Because Democratic presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama has risen so far, so fast, many voters are not as familiar with his background as they would like to be.
In his books, Barack Obama has told the story of the family into which he was born; about a father from Kenya whom he barely knew, who left when Barack was age 2, and about his white American mother from Kansas who along with his father was a college student at the University of Hawaii in Honolulu. By age 6, young Barack was already living in Jakarta with his mother and his Indonesian step father before moving back to Hawaii at age 10, to be raised by his maternal grandparents when his mother and her second husband divorced. His “birthright,” says Senator Obama, was that he was given love, a good education, and hope.
Over the years Barack Obama had bonding experiences with white and black relatives and with Asian family members amidst an understandable struggle to find his own identity. The opportunity that Hawaii offered him to experience a variety of cultures in a climate of mutual respect became an integral part of his world view and is the basis for the values that he holds most dear. Barack Obama’s mother was an atheist and he was raised in a non religious atmosphere by his mother and grandparents. Barack Obama has said that although he very strongly disagrees with Rev. Jeremiah Wright’s sometimes very harsh and racially bitter language, it was Pastor Wright who helped Barack become a Christian believer and he has always been very grateful to him for that, and it was Wright who married Barack and Michelle Obama. Barack Obama grew up without a father and Rev. Wright’s role in his life needs to be seen in that context. It is absolutely certain and clear, however, that Barack Obama truly and deeply loves America and very much believes in a strong and united America as he has indicated in his last book The Audacity of Hope published in 2006.
Barack Obama worked his way through the racial complexities into which he was born to graduate Magna Cum Laude from Harvard Law School in 1991 and become president of the Harvard Law Review. Feeling compelled to give back to his community he returned to his home in Chicago to direct a voter registration drive and work as an attorney representing community organizers on voting rights and civil rights cases. In 1993 he became a lecturer of Constitutional Law at the University of Chicago Law School prior to serving in the Illinois State Senate from 1996-2004, which ended with his 70% landslide election victory to the US Senate in 2004.
On a personal level, throughout his life Barack Obama has seen how perceptions of ethnicity and judgments about race can sometimes divide people, which has led him to become deeply committed to developing a sense of unity and common purpose and higher purpose in the American people. In 1963 Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous “I have a dream” speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. that included the familiar phrase of “not being judged by the color of one’s skin but by the content of one’s character.” That speech, of course, helped prompt passage of the 1964 US Civil rights Act and the next year, King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. If on November 4, 2008 the American people elect Barack Obama their 44th President King’s dream will have become much more than just a dream. As President of the United States Barack Obama would be a powerful emblem of our great country and its twin ideals of personal freedom and equality of opportunity.

Bill and Hillary Clinton began the 2008 Democratic presidential primary campaign by trying to characterize Barack Obama’s opposition to America initiating war in Iraq as a “fairytale” but it didn’t work because the record shows that on October 2, 2002 at the Federal Plaza in Chicago Senator Barack Obama, then an Illinois State Senator delivered these remarks:
“I stand before you as someone who is not opposed to war in all circumstances. The Civil War was one of the bloodiest in history, and yet it was only through the crucible of the sword, the sacrifice of multitudes, that we could begin to perfect this union and drive the scourge of slavery from our soil.
I Don’t Oppose All Wars
I don’t oppose all wars. My grandfather signed up for a war the day after Pearl Harbor was bombed, fought in Patton’s army. He fought in the name of a larger freedom, part of that arsenal of democracy that triumphed over evil. I don’t oppose all wars. After September 11, after witnessing the carnage and destruction, the dust and the tears, I supported this administration’s pledge to hunt down and root out those who would slaughter innocents in the name of intolerance, and I would willingly take up arms myself to prevent such tragedy from happening again.
Opposed to Dumb, Rash Wars
I don’t oppose all wars. What I am opposed to is a dumb war. What I am opposed to is a rash war. What I am opposed to is the cynical attempt by Richard Perle and Paul Wolfowitz and other armchair, weekend warriors in this administration to shove their own ideological agendas down our throats, irrespective of the costs in lives lost and in hardships borne. What I am opposed to is the attempt by political hacks like Karl Rove to distract us from a rise in the uninsured, a rise in the poverty rate, a drop in the median income, to distract us from corporate scandals and a stock market that has just gone through the worst month since the Great Depression. That’s what I’m opposed to. A dumb war. A rash war. A war based not on reason but on passion, not on principle but on politics.
On Saddam Hussein
Now let me be clear: I suffer no illusions about Saddam Hussein. He is a brutal man. A ruthless man. A man who butchers his own people to secure his own power…. The world, and the Iraqi people, would be better off without him. But I also know that Saddam poses no imminent and direct threat to the United States, or to his neighbors…and that in concert with the international community he can be contained until, in the way of all petty dictators, he falls away into the dustbin of history. I know that even a successful war against Iraq will require a U.S. occupation of undetermined length, at undetermined cost, with undetermined consequences. I know that an invasion of Iraq without a clear rationale and without strong international support will only fan the flames of the Middle East, and encourage the worst, rather than best, impulses of the Arab world, and strengthen the recruitment arm of al-Qaeda. I am not opposed to all wars. I’m opposed to dumb wars. So for those of us who seek a more just and secure world for our children, let us send a clear message to the president.
You Want a Fight, President Bush?
You want a fight, President Bush? Let’s finish the fight with Bin Laden and al-Qaeda, through effective, coordinated intelligence, and a shutting down of the financial networks that support terrorism, and a homeland security program that involves more than color-coded warnings. You want a fight, President Bush? Let’s fight to make sure that…we vigorously enforce a nonproliferation treaty, and that former enemies and current allies like Russia safeguard and ultimately eliminate their stores of nuclear material, and that nations like Pakistan and India never use the terrible weapons already in their possession, and that the arms merchants in our own country stop feeding the countless wars that rage across the globe. You want a fight, President Bush? Let’s fight to make sure our so-called allies in the Middle East, the Saudis and the Egyptians, stop oppressing their own people, and suppressing dissent, and tolerating corruption and inequality, and mismanaging their economies so that their youth grow up without education, without prospects, without hope, the ready recruits of terrorist cells. You want a fight, President Bush? Let’s fight to wean ourselves off Middle East oil through an energy policy that doesn’t simply serve the interests of Exxon and Mobil. Those are the battles that we need to fight. Those are the battles that we willingly join. The battles against ignorance and intolerance. Corruption and greed. Poverty and despair.”
Barack Obama delivered his powerful speech at the Federal Plaza in Chicago October 2, 2002 against the US beginning war in Iraq while later that same month Senators Hillary Clinton and John McCain voted for the authorization to begin US military action in Iraq. Barack Obama had the sound judgment to see the dumbness of the war in October 2002 and had the courage to clearly say so. Hillary Clinton and John McCain did not and voted for funds authorizing the start the Iraq War. Good judgment and courage are not strangers to Barack Obama nor is his interest in a united America and a belief in its people and in its future.
After the Clintons were severely criticized for falsely trying to characterize Obama’s position against the war as “a fairy tale,” they began desperately trying to denigrate Senator Obama in every conceivable way which even included the ridiculous charge that he is somehow unfit to be Commander in Chief as President of the United States, but, of course, he is imminently qualified to be vice president and could take over in a moment’s notice. On March 12, 2008 10 distinguished retired Admirals, and Generals from the U.S. Navy, Army, and Air Force endorsed Barack Obama for president and to become the Commander in Chief of All United States Military Forces.
Perhaps the most widespread misconception about Barack Obama that has been forcefully expounded by both Hillary Clinton and John McCain is that because he is younger than both of them he therefore must be too inexperienced to be president.
Senator John McCain is 71 years old, Senator Hillary Clinton is age 60 and Senator Barak Obama is 46 years of age. But America has had both younger and older individuals who have served with great distinction as president such as Theodore Roosevelt who became president at age 42, John Kennedy who assumed the presidency at age 43, and Ronald Regan who was sworn in as the Commander in Chief on January 20, 1981 at age 69.
Bill Clinton became president at age 46 after having served 12 years as the governor of Arkansas, but without having had any experience whatsoever in Washington. Before Abraham Lincoln took the oath of office in 1860 to become our 16th president he had previously served 8 years as an Illinois state legislator and 4 years in the U.S. Congress, which incidentally just happens to have been precisely Barack Obama’s experience. If Barack Obama is sworn in as the 44th President of the United States on January 20, 2009 he will have served 12 years as an elected legislator which include 8 years as an Illinois State Senator and 4 years as a U.S. Senator and he will be 47 years old.
In the 1960 Democratic primary election Senator John Kennedy was also told he was too young and inexperienced to be president, then by such notable members of the “old guard” as Eleanor Roosevelt, Harry Truman, Adlai Stevenson, and Lyndon Johnson. Kennedy was told to wait his turn! But, of course JFK won the 1960 Democratic primary and went on to defeat Richard Nixon in the general election despite Nixon’s protest that “Kennedy is too young and inexperienced to be President.” It wasn’t true then about John F. Kennedy and it isn’t true now about Barack Obama.
Voters should evaluate Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama not simply on the basis of their respective ages of 60 and 46 but look closely at how each of them approaches politics and consider their individual life experience, compare their respective judgment, character, vision, intelligence, imagination and creativity, and assess each one’s ability to unify America and actually bring about significant changes in Washington.
Barack Obama graduated from Harvard Law School Magna Cum Laude in 1991 and served as the President of the Harvard Law Review. Given those credentials he could have joined any number of prestigious law firms but instead felt compelled to give back to his local community, so he returned to his home in Chicago to direct a voter registration drive and work as an attorney representing community organizers working on voting rights and civil rights cases. In 1993 he became a lecturer of Constitutional Law at the University of Chicago Law School and in 1996 was elected to the Illinois State Senate where he served 8 years prior to his landslide election to the US Senate in November 2004. With his combined service as an Illinois State Senator and US Senator as mentioned earlier, Barack Obama is currently serving in his 12th year as an elected legislator accountable to voters.
Hillary Clinton graduated from Yale law school in 1973 and has been a very active spouse of the governor of Arkansas and as the First lady of the United States before being elected to the US Senate from her adopted state of New York in 2000. She is currently serving in her 8th year as an elected legislator accountable to voters.
On October 2, 2002, Barack Obama’s judgment told him that starting a war in Iraq would be a big mistake and he forcefully said so. Much to the contrary later that same month both Senators Hillary Clinton and John McCain voted for funds authorizing President Bush to begin the Iraq war.
When Barack Obama decided to run for president, unlike his opponents Hillary Clinton and John McCain, he made the significant decision that he would not accept campaign contributions from lobbyists and political action committees for his presidential campaign. It was Barack Obama’s judgment that the next President of the United States should be elected without being beholden to money peddlers in Washington or anywhere else.
Barack Obama’s opponents ridicule his inspirational rhetoric, such as his belief that together ordinary Americans can do extraordinary things. “Just high sounding words� and “big talk from a pied piper� they say. But when 1 million ordinary Americans use their credit cards and each gives $25-50 dollars with the click of a mouse to raise $25-50 million dollars for Obama’s campaign without the help of, special interests, political action committees, lobbyists, $1000 a plate dinners, or huge contributions from American billionaires most of us think that’s pretty extraordinary.
Suppose Barack Obama becomes the Democratic nominee for president at the Democratic National Convention in August, and suppose on November 4, 2008 the majority of Americans decide to vote for Barack Obama, the presidential candidate who among many other things has refused to accept campaign contributions from special interests, political action committees, and lobbyists but has financed his campaign solely from the contributions of people to whom he is accountable, people like you and me.
Furthermore suppose this idea of raising money for a political campaign directly from the voters to whom the candidate is accountable sits so well with the American people that they come to expect that future presidential candidates as well as candidates for other offices such for the US Senate and House of Representatives will do as Barack Obama has done. What if candidates who continue to accept campaign contributions from special interests, political action committees, and lobbyists find it increasingly difficult to get elected or reelected? Would that help or hurt democracy in America?
That’s the kind of change that Barack Obama represents and which seems to concern so many in Washington who don’t seem very eager for the American people to reclaim their democracy from the influence of money peddlers in Washington and elsewhere who currently provide huge amounts of financial support to political candidates whom they believe have a good chance of winning and whom they can then “work with� later.
We are at a historic moment in America when ordinary Americans can begin reclaiming their democracy. Don’t let the “politics as usual� politicians or anyone else fool you or do your thinking for you. Barack Obama is the candidate for president who can help Americans bring about the changes we need in Washington. It’s up to each us as citizens and as voters to stand up and be counted.

Interesting that Hillary is fond of claiming to have been a key player in the formulation of Clinton Foreign Policy: 9/11 was a direct result of the Clinton Administration’s feckless responses to the numerous Al-Qaida provocations and terrorist assaults against our national interests; as well as, Clinton’s inexplicable temerity in refusing to take Osama bin Laden into captivity when offered several times by the Sudanese. Clinton then exercised little more than his jawbone as bin Laden trained literally thousands of terrorists in his Afghan camps. All of which, convinced bin Laden that he could strike our homeland with relative impunity. The potential for success in bin Laden’s planned assault on our homeland was significantly enhanced by the infamous Gorelick memo which the Clinton Administration promulgated to prohibit any terrorist information exchange between our FBI and CIA intelligence operatives. Further, in the Dec. 4, 1998 Presidential Daily Intelligence Brief , Clinton was advised that Bin Laden was preparing to hijack US aircraft to employ in terrorist attacks. He was apparently more interested in his pursuit of Monica to take follow-up action. A private matter? Hardly. With the KGB monitoring Clinton/Monica phone calls, Boris Yeltsin used the leverage to get Clinton to sponsor full Russian debt forgiveness by the World Bank. Yes, BLACKMAIL that the American taxpayers paid for dearly. However, history will record the most heinous assault on America’s national security interests by a U.S. president as Clinton’s transfer of our most advanced missile guidance technology to the CHICOM for a few campaign shekels. A CHICOM financial arrangement that Hillary continued thru her Chinese bagman, Norman Hsu; and, her ChinaTown dishwasher scam. Does any rational person really want to return the Clinton cabal/scandals to the White House?

Greg Neubeck

Very confusing life as explained about Mr. Obama, makes me think of playing Pinball machines. I guess thats a great way to keep asking for months for Mr. Obama to Explain HOW he is going to change, What he will do and How?
HE talks a lot without giving any real in depth answers. Thats not the way a leader speaks, thats the way Mr. BUsh has spoken to us for 8 years! I dont want to vote for barack Obama, because He cant give me the answers to the important questions, There is a Reason he always followed up hillarys Questions and answers in those debates, he did not want to look like the fool he did in nevada the night when he just looked straight ahead and had NO answers to the questions, Why? because he had to go first then.
It was his worst night.
He complained just like he does about anything he does not like, or is told not to like, same way Bush is prompted everyone! We dont need another bush in the white house.
We need a True leader in Hillary Clinton, with proven past experiences and a Husband who was a great leader AS President of the United States for 2 terms In the past, She and Staff members would have an Aditional Smart and loved around the world still by all country’s on her side of the house!
I think bill will be great at what he is curently doing, for hillary and to do this around the world as speaking for the values of Americans this way, Dont you? If barack Obama gets the nod, What does he have planned for a Running mate?
hillary has spoken of barack, at least we know she is up for this Dream Ticket.
Barack can not even look people in the eyes to give straight answers, So i’m getting very Upset the more i hear of this man.
And his Keeping in touch with a minister that speaks dammingly of our country, Will never get my nod!
The miniter is not giving a sorroful Appoligy, and barack should not speak for him, So watch out! This could be another Watched group of odd Spiritual problems that have occure din the past in our country.
i sure hope barack is not going to try to start a Religious War through his minister and those Strong Values to knock our country.
has his minister got a Problem with White Women being in powerful leadership places? It seems that barack has cried about racism for so long, Every black person and white and any color knows all their life they have been fighting an Up hill battle. Is barack just waking up now? maybe his weaknesses are that he cant make up his mind what to do?
Still waiting for the Plans you say you have for Change that would be such a great difference than anyone elses changes who go to Office of the united states, they run to make changes . Whats so special of baracks changes over hillary’s
Hillary has spoken up and answered the big questions for the last 2 months now, barack is still not taking a leadership role, and i doubt he ever will.
he’s in a good seat right now, as a U.S. Senator which seems to be about as far as he wishes to explain his ways.
please think people , dont get caught up in this possible Scandle of Change and hope, He’s leading you to a big LETDOWN and he will get torn apart from Mc caine.
Mc Caine is affriad of Hillary as he knows he cant win a GOP presidency against the Clinton Campaign. Part of the reason is if hillary is in for the democratic nomination, who ever she picks will make a Great President and VP ticket compared to the Second pickings that Mc caine has to pick from!
barack shows in-experienced Democratic Ticket and sure to pick a Weaker VP if not hillary, then the Changes will not happen it will be a GOP win and more years of Bushdom!
Do we want to stay at war with everyone for ever and die off, Heck the plans to get into Iran are as strong as ever right now, but the press is loaded up on this PA Voting Ticket. When it over they will fill us in on how bad things really are overseas again!
I ahve Friends that are going to be deployed in Jan-09 for long tours of duty, they are high officers and will be going on their 3rd and 4th Deployments first to Iraq they say. We have nearly 1,000 national guard leaving here in July for iraq.
Mc caine will probably be smarter than bush and have the guts to push the Draft on your kids, and barack will probably do the same!
he has already said he will pull the troops out but put them right back in if needed. Theh why leave.
i like Hillarys Plans better for everything because She has explained how she CAn accomplish so many of what she has offered to do!
hillary is the choice and the change should start with hillary getting i hope more than 70% win in PA.
We know that the change barack has brought forwards so far is to separate the african American Voters from the Real Topics and for them to only concentrate on Color as a Vote for themselves.
So race is a key change by barack, but what does barack give to the African American Votes?
African Americans better think before they vote.
i have asked so many why they will vote for barack allover the midwest and elsewhere? The only answer i ever get is he will get their vote because he is black! What kind of answer is this?
Not an Educational one or well thought out one. If i was black i would be looking at any candidate no matter my coor or not as to who can lead us out of this crappy times which will only get much worse yet this summer when gas hits well over $.00 a gallon.
Heck Mr. bush cant even tell us he knew its been proposed to hit this mark.
maybe Chainey has not kept the president up on the CEO’s of halliburton plans for raises again, and Defense contractors on steeling more money from you and me.
Hilllary will shut them down ASAP! vote Hillary Clinton if we have a shot at the Democrats getting elected back into presidental office. The Republicans want barack to win the Deligates as the Nominee for president, but then they are planning on going to Mccaine in Nov.
They will not be there for us then. barack is the kids choice but at least 1/3 of the kids voting now will not vote this Nov. is a proven fact of the past. The strong democrats WILL come out for hillary now matter what, and hillary leads by a large margin if these caucuses were open to just Democratic Voters, She would win the nomination at PA. But most of the nation does not have Primary’s on the Democratic Tickets, thus they are open to the public which leaves it open for Republicans to vote as planned for the weaker of the tow To get in and win as many deligates as possible.
Your news Reporters on MSNBC wont tell you this WHY?
and CNN and Fox are both Sold out also.
If anyone can not see who is bought out to give their nods each time they are on Television to report and have their personal teams report with them, then you are way out in space !
So lets make this Democratic Ticket one not to be beaten Vote hillary Clinton Everyone in the Big city’s Its time to show your true Muscle and get out and use those funny machines without paper trails on many of them. hmmmmm