Obama to team: 'This thing could happen': The Swamp
The Swamp

Obama's half-time pep-talk for campaign office:'Pull me across the finish line'

Posted June 9, 2008 8:15 AM

The Swamp

by Mark Silva

Think of this as the locker room at half-time in an odd Super Bowl game.

But in this case, the team that defeated their opponents in the first half faces an entirely new, and fresh, team in the second half.

This is what Barack Obama faced in the campaign office on Friday.

"The last time we did one of these, it was in August,'' Obama told the campaign crew assembled in his office, greeting the Democrat who had clinched the Democratic Party's presidential nomination with cheers. "We were 30 points down in the national polls,'' Obama said of their last pep talk. "Everybody had written us off.

"When I started this campaign, I wasn't sure that I was going to be the best of candidates,'' Obama allowed. "But what I was absolutely positive of was that there was the possibility of creating the best organization.

"I'm a big believer in that, the way the best things happen is that when people are willing to submerge their own egos,'' he said. "What I was always confident about was if that people were willing to submerge their own egos and bring their common gifts and energy to a common task, then great things could be accomplished.

""It's not just a gimmick,'' he said. "It's not just a shtick. I actually believe in it.''

Preparing for the second half, a campaign against Republican John McCain for the White House, Obama said: "We're going up against a very formidable set of opponents, and we're confronting a lot of skepticism and cynicism out there.

"But If you guys stick with it... if you are willing to lift me up and pull me across the finish line, then this thing could happen.''

Back to the field.

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Comments

Gas prices will never get so high that I would be willing to turn the keys to the country over to Obama, Soros, Wright, Ayers, Farrakhan and the rest of Obama's hard-left coaltion of hate. Nobama. No way.


Clinton wins popular vote in America. Obama wins popular vote in Kenya: "Our fortunes as the people of Kenya are certain to change. Obama knows our problems and I'm sure he has them at heart," said Salim Onyango, 32, a shoe shiner in Kisumu. "When he becomes president, he will definitely put in place support for us in Kenya."


You bet your sweet bippy it can happen and it will happen. America entered the dark ages when George II became president. It is time to enter the age of illumination with true Americans joining forces to beat back the dark angel disguised as John McCain. Sure, there will be millions of people clutching their bibles, with guns ready trying to help out the dark angel, but many of them will see the light by the time November rolls around. They will eventually see that reason, good judgment, reality, plain common sense, and fiscal responsibility are the tools that will restore confidence in government again.


Go Barak! I think he's going to shock the world and select Mayor Daley as his running mate.


Barack Obama won the nomination because of his abilty to utilize Internet Marketing in his campaign. He wasn't written off because of his marketing and eloquent speeches more so than because of his views and ability.


This is a great video. And this is the real Barack Obama, not a rock star but an organizer on a mission.


When Obama was first elected to the US Senate in 2004, he said he would finish his first six year term and not run for president or seek the vice presidency.


Its GOING to happen. Clinton was the toughest and strongest opponent in the election. McCane is not even close, but folks are going to build him up because of race. And his supporters are meaner and shrewder. But I don't think McCain has 18 million supporters. And that is the minimal number he will have to reach. Barack in a lot of ways, has switched places with Clinton. But he will NOT take anything for granted.


AN AMERICAN STORY

It’s wonderful that the World loves America under the leadership of Barack Obama and looks forward to cooperating with America again in friendship, peace and economics.

America, Europe, Asia, South America and the World are looking forward to cooperating and working with Barack Obama.

Harvard Scholar Barack Obama will be the smartest and most beloved President in American History.

America Loves Barack Obama
America Loves Barack Obama
America Loves Barack Obama

Germany Loves Barack Obama
Germany Loves Barack Obama
Germany Loves Barack Obama

France Loves Barack Obama
France Loves Barack Obama
France Loves Barack Obama

England Loves Barack Obama
England Loves Barack Obama
England Loves Barack Obama

Russia Loves Barack Obama
Russia Loves Barack Obama
Russia Loves Barack Obama

Spain Loves Barack Obama
Spain Loves Barack Obama
Spain Loves Barack Obama

Hillary Loves Barack Obama
Hillary Loves Barack Obama
Hillary Loves Barack Obama

It’s wonderful that the World loves America under the leadership of Barack Obama and looks forward to cooperating with America again in friendship, peace and economics.


This is a once in a life time opportunity where democrats can take the White House for the next 16 years. My Grandfather and Uncle Joe Your Sr./Jr. where the first African American Senate father and son duo in Michigan and US history. I understand how big this is because I missed my chance to become a public servant after my Uncle got me a Senate internship while at Michigan State but I turned it down to pursue business school. So I pray that we take back the White House!


Personally I like the Bush-Cheney motivation tactics better. Nothing will light a fire under your tail like being told, "You are either with us or you are against us. And if you are not with us you will be called unAmerican, labeled a traitor, placed in a secret prison, tortured, and held for years without the right of habeus corpus."


Keep dreaming ! Your friend Daley isn't helping your cause by ramming the Children's Museum down the throats of the people. I looked at the city voting numbers after the primary and Obama lost not only every ward where the average white person lives but also Daley's own 11th ward.I laugh when I hear these so called experts on cnn etc. saying "oh the Clinton supporters will come Obama's way by Nov." I would rather take a chance on McCain for four years then risk getting stuck with Barack and that witch Michelle for eight years. Obama has a lot of work to do.


[quote]
When Obama was first elected to the US Senate in 2004, he said he would finish his first six year term and not run for president or seek the vice presidency.

Posted by: Betty | June 9, 2008 9:36 AM
[/quote]

And for the past 7 years pResident Doogie Howser has told Americans that he'll go to Saudi Arabia and "jawbone" with them to get them to lower the price of oil.

How's that working out?


Boy GW you really know how to win friends for Obama and influience people to vote for him. Keep up the good work and we will be saying hello to McCane on 1/20/09. I'll go clean my gun now. Don't count on my vote to help Obama get anywhere.


I am voting for the best candidate and that now is Barach Obama. Before it was Hillary, but she has left this race for president at this time. She also said that Barach is the best candidate and I believe her.

There is no more to be said about the issue at this time. Things change and we must move on.

It would be a bad move to go Republican just because the man is white. I am White man too. It doesn't mean I would be a good president. Barach will be a "great president." We need desperately to fix all of the mistakes Bush did. I believe Barach Obama is the person to do that.

Let's lick our wounds and make the best decision based upon whom would get us out of the mess the economy is in


it's amazing how the ignorant and small-minded reactionaries are always the first and most vociferous to respond


Something that is rarely mentioned, but that I think is very relevant, is the fact that Obama has put together such a strong campaign staff and such a well-organized, well-financed and well-strategized campaign. I think this bodes well for his ability to lead as president. The best leaders know how to surround themselves with the best advisors and Obama seems to have done just that.

With Obama, we will have an incredibly intelligent and inspirational leader in the White House who will restore the USA to the prominence it once had and who will regain the respect for this country around the world.


Yes, it can happen, but racism, Rev. Wright, and limited experience gives Obama a chance to lose too, in a year when the Democrats should win a landslide due to Bush's miserable performance. How many people won't vote for Obama due to race - does anybody know?


Lets git r done. Sen McCain is one of the creepiest candidates i have ever seen, his speech last Tuesday was very uncomfortable to watch. My young sister is 17 and just signed a commitment to the Army reserve, her dying in the Persian desert "struggling for the soul of Islam" so that John McCain can "bomb, bomb Iran" is not an acceptable future.


From claiming Iran is a "tiny country" (it actually has a fourth of the US population) that poses “no threat” to wanting to meet with the world's dictators without preconditions (but he’s not been willing to meet with General Petraeus in Iraq), Obama instills zero confidence in his ability to handle anything more substantial than sliding money across the counter at 7-11 to buy his next pack of smokes.


kGoldbert asks: "How many people won't vote for Obama due to race - does anybody know?" Answer = about as many as will vote FOR him because of his race. If race is held out as a valid reason to vote FOR someone, it must also be a valid reason to vote AGAINST someone. You can't have it both ways.


Obama's platform: (1) Raise taxes; (2) Decimate the military; (3) Raise taxes; (4) Penalize American free enterprise, therefore the 100 million people invested in the stock market; (5) Raise taxes; (6) Socialize medicine and ruin the world's best medical system; (7) Raise taxes; (8) Expand affirmative action to penalize achievers. Oh, did I mention "raise taxes?"


Michelle wore a purple dress last Tuesday night because purple signifies royalty. African Americans relate to the concept. The Obamas want to replace the Kennedys as America's royalty. Jackie Kennedy set the trend for "pill-box" hats; Michelle Obama will set the trend for tiaras.


Poster Robert says: "Barach will be a "great president." Obama has done nothing to demonstrate that he will be a "great" anything. Despite promising us "change" in Illinois, he's done nothing but flirt, smirk, run for president and cut deals to enrich himself and his wife while cashing our paychecks. Obama is very good at fooling the breathy fools, but he won't come close to fooling the majority of Americans this November.


Let's join together and stand strong against the diviseness, racism and hatred that Obama has aligned himself with for the last 25 years. Obama's hard-left , Marxist ideology is not the direction we should be moving in this country.


Let me get this straight if dressed nicer and wasn't as creepy you would vote for him? I mean that would make him more qualified right?

I guess you don't find Storger, Blago, Daley, most of the city council, most of the Illinois state congress, creepy (as in liars and thieves)?

Also, as a veteran I am proud of your sister as you should be - it is sad that you have so little respect for "her choice" to serve.


Lets git r done. Sen McCain is one of the creepiest candidates i have ever seen, his speech last Tuesday was very uncomfortable to watch. My young sister is 17 and just signed a commitment to the Army reserve, her dying in the Persian desert "struggling for the soul of Islam" so that John McCain can "bomb, bomb Iran" is not an acceptable future.

Posted by: McLean County will be a BLUE county this fall | June 9, 2008 11:01 AM


Renee wrote: "Michelle wore a purple dress last Tuesday night because purple signifies royalty."" Michelle is outraged -- even decades later -- by the fact that she had to take out loans to attend Princeton and Harvard Law School. It took her years to pay them back, something she has bitterly complained about in numerous public appearances. Imagine that! First she had to borrow money to go to two of the world’s most selective and expensive schools -- schools whose graduates usually do pretty well in the world -- and then they had the audacity to make her pay it back. Despite being the poster child for opportunity and privilege in America, I expect we’ll see Shelly continuing her tirades of dissatisfaction and resentment. She began the presidential race in an angry mood, and, despite her husband’s extraordinary success, it looks like she’ll finish it angry, too. What a wonderful and inspiring first lady she work make. My God.


Clinton wins popular vote in America. Obama wins popular vote in Kenya: "Our fortunes as the people of Kenya are certain to change. Obama knows our problems and I'm sure he has them at heart," said Salim Onyango, 32, a shoe shiner in Kisumu. "When he becomes president, he will definitely put in place support for us in Kenya."


Posted by: Jeff Richard | June 9, 2008 9:15 AM

Nice to know that your litmus test for President is that the individual must hate Kenya.

Morlon


Remember that Michelle was introduced to Obama by the terrorist, her friend, Bernadine Dohrn. Anything else you need to know about her view of "Amerika?"


the underlying racist tone in the haters above is really embarrassing. and nauseating. vote for the clueless old white man if you wish. the rest of the country is embracing necessary change.


For the record, Michelle and Barack Obama had a casual meeting at Harvard, but it was when Barack Obama went to work for a law firm in Chicago, where Michelle Obama served as his mentor, that the two really met. The Bernadine Dohrn connection is fiction.


Since the USA has survived 8 years of GB, it certainly can survive 4 years of Obama. The naysayers will be surprised at how well he does as president and will get on the bandwagon to re-elect him. Obama has the vision; let him execute it. Go Obama!


That "raise taxes" dog won't hunt this time, conservatives (I'm looking at you, Tyrone).

Most non-morons understand that it isn't how much the government taxes that matters, its how much it SPENDS. And the Republicans have been spending like drunken sailors since 1980. They just (reprehensibly) don't want to pay for their spending. All that spending needs to be paid for sometime guys (and the credit card was last paid down when a Democrat was in the White House). The Republicans lost the high ground long-long ago on fiscal responsibility. The electorate isn't as dumb as you NeoCons think. They know it'll take another Democrat to clean up the federal fiscal mess the Republicans have created (again).

So keep screaming about "raising taxes" guys. That's tossing a fat softball into Barack Obama's wheelhouse. I can't WAIT until John McCain tries that in a debate. If that's the best y'all have got, you're just toast.


Barack Hussein Obama is a lot of things, but he is not Presidential material. What is really stupid is that some of the comments can't understand why people don't like his Highness Obama, but then in the next sentence put down McCain. Will all you Obama supporters answer one question how high will my taxes go, and how deep will be the cuts in the military be? Throw in will Obama or one of his wacko friends bring up the race issue in the next 5 months?


This must be the Fear/ Smear blog for the Ridiculous Republicans and disgruntled Clinton supporters. If any of you made any sense, that would be great and stimulating, but your nonsensical smears are somewhat boring and lack any intelligent content.
I must keep in mind, this is the Ridiculous Republicans' blog !!
SUPPORT OUR TROOPS, BRING THEM HOME, ALIVE AND WHOLE. NOW.


"Let me get this straight....."
Posted by: MinisterR | June 9, 2008 11:37 AM

No if John McCain wasnt as visually creepy as he is i still wouldnt vote for him because his policies both domestic and foreign are creepier still. I never said i am not voting for him because he looks creepy, i just said that he is one of the creepiest candidates i have ever seen.

And i do respect my sisters decision to serve in the military, but i do not respect politicians that use our military as venture capital and bill collectors. The US Armed Forces were created to DEFEND THE UNITED STATES, not install democracies in other countries or steal other countries resources.


People CLAIM they believe in America and the melting pot. Got their hands over their hearts at the baseball game. But when it actually comes down to BEING a true red white and blue American, people all of a sudden forget all of that. Americans are supposed to vote for what is BEST for America - ALL of AMERICA. And when Clinton was in the race, there was a question, but now that she is gone. Cmon....


Hey, Tyrone up there saying the US has the best medial system in the world, I wonder, have you ever lived anywhere but the US pal??? The US health care system SUCKS BIG TIME.


McCain is gonna go down hard, and dozens of Congressional Republicans will fall behind him. This is like '96, with Republicans picking a cranky, tired old war horse with no program like Bob Dole. '96, did I say? No. It's beginning to smell like 1932!


the Bush-Cheney motivation tactics better. Nothing will light a fire under your tail like being told, "You are either with us or you are against us. And if you are not with us you will be called unAmerican, labeled a traitor,

******************************
Wow, this sounds JUST like things I have heard coming from Obama supporters to Dems who refuse to support Obama. (Or just pretty much anyone of any political persuasion who chooses not to vote for Obama)

Spooky.


Will all you Obama supporters answer one question how high will my taxes go,
*************************
I'm not for Obama (or anyone at this point. They are ALL terrible), but from what I have found at his website and in his own statements, the answer to your question will depend on what "class" you fall into.

If you are middle class or below, you (supposedly) will get low taxes

If you are upper class, rich, a hedge fund manger or whatever, you get to pay even more. Never mind how you invest that money or if you use it for business and job creation.
And if you are an oil company, well look out for that windfall profits tax that is somehow supposed to help with our energy needs (still don't quite grasp how THAT will work. But then maybe we'll need to sue OPEC to fully understand?)

Real equal, huh? And we pretend we are the nation of equality. What a farce.

Of course if a cap and trade system is put in place (similar to the one in the bill that failed last week--that was a true bipartisan effort--your class ultimately won't matter because such a system will affect everyone, including those who can least afford it, like the working and middle class. They can just say bye bye to their jobs.


I'll gladly and proudly vote for Obama.

We have a huge deficit, face it some taxes will have to be paid.


So when these Republicans spend more money than every Democratic administration combined and borrow the money from China and want your children can pay China back long after they are out of office... that's "fair" somehow?

Obama is proposing lowering taxes for everyone except the wealthy.

The strongest middle class America ever had was when the top tax rate for the very wealthiest Americans was 90%. Thomas Jefferson, Bill Gates and Warren Buffet all believe no family should leave a fortune to their children. America was never intended to favor the very wealthy as it currently does.

If you're a billionaire who believes America should become an aristocracy just like the British Kingdom we fought 200 years ago then the Republican party is where you belong.

Just like in 1776, Liberals always have been the liberators. Liberals believe in change to make life better for the average citizen.

I'm ready to be liberated from George Bush Jr and Dick Cheney and John McCain. No Democrat could ever waste as much money as those guys managed to. And Bin Laden is still out there.

This country can't handle 8 more years of the McSame utter failure.


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