barack obama: he completes us

from the daily show

this is truly one of the funniest things i've ever seen.



"every time barack obama speaks, an angel has an orgasm"



and this isn't bad either.

barack's poetry

the poem written below comes from barack obama's high school in hawaii.

OLD MAN

I saw an old forgotten man
On an old, forgotten road
staggering and numb
pulls out forgotten dignity from under his flaking coat,
And walks a straight line along the crooked world.

more at mybarackobama.com

obama's nomination speech

ok... that was perfect. i admit, i cried.

now IS the time.


happy 45th birthday, dream.

(watch dream here)

obama surprise

i like how biden is like "...who?"

this was such a great moment. obama is like, SHINING with happiness. with all that attention. he is a leo after all!

bill is back

the fleetwood mack song totally made me cry. oh, last 16 years, where did you go?



link

obama becomes first african-american presidential nominee in us history

delegates celebrate historic nomination



during the roll call, new mexico yields to illinois, who yields to new york - and then clinton comes out with her new york posse, who all start announcing things in their new york accents... until she takes the mike and proposes obama's nomination by acclamation. it's awesome.



official msn video: hillary clinton calls for a suspension of the roll call and obama's unanimous nomination by acclamation to thunderous applause, 4000 "aye!"s, and copious tears all over the convention floor.

DENVER - Barack Obama, a 47-year-old first-term senator from Illinois, became the first African-American ever nominated for president by a major political party after delegates to the Democratic National Convention chose him as their standard-bearer Wednesday.

The nomination process, a subject of debate and speculation right up until the voting began late in the afternoon, ended when Obama’s chief rival, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York, asked her supporters to join in accepting Obama’s historic nomination by acclamation.

Illinois passed when its turn in the order came up so it could yield to New York. The hall erupted in cheers as Sen. Clinton approached the microphone.

“With eyes firmly fixed on the future, in the spirit of unity, with the goal of victory, with faith in our party and our country, let’s declare together in one voice, right here, right now, that Barack Obama is our candidate and he will be our president,” Clinton said, setting off a loud celebration Obama’s nomination became official.

Chants of “Obama, Obama” rang out when House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., the convention’s chairwoman, reported that Obama had accepted the nomination.

link

brokaw imparts some wisdom



chris matthews and keith olbermann discuss. as usual olbermann is keenly observant and properly respectful of the moment, while matthews... well usually should just not be allowed to speak. he has a few good moments though.

but it's worth it to watch this for olbermann.


this was a fabulous piece of political theatre. i don't think i've ever seen the like.

DNC: Obama's Acclamation - Roll Call Video from Illinois to New York

watch the video of this fabulous political theatre.



during the DNC roll call (after california and illinois both pass), new mexico yields back to illinois, and chicago's mayor daly yields to new york.

hillary clinton then comes out onto the convention floor, which erupts into cheers, with her new york posse, schumer, patterson, rangall, etc. one ny guy (not sure who) begins to shout about new york's greatness in his new york accent (so funny and awesome) with schumer and clinton cheering behind him... and then clinton takes the mike and moves for obama's nomination by acclamation. shouts of "hillary, hillary" fill the entire convention.

pelosi asks "is there a second?" the convention erupts into cheers as she laughs.

the motion is passed and the music and dancing starts... "people all over the world, join hands..."

democrats know how to party!

you know, many people will have many opinions on this, but personally i think clinton was really brave, and looked like she sort of wanted it over with so she could just go home and stop smiling all the time. yes, she inspired the democratic party to become victorious and unified... but still, i imagine it was also somewhat painful, disappointing... she must have imagined herself receiving the nomination so many times.

still, pretty amazing that the first african-american presidential nominee is nomininated by acclamation by a woman... and not just any woman, but the next closest person to that spot.

historic days.


links to this story


hail and farewell

ny sun

ny times

hillary clinton tells her supporters "NO MCCAIN"

she also wins the heart of the convention, transforms her essential image, and unifies the democratic party, all at the same time.

she is one amazingly powerful woman. i met her once, and her eyes were so intense. a scorpio you know... and such a scorpio... she overcame so much adversity, the misogyny from the media and endless other quarters, went through the heartbreak of losing, didn't even get the VP pick... and still, after all that... or perhaps because of it... came out the strongest, most dynamic and most inspiring person at that convention, and possibly in the party.

she's really an incredible role model. i thank the goddess that i get to live in a time and place in which such a person, such a woman, can have this much political power and respect, and inspire so many millions of people. 18 million cracks in the glass ceiling. i'm grateful that i got to watch that, tonight.

she rocks.

"I haven't spent the past 35 years in the trenches advocating for children, campaigning for universal health care, helping parents balance work and family, and fighting for women's rights at home and around the world ... to see another Republican in the White House squander the promise of our country and the hopes of our people.

"And you haven't worked so hard over the last 18 months, or endured the last eight years, to suffer through more failed leadership.

"No way. No how. No McCain."

(full speech transcript here)

watch the shorter video (3:14) here (via bbc)

and there's an awesome gothamist article about this here

full transcript of hillary clinton's speech, endorsing obama, at the democratic national convention

(i've bolded my most favorite parts)

I am honored to be here tonight. A proud mother. A proud Democrat. A proud American. And a proud supporter of Barack Obama.

My friends, it is time to take back the country we love.

Whether you voted for me, or voted for Barack, the time is now to unite as a single party with a single purpose. We are on the same team, and none of us can sit on the sidelines.

This is a fight for the future. And it's a fight we must win.

I haven't spent the past 35 years in the trenches advocating for children, campaigning for universal health care, helping parents balance work and family, and fighting for women's rights at home and around the world ... to see another Republican in the White House squander the promise of our country and the hopes of our people.

And you haven't worked so hard over the last 18 months, or endured the last eight years, to suffer through more failed leadership.

No way. No how. No McCain.

Barack Obama is my candidate. And he must be our president.

Tonight we need to remember what a presidential election is really about. When the polls have closed, and the ads are finally off the air, it comes down to you — the American people, your lives, and your children's futures.

For me, it's been a privilege to meet you in your homes, your workplaces, and your communities. Your stories reminded me everyday that America's greatness is bound up in the lives of the American people — your hard work, your devotion to duty, your love for your children, and your determination to keep going, often in the face of enormous obstacles.

You taught me so much, you made me laugh, and ... you even made me cry. You allowed me to become part of your lives. And you became part of mine.

I will always remember the single mom who had adopted two kids with autism, didn't have health insurance and discovered she had cancer. But she greeted me with her bald head painted with my name on it and asked me to fight for health care. I will always remember the young man in a Marine Corps T-shirt who waited months for medical care and said to me: "Take care of my buddies; a lot of them are still over there. And then will you please help take care of me?" I will always remember the boy who told me his mom worked for the minimum wage and that her employer had cut her hours. He said he just didn't know what his family was going to do.

I will always be grateful to everyone from all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the territories, who joined our campaign on behalf of all those people left out and left behind by the Bush administrtation.

To my supporters, my champions — my sisterhood of the traveling pantsuits — from the bottom of my heart: Thank you.

You never gave in. You never gave up. And together we made history.

Along the way, America lost two great Democratic champions who would have been here with us tonight. One of our finest young leaders, Arkansas Democratic Party chair, Bill Gwatney, who believed with all his heart that America and the South could be and should be Democratic from top to bottom.

And Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones, a dear friend to many of us, a loving mother and courageous leader who never gave up her quest to make America fairer and smarter, stronger and better. Steadfast in her beliefs, a fighter of uncommon grace, she was an inspiration to me and to us all.

Our heart goes out to Stephanie's son, Mervyn Jr., and Bill's wife, Rebecca, who traveled to Denver to join us at our convention.

Bill and Stephanie knew that after eight years of George Bush, people are hurting at home, and our standing has eroded around the world. We have a lot of work ahead.

Jobs lost, houses gone, falling wages, rising prices. The Supreme Court in a right-wing headlock and our government in partisan gridlock. The biggest deficit in our nation's history. Money borrowed from the Chinese to buy oil from the Saudis.

Putin and Georgia, Iraq and Iran.

I ran for president to renew the promise of America. To rebuild the middle class and sustain the American dream, to provide the opportunity to work hard and have that work rewarded, to save for college, a home and retirement, to afford the gas and groceries and still have a little left over each month.

To promote a clean energy economy that will create millions of green-collar jobs. To create a health care system that is universal, high quality, and affordable so that parents no longer have to choose between care for themselves or their children or be stuck in dead-end jobs simply to keep their insurance. To create a world-class education system and make college affordable again. To fight for an America defined by deep and meaningful equality — from civil rights to labor rights, from women's rights to gay rights, from ending discrimination to promoting unionization to providing help for the most important job there is: caring for our families. To help every child live up to his or her God-given potential.

To make America once again a nation of immigrants and a nation of laws. To bring fiscal sanity back to Washington and make our government an instrument of the public good, not of private plunder. To restore America's standing in the world, to end the war in Iraq, bring our troops home and honor their service by caring for our veterans. And to join with our allies to confront our shared challenges, from poverty and genocide to terrorism and global warming.

Most of all, I ran to stand up for all those who have been invisible to their government for eight long years.

Those are the reasons I ran for president. Those are the reasons I support Barack Obama. And those are the reasons you should, too.

I want you to ask yourselves: Were you in this campaign just for me? Or were you in it for that young Marine and others like him? Were you in it for that mom struggling with cancer while raising her kids? Were you in it for that boy and his mom surviving on the minimum wage? Were you in it for all the people in this country who feel invisible?

We need leaders once again who can tap into that special blend of American confidence and optimism that has enabled generations before us to meet our toughest challenges. Leaders who can help us show ourselves and the world that with our ingenuity, creativity and innovative spirit, there are no limits to what is possible in America.

This won't be easy. Progress never is. But it will be impossible if we don't fight to put a Democrat in the White House.

We need to elect Barack Obama because we need a president who understands that America can't compete in a global economy by padding the pockets of energy speculators, while ignoring the workers whose jobs have been shipped overseas. We need a president who understands that we can't solve the problems of global warming by giving windfall profits to the oil companies while ignoring opportunities to invest in new technologies that will build a green economy.

We need a president who understands that the genius of America has always depended on the strength and vitality of the middle class.

Barack Obama began his career fighting for workers displaced by the global economy. He built his campaign on a fundamental belief that change in this country must start from the ground up, not the top down. He knows government must be about "We the people," not "We the favored few."

And when Barack Obama is in the White House, he'll revitalize our economy, defend the working people of America, and meet the global challenges of our time. Democrats know how to do this. As I recall, we did it before with President Clinton and the Democrats. And we'll do it again with President Obama and the Democrats.

Just think what America will be when we transform our energy agenda by creating millions of green jobs and build a new, clean energy future. Barack Obama will make sure that middle-class families get the tax relief they deserve. And I cannot wait to watch Barack Obama sign into law a health care plan into law that covers every single American.

Barack Obama will end the war in Iraq responsibly and bring our troops home a first step to repairing our alliances around the world.

And Barack will have with him a terrific partner in Michelle Obama. Anyone who saw Michelle's speech last night knows she will be a great first lady for America.

Americans are also fortunate that Joe Biden will be at Barack Obama's side. A strong leader, a good man who understands both the economic stresses here at home and the strategic challenges abroad. He's pragmatic, he's tough, and he's wise. And, of course, Joe will be supported by his wonderful wife, Jill.

They will be a great team for our country.

Now, John McCain is my colleague and my friend. He has served our country with honor and courage. But we don't need four more years of the last eight years. More economic stagnation and less affordable health care. More high gas prices and less alternative energy. More jobs getting shipped overseas and fewer jobs created here at home. More skyrocketing debt and home foreclosures and mounting bills that are crushing middle-class families. More war and less diplomacy. More of a government where the privileged come first and everyone else comes last.

Well, John McCain says the economy is fundamentally sound. John McCain doesn't think that 47 million people without health insurance is a crisis. John McCain wants to privatize Social Security. And in 2008, he still thinks it's okay when women don't earn equal pay for equal work.

Now, with an agenda like that, it makes perfect sense that George Bush and John McCain will be together next week in the Twin Cities. Because these days they're awfully hard to tell apart.

America is still around after 232 years because we have risen to the challenge of every new time, changing to be faithful to our values of equal opportunity for all and the common good.

And I know what that can mean for every man, woman, and child in America. I'm a United States senator because in 1848 a group of courageous women and a few brave men gathered in Seneca Falls, New York, many traveling for days and nights, to participate in the first convention on women's rights in our history.

And so dawned a struggle for the right to vote that would last 72 years, handed down by mother to daughter to granddaughter and a few sons and grandsons along the way.

These women and men looked into their daughters' eyes, imagined a fairer and freer world, and found the strength to fight. To rally and picket. To endure ridicule and harassment. To brave violence and jail.

And after so many decades 88 years ago on this very day the 19th Amendment guaranteeing women the right to vote would be forever enshrined in our Constitution.

My mother was born before women could vote. But in this election my daughter got to vote for her mother for president.

This is the story of America. Of women and men who defy the odds and never give up.


How do we give this country back to them?


By following the example of a brave New Yorker, a woman who risked her life to shepherd slaves along the Underground Railroad.

On that path to freedom, Harriet Tubman had one piece of advice:

If you hear the dogs, keep going.

If you see the torches in the woods, keep going.

If they're shouting after you, keep going.

Don't ever stop. Keep going.

If you want a taste of freedom, keep going.

And even in the darkest of moments, that is what Americans have done — we have found the faith to keep going.

I've seen it in you. I've seen it in our teachers and firefighters, nurses and police officers, small business owners and union workers, the men and women of our military you always keep going.

We are Americans. We're not big on quitting.

But remember, before we can keep going, we've got to get going by electing Barack Obama the next president of the United States.

We don't have a moment to lose or a vote to spare.

Nothing less than the fate of our nation and the future of our children hang in the balance.

I want you to think about your children and grandchildren come Election Day. And think about the choices your parents and grandparents made that had such a big impact on your life and on the life of our nation.

We've got to ensure that the choice we make in this election honors the sacrifices of all who came before us, and will fill the lives of our children with possibility and hope.

That is our duty, to build that bright future, and to teach our children that in America there is no chasm too deep, no barrier too great and no ceiling too high for all who work hard, never back down, always keep going, have faith in God, in our country, and in each other.

Let's elect Barack Obama and Joe Biden for that future worthy of our great country.

Thank you so much. God bless America, and godspeed to you all.


transcript via politico

pretty adorable

wow is right

michelle obama is gonna be a kick-ass first lady!

obama's berlin speech

Obama addresses 200,000 in Berlin with message of unity for world's people

Democratic presidential contender Barack Obama spoke before a crowd of tens of thousands at a Berlin war memorial on Friday, calling out to Europeans to help break down walls that divide humanity.

(excerpt from speech transcript)

"And this is the moment when we must give hope to those left behind in a globalized world. We must remember that the Cold War born in this city was not a battle for land or treasure. Sixty years ago, the planes that flew over Berlin did not drop bombs; instead they delivered food, and coal, and candy to grateful children. And in that show of solidarity, those pilots won more than a military victory. They won hearts and minds; love and loyalty and trust - not just from the people in this city, but from all those who heard the story of what they did here.

"Now the world will watch and remember what we do here - what we do with this moment. Will we extend our hand to the people in the forgotten corners of this world who yearn for lives marked by dignity and opportunity; by security and justice? Will we lift the child in Bangladesh from poverty, shelter the refugee in Chad, and banish the scourge of AIDS in our time?

"Will we stand for the human rights of the dissident in Burma, the blogger in Iran, or the voter in Zimbabwe? Will we give meaning to the words "never again" in Darfur?

"Will we acknowledge that there is no more powerful example than the one each of our nations projects to the world? Will we reject torture and stand for the rule of law? Will we welcome immigrants from different lands, and shun discrimination against those who don't look like us or worship like we do, and keep the promise of equality and opportunity for all of our people?

"People of Berlin - people of the world - this is our moment. This is our time."

full transcript here

Obama Overseas! In Presidential Mode!

Back Home, It’s McCain in a Golf Cart.

via ny times

In the shadow of the ancient Temple of Hercules in Amman, Jordan, Mr. Obama solemnly described his vision for peace in the region while standing at a lectern, the Middle East sprawling out behind him.

(snip)

All three cable news networks carried Mr. Obama’s news conference live and in full. They showed only parts of Mr. McCain’s forum and focused mostly on his reaction to Mr. Obama’s statements. Even Fox News broke away from Mr. McCain midevent to cover the rescue of a bear cub wounded in a California fire and nicknamed Lil’ Smokey.

(snip)

Mr. Obama’s stops in Afghanistan, Iraq and Jordan provided arresting video of the candidate being mobbed by American troops, surveying terrain by helicopter alongside Gen. David H. Petraeus and holding talks with Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki of Iraq and King Abdullah of Jordan... Touring ruins of the Citadel in Amman, Mr. Obama strode confidently with his jacket crooked over his shoulder in classic Kennedy style. He also practiced statesmanly restraint, telling reporters in Amman that he wouldn’t criticize his opponent while abroad.

so far, so good... ?

um... is this ok?

Barack Obama wobbles on withdrawing Iraq troops

On his website, Mr Obama promises he "will remove one to two combat brigades each month, and have all of our combat brigades out of Iraq within 16 months".

But he told journalists in North Dakota that those policies could be "refined" in the light of what he finds in Iraq.

"I've always said the pace of withdrawal would be dictated by the safety and security of our troops and the need to maintain stability," he said.

"When I go to Iraq and have a chance to talk to some of the commanders on the ground, I'm sure I'll have more information and will continue to refine my policies."

gore re-enters the arena

Gore to Endorse Obama at Rally in Michigan Tonight

June 16 (Bloomberg) -- Former Vice President Al Gore will step off the sidelines and make his first campaign stop with Democrat Barack Obama tonight.

Gore, who made the announcement in an e-mail to supporters, will appear with Obama at a rally in Detroit that is scheduled to begin at 8:30 p.m. local time.

``A few hours from now I will step on stage in Detroit, Michigan, to announce my support for Senator Barack Obama,'' Gore wrote in a fundraising letter. ``From now through Election Day, I intend to do whatever I can to make sure he is elected president of the United States.''

link

update: keith olbermanm complains that the speech is running "at least 20 minutes behind!" - 8:48 pm

patience, my friend...


update 2: "it's 25 minutes late" - 8:53 pm

update 3: "they've entered clinton-time." - 9:01 pm

was clinton always late or something?

ooh, here they come... 9:02 pm.


gore:

the outcome of this election will affect the future of our planet.

new policies, a new vision.

and now weve made our choice. *cheers*

a spirit of respect for the republican nominees *boos*

"no no! in that case im glad i brought it up."

(haha. gore is awesome.)

the forces of reason and logic...

WE NEED CHANGE! - 9:14 pm

obama clinches nomination - an historic moment

Obama Clinches Nomination; First Black Candidate to Lead a Major Party Ticket

Senator Barack Obama claimed the Democratic presidential nomination on Tuesday evening, prevailing through an epic battle with Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton in a primary campaign that inspired millions of voters from every corner of America to demand change in Washington.

A last-minute rush of Democratic superdelegates, as well as the results from the final primaries, in Montana and South Dakota, pushed Mr. Obama over the threshold of winning the 2,118 delegates needed to be nominated at the party’s convention in August. The victory for Mr. Obama, the son of a black Kenyan father and a white Kansan mother, broke racial barriers and represented a remarkable rise for a man who just four years ago served in the Illinois Senate.

“Tonight, we mark the end of one historic journey with the beginning of another — a journey that will bring a new and better day to America,” Mr. Obama told supporters at a rally in St. Paul. “Because of you, tonight I can stand here and say that I will be the Democratic nominee for president of the United States of America.”

OBAMA! OBAMA!




via new york times

the best political speech of my lifetime

"A More Perfect Union"
Constitution Center
Philadelphia, PA
18Mar2008


full text of this speech on the huffington post here.

japanese people love obama

Obama to namesake town: Thanks for support

By TAKAHIRO FUKADA
Staff writer

link

From Obama to Obama, thank you.

U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, who is running for the Democratic presidential nomination, has sent the mayor of Obama, Fukui Prefecture, a letter of gratitude for the city's show of support, city officials said Tuesday.

"We share more than a common name; we share a common planet and common responsibilities," the Feb. 21 letter addressed to Mayor Toshio Murakami says. "I am touched by your friendly gesture, and I wish you all the best."

senator obama, are you mad at me?

unfortunately, NBC/SNL has removed the full video clip of the mock obama/clinton debate from youtube and their own website. particularly absent is the moment when the debate moderators ask obama if he is comfortable, and if he needs another cushion.

still, this shows the gist of the skit:

VIVA OBAMA!

who says he doesn't have the latino vote?