Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with Obama

How can I best see Airforce 1 at Logan Airport this Friday?

UMDirector — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 17:23:20 -0800

How can I best see Airforce 1 at Logan Airport this Friday? It appears Obama is coming to Boston to give a speech @ MIT and attend a fundraiser. I just happen to be staying near the airport for work for a week. Any idea how I can find out more about about when he may be landing? Any thoughts on the best place to actually catch a glimpse of AF1 and/or Obama?

All I know at this point is the MIT visit begins in the late morning according to the MIT website.

Obama's Magnetic Personality

dancinglamb — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 15:08:58 -0800

How can I replace my First Edition Obama/Biden magnet? Please hope me, Mefites!!! I proudly had my magnet on the back of my car from the second it arrived in the mail during the elections. And I know it was there as recently as the other day (a little girl in the car behind us was commenting on it to her Mom at a red light!).

I suspect that somebody may have swiped it after some recent neighbourhood developments.

I can't find anything on his site. Am I missing something?

My girls are so proud that we are an "Obama Family" and we talk about it all the time. They're not too happy that it's gone (hell, neither are we). Help me find a spiffy new one for our car.

Thanks!

Lessons from the Obama campaign

Anonymous — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 10:15:39 -0800

Looking for best infodumps, narratives, archives, and analyses of Barack Obama's successful campaign for election, with a focus on volunteers and fundraising. I know the number one thing leading to the campaign's success was one standard, general issue Barack H. Obama, so just assume I have a candidate, issue or idea that has a chance, that is a bit different, that is controversial yet also popular, that can be identified with hope and change. An Obama it is not, of course, but I think it's worth exploring Obama's campaign and seeing what can be taken away, because my orthodox methods are not working worth shit right now.

Insights I need most include:

- The development of the messaging the campaign used, particularly at the local and special interest group level, to recruit and motivate the fantastic numbers of field volunteers, particularly the ones that never knocked doors/delivered leaflets/made voter phone calls before. I'm also interested in getting volunteers that have never worked with a political party before.

- Insights into organisational strategies / campaign management strategies/other methods or resources that helped to lead to and sustain the huge number of volunteers.

- The development of the messaging and the organisational strategies used to recruit hundreds of small scale and repeat fundraisers, both online and offline.

Besides looking for narratives elsewhere online, I'm also interested in your lessons from experience campaigning, either from the top or from the ground. What worked as a call to action for you? I need people to be as inspired to work hard as I am, and I need a lot of new people to get to the scale I need. Even if these tactics are nowhere near as successful as they were for Obama, any reasonable rate of return on the time and resources invested here would give us an edge.

We have an awesome, awesome computer system to organise our field work, we just need more people power and more money.

I am aware that these methods go back to Dean and Before, so non-Obama stuff is ok too of course.

I can't give a lot of details of specifics here, but if you have advice or questions you would like to share you can send them to battycampaignmanager@gmail.com

Thanks very much for your help. This is a frightening and overwhelming experience but it's also a wonderful one. I've never wanted something to succeed as much as this in my entire professional life.

Advice for Town Hall Meetings?

every_one_needs_a_hug_sometimes — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 01:43:54 -0800

What should someone know before going to a town hall meeting on health care reform? Today I went to a town hall meeting on health care reform in Alhambra, California. I went to listen to Congressman Adam Schiff (D) and the many panelists present, but unfortunately I couldn't hear that well because people were shouting and booing.

Anyway, long story short, many people kept telling me to read the bill, because they actually have read the bill. Of course, I have not, and so I didn't argue with them. One woman said that she had read the bill in its entirety, and mentioned that on page 16, the bill declares that insurance companies can no longer enroll new people once the bill is passed. Now that I'm home, I looked it up, and what the bill actually says (I think) is that insurance companies can no longer enroll people in old policies that are grandfathered in from before the reform.

Here is the section that she was referring to:
http://www.opencongress.org/bill/111-h3200/text?version=ih&nid=t0:ih:255
(Even the people commenting on that section are confused.)

So, basically... It seems to me that she read it, but misunderstood it. (It is entirely possible too, that I'm the one misreading it.) However, I can understand how she got the interpretation that she did. I wish I had had this information in front of me when I was talking to her. Or better yet, I wish I had had the bill and the internet with me, so that we could look it up and actually talk about it.

I guess if someone were to ask me what to expect when going to one of these town hall meetings, I would tell them about page 16 and the (honest) misreading of it, since more than one person brought it up at the town hall. I'd like to be more prepared in the future, but unfortunately the whole issue is really confusing... I'm sure that if I read the entire 1018 page bill, I wouldn't understand most of it either...

So I was wondering...

Dear metafilter, what should someone know before going to a town hall meeting on health care reform?

Help me rep my hometown and my president!

emilyd22222 — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 12:30:09 -0800

Where can I find a "Cleveland Baracks" t-shirt? I saw one yesterday at the mall- it was light blue, short sleeved, and featured a smiling POTUS stenciled in black over the inscription, "CLEVELAND BARACKS." I Googled and checked eBay/Etsy to no avail, but there's enough documentation of the existence of these shirts to make me believe it's not a renegade crafter's shirt.

I would prefer to not commission a hand-stenciled shirt. I guess I *could* make one myself, but dammit, I'm lazy.

Why Czars?

cavalier — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 06:16:32 -0800

Could folks smarter than me elucidate for me the whole current U.S. administration's "Czar" fetish? I'm looking for precedent or other historic rationale on the use of the term "czar" in U.S. politics. Could anybody more in the know help out? I've looked around and all I can find are anti-Govt or anti-Obama editorials going SQUEEEEE Czar bad! Czar bad! I appreciate it is likely a symbolic gesture, but in my short life span I've had no recollection from Reagan up until now of a president actually naming "czar" posts.

The Truth about Honor Killings?

madmamasmith — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 02:03:48 -0800

I am looking for some truth about honor killings...and some insight or clarification rather on Obama's agenda concerning Islam. I am not that well read or educated. I don't have the patience for print and can't sit through a news program without feeling ill and switching it to a 30 Rock rerun. However, I am a googler and a stumbler by trade. I stumbled upon a website called atlas shrug

by blogger Pamela Geller today and read page after page about "Honor Killings" that are happening as we speak, right here in my home state of Texas. I was baffled and bewildered and outraged. As I read on I discovered that Ms. Geller is a conservative, right wing, "anti-feminist" in her own words). She goes on and on about Obama and his worldwide Muslim conversion etc. When I googled "honor killing" to find out more, all the sites were conservative, talking about how the leftists are letting the muslims get away with murder for fear of being called racist etc. So I am just a little confused as to why the conservative right has latched on to the "honor killing" tragedy and is there some truth to Obama's preoccupation with Islam?
Let me end with saying that regardless of her political affiliation Ms. Geller's blog about honor killing was an eye opener and whether she is using it as a ploy to push her conservative agenda or not, this is a horrible horrible epidemic and I am shocked I haven't heard more about it. I had not heard of the killing of those two texas teenagers until tonight. Lewisville is practically in my backyard. But wherever is it, It needs to be addressed as a serious and horrific issue

What's the deal with copyrights and recipes?

leigh1 — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 07:19:18 -0800

If I want to publish Obama's recipe for chilli in my cookbook, do I need Obama's permission? How about Elvis Presley's Peanut Butter Sandwich? You can find all these recipes on internet for free, do I need permission if I want to include them in my cookbook?

Obama - the New King Tut?

empath — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 17:09:29 -0800

"Obama - The New Tutankahamen of the World" shirts in Egypt? What's the story here? I saw lots of pictures of shirts, etc, with that on it. I'm kind of curious who would buy a shirt like that? Was it meant for American tourists? What does King Tut mean to the average egyptian (who I'd assume would be Muslim?) I'm interested especially in hearing what native Egyptians or people who spent some time living there think about it. Is "The New Tutenkhaman" a common idiom there like "A new caesar"?

What would it mean if Obama's birth certificate is a fake?

edavidoff — Fri, 29 May 2009 02:01:57 -0800

What would it mean if Obama's birth certificate is a fake? Some loonies are still trying to accuse President Obama as being an illegitimate President because they don't accept his Hawaiian birth certificate as being valid. I don't believe this for a second, but, just hypothetically, what would it mean if it were a fake, and he had actually been born in Kenya or somewhere else outside of the USA.

I don't think he could be impeached, because you can only impeach an official for a major crime committed while in office. Is there anything else according to the Constitution that could be done to remove him?

The accessory president?

oxford blue — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 21:42:00 -0800

What's on Obama's right wrist?

What responsibility does the Bush administration bear for the current financial crisis?

Lownotes — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 07:27:28 -0800

What responsibility does the Bush administration bear for the current financial crisis? When I visit my father, we usually argue about politics.

He's a big Fox News fan, and I think it's drivel. He tends to parrot what he sees there, and I often find myself explaining how things really work to him.

Since Obama was elected, these arguments have been far less frequent - until the last two weeks when suddenly the Republican spin machine began to pound Obama's budget plans in light of our financial crisis.

I keep telling him, "Bush was president for the last eight years."

He keeps saying, "This is not Bush's fault."

So, hivemind, what sort of responsibility does the Bush administration really bear in all of this mess?

Links to source material are welcome.

Obama and the mayors

josher71 — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 07:31:56 -0800

Many mayors are meeting with President Obama today. What is the criteria for being part of this select mayoral group? Population?

Obama stimulus plan and the unemployed

sureshot — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 18:54:59 -0800

Obama stimulus plan and the unemployed: Will there be any assistance to those looking for work who ARE NOT currently collecting unemployment benefits? I could be hopelessly ignorant on this matter. But from everything I've read, it seems most of the aid will go to those already employed (fatter paychecks via reduced income tax with-holdings) or those currently collecting unemployment (extension of benefits).

I'm especially curious about job training opportunities. (Although, some free money would be nice too)

Where was Shepherd Fairy interviewed?

Jimbob — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 03:58:24 -0800

In the article regarding the AP demanding compensation for Shepherd Fairy's appropriation of a photograph of Obama for the "Hope" poster, it says:

"I donated an image to them, which they used. It was the one that said "Change" underneath it. And then later on I did another one that said "Vote" underneath it, that had Obama smiling," he said in a December 2008 interview with an underground photography Web site.

Which underground photography website would that be? Googling the quote, or variations of, only brings me this news article.

Should I delay my mortgage refi?

teg4rvn — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 09:38:31 -0800

The Obama stimulus plan and mortgages for the financially stable.. Anything there for me? Currently in a 15-year fixed mortgage with about 50% equity in the home. Have about 30K in Home Equity Loan balance that i'd like to clear AND I'd like to cut my monthly payment, so I'd like to get back to a 30-year fixed loan.

Can anyone read the tea leaves and see any reason to delay a refi with the anticipation that the stimulus plan might have something there for a 800+ FICO score, 50% equity holding homeowner? Or will all stimulus be geared towards first-time home purchaser or towards helping those heading to foreclosure to stay in their homes.

What gives with the Obama Cabinet problems?

Reverend John — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 08:59:01 -0800

Did Obama make bad picks, in terms of the recent revelations of tax problems, for some of his Cabinet officials, has he had bad luck, is this par for the course, or is there more scrutiny now than in the past? I've found myself wondering why so many of Obama's Cabinet picks have gone down in flames over tax issues. In the past I wouldn't have paid much attention to whether or not a nominee for a Cabinet post was rejected or whether there was any controversy over their taxes, so I can't recall whether or not other recent presidents, going back to, say, Carter, have had similar troubles.

Honestly, I personally wouldn't have been phased by any of the revelations which have come out about any of Obama's nominee's, even the troubles of Tom Daschle, even if they had been made against Cabinet Secretaries in prior administrations. So I'm wondering if there is a new standard, or whether these sorts of problems have cropped up for past presidents, or whether Obama has just made some unusually bad choices.

What does this shirt say (possibly farsi or arabic script)?

bottlebrushtree — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 21:19:42 -0800

We bought this Obama baby onesie on the street today. It has what may be farsi script on it. We asked a neighbor who speaks arabic if he knew what it was and suggested it may be in farsi. Our current guesses are "Yes we can" or "Barack Hussein Obama". Can you help translate?

Where does the buck stop, again?

anastasiav — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 08:20:41 -0800

Obama merchandise is everywhere. Why are manufacturers allowed to make money off his likeness when they would be sued into the ground if they made the same items using, say, the likeness of Elvis or Rick Astley?

what do I make of this crazy video?

canine epigram — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 16:13:31 -0800

Why is this video clip from two years ago now a flogging horse for the far right? Where can I find Reich's entire speech and what does he have to do with the Obama administration? Okay, maybe that's three questions, but this video is bugging me. I'm fairly sure that Reich is not advocating some sort of "no whitey need apply" that the subtitling seems to suggest, but I'd love to see the full record of what was said and understand why this has suddenly become yet another flogging horse and figure out a way to respond to an increasingly reactionary friend who is convinced that the world is going to end now that Obama has been elected. Sadly, I think that my original impulse to not even bother to engage is the right one, but I'd rather deflect than just wave it off.

Obama's expat tax stance

occidental — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 09:53:58 -0800

What is Obama's position on tax exemptions for expats? Does he plan to keep the status quo? Or does he plan to adjust the rates of taxation?

What innovations of the Obama campaign could be applied to activist campaigns?

GIMG — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 12:49:30 -0800

Could activists for social causes (e.g. global warming) learn something from the Obama campaign in how to effectively engage and mobilize people?

you say barrack i say barack

sammich — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 03:12:48 -0800

Why do some British news reporters insist on pronouncing Barack Obama's first name like "barrack"? They hear it correctly from Americans all the time. I would understand if it's something in their accent that makes it hard for them to pronounce Barack correctly but it's not. At least half the time I hear British reporters say it correctly.
And is there a correlation with this as to why people prefer to say "Iraq" i-rack or ee-rock?

Does naming a child after a famous figure have any effect on their life, positive or negative?

Kirn — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 03:02:09 -0800

Does naming a child after a famous figure have any effect on their life, positive or negative? With all of the tiny Barack Obamas and Michelle Obamas who are popping out around the world, I wondered whether there was any evidence (anecdotal or otherwise) that being named after a famous figure has an effect on the child's life, either positive or negative. This would be in terms of their success, career choice, happiness, or anything else.

I tried Googling for this in the vain hope someone might have published a study, but I couldn't find anything, so this might be difficult to answer. All I found on AskMeFi was someone commenting that his family members who had been named after famous Presidents had hated it and changed their names.

(Also, I'm talking here about famous figures who are widely respected - not the poor Adolf Hitler kid.)

Can the hivemind help me?

What's Obama up to?

cyrusdogstar — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 20:45:03 -0800

What are some good blogs or other news sources concerned solely or mostly with "what the president is doing" (politically; not what he had for breakfast)? Basically, I'm curious about keeping up with Obama's acts as president -- orders signed, deals forged, initiatives taken, stuff like that. For example, the official Executive Orders page might be a good start, but I'd prefer a third party to summarize or explain their ramifications to me (not too politically/legally savvy), and I assume the president does things other than sign executive orders.

So: good recommendations along these lines? I'd prefer anything that is solely/mostly about the President or the executive branch, but if those don't exist, I'll gladly take anything that at least includes such coverage and doesn't have a million posts a day.