Template:Future election candidate
Obama for America | |
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File:Obama 08.svg | |
Campaign | U.S. presidential election, 2008 |
Candidate | Barack Obama |
Affiliation | Democratic Party |
Headquarters | Chicago, Illinois |
Key people | David Plouffe (Manager) Penny Pritzker (Finance) David Axelrod (Media) Robert Gibbs (Communications) Jeff Giertz (Spokesperson) |
Receipts | US$102.2 (2007-12-31) |
Slogan | Change We Can Believe In Stand For Change |
Website | |
www.barackobama.com |
Barack Obama, the junior United States Senator from Illinois, announced his candidacy for the presidency of the United States in Springfield, Illinois, on February 10, 2007. He is seeking the nomination of the Democratic Party for the 2008 presidential election.[1][2] Obama announced at the Old State Capitol building where Abraham Lincoln delivered his "House Divided" speech in 1858.[3] Obama's win on January 26th in the South Carolina primary evens the score between him and Hillary Clinton after his first win in the Iowa caucuses[4] and close second-place finishes in the New Hampshire primary and the Nevada caucuses.[5] As of early February 6, 2008 (following Super Tuesday), he is estimated to have 902 popularly-elected delegates, leading Hillary Clinton by 5, while her advantage in unelected superdelegates tops Obama by 91, leading to the current 1148-1072 estimated tally, out of the 2,025 total delegates needed to win the nomination.[6]
Pre-announcement
Obama's keynote speech to the 2004 Democratic National Convention sparked expectations that he would run for the presidency.[7] Speculation on a 2008 presidential run intensified after Obama's decisive U.S. Senate election win in November 2004. At that time he told reporters: "I can unequivocally say I will not be running for national office in four years."[8]
However, in an October 2006 interview on the television program Meet the Press, Obama appeared to open the possibility of a 2008 presidential bid.[9] Illinois Senator Richard Durbin and Illinois State Comptroller Daniel Hynes were early advocates for a 2008 Obama presidential run.[10][11] Many people in the entertainment community have also expressed readiness to campaign for an Obama presidency, including celebrity television show host Oprah Winfrey, singer Macy Gray, and film actors George Clooney, Halle Berry and Will Smith.[12][13]
In September 2006, Obama was the featured speaker at Iowa Senator Tom Harkin's annual steak fry, a political event traditionally attended by presidential hopefuls in the lead-up to the Iowa caucuses.[14] In December 2006, Obama spoke at a New Hampshire event celebrating Democratic Party midterm election victories in the first-in-the-nation U.S. presidential primary state, drawing 1,500 people.[15][16]
Speaking at a Democratic National Committee meeting one week before the February announcement, Obama called for putting an end to negative campaigning. "This can't be about who digs up more skeletons on who, who makes the fewest slip-ups on the campaign trail," he said. "We owe it to the American people to do more than that."[17]
Announcement of candidacy
On January 16, 2007, Obama announced via a video on his website that he had formed a presidential exploratory committee.[19] On February 10, he formally announced his candidacy for the presidency. In his announcement speech, Obama evoked the legacy of Abraham Lincoln, saying:
"It was here, in Springfield, where North, South, East and West come together that I was reminded of the essential decency of the American people - where I came to believe that through this decency, we can build a more hopeful America. And that is why, in the shadow of the Old State Capitol, where Lincoln once called on a divided house to stand together, where common hopes and common dreams still live, I stand before you today to announce my candidacy for President of the United States."[20]
Campaign staff and policy team
On January 14 2007, the Chicago Tribune reported that Obama had begun assembling his team for a 2008 presidential campaign to be headquartered in Chicago. His team includes Chicago-based political consultant David Plouffe, who is serving as campaign manager, Plouffe's partner, David Axelrod, who is serving as a media consultant, and Robert Gibbs, who is serving as communications director, and who was previously press secretary for John Kerry's 2004 presidential campaign. Former Commerce Secretary and Gore campaign chairman William M. Daley is expected to serve in an as-yet-unspecified senior adviser role.[21] A number of Obama's top aides have backgrounds with former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle,[22] who left the Senate due to re-election defeat at the same time Obama was entering it.
In June 2007, investigative reporter Robert Parry reported that Obama had sought foreign policy advice from former Bush Secretary of State Colin Powell. Parry suggested that this was a move toward the political center in preparation for the general election.[23]
Campaign developments
First half 2007
In March 2007, Obama posted a question on Yahoo! Answers, entitled: "How can we engage more people in the democratic process?" which ultimately drew in over 17,000 responses.[24]
On 12 April 2007, Bo Dietl, a regular guest on Imus in the Morning, repeatedly called attention to Obama's middle name (Hussein, as in Saddam Hussein) during an interview with Rebecca Gomez, and Imus in the Morning producer Bernard McGuirk was quoted as saying Obama had a "Jew-hating name." This is possible retaliation for Obama's call for the shows host, Don Imus to be fired after the Rutgers basketball incident.[25][26]
On May 3, 2007, citing no specific threat but motivated by the large volume of hate mail directed at the Senator, Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff announced that the United States Secret Service would provide protection for the campaign. This protection will include bodyguards for Obama, advance teams of agents to secure event sites, armored vehicles, and other services/resources similar to those employed for the safety of the President of the United States, albeit on a proportionally smaller level. Normally, presidential candidates are not offered Secret Service protection until early February of election year; this was the earliest protection had ever been granted.[27]
Second half 2007
On August 1 when making his foreign policy speech Obama created controversy by declaring that the United States must be willing to strike al Qaeda targets inside Pakistan, with or without the consent of the Pakistani government. He stated that if elected, "If we have actionable intelligence about high value terrorist targets and President Musharraf won't act, we will".[29] ABC News described the policy speech as "counterintuitive", and commented on how "one of the more liberal candidates in the race, is proposing a geopolitical posture that is more aggressive than that of President Bush"[30]
After weeks of discourse surrounding the policy, Obama said there was "misreporting" of his comments, claiming that, "I never called for an invasion of Pakistan or Afghanistan." He clarified that rather than a surge in the number of troops in Iraq, there needs to be a "diplomatic surge" and that if there were "actionable intelligence reports" showing al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden in Pakistan, the U.S. troops as a last resort should enter and try to capture terrorists. That would happen, he added, only if "the Pakistani government was unable or unwilling" to go after the terrorists.[31]
As Democratic debates took place during the summer, Obama received at best mixed notices for his efforts. Democratic strategist Bob Shrum said, "He slips into this tendency, which he probably learned as president of the Harvard Law Review, to overstate his premises before he states his position. In politics, you do the opposite of what you do in the Law Review—you state your position, then say your premises—if you ever get to them."[32] Commentator Eleanor Clift said that, "Obama is almost too cerebral for the sound-bite world of modern politics, but that's part of his appeal."[32]
During a campaign stop in October 2007, a reporter inquired as to why Obama had stopped wearing a lapel pin of the American flag, which he had started wearing after the September 11, 2001 attacks, and his response was that it had come to feel like "a substitute for true patriotism". This led to discussion on the cable news channels and was covered by satirists such as Stephen Colbert, who had an ongoing disagreement with the Fox & Friends assertion that "this is America and if you want to be president of America, it might be [sic] behoove him to wear an American flag". Commentator Bill Maher, who was highly critical of such questions about Obama's patriotism and called it a "non-story" nonetheless referred to the incident as "[t]he first genuine controversy of the presidential campaign".[33]
In mid-late October 2007, Obama came under fire from the Human Rights Campaign and others for a South Carolina gospel music campaign tour that featured singer Donnie McClurkin, who states that he is "ex-gay" and that homosexuality is a "curse [that runs against] the intention of God."[34][35] Obama said in response that, "I strongly believe that African Americans and the LGBT community must stand together in the fight for equal rights. And so I strongly disagree with Reverend McClurkin's views."[35] While not replacing McClurkin, the campaign added a gay minister to the tour.[34]
As fall 2007 continued, Obama fell further behind Clinton in national polls.[36] In late October 2007, two months before the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary, Obama began directly charging his top rival with failing to clearly state her political positions.[37][38] This shift in approach attracted much media commentary; The New York Times' Adam Nagourney wrote that, "Obama has appeared to struggle from the start of this campaign with how to marry what he has promised to be a new approach to politics — free of the partisan bitterness that has marked presidential campaigns for so long — with what it takes to actually win a presidential race."[36] In an early-anticipated October 30 Democratic debate at Drexel University in Philadelphia,[36] Clinton suffered a poor debate performance under cross-examination from her Democratic rivals and the moderator.[39] Obama's campaign was reinvigorated and he began to climb again in the polls.
Campaigning in November 2007, Obama told the Washington Post that as the Democratic nominee he would draw more support from independent and Republican voters in the general election than Clinton.[40] At Iowa's Jefferson-Jackson fundraising dinner Obama expanded the theme, saying that his presidency would "bring the country together in a new majority" to seek solutions to long-standing problems.[41]
On November 21st, Obama announced that Oprah Winfrey would be campaigning for him in the early primary states,[42] setting off speculation that, although celebrity endorsements typically have little effect on voter opinions, Oprah's participation would supply Obama with a large, receptive audience.[43] Then, on December 8th, Oprah kicked-off a three-state tour supporting Obama's campaign,[44] which drew record-setting crowds in Iowa, New Hampshire,[45] and South Carolina.[46] The Oprah-Obama tour dominated political news headlines[47] and cast doubts over Clinton's ability to recover her recently-lost lead in Iowa caucus polls.[48][49]
Later in December, there was controversy regarding Obama's admissions of drug use as a teen. Obama first publicly acknowledged the issue in his 1995 book, Dreams from My Father. In the book, Obama said "Pot had helped, and booze. Maybe a little blow when you could afford it."[50][51] The issue was revived on the campaign trail after a November 2007 speech at a New Hampshire high school. Obama told the students, "I've made some bad decisions that I've actually written about," noting that his "drinking and experimenting with drugs" accounted for a lot of "wasted time" in high school.[52] Some, including Republican candidate Mitt Romney, criticized Obama for discussing these examples with students. Romney said that "in order to leave the best possible example for our kids, we're probably wisest not to talk about our own indiscretions in great detail."[53] However, fellow GOP candidate Rudy Giuliani and Partnership for a Drug-Free America president Steve Pasierb praised Obama's candor. "I respect his honesty," Giuliani said.[52] Pasierb told CNN that "really the truth works best" when discussing drug use with kids.[53][54] Bill Shaheen, the co-chairman of Clinton's campaign in New Hampshire, mentioned the drug use in a December 12 conference call with reporters.[55] Shaheen said that if Obama were to win the nomination, Republicans would use Obama's admissions against him in a general election. He suggested that in such a scenario, Republicans would ask, "'When was the last time? Did you ever give drugs to anyone? Did you sell them to anyone?'" He added that such "Republican dirty tricks" would be difficult to overcome. The comments immediately caused controversy, and Shaheen resigned the next day.[56] Clinton denounced the comments and personally apologized to Obama. Her spokesman said that she "made it clear that this kind of negative personal statement has no part in this campaign." Appearing on Hardball with Chris Matthews, Axelrod accused the Clinton campaign of giving a "wink and a nod" to negative tactics. He criticized Clinton's December 3 statement[57] in which she signaled a more aggressive approach and called it the "fun part" of the campaign. Axelrod said that the signal should come "from the top" that the campaigns will not be waged "in the gutter".[58]
When the close proximity of the first contests to the holidays prompted many candidates to release Christmas videos — allowing them to continue presenting their messages, but in more seasonal settings[59] — Obama chose one that gave speaking parts to his wife and daughters and emphasized a message of thanks and unity.[59]
"Fired up! Ready to go!"
"Fired up! Ready to go!" became a rallying cry ubiquitous to Obama's campaign. According to the The New York Times[60], the chant originated during a rainy, early morning campaign stop during the summer in Greenwood, South Carolina. Obama was feeling fatigued among a small group of supporters, who reportedly were "miserable." When out of the blue, as Obama recounts:[61]
A little woman, about 5-3, 65 years old, in a big church hat, with big glasses, she’s smiling right at me. She says, ‘Fired up!’ I jumped, but everyone acted like this was normal. They all said, ‘Fired up!’ We hear the same voice saying, ‘Ready to go!’ And the people, they all say, ‘Ready to go!’
This story is frequently recalled during Obama's stump speeches on how "one voice can change a room." The woman in the story, Councilwoman Edith Childs, appeared later with Obama at a rally in South Carolina. She later told reporters that if he were to win the presidency, that she would want one thing: "I want an invitation to an inaugural ball!" [62]
Caucuses and primaries 2008
Iowa
Obama won the first contest in the Democratic nomination season, the January 3, 2008 Iowa Democratic caucus. Obama had the support of 37.6% of Iowa's delegates, compared to 29.7% for John Edwards and 29.5% for Hillary Clinton.[4] In his remarks to his followers that evening, he said "But on this January night, at this defining moment in history, you have done what the cynics said we couldn't do."[63] He further noted that "our time for change has come" and suggested that in the future Americans will look back on the 2008 Iowa caucuses and say, "this is the moment when it all began."[64]
New Hampshire
Obama's win in Iowa was seen as a boost to his already-improving chances in New Hampshire. On January 4, he told supporters in New Hampshire, "If you give me the same chance that Iowa gave me last night I truly believe that I will be the president of the United States of America."[65] The campaign received another boost when former Senator and 2000 Democratic presidential candidate Bill Bradley endorsed Obama on January 6.[66] At the ABC News/WMUR-TV Democratic debate in Manchester on January 5, Obama, Clinton, and Edwards all battled over who best exemplified the buzzword of the campaign, "change".[67][68] In one key exchange, Clinton said, clearly targeting Obama's rhetorical prowess, "Making change is not about what you believe; it's not about a speech you make. ... We don't need to be raising false hopes."[68] Obama replied that "The truth is, actually, words do inspire. Words do help people get involved."[69]
Polling showed a tight race in the days leading up to the New Hampshire primary. All of the candidates barnstormed in New Hampshire during the four days after the Iowa caucuses, targeting undecided and independent voters in the state.[70][71][72][73] The day before the election, polls conducted by CNN/WMUR, Rasmussen Reports and USA Today/Gallup showed Obama jumping ahead by 9, 10 and 13 points respectively. Despite the apparent surge of momentum, Clinton defeated Obama by a margin of 39.1% to 36.5% in the New Hampshire primary on January 8, 2008.[74] Obama told supporters that he was "still fired up and ready to go", echoing a theme of his campaign. While he acknowledged that he faced a fight for the nomination, he said that "nothing can stand in the way of the power of millions of voices calling for change".[75]
Meanwhile, Internet theories sprung up about how the vote counting itself had been suspect, due to discrepancies between machine-counted votes (which supported Clinton overall) and hand-counted votes (which supported Obama overall).[76] Fifth-place finisher Dennis Kucinich's campaign paid $25,000 to have a recount done of all Democratic ballots cast in the primary,[77] saying "It is imperative that these questions be addressed in the interest of public confidence in the integrity of the election process and the election machinery."[78] On January 16 the New Hampshire Secretary of State’s office began the recount.[77] After recounting 23% of the state's democratic primary votes, the Secretary of State announced that no significant difference was found in any candidate's total, and that the oft-discussed discrepancy between hand-counted and machine-counted ballots was soley due to demographic factors.[79]
Nevada
The Nevada Caucus took place on January 19. Obama received the endorsement of two very important unions in the state: the Culinary Workers Union [80] (whose 60,000 members staff the casinos and resorts of Las Vegas and elsewhere)[81] and the Nevada chapter of the SEIU.[82] Clinton countered by appealing to the Hispanic vote in the state, emphasizing that they were at special risk from the fallout from the subprime mortgage crisis.[83]
Prior to the caucus, comments made by Obama concerning former Republican president Ronald Reagan attracted rebuke from rivals and dissection from all sections of the media. Obama had stated in an interview that; "Ronald Reagan changed the trajectory of America in a way that Richard Nixon did not and in a way that Bill Clinton did not."[84] Hillary Clinton ridiculed the idea that the Republicans were the party of ideas, suggesting Mr. Obama had said that the Republicans had “better” ideas, which he did not.[85] Senator John Edwards criticized Obama specifically for referring to Ronald Reagan as an agent of change stating in a newspaper interview that; “I would never use Ronald Reagan as an example of change.”[86]
One day after the Culinary Workers Union endorsed Obama, the Nevada State Education Association—a teachers' union that has not officially endorsed Clinton, but many of its top officials have—filed a lawsuit seeking to eliminate at-large caucus sites that had been setup in nine Las Vegas resorts saying they violated equal protection and one-person-one-vote requirements. The suit was viewed as a proxy legal battle between Clinton and Obama, as the caucus sites within the casinos would be primarily used by members of the CWU, who are more likely to vote for Obama.[81] This led Obama to allege that the suit was filed in order to hurt his chances at the caucuses. "Some of the people who set up the rules apparently didn't think we'd be as competitive as we were and trying to change them last minute," he said.[87]
On January 17, a federal judge ruled that the casino at-large caucus plan could go ahead. This was seen as a win for Obama because of the Culinary Workers Union endorsement.[87] To further complicate matters, the major news and polling organizations decided to not do any polls before the Nevada caucuses, fearing the newness of the caucus, the transient nature of Nevada's population, and more fallout from their bad experience in New Hampshire.[88]
Clinton finished first in the state delegate count on January 19, winning 51% of delegates to the state convention.[89] However, Obama was projected to win the Nevada national delegate count with 13 delegates to Clinton's 12, because the apportionment of some delegates are determined by Congressional District [4]. Delegates to the national convention will be determined officially at the April 19 state convention.[90] On January 23, the Obama campaign filed an official letter of complaint with the Nevada Democratic Party charging the Clinton campaign with many violations of party rules during the caucuses, based upon 1,600 complaints they had received.[91] The Clinton camp said the Obama operation was "grasping at straws" and that they had their own complaints about Obama campaign actions during the caucuses.[91]
South Carolina
Rasmussen Reports released a poll January 7 showing that Obama led by 12 points, at 42% to Hillary Clinton's 30%. This was a substantial jump from December when the two were tied at 33%, and from November when Clinton led Obama by 10 points.[92]
Issues of race came to the forefront as campaigning began for the South Carolina primary, the first to feature a large African American portion in the Democratic electorate. First, Bill Clinton referred to Obama's claim that he has been a staunch opponent of the Iraq War from the beginning as a "fairy tale," which some thought was a characterization of Obama's entire campaign.[93] The former President called in to Al Sharpton's radio show to personally clarify that he respected and believed in Obama's viability.[93]
Around the same time, Hillary Clinton said regarding Martin Luther King, Jr. in an interview with Fox News,"I would point to the fact that that Dr. King's dream began to be realized when President Johnson passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964, when he was able to get through Congress something that President Kennedy was hopeful to do, the President before had not even tried, but it took a president to get it done. That dream became a reality, the power of that dream became a real in people's lives because we had a president who said we are going to do it, and actually got it accomplished." [94] Some African-American leaders took this statement as a denigration of the accomplishments of King and the larger American civil rights movement.[93] Hillary Clinton proceeded to blame Obama for the controversy, claiming his campaign had fanned the flames, a charge which Obama dismissed as "ludicrous".[93] By shortly before, and during, a January 15 Democratic debate in Nevada, Clinton and Obama declared a truce on the matter, with both making reconciliatory statements about race, gender, and each other.[95] However, Clinton's support among African Americans was thought to be damaged,[95] with SUNY Albany's Debra Dickerson stating "The Clintons have to do something dramatic and symbolic to win back the trust of many African-Americans."[95]
In part the tension resulted from the historical coincidence of the first viable African American presidential candidate, and the first viable woman candidate, running against each other in the same nomination race.[96] One South Carolina pastor lamented that he had been waiting all his life for either "first" to happen, and said, "I really hate that they had to run at the same time in the same election. It just makes what should be a wonderful situation very stressful for folk like me. I never imagined you could have too much of a good thing."[97] The American Civil Rights Movement and feminism had a long intertwined history in the United States, often working in concert but sometimes opposed;[96] while the bitter 19th century split between Elizabeth Cady Stanton or Frederick Douglass illustrated the latter, the unified opposition to the Supreme Court nomination of Clarence Thomas had exemplified the former.[96] After the Clinton-Obama tension on this matter, one Democrat said, "After Iowa, Obama was the post-racial candidate who appealed to all of our better natures. Now he's a black politician and she's a woman. And it is back to politics as usual."[95]
The January 22 CNN/Congressional Black Caucus debate in Myrtle Beach was the most heated face-to-face meeting yet between the candidates,[98] reflecting apparent personal animosity.[99] Clinton criticized Obama for voting "present" on many occasions while in the Illinois legislature. "It's hard to have a straight up debate with you because you never take responsibility for any vote," she said. Obama said that he was working to help unemployed workers in Chicago while Clinton was "a corporate lawyer sitting on the board at Wal-Mart."[100] He also took issue with statements made on the campaign trail by Bill Clinton, saying "I can't tell who I'm running against sometimes."[101] The confrontation was the most-watched primary season debate in cable television news history.[99]
On January 26, Obama won by a more than two-to-one margin over Clinton, gaining 55 percent of the vote to her 27 percent and Edwards' 18 percent.[102] In his victory speech that night, he said, "Tonight, the cynics who believed that what began in the snows of Iowa was just an illusion were told a different story by the good people of South Carolina."[102] Addressing the racial dust-up and the other campaign back-and-forths between himself and the Clintons, he said, "The choice in this election is not between regions or religions or genders. It's not about rich versus poor; young versus old; and it is not about black versus white. It's about the past versus the future."[102]
Florida
In the last vote prior to Super Tuesday, Obama finished far behind Clinton in Florida. However, the state was previously stripped of all its delegates to the national convention for breaking party rules by moving its primary to before February 5. All candidates abided by an agreement not to campaign in Florida.[103] Nonetheless, Clinton celebrated the win and claimed that it gave her momentum heading to Super Tuesday. The Obama campaign, however, said that Clinton was "basically trying to take a victory lap when there was no race."[104]
Super Tuesday
Following his win in South Carolina, Obama received the endorsement of Caroline Kennedy, daughter of former President John F. Kennedy,[105] as well as Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy, the former President's brother.[106] Ted Kennedy's endorsement was considered "the biggest Democratic endorsement Obama could possibly get short of Bill Clinton".[107] In particular, it gave the possibility of improving Obama's vote-getting among unions, Hispanics, and traditional base Democrats, all areas that Clinton had been stronger in to this point.[108] Obama won 13 of 22 states on Super Tuesday, which included Alabama, Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, and Utah. His campaign claimed to have won more delegates.[109][110]
Delegate count
Media coverage
An October 29, 2007 study by the Project for Excellence in Journalism and the Joan Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics and Public Policy found that through the first half of 2007, Obama had received by far the most favorable media coverage of any of the 2008 presidential candidates, with 47 percent of stories having a favorable tone towards him, 16 percent having an unfavorable tone, and the balance neutral.[111] In terms of amount of coverage, Obama had been the subject of 14 percent of all campaign coverage, the second largest amount after Clinton.[111]
By December 2007, the Clinton campaign charged that Obama's campaign was getting much more favorable media treatment than their own, especially once Clinton's poll results began slipping.[112] Washington Post media analyst Howard Kurtz found a number of journalists who agreed with the claim,[112] with Mark Halperin, Time magazine's editor-at-large for political news, saying, "Your typical reporter has a thinly disguised preference that Barack Obama be the nominee. The narrative of him beating her is better than her beating him, in part because she's a Clinton and in part because he's a young African American. ... There's no one rooting for her to come back."[112]
Shortly before the New Hampshire primary, NBC anchor Brian Williams conceded that at least one NBC reporter said regarding Obama, "it's hard to stay objective covering this guy."[113] In a retrospective of media coverage after the primary, The Politico determined that Williams may have been onto something: "Reporters are human, and some did seem swept up in the same emotions many voters experienced when they saw a black man win snow-white Iowa by preaching a gospel of change. Many are sympathetic to Obama’s argument that the culture of Washington politics is fundamentally broken."[114] In a January 14 New York Times/CBS News poll, 12 percent of Democratic primary voters thought the media had been harder on Obama than on the other candidates, while 51 percent thought it had been harder on Clinton.[115]
Obama's treatment of the traveling press corps was itself unusual.[116] Not only did he keep an aloof posture, rarely talking to the national media, but his aides did not try to wine and dine or spin the press.[116] Howard Kurtz observed, "In an age of all-out political warfare, the Obama campaign is a bit of an odd duck: It is not obsessed with winning each news cycle. The Illinois senator remains a remote figure to those covering him, and his team, while competent and professional, makes only spotty attempts to drive its preferred story lines in the press."[116]
Measurements in late January by the University of Navarra indicated that Clinton and Obama were receiving roughly equal amounts of global media attention, once Obama won the Iowa caucuses.[117]
Fabrications concerning Obama's religious background
Smears attempting to connect Obama to Islamic extremism first appeared in 2004, and picked up in 2006 after he announced his presidential candidacy.[118] A January 2007 article published by the Internet magazine Insight said that Clinton campaign staff were questioning Obama's account of his pre-teenage years in Indonesia.[119][120][121] Insight's unsourced false allegations (later described as a 'double smear' on both Clinton and Obama)[122] were brought to national attention when reported on by Fox News. The Clinton and Obama campaigns quickly denounced the story.[123] A resulting CNN investigation showed that Obama had attended an Indonesian public school for people of all faiths.[124]
Since then, the subject has persisted to some degree, being mentioned on the CBS Evening News,[125] the nationally-syndicated talk show The Savage Nation and in comments by former U.S. Senator Bob Kerrey as he endorsed Clinton for the Democratic presidential nomination. E-mails and flyers repeating false allegations were distributed to voters in Iowa and South Carolina just before they went to vote for presidential candidates.[126][127] Two Clinton campaign volunteers were later fired for forwarding accusatory e-mails about Obama.[128][129]
Obama's campaign organization has responded with a letter from Christian leaders vouching for his Christian faith, as well as with appeals to supporters to help correct any misunderstanding.[130] In January 2007, as part of a drive to promote awareness of his Christian faith, Obama gave interviews to Pat Robertson's Christian Broadcasting Network, to Christianity Today and to the religious website Beliefnet.com.[131]
A false accusation commonly accompanying the religious smear is that Obama refuses to say the Pledge of Allegiance, despite the existence of video footage of Obama leading the United States Senate in reciting the Pledge.[132]
Opinion polling
Following Obama's interview on Meet the Press, opinion polling organizations added his name to surveyed lists of Democratic candidates. The first such poll (November 2006) ranked Obama in second place with 17% support among Democrats after Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) who placed first with 28% of the responses.[133] A Zogby Poll released on January 18, 2007, showed Obama leading the Democratic contenders in the first primary state of New Hampshire with 23% of New Hampshire Democrats supporting Obama. Senator Clinton and former Senator John Edwards were tied for second place with 19% each.[134] A Washington Post/ABC News poll on February 26-27, 2007 placed Obama in second place with 24% among likely Democratic primary voters, with Hillary Clinton garnering 36% as the leader.[135]
Opinion polls taken in April 2007 differ widely from each other: Obama was listed in third place nationwide, 24% behind Hillary Clinton and 2% behind John Edwards.[136] In an April 30, 2007 Rasmussen Reports Poll, Barack Obama led the poll for the Democratic nomination for first time with 32% support.[137] By June however, Clinton was winning all the major national polls by double digits except one that showed Obama with a one point lead, and by July, all major national polls showed Obama trailing Clinton by double digits.[138]
Polling analysts are expected to take note of whether opinion polling statistics regarding Obama prove to be accurate, or are ultimately subject to the so-called "Bradley effect" observed in some previous American elections.[139][140][141][142] The Bradley effect occurs when a smaller percentage of white voters, by a statistically significant margin, actually vote for an African American candidate than the percentage of those voters who said that they were likely to vote for that candidate during pre-election opinion polling.
Effect of the Internet
Social networking sites
Many commentators have noted Obama's strong support among social networking sites, such as MySpace and Facebook.com.[143]
Chris Hughes, a Facebook co-founder and coordinator of online organizing within the Barack Obama presidential campaign, called the online surge backing Obama "unprecedented".[144] As of the beginning of February, the "American Politics" application on facebook listed Obama as the 4-1 favorite over Hillary Clinton. The Obama campaign was also a launch partner for Facebook's new F8 platform.[145]
One group on Facebook, called "Barack Obama (One Million Strong for Barack)" currently has 449,201 members as of February 7, 2008. On February 2 2007, Obama attended a rally at George Mason University organized by "Students for Barack Obama", a group that began on Facebook, with several thousand in attendance.[146] Obama's official website has networking elements, allowing supporters to create their own profile and blog, as well as talk and plan events.
My.BarackObama.com (MyBO) is a social networking website created by the campaign. It was first launched on February 11th, 2007, and was billed as "a MySpace for his supporters".[147] It was built and designed by internet technology and political strategist firm Blue State Digital[148] and Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes.[149]
The site now has over 70,000 registered users,[150] and the Obama campaign credits the online social networking tool with increasing fundraising and event turnout.[151] Other presidential candidates have since created their own social networking websites, such as Republican Sen. John McCain's "McCainSpace".[152]
The bulk of MyBO's activity takes place in group and event organization, where members first create or join online "groups" which share common email listservs and blogs. These groups are then used to plan offline events, ranging from casual "meet ups" to large fundraising events, with those who RSVP for fundraising events via MyBO having the option of fulfilling their fundraising promise in advance through online payment. Of the $25 million the Obama campaign raised in the first quarter of 2007,[153] over $6 million was raised through online channels.[149]
Viral videos
Obama Girl
On June 13 2007 a video from Barely Political[154] entitled "I Got a Crush... on Obama", starring Amber Lee Ettinger, otherwise known as "Obama Girl", received national media attention.[155] It was followed by "Debate '08: Obama Girl vs. Giuliani Girl" and, most recently prior to Super Tuesday (2008), "Super Obama Girl." These comedic videos were not produced by the Obama campaign.
Yes We Can Song
On February 2, 2008, Black Eyed Peas singer will.i.am released "Yes We Can", a black-and-white internet music video featuring numerous celebrities with lyrics based on quotations from an Obama speech immediately following the New Hampshire primary.[156] While it was neither produced by nor co-ordinated with the Obama campaign, it was featured on the campaign's community blog upon its release. [157] Fewer than two days after its initial YouTube posting, the main video already had over 500,000 views, and numerous exact copies had been posted by other users, making the total an estimated one million views between 24 and 48 hours.[158]
Political positions
Endorsements
Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley endorsed Obama hours after his announcement, abandoning his tradition of staying neutral in Democratic primaries.[159] A day later, Obama traveled to Ames, Iowa where he was endorsed by Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller and State Treasurer Michael Fitzgerald.[160] Perhaps Obama's biggest celebrity endorsement is talk show host Oprah Winfrey, who has occasionally joined Obama on the campaign trail and hosted a fundraiser at her Santa Barbara, CA estate.[161]. Following his win in South Carolina Obama received the endorsement of Caroline Kennedy, daughter of the former President,[105] and Senator Ted Kennedy, John F. Kennedy's brother.[162] For the first time in its history, MoveOn.org endorsed a Presidential candidate when Obama received 70% of an online ballot the organization held of its members.[163] On February 3 2008, another member from the Kennedy family, First Lady of California Maria Shriver, announced her endorsement for Obama.[164].
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Fundraising
Hyatt board member Penny Pritzker currently serves as the national finance chair of the campaign;[254] Pritzker served on the finance committee for Obama's 2004 Senate run. Obama has said he will not accept donations from federal lobbyists or political action committees during the campaign.[255] While he started to collect private donations for a general election account, Obama asked the Federal Election Commission if he could later return the money if he decided to take public funds. In response, the FEC allowed presidential candidates to take contributions for a general election campaign even if they later decided to accept public money.[256]
Alan D. Solomont, who led a group that raised $35 million for John Kerry in 2004, has signed on with the campaign, saying Obama "is the sort of person America wants in the White House right now."[257] Other fundraisers that have joined the campaign include David Geffen, Jeffrey Katzenberg, and Mark Gorenberg.[258]
Obama's fundraising prowess has matched that of Hillary Clinton's and, financially speaking, is staying competitive with her. On April 4, 2007, Obama's campaign announced that they had raised $25 million in the first quarter of 2007, coming close to Hillary Clinton's $26 million in first quarter contributions. Over 100,000 people donated to the campaign and $6.9 million was raised through the Internet. $23.5 million of Obama's first quarter funds can be used in the primary, the highest of any candidate.[259]
Obama's fundraising skills were affirmed again in the second quarter of 2007, when his campaign received $32.5 million in donations. This is $5.5 million more than his nearest rival, Hillary Clinton, whose campaign raised around $27 million.[260] Obama's 258,000 individual donors revealed his wide grassroots appeal and success raising funds via the Internet.[261] Altogether Obama's campaign raised US$58 million during the first half of 2007, topping all other candidates and exceeding previous records for the first six months of any year before an election year.[262]
For the third quarter of 2007, which typically sees lower numbers than the rest of the year, Obama raised $20 million, still a large amount but bested by Clinton, who led all candidates with $27 million raised.[263] Obama's campaign reported adding 108,000 new donors through in the quarter, for a total of 365,000 individual contributors in the first nine months.[264]
Initial fourth quarter 2007 reports puts his fundraising at $20 million, matching initial reports from the Clinton campaign.[265] Full fourth quarter fundraising results are not required to be filed to the FEC until January 31, 2008.[266]
As of January 2008, Obama has received over 800,000 donations from over 600,000 individual donors.[267][268]
The Obama campaign raised $32 million in the month of January 2008 alone,[269] from over 250,000 separate supporters.[270] When it was disclosed that Hillary Clinton donated $5 million of her own money to her campaign,[271] Obama's supporters donated over $6.5 million in less than 24 hours.[272]
References
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(help) C-SPAN video at YouTube. - ^ Oprah May Campaign for Obama
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- ^ Oprah in Des Moines
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- ^ a b Was Obama's answer about drug use too honest? CNN.com, Nov. 27, 2007
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(help) - ^ Obama Wins Iowa's Democratic Caucuses Washington Post, Jan. 4, 2008
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(help) - ^ Scott Helman and Michael Levenson, Clock ticking in N.H., candidates target undecided Boston Globe, Jan. 6, 2008
- ^ New Hampshire Democratic Primary, Rasmussen Reports, Jan. 7, 2008
- ^ Poll: 9-point lead for Obama on eve of N.H. primary CNN.com, Jan. 7, 2008
- ^ Obama up by 13 points, McCain up by 4 in N.H. USA Today, Jan. 7, 2008
- ^ New Hampshire’s Primaries, NYTimes.com
- ^ Obama Says He's Still Fired Up and Ready Associated Press, Jan. 8, 2008
- ^ "UPDATED New Hampshire 2008 Primary Analysis". Election Defense Alliance. 2008-01-15. Retrieved 2008-01-18.
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(help) - ^ "Kucinich asks for New Hampshire recount in the interest of election integrity" (Press release). Kucinich for President 2008. Retrieved 2008-01-18.
- ^ http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/01/24/democratic_recount_shows_little_change_in_nh_vote_tally/
- ^ http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post_group/ObamaHQ/Cgq Obama endorsed by Culinary Workers Union
- ^ a b Steve Friess (2008-01-13). "Lawsuit Over Precincts in Nevada". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-01-13.
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(help) - ^ http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post_group/ObamaHQ/CGkT Nevada SEIU endorses Obama
- ^ Michael Martinez (2008-01-13). "Clinton makes push for Hispanics' support in Nevada". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2008-01-13.
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(help) - ^ {http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23092595-7583,00.html The Gipper lives]The Australian Jan 23 2008
- ^ Obama, Reagan and the Internet The New York Times January 21 2008
- ^ Edwards criticizes Obama on Reagan MSNBC January 17 2008
- ^ a b "Judge allows casino caucuses to proceed". CNN. 2008-01-17. Retrieved 2008-01-17.
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(help) - ^ Brian Eckhouse, Michael Mishak (2008-01-11). "Pollsters have a plan for Nevada: Skip it". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved 2008-01-13.
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(help) - ^ Clinton, Romney win in Nevada MSNBC.com]
- ^ Clinton Cashes In Nevada Win With High Roll in Vegas CQ Politics, Jan. 19, 2008
- ^ a b Jim Kuhnhenn (2008-01-23). "Obama Camp Complains to Nevada Dems". The Guardian. Associated Press. Retrieved 2008-01-23.
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(help) - ^ "Election 2008: South Carolina Democratic Primary". Rasmussen Reports. 2008-01-07. Retrieved 2008-01-07.
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(help) - ^ a b c d Josh Levs (2008-01-13). "Clinton: Obama camp is 'distorting' her remarks". CNN. Retrieved 2008-01-13.
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(help) - ^ Clinton Talks Tears with Fox News
- ^ a b c d Edward Luce (2008-01-17). "'Truce' has little impact on black vote". Financial Times. Retrieved 2008-01-18.
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(help) - ^ a b c Mark Leibovich (2008-01-13). "Rights vs. Rights: An Improbable Collision Course". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-01-13.
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(help) - ^ Jon Meacham (2008-01-21). "Letting Hillary Be Hillary". Newsweek. Retrieved 2008-01-13.
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(help) - ^ Sparks fly in most contentious debate to date CNN.com, Jan. 22, 2008
- ^ a b "CNN/CBC debate breaks ratings record". CNN.com. 2008-01-22. Retrieved 2008-01-23.
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(help) - ^ Clinton, Obama Engage in Bitter Debate Associated Press, Jan. 22, 2008
- ^ Quotes From Monday's Democratic Debate Associated Press, Jan. 22, 2008
- ^ a b c "Obama claims big win in South Carolina". CNN.com. 2008-01-26. Retrieved 2008-01-26.
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(help) - ^ Clinton 'triumphs' in Florida, sort of LA Times, Jan. 30, 2008
- ^ Clinton 'triumphs' in Florida, sort of LA Times, Jan. 30, 2008
- ^ a b Kennedy, Caroline (2008-01-27). "A President Like My Father". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-01-27.
- ^ Allen, Mike (2008-01-27). "Ted Kennedy embraces Obama". Politico. Retrieved 2008-01-27.
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(help) - ^ Jeff Zeleny, Carl Hulse (2008-01-28). "Kennedy Chooses Obama, Spurning Plea by Clintons". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-01-28.
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(help) - ^ "Tied US rivals fight for momentum". BBC News. 2008-02-06. Retrieved 2008-02-06.
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(help) - ^ Obama "Wins Super Tuesday: Wins Most States, Wins Most Delegates". BarackObama.com. 2008-02-06. Retrieved 2008-02-07.
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(help) - ^ a b "A First Look at Coverage of the 2008 Presidential Campaign". Project for Excellence in Journalism. 2007-10-29. Retrieved 2007-11-03.
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(help) - ^ a b c Howard Kurtz (2007-12-19). "For Clinton, A Matter of Fair Media". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2007-12-19.
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(help) - ^ "Journo Love for Obama". Mediabistro.com. 2008-01-08. Retrieved 2008-01-11.
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(help) - ^ John F. Harris, Jim VandeHei (2008-01-09). "Why reporters get it wrong". The Politico. Retrieved 2008-01-11.
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(help) - ^ Robin Toner, Marjorie Connelly (2008-01-14). "Fluidity in G.O.P. Race; Democrats Eye Electability". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-01-14.
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(help) - ^ a b c Howard Kurtz (2008-01-28). "Team Obama Is Courting Everybody But the Press". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2008-01-28.
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(help) - ^ Hayes, Christopher (November 12 2007). "The new right-wing smear machine". Nation. Retrieved 2007-12-15.
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(help) - ^ The Insight article appeared in January 2007. [1]
- ^ For responses to the Insight article, see: Kirkpatrick, David D (January 29 2007). "Feeding Frenzy for a Big Story, Even If It's False". New York Times. Retrieved 2007-09-30.
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(help) - ^ "Obama, School Deny Radical Islam Claim" (video). Associated Press. WPVI-TV Philadelphia (ABC). January 25 2007. Retrieved 2007-11-18.
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(help) - ^ "Mediaweek 'double splatter' article".
- ^ Tapper, Jake (January 25 2007). "Nothing Extreme About Indonesian School Attended by Obama". ABC News. Retrieved 2007-12-05.
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(help) - ^ "CNN debunks false report about Obama". CNN. 2007-01-23.
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(help) - ^ Derkacz, Evan (2007-4-16). "Sinking Couric retreads Obama fraud [VIDEO]". Alternet.
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(help) - ^ Zeleny, Jeff (2007-11-10). "Obama Fights Foes, Seen or Otherwise". The New York Times.
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(help) - ^ Reid, Tim (2007-11-23). "Palmetto Bugs: Slingers of Slime Step it up in SC". The New York Post.
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(help) - ^ Pickler, Nedra."Kerrey Apologizes to Obama Over Remark", Associated Press, December 20, 2007.
- ^ Bacon Jr., Perry (2007-12-05). "Clinton Campaign Volunteer Out Over False Obama Rumors". Washington Post. Retrieved 2007-12-17.
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(help) - ^ Zeleny, Jeff (2007-11-10). "Obama Fights Foes, Seen or Otherwise". The New York Times.
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(help) - ^ E-mail smear taxes Obama campaign
- ^ Obama Recites Pledge of Allegiance before Senate on 2/1/07; Obama Recites Pledge of Allegiance before Senate on 6/21/07.
- ^ CNN. "Poll: Obama now trails only Clinton on '08 list," CNN Politics, November 2, 2006. Retrieved on January 8, 2007
- ^ Zogby International. Zogby New Hampshire: 3 Dems In Tight Race; McCain Leads Republican Field, Zogby International, December 18, 2007. Retrieved on January 21, 2007
- ^ 2008 Democratic Nomination, Washington Post, February 28, 2007. Retrieved on February 28, 2007.
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- ^ Jonathan Alter, "Is America Ready?", Newsweek, December 25, 2006 - January 1, 2007. Retrieved on January 17, 2007.
- ^ Polman, Dick. "Barack Obama's race seems to be a second-tier issue", The Philadelphia Inquirer, January 21, 2007. Retrieved on February 22, 2007.
- ^ Younge, Gary. "The power of hope", The Guardian, February 10, 2007. Retrieved on February 22, 2007.
- ^ McCann, John. "Just point me to an honest candidate", The Herald-Sun, February 18, 2007. Retrieved on February 22, 2007.
- ^ Young Voters Find Voice on Facebook Washington Post, February 17, 2007.
- ^ Obama's Facebook The New York Sun, February 13, 2007
- ^ http://newsbusters.org/node/13288
- ^ Mobilized Online, Thousands Gather to Hear Obama Washington Post, February 3, 2007.
- ^ Ogg, Erica (February 9, 2007). "Barack Obama getting all Web 2.0 on us". CNetNews.com NewsBlog. CNet. Retrieved 2007-08-23.
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(help) - ^ Stone, Brad (March 2, 2007). "Social Networking's Next Phase". NYTimes.com. The New York Times. Retrieved 2007-08-23.
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(help) - ^ a b Schatz, Amy (May 26, 2007). "BO, U R So Gr8". WSJ.com NewsBlog. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2007-08-23.
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(help) - ^ Beam, Christopher (June 22, 2007). "In Your Face: How Facebook could crush MySpace, Yahoo!, and Google". Slate.com. Washington Post. Retrieved 2007-08-23.
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(help) - ^ Sullivan, Andy (August 23, 2007). ""Friends" in high places". Reuters.com. Reuters. Retrieved 2007-08-23.
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(help) - ^ Drobnyk, Josh (April 23, 2007). "Obama's groundswell: grass roots on the Web". BarackObama.com Newsroom. Obama for America, Barack Obama' presidential campaign. Retrieved 2007-08-23.
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(help) - ^ http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/04/04/obama.fundraising/index.html
- ^ http://www.barelypolitical.com/
- ^ 2008: Obama Girl and More New York Times, June 13, 2007
- ^ ABC News (2008). New Celeb-Filled Music Video for Obama. Retrieved February 3, 2008.
- ^ Obama for America (2008). The 'Yes We Can' Song. Retrieved February 3, 2008.
- ^ Muscatine Muscazine - Viral Video: Yes We Can
- ^ Daley Endorses Obama For President Chicago Tribune, February 10, 2007
- ^ "Candidate Obama packs ISU's Hilton Coliseum" The Des Moines Register, February 11 2007.
- ^ http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/472156,oprah071707.article
- ^ Allen, Mike (2008-01-27). "Ted Kennedy embraces Obama". Politico. Retrieved 2008-01-27.
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suggested) (help) - ^ Ari Mebler (2008-02-01). "MOVEON ENDORSES OBAMA..." The nation. Retrieved 2008-02-01.
- ^ Breaking News: Maria Shriver endorses Barack Obama
- ^ Gov. Blagojevich Releases Statement on Obama NBC, February 10, 2007
- ^ Culver endorses Obama
- ^ Wisconsin governor endorses Obama for president
- ^ Obama Wins Virginia Governor's Support Associated Press, February 17, 2007
- ^ Napolitano will endorse Obama Arizona Republic, January 11, 2008
- ^ Patrick will endorse Obama, not Clinton
- ^ Obama Wins Backing of Kansas Governor
- ^ Obama gets endorsement from Andrus in Democratic race
- ^ http://www.politickernj.com/codey-endorse-obama-15956
- ^ Ex-SC Gov. Hodges Endorses Obama
- ^ Obama wins former Alaska governor's endorsement
- ^ Dueling electability conference calls
- ^ Today on the Presidential Campaign Trail
- ^ U.S. Sen. Kent Conrad backs Obama
- ^ Durbin Taps Obama For President
- ^ Johnson backs Obama
- ^ Ted Kennedy to Endorse Obama
- ^ Sen. Edward Kennedy to endorse Obama, officials say
- ^ Kerry to endorse Obama
- ^ Leahy Endorses Obama, Likens Him To Bobby Kennedy
- ^ AP: Sen. McCaskill to endorse Obama
- ^ Nebraska Senator Ben Nelson Endorses Obama
- ^ Ex-Senate Leader Daschle endorses Obama MSNBC.com, February 21, 2007
- ^ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/01/05/bill-bradley-to-endorse-o_n_80019.html
- ^ Jean Carnahan endorses Obama
- ^ Barack Obama has picked up the torch
- ^ http://www.politicswest.com/2008_election/16658/gary_hart_endorses_obama
- ^ Jesse Jackson backs Obama for president
- ^ Jesse Jackson Endorses Barack Obama
- ^ a b c d http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0207/2916.html
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Endorsements '08
- ^ CONGRESSMAN XAVIER BECERRA ENDORSES BARACK OBAMA
- ^ Barack 2, Hillary 0; Bishop backs Obama
- ^ a b Blumenauer endorses Obama
- ^ Boucher jumps into Obama's camp with endorsement
- ^ Butterfield now endorses Obama
- ^ Capuano endorses Obama for president
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Another Member of the CBC Pledges Support for the Obama Campaign
- ^ Why I’m Supporting Barack Obama (Rep. Danny Davis)
- ^ Delahunt says Obama will restore US image abroad
- ^ DeLauro To Endorse Obama On Saturday
- ^ Ellison Endorses Obama, lauds 'unifying spirit' Minneapolis Star Tribune, Feb. 20 2007.
- ^ Anna Eshoo endorses Obama for president
- ^ U.S. Rep. Chaka Fattah endorses Barack Obama for president
- ^ Arizona Congressman Raul Grijalva Endorses Barack
- ^ Hodes tells why he believes Obama can make a difference
- ^ Jesse Jackson Jr. backs Obama in ad
- ^ Patrick Kennedy to join father in endorsing Obama for president
- ^ a b Congressmen Larson, Murphy to endorse Barack Obama
- ^ Congressman Dave Loebsack Endorses Obama
- ^ Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) endorses Barack Obama
- ^ Rep. Betty McCollum endorses Barack Obama
- ^ George Miller endorses Obama
- ^ Perlmutter endorses Obama
- ^ Pomeroy endorses Obama
- ^ Obama in northern NV, as poll shows him behind
- ^ Ladies' Choice
- ^ a b c 6 L.A. Leaders Decide To Back Barack
- ^ U.S. Rep. Bobby Scott endorses Obama for president
- ^ Shea-Porter endorses Obama as 'our future'
- ^ Obama lands a key backer in Adam Smith
- ^ Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS) Endorses Obama
- ^ Leahy, Welch endorse Barack Obama Vermont Public Radio. January 18, 2008
- ^ Wynn endorses Obama
- ^ John B. Anderson endorses Obama Chicago Tribune, January 7, 2008
- ^ Obama Picks Up More Endorsements
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Over 70 Foreign Policy Experts Announce Endorsement of Barack Obama for President
- ^ Obama's Major Endorsement
- ^ Fmr. U.S. Congressman and 9/11 Commissioner Tim Roemer endorses Obama
- ^ http://www.wistv.com/Global/story.asp?S=6456452
- ^ Shirley Franklin says she’s ‘150 percent’ for Barack Obama
- ^ Dixon endorses Barack Obama
- ^ Boise Mayor Dave Bieter Endorsement...
- ^ Daley Endorses Obama For President Chicago Tribune, February 10, 2007
- ^ Obama Endorsed by Columbus Mayor AP, October 26, 2007
- ^ That big Iowa endorsement...
- ^ AP Newsbreak: Durham mayor Bill Bell backs Obama for presidency
- ^ a b Obama supporters rally in New Jersey
- ^ Wis. Obama Supporters Excited Over Win
- ^ McCollum Endorses Obama
- ^ [2]
- ^ [3]
- ^ Booker, Healy endorse Obama
- ^ Omaha Mayor Mike Fahey endorses Barack Obama for President
- ^ Seattle Mayor Nickels endorses Obama for president
- ^ http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/17/AR2007071701227.html
- ^ Former Clinton Official Backs Obama
- ^ Brzezinski Backs Obama
- ^ Paul Volcker, Former Fed Chairman, Endorses Obama
- ^ Her money is on Obama. His? Clinton.
- ^ Obama Begins Fundraising Drive Chicago Sun-Times, February 1, 2007
- ^ FEC Drafts New Campaign Finance Opinion Washington Post, February 22, 2007
- ^ With Kerry out, key aide shifts to Obama Boston Globe, January 26, 2007
- ^ Campaign 2008: Cranking Up The Money Machine BusinessWeek, February 12, 2007
- ^ Barack Obama First Quarter Fundraising Report BarackObama.com, April 4, 2007
- ^ Jeff Zeleny (2007-07-01). "Obama Raised $33 Million in Second Quarter". The New York Times. Retrieved 2007-07-01.
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(help) - ^ "Grim Old Pantry looks bare; meanwhile Obama fundraising soars". Canada National Post. 2007-07-06. Retrieved 2007-07-08.
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(help) - ^ Malone, Jim (July 2 2007). "Obama Fundraising Suggests Close Race for Party Nomination". Voice of America. Retrieved 2007-11-18.
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(help) - ^ Dan Morain (2007-10-02). "Clinton leads the field in campaign fundraising". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2007-10-04.
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(help) - ^ Cooper, Michael (October 16 2007). "Democratic Candidates Keep Outraising Republicans". New York Times. Retrieved 2007-11-18.
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suggested) (help) - ^ Emily Cadei (2008-01-03). "Paul Joins Clinton and Obama as a Heavyweight Fundraiser". Congressional Quarterly Politics. Retrieved 2008-01-05.
- ^ FEC filing due dates, FEC website, January 5, 2008
- ^ Donate Now and Double Your Impact, BarackObama.com
- ^ Obama Ads Feature Prominent Politicians
- ^ Obama raises $32 million in January
- ^ http://my.barackobama.com/page/contribute_c/250K_email/graphic
- ^ Overby, Peter (February 6 2008). "Clinton Pumps Her Own Money into Campaign". National Public Radio. Retrieved 2008-02-06.
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(help) - ^ http://my.barackobama.com/page/contribute_c/sincefeb5_email/graphic
External links
- Official Campaign Website
- Official Student Division on the Campaign Website
- Spartan Internet Political Performance Index ranking for Barack Obama by week
- New York Times Resource on Barack Obama
- Barack Obama Presidential Campaign at Curlie
- Vote 2008: Barack Obama - Online NewsHour with Jim Lehrer
- Chicago Tribune's Barack Obama page
- Barack Obama Announces Candidacy
- Victory Speech in South Carolina
- Driver licenses answer
- Yes We Can speech translated in Arabic