2008

What's wrong with this picture?

On Election Day 2008, this was the front page of the Tribune's knockoff tabloid called the 'RedEye'. It sported the none-too-original headline 'It's in Your Hands' with five hands in front of an American flag, each hand showing one of the following issues:

• Iraq
• Economy
• Vote
• Health Care
• Abortion

My question is, what does it say about this tabloid, that 'Abortion' makes it into its Top Five? This would be before -- oh, I dunno -- 'Education' or the 'Environment', just to take two things off the top of my head.

What kind of values are these?

I made it early to the District Office on Madison intent on spending the day canvassing.

This was the last day before the election. With only a day to go, the work typically consists of 'lit drops' -- i.e. going from door to door just leaving reminders, usually in the form of 'door-hangers' about the election.

We went again to Brown County. The Obama Campaign in Ohio was making a big push to get as many votes as possible in the traditionally Republican areas outside of Cincinnati. Everybody was sent out.

From Chris Hayes:

...You have a super rich guy who got super rich not through any of his own genius or hard work (obvious proviso here about his undeniable courage and heroism in Vietnam, but that has nothing to with his net wealth). This super wealthy guy who has married into a family of millionaires flits around in private jets to his many houses while campaigning on an economic policy that tells working people that the economy is great, and if they don’t think it’s great they’re whiners. Meanwhile he’s pushing a tax code that would make him, his wife and his rich donors much richer.

Money isn't bad. We could all do with a bit more of it! But you'd wish McCain and the rest of the GOP crew would be honest enough to admit whose interests they have at heart.

Because America deserves a leader who's way past his prime:

I saw a lot of old friends at the big and lively rally for Obama at the Broadway Armory on Sunday. Here's a shot of Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky addressing the audience early on.

[Even the 'Polizei' were coming in close -- to take snapshots of the guy.]

Guardian columnist Jonathan Freedland explains the significance of Barach Obama for our European allies:

...[T]here is not a serving politician in the world who is now more popular than him, even though at the moment he's only ever been elected to the junior Senate seat from Illinois. It's a pretty remarkable state of affairs.

But he does -- what he embodies is and he becomes an outlet for is that degree of yearning I think you're hearing here, which is a lot of people across Europe, misjudged as being anti-American during the Bush years, really were not.

As Christine Ockrent says, they were people who actually believe in the American dream and have wanted somebody who can allow that belief to come, almost a valve, an outlet for that pro-Americanism. They've not been able to feel that in the Bush years.

And Barack Obama comes along with his improbable journey, as he puts it, his remarkable life story, what he embodies, and therefore says, "It's OK. You can be pro-American again. You can believe in America again."

On the anticipated reception of Obama in Europe:

It's not only Obama's youth, eloquence and energy that have stolen hearts across the Atlantic. For Europeans, there have always been two Americas: one of cynicism, big business and bullying aggression, another of freedom, fairness and nothing-is-impossible dynamism.

If President Bush has been seen as the embodiment of that first America, Obama has raised expectations of a chance for the nation to redeem itself in the role that — at various times through history — Europe has loved, respected and relied upon. [Matt Moore and Melissa Eddy, "Obamamania in full flight ahead of tour of Europe", AP]

The guy's got talent. From Marc Ambinder:

Obama, who never managed so much as a newsstand, has turned out to be a fairly remarkable leader of a what's becoming a billion dollar enterprise.

One of the easiest and most pleasant ways to get involved with the Obama Campaign (if you're not already) is by attending one of the volunteer events listed on my.barackobama.com

A big date coming up is the "United for Change" day.

Christopher Haas over at the Obama Campaign Blog writes:

The goal is to come together -- as Democrats who supported other candidates in the primary, as well as Independents and even Republicans -- to unite behind common values and build a volunteer organization in cities and towns across the country.

He's right about coming together with "Independents and even Republicans". At the event I went to at Montrose Ave. Beach, there was one guy who formerly supported Mitt Romney and another whose father is a republican mayor in Missouri (and there's even some hope of bringing the father over as well).

In any case, you can see who's organizing a 'Unite for Change' event near you -- or even organize one of your own -- by going here...

So on my way to Saloon Democrats, I stop by the Walgreens on Clark and Lake. And what do I see just inside the entry? A woman with a bunch of baseball hats and tee-shirts trying to sell subscriptions to the Chicago Tribune.

The deal is, if you sign up for the Chicago Tribune at one dollar a week, you can get one of the hats or teeshirts for free. And what's on the teeshirt? Why "Obama" of course. It wasn't the official campaign logo but it was his name splashed across the white cotton fabric. The only reason I noticed is because the woman called out to everyone entering the store saying they could get a free "Obama" teeshirt if they signed up for the Tribune.

Now, I have nothing against the Chicago Tribune trying to cash in on the success of Barack Obama. Truth is, this is a candidate that makes all of us from the state of Illinois proud.

I just wonder whether it's a bit ironic for a newspaper that in its entire 161 years has always backed the Republican candidate for president -- to now push its wares under the moniker literally of the presumptive Democratic nominee.

Being a liberal and therefore a believer in the ultimate redemptive nature of human beings, I can only hope that this marketing scheme is a sign that the Chicago Tribune will finally come clean, do the responsible thing, and endorse Barack Obama for President of the United States.