Obama starts another round of visits to woo Colorado voters
By Sara Burnett, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)
Published September 29, 2008 at 12:05 a.m.
Updated September 29, 2008 at 10:52 a.m.
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Photo by Dennis Schroeder © The Rocky
Crowds wait in line to hear U.S. Senator Barack Obama at Mountain Range H.S. in Westminster, Colo., Monday September 29, 2008.
Photo by Javier Manzano © The Rocky
People wait in line for Senator Obama's visit at Mountain Range High School in Westminster on September 29, 2008.
Photo by Javier Manzano © The Rocky
7 year-old Georgia Bosse takes a few pins of Obama as people wait in line for Senator Obama's visit at Mountain Range High School in Westminster on September 29, 2008.
A large crowd is assembled at Mountain Range High School this morning, awaiting the arrival of Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama.
Obama is not expected to take the stage until about 11:45. The high school's gym is nearly full.
The campaign for the White House is returning to Colorado in force this week. Republican Gov. Sarah Palin will attend a fundraiser in Centennial this weekend, and Obama's wife, Michelle, will host a Students for Obama voter registration event Wednesday in Boulder.
A spokesman for Sen. John McCain also said Sunday there is "a high probability" either McCain or Palin will hold a public event here this week, though nothing has been confirmed.
On Saturday, Palin will hold a private fundraiser at the Centennial Airport. Tickets range from $1,000 per person for breakfast to $25,000 per person for a VIP coffee beforehand with the Alaska governor.
Saturday's visit will mark Palin's third stop in Colorado since becoming McCain's running mate. Her previous stops were in Golden and Colorado Springs.
Obama is making his second trip here and Michelle Obama her first since the Democratic National Convention in August. Earlier this month Obama visited Denver, Grand Junction and Pueblo.
His return to Denver and Michelle Obama's appearance in Boulder show the importance of the two areas for the campaign. High turnout in Democrat-heavy Denver and Boulder, along with a strong showing in the suburbs and support from unaffiliated voters, is critical to an Obama victory in Colorado.
McCain also is targeting the suburbs, along with Republican strongholds such as El Paso County and rural Colorado. His campaign also is going after unaffiliated voters and Democrats who supported Sen. Hillary Clinton.
Polls show McCain and Obama in a statistical dead heat for the battleground state of Colorado and its nine electoral votes.
In a conference call with reporters Sunday, former Republican Gov. Bill Owens said he believes whoever wins Colorado will be the next president of the United States.
He also predicted the Centennial State will see a lot of the candidates in the last days before the Nov. 4 election.
"It's going to be an interesting final four weeks here in Colorado," Owens said.
burnetts@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5343
Schedule of visits this week
* Today Sen. Barack Obama speaks at Mountain Range High School in Westminster. 9:30 a.m. Free tickets no longer available.
* Tuesday Kathleen Sebelius, governor of Kansas and an Obama supporter, hosts economic round-table discussions with women business leaders in Pueblo, Colorado Springs and Denver.
* Wednesday Michelle Obama hosts a Students for Obama voter registration rally in Boulder. Time and location have not been announced.
* Saturday Gov. Sarah Palin holds a private fundraising breakfast at Centennial Airport.
* Sen. John McCain's spokesman said there is a "high probability" either McCain or Palin could hold a public event in Colorado this week, although nothing has been confirmed.
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September 29, 2008
9:22 a.m.
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Nobama writes:
This is exactly the constituency that Obama should be addressing. The kids are still idealistic, naive, and gullible, just like Obama's adult "followers". People who can think for themselves, comprehend, and logically reason know better than to vote for the guy. I just hope there is still a moral majority amongst the voting populace. I'm not sure any more, considering the propaganda passed along by the news media, not to mention all of the Liberal celebrity community.
September 29, 2008
9:31 a.m.
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ifyem writes:
Nobama, please tell me the difference between the characteristics of these people and Sarah Palin...I would love to hear your response!!! Let me remind you of her Katie Couric interview:
This is a direct excerpt from Katie Couric’s One-On-One interview with Sarah Palin, which aired Wednesday on CBS.
COURIC: Why isn’t it better, Governor Palin, to spend $700 billion helping middle-class families struggling with health care, housing, gas and groceries? … Instead of helping these big financial institutions that played a role in creating this mess?
PALIN: Ultimately, what the bailout does is help those who are concerned about the health care reform that is needed to help shore up the economy– Oh, it’s got to be about job creation too. So health care reform and reducing taxes and reining in spending has got to accompany tax reductions.
If McCain wins, this woman will be a 72-year- old heartbeat away from being president of the United States.
Here’s my question to you: Is Governor Sarah Palin qualified to be president?
September 29, 2008
9:41 a.m.
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wyhammertime writes:
I say "RUN THEM ALL OUT OF TOWN ON A RAIL " none of them are going to do anything they say they will this country is falling from within not from without !!! Something to think about and goverment has helped it along it's way !!!!
September 29, 2008
9:45 a.m.
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H20 writes:
Nobama yeah its all propaganda of the mess we are in today. Those damn reporters from the media..
September 29, 2008
9:50 a.m.
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H20 writes:
Yes Run them out, thats the answer to all are problems. Not just run them out of town but run them out on rail... Please!
September 29, 2008
10:23 a.m.
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RockiesWin writes:
Regrettably, Obama will win this election. However, this means he will have to put his money, rather our increased tax dollars, where his big mouth is. He, along with a bumbling Congress led by Pelosi and Reid, will have nobody except themselves to blame for the deeper mess that will be made over the next four year. They will try to blame others, of course, but this time the American people won't be buying it.
So much talk, so little action!
September 29, 2008
10:27 a.m.
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fastnloose writes:
Obama+Reid+Pelosi=Disaster for America
September 29, 2008
10:42 a.m.
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dakar writes:
If anyone watched the debate, Obama mentioned "some" of his programs might be delayed due to the this bailout. McCain said he would consider a complete spending "freeze" for all non-entitlement spending. Lets look at the facts and stop injecting personal bias and bs. Obama wants to add many add'l gov. programs that will increase the size and cost of gov. by a significant amount. He thinks he can just tax the rich and the oil companies etc. to pay for it all. This is what he said.
McCain definitely wants to reduce spending, reorganize government and go thru all the gov. agencies and cut waste.
The difference is obvious - if you want bigger and more gov. programs and spending - vote for Obama. If you think government is already to big and to wasteful, vote for McCain. This really is what it boils down to.
September 29, 2008
10:48 a.m.
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danirobi writes:
fastnloose-couldn't agree more.
September 29, 2008
11 a.m.
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DenverDan writes:
I dont want a pres with a bucket list..
Obama 08
September 29, 2008
11:03 a.m.
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H20 writes:
8 years of the Bush Administration = Disaster for America
McCain (Backing Bush 90%) + Palin (who is a Junior league Governer with little experience) = Disaster for America
September 29, 2008
11:06 a.m.
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H20 writes:
Solomon do you know how silly you sound!!
September 29, 2008
11:18 a.m.
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O_TRAIN writes:
fastnloose writes; Obama+Reid+Pelosi=Disaster for America
*********************
Math is fun, how about;
Bush+Cheney+Congress = America in Disaster. Now add in the variable of McCain+Palin and you have exponential disaster.
A vote for the Republicans after the past eight years would be like; "pouring crazy gas on stupid fire"
September 29, 2008
11:26 a.m.
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mcsame_failin writes:
The Gallup debate score is in: http://www.gallup.com/poll/110779/Deb...
Obama Wins Debate! (note that this is in the real world)
(In McCain's world) McCain declared victory Friday morning in the Wall Street Journal before he even confirmed he would attend. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thef...
"McCain Wins Debate!" declares the ad which features a headshot of a smiling McCain with an American flag background. Another ad spotted by our eagle-eyed observer featured a quote from McCain campaign manager Rick Davis declaring: "McCain won the debate-- hands down."
September 29, 2008
11:45 a.m.
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mcsame_failin writes:
Just the other day, the website ThinkProgress pointed out a strange glitch in Iraq planning. The Bush administration, deep into negotiations with the Iraqi government, evidently managed to wheedle an extra year's time for the prospective withdrawal of American combat troops from Iraq; its negotiators pushed the date from 2010 -- the year suggested by both Barack Obama and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki -- to 2011. According to Maliki in an interview with an Iraqi TV station, this change came from the administration's concern over the "domestic situation" in the U.S. (that is, the needs of the McCain campaign).
http://news.yahoo.com/s/thenation/200...
""Actually," said Maliki, "the final date was really the end of 2010 and the period between the end of 2010 and the end of 2011 was for withdrawing the remaining troops from all of Iraq, but they asked for a change [in date] due to political circumstances related to the [U.S] domestic situation so it will not be said to the end of 2010 followed by one year for withdrawal but the end of 2011 as a final date." So we're talking about another perhaps $150-180 billion in 2011 -- or approximately the full suggested initial payout in the Washington bailout plan of at least one key Democrat. This gives the phrase "presidential politics" new meaning. Now, just imagine for a moment the situation we might be in if there had been no Iraq War. We could have bailed ourselves out many times over."
Does anyone really think we should vote the Republicans in for another four years of deplorable mismanagement?
Republican's cheat. Bush and McCain are working together as always. McCain Palin == the McSame Failin' politics. DON'T VOTE REPUBLICAN!
September 29, 2008
7:23 p.m.
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SanctuaryCity writes:
The only thing the students can report to their parents when they get home is the lies continue, same old thing and still shallow
September 29, 2008
8:37 p.m.
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in_the_beginning writes:
that was at my school, but i sat around for 5 hours. they would not let students leave (for obvious safty reasons) so i missed the bus to Btec (a second school multiple fellow classmates attend) we should at least been able to go to the speech... being that the event just so happens to be in our school. not that i am a Democrat, but any person of importants in our school. we should be aloud to go. or some kind of assembly for students after it. i don't know...
September 29, 2008
8:42 p.m.
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in_the_beginning writes:
not that i am mad, it was really cool i felt somewhat important because of all the schools in America our was the choice. i don't how that choice was made, but still our school. pretty cool!