Why didn't Obama Girl Vote?

Kinda lame that Amber Lee Ettinger didn't vote at all in the NYC or NJ primary, but as I read somewhere recently, "you can't say that she didn't contribute to the campaign." This statement is true, but still lame that she couldn't get up and vote. More via NYTimes

“I didn’t get a chance to vote today because I’m not registered to vote in New York,” she said.

So where is Obama Girl registered to vote?

“New Jersey.”

Um, but didn’t New Jersey also hold a primary?

True. The problem, she explained, was that she was sick in New York City and was unable to get back across the Hudson River to the polls in Jersey City.

“I was in Arizona for the Super Bowl — every time I get in the airplane I get sick,” said Ms. Ettinger

By Bill Mitchell

Obama leads Clinton and McCain in Christian Vote

It looks like the Republicans may have their work cut out for them in the 2008 Presidential election. I’m sure you have heard of YouTube, but have you heard of Godtube? GodTube.com states that it “is a dynamic community of people who are looking to connect, share, and belong. In its simplest form, GodTube is a video-driven social network where users can explore their faith and the tenets of Christianity.” They have more than 2.5 million monthly visitors and over 250,000 registered Christian users, including 25,000 churches and are the number one resource for Christian polling on the web.

This should be a service that the left would fear, but in turn, it looks like the people have spoken on GodTube and they prefer two pro-choice, anti-war, liberal candidates (Obama and Clinton) over the pseudo-conservate/hawk McCain. GodTube has a continuous poll that has been running for some time that simply states Which candidate do you prefer? It is no surprise that Huckabee won almost 50% of the vote, but doesn’t look like he’ll make it to super November. That leaves Obama, Clinton and McCain for the remaining votes and Obama came in a distant, but respectable second at 26%. I think CEO Chris Wyatt said it best.

"Our poll clearly indicates a dramatic change in the pulse of the Christian voter this election," said GodTube.com CEO Chris Wyatt.

Which candidate do you prefer?
Mike Huckabee 46.8%
John McCain 9.5%
Hillary Rodham Clinton 18.1%
Barack Obama 25.6%

Do you consider John McCain to be a Conservative, Moderate or Liberal?
Conservative 13.8%
Moderate 54.3%
Liberal 31.9%

Obama Spats with Tavis Smiley

This isn't a great thing for Obama to do, but it could go either way considering campaigning is fierce in Ohio and Texas over the next couple of weeks. It seems he is in a spat over whether or not Obama will attend Tavis Smiley's State of the Black Union Symposium in New Orleans in one week's time. Smiley has invited all the major candidates and Clinton is the only one to say that she will attend the conference. The African-American vote is very important in this election to both Democratic candidates, let's hope this doesn't sway the vote back to Clinton. Part of the spat is below, the rest is here.

"I will be on the campaign trail everyday in states like Ohio, Texas and Wisconsin talking directly with voters about the causes that are at the heart of my campaign and the State of the Black Union forum such as affordable health care, housing, economic opportunity, civil rights and foreign policy," Obama wrote to Smiley. "I am committed to touching every voter, and working to earn their vote."

Smiley called Obama's decision "a critical miscalculation and a missed opportunity." He accused Obama over the airwaves of not addressing issues affecting African-Americans detailed in Smiley's best-selling book, "The Covenant With Black America."

"This is the next opportunity for him to discuss these issues," Smiley said in an interview with McClatchy Newspapers. "I think as close as this race is, the concerns of African-American people are important. The Clinton campaign has made moves, the appointment of Maggie Williams as campaign manager, to aggressively go after the African-American vote."

Barack Obama is Your New Bicycle

Looks like Obama is picking up speed in the picture above and with the Bicycle community. Here is one article about the swing voters. And another.

Still another is simply a PR game called BarackObamaIsYourNewBicycle and goes through a series of almost LOLCat statements about what Obama is doing with you, for you, near you, or beside you.....

Examples include "Barack Obama Saved His Dessert for You" or "Barack Obama Parsed Your Error." and more.

I think they are pretty hilarious, but at the same time I think it's someone hinting at the fame Obama has garnered over the past few months.....Nevertheless, it is great PR for Obama and another layer in the bicycle spin vote. Thanks to my boy John Prolly in NYC for the tip.














Hopefully Barack Obama will care about Bike People.....

via Obama's Energy Policy
"As president, Barack Obama will re-evaluate the transportation funding process to ensure that smart growth considerations are taken into account. Obama will build upon his efforts in the Senate to ensure that more Metropolitan Planning Organizations create policies to incentivize greater bicycle and pedestrian usage of roads and sidewalks, and he will also re-commit federal resources to public mass transportation projects across the country. Building more livable and sustainable communities will not only reduce the amount of time individuals spent commuting, but will also have significant benefits to air quality, public health and reducing greenhouse gas emissions."

David Plouffe and Obama Campaign: We're On The Verge Of Wrapping This Thing Up

via TPM

"On a conference call this morning, Obama advisers sounded as confident a note as they ever have, arguing that yesterday's victories have left them with an all but insurmountable lead in delegates.

Obama adviser David Plouffe argued that yesterday's wins netted them an astonishing 50 delegates yesterday, leaving them with a lead in pledged delegates of 136.

He also said that the only way she can prevent them from winning the nomination is by winning remaining contests in "blowout form." He said Hillary needs to win Ohio and Texas "by well over 20 points" to remain in contention, adding that "we see no evidence that that's going to happen."

Clinton's Secret Weapon: The DNC Credentials Committee

Who is this committe anyway?

The Three Co-Chairs of the DNC Delegate Credentials Committee All Served in Clinton Administration

From Barden over a Daily Kos:

"With the delegate count still up in the air due to the unanswered question of the Michigan and Florida delegates, it should be known that there is a potential card up the Clintons' sleeve that could decide the nomination in an instant.

The DNC Credentials Committee. An Illuminati of sorts that has the ability to tip this race one way or another. The members of the committee are protected by a high degree of anonymity and would probably prefer to remain so.

Last week, Buzzflash reported that the three chairs of the committee are in fact members or consultants for the Clinton Administration.

We are fortunate enough to have the information of who sits on the committee, but scrutiny should be maintained by all loyal Democrats and especially supporters of Barack Obama. This committee may have more power no matter which way the super delegate question is answered."

David Wilhelm, Clinton Ex-Campaign Manager Backs Obama

Via AP: COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - An aide to Barack Obama says the man who led former President Clinton's 1992 bid plans to endorse the Illinois senator.

Obama's campaign plans a 1 p.m. conference call Wednesday to announce the endorsement by David Wilhelm, who later became chairman of the Democratic National Committee. The aide spoke on condition of anonymity because the announcement would be made public later in the day.

Wilhelm plans to tell reporters that Obama can build a coalition of Democrats, independents and Republicans needed to win the general election. He also says Obama can bring the change he promises—improving the economy and ending the war in Iraq.

Wilhelm is a superdelegate from Illinois who was previously uncommitted in the race.

If Amazon Could Vote

Via Politico: From the online bookstore's rankings, going by the highest-ranked version of the book:

No. 6 Audacity of Hope, Barack Obama
No. 22 Dreams from My Father, Barack Obama
No. 1,540 Faith of My Fathers, John McCain
No. 8,630 Living History, Hillary Clinton

As all good North Carolinian voters know, we are among the last primaries held in the nation. I, like many Tarheels, believed our primary votes would be as meaningless in 2008 as in the past. Yet, this tight Democratic race may provide us with an opportunity to have influence in this very important primary race.

With May 6th, 2008 rapidly approaching, North Carolinians need to remember the political passion of the Gantt/Helms Senatorial races or the recent battle for Congress between Larry Kissell and Robin Hayes. The success of the Gantt and Kissell campaigns was not in their winning (they were both narrowly defeated by the backroom, good ole' boy system that modern Carolinians struggle against), but in the movement toward change they inspired. In this historically agricultural state, Harvey Gantt and Larry Kissell tilled the political ground for this upcoming election and it is our responsibility as voters to use their hard work to be victorious during the November harvest!

While I am a Barack Obama supporter, I am also a proponent of political involvement. No matter who your candidate is, North Carolina voters must seize this seemingly rare opportunity to have our delegates' voices heard at the Democratic Convention on August 25-28th, 2008.

Below, I have listed a few Obama events taking place in North Carolina. You can also find a listing on www.barackobama.com.


Raleigh for Obama

We will Canvass neighborhoods and put Obama yard tents in every neighborhood showing the strong support we have for Barack. Door Knocking, etc.

Time:	Saturday, February 16 at 12:00 PM
Duration:	3 hours
Host:	Chris Weeks
Contact Phone:	919-451-0660
Location:	Barwell Road Community Center (Raleigh, NC) Barwell at Rock Quarry Road Raleigh, NC 27610

New Core Group for Obama in Carrboro

Even if it is two of us, if we double every week,(in my experience, this is highly likely), we will have 16 of us in a month! (I started a similar group in St. Paul, MN in 2004).

So, let's begin to get organized for the Primary, which looks like it could very well make a difference.

We'll meet on a Saturday, Feb 23rd at 1pm at Open Eye Cafe.

Time:	Saturday, February 23 at 1:00 PM
Duration:	1 hour
Host:	Dave Tillery
Contact Phone:	919.636.4814
Location:	Open Eye Cafe (Carrboro, NC) 101 Greensboro Street Carrboro, NC 27510

Small Business Networking Session

This is a business networking meeting and fundraising event. Local Rocky Mount and surrounding areas Small Business Owners will be able to share information about their businesses and get support for their business. A guest speaker from SCORE - counselors to America's Small Business - will be on hand to explain their free services and how they can help your business grow. There will be complimentary hors de voeures and light refreshments served.

This is also a fundraising event for Rocky Mount Citizens For Obama. Come support Barack Obama as we work to make him the next President of America. Mix and mingle with other Obama supporters. We are asking attendees for contributions of $25 or more.

We will also have Obama t-shirts, buttons, bumper stickers on hand for you to proudly display. This is the can't miss event for Rocky Mount and surrounding areas Obama supporters! All are welcome--we can't wait to see you there!

For more information call Shaq's After Dark 252-442-7456

Time:	Friday, February 29 at 6:00 PM
Duration:	3 hours
Host:	Sitawi Jahi
Location:	Shaq's After Dark (Rocky Mount, NC) 1200 East Highland Ave. Rocky Mount, NC 27804

Kids for Obama

Kids 1 thru 12 are invited to Lunch with their parents. Children will be asked to volunteer to wear Obama T-shirts and buttons, and pass out flyers.

Time:	Saturday, May 3 at 12:30 PM
Duration:	1 hour
Host:	Otis Foster III
Contact Phone:	336-586-0785
Location:	The Foster's Home (Elon, NC) 807 Brandon Mill Ct Elon, NC 27244

Al Keeps Quiet

So, our favorite little tree hugger won’t be hitting the campaign trail for anyone in this election season. According to CNN.com, “Two sources close to Al Gore tell us not to expect the former vice president to endorse either Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama any time during the primary season.” Everyone is getting their proverbial panties in quite a little bunch over Gore’s refusal to endorse anyone.

This makes me wonder: when did this endorsing craze get so out of hand? There is no doubt that Gore’s endorsement would make some difference, although I think it would fail to create the earth shattering effect that many seem to associate with the endorsement of a candidate. Obama’s got Oprah, Hillary’s got the New York Times. First of all, I can’t even trust Oprah to pick a decent novel for her book club, so I’m a little wary of her political endorsements. And does it bother any one else that the most prestigious, well-respected newspaper in the country is endorsing a candidate? I’m so paranoid about this, I’ve started counting the amount of Clinton articles the New York Times online runs as opposed to the coverage Obama is getting, although this might just mean I have far too much spare time.

CNN.com reports, “The sources say Gore talks with both Clinton and Obama, and is on good terms with both. But with Sen. John Kerry and Bill Clinton both aligned to a candidate, Gore has a role to serve as the neutral elder statesman in the party.” Wait, Bill Clinton is endorsing someone? Seriously? But really, I don’t blame Big Al for keeping quiet. He’s too busy trying to save us from ourselves. That PowerPoint presentation isn’t going to show itself you know. I’m not sure what variance an endorsement from a particularly powerful person, company, or organization makes. Maybe an endorsement can change an entire election and if it can, it would certainly be in this ever tightening democratic race.

Tim Kaine as VP? Pelosi Endorsement? Obama Sweeps Chesapeake!!

According to CNN, Virginia Governor Tim Kaine is on Obama's 'short list' to be in his administration if he won the Democratic nominee. Kaine seems like he would be a great choice for Vice President and considering he was one of the first people to endorse Obama, this could be true.

Also, acccording to the Times in the UK, Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi is still neutral in the race for the Democratic nomination but is "leaning towards Obama." And what about Obama-Pelosi 2008?

“The party Establishment is not going to turn its back on a candidate who is generating this tremendous excitement and bringing all these new voters into the political process,” an adviser said

All this news, as well as the fact that Obama swept all three Chesapeake primaries tonight, puts Obama in a great position to get the nomination sooner than expected. Maybe tomorrow is the date that Edwards endorses Obama, although sources told me yesterday that Edwards was close to endorsing Hillary unless Obama won convincingly, which he did tonight.

Final vote counts (now these are blowouts!):

DC:
Obama 75%
Clinton 24%

Maryland:
Obama 60%
Clinton 30%

Virginia:
Obama 64%
Clinton 35%

Is Obama the Messiah?

A bunch of websites and posts have been dedicated to this idea. From the fact that the phrase Believe In... appears so close to Obama, to his speeches that almost have a "preacher" aspect to them, many people are starting to ask the question: Is Obama the Messiah?

The site Obama Messiah is dedicated to finding imagery and quotes that they distort to make it look like Obama has been anointed by the throngs of followers as the Messiah. The grainy photos illustrated below are from the site and are essentially reproductions of AP photos with dreamy or "heavenly" atmosphere added to them. I find it funny and there are other articles written on this issue as well including Barack Obama Is Not Jesus and Slate's lovely The Obama Messiah Watch which is a "periodic feature considering evidence that Obama is the son of God."

Maybe so, but until the End Times, he'll just hand out doughnuts...

Happy Birthday Lincoln, Obama Style

Today is the 199th anniversary of President Abraham Lincoln’s birth. Our country has moved forward a tremendous amount since Honest Abe’s birthday. With his Emancipation Proclamation he made way for history to continue to be made by freeing most of the slaves in the United States. Therefore, it can’t be anything but fitting that today could also be a big turning point in the race for the Democratic Nominee for the President of the United States. If Obama sweeps the Potomac races this evening, it is possible he will evoke Lincoln in his victory speeches. And just think, how fitting would it be if Obama was in the office on the 200th anniversary of Lincoln’s birthday. The circle may be complete.

Can Obama Sweep the Potomac Vote?

Let's Hope So! GOBAMA!

Polls are favoring Obama in all three of today's primaries and it looks like Obama is on the cover of the next Time magazine.

FMB Obama song and Barack Star Mix Tape

FMB (Fire Magic Blood) is a new collaboration between Sun-Ra and Daedelus and they have released a short but sweet track that features the lyric: "F**k what yo momma say.. Im’a vote Obama Way!". The track remixes Ice Cube's Today was a Good Day and features Shafiq Husayn and Taz Arnold.

Click here to download the single.

Click here to stream the single.

I also found this on the web today.

“an Obama dedication mix using some songs that I’ve heard about him and songs that make me think of him. I just want to do my part to promote Obama this Tuesday!”

– Click here to download it all (tracklist below).

Barack Star: A Tribute to Barack Obama
A Mix by DJ Chief Boima

Tracklist:

Intro: Black President - Chief Boima
Black President (I Can’t Wait) - Brenda Fassie (Chief Boima Remix)
Barack Speaks - Barack Obama
You’re the Man (Pts. 1 & 2) - Marvin Gaye
Work to do - Kidz in the Hall
Somebody’s Gotta Do It - The Roots
The People - Common
Obama - Extra Golden
Can You Feel It? (MLK Mix) - Mr. Fingers
Funky President - James Brown
We Can Make it Better - Kanye West
Thinkin’ of a Master Plan - Yz’s
Open Letter to Obama - Jin
Superstar - Lupe Fiasco
President - Wyclef
Obama - Amigos de Obama
I’ve Got a Crush on Obama (Chief Boima Remix) - Obama Girl

Obama Wins a Grammy

After winning all three contests on Saturday, it was only fitting that Obama would end up winning a Grammy for best spoken word album. His book, Audacity of Hope, beat out Maya Angelou, Jimmy Carter and even Bill Clinton. Later in the evening, Obama won the Maine contest as well, meaning that he beat both husband and wife in the same day in very different contests. Obama's name is now beside Amy Winehouse and Kanye West in many news headlines. Although Neil Young recently stated that music has lots its power to save the world, Obama's win might signal otherwise and he is now in similar company as vice president Al Gore, considering he won an Oscar for his film An Inconvenient Truth.

Obama in the Oval Office - Coming to Madam Tussauds

Raw Video: Obama's gets the Oval Office in Wax

There are reports that today their will be an unveiling of a wax figure of Obama in the Oval Office at Madam Tussaud's. From ABC. Unveiling video here.

"(And in the precious visual department: Monday brings the unveiling of "a new figure of Sen. Barack Obama seated in a replica of the Oval Office with Bill and Hillary Clinton standing by" at Madame Tussauds wax museum in Washington, per the AP's daybook.)"