Memo from David Plouffe: Moving On to the Next 10 Contests

Sam Graham-Felsen — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 11:55:02 EDT

David Plouffe sent out this memo today...

With his overwhelming victory in the Mississippi primary, Barack Obama’s lead in pledged delegates is now wider than it was on March 3, before the contests in Ohio and Texas. He netted more delegates in Mississippi and Wyoming than Senator Clinton netted on March 4. Obama now holds a pledged delegate lead of 161 with a total of 1411 pledged delegates, while Senator Clinton trails with 1250 pledged delegates. As the number of remaining pledged delegates dwindles, Hillary Clinton’s path to the nomination seems less and less plausible.
Barack Obama has now won nearly thirty contests, over half the states in the country, including critical battleground states like Virginia, Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota, Colorado, Missouri, Washington and Colorado.
Now that Mississippi is behind us, we move on to the next ten contests. The Clinton Campaign would like to focus your attention only on Pennsylvania – a state in which they have already declared that they are “unbeatable.” But Pennsylvania is only one of 10 remaining contests, each important in terms of allocating delegates and ultimately deciding who are nominee will be. Senator Obama campaigned in Pennsylvania yesterday and will do so again later this week, but he will also campaign aggressively in the other upcoming states – he will travel to other upcoming states in the very near future.
We have activated our volunteer networks, are putting staff on the ground, and building our organization in every one of the upcoming states. The key is not who wins the states that the Clinton campaign thinks are important. Throughout this entire process, they have cherry-picked states, diminished caucuses, and moved the goal posts to create a shifting, twisted rationale for why they should win the nomination despite winning fewer primaries, fewer states, fewer delegates, and fewer votes.

You can help us win the next three contests in Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Indiana. Pick up the phone today and make some calls!

Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin today endorses Obama

Sam Graham-Felsen — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 18:48:59 EST

Citing hope for "a new direction in American politics and a positive change in Washington," U.S. Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (D-South Dakota, at-large) today endorsed Sen. Barack Obama for President of the United States. "Senator Obama is the right candidate for rural America. He has demonstrated a deep understanding of the tremendous opportunities that come with a transition to a clean energy economy powered by homegrown renewable energy. His policy priorities as well as his bipartisan and inclusive approach convince me that he is the best candidate to lead the country forward," said Herseth Sandlin.

Senator Obama stated, "I'm proud to have the support of Congresswoman Herseth Sandlin. Congresswoman Herseth Sandlin is a recognized leader in the House on renewable energy and rural issues. And I look forward to working with her to refocus our energy policy in a way that reduces our dependence on foreign oil, enhances our national security, and creates jobs in South Dakota and across rural America."

Herseth Sandlin indicated that after speaking with Senator Obama, she became convinced that his vision and ideas will inspire action that is good for South Dakota and good for the country: "From his commitment to wind energy development to investing in new, groundbreaking technology for cellulosic ethanol, I am convinced that Senator Obama will be a president who capitalizes on what South Dakota's communities, families and entrepreneurs have to offer."

Herseth Sandlin added, "Like many Americans and many South Dakotans, I have been inspired by Senator Obama's commitment to finding common ground, and his ability to generate a groundswell of hope and optimism among people of all ages, and of all political stripes. The challenges we face in our country demand a leader willing to put partisanship aside in order to get things done. I'm proud to announce my support for Senator Barack Obama."

South Dakota Action Team

Memo from David Plouffe: Moving On to the Next 10 Contests

Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin today endorses Obama