Barack Obama

Obama Tells NAACP Blacks Must Take Responsibility

The Associated Press — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 22:07:27 -0400

CINCINNATI (AP) — Democrat Barack Obama received a prideful welcome from the annual NAACP convention Monday night, but in a stirring speech to the nation's oldest civil rights organization, he nonetheless insisted blacks must show greater responsibility for improving their own lives.

The man who could become the first black president urged Washington to provide more education and economic assistance. He called on corporate America to exercise greater social responsibility. But he also received his most lusty applause as he urged blacks to demand more of themselves.

Obama, Hillary Clinton to Campaign Together

The Associated Press — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 11:47:55 -0400

CHICAGO (AP) — Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama's campaign announced Friday that he will campaign with former rival Hillary Rodham Clinton next week, a step toward unifying a fractured Democratic Party after a bruising primary fight.

Obama's campaign said in a brief e-mail that said the two senators and former opponents will campaign together for the first time on Friday, June 27, and more details would be forthcoming.

A day earlier, Obama and Clinton also plan to meet in Washington with some of her top contributors in an effort to calm donors who remain frustrated with Obama's presidential campaign. The former first lady will introduce Obama to her financial backers.

Obama Campaign Confronts Rumors

The Associated Press — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 21:17:02 -0400

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrat Barack Obama's campaign said Thursday that Michelle Obama never used the word "whitey" in a speech from the church pulpit as it launched a Web site to debunk rumors about him and his wife.

The rumor that Michelle Obama railed against "whitey" in a diatribe at Chicago's Trinity United Church of Christ has circulated on conservative Republican blogs for weeks and was repeated by radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh. The rumor included claims of a videotape of the speech that would be used to bring down Obama's candidacy this fall.

"No such tape exists," the campaign responds on the site, www.fightthesmears.com. "Michelle Obama has not spoken from the pulpit at Trinity and has not used that word."

Johnson Resigns from Team Vetting Obama Vice President

The Associated Press — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 18:05:49 -0400

WASHINGTON (AP) — Jim Johnson, a manager of Democrat Barack Obama's vice presidential search team, resigned Wednesday amid criticism over his personal loan deals.

"Jim did not want to distract in any way from the very important task of gathering information about my vice presidential nominee, so he has made a decision to step aside that I accept," Obama said in a statement. "We have a very good selection process under way, and I am confident that it will produce a number of highly qualified candidates for me to choose from in the weeks ahead. I remain grateful to Jim for his service and his efforts in this process."

The Type-Off Goes National

Munier Salem — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 18:54:27 -0400

Graphic design has always eeked its way into presidential campaigns. Many remember the famous analysis of the Bush/Cheney and Kerry/Edwards logos which analyzed everything from the choice of fonts (obnoxiously bolded sans serif vs. light highbrow serif) to the placement of the flags (firmly anchored vs. flying off the page). All this seemed to confirm Bush’s brawny, strength-obsessed politics, versus the perception of Kerry as an elite weakling.

Obama Seals Democratic Nomination

The Associated Press — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 23:30:54 -0400

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Cheered by a roaring crowd, Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois laid claim to the Democratic presidential nomination Tuesday night, taking a historic step toward his once-improbable goal of becoming the nation's first black president. Hillary Rodham Clinton maneuvered for the vice presidential spot on his fall ticket without conceding her own defeat.

"America, this is our moment," the 46-year-old senator and one-time community organizer said in his first appearance as the Democratic nominee-in-waiting. "This is our time. Our time to turn the page on the policies of the past."

Long Primary Season Ends with Obama Set to Clinch

The Associated Press — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 09:39:31 -0400

CHICAGO (AP) — History within his reach, Barack Obama was primed to claim the Democratic presidential nomination Tuesday or soon after as voters in Montana and South Dakota bring his months-long contest with dogged rival Hillary Rodham Clinton to a close. Clinton appeared ready to bow to the inevitable and spare the party an even more protracted fight.

Clinton campaign chairman Terry McAuliffe said Tuesday that once Obama gets the majority of convention delegates, "I think Hillary Clinton will congratulate him and call him the nominee."

Clinton's New Bag of Tricks

Mike Wacker — Fri, 30 May 2008 14:07:58 -0400

Hillary has to bow out of the race...eventually. While I would initially set a timeline that ends shortly after the last primaries on June 3rd, I must quickly remind myself that this is Clinton. I probably would be better off trying to get Bush to set a withdrawal date for Iraq than trying to get Hillary to set a withdrawal date for her candidacy.

Obama may be oh-so-close to the nomination now, but this may be as close as he will be for a while. Although he does not need many more delegates to clinch the nomination, Clinton probably will change the math (the real math, not the one in her mind) soon.

Obama Plays the (Other) Race Card

Mike Wacker — Fri, 23 May 2008 19:37:13 -0400

Oppose illegal immigration? In that case, you may be responsible for xenophobia and hate crimes, according to Obama:

"A certain segment has basically been feeding a kind of xenophobia. There’s a reason why hate crimes against Hispanic people doubled last year. If you have people like Lou Dobbs and Rush Limbaugh ginning things up, it’s not surprising that would happen."

So much for all of Obama's talk to disagree agreeably.

Obama to Reach Delegate Milestone Tuesday

The Associated Press — Mon, 19 May 2008 20:21:15 -0400

WASHINGTON (AP) — Barack Obama will reach a significant milestone Tuesday as he marches toward the Democratic nomination for president — a majority of pledged delegates at stake in all the primaries and caucuses.

Obama will still be short of the overall number of delegates needed to clinch the nomination, unless he were to suddenly receive an avalanche of endorsements from the party and elected officials known as superdelegates. But the Illinois senator's campaign is touting the delegate milestone as a big step in defeating his rival, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York.

John Edwards Endorses Obama at Michigan Rally

The Associated Press — Wed, 14 May 2008 19:13:30 -0400

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) — Democrat John Edwards endorsed former rival Barack Obama on Wednesday, a move designed to help solidify support for the party's likely presidential nominee even as Hillary Rodham Clinton refuses to give up her long-shot candidacy.

Edwards made a surprise appearance with Obama in Grand Rapids, Mich., as the Illinois senator campaigns in a critical general election battleground state.

The endorsement came a day after Clinton defeated Obama by more than 2-to-1 in the West Virginia primary. The loss highlighted Obama's challenge in winning over the "Hillary Democrats" — white, working-class voters who also supported Edwards in significant numbers before he exited the race in late January.

Sen. Obama's Speech on Race Triggers Debate on Campus

Sarah Singer — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0400

On March 18, presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) gave the American people a tour of their country. It was a tour that began with the signing of the Constitution in 1787, and ended with a vision for the future of a nation — a nation that is ever-changing but ever-present, a home to over 300 million men, women and children from eclectic national, cultural and religious backgrounds.

In a brief 37 minutes, Obama outlined a number of challenging yet interrelated topics that have become defining aspects of American history since the country’s founding: equality, race and religion.

Unique Dynamic Gives Obama Upper Hand in Tompkins

Nathan Sermonis — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Ithaca’s “ten square miles surrounded by reality” seemed to encompass the whole of Tompkins County last Tuesday when Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) soundly defeated Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) in the county’s Democratic primary. But the question remains: how?

Despite losses in every other county throughout the state, Obama finished with a nearly 17-point lead over home-stater Clinton last week in Tompkins. Across the rest of New York, Clinton received 57 percent of the Democratic vote, while Obama was awarded only 40 percent.

C.U. Baracks the Vote

Michelle Sun — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Eight local bands and 1,100 people traversed icy roads last Friday to attend “Rock for Barack,” a rally and concert held by Ithaca for Obama at the historic State Theatre in downtown Ithaca. College students, native Ithacans, staunch Obama supporters, undecided voters and Hillary advocates alike came out to the event.

“The atmosphere was electric … I didn’t think that many people would make it but there were over a thousand, listening to over an hour of political speeches … and then we had great music. There were people who had mentioned they had never gone to anything political before … and left being energized,” said Brian Hunt, field coordinator in the 22nd Congressional District.

Eyes on the Primaries: Senator Barack Obama

Elizabeth Manapsal — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0500

This is the first in a series of articles examining the positions of front-running presidential primary candidates.

With Super Tuesday right around the corner, the New York State primaries could prove to be an uphill battle for presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.). On Feb. 5 he goes up against Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) who is currently leading in California, New Jersey and Florida for the Democratic Presidential Nomination, according to the latest Rasmussen report released yesterday.

Coming off the heels of a win in the Iowa caucus, Obama projects himself as a candidate for change, a buzzword that has become talk show fodder from both sides of the political spectrum.

Students Unite For Obama

Gallagher Hannan — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0400

Dozens of excited students cheered on speakers at the Barack Obama Rally for Change outside the Straight yesterday. The rally featured several students all of whom are passionate about politics and getting the Cornell population out to vote.

Rally for Change was put on by Cornell Students for Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), a student group dedicated to organizing support for Obama during his 2008 presidential campaign.