February 28th, 2009
My Dear America:
It may seem as though I have been away on vacation but it doesn't seem like that to me. I apologize to those of you who have been supportive of the Blog but I have had some things to do between my last posting in January of 2009 and February 28th, 2009.
One thing that I have been doing is to try to put my 2008 -2009 Blog Postings into a manuscript with the intent of selling it as a book. I realize that this may be a pipe dream but pipe dreams need to live too. I have put together a semi literate, semi publishable manuscript but I do not have a Literary Agent or a Publisher lined up so we will see where things lead with this.
I have also been putting in some time thinking about what my next move will be regarding the Blog. When I stumbled upon Blogspot in January, 2008 and set the Blog up, I was thinking about the 2008 Election Story as the only topic or, at least the main topic for discussion in the Blog. Now that the Election of 2008 is over and its winner is in the White House, I have had to give some thought to where I was going and what I was going to do with this Blog. Although it has certainly been a lot of fun to write this Blog through one of the most incredibly interesting American Election Campaigns that has ever been, it has also been somewhat time consuming and stressful, as well.
So, the question is, or at least has been, Where do we go from here with Letters To A Lost Nation. The answer I have chosen is that although I am not sure of how much time and energy I can put into the Blog, that here in the early days of the Obama Administration there is no shortage of topics to be discussed and issues to be considered.
So for now the answer to the question about the future of Letters To A Lost Nation is that it will continue for the present time.
At a time when newspapers and financial pages in those newspapers that are left, are disappearing at an alarming rate, it is not the time for dissonant voices to go silent. My suggestion is that everybody with a computer and an opinion get to Blogspot and write your own columns about what you feel you need to say about our country and our world. It is time for all of us, America, to realize that we are in serious trouble and unless we all get out there and make some noise about how we feel, we could end up with another tone deaf Republican Administration like the one we just had, or worse.
Our Economy is a shambles. We are still involved in Iraq and are ratcheting up our military involvement in Afghanistan and Pakistan. China is letting us know how much in debt we are to them. Guantanamo will be closing but we don't seem to be as anxious to close other hell hole prisons elsewhere in the world. We are moving forward just by having Obama, rather than McCain in the White House, but we need to continue to remember that in America we are free to tell each other and our politicians just what we think.
I plan to continue doing just that.
Thank you all for your support.
Sincerely Yours
Jerry Gallagher
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
EPILOG - Letters To A Lost Nation - The Triumph of Barack Obama - The Next Chapter
January 26th, 2009
My Dear America:
It is a week after the Inauguration of Barack Obama to be The President Of The United States. Barack has hit the ground running and has already begun the process of change in our country. He has started the process of closing the Guantanamo Bay Torture and Humiliation Center. He has also begun the process of reaching out the hand of friendship to countries like Iran and has even done a filmed interview with the El Arabiya Television network. He is pushing hard to have his 825 Billion Dollar Stimulus Package approved by the United States Congress as soon as humanly possible. He has taken the forward looking step of traveling across town to jawbone personally with hesitant Republican legislators in favor of the massive spending bill. He is doing what he can but the hard truth is he has problems to deal with that are just as massive as his Stimulus Bill. Some problems he can deal with quickly but there are certainly problems that are going to take a long time to deal with if, indeed, they can be dealt with at all.
While he has incredibly difficult problems of all kinds to deal with he now has to deal with Right Wing Loudmouth Talk Show Hosts like Rush Limbaugh, who has made the statement that he wants Barack Obama to fail. Rush is out there by himself right now looking like a jackass but I am sure that he won't be out there alone for long. Rush has nothing to lose by making incredibly controversial statements like that. He might lose some Republican fans who have come over from the Dark Side to spend some time loving their Country, Right or Left. Outside of that, however, Rush may love to be driven off the air by hostile lefties and go out in a blaze of Right Wing Glory retiring to Florida where he can spend some his hundreds of millions on his favorite drugs. But as incendiary as Rush Limbaugh tends to be, he needs to be left on the air unless, of course, he is arrested for illegal drug possesion again. But if he is not arrested for drugs he needs to be left alone in his padded radio booth ranting on as if he knew what he was talking about. Yes, Rush Limbaugh is a senseless lunatic but he is free, rich, white and on the air in America. What that means is that just like I have certain protections regarding what I can write and say, so does Rush Limbaugh. its tough sometimes to be free but we all must remember that it is much tougher not to be free.
Sincerely Yours
Jerry Gallagher
My Dear America:
It is a week after the Inauguration of Barack Obama to be The President Of The United States. Barack has hit the ground running and has already begun the process of change in our country. He has started the process of closing the Guantanamo Bay Torture and Humiliation Center. He has also begun the process of reaching out the hand of friendship to countries like Iran and has even done a filmed interview with the El Arabiya Television network. He is pushing hard to have his 825 Billion Dollar Stimulus Package approved by the United States Congress as soon as humanly possible. He has taken the forward looking step of traveling across town to jawbone personally with hesitant Republican legislators in favor of the massive spending bill. He is doing what he can but the hard truth is he has problems to deal with that are just as massive as his Stimulus Bill. Some problems he can deal with quickly but there are certainly problems that are going to take a long time to deal with if, indeed, they can be dealt with at all.
While he has incredibly difficult problems of all kinds to deal with he now has to deal with Right Wing Loudmouth Talk Show Hosts like Rush Limbaugh, who has made the statement that he wants Barack Obama to fail. Rush is out there by himself right now looking like a jackass but I am sure that he won't be out there alone for long. Rush has nothing to lose by making incredibly controversial statements like that. He might lose some Republican fans who have come over from the Dark Side to spend some time loving their Country, Right or Left. Outside of that, however, Rush may love to be driven off the air by hostile lefties and go out in a blaze of Right Wing Glory retiring to Florida where he can spend some his hundreds of millions on his favorite drugs. But as incendiary as Rush Limbaugh tends to be, he needs to be left on the air unless, of course, he is arrested for illegal drug possesion again. But if he is not arrested for drugs he needs to be left alone in his padded radio booth ranting on as if he knew what he was talking about. Yes, Rush Limbaugh is a senseless lunatic but he is free, rich, white and on the air in America. What that means is that just like I have certain protections regarding what I can write and say, so does Rush Limbaugh. its tough sometimes to be free but we all must remember that it is much tougher not to be free.
At this point in our nation's history when Barack Obama dominates the news not only in our country but also in every country of the world, it is surely true, as Dee Dee Myers has writen in Vanity Fair Magazine, that Barack Obama is the Most Famous Person of all time. Surely that seems like a stretch, at first, but is it really. Anyone in the world who owns a television or a radio or has access to newspapers surely already knows who Barack Obama is. If they don't know who Obama is chances are that sometime in the near future they will know.
This Super Celebrity may be in some ways a deficit but in other ways it is surely an asset that Obama can use to sway public opinion not only in his own country but in almost every country of the world. This man who only five years ago was a political unknown outside of Illinois, arrived at the Boston Democratic Convention in 2004 and after his incredible keynote address left Boston with the reputation as a politician who was going places. He was a relatively young man when he was elected Junior Senator from Illinois and it was anticipated by many Democrats, myself among them, that he would wait his turn and get some seasoning in the United States Senate before making a run for President. Once elected to the Senate Obama quickly became one of the most sought after speakers by Democratic Candidates all over your country. When Obama came to town to stump for a candidate like Bob Casey in Pennsylvania that candidate was almost guaranteed an overflow crowd of excited potential voters. Consequently, many Democratic candidates like Casey and many others were elected in a Democratic landslide in 2006 which turned the balance of power in the United States House of Representatives over to the Democrats for the first time in many years.
Certainly there were other factors which led to the Democratic rout of Republicans in the 2006 Congressional Elections but one factor was inescapable to Democrats. Barack Obama had proved to the Democratic Party and to you, America, that he was more than just a flash in the pan Democratic superstar whose flame would burn out quickly. When he made his now famous Springfield, Illinois speech declaring his candidacy for The Presidency of The United States few seasoned political observers gave his candidacy much of a chance to succeed. Clearly those political observers did not know how serious and determined Barack Obama was to succeed in his quest for the Presidency. If the didn't know it then, however, they surely know it now. We all know it now. The deed is done and Barack is in the White House and is determined to deal fully with every crisis that is at hand for you, America.
We are surely living in frightening times and are facing extremely difficult challenges. The world has become complex and perilous. It is unlikely that this situation will change any time soon. To be honest, It is beyond me why anyone would actively seek the Presidency in times as frightening as these. But then every Presidential Election cycle has its own difficult challenges. The Civil War, World War I and II, Korea, Vietnam, and The Cold War. You, America, have always had challenges and always will.
In the early days of the Republic it is likely that England felt as though it would only be a short time before they would be able to crush the Pesky American Colonies. Not only did you survive, America but you have become the beacon of hope for all the world's oppressed people who dream of Freedom. America leads the world in every way and the people and leaders of the world are now at this time in our history looking to Barack Obama for guidance in these times of terror and renewal. Will he be up to the job? We don't know. Time will tell. We do know that his youth, dedication to family and friends, judgement, temperment, intelligence and optimism will be sorely tested in the coming months and years.
My guess is that Barack Obama is and will continue to be the kind of Global Leader who can and will help to get our country back the greatness and respectability it deserves to have not only all over our country but also all over the world. As a candidate for President he was inspired by Hope, Change and The Fierce Urgency of Now. As President he will need all of his considerable talents to guide us through the rough seas that surround us.
God Bless Barack Obama and God Bless you, America. In fact God Bless all of us. We are surely all going to need those blessings as we continue to travel through the coming rough seas.
Sincerely Yours
Jerry Gallagher
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Its Inauguration Day in the Promised Land
January 20th, 2009
My Dear America:
Inauguration Day has finally come to America. There have been Great Expectations regarding this day and its significance to you, America. Great Crowds had been expected. They came and in a show of respect that may have overshadowed the entire day's activities, millions of spectators kept silent not only when Barack Obama took the oath of office but also when he gave his Inauguration speech. The crowd was massive but conducted themselves with dignity honoring the first Black American to ever be sworn in as President of the United States. Certainly security was incredibly tight for this celebration of the installation of our new President. But even with security at unbearable levels, according to those in town for the celebration, there were no arrests or terrorist threats uncovered, that we know of.
Although I gave serious consideration to actually attending the Inauguration in person, I finally decided that I would be able to truly see more of the proceedings on television than in the frigid Washington crowd. There will probably always be part of me that regrets my decision not to go but today I felt truly lucky not to be freezing while watching everything from my living room.
Barack's speech was not the best speech he has ever given or I am sure will ever give. It wasn't the barn burning kind of speech that he is capable of giving and had given on the campaign trail and at the Denver Democratic Convention. It was, however, a very good speech given by a very great orator. Moreover it was a speech that was appropriate for the day and time it was given. Barack Obama was not looking to trot out catch phrases that Americans now and in the future would treasure. He recognized that the time in which he was being inaugurated was a time of difficulties and struggle in our economy, in our foreign policy and in many other aspects of American life. He didn't have to give a speech to sway the massive crowd before him and on television. He had already done that. There were some shameful voices that would pray for his failure and worse but they were on the outside edge of The New American Dream today and clearly the days were numbered for these nattering nabobs of negativism.
It was truly a new day in Washington, D.C. today and every Republican, as well as Democratic Politician knew it. The Democrats had hit the political Trifecta. They were not only in charge of the White House but the Senate and the House of Representatives, as well. As of Tomorrow Barack Obama will no longer have to hold his tongue when asked a question about what he is going to do to fix Washington and the rest of the country. No longer will he have to talk about our country having only one President at a time. He is now that One President and it is his Administration which will now, after I am sure a brief honeymoon period of patience and understanding, be expected to come up with the solutions to some very difficult and complex problems. Surely Americans will give him some room to address the issues of our time but our 24 hour cable networks being what they are will be looking for things to happen tomorrow. Indeed, we will all be looking for at least some direction as to where we are headed if not tomorrow then sometime soon.
Barack's Inauguration speech at least gave some indications of which roads we might be heading down and what problems and programs are at the top of his priority list. He also seemed to throw somewhat of an olive branch to some of those in the world who we might see as enemies of the United States of America. It was a moving and a stirring, well written and well executed speech given with integrity and honor on this historic day.
As cameras panned around the mall in front of the capitol there were people from many places, men and women, boys and girls, black and white and many other shades of American color. Many black faces were shedding tears for themselves, as well as for others who had suffered the abuse and violence of America's past sins. On this day those blacks who had not made it to the Promised Land needed to be represented and celebrated by those who had made it. It was, indeed, a historic day for so many reasons.
While Barack Obama on this historical occasion enjoyed a popularity in polls that seemed, at least at this point, to be unmatched by any other President, there was another man who when Barack took his oath of office lost his power. George Bush, whether or not he was happy or sad on this occasion of Barack's Triumph, seemed to be putting on a good front. Although Bush seemed to have presided over a Presidency of one monumental error after another he had done one thing right. Except for not letting Barack and his family move into Blair House prematurely, George and Laura Bush seemed to be hospitable hosts when they showed the incoming family around and on Inauguration Day George and Laura seemed to be putting on a good face as they and their party lost the right to live in the White House.
I was in our bedroom when my wife shouted to me that George Bush was leaving on a plane. I'm not sure if it was the helicopter or if it was Air Force One taking him home.
I had tried after the Supreme Court virtually crowned Bush President that I would at least try to accept him and give him some respect in the hope that he would deserve it. That acceptance didn't last long although I did give Bush credit for going after Al Quida in Afghanistan following the September 11th attacks. But then, as he had planned to do all along, he swaggered his way into the quicksand of Iraq, from which you, America, have yet to emerge unscathed.
As Bush's helicopter and later his plane reached for the sky it was wonderful for Americans to realize that the long national nightmare of Bush's Cowboy Presidency was over. On this day in January 2009 the legacy of Bush's Nightmare Presidency was not over with even though he himself would be out of D.C. and back in Texas.
After the Inauguration Ceremony with musical Presentations by Aretha Franklin singing "My Country Tis of Thee" and an All Star Chamber Music Quartet, Barack and Michelle attended a dinner with Congress in the Capitol. Although reporters were not allowed to photogragh the proceedings, it was widely reported that Barack worked the room going around from table to table like a groom might work a wedding reception. Unfortunately before the dinner was over Barack had to explain that shortly after Barack visited Ted Kennedy's table Senator Kennedy, an early and important Barack supporter in the primaries, collapsed and was hospitalized following a seizure. Senator Robert Byrd, the oldest serving Senator also apparently collapsed, as well.
Clearly the health problems of these two long time, important Democrats was not good news for Obama but the show had to go on and it did.
The Inauguration Ceremony, as well as the ride and walk down Pennsylvania Avenue showed America that they had elected a very good looking family to live in the White House. Michelle, who had expressed reservations about Barack running in the early days certainly seemed to be over her initial concerns, at least for this day. She and Barack looked like a healthy young couple going on a romantic walk through Washington. And their kids. Who wouldn't love those beautiful, well mannered, parent loving and respecting children.
As the minutes of Inauguration Day ticked away it seemed like the entire country had just enjoyed a breath of fresh air and was continuing to try to hang on to it. At the Inauguration balls that the Obamas visited prior to the end of January 20th they danced to "At Last" being sung by Beyonce. The list of performers at the balls seemed like a Whos Who of popular musical stars. Springsteen and "The Dead" (a band made up of surviving members of "The Grateful Dead") played. Sheryl Crow, Fall Out Boy, Kid Rock. Kid Rock? Isn't he a Republican.
Although Barack Obama did not appear to have the best sense of rhythm in the country as he and Michelle began to visit the Inaugural Balls, they certainly seemed to be a couple that was in love and would support each other as the Obama Administration became a reality. Barack and Michelle were clearly having fun with one another on Inauguration night but both knew that this day would soon be over and the first work day of the Obama Administration would come to replace it.
But for now they had and would always have the memories of this day and it had been a wonderful sunny, cold and event filled day. It had been a day that in the words of "Walter Cronkite" in describing past events "would alter and illuminate our time".
My Dear America:
Inauguration Day has finally come to America. There have been Great Expectations regarding this day and its significance to you, America. Great Crowds had been expected. They came and in a show of respect that may have overshadowed the entire day's activities, millions of spectators kept silent not only when Barack Obama took the oath of office but also when he gave his Inauguration speech. The crowd was massive but conducted themselves with dignity honoring the first Black American to ever be sworn in as President of the United States. Certainly security was incredibly tight for this celebration of the installation of our new President. But even with security at unbearable levels, according to those in town for the celebration, there were no arrests or terrorist threats uncovered, that we know of.
Although I gave serious consideration to actually attending the Inauguration in person, I finally decided that I would be able to truly see more of the proceedings on television than in the frigid Washington crowd. There will probably always be part of me that regrets my decision not to go but today I felt truly lucky not to be freezing while watching everything from my living room.
Barack's speech was not the best speech he has ever given or I am sure will ever give. It wasn't the barn burning kind of speech that he is capable of giving and had given on the campaign trail and at the Denver Democratic Convention. It was, however, a very good speech given by a very great orator. Moreover it was a speech that was appropriate for the day and time it was given. Barack Obama was not looking to trot out catch phrases that Americans now and in the future would treasure. He recognized that the time in which he was being inaugurated was a time of difficulties and struggle in our economy, in our foreign policy and in many other aspects of American life. He didn't have to give a speech to sway the massive crowd before him and on television. He had already done that. There were some shameful voices that would pray for his failure and worse but they were on the outside edge of The New American Dream today and clearly the days were numbered for these nattering nabobs of negativism.
It was truly a new day in Washington, D.C. today and every Republican, as well as Democratic Politician knew it. The Democrats had hit the political Trifecta. They were not only in charge of the White House but the Senate and the House of Representatives, as well. As of Tomorrow Barack Obama will no longer have to hold his tongue when asked a question about what he is going to do to fix Washington and the rest of the country. No longer will he have to talk about our country having only one President at a time. He is now that One President and it is his Administration which will now, after I am sure a brief honeymoon period of patience and understanding, be expected to come up with the solutions to some very difficult and complex problems. Surely Americans will give him some room to address the issues of our time but our 24 hour cable networks being what they are will be looking for things to happen tomorrow. Indeed, we will all be looking for at least some direction as to where we are headed if not tomorrow then sometime soon.
Barack's Inauguration speech at least gave some indications of which roads we might be heading down and what problems and programs are at the top of his priority list. He also seemed to throw somewhat of an olive branch to some of those in the world who we might see as enemies of the United States of America. It was a moving and a stirring, well written and well executed speech given with integrity and honor on this historic day.
As cameras panned around the mall in front of the capitol there were people from many places, men and women, boys and girls, black and white and many other shades of American color. Many black faces were shedding tears for themselves, as well as for others who had suffered the abuse and violence of America's past sins. On this day those blacks who had not made it to the Promised Land needed to be represented and celebrated by those who had made it. It was, indeed, a historic day for so many reasons.
While Barack Obama on this historical occasion enjoyed a popularity in polls that seemed, at least at this point, to be unmatched by any other President, there was another man who when Barack took his oath of office lost his power. George Bush, whether or not he was happy or sad on this occasion of Barack's Triumph, seemed to be putting on a good front. Although Bush seemed to have presided over a Presidency of one monumental error after another he had done one thing right. Except for not letting Barack and his family move into Blair House prematurely, George and Laura Bush seemed to be hospitable hosts when they showed the incoming family around and on Inauguration Day George and Laura seemed to be putting on a good face as they and their party lost the right to live in the White House.
I was in our bedroom when my wife shouted to me that George Bush was leaving on a plane. I'm not sure if it was the helicopter or if it was Air Force One taking him home.
I had tried after the Supreme Court virtually crowned Bush President that I would at least try to accept him and give him some respect in the hope that he would deserve it. That acceptance didn't last long although I did give Bush credit for going after Al Quida in Afghanistan following the September 11th attacks. But then, as he had planned to do all along, he swaggered his way into the quicksand of Iraq, from which you, America, have yet to emerge unscathed.
As Bush's helicopter and later his plane reached for the sky it was wonderful for Americans to realize that the long national nightmare of Bush's Cowboy Presidency was over. On this day in January 2009 the legacy of Bush's Nightmare Presidency was not over with even though he himself would be out of D.C. and back in Texas.
After the Inauguration Ceremony with musical Presentations by Aretha Franklin singing "My Country Tis of Thee" and an All Star Chamber Music Quartet, Barack and Michelle attended a dinner with Congress in the Capitol. Although reporters were not allowed to photogragh the proceedings, it was widely reported that Barack worked the room going around from table to table like a groom might work a wedding reception. Unfortunately before the dinner was over Barack had to explain that shortly after Barack visited Ted Kennedy's table Senator Kennedy, an early and important Barack supporter in the primaries, collapsed and was hospitalized following a seizure. Senator Robert Byrd, the oldest serving Senator also apparently collapsed, as well.
Clearly the health problems of these two long time, important Democrats was not good news for Obama but the show had to go on and it did.
The Inauguration Ceremony, as well as the ride and walk down Pennsylvania Avenue showed America that they had elected a very good looking family to live in the White House. Michelle, who had expressed reservations about Barack running in the early days certainly seemed to be over her initial concerns, at least for this day. She and Barack looked like a healthy young couple going on a romantic walk through Washington. And their kids. Who wouldn't love those beautiful, well mannered, parent loving and respecting children.
As the minutes of Inauguration Day ticked away it seemed like the entire country had just enjoyed a breath of fresh air and was continuing to try to hang on to it. At the Inauguration balls that the Obamas visited prior to the end of January 20th they danced to "At Last" being sung by Beyonce. The list of performers at the balls seemed like a Whos Who of popular musical stars. Springsteen and "The Dead" (a band made up of surviving members of "The Grateful Dead") played. Sheryl Crow, Fall Out Boy, Kid Rock. Kid Rock? Isn't he a Republican.
Although Barack Obama did not appear to have the best sense of rhythm in the country as he and Michelle began to visit the Inaugural Balls, they certainly seemed to be a couple that was in love and would support each other as the Obama Administration became a reality. Barack and Michelle were clearly having fun with one another on Inauguration night but both knew that this day would soon be over and the first work day of the Obama Administration would come to replace it.
But for now they had and would always have the memories of this day and it had been a wonderful sunny, cold and event filled day. It had been a day that in the words of "Walter Cronkite" in describing past events "would alter and illuminate our time".
Sincerely Yours
Jerry Gallagher
Monday, January 19, 2009
A Birthday Present for Doctor King and All Americans
January 19th, 2009
My Dear America:
Today is the birthday of Doctor Martin Luther King. Tomorrow is the day when Barack Obama will become the 44th President of the United States.
The Nation's Capital is buzzing with warmth even though the temperatures are below freezing. You, America, are presently the hero of the world despite the fact that it was not all that long ago that you and President Bush seemed to be unwelcome everywhere. Something in the world has surely changed. Certainly there is no doubt about the fact that something in you, America, has surely changed.
America's Patriotic Founders were a very brave group. They stood up to English tyranny and we salute them for it. They did not, however, stand up for the black slaves in the south who were sold like cattle separating families and opressing human beings in a manner that indicated that slaves were not Americans but simply less than human beings who deserved the torture, killings and rapes they
received. It is hard for me to understand, America, just how anyone could or would try to justify the outrageous treatment of black men and women in America from our earliest days until now. I can understand how it could have drifted to the bottom of the priority list in the earliest days of the republic. What I can't understand is how the wretched excesses of slavery lasted as long as they did without other brave and just Americans trying to do something about it.
Still today some Americans tend to forgive the excesses of slavery. But I think that it may not be so easy to forgive America's legacy of slavery if you and your ancestors were victims of this criminal system. Tomorrow the day after
Martin Luther King's national holiday, Michelle Obama, The black Princeton and Harvard Educated Great, Great, Great Great Grandaughter of a slave will move into the White House in Washington, D.C. with her Columbia and Harvard Educated black husband, Barack Obama, following his innauguration as the President of The United States.
Yes, this event indicates once and for all that equality has finally come to America. There is tremendous and well deserved pride in America on Innauguration Eve. It has been, however, a hard and heavy walk to freedom for black Americans. Those brave individuals who stood in the way of slavery and segregation never seemed to come to good ends. Witness Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King. Lincoln won the Civil War but lost his life in order to end the legality of slavery.
Martin Luther King was a young baptist minister in Montgomery, Alabama, who happened to be (just like Barack Obama) an eloquent and a moving speaker, when along came the arrest of Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus boycott. Largely due to the incredible leadership skills of Martin Luther King this Community Organizer was able to lead the boycotters to victory in Montgomery. Certainly Martin could have, at the end of the Montgomery Bus Boycott, gone back to his church and left the community organizing to someone else.
Martin realized,however, after the Montgomery Bus Boycott, that in the era of television, segregation looked ugly and helped to move people in the direction of non violence and away from hatred. Segregation and racism needed to go. It was a tall order for a previously unknown Southern Baptist preacher. With many young preachers by his side Martin created the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and took it upon himself to go or have his young preachers like Andrew Young, Ralph Abernathy and Jesse Jackson, go wherever they were needed in America to help stamp out segregation, racism and inequality wherever they found it in the United States of America.
Much of the progress involving racial equality that we have witnessed in our country since the late fifties and early and mid sixties was due directly to Martin Luther King and his extreme dedication to the principles of non violence as an answer to inequality and violence.
Martin was an inspiration to many individuals who followed his lead into community organizing and other forms of helping their fellow men and women.
I will never forget the day that I had the great privilege of witnessing Martin Luther King working his magic in person. I was attending Temple University in Philadelphia in the summer of 1965. The program at Temple was called the Counselor Advisor University Education Program (CAUSE II). it was a program designed to train Counselors for placement in Youth Opportunity Centers Throughout the country. These were centers which hopefully would not only provide young people with counseling but with job training and job placement.
One day at Temple a young black man who was a native Philadelphian and was also in the CAUSE II program asked me if I was going to see Dr. King that day at a rally in a church just off the Temple Campus. Tensions were high in Philly that summer in 1965 and the controversial police chief and future Mayor, Frank Rizzo, seemed to be starting more racial problems than he was solving. I went with my friend to the church where Martin would be speaking. I truly expected that there would be many white and black students at the rally. It was only after I was inside the church that I realized that mine was the single white face at this rally. I must admit that it was frightening as some of the local and national figures at this rally spoke about violence as the way of dealing with their problems. Stokely Carmichael, the leader of SNCC, the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, was one who didn't sound too willing to continue to be nonviolent.
But then after all the others spoke this very short black man named Martin Luther King Jr. took his place at the podium and his voice dominated and filled the hall. He spoke slowly, clearly and softly at first. He made it clear from the outset that he had not come here to sell out his principles of nonviolence. As he spoke I almost felt as though his voice was so moving that he was able to lift me up. It was so powerful and he spoke with such eloquence. Then something happened that I will truly never forget. I don't recall everything that Dr. King was saying at the time but I remember Martin Luther King saying the words "our white brothers and sisters" and I remember him looking at me and smiling as he looked my way. I was stunned. I am still stunned just thinking about this magical moment in my life and what an incredible impression it has had and still has on my life.
So today on Martin Luther King's birthday I want to thank Dr. King for being here when we needed him. I want to thank him for all he has done to encourage social workers and community organizers alike, including that skinny black kid working on the south side of Chicago who was inspired by Martin Luther King to set his sights high.
Tomorrow that skinny kid who followed in Martin's footsteps around the south side of Chicago will take the oath of office to become the 44th President of the United States.
You can't set your sights much higher than that.
Sincerely Yours
Jerry Gallagher
My Dear America:
Today is the birthday of Doctor Martin Luther King. Tomorrow is the day when Barack Obama will become the 44th President of the United States.
The Nation's Capital is buzzing with warmth even though the temperatures are below freezing. You, America, are presently the hero of the world despite the fact that it was not all that long ago that you and President Bush seemed to be unwelcome everywhere. Something in the world has surely changed. Certainly there is no doubt about the fact that something in you, America, has surely changed.
America's Patriotic Founders were a very brave group. They stood up to English tyranny and we salute them for it. They did not, however, stand up for the black slaves in the south who were sold like cattle separating families and opressing human beings in a manner that indicated that slaves were not Americans but simply less than human beings who deserved the torture, killings and rapes they
received. It is hard for me to understand, America, just how anyone could or would try to justify the outrageous treatment of black men and women in America from our earliest days until now. I can understand how it could have drifted to the bottom of the priority list in the earliest days of the republic. What I can't understand is how the wretched excesses of slavery lasted as long as they did without other brave and just Americans trying to do something about it.
Still today some Americans tend to forgive the excesses of slavery. But I think that it may not be so easy to forgive America's legacy of slavery if you and your ancestors were victims of this criminal system. Tomorrow the day after
Martin Luther King's national holiday, Michelle Obama, The black Princeton and Harvard Educated Great, Great, Great Great Grandaughter of a slave will move into the White House in Washington, D.C. with her Columbia and Harvard Educated black husband, Barack Obama, following his innauguration as the President of The United States.
Yes, this event indicates once and for all that equality has finally come to America. There is tremendous and well deserved pride in America on Innauguration Eve. It has been, however, a hard and heavy walk to freedom for black Americans. Those brave individuals who stood in the way of slavery and segregation never seemed to come to good ends. Witness Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King. Lincoln won the Civil War but lost his life in order to end the legality of slavery.
Martin Luther King was a young baptist minister in Montgomery, Alabama, who happened to be (just like Barack Obama) an eloquent and a moving speaker, when along came the arrest of Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus boycott. Largely due to the incredible leadership skills of Martin Luther King this Community Organizer was able to lead the boycotters to victory in Montgomery. Certainly Martin could have, at the end of the Montgomery Bus Boycott, gone back to his church and left the community organizing to someone else.
Martin realized,however, after the Montgomery Bus Boycott, that in the era of television, segregation looked ugly and helped to move people in the direction of non violence and away from hatred. Segregation and racism needed to go. It was a tall order for a previously unknown Southern Baptist preacher. With many young preachers by his side Martin created the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and took it upon himself to go or have his young preachers like Andrew Young, Ralph Abernathy and Jesse Jackson, go wherever they were needed in America to help stamp out segregation, racism and inequality wherever they found it in the United States of America.
Much of the progress involving racial equality that we have witnessed in our country since the late fifties and early and mid sixties was due directly to Martin Luther King and his extreme dedication to the principles of non violence as an answer to inequality and violence.
Martin was an inspiration to many individuals who followed his lead into community organizing and other forms of helping their fellow men and women.
I will never forget the day that I had the great privilege of witnessing Martin Luther King working his magic in person. I was attending Temple University in Philadelphia in the summer of 1965. The program at Temple was called the Counselor Advisor University Education Program (CAUSE II). it was a program designed to train Counselors for placement in Youth Opportunity Centers Throughout the country. These were centers which hopefully would not only provide young people with counseling but with job training and job placement.
One day at Temple a young black man who was a native Philadelphian and was also in the CAUSE II program asked me if I was going to see Dr. King that day at a rally in a church just off the Temple Campus. Tensions were high in Philly that summer in 1965 and the controversial police chief and future Mayor, Frank Rizzo, seemed to be starting more racial problems than he was solving. I went with my friend to the church where Martin would be speaking. I truly expected that there would be many white and black students at the rally. It was only after I was inside the church that I realized that mine was the single white face at this rally. I must admit that it was frightening as some of the local and national figures at this rally spoke about violence as the way of dealing with their problems. Stokely Carmichael, the leader of SNCC, the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, was one who didn't sound too willing to continue to be nonviolent.
But then after all the others spoke this very short black man named Martin Luther King Jr. took his place at the podium and his voice dominated and filled the hall. He spoke slowly, clearly and softly at first. He made it clear from the outset that he had not come here to sell out his principles of nonviolence. As he spoke I almost felt as though his voice was so moving that he was able to lift me up. It was so powerful and he spoke with such eloquence. Then something happened that I will truly never forget. I don't recall everything that Dr. King was saying at the time but I remember Martin Luther King saying the words "our white brothers and sisters" and I remember him looking at me and smiling as he looked my way. I was stunned. I am still stunned just thinking about this magical moment in my life and what an incredible impression it has had and still has on my life.
So today on Martin Luther King's birthday I want to thank Dr. King for being here when we needed him. I want to thank him for all he has done to encourage social workers and community organizers alike, including that skinny black kid working on the south side of Chicago who was inspired by Martin Luther King to set his sights high.
Tomorrow that skinny kid who followed in Martin's footsteps around the south side of Chicago will take the oath of office to become the 44th President of the United States.
You can't set your sights much higher than that.
Sincerely Yours
Jerry Gallagher
Monday, December 29, 2008
Last Commentary of 2008 on The Triumph of Barack Obama
December 29th, 2008
My Dear America:
There are many more lessons to be learned from the Triumph of Barack Obama in the Election of 2008. In addition to the lessons I have listed previously, I want to add one other lesson that I think is, in fact, probably the most important lesson of all that can be learned from the Obama Election Victory. That lesson is the following:
Lesson 5 - America's Respect in the World, which was certainly damaged by the Actions of the Bush Administration, can be restored and, to some extent, has already been restored by the 2008 Election of Barack Obama as President of the United States.
The reality of this statement can be understood not only by the reaction of American Leaders and Citizens to Obama's election but also by the reaction of World Leaders and World Citizens to Obama's election. With the possible exception of Russia, (and even they finally came around) nearly every foreign leader praised Obama's election and wished him well. Even Iran's President, a man of few kind words, seemed to find some for Obama following the election. Certainly Obama's election seemed put to rest claims by world leaders seeking to sow the seeds of discontent in America and elsewhere that America is a racist country that would never elect a black man to the Presidency.
Certainly Racists and Racism still exists in the United States of America. Like Terrorists in every country in the world, Racists are a fact of life in the 21st Century. Luckilly, however, in 2008, however, Racists have taken the back seat on the bus and have been relegated to the status of third class citizens.
It is certainly a new world or at least a new country and one in which all men and women for all practical purposes truly are created equal. We have seen black candidates running for President before, Shirley Chilsolm, Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton. These candidates put their mark indelibly on the Presidential Campaign Path. In reality though these candidates never really had a fighting chance to be anything more than marginal presidential candidates, people who blazed a trail and left their mark but people who ultimately did not have a snowballs chance in hell really to become President.
To be quite honest,up until the end results of the Iowa Caucus I did not give Barack Obama a snowball's chance in hell either in the 2008 Election. It was only after his stunning and unexpected victory in this isolated midwest state when it became clear that we were in a new political era in which this skinny guy with the funny name not only had a chance to make a difference but actually had a chance to win the Presidency.
How he did it and why he did it will certainly be discussed by historians for decades to come certainly and for centuries to come possibly. When I started writing this story about the Election of 2008 I intended to be as non partisan as possible in my writing. I know I failed miserably in that intention but at least I made the commitment initially. Like many others, who would not resist the title of Liberal Democrat, I felt that I had, even at the beginning of the election cycle, selected my candidate. Her name was Hillary Clinton.
I could not understand how my wife and daughters could get it so wrong when they read my Blog about the January Contests. They were alrady calling me a traitor to Hillary and an out and out Barack Supporter. It is only now, nearly a year later when I have revisited and reviewed some of my posts that I can understand where my family members were coming from in identifying me as a Barack Supporter back then. I certainly showed in some of my early posts as well as my later ones my excitement about this phenomenal new candidate, Barack Obama. Although I did and do respect Hillary Clinton and would have been just as happy to see her become President as I would have Barack, I am happy to see how things turned out for both Barack and Hillary. I wonder, however, how two people with such strong personalities will do working with each other over the long haul. Although quite clearly I was torn between the two Last Candidates Standing in the Democratic Primary I am still proud that in the Pennsylvania Primary I voted for Hillary Clinton. This decision to vote for Hillary in the PA Primary was a tough one and one that my wife and daughters still question. They still believe that in the PA Primary I voted for Barack. My denials have fallen on deaf ears in my family as they have watched me become more and more fascinated with Barack in my Blog Posts over the course of the 2008 Campaign. My wife and daughter, Rachel, who got her picture taken with Hillary at a party at Hillary's home in D.C., say they have finally forgiven me for selling out Hillary when I voted for Barack in the PA Primary. Rachel said Hillary reacted with excitement when Rachel mentioned my mother's family, The Houlihans, who had a cottage for years at Lake Winola in Northeastern Pennsylvania. To tell you the truth that sealed the deal for me. Once Rachel told me that Hillary was jumping up and down in her own home saying "The Houlihans, Sure I know the Houlihans from Lake Winola", quite frankly that did it for me. I realize that it may be a shallow reason to vote for someone for President when there are so many other dire and complicated issues to consider to consider. But I did it and I'm glad I did it.
To tell you the truth, the handwriting was already on the wall as far as I was concerned. I voted for Hillary not only because she acknowledged my family but also because she and her husband put Democrats back into the White House and those Democrats left the White House after 8 years with everything in the country going well. The Clinton's sex life should have remained something that only Hillary and Bill should have discussed with each other. Bill's indiscression with Monica Lewinsky instead was plastered all over the news and he was impeached for getting a sexual favor from a horney Intern because the Republicans in Congress had no other real issue with which to drive a stake through the heart of Bill Clinton's Presidency. But by 2008 when Hillary had become the Politician in the family, it was no longer her stumping for Bill, It was Bill stumping for her.
To be sure Hillary in 2008 was the better campaigner of the two Clintons on the road. Bill made gaffes and statements on the road that could be and were taken out of context. Bill proved to be a tireless cheerleader for his wife, though, and you had to admire his beaming, smiling support as he took a back seat to her on campaign stages throughout America. Despite all the Jay Leno jokes about the Clintons they proved once and for all that in 2008 they were still a formidable Duo who despite their failings still oved each other very deeply. Hillary, on the road proved to be able to stand up well to the Campaign fatigue that exhausted other, younger members of her staff. She had her problems with keeping her Campaign staff under control at times but she fought like hell in 2008 until the numbers became so tilted toward Obama that she had to give up her valiant and groundbreaking campaign to allow her opponent's valiant and groundbreaking campaign to take its rightful place at the head of the Democratic Pack.
My Dear America:
There are many more lessons to be learned from the Triumph of Barack Obama in the Election of 2008. In addition to the lessons I have listed previously, I want to add one other lesson that I think is, in fact, probably the most important lesson of all that can be learned from the Obama Election Victory. That lesson is the following:
Lesson 5 - America's Respect in the World, which was certainly damaged by the Actions of the Bush Administration, can be restored and, to some extent, has already been restored by the 2008 Election of Barack Obama as President of the United States.
The reality of this statement can be understood not only by the reaction of American Leaders and Citizens to Obama's election but also by the reaction of World Leaders and World Citizens to Obama's election. With the possible exception of Russia, (and even they finally came around) nearly every foreign leader praised Obama's election and wished him well. Even Iran's President, a man of few kind words, seemed to find some for Obama following the election. Certainly Obama's election seemed put to rest claims by world leaders seeking to sow the seeds of discontent in America and elsewhere that America is a racist country that would never elect a black man to the Presidency.
Certainly Racists and Racism still exists in the United States of America. Like Terrorists in every country in the world, Racists are a fact of life in the 21st Century. Luckilly, however, in 2008, however, Racists have taken the back seat on the bus and have been relegated to the status of third class citizens.
It is certainly a new world or at least a new country and one in which all men and women for all practical purposes truly are created equal. We have seen black candidates running for President before, Shirley Chilsolm, Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton. These candidates put their mark indelibly on the Presidential Campaign Path. In reality though these candidates never really had a fighting chance to be anything more than marginal presidential candidates, people who blazed a trail and left their mark but people who ultimately did not have a snowballs chance in hell really to become President.
To be quite honest,up until the end results of the Iowa Caucus I did not give Barack Obama a snowball's chance in hell either in the 2008 Election. It was only after his stunning and unexpected victory in this isolated midwest state when it became clear that we were in a new political era in which this skinny guy with the funny name not only had a chance to make a difference but actually had a chance to win the Presidency.
How he did it and why he did it will certainly be discussed by historians for decades to come certainly and for centuries to come possibly. When I started writing this story about the Election of 2008 I intended to be as non partisan as possible in my writing. I know I failed miserably in that intention but at least I made the commitment initially. Like many others, who would not resist the title of Liberal Democrat, I felt that I had, even at the beginning of the election cycle, selected my candidate. Her name was Hillary Clinton.
I could not understand how my wife and daughters could get it so wrong when they read my Blog about the January Contests. They were alrady calling me a traitor to Hillary and an out and out Barack Supporter. It is only now, nearly a year later when I have revisited and reviewed some of my posts that I can understand where my family members were coming from in identifying me as a Barack Supporter back then. I certainly showed in some of my early posts as well as my later ones my excitement about this phenomenal new candidate, Barack Obama. Although I did and do respect Hillary Clinton and would have been just as happy to see her become President as I would have Barack, I am happy to see how things turned out for both Barack and Hillary. I wonder, however, how two people with such strong personalities will do working with each other over the long haul. Although quite clearly I was torn between the two Last Candidates Standing in the Democratic Primary I am still proud that in the Pennsylvania Primary I voted for Hillary Clinton. This decision to vote for Hillary in the PA Primary was a tough one and one that my wife and daughters still question. They still believe that in the PA Primary I voted for Barack. My denials have fallen on deaf ears in my family as they have watched me become more and more fascinated with Barack in my Blog Posts over the course of the 2008 Campaign. My wife and daughter, Rachel, who got her picture taken with Hillary at a party at Hillary's home in D.C., say they have finally forgiven me for selling out Hillary when I voted for Barack in the PA Primary. Rachel said Hillary reacted with excitement when Rachel mentioned my mother's family, The Houlihans, who had a cottage for years at Lake Winola in Northeastern Pennsylvania. To tell you the truth that sealed the deal for me. Once Rachel told me that Hillary was jumping up and down in her own home saying "The Houlihans, Sure I know the Houlihans from Lake Winola", quite frankly that did it for me. I realize that it may be a shallow reason to vote for someone for President when there are so many other dire and complicated issues to consider to consider. But I did it and I'm glad I did it.
To tell you the truth, the handwriting was already on the wall as far as I was concerned. I voted for Hillary not only because she acknowledged my family but also because she and her husband put Democrats back into the White House and those Democrats left the White House after 8 years with everything in the country going well. The Clinton's sex life should have remained something that only Hillary and Bill should have discussed with each other. Bill's indiscression with Monica Lewinsky instead was plastered all over the news and he was impeached for getting a sexual favor from a horney Intern because the Republicans in Congress had no other real issue with which to drive a stake through the heart of Bill Clinton's Presidency. But by 2008 when Hillary had become the Politician in the family, it was no longer her stumping for Bill, It was Bill stumping for her.
To be sure Hillary in 2008 was the better campaigner of the two Clintons on the road. Bill made gaffes and statements on the road that could be and were taken out of context. Bill proved to be a tireless cheerleader for his wife, though, and you had to admire his beaming, smiling support as he took a back seat to her on campaign stages throughout America. Despite all the Jay Leno jokes about the Clintons they proved once and for all that in 2008 they were still a formidable Duo who despite their failings still oved each other very deeply. Hillary, on the road proved to be able to stand up well to the Campaign fatigue that exhausted other, younger members of her staff. She had her problems with keeping her Campaign staff under control at times but she fought like hell in 2008 until the numbers became so tilted toward Obama that she had to give up her valiant and groundbreaking campaign to allow her opponent's valiant and groundbreaking campaign to take its rightful place at the head of the Democratic Pack.
Hillary was criticized by many pundits when she did not immediately shut down her campaign and endorse Obama. She did eventually in a very classy and emotional way shut down her Presidential Campaign paying tribute to her supporters and unmistakeably throwing her support to the only remaining Democratic Candidate, Barack Obama. The conspicuously campaigned together in New Hampshire and even though she was passed over for Vice President Hillary and Bill Clinton made it Clear at the Denver Democratic Convention that they were strongly supporting Barack Obama. The Democrats came out of Denver as United as is possible for Democrats to be. Hillary, despite what many believed to be a Vice Presidential snub, Hillary made good on her promise to support Obama. Bill was not as visible a supportive presence for Obama on the road as Hillary was until the last days of the campaign. Bill and Hillary truly came through for Obama. Were they the only reason Obama won. Probably not. They certainly were one of the main reasons that Obama won, however. Now as the Obama Administration begins to take shape and Hillary Clinton becomes Secretary of State the respect that these two former rivals have for each other has become more evident.
Much can be said and will be said in the coming years about the Exciting, Groundbreaking and Monumentally Historic Presidential Campaign of 2009. In the end, however, the history of the 2008 Campaign will pale in comparison to the important challenges that face Barack Obama as he begins his Administration in January of 2009.
As every President who has held the office knows full well, There will be very serious and dangerous surprises during the term of President Obama, in addition to the very serious and dangerous surprises that have already occurred that President Obama will be required to deal with. We live in dangerous and surprising times and it is a mystery to me why so many eminently qualified and capable people continue to present themselves every four years as candidates for what is arguably the worst, most impossible, most thankless and dangerous job in the world. I guess the reason that they come might have to do with the fact that it can also be the most highly respected, most enduring and the most important job in the world.
I am just glad that they keep coming and that The United States of America, a relatively young country compared to many others continues to endure and attract Presidents like Barack Obama.
As has been said for over 200 years and will be said for many hundreds of years
God Bless The United States of America and let us also say at this time of national pride and challenge
God Bless The Presidency of Barack Obama.
May we all survive to witness The Presidency of Barack Obama and the Presidencies of many who might come after him.
Sincerely Yours
Jerry Gallagher
Friday, December 19, 2008
Lessons at the End of The Long and Winding 2008 Campaign Trail
December 19th, 2008
My Dear America:
"It is Over", a sign read in a long distant Presidential Campaign of many decades past. That sign was a sad one. A depressing one, announcing the burial of George McGovern by Richard Nixon in a landslide victory that still stands as one of the most stunning presidential campaign defeats of all time in the political history of the United States. Clearly if Nixon had simply campaigned above board and on the level he still would have won a convincing victory over George McGovern in 1972. But Richard Nixon was a very strange character and he saw the world in a very disturbed way. He saw and felt enemies everywhere and that was his downfall. Certainly he had his share of enemies but they were nowhere near as dangerous nor as powerful as he was and in the end his paranoia killed what might have been and in some significant ways still is a Presidency of enormous accomplishments. Nixon opened the door to China and although the Chinese are killing us in the marketplace there is much less tension in the world since Tricky Dick opened the door to China. But far more memorable than Nixon in China is Nixon's involvement in "Watergate", a burglary that came to symbolize the worst of what politics is capable of becoming.
"It is Over" once again in December of 2008 and this time the mood among left leaning Liberal Democrats is far different that the mood of 1972.
It is no longer a view of hopelessness and continued death and destruction in the world. It is, in fact, a view of hope for the future and a turning around of the destructive and mind numbing policies of the George W. Bush era.
For many years after the American Revolution the system of slavery continued in The United States of America. In fact, two of our most beloved Patriots and Presidents, George Washington and Thomas Jefferson not only defended slavery but were themselves practicing slave owners.
The United States of America, in fact, had to wait until the Presidency of Abraham Lincoln before an American President had the bravery and decency to insist that the practice of slavery was not consistent with the American tradition of Freedom. Lincoln freed the slaves and got a Civil War Victory but his personal reward was a bullet fired by a racist actor who became a hero to many southerners.
Luckilly, for Black Americans, Lincolns death did not resurrect slavery but the residue of slavery continued to contaminate mainly the southern states throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. For long periods of time even up to and including the 1950's, blacks, who were supposedly free, ended up being killed in many types of murderous ways in the American South and even at times in the northern states, as well. For several generations of southerners Lynching became something of a southern tradition, which sometimes led to photographs being taken of smiling whites in front of a hanged, charred and mutilated human being. The truth is that were it not for the bravery of Martin Luther King and his followers and the dawning of the Television Age Lynching might still be the continuing sport of racist southerners who feel nothing but contempt and anger for people of color.
Martin Luther King went the way of many other freedom fighters, however. He, also took a racist bullet the day after he wisely predicted that his death was near and that his people, like those of Moses, would "get to the Promised Land."
Certainly there is evidence that in certain pockets of America, racism is alive and well and just as dangerous and insidious as ever. We even have reverse racism, which in today's society black gang members are just as feared and many times just as deadly as white racists. Racism is not as widespread or as blatently deadly as it used to be between blacks and whites. But racism is still alive and can still be just as deadly as it ever was.
That being said, there is something to be thankful for as we now see Barack Obama getting ready to lead our nation during the next four years. To be honest I was not sure just how racist a nation we were. I heard racist statements being made during this past election by people who surprised me by their level of hostility to Barack Obama. I did not know if, in fact, Obama's positive qualities could, in the end, win out over racism in America. Barack's election indicated that racism, while certainly not dead, was not the most important factor in the election of an American President.
LESSON 2 - In an Increasingly Unstable World, It is Encouraging to Realize
that the United States of America is Capable of Changing its Government in an Orderly and Calm Manner by Informed Voting And a Bloodless Coup.
Certainly our Forefathers, the Leaders of the American Revolution and the Writers and Signers of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were brave and honest men. Some of them were also brilliant and scholarly men.
Some were also slaveholders and some, although they respected women, would never have entertained the idea that a woman would someday vote, never mind the fact that one day a woman might someday run for President of The United States and very nearly win the Presidency.
My Dear America:
"It is Over", a sign read in a long distant Presidential Campaign of many decades past. That sign was a sad one. A depressing one, announcing the burial of George McGovern by Richard Nixon in a landslide victory that still stands as one of the most stunning presidential campaign defeats of all time in the political history of the United States. Clearly if Nixon had simply campaigned above board and on the level he still would have won a convincing victory over George McGovern in 1972. But Richard Nixon was a very strange character and he saw the world in a very disturbed way. He saw and felt enemies everywhere and that was his downfall. Certainly he had his share of enemies but they were nowhere near as dangerous nor as powerful as he was and in the end his paranoia killed what might have been and in some significant ways still is a Presidency of enormous accomplishments. Nixon opened the door to China and although the Chinese are killing us in the marketplace there is much less tension in the world since Tricky Dick opened the door to China. But far more memorable than Nixon in China is Nixon's involvement in "Watergate", a burglary that came to symbolize the worst of what politics is capable of becoming.
"It is Over" once again in December of 2008 and this time the mood among left leaning Liberal Democrats is far different that the mood of 1972.
It is no longer a view of hopelessness and continued death and destruction in the world. It is, in fact, a view of hope for the future and a turning around of the destructive and mind numbing policies of the George W. Bush era.
Clearly there are Countless Lessons that can be learned by the Triumphant Victory of Barack Obama in the Election of 2008. What I am going to try to do is to discuss some of those lessons that I see as most significant.
Lesson 1 - The United States of America is truly No Longer a Racist Nation
Certainly that statement could not always be truthfully said about America. Our tortured past includes a history of slavery in America that is beyond shameful. Slavery in America has not only been tolerated it has been responsible for incredible brutality against human beings. This legacy of brutality was mainly in the southern states during our country's infancy but slavery was also tolerated in the northern states, as well, during the early years of our country. When I recently watched the HBO Television Mini-Series, "John Adams", I was struck by the fact that many of the signers of "The Declaration of Independence" and the United States "Constitution" had slaves waiting outside of Independence Hall to pick up their masters after a hard day of figuring out how to keep Americans from becoming slaves to the English King. Fighting for Freedom to many of our American Forefathers, however, did not mean fighting for Freedom for all Americans, merely for white Americans.For many years after the American Revolution the system of slavery continued in The United States of America. In fact, two of our most beloved Patriots and Presidents, George Washington and Thomas Jefferson not only defended slavery but were themselves practicing slave owners.
The United States of America, in fact, had to wait until the Presidency of Abraham Lincoln before an American President had the bravery and decency to insist that the practice of slavery was not consistent with the American tradition of Freedom. Lincoln freed the slaves and got a Civil War Victory but his personal reward was a bullet fired by a racist actor who became a hero to many southerners.
Luckilly, for Black Americans, Lincolns death did not resurrect slavery but the residue of slavery continued to contaminate mainly the southern states throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. For long periods of time even up to and including the 1950's, blacks, who were supposedly free, ended up being killed in many types of murderous ways in the American South and even at times in the northern states, as well. For several generations of southerners Lynching became something of a southern tradition, which sometimes led to photographs being taken of smiling whites in front of a hanged, charred and mutilated human being. The truth is that were it not for the bravery of Martin Luther King and his followers and the dawning of the Television Age Lynching might still be the continuing sport of racist southerners who feel nothing but contempt and anger for people of color.
Martin Luther King went the way of many other freedom fighters, however. He, also took a racist bullet the day after he wisely predicted that his death was near and that his people, like those of Moses, would "get to the Promised Land."
Certainly there is evidence that in certain pockets of America, racism is alive and well and just as dangerous and insidious as ever. We even have reverse racism, which in today's society black gang members are just as feared and many times just as deadly as white racists. Racism is not as widespread or as blatently deadly as it used to be between blacks and whites. But racism is still alive and can still be just as deadly as it ever was.
That being said, there is something to be thankful for as we now see Barack Obama getting ready to lead our nation during the next four years. To be honest I was not sure just how racist a nation we were. I heard racist statements being made during this past election by people who surprised me by their level of hostility to Barack Obama. I did not know if, in fact, Obama's positive qualities could, in the end, win out over racism in America. Barack's election indicated that racism, while certainly not dead, was not the most important factor in the election of an American President.
LESSON 2 - In an Increasingly Unstable World, It is Encouraging to Realize
that the United States of America is Capable of Changing its Government in an Orderly and Calm Manner by Informed Voting And a Bloodless Coup.
Certainly our Forefathers, the Leaders of the American Revolution and the Writers and Signers of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were brave and honest men. Some of them were also brilliant and scholarly men.
Some were also slaveholders and some, although they respected women, would never have entertained the idea that a woman would someday vote, never mind the fact that one day a woman might someday run for President of The United States and very nearly win the Presidency.
Certainly many of those same early Forefathers also never thought that The Presidency of the United States would be actually won by a Black Man. In a society, much of which was based on Slavery, the idea of a black man voting was outrageous enough. The idea of a Black Man running against a White Woman for the Presidency in 2008 was surely a concept that none of our Forefathers could even have dreamed could happen. Surely those were ideas that out Forefathers could not and would not fathom yet here we are today with a Black Man about to take the Oath of Office for the Presidency of The United States.
While we Americans in 2008, ready to leap forward to 2009, can hardly fathom the world that our American Forefathers lived in, we need to be grateful for many of their decisions regarding the country which they created and lived in. Because of these strange and divergent individuals living in a difficult period of time in a world far different from ours they could have looked the other way and accepted the difficult hand they were dealt. They did, for a time, do just that but as black hearted rulers tend to do, King George pushed our forefathers to the limit and beyond. And beyond that limit was waiting a Democracy the likes of which the world had never known. Beyond that limit was America.
It is difficult for most of us who were born and raised in America to understand what the rest of the world is like outside of America. No country is more free, more generous or as welcoming as America. While many countries of the world have difficulty keeping their residents from trying to escape their borders, America has the opposite problem. In Amereica anyone who wants to get out is free to do so. Our problem is that those fleeing from other countries are looking to get into, not out of America.
How do we as Americans over 200 years down the line from our country's birth understand the miracle country America always was and continues to be. To be sure it is at least partly a miracle that America still exists, never mind the fact that America is truly a leader in the world. Despite its troubles and handicaps America still continues to be the leader in almost every way in the year of 2008. A reminder of America's leadership in the world is what has happened to the economy of the world in the waning months of 2008. When America's economy took a nose dive so did the economies of nearly every country in the world.
In December of 2008 we are still in serious economic trouble but we have been there before and we will undoubtedly be there again in future years but who do the worlds economies look to to lead the way out of economic turmoil. America, thats who.
After 8 years of Bush era deregulation turning Wall Street and the American banking system into a money making machine in which there were no rules other than "getting rich quick". To be honest it is amazing tha the economic collapse took this long to occur.
On the plus side, however, is the fact that the economic meltdown seems to have put Barack Obama in the enviable position of being the one Last Candidate Standing who seemed to have ideas other than those which had been in operation for Bush's 8 unbearable years of American decline. John McCain claimed to have all the economic answers but his answers seemed foolish and awkward at best and at worst, answers guaranteed to keep the rich richer and the middle class poorer and the country in awful shape.
An economic system with the kind of money on the line that America had was one more thing that would have been hard for our American Patriotic forefathers to predict. How did they know then just how to set up a Democratic Government that would be capable of continuing itself from 1776 to 2008 and beyond. A good question, certainly but one which is difficult to answer.
Surely having intellectuals like Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin and John Adams didn't hurt. Also having brilliant soldiers like George Washington didn't hurt either. Clearly there were a lot of factors that these lonely rebels had to think about in setting forth a new country. Surely they must have all thought that there chance was a slight one to end up building a solidly democratic new country. It must have at least entered their minds that their chances of starting a new democratic nation was much less likely than their ending up on the hanging end of a rope.
But they did it, those brilliant brave buggers. They accomplished the impossible and now every four years we accomplish the impossible too. Our country goes through the painful throes of an election every four years and we come out of it shaken but willing to accept the verdict of the American people, whatever that verdict might be. And before, after and during the elections we praise our Forefathers once again for being smart enough and brave enough to do what they did in America so many years ago. They probably didn't even dream of how capable they were of establishing a Democratic Government capable of continuing itself. But they were capable in their time and we are capable in ours of bringing forth a new and charismatic leader, whose leadership ability seems to have blurred the lines of color in America and hopefull will be able to lead us once again to peaceful economic security.
Lesson 3 - The Majority of American Voters wanted the United States Millitary Forces out of Iraq.
Clearly it does not take a genius to figure out that Americans are tired of sacrificing the lives of our soldiers in Iraq. Iraq was a misadventure from the beginning. Certainly Saddam Hussein was a brutal dicator who needed to be watched closely and when the time came gotten rid of in one way or another. What Bob Woodward makes clear in his book, "Bush at War", is that George W.Bush and probably Dick Cheney had their eye on invading Iraq and toppling Saddam from the first days of their Administration. Bush had put out the word to his Top Pentagon officials long before 9/11 that he wanted to see a plan for the invasion of Iraq. That plan was prepared but interrupted by the 9/11 attacks and the response to that attack in Afghanistan. But after gaining wide support for the Afghanistan mission, Bush took his eye off that ball and lasered in on Iraq, where he claimed the mission was to defuse "weapons of mass destruction" first. Then when it became obvious to the world that this reason to invade Iraq was not flying and that we should get out of this misadventure then came new reasons for us to be in Iraq. "Regime change" and "to bring democracy to the middle east" sudenly popped up as the new reasons for the USA to be in Iraq.
The United States Armed Forces have been fighting in Iraq longer than we have been fighting in any other US war. I often wonder how long it would take me or you to become a terrorist if another country, lets say Canada, invaded the United States deposed our president and made it a policy of shooting our neighbors, at will and kicking in the doors to our homes in the middle of the night to cart off our relatives or ourselves to Abu Garib or Guantanamo. How would I respond to a week or two or a month or so in Abu Garib, if I was lucky enough to make it out alive or not be sent to Guantanamo. Our policy in Iraq was clearly from the first moment to depose Saddam and prevent his sons from continuing the brutal legacy of Saddam's family. To be honest this was probably not a bad goal in many ways. The trouble was that this was not our country to do with as we pleased. We were, and as of today's date continue to be, occupiers of this land of brutality where civilization started and, god forbid, may be finishing.
Yes, of course, nobody misses Saddam in Iraq except his syncophants. We are all glad he is gone but what a price our millitary and the Iraqi people paid to get rid of this monster. Now to the Iraqi people it must look as though we are the monsters. Any and every poll taken regarding what Iraqi's want in terms of our forces are overwhelmingly in favor of the United States Armed forces getting out of Iraq as soon as possible. Although we were, in fact, greeted as liberators for a short time in the early days of our invasion, the Bush/Cheney Administration seem to have done nothing, or at least very little right, in their conduct of this disastrous struggle.
Barack Obama has made no secret of his opposition to the War in Iraq from the earliest days when he was not even a candidate for the Senate. In the early days of his Presidential Campaign he used this issue to constantly challenge other candidates regarding their initial complicity with George Bush in giving him the power to conduct the war. Although the Iraq war has never been a dead issue in the Obama Presidential Campaign it took a back seat in the later days of the campaign to the United States and worldwide economies as the primary campaign issue.
Those of us who voted for Barack will certainly look forward to his following through on his campaign promise to end the War in Iraq in a timely manner. Barack needs to think very clearly about the lesson of history when it comes to Afghanistan. Osama bin laden has made it clear that he wants to do to us what he helped do to the Russians. Namely, bleed us dry financially so that our power is depleted with our funds. If there was one country that was responsible for the downfall of the USSR, it was Afghanistan. Certainly getting bin laden is an essential goal of the United States but we need to be wise in how we go about it. Partnership with Pakistan, Black Operations with bin laden and other terrorists as the target are the way to go. While we do not want to turn over Afghanistan to the Taliban, we also do not want to do what we did in Iraq and stay so long that we and not the Taliban or bin laden become the most hated enemy occupiers. The middle east is a complicated place with a complicated history of troubles and strife. We need to understand that warlords, tribal chiefs and complicated interactions are the way of life in Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran and every other middle eastern country with which we deal. We need to be smart enough not to play into the hands of Al Quida and other terrorist organizations. We have learned some hard lessons in the middle east. It is time to put those hard lessons to good use in our foregn policy of the Obama Administration.
Lesson 4 - The Election of Barack Obama in 2008 was an Election that was Highly Influenced by the use of the Internet by the Presidential Candidates and by the American People.
2008 was not the first year that the Internet proved to be influential in American Politics. Certainly 2006 was a year that saw current Democratic Party Chariman, Howard Dean, raise enormous sums of money through his campaign's Internet appeals to like minded Democrats and Independents. Unlike previous Democratic Presidential Campaign Fund Raising, Much of Dean's money was raised by many small contributions rather than a few large contributors. Television coverage of the Dean Campaign Fund Raising Phenomenon almost immediately turned Howard Dean from a largely unknown former Doctor and Governor of Vermont to the Democratic Party Front Runner in 2005 and 2006. Dean remained the Front Runner up until the 2006 Iowa Caucus results, when his Iowa loss turned his voice weird and his Internet coffers dried up along with his 2006 Presidential Aspirations. The next Democratic Front Runner in 2006, John Kerry, did not have much to say that was positive about his rival, Howard Dean. But Kerry surely paid attention to Dean's Internet campaigning and as Dean's Internet fund raising ability sunk to disastrous levels, John Kerry, using many of the Internet fund raising skills developed by the Dean Campaign, began to fill his campaign coffers with money that had probably once been destined for Dean.
Also in 2006 Republicans also began to pay attention to what the Democrats were doing in Fund Raising. The Bush Backers were still largely the Wall Streeters, Pharmaceutical Companies, Insurance Companies, War Contractors and Oil Companies, whose management and Investors had become bloatedly Rich during the first Bush term. These tax dodging fat cats had lined up in 2006 to help George Bush, who had spent his first four year in office helping them to line their own pockets while the average hard working Americans picked up the tax tab for their greed. Line workers and Union members were losing their jobs at an alarming pace in 2006 while Republican ripoff artists walked away from their failures at being CEOS with million dollar lined Golden Parachutes.
Although the Bush Campaign in 2006 did not need the kind of funding that the Democrats did, they certainly paid attention to some of the Democratic Campaign techniques such as building up a base of E Mail addresses, where the candidate could communicate with the voter by E Mail. This technique proved valuable to Republican operatives as they promoted their dire warnings about the evils of Gay Marriage and Abortions. These issues Karl Rove felt would be the Republican ticket to success in 2006. E Mails about these issues and George Bush's intent to protect the nation from the evil gay marriage and abortion seekers joined the direct mail lies that Republicans also sent, which, along with some serious methods of voter manipulation eventually kept George Bush living on Pennsylvania Avenue for another four years. Of course once Bush was reelected the issues of gay marriage and, to some extent, abortion became non issues to him once again
In 2008, however, it was a different day and a different time and a completely different take on George W. Bush. While it was expected that Democrats would certainly trash W in their seemingly endless string of debates, it was a bit more startling to see and hear how much the Republican candidates tried to distance themselves from the President.
The Republican Candidates seemed to use the Internet sparingly in their campaigns, with the exceptions of Mike Huckabee and Ron Paul. Although Paul and Huckabee were not successful in winning their party's endorsement both of these out of the mainstram candidates proved to be relatively successful in their Internet Fund Raising efforts. Other Republican candidates seemed to rely on the tried and true methods of direct mail and personal contacts and phone calls to raise funds and drum up support.
On the Democratic side of the 2008 Presidential Race it appeared as though John Edwards seemed to be the first Democratic Candidate to hit the Internet running. That was understandable since Edward's first Campaign Manager in the 2008 Election was Joe Trippi. Trippi had been Campaign Manager for Howard Dean when Dean's campaign hit high gear in fundraising for the 2006 Campaign. Following the disastrous 2006 Iowa Caucus results Trippi was thrown overboard with the hope that new blood would jumpstart the Dean Campaign. It didn't. Trippi did not last forever with Edwards either but Trippi made a practice of sending out E Mails letting Democrats know what was going on in the Edwards Campaing and, of course, asking for money. Personal messages from Johnnny E. also arrived frequently in Democratic E Mail boxes also asking for Money. As the campaign rolled on and Edwards was mildly successful in fund raising on the Internet at least a few of his competitors, namely Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama came online not only to Fund Raise but also to get out their messages. Hillary announced her candidacy online.
Obama's campaign seemed to have little chance against the more experienced candidacies of Clinton and Edwards. Early on there were a lot of Democratic Candidates besides the big 3 of Obama, Clinton and Edwards. Joe Biden and Bill Richardson's Campaigns ran out of steam and money quickly. Mike Gravel was almost an invisible candidate who disappeared from view quickly. Chris Dodd was somewhat successful in getting his message out, as was Dennis Kucinich, who had very good messages and good ideas to promote. But none of these candidates were able to break the spell over the Democratic voters that Obama and Clinton seemed to have been able to cast.
And then suddenly, seemingly without warning, Obama's fund raising with individual small amount donors seemed to go through the roof and with each passing month seemed to become even more unbelievably successful, eventually leaving not only Hillary Clinton far behind but even leaving the Republican Fat Cat sponsored Republican Party Front Runner, John McCain, far behind, as well.
Fund Raising on the Internet was just one part of the story when it comes to Barack Obama's Campaign use of the Internet. The story of how Barack and Company used the Internet to help get him elected is a story of brilliance personified. A visit to the Obama site was enticing even to some poor Democrat who had little interest in Obama. There were blogs designed to let the visitor tell their story to Obama and in every manner of speaking the Obama website was a masterpiece of online engineering, campaign recruiting and fundraising that will undoutedly stand the test of time as a guideline for online presidential campaigning for many years to come. You Tube, which had barely existed in 2006 was available to the Obama campaign in 2008. On You Tube Obama commercials Which would cost a fortune to air on commercial television aired for free. Even Obama Girl took You Tube and the country by storm. Although the Internet was not the only reason that Obama waas successful in his bid to become the President of the United States, It was certainly a primary Reason that Obama will take the oath of office in January 20th, 2009 to become The President Of The United States.
Sincerely Yours
Jerry Gallagher
Saturday, November 8, 2008
NOVEMBER 4TH, 2008 - DEMOCRATIC VICTORY AND CHANGE HAS COME TO THE PROMISED LAND
November 8th, 2008
My Dear America:
I got up early Tuesday morning. I was scheduled to hand out literature for Sam Bennett, an attractive young lady running for Congress in the 15th Congressional District in Pennsylvania on the Democratic ticket. Sam was a Leader in the Allentown City and Lehigh County Democratic Committees. I thought she had a good shot at defeating Charlie Dent, a committed Republican Stooge for George Bush in his early term. Charlie had started to vote a little more moderately after the trouncing many Republican members of Congress received in the 2006 election. In that election, Charlie Dent had barely survived a write in challenger with little money and little name recognition. In 2006 Charlie Dent, with the obvious support of the leading local newspaper, The Morning Call, barely recognized that he had an opponent and that opponent almost finished him off. Dent was not going to let that happen this time.
Sam had fought hard and steady during this years campaign to try to get smears out of the election and talk about the issues such as Iraq and the economy. Dent smeared this year like he had never smeared before and on Election night Sam bravely and classily took her bows at The Allentown Brew Works, which was Election Central for the Lehigh County Democrats and then moved to the back of the celebration with her family to deal with what must have been a heartbreaking loss.
But despite Sam's loss there was something else happening that night at the Allentown Brew Works. Democrats, with the exception of Sam, were watching their dreams finally coming true on a wide screen television. It had been a long time since Bill Clinton left the White House and George Bush and his cronies stole the Election in 2000. Disgustingly dirty tricks including obvious vote suppression and pandering to the right wing had brought Bush back for a second term in 2004 to further wreak havoc on the country for four more long and agonizing years.
But that was over on November 4th, 2008. During the last three and a half years George Bush had not only become a Pariah in the Democratic Party but was also Persona Non Grata in his own Republican Pary, as well. Indeed, John McCain, the 2008 standard bearer didn't even want Bush anywhere near the Republican Party Convention in St. Louis, where McCain would be nominated for Republican Presidential Contender.
I had never seen as many Democrats gathered together in the Lehigh Valley before and it was obvious even at the Brew Works that the makeup of the Democratic Coalition was not just changing but, in fact, had already changed. Blacks, Latinos, Young People of all colors and persuasions were joining together with the Older White Democrats to celebrate the passing of the torch to a Young, Black Man who had rocketed out of obscurity after his Keynote Address at the 2004 Democratic Convention.
On November 4th, 2008, a mere four years later he had captured the Democratic Party Nomination after defeating a relatively strong group of Democratic rivals. He whittled the group down a bit at a time and finally there was only one rival left, Hillary Clinton. She was a formidable rival, nevertheless. There were many faithful Democrats who, like Hillary, admired Barack Obama but felt that he was cutting in line too soon for his shot at the highest office in the land.
Hillary fought hard for the nomination but although Barack always gave her the respect she deserved in the Democratic Party Debates, he also gave her a run for her money in the Primary Race for the Democratic Nomination. Hillary, to her credit, when she realized that her hopes for getting the Nomination were dashed, followed through on her promise to support Barack. She was not able to convince every Hillary supporter to support Barack but she did her best to do just that in the remainder of the Election. Hillary and Bill Clinton's very strong Support for Barack Obama at the Democratic Convention in Denver allowed Barack to leave the Convention with his campaign and his party in fine form and ready to face the days that were left as unified as the Democratic Party had ever been. Before and after Denver Barack felt like and looked like a winner and although the polls didn't always agree his self confidence and his finely tuned message of Hope, Change, Getting out of Iraq, Getting Bin laden, Giving Tax breaks to the Middle Class and no more tax breaks for the Super Rich, resonated with voters.
As Barack said over and over across the United States of America IT TRULY WAS OUR TIME.
Now that our time has come we must enjoy it. We must celebrate it. We must rejoice over it. We have waited a long time for this moment. I read a very moving open letter to Barack Obama this week written by Alice Walker. She advised Barack not to let himself be overwhelmed by the job and to continue to pay attention to his wife and daughters and let himself relax. Somehow I don't think that this will be a problem for Barack Obama. He does not appear to be a nervous guy. He has had plenty to make him nervous over the course of this year's campaign and it seems as though he has maintained his cool throughout this harrowing time. My guess is that he will continue to make time for his lovely family and that he and they will make us proud to be Americans again.
The messages from all over the world have shown that not only Americans but Planet Earth Citizens from everywhere are no longer looking with disdain at The United States of America. Barack Obama's message of Hope, Change and Peace is a message that can and will resonate everywhere in the world.
We were still at the Brew Works when one of the networks called the election for Obama. The shouting was deafening. These Democrats were stoked up. As my wife, Sandy (a committed Hillary Supporter before she was a Barack Supporter) and I left the Brew Works, where we had also met with our daughter, Rachel (Another Hillary Supporter, Rutgers Law School Student and Future Presidential Candidate, Mark My Words) there were a few Allentonians whooping it up on Hamilton Street. We joined them for a few whoops as we walked to my car. We decided to drive by the Brew Works and beep our horn on the way home and it brought back memories of doing so many years ago. As I hit the horn the Democrats outside of the Brew Works yelled and gave V for victory signs.
When we got home Sandy fell asleep before Barack came on CNN and gave his rousing Victory Speech. It had been one Hell of a Night and a proper end to one Hell of a Historic Election.
During his Victory Speech Barack acknowledged that he knew that his Grandmother, who had just died, was there with him in Chicago that night. It takes a lot to make Jesse Jackson cry but he was visibly weeping probably realizing that along with Barack's Grandmother, Martin Luther King was also there in Chicago that night thinking about the speech he gave the night before he died in Memphis.
"I've been to the mountaintop and I've seen the Promised Land", Martin Said. "I may not get there with you", he continued, "but we as a people will get to the Promised land."
On this beautiful Chicago night as we watched the first Black man ever to win the Presidency of the United States it was quite obvious that we had all arrived together in The Promised Land.
Sincerely Yours
Jerry Gallagher
My Dear America:
I got up early Tuesday morning. I was scheduled to hand out literature for Sam Bennett, an attractive young lady running for Congress in the 15th Congressional District in Pennsylvania on the Democratic ticket. Sam was a Leader in the Allentown City and Lehigh County Democratic Committees. I thought she had a good shot at defeating Charlie Dent, a committed Republican Stooge for George Bush in his early term. Charlie had started to vote a little more moderately after the trouncing many Republican members of Congress received in the 2006 election. In that election, Charlie Dent had barely survived a write in challenger with little money and little name recognition. In 2006 Charlie Dent, with the obvious support of the leading local newspaper, The Morning Call, barely recognized that he had an opponent and that opponent almost finished him off. Dent was not going to let that happen this time.
Sam had fought hard and steady during this years campaign to try to get smears out of the election and talk about the issues such as Iraq and the economy. Dent smeared this year like he had never smeared before and on Election night Sam bravely and classily took her bows at The Allentown Brew Works, which was Election Central for the Lehigh County Democrats and then moved to the back of the celebration with her family to deal with what must have been a heartbreaking loss.
But despite Sam's loss there was something else happening that night at the Allentown Brew Works. Democrats, with the exception of Sam, were watching their dreams finally coming true on a wide screen television. It had been a long time since Bill Clinton left the White House and George Bush and his cronies stole the Election in 2000. Disgustingly dirty tricks including obvious vote suppression and pandering to the right wing had brought Bush back for a second term in 2004 to further wreak havoc on the country for four more long and agonizing years.
But that was over on November 4th, 2008. During the last three and a half years George Bush had not only become a Pariah in the Democratic Party but was also Persona Non Grata in his own Republican Pary, as well. Indeed, John McCain, the 2008 standard bearer didn't even want Bush anywhere near the Republican Party Convention in St. Louis, where McCain would be nominated for Republican Presidential Contender.
I had never seen as many Democrats gathered together in the Lehigh Valley before and it was obvious even at the Brew Works that the makeup of the Democratic Coalition was not just changing but, in fact, had already changed. Blacks, Latinos, Young People of all colors and persuasions were joining together with the Older White Democrats to celebrate the passing of the torch to a Young, Black Man who had rocketed out of obscurity after his Keynote Address at the 2004 Democratic Convention.
On November 4th, 2008, a mere four years later he had captured the Democratic Party Nomination after defeating a relatively strong group of Democratic rivals. He whittled the group down a bit at a time and finally there was only one rival left, Hillary Clinton. She was a formidable rival, nevertheless. There were many faithful Democrats who, like Hillary, admired Barack Obama but felt that he was cutting in line too soon for his shot at the highest office in the land.
Hillary fought hard for the nomination but although Barack always gave her the respect she deserved in the Democratic Party Debates, he also gave her a run for her money in the Primary Race for the Democratic Nomination. Hillary, to her credit, when she realized that her hopes for getting the Nomination were dashed, followed through on her promise to support Barack. She was not able to convince every Hillary supporter to support Barack but she did her best to do just that in the remainder of the Election. Hillary and Bill Clinton's very strong Support for Barack Obama at the Democratic Convention in Denver allowed Barack to leave the Convention with his campaign and his party in fine form and ready to face the days that were left as unified as the Democratic Party had ever been. Before and after Denver Barack felt like and looked like a winner and although the polls didn't always agree his self confidence and his finely tuned message of Hope, Change, Getting out of Iraq, Getting Bin laden, Giving Tax breaks to the Middle Class and no more tax breaks for the Super Rich, resonated with voters.
As Barack said over and over across the United States of America IT TRULY WAS OUR TIME.
Now that our time has come we must enjoy it. We must celebrate it. We must rejoice over it. We have waited a long time for this moment. I read a very moving open letter to Barack Obama this week written by Alice Walker. She advised Barack not to let himself be overwhelmed by the job and to continue to pay attention to his wife and daughters and let himself relax. Somehow I don't think that this will be a problem for Barack Obama. He does not appear to be a nervous guy. He has had plenty to make him nervous over the course of this year's campaign and it seems as though he has maintained his cool throughout this harrowing time. My guess is that he will continue to make time for his lovely family and that he and they will make us proud to be Americans again.
The messages from all over the world have shown that not only Americans but Planet Earth Citizens from everywhere are no longer looking with disdain at The United States of America. Barack Obama's message of Hope, Change and Peace is a message that can and will resonate everywhere in the world.
We were still at the Brew Works when one of the networks called the election for Obama. The shouting was deafening. These Democrats were stoked up. As my wife, Sandy (a committed Hillary Supporter before she was a Barack Supporter) and I left the Brew Works, where we had also met with our daughter, Rachel (Another Hillary Supporter, Rutgers Law School Student and Future Presidential Candidate, Mark My Words) there were a few Allentonians whooping it up on Hamilton Street. We joined them for a few whoops as we walked to my car. We decided to drive by the Brew Works and beep our horn on the way home and it brought back memories of doing so many years ago. As I hit the horn the Democrats outside of the Brew Works yelled and gave V for victory signs.
When we got home Sandy fell asleep before Barack came on CNN and gave his rousing Victory Speech. It had been one Hell of a Night and a proper end to one Hell of a Historic Election.
During his Victory Speech Barack acknowledged that he knew that his Grandmother, who had just died, was there with him in Chicago that night. It takes a lot to make Jesse Jackson cry but he was visibly weeping probably realizing that along with Barack's Grandmother, Martin Luther King was also there in Chicago that night thinking about the speech he gave the night before he died in Memphis.
"I've been to the mountaintop and I've seen the Promised Land", Martin Said. "I may not get there with you", he continued, "but we as a people will get to the Promised land."
On this beautiful Chicago night as we watched the first Black man ever to win the Presidency of the United States it was quite obvious that we had all arrived together in The Promised Land.
Sincerely Yours
Jerry Gallagher
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