Obama Seeks To Reintroduce Himself

Washington Post: Presumptive Dem Nominee Moves To Shape Campaign, Answer Questions About His Biography

(Washingtonpost.com)  This story was written by Dan Balz and Anne E. Kornblut.

---

In the opening weeks of the general-election campaign, Sen. Barack Obama has moved aggressively to shape his campaign and offered a clear road map for the kind of candidate he is likely to become in the months ahead: an ambitious gamer of the electoral map, a ruthless fundraiser and a scrupulous manager of his own biography in the face of persistent concerns about how he is perceived.

Obama's early maneuvers suggest a clear understanding within the campaign of his strengths and weaknesses. He bought air time in 18 states, a sure sign that he hopes to expand Democrats' traditional electoral map. He opted out of the public campaign-financing system -- revealing his determination to press his financial advantage, even at the cost of handing his Republican opponent the opportunity to raise questions about the sincerity of his rhetoric on reform.

And with a first ad that delves into his biography, Obama acknowledged ongoing concerns among his advisers that voters do not know whether he shares the values and beliefs of ordinary Americans, a potentially critical vulnerability. The ad speaks to the reality that enough questions were raised about Obama through the long nomination battle that he needs to address them. The campaign's concerns include both taking on misinformation -- such as the persistent claim that he is Muslim when he is in fact a Christian -- and framing a biography unlike that of any nominee in the modern era.

"Any of the attempts to describe him inaccurately he takes head-on with the new commercial," said Valerie Jarrett, one of Obama's closest friends and confidants. "You begin a new campaign with an introduction. You can't presume that everybody was paying attention during the primary season. So let's start with basics. He describes his roots, his philosophy, his love of country. That's a really good start."

Jim Margolis, Obama's media adviser, said that, despite the long primary season, Obama still is not well known to voters in many parts of the country. "They don't know the full story," he said. "They don't have a complete sense of what motivates him, what are the biographical points of his life that have made him the person that he is today and what he wants to do as president."

Margolis said the campaign is primarily working to fill an information vacuum, but he acknowledged that combating rumors that could endanger Obama's candidacy is also part of the motivation behind the opening ad.

"There are just a lot of big holes there for a lot of people," he said. "But, to be sure, we live in a different world than we lived in before. This campaign is only possible because of the Internet, because of the technology, because we could raise a couple of hundred million dollars [from] 1.5 million Americans who on average gave less than $100 each. Could not have happened 10 years ago. On the other hand, you're constantly dealing with the misinformation that can spread quickly, where in 24 hours you can get millions of hits."

Even as the campaign seeks to take control of Obama's image, hammering home the message that his is a thoroughly American story, the decision last week to opt out of the public financing system -- and forgoing more than $84 million in campaign funds -- added a new dimension to his profile as a politician. And it appeared to immediately cut both ways. Sen. John McCain pounced on the decision, questioning Obama's character. "He has completely reversed himself and gone back, not on his word to me, but the commitment he made to the American people," McCain told reporters Thursday, citing Obama's initial pledge to stay within the existing campaign finance rules.

Yet Obama's advocates also argue a positive lesson about their candidate's character can be drawn from the decisin: that Obama is willing to take political risks in order to win. His toughness as a politician was often questioned during the Democratic primary, as Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton cast herself as the only Democrat able to do hand-to-hand combat with Republicans. "People and commentators have been saying we know Barack is hopeful and that he appeals to a broad cross section of the public," Jarrett said. "But perhaps people didn't know how tough he is. He's been saying all along, don't confuse hope with naivete."

If some Republicans rue the swift and calculated nature they say characterizes Obama's early steps, his campaign advisers say they have needed to move quickly to make up for the months spent waging the extended primary race. They cast the decision on public financing, for example, as motivated partly by timing, with just four full months left until Election Day to provide voters with the vision of Obama they hope to establish.

The scope of Obama's first advertising buy sent an unmistakable signal to McCain and the GOP that, at least initially, the senator from Illinois will invest money in states no Democrat has won in years, including Georgia, Indiana and Alaska. A recent poll for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee showed Obama within two points of McCain in Alaska, although well below 50 percent. Obama campaign manager David Plouffe predicted that Indiana "is going to be a dogfight" in the fall, even though Obama lost the primary there in May.

The content of the ad drew plaudits even from some Republicans for its focus on values, tax cuts and welfare reform. "He is not trying to cobble together the old Democratic coalition of interest groups and get 48 percent like John Kerry," Alex Castellanos, a Republican media consultant, said in an e-mail message. "This is not three yards and a cloud of dust. This is an aggressive leap across the 50-yard line to play on Republican turf."

Throughout the past week, other elements of Obama's aggressive outreach were on display. Shifting increasingly toward general-election issues, he met with military officers and a newly formed national security working group. He hit McCain over a secret meeting the Republican held with Hispanics in Chicago -- a hit that is part of his effort to win over a group that backed Clinton overwhelmingly in the primary and could be key to helping him reshape his electoral opportunities to include Western states.

At his meeting with 16 Democratic governors on Friday, the participants, including some of Clinton's most politically important backers, gushed about the degree to which his campaign staff had sought their input, inviting them to Chicago for dinner, putting them onstage with Obama at a briefing and asking each governor to bring in a top political aide who can be involved in planning as the campaign progresses.

"This isn't about 'I'm coming to your state, and can you go do a photo op,' " said Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius. Another Democratic governor, Jennifer M. Granholm of Michigan, said the level of contact from the Obama campaign has surpassed any she has ever received from a presidential candidate. "We've never been reached out to in this way," said Granholm, a former Clinton supporter.

Given that he is running in a yearin which the political climate is as favorable for the Democrats as it has been in any year in recent memory, one question the Obama team must grapple with is why the presumptive Democratic nominee does not have a more substantial lead over McCain in early polls.

Top advisers point to several factors. First, they acknowledge that the long nomination battle has left scars within the party. Right now, polls show that Obama is winning a smaller share of Democratic support than McCain is winning of Republican support. Campaign officials expect that to change as the summer progresses.

But they also acknowledge that McCain runs better with independent voters than anyone else the GOP might have nominated. By the fall they hope to have drawn enough distinctions with McCain to make those independents think twice about their support for him.

Finally, they argue, they have not yet begun to compete for Republican support, particularly among women who favor abortion rights or GOP voters disaffected with President Bush. In the end, they believe that whichever candidate wins the highest percentage of voters in the other party is likely to be the next occupant of the White House.

[patriot12436]

omar
if we learn to accept other religion and cultures and stop trying to invade the world i think we wioll find more acceptance by other countries.

[patriot12436]

omar
Even if obama wins i think there are enough radicals out there he will be killed. Just look at the posts on here. I do not support obama but i do not want to see him harmed either.

[patriot12436]

test

[rowdywicca]

Posted by Omaar-101 at 06:11 PM : Jun 24, 2008

Omar..........psttttttttttttttttttttttt...















Stick it in your ear, idiot!

[omaar-101]

Posted by obama8years, Rowdywicca & TerrorIslami:I`m Commited to White Supremacy, Race Baiting, Race Hating, Race-Fear Mongering, Especially as it relates to Black Americans...

White American Issues Only, White State Rights, White Separation, Black Americans Back To Africa, Black Hatred Forever !!

Whites Allowed Only, as President of the USA, Strictly White Causes and White Dominance Over the US Goverment & the World.

------------------

You Guys are Really Showing Yourself as a True Nazi, Aryan, KKK (Christian) and White Separatist, Through an Through...

At least You Finally Grew a D@mn Spinal Cord an Stated Your Inner Most Feelings.

Note: Move to Canada or E Or W Socialist Europe, Because....

Barack Obama is going to be Your Next President of the USA...Okay !!

[omaar-101]

Posted by obama8years:I`m Commited to White Supremacy, Race Baiting, Race Hating, Race-Fear Mongering, Especially as it relates to Black Americans...

White American Issues Only, White State Rights, White Separation, Black Americans Back To Africa, Black Hatred Forever !!

Whites Allowed Only, as President of the USA, Strictly White Causes and White Dominance Over the US Goverment & the World.

------------------

You are Really Showing Yourself as a True Nazi, Aryan, KKK (Christian) and White Separatist, Through an Through...

At least You Finally Grew a D@mn Spinal Cord an Stated Your Inner Most Feelings.

Note: Move to Canada or E Or W Socialist Europe, Because....

Barack Obama is going to be Your Next President of the USA...Okay !!

[beader59]

How can you reintroduce something that was never introduced in the first place?

[obama8years]

Not 1 year or 2 years or even 5 years.

BUT 20 years, a quarter of a lifetime, spent at a racist church that hates whites. What will Obama do when he is president , with following the Black Value System, will he use all his resources to Elevate Black over White.

Trinity United Church of Christ adopted the Black Value System written by the Manford Byrd Recognition Committee chaired by Vallmer Jordan in 1981. We believe in the following 12 precepts and covenantal statements. These Black Ethics must be taught and exemplified in homes, churches, nurseries and schools, wherever Blacks are gathered. They must reflect on the following concepts:

1. Commitment to God
2. Commitment to the Black Community
3. Commitment to the Black Family
4. Dedication to the Pursuit of Education
5. Dedication to the Pursuit of Excellence
6. Adherence to the Black Work Ethic
7. Commitment to Self-Discipline and Self-Respect
8. Disavowal of the Pursuit of %u201CMiddleclassness%u201D
9. Pledge to make the fruits of all developing and acquired skills available to the Black Community
10. Pledge to Allocate Regularly, a Portion of Personal Resources for Strengthening and Supporting Black Institutions
11. Pledge allegiance to all Black leadership who espouse and embrace the Black Value System
12. Personal commitment to embracement of the Black Value System.

[omaar-101]

America`s..

Total Imports of Petroleum Oil (Top 15 Countries)

(Thousand Barrels per Day)

Drill all You want, You can..t produce the Oil these Countries provide, nor will you see a drop in price at the gas pumps. Over 300 Million Americans, The Demand is Too Great and it will take 7-10 years to bring this Oil on shore, by that time, Gas will be 15 $ per gallon an we..ll be riding Horse & Carriage.



Solution: Mass Train Transit North, South, East Mid West & West, like Japan, Oppose to Air Planes.



Note: Also Include Diesel & Electric Cars. Its That or the Horse & Carriage.



CANADA 1,952 1,795 1,902 1,909 1,846

SAUDI ARABIA 1,453 1,535 1,519 1,458 1,358

MEXICO 1,259 1,232 1,230 1,460 1,471

NIGERIA 1,115 1,154 1,105 891 1,089

VENEZUELA 1,019 858 990 1,182 1,070

IRAQ 679 773 693 562 488

ANGOLA 579 384 469 514 556

ALGERIA 393 247 300 530 495

BRAZIL 201 188 182 175 174

KUWAIT 176 199 218 126 187

ECUADOR 160 231 203 159 200

COLOMBIA 149 135 168 79 100

CHAD 133 101 110 80 76

RUSSIA 106 108 77 269 137

LIBYA 85 75 68 45 56

Country Apr-08 Mar-08 YTD 2008 Apr-07 YTD 2007

[omaar-101]

Crude Oil Imports (Top 15 Countries)

(Thousand Barrels per Day)

April 2008 Import Highlights: June 13, 2008
Preliminary monthly data on the origins of crude oil imports in April 2008 has been released and it shows that two countries exported more than 1.50 million barrels per day to the United States.



The top five exporting countries accounted for 69 percent of United States crude oil imports in April while the top ten sources accounted for approximately 89 percent of all U.S. crude oil imports.


The top sources of US crude oil imports for April were Canada (1.952 million barrels per day), Saudi Arabia (1.453 million barrels per day), Mexico (1.259 million barrels per day), Nigeria (1.115 million barrels per day), and Venezuela (1.019 million barrels per day).


The rest of the top ten sources, in order, were Iraq (0.679 million barrels per day), Angola (0.579 million barrels per day), Algeria (0.393 million barrels per day), Brazil (0.201 million barrels per day), and Kuwait (0.176 million barrels per day).


Total crude oil imports averaged 9.921 million barrels per day in April.


Note #1: Canada remained the Largest Exporter of total petroleum in April, exporting 2.476 million barrels per day to the United States, which is a decrease from last month (2.542 thousand barrels per day).


Note #2: The second largest exporter of total petroleum was Saudi Arabia with 1.462 million barrels per day.

[rufisgufis]

And Duh, we''ll need oil in ten years as much as now, and if we don''t drill, we''ll still be totally dependent on foreign resources.

Posted by minnick8 at 11:26 AM : Jun 24, 2008
___________________________

DUH! If we start now to develop an alternative to foreign oil, in ten years our dependency on foreign oil will be a thing of the past. Or we can continue to drill for oil until there''s no place else to drill. One of these alternatives seems intelligent and one seems stupid. Take a guess which is which.

[omaar-101]

The Energy Information Administration estimated that oil from these sites would hit the market around 2017 and peak around 2027.

Rushing the process would likely only result in less supply. "The faster we try to drain the less efficient the drainage," said Dr. Ralph Byrns, Professor of Economics at UNC-Chapel Hill.

"If we drain it dry and still get 14 billion barrels of oil [the President has suggested 18 billion], that itself would still take (20 years)"

[omaar-101]

To be fair, McCain and his aides have publicly stated that in this battle, as well during his press for a temporary gas tax holiday, the Senator was not casting his lot with the economists.

And in a moment of sincerity, a senior adviser to the Arizona Republican,Douglas Holtz-Eakin, acknowledged that ...

Note: New Offshore Drilling Wouldn''''t have an Immediate Effect on Gas Prices.

In fact, three weeks before he came out in support of Drilling, the Senator himself.

Offshore Resources: "Would take Years to Develop."

[omaar-101]

To be fair, McCain and his aides have publicly stated that in this battle, as well during his press for a temporary gas tax holiday, the Senator was not casting his lot with the economists.

And in a moment of sincerity, a senior adviser to the Arizona Republican,Douglas Holtz-Eakin, acknowledged that ...

Note: New Offshore Drilling Wouldn''''t have an Immediate Effect on Gas Prices.

In fact, three weeks before he came out in support of Drilling, the Senator himself.

Offshore Resources: "Would take Years to Develop."

[omaar-101]

(CBS/ AP) America remains a nation of believers, but a new survey finds most Americans don`t feel their religion is the only way to eternal life - even if their faith tradition teaches otherwise.

The findings, revealed Monday in a survey of 35,000 adults, can either be taken as a positive sign of growing religious tolerance, or disturbing evidence that Americans dismiss or don`t know fundamental teachings of their own faiths.

Among the more startling numbers in the survey, conducted last year by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life: 57 percent of evangelical church attenders said they believe many religions can lead to eternal life, in conflict with traditional evangelical teaching.

In all, 70 percent of Americans with a religious affiliation shared that view, and 68 percent said there is more than one true way to interpret the teachings of their own religion.

"The survey shows religion in America is, indeed, 3,000 miles wide and only three inches deep," said D. Michael Lindsay, a Rice University sociologist of religion.

"There`s a growing pluralistic impulse toward tolerance and that is having theological consequences," he said.

[omaar-101]

Last week, Sen. John McCain reversed his longstanding opposition to offshore drilling. The Arizona Senator and his campaign surrogates framed the move as a much-needed effort to combat energy costs in the wake of record high gas prices - political action to Sen. Barack Obama''''s inaction.

But the assertion that offshore drilling could have an impact on oil prices by placating oil speculators is itself a contested proposition.

And some analysts insist that it is wishful thinking that the market would suddenly perk up because of the prospect of more supply.


The Energy Information Administration estimated that oil from these sites would hit the market around 2017 and peak around 2027.

Rushing the process would likely only result in less supply. "The faster we try to drain the less efficient the drainage," said Dr. Ralph Byrns, Professor of Economics at UNC-Chapel Hill.

"If we drain it dry and still get 14 billion barrels of oil [the President has suggested 18 billion], that itself would still take (20 years)"

[minnick8-2009]

it could be upwards of 10 YEARS before crude is even Brought to the Surface.

Posted by Omaar-101

And, if we don''t get off our heinies and start developing our own resources, where will we be in ten years?

It is like the middle aged person who doesn''t know whether or not they should go to college because it will take 5 years to get a degree and by then, they will be 5 years older. Duh, they will be 5 years older anyway.

And Duh, we''ll need oil in ten years as much as now, and if we don''t drill, we''ll still be totally dependent on foreign resources.

[beastof70]

REINTRODUCE my butt!!

OsamaObama is the exact same left wing pinko, un-American libwad the Democrat Party has been trying to sell America since Chicago ''68 when the Marxist wing of the party took complete control following the death of some key "Yellow Dogs".

[beastof70]

Hey Democrats....When can we expect to see you hyphenated-Americans calling for these three crooked Senators to do a perp walk????

[beastof70]

Senator Obama what''s this you''re telling America??

TO GO DRILL OURSELVES?!?!?!

=======================
BTW: This is what I just ordered as a rear window decal to be worn proudly until OsamaObama quits taking big ethanol cash to keep driving the price of crude up.