Where the going gets tough (in Reno), Obama gets going

Monday, Aug. 18, 2008 | 2 a.m.

Reno — Sen. Barack Obama met privately with a handful of Nevada’s Democratic leaders Sunday before giving a short speech and answering questions from about 250 labor leaders and union members.

During the private meeting, Assemblywoman Sheila Leslie, an early Obama supporter, jokingly reminded Obama that he won Washoe County by 10 points in January’s Democratic caucus, she said.

“Yeah, but what about Elko? That was really great,” Obama responded, pointing to his 19 percentage point win over Sen. Hillary Clinton at a time when the nomination was still being contested.

Obama, the Democrats’ likely nominee for president, remembers the surprising support he had in Northern Nevada. Now the question is whether that support will continue and make the difference come November’s general election.

Nevada has emerged as a key battleground state, and although the bulk of the state’s population is firmly in Southern Nevada, the North, some think, will be a key to victory. Republicans have relied on strong margins in places such as Elko and Hawthorne and, to a lesser extent, Washoe County, to make up for the Democratic leanings of Las Vegas. For Democrats, it has been a place where candidates have spent time and money, only to see strong Republican numbers on Election Day.

At Sunday’s invitation-only event at a Reno high school, rather than go after a large crowd, Obama targeted labor supporters. It is a group Obama needs in order to win here.

Assemblywoman Debbie Smith, active in Northern Nevada organized labor, said if the Illinois senator is going to do well in the region, it’s important for him to get rank-and-file members onboard. Even though union leadership has endorsed his presidential bid, members have in the past broken ranks.

“We have a large Republican union membership,” she said.

Obama highlighted his economic plan, his push for renewable energy and his support of labor issues. He also swiped at presumed Republican nominee Sen. John McCain for what he said were “terrible” policies that benefited the wealthiest Americans. He repeatedly tried to tie the Arizona senator to President Bush.

One woman, who said she was a United Auto Workers member, asked: “What can we do to help you?”

Obama replied that the biggest thing union members can do is contact fellow members and shoot down rumors about his religion (he’s Christian) and his stance on gun control (he said he supports the Second Amendment, though he’s in favor of “common sense gun control”).

In January, Clinton won the caucus based on her showing in Clark County. Obama, though, actually won one more delegate to the national convention, thanks to his strength in rural and Northern Nevada.

McCain’s campaign said Obama’s strength in the caucus will not translate to the general election.

“You have to give credit where credit is due: The organization for the caucus was well-funded, well-organized,” said Mike DuHaime, political director of the McCain campaign, on a conference call with reporters Sunday. But, he said, caucuses tend to draw more involved voters — “liberal special interests, more activist, left-leaning voters” — than primaries do.

Indeed, McCain came in third in Nevada’s Republican caucus, behind former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and Texas Rep. Ron Paul. But, DuHaime said, McCain did better nationally in primaries, as he will in the general election.

“His strength is in the center of the electorate,” DuHaime said. “Nevada continues to be a state that’s very much centrist.”

Kirsten Searer, spokeswoman for the Obama campaign, said the caucus helped build an organization in parts of the state where Democrats had been weak. She recalled how, when she was working for the state Democratic Party, she was so desperate for volunteers in rural Mineral County she went out with a sign in front of a casino to get someone interested.

“This campaign is all about grass roots,” Searer said. “If you have someone from Las Vegas or, God forbid, San Francisco, knocking on doors in Hawthorne, people won’t respond. You need supporters from Hawthorne knocking on doors in Hawthorne.”

Discussion: 24 comments so far…

By Punctilius

8/18/08 at 4:51 a.m.

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“Obama replied that the biggest thing union members can do is contact fellow members and shoot down rumors about his religion (he’s Christian) and his stance on gun control (he said he supports the Second Amendment, though he’s in favor of “common sense gun control”).

Obama was a member of Rev. Dr. Jeremiah A. Wright, Jr.'s, Trinity United Church of Christ for over 20 years.

For eight years, ‘94- ‘01, prior to becoming an Illinois State Senator,Barack Obama was a member of the Board of Directors of the Joyce Foundation, the leading U.S. source of funds for “common sense gun control” organizations and “researchers.” He voted millions in grants for “common sense gun control” groups.

In political office, Obama strongly supported “common sense gun control.” He voted to allow lawsuits designed to bankrupt the firearms industry; to re-impose the Clinton "assault weapon" ban; to ban almost all rifle ammunition commonly used for hunting and sport shooting; he has endorsed a complete ban on handgun ownership:he supported local gun bans in Chicago, D,C. and other cities. He voted to uphold local Illinois gun bans and to criminally prosecute people who use firearms in self-defense. Obama also proposed to ban gun stores within 5 miles of a school or park, that would eliminate almost every gun store in America.

I hope this dispels any rumors about the Senator's religion and his devotion to the Second Amendment.
By azsk8fan

8/18/08 at 7:02 a.m.

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Is it just a rumor that he belonged to a church for 20 yrs. that preached hatred towards 'whitey'...I think not

Is it a rumor that he claims he "didn't know"....I think not (and if he truly didn't know then I'd say he's about as dumb as the president we've had for the past 8 yrs. and isn't that an embarrassment!)

Is it a rumor that by his own words in his own books he disavowed his white mother.......I think not

This man is truly a danger to this Country!
By neiman1

8/18/08 at 7:10 a.m.

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Hope, a fun word with nothing but Pelosi policy behind it. Nancy Pelosi delivered the nomination to Obama when the voters had selected Clinton. What price will he owe the real leader of the Democratic Party after Nov if he wins. Look at California's common sense gun laws. Look at a party that thinks a secret ballot in a union election is somehow wrong for the members. This is liberal fascism and politically correct speech restriction that have never been allowed in America before. I don't think Obama is a Muslim, but Trinity Church wasn't what I call Christian either.
By jfnance32

8/18/08 at 7:19 a.m.

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Not one word from Obama on the fact that high gas prices are killing the tourist industry in Nevada.

Either Obama is clueless or does not care.
By MichaelGreen

8/18/08 at 8:28 a.m.

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Wow. The looneys from the R-J have come over. Nice to have you at a spot where free speech exists.

Let's start here. By your definition, Obama is an America-hater because he doesn't think the Second Amendment gives us an absolute right to carry AK-47s and he belonged to a church whose minister gave some sermons that made you nervous.

I can handle that. After all, we have a Republican presidential candidate who bowed down before Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson, "ministers" who have advocated murder, and a minister who made anti-semitic remarks. He used to oppose tax cuts until he became for them. He was for Roe v. Wade until he turned against it. He had the courage to stand up for his country in North Vietnam but not the courage to criticize an author whose book is so full of lies about Obama that his average was only a libel a sentence. And, like George W. Bush, he supported the murder of American soldiers in Iraq despite evidence showing no need for the U.S. to topple Saddam Hussein in connection with the battle against terror.

In other words, you would not have voted for any Democratic nominee because you prefer the hypocrisy, lies, and murderous intentions of the Republican party. So, just what is inspiring your hatred for Obama? I wonder.
By jfnance32

8/18/08 at 9:01 a.m.

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Obama is going to have his grandmother and Ted Kennedy move into the white house.

Everyweek, he is going to have a round table with his wife, grandmother and Ted Kennedy to help him with the tough decisions. (LOL)
By ksand99

8/18/08 at 9:01 a.m.

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I was glad to see John McCain admit his moral failure during the forum.

Many people do not know that he cheated on his first wife after she became disabled in a car accident, and then divorced her and left her for Cindy, the millionaire heiress.

That is very funny you say Obama is "too nuanced," gpctv02. I think the world is nuanced. Not everything is in black and white. People who think that way are the scary ones. "You are either with us or against us?" That's foolish and shows how some people's rhetoric does not take reality into account.

I think George Bush showed us that if you overlook nuance, you look like a fool.

Barack Obama did better than Hillary Clinton in the rurals because he understands nuance, and because the voters understand nuance. They don't want the empty soundbytes of John McCain. They want someone who will come to a good decision on facts.

I think you will see with Barack Obama's Vice presidential choice just how reasonable and intelligent he is.
By azsk8fan

8/18/08 at 9:33 a.m.

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The really sad thing is that we really have no options here at all - Obama or McCain - wow what a choice huh.
By MichaelGreen

8/18/08 at 11:02 a.m.

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I admit, I have seen better choices. But it's actually an easy choice. Any man who would accuse his opponent of wanting American soldiers to be defeated, as McCain has, lacks the moral compass to be in the White House or, for that matter, in any position of authority in a civilized society.
By esquared

8/18/08 at 11:53 a.m.

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No. No. Please, let's open more gun stores right next to some schools. Why miss providing convenience to the wackos! You guys offer pointless dribble, devoid of common sense and utterly detached from mainstream America. You join in McCain's mocking of simple measures to reduce gas prices now, and jump on his oil drilling bandwagon. Never mind drilling won't save Nevada's tourist business. Gas prices hurt it, and the constant gunfire doesn't help much either, Buckaroo. Now the Governator has made a video saying exactly the same thing! Think McCain will make fun of him? He should cross the border and crush you gun-toting girly-men! Actually, everyone in a state bordering one run by a meglo-maniac Austrian should always be mildly nervous, but at least Arnold has the brains to see the light on the tire pressure issue. Too bad nance and neiman up there can't. Then again, they really are secret princes of the mole-people.
By MichaelGreen

8/18/08 at 12:15 p.m.

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Nance, I would take advice from Obama's mother and grandmother, and from Ted Kennedy, before I would ever listen to Dick Cheney, Don Rumsfeld, or Condi Rice. You could take all the brains between the three of them, stick them in a flea's navel, and you'd still have room for Bush's brain, too.
By jfnance32

8/18/08 at 12:20 p.m.

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Russia is still keeping troops in Georgia.

Obama is having a closed door meeting with the people which he said is he going to rely on heavily in his administration.

Obama is currently consulting his wife, grandmother (who he already has thrown under the bus by citing her racist remarks) and Ted Kennedy.

Obama: "Granny, oh what oh what should I do?"

This explains why in the morning Obama says "X" and by the afternoon changes it to "Y".
By esquared

8/18/08 at 12:22 p.m.

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So common-sense restrictions on guns are inconsistent with the 2nd Amendment? Fascinating. No we wouldn't want you to be denied the right to buy 15 handguns a month. Lord knows y'all seem to be racking up enemies at about that rate. And we wouldn't want those gang-bangers, stalkers and pyschopaths to have to wait one minute before wrapping their sweating, white-knuckled, rage-driven little hands around something that can kill and keep on killing for hours on end. That's the stuff of real America. That's the world Jefferson and Adams hoped against hope would be their legacy. Since we've discovered that the Supreme Court has the ability to add phrases to the Amendments (How exactly does any phrase in the 2nd Amendment admit to SELF defense? Only thru selective research.), how much would it take to add, "except for nance, neiman and Punctilius," to the 1st Amendment. Can't be too hard, as Roberts seems for sale.
By esquared

8/18/08 at 12:30 p.m.

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Actually, his fired staffer, Samantha Power, probably knows more about the Balkans and this very type of regional conflict than anyone else in American. Moreover, she's about as fearless as any human on the planet, right there in the middle of some of the worst war zones on the planet. She'd crush nance and neiman into quivering little bowls of flesh with just a long, languid look. This silly grandmother business is nance's cartoon channel political report. Just have your mom make you some more Ovaltine and be quiet.
By jfnance32

8/18/08 at 12:49 p.m.

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Obama said that granny was one of the top three people that he is going to rely on heavily in his administration.

Obama is the cartoon.
By thebs

8/18/08 at 1:11 p.m.

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Agreed, esquared. Samantha Power is the intellectual equivalent of a thermonuclear weapon. Her treatise on genocide is one of the best books I've read in recent memory.

That Obama would keep such a strong intellectual as an advisor bodes well for us.
By jfnance32

8/18/08 at 3 p.m.

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I agree that Samantha Power would be better than Obama's granny on giving presidential advice.

Although, how smart can she be if when talking to reports she calls a leading fellow Democrat a monster?

She is not smart enough to keep her mouth shut in front of reporters.

She might have trouble controlling her emotions.

Oh well, at least, he has his granny to give him presidential advice.
By MichaelGreen

8/18/08 at 3:32 p.m.

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Nance, I guarantee you, Obama's granny would have known enough not to go to war with Iraq. She probably even knew that Iraq and Pakistan don't share a border, and that Czechoslovakia no longer exists.
By jfnance32

8/18/08 at 10:17 p.m.

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You are right about Granny. She is smart.

Only if Obama gave her a call then he would have avoid these gems:

Obama said there are 57 states.

Obama said that his parents met because of the Selma tragedy even though he was born before the Selma event.

Obama stated that Hugo Chavez came to power during Bush’s term even though Hugo came to power in Clinton’s term.

Obama said that the death toll of tornados in Kansas were 10,000 when it was 11.

Obama in a speech on deceased soldiers he said, “……of fallen heroes -- and I see many of them in the audience here today”.

Obama referred to the president of Canada when Canada does not have presidents.

Obama said of Democratic voters who voted for Hillary that they are bitter folks who cling to guns and religion because they do not know how to deal with their problems.

I am not sure if Granny could have helped on the last one. It was so bone headed that it went off the charts.
By azsk8fan

8/19/08 at 6:43 a.m.

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So McCain lacks 'moral compass' and Obama belongs to a racist church for 20 yrs. and claims to 'not know'..........like I said - what a choice (or non-choice) we have. We are just finishing 8 years of some dumbass and we don't need another one. Anyone who belongs to a church for 20 yrs. and claims to not know the basis of its' preaching is : A. A Liar, or
B. REALLY REALLY STUPID or C. BOTH of the above. Take your pick.
By benighse

8/19/08 at 8:44 p.m.

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THE BEST NEWS IS OBAMA STATES HIS POSITIONS AND POLICIES IN A POSITIVE WAY: ON HEALTHCARE, ON ENERGY, ON IRAQ, ON HOUSING, ON ECONOMICS, ON WORLD AFFAIRS AND ALL ISSUES THAT MATTER. ONCE HE STATES HIS POSITION, THEN ALL MCCAIN DOES IS SAY HE IS OPPOSED TO OBAMA...IT'S TIME TO PUT OBAMA TO WORK FOR ALL AMERICA!!
By benighse

8/19/08 at 8:50 p.m.

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IT'S TIME TO BE FOR SOMETHING....I'M FOR HELPING TO ELECT THE NEXT PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES....SOMEONE WHO WILL IMPROVE OUR STANDING AT HOME AND IN THE WORLD...I'M FOR BARACK OBAMA FOR PRESIDENT....I'VE ALREADY BOUGHT MY PLANE TICKET TO DENVER AND RESERVED MY ROOM....I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO OBTAINING MY OBAMA SPEECH CREDENTIAL (PLEASE!)....NEVADANS FOR OBAMA CAN TURN OUR STATE BLUE THIS YEAR....WE ARE REGISTERING MORE DEMOCRATS ALL THE TIME....AND MORE REPUBLICANS AND VETERANS FOR OBAMA ARE INTERESTED IN VOTING FOR HIM IN THIS ELECTION. USUALLY MY REPUBLICAN WIFE CANCELS MY VOTE, BUT THIS YEAR SHE IS JOINING OUR TWO INDEPENDENT FIRST TIME PRESIDENTIAL VOTING DAUGHTERS AND ME FOR A 4-0 FAMILY VOTE FOR OBAMA. PLEASE JOIN IN AND GET MORE FAMILY VOTES FOR OBAMA....THEN ASK YOUR NEIGHBORS....EVEN POST A SIGN....MAKE A FEW PHONE CALLS AND EMAILS TO FRIENDS.....IT'S THAT EASY.....SO GET ME MY TICKET TO THE SPEECH, AND LET'S KEEP THE GROWTH GOING...LET'S ALL PUT OBAMA TO WORK FOR ALL AMERICA!!!
By azsk8fan

8/20/08 at 6:44 a.m.

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Let's put America out of its' misery and get some REAL candidates to choose between. What a mess this country is in and it's only getting worse.