I have an issue with this Obama/voter fraud thing I keep hearing about.

[Inspired]

I've been sitting on this for awhile and I have to speak out!

I was very involved with the Edwards campaign in Iowa. I wasn't an out of state volunteer who was here for a week or two. I live in Iowa and have been supporting Edwards for years. I was a co-county coordinator for the campaign in the largest county in Iowa. I was a precinct captain. I was involved in One Corps, the meetup.com Edwards group, and countless other groups formed to support John. I spent every day the past year doing something to help the campaign.

My point in saying this is to point out that I have a pretty good understanding of what transpired during the campaign, at least in Iowa. I'm not clueless or naive. I am also a very loyal supporter of John's who hasn't jumped on the bandwagon of Obama or Clinton. I would do it all over again in a New York minute.

My precinct went all out for Obama. We were viable but it was obvious early on that we were going to be blown out of the water. Our '08 caucus numbers almost tripled from the numbers we were projecting from the results of '04. Where did these voters come from? They came from my neighborhood, that's where. They weren't bused in from Illinois. They weren't part of some underhanded, yet highly organized, effort to commit voter fraud. They were young, they were old, they were former Republicans, they were Democrats who finally decided to participate. And the vast majority were supporting Obama. Like it or not. They were Iowans who were participating because the rules stated they could.

I warned the campaign MONTHS before the caucus that Obama was going to be a force to be reckoned with. The staffers dismissed this. They kept saying Obama was going to peak and was not going to be a threat. Their focus was solely on Clinton. THEY MISSED THE MARK SERIOUSLY ON THIS. They were the ones who were clueless and naive to what was happening on the ground. I adore all of them but they simply screwed up and the ones I still keep in contact with admit it. They were working off of predictive behavior models that ended up being useless. Yet they were warned.

The Clinton campaign did just as much to try to harm Edwards in Iowa as the Obama campaign. The Edwards campaign wasn't innocent in this either. The majority of Edwards staffers that I know, who are still involved in the presidential race, work for, or support, Obama now, not Clinton. There is a reason for this.

People say they can't support Obama because of some 'illegal' things going on? Where is the proof of this? Everyone says that he MUST have bused in supporters because how else could he have won? I'll tell you how....he won because he won. It is as simple as that. It breaks my heart to remember how we tried to warn the campaign to the growing support for Obama in our neighborhoods.

I know how disappointed Edwards supporters are over the outcome of this election. I've shed many tears. I've thrown fits. But I will not allow myself to get sucked into conspiracy theories about illegal actions by the Obama campaign. I want proof, not anecdotal evidence that is based more on hurt feelings than reality.

[cornermouse]

1. The Obama support group is over there.

Just below the exit sign.

[Inspired]

4. What a sad response this is.

I am a solid Edwards supporter.

I am also reality driven.

[saltpoint]

13. Edwards voters are welcome to express their opinion on the

status of the Democratic nomination race, cornermouse.

[cornermouse]

14. Ahh, but you've already said elsewhere that you didn't vote for Edwards.

Remember? I certainly do. Let me help you. A copy and paste job.

Old Crusoe Donating Member (1000+ posts) Journal Click to send private message to this author Click to view this author's profile Click to add this author to your buddy list Click to add this author to your Ignore list Sun Mar-02-08 05:40 AM
Response to Original message
6. I voted for Sen. Obama in my state's primary.

And not on the color of his skin but on the content of his character, if I may rip off a famous American civil rights leadaer.

Found under "I've wanted to say this for some time about Obama and his supporters"

[saltpoint]

16. I not only remember, cornermouse, I re-state it here for your

sheer convenience.

Edwards has withdrawn from the race.

I'm sorry he has withdrawn, but he withdrew just the same without getting my input or your input.

I could have saved you the fevered footwork on that thread!

[benny05]

2. I don't have a good answer for you Inspired

You live in Dallas or Polk County, right?

I did hear reports of students being bused in, some paid out of Obama's pocket, some out of the DYA's pocket to go to places like Ames and Iowa City, as well as Davenport/Bettendorf.

There is a blogger named Runaway Rose in the Quad Cities, and I think I have her personal addy somewhere. She may be able to confirm what you say (although the Quad Cities went for Clinton, I think).

I also invite you to come visit the EENR blog sometime, at http://www.eenrblog.com. We have been open for business for not quite two weeks, and we have nearly 350 sign-ups; getting about 20-25 at day.

I just hope you will stay a delegate for Edwards next Friday, as he has asked many of his precinct captains to do if they can.

Benny

[Inspired]

5. Don't worry about my support for John, Benny.

It is solid. That was never my point.

I've read the stories you speak of. They are only stories unless solid evidence is presented. The loss probably goes down better when mixed with a little drama but the only thing I witnessed was a loss. No bused in supporters, no odd characters, no paychecks from the Obama campaign.

[saracat]

7. WEll, I have several friends who DID witness those things and they have no reason to lie. I also am

reality based but it doesn't really matter.Except for local races I am done.

[Inspired]

9. Well....OK then. All I can report on is my own experience and I'm not even an Obama supporter. n/t

[cornermouse]

3. Sorry.

I'm tired and must have read it wrong. Either that or I'm numb.

[Inspired]

6. You must be tired. n/t

[cornermouse]

8. Okay. I went back and looked again.

Another thinly disguised Obama thread and it would appear to have brought along a chorus to back him up. Considering my alternatives; find another forum before the Obamites decide to ruin it too or leave till this is all over or maybe even longer. Give it up, Obamites. The more you try to push and force, the more I'll resist.

John and Elizabeth, I miss you. The race misses you very badly. Please don't endorse Obama.

[Inspired]

10. I'm not an Obamite but if it makes you feel better to say so, fine.

I am a big John Edwards supporter and I know that John and Elizabeth would both find it very funny that you are calling ME an Obamite. They know me too well for that. I think it is kind of funny, too, considering the amount of work I did on the Edwards campaign and the amount of time I spend now explaining why neither Obama or Clinton have gotten my support.

Again, my point was missed. Sigh.

[LiveLiberally]

11. I think I get -- and appreciate -- your point :)

As someone generously explained to me in my first post on this forum, some posters here feel very bitter about attacks against them by Obama supporters. So any post that even appears to promote him is not looked on too kindly -- at least by some. Your experience in Iowa is very interesting to me, particularly in light of how this campaign has gone since then. I don't know why the other candidates didn't take Obama more seriously early on, although perhaps it was due in part to his rather meek debate performances last summer (where I thought both Hillary and Edwards shone). In any case, you clearly saw the grassroots phenomenon at its beginnings and recognized what it could (and has, for better or worse) become. Do you think that the Edwards' campaign could have done something to derail or at least diminish it in Iowa?

[saltpoint]

12. To begin with, I say thank you for your work in Iowa on behalf of John Edwards.

He did very well there, demonstrating significant support.

And the support was genuine.

You helped make it so and thank you for doing that.

I'm impressed with Edwards' sense of peace with himself at this stage of the game, yet am aware as we all are that he could endorse either of the frontrunners or not endorse.

I think John and Elizabeth, reading your post here, would appreciate both your work on their behalf and your clarity in your points raised.

[cornermouse]

15. copy and paste.

Old Crusoe Donating Member (1000+ posts) Journal Click to send private message to this author Click to view this author's profile Click to add this author to your buddy list Click to add this author to your Ignore list Sun Mar-02-08 05:40 AM
Response to Original message
6. I voted for Sen. Obama in my state's primary.

And not on the color of his skin but on the content of his character, if I may rip off a famous American civil rights leadaer.

Found under "I've wanted to say this for some time about Obama and his supporters"

[saltpoint]

17. Repetition is the small-mind demon, as the proverb goes.