Newsweek has released a new, intriguing article in their “Secrets of the 2008 Campaign” series.
Among the juicy tidbits is a pre-debate quote from Barack Obama about the challenge of solving environmental problems.
The package of secret tales includes stories about how both campaigns had their computer systems hacked, how Sarah Palin walked into a briefing in only a towel, and also has some worrisome anecdotes about increased threats of violence against the Obama family.
The debates unnerved both candidates. When he was preparing for them during the Democratic primaries, Obama was recorded saying, “I don’t consider this to be a good format for me, which makes me more cautious. I often find myself trapped by the questions and thinking to myself, ‘You know, this is a stupid question, but let me … answer it.’ So when Brian Williams is asking me about what’s a personal thing that you’ve done [that's green], and I say, you know, ‘Well, I planted a bunch of trees.’ And he says, ‘I’m talking about personal.’ What I’m thinking in my head is, ‘Well, the truth is, Brian, we can’t solve global warming because I f—ing changed light bulbs in my house. It’s because of something collective’.”
To read Newsweek’s article that is full of great conversation fodder, click here.
Ever since Sarah Palin was selected to be John McCain’s vice-presidential runningmate she was on the receiving end of a rather public vetting that opened up some serious cracks that a more thorough private vetting certainly would have detected. I hate to pile on, but the latest revelation is so amazing to me, I couldn’t leave it alone.
On the O’Reilly Factor, Fox News’ Carl Cameron reported that a McCain-Palin rift was due in no small part to Gov. Palin’s lack of knowledge of basic civics, politics, and geography - and her unwillingness to prepare in light of those those deficiencies. Reportedly, McCain aides said Sarah Palin had: Read the rest of this entry »
There is no doubt that yesterday’s US presidential election was a historic event. No matter who you supported in the race, the fact that Americans elected a multiracial president is a significant event in a country where African Americans were once slaves. It is an event that will be remembered for generations around the world, and people will remember where they were and what they were doing when they heard Barack Obama was the President-Elect of the United States of America.
I voted by absentee ballot, as there are no polling places in my tiny, mountain community. On election day, I was headed home from a quick trip to Seal Beach, CA. In order to avoid traffic, my twelve hour drive home began at 4:30 am. As I drove by McCain/Palin signs in Republican Orange County and the vast farm lands of I-5, I began to doubt an Obama victory. We listened to talk radio, from conservative to liberal stations on the satellite, before finally setting on the BBC. Hearing callers from around the world share their excitement and hope that Obama would win, I was moved at how this man has reached out to the world with the same message of hope and change he has given the American people. Read the rest of this entry »
Many in Kenya hope that with Barack Obama as President, they will see more US support for development projects in their country, as well as an influx of eco-tourists.
Barack Obama has many relatives living in Kenya, but they aren’t the only ones rooting for him today. Pretty much all Kenyans, including Cabinet ministers, religious leaders and businesspeople, said a victory by Obama would be good for the country.
Kenya has long been a popular destination among eco-tourists and some hope that with Obama as president, more will be drawn to visit the country. Despite the uphill struggles faced by Kenya’s environmentalists, the tourism industry is definitely doing its part to save the country’s fragile wilderness. Read the rest of this entry »
If you think you’ve heard those words a lot from our presidential candidates, you’re right. The Global Language Monitor, which has been tracking the entire Obama/McCain showdown, puts them as the top three “buzzwords” in this election.
Most of us have played the Buzzwords board game, but at GLM, “political buzzwords are terms or phrases that become loaded with emotional freight beyond the normal meaning of the word.” Read the rest of this entry »
If you haven’t made up your mind who to vote for in tomorrow’s presidential election, I’m not sure that what I am about to tell you will help — but it just might. Both candidates told the web site sciencedebate2008 that they accept the scientific agreement that greenhouse gases from burning fossil fuels are changing the Earth’s climate. And both candidates have said they want to cap emissions produced by the burning of those fossil fuels.
But only Barack Obama has said he would regulate CO2 as a pollutant under the Clean Air Act. Read the rest of this entry »
We’re told that McCain is spending these last crunch hours vacuuming up support in Republican states. Apart from Sunday’s stop in Pennsylvania, his itinerary has pit-stop trips to Florida, Ohio, Missouri, and Tennessee, followed by a lightning tour of Nevada, Colorado and New Mexico, before returning to his home-state of Arizona on Monday night. On the other hand, vote-early Obama hit rallies in Nevada, Colorado and Missouri on Saturday, spent Sunday campaigning in Ohio and will be visiting Virginia and Florida on the very evening of the election.
What’s wrong with this picture?
Could it be the carbon footprint of the two candidates, spreading to Sasquatch-like proportions as they criss-cross the United States exhorting voters, already reeling from the economic kidney-punches of the past few months, to get out there and vote? Is it possible that this kind of environmental irresponsibility is ringing warning bells with the average voter, wondering when gas prices will fall and whether they can heat their homes this winter? Read the rest of this entry »
In an open letter (pdf), the Laureates cite the politicization of science under the Bush administration, particularly in the fields of heath and climate, saying that “vital parts of our country’s scientific enterprise have been damaged by stagnant or declining federal support,” adding that through an advisory process “distorted by political considerations” America’s “once dominant position in the scientific world has been shaken and our prosperity has been placed at risk.”
Despite John McCain’s claim that he is the true agent of change for all that has gone wrong under George Bush, both he and his remarkably incurious and misinformed (at best) running mate show how they plan to continue Bush’s appalling lack of regard for science; combining an inexcusable ignorance of the importance of basic scientific research, with the morally bereft penchant for using science as yet another divisive wedge to promulgate their politics of intolerance, fear, and derision - aiming straight at the lowest common denominator in the body politic. Read the rest of this entry »
Make your green vote count twice this election day.
Elections are always riddled with controversy over voting. There’s that whole Bush stolen election thing (I think he did it), voting machine accuracy and the latest GOP attacks on voter’s rights brought to light by the ACLU.
So how can you fight back? Well, you cannot actually vote twice - that would be illegal and very very wrong. But you can carpool to your voting booth, ensuring other greenies like yourself vote yes on good green policy and save fuel along the way! And Al Gore’s Live Earth has partnered with Zimride.com to help you out.
A television ad released yesterday by the McCain Campaign features Barack Obama stating that McCain’s Global Warming Proposal is “good for the environment.”
In an intriguing shift of tactics, the McCain campaign reminds the public that he has historically worked diligently to reduce global warming. By using Barack Obama’s own praise of his past global warming proposals, perhaps McCain is trying to narrow the perceived divide among parties, on this issue.
Red, Green and Blue brings together voices from across the political and ideological spectrums to discuss and debate critical environmental issues and current events.
