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rock the block for Barack
10/02/2008 6:56 AM by John M
There will be a neighborhood picnic and get out the vote drive on Saturday Oct.4th from 1-5 PM at 35th and East Marshall Streets. Come and meet your neighbors! Bring a dish or drink to share (if you can), register to vote (if you need to), and learn how you can Help Obama Bring About Real Change in Washington!
Also, the campaign is looking for volunteers for this weekend’s voter registration drives. Call 1-877-850-2008 to volunteer Saturday or Sunday (the last weekend for registering voters).
TAGGED: Obama
sounds great! But I encourage folks to register NOW if they can, and not wait until the last day possible.
For all fairness, is there a similar drive for McCain as well?
NOBAMA – KEEP THE CHANGE.
Steven – go for it if you want to organize a McCain party! I’m sure they would welcome your help.
Wow! Will we all learn a song and post it on youtube? I can really feel Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad shake in his boots knowing we got Church Hill caroling about change.
Here’s my angle for change! Pick up some trash, paint your fence and shake your neighbors hand. Washington will do NOTHING for you.
Whoa Now WhoDat!!! What do you mean Washington will do NOTHING for me? Isn’t Washington about to take over my mortgage because those vipers on Wall St. made me buy a house I couldn’t afford?
@ Steven: I haven’t heard about anything, or I would have posted it.
“…learn how you can Help Obama Bring About Real Change in Washington!”
He’s changed his position on so many of his original platform issues that I fear that the “change” will be so watered down that it won’t help any of us that much.
People for Obama need to hold his feet to the flames and make him stick to his original platform instead of compromising just to win votes.
Good commentary:
http://blog.newsweek.com/blogs/stumper/archive/2008/09/29/darman-ask-not-what-you-can-do-for-barack-obama-ask-what-barack-obama-can-do-for-you.aspx
Will we be able to get our pitbulls spayed or neutered?
Do rallies like this mean that Virginia might go “blue”? Who knew that Ole Virginny could roll like that!!!
Thanks John. I know you would if there was one. Not that I am advocating one or another candidate right now, just wanted to be diplomatic.
I do have a serious question though and PLEASE no one take it personally because this is a pretty loaded one.
I see and hear it all day long and when you work around African Americans you get a better sense of where they are coming from. Are blacks for Obama because of his skin color “first” and then his position on issues second… or not? I have a feeling that many people in Richmond are leaning for Obama because of race first without thinking about anything else. That is just plain stupid if they are!
Again, not that I am or am not for McCain and/or Obama… just making an observation statement here and I could be wrong.
If Obama were not already the most qualified candidate, your concern could have some validity.
However, Obama presents the possibility for 21st-Century Leadership and McCain is still stuck in the muck and mud of the 20th-Century.
In the interest of fairness, why have you not asked if women will see Palin’s gender first and then her positions?
The women I know are offended that Palin has been put on display and is so achingly in over her head.
Not so, with Obama. Obama has a broad base that is getting bigger by the minute not because he is a black man, but because he is smart and wise.
GetRealRichmond…
A valid concern and true as well with female voters. But with Obama I get vibes (and whispers) that that many African Americans just want him in the office to “make a statement” for the black race – to put the first black man in office in hopes he would address black concerns over any major across the board concerns. I know, that is shallow thinking but still get that vibe by seeing who is supporting him both in high profile as well as around the corner Church Hill and from some people I hear speaking openly.
Don’t even get me started about Palin… what a joke. Would have personally like to have seen Clinton as Obama’s running mate if she wanted the position, and heard she didn’t.
For me it isn’t about race or gender… it is about who is the most qualified and the one who addresses “my” issue concerns – which are not racially driven.
To clarify… yes, I know Palin is McCain’s running mate but my statement about Clinton may have sounded like I though she could have been instead of Palin.
I don’t care if there is a Jewish Transvestite named Juan from Mongolia in the White House as long as they have the smarts to run the country without personal bias motives and get “everyone” back on their feet!
Obama hasn’t shown me a thing, but then neither has McCain. As for the VP candidates – I can’t in good conscience vote for either.
I’ll leave the decision to those who do vote for president and I’ll cast my vote for senator for Mark Warner and possibly Cantor and let things go at that.
A pox on both national tickets and their campaigns.
As for GetReal’s comments:
Nonsense to you as well. If it were not for race why would a “Rock the vote for Obama” be held in largely black cities around the country.
Why not in the depths of Bon Air or Midlothian? You KNOW the answer to that.
sorry the should have read “also in Bon Air and …”
True Bud Tugly *AND* high profile blacks rallying for him too. You can’t say there isn’t some underlying motive. Just take the blinders off and look around. Enough said.
Steven,
Blacks are not for Obama just because he is black. If blacks merely supported someone because of his/her skin color then how come I’ve never met a black person that supports/supported or likes Condolezza Rice or Judge Clarence? Trust me, if McCain was black, most democrats, black or white, would not vote for him. Blacks just like whites vote on the issues that pertain to their families, neighborhood, town, etc.
I’m a woman and during the primaries I leaned towards Obama, not the woman candidate, Hillary Clinton. Why? Because I saw Hillary as a war hawk who was purchased by the health care industries. Although I look forward to the day we have a woman president, just being female won’t win my vote.
Some black people may be voting for Obama because he’s black, some might not. If that’s enough to get someone off their ass who hasn’t voted for a few years, then so be it. It’s no different than Christian conservatives voting for Bush, women rooting for Hillary, Alaskans voting for Palin, etc. Obama and Hillary are largely the same in terms of their policies. It’s other differences that often make voters feel passionate enough to buy a bumper sticker, spend the time to vote before work, blah blah. This is nothing new.
“…Alaskans voting for Palin”
I wonder if they’re going to bring in their wolf paws to pull Palin levers in the voting booth.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQobIUE1zTU&feature=related
#19:
Are you kidding? For the first time ever, the black community actually has a viable, qualified candidate that will probably win the election. Who would have though in our lifetime? Many of my black friends are still pinching themselves and also frightened that it may not happen. There is so much hope where there was none for so many years.
Yes, I agree that it’s not just about color, but it IS a big part of the issue for many blacks. More than ever, there are blacks that will actually vote. There are folks that are actually going out of their way to find out if they are eligible to vote (because of previous conviction, etc.).
This is huge for the African American community. And yes, Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson were both jokes, even in the black community. Nobody rallied around those clowns.
But to say that color as NOTHING to do with it is ridiculous.
To talk about Black folks that will vote for Obama because he is Black without talking about folks that will not vote for Obama because he is Black is just not speaking openly about the deeply rooted racism in our country.
It seems that people discount the ability of African-Americans to choose the candidate that best represents their beliefs and interests beyond the color of the candidates skin color.
While immediately justifying their own bias when voting for McCain. “It’s not that he is Black, he is just so liberal.” Yeah. And McCain is such a maverick, while voting with W 90% of the time.
To say color has NOTHING to with it is equally ridiculous no matter what you skin color is.
#22, I didn’t say, “that color as Nothing to do with it.” You misread my post. Also read my post in relation to #11.
Convicted felons, illegal aliens,dead people, and fictional characters, please arrive early and plan on bringing at least two invalid addresses. People from out of state are especially encouraged to register!
gray… I respect your comment in #19 and Bill, I also respect yours in # 23 and something I guess I just figured was common knowledge here in the south about the white conservative angle.
Watching parts of the debates last night here is my spin… Palin came off as a likable person – someone you would like as a friend but good guys end last and even if she had more confidence last night and not paranoid about answering scripted interview questions, she did not address several direct questions or counter opinions to them. She kept zeroing into the one subject she knows and her comfort zone – energy.
Like when she was asked about her stance on same sex issues, Palin danced all around the question except for stating she is definitely opposed to same sex marriages. Yet she eluded she was also opposed to them having equal rights across the board in everyday issues which brings back that Christian fundamentalist factor into leadership in the country that should be left at the doorstep separating church and state. Yes, this country was developed with that as a part of it but one leader’s personal view on religion should not be shoved down everyone’s throat so certain sects of the population suffers.
Biden on the other hand was quick, knowledgeable, confident, complete in his answers and overall gave the best impression as a ready to go leader. I liked what he had to say and wasn’t bored with his responses.
The only sticking point for me with the Obama ticket is the War issue. Though there needs to be an end with our involvement in Iraq, not having troops in that region of the world would be a misstep with our own national security. Shift the focus on other nations such as Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, or North Korea and yes, even Russia. Just don’t become an old fashioned draft card burner from the 60s who thinks “talk” and give peace a chance will work in this day and age.
Now, put Morgan Freeman in as President and Biden as VP and we have a ticket 🙂 Yes, I am being facetious but Morgan Freeman has played so many black president roles that I kind of like him 😉
Unfortunately you can’t mix and match a ticket.
You may disagree with me, and I do not intend to try to convince those who do not agree with my view, but here goes:
I don’t remember the African American getting real excited about Al Sharpton, or Jesse Jackson, or Wilder when they ran for president. Obama is different; he seems to offer a real solutions to many problems facing not just the African American community, but the also the working class of American. It is this difference that has people so excited.
I see Obama tee shirts everywhere I go. I see kids getting excited about Obama. Whether you support Obama or not, you would be blind not to notice the excitement his candidancy has produced.
The fact that the African American community has shown such solidarity behind this man made me realize just how disenfranchised this segment has felt all these years. And now, this year is different.
RE: 27 – “The fact that the African American community has shown such solidarity behind this man made me realize just how disenfranchised this segment has felt all these years. And now, this year is different.”
Well said. Personal association isn’t everything, but it never hurts when it comes to starting the ball rolling and stimulating interest.
“I see Obama tee shirts everywhere I go. I see kids getting excited about Obama. Whether you support Obama or not, you would be blind not to notice the excitement his candidancy has produced.”
This is what has me excited this year. I’m too libertarian for the Libertarian Party, so I don’t have a dog in this fight, but I am loving the excitement. Power 92 set up a huge voter registration drive all day at the coliseum last week, and they stayed busy.
I taught correctional ed for many years, and this is the first election since 1992 that I don’t have a social studies class to hype up. I am so jealous I’m about to start dragging kids in off the streetcorners to talk politics.
#29 You make me so feel so blessed that my children have already graduated from high school and that you are no longer teaching. Thanks for your post, it made my day!
Post # 30–what a disturbing thing to say.
Why would you feel thankful that an enthusiastic teacher, who is actually interested in energizing students and getting them to think, is not teaching?
I did not read in Anne’s post that she was stoked about telling kids how to think.
I read that would have been thrilled to get kids talking and thinking.
Big difference.
By the way, your sarcasm was revolting–you should be ashamed of yourself.
Maybe eclk doesn’t like Libertarians?
Clay Street – I second that emotion.
The ugly comments are so SO draining.
WHY?
Teachers rarely teach, especially social studies and history, without predjudice. If a “teacher” is “loving the excitement” of the Obama campaign (there has never been excitement regarding a presidential campaign before 2008?), then I would say Anne would be teaching with biased. That is one less educator we need in our already flawed school system. Anne, I don’t like the VEA. Were you “too Libertarian” to bypass your membership in that organization?
Yes, I was, eclk. I was also too libertarian for public schools.
I have a feeling you and I have more in common than you think.
Then kudos to you, Anne, and a mea culpa.
Umm, history and social studies are and will always be constructs–are they not the perpective of the majority, and therefore inherently biased?
Would you rather kids passively accept the narrative, or, like me, do you want them thinking, even if you may not agree with it 100%?
eclk… that is a problem with teachers today. They don’t seem to be governed by any standard school board rules as to what and how to teach in an un-bias nature. But on the other hand government is allowing this too by trying to be politically correct and not step on anyone’s toes.
I know this is off subject but at the same time can be related… take Christmas for example. Not “holiday” but Christmas. You didn’t have to be careful about the day of celebration from when it was introduced into the US until only a couple of years ago. Everyone seemed to be fine with it for centuries so why all of the sudden do we have to let a few people who wish to celebrate their own way dictate how our country should or should not be run and how we celebrate? Do they also dictate what history to also teach in schools and how it is taught?
Clay… is your comment touching on the issue of today’s buzzword “helicopter” teacher (parent)? I ask because if you are advocating a system where kids need to “think” rather than have everything handed to them by teachers and parents for fear of failure then I agree. It is bad enough we are raising a bunch of overweight video game playing couch potatoes. I mean come on. When I grew up in the late 50s and in public school from 1962-1975, you did not have such issues. You did your homework and that was that! Teachers had the ability to discipline and there wasn’t any slackers. Just look at the bunch of slobs attending schools today. What ever happened to dress codes? I mean if we showed up in t-shirts, shorts and flip-flops we would have been sent home on suspension! Besides, it is unsanitary. Kids need to take on “responsibility” and not play their elders as servants to them and elders not be afraid of their kids. There is too much government “helicopter” protection over kids these days which hasn’t made things better but overall worse.
Back to politics on Church Hill 🙂
One by one all of our core values and traditions this country was built on and lived with unaltered for years seem to be fading away one by one because of a handful of people.
Eric
Steven, if you listen to media, it would seem that Christmas is not celebrated in schools but the opposite is true. The public schools my children have attended in Richmond are decked with trees, wreaths, and Santa Clauses. Christmas videos are shown, tree ornaments made in classes, and Secret Santa gift exchanges are held. Kawanzaa is another holiday that was covered well in the schools. What was missing was any mention of the jewish or muslim holidays that occured at the same time as Christmas and Kawanzaa last year. I believe all the holidays should be covered -it’s a great way to introduce various languages, histories, customs, and cultures from around the world to children.
#26:
“Like when she was asked about her stance on same sex issues, Palin danced all around the question except for stating she is definitely opposed to same sex marriages.”
FYI – Obama and Biden are also against same sex marriages. Both parties believe in civil agreements among same sex partners, but feel that the “marriage” part should be left to the states.
Not surprising for McCain and Palin, but really a cop out for Obama and Biden. When will people stop being afraid or threatened by a same sex couple being married? Who cares? It’s not anyone’s business but the couples’. Why shouldn’t they enjoy the same rights as the rest of us? Is love and lifetime commitment exclusive to heterosexuals only?
I attended my sister’s and her partner’s wedding this summer. My whole family, including my parents, attended. Like most weddings, it was a joyous event. Finally, after years of my sister’s support of our family – attending weddings, baptisms, funerals, anniversaries,etc., we were able to honor her and her partner on their special day.
Again, Obama supporters, you need to ask him the hard questions and demand better from him. It is not acceptable that he does not support same sex marriages. And, as I said earlier, he has watered down many of his original stances on policy change in Washington. It is our jobs as voters to make sure that he follows through with the change that he keeps peddling.
hillkid, Karl Rove has scared politicians away from taking a stand on same sex marriage for years to come.
“…a stand in support of….”
#42:
Karl Schmarl, I think they should ban skin-colored hair.
Gray, when I taught, and granted it wasn’t a public school, we had an art competition and decorated the classroom doors for all of the major winter holidays: Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, Ramadan (this was in the late 1990s so it was in December) and Solstice.
We actually used Kwanzaa for social skills class because there are so many great ways to tie the principles into a social skills lesson. On the first day of the unit, I had a kid — a black kid — say “Oh, no! Not me! If World War One taught us anything, it’s that you can’t trust the Chinese! I’m not celebrating Kwanzaa!” It’s one of my all-time favorite student comments. Needless to say, he was new to my class or he wouldn’t have been so confused. 😉
hillkid… I hear you. I know both do not support same sex marriage but Obama does support things like life rights with partners such as property ownership, insurance benefits, health care, etc… and when Palin was asked she looked uncomfortable to answer and made it a point to say she wasn’t opposed to medical with “ifs” but did not commit to any other linked benefits for couples even if they are not married. Biden tried to push her to commit to a similar response but she stumbled and then started a rant about not supporting same sex marriages. Her reply and how she reacted was a disaster in my eyes and only came away with her thinking that gays have no rights to benefits..
Anne.. cute response from the kid about Kawanzaa.
It really doesn’t matter what Obama or Palin believe. They don’t make the laws. Congress does and at the end of the day, more than likely will go with what their constituents dictate. As they just did with this so called “bail out” Bill.
I mean Obama/Biden or McCain/Palin.
I honestly believe that if the Democratic Party had a guy like Obama, but with white skin, he would be the party’s nominee.
I also believe that if Hillary had kicked Bill to the curb for his REPEATED affairs, not just for Monica, she would have commanded far greater respect among women AND men. Unfortunately, she allowed her strength and character to be subsumed by his silly-ass.
#49: What? Obama IS the Democratic party nominee.
Secondly, the stuff you say about Hillary is bullshit.
God, and to think that you are representative of the voting public. Yikes!
Lets start by admitting the war must be won. We need oil, and McCain and Palin are promising to provide us with it, whether we take it (war) or drill (baby, drill) for it. Either way, the idea that either candidate will provide substantive change for any of us is a joke. It’s mcsame vs nobama.
Let’s roll!
Thanks for throwing this! We had a great time!
Yes, I am sure you need more oil for your Hummer.
Maybe if Americans were not such wasteful consumers, who over-use the world’s resources without any sense of shame, we woud not be in such a crisis.
The Iraq war was not and is not some humanitarian intervention–it was and is about oil for America.
If we really got the ball rolling on alternative energy sources (as well as demanding industry energy standards to reduce consumption and waste) maybe we wouldn’t have to routinely be engaged in military conflicts (that I as a taxpayer am forced to support).
As you know Virginia and Ohio are two of the most important battleground states in the Nation this election cycle.
This weekend the Obama/Warner campaign needs supports to spare just a few hours of their volunteer time (approx. 2 hours).
Below is the canvass location for Church Hill area.
Please pick a time a day that works best for you and your friends and family.
Just 4 weeks to change the next 4 years!
Chimborazo Park (near the Museum)
3215 E. Broad St.
Times: Saturday (10am,3pm) Sunday (3pm)
Contact: Kristen at (804)306-3305
How do I get yard signs for Obama and Warner?
Bill Clinton is coming to Richmond on Sunday. See him speak at VCU. Free.
Ruth – You can get Obama signs at the headquarters in Carver.
This site made me laugh. And they also have yard signs, which is what made me think of this thread.
http://www.thatone08.com/
i saw clinton speak promoting Obama Sunday night and it was invigorating.it’s interesting how now both candidates are speaking about change yet people say they see no change. Obama’s speaks of lowering education costs which is important to all of us especially young adults. he knows what to do when in power. He is a gentleman and intellegent, definately a man i would want speaking for me. There were about 5,00 people there and all were ready to volunteer for the campaign. If we don’t change the path we are headed down, we are clearly headed for a quick demise. i think. the first time i voted was in ’92 for Clinton, also bringing us out of a Bush regime. Obama’s got that young vote and VA is going BLUE!
We made our own Obama yard sign 🙂
No thanks to any of the above. I do not trust either candidate AND as we well know (even though we blame every President we have ever had for the state of our finaces, health care, war, etc…)He/she is just a figurehead. Congress is in control. Look at that nasty pork barrel bailout to see who is running what. WE the poeple are paying for all of it and WE will continue to pay unless we put people in government that seriously care about WE the people. You can go to any website and pull up the candidates voting record…that says it all! If you don’t have serious problems with their voting record then we really should be scared!
Got to thinking that maybe I should say something about that That One site I posted. My grandmother used to call people That One when she was unhappy about something. Like, “If That One would ever come to the table when she was called, maybe her dinner wouldn’t be cold!”
I perceived the McCain comment as funny in a generational way, not in a racially diminutive way – which would not, of course, be the least bit amusing.
Thanks for letting me clarify.