Did Obama Buy the Presidency?

well that question is a no brainer. Of course he did. BUT polls show that 60% of voters knew nothing about his stance on anything. They just wanted to be part of “history”. What is done is done. The shape our country is in is what should concern us now. Forget DEM. or REP. Everyone is yelling Bush. No, this started with the housing Market, which clinton started. If citizens don’t get off the party line, we are headed for disaster.

Nice bit of Republican water toting here ABC. Funny, I don’t remember stories like this while Bush was out spending Kerry and Gore. Must only be a problem when Democrats have the advantage.

All presidents bought their presidencies. Obama is no different. Whoever spends most, wins. That formula has a 100% success rate.

Obama’s supporters sent him the money because we wanted him to win. You got a problem with that? Isn’t that what we were supposed to do? Let’s face it, the Rethugs are wealthy, corporate greed types, and a dirty tricks bunch besides, so to stop them from totalling “swift-boating” their opponents, Obama had to raise lots and lots of cash. He did it. We supported him. He Won. Bottom Line.

Barack Obama got all those donations because people believed in him and his abilities. It took that kind of money to beat the Republican cash machine that gave us the likes of GW Bush.
Mr. Rove has seems to have forgotten that when Bush was being elected we were seeing articles asking if the Democrats could ever compete with Republican fund raising? Well Mr. Obama did so now they want to paint it as something negative. Nobody asked if GW (the son of a dynasty with little smarts of his own) paid for the presidency when he out-raised everyone else.
Spin Spin Spin.

This Republican gave to Obama, just as I did my vote, he worked hard, and showed better results than McCain.

So the many small donors who sent to him numerous times helped him “buy” an election? Is this the best the Republicans can do? For years, they owned the means and the money to do whatever they damn well pleased. Until now. Face it, they were out-hussled, out-organized, and out-strategized due to growing fat and happy for the last 14+ years and facing an opponent that simply ran circles around them (and HRC, too). They only need look at their own behavior to explain what’s been happening to them since 2006.
I was personally very excited to participate in Obama’s campaign, albeit only through donations. I’m sure I’m not alone in feeling this way.

Any voter-aged citizen should be able to contribute $25 to any candidate(s) in any election(s) that is/are being held in the district where the individual resides and would pay taxes.
There’s something to be said for gauging a candidate’s potential for leadership on something like the ability to raise money.
However…
No one else should ever be able to contribute to a candidate if that individual is not going to be represented in Congress by that candidate.
And businesses should not be allowed to contribute to elections — because businesses can’t vote.
All candidates should be allowed to send out their resumes to every registered voter for free.
No political ads should be run by political parties or candidates.
Advocacy groups can run ads, but can only offer their mission statement with contact info, and a list of candidates who support their stated mission.
I have more specific suggestions, but basically my overarching message is…
Get money OUT of politics!
Money is NOT “free” speech.

90% of that money went to FIGHT THE SMEARS by the opposition, and BOY were they NASTY.

What a surprise! What the media has only hinted at is that the Obama campaign sopped up all the money and volunteers.
With the Bush Presidency unpopularity, early predictions had the Dems dumping up to 1/3 of the Republican incumbents. Instead of winning big and wiping out the Republicans in Congress and in the statehouses,the Dems barely made a dent.
What put Obama into the win column was Hillary’s endorsement and indefatigable campaigning on his behalf and Obama’s unconscionably huge expenditures to sell the American Heartland types on his “kinder, gentler, caring” side. No one voted for his accomplishments – nothing – or his hard work and diligence in Congress – nonexistent. We got promises. Some folks got a savior.
For the good of the country, I can only hope that you all will be as happy in 2 years as you were on Nov. 5. But I doubt it.

I’m so happy Obama won!!!

Too bad Obama won’t have some of that same money to use on most of his campaign promises; he will need it to explain to the public why 90% of those promises are now off the table…

You should read the recent headlines in the AJC here in Atlanta, i.e “Security Team Now in Place”. National Security Team Faces Global Challenges”, etc. It’s as if we currently don’t have these agencies already until Obama arrived on the scene.

Linda – Wow, are you off the mark on this election! If you don’t think the Democrats won big with a resounding mandate against the Repug. machine you are greatly deluding yourself. Obama won because he was the best candidate. Granted, Hillary helped him in the end but he was on his own for 90% of the time with just his supporters. Guess we knew something you didn’t. He’ll be a great President, but I am sure you haters will never admit it–not even if you were “water-boarded”!!!

The republicans now want to lift limits on individual contributions, go figure. They see there’s more individuals in the general public donating to Obama, so to combat that they want the generally-weathier republicans to be able to donate more individually. I like small individual limits; this way the person with the more individual contributors will do better, not the person with the wealthier following.

HH…we are not going to regret it. Obama and the American people are going to put things back that were stomped on by the current arrogant administration and its monsters. Obama and the American people raised enough money to fight off lies and fears that your side puts out every four years to scare off the truth and nothing but the truth.
Linda Mahoney…or is it horney? You sound like a dried up horned toad complaining of nothing…and a sore loser. Get on the winning wagon and help out our country. If not shut up.

Mr. Rove, your opinions mean nothing anymore. Why don’t you keep your albino hyena face out of the media? Obama and the American people won. Get a life and move on. Message of hope and truth prevail. Not your tactics of fear and division.
Jan…money talks and walks…no matter how you slice your minced whatever pie.

If you call outspending your opponent several times over while maintaining a positive message and sticking to the issues while you opponent throws everything including the kitchen sink and the oak trees(acorns) at you while screaming negatives at the top of his/her lungs and talking about everything but the issues buying the election then yes, Obama bought the election.

It is very interesting to me that Karl Rove is saying that Obama bought the presidency, all the while saying he wants the restrictions on the donation amount lifted.
The fact of the matter, average citizens are the ones that funded and elected Obama. Mr. Rove is simply looking for a way to allow corporations and large lobbying groups (NRA) to fund the Republican Party in a major way… if this is done, they can outspend their opponents without the worry of the acceptance of the citizens of the United States of America.
Karl Rove is a sick man and he completely disgusts me. It is an atrocity and disservice to Americans to know he has influence.

This only proves, yet again, that candidates should ONLY be allowed to use funds that are equally divided to the candidates (and not just the 2 major parties, but to include those who represent at least 10% of all registered voters…or something close to that). Taxpayers elect to have $5 donated to the “election fund” and every four years, that money is equally dispersed. The FCC regulates all TV and Radio adds, ensuring that only those paid for by public funds are aired. The internet is different, since it can’t be regulated, but if we can have Presidential elections based on the issues, not money spent, we will be better off AND we could make our system more than just a Two Party system that provides voters with more options; and since parties must have 10% support, choices would be limited to a small, managable amount. That is REAL reform. Take money out of it and things will improve with more choices.

People here seem to be missing the point. The idea to is to eliminate companies from buying a President by contributing millions to a candidate so the limit of 2500. Obama was able to raise the money he did because of the number of ordinary people who contributed small amounts to his cause. In case of the Republicans whose major funding comes from lobbying group for big business and they write the legislation for Republican presidents. If the maximum amount of 2500$ were to be abolished. Then we could see a lobbying group spending billions to have a candidate who supports their agenda elected and guess who would benefit from this.

Yes, Repubs were relying on unfair advantages they already have built in the system (generally older and richer). Talk radio, for example, is basically a 24-hour, everyday/ year, Republican talking-point commerical. I gladly gave my $50/ month to Obama! I hope AM talk radio is the Congress’ first targets! After all, the AM airwaves belong to ALL AMERICANS! Why should they basically be a commercial for one political party??

You kool-aid kids who think obama did it all from ordinary donations should come to my office in Arkansas so I can sell you some pacific coast property that is right down the street. Honest, you can hear the waves.
Why do you think he opted out of the cap, after he lied? So lobbyist could donate $2500 2500 times and so his overseas undesirable friends could give, give, give in animosity.

hey – dilli would those be “White Water” waves?

Jenny, I have never seen any other, bytheway, Jenny Rome Georgia, your state went red, what happen?

If the GOP had raise this kind of cash, there’d be investigation & special prosecutors everywhere. But not so with the Messiah, he gets, yet another, FREE PASS. History will look back and wonder how so many, could have been so stupid.

Dill – Atlanta is only so big. lol

Well why can’t you sore losers just accept it. McSame LOST. Get over it. Ok so he raised lots of money. SO? We will never pay off the debt that Reagan/Bush/Bush have created. Trillions of dollars.

Oh Boo Hoo Rove, The Republitwits could have spent that much too, but were too absorbed in negative ads to do the fundraising!

The remainder is yapping, we have a president elect by the American people BARRACK OBAMA. I don’t think money change the momentum or outcome of the election. The American people are not stupid or fool by unreal politics play by his rival. This is a seroius business and not fooling Americans of straight talk, suspending campaigne and the rest of it; those are some the turn off points where Mr. president elect opponent failed the people. It’s a gimmick not real, so we are not fool, we can read your body laguage during the presidential debates and your tone of voice was indifference to an angry man; bad leadership sign. Like I said the rest is history. yap on people…

The question to ask is why McCain was unable to raise the same amount of money as Obama? And the answer is that Republicans were unwilling to invest in a candidate they expected to lose the election.

I thought blogs were for ideas and intelligent discussion. Of course, when you run out of ideas and you’re mentally challenged, you are reduced to inane comments about someone’s name.
The “lies and smears” – that Obama accomplished ZERO while in the state legislature and that he went to a racist church with a racist minister??? That he was “too busy running for office” – his words! – to hold subcommittee hearings on Afghanistan? That he didn’t even show up and do his job while elected? That he buried his school records? All true! All public record, if you can read beyond a 4th grade level.
Your guy took a page from Hitler’s book: keep telling the same lies and you’ll get enough believers.
If you say you voted for him because of his political stances, was it when he was FOR or AGAINST offshore drilling, FOR or AGAINST campaign spending limits, FOR or AGAINST gun control, FOR or AGAINST Reverend Wright, FOR or AGAINST ending the war NOW?
I’m hearing in your need for namecalling and character assassination of anyone who’s not an Obamabot, that you already have doubts.
And you totally ignore findings that half his “small contributors” had names like Daffy Duck or sent in multiple times under the mandatory reporting limit. And @ 20% were able to leverage the contributions loopholes to donate $68,000 apiece.
Again, and you chose not to hear this the first time, I hope that you are as happy in 2 years as you were on Nov. 5. Until then, YOU are responsible for electing him, so it’s up to YOU to do the heavy lifting to keep the country afloat.

Obama did not buy the election. He won it. Why does the repubs think that they were entitled to 4 more years after 8 years of what could only be described as a perfect disaster? The audacity of shame and disgust……….They are no good reasons why they deserved 4 more years with an intellectually deficient duo like McCain and Palin.

On November 4th, 2008 millions of Americans were shocked that a man of Barack Obama’s limited experience, extreme liberal positions and radical political alliances could be elected President of the United States. For many of these Americans, the explanation was rather simple… the news media, completely enamored with Obama, simply refused to do their job. “The media has succeeded in shielding Barack Obama from journalistic scrutiny. It thereby irrevocably destroyed its own reputation and forfeited the trust that generations of others had so carefully acquired. And it will never again be trusted.”

NOTHING SHOULD BE DONE to campaign financing!
Obama is the exception, which is ALWAYS going to exist, whatever the scheme devised for campaign financing.
That irrelevant slug, Karl Rogue, SHOULD BE IGNORED!
In addition, Karl Rogue should be persecuted and prosecuted for politicizing the Justice Department, and disrespecting the US Congress.

At what price, power? Money is the root of all evil. Wonder what his donors will want in return. His soul?

Hey Steve NJ…see Mom trying to raise citizens at it again about Obama’s birth certificate? Wow she must be enhaling paint fumes something fierce, you think? They just don’t give up going on and on, repeating the same rubbish.

The utter hypocrisy of decrying the destitute middle class, the hungry, the homeless, and people without health care while at the same time spending almost a BILLION dollars on a political campaign is staggering. If all of that 750 million had been spent on any one of those issues, it would nearly solve them. Instead, we’ll dilly-dally around arguing about how best to fight these issues. The whole system sucks. No public financing. Equal time provided for all legit candidates on network tv. Debates. That’s plenty enough for us to make a decision.

They’re back & they’re taking charge…
Clinton II – The Obama Years – opens nationwide January 20th

I have a feeling that most of America isn’t entirely sure what they bought. We shall see.–I agree, the question of the source of the small donations are still in question. I can’t help but wonder who was behind those contributions and the words — “They will destroy us from within”

Of course Obama bought the elections. Not only he bought the media, he paid bloggers, callers and everybody he could find who desperately needed money to work for him (go check in PA). Two weeks before the elections, you would change the TV channels trying to run out of Obama’s ads and your only alternative was to turn turn the TV off because it did not matter what channel there was an Obama ad. I live in the Washington Metro Area and he needed to win VA. And we are not to discuss here who his REAL donors are, because that is another story.

It’d be interesting to see where all this money came from. I can think of no better investment somebody like Al Qaeda, Hamas, Iran or the like could have made than to spend to get Obama in office.

Barb,
Some people just can’t handle a loss.
I must admit it took me over 6 months to accept that Gore had lost in 2000. By 2004 when Bush won again I was numb, so it had little effect.
Let’s give it some time. Mom and the “brats” she is trying to raise will stop sniffing those paint fumes soon after reality sets in.

The Coming Obama Thugocracy—
Attempts to shut down political speech have become routine for liberals. ‘I need you to go out and talk to your friends and talk to your neighbors,” Barack Obama told a crowd in Elko, Nev. “I want you to talk to them whether they are independent or whether they are Republican. I want you to argue with them and get in their face.” Actually, Obamaheads are doing a lot more than getting into people’s faces. They seem determined to shut people up. MOM- Steve and Barb must be those that are being paid by obama to try and intimidate those that question him!

The money rolled for Obama for one simple reason. Whenever Palin opened her yap, people opened their wallets. The thought of her being a breath away from the presidency because the president already had one foot in the grave was astonishingly frightening. Even Republicans put their country first and gave to Obama. When you have two candidates who are so “intellectually different” running for President, those with even the smallest of bucks are going to give something to prevent a total disaster for the country they love. Palin WAS good for Obama — you know, 300 million people in this country, and assuminng that half of them are Republicans, and this is what shakes out to run for President and VP of the United States? THIS is where the Republicans have to begin to organize their party. Get rid of the ideology and talking nut jobs and start finding people with some intelligence who has spent their lives not abusing power or into crooked ventures. Golly, you would think that would be simple to figure out

And let’s not forget why he had so much more. He went back on his word to take public financing. I wonder why the “Lawyer” word was never mentioned much during the election. You all do know that’s what he is don’t you? A slimy ass lawyer.
Impeach Obama!!!

mom trying to raise citizens…so that’s why you are on this blog, they are paying you!!! thanks for clearing that up.

The story that the media chose to ignore was not merely the Obama about-face on public financing, or even the enormous amounts of money that he has raised — some of it under dubious circumstances involving foreign donors, prepaid credit cards, and false names. Instead, they were absolutely quiet about a historic end to liberal support for public financing.

If Karl Rove really wants to limit the influence of money then the donation limits should be dropped from $2300 to $200; not increase it.

It still amazes me that the press and lefties say that Obama is the President – elect. He is not. Nor has he been elected to any office. The election has yet to take place. Only then will we have a President-elect and I hope that people will come to their senses on electing a person who has more experience than voting “present” in his career. Obama is a liar and a Chicago thug with little intellgence on how to govern. I am eager to see what the results will be.

Obama did not buy the election. Millions of real Americans, such as myself, who desperately wanted to see a positive change in our country, donated as much as we could, as often as we could, so that Obama could be given the chance to bring about that positive change. I had made a vow that every time I read or heard one of those slimeball lies or smears, I would go to Obama’s website and make a donation.

Obama didn’t buy the election, his supporters did. He raised 750 million at an average of around $86.00 per person. His supporters put their money where there mouths were. He moved people, he mobilized people, and people opened up their wallets in an effort to become part of a movement for change.
Now, the Republicans would like to level the playing field not by exciting people or bringing more people into the process, but by allowing corporations (and the rich individuals who benefit from them) to give unlimited amounts of cash to the candidates. Of course, this will benefit only the well-off in America since they can afford to buy more influence and will expect favors in return.

We all know that Obama outspent Mccain and out raised him – It’s wonderful that he was able to raise so much money …. but the problem is that many of those advertising dollars went directly to news outlets – we saw Obama’s advertising dollars at work on this ABC website (and others) throughout the campaign. There’s no problem with that, except, when the greed of advertising execs comes into play. Of course stations are going to favor the candidate who has the most money because they will make the most money off of him. Just like with any other product that they’re selling ad time for, the networks want to keep the client happy, so they buy more ad time from their network. It’s no different then dog food or toothpaste – I’m sure networks prefer the richer clients who throw more money their way more then the smaller, less affluent companies. And that attitude undeniably leaked into sloppy news reporting. This campaign, and the fact that Obama spent so much more money, actually highlights the need for serious campaign finance reform (not just a fancy-sounding bill that does nothing, like the one passed recently). Candidates should be forced to accept campaign financing and they should be forced to campaign within a reasonable budget. It’s the only way to keep things fair in a day and age when many voters make their decision based on the ads they see on tv.

I think a lot of people on here are missing the point of the question: “Did Obama buy the election?” That question doesn’t imply that he paid people to vote for him, it means his nearly unlimited funds allowed him to spread his message even to those who don’t watch or read the news. He was able to develop ads aimed directly at people who make their voting decisions based ONLY on what they see in the ads – and believe it or not, there are many of them out there. I talked with someone the other day who said he voted for Obama because of Obama’s strong pro-life stance on the issue of abortion. These people who only see the Obama ads, they don’t see the ads of the candidate who stuck to his original pledge to use public financing – who do you think they’re going to vote for?

This article really highlights what it means when one candidate has more money then the other.
http://foxforum.blogs.foxnews.com/2008/12/03/jziegler_obama/

I did not vote for Obama but he is now the President-elect of the USA. The people have spoken. So let it be. As the next President of the greatest counry, we need to support him and respect the voice of the people.

The people may have spoken, but they spoke with ill-informed, uneducated voices. Sadly, there’s nothing we can do about it now except hope for the best for our new president while still reminding him and all our other elected and appointed officials they they work for us – the American public. We should continue to watch how they vote on the issues and let them know we’re paying attention.

Of course BHO bought the election, anyone without blinders on could see that but, look at how many had blinders on. Also, I think something is bad wrong with this world when people waste that much money when we have people homeless and hungry, and Washinton’s still blowing it. Look at all the open bars and free food that is going on this Holiday season like HA HA got all you SUCKERS money now time to PARTY !!!

missy m, I feel your pain however it is what it is, Obama will be the nexr president. Let’s just hope for the best. By picking Hillary as SoS, Obama has played his game at his best.

Obama may have killed Public Financing or Elections as we know it, and I’m not sure it’s a bad idea. Why should tax dollars meant to run the government be used to market candidates for elected office? If the people want to support a candidate they should do so directly (within some limits I suppose).
It’s cute when the losers of the election claim it’s cause the other guy didn’t play fair by “out-spending us 2 or 3 to 1″. Its even funnier when one of the dirties political players of the modern era, Rove tries to cast the shadow of “Chicago Machine Politics” over the election, as though they invented the concept that the candidate with more money has an advantage. WOW, what a fresh NEW idea that was!
Also, remember it took nearly $1Bil just to overcome the smear campaign that Obama is a “secret muslim manchurian candidate hell-bent on destroying America.”

Obama spent more than Kerry and Bush combined, and he won’t say where a cent of it comes from.

750 million!!!!!! So much could be done with that in the scope of national issues. 3 days of the Iraq War, A similar number of days of oil could be purchased, rebates of over TEN dollars to each person that voted for BO. (To be nonpartisan we could give everyone in the country over TWO dollars.) We should definitely abolish the donation cap. A few folks in the US could probably save 750m in taxes over the four years if the right candidate was elected.

Also, NewCongress2010, I can see that you have been mislead about the intent and ensuing obligations of the Global Poverty Act (please don’t rely solely on “talking points” for your pseudo info). In reality the Global Poverty Act does not authorize nor obligate the US to spend any more money on foreign aid. The intent of the act is to develop a comprehensive and consolidated plan to integrate our current foreign aid programs with U.S. trade policy, debt cancellation, and public-private partnerships (because right now those are spread out over 85 different government offices and agencies). Please go to research and actually READ the bill, word-for-word (I have) and tell me in what section of the bill you find anything obligating the US to spend any more money on foreign aid and where it says that money (that isn’t even mentioned in the bill) will be given to the UN (to do as they please).

Fox Noise Zombies are fond of repeating the talking point that Obama was “vague” about his policies, which isn’t true at all. All his policies were right there on his website for everyone to see. There was way more there than anybody wanted to delve into. I didn’t like all his policies, but those who claim he didn’t spell them out are either darned liars or darned fools.
Funny how Rove and the extremists LOVED big money when they were the only party benefitting from it. LOSERS always smell like sour grapes.
I am stunned by Barack Obama’s money-raising abilities. While I’d never donated to a political campaign before, Obama’s staggering numbers were the final thing that helped me donate. I’m a typical American — if you have too much money already, you must be successful, so I’ll gladly give you money, because you’ll know what to do with it.
As much money as Obama spent, he reportedly had some leftover! He’s a good money manager — which is EXACTLY what we need right now in the Oval Office.
John McCain took public money in the primaries, only to change his mind right at the end of the primaries and — illegally — “opt-out” of the public financing system, when he found he was able to raise more than the public system allowed. He had advance warning Obama would opt-out of the public financing system for the general election, so he too could have opted-out and raised tons of money. LOL Okay, well, he COULD have opted-out.
The existing public financing system wasn’t going to last forever anyway. This probably did kill it, but it can be reinvented to make it better and stronger.

The question to ask is why McCain was unable to raise the same amount of money as Obama? And the answer is that Republicans were unwilling to invest in a candidate they expected to lose the election.
Posted by: Paul Gallagher
————————
Because McCain kelp his word and barrack went against his to accept tainted money. The right answer is barrack have no honor and his word doesn’t mean anything. And this guy claims he’ll get the respect of the world? Now that’s funny!

Well. The disinformation begins. The loud and lying minority that did not vote for Barack Obama but either listens or contributes to the slime and corruption that characterizes “The Base”(‘al Queda’ in Arabic) and its crapmouthed foxites can’t even wait for inauguration day to carry on it’s passion to divide—and (not this time) conquer. Worst of luck and a Fairness Doctrine to you and yours. Senator Obama had more money because he had more supporters who gave him that money…mostly, like my family, one of that melting minority called middle class. Tomorrow the talking points will go back to the President-elect’s “phony” birth certificate…or his “move to the right”. Fact is…YOU LOST. WE WON. Change is happening. You might be better off learning to live with it,

It really wasn’t about the money. It really was all about the selection of Sarah Palin!!! Keep up the work of A 1950′s Political Party. I pray that Sarah Palin remains the “Poster Girl” for the party forever……

From the very first piece of literature I recieved about Obama I liked what he had to say so I read and read everything I could get my hands on on what his policies were and where he came from. I was on his website often and there has never been someone running that had “me” written all over them. I was so enthusiastic to see a person who stood up for the “vanishing middle-class” instead of having Big Oi in his pockets.
Someone who has a policy for women’s rights like no other. Healthcare. The economy. The ENVIRONMENT and someone who will FINALLY-( of course the economy will dictate what gets done first) think “outside the box” and stop supressing $$$$ needed for clean, renewable energy, have our companies build the types of cars they could have been building 20 years ago but greedy oil kept us pumping out gas guzzlers and the public responded.
If this country would have been taking this approach how LONG ago, I know our dependence on oil could have been drastically reduced and we likely would not be fighting 2 wars right now. Just a speculation but saw ‘the writing on the wall” as I have and always will buy my gas misers.
Being a victim of unemployment myself and seeing our savings drain away I jumped in head first, donated what I could to the campaign and VOLUNTEERED too.
I’ve always been a political person and research my candidates and as a matter of fact DID vote GOP-( I voted for Bush Sr)instead of Clinton but changed my base after Clinton’s first term when I voted for him instead. My shift? The Democratic model is MY views 90% of the time. Did he “buy” the election? I don’t think so entirely but many people are hungry for their “voice”. ALL of us who donated own a piece of this election and for that, I am happy that people CAN make a difference. The job ahead will be like no other and I KNOW his enemies can’t wait for Obama to “slip up” once so they can say: “I told you so”. The hate blogs against this man are like none I have ever seen in my life and right now the thing I fear most IS for his life. I am no fan of the Bush Administration but would NEVER publically blog OR talk about killing anybody while the threats against Obama have been VERY explicit, crude and hideous, I believe he NEEDS a LOT of protection or suffer the fate of JFK. I hope I am wrong!!!!!!!
Time will tell. I am willing to take a chance on CHANGE.

bobj72, if your response was to me, thnk you for the reassurance. I worked as medical administrator/biller in mental health for a long time and having had exposure to the med recs of socio-pathics, child abuse victims AND their abusers, people with SEVERE anger issues etc, I get very emotional.
Force of habit but I am concerned for his safety and that of his family because the WORLD has become so dangerous in general. I am just so tired of HATE, fighting, anger and wish it would just go away. I know a pipe-dream that’ll never happen. Now I really CAN understand the “ignorance is bliss” sentiment because we’re so bombarded with information about war, terrorism, killing and every other piece of bad news need to turn off my TV and computer for awhile I guess before I drive MYSELF crazy.
Thanks for trying to be reassuring though. ANY encouraging word I’ll take these days!!! Peace!!!

As one of Obama’s repeat small contributors (I gave either $25 or $50 6-7 times), I am thrilled that he outspent McCain and the Republicans. Many of the small contributors (as well as the bundlers) were responding to the huge financial advantage Bush had in 2000 and 2004–so why don’t you also ask whether Bush bought the elections in those years. I was terrified Obama wouldn’t reject public financing and think the only way to support the Democrats this year was not to take the public $$ and instead to depend on his donor base of those like me.