Barack Obama in Obamanomics, by John R. Talbott
On Budget & Economy:
Bottom-up economics instead of trickle-down economics
Obama explained that a healthy economy is a bottom-up economy, not a top-down economy dependent on trickle-down economics. In a bottom-up economy, the rules of business and government are fair and apply to all. There is a level playing field.
In such an environment, people's enthusiasm and motivations are maximized. They feel that their personal success will be determined by their hard work and effort, not by who they know or who they are related to.
Obama believes that they key to a growing and prosperous economy is a motivated workforce that is engaged and constantly thinking about how it can improve itself, its company's products and services, and its country. Obama believes that all will
benefit from the system he envisions, that Wall Street & Main Street are intertwined, that you can't have successful securities investing without successful companies to invest in, and you can't have successful companies without motivated engaged workers
Source: Obamanomics, by John R. Talbott, p. 18-19
Jul 1, 2008
On Budget & Economy:
Focus on economic justice instead of macroeconomic policy
"The true genius of America, a faith--a faith in simple dreams, an insistence on small miracles; that we can tuck in our children at night and know that they are fed and clothed and safe from harm; that we can say what we think, write what we think,
without hearing a sudden knock on the door; that we can have an idea and start our own business without paying a bribe; that we can participate in the political process without fear of retribution, and that our votes will be counted--at least most of the
time."These words are from Barack Obama's major economic policy speech on Feb. 13, 2008. It had a completely different focus than the macroeconomic issues we are used to hearing discussed in Washington. Rather, he focused his remarks on what, for him,
is the most pressing need today in America, the need for economic justice. To a great degree, much of Barack Obama's platform for America is about a singular issue, economic justice.
Source: Obamanomics, by John R. Talbott, p. 29-31
Jul 1, 2008
On Free Trade:
NAFTA protects corporate profits; should protect labor
Here is an excerpt from the Obama speech:"It's a Washington where George Bush hands out billions in tax cuts year after year to the biggest corporations and the wealthiest few who don't need them and don't ask for them.
"A
Washington where decades of trade deals like NAFTA and China have been signed with plenty of protections for corporations and their profits, but none of our environment or our workers who've seen factories shut their doors and millions of jobs disappear,
workers whose right to organize and unionize has been under assault for the last eight years.
"And it's a
Washington that has thrown open its doors to lobbyists an special interests who've riddled our tax code with loopholes that let corporations avoid paying their taxes while you're paying more."
Source: Obamanomics, by John R. Talbott, p. 30
Jul 1, 2008
On Budget & Economy:
We need both bottom-up politics and bottom-up economics
The power of bottom-up economics, according to Obama, is that it is an economically just system that encourages everyone to work hard, to educate themselves, and to be their most productive because it fairly rewards those who do so.
All are equally motivated to excel, because they know the system will treat them fairly and reward their hard work and effort.
Obama wrote, "It taught me that ordinary people can do extraordinary things when given the chance. Change does not happen from the top down, but from the bottom-up, because the
American people stand ready for change. Just like we need bottom-up politics, we need bottom-up economics. We need to think about working people."
Source: Obamanomics, by John R. Talbott, p. 34
Jul 1, 2008
On Foreign Policy:
OpEd: Policy views based on experience in Kenya & Indonesia
Obama is a descendant of Kenya, and is very aware of the unjust governmental practices inherited from the colonial British. He saw his father's successful career, as a diplomat and finance expert in
Kenya, evaporate because his father would not support an unjust dictator.As a youth Obama moved to Indonesia, another former colony, and watched again as his [stepfather's] career was virtually destroyed because he was at odds with the ruling elite.
Source: Obamanomics, by John R. Talbott, p. 39
Jul 1, 2008
On Corporations:
Enforce against insider trading & market manipulation
We have allowed our markets to become extremely unregulated. Obama, a lawyer, understands that regulation is the cornerstone of economic justice. Not stifling bureaucratic regulation, but enough regulation to ensure everybody is playing the game by the
same rules.In financial markets, Obama believes this means enforcing the laws that prohibit the trading of securities based on insider information.
A just financial system has to enforce laws to prevent insider trading. Similarly,
Obama believes there is no place in a just financial system for market manipulation. In a speech in New York, he said, "We must remain vigilant and crack down on trading activity that crosses the line into market manipulation.
Reports have circulated in recent days that some traders may have intentionally spread rumors that Bear Stearns was in financial distress while making market bets against the company. The SEC should investigate & punish this kind of market manipulation."
Source: Obamanomics, by John R. Talbott, p. 40-41
Jul 1, 2008
On Health Care:
When your child gets sick, you don't shop for best bargain
Obama had identified an area of injustice in our economic system: the unjust power of monopolies, collusion among supposed competitors, and the ensuing damage both to consumers and entrepreneurs.
Obama has spoken directly about his concerns that the healthcare insurance industry may be too concentrated, with the top two competitors controlling one-third of the entire market nationally.
Obama adds, "The market alone can't solve our healthcare woes--in part because the market has proven incapable of creating large enough insurance pools to keep costs to individuals affordable,
in part because healthcare is not like other products or services (when your child gets sick, you don't go shopping for the best bargain)."
Source: Obamanomics, by John R. Talbott, p. 44-45
Jul 1, 2008
On Budget & Economy:
OpEd: "Hope" translates into economic opportunity
"I'm not talking about blind optimism here--the almost willing ignorance that thinks unemployment will go away if we just don't think about it, or the health care crisis will solve itself if we just ignore it. That's not what I'm talking about.
I'm talking about something more substantial, It's the hope of slaves sitting around a fire singing freedom songs; the hope of immigrants setting out for distant shores; the hope of a skinny kid with a funny name who believes that America has a place for
him, too. Hope--Hope in the face of difficulty. Hope in the face of uncertainty. The audacity of hope."Many of us remember these striking words as the keynote speaker at the 2004 Democratic Nominating Convention. If there is one word associated with
Barack Obama, from all of his campaigns, speeches and books, it would have to be hope. From an economic perspective, the word hope easily translates into economic opportunity. Without economic opportunity, there is no hope.
Source: Obamanomics, by John R. Talbott, p. 51
Jul 1, 2008
On Tax Reform:
Maintain the inheritance tax on wealthy
Obama's plan to improve economic opportunity for all is fourfold. He wants to maintain an inheritance tax on our wealthiest citizens that others have fought to end; he wishes to introduce universal preschool education to give poorer children the same
opportunities as their richer classmates; he wants to improve our public education system and encourage college education for all; and he wants to make sure that all artificial barriers to personal advancement are eliminated in the workplace.
Obama has realized that it is impossible if a society bases all privilege and opportunity primarily on the wealth of one's parents. What Obama finds most disturbing about the inheritance tax debate is that the most important implication of allowing large
inheritances is that it will indeed create a society based on inherited wealth privilege and opportunity. He believes that we will again become what we broke away from, an indentured people to a privileged class.
Source: Obamanomics, by John R. Talbott, p. 56-57
Jul 1, 2008
On Jobs:
Expand paid sick days to seven per year
Obama has many initiatives to strengthen the family and provide a better learning environment for the young child to describe them all in detail here. A partial listing would include:- Provide a living wage: Barack Obama believes that people who
work full-time should not live in poverty. Obama would further raise the minimum wage, and index it to inflation.
- Full-time workers making minimum wage would get an EITC benefit up to $555, more than three times the $175 benefit they get today.
If the workers are responsibly supporting their children on child support, the Obama plan would give those workers a benefit of $1,110.
- Expand paid sick days: Half of all private sector workers have no paid sick days and the problem is worse for
employees in low-paying jobs. Barack Obama will require that employees provide seven paid sick days per year.
- Expand the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
- Encourage states to adopt paid leave
- Expand the child and dependent car tac credit.
Source: Obamanomics, by John R. Talbott, p. 58-59
Jul 1, 2008
On Families & Children:
Zero-to-Five plan: childcare for working parents
Obama has a detailed plan for early childhood education. His "zero to five" plan will provide critical support to young children and their parents. Obama emphasizes early care and education. Obama would like to see states move toward voluntary,
universal preschool. Obama would also quadruple funding for early Head Start and increase funding. Finally, he wants to see renewed emphasis on developing high quality child care programs when both parents are at work.
Source: Obamanomics, by John R. Talbott, p. 61
Jul 1, 2008
On Education:
Make math & science policy a national priority
Obama also has detailed plans to improve our nation's primary and secondary schools:- Reform No Child Left Behind: Start by funding the law.
- Make math and science education a national priority:
Obama will recruit math and science degree graduates to the teaching profession and will support efforts to help these teachers learn from professionals in the field.
- Address the dropout crisis:
Provide funding to school districts to invest in intervention strategies.
- Expand high-quality afterschool opportunities.
- Recruit, prepare, retain and reward America's teachers:
Obama will create new Teacher Service Scholarships that will cover four years of undergraduate or two years of graduate teacher education.
Source: Obamanomics, by John R. Talbott, p. 61-62
Jul 1, 2008
On Civil Rights:
Past discrimination affects future generations
In a speech in Philadelphia, Obama stated what no one else had voiced:"[Our Constitution] was stained by this nation's original sin of slavery, a question that divided the colonies & brought the Constitutional Convention to a stalemate, until
the founders chose to leave any final resolution to a future generation."Of course, the answer to the slavery question was already embedded within our Constitution, a Constitution that had at its very core the ideal of equal citizenship under the law;
a Constitution that promised its people liberty, and justice, and a union that could be and should be perfected over time."
Obama understands how devastating discrimination is, not only to this generation, but to all future generations: "For
all those who scratched & clawed their way to get a piece of the American Dream, there were many who didn't make it--those who were ultimately defeated, in one way or another, by discrimination. That legacy of defeat was passed on to future generations."
Source: Obamanomics, by John R. Talbott, p. 64-65
Jul 1, 2008
On Jobs:
Supports Fair Pay Act: equal pay for equal work
Obama's proposals on combating employment discrimination include: working to overturn the Supreme Court's recent ruling that curtails racial minorities' and women's ability to challenge pay discrimination. Obama will also pass the
Fair Pay Act to ensure that women receive equal pay for equal work. Obama will ban racial profiling by federal law enforcement agencies, and provide federal incentives to state and local police departments to prohibit the practice.
Source: Obamanomics, by John R. Talbott, p. 66
Jul 1, 2008
On Budget & Economy:
Free market needs proper government oversight
"It's useful to remind ourselves that our free market system is the result neither of natural law nor of Divine Providence. Rather, it emerged through a painful process of trial and error. And although the benefits of our free market system are mostly
derived from the individual efforts of generations of men and women pursuing their own vision of happiness, in each and every period of great economic upheaval and transition we depended on government action to open up opportunity, encourage competition,
and make the market work better."Obama's overall economic philosophy: He understands the power of the free market to create jobs and encourage creativity, but he also understands that, left to its own devices, without proper government oversight, it
has a way of bouncing wildly between booms and busts. Individual participants in a market economy can do little to influence the overall stability of the system, but government can, and must, act to assure our financial markets remain strong and stable.
Source: Obamanomics, by John R. Talbott, p. 69
Jul 1, 2008
On Budget & Economy:
Prosecute mortgager fraud; require full mortgage disclosure
Proposals Obama has made to address predatory lending and fraudulent activity in the mortgage and credit card business:- Protect homeownership and crack down on mortgage fraud: Obama will make sure homebuyers have honest and complete information
about their mortgage options.
- Ensure more accountability in the subprime mortgage industry: Obama's STOP FRAUD Act provides the first federal definition of mortgage fraud, increases funding for federal and state law enforcement programs, creates new
criminal fraud penalties for mortgage professionals, and requires industry insiders to report suspicious activity.
- Mandate accurate loan disclosure: Obama will create a Homeowner Obligation Made Explicit (HOME) score, which will provide potential
borrowers with a simplified, standardized borrower metric for home mortgages.
- Close bankruptcy loophole for mortgage companies: Obama will eliminate the provision that prevents bankruptcy courts from modifying an individual's mortgage payment.
Source: Obamanomics, by John R. Talbott, p. 77-78
Jul 1, 2008
On Corporations:
Regulate institutions for what they do, not what they are
In his Cooper Union speech, Obama discussed regulatory changes he would recommend to better regulate Wall Street:- If you can borrow from the government, you should be subject to government oversight and supervisions.
- Capital requirements should
be strengthened, particularly for complex financial instruments like some of the mortgage securities that led to our current crisis.
- We need to streamline a framework for overlapping & competing regulatory agencies.
- We need to regulate institutions
for what they do, not what they are. Over the last few years, commercial banks and thrift institutions were subject to guidelines on subprime mortgages that did not apply to mortgage brokers and companies. It makes no sense.
- We must remain vigilant
and crack down on trading activity that crosses the line to market manipulation.
- Finally, the American people must be able to trust that their government is looking out for all of us--not just those who donate to political campaigns.
Source: Obamanomics, by John R. Talbott, p. 87-88
Jul 1, 2008
On Government Reform:
Google for Government: let public track federal grants
Barack has a strong record of achievement in improving ethics in government. Below is a summary from his campaign's position paper, entitled "Plan to Change Washington":- Federal ethics reform: Mandating disclosure of lobbyists' bundling of
contributions, and enacting strong new restrictions of lobbyist-sponsored trips became part of the final ethics bill that was signed into law.
- Google for government: Americans have the right to know how their tax dollars are spent, but that informatio
has been hidden from public view for too long. That's why Barack Obama and Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) passed a law to create a Google-like search engine to allow regular people to approximately track federal grants, contracts, earmarks, and loans
online.
- Illinois reform: In 1998, Obama passed the toughest campaign finance law in Illinois history. The legislation banned the personal use of campaign money by Illinois legislators and banned most gifts from lobbyists.
Source: Obamanomics, by John R. Talbott, p. 97-98
Jul 1, 2008
On Government Reform:
Cabinet members should hold national town hall meetings
It is Obama's hope that as he cleans up the federal government and makes it more transparent and honest, he will encourage more Americans to reclaim their right as citizens in a participatory democracy. [According to the Obama campaign's "Plan to Change
Washington"], Obama will insist that his cabinet officials hold periodic national town hall meetings. All White House communications about regulatory policymaking between persons outside government and White House staff shall be a matter of public record
All executive branch departments and rule-making agencies shall conduct their business in public.Obama intends to close the revolving door that allows former government employees to work as lobbyists, then rotate back into government. Political
appointees will not be allowed to work on any regulation or contract related to their prior employer for two years. And no political appointee will be able to leave government service and lobby the government for the remainder of the administration.
Source: Obamanomics, by John R. Talbott, p.107
Jul 1, 2008
On Free Trade:
Supports trade & globalization but opposes CAFTA job loss
"I believe that expanding trade and breaking down barriers between countries is good for our economy and for our security, for American consumers and American workers. Globalization is a technological revolution that is fundamentally changing the world'
economy, producing winners and losers along the way. The question is not whether we should protect our workers from competition, but what we can do to fully enable them to compete against workers all over the world."These strong words in support of
international trade and globalization are from an OpEd Obama published in the Chicago Tribune on June 30, 2005, entitled, "Why I Oppose CAFTA." But Obama also believes that trade agreements must address issues of fairness, such as labor, environmental,
and consumer safety.
The trade Obama is most concerned with is that which costs jobs in America and depresses wages here. Primarily, this is trade with developing countries who have a much lower wage structure due to their much lower cost of living.
Source: Obamanomics, by John R. Talbott, p.113-114
Jul 1, 2008
On Free Trade:
Assist workers who lose globalization's race to the bottom
Obama comments, "But the larger problem is what's missing from our prevailing policy on trade and globalization--namely, meaningful assistance for those who are not reaping its benefits and a plan to succeed in a twenty-first century economy.
So far, almost all of our energy and almost all of these trade agreements are about making life easier for the winners of globalization, while we do nothing as life gets harder for American workers."
Obama adds, "But this is about more than displaced workers. Our failure to respond to globalization is causing a race to the bottom that means lower wages and stingier health and retiree benefits for all Americans.
It's causing a squeeze on middle-class families who are working in this new economy. As one downstate (Illinois) worker told me during a recent visit, 'It doesn't do me much good if I'm saving a dollar on a T-shirt in Wal-Mart, but don't have a job.'"
Source: Obamanomics, by John R. Talbott, p.117-118
Jul 1, 2008
On Jobs:
Employee Free Choice Act: right to organize harassment-free
Obama has real plans to strengthen American's ability to organize into unions. From his campaign policy statement:- Ensure freedom to unionize: Obama believes that workers should have the freedom to choose whether to join a union without harassment
or intimidation from their employers. Obama cosponsored the Employee Free Choice Act, a bipartisan effort to assure that workers can exercise their right to organize.
- Fight attacks on workers' right to organize: Obama has fought the Bush National
Labor Relations Board efforts to strip workers of their right to organize. He is a cosponsor of legislation to overturn classifying nurses & construction workers as "supervisors" who are not protected by federal labor laws.
- Protect striking workers:
Obama supports the right of workers to bargain collectively and strike if necessary. He will work to ban the permanent replacement of striking workers, so workers can stand up for themselves without worrying about losing their livelihoods.
Source: Obamanomics, by John R. Talbott, p.118-119
Jul 1, 2008
On Immigration:
Crack down on employers who hire illegal immigrants
Obama wants to remove incentives for illegals to enter the country by cracking down on employers who hire undocumented immigrants. Obama has championed a proposal to create a system so employers can verify that their employees are legally eligible to work
in the US.Obama believes the time to fix our broken immigration system is now. He is in favor of stronger enforcement at the border and at the workplace. He has properly identified the magnitude of the problem, and said that the undocumented population
is exploding. Obama recognizes that immigration raids are ineffective, netting only 3,600 arrests in 2006.
Obama's priority is to stop the current wave of illegal immigration into the United States, and then deal compassionately and fairly with the
illegal immigrants who re already living here. If the flood of new immigrants can be slowed considerably, Obama believes that those currently living here, over time, can be effectively absorbed into the population and the economy.
Source: Obamanomics, by John R. Talbott, p.120-121
Jul 1, 2008
On Free Trade:
Peru trade OK because it includes labor & enviro protections
While Obama has been an advocate of free trade, he sees the need to make sure that it is fairly regulated. The original trade agreements written primarily by the law firms of big corporations were very careful to derive protections for international
property, intellectual property rights, and the enforcement of contracts necessary to do business effectively. They were almost completely devoid of any regulation to protect the consumer, the environment, or the worker.
Obama has supported trade agreements with countries like Peru that have been properly structured to include these provisions, but is insistent that trade agreements like
NAFTA be renegotiated to include such provisions.Obama understands that we cannot allow trade with countries like China if they are not going to respect the rights of workers and consumers.
Source: Obamanomics, by John R. Talbott, p.124
Jul 1, 2008
On Energy & Oil:
Political climate at fault for failing energy independence
In a speech in Oct. 2007 in Portsmouth N.H., Obama blamed the Washington political climate, and the corporate special interests who control it, for what has happened to the planet:"We have heard promises to curb our use of fossil fuels in nearly every
State of the Union address since the oil embargo of 1973.
"Our energy problem has become an energy crisis because no matter how well-intentioned the promise, they all fall victim to the same Washington politics that has only become more divided and
dishonest; more beholden to the powerful interests that have the biggest stake in the status quo."
- Obama's long-term goal is to reduce all carbon emissions by 80% by the year 2050. Obama will:
- Introduce a market-based cap and trade system to
limit carbon emissions;
- Encourage renewable and alternative energy use;
- Emphasize conservation and improve energy efficiency; and
- Reestablish America as the global leader in global warming negotiations.
Source: Obamanomics, by John R. Talbott, p.128
Jul 1, 2008
On Environment:
Support reforestation as carbon sequestration issue
Obama's cap and trade system will require all pollution credits to be auctioned. A 100% auction ensures that all polluters pay for every ton of emission they release, rather than giving these emissions rights away to coal and oil companies.Confront
deforestation & promote carbon sequestration: Obama will develop domestic incentives that reward forest owners, farmers, & ranchers when they plant trees, restore grasslands, or undertake farming practices that capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
Source: Obamanomics, by John R. Talbott, p.129
Jul 1, 2008
On Energy & Oil:
Include clean coal in clean energy future
Obama's plan to invest in a clean energy future and in renewable and alternative energies states that he will:- Invest $150 billion over ten years in clean energy: Obama will advance the next generation of biofuels & fuel infrastructure, accelerate
the commercialization of plug-in hybrids, promote development of commercial-scale renewable energy, invest in low-emission coal plants, and begin the transition to a new digital electricity grid.
- Invest in a skilled clean technologies workforce: Obama
will use proceeds from the cap and trade auction program to invest in job training and transition programs to help workers and industries adapt to clean technology development and production.
- Develop and deploy clean coal: Commercialize and deploy
low-carbon coal technologies.
- Deploy cellulosic ethanol: Obama will invest federal resources, including tax incentives, cash prizes, & government contracts into developing the first 2 billion gallons of cellulosic ethanol into the system by 2013.
Source: Obamanomics, by John R. Talbott, p.132-133
Jul 1, 2008
On Technology:
Invest in a digital smart grid for electricity utilities
Obama's plan states that it "will reduce oil consumption by at least 35%, or 10 million barrels per day, by 2030." Obama's plan to set America on a path to energy independence states that he will:- Increase fuel economy standards: Obama will double
fuel economy standards within eighteen years. Obama will also invest in advanced vehicle technology such as advanced lightweights materials and new engines.
- Set national building efficiency goals: Barack Obama will establish a goal of making all new
buildings carbon neutral, or produce zero emissions, by 2030. He'll also establish a national goal of improving new building efficiency by 50% and existing building efficiency by 25% over the next decade to help us meet the 2030 goal.
- Invest in a
digital smart grid: Obama will pursue a major investment in our utility grid to enable a tremendous increase in renewable generation and accommodate modern energy requirements, such as reliability, smart metering, and distributed storage.
Source: Obamanomics, by John R. Talbott, p.137
Jul 1, 2008
On Health Care:
If we started from scratch, one-payer system would be best
Obama has said that if we were starting over with a completely blank slate he would favor the one-payer system that is used in almost every developed country in the world. But we aren't starting from scratch. Obama's plan is to create a health
insurance system that will cover all Americans, including the self-employed and small businesses. From his healthcare position paper entitled, "Plan for a Healthy America":- Cover uninsured Americans: Obama will require that all children have
healthcare coverage.
- Reducing costs of catastrophic illnesses for employers and their employees: The Obama plan would reimburse health plans for a portion of the catastrophic costs they incur.
- Helping patients: Support disease management programs.
Coordinate and integrate care. Require full transparency about quality and costs.
Obama, a realist, believes that you must start with the system's current situation and try to make incremental progress.
Source: Obamanomics, by John R. Talbott, p.147-148&154
Jul 1, 2008
On Social Security:
What do we do with the losers of privatizing?
"What would the Ownership Society do with the losers (if Social Security were privatized)? Unless we're willing to see seniors starve on the streets, we're going to have to cover their retirement expenses one way or another--and since we don't know in
advance which of us will be losers, it makes sense for all of us to chip into a pool that gives us at least some guaranteed income in our golden years. That doesn't mean we shouldn't encourage individuals to pursue higher-risk, higher-return investment
strategies. They should. It just means that they should do so with savings other than those put into Social Security."Thus, Obama was able to cut through all the rhetoric and see the key underlying fallacy of Bush's and McCain's proposal to privatize
Social Security. If we allow people to invest in riskier assets in the stock market, we will just have more losers who end up gambling with their retirement money and end up with nothing at retirement.
Source: Obamanomics, by John R. Talbott, p.161
Jul 1, 2008
On Principles & Values:
Emphasis on cooperation and listening to both sides
A major theme running through much of Obama's writing, books and speeches is an emphasis on cooperation. This focus is evident in his campaign style: he is careful not to openly offend those he disagrees with, because he knows he may have to work
side-by-side with them in the future to find solutions to our most pressing problems. He tries to keep his debates and disagreements from becoming personal, instead focusing on issues. Once name-calling starts and people break off into sides anticipating
a fight, it is very difficult to get them to cooperate later on.Obama did not invent this persona just for the campaign. People who knew him in law school say that he was always good at listening to all sides and bringing people of disparate views
together. In his community organizing work in Chicago, cooperation was the key to getting anything done in his inner city poor neighborhood.
Source: Obamanomics, by John R. Talbott, p.175-176
Jul 1, 2008
On Principles & Values:
Michelle: My husband demands you move out of comfort zone
The best Obama speech during the presidential campaign was not given by Barack, but by his wife Michelle, on Feb. 3, 2008:"In 2008, we are still a nation that is too divided. We live in isolation. We don't know our neighbors, we don't talk. We don't
realize that the struggles and challenges of all of us are the same. We look at it as 'them' and 'they' and opposed to 'us.'
"We have lost the understanding that in a democracy, we have a mutual obligation to one another. I am here because Barack Obama
is the only person in this who understands that. That before we can work on the problems, we have to fix our souls. Our souls are broken in this nation.
"Barack Obama will require you to work. He is going to demand that you shed your cynicism. That you
put down your divisions. That you come our of your isolation, that you move out of your comfort zones. That you push yourselves to be better. And that you engage. Barack will never allow you to go back to your lives as usual, uninvolved, uninformed."
Source: Obamanomics, by John R. Talbott, p.200-201
Jul 1, 2008
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