www.whitehouse.gov
VATICAN CITY — The White House says it expects "frank" but constructive talks in President Barack Obama's meeting Friday with Pope Benedict XVI _ two men who share similar views on helping the poor and pushing for Middle East peace but disagree on abortion and stem cell research.
With some Catholic activists and American bishops outspoken in their criticism of Obama, even as polls have shown he received a majority of Catholic votes, the audience is much awaited.
Obama's election presented a challenge for the Vatican after eight years of common ground with President George W. Bush in opposing abortion, an issue that drew them together despite the Vatican's opposition to the war in Iraq.
But the Vatican has been openly interested in Obama's views and scheduled an unusual afternoon meeting to accommodate the American president at the end of his stay in Italy for a G-8 summit meeting in the earthquake-stricken city of L'Aquila and just before he leaves for Ghana.
In the tradition-conscious Vatican, most such meetings are held at midday. The Vatican has also arranged live TV coverage of the open session of the meeting after their private talks.
"I think there will be frank discussion," White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said earlier this week. "I think that there's a lot that they agree on that they'll get a chance to discuss."
"We know the pope has been keenly aware of the president's outreach to the Muslim world. The pope shares the president's view on reducing the number of nuclear weapons. So I think there's certainly a lot of common ground."
President Barack Obama will meet Pope Benedict for the first time on July 10 during a visit to Italy to attend a G8 heads of state meeting, a Vatican source said Wednesday.
Obama has angered many American Catholics with his support for abortion rights for women and his decision to lift restrictions on stem cell research.
The Vatican source said Obama would hold a brief audience with the Pope in the afternoon, after the conclusion of the July 8-10 summit of the Group of Eight industrialized nations.
www.barackobama.com
Sunday, 2nd November 2008
Chicago, Illinois
Poverty and the 2008 Elections
By John Carr
“Love of God and love of neighbor have become one: In the least of the brethren we find Jesus himself, and in Jesus we find God…. Love for widows and orphans, prisoners, and the sick and needy of every kind is as essential to her [the Church] as the ministry of the sacraments and preaching of the Gospel.” (Deus Caritas Est # 15, 21)
This priority for the poor also needs to be at the center of the national discussion in this election year. The facts about poverty in our land raise significant moral and policy issues.
Such statistics show the kind of nation we are becoming.
U.S. Catholics have a moral obligation to protect the lives and dignity of all God’s children, especially the poor and vulnerable. We can debate how best to pursue economic opportunity and justice, provide decent jobs for all who can work, and ensure adequate health care and housing. However, we cannot escape the moral duty to work actively to overcome the poverty and deprivation which diminishes the lives of so many children and families.
Unfortunately, debates about poverty often become polarized by ideological and partisan divisions. This political season, campaigns needs to move beyond false ideological choices that often paralyze national discussion. Catholic teaching and experience insist that reducing poverty will require personal responsibility and social responsibility, better choices and behaviors by individuals, and better policies and investments by government.
In their statement A Place at the Table, the U.S. bishops outline a four-part strategy to address poverty. It calls for:
Sadly, some advocates embrace just one element rather than all. Some insist individual responsibility is the real answer, or that just faith-based institutions can make the difference, or that the market by itself can solve the problems or that government action is the only effective response. A comprehensive national commitment that addresses the complicated causes and diverse steps to overcome poverty is needed.
Isolated efforts cannot promote integral human development that is the foundation of effective efforts to overcome poverty, deprivation and despair (www.catholiccharitiesusa.org and www.usccb.org/sdwp/placeatthetable/index.shtml). In the upcoming elections, U.S. Catholics ought not to focus on individual economic interests, but rather seek to lift up "the least of these." In Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship, the U.S. bishops call for a new politics, focused more on:
How we treat “the least among us" (Mt. 25:40) is a moral measure of our lives, as individuals and as a nation. In Scripture, this is the question on judgment day. It should be a central question on election day.
- - -
John Carr is executive director of the Department of Justice, Peace and Human Development of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
http://www.faithfulcitizenship.org/media/article/carr
John Carr serves as Executive Director of the Department of Justice, Peace and Human Development at the United States Catholic Bishops’ Conference. In this role, he assists the U.S. bishops in sharing Catholic social teaching, advocating on major issues of justice and peace and building the Catholic community’s capacity to act on its social mission. The Department he leads includes the Catholic Campaign for Human Development, which is the Bishops’ anti-poverty program, and is guided by two Bishops’ Committees: Domestic Justice and Human Development and International Justice and Peace.
an important message from Hillary Clinton...
This election is a fight for the future. And it's a fight we must win. Remember what a presidential election is really about. When the polls have closed, and the ads are finally off the air, it comes down to you -- the American people, your lives, and your children's futures. I have been traveling across the country campaigning for Barack Obama, Joe Biden, and other Democrats. People ask, "What can I do to help?" My answer is, "What's the most you can do?" We all want to see Barack Obama stand before America as our President having led a powerful wave of Democratic victories up and down the ticket. That's why we've got to demand the most from ourselves over the final days of this campaign. People are counting on us. Let's work together in these final days to give Democrats the boost they need to win. Please make a donation to the Democratic National Committee. In so many ways, our families' futures and our children's aspirations are on the line in these elections. Getting Barack Obama and Joe Biden to the White House will mean getting relief and new hope to people bearing the brunt of the Bush administration's failures. And it will mean restoring America's reputation and standing in a risky world that's crying out for steady, principled leadership. November 4th is about giving every child the chance to reach his or her God-given potential and that is why we cannot afford to let up now. With only 8 days to go, we cannot afford to be lulled into a false sense of security and we must do everything we can. This election is about bringing jobs and opportunity to families who have been hit hard by the failed Bush economy. It's about securing retirement for people who've seen their nest egg shrink and about securing the American Dream for people who've seen their hopes of owning a home start to fade. It's about providing people with a health care system they can depend on when they're sick and a Supreme Court they can count on when their rights are at risk. Those are the things we're fighting for. That's why it's so important to do the most we can possibly do to secure victory in these final days. People are counting on us. Let's work together in these final days to give Democrats across the country the boost they need to win. Please make a donation to the Democratic National Committee. https://www.democrats.org/donatenow Events are moving fast. Our opponents' strategies are shifting by the moment. Our candidates have to be prepared for anything. And you and I have to do all we can to win the Democratic victory our country needs. Only you know what is the most you can do. But, all of us know this: Extraordinary commitment is what it's going to take to see our candidates through to victory and to see our country through to better days. Thanks so much for all you are doing -- and for intensifying your efforts in the coming days we have left to win. Sincerely, Hillary Clinton
Saturday, 30th August 2008
Cambridge, MA
Dear American Voters,
Vote it is your fundamental right....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amukRM9SSoo
The 2008 Presidential
Debates dates and sites are as follows:
First presidential debate: Friday, September 26 University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS
Vice presidential debate: Thursday, October 2 Washington University in St. Louis, MO
Second presidential debate: Tuesday, October 7 Belmont University, Nashville, TN
Third presidential debate: Wednesday, October 15 Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY
Here is a break down of what each debate will consist of:
1. First Presidential Debate: – Date: September 26 – Site: University of Mississippi – Topic: Foreign Policy & National Security – Moderator: Jim Lehrer – Staging: Podium debate – Answer Format: The debate will be broken into nine, 9-minute segments. The moderator will introduce a topic and allow each candidate 2 minutes to comment. After these initial answers, the moderator will facilitate an open discussion of the topic for the remaining 5 minutes, ensuring that both candidates receive an equal amount of time to comment
2. Vice Presidential Debate – Date: October 2nd – Site: Washington University (St. Louis) – Moderator: Gwen Ifill – Staging/Answer Format: To be resolved after both parties’ Vice Presidential nominees are selected.
3. Second Presidential Debate – Date: October 7 – Site: Belmont University – Moderator: Tom Brokaw – Staging: Town Hall debate – Format: The moderator will call on members of the audience (and draw questions from the internet). Each candidate will have 2 minutes to respond to each question. Following those initial answers, the moderator will invite the candidates to respond to the previous answers, for a total of 1 minute, ensuring that both candidates receive an equal amount of time to comment. In the spirit of the Town Hall, all questions will come from the audience (or internet), and not the moderator.
4. Third Presidential Debate – Date: October 15 – Site: Hofstra University – Topic: Domestic and Economic policy – Moderator: Bob Schieffer – Staging: Candidates will be seated at a table – Answer Format: Same as First Presidential Debate – Closing Statements: At the end of this debate (only) each candidate shall have the opportunity for a 90 second closing statement.
All four debates will begin at 9pm ET, and last for 90 minutes. Both campaigns also agreed to accept the CPD’s participation rules for third-party candidate participation.
The two backup sites are Centre College in Danville, KY and Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, NC.
The Commission also announced formats for the debates.
All debates will be ninety minutes in length and start at 9:00 p.m. ET.
Each debate will be administered by a single moderator.
The first presidential debate will focus on domestic policy; the third presidential debate will focus on foreign policy.
The second presidential (town meeting format) debate will include any issues raised by members of that audience, and the vice presidential debate will include domestic and foreign policy.
In each debate except the town meeting format, the candidates will be seated at a table with the moderator.
Kirk and Fahrenkopf introduced two format features different from CPD formats of the past. The first change will be incorporated in the first and third presidential debates as well as the vice-presidential debate.
Each of those debates will be divided into 8 ten-minute issue segments; the moderator will introduce each segment with an issue on which each candidate will comment, after which the moderator will facilitate further discussion of the issue, including direct exchange between the candidates, for the balance of that segment. Time will be reserved for closing statements by each of the candidates in each debate.
Kirk and Fahrenkopf noted that this change is aimed at increasing the educational value of the general election debates. "Our mission is to promote voter education. The public deserves to hear and see the candidates offer and defend their positions on the critical issues facing our country in the most thoughtful and in-depth manner that television time constraints will allow. Loosening the constraints within the ninety minutes debate will allow for more serious examination of complicated questions. This change will also open the possibility of the moderator inviting candidates to question each other. We want voters to benefit from as full an explanation of a topic as possible, and we feel certain that the candidates will welcome this change for the same reason."
The second departure from past CPD formats will be the introduction of internet access to the presidential town meeting debate. Questions solicited by Internet will be included with those from citizens on the stage with the candidates.
Kirk and Fahrenkopf said: "The Commission believes that by including questions from Internet participants, we will enhance and expand the effectiveness of the town meeting debate. This technique has been employed in different ways during many of the primary debates. We will continue to learn from its use in the primary season, and we intend to consult with experts in information technology who can help us integrate it into a general election town meeting in a manner consistent with our non-partisan charter."
The Commission also released the 2008 Candidate Selection Criteria which will be used to determine who is invited to participate in the general election debates. In addition to being constitutionally eligible, candidates must appear on a sufficient number of state ballots to have a mathematical chance of winning a majority vote of the electoral college, and have 15% support in national polls before the debates.
The Gallup Organization will advise the CPD in the application of its criteria to polling data as it did in 2000 and 2004. View the 2008 Candidate Selection Criteria.
The co-chairmen noted that moderators for the four debates would be chosen in the summer of 2008.
The CPD was established in 1987 and sponsored all presidential and vice presidential debates in 1988, 1992, 1996, 2000, and 2004.
By Paul J. Gough
NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - CBS' Bob Schieffer, NBC's Tom Brokaw and PBS' Jim Lehrer will moderate three debates in the fall between presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain, the Commission on Presidential Debates said Tuesday.
The debates will be held in New York, Tennessee and Mississippi in September and October. PBS' Gwen Ifill will moderate the vice presidential debate, planned for October 2 in St. Louis.
The commission had previously said it wouldn't tap current network news anchors, leaving ABC's Charles Gibson, NBC's Brian Williams and CBS' Katie Couric out of the equation. Gibson and Williams moderated debates on their networks during the primary season; Couric's were canceled because of scheduling conflicts with the candidates.
"This year, more than ever, these debates are going to be important," Schieffer said Tuesday. "This campaign started on such a high plane and now we're down to the Britney Spears ads and stuff like that. I think it will be a good thing for the country to see these two men at the debates."
It will be Lehrer's 11th presidential debate, a record stretching back to 1988, when he moderated debates between George H.W. Bush and Michael Dukakis. He said the 90-minute time goes by quickly.
"It is not a TV show. It's not running a segment for the 'NewsHour,'" Lehrer said. "It is a very important event, a major event for our country. I'm always aware of that. It's scorching. I'm trying to make sure that things are fair, but that's only part of it. It's also got to be perceived as fair. It's tough work, but it's exhilarating as well."
Lehrer will moderate the first debate, on domestic policy, on September 26 at the University of Mississippi in Oxford. Brokaw will moderate a town hall meeting-style debate October 7 at Belmont University in Nashville. Schieffer will moderate the final debate, on foreign-affairs issues, on October 15 at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y.
There will be no podiums for the debates, with McCain and Obama instead sitting at a table with the moderator. Another major change is a loosening of the format: The moderator will introduce an issue in each of eight 10-minute segments, and instead of strict response times there will be discussions between the candidates.
"Before, there was no way for the moderators to go in there with a follow-up question," said Schieffer, who moderated a presidential debate in 2004. "It'll be my job to get them to ask the follow-up question themselves, and when they don't, I'll be able to."
Schieffer said he's looking forward it.
"It'll be a little more free-wheeling. We'll try to make it as much of a debate among the two of them rather than just asking and answering questions," he said.
Also on Tuesday, MySpace said it would partner with the commission on MyDebates.org, a Web site that will stream the debates and offer tracking of issues, playback and other tools. After each debate, the event will be bookmarked via issue to allow viewers to check what's important to the candidates and discuss them.
http://www.reuters.com/article/televisionNews/idUSN0536270520080806
DebateWatch is a voter education program of the Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD). DebateWatch brings citizens like you together to watch the televised debates, talk about what you learned, and, if you choose to, share your reactions with the CPD.
The beauty of this program is its flexibility; anyone can participate including children, young adults, or retirees. DebateWatches can take place in high-profile televised venues with hundreds of people, or they can occur in people's living rooms with half a dozen neighbors.
http://www.debates.org/index.html
http://www.debates.org/pages/news_111907.html
Why do you support Senator Obama?
What makes you vote for the Democratic ticket on Election Day? What made you decide that just voting for progressive Democrats is not enough - that you also need to volunteer for the Obama campaign or for other progressives running in your area?
I haven't used this site in a while, so please excuse my absence. But now is such a vital time and WMU is ready to take the challenge of turning Kalamazoo into Obama country! The one thing that our university has that is so unique is the great community that surrounds us! With Obama as the candidate, we now have people from his staff as well here to give us all their wisdom and help us get the vote for Barack. So, WMU's chapter is ready to work in partnership with the community. WMU is nothing without Kalamazoo, and visa versa. As the Chapter Coordinator at WMU, I would love every chance to get our organization involved with community organizations. So if you have any ideas, information, or simply want to help with the campaign in Kalamazoo and on campus, please email me at nicole.p.vafadari@wmich.edu or wmnsfbo@gmail.com. Can't wait to bring the campus and the community even closer and unify behind this great man! Yes we will!
- Nicole Vafadari
Chapter Coordinator of Students for Barack Obama- WMU Chapter
There was a fantastic turn out to the voter registration drive (and BBQ) in Victory Park, Pasadena, California Today. Apparently the (grassroots) organizer thought there would be about 5-10 people interested, but 192 signed up for the event on Mybarackobama.com and there was quite a turn out. Everything was incredibly organized and groups of voter registers (some in fancy red shirts the organizers had made) went out to local areas and REGISTERED PEOPLE TO VOTE!!!!!
The volunteers today really reflect the wide diversity of Obama supporters, many different races, shapes, colors, ages. And many different Obama shirts!
These drives will be happening all over Pasadena (and other areas), and we are planning tabelling at all the local farmer's markets.
WE ARE STILL FIRED UP. AND READY TO GO.
(If anyone would like larger sized copies of any of these pictures, please drop me a note).
More pictures under the cut.
June 3, '08
My deepest and heart-felt congradulations to Barack and his wonderful wife Michelle who, when she came out to Salt Lake City earlier this year, brought the house down with her rally in Utah's capitol city. God speed to both of them because now, and I know they both know this, on we go to finish this march to the White House for Barack to be our next president!
Barack now is in the same league as George Washington, John Adams, James Madison, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman, John Kennedy, Jimmy Carter, Gerald Ford, and Ronald Reagan among others. His achievement in winning the presidential nomination is matched only by his congenial spirit to bring people together as a uniter because after all we ARE still the UNITED States of America.
This is absolutely historic. Nothing can stop us, now. And John McCain, as well as everybody else, also should know it's not even his time. It's Barack's time. History is on Barack's side which even as a woman, who's of only the third generation of voting women in my family, I understand. It's simply not womens' time, yet.
As a loyal follower of Thomas Jefferson I'm tellin' ya in my political soul I know he is looking down from heaven, where he is et al of our beloved fore-bearers are, with approval. And I think Dr. King also would be pleased.
Barack's presidential nomination is what President Kennedy talked about in the 1960s in his civil rights speeches, it's what President Lincoln intended a century earlier by issuing his Emancipation Proclamation, and it all proves Barack is right for America. On we go, to the finish line, to the White House!
Again I exclaim with deep pride, in this winning movement Barack now has going full speed and tears of joy in my eyes, Congradulations to Barack and his wife and family. God speed on his presidential nomination victory!
Sincerely,
Kathy Caudle
Salt Lake City, UT
Campaigning in Indiana brings its complications - not least of which is keeping track of the time.
For historical reasons, the Hoosier State contains two time zones.
Parts of the north-west and south-west go by central - or "slow time", as the locals call it, while the rest of the state goes by eastern, or "fast time".
It was something that one of Hillary Clinton's secret service agents seemed unaware of, when we spoke outside one of her events in Indianapolis.
The candidate herself, however, was as focused and on-message as ever.
And the message she has been giving across Indiana has been an unashamedly populist one.
'Misguided strategy'
The New York senator has been laying out her plan to bring down gasoline prices; a mixture of new windfall taxes on big oil companies and no gas taxes - over summer, at least for consumers and business owners.
Barack Obama calls it a misguided, short-termist electoral strategy.
He has seized on the fact that the idea has the support of the Republican nominee, John McCain, and has labelled it a "Clinton-McCain plan".
So whose vision will convince the voters? And how important will a victory be in Indiana - a state which last held a significant primary 40 years ago?
Should Mr Obama win in Indiana... he will have stemmed the tide of recent defeats
The first is hard to judge.
Opinion polls place the two rivals neck-and-neck, but - as you travel around the state - you are repeatedly told how hard it is to give a single message to Indiana's voters or, indeed, to get a single message from them.
Not only are there two zones, but different regions of the state are influenced by the big cities in the neighbouring states.
Cincinnati, Ohio in the south-east, Louisville, Kentucky in the south and in the north-west, Chicago, Illinois.
It is a Mid-Western mosaic.
Shock victory?
That Chicago link could help Barack Obama.
The Illinois senator's ties to the city may act as a counterweight to the advantage which Hillary Clinton might be expected to enjoy with the region's blue-collar workers, who are still smarting from the loss of more than 100,000 manufacturing jobs in the state since 2000.
They have been the kind of voter she has courted to great effect in states such as Ohio and Pennsylvania.
And the significance of Indiana?
Hillary Clinton has been speaking about next Tuesday's two primaries - Indiana and North Carolina - as "game changers" and, in a sense, they could be.
If she wins in Indiana and pulls off a shock victory in North Carolina, where she trails in most polls, the sheen will have been removed from the Obama campaign.
A double win would confirm that the Clinton victories in Pennsylvania and Ohio did indeed mark a change of momentum.
A double loss for Senator Obama, on the other hand, at the end of a period marked by the re-emergence of his controversial former pastor Reverend Jeremiah Wright, would re-ignite the debate over his electability.
Should he win in Indiana, however, he will have stemmed the tide of those recent defeats.
His front runner status, which he has earned by winning more states, votes and delegates than his rival, would regain its legitimacy.
To see how far the game has really changed, though, you will have to look to the super-delegates - those party officials who can support whichever candidate they choose at the National Convention in August and whose votes are likely to decide the contest.
Hillary Clinton's only plausible path to victory, at this point, involves convincing them that she is the best-placed candidate to defeat John McCain in November.
If those super-delegates, yet to reveal their hand, desert either candidate in large numbers, the game will not just be changed.
It will be over.
... and in North CarolinaBy: Carrie Budoff Brown May 6, 2008 06:02 AM EST
If Barack Obama's late decision to hold his election night rally in Raleigh is any indication (his campaign didn't settle on a location until Monday afternoon), the Illinois senator is feeling confident about his chances in North Carolina. It’s a good thing, for an upset win by Hillary Clinton in North Carolina could shake up the presidential campaign if paired with a Clinton victory in Indiana. For insight into how North Carolina will be won, here’s a guide to where and what to watch Tuesday: Check the polls. Officially, the polls open at 6:30 a.m. and close at 7:30 p.m. But insiders here check the polls at 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., after the early morning and lunch hour rushes, to gauge turnout. Keep an eye on Raleigh-Durham area turnout. Before more than 350,000 ballots were cast during the early voting period, analysts were forecasting a turnout of about 800,000 voters in the presidential primary. That number should now top one million, said Morgan Jackson, a North Carolina political consultant. “The key will be the Raleigh-Durham market,” Jackson said. It usually makes up between a quarter and a third of the overall turnout vote. “If that is creeping up to 40 percent that spells good news for Obama,” he said
Big cities vs. small towns. North Carolina voters are concentrated around the I-40/I-85 corridor through the central region of the state, where Obama will look to drive his margins above 55 percent in the metropolitan areas of Charlotte, Winston-Salem (part of the Triad) and Raleigh-Durham (part of the Research Triangle). North Carolina has 100 counties, and “usually the top 14 counties in the metropolitan areas cast more votes” than the rest combined, said Ferrel Guillory, a former political reporter who lectures at the University of North Carolina. “So Hillary is counting on those other counties to maximize her vote. She needs an extra margin out of those counties.” Former President Bill Clinton has been busy working the less populated areas to the west of Charlotte and to the east of Raleigh. He made 14 stops on Sunday and Monday alone in towns that have never seen a former president. All in all, the former president has made more than 40 campaign stops in small town North Carolina, where analysts say Hillary needs to pull in more than 60 percent of the vote. Can she do it? Bill Clinton bragged to at least one North Carolina crowd that he boosted his wife in Pennsylvania, visiting 20 rural counties where she won at least 60 percent of the vote. Hillary Clinton will also need to be competitive in the suburbs and exurbs of the major metropolitan areas because a pure rural strategy will not be enough, analysts said. Follow the African-American vote. The higher the black turnout, the higher the Obama margin of victory. African Americans have made up 40 percent of the early voting turnout and are expected to comprise anywhere from 30 to 40 percent of the vote today. Most polls show Clinton picking up about 10 percent of the African American vote. If she can claw her way into the range of about 20 percent—which would be on the high side for her in a Southern state—she would get some breathing room. Places to watch. Check out a medium-sized city such as Fayetteville where there is a mix of African Americans and rural white conservative Democrats. Clinton has made overtures to the military voters around Fort Bragg, but Obama could draw strength from historically black Fayetteville State University, said Doug Heye, a Republican political strategist and North Carolina native. Durham, which is 44 percent African American, could provide a gauge on turnout among one of Obama’s most loyal constituencies. Charlotte, Greensboro and Winston-Salem, all at least one-third black, are also worth watching. Obama needs strong turnout in towns with black colleges and universities, such as Elizabeth City in the northeastern corner of the state, Heye said. The counties around Raleigh and Durham could provide clues as to whether Obama can rebound with suburban white voters after turning in a lackluster performance in Philadelphia’s upper-income suburbs. Asheville could be an island of Obama strength in rural western Carolina. Avi Zenilman and Jonathan Martin contributed to this report.
Five things to look for in IndianaBy: Carrie Budoff Brown May 6, 2008 02:45 PM EST
INDIANAPOLIS – Before Barack Obama experienced a rough couple of weeks, his campaign was optimistic about his chances in this state. But with a black population of less than 10 percent and swaths of blue collar towns and rural counties, Indiana is looking far more favorable to Hillary Rodham Clinton, who has blanketed the state with visits from her, former President Bill Clinton and their daughter Chelsea. Can she achieve a replay of Ohio and Pennsylvania, when the rural counties turned in huge margins for her? Or will Obama, with significant endorsements in southern Indiana, be able to cut into her support? And will Obama succeed in driving up his totals in Indianapolis and the northwestern corner of the state? Here is what Indiana political strategists and experts will be looking for Tuesday: Check the polls. “The mantra is that 10-2-4 routine,” said Brian Howey, editor of Howey Politics Indiana, referring to 10 a.m., 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. checks to gauge turnout. Follow the turnout. Analysts are expecting far bigger turnout this year than in 2004, when about 22 percent of voters cast ballots in the presidential primary, said Russell Hanson, a political science professor at Indiana University-Bloomington.
A much bigger turnout is good news for Obama because it means “those who haven’t been politically engaged in the past are coming out,” Hanson said. “If that is not happening, then that is working in Clinton’s favor because the traditional [party] machinery is working.
The new vote and the early vote. Analysts will be watching the preferences of the more than 200,000 new voters who were added to the registration rolls.
“How many are Obamacans versus Rush Limbaugh mischief makers?” Howey asked. More than 160,000 voters cast their ballots early, with large numbers coming in from Obama strongholds in Lake (Gary), Marion (Indianapolis) and Monroe (Indiana University-Bloomington) counties.
The Obama campaign tried taking full advantage of this option at Purdue and Indiana University, where classes concluded last week, by shuttling students to the county election site. “The traffic was so heavy that the county clerk agreed they would bring the polling place to the center of campus for two days,” Hanson said. Hoosier math. Obama needs to pile up large margins in Indianapolis in the middle of the state and in Gary’s Lake County in the northwest corner, which is part of the Chicago media market.
Both areas boast significant African American populations. Gary, a city of 100,000 residents, is 84 percent black. Indianapolis, population 780,000, is 25 percent black. A good night for Obama would mean 10- to 20-point margins in both areas, analysts said. Obama will also need 20-point margins in college towns such as Bloomington and West Lafayette, analysts said. Clinton must rely on the Ohio River towns in southern Indiana along the Kentucky border. Obama drew 8,000 people to rally in Evansville, and picked up key endorsements in this area, such as Congressman Baron Hill and former Rep. Lee Hamilton, a revered figure. But Clinton is nevertheless favored to win the region by double digits. She spent the final hours of the campaign Monday in New Albany, a city of 37,000 with 7 percent black population, and Evansville, a city of 117,000 that is 11 percent black. Clinton also hopes to pad her lead in east central Indiana. Economically-distressed cities with union influence, such as Anderson, Muncie and Richmond, present favorable terrain for Clinton, but they also have African American populations of between eight and 15 percent, Howey said. Places to watch. Kokomo’s Howard County is the bellwether to watch, Howey said. It is urban and rural, with a mix of African Americans and blue collar workers, some employed in the Chrysler plants. According to Howey, it tends to back the winner in gubernatorial, congressional and state legislative races. The South Bend area drew significant focus from both campaigns. It is home to the University of Notre Dame, which bodes well for Obama, but there are also many Catholics and a “strong tradition of blue collar Reagan Democratic voters” that would favor Clinton, said Hanson. The wealthy Republican suburbs north of Indianapolis also received attention from the campaigns, suggesting that both candidates are looking for crossover votes, Howey said. A poll conducted for the Howey Politics Indiana found that up to 20 percent of Tuesday’s turnout could be non-Democrats. Jonathan Martin contributed to this report.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7381471.stm
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0508/10112.html
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0508/10111.html
Monday, 21st April 2008
Dear Presidential Candidate Barack Obama Supporters!
In our role as American citizens, we are led to listen carefully and make wise choices for the future leadership of our great nation. This is an enormous responsibility with global impact. During this historic presidential election please come out and make history.
Vote to bring inspiring leadership to the White House. Vote for Barack Obama www.barackobama.com and let a new generation of Americans flourish in democracy and embrace the freedom of our Founding Fathers.
Pope Benedict XVI has concluded his extraordinary visit with the people of the United States of America. On the South Lawn of the White House he shared these remarks during a welcoming ceremony:
"From the dawn of the Republic, America’s quest for freedom has been guided by the conviction that the principles governing political and social life are intimately linked to a moral order based on the dominion of God the Creator. The framers of this nation’s founding documents drew upon this conviction when they proclaimed the “self-evident truth” that all men are created equal and endowed with inalienable rights grounded in the laws of nature and of nature’s God. The course of American history demonstrates the difficulties, the struggles, and the great intellectual and moral resolve which were demanded to shape a society which faithfully embodied these noble principles. In that process, which forged the soul of the nation, religious beliefs were a constant inspiration and driving force, as for example in the struggle against slavery and in the civil rights movement. In our time too, particularly in moments of crisis, Americans continue to find their strength in a commitment to this patrimony of shared ideals and aspirations.
Historically, not only Catholics, but all believers have found here the freedom to worship God in accordance with the dictates of their conscience, while at the same time being accepted as part of a commonwealth in which each individual and group can make its voice heard. As the nation faces the increasingly complex political and ethical issues of our time, I am confident that the American people will find in their religious beliefs a precious source of insight and an inspiration to pursue reasoned, responsible and respectful dialogue in the effort to build a more humane and free society.
Freedom is not only a gift, but also a summons to personal responsibility. Americans know this from experience – almost every town in this country has its monuments honoring those who sacrificed their lives in defense of freedom, both at home and abroad." Pope Benedict XVI - 16th April, 2008 - Washington, D.C.
Barack Obama's presidential candidacy www.barackobama.com has captured the imagination of young Americans and has reached far across the partisan divide. He would represent to the world a new face of America. We can create a more perfect union. Come, make history...vote for Barack Obama. Remember, together we are one great nation!
Thank you very much,
Raphael Holoman-Franklin
Presidential Candidate Barack Obama Supporter
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/speeches/2008/april/documents/hf_ben-xvi_spe_20080416_welcome-washington_en.html
http://www.barackobama.com/2008/03/18/remarks_of_senator_barack_obam_53.php
http://www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/papal/
http://www.barackobama.com/issues/
"We are in a defining moment in our history" ... "Our nation is at war. The planet is in peril. The dream that so many generations fought for feels as if it's slowly slipping away. And that is why the same old Washington textbook campaigns just won't do it. That's why telling the American people what we think they want to hear, instead of telling the American people what they need to hear, just won't do it." "America, our moment is now," ..."I don't want to spend the next year, or the same four years, refighting the same fights we had in the 1990s. I don't want to pit red America against blue America. I want to be the president of the United States of America."
Presidential Candidate Barack Obama www.barackobama.com
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=000iY6EbQc0
http://www.mefeedia.com/entry/barack-obama-judgment-to-lead-part-2/3834514/
By Toby Harnden in New York
John F Kennedy's closest living aide has anointed Barack Obama www.barackobama.com as the heir to the assassinated president's legacy and predicted that Hillary Clinton would lose an election to a Republican.
Ted Sorensen, 79, Mr Kennedy’s chief speechwriter, slipped into the present tense as he was transported back to 1960, when another youthful senator espousing hope and change was being written off by the Establishment.
Barack Obama greets supporters in Largo, Maryland. Mr Sorensen says his mannerisms echo those of John F Kennedy in 1960
“Both Kennedy and Obama have fantastically winning smiles and I might say both are very relaxed in front of an audience and on television," he said in an interview. "They don’t shout into a microphone, they talk."The principles, the values Obama and Kennedy are enunciating are not five-point plans for new health care programmes, which is more Hillary's style."The Kennedy legacy and the aura of Camelot have been powerful but largely unspoken themes underpinning the campaign of Mr Obama, another charismatic Harvard alumnus heralding a new era in politics. Mr Kennedy broke down the barrier of becoming the first Roman Catholic president while Mr Obama is vying to become the first black occupant of the Oval Office.Just as the Massachusetts senator was dismissed by the party hierarchy because of his age and unconventional background, Mr Obama, too, is being branded an also-ran.
Mr Sorensen organised Mr Kennedy's 1960 presidential campaign, especially efforts to counter anti-Catholic prejudice
Now, the endorsement of Mr Sorensen, who worked for Mr Kennedy for 11 years and wrote the 1961 inaugural speech in which he spoke of a torch having been "passed to a new generation", has made the linkage explicit and given it official sanction.
More pointedly, the Democratic veteran expressed what few senior party figures are prepared to do publicly — the conviction that Mrs Clinton will lose a general election and in practice is not much different from President George W Bush.
When asked about her similarities to Bill Clinton, Mr Sorensen said that her election would be "a continuation of the Clinton-Bush 20 years" and business as usual in Washington.
“She has the same tendency to triangulate, as he called it, she has the same ability to equivocate, to vacillate, to imitate what the Republicans are doing and saying.
He vehemently rejected the contention, driven home relentlessly by the Clinton campaign, that Mr Obama lacks the experience to be president.
"He has great judgment, which he has demonstrated in his position against the Iraq war even before it started.
"Judgment is the single most important criterion for selecting a president. At the time of the [1962] Cuban missile crisis, Kennedy's powers of judgment were tested as no president has ever been tested. Fortunately for all of us, he really came up with the right answers. He was 45. Obama's 46 so he's an old geezer."
Mr Sorensen's eyes are now failing him but when he is at an Obama rally the message, mannerisms and atmosphere make it seem like the 1960 campaign once again.
"I've heard a lot of high pitched shrieks of approval, which I assume were coming from young women," he said. "I'm told the phenomenon known as leapers has returned.
"In Kennedy's case, along the motorcade route young women would levitate themselves to be able to see over the heads of taller people as he was driven by.
"There was excitement and enthusiasm that went into that leap as well as his good looks. It's interesting they report leaper sightings when Obama appears."
But perhaps the thing that most makes Mr Obama, the first-term Illinois senator, "on track" to become the new Mr Kennedy is his determination to transform American politics.
"There's a sense in this country that Washington badly needs to be changed. The election of Obama will not only change the players in Washington, it'll change the game itself."
The Clintons, he said, were Washington insiders who wanted to maintain the status quo and who had not brought honour to the White House.
“I’m not accusing Clinton of being lawless. He was impeached for trivial reasons.
"But I don’t think that it was the noblest time for the White House when the Lincoln bedroom was rented out to donors and pardons were being issued to some truly dreadful people.”
Mr Clinton, moreover, had failed to deliver.
"Bill Clinton was a persuasive communicator. If he was here now he'd persuade us both that I'm wrong. But what was it used for? It was sad to see a president with such talent who was unable to get more done."
He argued that the former First Lady would be defeated in a presidential fight with a Republican candidate like Rudy Giuliani. "She's got everything going for her but a lot of people just don't like her.
"I'm tired of losing. We've had these candidates who give those five-point programmes, who sound like they are lecturing at MIT or trying to convince the New York Times board of editors.
"That doesn't reach the hearts of the voters. Mr Kennedy reached the hearts of voters. And so does Obama."
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/27/opinion/27kennedy.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQNTYc4ZsyI
Chicago, IL - In an op-ed published Sunday in The New York Times, Caroline Kennedy announced her support for Senator Barack Obama, citing his judgment in opposing the Iraq war from the start, his character in running a dignified campaign, and his ability to unite this entire nation around a common purpose.
Senator Obama said, "I am honored to have the support of Caroline Kennedy. Caroline has been a tireless advocate for providing every child with a quality education, most recently through her work with New York City's public schools. And through her role in selecting Profile in Courage awardees, she has shined a spotlight on leaders who have the courage to tell people what they need to hear, not what they want to hear. It's also a special privilege to have this endorsement because I've always believed that Caroline's father was one of our greatest presidents. At a time of great challenge at home and abroad, President Kennedy led this nation with judgment and courage, pulling the world back from the brink of war, calling a generation to service, and inspiring this entire nation to reach for new frontiers."
Caroline Kennedy writes in her op-ed (LINK):
A President Like My FatherBy CAROLINE KENNEDYJanuary 27, 2008Op-Ed Contributor
"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.
Senator Obama has demonstrated these qualities throughout his more than two decades of public service, not just in the United States Senate but in Illinois, where he helped turn around struggling communities, taught constitutional law and was an elected state official for eight years. And Senator Obama is showing the same qualities today. He has built a movement that is changing the face of politics in this country, and he has demonstrated a special gift for inspiring young people - known for a willingness to volunteer, but an aversion to politics - to become engaged in the political process.
I have spent the past five years working in the New York City public schools and have three teenage children of my own. There is a generation coming of age that is hopeful, hard-working, innovative and imaginative. But too many of them are also hopeless, defeated and disengaged. As parents, we have a responsibility to help our children to believe in themselves and in their power to shape their future. Senator Obama is inspiring my children, my parents' grandchildren, with that sense of possibility.
Senator Obama is running a dignified and honest campaign. He has spoken eloquently about the role of faith in his life, and opened a window into his character in two compelling books. And when it comes to judgment, Barack Obama made the right call on the most important issue of our time by opposing the war in Iraq from the beginning.
I want a president who understands that his responsibility is to articulate a vision and encourage others to achieve it; who holds himself, and those around him, to the highest ethical standards; who appeals to the hopes of those who still believe in the American Dream, and those around the world who still believe in the American ideal; and who can lift our spirits, and make us believe again that our country needs every one of us to get involved.
I have never had a president who inspired me the way people tell me that my father inspired them. But for the first time, I believe I have found the man who could be that president - not just for me, but for a new generation of Americans."
Caroline Kennedy is the Vice Chair of the New York City Fund for Public Schools, a non-profit organization which seeks private sector support for public education. Since 2002, The Fund has raised more than $210 million in support of critical reform initiatives and enlisted record numbers of New Yorkers to volunteer in New York City schools. A graduate of Harvard University and Columbia Law School, Kennedy is an attorney and the author/editor of seven best-selling books on civil rights, American history, politics, and poetry including In Our Defense: The Bill of Rights in Action, and A Pariot's Handbook: Songs, Poems, Stories and Speeches Celebrating the Land We Love. She writes a column for TIME on the Power of One about people who are making a difference in their communities. Caroline Kennedy also serves on the Commission on Presidential Debates and the Profile In Courage Award Committee of the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation. She and her husband, Edwin Schlossberg, have 3 children.
http://www.barackobama.com/2008/01/26/caroline_kennedy_endorses_bara.php
Rock star Springsteen endorses Obama
The Boss endorses Barack Obama! From Bruce's official website...
Dear Friends and Fans:Like most of you, I've been following the campaign and I have now seen and heard enough to know where I stand. Senator Obama, in my view, is head and shoulders above the rest.He has the depth, the reflectiveness, and the resilience to be our next President. He speaks to the America I've envisioned in my music for the past 35 years, a generous nation with a citizenry willing to tackle nuanced and complex problems, a country that's interested in its collective destiny and in the potential of its gathered spirit. A place where "...nobody crowds you, and nobody goes it alone."At the moment, critics have tried to diminish Senator Obama through the exaggeration of certain of his comments and relationships. While these matters are worthy of some discussion, they have been ripped out of the context and fabric of the man's life and vision, so well described in his excellent book, Dreams of My Father, often in order to distract us from discussing the real issues: war and peace, the fight for economic and racial justice, reaffirming our Constitution, and the protection and enhancement of our environment.After the terrible damage done over the past eight years, a great American reclamation project needs to be undertaken. I believe that Senator Obama is the best candidate to lead that project and to lead us into the 21st Century with a renewed sense of moral purpose and of ourselves as Americans.Over here on E Street, we're proud to support Obama for President.
Dear Friends and Fans:
Like most of you, I've been following the campaign and I have now seen and heard enough to know where I stand. Senator Obama, in my view, is head and shoulders above the rest.
He has the depth, the reflectiveness, and the resilience to be our next President. He speaks to the America I've envisioned in my music for the past 35 years, a generous nation with a citizenry willing to tackle nuanced and complex problems, a country that's interested in its collective destiny and in the potential of its gathered spirit. A place where "...nobody crowds you, and nobody goes it alone."
At the moment, critics have tried to diminish Senator Obama through the exaggeration of certain of his comments and relationships. While these matters are worthy of some discussion, they have been ripped out of the context and fabric of the man's life and vision, so well described in his excellent book, Dreams of My Father, often in order to distract us from discussing the real issues: war and peace, the fight for economic and racial justice, reaffirming our Constitution, and the protection and enhancement of our environment.
After the terrible damage done over the past eight years, a great American reclamation project needs to be undertaken. I believe that Senator Obama is the best candidate to lead that project and to lead us into the 21st Century with a renewed sense of moral purpose and of ourselves as Americans.
Over here on E Street, we're proud to support Obama for President.
This article was first published on guardian.co.uk on Wednesday April 16 2008. It was last updated at 15:55 on April 16 2008.
Rock star Bruce Springsteen endorsed Democratic senator Barack Obama www.barackobama.com for president today, saying "he speaks to the America I've envisioned in my music for the past 35 years".
In a letter addressed to friends and fans posted on his website, Springsteen said he believes Obama is the best candidate to undo "the terrible damage done over the past eight years".
"He has the depth, the reflectiveness, and the resilience to be our next president," the letter said.
"He speaks to the America I've envisioned in my music for the past 35 years, a generous nation with a citizenry willing to tackle nuanced and complex problems, a country that's interested in its collective destiny and in the potential of its gathered spirit. A place where '... nobody crowds you, and nobody goes it alone' ", he wrote, referring lines from the song Long Walk Home, featured on his 2007 album, Magic.
The singer is known for his lyrics about the struggles of working-class Americans, particularly in the economically ravaged factory towns of the north-east.
Springsteen and his E Street band were part of the Vote or Change tour, a coalition of musicians opposed to the re-election of President George Bush in 2004.
Springsteen did not directly mention Senator Hillary Clinton, Obama's rival for the Democratic nomination, in his letter, but appeared to take issue with her recent criticisms of comments made by Obama about working-class voters in small towns in Pennsylvania and controversial statements by Obama's pastor.
"Critics have tried to diminish Senator Obama through the exaggeration of certain of his comments and relationships," Springsteen wrote.
"While these matters are worthy of some discussion, they have been ripped out of the context and fabric of the man's life and vision ... often in order to distract us from discussing the real issues: war and peace, the fight for economic and racial justice, reaffirming our constitution, and the protection and enhancement of our environment."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/apr/16/barackobama.uselections2008
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hxaeCXS17FI1FWdM-jzcHjVGP1FQD9030V601
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/04/16/bruce-springsteen-endorse_n_96933.html
On the eve of the historic papal visit to the United States, Senator Obama has released a statement welcoming him and speaking of the broader American values that people of faith share.
***
As committed Christians, we join millions of Americans – Catholics and members of all faith communities – in offering our prayers for the success of the Holy Father’s visit.
At a time when American families face rising costs at home and a range of worries abroad, the theme of Pope Benedict’s journey, 'Christ Our Hope,' offers comfort and grace as well as a challenge to all faith communities to put our faith into action for the common good. It will not only be Catholics who are listening to the Holy Father’s message of hope and peace; all Americans will be listening with open hearts and minds.
-Senator Barack Obama
Dear Superdelegate,
If Hillary somehow becomes the nominee while trailing in states/elections won, popular vote, and elected delegates, it would be the effective end of the Democratic Party. It would be Adams vs. Jackson all over again. I have spoke with several members of the NAACP and the concencous is clear, no African American in their right mind would vote for HRC after "stealing" the nomination from Obama. If HRC becomes the nominee, there will be a new party that will right overnight. Thanks for your consideration,
Tim
Attention Obama community,
After 2 weeks of consistant canvassing, I am pleased to report we are making signifigant inroads against the Clinton Machine here. A substantial block of voters have moved from favoring Clinton to undecided, many leaning Obama or strong Obama backers after I speak with them.
I have found a highly effective tactic for communicating with the undecided demographic. Here it is, both candidates are very similar on the issues. There is however one issue where there is clear seperation, ethics and transparency. Now more then ever we need a role model for America, someone who young people can look up to and respect. Hillary Clinton simply is not that person. Take the past couple of weeks as a microcosm of her charactor, Bosnia, etc. HRC, American children all over the Country want to know the difference between misspeaking, and flatly lying.
If we make ethics and transparency the focal point of the campaign down the homestreth I believe we can win the state outright, that's a fact.
I sincerely hope this message gets conveyed to the proper channels. Thanks!
Check out these exciting results:
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/features/poll.html
Show your support for Barack. Participate today!
In the true spirit of Barack Obama's grassroots candidacy for President, I am pleased to announce Voices for Change, as an official campaign event. Voices for Change is a concert and art show to raise awareness and funds for Obama's 2008 run for the White House. In light of the event being a formal fundraiser all FEC guidelines will be followed to the letter of the law. Please see the following link to RSVP and more importantly, be sure to select the "pledge online" option, not the "pledge onsite" option. Tickets are selling fast and wil likely be soldout soon, as there are only 350 available.
http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/fundraising/4r722
In addition to the music and art show, there will be a tent with Victory beer, a campaign information center, offiicial campaign merch, food, and limited edition event posters. As of now there are a couple of names being floated as MCs for the night, we will have this aspect solidifed by the end of the week. There will be auctioning off of services, including, a life coach, and a vacation. Please contact me if you'd like to donate services for the evening. We are still in need of "in kynd" contributions. Please contact Tim @ 6109090429 with interest.
An Easter Prayer For Barack Obama www.barackobama.com , His Family & All Creation
O God of unchangeable power and eternal light: Look favorably on your whole Creation, that wonderful and sacred mystery; by the effectual working of your divine providence, carry out in tranquillity the plan of eternity; let the whole world see and know that things which were cast down are being raised up, and things which had grown old are being made new, and that all things are being brought to their perfection by him through whom all things were made, your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Indeed, wishing you all a Happy & Joyful Easter,
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During this easter season, I pray that christians will examine their hearts and understand the need for Americans to love each other as well as others outside this great country. Let us pray for Barack and his family that they will be able to stand Firm and to know that he is chosen for this moment in time. I am pround of this candidate, he speaks to the soul of man. Let us move past the crucifixtion and embrace the resurection of this man of faith who will be our next president.
Richardson endorsement does matterBy: Gebe Martinez
March 21, 2008 05:56 PM EST
It is easy to see why New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, the nation’s only Hispanic governor and recent presidential candidate, endorsed Barack Obama www.barackobama.com over Hillary Rodham Clinton for the Democratic nomination. Richardson, like Obama, knows what it means to be treated differently for looking different. So when Obama delivered this week's blunt, personal assessment of the state of race relations in the United States — in which he noted, “We may not look the same and we may not have come from the same place, but we all want to move in the same direction” — Richardson decided it was time to go public with his choice for president. Obama, Richardson said, “is something special that the country needs right now.” But as Richardson put his arm around Obama at a rally in Oregon, the Clinton campaign dismissed the endorsement as one whose value had passed. After all, 95 percent of the Hispanic electorate already has voted in this year’s primaries, and most of them went for Clinton. The Clinton campaign ignored the fact that they, too, had eagerly sought the backing of the governor: a former congressman, diplomat and member of President Bill Clinton’s Cabinet. If Richardson is viewed only as a Hispanic leader, then the Clinton campaign is correct in assessing that the governor’s influence in most of the remaining primary states is limited, because the number of Latino voters in those states is smaller. But this endorsement requires a much broader view to see why it matters now, as well as for the November election if Obama wins the Democratic nomination. First, Richardson is a big name among superdelegates, who may have to decide the almost-tied nomination fight. He has given the Obama campaign a morale boost, especially during a time when the Illinois senator has been dogged by controversy over the racially charged sermons of his pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright. To those Obama supporters who might have become skittish because Wright’s angry words undermined Obama’s optimistic message of “hope,” Richardson tried to offer reassurances about the candidate’s character. Obama could have given a “safe speech” but instead spoke directly to the issue, Richardson noted. Second, by turning away from his friendship with former President Clinton, and against Sen. Clinton’s close victory in the New Mexico caucuses, Richardson signaled to other “superdelegates” that they can choose whomever they wish. The Clinton campaign has been pressuring Obama’s “superdelegates” who come from areas won by the New York senator — such as House members from California and Texas — to follow the will of their voters. Third, Richardson, who focused much of his campaign on national security issues, is telling voters that he is assured in how Obama will handle the presidency. Clinton won the Texas primary earlier this month partly by using a dark television ad that claimed she was the only one qualified to answer the national security “phone call” in the middle of the night.
During his own presidential bid, the governor argued his experience outweighed Clinton’s and that he could be the “change” agent that Obama was claiming. Now, Richardson says there were other overriding considerations. “As a presidential candidate, I know full well Sen. Obama's unique ability to inspire the American people to confront our urgent challenges at home and abroad in a spirit of bipartisanship and reconciliation,” Richardson said. The Clinton campaign argues that the Richardson endorsement would have been more valuable earlier in the primary season, before large numbers of Hispanics voted in Super Tuesday states such as New Mexico or in the Texas primary. “The time when he could have been most effective has long since passed,” said Clinton campaign strategist Mark Penn. “I don’t think it’s a significant endorsement at this point in time.” Sergio Bendixen, the Florida pollster who has run Clinton’s campaign with Hispanic voters, added that while Puerto Rico has yet to vote — and there are small groups of Hispanic voters in the upcoming Pennsylvania, Oregon, Indiana and North Carolina primaries — Richardson is not well-known in those areas. “His areas of influence have been in the Southwest,” Bendixen said. “I don’t think [Richardson’s] endorsement will have any impact.” The Clinton campaign’s outreach to Hispanics has been so deep that in the year before the caucuses and primaries began, even Richardson had trouble winning support among Hispanics who were confused by his ethnicity because of his last name. Obama, meanwhile, has been trounced by Clinton among Hispanic voters in major states. Obama barely won a majority of the Hispanic vote in his home state of Illinois, and he also won the Hispanic vote in Connecticut and Virginia. Clearly, if Obama wins the nomination, Richardson’s bilingual and bicultural appeal will be most useful heading into the November election, when Hispanic voters are expected to be the deciding vote in major battleground states, including Richardson’s home territory of New Mexico. Richardson can tell Hispanics that Obama also understands what it is like to look different or come from somewhere else. In the meantime, Richardson offers proof of one more point. The Hispanic vote matters, as Latinos will make up at least one out of every 10 people casting ballots in November. It could be even higher given the larger-than-expected Hispanic voter performance in the primary season.
Bill Richardson's early childhood was characterized by an atypical biculturalism, strong family bonds, and a consistent commitment to giving back to the community.
Bill Richardson was born on November 15, 1947 in Pasadena, California to William Richardson and Maria Luisa Lopez-Collada. William Richardson was a banker who had been working in Mexico City for decades and he settled his family there shortly after Bill's birth.
Growing up in Mexico City, Bill Richardson experienced a unique blend of American and Mexican cultures. His parents wanted to make sure their children were proud of both their countries and felt comfortable in both cultures and languages. Hamburgers and hotdogs were served on the Fourth of July, and parties were held on September 16th, Mexican Independence Day.
William and Maria expected great things from Bill and his younger sister Vesta. Governor Richardson attributes his work ethic and striving nature to the lessons his parents taught him. "My father made it very simple, he used to say, 'If you're going to do something, be the best at it, that usually means you have to work harder than everyone else.'"
Vesta and Bill also learned that giving something back to your community was part of what it meant to be successful. These lessons have driven Vesta's career as a successful pediatrician in Mexico, and have been a constant stream in Bill's life of public service as Congressman, Energy Secretary, UN Ambassador and Governor of New Mexico.
In 1961 a young Bill Richardson left his family in Mexico City to attend high school in Massachusetts. It was tough for teenage Bill to be the new different looking kid at his school; he was the only Hispanic student there. But with the help of a coveted slot on the Varsity baseball team, and a few good friends, he began to bridge the divide between these two worlds.
Barbara Flavin and her family lived across the street from the school, and they had heard about the new student from Mexico with a vicious breaking ball. One afternoon Barbara saw Bill walking out of town. She offered him a ride back to school. The next January, Bill left a sombrero and a love note on her porch. They were married in 1972.
Bill followed in his father's footsteps and entered Tufts University in Boston in 1966. His interest in politics was sparked while on a school trip to Washington, D.C. during which Senator Hubert Humphrey stopped to talk to Bill and his classmates about American values and the power of public service. Governor Richardson calls this a turning point in his political awareness: "Senator Humphrey was a proud Democrat and presented his convictions with such strength, that I began to realize how a progressive vision could change the world."
