Procrastination man - Part 2

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote an entry disclosing the closure of Oxfam and how sad it made me. I still don't see any sense to the decision, though I begin to understand a bit more the mechanics behind it. It would seem to be down to entirely wrong timing and some individuals.
The shop is now dead. It is quite definite, it is already dismantled and all. Despite this, the fight is not over. As friends/customers/volunteers of the Oxfam shop on campus, we deserve answers and explanations, and it is our utmost right to complain about this decision that came from higher up in Oxfam Trading. Again, I cannot stress enough that it is down to Oxfam Trading, not the whole charity itself!! The charity still does a fantastic job overseas. Now, the way to complain, is to send letters to

Shoptalk Oxfam House John Smith Drive Cowley Oxford OX4 2JY

We can also ask them about the possibility of a new shop opening on campus. A facebook group has been set up, with a template letter. Possible replies will be shared on this group as well as probably on here (editing entry/comments...)
The fight is not over. Please, if you know the shop, send a letter demanding explanations about the reasons and the tightness of the timeframe; and asking about the possibility of a new shop on campus at Warwick. Thanks.

"Yes we can" - candidate Obama's trademark phrase. Yes, we can - do what? Obama's message is first and foremost a message of hope, hope that basically nothing is impossible. That he can get the party's nomination over Hillary Clinton, who's been expected to take on that role since the Democrats' 2004 defeat. That he may change the way things work in U.S. politics, and possibly world politics.
Hope: a great message, and he represents it so much better than all other candidates, be they Republican or Democrats. Take Mitt Romney, for instance - he stepped out of the race for the Republican nomination because of fear - that the Dems might win and that he may divide the Republican vote. Fear, not hope. Hillary Clinton, now - she may stand for change just as much as Senator Obama does, but it feels as though she just expects to win: not hope, just plain factuality. Mind, she has all the reasons in the world to believe it, considering how long she has been predicted to win. But Obama, as a relative newcomer, brings a new breath to the whole campaign: he knows it is possible for him to win, but he also knows that he has not won yet, and is climbing ''up'' to that possibility. He is confident, but not oversecure, in a way.
And yet, despite advocating change, he embodies one of the strongest trends in recent politics (one may say since JFK): he is the showman-politician. Appearances have taken over content, catchphrases are taking more importance every year. And this very video shows it: Obama is hope, he does not represent his policy in his speeches as much as his ability (without spelling out what to do!). As smart as this is in terms of electoral strategy - he rides the wave of his own success, snowballing it into something greater, "building the momentum" as he would put it himself; and he is not attacked on his policies but on his message.
Don't get me wrong - Obama's policies are not empty, nor his message devoid of meaning. What he intends to implement is easy to find on his campaign website - it is even clearer than on other politicians' manifestos. And I believe they are good policies. I just wish that political debates and speeches could be more centered on the policies than on what, ultimately, is mediatic image and PR. Hopefully, this will change after the nominations (because, after all, nominations are meant to tell who is most likely to win against the Reps, so this image-centered campaign sort of makes sense)
Now, Obama is catching up on Clinton, and supporters of each candidate are more passionate than ever. This is a positive message that America sends across the world: that they are still a nation that hopes, and that, yes they can.
Go Obama! :-)