Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Reshma On CNBC
I Am Angry At Chris Matthews
Chris Matthews Repeated The Lie That Reshma Is Wall Street's Candidate
Reshma Saujani And The Chris Matthews Band
Tim Russert: Bill O'Reilly's Lower Case Cousin
Tim Russert Measures Up
Monday, August 09, 2010
Iran, Obama 2010, Reshma 2010
Right now Reshma 2010 takes up a lot of my time. It has been a healing experience for me. It feels to me like slowly but surely I am regaining my health, I am regaining my sprint. And a Reshma 2010 victory on September 14 will allow me to pick up where I left off with Barack. June 2008 to August 2010 will have been a long gap, but better late than never. I am beginning to feel the November victory already. A victory in November would be to defy history, but then this dude defied a much bigger history trajectory in November 2008. I see him doing it again. And I intend to play my part.
Reshma 2010 is my on ramp to Obama 2010. Reshma 2010 is going to merge fully with Obama 2010. The national effort is going to become Reshma 2010's primary focus after September 14, because her district is comfortably Democratic. The Republican candidate does not stand a chance. And her national visibility is only going to add to her November inevitability. It is not like her national involvement will come at the expence of her personal chances in November.
Iran
But I am a Third World guy, a Global South dude. The political challenge that my heart really, truly aches for is the democracy movement in Iran. I need to do some fundraising to be able to pour myself into that.
Reshma showed up yesterday in a green dress.
Positivity, Excellence, Dark Matter
Rangel Has Gone Radioactive
More Than 100 Voice Mails
July 2010: The Busiest Month At This Blog So Far
Rumbles Of Another War?
Charlie Rangel: Motherfucker
Making The Blues Go Away
The First Time I Heard The Obama Name
Obama, Reshma
Iran
Positivity, Excellence, Dark Matter
I have still not figured it out yet, I have yet to codify it, but there sure is something to Barack's new kind of politics, and at some point it needs to be codified. It allowed him to become the first black president. It allowed him to achieve FDR status. Presidents had been trying to pass health care reform for half a century. How did he do it? There has been a method to the madness. I have a much clearer idea of the results than the actual method. I felt the same way when he won in Iowa in 2008, and when he started winning primary after primary, caucus after caucus. I remember thinking, whatever this guy is doing surely is working.
Obama 2008 injected positivity into the national political discourse. I was a slow convert to the idea, if I ever fully converted. But I sure am a believer and a student. I want to learn.
Reshma 2010 has been about excellence. When she could raise the kind of money she could in the fall of 2009, you knew it was not from name recognition, she had none. And she raised twice as much as Maloney that quarter. That came from the sheer craft of fundraising. When I read some of her articles at The Huffington Post where she talks about the jobs, companies and industries of tomorrow I was like, oh my god, this reads like a 2016 agenda. (Reshma Saujani At The Huffington Post) I do understand the science of it all, but I do marvel at the engineering behind Reshma 2010's field work. That is an untold story that perhaps will only get talked about starting from September 15. Reshma 2010 is using digital tools that Obama 2012 is going to borrow from.
It is still very much in formation, but I think the Reshma style is excellence. This is not to suggest Obama lacks excellence or Reshma lacks positivity. I am just trying to point out their defining qualities as I see them.
Positivity is great, and excellence is great. But you can not ignore the dark matter. Crime is like unemployment. You can lower it down, maybe lower than conventional wisdom says is possible, but there perhaps always will be some crime, some poverty, some dark matter, some evil.
You have to realistically see dark matter when it exists, when it acts out. You can not be in denial. And you have to understand the mechanics of dealing with dark matter are different. You have to give dark matter the positivity and excellence options, but then you have to objectively observe as to how the dark matter actually behaves. Dealing with dark matter is a specialized skill set, and it is necessary to have some people on the team who are adept at identifying and dealing with dark matter. The advantage of doing that is you get to keep the dark matter's share of the circle as small as possible.
This applies to running one's life, running a campaign, running a country, running the world. I think Obama made this point in his Nobel Prize acceptance speech. He is a positivity guy who is realistic about dark matter. (Obama: Nobel Peace Prize Speech, Nobel Talk: Obama Changed The Global Political Climate)
Rangel Has Gone Radioactive
1989, 1997, 2008 were my personal experience in dark matter, but someone of my tilt necessarily has to turn the personal into political. Autobiography makes for bad politics. What you want is a passion for objective assessment of large realities, and the kinetics to go deal with them. It is not about you, it is about lots of other people. It is both. You should be able to take an issue and run with it. You should be able to team up with others who will run with you.
Sunday, August 08, 2010
Rangel Has Gone Radioactive
Image by azipaybarah via FlickrOne New York representative said he could not make it because he had to march in a local firefighters’ parade. Another said that, as much as she wanted to go, she had to visit family out of town. Yet another just sent his regrets, saying he would be traveling that day — in Connecticut.In Search of a New Playbook the Democrats have been failing to delineate the differences between themselves and Republicans, to remind voters what Republicans would do if returned to power and how little their policies have changed from those during the two terms of President George W. Bush. ...... Recently, this has started to change. President Obama has become uncharacteristically combative, delivering a series of ardent speeches that other Democrats would do well to imitate. .... They don’t have a single idea that’s different from George Bush’s ideas — not one. Instead, they’re betting on amnesia.” .... Protections for patients against insurance companies. Rules keeping adult children on health policies, and requiring coverage for pre-existing conditions. A new consumer financial protection bureau to fight lending abuses. The preservation or creation of nearly three million jobs, averting Depression-level unemployment. ...... For most voters, the only real issue is high unemployment, and it is here that Democrats seem to have set aside bold thinking and fallen into the Republican trap of placing deficit fears ahead of job revival. ...... the myth that the deficit is causing unemployment, and advocate using government in ways that might re- inspire voters.....As the economy recovers, there will be money available for sane and careful deficit reduction, territory the Democrats know far better than their opponents. A House or Senate controlled by Republicans, leading to longer stalemates and years of political posturing, is not the way to get there. Instead of shrinking from their accomplishments, Democrats should use their remaining time to build on them.
The Clintons
Bill Clinton Has Left The Building
Bill Clinton Had Icecream For Lunch
Hillary In Person
DL21C Annual Summer Bash: Barack Won The Straw Poll
Hillary's Bobby Kennedy Comment: Bitter Heart, Bad Taste
Obama, Reshma
Charlie Rangel: Motherfucker
New York Times: Guest List for Rangel's Birthday Bash Shrinks Organizers reserved the gilded main ballroom at the Plaza Hotel, booked Aretha Franklin to serenade Mr. Rangel and sent out an elaborate video invitation featuring a testimonial from Bill Clinton (who, as it happens, was also invited but said he had to be in Arkansas that day).
More Than 100 Voice Mails
I think I left more than 100 voice mails during my Sunday stint at the Reshma 2010 headquarters earlier today. This past week I have been trying to put extra hours into phone calls. I showed up on Tuesday, I showed up on Saturday.
People on the Upper East Side seem to be like me. They don't pick up the phone. They n-e-v-e-r pick up the phone. But I was trying to imagine it was a new voter each time, and so leaving the same voice mail over and over again is still a unique experience each time, but you can take that only so far before your brain goes numb. And I was trying to have fun with the wording of the voice mail. I think the final version went something like this.
"Hi. My name is Paramendra. I was one of Barack Obama's earliest and strongest supporters in New York City. Today I am calling on behalf of Reshma Saujani. Reshma is running for Congress and you can learn more about her at her website online at reshma2010.com, that would be r-e-s-h-m-a-2-0-1-0-dot-com. I strongly urge you to vote for her on September 14 in the Democratic primary. Like I said, Reshma is running for Congress. She is running against Carolyn Maloney. Carolyn Maloney is like Al Sharpton, Reshma Saujani is like Barack Obama. I think you should vote for someone who is like Barack Obama, and that is Reshma. Thank you."
But at some point I ran out of steam for the day. I guess there is a limit to how many voice mails you can leave in one day, in one sitting. After each hour I would get up and go into a corner and do some push ups. To those who looked at me curiously I said, "Making phone calls is a physical act."
Your mouth runs dry, you drink water. You take your restroom breaks. You take a break to go stare at the wall. That is when I found out there are so many community events scheduled for the month.
I am going to drastically cut down on the phone calls now. I am going to focus more on the digital activism part, and the meeting people in person part. Blogging is the big part of my digital activism, but not the only part. And I am really, really looking forward to meeting people in person. Like really.
I think as we move closer to September 14, there are going to be more and more news articles and blog posts about Reshma and my blogging activity is going to have to keep pace with that.
There is this Upper East Side newspaper called Our Town. They had an article a few days back. I replied to it at my blog, and then posted a link to my reply post in the comments section of that article. I see me doing more of that. I might reach more voters that way than by making phone calls.
So today for my phone calls my point person was Paul. Here's my Paul story. In Kentucky once someone asked me,"Can we call you Paul?"
"No, you can't call me Paul," I replied.
I have been showing up for the Reshma events wearing the red, white and blue Reshma 2010 shirt and the rest black. I think I will stick to that until September 14. But there is a dress nazi inside of me that is itching to wear a few different shirts.
Friday, August 06, 2010
Reshma Event With Deepak Chopra August 11
Capital Tonight: Chopra To Discuss Foreign Policy At Saujani Event
Image via Wikipedia
Dear Paramendra,
I’m writing with the exciting news that Deepak Chopra will be speaking at an event hosted for my campaign on August 11th.
The event is an opportunity to take a fresh look at foreign policy at a time when the world is facing so much conflict, and I am honored to be joined by Deepak Chopra, who is widely renowned for bridging diverse communities and encouraging compassion and empathy. He will be sharing a new and unique perspective on the current state of the world, New York, and leadership.
I firmly believe that cultural inclusiveness is a fundamental value of our nation, and one that will continue to define our place in the world as we move into the 21st century. Throughout my life -- and most recently in my campaign -- I have consistently advocated for tolerance and understanding. Last week, I posted an op-ed on The Daily Beast in support of the Cordoba House to reaffirm the necessity for true interfaith dialogue.
It is in this spirit that our event is being held next week. I hope that you will join us to hear from Deepak Chopra and share new perspectives on foreign policy. Please visit our website for more information and to RSVP.
Sincerely,
Reshma
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July 2010: The Busiest Month At This Blog So Far
Image by Great Beyond via FlickrCharlie Rangel: Motherfucker
Making The Blues Go Away
The First Time I Heard The Obama Name
Vogue India Features Reshma
Obama, Reshma
Reshma Is Taking Over
Iran
July Looking Good
September 1-14: The Niagara Falls Part
Reshma On Track To Taking Over This Blog
Reshma Saujani: Top 10 Women To Watch In America
Recruited 60 For Reshma 2010
Reshma Aur Shera
John Liu: Mayor Of NYC: 2013
No Country To Call My Own
Domestic Violence Can Be Ended Like Polio Could Be Cured
Reshma Saujani: South Asian Powerhouse, National Candidate To The Tech Sector
New York: Hindi Movie: Songs
The Dumbfuck Immigration Laws
Reshma's Momentum: Line Graph Or Curve Graph
400 Phone Calls In 5 Hours For Reshma 2010
I Am Angry At Chris Matthews
DNAinfo.com: Reshma Saujani
Reshma Laxmi Saujani: Third Bumper Quarter In A Row
Reshma Saujani
Bollywood And Switzerland
Reshma Saujani At The Huffington Post
Reshma Saujani, Carolyn Maloney
In South Africa They Had Apartheid, In America They Got Immigration
Reshma Saujani: Innovation, Ethnic Pride, Thought Leadership
I died a small death in June 2008. I am the body Reshma 2010 found in the water at the beginning of the first Bourne movie. Slowly but surely I am waking up. My hours into Reshma 2010 are making me do some major rethink in terms of my life and career. I am beginning to find myself. ($35 PC) I am beginning to find my groove.
Reshma 2010 is my on ramp to Obama 2010. The Barack-Hillary tussle was a contest. Either side could have won that one. The Barack-McCain thing was a no contest. Barack was surely going to win that one. But I did very much want to be there for the victory party, for the six month long victory party. Now it is contest time all over again. It is not at all clear which side will win in November. I am with Barack. Completely. Calling the Obama 08 spirits all over again. Wherever you are, wake up. It is time to go marching again.
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