Burns Strider: September 2008 Archives

Senator Obama had a good night at Ole Miss.

He dominated the opening discussion on the economy and held his own during the discussion on foreign affairs. Translation: signficant night for Senator Obama.

I appreciate the fact that Senator McCain is opposed to ear-marks. If fact, after tonight, Senator McCain seemingly believes that our future prosperity and existence is solely dependent on ending ear-marks. Where there are ear-marks the people perish seemed to be Senator McCain's philosophy of life. Again, I appreciate his passion and understand the need to get ear-marks under control, but his singular focus was over the top.

It was a pretty poor political strategy, too. I'm fairly sure Senator McCain already has the Republican and Republican-leaning crowd who are one- or two-issue voters; those issues being ending ear-marks and diminishing government programs (doesn't matter if they're good or bad, just end them.) So, he was talking to a crowd he already has. That's not a good use of 90 minutes.

Senator Obama, on the other hand, talked about change. He provided a larger vision for the American people than just ending ear-marks and demonstrated empathy for those families struggling paycheck to paycheck. "Where there is no vision the people perish" was on display from Senator Obama. Frankly, Senator Obama had the poise, confidence, empathy and knowledge to be President of the United States.

On foreign affairs Senator McCain did a great job of showcasing the names of leaders and geography he holds due to nearly 30 years of government junkets to various places around the globe. Senator Obama doesn't have that kind of experience but he was right there with Senator McCain on perspective and knowledge. He held his own against McCain - on McCain's strong suit.

I'm watching Fox News at the moment and instead of attempting to argue that Senator McCain had a good night one or two of the commentators are reaching into the history books for past debates to point out that sometimes the victor of the debates lost on Election Day.

Hmmm... in Internet vernacular: LOL.

Tonight was important. I approached this debate with a brooding seriousness and desire to deeply listen to all the comments and ideas. With the economic challenges we are facing (I'm thinking first of families losing their homes and retirees losing their pensions... Wall Street second) millions of Americans are starting to pay close attention. We all realize the seriousness of the choice we will make in about 40 days. In this context I found Senator McCain flat. His vision for the country was seemingly contained in ear-marks and controlled spending and Senator Obama went toe to toe with him on foreign affairs.

Maybe what really happened is that Senator McCain lost and that's how Senator Obama won. Well, McCain certainly contributed to Obama's good night.

What a night. I know the candidates are glad it's over. I'm sure the initial moments back stage after the debate were ones of embracing spouses, sitting back in their respective green rooms and simply talking with and being with any family in attendance and only the closest of staff. Everyone is bolstering their candidate with words and hugs of encouragement. I bet each candidate is focused on some particular moment. Maybe a moment no one else remembers but that particular candidate does because he thought the camera caught him looking tentative or confused. Everyone says "no way."

After a few minutes and a bottle of water its back to work... off to plane and the next days events, a few press calls, maybe a quick stop by a local debate watch party. And, of course, there's the meeting with the senior staff where the gloves start coming off with honest critiques about failed moments and what to do better the next time.

I think Senator McCain needs to take his gloves off and ask his staff to re-evaluate their message strategy for the next two debates. With Senator Obama performing at such a high caliber they can't afford to get their message, on the economy, wrong again.

Isn't it interesting how tough economic times can take divisive, social issues off the table? 90 minutes and no discussion on the traditional hot button issues took place... no attempts to divide and conquer. They didn't come up. No one insinuated them into the debate.

Values voters are voting the values they hold for the economy this year. Its about the economy.

Good job Mississippi! Good job Ole Miss! If any of my friends who traveled down to cover or work this debate find themselves in trouble tonight just give me a call. I know the Sheriff!

Burns Strider, a native Mississippian, is former Senior Advisor and Director of Faith Outreach for U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign, former advisor to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and currently a director of FaithfulDemocrats.com, and founding partner at the Eleison Group, LLC and Faithful Media, LLC.

I hope both Senators Obama and McCain show up for the debate at Ole Miss. Its important to see our two choices together, interacting, answering the same questions. Showcasing why they should be President is pretty much their job right now. Walking away from debating before the American people, when the choice we must make is so important for our future, should be as hard to do as a working American telling his banker he thinks he'll suspend paying that mortgage until the economic crisis is over.

I'm a Mississippian. In fact, I grew up 45 minutes or so from Ole Miss. Its always fun welcoming people to my motherland. But, its always hard work, too; helping poor, deprived visitors understand the differences between grits and hushpuppies, cornbread and cake... molasses and glue. I saw a Northernor once mistake glue for molasses... it wasn't pretty when he ate those biscuits (just kidding.)

Of course, we don't have moose but we have plenty of deer, quail, rabbits, squirrels (no, they're not rats with tails) and other game animals for those visitors who are part of the national press corps and may want to actually experience hunting or shooting a gun since they write on these things.

A fun side show for us locals will be going down to various local Double Quick convenient stores and watching visitors try to understand the directions the cashier is sharing... "Yall go down there past the third cotton field and look to your right, that will be Mr. Smith's farm. Don't turn there. Go past it and take the third right before you cross Dry Creek..." I understand. Do you?

In other words, we'd really like to have everyone visit Mississippi for the debate. If there is no debate we don't get to showcase our small towns, new gleaming elementary schools, Main Streets with their steepled churches and wonderful families offering a smile and slice of apple pie. What a shame.

But the real shame is simply not debating. We have serious issues in this nation and world. We must hear our choices for President debate each other. We must have the opportunity to make honest, educated choices.

The future is not in one year or two. The future is in about 40 days. Suspending the debate is pure negligence.

So. I want to be the first to welcome all of yall to Mississippi. God Bless.

How is it that many, from left to right, who believe and argue that "values" and religion play a primary role in driving voting choices don't equate "economic" issues and concerns as values-driven?

How is it that those who are hostile toward religious and values voters point to polls showcasing voters focus mostly on "economic" issues when they vote thus negating "values" as driving ballot box choices?

Isn't it a value to want security and opportunity for your family? Isn't it a value to pray for and work for strong and safe communities where we can raise healthy children? Do good jobs and a growing economy provide for security and opportunity for our families? Does a strong economy provide for the resources that create and sustain sound communities?

When a person cast a vote based first on economic issues, and is part of America's faith majority, is that person a values voter?

Yes.

Those on the religious right have attempted, with much success, to define a "values voter" as someone focused on just a few issues including lifestyle choices and reproductive rights. The media often buys into this definition and subsequently misinterprets and misrepresents people of faith and their driving influences. Even those who are religious progressives often get caught up in the religious right's definition and unwittingly set up the false framing by joining the debate on the right's terms, or they create their own definition of a "values voter" with their own set of issues including such challenges as climate change and poverty because this is where they find their passion and activism.

The problem with the religious right's contribution to the political debate using their narrow world of issues is that they have formed a cemented posture on these issues over the past few decades that permanently polarize the electorate instead of seeking to drive any real solutions. Americans want solutions. They want to move beyond the hot buttons. Americans aren't as interested in partisan politics as they are solving problems and moving forward.

For the religious progressives the problem isn't in the importance of their core issues especially in the context of clergy and religious institutions calling us to act out and embrace social justice and seek a better world. We must. The shortcoming, for some, is in attempting to box the whole electorate into prioritizing the issues in their lives as religious progressives prioritize them.

Lost in all of this is the fact the people of faith, like all Americans, put in hard work weeks, rush between soccer games, dentists appointments and Wednesday night prayer meeting. They help grandparents get to their doctor's appointments, pledge to sale a certain number of poinsettias for the PTA's playground improvement project and keep putting off fixing that slipping transmission in the Ford because they can't afford it right now. The dad takes the kids to school because mom leaves for work too early and the mom picks the kids up from school, takes them to their music lessons, prepares their supper and puts them to bed because dad has to work late most evenings. They have a vacation fund they put a little in each month because they hope to take the whole family to Branson, MO next summer. One day they just might have the money to finish the basement, but trying to figure out how to pay for college, weddings, braces and something really special for the 25the wedding anniversary all have to come first.

So, let's remember where the values of Americans, people of faith in America, are placed before we allow the religious right to claim only two or three issues as values. And, let's not push a set of social justice issues into a family (that already embraces those issues, by the way) telling them we know what issues should come first without fully understanding, respecting and caring for what's going on everyday in their lives.

People who go to church, pray, seek guidance from their clergy and desire to know the calling and direction of God apply their values to everything in their lives. They should, shouldn't they?

Yes.

Politically speaking, everything is a value for a values voter. It should be, shouldn't it?

Yes.

Then, in politics, we should approach values voters ready to discuss and share our views concerning all the issues, shouldn't we?

Yes.

When we reach out with this awareness then we can share an economic message steeped in the faith and values people hold dear and, you know what, they will be open to and likely embrace our economic message and things will go well at the ballot box and ALL our issues win.

Mississippi's Republican Governor and Secretary State are turning the November ballot upside down in Magnolia state. They are putting a race for the United State's Senate, the most high-profile race in the state, at the end of the ballot. The other Senate race remains at the top of ballot, right after the Presidential candidates, where the law says federal races should go.

Governor Haley Barbour and Secretary of State Delbert Hoseman have a problem. Roger Wicker, their Republican nominee for Trent Lott's vacated Senate seat is struggling against the hard working and popular Democrat, former Governor Ronnie Musgrove.

Their answer to the problem: be creative, ignore the law and manipulate the ballot. I guess you could say that they are going old school on the voters.

It's even happening in the dark of night. One local election official filed a suit to stop this travesty and a local court agreed. But Governor Barbour called on his friends at Mississippi's Republican leaning Supreme Court to intervene. They did, after work hours. They overturned the lower court's ruling and green lighted the manipulated ballots. The Secretary of State then sent out the manipulated ballots... in the middle of the night.

Yes, hide the senate race at the end of the ballot where some may not find it and do it during the dark of night. Many voters such as the elderly, less educated and first-time voters have trouble with long and complicated ballots and these voters are likely Democrats.

So, what is the backroom motivation of these Republican politicians? Rocket scientists not needed to figure this one out.

I'm a Mississippian by birth and the grace of God. I love my state and such tactics anger me. I grew up in the home of a county Sheriff and every four years we walked door to door and campaigned for re-election. My earliest memories are sitting in church pews listening to pastors remember the recent past where manipulations took place to disenfranchise voters and ensure the status quo followed by the encouragement to go register, vote and "let your voice be heard" because it's a new day, a better day.

The Governor and Secretary of State can argue all they want that because the Senate race is a "special election" it should go at the end of the ballot. Hogwash. Hokum. Honey, where's the shovel? No law and no precedent would place it there... self-serving, old school, backroom, win at all costs politics is putting it at the end.

And the voters lose.

We can do better. Common ground is found on higher ground. This is taking place in 2008 and the losers are the voters, white and black, old and young, poor and rich. We all lose because political calculation, win at all costs by an elite establishment, blackens the eyes of justice and inclusiveness falls by the turn-rows. Mississippians deserve better.

See related articles: Secretary of State distributes disputed Miss. ballot- Emily Wagster Pettus, Associated Press/Sun Herald and Mississippi's Ballot Trick- New York Times

Burns Strider is former Senior Advisor and Director of Faith Outreach for U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign, former advisor to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and currently a director of FaithfulDemocrats.com, and founding partner at the Eleison Group.