OBAMA DAILY NEWS Monday March 03, 2008

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

WELCOME TO THE OBAMA DAILY NEWS THREAD

Monday March-03-2008

I'm starting this thread early!


Senator Barack Obama shaking hands with members of the audience after a meeting on Sunday in Nelsonville, Ohio.

Esteemed DUer's, please consider taking a moment (or more)
to graciously participate by posting news and announcements about
the Obama campaign on this thread.


If you can:

1. Post stories and announcements you find on the web.



2. Re-post stories and announcements you find on DU,
providing a link to the original thread with thanks to the Original Poster,too.



3. Start a discussion thread by re-posting a story you see on this thread.

4. Please "Recommend" for the Greatest Page



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[WillYourVoteBCounted]

1. How did the Clinton campaign get here?

How did the Clinton campaign get here?

Just a few months ago, few imagined she'd be struggling to catch up to Obama. But her team has been riddled with feuding and second-guessing at the top.

By Peter Nicholas, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer March 3, 2008

WASHINGTON -- As they mapped out a campaign schedule for Bill Clinton, top aides to Hillary Rodham Clinton kept his time short in South Carolina. They were probably going to lose the state, they figured, and they wanted their most powerful surrogate to move on to Georgia, Alabama and other Southern states.

But the former president shelved the plan, according to campaign aides. Day after day he stayed in South Carolina, getting into angry confrontations with the press and others. In the end, Hillary Clinton lost the Jan. 26 vote there by a 2-to-1 margin and saw her standing with African Americans nationwide become strained.

...Already, some in Clinton's senior staff are pointing fingers over what went wrong, with some of the blame aimed at Clinton herself. As the race unfolded, neither Clinton nor anyone else resolved the internal power struggles that played out with destructive effect and continue to this day.

Chief strategist Mark and pollster Penn clashed with senior advisor Harold Ickes, former deputy campaign manager Mike Henry and others. Field organizers battled with Clinton's headquarters in northern Virginia. Campaign themes were rolled out and discarded, reflecting tensions among a staff bitterly divided over what Clinton's basic message should be.

more at the link

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

2. Some leave after Bill Clinton's late arrival in Wichita Falls

Some leave after Bill Clinton's late arrival in Wichita Falls

03/03/2008 By ANGELA K. BROWN / Associated Press

About 200 in the crowd of nearly 1,500 went home Sunday night when Bill Clinton was more than two hours late to a rally for his wife's presidential bid, but those who stayed cheered wildly throughout his speech.

A campaign official said the former president's plane had to circle the area because of bad weather. A tornado watch was in effect for North Texas on Sunday night.

Some supporters had waited five hours at the Wichita Falls convention center exhibit hall for his scheduled 6 p.m. event for Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Rodham Clinton, just two days before the pivotal primaries in Texas and Ohio.

As the crowd grew antsy after the rally had not started, some campaign workers led cheers. More than a dozen people took chairs from the media area to sit down, while others sat on the floor. Many started milling around or took restroom breaks. Campaign volunteers also brought out water after at least one woman was seen being treated in an ambulance.

...more at the link

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

3. Clinton and the Vast Media Conspiracy

How the media gives Hillary Clinton a free pass.

Clinton and the Vast Media Conspiracy

Paul Jenkins, Huffington Post March 2, 2008

Hillary Clinton has convinced the media that it is biased against her, one of the great (and rare) successes of her presidential campaign, akin to her creation of the vast right-wing conspiracy responsible for conceiving a string of sexual and other disgraces in her husband's White House.
With classic chutzpah, Clinton would have us believe that in a campaign in which she has escaped the most basic scrutiny of her finances, her husband's business relationships and her claims of experience, she is hurting because of the media's favorable treatment of Barack Obama.

On the race itself, the media has time and again let itself be manipulated by a Clinton campaign deftly managing expectations, albeit in increasingly surreal ways. Only two weeks ago the consensus was that Clinton had to win Texas or Ohio by 20 point margins to have a shot at the nomination (at the time these margins still seemed plausible). In recent days, her campaign has put out the word that if Obama doesn't win all four contests this Tuesday, it will be a sign of trouble for him. Of course journalists, no matter how lazy or gullible, know this is stupid, but nonetheless, maybe in a failed effort at fairness, they now seem to accept that Clinton needs to win either Texas and Ohio by any margin. Suddenly gone is the original assessment that Clinton has to win big on March 4, despite the fact that it is mathematically verifiable that there will be too few contests after Tuesday for her to make up the delegate count if she doesn't put a big dent in Obama's lead now. This judgment has become more accurate daily as Clinton's superdelegate lead melts away.

Losing eleven contests in a row, mostly by far wider margins than anyone had anticipated, would doom any campaign (in fact, can anyone think of one major primary contender who has survived such a string of defeats?). Yet the media continue to portray Clinton as strongly viable, if not quite the frontrunner. Again, this is a remarkable feat by her campaign, and an utter failure by most journalists to accurately portray the state of the race.

Clinton has been able to twist these expectations because so many are still in awe of her and her husband, attributing near-mystical powers to their ability to come back from the dead (the latest example, we are told, was her narrow New Hampshire win two months ago). At the same time, she has set up the media as sexist and easily wooed by Obama. This may be true, but, if anything, this has lead the guilt-ridden mainstream press to soften its negative coverage of the Clintons. Nowhere is this more visible than in the complete lack of recent interest in the couple's finances: far more has been written about Obama and Rezko, despite the relative benignity of the charge, than about how Bill and Hillary have amassed the tens of millions of dollars that make up their fortune, starting with her Arkansas cattle futures deal and ending with his Kazakhstan connections. There is a rich vein of potential conflict of interest, corruption and misuse of power that the media should relish covering in great detail, but much of the discussion has been relegated to a few bloggers. A particularly opportune time for coverage should have been when Clinton pulled out $5 million seemingly out of nowhere, to finance her campaign, but we're still left to wonder how these long-time public servants have instant access to such sums, especially since no tax returns are available. In the meanwhile, journalists have been covering the cackle, the misty eyes and the pantsuit; Clinton should be eternally grateful for this, as it has distracted us from far bigger sins, made her look like a victim of the predominantly male political media's sexism, and rendered journalists insecure about their ability to cover her campaign objectively...

more at the link...

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

4. Will Happy Days Be Here Again?

Will Happy Days Be Here Again?

Paul Finkelman, Huffington Post March 2, 2008

A year ago everyone assumed that by the early winter of 2008 Hillary Clinton would have locked up the Democratic nomination for president. She had money, name recognition, and a seemingly well-oiled machine. Now she is on the ropes, fighting to stay in the race. What happened?

Senator Clinton lacked one ingredient in the mix to make her a winner: the ability to project a sense of hope and optimism. I write this before the Ohio, Texas, and Pennsylvania primaries, so she may be able to turn this around. But, even if she wins the nomination, Senator Clinton needs to learn how to project a sense of hope and of a greater future for America if she is to win the general election. With the possible exception of Richard Nixon in 1968, every successful presidential aspirant since 1932 has been the more optimistic, hopeful candidate. Hope and a sense of a better future have been the key to electoral success.

Many things we might want in a president have not always been found in the winner.

Do we want the smartest candidate? Not likely. Herbert Hoover, a successful engineer, was probably brighter than the failed lawyer, Franklin Roosevelt. Thomas E. Dewey was surely better educated that Harry S. Truman. The erudite Adlai Stevenson could think rings around Dwight Eisenhower. Although many people would not want to admit it, Dick Nixon was no dummy. While not as sophisticated or urbane as John F. Kennedy, he might have been smarter. Nixon came up out of poor circumstances to be a star in law school and very smart lawyers, as well as a politician. That took brains. Putting together an academic bowl team? We would take Barry Goldwater, Jimmy Carter, Walter Mondale and Mike Dukakis over Dwight Eisenhower, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, and George W. Bush. Hillary Clinton is very very smart (so of course is Barak Obama), but being smart does not always get you elected president, especially if you convey to the electorate that you know you are smart. Intellectual hubris does not get you votes. Adlai Stevenson, Mike Dukakis, and John Kerry learned that the hard way.

...Knowing the most about the issues does not guarantee victory. Al Gore and Mike Dukakis were policy geeks. It got them nowhere. I am sure that Hoover and Nixon had a better grasp of the complexities of the government than did FDR and JFK. But, still all these policy wonks lost. George McGovern had elaborate plans to end poverty and the War in Vietnam, but his plans left us cold because voters don't want to hear the details. H. Ross Perot kept telling us the "devil is in the details," but what neither he nor Senator Clinton seem to understand is that the voters don't want the details. Senator Clinton may know more about health care than Obama (and she may have a better program to offer us) but that has not impressed voters who zone out when the details are presented.

more at the link

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

5. Tim Russert: Obama Responsible For Harry Belafonte, Too

Timmeh's Standard Operating Procedure - if you are black, you are responsible for anything any black person says or does

Tim Russert: Obama Responsible For Harry Belafonte, Too

Jane Hamsher. HuffPo March 2, 2008



I think most people this side of Brit Hume winced uncomfortably when Tim Russert tried to make Barack Obama responsible for everything Louis Farrakhan had ever said in last week's debate.

I'd forgotten (until Jamison Foser reminded me) that this was standard operating procedure for Russert. I wrote this in 2006:

What the hell is Tim Russert asking Barack Obama to express his opinion about Harry Belafonte for? Harry Belafonte said George Bush was the "greatest terrorist in the world" this week, but it was virtually identical to a comment he made two weeks ago in Chile. Russert has had two weeks to ask anybody on his show about it; why does he save this particular question for Obama? What sort of special expertise does Obama have about Harry Belafonte, a private citizen with no connection to the Democratic party, that none of Russert's other guests would have?

It's interesting to note that the only other time Russert questioned anyone about Harry Belafonte before, according to what Glenn Greenwald (via email) could find was when he asked Colin Powell.

On Fox News Sunday, Brit Hume said Russert's questions to Obama regarding Farrakhan had nothing to do with race. If he's just concerned about the endorsement of religious figures that might be of concern to Jewish people, then why is he not pressing John McCain, who is "proud" to get the endorsement of John "God so loved the Jews he gave them the Nazis to drive them back to Israel" Hagee?

Jane Hamsher blogs at firedoglake.com article posted at Huffington Post

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

6. Hillary Clinton Isn't A Feminist Hero

Hillary Clinton Isn't A Feminist Hero

by Robert Paul Reyes

Hillary Clinton likes to portray herself as a feminist hero; she claims that if she secures the Democratic nomination and wins the general election it will be a victory for women.

If Hillary manages to steal the election, it will be a defeat for women. She will be like the wife who takes over her husband's company when he dies. Hillary is a viable candidate only because she is the spouse of a former president. It is the "Clinton brand name" that has brought her to the exalted position she enjoys today.

Hillary Rodham wouldn't be elected dogcatcher; she doesn't have the charisma, experience or eloquence to win the presidency on her own merit. Without the Clinton surname, Hillary is just a cackling, vain and delusional wannabe big shot.
Hillary isn't a feminist hero; she stood by her man as he deposited his DNA in every available female receptacle. Hillary doesn't represent the women of today; she represents the doormat of yesterday.

I don't like Condi's politics, but she is more of a feminist than Hillary. Condi didn't reach the heights of political power by hanging on to a husband's coattails.

Parents shouldn't tell their daughters that Hillary is an example of how they can succeed in life. Hillary will give our daughters the idea that the road to success entails marrying a rich and powerful husband and putting up with all his shenanigans. For the good of America and for the good of feminism, I hope Barack Obama beats Hillary Clinton.

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

7. Obama backers urge Clinton exit if she loses

Amerigo Vespucci posted the article in Late Breaking News

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=3206727&mesg_id=3206727

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

8. Ohio: "Stand down, Mr. Governor; your neutrality is primary"

"The ingredients are in place for the great promise of this governor to be sullied by what increasingly appears to be a bad and unwise bet in the great game of politics."

Stand down, Mr. Governor; your neutrality is primary

JOHN GILLIOM and KEVIN MATTSON Guest commentary 2/27/2008



...But now Strickland's partisanship is cause for concern. We see two obvious dangers. First, the potential leadership failure amid the likely difficulties of the coming March 4 primary election. Second, the already visible divisions and rancor within Ohio's Democrats as many supporters of the Obama campaign watch their governor serve as the state leader of an increasingly negative Clinton campaign.

...Even if a primary election meltdown is avoided, the state needs a governor who can serve as a leader and referee without appearing to be a committed player for one side.

It may be too late - Strickland's early public commitment has already raised concerns among some of the many Ohio Democrats who support Senator Obama. When the governor turned his announcement about early voting into a campaign event for Team Clinton, there were inevitable memories of when state leaders tried to tip prior elections.

As Governor Strickland suggests that people go to the polls fast, he appears to want the ballots in the box before Ohioans have a full opportunity to meet the candidates. In so doing, he seeks to forestall the insurgency and energy that has mounted behind Obama's campaign, driven as it is by small contributions as well as an appeal to Independents and a new generation who have come out to the polls in record numbers. The result is that the governor's simple message as a leader - vote early to help us have a successful election - is tainted and co-opted by his message as a Clinton advocate - vote early before Obama comes to Ohio.

more at the link

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

9. Rules About Delegates Can Sway an Election

Rules About Delegates Can Sway an Election

By Shankar Vedantam Monday, March 3, 2008; Page A03

...McCain's fortitude and Obama's charisma are beyond question. But each of these politicians also had a secret weapon that has received much less attention: For Obama, that would be the Democratic Party's decision to follow a system of proportional representation, where candidates got delegates in each primary in rough proportion to their overall vote tally in the state.

...To see why these rules played a decisive role in each man's success, imagine what would have happened if Obama had run under the Republican Party's rules while McCain ran under Democratic Party rules. Assuming Americans voted the same way they did, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) would have assumed a commanding lead after the Super Tuesday primaries because she won most of the largest states. By contrast, the Republican nomination might still be wide open, because McCain failed to win many early-primary states decisively.

"There is so much focus on the horse race and whether candidates go negative and positive," said political scientist Jeffrey Karp. "What many people don't know is that the rules themselves play a role in determining what kinds of candidates win or lose. . . . If you had the proportional representation system on the Republican side, there is no doubt that race would have continued for quite a long time."

...Karp, a Californian who works at the University of Exeter in England, said an analysis he conducted of 27 democracies around the world showed systematic differences between democracies with proportional representation and those that follow winner-take-all rules. As Obama's success highlights, proportional representation benefits candidates who do not start out with the wind at their back. It brings more voices into the political conversation, because minority views get a seat at the table. But in making the conversation inclusive, these systems sometimes prolong electoral uncertainty.

more at the link

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

10. Reuters/Cspan/Zogby Shocker: Obama pulls ahead in Ohio

Posted by Tropics_Dude83 Mon Mar-03-08 01:03 AM
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=4855082&mesg_id=4855082

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

11. Hillary Facing Calls To Drop Out If Tuesday Doesn't Go Well

Hillary Facing Calls To Drop Out If Tuesday Doesn't Go Well

Talking Points Memo. By Eric Kleefeld - March 3, 2008, 12:01AM

Pressure is starting to mount on Hillary Clinton — that if she doesn't win overwhelming victories on Tuesday, she should think about dropping out of the race. So said both Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL), a Barack Obama supporter, and the neutral Bill Richardson.

"I hope ultimately she makes an honest appraisal of her chances," Durbin said. "I hope after Tuesday her decision is made on the basis of the unity of the party."

Meanwhile, Bill Richardson said on Face The Nation today that it's important for the party to unify behind a nominee soon, rather than continue to have a negative campaign that will further divide the party for the general election against John McCain.

"I just think the D-Day is Tuesday," said Richardson, who has declined to make an endorsement since his exit from the race. "We have to have a positive campaign after Tuesday. Whoever has the most delegates after Tuesday — a clear lead — should be in my judgment the nominee."

link

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

12. Hillary Clinton Wants To Psych You Out

Hillary Clinton Wants To Psych You Out

By by womanofacertainage at TPM Elections Central - March 2, 2008

I have read comment after comment dscussing the reasons Hillary Clinton should drop out of the primary race after failing to win big in Texas and Ohio on Tuesday, March 4th. Comment after comment about the fatigue people are feeling, how ready they are for this to just...be...over. The Hillary supporters are reading all of this as well and they are forming their strategy accordingly.

Hillary is trying to make herself appear to be a Hollywood monster like Godzilla or King Kong. The little people keep shooting the monster and throwing everything they have at it, but it just won't die. That is what she is trying to convince you is true about her campaign. She sets up a false deadline of March 4th and then she moves it out again. She lets it be known that she is prepared to fight this out on the convention floor to get her way. She refuses to allow rank and file voters to determine the outcome of the primaries (unless the superdelegates seem to be breaking for Obama, then she wants the 'people to decide' and tries to seat Florida and Michigan delegates).

Hillary Clinton is counting on you to give up. She wants to force a Solomon's choice on Obama. She is counting on you to do the noble thing and ask Obama to step aside for the sake of defeating John McCain. She is certain that election fatigue will set in. That Obama is just a fad and that she can outlast you. She is like one of those Texas Hold'em players in the World Series of Poker, trying to bluff you out with a pair of deuces. Hillary knows what kind of human resources have been mobilized by Team Obama for this week's contests. She is hoping that by refusing to go away, she will so demoralize Obama supporters that we will not be able to muster up the same strength for the remaining contests.

So.

Is she right?

Or can we manage to open up another can of whup ass for as long as it takes?

link

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

13. ***SUPERDELEGATE/DELEGATE TOTAL UPDATE - (Campaign Neutral)***

posted by Grantcart here
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=4823996&mesg_id=4823996

[grantcart]

14. 644

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x4855529

That is our magic number

As we get changes in super delegates or primary results I will ammend down thread

also details on the delegate composition from primary states

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

15. Tampa op ed: "Arrogance Cost Florida Chance To Influence Election"

madfloridian has an extensive post on that here

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x4841793

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

16. Reverse Bradley Effect? Barack Obama continues to out perform polls

Look at 19 recent elections where Obama out performs the polls 90% of the time by over 6%:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x4851187

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

17. Count the ways: numbers tell story in Ohio primary

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=4842249&mesg_id=4847431

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

18. Texas - Delegate hunt map

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

19. If you want to chuckle while your waiting for Tuesday's results

the premise is to take the logic of Clinton spin to its logical conclusion: forget what happens in the other 49 states and simply let the State of Rhode Island decide the election. Eleven straight victories, Texas, Ohio and Vermont will not be enough, Obama must take RI. Taking this thread to its logical conclustion we find concrete reasons for RI's supremacy.

Must-win spin:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x4830347

[grantcart]

20. From now on I have given up trying to explain over and over again

to Clinton supporters how delegate math works and how it is impossible for her to catch up. From now on I am simply posting the magic number (currently 644) when faced with a particularly obtuse interlocutor. Kind of like the "talk to the hand" response which is so aggravating.

[grantcart]

21. Obama Gains "Inch-By-Inch

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/02/17/ohio-primary-latest-news_n_86925.html


Survey USA Poll: Obama Gains "Inch-By-Inch": In a Democratic Primary in Ohio today, 02/26/08, the day the candidates debate in Cleveland, and 7 days before the votes are counted, Hillary Clinton is 6 points in front of Barack Obama, 50% to 44%, according to a SurveyUSA poll.

Two weeks ago, Clinton led by 17. One week ago, Clinton led by 9. Today: 6. Clinton holds her ground in greater Cleveland, greater Columbus, and greater Cincinnati. Clinton is steady among seniors, among voters focused on Health Care, among Moderates, among Pro-Choicers, and among women. Though Clinton trails among men, Obama has stopped making further inroads there.

However: Among registered Democrats, Clinton had led by 21, then led by 17, now leads by 8. Among voters under age 50, Clinton had led by 9, then trailed by 2, now trails by 7. Among Pro-Life voters, Clinton had led by 11, then led by 8, now trails by 5. Among voters focused on the Economy, Clinton had led by 25, then by 21, now by 14. In greater Toledo, Clinton had led by 29, now leads by 1. Early voting favors Clinton: Among the 12% of respondents who tell SurveyUSA they have already voted, Clinton leads by 22 points. For Obama to win Ohio, he must receive at least 52% of the remaining likely voters. If Clinton gets more than 48% of the remaining Democratic Primary votes, Clinton wins the state. Because the convention delegates are allocated proportionally, a win for either candidate is not as profound as the symbolism that goes with it.

[jefferson_dem]

22. Obama's Public Schedule for Today

7:00 am
Barack Obama's taped interview airs on ABC's "Good Morning America"

12:00 pm
Barack Obama holds a town hall meeting with veterans in San Antonio, Texas

4:00 pm
Barack Obama holds a "Stand for Change" town hall in Carrollton, Texas

9:00 pm
Barack Obama and Michelle Obama hold a "Stand for Change" rally in Houston, Texas

11:35 pm
Barack Obama's taped interview airs on ABC's "Nightline"

[crispini]

23. Just curious, where did you see this?

I might be able to go the Carrollton event but it's not up on his official website yet as far as I can see.

[jefferson_dem]

24. Halperin has a "Political Schedule" column on his page.

---> http://thepage.time.com/

Good luck! I hope you get to see Barack today!

[catgirl]

25. Internal Polls Worry Clinton Campaign

They are now looking at "best case scenarios".

ABC blog:

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2008/03/private-worries.html

[TheDoorbellRang]

26. K&R n/t

[grantcart]

27. Clinton's Lead Evaporating in Ohio

http://politicalwire.com/archives/2008/03/03/quinnipiac_clintons_lead_evaporating_in_ohio.html

Quinnipiac: Clinton's Lead Evaporating in Ohio
Sen. Hillary Clinton's margin over Sen. Barack Obama among Ohio likely Democratic primary voters has shrunk to just 4 points, 49% to 45%, on the eve of the state's primary, according to a new Quinnipiac poll.

On Feburary 14, Clinton held a 21 point lead; on February 25 she was 11 points ahead.

Key finding: "Obama has made gains in the last week especially among men and black voters."

[Scurrilous]

28. Kick

:kick:

[grantcart]

29. Just a random thought

If Hillary wins Ohio/RI and Obama wins TX/VT by narrow margins tomorrow it will actually increase pressure on the super delegates to make a decision quickly rather than let a futile self distructive intercine battle wage weeks and weeks on a battle that cannot change the result.

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

30. Is HIllary still hiding her tax returns?

it can't help to remind the jobless in Ohio and Texas that she has accumulated
$40 plus million since Bill owned the presidency.

[peoli]

34. shes just TOO BUSY to call her accountant I guess.

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

31. the Hillary Clinton cackling pen

How do you feel about that Hillary Clinton laugh?

It was probably just a matter of time. But now it's here just in time.

The Hillary Clinton laughing pen. Or, more accurately, the Hillary Clinton cackling pen.

Brought to you by some clever folks who will send you one in exchange for only $14.95 plus S&H. Perfect for those Hillary fans who think it's a delightful belly laugh showing her good nature and don't want to be without her famous laugh, which usually explodes when she's asked some awkward question. See for yourself here.

Also perfect for those folks who think it sounds like the witch from Hansel and Gretel who want to carry with them a reminder of why they're voting the other way come Tuesday or later. Hear for yourself here.

And the mouth actually moves!

No doubt, next will be a Barack Obama cigarette lighter that says, "I'm fired up!"

-- Andrew Malcolm
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2008/03/pen.html

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

32. Vermont - Two area legislators at odds over primary

Two area legislators at odds over primary
Written By Michelle Monroe
Monday, March 03, 2008

Keenan for Clinton; Collins for Obama

....



“He brings people together to solve problems,” Collins said, saying that he feels too much time is spent polarizing people, rather than getting them to work together.

Also important for Collins is Obama’s support for the states. “I think he will be supportive of the states, not like we’ve seen with the Bush administration which seems to like punishing the states,” Collins said.

Both Collins and Keenan believe there is support for their candidate in Franklin County. “I think Vermonters as a whole are pretty independent people,” Keenan said, adding that she doesn’t believe Vermonters will support someone simply because that person is doing well elsewhere.

Collins said that he is seeing a lot of support for Obama, even amongst senior citizens. “I feel that the time is right for a new type of leadership,” Collins said.

Voters in Vermont tomorrow will have the final say in primary voting.

http://samessenger.com/NewsView.asp?ID=2580

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

33. CNN: Poll of polls: Close races in Ohio and Texas

March 3, 2008
Poll of polls: Close races in Ohio and Texas Posted: 12:00 PM ET

(CNN) – Barack Obama holds a slight edge in Texas while Hillary Clinton is on top in Ohio, according to a CNN average of several recent polls out of two crucial March 4 primary states.

An average of five recent surveys out of Texas show Obama edging Clinton by 2 percentage points there, 47 to 45 percent. The so called “poll of polls” also shows 8 percent of likely Texas Democrats remain unsure of who to vote for.

Clinton is 5 points ahead of Obama in Ohio, according to CNN's average of six recent polls there, 48-43 percent. Nine percent of likely Ohio Democrats remain unsure.

Voters in Texas and Ohio will be joined by those in Vermont and Rhode Island Tuesday in what Clinton supporters admit is a critical test of strength for the New York Democrat following Obama's 11 straight wins.

more at the link

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/03/03/poll-of-polls-close-races-in-ohio-and-texas/

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

35. Outlook: Clinton Spurned by Her Own Demographic

Monday, March 3 at noon ET

Outlook: Clinton Spurned by Her Own Demographic

White Women -- 44 Percent of Democrats -- Split Along Class Lines

Linda Hirshman
Feminist Author
Monday, March 3, 2008; 12:00 PM

"From the moment the primary season began, the group 'women' divided along racial lines. Black women have backed Obama by more than 78 percent. But even after subtracting that group, white women (including Hispanics) are still the single largest demographic in the party, at 44 percent. ... So why is she trailing as the contest heads into Ohio and Texas? The answer is class ... each passing week since Super Tuesday has seen a further erosion in support for the senator from New York among the educated classes. In Wisconsin, she won a minority of college-educated women. And unless there's some sort of miracle turnaround in Ohio and Texas, this is what may cost her the Democratic nomination."

Feminist author Linda Hirshman, author of "Get to Work: A Manifesto for Women of the World," will be online Monday, March 3 at noon ET to discuss how and why educated white women increasingly are leaving Hillary to vote for Barack Obama -- a rare demographic split in the 2008 Democratic primary.

Hirshman wrote an earlier Outlook article on women and Hillary in January 2007: You've Come a Long Way, Maybe

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2008/02/29/DI2008022902857.html

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

36. Hillary Clinton gets it sincerely wrong

Hillary Clinton gets it sincerely wrong

By Clive Crook Financial Times

Published: March 2 2008 18:58 | Last updated: March 2 2008 18:58



When Texas and Ohio vote in Tuesday’s Democratic primaries, they may bring Hillary Clinton’s campaign for the presidency to an end. If she loses either of those states, her bid is over barring the formalities. This is a position few expected her to be in. Not long ago, success in the primaries and victory in the general election were regarded as almost inevitable. What went wrong?

For the answer, one should turn (as always) to the teachings of Marx. “The secret of success in life is sincerity,” Groucho once famously observed. “If you can fake that, you’ve got it made.”

This truth about the human condition applies with particular force to politics. Mrs Clinton tries hard to fake sincerity – so hard it is painful to watch. Sometimes, in fact, I suspect that she really is sincere and only looks as though she is faking. Barack Obama, on the other hand, may actually be sincere – and if he is not, he fakes it so well it makes no difference. Elections are won and lost formany reasons, but if I had to point to just one in the present case, this would be it.

It is surely telling that the most effective moments in Mrs Clinton’s campaign have been those rare times when a real person has appeared to break through: the tears in New Hampshire, the moving and seemingly unaffected tribute to wounded soldiers at the end of the Houston debate the other day. But for most of the time she has veered from one false personality to another, often during the course of a single debate or interview. One moment she would be acting tough, the next warm; now aloof, now approachable; now a fun person, fond of a joke (that was the worst), now stern and serious. In every moment of repose came that scary rictus smile, to emphasise the lack of authenticity and remind one irresistibly of Jack Nicholson in The Shining.

more at the link

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/758526dc-e877-11dc-913a-0000779fd2ac.html?nclick_check=1

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

37. CALL 1-866-OUR-VOTE on March 4th! Election Protection Hotline

We’re running our Election Protection program for the March 4th primaries in Ohio, Texas, Rhode Island, and Vermont and I want you to know about an important voting resource: the 1-866-OUR-VOTE Election Protection Hotline.

Record turnout numbers in the 2008 primaries have strained already overburdened election systems,
and voters have reported confusion and intimidation at polling places across the country.
I want to make sure you don't face the same problems.

Call 1-866-OUR-VOTE on March 4th!

If you have any questions or encounter any problems at the polls on March 4th call 1-866-OUR-VOTE.
Trained volunteers will be staffing the hotline to provide voters with free assistance if they encounter any problems at the polls.
In addition, volunteers will be at selected polling sites in Ohio and Texas.

Make sure you know your rights before you go to the polls on the 12th by downloading the flyers below.

Click here for Ohio voting rights information.

Click here for Texas voting rights information.

If you have questions about where or how to vote, or need to report instances of problems at the polls,
call the Election Protection Hotline at 1-866-OUR-VOTE. For more information, go to www.866ourvote.org

Election Protection 2008 is a national coalition, spearheaded by the National Campaign for Fair Elections, dedicated to protecting voters' rights before, during and after Election Day.

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

38. Michelle Obama on CNN Live now, 2:33 eastern, talking about moving goal posts

Michelle Obama is in Texas.

She looks beautiful. She is telling how at the beginning, people said:

Obama can't raise enough money, you gotta raise money.

When he did that, they said:

There's no way Obama can build an organization strong enough.

WHen he did that, they said:

There's no way Obama will get the white vote.

When he did that in Iowa, they said...

and she's still describing all of the goals Obama met and then the subsequent moving of
the goal posts.

This will probably generate tons of headlines, she is doing a flawless delivery.

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

41. link

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x4860951

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

39. DAILY SHOW INVITES YOUR QUESTIONS TO HILLARY

BREAKING: Hillary Clinton on the Daily Show

Go here to post your question

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

40. Behind Obama's Union Comeback

Behind Obama's Union Comeback

By JAY NEWTON-SMALL/CLEVELAND Monday, Mar. 03, 2008

A volunteer for Barack Obama canvasses in Columbus, Ohio.

...Obama since has waged a long, quiet campaign for the support of national unions, emphasizing his community organizer past and the strong, virtually unified support he has received from their Illinois chapters. And in the last seven weeks the campaign has begun to reap the fruits, picking up new endorsements and getting close to neutralizing any advantage with organized labor that Clinton appeared to enjoy. Seven national unions, including the United Food and Commercial Workers, Unite HERE and the five-million member Change To Win coalition of unions — which includes the powerful Service Employees International and Teamsters unions — have all thrown their support behind Obama. The nods, and the tens of thousands of Ohio volunteers that come with them, could prove to be just enough to help swing the Buckeye State for Obama, and effectively sew up the nomination at the same time.

Thornton jumped in, "Well, take NAFTA, they're both saying the same things now, but that wasn't always the case." Rowland, 48, a member of a school board union, nodded — she says she's seen outsourcing destroy whole Cleveland neighborhoods since President Bill Clinton pushed through the North American Free Trade Act in 1993. By the time Thornton left, Rowland was "leaning toward Obama."

In Ohio, which has lost hundreds of thousands of manufacturing and blue collar jobs over the past fifteen years, NAFTA has become one of the most contentious issues between the Clinton and Obama campaigns, which has done its best to try and link the former First Lady to her husband's trade legacy. Clinton, like Obama, now supports amending NAFTA with enforceable environmental and labor standards, although at the time of its passage, and in at least one of her subsequent best selling books, she hailed NAFTA as an achievement.

On the eve of the primary, NAFTA became an even bigger lightning rod, as the Clinton campaign seized on media reports that Obama's senior economic adviser had privately told Canadian consular officials not to take the candidate's anti-NAFTA rhetoric all that seriously. At a news conference Monday morning, Clinton said "I don't think people should come to Ohio and tell the people of Ohio one thing and then have your campaign tell a foreign government something else behind closed doors." After its adviser claimed his conversation had been misconstrued by Canadian officials, the Obama campaign fired back against Clinton, saying that she "knows full well that she's not telling the truth on this story."

more at the link

[bigbrother05]

42. An old Political friend just introduced Michelle

Watching on CNN.com and an old friend from East Texas introduces Michelle, I was clapping and screaming,
Barack could not have a better advocate, for that area, talk about getting out the Vote, this women is dedicated to the cause. I'm telling you, she will get East Texas for Obama. She is relentless

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

43. Right Wing Govt in Canada Meddling in US Primaries (please kick and recommend)

article and discussion here
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=4860753&mesg_id=4860753

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

44. To My Fellow Obama Supporters: A Note From Ohio

sounds like the ground game is key

VolcanoJen posted here
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=4861103&mesg_id=4861103

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

45. SurveyUSA: Obama, Clinton Tied in Texas (O-49, C-48)

discussion
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x4861323

[bicentennial_baby]

46. Obama supporters! Please chime in on my positive thread!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x4861426

:hi:

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

47. A $54 Million Question for Hillary

http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/2008/03/the-54-million-question-where.php

[grantcart]

48. kick

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

49. My Goodness! Ohio Is Not Lost!! (Updated)

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/3/3/145050/2889/823/468016

[grantcart]

50. you didn't really think it was going to be a fucking cake walk did you

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjXyqcx-mYY

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

51. Why McCain Should Root for Clinton

John McCain marches forward

A perfect storm puts him on top, but will Obama topple his momentum?

There are at least two people hoping Sen. Hillary Clinton does well on Junior Super Tuesday: Clinton, of course, and Sen. John McCain.

The last thing McCain needs right now is to face a de facto Democratic nominee by the name of Sen. Barack Obama.

...For now, McCain's has an incredible challenge in front of him – he has to build a national campaign. And the last thing he needs is a presumptive Democratic opponent on March 5.

But if Obama comes roaring out of Tuesday’s contests as the de facto nominee, it’s going to be a tough few months for the GOP.

more at the link

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

52. Obama Personally Weighs In On Goolsbee

Obama Personally Weighs In On Goolsbee

03.03.2008

Obama just held a press avail here in San Antonio. He took eight or nine questions, two of which concerned the NAFTA flap. His basic line was that Goolsbee went to chat with the Canadians as a courtesy to them, at their request--this wasn't something the campaign initiated. Then he argued that Goolsbee didn't really say anything different than what he (Obama) has been saying on the campaign trail, which is that he supports trade with Mexico and Canada but wants to make sure the agreement is fair to American workers. He argued that he's had the same position since his 2004 Senate campaign, and that it's Hillary who's being cynical here. According to Obama, she's the one who supported the agreement up until she decided to run for president.

In general, Obama chalked these sorts of questions up to the "kitchen sink" the Clinton campaign promised to throw at him in the homestretch.

I've only been to a couple of Obama press avails since the campaign started, but, for what it's worth, this was unquestionably the most hostile one. In addition to NAFTA-gate, there were a couple of Rezko questions, which the Chicago press corps in particular was keen to tangle with him over.

P.S. Dan Drezner fields my question about those treacherous Canadians.

--Noam Scheiber linked here

[grantcart]

53. In the meantime while the polls in Ohio and Texas have virtually tied

Rhode Island is now do - able

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=4865627&mesg_id=4865627

Obama has come with in striking distance in Rhode Island.

[catgirl]

54. Richardson Criticizes "3 AM" Ad, Praises Obama's Judgement

Yesterday Bill Richardson gave an interview that has gotten a bunch of attention already, because in it he said that Dems should coalesce behind the candidate with the "clear lead" after tomorrow's voting....

...He was outspoken in his criticism of Clinton's new "ringing phone" ad, which suggests that Obama is not ready to become commander in chief. "I happen to disagree with that ad that says that Senator Obama is not ready," he said. "He is ready. He has great judgment,...

http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/03...


IS Richardson ready to endorse Obama? It sounds like it!

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

55. Richardson praises Obama

Richardson Criticizes Hillary's "Red Phone" Ad Hitting Obama; Praises His Judgment

TPM By Greg Sargent - March 3, 2008

Yesterday Bill Richardson gave an interview that has gotten a bunch of attention already, because in it he said that Dems should coalesce behind the candidate with the "clear lead" after tomorrow's voting.

"Whoever has the most delegates after Tuesday, a clear lead, should be, in my judgment, the nominee," Richardson said.

But Richardson also offered up some other comments in that interview that have passed unnoticed: Specifically, he criticized Hillary's "red phone" ad, which Hillary pollster Mark Penn credits with shifting the race her way...

He was outspoken in his criticism of Clinton's new "ringing phone" ad, which suggests that Obama is not ready to become commander in chief. "I happen to disagree with that ad that says that Senator Obama is not ready," he said. "He is ready. He has great judgment, an internationalist background."

full article at the link

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

56. As an OHIO voter, This is what set me STRONGLY AGAINST Hillary Clinton:

SOME OF YOU HERE MAY WONDER WHY I AM SUCH A VOCAL OPPONENT OF THE CLINTON CAMPAIGN. SEN CLINTON SPEAKS OF HER LIFETIME COMMITMENT TO HELPING CHILDREN, YET IN MY STATE OF OHIO, THEIR POLITICAL ASPIRATIONS TOOK THE FRONT SEAT OVER WHAT WAS BEST FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, CHILDREN AND AN IMPOVERISHED REGION. I HAVE POSTED THREADS BEFORE ON THE EAST LIVERPOOL TOXIC WASTE INCINERATOR, BUT A DIARIST ON DAILY KOS RECENTLY FOUND DISTURBING NEW FACTS ON THE INCINERATOR.
Dorri

read more and join the discussion here:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x4866426

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

57. Daily Kos: Hillary Disloyal Democrat...

elizm posted it here
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=4865913&mesg_id=4865913

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

58. Time for Obama's kitchen sink

Time for Obama's kitchen sink

By John Doe at Cafe Election Central By - March 3, 2008, 7:18PM

After endless negative campaigning by Senator Clinton's campaign, I think it's time for Obama to begin to openly discuss the many Clinton scandals.

I praise him for running a positive campaign to this point, but it is becoming painfully clear that Hillary wants to win regardless of the cost to her party.

Time to take off the gloves and fight fire with fire.

link

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

59. Mark Penn: "no direct authority in the campaign"

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=4869756&mesg_id=4869756

[grantcart]

60. Pictures from today's events with Michelle Obama

http://blog.texansforobama.com/

Pictures from today's events with Michelle Obama
by: Ian
Mon Mar 03, 2008 at 22:37:56 PM CST
We had two great events today with Michelle Obama at our UT and East Austin volunteer offices. After Michelle spoke, we all went block-walking despite the bitter cold weather. Thanks to all our volunteers for your dedication. Needless to say, we didn't see any Clinton block-walkers out on the streets tonight.

[grantcart]

61. New Digest From Texas

* Test your Barack Obama IQ - Chicago Tribune http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/obama/chi-obama-quiz,1,4539575.triviaquiz
* Poll shows Dems tied in Texas - Fort Worth Star-Telegram http://www.star-telegram.com/news/story/506131.html
* Barack Obama Texas primary night plans announced - KEYE CBS 42 http://www.keyetv.com/content/news/topnews/story.aspx?content_id=8f5e3e4b-3e7f-430a-b0d5-a628fbce86d0
* Youth turnout is about a lot more than Obama - Houston Chronicle http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/editorial/outlook/5586394.html
* For some mixed-race couples, Obama is a symbol of acceptance - Dallas Morning News http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/politics/national/stories/DN-interracialobama_03pol.ART.State.Edition1.461fccb.html
* El Paso experts say Obama should win in Texas - El Paso Times http://www.elpasotimes.com/ci_8422593?source=most_viewed
* Why Texas is Obama Territory - Mother Jones http://www.motherjones.com/washington_dispatch/2008/03/obama-texas-primary.html
* Clinton feminists frustrated at shift toward Obama - LA Times http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nation/5586409.html
* Microtrends vs. Macrotrends: Why Obama Is Winning - AlterNet http://www.alternet.org/election08/78410/
* Obama Connects with Hispanic Evangelicals in Texas - Christian Post http://www.christianpost.com/article/20080303/31399_Obama_Connects_with_Hispanic_Evangelicals_in_Texas.htm
* Obama rides wave into Texas - Boston Globe http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/03/02/obama_rides_wave_into_texas/?page=1
* East Texas may hold key to Democratic primary - Houston Chronicle http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5585063.html
* Release of Democratic caucus results is at issue - Dallas Morning News http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/politics/state/stories/030108dntexconventions.3606f8b.html
* The Kitchen Sink - Newsweek http://www.newsweek.com/id/76953
* Texas Democrats choose delegates in confusing way - Statesman http://www.statesman.com/news/content/region/legislature/stories/03/02/0302delegates.html
* Obama addresses poverty, immigration with religious leaders - Brownsville Herald http://www.brownsvilleherald.com/news/obama_84846___article.html/texas_questions.html


http://alt.coxnewsweb.com/statesman/news/02/WEB0217texdemdelegates.pdf

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

62. hold up, starting the March-04- Obama news in about 15 minutes

I will post links to your last two threads. :)

[grantcart]

63. Texas information go here

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=4872513&mesg_id=4872513