Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Monday, January 28, 2008
Ted Kennedy Endorses Barack Obama
This follows Caroline Kennedy's endorsement in the New York Times:
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Two generations of Kennedys -- the Democratic Party's best known political family -- endorsed Barack Obama for president on Monday, with Sen. Edward M. Kennedy calling him a ''man with extraordinary gifts of leadership and character,'' a worthy heir to his assassinated brother.
''I feel change in the air,'' Kennedy said in remarks salted with scarcely veiled criticism of Obama's chief rival for the nomination, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, as well as her husband, the former president.
''I have marveled at his grit and grace,'' he said of the man a full generation younger than he is.
Kennedy's endorsement was ardently sought by all three of the remaining presidential contenders, and he delivered it at a pivotal time in the race. A liberal lion in his fifth decade in the Senate, the Massachusetts senator is in a position to help Obama court Hispanic voters as well as rank-and-file members of labor unions, two key elements of the Democratic Party.
He is expected to campaign actively for Obama in the days before a string of delegate-rich primaries and caucuses across 24 states on Feb. 5, beginning later this week in Arizona, New Mexico and California.
The senator made his comments at a crowded campaign rally that took on the appearances of a Kennedy family embrace of Obama, who sat smiling as he heard their praise.
He was introduced by Caroline Kennedy, daughter of the late president, who said Obama ''offers that same sense of hope and inspiration'' as did her father. Rep. Patrick Kennedy also endorsed Obama from the stage before a boisterous crowd at American University.
Read more here.
Is Bill Out of Control?
I truly believe that Bill is calling the shots in her campaign and his unchecked ego is making it difficult for her campaign strategists to keep him in check.
Senator Edward M. Kennedy was set to endorse Senator Barack
Obama for president on Monday as part of an effort to lend Kennedy charisma
and connections to Mr. Obama as he heads into a 22-state showdown with
Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton.The disclosure of the endorsement, which followed a public appeal on Mr. Obama's behalf by Caroline Kennedy, the daughter of President John F. Kennedy, was a blow to the Clinton campaign and pits leading members of the nation's most prominent Democratic families against one another.
Beginning with a joint appearance and rally in Washington on Monday, Mr. Kennedy, a major figure in party politics for more than 40 years, intends to
campaign aggressively for Mr. Obama, heading West this week, followed by
appearances in the Northeast. Strategists see him bolstering Mr. Obama's
credibility for the office and providing particular benefits with union members
and Hispanics, as well as the party base. Both the Clintons and their allies
had pressed Mr. Kennedy for weeks to remain neutral, but Mr. Kennedy had become
increasingly disenchanted with the tone of the Clinton campaign. He and former
President Bill Clinton had a heated telephone exchange earlier this month over
what Mr. Kennedy considered misleading statements by Mr. Clinton about Mr.
Obama, as well as his injection of race into the campaign.
Mr. Kennedy called Mr. Clinton on Sunday to tell him of his decision.The endorsement appears to support assertions that Mr. Clinton's campaigning on behalf of his wife in South Carolina has in some ways hurt her candidacy.
Campaign officials, without acknowledging any faults on Mr. Clinton's part, have said they will change tactics and try to shift Mr. Clinton back into the role he played
before her loss in the Iowa caucuses, emphasizing her record and experience
and steering clear of criticizing Mr. Obama.
Read the full story here.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Congressman Xavier Becerra endorses Obama
Congressman Xavier Becerra today endorsed Barack Obama for President, citing his ability to unite Americans to lead our country in a new direction. Becerra serves on the powerful House Ways and Means Committee and as the Assistant to the Speaker of the House is the highest ranking Latino in the House.
"Senator Obama is the most qualified candidate to lead our country in a new direction," said Congressman Becerra. "Throughout his 20 years in public service, Barack Obama has united and inspired people from all walks of life and from all parties to bring change we can believe in. As war rages abroad and Americans worry about what the struggling economy means for their families, we need a leader who will tell us not what we want to hear but what we need to hear about the challenges we face. Barack Obama is our strongest candidate for president because of his great crossover appeal that spans parties and regions and his unique ability to rally the American people behind a common purpose."
"Congressman Becerra has spent his career taking on the special interests to put the American Dream back in reach for working families, and I'm grateful for his endorsement," said Senator Obama. "Xavier Becerra knows that to get things done, we must reach across the aisle and bring people of all parties together to find common ground. Xavier Becerra's inspiring story demonstrates what is possible in America, and he will be a great help in our effort to build a broad coalition to solve the complex challenges that lie ahead."
Congressman Becerra represents the 31st Congressional District of California in the city of Los Angeles. Becerra is the son of working-class immigrants and was the first in his family to graduate from college. On the Ways and Means Committee, Becerra has worked to restore fairness and balance to the economy and to strengthen Social Security for women and minorities. Becerra is a former chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.
Is the Right Right about the Clintons?
Something strange happened the other day. All these different people -- friends, co-workers, relatives, people on a liberal e-mail list I read -- kept saying the same thing: They've suddenly developed a disdain for Bill and Hillary Clinton. Maybe this is just a coincidence, but I think we've reached an irrevocable turning point in liberal opinion of the Clintons.Read more here.
Haga Llamadas para Barack
Now, we need your help to keep the momentum going into February 5th! If you speak Spanish, make calls with our online calling tool to Spanish speaking voters in February 5th states:
http://my.barackobama.com/callfeb5spanish
We'll provide you with the script and the numbers to call. You can learn more and get started here: http://my.barackobama.com/callfeb5spanish
Caroline Kennedy: Barack Obama, a President Like My Father
Over the years, I’ve been deeply moved by the people who’ve told me they wished they could feel inspired and hopeful about America the way people did when my father was president. This sense is even more profound today. That is why I am supporting a presidential candidate in the Democratic primaries, Barack Obama.
My reasons are patriotic, political and personal, and the three are intertwined. All my life, people have told me that my father changed their lives, that they got involved in public service or politics because he asked them to. And the generation he inspired has passed that spirit on to its children. I meet young people who were born long after John F. Kennedy was president, yet who ask me how to live out his ideals.
Sometimes it takes a while to recognize that someone has a special ability to get us to believe in ourselves, to tie that belief to our highest ideals and imagine that together we can do great things. In those rare moments, when such a person comes along, we need to put aside our plans and reach for what we know is possible.
We have that kind of opportunity with Senator Obama. It isn’t that the other candidates are not experienced or knowledgeable. But this year, that may not be enough. We need a change in the leadership of this country just as we did in 1960.
Most of us would prefer to base our voting decision on policy differences. However, the candidates’ goals are similar. They have all laid out detailed plans on everything from strengthening our middle class to investing in early childhood education. So qualities of leadership, character and judgment play a larger role than usual.
Read more here.
Friday, January 25, 2008
WAPO Columnist Grades Obama's Economic Plan
Barack Obama: A-minus. I criticized his previous tax plan, but Obama is at the head of the class with an intelligently designed, $120 billion stimulus plan. He would speed a $250 tax credit to most workers, followed by another $250, triggered automatically, if the economy continues on its sour path. Obama would direct a similar rebate to low- and middle-income seniors, who are also apt to spend and could get checks quickly. One demerit: Obama omits any increase in food stamp benefits, which Moody's estimates would have the greatest bang for the buck, $1.73 for every dollar spent.
Hillary's doesn't make the grade:
Hillary Clinton: C-plus. Clinton, too, raised the issue early, then turned in a faulty first draft with a $70 billion stimulus plan that didn't provide much immediate stimulation. It included a $25 billion increase in the program to help low-income Americans with heating costs -- an excessive amount (the current program is under $3 billion) that probably wouldn't kick in until next winter. Even worse was her housing plan, including a five-year freeze on subprime mortgage rates that could produce higher interest rates and reduce liquidity.
Four days later, Clinton said she would immediately implement a $40 billion tax rebate plan she had put in reserve in her first draft. Fine, but overall, the Obama plan devotes a far greater percentage to spending that is more likely to jump-start the economy.
Read more here.
John Kerry Says to Stop the Swiftboating of Obama
I support Barack Obama because he doesn't seek to perfect the politics of Swiftboating -- he seeks to end it.
This is personal for me, and for a whole lot of Americans who lived through the 2004 election.
As a veteran, it disgusts me that the Swift Boats we loved while we were in uniform on the Mekong Delta have been rendered, in Karl Rove's twisted politics, an ugly verb meaning to lie about someone's character just to win an election. But as someone who cares about winning this election and changing the country I love, I know it's not enough to complain about a past we can't change when our challenge is to win the future -- which is why we must stop the Swiftboating, stop the push-polling, stop the front groups, and stop the email chain smears.
The truth matters, but how you fight the lies matters even more. We must be determined never again to lose any election to a lie.
This year, the attacks are already starting. Some of you may have heard about the disgusting lies about Barack Obama that are being circulated by email. These attacks smear Barack's Christian faith and deep patriotism, and they distort his record of more than two decades of public service. They are nothing short of "Swiftboat" style anonymous attacks.
These are the same tactics the right has used again and again, and as we've learned, these attacks, no matter how bogus, can spread and take root if they go unchecked.
But not this time -- we're fighting back.
And when I say "we," I mean that literally. I know Barack is committed to fighting every smear every time. He'll fight hard and stand up for the truth. But he can't do it alone.
We need you to email the truth to your address books. Print it out and post it at work. Talk to your neighbors. Call your local radio station. Write a letter to the editor. If lies can be spread virally, let's prove to the cynics that the truth can be every bit as persuasive as it is powerful.
The Obama campaign has created a place where you can find the truth you'll need to push back on these smears and a way to spread the truth to all of your address book.
Take action here:
http://my.barackobama.com/factcheckaction
So when your inbox fills up with trash and the emails of smear and fear, find the facts, and help defeat the lies.
Barack Obama is committed to bringing our country together to meet the challenges we face, but he knows that power gives up nothing without a struggle -- and to win the chance to change America, we must first defeat the hateful tactics that have been used to tear us apart for too long.
With your help, we can turn the page on an era of small, divisive politics -- but only if next time you hear these attacks on Barack, you take action immediately:
http://my.barackobama.com/factcheckaction
The fight is just heating up -- we won't let them steal this election with lies and distortions.
Thank you,
John Kerry
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Latinas Respond to Hillary's Attacks on Obama's Pro Choice Record
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Obama Condemns Anti-Semitism
Today, Senator Barack Obama released the following statement:
"I decry racism and anti-Semitism in every form and strongly condemn the anti-Semitic statements made by Minister Farrakhan. I assume that Trumpet Magazine made its own decision to honor Farrakhan based on his efforts to rehabilitate ex-offenders, but it is not a decision with which I agree."
Obama Gets Key Los Angeles Labor Endorsement
From the Los Angeles Times:
In a coup for Barack Obama, The Times' Robin Abcarian has learned that Los Angeles labor leader Maria Elena Durazo, one of the most sought after endorsements in local Democratic circles, will support his presidential bid.Durazo is executive secretary-treasurer of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, which represents more than 800,000 workers.
Also, this afternoon the Las Vegas Review-Journal announced in an e-mail to subscribers that it will be endorsing Obama in its Wednesday editions.
UPDATE:
Here's the full story from the Los Angeles Times:
The head of the politically powerful Los Angeles County Federation of Labor said Tuesday that she is endorsing Barack Obama for president.
The endorsement by Maria Elena Durazo is a coup for Obama that could help the Illinois senator in his uphill struggle against Hillary Rodham Clinton to win substantial support among Latino voters in Southern California. Obama has won the backing of other Los Angeles-area Latino leaders, but this is probably his biggest such endorsement yet, given the broad reach of the county labor federation.
As executive secretary-treasurer of the federation, Durazo heads an organization of more than 800,000 union members, the biggest regional labor group in California. It includes janitors, teachers, construction and hotel workers as well as supermarket and government employees.
Durazo said her endorsement, to be formally announced today, was a personal one. She is taking a leave of absence from her job to campaign for Obama through Feb. 5, when more than 20 states, including California, will conduct primaries or caucuses.
"My passion is the labor movement, and I believe very strongly that Sen. Obama is very clear about his support for workers who want to organize, workers who want to lift themselves out of poverty, and also protect good middle-class jobs," Durazo said in a phone interview before taking an evening flight to Nevada, where she will work for Obama through the state's Saturday caucuses.
"On a personal level, he really embodies the slogan we use a lot, Cesar Chavez's 'SÃ, se puede.' (Yes, we can.") He has proved it by the way he inspires voters, the way he mobilizes."
Read more here.
Rangel Regrets Comments on Obama
The chickens come home...
I think we're going to see a lot of backtracking and regrets from the bought-and-paid-for black Clinton spokespeople.
Evidently Charlie Rangel has some regrets about attributing a statement to Obama that he never said. From MSNBC:
In an interview on MSNBC, Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-NY) was asked by Norah O'Donnell whether he regretted the recent comments he made that it was “absolutely stupid” and “absolutely dumb” for Obama “to infer that Dr. King, alone, passed the legislation and signed it into law” -- something Obama never actually said- as well as calling into question Obama's motives for disclosing his adolescent drug use in his book."You bet your life I do,” Rangel replied, “because I really don't believe that as proud as I am that my country and my party has elevated a woman and an African American to the presidency, if there's anything that I can erase, swallow, wish that it didn't happen so that we can get on with the important issues, that's where I'd like to be."
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Obama Movement Taps into "Can-Do" Spirit
On a picture-perfect college green in the Old South, framed by live oaksRead the full article from The Associated Press
dripping with Spanish moss, Barack Obama is talking about pioneers and
immigrants, about slaves and suffragettes, about the can-do spirit that
Americans used to have.
And somewhere in a screaming sea of 4,000, Arlene Estevez is pondering a parable: When a man asked for help, she remembers, God sent a rope. Then a ladder. When both went unused, He took them back.
"The world has seemed so hopeless. It's like there was nobody there to help us up and
help us out," she says. "To me, (Obama is) the rope and the ladder. It's our
opportunity right now, and I'm not going to miss it."
Nebraska Sen. Ben Nelson Endorses Obama
Obama Plans to Help Struggling Homeowners
"We're going to put money in the pockets of hardworking Americans who deserve it. That's what I'm fighting for," Obama told hotel and restaurant workers packed into the steamy union hall of the Culinary Workers Union, Local 226. The Illinois senator said he identified with their economic hardships.
Read the full article from The Associated Press
Monday, January 14, 2008
Obama Announces Economic Stimulus Plan
Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine and Former Secretary of Commerce Bill Daley say plan will help jumpstart the economy; call for immediate implementation
CHICAGO, IL - Barack Obama today unveiled a plan to revitalize the economy in the short-term with a stimulus package that will immediately inject $75 billion into the economy in the form of tax cuts and direct spending targeted to working families, seniors, homeowners and the unemployed. The plan also includes $45 billion in reserves that can be injected into the economy quickly in the future if the economy continues to deteriorate. Obama will discuss the plan later today at events in Nevada.
"The time has come to bridge the growing divide between Main Street and Wall Street," said Barack Obama. "The American Dream is slipping out of reach for many families whose paychecks aren't meeting the increased costs of their medical bills and tuition payments. Four months ago I said it was time to put a middle-class tax cut worth $1000 per family into the pockets of workers who deserve it. A tax cut that would eliminate income taxes for seniors who make under $50,000. We can't wait for the next president to act. We need that middle-class tax cut now more than ever – not five months from now or five weeks from now, but now. I'm announcing a plan to jumpstart the economy by putting money in the pockets of those who need it most and will spend it quickly."
"Strengthening our economy and creating good-paying jobs will be Barack Obama's priority from the day he takes office," said Governor Tim Kaine, who held a conference call with reporters to discuss the plan. "But we must act today. Barack Obama has offered a plan that will restore fairness to the economy and ensure that hard-working Americans can provide for their families and save for their future. Barack Obama offers us the best chance to revitalize our economy because he has the strength to unite Democrats, independents, and Republicans to pass reforms that will invest in all of America."
Barack Obama's Plan to Stimulate the Economy and Protect American Families Would:
Provide an immediate $250 tax cut for workers and their families.
Provide an immediate, temporary $250 bonus to seniors in their Social Security checks.
Provide an additional $250 tax cut to workers and an additional $250 to seniors if the economy continues to worsen
Provide relief to homeowners hit by the housing crisis.
Provide aid to states hardest-hit by the housing crisis to avoid a slash in services.
Extend and expand Unemployment Insurance.
Barack Obama's economic stimulus plan will inject $75 billion of stimulus into the economy by getting money in the form of tax cuts and direct spending directly to the people who need it most. Obama's proposal will immediately provide stimulus using means that do not require lengthy governmental or administrative delays. The plan also reserves an additional $45 billion of stimulus that can be injected into the economy quickly in the future if the economy continues to deteriorate.
A fact sheet detailing Obama's stimulus plan is available
HERE.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Edwards Weighs in on Clinton MLK Statements
Here is John Edwards' statement on Hillary's MLK stumble:
Read more here."As someone who grew up in the segregated South, I feel an enormous amount of pride when I see the success that Sen. Barack Obama is having in this campaign," Edwards said during an appearance at Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church in Sumter, S.C.
Edwards continued: "I must say I was troubled recently to see a suggestion that real change came not through the Rev. Martin Luther King, but through a Washington politician. I fundamentally disagree with that. Those who believe that real change starts with Washington politicians have been in Washington too long -- and are living in a fairy tale."
Barack Obama on Clinton MLK Statement
Evidently, the fact that Hillary Clinton made a stupid statement about Martin Luther King, Jr. is somehow Obama's fault.
Here is Obama's response:
What we saw this morning is why the American people are tired of Washington politicians and the games they play. But Senator Clinton made an unfortunate remark, an ill advised remark, about King and Lyndon Johnson. I didn’t make the statement. I haven’t remarked on it and she I think offended some folks who felt that somehow diminished King’s role in bringing about the Civil Rights Act. She is free to explain that, but the notion that somehow this is our doing is ludicrous.Read more here.
I have to point out that instead of telling the American people about her positive vision for America, Senator Clinton spent an hour talking about me and my record in a way that was flat out wrong. She suggested that I didn’t clearly and unambiguously oppose the war in Iraq when it is absolutely clear and anyone who has followed this knows that I did. I stood up against the war when she was voting for it, at a time when she didn’t read the intelligence reports or give diplomacy a chance. She belittled the most sweeping ethics reform since Watergate despite the fact that she stood on the sidelines during that negotiations on that bill.
I have to say that she started this campaign saying that she wanted to make history and lately she has been spending a lot of time rewriting it. I know that in Washington it is acceptable to say or do anything it takes to get elected but I really don’t think that is the kind of politics that is good for our party and I don’t think it is good for our country and I think that the American people will reject it in this election.
What I want to do is spend talking about how we are going to make sure that people who are losing their jobs get work. How are we going to make sure that our young people are going to afford college? How are we going to make sure that the sub-prime lending crisis does not lead to an all out recession? How are we going to create the kind of foreign policy that allows us to bring our troops home and makes us safer and goes after a genuine terrorist threat? Those are the issues that we are going to spend time talking about in this campaign and if Senator Clinton wants to be distracted by the sorts of political point scoring that was evident today then that is going to be her prerogative.
Clinton Supporters Try to Block Nevada Caucuses
The teachers union has drawn knives on the Culinary Workers, deepening the potential political rifts over Nevada’s Jan. 19 Democratic caucus.
A lawsuit filed late Friday in federal court seeks to stop the Democratic Party from holding caucus meetings at nine Strip hotels, which would diminish the influence of casino workers and hamper Illinois Sen. Barack Obama’s campaign.
The complaint, with the state teachers union and some party activists as plaintiffs, came as Obama accepted the endorsement of the Culinary Union. The timing seemed designed to cloud the good buzz from his campaign, which could only help Sen. Hillary Clinton’s efforts in the state.
The lawsuit claims that those voting in at-large precincts being held on the Strip would have too much weight compared with those voting at their polling places, violating the equal protection law of the U.S. Constitution. It also claims the at-large precincts violate state statute in the way they were drawn.
State Democratic Party officials disputed the lawsuit’s contentions.
“This has been a fully transparent process,” party spokeswoman Kirsten Searer said. “These rules have been approved by the Democratic National Committee and the campaigns have been fully informed throughout this process, which started in May.
Read more here
Los Angeles Democratic Leaders Endorse Barack Obama
Amid cheers at a City Hall rally, six Southland leaders endorsed Democratic Illinois Sen. Barack Obama Wednesday, saying he is the only presidential candidate who will unite voters.
Obama, who placed second in yesterday's New Hampshire primary behind Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, picked up the support of Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Pasadena; former Rep. Mel Levine; Assemblyman Ted Lieu, D-El Segundo; Los Angeles City Councilman Bernard Parks; West Hollywood Mayor John Duran and Los Angeles County Supervisor Yvonne B. Burke.
"This week, we have seen change in America. We have seen a total reestablishment of the belief of the American people in the electoral and political processes," Burke said.
"We have seen the young people who believed there was no place for them in elections or government or politics. They (now) believe there is a place for them."
Read more here.
Letter from South Carolina
We left Chattanooga, TN at 4:30 AM this morning and drove over 4 hours to Greenville, SC. It was there, you could really see the movement.... moving....
I have never been involved with a campaign before, For the first time in my life I knocked on strangers doors, I called people I didn't know, and went outside my comfort zone. Never have I felt an urge to do this until now...
In an old school house room over 20 of us who had never met each other came together and shared our stories of why we had come. Black and white, old and young, men and women - this was an odd couple and an incredibly diverse crowd but it turned out we had so much more in common than any of us realized.
And that's the the key to the movement. It's empowering us as individuals to realize that we can organize (just like Barack did in the streets of Chicago). Except this time, we are all part of a grand experiment that is not only happening on the streets of one city in one state, but in many cities, in many states all across our country. Ordinary people ARE doing extraordinary things - completely evident when we meet others who have driven 8 hours, 12 hours just to come volunteer. When the organizer says she's had two hours of sleep and forgot to each lunch. When the volunteers making calls, cutting lists and preparing for the next day take a break because they had a late meeting (until 3am). Some of these folks were like me...never been involved before...and here they are now doing extraordinary things.
Barack Obama is teaching us how to organize like he did, how to cross our divide and work with people we didn't work with before because find something in common and that helps us solve problems. I believe this is his strategy as President and that's why I am voting and volunteering as much as I can. Because if he can do in Washington D.C. what he did on the streets of Chicago and what he's doing now in the streets of Greenville, SC and did in Iowa and New Hampshire - then that's all the EXPERIENCE I need because that all the CHANGE I am hoping for.
No matter the outcome of this grassroots movement, Barack Obama is shaking up the system, challenging politics as usual and doing something much bigger than running for President.
He's giving us our country back.
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Arizona Gov. Napolitano Endorses Obama
Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano endorsed Democrat Barack Obama for president on Friday, citing his message of hope in supporting his candidacy over rivals Hillary Rodham Clinton and John Edwards. Napolitano visited the Obama campaign office in Phoenix and joined him in a conference call with reporters.Read more here.
"This endorsement is based on my belief in your leadership and vision and the fact that we need a new message of hope and solidarity of coming together in Washington, D.C.," Napolitano said.
The endorsement is a major gain for Obama in his race against chief foe Clinton. Napolitano, one of several female governors, is the most prominent Democrat in Arizona. Her endorsement could be significant in a state now regarded as winnable by a Democrat after decades as a near-lock for Republicans; the state holds its primary Feb. 5.
Questions from reporters focused on what role Napolitano could conceivably play in an Obama administration.
"I don't want to prejudge or put her on the spot. Let me just say this _ I think she is enormously talented ..." Obama said.
Nebraska Senator Nelson Endorses Obama
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) -- Presidential hopeful Barack Obama won the endorsement Saturday of U.S. Sen. Ben Nelson, a popular moderate in largely Republican Nebraska who said he believes Obama has ability to bridge the partisan divide and to carry Democratic candidates across the country to victory in 2008. Nelson, pledging his support for his Illinois colleague, said Obama has "the greatest potential to ending the bitterness and poisonous atmosphere in Washington."
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Letter from New Hampshire
Note to campaign: We need to get Michelle to cry, too. Or at least start "speaking from the heart" like Hillary is starting to.
Blech.
Here's a letter from a New Hampshire volunteer.
I'm sure emotions are running wild, so I thought I'd drop a quick note from
New Hampshire before I crash for the night.I spent the day canvasing from 9
AM
until 8 PM when the polls closed. Before 9 AM I spent 2.5 hours
getting visibility set up at our polling places. We had a wonderful field
organizer, a terrific set of local volunteers, and a bunch of great kids who
came in from various places for the final push. On the day before Iowa, the
various polls had us basically tied with Hillary at around 33% of the vote.
Today we got 37% of the vote in a record turnout. So, what went "wrong?"
Expectations. The post-Iowa polls shows an unsustainable emotional bounce.
From what I saw here on the ground there were several factors.The emotional
moment definitely persuaded some female voters. That disappoints me a great
deal, but based on the people my wife and I talked to at various points over
the past day, it is undeniable that this had an effect. Look at the gender
demographics in Iowa versus New Hampshire, and you'll see that Hillary
pulled in many more women in NH. Part of this is cultural, but you can also
see that Edwards lost many women compared to Iowa, and Hillary gained all of
those. Barack's numbers among women stayed steady.What happened to the
Biden/Dodd supporters? My guess is that their initial gut reaction was to
swing to Barack Obama with the bandwagon effect. It was inevitable that some
would change their minds and go to other candidates. It's kind of natural,
when you think about it, that the supporters of the candidates who had that
much experience went with the establishment "safe" choice. McCain's surge in
New Hampshire came at our expense by siphoning off independents. So, there
you have it nice and simple. Probably too simple, but close enough. Just
remember that we did better than anybody expected on January 2, and much,
much better than anybody dreamed back in August. Keep up the good work. I
need to get more than 5 hours of sleep one of these night.I hereby pass the
baton to our friends in South Carolina.
Roy
Clinton Squeaks New Hampshire Win
The race is on!!!
See you in Nevada.
Large Voter Turnout in New Hampshire
The New Hampshire Secretary of State's office is in the process of locating extra ballots to ship to towns that have expressed concern that supplies are running low. The concern is primarily on the Democratic side, officials say.
"The towns that are calling now are experiencing heavy turnout, and see their piles of ballots starting to drop at a rate faster than they're comfortable with," said Deputy Secretary of State Dave Scanlan. "They're also stating to us that it's the Democratic ballots that have them more concerned than the Republican ballots."
Scanlan said the office is in the process of locating overrun ballots, and will courier them to the towns that say they are running low.
Hillary's "Ace in the Hole"
How insulting against Latinos. Obama's support comes from all colors, all backgrounds.
Let's just name this one "unlikely."
Letter from New Hampshire
Obama clobbered them all and Clinton didn't get one vote. Eight of the 12 independents chose to vote in the Democratic primary.
Things are going crazy here. Spent the last several days door knocking and will do the same today to get the vote out. Independents seem to be flocking to Obama based on my door knocking so keep your fingers crossed. Independents make up about 40 percent of the electorate in NH and it seems, based on news reports, that a majority will choose to vote in the Democratic primary.
Most of the population live in the southern part of the state. Obama is expected to run best in these areas. The southwest corner, around the city of Keene is liberal and he should rock there. He should also run really well in Nashua, in southern NH, where the better educated, Volvo driving, higher income voters live.
Manchester is the largest city in Manchester and is very blue collar. The Boston Globe said to watch this city to see how Obama does with blue collar, and working class voters, and to get a glimpse to see if he can put a coalition together that is larger than what he put together in Iowa.
It should be an exciting day and I plan on enjoying it.
Robert
Expected culinary workers endorsement could put Obama over the top in Nevada
Obama wins New Hampshire.
Then comes Nevada, which is all about the union endorsements, since it's a caucus and it's easier to have folks show up to caucus with union backing because they will help get voters to the caucus.
And the unions have held back wanting to see who will be the winner before they endorse. And since Obama will be the winner, he will get the endorsements.
From The Raw Story:
Stick a fork in her, she's done.That's the message expected for Hillary Clinton as a crucial union endorsement in Las Vegas is set to go to Barack Obama, who seems headed for an inevitable victory in Tuesday's New Hampshire primary.
The Culinary Workers union, which represents thousands of workers at massive Las Vegas hotel/casinos will endorse Obama Wednesday, Tim Russert reported on MSNBC as New Hampshire voters were heading to the polls.
After Nevada is South Carolina, with a 50% African-American vote. The black voters there are energized because of Obama's Iowa and New Hampshire victories, so they turn out and vote.
So Obama comes rolling into February 5 (aka "Tsunami Tuesday") with a clear mandate, having won all the early states.
Sunday, January 6, 2008
The Obama Surge Is Real!
Two days before New Hampshire's Democratic primary, Sen. Barack Obama has opened a double-digit lead over Sen. Hillary Clinton in that state, a new CNN-WMUR poll found Sunday.Obama, the first-term senator from Illinois who won last week's Iowa caucuses, led the New York senator and former first lady 39 percent to 29 percent in a poll conducted Saturday and Sunday -- a sharp change from a poll out Saturday that showed the Democratic front-runners tied at 33 percent.
Support for former Sen. John Edwards, who edged out Clinton for second place in Iowa, dropped from 20 percent in Saturday's poll to 16 percent.
...Obama also appears to be pulling even with Clinton among women, a voting block that she once dominated in the polls. And when asked which candidate has the best chance of beating the Republican presidential nominee, likely Democratic primary voters now choose Obama over Clinton 42 percent to 31 percent.
That's a dramatic reversal from the last CNN/WMUR New Hampshire poll taken after Christmas and just before the Iowa caucuses, when Clinton beat Obama in electability by a two to one margin
Hillary Holds Back on Negative Ads
MANCHESTER, N.H. — Sen. Hillary Clinton’s strategists, desperate for a win in New Hampshire, have decided against unleashing attack ads against Sen. Barack Obama before Tuesday’s primary, Democratic sources said.
The senator’s aides concluded that negative advertising would not work in the compressed time frame between Iowa and New Hampshire, adding to their worries about their ability to change a media and political environment that is embracing Obama as a historic figure. The campaign also worries that fallout from an all-out attack on Obama could harm Clinton’s plans to turn the Democratic race into a grueling marathon.
“You can’t launch a negative ad and expect that it’s going to be effective over a three-day period,” said a Democratic strategist familiar with the campaign’s thinking. “And the blowback could be significant.”
Hillary, here's a suggestion: If I were you, I would cut my losses, cozy up to Obama and angle for a cabinet postion.
Clinton Campaign vs. Obama Movement
The difference between the two candidates is the difference between a campaign operation and a generational movement.
Read more here.MILFORD, N.H. — In politics there are operations and movements.
There is an operation in every campaign and the best one always wins. Unless it comes up against a movement.
Operations understand the fundamentals of a campaign and execute them with awe-inspiring precision — everything from the candidate’s message and TV ads, to voter identification and mobilization, to interest group wooing and massaging, to on-site bunting and balloons.
In a national campaign this is a massive undertaking. Getting all these fundamentals right signals important attributes about a future president: discipline, organization, vision and diligence — they always have and always will.
Movements, however, are different and they can sometimes rise up and challenge superior political operations. Movements possess passionate supporters, one or two over-arching causes and a leader with genuine charisma who can attract people even without the well-financed voter identification efforts possessed by a rival’s “operation.”
Movements can be powerful and movements can win. But in my experience, most movements die because they can’t sustain themselves against the overwhelming pressure applied by a superior national “operation.”
I’ve witnessed the following movements come and go: Dean in 2004, Pat Buchanan in 1996 and Ross Perot in 1992.
They all lost. In fact, they didn’t come close. They touched a chord, drew big crowds, attracted massive press coverage and even drove important issues into the debate (Dean the Iraq war, Buchanan trade, Perot the deficit). But they all lost to the superior operations because one or many things broke down, chief among them the leader’s inability to broaden the audience beyond the original “movement” believers.
What we are seeing in the Democratic race for the presidency, I am now convinced, is a movement that may in fact succeed.
It is the Obama movement.
Obama Leads Clinton 38% to 26% in New Hampshire
Jan. 6 (Bloomberg) -- Barack Obama, who won the Iowa caucuses, leads Hillary Clinton in New Hampshire by 12 percentage points among likely voters in the Jan. 8 Democratic presidential primary, according to an American Research Group Inc. poll.
Obama, an Illinois senator, led with 38 percent, over Clinton, who received 26 percent support in the American Research Group poll, which has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points. The survey of 600 likely Democratic primary voters was conducted yesterday and Jan. 4 via telephone.
Obama had trailed Clinton by 4 percentage points in a Jan. 1-3 poll, when he had 31 percent support. Clinton's support waned from 35 percent in the previous poll, after she finished third in the Iowa caucuses behind Obama and former North Carolina senator John Edwards.
Letter from New Hampshire
From Friday :
I have not stopped working since I arrived at the Obama Headquarters in Manchester. I worked the phone bank 8 hours straight. It's exciting here...everyone is on a high...volunteers from everywhere are coming in by hundreds; even high school students are participating in this event. I'm so amazed at the response from Obama's Iowa win. It's all canvassing and phone banking! I can't wait for tomorrow; another long day with much to do!
And Saturday's report:
Today was quite interesting. I went out canvassing, through the snow, up the hills, knocking from door to door, and it was successful. I was able to get some undecided to support Obama by telling them that I traveled all the way from Florida to be a part of this historical effort. I was amused by those who thought that I was crazy for being here "suffering through the cold weather" just to get this man in the oval office. I have learned so much today on how to approach people and talk to the undecided. It was a long day...! I am now resting and will send updates whenever time permits. Take care and continue spreading the message of change!
They're all Trying to Play Obama's Game
And if I had a dollar for every time someone said the word "change," I'd be independently wealthy.
Then it occurred to me: They're all trying to play Obama's game. Each and every candidate, both Democrat and Republican are trying to dance to HIS tune and they're singing the "Change" Hallelujah Chorus.
The only problem is he's making up the steps so they can't really follow along. (But they're trying. Did anyone really believe that there was a crowd of young people screaming "Hillary" outside the debate...right in front of the cameras? Can you say "prop"?)
My question to you is: How did a "junior senator from Illinois" do this? Amazing, isn't it?
Saturday, January 5, 2008
Friday, January 4, 2008
Judge Obama by His Laws
People who complain that Barack Obama lacks experience must be unaware of his legislative achievements. One reason these accomplishments are unfamiliar is that the media have not devoted enough attention to Obama's bills and the effort required to pass them, ignoring impressive, hard evidence of his character and ability.Read more here.Since most of Obama's legislation was enacted in Illinois, most of the evidence is found there -- and it has been largely ignored by the media in a kind of Washington snobbery that assumes state legislatures are not to be taken seriously. (Another factor is reporters' fascination with the horse race at the expense of substance that they assume is boring, a fascination that despite being ridiculed for years continues to dominate political journalism.)
I am a rarity among Washington journalists in that I have served in a state legislature. I know from my time in the West Virginia legislature that the challenges faced by reform-minded state representatives are no less, if indeed not more, formidable than those encountered in Congress. For me, at least, trying to deal with those challenges involved as much drama as any election. And the "heart and soul" bill, the one for which a legislator gives everything he or she has to get passed, has long told me more than anything else about a person's character and ability.
Inside the numbers
A Democrat can't win by just appealing to Democrats, which is where Hillary and Edwards are pretty much stuck. Obama brought in NEW voters who had never caucused before, thereby raising the number of voting DEMOCRATS in Iowa to almost twice the number of Republicans.
If Obama can do this across the nation, then the Democrats would be in a secure position to take the presidency. The Oblogger has written extensively about Obama's electability.
Here are the numbers from the latest Zogby poll. Obama is the one who is the hardest to beat:
A new Zogby poll shows that Barack Obama is the most electable of the top three Democratic candidates, followed by John Edwards and Hillary Clinton.
Of the three Dems, Obama is the only one to beat five Republicans in all match-ups. Hillary loses to Mike Huckabee, Rudy Giuliani and John McCain, while Edwards can beat Huckabee but loses to Giuliani and McCain.
The full numbers are available after the jump.
Obama (D) 53%, Romney (R) 35%
Obama (D) 47%, Huckabee (R) 42%
Obama (D) 48%, Giuliani (R) 39%
Obama (D) 47%, McCain (R) 43%
Obama (D) 52%, Thompson (R) 36%Clinton (D) 46%, Romney (R) 44%
Huckabee (R) 48%, Clinton (D) 43%
Giuliani (R) 46%, Clinton (D) 42%
McCain (R) 49%, Clinton (D) 42%
Clinton (D) 48%, Thompson (R) 42%Edwards (D) 50%, Romney (R) 38%
Edwards (D) 47%, Huckabee (R) 41%
Giuliani (R) 45%, Edwards (D) 44%
McCain (R) 46%, Edwards (D) 42%
Edwards (D) 51%, Thompson (R) 35%
Simply put: If the Democrats want to WIN the White House, they would rally around Obama as the nominee. Hillary Clinton is a sure loser. Her negatives and polling numbers put her in the same realm as John Kerry, able to win the Democratic nomination, unable to win the presidency.
Also, Hillary does not have the capacity to cross over. Republicans can't stand her. And you can't even count on the woman vote, because as Iowa demonstrated last night, Obama pulled from more women voters than Hillary.
Here are the numbers from the Iowa caucus:
To: Interested Parties
From: The Obama Campaign
RE: Inside the Numbers of Obama’s Win in Iowa
DA: January 4, 2008
Last night, Barack Obama made history in Iowa with a dramatic and decisive victory. He won by bringing an unprecedented number of voters into the process, including thousands of Republicans and Independents who registered as Democrats in order to support Obama.
The entrance polls show just how dominating Obama’s win was and dispel some myths about his candidacy.
http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/primaries/results/epolls /#val=IADEM Some facts:
- Obama beat Clinton among women 35% to 30%
- Obama beat Edwards among voters in union households 30%-24%
- Obama beat Clinton and Edwards among voters of almost every income level (Obama and Clinton tied among voters who make $15-30,000)
- As many voters age 17-29 as voters 65 and older participated last night -- in previous years senior participation has been 5-times greater than younger voters.
- Obama beat Edwards and Clinton among voters who want change (51%-20%-19%)
- Despite countless attacks and hundreds of thousands of dollars in negative mail, TV, and radio, Obama beat Clinton and Edwards (34%-30%-27%) among voters who say health care is the most important issue
- Obama won among those who said the economy was the most important issue (36%-26%-26%)
- Obama won over Clinton and Edwards (35%-26%-17%) among those who said Iraq was the most important issue
- Won across the ideological spectrum – winning among liberals, moderates and conservatives
- Won among high income and lower income voters among voters with household income below $50,000 (34%-32%-19%) and among those over $50,000 (41%-19%-28%)
- Also won among the 82% of voters who said Pakistan was “very or somewhat important”
If the Democrats want to win, they would stop being stuck on race and rush to vote for Obama as the nominee.
Watching Hillary in New Hampshire
Only problem is, all the college kids she put back there look bored. I saw one guy actually yawn.
Inspiring.....NOT!!!
Ode to Barack Obama
Letter from an Iowa Volunteer
By now everyone has seen the results on CNN, MSNBC or any number of news outlets. From the frontlines in Iowa the results are just as fabulous for Obama. A college friend of mine who grew up in Iowa but never caucused went with me to her precinct tonight. I was excited and to keep our mouths from freezing we chatted about the process and how things ran in 2000 and 204 when I caucused in Johnson County, IA. As we walked into the front door of Mark Twain Elementary school someone was directing people.
Ironically, Republicans to the left and Democrats to the right.
The lines to register for the Democratic caucus were down the hallway and around the corner nearly to the other end (god bless same day voter registration!) and that was at 6:15 and the lines were closed at 7. The Democrats were literally packed into the gymnasium. There was a record breaking 424 people in attendance, even with the nearly a foot and a half of snow on the ground and below freezing temperatures. (So no more excuses Washingtonians!) Obama's campaign was set up to gather right as you entered the gym. As I looked at the crowd I was amazed by the sheer number of people in attendance, but also that the Obama crowd took up half of the gym.
7 pm. The caucus officially started and the precinct caucus chair read a letter from the Iowa Democratic Party Chair. Once the end of the line had registered and the last voter credentialed it was time to get down to the business at hand. One tiny problem. The room was far too small. There were so many people in attendance, that some caucus goers were lining the hallway. So it was decided to take the campaigns that were viable for at least one delegate to separate classrooms so that accurate counts could be taken. Obama's supporters took up 2 classrooms and the length of the hallway. Clinton had one classroom, as did Edwards. The threshold was 64 votes to receive a delegate. First count had Biden - 15, Clinton - 81, Dodd - 10, Edwards - 67, Gravel - 0, Kucinich -17, Obama - 192, Richardson - 25, and about 20 undecideds.
8:05 pm - 30 minutes for Second Redistribution started. Lots of people had questions about the basic math. And I was in charge of one of the Obama rooms, so I explained that you calculate the number of delegates by following the formula: (# of votes for candidate x # of delegates for precinct) / total # voters credentialed. Meanwhile, back in the gym people who were passionate for Obama spoke with those who either undecided or were supporting candidates that were not viable.
8:35 pm - Second redistribution counting began. Final count: Clinton - 88 (1 delegate), Edwards - 101 (1 delegate), Obama - 217 (5 delegates). According to the caucus rules a third distribution was required however seeing that there were no undecided voters remaining and all campaign representatives felt that the numbers were not going to drastically change the outcome the third count was considered to be consistent with the second. All parties agreed and Roberts rules of order was followed so there were no challenges to the votes.
So the final results were 53% Obama, 25% Edwards, 22% Clinton.
Kelly from Iowa, signing off and heading for warmer (albeit rainy) weather on Saturday.
Fired Up! Ready to GO!
Eugene Robinson on Barack's Victory
Iowa News
(1) Obama and Huckabee Enjoy Huge Night in Iowa
Mark Preston, Peter Hamby, Dana Bash and Candy Crowley-CNN
http://www.cnn.com/2008
(2) Obama and Clinton Face Crucial Test in New Hampshire
Beth Fouhy-Associated Press
http://ap.google.com/article
(3) Obama Storms into New Hampshire
James Ridgeway-Guardian-UK
http://blogs.guardian.co.uk
(4) Obama's Victory Upends His Party's Politics
Peter Wallstein-Los Angeles Times
http://www.latimes.com/news
(5) Opening Triumph for Obama a Setback for Clinton
Anne Davies-The Age-Australia
http://www.theage.com.au/news
(6) Democrats Voted for Change-GOP for Faith and Values
CNN
http://edition.cnn.com/2008
(7) Iowans Pick Obama and Huckabee Endorsing Change
Linda Feldmann-Christian Science Monitor
http://www.csmonitor.com/2008
(8) Obama and Huckabee Win in Iowa
Michael Tackett-Chicago Tribune-Senior Correspondent
http://www.chicagotribune.com
(9) Pandemonium in the Air at Democratic Caucus
Mary Anne Ostrom-San Jose Mercury News
http://origin.mercurynews.com
(10) An Earthquake in the Midwest
David Broder-Washington Post-The Trail-Daily Diary of Campaign 2008
http://blog.washingtonpost.com
(11) Clinton Aides Hint Now Things Will Get Nasty Focusing on Obama
Andrew Malcolm-Los Angeles Times
http://latimesblogs.latimes
Thursday, January 3, 2008
News Will Come in Fast!!!
Des Moines, IA (Reuters) - Democrat Barack Obama surged to a 4 point lead over John Edward in Iowa, with Hillary Clinton fading to third place just hours before the first presidential nominating contest, according to a Reuters/C-SPAN/Zogby poll released on Thursday.Obama and Edwards gained ground overnight in the tracking poll, and Clinton fell four points to third place - a finish that, if it held, would deal a dramatic setback to the one-time Democratic front-runner.The new Zogby tracking poll shows a clear break toward Obama and away from Hillary.
If Obama beats Hillary by 7% in "Iowa", it's a landslide and Obama has a whole new narrative that says: "Iowa proves Obama can bring together a governing coalition that can end the partisan gridlock and change our country and the world." However, this is based on the 2004 turn out model. If a few Independents, youth and Republicans show up for Obama on top of this, the entire world will be much different tomorrow morning."There is a clear Clinton fade," pollster John Zogby said. "None of it has been dramatic, but it has been steady."
Obama 32%, Clinton 25%, Edwards 24% - Des Moines Register's Final ('Golden') PollDemocratic presidential candidate Barack Obama has widened his lead in Iowa over Hillary Clinton and John Edwards heading into Thursday's nominating caucuses, according to The Des Moines Register's final Iowa Poll before the 2008 nominating contests, also referred to as the "Golden Poll".The findings mark the largest lead of any of the Democratic candidates in the Register's poll all year, showing Obama with a lead larger than the survey's margin of sampling error, which is plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.
Obama Grabs Lead In Iowa
Real Clear Politics Iowa Average: Obama +4.2
Intrade Real Time Quotes To Win IowaObama 61%, Clinton 24%, Edwards 15%
Biden Aide: "Right now, Obama gets our support because we're more inline with his vision of foreign policy than any of the other candidates, and besides, we like him and how he's run his campaign."Biden Likely To Throw Support To Obama
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/beverly-davis/obama-on-track -to-win-cau_b_79308.html
Iowa Caucus Live Update on Google
http://aposterisk.com/2008/01/03/election-2008-iowa-caucus-live-results-map/
Iowa Caucus Today!!!
www.iowa.barackobama.com to find their caucus location.
Republicans and independents who wish to support Barack can change their party affiliation at the polls to Democratic.
6:30pm tonight!!!
