Booman Tribune ~ A Progressive Community

A Personal Reflection

by BooMan
Tue Aug 26th, 2008 at 12:16:48 AM EST

Tonight was a little emotional for me, partly because this is so personal. Twice while I was in middle school, Craig Robinson was the Ivy League Player of the Year for the Princeton Tigers. He was the best player on outstanding teams led by my hometown legend, coach Petey Carill. I was an enormous fan of Craig Robinson and he was a player of extraordinary talent, grace, and intelligence. I used to watch him play at Jadwin Gym and I used to share the court with him at Dillon Gym, where I would win three junior league championships. Craig Robinson, the older brother of Michelle Obama, introduced his sister tonight.

Whenever I went over to my best friend's house I was likely to ride my bike by the Third World Center on Prospect Avenue, where Michelle Obama would spend so much time during her time as an undergrad. She graduated from Princeton my sophomore year in high school. Michelle and I probably crossed paths many times without me taking any special notice.

It may seem like a small thing, or even silly, but personal connections like that made tonight seem like some kind of personal victory. It's as if people that share my experiences and my values are finally being respected and finally being entrusted to lead this great nation.

Of course, it doesn't stop there. Not by a long shot. I share Barack Obama's history of working with Project Vote and with community organizing in the inner city. His victory feels like my victory. And it feels like a victory for every person I ever empowered to get involved in community service, and for all the people they served.

And watching a convention (on CSPAN) that was totally unapologetic and unembarrassed to display its liberal, urban, progressive, and, yes, African-American roots and culture? Damn that felt good to watch. From the music selections to the speakers to the issues (Katrina, Health Care) to the faces in the crowd to the celebration of Teddy Kennedy...it all felt good. For once we we're not shy, we were not hidden, we were not ashamed. It wasn't in-your-face. It was self-confident...for once.

There is a lot at stake. But anyone that can't recognize the progressive revolution, the sea-change in culture, expressed in the first night of this convention has just set their standards too high.

And Michelle Obama!! What can I say? She was spectacular.

A Personal Reflection | 14 comments (14 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

Re: A Personal Reflection (4.00 / 2)

And watching a convention (on CSPAN) that was totally unapologetic and unembarrassed to display its liberal, urban, progressive, and, yes, African-American roots and culture? Damn that felt good to watch. From the music selections to the speakers to the issues (Katrina, Health Care) to the faces in the crowd to the celebration of Teddy Kennedy...it all felt good. For once we we're not shy, we were not hidden, we were not ashamed. It wasn't in-your-face. It was self-confident...for once.

Amen. I watched the whole thing on CSPAN and it was great how they really involved the crowd with the camera work. The whole time I kept thinking, "Man, just wait til the RNC with all the pasty, white, anal-retentive, greedy, souless mofos on TV." After I watched the night on CSPAN, I did switch over to some cable channels to witness the bullshit, and mostly bullshit it was. There were some folks who weren't able to contain their humanity and gushed all over Michelle, but for the most part it was just some divisive bullshit.

It was a beautiful night, one punctuated by an incredible speech by Michelle. The last one I saw her do was way back in Los Angeles with Caroline Kennedy and Oprah.

The other thing in my mind is, how in the hell will Cindy McCain even try to measure up to that. LOL! Incidentally, I just read on one of the news tickers that she has been dispatched to Georgia to assess civilian casualties or something.

The last thing I'll say is, I agree with Andrew Sullivan on those disparaging the lack of attack tonight. In a nutshell, he says American's don't need to be immediately reminded of the shithole that BushCo has dug for us.

A beautiful, beautiful night. Tomorrow should be even better. I think this thing has been very carefully crafted. Check out the list of speakers from the DNC website.

I was just listening to MSNBC's Chuck Todd prognosticating Bill Clinton coming out with a big fucking stick on Wednesday. That'll be cathartic.

Anyhow.

by Safi on Tue Aug 26th, 2008 at 12:52:55 AM EST

Re: A Personal Reflection (4.00 / 3)

Amen to all of the above. I have a very dear 89 year-old neighbor, and she is so delighted that the Democratic Party is finally getting itself together. Earlier this summer she said one of the most touching things I've ever heard. She told me she just wants to live long enough to see BushCo and their ilk defeated and sent packing. She doesn't want to go out under the dark cloud that is hovering overhead at the moment.

by eagleye on Tue Aug 26th, 2008 at 12:59:35 AM EST

Re: A Personal Reflection (none / 1)

Thank you BooMan. I could not agree with you more. I just graduated from Princeton in June, an I feel the same connection to Michelle Obama. Ivy leaguers get painted as elitists, as some are, but there are also so many amazing people like Michelle Obama that I am proud to have met. She was truly fabulous tonight.

by kameyer (kameyer@princeton.edu) on Tue Aug 26th, 2008 at 01:29:02 AM EST

not this year (none / 1)

When AT&T is feting Blue Dogs at the convention and Joe "drug war/forfeiture/bankruptcy/voted for war" Biden is the vp, you'll forgive me if I'm not seeing "the progressive revolution" as well as you are. But hey, it's better than what we have now.

John Mccain Called his wife WHAT??

by brendan on Tue Aug 26th, 2008 at 07:40:18 AM EST

Re: not this year (none / 0)

by BooMan on Tue Aug 26th, 2008 at 11:14:06 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: not this year (none / 0)

just calling it like I see it Boo.

Reasonable people can disagree without tell each other to fuck off.

John Mccain Called his wife WHAT??

by brendan on Tue Aug 26th, 2008 at 11:34:29 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: not this year (none / 0)

Brendan, what you said is, of course, true, but it doesn't change the fact that Michele Obama delivered one hell of a speech last night, accomplishing all the things she wanted to, and much, much more.

She is clearly the better speaker in the family (I've seen several other speeches she's given).

I share some of your disaffection with Biden, but there are important differences that should be taken into account before you write off this ticket as corporatists. The most important difference is that, despite his 36 year career in the Senate, he's pretty much the same guy who went into the Senate all those years ago. No private jet, no string of estates. And he's as close to what passes for an actual liberal as we can expect in the Democratic Party these days.

I've tried to not like the guy, but I just can't. His story is great, and I'm sure we'll see that this week, in addition to a rip-roaring speech which should tear Grandpa McBombsalot a new one.

I'm so enjoying being a Democrat right now.

by mrmobius on Tue Aug 26th, 2008 at 12:12:14 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: not this year (none / 0)

and reasonable people can get told to shut the fuck up without taking it personally.

by BooMan on Tue Aug 26th, 2008 at 12:15:28 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: not this year (none / 0)

really!

I'll remember to file that away for later, Fuckface.

John Mccain Called his wife WHAT??

by brendan on Tue Aug 26th, 2008 at 12:18:38 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: not this year (none / 0)

And, seriously, is that how you see it?

You see a black family on the world's biggest stage and you see a stadium full of unapologetic dancing liberals of every background, and you see Jimmy Carter and Teddy Kennedy tributes, and you see Michelle's speech, and you see all the grumbling from the displaced Clinton machine, and you can only conjure up some gripe about AT&T sponsoring a meet-up of Blue Dogs?

And you wonder why your attitude annoys me?

by BooMan on Tue Aug 26th, 2008 at 12:21:48 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: not this year (none / 0)

you show me how people are better off since 2006 and we can have a discussion. I'm not stupid, and I pay attention just as much as you do.

yes, I'm glad that Barack Obama is going to be the next president. It's [nearly] always better for working people when Democrats are in charge (NAFTA not withstanding).

But c'mon dude: you and I both know exactly what the past 2 years has been like with the democrats in charge.

There's a big gap between what they said and what they did. Or do words speak louder than actions all of a sudden?

John Mccain Called his wife WHAT??

by brendan on Tue Aug 26th, 2008 at 12:32:10 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: not this year (none / 0)

I'm sure if you were Speaker of the House the war would be over and the whole gang in the White House would be behind bars. I'm sure you would have been able to accomplish these things because of your powers of persuasion. Unfortunately, Nancy Pelosi doesn't have magic powers that enable her to get a diverse party to do exactly what its most liberal members demand.

I am so tired of these arguments, brendan. Why do you insist on judging a party by its most illiberal members. Progress is slow.

What I see on that convention floor is the triumph of liberals, urban Democrats, academic Democrats, over the the corporatized/socially conservative/hawkish wing of the party. Isn't that what you wanted? Didn't you want a party that would let you out of the attic and let you dance for the cameras?

Somewhere across town in a convention ballroom a bunch of Bush Dogs are getting their reward from AT&T. And that is what you choose to see?

Sorry. But we can't make progress thinking that way and we have every right to pause and celebrate our victories every once in a while.

by BooMan on Tue Aug 26th, 2008 at 12:56:38 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: not this year (none / 0)

I'm not denying anyone the right to celebrate. And as I said, it's almost always better when Democrats are in charge.

But pal, after nearly 40 years on this planet, I have learned the difference between what people SAY and what they DO. And speaking as someone who has been personally affected by decisions made by my party over the last 2 years (never mind stuff that happened in 2005), I am tired of talk.

I speak for myself only and don't begrudge you your point of view. Maybe you should enjoy a nice cup of Shut the Fuck Up yourself before you tell ME what to think.

John Mccain Called his wife WHAT??

by brendan on Tue Aug 26th, 2008 at 01:13:17 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: not this year (none / 0)

Touché.

by BooMan on Tue Aug 26th, 2008 at 01:22:17 PM EST
[ Parent ]

A Personal Reflection | 14 comments (14 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

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