First published at WashingtonTimes.com
PRINCETON, W.V. — Over the last few days I've been through Southwest Virginia, down in North Carolina and now back up into the mountains on the West Virginia side near Bluefield for some stories about the political climate in red states.
Sen. Barack Obama has set up a massive organization across the country, and especially in North Carolina.
The campaign has given supporters lists with hours and locations of early voting sites, and collected the names, e-mail address and cell phone number of each attendee at the Fayetteville rally Sunday afternoon. (There were a few thousand who had to listen to his speech from the parking lot after the coliseum hit about 10,000 capacity.)
An organizer at the rally rattled off the addresses of early vote sites nearby that would be open after the event.
Photographer Joe Eddins and I headed over to the closest one and found a steady line of voters hoping to cast ballots early. Most seemed to be Obama supporters and several had come from the rally. Nearly all the voters were black.
Also at the polling site was a group of loud and angry protesters who shouted and mocked the voters as they walked in. Nearly all were white.
As you can see from these videos, no one held anything back. People were shouting about Obama's acknowledged cocaine use as a young man, abortion and one man used the word "terrorist." They also were complaining that Sundays are for church, not voting.
The first video closes with Roger Farina (who won NHL fan of the year in 2003) going into detail about why he was heckling the voters.
I sent Stephen Dinan a quote from Farina about former Secretary of State Colin L. Powell's endorsement of Obama yesterday. Read his story wrapping up that news and Sen. John McCain's reaction here.
At the voting site, I asked a local sheriff monitoring the scene if the protesters were allowed. "They're fine," he said. I asked if he'd ever seen anything like that and he said he'd never seen Sunday voting.
Most voters in line ignored the hecklers but a few heckled back. One black woman told me she was deeply saddened to see people protesting the most fundamental right of democracy.
I also spoke to a McCain supporter who was voting early even though he also had been protesting across the street.
One group was handing out fliers "comparing" McCain and Obama on social issues such as abortion and gay marriage. Among those listed on the sheet were:
Opposes gay pride? McCain YES Obama NO
Supports human cloning? McCain NO Obama YES
The flier is a lie, Obama does not support cloning. Also, I know the McCain camp would dispute him "opposing gay pride."
I have a story in today's paper taking a look at Obama's TV ad strategy, aided in part by his record fundraising haul.
ROANOKE, Va. | In the span of one hour, voters here are told - twice - that good Virginia jobs have vanished because "Washington sold them out with the help of people like John McCain."
Sen. Barack Obama's fundraising juggernaut has steamrolled his Republican rival, burying voters with ads - many of them negative - that he can afford to broadcast into the living rooms of red-state voters. There's no chance it will let up, as the campaign announced Sunday that Mr. Obama had raised more than $150 million in September alone.
The Obama ad attacking Mr. McCain as responsible for trade deals that led to job losses was one of nine 30-second spots that voters could see Friday during the 6 p.m. news.
Mr. Obama's ads that night painted him as someone who will fight for the American dream, who has a centrist health care plan and who will uphold gun rights. They portrayed Mr. McCain as an ally of President Bush whose health care plan would harm families.
The positive health care spot was Mr. Obama's largest buy - it ran more than 20,000 times across the country from mid-September through mid-October, according to Campaign Media Analysis Group.
In this Southwest Virginia region, just two of every 10 ads played Friday were positive. Two Obama attacks on Mr. McCain came in quick succession during the broadcast of "The Late Show" with David Letterman, followed by a Republican National Committee spot depicting Mr. Obama as inexperienced.All the Republican ads shown Friday were negative, and an independent pro-Democratic veterans group ran a whopping six spots slamming Mr. McCain for his voting record.
Read the full story on campaign ads here.
The spending overload hurt Obama during the primary season, with many voters saying they were seeing too much of the Illinois senator. But he has the cash to play offense on a wide electoral map - adding Kentucky and West Virginia to his TV advertising schedule recently - and quickly defend any attacks that may come his way in the final days of the campaign.
On Sunday, I also shot this video of these young girls detailing their support for the Democratic nominee:
— Christina Bellantoni, national political reporter,
The Washington Times
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I have never believed all the publicity and opinions of white folks that racism isn't a major factor in American society. Of course none of these "optimists" would be willing to change places with a Black person.
If there is one thing that is apparent, it is that Obama is not otivated by race. His support by Black citizens for his blackness is no more and certainly less than the support of whites for McCain.
This isnt playing the race card or negative campaigning , it is a matter of fact. There is virtually no evidence for the opposing point of view. The Republican tactics of sabotaging fair elections is nothing new and they are counting on this as a major asset in the election. This is of course totally acceptable by the Republican Party as policy.
It seems like the 21st century is more like the 19th.
That sheriff was outrageous, showing more concern for Sunday voting instead of voter intimidation.
McCain robo-calls, Anti-semetic racist FoxNews, and people who do not want to survive together because they are so hateful they rather divide and perish. What a sad commentary on what the world use to see as the greatest country on earth.
McCain should be ashamed of himself, he started this tone of hate.
There is a difference in negative campaigning and hateful campaigning.
Not.
http://my.barackobama.com/page/s/vpcreport
I'm also sick of all these clips of Republicans and "Christian" people who are harrassing people for voting! And thinking differently!!! If this is the "true America" I must have misinterpreted the Constitution worse than Mrs. Palin did when checking out her job description. I thought we were allowed freedom of speech and the right to vote. Instead of sweating out Gay Marriage, can't someone pass an amendment on intolerance?
Watching Republicans gather together is like seeing a street brawl on You Tube. Sorry, Republicans, you also have the right to your opinion, and of course this lunatic fringe does not represent all of you, but do you have to be so hateful about it and/or quiet about those who are? Can't you folks appoint a den mother for these gatherings? I'm praying for intelligent debate and respect to be the Next Big Thing!
"Jesus wept", indeed....
Yes, Mexico did that a few years ago. According to Article 1 of Mexico's current Constitution, DISCRIMINATION based on Gender, Age, Socio-Economic Status, Religious Beliefs, Ethnic Origin, Capacity or Preferences is outlawed in Mexico - it's illegal!
So obviously, it can be done and could be done here in the USA, given the political will.
i rember a speech condi rice gave citing one fo the reason she is a republican is because of the jim crow south. there still is a jim crow south. and they aren't democrats anymore. shame on her.
i can't believe americans - often seniors benefiting from the socialist programs of social security and medicare -- will gladly reduce themselves to childish bullying and name calling. its a national disgrace. i suppose freedom of speech gives the right to show yourself as ignorant to the world. and the world is hearing it loud and clear.
We all see that now.
You have no credibility.
Yet the yabbos out there who hoot and holler, completely ignore what the Republican Party has wrought. It is mind boggling. And this is why McCain must be defeated. We have to let the air out of GOP so it can re-evaluate how it does business and for whom.
If everyone did this, it would shut them up. You can't argue with someone who is supporting you.
Of course then you go and vote for Obama.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm sure you're right." puts radicals off guard, if they're going on bad info. The next step is, when they say, "Then why do you support him?" Then you can say, "Well, I haven't seen the proof yet, is why; and I like these other parts..."
If you ask them for proof, they have to resort to parroting the people who said such things, Sarah Palin, and John McCain (on the "ethical" end of the spectrum). But NONE of these junk-facts come with any real proof attached. So then you get into a discussion (or an argument) about the nature of "proof" encompassing more than just what someone says...
That said, any such tactic is next to useless for persuading them in any case, when faced with radicals like McSarah's current core of supporters. It's like karma: you can't take on a person's karma without making it your own. And you can't solve another person's confusion, either. They have to do that themselves.
I wish someone would ask McCain if by any chance he were to be elected, how he expects to bring the nation together after he has spent so much time in dividing people and labeling them?
The most recent (and possibly most disgusting) Obama threat yet:
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,24530448-663,00.html
As an animal lover and animal rights advocate, I can tell you I am beyond disheartened that anyone would do this. The article describes how someone(s) shot a black bear cub in the head and then covered his head with Obama stickers. I can't believe how sick and barbaric some people are. It truly saddens me.