Have you heard this story (from a Yahoo Group list)?
I’ve been talking with some people already on the ground in WV and the Obama camp is calling voters, NOT to get out the vote, but to ask for money – campaign donations. The gist of the call is that its not important that they vote, because the election is over, and then they ask for money to help put this primary campaign to an end and move on to the general election. Basically, they are telling voters its over. Then they ask for $400 donations. What the dollar amount is about, I don’t know. Perhaps they are just getting greedy.
Is the Obama campaign targeting voters in West Virginia with misleading telephone calls? If so, this is a very serious problem. It’s commonly acknowledged that Hillary will do very well in West Virginia. But a huge win combined with a huge turnout would sweeten the victory by adding significantly to Hillary’s national popular vote total. And that is what the Obama volunteers are trying to achieve with this cheap trick.
Let’s do what we can to counter this bizarre campaign scheme.
If you’re like me, you’ve got a lot of plans for the weekend (especially this mother’s day weekend) but, if you find yourself with a free minute or two, consider donating them to Hillary. Even if you can’t fit a full hour in, please try to make 5 or 10 calls sometime today.
I actually hate making out of state campaign telephone calls. But this threat has energized me past that fear. I think.
Hillary Clinton Call Center Tool
Filed under: Barack Obama, Politics, Presidential Election 2008 | Tagged: Fighting voter suppression in West Virginia, haka, Obama Scams, Voter Intimidation |
The Confluence 
I’ve been getting nothing but answering machines. So I guess I’ll wait until this afternoon to make more calls. One lady called back after seeing my number on her answering machine and she said she’d already voted for Hillary.
Hah, and the spin is that West Virginians all live in shanties hollows and don’t have modern conveniences, such as answering machines and caller ID!
When my family drove through the state when I was a child, I thought W. Va. was the most beautiful of all.
Obama’s corporate donors in “clean coal” may have topped off all the mountain tops and polluted the streams. One of his ads shows Obama in front of a huge flatbed of coal–“clean coal”–one coal plant a week is coming on line in China. Global warming and mercury-polluted waters, we are there!
Here’s a home-grown web page that has photos of what W. Va. has become:
http://www.wvcoalfield.com/
((shudder)) That’s horrible. Wow, CB — I had no idea.
CB,
I think West Virginia is a beautiful state. My family lives in Indiana, and when I visit them, I like to drive home through southern Indiana, Ohio, and West Virginia when I have the time. there are no interstate highways, and it reminds me of car trips my family took when I was a kid.
We lived in southern Ohio four a couple of years in the coal-mining country near WV (in the “tri-state area”), and we often went through WV. As a child, I thought it was so lovely, although I realize many of the people there were so poor then. I’ve been poor myself, and I’ve never thought of it as a “sin,” but that is the message I get from the Obamacan Party these days.
CB,
I went to look at that web page. That is so sad. My family originally comes from North Dakota. A couple of years ago, I went up there and was shocked to see oil wells in the Theodore Roosevelt National Park! Some of the areas were really torn up too.
Bush has done a number on this country and Obama will continue it, no doubt. His corporate masters are the same ones who put Bush in office. I think Obama will be an even more willing tool than Bush, because he doesn’t have family wealth and power to fall back on. It’s so sad that (probably well-meaning) people like Kid Oakland, Markos, and Chris Bowers are helping Obama to ruin our Party and our Country.
Jake Tapper:
Obama-Backing Congressman Compares Hillary Clinton to Glenn Close in ‘Fatal Attraction’
May 10, 2008 9:04 AM
Chris Rock said it last month: “It’s going to be hard for Barack to be president. … Hillary’s not going to give up. She’s like Glenn Close in ‘Fatal Attraction.'”
Then NPR political editor Ken Rudin made the joke, saying on “CNN Sunday Morning” that Clinton was “Glenn Close in ‘Fatal Attraction’ — she’s going to keep coming back, and they’re not going to stop her.” (Rudin later apologized.)
This week, Obama-backing Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tenn., said on local television, when asked about Sen. Clinton, that “Glenn Close should have just stayed in the tub.”
All were referring to Close playing the insane, deluded Alex Forrest — the wronged “other woman” who refuses to accept her fate and just go away, and becomes suicidal and homicidal. (And also rabbit-cidal.)
There is understandably a lot of sensitivity (and sometimes not enough sensitivity) when it comes to Clinton’s gender, Sen. Barack Obama’s race, and Sen. John McCain’s age.
The “Glenn Close in ‘Fatal Attraction'” analogy brings with it a whole carousel’s worth of baggage given the meme at the time of the release of “Fatal Attraction” that, as the late great Pauline Kael wrote in The New Yorker at the time, the “film is about men seeing feminists as witches.”
“Fatal Attraction,” Kael wrote, “parrots the aggressively angry, self-righteous statements that have become commonplaces of feminist fiction, and they’re so inappropriate to the circumstances that they’re proof she’s loco. They’re also the director Adrian Lyne’s and the screenwriter James Dearden’s hostile version of feminism.”
No matter how you slice it, Alex Forrest was the movie’s villain, like Jason Voorhees or Michael Myers. I’d posit at the very least that it’s not keeping with Obama’s lofty campaign rhetoric to compare Clinton’s tenacity to psychosis. And it will indubitably further alienate women voters whom Obama needs to bring to his side once the Democratic race concludes.
– jpt
I’d posit at the very least that it’s not keeping with Obama’s lofty campaign rhetoric to compare Clinton’s tenacity to psychosis. And it will indubitably further alienate women voters whom Obama needs to bring to his side once the Democratic race concludes.
I’d posit that Obama is a passive-aggresive coward. Always with the surrogates.
Melanie,
Wouldn’t it be nice if self-important shills like Kid Oakland would respond to these characterizations of Hillary Clinton by Obama backers? But they don’t even read our comments. They feel no empathy whatsoever for what has been done to Hillary and by extension to us, her female supporters. The damage is extreme, and will create a chasm in Party for years to come, but they couldn’t care less. And it doesn’t matter now anyway; the damage is done and can’t be repaired before November.
I actually had tears in my eyes when I read your comment. As Riverdaughter said yesterday, let them try to “play football with five players.” They are on their own now.
Melanie and BB and hlr — I will not vote for Obama. His campaign the stealth attacks by “supporters” are an insult to every political campaign that has ever been run.
Dirty tricks? Smeers? Kitchen sinks? All more or less fair game.
But disrespectful shit like that “99 problems but a bitch aint one” and the “finger” episode are so way beyond the pale — I’d be disrespecting myself to vote for the guy. And it’s not going to happen.
That HILLARY has to swear fealty to him every single day while he makes cute evations and his wife sneers.
Well, we see it. And we remember.
All politicians may lie and pander. But they don’t all make you get on your knees and grovel. Obama has no respect for Hillary or her supporters.
I can’t get down there this weekend and I am constitutionaly uable to voter phone but I will send more money.
I think mass media advertising would be good. Something really different to catch people’s attention. But also to stay away from the msm. They are actively playing their horse, or their hand, or whatever. And the msm hates the Clintons.
Not to mention the passive-aggressive insults from his supporters.. well.. what also kind of freaks me out is Michelle constantly talking about how the voters just aren’t good enough for Barack and have to challenge themselves to get there. Umm.. is that what democracy is like?
http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/05/01/969784.aspx
“But anybody who’s talking about change is an underdog because there’s a whole system and a history that says, ‘Uh-uh, we’re not ready for that; We don’t need that, that change is scary; you should wonder who his pastor is,'” she joked. “You know there’s always something.”
“So this is the difficult thing. This is why it’s always an uphill battle,” she continued. “Folks in this country believe that, who they think they know, is safer than who they’re not quite sure that they know.”
Funny that. It’s OK for Obama to dodge tough questions and for voters to not really know him. They are just afraid of change when no one’s told them what that change would bring. Also, if things happen that voters might take as a clue to who Obama is and with whom he associates (Rev. Wright), it’s their fault, because they only notice these petty facts for being afraid of change. What kind of change again..? Uh..
I just had the most wonderful experience, even if it was a bit confusing. A name I didn’t recognize popped up on my caller ID and the number wasn’t provided, but I answered anyway. It was a gentleman who asked for me by name and said he was calling on behalf of “our first lady President, Hillary Clinton.” I barely let him get the words out, I was so excited. I told him I am definitely voting for her if she runs (in the GE) and that I just donated again last night. He seemed pretty happy about that and said, “Well, then, consider this a thank you call.” When I hung up, my husband seemed a bit miffed that he hadn’t gotten a call as well and said, “I’m voting for her, too!”
What was weird about it was that I’m in New York and we’ve already had our primary. (We both switched from independent/”No Party” to Democrat just so we could vote for Hillary in the primary, only to be told we’d switched too late and wouldn’t be eligible to vote in a primary until after the next general election due to the NYC Board of Election’s stupid rules. I was so upset, I actually cried.) So maybe they were just calling to double-check that I was still a supporter and asked for me because it’s my name that’s attached to the campaign donations. That would explain how they had my phone number to begin with. Still, if I just donated again last night, it would seem pretty obvious that I’m a strong supporter. Eh, whatever, I was just excited to get the call.
Five Thirty, it’s very difficult for me. I didn’t realized how much I relied on the comradery of a phone bank when I did it in the past. Keeping my motivation up when I’m doing it alone has been very difficult. And getting all those answering machines didn’t help.
I’m going to try again in about an hour. I that will be a better time for catching people at home.
I’m aiming at calling 60 people. And I’d like that to be 60 at homes. It’s just a goal, we’ll see how I do.
theseahag, I almost wish you had let him do his spiel — I’m really curious what it was all about. There wasn’t a fundraising pitch?
katiebird: I’d be disrespecting myself to vote for the guy
Self-respect transcends Partei obligations. I mean, I’m not a “good German.”
Katiebird, when I think of it I agree how much it helps to get pep talks about phoning. And my phoning experience in the past really hadn’t been unpleasant. But that was enough times! 🙂 ;;;;;;;;FT;;;;;;;;;;;
katiebird, on May 10th, 2008 at 1:12 pm Said:
Five Thirty, it’s very difficult for me. I didn’t realized how much I relied on the comradery of a phone bank when I did it in the past.
daria–g:
Got that?
(rolling around on the floor laughing like a crazy woman!) hlr!!
Too funny!
The Governor of West Virginia will be campaigning with Hill on Monday. I believe Monday BO is doing his one campaign stop in WV.
Katiebird, yeah, I regretted cutting him off as soon as I hung up. I was just so psyched to have someone connected with her campaign calling because it showed that she has NOT given up and I wanted them to know that we haven’t given up on her, either. The media are working so hard to give the opposite impression, and thereby enforce it as reality.
It’s funny (and by funny, I mean disgustingly unfair) how Obama supporters are so over-represented in the media and on most political blogs, yet I know plenty of people in real life who are ardent Hillary supporters. In fact, the one Obama supporter I knew personally had his mind changed by Reverend Wright.
katiebird — every time I relive that Michelle quote, I think that she would be better suited as an aerobics instructor.
Step! Stretch!
Barack wants you to push this out!
I just ran the numbers again and its very doable depending on WV, KY, and Puerto Rico. What I didn’t expect was this huge haka and the media assuming he’s already won when he hasn’t. I’m afraid of lowered turnout because of it.
hlr, I thought that quote was a parody. Holy s***, she really said that! Well, then, if it’s the only way to refuse to be enlightened by Obama..
WS — and that’s why I’m hoping each of us can make 5 or more calls to West Virginia this weekend.
It’s the popular vote that will really matter. And a 60-70% win wouldn’t hurt 🙂
In my count, I included Florida, Michigan (minus the uncommitted), and the WA primary. I don’t think the media counts FL and MI and so they think its over.
Running out to buy a frame! Just got home and found this week’s copy of Time with the Obama picture and the word “nominee” under his smug face. I cancelled by subscription yesterday thinking that this issue may be used for May 20th, but no, it is this week’s prior to the last 6 state primaries. This is not an election but a media selection. Welcome to the year 2000.
Also, she already leads among self-identified Democrats. The will of the Democrats should be important too.
I made a few calls and all who I actually spoke wth said they’re voting for Hillary. Had to leave some messages. I was nervous to call since I’m on the shy side but then figured: Heck if Hillary can run for President then I can make some calls.
Making calls to OR, lots of yeses (sp?), lots of women. I asked one what was the feeling out there and she said it’s kind of split.
How (not) to Win Friends and Influence People:
From “Hillbillies for Hillary” by Ron Chusid:
Yeah, that really makes me want to vote for Obama. Right after I hump my cousin and go to the Klan meeting.
(cross-posted at Correntwire.)
I have come to realize this election cycle there there are indeed EVIL Democrats.
Some I can view with disgust from a distance, and others I can withhold my vote, if I am able.
This is not my party anymore. The Democrats I admire/ and have in the past were icons FDR, LBJ, JFK and Harry Truman. Can you imagine the shame these men would feel at they way the Obamabots look upon the working class and the poor?
This current crop are the lowest of the low, the slime that oozes.
“In this final push before Primary Day on Tuesday, May 13th, it’s never been more important to get involved in your community.”
There is NOTHING on Obama’s West Virginia page about giving up the GOTV effort; if you’d just do a little research, you’d find that out.
http://wv.barackobama.com/page/content/WVgotv
bipolar,
Thanks for the link, but I’m not particularly interested. We’ve done our research and made our choice. Suddenly now all you Obamadroids are coming around here with your condescending little comments. I’m not buying what you’re selling. It’s too late.
if you feel yourself start to waver go take a look at americablog (no link, bastards)
“Obamadroids?” Now who’s being condescending?
selaaam Sajmir kola