Monday’s campaign round-up

February 11, 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:

* It appears that John Edwards is poised to make an endorsement of one of his former rivals for the Democratic nomination. He quietly met with Hillary Clinton in North Carolina last Thursday (that they kept the meeting under wraps is pretty impressive), and is scheduled to sit down with Barack Obama this evening.

* John McCain’s support in religious right circles is pretty weak, but at least one high-profile figure in the movement is willing to embrace him. This morning, Gary Bauer, a James Dobson protege, backed the Arizona senator, citing his “consistent 24-year pro-life record” and McCain’s “demonstrated commitment to the values that keep our families and communities strong.” Bauer also endorsed McCain in 2000.

* The Clinton campaign hasn’t had too much good news over the last couple of days, but there was one silver lining — the campaign raised over $10 million from 100,000 donors in the four days following the February 5 Super Tuesday contests. As for the previous financial difficulties, the senator has reportedly repaid her $5 million loan, and no one on her staff will forgo paychecks.

* Mike Huckabee is still pretty angry about the shenanigans in Washington state on Saturday night. This morning, he told CNN, “That is not what we do in American elections. Maybe that’s how they used to conduct it in the old Soviet Union, but you don’t just throw people’s votes out and say, ‘well, we’re not going to bother counting them because we kind of think we know where this was going.’

* Obama picked up some helpful newspaper endorsements over the weekend, with the largest newspaper in Ohio (the Cleveland Plain Dealer) and the largest paper in Maryland (the Baltimore Sun) both backing the Illinois senator’s campaign.

* Huckabee appeared on a couple of the Sunday morning talk-shows yesterday, where he faced questions from both Tim Russert and Bob Schieffer about whether he’d consider running as McCain’s running mate. The former governor repeatedly said he didn’t think McCain would choose him, but added, “I’m not interested in being a running mate.”

* Virginia’s closely watched presidential primaries are tomorrow. A Mason-Dixon poll found Obama with a big lead over Clinton going into the race, ahead 53% to 37%.

* The same Mason-Dixon poll found Virginia Republicans leaning heavily in McCain’s direction, with the Arizona senator leading Huckabee, 55% to 27%.

* The Conservative Political Action Conference held a straw-poll at the end of the event late last week, and Mitt Romney, despite having dropped out, edged John McCain, 35% to 34%. Huckabee and Ron Paul had 12% each.

* Fred Thompson endorsed McCain, saying it was time for the GOP to “close ranks.”

* Former Secretary of State Colin Powell said he would certainly consider voting for a Democratic presidential candidate this year, and offered some praise for Obama. “He has energized a lot of people in America. He has energized a lot of people around the world. And so I think he is worth listening to and seeing what he stands for.”

* An eight-day “Democrats Abroad” primary may seem irrelevant, but seven delegates are at stake.

* And in the closely-watched Maryland primary between Rep. Al Wynn and Donna Edwards, the WaPo editorial board endorsed the challenger.

Mitt Romney, despite having dropped out, edged John McCain, 35% to 324%

One heck of an edge, to beat back 324%!

[Huckabee] told CNN, “That is not what we do in American elections. Maybe that’s how they used to conduct it in the old Soviet Union, but you don’t just throw people’s votes out and say, ‘well, we’re not going to bother counting them because we kind of think we know where this was going.’

I wish Dems could rise to the level of indignation and bring up Soviets at the drop of a hat. Here we are with a president who has blatantly lied, may not have actually been elected, uses businesses to spy on citizens, and yet Dems apologize for comparing the admin with . . . well, with anything. They just wither.

  • That is not what we do in American elections.

    Uhm, Huck…sure it is. It’s how Bush won 2000 and 2004. Suck it up, babe…we had to for seven years. And look how wonderfully that turned out for us all.

    Alas, if only you didn’t believe the earth was 6000 years old and if you didn’t want to rewrite the constitution for god (spare me!!), you might be tolerable. Alas, you’re a fucking fruitcake and if any gooper gets elected we, as a society, are doomed.

  • Great post, CBiPC.

    The people want Obama. The people are speaking, and they are rejecting Clinton. This site is downplaying the fact.

  • * Mike Huckabee is still pretty angry about the shenanigans in Washington state on Saturday night. This morning, he told CNN, “That is not what we do in American elections. Maybe that’s how they used to conduct it in the old Soviet Union, but you don’t just throw people’s votes out and say, ‘well, we’re not going to bother counting them because we kind of think we know where this was going.’

    Gee, Reverend Mike, “shenanigans” are all right when Republican candidates benefit, like they did in Florida in 2000, aren’t they? It’s just when Republicans get hit by them that it hurts.

  • What happened to the first post in this comment section exposing this site’s pro-clinton bias?

    Is the carpet bagger censoring pro-obama comments?

  • Pro-CLINTON bias? Steve is an Obama supporter. He does a good job of handing his support (e.g. coming to Clinton’s defense when it’s deserved), but in no way can you possibly call this site “pro-Clinton”.

  • No, hot dog, the site is censoring *trolls*. We’ve all decided that we don’t like the contentiousness people like you bring here. This is supposed to be a semi-serious forum, not an arena for kindergarten food fights.

    P.S. I voted for Obama on Super Tuesday. It shames me to know that I’m affiliated with people like you.

    P.P.S. Steve, when/if you kill the rest of hot dog’s posts, kill this one of mine also. I don’t want it left behind.

  • I love how everyone says the people have spoken for Obama out of nearly 17 million votes cast there is 1/10 of a percent difference in the vote (according to MSNBC yesterday). So therefore I can’t see where the people have spoken either way. Don’t tell me about delegates because if the democrats did it right Clinton would be the nominee such as with winner take all. But thats the way it is. 50 or 60 delegates is not that big of a deal and I think that whoever wins the popular vote should be the nominee after all have voted.

  • Anyone wanna dig up Gary Bauer quotes from the stem cell research debates? I realize the issue divided Republicans, but Bauer seems to be minimizing something that Dobson feels is of critical importance. All the ink & sweat spilled during the stem cell battles, Gary Bauer is willing to wipe it away as a trivial matter. Oh, and the gay thing, too.

  • This site is totally downplaying the impact of obama taking a 60+ delegate lead with more to collect tomorrow. And with time to campaign in ohio, texas and pa, it will be difficult for hillary to make up 30+ delegates in each of those states, making obama’s current delegate lead the biggest story of the weekend.

    The first comment for this story laid this fact out, and steve censored it. All I’m asking is why? Why censor comments that are fair and speak the truth? Unless he is a clinton puppet and can’t take the fact about obama running away with this thing.

  • This is a community of people who want A DEMOCRAT to be elected. We do NOT want to get into Clinton vs. Obama. Leave that to the polling places where you cast your vote.

    We are a community that does not want a wedge driven between us.

    I’m done responding. No vitriol.

  • Jim, do you think the popular vote measures primaries and caucuses equally? Because I have heard that a caucus vote is equal to about 5 primary votes, in which case the obama vote is clearly well ahead.

    Obama has won like 20 out of the 30 states. He is racking up the delegates.

    Why?

    Clinton is a polarizing family. Obama represents unity. Independents and moderates love obama, they hate clinton.

  • I want a democrat elected as well.

    Hillary is hated by most non-democrats. Obama is not.

    How could somebody who wants a democrat vte for hillary? You see the polls, obama would crush mccain, hillary could potentially lose.

    Obama is class, hillary is a walking scandal.

  • “Mike Huckabee is still pretty angry about the shenanigans in Washington state on Saturday night.”

    Wow, finally something I can agree with Huckabee about. I’m guessing it’ll be pretty much the last time that happens, though.

  • Mike Huckabee is still pretty angry…

    huck is proving to be an interesting thorn in his party’s side. he’s not on the DNC’s payroll by any chance, is he?

  • I love how everyone says the people have spoken for Obama out of nearly 17 million votes cast there is 1/10 of a percent difference in the vote (according to MSNBC yesterday). -Jim

    Jim is right; there is no clearcut winner among the people. Where Jim is wrong is by claiming that everyone is saying it. It’s only people like ‘the hot dog’ who feel compelled to repeatedly accuse Steve of pro-Clinton bias and waste bandwidth.


  • What happened to the first post in this comment section exposing this site’s pro-clinton bias?

    Pro-Clinton bias? BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

    My gods man (or woman, or whatever) are you totally new to this site or something? Steve’s done a remarkable job of keeping this place relatively neutral, even if it has become infested with trolls of all shapes and sizes over the last few months.

    Pro-Clinton bias. HA! Man, I’m going to be laughing about that one all day.

  • “And in the closely-watched Maryland primary between Rep. Al Wynn and Donna Edwards, the WaPo editorial board endorsed the challenger.”

    So did MoveOn.org. She’s one to watch for those who are angry with spineless Dems. This is truly a change vs experience race. Last year National Review rated Wynn more liberal than 71% of congress, about the same as Rahm Emanuel (73%).

  • Do you have to reteach a civility 101 course. Lesson 1: don’t do personal attacks. I haven’t the vaguest idea whether CB is an Obama or Clinton support. I do know he’s an honest progressive and would support the Democratic nominee. As I would, and suspect the vast majority of posters here would. Last night’s 60 Minutes interview by (the ever so vapid) Katie Couric of Hilary was class all the way. When asked if what she would do if her candidacy were to fall short, she answered that she would return to her Senate seat happily and support Obama. Would that a few malcontents could follow that sage advice.

  • Just saw Gary Bauer on Fox News, he said – “If Obama & Clinton supporters end up uniting against the Republicans, Islamofascists will win” – or words to that effect. Expect to hear the word “Islamofascists” a lot this year.

    Interesting endorsement… The Cleveland Plain Dealer editorial board is non-committal usually, they didn’t endorse either Kerry or Bush in 2004, even though their readership was heavily tilting Kerry.

  • The Clinton campaign hasn’t had too much good news over the last couple of days, but there was one silver lining — the campaign raised over $10 million …

    Glad to see the Obama campaign stepped up and decided to stop the nonsense of making a horse race out of the money being raised.

    It was getting real odious… real fast.
    Glad to see Barack had the good sense, wisdom, experience… or whatever you want to call it… to suspend the posting of their money numbers.

    I expect the Clinton campaign will be following suit shortly. She usually does…

  • I just seen on MSNBC that the Edwards/Obama meeting has been cancelled any other news on that from anyone

  • It will be interesting do see who Edwards endorses. But you know what? I think he mis-timed this whole thing. His voters have already seeped into new camps. Chances are many of them are already identifying with a new candidate. Having invested some new emotion that way… I doubt they can back up and go to where he points.

    In politics, a sense of timing, may be the most important thing of all.

  • I laugh to read Mike Huckabee complaining about actual vote fraud.

    He routinely urges his supporters to get out and vote multiple times, and to prevent the supporters of his opponents from getting out to vote. That’s vote fraud and vote surpression in one go.

    Sure, he will claim it’s just a joke. But his theocratic wingnut followers don’t understand jokes. If a man of God tells them to go out and cheat, by golly that’s just what they are going to go and do.

    Are we surpressing trolls now. I’ve been down with a cold (skeving off work right now) and missed the good news.

  • This excerpt from the PD:

    “But in a campaign where history matters, she carries an inordinate amount of baggage. Who wants to relive the soap operas of the 1990s?”

    And this, from a neighbor that I’d call “Religious Left:”

    “Clinton and Obama are both biblical metaphors. One the one hand, Hillary represents the status quo of the Party Machine, and can be seen as a political representation of the ancient city of Jericho. Barack, on the other hand, comes across as being a ‘surrogate Joshua’; laying siege to the high, indomitable walls of the fortress city. I think those walls are beginning to tremble.”

  • entheo (#16): huck is proving to be an interesting thorn in his party’s side. he’s not on the DNC’s payroll by any chance, is he?

    On the one hand, having a DNC that was actually that effective would be a refreshing change. On the other, not sure I’d like them to play the Repub game of anything to win.

  • re Huckabee: I guess when prayer and miracles fail, there’s nothing like a back up plan that includes bunch of lawyers. eh?

  • #25 Lance: “He (Huckabee) routinely urges his supporters to get out and vote multiple times…”

    i’ve heard mccain say that (“vote early and vote often”) on multiple occasions, but not huck.

  • #29 beep: “re Huckabee: I guess when prayer and miracles fail, there’s nothing like a back up plan that includes bunch of lawyers. eh?”

    reminds me of the sufi saying “always have faith in god but don’t forget to tie your camel to the post.”

  • Huckabee clearly doesn’t understand that the caucus in WA. state on Sat. is NOT the be all end all for the Republican candidates. They are able to vote again in the primary (Feb. 19th) and vote regardless of whether or not they cast a vote in their caucus. Effectively, they can vote twice.
    For Dems, it was different. Apparently our state party leaders opted to go with caucus only and not participate in the primary on Feb. 19th, which is basically for Republicans only.

  • One note of irony on the Huckabee complaint. Isn’t it a bit ironic that US Attorney McKay was chucked because he didn’t indict anyone or overturn the election in the Gregoire gubernatorial race? Glad to see we’re bringing democracy to the outposts of tyrrany. But can we leave a little here?

  • entheo said: “i’ve heard mccain say that (”vote early and vote often”) on multiple occasions, but not huck.”

    I have.

  • Jim at #9:

    How is “winner take all” better? I personally like the proportional system. It more closely matches the popular vote. I never liked the idea of winner take all because it essentially says “your votes don’t matter” to people who voted for the second or thrid place candidate. As an example, in California Obama took 42% of the vote. That’s hardly trivial. In a winner take all system that 42% lose their voice.

    Now, a bigger issue is the super deligates. It hasn’t been an issue in the past because there hasn’t been a close contest like this since the rules changed after ’88. The whole super deligate thing needs to be re-examined for future primaries. The decision should be in the voters hands, not a few party big wigs.

    An even bigger issue, but one unique to this election year, is the denial of deligates to Florida and Michigan for violating Party rules. If this election swings on these deligates when no real contest was done in either, then that WOULD be a bogus result.

  • The decision should be in the voters hands, not a few party big wigs.

    I’ve heard that sentiment a lot, and it makes sense at first glance. But, this isn’t an election. This is a party process to decide who to put up for election. The party decides by party rules, and it’s not “the People’s” right to change that, if only because to change that would mean that the government is forcing parties to abandon their independence.

    So, in fact, party bigwigs–that is, the people who have earned leadership roles within the party organization–really should have a bigger say in the result, if that’s how the party wants to handle things.

    We can argue about whether party-politics is good for America, but that’s a different question. (And one that I used to answer “no” very easily, before seeing how low an administration can go. Do we want the government messing around with Democratic primaries when the government is run by the likes of BushCo?).

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