At Last

This was certainly the day to get choked up. I was flying to Washington, D.C., watching the Inaugural ceremonies on the satellite TV, with lots of annoying freeze-frames due to Rocky Mountain signal interference. At the same time my kids were watching it on TV in their classrooms, with my 9-year-old seeing the whole speech by PRESIDENT Obama.

Tonight I enjoyed a drink on my new friends from South Carolina, Dale and Tom, drove up suddenly when Tom called Dale yesterday after lunch and said, "I'm going," and extended the invitation. Tom said he hadn't slept int 48 hours. Dale says he had waterworks when Obama spoke. They were in the white minority in their pocket of the crowd on The Mall and their first drink was from an African-American gentleman at the other end of the bar bought their drinks, a guy they had stood in line with to enjoy being a part of history along with 1,999,998 of their other attending fellow Americans.

There is a unity in this country that may not last forever, but I'd sure be pleased to see eight years or so. It should have been ours after 9/11/2001 but was squandered by the opportunists -- Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Rove. But it was slightly over a year ago, January 2, 2008, when I became a supporter of Barack Obama, the night of the Iowa caucuses, when he earned his first extraordinary victory on a chain of extraordinary victories, leading to the historical victory on November 4, 2008.

The electoral process produced the individual American most suited to the job of President at this particular time of crisis, a cool, calm, collected, strategic, book-smart and people-smart man who synthesizes ideas, nationalities and cultures in a uniquely American way. America's traditional friends and all those around the world who want to believe in the power of our American Dream seem to be celebrating as hardily as we are, and per the new PRESIDENT's very sober speech today, let our enemies be put on notice. Come to us in peace and we're all (big) ears.

Otherwise, I expect they will learn who they are up against now that the feeble ones are swept away.

God bless America.

Peace

It's a beautiful thing.

It goes with unity:



Back before this whole primary thing started, I felt that one of Clinton's major weaknesses as a candidate would be her lack of great oratorical skills. I'd always heard she was great one-on-one or in a room talking to a smaller group, and when the campaign began in Iowa and with her more in the spotlight in New Hampshire I felt that my instincts were borne out. She just didn't have what it took to galvanize those who weren't already true believers in her.

Comparing her speech today to those back then are like oaks to acorns. She's so sharp today, so much more down to earth and "herself" that when she delivers her great line about George Bush and John McCain being two sides of the same coin and "it doesn't amount to a whole lot of change," she doesn't oversell it, she lets it play and wins.

Even better is the very real and human moment when she describes the "spirited dialogue" of the campaign and, reacting to the rising moans from the audience adds, "that was the nicest way I could think of phrasing it." She's upped her speaking game thanks to the battle just as Obama was forced to up his own candidate skills.

There will be some Clinton deadenders and that's that, but whether they receive disproportionate media attention or not, it doesn't matter. This unity event in Unity was a stake through the heart of John McCain's Presidential dreams. They just seem so comfortable together, whether or not Obama picks her for the ticket, they're the peers now.

In a weird way Obama gives her more public respect than her own husband. There's no one else out there for Hillary to talk to in the same way she can relate to Obama. I hope he picks a brilliant VP choice other than her, then I hope she gets her name on the health care bill, then I hope he gives her the best job he can.

Time for Bill to come aboard. The train is leaving the station. Republicans can't even run as Republicans this year, and Obama's detractors are only left with racist smears -- idiotic GOP anti-government zealot Grover Norquist calling Obama "John Kerry with a tan" (seriously!) and Karl Rove calling Obama arrogant -- as in "uppity."

Here's to a strong Democratic Party and a strong Democratic Presidential candidate. May they win big in November, and then may they deliver on their promises -- which, having to clean up the wreckage left by George Bush as he did way back with Harken Energy with on a national, federal scale, may be the hardest part of this whole damn process.

Unity Time

Two big jumps this past day: unemployment goes up suddenly 1/2 a percentage point to 5.5% and the price of oil posts a record one-day leap $11/barrel to $138/barrel.

So much for the Bush and Republican Party legacy.

Saturday is the day that Hillary Clinton will formally concede the Democratic Presidential race to Barack Obama. Now the Party must unify against flip-floppin', now wiretap lovin' John McSame, McInsane, McTired, McYawn.

The New York Times has a video which seems to me the fairest recap of Senator Clinton's campaign, the highs and lows. While the Iraq War vote may have been the critical misstep at the heart of Obama's victory, I really think the moment when she lost the race was when her husband, the former President, made the comment about Jesse Jackson winning South Carolina. When I watched the video, it just stood out, the shark jump if there ever was one.

As I've said in the past, I've been looking forward to this nomination battle to end so I could start liking the Clinton's again. Tomorrow is a one-time only opportunity to show her unquestionable support of Senator Obama against Senator McCain. One wonders what she will do, what combination of rhetoric, stagecraft and sincerity, will she deploy if she truly wants to seal the deal.

Here's one suggestion, and if they take it you can call me prescient: invite the Obama daughters onstage at the end of her speech.

Imagine that -- Obama and his family with Clinton and her family. Chelsea and Malia and Natasha gathered 'round Hillary, the very image of female nurturing, the setting up of generations of women who won't have to worry about the ceiling Sen. Clinton cracked.

Pure power, female style, a statement for the ages, and the image Democrats need to bring Hillary's most hardcore supporters aboard.

Now, supposedly it's family time this weekend for the Obama's, a slumber party for 8 girls and a date for mom and dad, so maybe I'm just dreaming. Or maybe it's a moment at the Convention. But it would work

And scare the pants off the McCain campaign.

Change

Already at the Democratic National Committee, thanks to change agent and Presumptive Nominee, Barack Obama:

Obama imposed on the DNC the same ban on money from federal lobbyists and political action committees that he has placed on his campaign.

It may be hubris that the small donor machine will continue to dwarf the traditional, influence-oriented election fundraising apparati. But it is a breath of fresh air.

Obama has Howard Dean staying on to run the DNC, which makes perfect sense since Dean's 50-state strategy was how Obama won the nomination -- he dissed no states for size or caucus. These comers are ready to redraw the stale old partisan map:

As Obama's chief strategist, David Axelrod, told The Huffington Post: "I think that we are going to have a larger battlefield in 2008... I think we are going to stretch the Republicans. I don't think they can take for granted nearly as many states as they have in the past. And I think we are going to add several to the Democratic column this year and so our coalition is going to be broader."

The whole article is worth reading, as it really lays the groundwork for the strategy and both how far Dean has come in making it a reality these past four years, and how Obama opened lots of offices in states Dem Presidential candidates previous would write off.

Beyond the desire for victory for the candidate or party that I favor, the core reason why I believe the 50-state strategy is so crucial -- for either party -- is that we so desperately need to be the United States of America again, as we were during World War II, as we maybe have never achieved before.

There's a reason the Civil War was fought 150 years ago. America was not united enough, not by the Revolution or the War of 1812. If we truly believe, as a nation, that there is something special about us, a nation of immigrants (and Indians), a nation unlike all others not based on a sitting single race or religion that predated actual nationhood, a nation that can be a beacon to the world by dint of freedom and equality, then every state needs to be accounted for, every state deserves attention and due.

I don't think this election is a given for either candidate. The final decision-making is just beginning.

By the way, Obama now carries a big stick:



Bam bam.