Democratic Primary
Posted at 8:28pm on May 6, 2008 Going forward: Is Tom Maguire right?
OK, well, he often is. But is he right *now*?
By Moe Lane
He's on course for getting the first three right:
My utterly unscientific prediction follows the principle established in Pennsylvania - neither Howard Dean's luck nor the luck of the Democratic Party has changed, so the result tonight will be whatever is necessary to maximize confusion. That will mean Barack wins North Carolina, Hillary wins Indiana (and the white sub-primary in North Carolina, natch[*]), and neither margin will be viewed by anyone as decisive.
...and the fourth is a judgment call anyway. All in all, I think that we need to put the DNC on our collective Christmas card lists...
Moe Lane
Posted in 2008 | Democratic Primary | DNC | The Best Democratic Primary EVER — Comments (0)/ Email this page » / Read More »
Posted at 11:00am on Apr. 7, 2008 Clinton Plays the Woman Card, Again
Now We Know Why She Can’t Come to the Phone
By Mark I
With her lead in Pennsylvania shrinking by the day, and her legitimate path to the nomination--there are other paths--becoming increasingly difficult, Sen. Hillary!™ Clinton has returned to a favorite campaign theme; one that has already proven its ability to generate sympathetic press coverage and win her votes. Hillary is trotting out the gender card.
While listing her credentials to be president, Clinton also said people vote for different reasons, including how a person looks or their hairstyle.
"And that is another difference, you know how long it takes me to get ready than my two opponents — I mean really just think about it," she joked. "I think I should get points for working as hard as I do plus the time it takes to get ready."
Recall that right before the New Hampshire primary, fresh on the heels of the inevitable candidate losing the first electoral contest of the campaign, Clinton went to the gender well in an answer to a voter’s question. Only that time she deployed perhaps the ultimate weapon in the arsenal of feminine wiles, tears.
If nothing else, this quip provides a plausible answer to the question of just what Hillary Clinton will be doing in the White House when the phone rings at 3 AM. Apparently, she’ll be doing her hair.
Hat tip: The Corner at NRO
Posted in 2008 | Democratic Primary | feminism | gender politics | Hillary Clinton — Comments (5)/ Email this page » / Read More »
Posted at 2:01pm on Mar. 28, 2008 Speak now ...
By absentee
No seriously, speak now. Howard Dean has had it with the Battle of the Blands, calling for superdelegates to name that tune by July 1st.
Says Dean, "Well, I think the superdelegates have already been weighing in. I think there’s 800 of them and 450 of them have already said who they’re for. I’d like the other 350 to say who they’re on between now and the first of July so we don’t have to take this into the convention."
In a different interview Dean cited demoralization of the base in the nigh epic primary fight, suggesting that "supporters should keep their mouths shut about this stuff on both sides because that is harmful to the potential victory of a Democrat."
Shut your mouths ... now there's a fundraising flyer I'd like to see.
Posted at 4:26pm on Mar. 20, 2008 The Speech that Keeps on Giving
By Mark I
Answering a question from a local radio host this morning. Sen. Barack Obama showed that he wasn't satisfied with just throwing his white grandmother under the bus, he wants the whole race under there as well.
610 WIP host Angelo Cataldi asked Obama about his Tuesday morning speech on race at the National Constitution Center in which he referenced his own white grandmother and her prejudice. Obama told Cataldi that "The point I was making was not that my grandmother harbors any racial animosity, but that she is a typical white person. If she sees somebody on the street that she doesn't know (pause) there's a reaction in her that doesn't go away and it comes out in the wrong way."
Wow.
It ain't toast yet. But the bread is browning.
Posted at 10:00am on Mar. 18, 2008 Previewing Obama's Speech
If You Can't Say Something Nice, Don't Say Anything At All
By Mark I
Sen. Barack Obama is about to deliver a major speech in response to the controversy surrounding the recent revelations of the teachings of his church's pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright. While the press, which has largely ignored the entire controversy, is destined to praise whatever Obama says and declare the matter settled, it is worth a look at what Obama could possibly say that would accomplish that end.
UPDATE: Drudge has the text of the speech posted. Snipets below.
Read on...
Posted in 2008 | Barack Obama | Democratic Primary | Liberals | religion | Rev. Jeremiah Wright — Comments (137)/ Email this page » / Read More »
Posted at 11:20am on Mar. 10, 2008 RE: Obama as Veep
By Mark I
Ben, I completely agree with your analysis.
There is no way that Obama can have Hillary!™ on the ticket, either as the top dog or as his number two. She and Bill will only work to undermine him or marginalize him. Obama would be better off dropping out than joining up with the Clintons.
Posted at 12:15pm on Jan. 15, 2008 The Clinton Tradition: It's Not My Fault
Hillary and Bill always look for someone else to blame
By Richard H Collins
If history has taught us anything, it is that being a Clinton means it is never your fault. Not surprisingly, Hillary’s presidential campaign continues the Clinton tradition of blaming others for your problems.
Lost in Hillary’s surprise win in New Hampshire was the desperate flailing of Bill and Hillary when they were expecting defeat. They sought to lay the blame for her poor performance on anyone but the candidate herself.
It must infuriate the former first couple to no end that someone like Obama would get in the way of their path to glory. Bill always saw himself as a JFK figure and yet now finds his wife’s opponent taking that mantle. Similarly, Hillary once came to Washington with idealism and big ideas only to have them crushed by her husband’s opponents. Now along comes Obama running on the themes of 1992 while promising to “turn the page.” The disdain her campaign feels toward Obama is palpable.
This emotion came out in the immediate aftermath of her Iowa loss. The first reaction was to belittle Iowa as a small state with no real impact. Sensing this was not a good tactic, Hillary quickly moved on from sour grapes to attempts to contrast her action with her opponents talk. This strategy, however, was often as awkward as her earlier attempts to go negative.
Read On.
Posted in 2008 | Bill Clinton | Democratic Primary | Hillary Clinton | The Media — Comments (2)/ Email this page » / Read More »
Posted at 11:53am on Dec. 24, 2007 'Twas The Night Before Iowa
By Kevin Holtsberry
Since it is "Christmas Eve day" it seems appropriate to watch 'Twas The Night Before Christmas Iowa:
Posted at 10:21am on Dec. 18, 2007 The Winds of Change
By Richard H Collins
The great irony of the Democratic primary is that Hillary seems to have won the battle but lost the war. Voters believe she has the best experience to become president but she still can’t get a majority to vote for her. People may respect her accomplishments, or have fond memories of her husband, but that doesn’t mean they like her. Lacking a clear message or rationale for her campaign, and the charm and personality to connect with voters, Hillary now seems intent on winning by going ugly.
Thanks largely to the inexperience of her chief rivals, Hillary has amazingly sold voters on the idea that eight ineffective and scandal plagued years in the White House and seven bland pork barrel years in the Senate make her the most qualified candidate.
Her veteran and dedicated campaign staff, and her ability to raise outrageous amounts of money, led most in the media to anoint her the frontrunner. And she rode her husband’s popularity and her celebrity status to large national leads.
The media, however, failed to consider a few crucial issues: voter’s dissatisfaction with the status quo and Hillary’s utter lack of a compelling message or winning personality.
Read On.
Posted in 2008 | Barack Obama | Bill Clinton | Democratic Primary | Hillary Clinton — Comments (14)/ Email this page » / Read More »
Posted at 1:57pm on Dec. 8, 2007 Hillary's Not So Charming Side
Are Iowa voters seeing and rejecting the real Hillary?
By Richard H Collins
Seeing her standing in the polls dropping and a steady stream of criticism from her rivals, this week Hillary Clinton decided it was time to go on the attack. And it wasn’t subtle. The headlines read like a Fox special: When Hillary Attacks! But these attacks could easily spark a backlash that solidifies negative perceptions about her rather than weaken her rivals. It seems increasingly clear that Hillary’s angry and combative personality could present a real problem for her campaign.
Read On.
Posted in 2008 | Democratic Primary | Hillary | Iowa Caucuses — Comments (17)/ Email this page » / Read More »
