Obama's statement and other matters on Nevada caucus results

zulchzulu

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Sun Jan-20-08 02:59 AM
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Obama's statement and other matters on Nevada caucus results

I received this email:

Statement from Barack Obama:
�We�re proud of the campaign we ran in Nevada. We came from over twenty-five points behind to win more national convention delegates than Hillary Clinton because we performed well all across the state, including rural areas where Democrats have traditionally struggled. The reason is because tens of thousands of Nevadans came out to say that they�re tired of business-as-usual in Washington and ready for a President who can bring this country together, take on the lobbyists and special interests, and end the politics of saying and doing whatever it takes to win an election. It is the kind of politics that feeds our cynicism and distracts us from taking on the real challenges facing America � an economy that�s left working families struggling, a broken health care system, and a war in Iraq that must end.

�We ran an honest, uplifting campaign in Nevada that focused on the real problems Americans are facing, a campaign that appealed to people�s hopes instead of their fears. That�s the campaign we�ll take to South Carolina and across America in the weeks to come, and that�s how we will truly bring about the change this country is hungry for.�

Statement from Obama campaign manager David Plouffe
�We currently have reports of over 200 separate incidents of trouble at caucus sites, including doors being closed up to thirty minutes early, registration forms running out so people were turned away, and ID being requested and checked in a non-uniform fashion. This is in addition to the Clinton campaign�s efforts to confuse voters and call into question the at-large caucus sites which clearly had an affect on turnout at these locations. These kinds of Clinton campaign tactics were part of an entire week�s worth of false, divisive, attacks designed to mislead caucus-goers and discredit the caucus itself.

�We will investigate all of these thoroughly and would encourage anyone who had concern about actions at the caucus sites to call (866) 675-2008.�

Other points:

Senator Obama is proud of the campaign we ran in Nevada. We came from over twenty-five points behind to win more national convention delegates 13 to 12 over Hillary Clinton because we performed well all across the state, including rural areas where Democrats have traditionally struggled.
Clinton Communications Director Howard Wolfson said, �This is a race for delegates�It is not a battle for individual states�we are well past the time when any state will have a disproportionate influence on the nominating process.�
The reason is because tens of thousands of Nevadans came out to say that they�re tired of business-as-usual in Washington and ready for a President who can bring this country together, take on the lobbyists and special interests, and end the politics of saying and doing whatever it takes to win an election.
In a very short period of time, our campaign built a strong grassroots network and brought thousands of Independents and disillusioned Republicans into the Democratic Party. These efforts will help Senator Obama compete in Nevada in the general election.
Senator Clinton was expected to win Nevada overwhelmingly. As University of Nevada Reno Political Science professor put it � �If she loses Nevada, it�s not just a loss. It�s a collapse.�
What�s troubling about the process is that beginning with the lawsuit filed by their allies to suppress turnout among union members, the Clinton Campaign engaged in a systematic effort to mislead and confuse caucus-goers. It is truly a sad day when Democrats try to suppress the vote of other Democrats.
The Clinton Campaign also repeated the efforts it made in the closing days of the New Hampshire primary to spread misinformation by launching knowingly false attacks on Barack�s opposition to Yucca, his 100-percent pro-choice rating, and position on Social Security. There have even been reports of push polls and robocalls pushing these false attacks.
The conduct of the Clinton campaign makes the case for why we need Barack Obama � we need to move past the old, divisive politics of saying or doing whatever it takes to win that have prevented progress in this country for so long.