AP: BARACK OBAMA REGISTERS OVER 3.5 MILLION NEW VOTERS!

[berni_mccoy]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080506/ap_on_el_pr/voter_registration;_ylt=AqesdLABzNhqv8q3gvlcI2ys0NUE

By MIKE BAKER, Associated Press Writer
Tue May 6, 5:08 AM ET
DURHAM, N.C. - Voter excitement, always up before a presidential election, is pushing registration through the roof so far this year — with more than 3.5 million people rushing to join in the historic balloting, according to an Associated Press survey that offers the first national snapshot.

...

Overall, the AP found that nearly one in 65 adult Americans signed up to vote in just the first three months of the year. And in the 21 states that were able to provide comparable data, new registrations have soared about 64 percent from the same three months in the 2004 campaign.

...

"This could change the face of American politics for decades to come," said Democratic Gov. Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas, predicting permanent gains for her party. Republicans, concerned at least somewhat for 2008, say these surges come and go over the longer term.

...

Among the new voters in North Carolina is Shy Ector, 25, of Durham. She favored Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry while a student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill four years ago, but never actually took the time to make sure she was registered to vote. Barack Obama's candidacy was enough to make sure she did this year, she said.

"I was like 'Oh, now this is a reason to vote. This is different,'" Ector said. "I was inspired and I was excited."

...

"I will be very disappointed, and it will take me some time to recover," Ector said of an Obama loss to Hillary Rodham Clinton. "I'm not going to say I'm just going to write off politics for good, but it does make you feel like you're doing all this work for nothing, and nothing's coming to fruition."

...

Cordisco said party leaders had initially set a goal of turning the county blue by 2011. Then came the extended primary battle that gave Pennsylvania an important role. And while Clinton won Bucks County by a margin of 25 percentage points, accounts suggest that many of the new registrants are black voters inspired by Obama.

...

David Woodard, a professor of political science at Clemson University who has advised Republican candidates, acknowledged the GOP is concerned about what appears to be a movement to voters to the Democratic Party attracted by Obama. But he noted that Ronald Reagan was supposed to lead the GOP to long-term political dominance but was never able to do so.

I believe SD's and Clinton's rules committee are not going to be able to turn away from this kind of leadership. Clinton's Nuclear Option will backfire.

On Edit: I know the article doesn't come out and say Obama registered all these new voters, BUT, he is really the only one given credit for it in the article. The AP probably wouldn't use the headline I chose as they would be labeled as biased, even though they really are (for the other side). I'm biased too.

[NorthCarolina]

1. K&R

:woohoo:

[livetohike]

2. Organizing skills, money management, inspiration......

Just a few of the positive attributes of Obama's campaign. The SDs cannot ignore this.

GO OBAMA! :bounce:

[berni_mccoy]

35. True. The SD's are paying very close attention to these facts.

[Coexist]

3. and a whole new donor and volunteer base.

[berni_mccoy]

29. And His Volunteers DO WORK. Over 900,000 PHONE CALLS MADE!

http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/nikkisutton/gGCRCX

Incredible supporters from across the nation took action and reached tens of thousands of voters, bringing us closer to our goal of one million calls by the time the polls close tonight.

Yet, as we close in on one million calls, we are reminded that more important than the number of calls is the conversations you have and connections you make with voters.

As a caller from Virginia Beach explained:

You can change minds - I think I've gotten about 10 people to switch their support. I know it doesn't sound like much, but we are fighting for each and every district, and every delegate, one vote at a time.Beverly in Illinois shared:

Many callers I spoke to in Indiana said that they were undecided because they don't have enough information about the candidates. They were happy to hear that I had given them the Indiana Barack Obama website. (IN.BarackObama.com).

So spread the word that anyone can make calls to voters. If you reach only one voter, that's one voter that knows that Barack Obama's campaign cares enough to have a volunteer personally call them with facts and information.
This is our final chance to impact the outcome of these elections.

[Tinksrival]

4. Yeah!

Barack Obama will save the Democratic Party!



(I know I keep posting this pic, but I just found it and I LIKE IT!)

[DMorgan]

10. It's a GREAT picture! Thanks for that! eom

[powergirl]

5. This is good news for Obama and today's elections

Obama is the force behind the new registered Democrats - not Clinton. Does her campaign really think these new registrants, inspired to vote b/c of Obama, are going to just walk over to her side of the room after she has been so disrespectful?

[maddiejoan]

6. No place in that article

mentions that Barack Obama is the reason for all 3.5 million new registrants. Sorry to burst your bubble.

OP is a deceptive headline.

[BeyondGeography]

9. You're right

Only about 3.1 million can be attributed to Obama.

[maddiejoan]

13. The article doesn't even state that all

3.5 million are Democrats.

But let's be generous and say 3 million new Democrats --judging by how split the Party's voting has been, I see no reason not to assume that new registration among Democrats is similarly split. In fact --with more Democratic votes going to Clinton than to Obama, it's a safe guess that Clinton is bringing in the higher number.

If you don't think the possibility of voting for the first woman President isn't a strong draw to a new voter --you're very much mistaken.

[BeyondGeography]

17. Clinton plays to the base, her voters are mostly older and most always vote

You're lying to yourself if you think she has had anywhere close to the impact on new voters as Obama.

[berni_mccoy]

12. Not precisely, but this is VERY CLOSE: QUOTE

"the GOP is concerned about what appears to be a movement to voters to the Democratic Party attracted by Obama. "

Obama is credited with the movement FOUR TIMES in the article. Clinton is mentioned twice.

You gotta read between the lines honey.

[maddiejoan]

16. Your count is off.

It's a very deceptive headline --and if you were interested in accuracy , you would change it.

[berni_mccoy]

18. So you are saying, if Obama didn't run, we'd still have this many new voters? Hmmmm.

[maddiejoan]

20. Nope.

didn't say that at all.

[berni_mccoy]

21. He is the only one given credit in the article for new voters. Of course AP would not use

the headline I chose. They are biased. I am too.

[depakid]

7. "I will be very disappointed, and it will take me some time to recover,"

This is what a lot of people worry about with respect to the general election....

[Scurrilous]

8. K & R

:thumbsup:

[pompano]

11. "This could change the face of American politics

for decades to come"

It's a start, but nothing is going to change the face of American politics until they curtail the obscene cash flow in and out of Washington. Politics is a high dollar profit bidness. Electing Reps. and Senators to go up and Represent Americans is like so forefatherish.

"Thars Gold in them hills, boyz!

[berni_mccoy]

26. Gives you chills, doesn't it?

[pompano]

30. Nah, It doesn't

give ME chills. At my age and health I don't even buy green bannanas anymore.

The most inspiring thing to me about this election is the sheer number of young voters this process has brought out. Thats the way it should be. The young voters more than anyone will be ones that take their country back from the iron grip of money, cronyism, deceit and profit pandering that controls the lives 100's of millions granted to 1,000's. Just like the ones before them they'll have to live with the decisions they make today in a real world tomorrow.

Yes, I think it is great to see such a high turnout of young people that are tired of having politics done to them while they accept the score as sideline spectators. That... didn't work too well for my generation.

[mikekohr]

14. This is Why He Has Been Ahead In This Race -From Day One-

Senator Obama inspires, organizes and produces. This is powerful insight into the manner in which Senator Obama will govern as President.

mike kohr

[Rageneau]

15. So how come he's not ahead by 3.5 million votes?

Could it be that not ALL those voters support Obama?

[berni_mccoy]

19. You seem to conveniently forget he started WAY behind in this race. He's winning because of it.

His massive GOTV effort has paid off. He's following in Dean's 50-state strategy.

[mopinko]

27. people registering after their primaries?

or maybe enough old voters are being scrubbed to diminish those counts? nah, that couldn't happen in america.

[redstate_democrat]

33. logic malfunctionitis

Posted by Rageneau

So how come he's not ahead by 3.5 million votes?

Could it be that not ALL those voters support Obama?

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

22. definitely some voters very excited about having a real choice this time

and he has survived all swift boating attempts.

[berni_mccoy]

34. Very True: ALSO 1.5 MILLION DONORS; OVER 900,000 VOLUNTEER CALLS

These numbers will more than double by November.

Obama is his OWN POLITICAL MOVEMENT!

[TragedyandHope]

23. K&R - Yes we can!

CHANGE AMERICA!

[berni_mccoy]

25. E PLURIBUS UNUM! GOBAMA!

[meow mix]

24. K&R, Why does hillary hate activists?

nice work!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[berni_mccoy]

28. Because they see through her deceptions.

[grantcart]

31. by the GE it will be 20 million he got 400,000 in the Chicago

This is the simple genius of Obama that goes unreported. If your in a close election don't make it close go get the people who sit to vote.

[berni_mccoy]

32. Agreed. I do not see how the Democratic Party can turn away from this.

Clinton is unable to inspire this kind of movement.

[liberalla]

36. "This could change the face of American politics for decades to come,"

Let's hope!

:kick: