Clinton and Obama: making way for Edwards? Clark? Gore? Somebody?

[frogcycle]

(frogcycle dons flamesuit)

What was, I thought, a minor slip in the nuance by Obama in answering the question with a flat "yes" has now been spun up into fricking WWIII.

I am thoroughly disgusted by both of them, and their campaign people.

This escalation of a war of words built on little or no difference in their actual positions but an unfortunate phraseology by Obama "under the lights" is gutter politics at its worst. I would expect it from the pugs; am surprised (silly me) at it from them.

The fact is, Obama answered spontaneously and unthinkingly, in my opinion. But as he said later, he did not mean he would invite them all to tea. What I suspect got by him onstage under the lights was the commit to meet all of them in the first year. He responded in concept to the idea of willingness to have a dialogue, using the analogy of Reagan meeting with the Soviet leaders. So the "gotcha" of the phraseology got him. By the way, I am NOT a big Obama fan, not looking to make excuses.

But much like the piling on when Kerry botched a joke (anybody remember a certain New York Senator in that one?) Clinton says he is naive and inexperienced blah blah blah. She won on points by giving a better answer Mon. night. Now she is losing, in my estimation, by milking it. And Obama comes out today and calls her bush/cheney light!?! Whats up with that? He is trying to twist what she said into the equivalent of bush's attitude toward diplomacy (something only weaklings do).

I watched their "people" on both Hardball and Blitzer this evening. They were trying to outshout each other, stepping all over each other, introducing every sound bite they could think of - it might as well have been coultergeist or hannity duking it out with rosie o'donnell. This has now turned really ugly, and I predict they both will lose from it.

John Edwards must be smiling big time.

[Colobo]

1. Edwards is not getting any press. He's talking about the issues but...

who's listening apart of his core supporters?

[Horse with no Name]

2. And THAT is the problem

Very sad.

[BlueStater]

3. I wish Edwards was able to pull himself out this slump he's in

I hate and am disgusted that Hillary and Obama are rapidly becoming the only two candidates that matter.

[Horse with no Name]

6. Thing is

He is ONLY in a slump because they media ignores him as a viable candidate.

[draft_mario_cuomo]

9. Edwards has cut Obama's national lead over him from 15 to 8 in less than a week

It appears his strong debate performance is reversing his slump and simultaneously Obama has lost ground since the debate.

[Ethelk2044]

18. keep dreaming

[draft_mario_cuomo]

12. That is good. Lay low while HRC and BO tear each other to pieces

BO is especially at risk, since this damages the Obama brand more than it damages HRC. I am sure the calculation from Team Obama is that they can afford to lose a bit because they believe they will cause HRC to lose even more ground. They realize they need to do something to shake up the race and prevent HRC from running away with things.

[polichick]

4. If Richardson really wanted to...

He could make them look like a couple of kids in the sandbox.

[RaleighNCDUer]

16. He doesn't want to, though. He's at 1% not because of his lack of

ideas or lack of experience, but because he lacks that fire in the belly - he doesn't want it bad enough.

But he'd be a decent enough veep for any of them.

[polichick]

17. I don't know what's holding him back...

He said on some show the other day that he would much rather be Gov. of New Mexico than veep, and he seemed very serious. Maybe he wants Sec'y of State.

[Tom Rinaldo]

5. Clark is a guest on the Charlie Rose show tonight

On PBS. Broadcast times vary but for me it is 11:00 PM eastern. Charlie Rose is a host who is known for actually asking his guests probing, substantive questions and giving them the time they need to really answer them. Tune in for actual substance.

[Wesin04]

11. The time is almost here

For Wes Clark to step in and show them what a grown up sounds like. Send 'em to their corners, Wes.

[frogcycle]

13. yep, looking forward to it

1 hr from now in Chicago area

[draft_mario_cuomo]

15. Thanks for the heads up! nt

[Forkboy]

7. Hope springs eternal.

[NCarolinawoman]

8. Last spring I read in my local newspaper, Raleigh News & Observer,

that the Edwards camp hopes that Hillary and Obama really go after each other....kind of like the way Dean and Gephardt dlid. They would tear each other up, turn people off, and this would supposedly leave the opening for Edwards.

In my opinion, that would also leave an opening for another National Security candidate to step in. Perhaps Biden? He is a much better debater than Richardson.

Of course, I would really like to see Wes Clark fill that role, but he doesn't seem to have any kind of organizational "ground game" going on. On the other hand, he doesn't need to study up on anything--not even on economic issues. He writes his own speeches, so in that way he could hit the ground running. As could Al Gore.

[frogcycle]

10. yep

Clark is giving the Keynote address at Yearly Kos next week. I expect he'll bring the house down. As I wrote to him after that speech in Iowa that got all the u-tube circulation last year, it was true oratory. Not since JFK and MLK had I heard such.

[draft_mario_cuomo]

14. HRC and BO calling each other names can only help Edwards by default nt