George's Bottom Line

Reporting and analysis from ABC News Chief Washington Correspondent and "This Week" Host George Stephanopoulos

George Stephanopoulos reports on events in politics, Congress and the White House for ABCNews, on the air and online. He interviews top newsmakers, discusses the events of the week and looks to the week ahead each Sunday on 'This Week.'

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'It's a Whole Different Game'

October 22, 2008 2:25 PM

Barack_obama_ap_0_2 When your adversaries are praising you, you must be doing something right. 

Listen to this from one top Republican campaign official who says Barack Obama's ground game is unlike anything we've ever seen before: 

"This is the greatest ground game they've ever put together," he told ABC News on the condition of anonymity. "It's scary."

He said Obama holds a considerable ground game advantage over McCain and suggests the Democratic nominee has hundreds of paid staffers in each state.

Unlike in 2004 when then-Democratic nominee Sen. John Kerry's campaign "parachuted" paid staff people into key states a few days before the election, the GOP official said the Obama campaign has had paid staffers and enthusiastic volunteers in key battleground states for months -- thanks to record breaking fundraising hauls and a brutal Democratic primary battle that energized volunteers.

"It's a whole different game," he said.

"They've been at this since six months ago ... they have total familiarity [with voters]."

Another ground game factor? Obama's ability to tap into young voters using text messages, emails, and Facebook, the popular social networking Web site.

"They're texting and getting $10 bucks from college kids," he said.

--George Stephanopoulos

October 22, 2008 in Barack Obama, Democrats Vote 2008, Republicans Vote 2008 | Permalink | Share | User Comments (455)

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This is why I believe the polls underestimate Obama. The AA and young vote will come out strongly for Obama on Nov 4.

And b/c most polls don't poll cell phone users... young voters aren't poll as much.

I can honestly say I believe its an Obama landslide.

Posted by: Vanessa | Oct 22, 2008 2:34:30 PM

Obama will win. The "Change Revolution" of 2008 is soon to be American History. It's a movement, and Bush is the tragic figure in history here.

Posted by: Bonzai55 | Oct 22, 2008 2:45:36 PM

Depending on young voters is a very bad idea. They are amazingly unreliable when it comes to getting out to the polls.

They would rather talk about supporting someone and text about it and wear the t-shirts, but actually getting them to the polls has always been a major difficulty.

Espeically in Ohio and Florida, which are two states I'm nervous about. They are moving back to McCain and we Obama people need as many EC votes as we can get!

Posted by: Greg in MN | Oct 22, 2008 2:46:51 PM

If Obama can run the country half as well as he has run his campaign, he may just be the one of the best Presidents we have ever had. I have complete confidence in him; he really knows what he is doing!

Posted by: Independant Woman, Texas | Oct 22, 2008 2:53:05 PM

Vanessa

I agree

this is the first ime in my 38 year history that I can see election day being a "young event"

Election day has always had importance...

but it was not like Xmas...or Halloween or 4th of July or Live Aid

this year it feels like all those things wrapped into one...

and that spells a landslide for Obama.

Posted by: dl | Oct 22, 2008 2:53:26 PM

LOOK AT THE APABILITY OF OBAMA, THE WAY HE HAS RUN CAMPAIGN, I AM SURE HE WILL RUN THE COUNTRY SAME WAY.DEFINATELY HARVARD HAS TOUGH HIM THIS MUCH.
I CANT BELEIVE HOW SOMEONE CAN VOTE TO MCCAIN EVEN AFTER REALISING ALL THE SAME.

Posted by: Rahul | Oct 22, 2008 3:01:14 PM

LOOK AT THE CAPABILITY OF OBAMA, THE WAY HE HAS RUN CAMPAIGN, I AM SURE HE WILL RUN THE COUNTRY SAME WAY.DEFINATELY HARVARD HAS TOUGH HIM THIS MUCH.
I CANT BELEIVE HOW SOMEONE CAN VOTE TO MCCAIN EVEN AFTER REALISING ALL THE SAME.

Posted by: Rahul | Oct 22, 2008 3:01:22 PM

There is a distinct possabilty that the present lead Obama has will snowball into a landslide. I suspect that Mcain already knows that his bid for the presidency is a dead man walking. Having lost the presidency and the democratics having a filbuster proof majority in the senate his focus is on stopping a two thirds majority in each house. I think events and poor judgement has shagged Macain rotten. Its now just a question of how big the shagging is going to be.

Posted by: ARG | Oct 22, 2008 3:03:24 PM

There is a distinct possabilty that the present lead Obama has will snowball into a landslide. I suspect that Mcain already knows that his bid for the presidency is a dead man walking. Having lost the presidency and the democratics having a filbuster proof majority in the senate his focus is on stopping a two thirds majority in each house. I think events and poor judgement has shagged Macain rotten. Its now just a question of how big the shagging is going to be.

Posted by: ARG | Oct 22, 2008 3:03:34 PM

What's this, George, another free ad promoting the Obama campaign?

Posted by: BG | Oct 22, 2008 3:08:09 PM

You are correct!! I am a faithful donor to the campaign....I love what President Obama is doing for this Ctry, for politics, and for ourselves....and if you think about this...noone has really talked about it....what happens to his awesome conmputerized network? I will tell you what...he will use that and transition it into working goverenment....being able to communicate with us via email, he will do web seiminars and communicate his plans with us, more ppl will join in and we will push the media to report truthfully, he will also use it as a method of transparency, and I feel when he gets into Office, the first 60-90 days he will unviel so much of how we have been taken advantage of, and then we will get to work finally fixing the problems and steering in the right direction, Obama will aslo ask us for our input and our ideas on how to govern this great nation!!! I cannot wait!!

VOTE EARLY IF U CAN!!!

OBAMA/BIDEN

BUZZARDS KORNER!

Posted by: BUZZARDS KORNER | Oct 22, 2008 3:12:54 PM

Just remember people...we're going to have the executive and legislative branches controlled by the Democratic party. Enjoy and don't come crying back during the next four years.

Posted by: Brian Levine | Oct 22, 2008 3:13:34 PM

People choose hope and positive attitude instead of McCain who's a drain.

Posted by: seenitallx9 | Oct 22, 2008 3:14:01 PM

Well Brian,
The republicans had the presidency and the legislative branches during the first 6 years of Bush. What did they do with that? Are you better off financially today than you were when Clinton left office? Morale has gone down the tubes with the stock market. USA's image globally is in the tank. Obama brings hope and renewal of values.

Posted by: seenitallx9 | Oct 22, 2008 3:16:53 PM

We saw how mccain tried to handle the financial mess. We saw who mccain picked as his running mate. There is only one choice here people. Obama/Biden 2008!!!

Posted by: pt | Oct 22, 2008 3:17:14 PM

Vanessa thinks young people and cell phone users aren’t polled as much. Vanessa, there are millions of Democrats in this election who won’t take calls from pollsters because they don’t want to admit they aren’t voting for the Democratic candidate. I know some of these very people. They let the answering machine pick up. They lie when asked who they are voting for. They don’t put McCain signs on their lawns or bumper stickers on their cars because they are afraid of Obama thugs. And not all young people are for Obama. Some of those young people just don’t speak up. I’m 24 years old, and keep my mouth shut on campus. I’m voting for McCain, and I grew up in a Democratic family. I’ll bet there are other college students just like me. And unlike most young people, I WILL show up at the polls to vote – for John McCain.

Posted by: Kevin | Oct 22, 2008 3:17:28 PM

imagine how many homes could have been saved from foreclosure if obamas fundraising money could have been directed at least in part to help those in need-obama supporters encourage your candidate to spread the wealth.

Posted by: northernlights | Oct 22, 2008 3:18:39 PM

"Just remember people...we're going to have the executive and legislative branches controlled by the Democratic party. Enjoy and don't come crying back during the next four years." Oh, you mean like how people are wishing that they hadn't voted for GW Bush twice? Even if Obama does nothing, he couldn't be as bad as the last eight years. Count on it.

Posted by: Bill Dull | Oct 22, 2008 3:19:21 PM

Why does every article start with "ABC News' George Stephanopoulos reports:"

We can figure out it's him from his picture and the name of the blog.

Posted by: Nathan | Oct 22, 2008 3:20:38 PM

BG - No he not promoting....he's just telling you..."Landslide"! Obama 08

Posted by: Tanya | Oct 22, 2008 3:21:17 PM

Come on people. Let's show them some real numbers. Yes We Can!! Obama 08

Posted by: Tanya | Oct 22, 2008 3:23:08 PM

kevin the same thing on my campus. mccain supporters keep it a secret from obama THUGS for fear of harassment. i also do not use mccain bumper stickers on my car for fear that my car will be vandalized.
my last roomate left a few months ago in her senior year she told me was going to 'follow obama' she took out a college loan, and sold her car. i will miss her at graduation in may-i thought that was so creepy that now i just keep quiet. until i vote that is.

Posted by: nevada 2 | Oct 22, 2008 3:25:18 PM

Obama has run an excellent campaign and you can bet the GOP is taking notes. Watch campaign financing go the way of the eight track...because everyone sees that you can raise records amount of money doing it the Obama Way!! ;-)

Posted by: francheska ;-) | Oct 22, 2008 3:26:57 PM

Barack Obama has not been forthcoming when he says his relationship with unrepentant terrorist bomber Bill Ayers was casual, Bill O'Reilly said on Tuesday's "O'Reilly Factor." And he took Obama to task on the matter.


Obama says that he was unaware of Ayers' background and unaware that Ayers had compared Christian and Jewish fundamentalists to Muslim jihadists in 2002 when the two men were associated with each other.


O’Reilly played an April 2002 tape of Ayers speaking to a radio station in which Ayers said, “I considered myself partly an anarchist then, and I consider myself partly an anarchist now.


“I’m as much an anarchist as I am a Marxist . . . I find a lot of the ideas in anarchism appealing. We create felons by having these archaic, puritan drug laws that make no sense whatsoever in any logical way, so in that sense, I still feel like kind of an anarchist. I don’t feel like the rules apply.


“And if they don’t apply,” Ayers added, “ I don’t feel like [anyone] should follow them . . . Is one of those regrets that I took strong measures against the United States at a time of tremendous crisis?” he asked, answering, “no it is not. I don’t regret that . . .


“There is a struggle over various religious fundamentalisms, jihad being the most visible. But the religious fundamentalism of the Christian and the Jews is equally troubling,”


O’Reilly commented, “He’s quite a guy. During that time that interview was taken, 'The Factor' has learned that Barack Obama had frequent contact with Ayers. They were both on the board of the Woods Fund in Chicago. They were both involved with criminal justice issues together. Obama does not deny that."


“And this seems to be more than just a casual relationship,” O’Reilly added, noting, “In 1997, Barack Obama gave the Chicago Tribune a blurb for Ayers’ book. A short time later, Michelle Obama organized a panel held at the University of Chicago featuring Ayers and Obama, among others. So there’s no way that Obama did not know Ayers was a radical. It is simply not possible.”


O'Reilly suggested that voters take heed: “The question now becomes, Is this an important issue for you, the voter? For someone like Colin Powell it is not. But others believe it is important.


“The end game in all this is that Bill Ayers is a bad guy, a bad American, an unrepentant terrorist and Obama knew it; yet, for whatever reason, he continued the association. That’s important."

Posted by: BECAREFUL | Oct 22, 2008 3:31:38 PM

Northern Lights,
I have a better idea, why don't we house some of the foreclosed in one of John McCains multiple homes. He'd never notice the difference since he doesn't even know how many he has!

VOTE FOR " THAT ONE" IN O8

Posted by: John | Oct 22, 2008 3:32:02 PM

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