Showing posts with label obama 2008. Show all posts
Showing posts with label obama 2008. Show all posts

Friday, January 01, 2016

What Did I Do?

2016: The Year For Barack Obama's Revolution From The Top
Right To Privacy Is Important



What Did I Do?

As a Barack Obama volunteer in 2007 and 2008 (I would not know much about 2008), you basically did two things. You knocked on doors. And you made phone calls. The guy had dumbed it down for the rest of us. While I mull about on foreign policy, here, you knock on doors. And you make some phone calls. If you might feel so enthused, here, knock on some more doors, make some more phone calls. It was almost patronizing. He read somewhere, 40% of Americans can’t point out the Pacific on a map. And so he be like, here, make some phone calls, and knock on some doors. Some of his most impassioned speeches were like, “If you will just knock on some doors for me, if you will just make some phone calls for me ……..” And then he would taper off. People be like, you got the looks. I am making the phone calls.

The more creative and original among us naturally gravitated towards the phone call regimen. But no, even there they gave you a script. Here, read this out. That took out the possibility of originality. There was no room for how you feel about Obama, and how it all came out to be, and what your particular story is that might inspire the person on the other end. None of that.

Too bad Donald Trump picked up a fight with Jeff Bezos or, for as uninspiring as he is, he could be hiring Amzon turks this season. Here, make some phone calls for me. He fills up auditoriums with struggling actors. Amazon turks are just a few blocks down that road.

I did not give Obama credit for the stimulus. I am like, he is filling a ditch he did not dig. The credit goes to Bush. This is too Soviet. But by the time health care reform showed up. You know when you volunteer for someone who becomes president, when you see him on TV, things like that, you feel a certain connection. I mean, I did meet the guy before he became president. When he signs a major bill, you feel like maybe you had something to do with. But then he soon became really unreachable. Health care was (and is) in this country so complex an issue that when he did get it passed, I am like, what did I do? Health care was supposed to be this issue. They have god, gay and guns. We have health care. It was supposed to just stick around permanently as an issue that you emote about. It was not supposed to be solved. No one was expecting any kind of resolution. And he goes ahead and solves. And I am like, what did I do? I did knock on some doors, and made some phone calls, but what is this?

Cuba really knocked me out. You don’t expect the Rocky Mountains to move. I was left scratching my head. What did I do? I did knock on some doors, and made some phone calls, but what is this?

I mean, I did take credit for Iowa. Like, deeply, personally. I met Michelle Obama at a Harlem event in the summer of 2007. I said, “You give us Iowa, we will give you New York. We will make it quick and painless for Hillary.” And she delivered oh so handsomely. And I am like, Michelle, we are talking! Not New York, but we almost delivered Brooklyn. We had Anthony Weiner worried. Hillary, you need to make one trip to Brooklyn. And she did. Make one trip. To Brooklyn.

Monday, December 14, 2015

An Open Letter To Barack Obama

You may think ageing is a natural process. If that is so, why are you ageing faster than mere mortals? You may think your unique position of power is adding to the stress. But you do work out in the mornings, don’t you? As for the position of power, as soon as you leave office, the first realization that is going to strike you is, this government runs on its own.

The white man taught you to pump iron. Pumping iron is good. But that leaves so much of the territory untouched. Like the joints, and the mind. Pick up yoga. Call up Modi. Ask him for a demo session next time he is in town. He is always too happy to oblige. Putin beat you to it by the way. He has already talked to Modi about yoga.

Guess who Michelle Obama’s vegetable garden is for. Eat.

I recommend two books for you on Amazon. If you can afford only one, buy the green one. As soon you “retire,” you should work on getting back your 2008 looks. It is possible. This is a nasty job you have. Or you could start right away. Certain things are not to be postponed for later. Like breathing.

And Amitabh Bachchan colors his hair. The most recognized face on the planet colors his hair (not face). It is not such a bad idea. He does it for his fans.

Sunday, November 01, 2015

Caputo

Have you seen her? She is amazingly ugly.

It was political. On both sides.

On the part of the New York City Democratic Party Machine. And my part.

2016 is not 2008.


Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Immigration: Exploring Non Legal Options

Official photographic portrait of US President...
Official photographic portrait of US President Barack Obama (born 4 August 1961; assumed office 20 January 2009) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
To: Congressman Crowley
From: Paramendra Bhagat (Elmhurst, Queens 11373-2713)
Date: December 22, 2014
Subject: My Ongoing For Six Years Open Immigration Case (Alien 095 156 466)

Hello Congressman. I live in your district. My name is Paramendra Bhagat. I came to America for college in 1996 and have not left the country since. I married my college girlfriend (she proposed), officially the smartest student at my school, the number one liberal arts college in the South, Berea College. I got a green card from that. My marriage ended a few years later.

I was the only Nepali among 300,000 Nepalis across America to have worked full time for Nepal’s democracy movement in the 2005-06 period. (http://demrepubnepal.blogspot.com) I also got myself elected student body president at Berea within six months of landing as an international student, first time in college history a freshman had done that. In 2007 I also became the first full time volunteer in New York City to presidential candidate Barack Obama. (http://democracyforum.blogspot.com) I personally know people like Congressman Hakeem Jeffries from before he went to Albany.

While working days, nights and weekends for the democracy movement in Nepal, the deadline for my green card renewal came and went, and I did not even notice. I was so into my work.

I have had an open immigration case since 2008. I have showed up in court every few months, as asked. That has gone on for six years now. I like to joke my trial has now lasted longer than Nelson Mandela’s! My Harvard Law School graduate lawyer Rudrakumaran Visuvanathan has represented me. Nepal is still going through its political transition, and it would be a major safety issue for me to show up there right now. But I have not been able to convince the court, I guess. And I am getting hints I am about to lose my case.

You would do me the favor of a lifetime if you could please intervene and help me out. It is my knowledge that Senators and Congressmen can legitimately intervene in cases like mine and make things happen. If it is within your powers, please help me back renew my green card that I had. If you could do that, enough time has passed that I would be in a position to apply for my citizenship by now. And if I could get there, I could vote for the first time. I would sure vote for you! And much more.

Like I said, you would be doing the favor of a lifetime to me. I am an early stage tech entrepreneur. My team is working on an Augmented Reality Mobile Game that we think is a billion dollar idea. (http://technbiz.blogspot.com) We are building a super social network. My goal is to use and build, build and use digital tools so as to do all I can do to help cure global poverty.

With much hope.
Paramendra Bhagat.