Suggested Discussion Outline - August 13th

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johnkarls
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Joined: Fri Jun 29, 2007 8:43 pm

Suggested Discussion Outline - August 13th

Post by johnkarls »

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“Saving Barack” Focus Group
Suggested Discussion Outline
13 August 2008


(A) Background Information on Barack

A-1. Basic facts and time lines (please see our First Quiz & Answers posted on our Bulletin Board (http://www.drinkingliberallyslc.org/reading))

A-2. Other information in “Obama: From Promise to Power” by David Mendell (our focus for this month)

A-3. Any relevant additional information from Barack’s two autobiographies (“The Audacity of Hope” and “Dreams From My Father”) on which we focused in January 2007, 19 months ago

NB: Our policy has always been that everyone is welcome to attend and participate even if they have not been able to read the book(s) on which we are focusing that month.

(B) The Looming McCain Landslide (matched only by Franklin Roosevelt and Lyndon Johnson)

B-1. Chris Matthews and his four top reporters opining the last two Sundays in a row that polling in the Presidential race is unreliable because Americans lie to pollsters about their racial attitudes.

B-2. The McCain Landslide if the election were held today with –

B-2-a. polling showing Barack leading by 0% to 2% with 10% undecided, and

B-2-b. actual voting following the pattern of many of the primaries (all of the “undecideds” and even 1% to 2% of Barack’s “measured” support actually going for his opponent)

(C) Brainstorming Ways to Avert the Looming Disaster (after all, there are no more than “six degrees of separation” between us and 100% of the American electorate!!!)

C-1.

C-2.

C-3.

C-4.

Editorial Note

I (John Karls) don’t want to stifle everyone else’s creativity by putting on the brainstorm list one suggestion for how to avert the looming disaster – because then everyone will focus on it rather than brainstorming additional ways to avert disaster.

However, after issuing the “focus group” challenge with last week’s e-mail following the Chris Matthews Show insights, it occurred that Barack should endorse Al Gore’s July 17th “Generational Challenge to Repower America” to commit to producing 100% of our electricity WITHIN 10 YEARS from renewable energy and truly clean, carbon-free sources – AND MAKE IT A CERTERPIECE OF HIS CAMPAIGN!!! (The text of his speech and the transcript of his "Meet the Press" interview three days later are posted on this bulletin board under "Comments of Participants - Everything About Oil - July 9th")

Polling shows that gasoline prices have become the No. 1 political issue (followed by national security) and John McCain has seized the initiative by proposing the “wedge issue” solutions of (1) offshore drilling (but only where an affected state consents) and (2) 45 new nuclear plants to provide 20% of our electrical power and comply with Kyoto. These are “wedge issues” for the Democratic Party because they pit the environmental wing against “Blue Dog” Democrats.

Barack’s position has been very “lame” since he is proposing to take no immediate action with regard to energy supply – recently only telegraphing a willingness to go along with “environmentally-sensitive offshore drilling” (because of its overwhelming popularity in the polls) as part of an overall “compromise” (but what is Barack proposing for which he would be willing to accept such a compromise???)!!!

Indeed, his position of $15 billion/year for energy research (but no action on energy supply) creates the impression that he is still “carrying water” for the coal industry – the way he used to “carry water” for Southern-Illinois coal-mining companies when he was in the Illinois legislature!!!

Going on the offensive promoting Al Gore’s “Generational Challenge” would be every bit as electrifying as John Kennedy’s challenge to “put a man on the moon” within 10 years!!!

It would unite the Democratic Party (rather than throwing the environmentalists “under the bus”). Which would be important after caving on two other “wedge issues” earlier this summer in order to “get them off the table” in time for the fall election – caving on Iraq War funding (no conditions such as withdrawal timetables for funding through 2009) and caving on warrantless wiretaps (the renewal of the Patriot Act).

And, not least, it would be the right thing to do!!!

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