Obama kicks off Rocky Mountain showdown
Boulder, Colorado (CNN) – Visiting his second Colorado university in less than a week, President Barack Obama tried to spark a little voter registration competition on Sunday between two traditional sports rivals.
"I know you guys are a little bummed out about the game yesterday. I know the Rocky Mountain Showdown did not go down the way you wanted," the president told a crowd of 13,000 at Colorado University on Sunday.
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The C.U. Buffaloes lost their annual football matchup against cross-state rivals Colorado State University on Saturday, but Obama said he was going to give them a chance to "get even."
"We are giving the Buffs and the Rams a second chance to go at it this fall," he said. "We've set up a Rocky Mountain Rumble to see which school can register more voters, C.U. or Colorado State."
On Tuesday the president held a rally at C.S.U. in Fort Collins, which helped the Rams jump out to a 41-voter lead in the new competition, he told the crowd.
"But today we are in Boulder, so let's get it done," Obama said.
On all three stops thus far on his "Road to Charlotte" tour, the president has pushed crowds to register voters and cast votes early. This push mirrors a confidence expressed by senior Obama campaign officials at a briefing with reporters in August that their campaign's organizational advantage could help them gain an edge with early voters in key swing states like Colorado.
The officials told reporters that in 2008 a majority of votes were cast either early or by mail in Florida, North Carolina, Nevada and Colorado – all states both sides will be fighting over in November.
In Colorado alone, "77% of voting in the state happened by vote-by-mail or early voting," Obama campaign press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters on Saturday. "So we know how pivotal it is."
Much of the rest of the president's remarks mirrored his message to Iowa voters on Saturday. Calling the Republicans' message better suited for the last century than the current one, Obama said that last week's GOP convention was a "rerun, it could've been on Nick at Nite."
Portraying the election as a choice between two very different visions for America, the largely supportive crowd gathered here booed as Obama outlined his opponents' proposals.
"Don't boo. Vote," the president told them.
Previewing his acceptance speech at Thursday's Democratic Convention in Charlotte, Obama said, "I'm going to offer you what I believe is a better path forward – a path that will grow this economy, create more jobs, and strengthen the middle class."
The president continued, "The good news is, you get to choose the path we take – now you can go with their plan to give massive new tax cuts to folks who have already made it or we can go forward with my plan, to keep taxes low for every American who's still trying to make it."
Romney campaign spokeswoman Amanda Henneberg quickly issued a response to the president’s remarks that took issue with his characterization of their position. Henneberg said that the president “is taking us on a path of declining incomes, high unemployment, and trillion dollar deficits,” while the Romney-Ryan ticket would “turn the economy around.”
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More like a smackdown...looking FORWARD to more of it!!!! Great speech...let's keep it going.
That part of America is filled with intelligent, independent, and thinking voters. These folks will not forgive the obstrucationism of Mitch McConnell and the Republican Party. They will be able to do the math on Romney's ridiculous promises of low taxes, huge defense budget, terrific health care, cheap gas, and a reduced deficit – all without an actual bill-payer. Really? They'll realize how Republicans use emotional social issues to gather votes from under-educated voters – a requirement for a political party run by billionaire power-brokers who only care about the bottom-line.
Crowds of 10,000 and 13,000 the last 2 days, Romney/Ryan are not seeing this level of enthusiasm. With the Dem ground game they will have the greater voter turnout.
On all three stops thus far on his "Road to Charlotte" tour, the president has pushed crowds to register voters and cast votes early.
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Great idea because he will certainly fare better BEFORE the debates than AFTER the debates. Excuses and finger pointing in response to all of the failures of his administration will have a tough time standing up to the bold new plans for helping create 12 million new American jobs and strong record of success Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan bring to the race.
President Obama is right.American people need to stand up and vote for him.President Obama cares about people.Re-elect President Obama.He is the only one who can fix economy,create jobs,reshape the middle-class,and also for a comprehensive immigration reform.If i was cityzen,i would vote for Obama.
Get out and vote. Exercise, your freedom and right to have a voice in the running of your country. Republicans, don't want you to vote and have set road blocks in your way. Exercise your freedom and right to vote, do everything possible to legally drive around those road blocks, and vote.
I am woman hear me roar OBAMA/BIDEN 2012 4 more for 44
The President has a plan. It sits in Congress with major parts languishing without movement towards passage – blocked, filibustered, or stuck in the bottom of Mitch McConnell's desk drawer. Look for the president to renew the effort. Look for the President to take his plan, in the open, and lay it before the people. The substance of it. The direction of it. The opposition will take shots at it, criticize it, tear it down – but the plan will be there and the people will know what it is. And that is what a leader does. And so the people will know that the President has a plan for jobs, and a plan for balancing the budget, and a plan for tax reform, and a security strategy for America, and also that it is a plan of fairness, intended to benefit all of us. And the critics will howl to high heaven, but they have no alternative beyond rhetoric. Clearly, they prefer to keep their plan, or perhaps it is David Koch's plan, under their hat.
I agree with the statement "Don't boo. Vote." That is important, and every citizen needs to go and do that. Without that voting, people shouldn't complain. I haven't missed many votes; think that they are mostly board of education votes.
I still want to know HOW Romney. HOW are you going to make these things happen better than the current president. I would vote for you if you could give a legitimate plan, but right now it feels like you just say what people want to hear.
If Obama starts his own cable channel, he will soon make the other comedy channels look like Yo Mama jokes.
Henneberg said that the president “is taking us on a path of declining incomes, high unemployment, and trillion dollar deficits,” while the Romney-Ryan ticket would “turn the economy around.”
The president “is taking us on a path of declining incomes, high unemployment, and trillion dollar deficits,” So far the president has taken us out of this path.
The Romney-Ryan ticket would “turn the economy around.” So far nothing shows it has happened or will happen. This ticket would turn the economy back to where it was under Bush, I am afraid.
It's the University of Colorado. Get it right. Have some respect for your profession.
It co a cricket wireless company hmmm he should try utah he might win there denver might flip flop or it might not
Politics has never been better in the US but this year politics is even worse, so Mr. President go deep and dig the GOP out with their lies.
It is good to see the President campaign! Classy, with fun, close to the people, but also with real points of interests and information! He can run on his record working for the people! The GOP/TP cannot run on theirs – first driving the country to the brink and then sabotaging every effort of the President to fix what they broke. But, congratulations Mr. President, considering the circumstance having to deal with the GOP/TP that wanted you to “fail”, you did a GREAT job!!!
November cannot come fast enough to tell the party of “NO”: “NO THANK YOU!”