Obama chooses shoe leather over TV ads

[Ethelk2044]

http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070609/NEWS/70609020/1001/COMM01

Dubuque, Ia. — Barack Obama today launched what he touted as one of the largest and earliest nation-wide door-to-door efforts in presidential campaign history.

“It is a testimony to the degree to which people as I travel all across the country are so invested in change,” said Obama, a U.S. senator from Illinois. “They want to turn the page and create a new kind of politics.”

More than 200 people in Dubuque volunteered Saturday to work for Obama, a Democrat. In total, at least 38 groups that included more than 1,500 volunteers campaigned door-to-door. The event, known officially as the "Walk for Change” attracted more than 10,000 volunteers in 50 states.

Obama raised $25 million in the first quarter of his campaign, which was almost the same as New York Sen. Hillary Clinton, who has led many of the polls as the national Democratic presidential candidate front runner.

Unlike some other candidates, Obama’s campaign has not yet started to run television ads, instead concentrating the effort on dozens of smaller and more personal stops such as coffee shops or restaurants.

His campaign staff today declined to say when or if they would begin to run television ads.

Obama spent about an hour and visited five homes in Dubuque, where he was followed by dozens of local and national newspaper and television employees.

Residents congregated on front porches to meet Obama and watched as the crowd ˆ which included Secret Service agents walked door to door. Obama handed out information about his health care plan and, generally, asked residents about issues that concern them most.

Dubuque resident June Manning spoke with Obama on her front porch. She described the senator as "cordial and friendly” and that his visit was like her "15 minutes in the sunshine.”

“I was up in the air between him and Hillary but I have chosen him,” Manning said a few minutes after Obama left her door.

[AtomicKitten]

1. I like the sound of that.

Obama is reaching out to the people through the people.

Regardless of his alleged inexperience (?), he sure seems to know what he's doing.

Gobama.

[silverweb]

2. K&R

Way to GObama!

[Ethelk2044]

3. He is going to win this election the old Fashion way

[Grandrose]

4. Absolutely refreshing!!!

Way to go Sen. Obama, making me smile!:applause: :thumbsup: :kick:

[Lorien]

5. Two Obama volunteers knocked on my door this morning

they didn't win me over but they seemed to have their act together anyway.

[Frustratedlady]

10. All his volunteers I have talked with (phone, door) have been...

very enthusiastic and positive. They seem to have a good organization and it's early.

[IndyOp]

6. What does Obama say about public financing of elections and has he

taken any action on the issue? I could Google, but I thought I would ask the Obama fans.

I don't like his statements/behavior on foreign policy right now but I like Hillary a lot less and I am willing to keep my mind open.

[jefferson_dem]

7. Obama is as "out front" as any on this issue. At least, Common Cause is pretty darn impressed...

...and that's saying something.

Public Financing and Obama: How Will it Play Out?
By Angela Dorazio
Posted on Fri Feb 23, 2007 at 11:56:40 AM EST

Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) has raised many eyebrows in the past few weeks with his novel, somewhat surprising, suggestion regarding the potential public funding of his campaign for the presidency. On Feb. 1, the Obama Exploratory Committee submitted a request to the Federal Elections Commission for an Advisory Opinion (AO). The committee is asking the FEC if it is within legal limits for Sen. Obama to "provisionally" take funds from private donors for his campaign but to also have the option, should he get the Democratic nomination, of returning those contributions in order to accept public funds. However, this would only happen if the Republican opponent also agreed to do so.

This proposition is wrought with intrigue, not to mention brilliant strategy. By making the request to the FEC, Sen. Obama has made it publicly known that he is not precluding the use of public funds. That's likely to make some supporters of public financing very happy, especially after the disappointment such individuals may have felt after Hillary Clinton -by some media accounts - single-handedly killed the presidential public financing system. The proposition, if accepted by the FEC and if Sen. Obama becomes the Democratic nominee, also presents a challenge to the Republican opponent to fight fair. The political costs incurred by the Republican nominnee for turning down such a noble challenge are immeasureable.


Essentially, Sen. Obama has strategically placed himself in very good situation. First, he has asserted himself as the only presidential candidate so far who is the least bit interested in salvaging the presidential public financing system. Second, Sen. Obama, if he does become the Democratic nominee, has created a situation where either he and his Republican opponent will compete fairly with public funds or they don't but only because the Republican doesn't want to, making it publicly clear to every American that fair and clean elections are only a priority to the Democratic nominee.

I'm not sure if this is how we want public financing systems to be managed in this country, but it's better than nothing, and beyond that, Sen. Obama certainly deserves an A+ for campaign strategy.

http://www.commonblog.com/story/2007/2/23/103536/082

***

EDIT: Of course, he also co-sponsored Feingold's reform proposal.

Obama Co-Sponsoring Reform of Public Financing System
By Paul Silver

Senator Obama is the first presidential candidate to co-sponsor S. 436, essential legislation introduced by Senator Russell Feingold (D-WI) to fix the presidential public financing system for future presidential elections.

Senator Obama has provided important national leadership by becoming the first presidential candidate to sponsor vitally-needed reform legislation to protect the integrity of the presidency and to join in the battle for its passage.

<SNIP>

According to the letter, ”H.R. 776 also has been endorsed by the Committee for Economic Development, an organization of national business leaders and educators, and by Americans for Campaign Reform, an organization whose bipartisan leadership includes former Senators Bill Bradley (D-NJ), Warren Rudman (R-NH), Bob Kerrey (D-NE), and Alan Simpson (R-WY)…”

http://themoderatevoice.com/politics/10947/obama-co-sponsoring-reform-of-public-financing-system/

[Bullet1987]

8. Obama supports public financing and even was about to try to do it that way

But later retracted because the fact-of-the-matter is that the current system wouldn't support it. Even though you can say what Obama has done in the 1st quarter money-wise is technically public-financing because he didn't take any PAC money, etc. But REAL public financing is deeper than that and takes legislation. So Obama did the right thing if he wants to win.

[Ethelk2044]

9. Obama and McCain has made an agreement

If they are in the general election they would go with public financing.