Sunday, March 16, 2008

This Week With Barack Obama, March 9-15, 2008

cross-posted @ Daily Kos and One Million Strong


obama in fairless hills, pa, march 11, 2008

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Obama Wins Mississippi. But the real story is IOWA!!!
Barack Obama won Mississippi.

This would be Mr. Obama’s second straight victory — he won the Wyoming caucuses over the weekend — enabling him to rebound from a trio of popular vote losses to Mrs. Clinton in Texas, Ohio and Rhode Island.

In other words Obama was able to rebound after the Wyoming Caucus and Mississippi win, but the shocker is what has been going on at the Iowa County Convention.

Sen. Barack Obama picked up nine more pledged delegates in Iowa, state Democratic officials said late Saturday night, as thousands took part in county conventions.

All but one of the delegates had been among the 14 won Jan. 3 by former senator John Edwards, who has since dropped out of the Democratic presidential race. Election-night projections showed Obama getting 16 delegates and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton 15.

This means all the gains and then some from Clinton was erased by the added delegates from Iowa and the Wyoming, Mississippi wins.

And for the mathematicians out there, this means that Senator Hillary Clinton must win 65% upward of the remaining contests to draw even to Obama in the pledged delegate count.
Plouffe said the Obama campaign's numbers show that Clinton must win 65 percent of pledged delegates available in the 10 remaining contests (not counting Michigan or Florida) to overtake the Illinois senator.

"We are running out of real estate here in the contest," Plouffe said.

In other words, Clinton is running out of time. Let us be frank and honest here, Hillary Clinton will not catch Barack Obama in the pledged delegate count. This count will even include Michigan and Florida if she won those states 60/40, it won’t happen.

The Democratic Party Rules are winning by pledged delegates in each state. It is not by popular vote. That is the fact.

Barack Obama has met every litmus test out there and he is winning as follows:

a) Delegates
b) Primaries
c) Caucuses
d) Money Raised
e) Donors
f) Votes from big states
g) Popular votes
h) Senator endorsements
i) Governor endorsements
j) Most states won

Again, the Clinton Campaign can try to spin this as Congresswoman Nita Lowery (D-NY) tried to imply on Meet the Press (full MTP is here) that Obama and Clinton are even? Tell that to people who are looking at the numbers. That spin is not being swallowed.

Lastly, a look at the popular vote. It is important but is not the metric for this primary season. To ask superdelegates to look only at the popular vote and big state votes is ridiculous. Why? What about Iowa, Minnesota, Colorado, etc.? These are caucus states and their votes will not count, not in the land of Hillary Clinton. For the Democratic Party to do this is political suicide to the party. I do not see the superdelegates looking at popular vote, I see them following the RULES and looking at PLEDGED DELEGATES. Period.


obama on hardball after mississippi primary win

The conservative Chicago Tribune on Obama and Rezko by kos
The Wright Stuff by Scout Finch
Hillary Messes With Texas by krikkit4
Obama Answers Clinton: I Already Did. When Will You? by jhutson


Endorsements/Announcements

Oregon AFSCME breaks ranks with national and endorses Obama; Mississippi Superdelegate and Democratic National Committee Member Everett Sanders Endorses Obama; Democratic Superdelegate Joyce Brayboy Endorses Obama

A Plan for Barack Obama
Clinton, Obama tussle on foreign policy experience
3 A.M. Girl Wants Obama to Answer the Call
Obama Cuts Into Clinton Delegate Lead Among Elected Officials
Obama's Keys to the Keystone State



barack and michelle surrounded by the press enroute on the jet

Video/Audio
Obama on "I am not running for Vice-President" video; Obama's Remarks to Reverend Wright's Words of Controversy, Video Here; Keith Olbermann's Special Comment on Geraldine Ferraro's Words Here



obama in washington, dc, released his earmarks, calls for clinton to do the same

Contest Asks Aspiring Filmmakers to Create TV Ad Promoting Obama
Calling all aspiring filmmakers, especially those who like Barack Obama.

MoveOn.org, the influential antiwar group that claims 3.2 million members, announced yesterday that it is holding a contest to create a 30-second television advertisement promoting the Democrat.

The prize: The spot will air nationally and the winner will get a $20,000 gift certificate for a camera and editing package. continue



Obama Inspires a Latin Rhythm
Obama Says Voters Responding to Call for Change
Obama Wins Mississippi Sets Sights on Pennsylvania
A Free-Sprited Wanderer Who Set Obama's Path
Clinton and Obama Disagree on Florida, Michigan Revote
Cocoa Tea Records Raggae Song for Obama



michelle @ Children's Ark at St. George's day care in Ardmore, PA

shoutouts: pontificator; nj mom; Geekesque; kos; Cenk Uygur; Tchrldy; LaAbogada; RobertInWisconsin; Joe Trippi; Meteor Blades; Yalin; dansac; Al Rodgers



obama in plainfield, indiana, "we have to come together"


Democrats in a Fight to Define "Winner"
With the fight for the Democratic presidential nomination likely to go on for weeks or months, Senators Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton are battling to define what it means to be winning — and, in some instances, they are overstating their own advantage and understating the gains of the other.

The candidates are not only playing to voters in the crucial nominating contests to come, especially the primary in Pennsylvania on April 22, but also wooing the Democratic superdelegates, the party leaders and officials whose votes seem increasingly likely to decide the nomination.

Mr. Obama is emphasizing the breadth of his appeal — his lead in the popular vote and in pledged delegates and his victories in states that Democrats have trouble carrying in general elections. Mrs. Clinton, meanwhile, has focused on her victories in states with the most Electoral College votes, like Ohio and California, and her strength among groups like women, blue-collar workers and Hispanics. continue

Hillary, Have You No Sense of Decency!" by Al Rodgers
Meeting Michelle Obama by mdkotyk
No one said this was gonna be a cakewalk by Deoliver47
On My Faith and My Church by Barack Obama


obama @ buck's restaurant in greenville, ms with the simmons twins

Actor Ed Norton preparing documentary on Obama campaign
US actor Ed Norton and his Class 5 Films are producing a documentary about Democrat Barack Obama's historic bid for the White House, according to reports Wednesday in Hollywood.

The feature film planned for release in 2009 will focus on the political campaign of the Illinois senator, who is locked in a bitter fight with former first lady Hillary Clinton to be their party's nominee for president, industry daily Variety reported on its website. continue

Pelosi's Delegate Stance Boosts Obama
Early Word: Losing Baggage
Registration Form to Vote in Pennsylvania Deadline March 24th
Obama's Blueprint for Change
Obama Touts Commander-in-Chief Credentials
Obama Tries to Allay Jewish Concerns
Ben and Jen Raising Money for Obama


obama and former senator david boren (d-ok) in indianapolis, in

icebergslim’s last word: racial tension
Well no one can say this was not a week full of racial bedlam, because it was.

First, Geraldine Ferraro. To recap, who she is and and what she did, a former congresswoman of New York who was the first woman on a national ticket in 1984. The ticket was Mondale/Ferraro.

Geraldine Ferraro is a maverick for women and women challenges in this country. She gets total credit, but her behavior this week turned many stomachs across this country. To make the following:
"If Obama was a white man, he would not be in this position. And if he was a woman he would not be in this position. He happens to be very lucky to be who he is. And the country is caught up in the concept."

To make the inference that because Obama is black that is the reason that he is currently leading is not only STUPID but LUDICRIOUS. Yes, in caps, because my brothers insisted!!

This is the continuing of Clinton’s surrogates making rogue statements, she letting these statements sit and fester, and then come about a few days later after the damage is done and say limply, “I am sorry.” Wow, she can’t win it the right way so now it comes down to winning at any cost. If she steals the nomination, hard times ahead for her in the African-American community. No one is laughing on this one. Geraldine Ferraro is a disgrace.

Reverend Jeremiah Wright. I know friends that go to this church and I have had my ear to the phone this weekend. Many are angry about the snippets of the video being played repeatedly and it is warranted, but the good Reverend was WRONG.

Two wrongs don’t make a right and though I tried to watch Reverend Wright, I just could not. Coming from a mixed racial family, this is just not tolerated. The United States of America may disappoint us, in all racial groups, but the damnation of it is not my cup of tea or the Obamas.

Obama was right to denounce Wright and all the statements he made. He responded immediately and went on all the cable shows to reiterate it, so we would GET IT.

It is not the candidate’s responsibility to be responsible for what their surrogates say or said in the past. But it is the candidate’s responsibility to denounce, fire, distance, or accepts resignation of their actions so the candidate and campaign can move on. Obama and Wright did just that. That did not happen with the Clinton Campaign.

This campaign is the test of America, herself. It really is. Are we going to be shackled to fright by race baiting by these candidates and campaigns? Or are we going to say, enough and move on. With so much happening right now with Iraq heating back up, the economy crumbling, jobs non-existent, college tuition payments outrageous, the environment on the brink in many aspects, who has time to care what color someone’s skin is? My question is this, “Who is going to fix the crisis we are in?”

Will Wright’s video be used by 527s? Probably. But the real question is this? Are you afraid that it will be? It is time to get past race in this country and if all this has fallen on the table, then good, let’s get past it because if all the Republicans have up their sleeve is hate bating, race bating, scare tactics to move people to the polls after all their chaos that has crippled this country? The Democrats should not be afraid of ANYTHING.

Time to ante up to the only campaign that will bring real change to this country, The Obama Campaign.


well, this is the scranton, pennsylvania office all jazzed up for st. patrick's day. and yes, even though today is st. pat's day, you can still order an o'bama t-shirt from the obama store. many obama supporters are registering folk to vote, last day for pennsylvania is march 24th, canvassing, phone banking, all the things that is needed to get the vote out for april 22nd. every call is important for not only pennsylvania, but upcoming indiana and north carolina. we know what to do, all your tools are right here. let's get busy. and as difficult as some days may be, remember to focus on obama and not the drama...

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This Week With Barack Obama
icebergslim1047 (at) hotmail (dot) com