THE AUDACITY OF TRUTH

IF YOU ARE FOLLOWING POLITICS AT ALL, YOU ARE WELL AWARE OF THE RECENT OBAMA CONTROVERSY INVOLVING HIS FORMER REVEREND. HE HAS PUBLICLY DISAGREED WITH AND DISTANCED HIMSELF FROM THE REMARKS THIS MAN HAS MADE, BUT MANY STILL HAVE QUESTIONS. AND THE MAIN QUESTION IS WHY IN THE WORLD IS HE REFUSING TO DISAVOW HIM FROM HIS LIFE. THIS MAN WHO INTRODUCED HIM TO HIS FAITH, OFFICIATED HIS WEDDING AND BAPTISED HIS TWO DAUGHTERS. THIS MAN HE CONSIDERS TO BE A MEMBER OF HIS FAMILY. SO, I WANT TO TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ABOUT THIS MYSELF. I DO HOPE YOU TAKE THE TIME TO READ THIS POST, BECAUSE AS AN AMERICAN THIS IS SO VERY, VERY IMPORTANT.

THIS VIDEO IS ALMOST 38 MINUTES LONG BUT I AM PLEADING WITH YOU TO TAKE THE TIME WHEN YOU HAVE THE TIME TO WATCH IT. IT IS IMPORTANT TO WATCH, TO LISTEN AND TO REALLY HEAR THE MESSAGE THIS MAN DELIVERS. IT IS IMPORTANT TO HEAR WHETHER YOU ARE REPUBLICAN, DEMOCRAT, INDEPENDENT OR UNAFFILIATED. IT IS IMPORTANT TO HEAR WHETHER YOU SUPPORT CLINTON OR OBAMA. IT IS IMPORTANT TO HEAR IF YOU TRULY BELIEVE IN THIS COUNTRY.

WHETHER THIS MAN WHO SPEAKS THE TRUTH WINS THE NOMINATION OR NOT THIS IS THE PERFECT EXAMPLE OF A POLITICIAN WHO CHOOSES NOT TO TAKE THE EASY WAY OUT AND REFUSES TO SAY OR DO ANYTHING JUST TO GET ELECTED...

THIS SPEECH IS ALREADY BEING CALLED HISTORIC AND THE MOST IMPORTANT SPEECH ON RACE IN AMERICA SINCE DR. KING'S "I HAVE A DREAM" SPEECH. AND IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT IF BARACK OBAMA IS NAMED THE NOMINEE OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY THAT THE VERY NIGHT HE WILL GIVE HIS ACCEPTANCE SPEECH TO BE THE PARTY'S NOMINEE IS ON THE ACTUAL ANNIVERSARY OF DR. KING'S "I HAVE A DREAM" SPEECH.

IN MY OPINION THE SPEECH BARACK OBAMA GAVE YESTERDAY GOES FAR AND BEYOND CONDEMNING THE INCENDIARY STATEMENTS MADE BY HIS FORMER PASTOR, JEREMIAH WRIGHT, TO SPEAKING THE TRUTH ABOUT THE STATE OF RACE IN AMERICA TODAY. THIS SPEECH IS A FIRST, IT IS HISTORIC, AND IT SHOWS ME WHY BARACK OBAMA'S LEADERSHIP, VISION, AND ABILITY TO UNDERSTAND THE DELICATE SOCIAL ISSUES THAT FACE AMERICA FROM MULTIPLE PERSPECTIVES MAKES HIM UNIQUELY SUITED TO BE OUR PRESIDENT AT THIS TIME... IN THIS MOMENT. RIGHT NOW.



IT WAS NOT UNTIL I ATTENDED GRADUATE SCHOOL IN SOCIAL WORK AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE THAT I FIRST EXPERIENCED AN OPEN DIALOGUE ABOUT RACE AND ITS PRESENCE AND EXISTENCE IN OUR EVERYDAY LIVES STILL TODAY. ONE THAT HAS BEEN SPOKEN ONLY IN THE PRIVACY OF ONE'S OWN HOME, OFFICES, OR JUST IN ONE'S OWN MIND. IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN THERE AND I WOULD LOVE TO SAY THAT IT WILL NOT ALWAYS BE THERE BUT REALISTICALLY THAT IS A LIE. I CAN HOPE THAT IS NOT THE CASE, JUST AS BARACK DOES, BUT THAT HOPE MEANS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING IF WE ARE NOT EVEN ABLE TO HAVE AN OPEN AND HONEST DISCUSSION ABOUT RACE TO BEGIN WITH.

AND HONESTLY SPEAKING ABOUT PREJUDICES IN OUR COUNTRY AGAINST ANYTHING NOT POLITICALLY CORRECT IN OUR LIVES, I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE A PERSONAL STORY.

JUST THE OTHER DAY A VERY CLOSE MEMBER OF MY FAMILY TOLD ME HE WAS FIGHTING WITH HIS GIRLFRIEND BECAUSE SHE WANTED TO COME OVER TO HIS HOUSE AND WAS WITH HER GAY MALE FRIEND AT THE TIME. HE SAID THAT HE TOLD HER NOT TO COME OVER SIMPLY BECAUSE HE DID NOT WANT HER GAY MALE FRIEND IN HIS HOME. PERIOD. AND SHE GOT UPSET WITH HIM, JUST AS I WOULD HAVE. AND WHEN HE TOLD ME THIS STORY I WAS TAKEN ABACK, BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH HE IS A CLOSE MEMBER OF MY FAMILY WITH WHOM I SPEAK TO DAILY HE HAD NEVER AT ANY TIME EXPRESSED SUCH STRONG FEELINGS ABOUT THIS TO ME. IN TRUTH, I KNEW HE FELT PREJUDICE AGAINST THE GAY MALE POPULATION BUT I NEVER HAD ANY IDEA HE FELT SO HARSHLY ABOUT IT AND IT UPSET ME.

DOES THAT MEAN I DISOWN HIM AS A MEMBER OF MY FAMILY?? DOES IT MEAN I LOVE HIM ANY LESS?? DOES THAT EVEN MEAN THAT I DISTANCE MYSELF FROM HIM AND DISAVOW HIM FROM MY LIFE??

ABSOLUTELY NOT.

EVEN IF HE WOULD HAVE MADE THESE REMARKS PUBLICLY, IN FRONT OF AN AUDIENCE AND ON YOUTUBE FOR THE WORLD TO SEE AND HEAR, I WOULD NOT LOVE HIM LESS OR KICK HIM OUT OF LIFE FOR BELIEVING WHAT HE CHOOSES TO BELIEVE EVEN THOUGH I COMPLETELY DISAGREE WITH HIM.

HE IS A MEMBER OF MY FAMILY AND I LOVE HIM REGARDLESS. HE IS ENTITLED TO HIS OPINION AS I AM ENTITLED TO MY OWN. OF COURSE I DISAGREE WITH HIM AND COMPLETELY DISTANCE MYSELF FROM HIS FEELINGS ON THIS!! BUT I REFUSE TO DISTANCE MYSELF FROM THIS PERSON NOT JUST BECAUSE HE IS A MEMBER OF MY FAMILY, BUT BECAUSE HE IS SO MUCH MORE THAN THIS OPINION HE HAS. HE IS SO MUCH MORE THAN THE DIFFERENCES WE HAVE ABOUT THIS ISSUE OR ANY OTHER ONE FOR THAT MATTER. AND WHILE I WISH HE DIDN'T HAVE SUCH PREJUDICES AND HOPE HE WILL RECONCILE THEM SOMEDAY, HE IS SOMEONE THAT I LOVE WITH ALL OF MY HEART.

I SUSPECT WE ALL HAVE PEOPLE IN OUR LIVES WHO HAVE OPINIONS WITH WHICH WE STRONGLY DISAGREE. BUT I ALSO SUSPECT THAT WE STILL LOVE THEM ALTHOUGH WE HAVE SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES WITH SOME OF THE OPINIONS THEY HAVE.

THAT IS THE FABRIC OF AMERICA. THERE WAS A TIME WHEN MEN THOUGHT WOMEN WERE NOT INTELLIGENT ENOUGH TO VOTE, A TIME WHEN WHITE AMERICANS THOUGHT IT WAS OKAY TO DISPLACE NATIVE AMERICANS FROM THEIR LAND, AND A TIME WHEN BLACK AMERICANS FACED EXTREME INJUSTICES IN THEIR EVERYDAY LIVES ALL OF THE TIME. AND I HAVE NO IDEA HOW THIS FEELS. I CANNOT PRETEND TO KNOW WHAT ANY OF THIS FEELS LIKE. I AM NOT SO ARROGANT TO BELIEVE THAT IF I WAS A BLACK AMERICAN WHO LIVED THROUGH THE WAR ON CIVIL RIGHTS THAT I WOULD NOT STILL FEEL RAGE ABOUT SUCH INJUSTICES STILL TODAY.

THE REMARKS MADE BY REVEREND WRIGHT PALED IN COMPARISON TO THE REMARKS MADE BY REVEREND JERRY FALWELL FOLLOWING THE ATTACK ON AMERICA ON SEPTEMBER 11, 2001. HE SAID THAT AMERICA WAS AT FAULT FOR THE TERRORIST ATTACKS OF THAT DAY BECAUSE OF HOMOSEXUALITY AND AIDS IN THIS COUNTRY. THAT IT WAS GOD'S WAY OF PAYING US BACK FOR ALLOWING HOMOSEXUALS TO LIVE IN AND AIDS TO OCCUR IN OUR COMMUNITIES. IT WAS A GROSS MIS-STATEMENT OF THE FACTS, AND COMPLETELY OFFENSIVE AND WRONG ON ALL LEVELS, TO SAY THE LEAST. AND REVEREND FALWELL IS CURRENTLY BEING EMBRACED BY THE McCAIN CAMPAIGN DUE TO HIS TIES TO HARD RIGHT CONSERVATISM.

ONE CANNOT THROW STONES AT GLASS HOUSES. IN AMERICA TODAY WE STILL FACE THE SAME DOMESTIC ISSUES THAT OUR GRANDPARENTS AND GREAT-GRANDPARENTS FACED. WE JUST DON'T TALK ABOUT IT. I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT IT'S TIME FOR THE CANDIDATES TO SPEAK OPENLY AND HONESTLY ABOUT THESE ISSUES THEMSELVES AND NOT BE JUDGED BY THE WORDS THAT THEIR PASTORS MAY SPEAK ON SUNDAY, OR ON TELEVISION AS JERRY FALWELL DID DIRECTLY JUST A FEW YEARS AGO. IT'S NOT JUST TIME... IT'S OVERDUE. AND I AM SO THANKFUL THAT MY CHOICE FOR PRESIDENT UNDERSTANDS THAT.

CHECKING IN!!

FIRST OF ALL, HAVE Y'ALL SEEN THIS YET?? FABULOUS...



SECONDLY, I HATE VALENTINES DAY EVEN WHEN I AM DATING SOMEONE, SO DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE EXPECT A PERKY, HAPPY BLOG FROM ME TOMORROW. JUST LETTING YOU KNOW IN ADVANCE.

OKAY I AM OFFICIALLY OFF THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL FOR NOW, UNLESS I CAN FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET TIME OFF TO GO TO OHIO. WE GOTTA GET OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA OR TEXAS. GOTTA DO IT PEOPLE. JUST ONE OUT OF THREE, AND WE CAN LOSE THE OTHER TWO BY 15% OR SO AND WE'LL BE GOOD TO GO. AND THEN I WILL FINALLY BE ABLE TO TRAVEL TO DENVER!!! YOU KNOW YOU WANT ME IN DENVER!!! NO NEED TO LIE ABOUT IT!! SERIOUSLY, CONTACT YOUR FRIENDS, YOUR FRIENDS COUSINS, YOUR FRIENDS COUSINS BROTHER-IN-LAW... I DON'T CARE. JUST CALL THEM!!!

AND ON THAT NOTE, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK MY FRIENDS IN WASHINGTON DC, MARYLAND AND ESPECIALLY VIRGINIA, SINCE I HELPED CAMPAIGN THERE. CLEAN SWEEP. AND FOR ANYONE WHO THINKS OBAMA IS ALL TALK AND NO ACTION, PLEASE CHECK HIS WEBSITE FOR HIS POLICY PLANS AND VOTING RECORD AND GET BACK TO ME ON THAT.

SOMEBODY ASKED ME TODAY WHY I COULDN'T VOTE FOR CLINTON, EVEN IF SHE WINS THE NOMINATION. I WILL, OBVIOUSLY, BE DEVASTATED IF THIS HAPPENS BY THE WAY. AND MY ANSWER IS SO SHALLOW, BUT AT LEAST I AM HONEST ABOUT IT. THERE IS ZERO WAY I CAN HANDLE LISTENING TO THIS WOMAN'S REHEARSED SPIEL FOR ANYMORE OF THIS CAMPAIGN CYCLE, MUCH LESS 4 TO 8 MORE YEARS. SHE IS JUST LIKE A SUIT BUT WORSE. A PANTSUIT. USUALLY IN A HORRID SHADE OF YELLOW. I CAN'T HANDLE IT. PLUS SHE IS A CRYBABY. DON'T TREAT ME LIKE A GIRL, BUT OH WAIT PLEASE DO WHEN I AM LOSING. SHE NEEDS TO GET OVER HERSELF. I THINK IT IS THE GREATEST THING EVER THAT SHE THOUGHT SHE HAD THIS WHOLE THING IN THE BAG AND THEN THIS ENTHUSIASTIC BLACK MAN COMES IN AND STEALS HER THUNDER... OUT OF NOWHERE! ALTHOUGH TO LONG-TIME BARACK SUPPORTERS LIKE MYSELF, THIS WASN'T OUT OF NOWHERE.

ALSO, I WOULD LIKE A PRESIDENT WITH FIRST CLASS JUDGEMENT WHO DOESN'T JUST BLINDLY VOTE TO GO TO WAR WITHOUT ACCURATE AND PERSONALLY INVESTIGATED EVIDENCE TO DO SO. AND I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THE CHOICE TO PAY FOR MY MEDICAL INSURANCE INSTEAD OF HAVING IT FORCED UPON ME. I ALREADY MAKE NO MONEY, AND IF I WERE TO GO BACK TO WORK SOMEWHERE THAT DIDN'T PROVIDE ME INSURANCE, I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THE CHOICE WHETHER TO BUY IT OR NOT. WHAT I WOULD NOT LIKE IS TO NOT HAVE THAT CHOICE, AND BE FINED OR HAVE MY ALREADY LOW WAGES BE GARNISHED WHEN I CAN'T PAY FOR INSURANCE TO BEGIN WITH.

PLUS I THINK THIS WHOLE, ANY RACE I DON'T WIN DOESN'T COUNT, AND SCREW ALL THE OTHER STATES IT'S DO OR DIE FOR OHIO AND TEXAS STRATEGY ISN'T GOING TO HELP HER ANY. WHICH IS TRULY FINE WITH ME. REMINDS ME OF RUDY AND WE ALL KNOW HOW THAT ENDED. I CAN ONLY HOPE FOR THE SAME...

ALSO THIS "READY ON DAY ONE" RHETORIC MAKES MY HEAD HURT. I MUCH PREFER THE "RIGHT ON DAY ONE" ANALOGY.

IF IT ENDS UP BEING CLINTON VS. McCAIN IT WILL BE LIKE CHOOSING THE LESSOR OF TWO EVILS. IF IT'S OBAMA VS. McCAIN THAT ALL CHANGES.

BY THE WAY, DON'T KNOW IF ANYONE ELSE CAUGHT MICHELE OBAMA ON LARRY KING LIVE THE OTHER NIGHT, BUT SHE IS THE EPITOME OF CLASS. HILLARY SHOULD TAKE A LESSON. BILL TOO FOR THAT MATTER.

WOW... THAT HUCKABEE JUST WILL NOT GO AWAY!! I LOVE IT!! HE SERIOUSLY CRACKS ME UP, AND HE IS ON EVERY SHOW EVERY NIGHT SO IT'S LIKE WATCHING LITTLE DOSES OF COMEDY CENTRAL ALL THE TIME. AND HE'S SO LIKABLE, IF HE WASN'T SO DAMN EVANGELISTIC.

AM I GOING TO GO TO HELL FOR SAYING EVANGELISTIC AND DAMN IN THE SAME SENTENCE???!!!

SO I WATCHED AMERICAN IDOL LAST NIGHT, AS WELL AS THE PREMIERE OF BIG BROTHER 9. HOLLYWOOD WEEK ON AI IS ALWAYS MY FAVORITE. ALWAYS. LAST NIGHT MY GUY PERRIE (THE DAD WITH THE GUN-TOTIN PAST) GOT THE AXE EARLY. MORRISTOWN BY WAY OF LONDON GUY IS STILL IN IT, AS WELL AS THAT ADORABLE 16 YEAR OLD WHO HAD THAT VOCAL CHORD PROBLEM. HE'S GOOD. I'LL BE BACK TOMORROW WITH MY PREDICTIONS FOR THE TOP 12. I LOVE PREDICTIONS.

BIG BROTHER 9 WAS FUN LAST NIGHT, ALTHOUGH I FOUND OUT WITH TWO CLICKS OF A MOUSE TODAY WHO HAS ALREADY BEEN ELIMINATED. DOESN'T THAT SEEM A LITTLE EARLY??? AND IT WAS MY FAVORITE COUPLE TOO. DO NOT CLICK HERE IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO KNOW WHO IT IS. THAT JEN GIRL IS A REAL BITCH TOO. FUNNY HOW I CAN GET ALL THIS FROM THE INTERNET 1 DAY AFTER THE PREMIERE. HERE'S A LINK TO A SPOILER SITE FOR YOU IMPATIENT FOOLS LIKE ME OUT THERE.

ANYWHO... LOVE TO YOU ALL!!!

XOXO,
BAXTER

PS- IF ANYONE CAN TELL ME WHY MY TAX DOLLARS ARE GOING TO FUND THIS WAR ON MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL PLEASE LET ME KNOW...

SAD TUESDAY...

Before I get to my synopsis of Super Tuesday, I would like to acknowledge something WAY more important. I entitled this post "Sad Tuesday" because of the tragedies that took place in Mid-Western Tennessee and surrounding States yesterday. I have a very large amount of friends in this area, and have only been in contact with a few of them so far. I have called but only gotten a few responses back. If you are in any of these areas and have not gotten in touch with me please please please do so. My heart and thoughts go out to any and all of those affected.

GOD BLESS YOU ALL.

I'm going to keep this Super-Tuesday thing as brief as I can because I just don't feel great about talking about all this when more important things are going on.

I am quite proud of Senator Obama's performance yesterday. I was really nervous and I did all I could do, and am probably not done yet. I can still phonebank in the upcoming States, and probably get a much better reception in those areas than I did phonebanking in the Washington County area.

KEY POINTS:

Massachusetts: NOBODY expected Obama to win this State regardless of any endorsement anywhere. He did lose it by a significantly LESS margin than he would have a week ago though, when he was far, far behind.

New York: Uhmmm... yeah, so seeing that Hillary is the Junior Senator for this State I would have been floored if he somehow won that State. I will say that he only lost by 17% in the State where she is the Senator.

Arkansas: Hillary spent a LONG time here as the First Lady of the State. And she won by 42% here. Again, she won New York, where she has actually been elected twice by 17%. Maybe she was a better First Lady than she has been as a Senator?? I'm just sayin'...

Illinois: Likewise, I would have been completely shocked if Hillary carried this State where Obama is the Junior Senator. She was actually born and raised here in Illinois as well. Where I see the difference in the two sitting Senators States is the fact that Obama won his State by 31% as opposed to her 17% in New York.

California: Citing all legitimate polls, Clinton led this State by a 2-1 margin at least a week ago. Regardless of any "surge" Obama made in this past week nobody following these races would have suggested that he would have been able to beat her there, especially considering the over 1 million early voting ballots that were cast a month or so ago, when Clinton was considered the front runner of the entire Democratic Party and Obama was not necessarily considered a formidable Candidate. Polls showed that the majority of last minute voters opted for Obama, and the fact that he lost this State by a mere 10% speaks volumes in this regard. In addition, while the delegate count has Obama down by a little under 100 right now, California has only officially given out 66 delegates, all to Clinton, of the total amount of 441 delegates, yet to be figured out.

Also as far as the delegate count goes, I really study this stuff and frankly it baffles me. It appears that few of the States from yesterday's votes have officially pledged the full amount of their delegates from yesterday and I don't get that. I'm guessing that by late tonight or tomorrow the full delegate counts will be in, but I have absolutely no idea what any of this means...

Also, what the hell is a superdelegate??? I have looked into this of course, and think it might be that the 400+ elected officials of Congress and the House of Representatives get to pledge their delegates to whomever they want?? If this is indeed the case, than I would suggest these elected officials actually vote the way the constituents who elected them in the first place voted.

Also I find it hard to swallow that Obama is losing the Latino/Hispanic vote overwhelmingly because of BILL CLINTON and what he did during HIS Presidency... not Hillary herself. That kind of makes me mad.

And for anyone who thought Obama couldn't win the "White" States, I give you not ONLY Iowa, but also Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Idaho, Kansas, Missouri, North Dakota, and Utah.

In case you were wondering, victory was also claimed in Alabama and Georgia. And Obama is ahead, even if just by a smidge, in New Mexico as we speak.

So, I guess I would say that winning 13 hopefully going on 14 States out of the 22 total from yesterday isn't bad in a day's work. Bring it on February 9th!! And then February 12th back atcha!!

OBAMA CAN WIN ANYWHERE. I KNOW HE CAN...



Also, I must discuss Tennessee. I am actually quite surprised that my State gave Obama 40% of the vote. I would also like to note that in Hamilton County (Chattanooga) Obama beat Clinton by 8%, in Davidson County (Nashville) Obama beat Clinton by 21%, and in Shelby County (Memphis) Obama beat Clinton by 42%. In Knox County (Knoxville... duh) Clinton beat Obama by LESS than 2,000 votes, and in my sadly skewed Washington County he lost by about 2,500 votes.

All IN ALL, 14 OUT OF 22 AIN'T BAD!!!!

Obama said this morning that he is well aware that Hillary is the front-runner and he is the underdog. That's been obvious this entire election cycle. Hillary gave an interview at the beginning of January saying this thing would be decided by Feb. 5th. Well, it's Feb. 6th and we are still standing tall. The more voters get to know Obama the more he takes away from the Clinton name, which is a tough name to beat.

I THINK HE CAN DO IT. I REALLY HONESTLY DO... AND I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE :-)

EXCELLENT EXCELLENT SPEECH LAST NIGHT BY THE WAY...



Again, politics aside, if you are in one of the areas hit by any of the storms I am PRAYING for you. Please contact me somehow if you haven't been able to yet...

love and blessings to you all,
alyson