Why Is Obama so Strong?

EW YORK -- When I left the country for a few weeks of summer travel overseas, the conventional wisdom was that the phenomenon of 2007, Barack Obama, had plateaued and was on his way to becoming a fascinating footnote in Hillary Clinton's methodical march to the Democratic nomination for president.
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In fact, I more or less thought that myself. The senator from New York was collecting money like a big church in Texas. She was supported by most of the party's weary mandarins. She was the kind of programmed and practiced candidate, to the point of boredom, who was unlikely to make many mistakes -- and it is usually blunders that decide elections. Obama, charming and likable, seemed more likely to be Gary Hart than John F. Kennedy.

Wrong!

I came back, and there was Obama on the cover of most every serious magazine in the country. Newsweek placed him over the headline, "How Barack Obama Is Shaking Up the Campaign." More interesting, he was the cover of the conservative American Spectator over the line, silver-plated, "An Age of Obama?"

Why? Polls indicated that Clinton had withstood the challenge, holding a 10-point lead among Democrats over the young senator from Illinois. ("Young" is relative; Obama is three years older than Kennedy was when he was elected president.) But still, he was getting larger crowds, raising more money. Most important, he was raising that money from more than twice as many donors. People wanted to be part of this thing.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ucrr/20070718/cm_ucrr/whyisobamasostrong

charisma : not seen since JFK.

His "new politics" seems, so far, to be the same "old" politics."

Yawn.

Show me an "ask not what your country can do for you" moment, and then talk to me about charisma. Show me Camelot.

Bake

Yeah, he's raised some cash. So has Hillary.

Once again, a great big YAWN.

It still ain't charisma. The JFK comparisons are waaaaaaaaaaaaay premature.

Bake

He must have sold how many Obama hats to raise his contribs total?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x3388956

you can say what you want about him, but i would say he had/has charisma

He's not now. He seems plastic when he is not delivering a prepared speech.

seem plastic, I mean - but the biggest thing to me is how he works a crowd after a speech. There's the charisma. I haven't seen it in any of the other candidates. Maybe Joe Biden, who's seemingly comfortable talking to ANYONE, but his campaign isn't going anywhere.

Obama is so comfortable talking to people one-on-one, in the crowds, he jumps right in and you can tell he's really comfortable doing it. It's not phony, it's him - some people have "it" and some don't, and he does, and I think he's the only top candidate who does.

Many of course are small donors like any popular candidate would get, but Obarma's campaign takes your name etc. even when you buy a bumper sticker and then considers you a donor. I don't think that's WRONG, but apparently it's different because the MSM has been making such a big deal out of it. Something like that small change in the way someone tallies the #'s could be a bit misleading.

his bumper stickers etc. Therefore he has to list them as donors. CNN and Other stations have pointed this out. He would be breaking the LAW if he did not list them as donors.

considered advertising. It's like any other expense. You record a cost, and if you sell them you record the income and the net falls to the bottom line of the campaign. Believe me, even the FEC doesn't require a campaign to report $2.00!

The REAL reason I think Obama's campaign is doing this is to expand their address and email lists, and I don't blame them! Somebody was quite ingenious with that idea!

http://www.cnn.com/video/



:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

Hillary may have the poll numbers, but Obama has one hell of a following. Methinks this is going to get interesting come January.

his campaign says that it is *less* than *one half of one percent*!! (The proportion of "donors" who *only* bought stuff, that is!)

That is less than 1500 donors out of a total of 250,000+!!!

and is a good basketball player. course being a young guy does`t hurt...

as it is done by alot of campaigns. Only you have to sell from your site and who is going to go to Obama's site and buy something other than a supporter. Plus it counts for only 1 percent.
Others outsourced this and so, don't get to claim it. so they have started a whispering campaign to make it seem like it is being sneaky.

Republicans haven't found a way to attack him. The "Hussein"/Muslim angle isn't cutting it, and now they're left making fun of his ears.

But you think the GOP will flat out attack him because of his race? I know this sounds like a sick thing to say but it got to be asked. And your right about the bi-partisan support he's been geeting. See I like in a bright red suburb near Pittsburgh, PA and I know alot of people that are heavily into politics and are die hard conservatives and they all tell me that there voting Obama. I know that dosen't mean that much but it helps.

And BTW i'm thinking of switching campaign from being a Edwards supporter to a Obama supporter.

but there would never be a commercial attacking his race. the backlash would be Imus times 100.

My grandmother has made demeaning comments about race and class in the past, but she is from Chicago and said she was very impressed with Obama. I couldn't believe it.

I think Obama is a tougher candidate for the Repubs to attack then either Edwards or Clinton.

it was more blue when I lived there--I can see the 'Burgh folks going for either Obama or Giuliani, for some reason. I honestly don't think race will be a big deal--Colin Powell was so popular way back when, and probably would have won in 2000 had he ran, and that kind of broke the barrier for Obama. Also, I think a recent poll showed that something like 90+ percent of people will vote for a black, somewhat less for a woman, and even less for a Mormon--so he's got a better shot than Romney, if that's to be believed.

As I listen to him, I feel a sense of genuine concern in his person.

IMO Obama (and his beautiful wife and daughters) radiate "hope and compassion" for America's future.

At the very least, Obama will not drag back "the usual suspects" (Bill Clinton's former Executive Branch Cronies) who would *all* be sure to return if HRC is elected. We don't need anymore horrific UNITARY EXECUTIVE over-reaches in our country's future. :(

But he offers hope. THE AUDACITY. There are a lot of people on both sides that have little hope that things will get better and this goes back twenty plus years. The negativity comes from both sides and consists of stay the course, from Bush/Iraq occupation supporters and others from the D side that say he does not have experience, takes money from X, can't win, etc. The we must stay with the establishment/tried and true ways. (even if they may mean defeat) The supporters seem to be buying in to the idea that he may be able to turn things around and have an extremely positive effect on the USA. Personally, I feel it in my bones that we are at a critical point due to Bush and other leadership failures and see it as a last chance to move forward and break the cycle of divisive politics.

it was just a question of time or timing, maybe. My husband was out of town, and I called him to tell him I had just heard the first black President of the United States and he was awesome. (he was out in the wilds of Wyoming or Colorado in an oil field w/ no TV)

I have been watching those convention speeches since I was 7 years old, and it was Ike and Adlai ..Obama has IT! Whatever IT is, he's got it,,,if he gets the nomination he will be a stellar candidate.

I am an Edwards supporter at present. So if our primary were today, he's my man. Things can happen of course. So if John isn't on our primary ticket, Obama is my 2nd choice.


Of course all bets are off if Al Gore comes out of that shell but anyway.

I don't support or trust either of them.

photogenic, and a US senator.

Young and exciting...

Unlike Hillary who is old and tiresome. Yesterday's news.

It's time for a fresh face.

Support the JFK of the 21st Century: Senator Barack Obama.

Obama is the best communicator to come on the political scene in a decade. I've also become very impressed with his campaigning skills.

Because he's actually from another planet -- check out the ears...

His father, Jor-el is from Krypton; his mother was obviously Vulcan!

There really is a family resemblance in those ears.

Hey - this gives Obama the Trekker Vote!!

:shrug:

He knows how to use speaking skills and fundraising skills to create fans and collect campaign funds?

Obama knew back in 2002 not to trust the intelligence agencies!