Obama office in Bridgewater
posted by finneganA month ago, Barack Obama’s campaign surprised some when they opened an office in downtown Harrisonburg. Today, they expanded their center of operations into the county, opening an office on Main Street in Bridgewater.
Organizers expected about a dozen volunteers, but twice that many showed up to offer their services and help coordinate canvassing efforts in the Bridgewater area. I spoke briefly with Mona Williams and Larry Hoover, two of the volunteers at the meeting.
posted: August 23rd, 2008 by finnegan
filed under politics.
Comments: 34
Comments
Comment from Jeremy Aldrich
Time: August 23, 2008, 2:30 pm
But…why?
Comment from Dave Briggman
Time: August 23, 2008, 2:45 pm
Because they can spend the $$$.
Comment from finnegan
Time: August 23, 2008, 2:57 pm
“But…why?”
I would have posed that question to Camron Gorguinpour, the local Obama organizer, but staff aren’t allowed to grant interviews or make official statements to the press without running it by Mitch Stewart first. Volunteers aren’t restricted from talking. Just staff.
This is just speculation, but my guess is it is a strategic move based upon the population of college students and retirement home residents living in Bridgewater. I don’t think it’s just a random location.
Comment from JGFitzgerald
Time: August 23, 2008, 5:51 pm
It doesn’t really cost that much, and it runs more on volunteers than on money. It’s more a matter of, because they can spend the volunteer energy, which is one of the ways you get more volunteers and more voters and more people not electing as president a goofus whose idea of foreign policy is a Beach Boys parody about bombing Iran. I phrase it this way not to mock the guy who can’t remember how many houses he has, but simply for identification purposes.
Comment from Frank J Witt
Time: August 23, 2008, 6:47 pm
Oh so you want to vote for guy who introduced his VP pick as “The next PRESIDENT of the United States of America”?
or did you miss that today?
But really, who pays the rent for the building or is it “donated”?
more answers we may never hear.
Comment from Brian M
Time: August 23, 2008, 7:39 pm
Why do you care who pays the rent, Frank? It’s certainly not the Town of Bridgewater. And why do you feel entitled to the answer? Just curious.
Comment from JGFitzgerald
Time: August 23, 2008, 7:43 pm
Brian M,
When some folks on that side of the aisle say they don’t expect to hear something, it often means they don’t intend to.
Comment from Frank J Witt
Time: August 23, 2008, 8:14 pm
nevermind Brian, just listen to what the Messiah’s messenger speaks.
Comment from JGFitzgerald
Time: August 23, 2008, 8:25 pm
FJW,
It shall set you free.
JF
Comment from Frank J Witt
Time: August 23, 2008, 8:41 pm
when will we hear the TRUTH we have been looking for? What are the changes and how, besides MORE TAXES, will it come to be, if he can somehow get elected?
Simple questions that should have simple answers…if you can provide them for the people.
Comment from JGFitzgerald
Time: August 23, 2008, 8:44 pm
Simple answers are what got this country into the mess it’s in. More complex ones are posted here: http://www.barackobama.com/issues/.
Comment from Dave Briggman
Time: August 23, 2008, 8:52 pm
Obviously those “complex answers” weren’t authorized by Obama…out of a 40 minute speech he gave a week or so ago, fully 7 minutes and 43 seconds were made up of “ahs”.
Comment from Jeremy Aldrich
Time: August 23, 2008, 9:09 pm
Oh no! What if a candidate thinks WHILE HE IS SPEAKING? Then the terrorists will have won!
Comment from Frank J Witt
Time: August 23, 2008, 9:23 pm
Dave, you know we are the outsiders on this site so I will take notes of just what I read from the above link and post my comments elsewhere.
I will say though, whoever wrote those articles it is CLEAR Obama did not…
Comment from JGFitzgerald
Time: August 23, 2008, 9:40 pm
Let me see … Obama has no answers, but there are answers on his website, so he must not have written those answers because it HAS BEEN ANNOUNCED IN ALL CAPS that Obama has no answers. I don’t understand how I missed that logic from the outset.
FJW has the answers, but he won’t post them here. Works for me.
Comment from Christa
Time: August 23, 2008, 9:52 pm
Joe, I’m curious to know how you feel about the video in which Biden says he feels Obama is not experienced enough to run the country.
Comment from JGFitzgerald
Time: August 23, 2008, 10:02 pm
Christa,
Haven’t seen it.
JF
Comment from Christa
Time: August 23, 2008, 10:07 pm
Republitarian has it as a thread named “ouch”. You know I don’t get terribly involved in politics but it didn’t look real good. From utube, I think.
Comment from JGFitzgerald
Time: August 23, 2008, 10:26 pm
Let me rephrase. I haven’t seen the video, but I know about it. I’m just not terribly interested. I’m sure there are those out there who will see this video as a triumph or proof of something. But they need to either view it as the only thing Biden’s ever said, or else accept everything else he’s ever said as gospel. Their alternative is to view the comment in the context of 40 years of public service, in which case it’s not as much of a political gotcha. Some people will have trouble with the latter concept because they have trouble with context in general.
Comment from Christa
Time: August 23, 2008, 10:34 pm
Does Obama’s inexperience concern you at all? Joe, I think you know I’m not trying to be arrogant or bait you. I like to hear your point of view.
Comment from JGFitzgerald
Time: August 23, 2008, 10:52 pm
Christa,
I don’t accept the premise of the question. The experiences Obama has, as student, organizer, professor, law review editor, state senator, U.S. Senator, and presidential candidate, show the quality and depth of his thought, the strength of his intellect, and the consistency of his judgment. On the other hand, do McCain’s womanizing, drinking, inattention to detail, temper, and foul mouth bother his supporters?
Comment from Christa
Time: August 23, 2008, 11:05 pm
Many things bother me about McCain, but more issues concern me about Obama. For the first time in many years, I will struggle when I go to the polls. Not because of who I will vote for, but because I won’t feel good about it.
Comment from JGFitzgerald
Time: August 23, 2008, 11:20 pm
Issues about Obama? He knows how many houses he has, he knows what kind of car he drives, and he’s not cheating on his spouse. But then again there is the concern that during the 20 years and 1,000 sermons, roughly 30,000 minutes, or 1.8 million seconds, that Obama may have been in a particular pew, maybe 10 seconds of that time may have been taken up with exaggerated expressions of rage at this nation’s racial history. That and the fact that McCain can’t tell him apart from Paris Hilton and we’re zeroing in on an issue.
Comment from Christa
Time: August 23, 2008, 11:24 pm
LOL, I can always count on you to be blunt, Joe.
Comment from Lowell
Time: August 23, 2008, 11:59 pm
Christa,
You are the very voter which both sides are competing to win to their side.
The republicans want desperately to keep you in the fold, and the democrats want just as desperately to lure you away from where you have been comfortable (by your description) for your entire adult life.
On the one hand, you are having doubts about those you have trusted for so long, and on the other hand you don’t really trust those you’ve had doubts about for an equal time…
Black Knight finds himself in a very similar, and very uncomfortable situation.
Therefore, your thoughts and concerns are to the candidates and their respective consultants and advisers, the most important of all.
Could you possibly shed some light onto your thoughts regarding this election and what it means to you? I know you care greatly, and are trying so very hard to make sense of many conflicting messages which contradict each other.
What do you like about each candidate, and what have you found that you don’t? What is it that gives you reason to doubt McCain? And Obama?
What about Warner, and Gilmore in the Senate race?
And Goodlatte, Allen and Rasoul for the House?
And then, the candidates for City Council and Treasurer for Harrisonburg, and Commissioner of Revenue for Rockingham County?
I know there’s a lot to consider, but I honestly care for your opinion and I’d like to know your thoughts and concerns.
You’re a good person Christa, and it’s good that you’re weighing things in this manner.
You too Black Knight.
Comment from Kyle
Time: August 24, 2008, 2:22 am
Comment from Christa
Time: August 23, 2008, 10:34 pm
Does Obama’s inexperience concern you at all? Joe, I think you know I’m not trying to be arrogant or bait you. I like to hear your point of view.
————————————————
This is an issue perpetuated by the repugs because they have nothing else to whine about. If you TRULY want change in Washington, then obviously you have to go with a politician who is not an insider.
Comment from Kyle
Time: August 24, 2008, 2:31 am
Comment from Christa
Time: August 23, 2008, 11:05 pm
Many things bother me about McCain, but more issues concern me about Obama. For the first time in many years, I will struggle when I go to the polls. Not because of who I will vote for, but because I won’t feel good about it.
———————————————————————-
Did you feel good about voting for GWB? If so, where did that get you? As much as the parties would like you to believe, this election should not be about personalities, but about a new direction for America. We are now wrapping up 8 years of utter disasterous foreign and domestic policy that will take generations to pay off. Do you really want more of that? Better yet, do you really want your children and grandchildren to have to pay for the selfish and irresponsible actions of more Bush/McCain policies?
Comment from Lowell
Time: August 24, 2008, 8:41 am
I just want to say Brent, you do an excellent job…
Thank you.
Comment from Christa
Time: August 24, 2008, 9:25 am
Lowell, I will have to write all your questions down when I have time. It’s probably something one should do in every election that is this important. I will work on it, but I have to work all day today. Thank heavens Emmy is free today to help me…it’s going to be a long one in the heat.
Kyle, your last question in your last post to me is the reason I am so angry. No, I don’t want them to suffer.
Comment from Barkley Rosser
Time: August 26, 2008, 5:50 pm
Regarding the Biden comment on Obama, there are two points. One is this was made a year ago when Biden was running against Obama for president, so, of course he was going to say negative things.
The second is how Biden has responded to this point himself. He says that he no longer believes it having watched the last year of Obama running for president. In particular, Obama outsmarted two of the smartest politicians in the world, the Clintons, with his unexpected, but brilliant play to go for the odd states and caucus states, which the Clintons whined was an unfair thing to do once she fell behind. It was indeed brilliant and is a sign that whatever his experience, Obama has a lot of intelligence and judgment, which is something valuable to have in a president.
Comment from Christa
Time: August 26, 2008, 8:35 pm
Barkley, I would say he hired people… lots of people, to help him with this strategy. I don’t know that I would give him credit for all that.
Comment from JGFitzgerald
Time: August 26, 2008, 9:13 pm
Having a vision and choosing the right people to help realize it seems to me the essence of leadership.
Comment from Christa
Time: August 26, 2008, 9:49 pm
As usual, Joe, you are correct.
Comment from seth
Time: August 27, 2008, 4:00 pm
my god
:)
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