The Chicago Tribune is calling Barack Obama’s victory in the Iowa caucus “historic and convincing.” Watching him standing and waving at his rapturous audience, alongside his beautiful wife Michelle (former Afrobella of the Week, ahem), I gotta tell you its moving. And inspiring.
I’m watching his speech live right now, and he just begun his speech by saying, “Thank you Iowa. They said this day would never come. They said our sights were set too high. They said this country was too divided, too disillusioned to come together for a common purpose. But on this January night, at this defining moment in history, you have done what the cynics said we couldn’t do.” Oh, to have a president who’s a brilliant orator!
So what do you bellas and fellas think? Would an Obama/Edwards ticket be as unstoppable as I think it would be? Is change coming to America, as Obama says?
Yup, that’s what I meant — Obama/Edwards, in that order. The numbers reflect that. Happy New Year, Nichelle!
It is definitely time for a change!!! I have said from the beginning if not Obama, definitely Clinton. I agree bella, Obama/Edwards sounds nice, but just maybe an Obama/Clinton team? Could this be to much changer for our nation, a black man & a woman in office? Perhaps.
Happy New Year bella 🙂
Obama can be the candidate that brings change to this country; Clinton cannot. Someone needs to clean up Washington, and I feel Clinton is just not the person for the job.
I’d rather see Obama/Edwards, but I don’t think Edwards is about to play second fiddle again. It would be a pretty unstoppable ticket though.
Oh and Happy New Year, Bella!!!
i think only time will tell! much luck to obama!
As long as Barack Obama is the nominee… 🙂
I am sooo happy and jumping for joy….but still holding my breath and praying like crazy that this will be a dream come true.
I cried and cried watching his speech. I was so afraid to come home and turn on the news and see that he’d lost. I am still overwhelmed with emotion hours later.
I also think Obama with Edwards as a VP would be a hot ticket.
The minute Hillary Clinton’s camp tried to put out that Obama dealt cocaine, I was done with them.
edwards can hold his own weight, so an obama/edwards OR edwards/obama would be brilliant. but i hate to say it…i know this country is ready for change but i have a feeling some are not. obama’s safety would be an issue, the same goes for hilary.
I think also that Obama/Edwards would be great.I will go out and vote because it is time for a change all across the country.Gangs are so out of control in the Baltimore area of Maryland that i’m hesitant to go to visit family.Bush has really turned this country upside down with the war going on and everything from oil prices to foreclosure and i will be doing the moon walk when he leaves office unless he tries to pass a law that only he can run the white house.
i say the change is here and need to ride it all the way to the white house with obama in 2008. it’s over. the old america is over. so much to say.
the obamas are the america i’m interested in and the one that the country needs — not since Bush but since Emancipation 1863. moreover, the obamas are what america means.
the clintons broke my heart so i’m going out on a limb
absolutely wonderful! I’m *so* hoping this continues.
I also like the idea of an Obama/Edwards ticket. I was telling my dad that last night and he laughed at me! But I think it could happen and it would be hard to beat. I myself like Obama and agree with him except on alternative energy issues (nuclear in my home scares me and what about the waste?). I like Edwards better on that issue, but I wouldn’t vote for him, because I like Obama’s stance on international issues better and thats more important to me, at least now. So in my mind, them as pres and vise pres would be a great balance and great for the country if they realy work together and listen to one another, that will make all the diffrence!!!. I also agree with hawaii, safty would be a big issue for Obama. There are alot of buttheads out there with guns! -Peace
Last night was historic. The turn out was very strong and most of the new voters, young voters and Independents voted for Obama!
I hope our people really come out and support Obama in the South Carolina primary. We make up more than half the vote.
I don’t know if Edwards would want to be the VP again. I highly doubt it will be a Obama/Clinton ticket, the two campaigns dislike each other. I don’t blame Obama at all. I wouldn’t put her on his ticket, her negatives are too high and would drag hin down. Plus I agree with Los Angelista, once her camp started with the very negative/attack ads I was done. Cocaine dealing? really?
Team Obama…..all the way. I am so proud of the people of Iowa. Vote for change people! We can do it.
Whoo hoo! While greatly buoyed by last night’s win, I’m not certain the rest of the country will follow suit. This is definitely the most exciting political season in my lifetime.
Time will tell………..Obama has the ability to influence major change. Very exciting this time around.
I am ecstatic. I was watching his speech last night and I was so relieved because I saw the same Obama I saw when he first appeared at the Democratic National Convention and people THEN started calling him the first Black Pres.
I think he’s unstoppable. I think his election would bring monumental change not just policy wise but perception wise. Our foreign policy would change, our standing in the world would change, surely the pessimism among blacks that is rising would certainly go back down.
I have to admit that I have more of a liking to Edwards because I see more detail to his plans. He seems a little more stronger when he talks about poverty and the middle class which matters the most to me, but hopefully Obama can get a little more detailed once the elections get closer. Needless to say, I was extremely proud to see this man and his family on stage. I’m still on a high. Obama/Edwards is a shoo-in.
YAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYY!!!!! OBAMA!!!!!!!!
xxx
I’m FIRED UP! I’m READY TO GO! This is historic and VERY exciting! I’m hoping Obama will win New Hampshire as well…although the next few days will be tough, things are looking good for him (from what I’ve read). It would be a DREAM for this country to have Obama as president…it’s what America needs! I definitely think that Edwards will not want to be a VP nominee again and Clinton will DEFINITELY not stand behind Obama! I’m almost positive he’ll have to find someone new. Clinton is NOT change. She is OLD POLITICS and the time for that to end is NOW!
OBAMA ’08!!!!!!!!!!!! 🙂
Happy New Year Bella!
I have to say, I am not that enamored of an Obama/Edwards ticket. And like others have mentioned, I have my doubts that Edwards would be interested in playing second fiddle again.
And… remember, while the Edwards didn’t alude to Obama dealing cocaine (I agree Los Angelista – that was the death knell for me with the Clintons – and I’ve voted for both of them in the past) they did try a little backdoor coded race card play in the campaign too through Elizabeth Edwards. Or at least, that is the impression. With recent comments about Barack’s Afro in 1991 (!) and her “disappointment” in a (true!) statement made by Michelle Obama, she actually defended herself to say that she was not a racist on Daily Kos (Elizabeth Edwards Disappointed in Michelle Obama – http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/1/1/143846/9458)
Here is the link to Elizabeth Edward’s comment: http://www.dailykos.com/comments/2008/1/1/143846/9458/87?mode=alone;showrate=1#c87
@NYC/Caribbean Ragazza
Hey girl – Happy New Year to you!
I agree about South Carolina… and I think Obama’s got it 🙂
Hillary Clinton “lifted” Barack’s “Fired up, Ready to Go” line in the last hours before the caucus and her 3rd place finish 😉
(http://jackandjillpolitics.blogspot.com/2008/01/hillary-stealing-obama-campaign.html)
BUT!
The black woman that coined the “Fired Up! Ready to Go!” slogan is from South Carolina! Greenwood, South Carolina city councilwoman Edith Childs. She was there when Obama/Oprah went to South Carolina and I bet we’ll see her again when SC comes up at the end of the month. And all she asks is that Obama invites her to his inauguration. 🙂
What was that about black women not liking Obama again? Ha!
Okay, let me get back to work…
You have no idea how HAPPY I am! This would be amazing beyond words. I’m speechless!
i am so excited that i lived to see this day! i am proud of obama and michele (and jealous of michele – can’t lie!) and i, too believe that obama is the real candidate representing change. and more importantly, no matter how “cheesy” it is, he represents hope and inspiration. i have never voted for a candidate that i felt i could in any way relate to, nor one that i actually believed brought something new and hopeful to the table. go barack!
also – i think it will be interesting to see how ugly it gets, because the gloves are off. friends and i were just commenting on the online comments we’ve seen from all races regarding michele’s rear end. for real?!
I was excited before but I’m REALLY excited now! To be honest, I’ll be happy as long as Obama’s name is on the Democratic ticket. I love the fact that there’s so much diversity amongst his supporters. (I was amazed at how many people in my office were happy about this win.) He has an ability to motivate and mobilize a wide array of people, and that is going to be VITAL in this election and in the coming years.
Oh, an afterthought: The next few days leading into New Hampshire should be very interesting…
I’m very excited by the possibilities, he proved the world wrong with winning Iowa. I’m not sold on John Edwards, but I’m open to the possibilities. I don’t think he’ll win other states, but then again I thought he’d be 3rd in Iowa, so hopefully I’ll be proven wrong, again and again.
I agree with everyone about the Obama/Edwards ticket. It is a change much needed. Clinton doesn’t need to be the next president in my opinion.
This is very exciting! This shows that America is ready for a change and to see Obama and Michelle, they represent just that. I pray that the victory continues right up to election day.
I will say i had my doubts on how viable a candidate Obama was. Then he started raising all of that money. then he won Iowa. And now I will say things have gotten interesting.
I’ve been a bit apolitical for a couple years now. I was a HARDCORE political junkie but the bullshit sent me int retreat mode. Now I’m intrigued. VERY intrigued.
Will be watching (and blogging) from now until Nov. 08.
Brown Sugar
As one who dislikes politics yet has followed it since I worked for a US senator, I am going to go off on a bit of a tangent:
If the democrats (any of them) want to win, they need to stop kicking each other down and as a party, try to take down Romney. Romney is relatively moderate and has the picture perfect thing going for him. The bit that will likely screw him is religion, but then his likely democratic contenders are also major minorities in politics so that point might be moot. I have no faith in either party and little faith in any individual politicians. There are factors you can control and others you can’t. Huckabee is a baptist minister but he also has some major skeletons, especially in the crime-fighting arena. I have no party affiliation and like many, I’d classify myself as an independent. Independents tend to vote for people close to center. Romney can definitely win against any of the dems, especially an Obama-Edwards ticket. While their populist ideals work well for some, “Middle America” will not get behind them even if its to their own benefit. Look at the crappy condition of Ohio and their voting record in the last 10 years. Also, fiscally conservative democrats will not be loving it.
Both parties are inept, but the republicans can win elections because they work together and make democrats the enemy for the most part. Democrats make each other the enemy. It’s probably too late to undo the damage, but next time, look to the republicans: take jabs at competitors within your party and rip apart the members of the other party. Republicans won in 04 by taking down Dean with a 10 second tape played over and over. The democrats can’t even identify a threat.
I love Obama, but I would hate to see an Obama / Edwards ticket. That would lessen Obama in my eyes. Edwards is weak sauce.
If not Obama/Edwards, then who? Who would be your dream president/vice president combo? I like Edwards, particularly so because a friend of ours is working for his campaign, and I respect that friend’s opinions wholeheartedly. So that’s my Edwards bias. I also heart Joe Biden, and would love to see him take a more active role in the party of the eventual victor.
Obama’s win was very promising, but Iowa doesn’t represent the rest of the nation where there are very few people of color as governors and senators. Obama’s has the total package. We will see whether the other states support Obama, especially the states in the deep south.
John Edwards is a hypocrite. No doubt, we have all heard his campaign theme about the “Two Americasâ€, but which America is he a part of? He just had built a 28,000 SF extravagant mansion on a 100 acre private estate. I’ll be the first to say that I have no problems with self-made wealth. But when you talk about the “Two Americas†and preach about disparity of, well I find a 28,000 SF mansion to be a tad gaudy. Sure, as a personal injury trial lawyer, John Edwards would help the little guy out, but only if he could make a million dollars out of it.
Couple that with his decision to continue on the campaign trail after his wife was diagnosed with cancer. Certainly, that is a personal decision to be made by the two of them. But the campaign trail is grueling. There is no rest 24/7. Not much time to spend with your ailing wife. Priorities are a little out of wack.
I was excited watching the Iowa caucus and was so impressed with a couple of the candidates. I am a Black Republican and have been since I was able to vote. I even headed up the Young Black Republicans in high school. This is a first for me, but I am putting all of my energy in support of Barack Obama. After this years fiasco, I was actually considering going Independent.
I think Obama would make a great president; however, I still have some reservations with some of his issues. I am still a Conservative Christian and I just can’t get with his stance on gays/lesbians. I am trying to be more open and accepting which is far easier than being judgmental. I used to be a card carrying member of Concerned Women for American and also now I am starting to see that instead of being against the gays we should have an attitude of love and acceptance. I believe that’s the way Christ would have it. Hate the sin, not the sinner.
All in all, I am excited about the change that is coming to America and we desperately need it.
I hope people are not being conned by the Clintons.. Come on, not only did he violate the Oval Office but brought about such shame. People must have forgotten all the damage those two did during their stay at the White House. I still don’t see Black America’s obsession with those two. They are partners in lies, deceit and are such phoneys. You can see right through them.
And if I hear one more time about how Black people are saying Obama is not black enough I will just scream. I mean, really who the heck is saying that??? I read another article in the NYT that stated that Blacks wont start voting for him until we see Whites voting for him. Now that article made me so angry. What is that saying really? That we can’t make decisions for ourselves? We have to wait and see what White people are doing first before we decide who to vote for? That was rather appalling to me.
Did you all notice that Barack’s support came from mostly those in the age category of 17-35. He will need to work extra hard to get the old-timers to support him.
Today I must say I’m happy to be an Iowan. 🙂
Even if Obama doesn’t take any other states, even if they change the rules so that some other state is first in the primary, even if I’m not living in Iowa in 2012 (this, of the three, is the most likely)…I’m still thrilled to have been able to take part in this caucus.
GO OBAMA!
michelle & barack…they have that certain kind of brillance that america loves. not unlike the kennedy’s. mos def once said it best: obama appeals to america’s sense of vanity.
…so maybe he WILL win?!
Congratulations to Obama.New Hampshire and other upcoming primaries will be very interesting.Hopefully,Obama will be able to prevail in the upcoming states.
Obama’s acceptance speech was so moving! He is truly a great speaker, and he wants to change so many of the things I want to see changed… he’s got some wonderful ideas. I don’t know how I feel about Edwards, but honestly, Obama is the for once a candidate who really seems promising rather than “the lesser evil.”
I am a proud black man in America today…Sir Obama has shown us (and I mean African Americans) that white America is not as bad as most of us was taught to believe. Hell…I am proud to be an American…black or white.
http://www.youngdread.net
I’m glad that Obama has proven so many people wrong by winning, and I hope his winning streak continues. I look forward to casting my vote for Obama in WA State on February 9th. It’s so refreshing to hear a candidate that truly makes you feel excited and hopeful that he can bring some positive changes to a very broken United States. It’s time to repair our current dark period (the Iraq conflict, Hurricane Katrina, a weak dollar, etc). I just hope mudslinging among candidates is kept to a minimum.
watched last night’s debates so i wanted to repost… i think we’re looking at a clinton/obama ticket — or maybe obama/clinton. even if obama and edwards tag team as they did against clinton last night … i just hope that obama gets a serious scrutiny and that he is able to build the necessary coalitions to make his presidency powerful. i don’t want it to be like Kennedy, Carter or Clinton where “they” either kill, ridicule or humiliate someone powerful into ineffectiveness. Clinton’s problems made Bush’s extreme moralism possible. Now Bush’s extreme divisiveness is making Obama’s unity message possible. In the last elections the Republicans were able to capitalize on the disgust even Clinton supporters felt for all the drama around the Clintons. And now hopefully Obama and a newish group of Democrats/Independents will be able to draw upon all the energetic people who are tired of Bush drama. I hope that Obama will be well scrutinized … 2 years as a senator is not so much but he brings other valuable experiences and what he seems to be right now is vague but wonderful and galvanizing. If he passes through serious scrutiny he’ll probably win and then be able to work effectively. People used to mock Jimmy Carter but he was obviously a powerful man–look what he has been able to do since leaving the White House. And Al Gore is a more recent example. The Washington machine grinds people up. So I just hope that if Obama wins that he has the coalitions and support to manifest his immense transformative powers — that date not from the 1960s but the 1860s.
Yes, Obama’s charming. Yes, he’s a great statesmen. but when are we going to start asking him the tough questiosn and look at his record? Are we just going to vote for him because he is one of us? That is reckless and irresponsible.
And is he not the same black man that made a statement that he did not want to be known as a black man running for president? But I heard him joking in Iowa about being a black man with a name of Obama?
Substance before support my people! Wake up.
Yes, Obama’s charming. Yes, he’s a great statesmen. but when are we going to start asking him the tough questiosn and look at his record? Are we just going to vote for him because he is one of us? That is reckless and irresponsible.
No, why don’t you “wake up!”
If there is one thing I am sick of, it’s the patronizing, wrongheaded assumption that any black person that supports Barack Obama has not “asked the tough questions” or looked at his record. If you are black and supporting Obama, the only possible reason in some limited minds is that he is black. Yet, if you support Clinton, Edwards or another candidate, then you have made a thorough analysis.
Black people are not – and never were monolith, so it’s best to do some thorough analysis on your end before you make sweeping assumptions about black Obama supporters.
Hey Afrobella,
Happy New Year,
I love your blog and I hope you check mine out as well..
Obama win would mean so much for the black communities not only here in the US but across globe. If you want to hear some of my other thoughts check out my complete posting on the topic…
http://blackliberal.wordpress.com/2008/01/04/obama-wins-true-acceptance-true-equality-has-finally-arrived/
i think michelle obama is one to watch in terms of style and fashion in the whitehouse a la jackie o. only now you have a woman who is a professional, who reflects the modern women we all know: working wives and mother. i just blogged about her first lady style.
Mrs. Obama would surely be a stunning first lady of America is her hsuband wins.
Surely, she’s be one of the most attractive first lady is many, many, many decades!
Gisele
I am of the perspective that Edwards may not be interested in the Vice Presidential position after having sought that position with John Kerry in the last election.If Obama is the Democratic candidate, he may want to look elsewhere and at a new person. RESPECT!!