I liked Gov Dean when he ran in '04. But, I am quite disappointed in his management of Dem Primary in '08

As a DNC Chair he missed many opportunities to resolve the mess. We are at a point where the Democratic Nominee's legitimacy will be forever questioned without the
inclusion of two important states MI and FL. These two states have important Democartic voters. Labors, ethnic, Jewish, Hispanic, Black voters. Ignoring these voters in selecting your nominee when you considered thinly populated states like Utahs, Idhaho's, Dakotas in selecting your nominee doesn't make any sense.

1. RNC option. Why did Gov Dean use his judgment in atleast adopting RNC option of partial penalty.

2. Post Super Tuesday decision point:  Why did Gov Dean
fail to realize that we will have close race for Nomination ?
He should have gotten both Sen. Obama & Sen. Clinton along with Speaker Pelosi, Sen. Read and forced a
reaonable resolution.  His dislike of Sen. Clinton , perhaps,
influenced his thought process. Or is it that he wanted to favor Sen. Obama.

3. It is not too late. Come up with a plan to include MI & Fl. The goal is not to make either of the camps(C&O) happy. The goal is to do what is good for the party and the Dem voters. Without them, there will always be questions about the nomination process.  We donot want the lingering questions about the legitimacy of the nominee.

I recently read Sen. Obama's first book that he wrote after
law school.

This is a rare book by a politician who wrote it before entering politics. Obviously, you see the candor that is refreshing. He wouldn't have written the same book as a politician.

Sen. Obama is  a good writer. He wrote quite impressively at a number of places. You cannot read this book and be impressed with at least some of the things that he writes about.  I know quite well on a personal level about some of the experiences that he writes about. : third world, living as an outsider etc...

Obviously, it is his book. he sets the tone. he selects what he writes about and what he excludes. I suspect that he included most even some uncomfortable ones. A career
politician would not have not that.

My impressions :

1. Sen. Obama is a fortunate person with a mother, grand parents. (Gramps  and Toot). His mother comes across as quite impressive person. Sen. Obama owes his gift of language to his mom. Those English lessons that she taught
in early Indonesian mornings really made the man he is today. Gramps and Toot : What a wonderful people  !
They loved Sen. Obama very much. Sen. Obama is probably wrong when he said his grandmother is a 'typical' white woman. I guess that a typical white woman of 1960s is much different from 'Toot' Sen. Obama writes about.
Even his Indonesian stepfather Lolo loved Sen. Obama.
He taught him a thing or too to fight back..

If you look in Sen. Obama's face, you can see traces of his
grandfather (Gramps) army picture in the book.

Unfortunately, Sen. Obama's biological father whom he met only once comes across as rather complicated. He never
took care of Sen. Obama but his Kenyan relatives speak of him as a person given to sharing and kindness. He acted quite selfishly by abandoning an young mother and baby to
go to Harvad. Sen. Obama writes about this with a hint of
anger until he goes to visit his Kenyan family.

2. He chose to be an African American firmly at some point in Occidental college years in LA.  After that, you could see a gradual change in him - a sort of self awareness.
Perhaps, he recognized that the larger soceity sees him
as African American.

2. Community work in Chicago : 
    He was recruited into community work by Marty Feldman/Friedman  (SP?)
    The 3 years that he spent in Chicago doing community work are an eye opening experience to Sen. Obama.  This starts as a disappointing thing but he spends 3 years with some achievements to speak of. The woman of
community projects : they are impressive in their survival.
Your heart aches for all these black woman with kids and no father and you cannot but admire their will to survive despite the daily struggle.

Until Chicago years, he led a carefree/prosaic life, not much different from average Joe. You donot see the high minded high school/College Hillary in him. No visits to hear civil rights leaders or attempts to integrate your church etc...

3. His Kenyan stepsister and stepbrother visits during his
    Chicago years. His stepsister Auma is the link to Sen. Obama to his Kenyan relatives. She is quite impresive.

4. His visit to Kenya: He writes about Kenyan relatives in
    an understanding manner. For me, here is where he revealed his true heart. He didn't look down on their plight.
 He writes about them with a heart. at times he is too indulgent.

If I take some liberty and deduce from this book: Sen. Obama is likely to be fairly liberal - quite left of the center. He is likely to pro grovernment. A Sort of GWBush of the
left ? But, he also displays an open mind to listen.  If GWBush has a thin resume before WH, Sen. Obama has even thinner resume but much much much better life experiences.. though. Hopefully, he will be different..left version...

On better Blogs: Almost no one uses N* word and slams Sen. Obama. It is quite refreshing and it shows that we as a soceity moved beyond that low blow.

 Unfortunately, it is quite common to use BITCH word to slam Sen. Clinton among many other bad words. I find it quite disturbing and it is an indicator that we as a soceity are not comfortable with powerful woman. As a male in corporate world, I have noticed it quite often and to be honest, I have used it myself in my younger days. As a father of a daughter, oflate, I realize the unfairness of it all.

I am sad to come to the conclusion that we are indeed a 
SEXIST soceity.

Media and Racism :

When 90% of African Americans vote for Sen. Obama, the media takes it as natural and expected. No "Race Factor"
is brought up. It is never tagged as Racist behavior. After all, Sen. Clinton & Pres Clinton never lost an opportunity
to befriend/suck upto the Black community.

The Same media mavens lose no chance to bring up 'Race' factor every time Sen. Clinton gets 60-70% white vote. They brought up so called "Bradley" factor after NH
primary. After every primary, they bring up how rural, low
income whites are voting for Sen. Clinton and suggest that
"Race factor". 

 Racism in Campaigning : Media played up every ill thought
campaign rhetoric by Pres. Clinton and Sen. Clinton as Race card. Some of them are even taken out of context.
Clintons, for all their shortcomings, have a life long record
of fighting for and helping African Americans. If they can be
unfairly depicted as playing race card, can the normal
people will ever be honest when they talk about Race issues. I donot think even the fair minded and sensible people will talk honestly discuss race issues. Why run the
risk of being branded Racist this or that. ? This is quite
dangerous as it breeds hidden Racism out of fear. Good
amount of sunlight is what is needed for removing bigotry.

When Michelle Obama made a open appeal to African Americans by saying something like "African Americans better wake up and support their own" . These are not exact words. But, the intent is that Blacks must support
Sen. Obama when the polls (pre Iowa) are showing that
Sen. Clinton was getting their support. The media never carped on this being Racist.

My point is when Media ignores an overt Racist appeal by
Michelle Obama and plays up comments by Clinton campaign in most negative light, it fails to serve its mission.

Why is one Racism better than the other  in the eyes of the media ?  I am sad to say other than 'The News Hour' on PBS, none of the media is doing its job.