Obama wins progressive straw poll

NJ for Obama organizer Nick Lewis of Montclair works the sign-up tables.Barack Obama won a big victory at the BlueWaveNJ straw poll tonight, receiving 170 votes (41%) against 99 for Hillary Clinton (24%) and 94 for John Edwards (23%).  Dennis Kucinich received 30 votes (7%).  Seventeen voters were undecided.

Speaking to a Unitarian Church crammed with members of the progressive Montclair Democratic organization, Newark Mayor Cory Booker represented Obama, while State Sen. Nia Gill spoke for Clinton, State Sen. Joseph Vitale for Edwards, and North Jersey activist Stuart Hutchison for Kucinich.

During the question and answer session, which was moderated by veteran Newsweek journalist Jonathan Alter, Booker and Gill traded shots as representatives of the two presidential frontrunners. 

Gill sought to amplify Clinton's basic argument that she is more experienced than Obama.

"If you do not control the apparatus of government, your ideas are over here and government is over here," said the Montclair-based senator and trial attorney, who spread her arms. "Obama has ideas but no experience."

Takng a question about whether a President Obama would become simply another field general in the cause of poltical centrism, Booker reflected on his candidate's background as an urban community organizer, arguing that Obama could not go through that experience without being deeply affected.

Obama understands the economic divide in America, said Booker, and regularly talks about people who are marginalized, and always from the vantage point of his own street level activism.

"Why does everyone in this room know the names Natalie Holloway and Jean Benet Ramsey but not the name of a 15-year old murdered in Newark three nights ago?" asked the mayor.

Cynthia Silverman of West Orange helps register voters for Sen. Hillary Clinton.Although respectful of the Clintons, Booker underlined what he sees as their safety-first brand of politics, and mentioned that former President Bill Clinton once served as chair of the centrist Democratic Leadership Council and not surprisingly ended up being what Booker described as a "blue dog, centrist type Democrat." 

Hit with a question about the dynastic factor and the fact that since 1988 there has been either a Bush or Clinton in the White House, Gill told the audience, "That's something for you to judge, but it comes with proven and experienced leadership."

Later, Booker tried to provide more contrast between the candidates when he mentioned that Obama isn't taking any lobbyist or special interest money.

"We need a politics independent of special interest money," said the mayor.

Vitale and Edwards had a dedicated following in the back of the church. They held up signs and provided the loudest vocal support of the volunteers manning the sign-up tables.

Trying to play on the progressive allegiance of the audience, Hutchison reminded people that Kucinich is the only candidate in the race who with his vote "refused the seduction of the Iraq War and WMD lies."

"Really, he was," said Hutchison. "He's the only candidate who, gasp, proposes a department of peace."