Wednesday’s campaign round-up

March 19, 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 looks like the Obama campaign has effectively ruled out the idea of a Michigan revote, making it unlikely the state will host a second primary. In a campaign memo, Obama aides cited legal and organizing difficulties: “Whether the state can achieve its goals here depends on the nature and seriousness of the legal and administrative questions presented by this initiative — questions that, raised after the election, could put at risk the running of the election, undermine acceptance of the results if the election is held, and in both cases effectively deny Michigan voters, a second consecutive time, meaningful participation in the nominating process.”

* Hillary Clinton is still pushing aggressively for a Michigan re-vote, and will visit Detroit today to bring attention to her case. “We will go and make the case for a revote,” said Mo Elleithee, a Clinton spokesman. Phil Singer, a Clinton spokesperson, accused Obama’s campaign of a “passive-aggressive effort to disenfranchise the voters of Michigan and Florida.”

* Hillary Clinton picked up a very helpful endorsement yesterday, when Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.) announced his support for the senator. “Sen. Clinton is the candidate that will forge a consensus on health care, education, the economy, and the war in Iraq,” Murtha wrote in a statement about his decision. Murtha is, of course, a superdelegate, in addition to being an influential veteran from Pennsylvania.

* I doubt there will be any major revelations, but the materials will at least be out there: “Over 11,000 pages of Hillary Clinton’s schedule as first lady are set to be released to the public on Wednesday, the National Archives announced…. In a statement Tuesday, the Archives said the documents are from the files of Patti Solis Doyle, the director of Clinton’s scheduling while she was first lady, and later the manager of her presidential campaign…. ‘Arranged chronologically, these records document in detail the activities of the First Lady, including meetings, trips, speaking engagements and social activities for the eight years of the Clinton Administration,’ the statement said.”

* Mark Penn is going to get a little company — the Clinton campaign has finally hired a second pollster.

* As long as Democratic Senate candidates do well in November, I don’t imagine Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) will face much resistance if he wants a third term as chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

* A new SurveyUSA poll out of Colorado tested general-election match-ups in this key battleground state. The poll, conducted before the Jeremiah Wright controversy broke in earnest, showed Obama leading McCain by nine (50% to 41%), and McCain leading Clinton by six (48% to 42%).

* Obama’s speeches are still a much bigger deal on YouTube than Wright’s sermons.

* One of McCain’s daughters, Meghan, told GQ we shouldn’t expect a McCain/Huckabee ticket: “That’s not going to happen. I don’t think they’d be a good match for a lot of reasons and am not even sure if that’s what Huckabee’s going for, anyway. I think he wants to be the head of the evangelical movement.”

I hope the new pollster understands that his job is to find data that reinforces Mark Penn’s pre-existing assumptions.

  • While I admire John Murtha for his opposition to the war at a time when it was difficult to do, he has always been an “establishment Democrat,” so this is not particularly earth-shaking “news.” It would have been news had the dog not barked in the night, to paraphrase Sherlock Holmes.

  • I agree with Tom, Murtha was only surprising anyone when he got in bed with the DFHs in opposing Iraq, but how much brains did that take? And while he can be applauded for doing the right thing on Iraq, he’s been the king of establishment pork forever, and he’s always gone for guns not butter, so his backing Clinton is more of a badge of honor than anything.

  • “Phil Singer, a Clinton spokesperson, accused Obama’s campaign of a ‘passive-aggressive effort to disenfranchise the voters of Michigan and Florida.’”

    This comment is just as damaging, frustrating and annoying as Clinton’s statements regarding McCain being more prepared to be c-in-c than Obama.

    Now she’s broadcasting to the people of Michigan and Florida that our likely Democratic candidate doesn’t care about them, despite the facts underlying how these two states came to lose their places at the convention and despite the logistical, financial and legal obstacles to conducting re-votes.

    Yet another example of Hillary’s determination to win the nomination at our expense.

  • There is much to admire about John Murtha’s opposition to Iraq – once he moved to that position.

    Murtha’s support of Hillary may have some value in his congressional district, but overall it should be of little value.

    Murtha consistently gets ranked among the MOST CORRUPT POLITICIANS in D.C. He is currently in CREW’s list of the 22 most corrupt members of Congress.

  • “Over 11,000 pages of Hillary Clinton’s schedule as first lady are set to be released….”

    Fine. How, about those Clinton tax records?

  • Comment No. 4 is absolutely correct.

    Hillary is currently flying around Michigan specifically and deliberately to damage Obama’s prospects for the fall, so she can argue to the supers, “Michigan hates Obama. You have no choice but to give me the nod.” If she cares about our party and our values, it’s sure hard to tell.

    I’m sorry, but I’ve grown the despise this woman. A Hillary-hater? I didn’t used to be, but today –guilty as charged.

  • “Yet another example of Hillary’s determination to win the nomination at our expense.”

    “Hillary is currently flying around Michigan specifically and deliberately to damage Obama’s prospects for the fall, so she can argue to the supers, “Michigan hates Obama. You have no choice but to give me the nod.” If she cares about our party and our values, it’s sure hard to tell.”

    Your words, not hers. If Obama is trying to prevent MI delegates from being seated, shouldn’t MI voters know that?

    You think that HRC has no right to fight for the nomination? Because it’s bad for your prefered candidate? Huh?

  • Fine. How, about those Clinton tax records?

    I expect they’ll release all sorts of trivial information beginning with dental cleanings and scheduled oil changes for the car, continuing all the way down to Chelsea’s grade school report cards as a smoke screen providing the illusion of disclosure. But we’ll probably never see those tax records, and if we do it’ll be too late.

    This really is a point I’d like to see Obama’s surrogates hammer Clinton on more often, especially if they draw more parallels to the Bush/Cheney administration. it seems like a winning line, I’m very curious as to why they don’t hit it harder.

  • Boom we’ll take that fight anytime. You still have your Rev Wright to answer for. A good presidential candidate not only throws their wackos off the bus he disassociates themself with them (throwing them under the bus). Unfortunattly for Obama many people in this country believe that.

  • SmilingDixie said:

    Murtha consistently gets ranked among the MOST CORRUPT POLITICIANS in D.C. He is currently in CREW’s list of the 22 most corrupt members of Congress.

    During ABSCAM, he dropped a dime on two of his colleagues to save his own ass, and many of the supers still despise him for it. Could be a negative factor for Hillary.

  • It’s time to wrap up the Democratic nominating process. I blogged about it at: http://swimmingfreestyle.typepad.com

    Excerpt:
    It’s now time for the Democratic Party to get their act together and wrap this thing up. The superdelegates hold the key and the power now. They should stand united and take the position the Party’s nominee will be the candidate with the most elected delegates. It’s time to finally convince Senator Clinton her campaign has come to an end. It’s time to get serious about ensuring the election of a Democrat to be the next president.

  • With so many apoligists on the far left its no wonder that Obama is leading. How anyone can make excuses for those anti-american and racist remarks does not deserve to be president of the United States of America period.

    And thats from a true blue democrat. Not withstanding what some of the apoligsts might say.

  • Jay

    You assume alot. After the Wright flap Obama is unelectable no matter what his apoligists say in support of him.

  • It looks like the Obama campaign has effectively ruled out the idea of a Michigan revote, making it unlikely the state will host a second primary

    This does not bode well for Obama, and this helps to make Clinton’s accusation that he is passive-agresively pushing for disenfranchisement stick.

    The poll referenced for Colorado was conducted a long while before the Wright controversy came to light, it was conducted 2/26-2/28.

    Speaking of polls, anybody look to see what the latest national polls say?

    March 19, 2008

    PRINCETON, NJ — New Gallup Poll Daily tracking finds Hillary Clinton with a 49% to 42% lead over Barack Obama in national Democratic voters’ presidential nomination preference.

    This is the first time Clinton has held a statistically significant lead in over a month. She last led Obama in Feb. 7-9 polling, just after the Super Tuesday primaries. Since then, the two candidates have usually been in a statistical tie, but Obama has held a lead in several of the polls, most recently in March 11-13 polling.

    Obama’s campaign has been plagued by controversial remarks made by his former pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright. Obama delivered a major speech on race Tuesday to try to move beyond the controversy. The initial indications are that the speech has not halted Clinton’s gaining momentum, as she led by a similar margin in Tuesday night’s polling as compared to Monday night’s polling.

    John McCain may be benefiting in the short-term from the highly charged Democratic race. He holds a statistically significant lead over Obama, 47% to 43%, in registered voters’ preferences for the general presidential election. That is the first time any of the candidates has held a statistically significant lead since Gallup Poll Daily tracking began reporting on the general election race last week. McCain’s 48% to 45% advantage over Clinton is not statistically significant, but it is the first time he has had an edge over her in Gallup Poll Daily tracking. — Jeff Jones

  • So nice of you all to trash Murtha. Yeah, he’s really just a corrupt pol how dare he o support Clinton. I mean, he never came out against the war while in Congress like Obama did, did he?

  • Comback Bill,

    Did you actually read the entire speech? Obama makes NO excuses for Wright. He, in fact, denounced strongly, Wright’s most severe statements. And as anybody with common sense should know, no human being is completely without redeeming qualities. How well do YOU personally know Wright? Have you ever met him? Isn’t there someone in your life who has said things you strongly disagree with, but whom you still care about.

    My grandmother has said flatly that she does not believe people of different races should marry. This viewpoint is completely wrongheaded…and yet, I still love her.

    Obama should be applauded for turning this moment into a learning experience, an opportunity for our nation to do some serious self examination and perhaps heal some of the pain caused by our past failings.

  • Obama makes NO excuses for Wright – independent thinker

    Wrong, he spent several minutes giving excuses for hatred in the black community, check your facts.

  • Greg,

    Not excuses. Explanations….and he also rightly pointed out the frustration of many working class whites. The larger point of this speech was to talk honestly about these feeling in the various racial and ethnic communitees in America. It wasn’t about excusing, it was about understanding where and how these feeling come from so that we can learn from them and rid ourselves of them. That is completely different from excusing.

  • “If Obama is trying to prevent MI delegates from being seated, shouldn’t MI voters know that?”

    If Obama is trying to prevent MI delegates from being seated, then the answer to this question is yes. However, Obama is not trying to prevent MI delegates from being seated.

    To the contrary, he wants the MI delegates to be seated in a way that’s fair to both candidates — not just fair to the candidate who broke her pledge to the DNC, the voters of Iowa and New Hampshire and to her Democratic opponents by leaving her name on the ballot when the rest of the Democratic candidates, consistent with their pledges, had their names removed.

    Hillary is a disgrace.

  • Doubting Thomas (#17)

    I have to agree with you. I am an Obama supporter, but I can see that some Obama supporters here are trying to downplay Murtha’s choice to back Clinton. Like it or not, his choice IS significant.

  • Correction: please modify “not just fair to the candidate” to “not just advantageous to the candidate”

  • Comeback Billary claims he is a true blue democrat.

    No “true-blue” Democrat (capital D) believes in the concept of guilt by association. Perhaps your’re either too young or too ignorant to remember the McCarthy Era. Educate yourself.

    But if you insist, I can play your game, too. You support Hillary Clinton for president. She is a member of the DLC, an organization dedicated to transforming the Democratic Party into a virtual mirror-image of the GOP. She is Republican-lite, and if you support her, then you are also Republican-lite, and decidedly NOT a “true-blue” Democrat in any way, shape or form.

    You assume alot

    “Alot” is not a word. Once again, educate yourself.

  • “…[Obama] spent several minutes giving excuses for hatred in the black community…”

    Using the words “excuse” and “hatred” here is spin.

    In fact, Obama spent several minutes identifying common causes of the our racial divide from both the points of view of blacks and the points of view of whites.

    Only a fool could hear or read Obama’s speech and report what he said as “giving excuses for hatred in the black community”.

  • To Joe @ 25

    The world is full of fools. Why else would 20% of the population still support King George? Why else would 40% of the population still believe that Sadaam Hussein was a party to 9/11? Why else would working Americans continue to vote rethugnicans into office against their own best interests?

  • Regarding MI, ideally I would like to see a fair re-vote, but honestly, the DNC was clear about the rules, and the candidates did agree to honor those rules. You cannot reasonably argue that the 55% of the votes Clinton got by virtue of being the only major candidate to leave her name on the ballot is reflective of the will of the people in that state. Without assurances that a re-do would be handled fairly, then Obama is right to hold the line. It was, after all, the state party that chose to violate the rules.

    Florida is a bit different. At least both Obama and Clinton were on the ballot. Still, the state party violated the DNC’s rules…and Clinton almost certainly benefitted from her greater name recognition at the time. Here again, I would prefer a re-vote, but short of that, rules are rules…and the state party violated them.

  • Hate is hate is hate.

    Only a fool could hear or read Obama’s speech and report what he said as “giving excuses for hatred in the black community”. – Joe #25

    Are you kidding me? I actually watched the entire speech, he threw his white grandmother under the bus and talked about slavery and racism in an effort to guilt us white folks into understanding why such a wonderful man as Rev. Wright could have possibly uttered such hateful words.

    This by definition is “giving excuses”.

  • While everyone is fighting over Clinton and Obama, please note the reality of the latest, always accurate (snort!) Gallup poll, #16. McCain, a person of truly questionable ethics and judgment and whose temper tantrums and whose age are truly a real concern, is leading both probable Democratic opponents. While it isn’t close to election time, it is still really disturbing. McCain may not be as dumb as Bush, but he may be more unbalanced. While Democrats squabble and bicker, almost half of American voters are actually considering this Bush replacement as a viable option.

  • You assume alot. After the Wright flap Obama is unelectable no matter what his apoligists say in support of him.

    Speaking of assuming a lot, Comback Bill…

  • Are you kidding me? I actually watched the entire speech, he threw his white grandmother under the bus and talked about slavery and racism in an effort to guilt us white folks into understanding why such a wonderful man as Rev. Wright could have possibly uttered such hateful words.

    Wow, way to demonstrate all the comprehension of a FOX News viewer, Greg.

    Obama didn’t “throw his white grandmother under the bus.” He used her to prove the point that the people we love and admire aren’t always saints. Wright says crazy, hateful things, but is a good person and still loved by Obama. Obama’s grandmother says crazy, hateful things, but is a good person and still loved by Obama.

    You just keep repeating the FOX News talking points and analysis though – that’s shows us just what kind of “Democrat” you really are.

  • And to all the peanut gallery who are up in arms about “anti-american” statements – since when are we the party of Joe McCarthy? This country has a pretty horrific track record on a lot of things.

    Anyone who thinks that it’s off limits to make a statement like “God damn America for…” every once in awhile to prove a point about our national shortcomings is the same kind of asshole who probably gets all riled up that we’re not all driving around with little American Flag bumper stickers.

    I’m not happy about Wright’s comments, but I know that true patriots don’t give a shit about flag burning or saying “God Damn America” or criticizing the government and the country because they know the idea of this country is bigger than a symbol or a word. In fact, trying to claim that criticizing America is to be anti-American is the biggest load of unpatriotic crap there is.

    Patriotism isn’t the love of the unblemished and apple pie reputation of one’s country. It’s the love of one’s country. And sometimes, when there are problems, tough love is required.

    Do I think our government introduced AIDS to get rid of black people? No.
    Do I think we suck as a country for neglecting the poor? Absolutely. God damn America for that.

    But then again, this is the country that elected W twice. So I understand our capacity for rational thought and a clear understanding of right and wrong is pretty lacking. God damn America for that most of all.

  • Hillary Clinton said today, “‘When others made the decision to remove their names from the ballot I didn’t because I believe your voices should count,’…”

    Of course, this is the opposite of what she was telling the voters of Iowa and New Hampshire at the time.

  • Michigan should not re-vote, and there’s a very good reason for it:

    We (yes, i live in MI) were told – in no uncertain terms – that our vote would not count; furthermore, we were not even allowed to write in a candidate…which is a shame, because write-ins are a favorite hobby of mine. (Don’t blame me, i voted for Josef Stalin.) Any re-vote would have to disallow everyone who voted in the Republican Primary. Considering how many votes Mitt Romney got, a fair number of people jumped ship for the day.

    I thought about doing it, but then decided that the best way to voice my displeasure was to vote “uncommitted”. (And i wasn’t in the mood to vote for Stalin that day.) So that’s what i did, and it was almost as fun as writing in a name. I know that i sound like a broken record on this point, but it deserves repeating. Sen Clinton garnered just over 330,000 votes out of 7.2 million registered voters.

    She is effectively campaigning to have those 330,000 people’s voices heard, fuck the rest of us. We all know how much power the Clintons have within the DNC. If she was so concerned about our voices being heard, she might have stepped up and brokered a half-delegate solution like the Republicans went with; she might have addressed this issue before the primary; she might have actually taken her name off the ballot…or lobbied the DNC to rescind the recommendation that all the candidates remove their names.

    She wanted a gift-wrapped election. She assumed that it wouldn’t matter in the long run, because the nomination would be wrapped up by Super Tuesday. Our delegates should not be seated; there should be no re-vote; and if my fellow citizens are smart, we will remove from office those behind the stupid idea in the first place. It was Sen Clinton’s friends who came up with this, her help in saving us from her friends is not needed…nor is it welcome.

  • Let’s not forget that it was a Republican governor who signed the bill for the primary date change in Florida. That’s right. Good Ol’ Crist. It wasn’t however, the millions of people who now have no say in this election. I am willing to bet that 0.01% of Florida and MI’s population knew what would happen if their legislators moved the date…..Rules? Are you people seriously Democrats?

  • To Will,

    It is not okay with a lot of Christians for anyone to use the phrase “G– D—“…….but by a person in a church, not talking about the word of God, but about race relations and politics in the US…..its way out of bounds. Sorry. Not about patriotism, more about character….which is all Obama had.

  • In my view the word “hate” is being thrown around way too much here and elsewhere. Its promiscuous use automatically and unfairly demonizes Rev. Wright before the debate gets started.

    If you compare the language of Rev. Wright to that of real hate groups, you’ll see huge differences. Check out the Souther Poverty Law Center’s web site if you doubt this.

    The better words to describe most the language of Rev. Wright that is the subject of so much turmoil right now are “anger” when a noun is called for and “angry” when an adjective is appropriate.

    The notion that what Rev. Wright has had trouble letting go his anger better fits the reasoning in Obama’s great speech of yesterday and the direction in which he is trying to take the country. You can be more optimistic about getting past anger than you can about getting past hate.

  • I became friends with a coworker 10 years ago who is a bit of a racist and a dyed- in-the-wool Republican (raised in a military family). She and I agreed to disagree on many political issues, but I have great affection for her. Her kindness to me when my daughter overdosed on drugs and landed in the hospital cemented the friendship for me. Like Obama, I sometimes cringe at some of the things she says. For those of us who have a diverse set of friendships and relationships, Obama’s speech makes sense; for those who associate with only like-minded people, it probably sounds contradictory and hypocritical. To me, it sounded honest.

  • Threegoal, @39,

    For the people who rave here about Wright’s hate mongering, substituting “anger” for “hate” won’t do the trick. An angry black man is just as scary to them. Possibly more, because they suspect there might be a solid basis for such anger, so they fear retribution. Wright’s incendiary statements are a gift from heaven to them; their last ray of hope for derailing Obama’s campaign, so they’ll hang onto their outrage like a drowning man hangs on to a razor…

    PS. Could I please trouble Greg to learn the spelling of the word “ReverEnd”? His constant use of “ReverAnd” never fails to jar my sensibilities. I know that Clinton’s ad McSame’s supporters are supposed to have a non-elitist attitude to education (ie forget about it after a couple of years in highschool) but this is too much. Once, twice… it’s a typo. So many times… it’s an offense.

  • I am deeply saddened by the fact that Americans in general seem to care so little about Iraq, Terrorism, healthcare (or lack thereof), GAS PRICES, INFLATION, UNEMPLOYMENT, HOUSING CRISIS (7 MILLION HAVE LOST THEIR HOMES SO FAR) AND I COULD GO ON AND ON and on. Instead they want to worry and care so much about what Obama’s ex-pastor has said. My question is why do you even care and isn’t it more important to worry about THE IMPORTANT ISSUES.
    I understand that Rev Wright’s comments are reprehensible (some are actually true by the way, sometimes its not what you say but HOW you say it), BUT – I have a great-aunt that has been a member of that church for 35 years. I have spoken to her often about these events, and in all the years that she has attended she has personally heard 6 sermons (actually very small portions of the sermons themselves) that could be objectionable for some people. Other than that Wright has a stellar reputation and does not preach hate or Anti-Americanism at the pulpit. Furthermore, children do not sit in the same sanctuary as the adults. They are in a seperate building across a short walkway – “Kiddie Church”- SO ALL THE REMARKS ABOUT OBAMA EXPOSING HIS CHILDREN TO ” OBJECTIONABLE RHETORIC IS A COMPLETELY FALSE ASSUMPTION.
    Just wondering if anyone has any intelligent opinions on this issue, because I think that this situation has been just taken way too far.

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