend Marc bonded with LuJean and easily persuaded her to join him in dancing on stage in front of the crowd of hundreds of shirtless men.

LuJean also came to my gay wedding back in 1994. Her mother--my paternal grandmother--did as well, along with my parents, sister, and Kim. Yes, the same crowd as at my birthday, though without Granny Jean who died in 2006.

AS I SAT AT THE FUNERAL, I realized that LuJean was the first of my relatives who made that transition from simply being a relative to being a real person, someone who appreciated me for who I was. Growing up in a big extended family as I did, there were usually people around. The kids my age and younger were relatively easy to understand and connect with; those older and the adults a bit more mysterious and intimidating. And to varying degrees we carry those childhood impressions of people with us throughout life.

But in 1996 when I was at my cousin Cindy's wedding in Denver, I spent some time alone with LuJean, including an hour in the smoking lounge at the Denver airport. Looking back, it seems that it was that weekend when I realized that LuJean viewed me as an individual, not as a nephew. And likewise, for me she had crossed that magical line from being one you love because of family ties to one you simply love. She was the first of my adult relatives to make that crossing.

Ten years later, LuJean and I spent a night sleeping in Granny's hospice room: LuJean on a squeaky cot, me in a recliner. I woke up several times and listened carefully to make sure I could hear both of them breathing.

There is silence now. But silence gives way to something else which is reflection, and remembrance. It gives space to know where I came from and what I learned from the people who shaped me.

And in the silence I can hear their voices. I can hear LuJean's laughter. And as I write this I realized that I can hear her in my own laughter.

LuJean (with red hair), my Granny Jean, my uncles Jerry and Phil standing, and my dad Allen, all at the celebration of my grandma's 90th birthday in 2005.

THIS WAS READ at LuJean's funeral:

From the beginning her parents knew they had their hands full. LuJean started walking at 8 months, and her mom always said if she could put her toe in it, she could climb it. She was found anywhere from sitting on the table at 9 months old—eating out of a sugar bowl—to the top of the refrigerator. Her tenaciousness and spunk were evident throughout her life.

LuJean grew up with 4 brothers in rural Kansas, the child of post-Depression era parents, and enjoyed what some nowadays would say was an unconventional lifestyle. The family lived in a renovated railroad box car on the outside of town. Her dad built a lean-to along one side of the home for the bedrooms. There was no indoor plumbing and the toilet paper brand was Montgomery Ward… single ply. Her fear of birds started early after watching her mom ring the necks of the chickens destined for the family table. She claimed they chased her around on several occasions…
headless.

Once their dad had shot a steer and had it strung up in the tree to be butchered. The steer lifted it’s head and mooed at the whole family standing around watching… LuJean said her mother about fainted and that you’d never seen kids disappear so fast.

The family bond carried on through out her life. That’s one thing you knew that came first with LuJean. She always loved attending the Thanksgiving gathering at the Methodist Church in Burrton—which sometimes brought 60 extended family members (food for 300)—or the Giggy family reunions held every other summer (usually the hottest weekend of the summer). And with 10 aunts and uncles, 27 cousins, 12 nieces and nephews, 4 brothers, 3 children and 5 grandsons there were an awful lot of weddings, graduations and birthday parties to attend as well.

In general, as a family, we have all been very blessed. Our family truly knows how to have a great time doing pretty much anything and LuJean has been the main character in many great stories. Everyone was always happy to see her show up: she brought great energy and a big smile to every occasion.

Hard work was second nature to her. She was a single mom before that was common. Her kids had everything they could ever need and more and were extremely fortunate to live in beautiful homes, take awesome family vacations, and have pets including horses. She had a knack of giving the family pets odd names. At one time Kim’s friends were convinced she practiced witchcraft after she named the dog Satan and the cat Pyewacket.

One day some boys from the Jehovah Witnesses stopped by to worship. After LuJean let them know, very courteously, that she was not interested in their church, her dog got out. While the boys were walking to their car LuJean was in the yard yelling “Satan, get in the house! Satan get in here!”

Her hard work was incredibly apparent in her career with United Airlines. She started in 1976 as a reservations agent and later worked for Great Lakes Naval Base writing and negotiating government contracts for the Navy. She was a service director at O’Hare International Airport, which she called “the circus or O’Scare,” and then moved to Hawaii and retired from the Maui airport. When she had days off, she was home cooking, cleaning, wall papering, roto-tilling a garden, laying carpet, putting up her own pool, or completely designing and building an addition to her
home. She can use any tool better than most men and had more energy than an 8 year old. If she wasn’t busy doing something then she was wasting time. When she was taking time for herself she was engrossed in a book (that normally took her about 3 days to read), often lying in the yard in her orange bikini, slathered in homemade suntan oil and working on her beautiful tan.

We’re sure she’s busy doing something now. If the angels aren’t square dancing, it’s definitely in the works. We do know that everyone’s a little happier in heaven and a little sadder here on earth.

And some economic notes...

Longer than notes, really. :-) Dive in if you're willing to do some reading about our current economic situation and the bubbles that have become part of our economic cycle. For the latter article, you either have to be a Harper's subscriber or pick up the February issue.

And also this: a graphical comparison of the price of oil and gold over the past five years, and the conclusion that what we're really seeing as both of their prices go up is the weakening of the U.S. dollar.

Election news and notes

South Carolina's leading newspaper, The State, endorses Obama:

But we also have a good idea what a Clinton presidency would look like. The restoration of the Clintons to the White House would trigger a new wave of all-out political warfare. That is not all Bill and Hillary’s fault - but it exists, whomever you blame, and cannot be ignored. Hillary Clinton doesn’t pretend that it won’t happen; she simply vows to persevere, in the hope that her side can win. Indeed, the Clintons’ joint career in public life seems oriented toward securing victory and personal vindication.

Sen. Obama’s campaign is an argument for a more unifying style of leadership. In a time of great partisanship, he is careful to talk about winning over independents and even Republicans. He is harsh on the failures of the current administration - and most of that critique well-deserved. But he doesn’t use his considerable rhetorical gifts to demonize Republicans. He’s not neglecting his core values; he defends his progressive vision with vigorous integrity. But for him, American unity - transcending party - is a core value in itself.

Can such unity be restored, in this poisonous political culture? Not unless that is a nominee’s goal from the outset. It will be a difficult challenge for any candidate; but we wait in the hope that someone really will try. There is no other hope for rescuing our republic from the mire.

A couple of commentaries, one on Hillary Clinton's distortion of Obama's comments on Republicans and Reagan, and a second which examines Bill's own reaction to Obama. (Thanks, Dish.)

And as a reminder of why the Democrats are enjoying record turnout at their primaries and caucuses this year, a little anti-Bush video humor... :-)

What $900 will buy you...

at the college bookstore these days. Sigh.

But all in all, a good day. I've got lots of chemistry to bone up on in order to be ready for my organic chem class, though!

First day of class...

and almost late due to lack of parking!

Tonight's Democratic debate

My initial comments on tonight's debate:

• It was really satisfying to hear Obama hold Hillary accountable for her and Bill Clinton's distortions of his record.
• I loved Obama's answer to whether or not Bill Clinton was the first black president: "Well, I'd have to see him dance before I could say whether or not he's a brother!" :-) (And for the record, Obama began by giving Bill his due with respect to his record in the African-American community.)
• I warmed up to John Edwards, and right now I'd say that an Obama-Edwards ticket feels pretty good to me.
• I liked Obama's response to the question (asked of all three candidates) of why MLKjr would endorse him: "I don't think Dr. King would endorse any of us." His point: that King would have wanted the American people to hold the candidates accountable and that change ultimately comes from the bottom up, from the people.

Off to see Phantom of the Opera with Victor now... it's our six month anniversary celebration. :-)

"I have a dream"

Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I have a dream" speech is one of the most famous in human history, but so many people remember few of the details. So here it is! Transcript and video.

Country over party

Agreed!

Leadership and change

A Harvard professor comments on the presidential campaign and what brings about real change:

The recent flare-up between Senators Obama and Clinton over Martin Luther King, Jr., LBJ, and civil rights tells us less about race than it does about a different understanding of leadership and how to make enduring political change.

Obama's speech at Ebenezer Baptist Church

Here's the video of Obama speaking on the eve of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Obama speaks about Bill Clinton on Good Morning America

Check out the video "Obama Responds to Clinton's Accusations" on Good Morning America today. An article about it and the full transcript here.

Wow, an insightful observation from Pat Buchanan

An interesting commentary on ending the war in Iraq (and the possibility that it ain't happening anytime soon) from Salon writer Glenn Greenwald. This quote from Pat Buchanan leapt off the page for me:

To stave off recession, the Fed appears anxious to slash interest rates another half-point, if not more. That will further weaken the dollar and raise the costs of the imports to which we have become addicted. While all this is bad news for the Republicans, it is worse news for the republic. As we save nothing, we must borrow both to pay for the imported oil and foreign manufactures upon which we have become dependent.

We are thus in the position of having to borrow from Europe to defend Europe, of having to borrow from China and Japan to defend Chinese and Japanese access to Gulf oil, and of having to borrow from Arab emirs, sultans and monarchs to make Iraq safe for democracy. We borrow from the nations we defend so that we may continue to defend them. To question this is an unpardonable heresy called "isolationism."

Thanks, Andrew Sullivan.

Now this really takes the cake!

Thanks to The Daily Dish for bringing this to my attention: Bill Clinton is now claiming that he only meant for his 1993 "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy to apply to gay and lesbian service members while in uniform. Watch the video here.

Now that is the biggest load of bullshit that I've heard so far from the Clinton campaign.

The late 80s through the mid-90s were the most political period of my life. I marched in gay pride parades and with ACT UP. I took part in Queer Nation protests. I was in the streets during the Rodney King beating riots and after Pete Wilson vetoed a gay rights bill (AB101) that he promised to sign while running for California governor. And I helped to form the gay and lesbian employee group at Oracle.

I also took a day off from work in 1992 to walk precincts in San Francisco and get out the vote for Bill Clinton. I did so because I had listened to a videotape from the campaign in which he talked about what he would do on behalf of gay people.

His victory that November night was one of my fondest memories of that period... I remember coming up the stairs at the Castro MUNI station and hearing "Ding dong the witch is dead" being blasted from loudspeakers.

So trust me, I was very tuned in when the issue of gays serving in the military heated up early in Bill's presidency, and I know (as does most anyone else who was paying attention back then) that Bill was chastened by the military's response to his proposal to allow gays to serve openly. And I am 100% positive that his lame DO/DT policy wasn't explained the way he is now claiming.

Bill also signed the Defense of Marriage Act in 1996. For me, this was the final proof that Mr. Clinton wasn't about to do anything for me as a gay man. He could have simply allowed the bill to become law without his signature, but instead he chose to sign it. And I've heard that he subsequently ran ads in conservative districts reminding voters of his signature when he was running for re-election.

Note to Hillary: I ended up voting for Ralph Nader that year.

Obama speaks on the eve of MKLjr day

Obama spoke today at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta (his full remarks here):

Unity is the great need of the hour – the great need of this hour. Not because it sounds pleasant or because it makes us feel good, but because it's the only way we can overcome the essential deficit that exists in this country.

I'm not talking about a budget deficit. I'm not talking about a trade deficit. I'm not talking about a deficit of good ideas or new plans.

I'm talking about a moral deficit. I'm talking about an empathy deficit. I'm taking about an inability to recognize ourselves in one another; to understand that we are our brother's keeper; we are our sister's keeper; that, in the words of Dr. King, we are all tied together in a single garment of destiny.

We have an empathy deficit when we're still sending our children down corridors of shame – schools in the forgotten corners of America where the color of your skin still affects the content of your education.

We have a deficit when CEOs are making more in ten minutes than some workers make in ten months; when families lose their homes so that lenders make a profit; when mothers can't afford a doctor when their children get sick.

We have a deficit in this country when there is Scooter Libby justice for some and Jena justice for others; when our children see nooses hanging from a schoolyard tree today, in the present, in the twenty-first century.

We have a deficit when homeless veterans sleep on the streets of our cities; when innocents are slaughtered in the deserts of Darfur; when young Americans serve tour after tour of duty in a war that should've never been authorized and never been waged.

And we have a deficit when it takes a breach in our levees to reveal a breach in our compassion; when it takes a terrible storm to reveal the hungry that God calls on us to feed; the sick He calls on us to care for; the least of these He commands that we treat as our own....

It's not easy to stand in somebody else's shoes. It's not easy to see past our differences. We've all encountered this in our own lives. But what makes it even more difficult is that we have a politics in this country that seeks to drive us apart – that puts up walls between us.

We are told that those who differ from us on a few things are different from us on all things; that our problems are the fault of those who don't think like us or look like us or come from where we do. The welfare queen is taking our tax money. The immigrant is taking our jobs. The believer condemns the non-believer as immoral, and the non-believer chides the believer as intolerant....

So let us say that on this day of all days, each of us carries with us the task of changing our hearts and minds. The division, the stereotypes, the scape-goating, the ease with which we blame our plight on others – all of this distracts us from the common challenges we face – war and poverty; injustice and inequality. We can no longer afford to build ourselves up by tearing someone else down. We can no longer afford to traffic in lies or fear or hate. It is the poison that we must purge from our politics; the wall that we must tear down before the hour grows too late.

Waste, both nuclear and human

My cousin Levi, a geologist, wrote me earlier this week after the Democratic debate here in Las Vegas. The not-yet-open Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository is a big topic in Nevada and was discussed in the debate. All the Democratic candidates spoke out against the facility.

My response to Levi:

Scientific American had a good article awhile back (December 2005) about new nuclear fuel recycling technology that could largely solve the problem of nuclear waste. Given the likelihood of climate change, using more nuclear power seems to me to be the way to go. As one article I read observed, global warming is a problem of a far greater magnitude than that of the disposal of nuclear waste.

Yucca Mountain seems like a quaint solution... the old-fashioned mindset of just sweeping something under the rug.

Speaking of, the February Harper's Magazine has an article about sewage titled "Wasteland." Apparently America generates around 500 billion gallons of it a day, and in some cities around the country it's becoming increasingly difficult to find a rug to sweep it under! One guy interviewed for the story had sewage seeping up through his backyard because the town's sewer had filled up. Good times.

Another Nevada caucus-goer's experience

As described in an email sent to Andrew Sullivan.

McCain

On the Republican side, McCain appears to be winning in South Carolina. I've respected him since the 2000 election and consider him the one Republican who is running for president that I'd be okay with should he win the White House. While I may disagree with many of his positions, at least he has integrity and respect for the Constitution.

Huckabee is absolutely frightening. And Romney reminds me of Buzz Lightyear. (That speech he gave when he won in Michigan, sheesh! He seemed like a little kid who had just pleased his dad for the first time.) Seriously, though, Romney's shiftiness on the issues and his tenure at Bain Capital make him pretty unattractive to me.

An interesting race on both sides... and I suspect it will become even more so.

Irregularities?

While reading The Daily Dish this afternoon, I ran across a blog post from a Nevada Obama precinct captain that describes "irregularities" at his caucus site.

I link to it here not because I agree with it but because it did give me pause to think.

At my precinct, the caucus chair tried to close down registration at 11:30am despite the fact that my understanding of the rule is that anyone in line by noon was allowed to participate. I said something about it, he re-affirmed his position, and when I protested, he made a call and verified that I was right and allowed registration to continue.

In this particular case, however, I feel confident that it was a simple misunderstanding on his part.

I did, however, get a clear sense that the Clinton folks were using more aggressive tactics than we in the Obama camp were, and Victor and I were way outnumbered by the number of Clinton campaign operatives at our precinct.

I was focused on helping people get to their precincts' caucus sites or to stand in the right lines, as well as gathering up the Obama supporters as they came in. I tend to be pretty trusting, and I assumed that the Clinton people were doing the same, but they certainly could have been pressuring undecided caucus-goers as they arrived (when we did our initial count, there were fewer than five such individuals who hadn't yet chosen a candidate).

And when we got to the portion of the meeting when the Edwards' supporters (there were too few to meet the 15% threshhold for viability) and the undecideds had the opportunity to make a final selection, the Hillary camp ignored the caucus chair's direction to have only a single person represent their candidate (three took part, I was on my own). Still, I felt that the small group of people we were speaking to made their final choices freely and largely based on leanings that they arrived at the caucus with.

I know that many people had trouble finding where they were supposed to be (many precincts were gathering at Palo Verde High School); I blame that largely on the state Democractic Party (who had never organized such a large caucus event before). But it certainly was a situation that would enable unscrupulous campaign people to send caucus-goers supporting other candidates on wild goose chases.

So... sigh. I hope it isn't true that Hillary's campaign used such tactics on a widespread basis. In any case, my gut tells me there were more Hillary supporters than ones for Obama at my caucus site.

At least it looks like Obama has managed to win more delegates than Hillary, thanks to his strong showing in Reno and the rest of northern Nevada! CNN's Election Center now reflects this and shows Obama ahead 38 to 36 in the delegate race.

Caucus results in Nevada

Nine delegates were at stake in my precinct in southwestern Las Vegas. The results: Clinton 5, Obama 4, mirroring the overall statewide race (Hillary is ahead 51% to 45%, with 89% of the precincts reporting).

Definitely disappointing, but considering that Hillary led Obama by over 25 points in a statewide poll in December, he made up a lot of ground over the past month. And 45% is the highest percentage he's gotten in the contests so far.

The caucus process was somewhat confusing, and with the large turnout (we had around 120 participants at my precinct), occasionally a bit disorganized. There were three other precincts in the gym where we met, and our caucus chair sometimes struggled to make himself heard with so much noise coming from the other three corners of the gym. But all in all things went quite smoothly, and only 5 people arrived for our precinct who weren't already firmly in the Clinton or Obama camps.

I was elected as an Obama delegate to the Clark County Democratic Convention on February 23. This was my first outing as a precinct captain, and the county convention will be my first party convention experience. I met a lot of awesome people while canvassing and making phone calls, including a woman at the other end of my own street who already is predicting that we're going to be "bff." :-)

Thanks to Victor for going out with me at 6am this morning to put door hangers on supporters' doors and for helping at the caucus! This is the first campaign you've been involved with, and it means so much to me. You are the best, xoxoxo

The national delegate race is tight with CNN estimating that Clinton and Obama each have 37 pledged to them. So the campaign continues... on to South Carolina. Yes, we can!

UPDATES:

With 84% of the precincts reporting, CNN is reporting a record turnout for the Nevada Democratic caucuses with over 107,000 people participating. In 2004, Nevada was much later in the cycle and only around 10,000 participated.

I noted a couple of days ago that I thought it was unusual for a former president to be taking such a prominent role in the presidential primaries, and Newsweek has this article reporting similar concerns from some key Democrats:

Prominent Democrats are upset with the aggressive role that Bill Clinton is playing in the 2008 campaign, a role they believe is inappropriate for a former president and the titular head of the Democratic Party....

There is little precedent for a former president's engaging in intra-party attacks. In 1960, Harry Truman criticized the idea of a Roman Catholic president and tried briefly to stop John F. Kennedy's nomination. "I urge you to be patient," he told JFK publicly. But in 2000, former president George Bush declined to attack his son's GOP primary opponent, John McCain.

Back to school

It's official, I am a student again!

On Wednesday I registered for my first semester at the College of Southern Nevada. Just going through the course catalog took me back to my undergraduate days... as did standing in long, slow moving lines three times and needing to get departmental sign-offs in order to get the classes I wanted.

So after 18 years in the software industry and a short, aborted run as a life coach, I've decided to make a big career change and go into health care. Specifically, I want to get a Master's of Physician Assistant Studies and work as a P.A.

I've been interested in health, nutrition, and biology since I was a kid. In grade school I remember checking out a book about the human body on several occasions. My first job was delivering newspapers when I was 13, and I spent much of my earnings on vitamins and other supplements. In high school I considered becoming a doctor but made a turn onto the computer path when I was a senior.

I flirted again with the idea my sophomore year at Stanford, taking courses in human biology and pyschology, but I think I was too focused on evolving from a small town boy into something more cosmopolitan at that point to go the intensive pre-med route.

But I never lost interest in the physical and mental miracles of the human body and mind, and when I looked through the curriculum for a local P.A. program, much of it sounded like articles in my recreational reading list. And the skills I developed as a life coach will lend themselves well to listening to patients.

Classes start next week (on my birthday, in fact). I'm taking courses in biology, organic chemistry, and physics--all pre-requisites for the P.A. program and all with labs.

Thanks to Tommy for being such an inspiration over the years... he has had three different careers in the 14 years I've known him (reservations manager for a Four Seasons hotel, stock broker at Morgan Stanley, ICU nurse), and his experience in the healthcare industry helped me to make my own choice.

And muchisimo gracias to Victor for all of his love, support, and prodding. Without him I'd still probably be floundering about making up my mind. (And who knew I had to move to Vegas of all places in order to get serious about my future?)

Off to buy my books now! (And maybe a hip, new backpack. :-)

Bill Clinton gets testy

Watch Bill Clinton get a little worked up when asked about the lawsuit that seeks to shut down the caucus sites that were set up almost a year ago for Las Vegas Strip workers.

Now something that I've been thinking about in the last few days: do you ever remember a former president getting this involved in the primaries? Not only is he campaigning on behalf of one candidate, he's actively campaigning against at least one other candidate. Even the first President Bush stayed pretty quiet when George W was running...

UPDATE: A FEDERAL JUDGE JUST RULED that the Democratic Party can go forward with its Strip caucus sites.

From the lvrj.com: U.S. District Judge James Mahan has ruled against the attempt by the teachers union to block at-large precincts on the Strip. Mahan said he did not want to set a precedent that could affect other caucuses across the country and that the Democratic Party had the right to set its own rules.

Read more here.

Election humor

OMG this video is hilarious, especially if you've seen the movie Election.

John Kerry weighs in on the Las Vegas caucus lawsuit

Senator John Kerry says, "Let the people vote."

Another opportunity to weigh in on telecom immunity

The ACLU is sending Senate Majority Leader another petition asking that he not move forward legislation that provides telcom immunity for warrantless wiretaps.

This moment...

A new Obama ad playing in Nevada.

Amen

Obama speaks on the racial overtones of the recent "tit-for-tat" between Hillary's campaign and his own:

Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton have historically been on the right side of civil rights issues. They care about the African American community.… That is something I am convinced of. I want Americans to know that is my assessment.

(video link for email subscribers)

YESTERDAY I HAD ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY to hear Obama speak when hosted a meeting for his Las Vegas Precinct Captains. Here are some pics:

And yes, I got close enough to shake his hand again, as well as compliment him on the speech that he gave earlier in the day at a Las Vegas Pentecostal church. :-)

American Creation

Dad gave me the book American Creation for Christmas, and I finished reading it last week.

Joseph Ellis writes about the last quarter of the eighteenth century, the time when the colonies declared their independence, successfully overcame (or perhaps more accurately, outlasted) the British military, adopted the Constitution, and laid the foundation for an enduring democracy and an "expanding mandate for individual rights that eventually ended slavery, made women's suffrage inevitable, and sanctioned the civil rights of all minorities."

It was the following words in Thomas Jefferson's Declaration of Independence which ensured that what was to happen in North America was not simply a war for independence but a true American Revolution:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are insituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.

One of the key strengths of the Constitution, according to Ellis, is how it for the first time provided for multiple sources of sovereignty vested in the government. Unlike a monarchy where authority is unitary and resides soley in the sovereign, the Constitution was ambiguous about the balance of power, creating an ongoing tension between the States and the federal government as well as between the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of the former. It is this very assimilation of conflict--this decision to make political disagreements a strength and not a limitation of government--that has given the U.S. the flexibility it has needed to grow from a small provincial state to the most powerful nation on earth, all the while becoming an increasingly heterogeneous society.

Ellis illuminates the personalities of the founders, discussing not only their well-known though sometimes mythic greatness but also their flaws and inconsistencies.

Most interestingly, American Creation also explores at length the failures of the founding generation. In particular, the founders were unable to address slavery or the future of the Native Americans in a way consistent with the principles at the heart of the American Revolution. While it is tempting to suggest that we can see this only now in hindsight, Ellis documents that the inability to solve these problems was well understood by the founders, even to the point that they worried about their own reputations with future generations being stained by these failures.

It was also fascinating to see how the early years of American politics were so powerfully influenced by the personalities and standing of the revolutionaries like Washington and Jefferson. Yet they themselves became painfully aware of how events were often shaped by forces beyond their control. Case in point: the relentless demographic push of American settlers westward, a development that limited the federal government's ability to establish more equitable accomodations for the Native Americans.

Reading that, I was reminded of something Barack Obama said on Meet the Press back on October 22, 2006:

Most of the time, it seems, that the president has maybe 10 percent of his agenda set by himself and 90 percent of it set by circumstances. So, you know, an Abraham Lincoln is defined by slavery and the war, FDR defined by the Depression and, and World War II. So I'm not sure that I can categorize what is, is — are those ingredients in each and every circumstance.

But I think, when I think about great presidents, I think about those who transform how we think about ourselves as a country in fundamental ways so that, that, at the end of their tenure, we have looked and said to ours — that's who we are. And, and our, our — and for me at least, that means that we have a more expansive view of our democracy, that we've included more people into the bounty of this country. And, you know, there are circumstances in which, I would argue, Ronald Reagan was a very successful president, even though I did not agree with him on many issues, partly because at the end of his presidency, people, I think, said, "You know what? We can regain our greatness. Individual responsibility and personal responsibility are important." And they transformed the culture and not simply promoted one or two particular issues.

Obama notes

Here is a short video with footage from Friday's town hall meeting with Obama that I attended.

I WAS ALSO FORTUNATE to be in Obama's southwest Vegas campaign office on Thursday when Samantha Power, one of his senior foreign policy advisers, dropped by and spoke to us for about twenty minutes about the Senator's stance on various policy issues as well as his overall approach to foreign policy.

She noted his pragmatic approach to problem solving. This underlies his firm conviction that America must speak not only to our friends but also to our enemies. He took some flak for comments to that effect earlier in the campaign, but he has successfully made his case for why this makes sense, echoing JFK's "Let us never negotiate out of fear; but let us never fear to negotiate" quote. While we may have differences with nations like Iran or Russia, our interests are best served when we speak to them and identify areas where we can work together. And most importantly, we must get our own house in order before we can pressure other states about their own human rights abuses. Our moral standing in the world has been badly damaged by Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo, and Obama is committed to restoring America to its role as a leader for human rights.

Power also talked about Obama's ability to see the interconnections of various issues, "how everything is connected to everything else." Policy choices the U.S. makes inevitably have economic impacts, social impacts, and so on. Making wise decisions requires an understanding of this complexity, and leadership requires using our influence and not just force.

OBAMA HAS PICKED UP SEVERAL BIG ENDORSEMENTS in the past week... an interesting post about them here.

Obama speaking to the overflow crowd

(Apologies for the lame camera phone pics!)

Obama at a town hall meeting in Las Vegas

Pressing the flesh

I saw Obama live for the first time today!

He's in Vegas in advance of the January 19th caucuses here in Nevada. Earlier in the day he accepted the endorsement of the local Culinary Workers Union (Nevada's largest) and then had a town hall meeting at Del Sol High School.

I knew about the huge crowds he drew in New Hampshire, but I figured Nevadans were following the presidential race less fervently.

Was I ever wrong.

I showed up at 5pm when the doors were supposed to open. The line snaked through the high school parking lot and ran nearly a block along the street. It took me 20 minutes to find a parking place, and once I got in line it moved at a snail's pace.

An Obama volunteer informed us that the delay was due to the unexpectedly large crowd and the Secret Service security check. (The best estimates I heard were that there around 3500-4000 people at the event.)

After waiting for a couple of hours, I noticed the police closing off the intersection near us, and I surmised that Obama was about to arrive. Indeed, his motorcade came by five minutes later, and he waved as he passed. Those of us so far back in line were elated, thinking we had just gotten some small consolation prize for not getting inside.

Eventually we were informed that the gymnasium was full but we w0uld be allowed into an overflow area outside. There were loudspeakers but no video screens, so I was a little disappointed but not about to leave.

Then we heard an announcement over the speakers being made to the crowd inside: Obama would be a little bit longer because he wanted to greet those who weren't able to get inside.

Suddenly we were all alert, wondering if he was going to swing by the last people in line outside. But no, there he was on a platform not 20 feet from where I was standing. He spoke to us for ten minutes; as he finished, the crowd burst into cheers of "Obama! Obama!"

I then started to head to the other end of the area so that I could hear him speak better once he was inside the gym, but a woman pushed by me speaking into her cell phone, "I shook his hand!"

I turned around and there he was... and so I, too, pushed forward and shook his hand. And I have to admit feeling a little choked up as I did so.

Clearly there are no losers at an Obama event; even at the back of the line we got his attention.

I was able to see him through a window as he spoke for 15-20 minutes to those inside the gym, and then as he shifted into the town hall Q&A portion of the evening, a staffer led a few of us inside.

I listened for 35-40 minutes as he answered a wide range of questions from the audience. I had a question ready if I was called on: What keeps you up at night? Alas, I'll have to ask it at another event in the coming week (and I'm going to go to every event I can!).

I was very impressed with how he answered each question: intelligently, pragmatically, empathetically. He talked about how issues don't live in isolation but are almost always connected to other things, and that you had to understand those linkages when choosing solutions to the problems we faced.

Obama also emphasized the importance of listening to other people's perspectives. For example, in answering a question about illegal immigration, he said that we have to understand the perspective of the American worker who is seeing companies move jobs overseas, who is facing a declining standard of living as wages fail to keep up with inflation, and who sees illegal immigrants taking jobs in America.

But he also said you have to look at the perspective of some employers, like farmers and agricultural companies, who sometimes have difficulty finding workers to pick their crops for minimum wage.

And he also encouraged us to think about the plight of those illegal immigrants who are here, working hard, and trying to do the best that they can for their family. He made the point that if the minimum wage was $100/hour in Canada, there would be a whole lot of Americans crossing the border to work up there, even if they had to do it illegally.

Another answer about health care impressed me. He said he respected the efforts the Clintons made in 1993 to reform health care, but pointed out that they did much of the work behind closed doors. That secrecy allowed insurance and pharmaceutical companies to frame the debate in the press and in Congress, so the Clinton bill was dead on arrival.

He said the way he'll reform health care is to bring everyone to the table: himself, doctors, nurses, hospital administrators, patient advocates, key members of Congress, some governors, and insurance and pharmaceutical companies. He just wouldn't let the latter two buy every seat at the table. And he'd have the meetings broadcast on CSPAN so that the public could watch and determine if their interests were being served... or those of insurers and drug companies.

I listened to Obama carefully throughout the Q&A session for a couple of reasons. First, I want to be reassured myself that the substance is there, that this man who can speak so sweetly also knows what he is doing. And on that account I am satisfied. He understands nuance. He promises to say what he believes, even if it isn't always what people want to hear. And he knows that what is going to make a difference in Washington is getting people to become active citizens. "There's no magic formula," he said. What will make a difference is "all of you putting pressure on those in Washington" to get the stuff done that matters to Americans.

And secondly, I listened so that I can understand his positions better and be able to better articulate where he stands when I'm canvassing or phone banking.

Because this election matters. Because this is a defining moment for us as a nation. And because we can do better.

Andrew Sullivan's thoughts on Clinton's win in New Hampshire

Some of his thoughts on how Hillary pulled it off.

Yes we can

Well, the night in New Hampshire certainly didn't end the way that I and so many pollsters expected! But in a way, not a surprise. When I was canvassing today I spoke to a couple of women who were leaning strongly towards Obama, but now that he was "the front runner" they were taking a closer look to make sure they were certain.

So Obama's close second place finish behind Clinton in New Hampshire will, as the campaign progresses, surely make him a better candidate. And I still believe that he's the best candidate in the race and ultimately the next occupant of the White House.

Interestingly, when I saw coverage of Hillary's "emotional" moment at the diner yesterday, I immediately texted my mother to say:

Did u see the "clinton gets emotional" video? it's a tough tightrope to walk but it was moving to see her in an unguarded moment.

I don't know how much of an effect that moment had on the voters of New Hampshire, but I think it's a positive thing if we get to see the best that Hillary has to offer. It may mean that we have a more substantive campaign that fully vets the Democratic nominee for the final run to November.

Why do I believe that Obama is the best choice? One reason has to do with what I learned in Landmark Education's Self Expression and Leadership Course. One of the ideas they present is that we are only partially responsible for who shows up when we walk into a room. Who we are is also shaped by how people listen to us.

A simple example: the woman who led the course had our full attention; we knew her as someone with a lot of knowledge and wisdom that we were eager to tap. We were on the edge of our seats as she spoke. She took note of all of that but told us that in her daughter's school she was "just another mother." She wasn't active in the PTA; she didn't volunteer there. When she walked down the hallway at the school she didn't have the stature that she had when she walked into our seminar. She was the same woman in both situations, but how we listened to her and how the people at her daughter's school listened to her was very different, and that difference in listening shaped the potential impact that she could make in each environment.

And so while Hillary has skills and experience that have surely prepared her for the Presidency, there is also a huge contingency in America that has made up their minds about her, and they aren't going to change their minds. For far too many, the case on Hillary is closed. And that will limit her ability to lead the country down a path that doesn't resemble the polarization of the past 15 years.

Perhaps I am wrong... but I am likely more optimistic and willing to hear a change in Hillary than most Republicans.

What I am certain about is that Obama is already admired and respected by not only Democrats but also Republicans and independents. He doesn't carry any baggage that will weigh him down as he leads all of us who are so hungry for change down a road to a rejuvenated American spirit.

And I will tell you this: just as Obama has the ability to draw out the very best in America, I think he did the same for Hillary Clinton in the past few days...

And if he can do it for her, tell me why we shouldn't all get behind this man?

We the People...

We are these people... and we can change the world.

(Email subscribers: check out the video here.)

The Story of Stuff

You may disagree with some of the statistics in this video, but it's hard to avoid the conclusion that our current way of life is unsustainable over the long term. Check out this compelling mini-documentary, The Story of Stuff.

It really shifts into high gear about nine minutes in when Annie tells the story of the $4.99 radio. Her discussion of our consumer culture echoes a conversation I had with my mother a year and a half ago. While talking about what's possible in life we came to the strange conclusion that once America became capable of meeting everyone's basic needs, and when we could have done anything with the knowledge, skills, and drive of our people, the choice we made as a culture was to become consumers: to build a way of life that is dependent on always having more, in having what is "new and improved."

Obama in New Hampshire

Check out Barack Obama's speech yesterday at the 100 Club Dinner in New Hampshire.

And thanks to Andrew Sullivan for noting this excellent commentary on Obama's comments about Bill Clinton's presidency during the New Hampshire debate.

Taking it to the streets

I stopped in at my local Obama campaign office yesterday, one of eleven in Nevada, and was immediately struck by the much higher level of energy compared to when I volunteered a couple of days for Kerry in 2004. What a buzz!

I went back today for a two hour shift doing door-to-door canvassing. Two hours turned into three and a half, and my partner Daisy and I stopped only because of the cold and windy weather. (Daisy is 69 and has arthritis. Today was her third day of canvassing, and interestingly she said that she had been paired with high school volunteers on her earlier shifts.)

We talked to many people and got a number of commitments to show up and vote for Obama at Nevada's January 19th caucus. I was really surprised by the breadth of support he had in the neighborhoods we visited.

Later in the afternoon I went to a mock caucus meeting to learn the caucus procedure and volunteered to be part of the Obama leadership team in my precinct. It feels good, I'm excited... and I couldn't wait to watch this evening's debate in New Hampshire.

The debate was sponsored by Facebook and an instant poll had Facebook viewers pick the most presidential of the candidates. The results:

• Obama 46%
• Clinton 25%
• Edwards 21%
• Richardson 8%

One statement Obama made during a heated discussion on change:

Look, I think it's easier to be cynical and just say, "You know what, it can't be done because Washington's designed to resist change." But in fact there have been periods of time in our history where a president inspired the American people to do better, and I think we're in one of those moments right now. I think the American people are hungry for something different and can be mobilized around big changes -- not incremental changes, not small changes....

And, you know, so the truth is actually words do inspire. Words do help people get involved. Words do help members of Congress get into power so that they can be part of a coalition to deliver health care reform, to deliver a bold energy policy. Don't discount that power, because when the American people are determined that something is going to happen, then it happens. And if they are disaffected and cynical and fearful and told that it can't be done, then it doesn't. I'm running for president because I want to tell them, yes, we can. And that's why I think they're responding in such large numbers.

Andrew Sullivan has a collection of links to some of Obama's speeches over the past year, check it out here.

A good day. :-)

LIFE IS FUNNY. Sometimes things happen without a clear catalyst. I've been living here in Vegas since August and sometime during our short trip to L.A. for New Year's Eve I found myself falling even deeper in love. Te quiero, Victor.

Obama wins Iowa!!!

Obama won last night, and I feel excitement and... HOPE.

From an email to Mom this morning:

i found myself choked up over and over last night with the thought of obama winning in november. victor who is pretty apolitical had goose bumps listening to his victory speech.

i am about to cry even now.

i don't remember when a candidate has moved me so. i do think this is a once in a generation opportunity. should obama win he may very well fail at unifying the country but he has already succeeded in restoring hope to so many.

i've read quotes this morning from conservatives and people supporting other candidates (ron paul, for example) who say they nevertheless are inspired and moved by obama and would be proud to have him as a president. as the field narrows i think many will flock to him.

Watch his victory speech here.

And check out Andrew Sullivan's blog for some great quotes and links about Obama. Here are a few representative ones ("a beautiful thing," words from a Ron Paul supporter, world reaction (& more), notes on Obama's legislative record). Surf forward or back to see more of his posts.

And check out Obama's website and donate if you feel it!

Obama thanks Iowa:

Tonight, we are one step closer to that vision of America because of what you did here in Iowa. And so I'd especially like to thank the organizers and the precinct captains; the volunteers and the staff who made this all possible....

I know you didn't do this for me. You did this—you did this because you believed so deeply in the most American of ideas – that in the face of impossible odds, people who love this country can change it.

I know this—I know this because while I may be standing here tonight, I'll never forget that my journey began on the streets of Chicago doing what so many of you have done for this campaign and all the campaigns here in Iowa – organizing, and working, and fighting to make people's lives just a little bit better.

I know how hard it is. It comes with little sleep, little pay, and a lot of sacrifice. There are days of disappointment, but sometimes, just sometimes, there are nights like this – a night—a night that, years from now, when we've made the changes we believe in; when more families can afford to see a doctor; when our children—when Malia and Sasha and your children—inherit a planet that's a little cleaner and safer; when the world sees America differently, and America sees itself as a nation less divided and more united; you'll be able look back with pride and say that this was the moment when it all began.

This was the moment when the improbable beat what Washington always said was inevitable.

This was the moment when we tore down barriers that have divided us for too long – when we rallied people of all parties and ages to a common cause; when we finally gave Americans who'd never participated in politics a reason to stand up and to do so.

This was the moment when we finally beat back the politics of fear, and doubt, and cynicism; the politics where we tear each other down instead of lifting this country up. This was the moment.

Years from now, you'll look back and you'll say that this was the moment – this was the place – where America remembered what it means to hope.

For many months, we've been teased, even derided for talking about hope.

But we always knew that hope is not blind optimism. It's not ignoring the enormity of the task ahead or the roadblocks that stand in our path. It's not sitting on the sidelines or shirking from a fight. Hope is that thing inside us that insists, despite all evidence to the contrary, that something better awaits us if we have the courage to reach for it, and to work for it, and to fight for it.

Hope is what I saw in the eyes of the young woman in Cedar Rapids who works the night shift after a full day of college and still can't afford health care for a sister who's ill; a young woman who still believes that this country will give her the chance to live out her dreams.

Hope is what I heard in the voice of the New Hampshire woman who told me that she hasn't been able to breathe since her nephew left for Iraq; who still goes to bed each night praying for his safe return.

Hope is what led a band of colonists to rise up against an empire; what led the greatest of generations to free a continent and heal a nation; what led young women and young men to sit at lunch counters and brave fire hoses and march through Selma and Montgomery for freedom's cause.

Hope—hope—is what led me here today – with a father from Kenya; a mother from Kansas; and a story that could only happen in the United States of America. Hope is the bedrock of this nation; the belief that our destiny will not be written for us, but by us; by all those men and women who are not content to settle for the world as it is; who have the courage to remake the world as it should be.

That is what we started here in Iowa, and that is the message we can now carry to New Hampshire and beyond; the same message we had when we were up and when we were down; the one that can change this country brick by brick, block by block, calloused hand by calloused hand – that together, ordinary people can do extraordinary things; because we are not a collection of Red States and Blue States, we are the United States of America; and at this moment, in this election, we are ready to believe again. Thank you, Iowa.