Comments for And Yes We Can http://www.andyeswecan.com All Obama, All The Time Thu, 20 Nov 2008 21:07:49 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 Comment on Reason Shines Brightest by Politico2008 http://www.andyeswecan.com/2008/03/15/reason-shines-brightest/#comment-14 Politico2008 Mon, 17 Mar 2008 15:05:00 +0000 http://www.andyeswecan.com/?p=313#comment-14 Interesting points in this post. Relevantly, numerous major media outlets, including The New York Times, NBC, The Wall Street Journal, and Newsweek Magazine, have all concluded in recent weeks, that Obama is specifically part of Generation Jones (born 1954-1965, between the Boomers and Xers). I recently heard a panel of generational experts on a radio program discuss this specific question for around an hour, and they overwhelmingly concluded that Obama is a GenJoneser, not a Boomer nor Xer. This isn't surprising, given that Obama was born in the middle of the GenJones birth years, and those born toward the middle of a generation tend to most personify it. As experts have shown, Barack's bio and political worldview is quintessential GenJones. Interesting points in this post. Relevantly, numerous major media outlets, including The New York Times, NBC, The Wall Street Journal, and Newsweek Magazine, have all concluded in recent weeks, that Obama is specifically part of Generation Jones (born 1954-1965, between the Boomers and Xers). I recently heard a panel of generational experts on a radio program discuss this specific question for around an hour, and they overwhelmingly concluded that Obama is a GenJoneser, not a Boomer nor Xer. This isn’t surprising, given that Obama was born in the middle of the GenJones birth years, and those born toward the middle of a generation tend to most personify it. As experts have shown, Barack’s bio and political worldview is quintessential GenJones.

]]> Comment on Plagiarism Everywhere!!! by Norah http://www.andyeswecan.com/2008/02/19/he-said-it/#comment-9 Norah Wed, 20 Feb 2008 05:25:40 +0000 http://www.andyeswecan.com/?p=182#comment-9 I've been thinking about the similarities between Obama '08 and Clinton '92. In '92, we had a young candidate (first time my mom voted for someone younger than her) campaigning under the slogan "A Man from Hope." His theme song was "Don't Stop Thinking about Tomorrow." He was the change candidate. He attracted record breaking numbers of young voters. He was the first presidential candidate to appear on late-night TV. MTV held their first inaugural ball for him. He captivated people with his speeches. When someone in NH told me she was going to hear Bill speak one night, I told her, "I love to hear Bill speak--he's great, he's inspiring. I'd just rather Obama be president than his wife." I meant it. Within a few weeks, I'm utterly disappointed with the Clinton campaign for throwing out all of the ideals that they stood for in the '90s. Who runs against hope? Who calls inspiration a fault? Who says words don't matter? Who <em>does</em> that? I’ve been thinking about the similarities between Obama ‘08 and Clinton ‘92. In ‘92, we had a young candidate (first time my mom voted for someone younger than her) campaigning under the slogan “A Man from Hope.” His theme song was “Don’t Stop Thinking about Tomorrow.” He was the change candidate. He attracted record breaking numbers of young voters. He was the first presidential candidate to appear on late-night TV. MTV held their first inaugural ball for him. He captivated people with his speeches. When someone in NH told me she was going to hear Bill speak one night, I told her, “I love to hear Bill speak–he’s great, he’s inspiring. I’d just rather Obama be president than his wife.” I meant it. Within a few weeks, I’m utterly disappointed with the Clinton campaign for throwing out all of the ideals that they stood for in the ’90s. Who runs against hope? Who calls inspiration a fault? Who says words don’t matter? Who does that?

]]> Comment on The Roots of Grass Roots by Norah http://www.andyeswecan.com/2008/02/13/the-roots-of-grass-roots/#comment-8 Norah Fri, 15 Feb 2008 00:12:17 +0000 http://www.andyeswecan.com/?p=114#comment-8 There was actually a response. He didn’t think that he could volunteer. He didn’t think it would matter. In spite of myself, I ended up encouraging him to volunteer, only partly for noble purposes. I believe in political activism. No one should be that passionate about changing the world and leave that conversation in a bar. But I also wanted to call out that his candidate did not inspire him to do anything and mine did. And it was getting harder and harder to listen to the same argument (Hillary and I both have vaginas, so I must vote for her, pretty much) and maintain the high ground, so I wanted to put an end to the conversation. We cannot take for granted our freedom to be involved in our political process. I met some college students in Shanghai a few years ago, while Hurricane Katrina left thousands dead and displaced on the other side of the world. The students’ lack of political awareness was disheartening. But it’s completely explicable—they have no ability to say anything about politics, and they never have. They’ve never heard of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiananmen_Square_protests_of_1989" rel="nofollow">Tiananmen Square student protests</a>—they were infants in 1989 and the event has been erased from their history textbooks and banned from their internet searches (we tried). So as far as they’re concerned, that’s the way life is and there’s nothing to object to. I was a novelty for caring enough to object to my own government. So cut to 2008 in the United States. I know the media is criticizing us for being cultish. So in Maryland, we talked about toning down the cheers, describing Obama without using the words “moving” and “inspirational” because they’re starting to sound like a cliché. Start to think about Obama as a president and not as <a href="http://www.slate.com/id/2184459/" rel="nofollow">the Messiah</a>. And then keep working. I want my president to empower us to change our own nation. So my response to anyone who alleges that Barack Obama is just propogating a cult of personality: this <em>is</em> what democracy looks like. There was actually a response. He didn’t think that he could volunteer. He didn’t think it would matter. In spite of myself, I ended up encouraging him to volunteer, only partly for noble purposes. I believe in political activism. No one should be that passionate about changing the world and leave that conversation in a bar. But I also wanted to call out that his candidate did not inspire him to do anything and mine did. And it was getting harder and harder to listen to the same argument (Hillary and I both have vaginas, so I must vote for her, pretty much) and maintain the high ground, so I wanted to put an end to the conversation.
We cannot take for granted our freedom to be involved in our political process. I met some college students in Shanghai a few years ago, while Hurricane Katrina left thousands dead and displaced on the other side of the world. The students’ lack of political awareness was disheartening. But it’s completely explicable—they have no ability to say anything about politics, and they never have. They’ve never heard of the Tiananmen Square student protests—they were infants in 1989 and the event has been erased from their history textbooks and banned from their internet searches (we tried). So as far as they’re concerned, that’s the way life is and there’s nothing to object to. I was a novelty for caring enough to object to my own government.
So cut to 2008 in the United States. I know the media is criticizing us for being cultish. So in Maryland, we talked about toning down the cheers, describing Obama without using the words “moving” and “inspirational” because they’re starting to sound like a cliché. Start to think about Obama as a president and not as the Messiah. And then keep working. I want my president to empower us to change our own nation. So my response to anyone who alleges that Barack Obama is just propogating a cult of personality: this is what democracy looks like.

]]> Comment on Watch It Again. by And Yes We Can › SC Speech on YouTube http://www.andyeswecan.com/2008/01/27/watch-it-again/#comment-5 And Yes We Can › SC Speech on YouTube Mon, 28 Jan 2008 22:06:58 +0000 http://www.andyeswecan.com/?p=15#comment-5 [...] reaction here This was written by chas. Posted on Monday, January 28, 2008, at 2:01 pm. Filed under [...] […] reaction here This was written by chas. Posted on Monday, January 28, 2008, at 2:01 pm. Filed under […]

]]> Comment on We by bill http://www.andyeswecan.com/2008/01/28/we/#comment-4 bill Mon, 28 Jan 2008 17:17:28 +0000 http://www.andyeswecan.com/?p=19#comment-4 Barack is an amazing fellow. He is not, however, an accomplished fellow. Good vibes do not usually trump experience, even calloused experience. Barack is an amazing fellow.

He is not, however, an accomplished fellow.

Good vibes do not usually trump experience, even calloused experience.

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