Michigan: Was Obama motivated by fear of a poor showing?

[Karmadillo]

http://iowaindependent.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=1264

Iowans are by and large straightforward people. Given that, it should come as no surprise that to the average Iowan, the Michigan ballot situation seems pretty cut and dried: Democratic presidential hopefuls who honor their four-state pledge and support the nomination calendar won't be on the Wolverine State's ballot. As with most things in life, and especially politics, the situation is more complicated.

Five individuals connected to five different campaigns have confirmed -- but only under condition of anonymity -- that the situation that developed in connection with the Michigan ballot is not at all as it appears on the surface. The campaign for Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, arguably fearing a poor showing in Michigan, reached out to the others with a desire of leaving New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton as the only candidate on the ballot. The hope was that such a move would provide one more political obstacle for the Clinton campaign to overcome in Iowa.

Despite speaking in confidence, sources were quick to point out that the discussions were not the final deciding factor when candidates' names were removed from the ballot.

"Yes, such discussion did take place," said one national staffer, "but that doesn't mean we were influenced by it. The decision to pull from the Michigan ballot -- or other renegade states' ballots, for that matter -- was made the day we signed the pledge with the four early states."

[RaleighNCDUer]

1. Unmitigated bullshit.

That entire article would be perfectly valid by leaving out a singe part of a single line - "arguably fearing a poor showing in Michigan...".

What does it say WITHOUT that single phrase?

"The campaign for Illinois Sen. Barack Obama reached out to the others with a desire of leaving New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton as the only candidate on the ballot. The hope was that such a move would provide one more political obstacle for the Clinton campaign to overcome in Iowa."

Is this not a perfectly valid political ploy? Leaving Hillary hanging out there to explain to Iowans why she wants to undercut their position in the primary calendar? Particularly when doing so supports the position of the national Democratic party?

You couldn't think that maybe Obama (and the others) is not acting out of fear and weakness, but out of principle and, to a degree, (gasp) political consideration?

[Cameron27]

2. Of course it's a political calculation,

whether he did it out of fear is debatable, but nothing goes on in this primary without calculation.

[rinsd]

3. Exactly!

What I don't understand is the pinning of some type of nobility to it.

Out of principle? Political grandstanding to put your opponent in an uncomfortable position is out of principle?

[Cameron27]

4. Well I know, it's all ridiculous,

like I'm supposed to believe that Edwards taking public financing is a heroic gesture. It gets laughable. They may be our guys and I admire most of them, but they're still politicians trying to get elected.

[RaleighNCDUer]

6. Tell me which one is defying the agreed upon schedule set by

the national Democratic party, and THEN tell me who is grandstanding.

The screwing with the primaries was a put up job by the DLC to undercut Dean and the DNC - nevermind that it is destructive to the party as a whole.

When you're in the game, you play the cards you are dealt - you don't shuffle them off the bottom of the deck. You want to change the rules, wait until the hand is played out, and change them for the next hand.

[Cameron27]

7. You tell me how Clinton's position in Michigan is

any different from the one Obama's taking in FL.

[rinsd]

12. Umm none of the candidates are defying the DNC, MI & FL are.

Unless you think Chris Dodd who was the FIRST to sign the pledge is wrong.

This is a made up extension of the pledge by desperate candidates.

As was said elsewhere the decision to remove one's self or stay on the ballot are both political decisions.

[illinoisprogressive]

5. uh, no. some of the candidates talked this over.

nothing more than politics.

[Ethelk2044]

8. This is a Bull Shit post. Obama would do well in Michigan but he has ethics unlike someone who

refuses to take her name off the ballot. Get your facts straight

[emilyg]

10. and lots of "hope".

[Karmadillo]

11. Thank you, Zoroaster.

nt

[hedgehog]

9. So a blogger with anonymous sources tells us that the other

candidates ganged up on Hillary and forced her to keep her name on the ballot?

Me, I'm crossing my fingers that Kucinich wipes up the floor with her!

[zulchzulu]

13. This is a classic "look over here...nothing to see there" antic to take away...

...the attention that voters in the first four states will scrutinize on Clinton's double-dealing on signing the First Four State Pledge while keeping her name on the Michigan ballot.

People can see through the BS.