Tuesday’s campaign round-up

March 4, 2008

Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* Rush Limbaugh’s efforts to help Hillary Clinton became rather explicit yesterday on the air, when the right-wing loudmouth urged his Texas listeners to cross over and vote for Clinton, because it would, Limbaugh argued, help Republicans. “We need Barack Obama bloodied up politically,” he said.

* Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) has endorsed John McCain, but he’s apparently not happy about it. In public remarks the other day, Cornyn described how he came to back McCain: “I sort of liken it to a grieving process. You come to acceptance.”

* In an odd poll from Rasmussen, self-identified Republicans said they like Obama nearly as much as they like McCain: “The survey determined that a quarter of self-identified Republicans rated Mr. McCain most likable, but nearly as many — 23 percent — chose Mr. Obama as most likable.” Pollster Scott Rasmussen said, “There is something about Barack Obama that is hard to capture in polling and it’s an enthusiasm, it’s a freshness, it’s an excitement he can generate that will certainly be a factor in the campaign.”

* It’s only a formality at this point, but John McCain will likely clinch the necessary number of delegates to claim the GOP nomination tonight. (Maybe then Huckabee will drop out?

* If Zogby tracking polls mean anything to you, Zogby shows Clinton and Obama tied in Ohio, at 44% each, and shows Clinton edging ahead in Texas, 47% to 44%. John Zogby concluded, “Among those in Texas who were just making up their minds in the last few days, Hillary now leads by four percent, which pretty much tells the story.”

* John McCain’s endorsement list got a little longer yesterday, when the Republican governors of Mississippi, North Dakota, Louisiana, Hawaii, Georgia, and Alabama all threw their support to the Arizona senator.

* Bill Richardson has been reluctant, for whatever reason, to endorse a presidential candidate, but yesterday he publicly criticized Clinton’s “3 a.m.” ad. “I happen to disagree with that ad that says that Senator Obama is not ready,” Richardson said. “He is ready. He has great judgment, an internationalist background.”

* Howard Dean’s nervous: “As the Democratic presidential primary heads into its third month of voting, party officials said Monday that Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean privately warned last week about the potential fallout from a protracted battle between Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton. Dean sat down last Tuesday with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) in a scheduled meeting at DNC headquarters. He told the congressional leaders of his concerns that an extended contest could pose potential long-term harm to the party’s presidential ticket, according to several strategists familiar with the closed-door meeting.”

* And Tennessee’s Senate race hasn’t generated much attention so far, but attorney Bob Tuke, the former chairman of the Tennessee Democratic party, announced yesterday that he will take on incumbent Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.). “I realize we are starting later than some other campaigns nationally and that’s why I felt a need to put together a team of battle-hardened political veterans with a balance of national experience and Tennessee knowledge,” Tuke said in a statement. Joe Trippi has joined Tuke’s team.

I think Bill Richardson is reluctant because he wants to endorse Obama, but he said superdelegates should vote the way the people the represent did. Since NM narrowly went for Clinton, now he has to wait until it’s over.

  • The great equality is that Howard Dean doesn’t know any better than we do if the protracted campaign will help or hurt the Dems in November.

  • I think Bill Richardson is reluctant because he wants to endorse Obama… -Lukeness

    Well, he did say that whomever had the most delegates on March 5th should be the winner. I happen to agree with him. I also happen to know it’s mathematically impossible for Clinton to be that person.

  • Rush pushes for Hillary; Hillary complements McCain’s lifetime of experience. Looks to me as if someone left their (D) at home and picked up an (R) along the way—now doesn’t it?

    Only in Bushylvania….

  • “Dean sat down last Tuesday with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) in a scheduled meeting at DNC headquarters. He told the congressional leaders of his concerns that an extended contest could pose potential long-term harm to the party’s presidential ticket, according to several strategists familiar with the closed-door meeting.”

    Actually, Howard, I’d be more worried about the long-term harm of Rep. Pelosi and Sen. Reid falling on their knees for Gdub and marking the Democratic Party a lapdog of the minority Republicans. We the people (interesting concept, I agree) voted the Democrats in to stand AGAINST the Republicans and put the country back on track! Not doing THAT hurts the party much more than Senators Clinton and Obama slugging it out for another month or two.

  • “[Howard Dean] told the[Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid] of his concerns that an extended contest could pose potential long-term harm to the party’s presidential ticket…:

    Howard Dean is absolutely correct. As others have said, even if she wins three states today, Barak Obama is our Democratic nominee. It’s already over for Hillary.

    As Dean has indicated, she’s only doing long-term harm to the party’s presidential ticket.

  • Steve said:
    Rush pushes for Hillary; Hillary complements McCain’s lifetime of experience. Looks to me as if someone left their (D) at home and picked up an (R) along the way—now doesn’t it?

    I love the way sometimes typos work so well.

  • Richardson shouldn’t say anything seeings how he didn’t make it past NV. Makes it pretty hard to take him serious. I imagine that if Hillary were to win TX, OH and RI today then he would change his tune. He just happens to like to talk on TV and has become no more than a talking head.

  • Scott’s right, Jim. It’s over — regardless of what happens today.

    Clearly, you’re still in the denial stage of grief (slowly sliding into the anger stage). That’s okay…so is Hillary. If all goes as Hillary plans, you’ll hit the bargaining stage sometime prior to the convention and the depression stage at the convention. Then there’s acceptance. Be patient. You’ll get there.

  • The Dems waiting 6 weeks for even as much as a 60-40 split in PA is so distasteful, that I predict the supers having some sort of conclave after TX results are known (at the latest).

  • Hillary is the Mike Huckabee of the Democratic party. She’s fighting on to eke out victories here and there, but essentially, she’s done.

  • (I’m sorry to be repetitive on this, but people don’t always check the older threads, and it is just too important not to repeat it.)

    Howard Dean has been proven right… by Hillary. With first her ‘experience’ comments, and then her aide’s comments about Rezko, she has handed the Republicans two weapons they will use against him — and be able to use her to gain credibility. She has reached Lieverman level, and I think the Zell Miller rule should be used aginst her.

    I’ve already called my own Congresswoman, a black Hillary supporter, and called it to her attention, and I’ll be e-mailing her later. If any of you have a Hillary supporter as your Representative or Senator, I’d suggest you do the same, with a cc to a local reporter if you know one.

  • At least Huckabee is campaigning against McCain with class. Unfortunately, we can’t say the same about Hillary.

    Actually, Hillary Huckabee is an insult to Mike Huckabee.

  • “…she has handed the Republicans two weapons they will use against him.”

    nope, i thing the republican slime machine was already aware — and prepared to use — both of those.

    that said, i’m of two minds about this. on the one hand, yes, candidates for the democratic nomination (for anything, really) shouldn’t be going for the throat of their opponents. on the other hand, the obama crowd has shown an occasional rapid response capability (noticably lacking in the gore and kerry campaigns), but still need the practice that hil’s attacks provide.

  • …Republican governors of Mississippi, North Dakota, Louisiana, Hawaii, Georgia, and Alabama all threw their support to the Arizona senator.

    But the Republican governor of Alaska still ain’t on board — even though Sarah Palin is being mentioned as a possible (if not probable) running mate.

    http://mayorsam.blogspot.com/2008/02/mccain-palin.html

    Palin can’t get behind McCain until McCain flip-flops his opposition to oil drilling in ANWR, which even Alaska Democrats support.

  • I may be wrong, but Zell Miller was a Conservative Democratic Senator from Georgia who made a speech at the Republican convention supporting Bush. I believe he was stripped of seniority and dprived of committee assignments. (The same should have happened to Lieberman, and undoubtedly will once we have a decent majority after the next election.)

  • Shorter Flush: I’ve had my anti-HRC shtick ready and waiting for years!

    The bacon streaks of the fRightWing Broadcasting Corporation don’t want to take on Obama. Not because they’re afraid of saying something blatantly racist, but because they’re convinced that when (not if) they do, hordes of angry black dudes will beat them up and rape their pet goats.

  • Rush Limbaugh’s efforts to help Hillary Clinton became rather explicit yesterday on the air, when the right-wing loudmouth urged his Texas listeners to cross over and vote for Clinton, because it would, Limbaugh argued, help Republicans.

    Every time I’ve voted in the Texas primary, my voter card gets stamped with a “Democrat” stamp and I have to vote Democratic in the general. Even though it is an open primary I don’t think Limbaugh has thought this through. But hey, I say let him talk on this one…

    Texas primary voting regulations

    Texas primary voters can choose between a Republican and Democratic ballot, but they may only vote on one. Once a voter casts a ballot for either party, he is considered a member of that party for at least the election year.

    To participate in either a Republican or Democrat precinct caucus or convention on primary election night, a voter must have cast a ballot in the same primary. A voter wishing to participate in the Republican convention must vote in the Republican primary, and the same is true on the Democratic side.

    Party caucuses and conventions will begin at precinct polling locations after the polls close tonight.

    — Source: Gregg County Republican and Democratic parties

  • Dale (8)—the spelling was intentional, and you’re probably one of the rare few who caught the intent!

  • Richardson shouldn’t say anything seeings how he didn’t make it past NV. Makes it pretty hard to take him serious. -Jim

    Yeah, he was just a Governor. Psshh. Like that’s an important office. Seriously, who takes people who ran an entire state seriously? C’mon, get real, right?

    Jim, where in denial do you live?

  • Every time I’ve voted in the Texas primary, my voter card gets stamped with a “Democrat” stamp and I have to vote Democratic in the general.

    This doesn’t make any sense at all. Who’s checking to make sure that you vote matches the stamp on your registration card?

    I think you must be missing something.

  • Tom #27—

    You’re right I was/have been missing something all these years… must have been my mind! I too had the same question, and have always been told that if I voted Democratic in the primary I must vote Democratic in the general. I know they also stamp “Democrat” on the roster they use to check your registration against. I think they must stamp Democrat on your registration so you can get into the caucus later in the evening. Something I had never considered, because I didn’t really know about the caucus until this year.

    Anyway, here’s what the Texas Sec of State says about this on his website. Obviously the other source was incorrect, or at the least ambiguous. Sorry to have put out some incorrect information.

    Voting in the Primary Elections

    If you are a registered voter in the state of Texas, you will simply choose your party and vote in that party’s primary. To explain, we do not register by party in Texas. One becomes “affiliated” with a party by voting in a party’s primary and the affiliation lasts for that primary year. As an example, if a voter voted in the March 2006 primary or April 2006 runoff primary, the voter affiliated with that party for the rest of that year, but on December 31, 2006 the affiliation expired. The affiliation means that the person may not vote in another party’s primary or participate in another party’s convention or sign an independent candidate’s petition for place on the ballot if the independent candidate’s position appears on the primary ballot. Note that in the general election in November, a voter may vote for whomever he/she wishes, regardless of how or whether he/she voted in the primary or runoff primary election, since all candidates are on the same ballot.

  • I think Huckabee’s run is actually pretty interesting and would love to see him stay in. I don’t think he’s spending or raising very much money but he is still getting mostly double digit totals. Against McCain. He offers a real alternative to the religious reich that do not want to vote for McCain.

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