Circus McClurkus

A couple of weekends ago, I had the pleasure of manning the O-Train booth at Circus McGurkus, a liberal St. Pete park festival. Gena Keebler, our Visibility Committee chair, did a wonderful job organizing and coordinating our presence, the net result being yet more local positive exposure for our favorite candidate with many O-Train volunteer signups.

For the past two weeks, another circus has enamored the mainstream media, this one involving a controversy over the appearance of gospel singer and minister Donnie McClurkin at an Obama fundraiser in South Carolina.

Obama met Donnie McClurkin last December at an HIV/AIDS summit for Rick Warren's Saddleback Church in California. McClurkin is lowly-regarded within the GLBT community for declaring himself a "reformed" homosexual, and views sexual orientation as a choice rather than genetic pre-disposition.

Consequently, Obama's selection of McClurkin as a headliner in his gospel concert raised not only cash, but the ire of many gays across the country. The blogosphere was lit up by condemnations of Obama, in what was seen as a deeply offensive promotion of a homophobic hypocrite. There was a call within the GLBT community to uninvite McClurkin, a move Obama was understandably reluctant to make. Instead, the Senator invited an openly-gay minister to perform the convocation and issued the following statement:

I have clearly stated my belief that gays and lesbians are our brothers and sisters and should be provided the respect, dignity, and rights of all other citizens. I have consistently spoken directly to African-American religious leaders about the need to overcome the homophobia that persists in some parts our community so that we can confront issues like HIV/AIDS and broaden the reach of equal rights in this country.

I strongly believe that African Americans and the GLBT community must stand together in the fight for equal rights. And so I strongly disagree with Reverend McClurkin’s views and will continue to fight for these rights as President of the United States to ensure that America is a country that spreads tolerance instead of division.

As an act of damage-control, these olive-branches were useful in repairing the breach. Obama later acknowledged his campaign had not vetted McClurkin on his gay and lesbian views as much as the Senator would have liked. That said, South Carolina is a very winnable state for our candidate, and McClurkin was a prize draw, many attendees saying their donation was based, in some measure, on the Grammy-winning minister participating in the concert. Further, the black vote is a key demographic within the state, making up 70% of the Democratic electorate. The black evangelical community was largely responsible for the 30% of the black vote Bush received there in 2004.

Predictably, a modest protest was assembled outside the concert on the part of the gay community, with Obama (who was not in attendance) again later reiterating his message of inclusion and painting the parallels in the struggle for racial equality and gay rights.

My take on the whole hubbub would be it is ridiculous to hold Obama to a standard that says everyone his campaign invokes for support has to be in idealogical lockstep with him on every issue. It is the very fact that nearly everyone can find elements of his message they can agree with is what accounts for his broad base of support. No doubt votes will be lost within the GLBT community as a result of the flap, regardless of the Senator's attempt to placate those offended. Those votes are theoretically made up for by evangelical independents, who will see Obama's firm stand as a victory for their viewpoint.

As usual with our candidate, everyone can take away something be happy about, even if not getting everything they were looking for. Let's hope that message has enough breadth to persuade those looking for a unifying candidate, at a time when America should be fully fed up with combative politics, that Obama is their man.

Obama is WristStrong & an Emotional Magnet

(Thefos and bobnbob's most excellent Obama adventure series)

Before I delve into my recent Obama experience, I feel that I must emphasize 3 points. Let’s call them “disclaimers,” shall we?

1. I think about Barack Obama and how campaigning must be taking a toll on him and his family. I think that Barack must be desperately missing his girls and that they probably do not understand the magnitude of what he is doing. They probably just want to sit on their daddy’s lap, maybe read a book together or just play with him. I imagine him trying to balance his job as a Senator with the demands of campaigning and time with his family. I think that his family is getting the short end of the stick; at least temporarily.

2. I believe that Barack is a brilliant man who understands the United States Constitution inside and out. He also understands the importance of a simple hello, thank you or handshake and what it means to the average citizen on the street. I think that his background in community organizing prepared him to connect with the average citizen. He understands that people want to touch him and he recognizes that he is an emotional magnet.

3. Last but not least, I am not bossy and I will tell all my friends and family to tell you that, so rules apply to everyone else but me. Yes, I am the exception. Our country will be much better off when everyone comes to terms with this final disclaimer.

As proud Florida Democrats, bobnbob and I are working hard to help elect Senator Barack Obama as the next President of the United States, not the President of Florida. So, if Senator Obama needs us to organize fundraisers, volunteer on the net or on the ground to help him compete and win the 4 early primary states, then that is what we'll do.

Our all-volunteer team is called the Tampa Bay O – Train. Under the leadership of Frank Sanchez, we had gracious hosts on both sides of the bay, local leaders and volunteers on the ground at the airport, on sidewalks in St. Pete and volunteers in place in both host homes. The O - Train was ready to welcome Senator Barack Obama back to the Tampa Bay area on Sunday, September 30, 2007. This was his first trip back here since last April.

I arrived at the first host home just in time to put out our O – Train signs and then settled in at the registration desk. The street was closed off, the Tampa police and SS (Secret Service) had everything covered.

After the bomb sniffing dog did one final sweep of the area, someone pointed out a small group of people on the front porch of a house across the street. I grabbed some signs and crossed the street and asked these porch dwellers if they were Obama supporters. When they said yes, I asked them if they wanted to hold signs on the sidewalk as Obama was soon to arrive. They jumped at the chance. One SS Agent, understood what I was doing, but another one was trying to order these people off their own property. I told the neighbors that if they “went down the street a little bit, you never know, Obama might stop and say hi.” They were very excited, so I took some pictures of them on the street.
Right after I snapped these pictures, I went back to the registration table. If only I would have stayed a minute or two longer, I could have taken some pictures when Obama's motorcade stopped and he shook their hands and thanked them. I had never met these people before so I had no idea what an impact this made on the 3 teenage boys in the picture. I received this email from the mom of one of them the next morning:

"It was good to meet you yesterday as you were helping out with the fundraiser on Orleans. My son, Grant, and the two young men who are being mentored as part of the Big Brother program were very excited to meet Senator Obama. One of the boys said he was never going to wash his hand after shaking hands with the Senator! It was a great experience for all of them."

Although I missed the shot of these teenagers meeting Obama, I did catch a priceless one of three young children who were anxiously awaiting his arrival. SS had moved them from their original spot, so they were straining to catch a glimpse of Obama from their new SS-approved location.

In between working the registration table, taking pictures and handing signs to the neighbors, I was also on the phone with both Obama's campaign and bobnbob because a large group of volunteers, who had staked out a position at the exit of the airport, had missed seeing him when his motorcade departed from the airport entrance instead of the exit.

From bobnbob’s perspective:

About 40-50 of us converged at a local airport to await his arrival. We weren’t planning on attending the fundraiser – our contribution to the campaign is our enthusiasm, our time, our canvassing, our phone-banking – you get the idea. We were the “grassroots” part of the Tampa Bay supporter club. It was organized by Team Captains Ann and Yasmin in Tampa and Suzanne and Andrea in St Pete.

We had folks from the age of 2 1/2 to approx 76. We were brown, white, red, and yellow, we were healthy and the not so healthy, we were walking on two legs, as well as rolling in for the fun. We had campaign signs, we had homemade signs, heck, and we even held “lollipop” signs with our local “Grassroots” group name – the Tampa Bay O-Train.

We felt a wonderful sense of hope in the waiting area – some of us have known each other for a couple of years (local/state candidate supporters), some hadn’t seen each other since the previous O-Train meeting, some had never met, and some were even from the local Students for Barack Obama!
Regardless, we were all connected to each other while supporting the next President of the United States.



We were urged (ok, bomb sniffing dogs entered) to go across the street to show our enthusiasm as Barack exited the airport – but funny thing with campaigns and Secret Service – the route is always a secret and it changes constantly. We were posted at the Exit and Barack and the SS left via the Entrance. Oh well, we knew that the SS guys had seen us, they cheered us on and the Senator was on his way for a quick refreshing before making an appearance at the first fundraiser. When Obama realized that he had missed the volunteers at the airport, thefos an his campaign contacted me to try to direct the volunteers to another location where he could stop and thank them. By that time, the only volunteers left were thefos’ daughter - Girlie Girl, a guy named Kurt, and me. So the three of us went to the new location where we were greeted and thanked by Obama. Sadly, the other volunteers had disbursed and there was no way to contact them but the good news was that there was a second sign waving scheduled in St. Petersburg a little later and Obama’s campaign and even the Secret Service were great about communicating with me so that he wouldn’t miss us again.

Meanwhile back at the house, I was relieved that bobnbob and the campaign were handling the volunteer visibility crisis. By now, I knew that she would be charming the SS agents and staffers. I could just imagine her calling them "Sugar" or "Darlin'" and I bet she even got a SS agent or two to crack a smile. I could now concentrate on trying to capture the day with my camera.

As I entered the house, Frank Sanchez, one of the Senator Obama’s national advisors, was guiding Obama through the crowded home and personally introducing him to everyone. I have spoken briefly to the Senator twice before, but this time, Frank formally introduced him to me. So, what do you say when you are introduced to the next President of the United States? Do you talk about the war? Maybe speak about the healthcare crisis? Or how about thanking him for his public service to our country? No, I told him that Girlie Girl said that he smelled like cinnamon. (Bobnbob and Girlie Girl had already told me about their Obama experience near the airport.) So, as I shook our next president’s hand, I told him that my daughter says that he smells like cinnamon. He thanked me for volunteering and laughed about the cinnamon comment.

It doesn’t make any difference what kind of crowd Obama is greeting, everyone seems to want a piece of him, so I backed off and concentrated on taking as many pictures as I could. After the Senator mingled with the guests, he made his way to the backyard where Frank Sanchez introduced the host, Tom Scarritt, who graciously welcomed his guests and Senator Barack Obama into his home.

As I roamed and snapped pictures as Obama spoke, I believe that I captured a few powerful images. The first one was when I bumped into Lauren, who is a caterer and old friend.
The last time I heard about Lauren, I was told that she had cancer and had left Florida to seek treatment because she didn’t have health insurance. Because she didn't have health insurance, the only treatment prescribed to her was invasive and drastic, so she was seeking alternative treatment elsewhere. When we spotted each other, we immediately embraced. I asked her if she was healthy and she said “Almost.” She was working the event, so we didn’t really have time to talk about it but I was really happy to see her and she looked great.

The second image I captured was of a waiter who was working the event. As he passed me, I could see one of our O – Train signs under the cloth of his serving trayI said, “I see that you have one of our signs under there.” He responded that he was hoping that Obama would sign it. I mentioned it to one of Obama’s staff members. I hope that he got it signed but I don’t know if he did.

When Obama finished addressing the guests, he made his way through the crowd. One of my friends, Patrick, decided to present Senator Obama with a WristStrong bracelet
I know that Senator Obama is a busy man, but he could not let the severity of wrist injuries go unrecognized.



WristStrong on The Colbert Report: http://www.milkandcookies.com/link/74324/detail/


The next good picture was successful because I used my "leadership qualities" to make it happen. I had observed the determined Delia Sanchez with cane in hand, following Obama as he made his way through the crowd. She cannot move quickly so she always seemed to be just one step behind him. As he tried to get into his car to head over to the next event, Miss Delia had finally caught up with him. Obama had graciously tolerated the cute teenage boy who had sidled up behind him while he was speaking
The boy was grinning ear to ear and Barack must have felt his breath on his neck, because he stopped in mid-sentence and allowed the boy’s grandmother to snap a picture. The Senator also astutely recognized when folks approached him for a second photo opportunity. Did I mention that this guy is brilliant? Obama said “Now, I know that you already got your picture and it was a good one!” He followed with the sage advice that “candid shots are better, trust me.”

Obama was trying to get into his car and when he saw me with my camera. He said that he had to get going. This is where my "alleged" bossiness first kicked in. I know that he couldn't possibly have known that Delia had been trying to catch up to him throughout the house. So even though I cared about disclaimers 1 & 2, number 3 clearly states that I am the exception, so I said "Come on, one last picture. It's for Frank's mother!" I think that Obama respected my "amazing dedication" because he allowed me to take this one last picture

As Obama drove away, I called to let bobnbob know that he was on his way.

So back to bobnbob's perspective:

Girlie Girl and I raced to the area of the 2nd fundraiser – as supporters were gathering to welcome Barack to this side of the Bay,too. We scoped out a great spot and hoped that Barack would be able to stop and say hi, or at least enjoy our “Welcome Back!” This group, there were many of the same from Tampa, but there were many new supporters, too.

We were welcoming everyone coming and leaving Snell Isle with great big chants of “Fired Up! Ready to Go!” We were waving and smiling, and showing off our signs and those great Barack Obama shirts! And lo and behold, coming up over the bridge was a caravan – and they pulled over and out steps Barack Obama, and a LOT of SS guys too! Barack apologized for not visiting with us over at the airport (can’t blame him, as he didn’t know we were going to be there,) shook every supporter’s hand, gave a few hugs and even signed a couple of books and a sign or two! Girlie Girl is right, the Senator smells like cinnamon! An awesome end to a fulfilling day welcoming the next President of the United States to Tampa Bay!

By this time, I was on my way to St. Pete. As I drove, I thought about the emotional connection that Obama volunteers have with Barack Obama and each other. After the volunteers were greeted by Obama, Georgia sent me this note:

I have been so excited since Sunday. When he finally reached the st.pete volunteers, we were so excited to see him up close. When he finally reached my hand [of course I was trembling] I could not stop saying I love you soooooo much, we love you soooooo much. He stopped, looked at me, gave me that beautiful smile and then said ‘come over here and give me a hug”........I will never wash that t-shirt!! I can’t wait to see the photos others have of him, the volunteers and sponsors and the events as well.

Obama didn't know that Georgia lost a husband to the Vietnam War or that as a young woman growing up in Georgia, she went against her family's wishes and volunteered with the civil rights movement. Obama didn't know that this is the first time that she has been involved in politics since the civil rights movement. Obama also didn't know that when Georgia couldn't get through to his website, she had written me a letter to make sure she didn't miss any meeting notices. Obama didn't know that her 37 year old son registered to vote for the first time because of her involvement in and support of Senator Obama's campaign. Georgia sent me another email:

I forgot to tell you that my husband recently registered to vote too!. He also wants to be a poll worker! It has been 20 years since he voted! He felt the same way; “My vote won’t count. Politicians are all crooks”............well something changed both of their minds! I never asked them to go register. They both did it on their own, at different times, and they never discussed it with each other or with me!

Thanks so much for the sign.........I will treasure it forever! I can also get the stick fixed and put it in my yard! Love and hugs, Georgia.........thought this would make you smile. Don’t I look silly?? Who cares, when you get old you can do anything.

Senator Obama didn't know anything about our own Georgia "Peach," but he felt her emotion, accepted it, embraced it and gave it back to her.
By the time I arrived at the 2nd Obama event, I had met bobnbob and Girlie Girl and led them to the house. They had been out for hours and needed to refresh themselves. We finally had a chance to relax, so bobnbob had her usual "something fruity" and I had a glass of Merlot. We also caught up with some more O - Train volunteers who were enjoying the calm after the storm:

After Obama spoke and answered questions, he let everyone know that he needed to catch a plane, so if you already had your picture taken with him, let someone else have an opportunity. Well, I made bobnbob get in line because the pictures taken with her camera didn't come out well at all. At this time, I had no prior knowledge that Kurt (who we never met before) would come through with a decent picture of bobnbob & Obama, so when Obama saw us, I said this is bobnbob and she was helping to coordinate the volunteers today. He responded with "I know her and she had her picture taken with me today." I said, "Yes, but it didn't turn out." So he patiently allowed us to take one last picture. But...here's the thing...bobnbob was trying to tell him at that particular moment that he made her feel empowered back in 2005 and that she was quoted in the Chicago Tribune way back then. When I took the picture, I could immediately see that it was a bad shot. Obama said "OK, you got your picture. I said "NO! It was good of you, bad of her!" I don't know if I shouted that or not, but Obama cooperated as I told bobnbob to shut up and smile. I give you exhibit A:


& B:


Before this case goes to you, the judge, a jury of my volunteer peers spoke on my behalf while they were waiting at the bridge. Let's call them "character witnesses," shall we? They didn't know that I would need this testimony but Georgia ended her email to me with this:

As we waited for him we talked about you and how dedicated you are to this campaign. We all agreed, you are amazing!!

Thanks for all that you do to make this such a wonderful experience for all of us! You inspire us to become more active and dedicated, more aware of politics and certainly more aware of our purpose on making this world a better place. That in itself is such a wonderful contribution to the planet......love and blessings

As much as I hate to give this guy any credit, I am quoting Republican pollster and Market Researcher, Frank Luntz: "80 percent of our life is emotion, and only 20 percent is intellect. I am much more interested in how you feel than how you think. I can change how you think, but how you feel is something deeper and stronger, and it's something that's inside you. How you think is on the outside, how you feel is on the inside, so that's what I need to understand." http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/persuaders/interviews/luntz.html

My thoughts on that: In 2004, approximately 1/2 of Americans voted with/for the emotion of fear. In 2008, a majority of Americans will vote with/for the emotion of hope.

In conclusion, am I bossy? Or am I an amazing volunteer who is dedicated to Senator Obama's campaign and an inspiration to other volunteers along the way?

You be the judge.

The defense rests.

By the way, I did not pose for a picture with Obama that day but someone snapped a candid shot when Obama was being introduced to me, so Obama was right; candid shots OK, too:


WristStrong on The Colbert Report: http://www.milkandcookies.com/link/74324/detail/

This is what it's all about......

"Well I’m not running for President to conform to Washington’s conventional thinking – I’m running to challenge it. I’m not running to join the kind of Washington groupthink that led us to war in Iraq – I’m running to change our politics and our policy so we can leave the world a better place than our generation has found it." - Barack Obama

This is why it is so important that I support Obama. We are playing for keeps in this time here and now, and we can't risk electing hawks or doves. We need someone savvy and compassionate, and the wisdom to know the difference. He may not have decades of "DC experience," but this man has surely pegged everything that he's said every step of the way from Iraq to Blackwater. He has all the human experience I need, and I would bet my life on him.

The Implication of Edwards' Financing Woes

John Edwards announced this past Friday that he will accept public financing for his presidential campaign. The former NC senator says this decision is not about money calculations, but rather about taking a "principled stand". Of course, one cannot help but wonder if he would be taking that stand were he leading the top-tier candidates in fundraising instead of trailing them.

Edwards has challenged the other candidates to join him, attempting to box-in Hillary Clinton with the statement, "Sen. Clinton said she is for public financing so she can step forward and show she actually means it". While Edwards is trying to claim a mantle of leadership, Obama was actually the first to throw down the challenge gauntlet on public financing.

Way back in February, Obama was the first candidate ever to ask the Federal Elections Commission whether he could accept money from private donors for the general election before the primary, but give it back, should he win the nomination, and accept public financing. Of course, the FEC was completely flummoxed, as no candidate had ever approached them with the novel idea of actually returning donated money.

The FEC answered affirmatively with the caveat that, among other restrictions, the general election monies had to be kept in a separate account. Obama's innovative approach allows options, such as proposing to an eventual Republican nominee that both parties only use matching Federal funds in the general election. Senator John McCain and Obama have, in fact, already entered such a pact.

Fast-forwarding to the present, we find Obama now taking the lead in Iowa (among caucus goers), a product of almost daily appearances in the state and 33 strategically placed field offices. To her credit, Clinton's campaign has steadied since the replacement of their Iowa Field Director Angelique Pirozzi, but it is Edwards for whom Iowa is make-or-break. His entire campaign strategy has been rooted from jumpstreet in Iowa, knowing Clinton would be a 2008 candidate and he wouldn't likely be able to out-fundraise her. Obama has cast a monkey-wrench into even that plan, however, by competing for the "anybody-but-Hillary" vote and drawing more than his fair share of fundraising oxygen -- largely at the expense of the Edwards campaign along with those of the second and third-tier candidates.

Should Edwards lose Iowa, his one-state campaign is effectively over. By petitioning for matching federal funds, he accepts with it the severe handicap on how that money can be spent. The most restrictive of these regulations regards per-state spending, which for Iowa amounts to a whopping $1,486,433. While the restrictions on this money are primary related to direct-mail and television advertising within 28 days of the primary date, this puts Edwards at a serious spending disadvantage in a state that is notorious for deciding late. Expect Obama (and Clinton, perhaps to a lesser degree) to spend cash like drunken sailors, saturating airwaves and mailboxes, while ground-canvassing the entire state.

Make no mistake about it, however. An Edwards loss in Iowa is important to Obama, while Mme. Clinton is rooting for an Edwards win -- perhaps even moreso than her own. An Edwards victory in Iowa allows him to remain competitive in the "anybody-but-Hillary" sweepstakes, and his presence will likely draw considerable votes from the Obama campaign. The longer Edwards remains viable, the longer the vote-split will continue, and the more Clinton will benefit. A perfect storm for her campaign would be to finish 2nd in Iowa to Edwards, while winning New Hampshire, South Carolina, and Nevada primaries with a plurality of votes. Heading into February 5th, all the candidates know that momentum is going to be the name of the game.

For Obama, a perfect storm would be to win Iowa, New Hampshire (where independents can vote in the primary, tilting the race decidedly in Obama's favor), and South Carolina (where half of the registered Democrats are black). The second-most favorable outcome would be a Clinton victory, with Obama a close second, eliminating Edwards while still lending legitimacy to his campaign by finishing second in a state that is 94% white. Under either scenario, Nevada might be sacrificed.

Since no candidate has won the nomination without winning two of the first four primaries, history would not favor Hillary assuming an Obama victory in Iowa. And with her cloak of inevitability pierced, the table could be set for an Obama landslide, as the "anybody-but-Hillary" vote unifies under his banner.