5 images you should share with EVERYBODY you know

[Essene]

#1: The better plan

#2: The more honest & sincere campaign

#3: The harder worker

#4: The more unifying and inspirational message (record crowds)

#5: The better man

You must vote.

[texasleo]

1. nice

[EnviroBat]

2. I love these pictures.

They are history in the making...

[Essene]

7. yep... and we need to make sure voters feel a part of that history

[ThatsMyBarack]

3. You only picked *five*?

Those are good choices. :patriot:

[Essene]

6. Yes.. it wasn't easy

[NYC_SKP]

4. No, wrong, John McCain keeps talking about Obama's "Massive Tax Hikes"...

The Washington Post must have it all wrong....

:rofl:

[slampoet]

5. Caption for the last pic. "I got your nose senator !!"

[JPZenger]

8. Here's some more photos

[Ioo]

9. Pic 5 is great.. so human... so I don't know...real

[Laelth]

10. Great thread. k&r n/t

The United States is a LIBERAL Country.

:dem:

-Laelth

[Essene]

11. interesting link

[Laelth]

13. I think Cenk is right in that essay.

A Georgia psychologist says the same thing here: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/30/us/politics/30message.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

And, if you think about it, it makes sense. Polls have shown for the past 30 years that Americans generally agree with the Democratic Party on most major issues. It's just that our brand that has been tainted by thirty years of right-wing media control. Deep down, America is a center-left country.

The United States is a LIBERAL Country.

:dem:

-Laelth

[Essene]

14. i think there are kinda 2 different dimensions to it...

I think on many social issues, they lean progressive in sentiment. Bush was smart to try that "compassionate conservative" approach but obviously couldnt really put it into action because he didnt really mean it. While americans may lean left in sentiment and concern on social issues, that doesn't mean they will lean left on how to solve them.

I think on the broad issues of fiscal policy and governance, they lean center-right. They dont believe in laissez faire, but they do believe in free markets and meritocracy on some level.

But when we look at registration numbers, we see what's really going on...

http://pewresearch.org/pubs/773/fewer-voters-identify-as-republicans


There is a shift from the GOP... but that's largely due to folks declaring themselves "independent" more than ever. I fully expect we'll see that trend continue into 2010. More folks came in as Dem this year but i do NOT imagine a strong increase in the Dem ranks beyond this year.

Depending on the next few years... we could see the center shift left.

But i think the more compelling argument is that the old 19th century paradigms are not serving us well. We're going to become increasingly less interested in "socialism vs capitalism" arguments, as people wake up to realize we live in a mixed economy and always have.

The political identities of last century are fragmenting.

Personally... for example... i reject the usage of the term "liberal." I prefer the word "progressive."

The term liberal basically means a moderate conservative outside of the USA. It implies a philosophy with roots in classical liberalism - small government, private property, political freedom, free trade, etc.

In the last 20 years, it's been used in a derogatory sense by the conservative culture warrior. They literally were attacking the "freedom" saturated american society. Too much freedom. Not enough moral and cultural tradition. The social conservatives literally redefined the polital labels on their terms... partially in response to perceived excesses of the 70s and 80s. The very notion of "liberal" as we now use it... reflects this culture war.

We need to break these categories and labels... and build new political identities for this century's complexity.

[fizzgig]

12. that last pic!

i love obama as much for his human-ness as i do his strength and intelligence

[Karenina]

15. He's a baby magnet.

It's a syndrome. I know it well.

[Essene]

16. some people see a baby...

and just cant help running at him/her like big goof balls.

[Karenina]

17. Who do you mean?

[Essene]

18. some of us just get silly around babies

and cant help it.

i think that photo of him shows a natural baby-magnet who just cant help it.

put another way....

i think some politicians love baby photos. it's a feel-good thing and also looks great.

i think obama truly would prefer hanging out with the little ones :D

[whopis01]

19. At first I was looking at the harder worker picture, thinking he was kicking back with his feet up..

And didn't get the harder worker part of it - then I saw the point of that picture - that's a fantastic one.

[Essene]

21. ya, i really think it says volumes

[Manifestor_of_Light]

22. Shades of Adlai Stevenson.

A picture of Stevenson was taken during one of his presidential campaigns) '52 and '56) and one of his shoes had a hole in the bottom. Very similar to Obama's

I have a silver tie pin shaped like a shoe sole with a round circle on it representing the hole. It's a 1950s representation of the Adlai Stevenson shoe.


URL for this picture:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/26558978@N08/2882811460/

This Picture taken in Flint Michigan won William Gallagher of the Flint Journal the 1953 Pulizter Prize. Adlai Stevenson was the 1952 Democratic Candidate

[whopis01]

23. very cool. n/t

[Ron Green]

24. And as I recall that famous picture of Stevenson actually hurt his campaign.

It was seen as a kind of "low class" thing to be caught with a hole in his shoe, like a bum or something, when 1950's voters wanted a symbol of prosperity in their candidate. Now, of course, the symbol is of hard work, of "walking the talk."

[crazy_vanilla]

20. I like the one with the kids

kids are honest, they have a great internal radar on reading people

kids love Obama