Rhode Island Barack Obama Event

CNN aired a bit of a Barack Obama event from Rhode Island. Interesting to see his new stump speech. In it, he uses the concept of "real change" to distinguish himself from Hillary Clinton.

"I've been talking about change from the very beginning. Everyone seems to be talking about change now. Real change is saying what you mean and meaning what you say."

"Real change is not calling NAFTA a victory until you're running for president, as Senator Clinton has done.

"I don't just start saying things during an election."

"Real change isn't voting for George Bush's war and then telling people she was voting for more diplomacy."

Again, here Obama essentially calls Hillary Clinton a liar but you don't really hear too many people concern trolling about Obama using "negative attacks." Interesting how that works.

Apparently two weeks ago Hillary Clinton spoke in the same room as Obama did today. 2,000 people showed up to see Hillary, today, about 5,000 showed up to see Obama.



Display:


Cause of lower turnout (none / 0)

Rhode Island even is featured clearly in the FP of Obama website.

But Hillary has no events featured in her web page.  They were starting to have one already then it is gone again.

Website advertising events would be helpful.  Because some will not receive e-mail or invitations but when they go to Hillary website and find an event they can plan to go there.


by jasmine on Sat Mar 01, 2008 at 04:42:42 PM EST

That Lack of Organization/Communication... (none / 0)

Has been helping to lose this thing for Clinton since the start.  Her website remains largely nothing but a fundraising front and a place to put plan/platform details.  There's still very little that's actually helping to get people out there to  hear her, much less to vote.


by Brillobreaks on Sat Mar 01, 2008 at 05:00:59 PM EST
[ Parent ]

compare the campaigns (none / 0)

"The question is not about picking up the phone," he said, referring to Clinton's new ad. "The question is: What kind of judgment will you make when you answer? We've had a red-phone moment. It was the decision to invade Iraq. And Sen. Clinton gave the wrong answer. George Bush gave the wrong answer. John McCain gave the wrong answer."

The Obama campaign also began re-airing a television ad featuring one of his prominent backers, retired Gen. Merrill A. "Tony" McPeak, crediting Obama with demonstrating the proper judgment in opposing the Iraq invasion.

Later, McPeak joined former Navy Secretary Richard Danzig on a conference call with reporters in which they poked fun at Clinton's claim to be the most experienced candidate. McPeak, alluding to turbulence in Clinton's campaign and Obama's comparatively smooth operation, said that running for president is a lot like marshaling a war.

"If you want to know what kind of commander in chief Barack is going to be, why don't you compare the campaigns that have been run here?" McPeak said. "Is it a panic situation? Crisis-driven? Are you firing people? Are you loaning yourself money?"

McPeak seems to relish the role of attack dog, and he would likely be a chief defender of Obama's security credentials in the general election campaign. In a recent interview, he suggested that he would not hesitate to take aim at even McCain, the former Navy pilot widely viewed as a war hero for the years he spent in a North Vietnamese prison after being shot down.

"In a perfect world, Obama might have a little more [experience], maybe even some service in uniform," McPeak said in the interview.

"But like I used to tell John: You don't get to be a hero by getting shot down, you get to be a hero by shooting the other guy down."

http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition /front/la-na-obama1mar01,1,6796560.story


by dearreader on Sat Mar 01, 2008 at 07:08:56 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Rhode Island Barack Obama Event (none / 0)

CNN: 5,000 inside max capacity + 1,000 outside in the snow.


by cgvcu on Sat Mar 01, 2008 at 04:44:52 PM EST

Re: Rhode Island Barack Obama Event (none / 0)

most recent poll shows clinton up 9 in RI.
by supsupsup on Sat Mar 01, 2008 at 04:45:57 PM EST

Barack Obama Event (none / 0)

Obama might be able to get by with attacks on Clinton's credibility because he is smooth and clever in the delivery.  When Hillary goes negative, she becomes less attractive as a candidate.  It's just a personality thing.    Take a look at the videos of her yelling at rallies in Ohio- it gets ugly.  As an Obama supporter, I'd be the first to admit that his engaging persona accounts for much of the enthusiasm behind his campaign.  Unfortunately, most Americans don't vote for the person whose policy positions align with their own--  we tend to vote from the gut for the person we like better.  It's stupid, and it's way too much like voting for King + Queen on prom nite, but that's the reality.

Also, Obama is a relatively fresh face on the political scene, while she is old news.  That works to her disadvantage, especially given that we have just endured 8 years of Bush are seeking dramatic change.  It's much harder to sell yourself as the agent of change when you're in her position.


by global yokel on Sat Mar 01, 2008 at 04:48:21 PM EST

Re: Barack Obama Event (none / 0)

Also, most people think he's going to be the Democratic nominee, so negative attack on him might hurt in the general.  At this point with her, it seems less likely that his barbs will hurt her in her next election- reelection to the Senate in 2012.


by MassEyesandEars on Sat Mar 01, 2008 at 05:02:22 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Concern Trolling (2.00 / 0)

I don't really think it is concern trolling to note that attacks on either candidate can be used against them in the general - that is factual.  I think the reason we've seen more angst recently when Clinton does it is because it has become clear that Obama is the likely nominee.


by Whoppo on Sat Mar 01, 2008 at 04:57:00 PM EST

Interesting... (2.00 / 1)

That he's campaigning there at all.  A week ago people were talking about Clinton's lead there being insurmountable.  That Obama would probably skip it and spend his time trying to get close to her in Texas and Ohio.


by Brillobreaks on Sat Mar 01, 2008 at 05:08:20 PM EST

Re: Interesting... (none / 0)

50 state strategy means 50 states.  it might not be the best use of his time, but it shows his determination to the 50-state strategy.


Being Normal is for the Mediocre.
by Doug Tuttle on Sat Mar 01, 2008 at 05:13:42 PM EST
[ Parent ]

I think because Obama has a far better strategy. (none / 0)

He is going after every delegate everywhere as he has been all along. Clinton, in display of horrendous judgment, has focused on a very few states as if they were winner take all, and only 4 states on Super Tuesday. If Obama loses Rhode Island overall but picks up an extra couple of delegates by campaigning there, he realizes that it's better than outright ignoring the state as Clinton has done with 2/3 of the nation - which is why her turn from inevitability to unlikely is all the more emblematic of their comparative strategic planning and execution abilities.


by Reality Bites Back on Sat Mar 01, 2008 at 05:30:26 PM EST
[ Parent ]

I Know... (none / 0)

The comment was directed at certain pundits, posters, and prognosticators that still don't get why Obama would campaign in a state he'd probably lose in.


by Brillobreaks on Sat Mar 01, 2008 at 05:43:51 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Rhode Island Barack Obama Event (none / 0)

See, I don't see Obama's comments as being that negative because he's focusing on specifics.  He's talking about a change of position, or a particular vote.

Clinton's criticisms of Obama are more vague -- insinuating that he's smoke-and-mirrors, or generally calling him inexperienced.  If she was focusing on how much more legislation she'd passed than him, for example, then I'd find it much more palatable.


by EvilCornbread on Sat Mar 01, 2008 at 05:11:06 PM EST

Re: Rhode Island Barack Obama Event (none / 0)

"Again, here Obama essentially calls Hillary Clinton a liar"

He is just a better candidate. He can trash an opponent without stepping on his own message and without tarnishing his glowing positive image. He can parry an attack rapidly and turn it to his advantage and use it to bring it back to his message. Plus he has out organized, out fund raised and out planned his opponent. Everything we need to win in November.

Obama's opponents think because of his uplifting optimistic message of hope that he will make a soft target. That is a fatal mistake.


by hankg on Sat Mar 01, 2008 at 05:12:57 PM EST

Re: Rhode Island Barack Obama Event (none / 0)

It's also the case that there's truth to many of his attacks.  Clinton did call NAFTA a victory (in her book, iirc) a few years ago.  She did vote for a bankruptcy bill but "hope it wouldn't pass."  (Still waiting for an explanation on that one!)  She did give W the authorization to go to war.

Clinton's attacks... it's true he's only been in the senate 3 years and failed to convene his minor committee chairmanship.  I'm not sure what else she has to go after him with.  The "present" attack, for example, is intellectually dishonest.


by Nissl on Sat Mar 01, 2008 at 06:04:51 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Rhode Island Barack Obama Event (none / 0)

Capacity inside was 5,000 some think there was more like 3,000 outside. Obama went out and spoke to them too.


by CB Todd on Sat Mar 01, 2008 at 05:44:01 PM EST

*sigh* (none / 0)

"Real change is not calling NAFTA a victory until you're running for president, as Senator Clinton has done.


I am very, very tired at all of the junk Obama's spreading around about Hillary "calling NAFTA a success in her book". HERE is what her book says in context about that:

Senator Dole was genuinely interested in health care reform but wanted to run for President in 1996. He couldn't hand incumbent Bill Clinton any more legislative victories, particularly after Bill's successes on the budget, the Brady bill and NAFTA. We had offered to work with Senator Dole on a joint bill and, by extention, to jointly share credit if it passed...


THAT is the only place where she mentioned NAFTA as a "victory"/success. In fact, she frames ALL (four? five?) of her references to NAFTA around the fact that at the same time, Hillary really wanted to just push her healthcare reform through but Bill was too preoccupied with NAFTA.
by BrandingIron17 on Sat Mar 01, 2008 at 08:38:18 PM EST

"I think on balance NAFTA has been good (none / 0)

for New York and America." - Hillary Clinton

You may agree with her assessment, I don't.


by peter peter on Sat Mar 01, 2008 at 09:33:04 PM EST
[ Parent ]


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