Asian Americans for Obama

BREAKING: Edwards Endorsing Obama!

Rumors have been floating around all day, but it's finally been confirmed - Sen. John Edwards is endorsing Sen. Obama tonight at 6:30 PM EST.

Some of the tantalizing clues that fed rumors earlier (from BenjaminOMeara's excellent diary on Daily Kos):

Mark Halperin says

Source: John Edwards boarded an airplane this afternoon.

Obama campaign touts big evening endorsement between 6:15 pm ET and 7:15 pm ET.

Urges/expects significant television coverage of major endorsement.

Developing...

Marc Ambinder says:

Here are some hints, though.

So who's staffing Edwards today? A hint: this is Jennifer Palmieri's out-of-office message...

    I will be out of the office on Wednesday, May 14. But will be checking messages intermittently. If you need assistance in the meantime, please contact [REDACTED] at [REDACTED].org for assistance.

Ms. Palmieri is a family favorite and has been called upon to staff the Edwards family at sensitive events before.

What's Wendy Button, Edwards's longtime speechwriter, been doing lately? I hear she's been writing a secret speech...

How come Edwards's brain trust -- all of them -- are unreachable?

Asian American Vote Could Be a Significant Force in Nevada Caucus

According to many observers, the Asian American vote in Nevada could be a key factor in the Caucus on Saturday, January 19.

Asian Americans comprise 7% of the population of Nevada and are predicted to constitute 5% of the Caucus vote.  Their strength is concentrated in Clark County (Las Vegas), where over 50% of first generation Asian Americans are US citizens eligible to vote.

As a reflection of this fact, the Tuesday, January 15 debate in Nevada will feature Asian American specific questions for the candidates.

For more, see the APIA Vote press release here.

Nevada Unions Back Obama

Two of the largest and most influential unions in Nevada have endorsed Sen. Obama.

The Culinary Workers Union Local 226, and its national parent organization UNITE-HERE, endorsed Sen. Obama in the presidential race.  The union represents mainly casino and hospitality workers and has around 60,000 members, 40% of them Latino and many of them Asian American.

As an aside, the casino dealers in Nevada have been fighting for the right to unionize for years.  Many of the Asian Americans that work in Nevada casinos are dealers and have been part of the struggle for better working conditions.

The Nevada chapter of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) also endorsed Sen. Obama.  It represents around 17,500 health care and county workers in Nevada.

Incidentally, does anyone know why the county workers in Nevada are part of the SEIU instead of AFSCME (whose endorsement went to Clinton in what was supposedly a close decision)?

Obama ba-Racks Up the Endorsements

I know, I know, the title of this post is awful.  =)

In the run up to the Nevada Caucus on Saturday, January 19, Sen. Obama has racked up an impressive number of endorsements in the last week following his close second place finish in New Hampshire.

Sen. Obama has since been endorsed by former presidential candidate and NJ Senator, Rhodes Scholar, NBA Hall of Fame member, Bill Bradley, MA Senator and 2004 Democratic presidential nominee, John Kerry, popular Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano, MS Senator Claire McCaskill, SD Senator Tim Johnson, NE Senator Ben Nelson, Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle, Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin, and Bay Area Congressman George Miller.

Do endorsement like these translate into votes?  It's difficult to say.  What these endorsements do represent, however, is the broad appeal of Sen. Obama's message of change.  The above endorsements include liberals, pragmatic progressives, and "reach across the aisle" centrists.  They represent widely differing views on issues from gun control to immigration to the economy.  Yet what all of these leaders have recognized is that regardless of where Sen. Obama may stand on the issues, he possesses the character, vision, and judgment to bring different parties together to get things done.  And all of them recognize a need for a fundamental change to the way things are done in Washington.

It's Still a Race

With 96% of the precincts reporting, Hillary Clinton has won New Hampshire with 39% of the vote to Obama's 37%.  See results here.

While it is certainly true that Sen. Obama's showing was quite competitive, Clinton definitely comes out of this the clear winner in terms of beating expectations by coming back from her 8 point loss in Iowa with polls from Monday showing her trailing Obama by 9 points.  By defying expectations and showing a strong ability to campaign after a defeat, Sen. Clinton has ensured this will be a longer, more uncertain race.

Of course, as usual, the press coverage shifts the narrative wildly every time the facts change, so the Obama-mania and unstoppable wave of last week will likely give way to the stories of Clinton's newly discovered voice, her tenacity, and the miraculous and ingenious reorganization and regrouping of her campaign.

Clinton benefited greatly from a much older voter turnout, with sixty seven percent of voters over 40.  She also did much better among women this time.  Early indications are also that more independents voted for McCain in the Republican primary.  I also thought her victory speech sounded just the note she needs to enhance the current comeback story of her campaign.

The press has also noted, though, that Obama gave a very well-received, gracious speech.  He remained optimistic, and gave what was largely likely the same speech he would have given in a victory.  The fight ahead will certainly be long, and regardless of the overly optimistic crowings of the defined-by-the-moment press, we always knew it would be.  Super Tuesday, with its 20+ states, always ensured that Hillary could rely on a base of support in states where Obama lacked the resources to really introduce himself to voters.  Hillary could always afford to lose early and win later.  Obama had to win early, and while he has not done so as decisively as I would have hoped, he has certainly showed the ability to stand toe to toe with Clinton.

My only disappointment is with the increasing animosity that seems to be appearing among the Clinton troops towards Obama.  WIth how much they have in common on the issues, it seems odd to be so hostile to someone who is your ally most of the rest of the time.  I don't feel that Obama supporters hate Clinton, but I'm hearing more and more negative stuff each day.  I just don't think Obama is worthy of that kind of hatred.  He hasn't been the kind of candidate that deserves that.  He is calm, reasonable, and warm.  I know some of my political activist friends dislike his approach b/c they feel it is not sufficiently assertive, but it's hardly despicable.  It's not like Obama represents some incredibly antagonistic wing of the party, like the Dixiecrats of the past.

Then again, it could just be press making something more dramatic than it really is to make things more "exciting."

The mood is somber tonight, but I remain cautiously optimistic.  I am seriously reconsidering whether I should go to Nevada.  I know, of course, that my presence will not have any impact on the final result, but somehow it feels better to say I did my part.  I'm fired up, ready to go, and ready to continue the fight for change.

Hope is on the way!

OBAMA HAS WON IOWA!!!

With 100% of the precincts reporting:

Senator Barack Obama : 37.57%
Senator John Edwards : 29.76%
Senator Hillary Clinton : 29.46%
Governor Bill Richardson : 2.11%
Senator Joe Biden : 0.93%
Uncommitted : 0.14%
Senator Chris Dodd : 0.02%

For full results from CNN, click here.

Mike Huckabee won the Republican contest with a similar margin of 34% to second place Romney's 25%.  Rudy Giuliani finished 6th with 4% of the vote, losing to even Ron Paul.

Not only did Sen. Obama's message of change, hope, and unity win the hearts of Iowa voters, but he demonstrated that he can win decisively in Middle America in a state that's 96% white.  As one commentator on CNN said, Obama has the true "rainbow coalition" - people from all walks of life hungry for a new, positive direction for this country.  Obama showed that people are yearning to believe in the possibilities of government again and not just satisfied with being angry at the status quo.

Obama's victory and Ron Paul's strong finish also point to the key role played by young voters in this year's Caucus.  I would surmise that the support of college students, who turned out in record numbers, definitely boosted both candidates.  Turnout overall on the Democratic side was astonishing, with 239,000 estimated.  In 2004, previously also a high mark for turnout, 125,000 participated.  Republicans had about 114,000 turn out, which was still quite a bit up from their 2000 turnout of 87,666 (there was no contested race in 2004 for the GOP).

For an even more encouraging sign of what may be to come, here is the TOTAL vote breakdown from the Group News Blog:

24.5% Obama
20.5% Edwards
19.8% Clinton
11.4% Huckabee (R)

Obama Wins Asian American Action Fund Straw Poll at LA Prez Forum

Rave Reviews for AAA-Fund's L.A. Prez Forum

Chu, Chan, Sidarth Win Support for Presidential Candidates; Sen. Obama Wins Presidential Forum Straw Poll

Los Angeles, CA, Dec. 6, 2007 - An all-star cast of Asian American leaders energized the audience at the AAA-Fund's Presidential Candidates Forum.  Afterwards, Sen. Barack Obama won the Forum's Presidential Straw Poll.

AAA-Fund - which will not make a pre-primary endorsement - invited every Democratic Presidential campaign to the Forum.  Three candidates responded: Sen. Hillary Clinton, Sen. Barack Obama, and Gov. Bill Richardson.  In addition, Eric Bauman, Chair of the Los Angeles County Democratic Party, delivered opening remarks.

Following the Forum, guests participated in the AAA-Fund's Presidential Straw Poll, in which voters ranked their first, second, and third choices.  Sen. Obama won the Straw Poll, with 71 percent of first-choice votes.  Sen. Clinton finished second, with 23 percent of first-choice votes. (Clinton and Gov. Richardson led the field in second-choice votes, with 34 percent and 24 percent, respectively.)

The Forum and Straw Poll were held at the acclaimed East West Players Theater in Los Angeles' historic Little Tokyo.  The AAA-Fund thanks the following friends and sponsors:  Korean American Democratic Committee, Edwin Chau, Daniel M. Mayeda, Dan and Jay Kim, Amy Ghosh, Kumar Jawa, Mark Nguyen, Michael Lew, Bakul and Niru Parmar, Ron Wong, Gautam Dutta, Marybelle C. Ang, and East West Players Theater.

More:  http://www.aaa-fund.org/press/2007dec06.asp

Sen. Obama Wins Democracy for Texas Presidential Poll

   

December 17th, 2007

     

Senator Barack Obama, with 32% of the vote, is the winner of our first Presidential poll, followed closely by former Senator John Edwards, with 29%.  With a combined 61% of the vote, it's clear that DFT supporters know a progressive candidate when they see one!  See the complete results here. Why did so many DFTers support Obama?  Here is a sample of your comments: "Obama is the one who puts principle above winning, whose style is that of a statesman and who can unite the country and rise above partisanship." "Obama has the unique experience, vision, and character to unite our divided nation, restore America's standing in the world, and inspire a new generation of community activists, organizers, and leaders." "I find the same kind of optimism in Barack that I did many years ago in our beloved John Kennedy. We need a change and to greet the future with energy and hope." "Obama inspires me and gives me hope that the status quo in D.C. will really change." Our congratulations to Senator Obama - now let's see what happens in Iowa!                    Your DFT Steering Committee - Erik Azulay, Glen Maxey, Mark McCulloch, Karl-Thomas Musselman, and Fran Vincent P.S. It's not too late to donate $5 or $10 to help offset DFT's costs in running this poll.

web:             http://www.democracyfortexas.org
email:           info@democracyfortexas.org        

 

Iowans React to Des Moines Debate

As you may have read here before, Frank Luntz, GOP pollster boy wonder and highly prescient campaign forecaster, has run focus groups for each of the presidential debates (for both parties).  Before the latest Obama surge, Luntz was already noting Obama's underlying strengths and his potential to win this contest in the end.

Here are some clips from the post-debate analysis following the recent debate in Des Moines on Dec. 10:

New Poll Shows Obama Does Best Head to Head With GOP

From Jonathan Chait:

MORE POLL CHEWING: 

The L.A. Times poll referenced by Isaac below is interesting data, in part because it confirms my preconceived notions (which makes it the best kind of data.) For one thing, it shows Fred Thompson surging close to the lead in the GOP field, which is what I expect. (If I had to bet on who will take the Republican nomination, I'd bet on Thompson.)

Second, it shows Hillary Clinton with a massive electability problem. In a general election trial heat, she runs behind Giuliani, McCain, and even Mitt Romney, who up to this point has been getting crushed in any trial heat. John Edwards runs better than Clinton, crushing Romney, edging out Rudy Giuliani, and losing narrowly to John McCain.

The Democratic candidate who fares best is Barack Obama. As the L.A. Times puts it, "This poll shows that Obama, among the top three Democratic candidates, appears to be the more electable candidate." No kidding. Compare Obama's performance to Clinton's against three GOP contenders. Clinton loses to McCain by 4 points, Obama wins by 12. Clinton loses to Romney by 2 points, Obama wins by 16. Clinton loses to Giuliani by 10 points, Obama wins by 5.

In other words, he runs 15 to 18 points ahead of her in a general election. Give whatever caveats you want about polls and the election being a year and a half away, this is an important finding. I've seen all sorts of anecdotal evidence of independents and moderate Republicans being open to Obama and hostile to Clinton, and it's starting to show in the polls.

--Jonathan Chait

Who Won the Fundraising Race?

Many of you have probably already seen the news about Senator Clinton's record-breaking first quarter $26 million raised.  But all across America, from the grassroots to the pundits and the press, people are noticing the real story: Senator Obama's astonishing $25 million raised, with $23.5 million of that raised just for the primary.

Upon closer examination, the details are even more impressive.  The 100,000 Americans who donated to Senator Obama are double the number who gave to Senator Clinton.  $6.9 million was raised through the Internet, compared to $4.2 million for Senator Clinton.  Add to that the fact that Senator Clinton solicited a significant number of $4600 contributions (taking $2300 for both the primary and the general), something that Senator Obama abandoned early after deciding to keep the option of public financing for the general election open, and the power of Senator Obama's small donor, grassroots support becomes apparent.

In early 2004, a handsome, charismatic one-term Senator that many considered a less than serious contender for the Democratic nomination astonished many by placing second in the Iowa Caucuses.  Suddenly, he was in contention, and though he did not end up winning the nomination, John Edwards likely rode that success to secure the nomination for Vice President.  Like many outsiders or unlikely candidates before him, Senator Obama is proving the maxim that a strong, surprising second place finish can make you the real winner.

The latest letter from the campaign about this terrific news is after the jump.

Obama Wins DFA Poll; Leads Among Nomination Market "Investors"

Senator Obama's grassroots bona fides have carried him to victory in the Democracy for America Presidential Pulse Poll.  With 28% of the vote, Obama led the field, followed by John Edwards with 25% and Hillary Clinton trailing with 9% (Dennis Kucinich came in at 10% and Bill Richardson at 8%).

The poll also revealed that many people are still considering their options.  12% selected "Other," which indicates that many voters are still searching for a candidate that they believe departs from politics as usual.  Our task is clear.  Many people have clearly heard Barack's call for a new kind of politics - one defined by what unites us instead of what divides us, by hope instead of cynicism - but many others are waiting to hear that clarion call to action.  It is Obama's message that will give those people still searching a reason to feel inspired again, a reason to believe that politics and government can be a great force for positive change in this country.

More details from DFA on the Presidential Pulse Poll after the jump.

Savvy Market Investors Pick Obama

In another indication of the growing strength of the Obama campaign, shares of Barack on the Presidential Nomination Market run by the University of Iowa are trading at the highest price among Democratic candidates.  This market allows "investors" to purchase shares and assemble portfolios of various candidates based on their expectation of future performance, just like any other stock market.  Prospectuses with research and data are made available, too.  Historically, the market has been incredibly accurate in its predictions, performing better than almost any poll.

Check here to see the latest "quotes."