DEM Primaries/Candidates thread

[BigSqwert]

So what did he say?

I couldn't do it justice. Wait for it to be youtubed.

[Balta1701]

So what did he say?

Link. Video probably soon somewhere.

[BigSqwert]

Found this on Politico's site.

 

In a laudably bloggy spirit, the Obama campaign annotates a bravado-filled Clinton memo from earlier today:

 

From: Bill Burton

Sent: Wed 3/12/2008 6:36 PM

To: Bill Burton

Subject: FW: The Clinton Memo... as annotated by the Obama communicationsdepartment

 

To: Interested Parties

 

From: Clinton Campaign

 

Date: Wednesday, March 12, 2008

 

Re: Keystone Test: Obama Losing Ground [Get ready for a good one.]

 

 

 

The path to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue goes through Pennsylvania so if Barack Obama can't win there, how will he win the general election?

 

 

 

[Answer: I suppose by holding obviously Democratic states like California and New York, and beating McCain in swing states like Colorado, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Virginia and Wisconsin where Clinton lost to Obama by mostly crushing margins. But good question.]

 

 

 

After setbacks in Ohio and Texas, Barack Obama needs to demonstrate that he can win the state of Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania is the last state with more than 15 electoral votes on the primary calendar and Barack Obama has lost six of the seven other largest states so far - every state except his home state of Illinois.

 

 

 

[if you define "setback" as netting enough delegates out of our 20-plus-point wins in Mississippi and Wyoming to completely erase any delegate advantage the Clinton campaign earned out of March 4th, then yeah, we feel pretty setback.]

 

 

 

Pennsylvania is of particular importance, along with Ohio, Florida and Michigan, because it is dominated by the swing voters who are critical to a Democratic victory in November. No Democrat has won the presidency without winning Pennsylvania since 1948. And no candidate has won the Democratic nomination without winning Pennsylvania since 1972.

 

 

 

[What the Clinton campaign secretly means: PAY NO ATTENTION TO THE FACT THAT WE'VE LOST 14 OF THE LAST 17 CONTESTS AND SAID THAT MICHIGAN AND FLORIDA WOULDN'T COUNT FOR ANYTHING. Also, we're still trying to wrap our minds around the amazing coincidence that the only "important" states in the nominating process are the ones that Clinton won.]

 

 

 

But the Obama campaign has just announced that it is turning its attention away from Pennsylvania.

 

 

 

[Huh?]

 

 

 

This is not a strategy that can beat John McCain in November.

 

 

 

[i don't think Clinton's strategy of losing in state after state after promising more of the same politics is working all that well either.]

 

 

 

In the last two weeks, Barack Obama has lost ground among men, women, Democrats, independents and Republicans - all of which point to a candidacy past its prime.

 

 

 

["A candidacy past its prime." These guys kill me.]

 

 

 

For example, just a few weeks ago, Barack Obama won 68% of men in Virginia, 67% in Wisconsin and 62% in Maryland. He won 60% of Virginia women and 55% of Maryland women. He won 62% of independents in Maryland, 64% in Wisconsin and 69% in Virginia. Obama won 59% of Democrats in Maryland, 53% in Wisconsin and 62% in Virginia. And among Republicans, Obama won 72% in both Virginia and Wisconsin.

 

 

 

But now Obama's support has dropped among all these groups.

 

 

 

[That's true, if you don't count all the winning we've been up to. As it turns out, it's difficult to maintain 40-point demographic advantages, even over Clinton]

 

 

 

In Mississippi, he won only 25% of Republicans and barely half of independents. In Ohio, he won only 48% of men, 41% of women and 42% of Democrats. In Texas, he won only 49% of independents and 46% of Democrats. And in Rhode Island, Obama won just 33% of women and 37% of Democrats.

 

 

 

[i'm sympathetic to their attempt to parse crushing defeats. And I'm sure Rush Limbaugh's full-throated endorsement of Clinton didn't make any difference. Right]

 

 

 

Why are so many voters turning away from Barack Obama in state after state?

 

 

 

[You mean besides the fact that we're ahead in votes, states won and delegates?]

 

 

 

In the last few weeks, questions have arisen about Obama's readiness to be president. In Virginia, 56% of Democratic primary voters said Obama was most qualified to be commander-in-chief. That number fell to 37% in Ohio, 35% in Rhode Island and 39% in Texas.

 

 

 

[Only the Clinton campaign could cherry pick states like this. But in contrast to their logic, in the most recent contest of Mississippi, voters said that Obama was more qualified to be commander in chief than Clinton by a margin of 55-42.]

 

 

 

So the late deciders - those making up their minds in the last days before the election - have been shifting to Hillary Clinton. Among those who made their decision in the last three days, Obama won 55% in Virginia and 53% in Wisconsin, but only 43% in Mississippi, 40% in Ohio, 39% in Texas and 37% in Rhode Island.

 

 

 

[if only there were enough late deciders for the Clinton campaign to actually be ahead, they would really be on to something.]

 

 

 

If Barack Obama cannot reverse his downward spiral with a big win in Pennsylvania, he cannot possibly be competitive against John McCain in November.

 

 

 

[if they are defining downward spiral as a series of events in which the Clinton campaign has lost more votes, lost more contests and lost more delegates to us - I guess we will have to suffer this horribly painful slide all the way to the nomination and then on to the White House.]

 

 

 

[Thanks for the laughs guys. This was great.]

[HuskyCaucasian]

Here ya go:

 

[Greg The Bull Luzinski]

Well, I have new respect for Olberman. He tore her a new one, and did it with precision.

[HuskyCaucasian]

Well, I have new respect for Olberman. He tore her a new one, and did it with precision.

His only problem is there is too much of her that needs to be ripped apart to cover in a 10 minute special comment.

He needs to turn his nightly "Bushed" segment into "Hill-Wacked"

[BigSqwert]

Ready on day one.

 

[103 mph screwball]

Here ya go:

 

That was awesome! Outstanding journalism! That was well spoken, organized, passionately delivered dose of truth. I remember him from ESPN. Wow. I didn't think I'd ever see anything like that on the news. I agree 100%. It is bad to go negative against the front runner of your own party. It is worse that she could cost the Democrats a shot in November. But it is inexcusable and unforgivable for her to appeal to racism and drag our nation back decades. The Democratic leadership are spineless. She must have threatened to run as a 3rd party candidate or they would have put a stop to this travesty long ago. I will not live in this country with Clinton as Commander in Chief. I would rather vote for McCain. I completely understand how President Bush won his second term. He was running against a leaderless party of keystone cops.

[NorthSideSox72]

the plus side to Obama's "50 state strategy" is he can reclaim states like new hampshire, michigan, iowa, missouri, wyoming that have gone republican. They aren't the sexy FLA and OH delegates, but they add up.

Wyoming will not be voting for a Dem anytime soon. The mountain west is good territory for the Dems to pick up some states, no doubt - CO, MT, NM, AZ, NV, OR, WA - are all in play. But UT, WY and ID are still deep, deep red.

 

[NorthSideSox72]

Pretty sure he always does that at the ending.

I usually avoid Olbermann - I think he's irritating and tends to mold quotes and facts a bit to fit his agenda. Plus, he can't hold a candle to Mr. Murrow.

 

But I did actually watch his Clinton diatribe last night, and I enjoyed it.

 

[HuskyCaucasian]

Texas gives up on counting the caucus system...

http://www.kveo.com/news/local/16594611.html

 

The Texas Democratic Party has washed its hands of trying to tally up last weeks Texas caucus votes. What does that mean for the estimated 1 million votes from the post-primary caucuses?

Multimedia

 

Plenty of caucus chaos and confusion from last week's super Tuesday primary caused the Texas Democratic Party to end their voluntary call in system. with fewer than half of the state precincts reported. This all because, they say they were overwhelmed with trying to tally the flood of votes.

[StrangeSox]

So what does that mean for the votes?

 

The Democrats sure are doing a great job of disenfranchising voters this year.

[NorthSideSox72]

So what does that mean for the votes?

 

The Democrats sure are doing a great job of disenfranchising voters this year.

This isn't "The Democrats" disenfranchising anyone. FL and MI can thank their idiot leaders for trying to break the primary rules for their lack of voting. And Texans can blame that goofy system their own state used down there of a primary AND caucus. I mean seriously, what idiots thought that system was a good idea?

 

[Texsox]

What will this do for the maps?

[Texsox]

BTW, I've been hoping for a five ballot floor fight at the convention. I want lots of secret backroom deals, accusations, dirty tricks, the whole deal.

[BigSqwert]

What will this do for the maps?

Why I oughtta!

[southsider2k5]

This isn't "The Democrats" disenfranchising anyone. FL and MI can thank their idiot leaders for trying to break the primary rules for their lack of voting. And Texans can blame that goofy system their own state used down there of a primary AND caucus. I mean seriously, what idiots thought that system was a good idea?

 

From the sounds of it... Hillary Clinton and her advisors, well at least until they were against it.

 

The quickest way to disenfranchise people would be for the Superdelegates to not follow the will of the majority at the convention.

[Texsox]

Why I oughtta!

[FlaSoxxJim]

BTW, I've been hoping for a five ballot floor fight at the convention. I want lots of secret backroom deals, accusations, dirty tricks, the whole deal.

 

So THAT'S how that big tub of goo Ruben beat my boy Clay on American Idol, huh?

 

Edited March 13, 2008 by FlaSoxxJim

[Texsox]

So THAT'S how that big tub of goo Ruben beat my boy Clay on American Idol, huh?

 

 

Proud to say I am the only person in America that has never watched a moment of American Idol.

[kapkomet]

From the sounds of it... Hillary Clinton and her advisors, well at least until they were against it.

 

The quickest way to disenfranchise people would be for the Superdelegates to not follow the will of the majority at the convention.

The Texas caucus and primary system has been around for a long while. If you want a history lesson, I can give it to you.

[NorthSideSox72]

The Texas caucus and primary system has been around for a long while. If you want a history lesson, I can give it to you.

Please do. I got the impression it was semi-new. And I currently have the impression its a goofy system.

 

[southsider2k5]

Please do. I got the impression it was semi-new. And I currently have the impression its a goofy system.

 

Yeah! I was under the impression that the Clinton team helped build that mess. If it isn't true, I'd like to know the truth!

[HuskyCaucasian]

Can Stan Lee Take Down Hillary?

Stan Lee hosted a fundraising event back in 2000, the "The Hollywood Gala Salute To William Jefferson Clinton And Hillary Rodham Clinton" arranged by Peter Paul, the man behind Stan Lee Media, the internet venture that eventually collapsed into bankruptcy and Paul was jailed after pleading guilty to stock manipulation.

 

Hillary Clinton's campaign team recently resubmitted their report to the FEC, stating that Stan Lee contributed $225,000 in 2000 to her Senate campaign.

 

However in a deposition back in 2005, (handily just uploaded to YouTube here and here), Lee states that he did not make such a financial contribution to her campaign. He does, under oath, describe himself as the co-creator of Spider-Man and Hulk.

 

Lee states that he wrote a $100,000 cheque after being given a $100,000 cheque made payable to himself by Peter Paul, but states he never had $100,000 to donate to anybody.

[Texsox]

 

 

(March 11, 2008)--The state Democratic Party has washed its hands of trying to tally the results of last week's Texas caucuses.

 

Overwhelmed local officials, meanwhile, continue to grapple with the roundup of 8,700 precinct conventions in what may have been the nation's largest caucus ever.

 

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'); An estimated 1 million people showed up for the March 4 post-primary caucuses.

 

That's more than four times the estimated 220,000 who attended Iowa's first-in-the nation presidential contest.

 

Less than a week after the caucuses, the state party threw in the towel, saying it had ended a voluntary call-in system when fewer than half the precincts reported.

 

Just over 40 percent of the precinct caucuses were reported to the state.

 

Barack Obama is leading Hillary Rodham Clinton 56 percent to 44 percent.

 

Caucusing reporting indicates that so far Texas Democrats have elected 23,918 delegates for Obama and 18,620 for Clinton.

 

Those delegates will attend the March 29 regional caucuses, where they will be whittled down before the state convention in June.

 

That's when the final delegate count for the March 4 Texas caucuses will be known.

 

Clinton won the popular vote in the Texas primary, held the same night.

 

Her 51 percent of the vote, compared to his 47 percent, earned her 65 delegates to his 61.