hearts and minds

Legacy. Governors and Presidents worry, “What will my legacy be?”. It’s a fancy-shmancy way of asking, “What exactly will they say I DID for 8 years?”

If all went well I’m in the air right now, heading to Miami first, and then on to the Dominican Republic.  I’m traveling once again with Compassion International but this is a trip like none other I’ve been on.

Discussing the statements of Rev. Wright and how they might reflect on Obama’s own viewpoints has been a very eye-opening experience. I have read comments that make up the best and worst of what makes up the blogosphere.

Phil Valentine piggybacks on the words of Rep. Steve King in Iowa to say that if Barack Obama were to ascend to the Presidency, the terrorists would be gleeful:

And that needs to change if Barack Obama wants to win this primary and the general election. Obama must win over the hearts and minds of Appalachia says a blogger at TennViews:

The Financial Times, perhaps the most respected news journal in the English-speaking world, summarizes why al Qaeda is rapidly losing the hearts and minds of Arabs. Registration is required at the FT site, but AJStrata has an excellent summary. Quoting the FT piece:

In fact, in large measure because of what is unfolding in Iraq, the tide within the Islamic world is beginning to run strongly against al-Qaeda

Free markets are neither inherently good, nor are they inherently evil. Entrepreneurial activity is not in an of itself a moral act. The ends that the entrepreneur pursues and how they pursue those ends defines the morality of their entrepreneurial efforts.

There are entrepreneurs who use their gifts and talents to build businesses that provide economic, social, and cultural benefits.

All so different yeah, I say we're all the same
All caught, you know, in the division game.
Self destruction fast impending like a bullet.
No one can stop it, once it's fired, no one can control it.
-Operation Ivy, "Unity"

The new issue of EW is in high lather about–oh noes!–the Oscars being cancelled.   I guess since the Golden Globes (i.e. the most glitzy press conference ever) were shuttered by the WGA strike, the chances of No Oscars For The First Time EVAH!!! is weighing heavily on the hearts and minds of people who care about such things.

Stacey Campfield puts himself beside the German resistance in WWII for his role in the modern debate over abortion: