Campaign: Obama little known to many voters (Is the 'carpet' about to be yanked from unda Hil?)

AP on Bakersfield Californian ^ | 11/12/07 | Michael R. Blood - ap

[NormsRevenge]

He's been on the cover of Time magazine, been interviewed on Oprah's couch and campaigned from coast to coast for months.

But despite the celebrity that follows a leading presidential campaign, Sen. Barack Obama remains an undefined figure to many voters, his campaign said Monday. Aides say it's different with his chief rivals for the Democratic nomination - New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, the former first lady, and 2004 vice presidential candidate John Edwards.

"There is no doubt that we have a knowledge gap between us and Edwards and Clinton in most of the country. People may know Sen. Obama's name, but they don't know much beneath that," David Plouffe, his national campaign manager, told reporters in a conference call.

Beyond early battleground states like Iowa, "they don't know much about his biography," Plouffe said.

When voters get more exposure to the Illinois senator, his popularity increases, Plouffe argued. He pointed to Iowa, where Clinton, Obama and Edwards are locked in a close race.

For many Democrats, Clinton "is sort of the default candidate. People obviously know her very well," Plouffe said.

But in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, where candidates spend much of their time, voters are looking closely at the choices rather than "a poll question where she is the one they know the best, so they default to her," he added.

Clinton's campaign ridiculed the analysis.

"The Obama campaign is kidding itself. Voters have taken a close look at Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama and she is winning because they see that she is focused on attacking America's problems - not fellow Democrats," said California campaign spokesman Luis Vizcaino.

Clinton has built a comfortable lead over her rivals for the Democratic nomination in national surveys, but polls show the race much more competitive in Iowa where Obama and Edwards are criticizing her vigorously.

California holds its presidential primary Feb. 5. Independent state polls show Clinton holding a double-digit lead over her rivals, although candidates have spent little time in the state. She has also locked up high-profile endorsements, including U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, state Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez and the mayors of Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Obama is returning to California this week, where he is scheduled to attend a San Francisco rally and meet with Google Inc. employees Wednesday.

Plouffe argued that Clinton's lead in polls also comes with the greatest risks.

"Sen. Clinton is the dominant national front-runner. She has embraced inevitability like no other presidential candidate," he said. She "needs to win each and every state or her candidacy will be in severe jeopardy."

[blackdog]

Won’t yanking the carpet hurt a bit?

[NormsRevenge]

Hmmmm.. Ya know,, If I didn't say anything more dumb than I usually do the next few weeks,, I can beat her."

---

Senator and Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama (D-IL) attends the Jefferson Jackson Dinner at Hy-Vee Hall in Des Moines, Iowa, November 10, 2007. (Joshua Lott/Reuters)

[NormsRevenge]

It will if Oprah’s couch is on it.. ;-)

[NormsRevenge]

Democratic presidential hopeful, U.S. Sen Barack Obama, D-Ill.,
eats a white chocolate mouse during a campaign stop before a working women's
roundtable at D.J. Burdick chocolates in Walpole, N.H., Monday, Nov. 12, 2007.
(AP Photo/Jim Cole)

[keepitreal]

People may know Sen. Obama's name, but they don't know much beneath that,"

Hard to find much "beneath" an empty suit.

[NormsRevenge]

Presidential portrait stuff? nnyyaaaaaa....

..

U.S. Presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) appears on 'Meet the Press' in Des Moines, Iowa, November 11, 2007. Obama spoke on topics related to his presidential bid for the 2008 election. REUTERS/Eric Thayer/Meet the Press

[NormsRevenge]

Presidential hopeful, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill.,
listens to Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y. speak at
the Jefferson Jackson Dinner in Des Moines, Iowa,
Saturday, Nov. 10, 2007.
(AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

[SERKIT]

Both Hillary and Barry Obama have either lost or sealed their past public record in bureaucratic lock-boxes. No one will be able to research their real records, so all that is known about them is manufactured by their respective spin machines. Both are empty suits.

Saturday's Chicago Tribune has an article that roped-a-dope one reporter looking for Barry Obama's records while in Illinois government.

The offical reply from the Obama campaign centered around:

* file drawers may have been purged after he left Illinois government, or

* maybe he has some stuff but he doesn't have an archivist on staff to sort it, or

* maybe if you ask for something specific they may be able to give out a sanitized version of the public record.

In both camps, the attitude toward those interested in actual history on the candidate is "Don't Ask, Don't Tell".

But, they want you to vote for them based on their "record".

I guess you can't "Swift Boat" a candidate if their boat is lost in a sea of bullsh*t. That's what they hope anyway.

[Miss Didi]

Speaking of Meet the Depressed:



RUSH: ...We've got the Barack Obama bite that was referred to by previous caller. This is Obama on people that, quote, unquote, we don't like. Russert's question, "You had a group of supporters on a Bible tour in South Carolina, headed by a singer called Donnie McClurkin, who said that homosexuality was a curse, and that he had been cured by prayer. Do you believe homosexuality is a curse? Do you believe it's something that you are born gay or that you can change your behavior?"

OBAMA: I do not believe being gay or lesbian is a choice, and so I disagree with Reverend McClurkin, but understand, Tim, part of what I hope to offer as president is the ability to reach to people that I don't agree with, and the evangelical community is one where the Democratic Party, I think, we have generally seen as hostile, we haven't been reaching out to them, and I think that if we're going to make significant progress on critical issues that we face, whether it's education, or health care, or energy, or our foreign policy in this country, we've got to be able to get beyond our comfort zones and just talk to people we don't like (pause) or just talk to people we like, or people that we agree with on every single issue.

RUSH: Might have been a slip-up there. I think it was a little faux pas that he tried to gracefully cover, "Reach out to people that we don't like." But you know what strikes me here, "The evangelical community is one where the Democrat Party I think we have generally seen as hostile." Do you ever stop to think that they, Mr. Obama, might see you and your party as hostile? You think maybe they were minding their own business one day, you came along and started insulting them, and they might look at you as hostile? Anyway, that's Barack Obama. That's what that controversy was about.

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

Beyond early battleground states like Iowa, "they don't know much about his biography," Plouffe said.

Maybe you're reluctant to tell them about Obama's ties to Mr. Rezko, perhaps, Mr. Plouffe?!

Obama's Ties to Rezko Highlighted

[Holicheese]

You know its just awful down there!

[Mike Darancette]

The bad news for Obama is that very few people know him; The good news for Obama is that very few people know him.

[BenLurkin]

"Obama remains an undefined figure to many voters..."

a) Empty suit.

b) Stealth Muslim

c) Bi-sexual

d) All of the above