Obama '08?

General election match-ups:

- Giuliani 50%, Clinton 44%
- Giuliani 46%, Obama 45%
- Romney 42%, Clinton 48%
- Romney 37%, Obama 50%

General Election Match-ups:

- Clinton 47%, Giuliani 40%
- Clinton 46%, McCain 41%
- Clinton 49%, Thompson 37%
- Clinton 50%, Romney 37%

- Obama 42%, Giuliani 41%
- Obama 41%, McCain 42%
- Obama 46%, Thompson 34%
- Obama 46%, Romney 32%

- Edwards 47%, Giuliani 38%
- Edwards 46%, McCain 38%
- Edwards 50%, Thompson 32%
- Edwards 50%, Romney 30%

Redraw the map with Senator Barack Obama
Charlie Burr
Every four years, the phrase bounces around election eve phone banks across the country: "This could be the closest election in our lifetime."

But a close election's the wrong way to think about our chances next year. With the right candidate and the right message, Democrats can win and win BIG. That's one of the reasons I'm supporting Senator Barack Obama for President.

More than any other candidate, Obama represents the best hope to move beyond the "fifty-plus-one" parity elections of the last two Presidential cycles. There are partisan strategic reasons for redrawing the electoral map - Republicans would rather compete on a polarized field - but also more fundamental, patriotic reasons. Simply put, we can get more done when we're not at each other's throats. And after eight years of inaction on our most critical issues, the next President will face unprecedented challenges, from climate change to health care to ending the war in Iraq.

Barack Obama is really the only candidate in either field who transcends a partisan filter. And here's the thing: he's not breaking through to Republicans, Independents, and Non-Voters by poll-driven triangulation or symbolic micro-issues, he's tapping into what David Kusnet calls "the lost art of speaking American." He's articulating a shared language of hope and opportunity while promoting our best progressive values. And he's articulating thoughtful policy priorities that you can dig into over at Barack Obama.

For some candidates, working across party lines can become an end to itself. But throughout Senator Obama's career, he's worked with members of both parties to enact legislation to promote principled social change, improve people's lives, and reform our democratic process. In Illinois, he brought Democrats and Republicans together to require videotaping of interrogations and confessions in all death penalty cases. He worked across party lines to expand children's health care, and in the U.S. Senate, he's the leading advocate for laws to crack down on Abramoff-style abuses. Long before running for President, he helped pass the some of the most sweeping ethics reforms in Illinois history.

To some D.C. insiders, Obama's years of experience in the Illinois State Senate -- his work expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit and expanding markets for clean energy -- don't really count. But take just one of the critical issues facing our country: the fight for energy independence. The progress we've made developing new sources of clean energy has been in spite of the federal government, not because of it. The states, acting as labaratories of innovation, have been where the action is. As a President with state legislative experience, Obama will take the best from the states to grow our biofuels sector, diversify our sources of home-grown power, and set our nation on a course that reduces global warming and creates a more sustainable economy.

A word about our changing media and political landscape: Next year will be unforgiving to candidates who come across too political, too slick, or too-clever-by-half. (More than any one issue, this is really the ice on Gordon Smith's wings here at home.) Voters sense Obama will look out for them, is in the race for the right reasons, and is the type of principled leader they trust in their gut.

It is also my hope that the next election be about someting larger than school uniforms and micro-politics; we should have a debate about who's best suited to repair our country's standing in the world. To date, Obama's the one who's captured the world's attention more than any other. Imagine the goodwill we'll generate as pictures of Obama's first trip to Europe or Africa bounce around the world.

This year, we've got an unusually strong Democratic field, one of the best of my lifetime. John Edwards has dumped the consultants who advised him to support the war, and he's a much stronger candidate now without them. Hillary Clinton has assembled a truly talented and seasoned staff, but ultimately, she's the one on the ballot. Both Hillary Clinton and John Edwards have learned from past mistakes. Edwards' campaign continues to innovate, and Clinton's discipline continues to impress.

But Obama is getting it right the first time. He's got the instincts, judgement and talent to take on our most challenging and complex problems. He's running the type of campaign that'll help build a solid governing majority. And he's the one best suited to repair our country's standing and moral authority in the world.

I had the opportunity to see Senator Obama a few months ago at a houseparty and rally in Tampa, part of the pivot swing area a campaign must win to take Florida. I arrived undecided and left an enthusiastic supporter. Come check him out and judge for yourself tomorrow night at the Convention Center. See you there!

Bush doesn't have anything to do with Oprabama IMO....but if you insist I'm sure Oprah's silly minions will do whatever she tells them to just like Rush Limbaugh's silly minions.

Demographics
Female: 91%
Married: 66%
Working: 64%
Homeowner: 77%
With some college education: 82%
Raising children: 42%
Average Age: 45 years old
Average HHI $80,000

I was listening to some political discussion group on the radio earlier today. They suggested that the important thing Oprah brought to the 'party' was not voters - but money.

But advantages will surely accrue from any increase in the turnout of black voters, particularly black women. After all, where electoral hankypanky has been going on by republicans, it has frequently been associated with reducing the black vote. And one could easily suppose that the african american portion of her female demographic (stats bethie notes) are the demographic you want to get to for organizing and networking in their community.