Posted on 10/20/2004 5:20:26 AM PDT by Aquinasfan
It's good to be the overwhelming front-runner.
Democrat Barack Obama launched a $2 million television ad campaign in the Chicago area Tuesday with a 30-second spot that not only does not include a plea for voters' support, but doesn't even say what office he is seeking.
But Obama's media adviser insists the U.S. Senate candidate is not being overconfident, despite his 40-percentage point lead over Republican rival Alan Keyes.
"If we were taking this for granted, you could run a rationale for not running any ad," said David Axelrod. "But the act of running this ad says we are not taking any vote for granted."
What the ad does feature is a snippet of the Hyde Park Democrat's famed keynote address at the Democratic National Convention this summer
"There is not a liberal America, and a conservative America, there is the United States of America," Obama tells the delegates waving blue-and-white "Obama" signs.
If viewers watch closely, they can read "Democrat for U.S. Senate" in the logo shown in the corner of the screen in the final seconds. The spot is the first in the Chicago area since the primary.
Already well-known
Axelrod said most voters know what office Obama is seeking and suggested other ads over the next two weeks could include a direct appeal for support.
Keyes has enough money to run television commercials, but his team is keeping mum about when they will begin.
"We're waiting until we can see the whites of their eyes," said Bill Pascoe, Keyes' campaign manager.
All Obama has to do to win is sit back and keep Keyes talking. Maybe goose him a bit about homosexuals or how others should lead their lives.
Keye's has got em right where he wants them....yeah, right. Who;s his campaign manager....Baghdad bob?
Nov 3?
Obama is campaigning for Kerry with the ads.
It would have been nice if Keyes had done something to help GW there.
A subtle message to the governor that he may run for governor next time and can use the same commercials. Also a message to the DNC that he doesn't think Kerry will win and that he already is gearing up to run for Pres in 2008.
Uh huh. Well, Mr. Pascoe, the "whites of Obama's eyes" are about 45 points ahead of yours, which will probably make them difficult to see without a long range sniper scope.
They better have something good. Keyes (R-Mars) loses more points every time he opens his mouth.
Alan's got $1.5 million to spend. And if the ads highlight Obama's support for infanticide, who knows?
Keyes CLOSING IN on Obama (Keyes jumps 20-30% in collar counties).
We owe Keyes a debt. He kept Osmaa Obama in Illinois rather than campaigning around the country for kerry.
And for the upcoming debates, beginning tomorrow.
Unfortunately, I don't see any mention of it on CSPAN, but Wednesday they'll be offering up a re-enactment of the Lincoln-Douglas debates. Duh!
October 7, 2004
BY LYNN SWEET WASHINGTON BUREAU CHIEF
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Democrat Barack Obama, poised to win the open Illinois Senate seat in November, has ensured his future in the chamber with an impressive fund-raising blitz for Democratic state parties and other candidates across the nation.
With his own massive multimillion dollar war chest not being needed for his race -- Obama is facing Republican Alan Keyes, the Maryland import who is running a hapless campaign -- Obama is donating large amounts of money from his own fund to others. Obama plans to use his star power more for other Democrats as the election gets closer, according to Obama spokesman Robert Gibbs.
According to a summary provided by Gibbs, Obama, a state senator, put together this stunning financial aid package. Stunning when you consider Obama has yet to be elected and was just introduced to the nation when he gave the keynote speech at the Democratic convention last July. Obama has shown he can deliver more than a great speech. He has:
*Helped raise $850,000 for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.
*Donated $100,000 directly to the DSCC on Sept. 30, the end of the third-quarter reporting period.
*Donated $125,000 ($25,000 each) to the Colorado, Wisconsin, Alaska, South Dakota and Oklahoma Democratic parties on Sept. 30. Control of the Senate hinges on the outcome of close races in these states.
*Donated $25,000 to Florida Victory 2004, to bankroll get-out-the vote operations in a swing state that may prove decisive in the presidential election.
*Raised $260,000 for Senate candidates in 13 states.
*Raised $25,000 for Iowa state House and Senate candidates in Davenport on Monday.
*Headlined a Sept. 22 fund-raiser to collect $75,000 for the marquee House race in Illinois, where Democrat Melissa Bean is challenging Rep. Phil Crane (R-Ill.) in the northwest suburban district.
Obama travels to Wisconsin, another tossup battleground state, on Saturday to rally votes for the Kerry-Edwards ticket and the re-election bid of Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.). The Kerry campaign in Wisconsin is worried about black voter turnout, an area where Obama obviously can help.
In mid-October, Obama swings West to stump for Kerry in Las Vegas before heading to Los Angeles on Oct. 15 for a fund-raiser where the DSCC aims to collect $1 million. The next day, Obama will be in Colorado for Kerry and Colorado Senate Democratic candidate Ken Salazar. More stops for other candidates are under consideration.
Readers of this column know that I have been on my own campaign to find out about Obama's schedule in advance and his fund-raising activities. I have criticized Obama for secrecy. In a column in today's edition of The Hill, a newspaper covering Capitol Hill, I raised those concerns again. The column was written before Gibbs provided me with the information mentioned above.
I now, as they say in Congress, want to revise and amend my comments. All I ever wanted to find out was the whole picture to present to readers. Now we know.
Obama's working the fund-raising circuit means that he will be off to a fast launch in the Senate, which is only good for Illinois. His colleagues, in constant need of their own campaign dollars, will want him to help them raise money and rally African-American voters.
Obama's campaign has disclosed what he has been up to, and he does not deserve any criticism for going out of state. My issue has always been about transparency --not the trips themselves. When it comes to raising political money, candidates and officials need to operate in the sunlight.
Obama is not ignoring Illinois. He is campaigning throughout the state. There is no reason he can't leave the state to do national events. I trust Illinoisans not to fall for a sucker argument that because he is gone a few days the state will fall apart.
http://www.suntimes.com/output/sweet/cst-edt-sweet07.html
Is there such a thing as "over confident" when you have a 40 point lead 2 weeks before the election?
Ouch. How in the world did he manage to get all that money in the first place? Something does not smell right.
So when does he plan on putting ads on the air? There's less than two weeks until the election and time really is awastin'
Unfortunately 'closing in' money wise, is NOT the same as VOTE wise.
At this stage anything Keyes could do would probably hurt more than help.
Maybe after tomorrow's televised debate? He could build on his victory.
We have a person in my community that organizes protests at a local abortion clinic every Saturday morning. Later in the day, he hosts a pay for play radio show. He receives more people complaining about his lack of tact rather than his courageous stand. BUT, like Alan, he has decided that the message needs to be more in your face and less let's stop the killing and think about what we're doing. The guy is a former high school football coach and his whole formula is not about love and care but rather get a reaction and a negative reaction feeds him as much as a positive reaction. Sad
He's pro-reparations and pro-draft. Not only is he self-destructing in Illinois, but he's endangering GOP efforts throughout the state.
I really wish Ditka had run. Polls would have ended up Ditka 100%, Obama -2%.
I think the primary reason for this is that so many people have been touched by abortion. Nevertheless, you have to put the issue out there. And it is a winning issue. No one, except for the most extreme liberals, wanted to publicy endorse partial birth abortion.
Even Obama tap dances around his position. Bringing this issue to the fore and forcing Obama to defend the indefensible two weeks before the election is a good position to be in.
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