(Update 2 Important) The Obama/Clinton Feud: The turning point for the Obama campaign?

UPDATE 2 (lovingj 7-28-2007 8:20pm):

I had to put this update at the top because I thought it was extremely important. Funny that no one in the media thought to call the questioner about what he felt about the resulting answers from the candidates. Well it looks like the Newsday weblog went and called the questioner himself about the issue.

So we called Stephen Sixta, the 59-year-old California video producer who asked on YouTube about the candidates' willingness to meet with the leaders of Iran, Syria, Cuba, N. Korea and Venezuela. He said it's been pretty much "surreal" to spend the last week hearing the question he wrote repeated in some kind of endless loop by everyone from Wolf Blitzer to Rush Limbaugh.

His bottom line: He liked Obama's answer, and he thought Hillary misconstrued what he meant by "preconditions" in acting like Obama had agreed to meet Fidel and Chavez with no diplomatic groundwork whatsoever. He said his question just meant there shouldn't be a requirement of a change in a country's behavior as a condition of talking to them.

"My question had something I wanted my government to achieve. I wanted my country to go out and speak to countries we don't speak to," Sixta said. "When the attacks started on Obama they were attacks on my question and what I wanted. They made me feel bad."

- Stephen Speaks

Original Diary

Last weeks headlines was dominated by the difference of views being expressed by Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. Much noise was made by the washington pundits and inside the beltway types that argued Clinton was right and came out on top of the whole feud. She won the praise of Senator John McCain as a result of this whole ordeal.

"I think that Senator Obama showed a degree of naivete when he advocated direct talks with the leader of North Korea and the president to Iran and of all these other people who are sponsoring terror all over the world," McCain told The Associated Press between campaign stops in New Hampshire.

- Source

Charles Krauthammer of the Washington Post wrote an article entitled Strike Two that showered Hillary Clinton's position in the debate with glowing praise. He, by the way, was also the same author who wrote Three Cheers for the Bush Doctrine. So while Senator Clinton has been garnering a great deal of praise from the same people who thought the 2003 invasion of Iraq was a good idea, it would seem that there is a large disconnect between those considered "in the know" and the American people. CNN focus group viewers, hardly pundit types, clearly agreed with Obama's position and the latest Ramussen Poll shows that Democrats agree with Obama's position compared to Clinton's by a whopping 55% to 22% respectively.

My latest Obama citizen ad video that reveals the truth behind the ordeal has recieved an enormous amount of hits. In just two days, it has amassed more than 6,000 views and more than than a hundred different comments and ratings. The people are ready for something different.

In 2002, Obama stood alone among the major democratic contenders and inside the beltway pundits to voice his opposition to the looming Iraq invasion. He stated his opposition with startling prescience about the future consequences of such an invasion. He used his judgment to voice what was right even though popular concensus at the time among those considered "in the know" thought he was wrong. Once again he is using his judgment to voice what he believes is right in regards to matters of foreign policy even though, once again, those considered "in the know" thinks he is wrong. That undoubtedly is the quality of a leader and what we need in 2008 is a leader . . . a leader for change.

Last week's dispute offered Obama the opportunity he needed to show the American electorate his strengths. He believes in the politics of hope. He believes in removing cynicism and special interests' influence from blocking the peoples' needs. However, Obama is also a fighter and he will fight to achieve these goals. We want to rid our politics of "its smallness" but you have got to fight to get there . . . Obama, as evidenced by last weeks exchange with Clinton, is willing to do just that.

Obama said he could prove [his] toughness against a rival [republican] campaign during the primary.

"If I win the nomination against Hillary Clinton, then I must be pretty tough. I'm just being realistic. They don't play. They're very serious about winning, as are, I think, all of my very worthy competitors," Obama said.

- Source

Obama now has the luxury of using his large campaign rallies to spread the message of change. Senator Clinton has provided Obama with the greatest gift his campaign ever needed . . . a reason to highlight the difference between there two campaigns. Yes Senator Obama, we want you to keep ramming home the same message you told in Concord, NH on July 26th. Every campaign stop, every debate, every interview, every speech and every breath utter what this campaign has been about since 2002 . . . change.

He has begun advertising his message of change and good judgment on Daily Kos. He uses the clever heading "Judgment Matters."

It's time to project strength through diplomacy again, and time to turn the page on the same insider thinking that led Congress to authorize George Bush's war in Iraq.

- Barack Obama's Ad on Daily Kos

If you click the ad then you are taken to Obama's Choose Leadership: Join our movement for change page which ingeniously ties together his reponse to diplomacy at the CNN / Youtube debates to his 2002 opposition to the Iraq war. Ultimately, it is going to be judgment that decides the 2008 democratic nomination and fortunately for Senator Obama he has just the right amount of goods.

Latest Update about the Obama Citizen Ad Campaign:

The Obama Citizen Ad Campaign has its first viral video with more than 6,000 views in the last two days. I recieved overwhelming emails from users everywhere asking me to include the footage that caused Senator Clinton to go negative. So by popular demand, I've recut the video to include the new conclusion.

UPDATE (lovingj 7-28-07 6:03pm eastern):

Amazing. In the last couple of hours, the original Hillary flips on diplomacy video has garnered an additional 1,000 views. We are now up to 7,000 plus. The demand for change is real folks.

Cool Obama Videos


Obama SmackDown Series - CNN/Youtube Debates: Obama really pulled the gloves off in the CNN/Youtube debates and went after Clinton on Iraq. He is drawing clear lines of distinction between him and Clinton. Ultimate smackdown style.

Video Proof That Obama Promotes Being A Progressive: Critics in some democratic circles have suggested that Obama is not really a progressive. This video disproves that accusation.

Obama and Gore: Leaders to deal with Global Warming: A tribute to two leaders who are significantly changing the political landscape.

What Obama is About: A summary of his policies.