Rise Of The Obamatons

By Jon Cordeiro

Filed Under Race for White House 2008 on Jul 1 

Though I live in what is commonly referred to as the Washington DC Metro Area, I very seldom cross the Potomac and venture into the Nation’s Capitol. There reasons for my chronic avoidance of DC are many – it’s crowded, there’s no place to park, and I always feel less intelligent when I go back to Virginia than I did when I left. Perhaps it’s something in the water.

But I digress.

Last week my son, Corderinho, enjoyed a day-camp at the National Zoo.  While this was fun for him, it meant that I had to go collect him from the Zoo after work lest the zookeepers feed him to the lions.  I’m pretty sure the Ravishing Mrs. Cordeiro would have thought me a bad father had I let our son become lion-chow, so I dutifully crossed the Potomac and walked the six blocks from the Metro stop to the Zoo gates.

In the midst of my trek through the super-humidified street, I was approached by a college-age young woman who asked me the following question:

Do you have a moment for Barack Obama?

Of course I had a moment for Barack Obama! As a matter of fact, I had three or four moments to spare – so I entertained her question.

Her mission, of course, was much like Barack Obama’s – namely to separate me from some of my money. She “only” wanted a C-Note from me so I could join Obama’s campaign to “fix the economy, give free health care to everyone, end the war, and bring hope and change to America.”

Here’s the rest of the exchange:

Me: I’ll gladly give you a C-Note for Obama’s campaign if you can just answer me one or two questions.

Obama Girl: Sure!

Me: How exactly is Mr. Obama going to do all those things you just rattled off?

Obama Girl: <Quizzical Look> What do you mean?

Me: Well, how is he going to “fix the economy”?

Obama Girl: He’s going to raise taxes on the rich and make the oil companies lower the price of gas.

Me: Uh huh. So basically what you’re telling me is the only thing I can expect from Barack Obama is that he’ll take more of my money. I’m sorry, I can’t afford him.

Obama Girl: <surprised expression> So you’re not going to support his campaign?

Me: Nope, but have a great day anyway.

Obama Girl wasn’t alone in her fundraising efforts. There were about 15 DNC volunteers strategically placed along the street.

I’ve read a lot about Obama’s prolific fundraising and how he’s going to crush McCain by outspending him three or four to one. A look at OpenSecrets.org shows some interesting data.  Obama has raised just under $300 million in his campaign so far.  June numbers aren’t in yet, so he may have already exceeded that number by now.  What is key about the numbers is that he’s spent almost $250 million of what he’s raised.  In the month of May he burned through about $3.5 million more than he raised. In business we call that a forest fire burn rate.

It will be interesting to see how much cash the Obamatons managed to shake loose in June.

Comments

  • kristen

    Love it!

    That’s the liberal answer to everything: Tax the rich. Don’t these folks realize that will come around and bite them in the butt? (His proposed tax increase still isn’t enough to cover his Obama-healthcare plan)

  • Patrick Keegan

    For every “Obamaton” you whine about, there is a politics-ignorant veteran that votes for McCain based only on the fact that he was a vet and POW.

    Now I completely disagree with Clark’s assault on McCain’s record, but I have to say that there are just as many mindless idiots that have no clue whatsoever about the issues that will vote for McCain, as there are your supposed “Obamatons”.

    One post a couple days ago not bashing Obama does not make you any less of a one-trick pony Cordeiro.

    Let’s see you defend McCain for a bit, instead of ripping someone, day in and day out.

    • http://www.sotr.us Cordeiro

      Patrick, Patrick, Patrick. Methinks thou dost protest far too much!

      How is it that I am “bashing” Obama by simply asking a question that neither he nor his Obamatons seem to be able to answer effectively?

      As for being a “one trick pony”, I looked that word up in the liberal dictonary and found out it equates to “stud horse”. Thanks!

  • AndDru1

    Nice post, great exchange. I feel encouraged that as I grow more politically involved, those are the types of people I can expect to compete against.

  • RedstateEddio

    But did she offer you a flower as a token of Barack’s love for you?

    All I’m envisioning is tamborines, togas, and that natural “earthy” smell wafting down the street.

  • Yeszir

    They’re camping out at every metro exit on my side of DC! Every day I have to explain to some clipboard bearing loser that I just spent my entire day trying to stop Obama because I care deeply about this nation’s future.

  • Eric

    Obama spent $244 mil. to McCain’s $83 mil. and leads by 6 points. That’s an expensive 6 points! I know, he fought a tougher primary, but still…
    What do you make of that?

    • http://www.sotr.us Cordeiro

      Hmmmm. That means the marginal cost of his lead is roughly $40 million per percentage point. Can we say “unsustainable”?

      • Eric

        “YES WE CAN!” (Thanks for the set up.)

        Honestly, it sounds like you could get a clipboard and an Obama sticker and they might leave you alone. Or, you could try to make a few bucks.

  • Brian H

    Great job Cordeiro. The best thing anyone can do with these simpletons is to ask them straightforward questions that hold them accountable and expose their weeknesses.

    “make the oil companies lower the price of gas”? How is he going to do that?

    “I cant afford him”. AWESOME! Great Line!

    General Zod can add another naive college student to his cultish-flock…….but as for me…I will never Kneel Before Zod.

  • East-of-Eden

    I wish we could have had a video of this conversation, I’m sure it was classic! You must be crazy or really crazy to stand out in the DC summer for any cause.