Jim Hightower campaigns for Obama in Texas

[Armstead]

The Nation

http://www.thenation.com/blogs/campaignmatters?bid=45&pid=285141

TEXAS POPULIST BOOST FOR OBAMA FROM HIGHTOWER...
Before he was America's best-known populist, author and activist Jim Hightower was the elected Agriculture Commissioner for the state of Texas.....In March of 2008, Hightower will be in the thick of it again.

The Austin-based populist will be campaigning in Texas for Barack Obama. And it will mean something, since Hightower has not forgotten what he learned about the political landscape by winning two statewide elections in the 1980s and serving as an essential player on more than a few campaigns since then.

..."The Obama campaign is a phenomenon," says Hightower, who will make his formal endorsement soon but spoke this week with Laura Flanders and this writer on Radio Nation. "Í am impressed with the tone of his campaign and, most of all, I am impressed with the people who have surged behind his campaign –- especially the young people."

Hightower knows the complaints about the Obama campaign: that it is not specific enough, that it promises "change" without describing what change looks like, that it preaches "hope" without explaining what it is that we are hoping for.

The former agriculture commissioner says his candidate should be more specific, especially on economic issues. Running a campaign that can be accused of emphasizing slogans over policies is usually "a mistake," Hightower says. But, he adds, that mistake can and will be rectified by an Obama camp that is only now beginning to catch up with its own momentum.

Ultimately, says Hightower, part of the responsibility for making Obama stronger on specific issues lies with progressives who back the Illinois senator.

"The thing that really matters about the Obama campaign is the 'change' message," says the Texan. "This has more staying power. That makes it incumbent upon progressives – and this new force that is emerging is a progressive force – to make demands. Franklin Roosevelt did not campaign on the New Deal. The people that elected him made Roosevelt give them a New Deal..."

[johncoby2]

1. Now that ought to help. NOT!

Hightower was the same a**hole who said there was no difference between bush and Gore.

Look how well that worked.

[IndyOp]

3. I am pretty sure Nader said there was no diff between Gore and Bush...

Do you have a link to an article by or about Jim Hightower saying something similar?

I am skeptical, but open-minded -- support your claim.

[TexasObserver]

13. Yes, Jim Hightower supported Nader, and like many who did, regretted it quickly

He's still a great Texan and a great journalist for the left.

I talked to him the week after the election in 2000 about Bush and where we were headed.

[UALRBSofL]

22. He's just a populist throwback from the 60's

So he should be able to relate to Hillary coming from the same era and both being anti-war with vietnam.

[burythehatchet]

2. Awesome. Molly's spirit would be proud.

[TexasObserver]

14. Yes, Molly would be. And she loathed Hillary. See her 2006 column on it.

[bvar22]

4. Hightower is very popular among Texas Democrats.

This is not just an endorsement, but a promise to campaign for Obama in Texas!

[Zodiak]

6. Hightower's politics are prevalent amongst my fellow North Texans

Let's just say this: Hightower is one endorsement I listen to. The other was Molly Ivins.

There are Democrats in those red areas, but they are populists....not DLC types, and not liberals, either.

[Armstead]

16. Nuthing in the middle of the road but yellow lines and dead armadillos

I don;t know if he made up that phrase, but he sure popularized it.

[bvar22]

27. !

[bvar22]

24. My Populist roots are in NE Texas!

Both parents and grandparents!
Outspoken, dedicated, and sharp tongued Populist FDR Democrats (like Molly and Hightower).
Bill Moyers is also from that part of Texas.

They had no use for the corrupt DLC Democrats.

[Armstead]

25. Quite a trio

Despite Bush, good things also come from Texas

[Zodiak]

29. They do

They just aren't the majority voices. The majority voices down there are the Southern Baptists.

[jasmine621]

5. I really hate to hear this. This Obama bandwagon is going to sink

the dems in the end...even if he wins the GE.

[Armstead]

7. Not sure I see your point on that one

[BeyondGeography]

8. Obama is open to the process of change

Hightower's perspective is very sophisticated. Once you set the parameters of change and put people in motion, they lead you, not the reverse.

Gandhi said, "The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others." I think Obama agrees.

[Armstead]

9. Exactly -- We can lead the leaders

[FrenchieCat]

11. Like that! Bottom up!

We'll be walking on the side of him, not behind him.

[davidinalameda]

10. this is another very impressive endorsement

I like Hightower

[TexasObserver]

12. Jimbo is one of the long time good guys in Texas

I worked with him in his AG commissioner campaigns and on national farming issues.

[Ichingcarpenter]

17. I met him in Austin a long time ago about that time

to me, the thing with change with Obama is that it started
as a grass roots but with the youth, hopefully we can make a difference
in the new administration. I never would think that with a Clinton regime again.

[XemaSab]

15. It's ironic that even before he endorsed Obama he's the one who convinced me to vote for the man...

Back during the dark days of the early 90's I used to listen to his radio show every week.

MAN he did not like the Clintons! :D

Go Hightower, and GOBAMA!

[Ichingcarpenter]

18. I've trusted him and met him a long time ago

I hope the bottom up thing works,

I know it won't with the Clintons, whom many don't want to repeat the past.

I've had another conversion this week because of obama's stance on technology, open source and the internet. I''m not a Obama nut, but he is one the best orators in many years.

I remember him in the 2004 democratic convention and thought
my god, why can't Kerry speak like that.

I knew he was on his way back then.

[sandnsea]

19. It's a rare gift

I would hope folks could see that, what with all the hoopla around Obama this year. You don't get speakers like this every 4 years. Democrats also need to learn to be a bit more realistic. They're ALL running on JK's basic platform. If it's good enough now, why wasn't it good enough then?

[Ichingcarpenter]

20. Rare is right

And I even got to see MLK speak in DC.

I'm not black and neither was my mother who brought me there that day.

I honestly think that the world needs leadership from this country
in the form of really listening and then acting for the benefit of mankind
and not just this nation...... Hopefully that will happen.

To me, life is too short at my age to fuck around anymore.

[UALRBSofL]

23. Ichingcarpenter Hillary got to see MLK 2 times

And even shook his hand. And, did you know she was an anti-war protester during the vietnam era?

[Armstead]

21. Way back when

It's good to remind people that progressives were trying to point out the long-term problems of Clintonian policies long before Obama arrived on the scene

[XemaSab]

26. Morning kick for a thread I liked from yesterday

:)

[goodhue]

28. cool