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PoliGAF Interim Thread of USA General Elections (DAWN OF THE VEEP)

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DEO3

Member
Oh shit son.

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iv65dWFozYKp8tdz6Gpjoz3fZZXQD928HRH00

Obama's convention crowd: Biggest phone bank ever

By NEDRA PICKLER and RON FOURNIER – 52 minutes ago

DENVER (AP) — Those 75,000 Democrats who will pack a football stadium for Barack Obama's convention speech won't be there just to whoop and holler on television. They'll form the world's largest phone bank to boost voter registration — fired-up supporters using computer targeting the campaign has spent months putting together.

The move to the Invesco Field at Mile High stadium for the convention's final night next month — at an additional cost of $5 million — will capture a huge crowd the Obama campaign plans to put to work. They'll be armed with data gleaned through "microtargeting" unregistered voters the campaign believes are ripe to back Obama if pressed to get on board.

"If we do this right, we'll be unbeatable," said Steve Hildebrand, the Obama adviser overseeing the effort.

One key to Obama's victory plan is to expand the electorate, bringing in more young voters, minorities, suburban women, seniors on fixed incomes and people who have been disaffected by politics and might respond to the freshman Illinois senator's message of change over the more experienced Republican John McCain.

President Bush used microtargeting techniques effectively in 2004, but his target was regular voters who were likely to vote for him. Obama's focus is more on finding people who are not registered to vote and figuring out how to persuade them to sign up and back him.

Hildebrand said the campaign has identified 55 million unregistered voters across the country, by comparing registration lists with lists of potential voters gleaned by mining consumer databases the same way credit card companies track people's spending. They say their research estimates more than two-thirds would vote for Obama if they were registered and motivated.

The campaign is already holding voter registration efforts across the country, and the convention will be followed by a big drive on the following Labor Day weekend.

The campaign is convening the 4,439 convention delegates in state-by-state meetings during the next couple of weeks, and they will be asked to commit time each week before the Nov. 4 election to register voters and persuade them to back Obama. That includes delegates who supported Hillary Rodham Clinton, some of whom still have hard feelings from the primary but are being asked to work diligently for the ticket.

The delegates will be part of a massive audience expected at Invesco on Aug. 28, when Obama becomes the party's first black presidential nominee. The campaign wants to use the hype surrounding the historic moment to build a volunteer force in all 50 states.

The Democrats plan to hand out 60,000 stadium tickets to state party leaders, with instructions to distribute them in a way that helps drive up Obama's support. That might mean rewarding local organizers who are volunteering their time for voter registration, or perhaps identifying independent or Republican voters who might be persuaded by hearing Obama accept the nomination on the 45th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech.

Not all states will be treated equally. Battleground states where voters are being targeted and Western states within driving distance of Denver will be given more tickets, with host Colorado getting the most. The Obama campaign sees the convention as a chance to put him on top in a state that hasn't voted for a Democratic presidential candidate since 1992.

The campaign has identified more than half a million unregistered potential voters in Colorado — one-fifth of the state's eligible population. The numbers are even higher in some other battleground states.

... more at link
 

Agent Icebeezy

Welcome beautful toddler, Madison Elizabeth, to the horde!
DEO3 said:

This is why Obama isn't that far ahead in the polls. They are still in the stages of forming the 50 state Voltron :D

It is almost ready to go.

In other news

http://www.tmz.com/2008/07/30/paris-parents-to-mccain-how-dare-you

This has gotta hurt. We did some digging and found Rick and Kathy Hilton gave the John McCain campaign $4,600 this year, and Johnny boy has now taken a shot at their lil' girl.
 

ZealousD

Makes world leading predictions like "The sun will rise tomorrow"
Hootie said:
But I guess having Obama in office will give Keith less things to talk about. No more Bushed, for one.

If I was Olbermann, I'd convert the segment to "NeoConned" (see what I did there?) and make it a segment about general Republican controversies and screwups.
 
Frank the Great said:
BushPrinceKiss.jpg
That's a photoshop. They do hold hands and kiss cheeks, though.
 

quaere

Member
Do not approve. The campaign should reward its loyal supporters with tickets, not undecided voters.

Anyone undecided at this point that could be swayed by attendance is either stupid or uninformed - not the kind of person that's going to go out and be a positive impact for the campaign, even if they do decide to vote Obama.

Besides, this needs to be the statement event it's going to be hyped as. The crowd needs to be really into it.
 

antipode

Member
aswedc said:
Do not approve. The campaign should reward its loyal supporters with tickets, not undecided voters.

Anyone undecided at this point that could be swayed by attendance is either stupid or uninformed - not the kind of person that's going to go out and be a positive impact for the campaign, even if they do decide to vote Obama.

Besides, this needs to be the statement event it's going to be hyped as. The crowd needs to be really into it.

I think that's just what the article is saying - the people in the stadium are going to be supporters who have the worked the hardest to GOTY, especially in battleground states.
 

Agent Icebeezy

Welcome beautful toddler, Madison Elizabeth, to the horde!
aswedc said:
Do not approve. The campaign should reward its loyal supporters with tickets, not undecided voters.

Anyone undecided at this point that could be swayed by attendance is either stupid or uninformed - not the kind of person that's going to go out and be a positive impact for the campaign, even if they do decide to vote Obama.

Besides, this needs to be the statement event it's going to be hyped as. The crowd needs to be really into it.

It will be the most loyal of supporters
 

quaere

Member
How come the article says "or perhaps identifying independent or Republican voters who might be persuaded by hearing Obama accept the nomination on the 45th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech."?
 

Hootie

Member
GenericPseudonym said:
Will the gaming forum be closed on November 4, just like OT is closed during E3?

I've been pushing for this but I usually get the response that NeoGAF is a predominantly video-game related site and that it's not going to happen.
 

reilo

learning some important life lessons from magical Negroes
Holy shit. If anyone wants to see one hell of an interesting debate where two guys pretty much hate each other's ideologies, but keep it civil for the sake of civility, then watch tonight's Daily Show as Stewart interviews Ben Wattenberg. That shit was surreal.
 

Tamanon

Banned
Quinnipiac:

Florida O 46 M 44
Ohio O 46 M 44
Penn O 49 M 42

Good news all around, Ohio is tightening, but Florida, once left for dead by many is a real possibility.
 
Tamanon said:
Quinnipiac:

Florida O 46 M 44
Ohio O 46 M 44
Penn O 49 M 42

Good news all around, Ohio is tightening, but Florida, once left for dead by many is a real possibility.

I honestly never had much hope for Ohio. I still think Ohio will be a toss-up. Florida is encouraging and Penn looks good. I wonder what the numbers are in Michigan.
 

HylianTom

Banned
Tamanon said:
Quinnipiac:

Florida O 46 M 44
Ohio O 46 M 44
Penn O 49 M 42

Good news all around, Ohio is tightening, but Florida, once left for dead by many is a real possibility.

Not too shabby. If Obama only wins one of these early states (most likely PA), it'll be a longer night, probably ending when Colorado and New Mexico's results come along.
The route to 270 would end-up looking something like this: Kerry states (252) + Iowa (7) + New Mexico (5) + Colorado (9) = 273EVs.

If he wins two (or Virginia, for that matter), it'll be an early celebration that night. :)
 
Tamanon said:
Quinnipiac:

Florida O 46 M 44
Ohio O 46 M 44
Penn O 49 M 42

Good news all around, Ohio is tightening, but Florida, once left for dead by many is a real possibility.

you combine that, with
CNN poll yesterday said:
Economy: Obama +11
Iraq: McCain +7
Gas Prices: Obama +21
Jobs: Obama +19

and you get...?
 
reilo said:
Holy shit. If anyone wants to see one hell of an interesting debate where two guys pretty much hate each other's ideologies, but keep it civil for the sake of civility, then watch tonight's Daily Show as Stewart interviews Ben Wattenberg. That shit was surreal.
Oh I will.
 
scorcho said:
now if people actually voted on the issues...

If people actually voted on issues, McCain would just seriously have to call it, pack up, and go home right now. The low information voters (the Fox News bunch) will keep McCain competitive to the end.

Smerconish on Gregory's show yesterday echoed my sentiments for the second time.
 

Tamanon

Banned
Hitokage said:
Tamanon: No, it's not. They just want us to think it is, but I'm on to them this time.

You must be psychic. CNN poll has Obama extend his national lead by 2, when a 5-point lead was described as a dead heat....and they say "didn't change race". Quinnipiac polls come out with a 2-point shift and "McCain closes the gap"
 
maximum360 said:
Tucker was just being Tucker.

Mad Money host said he didn't want to speak ill of the dead when Jimmy Carter's name was mentioned. The look on faces of the Morning Joe crew was priceless.
:lol

Just like McAuliffe's "Big Russ in heaven" comment!
 

sangreal

Member
Didn't see this one coming (even though it was the obvious outcome):

BREAKING NEWS: Federal judge sides with Congress, says Bush aides can be subpoenaed

msnbc.com

edit:
WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Bush's top advisers are not immune from congressional subpoenas, a federal judge ruled Thursday in an unprecedented dispute between the two political branches.

The House Judiciary Committee wants to question the president's chief of staff, Josh Bolten, and former legal counsel Harriet Miers, about the firing of nine U.S. attorneys. But President Bush says they are immune from such subpoenas. They say Congress can't force them to testify or turn over documents.

U.S. District Judge John Bates disagreed. He said there's no legal basis for that argument. He said that Miers must appear before Congress and, if she wants to refuse to testify, she must do so in person.

"Harriet Miers is not immune from compelled congressional process; she is legally required to testify pursuant to a duly issued congressional subpoena," Bates wrote.

He said that both Bolten and Miers must give Congress all non-privileged documents related to the firings.

The Bush administration can appeal the ruling. The Justice Department did not immediately respond for a request for comment.
 

Tamanon

Banned
sangreal said:
Didn't see this one coming (even though it was the obvious outcome):

BREAKING NEWS: Federal judge sides with Congress, says Bush aides can be subpoenaed

msnbc.com

Karl Rove's segments on FOXNews will now all be "Live from undisclosed location"
 

scorcho

testicles on a cold fall morning
not sure what this will do. they'd be forced to appear before the committee, but can still refuse to answer specific questions under executive privilege.
 

sangreal

Member
scorcho said:
not sure what this will do. they'd be forced to appear before the committee, but can still refuse to answer specific questions under executive privilege.

Sure, anyone can refuse to testify but from the AP summary (I haven't read the opinion) it seems the judge has thrown out the idea that they can refuse to testify without being punished. Bush has argued that they can refuse to testify (or show up) and not be held in contempt because they have immunity to subpoenas.

Bates, who was appointed to the bench by Bush, issued a 93-page opinion that strongly rejected the administration's legal arguments. He noted that the executive branch could not point to a single case in which courts held that White House aides were immune from congressional subpoenas.

"That simple yet critical fact bears repeating: the asserted absolute immunity claim here is entirely unsupported by existing case law," Bates wrote

This decision is especially surprising considering this judge's record for ruling in favor of the Bush administration, but I guess even he wasn't ready to completely neuter congress
 

APF

Member
Only celebrities like Barack Obama go to the gym three times a day, demand "MET-RX chocolate roasted-peanut protein bars and bottles of a hard-to-find organic brew -- Black Forest Berry Honest Tea" and worry about the price of arugula

Pfft. Everyone knows the Chocolate Graham Cracker Chip bars are better, plus doesn't Honest Tea come in plastic bottles? smh
 
I get my honest tea in glass bottles. Go figure.

And I cannot believe any credible media outlet is saying that Obama being ahead in a poll in FL is bad troubling for him. I almost expected him to contemplate skipping the state entirely, instead he's put in a pretty serious effort there that's paid off. FL is McCain's "second home" if you will well old people lol.
 

StoOgE

First tragedy, then farce.
APF said:
Pfft. Everyone knows the Chocolate Graham Cracker Chip bars are better, plus doesn't Honest Tea come in plastic bottles? smh

Yeah, its not like he is demanding a spread of foreign fruit or Ox Milk.

This is stuff most grocery stores have.
 
GOP's celeb-Obama message gain traction

Barack Obama’s critics laid down the foundations of the strategy months ago: The Republican National Committee started the “Audacity Watch” back in April, and Karl Rove later fueled the attack by describing the first-term Illinois senator as “coolly arrogant.”

It wasn’t until the last week, however, that the narrative of Obama as a president-in-waiting — and perhaps getting impatient in that waiting — began reverberating beyond the inboxes of Washington operatives and journalists.

Perhaps one of the clearest indications emerged Tuesday from the world of late-night comedy, when David Letterman offered his “Top Ten Signs Barack Obama is Overconfident.” The examples included Obama proposing to change the name of Oklahoma to “Oklobama” and measuring his head for Mount Rushmore.

“When Letterman is doing ‘Top Ten’ lists about something, it has officially entered the public consciousness,” said Dan Schnur, a political analyst from the University of Southern California and the communications director in John McCain’s 2000 campaign. “And it usually stays there for a long, long time.”

More at link.
 

Tamanon

Banned
It's kinda an odd article, considering most of the stuff it's referencing happened before McCain pushed the celeb angle. It happened when McCain was pushing the "Obama is responsible for the ills of the world" angle.

And I guess it means that "McCain is a doddering old fool who is senile" is in the campaign too, judging by late night comedy!
 
Honestly, Obama wouldn't seem to presumptive to the media if it wasn't for the fact that McCain's campaign is behaving like a '71 AMC Gremlin with its brake lines cut.
 

Stinkles

Clothed, sober, cooperative
“When Letterman is doing ‘Top Ten’ lists about something, it has officially entered the public consciousness,” said Dan Schnur, a political analyst from the University of Southern California and the communications director in John McCain’s 2000 campaign. “And it usually stays there for a long, long time.”

Dan Schnur apparently doesn't realize that what has entered the public consciousness is a satire of the McCain campaign strategy.
 

Hitokage

Setec Astronomer
Fragamemnon said:
Honestly, Obama wouldn't seem to presumptive to the media if it wasn't for the fact that McCain's campaign is behaving like a '71 AMC Gremlin with its brake lines cut.
Yes, but who will be our Otto to put it out of its misery?
 

Macam

Banned
reilo said:
Holy shit. If anyone wants to see one hell of an interesting debate where two guys pretty much hate each other's ideologies, but keep it civil for the sake of civility, then watch tonight's Daily Show as Stewart interviews Ben Wattenberg. That shit was surreal.

It was amusing, but given how incoherent Jon's guest was, I'm somewhat hesitant to call it interesting, let alone a debate. Point in case, he indefensibly jumped all over his own narrative, using the consequences of an action as justification for the action in the first place. The guy was just low hanging fruit.
 

tanod

when is my burrito
“When Letterman is doing ‘Top Ten’ lists about something, it has officially entered the public consciousness,” said Dan Schnur, a political analyst from the University of Southern California and the communications director in John McCain’s 2000 campaign. “And it usually stays there for a long, long time.”

Not really. Letterman is on CBS. CBS is the network for old people.
 
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