Go Barack! This is not about gender, race or religion. I believe he is the most qualified person to turn this country around, and go with the flow of the new consciousness... M:)

Vote tomorrow!

then we all will be waiting,
waiting,
oh my!
:)
~ Kate

If you are still undecided you might want to read David Rees before you make your decision:

Clinton, Obama, and Cluster Bombs

If you're a friend of mine, or a fan of "Get Your War On," you probably know how important the issue of cluster bombs and landmines is to me.

It was America's use of cluster bombs during Operation: Enduring Freedom that led me to start GYWO seven(!) years ago this fall, and it has been my pleasure and my honor to donate the royalties from the two GYWO anthologies to Mine Detection & Dog Center Team #5, a landmine removal team in western Afghanistan.

If you ever attended a GYWO reading, you probably sat through my video of landmine removal teams in the field, or listened to me read off statistics about that dangerous mission, or indulged me by taking an informational flyer about MDC Team #5 and the sacred work they do.

(If you bought one of the GYWO books, you've helped that work, and I thank you.)

Cluster bombs and landmines are particularly terrifying weapons that wreak havoc on communities trying to recover from war. They are fatal impediments to reconstruction and rehabilitation of agricultural land; they destroy valuable livestock; they disable otherwise productive members of society; they maim or kill children trying to salvage them for scrap metal.

Over 150 nations have signed the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty. It pains me that our great nation has not. But in the autumn of 2006, there was a chance to take a step in the right direction: Senate Amendment No. 4882, an amendment to a Pentagon appropriations bill that would have banned the use of cluster bombs in civilian areas.

Senator Obama of Illinois voted IN FAVOR of the ban.

Senator Clinton of New York voted AGAINST the ban.

Analysts say Clinton did not want to risk appearing "soft on terror," as it would have harmed her electibility.

I'm not a single-issue voter. But as Obama and Clinton share many policy positions, this vote was revelatory for me. After all, Amendment No. 4882 was an easy one to vote against: Who'd want to risk accusation of "tying the hands of the Pentagon" during a never-ending, global War on Terror? As is so often the case, there was no political cost to doing the wrong thing. And there was no political reward for doing the right thing.

But Senator Obama did the right thing.

Is Senator Obama perfect? Of course not. Nobody who voted for 2005's wack-ass energy bill is perfect. Nobody who voted to reauthorize the Patriot Act is perfect.

But of the two remaining Democratic candidates, one decided her vote on Amendment No. 4882 according to a political calculation. The other used a moral calculation.

I'm 35 years old, and over the years, I've had two experiences in the voting booth: I've voted for politicians I really respected, who I knew could never win. And I've voted for politicians I didn't really respect, because I knew they could win.

Tomorrow, I'm going to vote for a politician I really respect, who I know can win.

***

David Rees was working a crummy magazine job when Operation: Enduring Freedom inspired him to make his cartoon "Get Your War On." The satire about the war on terrorism became an internet phenomenon. "Get Your War On" now appears in every issue of Rolling Stone. Sales of the two GYWO books have raised almost $100,000 for land mine removal in western Afghanistan.

David's other comics include "My New Fighting Technique is Unstoppable" and "My New Filing Technique is Unstoppable," which appeared every Thursday in the Guardian until they dropped it.

BIO UPDATE: A Texas theatre company called the Rude Mechs adapted "Get Your War On" for the stage and now they're performing it at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival!

This is a must read article by RJ Eskow about his choice of vote:

"Which "Leap of Faith" Will You Take Tomorrow?"

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rj-eskow/which-leap-of-faith-wil_b_84819.html

Boy Mallika,

I have one more week to decide, and I keep having this conversation with myself and keep going back and forth.

There is part of me that like Obama...the "movement" the excitement, sort of what I felt with Kennedy growing up.

There is part of me that sees the "woman in the kitchen" with Hillary....strong, in control, confident...

Maybe there is room for both! I am just not sure yet and it is really buggin me. I read the Leap of Faith article and that is what got me thinking about Obama. Geeze....this is going to be interesting.

By all means, whom ever wins, we have turned the corner with change and that is the best music to my ears...Love, Joanie

Boy Mallika,

I have one more week to decide, and I keep having this conversation with myself and keep going back and forth.

There is part of me that like Obama...the "movement" the excitement, sort of what I felt with Kennedy growing up.

There is part of me that sees the "woman in the kitchen" with Hillary....strong, in control, confident...

Maybe there is room for both! I am just not sure yet and it is really buggin me. I read the Leap of Faith article and that is what got me thinking about Obama. Geeze....this is going to be interesting.

By all means, whom ever wins, we have turned the corner with change and that is the best music to my ears...Love, Joanie

Arianna Huffington: The 2008 Race for President and the Search for Our Better Selves

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arianna-huffington/the-2008-race-for-preside_b_84941.html

Hello Mallika and Everyone,

Hi Joanie, since you are undecided I thought this portion of an article written by a Taylor Marsh over at huffingtonpost.com, today would be of interest to you....below..

"This has been a journey for me. I didn't start out in Clinton's camp. Watching the media eviscerate her for being a woman, being brilliant, being competent and strong, being a Clinton, I started to get incensed at the hatred I was witnessing, the unfairness too. I've read dozens of books and papers on her, but I began watching more closely. Then I saw her in action. She blew everyone else off the stage on substance. Barack Obama skipped the very first forum held in Carson City. The first health care debate Obama showed up, but wasn't ready with his health care plan and didn't have any details to offer. Clinton showed up and laid it out, point by point, Edwards too. This happened in event after event; then debate after debate. It took Obama an entire year to catch up with her on debating the issues. That's as slow a learning curve as you're going to find for the biggest job in the world. No one noticed. In the last debate people started saying Barack Obama finally held his own. Finally being the operative word. Seeing a segment on "Hannity & Colmes" last night, voters for Obama were asked by Sean Hannity to name an accomplishment of Barack Obama's. Frank Luntz went from voter to voter to voter. No one could name one. Hannity was incredulous. But you're going to nominate him for president?"

gotta put in a last minute plug for Hillary..

have a great day everyone ruth

Pity, one IB member had to find that Taylor Marsh excerpt to convince an Undecided. I suggest People to go visit HuffingtonPost.com and decide for themselves. It's like 90% pro Barack from both contributors and commentors. And I mean the better contributors who provide a balanced picture.

Or Goto Dailykos.com a popular liberal blog with excellent insights from many.

No surprise that professionals, better educated and younger voters support Obama disproportionately. Seniors above 65, less-educated support Hillary disproportionately with respect to Obama.

***

Another reason why you might want to prefer Obama:

Obama Likely to Defeat McCain. McCain Likely to Defeat Clinton.

Picture this: It's January 20, 2009 and John McCain is being sworn in as president, promising in his inaugural address to make the Bush tax cuts permanent and keep American troops in Iraq for 100 years. If you're a Democratic voter on Super Tuesday, you must vote for the candidate who makes this scenario least likely. That candidate is clearly Barack Obama.

Sunday's Washington Post/ABC poll shows Obama defeating McCain 49%-46% while McCain beats Clinton 49%-46%. Sunday's Cook Political Report/RT Strategies poll shows Obama defeating McCain 45%-43% and McCain defeating Clinton 45%-41%. Both polls give Obama a 6 point advantage over Clinton in a match-up with McCain.

These most recent polls are consistent with numerous polls taken over the past year, most, but not all, of which show McCain defeating Clinton. A January 10-12 Financial Dynamics poll shows McCain defeating Clinton 48%-45% and Obama defeating McCain 43%-42%. A December 12-14 Zogby Poll shows McCain defeating Clinton 49%-42% and Obama defeating McCain 47%-43%, a 10 point advantage for Obama over Clinton.

If you're not a big believer in polls, let's look at some more practical factors. John McCain is unpopular and distrusted by a substantial portion of the conservative Republican base. Rightly or wrongly, that base hates Hillary Clinton with a passion. The only thing that can unite the Republican party around John McCain and guarantee a massive Republican turnout is the desire to keep Hillary Clinton out of the White House. Barack Obama does not generate the same kind of negative passions among Republicans -- many of them who do not much like McCain would likely stay home in November if Obama is the Democratic candidate, and some would even vote for Obama.

Moreover, neither the Democrats nor Republicans have a majority of registered voters. To win the presidency, a candidate must garner a large number of independents. Both Barack Obama and John McCain have shown a far better ability to attract independents than has Hillary Clinton. In a Clinton/McCain match-up, McCain is likely to pick-up the majority of independents. Obama has the ability to attract large numbers of independents, and even some disaffected Republicans.

Frank Luntz, one of the top Republican strategists and the author of the Contract With America, said on Bill Maher Friday night that he does not know how to come up with a Republican strategy to defeat Barack Obama.

Finally, a completely anecdotal piece of evidence: My brother-in-law, a lifetime Massachusetts Democrat, told me on the phone Sunday that if Hillary Clinton is the Democratic nominee, he will vote for John McCain. I promised him that if Hillary is nominated, we'll be having another discussion on the subject before November and I hoped, in that event, I would be able to change his mind. Still, I don't think my brother-in-law is unique in his thinking.

So, as you ponder your vote on Super Tuesday, even if you truly believe that Hillary Clinton would make a somewhat better president than Barack Obama, it's still vital that you vote for Obama to guarantee that the next president will not be John McCain.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/miles-mogulescu/obama-likely-to-defeat-mc_b_85009.html

I would intend that Obama wins.

I can influence at least three people, and actually probaly more that influence him; it would be really cool if he directly hooked up with me for an advisor. I would love help to him rip the illusions and fictions to shreds and dissolve the ignorance; he can take all the credit I will be the low key behind the scenes operator.

Which means I will be in the circle of influence of the president of the United States.

I have no conventional connection to Hillary.

That should be scary for all the people that benefit form the current systems. Don't worry though you will all benefit in the new systems.

Just don't resist.

By the way I can see from my point of view why the divine would position Obama as president. There are many people that don’t realize they are connected to each other, and I am speaking in a conventional way, by me the anonymous “nobody”.

We know we are all really connected in the real sense.

I think the (R)evolution is going launch from Detroit, there is a growing impetus to fuel it here but I am not in charge of the divine planning I just facilitate.

“Reality is for fringe thinkers and illusion the basis for conventional thought.”
~Infinite Play the Movie

"Finally being the operative word. Seeing a segment on "Hannity & Colmes" last night, voters for Obama were asked by Sean Hannity to name an accomplishment of Barack Obama's. Frank Luntz went from voter to voter to voter. No one could name one. Hannity was incredulous. But you're going to nominate him for president?""

What ridiculous propaganda from Sean Hannity? Fox News? And that should be the basis of why I should vote against Obama. To put down a candidate put down his voters as hopemongers, etc.

Majority of Hillary Clinton supporters are more likely to be uniformed about their candidates and the issues than Obama supporters.

Go to barackobama.com and learn where he stands on "issues" including is detailed plans on Health. It's another thing that he doesn't go into details i his stump speeches on campaigns. But they are open for anyone who want to be infomed. And he doesn't differ much with Edwards or Hillary on many issues. You also can download an ebook of his "blue print for change" with in-depth details.

Irvine

You sound more and more like Ann Coulter dressed up in drag.

Well I am bummed out as I waited until yesterday to check out my absentee voting material and found out I cannot vote for my candidate, since I was registered to another party. It was the first time I tried absentee voting and I messed up big time! I was ready to cry and just cannot think about. And it was too late to change parties. So I'm not voting today. Next time, I will look at the dates and make sure I have the right party so I will have time to change it. I even called to see if I could change parties. Yep, I'm not very knowledgeable in this area, but I hate standing in line, so I thought it would save me a lot of time. Last time I voted it was horrible and took about 3 or so hours before my turn.

Love, Char

I like it when a bumbling female shadow from NY casts her long egoic aspersions.

This election, the running candidates represent the multi-national "backbone" of the United States; which built the USA literally, bone to shovel, hand to pick, back to break... but, the unity of the family, and of the desire to work; is what built the country as it is today.

The candidates support the fact, we can live and get along, regardless of colour of skin, gender, or of religious beliefs. We build to unite, and we nourish unity with equality; and we nourish equality with medical care.

I would love to see hotels in oceans, and posh hotels on the moon... but, why should this come from the tax payers hard work; when only the extreme wealthy, will be able to use them?

Why should these things be built; when poverty, disease and hopelessness; runs rampantly among the unfortunate ones? Seems wrong, to build a posh, hotel-mansion for billionaires and millionaires to vacation at; while it takes 1000 people with no medical care, who will die without care, for the same cost as one weekend?

Though I am not American; I am not happy with current Canadian government either the past 20 years!

well, I wish the USA, the best possible winner; because he or she as the case may be; sure has a lotta "dirt" to clean up around the globe!

Or, is Bush merely passing he torch of corruption, to another "old-family-money" and military run, whitehouse(again).