And now for something less breathless

[Tom Rinaldo]

I think the high water mark of Obama fever was reached prior to the Super Tuesday results coming in. The build up about Obama's surging momentum was relentless. MoveOn.org hastened to trot out a last minute endorsement process, rushing to get it started without even letting members watch the last debate first. The media was in 7th heaven, waxing poetic about Camelot and dragging up every comparison to anything Kennedy that they could find. Suddenly Ted Kennedy was back in vogue, after being ridiculed as the poster boy of outdated over indulgent liberalism for the last decade by the main stream media.

I think that fever has broken, but not Obama's campaign. He may well go on from here to win the Democratic nomination. But the breathless anticipation of making history on Super Tuesday by throwing off the shackles of the 90's past with the help of the 60's past reached its climax. Lets watch to see how this contest plays out now in a slightly more sober light. Each candidate has real strengths, it will be hard fought from here on out, but just maybe a little more of the focus will return to actual issues rather than dramatic war commentary regarding competing Democratic legacy dynasties, or to some amorphous "tingly feeling" in the air.

[DURHAM D]

1. I agree - the fever has broken.

But the MSM will soldier on for their guy.

MSNBC is no doubt having strategy meetings right now on their collective narrative.

[Tom Rinaldo]

3. I wonder if we will continue to see non stop stories about the Kennedys?

The change in how the media treated Ted Kennedy after he endorsed Obama was astonishing. Prior to that saying they tended to treat him unkindly would be an understatement on the order of saying the that College LaCrosse championship games get less coverage than the Super Bowl.

[FrenchieCat]

2. Not even close!

Know Quantity Hillary - Yes, that Fever's broken.

But Obama? He's just getting fired up! And has plenty heat left to go! :headbang:

[Tom Rinaldo]

4. I agree that Obama has plenty of heat left in him

I wasn't commenting on him personally :)

[FrenchieCat]

5. I'm talking what he's got that makes him an excellent candidate.....

that a whole lot of voters still don't know about.

It is telling that the Educated are voting for Obama. They research the issues, and know a superior candidate when they see one.

Meanwhile, Hillary gets the candidate that associate her last name to the last Clinton administration, in other words, name recognition.

At the end of the day, voters will get to know Barack Obama and what he's done with his life...and let me tell you, I've done the research.....and yes, he's all that, and then some!

Obama has the Grassroots movement that we've always wished for, Tom...you and I. He's from the ground up in a way that we worked so hard to believe we could have with Wes.

It's not too late for you, Tom. As well researched as you are, I know you know in your hearts of hearts that what I am saying is true.

[Tom Rinaldo]

6. Stop it Frenchie

You know that I don't mind at all that you are fiercely loyal to your candidate. And you know that I believe Obama is overall a good candidate. I don't have to pretend to think badly of him in order to not support him.

But you are dancing on the line between good natured ribbing and being condescending and insulting to me here; Right smack dab on top of that very thin line. Don't fall off it onto the wrong side.

I don't doubt that Obama has a real and strong grassroots movement behind him. By now it is bigger than the one Clark assembled in 2004, but bigger does not prove it is better and/or that it ultimately is backing the best candidate. By January of this year there was a bigger grassroots movement supporting John Edwards than supporting Wes Clark. Did that fact alone prove to you that John Edwards was a superior candidate to Wes Clark? I suspect not. It is what it is, and I agree that it is desirable to be able to inspire a movement like that.

Now someone like Chris Dodd or even Joe Biden, they couldn't create a large grass roots movement to suport them. Does that fact prove that Barack Obama or John Edwards would make a better President than either of those two gentlemen? I will grant that it can be considered as a relevent factor, but it by itself does not prove the point for me.

Frenchie we think too much of each other to insult each other. I am backing Hillary Clinton for President because I believe right now, all things considered, that she is the better choice between herself and Barack Obama, to become our next President. That is bottom line truth. So please don't try telling me what, "in my heart of hearts", I know to be true.

And please don't play an elitist card regarding the opinion of "the educated".

[Tom Rinaldo]

7. The Gallop Tracking Poll is supporting my read so far

But it doesn't include any the day after spin:

PRINCETON, NJ -- The increase in support for Hillary Clinton at the national level that Gallup saw in interviewing conducted Sunday and Monday continued in interviewing Tuesday night. Gallup Poll Daily tracking conducted Feb. 3-5 now includes three consecutive days in which Clinton has done well, giving her a 13-percentage point lead over Barack Obama, 52% to 39%.

Democratic preferences in Tuesday night's interviews -- mostly conducted before Super Tuesday election results were known -- were similar to Sunday and Monday night's interviews. Gallup Poll Daily tracking will not begin to reflect the impact of Tuesday's voting on national Democratic preferences until tomorrow.

Obama had been competitive with Clinton in interviews conducted Feb. 2 (as well as earlier last week), but those interviews have now dropped out of Gallup's continuous three-day rolling average reporting.

http://www.gallup.com/poll/104200/Gallup-Daily-Tracking-Election-2008.aspx