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a clean and well-written arcticle nonetheless. Four days of DNC coverage and that's all we get?..."
Posted by sylvarwolf in DNC: Talk With Strangers
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John Edwards: Gay Marriage Advocate?
On a night when the country’s attention was on the Opening Ceremony of the Olympics, and with a barrage of evidence and rumors barreling down on him, populist hero John Edwards quietly admitted that for almost a year he had cheated on his wife Elizabeth, a woman who is possibly more respected than he is and has cancer. Oh, and there’s a baby involved.
Whenever scandals of this nature pop up and the public has to sit through another publicity shot of the apologetic statesman with his tail between his legs and dutiful wife by his side, the same reactions arise. Some see it as a strictly private issue that has nothing to do with a person’s leadership or civic duty. Others feel it one more example of how politicians -- or men in general -- are pigs.
For me, the flawed characters of men like John Edwards bring one question to mind – Why is gay marriage illegal again?
The Edwards scandal, despite its salacious details, has surprisingly been a minor blip on our cultural radar, swept away by the Jonas Brothers and Chinese gymnasts. Part of the neglect is due to the fact that the snooty main stream media was scooped by the lowly National Enquirer. Another factor is that if you remove Elizabeth Edwards’ illness from the tale, it is a story that pops up every few months: charming politician lets his ego and hormones get away from him (and it’s always a man). From Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick to Sen. Larry Craig to former NY Gov. Eliot Spitzer, we’re experiencing infidelity fatigue.
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RNC: Journalists Locked Up
(This was originally posted on Rock the Trail -- a project of Rock the Vote and WireTap).
Pre-Convention Drama
Raids of suspected terrorists swept the Twin Cities before the Republican National Convention doors even opened:
..
I was driving down I-94 on Saturday and saw a green school bus pulled over:
Monday Morning
My backyard in St. Paul is overrun with protesters, anarchists, police, secret service agents. The crowd was mostly Republican, but you could spot a few Democrats and Independents walking around in their Obama Ts. There were others -- legal observers, the media and innocent onlookers with strollers and cameras. I walked out of my front door this morning at 9am, near the Cathedral on John Ireland and Kellogg Blvds. Protesters greeted me on their way to the state Capitol nearby, heading to the March on the RNC, gripping signs saying "No Peace for the Warmakers," "No More War" and "WWJB: Who Would Jesus Bomb" with water in hand, expecting a heat wave- a humid 90 degrees.
The Convention
Compared to the DNC, things felt pretty empty here in St. Paul.
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DNC: Talk With Strangers
Strangers have been on my mind a lot this week. It started in Denver, around the time that thousands began to descend onto Invesco field for Barack Obama’s democratic nomination acceptance speech. Our WireTap crew – meaning Kristina and I – got there bright and early at 10am, with one press pass, blisters and unbeatable determination.
After careful networking and a huge dose of luck, we were both able to get into the stadium. We owe a huge debt of gratitude to Joseline Pena-Melnyk, perhaps our most memorable person from the convention. Optimistic and warm-hearted, Joseline spoke fondly about letting her kids in Maryland watch the speech on TV only if they finished their homework. After an hour of conversation she revealed herself as an elected official, and spoke candidly about her journey from the Dominican Republic to public office.
There were others – grandmothers from Harlem, rednecks from Missouri, anti-immigration activists from Colorado and anti-establishment writers from New York. Some I connected with, others I just listened to, but we respected one another despite our differences.
We lucked out with great seats, and began our ten hour wait in Denver’s unrelenting sun. There were celebrities and politicians, worthy political observations (secret service agents) and not-so-worthy ones (Al Sharpton’s perm). By the time night fell and the crowd of over 80,000 strong stood screaming and teary-eyed, I couldn’t help but think about the power of strangers brought together for one common unifying cause.
Inevitably, anyone can become family when given the chance.
It’s in this spirit that just days after the historic gathering of millions in Denver that we await Hurricane Gustav’s landfall.
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DNC: Last Night I Waved An American Flag
I was one of the 80,000 people who packed into Invesco Field to see Barack Obama claim the Democratic Presidential Nomination last night. It is hard for me to believe that a man of African ancestry is this close to becoming the President of the United States. I have to be honest: while I knew last night would be an extraordinary historical landmark, I did not expect to leave Denver as a proud and joyful American. But I did.
Last night, for the first time in my adult life, I waved an American Flag. It was just a little thing; a stick and fabric symbol, the same kind ancient veterans in immaculate uniforms hand out on the 4th of July. In my hand, it felt as light as air. It was something to be careful with.
I wasn't waving the Red White and Blue because I am a Democrat, Republican or Independent. This wasn't about party; it was a personal celebration, shared by the 80,000 different Americans who crammed into that stadium. We came because we see this election as a chance to shrug off the partisanship of politics as usual. We came to display our pride, together.
I waved that flag because I believe that change is finally possible in our country. For too long the people who form the bedrock of our nation have been left out of the American Dream. Our greatest leaders have been murdered and destroyed, our institutions broken. We, our friends and families, work ourselves to the bone to make ends meet and can expect each day to simply be more of the same.
After last night's historic event, I woke up convinced that we can realize our beautiful dream. It wasn't the candidate that changed me. It wasn't the speech. It was the faces of those around me showing me that we, as Americans, are sick of the status quo. We are tired of inequality. We are ready to step up to be leaders in the greatest tradition of the men and women who placed this flag, this land, into our hands.
I believe that we have what it takes to tackle the contradictions that continue to divide us. We can truly become the "Change Generation." We face problems unprecedented in human history, and we must meet them as brothers and sisters. We are going to have to work harder every day, to convince the skeptical, and demonstrate the power of the Beloved Community over and over again. If we want it, we can do it. Last night we proved it.
Is Ed in '08 Making A Splash?
The economy. War in Iraq. Health care. Energy and environmental policies. All of these issues, at different times, have dominated the headlines of the 2008 presidential election cycle. So too, have campaign strategies, personal attacks, and the occasional speaking gaffe.
Lost in these headlines, however, has been one key topic that may well have as much impact on the future of our nation as all the rest: education. Indeed, school reformers interested in pushing education into a more prominent position of debate between Senators Obama and McCain have more or less held a backseat over the past several months.
This is not how the leaders of at least one non-profit organization envisioned the election cycle. Ed in '08, a $60 million effort funded principally by the Gates Foundation to raise the election day prominence of public education as an issue. The group has made major ad buys in radio, print, and even on TV without much impact--one TV ad is embedded here:
Why hasn't education been more talked about? It's hard to say. After all, it's not as though the voting public isn't interested in public education, and it's not like there aren't meaningful debates to be had over key issues like teacher pay, charter schools, pre-kindergarten, and school accountability. One possibility is that other news have been "sexier" in the sense that they are more timely and seemingly urgent--the housing crisis and gas prices fit this description. Another possibility is that the two campaigns do not disagree enough on the major questions (both are more or less in support of NCLB with modest revision) to be the point of a debate. Either way, it doesn't bode well for America's children that more public attention has been paid thus far to John McCain's real estate holdings and Barack Obama's wife's dress color than to their schools.
DNC: Obama Mobile USA
Waiting outside the press credentialing area today was a Volvo Station Wagon covered from head to toe in bumper stickers.
"We had to buy them ourselves," Samantha Woods told me. "The Obama campaign didn't believe that we were really going to do it. They thought we just wanted stickers."
The Samantha and Annie began with a crazy idea, their site Obama Mobile says.
The "two sisters ... are excited about the political grassroots movement that is sprouting up all over the country. We want YOU to be too! That’s why we decided to take a creative political voice and sticker our Volvo Wagon in over 500 Barack Obama stickers!"
They are hoping that their guide will influence other young people to do the same with their cars. To get to the convention the two fundraised by creating t-shirts and Obama items that they sell on their site and to people around town.
Outside was also the Curator for the Division of Politics and Reform for the Smithsonian institute in Washington DC. Mr. Bird is here searching for the ultimate swag that represents this convention for the museum. He was quick to offer the girls his card and examine some of their t-shirts they were making in the back. Their hope was to donate the entire car to the museum.
"Hopefully the Obama Presidential Museum," Samantha said.
Beginning in California and driving the way to Denver in the car, the girls blogged and photographed their adventure saying
"We find ourselves on the 101 cruzin' down the road. Driving through agriculture California and seeing all the immigrants working early in the fields - a visual reminder of what our country is built and based on. I am so excited for reform in this country ... "
Their site focuses on their hope for the change they believe Obama will bring to foreign policy. Specifically featuring videos from him about Iraq and his urgency for a safe withdraw, they also include a dollar counter that adds the daily amount of money that the war has cost the US.
They are excited to be at the convention and are hopeful to receive press credentials from Current TV which they said must be stuck in traffic because they had not arrived.
"Its a pretty sweet adventure," Annie said.
On Eve of DNC, School Leaders Call for Change
A diverse and highly respected group of leading education reformers from across the country gathered today in Denver, CO to challenge Democratic officials to fight for fundamental changes to the nation's public schools. Elected officials such as Adrian Fenty and Cory Booker, the mayors of Washington, DC and Newark, NJ respectively, were joined by a slew of prominent school experts and civil rights leaders who called for a commitment to six key steps to fighting the achievement gap that plagues low-income and minority students.
The six steps include: providing universal access to pre-kindergarten programs for low-income children; expanding parent choice and access to charter schools; improving standards and accountability systems so that high achieving schools and teachers can be rewarded and modeled; extending school days and the school year to help low-performing children; improving teacher recruitment and hiring practices; and re-examing school funding within the realms of teacher pay and after school programming.
The six proposals are hardly radical ideas; each of them has been suggested to improve student achievement at one time or another. What is interesting, however, is the timing and target of the call--a plea for action by widely respected Democrats who see education as an issue that can propel the Obama - Biden ticket to victory in November.
A recent PDK / Gallup poll seems to confirm this possibility. In the poll, respondents were asked which presidential candidate they would vote for if they were choosing solely on the basis of improving public schools. 46% said they would vote for Senator Obama, compared with only 29% who supported Senator McCain (the remaining 25% said they did not know).
The poll result is noteworthy for two reasons. First off, it shows a clear issue-motivated party preference on the part of voters that did not exist in either the 2004 or 2000 president elections, when President Bush was virtually tied with Sen. Kerry and Vice President Gore on the question of who would improve public schools more. To the extent that this preference is deeply held, education seems to be an issue on which Senator Obama has potential to draw voters to his camp.
The second interesting element of the poll is that the clear candidate preference has emerged in spite of a relatively quiet campaign season when it comes to the issue of education. It is one thing that voters express preferences on economic issues and the Iraq war, where both candidates have spoken extensively on the subject and where clear distinction exists. But voters support Senator Obama on education even without a clear sense of how he differs substantively from Senator McCain. One wonders if Senator McCain would be wise to draw comparisons between his education platform and Senator Obama's, rather than contrasts as a way to reduce the gap expressed by likely voters.
Hip Hop VP: A Q+A With Rosa Clemente
(Note: This was originally appeared on Zentronix)
As cell phone users await Barack Obama's text message informing them who his Vice President choice is, we present a Q+A with Green Party VP nominee Rosa Clemente.
The 36-year old hip-hop activist took some time in Las Vegas at the National Hip-Hop Political Convention last month to talk candidly with us about her historic run, the state of hip-hop activism, the Green Party and its discontents, and how she really feels about Hillary Clinton and Obama. What follows are excerpts from a long interview.
Q: How did this nomination happen for you?
Cynthia called me on July 5th. It happened very quick. I didn't hesitate because that's just my personality. But by the time I got to the convention in Chicago, it was such a whirlwind. It was so fast, the nomination, meeting hundreds of Green Party members. It wasn't 'til I got off that stage that I was like, holy shit. I'm gonna be on a ballot in 40 states. That is so surreal.
In 2001, I had submitted a proposal to a foundation and it was called Hip-Hop Vote. They rejected me and they said that there was no way that a hip-hop generation--no matter how it was being defined--was going to make headway in voting. They could not see young people being so engaged in the electoral political system. And it's funny because now that's all they do. Any foundation is trying to fund young people like Generation Vote, Russell Simmons (Hip-Hop Summit Action Network), the National Hip-Hop Political Convention.
Q: How is it that you got involved with Cynthia McKinney?
I came to know about Cynthia McKinney when she had the hearings on political prisoners in Congress. And then she started talking about Tupac and his files and trying to get the files from the FBI. I was in the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement and we were working on so much around political prisoners. She started bringing me out to her brain trust as part of the Congressional Black Caucus. She was involved in the State of the Black World with Ron Daniels which I was involved with. And then she brought me out to this big Tupac event in Atlanta with Chuck D. Of course when they got her out of office, she went to Cornell to teach one of those two-week things and she just got so harassed. She got death threats. This was after the September 11 hearings where she was grilling Rumsfeld, after they arrested her--whatever the capitol police did to her. I hadn't talked to her in a long time. I just know that I joined the Green Party in Brooklyn.
People always say they want their officials to be held accountable. Here she is, being held accountable, because her party didn't keep to their promises in '06 when they all got in. Pelosi and Conyers and all them finally get these ranks and--no impeachment and no pullout of the war. She actually stood to their principles. She could just have stayed in the DNC. She could have stayed the incumbent and she just didn't.
People have always said, 'You gotta tone it down Rosa, you're too honest. You can't always say what you say.' And I think everything I did got me to this position, because I think I am genuine and I think that a lot of cats aren't. It has come at the expense of a lot of shit. I know that. But I can't be any other way. And I think Cynthia is just, she's completely uncompromising. That is the most needed value right now in our movement.
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Convention Season
(This post originally appeared on Rock the Trail -- a project of Rock the Vote and WireTap)
After basking in the heated activity (and 100+ degree weather) of the third bi-annual 2008 National Hip Hop Political Convention in Las Vegas, I touched down back in the Sota and read my notes, processed through pictures and got down with of some of the most critical and thoughtful recaps and reflections:
Trials of a Hip Hop Educator: My Reflections on the 2008 National Hip Hop Political Convention
Hip Hop and Academia: Where Do We Go From Here?
Anything is Possible: An Interview with Cynthia McKinney
Hip Hop & Electoral Politics: Are Hip Hop Organizations Wasting Their Time Or Are They Effective?
The Green Party VP Candidate: “The Hip Hop Party Has To Go Green”
Find more videos like this on onefamspot
After ciphering and breaking bread with some of the most engaged solders (actually doing real work in the community) and greatest minds of our time, I walked away with more clarity about the importance of young people being politically engaged and the Hip Hop community’s power in this election. We all have a great responsibility. At the very least, we all have a responsibility to vote. More importantly, we MUST be politically active and engaged at the local level in our own ways.
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TV Networks Awaken to Young Voters
I did an interview last week with the Voice of America where I vented my frustrations about news outlets not reporting or misreporting the Youth Movement. The Sunday New York Times has a great article that talks about problems network news outlets are having in both covering the movement as well as attracting a younger viewing audience.
I try to be a polished blogger and bring you facts and info that is useful but it's moments like these when I just want to say: Duh!
"The median age for the three evening newscasts is 60.5"
Ouch! When I asked a friend who doesn't watch network news why he said that it's targeted to 75 year olds with a 7th grade education. Attracting a young audience and talking about the Youth Movement aren't the same thing nor will one lead to the other.
Interestingly enough, the same day that the NYT ran this piece they also ran a piece about Jon Stewart saying that in a 2007 poll by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press Stewart ranked fourth among journalists they most admired. He was tied with the likes of Tom Brokaw, Dan Rather, and Brian Williams.
"At a time when Fox, MSNBC and CNN routinely mix news and entertainment, larding their 24-hour schedules with bloviation fests and marathon coverage of sexual predators and dead celebrities, it’s been "The Daily Show" that has tenaciously tracked big, "super depressing" issues like the cherry-picking of prewar intelligence, the politicization of the Department of Justice and the efforts of the Bush White House to augment its executive power."
The NYT article points out that big networks are trying to make small efforts to reach younger viewers. NBC has hired Luke Russert, son of former host of Meet the Press Tim Russert who died a few months. Fox news has the Y Factor, CNN has the League of First Time Voters.
I think talking about the Youth Movement is great. But covering young people does not automatically create a following of young viewers.
People watch the Daily Show and the Colbert Report because they deal with real issues in a way that isn't as difficult to deal with. The quote on Stewart says it well:
"In a time when major news outlets are beholden to shareholders, advertisers, and some are owned by ideologue, I think the one thing young people crave is authenticity and an honest discussion of issues. Focusing on what's actually going on in our country rather than what we want to believe is going on is a one place to begin. Doing it in an engaging way with an anchor who isn't afraid to get a little silly with some of the most powerful people in the world is another big plus."
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Vote Hip Hop & Talib Kweli
Hip Hop's not running for president in November -- well, not exactly. But the issues that effect young people and communities of color are crucial. From the fight for affordable healthcare to tangible plans to end violence on our streets, our issues don't just end when the ballots are counted.
That's why WireTap teamed up with Generation Vote and judges like Talib Kweli to launch Vote Hip Hop. You can win money and speak your mind. Here's how (from our press release):
The contest is separated into three categories -- audio, video, and design. Are you a graf artist? Throw up your message on a piece! Begin the movement with one of your own! A DJ? Blend together the messages that speak to you! An emcee or poet? Tell us what's on your mind! Any way that you creatively express your thoughts about the candidates and social issues that affect you and your community, put it on a track, video, or visual art piece, hop onto www.votehiphop.com, and upload it for the world to see -- and then check out and vote on the work of other people across the globe!
The Prizes:
Winners selected by online voters and judges, including Talib Kweli, will have their work displayed in national voter registration drives, BET.com, Current TV and WiretapMag.org. Plus, winners in each category also each get $500 and a free trip to a nationally televised awards ceremony!
Also, be sure to endorse the Youth Agenda, which outlines the key issues we want our next president to stand firm on throughout their presidency.
For more info, contact Jamilah King at Jamilah@WireTapMag.org, or show us what you've got at www.votehiphop.org!
Scenes From An Uprising? Part 1
(This was originally posted on Jeff’s blog, Zentronix.)
On Saturday at the Rock The Bells festival in the Bay Area, 20,000 middle fingers were raised against Fox News.
"They are the past. We are the future," Nas shouted from center stage, before dropping the beat from "Black President". "We can change the world."
Hip-hop gatherings seem lately to have been taking on the feel of political rallies or cadre discussions. Could it be that there's a new wind blowing?
At the Ozone Awards, Davey D asked an artist panel what their role might be in the upcoming elections. Rather than shrug, as rappers have often done in the past, Killer Mike responded like a seasoned strategist, outlining the moment in the context of a history of Black politics. It didn't seem out of the ordinary.
Backstage at Rock The Bells, folks like De La Soul, Dead Prez, and Immortal Technique had a lot to say about politics, but so did folks like Redman, Wu-Tang producer Mathematics and rapper Streetlife, and many others. They talked about whether or not to vote, and whether, as YZ once put it, a Black President might be the solution or just another question.
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Candidates Must Address Youth Unemployment
There's a problem with the youth unemployment rate -- it's too high. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the July unemployment rate for teenagers was 20.3 percent. Compare that to 5.7 percent unemployment rate of all Americans and you begin to understand the magnitude of the problem.
In the context of the increased participation of young voters and the unemployment rate, CIRCLE's director Peter Levine argues that this campaign season reflects only the issues of college-educated young voters, the majority of young voters in this primary season:
"[W]e hear some talk about the cost of college and some discussion (albeit not enough) about issues that especially concern idealistic college students, such as climate change. But there is silence about the serious plight of working-class youth."
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Party Like a Rock Star
It all began when John McCain's campaign released a television add attempting to tie his opponent Barack Obama's campaign enthusiasm to celebrities like Paris Hilton and Brittany Spears -- who don't entertain strong approval ratings by the public. The Today Show did a quick piece about the attacks where they asked the McCain campaign if these were supposed to label Obama as "frivolous and irresponsible" to which the McCain campaign responded, "Yes!"
The Obama campaign responded with an add of its own according to the Today Show clip, and the debate could have stopped there, but it didn't.
Progressive Accountability, a project of Media Matters and the Center for American Progress Action Fund released the McCain/Brittany ad which features the two agreeing on foreign policy.
If that isn't enough, last week Paris Hilton responded with her own video. Hilton evidently understood the tone the McCain campaign was going for and found the assumption that she was "frivolous and irresponsible" insulting. Her ad features an honest and intelligent presentation of her own energy policy coupled with humorous commentary about her own hotness.
Rachel Maddow on MSNBC's Road to the White House believes this is part of the media's interest in covering Obama's "exotic" or "celebrity" but neglects McCain's own "celebrity" characteristics.
In an op-ed in the LA Times Neal Gabler responds to the whole ordeal by saying Obama's celebrity stems not from a kind of rock star hysteria, but rather from an honest emotional connection that voters have with the candidate.
"It is insulting because it suggests that their devotees' effusions are just a visceral reaction -- the political equivalent of puppy love. And it is imprecise because Obama is -- and Bobby [Kennedy] was -- more movie star than rock star, which is an analogy with a difference. Rock stars, with some glaring exceptions, typically whip up the crowd; the thrill tends to be short-lived. Movie stars, by contrast, tend to create a long-standing emotional identification with their audience. It's a difference that may have a bearing on the outcome of this election as voters weigh the advantages of being a movie star against its disadvantages. Movie stardom can be confused with mere celebrity, which has connotations of insubstantiality."
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McCain Addresses NAACP
Lots of happenings in the past few weeks to catch up on, perhaps none more interesting than a speech given by Senator McCain to the NAACP two weeks ago where he officially unveiled his education platform for the presidential campaign.
While the edu-world consensus seems to be that there wasn't too much in the way of earth-shattering policy suggested in the speech, there were at least a couple items that caught my attention.
The first observation has to do with the over-arching positioning behind Senator McCain's proposals. It's pretty clear that he has no intent of making education anything close to a center-piece of his campaign, instead choosing to allow education to serve as an echo and reinforcement of themes upon which he and his advisors have already bet their campaign livelihoods. For instance, the second and third sentences of his education platform declare:
"Now is the time to demand real, new reform earned through discipline, grinding work, tough choices and leadership. John McCain has dedicated his career in public service to the hard and sometimes unpopular work of achieving meaningful reform."
Sure, sounds great, but I couldn't help but notice that the same two lines could have been used in a campaign statement on health care, energy policy, campaign finance, the housing crisis--heck the two lines could be an intro to Senator McCain's position on Major League Baseball and steroids. My point here is not to criticize the Senator, especially since he has some thoughtful viewpoints on teacher pay, teacher recruitment, and school choice later on in his plan. But I do mean to point out that the first question his campaign asked when weaving an education platform was not, "what is best for children?" but rather, "what makes the most sense for this campaign?" To be fair, Senator Obama has arguably done the same on the issue.
Second observation has to do with Senator McCain's opponent and the issue of race. He spent a good minute in the opening of his speech praising Mr. Obama in front of a predominately African-American audience, both graciously and eloquently. But I wonder how much of Senator McCain's remarks and choice of venues--in front of the very same NAACP that he refused to speak at in 2007--have to do with this recent poll from the Public Education Network that shows that African American and Latinos actually support the No Child Left Behind Act more than do white voters, by a pretty significant 3-to-2 margin.