It’s Michelle Obama On Line 1
February 15th, 2008, 12:48 pm · 11 Comments · posted by Joaquin
The much praised, on-the-ground organization of Barack Obama’s presidential campagin came calling on Thursday.
“Hello, this is Michelle Obama,” the recorded message said on my home phone. I didn’t take the call, but my 13-year-old daugther did, and after pressing “1” for yes to a couple of questions, (including the key question as to if she supported Obama’s candidacy), she hung up when questions about health care proved a little too complex for a teen who watches more Disney than CNN.
My daughter is obviously too young to vote, but her mother isn’t, and the daughter pushed “1” for yes because the mother is one woman who has ditched Hillary for Obama, and plans to vote that way on March 4 in the Texas primary. I’m guessing the Clinton campaign has similar calls going out in these parts, although my family hasn’t gotten one yet despite our usual Democratic Party leanings, (full disclosure: I voted for George W in the 2000 prez campaign and have voted for Sen. Kay Bailey as well).
Still, after reading many an article on how the Obama campaign has out-organized and outworked the Clinton campaign in nearly every state thus far, it’s not surprising my household would hear first from Barack. Indeed, it is rather amazing how a first time U.S. senator has appeared to outsmart and organize the Clintons in running a far more sound and solid presidential campaign.
Hillary keeps telling us she’s ready to be president from day one, but she appears to be having serious troubles running her national campaign for president. Clinton hasn’t been competitive in a number of states, including the most recent trouncings she absored from Obama in Maryland and Virginia. Obama has raised far more money than the Clintons, a truly astounding fact when you consider that Bill Clinton is the biggest Dem fundraiser around. Obama has also avoided the sort of crisises that have troubled not only the Hillary campaign, but the one of GOP nominee John McCain as well.
So, the guy with supposedly no experience, has been a far better CEO of his presidential campaign than have the far older candidacies fronted by Hillary and McCain. Maybe that doesn’t mean much, but then again, there’s voters like my spouse who asked the other day: “If they can’t run a presidential campaign well, how are they going to run the country?”
Back to our part of the country, I read a Newsweek article online this week where mega-rich McAllen developer Alonzo Cantu, a close bud of the Clintons, chided Obama for knowing nothing about the border, and for his lack of visits here. The Clintons, he said, have been to the Rio Grande Valley many times. True, Alonzo, but where exactly have they been? Have Bill and Hill seen much of the Valley beyond the inside of your mansion in north McAllen where you and your wealthy friends raise scads of dough for the Clintons.
Look, good for Cantu that he has earned the fortune he has amassed from modest beginnings, and he now owns more banks and hospitals than the little guy with the cute hat in the Monopoly game. But to portray the Clintons as the man and woman of the people in the Valley? Por favor. They’ve just come here for the dough, but now that they need the votes of Valley people, Hillary is coming back to our neck of the mesquite woods for a stadium rally in McAllen next week so Tia Juana and young professional Hispanic women named Ashley and Brittney can jump up and down with their Hillary! campaign signs.
That’s cool, nothing wrong it at all. Hillary will carry the Valley, that’s for sure. She better. A new statewide poll shows Clinton with only a single-digit lead in Texas over Obama. Better get Hillary back before Michelle makes too many more phone callls.
February 16th, 2008 at 5:03 pm
Thanks, New Mexico. Hillary has just won another Southwest State. With a win in Texas that will make it a complete Southwest sweep. Attention Texas: Do not let the Obamas fool you. They do not understand the Southwest the way that Hillary does. The Obamas have no key personnel on their staff who are from Texas. Their Texas lead staff consist of people from Illionis, Massachusetts and Washington DC. Now you why California, Arizona, New Nexico & Nevada voted overwhelmingly for Hillary for President. Lets make it a complete Southwest sweep Texas votes for Hillary.
The Obamas are quietly playing the race card. The Mexican American voters are being made too feel guilty if they do not cast their vote for Barack. You do not run a campaign by intimidation..
Truth is Barack has never done anything, I mean never done anything for the Mexican American community in Texas or in his home state of Illinois. Why should we believe he will change? Answer. We don’t believe he will change.
Hillary has been supporting Texas for decades as a public servant. She has proven that she can work with members of the Republican Party, when need be to get things done. Hillary is accused by her foes of being an opportunist. They are correct she is. You always strike while the iron is hot otherwise you will never get things done. Hillary just doesn’t hope for things to happen she makes them happen.
“Hil-a-ry, Hill-a-ry! She’s our dama! She can beat Barack Obama!”
Hillary will change the future with her experience. You go girl!
Tejanos For Hillary
February 18th, 2008 at 6:32 am
about the only thigng hillary has done for mexican americans is give us high gasoline prices and a stock market that is goig bad and a war she voted for that now she wants to abandon our troops in iraq and as for the race card only hypocrites who are blind don`t reconize that in the mexican culture there is alot of racisim prejudice discrimination and outward hatred for black people
February 18th, 2008 at 8:15 am
What is truely sad though is all the talk in the Mexican American community (Brownsville Herald) about “what Hillary and what Barack will do for Mexican Americans. I was sitting around the other day at lunch with a couple of gringos from up north, and the talk turned to politics. Not once did the Gringo talk turn to “what the candidates can do for us”. The talk was basically, what will the candidates do to us.
I got to thinking about that, and it struck me that everything we see and hear in the RGV is who can give us the most. Sad, really sad.
I am no Barack fan, because there is no way he could win the Presidency against any Republican candidate, especially against McCain (and I certainly am no McCain fan). Having said that though, If Barack has no experience, what experience does Hillary have? Answer: Zero to very little.
February 19th, 2008 at 11:39 pm
Denial is a river in Hillaryland.
February 20th, 2008 at 4:56 pm
VOTERS—-With the lives of 300 million Americans at stake, JUDGEMENT IS VITAL.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=vjg6_KXYLEI
February 20th, 2008 at 4:58 pm
Please share this MUST SEE video with SENIORS !!!!
Many of OUR SENIORS need help. They’re concerned about Social Security or dealing with the maze of coverage for Medicare Part D. They’re paying too much for prescription drugs and coping with rising costs on everything. More than anything, they’re worried about the country they’re leaving behind to their children and grandchildren.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=oq4uoIG-UyI
February 29th, 2008 at 4:20 pm
I can truely tell you as a Latina from Chicago. Obama has done nothing for us here. So, please do not think that he will do anything for you in Texas. Please read the article below and pass them along.
http://www.houstonpress.com/2008-02-28/news/barack-obama-screamed-at-me
http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=25166
http://www.nysun.com/article/71421
Some of these article are long, but I urge you to continue reading so that Barak Obama does not pull the wool over our people.
March 3rd, 2008 at 4:27 pm
George W Bush ran amazing campaigns. Did that make
him a good president ? NO.
A campaign lasts a year or so . A presidency lasts 4 years.
A lot can happen in 4 years.
Dont throw away your vote because someone looks good in a suit and has a nice smile.
March 3rd, 2008 at 4:29 pm
What has Hilary done for this Mexican American?
She has successfully lobbied to prevent George Bush from
decreasing the National Institutes of Health budget.
Why is this important to me?
I am a scientist . 100% of my salary comes from NIH grants
that I apply for . Without Hilary’s efforts - I might not have a job.
March 3rd, 2008 at 6:57 pm
The hard-core Hillary types always have to infer if not out and out say that Obama is an airhead. What a crock. I don’t know if the guy would be a good president or not, but he’s not stupid, Irma. He writes well, for one, if one has read any parts of his two books, which he actually wrote.
Agree with what he wrote or not, there are some coherent, well-thought out views there. And let’s look at what’s happened thus far, pre-Texas and Ohio. About 1 million more Democratic voters in about 40 primaries and caucuses have gone for Obama over Hillary. I guess they’re all pretty dumb, eh, those 1 million-plus voters who have gone for Obama over Hillary.
Same stuff people said about Reagan. I never voted for the man, but he sure out thought, out did his opponents, didn’t he?
March 3rd, 2008 at 7:04 pm
How many Hillarys have we had thus far in this campaign? There was overconfident, above it all Hillary early on when she thought she’d skate right to the nomination. Then when Obama started doing well, she was experienced Hillary. In debates, she has alternated between being nice and being aggressive.
Her campaign is desperate at this point. I prefer consistency in my candidates for national office. For someone who is so experienced, she sure seems to have trouble getting a handle on things sometimes.
I’m hoping Laura Bush runs for president at some point. Same experience as Hillary, both first ladies of states, (Texas and Arkansas), both first ladies of nation, traveling all over the world talking to leaders, etc.
Same thing, basically.