Obama Strikes Back Hard In Speech Responding To Clinton's New "Campaign of Change"

[ariesgem]

MANCHESTER, N.H. -

Democrat Barack Obama on Monday sharpened his critique of lead rival Hillary Rodham Clinton, warning against a return to "divisive, special interest politics" that had demoralized the country even before President Bush took office.

"As bad as this administration has been, it's going to take more than just a change in parties to truly turn this country around," Obama told supporters at a Labor Day rally.

"George Bush and Dick Cheney may have turned divisive, special interest politics into an art form, but it was there before they got to Washington. If you and I don't stand up to challenge it, it will be there long after we leave."

It was the latest volley in the "change versus experience" debate that has dominated the dialogue between Clinton and her top rivals in recent weeks. On Sunday, Clinton unveiled a new campaign speech where she argued that only a president experienced in the ways of Washington could bring about real political transformation.

Without mentioning Clinton by name, Obama struck back hard at that argument.

"There are those who tout their experience working the system in Washington," Obama said. "But the problem is the system in Washington isn't working for us, and it hasn't been for a very long time."

Obama, who has spent much of the campaign answering questions of whether he is experienced enough to be president, ticked through his years as a community organizer and consensus builder in the Illinois legislature and now in the Senate. But he also sought to frame his hope-driven message as an antidote to the cynicism of political insiders.

"A lot of people who've been in Washington a lot longer than me, they've got better connections, they go(to the)right dinner parties, they know how to talk the Washington talk," he said. "I may not have the experience Washington likes but I believe I have the experience America needs right now."

With Clinton still riding high in most polls as the fall campaign was set to begin in earnest, both Obama and John Edwards have stepped up their claim that Clinton is too cautious and too conventional to bring real change to Washington.

"Hope and change are not just the rhetoric of a campaign for me," he said, adding that for others, politics seemed to be a game. He also vowed to tell the truth always as president. "You shouldn't expect anything less from your president," he said to loud cheers.


http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2007/09/03/ap4076854.html

GOBAMA!

[smalll]

1. Essentially, Obama to New Hampshire: "Message: I care I'm losing!" /nt

[journalist3072]

2. ROFL!!!!! Anytime Obama can't even muster up enough courage

to be on record as stating whether or not the Senate should hold a no-confidence vote against the Attorney General of the United States....well, he can't convince me he's not part of "the system."

[democratsin08]

59. every candidate

running for either party is bought and paid for by special interests except possibly for gravel and paul. thats just the way it is.

[Adelante]

102. Yep

The sad truth.

[durrrty libby]

3. Yep, that's about the size of it.

[tbyg52]

7. This is why I love/depend on DU

You can always count on people who have been paying attention to the topic to jump in and give relevant commentary. To me, it's priceless. Thanks, all.

[Tellurian]

14. Yep, Obama's crowd amounted to 400-450 people..

While the Clintons spoke in NH to an overflow crowd of 4,500!

yeah, Barack, thank you for your concern!

[jefferson_dem]

49. LOL! Is that the latest talking point spewed by hillarywishesshewas44.bozo?

:rofl:

[ariesgem]

51. Correction: the crowd was at 1500 not 400-450

http://nh2008.blogspot.com/2007/09/obama-we-need-to-turn-page.html

and I'd be willing to bet that a good portion of that crowd of 4500 came to hear the big dog.

[Tellurian]

64. Really? Here's a video directly from the Obama website from today's NH Rally..

Where are the thousands? Looks like a few hundred, if that!

Now watch the inconsistencies in the video and freeze the minutes I mention and have a good look...pay attention to how close the crowd is standing to Obama in the beginning. Now look at min 1:38.. you can stop it there and do a freeze frame...look at the crowd size and where Obama is standing on the stage. He's all alone, no one standing near him. Revert back to the crowd standing close behind him... At minute 3:14, the fella with the tan hat/blue shirt standing directly behind Obama makes a BIG WIDE YAWN...wait and see the final pic of the crowd at 3:35...what happened, they all went home early out of boredom?

Here's the video, see for yourself, thats been touched up just a bit by the Obama campaign ..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VegABSFhATU

[ariesgem]

71. I saw the speech live on CSPAN. The cameras panned the crowd.

1500 seemed about right. I'll stick to the numerous press accounts about the numbers of attendees.
Your numbers come from you counting the crowd from one angle of a freeze frame? :rofl:

[Tellurian]

73. That chop job video is from Obama's own site..

:rofl:

Heres something to look at...the real thing..

[jefferson_dem]

74. Coattails...

Boring.

[Tellurian]

75. No Tails...Loser!

:hi:

[jefferson_dem]

76. Well...if he is "The Big Dawg"...

what does that make her?

...with a tail as well...

:hi:

[Tellurian]

79. I'm afraid Obama is going to be the reincarnation of Harold Stassen..

and be a perennial candidate from here on in..

I have no hard feeling towards you when Obama folds his Tent...

[jefferson_dem]

82. And i'll pass you the peace pipe when Hillary's biggest decision will be

how hard to lobby for Obama's veep slot...

Cheers!

[Tellurian]

85. No worries...lookie here...

If the crowd didn't like Hillary, it wouldn't matter if the Big Dawg was there or not!



It's chocolate, honey- Chocolate shoes!

[wordpix]

83. whatever the size, the crowd was charged up and Obama gave a great speech, sans note cards

It was an inspiring speech, one that future generations are likely to remember.

[Ethelk2044]

60. Show me the numbers link please

I know people showed up because they wanted to see Bill. But like the repugs said, they were only there to see him. It was not that they were going to vote for her per CNN.

[Jim Sagle]

4. No specifics at all in that speech.

BTW, Edwards RRRRRRRAWWWWWWWWXXXXXXXXXXXXX!!!!!!!!!

[rodeodance]

5. yes, I am a peachy face guy now

[wordpix]

6. it was an excellent speech, very inspiring. I beg to differ with these post-ers

[jefferson_dem]

48. It was a dynamic...inspirational speech.

None of the foamers above care much about that.

As a consolation...they do continue to serve as excellent props for the sort of "small politics" Obama speaks of.

[wordpix]

84. thanks for that, jeffersondem. At least there are a few critical thinkers in the crowd

[jenmito]

8. K&R! Great article and great comeback!

He proves he IS a fighter! :toast:

[SaveElmer]

9. Apparently Obama is trying to make Americans forget the 8 years...

Before Bush, trying to trick people into conflating the two Presidents...

Pretty sad actually...apparently both Obama and Edwards have given up trying to distinguish their stands on issues from Hillary's, so they are trying gimmicks such as this to make headway...

Won't work, people know very well how much better things were under Bill Clinton(hence his high approval ratings)...so aren't likely to mistake Hillary for a Republican...

[PresidentObama]

10. Last time I checked......

Edwards is leading the charge when it came to presenting big and bold ideas to the voters, and has made it quite clear the difference between him and Senator Clinton. And he's done so in respectable and Presidential way. No gimmicks needed.

And why are you bringing up Bill Clinton? President Clinton, who I absolutely love, isn't running for President. Hillary Clinton is. And she's doing a fine job doing so, I see no problem in Senator Obama talking about the differences in his and Senator Clinton's approaches. Obama wants to clean up Washington, and not feed into the broken system. Senator Clinton wants to work within the system to bring about real change. Two different outlooks from two different Presidential candidates.

[SaveElmer]

11. Obama is bringing him up...

As are John and Elizabeth Edwards with their "Lincoln Bedroom" references, and assertion that a Hillary candidacy would bring back the divisiveness fostered by Republicans in the 90's...

It's a gimmick designed to try and turn peoples minds to the right wing media caricature of alleged Clinton excesses, and attempting to tie Hillary to them...a cynical political move for campaigns that have yet to gain any ground on Hillary's...

[PresidentObama]

12. And? n/t

[SaveElmer]

13. Amplified in my post

[zulchzulu]

94. Why is Hillary Clinton bringing her husband on stage with no sax?

I said sax.

:rofl:

[Colobo]

15. Change vs. Back to the 90s? I pick change.

[SaveElmer]

17. What change...

All I see is a change in last name...

There are no substantive policy differences between them...his time in Congress has shown no commitment to some dramatic change..it is a slogan he came up with...a subtle way of trying to tie the Clinton and Bush administrations, attempting to make people think they are part of the same hypocrisy...

In fact Obama is a product of the same system, with less accomplishment on his record...

I like him well enough, and he very well might make a good President if elected...but given his relative lack of experience at the national level, that is a far riskier bet...

Back to the 90's would be change...a very positive change...

[Colobo]

18. I can't wait for Obama's presidency to start in Jan. 09

I think you will be one of his biggest supporters around here once you get to see this man taking care of this broken America we are living in. He'll be better than Bill Clinton. I know it.

[SaveElmer]

20. As you well know I will enthusiastically support the nominee whoever he or she is...

As to whether he'll be better than Bill Clinton...I doubt he will get the chance, but if he does he will have surmounted a very high hurdle...

[Colobo]

You know I like to play around. I'm cool with Hill, Bill and B-Rock.

[Colobo]

21. Dupe.

[BeyondGeography]

16. System Girl and Obama are not the same people

and their approach to campaign finance, lobbying and ethics reform is often diametrically opposed.

Where he has consistently pushed for transparency, she has consistently embraced secrecy.

Where he has consistently proposed decreasing the amount of leverage lobbyists have over the system, she has consistently been their best friend.

From an earlier analysis of the issues in the WP:

...Indeed, who takes money from lobbyists is the wrong question about an essential subject. Instead, voters who care -- and I think voters should care -- ought to ask: What is the candidate's history on campaign finance reform, lobbying and ethics rules, and open government generally? How transparent is the candidate about campaign and personal finances? What steps will he or she take to limit the influence of money during the current campaign?

On these, there are revealing differences among the Democratic front-runners.

Edwards was part of the legislative team working to pass the McCain-Feingold campaign finance law, but lobbying and campaign reform were nowhere near the top of his agenda in the Senate.

During the 2004 campaign, Edwards gave a useful speech outlining his plan to limit lobbyists' influence. But, unlike the other Democratic candidates, he refused requests to reveal the identities of his big fundraisers. This time around, after considerable prodding, Edwards agreed to release the names of fundraisers -- all his fundraisers, with no specifics about how much they had collected. His campaign argues vehemently that it should be praised for this avalanche of information, not faulted. But the candidate knows who has reeled in $1,000 and who raised $100,000. Why shouldn't voters?

Clinton has shown no zeal for or even particular interest in the issue in the Senate; nor did she while in the White House. Indeed, as her handling of the health-care task force and Whitewater documents illustrate, Clinton's instinct is for secrecy, and her default position is to disclose only the minimum legally required. She consented to reveal her major fundraisers only after repeated editorial hammering -- and only after all the other leading Democratic contenders had agreed.

On this issue, Obama leads the pack -- I'd say PAC, but he (and Edwards) don't take their checks, either. He helped pass a far-reaching ethics and campaign finance bill in the Illinois state Senate and made the issue a priority on arriving in Washington. Much to the displeasure of his colleagues, Obama promoted an outside commission to handle Senate ethics complaints. He co-authored the lobbying reform bill awaiting President Bush's signature and pushed -- again to the dismay of some colleagues -- to include a provision requiring lawmakers to report the names of their lobbyist-bundlers.

He has co-sponsored bills to overhaul the presidential public financing system and public financing of Senate campaigns. It's nice to hear Clinton talk about how "we've got to move toward public financing" -- Edwards backs it, too -- but I don't see her name on those measures.

Obama readily agreed to identify his bundlers. Unlike Clinton and Edwards, he has released his income tax returns. Perhaps most important, Obama has pledged to take public financing for the general election if he is the Democratic nominee and his Republican opponent will do the same.

Any Democratic candidate wanting to "get the money out of American politics" (Clinton) or demonstrate that "the Democratic Party is the party of the people" (Edwards) ought to leap at this chance. The candidates' silence on Obama's public financing proposal -- they'll "consider" it -- has been more telling than anything they have actually said.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/21/AR2007082101420.html

System Girl might be winning and might well eventually win. In the area of open government, that will mean Lack of Change + Experience at Resisting Change. The only gimmickry on display here is your lame attempt to make people believe there's no difference when there are many.

[SaveElmer]

19. If Obama walked the walk maybe...or had such commitment in his background...

But he makes very careful and cynical distinctions between different types of lobbyists, has no trouble pushing their interests in Congress, and hiring them for his campaign...not to mention his equivocation in the Rezko situation...

He is a product of the same system of political finance, deal making, and special interest as virtually every politician in America is...that he has suddenly discovered that anti-lobbyist rhetoric might help his campaign means little given his history...same goes for Edwards, who apparently is trying to make people forget he was ever a United States Senator...

[BeyondGeography]

22. Typical. A little Rezko, a little ignorance of his record BEFORE he got to Washington

doesn't add up to the simple truth that you can not disprove: Obama has always fought for open and ethical government and Hillary has always been at best indifferent and at worst resistant to change in this area.

[SaveElmer]

24. Unless it was in his interest not too...

He is no different than any other politician...and that he played those games does not bother me...to do otherwise would be unilaterally disarming...

[BeyondGeography]

29. Unilaterally disarming? You only have to worry about that if you are overly dependent on big donors

as is Clinton. Obama not so much.

From the first six mnths of this year:

-Of Obama's 258,000 donors, 213,000 gave contributions of $200 or less.
-110,000 donors gave on the Internet, amounting to $17 million.
-70 percent of Senator Clinton's money comes from donors that already gave the maximum allowed by law and thus can't give again. Add to that the $10 million she dumped in by emptying out her Senate campaign fund and Obama has, in fact, already outraised her by $58 million to $53 million.
-Among Senator Clinton's donations, only $19 million come from donors that can give again, compared to $34 million of Obama's donors that can give again.

[SaveElmer]

86. Was talking about Republicans...

Many of her donors have maxed out purposely, donating funds going to the general election...

[Adelante]

103. I appreciate this statement very much

"Indeed, who takes money from lobbyists is the wrong question"

I cringe every time one of our candidates brags on not accepting money from lobbyists or PACs when huge sums pour through the bundler system back door unregulated. Transparency has to mean everything in this situation, because there is no other prospect for the public to know who is paying off who. The system is sick and needs forthright diagnosis and healing, not pretty words.

I commend you for making this important distinction.

[enough already]

30. Yeah, the distinction is so clear....

Hillary votes for the war. Bill gave us welfare "reform" and "free trade". How could anyone possibly mistake them for pig GOPers?

[SaveElmer]

88. Bill gave us...

Surpluses, longest booming economy in American history, lower crime, lower poverty, higher literacy levels, low unemployment, record additions to protected public lands...and on and on and on...

I find it pathetic that in order to criticize Hillary some Democrats feel the need to try and convince the vast majority of us who know better that Bill Clinton was an unsuccessful President...the kind of left is right, up is down tactic Republicans are so fond of using...

You keep very good company...

[jefferson_dem]

53. I guess that's the choice, eh. Retread and rerun or move forward with a new direction...

:bounce:

[SaveElmer]

89. Yeah if the retread was the record successes of the 90's...

I will most gladly take it...as apparently many American will too...

Funny Obama's rhetoric on Clinton was so much different in his book...guess he figures not enough people have read it to realize his "change" mantra is simply a campaign gimmick...

[onewholaughsatfools]

98. laughing at your comment

Hillary is not Bill Clinton, but of course she will try to be.....I have always said, Bill Clinton was the best President the republicans ever had. I do not want another Bill Clinton I want someone who will change and lift up America and the world, not more of Clinton's and Bush's bullshit....Don't tell me it's raining when you are pissing on my leg.........

[wyldwolf]

23. A question for Obama's "non divisive" true believers on DU...

... do you campaign for Obama on Free Republic?

[Colobo]

25. I don't.

[wyldwolf]

26. untapped source of voters there, ya know.

[Colobo]

27. Do you campaign for Clinton over there?

[wyldwolf]

32. you know Clinton isn't calling for bi-partisan politics, right? Obama needs the Free Republic vote

[BeyondGeography]

34. Which means she needs every Democratic vote she can get her hands on

That should be an incentive for you to play nicer, even though you pooh-pooh the netroots at every turn while spending so much of your time here.

[wyldwolf]

37. right. So... you've registered your account at Free Republic?

[Laurab]

52. To win the election, the Dem candidate is going to need

"the Free Republic vote" - you really should create your account. Then again, Clinton already has the apparent backing of some high-ranking repukes, and she doesn't seem to mind. Actually, no one needs the "free republic vote", and it's a good thing for all, but especially Hillary, since she is still vilified in many of their sig lines.

I do believe Freeperville is about 10 people in their parents' basements, and they certainly won't be a large percentage of the voting cross-over. And no, I don't hang out there, and I don't have an account, but on the few occasions I've been directed there, the hate for her is quite obvious.

If you honestly think Clinton doesn't need crossover votes just as much as any other Dem candidate, you are deluding yourself.

If you think she won't work with the repukes, you are mistaken. If you think she isn't working on the same voters Obama is, you're mistaken. Clinton needs to work much harder than the other two front-runners, because she is so hated on the right. It's not deserved, but it's fact. They see her exactly like we (or most of us, anyway) see King George.

To get elected, Hillary will need EVERY Dem vote, and then some, and from what I've read, that's not even going to happen, so hopefully she will be able to attract some votes from the opposite side if she wins the primary. I don't think she can. That, in itself, is the main reason I don't want Hillary to win the primary - I don't think she can win the general the way things stand.

If Obama can attract some dissatisfied repukes, that is a GREAT thing, because the winner of the election will have to be able to do that. Bash him all you want for it, but it's a neccesity, unless you want your candidate to win the primary, and lose the election, which would really be rather foolish, don't you think?

[wyldwolf]

55. so who's leading the Free Republic Obama Kumbaya tour?

[Laurab]

104. You? n/t

[wyldwolf]

105. of course not, and why would you ask? I'm not on board with the Obama Kumbaya movement. So, you?

[Laurab]

107. Nah, I just said that because I can't take you seriously anymore.

that is, if I ever did, which I doubt. I love my senator...well, not really love, but I hope she stays my senator for a LONG time here in NY!

[Colobo]

62. You are being obtuse, wyld. I know you wanna piss Obama supporters off, but...

don't be obtuse.

[wyldwolf]

66. the fact remains, if Barack "Kumbaya" Obama's goal is any more that just a slogan...

... he has to start preaching to the other side. Will you be his ambassador to Freeperland?

[jefferson_dem]

67. Sounds like your a bit envious of Obama's positive "big tent" message...

as opposed to the spiteful divisionary rhetoric we get from others in the race.

[wyldwolf]

68. Sounds like you are. You don't want to take the message to those who need to hear it most.

[jefferson_dem]

70. The "I know you are but what am I" comeback already?

Sheesh...

Why do they need to hear the message any more than you and the rest of the Queen Hillary Cabal?

[wyldwolf]

72. So you won't volunteer to be the Obama Freeperland Ambassador?

[Colobo]

63. Dupe.

[Name removed]

100. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[wyldwolf]

101. LOL! Imagine that. Someone missing YOUR memo. Oh the horrors!

[Forkboy]

28. If arrogance translates into votes Hillary will win by the largest landslide since Nixon/McGovern.

[wyldwolf]

31. so I take it your anwer is, "no," you're not taking Obama' message to the other side?

[Forkboy]

33. I'm not an Obama supporter.

I don't deal much with the other side.

How's it working out for you,though?

[wyldwolf]

39. but you're tending to take his side here. So... you "don't deal MUCH with the other side?" ...

... does the little bit you do deal with them include the Barack "kumbaya" message at Free Republic?

[Forkboy]

40. Keep workin it...it's cute to see you like this.

"This" being desperate and trolling for anyone to take you seriously other than fellow groupies.

[wyldwolf]

41. brilliant reply *sarcasm*

[Forkboy]

42. And your posts are what?

Other than unintentionally hilarious,I mean?

I hope you have a pot of coffee going.Sounds like you need it.

[wyldwolf]

43. did I mention yours are completely irrelevant?

[Forkboy]

44. No,but you keep responding to them anyways.

Coffee ready yet?

[wyldwolf]

45. oh, ok. Your replies are completely irrelevant.

[Forkboy]

46. Apparently not.

But enough of this banter.You're not even close to the wolfie we all know and love tonight.This is like stealing candy from a baby,so I'll let you take the last word in response to yet another irrelevant post by me.

Take two aspirin and we'll catch you in the morning when you're feeling better.

[wyldwolf]

47. apparantly so. You've taken Obama's Kumbaya mission to the darkside and made a pot of coffee of it.

:shrug:

[illinoisprogressive]

36. Gee, isn't Hillary the neocons candidate, Wlyd???? And Murdoch's

[wyldwolf]

38. if so, Obamanites have lots of work to do to win the GOP vote. So... registered at Freeperland yet?

[onewholaughsatfools]

99. so you admit, hillary wants the republican votes

how friggin sad is that...........

[wyldwolf]

106. The only candidate and that candidate's supporters that have admitted that is Obama's

[illinoisprogressive]

35. Obama electrified the crowd. I loved how he trashed the opportunistic insider and the press

[democratsin08]

50. attack dog obama

he always seems to be ripping apart the party. he seems very mean spirited and hate-filled.

[Forkboy]

54. oh give it up already.

[ariesgem]

56. Squawk!

[jefferson_dem]

57. What planet are you on? Or perhaps you forgot the little rainy "sarcasm" emoticon?

:shrug:

[jefferson_dem]

58. Self delete. Dupe.

[Imagevision]

61. Obama on his worst day makes more sense and is more real then Hillary could ever hope to be...

[journalist3072]

65. Yea, ok...you keep on believing that. Whatever works for you to be delusional. eom

[Tellurian]

69. Ck out the vid in post #64

Hardly anyone showed up at Obama's Labor Day Rally.

Take note of the sloppy editing job done trying to convince people there were throngs of people there.

[journalist3072]

77. Oh wow. Thanks for that. It was too funny to see that guy yawning!!

And please tell me Obama isn't still on that Red State vs. Blue State stuff that he spoke about at the 2004 Convention. I'd think he would have something more newer to say by now.

[Tellurian]

87. I'm sure, Obama has a great big headache tonight..

He feels his whole campaign slipping away and is clueless in how to stop it from going down in flames..

Obama wanted to run with the BIG Boys&Girls....and he got his wish!

[illinoisprogressive]

78. According to different accts. obama had 1,500 at his speech and even with Bill

the clintons drew several hundred. Bill must be losing his touch. hmmmmmm.
So, which has the stronger message that people are going to hear about change?????

[Colobo]

80. The choice is easy: Change or Old School Politics?

[Colobo]

81. Dupe.

[Tellurian]

90. delusional as usual!

Between 4500-5000 people for Hillary's NH Rally.

[Tellurian]

91. Here it is in print...Obama 's NH Rally draws Hundreds...

Obama touts change, Clinton pitches experience

by Mike Dorning

MANCHESTER, N.H.--Barack Obama kicked off his fall campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination today by turning to the same theme his chief rival stressed in her opening salvo a day earlier: experience in national politics.

Former First Lady Hillary Clinton wants voters to remember that she is a battle-scarred veteran of Washington's bitter political wars and Obama is not.

Obama, who was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 2004, is reminding voters of the same thing.

And at a time when high dissatisfaction with government—particularly among Democratic voters—Obama argues that the distinction works in his favor.


Without referring to Clinton by name, the Illinois senator sounded the theme at a rally in central Manchester on a warm, sunny morning that drew hundreds of supporters.

http://www.swamppolitics.com/news/politics/blog/new_hampshire_2008/

[Pirate Smile]

92. When your parents get home and see that you've all been posting on DU under their names, you're all

going to be in big trouble. Now get to bed, tomorrow's a school day.

:spank:

This thread truly reminds me of "cooties" and "I know you are but what am I" talk.

[zulchzulu]

93. It was a smackdown by Obama...pure and simple

People are finally starting to see what a lousy choice the "default candidate" would be. And it's going to keep on keeping on...

:kick:

[Tellurian]

96. If that was Obama's smackdown, I doubt he'd survive a day on DU!

[AtomicKitten]

95. Upside the head.

Gobama.

[onewholaughsatfools]

97. well obama spoke the truth

lets move on........