Ball of Confusion–But Folks Keep Straying From the Issues
By APOOO • Sep 17th, 2008 • Category: Thinking Out Loud •
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APOOO book club member, Dera Williams, yesterday referred to our current economic and social climate as a ball of confusion. This year, I’ve witnessed something I never hoped to experience in my life time. The walls (almost) come tumbling down on a number of our financial institutions, and we’re not talking about just any institutions, we’re talking about Wall-Street style. Where many folks don’t understand that if the lid blows off of any of these institutions…let’s just say…America, get ready for the Great Depression (again). Yes, it’s a ball of confusion now. Freddy Mac and Fannie Mae taken over by the government. Bear Stearns bought out. AIG bailed out by the government. Pending sale for Lehman Brothers by a british company. Merrill Lynch proposed sale to Bank of America; an all paper (stock) transaction. Jobs lost; African American unemployment rate at 11% (and that’s only for the folks who are ACTIVELY looking for a job). Gas prices at record levels. Folks losing their homes everyday and other folks who can’t even give their sell their home. Folks in poor health and health care cost going through the roof. Kids needing a good education to get a decent job, yet the increasing cost of college education is making it out of the reach for many. And then there’s John McCain who has no clue…couldn’t even find a vowel if it bit him on the butt…and the economy…he doesn’t even know the basics. YET…when the country and NEWS REPORTERS should be holding candidates to the task…why, oh why, am I seeing headlines like the following:
Hollywood celebrities pony up $9 million for Obama
Last I checked this was America…free enterprise…democracy…land where everyone could achieve their dream if they tried hard enough. So, why should I be concerned regarding how Hollywood celebrities spend THEIR MONEY. They EARNED it…they didn’t ask the GOVERNMENT to fund this event. I’m glad they’re contributing to Obama’s campaign…and truth be told I wish that all of us put our money where our mouth is…or at the very least each of us gets one of the 8MM unregistered African Americans to vote!
Additionally, Obama needs money for some new ad campaigns. I’m honestly tired of the ‘soft’ stuff that’s out there. Take a page out of Karl Rove’s book and hit McBush where it hurts. I’m tired of the media focusing on the $9MM that was spent on this recent event…but keeping the country in the dark regarding how much was recently spent on a McBush event.
A night earlier, McCain was with deep-pocketed donors in Florida and raised $5 million, a fact noted by Obama’s campaign.
“I don’t know who showed up down in Florida where he raised $5 million but my guess is that it wasn’t a lot of nurses, firefighters and police officers,” Obama’s senior strategist, David Axelrod, told reporters. “The whole corporate lobbying community is rallying to his side. We’re going to have to struggle to keep pace. You can’t challenge that group and not expect them to have a lot of money.”
On a final note, all of Obama’s campaign funds have come from PRIVATE DONATIONS and from many everyday folks like you and me. McCain on the other hand has accepted money from lobbyists as well as public funding from taxpayers (yeah you know that $3 box/donation you check off on your tax return every year…that goes to the general funding for the presidential election campaign…it’s open to either party…but Obama opted not to use it and continue to ask for donations…GO OBAMA...)
Obama is financing his presidential race with private contributions after abandoning a pledge to take public financing capped at $84 million. His campaign announced Sunday it had collected $66 million in August, a fundraising record for any presidential candidate in a monthlong period.
By comparison, McCain raised $47 million in August, a personal best for his campaign as well. After claiming the GOP nomination, McCain accepted the $84 million in taxpayer funds allotted by the public financing system for the race.
Yet McCain is always calling attention to Obama and what he’s doing–like his recent statements regarding the Los Angeles fundraiser featuring Barbara Streisand. WHY? Because McCain doesn’t want to deal with or discuss the issues…I’m sick and tired of him and his lip-stick pigthe Rethugilcans parading around Sarah Palin like a sideshow freak contestant. Since she was announced as his running mate all we’ve heard about is her and nothing about the issues. Why…because when the going gets tough for the Rethuglicans they do what they always do…ignore the issues and conduct character assassinations. Can we the American people say enough already? And to the Nobama/Hillary supporters, if McCain and Palin gain the Oval Office in January, I hope that they make life miserable for you and turn your life upside down because you were dumb enough to vote on gender rather than the issues.
That’s my two-cents. I’m APOOO founder, Yasmin Coleman and I endorse this message. 
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I’m APOOO founder, Yasmin Coleman and I endorse this message.
Gotta love it!
I don’t have anything to say that you haven’t already said. America betta wake up!
Darnetta’s last blog post..I can’t even call it
Well put. This whole race has amazed me, but I am happy with the type of campaign that Obama has run. I agree I widh he would hit harder at times. I think that Palin and her family circus is taking away from the issues at hand.
You know the scary thing is, if America doesn’t wake up, sick and tired will be the only thing we’ll be able to afford. I’m hopeful of what this election means for all of us. But I hate that so much is taking place, especially with the Palin bs. Anyone who would rather vote for the other side because he picked a woman, GOD help us!!!
Nardsbaby’s last blog post..Nardsbaby gave 5 stars to: Nan
*Sigh*
Yasmin you have said just about all there is to be said here…on a personal note I will add this:
Recently (almost two years) my parents moved to Asheville, NC (my Mom’s hometown) to our family home…alot of people thought she was crazy to give up her condo in New York to move south…however, my Mom says the property is paid for…all I have to pay is the taxes and upkeep.
(The backstory is…my Great Grandmother purchased the property over 100yrs ago and said that she wanted the property to stay in the family so that everyone would always have a place to call home.)
With all that is going on…on Wall Street and the Natural Disaster’s all around us…it was a smart move.
This morning I read a story about one Ike survivor who was helping others get out before the Hurricane and got stuck behind…he and his wife lost everything…house/business and he said…we’re now ‘Homeless’
Then I thought back to the other article I read where the GOP was trying to keep the people in Michican who have received Foreclosure notices from Voting ‘Sigh’ (are they going to include the folks in Texas)
This is why it’s important that we get out and Vote for Obama…
Hey family…thanks for stopping by and commenting…sometimes we need to vent and have our say in order to maintain our sanity…and lawd ya’ll I hope that we don’t have four more years of the McSame! So let’s get all our unregistered peeps registered to vote!
I hope that it’s okay that I’m posting this here. If not, ladies, please let me know. http://www.theurbanbooksource.com/articles/features/thelookinhiseyes.php
Nardsbaby’s last blog post..Nardsbaby gave 5 stars to: Nan
Right on sistah! Great commentary.
Dera’s last blog post..I’ve Been Tagged
Yasmin I am kind of on the fence on this one. I agree, Obama needs to step it up on the ads. One thing I have learned in life is that you can’t play the game using the rules White people set because they will change them on you in front of your eyes, so come out aiming to win and let the chips fall where they may. What God has for Obama is only for Obama. If he can make the rocks cry out, he can send the necessary numbers to the polls to vote no matter what McCain and Palin do.
Now on my own personal confusion. Our church is trying to raise a gozillion dollars in the next ten years so they can finish buying land around us and build a new sanctuary and turn the current sanctuary into a school. I am having trouble dealing with this because I don’t understand why we would spend millions of dollars on a new building when we aren’t serving the community in the current building. How can you build a multi-million dollar facility in the middle of homeless people, unemployed people, drug addicts, etc?
Our company is gearing up for the United Way, a campaign I do not support because I can’t understand why the adminsitartive costs exceed your actual giving. Why the CEO earns 6 figures and you had to build a multi-million dollar headquarters. Anyhoo, my Pastor annouces in church that when we make our pledge to the United Way this season to earmark the church Social Services department as the recipient of our pledge. I was like Hhmmm, why not ask us to donate our full contribution to Social Services so we can reap the full benefit not the percentage we will receive after the UW get’s their cut.
Anyhoo, I said all that to say, it amazes me that hundreds or millions of dollars have been spent on the presdential campaigns when so many people here and abroad are suffering and in need. How can I donate another $25 to Obama when the people in Haiti are in dire need of food, water, clothing and shelter….I digress
,blockquote>How can I donate another $25 to Obama when the people in Haiti are in dire need of food, water, clothing and shelter….I digress
Hey Khaedejah–definitely a dilemma and a personal decision. Once again it comes down to choice as to how a person spends THEIR money…so I’m not a bit more about to tell you how to spend your money than I would tell Hollywood celebrities how to spend theirs…but hmmm as for me I’m donating to Obama and UW…I don’t contribute at all I give to all of my personal charities directly.
Hey OP…and thanks for stopping by. Sis, prayers going up…hoping that everything works out and that no matter what happens you come out ON TOP.
xoxo
I loved the latter lines of this blog. The entire blog in itself was wonderfully written.
Today, as I sit on my swivel cushioned chair at my desk in the litigation department at Merrill Lynch, not knowing if I have a job in the morning, I sat wondering ” how much am I going to donate tonight to Obama”. See, my phone alarms ever so often, reminding me to add to the contribution I’m going to make. I work for the bull itself but I’m not rich to make a lump sum payment lol.
Right now there are two major controversies outside my personal life that I think about daily. The outcome of my job/career..I’m a single mother and the state that this country is in and the politics that goes along with it. I’m very much a woman in every essence and believe that we too deserve our fame and spot in the political world and that we can play the game just as good as the men do…however this isn’t the time or place for gender rules. We need to see that the policies of the preceding administration that led this country for 8 years cannot be put back in place. We are doomed into another depression and this time it won’t be great…it would be vast…countries far and wide.
If it is that voters don’t band together and make the right decision, we are definitely in for self inflicted woes…the administration already committed economic sabotage, lets not commit political suicide.
Wouldn’t it be awesome if a political vigil is held by the civilians and celebrities, Jews and gentiles who support Obama? It’d be magnificent.
Lets support this man and help him bring this change.
Now I return to praying for myself that I gain the courage to collect that pink slip.