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MoveOn Backs Obama For President
February 01, 2008 12:29 PM
ABC News' Teddy Davis Reports: Sen. Barack Obama's campaign has received the endorsement of the liberal anti-war group MoveOn.org's political action group.
This is MoveOn's first presidential endorsement.
With former Sen. John Edwards out of the race, MoveOn.org emailed its 3.2 million members asking them if they support Sen. Hillary Clinton or Sen. Barack Obama.
About 70 percent of those who responded chose Obama and about 30 percent chose Clinton. The percentage breakdown is by no means a scientific survey of all MoveOn's over 3 million members. Only about 300,000 individual email addresses participated in MoveOn's on-line balloting and members were required to vote within a 24 hour time period.
Obama touted the group's first-ever presidential endorsement in a statement released by MoveOn.
"In just a few years, the members of MoveOn have once again demonstrated that real change comes not from the top-down, but from the bottom-up," Obama wrote. "From their principled opposition to the Iraq war – a war I also opposed from the start – to their strong support for a number of progressive causes, MoveOn shows what Americans can achieve when we come together in a grassroots movement for change. I thank them for their support and look forward to working with their members in the weeks and months ahead."
MoveOn will now use its email list to tap volunteers to make phone calls on behalf of Obama in Super Tuesday states. The group says it has 1.7 members in the states that vote Feb. 5.
MoveOn.org's mobilization efforts are credited with helping the Democratic win the House of Representative in 2006.
"Our members’ endorsement of Senator Obama is a clear call for a new America at this critical moment in history," wrote Eli Pariser, MoveOn.org’s executive director in the statement.
"Seven years of the disastrous policies of the Bush Administration have left the country desperate for change. We need a President who will bring to bear the strong leadership and vision required to end the war in Iraq, provide health care to every American, deal with our climate crisis, and restore America’s standing in the world. The enormity of the challenges require someone who knows how to inspire millions to get involved to change the direction of our country, and someone who will be willing to change business as usual in Washington. Senator Barack Obama has proved he can and will be that President."
With his early opposition to the Iraq war, Obama was a natural for this endorsement once the Democratic nomination contest became a two-person race.
February 1, 2008 in Kucinich, Dennis, Tancredo, Tom | Permalink | User Comments (63)
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We get it, Obama-Hilliary is the ticket. Where's the story???
Posted by: fraud '08 | Feb 1, 2008 12:31:39 PM
you mean the RADICAL movement. yes I ahve long noticed the RADICAL movement show their ugly heads online. I have commented on several occasions that Obama has given hatefull radicals an exuse to exersize their utter loathing for everything and everyone. Good for him. Im sure the democratic base and mainstream media would LOVE to hear how Obama is mobilizing disgruntled RADICALS.
Posted by: tom | Feb 1, 2008 12:35:58 PM
This is no surprise-----they are ultra-liberal. I'm for more conserative-liberal Hillary. If Obama is ultra-liberal, then he must be for Gay marriage. Does anyone know if he is?
Posted by: Get America Back On Track | Feb 1, 2008 12:37:34 PM
I'm no fan of moveon.org after the Petreus ad.....but I'm thrilled the members voted to support Obama and I know this will help him immensely with democrats. Go Obama!
Posted by: Cat | Feb 1, 2008 12:38:21 PM
Hmm... I may have to rethink my certainty that the Clintons would win the nomination again. If Obama gets the endorsement of MoveOn.org, that will be huge. MoveOn.org is the democrat party's political machine of hypersensitivity to political correctness. The National Organization for Women is going to have a fit about this sexists betrayal of women by MoveOn.
Posted by: TexBork | Feb 1, 2008 12:40:48 PM
I am not sure this will help Obama. Now, or in the general.
Posted by: an opinion | Feb 1, 2008 12:46:54 PM
How many folks are familiar with the expression "the kiss of death"?Sorry about that, Barack.
Posted by: Manuel | Feb 1, 2008 12:50:05 PM
Once again, another edorsment that will hurt Obama. I don't know why he's doing this???? Kerry, Kennedy etc. I want CHANGE. What a waste.
Posted by: Bill | Feb 1, 2008 12:50:37 PM
This is BIG. Moveon is an energized group, and they will certainly raise Obama's voter recognition through their organization, plus they can boost turnout on primary day. They can also run independent ads highlighting Obama's strengths. Also, it is another building block denied to Clinton. Lastly, Moveon might be able to pressure some superdelegates to move if it comes down to some sort of pre-convention deal.
Posted by: Kevin | Feb 1, 2008 12:53:58 PM
In reply to Get America Back On Track,
Hillary and Barack share the same stance on gay marriage. Neither one supports gay marriage, but both support civil unions and allowing gay couples with civil unions to have all the same legal rights and benefits that heterosexual married couples would have.
They share VERY similar views on just about all issues. The biggest difference is in health care and perhaps foreign policy, but other than that you're pretty much free to choose the person who you like best and feel would do the best job uniting the party and also gaining bipartisan support.
Posted by: Courtney | Feb 1, 2008 12:55:00 PM
"The group says it has 1.7 members in the states that vote Feb. 5."
1.7 members? That 7/10 of a person might explain some of MoveOn's more obnoxious positions.
Posted by: Andrew | Feb 1, 2008 12:55:30 PM
The Petreus ad was disgraceful. It angered me and I am as liberal as they come. (I'm pro-choice, pro gay rights, pro-Universal Healthcare etc.) But Moveon.org is the kind of people that you would love to have on your side rather than against you.
yes we can!!!!
Go Obama!!!
Posted by: Waleeg | Feb 1, 2008 12:57:21 PM
The Petreus ad was disgraceful. It angered me and I am as liberal as they come. (I'm pro-choice, pro gay rights, pro-Universal Healthcare etc.) But Moveon.org is the kind of people that you would love to have on your side rather than against you.
yes we can!!!!
Go Obama!!!
Posted by: Waleeg | Feb 1, 2008 12:57:22 PM
I agree with the others, Obama has no control over what his endorsers have done. I did not like the Petreus ad either, but it does not reflect on Obama. I support him.
Posted by: roger | Feb 1, 2008 1:03:40 PM
Thank you, Courtney, for your response.
I have another question: in researching what "MOVEON.ORG" is all about, I went to their website to investigate.......in the organization description it says that they are a PAC, as in Political Action Committee.....now, my question is: Obama has said that he does not take PAC money from organizations trying to gain favors to get their agenda noticed.......is this true, and what are the chances that Obama will take money from this PAC?
Posted by: Get America Back On Track | Feb 1, 2008 1:05:04 PM
Those who seek to belittle endorsements are mostly sour grapes. An endorsement (solicited or not) does mean any sort of marriage. It simply means that priorities overlap enough to make an endorsement. If endorsements were the kiss of death, I'm sure Bush would quickly endorse Hillary Clinton for the primaries and then move to Obama for the general.
Posted by: Kevin | Feb 1, 2008 1:06:54 PM
How many people voted? When was polling opened and closed? Does Obama benefit from people being reminded of the MoveOn.org ad on General Petraus?
Posted by: Eric | Feb 1, 2008 1:11:23 PM
So if 300,000 endorsed Obama, that's what, about 10% of the very liberal organization? so, to my way of thinking that makes Obama very, very Liberal. That's OK in some circles, but across America, most people of both parties or no party at all prefer a more moderate candidate. That's one more reason to pick Clinton instead.
Posted by: SueWKline | Feb 1, 2008 1:19:44 PM
any endorsement from a group that has 3.2 million memebers can't be called a bad one. Both candidates are lobbying hard for a AFL-CIO endorsement and they can only boast a few hundred thousand. At the very least there are 3 million people out there that will have a realtionship with an advocate of Obama's campaign. That can't be all bad.
Also...... Isn't it weird how the left is moving steadilly into Obama's corner and the right is moving steadilly (granted its slower) to Romney and ditching the frontrunners. This race is amazing. I don't care who you like, if you are a political junkie (I was recently outed as one) this race is awesome. It seems like everyday there is something unprecedented that transpires. I spoke with an old college buddy living in London now and she says that this election is big time news accross the pond. Not for the obvious reasons alone (No Bush on the ballot, Black man and a woman both with solid chances of being the first of their kind in the Oval office) They were in awe of our process. How we elect our leaders. I am so proud of my country. This is what a true democracy has evolved to and its awesome.
BTW---yes we can!!!! Go Obama Go!!!
Posted by: Waleeg | Feb 1, 2008 1:22:30 PM
He was just voted most liberal Senator for 2007, I don't think he needed this. Mainstream America won't elect anyont with this label.
Posted by: Bill | Feb 1, 2008 1:23:02 PM
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