Thursday’s campaign round-up

June 5, 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:

* Yesterday, a variety of House Dems who support Hillary Clinton planned a coordinated effort to pressure Barack Obama to pick Clinton as his running mate. As of this morning, the Dem lawmakers have scrapped their plan and they’ve decided to “communicate our views informally.”

* MSNBC has an interesting look at how Obama and John McCain match up with regards to states and electoral votes, and concludes that Obama, at least for now, has an edge. “His reach right now seems much longer than McCain’s.”

* McCain’s finance team is more than a little worried about Obama’s ability to raise money: “A review of campaign finance data offers not one ounce of good news and barely any hope for the McCain campaign’s ability to compete with Obama’s fundraising prowess. To make matters worse, Obama’s campaign, which raised $272 million through April for the primary, now is reaching out to Clinton’s fundraisers, who raised another $200 million through April, in an effort to unite forces and bury the historically deep-pocketed Republicans.”

* Obama will campaign in Virginia today with Mark Warner, the former governor and U.S. Senate candidate, and Tim Kaine, the current governor. He’ll campaign tonight with Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.). All three are considered possible running mates.

* There goes one of McCain’s favorite talking points — Hamas now believes Obama would be no better than McCain. “The Democratic and Republican parties support totally the Israeli occupation at the expense of the interests and rights of Arabs and Palestinians,” Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters.

* Would Clinton be a good pick for Secretary of Defense? Max Bergmann ponders.

* Over the last year, Clinton’s favorability ratings among Dems nationwide went down 13 points, and Obama’s went up 12 points, but they both ended up at the exact same place.

* McCain apparently doesn’t know what a “cap and trade” policy means, despite the fact that he supports one.

* Now conservatives criticize Obama when he does wear a flag pin.

* How embarrassing is former Gov. Jim Gilmore’s Senate campaign in Virginia? The man he hopes to replace, retiring Sen. John Warner (R), won’t endorse him.

* Good lord: “[T]he bitterness among Obama supporters lingers. Clyburn said his office has been deluged with racist phone calls since his endorsement of Obama on Tuesday, some so vicious an intern had to be taken from his office crying on Tuesday.”

* Michael Bloomberg isn’t quite done with public service. He either wants to change the law to seek a third term as mayor, or wants a possible gubernatorial campaign.

[T]he bitterness among Obama supporters lingers. Clyburn said his office has been deluged with racist phone calls since his endorsement of Obama on Tuesday, some so vicious an intern had to be taken from his office crying on Tuesday.”

I saw that in the WaPo. Why doesn’t it say bitterness among Clinton supporters, or bitterness against Obama supporters, or something? That makes it sound like Obama supporters are harassing a new Obama superdelegate with racist phone calls.

  • Slate has a nice summary of the struggle to describe the Obamas’ fist-pound on Tuesday evening.

    The most ridiculous: “Michelle is not as ‘refined’ as Obama at hiding her TRUE feelings about America—etc. Her ‘Hezbollah’ style fist-jabbing …”—Human Events

  • “Now conservatives criticize Obama when he does wear a flag pin.”

    That’s both predictable and not entirely unwarranted. I wish he’d stuck to his original principles on that.

  • * Good lord: “[T]he bitterness among Obama supporters lingers.

    I think this is a typo, though it is in the WaPo hard copy as well as the on-line one linked above. Here’s another version:

    http://forums.sohh.com/showthread.php?t=1033598

    Here they make it pretty clear, as jibeaux points out, that the calls were from Hillary supporters.

  • * Michael Bloomberg isn’t quite done with public service. He either wants to change the law to seek a third term as mayor, or wants a possible gubernatorial campaign.

    If you want it that bad, then it’s not public service.

  • “[T]he bitterness among Obama supporters lingers. Why would we jump on a guy on our team? Are you sure you’ve got this right?

  • It is unlikely that the racists harrassing the Clyburn people are “Clinton supporters”, who are no more racist than “Obama supporters” are misogynist…

  • Republicans lagging behind Democrats in raising money? The universe must be out of balance! 🙂

    When I meet someone wearing a flag lapel pin, I just assume that he’s a horse’s patoot. I haven’t been wrong yet. When they appoint me Dictator-for-Life, I will order all flag lapel pins melted and formed into a statue of Richard Nixon. Those who wear their religion (or their patriotism) on their sleeves (or lapels) can’t be trusted. I’m with JRD on this one.

    Don’t assume that all of Hillary’s supporters will vote for Obama if Hillary is his running mate. They won’t. A surprising number of Hillary supporters will never vote for one of them to be president. The last few months have taught me that ignorant racism remains a much greater problem than I hadr imagined.

  • WTF is up with that BS about “the bitterness among Obama supporters”???

    Bitterness towards Obama supporters, maybe.

    Like Atrios would say, that’s Journamalism

  • Hey Okie, look at the back of most of those flag pins, and you’ll see the words “made in China”. Your statue is a great idea.

  • Jim,

    You’re wrong on that. It’s not “unlikely”. Considering how many racist/sexist folks we have in this country, it’s very likely some of them supported either Clinton or Obama.

  • I think it’s very clear the racists in question are Clinton supporters. Who else would be upset enough to complain that way about the endorsement? And there are undoubtedly many Obama supporters who are equally misogynistic. On the other hand, the vast majority of both campaigns’ supporters would obviously never do anything so horrible and those callers are the hateful tiny minority who should not be taken to represent the opinions of the whole.

  • “Pressuring” Obama to select Clinton as his VP is exactly the wrong tack to take and would only make him look weak if he allowed it. Not a perception he (nor any Presidential candidate) can afford. More amazing is that someone as experienced a politico as Lanny Davis would be thinking of circulating a petition! Is it only subterfuge to undermine Obama’s ability to take the election and open it up to Clinton in 2012?

    And Hillary as Sec. of Defense? Someone is surely joking. I can truly see her, if she wants to leave the Senate, being Sec. of Health and Human Services, as it would give her a powerful platform to implement Universal Health Insurance. If this has been the issue that has (truly) been her major concern for years, seems like the ideal position for her.

  • Yesterday, a variety of House Dems who support Hillary Clinton planned a coordinated effort to pressure Barack Obama to pick Clinton as his running mate. As of this morning, the Dem lawmakers have scrapped their plan and they’ve decided to “communicate our views informally.”

    There are three words that entirely cover the Hillary-for-VP campaign: Ain’t. Gonna. Happen.

    For all sorts of reasons, beginning with the need to have a candidate who would be viable in 2016 for President, to the power relationships of being a President with a Vice-President whose spouse is known also as “Mr. President”, to all the more powerful Democrats than this list who believe this would be the furthest thing from a “dream ticket, and to all the things in between, this is something that’s just not going to happen.

  • So McCain revealed he has no clue about cap & trade, Iran disinvestment and Katrina investigation votes he made.

    And that’s just in 2 days?

  • Wouldn’t it be fun to find out who made those calls to Clyburn’s office—and then exercise our !st Amendment rights to free speech and expression, by posting some names, addresses, and telephone numbers on the ‘tubes?

    Let the war on terror begin….

  • It’s obvious that the calls to Clyburn’s office, if he even got any, were made by supporters of Mr. Proclaims Himself the Winner trying to influence black superdelegates while making Senator Clinton look bad.

    Clyburn supported Senator Clinton before he pretended to be upset by Bill Clinton’s perfectly innocent remark about South Carolina and Jesse Jackson. Obama is concerned that Clyburn, Maxine Waters and other turncoat blacks will wake up, smell the coffee and realize that continuing to be disloyal to Senator Clinton just makes them look like ingrates after all she’s done for them.

    If they’re smart, and they usually aren’t, black superdelegates will be the first among the hundreds of superdelegates who are going to stand up at the convention, throw off the imposter Obama and embrace the most qualified candidate — Clinton. That kind of leadership would do a lot to restore African Americans’ tarnished reputation in the eyes of normal Americans.

  • RE: bitterness of Obama supporters.

    It’s a typo, the next sentence makes it clear the WaPo is talking about Clinton supporters

    Clyburn blamed the dismissive tone set by Clinton and her supporters, a tone that he said continued Tuesday night when she held a “victory rally” and failed to acknowledge defeat.

  • Wouldn’t it be fun to find out who made those calls to Clyburn’s office—and then exercise our !st Amendment rights to free speech and expression, by posting some names, addresses, and telephone numbers on the ‘tubes?

    No.

  • Oh shit, the top military and civilian leaders of the US Air Force have been fired. I smell air war against Iran coming as soon as Cheney can find leaders willing to follow those insane orders.

  • * McCain’s finance team is more than a little worried about Obama’s ability to raise money — CB

    It’s not just McCain vs Obama. We’ve also got an edge in the Congressional and Senatorial committees, when it comes to the fundraising. The only place we’re lagging behind is DNC vs RNC and that is likely change now that we have a nominee.

    BTW… Check out the DNC website; they’ve revamped it to reflect the Tuesday night results 🙂

  • Well, if it’s a typo, they should have it fixed by 1:00 in the afternoon, I should think.

  • Messages of support and encouragement can be sent to Jim Clyburn and his staff can be sent to:

    Office of the Majority Whip
    The Honorable James E. Clyburn (SC-06)
    United States House of Representatives
    H-329, The Capitol
    Washington, DC 20515
    (202) 226-3210

    And Maria,

    Wouldn’t it be fun to find out who made those calls to Clyburn’s office—and then exercise our 1st Amendment rights to free speech and expression, by posting some names, addresses, and telephone numbers on the ‘tubes?

    No.

    Making threatening and obscene calls to the office of an elected Federal officer is, I believe, an imprisonable offense. If someone wishes to “disenfranchise” themselves from the greater American community by doing hateful, stupid stuff—then by all means, let them be thus disenfranchised. The envelope of discourse has been pushed beyond all means of decency during the past eight years; it is time to push it back within its appropriate parameters. These were not “vitriolic comments” posted to a website of blog as a form of individual venting of one’s frustrations—they were malicious, verbal assaults targeted directly at a senior member of the Democratic Caucus.

    Feed these fools to the FBI and Secret Service. Drag them into the camera lights. Let their neighbors know not only “who” they are, but “what” they are….

  • It’s breaking news on CNN. The official reason is because the issue with nukes from that flight last year hasn’t been resolved, plus other management issues. I haven’t checked for a story on the web yet.

  • Tom Cleaver,

    For all sorts of reasons, beginning with the need to have a candidate who would be viable in 2016 for President…

    As a long-time reader here, I’m fully aware of how you feel about both Clintons.

    So, without going into that, assuming an Obama/Clinton administration had a successful 8 year run (or at the very least, the last several years were acknowledged by the public to be successful), why wouldn’t Clinton be viable in 2016?

  • 26. Steve said: Feed these fools to the FBI and Secret Service.

    The names of those who have made threats should definitely be turned over to the FBI for investigation and hopefully conviction. But Maria is right, posting personal information on the internet about someone you don’t like in hopes of something happening to them (even if what you’re wishing to happen is harmless) is always over the line.

  • “Why doesn’t it say bitterness among Clinton supporters, or bitterness against Obama supporters, or something? That makes it sound like Obama supporters are harassing a new Obama superdelegate with racist phone calls.”

    It’s not a typo–just not well written. See the next paragraph:

    “”At some point, she needs to congratulate the man for having won,” Clyburn said before Clinton announced the Saturday event. “Those kinds of things are important to us who grew up in the South with these kinds of slights. That speech cannot be seen as anything but a slight.””

    The intent of the writer is to say there is lingering bitterness by Obama supporters towards Hillary (for the ungracious speech) and the reulting effect of her actions (her supporters are pissed off that is reflected in their behavior, e.g. doing things like making racist phone calls to a new superdelegate supporting Obama.

    Phew! That writer makes it hard to get at first glance.

  • Cleaver @ 15: For all sorts of reasons, beginning with the need to have a candidate who would be viable in 2016 for President…

    I am starting to question that aspect of the veep-model.

    Here’s why:

    After 8 years the population may quite naturally grow restless with the party in power. I present no historical analogies. They don’t apply to my reasoning. Rather, we live in a world that is driven by hyper-change. The people of 2016 might just want change for change’s sake. Something shiny and bright.

    In other words: Could it be that a Democrat coming from outside the administration might have a better chance in 2016?

    Or if you want to hold to the current model:

    Would it be smart of Barack to switch veeps in 2012? Bring on someone solely for the purpose of king-making, and with an eye to lessening the effects of 8 long years of wear and tear?

  • For Maria:

    Wow. I took your advice and starting doing my own research! Thanks! I never thought of that before. It’s like a whole new world has been opened up before my eyes. You’re awsome! This whole Intra-Net thing is really groovy.

    Check this out: http://www.dailykos.com/

    So maybe Clinton isn’t trying to destroy Obama after all.

  • I was going to answer Steve, but Shalimar at #29 pretty well summed up my view. Thanks, Shal!

    Everett, old man, if there was something specific you wished us to see on Daily Kos, you need to learn what a permalink is. The top item there changes constantly, as it does on most blogs.

    (Really, this is like shooting fish in a barrel.)

  • Keeping Dean is mistake number one. YeeeeeaaaawhghhhH!!!!!!
    Dean set the process which has almost wrecked the party.
    A new man can change things for the better, like winner take all primaries.

    Second, if Obama has the humility to admit it, Hillary is her LBJ to win in November..
    Throwing her under the bus will result in a McCain victory. Period. What part of you people don’t understand Ohio, Indiana, and Pennsylvania?

    As always, Jimmy Carter is just plain incompetent and should never have left
    the nut factory and BIlly Beer.

  • Why have so many people decided that the “bitterness among Obama supporters” phrase must be a typo? It is pretty obvious what it means: they’re bitter about being attacked over their support of Obama.

  • Maj Will –

    I know the scream and all was bad, but – in terms of state level politics right now, The 50 State Strategy is doing quite well. We need to attack aggressively in State House and in Congress to widen the narrow margins we hold!

    As everyone has probably guessed, I agree with your second point (and I hear the groans already).

    Finally, although I was disappointed by Carter’s opinion, he still deserves our respect. Habitat for Humanity is way cool!

  • Q: How does one fill an audience for John McCain? A: Invite the lobbyists. Perhaps McCain should make a pledge not to accept money from lobbyists. How can we believe that all of the lobbyists that were badgered out of his campaign will not be restored to his administration should he win?

  • THE HEADLINE SAYS THAT OBAMA HAS A SLIGHT TWO POINT LEAD OVER MCCAIN IN THE POLL OF POLLS. WAIT TIL PEOPLE SEE MCCAINS SPEECH ON TUESDAY. THEY WILL TURN TO OBAMA LIKE THE SUPER-DELEGATES DID. WHAT A DISASTER. MCCAIN USES A BACKGROUND THAT IS A TAKE ON OBAMA’S THEME. HE STUTTERED AND LOST HIS PLACE SEVERAL TIMES TRYING TO READ THE TELEPROMPTER, PAUSED FOR APPLAUSE WHEN NO ONE APPLAUDED. IT WAS REMINISCENT OF BUSH’S FIRST STUMBLING DEBATE WITH KERRY. FINALLY, AT THE END THE DOZENS IN ATTENDANCE DID GIVE HIM POLITE APPLAUSE

  • His speech was really feeble. How would you like to be going up against someone like Obama. They say there is some wit somewhere to McCain but I have yet to see it. If there was not so much respect for his war record he would probably be selling used cars today.

  • JRD @ 4 and Okie @ 9

    Please note that Obama was given a flag pin from an Iraq War veteran at a rally month’s ago.
    That may be the one he’s wearing and the reason he’s “caved”.
    A pretty good one, I think.
    The Iraq War vet sees HIM as the patriotic one. It’s only proper to wear a gift from a serviceman. It’s an honor to wear that particular pin.

    The “horse’s patoots” buy ’em at WalMart when they go on sale each July 5th.

  • How can the Republicans get away with all of this garbage like the flag pin issue when they attacked Kerry in the past when he had a legitimate war record. If you listen to the talking heads on TV you will learn that if you bring up a point over and over again it seems to gain a legitimacy apart from reality.

    What ever happened to “Bomb, Bomb, Bomb Iran”?

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