# Obama's got an incredible following



## R y a n (Apr 4, 2005)

This is likely why Obama will win the presidency. The outpouring of support has been astounding, and I think many are shocked at the absolutely huge crowds he has been drawing.

I think I was the first here to predict he'd end up winning... looks like I"m on the right track thus far....

Ryan

*Obama Youth*
How One of Iowa's All-Important Undecided Young Voters Made Up Her Mind at the Very Last Minute
by Sarah Mirk
http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Content?oid=477067

By the day of the Iowa caucus, I had spent over 30 hours at Democratic campaign events. I had eaten cookies emblazoned with Hillary's name, run across ice to shake Obama's hand, and received not one but two Christmas cards from the happy, smiling Edwards family. And I was still a flip-flopper.

Before my alarm could even go off on January 3, an East Coast friend called to tell me I should caucus for Barack Obama. I was frog-voiced when I answered the phone, but I still managed to grumble the mantra that sustained my indecision since September: "But Edwards's health-care plan is stronger." "You only like Edwards because of that T-shirt you have!" my friend shouted, referencing the "John Edwards Is a Hottie" shirt I bought back in 2004. This was completely false. Not only was I genuinely leaning toward Edwards because his health-care plan was more universal, but his leading-looker status had been thoroughly undermined by the presence of Barack Obama's high cheekbones.

The Iowa ward in which I caucus is one of the most important in the state. It's the voting ward for Grinnell College, a small, nerdy, politically active liberal arts college located smack in the middle of the state. The high density of voters-and their high turnout in previous years-gives the ward 36 delegates, the most of any single ward in the state.

In a statewide popularity contest where candidates claw for a handful more votes than their opponents, student voters can significantly swing the results. One hundred and forty Grinnell students who were born and raised in other states made the trek back to the Iowa ice just for the one important day. Personally, I crossed the Iowa border in a car filled with a Californian (me), a Minnesotan, and a kid from Wyoming almost exactly 24 hours before casting my caucus vote.

Some native Iowans and conservative candidates (including Clinton) call this carpetbagging. I say, I've lived through the God-awful Iowa winter for four straight years; my pittance of a reward should at least be a disproportionate weight in who becomes the nation's next president.

Since September, the candidates have been showing up wherever they think more than 20 Iowans might be gathered, their campaigns snowballing with whatever odd endorsements they can gather. I saw Elizabeth Edwards speak at an old-folks home. And the sexy plumber from Desperate Housewives stumped for the well-manicured son of a mill worker at colleges across the state.

Obama had his share of strange events, too. On New Year's Eve, Bright Eyes played a pro-Obama gig for a handful of kids at a bowling alley in tiny Carroll, Iowa. And the night before the caucus, the thought-stoppingly beautiful Scarlett Johansson ate pizza with my college's basketball team (male and female) while extolling the virtues of Obama. Bright Eyes bowling? Scarlett Johansson doing anything? Ample temptations for those crucial Youth Voters.

Somehow, though, I remained unconvinced. Despite the months of buildup, I was still torn between Edwards and Obama. Hillary lost my vote with unsavory campaign tactics (robocalling, planting questions) and because my one-on-one interactions with Edwards and Obama had been refreshing and encouraging. Staring straight into Hillary's eyes, when I shook her hand at an event in Newton, Iowa, was like looking at a hard-boiled egg.

The doors to my caucus site-the college auditorium-opened at 6:00 p.m. and I flooded in with a herd of older town residents, their little wide-eyed kids, and familiar students. Unlike the Republican caucus, which is done in a logical manner where voters mark their candidate choice on a piece of paper and place it in a box, the Democrat caucus is a convoluted process involving physically herding voters to one candidate's squad or another. In under an hour, I would have to stand before a room full of 480 judging peers and show them my choice.

I desperately tried to gain insight by asking the people in the voter registration line who they were voting for. The girl behind me was from Indiana and wearing an Obama sticker. Her face turned dangerous when I asked why she wasn't voting for Clinton. "I would never vote for a woman who doesn't leave her husband after he cheats on her," she said. My search for good advice was looking grim.

Right inside the hall doors I ran into one of Edwards's local organizers, a tall, good-looking guy who had spent the last three weeks stapling information packets, knocking on doors in subzero weather, and sleeping very little. I told him about my Edwards-Obama bind and he gave me one of the informational packets, reminding me of the points that swayed me months ago: Edwards is the most solid progressive on every issue. He's got experience, he's got a relaxed way with people, he's got solid plans for ending poverty while Obama has hope, idealism, and rhetoric.

The caucus was less raucous than I expected. There was no music, shouting, or balloons. Instead, sticker-covered Democrats mingled, snacking on deli sandwiches provided by the Clinton campaign and discussing their choices at reasonable volumes.

After weaving between suspender-clad Joe Biden supporters to my friends (an alarming amount of them standing around for Obama), I ran into a friendly faculty member proudly wearing an Obama pin. "Trust me, health care with a mandate cannot win," he said, shaking his head at my support of Edwards's plan. "And Obama's been working with poverty longer than anyone."

But but but, the issues, I asked. How can I vote for centrist Obama rather than anticorporate workingman Edwards? "I've met the man," the faculty member whispered back just as the moderator calls for quiet. "He's brilliant."

"The doors are now locked," announced the ancient county party chair over the loudspeakers at exactly 7:01. Someone in charge began calling out candidate names and their supporters cheered, slowly filing out of the room to be counted. As the room emptied, it became embarrassingly obvious that I had commitment issues. More than half the room disappeared for Barack Obama. I hid among the Edwards supporters when Hillary's name was called and was so shocked by her small turnout that I did a quick headcount as they walked past-only 40 or so voters, not even enough to snag representation from this ward.

If I didn't run the gauntlet of my peers soon, I would be mistaken for a Kucinich supporter. This was it-after months of waffling, I had to take the plunge. I thought about where I wanted to be at the end of the night. Slinking into the Edwards section supporting my choice with policy talk? Or running to Obama and excited to be part of something new, different, and a little wild?

It was so quick and easy to shake off the high-minded belief that supporting someone young, enthusiastic, and idealistic is an irrational choice. There were no seats left in the counting room, so I had to sit on the stage, staring straight out at all the Edwards and Clinton campaigners while I munched a cookie an elderly volunteer had frosted with Obama's O. I felt proud. I felt excited. I felt like maybe, because of this day, America will be a more progressive, more tolerant, more inspirational country one year from now.

By 7:24, Hillary supporters began tearing off their stickers and either moping out of the caucus or into another candidate's camp. Half an hour later, the final results were tallied. Obama took more than half of our ward's votes, Edwards a third and Hillary exactly zero.

After most of the voters left for home, my circle of Obama-supporting friends and I did what I hope every other young voter did after winning the caucus: We opened four bottles of wine in the back of the caucus hall and watched the returns come in on CNN.


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## hunter9494 (Jan 21, 2007)

when you go into the voting both and close the curtain behind you, you must ask yourself a very important question, "do i trust this guy to hold the football?" i know what my answer will be........


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## zogman (Mar 20, 2002)

My answer is NO.............

And here's one more piece of info.

This is very interesting - please take a few moments and read it.

Who is Barack Obama?

Something that should be considered when you make your choice.

If you do not ever forward anything else, please forward this to all 
your contacts...it is very scary to think of what could lie ahead for us 
here in our own United States...better heed this and pray about it and share it.

We checked this out on " snopes.com". It is factual. Check for yourself.

Who is Barack Obama?

Probable U. S. presidential candidate, Barack Hussein Obama was born 
in Honolulu, Hawaii, to Barack Hussein Obama, Sr., a black MUSLIM 
from Nyangoma-Kogel, Kenya and Ann Dunham, a white Athiest from 
Wichita, Kansas.

Obama's parents met at the University of Hawaii. When Obama was two 
years old, his parents divorced. His father returned to Kenya. His
mother then married Lolo Soetoro, a RADICAL Muslim from Indonesia. 
When Obama was 6 years old, the family relocated to Indonesia. Obama 
attended a MUSLIM school in Jakarta. He also spent two years in a 
Catholic school.

Obama takes great care to conceal the fact that he is a Muslim. He is 
quick to point out that, "He was once a Muslim, but that he also 
attended Catholic school."

Obama's political handlers are attempting to make it appear that 
that he is not a radical.

Obama's introduction to Islam came via his father, and that this 
influence was temporary at best. In reality, the senior Obama returned 
to Kenya soon after the divorce, and never again had any direct 
influence over his son's education.

Lolo Soetoro, the second husband of Obama's mother, Ann Dunham, 
introduced his stepson to Islam. Obama was enrolled in a Wahabi school 
in Jakarta.

Wahabism is the RADICAL ISLAMIC teaching that is followed by the Muslim 
terrorists who are now waging Jihad against the western world. Since 
it is politically expedient to be a CHRISTIAN when seeking major 
public office in the Unit ed States, Barack Hussein Obama has joined 
the United Church of Christ in an attempt to downplay his Muslim 
background. ALSO, keep in mind that when he was sworn into office he 
DID NOT use the Holy Bible, but instead the Koran.

Barack Hussein Obama will NOT recite the Pledge of Allegience nor 
will he show any reverence for our flag. While others place their hands 
over their hearts, Obama turns his back to the flag and slouches.

Let us all remain alert concerning Obama's expected presidential 
candidacy.

The Muslims have said they plan on destroying the US from the inside 
out, what better way to start than at the highest level - through the 
President of the United States, one of their own!!!!

Please forward to everyone you know. Would you want this man leading 
our country?...... NOT ME!!!


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## hunter9494 (Jan 21, 2007)

amen. may God help us all.


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## Perry Thorvig (Mar 6, 2002)

Relax boys. Just right wing propaganda rumors. Here's an article from the Washington Post that puts a little more balance on the rumors.

By Perry Bacon Jr.
Washington Post Staff Writer 
Thursday, November 29, 2007; Page A01

Senator Obama was quoted as follows:

"But I'm a member of Trinity United Church of Christ on 95th Street on the South Side of Chicago. We've got the best choir in town, and if you want to come and worship with us, you are more than welcome."

In the past few months, Obama has actively touted his Christianity, particularly in South Carolina, where his campaign hosted a gospel tour to appeal to black voters. He describes his movement from a "reluctant skeptic" to a believer during his 20s while he was working with black churches in Chicago as a community organizer. The title of his second book, "The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream," comes from a sermon by the Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr., pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ.

An early rumor about Obama's faith came from Insight, a conservative online magazine. The Insight article said Obama had "spent at least four years in a so-called madrassa, or Muslim seminary, in Indonesia." It attributed this detail to background information the Clinton campaign had been collecting.

After Obama denied the rumor, Jeffrey Kuhner, Insight's editor, said Obama's "concealment and deception was to be the issue, not so much his Muslim heritage," and he suggested that the source of the madrassa rumor was the Clinton campaign. The Clinton campaign denied the charge.

Human Events, another conservative magazine, published on its Web site a package of articles called "Barack Obama Exposed." One of them was titled "The First Muslim President?"

Robert Spencer, a conservative activist, wrote in Human Events that "given Obama's politics, it will not be hard to present him internationally as someone who understands Islam and Muslims, and thus will be able to smooth over the hostility between the Islamic world and the West -- our first Muslim President."

Conservative talk-show hosts have occasionally repeated the rumor, with Michael Savage noting Obama's "background" in a "Muslim madrassa in Indonesia" in June, and Rush Limbaugh saying in September that he occasionally got "confused" between Obama and Osama bin Laden. Others repeatedly use the senator's middle name, Hussein.

The rumors about Obama have been echoed on Internet message boards and chain e-mails.

Bryan Keelin of Charleston, S.C., who works with an organization of churches there, posted on an Internet board his suspicion that Obama is a Muslim. "I assume his father instructed him on the ways of being a Muslim," said Keelin, who described himself in an interview as a conservative Republican who will vote for former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee.

"The Muslims have said they plan on destroying the U.S. from the inside out," says one of the e-mails that was posted recently on a blog at BarackObama.com, the campaign's Web site, by an Obama supporter who warned of an attempt to "Swift Boat" the candidate. "What better way to start than at the highest level, through the President of the United States, one of their own!"

Another e-mail, on a site called Snopes.com that tracks Internet rumors, starts, "Be careful, be very careful." It notes that "Obama takes great care to conceal the fact that he is a Muslim," and that "since it is politically expedient to be a Christian when you are seeking political office in the United States, Obama joined the United Church of Christ to help purge any notion that he is still a Muslim."

A CBS News poll in August showed that a huge number of voters said they did not know Obama's faith, but among those who said they did, 7 percent thought he was a Muslim, while only 6 percent thought he was a Protestant Christian .

"The underlying point is that if you can somehow pin Islam on him, that would be a fatal blow," Hooper said. "It's offensive. It speaks to the rising level of anti-Muslim feeling in our society."

Obama's advisers say they are not worried that the candidate will hurt his campaign by invoking his connections to the Islamic world. "He understands that there are scurrilous attack e-mails going on underground that distort his religious affiliation and worse, but his judgment is that he trusts the American people more than that," said David Axelrod, a top Obama strategist. "He genuinely believes. . . . that people want to have a president that the world looks at and says, 'I believe this guy has an understanding of us and how we fit together on the planet.' "


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## hunter9494 (Jan 21, 2007)

this guy is the most charismatic candidate since JFK, he wows everyone he touches and sees. he is dangerous, period. once a Muslim, always a Muslim, they never forget.


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## BigDaddy (Mar 4, 2002)

Using this logic.....

For a brief period of time in my youth, my family attended a Methodist church. It was only for three years. In my teens, we switched to attending a Lutheran church, and I have been active in the Lutheran faith ever since. Even though you can find me in the pew every Sunday at my Lutheran church, I'm a closet Methodist. After all, once a Methodist, always a Methodist.

Also, my grandfather's middle name is Adoph. Heck, I never knew that he's a closet Nazi.


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## Plainsman (Jul 30, 2003)

I don't think Methodist and Muslim is a very good comparison, but you do????????


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## southdakbearfan (Oct 11, 2004)

And Kerry was a hunter too!


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## Lil Sand Bay (Feb 2, 2005)

Jeez, This is a stunning revelation! It is important to our nation that this be immediately sent to his Democratic opponents as well as the Republican hopefuls so they can immediately exploit this political truth. I'll continue to monitor FOX to see which one wants to take personal, public responsaiblity for this important information.


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## hunter9494 (Jan 21, 2007)

wake up people, the guy refutes the recognition of the english language in our country, has already stated he welcomes an open dialogue with recognized terrorist states in the Middle East and was initially raised in the Muslim faith.

some have even stated it is a good idea to have a Muslim president so we can learn to relate to those states better and recognize their importance in the world. look, Muslims believe anyone of any other faith are simply infidels. if you aren't Muslim then they believe you are against them, as they have little tolerance for people with contradicting beliefs.

and some people want this guy to represent the American people?
something is terribly wrong here!


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## Bgunit68 (Dec 26, 2006)

Muslim? Muslim? I'm sorry he lost me at "Democrat". Actually, I have friends that are Muslim. There are extremists in every religion. I think these Democrats as well as a few Republicans are more dangerous that any religious zealot. At least with religious people you know where they stand. Politicians say what you want to hear until they get elected. Our Governor just gave the "State of the State Address". Let me tell you we are in a "Bad State" (if you get my drift). When he was speaking all I hear was my wallet emptying out. One of our local journalist who is known to be a little on the left made a comment about Harry Potter conjuring up the money for his plans, if not we'll be paying through the nose. This is a Democratic Governor that was born into money. During his campaign he was asked several times about taxes. This was an issue his opponent had brought up many times. No, we can do it without raising taxes. BS. He is to busy spying on senators (NY Troopergate).


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