Obama camp talks to Thurman

The Hillary Clinton campaign has yet to express any interest in negotiating a solution to Florida's delegate mess, but a couple key Barack Obama staffers - delegate operations director Jeff Berman and political director Matt Nugen called state Democratic chairwoman Karen Thurman to talk about possible ways to give Florida a voice in the nomination.

"We're just looking for solutions," said Obama spokesman Bill Burton.

Comments

:::gasp::: the Clinton campaign begins it's long and agonizing spiral to death

so beautiful to watch!

[Herb]

Sen. Obama's plan to ignore Florida is starting to Fall apart.

Hillary's plan to start telling the truth for once in her life is falling apart.

Watch out for that Bosnian sniper fire!!!

ROTFLMAO!!!

Thanks, Barack, but don't worry about it. Win in November and put the country out of GOP misery, please.

[Show some respect]

Please, Hilary faced more danger in Bosnia that our current President faced in Vietnam.

Both Clinton & Obama ignored Florida's voters.

Live with the consequences.

I'm voting for John McCain

Barack Obama hates white people

Possible ways to give Florida a voice in the nomination? Did you care about that when you avoided Florida, yet still accept Floridians' campaign cash?

4:36 certainly Hillary did not. She signed the pledge and raised money here too.

[4:36]

4:37: You're absolutely right. They should both be ridden out of town on a rail.

Hillary Clinton hates all people

More biased reporting by mainstream media to support Obama -very interesting article

link>
http://www.insideradvantagegeorgia.com/restricted/2008/March%202008/3-25-08/Towery32519643.php

Was CBS also biased for calling out Hillary's bold-faced lie on Bosnia?

Clinton camp has got to be fuming at being out maneuvered...

Poll shows Whites & African Americans are less likely to vote for Obama because of Wright situation:

http://www.insideradvantagegeorgia.com/restricted/2008/March%202008/3-25-08/Towery32519643.php

insider advantage is run by a gingrich accolyte from Georgia named Matt Towery. i wouldn't believe anything from them even if they said water was wet. how anyone hires these losersfor anything is stunning.

[CBS's bias reporting]

What a joke CBS News has become:

http://www.insideradvantagegeorgia.com/restricted/2008/March%202008/3-25-08/Towery32519643.php

excerpts:

Then I came across what in my view is the single most biased and dishonest public opinion survey I've ever seen.

CBS News released a poll that read, "Most voters following the events regarding Senator (STET) Barack Obama and Rev. (STET) Jeremiah Wright think Obama's speech was a success."

This lead sentence in the press release appeared in media outlets all over the world. It gave the impression that Obama's speech on Wright had ended any dispute or controversy about Obama being associated with Wright and his many inflammatory comments.

Maybe over time that will prove true. And Obama's speech was an impressive one, no doubt.

But that's not the point. Most Americans didn't hear the speech. Most have only heard bits and pieces about this whole business about Obama and his pastor of many years.

So, rather than survey registered voters in the customary way -- by randomly finding voters around the nation and asking them their impressions of the issue -- CBS instead adopted the most curious polling methodology I've ever some across. It was probably the only methodology possible on this subject that could reach what was apparently the network's desired outcome.

CBS didn't randomly phone registered voters. They didn't weight the poll for age, race, gender and political affiliation. Instead, they chose to poll a group of people prior to Obama's speech about Wright. The poll asked respondents their opinions about Wright and his views.

Then CBS later re-polled the exact same group to gauge their reactions to Obama's speech. Based on those two separate pollings, the network extrapolated the result that "Sixty-nine percent of voters who have heard or read about Obama's speech think he did a good job addressing the issue of race relations."

Unbelievable! Had my firm employed these types of polling tactics, pundits and alleged "polling experts" would have torn us to pieces.

To fully understand how CBS's methodology here was biased and flawed, let's use common sense.

First, you get a call from CBS pollsters, prior to the Obama speech, asking you what you think about Wright and those of his past views that have made for controversy in the news lately. You answer the survey.

Now you are keenly aware of the issue, because you have just been polled about it, probably in some detail.

Would it not follow that you are more likely now to pay close attention to the issue? To view the speech, or read it word for word? Of course.

Can we really believe that the people at CBS, who are obviously bright, didn't understand the likely impact that the results of their first poll would have on the second poll of the exact same people? That's not a random poll. It's a giant focus group.

For CBS to represent that calling the same group twice on the same issue is a reflection of American public sentiment is a farce. This so-called poll was the very sort of fast and loose twist on legitimate polling and journalism that has so many Americans mistrustful of national media. This was nothing less than a case of network-distributed damage control on behalf of Barack Obama. It's that simple.

As for our poll of the same situation: At least I was fair enough to admit that I can't yet say that Obama's speech has severely damaged his ultimate chances of becoming president. That, even though our survey showed many respondents indicating they were less likely to vote for Obama after the Wright comments and the Obama speech. And I don't have to survey the same people I surveyed last week to prove my own theory.

[zenator]

Tempers seem to be fraying a bit amongst the Clinton and Obama supporters. It will likely get worse over the coming weeks as the campaigns turn really nasty.

Barack failed to knock Hillary out in Texas and Ohio after she pulled the gloves off and went negative. Since then, Hillary through her surrogates has done a great job swift-boating Barack as a "racist." Given the recent adverse polling trends, Barack's surrogates are undoubtedly going strongly to return fire playing on the theme of "Hillary is a big liar."

Gallup poll says Democrats from both side ready to defect to McCain:

http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/03/26/gallup-poll-shows-many-democratic-voters-ready-to-vote-mccain-if-their-first-choice-doesnt-make-it-to-november/

But at least Hillary hates all people equally

Nice to see 3 Democratic Congessmen just got exposed for taking a pre war trip to Iraq that was paid for by Saddam.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,341995,00.html

You folks are nuts if you think that they aren't going to manipulate the election again. There is no way we are leaving that oil or that region of oil. None of the candidates can pull out of Iraq, if you think they can without creating a regional proxy war Please Explain how. We have committed 3 trillion dollars to this brain fart and Russia is now in talks with the Iraqi Government over reconstruction contracts in exchange for old debt. Does anyone really think we are going to give Iraq to Russia?

McCain is a dingleberry but at least he admits that we are committed to iraq for the long haul. If not just for the oil, for the continuing Stabilization of the region.

There is no solution. The Democrats have created a disaster that cannot be fixed.

*NEWS ALERT: NEW RACIAL SLURS AGAINST ITALIANS BY REV. WRIGHT DISCOVERED - link

http://www.crosswalk.com/news/11571660/

This article was about Obama's campaign taking the first step to seat our delegation now. Not about Rev.Wright!!! Hello, have we already forgotten about the 1.7 million democrats that voted on Jan.29th or the democratic delegates selected at the beginning of this month.
Some of you might not want to hear this but Thank God Jon Ausman filed his challenge. That is why we are seeing a move finally to seat our delegates. Howard Dean can't let it go public that the DNC Rules&Bylaws committee violated the party charter and rules. Smart on the Obama camp to reach out now.

[ScottinTampa]

Oh please, Hillary's chances are dropping faster than Bill's britches at a White House Intern convention.

comfortable in your ignorance is how Mrs. Obama would put it. http://gatewaypundit.blogspot.com/2008/03/oops-she-did-it-again-michelle-obama.html

Spare Change is about all I'm seeing.

Both Clinton & Obama ignored Florida's voters.
Live with the consequences.
I'm voting for John McCain
Posted by: | March 26, 2008 at 04:30 PM

---

Um... no.

They were forbidden from campaigning at all due to Democratic party rules. You could argue that the rules were wrong, but the time to do that was LONG before the primary itself. Don't blame them for your not paying attention.

[Deanna]

Well ya simpleton LOL Obama is a whiteman too or hadn't you heard?
Clinton cares not for the voters of FL now because they can no longer help her. If the vote stands or is divided, then she does not get to use the good people from FL. and if she can't use them? Then she has no use for them. The true Hillary Clinton folks. Flawed to the max.

So Obama wants to find a solution for Florida and Clinton wants it to be unsettled, so she can ride this issue all the way to convention. The person who didn't care about Fla. in January is suddenly just torn up about disenfrancising anyone. Like the sniper fire, the running for cover and the evasive maneuvers in Bosnia, that concern is awfully convenient.

[vic Dapson]

Floridians should not blame either of the presidential canidates.PLEASE BLAME THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY OFFCIALS WHO BROKE THE DNC RULES. The person that should be conssidered dishonest is the Clinton campaign..Having sighned an agreement to stay away from Florida, she effectively used you guys for phot opps and chaos in the democratic party. I have no beef in this contest, but hey we should be fair.If we teach our kids to obey our rules and conditions at home we should be able to do same as parents (adult).Just a food for thought.

[Kira]

Clinton is the only nominee who can carry the 'big states' lol
http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/news/politics/blog/2008/03/obama_stronger_than_clinton_in.html
a new poll in the biggest of all states – California – shows Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois stronger than Clinton among likely voters there – with Obama favored by 9 percentage points over Republican Sen. John McCain. If the election were held today, California's likely voters would favor Obama over McCain by 49 to 40 percent, according to the survey. A Clinton McCain match-up is a virtual tie: 46 percent Clinton, 43 percent McCain.

[Coonsey]

It continues to amaze me how Hillary claims voters will be disenfranchised if Florida and Michigan don't get to seat their delegates.

Out of this same mouth we hear that elected delegates AND Super Delegates Can, Will and Have overridden the Will of the people (voters).

[urbane development]

Very craft move by the Obama camp

[Zhonni]

"Less likely to vote for" does not mean a "no vote", just like Clintons negatives does not mean she can't win. It would just be harder.

And those who say they would vote for McCain are saying it out of frustration. I almost was in that camp but I never said never. I have seen bloggers waffle. It is emotionally driven. Provided the leader of the pledged delegate wins then there should not be a problem be it Sen. Clinton or Obama.

[Amy in Michigan]

Who cares about what Rev. Wright has written about or said..is he running for President of the United States?? NO He is from generation who had to sit at the back of the bus and drink out of seperate fountains and couldn't go to certain schools and restaurants. Who got beat up and hosed down and bitten by dogs because he marched. Of course he's angry. So are a lot of other people from that generation. That's the point, he's the past. We are all looking toward the future for America. That future is uniting America to solve problems. That future is... Barack Obama.

[pace]

as a typical white person who also happens to be a garlic dripping jesus lyncher. i can only say that i am pretty happy that the obama campaign just wants people around that are not divisive

[Kirsten]

Hillary, I hear there's sniper fire in FL. Better run down her and duck!

[Kirsten]

Hillary, I hear there's sniper fire in FL. Better run down here and duck!

[Danielle]

Actually the DNC is not to blame but the Republican Politicians in Florida. They wanted and got a definite say in the Republican nominee. The DNC asked the Florida Dems Leaders not to move the primary up. When they stated they would do it anyway, they then tried to convince them not to move it up by telling them there would be penalties, told them that the candidates could not campaign in Florida. Still no go, the DNC threatened the local Dems Leaders that if they continued their delegates would not be seated. THEY MOVED IT UP ANYWAY.

Truth is they had no way of knowing the race would be this close it was a shock to everyone. Florida Dems Leaders thought that their delegates would not really be needed in the end because surely someone would hit the magic number and they could have a very active role in selecting the nominee.

THEY WERE WRONG

[Bill Flannigan]

The voters in FL and MI need to stop acting like children. Neither Obama nor Clinton disenfranchised the voters- your own party representatives did. Stop all your complaining and think about the issues that are important- esp. you folks in FL- grow up and stop behaving like your votes are more important than the votes of people in CA or NY or even RI. If the DNC allows you to get your way, then why shouldn't CA, NY, IL and OH be allowed to go first in 2012? Play by the rules, suck it up and think about what is really important- like the future of the country.

[Mollie]

I don't think anyone can make some of you Florida people happy. Dammed if you do and dammed if you don't.Someone better wake up with the remarks that are being said about Obama and the Rev. You better see what Miss Hillary is all about with her church. That is way scarrier than Obama's church. People don't bother to check to see what Miss Hillary is all about.Just because she is a woman, doesn't mean she would make a good President. I am all for a woman, but, not this one.

[ChandraSF]

How the candidates handle FL and MI says a lot about how they will solve the real problems of this country. Is their approach self serving? Are they willing to risk something to achieve an acceptable solution? Are they just going to blame the other side? Do they carry a tone of victim and being tired and outwitted? You make the call.

[coolrepublica]

What Obama wants is 50/50. That's not going yo work. He did not win 50% of the votes there. Why should he get them?

[Walden Greenwood]

You folks down there in Florida really need to clean house of your state party and start again. They could have prevented all of this if they'd tried. This mess isn't Obama or Clinton's fault - although Clinton, being fundamentally dishonest, has tried her best to take advantage of the situation.

[Pamela Lewis]

I have a feeling high-ranking Dems are aware of this:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7007109937779036019

And don't want her anywhere near the nomination.

[Barry Rosenfeld]

To those of you democrats who threaten to vote for John McCain in November, remember that what you'll be voting for is the likely appointment of 2 or 3 Supreme court judges who will then help create fundamental changes in our country that will last for the rest of our and our children's lives...are you okay with that?

[L_LEO]

To the idiot who posted the link to the video of Ms. Michelle Obama:
She is speaking to a mixed crowd of supporters in Early January basically urging them to not be driven by their fears and prejudices and to vote for the best candidate ( Remember, many blacks were hesitant to vote for Obama because they felt whites would not vote for a black man).
Her point is that we as Americans are very ignorant of each other. We don't know how people outside our race or ethnic group or social standing live. OUr assumptions are based on fear and ignorance of eachother. Thus the fear and prejudice that whites, hispanics AND Blacks have. She is calling on people to come out of their shells and get exposed to other and be daring.. This is the only way we can solve our common problems. Not by the divisions that are promoted by mainstream politicians like Hillary. Also, we have this ignorance and fear and hate being reinforced by racist,sexist, neo-nazi, Anti-semitic groups which have moved to the mainstream through outlets like Faux News and Rush Limbaugh

[Butch Dye]

" Barack Obama hates white people "

No...he just hates you!

[L_LEO]

Also, To all of you who feel betrayed by Hillary and Obama - They were supposed to be paying by the rules setup by the DNC. - The Florida politicians were given the opportunity to move the election 1 -2 weeks later to be compliant. YOUR politicians chose to do this despite the fact that they were not going to get their full slate of delegates. Hillary pounced on Obama for running national adds on CNN that were shown in Florida. So now you guys can't say he disowned FLorida voters.
you guys will have a seat at the table in Denver. So DONT WORRY ABOUT IT. But you have to be greatful that their was not a Re-vote - Imagine the embarrassment to your state if you had had the mail-in voting? It would have been so poorly run...
I was in florida in 2004 for the Kerry Campaign and the Absentee balot system was a disgrace.
You guys need to get your house in order - Obama and Clinton did not setup the election calendar and rules for you guys

The destruction of the Democrat Party, because of two idiots, would rather destroy it, than behave like adults. Everyone fears another four years of REPUBLICAN GARBAGE, but the two Morons, Bill and Hillary will fight like school yard children until the REPUBLICAN agenda is realized. The big losers will not be Clintonions, but it will surely be the citizens of America SAD SAD SAD "AND SICK"

GO BARACK OBAMA 2008

[DON]

The destruction of the Democrat Party, because of two idiots, would rather destroy it, than behave like adults. Everyone fears another four years of REPUBLICAN GARBAGE, but the two Morons, Bill and Hillary will fight like school yard children until the REPUBLICAN agenda is realized. The big losers will not be Clintonions, but it will surely be the citizens of America SAD SAD SAD "AND SICK"

GO BARACK OBAMA 2008

[jack]

Sorry Floridians, but your politicians shot you in the foot. There is no fair way to have a new primary since the Republicans have already had their primary. Obama was soundly defeating Clinton in crossover votes in earlier contests. Later, after Rush decided to start Operation Chaos (for which I hope he gets indicted), conservatives began voting for Clinton. There is just no way to undo what has been done.
If you want to be mad, you should just not vote for any incumbents in the next state elections. They are the ones that unanimously moved up the primary despite being warned about the consequences.

[Joel, Tacoma WA]

If Floridians wanted to be counted they wouldn't have let their state government go beyond the rules of the primary process. I just pray every day that Flori(d'oh) remembers to hold the Presidential election on the first Tuesday in November, because that date also is non-negotiable. How many ways can your state mess up elections?

Obama wants to steal the delegates. He LOST. There's nothing to negotiate. The delegates should be seated as elected, and he doesn't like that idea.

[UrsaM]

How can someone win an election where voters were told there vote wouldn't count? This doesn't justify not giving Florida some representation at the party, but you can't just say it was close enough to a real election so let's count it as though it was and give Hillary all those delegates. There will be a lawsuit by people who didn't vote -- guaranteed. Blame your representatives for gambling and losing, people.

The other thing I don't get is the "I'm mad so I'm voting Republican" angle. This isn't about picking Miss America. It's for real -- about picking a candidate who will send more Floridians off to die in Iraq. The right candidate is the right candidate no matter how mad you may be at the DNC. And, now it shows that Obama really wants to fix it. And, of course, he played by the rules. Seems to me that's a lot closer to the kind of person you want as president than someone who changes her mind (and wants to change rules) just because it's to her personal advantage.

[Jim Aaron]

When the DNC or the RNC start paying for the Primaries in Michigan and Florida they can start making the rules as well. Instead of complaining about when these States have a primary vote they should be thanking these States for spending $25,000,000 for their benefit

[Jim Aaron]

They had a fair vote in Florida, 1,700,000 come out to have their voices heard. Hillary got 50% of the vote, Obama received 33%, give them both what they earned on election day

[Pamela Lewis]

The 'informed' people, most likely the Obama supporters, didn't bother to vote since they knew their votes wouldn't be counted. Not to mention, Obama's numbers always go up significantly once he's had an opportunity to campaign in a state. There is no way the votes should be counted 'as is' under these circumstances. It's ridiculously unfair to Obama. Clinton won the majority of votes in Florida almost entirely on name recognition.

[LiberalIncarnate]

To those threatening to vote for McCain in FL:

Please do so! I would love to see us in a massive war in Iran. We are already paying 12 billion a month for this war in Iraq. Iran is more than twice as large, highly mountainous and far more nationalistic. Let's see... Iraq... Iran... I'd say that would bring it to at least 25 billion a month, plus we'd certainly have to bring back the draft.

On the domestic side, Vote for McCain! He wants to get rid of tax breaks to business that offer medical plans to their employees. Do you like your health plan? Any pre-exisiting conditions that you've had that may prevent you from getting private insurance for 30-50% more per year??

If you truly Hate American... Vote for McCain! By golly you will really hate this place once he is in there for four years!

So, please do. Vote for McCain. I dare you.

[KDH55]

Obama's plan: Leave Hillary off of a do-over ballot, and steal all of the delegates for himself. That's what Obama would consider fair.

[Yotin]

After Obama nixed the revote plan and calling the FL and MI elections beauty contests, he's all of a sudden interested in seating FL delegates. And obviously a solution that will favor him, inasmuch as the no revote favored him.

This is a man who suddenly gets interested in anything that'll give him an edge. It's the same when he sat there for 20 years listening to his pastor's rants and did nothing. All of a sudden when it appeared he'll get an edge by talking about it in hifalutin language, he delivered that speech.

[Steve-O]

After calling the contests in Florida "irrelevant beauty contests" and joking about the outcome ("Clinton won in Florida exactly as many delegates as Gravel") Obama, all of a sudden, discovers that Florida is important?

What a hypocrit! He lost the state the first time, he will lose it again and he knows it. That is why he is trying to spin it long enough to run out the clock and to be saved by the bell.

[Mary G.]

The only fair way to settle the FL and MI delegate flap is to split them 50/50, as the Obama campaign proposed some time ago. They also proposed a caucus, which Clinton dismissed. (I'd really like to know why her supporters think that the caucus process puts her at such a huge disadvantage - since she was/is the Party-Insider candidate.) Her specious argument seems to be "He's so much better at organizing and GOTV, it's not fair!" Highly recommends her as the most electable candidate!

[Daniel73]

What a joke Clinton wins in Florida and Obama wants to split the vote 50/50. Bush didn't want all the votes counted now it is Obama that would cheat Florida and Michigan of our votes.

[BW]

Man, you and yor your state party need to take some responsibility and stop blaming candidates. You played chicken with the rules and lost your say. It was not fair of your state leaders to make that decision in December and it had nothing to do with either candidate then.

[DrToketee]

an earlier voter is voting for McCain because "Both Clinton & Obama ignored Florida's voters".

What a moron. Florida's own Democratic party violated the agreed-upon rules of the DNC and is now paying the penalty they earned and deserved. Blame your own state's party, dummy. Obama and Clinton had nothing to do with it.

For all of you that linked up to this article from the Huffington Post before you take shots at us (Floridians) know your facts. That wonderful Jan.29th primary bill also contained the paper trail. Now tell me what democratic legislature is going to vote against that. Second fact our House Democratic Leader tried to have the bill ammended with feb. 5th as the primary date. Not only was it shot down by a republican controlled house. But, our Governor also promised to veto any date other than Jan.29th. Let's move on to the state party. So many promises from the DNC let South Carolina and other states officially apply for a early primary. Don't worry Florida! Dean, has promised to take care of Florida and make sure every vote. We went before the Rules& Bylaws committee like good little children to show we did everything we could in good faith pursant to the rules. Who would have thought the committee had other plans for us.Mrs.Fowler wanting South Carolina to be the only Southern state that went early. Then the Hillary supporters on the committee didn't want to see us have a caucus (go figure Obama supporters). Here came the woman with an answer to all their problems. Donna Brazile, she said let's make an example of Florida. Let's give them a 100% reduction. Well, guess what the sanction based on timing is an automatic 50%.
Yes, the party at that point should have challenged based on this mistake. But, I can understand a gamble was taken to try and get the 100% delegation back.
Anyone that knows how to add knew we weren't going to have a clear winner come Feb 6th without Florida's delegates. Not to many big states left.
Now there is a challenge based on the 100% reductionat the DNC. It's not about the support of one candidate over another it's about Florida. The sanctions on top of the 100% reduction
have kept both campaigns from setting up shop here in florida since the primary. We can't wait till the Credential committe meets. Florida democrats understand more than you think we do. That is why 1.7 million voted even when they were told it was just a beauty contest. NOW GET OFF THE BLAME GAME!!!

[loretta]

What a joke this new hue and cry about Florida and Michigan is. Let me just say that I've been pretty active for the last year, reading and posting all over different sites--but this wave of "concerned FL and MI voters" posting everywhere is FABRICATED. The Clinton camp is grasping at one of their last straws, and they have what is left of the army of "sock puppets" posting as outraged and disenfranchised voters from FL and MI....and the funniest part of this whole thing? The Clintons think that WE ARE stupid enough to buy it.

[Peggy]

I'm in MI and there is no uproar by voters here. There is a group of Hillary supporters that have protested when the news crews are around, but it's not a large group. If you watched the coverage the cameras were in close so the actual number seemed larger. Most of us are fine with the DNC and Obama. We are angry with our state politicians and party people for this mess and will express our anger when we vote for their defeat. Clinton has angered many of us by trying to use us to change the rules in the middle of the game. People really need to stop stating that we are angry and going to vote for McCain. It simply is not true. We are democrats and we know McCain has no health care plan, wants to keep our troops in Irag and Afghanistan for years and years, is clueless about the economy, just to name a few issues. I have relatives and friends in Florida and most of them feel the same. The press just needs something to fill their 24/7 news cycles. Somehow polls and pundits are better news than actual issues that the voters need and want to hear about.

Loretta - well your not to smart just assuming this is the Clinton supporters putting out this message. First of all I am an Obama supporter and have been since the beginning. While you surf the net I am on the ground getting my hands dirty (it's called grassroots). I am not a puppet! I'll leave the puppet playing to my children. You have alot of nerve to think Florida isn't sensitive to being disenfranchised. It is hard to believe your a Obama supporter thinking like that.
As I stated before the challenge right now before the DNC isn't about supporting one candidate over another. This is about the Florida voters.
Play on your laptop some more and learn the truth about how the Jan.29th primary came about. Since you obviously have not a clue about what is going on!

[Dg77]

To those that will vote McCain in November, you have a death wish.