Obama: "we are going to win this election......so keep your stress to a minimum."

[FrenchieCat]

Later, speaking to a dinner crowd of about 350, Obama sought to reassure Democrats, whom he said typically "get nervous and skittish right around this time" and worry that attacks and mudslinging will begin in the final weeks of the presidential race. Obama campaign workers said the $7.8 million tally was a record for a political fundraiser.

"They say, 'Oh no, here the Republicans come,' " he said, adding that some think "it's hard enough - Obama, it's a funny name, and who knows what they're (the Republicans) going to do?"

The Hawaii-born Obama's references to his mixed heritage - he is the son of a black man from Kenya and a white woman from Kansas - comes just a week before the Democrats open their national nominating convention in Denver and after weeks of increasingly tough attacks from the campaign of Republican John McCain. Just weeks ago, McCain's campaign accused Obama of playing the race card for mentioning his race at a campaign event. Obama's appearance drew a total of about 1,800 people. He ended the evening with an address to a large crowd in the hotel ballroom. Fresh from a forum with McCain at the Saddleback Church in Orange County on Saturday night, Obama hit San Francisco in the late afternoon for the fundraisers before heading off to New Mexico for more campaign events.

Among those at the Fairmont were House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Reps. Barbara Lee, Anna Eshoo and Mike Honda as well as San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris, Craigslist founder Craig Newmark, real estate mogul Walter Shorenstein and former California state controller Steve Westly.

"This will be a historic fundraiser, one of the largest in San Francisco ever - if not California," said Westly, a key Obama fundraiser in California. "We're very proud of what Senator Obama's doing tonight. ... This month, we've gotten 65,000 new donors ... and now, we're going to take it to a whole new level."
snip
At the dinner later, Obama assured donors he would run an aggressive campaign, telling them, "we've got 79 days before we're going to change the country."

"I don't need to convince this room of the nature of the changes that are needed. ... We've got an economy that is not working," an energy policy that is "killing the budgets off American families," and "a foreign policy that has been based on bluster and bombast.

"We are going to go out there and run the best presidential campaign that you have seen ...we are going to win this election. We're going to change the country and we're going to change the world ... so keep your stress to a minimum."
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/08/17/MNCI12CVH8.DTL

[Colobo]

1. The man is ready to roll... and to win!

[FrenchieCat]

15. And by the way, this Obama Video is becoming viral!

Two versions!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65I0HNvTDH4

http://www.chedstone.com/2008/08/13/the-obama-rick-roll/

[Colobo]

2. The man is ready to roll... and to win!

[bleever]

3. Ready and able to rock...and to roll.

Break on through.

[Dammit Ann]

4. I have to admit that is reassuring.

These last few weeks have been brutal.

[dkf]

5. The guy is a freaking rock.

[CakeGrrl]

6. Oh noes! Whatever will the dead-enders and hand-wringers do

now that Obama reminds us that he knows what he's doing, not to mention calling them out?

:rofl:

[The Traveler]

7. Hope yer right, Dude

Because I am not convinced you can win.

I AM convinced that you would govern wisely and well. I AM convinced that America will go to shit shortly after a hypothetical Obama defeat. I AM convinced that you are not, as I so recently proclaimed, an empty suit. No. I was So Fucking Wrong about you.

Win, lose ... still, Barack, you are a man who tried to stand for good and reason. Win, lose, you have rightly won the respect of millions.

But I really do believe if you lose, my children will be fucked.

So, feel a little bit of stress, will ya?!??! Because your cool is driving my blood pressure through the ceiling.

Thank you for listening. Now go forth and kick Rethuglican ass.

[FrenchieCat]

11. He will win.

Go read the article. It's a long one.

[The Traveler]

13. God, Frenchie, I hope you are right

The more I learn about this guy the more I like him. I really like the way he has handled himself in recent months. A man of wisdom and strength ... the inside stuff. And you of all people should know I was not an easy "sell" for Barack Obama. We tangled more than once in the primary season, you and I.

You were right.

I was wrong.

Stakes are higher than I can recall in my 52 years. This time, the good guy better win.

[FrenchieCat]

16. It's under control! It is up to us. With the right attitude, we can change the world.....

But it will take all of us. I'm not going to live forever. Now, is the time.

ok?

[The Traveler]

21. I'm with ya, buddy,

Send money. Canvass neighborhoods. Talk. I'm there.

So, like, yeah. OK.

[unfaithful_servant]

8. I hope he starts talking about issues

or my stress level is going to go up.

Don't worry, be happy was Bush I's campaign slogan. Surely Obama can be less condescending to voters.

[writes3000]

9. Condescending just like your posts? He's got a long way to go before he catches up. nt

[FrenchieCat]

10. He wasn't talking to "voters"....he was talking to those at the

fundraiser.

Maybe you should take the time to go to the linked article. He raised 7.5 million dollars in one night.

[writes3000]

12. Actually, he made $300,000 more than that.

You rock, FC!

[jbnow]

14. He talks about issues at every rally and town hall

As soon as primary ended he started right off with an economic tour.

Most of his televised speeches (after a primary) were more generic, motivational and between that and the way the press reports people who don't follow more closely are more apt to think he doesn't hit issues or gives specifics. He does.
I was sorry that the town halls didn't work out because they'd have been nationally televised and he is great at those. cmm.com carries almost all rallies and town halls live and I've watched as many as I could this year. I wish town halls had been shown on TV, Clinton often came across much warmer and Obama shows his inner wonk (and McCain lies).

[Blue-Jay]

17. I hope you stop talking out of your ass.

[FrenchieCat]

18. He is reassuring his base. Nothing wrong with that.

He is brilliant!


As for you.....





























((((FREEPER ALERT!))))

[fujiyama]

19. I hate being the whiny concern troll which is why I rarely ever say what I'm saying

but the last two weeks has me worried.

I sure hope this guy knows what he's doing. His strategy worked in the primaries, but the smears have only started, seem to be taking some effect in the polls, and I haven't seen enough hard hitting "negative" ads against McCain. I don't like he is playing defense...

And I hope his VP pick won't be a dud...

[FrenchieCat]

22. Wow! Guess he better start stressing.......

Or better yet, he should call you and ask about your experience winning elections
and how you handled your stress, while dealing with the media, the "concerned" constituents, all the while winning your elections.

That should do it! :eyes:

[fujiyama]

35. Hey, you gotta realize that many of us are going nuts here!

But as you said, Obama's record at winning elections is a hell of a lot better than my own!

And I can only imagine the stress Obama's going through. He's got millions' of people worlwide pinning their hopes on him winning and turning the page on one of the darkest chapters in this nation's history. That's a huge task.

That's why I said. I hope his VP pick won't be a dud. I trust his judgment for the most part, but Obama like a lot of Dems needs to be more forceful and authoritative. And I still think he's playing too much defense (though much of that is due to media not broadcasting his own replies and counter attacks).

[elkston]

24. The negative ads are running in local markets. National ads are generic and positive.

That's been the strategy. For instance, the DHL ad in Ohio and the Yucca Mountain ad in Colorado.

[depakid]

20. Seasoned observers will be more confident if and when they see a clear break in the pattern

I've gotten a lot of shit on this board and elsewhere for phrasing it less subtlety- but the way it looks with all too many Democratic campaigns is: "here we have this wonderful candidate" <insert battered spouse or partner> who has <___________> to recommend them, and yet who's reticent to do <_________> because its <fill in the blank> to play the kind of game that others do to win.

[FrenchieCat]

23. Half of it is attitude...of which you are lacking.

If you think that an election is won by wringing your hands 78 days prior to the election, that's pitiful.

It's just pretty obvious that being concerned is the best way of helping a campaign. It is productive in that it serves to <_______________________?.

[depakid]

25. What;'s productive is to learn to see things as they are

rather than as we wish that they would be.

Then be assertive- and act accordingly.

Take a few pages of the oppositions playbook that work.

(if you'll pardon the sports metaphors),

[FrenchieCat]

26. So when do you get to the "assertive" and act accordingly part?

September, October or November?

We are beyond your first sentence..........

[depakid]

28. Well, I guess I see things a bit different

Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard beat back many years of so called "conservatives" in Australia in 2007- they KNOCKED OUT a sitting Prime minister from his happy seat in parliament (Bennelong) and changed the course of government- and the nation.

Wanna know how they did it?

Check it out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WvMTAci5nU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSQCm79fGUU

[FrenchieCat]

30. Awe yeah.....the Austrialian Election!

So similar!
Same Corporate media......

[depakid]

32. Had you been in Canberra in February

for the apology, you might feel different.

Don't take my word for it though- have a search...

[opihimoimoi]

27. His HOPE for a Better America/World through Advancing Changes ...resonates with

far too many for the GOP to steal this one...

Obama is new, fresh, Promising

McSame is Status Quo...Bush 2

[pollo poco]

29. He is a scrapper with brains

And it's good to see that he is ready to fight.
Kerry drove me crazy in 2004.

I love the way Obama diffuses the smears with authority, common sense, and backbone.
His coolness is made possible by his spine of steel. He couldn't take matters calmly in hand if he wasn't so strong.
Why our other candidates didn't calmly call the liars out on their ridiculous lies is a maddening mystery.

Don't back down Barack!

Don't play their stupid games!

Make them come to you.

[FrenchieCat]

31. There you go!

:thumbsup:

[Name removed]

33. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[babylonsister]

34. Yes! Thanks, wonderful to read. I know he's up to the challenge. nt