going for 1,000,000 for Obama

[JackFTwist]

for those interested

We learned something extraordinary since I wrote to you last night.

We've crunched all the numbers and discovered that we are within striking distance of something historic: one million people donating to this campaign.

Think about that ... nearly one million people taking ownership of this movement, five dollars or twenty-five dollars at a time.

We're already more than 900,000 strong, including over half-a-million donating so far this year. This unprecedented foundation of support has built a campaign that has shaken the status quo and proven that ordinary people can compete in a political process too often dominated by special interests.

Unlike Senator Clinton or Senator McCain, we haven't taken a dime from Washington lobbyists or special interest PACs. Our campaign is responsible to no one but the people.

One million donors would be a remarkable feat -- something that's never been done before in a presidential primary and something no one ever thought would be possible for us. And your generosity made it possible.

But it's going to take an incredible organizing effort to bring in 100,000 new donors before March 4th.

Be a part of this historic effort. Make a donation as part of our matching program, and you will bring in a first-time donor by doubling the impact of their contribution. You can even choose to exchange notes and let them know why you are part of this movement.

There's less than two weeks until March 4th, but you can be part of this historic push right now. Make your matching donation here:

http://www.barackobama.com

We started this improbable journey a little over a year ago in Springfield, Illinois.

And because you've joined together to make your voices heard, this journey isn't looking as improbable anymore.

Since our victory on February 5th, we've won ten straight contests.

But on March 4th, we face a huge challenge in Texas and Ohio, who will vote along with Rhode Island and Vermont. We are behind in the big states and need as many people involved as possible if we're going to win.

If we can reach our goal of one million donors by March 4th, we can send a powerful message that the Washington establishment and big-money interests cannot ignore.

As one million people with one voice, we can tell them that their days of dominating Washington are coming to an end -- the old politics are crumbling and a new voice is breaking through. Our voice.

Will you make a matching donation now to make it happen?

http://www.barackobama.com

I learned the power of ordinary people coming together as a community organizer on the South Side of Chicago.

I worked side-by-side with people who had been laid off from steel plants that were moved overseas. These were people who needed new jobs to rebuild their lives, and their political leaders were ignoring them.

But even though the odds were stacked against them, they discovered that by coming together with one voice, they could no longer be ignored.

When we launched this campaign, we knew we were up against similar odds. We knew we'd be running against a massive political machine with deep ties to the Washington establishment.

We knew it wouldn't be easy.

But if we can do this, we're not just going to win an election. We're going to change our country.

Thank you so much,

Barack

 

[jetsonboy]

"We're going to change our country"? Why? How? To what? He sounds like he is omnipotent already. Bad news.

 

[byro]

"We're going to change our country"? Why? How? To what? He sounds like he is omnipotent already. Bad news.

You've missed the point. The fact that 1,000,000 people have (or will have) contributed money to the campaign has already changed the country. It's historic. The message here is not an example of megolamania, it's an acknowledgement that the change he keeps talking about has already taken hold in a profound way. Love him or hate him: what he's pulled off already is unprecedented.

 

[jetsonboy]

1,000,000 out of 303,478,598 is not the majority.

 

[byro]

1,000,000 out of 303,478,598 is not the majority.

You're still missing the point. 1,000,000 is not the majority, but the fact that 1,000,000 individuals have contributed money to one candidate in a primary campaign has never happened before. That fact alone is unique and it's significant.

 

[Jannus]

"We're going to change our country"? Why?

Because, in case you hadn't noticed, there is an extraordinary need for this. In fact, some of us think the Republic is in peril. To ask "why" borders on the absurd. Like asking why you would want to treat your pneumonia. Or why would you want to comfort the suffering.

How?

First, and most importantly, by education. As Obama has stated again and again, the idea that America works best when its citizens act selfishly to improve their personal material wealth at the expense of their fellow citizens is wrong. Americans need to be taught that "Me, Me, Me" is not as healthy for the nation as "The Lord is first, my friends are second, and I am third."

To what?

A more civil society, of course. One that does not pride itself on hating blacks, Muslims, the poor, or homosexuals. One that does not seek to inscribe hatred into its constitution. One that does not lock people up forever without charges or trial, and then brag about what a wonderful thing such oppression is. One that does not pride itself on protecting the human rights of its citizens by eliminating such rights entirely.

He sounds like he is omnipotent already. Bad news.

Yeah. St. Francis was an omnipotent demagogue, because he arrogantly told people that cruelty to animals or other humans was unacceptable behavior by any man. Mother Teresa was a conceited psychopath, because she insisted that we humans do a better job of taking care of our most disadvantaged. John Paul II was a dangerously powerful pacifist, who told GWB before he started his war in Iraq that it was not humanly justifiable.

If anyone who admonishes that we are not doing enough to care for each other is a demagogue, then we have too few demagogues in America. If anyone who reminds us that civility is necessary for the smooth function of society is omnipotent, then grant us more omnipotence. If anyone who demands justice for everyone is "bad news", then please, God, grant us more bad news of this sort.

 

[jetsonboy]

Because, in case you hadn't noticed, there is an extraordinary need for this. In fact, some of us think the Republic is in peril. To ask "why" borders on the absurd. Like asking why you would want to treat your pneumonia. Or why would you want to comfort the suffering.

It's not so much what I may have been missing, since I have been living under a rock for the past 8 years, but what I fear I might not if he is elected. It appears to me that people in this country feel so burned by the Bush administration, they are running to the first pretty words they hear from this neophite and cling on to it like opium.


First, and most importantly, by education. As Obama has stated again and again, the idea that America works best when its citizens act selfishly to improve their personal material wealth at the expense of their fellow citizens is wrong. Americans need to be taught that "Me, Me, Me" is not as healthy for the nation as "The Lord is first, my friends are second, and I am third."

Right. I believe you wholeheartedly....


A more civil society, of course. One that does not pride itself on hating blacks, Muslims, the poor, or homosexuals. One that does not seek to inscribe hatred into its constitution. One that does not lock people up forever without charges or trial, and then brag about what a wonderful thing such oppression is. One that does not pride itself on protecting the human rights of its citizens by eliminating such rights entirely.




Yeah. St. Francis was an omnipotent demagogue, because he arrogantly told people that cruelty to animals or other humans was unacceptable behavior by any man. Mother Teresa was a conceited psychopath, because she insisted that we humans do a better job of taking care of our most disadvantaged. John Paul II was a dangerously powerful pacifist, who told GWB before he started his war in Iraq that it was not humanly justifiable.

If anyone who admonishes that we are not doing enough to care for each other is a demagogue, then we have too few demagogues in America. If anyone who reminds us that civility is necessary for the smooth function of society is omnipotent, then grant us more omnipotence. If anyone who demands justice for everyone is "bad news", then please, God, grant us more bad news of this sort.

Once again,

 

[Jannus]

^ If you don't want answers to your questions, then don't ask.


Don't request that a light be turned on so that you may see, then complain that the view is not to your liking.


Don't ask that your ears be opened so you can hear, then complain that the music playing is not your style.

 

[jetsonboy]

You sound just like Obama: very idealistic and preachy, but with not much substance.

 

[naked gent]

If Mrs. Clinton had ever been as popular and desired a candidate as her supporters would have us believe Mr. Obama could never have raised this much money from this many different people.

And he did it from the very beginning which should quiet those who believe he has run a dirty campaign. From the very start Mrs. Clinton was unacceptable to much of the country and many people put their money where their distaste was.

Its interesting that John McCain is going after Obama on campaign finance when Obama is raising money in exactly the way that the reforms McCain wished he would. Indeed if everyone was as successful at raising money from so many different people as Mr. Obama is there might not be a need for laws on political donations.

To those dems out there who believe the republican attack machine is just waiting to sink their teeth into Mr. Obama I would suggest to you that he should not accept public financing as those 527 groups will not be restricted and he'll need money to answer their phony charges.

 

[Jannus]

You sound just like Obama: very idealistic and preachy, but with not much substance.

And you sound just like Hillary. No amount of truth or reason is enough to persuade you that she does not own a divine right to the presidency.

BTW, when did we decide that eloquence and oratory in our leaders was a bad thing? Has GWB damaged us that much; that we now demand our presidents sound like bumbling idiots?

 

[rickm28inil]

Thanks for that! I just made my donation so I can be a part of this historic moment. I've been an Obama fan since he was elected Senator of my state.

 

[smelter]

BTW, when did we decide that eloquence and oratory in our leaders was a bad thing? Has GWB damaged us that much; that we now demand our presidents sound like bumbling idiots?

LOL, Obama might help himself by dangling a participle and mixing a metaphor now and then. Clearly Bush has lowered the bar on speech to the point where we're uncomfortable with complete sentences bundled into paragraphs that form coherent thoughts.

 

[JackFTwist]

Hillary gets herself a very expensive swift boat -

an email from David Plouffe of the Obama campaign

News broke yesterday that a few wealthy Clinton supporters are gearing up for a massive spending campaign to boost her chances in the big upcoming contests in Texas and Ohio on March 4th.

The so-called "American Leadership Project" will take unlimited contributions from individuals and is organized the same way as the infamous Swift Boat Veterans for Truth.

ABC News reports that this group is seeking 100 Clinton supporters to each give $100,000 to fund its $10 million effort to promote Senator Clinton and "contrast" her positions with Barack Obama's.

That's the opposite of how politics should work, and the opposite of how Barack Obama has run this campaign.

The same day this group's activity was revealed, we announced that nearly 1 million individual people have donated to this campaign.

Stand up against politics-as-usual. Help reach the goal of 1 million donors calling out for change by encouraging a first-time donor to own a piece of this campaign.

If you give as part of our matching program, you will double the gift of a new donor. You can even choose to exchange a note with them about why you are part of this movement.

Make your matching donation now:

http://www.barackobama.com

Groups like this are forbidden from working primarily for the purpose of electing or defeating a candidate.

Yet here we have a committee that springs up on the eve of an election, promotes a specific candidate, and has no history or apparent purpose of lobbying specific issues outside the benefit to the candidate of these communications.

This raises a number of legal and ethical issues, but more than anything it reveals an attitude towards politics as a game that is played to win at all costs.

Americans are ready for change. We are tired of Swift Boat-style groups and smear campaigns.

Help reach the unprecedented goal of a million voices calling for a new kind of politics and a new kind of leadership.

Make a matching donation now:

http://www.barackobama.com

I'll keep you updated as the situation with this group evolves.