Why We Need Obama: Nevada

Showing posts with label Nevada. Show all posts

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Polls: Obama Even Now Up in Missouri

The fantastic poll numbers just keep flooding in:

FLORIDA: Obama 51, McCain 47
MINNESOTA: Obama 54, McCain 43
MISSOURI: Obama 49, McCain 48
NEVADA: Obama 51, McCain 47
VIRGINIA: Obama 53, McCain 44

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Obama Surges in Battleground States

New polling out of some battleground states shows Obama with a huge post-debate surge:

Among registered voters surveyed in Colorado, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Wisconsin and Nevada, Obama tops McCain 50 to 40%. Just a week ago, Obama led 45% to 42%.

h/t Daily Dish

Thursday, August 28, 2008

New Obama State Polls

From Political Animal:

* A Time/CNN poll shows Obama leading McCain in New Mexico by 13, 53% to 40%.

* A Time/CNN poll shows Obama leading McCain in Nevada by five, 49% to 44%.

* A Time/CNN poll shows Obama leading McCain in Pennsylvania by five, 48% to 43%.

Sunday, January 20, 2008

Obama Receives More Delegates in Nevada

As it turns out, Obama received more delegates in Nevada:

Senator Obama was awarded 13 delegates to Senator Clinton's 12. As Clinton Communications Director Howard Wolfson said, "This is a race for delegates…It is not a battle for individual states. As David knows, we are well past the time when any state will have a disproportionate influence on the nominating process." [Washington Post, 1/16/08]

Thursday, January 17, 2008

Breaking News: Nevada Lawsuit Dismissed

I haven't found an article as yet but I received an email just a couple minutes ago that the Clinton-inspired Nevada lawsuit to suppress the votes of the Culinary Workers' Union has been dismissed. I'll post more when I hear more.

Update: It's true!

LAS VEGAS (Reuters) - A federal judge on Thursday allowed Nevada's Democratic Party to conduct voting to choose a U.S. presidential nominee in casino hotels on the Las Vegas Strip, a decision likely to boost Sen. Barack Obama.

Obama Interview with Reno Gazette-Journal

Every time I hear Obama speak, I become amazed with a new facet of his character and comportment. He truly is not your everyday politician. As Andrew Sullivan puts it:

It reminds me why his temperament is such an asset to him - and potentially the country.

Click to see the full interview.

Via Andrew Sullivan

CEO vs. COO - A false difference

I was very impressed by Barack Obama's candor when he said that he is "not an operating officer", then further refined his statement in this week's NV debate:

OBAMA: Now, being president is not making sure that schedules are being run properly or the paperwork is being shuffled effectively. It involves having a vision for where the country needs to go. It involves having the capacity to bring together the best people and being able to spark the kind of debate about how we're going to solve health care; how we're going to solve energy; how we are going to deliver good jobs and good wages; how we're going to keep people in their homes, here in Nevada; and then being able to mobilize and inspire the American people to get behind that agenda for change. That's the kind of leadership that I've shown in the past. That's the kind of leadership that I intend to show as president of the United States.

I am amazed (not surprised) that the Clinton campaign has latched onto this silliness as an actual bone of contention. A quick search on the internet reveals a common definition of a Chief Operating Officer:

The senior manager who is responsible for managing the company's day-to-day operations and reporting them to the chief executive officer (CEO) ... A company needs a chief operating officer (COO) because the CEO is usually too busy to monitor production quotas and other factors on a daily basis.

Hmm, let's see. What does this sounds like in terms of the President's cabinet? Oh yeah, the Chief of Staff:

He is responsible for overseeing the actions of the White House staff, managing the President's schedule, and deciding who is allowed to meet with the President. Because of this duty, the Chief of Staff has been dubbed the "the gatekeeper" and the "co-President".

In the debate where Obama made the above quote, Hillary seemed to miss the proper definition of an operating officer and instead conflated it with a CEO:

You know, I do think that being president is the chief executive officer. And I respect what Barack said about setting the vision, setting the tone, bringing people together. But I think you have to be able to manage and run the bureaucracy. You've got to pick good people, certainly, but you have to hold them accountable every single day.

So, let's see, what responsibilities does a Chief Executive Officer have, among others:

Advocates / promotes organization and stakeholder change related to organization mission
Looks to the future for change opportunities
Interfaces between organization and community
Decides or guides courses of action in operations by staff
Oversees operations of organization
Implements plans

So, in a nutshell, Hillary and Obama basically agree on the CEO functions to be carried out by the President. So, where's the difference of opinion? Does Hillary think the office is also supposed to encompass the role of a Chief of Staff? In an article today, she keeps pressing the point:

"I believe strongly that the president has to run the government and manage the economy. ... I don't think you can have a hands-off approach to the presidency. ... Particularly following President Bush. ... We have seen the disastrous consequences of that kind of approach."

I don't really see how that differs from what Obama said. The concepts of "running the government" and "managing the economy" fit squarely into the mold of a CEO.

Based on the above, who do you agree with? Is there any disagreement? Is Hillary running for Chief of Staff? Ponder the following candid quote from Obama in the NV debate when making up your mind:

"The point in terms of bringing together a team is that you get the best people, and you're able to execute and hold them accountable. But I think that there -- there's something, if we're going to evaluate George Bush and his failures as president, that I think are much more important. He was very efficient. He was on time all the time and, you know, had -- you know, I -- I'm sure he never lost a paper. I'm sure he knows where it is.

"[W]hat he could not do is to listen to perspectives that didn't agree with his ideological predispositions. What he could not do is to bring in different people with different perspectives and get them to work together. What he could not do is to manage the -- the effort to make sure that the American people understood that if we're going to go into war, that there are going to be consequences and there are going to be costs.

"And we have to be able to communicate what those costs are and to make absolutely certain that if we're going to make a decision to send our young men and women into harm's way, that it's based on the best intelligence and that we've asked tough questions before we went in to fight.

"[T]hose are the kinds of failures that have to do with judgment, they have to do with vision, the capacity to inspire people. They don't have to do with whether or not he was managing the bureaucracy properly. That's not to deny that there has to be strong management skills in the presidency. It is to say that what has been missing is the ability to bring people together, to mobilize the country to move us in a better direction, and to be straight with the American people. That's how you get the American people involved."

Nevada Lawsuit Scandal

See below for a video of Bill Clinton's discussion with a reporter from a local ABC affiliate on the Clinton campaign's position on the suspiciously timed lawsuit to prohibit caucus sites on the Las Vegas strip. As the reporter points out, the rules allowing such sites were agreed to back in March by the local democratic party and the DNC. No one seemed to have a problem with this state of affairs until the Culinary Workers Union came out in support of Obama. This is just the same kind of shameful political hackery we have to do away with. Don't let them get away with it.

Via: Bill Clinton Gets Pissy

Update: Here's the Democratic National Committee weighing in on the controversy:

In legal papers filed yesterday, the Democratic party said the caucus plan was developed months ago with ample time for public comment, and was approved by the Democratic National Committee.
The party urged the court not to intervene, warning of "chaos and confusion" if it is forced to rewrite the caucus rules just days before they are to be held.

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Fact Checking the NV Debate

Obama comes out well in a non-partisan fact check of the NV debate. I can't say the same about the other participants:

Clinton once again mischaracterized the 2005 energy bill, saying it had "enormous giveaways" to oil and gas companies. In truth, the measure raised taxes on those industries.

Kerry: Let the People Vote

Here's a guest op-ed from John Kerry on the scandal in Nevada where Clinton supporters are trying to shut down voting locations widely seen to draw in Obama supporters.

Here’s the bottom line. I understand people gut it out to win on Election Day. But certain tactics make victory pyrrhic – empty – hollow – and it’s not worth winning if you lose what really counts in the process. And you know what, if the Culinary Workers had backed someone besides my choice in this race - Barack Obama - I’d still say it’s right for every candidate to make sure these workers get to vote.

Read More: Let the People Vote

Update: The Democratic National Committee has now filed a motion to intervene in the lawsuit and is siding with the culinary workers. Read More.

Reaching Across Party Lines

The conservative Las Vegas Review-Journal, Nevada's biggest newspaper, will endorse Obama in today's edition, the paper announced last night. This is yet another example of Obama's ability to appeal to Republicans and independents and usher in a landslide victory in November.

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