Obama '08?

McCain is wasting no time switching gears with Romney's departure. This ad from a popular website doesn't even say anything, really… except: Hillary is just too easy folks.

I've seen that same ad on A2K for almost a week now. It isn't anything that was initiated today after Romney withdrew.

Bangor Daily News (Maine)



Barack Obama will hold a "Stand for Change" rally at the Bangor Auditorium on Saturday afternoon, his campaign announced. The doors to the auditorium are set to open at 2:30 p.m.

The event is free and open to the public. Reservations are encouraged to attend the Obama event. To RSVP, visit http://me.barackobama.com/bangor.

… "What happened last night [Super Tuesday] makes Maine very important," [Democratic state party executive director, Arden Manning] said. "I'm sure both campaigns will be working hard for delegates."

… Maine House Speaker Glenn Cummings of Portland, who supports Obama, echoed Manning's sentiments.

"With the delegate vote so close, every delegate counts," Cummings said.

Balitmore Sun (Maryland)



With the presidential race shifting to Maryland, Democratic rivals Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama are moving quickly to open offices, schedule rallies and air advertisements . . .

Obama appears to be relying on a network of volunteers - and a growing number of elected officials - that the campaign said has been a year in the making.

… "There's already the energy," said Elizabeth Wilkins, director of Obama's Baltimore field office, which officially opened Tuesday on East Baltimore Street. "There's already the community activity. People were organizing on the grass-roots level, through e-mail and on Facebook."

… "We have a machine, it's a grass-roots machine," said Waskey, whose group began organizing in July. "Until a week ago, Maryland didn't factor into the political calculus for Obama, and yet, with no money, we have had thousands of supporters and are raising a ton of money."

Today, the Maryland network has organized small, scattered efforts into a structured campaign with 4,000 volunteers and seven field offices around the state, including two in Prince George's County. The national campaign has taken Maryland seriously, with ads that have been running for nearly a month in the Baltimore, Eastern Shore and Washington markets, including one aimed at young voters and another featuring Caroline Kennedy comparing the Illinois senator to her father.

…With chants of the Obama mantra, "Yes, we can" and the Spanish equivalent, "Si, se puede," Maryland Democratic politicians held a rally for Obama yesterday at the Banneker-Douglass Museum in Annapolis, emphasizing the state's role in the tight primary race.

"This is the time for Maryland to stand up," bellowed Rep. Elijah E. Cummings

Seattle Times (Washington)



The Washington campaigns for Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama ramped up Wednesday as new volunteers signed on at local headquarters and the candidates firmed up plans to visit the state.

… Barack Obama's campaign said its candidate would be in Seattle on Friday morning for a rally at KeyArena.

… Democrats aren't using the state's presidential primary on Feb. 19 to apportion delegates, so this Saturday's caucus is the only chance for voters to help pick the nominee.

… At Obama's campaign, volunteers have stepped up their door-to-door canvassing efforts, even gathering Wednesday at Seattle ferry terminals to hand out information to commuters.

… Terry Shull, who says he's never been involved in politics before this election, began volunteering for the first time Wednesday.

He spent the morning sitting elbow to elbow with about 20 other volunteers, who straddled wooden chairs, munched on M&Ms and Doritos, and called list after list of Obama supporters to remind them where they need to go on Saturday.

"I'm inspired. We have the power to cause change. And we only have three days left," Shull said, his native Southern accent seeping into his speech.

Seattle Post-Intelligencer (Washington)



Obama Power gets its fire from folks like Seattle's Peter Masundire.

… For more than a month he's been married to Obama, volunteering 35 hours or more a week as the Illinois senator's presidential bid ratchets up.

Every campaign boasts people who donate prodigious time or sweat. But political observers say one reason Obama, a relative newcomer to the national scene, has come so far, so fast, is his grass-roots strength.

… Obama comes to KeyArena Friday morning as his campaign grows: Offices for Obama have opened in Spokane, Olympia, Vancouver, Everett and Bellingham. His staff is on the ground in Wenatchee and Tri-Cities. Seattle is the site of his state headquarters.

Jeff Giertz, the official spokesman for the Obama campaign in Washington, just arrived from D.C. on Saturday. But surveying the Seattle political landscape, he had nothing but praise for the intensity of the grass-roots efforts.

Volunteers have given the campaign a crucial boost, organizing rallies, passing out literature, working phones and raising money at backyard barbecues. The paid Obama staffers will join these folks for the final push.

Capital Times (Wisconsin)



Wisconsin voters will have plenty of chances to see and hear Democratic presidential candidate U.S. Sen. Barack Obama in person before the Feb. 19 primary, Gov. Jim Doyle said Wednesday.

During a teleconference with reporters this afternoon, Doyle also said the Illinois senator's campaign has already bought TV and radio ad time in Wisconsin, so "voters are going to hear a good deal from Senator Obama."

… After two dozen primaries and party caucuses nationwide on Tuesday, Obama remained in a close race for the Democratic nomination with Clinton.

… Doyle predicted that Wisconsin will be a crucial test for both candidates because, unlike other states, the presidential primary is open to voters of all party affiliations -- Republicans, Democrats, independents, and others -- without requiring them to declare their party allegiance in advance.

Lola wrote:

And here we are, at the height of our lives finally at a point where we're in a position to accomplish some of our greatest goals. If you think we're going to sit down and let that opportunity be taken from us by our own children before their time, you are mistaken.

Well, well. If you haven't, unintentionally, unveiled the core emotion and logic, right here, that runs behind Hillary's anger about this young black man daring to challenge her, when it's finally her turn to get what is rightfully hers. I say you've neatly revealed the whole resentful core of this visceral motivation driving the Hillary camp, both candidate and many supporters.

And it sure dont look pretty

Lola has given as much as she's gotten. By her own admission; she personifies the female baby boomer Cyclo has been talking about for weeks and has the audacity to suggest the black candidate should wait in line behind the female... as if the person Barack Obama doesn't have every right to campaign for the office regardless of his age, sex or color. Absurdly self centered logic if you ask me.

Hillary was indeed the presumptive choice… but many (if not most) of us presumed a Democratic loss if the Party was somehow stupid enough to be convinced to back her... easily the single dumbest idea since nominating John Kerry… who was quite probably in the minority group of people who couldn't defeat George Bush.

I find the whole "we have money now and it's our turn" meme to be terribly offensive coming from the generation that, more than any other has spent their children and grand children's money to accumulate their personal fortunes in the first place. But NO Baby Boomer wants to talk about that. (What's Ross Perot doing these days anyway?)

Lola wrote:

What did Obama think, it would be easy? He could enter the race in which Hillary was already positioned to become the long awaited first female president and he'd win without a big battle? Did he think he could run and not violently divide the party?

Damned uppity negro!

OCCOM BILL wrote:

Lola has given as much as she's gotten. By her own admission; she personifies the female baby boomer Cyclo has been talking about for weeks and has the audacity to suggest the black candidate should wait in line behind the female... as if the person Barack Obama doesn't have every right to campaign for the office regardless of his age, sex or color. Absurdly self centered logic if you ask me.

Hillary was indeed the presumptive choice… but many (if not most) of us presumed a Democratic loss if the Party was somehow stupid enough to be convinced to back her... easily the single dumbest idea since nominating John Kerry… who was quite probably in the minority group of people who couldn't defeat George Bush.

I find the whole "we have money now and it's our turn" meme to be terribly offensive coming from the generation that, more than any other has spent their children and grand children's money to accumulate their personal fortunes in the first place. But NO Baby Boomer wants to talk about that. (What's Ross Perot doing these days anyway?)

I didn't say "black," you did. See my response to nimh above.

It's unfortunate, in my opinion, that the conflict of choosing between a female and an African American candidate has been placed on our shoulders. For many of us, both have been a priority for most of our lives. I'm not happy about how it came about. I think it could have been avoided had there been serious thought and discussion about possible unintended consequences. I think it was bad judgement and it's hard for me to forgive. It's too bad we couldn't have helped each other have it all. To me it seems evident that one race with two candidates, each from different long mistreated minority groups would evoke powerful and long suppressed emotions that would erupt into war among allies.

What, did he think he could "jump the line" that Hillary's been waiting in for the last 8 years? Quite frankly, bullshit. Nobody is entitled to the nomination.

Lola wrote:

OCCOM BILL wrote:

Lola has given as much as she's gotten. By her own admission; she personifies the female baby boomer Cyclo has been talking about for weeks and has the audacity to suggest the black candidate should wait in line behind the female... as if the person Barack Obama doesn't have every right to campaign for the office regardless of his age, sex or color. Absurdly self centered logic if you ask me.

Hillary was indeed the presumptive choice… but many (if not most) of us presumed a Democratic loss if the Party was somehow stupid enough to be convinced to back her... easily the single dumbest idea since nominating John Kerry… who was quite probably in the minority group of people who couldn't defeat George Bush.

I find the whole "we have money now and it's our turn" meme to be terribly offensive coming from the generation that, more than any other has spent their children and grand children's money to accumulate their personal fortunes in the first place. But NO Baby Boomer wants to talk about that. (What's Ross Perot doing these days anyway?)

I didn't say "black," you did. See my response to nimh above.

Eh, yes you did... but I wasn't attaching any racist sentiment to you anyway. I was pointing out how patently unfair it was for you to assume one minority should take a back seat to another for some inexplicable reason. Perhaps not inexplicable... but so far not explained.

You now state that:

Quote:

It's unfortunate, in my opinion, that the conflict of choosing between a female and an African American candidate has been placed on our shoulders. For many of us, both have been a priority for most of our lives. I'm not happy about how it came about. I think it could have been avoided had there been serious thought and discussion about possible unintended consequences. I think it was bad judgement and it's hard for me to forgive. It's too bad we couldn't have helped each other have it all. To me it seems evident that one race with two candidates, each from different long mistreated minority groups would evoke powerful and long suppressed emotions that would erupt into war among allies.

What bad judgment? What is going to be hard for you to forgive? How have you been wronged? What do you see that's wrong?



Ps. Only the Obama backers really could have reason to feel cheated, because only the Clinton campaign (at least so far) has attempted to cheat. Losing isn't the same as being cheated.

Ps. Only the Obama backers really could have reason to feel cheated, because only the Clinton campaign (at least so far) has attempted to cheat. Losing isn't the same as being cheated.

I think it was careless bad judgement to not anticipate a war between two very deserving minority groups if we we're placed in a situation in which we have to make a choice. It's like Sophie's choice. I don't appreciate being expected to choose. And further, I think it's too much to ask of any of us. It's too prone to misunderstanding and projection on all our parts. I think Obama and his supporters should have seen it coming. It was unavoidable. It's like throwing fire on a hay stack.

You may not agree with me, and I don't expect you to, if you don't. But surely you can understand what I'm saying.