I have read many comments from people who do not understand why this Obama-MySpace thing is such a big deal to some of us. I just posted a comment on Joe A's
recent blog post that helps to shed some light on why this is such a big deal.
Joe,
Thanks so much for taking the time out to explain your perspective on all this. I think you did a great job!
I must say I am amazed at how calmly and graciously you have handled this whole ordeal. I think many people, perhaps most, would be emotionally and psychologically crushed by what you have just experienced. It is amazing how well you have held up, and how well you have handled it.
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I also wanted to toss out a quick response to your previous post about "moving on". I recognize and respect your desire to move on from this situation. It makes a lot of sense to me that you (and others) would want to put it in the past.
However, I do hope you - and others - recognize that some of us feel this is too important to walk away from. While what was done to you was/is absolutely mind-blowing and inexcusable, the overall impact of the Obama campaign's actions (IMO) extend far beyond yourself. It also extends beyond MySpace, beyond the Obama campaign, and even beyond the present. It heavily impacts the entire NetRoots Community, and also sets a very negative precedent for any and all future cooperative efforts between Official Campaigns and the NetRoots Community.
Beyond that, this is also an excellent litmus test for Senator Obama to show everyone that he really is different. That he will not try to sweep his staff's screw-ups under the rug, and pretend they didn't happen. That he will hold his people accountable for their actions. That he will take responsibility for his, and his staff's, actions -- and he will do what is necessary to fix whatever mess they (or he) have made. That he really is worthy of being trusted with the role of Leader of the Free World. Or ... not.
Unfortunately, so far with this situation, he's failing. I do hope he gets tuned in soon, though, so he can fix it before it gets any bigger. It seems likely it won't become a bigger issue for you. But, as more and more people hear about how his campaign (not necessarily Senator Obama, but his campaign staff) screwed you over, more and more people are going to start screaming about it - about him saying he's different, but not living it.
So, with that said, while I do recognize and respect your decision to "move on". I, also, hope that you will recognize and respect that some of us feel this issue is far too important to simply walk away from.
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I wish you all the best, and look forward to staying tuned to what you do next!
-DtRTB
More later.