Jeannie Babb Taylor: Celebrating democracy in the wake of Super Tuesday
By Jeannie Babb Taylor
Wednesday February 13, 2008 4:13:27pm


On the night of Feb. 5, Democrats all over Georgia were laughing and throwing parties. Why are we so happy? The Democratic Party has two strong, smart candidates with clean histories and solid resumes.

I prefer Hillary Clinton, while other Democrats are rooting for Barack Obama. But most of us agree that the top contenders are all excellent choices who champion democracy. We can get behind either of these candidates with enthusiasm.

Hillary Clinton’s steady rise to power has an air of inevitability. In fact, Republicans and conservative talking heads have been pre-emptively denouncing her presidency for a decade. Unable to pinpoint any weaknesses in her armor, they’ve taken to attacking her hair, her voice, her laughter and even her cleavage. Apparently some commentators were shocked to discover that the senator actually has breasts.

Hillary Clinton has a plan for America, and she has the mental acumen and political strength to follow through with it. Clinton believes that all Americans should have access to quality health care and quality education. Raised in suburban Illinois, Clinton longs to strengthen the middle class, cut out corporate welfare and end the Iraq war.

Hillary Clinton understands where Republican voters are coming from, because she used to be one. Hillary campaigned for several Republicans, and was a Goldwater Girl complete with AuH20 gear. In fact, she was once president of the Young Republicans at Wellesley College. Her deepening faith in Jesus Christ and her yearning for social justice turned her away from the Republican Party.

Like Clinton, Barack Obama rose to power from a background of civil service. He first put his Harvard law degree to work in inner-city Chicago as a community organizer, university lecturer and civil rights lawyer.

As a U.S. senator, Obama co-sponsored conventional weapons control and transparency legislation and made diplomatic trips to Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa. He sponsored legislation to curb lobbying and electoral fraud, combat climate change and nuclear terrorism, and provide better care for returning U.S. military personnel.

As a presidential candidate, Obama emphasizes ending the Iraq War, decreasing our dependence on foreign oil, and making health care more affordable.

The feeling among party Democrats: It’s all good!

Jeannie Babb Taylor is a local business leader and author. She also teaches Sunday school, educates her children at home, and engages in Georgia politics. Jeannie may be contacted at jeannie@babb.com, or you can leave a public comment on her blog at JeannieBabbTaylor.com..


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catvoter
Comments: 100
Joined: 08/10/2007
02/21/2008 08:19:56 PM

I think the single statement "Her deepening faith in Jesus Christ ... turned her away from the Republican Party." is false, misleading, and seems untrue.

Your statement "Unable to pinpoint any weaknesses in her armor ...” is also false, misleading, and untrue. You conveniently seem to omit the long list of Hillary lead scandals like travelgate, improper billing questions, insider trading investigations, and on and on.

In spite of all that, I still prefer Hillary over Obama. She and Bill need to pull in the favors.

Keep up the good work.
 
JBT
Comments: 101
Joined: 10/03/2006
02/20/2008 10:45:58 PM
Catvoter, my source on Hillary's faith and the direction it lead her in politics is her autobiography, Living History. You might like to read it. It's quite good, if you can wade through the incessant name-dropping. (And what's the point of dropping names of people nobody knows? So you can tell that friend "I mentioned you in my book"?)

In the book, she talks about being raised Republican. As I stated in my column, she campaigned for Goldwater and also was the president of the Young Republicans at Wellesley. As a Methodist, she was strongly influenced by her youth pastor, who taught the students about social justice, drove them to see MLK speak, etc. Her journey from R to D was very much intertwined with her growth in Christ.

That's not to say that Democrats are more Christian than Republican. My faith leads me to vote Democratic (sometimes more enthusiastically than others....), but someone else's faith may take them a different direction. I can't speak for Hillary, but that's the way I see it.

By the way, I would like to state AGAIN that I don't come to this website very often. If you want to ask me a question, email me. Or at least email me to say "I posted a question for you on Soundoff." Don't just post here and then act all superior because "she won't even answer." I can't answer questions I don't know I have been asked. :-)

Finally, I'd like to ask you, Catvoter, what in the world you're talking about, claiming I've made untrue pro-Hillary statements. When? Where?

Thanks,
Jeannie
 
catvoter
Comments: 100
Joined: 08/10/2007
02/20/2008 08:16:23 PM
We are getting screwed even worse with the last big changes in Washington with the Democrats taking over Congress. Who would have thought that Congress' approval ratings would get even worse in the last few years.

A GOP President with the lowest ratings and a Democratic Congress with even lower ratings.

Would the economy improve if gas was back to $2.00? That would probably happen if Congress approved drilling for oil in the right U.S.A. locations. Special interests and the Democrats are stopping that right now.

I'll hold off judgement on Atlanta until after this session. I hope they let us vote on replacing the school property taxes with sales taxes on services. If they pass that, I like Atlanta.

I also don't hear much problem with the Commissioners in Catoosa. At least the public arguements are down. They lowered their property taxes last year, but we didn't see it since the school went up 9%+.

The Catoosa School Board does need a house cleaning.
 
CSS4Comm4
Comments: 132
Joined: 10/09/2006
02/20/2008 04:53:41 PM
I believe we should give Clinton or Obama either one a shot at the top job. What would it hurt? See if they really can do what they say. If not, in four years, kick 'em out.

I agree with catvoter that politicians do need to be changed like babies for the same reason. Quite frankly, Washington DC needs a good diaper changing altogether. Democrats and Republicans alike need to find new faces to send to Washington, to Atlanta, and to Catoosa County.

2008 is the year the apathetic voters are coming out from under rocks. This could be the best chance in history to clean house!
 
IrishRed
Comments: 464
Joined: 01/19/2007
02/20/2008 07:29:53 AM
According to the speech writers, they share ideas. Sounds good but if you are going to quote someone you should give them credit. It was almost a word for word quote. I believe that Obama is a good, well intentioned person but too naive to run this country. You negotiate with countries like Iran and North Korea from strength. How far has talking gotten us? Do you think talking to bin Laden will get us anywhere? He wants us out of the Moslem Holy Lands and Israel destroyed.
 
catvoter
Comments: 100
Joined: 08/10/2007
02/19/2008 06:03:49 PM
Obama is all talk anyway. No meat, all gravy. Now they are in Texas. Big hat, no cattle.

Remember a comment some time ago on the Judy O'Neal show.

"Politicians are like babies, they need to be changed for the same reason." Obama needs changing.

At least Hillary is coming out with a plan, a tax and spend plan; but a documented plan at least.

Hillary came out with her universal health care plan, and Obama's only response was "more people will be covered under my plan". Obama's reply merits debate on whether his comments are "child like" or "childish". "Mine is better than yours." Middle school taunts "I have more friends than you."

Obama's "hope" strategy is all talk of a "greater future"; with no clear idea of the details to get there. It really shows Obama's lack of experience and simple young enthusiasm. Youthful passion. Remember Andrew Young (ex black Atlanta Mayor, good guy) saying he "supported Obama for President, ... in 2016". He knows Obama is too young and green to lead the United States of America.

It would be fun to hear Obama in person and see the crowd get wound up. Kind of like a revival. But it scares me to think of Obama as the Commander in Chief. The leaders of other countries are not going to take him seriously. You think North Korea would be worried about the United States taking action against their nuclear program, if Obama is in charge? No way.

With Obama and "hope" and "change" we have to remember that "change" can go toward bad as easy as good. Jimmy Carter was the agent of change in the 70's when he forced prime interest rates over 20%. The foreign country leaders never took him serious. Jimmy was a gentleman, honest, smart, and a fine guy; just a horrible President as that era's "agent of change".

Obama stealing the sound bites from Patrick? Probably an error by his speech writer, Obama uses a teleprompter more than anybody. What bugs me is his lapse into the old "Jesse Jackson" sing song type repetition of phrases.

Just gravy, no meat.
 
IrishRed
Comments: 464
Joined: 01/19/2007
02/19/2008 07:15:29 AM
cat, what do you think about the controversy surrounding Obama using part of a speech made by Deval Patrick?
 
catvoter
Comments: 100
Joined: 08/10/2007
02/18/2008 06:15:41 PM
That's why is is so unfortunate when JBT makes untrue statements that are "pro-Hillary". Hillary should be able to beat Obama without resorting to untruths.
 
IrishRed
Comments: 464
Joined: 01/19/2007
02/18/2008 06:08:07 PM
Unfortunately there are many anti Hillarystatements being made and for the most part they are not true.
 
catvoter
Comments: 100
Joined: 08/10/2007
02/18/2008 06:05:57 PM
Are the following statements correct? They seem to be true.

- In 1964, Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This is the law originally authored by Eisenhower in 1957. Democrats, including Senator Robert Byrd (a former KKK member), filibustered the bill. Once the filibuster was overcome, a larger percentage of Republicans voted for passage than did Democrats.


- In 1965, Congress passed, and President Lyndon Johnson signed into law, the Voting Rights Act of 1964. This is the law originally authored by Eisenhower in 1959. A filibuster was prevented, and passage of this bill also enjoyed support from a greater percentage of Republicans than Democrats. Johnson, of course, is now president and gets "credit" for this legislation -- authored by Republicans, designed by Republicans to undo a century of damage done by Democrats, and voted for by a greater percentage of Republicans than Democrats. (source: americanthinker.com)


If the two statements are correct, then why didn't Hillary stick with the Republicans that supported civil rights? Hillary must have opposed the passages at that time and left the Republicans in protest. Hillary said LBJ had more to do with the civil rights acts than did Dr. King, but Hillary left out giving any credit to the Republicans.

JBT, we need more facts. Your bio with all your articles says you are an "author". Fiction or nonfiction?
 
catvoter
Comments: 100
Joined: 08/10/2007
02/18/2008 05:26:43 PM
JBT,

We are still interested in the source for your statement "Her deepening faith in Jesus Christ and her yearning for social justice turned her away from the Republican Party." Where and when has Hillary made such statements that the Republicans didn't have a deep enough faith in Jesus Christ? Is this something you just made up to add controversy? If so, just state that. There is no requirement that everything in the paper is actual fact.

I continue to also hope that Hillary will get the nomination over Obama, but I'd like to see it happen due to facts, not lies.

You also commented about how Obama rose to power "Barack Obama rose to power from a background of civil service. He first put his Harvard law degree to work in inner-city Chicago as a community organizer, university lecturer and civil rights lawyer."

In the Democratic debates, Hillary herself said Obama was "a lawyer for a Chicago slumlord". Who is correct, Hillary or Obama? Obama didn't handle the comment well. At times Hillary can be a shrew and really bite.

I do hope for more Democratic debates where Hillary can really put out facts on her many new programs and tear into Obama for having no details, just "hope".

Hillary has an actual plan on where she will get the billions of tax money for the new government programs she wants, but Obama has similar big programs and isn't clear where the money will come from.

Source on Hillary's deepening faith driving her from the Republican Party? That has to be a good story.

Thanks
 
hoosiermama
Comments: 396
Joined: 11/14/2007
02/17/2008 05:29:19 PM
My, my.....looks like Elder is avoiding answering Bloggeye's question. Doesn't jive up with what I've seen of him......he pretty much knows the answers to everything. Afraid that your answer about the 13th and 14th amendments might expose your true colors, Elder? C'mon.....why don't you tell us why you think that a black man and a woman shouldn't be eligible for the presidency.
 
IrishRed
Comments: 464
Joined: 01/19/2007
02/17/2008 04:38:30 PM
Well, Well,I go to another blogsite and here's my buddy Elder spreading the word. As for Obama, I believe he is naive to believe that he can talk to North Korea and Iran and expext results. You have to deal with them from strength not weakness.
 
ATLANTABURNING
Comments: 58
Joined: 05/13/2007
02/16/2008 05:52:44 PM
United States Constitution
Article IV
Section 4

The United States shall guarantee to every state in this union a republican form of government, and shall protect each of them against invasion; and on application of the legislature, or of the executive (when the legislature cannot be convened) against domestic violence.


We are not a "democracy" Ms. Taylor and should never strive to be. Democracy is the government of all by a majority. We USED TO BE a "Constitutional Republic," before we became a fascist police state.

The plans that the elite have been putting into motion for the destruction of the American Dream began to come to fruition under the Clinton administration, and have successfully gutted the Bill of Rights under the Bush Regime with such legislation as the Patriot Act and Executive Orders such as Executive Order 51. We are well on our way to total enslavement.
 
AmericanCitizen
Comments: 198
Joined: 10/12/2006
02/15/2008 11:56:06 PM
Doesn't look like Ron Paul is going to get the chance to do anything!!
 
bloggeye
Comments: 290
Joined: 08/18/2006
02/15/2008 08:28:36 PM
Elder,
Why would Obama be ineligible even if the first 13th amendment from 1810 were ratified? He doesn't carry a title of nobility. I still don't understand why he would be eneligible even if the familar 13th and 14th amendments were frauds.

 
AmericanCitizen
Comments: 198
Joined: 10/12/2006
02/14/2008 09:25:25 PM
It amuses me to hear JBT keep getting flack for writing "Democratic" leaning articles........SHE'S A DEMOCRAT !!!
I enjoy her "well researched" articles.
How come I don't see the same remarks about Jeff O'Bryants articles. You folks let him by with some pretty outrageous remarks and comments.
She is a DEMOCRAT......not that hard to comprehend.
 
maggie
Comments: 1381
Joined: 01/08/2006
02/14/2008 07:03:00 PM
catvoter, I too wondered about her deepening faith in Jesus Christ, leading her to the democratic party. I am not going to say that democrats aren't Christians, but how does anyone switch to a party that supports abortion and say that it was a deepening faith in Christ that led them to do so. Thanks for taking the time to do some research and blow some holes in JBT's column.
 
catvoter
Comments: 100
Joined: 08/10/2007
02/14/2008 06:27:42 PM
JBT.

Another unpaid ad for the Democrats. Catoosa County Democrat Chairman Bentley should buy you lunch everyday.

In the Clinton/Obama race, I also hope Clinton can get the nomination.

Question on your statement "Her deepening faith in Jesus Christ and her yearning for social justice turned her away from the Republican Party."

What was your source on "Her deepening faith in Jesus Christ" influencing her change to the Democratic Party?

In Hillary's bio information I see where her last contact with the Republicans was when she was about 17 years old during the Goldwater contact years, and before with the Girl Scouts. Hillary was following her father's Republican support and influence in those early teen years, before she rebelled and followed the activism path against the Vietnam War, etc, during college.

It seems like Hillary joined the Democratic activists in college and during the 4+ years she and Bill lived together before they were married in 1975 when Hillary was about 28. Was Hillary influenced during that time to support the still current Democratic Platform supporting abortion? Hillary must have been an active supporter of Roe vs. Wade. A position supporting abortion that doesn't show any difference between Hillary and Obama, because they both support abortion.

(I don't recall seeing your position on the Democratic abortion platform either, and rationalizing that with your Sunday School Class as mentioned in all your articles. There's got to be a story line for an article there too.)

While neither Obama nor Hillary have ever been real leaders or managers over a significant number of people, they both are quick and will learn on the job.

I see the fact that Clinton has the edge in talking about the issues because of her better back room staff, including Bill; but Obama is the smoooooooth talker that never details anything, yet makes you feel better after telling you nothing but "have hope". Hillary can beat him, I hope.

Listening to Obama is like hitting your finger with a hammer; when you quit you may not have really learned anything, but it sure did feel better when you stopped. And "hope"? You "hope" you don't hit it again!

I'm not questioning Hillary's faith; she still meets with the predominately Republican Prayer Breakfast crowd. While some articles say she may be considered "opportunistic" she may still be a believer.

When I Google the subject all I get is a lot of her comments on why she didn't leave Bill when he was lying about Monica. She had faith then.

Again, any source history on your statement, and how or when Hillary became a Democrat based on "Her deepening faith in Jesus Christ"?
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