Macon-Bibb County, Georgia
Citizens
http://www.newyorker.com/talk/comment/2012/10/29/121029taco_talk_editors?mbi
for
Healthcare - is - #1
Barack Obama
"Yes We Can" video
Namaste' ~Gerri
facts-check
Media Matters
Fight The Smears
Palin as President? (fun site)

Many people have said religion is the number one cause of war. The truth, however, is that intolerance (be it religious or political) is the number one evil in the world. Certainly, if this were not true, all Americans (not just Americans divided along party lines) would be proud that their president received the Nobel Peace Prize.  - - Ron DeLorenzo of Cochran
This Viewpoints for Sunday, Oct. 11, 2009
http://www.macon.com/209/story/875015.html


Obama Party
(above) February 2nd Primary Party  for the Obama Campaign at Studio 32-- by Kimberlyn Carter-8th CD Obama Delegate



Campaign videos -- from the ridiculous to the subprime. . .
Grizzled third-party candidate may steal support from McCain
http://www.theonion.com/content/video/old_grizzled_third_party
 
Hockey mama for Obama
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bh9BmNuqeiQ
 



 
. . . to the inspirational. . .
 
Gonna Take Us All
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ZQRRkf7jog
 
A Song of Hope:  The People for Obama
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBSW1WuoJTA
 



. . . to the serious:
 
Noam Chomsky's advice on the election
http://therealnews.com/t/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=2593
 
"What is this Iraq War charge on my bill?"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lh-T2iGkLJY
 
Palling around with criminals:  McCain and Keating
http://my.barackobama.com/page/invite/keatingvideo
 
Palling around with Alaska secessionists:  Sarah Palin
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkS9QZj5W6g&sdig=1
(more info:  http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2008/10/10/palin_chryson/index.html)
 
McCain's rage is a national security concern
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAyK-enrF1g
 


 

(below) Senator Obama with Macon Leaders at Mercer's Hilton Garden Inn on the morning of January 27, 2008 before Senator Obama spoke at Harvest Cathedral.
Obama in Macon

"Why I'm Voting Republican" (Satire on You-Tube)





   (below) an Obama House Party - June 28th.
Obama-Party-Macon.jpg



 
See more Republican-Conservative cross-overs for Obama.
 

 
Wall Street Journal

Prominent Republicans Line-Up Behind Obama


Susan Davis reports on the presidential race. October 24, 2008, 11:49 am

Since Colin Powell crossed party lines to endorse Barack Obama last Sunday, a steady stream of prominent Republicans have endorsed the Illinois senator over rival John McCain.

Former Massachusetts Gov. William Weld is endorsing Obama today at a press conference in Salem, N.H. Weld was a public supporter of Mitt Romney in the Republican primaries. In a statement, Weld called Obama a “once-in-a-lifetime candidate who will transform our politics and restore America’s standing in the world.”

On Thursday, former Minnesota Gov. Arne Carlson endorsed Obama at the state capitol. “I think we have in Barack Obama the clear possibility of a truly great president,” he said. “I would contend that it’s the most important election of my lifetime.”

Scott McClellan, a former spokesman for President George W. Bush, also endorsed Obama Thursday. USA Today reported that McClellan told CNN in a taping to be aired this weekend that Obama has “the best chance of changing the way Washington works.”

Ken Adelman, a prominent conservative on foreign policy matters announced his support for Obama on Tuesday, telling the New Yorker that his decision was based on temperament and judgment.

Adelman called McCain “impetuous, inconsistent, and imprudent; ending up just plain weird” in his handling of the U.S. economic crisis. He also was unsettled by McCain’s choice of running mate. “Not only is Sarah Palin not close to being acceptable in high office—I would not have hired her for even a mid-level post in the arms-control agency,” Adelman wrote.

 

Republicans and Conservatives Endorsing Barack

Fri, 10/17/2008 - 12:45am — John Martin

As we wait for (Chuck) Hagel's endorsement, here's a recap of some of the biggest Republicans, Republicans-turned-independents, and conservatives who have come out to support Barack for President.  

Elected Officials: 

Jim Leach, Former Congressman from Iowa

"For me, the national interest comes before party concerns, particularly internationally.  We do need a new direction in American policy, and Obama has a sense of that."

Lincoln Chafee, Former United States Senator from Rhode Island

"As I look at the candidates in order who to vote for, certainly my kind of conservatism was reflected with Senator Obama, and those points are that we're fiscally conservative, we care about revenues matching expenditures, we also care about the environment, I think it's a traditional conservative value to care about clean air and clean water."

Wayne Gilchrest, Congressman from Maryland

"We can't use four more years of the same kind of policy that's somewhat haphazard, which leads to recklessness."

Richard Riordan, Former Mayor of Los Angeles

"I'm still a Republican, but I still will always vote for the person who I think will do the best job."

Lowell Weicker, Former Governor and Senator from Connecticut

"At issue is not the partisan politics of two parties, rather the image we have of ourselves as Americans.  Senator Obama brings wisdom, kindness, and common sense to what is both his and our quest for a better America."

Jim Whitaker, Fairbanks, Alaska Mayor

"If we are as a nation concerned with energy, then our consideration should be a national energy policy that is not predicated on crude oil 50 years into the future.  We need to get to it, and I think Barack Obama is very clear in that regard."

Linwood Holton, Former Governor of Virginia

"Obama has a brain, and he isn't afraid to use it."

Douglas Kmiec, Head of the Office of Legal Counsel under Reagan & Bush 41 

"I was first attracted to government by Ronald Reagan, who lives in our national memory as a great leader and an inspiring communicator.  Senator Obama has these gifts as well, but of course, more rhetorical flourish without substance would be worth little.  Is there more to Senator Obama?  I believe there is."

Jackson M. Andrews, Republican Counsel to the U.S. Senate

"Barack Obama is a thoughtful visionary leader who as President will end the decline of American law, liberty, and fiscal responsibility that are the hallmarks of the extremist policies of the current Administration, now adopted by John McCain."  

Susan Eisenhower, Granddaughter of President Eisenhower & President of the Eisenhower Group

"Given Obama's support among young people, I believe that he will be most invested in defending the interests of these rising generations and, therefore, the long-term interests of this nation as a whole."

Francis Fukuyama, Advisor to President Reagan

"...Obama probably has the greatest promise of delivering a different kind of politics."

Rita Hauser, Former White House intelligence advisor under George W. Bush 

"McCain will continue the wrong-headed foreign policy decisions of Bush, while Obama will take us in a new direction."

Larry Hunter, Former President Reagan Policy Advisor

"I suspect Obama is more free-market friendly than he lets on.  He taught at the University of Chicago, a hotbed of right-of-center thought.  His economic advisers, notably Austan Goolsbee, recognize that ordinary citizens stand to gain more from open markets than from government meddling."

Bill Ruckelshaus, served in the Nixon and Reagan administrations

"I'm not against McCain, I'm for Obama."

Ken Adelman, served in the Ford administration

"The most important decision John McCain made in his long campaign was deciding on a running mate.  That decision showed appalling lack of judgment... that selection contradicted McCain's main two, and best two, themes for his campaign-- Country First, and experience counts.  Neither can he credibly claim, post-Palin pick."

Lilibet Hagel, Wife of Republican Senator Chuck Hagel (who has said he won't endorse anyone this time).

"This election is not about fighting phantom issues churned out by a top-notch slander machine.  Most important, it is not about distracting the public-- you and me-- with whatever slurs someone thinks will stick."

Jeffrey Hart, National Review Senior Editor  

"It turns out that these political parties are not always either liberal or conservative, Democratic or Republican.  The Democrat, under certain conditions, can be the conservative."

Andrew Bacevich, Professor of International Relations at Boston University

"For conservatives, Obama represents a sliver of hope.  McCain represents none at all.  The choice turns out to be an easy one."

David Friedman, Economist and son of Milton and Rose Friedman

"I hope Obama wins.  President Bush has clearly been a disaster from the standpoint of libertarians and conservatives because he has presided over an astonishing rise in government spending."

Christopher Buckley, Son of National Review founder William F. Buckley & former NR columnist

"Obama has in him-- I think, despite his sometimes airy-fairy 'We are the people we have been waiting for' silly rehtoric-- the potential to be a good, perhaps even great leader.  He is, it seems clear enough, what the historical moment seems to be calling for."

Andrew Sullivan, Columnist for the Atlantic Monthly

"Obama's legislative record, speeches, and the way he has run his campaign reveal, I think, a very even temperament, a very sound judgment, and an intelligent pragmatism.  Prudence is a word that is not inappropriate to him."

Wick Alison, Former publisher of the National Review

"The more I listen to and read about “the most liberal member of the U.S. Senate,” the more I like him. Barack Obama strikes a chord with me like no political figure since Ronald Reagan. I made the maximum donation to John McCain during the primaries, when there was still hope he might come to his senses.  But I now see that Obama is almost the ideal candidate for this moment in American history."

Michael Smerconish, Columnist for the Philadelphia Enquirer

"...an Obama presidency holds the greatest chance for unifying us here at home and restoring our prestige around the globe."

 

ADDITIONAL REPUBLICAN/CONSERVATIVE ENDORSEMENTS:

William H. Donaldson, Chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission during the Bush admin., and Under Secretary of State for the Nixon Administration. July 28, 2008

Paul O'Neill, United States Secretary of the Treasury from 2001-02 under George W. Bush. August 26, 2008

David Ruder, Chairman of the Securities & Exchange Commission under Presidents Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush. August 26, 2008

Ben Bernanke, current Chairman of the Federal Reserve. October 21, 2008.

Rear Admiral John Hutson, USN (ret.), former Judge Advocate General of the Navy and the current dean and president of Franklin Pierce Law Center. August 26, 2008 

Larry Hunter, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Policy Innovation and Chief Economist for the Free Enterprise Fund, former Reagan policy advisor. July 16, 2008  

Barbara Lorman, Republican state senator and GOP offiicial. October 21, 2008

Ed Koch, former congressman and former mayor of New York City. [he supported Bush in 2004, but technically, he is a Democrat] September 9, 2008 

Lou Thieblemont, Mayor of Camp Hill, Penn. Thieblemont switched his party registration from Republican to Democrat so that he could vote for Obama in the Pennsylvania primary. March, 2008

Joel Haugen, Republican congressional candidate in Oregon. August 4, 2008

Susan Eisenhower, granddaughter of former President, Dwight D. Eisenhower and president of the Eisenhower Institute. May 12, 2008

Sarah Brady, wife of James Brady the former Assistant to the President and White House Press Secretary under President Ronald Reagan. Also the founders of the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence (see groups section below), which has also endorsed Obama. October 13, 2008

Tricia Moseley, a former staffer for the late Senator Strom Thurmond. 

CC Goldwater, the granddaughter of five-term US senator from Arizona and the Republican Party's nominee for President in the 1964 election.October 23, 2008, on behalf of other family members. 

Nicholas P. Cafardi, a law professor and the former dean of the Duquesne University Law School, is a prominent establishment Catholic figure who is staunchly anti-abortion. September 30, 2008

Frank Schaeffer, pro-life advocate and the son of evangelist Francis Schaeffer.

Andrew Bacevich, Professor of International Relations at Boston University. March 24, 2008

Christopher Hitchens, Author, journalist, literary critic. October 13, 2008 

Charles Barkley, Author, former NBA basketball player. August 27, 2008 

Dennis Hopper, loyal Republican actor, and former Bush supporter. October 13, 2008 

Sheryl Underwood, Republican comedienne, October 24, 2008. | Source: The View, on ABC

Jack Antaramian, Florida real estate developer and Bush fundraser. October 7, 2008

David Ruder, former Chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, appointed by Ronald Reagan

David Durenberger, Former Minnesota Senator.  October 21, 2008

William Weld, Former Massachusetts Governor. October 24, 2008

Charles Fried, former U.S. Solicitor General and former McCain advisor. October 24, 2008

Jason Burkins, chairman of the Republican Liberty Caucus of Massachusetts. October 20, 2008

Military Endorsements:

John Adams, Brigadier General US Army (Ret), Former Deputy US Military Representative to the NATO Military Committee
 
Clifford Alexander, Jr., former Secretary of the Army

Susan Ahn Cuddy, first female gunner officer in the U.S. Navy and daughter of Korean Independence fighter Ahn Chang-ho

Wesley Clark, former General, former Supreme Allied Commander Europe of NATO, 2004 presidential candidate

Tom Daniels, Texas Air National Guard

Richard Danzig, former Secretary of the Navy

Larry Gillespie, Brigadier General (Ret), Assistant Deputy Commanding General, (ARNG) Army Material Comman

Scott Gration Major General (USAF-Ret), former Director of Strategy, Policy, and Assessments of the United States European Command in Germany

Richard D. Hearney, former Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps

John Hutson, former Judge Advocate General of the U.S. Navy

Jeh Johnson, former General Counsel of the U.S. Air Force[

Lester Lyles, former Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force

David 'Dave' McGinnis, Brigadier General (Ret), former Chief of Staff of the National Guard Association of the U.S.

Merrill A. McPeak, four star General (Ret), former Secretary of the United States Air Force during Operation Desert Storm,

John B. Nathman (Ret), former Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command and Vice Chief of Naval Operations

F. Whitten Peters, former Secretary of the Air Force

Hugh Robinson, Major General (Ret), Commander of the Southwestern Division

James Smith, Brigadier General (USAF-Ret), former Commander, Joint Warfighting Center, U.S. Joint Forces Command, Joint Training Analysis and Simulation Center

Robert 'Willie' Williamson Rear Admiral (USN-Ret), served as military Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition and Director, Office of Program Appraisal.

Ralph Wooten Major General (Ret), former Commanding General of the Army’s Chemical Arsenal, currently the Executive Vice President of Management Systems, Inc.

James Smith Brigadier General (Ret.) (USAF).

Don Guter Admiral (Ret.) (USN).
 

SOME CONSERVATIVE NEWSPAPER ENDORSEMENTS:
 
Chicago Tribune endorsement exerpt (1st Democrat endorsed in 161 years):

Many Americans say they're uneasy about Obama. He's pretty new to them. We can provide some assurance. We have known Obama since he entered politics a dozen years ago. We have watched him, worked with him, argued with him as he rose from an effective state senator to an inspiring U.S. senator to the Democratic Party's nominee for president. We have tremendous confidence in his intellectual rigor, his moral compass and his ability to make sound, thoughtful, careful decisions. He is ready.
 
Los Angeles Times endorsement exerpt (1st Democrat ever endorsed):

The Times without hesitation endorses Barack Obama for president. Our nation has never before had a candidate like Obama, a man born in the 1960s, of black African and white heritage, raised and educated abroad as well as in the United States, and bringing with him a personal narrative that encompasses much of the American story but that, until now, has been reflected in little of its elected leadership. The excitement of Obama's early campaign was amplified by that newness. But as the presidential race draws to its conclusion, it is Obama's character and temperament that come to the fore. It is his steadiness. His maturity.
 
Washington Post endorsement exerpt:

Mr. Obama also understands that the most important single counter to inequality, and the best way to maintain American competitiveness, is improved education, another subject of only modest interest to Mr. McCain. Mr. Obama would focus attention on early education and on helping families so that another generation of poor children doesn't lose out. His budgets would be less likely to squeeze out important programs such as Head Start and Pell grants. Though he has been less definitive than we would like, he supports accountability measures for public schools and providing parents choices by means of charter schools.

Atlanta Journal-Constitution endorsement exerpt:

Different challenges require different strengths. Obama has demonstrated a calm, thoughtful leadership style that fits this time and this challenge well. He has laid out a wiser, more measured approach toward foreign policy that elevates diplomacy and negotiation while reserving the use of force if necessary to protect this country and its allies in a dangerous world. He understands that international respect and admiration can’t be forced at gunpoint.
 
Idaho Statesman endorsement exerpt:
 
This is not an obvious choice for a newspaper in a historically Republican state... But we have to think about what's best for our nation, which is facing challenging and confusing times that call for even-tempered, clear-minded leadership. When the partisanship of this election finally subsidies, Obama is the man who can reach reasoned conclusions, reach across the political divides, and reach out to the common American.
 
Denver Post endorsement exerpt (endorsed George W. Bush in 2004):
 
McCain wants to eliminate the corporate tax deduction on existing health care plans, a cruel corporate surtax averaging $3,500 per employee. That tax hike would force employers to drop coverage for tens of millions of workers. The lucky workers who still had employer-paid benefits would have to pay income taxes on them — a $3,000 tax increase on a typical middle-income Colorado worker. And this massive tax increase on employers and employees alike comes from a man who asked repeatedly in the last debate: "Why raise anybody's taxes?"
 
Orlando Sentinel Star endorsement exerpt:
 
McCain was at his most impetuous in choosing Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate. Ms. Palin is charismatic and gives a good speech. When she's off script, however, she often doesn't know what she's talking about.  On the campaign trail, she has routinely mangled the truth and launched over-the-top attacks, such as Mr. Obama "palling around with terrorists." Her divisive style also would make her ill-suited to be a heartbeat away from the presidency. Mr. McCain either didn't do his homework before picking her or decided it was more important to kowtow to his party's base. Neither option speaks well of him.
 
Aspen (Colo.) Daily News endorsement exerpt:

As many have noted, the mere act of electing Obama will begin to undo the unjust reputation bestowed on the United States in recent years. It would signal to the world that our country is ready for open-minded global debate, that it will act only after careful deliberation, and that the American dream is alive, well and moving into the White House. ... Indeed, McCain's campaign has been strange. His precarious thinking is further evidenced by his hare-brained attacks of distraction, futilely trying to link Obama to a reformed '60s radical, and stirring rage and fear among the uneducated that Obama is not 'one of us.' In fact, Obama is not only one of us, he is an exceptional example of what makes our country great. He inspires hope.

New York Times endorsement exerpt:

As tough as the times are, the selection of a new president is easy. After nearly two years of a grueling and ugly campaign, Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois has proved that he is the right choice to be the 44th president of the United States. Mr. Obama has met challenge after challenge, growing as a leader and putting real flesh on his early promises of hope and change. He has shown a cool head and sound judgment. We believe he has the will and the ability to forge the broad political consensus that is essential to finding solutions to this nation's problems.

 

RECENT REMARKS BY REPUBLICANS-CONSERVATIVES:
 
Susan Collins (Fri Oct 17):
Republican Sen. Susan Collins is calling on John McCain to stop paying for automated phone calls which describe Barack Obama as having "worked closely" with "domestic terrorist Bill Ayers". "These kind of tactics have no place in Maine politics," said Collins spokesman Kevin Kelley. "Sen. Collins urges the McCain campaign to stop these calls immediately."
 
Kathleen Parker (Oct 17)
The truth few wish to utter is that the GOP has abandoned many conservatives, who mostly nurse their angst in private. Those chickens we keep hearing about have indeed come home to roost. Years of pandering to the extreme wing — the “kooks” the senior (William F. ) Buckley tried to separate from the right — have created a party no longer attentive to its principles.,, Republicans are not short on brainpower — or pride — but they have strayed off course. They do not, in fact, deserve to win this time, and someone had to remind them why.
 
Heather Mac Donald (Tue Oct 14):
Conservative pundit Heather Mac Donald systematically disassembles McCain's VP pick and concludes that "conservatives should not sacrifice standards for political advantage."
 
David Frum (Mon Oct 13):
David "axis of evil" Frum gets his "I told you so" ready at the National Review and rebukes his critics who complain that he isn't cheerleading for McCain enough.  He concludes: "Perhaps it is our job at NRO is tell our readers only what they want to hear, without much regard to whether it is true. Perhaps it is our duty just to keep smiling and to insist that everything is dandy - that John McCain's economic policies make sense, that his selection of Sarah Palin was an act of statesmanship, that she herself is the second coming of Anna Schwartz, and that nobody but an over-educated snob would ever suggest otherwise."
 
William Milliken (Fri Oct 10):
He is not the McCain I endorsed; he keeps saying, 'Who is Barack Obama?' I would ask the question, 'Who is John McCain?' because his campaign has become rather disappointing to me. I'm disappointed in the tenor and the personal attacks on the part of the McCain campaign, when he ought to be talking about the issues."
 
Perry Diaz (Wed Oct 8):
Perry Diaz, chairman of the National Federation of Filipino-American Republicans, resigned from his post and withdrew his endorsement, saying "I endorsed McCain before the California primary believing that he was the right man for the job.  I was wrong.  His selection of Sarah Palin as his running mate and his decision a few days ago to resort to personal attacks on Obama's character and integrity run counter to my personal beliefs and core values.  I have lost my respect for McCain and I believe that a McCain/Palin administration would only worsen the economic situation in the country."
 
George Will (Sep 23)
 
For McCain, politics is always operatic, pitting people who agree with him against those who are "corrupt" or "betray the public's trust," two categories that seem to be exhaustive -- there are no other people. McCain's Manichaean worldview drove him to his signature legislative achievement, the McCain-Feingold law's restrictions on campaigning. Today, his campaign is creatively finding interstices in laws intended to restrict campaign giving and spending.
 
 
 



American Prayer - Dave Stewart (Barack Obama Music Video)


Choose To Unite - Barack Obama Music Video


Barack Obama Music Video - Hope Changes Everything


Let me see...

I'm a little confused. Let me see if I have this straight.... * If you grow up in Hawaii , raised by your grandparents, you're "exotic, different." * Grow up in Alaska eating moose burgers, a quintessential American story. * If your name is Barack you're a radical, unpatriotic Muslim. * Name your kids Willow , Trig and Track, you're a maverick. * Graduate from Harvard law School and you are unstable. * Attend 5 different small colleges before graduating, you're well grounded. * If you spend 3 years as a brilliant community organizer, become the first black President of the Harvard Law Review, create a voter registration drive that registers 150,000 new voters, spend 12 years as a Constitutional Law professor, spend 8 years as a State Senator representing a district with over 750,000 people, become chairman of the state Senate's Health and Human Services committee, spend 4 years in the United States Senate representing a state of 13 million people while sponsoring 131 bills and serving on the Foreign Affairs, Environment and Public Works and Veteran's Affairs committees, you don't have any real leadership experience. * If your total resume is: local weather girl, 4 years on the city council and 6 years as the mayor of a town with less than 9,000 people, 20 months as the governor of a state with only 650,000 people, then you're qualified to become the country's second highest ranking executive. * If you have been married to the same woman for 19 years while raising 2 beautiful daughters, all within Protestant churches, you're not a real Christian. * If you cheated on your first wife with a rich heiress, and left your disfigured wife and married the heiress the next month, you're a Christian. * If you teach responsible, age appropriate sex education, including the proper use of birth control, you are eroding the fiber of society. * If, while governor, you staunchly advocate abstinence only, with no other option in sex education in your state's school system while your unwed teen daughter ends up pregnant, you're very responsible. * If your wife is a Harvard graduate lawyer who gave up a position in a prestigious law firm to work for the betterment of her inner city community, then gave that up to raise a family, your family's values don't represent America's. * If you're husband is nicknamed "First Dude", with at least one DUI conviction and no college education, who didn't register to vote until age 25 and once was a member of a group that advocated the secession of Alaska from the USA, your family is extremely admirable. OK, much clearer now.

Jesus Christ was a Community Organizer.
Ponchus Pilot was a Govenor.






Tools:
***McCain Watch***  


McCain in his Own Words on You-Tube


Noonan and Murphy on Palin (Now with Subtitles!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDBW0SbDxPo&feature=related


Truth-Out.org

More of Macon, Georgia for Obama (here)

- - - - - -  this page is under construction by Lindsay Holliday  - - - - - -