If you can't see the pictures or videos, please CLICK HERE

The Never-ending Barrage

Sean Hannity continues to be on the attack.  From the very onset of the Democratic Primary, when there were several candidates in the field, Sean launched his own personal attack on Barack Obama.  So did, for that matter, Rush Limbaugh.

Just last night, Friday July 11, 2008 - as I watched Hannity & Colmes - I was treated to the same old sing-song rhetoric from Sean Hannity, that virtually identifies Barack Obama as the "Anti-Christ."  I thought journalist were trained against redundancy.  Still, Hannity starts and ends almost every show by invoking memories of: Rev. Wright; Michelle Obama not proud of her country; Father Flegler; Bill Ayers and the latest mantra, Obama "Flip-Flopped."

So Ridiculous - Almost Comical

So much negative -  night after night is bound to inflict serious irritation on one nerves.  Truth to be told, that is about the limit to the damage that this childish display - which resembles a child on a playground who was not been picked for a team spewing his sour grapes - ultimately will do.  Anyone who has decided to vote for Barack Obama will not be swayed by these rants and anyone who just can't swallow the idea of a Black Man being P.O.T.U.S (President of the United States) has already taken an unshakeable stance.

So who is Sean Hannity appealing too?  He is appealing to loyal Republicans who are quaking in their boots and have been from the very inception of Barack Obama's meteoric political career.  In other words, the old guard is feeling the winds of change building.  Barack Obama is about to do to them what Hurricane Katrina did to the Gulf Coast.

To paraphrase a wise, anonymous elderly woman from a previous campaign, " If God intended for a Republican to win the Whitehouse in 2008, He would have given them a candidate."

Now let's look at their guy -or- McCain vs. McCain

His Own Worse Enemy

Was it Pittsburg or Green Bay, Pennsylvania or Wisconsin?
Is it Offense or Defense?
Whose Got the Ball?

From Republicans For Obama: Reasons Why McCain Just Can't Win in November

• A substantial majority of Americans are Democratic.  It's a 'Democratic' year.  Even many Republicans are sick of the Republican party at this point.
  
• The overwhelming majority of Americans are against Bush and his policies, anyone loosely associated with Bush, and anything rhyming with the word "Bush", at this point.  ... And McCain is in step with Bush on 95% of his political views and policies.
• McCain is a free-falling career flip-flopper on major issues like the economy, immigration, Roe v. Wade, etc.  Obama has flipped too, but McCain is pathological.
• McCain helps offset Obama's negative pastoral associations with his own; thus cutting off a major avenue of (continued) attack on Obama. 
• McCain helps offset his rival's "inexperience" problem with his seemingly age-related cognitive challenges (confused Sunni with Shiites three times in a row; forgot where the Taliban are fighting, etc.).  Or the fact that he's had cancer three times.  And looks broken and frail.
• The man lacks charisma and energy, further increasing Obama's personal appeal. 
• Fails to inspire; has no solid campaign message.
• Speaks most frequently on economy but admits to being sophomoric on the topic (and demonstrates it in speeches).  ... Of course now that we have all that on video, he denies saying such things.
• Has not satisfactorily explained comments by his chief economic advisor that current economic problems are figments of the American people's imagination and that we are a "Nation of Whinners" to complain.
  
• That statement about staying at war for 100 years, that he'll never be ever to take back  (channeling Bush)
• His own party dislikes him.
• While some Dems threaten to vote for McCain, even more people on the Republican side plan to stay home or vote for Obama.
• According to polls, Obama has handily secured the Latino, Black, Jewish, youth and female (of all races) vote.  Hey McCain: Lose the female vote and you lose the election.  Also, Obama has secured most swing states, and several that aren't.  Is ahead in polls.  That's a good start.
• Speaking of women:  McCain has a serious Roe v. Wade problem.   And that "c**t" comment hurled at his wife in public, buzzing all over Youtube, hasn't helped his case.
• That infamous McCain temper: Once McCain starts taking part in debates, his temper will almost surely come out and make him look unhinged.  We'll probably extract a few fun soundbites from it too.
  

John & Cindy McCain - I've Seen More Warmth at an Ice Hockey Game

Is it just me or does there seem to be a coldness between John McCain and his Beer Heiress wife, Cindy.  Never mind that Cindy McCain avoided criminal charges for illegally re-routing money from a Charitable Organization to pay for illegal prescriptions drugs that she was addicted to (read more) due to the manipulations of her husband, there appears to be little affection between the two of them.

Usually, when a man is accompanied by the woman he has vowed to spend the rest of his life with, to love, honor and even obey - he will display some sign that he is at least aware that she is there.  Obama does.  Barack takes Michelle's hand and ushers up and down stairs.  He adjusts her chair, he opens doors.  He is the perfect gentleman and anyone can see that they are a team.  That now famous "Fist Bump" that Michelle initiated with her man on the stage in St. Paul, Minnesota (same stage John & Cindy McCain will mount to accept the Republican Nomination - How shrewd can you get) as Obama acknowledged that he was the "Presumptive Nominee" for the Democratic Party, (see below under the on-screen caption "UNITY") brought tears to my eyes (I am a hopeless romantic).

There is so much love expressed in the body language of Michelle and Barack Obama that no one on Earth can doubt that they are a team.  This is important to the man who would lead our nation, because after the lights are dimmed and the cameras are stilled and the eyes of the nation are focused elsewhere, The President of the United States will need that quite comfort and reassurance that can only be provided by a good woman.

That is not what I see whenever I see Cindy & John McCain together.  They almost never look at each other.  And he, he walks off and leaves her.  Most of the time, she has to skip to keep up with him.  He does not act like a gentleman, he does not even act as though he is aware that she is there.  Maybe that is something that is stipulated in their prenuptial agreement (yes, they have one). She is, after all,  a Beer Heiress. She had to be pressured into releasing her tax documents after a long refusal to do so.  The McCain's have never filed a joint tax return.  Where is the unity in this marriage.

It is my guess, that Cindy McCain has enjoyed the perks of being married to a United States Senator, especially when she needs an indictment squashed.  It is not rocket science to assume that she would enjoy it even more if she were to become First Lady.  After all, didn't the last Republican First Lady to have a serious addiction problem have a famous institution named for her.  I can just see it now, The Cindy McCain Clinic for the Pharmaceutically Challenged.  She will probably be sure to add a Rush Limbaugh wing to her facility.

Your Homework Assignment:

Next time John & Cindy McCain are shown on TV together, watch their body language.  Does she look like a woman who is committed to her husband through love and devotion or does she look like a woman who has bought  and paid for a man who can make her the first lady and she is just going along for the ride because after all, she paid for the ticket (haven't we already seen that movie?). Then watch Michelle & Barack.  Looks like a real American family, huh.  Barack looks like a gentleman and Michelle looks like a Lady.  A First Lady.

We can't afford, as a nation, to turn the reigns of our government over to people who only resemble what this country needs, again.  Throughout his campaign, it is ever increasingly difficult to determine just who John McCain is or what he stands for - other than four more years of the failed Bush administration, at best; or the confused rantings of an old soldier who has served his country well and with honor, but may have seen his best days. 

Remember: "Old soldiers never die, they just fade away."

We want change!

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Calvin G. Sims is editor-in-chief of Conservatives For Obama.  He is also the founder and executive director of StoryTellers of the American Frontier.  A prolific author, lecturer and master storyteller, Calvin can usually be found in schools and on college & university campuses across America.  Email Calvin at askcal@calvingsims.com.

  

If you can't see the pictures or videos, please CLICK HERE

The Book - "Holy Lockdown: Does the Church Limit Black Progress?"

Please visit holylockdown.com for information about the book "Holy Lockdown: Does the Church Limit Black Progress?"

Jeremiah Camara, a dear friend, in his groundbreaking book, "Holy Lockdown: Does the Church Limit Black Progress?" poses a question that is at the forefront of what will prove to be perhaps the most historical event in American History.  The election of Her first Black president.  That question, posed in the title of Jeremiah's book, has taken on tremendous relevance because of events surrounding Barack Obama's former pastor, recent guest speakers and visitors to Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, Illinois, and most recently - remarks made by Jesse Jackson on Fox News while he thought his mike was turned off.

Book Trailer for "Holy Lockdown: Does the Church Limit Black Progress"

Jeremiah's book brings many points home with convincing evidence that Black Ministers too often do much more harm to our community than good.  And when I say our community, I am not just talking about the Black community, I am talking about the American Community.

As I pointed out in a previous article, "Separation of the Black Church and the Black State: The Words of Obama's Former Pastor; Jeremiah Wright," the role of the Black preacher evolved from the time of slavery.  The Black preacher was perhaps the only member of the slave society who could behave in any semblance of a manner resembling confrontational to the white slave master or white society in general.  Today, tradition has it that attendance of a Black church will mean that one may not only be exposed to savior and salvation, but to fiery political rhetoric as the Minister rails against the American Government and it's representatives.

This didn't start with the civil rights movement, but it has certainly proliferated since, as Black Ministers realized that they could amass a tremendous following if they became outspoken in their defense of Black people.  The most effective way to accomplish this, many of them discovered, was to blame the White man and "His" government for all that ails Black People.  Conversely then, it was necessary to place little or no blame on Black people for their own problems.

This warped philosophy, that all but eliminates personal responsibility, is one of the main reasons that I become conservative politically.  I rejected the notion that as a Black man, I hold little or no responsibility for the problems that exist in the Black community or in my own personal life. 

For example the "No Snitch" movement, in my mind, is directly, though not exclusively - responsible for the fact that there are open air drug markets in many communities.  The people in those communities actually know who the drug dealers are and where they live or hang out, yet because the "Man" is conceived  as the bigger enemy, their children are exposed to drugs, crime, prostitution and drive buy shootings.  Even under these circumstances, many Black preachers continue to blame the decline of the black family and "Black-on-Black" crime on "The Man."

Barack Obama represents change

There are many reasons that I support Barack Obama, but one major reason is that he is Black.  Now, Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton and Shirely Chisholm for that matter are also Black - but could never have gained my support.  So why do I support Barack Obama because he is Black?

I support Barack Obama not just because he is Black, but because of the KIND of Black that he is.  He is not the kind of Black, like so many Black Ministers, who exploit Black people's emotions by blaming everything on "The Man" and nothing on Black People.  Like Bill Cosby and some others (myself included)  he has pointed out that many of the problems in the Black community are there because we, Black people, perpetuate these problems by our own behavior and poor decisions.

Barack's Father's Day Appeal

There are many reasons that Obama has my support, many reasons - but cheif among them is that he represents where Black people need to be headed.  He represents the kind of Black man that Black men should aspire to be.  He is an excellent role model for me as well as all men, Black or White.

That brings us to the recent remarks of Jesse Jackson.  Take a look.

"Obama is Talking Down to Balck People."

Of all of the "Race Baiting", "Poverty Pimping", "Blame the White Man" preachers, Jesse Jackson is the worst.  Starting with the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.  It is a well known fact that Jesse Jackson, who was nowhere near Dr. King when he was shot, went through great lengths to get himself covered with Dr. King's blood.  Perhaps he was haunted by visions of Jackie Kennedy in her pink, blood-splattered dress in Dallas, Texas on November 22, 1963.  Several sources reported that a young Jesse Jackson deliberately embraced Dr. King's body while feigning hysteria, resulting in his shirt becoming stained with the slain civil rights icon's blood.  But that's just the tip of the iceberg.  The middle of the iceberg is that Jesse Jackson had several opportunities to change shirts throughout that day but declined to do so even though several of his colleagues inquired as to why he was still wearing that shirt.  And now for the base of the iceberg (the biggest part).  The next morning, after everyone else had showered, shaved and generally refreshed themselves as best they could under the circumstances, Jesse Jackson put on that same blood stained shirt and wore it throughout the day.

Soon after, Jesse Jackson evolved into the so called "leader" of Black civil rights in America.  And while I must admit that he has done many, many things that have been positive, he has also been involved in many, many underhanded and unscrupulous deeds.  I highly recommend you read the books:
Scam: How the Black Leadership Exploits Black America by Jesse Lee Peterson

Shakedown: Exposing the Real Jesse Jackson by Kenneth R. Timmerman

Both of these books point out, among other things, how Jesse Jackson has virtually black-mailed many corporations using race baiting as a threat in order to line his own pockets and the pockets of those close to him with extorted cash.

Changing of the Black Guard

As Warren Ballentine, of XM Radio's 169 "The Power" said on the "O'Reilly Factor" on Fox News Wednesday, July 8, 2008..."The torch of civil rights leadership has long been passed to Al Sharpton from Jesse Jackson."

Jesse Jackson has long ago lost most of his credibility.  Many more educated Black people no longer consider him at the vanguard of Black issues.  He continues his race baiting and holding even the most repugnant of behavior by Black people above reproach.  Al Sharpton, on the other hand, has become a very vocal opponent to negative rap music and hip hop culture.  He has spoken out repeatedly against use of foul language by Blacks as well as Whites.  Al Sharpton may have started out in the same vein as Jesse Jackson, but today he stands as a reasonable advocate for upholding the constitutional rights of all Americans.  Though he can often be controversial, Al Sharpton certainly conducts himself above board and with the character that Dr. King dreamed we would ALL be judged by.  This, as opposed to us being judged by the color of our skin which seems to be the only significant criteria for Jesse Jackson to engage any problem.

Jesse Jackson is often more a part of the problem than the solution.

Condemned by his own son, Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr.

Many Black preachers seem to resent Barak Obama's ascension to the national spotlight.  Unlike many Black politicians, Barack has refused to embrace their race baiting tactics.  Early in Baracks political career, he may have been forced to give these so called Black leaders their props.  That explains his relationships with Jeremiah Wright, Louis Farrakhan and Father Fleggler among others.  But as Obama ascended into the ranks of national politics, he has had to distance himself from such radical alliances.  This may seem ruthless to many, but any successful politician or elected official is well aware that this realignment is mandatory to move into the arena of national politics.

Understandably, there is resentment from not only the so called leaders, but from many of the people in the community who follow (or are exploited by) these so called leaders. 

I
In my book “When the Student is Ready, the Teacher Will Appear,” I refer to these people as "Mis-Leaders."  Jesse Jackson has all but assured that he will not serve a significant roll in an Obama presidency - apology or no apology...apology accepted or not.

Unlike Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton or even Shirley Chisholm, Barack Obama has not taken the familiar route of championing Black issues above all else.  He has demonstrated that he intends to serve ALL Americans as president.  He has often been accused of not being Black enough because he is not a race baiter, because unlike too many Black Ministers, he has refused to play the game of blame - too much blame on the White man, too little blame on the Black man.

Jesse Jackson, Jeremiah Wright and many others are seeing the handwriting on the wall.  The days of the Black preacher holding the wool over the eyes of Black people for the purpose of their own enrichment are numbered.  The days of Booker T. Washington, lifting the veil of ignorance from the eyes of all of us (see the cover of my book) - as is so well personified  by Barack Obama, is fortunately upon us.

Barack Obama is a new kind of Black man.  He is a new kind of man.  He is a new kind of American.  He will be a new kind of president.

Yes we can!!!

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Calvin G. Sims is editor-in-chief of Conservatives For Obama.  He is also the founder and executive director of StoryTellers of the American Frontier.  A prolific author, lecturer and master storyteller, Calvin can usually be found in schools and on college & university campuses across America.  Email Calvin at askcal@calvingsims.com.

  

if you can't see the pictures or videos, please CLICK HERE

To Start:  What Did Obama REALLY Say?

Lately the media has been rife with commentary that Barack Obama has waffled or Flip-Flopped on campaign finance.  Even outlets that generally are more objective and are even often accused of being in the "Tank" with Obama, have repeated this report of Obama's alleged inconsistency. The truth of the matter is that Obama did exactly what he said he would do.

At the very onset, in official documents, Obama said that he would vigorously pursue an agreement with his general election opponent to return excess privately donated funds and rely soley on Public Financing for the general election.

If a candidate choses to use Public Funds to finance his campaign, he/she is then restricted to use exclusively public funds which are limited to about 85 million dollars.  These fund are allocated by the federal government based on the number of income tax form filers who designate that $3 be allocated for such purposes.  The $3 does not come from the taxpayer's refund, it is taken from the general revenue collected by the IRS.

John McCain, at one point facing a virtually bankrupt campaign, used his agreement to use public funds to secure a loan to help his cash strapped campaign.  This was a strong indication that McCain truly intended to enter into the agreement with Barack Obama that they would mutually rely on public financing once Obama secured the nomination.

And again, The Pot Calls the Kettle Black
Once McCain became the presumptive Republican Nominee, the funds started coming in.  John McCain then filed a lawsuit in an attempt to back out of his pledge to use public funds.  The same pledge that he used to secure a much needed loan when the Republican field of candidate was wide and robust.

Who is the one who Flip-Flopped?

It's a New Day - A New Game - Obama Wins

Obama became the presumptive nominee on June 3, 2008.  McCain has since made no effort to sign up for public funds.  Instead, he has diligently pursue private funds. And, unlike Barack Obama - who immediately and publicly pledged that the entire DNC would not accept contributions from lobbyist or special interest groups, John McCain has openly courted and accepted donations from the very groups that the system for using public funds for presidential campaigns was designed to avoid.

Further, this is the same John McCain who with Russ Feingold sponsored the McCain-Feingold Campaign Reform Bill, then refused to sign it or adhere to its standards. In other words, John McCain wants to tell others how to conduct their campaigns, yet adhere to rules and methods that serve his own interests and ambitions.  This sounds just like the George W. Bush administration all over again.  John McCain even publicly declared that McCain-Feingold, which is a flawed bill at best,  did not apply to him.  Maybe that is why he decided not to vote for it, even though he originated it.

John McCain has gone through great lengths to distance himself from George Bush.  To discredit any claim that his presidency would in effect represent a third term for George Bush.  I guess that is why the two of them held a private fund raising event recently where members of the media were not invited.  They really believe that if there were no cameras there to record the event that the American people would not be aware of the fact that these two men are practically joined at the hip.  The audacity of Bush/McCain to think that we are so gullible.  Perhaps we have trained them to treat us this way.  Perhaps we have done so by letting them get away with so much blatant corruption and conspicuous incompetence.  Because we have put up with it, they continue to do it.

Read more about the "SECRET" McCain fund raiser attended by George W. Bush

Want Change? It is time to stop the madness.

Now Let' Have Some Fun With Predicting The Electorial College

<p><b>><a href='http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/interactives/campaign08/electoral-college/'>Electoral College Prediction Map</a></b> - Predict the winner of the general election. Use the map to experiment with winning combinations of states. Save your prediction and send it to friends.</p>

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Calvin G. Sims is editor-in-chief of Conservatives For Obama.  He is also the founder and executive director of StoryTellers of the American Frontier.  A prolific author, lecturer and master storyteller, Calvin can usually be found in schools and on college & university campuses across America.  Email Calvin at askcal@calvingsims.com.

  

If you can't see the pictures or videos, please CLICK HERE

A Veiled Threat
Definitions: VEILED—adjective

  1. Having or as if having a veil or concealing cover; "a veiled dancer"; "a veiled hat"; "veiled   threats"; "veiled      insults" ; "the night-veiled landscape".
  2. Muted or unclear; "veiled sounds"; "the image is veiled or foggy".

Definitions: THREAT—noun

    1. Something that is a source of danger; "earthquakes are a constant threat in Japan".
    2. A warning that something unpleasant is immanent; "they were under threat of arrest".
    3. Declaration of an intention or a determination to inflict harm on another; "his threat to kill me was quite          explicit".     
    4. A person who inspires fear or dread; "he was the terror of the neighborhood".

In Her Own Words

Yesterday, Friday, May 23, 2008, Hillary Clinton in an attempt to justify her continuing in her bid for the Democratic Nomination for President of the United States, invoked the memory of one of the most tragics days in American history.  Not only was Friday, June 5, 1968 a tragic day because it was the day Robert F. Kennedy was murdered while campaigning for the same office she aspires to -  but it was the final installment in a trilogy of tragedy that had gripped our nation over a period of 5 years.  Joining the Assassination of Robert Kennedy's brother John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1962 and the assassination of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on April 4, 1968, the death of RFK nearly brought America to its breaking point.

Yet, this ruthless woman chose to exploit the pain and anguish that the memory of this chapter of our nation's history is sure to invoke, in order to further her own out-of-control political ambitions.  Even as we stand 6 months away from the 40th anniversary of that tragic day for the Kennedy family that took place in Dallas; even as we are only days away from the Kennedy family's most recent catastrophic discovery concerning the health of the last surviving Kennedy brother, this woman with little concern for the damage that her words can inflict seems perfectly comfortable in matter-of-factly marginalizing this tragic and painful event endured by so many millions of Americans.

It was through the emotionally charged words of Robert Kennedy that I first learned of Dr. King's tragic demise.  I remember that as a young man of 16, I was aware that as RFK spoke of a man that he admired, that he could not help but draw parallels to the circumstances surrounding the loss of his own brother, just 5 years earlier.  I remember how even as tears streamed down my own face, his voice cracked and he wore a look on his face that made one wonder if he would get through his prepared statement without breaking down.

Robert F. Kennedy's Reaction to the Murder of MLK, Jr.

I also recall the day that Ted Kennedy found himself before a bank of microphones as he shared his feeling with a nation reeling from the loss of his own third brother to give his life in service to this nation and the second to fall at the hands of an assassin.  I remember the stirring eulogy delivered by the sole surviving Kennedy son as he spoke the final words over his brothers fallen body.  I remember wondering how he could stand there with so much strength.  I remember praying that I, as a man, might develop that kind of strength.

Ted Kennedy delivers Eulogy for Robert F. Kennedy

And now that this great man, the last of America's closest facsimile of a dynasty, the senior patriarch of a clan whose tenure in American government was often affectionately referred to as "Camelot," Ted Kennedy, who may be entering his last days and times, Hillary Clinton chooses to exploit the tearful memories of a nation. 

Yesterday was not the first time that she so brazenly resorted to this shameless tactic.  She has on several occasions referred to the RFK assassination taking place in June as if to say that she should at least remain in the race, until June, just in case....

This latest display of unbridled and ruthless ambition can not be taken lightly, especially in light of the countless unexplained sudden deaths and suicides and homicides and disappearances that have for years been synonymous to Clinton political power. (See my previous article: Should Obama choose Clinton for VP: Not on His Life - LITERALLY

Hillary has since apologized for her remarks, as she always does when she is called to account for her insensitive and ruthless statements.  She wants us to believe that she mis-spoke.  She has a long record of saying things then expecting us to disregard her words, after the damage has been done.  She wants us to accept that she is capable of mis-speaking something as incredible as ducking under sniper fire in Bosnia as simply a mis-speak.  Like the Bosnia incident, she did not mis-speak once but several times.  Over a period of months, Hillary Clinton has been quoted as invoking the memory of RFK's death to justify why she insists on fighting a losing battle, "at least until June."

Obama has responded with tact and grace saying that her statement was"unfortunate."  While this is relatively mild treatment coming from a man whose life has been subjected to a "Veiled Threat," it is not Obama's place to hold Hillary's feet to the fire.  That's OUR job.  Let's show Billary that we will not stand for her hateful, ruthless and selfish campaign tactics.

If you feel the outrage that Hillary Clinton so rightly deserves, then I can only urge you to take action.  Go right now to barackobama.com and make a donation or volunteer or purchase Obama'08 merchandise or participate in a survey.  Take action, do something to support  the Barack Obama campaign for President of the United States because WE NEED CHANGE!!!

Kieth Olbermann Reacts To Hillary Clinton's Disgusting reference to RFK Assasination

Success is the BEST Revenge

Get Even - Get Involved

note: The following bullet points are all active web links, clicking on them will take you to the official authorized site of the Barack Obama Campaign for that respective item

• Donate

• Volunteer
• Complete a Survey
• Purchase Obama '08 Merchandise
  

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Calvin G. Sims is editor-in-chief of Conservatives For Obama.  He is also the founder and executive director of StoryTellers of the American Frontier.  A prolific author, lecturer and master storyteller, Calvin can usually be found in schools and on college & university campuses across America.  Email Calvin at askcal@calvingsims.com.

  

If you can't see the video, please CLICK HERE

Can You Feel It?

If you happen to feel a slight breeze, it is the WINDS OF CHANGE

Yes We Can!!!

=================================================================================

Calvin G. Sims is editor-in-chief of Conservatives For Obama.  He is also the founder and executive director of StoryTellers of the American Frontier.  A prolific author, lecturer and master storyteller, Calvin can usually be found in schools and on college & university campuses across America.  Email Calvin at askcal@calvingsims.com.

  

If you can't see the pictures or videos, please CLICK HERE


                                                     

Hard Working White People...as opposed to Whom?

Last week Hillary Clinton quoted an AP article that said that Barack Obama was trailing her when it comes to "Working Class Whites."  Trouble is, in part, that Hillary chose to paraphrase the article by referring to the demographic group as "Hard Working White..."

What is a "Working Class" person, anyway.  Warren Buffet, the richest man in the world works.  Bill and Melinda Gates work.  Oprah Winfrey works.  I am working now.  You, perhaps, should be working (but you may have chosen to read my blog while no one is looking).  We are all "Working Class" people.

Hillary Clinton, however, chose to more clearly define who she was referring to by calling them "Hard Working" while the article that she was quoting was content to use the ambiguous, but oft stated term: "Working Class." 

The argument exists that she was only quoting another source and that she was stating a point of fact.  Trouble is, that argument does not hold water.  It is a fact that Barack Obama trails Hillary is some regions in Working Class Whites, as well as some other categories.  There is no racial intent implied or inferred when an independent news source makes these statements.  In many regions these are simply facts. The problem arises because Hillary Clinton is a candidate for this nation's highest office. As a candidate, any statement uttered publicly (and even privately if someone has a recording device and access to U-Tube or My-Space, just ask Obama), is a plea for and to voters.  Any plea by a candidate for elected office is designed to illicit a certain behavior and/or instill a certain pattern of thinking.

When Hillary Clinton paraphrases a newspaper article to indicate that Barack Obama lacks the ability to garner the votes of "Hard Working White People," the racial tone is apparent.

Barack Obama is unlike many Black Politicians or "Black Leaders" in that he does not routinely base his appeal on the basis of race.  He does not espouse the language of victimology so often used by many liberal politicians of all ethnic origins.  He does not play the blame (the white man) game.  This among many other reasons, is why he has my support.

Obama has consistently attempted to keep the focus of his campaign on the important issues, rather than the highly emotionally charged issues of race.  The incidents with Rev. Jeremiah Wright have unfortunately forced Obama to deal with race.  He so eloquently did this last month in Pennsylvania.  Still, for many, that was not enough.  The Status Quo politicians and their surrogates, such as Fox News Network, Sean Hannity and Bill O'Rielly - to name a few, had their long awaited opening.  They did everything in their power to take Obama off message and force him to repeatedly defend himself based on racial issues.

Bill and Hillary Clinton, not to be outdone, were not content to leave the race baiting to surrogates.  They had to jump into the waters with both feet.  Bill has made several statements that have been considered racially inflammatory, while Hillary with this recent "Hard Working White "  comment has jumped in over her head.


                                                         

Who is CLINGING Now?

The Clintons continue to campaign hard though Hillary is all but mathematically eliminated.  She trails in the number of states won by 2 to 1.  She trails in the popular vote by over 700,000.  Obama has a pledged delegate lead of over 160, and Saturday, May 10, Obama surpassed Hillary in super-delegates.  It is worth noting that at one point, Hillary lead Obama by over 100 superdelegate.  It is also noteworthy that Hillary Clinton has seen several superdelegates change their allegiance from her to Obama.  I am not aware of a single superdelegate who has taken the opposite course.

Still, Hillary presses on, or clings on.  She has every right to, though many Democratic leaders have called for her to step aside.  The argument is that she is damaging Obama with her steady onslaught of negative attacks. There are indications that this is exactly her intention.  Though Obama has been slow to retaliate (for which he has been criticized by some), he has found himself taken off message on too many occasions in order to defend himself against a variety of negative attacks coming either directly from the Clinton campaign or via surrogates such as Geraldine Ferraro.

Obama is spending money, time and other valuable resources fighting and campaigning against Hillary Clinton when those resources could best be spent campaigning against John McCain.  Meanwhile, John McCain is able to coast, spend a minimum of money and time campaigning against a Democratic opponent who has not yet been clearly defined.  In other words, Hillary's continuing to campaign when most experts agree she can not win, benefits the Republican candidate.

A member of her staff recently pointed out that athletes are not asked to quit in the middle of a game, even if their team is trailing.  That is true, in a sports contest.  The campaign for President of the United States of American is not a sports contest, though it may be referred to as a political contest.  The teams in this political contest are not Falcons or Bears or Jets, they are Democrats and Republicans and Independents.  Understanding that, the analogy used by the Clinton campaign worker is not valid.  You see, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are both Democrats, they are on the same team.  How can a team win any contest when team members are fighting among themselves.  Sure, competition for the starting lineup is a good thing, but it is now time for the second string players to take their place on the bench.


                                              

The Lioness bares her fangs

Hillary, however, refuses to take a seat.  The only seats she cares about are the ones from Michigan and Florida.  Billary clearly underestimated Barack Obama.  Perhaps that is why back in September, 2007, they agreed to abide by DNC rules and not seat delegates from those two states after each violated DNC calendar rules.  All Democratic candidates agreed not to campaign in either of those states.  Clinton surrogates have been quick to point out that Obama, who purchased a 50 state television ad, violated that agreement when his ad aired on television.  However, no one says a word about the fact that Hillary attended two fundraisers in Florida, the day before the primary vote and was in Florida on the day of the primary.  She dismisses these facts by saying that she was not campaigning.  Again, any appearance by a political candidate running for office IS campaigning. (Perhaps Hillary, like Bill, does not grasp the meaning of the word "Is."

Barack Obama, as well as all of the other Democratic candidates - including Hillary Clinton - agreed to remove their names from the ballot in Michigan.  However, at the last minute, Billary had the name of their favorite candidate re-added (3 guesses and the first two don't count) .  Voters were faced with voting for either Hillary Clinton or "Undecided."  The result was 55% for Clinton and 45% for that other guy.  A more revealing factoid is:  The normal turnout for a presidential primary in Michigan is about 3 million (this year primary election turnout has consistently exceeded norms and in many instances set new records), however, the turnout for this year's Michigan primary was only about 600,000.  Most voters did not bother to show up at the polls because they knew that their vote would not count.

There is some speculation that Hillary's bizarre insistence on remaining in the race and continuing her harmful attacks on the Democratic Front-Runner is motivated by her own diabolical plan to take the White House in 2012.  According to many Democratic pundits, Hillary intends to so damage Obama that he cannot win in November.  John McCain will then win and become president, however, when he is up for re-election in 2012, he will be 76 years old and easy pickings for the Clinton Machine.  The Lioness hunts on.

Calvin

SEE WHAT I AM SAYING

The following 3 part video was  compiled, edited, produced, directed and engineered by:
Calvin G. Sims.

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Hillary Clinton: The Lioness Hunts, Part 1 of 3 - CLICK HERE to View

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Hillary Clinton: The Lioness Hunts, Part 2 of 3 - CLICK HERE to View

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Hillary Clinton: The Lioness Hunts, Part 3 of 3 - CLICK HERE to View

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Calvin G. Sims is editor-in-chief of Conservatives For Obama.  He is also the founder and executive director of StoryTellers of the American Frontier.  A prolific author, lecturer and master storyteller, Calvin can usually be found in schools and on college & university campuses across America.  Email Calvin at askcal@calvingsims.com.

  

If you can't see the pictures or videos, please CLICK HERE

Special Thanks to Ms. Trina Lomax who teaches at Austell Primary School in Cobb County, Georgia

                                                                      

                                          ...and a little child shall lead them...Isaiah 11:6

                 
Almost everyone gets these email messages, you know, the ones that are forwarded.  Even if you intended to read them, you often have to page through an endless stream of recipients that someone thought wanted to get the message before you.  Most of the time I just delete them without reading them.  Sometimes, I even ask the people to "Stop sending me this stuff!"  Sometimes they actually do, for a while.

This morning, however, I got a forwarded message and the subject line grabbed my attention.  One word in the subject related to that which is most important in the Universe to me, Children.  The second word related to that subject which lately has captured my interest and attention more than any thing else.  I was so moved by it, that I have included it here:

FW: A Child's Letter to Barack Obama

NUFF SAID!!!
Calvin

SEE WHAT I AM SAYING

   *** WORTH REPEATING ***

Long (13 minutes) But very, very much worth watching

...and my FAVORITE

Links Relative to This Article

And The Children Shall Lead Them

Kids for Obama - Home Page

Daddy Dearest: Rudy Giuliani's daughter is supporting Barack Obama

Kids Pushing Parents to Back Barack Obama

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Calvin G. Sims is editor-in-chief of Conservatives For Obama.  He is also the founder and executive director of StoryTellers of the American Frontier.  A prolific author, lecturer and master storyteller, Calvin can usually be found in schools and on college & university campuses across America.  Email Calvin at askcal@calvingsims.com.

  

If you can't see pictures and videos, please CLICK HERE



                 
Jeremiah Wright, Bill Ayers, Louis Farrakhan, or even Judas Iscariot - are all attempts to smear the CHARACTER of Barack Obama.  As he has said himself, it is the tactic of Status Quo politicians to run their campaigns by diverting the attention of voters away from the important issues and on to the most unimportant nuances of an opposing candidate's personal life.  Politicians will drag out the most insignificant detail about an opponent's life with the objective of tearing down voters opinion of that opponent.

Trouble is, the content of these attacks have little if anything to do with the issues that really should and do matter to voters.  Whether Barack Obama attended Rev. Wright's church will not lower gas prices.  Gas prices are much more important than who a presidential candidate prays with.  Because gas prices are high, the price of everything that is transported by vehicles powered by gas is negatively affected.  Because gas prices are high, the price of virtually everything else is higher.  This increase in cost affects employment.  Because of higher gas prices, employers experience higher overhead and therefore cut back on wages, raises, hiring and employment levels.  Higher gas prices cost jobs.  Loss of jobs cause many individuals to lose their ability to pay their mortgages.  They then lose their homes and we have a mortgage crisis on our hands.  And that's just gas prices.  That does not even begin to discuss the negative ramifications of 2 wars, health care crises, recession, failing educational systems, rising unemployment and on and on...

With all of that going on, why does Sean Hannity start and end his "NEWS" program talking about Jeremiah Wright?

I have another question.  If Jeremiah Wright and Bill Ayers and even others are all that you have against Barack Obama, doesn't he still come out smelling like a rose when compared to Hillary Clinton or most any other politician?

We, the American people, must WAKE-UP.  We must no longer fall prey to the Status Quo politicians who run their campaigns by diverting our attention to non-issues.  It is time for a change.  It is time for us to choose a leader who resists the tradition of deceiving the people.  We need a leader who is willing to do what is right and not just what is politically correct.
 
                
Barack has been forced to defend the most ridiculous attacks when he would much rather stay on message and deal with the bread and butter issues that Americans are really concerned about.  We must not allow the likes of Bill O'Rielly and Sean Hannity and Carl Rove to reduce this presidential election to a Soap Opera.  If we do, we ALL lose.

I have included an article that is not about Jeremiah Wright or anyone else.  It is about a small insignificant apparel item that speaks volumes about Barack Obama's character.

Calvin

Pins and Panders

By Richard Cohen

Sometimes I think the best thing about Barack Obama is that little empty space on his lapel. It is where other politicians wear their American flag pin, a kitschy piece of empty symbolism that tells you nothing about that particular person except that he or she thinks like everyone else. Obama's flag, invisible to the naked eye, is the Jolly Roger of a politician thinking for himself.

The flag pin issue arose last fall when someone noticed that Obama was campaigning in the patriotic nude. Following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, wearing the pin had become de rigueur for politicians. Obama too had worn the pin but had taken it off when he started "noticing people wearing a lapel pin, but not acting very patriotic." Some of these people, he said unconvincingly, were not voting for veterans' benefits and the like -- "not voting to make sure that disability payments were coming out on time."

I suspect more to the point -- and much more important than votes on veterans' issues -- was Obama's sense that the flag pin, rather than representing patriotism, was an emblem of conformity and hypocrisy. Richard Nixon, for instance, sported one while undermining the Constitution and, in private, cursing all sorts of minority groups. And history does not record if his vice president, Spiro T. Agnew, took his off on the solemn occasions when he received bribes in the White House. Somehow, the flag pin did not improve the character of either man.

Obama better expressed his feelings later in the campaign when he was asked by ABC's Charlie Gibson why he didn't sport the lapel pin and he answered, if I may paraphrase, that the flag flew in his heart.

"Well, look, I revere the American flag," he said. "And I would not be running for president if I did not revere this country. I would not be standing here if it wasn't for this country. And I've said this -- again, there's no other country in which my story is even possible." He is, as countless foreigners will attest, a resplendent emblem of American possibilities.

Many people will read a lot of meaning into Obama's refusal to wear the pin. Some will see it as a lack of patriotism, an emotional distance from the country that has served him so well. Others, such as me, will see it as an expression of cool, the statement of a candidate who wants to be president but not at the cost to his intellectual integrity. And still others (me again) will see it as Obama's push-back, his reluctance to do something simply because it is demanded of him.

An allergy to cant can be an admirable quality in a politician, although not necessarily a politically smart one. Obama, for example, is right to label Hillary Clinton's proposal to have the government lift the gas tax this summer as "a classic Washington gimmick." Still, gimmicks like this win votes.

If Obama is going to be the Democratic nominee, such eruptions of common sense could cost him. For instance, he got an A on my Ethanol Test of Political Integrity for telling Tim Russert that "if it turns out that we've got to make changes in our ethanol policy to help people get something to eat, then that's got to be the step we take." Such candor may not go down well in the Farm Belt. Obama did not exactly denounce government ethanol subsidies and he did praise the biofuel as "an important transitional tool for us to start dealing with our long-term energy crisis," but what was refreshingly missing was the usual pander about the consummate (and mostly fictional) virtues of ethanol.

This column would itself be an exercise in pander if it did not acknowledge that, on occasion, Obama can practice the old politics with the best of them. He's been all over the place on gun control and he's been backpedaling and fudging about Jeremiah Wright for some time. After all, it was back in January that the Obama campaign was informed that Wright had praised Louis Farrakhan to high heaven, ignoring the Nation of Islam leader's anti-Semitism -- and not just recently, as Obama has said.

Still, it is bracing to see a presidential candidate recoil, for the most part, from the orthodoxies of pander. In this regard, the lack of a flag pin has become an important sign of Obama's desire to think for himself. For all it says about Obama, I salute it.

SEE WHAT I AM SAYING

After watching:  Do you see how much energy these two men are expending as if this lapel pin is the most important issue of the day.  Neither is wearing one.

One thing is very clear.  At this point Hillary Clinton is desperate,  and the Clinton's are ruthless.  There are also members of the Republican old guard and their surrogates, such as Rush Limbaugh and Fox News - who are powerful in their use of the media to sway public opinion. 

Obama has to walk on egg shells from now on.  He will rarely be attacked based on issues, but every word uttered by him, anyone in his campagn or anyone who he has ever come into contact with will be scrutinized for potential use in attacking the Democratic front runner.  Beware!!!

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Calvin G. Sims is editor-in-chief of Conservatives For Obama.  He is also the founder and executive director of StoryTellers of the American Frontier.  A prolific author, lecturer and master storyteller, Calvin can usually be found in schools and on college & university campuses across America.  Email Calvin at askcal@calvingsims.com.

  

if you can't see the pictures or videos; PLEASE CLICK HERE
              

                                                                        40 Years ago today

As I write today, April 4, 2008, many in our nation are reflecting on the 40th anniversary of the assasination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  Under overcast and intermittently rainy skies in Atlanta, the birthplace that Dr. King and I share, I am looking through my office window and I see a sight that has become all to common in America today.  I watch as two young Black men dash from a car and into house across the street from me.  Both these young men are holding newspapers above their heads with one hand and in the other hand they are holding their pants to keep them from falling all the way down as they run.  I can imagine, though they are too far away for me to verify, that they are both wearing at least one earring.

The sagging pants, the earrings, the tattoos, the bling-bling and other acutraments of hip hop (hereinafter referred to as "the culture") fare are but the tip of the iceberg among young people who subscribe to the cultural pandemic.  The hip hop scene has many other symbols. rituals and customs.  Many of them are devastating to our nation's youth.

         When the Student is Ready, the Teacher Will Appear by Calvin G. Sims, Sr.

As I mention in my book, “When the Student is Ready, the Teacher Will Appear,”  culture is fluid.  What I meant by that is when a behavior originates in one group, whether that group is defined by class, race, gender, nationality, language or any other discerneable characteristic, said behavior rarely stays within that group.  Cultural behaviors migrate and bleed and often proliferate in a group other than the group from which the behavior originated.  This migration is capable of bridging language, age, gender, ethinicity and even continents.  If that behavior is dangerous, negative or undesirable, we cannot afford to feel relief if that behavior currently resides among a group other than the group with which we most identify.  Just because OUR children are not doing it, there is no reason to assume that they will no