Mari Smith

It sure is buddy boy - Filters, comments, rooms, feeds and most importantly all searchable - Ed Dale

FriendFeed team are on the ball! It seems they take the best of Facebook + Twitter and blend together in one big yummy soup. ;) - Mari Smith

Yep and no flow innteruption - ill follow everyone here ;-) - Ed Dale

Agree with you on many points on this. Much more interested in Thomas Freedman's flat world these days, oh and "crazy" places like scandanavia. - sean percival

I am not a listener of right-wing talk radio or one who parrots its doctrine. I am an American, and I do not surrender my proud title, especially to them. - Christopher Galtenberg

Brilliant. The actions and or beliefs you describe do not define you as not being American, in fact they are rights that you have only because your an American. If you were in many other countries those rights would not exist for you. You should quit being an American and I'll continue to serve to give you that right, because I am not given the choice of which moron to defend. I do have the choice on who not to follow anymore. Peace - Jack

Christopher: I listen to both left wing and right wing media. Why? I want to hear all points of view. Keeps me from being religious about my points of view. Although, keep in mind, I'm not an American. - Robert Scoble

Is this a new issue in America or as there always been this "They aren't real Americans" attitude within the country perpetrated by some citizens there - e.g. People of Religion X aren't American or People from State Y aren't American or People that oppose Issue Z aren't American. - Phillip Jeffrey

@Philip Historically, it has been a commonly used attack. - Neal "thePuck" Jansons via twhirl

My point is that some day (maybe very soon), a class of Americans, informed and enlightened not by ideology but by numerous historical paradigms (both good and ill), will seize back the mantle and we'll again be proud of our lineage, as we have the right to be. It certainly won't come about by binding the concept of 'being an American' to the worst aspects and characters of our society. They are Americans, lesser souls, and we are Americans, greater souls. - Christopher Galtenberg

I like this, but it's also sad. - Stephanie♥CogSciLibrarian

As you know, it is only *because* you are an American and have had many Americans that came before you to fight for your rights that you can write all of the opinionated hyperbolic and critical stuff that you do. I think your positions sound reasonable and very American to me. And I'm proud to be an American so I can tell you that your disrespect of the privelege of citizenship is not what we should be championing in these tough times. I'm sure the candidate you are voting for would agree with me. - David A. Levine via twhirl

haha third thread i'm commenting on. i guess my feeling is mostly that i'm sad that you really believe those things define what it is not to be an American. - Deva Hazarika

David and Deva: sometimes you need to NOT read my posts literally. I believe all of the things I posted as "not American" are VERY American. Sometimes I make a point without being explicit about it. - Robert Scoble

I get that. I really do...these are just dark times and people with a voice as influential as your should be more positive, IMHO. (see: Buffett's Friday NYTimes piece) - David A. Levine via twhirl

something I didn't know, that your religion is Islam. That would make you the most prominent Muslim blogger....and that's interesting. YES: Australia does have the right idea :-) - Duncan Riley

I actually agree with most of what you said in that post. - Mathew Ballard

I frankly wish we could all just be global democratic citizens. That's what I feel I am, if I had to pick a label at all.:-) - Cathryn Hrudicka

Duncan: neither my wife nor I practice any religion, though. I'm more officially an agnostic, but since I had a ceremony to become a Muslim and didn't denounce it, I guess that officially I am. I was actually thinking of you when I wrote that line about Australians having the right idea. :-) - Robert Scoble

David: sorry for not being positive enough. I think I'll get a cheerleader outfit tomorrow. :-) - Robert Scoble

genius. - Zee.

Re: Michele Bachmann, see here http://minnesota.publicradio.o... - "An official with Democrat Elwyn Tinklenberg's campaign says the 6th District DFLer raised $620 thousand since GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann made her comments on Friday. The source said another surge in donations occurred after former Secretary of State Colin Powell cited Bachmann as one of the reasons he endorsed Barack Obama." - John Craft

I'm not an American and SO CAN YOU! ;) thanks for blogging your heart out. - ~C4Chaos

Robert, thx :-) although Australia isn't perfect, we certainly have the right idea when it comes to religion and sexuality. Openly gay and lesbian cabinet ministers federally and in the states. Religion rarely comes into the mix when we vote (and in fact, being overly religious can actually turn people away). - Duncan Riley

Wow - awesome post, Robert. Being a "resident alien" with no vote, I'm on the periphery of all the current political morass. I love the US ...*and* there's a whole world beyond it and inside it. - Mari Smith

Thx Robert. I became a better American when I moved outside of it. - dkb

great post Robert! Thanks for sharing our experiences on this. - Beth K

coming from a place which tends to adopt everything that comes from your side of the ocean.. it's a must read. thnx. - Naor

robert: yeah, i got your point. and i am obv far from the rah rah type. i just think that this is an area where there is a growing cycle of pessimism and negativity. and the tone of your post i think reinforces some of the stereotypes that the people you don't agree with have about people like you (and me). that's why on this topic i think it's more positive to more directly engage those you disagree with. i think the subtle change of your refrain to "I'm not an American, I'm a human" would make big diff. - Deva Hazarika

Without that particular refrain, this whole post would lose much of it's power. Great post, Robert. - ♫ Rahsheen™

i disagree, rah, and think that the refrain hits people over the head w/ a hammer so much that it actually distracts from the really important points contained in the post. - Deva Hazarika

Thats sincere and so to the point and @Cathryn +1K - Yunus Tunak

Deva, people NEED to be hit over the head these days. If you don't hit them in the head, they won't bother listening to what you're saying at all. Also, I can think of no better way that it could be stated that exactly expresses what this post does. - ♫ Rahsheen™

rah: sigh, maybe you are right, i dunno - Deva Hazarika

Colin Powell's critique of the republican party was perfect. Hope it opens the eyes of some republicans. - Jim McCusker

Jim, I doubt it. I had the pleasure of talking with my very conservative parents Friday night. They like Obama, but they refuse to vote for him because of his stance on abortion and same-sex marriage. For them, the other issues just don't matter, and I am thinking that there are a large number of people that feel the same. - Rob Diana

I think the time for respect of Colin Powell's integrity passed the day he stood in front of the UN with intelligence data he himself didn't trust and pressed the case for war as airtight. The endorsement is better than no endorsement or an endorsement of McCain, but any respect I once had for the man evaporated on Feb 6, 2003. - Dave Slusher

No authentically "very conservative" person could like Obama, as what he embodies is wholly antithetical to conservatism. - eggsy

eggsy, I meant liked Obama as a person, not about what he stands for. - Rob Diana

@eggsy The same can be said of the Republican party during the last eight years. The drunken spending, foreign intervention, the freaking Patriot Act, none of these align with real conservative ideals. I'm a Republican but I'm not an ideologue. - Peter Simard

eggsy: And would say that is a good thing. People on the right have forfeited their right to be called fiscally responsible. So what else is there left that is appealing about being Conservative? - Rolf Schewe

I understand. Personally, however, I fine it difficult to like anything about a person who can deceive as a matter of course. Obama's whole effort is based on presenting an image that bears little resemblance to the truth, because if he were to simply say who he actually is, and what he actually believes, he would not stand a single chance of victory. His tactics are right out of "Rules for Radicals", by Saul Alinsky, whose pernicious brand of Marxism is de rigeur in Chicago politics. - eggsy

eggsy: .... - Rolf Schewe

Wow. What a shocker! - Todd Lohenry

Yeah this is an amazing bipartisan endorsement. Barack must be stoked! - Dan O

WOW... that is wild! smart boy! - Susan Beebe

Powell's post-announcement interview on CNN is eloquent, humble, and honest. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v... - Todd Harris

I see your tongue in cheek. - Malcolm Gault-Williams

I would be curious to see the evidence upon which eggsy bases his assessment of Obama. - सत्याग्रह [Bren]

I blame Bush, Cheney and McCain for tarnishing Powell's image. In any case, he's well-respected by most Americans. - Mike Reynolds

@eggsy - you can't be an "authentically very conservative person" then, as you voted for Bush, not once, but twice - Dave Hodson

The evidence that I rely on to draw conclusions as to the real nature of Obama, and as to his means and methods, is by this time easily found, owing to the fact of close scrutiny by scores of people and organizations. It remains obscured only to those who either do not want to see it, i.e. the old-media, and those who accept as complete the story told by the old-media. Google this: Obama, New Party, Stanley Kurtz, Annenberg Chicago Challenge, Woods Foundation, Bill Ayers, ACORN. - eggsy

Odd, McCain didn't find his endorsement much of a surprise. - Phillip Jeffrey

I can say two things about Rolf Schewe based on his comment: 1) He doesn't know what it means to be conservative, and therefore 2) any criticism of conservatives by Rolf is based in ignorance of the subject. Incidentally, and just as a starting point Rolf, "Conservatives" are members of a Conservative Party, and may or may not be "conservatives", who may or may not themselves be a member of any party. - eggsy

@eggsy: Okay, let's do ACORN. The organization is accused of registration fraud, not voter fraud. The cases of voter fraud that would result from these registrations is virtually nil. Who identifies the bogus registrations? ACORN. However, by law they still must submit them. Who helps to prosecute bogus canvassers? ACORN. Who really suffers from ACORN fraud? ACORN. They pay for bogus work. You've inhaled the smokescreen. - AJ Kohn

Rolf, while the Republican Party seems to "have forfeited their right to be called fiscally responsible" not all those who are on "the right" of the political spectrum are Republicans. In fact, many true conservatives have abandoned the GOP with sadness and dismay at what they have become... - Mark VandenBerg

AJ, you have missed my point, perhaps I wasn't clear. I have made no statement about the worth of ACORN, nor of anything they do or have done. I meant observe that Obama has purposely obfuscated his association with ACORN, and that this obfuscation is a consistent pattern of behavior for Obama. He has been less than truthful about his relationship with ACORN, just as he has with those of Bill Ayers/Bernadine Dorhn, Rev. Wright, Father Flagher, Woods Foundation, the New Party, Tony Rezko, and even others. - eggsy

Yawn. Nobody cares. 0Bama is just another socialist. - Spencer

Barack Obama, Colin Powell and Peter Simard are much closer to traditional conservative values than the current crop of neoconservative fascists, none of whom seem to have the slightest idea what authentic conservatism is all about. None of the neocons and religious fundies can make even a start on discussing these issues in an informed way. Real conservatives care about limited government, transparency, accountability, checks and balances, balanced budgets, fiscal responsibility, pragmatism, moderation, intellectual excellence, etc. They are disgusted by bloodthirsty lynch mobs. - Sean McBride

Well said, Sean. - Mark VandenBerg

Once again Sean, you seem to somehow connect conservatives and neo-conservatives, and really there is only a very tenuous connection, at best. - eggsy

@eggsy: I see, you like McCarthyism. Guilt by whatever association you can find. It's just as easy to build that for McCain or nearly any politician. - AJ Kohn

a singapore friend tonight echoed eggsy's comments about re acorn, wright, etc, and said she would rather vote for the ignorance she could see, than the potential evil she could not .. voting for mccain - Gregory Lent

@eggsy: Sean *is* saying there is very little connection between true conservatives and neo-conservatives. - AJ Kohn

As I watched Meet the Press I wished Gen Powell ran for President. He has the eloquence of Sen Obama & the experience of Sen McCain. - ChiliMac

I just emailed the video to my undecided friends. Awesome. - Sarah Perez

ChiliMac -- hmm, maybe we will see that in four years. It's an interesting notion, and I wonder if General Powell has ruled that out. - Do You KNOW Clarence?

thought he missed a great opportunity to point out that the $3M overhead projector was for a planetarium and if it convinces just one small child to become a scientist then America would be a better place. - Mark Bean

I'm religious, and that's one reason I'm supporting him as well :-) - Jesse Stay

Jesse: you're not wacky religious, though. - Robert Scoble

Robert -- are you familiar with his oil geopolitics and fuel efficiency policies? - Mona N.

Science, yes. Back to an age of reason over religion, fact over faith, "the data shows" vs "I think that". But I also like him because of his smart suits and sang froid. ;) - Todd Harris

my religion belives in 100% science - Tyler Gillies

@Mark Bean $3 Million per child? Wow, sounds like a great plan. I wonder how much our taxes will be then! I just wish I could get a piece of that $3 Million for my son's tuition. I would have taught the kids to put down the Wii, walk outside after dark, and look up. - Douglas Karr via twhirl

@Douglas: better yet if it convinces 100 kids that the world isn't flat, that it is older than 10,000 years, and that we are all part and parcel of the same experience regardless of whatever crackpot creation story you believe. Kudos for Obama for not taking the bait -- we need to invest in science and education and not let things like this become talking points. - Todd Harris

Science is part of it. The bigger one for me is foreign policy - Deepak

For me it's mostly economic. He's got the smartest economic advisors, and he seems to value intelligence, not denigrate it as has been the political norm. Science, foreign policy, and reducing the enhanced policy influence of the religious right are also big issues of mine. - Mr. Gunn

Did you read the blog post by Scott Adams. Obama apparently described education as a top economic issue. This is a real forward thinking man. - Aditya

Goodness knows why religion plays a part in politics in this country (USA) ... it doesnt in many other developed nations. Obama is doing a good job of not bothering with all that malarky and keeping the focus on what will actually make a difference. - Chris Johnson

I thought that there might be a possibility that Obama wasn't religious, but instead gives the impression that he is in order to not lose votes. Then he mentioned that "sexuality is sacred" during the recent debate. That comment stood out for me, because everything else he said seemed reasonable and well thought-out. - Paul Grav

Obama is religious. Read any of his books and it comes through loud and clear. I was surprised at just how much Christianity means to him. He keeps it personal though such that even an atheist like myself can vote for him. - Paul M. Watson

I'm Christian, but would sooner vote for an atheist than for a Christian who indiscriminately throws the weight of law behind Biblical rules. The Bible addresses everything: what you do publicly and privately, what you say, what you think about, how you feel. Government should only concern itself with creating a maximally free and reasonably safe environment in which people make their own spiritual choices. - Bruce Lewis via fftogo

Bruce: I agree with you in part. If you want to see things from God's perspective of government i