Obama's Florida political talent

Obama's three days in Florida left little doubt that he's aiming to fight hard for Florida's 27 electoral votes or that he's a potentially tough rival for McCain. Obama drew the kind of big, enthusiastic crowds that typically require ground organizations he has yet to put in place.  Story here. And slideshow here.

A good chunk of credit goes to Ashley Walker, left, a veteran of Bob Graham, Peter Deutsch and Jeremy Ring campaigns and who lead several key states for Obama. She had been hired to back in August to start organizing the state, but then was dispatched elsewhere thanks to the FL boycott. She said she doesn't know if she''l be reassigned to Florida, but we're betting Florida sees her a lot more in the coming months

Comments

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who are you kidding? the democratic primary is no friend to democracy. The ultimate decision is hinged on "super delegates", and there are no restrictions or parameters on how they should vote. These "super voters" were placed in the process to assure that the party favorite wins and therefore excluding the will of the people (Ds). Apparently, the Ds feel their voters are stupid and the "super delegates" are blessed with all knowing powers

[The Answer]

I almost hope that the Dems take the White House so that it will ensure a subsequent 10-20+ year run of conservative leadership after the upcoming abortion of founding principles. See Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, et al.

When the bitter after-taste of Obama/Clinton is burped-up in the throats of all Americans, the majority of law-abiding, hard-working citizens will take back their tax dollars and their country. See Jimmy Carter for a reference.

[SallySunshine]

Welcome Home Ashley!

We've been holding the fort down for you and welcome you back with open arms.

To 8:53 you try to appear like a Clinton supporter - when in fact, your repblicanism shows forth bright and shiny.

All Democrats, even Clinton supporters, acknowledge and know, 14 of the 30 DNC Board Members were/are Clinton supporters, and they voted all in favor of the punishment dealt to Florida for our state leaders moving the Primary date forward.

Never fear Republican operatives - the Democrats are uniting, and welcoming Republican voters, and Indy's, Greens, NonParty, etc. to the fold.

WE ARE THE CHANGE WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR. Keep on your path of "say nothing, do nothing" and we'll welcome you as well - as it's going to take all of us to make the necessary changes needed for this country a reality.

Unless of course, your life is better now than it was in 2001. When a gallon of gas cost $1.47.

[mizonglohong]

Welcome Home!!!!!! Let's Barack this state!!!

[IJArne]

Welcome back, Ashley! The volunteers here have been keeping it going in GR for mat. It will give the national campaign a head-start in this area, as evidenced by how they helped with organizing the rally on Wednesday. They are ready to ride the train through the I-4 corridor to VICTORY!!!! OBAMA '08

[Emmett]

It'll be good to see Ashley again!

Welcome home and never fear, the local supporters are Fired Up & Ready to Go! and we're ready to take Florida for Obama!

Obama '08!

[Just The Facts]

To SallySunshine:

Since your party's nominees and this joke of a Congress oppose drilling for more oil {so that we can become less dependent on OPEC}, I'd love to learn your logic since you seem to believe that the Dems have lower gas prices all figured out? You are "the Congress of change", are you not? How will you guys do it?

We're all very curious and waiting on some actual results. Remember to be specific, though. The Dems aren't real strong on specifics, -just criticism, cynicism and blaming.

By the way, my family is doing much, much better in 2008 than under Clinton. Thanks for asking. Our incomes have doubled and taxes remained flat. Plus, my kids actually have a president that they can look up to and admire for his fidelity in his marriage and other relationships, as well as his conservative and family-oriented principles and his strong leadership when a room full of EASY-BUTTON libs always want to punk-out.

Have a great day in the greatest country on earth. Ouch..., I know that had to hurt.

OBAMA:

The AUDACITY of HOPING no one sees how unprepared and ill-suited this guy is for the job of President.

[Emmett]

It'll be good to see Ashley again!

Welcome home and never fear, the local supporters are Fired Up & Ready to Go! and we're ready to take Florida for Obama!

Obama '08!

[Just The Facts]

Yeah..., that's what I thought. The libs grow silent when ask for a specific plan to accomplish anything substantive.

Anyone, especially the pie-in-the-sky hate-filled libs, can criticize, complain and talk about how easy it all is. What stellar criteria you folks have for leadership: - Pelosi, Reid, Gore, Dean, Huffington, etc.

My 12-year old should seek the Dems nomination in 2012. He'll have more experience than Obama.

[Gary Brown]

The most generous US geological estimates show that we have enough oil in all the US to last from 4 - 8 years at our current rate of consumption (and our use of oil increases each year). Oil goes to the open, world wide market. The amount of oil that we can extract from our own territory would be around 1% of the current world supply. Add to that the increasing yearly demand from China and India and going gang busters drilling for oil here in the US would hardly put a dent in prices. In four to eight years we will be back in the same predicament. Furthermore, it would take around 10 years drill the necessary wells. By then, consumption will be much greater unless other conservation and alternative measures are undertaken.

No disrespect, but if Obama showed up in Welaka with 6 hours notice, 7000 people would show up. His following makes event organizers look good.

Ashley - I would very much like to see the Obama campaign achieve more organization here in Florida. This is the first election in which I feel so strongly about the issues confronting our nation, that I would like to make an active contribution beyond simply voting. It would be disasterous for our nation to fall into the hands of another conservative administration. Please help us to organize grassroots efforts here in Florida.

Ashley - I would also like to donate my "Economic Stimulus" rebate check to the Obama campaign. I think it would send an effective message to the current President that some people in this country are not accepting his attempt to buy our vote, and that we recognize that this is just an effort to sweep the Recession under the rug until after November. I know Sen Obama has plenty of campaign contributions in the bank for the general election, but even so, when he is elected, I believe our nation will need to gather a massive amount of money to counteract the debt and cuts to social programs of the current regime. If my contibution is not needed for his election, I would like to see it used to help our fellow citizens to offset the debt which would otherwise be passed on to our children. I hope others feel the same way.

My check is waiting. Please organize.

[Already Done The Research]

Gary,

Your facts are more than a little skewed. Beyond that, however, that's why Bill Clinton killed us all back in 1995 when he vetoed the updated drilling laws passed by the most responsible Congress in the past 50 years.

If it weren't for Mr. Clinton and the tree-huggers who seemingly care nothing about human life on the planet that they claim to love, -we could be 10+ years down the road drilling. Our reserves would have long since been full, we'd be taking whatever we wanted from our own supply, as needed, and thumbing our nose at OPEC for the next 10-12 years while entrepreneurs developed alternative-energy solutions for machinery and automobiles.

Maybe Al Gore could invent something now that he's done with the internet and the global warming scam.

[U all better get busy, as when Obama opens his mouth:::::]

Not so smart after all?

WHAT should be the theme song for Sen. Barack Obama's presidential campaign?

Some think it should be Carly Simon's 1972 smash hit, "You're So Vain," (I bet you think this speech is about you).

Most of us have a higher opinion of ourselves than objective circumstances warrant. But in few of us is the gap between how we view ourselves and reality as wide as it is with Mr. Obama.

Mr. Obama is a bright, handsome, personable guy who gives a good speech (when he's working from a prepared text). But he's never actually done much of anything. The biggest tic on his resume to date is that he was president of the Harvard Law Review. That's impressive, but not exactly the stuff of Winston Churchill, Franklin Roosevelt, or Ronald Reagan, guys who could turn a phrase, too. Mr. Obama's self-regard is such that he already has written two autobiographical books.

Little seems to annoy Mr. Obama more than when others do not hold him in as high esteem as he holds himself. He apparently was dozing in the pews when his pastor said America is no better than al-Qaeda and our government created the AIDS virus to exterminate blacks. But his ears perked up when the Rev. Jeremiah Wright implied that he had been insincere in describing their relationship: "That's a show of disrespect to me," Mr. Obama said.

A focus on himself and a hypersensitivity to perceived slights may explain why Mr. Obama thought President Bush was speaking about him when the President denounced appeasement in a speech to the Israeli parliament May 15.

"I understand when you are running for office sometimes you think the world revolves around you," responded White House Press Secretary Dana Perino. "That is not always true, and it is not true in this case."

Mr. Obama's prolonged response to the Knesset speech - one of the largest unforced errors I've seen in politics - suggests another candidate for campaign theme song, Sam Cooke's 1960 ditty, "Wonderful World." The opening lyric is: "Don't know much about history."

In arguing to reporters that face-to-face meetings with America's enemies without preconditions isn't appeasement, Mr. Obama claimed President Kennedy's summit meeting with Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev in Vienna helped defuse the Cuban missile crisis.

The Vienna summit took place in June of 1961, the Cuban missile crisis in October of 1962. Many historians believe the summit was a cause of the Cuban missile crisis: "There is reason to believe that Khrushchev took Kennedy's measure in June, 1961, and decided this was a young man who would shrink from hard decisions," wrote Elie Abel, author of The Missiles of October.

In his victory speech after the North Carolina primary, Mr. Obama said: "I trust the American people to understand that it is not weakness, but wisdom, to talk not just to our friends, but to our enemies, like Roosevelt did, and Kennedy did, and Truman did."

Neither FDR nor Truman met with Hitler, Tojo, or Mussolini before or during World War II. Their policy was unconditional surrender. They did meet with Stalin during World War II. But the Soviet Union was then a U.S. ally.

Then Mr. Obama said his willingness to meet face to face with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran could be a "Nixon to China" moment. But Richard Nixon could make his overture to split China from the Soviet Union precisely because of his reputation as a tough anti-communist. Mr. Obama does not enjoy a reputation for toughness. And there were plenty of preconditions before Nixon and Mao Zedong met. When you're in a hole, you should stop digging.

Another lyric in the Sam Cooke song is: "Don't know much about geography." In a speech in Oregon last week, Mr. Obama said he'd campaigned in 57 states, and in the "Oregon plan" his campaign released, he promised to protect "national treasures like the Great Lakes," the nearest of which is about 1,700 miles east of Oregon.

This week Mr. Obama said Hillary Clinton had an advantage in Kentucky because "she comes from the nearby state of Arkansas." Mr. Obama's home state of Illinois borders on Kentucky. Arkansas doesn't.

If John McCain were saying these things, there'd be much media speculation about "senior moments."

Is Mr. Obama suffering from early onset Alzheimer's? Or is he just not as smart as he imagines himself to be?

[Delores Fletcher]

Welcome back Ashley,
Glad to know that you guys are aware that Florida is a key state in the political arena. I will be glad to help fight for Obama!

The silence for "just-the-facts" is no more than stunned disbelief at such comments, which make it clear that even though most Republicans in the country have finally seen the light on the current president, there are a few who remain unconvinced, and won't be by anything posted here. So why play into your apparent need to fight?

If Obama is the light, give me more darkness.

Ashley - You can see what the DEMs are up against here in Florida - which is unfortunately one of the last bastions of failed GOP policy in the US. They have an aggressive spin machine in place to carpet bomb their lies and misinformation upon Florida voters. I believe our citizens would be well served by a campaign to get out the truth.

If you analyze the spin they are spewing, you will see that it is mostly half truths taken out of context, something which would be easily rebutted with a few facts to expose the entirety of the argument.

The GOP is way ahead of the DEMS in that they have a number of conservative think tanks devoted, not to making a case for their ideas, but rather to promoting a false PR campaign with narrow minded talking points and illogical but clever sounding rebuttals to most progressive positions.

I would like to suggest that Sen Obama organize his DEM follows in a contrasting effort which is rigorously opposed to spin, but instead puts together facts for the purpose of exposing the conservative dogma for the dishonest and un-American propaganda that it is. How hard can it be to connect what they're saying with the failed policies most people are currently living with in their daily lives?

Your pious progressive platitudes make me puke. What are you so-called progressive about except higher taxes; more regulation of the economy; more unwieldy, high bureaucratic govt programs that prove costly and ineffective in the long run; retreat and appeasement in international affairs; not to mention erosion of traditional values in supporting unrestricted abortion and gay marriage.

DEM
Disintegrating into Entropy and Miasma.

REP
Ruining Everyone's Pocketbook

[Joe Lunchbucket]

I be here in my pick up truck gittin ready to cast my vote against the colored guy whose an arab..I had a problem cause I los my job at da plant when they outsourced it so i got one of dem loans on my doublewide and my pickup.Now im workin at Allmart putin on tires.Problem is the taxes went up so high on my double wide i got ferclosed..called the state fer help they couldnt went to my pastor they couldnt help..Now im living in my pickup here in Pahokee but I caint ford no gas to go somewhere..But im still a Mc Cain supporter cuzz of the colored guy

[Emmett]

It'll be good to see Ashley again!

Welcome home and never fear, the local supporters are Fired Up & Ready to Go! and we're ready to take Florida for Obama!

Obama '08!

Wow, now there's a post at 12:51 that shows real liberal condescension toward the white working class. No wonder they abandoned the Democrats in droves. WHy should they vote for a party whose liberal base regards them, contemptuously, as lower than neanderthals. Obama's disparaging, patronizing remarks to his donor crowd of wealthy San Franciscans is typical of the mind set. Liberal Democrats excel at looking down on people. They make an art of it.

[SallySunshine]

to those who want to invest in drilling in the US - it'll take 10+ years and then .... we'll be able to produce virtually nothing.

Go spew your ignorance where it won't be challenged.

Arctic Refuge oil would amount to a drop in the bucket of the oil market. The U.S. Department of Energy's own Energy Information Administration (EIA) estimates that even twenty years down the road, when Arctic Refuge oil is at or near peak production, gas prices would be affected by about a penny per gallon.

U.S. Dept. of Energy, Energy Information Administration, July 2005, "Impacts of Modeled Provisions of HR 6 EH: The Energy Policy Act of 2005." EIA estimates reduction of $0.57 per barrel of oil. Assuming a one-to-one impact on gasoline prices, $0.57/42 = $0.014 per gallon. In Table C12 of that report EIA predicts impacts of even less ($0.008/gallon) on motor gasoline from HR 6. (The latter estimate apparently includes the impact of ethanol blending.)

[SallySunshine]

Just the facts - your ignorance shines through vividly.

"By the way, my family is doing much, much better in 2008 than under Clinton. Thanks for asking. Our incomes have doubled and taxes remained flat."

That is a line of crock and you and everyone else reading this knows it's crap. Not when prices of gas, food, everything has increased by at least 7-180% while wages have stayed put, or fallen.

Taxes - then buddy, you must not live in Florida, or any other state that is operating in the RED - How many teachers, police, firemen, city, county, state workers are being laid off?

And if your kids are looking up to Mr.31%, Can't put three words together, can't tell the truth and oh yeah, his adult life didn't begin until he was 42 yrs old - sad. Just sad.

And you're probably one of those doofuses that think $10billion per month of American tax-payer money is best spent rebuilding Iraq. Rather than here at home too. huh? Enough said.

Your ignorance is shiny and bright.

LIberals make an art of looking down on people?

It's conservatives who can't stand the notion that we are all in the same boat. That is why they hate environmentalism so much. They don't think they have the same fate as everybody else because they are wealthy elitist.

[Already Done The Research]

Believe it or not "Sally", some people do make more money the harder they work in school to obtain advanced degrees and to succeed in demanding careers with growth potential. If you {or others} are not in one of those professions, it's unfortunate but not the president's fault. Look at the drop-out rate, percentage of broken homes and kids raising kids for a tally of the lost souls. They should glance in the mirror and try to mature from a hard lesson learned they BLAME someone they've never met for their lousy financial condition and sad lives.

Most of our neighbors, probably ages 35 to 50, live in homes $550-$750k and earn high incomes doing what they love because they sacrificed early in their lives to finish worthwhile degrees.

Hate all you want; that's what libs do. I'm going to take the boat out on the lake for a few hours and ski a bit.

See ya.

Vote Republican or we'll all die!

Hell, it worked on you dopes in 2004!

[Unedu-me-cated]

The audacity of smoke and mirrors has me convinced, finally. Where do I pick-up my new Bentley and my phat 401k Obama's giving everybody?

[Stop The Insanity]

Obama's my hero cause he's _____________ {fill in the blank}. This should be good.

"... not going to send thousands of young American men and women to their death to avenge his daddy..."

How about that one… dope?

“… not an older, rich, white, senile version of the moron in office now…”

… shall I continue, or have you had enough… stoop!

2:01 --"It's conservatives who can't stand the notion that we are all in the same boat. That is why they hate environmentalism so much. They don't think they have the same fate as everybody else because they are wealthy elitist."

Huh? Wealthy elitists tend to vote Democratic, bud. And the most egregious wealthy elitists are all the wealthy Hollywood stars who tout environmental virtues while they hog energy and live lavish lifestyles.

[Jason Straight]

Sally good post .He I have the same grad degree and my home is bigger than yours ..I worked hard for every penny I made.My mom and dad were able to send me to Florida for 7 years to to get my degrees..There only one difference between Sally myself and you self absorbed Gop types.I came up hard and I remember the other middle class folks who have been denied the opportunities I have because of your policies..Reuben Askew Signed my grad degrees..Everyone deserves a break and an education ..Remember the folks less fortunate and extend a hand through fair state policies ..

[Syd]

Just the facts - but yet you lost your soul. How many sick and infirmed have you turned away from using yoru doctorate degrees on because they just didn't have enough to pay for your new home, your kids' college fees, and oh yeah - your fare on the latest GOP fishing trip?

How many have you helped that were unable to help themselves? Did your kids have private tutors to help them secure those scholarships? or just private trainers?

Those Bright Futures Scholarships your kids used - I helped pay for those. You can thank me the next time I'm sick by serving me.

[The Dude]

Oh, Sally dear, about those estimates:

(1) the DOE estimates on Arctic Refuge oil might be wrong

(2) even if not wrong, one must consider not ANWR in isolation but as part of a CUMULATIVE effect of tapping domestic sources of oil, as well as building more refinery capacity, exploiting domestic oil shale and coal, and building nuclear plants.

(3) if we use more domestic oil, even if prices do not go down, we are that much less dependent on import oil. Name of the game, no? Money would not be going overseas and would be supporting U.S. companies, U.S. taxes and American workers in the energy field. (Of course, judging from the post at 12:51, liberals regard the American working class as a bunch of yokels and racist neanderthals).

[Cheryl]

The Answer .... look at what the Republican talking heads have done to us locally .... and this will affect you and your family, as well as mine - these tax cuts aren't party-aligned - we're all in this together - and what affects my liberal home will affect your conservative home as well. Wake up and smell the coffee --- it's burning.

From St Pete Times - most commented...
If Pinellas Sheriff Jim Coats has to cut his budget by 10 percent, he says, taxpayers should expect "a significant crime increase" and streets "littered with human carnage."

"Innocent citizens, including children, will be caught up in a deadly crossfire," Coats says. "… Law-abiding citizens will become prisoners in their own home."

Such predictions don't make for good campaign slogans, but Coats, who is seeking re-election this fall, said Florida's voter-approved Amendment 1 budget cuts put him in a terrible position.

it'll be nice to have a "grown up" leading fellow grownups to talk through subjects rather than a tan-man Governor who sells his position to the highest bidder.

[Theo]

The Dude ... operative word ... MIGHT

you talk cheap and still question the scientists? Where art thou's scientific papers? Have you been published? Researched? or are just a chatty soul? a debator? or do you like the look of your own typing?

The US does not have enough oil under it's soil to meet our fuel needs. Period.

Maybe you missed it - South American countries have formed their own union - signed it on Friday ... they'll work together as that's where the future oil reserves will be found. Maybe that's why georgie bush bought so much property in Paraguay.
G

[Kitty]

The members of the Tampa Bay O-Train did an awesome job at Wednesday's rally. I've been to alot of concerts and shindigs and never have I seen a line move so smoothly, so efficiently and so well.

I especially enjoyed the chants and the great smiles - we were all there to witness history together ... and we knew it.

Glad you could make it Adam - even if you were stuck way in the back. yeah, we could see you sitting on the end of the table waaaaaaayyyyyy in the back.

[His Dudeness]

you talk cheap and still question the scientists? SCIENTISTS ARE NOT INFALLIBLE. ISN'T SCIENCE ALL ABOUT REVISING YOUR THEORY OR ESTIMATES IF NEW DATA ARISES?

Where art thou's scientific papers? I'M NOT A SCIENTIST. ARE YOU?
Have you been published? YES.
Researched? ONLY BY PEOPLE PULLING CREDIT REPORTS.
or are just a chatty soul? a debator? or do you like the look of your own typing? ALL THREE, BABE.

The US does not have enough oil under it's soil to meet our fuel needs. Period. I DID NOT SAY IT DID. I'M WELL AWARE WE DO NOT. IT IS A MATTER OF BEING LESS DEPENDENT, NOT INDEPENDENT.

Maybe you missed it - South American countries have formed their own union - signed it on Friday ... they'll work together as that's where the future oil reserves will be found. GOOD FOR THEM. AND IF THEY ARE WILLING TO EXPLOIT RESOURCES, WHY SHOULDN'T WE?

Maybe that's why georgie bush bought so much property in Paraguay.
OH? WERE YOU PRESENT AT THE CLOSING? POST COPIES OF THE DEEDS, OR SHUT THE F##K UP.

G

Po

[Sally's Twin Sister]

Obama's my hero because he has the "audacity of hype" and won't stop until...the election day results.

[Donald Lance]

Does Barry call you "Sweetie" too, Ashley? I think you're doing it for a paycheck instead of trying to make a difference. I feel that Florida is a "Taboo" state as far as the Dems should be concerned. No matter how hard they try, they just can't get their voting house in order. Some things are better left alone, and I think that is what Barry is trying to say without actually saying it.

[Gentle Logic & Reason]

Ok, so all these tree huggers go to Starbucks and pay $5 for their lates and then complain about $4 gas?
Newsflash hippies: We pay about half of what everyone else pays in the Western (civilized) world.

Find something else to cry about. It’s called free market. Oil output is flat. No politician can help you.

Gas costs about 30 cents in Venezuela and Iran. Go live and complain over there. See what happens.

I think you are all "Sweetie"!

Rough count of comments here totals 18 postings from Ashley's mother.
HI MOM!

Ashley's Mom is a paid Obama Troll!!

[Marcia]

Welcome back Ashley! We've been waiting for you to come on back home!

To the trolls - might I suggest brats soaked in your favorite beer for tomorrow. And while you at it - why don't you thank a Veteran ... or invite a homeless Vet to your home for dinner.

The poster with 2 doctorate degrees - shouldn't you be sharing some of your wealth with those that enabled and protected your country and enabled you and yours to go after those degrees, rather than serving?