Republican National Committee: Why Is Obama Continuing To Campaign With Landslide Loser George McGovern?

WASHINGTON, May 16 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following is being issued by the Republican National Committee:

"Today Will Be Obama's First Full Day Of Campaigning In South Dakota, And He'll Be Joined On The Trail By Former Democratic Presidential Nominee George McGovern And Former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle." (Maria Gavrilovic, "Obama To Respond To Bush Accusation," CBS News' "From The Road" Blog, www.cbsnews.com, 5/16/08)

FLASHBACK: Landslide Loser:

In 1972, McGovern Lost To President Richard Nixon In An Electoral Landslide, Picking Up Only 17 Electoral Votes, The Second Lowest Electoral Vote Total In History. (Office Of The Federal Register Website, www.archives.gov, Accessed 5/7/08)

McGovern Lost 49 States And The Popular Vote By More Than 20 Percent. "McGovern was on his way to losing 49 states, falling by more than 20 percentage points in the popular vote to Nixon, who would receive 520 electoral votes to McGovern's 17." (Michael Leahy, "What Might Have Been," The Washington Post Magazine, 2/20/05)

DOUBLE TROUBLE? Obama Has Endorsement Of Anti-War McGovern And Anti-War Group MoveOn.Org:

George McGovern Ran As The "Anti-War" Candidate In 1972. (Anne E. Kornblut, "The Art Of The Campaign," The Washington Post, 8/12/07)

"[B]arack Obama Earned The Endorsement Of MoveOn, One Of The Largest Grassroots Membership Organizations In The United States, After Clobbering Hillary Clinton By 40 Percent In Internet Balloting." (Ari Melber, "MoveOn Endorses Obama," The Nation's "Campaign 08" Blog, www.thenation.com, 2/1/08)

-- Obama's Endorsement Is MoveOn.Org's First Endorsement Ever In A
Presidential Campaign. "MoveOn, which has never endorsed a
presidential candidate before, boasts that it has 1.7 million members
in Super Tuesday states." (Ari Melber, "MoveOn Endorses Obama," The
Nation's "Campaign 08" Blog, www.thenation.com, 2/1/08)

In April 2007, MoveOn.Org Members Voted Obama "Best Able To Lead The Country Out Of The War In Iraq." Obama won MoveOn.Org's member poll, which asked, which candidate is "best able to lead the country out of the war in Iraq?" (National Journal's Hotline On Call Blog, "Obama Wins MoveOn Poll," hotlineblog.nationaljournal.com, 4/12/07)

-- "Obama Came [Out On] Top Of The Polls Organized By The Left Wing
Anti-War Group MoveOn.Org After What Was Billed As A Virtual Town Hall
Meeting Held With The Top Democratic Party Candidates..." ("Obama Woos
Online Voters With Iraq Policy," Agence France Presse, 4/12/07)

Obama Pandered To MoveOn.Org By Promising Not To Fund Troops In Iraq In The Future. "Eli Pariser, [MoveOn.org's] Executive Director, told ABC news ... that moveon.Org will expect Clinton and Obama to once again vote against any Iraq war funding that does not include a timeline for withdrawal." (Teddy Davis, "MoveOn's Challenge To Clinton And Obama," ABC News' "Political Radar" Blog, www.abcnews.com, 9/14/07)

-- "What's More ... MoveOn.Org Wants The Top Democratic Presidential
Contenders To Speak Out 'Sooner And More Vocally.'" (Teddy Davis,
"MoveOn's Challenge To Clinton And Obama," ABC News' "Political Radar"
Blog, www.abcnews.com, 9/14/07)

-- Obama Responded To MoveOn.Org's Warning Against Funding The Troops By
Promising To Vote Against Future Iraq Funding. "Seventy-two hours
after MoveOn.org threw down the gauntlet, telling ABC News that Sen.
Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., and Barack Obama, D-Ill., needed to speak out
'sooner and more vocally' in opposition to voting for an Iraq funding
measure that does not include a timetable for withdrawal, both
Democratic presidential contenders have done exactly that." (Teddy
Davis, Jonathan Greenberger, and Donna Hunter, "Clinton, Obama Take No
Funding Pledge," ABC News' "Political Radar" Blog, www.abcnews.com,
9/17/07)

-- Obama: "If there is a funding bill that does not have a timetable for
when we begin withdrawal, and the completion -- a plan for how that
withdrawal will proceed -- I will not support it." (Teddy Davis,
Jonathan Greenberger, and Donna Hunter, "Clinton, Obama Take No
Funding Pledge," ABC News' "Political Radar" Blog, www.abcnews.com,
9/17/07)

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Source: Republican National Committee

CONTACT: Republican National Committee, +1-202-863-8614

Web Site: http://www.gop.com/

2008-05-16 16:48:11 0364349 PRNEWSWIRE