I didn't need a poll to tell me Democratic excitement …
Filed under: Politics — Tags: democratic, Gallup Poll, presidential race, Republican, voter enthusiasm — David Kirkpatrick @ 7:25 pm
… is way higher than GOP fever, but this Gallup poll puts it into very clear perspective. I wouldn't want to be a downticket GOP candidate this year, especially since McCain might actually keep voters out of the booth on November 4.
Only 51% of Republicans say they are more enthusiastic about voting than in previous years, compared to 71% of Democrats, marking a shift from October 2004, when enthusiasm was about the same for both partisan groups.
This disproportionate enthusiasm, measured in a USA Today/Gallup poll conducted over the weekend, is not a new phenomenon this year. Democrats have reported a higher "more enthusiastic" reading each of the seven times Gallup has asked the question in 2008. The smallest gap was a 7-point Democratic advantage in the Sept. 5-7 USA Today/Gallup poll, conducted just after the Republican National Convention.
Gore endorses Obama
Filed under: Politics — Tags: Al Gore, democratic, endorsement, New York Times, Obama, presidential race — David Kirkpatrick @ 5:00 pm
No surprise there, but he's been silent on the subject up to now. The two will appear together at a Detroit event tonight.
Here's a link to the endorsement post on Al's blog.
From the NYT (first) link:
Former Vice President Al Gore will appear in Detroit tonight for his debut campaign appearance with Senator Barack Obama, extending an endorsement and urging all Democrats to rally behind the party's fall ticket.
"A few hours from now I will step on stage in Detroit, Michigan to announce my support for Senator Barack Obama," Mr. Gore said in an e-mail sent to his supporters. "From now through Election Day, I intend to do whatever I can to make sure he is elected President of the United States."
Throughout the long Democratic primary, Mr. Gore talked frequently to Mr. Obama. But tonight's rally at the Joe Louis Arena in downtown Detroit marks the first time they will appear together on the same stage. The endorsement was announced – on Mr. Gore's terms – to supporters on his vast e-mail list.
Disturbing poll for the GOP
Filed under: Politics — Tags: Congress, democratic, GOP, Marc Ambinder, polling — David Kirkpatrick @ 1:32 am
These numbers bode very poorly for the GOP come November.
From the Marc Ambinder link:
Question twelve of the NBC News / Wall Street Journal poll asks whether voters want a Congress controlled by Republicans or by Democrats…
Republican-controlled Congress……. 33
Democrat-controlled Congress ……… 52
That's the largest gap since the budget shutdown in 1995. It's up four points from two months ago, and it's higher than the 15 point margin that Democrats held when they took back control of Congress in the 2006 midterm elections. It's also by far the highest margin for either party in the 13 years of data available from previous polls. No guarantee that the number holds, but it's hard to imagine how it narrows that much.
Clinton is officially out
Filed under: Politics — Tags: Clinton, concession, democratic, Obama, primary — David Kirkpatrick @ 3:59 pm
She held her concession speech today and formally put her full support behind Obama.
Hillary Rodham Clinton ended her historic campaign for the presidency on Saturday and told supporters to unite behind rival Barack Obama, closing out a race that was as grueling as it was groundbreaking.
The former first lady, who as recently as Tuesday declared herself the strongest candidate, gave Obama an unqualified endorsement and pivoted from her role as determined foe to absolute ally.
"The way to continue our fight now to accomplish the goals for which we stand is to take our energy, our passion, our strength and do all we can to help elect Barack Obama, the next president of the United States," she said in a speech before cheering supporters packed into the ornate National Building Museum, not far from the White House she longed to govern from.
"Today as I suspend my campaign, I congratulate him on the victory he has won and the extraordinary race he has run. I endorse him and throw my full support behind him and I ask of you to join me in working as hard for Barack Obama as you have for me," the New York senator said in her 28-minute address.
Some may quibble at her use of the word "suspend" instead of saying she's dropping out of the race. Marc Ambinder blogging at the Atlantic is way ahead of you.
Here's the linked post from two days ago:
A note on terminology: some news outlets will report that Clinton will "suspend" her campaign; others may report that she will "concede" to Obama; other will report that she is "dropping out."
It's ok to use "dropping out."
She doesn't officially lose her delegates until they vote for someone else at the convention, so she could always jump back in. There's no paper you sign that magically waives away your delegates, and there will be plenty of them, I'd bet, who, if you ask them next week, insist they'll vote for Hillary.
But there's no need to parse … aides and advisers say that she's conceding the race and endorsing Obama.
After Friday, virtually all of the staff will be gone. Not furloughed, but gone. Clinton will have conceded the race by Saturday, will have endorsed Obama, and will stop campaigning. For her, the race is over.
If Clinton does for some reason use the word "suspend," instead of some more final word, it will be a rhetoric feint, one that is sure to further anger the Obama campaign.
Clinton didn't "lose," Obama won
Filed under: Politics — Tags: Clinton, democratic, Obama, primary, Slate.com — David Kirkpatrick @ 1:35 pm
Lost in all the hoopla and debate whether Obama securing the Democratic nomination is the biggest political upset in US history (probably not, by the way) and post-mortems dissecting how Clinton squandered the election away is the fact Obama won by running a very efficient and effective campaign starting way back (take a look at this chart)
Yeah, she lost. And there were a lot of blunders along the way, but let's not lose sight that someone was there, pressing hard. Without that pressure strategic blunders wouldn't matter near as much, and some tactical errors might not have even been made without a threat requiring some action or reaction.
It looks like things are finally going to focus on the general election now that Clinton has announced a Saturday event to offically concedeto Obama and offer her complete support for his presidential run.
From the very first link up there in graf one:
So the real story, which the Post and the Los Angeles Times detail nicely in their separate ways, is that Obama won by winning, not by Clinton losing.
Montana and South Dakota vote
Filed under: Politics — Tags: Clinton, democratic, Montana, Obama, primary, South Dakota — David Kirkpatrick @ 5:52 pm
The last two states vote tonight in the Democratic primary. The Associated Press has already declared the nomination for Obama,but depending on where your numbers are coming from Obama needs in the ballpark of ten delegates from tonight's two votes.
He's expected to win both states and even though not a lot of delegates are at stake he should pass the official delegate count to officially win the Democratic nomination. I'll periodically update the results as they come in and probably add links to blogosphere commentary on the occasion. Congratulations to Barack Obama, the Democratic presidential nominee this year.
This early link is from Andrew Sullivan at the Daily Dish celebrating the end of the Clinton era ( … at least for now).
Numbers from updates will come from CNN or CNN.com unless otherwise noted.
Update 7:00 pm — And, of course, the GOP is voting in New Mexico. I'm sure turnout will be huge for that primary.
Update 8:40 — In something of a surprise (to me at least, maybe I read some earlier predictions incorrectly) with 26% reporting in South Dakota, CNN calls the state for Clinton. She leads 56 to 44. Obama is predicted to pick up five delegates if this differential holds out.
McCain is still pulling a bit under three quarters of the GOP vote at 72%. The protest votes are still out there.
No results from Montana.
Update 9:10 — No significant change in South Dakota. With no votes in, but the polls closed, CNN calls Montana for Obama and a projected eight delegates. Obama is the nominee.
Clinton finished her speech a bit ago. It lacked a crucial element — she congratulagted Obama on the "race he ran," not on the race he "won." She's not completely conceding at this moment. I'm sure this sits well with the Democratic braintrust.
Some of the cable news talking heads mention rumors that she's waiting after a "one-on-one" meeting with Obama that she's demanding immediately occur. I think her leverage other than as a complete vindictive spoiler at this point is nil. The reality is Team Clinton has lost the race, and lost a lot more along the way — things such as the respect of the electorate, clout within the Democratic Party and the legacy of the 42nd president.
I expect the blogosphere to really cut loose on Hillary after this speech. She's already been rumored to demand to be asked for the veep position so she can turn it down, but added the caveat it better not go to another woman. (Hat tip: Daily Kos for that link)
Really just a pathetic end to Hillary's campaign.
Quite a triumph for Obama, the United State's first black presidential candidate to serve as his party's nominee. It should be a fun summer and fall leading up to the election in November.
Update 10:10 — South Dakota 76% in; Clinton 56, Obama 44. Montana 4% in; Obama 58, Clinton 39.
Ron Paul is pulling 13% in New Mexico and 16% in South Dakota. That is a true GOP protest vote.
If you want to consider the official opening salvos of the general campaign McCain and Obama's speeches tonight, GOPers may have a few nightmares when they restlessly lay their heads down for the night. I think there will be a dramatic realization in the two presidential options once these two get on stage together. McCain will likely come off as old and shrunken (Obama has quite a few inches in height on him) where Obama will be youthful and commanding. Especially if viewed in high definition.
Also get ready for an onslaught of McCain commercials featuring Hillary stating McCain would be a better president than Obama. One little rhetorical gift she handed the GOP over this drawn-out primary. A primary she effectively lost during the month of February.
Update 10:30 — No change in South Dakota numbers-wise. Not much in Montana either. It is amazing the Democratic primary made it to the final votes before any candidate clinched. All McCain's serious competitors dropped out long before he technically won the nomination by delegate count, but I'm certain the GOP race would be fully determined long before today.
More reactions from the net: here's two from the Nation Review Online, one from Lisa Schiffren and one from Jonah Goldberg.
Update 10:50 — South Dakota with 91% in; Clinton 55, Obama 45. Montana with 12% in; Obama 55, Clinton 42, and "no preference" 3. This is the last numbers update for the night. Well fought and there is a winner after all these months of voting.
A reaction from Andrew Sullivan:
If I needed reassurance that this man is the most formidable force in American politics today, his speech tonight confirmed it. It was shrewd – with an artful positioning on Iraq. It was graceful – with respect for McCain's service and Clinton's tenacity. It was brutal – in turning around McCain's Iraq visit meme to domestic economic woes. It was patriotic – in its evocation of Gettysburg and the Second World War. It was outer-directed: not for Obama the recourse to self-satisfied identity politics of the kind used by the Clintons because they often have nothing else. It was moving. I thought I even saw some suggestions of tears as he remembered his grandmother. It was also rhetorically more powerful than McCain – not by a small amount but by a mile. Put McCain's speech against Obama's – and this was a wipe-out. Not a victory. A wipe-out. Rhetorically, they are simply not in the same league. And if the contrast tonight between McCain and Obama holds for the rest of the campaign, McCain is facing a defeat of historic proportions.
One more thing: with McCain's and Clinton's speeches, you could not forget the politics of it. With Obama, you forgot about that at times. You actually lifted your eyes a little and believed a little and hoped a little.
Yes, he can. And anyone who under-estimates that will regret it.
(Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty.)
Associated Press gives Obama the nod
Filed under: Politics — Tags: Associated Press, democratic, nomination, Obama, primary — David Kirkpatrick @ 4:29 pm
The Associated Press has already declared Obama the Democratic nominee for president this year.
Obama sealed his victory based on primary elections, state Democratic caucuses and delegates' public declarations as well as support from 22 delegates and "superdelegates" who privately confirmed their intentions to The Associated Press. It takes 2,118 delegates to clinch the nomination.
Veepstakes Obama
Filed under: Politics — Tags: Clinton, democratic, Jim Webb, Obama, presidential race, vice president — David Kirkpatrick @ 1:56 pm
No names are officially leaking out, but now that the Demo nomination is all but wrapped up, Obama is starting a quiet search for a running mate.
No names are offically leaking, but one candidate seems to be campaigning pretty hard and generating a lot of buzz — Virginia senator, Jim Webb.
Update — It looks like Clinton is out of the running for the position if this report is true.
Time magazine's Karen Tumulty reports:
What will Clinton's terms of surrender turn out to be? Her husband, for one, seems to have a pretty clear idea what he thinks she should get as a consolation prize. In Bill Clinton's view, she has earned nothing short of an offer to be Obama's running mate, according to some who are close to the former President. Bill "is pushing real hard for this to happen," says a friend.
The Field can now confirm, based on multiple sources, something that both campaigns publicly deny: that Senator Clinton has directly told Senator Obama that she wants to be his vice presidential nominee, and that Senator Obama politely but straightforwardly and irrevocably said "no." Obama is going to pick his own running mate based on his own criteria and vetting process.
Kentucky and Oregon vote
Filed under: Politics — Tags: Clinton, democratic, Kentucky, Obama, Oregon, primary — David Kirkpatrick @ 6:44 pm
Actually if I understand things correctly, Oregon is just announcing the result of a mail-in vote. At any rate, Kentucky — being in the East — will announce first. The most compelling question of the night is whether Obama will gain a permanent majority of pledge delegates from his Kentucky result (it'll be a loss, but by how much is the question) or will he have to wait until Oregon announces to reach that milestone.
In early returns from Kentucky, Clinton has already been declared the winner. 34% reporting, Clinton stands at 55 and Obama at 41.
Update 7:40 pm — In Kentucky, with 86% reporting: Clinton 65, Obama 31. Falling out about what was expected. It'll be interesting to see how the Oregon vote turns out.
Update 8:55 — 99% reporting in Kentucky: Clinton 65, Obama 30. Obama's projected to get 14 delegates in the state. I believe that is one short of securing the pledged majority.
Update 10:05 — Oregon reporting with 11% in, Obama 63, Clinton 37
Update 11:00 — Oregeon 51% reporting, Obama 58, Clinton 42
Update 12:30 am — Last update. Oregon 68% reporting, Obama 58, Clinton 42
Obama takes an unassailable lead in pledged delegates tonight. Clinton made some headway in the non-counting total popular vote. It's been over for a long time now, but at this point it's official — Barack Obama is the Democratic nominee for president this year. Time to focus on the general election from here on out.
John Edwards endorses Obama
Filed under: Politics — Tags: democratic, endorsement, John Edwards, Obama — David Kirkpatrick @ 6:19 pm
Some might say it's a little late in the game, but John Edwards officially endorsed Obama today.
He didn't give the Clinton campaign a heads up — correction, yes he did), and most of his senior campaign staff were caught unawares.
West Virginia votes
Filed under: Politics — Tags: Clinton, democratic, Obama, primary, superdelegates, West Virginia — David Kirkpatrick @ 7:22 pm
Only one update for this story. Already called for Clinton, and she might win this state by 50 points or more. This result has been expected for some time.
In the meantime, Obama is picking supers, and even some of Clinton's pledged delegates. Depending on your source, he needs somewhere in the range of 150 or so to clinch.
I don't have a link handy, but there's some chatter that Clinton will ride out tonight and win handily in the upcoming Kentucky vote then drop out of the race. It's expected Obama will pass the magic number based on superdelegates by that time. She goes out on a strong note, he doesn't have to campaign too hard in states he was always going to lose — good for all involved.
The final nail in Team Clinton's coffin
Filed under: Politics — Tags: Clinton, democratic, Obama, polling, primary, Rasmussen — David Kirkpatrick @ 4:08 pm
Rasmussen is no longer polling the Democratic nomination race.
At the moment, Senator Clinton's team is busily trying to convince Superdelegates and pundits that she is more electable than Barack Obama. For reasons discussed in a separate article, it doesn't matter. Even if every single Superdelegate was convinced that the former First Lady is somewhat more electable than Obama, that is not enough of a reason to deny him the nomination.
With this in mind, Rasmussen Reports will soon end our daily tracking of the Democratic race and focus exclusively on the general election competition between Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama. Barring something totally unforeseen, that is the choice American voters will have before them in November. While we have not firmly decided upon a final day for tracking the Democratic race, it is coming soon.
Clinton's 5 key mistakes
Filed under: Politics — Tags: Clinton, democratic, Obama, primary, Time.com — David Kirkpatrick @ 2:26 pm
Here's an interesting Time.com article on the five main mistakes committed by Team Clinton leading to Obama's Democratic nomination win.
The short version:
1. She misjudged the mood
2. She didn't master the rules
3. She underestimated the caucus states
4. She relied on old money
5. She never counted on a long haul
Indiana and North Carolina vote
Filed under: Politics — Tags: Clinton, democratic, Indiana, North Carolina, Obama, primary — David Kirkpatrick @ 5:21 pm
The last big delegate day has arrived — both Indiana and North Carolina are voting. Early predictions have Obama winning North Carolina handily (and maybe by double digits) and Indiana too close to statistically call. A total of 172 pledged delegates are at stake in the two primaries.
I'll periodically update the results. Unless otherwise noted all numbers are from CNN and CNN.com.
Update 6:26 pm — This is pretty funny from Matt Yglesias at Atlantic.com:
I should make an official prediction about tonight, right? Well, clearly the universe is conspiring to make this primary last as long as possible. So what's going to happen is that (of course) Clinton will win Indiana and Obama will win North Carolina. But Clinton will win Indiana by a larger margin than Obama wins North Carolina, and Clinton's supporters will note in somber tones that Obama lost the white vote in NC. At the same time, because NC has substantially more delegates than Indiana, Obama will actually make a small gain in net delegates causing his supporters (i.e. me) to become further enraged at Clinton's refusal to admit that she's lost and the press' insistence on indulging the idea that there's real doubt about the ultimate outcome.
In very early returns from Indiana, Clinton leads 57-43 with 16% reporting. McCain is getting 75% of the GOP vote.
Update 6:49 pm — With officially 0% reporting Obama leads North Carolina 65-32 and CNN is already calling the state for Obama. Clinton is holding steady at 57-43 in Indiana with 28% reporting. No call for that state just yet.
Update 7:33 pm — Switching to NYT for numbers since CNN.com is pretty much non-loading at this point. They break it out to tenth, so I will too.
North Carolina with 11% reporting: Obama 64, Clinton 34.4
Indiana with 47% reporting: Clinton 55.3, Obama 44.7. interestingly, these numbers have been slowly tightening and the NW, including Gary, an expected Obama stronghold, has yet to report.
Update 8:11pm — Both states are tightening a bit, but Obama's completely blowing Clinton out of the water in NC. His gap-closing in Indiana has to have Team Clinton very concerned. It's the longest of shots, but he could win that state.
NC with 27% reporting: Obama 60.7, Clinton 37.5
Indiana with 68% reporting (and no call yet): Clinton 53, Obama 47.1
Update 9:11 pm — NC 66% in, Obama 56.1, Clinton 41.8; Indiana 79% in, Clinton 51.9, Obama 48.1
Update 10:19 pm — Final update of the night. Indiana remains uncalled becuase of Lake County in the northwest. Right now with 86% reporting Clinton holds a narrow margin of 51.8-48.2. It's a long shot, but it's possible Obama could squeeze a tiny victory with strong numbers from the not-yet-reporting county. However you slice it, this is hard blow for Clinton.
In North Carolina Obama's lead is holding around the numbers from an hour ago. 92% in, he leads 56.1-41.7
Here's one blog that places the blame …
Filed under: Politics — Tags: Clinton, democratic, jedreport.com, Obama, primary, superdelegates — David Kirkpatrick @ 2:05 pm
… for this vicious Democratic primary squarely on the shoulders of the superdelegates.
I have to admit I've pretty much stopped blogging the election for the time being. I'm among many who has become sick and tired of the debacle the Democratic party is throwing at the electorate. I'm just glad I'm not a partisan Democrat, otherwise I'd probably just lay in bed with a towel over my head until the supers come to their senses and hand the deserved victory to Obama.
The destructiveness of Team Clinton combined with her previous nemeses on the hard right is amazing to me.
For most of this campaign, the Democratic Party has been unified by optimism that our eventual nominee would trounce the Republican candidate in November, 2008. That began to change towards the end of February, when the contest between Senators Clinton and Obama began to turn sharply negative.
The media and the Clinton campaign deserve their share of blame for this. And Obama is not perfect, either. But the people who deserve the most blame are the superdelegates, for it is their indecision that has made this mess possible in the first place.
Since late February, it has been clear that the Clinton campaign's only hope for victory rested in their hands. Over the past two months, the soleuncertainty about the campaign has been whether or not superdelegates will stage a coup against the voters.
At any point during the last two months, superdelegates could have made it clear that they would support the will of voters. Instead, by declaring their indecision, they provided Clinton with a new rationale for her campaign. Effectively, they encouraged her coup attempt. It was if they said to her: if you can prove to us that Barack Obama is unelectable, we will overturn the judgment of voters.
It is now clear just how foolish and unwise the superdelegates were for offering Clinton such a destructive path to the nomination, for she has tried to meet it with unrestrained vigor. Two months later, a party that was once unified is now divided. The septuagenarian Republican presidential candidate who devised the Iraq war strategy and wants to stay there for one hundred years is leading or tied in most polls.
(Hat tip: the Daily Dish)
Markos adds his two cents …
Filed under: Politics — Tags: Clinton, Daily Kos, democratic, Obama, primary — David Kirkpatrick @ 2:12 am
… on the state of the current Democratic situation. Along with a lot of poll information.
The summation?
So remind me again how is Clinton "more electable" against McCain than Obama?
She's lost more contests to Obama than she's won. She's raised less money than he has. She fares poorer in the polling against McCain than he does. She trails in the popular vote.
And somehow, despite the fact she runs behind Obama in the general, the supers are supposed to overturn the will of the primary electorate and spur intra-party civil war on her behalf? Is she really that narcissistic?
Apparently so.
Andrew Sullivan sees …
Filed under: Politics — Tags: Bill Clinton, Clinton, democratic, Obama, primary, the Daily Dish — David Kirkpatrick @ 11:59 pm
… no relief for Democrats in the coming weeks.
Bill Clinton directly accusesthe Obama campaign of hostility to working class voters. When you see the brutal politics the Clintons are still eagerly deploying, you have to believe this will go to the convention. The Clintons are prepared to use any argument, any Republican tactic, and any social or cultural division to stay in the game. By tactically morphing into Rove Republicans, they are deliberately pivoting off a myth about Obama to make him unelectable. I think the idea that they will withdraw when Obama reaches the actual number of delegates required for the nomination is a myth. They will insist on having their say at the convention and changing the votes of pledged delegates if they need to. This is their party, in their minds. Obama has no right to lead it. Until he waits his turn and the Clintons give their blessing.
Pennsylvania votes
Filed under: Politics — Tags: Clinton, CNN, democratic, Obama, Pennsylvania, primary — David Kirkpatrick @ 9:16 pm
Finally, the dry spell is over and Pennsylvania has voted.
All numbers from CNN.com and CNN.
Earlier with 15% reporting the state was already called for Clinton holding a six point lead 53-47. Penn is a state Clinton needs to win by double digits to truly remain viable. Doesn't mean there's any chance of her dropping out without that margin, but a nine-point, or less, win is essentially a loss.
Update 9:20 pm — 61 percent in, Clinton leads by eight points 54% to Obama's 46%. If this differential holds he'll have erased about twelve points off his deficit in Penn in around two months. Clinton lead by a solid 20 percent before the Texas and Ohio vote in early March.
Update 9:50 pm — 79% in, Clinton reaches the double digit threshold 55-45. According to CNN exit polling suggested something tighter than eight points. Looks more movement is possible, or the exit polls were off as usual.
Update 10:15 pm — 87 % in, holding at 55-45 for Clinton.
Over at the GOP vote, there's still some anti-McCain protest voting going on. Ron Paul has 16% and Mike Huckabee 12% of the vote.
This'll be the last update unless the Democratic numbers significantly move one direction or the other.
ABC News is the big loser
Filed under: Media, Politics — Tags: ABC News, Clinton, debate, democratic, Obama — David Kirkpatrick @ 1:05 pm
Commentary about last night's "debate" is impossible to miss today. Judging by comments left by readers at various websites — most notably ABC News — the real loser was ABC News itself.
This Washington Post story pretty much sums up the general attitude.
When Barack Obama met Hillary Clinton for another televised Democratic candidates' debate last night, it was more than a step forward in the 2008 presidential election. It was another step downward for network news — in particular ABC News, which hosted the debate from Philadelphia and whose usually dependable anchors, Charlie Gibson and George Stephanopoulos, turned in shoddy, despicable performances.
For the first 52 minutes of the two-hour, commercial-crammed show, Gibson and Stephanopoulos dwelled entirely on specious and gossipy trivia that already has been hashed and rehashed, in the hope of getting the candidates to claw at one another over disputes that are no longer news. Some were barely news to begin with.
Gore and Carter to force Clinton's hand?
Filed under: Politics — Tags: Carter, Clinton, democratic, Gore, nomination, Obama — David Kirkpatrick @ 10:09 pm
If this report holds any water, the Democratic nomination is wrapped up.
From the linked Scotland on Sunday article:
DEMOCRAT grandees Jimmy Carter and Al Gore are being lined-up to deliver the coup de grâce to Hillary Clinton and end her campaign to become president.
Falling poll numbers and a string of high-profile blunders have convinced party elders that she must now bow out of the primary race.
Former president Carter and former vice-president Gore have already held high-level discussions about delivering the message that she must stand down for the good of the Democrats.
"They're in discussions," a source close to Carter told Scotland on Sunday. "Carter has been talking to Gore. They will act, possibly together, or in sequence."
An appeal by both men for Democrats to unite behind Clinton's rival, Barack Obama, would have a powerful effect, and insiders say it is a question of when, rather than if, they act.
Team Clinton …
Filed under: Politics — Tags: Clinton, democratic, Mark Penn, New York Times, primary — David Kirkpatrick @ 9:48 pm
… loses its coach. Mark Penn quit the campaign today after a weeklong controversy about his moonlighting.
Mark Penn, the architect of much of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton's presidential campaign, has been replaced as the campaign's chief strategist in the wake of revelations that he lobbied on behalf of a trade treaty with Colombia that Mrs. Clinton opposes.
After the events of the last few days, Mark Penn has asked to give up his role as Chief Strategist of the Clinton Campaign; Mark, and Penn, Schoen and Berland Associates, Inc. will continue to provide polling and advice to the campaign.
Geoff Garin and Howard Wolfson will coordinate the campaign's strategic message team going forward.
Mr. Penn, who has been associated with Mrs. Clinton and former President Bill Clinton for a dozen years, has come under withering criticism for continuing to consult with clients as chief executive of Burson-Marsteller, the international lobbying and public relations firm.
He has also been held responsible for the flawed electoral strategy considered partly responsible for Mrs. Clinton's difficult political position, trailing Senator Barack Obama by more than a hundred delegates and with a very narrow path to winning the Democratic nomination.
In a terse statement, Maggie Williams, Mrs. Clinton's campaign manager, said, "After the events of the last few days, Mark Penn has asked to give up his role as chief strategist of the Clinton campaign."
Bill's all jacked up
Filed under: Politics — Tags: Bill Clinton, Bill Richardson, Daily Dish, democratic, primary, San Francisco Chronicle, superdelegates — David Kirkpatrick @ 5:32 pm
Intense anger is never a sign of confidence.
From the Daily Dish:
The San Francisco Chronicle on Bill's tirade at a super delegate meeting:
…as the group moved together for the perfunctory photo, Rachel Binah, a former Richardson delegate who now supports Hillary Clinton, told Bill how "sorry" she was to have heard former Clinton campaign manager James Carville call Richardson a "Judas" for backing Obama.
It was as if someone pulled the pin from a grenade.
"Five times to my face (Richardson) said that he would never do that," a red-faced, finger-pointing Clinton erupted.
The former president then went on a tirade that ran from the media's unfair treatment of Hillary to questions about the fairness of the votes in state caucuses that voted for Obama. It ended with him asking delegates to imagine what the reaction would be if Obama was trailing by just 1 percent and people were telling him to drop out.
"It was very, very intense," said one attendee. "Not at all like the Bill of earlier campaigns."
Breaking news …
Filed under: Politics — Tags: April Fools, Clinton, democratic, primary — David Kirkpatrick @ 2:19 am
Clinton drops out of race!
(April fools. Sorry for getting your hopes up.)
Clinton thinks she's playing basketball
Filed under: Politics — Tags: basketball, Clinton, democratic, primary — David Kirkpatrick @ 2:18 pm
The teaser on this NYT story was something along the lines of, "Game's not over, Clinton supporters agree."
I guess they're leaving out the fact it's quite late in the fourth, she's down by double-digits, has no fouls to give and worse, is in serious foul trouble herself. So yes, it's not "over." But she's losing the game barring some magic officiating.
Hey, maybe Clinton knows she's paid the refs off for this game and is still waiting for the bribe to go into effect …
In the height of basketball season, here in the heart of basketball country, it was perhaps inevitable that the state of the Democratic presidential race would be boiled down in championship terminology.
Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York stood in center court, with basketball hoops on all sides, as she offered up a sporting metaphor.
"You know, we are in the fourth quarter and it is a close contest. We are running up and down. We are taking shots," Mrs. Clinton said, speaking over a crescendo of applause. "And in the next months, we're going to have 10 more contests, from Indiana to Pennsylvania — all the way to Puerto Rico! Millions of people will have a chance to have their voices heard and their votes counted."
The point? This game is not over.
Bob Casey endorses Obama
Filed under: Politics — Tags: Bob Casey, Clinton, Daily Dish, democratic, endorsement, Gallup, Obama, Pennsyvania, primary — David Kirkpatrick @ 3:09 pm
Bob Casey, a senator from Pennsylvania, has endorsed Obama. Clinton is expected to win Pennsylvania by a very wide (read — around 20%) margin, and her beyond slim hopes rest on that outcome.
If Obama keeps that victory within single digits she's done. If he were to win Penn, she would pretty much have to drop out of the race. At this point I'm not sure she'd do it, but either scenario is ballgame for Obama. Clinton's Bosnia "misstatement" has caused her much more damage than it seemed at first blush.
In related news, the kitchen sink/toilet bowl strategy is not working in the least. According to Gallup's national poll, on March 23 they were basically in a statistical dead heat at around 47%. Obama's been steadily trending upwards since then and leads 50-42 in the latest poll. (Hit this link for a Daily Dish post and the rolling poll.)
From the first link:
In a surprise move, Senator Bob Casey of Pennsylvania has endorsed Senator Barack Obama in advance of the April 22 Democratic primary. Mr. Casey had said he would remain neutral in the race in part because he wanted to help broker a reconciliation between Mr. Obama and Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton afterward.
"I believe in my heart that there is one person who's uniquely qualified to lead us in that new direction and that is Barack Obama." Mr. Casey said during a rally in Pittsburgh Friday.
"I really believe that in a time of danger around the world and in division here at home, Barack Obama can lead us, he can heal us, he can help rebuild America," he said.
Mr. Casey is going against the grain in his state, where polls show Mrs. Clinton ahead by at least 12 percentage points and where she has the endorsement of most of the state's major Democratic figures.
Clinton supporters threaten Pelosi
Filed under: Politics — Tags: Clinton, democratic, Matthew Yglesias, Nancy Pelosi, New Republic, Noam Scheiber, primary, superdelegates, the Plank — David Kirkpatrick @ 1:53 am
I agree with Matt Yglesias here:
I have to say that I doubt threatening Nancy Pelosi to take their toys and go home if she doesn't urge superdelegates to do what they want is really the smartest way for Hillary Clinton supporters to try to win this election. It sort of re-enforces the case that the Clintons and their close allies are selfish people willing and ready to destroy the party in order to maintain control over it.
Update: Another take on the same topic, this time from Noam Scheiber at the New Republic blog, "The Plank."
Via Avi Zenilman, the crew over at First Read makes a great point about that heavy-handed letter from Hillary's rich donors to Nancy Pelosi:
Shakedown: Why didn't the Clinton campaign get superdelegates to sign on to that letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi rather than donors? Doesn't this letter coming only from major donors make it look like a threat or a shakedown? Wouldn't this letter coming from fellow superdelegates have had more impact? One Dem operative who doesn't have a horse in this fight reminds us: "Members of Congress — who are superdelegates — make up the DCCC. Threatening the DCCC is essentially threatening the very superdelegates HRC's trying to court. The HRC donor letter will just push undeclared superdelegates in Congress leaning toward Obama to endorse him sooner. It also reinforces the notion that the Clintons will destroy the party to win the WH. I just don't get it."
I don't get it either. The obvious answer is that Hillary couldn't find any superdelegates to sign on to such a letter. But maybe the campaign had something in mind that we're just not seeing.
David Brooks joins …
Filed under: Politics — Tags: Clinton, David Brooks, democratic, primary, the New York Times — David Kirkpatrick @ 1:47 pm
… the pundits sticking a fork in the Clinton campaign. It really is amazing she refuses to step aside.
From the linked column:
In short, Hillary Clinton's presidential prospects continue to dim. The door is closing. Night is coming. The end, however, is not near.
Last week, an important Clinton adviser told Jim VandeHei and Mike Allen (also of Politico) that Clinton had no more than a 10 percent chance of getting the nomination. Now, she's probably down to a 5 percent chance.
Five percent.
Let's take a look at what she's going to put her party through for the sake of that 5 percent chance: The Democratic Party is probably going to have to endure another three months of daily sniping. For another three months, we'll have the Carvilles likening the Obamaites to Judas and former generals accusing Clintonites of McCarthyism. For three months, we'll have the daily round of résumé padding and sulfurous conference calls. We'll have campaign aides blurting "blue dress" and only-because-he's-black references as they let slip their private contempt.
For three more months (maybe more!) the campaign will proceed along in its Verdun-like pattern. There will be a steady rifle fire of character assassination from the underlings, interrupted by the occasional firestorm of artillery when the contest touches upon race, gender or patriotism. The policy debates between the two have been long exhausted, so the only way to get the public really engaged is by poking some raw national wound.
Even Clinton's staff knows the end is near
Filed under: Politics — Tags: Clinton, democratic, Politico.com, primary — David Kirkpatrick @ 1:52 am
I have no idea why Clinton is continuing to campaign and tear the Democratic Party asunder. Even her staff hears the fat lady beginning to sing.
Unless Clinton is able to at least win the primary popular vote — which also would take nothing less than an electoral miracle — and use that achievement to pressure superdelegates, she has only one scenario for victory. An African-American opponent and his backers would be told that, even though he won the contest with voters, the prize is going to someone else.
People who think that scenario is even remotely likely are living on another planet.
As it happens, many people inside Clinton's campaign live right here on Earth. One important Clinton adviser estimated to Politico privately that she has no more than a 10 percent chance of winning her race against Barack Obama, an appraisal that was echoed by other operatives.
In other words: The notion of the Democratic contest being a dramatic cliffhanger is a game of make-believe.
No new Democratic primary vote in Michigan
Filed under: Politics — Tags: democratic, Michigan, primary — David Kirkpatrick @ 4:16 pm
Joining the news out of Florida yesterday, it looks like Michigan will not conduct a new vote to try and seat delegates to the Democratic convention.
Lansing (WWJ) — It's appearing more and more likely there will not be a re-do of the Democratic presidential primary election. WWJ Lansing Bureau Chief Tim Skubick reports state Senate Democrats came out of a closed door meeting Tuesday morning and said there are not enough votes to approve a re-do.
Legislative approval is necessary for a re-vote to happen.
Speaking live on WWJ, Skubick said it would take a "miracle" to have the re-do approved, but he added it's still possible.
There has been no comment from the Michigan Democratic Party. A spokesman said they are waiting to see what the legislature does.
Obama's race speech
Filed under: Politics — Tags: democratic, New York Times, Obama, primary, race, the Daily Dish — David Kirkpatrick @ 1:55 pm
I haven't heard the Obama speech on race today, but from the online reactions it sounds like he totally killed. I really didn't expect less of him on this topic.
My guess is he knew he'd be giving some variant of this speech during the campaign. Maybe it was going to come in a concession to the nominee, maybe during a victory speech when accepting the nomination, or maybe — as is turned to be — his race speech pulled double duty both explaining his spiritual life and controversial spiritual adviser and acknowledging the role race is playing in this campaign.
He couldn't give a victory speech just yet, but he did need to set the tone for the general election to counter Team Clinton's death throes and its ridiculous kitchen sink/toilet bowl strategy.
This speech has most likely been part of his plan from the point he decided to run for president. It's a tricky subject and it was going to be very important to make the speech, not only at the right time, but to make sure it was successful. I think he accomplished both goals.
Senator Barack Obama renewed his objection to the controversial statements delivered by the longtime pastor of his Chicago church, but declared in a speech here Tuesday that it was time for America to "move beyond some of our old racial wounds."
"It's a racial stalemate we've been stuck in for years," Mr. Obama said. "Contrary to the claims of some of my critics, black and white, I have never been so naïve as to believe that we can get beyond our racial divisions in a single election cycle, or with a single candidacy — particularly a candidacy as imperfect as my own."
In an address at the National Constitution Center, a building steeped in the nation's historic symbolism, Mr. Obama delivered a sweeping assessment of race in America. It was the most extensive speech of his presidential campaign devoted to race and unity, a moment his advisers conceded presented one of the biggest tests of his candidacy.
Here's Andrew Sullivan's take over at the Daily Dish. He's become a very vocal supporter of Obama's over the last few months:
Alas, I cannot give a more considered response right now as I have to get on the road. But I do want to say that this searing, nuanced, gut-wrenching, loyal, and deeply, deeply Christian speech is the most honest speech on race in America in my adult lifetime. It is a speech we have all been waiting for for a generation. Its ability to embrace both the legitimate fears and resentments of whites and the understandable anger and dashed hopes of many blacks was, in my view, unique in recent American history.
And it was a reflection of faith – deep, hopeful, transcending faith in the promises of the Gospels. And it was about America – its unique promise, its historic purpose, and our duty to take up the burden to perfect this union – today, in our time, in our way.
I have never felt more convinced that this man's candidacy – not this man, his candidacy – and what he can bring us to achieve – is an historic opportunity. This was a testing; and he did not merely pass it by uttering safe bromides. He addressed the intimate, painful love he has for an imperfect and sometimes embittered man. And how that love enables him to see that man's faults and pain as well as his promise. This is what my faith is about. It is what the Gospels are about. This is a candidate who does not merely speak as a Christian. He acts like a Christian.
Bill Clinton once said that everything bad in America can be rectified by what is good in America. He was right – and Obama takes that to a new level. And does it with the deepest darkest wound in this country's history.
I love this country. I don't remember loving it or hoping more from it than today.
Head here for more reactions from the blogosphere and my part three take here.