Obama, digging subtly at Clinton, draws 10,000 to Oakland rally

AP on Bakersfield Californian ^ | 3/17/07 | Laura Kurtzman - ap

[NormsRevenge]

Illinois Sen. Barack Obama attracted a huge crowd of 10,000 or more to downtown Oakland Saturday, in his first Bay Area rally.

Having glided to the top tier of Democratic candidates on a message of hope, Obama told the crowd his campaign "is a vehicle for your hopes; it is a vehicle for your dreams."

But he also used the appearance, before a very sympathetic crowd, to contrast himself with his chief rival for the Democratic nomination, Hillary Clinton. Without naming her, Obama made an issue of Clinton's much criticized 2002 vote to authorize the war in Iraq, for which she has refused to apologize.

"I am proud of the fact that I opposed this war from the start," Obama said to huge cheers in this most anti-war of cities. "That I stood up in 2002 and said this is a bad idea. This is going to cost of billions of dollars and thousands of lives."

Obama said it was time to leave Iraq and to tell the Iraqis, "We want to be your partners, but we can't continue this occupation."

Obama is also challenging Clinton for support in the black community and his appearance in Oakland, a center of black life in Northern California, was part of that strategy.

"So many black people are out here," said Chris Nishioka, 61, a black woman who is married to a Japanese man. "Black people are so excited."

As the mother of two biracial children, Nishioka said Obama's rise as a credible candidate for president gave her whole family cause for hope. Obama is the son of a white American woman and a black man from Kenya and was raised in Hawaii and Indonesia.

"What I like about him, is he has a global background and a global view," said Nishioka, a retired attorney. "He's more of a change from the status quo. He's definitely fresh."

Obama's afternoon appearance brought the downtown to a standstill. His amplified voice echoed off the downtown buildings and people peered through office building windows and waived from rooftop balconies.

He spoke in a small, sunken amphitheater in front of Oakland city hall that was too small to contain the crowd he attracted. Event organizers said the crowd reached 12,000, and it flowed out onto nearby Broadway, the main downtown thoroughfare, which was blocked for the occasion.

Although he received a rousing reception, not everyone said they were ready to support Obama. Some said they were still attracted to Clinton. But, they said, the 45-year-old Obama's fresh face, biography and youthfulness best captured the idea of change.

"I feel like there's a certain honesty," said Travis Simpson, 30, a graduate student at San Francisco State University. "He doesn't come from my parents' generation."

After the rally, Obama was scheduled to attend a San Francisco fundraiser where organizers expected to raise about $1 million. Donors include former state Controller and one-time gubernatorial candidate Steve Westly, Sandy Robertson, founder of Robertson Stevens, and CNET co-founder Shelby Bonnie.

[NormsRevenge]

Democratic presidential hopeful U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., prepares to speak to supporters Saturday, March 17, 2007, at a rally in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

[NormsRevenge]

Democratic Presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., shakes hands with supporters Saturday, March 17, 2007, at a rally in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

[goldstategop]

Barack Obama Wows Bay Area Moonbats. Film at 11.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[Ieatfrijoles]

Three thousand Oaklanders showed up when Wal-Mart was taking aps. BTW Hussein, I wonder if you would dare go anywhere else in Oaktown other than downtown in broad daylight w/o secret service.

[NormsRevenge]

Supporters listen to Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., Saturday, March 17, 2007, at a rally in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

[JHBowden]

Go Obama!

Obama was a Marxist-hardliner in Springfield for a good amount of time. Anybody competent and sufficient ruthless, which excludes Alan Keyes, should be able to show how Obama is pro-sex offenders, pro-gangs, pro-pornographers, pro-aborting babies AFTER they are born, pro-higher taxes on everything-- and that excludes his recent pro-terrorist comments.

Unfortunately, Hillary will turn her heavy guns on him before we even get the chance.

[NormsRevenge]

"I feel like there's a certain honesty," said Travis Simpson, 30, a graduate student at San Francisco State University. "He doesn't come from my parents' generation."

--


A SFSU production. :-\

[goldstategop]

Yep. The Seinfeld Candidate For The Seinfeld Generation.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[P-40]

He's definitely fresh."

Clean, even. :)

[goldstategop]

And articulate. He played the anti-American lefties in the Bay Area like a born virtuoso.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[Miss Didi]

How come Mrs. Pantsuit doesn't do large, outdoor rallies lie this? The only comforting thought regarding this guy is that the Bubbas will take him out sooner or later.

[SuziQ]

Unfortunately, Hillary will turn her heavy guns on him before we even get the chance.

I'm happy for the other Democrats candidates to do that. That way the Republicans won't have to do it!

[Miss Didi]

oops, lie=like

[HereInTheHeartland]

""So many black people are out here," said Chris Nishioka, 61, a black woman who is married to a Japanese man. "Black people are so excited."

"So many good Germans are out here" overheard at a rally in Germany in 1936.
"Fair skinned Germans are so excited"

Hopefully the above comparison doesn't seem to strange. I am always just amazed at how certain segments (in this case people with more skin pigment) of our nation can use race so openly and get a free pass on openly racist things that they say.
Martin Luther King's idea of race not mattering, has been conveniently forgotten by most black Americans.

[P-40]

How come Mrs. Pantsuit doesn't do large, outdoor rallies lie this?

To Obama's credit, when he was here in Austin he did speak to a rather large crowd, for free. When Hillary was here last night she spoke to a small, select crowd....for money, lots of it.

[RunningWolf]

Three thousand Oaklanders showed up when Wal-Mart was taking aps.

Good point

BTW Hussein, I wonder if you would dare go anywhere else in Oaktown other than downtown in broad daylight w/o secret service.

Yes he might last 40 minutes.

Back in 1984 I lived in Oakland for about 8 months near 35th/I580 IIRC. And while that was not nearly one of the worst areas, every morning when I got home from work I would circle the house before entering looking for signs of break-in, because the last thing I wanted was to catch a drug crazed perp taking all $1500.00 of my possessions.

[Miss Didi]

I'm sure with scripted questions, too, if they were allowed to address Her Majesty.

[Artemis Webb]

It is very easy to talk about Obama having momentum. Frankly I'm happy for any stress he causes Hillary.

I was one of those however who mistakenly thought that Howard Dean was a juggernaut heading toward the nomination until he hit the brick wall of New Hampshire. In the end the sheeple of the Democratic machine (such as it is) will vote for who they are expected to vote, and that is for Hillary.

[P-40]

If you were not pretty hard-core for Hitlary, you would never get in the door. It was at a private residence and der fuhrer was pretty picky about who was invited.