Obama's A Hit In New Hampshire

(CBS/AP)  Barack Obama drew huge crowds over the weekend on his first trip to the key presidential primary state of New Hampshire as he decides whether to enter the race for the Democratic nomination.

The Illinois senator got encouragement everywhere he went. He drew 1,500 Democrats to a state Democratic Party fundraiser and several hundred more at a book signing in Portsmouth. Organizers of both events had to turn away many others.

New Hampshire's first-in-the-nation primary is more than a year away, and Obama hasn't even said whether he will join the Democratic field. But he's already igniting excitement with his exploratory trip.

Obama's momentum is strong enough to shake up the early dynamics of the presidential race, reports CBS News correspondent Trish Regan. Analysts say his announcement of an exploratory committee forced Sen. Hillary Clinton to start lining up support much earlier than anticipated. Though Clinton is leading in the polls, Democrats were enthusiastic about Obama.

State party officials said 150 members of the media signed up to cover Obama's speech, representing news organizations from as far away as Australia and Japan. A large media contingent crowded into a Portsmouth coffee shop with the senator and knocked into tables as he tried to shake hands with the customers.

History teacher and Democrat Mark Bingham of Alton, N.H., met Obama and said that despite his inexperience, he could rank among presidents named Lincoln and Kennedy. "It's good to see politics going in another direction," Bingham told the senator.

Gov. John Lynch joked that the Rolling Stones were originally the headliners at the state party fundraiser where the $25 tickets quickly sold out. "But we canceled them when we realized Senator Obama would sell more tickets," Lynch said.

As he took the stage, supporters handed Obama a petition signed by 12,000 people across the country encouraging him to run, said Todd Webster, who started the RunObama.com Web site.

Obama said he is still "running things through the traps" as he considers whether to join what's expected to be a crowded Democratic field.

He said his family is a major concern because he has two young daughters. Also, he doesn't want to run just because the timing is right politically; he wants to feel he has something important to offer.

"This is an office you can't run for just on the basis of ambition," Obama said. His advisers said he would consider his choice over the holidays, after his annual Christmas trip to his native Hawaii to visit his grandmother.

Why did Obama's appearance cause such a sensation?

"He is the new thing," Amy Walter of the Cook Political Report told CBS News' The Early Show. "That's what folks in New Hampshire are looking forward to — finding somebody who is new, different and keeps them enthusiastic."

Walter said that what many Democratic activists like about Obama is that "he's not Washington. He's not establishment. He's not part of the system. He doesn't live and breathe it in the way so many potential candidates do. While some would say he lacks a lot of experience — he's only been in the Senate a very short time — that very fact of his lack of Washington experience makes him an attractive candidate. He doesn't sound or look or talk like somebody from Washington."

Obama recognized there has been "a little fuss" over his possible candidacy, but said he thinks the excitement reflects voters' desire for a new, positive direction in politics that is not about him as an individual.

"I am suspicious of hype," Obama told reporters. "The fact that my 15 minutes of fame has extended a little longer than 15 minutes is somewhat surprising to me and completely baffling to my wife."

Clinton has not yet begun campaigning in New Hampshire. But she brought one of the state's prominent Democrats — Terry Schumacher, who worked on both her husband's presidential campaigns — to her Washington home Sunday night for dinner. She also made several calls to other state activists this week to sound out her presidential prospects.

Several other potential candidates have been making trips to New Hampshire for the last year and a half. Among the most frequent visitors is Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh, who filled a small room at a Manchester conference center Friday night but wasn't near the draw as Obama on his first trip. Anticipating the inevitable comparison to their visits on the same weekend, Bayh's aides joked that 1,000 more people were in an overflow room.

Bayh said he wasn't intimidated by the Obama mania as he talked to voters one-on-one. "I'm doing the things that matter in New Hampshire," Bayh said.

Because of their pivotal role, New Hampshire voters are accustomed to individual attention from presidential candidates. Obama tried to accommodate them despite the large turnout, staying for over an hour after his speech ended to sign a book for every person who wanted one.

He also spent $11,000 to charter a plane to Chicago late Sunday night so he could greet attendees after his speech without having to worry about catching a flight.

[cmayes2]

I will not be voting for Hillary Clinton, even if Obama does not run. I'm an African american and a democrat, and will not stand by and let a woman get presidency, before an african american, but I'm sure you white's would deal with that better. Me and my 100 family members have already made our decision; Not Yet Hillary!!!

[samthetvcat]

Actually, you know what - you all might think less of me for this, but Hilary's one of my idols (along with several other lawyers-turned-politicians - Senators Feinstein, Kay Bailey Hutchinson, Speaker of the House Pelosi, etc). She'd be my first pick for Dem nod but I think Obama's going to win.

But I don't know . . . would more swing-voters be inclined to vote for Hilary if not Barack? Somebody should do a poll on this . . .

[samthetvcat]

Well that's a legitimate question bellaL . . . guess I should have added 'imo' he's a gifted leader. And Time magazine listed him last year as one of the world's most influential people and one of the top 20 men and women with the clout and power to change our world.

But I'll admit the true measure of his gift will be when he is able to go from being known as the 'black' guy people have problems 'identifying' with to being somebody the majority of people see as somebody that seems to have a plan and the ability to carry it out.

But just from a quick surf of the net (no guarantee of its accuracy), the kind of stuff from his record which to me demonstrates that he is a gifted leader is stuff like taking a job as the only employee for a non-profit organization and expanding it into an organization that employed 13 people by the time he left in a few years, beating out 19 other Harvard Law Review candidates for the position of president, beating out 7 other Democrats for the House of Reps nom and then ultimately winning the seat with 70% of the state vote, being noted at Harvard for being able to foster bipartisan coalitions, being noted in the Illinois state senate for being being able to foster bipartisan coalitions, being noted in the House of reps for being able to foster bipartisan coalitions, etc.

jmo ;)

[bellal-2009]

I hope people will try to keep an open mind because he seems to be a gifted leader.
Posted by SamTheTVCat at 06:45 PM : Dec 11, 2006

How would we know he's a gifted leader, what's he done that's so gifted.

[tibu987]

American voters are neither sophisticated or well read.
They will give their vote to the candidate of their choice for many reasons but not for the right reason and that is, is the candidate truly qualified for the office.
Name recognition and women(Clinton), race and eloquence(Obama), local loyalties (Bayh, Biden, Edwards), the underdog (Kerry, Gore, Dean, Edwards). And, undoubtedly, many other reasons, but not whether or not they are truly qualified.
I am an independent voter who leans toward the Democrat Party but I am having trouble identifying any qualified candidates that may wind up on the Dem. ticket.

[samthetvcat]

What are you Republicans going to do if Guiliani gets chosen to run for President - you know he's prochoice and progay? Or Senator McCain while admirable seems to have developed that career politician demeanor about 10 years ago that people have a hard time backing.

Say what you want about Barack only being popular because he's black - I attribute this to lack of exposure to him and his messages. Like if the worst people can say about him is this or that he's too inexperienced, then really as a politician he's not doing that bad. Because from what I've seen, he seems to connect well with people, he's proactive, and he tries to find workable solutions that are acceptable to most people.

I hope people will try to keep an open mind because he seems to be a gifted leader.

[bushrocks1]

Would I send my son to this war? You might ask would I send him to World War II? Or Vietnam? Maybe you would distinguish those conflicts and whether you would send your son to fight in them. But that question is misdirected in a very important way: I can't command my son to go to war. He has to make that choice. So the better question would be: would I volunteer to fight in Iraq, WW II, Vietnam? Would I volunteer to fight in any war? Respond if drafted? I don%u2019t know. I'm not equivocating, only addressing that it is a hypothetical. To a hypothetical, I can answer, sure I'd fight. But I have nightmares of battle (from my past life as a Jacobite). So how do I feel toward those who do volunteer? Impressed and maturely knowing that many things go into their decision. But I do strongly believe that a country that can't find those men is doomed. The fact that we can find them is one reason why I say there is no failure in Iraq. Objectively, I also believe it for other reasons. An attempt to establish democracy in the Middle East is a bold, brilliant, noble effort, facing a high chance of failure. That's why I greatly respect and admire those who have made the attempt--the Bush administration. They have been resolute, something I have not seen in my lifetime. They may not succeed, for reasons outside their control or fault: traitors on the home front. Now those traitors have occupied the high ground. Yet... we're still in Iraq; the President hasn%u2019t been impeached. Why?...I'm waiting.

[jimmyd2596]

Wow, "rock star, Lincoln, Kennedy, outsider" (how could he be an 'insider' with all his non-experience?).What a Demo choice we have, Hillary, Obama, and now Kucinich!

[huskerarmy]

antoniorego and Bushrocks are the same idiot spamer.

[huskerarmy]

"They only like him because he's black... I'm quite happy that we will definitely be having a Republican president after the next election!"

GOPers are acting like they're scared to death of Obama. They should be!