We now lead the TOTAL vote, TOTAL overall delegate vote, and won the MOST states. We have built a broad base of supporters, donors, and voters of all ages, races, genders, and religions. SO, now where do we GO? We go back to what has been WORKING for US thus far. Their's a cliche we all are aware of "IF IT's NOT BROKE DON'T FIX IT"! Barack needs to continue to campaign in EVERY state only 3%-5% of Barack donors have max out. So Barack, if YOU need US like we are depending on YOU, please don't hesitate to ASK for money. We have made a headway into the Latino and low income voters and that re-draws our coalition. WE CAN AND WE WILL WIN if we never become COMPLACENT on the NEAR future!! WE MUST WIN THE PRIMARIES FIRST!! So let's not even think about the GENERAL ELECTION and John McCain. NOW IS OUR TIME!! Their comes a time in everyone lives in which we come to a crossroads in which we must make a DECISION and a STANCE in our lives in what's IMPORTANT NOT to just US but our KIDS!! I have a ten year old daughter and two year old son and I want to leave them a better country that my parents left me.
LET's CONTINUE TO APPLY THE PRESSURE!! I played basketball and football all throughout middle/high school and college and our coaches always said "PRESSURE BURST PIPES" let's bust some PIPES and CHANGE NOT THIS COUNTRY BUT THE WORLD!!
As a proud resident of Columbia South Carolina I could not have been more happier for my state then I was last night. It was a long time coming but a time that needed to COME so we the voters of the Palmetto state could show OUR GOOD JUDGEMENT on who WE felt was honest loyal and trustworthly of our valuable vote. Luckily, for us the state of South Carolina felt like Barack Obama was the BEST CANDIDATE!!
On Friday night I attended the rally at the Kroger Center in which Barack and Michelle took the stage to FIRE UP his broad base. The media if (YOU GUYS/GALS remember) wanted us to BELIEVE somehow that Barack was the "black" candidate while he was in South Carolina. Needless to say, the crowd that night all the rallies I attended, and me on the ground NEVER could confirm their theory. Barack would go on that night and FIRE US UP so much until I think so of those people left the rally and went to go stand in line for the next day (LOL).
Saturday morning, I woke up to a beautiful day in South Carolina and adventured off to my polling place with my Barack shirt (that reads on the back "AMERICAN HISTORY IN THE MAKING" (thanks to my NJ buddy Akeem). I was over-joyed by the number of people waiting to cast their ballots hopefully with Barack beaming in their minds. After I voted, I went into my community and rallied my friends and neighbors to go vote and to cast their ballots for BARACK OBAMA!! It was funny because two paid staffers from the campaign came up behind me while I was discussing to someone why he needed to vote for Barack. They asked if I worked with the campaign and I gladly responded "NO! But I am one of those secret weapons Barack has that he doesn't even know about!" They were elated to know that I was going door to door with them getting people in thier cars to go and vote for Sen. Obama. Remember what Barack beleives, "If ONE voice can change a room; it can change a CITY and if it can change a city it can change a STATE and if it can change a state it can change a COUNTRY and if it can change a NATION!!" I took those words and worked outside the campaign because I know the people and didn't want a script, nor an address nor did I want anyone getting in my way because I was a MOTIVATED BLACK MAN WITH A MISSION!!
To my amazement as the polls closed in my great state at 7pm (EST) CNN along with MSNBC and FOX called our state for Barack not even a minute into the percints reporting. The media FELT what the state of SOUTH CAROLINA said VERY LOUDLY "WE WANT CHANGE AND WE, THE PEOPLE GET THE LAST CHOICE ON WHO WE FEEL CAN SPEAK ON OUR BEHALF!!" With record turnout across the state and us winning just about every voting bloc (and yes both young and old) the final numbers reflected BARACK WINS IN A LANDSLIDE!! At the victory rally as we watch John King of CNN say something to the affect "Their aren't anyother states besides GA with such a large African American voting bloc as we see in South Carolina" the crowd began to chant in unison "RACE DOESN'T MATTER!! RACE DOESN'T MATTER!!" The media quickly turned on thier cameras in shock that whites blacks, Asians, Native Americans and Mexicans could stand together chanting these powerful words. Barack and his beautiful wife took the stage and Barack gave a speech that was needed to propell him into those Feb. states. Barack said "When I came to South Carolina a year ago, I didn't see a white South Carolina or a black South Carolina; what I saw was SOUTH CAROLINA!!" It took me back to when he said at the DNC 2004, "Their is no white America or black America their is a United States of America!!" This weekend was PRICELESS and I just wish each of YOU when it's your turn YOU speak out and cast your votes loudly. SOUTH CAROLINA DELIVERED and I have never been as proud of my state as I was last night because out of 46 counties WE WON 44!!!! We won every district and every region of the state (Low Country, Midlands, Upper State etc.). Iowa THANK YOU!! New Hampishere THANK YOU!! Nevada THANK YOU!! SOUTH CAROLINA WE DID IT!! You other states the jury is still out but I strongly believe your verdict will ring loud and clear for BARACK OBAMA!!
Love always,
Kyle Aubrey Greene
A proud resident of Columbia South Carolina I could not have been more happier for my state then I was last night. It was a long time coming but a time that needed to COME so we the voters of the Palmetto state could show OUR GOOD JUDGEMENT on who WE felt was honest loyal and trustworthly of our valuable vote. Luckily, for us the state of South Carolina felt like Barack Obama was the BEST CANDIDATE!!
South Carolina’s 2006 Democratic nominee for Lieutenant Governor, Robert Barber, endorsed U.S. Sen. Barack Obama in his presidential bid today. A former member of the South Carolina State House of Representatives, Robert Barber ran one of the closest statewide races in 2006, receiving more votes than any other Democratic candidate on the ballot. “Sen. Obama has shown that he’s the candidate who can deliver change we can believe in, put an end to politics as usual and bring Democrats, Republicans and Independents together to win in November 2008,” Barber said. “We have to turn the page on the divisive politics of the past if we’re going to see progress on the critical issues that that face us as a nation. I look forward to working with the campaign here to help win the state of South Carolina for Sen. Obama.”
http://thestatecom.typepad.com/ygatoday/2008/01/barber-endorses.html
Two new polls show a tight Democratic presidential race in South Carolina. A SurveyUSA tracking poll conducted for WCSC-TV in Charleston shows Hillary Clinton is at 41% and Barack Obama with 39%, within the survey's 4.5 percent margin of error. John Edwards comes in with 17%. http://www.surveyusa.com/client/PollReportPopup.aspx?g=84bfc14a-9487-49f8-a7fc-af6d0d7a0ec2&q=44162
A just released CBS News telephone survey puts Sen. Obama slightly ahead, with 35% to Sen. Clinton's 34%. Again, that is within the poll's 4% margin of error. The former N.C. senator, John Edwards is at 13% in that poll.
On the Republican side in South Carolina in the CBS poll, Mike Huckabee has 28 percent and Mitt Romney has 20 percent. The margin of sampling error in the Republican poll is 5 percentage points. Rudy Giuliani, John McCain and Fred Thompson are bunched together at 12, 11 and 10 percent respectively. http://www.surveyusa.com/client/PollReport.aspx?g=84bfc14a-9487-49f8-a7fc-af6d0d7a0ec2
P.S. I'VE BEEN TELLING ALL YOU GUYS AND GALS SOUTH CAROLINA WILL GO TO BARACK!! WE WIN IOWA OR NEW HAMPSHIRE AND THE WALL WILL FALL!!! FIRED UP AND READY TO GO!!
A new poll suggests the presidential nomination races in South Carolina are getting as tight as those in Iowa. The Clemson University Palmetto Poll finds many people are still undecided -- including about a quarter of Republicans and half of Democrats. Among voters who have a favorite:
The top three Democrats are Hillary Clinton (19%), Barack Obama (17%) and John Edwards (12%). In the same poll in September, Clinton led Obama 26%-16%.
The top three Republicans are Mitt Romney (17%), Fred Thompson (15%) and Mike Huckabee (13%). Huckabee has "made it onto the radar" in South Carolina while Rudy Giuliani has dropped, says David Woodard, a political scientist at Clemson.
You can read more about the Clemson poll here. South Carolina Republicans hold their primary Jan. 19; Democrats vote a week later on Jan. 26. Click here to read our post earlier today about the close races in Iowa.
The poll provides an early snapshot of who's ruling out Clinton, John Edwards and Barack Obama, the three leading candidates for the Democratic nomination.
Clinton, who tops national polls of Democrats, is strongest within her party. Only 10% of Democrats said they'd rule her out; nearly three times as many said they wouldn't vote for Edwards.
The new poll found that Clinton would defeat the leading Republican, Rudy Giuliani, in a hypothetical matchup. Still, some Democrats wonder whether she's potentially unelectable or a drag on candidates lower on the ballot, and rivals such as Edwards say they're better bets.
In a general election, the poll suggests that Clinton has the least potential for winning votes from Republicans — 84% say they definitely would not vote for her, compared with six in 10 for either Obama or Edwards. Independents show the least resistance to Obama and the most to Edwards.
The poll found that 36% of women wouldn't vote for Clinton, compared with 50% of men — and 55% of married men. Obama had comparable appeal to women and more to men. Clinton's appeal overall falls as income rises, the reverse of the findings for Obama.
Pollster Mark Penn, a top Clinton strategist, says Clinton's strength against GOP hopefuls is growing. "With candidates who are lesser known, typically we see the opposite pattern happen," he says, citing 2004 nominee John Kerry as an example. Penn also says her appeal to Republican women is rising, and nearly a quarter of them could defect to her in a general election.
Clinton's unfavorable rating in the poll was 45%, vs. 30% for Obama and 31% for Edwards. "A fairly substantial number of ordinary voters have doubts about her," says Jack Pitney, a political scientist at Claremont McKenna College near Los Angeles.
Even so, he and others say that doesn't mean Clinton is unelectable. Political scientist John White of Catholic University in Washington, D.C., says she benefits from "the demise of the Republican brand" and trends such as more minority and single voters.
Overall, 43% in the poll would not vote for Clinton. Top reasons: They don't like her, her husband or her views. Retired professor Charles Bilbrey of Harrisonburg, Va., 65, a GOP-leaning moderate, calls Clinton "abrasive."
Others cite Clinton's marriage. "My biggest reason is she put up with her husband" after his affair with intern Monica Lewinsky, says Republican Betty Muse, 77, a retired nutrition director in New London, N.C.
Political scientist Gerald Benjamin at the State University of New York at New Paltz says old scandals "certainly will surface" if Democrats nominate her. Mark Mellman, Kerry's pollster in 2004, says they won't matter much. "People know who she is. There's not a lot you can tell them that's going to change their fundamental perception."
http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2007-11-07-clinton-poll_N.htm
WASHINGTON - Barack Obama said Tuesday that former President Clinton is making a leap to compare treatment of his wife in the presidential race to the "swift boat" criticism of John Kerry in 2004.
The former president had encouraged an audience in Nevada Monday not to let "trivial matters" take away the election from the Democrats as they have in the past. He cited the television ads during the 2004 presidential campaign that questioned Kerry's patriotism and campaign commercials in 2002 suggesting that Sen. Max Cleland, D-Ga. was soft on terrorism.
Both Kerry and Cleland won medals for their service in Vietnam, during which Kerry commanded a Navy "swift boat" and Cleland lost three limbs. Both were defeated after the ads aired.
"I was pretty stunned by that statement," Obama said with a chuckle when asked about the former president's comment in a telephone interview with The Associated Press.
He said that when debating last week whether illegal immigrants should be given driver's licenses, Hillary Rodham Clinton "seemed to contradict what she said previously."
Both Obama and John Edwards have criticized her repeatedly on that score, but Obama said in the interview: "How you would then draw an analogy to distorting somebody's military record is a reach."
Sen. Chris Dodd, another candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination, called the Clintons' response to the debate "outrageous."
"To have the former president come out and suggest this is a form of swiftboating ... is way over the top in my view," Dodd said in a telephone interview.
"If elected to the presidency, there will be a lot of tough questions and if you can't handle it in a debate without accusing everybody who has an issue with you of piling on or a sexist attack, somehow, first of all that's unwise and, secondly, it's false," Dodd said.
Obama, during his phone interview, also had criticism for his top two campaign rivals — Clinton and former Sen. Edwards.
The Illinois senator said Clinton does not have the track record to back up two of her proposals — increasing fuel economy and the production of renewable fuels like ethanol — both of which he said she's voted against in the Senate.
"I think it is important to look at who has been a consistent champion on these issues," Obama said. "I think I can make a legitimate claim that I have been consistent even when the politics is hard."
Edwards has said he would be the stronger fighter to get rid of the influence of special interests in Washington. But Obama said Edwards did not take on those interests when he was a senator from North Carolina.
"I'm happy to put my track record next to John's," Obama said. "He's been talking about it on the campaign trail, but when he was on position to do something, we fare well in that track record."
Sen. Clinton's comments on driver's licenses came at the end of a televised Democratic presidential debate last week. She hedged on whether she supported a plan by her home state governor, New York's Eliot Spitzer, to issue licenses to illegal immigrants. Both Democratic and Republican rivals have criticized her answer, accusing her of trying to have it both ways, and since then the Clinton campaign has accused them of ganging up on her.
Obama said he didn't protest when a debate in Iowa over the summer began with questions about his lack of experience and public foreign policy views.
"You didn't hear us complain that somehow we were being picked on," Obama said. "I mean, I think it's assumed that we are running for the presidency of the United States of America and that we've got to answer tough questions."
Bill Clinton made his comments at a convention of the American Postal Workers Union.
"We listened to people make snide comments about whether Vice President Gore was too stiff," Clinton said. "And when they made dishonest claims about the things that he said that he'd done in his life. When that scandalous swift boat ad was run against Senator Kerry. When there was an ad that defeated Max Cleland in Georgia, a man that left half his body in Vietnam."
"Why am I saying this? Because, I had the feeling that at the end of that last debate we were about to get into cutesy land again," Clinton said. "Ya'll raise your hand if you're for illegal immigrants getting a driver's license. So, we then let the Republicans go ahead saying all the Democrats are against the rule of law."
___
Associated Press writer Ron Fournier in Newton, Iowa, contributed to this report
Barack is cooler than the other side of the pillow. I know this isnt much of a post but LOOK AT BARACK'S MOVES!!
http://video.msn.com/video.aspx?mkt=en-us&tab=m1191248204226&vid=db89a2b5-625c-45ff-8038-769d37d87500&playlist=videoByTag:tag:election_08:ns:Gallery:mk:us:vs:1&from=MSNHP>1=10450
BOSTON - Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, a one-time Clinton administration aide, has decided to endorse Barack Obama over rival Hillary Rodham Clinton in the Democratic presidential primary, The Associated Press has learned.
Patrick planned to make his declaration next week during a rally with the candidate in Massachusetts, according to a top administration official who spoke on condition of anonymity prior to the official announcement.
While Patrick served in the 1990s as head of the Justice Department's civil rights division under former President Clinton, husband of the New York senator, he also shares a strong connection with Obama from their mutual Chicago heritage and experience as black student leaders at Harvard Law School.
Last fall, Patrick became the first black governor of Massachusetts and only the second black state leader in the nation's history. Obama has the potential to become the nation's first black president. He also visited Massachusetts on Patrick's behalf during last year's gubernatorial campaign and his endorsement returns the political favor.
The administration official played down race as a factor in the decision, pointing instead to the governor's belief that Obama is attempting to inspire the public to re-engage in the political process — a goal of Patrick's since his "Together We Can" gubernatorial campaign.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071017/ap_on_el_pr/obama_patrick_1;_ylt=AiZHJbcwUzDU5lH.50lbmEpg.3QA
GO AHEAD MICHELLE SHOW HILLARY WHAT YOU GOT!!!
ON the eve of a campaign visit to Britain, the wife of Barack Obama, the Democratic presidential contender, has delivered a spirited warning to Hillary Clinton, his toughest rival.
“Nothing is inevitable,” said Michelle Obama, vowing that her husband was a “uniter” who could beat Clinton to the party nomination.
Asked if she thought Clinton was a polarising figure, she replied: “That is definitely one of the challenges she faces. You can see it in the surveys.”
In an interview with The Sunday Times, she said that her husband had the magic to defeat the Clintons’ machine even though he was behind in the polls.
“People know Hillary and Bill, so their first instinct is to say: well, I’ve heard of these people,” she said. “But the more people see Barack, the more they like him. His favourable ratings are higher and, to top it off, he has brought in more money than any other candidate from a broader base of support.”
Drawing an explicit contrast with Clinton, she said: “The ‘inevitable’ candidate has not raised the most money and doesn’t have the biggest base of donors . . . So where’s the ‘inevitability’?”
She implicitly likened the rival campaign to a familiar but faded outfit at a time when America needed a fresh approach. “There is a choice we can make. It is a little scary because change is scary. Americans are creatures of habit,” she said.
“Sometimes we wear the same suit even if it’s got holes in it. We need a new suit, not just a new tie or new pants.”
Michelle Obama, 43, is an attractive and eloquent advocate for her 46-year-old husband. At 5ft 11in she has the looks of a model, but she is also emerging as a feisty campaigner.
She made it plain that they had no intention of letting Clinton walk over them. “A lot of times we’ve had leadership that has played on the divisions in this country, but the core values that unite us are real.” She thinks the key to victory lies in early primary states, where voters are seeing her husband close up. Obama, she claimed, was “neck and neck with one of the toughest political dynasties that we’ve seen in my lifetime”.
She added proudly: “The Clintons were supposed to be able to out-organise us. They haven’t . . . We’re building a grassroots movement of people and have an organisation that is unmatched in the early states.”
Michelle Obama will be the star guest at a $100-a-head “Obama for America” fundraiser in London tomorrow – a sign that her husband’s team is creatively targeting every possible source of revenue, including affluent Americans abroad. “We talked about whether I could go to the theatre or maybe shop, but it will just be one day in and out,” she said.
Then it will be back to Chicago’s South Side to daughters Melia, 9, and Sasha, 6, and a new round of campaigning.
“When I walk into a roomful of people, the purpose of what we’re doing takes hold in my mind and I’m energised and ready to go,” she said. “I really enjoy it. You have the privilege of being reminded just how decent people are.”
The sheer competence of the Illinois senator’s organisation initially caught Clinton’s camp off-guard but her veterans have recovered their poise.
Both candidates have raised nearly $80m each for the presidential race, a record-shattering sum, although Obama has raised more for the primary campaign from nearly 350,000 donors.
Yet Clinton has moved into a commanding 21-point lead over Obama in the opinion polls. In Iowa, an early voting state, Clinton holds just a three-point lead but the dial appears to be shifting in her direction.
The Obamas are sharpening their critique. Barack Obama has condemned Clinton for handing Bush a “blank cheque” for war after she voted to designate the Iranian Revolutionary Guards a terrorist organisation. It was a repeat, he suggested, of her vote to authorise the use of force in Iraq. “Now is the time that we’re going to be laying a very clear contrast between myself and Senator Clinton,” he told CNN.
Obama’s greatest appeal, his wife said, was that he was a “uniter, not just here but globally”. The process of democracy did not have to be “caustic”, she added: “You can disagree without being disagreeable. Barack has built his entire success in politics on this strategy.”
Obama has a vision of “who we want to be”, she said. “That’s the excitement he taps into and where his energy comes from. We’ve settled so much in this country for less than we want because we think that’s all there is.
“The thing Barack and I stay focused on is what we think politics should truly be in this country, words like honesty and truth-telling and getting to the point where leaders tell us what they really think, even if it’s not what we want to hear.”
It was a staunch tribute from a wife who has sometimes been criticised for joking that her husband does not always pick up his socks or is too “snorey and stinky” for his daughters when they sneak into bed for a cuddle.
She is proud that their daughters have a happy home life. “When we entered the race, Barack and I said there is a way to do this and keep the kids sane and stable. It requires a lot more juggling but it’s worth it. They are very confident about who they are, and that they are still the centre of our universe.”
If Obama wins the presidency, his wife will be the first African-American first lady. She is concentrating on “getting through the days” rather than making history she said. But she allowed herself one tempting thought. “If Barack becomes the next president of the United States, I’ll be in Britain often!”
Find out details of Michelle Obama's visit to London at the Obama abroad website
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/us_elections/article2652770.ece
WASHINGTON - Blacks are split down the middle over Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton in the presidential race, seeing both as on their side, a new poll says.
Many blacks seem torn between the two. Obama would be the first black president, while the New York senator and former first lady, along with her husband, is widely popular among blacks.
"I'm a black person, but that's not the only thing I like about him," said Raymond Monroe, 63, a retired production supervisor from Abilene, Texas, who backs Obama but says he might shift. "He's young and has new ideas, but she's pretty sharp, too. Instead of good old boys all the time, I think we need a change."
Blacks make up about a tenth of voters overall. They are reliably loyal Democrats, voting nearly nine-to-one for the party's candidates in the 2004 and 2006 elections. And while blacks are few in New Hampshire and Iowa, they comprise about half the Democratic primary voters in South Carolina, another early voting state.
Their allegiance is especially strong to the Clintons, which will help the New York senator, according several black leaders from around the country.
"It's not so much Mrs. Clinton they're backing, it's that she's married to the ex-president," said Mayor Willie Adams Jr. of Albany, Ga.
In the late September poll, Clinton led Obama among whites by 35 percent to 18 percent, Blacks were essentially evenly divided, 40 percent for Obama and 38 percent for Clinton. Among all Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents, Clinton led by 35 percent to 23 percent. All those measurements have been steady for months in the AP-Ipsos poll.
Faced with choosing between two potential White House firsts — the first black president or the first female — black women split 47 percent for Clinton, 37 percent for Obama. Clinton has led decisively among all women nationally.
Mayor Gwendolyn Faison of Camden, N.J., the city's first female black mayor, said a breakthrough for women would appeal to her but she has yet to pick a candidate.
"Being a female, we don't have that many females in authority positions," said Faison. "We have to show the men that we, too, can do the job."
Black men leaned toward supporting Obama over Clinton by 44 percent to 28 percent, and he had an edge among younger black voters — the opposite of her lead among all men and young people. He also gets stronger support from college-educated blacks — one of the few areas where he leads Clinton overall.
The nation is evenly split over whether Obama has enough experience for the White House, but with clear racial differences. Besides almost three years in the Senate, Obama, 46, was an Illinois state senator, law professor, community organizer and Harvard University law graduate.
On an issue that pits those credentials against Clinton's longer resume, blacks by 66 percent to 23 percent said Obama is sufficiently experienced to be president. Whites said "no" by 48 percent to 40 percent, and even white Democrats divided evenly over whether his experience was satisfactory.
Toni Pena, 36, a homemaker in Odessa, Texas, said she preferred Clinton or former Vice President Al Gore to Obama because "they both obviously would have more experience than he would, being that both of them have been in the White House."
The experience question could be crucial for Obama. Democrats who say he has adequate experience prefer him over Clinton by 40 percent to 28 percent, while those who say he does not back Clinton by an overwhelming 47 percent to 4 percent.
Some blacks in the survey said doubts about Obama's experience represent a racial double standard because President Bush — deeply unpopular among blacks — had only been Texas governor before his 2000 election victory.
"I hate to play the race card, but I don't remember people saying George Bush didn't have the right experience," said Patricia McCree, 70, a retired college administrator from San Diego who currently supports Clinton.
Asked about the survey, Obama pollster Cornell Belcher said it is "very impressive" that Obama is winning as much support as he is against Clinton, who is far better known. Mark Penn, Clinton's chief strategist, said the black community "sees her as a champion for their issues."
About half of both blacks and whites said Obama would do a better job of representing blacks' interests as president. Thirty-nine percent of blacks — compared with 26 percent of whites — said she would do better.
Blacks signaled more support than whites for Obama should he become the Democratic nominee. Eighty-three percent of blacks and 60 percent of whites said they would at least consider voting for him in November 2008, with the blacks who said they would definitely vote for him outpacing whites by nearly three-to-one.
The survey was conducted Sept. 21-25 and involved telephone interviews with 1,317 adults. It had a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 2.5 percentage points.
Included were interviews with 368 blacks, for whom the margin of sampling error was plus or minus 5 percentage points. 865 whites were interviewed, with a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.5 points.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071003/ap_po/obama_ap_poll;_ylt=AitVHq.jcxL3TpKECO0S8rFh24cA
Union's non-choice is loss for Edwards, gain for Obama
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- After an eight-hour board meeting in Chicago on Monday, the executive board of the Service Employees International Union decided not to endorse for now in the Democratic primary. The executive board will revisit an endorsement on Oct. 8, after the third-quarter fund-raising totals are in.
This is a big setback for White House hopeful former Sen. John Edwards (D-N.C.), who has been working the SEIU leaders (first, second and third tier) for years. This is very good news for rival Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), who now has bought time to persuade SEIU leaders that he is the most politically viable contender.
I'm told the leaders of the SEIU -- one of the most politically active unions in the nation -- want to make an endorsement. And there are elements within the leadership who want to stop Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.), who is the frontrunner in most polls -- national and in the four early primary states.
I'm told the executive board never even took a vote. That's all bad news for the Edwards forces, who hoped to lock in the SEIU endorsement last week, after the top Dem contenders addressed their political conference in Washington. But SEIU chief Andy Stern and SEIU chief politico Anna Burger said the executive board needed to hear more from the top strategists for the campaigns. Team Obama sent strategist David Axelrod and campaign manager David Plouffe.
Obama delivered a stemwinder last week at the conference. I wrote last week he faced an uphill battle getting the union's backing. By slowing down the process on Monday, he's leveling the hill.
Presumably, Obama will have a strong third-quarter fund-raising showing. The books close Sept. 30 and Edwards will be lucky to have $8 million. Obama and Clinton should be reporting at least $20 million in third-quarter results.
Today, Change-to-Win, a labor federation of which the SEIU is a member, meets in Chicago. No endorsement is expected.
Obama wins Dems straw poll OAKLEY – It won’t help make him the Democratic presidential nominee, but Illinois Sen. Barack Obama came out on top Tuesday night, winning a straw poll of Hamilton County Democratic Party activists.
Nearly 300 local Democrats crowded into the 20th Century Theater on Oakley Square to choose from among a slate of eight Democratic presidential contenders.
When the votes were tallied, Obama won with 102 votes – about 35 percent – over New York Sen. Hillary Clinton (69 votes) and former North Carolina senator John Edwards (64 votes).Another 50 votes were spread among five other candidates.“It’s tremendous,” said State Sen. Eric Kearney, an Obama supporter who has hosted a fundraiser for the Illinois senator in Cincinnati.“It’s exciting.”The straw poll, of course, won’t mean anything in the end. Ohio’s presidential primary comes next March; and, by that time, most Democrats believe the presidential nomination will be in the bag, given the number of early primary and caucus states that precede Ohio. But Obama supporters seemed well-organized at Tuesday night’s straw poll vote, with volunteers out on the street in front of the theater, passing out Obama T-shirts and stickers and urging the arriving Democrats to vote.Edwards’ supporters had some signs plastered to the walls inside the theater lobby, but there seemed to be no organized effort for Clinton. Obama supporters erupted in cheers when county party chairman Tim Burke announced the results. “We need to bring the government back to the people and Obama understands that,” said party activist Freeman McNeil, wearing an Obama “Got Hope?” T-shirt.“That’s what Obama’s campaign is all about – bringing people together – rich, poor, black and white. The message is getting through.”Ronn Rucker, a gay rights activist from North Bend, said he considered supporting Obama early on, but switched to Clinton and cast his straw poll ballot for her Tuesday night.“I’ve met her and I know what a kind and caring person she is,” Rucker said. “And she is ready to be president. I’m not sure Obama is.” U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Cleveland, had 17 votes in the straw poll, while New Mexico governor Bill Richardson had 16.Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware was next with 13 votes, while Sen. Chris Dodd of Connecticut had 4. Former Alaska senator Mike Gravel had no votes.
http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070911/NEWS01/309110061
I recently watched the movie 300 and I cant call the name of the main actor(s)/actress to save my life but as I watched that movie and look over OUR campaign I felt compelled to share this with my new dearest friends. At the start of the movie it spoke on how they only picked the strongest boy to one day become a fighter/soldier for thier army. (I will focus on only key points I felt were vital to my conclusion) These kids/young men at very young ages were tested in some of the most exterme conditions but thier dedication was in perserving what they felt was vital to thier community. The main actor (also King) of this movie had a strong women (Queen) who stood by her husband in even the most troubling time of the movie. As the movie continued their community didnt want to be overtaken by a ruler who possed all the riches/followers in that part of the country. His army was like 20times the size of the Sparta army but Sparta's 300 strong were determined and preservered through the long battles. Even though they eventually losted they won in the hearts of thier city but more importantly themselves. I see Barack as our strong leader who has created a team, staff, volunteer base, grassroots level, white folks, black folks, young people, old people to fight for him against armies that largest than us and have been created and in place long before us but WE WILL NOT ALLOW THEM TO BULLY US, SCARE US, OR MAKE US FOLD CAMP AND RUN AWAY WITH OUR TAILS TUCKED BETWEEN OUR LEGS!! We will fight every fight, run every race and stand untill the end with a leader in which we know 100% is right to lead our country in the direction not just right for the American people but other countires that look to us for guidance, wisdom, and comfort in the face of touch decisions. While our grassroots orangization is larger than 300 and may even surpass other campaigns looking at the movie that's the parallel I took away from it. to those of you who have seen the movie let me know if you agree with it and for those of you who havent its an excellent movie to watch. While Im not getting a dime to promote this movie I am getting a sense of relief in sharring my thoughts with each of YOU!!
BARACK OBAMA 08!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
http://thinkonthesethings.wordpress.com/2007/08/29/when-the-cameras-are-off-barack-obamas-hurricane-katrina-record/
I THOUGHT THIS WAS A AWESOME STORY!!!!
