Tag: 2008 (page 29)

Via Politico:
Here are the You Tube videos:

Deval Patrick 6/3/06

"I am not asking anybody to take a chance on me. I'm asking you to take a chance on your own aspirations."

Barack Obama 11/2/07

I'm not just asking you to take a chance on me. I'm also asking you to take a chance on your own aspirations."

Yesterday I didn't think this was such a big deal. Today I do. How can we believe in the genuineness of his message of hope, optimism and change when he cribbed it from another politician?

Howard Wolfson, on a conference call with reporters today, said Hillary Clinton has raised $15 million in the 15 days -- all since SuperTuesday.

Mark Penn said Wisconsin "has always been difficult" for them. On Texas,

Since promising victory in Texas, the Clinton campaign has acknowledged that the way Democrats allocate delegates in Texas poses a challenge. One-third of the delegates comes from a caucus which begins as soon as the primary polls close on March 4th. The other two-thirds of delegates are awarded by state senate district. Predominantly African-American state senate districts in Texas have more delegates than the state's Hispanic districts because African-Americans have turned out in higher numbers in the state's last two general elections.

The campaign also flatly denied earlier reports about an unnamed campaign official who said Hillary would go after Obama's pledged delegates.

Via Instapundit, there's Krugman and Kevin Drum discussing when the "Obamamania" bubble will burst. I agree with both of them.

Krugman first:

One thing I worry about a lot if Obama is the Dem nominee — and he’s surely the frontrunner now — is that there will be a backlash against Obamamania. Actually, it’s already starting — probably too late to have much effect on the nomination fight, but in plenty of time to affect the general election.

I hope I’m just a cynical baby boomer who has never really trusted any politician since 1968. But I just have a very bad feeling about the way things are going.

Now Kevin: [More...]

Barack Obama expanded a bit today in Ohio on his meeting with John Edwards to seek his endorsement this weekend. He doesn't sound very confident he has it.

The courtship of John Edwards has been entirely inconclusive, Sen. Barack Obama said this afternoon...Edwards is not likely to endorse Obama or Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton soon, the Illinois senator concluded after visiting with Edwards and his wife Elizabeth.

....he suggested that the value of Edwards's backing would have its limits.

After saying he would "love to his support, he adds:

"But right now, what I think is most important is for me to make sure that I am getting out and talking to voters."

Calling all tea-leaf readers. Was he turned down, is Edwards undecided or just not ready to announce his decision?

Agree or disagree, Barack Obama's recycling of words taken from campaign speeches of Mass. Gov. Deval Patrick is a big story today. Here's just one compilation from Mememorandum.

Our original post has more than 200 comments, which means it's time for that thread to close. Since readers have more to say, and the cable news shows are about to start, here's a new one.

Is the media being too harsh on Obama? Not harsh enough? Is his run as media darling about to hit a snag? Or is it all a tempest in a teapot?

A line from a Bob Dylan song keeps running through my head -- I'll change the gender to fit the occasion: "He never stumbles cause he's got no place to fall."

Does Obama have enough of a space carved out to rebound from misses like this?

Update: Comments over 200, now closed.

Both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are scheduled to speak in Texas tomorrow, the day Wisconsin voters go to the polls. They each had to cancel events Sunday in Wisconsin due to weather. Hillary did local campaigning at a diner and grocery store while Obama flew to North Carolina to seek John Edwards' endorsement.

Hillary rescheduled her canceled Wausau event for today, and addressed the labor-oriented crowd on issues.

Surrounded by several hundred enthusiastic union members, Hillary Clinton hit strongly populist themes in her second campaign appearance today in Wisconsin.

At the Wausau Labor Temple, the Democratic presidential candidate emphasized economic themes, including what she wanted to do as president to keep jobs in America, revive manufacturing jobs, hold down interest rates on student loans and stem home foreclosures.

She also spoke to a crowd of 500 at St. Norbert College in De Pere. Obama, on the defensive much of today for using Mass. Gov. Duval Patrick's speeches in his own without crediting the usage, will speak in Beloit tonight.

Hillary and Chelsea will be at a rally in Madison tonight. Hillary also offered new policy today. She announced a food safety recall plan, in the wake of this weekend's huge beef recall.

Who will win Wisconsin and by how much? Take our poll below:

I just love the sound of that phrase, "former President Bush." But, I'm referring here to former President George Herbert Walker Bush (Bush I) who has endorsed John McCain for President.

Here's the video.

What did anyone expect, that he would endorse Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama? This is news that's not news in my opinion. Just another predictable endorsement.

Here's some early morning news items:

• A new Alabama poll shows McCain would sweep the state in November by double digits, and it might happen throughout the deep south.

McCain's double-digit lead emerged even though poll respondents' biggest concern was the economy, an area not considered one of his strengths. The poll results also offered evidence that despite President Bush's slumping approval ratings, the GOP retains a tight grip on the region, at least in national races.

"My expectation is that Alabama and Georgia and maybe all of the Deep South is going to end up in the Republican column, regardless of who the players are," University of Georgia political scientist Charles Bullock said. "If they don't, it's going to be a massive Democratic blowout."

....McCain is well-known for his appeal to independents, about two-thirds of whom would support him over either Democrat, according to the Press-Register/USA poll.

• Hillary and Obama both spoke at the Founder's Gala dinner in Wisconsin last night. Here's where they differ:

Here's an late-night roundup:

• NY Times: Al Gore and John Edwards are holding back on endorsements. Gore, in particular, is waiting in the wings to play mediator if the race doesn't tip soon towards Hillary or Obama.

• NY Times: Some New York City superdelagates holding firm for Hillary, even in districts Obama won.

• NY Times: McCain v. Obama on public financing. The League of Women Voters weighs in on this.

• AP: Hillary says she can beat Obama and McCain. For her, it's not "Yes, we can" but "Yes, we will."

• AP: Obama on Hillary: "I understand that Senator Clinton, periodically when she's feeling down, launches attacks as a way of trying to boost her appeal," he told reporters." Here's the video. Sexist? Very, says Lambert at Corrente Wire. [More...]

The Washington Post lays out the problems for Obama in Texas. Shorter version: He still suffers from a lack of support in the Hispanic community.

It begins with John McCain, who does have Hispanic support in Texas:

The Latino community is a critical piece of any Democratic candidate's general election calculations. Against John McCain, who has championed comprehensive immigration reform to his detriment in the Republican primaries, the Democratic nominee will face an opponent who begins the general election with a credible chance of holding a solid minority of the Hispanic vote.

On to Hillary: [More...]

Via Jerome at MyDD:

Here's the state of the race that includes all 50 states (TL adds: in other words, with Florida and Michigan counting):

Clinton leads Obama, 1127 to 1119, in pledged delegates.

Clinton leads Obama, 240 to 140, in super-delegates.

There are 393 remaining super-delegates.

There are 1301 remaining pledged delegates.

There are another 94 remaining delegates among the uncommitted, and John Edwards delegates.

Sources: Jerome says Green Papers and DemConWatch have the best and most accurate information.

Hillary Clinton's campaign has released a statement today, The Path to the Nomination.

The campaign also notes that since Super Tuesday, it has received more than $13 million online from 135,000 donors (virtually all new).

She also congratulates Sen. Obama on his victories in recent contests.

I've reprinted the statement below the fold:

NOTE: Comments are now closed. (BTD)