So Obama manages to attact a crowd of about 4000 in DC on a Tuesday, and he's fading?

[Colobo]

Can someone explain me what's up with that? It needs an explanation. :)

[ElizabethDC]

1. Well, a couple of months back, Hillary managed to attract a crowd of 8000 in DC on a Wednesday

not that 4000 is anything to sneeze at . . .

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

2. Oh, the usual.

Our "betters" making our decisions for us and all that.

Awful lot of people out there never speak to a pollster, you know?

[Steve_in_California]

3. D,C. is about 70% black.

N'uff said.

[Colobo]

4. So it's all racial?

[JI7]

5. and ?

[saltpoint]

6. Four thousand sounds like a pretty good crowd to me.

Anybody feel like making sandwiches for four thousand people?

If a significant number of us do not wish to make that many sandwiches, then I'd say it's a pretty big crowd drawn by Senator Obama.

[Colobo]

7. But if one looks at the polls, the man's campaign is almost dead.

So, what's going on?

[saltpoint]

8. Hi, Katzenkavalier. Hell, I don't know. Early support is buoyant on one

hand but deceptive on the other.

I believe Senator Clinton enjoys wide but shallow support.

Also I don't believe Senator Obama has even peaked yet, or close to it. It does seem as if his campaign is taking the gradual on-ramp, but the speed they're building is sure and steady.

It might be the smart move.

And he hasn't even stated spending any of that campaign war chest yet.

The Clinton camp surely is aware that he either matched her in cash or exceeded her totals.

That's hanging over the entire proceedings right now.

[Colobo]

9. That might be the case, Crusoe. I'm just puzzled at the disparity between

public displays of support for Obama and his low numbers on the polls.

[ElizabethDC]

10. Maybe it's b/c some of the people who show up to see him aren't necessarily going to vote for him

maybe some people are undecided and just want to hear him out. One of my roommates was going to go to the rally tonight (she didn't end up going), and she's trying to decide between HRC and Obama, so she wants to make sure she sees as much of each of them as possible.

[Colobo]

12. But don't you think Obama wouldn't have so many people donating to his campaign

or working in grassroots efforts across the US if he really lacked support? His campaign is super strong, in numbers, money and organization. The polls don't reflect that at all. It's... bizarre.

[ElizabethDC]

14. It's not that he lacks support, it's just that maybe he doesn't have the most support

I think he has plenty of support, as the polls reflect. He maybe just doesn't have enough support to win (but maybe he does).

At the same time, not everyone who votes contributes money or attends campaign events, you know? So votes can't necessarily be measured in that way.

[Colobo]

15. Let's see what happens. I guess we can only be patient and wait.

[ElizabethDC]

16. Yep, the race is far from over. n/t

[Colobo]

18. You are one my favorite Hillarites, do you know that?

You rock! :)

(I also have a soft spot for wyld, Elmer, emilyg and ronny.)

[ElizabethDC]

19. Awww, Katz, thanks! You're one of my favorite Obamaniacs! n/t

[emilyg]

20. Katz - you're one of my very favorite posters.

Don't give up. Very early. :hug:

[Colobo]

21. Thanks, emily! Check your inbox!

[saltpoint]

11. Let's get deeper into this fall. I think the polling is going to start to

rollercoaster quite a bit.

It's still awfuly early in the season.

[rusty quoin]

13. I agree. It's still too early.

[msongs]

17. our local high school gets 10,000 people at football games, obama only got 4000? nt

[Colobo]

25. For the average American, Football > Politics.

[illinoisprogressive]

22. and without much notice..... when Hillary tried it she had to go to schools to drum up business.

[ElizabethDC]

23. What are you talking about? n/t

[illinoisprogressive]

26. I read that her campaign had to go out to the schools to get people to come since

they had a small handful of middle aged women.
there was a video on Washington Post by Milbank then about it.

[ElizabethDC]

27. That's actually not quite what happened

The Hillary event was a rally for Women for Hillary. They reached out to a number of women leaders in the area, including college students. And why shouldn't college students have been included? Besides, Obama's is the campaign that's so driven by youth support. I actually don't know a single Obama supporter who *isn't* in college.

[illinoisprogressive]

24. Polls are not polling those who did not vote in primaries last time.

there are a hell of alot of people who never voted in primaries or are first timers who are voting for Obama.
Do not underestimate his support.

[Capn Sunshine]

28. it's the strategy

"Hillary is invincible" over and over. So yeah, we have to march those people- the newbies- to the polls in an old fashoned GOTV campaign. You can't do it online. You have to hold their hands.