DENVER (CNN) – Barack Obama planned to name Joe Biden as his running mate by text message at 8 a.m. ET Saturday morning, but was forced to move up the announcement when CNN broke the story after midnight, a senior Obama official said.
At 12:42 a.m. ET, CNN reported that Obama had picked Biden to join him on the ticket. Several other news organizations confirmed the CNN report shortly afterwards.
“Had a certain network not blown our cover at a certain time the text message would have gone out in the morning, 8 a.m. Eastern,” Robert Gibbs, a senior advisor, said with a grin on Sunday. “We told people they would find out from us. When we decided it was going to get out we decided to send the text out.”
Gibbs said he believes despite the fact that the rollout plan had to be altered, a “vast majority of the people” still learned by text message when they woke up in the morning.
Some Republicans and others suggested that Obama’s 3 a.m. ET email had been intended as a deliberate swipe at Hillary Clinton, who ran a primary season ad that referenced that hour of the morning to make the case she was more qualified to handle a breaking crisis.
From CNN Politics
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To all Hillary supporters now voting for McCain...
Can you take 4 more years like the last 8 years?
Does the phrase cutting off your nose to spite your face sound familiar?
And do you have any kids/grandkids around 15 to 17 years old?
Can you say draft?
Come on now...grow up.
@ RJ, CA
So.......the Republican Party isn't corrupt? The last 8 years haven't shown you that? Please....give us a break.....you'll be voting for the Dem party once you get over yourselves and realize that the Dem party is more aligned with your interests.
http://www.myspace.com/obamabiden
you couldn't find more drama, even from an old drama queen.
This is so anal by the BO folks to want to launch this VP notice like Apple or Microsoft launching / rolling out a new product. Get real the populous could give a hoot on when or were you divulge your crony but are more interested in the substance of your platform and agenda and the future as "you" see it for this nation. Get a life provide the facts and let the "legal" US citizens decide.
Hey, CNN, you didn't get me! I deliberately checked my e-mail in the morning and did not check T.V.
There are more obvious ways to take a swipe at someone, like the text could have started. 'for obvious reasons I didn't pick Hillary'
OK – so?
Why can't you all tell us about McCain's plans to reinstate the draft? Why can't you tell us about anything that affects our lives?
More gossip and spin
NOT as good with the facts we care about as you all seem to want to think.
Yeah right, the 3 am thing was just a coincidence. Whatever.
Good Job CNN!
Those republicans sure are concerned about Hillary's feelings. They're so sweet.
Obama, quit whining that CNN rained on your parade. Obama wanted a drum roll appearance for his VP and didn't get his way. If pres, he'll whine about everything else that doesn't go his way. Is it really that important that the announcement came a few hours earlier? Yeah, blame CNN for your staff leaking info. Let's see, 'how many houses - I mean –how many confidential staffers does Obama have that can keep a secret?'
Thank you very much for spoiling Obama and Biden's big announcement. Great work, CNN.
You really think Obama would consciously take a swipe at Hillary like that? Oh, come on. That would be about the dumbest thing he could do–even if he hates Hillary's guts. Why would he purposely do something like that while bending over backwards to get her supporters' votes at the convention? It was a coincidence.
If it wasn't, good for him, b/c I bet that ad in particular was the beginning of the end for Hillary's chances of being Obama's VP. You can't say things like that if you want to have a job on the other side of the primary.
Well, I found out at 2:48 a.m. Saturday, August 23. That was the time and date of my email. So, 3 a.m. is greatly exaggerated and, more important, so trivial and unimportant. Obama is going to use those text message numbers to remind people to GOTV on November 4. John McCain will be left in the dust–where he belongs, BTW. McCain doesn't even have enough time to learn how to make a google. What we are seeing is no less significant than Gutenberg's revolution.
Get over yourself OBAMA, CNN has been so easy on you it is sickening. In fact, they most usually do not even post anti OBAMA blogs of any sort. Yournever deserved the candidacy, I will never vote for you even as a lifelong DNC member I will proudly cast my vote for MCCAIN.....and the DNC will realize what a huge mistake they made in choosing their golden candidate. I am appalled that someone as intellectual as Biden agreed to a V P slot with you.
i agree with Sam Sunny and Dylan......
CNN has been trying to wreak havoc with the Obama campaign since day one, and this is the icing.
i stopped watching CNN TV a while ago, opting for MSNBC, and now i will be changing my "home page", too.
Instead of reporting the news, since when are the networks supposed to CREATE the news??
You're the same as O'Reilly/Hannity/Limbaugh and FOX news.
guess i will switch to NPR for unbiased news!
Yes, I thought CNN was better than this....
Voters are so ANGRY right now with Obambi and DNC, he already lost the election before first ballot is being cast.
I don't know about anyone else, but I am sick and tired of CNN. CNN is a total distraction to the democratic process and has the potential to destroy this election with it's non stop "news". Fact of the matter is if you really want impartial news you are better off getting it from BBC.
You all need to get over this Hillary thing and move on. I don't think your constant divisiveness is heaslthy for the Democratic party as a whole. Let's use our energy to help make the United States united and strong and gain the respect from those around the world.
CNN "The Most Trusted Name in News" has violated the trust of a major political party of the United States of America.
I think this should be called into question as it speaks volume to me about integrity and makes CNN look like the Paparatzi for the cable news media. Cnn will do anything to get the story, even if it breaks ethical boundaries.
As for McCains potrayal of Hillary not even being asked. We were not privy to any conversations that Barack and Hillary may have had, it may be that the party got away with one from CNN who couldn't report anything. The concept of "Hillary Not being asked is a total farce" and is intended to be a story like Brittany Spears and Paris Hlton.
A DISTRACTION.
Don't expect Obama/Biden to give it any play. A non-issue.
The media has done far worse than this little blunder. The media constantly distorts things that both candidates say, constantly putting things out of context.
It's no wonder that people who like either candidate and dislike either candidate have gone to a point of love/hate as opposed to just preference.
If the media would report things fairly without putting their own little twist on things.. we would probably have 2 likable candidates with one that is liked more than the other.
This ranks with:
1.) Not really giving Hillary the finger (twice) even though his audience applauded and he grinned sheepishly at the exact moment that he was scratching his face? I know his follows think everything he does is special but really, applause for scratching your face?
2.) He brushed HIllary off his shoulder.
3.) The announcement that HIllary wasn't the VP just happened to come at 3:00a.m..
And he wonders why Hillary's people don't fall in line.
You all need to get over this Hillary thing and move on. I don't think your constant divisiveness is healthy for the Democratic party as a whole. Let's use our energy to help make the United States united and strong and gain the respect from those around the world.
CNN is as bad as Fox these days!!