Posted on 10/12/2008 5:32:01 PM PDT by Maelstorm
SUPPORTERS OF Barack Obama gathered in Dublin yesterday to attend the first fundraising event held in Ireland for the Democratic presidential candidate.
More than 100 US citizens attended the fundraiser which was hosted by Massachusetts native Moira Shipsey at her Dalkey home yesterday afternoon. Ms Shipsey is a refugee lawyer who is married to senior counsel Bill Shipsey.
Among the guests was novelist and filmmaker Rebecca Miller, who lives in Co Wicklow with her husband, actor Daniel Day-Lewis, and their two sons. Ms Miller said she had made her fourth donation to the Obama campaign yesterday but declined to say how much she had contributed.
With three weeks to go until election day, Ms Miller said she was feeling "hopeful but very nervous at the same time".
The US had been "hijacked" in the eight years since George W Bush was first elected, Ms Miller argued. "We need to get our country back and reclaim patriotism for ourselves," she said, and she would be "very sad and disappointed" if John McCain were to win on November 4th.
"McCain and Palin represent our more primitive self as a nation . . . one that is afraid of the future and afraid of change," she said. "We need to elect the man who is going to lead us forward instead."
Other guests included US-Ireland Alliance president Trina Vargo, who was attending in her capacity as adviser on Irish issues to Barack Obama, and former Progressive Democrats junior minister Liz O'Donnell.
US citizens at yesterday's gathering were asked for a minimum donation of €100. Under US electoral legislation the maximum allowable contribution per person is $2,300.
Ms Shipsey, who organised a similar event in 2004 to raise funds for John Kerry's unsuccessful bid for the presidency, said she was "cautiously optimistic" about Obama's chances following his recent move ahead in the polls.
"It's encouraging but there is no room for complacency. Twenty days is a long time in politics."
Emily Mark FitzGerald, a Los Angeles native who lectures in art at UCD, wore a green T-shirt with the slogan "Vote Irish, Vote O'Bama". "I've been donating to the campaign regularly," she said. "Today I donated €150 which brings the total amount I have contributed to around €400. Fundraising is still really important even at this stage."
The event was supported by the Irish chapter of Democrats Abroad. Its chair Kate Fitzgerald said the final fundraising push would be used to step up Obama's campaign in crucial swing states.
"It's important to make sure the message is out there in those states. We can never really get complacent," she added.
Liv Gibbons, a Dublin-based Democrats Abroad superdelegate, who attended the party's convention in Denver in August, agreed. "I'm relieved to see Obama is in front in some battleground states but he's not too comfortably ahead. A lot can happen in the next three weeks."
So far the Obama campaign has raised more than $468 million, about half of which has come from relatively small donations.
Just what does this mean?
With three weeks to go until election day, Ms Miller said she was feeling “hopeful but very nervous at the same time”.
“McCain and Palin represent our more primitive self as a nation . . . one that is afraid of the future and afraid of change,” she said. “We need to elect the man who is going to lead us forward instead.”
When did we start allowing our candidates to “fundraise” in foreign countries? Has that always been legal or is it just a HUSSEIN thing?
Off the subject but.....has anyone heard about the Judge that is working on Obama’s birth certificate? When can we expect a ruling?
I was wondering about that myself? Hmmmm. Sounds like news to me. lol
It means the Black Irish are at it again...
It means Sarah Palin is pro-life and is Christian. A lot of it really just comes down to abortion and religion.
Well I wouldn’t hang my hopes on that. I’d like to see a Rezko ruling before election day too.
O’Bama.
so does this mean the likes of Gerry Adams and martin mcguinness will be able to start to get money for their IRA buddies again like they did under Clinton thought Kennedy
It was Bush what stopped the money though NORAID and made the IRA give up with no funds to buy weapons and bombs
Leave it to the Irish (Yeah. I’m some of that too!) to back an Arab guy over a guy named McCain.
Is this the black Irish?
100 US citizens in Ireland fundraising for O’Bama. Amazing. LOL
I know what it means but we hear these code words being used all the time. Mark Warner the Senate candidate here in VA uses the phrase “we need an administration based on Science” to the same effect. How belittling and bigoted the phrases are.
“A lot of it really just comes down to abortion and religion.”
######
Don’t forget the queer mafia.
They are a remarkably hateful plank in the perverted Democrat party platform.
The Soviet Union claimed that its government was “Scientific.”
I would have thought that Daniel Day-Lewis had more sense than that.
The Gay Mafia is REAL.
too bad the Oboy didn’t run his bank accounts in Iceland...
lol that is too funny!
I wonder if anyone will pick this up?
Daniel is just a hollywood liberal living in Eire..I do not think he is even Irish? I believe he is English.
“’McCain and Palin represent our more primitive self as a nation . . . one that is afraid of the future and afraid of change,’ she said.”
Gee, I don’t recall the left embracing change when Roberts and Alito were nominated for the Supreme Court, even though they represented change. They don’t want change, unless it is the change that they want. I’m all for change. I’d like to see school vouchers and an end to court-imposed abortion laws. That would be change.
“Vote Irish, Vote O’bama”? That piece of sh!t should learn to speak for herself.
What money through NORAID did Bush stop? Bush didn’t stop squat, genius.
hey Genius
NORAID was set up in south Boston, the money was channelled to Ireland where it was spent on weapons
bush after 9/11 stopped it and even refused to have the terrorists at the white house
after their money was gone they had to do their bank job remember
and yes I have been asked in the likes of bad Abbott’s, stars fields, black rose, etc in Boston for money to give to political prisoners as they call them
I went to see Gerry Adams speak in Boston and asked money though NORAID.
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