Friday’s campaign round-up

May 2, 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:

* The Indianapolis Star, Indiana’s largest newspaper, endorsed Hillary Clinton this morning. The Star’s editorial board seemed disappointed that Clinton has “pandered more to voters,” but the paper nevertheless concludes that she “is well prepared for the rigors of the White House. She is tough, experienced and realistic about what can and cannot be accomplished on the world stage.”

* Barack Obama seems to be doing quite well with former chairmen of the Democratic National Committee this week. Yesterday, he was endorsed by Joe Andrew, and today, Obama won the support of former DNC chairman and Massachusetts supderdelegate Paul Kirk.

* In other superdelegate news, John Patrick, a 31-year member of the United Steelworkers union and vice president of the Texas AFL-CIO, has also thrown his support to Obama.

* On Fox News yesterday, John McCain, who attacked Obama on his association with Jeremiah Wright earlier this week, was asked if he would pursue this issue in the general election. “No. The American people will make that decision and he’ll have that discussion with them,” McCain responded. “I’ve said that I don’t think he shares Reverend Wright’s views.”

* In North Carolina, a Research 2000 poll shows Obama with a seven-point lead (51% to 44%), while Zogby has Obama up by 14 (50% to 34%).

* Speaking of Zogby, the pollster also found that Indiana is all tied up, with both Clinton and Obama drawing 42%.

* Oregon’s primary, despite being just two weeks away, hasn’t drawn a lot of polling lately, so it was good to see the latest numbers from SurveyUSA. Its new poll shows Obama up by six, 50% to 44%.

* I think Dems are right to be concerned: “A new sign a growing numbers of Democratic primary voters may think the campaign season has passed its sell-by date: in a new survey, almost two out of three people think that the marathon campaign is doing the party more harm than good. In a Gallup poll released Friday, 62 percent of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents say the fact that both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are still battling while the Republican nomination has been settled for weeks is making it less likely that either of them will be able to win in the fall – twice as many as the 30 percent who say the extended primary season is actually helping Democratic odds of re-taking the White House.”

* Working-class whites continue to move to Clinton in large numbers: “A month ago, Hillary held a 50%-40% advantage among white Democratic voters with a high school degree or less. Today, after the Pennsylvania result and the latest flare-up by Jeremiah Wright, it’s a 65%-25% win for Hillary among this same group.”

* My friend Cliff Schecter’s new book highlights an alleged incident in which McCain lashed out at his wife publicly, calling her a very ugly word (let’s say, it rhymes with “blunt”). At an Iowa town-hall meeting yesterday, a Baptist minister asked McCain if the report was accurate. “There’s people here who don’t respect that kind of language so I’ll move on to the next question,” McCain said to a smattering of applause.

* Joe Trippi is wondering what might have happened if John Edwards had stuck around. I bet Edwards is wondering the same thing.

* McCain ally John Hagee believes American public schools provide abortion services. He did not appear to be kidding.

“On Fox News yesterday, John McCain, who attacked Obama on his association with Jeremiah Wright earlier this week, was asked if he would pursue this issue in the general election. ‘No,'” I’ll have 527s to do that for me.

  • Strangely enough the word used by McCain is also the acronym for a tasteless right wing group attacking Hillary Clinton. Conspiracy theorists could have a field day with this one.

  • Hagee stated, “Your daughter can get an abortion in public school without telling you but she can’t get an aspirin without your approval.”

    Perhaps he meant while public school *aged* since the issue appears to be parental notification.

    Clinton has “pandered more to voters,” but the paper nevertheless concludes that she “is… realistic about what can and cannot be accomplished on the world stage.”

    Maybe in Indiana that kinda talk isn’t incoherent, but it is to me.

  • “Speaking of Zogby, the pollster also found that Indiana is all tied up, with both Clinton and Obama drawing 42%.”

    That means about a 57-43 win for Clinton, as the late deciders will break for her.

    “A new sign a growing numbers of Democratic primary voters may think the campaign season has passed its sell-by date: in a new survey, almost two out of three people think that the marathon campaign is doing the party more harm than good.”

    Any chance we can get a breakdown of that by states that have held their primaries against states that haven’t? Frankly, I imagine voters in Iowa don’t think any other state should get a say on the nomination.

    “There’s people here who don’t respect that kind of language so I’ll move on to the next question,” McCain said

    Does he mean he’d repeat the comment in a men’s locker room?
    What a f**king cad.
    I understand that the Naval Academy tries to teach Midshipmen how to be gentlemen. Here once again McCan’t finished towards the bottom of his class.

  • Wait a minute, superdelegates from MA not following the will of their constituents who voted for Hillary in the primary? Obama is all about following the will of the people.

  • That means about a 57-43 win for Clinton, as the late deciders will break for her.

    Sorry crackhead, but the polls in IN – unlike the polls in PA – show a tied race. Even if Hillary gets a late swing, she might win by 3-5 points. Hell, she didn’t even win by that large of a margin in PA or OH – where she was heavily favored in the polls. The 14 point margin you are predicting isn’t based in reality – much like the campaign of your candidate.

  • Now John S., you should be more polite.

    We’ll see how Indiana breaks, but my observations is that Obama’s number is usually his ceiling and Clinton’s number is her floor.

  • Lance, your observations suggest that I might need to send you my old pair of bifocals.

    Politely speaking, of course….

  • Now John S., you should be more polite.

    Sorry, Lance, but at this point in the election season my tolerance for people that peddle obvious bullshit has waned considerably.

  • Steve and John S.

    I’m willing to wait for Tuesay (or Wednesday morning) to see how things turn out. But I don’t accept your claim that Hillary gets more late deciders is bullshit because…

    … that’s what happens.

  • But I don’t accept your claim that Hillary gets more late deciders is bullshit because…

    Lance, if we want to argue with people who willfully and melodramatically misinterpret what others are saying, we’ll go see Mary on visitation day. No one claimed that “Hillary gets more late deciders is bullshit.” What people said, quite correctly, is that Hillary is not going to win Indiana by 14 points. Get a hold of yourself, please.

  • But I don’t accept your claim that Hillary gets more late deciders is bullshit

    Like I said, I have no tolerance for bullshit.

    As Maria pointed out, nobody make this claim. I even accepted that given a late swing to Hillary, she could win by a few points. But your bullshit claim of a 14 point win coupled with your bullshit strawman argument is, well, bullshit.

  • DEM LEADERSHIP PUTS ON THE BLINDERS:

    If you listen closely to HRC explain why she is running, she’s said (understandably) almost under her breath; It’s because there’s a REAL
    danger that things could spiral~out~of~control…

    But like sheep being herded by liberal billionaires, the Democrat establishment runs into Obama’s arms because IMAGINED pogrom’s is their overarching obsession, to the exclusion of the global greater good of sustainablity?

    Couple this with industry’s (also narrowed focus) on revenue$,
    and of coarse the political-right’s soleless rich-get-richer priority,
    and yes, the risk is not only of ever more senseless destruction,
    but of it spinning~out~of~control.

    Re-vote Florida & Michigan? No! Super-Delegates have decided; The convention’s now in June, their nominee shall be Obama. [Problem is; Barack eventually write’s a memoir conceding that if he’d had alittle
    more experience, he maybe coulda…shoulda…woulda?]

    If Republicans were the only hippocrits & cram-down artist, Limbaugh’d be a sportscaster. Instead Rush make’s a fortune poking fun at liberal ideals
    and their outrageous practices. [Don’t get me wrong – I’m not saying this game’s that easy.]

  • Obama is an underdog in this election. Clinton machines are so sure she is the nominee of DNC o8!. I voted for John Edwards. She copied John Edwards Health Care plan and tell him to get out the race. She is losing the race and she did a lot of un-ethnical stuffs in the past. Wait until general election, the Replican is going to ask her about White water and also her partner Mr. Forster’s suicide for her!!!

    She is a big liar and we cannot have a president to vote for war and tell liar about her trip in the Bosinia incident.
    I will vote for John Mcclain if she is a nominee. This is my first time cross the party line to vote for Replican.

  • Somehow Steve Benen only notices the poll results that favor Obama. He doesn’t point out that the margin in Oregon is narrowing and Obama has lost much of his lead there, as in NC. He also doesn’t mention that Clinton has some former DNC support too. In fact, only Obama’s superdelegate announcements get mentioned here. I’m sure that makes you all feel good, but it doesn’t put you in touch with the reality of the election. Then you have the nerve to criticize Lance for stating a fact about what the undecideds have done in other states — and why a tied race isn’t really tied.

    Here’s the problem with ignoring reality — it doesn’t change it. All those Clinton supporters who never visit the blogosphere and don’t know what your precious economists are all saying about Obama’s animosity to relief for commuters are going to vote their hearts out and your guy is going down.

    Maria, if you’re going anywhere on visiting day, take cigarettes.

  • Mary, they let you smoke in that ward? After what happened last time? I thought your partner told them to take away your cigs when she also ordered that you not receive any sharp objects.

    • Comments are closed.