Well, he didn’t answer my question, anyways. Steve was the Deputy National Campaign Manager for now President Barack Obama. He gave a pretty nice talk on Tuesday night to a group of eager college kids, weird community members, and the rest of the people who were lucky enough to actually hear about this event. (Thanks, College Democrats, for sucking ass at things like PRESS RELEASES)
Regardless, it was a really cool event. We were actually the first group he’d given his speech to, which included an extensive (albeit slightly boring) PowerPoint presentation, and a too-short Q&A session on the end. I was able to get in one question, to which he didn’t have a response. It was: “What was your favorite endorsement?” I don’t know how he couldn’t come up with an answer, honestly. He just stood there thinking for a good 45 seconds or so before I finally offered up, “What about Oprah?” which caused him to reveal an interesting tidbit that I had never really though about before right then. Oprah is a blessing and a curse; mainly because she elevated the “Celebrity” status of Obama, which was the very thing that McCain’s attack dogs latched onto shortly afterward. However, Oprah did do wonders for his street cred and his standing with women. I attended an event with Oprah, Obama, and of course Gale, in USC’s football stadium last January. It forever changed the way I thought about politics, to say the least, and was probably one of the most inspiring days of my life. Steve ended his lecture without ever actually answering my question, so I’m going to see if I can contact him via email… Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by Andrew on Feb 18th in Interesting, Iraq, News, Politics | Comment |
[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNpOVwTbVC0]
It has been weeks since I attended the South Carolina Democratic Debates in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, but the resounding messages that were heard there still make their way into my thoughts. One of my passions is documenting events as they happen, so that I can look back and realize how profound those moments truly were. While the battles behind the walls of the Palace Theater were hours from being fought, the fierce battle on the outside had begun. So, with my camera I give a perspective view of what these groups on the outside were saying. Perhaps the most verbal of the groups was the organization I traveled down with, a coalition of student leaders promoting a clean energy future. In this short video presentation you can see the direct opposition posed from the group Clean Coal. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by murrowjg on Feb 12th in Environment, Politics | Comment |
On the heels of Senator Barack Obama’s monumental win in South Carolina, I am filled even more with a sense inspiration and hope. Personally, I have never been overly drawn to political issues or candidates, despite my understanding of how American Politics impacts the world. I only garnered more discouragement from speaking with friends who were also more than politically disengaged. The youth of America had not been inspired. They had not been engaged.
As someone who is a general news junkie, knowledge of general political issues comes with the informational territory. I understand what the important issues are and which sound bites would be fed to the masses to propel the issues forward , but I never took responsibility for those issues. How could those issues impact my way of life, and those closest to me? Immigration is important because the media decides to dedicate airtime to it, but what do I believe? I would think the situation overseas is dire, but it is the way it is and it is not my responsibility to care about it. Perhaps by saying that I was “inspired” by Obama would be stealing from the Queen of Media, Ms. Oprah Winfrey, but it is the only way to describe what has happened…and is happening all around this country. (By the way you may OWN a lot Oprah….but the word inspiration is free game.) Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by murrowjg on Jan 28th in News, Politics | Comment |
Often times we get caught up in the outrageous noise of conventional living and fail to recognize the real messages that surround us. Yes, there are the blaring ones of commercialism, but there are also some of truth and responsibilty. Yesterday, I had the opportunity to go to the Democratic Debates in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, sponsored by the South Carolina Legislative Caucus. While there were rampant messages of partisan politics, it was those voices that had something more to say than mere praises in support of one candidate or another that touched my spirit. I realized how truly tuned out I was becoming.
I traveled to Myrtle Beach with a broad coalition of student leaders dedicated to propelling the message of a clean energy future to political leaders through their grassroots efforts. Many of these students don’t receive any type of monetary compensation for their work, but you wouldn’t know this by their displays of dedication to the cause.The students made conference calls the entire drive en route to Myrtle Beach, honing their talking points and presentation. When we arrived they hit the ground running with media advisories, signs,petitions,polar bear suits,and an energy which cannot wholly be explained. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by murrowjg on Jan 23rd in News, Politics, Television | Comment |
In case you haven’t heard, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama and legendary T.V. diva Oprah Winfrey cut a wide swath as they blew through South Carolina. Attracting a crowd of over 30,000, the two held the largest political rally in South Carolina’s history and the largest rally of this presidential campaign. I was fortunate enough to be there and watch history in the making (for Paula Dean’s history recipe, add 1 part historical event, plus 3 sticks of butter, and season with Oprah to taste).
The event truly was one for the record, and in my opinion it was all around first rate. From the chairs brought to the handicapped people waiting in line to the hilarious ladies standing next to me on the field, it was an event I will never forget.
Michelle Obama kicked off the event by introducing Oprah. Although Oprah didn’t bring any cars, nor did she erase anyone’s debt, she came bearing a top tier candidate in the race for the 2008 Presidential Election. Oprah spoke for a little while, but she kept her comments brief. “I love books, but I ain’t here to talk about no books,” she said, referring to criticism that she expects her endorsement to work just like her book club where she recommends something and people follow. “I got some sense,” she commented (or maybe she said “cents”. Of course both are true, but “cents” would be an understatement). Undoubtedly many were there to see Oprah, but they probably couldn’t help but be overwhelmed by their second round of O-mania–Senator Obama himself.
Oprah introduced the Illinois senator to a raucous and inescapable din that probably violated Columbia’s noise ordinances (if they have any). But what do you expect? People were excited to be there to see the first African American presidential candidate who actually has a shot at winning. One lady standing next to me when Obama came around to shake hands exclaimed, “I just touched his sweet ebony skin!” But the true testament to Obama’s ability to unite our country was evident in the make-up of the audience: young and old, black and white, rich and poor, and probably a few other dichotomies were represented too (maybe smart and dumb?). They all wanted to catch the O-Factor (not to be confused with the O’ Reilly Factor). Hopefully some of them are voters. See you at the polls!
Posted by Colin on Dec 10th in News, Politics | 2 Comments |
And we thought they weren’t working. Just minutes ago, the House of Representatives passed a landmark bill that takes a few steps toward promoting clean, renewable energy.
The House Energy Bill contained several important provisions. Chief among them, however, were the renewable energy standard, which requires utilities to provide 15% of their electricity from clean, renewable sources by 2020, and an increase in CAFE (fuel economy) standards to 35 mpg. This is the first increase in fuel economy standards in my lifetime!
To see how your Representative voted, click here.
A strong energy bill is an important first step in helping us to reduce carbon dioxide emissions 80% by 2050, which is what scientists say we need to do to avert the worst of global warming. This bill is expected to save us all money at the pump (by increasing fuel economy) and creating new jobs by promoting the development of clean, renewable electricity sources.
Up next: the Senate will vote on this bill in a few weeks. Then (if it passes the Senate), on to the President, who will definitely veto the bill. Isn’t politics fun, ya’ll?
Posted by Colin on Dec 6th in Environment, News | 2 Comments |
