There are primaries this Tuesday in Oregon and Kentucky. A big win in Oregon should give Obama more than half of the pledged delegates. So.... Obama has elected to celebrate with the ones who brung 'im, "Obama to Return to Iowa, Possibly to Claim Victory." (NY Times)
An overwhelming victory in Oregon for Obama is definitely in the air as "75,000 Attend Obama Rally in Portland." on Sunday. (MSNBC Firstread) Obama's biggest rally of the campaign to date.
It was Obama's Iowa caucus win over John Edwards and Hillary Clinton that breathed life and viability into his historic quest to become the Democratic candidate for president.
Against the odds of a scorched-earth Clinton political machine, the sniping of a terrified GOP preferring to run against a high-negatives Hillary, the lingering whiff of racial bias, the high-octane destructive rants of Obama's former pastor Rev. Wright.... even the conniving of Limbaugh dittoheads voting for Hillary Clinton in Operation Chaos...
Against all of these odds it seems an almost certainty that Obama will become not only the first African American candidate for the presidency, but has a better than 50-50 chance of becoming the first African American president of the United States.
On Tuesday Obama will revisit Iowa where his feet were firmly planted on the path to the White House.... 95 percent white Iowa, with politically-educated caucus-goers who listened and were energized by his politics of hope, inclusion and change.
Iowa, a swing state in November, won't forget Obama now. His second beginning starts Tuesday in Iowa.... the pledged-delegate benchmark heralding the beginning of Obama's national campaign. It's fitting that Obama.... Iowa's "favorite son".... touches home.
Showing posts with label John Edwards. Show all posts
Showing posts with label John Edwards. Show all posts
Monday, May 19, 2008
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Iowa: Gateway to the White House
Where did Hillary's inevitable coronation become a donnybrook? Her stately campaign-march to Denver an anything-goes Mad Max fender-bender? Her unquestioned entitlement an increasingly impossible slog through Obama lands?.....
It's Iowa.... Iowa.... as in "Where did the tables turn?" where Roger Simon of Politico autopsies Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign.
As Simon dissects the remains of Hillary's once unassailable nomination, he names the main cause of the demise of her White House hopes, "Iowa is where Clinton needed to strangle the Barack Obama campaign in its crib."
Instead, she crossed the finish line in Iowa's first-in-the-nation caucus a panting third after Obama and John Edwards, handicapped by her yesteryear campaign strategy of ignoring young voters "who simply don't vote".... but did vote in droves for Obama. And, with no idea going forward of what to do against the then-credible and well-funded Obama phenomena.
And, because the Obama campaign focus on Iowa wasn't a dismissive "gateway to New Hampshire," organizational-effort like Clinton's, who tried to ride to victory on her Billary-powered showboat.
As Obama's chief strategist David Axelrod said this week.... "Iowa was our gateway to the nomination."
It's Iowa.... Iowa.... as in "Where did the tables turn?" where Roger Simon of Politico autopsies Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign.
As Simon dissects the remains of Hillary's once unassailable nomination, he names the main cause of the demise of her White House hopes, "Iowa is where Clinton needed to strangle the Barack Obama campaign in its crib."
Instead, she crossed the finish line in Iowa's first-in-the-nation caucus a panting third after Obama and John Edwards, handicapped by her yesteryear campaign strategy of ignoring young voters "who simply don't vote".... but did vote in droves for Obama. And, with no idea going forward of what to do against the then-credible and well-funded Obama phenomena.
And, because the Obama campaign focus on Iowa wasn't a dismissive "gateway to New Hampshire," organizational-effort like Clinton's, who tried to ride to victory on her Billary-powered showboat.
As Obama's chief strategist David Axelrod said this week.... "Iowa was our gateway to the nomination."
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Obama Gains 9 Iowa Delegates
A new development in Iowa may be one of the most important.... and under reported.... events in the Democratic presidential campaign.... "Obama gains delegates at county conventions." (DMRegister)
While the Sunday talk shows sail down hate-baiting campaign rapids intended to "swiftboat" Barack Obama, he is quietly making real progress where it matters.... the safe harbor of delegates.
"Obama improved on the 38 percent he received statewide in winning January's leadoff caucuses. He did that in part by picking up at the [county] conventions more support than Clinton from supporters of John Edwards. He also posted big margins in Iowa's largest counties and edged Clinton in some counties she carried on caucus night."
In all, Obama "gained nine national convention delegates after all of the results came in from Iowa's 99 counties"... Clinton's delegate count shrunk by one.
It seems Iowans aren't taken in by the vicious by-association assault on Obama. They have listened to his vision for the country, noted his brilliance, sound judgment and presidential temperament and gotten on board.
In a perfect world, Obama's voyage to the nomination would be easy sailing.
While the Sunday talk shows sail down hate-baiting campaign rapids intended to "swiftboat" Barack Obama, he is quietly making real progress where it matters.... the safe harbor of delegates.
"Obama improved on the 38 percent he received statewide in winning January's leadoff caucuses. He did that in part by picking up at the [county] conventions more support than Clinton from supporters of John Edwards. He also posted big margins in Iowa's largest counties and edged Clinton in some counties she carried on caucus night."
In all, Obama "gained nine national convention delegates after all of the results came in from Iowa's 99 counties"... Clinton's delegate count shrunk by one.
It seems Iowans aren't taken in by the vicious by-association assault on Obama. They have listened to his vision for the country, noted his brilliance, sound judgment and presidential temperament and gotten on board.
In a perfect world, Obama's voyage to the nomination would be easy sailing.
Wednesday, January 09, 2008
Hillary Weathers NH Storm
Hillary's perfect-storm loss in the New Hampshire presidential primaries didn't happen. She weathered the storm, defeating rival Barack Obama in a cliff-hanger by a couple of percentage points.
The forecasters missed this one.... big time. Why is that? Every poll, except one by a college, showed Obama carrying the day.
Obviously the polls were wrong. There may have been several reasons besides the fact that Obama may have tried to make history instead of a cogent rationale for the vote.....
It could be that people lied to the pollsters in New Hampshire. While saying they could and would vote for a black candidate, in reality when left to the secret process of casting their vote, they showed a less-unbiased face than the PC one shown the pollsters.
On the other hand, the voters in Iowa had to publicly declare.... no room there for private ugliness. As the process moves forward Obama would do well not to depend on the sunny beachfront of acceptance reflected in the polls, they could be quicksand.
And, while there was no storm, there was a shower of sympathy for a more vulnerable, even teary, and ganged-up-on appearing Hillary. Her softer side was, and will be, a more formidable campaign front for Obama to face. She said she found herself in New Hampshire.... believe it.
And Bill.... he was well off-stage when Hillary made her acceptance speech. Perhaps at last recognizing he's more of a distraction. Hillary managed to overcome his "help," although his ham-fisted attempts to make the Obama story into a fairy tale may have given her some of the "there he goes again" womens' vote.
The next big battleground state for the Democrats will be Nevada on January 19, the home state of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. The most sought-after endorsement there is from the 60,000-member-strong Culinary Workers union and this morning ABC News confirmed that the union will endorse Obama.
This endorsement will definitely give Obama a boost in a state that is expecting only 40,000 to participate in their caucuses. But, Hillary is also courting union workers, John Edwards (who finished a distant third in NH) has invested a lot of time in Nevada with his populist message, and New Mexico governor Bill Richardson (who barely registered in NH) is counting on the large Hispanic population of Nevada to pull him out of the campaign storm cellar.
Let's see what the polls forecast for Nevada .... regardless, Obama had better batten down the hatches as he navigates the rough primary seas in Nevada and onward to Super Tuesday.
The forecasters missed this one.... big time. Why is that? Every poll, except one by a college, showed Obama carrying the day.
Obviously the polls were wrong. There may have been several reasons besides the fact that Obama may have tried to make history instead of a cogent rationale for the vote.....
It could be that people lied to the pollsters in New Hampshire. While saying they could and would vote for a black candidate, in reality when left to the secret process of casting their vote, they showed a less-unbiased face than the PC one shown the pollsters.
On the other hand, the voters in Iowa had to publicly declare.... no room there for private ugliness. As the process moves forward Obama would do well not to depend on the sunny beachfront of acceptance reflected in the polls, they could be quicksand.
And, while there was no storm, there was a shower of sympathy for a more vulnerable, even teary, and ganged-up-on appearing Hillary. Her softer side was, and will be, a more formidable campaign front for Obama to face. She said she found herself in New Hampshire.... believe it.
And Bill.... he was well off-stage when Hillary made her acceptance speech. Perhaps at last recognizing he's more of a distraction. Hillary managed to overcome his "help," although his ham-fisted attempts to make the Obama story into a fairy tale may have given her some of the "there he goes again" womens' vote.
The next big battleground state for the Democrats will be Nevada on January 19, the home state of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. The most sought-after endorsement there is from the 60,000-member-strong Culinary Workers union and this morning ABC News confirmed that the union will endorse Obama.
This endorsement will definitely give Obama a boost in a state that is expecting only 40,000 to participate in their caucuses. But, Hillary is also courting union workers, John Edwards (who finished a distant third in NH) has invested a lot of time in Nevada with his populist message, and New Mexico governor Bill Richardson (who barely registered in NH) is counting on the large Hispanic population of Nevada to pull him out of the campaign storm cellar.
Let's see what the polls forecast for Nevada .... regardless, Obama had better batten down the hatches as he navigates the rough primary seas in Nevada and onward to Super Tuesday.
Monday, January 07, 2008
The Clintons Backward Glance
Is this a diva trill?...... me, me, me, ME, me, me, me. No, it's the theme of Bill Clinton's remarks in New Hampshire while supposedly campaigning for Hillary. What he actually said last night is: "We can't be a new story, I'm sorry. I can't make her younger, taller, male. There are a lot of things I can't do." MSNBC
Here we thought opponent Barack Obama was Hillary Clinton's worst nightmare. No. Her worst nightmare is Bill.
As the polls show Obama steadily outpacing Hillary, the egocentric message coming from Bill amounts to.... "it's not my fault."
But, maybe it is.
Bill is yesterday, making Hillary and her "experience" yesterday. The voters sent a loud message in Iowa.... they want tomorrow. The polls agree.... it's all about tomorrow.
Like a robin on a June bug, Drudge pounced on the odor of desperation coming from the Clinton campaign in their flash today "from one top campaign insider.... Facing a double-digit defeat in New Hampshire, a sudden collapse in national polls and an expected fund-raising drought, Senator Hillary Clinton is preparing for a tough decision: Does she get out of the race? And when?!"
They also reported that John Edwards confided to a senior staffer that he is staying in the race because Hillary "could soon be out."
Rumors of a campaign meltdown are rife. A Clinton adviser told the Politico, "we're going to lose South Carolina." While Nevada is definitely pulling back as her endorsement by the powerful culinary union is in limbo, evidently awaiting the NH results.
On MSNBC's "Morning Joe" show this morning, Andrea Mitchell reported that many of Hillary's supporters at her rallies in New Hampshire are from Long Island and Upstate New York. NBC Washington bureau chief Tim Russert confirmed this, adding that at a rally he attended at Nashua High School over the weekend he was stunned to find the school's parking lot filled with cars bearing Massachusetts plates.
It's beginning to look like the perfect storm.... a dropping barometer of expectations, the gathering thunderheads of the Obama whirlwind, and her yesterday-sailor Bill heading for the lifeboats. If Hillary stays the course, it's going to be a dark ride.
Here we thought opponent Barack Obama was Hillary Clinton's worst nightmare. No. Her worst nightmare is Bill.
As the polls show Obama steadily outpacing Hillary, the egocentric message coming from Bill amounts to.... "it's not my fault."
But, maybe it is.
Bill is yesterday, making Hillary and her "experience" yesterday. The voters sent a loud message in Iowa.... they want tomorrow. The polls agree.... it's all about tomorrow.
Like a robin on a June bug, Drudge pounced on the odor of desperation coming from the Clinton campaign in their flash today "from one top campaign insider.... Facing a double-digit defeat in New Hampshire, a sudden collapse in national polls and an expected fund-raising drought, Senator Hillary Clinton is preparing for a tough decision: Does she get out of the race? And when?!"
They also reported that John Edwards confided to a senior staffer that he is staying in the race because Hillary "could soon be out."
Rumors of a campaign meltdown are rife. A Clinton adviser told the Politico, "we're going to lose South Carolina." While Nevada is definitely pulling back as her endorsement by the powerful culinary union is in limbo, evidently awaiting the NH results.
On MSNBC's "Morning Joe" show this morning, Andrea Mitchell reported that many of Hillary's supporters at her rallies in New Hampshire are from Long Island and Upstate New York. NBC Washington bureau chief Tim Russert confirmed this, adding that at a rally he attended at Nashua High School over the weekend he was stunned to find the school's parking lot filled with cars bearing Massachusetts plates.
It's beginning to look like the perfect storm.... a dropping barometer of expectations, the gathering thunderheads of the Obama whirlwind, and her yesterday-sailor Bill heading for the lifeboats. If Hillary stays the course, it's going to be a dark ride.
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