I just finished three hours of phone banking in California.

[calteacherguy]

The majority of the callers who had already voted on my listed had voted for Obama. My most delightful call was to a 53 year old woman who was leaning towards Clinton. I told her what a wonderful woman I thought Clinton was, and how we are so fortunate to have such great candidates. I agreed it was a tough decision. Then I explained one of the reasons I support Obama is because he will unite the country around a common purpose, and bring more people into the political process. That has to happen in order for there to be enough pressure on the politicians in Washington to actually get things done this time around. I presented my view he was our best chance at beating McCain, because he was against the war from the beginning and would bring more independents and even some Republicans over to our side. At the end of the call, she was leaning towards Obama. I will call her back again before Tuesday to check-in.

Here's the news from California: The tide is turning towards Obama. It wasn't just that one caller, either. Something is happening out here.

[aquart]

1. Dear lord, she fell for a phone call?

That's such a sad thing to hear, that someone can be so unsure of herself. She let a man make her decision.

[KittyWampus]

2. you've never done phone banking, I take it?

[calteacherguy]

5. I've done phone banking for other campaigns.

Why do you ask? Oh...whoops, you weren't asking me that question.

Never mind.

[Big Blue Marble]

3. Thank you for your dedication and work for Obama.

You are confirming on the ground what the polls are showing. Keep up this most important work.

[billbuckhead]

4. War hero McCain vs weak on Al Queda, Barack Hussein Obama

That's the disaster we are looking at in November if :tinfoilhat:bama is the nominee.

[kid a]

9. get out of buckhead

its making you whakky on the junk...
=)

[FrenchieCat]

11. No....You've got it backwards. It would be Clinton Repug Lite that would

sink us. Why vote for a Repug Lite Hawk when you can vote for a real one? :shrug:

On McCain's forte; National Security, i.e., Iraq War, etc.


McCain’s position:
I’m am a big time War Hero. We were right to go into Iraq. Saddam gone is good. I know what to do to win this war. I wanted to send more troops at the beginning, and I urged for the surge when most were against it. I stood on my principles, and I was right. I want to leave Iraq, but we can leave victorious. It’s important to stay, because if not, there will be genocide, and Al Qaeda will be left to rule Iraq, and turn it into a terrorist state.

Clinton’s position:
Cannot argue about how we got into this war because her vote was the same as McCain's. She has also stated enough times that she wanted Saddam gone and that him being gone was good. She would be forced to move on to how the war was fought. She had a lot of problems with Rumsfeld and how the war was conducted, but she will only be in agreement with McCain, because he thinks that the war wasn’t fought correctly either. Hillary was against the surge, and if the surge is still being portrayed as having been successful, Hillary loses points, which weakens the rest of her argument to get us out of Iraq. McCain will look "resolute" next to her when judged by Repugs, Indies, moderates, and yes the Democrats who are also concerned about National Security.

McCain wins the Iraq War debate, even though most people want out...
He therefore gains the upper hand on National Security matters by defacto of having worn the uniform.

Obama’s Position:
Obama and forcefully argue that the War should never have been fought or authorized. He can point out that as much experience McCain is supposed to have with war, he voted for the debacle that will have ended up costing trillions and killed hundreds of thousands, while the congress was acting tone deaf as the public marched against such move.

Obama then can describe how the war was based on lies, and there were no WMD. That he, Obama, called it for what it was; a Dumb war, and those who supported it who should have known better. He would be speaking from a position of strength having stood against the conventional tide. He can claim the ultimate title of Maverick (McCain's strength), and point out that McCain is the one who supported the President's decision for an elective war, breaking the mold many years of Foreign policy wisdom.

Obama can stressed that well documented fact that there were no links between 9/11 and Iraq, but that McCain acted as though there were. He can then slides in the fact that our economy is now into a recession because we are being held hostage by the Chinese and other countries we have to borrow money from because of our forced expenditures in Iraq. And so, apart from everything else, Obama’s Iraq War opposition provides backbone to go into the economic platform that progressives demand, based on the reason that it is Republican stewardship that has gotten us where we are.

McCain will divert the economic issue by talking about Governmental pork....but Obama can point out that the war is the biggest porker, and roll out some stats. Obama can show without being forced to debate "what to do about Iraq now" on McCain's terms, and he can stress that he had superior judgment on one of the most important national security decision in our current times. He also can brings up McCain's statement of the possibility of our being in Iraq for 100 years.

That's when Obama can move, with an upper hand, on how to get out of Iraq. His argument will carry more credibility than McCain’s by this time...and Obama then proposes how we get out of Iraq.

Obama wins the Iraq War debate, and neutralizes McCain on McCain's strength.

[billbuckhead]

15. McCain won't even have to debate Obama. It won't be that close

The media will finally turn on the weak empty suit and his non-existant record while they endlessly discuss Rezko, madrassas, Obama's Islamic name, Oprah's upset fans, Obama's drug use, etc. Meanwhile McCain will be endlessly lauded for political courage, bipartisanhip, campaign finance reform, war hero, pro-Hispanic, etc.

[lxlxlxl]

16. wow what insight!

Your not being realistic, and you've bought the right-wing mantra's of terrorism terrorism terrorism

If you are just going to push binaries, then there are better ones --

The oldest Washington establishment Republican vs. a massive mobilization of Americans for a decent future

[CTLawGuy]

18. how about this

McCain's multiple decades of experience (25 years ACTUAL experience as a legislator, almost 20 as a senator) vs. Hillary 35 years of "experience" (in actuality 1-1/3 senate terms and the rest in private life or as an unelected first lady)

McCain with a less-than-enthusiasitc Republican base suddenly united behind him against a common enemy vs. Hillary and the Clinton baggage.

McCain's consistent stand on the war vs. Hillary, in Kerry-like fashion (God bless him though), trying to carve out an anti-war position despite having orginally VOTED for it.

McCain's reputation for honesty and straightforwardness vs. Hillary's having moved to a state in which she had never lived for the purpose of running for the U.S. Senate, and then 8 years later, running for president on her husband's famous last name trying to borrow his accomplishments.

If you live in the Hillary glass house, do NOT throw the electability stones!

[silverweb]

6. Awesome news!

And thank you for all your hard work!! :patriot:

[TomInTib]

7. My 77 year-old Mother (BClinton all the way) has thrown down...

I saw her in Dallas last week. Right in front of my step-father (you wouldn't believe me if I told you), she went hard for Obama.

Frankly, I was astounded.

[Maven]

8. Maybe she told you that to get you off the phone.

[Maddy McCall]

21. Yup.

And I'm sure she's going to appreciate the "call-back."

[calteacherguy]

23. Nope.

The conversation didn't go that way at all. The sense I got was that she wanted to talk more, but I like to let things simmer for awhile and give people a chance to think things over, so I will call her back in a few days to remind her to vote Tuesday. I'm a "soft-sell" sort of phone banker.

[AtomicKitten]

10. There's something happening here ...

I'm working out of the ex-head shop volunteers opened up on Market St. in SF. People are really engaged and motivated. Thank you so much, and I mean that from the bottom of my heart, for all your work on behalf of such a great candidate. I find he is an easy sell as well! Cheers. K&R

[calteacherguy]

13. I'm in the Eastbay.

Thanks for the work you are doing in the city! Cheers!

:toast:

[my3boyz]

27. Calteacherguy

What part of California are you phone banking in? Thank you for helping the Obama campaign.

[UALRBSofL]

24. Ahh so your campaigning in a city that favors Hillary

If you get the chance to go to HRC site it indicates there support for Hillary. :)

[CoffeeCat]

12. I experienced the same thing in Iowa...

When Obama rolls into town with his ground game--the landscape is forever changed.

:)

Thanks for your hard work, and for being such a gracious, kind representative of
the Obama campaign!

[featherman]

14. Thanks, Teach - good work... more action, less bickering

[tammywammy]

17. Very cool

Thanks for posting!

[Joe the Revelator]

19. Cal- Whats the deal with this absentee meme that Team Hillary is pushing?

Anything to it? Anybody talking about it at Obama HQ? Is it insurmountable?

[calteacherguy]

20. The feeling is it will be close but yes we can win this thing.

One of the folks I was talking to tonight was a political science professor. The likelihood is that in California a majority of the Edwards supports will fall Obama's way. Also, most folks voting absentee don't vote until the week before the election.

[BeyondGeography]

22. Great work, teach...looks like we have a dead heat in Cali now

:thumbsup:

[ShadowLiberal]

25. Glad to hear it

Glad to hear that the tide is turning some in Obama's favor.

[dkf]

26. Wow wow wow.

I'm starting to feel it again!