Senator Obama has officially started the real General Election campaign today

Senator Obama has officially started the real General Election campaign today



I) A CAMPAIGN LIKE NO OTHER

The strangest threads on DU are the ones that project what is going to happen in the fall. It is premised on the idea that having nearly concluded the most unusual , radically different and historical primary campaign in American history that we can extrapolate anything from the past.

All of those who realistically expected Barack Obama to garner 1.5 million contributors before he had the nomination in hand line up over here – exactly none.

If you don’t understand exactly how wonderfully different this campaign is then look at this video for one minute.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5fwJEWLUv8

The point – are we going to ‘win’ Idaho? (and all of the other traditional Republican states) – don’t know and unlikely. But as of today we have more volunteers, could raise more money than Senator McCain. If Senator McCain does not go to Idaho and work in Idaho he will lose Idaho and all of those other states like Idaho. McCain has to work hard just to catch up to Obama in his own ‘safe’ states.



II) LETS LEAVE ALL OF THESE ‘OBAMA HAS TO DO THIS IN THE FALL’ TO PAT BUCHANAN

They are all idiotic for the reasons stated above and no one does stupid like Pat Buchanan.

He’s a professional at stupid and we are only amateurs.

It’s not a fair competition.

He will win the stupid contest every time.






III) OBAMA DOESN’T FIGHT FAIR HE CHEATS (BY THE RULES)

Lets say you and a bunch of friends agree to a game of touch football. Each side has 6 players and are evenly matched. A few more players show up but instead of dividing them evenly you add them to your side. That is what is happening.

In the past Obama has avoided close contests. The reasons is that he goes out and gets more players and changes the landscape to his advantage.

Why did I change to Obama? This one paragraph (sent by well known fence sitter FrenchieCat) had more impact on me than any of the speeches he ever gave

Its from 1993

A huge black turnout in November 1992 altered Chicago's electoral landscape-and raised a new political star: a 31-year-old lawyer named Barack Obama.
In the final, climactic buildup to November's general election, with George Bush gaining ground on Bill Clinton in Illinois and the once-unstoppable campaign of senatorial candidate Carol Moseley Braun embroiled in allegations about her mother's Medicare liability, one of the most important local stories managed to go virtually unreported: The number of new voter registrations before the election hit an all-time high. And the majority of those new voters were black. More than 150,000 new African-American voters were added to the city's rolls. In fact, for the first time in Chicago's history-including the heyday of Harold Washington-voter registrations in the 19 predominantly black wards outnumbered those in the city's 19 predominantly white ethnic wards, 676,000 to 526,000.
http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/January-1993/Vote-of-Confidence/

People if we had done in the rest of the country what Obama did in Chicago there would have never been an Iraqi war. George Bush would be completely unknown.




IV) BARACK ‘ISN’T TOUGH ENOUGH’ ETC ETC FOR THE GE.

Just so silly. If you have the country roughly divided 40% to 40% and the two parties divided competing for the 20% which has been split almost exactly down the middle what do you do? – go out and get another 10-20% on your side, fight like hell for the 20% in the middle, and make a reasonable appeal for the 40% on the other side.

Close election – well if you think a 40 state win is close then this is going to be a close election. While McCain is playing checkers Obama is playing Chess, with a Russian adviser, and a computer program, with a marching band playing around McCain.

Senator Obama just defeated the most organized, toughest, hard fighting, smartest Democratic machine in modern history. A machine that embarrassed the Republicans twice.




V) OBAMA LAUNCHES ITS SECRET WEAPON
http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/stateupdates/gGB9pl

Today is the official kickoff of Vote for Change, an unprecedented 50-state voter registration and mobilization drive. In over 100 cities across America, from Anchorage, Alaska to Miami, Florida, grassroots supporters will hit the streets to register voters. With events planned in every single state, no matter where you live, you can find an event near you.
As Democratic Governor Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas explained,"This could change the face of American politics for decades to come."
Our efforts across the country have already yielded incredible results. According to a recent Associated Press survey, over 3.5 million people registered to vote in the first three months of 2008. Now we're expanding our approach to every single state, as part of a sustained, six-month effort that could reshape the electoral map.
Most events will begin in the late morning or early afternoon, and will run approximately four hours. No prior experience is necessary, and materials and training will be provided at each location.

There is no better way to start your weekend, and no more important work to be done right now than bringing more voters, and more voices, into the political process. Click on a state below to find an event near you:




VI) WHAT HAVE THEY DONE SO FAR
http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/vfchome

On May 10th, Barack Obama is launching Vote for Change, an unprecedented 50-state voter registration and mobilization drive. More than 100 events will be held across the country that day. Obama volunteers will register new voters as the start of a six-month voter registration drive.

We can change Washington if more Americans get involved, get registered and show up to vote on November 4th. If millions of new voters get involved, a powerful message will be sent to the special interests that dominate the old politics. This is an important time to find more people in your community to register to vote. To attend a May 10th Vote for Change launch event in your area, click on your state above.

Recent voter registration drives have registered more than 200,000 new Democrats in Pennsylvania, more than 165,000 new Democrats in North Carolina, and more than 150,000 new Democrats in Indiana. Those numbers just scratch the surface of what's possible.




VII) THIS IS WHAT TERRIFIES RUSH LIMBAUGH AND THE REPUBILCAN PARTY

"This could change the face of American politics for decades to come," said Democratic Gov. Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas, predicting permanent gains for her party

AND MORE

The numbers even seem to be benefiting Democrats in states that generally lean Republican. In Wyoming, where registered Republicans still outnumber Democrats by more than 2-to-1, Democratic registrations in the first three months of the year surpassed those for the GOP. Ditto in West Virginia, Iowa, Louisiana and North Carolina -- all states President George W. Bush won in 2004.
North Carolina officials expect a turnout of around 50% in today's primary election -- double the rate of past primaries. Almost half a million voters cast early ballots, more than half the number who voted in the state's 2004 primary overall.
In Indiana, which also votes today, a flood of recent voter applications slowed election systems to a crawl and forced some counties to keep staff working around the clock to process the backlog.
In April alone, Indiana election staffs processed 130,000 new or updated voter registrations.
"Those numbers completely obliterate any numbers from 2004," said Indiana Secretary of State Todd Rokita. For the primary, he said, "I've been pulling my staff in for war-game meetings, playing out every scenario."


This AP article was quoted by FREEP.COM (It was the link from the Obama page – I didn’t even know it existed by that name lol)

Here is the first comment:

As a penalty for Bush we may have to suffer through four years of socialist liberal idiocy. Then a reorganized conservative gang will come in and clean up the mess levelled upon America by these far left kooks.




VIII) SO HOW MANY ARE WE TALKING ABOUT ADDING TO THE PARTY?

Ten million?

Twenty million?

Thirty million?


Well we haven’t really started and Obama has already added 3.5 million.

It would be well to remember this number 1.5 million contributors.



IX) DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU BUT THIS SUMMER I AM GOING TO REGISTERING VOTERS.

I live in California so there isn’t going to be a lot to do on his campaign here. But one of the country’s safest Republican seats (‘Duke Cunningham’ federal prisoner 78989929) can be in play.

San Diego Union Tribune

"Well, there's this 30-something named Nick Leibham, an attorney with some D.C. experience. No elective office. He's got some dough behind him. Trendy Web site (picknick08.com). Pro staff. Party, union endorsements. He's the primary winner, I'd guess."
"I'll make you a bet, Jack. Bilbray doesn't win by more than three points. That's the over-under."
http://www.picknick08.com/u-t-columnist-handicaps-leibham-bilbray-3-points.html



X) TO SIGN UP AND HELP CHANGE THE LANDSCAPE OF AMERICAN POLITICS FOR THE NEXT 20 YEARS GO HERE

http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/vfchome


(will be reposting this in GDP a little bit later)