I remember the summer leading up to the Iraq war. I watched the Sunday talking heads and listened carefully to the military guests that were on. The consensus was that Iraq was not a direct threat to us and didn't have weapons of mass destruction. It made sense according to what I thought, but having the military guests on my side gave me comfort. Little did I know how far this administration would go.
As we headed into August that year I read about the strategies about how you don't launch new products in August but instead wait for September. Sure enough, I remember Condeleeza Rice and others coming out with new statements each week taking a different direction each time to explain and justify the impending war with Iraq.
I heard colleagues and friends picking up the talking points, "Well, we can't keep waiting on those weapons inspectors" and "911 really scared me." Then there was Colin Powell sent to put a trusted face on our government's lies. It was chilling. It never should have happened. All the correct information was there and anyone saying in Congress that they didn't know at the time either wasn't working very hard or is lying.
I am thinking a lot about that time now as we lead into the convention. I want a lot of things from my president (healthcare, safety, environment, education) but the change that I want most of all is that I want to make that part of history, that time period where our government preyed on the fears of our citizens and sold us a war, gone. I want integrity back.
Hillary tried to trivialize the fact that Barack spoke out against the war, but I remember that time. This was not just a time to speak out against the war but it was speaking out against this giant lying machine that people were being pulled into. Barack showed his integrity then, he shows his integrity now and he is the only one at this time who deserves to be president.
He survived a primary of attacks from Hillary, Fox News, Republicans, and Rush Limbaugh. Hillary did well in her primary where she was basically unopposed after February. The Republicans went silent. Ann Coulter praised her. Bill O'Reilly gave her a softball interview. The Republican stockpile of vicious attacks against Hillary went into the closet. They were sitting back trying to let Obama implode.
The point of all of this is that there is a lot at stake during this election. While the talking points keep trying to mess with our heads to tell us that Obama should have a ten point lead and what's wrong with him, we have to remember that they are just talking points, not the truth. The truth is that he has survived through more than McCain had to (short primary for McCain and not a lot of hardball attacks. A lot of praise from Hillary) and more than the other candidates. There are many times that Obama could have folded, and yet he is still here with that spine of steel. I even lost it and went into a screaming rave when Sean Hannity repeated every 10 minutes how Michelle Obama hates America. He did this for weeks and still returns to it. But Barack never gave Sean that "angry black man" video that he wanted.
Obama has run a campaign trying to keep integrity on his side. Of course I want him to slay the dragon and be done with it, but I think Barack is correct in that every action and word on his part is screened differently. So, sometimes we have to be patient, as much as I get impatient.
The Republicans are about to unleash full forces of media manipulation, talking points that defy logic and just plain mud. Don't be surprised to have the administration help out. We need to stay strong and focused on this campaign. Instead of complaining about Barack, stop and remember the 5,000 dead Americans and the 93,000 dead Iraqi people, killed in the name of a lie. Do you trust McCain's judgment and character to never allow that type of thing to happen again? I sure don't. That is the change that is most important right now. We need integrity back.
So, continue to volunteer, donate and I am going to add one other thing for those of you who are broke and have no time, or shy away from the phone. Just go out in public with another person at your side and right when you pass a group of people make sure you say, "John McCain really scares me. I do not feel safe with that guy." Public advertising just takes a couple seconds.