Schale to lead Obama FL team

Steve Schale, the hot shot Floridian who helped Florida Democrats pick off nine state House seats in the last couple years, has agreed to be Barack Obama's state director in Florida. Ashley Walker will be deputy state director, and the headquarters will be opening soon in Tampa.

"When you see us reach our full staff level, you're going to see an operation the size of which this state has never seen before on our side,'' said Schale, lavishing praise on Walker and dismissing talk (see here) about Obama not playing to win in Florida. "I would not take this job if I did not think Sen. Obama was committed to winning this state or didn't think he could win this state."

Comments

Steve is a winner. Great pick.

[Alan]

Way to go Steve & Ashley! This is great news.

Fired up & Ready to go!

Steve is one of the smartest people in Democratic politics... I hope House Victory can find someone to fill the giant hole he will be leaving. But thier loss is Obama's gain!

Steve is brilliant. Obama wins Florida now

What a great team. Two low-key individuals who have toiled in the trenches for years. Congratulations to both of you. You are both well deserved.

It is nice to see Obama hire home-grown talent.

But I would take it if I thought it to be an enormous stepping stone... so my internal voice is conflicted...

I am reminded of the Taladega Nights quote - "There is a pretzel in my head"

Congrats Steve!

I guess this explains why the Democrats haven't recruited credible candidates in some of the biggest battleground State House seats in the state HD 22, 26, 28, 44, 46, and 50. Steve was too busy prepping for his new job...real professional.

11:11-

There are no credible candidates in those districts. They tried and failed.

Oh well.

Looks like FDP staffers got on the blogs before RPOF staffers today!

[The Meatball!]

Has this kid even graduated high school yet? Let me guess, his first comment about Senator Obama was, “He’s the hardest working candidate in the State!”.

[Obama Is a Liar]

What many have thought about Obama is now confirmed. The guy grew up as a Muslim. He's been a liar on this issue!! I wonder how many more lies he is out there telling us.

http://americanpowerblog.blogspot.com/2008/06/obama-grew-up-muslim-half-brother.html

To not find candidates in those type of seats in this type of cycle is a complete failure. We're talking about what could be a bigger Dem tidal wave then in 2006 and in most of the battleground seats in the state, Republican seats that could have been washed away in the Democrat wave, Steve and the Democrat party failed to do their job.

11:45

It will be hard to have a tidal wave in the Florida for the Democrats in Florida when Obama is losing everywhere.

He is losing all over Florida

Steve has a tough job, but I think his hiring makes Florida competitive for Obama right away. He knows the state, the players, etc. The Obama Camp made a smart move here.

Shale is going to do a great job -- and unless Rethuglicans want to see a repeat of what happened to them in '06 only worse, then they ought to stop posting idiotic comments on the Buzz and start organizing to try -- emphasis on "try" -- and beat Democrats in November.

Or -- as indicated by Republican Senator Mike Bennett -- maybe they've already given up.

http://www.wslrnews.org/

Lots of luck, losers.

Given 'em hell, Steve. We're behind you.

You guys better be behind him, cause that's where your Messiah is running.

[Campaign Manager]

Tampa it is for Obama HQ.

Does McCain put his HQ in Tampa Bay, too or in Orlando or Jacksonville?

hey 11:51 a Democrat tidal wave can exist independent of the top of the ticket, you may have forgot but a long time ago in 2006 Crist won by a good margin and we got killed everywhere else in the state. Think before you post.

A person who is not capable of recruiting good Dem candidates in a environment like this has no business getting promoted.

Regardless it's not about staff, its about the candidate. George Lemieux didn't win it for Crist...Crist won if for Crist. Too many of you consultansts and politico types on this blog think you're far more important than you actually are.

How do you tell people one month their votes do not count or matter and then the next month expect them to forget it?

Obama might become President but he will have to do it without winning Florida and maybe even michigan

12:47-

In 2006, Jim Davis was the worst nominee that the Dems could have chosen.

Rod Smith would have made the race a lot closer and maybe even won it.

[Gene Smith]

Great pick by the Obama campaign. They are not parachuting in someone who knows nothing about Florida.

Steve's going to do a great job.

And oh, to the Republican troll at 11:45 - if you want to pretend to be be a Dem on this blog, you are going to have to get used to writing DemocratIC Party. Only Rethuglicans call us the Democrat Party.

Gene-
Most people just refer to ya'll as the Idiotic Party.

[Michelle from Tampa]

Obama is NOT a Muslim. See my link for snopes.com info.

Obama might not be a Muslim but he is a racists and he is friends with unrepentant terrorists and racists

Michelle,,,denial honey is not becoming to you. Read what the Messiah's brother has to say.

Congrats Steve.

I am a Republican but have always respected his honesty and hard work. He never takes campaigns personell and is always a gentleman.

It is a good choice for Obama which makes me worried.

I wonder if Steve ever has misgivings about all the voided and half voided voters he's trying to deliver to Obama?

I wonder if there is a Democrat in the state who holds it against the party that it told them they didn't have to matter and not promoted them to half persons?

I wonder what Steve thinks elections are about: linking government as accountable to the voters or just winning power to enhance his own future prospect?

I wonder what else Steve would go along with to get ahead--if vote voiding ain't so bad, what else ain't so bad?

Steve is just another "sold out" lacky to the Obama crowd. Good luck Hitler Lt.

Who cares?
Obama could have Santa Claus lead his FL campaign and still lose badly in Florida.

Middle class Americans just do not like Obama because he is a liberal elitist. He should stick with his Hollywood friends.

new poll:
http://news.aol.com/elections/story/_a/historians-see-little-chance-for-mccain/20080615124509990001

[Tom Wharton]

Good Luck Schales. If anyone can get the message to the folks in DC on how a Dem can win in this state, its gotta be you.

Haven't meet anyone that knows the states political playing field much better then you.

Its gonna be a hard job, but you can help pull this thing off.

Good Luck

Dems should count for at least 3/5 votes.

Afterall that is what they tried to do to the slaves.

This is a really interesting pick. It is nice to see a national campaign peel back the layers and look for local talent.

Let us see, the DEMS have;

Smalley, William (DEM) in 28, Puglia, Joseph Charles (DEM) or Whitaker, Aaron K. (DEM) in 44, Rice, Ronald R (DEM) in 46 and McMullen, Neil C. (DEM) in 50.

I guess that 11:11 missed these Democratic candidates.

[Shutterbug]

When I first met Steve he was working with Doug Wiles. He was always straight forward and up front as was Doug. He has a real knack for picking up concepts quickly and seeing the future. He is still that way. Some call that being a visionary.
Yes I am a registered Republican but like working with honest people no matter which party they choose, even when I don't always agree with their dream.
When I saw him today he was as candid and down to earth as he has always been. None of these positive or negative posts appeared to have bothered him. A real professional.

The race is in single digits (around 4 points) in Florida. If McCain had it wrapped up, he wouldn't be coming to Florida every other week.

Obama will win this state in November.

[DEMS FOR MCCAIN]

TRY UP BY 8 POINTS AND YES IT'S OVER FOR OBAMA. HE HAS ALREADY ANNOUNCED HE DOES NOT NEED FLORIDA OR OHIO TO WIN. SO, WHY SHOULD I VOTE FOR HIM. I WON'T. HE DOESN'T NEED US, WE DON'T NEED HIM!

[Truth Coming]

Obama going down on the 18th!

Despite death threats and an organized campaign to prevent him from speaking publicly, Larry Sinclair — on June 18, 2008, at 2:00 PM (Sign in begins at 1:00 PM) in the Holeman Lounge of the National Press Club, 529 14th Street NW, Washington, DC 20045, will for the first time reveal the corroborating evidence for his claim that on November 6 + 7, 1999, Larry: (i) met Obama at a gay bar where Barrack Obama arranged for the purchase of federal Schedule II drugs, (ii) which Larry and Obama thereafter ingested and (iii) then engaged in hi-risk, homosexual activities.

Larry’s story burst on to the scene on January 18, 2008, when Larry released a short video containing these allegations on YouTube.com. That video has had close to a million views yet the mainstream media has completely ignored Larry’s serious allegations. Thereafter, a clearly orchestrated campaign to discredit Larry began on the internet which forced Larry to resort to federal court to protect his reputation.

At the press conference, Larry will (i) reveal the corroborating evidence for his allegations regarding Obama, (ii) address the time-line of the response of the Obama campaign to his allegations and the murder of Donald Young, the openly gay choir director of Trinity United Church of Christ, Obama’s now-former church and (iii) the significance of the refusal of U.S. District Court Judge Henry H. Kennedy, Jr. to allow Larry’s case to proceed.

[Jean]

This is great news for Florida. Acropolis Review has a summary of some more good reasons to consider supporting Obama: http://acropolisreview.com/2008/04/top-reasons-to-give-barack-obama-your.html

Big Brown going down on November 1. Forget the media propaganda. People see right through it!!

BAD NEWS FOR OBAMA. THE INDEPENDENTS ARE GOING TOWARD MCCAIN IN THE POLLS.

BAD NEWS FOR MCSAME. HE P'D HIMSELF AGAIN, AND FIRED HIS MAILBOX FOR GIVING HIM THE FINGER!

10:44-

Mcmullen dropped out or else he is really pathetic at fundraising because he has raised about $500 his first quarter

McMullen got strong armed by the GOP. They told USF to either to get out or lose his job.

10:37 oh well it happens.

He would have gotten trounced if he would have stayed in.

"I guess this explains why the Democrats haven't recruited credible candidates" What do you call credible candidate? A Wealthy American Democratic who’s a Business Executive, and has the support of Big Business.

My credible candidate is someone who is a working class person willing to take on the status quo and truly wants to make a different in the state Florida

[Larry Sinclair in Jail]

11:32
Obama accuser Larry Sinclair was arrested following his press conference at the National Press Club Wednesday.

Larry Sinclair, 46, was allowed to deliver his presentation to the smattering of reporters in attendance before deputy U.S. Marshals quietly led him away in handcuffs, Sinclair’s lawyer confirmed Thursday. Already burdened with a long rap sheet, Sinclair was wanted on a criminal warrant for theft and forgery.

Here is one of the warrents...
http://www.co.pueblo.co.us/cgi-bin/webpurbroker.wsc/mostoff.html?name=135062

How do bigots explain Obama years in Catholic school in Hawaii? Ignore it and lie about his public school in Indonesia -- falsely calling it a muslim madrassa.

How do bigots explain Obama was only candidate whose single mom was on food stamps for a while? Call him elitist - falsely.

McCain doesn't understand economics and admits it. Why? Because taxpayers paid for everything in his life -- as a multi-generational military power elitist family member. Admiral daddy is why he wasn't booted from free military college at bottom of class.

McCain -- only candidate using loophole written by McCAin for using his wifey's jet to campaign -- without paying full freight like NON-ELITIST candidates.

Sadly, McCain sold out any honor he ever had. It's a real shame that all he has left is noun, verb, POW. Where are the rest of those vets? Why does he always vote against them?

Florida Republican delegates get HALF vote at their convention. Do you liars blame Obama for THAT too?

Better to not post your ignorance -- so we only suspect it.