Tag: Barack Obama

Rendell conference call on Obama campaign

Senator Barack Obama (R) (D-Il) is greeted by Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell before speaking during a Democratic Unity Rally at Temple University's McGonigle Hall October 21, 2006 in Philadelphia. (Photo by William Thomas Cain/Getty Images)

The Barack Obama presidential campaign’s focus on Pennsylvania is “unprecedented” Gov. Ed Rendell said in a news conference call I listened in on during this my first day with the Allentown Morning Call for my post-graduate internship with the Pennsylvania Legislative Correspondents’ Association.

Rendell was a noted booster for Obama’s primary opponent Hillary Clinton, but long maintained he would support whoever was the Democratic candidate. Rendell said “90 percent” of Clinton supporters are with Obama and getting “more excited” for Obama everyday.

“Pennsylvania is generally and typically a battleground state. Democrats have done well but absolutely can’t take it for granted,” said Steve Hildebrand, the national deputy Obama campaign manager. Aside from Florida, he added, Pennsylvania has the largest number of electoral votes that the campaigns are considering real battlegrounds.

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Barack Obama: from untouchable deity to struggling politician

I’ll say it.

I read a really on-point, interesting column in, seriously, the New York Times. ..I have joined semi-literate whites everywhere.

David Brooks took on Sen. Barack Obama, how the man had been raised on high as the messiah of U.S. politics and is now struggling with those unfair expectations.

See, Republicans are more known for quick primaries and getting behind a unified candidate, as has played out with Sen. John McCain. Now, McCain is sitting back, raising money and preparing for a general election, though some think it leaves the candidate less competitive.

On the other hand, big tent Democrat politics are more open to larger, longer and more competitive primaries. The thought is it sharpens the candidate, but, as Brooks wrote, this may be an exception.

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Barack Obama clashes with Philly-style machine politics

In a story missed by Philadelphia media, Sen. Barack Obama is clashing with Philadelphia’s old style politics, as first reported by the Los Angeles Times.

Fourteen months into a campaign that has the feel of a movement, Sen. Barack Obama has collided with the gritty political traditions of Philadelphia, where ward bosses love their candidates, but also expect them to pay up.

The dispute centers on the dispensing of “street money,” a long-standing Philadelphia ritual in which candidates deliver cash to the city’s Democratic operatives in return for getting out the vote.

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Barack Obama: the baller

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Seen CBS News taking on Barack Obama the former basketball player? (hat tip to Alex Irwin for spotting this for me)

Check out video of Obama’s basketball days below, or check out his NCAA tournament bracket here. CBS News has further analysis of his picks and their political connotations, here.

This is all about humanizing the guy, but still, it’s interesting to see it. It shows how Obama, 46, is young enough that film was readily available to film high school basketball.

Oh, and I am thoroughly disgusted that he picked against my own Temple University in his bracket, even if he was correct.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYCEnVmNkpE&eurl=http://broadandcecil.temple-news.com/2008/03/21/baracks-bracket/]

My coverage of Barack Obama in Philadelphia

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There was a huge media crunch for Barack Obama’s Philadelphia address at the National Constitution Center today, though I did cover the event as best I could. (You can also see it here on The Temple News Web site). The photo at the top is one of my own.

I fought my way in, was escorted out twice, before finally get 30 seconds to take as many photos as I wanted in what was a rotating photographer system. A fire marshal enforced an occupancy limit as the second floor room was overfilled, there was a lot of frustration and perhaps as many as 80 journalists watching Obama’s speech on race from a overfill room, broadcasting a closed circuit video of the presidential candidate.

I was told some 250 media credentials were requested for 50 spots, as more than 100 tickets, mostly for city Democrats and high profile party leaders of the region, were only privately distributed.

Though the event’s locale wasn’t announced beyond media circles, still many supporters of Obama, perhaps more than 30, gathered to try to get in.

Covering Barack Obama tomorrow in Philadelphia

There has been plenty of speculation about where Barack Obama will be tomorrow.

It has been announced that he will be speaking somewhere in Philadelphia, but the location has been kept limited, for reasons I don’t entirely understand. The speech has been described as a major address on race in politics, so expect historic words.

Still, I have been granted the privilege of reporting on his appearance tomorrow for The Temple News. All will be posted tomorrow afternoon. Check back for coverage.

See him in Philadelphia last May below.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zifnZrhBxyM]

Barack Obama in Philadelphia on Tuesday

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The Obama plane will be landing shortly.

In an email to supporters, Sen. Barack Obama acknowledged that – enough with the suburbs – the big guy is coming to Philadelphia. A press release that was released from his campaign today read as follows:

Chicago, IL – The Obama campaign announced today that Senator Obama will campaign in Philadelphia on Tuesday.  Further details will be announced as they become available.

Hillary at Temple, Barack coming next

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Sen. Hillary Clinton was at Temple University today, and I was on hand, taking photographs for The Temple News, though I won’t have them posted until tomorrow morning. I will additionally post some video clips of the speech.

Next week, Barack Obama is coming to Temple.

As Philadelphia and Pennsylvania’s importance increases with its primary coming April 22, we will see plenty of the two candidates in the Quaker City.