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Wrapping a whirlwind day of campaigning, President Barack Obama joined Bill Clinton — the last Democratic president, and vocal advocate for Obama — at a massive rally Saturday evening in northern Virginia.
Before a crowd estimated at 24,000, Obama both literally and figuratively embraced Clinton, who has emerged as one of the most dogged advocates for the president's re-election campaign this fall.
"He has been traveling all across the country for this campaign. He's been laying out the stakes so well that our team basically calls him the 'Secretary of Explaining Stuff,'" Obama said. "He was a great president; he has been a great friend."
As the final weekend of the 2012 campaign raised the question of which candidate, Obama or Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, would best move Washington past its intractable problems, Clinton, a president who has only grown more popular since leaving office, offered Obama his imprimatur.
"As you see, I have given my voice in the service of my president," the hoarse former president said, following some local favorites, the Dave Matthews Band, at the rally in suburban Washington.
NBC Politics coverage of the 2012 campaign:
- Uncertain finale looms amid weekend campaign blitz
- Romney implores Colorado for 'one last push'
- Biden zings Romney in Colorado
- Ryan travels to Pennsylvania, trying to put state in play
- Obama plays up 'trust' in battleground Ohio
- Obama aide explains 'voting is best revenge' comment
- Ryan: 'We believe in change and hope'
- Romney strikes optimistic tone as final weekend opens
- Polls: Obama stays ahead in Ohio, deadlocked with Romney in Fla.
- GOP's chances at Senate imperiled by self-inflicted wounds
Both Obama and Romney spent the day criss-crossing the United States to make a firmly centrist appeal, each of them trying to sound upbeat as the clock counts down on Election 2012. Each candidate drew thousands — sometimes tens of thousands — of supporters to rallies in Iowa, Wisconsin, Colorado, Iowa, Virginia, Ohio and beyond. And each candidate argued he was the one who could break through the gridlock in a Congress beset for the past two years by bitter partisan fights.
"You know that if the president is re-elected, he'll still be unable to work with the people in Congress," Romney told a sprawling crowd in Colorado. "He's ignored them. He's blamed them. He's attacked them."
Romney spent much of the campaign's final weekend arguing he was the candidate of "change," co-opting Obama's 2008 message to use four years later against the president.
Whether the Republican candidate's claim to to the mantle of change would resonate with a handful of remaining swing voters in just a few battleground states was unclear. Obama seemed to enjoy an edge in states like Iowa, leading Romney by five points among likely voters, according to the Des Moines Register's final poll. But a WMUR poll of New Hampshire also found the president and Romney tied, at 47 percent, in another battleground state: New Hampshire.
That neither Obama or Romney had managed to open a solid advantage over the other in the final hours of the campaign only raised the stakes for the final series of events on Sunday and Monday. Both Obama and Romney — along with Vice President Biden and Republican vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan — were set to hit the road for another robust schedule tomorrow. Obama was set to travel to Colorado, Florida, and New Hampshire; Romney's schedule would take him to Iowa, Ohio and Pennsylvania.
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Well, as far as our Flag goes....I enlisted while Romney (the draft dogder) was in France sitting on the beach with 6 deferrments. What about you?
Romney the draft dodger-- I served my country proudly 1969-1972 U.S. Army Nurse Corp--- But he called me a "moocher" for the benefits I earned. What a Guy!
“No, I think that they played the race card on me,” said Clinton, “and we now know from memos from the campaign and everything that they planned to do it all along.”
Oh yes i never forgot Hope and Change!!! I endorse myself!!
Well, have another beer friends, it'll all be over soon
Hurricane Sandy and Republican Governor Chris Christie saw to that
i guess they are lying about all those millions and millions of people living off the govt and receiving food stamps and welfare and the like!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
get real, millions are helpless and suffering mentally and physically !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hey Mitt did his part for the victims of H Sandy--- He was giving out can goods-- he forgot that many people lost the houses with the stoves and the microwaves had. to cook the food. What a guy!!
But he was giving out can goods so others could give them back to him for the photo op.
and Obama went to Vegas
Old clothes and canned green beans........the new FEMA under Romney.
If you pay the rescuer from the privatized FEMA that Mittens wants.
Mitt's- What a Guy!
Ms. Sullivan: I have been reading the pathetic track you have left tonight. Are you just someone who does not read very much or do you just listen to progressive talking points on MSNBC? I know you are having fun and I'm sure you irritate some conservatives, but do you ever make a logical, well reasoned point? To always make these 'snarky' remarks and belittle other people is fun for you, I guess; however, having no other comment or suggestions as to solutions to our countries problems, you seem to be wasting the opportunity of comment areas like this with nonsensical and, frankly, stupid comments. If all you have is conservatives are idiots and tax the rich, you are funny.
Oh puleeze, spare me your outrage. Go back and read some of your own posts.
You libs really are that stupid. You don't need to heat/cook a lot of canned goods. That, by the way, was a helluva lot more than O's empty words and bullsh*t promises like he's been running on for over 4 yrs now. Get your heads out of your a**ses so we can see them explode when Mr. Barry Soetoro loses on Tues.
I keep seeing where you libs are saying we aren't going back to the Bush era. Ok, that's fine, but what do you say about the last pathetic 4 years. Where everything bad has increased substantially. I'm asking, what do we do?
We stay the course. Twenty eight-odd months of job growth, with 171k job increase in October, beats losing 700+k jobs per month anytime. No brainer.
Obama/Biden 2012
We stay the course and end up with an ecomony that works for all of us and not just the privleged. It will take a little longer but it will be better for more of us. We don't need another bubble and bust so the rich guys can finish the job they started on us under Bush.
Not the governments responsibility to pay your way. You do not want opportunity, you want handouts. What does an "economy that works for all of us" look like? Any ideas?
Modern American Currency:
One dollar bill: George Washington
Five dollar bill: Abraham Lincoln
Ten dollar bill: Alexander Hamilton
Twenty dollar bill: Andrew Jackson
Fifty dollar bill: Ulysses S. Grant
One hundred dollar bill: Benjamin Franklin
Food Stamps: Barack Obama
I keep seeing where Romney was a draftdodger, and let me ask, was Obama in the military?
He won the Noble Prize for stupidity.
Yeah he was in Kenya!! Dodging of being caught..
They did not allow Blacks in the Army when he was young. Just joking, but we have not had a ex military man in the white house since George Bush Sr. All the rest have been draft dodgers also, maybe this is because the military did not want them, so they qualify to be President.
Obama registered for the draft, but there was no war being fought when he was of draft age. He was not called. Romney demonstrated in favor of the Viet Nam War, demonstrated in favor of the draft, and then got a deferment so he could go to France. He got three deferments in total, and never served and never volunteered.
I see a large difference. I figure anyone demonstrating in favor of a war and in favor of the draft should then put his ass on the line. But I guess Romney thought that a war zone was a good place for other men and women to serve. He was eager to send others off to war, just not so eager to go himself. I don't have much respect for that.
“Hope and change had a powerful appeal. But tonight I’d ask a simple question: If you felt that excitement when you voted for Barack Obama, shouldn’t you feel that way now that he’s President Obama?” Romney said. “You know there’s something wrong with the kind of job he’s done as president when the best feeling you had was the day you voted for him.
HOPE & CHANGE of '08 is now... SPIN and CON in '12
State Dept investigating Benghazi. Bwhahahahah. Yea we'll get the truth from a Clinton. Benghazi kills 2 birds with 1 stone. The Muslim and the old hag wanna be.
Obama's America 2016
Love Him, Hate Him
Now you know him.
The policies of Barak Obama HAVE FAILED. He forced a new healthtaxcare plan on us that we did not support.. The bill will not accomplish what it is touted to do, lower health care costs and make health care more affordable and accessible for ALL Americans. All Obama has accomplished is extending unemployment benefits. The man was not qualified the first time and his on the job experience indicates he still not qualified. Remember the old saying "Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me. I was never fooled the first time and I will not be fooled again. Romney is not the perfect candidate but he's got skill and ability. If you're tired of being told we know what's good for you, then I urge you to vote against Obama.
Boy are you brainwashed
Hey: this sure is fun, 152 years ago all the Southern States left the union, because a Republican got elected. Now in 2012 most of the Southern States are for Romney, the South has always been solid Democrat, Bet my for fathers are spinning in their graves.
My wishes for election day.
1) That everyone who is registered to vote goes out to vote. It is their right and their obligation to do so. Even if they vote for what they believe is the lesser of two evils, their votes should be cast.
2) That everyone who votes has done his/her own homework and doesn't vote based on soundbites, commercials, and emails that have been routed around. It is their right and their obligation to do their own homework to verify facts and detect lies and exaggerations. We live in the information age; it's not hard to find.
3) That everyone who votes takes into consideration the multitude of domestic and foreign issues and policies with which the candidates must be informed and competent to handle. To vote based on any one issue is to potentially exacerbate the complex issues our country faces.
and, you served your country??????? and, back obama and his wife when she says, "all this for a damn flag" as your so called american president nods in agreement!!!!!!!!!!!!!
i'd call you a hypocrite to your country!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
your either for america or your not!!!!!!!!!
Todays GOP... the party of fear, smear and misinformation.... no more toxic tea billy spin!!!!!
Anyone who knows anything about lipreading knows it is far from an exact science since many sounds are not visible on the lips and many people are more difficult to read than others. Other lip readers had the following interpretations of what Mrs. Obama said:
"We're in for a real fight."
"I wonder if they flew that flag."
"It's amazing how they fold that flag."
Honestly, if the best argument you have is that SOME people THINK the First Lady said this thing about her country you are a sad and sorry fool.
Let's see.. quick run down...
Bill Clinton... left country with balanced budget and surplus
G W... two wars and a med d plan put on a credit card.... handed over to the new president along with the deepest recession ever
In spite of three and half years of right wing obstructionism... we are seeing clear signs of recovery.
A tea billy candidate who has a record of never ending lies and flip flops.... who will do nothing but coddle the rich as usual
A tea billy candidate who will do NOTHING for the working families in this country... I don't think so....
It is very simple if you have a brain, heart and a soul.
No more toxic tea billy GOP.
O and JOE 2012
Yep, right! obama made the situation far worse.
typical tea billy moron.... not a frickin clue
Thanks I am proud of being an American. And you?
In from the Wilderness but living under a rock.
24,000 stand by people of the Actors Guild in VA. and the liberal press calls it a massive rally.
why yes...do you think it was Romney was in the crowd also
Nah, he was trying to locate the phantom video
oh thats right
Are you still looking Elvis????
sorry republicans ..the bull sh-ter running for president is a no no
Less in three years America will be in a civil war....
Sorry Democrats....but the BullSh*ter that is currently President is a No No.
yeah get your bow and arrow out..like fighting Indians again huh
Are there any pictures of this event? Just asking.
it was just on dumb azz. oh you were watching fox news
No I was reading reports from the bastions of truth telling NBC and CNN. You can read?
fellas its not over...lets keep rolling after this election 2 more years another big election no more tea nuts in the house
It's already being reported that 2014 will not be a good year for the liberals.
Election Day is four days away, but in Washington it's never too early to look ahead to the next election.
For Senate Democrats, who face a hard fight this cycle to defend their majority, 2014 is shaping up to be just as challenging, Shane Goldmacher writes in this week's National Journal magazine.
"From the start, the great challenge of 2012 for Senate Democrats has been that they must defend more than twice as many seats (23) as Republicans (10). Win or lose on Tuesday, they'll have to do it all over in 2014, as Democrats must again protect far more incumbents (20) than the GOP opposition (13). If the Democrats stumble on Election Day, they could well face four years, or more, in the minority. And if Republicans win, 2014 would present a prime opportunity to expand their new majority," Goldmacher writes.
Eager might be an understated word to describe how some Republicans see Democrats' chances.
"The cold reality is that it might be the worst map in decades for Senate Democrats," Josh Holmes, chief of staff to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell told Goldmacher.
National Journal subscribers can read more here.
oh thats right money is people now
the Taliban fake christian tea party is not over folks..lets go after them after the election
Where are you going? Is your nanny taking you?
i'll be lmao when you get stuck paying that debt off that your so-called american president IGNORED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
but, then again what do you expect, by his own admission he states he was totally lost after 7th grade math !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That was Barry in Indonesia.
The Definition of Learning Disorders: People who actually think one party is better than the other and can save us. The only difference between the two is do you want bitten by a Rattlesnake or a Copperhead
No... the difference is a party that will look out for the working families in this country and a group that will just continue to suck on the ass of the wealthy....
^^ A devout NY Times reader^^
The Democrats don't look out for the working families. They look out for families getting entitlements and keep promising more that the Government can't afford to keep their voter base.
You people have made my case.
Education is for working families...
Respect for womens rights and healthcare is for working families.
SS and medicare are for people who have paid into and earned them.
Medicaid to help a family with a handicapped child is all about the family.
Kiss off roadkill and take all the other toxic tea billy hacks with you!!!
leftward bound, Go check your mailbox. I think your one of the 47 million on food stamps.
Well Roadkill let me guess if Romney wins will we have Tangerine Trees and Marmalade Skies?
Well Dave, if Obama wins will we have a country called Greece or just a 21 trillion dollar deficit by the time he is done?
Debt Clock at 16,230,519,034,243 and climbing.
your so-called leader has been spreading his hate for prosperity and wealth for 4 years and LOVES to divide the people by class warfare and you wonder why...!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
he's no american and no leader unless your destination is in hellllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Your posts are so full of sanity and Christian love.