Obama is creating a broad coalition + inspiring previous political nonparticipants to vote

[sidwill]

Imagine that.

A modern day Democratic candidate that inspires the young, independents, moderate repubs and the politically disaffected
to not only vote but participate via donations and their own time?

Are you kidding me?

Am I in Bizarro world, is up really down, is black really white? If you told me in 2004 that we would have the opportunity to field a candidate that had the appeal to FRACTURE the Republican coalition and carve away from them the element of their base that was well educated and smart and turn them away from the 25 year old beat of Limbaughism, Reaganism and Delayishness I would have called you a fool.

If you further told me that this candidate would be able to compete WITHOUT lobbyist money and only on the cash raised from You and I I would have laughed even harder.

But here we have it.

WE have a man who is competing on a national level without seeking or accepting the help of the washington establishment that we all know demands results for it's largesse.

We have a singular opportunity to not only break the stodgy old "Stupid white men" mentality that has ruled our elections but also to put forth someone who has rejected the establishment as represented by Lobbyists as a matter of principle.

Lets not blow this.

[jlake]

1. You must be going through gallons of Kool aid.

[sidwill]

3. How old are you?

Me, I'm 42. I voted for the first time in 88 for Dukakis, then twice for Bill, then Gore then Kerry.
I have been following progressive politics since Reagan was funding the Contras and dismantling basic safeguards for the most disadvantaged in this country. I have given money, I have knocked on doors and i have posted road signs.

I have not "drank the koolaid" I see, I SEE.

I see a man who opposed the war and spoke out publicly while others capitulated to George Bush and Dick Cheney.

I see a man who hasn't taken Lobbyist money.

I see a man who is putting forth a POSITIVE Vision of UNITY.

I'm sick of the cheap right/left smear circus of the last 20 years.

I'm sick of 51-49% national splits that insure the only thing politicians do is start campaigning for the next election.

Obama can break this cycle, Hillary who I respect and have always loved unfortunately cannot. Not through any fault of her own mind you (except for IWR)but because as unfairly as it is she IS a divise figure who will unite our enemies and make it less likely that we expand out leads in the Congress.

Koolaid?

I don't think so.

[jlake]

6. I am sorry. The koolaid is thinking that Obama can build this

coalition. Just wait 'til the GOP machine attacks him.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

2. Yup.

He's a progressive candidate with charisma and broad appeal to independents.

He's a dream candidate.

[candice]

4. Without lobbyist money? Heard of Exelon?

Have you heard of Exelon?

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/03/us/politics/03exelon.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin




The history of the bill shows Mr. Obama navigating a home-state controversy that pitted two important constituencies against each other and tested his skills as a legislative infighter. On one side were neighbors of several nuclear plants upset that low-level radioactive leaks had gone unreported for years; on the other was Exelon, the country’s largest nuclear plant operator and one of Mr. Obama’s largest sources of campaign money.

Since 2003, executives and employees of Exelon, which is based in Illinois, have contributed at least $227,000 to Mr. Obama’s campaigns for the United States Senate and for president. Two top Exelon officials, Frank M. Clark, executive vice president, and John W. Rogers Jr., a director, are among his largest fund-raisers.

Another Obama donor, John W. Rowe, chairman of Exelon, is also chairman of the Nuclear Energy Institute, the nuclear power industry’s lobbying group, based in Washington. Exelon’s support for Mr. Obama far exceeds its support for any other presidential candidate.

In addition, Mr. Obama’s chief political strategist, David Axelrod, has worked as a consultant to Exelon. A spokeswoman for Exelon said Mr. Axelrod’s company had helped an Exelon subsidiary, Commonwealth Edison, with communications strategy periodically since 2002, but had no involvement in the leak controversy or other nuclear issues.

[candice]

5. Obama's national co-chair is a registered federal lobbyist

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/01/02/544600.aspx

South Carolina Gov. Jim Hodges *registered federal lobbyist" who will join Obama's campaign as a national co-chair.

Hodges Consulting describes itself on its Web site as “well positioned to offer highly effective lobbying services and unparalleled state budget expertise. Hodges Consulting Group can also provide federal representation to clients."

Though Obama has also said that he won't take federal PAC and lobbyist money on his campaign, he does take money from state based lobbyists as previously reported by First Read.

Obama's co-chair in New Hampshire, Jim Demers, is a state based lobbyist for the pharmaceutical and financial services industries amongst others. Michael Bauer, a member of Obama's LGBT steering committee, is a state based lobbyist in Chicago. And in Nevada, Obama's campaign also has three state based lobbyists who play senior advising roles in August last year.

When asked by reporters on the call why Hodges could work with the campaign even though he is a lobbyist, campaign manager, David Plouffe, said the campaign's policy for limiting lobbyists' influence applied to taking money only from federal registered lobbyists and PACs.

Obama also has said that no lobbyists can regulate industries they were working for in his White House for two years and that they cannot work for lobbyists after leaving his White House for the remainder of his tenure. and that they cannot go lobby for an industry that t

Obama, however, has justified taking money from state based lobbyists and working with them.

"Because I have no power in this state, so I'm not influenced in any way by somebody who's lobbying at the state level,” he told NBC's Sacramento affiliate in August. “The main thing that we're trying to avoid is any perception that somehow those who are doing business in Washington have an influence on my agenda."

[K Gardner]

7. Pay no attention to the naysayers. You are correct and people ignore this at their PERIL.