3 Days And Counting - The 14 Speeches of the Obama Campaign: #3, End of Primary Season/Minneapolis Speech

June 3, 2008: Minneapolis, Minnesota - The End of the Democratic Primary Season

9 Days And Counting - The 14 Speeches of the Obama Campaign: #9, The Iowa JJ Dinner

The beginning of the turning point for Barack Obama: his speech at the Iowa Jefferson -Jackson Dinner (November 2007).

Why is it when 'WE' figure out how to win using the rules, they're suddenly changed?

This is what instantly same into my mind when I read this story:

Clintons Still Want To Kill Caucuses: The Latest Round

The Clintons hate the caucus system, and they want to see it die.

First they finished third in Iowa. Then they were out-organized by Barack Obama's campaign in the caucuses after Super Tuesday. Finally, they lost the showdown at the rules committee over how to reinstate delegates from the banned Michigan and Florida primaries.

According to one well-placed source, President Clinton himself is still raw over reports of caucus tampering in Iowa that he believes could have tilted the race in Barack Obama's favor, and has mentioned that possibility several times in conversation. A separate source who is also close to Clinton says the idea that people were "bused in" from Illinois to caucus is still a concern, as well. (The Iowa Democratic Party is not required by law to release its caucus rolls, and has not done so.)

In part, this fits with the pattern of retrospective analysis and persistent "what-if" thinking on the part of some Clinton officials, such as when communications director Howard Wolfson remarked on Fox News that John Edwards cost Sen. Clinton the nomination -- a claim that was later partially debunked.

So while a debate about the use of caucuses might seem moot to some, it remains terribly important to Clinton loyalists. And thus the battle over their use rages on -- sometimes in private, and sometimes in quasi-public forums. The most recent flash point was last weekend's DNC platform committee meeting in Pittsburgh. Included among over 100 proposed amendments to the party's platform was Amendment 93, which would have banned caucuses from future nominating contests.

The Caucus system was just part of the Democratic Party Nominating Process.

UNTIL

Barack Obama maximized them on his way to winning the Democratic Party Nomination.

In my post How Obama Won - The 50 State Strategy, I pointed out this not-so-small fact:

There were caucuses in the following places:
Iowa
Nevada
Alaska
American Samoa
Colorado
Idaho
Kansas
Minnesota
North Dakota
Nebraska
Washington
Maine
Hawaii
Texas
Wyoming
Guam

Out of this list, Barack Obama LOST the DELEGATE COUNT in ONE Caucus - American Samoa.

Even though he ‘lost’ the Nevada Caucus, he received MORE DELEGATES than Hillary Clinton because of his success in RURAL Nevada.

He only tied her in one place, delegate wise - in Guam, which he won by 7 votes.

Everywhere else, he BEAT HER in the caucus states.

His final Pledged Delegate Tally from the Caucuses: 326
Hillary Clintons? : 176



Who is the usual participant of the Caucus system?

High-information voters; party activists.

I remember something Chuck Todd said on Tim Russert's weekend show: that the problems for Hillary Clinton should have been obvious to the media because of two factors:
a) she could ONLY get 200 SuperDelegates to commit to her beforehand
b) the strong resistance of the party activists towards her, as evident through the caucus system.

So, this Caucus System was ok. Sure, there was grumbling every once in awhile, but NOW it's a complete affront to democracy.

CAUSE THE BLACK MAN WON.

PERIOD.

This is the Black story in America. You can call it 'moving the bar', 'changing the goalposts', however you want to tag it, but the story is still the same:

When Black folk figure out a way to win by the rules, suddenly the rules need to be changed.

For all the talk about Barack Obama opening doors for future Black candidates, I'll never forget a comment I read over at Field Negro - I'm paraphrasing:

They are studying Obama with precision, cause they're going to close everyway possible for any Negro coming down the pike. They ain't NEVAH gonna give another Negro the chance to explode the way that Obama did.

Earlier in the week, dnA wrote a piece for The Prospect:Obama's Racial Catch 22.

In Obama's Racial-Catch 22, in the comments section, posters discussed Tiger Woods, and how, Augusta had been FINE. It had been FINE through the years of Hogan...the domination of Palmer, then Nicklaus.

But, Tiger Woods wins TWO Masters, and suddenly, Augusta and other major course around the country, had to be ' re-designed.'

Same song, over and over again. Doesn't matter the arena- Sports, Politics, Business...

The moment we learn the rules enough to master them....either..
a) the rules are changed
b) a new rule book, that's NEVER been there before, appears.

We know the drill.

Hillpatine's Latest Maneuverings

So, I'm watching Good Morning America, waiting for the Michelle Obama interview, and I'm subject to listening about the latest shenanigans of Camp Hillpatine. The reporter states, ' Even now, Senator Clinton doesn't believe Senator Obama can win.'

To which I replied to the tv, Who gives a rat's ass what Senator Clinton thinks? SHE LOST.

This really is the bottom line.

She had every advantage known to any modern politicial Presidential Candidate, including Dubya...

AND SHE LOST.

She lost to the first term 'nobody' from the middle of the country who only gave ' one good speech'.

So compelling a candidate was she that she lost the nomination to 'that guy'.

That's what her opinion about Obama's chances should mean - SQUAT.

Do you really think that if the situation were reversed, they'd even be commenting about what Obama thinks? No, because they would have run him out of town after the Wisconsin Primary.

The 'Entitlement' Syndrome of Hillpatine and her supporters truly knows no bounds.

There have been so many articles since I saw the first one last night and knew that I wanted to write about this.
It began for me last night catching these two articles:
Clinton still not over it

And Sen. Hillary Clinton Not Ruling Out Having Name Put Up for Vote in Denver

Then, this morning:
Have the Clintons Gotten Over It?

First Thoughts:More Clinton Drama
Chuck Todd asks the million dollar question:

But we've asked this question a million times and we ask it again: Would the Clintons have been as deferential (or be expected to be as deferential) to Obama if the roles were reversed?

To answer Todd's question, it's a simple sentence: Begins with HELL and ends with NO.



See, our friend craig hickman isn't too far off, is he? He's only been saying this for weeks.
We have from Political Radar: The Note: Obama vs. Clinton: The Battle Continues

ABC News' Rick Klein writes in Thursday's Note: Sen. Barack Obama is set to leave for his much-deserved vacation with one very big loose end that doesn’t want to be tied -- and that’s not counting the veepstakes.

It’s the drama that won’t go away, the storyline that’s too delicious to recede, the symbol of a party’s divisions the very mention of which brings smiles to the faces of editors and producers: Obama vs. Clinton. (Welcome back.)

To former President Bill Clinton’s missing praise (to say nothing of what he is saying), we add this: A steadfast refusal by Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton to rule out allowing her delegates to vent in the peculiar fashion of voting for her on the convention floor, instead of the candidate she’s campaigning for.

“I happen to believe that we will come out stronger if people feel that their voices were heard and their views were respected,” Clinton, D-N.Y., told a gathering of supporters last week, ABC News reported Wednesday. “We do not want any Democrat either in the hall or in the stadium or at home walking away saying, well, you know, I’m just not satisfied, I’m not happy.”

“It’s as old as, you know, Greek drama,” Clinton said. (We couldn’t agree more.)

I don't care if they're happy. They lost, and this is complete and utter BS. Period. Never have I seen a bunch of folks who don't understand that they got outsmarted, outwitted, outmaneuvered, outorganized. They thought they were ' the shit' and wound up being informed, 'eh, you're not all that much'.

And, of course, your companions in the media are enjoying this. Anything and everything to undermine Obama is ok with them.

Then, we get this: from Politico.com:Clinton, Obama reiterate unity

and Clinton, Obama Seek to Defuse Talk of Contested Floor Vote

With rumors flying about whether Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton will seek to include her name in a roll call vote of delegates at the Democratic convention, the Clinton and Obama campaign teams issued a rare joint statement on Wednesday night confirming that they are "working together" to come up with a suitable solution.

"At the Democratic Convention, we will ensure that the voices of everyone who participated in this historic process are respected and our party will be fully unified heading into the November election," Obama spokesman Bill Burton said in a statement on behalf of the two camps.

I understand the Obama Camp, and why they have to go along with this charade. Doesn't mean that the rest of us who see what's up with the Camp Hillpatine foolishness can't speak up and out.

Let's say it right now: Don't want to hear one more word about her so-called 18 million votes. I also don't believe Obama should raise a frigging PENNY more for her, considering nearly all of that debt was obtained post-WISCONSIN - the night when it became mathematically impossible for her to catch Obama in Pledged Delegates, and thus the only way she could ' win' would be by THIEVERY. So, if she wanted to push forth, then she should do like Romney - EAT THE DEBT. Or, she should make an appeal to those 18 million voters - send her a $1.25 a piece, and she'd be debt free. But, the debt she incurred during the time of it being a lost cause, should never be Barack Obama's concern. Nor the concern of any of his donors, ' little fish' or 'big fish'.

Our calming friend, Al Giordano, over at The Field, has his own take on this: Greek Drama Week Begins.

I'm not nervous about Camp Hillpatine...I'm PISSED. My last Black nerve has been continuously plucked by this bunch of overweening egos who thought they were ENTITLED to the Presidency of the United States.

But, a little thing known as democracy got in their way.

The Democrats can let this foolishness in Denver proceed if they dare. But, it's past time that this crowd was shown the door, told to go somewhere, sit down, and STFU.

Snake Reminder - See the Forest for the Trees

Sometimes, I see comments that are so on point, and I don't believe any of the bloggers here could say it better that they should be lifted and put out front.

This wonderful comment from Manju was in my latest Bill Clinton Post:

McCain linking Clinton to the race-baiting charge was a brilliant tactical move, allowing him to exploit diviisons within the democratic party while putting Obama between a rock and a hard place.


Whats Obama to do? If he defends Clinton's accusers his hopes of uniting his party, and subsequently winning the election, are dashed. If he attacks them he ends up "admitting" that Clinton's accusers, and by extension himself since he benefitted, are Sharptonesque. Both are losing cards.


The Clinton's are powerful. There's a huge swath of the democratic party that's simply not willing to admit that they played a southern strategy. They're ideologically bound to the notion that that is resricted to the Republicans, to Nixon and Reagan. Even those who have written extensively on southern strategies, like Paul Krugman, cannot bring themselves to make this admission, despite all the evidence, lest they end up admitting that much of what the VRWC said about the Clintons was right all along. Such an admission would undermine almost 2 decades of work. Its unthinkable.


The Clinton's know this and its in their best interest to keep the party divided. Obama must lose the general in order for them to reclaim the party and power. Thus, Clinton bought up racism all by himself, knowing it would hurt Obama. Howard Wolfson, Clinton old campaign manager, is on Foxnews now making Obama out to be a racial McCarthyist. Expect Gerry Ferraro to make a reappearance in the coming months.


This is precisely why party insiders wanted Clinton to quit the race when it became obvious she couldn't win. The Clintons scorched earth policy gives McCain cover to launch all sorts of attacks on Obama, and not be blamed for it--or even have dems defend him when he does it--b/c they originated from the Clintons. Obama as race baiter, as not fit to be commander in chief, as sexist, as out of touch with hard working white Americans, and finally as election steeler who lost the popular vote.


All these charges are false and incendiary. But still very dangerous territory for Obama.

I'll remind folks of a theory by a poster on JJP, who routinely reminds us that Senator Obama is still in a fight for the nomination, and you can poo-poo that if you want, I STILL believe it's completely on point and accurate.

Unity-my-ass.

Nobody in Camp Clinton is interested in Unity. They've been clowning from the moment it became obvious that Hillpatine couldn't win (the night of the WISCONSIN PRIMARY) unless she STOLE it from Obama. And, the clowning hasn't abated one little bit.

I am sure that the Obama Camp understands this, but I post things like this from time to time, to remind folks to take that long range perspective and SEE exactly what Senator Obama is up against. When a Republican like Michelle Bernard has given Barack Obama more respect than 85% of the folks that show up on the tv claiming to be Democrats----step back and see the forest for the trees.

Manju is also on point about so many of the Clintonistas are mad as hell that not only were the Clintons called out for their racebaiting, but folks aren't backing down from it, and it's out there. And, if true, that the GOP is about to begin presenting commercials using Hillary Clinton, then what will come out of their mouths then?

Just yesterday, Bill Clinton was asked if Barack Obama was ready to be President, and he gave a thoroughly bullshit non-answer that could have been given by any REPUBLICAN.

Snake. Snake. Snake.

Obama should win or lose on his own terms. But, I believe a whole lot of his critics, not 'haters', but critics, don't want to acknowledge the den of vipers that he has to pass over - in his supposed ' own party' - to get to the White House.

Bill Clinton Says He's 'Not A Racist'.....hmmmmm

Well, I thought I might be able to let this one 'be'.
But, I couldn't.
Bill Clinton's been talking again.

Hat tip-posters at Jack and Jill Politics.


From ABC.com

Bill Clinton to ABC: 'I Am Not a Racist'
By Anne E. Kornblut

Former president Bill Clinton has been trying to keep his political opinions in check in order to turn back to his international work.

Still, he got a little testy in an interview Sunday with ABC's Kate Snow, telling her he is "not a racist" even as he avoided delving into specifics about what happened in the Democratic presidential primary. The interview, taped in a quick stop in Liberia, will air Monday on "Good Morning America."

Snow asked Clinton, "Do you personally have any regrets about what you did campaigning for your wife?"

With his arms folded and looking a bit tense, Clinton replied, "Yes, but not the ones you think. And it would be counterproductive for me to talk about it."

Barely pausing for a breath, he added, "There are things I wish I'd urged her to do, things I wish I had said, things I wish I hadn't said. But I am not a racist, I never made a racist comment, and I didn't attack him personally," a clear allusion to Sen. Barack Obama.

I'm going to let White folks in on a Black truth -Black folk could care less if YOU believe that you ' aren't a racist'.

IFFFFFF

You are willing to use racebaiting tactics against a Black person....

WHY are you delusional to think that Black people will make that delineation?

It DOES NOT matter.

IF, when your back is against the wall, the ONLY solution you can come up with to defeat your opponent is using racial attacks on a Black person....

Nobody Black cares if you believe yourself NOT to be a racist. There's not that much ' sophistication' in the world for Black folk to mark the difference. And the ones that tell you they've done it- ask them what they've been PAID.

As a commentator on CNN remarked tonight, it wasn't even the question Clinton was asked. It was totally random, unsolicited. I never believe that anything The Clintons do is random. It's always purposeful. It's always with an ulterior motive behind it.

You can believe it if you want, that these words just HAPPENED to be uttered by Bill as Senator 'Straight Talk' is accusing OBAMA of 'playing the race card'.

Uh huh.
Coincidence.
Sure.

Bill's still mad that Black folk busted his ass. Going around pointing the finger at Barack Obama - that OBAMA is the reason for his dropping numbers in the Black Community.

Got news for Bill. The most accurate thing Obama's said in months that was absolutely ' for real- no chaser', is the quote coming out of the meeting with the Congressional Black Caucus about how he BIT HIS TONGUE.

Indeed he did.

Obama was Jackie Robinson as Camp Clinton racebaited him from coast-to-coast.
Got news for Bill Clinton.

Barack Obama isn't the reason for your approval numbers dropping in the Black Community.

Make no mistake, Barack Obama BENEFITTED from the Dogwhistle Racial Politics of Camp Clinton, but he didn't make an issue out of it, until it became so egregious that he was looking like a fool for NOT speaking up.

Obama knew the double standard and the evil of racebaiting; the MOMENT the Black Person speaks up and points out the racebaiting, THEY are accused of ' Playing the Race Card'. WE know that game, because it's played on us daily.

No, the reason for your approval numbers dropping in the Black Community is because Black folk, despite the ' common wisdom' in this country, actually DO think for themselves.

We have survived in America for generations because of those thinking skills. And, one of the skills of survival that has been passed on from generation to generation in the Black Community is the How to Hear the Call of the Dogwhistle.

We know the pitch; we know the tone; we know the code.

And guess what, we don't need White folk to tell us when the Dogwhistle has been blown; we hear it louder and clearer than the designated recipients of the racial appeals ever will. We know the nuances of it; the subtleties. Despite what you might think Bubba

- You weren't subtle, and you sure in hell weren't slick.

Black folk saw through the call of the Dogwhistle QUICK.

As I keep on reminding folks, the first true sign of acknowledgement of the Dogwhistle was in the sham Michigan Primary, when ' Uncommitted' won 70% of the vote in DETROIT. By the time South Carolina came, as they say, ' it was on'.

WHO busted you- Bill Clinton, and Camp Clinton on the racebaiting?

No, it wasn't Barack Obama.

It was the common Black man and Black woman, who sat back, silently observing what was happening. It was finding out about the incidents through talk radio, Black radio, and from blogs such as this. It was the common Black man and woman, who could read, and keep track of the racebaiting, creating the ClintonAttacksObama Wiki that grew to FIFTY INCIDENTS, and was actually incomplete.

THAT is who busted you.

And Bill, please stop clinging to any delusions that you will be received with adoration within the Black Community.

Black folk ain't studdin' you, or your wife.

When you decided to racebait the first truly legitimate Black Candidate for President of the United States...

What the hell did you think would be the response of the Black Community?

Last word will come from our fellow poster,Truthseeker, who was so on point:

He's in RWANDA ....the scene of his crime, trying to atone and salvage his black street cred.

While he's hobnobbing with the poor blacks in Rwanda, he's putting out statements to smear the first black candidate.

The new racist will fly to Africa and help poor black farmers with their cassava crops while putting out statements via blackberry to attack the first black candidate in the shiny, modern USA.

Mental derangement.

Obama's Updated Financial Numbers -Return of 'Watch Out For the Snakes'

Senator Barack Obama raised 54 million dollars in June, just shy of his record. Before you feel good about that, you always have to see the forest for the trees. Some of you out there see the forest, and bring up things from time to time. Keep your eyes on the ball and remember what our pal Craig Hickman says:

Barack is STILL running for the nomination.

Craig might wear the tinfoil hat, he might not, but he's not lyin' on this one.

Brian Francis over at PoliticanInaction.com, has strung together the forest pretty well:

$52 Million in June WITHOUT Hillary's help....

Obama raised $52 Million in June without the help of Hillary's top fundraisers who gave him only $20k.

That is astonishing, but raises some very very major red flags with me.

1. This proves the Obama campaign doesn't need these people.....and when you don't need someone they either suck up to you or they find a way to undermine you

2. These are POWERFUL people who have just had their last 20 years of ascendency taken from them...literally having all the relationship building and image building and money donated for one singular purpose swept out from under them. Everything they worked for now means nothing. They will not go quietly into the night.

3. Hillary hasn't released her delegates

4. Some of Hillary's superdelegates are trying to band together to nominate her for the VP at the convention, with a more radical group trying to nominate her for President

5. The fit is going to hit the shan when Obama names his VP next week and it isn't her

Yes, the next few weeks will be very interesting to watch indeed. Snakes abound, ladies and gentlemen. Trust your instincts while watching. You're not being paranoid, IMO.

DNC Tells Hillary Holdouts - ' Time to Get Real'

From TPM Election Central:

Seems as if the DNC is finally tired of the ridiculousness from some Hillary supporters. Tired of the threats, pouts, and whining. Tired of the meetings with McCain fundraisers. Tired of leaks to the media about what gymnastics Obama is supposed to do to get their support.

So, they've sent a letter to some holdouts:

Dear Democratic Friends:

2008 is a Democratic year-at all levels in all the states. The opportunity is ours. We just have to seize it.

We experienced an exciting, intense, sometimes difficult, campaign to nominate our presidential candidate. Now it's over. Barack Obama won.

I supported Hillary Clinton and am proud and pleased that I did. But she lost. Barack Obama won. It's over.

It is time for all Democrats, supporters of Senator Clinton and all other contenders for the nomination, to stand with him to secure his election and the election of Democrats at all levels of competition.

I must confess a bit of fatigue and irritation with people who continue to carp, complain, and criticize the results of the primary and lay down conditions for their support. The Los Angeles Lakers didn't establish conditions to recognize the Boston Celtics as NBA Champions; Roger Federer did not demand concessions before recognizing that Rafael Nadal defeated him at Wimbledon.

It is time to act in a mature and resourceful fashion. It's time to put the primaries behind us. It's time to support Barack Obama without conditions or demands.

It's time to WIN for Barack Obama, the Democratic Party, America, and our future. We have an unparalleled opportunity. I hope we will all do everything we can to seize the moment.

See you at the Inauguration.

Sincerely,

Don Fowler
DNC Member At-Large, South Carolina
Former Chair of the Democratic National Committee

Alice Germond
Secretary, Democratic National Committee

It's.about.time.

Don't care what they do, but this needed to be said. Stop coddling them. Either they'll support Obama or they won't. But, not one more nanosecond of pretense that folks should even give a rat's ass about them.

Bill Clinton's ' Miffed' At Obama

Found this at Marc Ambinder:

Why Bill Clinton's Miffed At Obama
24 Jun 2008 03:53 pm

In politics, Hillary Clinton speaks for the Clinton family now, and aside from her campaign debt, she has no real difficulty supporting Barack Obama privately and publicly.

But Bill Clinton has a beef. A Democrat who has spoken directly to Clinton about his feelings said that the former president remains “miffed” for two reasons. One is that he feels that Obama’s candidacy was essentially an anti-Clinton candidacy; that Obama ran against Clinton’s presidential record at times, implying that it was timeworn, divisive, and damaging to the party while adopting policy positions that seemed to flow directly from the Clinton oeuvre. Why should Clinton embrace a guy who spent the past twelve months bashing him and his accomplishments?

Two: Clinton is convinced that the Obama campaign went out of its way to portray the former president as a racist. Clinton wants a private meeting with Obama to sort these things out; he has reconciled himself to the reality of Obama’s nomination and does not want to sit on the sidelines.

Well, ain't that a bitch.

Obama's campaign went OUT OF ITS WAY, did it?

Note to Bill Clinton - NO, HE DIDN'T.

No, he didn't call Hillary's campaign on 20% of the racial Dogwhistles pointed his way.

It's ridiculous.

I get it.

Black folk were just too dumb to pick up on all the Dogwhistles. If Obama and Company hadn't of pointed them out, then we would have just gone on clueless.

Uh huh.

So, I guess the ClintonAttacksObama Wiki was just a figment of our imagination.

Uh huh.

Nice try, Bill.

Just not buying it.

You're mad because you got caught. You're mad because this Uppity Negro beat you.

How Obama Won: $$$$$$$$$$$

How Obama Won: It's the Money

As the song says...

MONEY....MONEY....MONEY...MONEY...MO-NEY...

No campaign can succeed without it. Money helps build organization. Money helps buy ads that will introduce you to the country when you are an unknown. Remember, Obama needed lots of money to do both, after all, Hillary Clinton had racked up the ' Establishment' in many states before Obama even got started well in the race, and he was an unknown outside of those of us in Illinois and political junkies from across the country.

When this campaign began, and Hillary Clinton REFUSED to take matching public funds, what was the point of it?

INTIMIDATION

Skeptical Brotha spelled it out in February 2007:

Barack Obama, following the Borq Queen’s lead, has opted out of the Presidential Campaign Finance system. The money chase has begun in earnest and in order to keep up, he’s got to play the game by her rules. This is a high stakes game that could cost upwards of half a billion dollars. Ain’t but three players invited to this table : Hillary, Edwards, and now Obama. The community of fundraisers that inevitably ends up financing and choosing our Presidents is being courted heavily by the Borg Queen. Most have been assimilated into the Clinton collective and will beat the bushes for her. After all, resistance is futile.

Obama’s apparatus is a little slow on the uptake. Most of the folk Hillary is attempting to assimilate have already been softened up for her in advance or have already assisted her or her husbands campaigns in the past. She effectively froze them in place until she emerged from her cocoon of inevitability. Hillary’s public goal for 07′ is $75 million. Trust and believe that she intends to raise over $100 million to get the ball rolling.

Remember y’all, the Borg Queen has learned from the master how to kill an opponent softly in the smoke filled rooms and salon’s of the rich and powerful. Bill’s prowess was a thing of legend in Arkansas. Nobody ever had a chance. You see, Arkansas is a small state ruled with an iron fist by a tight knit oligarchy. Nobody catered to them better than Bill. The care and feeding of the rich and powerful is a necessary skill for anybody who wants to play in this league. Hillary has the best education possible, having been involved in 4 national campaigns, there is no ego she can’t tame and soothe to reach her goal.

Then, the numbers came in for the First Quarter. They were dropped by Camp Clinton first on Drudge - the $36 million. Of course, you soon found out that $10 million of that was from her Senate Campaign and could not be used until the General Election.

The wait began.

And, then the drop. The lightweight. The Freshman Senator who could make a speech had raised $25 million from 100,000 donors.

STUNNED is the word.

The political ' Establishment' just couldn't believe what had just happened. I remember laughing as I watched Joe Scarborough make it through the announcement. Bob Schaffer on Face the Nation didn't beat around the bush, he said it right out - he didn't take Obama seriously until these numbers came in. It was the first crack of the ' Inevitable' candidate.

By the Second Quarter, Obama had raised $58 million from 250,000 donors, and people still didn't believe he could keep up with the Clinton Machine.

By October, it was becoming clear how Obama's plan for getting money from lots of small donors was shaping his fundraising. Though his 20 million was less than Clinton's take for the third quarter, he still was signing up donors.

In the Fourth Quarter, Obama raised $23.5 million, and by the end of the year, going into the Iowa Caucus, he was trailing Hillary Clinton in Cash-on-Hand, $14.4 million to Clinton's $18.3 million.

Obama had kept pace with the Clinton Fundraising Machine all year, and had used his money wisely, having to spend more than her on television and basic organizing, because he was introducing himself to the country. His ability to raise money on the internet was a story, but not really a story.

It was sort of clear that he was raising money through his donors, by small amounts, but it didn't have that PUNCH. That jaw dropping punch until post-Iowa Caucus.

When Barack Obama raised 32 million in the MONTH of January. That's over 1 million dollars a day. AND Hillary Clinton, who had led Obama by the end of December 2007 in fundraising, had to loan her campaign $5 million.

In February 2008, when Obama hit the One Million Donor Mark, and raised more than $6 million in the 24 hours post SuperTuesday. And, a total of $55 million for February.

It was now that Obama was getting it from all sides, and the full extent of what Obama was attempting to do could be explained in these posts from February:

How Obama Is Threatening People's Money And Why It's Important For Democracy

Why The War On Obama

In attempting to rewrite how campaigns were financed, there was an entire ' Status Quo' that was threatened - by the left AND the right. If Obama succeeded, then he had set in place a model for which future insurgent candidates could follow. For people used to getting their way, he had to be stopped.

Obama's fundraising ability - through the internet, which Howard Dean had pioneered in 2004, but Obama took to new unimaginable heights in 2008, will be studied for years to come. When he was going through the worst of times, still being able to out fundraise his opponents, was a way of keeping the vultures at bay, and stopping the bleeding.

Obama's Fundraising, Post Super Tuesday, helped him in several ways:
1. By being able to fundraise WITHOUT taking time off the campaign trail to do so.
2. By not tapping out his small donors, he could go back to them time and time again.
3. The money allowed Obama to be able to complete his 50 State Strategy at a pace that Clinton just could not match.
4. I believe now, post Pennsylvania, Obama used the time in Pennsylvania, and his fundraising abilities, to bankrupt Hillary Clinton. She didn't match Obama in dollars spent, but by him fighting her so hard in Pennsylvania, she had to pour pretty much every dime she didn't have into winning the state. Though she won Pennsylvania, Obama bankrupted her, and the calendar post-Pennsylvania, wasn't forgiving. She could never catch her fundraising breath to accompany the necessary campaigning schedule.

By the time this ended in June, Hillary Clinton's campaign was $30 million dollars in the red; Obama's was $46 million in the black, and he had raised over $250 million from over 1.5 million individual donors, 47% of them from individuals giving $200 or less.

Obama rewrote all fundraising 'conventional wisdoms'.

If you want an overview on Obama's vision, and how this is another way he outsmarted Camp Clinton, a must-read is the Atlantic Monthly's Piece on Obama's Money Making Machine. Obama understood that Silicon Valley wasn't just a place for getting money, but ideas.

How Obama Won: 50 State Strategy

How Obama Won: 50 State Strategy

Hillary Clinton to Katie Couric: It will be over February 5th.

When you heard Hillary Clinton become the champion of ' counting all the votes'; ' don't let them push me out until all the voters have been heard from', remember what she said to Katie Couric.

It will be over February 5th.

This is what happened February 5th. It was NOT over.

Hillary Clinton thought this was a 400 meter race.

Barack Obama knew it was a 4x400 relay and prepared for battle.

People used to argue that there wasn't much difference between Obama and Clinton. One of my retorts was always that there was a huge difference between them:
One lived by and believed in 50%+1
The other one lived by and believed in The 50 State Strategy

When I say 50%+1, it means that the Democrats would be going back to the same old tired electoral map that they've been using for years. That certain states count, and other states don't, and you shouldn't even bother in those states, even if they have Democrats in them, because we won't win. The 50%+1 is the basis of thought for such books as Whistling Past Dixie:How Democrats Can Win Without the South...which argues that the Democratic Party should just write off the Southern portion of the United States. Well, who makes up the largest share of the Democratic Party in the South? Black voters. A majority of the African-American population in America lives South of the Mason-Dixon. And, you have folks arguing to basically discard their votes. No thank you.

The 50 State Strategy is just that. You fight for the Democratic Party in ALL 50 States. It doesn't matter if it's a Red State; while Democrats might not be able to win it in a Presidential Election, or even a State Election - TODAY -- you drop the seeds by growing the party, so that we can win one small election this time, and next time try for a higher office and so on. That the Democratic Party would fight for Democrats all across America.

If depended upon how you saw politics and what you wanted for the Democratic Party as to which vision was for you.

For me, it was no contest - The 50 State Strategy.

There is a reason why Howard Dean was retained at the DNC by Barack Obama. It's because Obama is a fan of and put to use beyond Dean's wildest dreams, Dean's own 50 State Strategy.

The following posts reference this topic:

Obama Launches Vote For Change, A Massive 50-State Registration Drive

The Attacks on Howard Dean

Hillary "Tonya Harding" Clinton Big Dollar Donors Threaten Pelosi & DCCC


Hillary Clinton and her campaign ignored the caucuses. Since Bill Clinton didn't do well in the Iowa Caucus when he ran, they wrote them all off around the country. Caucuses take time; they take building organization and relationships. They are money intensive, and people intensive for the amount of votes you get from them. They were written off by Camp Clinton; after all, no Democrat actually ' wins' most of these states in the General Election, so why waste your time on a Democratic Party caucus in these states. Once again the 50%+1 Mentality shows its ugly head.

Jack Turner, at JJP, wrote a piece on the contempt Hillary Clinton's Campaign showed for voters in states who went against her: Hillary: Votes Only Count If They Are For Me

There were caucuses in the following places:
Iowa
Nevada
Alaska
American Samoa
Colorado
Idaho
Kansas
Minnesota
North Dakota
Nebraska
Washington
Maine
Hawaii
Texas
Wyoming
Guam

Out of this list, Barack Obama LOST the DELEGATE COUNT in ONE Caucus - American Samoa.

Even though he 'lost' the Nevada Caucus, he received MORE DELEGATES than Hillary Clinton because of his success in RURAL Nevada.

He only tied her in one place, delegate wise - in Guam, which he won by 7 votes.

Everywhere else, he BEAT HER in the caucus states.

His final Pledged Delegate Tally from the Caucuses: 326
Hillary Clintons? : 176

Those little throwaway states, didn't matter to 50%+1 Hillary Clinton. They DID to 50 State Strategy Barack Obama.

Since this was a race for PLEDGED DELEGATES, the Obama 50 State Strategy paid off once again.

How Obama Won: That $10,000/year job pays dividends

How Obama Won: That $10,000/year job pays dividends

I have listened to the likes of Pat Buchanan sneer as they call Barack Obama a ' Community Organizer'.

Well, that 'Community Organizer' just used his skills learned there, and in the trenches of Chicago Politics to defeat the most powerful Democratic Party Political Machine in 25 years.

As a reader at JJP stated:

Barack Obama did what the 'Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy' couldn't do: He beat the Clintons.

And, he learned the foundation of how to do it in the Projects on the South Side of Chicago. Obama learned, through that job, the skill of community organizing. How, when faced with an entity more powerful, that one small voice maybe can't make a difference, but joining together hundreds , then thousands of small voices brings a loud chorus that can't be ignored.

When I went to Camp Obama, we were instructed by one of the men who had taught Obama all those years ago, and this guy was a pistol. He was so on point, and made me sit back and think about what Obama was really trying to do. He was training Community Organizers to go back to their homes and find others to come to the Obama Campaign. It was definitely bottom-up organizing,, and this is how Obama was able to win. One of the articles that we were requested to read at Camp Obama was The New Republic one on Obama being influenced by Saul Alinsky. If you've not read the article, you should, because I thought it was very instructive, but also plays into the foundation of what Obama did.

In order to beat those who have 'The Establishment' on their side, you have to create your own ' Establishment'. Barack Obama had to create his own ' Organization' in every state throughout the country. And, he did, just that.

Obama also learned from his time in Chicago, that you can win in two ways:
1. Get those who have always voted to come over to your side
2. Get those who don't vote to come and vote and make sure you have enough of them to overwhelm Group #1. If you bring a voter to the dance, sure it's possible they might switch partners later on in the dance, but not before you get the dances out of them that you need.

Where did Obama learn this from? Chicago. Basically, this is the story of how Harold Washington won. There were a group of activists who thought it was time for a Black Mayor of Chicago, and they went to Harold. Harold told them: raise me this amount of money, and register this amount of voters, and then come back to talk to me. When they did, Harold kept his word, ran, and the rest is history.


An Iowa Obamacan


This has been Obama's strategy all along. It has been at the foundation of his calling for crossover voters. It was routinely sneered at by the MSM and Political Professionals, because traditionally, young people do everything but vote, and they have never seen Republicans really crossover for Democrats. When Obama said that just as there have been Reagan Democrats, he wanted there to be Obama Republicans - what Democrat has ever said that in the past 20 years? It's a new way of thinking. It's a new map that Obama wants to create, and he's slamming right up against the conventional political wisdom of the past 20 years.

Though I loathed it, I will admit that Barack Obama benefitted in one way from a long primary season: he was able to build an organization, from the ground up, in all 50 states. He can attempt to compete in places where Democrats used to just give up to the Republicans without a second thought. I believe this is a headstart of huge proportions for him over John McCain.

And, just to think...he learned how to do it in the Projects on the South Side of Chicago.

Hillary " Deranged Narcissist" Clinton Concession Speech Open Thread

Well, it seems as if Hillpatine is going to pack it in.

I'll be honest- I'll believe it when I see it.

But, here's an Open Thread for discussion, because I definitely want to read your opinions on this.

***********************************

This is how I feel, but Peggy Noonan wrote it:

But this I believe is the truth: America dodged a bullet. That was the other meaning of the culminating events of this week.

Mrs. Clinton would have been a disaster as president. Mr. Obama may prove a disaster, and John McCain may, but she would be. Mr. Obama may lie, and Mr. McCain may lie, but she would lie. And she would have brought the whole rattling caravan of Clintonism with her—the scandal-making that is compulsive, the drama that is unending, the sheer, daily madness that is her, and him.

We have been spared this. Those who did it deserve to be thanked. May I rise in a toast to the Democratic Party.

How Obama Won: The Past Helps The Present

I wanted to write some posts about How and Why Barack Obama won this nomination.

When people say that the past leads to the present, that is truly what it means.

There would be no Barack Obama without Jesse Jackson's run for the Presidency.
Barack Obama wound up getting over 90 Percent of the Black vote. Without it, he would not have won the nomination, and without Jesse Jackson's work previously, those Black votes would not have helped Obama- delegate wise.


The cornerstone of the Obama campaign is that they understood that DELEGATES would win this nomination. Those were the rules, and he set out to win the pledged delegate race, understanding the ins and outs of the Democratic Party rules. In doing so, Obama expanded upon Howard Dean's 50 State Strategy and used it to perfection.

There have been other candidates with the 'appeal' of a Barack Obama. What I mean by that - appealing, as Chris Matthews says, to the ' ideals' of the Democratic Party. There have been repeated ' insurgent' candidates, usually appealing to the more activist, idealist, progressive, more well-educated part of the Democratic Party. And, they were, without exception, save for McGovern, always defeated by the 'Establishment' candidate ultimately.

What made the difference for Obama?

His addition of the Black vote - the most loyal base of the Democratic Party - to the usual 'insurgent candidate' constituency.

The WAY delegates are apportioned in the Democratic Party - not only in a proportional system, rather than the winner-take-all of the Republican Party, but also rewarding districts that have voted LOYALLY for the Democratic Party IN PREVIOUS ELECTIONS with MORE DELEGATES, is the cornerstone of HOW Barack Obama has been able to win, and weather the storm.

There has been no group more loyal to the Democratic Party than Black voters. Erego, when Obama won those Black districts by such large percentages, not only did he beat Hillpatine, but he won more delegates. Hillary could go into a state like Texas, with far more Latino voters than Black voters, but because Black voter participation in PREVIOUS elections was so much higher than the Latino vote, in 2008, winning predominantly Black districts brought more delegates to Obama than Hillary's wins in Latino districts.

I don't believe most Black folk understand that this is how Jesse helped Barack out. Because, it was Jesse Jackson and his think tank, that got this system of distribution put in place as far as delegate allocation; set up that part of the Democratic System. Rewarding PREVIOUS loyalty.

Post North Carolina, Andrew Sullivan wrote the following:

Black Voters Did It

Here's what now seems obvious: African-American voters killed the Clinton candidacy. It is a fitting end to the Clintons' campaign and an almost Shakespearean coda to their career. The Clintons were exposed in their long-running exploitation and reliance on minority votes. No group was more loyal to them than African-Americans; and in the end, like everyone else, African-Americans realized that the Clintons are frauds, disloyal to the core, cynical to their finger-tips, and finally, finally, returned the favor.

After what the Clintons did in this campaign, and what they've revealed about themselves, and their alliance with Fox News and Bill Kristol and Pat Buchanan, this couldn't be more appropriate.

This will be history's verdict: in the end, the Clintons were defeated not by Republicans, but by African-American Democrats. How wonderful. How poignant. In the end, the karma gets you. Maybe it had to be this way. But this final coup de grace against these awful, hollow, cynical people is a beautiful, beautiful thing.

I couldn't agree more with Mr. Sullivan.

I know, at times, that I have seemed very strident on the issue of Hillpatine. But, that's because I felt, in my gut, what the long-term ramifications of her success would be:

The blueprint by which any Black candidate with aspirations higher than a gerrymandered Congressional Seat would be TAKEN OUT.

I didn't see it any other way.

Barack Obama's defeat wouldn't have been the exception; it would have been THE RULE.

And that, was unacceptable.

PERIOD.

When the racebaiting began, it wasn't even about Obama anymore. It was beyond him. It was about whether or not we were going to be shoved to the 'Back of the Bus', politically, to dwell in perpetual serfdom.

Unacceptable.

As a community, I believe we have learned a great deal along the way, and we need not be afraid of it.

Embrace democracy. Be not afraid of it, and if some of the HHH gots-to-go, then they've ' GOT TO GO'.

Black people didn't get their citizenship legally recognized in full until 1965. It's time to grab ahold of this moment, and push forward, recognizing all the work of those who have come before and sacrificed.


************************************

UPDATE: Got this history lesson from a JJP reader

That proportional system was negotiated by Jesse himself:

Superdelegates Should Not Decide the Nominee

In 1988, Dukkakis led in pledged delegates and Rev. Jesse Jackson had accumulated roughly one thousand delegates from the primaries. Prior to ceding the nomination, he brokered a deal called Rule 13B that allowed delegates to be proportionately awarded whenever a candidate obtained at least 15% of the vote, going forward.


Without rule 13B, Hillary wins.

The Democratic Nominee for President of the United States of America

If we are willing to work for it, and fight for it, and believe in it, then I am absolutely certain that generations from now, we will be able to look back and tell our children that this was the moment when we began to provide care for the sick and good jobs to the jobless; this was the moment when the rise of the oceans began to slow and our planet began to heal; this was the moment when we ended a war and secured our nation and restored our image as the last, best hope on Earth. This was the moment – this was the time – when we came together to remake this great nation so that it may always reflect our very best selves, and our highest ideals. Thank you, God Bless you, and may God Bless the United States of America.
-- Barack Obama, June 3, 2008

Open Thread!!!

Montana & South Dakota Primaries - Open Thread

Montana
With 78% of the precincts reporting:
Clinton - 41% (58, 335) / 4 Delegates
Obama - 57% (81, 407) / 8 Delegates





South Dakota
With 100% of the Precincts Reporting:
Clinton - 55% (54, 179)/ 9 Delegates
Obama - 45% (43, 726) / 6 Delegates

February 10, 2007 -When It All Began

Be honest, you didn't think he had a chance. I know that I didn't, but I was going to support him, because I believed it was time for the country to see a run for President by someone that possibly had a chance. It had been a generation since Jesse Jackson's runs in 1984 and 1988, and it was time for us, as a nation to take that step. Back then, I just wanted him to make it to the 30th of the next month, in tact. That's all I wished for.

What were you REALLY thinking when Barack Hussein Obama announced his run for the Presidency of the United States on that Saturday in February in Springfield, Illinois?

Clyburn throws support to Obama

From CNN.com:

House whip Clyburn throws support to Obama

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The House majority whip, the top ranking African-American in Congress, said Tuesday he will support Sen. Barack Obama in the Democratic presidential race.


Rep. James Clyburn had been neutral in the race between the front-running Obama and Sen. Hillary Clinton, the former first lady.

"I believe the nomination of Senator Obama is our Party's best chance for victory in November, and our nation's best hope for much needed change," Clyburn said in a statement. "Senator Obama brings a new vision for our future and new voters to our cause. He has created levels of energy and excitement that I have not witnessed since the 1960's."

Rest of article at link above.

Clyburn has been on of the unsung heroes during this election cycle. Him dropping comments in the press and standing his ground on them at times when needed helped a great deal. We all knew he wouldn't let his daughter and grandson down..LOL

I loved Clyburn on Morning Joe. I loved that he brought up Dean's 50 State Strategy, but when he talked about it in terms of his historial perspective, having gone to jail during the Civil Righrs Movement, and that Obama's victory in Iowa convinced him that it was possible to see dreams come to fruition, I was moved.

The Clinton 'Popular Vote' FRAUD

From The Jed Report:

Sun Jun 1, 7:44 PM
Clinton's dishonest popular vote claim has a new caveat

Hillary Clinton's "primary" qualifierHillary Clinton claims to have won the so-called popular vote, but if you pay close attention to her words she is now using a critical qualifier: "in presidential primaries."

Many people won't notice Clinton's caveat, but the meaning of her carefully chosen words could not be more clear: her definition of "popular vote" now includes only primary states. In the past, she excluded four caucus states that did not report vote totals: Iowa, Maine, Nevada, and Washington. Now she's excluding all of them.

By excluding caucus states, Clinton is dismissing the preferences of voters in fourteen states, home to more than 56 million Americans and nearly one in five voters. And by Clinton's new rules, they might as well have never voted.

As she might say, how can you win in November if you don't count one-fifth of the Electoral College?

For Hillary Clinton, this has nothing to do with principle. It's a simple math problem: the only way she can claim any sort of "popular vote" victory is by refusing to count all the votes.

Rest of story at link above.

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That's right, Brothers and Sisters, now she's excluding ALL THE CAUCUS STATES. Not just the 4 that didn't keep Popular Vote statistics.

ALL THE CAUCUS STATES.

FOURTEEN States that had LEGAL ELECTIONS.

Unlike Michigan and Florida.

And, of course, the Soviet-style election of Michigan is included - WHERE OBAMA'S NAME WASN'T EVEN ON THE BALLOT.

What a FRAUD, she is..

A COMPLETE FRAUD.

Puerto Rico Primary

With 98 percent of precincts reporting:

Clinton: 257,331 (68 percent)
Obama: 118,972 (32 percent)

Not even 400,000 votes cast. Far less than the 2,000,000 folks were talking about during the hysteria of the perpetration of the 'Popular Vote' Fraud.

From MSNBC's Chuck Todd:

NBC NEWS has also allocated 45 of 55 delegates in Puerto Rico. Clinton, so far, wins a 31-14 split with 10 delegates not allocated yet.

The NBC NEWS Delegate Counts:
PLEDGED: Obama 1726 to 1618
SUPERDELEGATES: Obama 329 to 293
EDWARDS PL. DELEGATES: Obama 16.5 to 0 (adding the 4.5 from Florida)
OVERALL: Obama 2,071.5 to 1,911

* Obama is 46.5 from the magic number of 2,118. (Clinton needs 207.)

* There are 242.5 total delegates remaining — 41 pledged delegates at stake between today’s contest in Puerto Rico (10 remain) and Tuesday’s primaries in South Dakota and Montana. Plus, 201.5 undeclared superdelegates remaining.

* That means Obama needs 19% of all remaining delegates. Clinton needs 85%.