Tuesday, March 11, 2008

A Must Read


If you haven't read this month's RollingStone, you must read it.

In allegiance to my journalism background and in the face of full disclosure - I have to admit that I have one very close personal friend who worked on Obama's staff for almost two years and is almost assured a political appointment, and her husband is a leader in his Virginia campaign and both are my children's Godparents. And, another close friend is the Executive Director of the Alabama Democratic party and a Clinton delegate.

I have not told anyone who I voted for in the primary, and will not ever.

"Hillary's Last Stand: The tragic self-martyrdom of a groundbreaking politician" by Matt Taibbi is right on point. Those of you who know my politics well, know that I have been a Hillary fan when being a Hillary fan wasn't cool. I became disappointed when she voted to authorize military force in Iraq. I remember thinking. . . what? et tu Hillary?

I DO feel betrayed by her, but also feel an obligation to follow her wherever she goes - she IS after all, my role model - the woman who stood up and said, YES - it's perfectly ok for women to be strong, to work in a man's world, and be a role model for their children - and their children will grow up to be perfectly good citizens and happy healthy human beings, despite what people say ~ But, does the woman I want to be, vote for war?

"The Machinery of Hope: Inside the grass-roots operation of Barack Obama, who is transforming the way political campaigns are run" by Tim Dickinson, comes as close as anything to convincing me that there IS something to this man - there is more than campaign rheortic.

There is another thing that is moving me, really and truely moving me~ The young people that I know who are passionate about Obama. Even Robert McNamara later admitted that he was moved by the young people on college campuses and their protests in his book In Retrospect: The Tragedy and Lessons of Vietnam.

WE MUST LISTEN TO THE YOUNG PEOPLE.

In another related matter ~~

I am the proud owner of a Stephen Fairey poster - One of the original 350! Obama fan or not - this is one the coolest things I've ever owned ~ third, maybe - to my signed Samuel Mockbee poster and Jennifer Bonner original~



4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I am excited by how little race and gender are playing a part in this race!

My hesitation with Hillary would be that if she gets the nomination, we'd know from day one that if she becomes president, we are "going to the mattresses" for the next 8 years. I don't know if I can stomach 8 more years of that kind of diviseness.

Neither candidate offers any sign of recognizing the humanity of Palestinian people who are suffering horribly at this point in history.

May the best man, or woman, win!

~Judy

Melissa Foster Denney said...

JUDY!~ I think of you often. I couldn't agree more about the Race Gender thing AND Hill's diviseness - people love or hate her and there's no inbetween.

GREAT to see you.

Cheesecake Maven said...

Two great candidates, I just hope the brutal fight to the end doesn't hurt the democrats in November! We CANNOT let John McCain win. I will go door to door for whichever of the two wins the nomination. People keep saying that if Hillary wins, we get Bill too! Well, if Obama wins, we get Michelle too, and she's a smart, tough woman, the country will move forward with either choice.

Cheesecake Maven said...

Guess what?! I'm going to the Iowa State Democratic Convention this June as an Obama delegate!!!!