Aug 04, 2008 - 04:06:02 CDT
Al Gore ignored North Dakota during his presidential campaign eight years ago. In 2004, John Kerry gave one February speech in Fargo - on Super Bowl Sunday - and spent much of his time in North Dakota watching the football game.Barack Obama has chosen North Dakota as one of a handful of traditionally Republican states where he's going to challenge John McCain for their electoral votes, and North Dakota Democrats say the investment may pay off in November.
No Democratic presidential candidate has carried North Dakota since Lyndon B. Johnson's landslide victory over Republican Barry Goldwater in 1964. George W. Bush won North Dakota handily in the last two elections, with Gore getting 33 percent of the vote and Kerry 36 percent.
Democrats say Obama's decision to campaign personally in North Dakota and open offices in the state's four largest cities can reverse that history.
"It is fundamental that if you want somebody's vote, that you have to ask," said Jim Maxson of Minot, who is a North Dakota representative on the Democratic National Committee.
Jamie Selzler, director of North Dakota's Democratic Party, said Obama's strong campaign finances allow him to compete in any state. Obama also might force McCain to divert resources into states that he normally would expect to have locked up, Selzler said.
McCain is "either going to have to choose to concede North Dakota or he's going to have to put some resources up here," Selzler said. "McCain's resources are quite a bit more limited than Obama's, and so for everything that McCain does up here, that's a little bit less that he can do in these big battleground states we always hear about."
Gary Emineth, chairman of North Dakota's Republican Party, believes many undecided North Dakota voters eventually will land in McCain's column.
"It's still a long shot" for a Democrat to carry North Dakota, Emineth said.
"I don't think a lot of people have really sat down and made their decision where they are going to go for president, and they are the deciding voters at the end of the day," he said.
Obama has "kind of drawn into the hard-core Democrat base," Emineth said. "There's a few people who have feelings about the war, and that may be affecting some of it, along with all of (Obama's) activity in the state ... It's a very fluid election, and a lot of dynamics this time that are different."
Obama made his first North Dakota campaign visit in April, speaking at a North Dakota state Democratic convention crowd in Grand Forks that was estimated at more than 18,000 people. He also held a veterans' forum in Fargo last month.
Besides opening campaign offices in Fargo, Grand Forks, Minot and Bismarck, Obama is deploying organizers in the state.
Their work is likely to help Democratic candidates for North Dakota's statewide offices and the Legislature, said Selzler and Mac Schneider, who is a Democratic state Senate candidate in Grand Forks' District 42. The district includes the University of North Dakota.
"For years, it's been a chicken-or-the-egg discussion, whether Democratic presidential candidates don't win in North Dakota because they don't compete, or they don't compete in North Dakota because they can't win," Schneider said. "But we've seen Sen. Obama visit the state twice, and now he's committed organizers in every major city, reaching out to every voter in every county in North Dakota."
Schneider's race against Republican Nate Martindale - the two men are competing to succeed incumbent GOP Sen. Nick Hacker, who is not seeking re-election - is viewed as crucial to Democratic hopes of winning control of the North Dakota Senate. Republicans now hold 26 Senate seats to Democrats' 21.
"In a district like mine, when about half the voters are under age 25, when you have Sen. Obama at the top of the ticket, generating enthusiasm, and all of his organizers in the state - identifying new voters, turning out those voters - it's only going to help," Schneider said.
mom-of-teens wrote on Aug 12, 2008 7:36 PM:
BILL G-A-R-R wrote on Aug 11, 2008 11:59 PM:
cj wrote on Aug 11, 2008 9:52 PM:
There is much on the internet about his flip-flop. I think it's best you do your own research rather than take my word for it.
I'm sure if you can find some info written by Shaun Hannity-it will be different than what I read. "
dantereally great guyexpert wrote on Aug 11, 2008 8:41 PM:
dantereally great guyexpert wrote on Aug 11, 2008 8:01 PM:
Dew wrote on Aug 11, 2008 7:46 PM:
another video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xV-HMmNZO8&feature=related "
Dew wrote on Aug 11, 2008 7:40 PM:
http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/o/obama-salute.htm
http://albanysinsanity.wnymedia.net/blogs/2007/10/20/obama-no-hand-on-heart-for-pledge-either-will-msm-notice/
video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hU9iCANi02o "
This is nuts wrote on Aug 11, 2008 7:29 PM:
What the major networks do is not to lie as that is too expensive, they withhold part of the story or if your MSNBC you withhold the whole story if it is negative towards Obama.
So I guess all of you lefties could tell me what important story Fox left out of their prime time! NOT!! "
Dew wrote on Aug 11, 2008 7:13 PM:
"He's secretly a Muslim who will be sworn in on the Koran?"
Where do you get off lying like this? I posted about him being born in Hawwaii and his 'father' whom he seems to idolize in his book going back to his 'first' wife in Africa. What is wrong with stating the truth? It is the truth whether you want to believe it or not. NO, FOR THE 1,000TH TIME, OBAMA IS NOT MUSLIM! GOT THAT NOW? THANKS! "
Dew wrote on Aug 11, 2008 7:06 PM:
besides in the left wing blogisphere!
Show me a site where it has McCain on video saying this! Bet you can't! "
BILL G-A-R-R wrote on Aug 11, 2008 7:01 PM:
Rugby Reader wrote on Aug 11, 2008 11:25 AM:
Patrick wrote on Aug 11, 2008 8:16 AM:
cj wrote on Aug 11, 2008 1:06 AM:
Dewdrop wrote on Aug 10, 2008 10:09 PM:
" DEW-
How does John Edwards get into this discussion? The way you brought up something about McCain that did nto have anythingnto do with his being president, at least it din't when Bill Clinton was president! Just getting it out there that the Dems aare just as bad and immoral as they try to present the right to be! Be very careful with you live in glass houses, not to throw stones or if you run down a political candidate, your candidate or possible running mate better be squeaky clean! Wasn't John Edwards in the running as as running mate? Any way, he is a lying, 'silly old bugger'. "
Rugby Reader wrote on Aug 10, 2008 9:14 PM:
dew wrote on Aug 10, 2008 7:27 PM:
After flight training, young McCain flew A-4 Skyhawk attack aircraft in the Vietnam war. On his 23rd mission, an October 1967 attack on a Hanoi power plant, his plane was shot down, and McCain, with three broken bones, was imprisoned in the famous "Hanoi Hilton". Under duress, he was interviewed by French reporters, and told them he was treated well. In an interview broadcast as propaganda in Hanoi, McCain said he had bombed civilian targets. He was offered early release because of his father's high rank, and McCain says he considered it but declined. After that, he was tortured for four days, until he signed a confession: "I am a black criminal and I have performed the deeds of an air pirate. I almost died and the Vietnamese people saved my life, thanks to the doctors." Of his more than five years in prisoner-of-war camps, about two of those years were spent in solitary confinement.
After the war McCain needed extensive surgery to repair the clumsy, cruel medical treatment he had received from his captors, and he underwent years of physical therapy to be able to walk normally. He remains unable to lift his arms over his head. Political opponents have spread rumors that his imprisonment left McCain emotionally damaged as well, but that is apparently a lie. His military medical records show that military doctors were impressed by his quick psychological recovery.
Nobody sane questions that McCain went through hell in Vietnam, or belittles his torture and abuse. For his military service, McCain won the Silver Star, Bronze Star, Legion of Merit, Purple Heart and Distinguished Flying Cross. But other American prisoners of war who cooperated with their Vietnamese captors to a lesser degree than McCain faced prosecution for violation of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, and were given less than honorable discharges.
http://www.nndb.com/people/914/000023845/ "
cj wrote on Aug 10, 2008 11:57 AM:
cj wrote on Aug 10, 2008 11:09 AM:
Purple hearts are not medals???????
very strange rationale-
I would say that your reasoning that the POW who was gone the longest is most qualified to be president???? "
cj wrote on Aug 10, 2008 11:05 AM:
How does John Edwards get into this discussion? and also I was comparing John McCain's record to John Kerry's- not Obama's. "
dew wrote on Aug 10, 2008 10:04 AM:
A medal winner, he is not! "
dew wrote on Aug 10, 2008 9:58 AM:
OK, on to the next person in this situation, Bill Clinton... He had numerous affairs but the left is quick to explain that it doesn't matter if it was consensual.... Double standards here? I think so!
And now on to John Edwards... hmmmm I guess there too, the Dems will say it is their business if He had an affair, while his wife HAD cancer Oh, that is right she was in remission at the times so that makes it OK! After all they are all consenting adults and it does not matter, like in Bill Clinton's case, of affecting his ability to be a good president. And of course HE is not the father of the baby! But, he went to see baby and mother two weeks ago, although the affair had ended in 2006.... hahah.
So, CJ if it did not matter if Bill Clinton had numerous, NUMEROUS affairs, does it matter if McCain had one affair that led into a marriage that has survived for many years? "
ironic wrote on Aug 10, 2008 9:55 AM:
Congress Military
John McCain 26 Years 22 years
Barack Obama 143 days 0
Summary Concluded "
CJ wrote on Aug 10, 2008 1:39 AM:
I'm wondering why even though McCain is a hero because I believe everyone who served in the armed forces is a hero- why then was John Kerry not accorded that same status? Did John McCain come home with any medals or accolades- I don't know and I plan to do some research but even so- there seems to be a double standard here.
Mention was made of womanizing which is of no consequence unless something illegal was involved- but no mention is made of the candidate who came home to his once beautiful wife, who was in a hospital with serious injuries and had an affair, then served her with divorce papers while she was still in the hospital.
Why can McCain volunteer his wife for a Miss Cow Chip contest which involves wet tshirts and call her one of the most vulgar names in public and hardly any attention is given to this. I realize that this has no affect on his ability to govern but i can only imagine the coverage Obama would get if he had done such things.
I seriously doubt that Obama will win in ND, but should he become president those of us who voted for him can be very proud that we supported him. The people I talk to are not necessarily for McCain, they are Anti-Obama- largely because of the lack of real research. Many still think he is a Muslim which incidently is not synonymous with "Terrorist"-
By the way- does John McCain go to church? What religion is he?
What about Bush?
Does anyone who is so gung-ho on new drilling realize that it will take 10 years to affect the price of oil and that will be only 3 or 4cents?If you do a bit of real research you will find this to be true.
So my verdict, judging from the comments is - no Obama won't win but not because he doesn't deserve to. "
dante wrote on Aug 9, 2008 4:17 PM:
mom-of-teens wrote on Aug 9, 2008 12:51 PM:
dante wrote on Aug 9, 2008 12:04 AM:
Rugby Reader wrote on Aug 8, 2008 10:11 PM:
By the way, I am NOT an Obama supporter. I just see it the way it is.
http://www.ivaw.org "
Sam wrote on Aug 8, 2008 2:59 PM:
Sam wrote on Aug 8, 2008 2:30 PM:
Dewdrop wrote on Aug 8, 2008 2:12 PM:
The truth is Bush was in the TEXANG!
I guess the fact that Bush can still fly a plane to this day does PROVE that he was not on coke during his stint in the TEXANG! All the lies you Bush haters bring on, will not change the facts! And the more you people lie about Bush the more I will post here that tells the truth about your man~ NObama~
NO bama! Because he is tied to bad people! "
Carter wrote on Aug 8, 2008 12:44 AM:
Yes we need to pass that oil drilling bill right away, because it will take 7 years to see any of that oil in the pipline line. That oil will go on the world market and China and India will be able to buy it too. Bush's own people say it will be 7 years and make maybe nickel difference in price. By the way McCain flip flopped on off shore drilling too. I guess they both want the votes of the people who don't know it wont change our situation. You can't call Obama out for a flip fop when Great Grandpa McCain does the same thing. "
Meagan wrote on Aug 7, 2008 11:41 PM:
Dewdrop wrote on Aug 7, 2008 5:02 PM:
" Can we just give dewdrop her own post '
I guess it is not a free country! Bill GRRR accused me one day of usiing 6 different names to post under... lol... online editor set him straight a few months ago and then he began it all over again this week! Now, even when everyone knows I only post under one name I get picked on.... Online editor why don't you erase those posts for me, like you did for Bill Garrr?
YOU don't have to read ANY of my posts, enuf! "
Dewdrop wrote on Aug 7, 2008 4:55 PM:
And for your lie about McCain wants to stay in Iraq for another 100 years... He said he would be willing to stay in Iraq for 100 years, not that he wanted the war go on for 100 years. I guess you do not know that we are still in 192 different countries. I bet we are in those countries for 100 years.
Come on, please don't act like the rest of us are so dumb we do not understand what Obama and the rest of his sheep are doing. "
Carter wrote on Aug 7, 2008 4:14 PM:
I supported McCain in 2000. He is not the same "Maverick" he was. He did not have a slip, senior moment, flip flop every day like he does now. At that time he bucked his own party about 50% of the time. Now he flip flops (senior moments) on the Bush tax cuts, offshoring, staying in Iraq 100 years. Now he says to air up you tires, because saving energy is a good thin. Mr anti lobbyist has tons of them working on his campaign. Must be another senior moment not a flip flop. "
Dewdrop wrote on Aug 7, 2008 3:45 PM:
2.HUH? Didn' make any sense!
3. Feel free to check anything you want.... YOU don't even have to read MY posts!
4. Obama said his father was a goat herder in Africa.... Sorry I said sheep, not much differencre unless they don't have sheep in Africa... when his grandfather, heard the call from JFK to send his son over to America to get educated! If you would read, you would know this! I read Obama's book, and if you did, you would notice a little bit of 'something not quite right with the story! But, you will have to read it for yourself .... you would not believe me anyway!
NOW, YOU have really good afternoon! This post just made my day! "
Dewdrop wrote on Aug 7, 2008 3:31 PM:
BILL G-A-R-R wrote on Aug 7, 2008 2:41 PM:
enuf already...... I can't agree with you more, but I find I'm almost as guilty, refuting everything she/he says. I just feel I can't do a ''John Kerry '' and let his/her claims go unchallenged. For that I am truly sorry.........Poor Jason! "
mom-of-teens wrote on Aug 7, 2008 1:53 PM:
enuf already wrote on Aug 7, 2008 1:48 PM:
enuf already, give it a break, come up for air. "
Carter wrote on Aug 7, 2008 1:23 PM:
Dewdrop I am beginning to wonder if you believe every thing you hear on Rush and Faux news or just most of it. You are very good at the talking points!!
You say Obama has no plans yet McCain speaking in Sturgis Aug 6th " We are going to win this war the right way!!B y winning".
Dew "
ms wrote on Aug 7, 2008 1:13 PM:
First off, you don't need to use all the !, no need to get upset.
Second, if you and I are the same age, same profession, in the same social bracket, same race/gender/religion/marital status, same name, same everything, but the only difference between us is that you were in the military and I wasn't, does that make you more patriotic? What if I wasn't due to uncontrollable circumstances (such as a disability), do you love your country more than I do then? Would that make you a better president than me?
Third, you can check the facts for yourself all you want, feel free, but I'm just suggesting to look at both sides of the coin, whereas you only read material which is anti-Obama. I know how I'm voting, but to suggest a pro-right book to someone who doesn't will not give them a fair look at the candidates.
And fourth, what was up with your sheepherding story, what does that have to do with anything? "
Dewdrop wrote on Aug 7, 2008 11:50 AM:
" Dewdrop,
No you don't say those words, but you imply, and heavily. See, you make these ridiculous connections, such as his father being a "womanizer," to his run at the presidency. So what if his father had a few relationships? And why does it matter if he didn't serve in the military,
Didn't Dan Rather make a pointed effert to say that Bush did not serve? He was ONLY in the TEXANG! I am just pointin out the facts that the Dems claim one theng and then they turn around and claim 'it doesn't matter'! It seemed to matter to the Dems a few years ago! But, NOW that a War Hero is on the ballot against a man that did not serve, nor did his father, who was not even a citizen of the USA.
I guess what I am saying is, the McCains come from a long line of servicemen, including the sons of John and I feel that the loyalties of the McCains to this country is greater than the loyalties of the Obama family! Obama's pastor and friends and associates speak loud and clear who and what he is!
All these things matter in a President of the USA! It is our duty and our responsibility to check out the facts of both candidates, and since Obama is a 'newcomer' we do not know anything about him, WE need to check for ourselves! YOU don't have to listen to me, you can check it all out for yourself, I am not stopping you and I am not telling you that you cannot vote for whomever you want.... just know the facts of the candidates. "
Dewdrop wrote on Aug 7, 2008 8:52 AM:
You forgot to mention the figures you posted were from 2001! Good try anyway! "
ms wrote on Aug 7, 2008 8:41 AM:
No you don't say those words, but you imply, and heavily. See, you make these ridiculous connections, such as his father being a "womanizer," to his run at the presidency. So what if his father had a few relationships? And why does it matter if he didn't serve in the military, is that the golden standard for choosing presidents these days? Sometimes it's what you don't say that speaks loudest.
Oh, and "Obama Nation" is so ridiculously one-sided that you can't possibly be telling a neutral voter to base their decision on that piece "work." Read some balanced reporting every once in a while, it won't hurt you. "
MamaMia wrote on Aug 7, 2008 8:37 AM:
Dewdrop wrote on Aug 7, 2008 7:38 AM:
I never knew that where your parents were born or if they served in the service was required to be president?
I never said it mattered where the parents were born either. I just want to inform people of things that really are true facts instead of letting the Dems post their own things that are not true, such as McCain cannot be president because he was born in Panama. No, this was not on this blog but, I have heard it going around! Just like I did not post anything that 'Obama is Muslim' and it has been reported here several times that I have said that! Those words, 'Obama is Muslim' were posted by only Democrats on here! "
BILL G-A-R-R wrote on Aug 7, 2008 1:04 AM:
$25,798 which ranked 39th in the United States. Now tell us again how tax cuts for the rich will help benefit your average North Dakotan. Why would anyone vote for the old wrinkly white haired guy who wants to continue ''w's'' tax plan for the rich? This is simply ludicrous. Just say no to republicans!
Baracks tax plan will lower the middle classes tax burden. "
Dewdrop wrote on Aug 7, 2008 1:03 AM:
" Dewdrop:. So Obama can not be president because he his father was a womanizer?
Is that what I said? I don't think so! Where are the words "Obama cannot be president" You seem to like to twist my words! I was pointing out that McCain although not born in the USA was still am American citizin! Obama also is an American citizen because his mother was one, although his father was not. His father was a sheephearder from Africa, remember?
I don't think he will be president because we are finding out more and more about him, like the lies that he tells in his book about how his father came over here after his grandfather heard the 'voice across the oceans' from the Kenney's, etc. Want to read the 'rest of the story', pick up the book, Obama Nation!
I read the book and in it he talks more about his 'father' than about his mother and his grandparents that raised him, after he was abandomned by his father! I will not tell you all of it.... you can find it for yorself. And if you don't,.... fine, I hope that other people will take the time to find out all they can about Obama, just like you have been able to find out all about McCain!
I feel he is using his father's race as a' race card' to get into the whitehouse! Why didn't he write a book about the 'Dreams of my Mother'? Because she was white and that did not work for him to get the people all worked up! "
Rugby Reader wrote on Aug 4, 2008 9:43 PM:
Carter wrote on Aug 4, 2008 8:11 PM:
Dewdrop wrote on Aug 4, 2008 7:50 PM:
http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/saywhat.asp
John McCain was born in Panama to military parents ON assignment there under orders of the US military. Both parents are American citizens. When did Obama or his father ever serve in the US Military? "
Dewdrop wrote on Aug 4, 2008 7:39 PM:
If you want to know about lies that Barack Obama as told, read the book "Obama Nation". It tells in there about the lie that he told that Barack's daddy was a sheepherder.... well, we all were 'something' when we were young? I herded cows as a youngster in ND.... I sure did, there were many days and weeks I would sit in the pasture and watch the
cows, because that was my job as a child. So did some of my sisters. There were no fences and as a young boy, I could keep the cows in a certain area. Did that make me a cowboy? Or a cowherder? NO, that is not what I did when I grew up and neither did Obama Sr. There is more to that story about how JFK air lifted the father to America... LOL His grandfather heard that call and sent his son, Barack, Sr. to America. Barack was not even conceived until Nov 1960 and born Aug. 1961, so it would have been D. D. Eisenhower that Gramps heard that sent a "shot across the oceans" as Obama tells us!
Just say NO to the Democrats
NOBAMA "
Point to Ponder wrote on Aug 4, 2008 5:42 PM:
lw wrote on Aug 4, 2008 4:54 PM:
Carter wrote on Aug 4, 2008 4:45 PM:
So once again we will show up in numbers to vote for an old white guy. After all Bob Dole won this state. John McCain equals more of the same, and that is why most of us will vote for him. Which is sad. "
BigAl wrote on Aug 4, 2008 4:04 PM:
Like Bill Clinton in the primaries, he accuses Sen. Barack Obama, a black man, of playing the race card. Say what?
And then he has this ad that uses Britney Spears. What is this, high school? Has Karl Rove stolen John McCains brain? Im very concerned.
I am concerned about Sen. John McCain. He seems very confused: Hes for a tax break, but only for people making more than $3 million, and then hes for a tax increase, but only for those of us in the working class.
Like Bill Clinton in the primaries, he accuses Sen. Barack Obama, a black man, of playing the race card. Say what?
And then he has this ad that uses Britney Spears. What is this, high school? Has Karl Rove stolen John McCains brain? Im very concerned.
And then he talks about the Iraq/Pakistan border, but those two countries dont share a border. And then he talks about Czechoslovakia, but there is no longer any such country in the world. And then I see this photograph of him hugging and kissing George Bush.
Many of us are very concerned and very worried about his confusion. Is it too late for the Republicans to choose a different nominee? Someone who makes sense? "
lw wrote on Aug 4, 2008 1:33 PM:
Lance wrote on Aug 4, 2008 12:53 PM:
BJB wrote on Aug 4, 2008 10:29 AM:
peter wrote on Aug 4, 2008 9:59 AM:
adam wrote on Aug 4, 2008 9:08 AM:
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