Obama’s Nevada Fly-Over
17 February 2007 1:11 am by Taylor Marsh
–links updated–
cross-posted on Huffington Post
If anyone\’s keeping score this early, this one beats a verbal gaffe or any blogger brouhaha by a mile, because it\’s delivered by the candidate himself. Senator Obama, you just might have to kiss those Nevada union votes good-bye. First, before we get started and just to be clear, there\’s nothing wrong with big Hollywood money. May it fund my radio show someday. But a Nevada flyover to diss union members and miss the first presidential forum of the \’08 season? Wow. That takes serious political balls. Here\’s the deal…
Barack Obama may be the media darling right now, but he should be held to the
same standards as all the other candidates, especially when it comes to forums that are meant to give primary
voters insight into people who want to be president. These forums and the debates
that come later are the most democratic part of the presidential primary season.
The first presidential forum shouldn\’t be optional. Mr. Obama should not get
a pass because his team says he\’s too busy or that his schedule couldn\’t fit
it in or whatever is the excuse de jour of the daily campaign grind.
As I wrote yesterday,
Mr. Obama will be in Las Vegas on Sunday, February 18th.
Then I started looking at the rest of his schedule, which piqued my interest.
That\’s when I received an anonymous email that was short and sweet and got
to the heart of the issue.
\”The situation with Obama and Carson City is worse than you
note in your post — he\’s actually going to be in California the day before
the forum for fundraisers with the DreamWorks people, and will be *flying
over Nevada* either the night before or the day of the forum. Considering
the event takes place at noon, it would take almost no effort to adjust his
schedule so he could spend 30 mins. addressing 750 union members.\” –
Anonymous
The event to which \”Anonymous\” refers has been widely publicized.
It\’s a big time Hollywood Beverly Hills fundraiser that\’s happening the
day before the AFSCME Nevada event in Carson City.
Some 700 invitations to the $2,300-per-head shindig at the Beverly Hilton
Hotel went out this week, Andy Spahn, political adviser to Katzenberg and
Spielberg, said Thursday. Katzenberg, Spielberg and Geffen are the founders
of the DreamWorks movie studio.Katzenberg has endorsed Obama, D-Ill., but Spielberg, a longtime supporter
of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, hasn\’t made up his mind, Spahn said. Geffen
also has not publicly endorsed a candidate.“There are many people in this community who will support multiple
candidates, but this certainly is evidence of the serious credibility and
strength of Obama\’s candidacy,” said Spahn, rejecting the suggestion
the fundraiser was a slight to Clinton.The Feb. 20 event will be followed by a private dinner at Geffen\’s
house for donors who\’ve committed to raising $46,000. …
So, on Tuesday night Senator Obama will be eating and enjoying himself with
the beautiful Hollywood people in Beverly Hills. Good for him. I used to live in Beverly Hills and I still mingle with the beautiful Hollywood people when I can. More power to Mr. Obama and his campaign team for tapping that resource.
But on Wednesday morning Mr. Obama will… will what? Be flying
over Nevada while every other presidential hopeful prepares to
talk to AFSCME union members in Carson City.
George Stephanopolous should bust Obama right in the middle of the forum. The
AFSCME members should know that Mr. Obama is doing a flyover when
every other presidential candidate made sure he or she was in front of them
explaining his or her views and policies.
I\’ve said this over and over again. I don\’t have a candidate in this fight
and I don\’t consider myself a Nevadan by any definition, but if you\’re a voter
leaning towards Mr. Obama the fact that he\’s choosing to flyover where the
first presidential forum is taking place says a lot about what this candidate
feels is important. It\’s not AFSCME union members, that\’s for sure. I don\’t
care if he\’s spoken to them before. Again, this is the first presidential forum
of the \’08 season. Mr. Obama is the only presumed front-runner skipping it. Good way to stay a front-runner, I\’d say.
As \”Anonymous\” says in the email, it would take no effort at all
to stop in Carson City on Mr. Obama\’s way to Iowa. After all, he has to FLY
OVER Nevada to get there. So why is he skipping out on the Carson City forum
co-sponsored byA FSCME? He isn\’t saying.
U.S. Sen Barack Obama last week sent his regrets for the Democratic presidential
forum being held in Carson City in a week, saying he\’d be busy in Iowa at
the time.But what he neglected to mention was that he\’d be flying right over
Nevada right around that time.Obama is scheduled to hold a Los Angeles fundraiser next Tuesday night,
Feb. 20, then fly to Iowa for undisclosed obligations Feb. 21, the day of
the Carson City forum.\”There\’s a fundraiser and rally in South Central Los Angeles that day,\”
Obama spokesman Bill Burton said. \”That\’s no secret. Then it\’s off to
Iowa.\” He said he didn\’t know whether Obama was flying from California
to Iowa Tuesday night or Wednesday and that details of Obama\’s schedule in
Iowa on Feb. 21 were \”not available yet.\” … ..
A lot of heavy hitters will be in Carson City as Mr. Obama flies over the state.
Maybe his team feels he\’s not ready to compete one on one with Edwards, Biden,
Clinton, Richardson and Vilsack. Or maybe after being up late they\’re afraid the candidate won\’t
quite be up to the Carson City forum on Wednesday.
Well, if Mr. Obama isn\’t up to it, he\’s just not up to it.
