USA Today: President Obama’s campaign raised $114 million in August, edging Mitt Romney’s haul of $111.6 million and ending the Republican’s three month winning streak in the money race.
“The key to fighting back against the special interests writing limitless checks to support Mitt Romney is growing our donor base, and we did that substantially in the month of August,” said Jim Messina, Obama’s campaign spokesman.
The $114 million in August is a big spike for Obama, who had raised only $75 million in July.
….. The new fundraising totals come right after the Republican and Democratic conventions, and at a time when Obama is taking a lead over Romney in daily tracking polls.
4:30 – 6:0: Kay Hagan * Walter Dalton * G.K. Butterfield * David Price * Mel L. Watt * James Rogers * Live Performance: James Taylor * Antonio R. Villaraigosa * Reverend Gabriel Salguero * Presentation of Colors * Pledge of Allegiance * National Anthem: Marc Anthony * Progress for People Video: Seniors * Carol Berman * Donna F. Edwards * Barney Frank * Harvey Gantt
6:0 – 7:0: John Lewis * Stronger Together Video: Don’t Ask Don’t Tell * Jason Crow * Live Performance: Mary J. Blige * Debbie Wasserman Schultz * Antonio R. Villaraigosa * Tammy Baldwin * Michael Nutter * Stay Stronger Together Video: Marriage Equality * Zach Wahls
7:0 – 8:0: Jim Messina * American Heroes Video: Auto Workers * Kenyetta Jones, Ryan Case, Ed Meagher, Martha Figueroa, Lucas Beenken, Rob Hach * Vice Presidential Nomination Intro * Antonio R. Villaraigosa * Beau Biden * Vote by Acclamation * Live Performance: Foo Fighters * James E. Clyburn * Scarlett Johansson and Kerry Washington
Tuesday night at the 2012 Convention (Christopher Dilts for Obama for America)
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E.J. Dionne: The most devastating attack on Mitt Romney at Tuesday’s Democratic Convention came from Michelle Obama, who did not mention Romney’s name and said not a single cross thing about him.
She devastated him by implication. If Romney was the son of privilege, she and her husband were anything but. What she said directly is that Barack Obama understands people who are struggling. What she didn’t have to say is Mitt Romney doesn’t.
…. A speech that was thoroughly apolitical on the surface carried multiple political messages, linking a very traditional message about parenting with a call for social justice.
And it was almost entirely done though personal stories.
….. she also said that for husband, “success isn’t about how much money you make, it’s about the difference you make in people’s lives.” Did any other presidential candidate come to mind as perhaps having a contrasting approach? Michelle Obama was much too polite to say. She didn’t have to.
Steve Benen: …. There were several other worthwhile speeches delivered last night – unlike in Tampa, Democrats aren’t afraid to talk about their nominee – but it was the First Lady who stole the show.
“If farmers and blacksmiths could win independence from an empire … if immigrants could leave behind everything they knew for a better life on our shores … if women could be dragged to jail for seeking the vote … if a generation could defeat a depression, and define greatness for all time … if a young preacher could lift us to the mountaintop with his righteous dream … and if proud Americans can be who they are and boldly stand at the altar with who they love … then surely, surely we can give everyone in this country a fair chance at that great American Dream.”
USA Today: President Obama says he’s older and wiser than he was during the heady 2008 campaign, and he has a more complicated message urging voters to stick with him as the country slowly digs out of “a very deep hole” on the economy.
So is the election less fun, the second time around?
“Well, I’ll tell you, it’s different,” he says with a slightly pained expression on his face, then offers: “But the plane is a lot nicer.”
At this moment, Obama is perched on the edge of a swivel chair in his office on that nicer plane, also known as Air Force One, his shirt sleeves rolled up. On the first leg of four days of travel that will take him to the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, he talked with USA TODAY about his Thursday acceptance speech, his policy priorities for a second term and the lessons he’s learned about the need to take his case to the American people over the heads of a polarized Congress.
