When we go to the grocery store, we're seeing huge increases of 20, 30, even 40% in the prices of milk, bread, eggs, pasta-- There's the food crisis. Ethanol from corn sounded like a good idea on paper, but it has become a disaster. Fields previously used for wheat and other food crops are being converted to corn fields, and this has led to massive food price increases. All across the world, food riots are exploding, creating instability, even taking down the government of Haiti over the weekend. It looks like the ethanol solution does not work and is making things much worse.
There are sooo many progressive issues that can use clarification. This protracted conflict between Clinton and Obama offers a great opportunity to get the candidates either on the record or to show that they are obfuscating and avoiding-- doing the smoke and mirrors thing.
Be a dynamic progressive activist. Most progressives I know did not start out supporting Obama or Hillary. Unless you plan to go third party, you will probably be supporting one of these two candidates, probably Obama. So let's get out there and pepper them both with questions that will nail them down on the issues we care about.
Plan and script your question. You won't get to ask any more than one in this election. But you can do a few and share them with your group. Plan them as a team. If your team gets lucky, a few members will each get to ask a question. So don't sit next to each other, fan out through the crowd.
Start off with the basic issue. Then open the question innocuously, talking about some aspect of life we all can relate to. Want to talk about phone company spying? Start off by talking about a phone conversation with your mother, or child. Then segue into the hard question. Then quickly, before Obama or Clinton thinks your finished, re-state even more clearly, so there's less waffle-room. Once you've come up with a script, develop very brief notes you can put on a card that fits in the palm of your hand-- a 3 by 2.5 card..
Make sure you speak loudly and clearly.
Dress conservatively. Don't stand out as strange. Part of the goal is to get on national TV and look credible, not like a kook. If the media ask about who you are, tell the truth. You don't have to talk to them, but if you do, they may use the footage, if you speak in plain English, without political jargon, and come off as a regular person, not an overly intense, angry political operative or activist.
Remember, the goal is not to get either candidate in trouble. The goal is to push the candidates-- to either move to the left or clearly state their positions on progressive issues. We can do this, people. We can use the corpstream media to amplify our message and nail down the candidates' positions.
Rob Kall is executive editor and publisher of OpEdNews.com, President of Futurehealth, Inc, inventor . He is also published regularly on the Huffingtonpost.com. He is a frequent Speaker on Politics, Impeachment, The art, science and power of story, heroes and the hero's journey, Positive Psychology, Stress, Biofeedback and a wide range of subjects. He is a campaign consultant specializing in tapping the power of stories for issue positioning, stump speeches and debates. He recently retired as organizer of several conferences, including StoryCon, the Summit Meeting on the Art, Science and Application of Story and The Winter Brain Meeting on neurofeedback, biofeedback, Optimal Functioning and Positive Psychology. See more of his articles here and, older ones, here.
To learn more about me and OpEdNews.com, check out this article.
and there are Rob's quotes, here.
To Watch me on youtube, having a lively conversation with John Conyers, Chair of the House Judiciary committee, click here Now, wouldn't you like to see me on the political news shows, representing progressives. If so, tell your favorite shows to bring me on and refer them to this youtube video
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A few declarations.
-While I'm registered as a Democrat, I consider myself to be a dynamic critic of the Democratic party, just as, well, not quite as much, but almost as much as I am a critic of republicans.
-My articles express my personal opinion, not the opinion of this website.
The Obama website has a link for press inquiries, mainly to get an interview with the candidate or a staffer. You can pose a question, and I did that yesterday. I asked, in view of the recent disclosures that torture was authorized at the highest levels of the government, whether the candidate is prepared to hold anybody accountable for criminal involvement. If so, who? If not, why not? I received a prompt, pro forma acknowledgement of my email and a promise to follow up.
by
Steve Fournier (32 articles, 17 quicklinks, 5 diaries, 43 comments)
on Monday, April 14, 2008 at 8:50:40 AM
but I pray it just isn't my cynicism, but I recently heard a statement tha cheney made after they won in 2000 to a staffer about setting an agenda: "You don't expect us to keep promises we made to people in the campaign?"
I'm not sure I believe a damn thing they'd answer to any hard questions. I can almost hear them now, "Oh, we'd like to but, blah, blah, blah ...", or "I do support it, but,...
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Mr M (4 articles, 0 quicklinks, 12 diaries, 1419 comments)
on Monday, April 14, 2008 at 9:41:48 AM
There may be some truth to what you say, but we MUST try. We must do all we can to challenge these candidates, to push them left, towards more progressive stances. Edwards, Kucinich and Gravel, through their participation in the early primaries absolutely helped. They sacrificed greatly to do it. We need to do the same, not that it's that great sacrifice to ask a few questions.
by
Rob Kall (807 articles, 3921 quicklinks, 332 diaries, 1702 comments)
on Monday, April 14, 2008 at 10:03:52 AM
I'm a bad boy. A cynical old-fart who has heard too many say anything just to get elected. But no where did I mention we should not try - I'm all for trying anything and everything to get some progressive programs enacted and will be swinging from my coffin doing so. So go for it.
And your plan is good if people will participate. And it can be fine turned where if one person in a team gets to ask a question, then another can do a follow-up question to the first in case a candidate should try to deflect or not fully answer a question.
I'm continually asked, "But what can I do?", when trying to get people motivated and when going into the fact that this still is a government where you can actually go see elected officials, you can see them slump their shoulders and almost hear them thinking how they'd have to break their routine to do this - it's just too much trouble you know, they might miss American Idol. Ah, crap, there goes that cynicism again...
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Mr M (4 articles, 0 quicklinks, 12 diaries, 1419 comments)
on Monday, April 14, 2008 at 12:47:51 PM
Obama and Clinton promise those in the rust belt new jobs. The world economic crises has now spread to food riots. Yet we burn our food supply in autos.
The questions that need to be asked are HOW do you propose to produce jobs? When will those jobs be available? What will those jobs be? How will our economy sustain? What are we going to do for resources? Why do we continue to add foreign job seekers in a catastrophic downturn? 772,000 job seekers either failed to find work or were laid off in the past 90 days, how will you change this?
For if these questions are not asked, and if acceptable answers are not forthcoming, we will find ourselves in depression very, very soon.
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Mike Folkerth (120 articles, 0 quicklinks, 2 diaries, 566 comments)
on Monday, April 14, 2008 at 9:43:55 AM
We can shove Obama to the left with pure shame in the general election.
I want Hillary gone. I want to trust Obama to do the honorable thing and the thing that will promote his legacy.
Pull out the no-win question this early and it will sink both candidates.
It's a total wedge issue -- between the elites and the people, I mean. The elites have access -- remember the stand-down in Dallas -- and we do not need another RFK-level conspiracy. Obama can fire us up without having to demoralize and traumatize the country beyond where it already is.
I think we both agree that this is where things need to go...but it's a matter of tactics. Passion, in this case, is not a good tactic.
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Richard Volaar (20 articles, 0 quicklinks, 80 diaries, 260 comments)
on Monday, April 14, 2008 at 11:33:37 AM
why pose this to Obama? He has to get elected to change thin
This is exactly the sort of question that would ensure Obama won't get elected.
It takes the entire discussion of how Obama would serve ALL US citizens, create jobs, get health care for all, and turns it into a single issue that Barack himself cannot change.
The only way we will get real change is to have a great President and a majority in congress.
We need a strong majority in congress, in order to have an impeachment.
We don't have that now, and shooting down the Obama campaign so that he cannot win just means NEVER changing what is going on in DC now.
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Laura Roslin (5 articles, 0 quicklinks, 2 diaries, 32 comments)
on Monday, April 14, 2008 at 12:38:26 PM
Rob, Cokie Roberts is going to be here in Tulsa this week speaking on the topic 'An Insiders View of Washington'. I have been having the same thoughts as you in my planning process about dress and demeanor, going with a group, etc.
I think it would be good for the group to decide in advance the questions to be asked and list them in order of importance. The first called on asks question #1, the second #2, and so forth.
Some of the questions I would like to pose would be about: David Gregory dancing with Karl Rove; the general hilarity of the press during the dinner when Bush did the 'WMD must be somewhere' routine; Chris Matthews' statement that 'We (the press) are McCain's base; again, the laughs of the press to Bush's singing about Scooter finally free of the prosecutor; almost no mention of Bush's admitting to torture while the pages and channels are full of Rev Wright and bitterness......I just hope I can screw up enough courage to try to make this happen.
by
via (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 6 comments)
on Monday, April 14, 2008 at 11:54:30 AM
It's obvious that the bush administration holds the
average American in contempt, Via. They laugh in our faces at every opportunity and do it without any fear of reprisal. They know that nothing will be done, other than the voice of disapproval from the people. Not even the media points to the disgraceful, childish skits and jokes using their own most treasonous acts as punchlines. They know they have nothing to fear in the way of legal recourse as they know that NO democrat is going to call for hearings. Not now, not ever. I hate being a stone cold cynic, I'd like to believe that we have at least a handful of honest men and women in our government who have the balls to stand up for what's the absolute right thing to do. The days of Woodward and Bernstein are long gone. No one http://www.heroism.org/class/1970/wood.html has the desire or the bravery to take on an administration which everyone has finally realized grew and gained strength and power by collusion with the mob, acts of assassination, murder and character assassination. Hilary has the constitution of a corporate politician and she's not about to change colors so there's no point in asking any questions which would expose any intentions of hers to aid in the prosecution of the bush party since she has none and never will. As far as Obama goes, we don't really know enough about him or his aspirations but it seems that he is, as far as voting goes, our only shot. We should probably focus on discrediting Clinton's intentions and supporting Obama as he is. Who knows? At this stage we have nothing more to lose. We're heading for disaster, especially after this election, when we all find out that the democrats are the republicans and we are all alone.
I do know one thing that the bush crowd would fear but it never occurs to them. A true uprising of society supported by the military.The thought of the entire administration being dragged out of their homes and offices in cuffs and locked up for trial would certainly upset their cocky demeanor but, alas, they know the people and our elected officials well enough to know that won't happen. Shame, it seems that is the only chance of any of them will ever have a seat in a hearing.
I understand your motives Rob. I admire you for being one person who has stepped up and put himself on the line for the sake of his country but I believe that the time for questions has passed. We need demands and we need collateral in order for those demands to be met, serious collateral which would effectively influence positive action of our so-called leaders. One small threat would be for any sitting democrat to be voted out in the election. Everyone. Those who are appointed officials who have shirked their responsibilities to the people and have failed to take action against bush and his traitors for war crimes and treason should have charges filed against them. Perhaps if Pelosi faced federal charges for her inaction and Ted Kennedy faced charges of failing to lead his senate we may get action. Remember, we only needed ONE democrat to keep the count going in 2000. If we got that we wouldn't have a president bush. Where was Kennedy?
The other alternative is something that none of us would want to see but I honestly don't understand how it hasn't already come to that. Our country has fought two wars with much bloodshed in order to preserve a way of life which is being threatened again. I hope, for all of our sakes, that someone, somewhere who knows what it will take to put our government right digs deep inside themselves and does the right thing. There are people out there with power and information which could effect the changes in circumstances neccessary to put an end to the bush administration and ANY members of the government who believe that this corporate takeover is our fate and provide punishment which would insure that our future leaders understand that we, the people, will not be f**ked with.
by
PeterJ (11 articles, 2 quicklinks, 3 diaries, 131 comments)
on Monday, April 14, 2008 at 2:33:04 PM
ALL the candidates need Bush to remain in office. He's their only chance of attracting voters by looking good in comparison to the incumbent. With a different incumbent, they'd be left virtually naked with nothing to say for themselves as being a potential improvement.
Also, keep in mind that it is a precedent for incoming Presidents to issue blanket pardons to everyone in the previous administration. That's a simple professional courtesy just in case the new President ever has need of the same courtesy. So all the major party candidates are committed to doing just that, something they couldn't justify as precedent if Bush was no longer in office.
You can ask, you can push, but I've lived long enough and watched history repeat often enough enough to be able to predict. No major party candidate will support impeachment and all of them, if elected, will adhere to precedent.
Better questions might be why did they vote to fund and commit themselves to continue the crimes against humanity in Afghanistan and Iraq for which most of us would like to see Bush and Cheney impeached?
But unless Code Pink crashes the party, nobody will ask that question because doing so would jeopardize their credentials to attend similar events.
If you have been credentialed to a presidential campaign event or convention, the best thing you can do for your country would be to give your credentials to Code Pink, because they'll ask the questions you dare not ask.
by
Mark E. Smith (21 articles, 30 quicklinks, 100 diaries, 1325 comments)
on Monday, April 14, 2008 at 11:58:12 AM
The only pertinent question to ask these phonies is why, in the light of recent polls showing a growing distrust of the official 9-11 story among hundreds if not thousands of credible people, they are not supporting a new, independent investigation. Every other issue is subserviant to this one
by
Bill Cain (2 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 287 comments)
on Monday, April 14, 2008 at 1:02:17 PM
It is the definitive question.The problem is the media. Until our liberal media steps up and demands real answers, not these ridiculous National Geographic exposes' or Popular Mechanics' investigations. I'm surprised that there wasn't an investigation by the Catholic Digest.
No one who even feigns credibility will touch the absolute story of a lifetime. Why not? Even comedy shows which seem to breack the mold on how far to go such as Jon Stewart won't go near it. Obviously, a terrorist act of this magnitude commited on American soil by Americans demonstrates the ruthlesness of those involved and not too many who do have absolute proof of their crimes want to be Kennedied. If they'll murder 3000 innocents and send thousands more to die overseas through the use of outright, in your face lies they sure won't have a problem killing a few more. You must remember what we are dealing with is a dictatorship with the demeanor of Hitler.
There's only one way to deal with this type of government.
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PeterJ (11 articles, 2 quicklinks, 3 diaries, 131 comments)
on Monday, April 14, 2008 at 2:59:11 PM
Why should they listen when PDA sells out to them?
Yesterday, PDA leaders went to the Clinton and Obama caucuses and promised their all to Obama and Clinton if only they would be made delegates. Clinton and Obama didn't have to do anything to get their support. If they were selected as delegates, Obama and Clinton had their support. It is sad.
by
Zan (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 13 comments)
on Monday, April 14, 2008 at 1:51:32 PM
The Progressive Democrats of America? If so bare in mind that purges of progressive delegates have been taking place in both the Clinton and Obama camps. Obama rescinded the purge and a good thing too since the progressive movement has done much already to put Senator Obama where he is today.
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Michael Shaw (7 articles, 1 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 328 comments)
on Monday, April 14, 2008 at 2:58:54 PM
NO, IT'S TIME TO STOP DOING THE REPUBLICAN'S DIRTY WORK
Impeachment at this late date in 08 is a Republican distraction to keep us attacking Democrats instead of the them. Your criticism of Bush and the other criminals is correct, but your conclusion is way off and tactically dumb. Seems you write the fitst thing that comes to you without analysis or critical thinking. You make 'progressives' look like morons without any hint of political insight. Let me explain it this way: Our electoral system is like a roulette wheel with Republican and Democratic slots instead of odd/even or red/black. That's the choice, dislike it as we might. You can bet on Purple, but you might as well burn your wager instead. Same for your vote. No wonder people don't send money. Who wants to financially support what's not in their interests--which is riding our country of the criminals. All else is bs.
by
James Cordray (3 articles, 0 quicklinks, 2 diaries, 55 comments)
on Monday, April 14, 2008 at 2:28:24 PM
the American people have the right to know where their candidates stand on issues that are important to them. If this were placed in the hands of the 70% of the population who are pro impeachment, Cheney would have been on the outside looking in 6 years ago. He'd also be in the custody of the International War Crimes Tribunal along with the rest of his entourage.
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Michael Shaw (7 articles, 1 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 328 comments)
on Monday, April 14, 2008 at 3:04:02 PM
I'm all for peppering the presidential candidates with questions. They are running for the highest office in the land, and it's important to know where they stand on issues.
The trouble is that Mrs. Clinton and Obama are politicians who excel in the art of avoiding questions. They act like they're giving you a well-thought-out, enlightened, and satisfactory response, when in fact they're just pandering to their audience or giving their same old spiel from a different angle.
This happened when Senators Clinton and Obama appeared on a special edition of Beyond the Beltway--the weekly nationally syndicated radio talk show--with a live audience in Youngstown, Ohio, a couple months ago. There was rhetoric and speechifying aplenty, such as: (Obama:) "Hillary says that promises won't put food on the table. Well, you know what? NAFTA didn't put food on the table either." Both candidates talked about what's wrong with the war in Iraq, but offered few specifics as to how they would end the conflict.
Contrast this with somebody like Ron Paul, who explains exactly why the war in Iraq is unconstitutional and how he's going to put a stop to it as soon as he gets in the White House.
Or with "Average Joe" Schriner, whose specific and detailed plan includes:
a formal apology to the Iraqi people for invading their land and stealing their oil; more intensive training of the Iraqi military; humanitarian and financial assistance for rebuilding the country; and a gradual withdrawal of troops effective immediately.
Let's keep asking Mrs. Clinton and Obama those good questions, since the questioning process progressively exposes them as opportunistic politicians and mega-corporate stooges. Gold is tried in the fire, and competent candidates for public office in good questioning.
Go Ron Paul and go "Average Joe" Schriner.
by
Justin Soutar (6 articles, 0 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 25 comments)
on Monday, April 14, 2008 at 2:46:51 PM
