Campaigns Need to Cool It, Supporters Do Too

From the LA Times, a great piece of leadership...

"It is important for me as well as Sen. Clinton to communicate to our staffs as well that . . . we're both trying out for quarterback, but we're on the same team," he said in a press conference, where he picked up the endorsement of Sen. Christopher J. Dodd (D-Conn.).

With tensions rising between the two remaining Democratic candidates, Obama was asked about Clinton's mocking comment that he was selling a vision of "celestial choirs" in attempting to persuade voters he could solve problems.

"I think things have gotten a little hotter over the last couple of days, but these things have gone, sort of, in ebbs and flows," Obama said.

One day after allegations that the Clinton campaign had circulated a photo showing Obama in Somali native dress, a reminder to voters of his African ancestry, Obama attempted to move on from the controversy.

"At this stage of the campaign, there are going to be dust-ups, particularly at the staff level," Obama said. "Certainly I don't think that photograph was circulated to enhance my candidacy. I think that's fair to say. Do I think it's reflective of Sen. Clinton's approach to campaigning? Probably not. And so at this point, my interest is just moving forward and talking about the issues that are going to be helpful to the people of Ohio.

This goes for supporters too.

The Pyrotechnic Imagination

Arthur Lubow has a nice piece on Cai Guo-Qiang in the Sunday NYTimes Magazine.

For those that don't know, my blogger avatar is from Cai's piece Inopportune: Stage One when it was at MassMOCA.

Lessig

Larry Lessig, one of my favorite people in the United States, is exploring two ideas:

1. a Change Congress bipartisan Congressional coalition that pledges not to take lobby/PAC money; ban expenditure earmarks; and support public campaign financing
   
2. that he is considering a campaign in California's 12th district

I think he can be the kind of inspiration Paul Wellstone was.

Guess who has a posse?

Another piece of supporter created campaign material... from the street artist cum graphic designer Shepard Fairey.

Larry Lessig said of Wil.i.am's video that "It means something important about the potential for this man to bring together a nation, to signal change, to inspire, that he is literally the only candidate for whom something like this can look real." I think the same applies here, particularly since any other character would come off as Owellian in his oeuvre.

Lessig has his own interesting take on OBama.

Better Media

I've never really understood how campaigns go through millions, and still have really lame content.  So will.i.am's video is pretty moving, particularly capturing a beautiful multi-cultural, idealistic modern United States.  And it was done on his own.