Obama's DNC Message: I'm Like You

CBSNews.com Reports: Democrats To Push Obama’s Similarities With Average Americans

(CBS)  This story was written by CBSNews.com political reporter Brian Montopoli.

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As officials put the finishing touches on the Pepsi Center, where the Democratic National Convention kicks off Monday, Barack Obama was campaigning in Wisconsin, far from Denver’s fanfare.

But the soon-to-be Democratic nominee certainly had the convention on his mind, and he told supporters he hoped to press this message: Despite his meteoric political rise, despite Republican attempts to cast him as an out-of-touch celebrity, and despite the effort being put into crowning him the standard bearer of the Democratic Party, Barack Obama is, ultimately, not so different from those whose votes he hopes to win.

“… I think what you’ll conclude is he’s sort of like us,” Obama said Sunday. “He comes from a middle-class background. He went to school on scholarships; he had to pay off student loans; he and his wife had to worry about child care; we had to figure out, you know, how to start a college fund for their kids."

That theme will come to the forefront on the first day of the convention, which will focus on Obama’s life and values and culminate in a speech by Obama’s wife, Michelle, that will mark her highest-profile appearance of the campaign.

House Speaker House Nancy Pelosi will also speak Monday, as will Obama’s sister Maya Soetero-Ng; Democrats have been holding out hope that Ted Kennedy, who is fighting brain cancer, might even make a surprise appearance. Even if Kennedy doesn’t make the trip, the longtime Massachusetts senator will be in the spotlight Monday evening thanks to a planned video tribute. (UPDATE: CBS News has confirmed that Kennedy has made it to Denver, though he presently does not plan to speak at the convention.)

Also in the spotlight Monday - though for a far different reason - will be Hillary Clinton’s supporters, whom Republicans hope will display their disappointment that the former first lady is not the Democratic nominee as dramatically as possible. In a CBS News/New York Times poll released Sunday, 42 percent of delegates originally pledged to Clinton said they will vote for her on the convention’s presidential roll call. Fewer than half were enthusiastic about Obama’s nomination.

John McCain’s campaign looked to exploit that dissatisfaction in a new ad, “Passed Over,” that suggests Obama selected Delaware Sen. Joe Biden over Clinton as his running mate because the New York senator spoke the truth about Obama’s shortcomings.

The Republican National Committee, meanwhile, set up shop a few blocks away from the Pepsi Center this weekend, where they fought for media coverage and pushed a message that Obama is ill prepared for the presidency.

In an effort to press party unity, Clinton is expected to formally release her delegates to Obama on Wednesday; she responded to the McCain ad in a statement by her spokesman noting that she "has said repeatedly that Barack Obama and she share a commitment to changing the direction of the country, getting us out of Iraq and expanding access to health care. John McCain doesn't. It's interesting how those remarks didn't make it into his ad."

Clinton also praised Obama’s choice of Biden, who on Saturday ripped into McCain, his longtime friend in the Senate, painting him as disconnected from the everyday concerns of working class Americans - a charge Republicans have also leveled at Obama.

Delegates, politicians and journalists weren’t the only ones descending on Denver over the weekend; protesters also planned for a busy week. Many said they had come to press the Democratic Party to end the war in Iraq.

“We went to war and millions of people have died based on falsities,” Val Stepien, who marched through the city’s downtown carrying a peace sign Sunday afternoon, told CBS News. “Democrats voted for FISA; Democrats keep voting to fund the war; and we want the leaders of the Democratic Party to take a stand for peace and justice, not just here but all around the world.”

Inside the convention center, slender signs for each delegation were dwarfed by large, lighted banners advertising the media that had come to cover the event; organizers estimated that more than 15,000 journalists had come to town for the convention. Because of Biden’s selection as running mate, the Delaware delegation was given prime space on the convention floor, while Republicans suggested that the relatively poor real estate given over to Missouri and North Carolina signaled that Obama had given up on those states.

Despite the efforts of the opposition, however, Democrats held out hope that they would emerge from their week in Denver unified and primed for victory in November.

"Democrats gathering here are more optimistic about their party's chances in the general election than they have been from some time," CBSNews.com senior political editor Vaughn Ververs said. "Still, there's an undertow of worry about just how unified the party is in the wake of a bruising primary fight. How enthusiastically Clinton, and more importantly her supporters, embrace the soon-to-be nominee will be perhaps the most closely watched dynamic in Denver."

[woltommel]

Arrogant,and democrat.

[vnveteran-72]

Hillary won by 500,000 votes.

Just Say No Deal Coalition

www.justsaynodeal.com

[vnveteran-72]

Barack Hussein Obama is an angry black muslim who became an angry black christian.

Thats not racist. Thats just an observation.

www.justsaynodeal.com

[johnpotus1]

Obama%u2019s admission to his lack of experience and his choice of Biden may be the final gaffe that torpedos his candidacy. The Huffington Post can spin all they want and try and put a happy face on Biden as VP %u2026 the fact of the matter is that the Obamamessiah is going to find it impossible to tell the left that %u201CChange%u201D is about a 35 year Washington, DC Senator insider when he attacks McCain for being the same.

Political Analyst.

[johnpotus1]

Barack Hussein Obama is an angry black muslim who became an angry black christian.........


Posted by vnveteran-72 at 10:53 PM : Aug 24, 2008

Obama is not a Christian. Hussein Muhammad Obama is an angry black muslim. Period.

[woltommel]

Biden''s best quality that I''ve seen is to attack weaker opponents with intimidation and unsubstantiated threats to show his superiority.
Baseball players, most of them knew he was a windbag.
Only had power when the wind blew.

[samthetvcat]

---"Obama%u2019s DNC Message: I%u2019m Like You"---

Sigh, if it hasn''t happened by now it''s not going to - especially with the same two or three stories he''s already told a thousand times. Just repeating himself makes him seem insecure, out of touch, and vacuous.

The numbers are with Hillary - if Barack wants to win, and if Hillary wants a triumph out of her defeat, these two need to broker some sort of role for her . . . Barack may be amazed at how many people suddenly don''t find his ''experience'' to be quite such a ''problem'' any more.

PS I forgot, do these conventions get shown on all the channels? Why is the music so loud?

[garbagestopr]

Obama%u2019s DNC Message: I%u2019m Like You
CBSNews.com Reports: Democrats To Push Obama%u2019s Similarities With Average Americans

-SPEAK FOR YOURSELF, mr. Messiah. You are nothing like any of us.

[irliberal]

Ooh, lots of haters here tonight! They believe that repeating slander and lies against candidates is effective. They have good reason to believe so, it worked in the 2004 election.

I do not believe the American people are going to let it slide this time.

So, for those of you calling Obama a muslim, though he is not, well, you just reveal the weakness of your own position. Obama is angry? LOL!! Every picture and video I''ve seen show him smiling from ear to ear. If there''s a candidate that has documented, extreme anger issues it is McSame.

I look forward to Obama''s speech. The last eight years have been an unmitigated disaster and I think most Americans agree. Time for a change.

[samthetvcat]

PS Possible positions for Hillary since VP is gone:

Secretary of State (?)

First female Chief Justice of the Supreme Court - boss to Clarence Thomas (?)

Attorney General in charge of investigating wrongdoing in the Bush administration (?)

HealthCare Czar 2.0 (?)

[garbagestopr]

Ooh, lots of haters here tonight!
posted by IRLiberal

-Typical blind liberal response. If anyone dares do disagree with Obama they are a hater. If anyone dares to scrutinize Obama they are a hater. If anyone dares to question Obama''s judgment and character and his radical associations, they are a hater. If anyone dares to challenge Obama on anything, they are a hater.

Typical, typical, TYPICAL Obama-messiah follower response!

[garbagestopr]

I look forward to Obama''''s speech.
posted by IRLiberal

-I bet you are. That''s all you followers of him look forward to, his pretty mezmorizing trancelike messianic complex speeches.

He puts you in a hypnotic trance, and makes you "feel better" about yourself, and lures you in with his bait.

[afsc30574]

First, the Democrats said this election was going to be about the war, so they kicked Sen, Clinton to the curb - ''cause she was too "pro-war" - and went with Sen. Obama. Now the DNC says "It''s the economy again, stupid", but their candidate picks a VP whose covering the Foreign Policy gap. Are the Democrats even listening to each other? Sen. Clinton would have been walkin'' away with this election by now. I''m glad the Democrats did figure that out, and hope they remain as clueless as they are now.

[irliberal]

PS Possible positions for Hillary since VP is gone:

Secretary of State (?)

First female Chief Justice of the Supreme Court - boss to Clarence Thomas (?)

Attorney General in charge of investigating wrongdoing in the Bush administration (?)

HealthCare Czar 2.0 (?)

Posted by SamTheTVCat at 12:06 AM

Regarding investigations of the Bush Administration, well, that isn''t really necessary. All of that will be taken care of at the Hague.

Secretary of State or Healthcare czars are both good ideas.

Not so sure about the whole supreme court thing. I don''t think Hillary''s credentials there are as strong as some of the other current justices.

[haoli25]

''I was born a poor Black child....''

Wasn''t that in the opening to ''The Jerk''?

[barbaram99]

He saids I ''m like you..Really I don''t think so.
He is male. I am female.
He is educated well. I am poorly schooled
He is in govt. I am not.
He is sighted. I am legally blind.
Ye see he is nothing like me or the poor,
He can''t really relate at all

[deacon20081]

A note to the repUblican party...STOP SENDING GARBAGE SPAM EMAIL TO MY ACCOUNTS. I WILL NOT DONATE TO YOUR LOST CAUSE...I WILL NOT SUPPORT MCSAME...I WILL SEND ALL SPAM TO THE FEDS WITH A COMPLAINT.
I WILL VOTE AGAINST EVERY REPUBLICAN RUNNING FOR OFFICE...COUNT ON IT.

For all the McSame bootlickers that post his crapola,
have fun on the Lemming Express as it heads off that cliff!

[irliberal]

OBAMA LIKE US????????
hell no...

Posted by fenner at 12:16 AM

Well not all of us. He''s not a racist bigot, like you.

But that goes without saying, really.

[erasmus81]

Posted by BarbaraM99 at 12:15 AM : Aug 25, 2008

Very good Barbara!

[sharncedar]

Obama''s entire campaign, all that is left, is that he is black. He once claimed to represent some kind of populism, then he embraced NAFTA, Bush''s wiretapping, the Harvard free market economists, and Joe "bomber" Biden. So all that is left of his "I''m different" argument is that he is somehow black, though he was raised by privileged whites after all and never meets his father.

The same thing that got him into Harvard, taking the slot from a real black man.

The I''m just like you refernce is clearly a reference to his blackness, and his only remaining campaign theme - I''m black if you don''t vote for me you are a racist. And, I''m different because ... I''m black therefore though I look like a big liar and a sellout, somehow I''ve got soul.

It worked at Harvard.

[sharncedar]

Yeah?? Where is John McCains birth certiificate??? Is it posted on a website???


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Posted by chitown639 at 12:20 AM : Aug 25, 2008


Oh you fool. Obama liar pant''s "birth certificate" was indeed posted on his website. Did you notice is was A COPUTER PRINTED FORM FOR EXAMPLE THE DATE WAS PRINTED. This in 1964 or so. Now, I''m showing my age, but there were no printed dates in 1964, there wasn''t even a frickin'' photocopy machine let alone a computer. People wrote dates BY HAND or STAMP in those days.

Doesn''t it make you wonder? Firstly, how STUPID, really really STUPID Obama supporters must be, and secondly, why the dishonesty. This guy is real dirty, he is filth.

[garbagestopr]

Well not all of us. He''s not a racist bigot, like you.
posted by IRLiberal

-You are truly dumber than I thought. Obama for 20 YEARS attended probably THE MOST RACIST, BIGOTED, HATE-FILLED, ANTI-AMERICAN church in America.

Here''s a news flash for you bigots who try to play the victim race card:

PEOPLE ARE ALLOWED TO DISAGREE WITH OBAMA and OBAMA IS NOT IMMUNE FROM SCRUTINY.

DEAL WITH IT AND SUCK IT UP.

[garbagestopr]

Not voting for Obama and daring to question his radical associations and judgments IS NOT BEING A RaCIST. It is simply utilizing proper judgment before making a decision.

To all you Obama-followers who continue to use this victim race card agenda, it''s not working!

Obama IS NOT immune from scrutiny!

His skin color has NOTHING to do with this. THis has to do with questioning his judgment, radical associations, honesty, and ability to lead.

STOP PLAYING THE RACE CARD OBAMA FOLLOWERS.

IT WON''T WORK ANYMORE FOR YOU. Got it!

The TUCC does the same thing! And they say "GD America!"

[cbsfan73]

You fools better wake up and forget about these politicians. They have no solutions - better look inside yourselves for that.

It still amazes me that you folks are so easily duped.

[garbagestopr]

If you voted for Bush Junior, you judgment skills are suspect.
Posted by curse914

Is that the best you''ve got??

Get over it! Bush is not running for President. This is about your Messiah OBAMA. This is about the present.

All you have is the Bush hating bash card, and accusing others of being racist bigots if they dare to disagree with Obama.

Dude, you need help! Disagreeing with an individual and daring to question his judgment and associations DOES NOT MAKE ONE A RACIST.

Got it???????

Too tough for you to handle??

Stop playing the hate Bush card and think about now.

Obama''s character associations and that hate-filled church he attended for 20 years and the fact that he continues to use the race card to try to play the role of some victim DOES NOT WORK anymore.

The radical teachings from his "old" church simply do not work!

Got it?

[garbagestopr]

OBAMA IS ALWAYS DOING THINGS FOR OBAMA - not you.


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Posted by fenner

Those of us who have done our homework on this radical have known this all along.

[cbsfan73]

curse914 wrote:
"This political horse race is the best that corporate money can buy."

Yeah, and after the election you will find that all bets are off.

[garbagestopr]

If you would only spend as much time READING AND RESEARCHING material from credible sources
posted by chitown639

Let me guess, your definition of a "credible source" is if "Obama says so, it must be true."

Correct?

Thy word is the truth (Obama).

Right?

Anyone who dares to do any extensive research about him and utilizes their God given freedom of speech and expression on him can''t be considered "credible" right?

Your so-called "credible" sources are only those that spurt out propaganda that Obama "can do no wrong".

Right?

[cbsfan73]

chitown639 wrote:
"If you would only spend as much time READING AND RESEARCHING material from credible sources"

Credible sources come from the self. Any fool knows that better than a politician.

[ausus-2009]

"Regarding investigations of the Bush Administration, well, that isn''''t really necessary. All of that will be taken care of at the Hague."

IRLiberal,

Are you willing to give up America''s sovereignty and have foreign powers make judgments on our government? I suppose while you are at it you would transfer our economic decision-making to Brussels, our judicial system to Geneva and for good measure turn over control of our military to London.

[garbagestopr]

but this total stranger comes along and suddenly just his WORD is good enough?


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Posted by fenner at 12:47 AM : Aug 25, 2008


Possibly Obama is the anti-christ.

[vnveteran-72]

This filing comes less than two weeks after an AP photo was revealed of the school register of a child then known as Barry Soetoro, now known as Barack Hussein Obama, whose citizenship was listed as "Indonesian" and whose religion was listed as "Islam." the photo strongly contradicts the Obama camp''s claim that he was not a Muslim, and is said to confirm he is a national of at least one other country. The AP has confirmed the authenticity of the photograph.

[garbagestopr]

as you attempt to falsely mischaracterize Senator Obama as a racist.
posted by chitown

He does enough of that on his own. Nobody needs to characterize him. He has demonstrated by his choice of "Friends" and radical hate America hate white people associations and by his comments about his own grandmother that he is indeed a racist.

You just can''t STAND that people are allowed to disagree with him and point these things out.

You can''t STAND IT!

That''s why radicals like yourself are dangerous to this country. You think that it''s ok for you and your ilk to critize anyone, but nobody is allowed to oppose you.

The Marxism is shining!

[cbsfan73]

If you promote a political party or politician, you are prolonging the agony of corruption. If you promote self empowerment, you are curing the ills of this nation and promoting true democracy and freedom.

Do you understand this concept? Why is it so hard to let go of these politicians and parties and embrace your self? Think.

[garbagestopr]

our sense of self tells us that you dont just COINCIDENTLY end up with ALL your friends being of quetionable character.... that is a pattern, not coincidence... THAT IS A PATTERN WITH AN AGENDA.
posted by fenner

ABSOLUTELY CORRECT!

[cbsfan73]

To: fenner
"it frightens us enough for us to come out swinging. just like our forefathers saved this country for us we are preserving it for our future children."

You don''t know that our forefathers were just as corrupt as the politicians today?

[garbagestopr]

You don''''t know that our forefathers were just as corrupt as the politicians today?


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Posted by cbsfan73 at 12:57 AM : Aug 25, 2008

Wow. According to you. Every single politician that has ever existed is "corrupt".

So our founding fathers had no business founding America, the land of the free, home of the brave, according to your philosophy.

Also by your philosophy, you think that it''s impossible for a politician to have any moral stance on anything.

That''s just absurd.

This is about what''s right for America. One of our duties as American citizens is to vote for a President who will protect our Sovereignty.

Obama IS NOT that person. His associations and "friends" and his very own comments towards "typical white people" is not that person.

The man is dangerous and he will crumble our country.

[cbsfan73]

fenner wrote:
"we have looked into ourselves and it is this sense of self that will make sure we vote for mcCain. Our sense of self tells us to draw the line down the page."

What you are really saying is that you want McCain to think for you.

"You are a sad, strange, little man. You have my pity. Farewell."

%u2014 Buzz Lightyear

[garbagestopr]

What you are really saying is that you want McCain to think for you.

"You are a sad, strange, little man. You have my pity. Farewell."

%u2014 Buzz Lightyear


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Posted by cbsfan73 at 01:01 AM : Aug 25, 2008

ZONK. Wrong. What he is saying is that putting Obama in office will destroy our country''s Sovereignty.

Are you against voting for Presidents and utilizing democracy?

Certainly seems that way.

[cbsfan73]

GarbageStopr wrote:
"Also by your philosophy, you think that it''''s impossible for a politician to have any moral stance on anything."

I think it is better for you to vote on issues than to have politicians to do it for you.

[ausus-2009]

cbsfan73,

Are you advocating anarchy? The results would be too horrible to imagine. Whether we like it or not, a democratic system with two or more political parties vying for your vote is what works best. Of course, there are alternatives. Hitler, Stalin, Saddam and Mugabe are good examples.

[garbagestopr]

Its absurd that you would have the audacity to accuse others of subscribing to the same kind of propaganda that YOU are yourself promote but claim to denounce.
Posted by chitown639 at 01:02 AM : Aug 25, 2008


Obama''s RADICAL ASSOCIATIONS and his "friends" are not PROPOGANDA, they are FACTS about his life.

The TUCC IS NOT propaganda, it is a FACT that Obama attended that hate-filled church for 20 YEARS.

You can''t put 2 and 2 together, not because you''re not capable of doing so, but because you simply DO NOT WANT TO, because then you would actually have to admit you are wrong, which would require some humility, something that hasn''t been a part of your life, apparently.

[garbagestopr]

I think it is better for you to vote on issues than to have politicians to do it for you.

Posted by cbsfan73 at 01:03 AM : Aug 25, 2008

And that''s EXACTLY what I''m doing.

I''m 100% PRO-LIFE for one. That is a VERY important issue to me. And McCain believes that life begins at conception, as do I.

But that''s only one issue.

I also realize that we are in a WAR with RADICAL ISLAM.

McCain understands that, OBAMA DOES NOT.

Obama has HAMAS endorsing him.

This should tell you something!

Wake up!

[cbsfan73]

GarbageStopr wrote:
"Are you against voting for Presidents and utilizing democracy? Certainly seems that way."

Apparently you have democracy confused with representative democracy. To participate in a true democracy, one must vote on the issues.

I contend that running the country should be in the people''s hands, not corporate toadies hanging by a puppet string.

In the old days, the argument for a representative democracy was that most citizens were not educated enough to understand the issues. This is not true today.

Also, many citizens lived in remote places and needed representation. Again, with modern communications, this no longer applies.

So, wouldn''t you rather have the authority to vote on issues or would you rather relinquish that to a politician?

[garbagestopr]

Apparently you have democracy confused with representative democracy. To participate in a true democracy, one must vote on the issues.
posted by cbsfan73

-Evidently you failed to read my last post.

[garbagestopr]

cbsfan73-it appears you believe in anarchy, as another poster pointed out.

[cbsfan73]

ausus wrote:
"Are you advocating anarchy?"

If everyone agrees that they should have authority to run the country, then it is not anarchy. It is democracy.

Why is it so hard to see this simple truth?

[kmccliment]

Barack you are not like me. I am not a baby killer like you!!

[cbsfan73]

Wouldn''t you like to go out and vote on the issues facing the country every three or four months? Can you imagine the power that you matter?

[garbagestopr]

Find the passage in the bible that says at what point life is conceived and should be protected
posted by curse914

First off do you even believe in the Bible? Because if not it''s pointless to even bring up the verses to you.

But...

You just opened up another can, but if you insist:

Jeremiah 1:5

5 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations

Psalm 139:13 (New International Version)

13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother''s womb


Isaiah 42:5
This is what God the LORD says%u2014 he who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and all that comes out of it, who gives breath to its people, and life to those who walk on it: