Yesterday Senator Obama toured the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) headquarters yesterday. The tour included information on how “command has assisted with floods, California wildfires, hurricanes as well as their role abroad.” Read the pool report below:
July 2, 2008
Senator Barack Obama arrived at Peterson Air Force Base outside of Colorado Springs, where he spent nearly two hours on a private afternoon tour of the facility and briefings from military leaders.
Your pool was escorted to a separate building at Air Force Space Command and did not see him for the entirety of his visit. It was billed as an official Senate visit, with one member of his Senate staff on hand to participate in the briefings.
General Victor E. Renuart, the commander of NORAD and the United States Northern Command, greeted Mr. Obama and led him on the tour and briefing, which included how the command has assisted with floods, California wildfires, hurricanes as well as their role abroad.
Your pool was given no additional information.
Then, Mr. Obama headed to the Air Force Academy for more private meetings. He is scheduled to speak at a campaign fundraiser at 7:30 p.m. Mountain Daylight Time. A pool report with his remarks will be expedited after that event.
Few people are willing to say Senator Clinton had a great night last night and few probably could argue she did, but many seem to agree, Obama flopped.
“It was a lifeless, exhausted, drained and dreary Obama we saw tonight. I’ve seen it before when he is tired, but this was his worst performance yet on national television. He seemed crushed and unable to react. This is big-time politics and he’s up against the Clinton wood-chipper. But there is no disguising the fact that he wilted, painfully.”
“Overall, with the spotlight on him very bright, Obama didn’t step up. He got rattled early on and never picked his game back up. Clinton wasn’t very warm (outside of he first few minutes), but she didn’t have the spotlight on her very bright. And as we’ve noted here quite a few times, whenever the spotlight is on one candidate, the other seems to benefit. Last night, the spotlight was on Obama, and for a short period of time, expect Clinton to benefit. But the question is whether she can sustain any benefit since as the negativity goes on, she pays a bigger price than Obama. Let’s see what Pennsylvania decides in five days. A big Clinton victory and this debate will be seen as an important turning point. But a narrow victory (less than five points) and she could find herself facing more calls to get out.”
This was not an evening that will shimmer in Obama’s memory book. Facing a new-guy-on-the-block hazing from moderators Charlie Gibson and George Stephanopoulos, Obama at times displayed a whiff of petulance at the steady assault of questions about the controversial sermons of his former minister Rev. Jeremiah Wright and his Chicago social connection to Bill Ayers, a semi-unrepentant alumni of the Weather Underground. Clinton, who faced her own credibility challenges over her hyperbolic description of her wartime visit to Bosnia, seemed content to take refuge in her mantra about her “16 years of being on the receiving end of what the Republican Party dishes out.” Her unsubtle message: I am the only one on this stage who can take it.
“Tonight we saw a real choice between the old politics of point-scoring and distraction and a politics that focuses on bringing us together to actually solve the challenges we talk about every single election. Continuing the theme of her campaign, Senator Clinton used every single opportunity she had to launch misleading attack after misleading attack against Barack Obama, which is why polls show that most Americans think she’s running the most negative campaign and don’t believe she’s trustworthy. Barack Obama spoke about the issues that actually matter in people’s lives, like how he plans to end the war in Iraq, cut middle-class taxes, help people stay in their homes, and provide a secure retirement for our seniors. That’s why more Americans are putting their trust in Barack Obama to bring about the change we need in Washington,” said Obama campaign manager David Plouffe.
Just a reminder that tonight Clinton & Obama will be squaring off in Philadelphia. You can watch the debate at 8:00pm. ABC’s Charles Gibson and George Stephanopoulos will be moderating.
Just when you thought you were safe from Democratic debates, both candidates have signed on for another one, this time in Philadelphia on April 16th hosted by ABC. However
Obama is insisting on an additional debate to be held April 19th in North Carolina. It would be hosted by Katie Couric and Bob Schieffer.
Good morning fellow Geeks, grab some coffee and check out what is happening in election land.
Last night’s democratic debate was tense, had a few fireworks and for the first time brought up some tuff personal issues for Senator Obama. It was debate #20, the final scheduled debate and possibly the last Democratic debate of Election 2008. The candidates discussed Health Care, NAFTA, Iraq and more.
I personally thought Obama scored well on Iraq, though it was funny I cringed for Clinton who brought up an SNL skit to say Obama was being treated better, I cringed for Obama when Russert tossed out a question on Iraq leaving it to the candidates to decide who would answer and the Illinois Senator deferred to Clinton (it could have been a moment for him to show some foreign policy chops), I thought the opening to the debate showing Clinton saying Obama was right and Obama saying Hillary was right for declaring this a “change election” was a little over the top against the NY Senator.
Nothing will change because of it, no major scores, no major losses. With that said Clinton just a few weeks ago was demanding more of these giving the impression that she thought she would walk away from them with momentum, nothing tonight gave any evidence of that. So in short, probably not a great night for Clinton.
The Clinton camp is hoping for a debate a week. Obama’s take?
“I don’t think anybody is clamoring for more debates,†he said. “We’ve had 18 debates so far. I think we’ve had 10 more than we’ve had in the last Democratic contest.â€
He said he would agree to at least one debate, but noted, “It’s very important for me to spend time with voters.â€
I have to say, I agree, I definitely know I am not clamoring for more debates. I have no idea what is gained from these and considering here in Upstate New York we had almost no face time with any of the candidates the public would probably be better served by some visits.
Hillary Clinton’s team is pushing their plan to hold a debate a week until the March 4th primaries. The latest development is a letter sent from Clinton Campaign Manager Patti Solis Doyle to Obama Campaign Manager David Plouffe.
