Category: Obama

Obama keeping promises from the start

Here is a link to the "Obameter" , which keeps track of all of the promises President Obama made on the campaign trail. There are about 500 promises, each with a description or direct quote. The promises can either be No Action, In the Works or Stalled. Once action is taken, it informs you whether the promise was kept, compromised or broken. So far in the first few days of his presidency, Obama has kept five promises, including directing military leaders to end the war in Iraq and appointing a Republican to his cabinet. I think this is a great way to keep tabs on the new president, and I feel like he has already been doing a good job at keeping his promises.

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Category: Obama

Yes Kohl's can, too

"Yes we can!" I'm not sure what describes those three words used during Obama's road to the White House. Slogan? Refrain? Chant? Cheer? Mantra? Either way, at the time they struck me as new, at least to political jargon.

But some Black Friday shopping led me to believe otherwise. I was following my mom around the mall and it was at Kohl's that I saw this sign (see photo). At first I got excited, thinking Kohl's also supported Obama. Then I realized the Kohl's Yes We Can policy was just a customer service policy.

So I did some research and it turns out Kohl's was using "Yes We Can" way before Obama. I found a blog on the policy dating back to 2005. It's legitimate company jargon; Kohl's posts all of its hourly store positions on a Web site, and part of the job description is that an employee must "processes customer returns, exchanges, price adjustments, gift certificates and competitive pricing accurately, efficiently and in accordance with the Company's 'Yes We Can' policy."

So, do those three simple words deserve to be called a slogan or phrase? If so, did some Kohl's-worker-turned-Obama-aide nab it for the Obama campaign? Either way, the plurality bothers me.

Category: Obama

Obama's grandmother passes away 1 day before the election

With just a few hours until Election Day officially begins, the country is being hit by some very sad news: Barack Obama's beloved grandmother, Madelyn Payne Dunham, has died.

Dunham, who Obama affectionately referred to as "Toot," reportedly died peacefully in her sleep at the age of 86. As many know, she played a large part in raising him and they were very close.

What will this mean for the election? Certainly, this is not "American Idol," where viewers cast sympathy votes for those in emotional situations. However, I can't stop thinking about how much he needs this right now and how proud she would have been of him when he's announced our next president of the United States in something close to 24 hours. This won't sway any McCain voters (and really shouldn't) but it will certainly have an impact on tomorrow. Obama has continued to make appearances today, but is obviously hurting. Hopefully, after winning tomorrow, he'll be able to take some time to mourn.

I just hope we won't be mourning the death of our country as well.

Category: Obama

The 5 things that can stop Obama from winning

Barack Obama is ahead in the polls. He has a lead in the electoral college with a lot of battleground states leaning his way. The question now is, how can he lose? Here are the five things that can keep Obama from winning:

1. The Bradley Effect. You can do further research if you want but this basically means that people are closet racists. People don't want the polls to know that they are racist, so they lie. Then when no one is looking, they vote for the white guy.

2. People like this misinformed lady. These people are real and there are more of them than you can imagine. And they are able to vote just like you.

3. Joe Biden. Let's face it. This guy is a little crazy. He really could say anything at anytime. Whether it is not knowing when presidents served their terms or coming off as a racist, Biden messes up. One big mess up could make a difference.

4. Voter intimidation. This is an issue that has been appearing in the news. This is something that some say happened in 2004, swinging the election in W.'s favor. They say it happened in 2000 as well. I don't think anything will be different this November.

5. Hillary Clinton. There are still a lot of people out there who want this "dead horse" to be "pulling the wagon." Has Obama locked up all those Hillary supporters? Probably not. Will those who said they will vote for Obama actually do it? Could they really vote for someone who took down the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pant Suits?

One thing is for sure. This is going to be a lot closer than you think.