Barack Obama's Concession Speech: <i>Change is what's happening in America</i>
By Nicole Belle Tuesday Jan 08, 2008 1:28pm
Download | play 
Download | play (h/t Bill W.)
Barack Obama's concession speech in New Hampshire last night stands out in sharp relief from John McCain's fumbling attempt. And don't even get me started on the contrast from the last seven years of "Is our children learning?" from Bush. Even the punditocracy at MSNBC was blown away; Tom Brokaw lauded his oratory skills and Brian Williams called him "contrite and authentic."
No matter what your feelings are for the respective candidates, it's clear this is going to be one exciting primary season. And Barack has tapped into a great soundbyte for those despairing if we can ever get this country back from the darkness of Bush & Cheney years: Yes, we can.
But in the unlikely story that is America, there has never been anything false about hope. For when we have faced down impossible odds; when we've been told that we're not ready, or that we shouldn't try, or that we can't, generations of Americans have responded with a simple creed that sums up the spirit of a people. Yes we can.
It was a creed written into the founding documents that declared the destiny of a nation. Yes we can.
It was whispered by slaves and abolitionists as they blazed a trail toward freedom through the darkest of nights. Yes we can.
It was sung by immigrants as they struck out from distant shores and pioneers who pushed westward against an unforgiving wilderness. Yes we can.
It was the call of workers who organized; women who reached for the ballot; a President who chose the moon as our new frontier; and a King who took us to the mountaintop and pointed the way to the Promised Land.
Yes we can to justice and equality. Yes we can to opportunity and prosperity. Yes we can heal this nation. Yes we can repair this world. Yes we can.
Full transcript below the fold:
I want to congratulate Senator Clinton on a hard-fought victory here in New Hampshire.
A few weeks ago, no one imagined that we'd have accomplished what we did here tonight. For most of this campaign, we were far behind, and we always knew our climb would be steep.
But in record numbers, you came out and spoke up for change. And with your voices and your votes, you made it clear that at this moment - in this election - there is something happening in America.
There is something happening when men and women in Des Moines and Davenport; in Lebanon and Concord come out in the snows of January to wait in lines that stretch block after block because they believe in what this country can be.
There is something happening when Americans who are young in age and in spirit - who have never before participated in politics - turn out in numbers we've never seen because they know in their hearts that this time must be different.
There is something happening when people vote not just for the party they belong to but the hopes they hold in common - that whether we are rich or poor; black or white; Latino or Asian; whether we hail from Iowa or New Hampshire, Nevada or South Carolina, we are ready to take this country in a fundamentally new direction. That is what's happening in America right now. Change is what's happening in America.
You can be the new majority who can lead this nation out of a long political darkness - Democrats, Independents and Republicans who are tired of the division and distraction that has clouded Washington; who know that we can disagree without being disagreeable; who understand that if we mobilize our voices to challenge the money and influence
that's stood in our way and challenge ourselves to reach for something better, there's no problem we can't solve - no destiny we cannot fulfill.
Our new American majority can end the outrage of unaffordable, unavailable health care in our time. We can bring doctors and patients; workers and businesses, Democrats and Republicans together; and we can tell the drug and insurance industry that while they'll get a seat at the table, they don't get to buy every chair. Not this time. Not now.
Our new majority can end the tax breaks for corporations that ship our jobs overseas and put a middle-class tax cut into the pockets of the working Americans who deserve it.
We can stop sending our children to schools with corridors of shame and start putting them on a pathway to success. We can stop talking about how great teachers are and start rewarding them for their greatness. We can do this with our new majority.
We can harness the ingenuity of farmers and scientists; citizens and entrepreneurs to free this nation from the tyranny of oil and save our planet from a point of no return.
And when I am President, we will end this war in Iraq and bring our troops home; we will finish the job against al Qaeda in Afghanistan; we will care for our veterans; we will restore our moral standing in the world; and we will never use 9/11 as a way to scare up votes, because it is not a tactic to win an election, it is a challenge that should unite America and the world against the common threats of the twenty-first century: terrorism and nuclear weapons; climate change and poverty; genocide and disease.
All of the candidates in this race share these goals. All have good ideas. And all are patriots who serve this country honorably.
But the reason our campaign has always been different is because it's not just about what I will do as President, it's also about what you, the people who love this country, can do to change it.
That's why tonight belongs to you. It belongs to the organizers and the volunteers and the staff who believed in our improbable journey and rallied so many others to join.
We know the battle ahead will be long, but always remember that no matter what obstacles stand in our way, nothing can withstand the power of millions of voices calling for change.
We have been told we cannot do this by a chorus of cynics who will only grow louder and more dissonant in the weeks to come. We've been asked to pause for a reality check. We've been warned against offering the people of this nation false hope.
But in the unlikely story that is America, there has never been anything false about hope. For when we have faced down impossible odds; when we've been told that we're not ready, or that we shouldn't try, or that we can't, generations of Americans have responded with a simple creed that sums up the spirit of a people.
Yes we can.
It was a creed written into the founding documents that declared the destiny of a nation.
Yes we can.
It was whispered by slaves and abolitionists as they blazed a trail toward freedom through the darkest of nights.
Yes we can.
It was sung by immigrants as they struck out from distant shores and pioneers who pushed westward against an unforgiving wilderness.
Yes we can.
It was the call of workers who organized; women who reached for the ballot; a President who chose the moon as our new frontier; and a King who took us to the mountaintop and pointed the way to the Promised Land.
Yes we can to justice and equality. Yes we can to opportunity and prosperity. Yes we can heal this nation. Yes we can repair this world. Yes we can.
And so tomorrow, as we take this campaign South and West; as we learn that the struggles of the textile worker in Spartanburg are not so different than the plight of the dishwasher in Las Vegas; that the hopes of the little girl who goes to a crumbling school in Dillon are the same as the dreams of the boy who learns on the streets of LA; we
will remember that there is something happening in America; that we are not as divided as our politics suggests; that we are one people; we are one nation; and together, we will begin the next great chapter in America's story with three words that will ring from coast to coast; from sea to shining sea - Yes. We. Can.
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Geez! I think I'm first.
I love Obama. I want him to win so bad. I believe in everything he talks about.
Go-Obama!!!!!
Fuck you..
Frist?
That f**king corporate [deleted-OTT} called Miss Brian Williams should not be allowed to even comment on Obama. He in cordinated efforts with Miss Russert, and Miss Matthews have [deleted OTT] Clinton for how long. All according the the GE agena. All three of them should be charged, tried and convicted of purposeful, criminal, fraud committed against the American people: frog marched out of the protection of their corporate studios and right into a prison cell ..........
Site Monitor: Dial it down, please.
Good speech writer, yet I remain unconvinced.
Odd. Wasn't there a baseball player who ran around saying "yes, we can" a few years back?
Blue Lensman @ 4:
Me too!
And every step of the way stood government and politicians, doing everything in their power to block the hopes and dreams of millions of Americans. Government is not a "change agent" but a fundamental obstacle to change. If the South hadn't seceded African Americans might still be slaves today [exaggeration]. Only through resistance and protest does any change occur.
Obama talks about change, but is as utterly co-opted by the American corporate political machine as the other "major" candidates. If Americans want real change they'll have to do it themselves.
I am disappointed that NO news outlet has pointed out the obvious.
Barack lost BECAUSE of those polls.
MANY outlets predicted that Obama's appeal to Independents would hurt McCain.
Then the opposite happened. I think because independents saw those polls where Obama had a huge lead and they decided to put their vote where they thought it would count more.
In the Republican race.
Those polls screwed Obama. They made the Hillary people come out in force and made the independents think they didn't have to come out for Obama. They went to the Republican side to pull it out for McCain.
Hopefully Obama will recover or Edwards will drop out. Because I feel strongly that it is important for the Dems nominate someone who will win in the general.
In November 2008: Barack who?
Rats! Oh well, on to my point. Why I don't get is why this is a "concession" speech. I guess he "lost" this primary (and it is indeed a good speech), but as losses go, his second was very, very close to victory and I think he earned the same amount of delegates. Am I wrong about this? Well anyone, forgive my rambling here. I think I am more irritated by what I read elsewhere. Someone in our lovely media has written that Obama is seeking a resurgence of his campaign in South Carolina and Nevada. Apparently have winning Iowa and coming in a close second in New Hampshire, the Obama campaign needs a resurgence. Our media is just weird! Anyway, maybe I just needed to vent here.
Good or bad, win or lose, I salute Obama for raising the level of political debate. Don't underestimate the power of words and ideas expressed well.
Sen. Harry Reid and Rep. Nancy Pelosi have announced in a press release that they have taken CHANGE off the table. Sorry folks, but it's back to business as usual.
Karike @ 1:
Be prepared Karike, the anti-Obama people will be here soon and based on what I have been reading here today, they are going to rip into him.
I have been away from my computer much of the day and so I came here to read posts and comments that happened while I was away. So much anger and meanness in some of the comments, that it's very sad. That speech Obama made was exactly what people in this country need to hear if we are ever going to get over all the anger and find a common cause for our country again, not just a cause but a positive cause. Like ending this never-ending war and working on repairing our country both here and abroad.
Seems like a really great speech...but talk is cheap. How's the PAC money treatin' ya Obama?
I think one reason that the media wants to exaggerate every primary win into a crowning achievement, and every primary loss into a call for seppuku, is because they want to scare away the money. They want to scare donors and investors into pulling their money from all but the number one candidates. Doing this will hamstring the non-dominant campaigns.
Each state primary is an inning of baseball, maybe even an at-bat, but each primary is not the whole ballgame.
Don't let yourself be scared off. If you like Edwards, support Edwards. If you like Clinton, support Clinton, and likewise for Obama. Don't let the media manipulate you to their ends.
TadAllagash @ 8:
I don't think we need to worry yet about Obama needing to recover. This is just New Hampshire. Maybe I am spinning, but his victory in Iowa and very close second to the Clinton machine in New Hampshire make me feel that Obama is in fine shape. Edwards is the one who needs to worry a bit.
"yes, we can" is not new, it's been the UFW's mantra for decades (only it's been in spanish...) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S%C3%AD_se_puede
Albatross @ 14:
Agreed!
Zippy the Pinhead @ 11:
Heh.
It's Hillary for me.
I've heard better speeches given by Alzheimer patients than the one given by John McCain.
I hope Obama gives his speechwriter a whopping raise for that speech alone. It was better than Hillary's victory shrill. I'm still pissed she resorted to crying in order to pull out this win. Nothing more and nothing less, except not to trust the polls.
Which might imply there were a lot of liars in the granite state saying they were going to pull the lever for Obama, and knowing damned well they were going to give the nod to the Borg Queen.
The only enjoyment I got was watching Tom Brokaw school Tweety and making me miss watching him on the Nightly News and why I miss him.
I think that he lost because so many people voted early by mail. I wonder what that count was. Was it enough to make the difference between Obama winning or losing? Probably.
meh.
It's just more of the same rainbows, butterflies and my little pony crap that Obama's been peddling for months. He sounds like a Ms. America contestant.
It would behoove Americans, especially those who consider themselves to be progressive, to look at this alleged agent of change, which just happens to be what just about all the other candidates claim to be. Obama is against the immediate withdrawal of the troops from that slaughterhouse in Iraq. Obama is for keeping the nuclear option on the table vis a vis Iran, meaning that he has not ruled out bombing and killing many thousands of innocent Iranian people. Obama has not supported Kucinich's proposal to impeach Cheney and Bush, an administration which certainly should be thrown out of office. Obama's health care plan would benefit the insurance companies, which would place profit over people. Obama has accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars from big corporations and Wall Street, which would keep him beholden to the vested interests.
Obama's smooth talk and charisma cannot disguise the fact that he. like so many other politicians, embodies style over substance.
"But the reason our campaign has always been different is because it’s not just about what I will do as President, it’s also about what you, the people who love this country, can do to change it."
He left out. . . which means your going to be busting your asses to get us out of this jam, hard brutal work, yes whatever job you have to take, or two three, if you want anything out of this deal.
blue @ 3:
Why are you calling them Miss?
If you think Miss is an insult, I have one thing to say to you: Fuck you.
Excuse me, Mr Obama, but 'Change is what's happening....'? No sh*t!
I'll tell you what would be a BIG change. If you could STOP change. And that ain't gonna happen.
And all this good stuff you're gonna do. Could I ask a couple of Questions?
Like, 'When'?, 'What'? Where'?, 'How'?, 'Who'?
In other words, WTF are you talking about?
Awesome speech. Sounds like a victory speech to me.
Well you wanted it; every last dropping bit of it(.) and the tale of the ticker tells every last demograghic gaffe you thought you'd never see again.
Barack Obama's speech last night was awe inspiring. Just like Jesse Jackson, Barack can move a crowd to cheer and chant. His speech was about hope and unity and he said that all the candidates were true Americans. This is why he has a following. I noticed that Barack is starting to tailor his views to be more in line with both Bill Richardson and John Edwards. That's a positive thing unlike the "Decider-in-chief" who thinks he's always right and the only one with the answers. If Barack can learn from others and change his views because of that, then it will be easy for me to vote for him in November.
Albatross @ 14:
So true. I know I've said this before, but it seems relevant now. As Al Gore said when he was pressed, and pressed and pressed about whether or not he'd run again for president: the media is all about a horse race. They want to winnow it down to two people who they can use as symbols of "us vs. them" and then run "hard-hitting" factoid pieces and early-edition "cooking-with-the-candidate's spouse" pieces in order to boost their own ratings. They don't care about issues, or the role of government in solving problems, or even the truth. It's about entertainment and money.
Let's not turn against each other here. The media is trying to play it's game of "king/queen-maker;" but we don't need to rip each other apart and get caught in their narrative. Do what you think is right, remember that the larger goal is getting the hands of the neo-cons the fcku away from the controls, and don't let the media turn this into and "us vs. us" scenario.
My advice: turn off the TV--especially the so-called "news" channels.
Something happing here; what it is ain't exactly clear
And the speech writer left out "we're $20 trillion in debt, our infrastructure is falling to pieces, no one wants to do the unglamorous jobs, which are more important to keeping this country running smoothly then glamor work or no work at all. . . . etc. . . if it's a free ride your looking for, your voting for the wrong Candidate"
Maybe I am missing something here, but Obama is still technical in the lead, he has 14 delegates (9 from Iowa and 6 from New Hampshire) and Clinton has 13 delegates (8 from Iowa and 6 from New Hampshire) - doesn't this race have a ways to go still? what is it with people who think it's time to quit because of 6000ish votes. give me a break, as far as I can tell the race is still on.
The Political Junkie @ 20:
Yeah, that speech was a political masterpiece. Lotta excitement, lotta emotion, lotta heart-tugging, lotta patriotism-pulling, lotta words, no specifics, no substance. Or, as they say in Texas (Bush's psuedo-home, aproposly), 'All Hat, No Cattle'.
hilary is all about change! like changing her campaign strategy ;)
By and by, I defend Hillary Clinton--my first choice--rather vehemently and I suppose it can be forgotten that I do appreciate and respect Barack Obama as a candidate as well. He's my second choice, though tied with Edwards. And though he does buzzwords or rhetoric at times, no one delivers better speeches than he does when he's on the ball. And when he's on the ball, he can leave a person with literal goosebumps. That's what happened here with his concession speech.
If you're an agitating troll, then by all means, keep slamming one or another of the Democratic candidates. But if you're progressive or a Democrat, then try to control your feelings a bit. ONE of these candidates is going to be the nominee, and at that time we're all going to need to support them.
I'm not a Democrat, and I'm more progressive than ANY of the candidates ('cepting maybe Kucinich). And while I may consider Clinton and Obama 'more corporatist' than Edwards, I will support whatever candidate emerges from the process. Because our nation simply cannot afford another four (much less EIGHT) years of neocon buffoonery. We've got Supreme Court judges that need appointing, we've got governmental departments that need to be staffed, all sorts of infrastructural stuff that NEEDS to be turned over to competent management, rather than the incompetent ideological cronies who have been screwing them up for eight years.
I'm not confident that any Democratic candidate will get me everything I want: but I am confident that any Republican candidate will get me NOTHING I want.
*sighs*
i long for the days when a president or pres candidate could write their own speeches...
that said, he sure read a good speech.
pissed off patricia @ 12:
That seems like a really unfair characterization. Anti-Obama just means that we don't want him to win. Most of the comments that I've read (my own included) state exactly why we don't like him; he takes corporate money for his campaign so why would be any different from the rest of the Corporocracy?
In the same vein, why is being a great orator a prerequisite for being elected? In one of the earlier posts someone mentioned a breakdown of language use which characterized Obama as The Leader, HC as The Worker,a nd Edwards as The Manager...this is a bogus assessment because it's all in the voice of their speech writers. That why I don't buy into speeches so much.
Great speech, Dr. MLK, Jr. would be proud to know that Obama studied his oratory masterpieces.
DiggyG @ 22:
DiggyG, THANK YOU. Ditto on that sentiment. Too much Obama Kool Aid going around.
Samson- @ 38:
I thought I'd heard that Obama does write his own speeches. I don't know though, just heard that.
McCain read his speech word for word and it still stunk. It was embarrassing to watch him read it and painful to listen to him. He may well get the repub nomination. Just imagine him giving the state of the union speech.
can we?...yes
will we...doubt it!
he's a product just like clinton
a tool of the plutocracy
if he get's the office he will squander his chance at greatness or be killed for trying to be great
it's a lose lose situation
you should have voted for edwards NH
god you suck
Obama is channelling Kennedy and MLK. Nice speech, but about 40 years out of date. All surface and no substance. Come on, Obama. Give us some specifics. Take a stand. Pretty words just ain't enough today.
McCain sounded like he was hammered.A pathetic dithering meandering "speech".
yeah i'm not too fond of the career politician system. how many of the candidates are lawyers?
pissed off patricia @ 42:
Yeah: "M...M.Mh...My Fellow...fellow, AMERICANS...uh, the...uh, State of the state is....our union...uh, the state of our union...is, uh..."
it takes 4 score and 7 years to listen to this bozo give any speech...or maybe it just feels like it takes that long.
ShouldBeWorking @ 39:
When you are essentially the spokesperson for the Federal Government, being able to speak in public and inspire others should definitely be one of the qualifications of office. Kinda like how leaders should have leadership qualities.
YES, WE CAN!
Obama's national campaign co-chair, Jesse Jackson, Jr., was on MSNBC and appeared to question Hillary's tears, which he called "tears that melted the Granite State," adding that those tears "moved voters."
He also suggested that Hillary was crying about "her appearance."
All those people he spoke of .... did a lot more than hope.
Empty words.
Go Edwards
Gulf of Tonkin incident was faked
From Yahoo News....not some conspiracy site.
My wife has long been an Obama supporter and we have a sign in our yard that says Missourian for Obama. After hearing Obama speak after the Iowa Caucus and again last night I have decided that I will vote for him. My views are generally right-of-center and I do not agree with Obama on most issues but I am not inspired by any of the other candidates. When I listen to him I think that he is what we need right now. America is lost and none of the others have the energetic message Obama brings.
We need a fresh face. We need a new attitude. All the others are old hat, baby boomer and beyond, establishment types. The last thing we need right now is an ambulance chaser, a shrill, an old guy trying to come off as a young maverick, a bible beater, a slickster, or another old guy that was better off on TV.
The experience thing is bull. He will surround himself with experienced people. So I am not too concerned about that. The religion thing is also bull. There are people who think that he took the oath on the Koran. Wrong guy folks. My sister-in-law went to the Iowa Caucus and went for Obama and was told by an Edwards supporter that Obama was Muslim and she should not support Obama (true story). What a bunch of crap.
Besides, he can't possibly do any worse than what we have now.
Mr. Pelicano @ 7:
That may be the case in the USA, but Upper Canada outlawed slavery in 1809. It was debated by the public and then passed into law by our Governor General.
No protests, no civil war, nobody getting killed or lynched.
There was some disappointment noted at the time that we were beaten out by Denmark to be the first in the world to outlaw slavery.
Upper Canada was largely populated by Loyalists who fled from the warmongering traitors who overthrew the legitimate government in British North America because they did not want to pay their fair share of taxes.
Only the best persons left to come to Canada after the 1776 treason uprisings.
Coincidently, Britain started shipping criminals and mental defectives to Australia in the 1780s, maintaining a centuries old deportation practice that populated the colonies of Georgia, the Carolinas and Virginia. Isn't that where many 'founding farters' came from?
:)
Albatross @ 37:
Right on.
pissed off patricia @ 42:
"God bless America. God bless my Fellow Americans. God bless me. God bless freedom. Thank you and good night."
Why do I keep getting images of "Bob the Builder"?
Albatross wrote: ’m not a Democrat, and I’m more progressive than ANY of the candidates (’cepting maybe Kucinich). And while I may consider Clinton and Obama ‘more corporatist’ than Edwards, I will support whatever candidate emerges from the process. Because our nation simply cannot afford another four (much less EIGHT) years of neocon buffoonery.
The problem is, and most fail to see it, is that neither of the major parties have the solutions to the ills our society face. The issues we face transcend political parties and neither one has the courage to truly address them. Sticking with the Democrats or Republicans is kind of like trying to decide which of two sinking ships you want to be on.
Terrible @ 41:
And Santa Claus lives on the North Pole.
And the Tooth Fairy leaves money underneath your pillow.
And every time a bell rings and angel earns its wings.
Papa Clinton was right, Obama is a fairy tale.
I was discussing the whole primary thing with some friends (all Canadian of various political leanings) and I stated that I would like edwards/obama '08. Some of my friends said no, a republican would be better because then America would really go into the toilet and it would serve them right after everything they had done to the rest of the world.
For a moment I agreed all the while knowing that if you guys tank, so do we. But then I realized taht it's not the American people I have an issue with (except for those who think we all live in igloos or that they can play better hockey then us...world jr's baby!) It's those who lead you that cause the rest of the world to despise and shudder when they hear USA.
Not sure if this was off topic, but I thought it was an interesting discussion from a country that is so close, yet so far away.
pissed off patricia @ 42:
"I like taquitos!"
This is fun and amusing to watch. It's the Obama fans vs the Clinton fans with a little Edwards thrown in for good measure. I'm a Richardson supporter and he isn't going anywhere with his campaign so I can look at the "big two" from an objective view. There are redeeming qualities in both candidates and there are limiting factors in both candidates. I've been complaining about the late primary in PA (3rd Tuesday in April), but if Barack and Hillary are running neck to neck after "super Tuesday", then PA may be a factor in who wins this race.
Jason B @ 50:
So your ready to get a job and become your parents?
Good for you.
Question Blog @ 44:
Is this a Haiku?
WOW! As an old man, I saw shades of Bob Kennedy. John Kennedy and Martin Luther King holding the cue cards for a real charismatic force which will have to be reckoned with before the end of this process
I agree with Cats r Flyfishn. It looks to me like the Democratic party could fracture. All the people I've spoken with regarding the election, of whatever persuasion, will not vote for Hillary. I'm sure they're are many in the Hillary camp that feel the same about Obama.
This fissure may hand the election to whomever the Republicans pick.
KCThinker @ 54:
Just as long as he doesn't put Wayne Cauthen on his staff he should be okay.
Albatross @ 38:
Hear hear!!
I'd rather see Edwards win, but a fucking trained monkey would do better than more of the same...
Lollimom @ 57:
He likes to say "my friend" and "my friends" too, so that'd have to be thrown in every other sentence or so. It creeps me out when he does that. And I used to respect the guy.
Erroll @ 24:
Nobama is all sizzle, no steak.
konchster @ 66:
Looks like another Kennedy style twist no doubt. That means another 60's could follow. Only this time I don't think it's going to be about Peace Love Dove with the shape our economy is in.
McCain must stop saying, "my friend" or "my friends". Those words are not required for beginning or ending every sentence. That and those strange laughs he laughs when he thinks he's been funny.
As for Obama, I have yet to hear him give a speech badly. If he were president and visited another country I wouldn't cringe for fear of what stupid thing he might say or do while he was there. I wouldn't fear that about any of the Dem candidates as a matter of fact. I was watching bush today in Israel. Each time he opened his mouth I wondered WTF? is he apt to say now.
Albatross @ 38:
Well said. I agree especially with your last sentance. May I quote you on that one?
toM @ 67:
i don't think so. people rallied behind kerry, despite a lot of people holding their noses.
and don't forget something: the GOP is on the verge of a bloody, civil war between the two opposing camps--the religious fundies and the market fundies. the dems walk in lock-step in comparison to the GOP right now.
what really sickens me to no end is the DLC/elite/corporate hold on the democratic party... if they could just be FOR THE PEOPLE, and not the corporations, they would garner so much more support and backing. it is what causes people to look for alternatives, or at least withhold any monetary contributions.
toM @ 59:
I agree. But the answer to "which of two sinking ships do you want to be on" is "the one that's closer to shore." The Democratic party is the sinking ship closer to where this country needs to go.
If we don't get the neocons out of power now, I'm not confident we ever will, and we truly will become the totalitarian police state that we seem to be