Opinion: Obama Will Win Nomination

for some reason, the media is really against Hillary. They focused this week on Obama’s fundraising (Hillary actually raised more). They focused on Obama’s speeches (yet he didn’t say one thing about actually DOING anything if elected).
Why are we letting the media decide whom we should vote for?
Obama has yet to say where he stands on many issues (like choice). His website doesn’t even say where he stands on issues. He is a fantastic speaker…but we need more than a fancy spokesperson for our President. We need someone who takes a stand on issues and has the experience…and relationships..to get things done.

Let’s pray that Hillary wins in spite of the media and the Republican strategists wanting Obama. Hillary is the only one who can clean up the Republican mess and help the little person. Obama is still wet behind the ears.

When the inevitable finally hits you in the face like a cool wind in the san francisco night, what will rush in to stop the way you need to go? The SUPREMES??? The colicky republican party??? The super dooper delegatos???? The bush cheeny martial law???? THE FBI??? THE CIA???? Film at eleven…

Hillary is full of hot air!!! Obama is the man for change,Im tired of the same ole same ole mess,can we have some one other than the Clintons or Bushes running things? OBAMA ’08!!!!!

Matthew,
We The People of the “United”, I repeate, “United” States of America IN ORDER TO FORM A MORE PERFECT UNION…has found our own Voice…PEOPLE GET READYYYYY……Ain’t No Stopping Us Now!!!!!!
Get this: HILLARY CLINTON WILL “”"NOT”"” BE THE PRESIDENT,
IF OBAMA AND JOHN EDWARDS DID NOTTTTTTT RUN!

I completely agree with this analysis. If the super delegates end up snubbing the candidate who wins the majority of the elected delegates then the dems will lose in November. After all if ar candidate can’t even win the majority (or at least a plurality) of their own party’s voters how could they win in a national election.
Whoever gets the most votes ought to win. Isn’t that the American way?

Terrie…Barack Obama has specific plans on all the same issues as Clinton. He has given details about many of them in speeches, debates, interviews, and on his website (you must not have looked under the “ISSUES” tab). “Choice” is the issue that Hillary falsely attacked him on in NH and IA. I’m from NH and received the false flyer in the mail right before the primary. It claimed he was not pro-choice. In fact, he is 100% pro-choice and has always been. He is an extremely strong proponent of women and women’s rights. Because of the false flyers Clinton sent out many of her supporters from the National Organization for Women switched to Obama. His “present” votes in the Illinois Senate relating to “choice” issues were part of a strategy by Planned Parenthood to keep anti-choice legislation from passing. Hillary and he have basically the same amount of experience. She truly cannot count being the first lady of Arkansas and the US as experience. Elected experience working for constituents–Obama actually has more. He may be younger in age but he has far greater judgement and wisdom (and yes, he is a fantastic speaker).

If Obama wins and want my vote in November, I want to hear how we are going to change and nothing about movements. Me and most of Hispanic don’t get impressed by speeches. So far what we see is a cult not because of the candidate (he has not fault in the fanatism of his followers), but because the biased press and the horrible fanatics! If he cannot do this I prefer 4 more years of Republican nogovernment.

WE THE PEOPLE…..WE TALK TOO MUCH…LISTEN, ESCHUCHENN…
Talking about Obama does not have experience….He is ‘not’ AFRAID TO COMMUNICATE WITH PEOPLE THAT DO NOTTTTTT LOOK LIKE HIM!!! HE WILL BRING THE “”UNITED”" STATES THE
R-E-S-P E-C-T BACK FROM OTHER COUNTRIES WE HAVE LONG LOST BECAUSE BUSH DID NOT COMMUNICATEEEEE!!!
How much experience/knowledge did Bush have….You want Dumb & Dumber???
Obama:
HAS THE RELATIONSHIP/ABILITY TO TALK WITH AFRICA, IRAQ, INDONESIA, CHINA, JAPAN, KENYA, ETC….CHINA & JAPAN MAY NOT WANT TO TALK WITH PRESIDENT OBAMA. HE WILL HAVE SOMEONE IN HIS CABINET TO DO THE BIDDING FOR THE INTEREST OF THE “”UNITED”" STATES OF AMERICA!

Be prepared to eat your words.
HILLARY ’08

Jose,
Why would Obama (or anyone other than desperate grandma) need your fraudulent vote? Can you even vote? 4/5 of latinos can’t even get a driver license so how are their “votes” become so important?

People who post like bindex should be honest instead says people who like hillary or bill are liars what a idiotic post, this obama thing is a joke I cannot imagine this country with someone like him in the white house if that were to happen(god forbid) I suppose he would open the door for all the kenyans in africa to come on over after all that is where his daddy came from?

I agree that Obama is likely the nominee! It is a historical moment. But, sadly, Whites in middle america and the SOUTH! will not vote for him. You can bet we will have another White Male in the White House. Sorry, but that is the truth. The demographics show that Obama won the south because more than 75% of the Black vote went for him. But, counting the white vote in the South, which is large, he got little. In the end, McCain will likely be our next President and with that no change in the course of policies. Sad. Hillary may have changed that, but she wasn’t attracting votes. Obama is clearly a better speaker and visionary, but …. because of his race, he will not get those votes. Hard fact!

I still havn’t heard anyone talk about the “early voters” in California. I heard that there was over 3 mill. early voters…and most were for Hillary…Then Obama surged in the polls and lost by only a few hundred thousand votes..????? If ALL the voting had taken place on primary day…I think he would clearly be the winner.

Well, I guess we can all just fold the tents and go home now that Matthew Dowd has spoken, cause “you’ve done the math” but where is that math? Not so fast. It’s not over til it’s over. The will of the people, majority of delegates, majority of states and the primary process are terms that can be folded to make any number of paper planes but will they fly? Obama takes Alaska – 405 votes – Colorado approx 100,000 voted. Iowa approx 25,000 voted. Washington approx 30,000 voted. Nebraska approx 38,000 voted.
In your wildest calculations and dreams do you think this is a mandate or “the people speaking” or that a carnival like caucus equals a primary with actual electoral process that involves privacy and a lack of intimidation? And how does Obama explain changing the rules so he wins. What about Florida and Michigan? Gonna leave out a couple of million voters and let the 405 in Alaska rule for us. If so, we need to call for UN advisors to oversee this election. Before you and the boys send flowers to the Clinton residence celebrating her demise, stop and yes …. Think! It’s far from over.

r cahill, Stop hating! are you Native american? if not then you are also an immigrant, so why hate?

I think everyone is right…whether you like Clinton or Obama. How can this Jerry Springer love-fest be bad for the Dems? I think the problem is in how everyone views leadership. Leadership is an inspirational act, which requires everyone to share a common vision prior to accepting direction from the top. Obama has better motivational skills, whereas Clinton is the techie. That’s why her stump speeches are bland and boring. Clinton has great experience, but you have to be able to motivate people to lead them…not just preach at them.

To those who keep repeating the Clinton spin that Hillary has more experience than Obama, you need to focus on REVELANT experience. Hillary is older so she has more life experience, but we all know that does not necessarily equate to appropriate experience. Hillary has had one single elected office – that of two-term junior New York Senator. Her husband is the one with legislative experience. If my husband is a doctor and I work in his office, how could I claim to have experience in the practice of medicine? Don’t be fooled, that is the type of experience Hillary is claiming. In actual fact she has no more personal experience than Barack Obama in legislative experience. On the other hand, what she undoutedly has more of is the deep-seated hatred of half the country. Do not listen to Rush Limbaugh and Ann Coulter about voting for Hillary over McCain. There is no one alive, with the possible exception of Bill, who has the total Republican party and its supporters against her, in the way they hate her. They would move heaven and earth (though they wouldn’t have to try very hard), to get their supporters to the polls to vote against her. That’s when the real “Right Wing Conspiracy” would raise its ugly head.

Kate R. wrote:
“Also, if Obama ends up winning only the small and mid-sized states (most of which are likely to vote republican during the general election) other than Illinois (assuming Hillary wins Ohio, Texas and Pennsylvania), does that not show that Hillary is better able to win the big states that the democrats need to win the general election?”
No. In the general election, New York, California, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Michigan will vote for whomever the Democrats nominate. Similary, Florida and Texas will go Republican this year regardless of the nominee. The key states are Ohio, Missouri, Iowa, Viginia and New Hampshire. These are the states that were close in ’04 and could swing in this election. Hillary’s big state victories demonstrate that she requires institutional advantages like large unions to succeed. Obama’s independent appeal and grass roots support suggest that he will be the stronger candidate for the swing staes of 2008.

Hillary did not campaign in florida or michigan. None of the candidates did.
So where do you get that HIllary campaigned in Florida when she didn’t.
All the candidates had ads running in the newspapers…just no tv ads.
SO in my estimation, if i am correct, they all took part equally in those two states.
So if they were equal in their representation in those states, why shouldn’t hillary get those votes?

Obama/McCain race will be the perfect race. It will bring the really sense of Competition and Opposition especially when it will come to debate on Iraq issue.
Here is where Obama and Hillary differ highly.

Tony:
The party as a whole has already made their decision not to seat the Michigan and Florida delegates because of their decision to move their primary dates up……they should have waited!!!!
Too late for them; the decision was already made….
My point with regard to the Michigan and Florida votes is that if Mr. Dowd is going to argue that superdelegates should vote according to who has the most pledged delegates at the end of the day rather than exercise independent judgment (which by design is what their supposed to do), the superdelegates cannot ignore the votes and delegates of Michigan and Florida? My point is also that the path to the nomination is not as clear cut as Mr. Dowd presents it to be.
The only way that I see the superdelegates voting in favour of who has the most pledged delegates is if the margin between the two candidates exceeds the Michigan and Florida delegate count.

Well- Why shudnt the African Americns have a chance to be in If we don’t band together and help each one anothur then we do not have a voice! ARE people have been steppe on for hundreds of years by whites and maybe we need a right to makke the decisions and make the rules!! We can make fair ways but we aren’t sitting back it is are time to have a chance!!!

Despite the powers to be. The so called “superdelegates” which some media is wrongfully adding to Hillary total delegate count and the establishment conventional wisdom and decision to back Hillary. Senator Obama has triuphed because we the people believe that we can. Yes we can!!!!

Steven
Hillary actually did stump in Florida right before that primary. however, when every state was trying to one up each other by moving its primaries up and up (which I think we can both agree was getting out of hand) the DNC laid down some rules (which were always there in the 1st place) and stated if any states move their primaries prior to South Carolina they would lose their delegates. Michigan and Florida decided to move their primaries ahead anyway despite the threat, snd suffereed the consequences as a result. Something all the candidates agreed to. it was too late to remove their names from the Florida ballot, but both Edwards and Obama removed their names from the Michigan ballot as a result of this. Clinton when asked about it, said it doesn’t matter her name is the only major candidate on the ballot because the reuslts would not count anyway. So this was something beforehand Clinton agreed with, and only wanted to change it after the fact.

It’s the purple states that count the most in this election. Senator Clinton has the majority of them, better positioning her to win the general. It’s simple, the media has hyped this no name, needs more time to prove himself up so much that people are thinking that what they report is reality. You all will see. Caucuses disenfranchise, primaries speak for the majority. HRC will be the democratic nominee… this isn’t over yet.

Chris
Clinton won most of the purple states?? What??
She won Nevada, yes. New Mexico is extremely close still, not sure who won at this point. New Hampshire she won, but it really isn’t a purple state anymore. Obama won Missouri, he won Iowa, he won Colorado, he is going to win Virginia

Guess What? Obamas delegate count is approximately 100 more than Clintons. If you remove the super delegates and just count the pledged ones he is in fact leading. These superdelegates will change their position anytime they want but not the pledged delegates. Before the end of the Feb. he will have the lead of around 250 pledged delegate and 150 total delegate over clinton that she wont be able to match. Also there is solid two weeks gap before OH and TX primaries and that will favor Obama. After March 4th we will have clear democratic nominee and that will be BARACK OBAMA!!!!!!!! Thank GOD!!!

Contrary to what people are saying on this thread, the media has actually been on Hillary’s side. Whenever she does something, like cries, they make a big deal about it and play it over and over again. Also, whenever Bill is making racist remarks, they play them over and over again, causing the election to be a race issue, which benefits Hillary. Obama has yet to gian from anything the media has done.

I am a die hard Republican. Let me get out in the open. But this year, if Obama is the nominee for the Democrats, I will vote for him.
Hillary is willing to do and say anything to win the election. 35 years expeirence??? Where?? Oh as first lady! Oh as a private sector attorney taking an occasional pro-bono case? Being on the Board of Wal Mart? She will have had 8 years in the Senate doing nothing but planning to run for President.
How about the “Iron my Shirts” guy. A Clinton campaign worker? I read that somewhere.
Obama for some reason inspires me. I have never voted for any Democrat except Diane Fienstien. I voted for Reagan, Bush, Dole, and Bush2 twice. (Sorry about the last one people) But now Obama has me feeling like this country can truly be great again with the right choice.

Those who say white southerners will not vote for Obama are so wrong! I’m a white, very southern grandmother (registered Republican). The Republican party I grew up with no longer exists; its become the party of special interest elitist. Maybe it always was, but I was too busy trying to survive to notice. Hillary is a Bush clone. If she wins, I’ll sit this one out. If Obama is the nominee, I’ll be voting for him.

Sooner Dem
I am from NY, born and raised (still live) on long Island, work in manhattan, and I can imagine a NY Senator voting against a WAR with a country that had nothing to do with the 9/11 attacks. Some of NY’s Congressman did. I personally like Clintona nd have voted for her twice for Senate, but Obama was theone right on that the one who can bring changed and the stronger overall candidate. He matches up stronger than Clinton against McCain, the only states where he has struggled with the white vote is the south. If winning the southern states comes down to the southern white vote 9which vote 85% GOP as it is) than we already have it in the bag.

Looks like Obama is the Democratic nominee! HELLary has lost. But president Obama better watch his back because the clinton mafia is ARROGANT, VINDICTIVE, and KNIVING, they still have control of the democratic party by giving their “buddies” payofffs with our tax money. Yes, they pimped out Chelsea(who looks like a combination of HELLary and Vince Foster) and Bill actually pimped out HELLary so he can get power and our money. Pray for Obama, for protection from the clinton mafia!
GO OBAMA! (the real first Black President)

I would be very upset if the super delegates go against the voters. So many are concerned with voter apathy and poor voter turn out in many elecctions. If the party establishment (super delegates) go against the voters it raises many questions.
Why should I vote?
Why do you not respect our decision?
Why should I support the democratic party when they don’t trust me?
WHY SHOULD I CARE?
For me it’s not about the two candidates it’s about the principal.
Originally I thought I would vote for which ever candidate got the nomination. But if the super deleagates over rule the voters I’m not sure what I’ll do. I may not vote, I may vote for an alternate party (never republican), or I may write in the person who should have gotten the nomination.
You may say in doing so I’ll help the republican candidate win. But why should I care if the democratic leadership doesn’t care about me and respect my vote?

Stockcraft
Obama will be able to take all the strong Dem states as well. Clinton won the primariesin NY, NJ, MA & CA, but to hink Obama won’t strongly take all of those states is just silly. I live in NY, it will strongly go for Obama in November. In regards to the smaller states, Obama helps bring in some of the purplish or red leaning states such as Virginia, Colroado and a few others more so than Clinton would.

No matter who wins it won’t matter. The democratic party is split. One side will be crushed when their canadiate loses and their core voters will blane the winner. Obama can not bring the hard core clintons back into the fold no matter what. We need every vote come November. I’m also afraid what the Rebublican attack machine will find on Obama.. drug stories and back door deals to buy his current house.

Obama will unit and Hillary will separate. As a Democrat will only vote for Obama, if he is not the candidate for President (not vice president) the Republicans will get my vote and many family members and friends who feel the same. It’s time for the Clinton’s and the Bush’s to step aside and let the country move on to the future, a future they will never be able to offer, or get us there even if they try. Watch the video link before you vote.

Sorry here is the link, watch this video before you vote. It’s your duty to make an informed decision.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xq8aopATYyw

I understand people want a real horse race but that’s not what’s happening anymore. Obama has just won the last 5 contest. Washington St., Nebraska, Louisiana, Virgin Islands and Maine. If he sweeps Maryland, Virginia and DC then there is a problem!!! The argument that she is still strong even if she wins Texas is now mute! She needs a win and needs several before Texas and Ohio. I understand everyone wants to talk about what Obama needs to do but we really should be focusing on the real story! Hillary Clinton is suppose to be battle tested and scared but she can’t seem to win majority of states against a freshman senator who isn’t as known as her. If she doesn’t win between now and March 4, she will be doing essentially what Giuliani did by waiting till Florida to get momentum. No more excuses for the Clintons. They should be winning in Main, Washington St., Idaho, Utah, North Dakota and many other places and not relying on super delegates.

Look up the following words in the dictionary: Divisive, Arrogant, Prevaricator, Enabler, Conniving and you will find beside it the face of one politician (who I won’t mention here but you can assume all you want).
Look up the following words in the dictionary: Uniter, Motivator, Authentic, Integrity, Leader, Innovator and you will find the face of OBAMA!!!

“But here is the deal: how does a party who has protested and screamed and yelled about counting all the votes, that the popular vote matters most, that an election was stolen by the Supreme Court in 2000, go against the votes and participation by voters in the Primary process???”
Very true so through in Florida and see who has more votes? Hillary! Just what I thought. Florida is going to be another mistake. you guys and the Dems are idiots!

Just to show how much HRC is disliked, 40% of the MI voters voted for “other” when HRC was the ONLY viable candidate on the ballot. When MI has a new primary, BHO will win it by a long shot.

The recent Time and CNN polls say it all: Obama has a 7 point lead against McCain while Hillary loses to McCain by a few points.
The trend is obvious and clear — there are many Independent voters who will vote for Obama but not Clinton. The Democratic Party has to nominate Obama if they want to win in November.

Oh My GOD!!! People, please wake up, Mr. Dowd was giving HIS opinion, why can’t it just be that. I’m a democrat and I intensely have followed this primary and election process. I very much like both Obama and Clinton stances on a variety of issues. In my OPINION, the best thing would for it to be a Obama/Clinton or Clinton/Obama ticket come the REAL election. That way we can insure that we won’t put another 4 years on REPUBLICAN crap in the white house and deal with the continue growing deficeit, the secret behind the door policies of the wars in both IRAQ and Afganistan, the continue tax breaks for the rich and wealthy, the continue tax concessions for BIG OIL, the list goes on and on. So, I am for both Obama and Clinton. We need to come together, all of this in-fighting among the democratics will ultimate lead to the demise of this historic run at the presidency and pratically give the presidency to the republicans. Obama and Clinton have made a concertive effort to run positive campaigns from the california primary going forward. So let us stick to the issues and leave all the personal attacks and negative remarks to the republicans.

“Why Jesus would not vote for Barack Obama!”
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=51121

Great post yes2pedro you no doubt got your information from a obama supporter, the republicans when and if they have to will pick obama like a plucked chicken so far he has never experienced having to clean out his closet the clintons had 8yrs of republican harassment and in the end 99% was false, as far asfor you hot4 real and samyr it is none of your business whether I am a indian or anglo I have the right to say and beleive what I wish, another post by jimmy is exactly what I beleive is going to happen and already is in places and it is not gonna be pretty, go Hillary the only one that can beat the republicans and if she is not the one there are plenty of us Demos that will be voting and not Democratic

Samyr,
Very true he is hittig his stuff now, why do youthink thatis. maybe because they are not his policies but those of the people he is and was running agains! Look it up , he has no orginality at all. He even stills his speaches. You guys are being bamboozled! As Obama stated(which he stole that speach from Malcom-X) But hery our youth is not the most intellegent in the world so I only expect this much. ROFL!

Obama is hope and love.
Vote for my hero
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIERAsVcY7U

Steve: What does it take, a brick to fall on your head,,,Again, let me repeat…HILLARY CLINTON DID NOT CAMPAIGN IN FLORIDA. WHAT’S WRONG WITH YOU, STOP FEEDING FALSE INFORMATION,
AGAIN, ALL THE CANDIDATES HAD ADS IN THE PAPER, NO ONE, AND AGAIN, NO ONE, PHYSICALLY CAMPAIGNED IN FLORIDA.

Regardless of all the details of the many issues on the table, most of which won’t get resolved by either candidate, I ask myself who’s going to provide the image of a leader who can draw people into the process, especially the younger generation! – OBAMA!!

Doreen: Hillary Clinton couldn’t even
clean up her personal mess ala
husband Bill Clintons dalliances with
Monica in the Whitehouse and others elsewhere!
Secondly there is No Mess to Clean Up!
Whether you choose to believe it or not,
Iraq has improved immensely and the economy is in better shape than the MSM has reported as they are trying to give the Democrats an issue to run on in the
general election!

Without Florida and hispanics, however, he will not win the presidency.

Most of this talk about if one Dem or the other isn’t the nominee I’ll vote for the GOP or not at all is BS. Same thing is happening on the GOP side. We’ll nearly all vote our Party affiliation even if we have to hold our noses when we do. The reason is simple… The Supreme Court!!! There will be several positions to be filled in the next 4 years and the other Party appointing these judges for life is far too potentially damaging to allow petty squabbling to jeopardize.
Any election between the GOP and the Dems will end up nearly 50-50 so the candidate who can grow their Party with NEW voters who have previously been on the sidelines is the better choice given what’s at stake.
The only candidate who has shown an ability to get NEW voters on board, and enthusiastic NEW voters at that, is Barack Obama!
He needs to be the Dems choice or the Supreme Court with become radically Conservative with all that that portends for our future.

I was part of the McGovern movement in 1972. I was a volunteer on his campaign trail.
He was our hope and inspiration. He moved us young people like no other candidate had ever done before,.
His speeches, his issues, him being against the vietnam war, his stance on so much us young people believed it, was beyond words.
We all cried at his rallies and his speeches left us speechless.
Yes, it was truly a McGovern movement.
He also wanted to legalize marijuana.
Well, against all odds, he lost to Nixon (if i am correct) by about 30%.
I see a replay all over again, except this time it is Barack Obama…and sad to say…if he is elected the democratic candidate, he will most certainly loss…because you see…in the end people want security in their votes…not HOPE!!!!

Amazon
Your simply wrong on this. the GOP caucus states the actual numerical vote in the caucus, the Democratic caucus lists the state delegate count. Remember the talk about how the turnout was much heavier on the Democratic side in Iowa. Go look at the vote totals for each side in Iowa. you will see a much higher total listed on the GOP side because they go by numerical total, while the Dem side goes by state delegates.

Bush Clinton Bush Clinton. They are all corrupt, they are all controlled by big money. Obama is real change.
OBAMA )*

Where to begin? Who should the superdelegates support if Obama wins more delegates but Clinton leads in the popular vote (as she currently does. How does any of this work if Michigan and Florida are blocked from having delegates at the convention. This represents several million voters, far more than participated in all of the caucuses combined. To Samyr, both Obama’s and Clinton’s health care plans call for mandates and possible penalties. Clinton’s plan will cover everyone while Obama’s leaves an estimated 15 million without coverage. When these 15 million go to the emergency room for their care, the rest of us will end up paying. Obama’s economic, enviromental and education plans are all weaker than Clinton’s. By the way, I voted for Edwards who is hands down better than either Clinton or Obama, but the media wanted to promote race and gender rather than policy.

The media is totally anti-Hillary. Whether its Chris Mathews making negative Hillary comments or the print media having a hero worship of Obama it really makes you wonder how to make the process fair. Mr. Dowd also doesn’t get it. The super delegates have their status because they are elected officials or have been totally immersed in the politital process. They have been given this responsibility becuase they care enough to be involved. They are political independent entities who should vote for who they are pleged to, not what the delegate count is. More important than the super delegates are the voters in Florida and Michigan who voted for Hillary Clinton. If anything should be changed it should be seating these delegates at the convention.

Ron
Clinton no longer leads with the popular vote in the Primaries, and if you take into consideration the caucus states she trails the popular vote by quite a bit.

thanks for the opinion Matthew .. but you are wrong …

Arthur,
Florida and Michigan broke the rules. they were warned before hand what was going to happen if they moved their Primaries up and they did it anyway. All of the candidates including HHillary agreed those delegates should not be counted, now she wants them counted. you can’t change the rules after the fact.

There is in no way that Obama can win the fall general election, period!
Look at his base, black, far left wing, and so call young generation that is inflamed by the news media. All John McCain needs to do is to spend most of his monry in CA to win most of the latino votes, he will then on his way to the White House.
In the general election, Rep will do everything then can to tear down the black candidatency, just watch.
And to many Obama supporters, what you all often forgot is that Obama is nothing more than another smart politician. Just ask you a fair question, what has he accomplished …? You really think he can change and unite this country …? Dream on

First, Hillary donated 5 mil. to her own campaign, why didnt she just give it? Second, Hillary’s own Campaign Manager steps down, that needs to be looked onto, sounds like her Campaign Manager could hold the info to send Obama straight to the White House! Third, A Top News Paper lady on the Matthews Show Sunday morn said, Hillary and McCain do alot of traveling around together!I allways said Hillary reminds me of a Republican.A Vote for Hillary would be like Voting for a Republican, and no wonder the Repubs. would rather run against hillary then Obama

Obama’s grandmother who took care of Obama when he was a child now lives in Kenya.
Yesterday, in a speech he was giving at a high school in Virginia, that was being shown on c-span; he said that his grandmother lives in Kenya in a hut with no electricity.
Now I asked you, I wouldn’t be so proud as to state that he will be an ambassador to africa to take care of the african people and their needs, when he lives in a $2,000,00.00 home on the south side of chicago, along with a $600,000.00 lot (the Miss Michelle Obama had to have for her privacy);;;;;;;and Mr. Obama is telling the world and the poor here in American that if we vote for him he will take care of the poor, when he can’t even take care of his grandmother.
He and his wife are all talk and power hungry.. Believe me, it’s all about them and fame!!!!

Terrie – Are you some sort of moron? How did Hillary raise more? Please elaborate on how and why someone who raised more than $32million needs or wants to put $5million of their own cash into the campaign?
If you don’t know where Obama stands on the issues, why don’t you try checking out his official website which has a huge section on policies and shows exactly where he stands on the issues. Its http://www.Barackobama.com – I’m fairly sure a 1st grader could have worked that out.
Maybe the media are reporting more on Obama as he is defeating the Clinton machine, slowly but surely. He is more newsworthy, he is winning more and she is so worried she has sacked her campaign manager. She is certainly in dire straights whilst Senator Obama goes from strength to strength.
Personally i don’t care who you vote for, i support Obama but for god’s sake educate yourself before voting.

I totally agree with the author that Obama will get the nomination since he won the popular vote. If not, it will be slapping on the face of the people who voted for him. He is the only who can inspire the people. He is the only one who can say “YES, WE CAN CHANGE”. People are really tired of looking at the dirty politics where campaign is funded by the lobbyist or interested party. Of course, Mrs. Clinton will put their interest before the peoples interest since she had been accepting the money from such a group. Obama is opposite. Running his campaign with the money donated by the people who like him to be president who can change. So, I voted for OBAMA and will vote for OBAMA only or no vote at all.

P.S. Thank goodness the minority of racist white people is getting smaller by the year.
Some white folks ar losing their mind!!
ROTFLMAO!!

BTW, with all the so called supporters/listeners that the Rush, O’Reilly, Hannity’s and Ms Ann Coulter are suppose to have why is Mccain winning?
Get over yourself white people.

If every vote counts then you HAVE to include Michigan and Florida…which changes the picture doesn’t it.

Hillary supporters VOTE REPUBLICAN we can’t afford to have Obama and his cult laugh in your face. Michelle Obama even said she would not support Hillary if she wins the nomination. Obama is a divider.
VOTE REPUBLICAN

More and more it appears people just keep going on and on about experience… When are people going to realize that not only does Obama have plenty of experience especially when you take into consideration the Illinois Senate. But thats not what its really about, look at things like Martin Luther King Jr who didn’t have experience, Rosa Parks didn’t have experience, John F. Kennedy didn’t have experience, Gandhi nor Anne Frank had experience when they took the lead and changed the world.
Anyone who says Obama isn’t clear on the issues either doesn’t ever listen to him, hasn’t even gone to one of his speeches, doesn’t visit his website, or doesn’t know how to use his website. Obama is being very clear and has a very good stance on nearly every policy that actually matters. Choice? That shouldn’t even be a topic discussed or considered when picking a president. Issue, maybe, important in deciding a president, only if you’re stupid. “I picked Hillary cause she’s pro-choice, but darn her Policy on Iraq sucks…oh well.. at least I can decide whether or not to have a child when my husband dies in Iraq”…
Most importantly, there’s a reason the media like Obama… because he is an awesome person with an awesome personality. Hillary is just a biotch who spins things to make it sound like she’s a godess in reality when she doesn’t care about America or anyone else… only about herself and getting power and getting paid. If she cared about the American people she wouldn’t have given up on the upcoming elections nor would she have just “forgot” to mention those who did vote for her. California and NY are things of the past now and she’s not even holding them with esteem. She doesn’t care about the people she cares about the delegates. Do you not listen to her every time she says “well, we’re gonna lose the next states but we’re gonna try hard on the states with lots of delegates.” Makes you feel nice she’s only attempting to appeal to you because of the fact your state has lots of delegates Texas and Ohio. She doesn’t care about the middle class.
Obama on the other hand cares greatly for the middle class, having come directly from it himself and witnessed on the streets what its like to be out there. Obama wants to unite this country and make us feel like we ARE a world leader… Hillary just wants to hold the big stick and get paid. She will lie and tell you all kinds of things that aren’t true up until then. Obama is not another politician, sure he cushions some of it but you have to unless he wants to end up like Ron Paul… but for the most part Obama is an honest and determined leader…

Michigan and Florida were off the table months ago. Counting their votes would be changing the rules, in mid-stream.
Hillary has enormous influence in the Democratic Party, if she didn’t like the rules, why didn’t she speak up from the very beginning? It’s interesting how, they are only “unfair” after she “won”.
By the way, Obama followed the rules and played fair by not campaigning in those States. If he had, the results would have probably been very different.
If the Clintons press this, it will be one more example of how, the rules don’t apply to them. As Democrats, we’ve had enough of that kind of politician for the last seven years, to last a lifetime. And it’s not just the Dems, 70% of the country is tired of political games, in which truth and ethics play second, or third base.

These dopes want national health care for FREE are supporting Democrats saying other countries have it. Well its not free. Check out the tax rate in these other countries. They are HEAVILY taxing the workers to pay for free health care to people that don’t work in foreign countries. This country is soon to be a african latin run country. Any African countrys have free health care. You think a country that can’t run FEMA right is going to be able to run socilized health care.

I am weary of Obama and the kid glove treatment he’s getting from the press. Sure, he’s got position papers on his Web site. But no candidate when elected legislates according to their position papers. They compromise. That’s the nature of politics.
Obama is untested in that respect. Yes, he’s got two years in the Senate and a couple years in the Illinois legislature, but how will he govern when he has to make tough choices, when he has to give up something in order to get something else. The fact is we don’t know — this is a major reason I’m not supporting him.
Talk to five people and you’ll get five different interpretation of what Obama means by “our time has come.” Who is “our” and “time has come” for what? “Change is coming to America.” What kind of change, and what is it replacing?
It bothers me that the media isn’t pressing him to define his rhetoric.

AS A 22-YR-OLD-FEMALE-LATINO-VOTER, I AM SADDEN BY SOME OF THE HATEFUL MESSAGES THAT HAVE BEEN POSTED HERE. TO THINK THAT INSTEAD OF REVIVING IN THE EXCITEMENT OF A HISTORY MAKING ELECTION PEOPLE ARE MAKING SUCH NASTY COMMENTS LIKE:
Jose,
Why would Obama (or anyone other than desperate grandma) need your fraudulent vote? Can you even vote? 4/5 of latinos can’t even get a driver license so how are their “votes” become so important?
-RICHARD,MEMPHIS,TN
ARE YOU SERIOUS??!! HOW OLD ARE YOU THAT HATE HAS ALREADY CONSUMED YOU.
DESPITE ALL THIS I’M STILL AS EXCITED ABOUT VOTING AS I WAS 4YRS AGO WHEN I VOTED IN MY FIRST PRESIDENTAL ELECTION. I’VE NEVER BEEN MORE PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN. TO SEE THAT OUR PRESIDENT COULD POTENTIALLY BE A WOMAN OR AN AFRICAN-AMERICAN IS AMAZING. I THINK THIS ELECTION IS ONE THAT PEOPLE ACTUALLY WANT TO PARTICIPATE IN BECAUSE, WHETHER REPUBLICAN OR DEMOCRAT, PEOPLE FEEL LIKE “A TIMES THEY ARE A CHANGIN.”
I’M A HILLARY SUPPORTER, BUT IF OBAMA GETS THE NOMINATION I HAVE NO PROBLEMS SUPPORTING HIM. TO BE TOTALLY HONEST, I KINDA LIKE McCAIN AND HUCKABEE. I CAN’T WAIT TO SEE HOW THIS ELECTION TURNS OUT.

How can you idiots out there say Obama is a doer when he has done zero? And I get quit sick of you so-called supporters using this excuse to vote for Obama just because you don’t want a Clinton or Bush in the white house. Well McCain is Bush all the way and that’s exactly what you are going to get. Why do you sheeple have to have someone to inspire you such as Obama or anyone? I vote policy and only policy. Period. I could give a rat’s a$$ if an IMAC ran this country as long as it is programmed to the policies I believe. It is clear the media is pushing Obama down your throats. If you want to talk about being fair and counting the delegates then add Florida and Michigan. That puts Clinton over the top.

Sorry Matt…you and the Obama-on-a-pedastal followers are in for a rude awakening.
Hillary 08!

MR – you need to think before you talk… count michigan ? you mean where hillary was the only one NOT to remove her name from the ballot, so she was the winner ? and Florida, where all Democrats said they would not campaign, but hillary did visit and promised she’d get their votes counted even though it is NOT legal per DNC rules (like she did in michigan) ? I do not understand why you feel Hillary does not have to adhere to the law. Oh wait, BIll didn’t either… Never mind…

Obama’s resume:
He was an associate attorney with Miner, Barnhill & Galland from 1993 to 1996. He was a lecturer of constitutional law at the University of Chicago Law School from 1993 until his election to the U.S. Senate in 2004.
He spent six years in the Illinois State Senate, from 1996 – 2004. And he has served in the U.S. Senate from 2005 – present.
Abraham Lincoln, was an attorney and served in the State legislature, as well. As well as serving in the U.S. House of Representatives for two years.
Perhaps it’s quality rather than quantity that the nation should be considering when voting to nominate, the next POTUS.

Vincent Foster, Webster Hubbell, Whitewater, Travelgate. Government Shutdown, and political gridlock. Need I say more? No more, MORE OF THE SAME!

TO SOLITUDE; YOUR WRITE ABOVE WAS UNBELIEVABLE. I COULD NOT HAVE SAID IT BETTER. I AM SO GLAD YOU BROUGHT UP THE ISSUE OF THE POOR BABIES LEFT TO DIE (THAT WERE ABORTED ALIVE)AND SHELVED IN SOILED UTILITY ROOMS TO DIE.
MICHELLE OBAMA CALLED PARTIAL-BIRTH ABORTION “A LEGITIMATE MEDICAL PROCEDURE”
SHE SENT A FUNDRAISING LETTER WITH THE ‘ALARMING NEWS’ THAT ‘RIGHT WING POLITICIANS’ HAD PASSED A LAW STOPPING DOCTORS FROM STABBING HALF BORN BABIES IN THE NECK WITH SCISSORS, SUCTIONING OUT THEIR BRAINS AND CRUSHING THEIR SKULLS.
ACCORDING TO MISS OBAMA, THIS WAS PERFECTLY FINE WITH HER. SHE EVEN CAMPAIGNED ASKING OBAMA SUPPORTERS TO PLEASE PAY $150.00 TO ATTEND A LUNCHEON SHE WAS THROWING FOR HER HUSBAND, TO STOP CYNICAL PEOPLE LIKE US WHOM WANTED THIS PRACTICE BANNED.
HER HUSBAND, MR. OBAMA TRIED TO STOP THIS BILL THAT WOULD PROTECT THESE BORN-ALIVE BABIES, AND INSTEAD IN ILLINOIS, THE BAIPA(Born Alive Infant Protection Act) repeatedly failed, thanks in large part to then-state Senator Barack Obama. It only passed in 2005 when Mr. Obama left.
I WILL DO ALL IN MY POWER WITH MY CONNECTIONS WITH THE MEDIA HERE IN CHICAGO(TALK SHOWS AND SUN-TIMES AND THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE REPORTERS) TO LET ALL AMERICA KNOW WHAT A HEARTLESS AND INHUMAN PEOPLE THESE OBAMA’S ARE.
AND THEY CALL THEMSELVES CHRISTIANS. WHAT A JOKE.
‘ I HAVE FRAMED ON MY WALL( A NURSE IN CHICAGO WHO WITNESSED THIS INHUMAN PRACTICE TO THESE BABIES), A CHICAGO SUN-TIMES CARTOON PULISHED IN THE SUN-TIMES: http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=51121
It shows Obama holding a sign with ‘LIVE BIRTH ABORTION” on it. God is reaching down from heaven to a baby in front of Obama, and the baby is reaching up to God. Obama is yelling at God, “YOU KEEP OUT OF THIS!”
I totally agree with you Solitude, that in the end the truth will come out about these two (Obama and MIchelle) and they will be dragged through the ringer…because in most of our estimations, especially us Christians, they are only interested in their beautiful mansions, killing innocent babies and self-adoration for themselves.
p.s. I am independent at this point…but believe me I would not vote for either democractic candidate

It is a known fact, that Michelle Obama said that if Hillary became the democratic candidate she would not support her.
She also stated that if a black man does not vote for her husband, he should be ashamed of his nationality.
Look up on the internet…just type in Michelle Obama not supporting Hillary and Black men not supporting her husband.
Nice Lady…Miss Obama!!!!! Yeah…you are whatbwe want for a First Lady…CLass all the way!
what a joke!!!!!!

Stella, its called compeltley making things up, its the internet that does happen from time to time you know.

Mary:
…deep breath, deep breath, then look up the facts not blogger info you posted.
As for Tim J…
Wow, someone who knows what is going on….
I really hope you are right on the delegate votes though !
There are a lot of delegates coming-up through early March and Obama should not take ANY of these for granted !
DC, Hawaii, Mississippi, Washington, Wyoming, Vermont, Wisconsin, Virginia, Rhode Island, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, TX…

Tim: It’s not gonna work anymore. You can make fun of people on this site whom are actually referring to issues (moral issues) that Obama has turned his back on referring to live-birth babies.
I went to the site that I think it was Mary put on this site, and she is right…you are so wrong.
Start checking out your candidate and his issues, before you open your mouth.
I ask all of you to please go to the site that the person had on this site referring to Michelle Obama and her fundraising to collecto moneyu for her husband to pass a bill that would kill live born babies through abortion.
Here is the cite: http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=51121

Ahh yes a right wing hate site, which completley twists the facts of the bill qualifies as a legit source……

We are a congregation which is Unashamedly Black and Unapologetically Christian… Our roots in the Black religious experience and tradition are deep, lasting and permanent. We are an African people, and remain “true to our native land,” the mother continent, the cradle of civilization. God has superintended our pilgrimage through the days of slavery, the days of segregation, and the long night of racism. It is God who gives us the strength and courage to continuously address injustice as a people, and as a congregation. We constantly affirm our trust in God through cultural expression of a Black worship service and ministries which address the Black Community.
Trinity United Church of Christ adopted the Black Value System written by the Manford Byrd Recognition Committee chaired by Vallmer Jordan in 1981. We believe in the following 12 precepts and covenantal statements. These Black Ethics must be taught and exemplified in homes, churches, nurseries and schools, wherever Blacks are gathered. They must reflect on the following concepts:
Commitment to God Commitment to the Black Community Commitment to the Black Family Dedication to the Pursuit of Education Dedication to the Pursuit of Excellence Adherence to the Black Work Ethic Commitment to Self-Discipline and Self-Respect Disavowal of the Pursuit of “Middleclassness” Pledge to make the fruits of all developing and acquired skills available to the Black Community Pledge to Allocate Regularly, a Portion of Personal Resources for Strengthening and Supporting Black Institutions Pledge allegiance to all Black leadership who espouse and embrace the Black Value System Personal commitment to embracement of the Black Value System. The Pastor as well as the membership of Trinity United Church of Christ is committed to a 10-point Vision:
A congregation committed to ADORATION. A congregation preaching SALVATION. A congregation actively seeking RECONCILIATION. A congregation with a non-negotiable COMMITMENT TO AFRICA. A congregation committed to BIBLICAL EDUCATION. A congregation committed to CULTURAL EDUCATION. A congregation committed to the HISTORICAL EDUCATION OF AFRICAN PEOPLE IN DIASPORA. A congregation committed to LIBERATION. A congregation committed to RESTORATION. A congregation working towards ECONOMIC PARITY.
This is Obama’s church mission statement. He always talk about unity but nowhere in this statement that you will see unity. No question that the guy can talk but I hope people will realize and see that excitement is different than reality.

If Hillary wins the Democratic nomination I will not vote for her. I am a Democrat that has NEVER vote Republican but I don’t like Hillary Clinton or Bill and I don’t feel like they can organize the type of enthusiam that Sen. Obama has been able to. Hillary as a canidate does not have the likablity factor, neither did John Kerry ask him how that worked out for him in 2004.
“YES WE CAN”

I am utterly amazed at the Billary fans who still declare that Obama has not been clear on his stance on issues. It may be true what they say about Hillary voters – they are less educated. Obama’s positions are all over his website and CNN. Basicallly they differ on only two issues – Healthcare & Iraq. So if the Hillary fans would apply a little due dilligence they would know too….
IRAQ: EXPERIENCE VS. JUDGEMENT I will take judgement over experience ANY DAY… Rumsfield was experienced Cheney was experienced LOOK what we got. As noted by the LA Times – for all of Clinton’s experience she didn’t have the courage nor the judgement to vote against the WAR. I agree with Obama, “READY on day one? – I prefer RIGHT on day one”
MORE – EXPERIENCE ARGUEMENT: On the value of her stated experience. Why has the value of that experience been unable to match/meet the “newcomer” Obama on the campaign trail. I offer that experience is not measured in number of years but the wisdom of how you USE it!
I think its so telling that Hillary wants us to BELIEVE she is “Ready On Day One” and YET she cannot even manage her CAMPAIGN without her husband Bill Clinton and now her daughter’s HELP. If you look at Obama’s Campaign vs. Hillary’s Campaign side-by-side…. and expand that view to the WHITE HOUSE. The case gets stronger and STRONGER for OBAMA. Hillary cannot do it on her own. She cannot even manage a campaign with out using her sweet daughter. Tsk Tsk Tsk Hillary.
The ARM TWISTING has already begun with the super delegates – its their only life-line. Hillary reminds me of the character “Mommy Dearest” – beloved in public but vile and vindictive behind closed doors. Remember the “No Wire Hangers” Scene…. BEWARE Super Delegates the CLINTONS are coming.

Obamba will beat either McCain or Huckabee,unless God interveins and annoits Huckabee the candidate of “God”.Then the Rapture can begin our Constitution will be the Bible.

Do not be fooled. The Democratic Party is not in the slightest bit reluctant to disenfranchise the electorate. They’ve done precisely that to their own in Florida and Michigan. That part of Mr. Dowd’s argument simply isn’t valid.
I think that what the superdelegates do will not be decided by such noble principles as honoring the will of the electorate, but rather by political pressure exerted in ways that the electorate never sees and cannot influence. Democracy ends at the polls. The conventions are not democratic in nature and are so by design. They are meant only to appear to be democratic.

mary,
What i was referring to is the Procedure you referred to as partial birth Abortion, is not actually a Partial Birth. Even if what you claimed one to the baby was not done, their is no way a baby could possibly be born through that. the partial birth Abortion was a term made up by conservatives, its not a medical term because its not an actual partial birth or any kind of possible birth. And again the issue which obama came out for in regards to it was to make an exemption for the life and health of the mother. Its a procedure no one likes, but nor that anyone favors. The argument was never to have or not have the procedure, the argument that was made by Obama and others on the left is that their should be an exemption if the mother’s life or health was at stake by going through an actual birth

Terrie: Obama cannot talk about all his policies during his speeches on the campaign trail. That doesn’t even make a little bit of sense. Take some time and go to his website and he outlines for anyone intested in knowing what he is all about, the details of his beliefs and stratgies on all the key issues.

You must not be including Florida and Michigan in your totals. Also…keep in mind that Obama only wins in Caucus states. Very few people are actually voting for him. Hillary’s voters are working people who can’t take the day off just to caucus for someone!

Tim: I’ll just leave it at that. You seem like an intelligent person, but I cannot as a practicing Catholic vote for someone whom does not value human life.

Dukakis?!?!?!? Seriously. There are always stats and figures to back up almost any argument (I know, I’m a research scientist) but to compare Dukakis and Obama is laughable. Sen. Obama has an infinite amount more personality than Dukakis ever had.
Wow. Dukakis…..

I recall testimony that late-term babies feel excruciating pain while being aborted.
“It would be better to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around the neck than to face the punishment in store for harming one of these little ones”!
Mr. Obama, and all you that vote for him, will have to answer now or later.
God be with you all!!!!!

Will all the white people who voted Obama please signify by prefacing your post with a “W”. That way we can clarify that question for those who don’t understand.

For history, I see Obama as a Populus Like Hugo Chavez, Castro and Aristild.

I agree, but you only look so far. If it looks close, you can count on a fight over seating Michigan and Florida delegates. And in that case how can the party that’s been screaming about every vote counting refuse to seat those delegates? More importantly, when it is taken to court and finds its way to the hands of the Supreme Court, which way do you think the decision is going to go? Remember that Bill Clinton appointed several of those delegates.

Oops, should have read “Bill Clinton appointed several of those Justices.”

Everyone is thinking in ideals instead of the real world. Exactly HOW will Barack Obama succeed in making changes in Washington…? Right now, all we hear from Obama is idealistic rhetoric with no background to support his goals.
The media has been promoting Obama from the start while attacking Clinton every chance they can. MSNBC contastly crosses the line of objectivity in bashing Hillary.
Also… it seems HYPOCRITICAL for you to suggest the “right thing to do” is DISMISS the history of independent voting by superdelegates while at the same time dismissing the voters of Michigan and Florida.
Ideally…either superdelegates vote according to the state voting breakdown AND Michigan & Florida votes count.
..OR..
Ideally…the superdelegates vote independently AND Michigan & Florida votes don’t count.
My only argument is…no vote should ever be excluded regardless AND superdelegates have always voted independently and should not be changed just for the sake of one candidate now.
Talk about your double standard by the Obama camp…and here the media is supporting it.
What should anyone expect from a country who voted President Bush two times in a row.

Obama is a race-baiting, socialist scumbag. He’s a corrupt crook and profoundly immoral. His supporters are upper class twits with no moral center.

I for one cannot wait until we see Hillary’s concession speech.
YES WE CAN!!!!!!

Uh, Dowd, you did that myterious thing that people from the far right always do. You ignored the factor of the popular vote. Superdelegates will take this into consideration.
By the way, caucuses are a joke of a way to select candidates. When I went to the caucus in Washington on Saturday, there was only one senior couple. I know for a fact that there are hundreds of seniors living in my precinct. That’s why we went to vote by mail for elections.

George Bush finacial supporters were mainly upper class,thus Bush is a scumbag according to Rightwing logic?

Stick the fork in, she done.

Oh lookie, another republican pundit rooting for Barak. Geez, democrats, if this isn’t proof enough that they’d rather run against him than Hillary, I don’t know what is. Liberals are stuck in their inspiration induced fog, so much so that they are ignoring the main fact here. THIS COUNTRY DOES NOT ELECT LIBERAL PRESIDENTS. Even inspirational ones. Liberals don’t win national elections. Most of the states Barak is winning aren’t in play in the general. But don’t mind me, I think too much. The rest of the liberals are too busy buying into their own hype.
Mr. Dowd, I believe you are correct. Barak will win the nomination. I just hope democrats aren’t shocked when McCain is annointed in the fall. Doh, Duped AGAIN.

If obama does win I will vote for McCain

Things aren’t as simple as Dowd says. Here’s why: The primary process includes both primaries and caucuses and, because of non-sensical rules, these have sometimes produced the odd result that, in a given state, the candidate who got the most votes didn’t get the most delegates. This happened in Nevada, where Hillary won but Obama got more delegates. Right now, unless I’m mistaken, I believe Hillary has won the popular vote, when all primary and caucus votes in all states are added up, whereas Obama leads in delegates.
So, superdelegates can vote for Hillary on the theory that she got more popular votes, or for Obama, who may well win fair and square the primary and caucus contests and thus the most delegates.
Then there’s Florida’s delegates, which shouldn’t count, but Hillary might be able to convince others to change the rules and change the game at the end so the delegates (which favor her) would count. And then, too, there’s John Edwards and his delegates…
There are many ways this could end, none of them particularly pleasant…

doreen- you are about as intelligent as my doorknob.

Thank-you ABC. I am a teacher who was looking for examples of biased reporting by news agencies to use in my class. Today, ABC provides another great examples of media outlets trying to pick cnadidates.
ABC and MSNBC obviously have an agenda. I hope more teachers like me continue to share these articles with their students.

white pepople are dumb?
How did this turn into a Contest of Blacks VS Whites?? It is not surprising to see the true Racists coming to light in this Obama Rama.
The Blacks are turning out in Record numbers to vote determined it is their time to be in Charge. In my town they are turning things upside down and almost trying to cause trouble! The tension is high and I cannot understand why?? What is going on when the people who once wanted to be treated equal suddenly think they are better than us regular white guys who just want it better than Bush made it!! I see a new divide happening and I don’t think its goona be a good thing!
The Blacks are taking the Presidency as a Game. If Barack gets in what will the next challenge be?? Equality is one thing we all deserve but taking on an attitude of bigger and better sounds like us white folks are being Bullied.

Dowd you and Obama are both dreamers buddy. Your both American you have a right to dream. So just keep dreaming. The day Obama will see presidency is the day I rinse my mouth with acid.

I am so sick of the media focus on OBAMA. Good if OBAMA win the nomination just like the media assumes, then , we can relax and wath the republican victory. Theres no way were our whole family will get out and vote on november, Wed like to have a WHITE HOUSE!!! preferred to have a WHITE HOUSE!

I wouldn’t call 300,000 voters a small number. That’s how many Minnesotans voted in our caucus. They did it by secret ballot on the Dems side too. They did it immediately upon walking into the caucus site too. Although we’re well educated in MN we don’t have a large proportion of AA’s and we still went 67%-32% for Obama. 2 to 1 baby!
BTW MN has 5 million people total so I’ll match our voting % up to any primary in the nation.

white people are dumb,They need to wake up soon before its too late.Almost all black people are voting for obama because he is black. This is all about race…
How did this turn into a Contest of Blacks VS Whites?? It is not surprising to see the true Racists coming to light in this Obama Rama.
The Blacks are turning out in Record numbers to vote determined it is their time to be in Charge. In my town they are turning things upside down and almost trying to cause trouble! The tension is high and I cannot understand why?? What is going on when the people who once wanted to be treated equal suddenly think they are better than us regular white guys who just want it better than Bush made it!! I see a new divide happening and I don’t think its goona be a good thing!
The Blacks are taking the Presidency as a Game. If Barack gets in what will the next challenge be?? Equality is one thing we all deserve but taking on an attitude of bigger and better sounds like us white folks are being Bullied.

The democratic party will lose the 2008 elections because millions of voters will come out to vote against the democratic ticket (not for Mcain). They see it as who should not be in office more than who should be. These voters arent polled, are not interviewed and many have not voted in the last several elections.

Umm, excuse me, but you don’t have your math right. The fact is that no candidate should win this because they have one delegate more than the other. Superdelgates will matter and it will not nor should it be as easy as, all the superdelegates align with who is up by 20 or 40 or 120 delegates. Give me a break, neither would have a mandate. What should be taken into account are two variables: the popular vote and what the numbers would be if the superdelegates aligned with their state. That would mean Mr. Obama would get all of the superdelgates from Nebraska and Mrs. Clinton would get all from Oklahoma, etc. This would be more fair, and remove any establishment credentials. This is more telling than being selectively objective and saying, “Okay, Mr. Obama, you have some more delegates, you win.” The fact is, whether anyone likes it or not, IT SHOULD matter that TWO other states are being left out. I don’t care the reasons why, but their input should matter, or this whole process will be based on something meaningless.

We flroridaians REJECTED OBAMA here in our state, this is a red state mostly, obama always bragging how he can win a red state but it didnt worked out here in florida, GO GO GO hillary!!! WE preferred to have a WHITE HOUSE!!!

Sen. Obama is an unseasoned and inexperienced candidate. He is nowhere near ready to be President and cannot win the Presidency against John McCain. How does he explain the ‘present’ votes, never calling one meeting of the Foreign Policy committee he chairs, no foreign policy experience at all – barely travelled out of the US. His health care proposal is more of the same – without everyone in the pool there is no chance for universal, just the same issues and roadblocks we have now. Getting red state senators together does not change that fact! Hillary Clinton is the best candidate for President we have had in decades, and the republicans don’t want to debate Hillary that’s why they continue to heap their praise on Obama. He’s the candidate they want. The Clintons are the only ones that have ever beat the Republicans and they are scared to death. The GE will get ugly, but the Obamas are neophytes in the battle, they are unseasoned, and juvenile. ” Michelle’s “I don’t know if I’ll support Hillary if she’s the candidate”. Really, what is that? Just really inexperienced and obviously not ready for prime time. Barack Obama will not win the GE in america in 2008!

wed preferred to have a white house!!!

I agree with the above poster. It bothers me when Mr. Obama says, “once people see I am ahead in the delegate count, superdelegates will have to align with me.” No, Mr. Obama, if that were true, then Hillary should get all of the superdelegates aligned with California, and then your math starts getting way off. There is such a media backlash that its ridiculous. Why is every station playing Mr. Obama rallies over and over again, and why is this fundraising issue being blown out of proportion when Hillary had been leading Mr. Obama in fundraising pretty much all the way until January. Check CNN.com and see in December 2007 that Hillary had out fundraise Mr. Obama, and had been spending less. Mr. Obama had a great month in January, sure, but they are both doing equally well. The media is merely finding something to blow up to make Mr. Obama look bigger than he actually is. The undertones of all of this superdelegate talk is that all of the superdelegates should align with Mr. Obama, because to align with Mrs. Clinton would be unfair. Can we actually wait for every race to be determined, calm down, and see the difference. Why are we making these superdelegates feel uneasy about candidates they respect and thus have aligned with, as if we didn’t know this process was already in place. Come on!

Who is having an honest Healthcare debate? Not, Mr. Obama.
During the last democratic debate at the Kodak theater, Wolf Blitzer pointed out that Mr. Obama’s plan would leave 15 million uninsured and pointed out that when these people end up in emergency they end up being a burden to the taxpayer. It is common knowledge that it costs five times more to go to emergency. As Mr. Blitzer pointed out, this ends up being inefficient and a burden to the taxpayers. When Mr. Blizter prodded Obama further and said what will you do with these people who ‘refuse’ to buy insurance end up in emergency? Mr. Obama clearly replied albeit somewhat befuddled, that he would make them pay ‘back’ premiums. Unless I am mistaken this contradicts what Mr. Obama is saying as this would not only ‘penalize’ citizens but would in effect force them to buy health insurance. No different than Hillary’s plan yet his campaign has been trying to smear her proposal with the ‘Harry &Louise ads” that the Republicans and health care lobbyist used to destroy her plan in the early 90′s. I thought his campaign was above this sort of dirty politics? Mr. Obama is guilty of that which he decries and has based his entire campaign. He is guilty of distortion and misstatement of facts for his own gain at the cost and health of the American people.
The only person that I believe is being honest with regard to this issue is Hillary. She not only realizes that it takes economies of scale to make premiums low but that everyone needs to participate to create the maximum risk pool and bring premiums to the lowest level possible.
I know it may be a hard pill to swallow that we may have to all participate but guess what? This tough medicine is going to make us healthier and better people as whole. Secondarily, I appreciate Hillary’s willingness to be open and honest with regard to her proposal to fix healthcare.
Valerie Bird
Lake Oswego, OR

Hey Joe hope in one and crap in the other and see which one fills up quicker. You cannot elect someone on the basis of hope. That’s moronic. Obama has been a US Senator for barley 2 yrs and has zero to show for it.

would someone stop this Obama train !!!
Lets face it the man can inspire but I don’t need to be inspired we need a leader w/ great ideas not all this flowery langauge

Amazon Traveler – You should do a little more research regarding the popular vote. Your comment “Obama takes Alaska – 405 votes” proves that you haven’t. Alaska has 405 state delegates that determine the proportion of national delegates. It is not the number of people who voted. I can’t seem to find that number, but if you look at the popular vote for the entire country, Obama is now winning. And if you count Florida and Michigan, the impact is not so much as you would think as Clinton got 38 more delegates than Obama in Florida, which by the end of this month he may be leading her by far more. She has to win Ohio, Texas and Pennsylvania by substantial margins for you to be correct, but to date you are wrong. Furthermore, Obama has won several primaries including South Carolina, Alabama, CONNECTICUT, Deleware, Georgia, Illinois, Missouri, Utah, Lousiana and more to come. How can you discount these results. Instead of skewing facts, how about being factual? This is a close race and Obama did not set the rules of caucuses and primaries, he did not make the rules for the Nevada caucus and he did not choose to move up the MI and FA primaries. His campaign has simply been succesful by getting their message as widespread as possible.

i will never vote for hillary. i have never voted for a republican in my life, but if she gets the nod….im voting mccain.
s

HaHaHaHaHaHa.
Lawsa Mercy! The Democrat Party has been hooting and hollaring “ad nauseum” about its inclusiveness.
The Democrats have a minority candidate that is showing real promise and the best it can do is an all-out propping up of their HillBilly couple’s tired act.
Democrats: Be careful what you wish for.

Sir – If I may comment – nonsense
And you may check my facts with the respetive Sec. of State websites as well as the US Bureau of the Census
1. Ohio’s AA population is roughly 11% and is reasonably well educated. Its Hispanic American population is 16% – 30% of it population holds a Bachelors Degree or better.
2. Roughly 20% of the registered democrats in Ohio are AA, 25% are of latin origin.
3. Ohio has a very high unemployment rate under the $50K or less skilled labor group
4. PA looks very similar to OH in many aspects
5. IN has fewer AA (1 st Congressional district) and Hispanic American – than either PA or OH. – only IN is much more conservative
6. The population demographics of TX do not look like those of GA, SC, or Alabama
7. In the end Florida will be seated – as will Michigan – both Clinton states
After it tuesday – it will be a real horserace

People really care about America think Economy, security and Unity. You can’t give us that Trio without a good knowledge of the system. People believe fiction Movies believe Obama can bring change easily. I believe Obama need to learn how the system works before he think about change.
First time senate, Obama can’t really understand the system and bring change now. I agree with people said that he needs more experiences before that big responsibility. Or I can he needs to improve he skills on Foreign politics, Security and Economic. I’m not really like Clinton but I have a feeling that the COUNTRY cans SAFE with her in charge (Economic and Security) .
Young people, I can see your feeling but a country need more than that. Before you make any choice; think about the hard work of George Washington and how many people die for our freedom. At this time, too many countries need to have the power of the Economic and to become the first nation of the world over USA. This is not the time… After 9/11, we keep going. I’M AFRAID BECAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE TAKE A CHANCE WITH A COUNTRY, WITH YOUR DESTINY, YOUR FUTURE, OUR NATION.
I love the 4 candidates and each of them can help but witch one you trust for the Economy, security and Unity?

obama is a falsh in the pants. a fad, SOS – style over substance. He will start to fade once people read his positions and find out he’s more liberal than Ted Kennedy and Barbara Boxer and Russ Finegold combned. and thats from and independent rating group. at least clinton has some convictions. don’t fall for the snake oil saleseman

Reality check please!
Hillary is way ahead in the popular votes and pledged delegates when MI and FL are added in. Do you seriously believe that those votes (and voters) do not count???
The State legislature moved up the primary dates – the DNC voted to take away their delegates…the MI/FL Democratic Parties will fight and win this. In retrospect, the Republicans were wise to half theirs – never heard a peep out of them complaining.
So – Hillary will win the nomination unless Barack takes OH and/or TX or PA.
Their base is pretty solid on both sides – no significant movement.
Hillary 2008

The reason the Clintons are getting bad press lately from a media that previously adored them is that the media had to lie and cover up so much about them that when they finally see a respectable challenger in the Democratic Party (for whom most journalists are cheerleaders), their own self-disgust makes them turn away from Hillary.
Do the Democrats REALLY want the return of an Administration that sold pardons to gangsters? that took bribes from China, blocked investigations until the statute of limitations expired and conducted their second term foreign policy in a way that alienated loyal allies like India to benefit a dictatorship? that continues to make millions of dollars from their conduct without revealing their tax returns like everyone else.
The best thing about the Obama campaign is that the Democratic rank and file is showing their disgust with the Clintons even if the big wigs in the party are looking for another corrupt administration which betrays all liberal ideals in favor of a quick buck.

All of you Obamaphiles keep asking “Well, why do so many people come out to vote for him?” and “Why does he unite so many people?” The answer is really simple: The media has mandated that he will be the Democratic nominee and has broadcasted a year-long Barack Obama Love-In 24hour (free) commercial. So, why do so many people show up for him? Because they’ve been told by their favorite rap stars and political pundits that “he’s so great” repeatedly for the last year. Why does he unite so many people? Because the words “one America” and “change” sound really good to all of us after G.W.B. But think about it, all of the “specifics” that you people refer to on his website are not specifics at all. Instead all of his “policies” seem to only come out after he is criticized for not having a position. Then, they’re only drafted in direct response to Hillary’s policies (which have been developed over the course of 35 YEARS!). Also, let’s get real about the experience thing. It’s the cool thing these days, even if inaccurate, to claim that Obama has more legislative experience. Hillary has been fighting for 35 years, in ways that have not always been publicized, to help children, working mothers, blacks, gays, immigrants, and so many others. So tell me, if Barack Obama can claim that he as a “community organizer” and call that experience, (even though all us Illinoisans know that the phrase is really a code for declaring his political intentions. Btw…..any accomplishments come of that?) Hillary should be able to claim her work as chair of the Children’s Defense Fund and all of the other leadership roles she has held as an advocate for children, women, minorities, and the disabled. Bottom line here is this: Right now is not the time to give control of our country and our party to the starry-eyed, pie in the sky children and idealists. The children are only reacting to the Obama commercial, and the idealists (read hippies and entertainers) are reacting to the idea that they might actually have a chance to have someone in the White House who will legalize marijuana, subsidize everything, and further their ultra-liberal agenda. In both cases, though, each of these groups is only responding to their daily media and pop culture Obama-brainwashing. It’s sad, and it’s the same brainwashing that led 50-60% of Americans to support the Iraq invasion (only after hearing the media’s case for more than a year), and it’s the same brainwashing that allowed those idiots to swiftboat John Kerry. I am a black man and I support Hillary Clinton. If she is not the nominee, I and all of the other realists/adults will gladly vote for John McCain or sit out the November election.

I have nothing against the man but Obama has NO EXPERIENCE and NO IDEA how to bring about the change he promises to create. Nothing. He is empty handed and Washington is a tough place. At least Hillary Clinton knows what the heck she is doing. It would be tragic if we elected another Jimmy Carter.. a man with big dreams that got run over after he got into the White House and ended up out after 1-term with little accomplished.

Civility please! At least from Democratic posters, keep a civil tongue. We have two great candidates–so be cool.
Sen. Obama won 9 state primaries, as has Sen. Clinton, so I don’t think Clinton supporters should keep harping on the caucuses. Yes, the distinguished Senator from Illinois has a strong caucus machine, and a energized base that turns out in rain, sun, or snow. But Sen. Obama didn’t write the rules, each state Democratic party did.
Thus far, Sen. Obama has played by the rules, hasn’t ask that they be rewritten after the fact, and is pulling ahead of the best known name in the Democratic Party. It is truly astounding.
But let’s not harp and carp. I haven’t heard Senators Biden, Dodd or Edwards complain about the rules of the game, and they only complained a bit about ‘media bias’ toward Clinton and Obama. They lost with a modicum of dignity.
Let’s play fair, be civil, and vote our heads and our hearts. It’s a great time to be a Democrat, and dare I say, a great time to be an American.

it would be an outrage to seat the FL and michigan delegates.
everyone except hillary took thier names off in michigan…talk about slimy.
and no one campained in either state!!!
her ‘wins’ were name name reconition wins only…..they should have no impact on who wins the nom.

But it looks like Hillary will win the plurality of votes. So, if what matters is “counting the votes”, then superdelates should go to the winner of the most votes nationwide, not the winner of the delegate count.

The one thing you can see just as clear as day is Hillary creates turmoil and divisiveness every where you turn. You see on this blog she and her followers have a message of hate. A lot of angry women they are so full of hate, they are mean nasty and can not see anything but there own view. To me Hillary and her followers are hateful human beings. Just go back and read there posting they are so hateful . I cannot believe some of the things I have read. These are angry woman who have had something happen in there lives to make them hate, maybe a lot of bad relationships or something. They scare me and I fear they may be even violent and do harm to Mr. Obama.

Senator Clinton will accomplish more in the White House, she speaks from experience. Senator Obama talks about hope like it is the “end all” to everything, and “we” can, which sounds to me like “he” can’t. Americans want a president, not a preacher, soothsayer, rock star, or idol.

Unless BHO blows her out by more
than the margin MI and FL can
reverse, HRC will certainly win
because those delegates will be
seated prior rulings to the contrary
notwithstanding. After all, have
the Clintons ever let minor things
like standards, rules and even
laws stand in their way? These have
bearing and force for them, and for
most Dems IMO, only to the extent
they align with their goals.
Even is she is behind by a wider
margin, don’t count her out. She
is just a hell of a lot tougher
than Obama.

Of course the convention can’t count Michigan and Florida. Are you seriously trying to say we should count Clinton’s Michigan votes when Obama wasn’t on the ballot, or Florida votes, where the candidates agreed in advance not to campaign?
If Clinton even suggests those votes should be included, she loses credibility.
If she wants a do-over in those states, and if they are willing to hold real primaries, fine.
But to suggest that unopposed primaries should be included because they represent the will of the people is just folly.

Imagine for a second that Hillary becomes President. Almost all senators hate her-Republicans and Democrats alike. With whom is she’s going to work? It’ll be fighting from day one. She’s not going to be able to accomplish anything.

WHY WOULD WE COUNT MICHIGAN WHEN OBAMA WAS NOT EVEN ON THE BALLOT? GET A CLUE PEOPLE. HOW WOULD THAT BE FAIR?

jack,
Every state was trying to one up each other on moving their Primaries ahead. the DNC warned ahead of time anyone moving the Primaries ahead of SC would be stripped of their delegates. MI & FL did it anyway, & the DNC stuck to their word. All the candidates agreed that the delegates shouldn’t count even Hillary who stated in New Hampshire that the Michigan and Florida delagates would not count. She only changed her tune when it ebcame apparent the election was going to be a clsoe one. the rules are the rules, ytou can’t change the rules after the fact.
Scott
The fundraising in Dec was a slight Clinton edge, Jan was a huge Obama edge. In regards to Dowd’s comments, he wasn’t suggesting that the American people aren’t going to decide the election. he was simply stating that by doing simple math its going to be really hard for Clinton to catch up in the pledged delegate count.

Have you seen 12/10 CBS 60min? Obama talked ALL about issues, and Hillary had leading and softball questions that played on sympathies–there was nothing of substance said by her!! Give me a break! Did you see how dismissive Hillary is not only of Obama but the VOTERS themselves in states of where he wins? And to say you don’t know where he STANDS on issues, like CHOICE??? Over and over again he and Planned Parenthood along with other organizations said that he is 100% pro-choice!!! And by building coalitions in the Republican-controlled Illinois legislature he was able to defeat anti-abortion bills??? How is that for getting something accomplished? And Did you know that Lorna Howard, president of NOW and foremost advocate of women’s reproductive rights has switched from Hillary to Obama because of Hillary’s smears on Obama’s pro-choice record, which clearly speaks for itself!! Do YOUR research before you speak! Here are some links–get educated!
http://blip.tv/file/647623
http://youtube.com/watch?v=OVuMYKs8iJs

This article should read: WHY I WANT OBAMA TO BE THE NOMINEE!
Read this piece in the NYT and all you Hillary supporters (yes, haters too) will see what is obvious to most of us!
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/11/opinion/11krugman.html?_r=1&ref=opinion&oref=slogin

The logic of this article would dictate that John Kerry and Ted Kennedy would have to re-pledge their superdelegate endorsements from Obama to Hillary. Does anybody think that is going to happen?

Back in Oct 2006 I read anarticle on Barack, and I emailed 2 people to tell them I believed he would be the next President of the UNITED States of America. They thought I was ‘nuts’.
I ‘heard’ his vision, I could see it,
and I knew he could pull it off.
Have faith Obama supporters, this man has the charisma, class, and CHARACTER.
He talks and walks with the ‘new’ vision for Americas future for ALL, as he wisely pulls all together and uses each talent to create the whole.
This is his passion, and it burns in his soul.
I am jealous of your man, I live in Auckland New Zealand, and I wait literally minute by minute daily, to
see this come to pass.
Rise up America, and again lead.
You can’t put NEW wine into OLD wineskins.
Go Barack, and God be with you.

Hey Monica a good add for Hilary to run is just show New Orleans under water and show Bush and McCain hugging each other and congratulating each other for a good job done on Katrina. Show McCain saying the Iraq War is going good while you post all the names of the solders killed in action. Enough said. In fact every Democrat ought to use that add even Obama if he’s the nominee

I agree cynthia. Unseated delegates because of some rule violation is not a new problem. It has happened before and there are remedies which allow the delegates to be seated. If Obama did not have people researching this issue when it came time to be or not be on the ballot, that is his problem.

This sooooo true! The democratic party will lose the 2008 elections because millions of voters will come out to vote against the democratic ticket (not for Mcain). They see it as who should not be in office more than who should be. These voters arent polled, are not interviewed and many have not voted in the last several elections.

Reading these blogs makes me realize how uninformed and uneducated so many opinionated people are. It scares me to think these are the people who get to decide who is to be our president! It’s okay to be passionate about your candidate, but please try to be accurate in your assessment rather than just running on emotions. That’s how one gets “snowed” by political rhetoric.

The major issue in the general election will be whether or not we want a socialist or democratic country… Obama vs McCain.

OK, Denn. Hillary Clinton gets called by her first name because she has a husband who is relatively well-known. What about the fact that, while Mr Obama always calls his opponent “Senator Clinton”, she insists on referring to him as “Barack”? I don’t think you have to look very hard to see that sign of disrespect.

I don’t get it.
Obama is a FANTASTIC SPEAKER! But, we need more than that for a President. We need someone who is experienced in communicating with other World leaders, someone who has strong relationships with other leaders in the US, someone who has seen and done more. I don’t have a clue where Obama stands on a lot of the issues, abortion rights being one of them. Even his website does not address issues the way Hillary’s does- clear and straightforward. Obama also touts that he voted against the war- well, he actually didnt because he was not in the Senate at that time, when the “evidence” (a.k. lie), was introduced. So, he can say it all he wants, who knows how he really would have voted? Probably “present” which has been his “cop out” over 60 times since he was elected.
It seems that the media is really controlling the way people are voting, which is so sad. Why aren’t people looking at voting records? I don’t want a President with no experience and wishy-washy voting

Hey lorrie the ones that scare me are the independents (better known as conservative fence sitters) They are the ones that are uninformed and choosing our leaders because they are the swing votes. If you have wait all the way to the ballot box to choose whom you are going to vote for you are clearly uninformed. Like I said I don’t vote for the candidate I vote for the policy so I’ve made up my mind many many moons ago.

As far as the race for the Democratic nomination this is a battle between the Clintons representing the status quo , the past and entrenched Washington power and the Obama campaign representing change, the future and the power of a grass root movement.
So far the Clintons much touted experience and management skills have underperformed Obama’s judgement and leadership. A clear example this week was the weak fund raising efforts and fund management of the Clintons, which depended on the deep pockets of the usual suspects for fundraising while the Obama campaign instead rallied a movement of over 700,000 supporters willing to invest small amounts again and again.
It was during the South Carolina primary that the secret weapon of the Clintons, divisive campaigning, backfired and finally gave Democratic voters a chance to see what independents and Republicans have long found so troubling in the Clintons, their willingness to do anything to win.
But things are far from over, now the Clintons look toward Texas, Ohio and Pennsylvania. Hoping that their politics of the past can withstand Obama’s momentum. In Texas they will again seek to divide the electorate along ethnic lines. Here the test for Obama is to convince Hispanics that he will bring positive change not just to black or even white America, but all of America. But Obama has already overcome these fears in many parts of this country, in fact he had to overcome the fears of rejection among many African Americans before winning their support from the Clintons.
But it is in Pennsylvania that the real test will be faced for Obama. This is where the entrenched power of the Ed Rendell will attempt to end the dream for Obama and his movement. It is between now and then that Obama must rally his grass root forces to over come the party machine.
So in the end there is long way to go but the real difference is …
The Clintons are managing a campaign, Obama is leading a movment.

howard,
Do you think states should be able to move up their primaries whenever they want? Do you think we should be setting up precedent to have primaries more than a year before the General Election? Do you think their should be any ruels at all in the process??
Fact of the matter is both states were old ahead of time what the rules were, they were made full aware of what they were. They knew the consequences, and went ahead and did it anyway. If the DNC just let them seat the delegates despite warning them what would that do in regards to a precedent for other states moving their primaries up earlier and earlier?
Also the biggie, why didn’t Clinton complain when this first went down. If she had such a problem with it why didn’t she speak up then?? Instead she agreed with it and only talked about getting them counted once it was known it was going to be a very close election.

Oh ya. Before I forget.
When one looks at the separate contests by state and judge them by delegate totals, Hillary Clinton failed to chalk up a win prior to “Super Tuesday”.
I say this simply because she & Obama tied in the delegate count in New Hampshire and Obama bested her in Nevada by the same margin he did in Iowa.
Also.
According to RealClearPolitics (using a compliation of all reporting sources) the pledged delegate count is Obama=1,004 and Clinton=925. Obama + 79
When pledged delegates are counted (even though they can and do change their minds) the count is Obama = 1,144 and Clinton = 1,138. Obama + 6
These numbers fail to fully account for Obama’s margin of victory in Washington state.
If Obama wins tomorrow in Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia with a total of 60% or greater his lead in pledged delegates will swell to about 125.
This is before Wisconsin & Hawaii are tallied.
How does Clinton close the gap?

Hillary is so hardcore. She’s such a divider. This country won’t get anything done until all parties are united and working to change. Hillary Clinton acts like she’s going to walk in and just snap her fingers three times and she’s going to get what she wants. It’s not going to happen like that. Sorry.
Obama 2008 – about bringing us together because unless we’re together all these policies and “what I’ll do on day one” just aren’t going to happen. If the Republicans block it all!!

I don’t get it. The Clinton Body Count is already at least 85. Maggie Williams took $50,000 in cash from the Chinese. All I’ve heard about Obama is the Rezko story, nothing compared to Whitewater, cattle futures, Vince Foster, filegate, travelgate, Monicagate, pardoning Marc Rich, Peter Paul, Mena, etc. Hillary had her hands in all the Clinton sleaze. You think the media is going hard on Hillary? they are not even touching the sleaze. Neither of them says much of anything. But as Hillary begins to lose more, we already see the little gratuitous lies that multiply like weeds until its obvious that Hillary is lost in her own dreamworld of lies.

Black voters are choosing black candidate and Hispanic and Latinos are choosing Clinton, it wasn’t just that Latinos and Asians were voting for Clinton they were voting against Obama and his failure to address minorities other than black voters. Even Obamas speech on Super Tuesday addresses black voters only. He truly had divided voters since SC win. No one is so naive as not to think that black resentment towards whites could render Senator Obama unelectable.

Hey feather all parties united=tyranny

I think Mr. Obama Stands a better chance towards winning the general election, not because he’s black,but simple bacuse i somehow thinks he has the potential to bring not only the United States citizens together, but rather to bring the entire world together weather White, black, chinese, indians, etc,etc.

Maagda,
Thank you.
For anyone that believes strongly in womens health & civil rights there is only one candidate.
Barack Obama.
Oh ya.
Don’t forget that Barack Obama was the ONLY US Senator to involve themselves in the fight to save a womens choice in South Dakota.
Obama a wimp?
Not hardly.

Tonya, Does Barack have hired guns because you think he is a gang banger? Hillary has the guns-remember Vince Foster? Ask him if you could bring him back from the grave-the grave he got to with that mysterious suicide days before he was to testify in Whitewater case.

Terrie, Obama’s stance on choice and a whole host of other women’s health issues can be found here:
http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/womenissues

It is sort of like american idol, James. Excellent point.

Barack Obama and his fellow state senators considered more than 175 pieces of legislation on a frenetic day in March. Of those measures, Obama voted “present” obama did not show up to vote in the senate often in his short time there, missed 130 votes! will not answer any reporter on how we would voted at the time. But his record after fact shows he supports the war, voted twice in 2006 against bringing America’s troops back home. He votes for war appropriations giving our money to Halliburton and Blackwater. His latest bit of posturing S 433 allows the Bush Administration to suspend any troop withdrawal!!!!Which if not suspended, still keeps the troops in Iraq for a long time to come? Obama when faced with tough choices always gave in to pressure from the Bush administration or corporate lobbyists. Such as Obama voted for Bush’s energy bill, sending more than $13 billion in subsidies and tax breaks to oil, coal, and nuclear companies. Obama voted with Republicans to allow credit card companies to raise interest rates over 30 percent, INCREASING STUDENT LOANS RATES AND FEES increasing hardship for families. Obama voted for one of Bush’s top priorities – expanding Nafta to South America – even as President Bush obstructed all the top Democratic priorities. Obama voted with Bush to make it harder for ordinary people to hold big corporations accountable when they do things like sell toxic toys, poisonous pet food, or just plain rip you off. Obama was the Senate’s biggest Democratic advocate of subsidies for liquid coal, even though liquid coal produces twice the global warming pollution of the crude oil it’s meant to replace (Obama “backed off” this position after being pummeled by environmentalists for several months, but still voted for increased subsidies, albeit with conditions)Obama, a Hamiltonian believer in free trade and supporters of globalization has lent his support to the “Hamilton Project formed by corporate-neoliberal Citigroup chair Robert Rubin and other ‘Wall Street Democrats’ to counter populist rebellion against corporate tendencies within the Democratic Party. Obama provided assistance to pro-war candidates (such as Joe Lieberman). Obama voted for “business-friendly ‘tort reform’ bill that rolls back working peoples’ ability to obtain reasonable redress and compensation…from corporations!!! Obama considers single payer universal health care too socialist and has stated that he prefers voluntary solutions. He has no substance. He has provided no solution to any problem until Hillary, Edwards or even Mitt Romey publically expresses theirs, then he copies, He’s been constantly negative with everyone.
Friends Say Drugs Played Only Bit Part for Obama, now his drug buddles are coming out for him. Obama admitted to smoking pot and going coke in dorm rooms, talked about “getting high.and drinking alcohol and using cocaine as a high school student. So he admits to doing drugs all through school. That’s a role model or our students!WAKE UP PARENTS! Now you understand his youth support!

No Obama-Where are the citations to support your claims and what evidence do you have that Billary will be better? Are you sure you are working for Billary-looks like Clintonian tactics.

Gwen, honestly, gang bangers? who said anything about gang bangers? I am using a figure of speech. I am talking about hired political guns who sit around all day and figure out how to win elections. Witty clever people, both democratic and republican. Gang bangers? You should consider applying for a job with the Bush Administration running around scaring the population with scary catch phrases.

If Obama goes into the convention with the lead and then the Clinton machine makes some kind of backroom deal with the superdelegates, I will vote GOP and sit this one out. If Hillary goes into the convention with the lead then it is her nomination. Go Obama!! Yes, we can.

First of all, commenting on the fact that hillary is a woman and cannot make decision is ignorant and useless. Please done bore us with your rediclou s assertions. Obama has a smooth logan and is a smooth speaker but thats it. It ends there. God forbid there is another attack or some other unforseen situation that occurs in the US, we need someone who has actual experience. A catchy slogan and some poetry does not qualify you for the presidency. Obama has not said anything of any substance until very recently, but look how many votes he has. I think it is a disgrace that the AMerican people dont care about substance or experience but rather want someone who has a good marketing director. A good speaker does not equal a good president. Osama bin laden is a good speaker to but would you vote for him for president? I can not possibly understand how anyone thinks that this one term, smooth talking, anti-white candiate could be good for this country. Hillary has over 35 years of experience tpo bring to the presidency. Obama has a mixed muslim and anti-white faith mixed with a few years in the poltical arena. Please educate yourself on these candiates before you go out and vote and change the future of our country. Dont be fooled by catchy slogans and a few meaningless speeches with no real specific goals or ideas.

Matthew Dowd: What a political strategist.(rolls eyes) What about the Florida and Michigan delegates that will most likely be seated and favor Mrs. Clinton? You didn’t even mention them, like those states and their voters don’t exist. I think in the end those delegates will be counted and Hillary will win the nomination.

James
Maybe you can answer this question since every other one who has touted the Florida and Michigan line have refused to so far..
Should we have a system in which we have rules put in place so we don’t wind up having primaries a year before election day?? Or should we have no rules in that regard and let every state schedule their Primary whenever they feel like it? Should we stick to the rules we put in place? Or just bend them and as a result wind up with states moving up their Primaries even earlier than we have already seen??
fact of the matter is the DNC was very clear with the rules. They stated mumerous times that any states who move their primaries up before S.C would have their delegates removed. Those are the rules, and they were clear with them. What did MI & FL do? They moved up their Primaries even though the DNC told them not to and they would have the delegates stripped if they do. MI & FL not having any delegates is not the fault of the DNC, they had rules, they were clear about them and stuck to them. It was the fault of MI & FL themselves who inspite of the rules decided not to listen to the rules and move their primaries ahead of time anyway. So they were penalized, and the DNC did exactly what they said they were going to do. all the candidates including Hillary agreed on this.
Why should it be changed now after the fact when the rules and concequences were made clear in the first place, and MI & FL broke the rules?

I think hardly any comment addresses the point of the article, which is that, if Obama in the end wins more pledged delegates than Clinton (as it seems now somewhat likely), the superdelegates will have to follow the votes of the people.
I think that, no matter which side one is on, it is hard to argue against this. Reversing the popular vote and the pledged delegate count by arm-twisting the superdelegates would be shameful, and a PR disaster for the Democrats.
Winning by seating the Florida or Michigan delegations (in the latter Obama wasn’t even on the ballot!) would be plainly fraudulent.
At this point, it would be desirable to see a big shift of the vote either way to avoid the disaster.

Amid the poetry and promise of Barack Obama’s election-night address came this hard truth: “There will be setbacks,” he said, “and we will make mistakes.”
A departure from “I will be right on Day-1″ don’t you think? Will he ever be right? We hear much pomp, rhetoric and a group Kumbuya chant, but whats real policy. Hillary truly is ready on Day 1, and there won’t be “setbacks” or “mistakes”.

Jamie-Where is your citations to support your claims? Without that it is exclusively YOUR OPINION.
To all who think that think Hillary is being victimized by the media-Bill said the same and I believed it until all that DNA was found on the red dress-You know the one Monica Lewinsky had with Bill I did not have sex with that young lady Clinton’s DNA on it.

How exactly can any of these politician make good on the promise of CHANGE, when: (1) everyone who’s offering a solution to the health care problem, his or her policy depends on rolling back some or all of the BUSH tax cuts, and yet are pledging to extend some of the BUSH tax cuts, while cutting taxes for the middle and lower classes(it is not financially feasible–although Obama’s wants to lower premiums–which seems more plausible than garnishing one’s wages to provide for health care benefits); (2) getting such health care policy through Congress will be nearly impossible, even if it passes the house, the Senate Republicans will kill the bill, without a Democratic Senate majority of 60 votes; (3) a plurality of citizens and conservative law makers will receive the notion of that the Federal Government wants to provide health care for everyone as a bit overreaching and as a socialist ideal.
However, John McCain wouldn’t be any better because he simply wants to extend the Bush tax cuts, not address the health care crisis, and go down the same path of the last 7 years. And this is after having voted against the tax cuts(flip flopper) and touting prolonging the deployment of the troops in Iraq for a war that two-thirds of America thinks should end immediately(1/3 who say it never should have happened). McCain’s whole platform is the exact opposite of what he stood for throughout his tenure in Washington. The democrats will hit him hard and say that John McCain had it right on major policy issue facing this country (save for The Iraq War vote) up until he noticed that he down in the polls and saw his campaign slipping (and is willing to do anything to get elected, and court the conservative right wing of republican party); that McCain knows that this is his LAST opportunity to run for president and that like Bob Dole, it’s just his time to get the nomination.

I’m a Canadian watching from the outside. This primary year is very interesting and I’ve concluded that the Clinton’s will do anything to win. If anybody had suggested 6 months ago that Bill and Hillary Clinton would completely alienate the African American community, nobody would have believed them. It’s great to watch, but I’m glad I’m not part of it.

Those who say Senator Obama haven’t spoken on the issues are either being idiotic liars or has the worse case of A.D.D.

I’m an American living outside the country and I will be voting for Obama in the fall if he is nominated. From here, I can tell you that the “experience” thing is spurious. What experience does Hillary have other than a slight bit more in the Senate? She doesn’t have the state government experience Obama has. If the trainwreck that was her national health care plan under her hubby is her example of “experience,” then doubtless we can do without that. I am so sick of the Bush-Clinton-Bush establishment dynasty that I will give up my U.S. citizenship if Hillary is elected–and I will never even visit the U.S. ever again. After another eight years of the rape of the economy by the establishment elites, it won’t be worth visiting because it will have become a banana republic. Keep up the fight, OBAMA!

He will win because they placed the race card from the start. My vote will now go to republican side if he should win .

Diane.
how has Obama played the race card? Can you give some examples?

don’t tell mama, I’m voting for Obama!!!!!

Good Call Jim O’Brien, Hillary would even run as an independent to win–why not? She could win–she is running for President of U.S.A.

Ah, I remember when I was young and had the same naiveté as the author.
Hillary Clinton will get the votes of the Super Delegates and the nomination because this is politics and not bean bag.
How could they vote against Obama? Simple, if they don’t they’ll get their legs broken and they won’t see a dime from the DNC until the proverbial pigs fly.

Look at the numbers. Take California.
Clinton has a strategy. Obama could not win California. Here are the counts.
Clinton: 1.9M = 42 delegates
Obama: 1.5M = 23 delegates
However, if you add the republicans for McCain 903K, Romney 713K, Huckabee 245K, and others, Hillary’s count exceeded the Republican count. She can take California; she can take California’s, which will carry 55 electoral in the general election. Obama cannot. It will not take a lot of state to win the general. Just the big ones to get the electoral count. For that reason, you need to look at the big picture. The democrates will take a big chance to gamble on Obama for the general election. They are taking a greater risk on Obama than Clinton.

National polls show Obama leading McCain by 7 to 10% points. While McCain beats Clinton by 2 to 3% points.
That’s reason enough for me. I want the Democrats to win in November. Go Obama.

If hillary does not win the nomination, I will not vote in the general election. I will not vote for McCain or Obama, so they need to add a ‘None of the above’ on the ballot, because I do not want either of the other two.

Your biased analysis assumes the party of so-called inclusion will refuse to seat delegates representing more than 10% of America’s Democrats.
Polls still show Clinton leads Obama by a few points among Democrats nation-wide.
Obama supporters may succeed, with the help of a very biased media, in stealing this nomination. But it won’t represent the wishes of the party as a whole. Many people will defect to McCain.
Or maybe the superdelegates are smarter than that and will do their job, which is to support the candidate most likely to win in November. Not sure which candidate that is, but if they followed your biased logic, they would doom the Democrats to failure once again.

Now CHJ is on the money–none of these scenarios everybody is dreaming up makes a hill of beans.If Hillary runs as an independent–all of Tim J.’s Senate plans will go down the drain,count republican in every column.

Bye, bye, Billary

The writer of this post has to ASSUME Obama will end up with some kind of 200 delegates ahead of clinton. Which unless he wins texas and Ohio , Is not going to be possible.
The ‘delegates’ going 1640 to 1560 to obama of some kind is NOT enough to FORCE the super delegates to do anything.
As much as this jerk wants to HYPE IT to death, the actual popular vote is going to be like 50.4 to 49.6 .
The whole POINT to the super delegates is not to vote some HYPE KING into the nomination .
The writer of this article FAILS to mention all the michigan and florida voters. Campaigning or no campaigning, went to Clinton.
This whole article is TAPDANCED to Obama.
The DNC will definitely be able to hand it over to Clinton, based on the fact she got the DEMOCRATIC VOTE, not the super hyped independant kiddie vote and republicans hiding as indepentant vote.
The fact that Obama is winning caucus’s actually works against him as he cannot do the same in the general election.
He needs to provide more evidence than hyped up youth vote (george mc Govern) and african american racist vote.

That’s a ridculous post.. Im from California..most of the votes for Hillary were submitted by absentee ballot before anyone knew anything about Obama.. Once we heard about him it was a month before the primary. He gained more votes on the actual primary day.. look at the facts in the LA times.. Hillary beat him by Absentee ballots.. Therefore he has more support and momentum in California then anyone!

Dowd writes: “I think it’s impossible for the Democratic party establishment to go against voters in the Democratic primaries and caucuses.”
You have got to be kidding. Did you perhaps miss what the DNC did to Michigan and Florida? Did you miss what Obama and Edwards, the purported candidates of “change” and “the little guy”, did when they had a chance to stick up for the little guy in Michigan, when they had a chance to change the pig-headed stubborness of the DNC when it comes to scheduling primaries? Here’s a reminder: they did nothing.
The people of Michigan cried out to be heard; the people of Florida cried out for change. Obama and Edwards did nothing. They acceded to the wishes of the all-powerful Party, concluding that silly DNC rules are evidently more important than the lives, livelihoods and problems of the people.
Obama and Edwards are cowards and frauds. Given a golden opportunity to put their money where their mouths are, they did nothing. They are docile sons of a Party apparatus that will come to its own conclusions whatever the people may say.
Regards,

Tim J,
Let me respond to you on how Obama has played the race card.
In the S.C. debates, when asked about the statement, “Some African-Americans have said Bill Clinton is the first black president”. What do you think? He went on to say some things, then he smirked and said, “…but I would like to see him dance”.
Secondly, he said, we are different, me, Hillary… then he looked at John Edwards and said, “…and John” and said it with a smirk.
Every time he does not agree with something, he feeds his comments to Al Sharpton and he blasts the Clinton’s on his radio program.
He said on the interview with Robin Roberts that he did not like Bill Clinton’s comments.
We can take this on and on. Obama plays the race card, and if he does not get the nomination, there could be RIOTS by the African-Americans because again, he will play the race card!

I’ve seen some pretty silly comments in response to Dowd’s article, but those defending the democratic virtue of the Florida and Michigan contests are ridiculous. (The one about Americans spilling their blood for two centuries for the right to cast a secret ballot was a howler, too, since the practice wasn’t even common in the general election until the late 1800s and has never been fully adopted in contests for party nominations). As for the Michigan primary, Edwards and Obama didn’t have their names on the ballot, yet Clinton beat out “Uncommitted” by only 15 points. And in both Florida and Michigan, the candidates pledged not to campaign there. It doesn’t take being drunk on Obama or Edwards Kool-Aid (which I haven’t embibed) to realize that counting Clinton’s tallies would be unfair. Even among many Clinton supporters, there was serious wincing going on when Senator Clinton attended a “victory” party and vowed to seat the Michigan and Florida delegations–all after previously saying that those primaries “don’t count for anything.” Equally relevant, Obama has shown incredible closing speed in states where he has campaigned, so it’s very possible that he would have won Florida or Michigan if he had shown up there. Americans of all stripes (including myself, a Republican at the time) were outraged by the injustice of the 2000 electoral process. I didn’t buy the “It’s-too-late-to-count-votes” argument adopted by the Supreme Court. But that result, despite its warts, could at least claim to be pragmatic; in contrast, there would be no way to defend nominating Clinton on the strength of two primaries for which the party said no delegates would be awarded and in which the candidates agreed not to compete. Although many may argue that some good would come out of such a decision (i.e., a Clinton presidency), that reasoning flatly fails. It doesn’t take a Nostradamus to predict that, if Clinton won the nomination under such a flawed process, McCain would crush a divided and demoralized Democratic electorate. How ironic would that be? After all the enthusiasm and momentum of this campaign, leave it to the Democrats to allow a creditials committee to kill off the strongest candidates the party has had in years. There’s simply no excuse for using an ex post facto change in the rules of the game. Other options would be superior. Michigan and Florida could conduct caucuses, hold new primaries, or allocate their delegates according to the national popular vote. While the first two of those options are best (because they reflect the states’ democratic preferences), the third option is at least defensible in that it allows the delegations to participate in the convention without breaking the spirit of the rules previously set down by the DNC and agreed to by the candidates. Democracy creates winners and losers; we all understand that. It’s losing under a patently unfair process that citizens should not, and will not, tolerate.

The thing I have never understood is how women who have self respect and place importance on women’s rights could ever vote for Hillary. It is well known that Bill is a serial cheater. She has every right to stay with him, but she has no right to foist this woman abuser on us again. At best she is totally complicit in his abuse, at worst she has participated in trashing his victims to be politically expedient. This is the model for the first woman president?? Someone enlighten me.

I have utterly had it with you Obama FREAKS who twist everything around .
‘billary’ . She wuz ‘cheetin’ in Michigan. She wuz ‘cheetin’ in Florida.
I am organizing every single Clinton supporter to vote for John Mc Cain. I will never let IDIOT RADICALS and the media brainwash the vote out of the american peoples hands.
On the other hand ,You obama PRICKS can go vote for Mc Cain. Because african americans will STILL vote for Clinton in the general election, over John Mc cain. They CERTAINLY WILL if Obama is VP on the ticket.

I agree to the fullest! The super delegates must vote instep with the popular vote…we got a much bigger problem on our hands if they dont!

Hillary can’t win the general. Polls show it now, her unfavorables are too high, etc. Are we going to nominate another unelectable candidate (i.e. Kerry over Edwards in 2004) just to lose what should be a shoo in race for the Dems?
It is interesting that while the whole rest of the country believes that Obama has the best chance of winning, and polls consistently show this to be true, the majority of Dems think Hillary has the best chance of winning in November. When are Dems going to move past their delusional belief that Hillary can win and nominate a candidate who actually is favored to win in the general election?

CHJ – I disagree. Clinton will have hard time winning the general election against McCain. Most of the people who voted for Clinton in CA voted early before they really knew Obama. Most of them really though Clinton was their only choice to win the General Election. Most of them have admitted in polls lately that they were wrong. Here is why Clinton would struggle in the General Election. She would not get independent support, they will lean to McCain. The same White Voters that won’t vote for Obama, won’t vote for clinton either becaouse they are stuck in the past and will only pick a white man. Clinton has equally as many people who don’t like her as people that do. At best Clinton could pull half the vote, 50%, and only if she is perfect on her game. Oabama has some things going against him to but against mcCain he will split the independent vote plus he will get republican votes that don’t like McCain, and there are a lot of them. I think Clinton’s experience is as much of a flaw for her as a merit. People are tired of the same, they are ready for new. Clinton can’t just start using Obama’s slogan of change half way through the camplaign and expect people to believe she is the change canidate. She can’t beat McCain. Obama is our best hope for the party and the country. I wish people could put aside their biased opinions and look at the reality of things openly and criticly. Our beloved Clinton is just not beloved enough outside the party to get anywhere. It would be political suicide for the dems. Think Clearly, please.

Tom, Why are you such a Billary supporter?
CHJ-Man that is quite a filter you have going.

But gaphound she was trashing people for going after their personal life. How in the hell did Whitewater, which they had zero on turn into penisgate. I don’t get the connection. Why was 90 million dollars of tax money spent on just to try to destroy the Clintons personal life? I know why because the Republicans couldn’t accept the fact that Bill Clinton was president. I want my money back (90 million in tax dollars spent by the republicans to destroy the Clintons)

Howard, If that’s how you answer, obviously you have no answer.

And, strangely, why isn’t it also an option for superdelegates to simply commit to the candidate who carried the state to which that particular unpledged delegate is nominally attached? Surely that would also be ‘letting the vote count’ and could just as easily benefit Hillary as Obama, as she has won states that are larger, more populous, and traditionally vote Democratic in general elections.

Gaphound, none that you will understand!

Obama wins even if the polarizer gets her states delagetes.

One final comment from a Canadian – and if you don’t this you all should. Super delegates where brought into the process by the Democratic party to protect the party from their masses. It was based on the electoral college – another anti-democratic process invented by elites to protect themselves.

We won the war on terror and fear loser.

It’s not my intent to trash Hillary. I just don’t understand why women would be so proud to have her as the first woman president, when for decades she has turned the other cheek to her husband’s abuses. Not the kind of woman I want my daughters to emulate.

not gonna happen.

Gaphound,
You keep answering your own question:
” I just don’t understand “!

“Tell ya Mama to vote for Obama!”
disclaimer….after she studies all the canidates and the issues of course!

I’m afraid that I have to agree, Obama has the momentum and money to win the nomination and possibly the presidency. This is fine by me, the country will be getting what it wants and deserves. I’m sure the media will keep us posted.

People are not honest about Obama when they say he lacks substance. Why they don’t say the same thing about the others candidate. Why they don’t say the same thing about the Republican. Who knows John Mccain Health care plan? Huck health care plan? Economic plan?
Everything Hillary has in term of policy, he have it. His technology plan have been praised by all the Media and technology experts.

Mr. Dowd your analysis is right on! Glad someone in the national media is finally speaking the truth out loud. Hillary can only win if she steals the election with the super delegates and that would destroy the Democratic Party for the next 20 years.

Gaphound not your intent to trash Hillary? You mentioned penisgate which they had zero to do with Whitewater. They had nothing on Whitewater so they dismissed that case. Penisgate is all they had on Bill Clinton. He cheated on Hillary, it’s totally his and her business and nobody else’s. That kind of stuff is in civil court every day even as we speak. People cheat on their spouses. Hello that’s part of life. Yeah I remember the Clinton yrs the greatest economy ever. We need change alright we need to change back to the Clinton yrs.

Nice try MR–i agree with you–but it seems we have a Black Helicopter conspiracist amongst us!

Clint said:
You must not be including Florida and ichigan in your totals. Also…keep in mind that Obama only wins in Caucus states. Very few people are actually voting for him.
The facts are:
Obama Primary Wins equals 9 states: Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Missouri, Utah, South Carolina, Louisiana, plus the Virgin Islands (which is the tenth, but not a state.)
Clinton Primary Wins equals 9 states: Arizona, Arkansas, California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oklahoma, and Tennessee. (Note that I gave her New Mexico, which is not official yet. She has a slight lead in popular vote.)
Obama Caucus wins equals 10 states: Alaska, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Minnesota, North Dakota, Nebraska, Washington, Maine, and Iowa.
Clinton Caucus wins equals 2 states: Nevada and New Hampshire, plus American Samoa.
It also might interest you to know that even if Michigan and Florida are included (which is against DNC rules), Obama may still be ahead (as he is today) in the pledged delegate count after tomorrow.
Check http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2008/president/democratic_delegate_count.html for the delegate numbers.

If it isn’t broke don’t fix it. The Clinton yrs were great and we could have had the same with Al Gore but no you idiots had to elect this village idiot we have now. Shame on you independent (republican fence sitters) voters. You ruined America by electing the Bushies. Shame on you for the blood on your hands. You all equal mass murderers.

The media is not favoring Obama. He is winning! He has raised more money. His website does have a detailed discussion of where he stands. It may not be what you want to hear but it’s there. Hillary only has 2 years on him in the Senate. He has been in elected office longer than her and he is just smarter. She was not an office holder when she was 1st Lady. I don’t want the pilots wife flying my plane. I want the pilot.

No women in the right sense would vote for Billary after having seen how Bill degraded women. Or is it that the women who vote for Billary want to be abused? I don’t get it. May be the younger generation get it but not the older ones.

No Howard you are the Kool-aid drinker. It’s funny how you Bill o’really fans use that term when you people are real brainwashed ones. I find it laughable. I’m no hater I just state facts.

Yes, it will be very interesting to see a race between McCain and Obama if both of them can keep current positions on Iraq. Obama wants to withdraw as soon as possible while McCain wants to have long term military presence in Iraq.
America spends too much on military. Excluding expenses in Iraq, the military expense still exceeds 500 billions dollars more than total of all other major countries. Obama should propose to cut military expenses. If he withdraws troops from Iraq, and still keeps spending this much on military, where do all the military might point to? China and Russia? That will be even worse than fighting a war in Iraq.
U.S. always needs to find some enemies to fight against.

Hey MR,
I was agreeing with you–some people you just can’t reach.You explained it to Gaphound perfectly–i didn’t say you were a hater–i said gaphound was the hater.Ease up on the coffee,my friend!In fact,i agreed with everything you said–read my post.

HOWARD,
I just dont trust that lady. Really I don’t and trust me I’ve tried to listen to her but I just don’t trust her. She is very political and I know this is a personal vanity/ambition of hers planning to be the first female president since being in the White House as a first lady. And she has the ‘cojones’ to say due to her being first lady to have the experience to lead this nation. Please. Enough of the Clintons and Bushes. If she wins two decades of two families ruling this country and that’s not right.
Now with your point I agree with you. Plus I am an independent which is another, and probably the most important, reason my vote is what they will want come November. That’s why I hope if McCain-Hillary comes into play or fruition. Then I hope Bloomberg-Hagel comes into play.

Teddy, Well said. Follow the rule and don’t change the rule in the middle of the game. The question is how the Super delegates should vote. The people have every right to feel cheated if the SDs go against the public will.

stop complaining about bush. its been eight years of complaining now, we all know everyone disapproves of him, he’ll be out in November. focus on the future not the present

Yep i agree with you , OBAMA is going to win the nomination , and he will also win in the General.
Hillary is un-electable.

I am tired of Obama supporters crying foul all the time. It’s O.K. for the media to give Obama a free pass (yes – studies have already shown the press to be 3/2 favorable to Obama & 3/2 negative to Clinton in this race). It’s O.K. for Obama to suggest that Hillary’s role as First Lady was “to have tea” – and that’s not sexism. It’s o.k. for Obama’s Campaign Manager Axelrod to state that Hillary was responsible for Bhutto’s death. It’s o.k. for him to be vague on the issues and have no discussion of his record and even for him to distort the truth (he’s now running ads claiming that he supports Univeral Healthcare which is a total lie – his plan leaves out 15 million Americans!) But it’s not o.k. for Bill Clinton to challenge his views on Iraq by calling his views a fairy tale (that’s racist??) Fact is Obama never voted against the war in Iraq – he wasn’t even in office and has voted to fund it ever since. Yup – even voted for the Patriot Act too! He’s supposed to be the candidate of change. He can talk about change but he would disenfranchise the voters of FL and MI. An African American whose people fought to overcome inequality to have the right to vote would disenfranchise the voters of two of the largest states. For shame! He was the only candidate running ads in FL (against party rules) so don’t say he didn’t campaign here – he could have had the ads blocked out here. It was his choice to remove his name from the MI ballot no a party rule. Americans – please do read, do research and think. We have a president who is likeable and we see how that’s worked out. Please also look into Obama’s background. It’s taboo to discuss this too in the MSM but be sure that the Republicans would rip it apart. He was raised in part in Jakarta (a terrorist hotbed) by at least one Muslim parent and then Muslim stepparent. This is in Obama’s book. And the church he belongs to (Trinity United Community Church in Chicago) is headed by a controversial, anti-semetic leader Pastor Jeremiah Wright Jr. (I’m not lying – they named Farrakhan man of the year – check it out yourself.) Sounds to me like if you really want to bring hope and change to Washington you would want the media to fairly scrutinize your record as well, participate rather than shun future debates and reject the call for new caucuses (with a turnout of maybe 50K) in FL & MI after millions already chose Hillary. Sounds like the same old secrecy, manipulation and winning at all cost – audacity indeed but not hope!

Its cool MR–but the O’reilly thing was a little below the belt-That guy is a bad bag of wind!

FL GAL
you are one million percent correct
Obama’s faith comes from anti-white and racist church, 2 muslim parents and a school in jakarta
above and beyond that, he has no experience. Dont let his fancy change slogan and idealist garbage fool you. I cant even believe that he is seen as a viable candidate. HE is no eperience, nothing to show for his time in polticis except strong ties to highly controversial church figure. AMericans desperately need to educate themselves and do some research. I cant believe people hear one fancy speech and are all set to vote for president. What happen to careful evaluation of the candidates? Even the media is calling obama a shiny new toy bc that is exactluy what he is. Fancy slogans and poetic discussions of faith are not going to help the economy or bring our troops home. What is he going to do in office when he realizes he had no business running for president and has no idea what to do?

gap hound I will tell yoy why because who cares about Hillary personal life? what does that have to do with her aility to lead? or her record in the Senate. Have you ever made one difficult decision in a relationship you were in?
We have 35 years of her public service to judge and to criticize and thats all you can come up with?
That should tell you that shes not that bad.
her personal life has nothing to do with her ability to the president of this country

Turning her cheek toward abuses of other woman? Wow that is laughable Gaphound. Those other woman were out for the money plain simple. I’m sorry you are so naive about that.

“If B. Hussein Obama wins I will vote for Mccain.
Posted by: april | Feb 11, 2008 4:08:43 PM” ———— Good. we don’t need racists in the Democratic party.

It is a done deal–it’s time to begin the coronation for King Obama. Get on your knees and bow down to your new master you white devils.
The joke of a candidate named Hillary won’t win another state—COUNT ON IT FOOLS! Keep waiting for March 4th you old fugly biatch HAHAHA
Hopefully old man Mccain wont drop dead before he gets the whupping of his life in November.

Obama would certainly do a better job of representing the Democrats and cleaning up the Bush mess (to appropriate one of HC’s tired and vaguely sexist campaign lines).
In the general election he’s going to have to run a campaign against dishonest government, which of course si the best way to address the central issues that divides him from his opponents: the war. Bipartisoan commissions have confirmed the fact that our government lied to us in order to legitimate a foreign invasion, and we need an end to the lies.
as for Dowd’s analysis, it makes sense to me with one qualification: The Clinton folks will make much of the unrecognized Michigan and Florida votes, allowing superdelegates to claim that in supporting Hillary they are not reprising Florida 2000.
Obama’s best defense against this is to rack up a undeniable edge in the overall popular vote, which may be hard to do, given the instability/fungibility of caucus results.

That’s a good point, Candi in California. I think having co-dependent presidents who portray themselves as victims every time they can’t get what they want is destructive to the country and the fabric of our national discourse. It legitimizes this example that we should take on such learned helplessness, and ultimately leave ourselves to wallow in a sense of incompetence. The Clintons are horrible role models. One of them for two terms was enough.

Kudos to Jim and Howard on the point that “—nobody wants to be labeled and attacked” when they do not vote for Obama in a caucus. Many African-Americans will not share the thought with friends and family that they will not vote for Obama. Others in caucus do not want to stand alone, when attending a caucus, and not voting for the “cool candidate”. However, in the privacy of their own voting booth, they choose who they want.

Oh, and this canard about Hillary supposedly having 35 years of public experience needs to end RIGHT NOW! Her “experience” was at a huge law firm and on the board of Walmart. That’s not public experience. Working at the type of law firm she did is representing the most PRIVATE sorts of interests there are. At most one could say that her “public” experience started as first lady, but that wasn’t as an elected official. It wasn’t in organizing communities. Villages are nice, but leading them is what counts. Her health care debacle showed EXTREMELY poor leadership – despite her megalomania for insisting that she would take on that role in her unelected, unnaccountable capacity.
And her talk of managing the government as it were nothing more than a bureaucracy speaks to her vision of the Presidency as some sort of Chief of Staff type of function, where vision and communicating that vision doesn’t matter. Yet even as a manager she failed to manage her own campaign effectively. They ran out of funds because they didn’t anticipate the possibility of winning New Hampshire, forcing her to loan $5 million to her own campaign just now. The staffer she fired was afraid to admit to Hillary that they ran out of funds, and the worst type of manager is one that makes the people that work for her afraid of telling her the truth about the state of their organization. Bush doesn’t listen to his advisors and Hillary makes her advisors too afraid to tell her the truth. Different management styles but similarly horrible consequences.

I can not stand the negative mean spirited divisive and hate filled blogs from the Obama supporters any more.
I will tell all my friends and family that, as a Democrat, I will vote for the Democratic candidate.
But in the privacy of the voting booth, I will cast my vote for McCain, if Clinton in not on the ballot.
I would rather have a moderate republican for 4 years, than reward the mean spirited Obama supporters on all of these blogs.
Perhaps this is what the media wants and that is why they Always run positive articles for Obama and ALways run negative articles about the Clintons, but the Obma supporters merely add fuel to the fire of hate and division–enough.
In my 32 years as a Democrat, I will for the first time ever vote for a Republican–McCain.
And yes, I live in a swing state.
-Anonymous Democrat for Hillary Clinton.

Kindly speaking to those who said that the people in California did not know about Obama, I want to know, where have you been? Obama was first to launch his campaign in Feb. 2007 In Springfield, Illinois on the steps where Abraham Lincoln spoke. Therefore, he has been very big news all last year. Especially in Illinois… It was sickening then, because I said I did not want to think of Elections until 2008. I generally read many newspapers and watch news on television, and that has been the political topic of 2007. I cannot understand how many people in California did not know about Obama in 2007.

AMEN MR
Clintons personal life has nothing to do with this Race.
If we want to get into candidates personal lives, then why dont we look into obamas upbrining overseas, or his “faith” in his racist church?

Who gives a sht about you young voters? You’ve been irrelevant in the last two 4 elections anyway. Anybody who needs somebody to inspire them is a complete moron. All I care about is the policy. I pick the candidate that agrees with me plain and simple.

Do we include Michigan and Florida in the vote count? How can the Democrats exclude the votes from two of the largest states? Mr. Dowd’s analysis forgets these people. The Democrats have really screwed this up; what a mess. It will be hard to bring the party together. By the way, I voted for Hillary. If Obama wins, I will vote for McCain, despite what Obama may have you believe. The U.S. cannot have a president with only three years of experience in the Senate.

Matt
you made a claim that Clinton is doing better in match up polls against McCain than Obama is. I don’t understand why you insist on lying and making things up when people have the ability to check things out themselves. the last polls are
AP
Clinton 46
mcCain 45
Obama 48
mcCain 42
Time
Clinton 46
McCain 46
Obama 48
McCain 41
CNN/ opinion research
Clinton 50
McCain 47
Obama 52
McCain 44

NO OBAMA | Feb 11, 2008 5:27:29 PM,
The whites are also voting for Obama. What do you say about the whites voting for Hillary Clinton? They are racists?

Watch this, u will luv it — http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UodaKiSp9xc

I don’t know why there are so many Hillary supporters claiming that Barack does not give his opinion on Pro Choice!! This issue is a fundamental Democratic value and it is obvious that Barack and Hillary share the same opinion on the subject. The record is clear.
Barack is competing for the opportunity to run in a general election in November.
He is staying quiet on Pro Choice issues for the same reason Hillary is, they both agree and there is no use getting the right wingers energized with talking about it needlessly. We need every independent voter we can get, regardless of who the nominee is.

Obama can definitely win the nomination, but will the party put an end to the uncertainty after March 4? Obama is going to sweep all of the states up til then, and will win at least a narrow victory in Ohio and Texas. It does the party no good to continue the primary fight on through June, or even through the Pennsylvania primary on April 22, now that McCain has literally wrapped up the Republican nomination.

I WAS a Hillary supporter. I am a woman and a lifelong democrat. Like most other democrats, I LOVED Bill Clinton and regarded him as the rock star he was/still is in the party. He is a policy wonk and that is what we need in the white house, right? This led me to my original inclination to vote for Hillary because I figured in addition to her own smarts she would benefit from Bill’s sage advice. The truth, however, is I never really connected with Hillary as a woman–it was just something about her, I dunno, that I couldn’t really put my finger on.
Fast forward, I became acquainted with Mr. Obama’s voting record, policy positions and overall message of unity–and it just coalesced–and much easier, I might add, than my alignment with Hillary. But my loyalty to Bill, I mean Hillary persisted UNTIL, like Medusa, her snakes reared their ugly heads. I am now of the opinion that Hillary feels an incredible and undeserved sense of entitlment to the presidency–not for the welfare of the American people, but for her own hiearchical need. Don’t think me naive because I well understand that anyone, including Obama, that is willing to take the beating you do to become the leader of the free world has got to possess indisputable ambition. But, Hillary sullies the word.
Think about it, after Bill left the white house, why didn’t she return to Arkansas, or even Illinois where she grew up and where her family still lives? She didn’t because she is all about power. She chose New York (remember, the carpetbagger?) because of the whopper of delegates and electoral votes she stood to gain from it and neighboring states once she “decided” to run for president (which clearly was before she and Bill said goodbye to Pennsylvania avenue).
Still, some would call her ambitious. I call her treacherous. I realize Bill gave the radical Repubs the ammunition they needed to tarnish his legacy in our history books. And, I regret that fact even today. He did not deserve it, but he should have been smarter. No amount of maneuvering, however, to get Hillary elected will change that fact for Bill, although I believe he grasps onto the hope that another Clinton presidency just might do the trick.
But therein lie the problem. This nation has been so damaged on Bush’s watch that we need someone who will run the country for the right reasons. Let’s face it, even with the best intentions, we’ll be lucky if we can clean up a fraction of the mess that we’re in. And while no one president will be able to change everything, uniting the country and inspiring its citizens to join the process is a good first start.
Hillary is proving to be the epitome of division, and that, I realize, was the ‘something’ that I couldn’t put my finger on. What remains to be seen is whether her ambition and divisiveness will rise to the level of destroying the democratic party. Now that would be some legacy.

NOTICE HOW ALL THE HILLARY BASHING IS COMING FROM MEN AND YOUNG BOYS.
WOMEN SHOULD UNITE AND STAND STRONG
There is no need for you to be second class citizens. Dont fall for the handsome orator with false hope. Give your sisters and daughters the chance at real hope – a hope they might have the chance to be president too not just the boys.
I cant understand why the women dont get this – the blacks get it. Why are women so stupid? Every last one of them should be backing Hillary. Were it not for a group of strong women just recently they would not even have the right to vote.
Hillary 08

Oodle, experience is nice. Cheney has lots of it. Rumsfeld has lots of it. George H.W. Bush had TONS of it. Then Bill Clinton beat him.
And I suppose that in that respect, non-public official, non-elected office “experience”, of the sort that Hillary claims, is just as good if not better. Not that you’ve explained to any of us why that should be so. Especially when it you base it on unnaccountable positions in the government that lead to ruining the cause of better health care coverage in the U.S. – which that office was created for – and subsequently losing that party’s majority in both houses of Congress.
But what I would contend is that, even more important that “experience”, is judgment. Hillary’s “experience” is really nice – I know, that’s what the script tells me to say. But experience doesn’t mean anything if you can’t learn from your mistakes. And judging by how self-righteously Hillary’s conducted herself during the course of her campaign, just as self-righteously as she did in 1994, it’s not evident that she has learned from her mistakes.

Obama beats Hillary in the primaries . . . McCain beats Obama in November . . . America is safe once again from the liberals!!!

It’s amazing, Texas, how Hillary has such a habit for insulting the electorate. I wasn’t aware of her comments about Texas. I did, however, hear her comments in N.H. about how Iowa was a caucus state in a way that had the most condescending ring to it.
Hillary really does need to understand that the electorate is important in its own right, and doesn’t exist just to make her happy. Insulting the decisions of voters that reject her just shows how disrespectful of democracy she is. Like Nixon, but worse.

Matt,
You can shame the electorate all you want for thinking that the person of the candidate is more important than what party their positions appeal more to. In which case you don’t understand Obama’s candidacy at all.
His policies matter to him. They are solidly Democratic policies. I will support them as much as I will support him. But more importantly, I, like many other Independents and Republicans, will support his presidency because he will bring reason, a respect for the intelligence of the voters and a focus on ideas rather than on power to the office. He is a decent and honest man who will get all the moderates and independents such as myself – who, BTW, DECIDE the OUTCOME OF ELECTIONS IN THE FIRST PLACE – to remind you that the wedge issues and dysfunctional cycles of power are less important than restoring honesty, an interest in civic engagement and a sense of something more important than merely PARTY being at stake in OUR government.

Oodle, if you read my diatribe, I mean post you would realize that I was voting for Hillary based on Bill’s past political credentials. Obviously I know it is 08, which is why I am voting for Obama. The jist of my post stated that Hillary is a divisive, power-hungry, coattail-riding hack whose unbridled ambition could ultimately destroy the democratic party itself. I’m taking my chance on the “one people, one nation” upstart. Go Obama!

If Obama does make it to the general election against McCain, get ready for his support to errode. McCaine will see a shift of independent voters from Obama to him as well as undecided republicans and conservative democrats. He may be rideing a wave of blind rhettoric now, but people want substance and experience. I pray its not too late for Hillary. She truely is the most able to bring about change and beat the republicans. If this article is right it looks like another 4-8 years of republican slavery only this time the election wont be robbed but handed over by ignorant democrats who fail to see the difference between reality and fantasy. There will be noone to blame this time but ourselves. What a shame.

LCI, not all whites in the south are racitst(including me!) I support Senator Obama. In my home state of GA, he received 40% of the white vote.

Devin,
the problem for Clinton is that even if she wins Ohio, Texas and PA, she will still be short in delegates. Obama is up now by about 85, you can likely add another 50 to that tomorrow. The momentum will be hard for Hillary to stop and even if we give her those three the margin is not going to be strong enough to close the cap.

Obama will not beat John McCain Hillary
is the only Chance. So I say vote for Obama and Ellect John Mccain.

Obama will not beat John McCain Hillary
is the only Chance. So I say vote for Obama and Ellect John Mccain.

The best argument Hillary could make in uniting the Superdelegates would be to point out that Obama won most of the Caucus states, which are in no means a vote, and are not very reflective of the popular view. Additionally, she could point out that two primaries, in which she won the vote, were not counted in the electoral total (Michigan and Florida).

Wake up Democrats. Obama wins in states that have major black populations, and in states that have caucases. Caucases involve small numbers of voters and by their very nature (rules and timing) are stacked against Clinton. If many of the caucus states held primaries the vote would break along racial lines and he would not win. If he wins the nomination the general election will break along the same racial lines and we will have another Republican president. Democrats wil have snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. Wake up.

The Democratic party has realized Obama offers a real change from sneering, sarcasm which is so typical of the Clintons and their way of personally attacking othe candidates and then crying wolf. The remakes of the Hillary persona before the cameras says it all. Obama has remained consistent. That is very telling. This is one independent voter who will not vote for Hillary. If she is the nominee, I will also vote for McCain, who is more liberal than his Republican base.

THE COURT DIDN’T STEAL ANYTHING. IT’S CALLED ELECTORIAL VOTES.YOUR PRESS CHECKED ALL THE VOTES IN FLORIDA AND BUSH WON….JUST LIKE HE WON THE SECOND TIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!GET OVER IT

If Obama gets the nomination, I will have to hold my breath and vote for John McCain. I cannot believe Americans. Obama is running a civil rights movement, not a change movement. I feel sick to my stomach thinking about what an Obama cabinet would look like. He would owe his victory to all those blacks voting for him and he will have to be beholden to them. And don’t tell me blacks are not voting for a black man because he is black. Come on America – wake up.

What if Obama shows up with a few more delegates but Clinton is ahead by 500,000 votes in the overall popular vote (the total of all votes cast in the democtratic primaries), which she is right now. Can the Super Delegates weigh this and justify a vote for Clinton?
If you Don’t want Florida all over again, why not let the super delegates go with the candidate who received the greates number of votes?

Vote for Obama please a million other dummies are.

There were only two Democratic candidates actively campaigning in Michigan the week before the primary.
- Kucinich came to Ann Arbor and entertained the students.
- Obama’s staff ran massive amounts of radio ads in the Detroit area urging people to vote “uncommitted.”
Clinton honored her pledge not to campaign in Michigan or run advertising. Obama did not.
Now he wants the people of Michigan disenfranchised because it doesn’t fit in with his desire to become president.
Clinton earned 192 delegates to Obama’s 61 in Michigan and Florida. The DNC has no right to tell the people who voted, people who did so in good faith, that their voices do not count. They did nothing wrong.

Mark,
I am with you 100%. The problem is hispanics are a larger minority in SWING states.In 2000 and 2004 G.W.Bush won about %50 of the hispanic vote,he won about %5 of the black vote. blacks as a voting block don’t vote for the republican candidate.However, Hispanics will vote for McCain over Obama–but will vote for Hillary over McCain–its a no-brainer!

Mark,
It’s all too easy to push your blindfold racist junk here. Open your eyes to the other side of the divide, and explain whether it’s reprehensible for white folks or women to be voting for Hilary. Not that it matters, despite your racist labeling, Obama is biracial, he is not black. And again, if only you had eyes enough to pop out of that racist head of yours, you would have noticed that he’s been beating Hilary to the White votes as well. You wake up and realise that the racial politics of hate is passe. A new generation is asking for the way forward, and Obama is providing intelligent answers to all irrespective of their race affiliations!

Let’s get the facts right. Hilary, Obama, Edwards, and the rest of the candidates agreed that Michigan and Florida be sanctioned for flouting DNC rules. It is disingenuous for Hilary to suddenly turn around and start making noise noise now because she is losing and needs votes desperately. She looks more despicable that way; only traitors and back-stabbers go back on their words in order to satiate their private greed!

The former first lady has been running for president to long , the general public has become uninterested to what she is saying . Why? because she has been saying it for a long long long time. A new young face is what they are drawn to.
Why? he is different new and moving.
He is winning and she is not .
Maine should tell you that they are all moving to the winner.
She should have won Maine!
All bets are off, this guy is going to run for president.
You say he does not have the qualifications to be elected president, George Bush got elected.
She peaked to early, now she will have to settle for V.P. but will she want it?
All I can say is, the votes of the people need to matter or the party as we know it will be gone.

I am soooo sick and tired of this so called Hispanic vs Black voters. Hispanic people please realize that this opens the doors for ALL minority candiates even yours. You are so blinded and pulling the old crab routine. You do not want to see one minority candidate rising above the other. I have never experienced this so called disparity between the two cultures as I have grew up around blacks, hispanics, asians, indians, ect and the majority of the lower income of all have the same plight. You are a MINORITY get it! Stop this nonsense and start doing your own research and stop acting like the new slaves of America. When all is said and done you will be discarded just like the rest of the minorities. For crying out loud, you people didn’t even vote for your own cadidate. Discusting!

Hillary was 8 years in White House.
Please tell me why at that time she could not create the universal health care system and now she can.
Experience: Experience is good but creativity is better.
We are not looking for supervisor or manager, but America is looking for leader,a visionaire, Someone who can unite, inspire and get thinks done.
Again, you can not continue to do the same things and expect different results.
Bill clinton was a gret president at his time, but time has changed.
If Hillary could not fix the helath care in the 90s, being with the same team as her husband, there will be no creativity to try revolutionary ideas.
Let give Obama a chance, he is visionaire. All what we have now started with a dream, shaped to a realistic dream. then the dream became reality.
Thanks;
Mundel

You know, I was thinking about this today.
It would be very un-”democratic” for the Democratic party’s SuperDelegates to overturn the vote of the populace. The move would undermine the legitimacy of the nominee, and there would be an awful lot of ill will directed toward the party heading into the general election – a huge liability.
Does anyone know what happens with Edwards’s 26 delegates? Does he have the right to give them to one of the remaining candidates? Or do they just sit this one out?

Friends:Not since the days of Truman, have we faced a more difficult and turbulent time in our history.We are in two wars,one which is justified and the other not, there are fanatical terrorists who are out to destroy our dream, our borders are insecure, the economy is in a shambles,the Chinese and the Arabs are bailing out our corporate giants,the dollar is so worthless that middle class Americans such as me can’t afford to travel abroad,our people are losing their biggest asset which is their home, we have a health care crisis which is on the verge of collapse, the number of uninsured or underinsured Americans are about 50 percent of the population, we are beholden to the oil states and the sheiks, and our environment is falling apart. We have to think carefully about whom we elect as our next president.We should not be carried away by our hearts and use our minds at this crucial juncture.For me, there is only one candidate who can deal with our multitude of problems and that is Hillary. She is a strong and courageous woman who has withstood assaults on personality, character, family, sex, name it whatever.She has a track record for strong work ethic and over the past 8 years in the senate, she has shown that she can work across party lines to negotiate and achieve a consensus. To those who believe that a single person can bring about change that is foolhardy.Our forefathers have created a great system of pride for all of us with the three arms of the government which bring about the checks and balances which protect all of us.Hillary has been at the forefront in the battle for civic rights, children’s and women’s rights, abused children and women, families (“It takes a Village”) and health care.You can blame her for all you want,but she battled to keep her family intact after the Monica scandal.

Kingsley,
He is not winning the White vote,Hispanic vote,Asian vote,Woman vote,Seniors vote, but he is winning the black vote.that is a fact.The racial politics of hate might be passe for some, but in many parts of the country–including swing states–it will work just fine.Why does Obama win caucases?because you vote in public where you can be labeled a racist and easily intimidated by other caucus goers.Why does Hillary win most of the time when people vote in a voting booth and nobody can label or intimidate them? because racial politics are not passe–its sad but true. By the way, the repubs know this. If you think the “race card” was played in this primary–wait till the general election!
The repubs will gladly play that racial politic card without any apologies–and they will win doing it! I believe its you who have blinders on–not in a bad way–but in a naive way.

Zarathustra,
The war, taxes and energy are “wedge issues”? Abortion is a wedge issue. Gay marriage is a wedge issue. Flag burning is a wedge issue. The ones I mentioned are fundamentally important to the welfare of hundreds of millions of people.
Of course, you’re free to make up your mind in any way you want, and I was addressing my comments essentially to Democrats. I’ve always been baffled about voters who could have a hard time deciding between an Obama or a McCain, and I do think I understand Obama’s campaign. However, I don’t deny that a sensible person could have criteria different from my own. Fair point.
But I would say to a truly partisan Democrat that voting for McCain in protest sounds like a negation of what our party is supposed to stand for, and I’ll stand by that.

Nathan, you’re off base. Every poll suggests Obama would have a far superior chance of defeating McCain. A Gallup poll last year indicated 50% of Americans said they’d never vote for Hillary. So why in the world would the GOP favor Obama?
You’re right on one count: the GOP was indeed defeated twice by a Clinton – but it was Bill, not Hillary.

It will not matter what she can do she peaked to soon and is in trouble
If she can’t run against this guy in an impressive way what can she do this fall.
McCain does not have the base, they are going to stay home, they lost the house and the senate because their people did not pan out .
They have lost their drive, they have a guy they do not like. Look what is
happening?
Obama can beet this bum like a drum
Bill is there but it is not his show , the woman is in charge

Barbara,
A Gallup poll last year would’ve had Hillary winning the nomination on 2/05/08. The GOP wants Obama because they can play the race card without apologies.In 2004,they made a war hero take a swiftboat to loser town. That was hard to do–Obama,well thats easy pickings for them!

Hey Hillary, take the hint here…..nobody wants your crap anymore. You’re mean and egotistical, and could care less about anyone but yourself. The Clinton legacy…please, if it weren’t for the tech boom, you guys were feckless and out after 4 years. I’m a life long Republican, and I voted for Obama in Georgia, and will vote for him in the presidential election. Why? Because the good he can do in bringing our nation back together after you and your husband played a MAJOR role in ripping it apart far outweighs the differences I have with his liberal policies.

I am a republican but could actually vote for Obama over McCain. McCain DOES NOT appeal to me as a REAL honest person. McCain and his whole straight talk crap is about as phoney as it gets. Obama strikes me a man of high moral character whereas Hillary is absolutely without REAL anything. I am being totally honest about this. Something in Obama inspires me even though I disagree with almost all of his politics. There are enough out there like me who will vote for the most moral candidate regardless of party. I never thought I would get to this point but I am. Ironically I am a Romney fan and feel he is of incredibly high REAL moral stock.. but he is no longer around. GO Obama!!!!!

Sen.Obama,what have you done for me lately? Nothing..Yes, you are a great speaker and teacher and have given one person another project to work on.
Sen.Clinton, your record speaks for itself, you have given so much for so long. You were in Arkansa, registering people to vote,working diligently for the underprivileged, where was Sen.O? Your knowledge of Foreign Policy and Domestic issues are exceptional and your knowledge of D.C. Sen. Obama will be chewed to bits if he is the nominee.
Pres.Bush didn’t have experience and knowledge and we all know what happened and is happening all over the world.
Sen.Obama and company have seemingly energized the youth but with WHAT? Energy,Excitment and in my humble opinion nothing else. After the “youth movement” has had some Life Experience, such as the long years of being involved with the “women’s movement”, marching to bring our troops home from an ill-conceived bloodbath in Vietnam, spending my 22 birthday holding a vigil candle instead of a B’day candle at Kent State. “Remember Kent State”. That is when I will be proud of them instead of jumping on the “group dynamics bus”. Sen. Obama talks about change,but Sen.Clinton has already brought about “CHANGE”, with positive results for all!! Young voters read, read and then make your choice. Sen.Clinton has the proven ability to bring our country back from the last 8yrs. of destruction.
The youth movement is wonderful butyou take so much for granted. I have an I-Pod, I have a Blackberry, so what! Be a free thinker and be informed. Yes, I am a white woman 58yrs. strong and did experience what I referred to earlier. I was working, participating, in the ERA,which is still not in place and at the same time working and marching for our troops to come home and the fight for integration.
What have you experienced??? What have you done for our country?? VOTE 4 SEN. Clinton. RR

Democrats need a candidate who offers contrast not comparison. Obama is the safest choice to go against McCain in the fall. Polls show if Hillary is the nominee voters will abandon the democratic party in droves.

To Mark, et. al.,
Everyone I know has voted for Obama in droves–and NONE of us are black. I have personally received e-mails from friends and family across the nation–some 213 of them–celebrating the fact that they voted for Obama and the hope that he presents. I think you and your kind base your suspicions of the world on the state of your own heart. Obama’s partial black ethnicity is not driving the vote, it is the people’s desperation for a different–anything different–kind of government because us whities sure haven’t done such a swell job! You really need to join this century already or pack up and move to the south where you belong.

Tim J.,
You are talking about a generic across the country poll.If you go by those polls Hillary is ahead of Obama as of today for the dem nominee generic across the country.In november,its state by state.Im talking about exit polls in each state-most importantly,in swing states–ALL networks asked the question of voters.The answer was McCain over Obama and Clinton over McCain.

I’m going to post a question at risk of being flamed, but here it goes:
First, I want to state that I am not for or against a candidate based on gender or race. But with our current relations in the Middle East that are in desperate need of repair, and considering a lions share of Middle East culture in regard to women, will Hillary be able to repair the broken bridges?

Thank you Linda Reszetylo keep going I appreciate what you do, but the people who just show up to vote cannot say what you have just said. They are run by media sound bites and young smooth talking people who do not know anything.

I think the Democratic party is facing a turning point right now. Does the party want to keep trying to gain the White House by winning just on the two coasts and hoping for a break in places like Ohio and Florida? Or does it want to start building a base of support in middle America? I was a lifelong Democrat until the late 1990′s when I switched my registration to Independent. The party has made no attempt to reach out to middle America and the Democrats in the coastal blue states don’t seem to care. The 2006 midterms showed that there are some possibilites for progress in states like Colorado, Iowa, Missouri, Montana, and Virginia, etc. Unfortunately, these are states where the Clintons don’t play too well. I support Sen. Obama because he appeals to voters in these states, and I think if we want health care and a better energy policy we will need more than the bare majority that the Clinton strategy will bring. I don’t mean this as a knock on the Clintons, I just think their strategy has been to do it the old way and win the election. Obama’s strategy has been to campaign and organize everywhere in order to create a broader base of support across the entire country. That’s a vision of governance I can get behind.

Matt Weiss,
Exit Polls ask all kinds of questions to the voters coming out of a polling place.Do you go to church once a week,once a year? Then who did you vote for.
They ask age groups,income levels,etc. Then they ask who did you vote for.
When there is a common primary,including independents–they ask who would you vote for in potential matchups: McCain over Obama and Hillary over McCain.Thats what they say now-most importantly in the swing states!
I do agree with you that these are very preliminary–they haven’t even starting swiftboating Obama yet–once they do it might not turn out so good!by the way, Obama keeps touting the negative ratings of hillary as being an asset–his are at 32 and they havent even started–Kerrys were in the 20s bfore swiftboating! How did that work out?

When will the media learn that it is the voters who decide and NOT the correspondents for mews outlets.
You are wrong on a number of accounts;
1. Florida and Michigan will need to be seated. Hillary won nearly a million votes in Florida. Or are you going to leave Florida out, just because in the demeaning words of Obama “it was a beauty contest”
2. Assuming you want super delegates to go by voters, wouldn’t it be reasonable to ask that Senators go with the wishes of their voters. Whoops what was I thinking. Of course, Mr Kennedy and Mr Kerry would never dream of honoring and respecting the will of Massachusetts voters. Or did I forget that the Kennedy family has owned a family seat for 50 years in the Senate. Now that really is change and Mr. Kerry could not even defeat George W.
3. Obama’s day of reckoning will not be March 4 or Feb 12 BUT Feb 25 when his political pal and husband of a woman who sold him 10% of her land next to his house appears in court.
4. Let’s respect Mrs. Clinton for how she has conducted herself,
5. and please don’t stoop to the level of your fellow journalist reporter David Schuster
6. Remember journalists report the news even if it is NOT what they want to hear

howard, the polls asking dems are split right now. Gallup has Obama, ahead, Rasmussen has Clinton ahead, and Rasmussen has generally been more Clinton leaning than the other pollsters and the results. the national numbers show Obama fairing better agianst mcCain than Clinton against McCain in Rasmussen as well.
In regards to the exit polls which show how well they each do against McCain do you have any evidence to back that up?? It seems highly unlikely that they would ask a General Election ballot question in a Primary exit poll, it just doesn’t add up or make any sense, so any link you have will be appreciated to back that up.. Which I’m sure you don’t have….

Jay
Yet another count Florida person without answering some of the questions and stuff I mentioned earlier.
So please, can someone who wants Florida and Michigan to count please come up with an answer to this. Or is it just that you are unable to respond??
First off Florida and Michigan were made full aware that no delegates would be seated if they broke the party rules and scheduled the primaries ahead of S. Carolina. the state states trying to outdo each other was getting out of hand and talk existed of having Primaries prior the New year. The DNC stated clearly that anyone moving the Primaries ahead of DC would be stripped of their delegates, Michigan and Florida were made fully aware of the situation, the rules and what would be done if they were broken. Yet they did it anyway. All the candidates, including Clinton at the time agreed with the decision made by the DNC.
Should we have a set of rules to prevent the Primary calendar from getting completely out of hand??
Should we actually follow through with those rules if they are broken?? Or should we just let the rules be broken setting up a bad precedent in the process??
Should we change the rules after the fact just because someone who agreed with the rules beforehand now all of a sudden disagrees with them?

You idiots, Obama got more Republica votes because they don’t want to face Hillary. Republicans are afraid of Hillary and they will eat Obama for breakfast. Right wing media are already laughing about it. And yes, the media want Obama to win nomination so they can watch McCain destroy him (no millitary experience, no international experience). It will be sad, sad, sad to watch. Obama does not stand a chance with McCain. Writers’ strike is over and all of his enthusiastic young voters will go back to wathing “Gray’s Anatomy” and “American Idol.” Nobody yet won the general election counting on young vote and upper class liberal (remember Kerry fiasco?)

howard,
Look at jim Webb’s voting record, its not conservative. Virginia is shifting because of a hard leftward shift in Northern Virgina, a shift especially strong among educated white voters. A group which Obama is going to clean Hillary’s clock in tomorrow.
Look at who iowa has recently elected as Gov, not a conservative neither is Harkin.
McCaskill doesn’t have a conservative voting record in the least bit, nor does Talent.
Colorado, I will give you Salazar is a bit more of a conservative Democrat, but look who seems very likely to be elected there this year. A liberal in Mark Udall from Boulder. What has crafted the Dem change in many states 9what did so here on Long Island a decade ago and the Philly suburbs as well) what is changing VA & Colorado is not demographics which some people point to. The scope and amount of the chnages far surpasses the demographic change. The big change has occurred among well educated voters in the D.C suburbs of Northern VA, & the Denver suburbs specifcally jefferson & Araphoe counties. These are areas where Obama is EXTREMELY strong in.

First of all, I do not support either candidate yet, but I am very interested in these elections as a Geographer and Historian (one reason why I love elections because it heavily deals with both disciplines). Allow me address some things that have been posted:
Daniel,
Estimates actually have Obama currently winning the popular vote by almost 200,000 (not Hillary as you reported).
To those who have stated that Obama has not won anything except Black states and Caucuses:
True, that is the majority of his wins, but he has won Colorado, Illinois, Delaware, Connecticut, Missouri, and Minnesota.
To those who say Hillary is done:
This race is extremely close and no one will be “done” for quite some time. Asking either candidate to give up is premature.
About Cheating in Florida and Michigan:
Neither candidate broke rules according to what was agreed upon by the Democratic Committee (including Barack and Clinton); not by staying on the ballot and not by running radio or newspaper ads.
Finally, to those who will not vote for Obama or Hillary if the other wins the nomination:
This is childish behavior. Neither candidate would want for their supporters to vote Republican or abstain from voting should they not win. If you truly support your candidate than you will support the party no matter who the candidate is.
Just a point of view from someone that is not bias towards a candidate.

Firestorm,
If you’re asking whether male leaders worldwide would prefer negotiations with a male counterpart from the US, then I would say absolutely, always. As for the Middle East, with the exception of Israel, Jordan and to some extent Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, I do agree that leaders of many Middle Eastern nations would have a problem with Hillary because she is a woman. I think they would begrudgingly accept her input if no other options were on the table, but I’m not sure it would be received with the same degree of respect as it would if a man were the messenger. This is a reality of the culture. Of course, at the end of the day, Hillary or whoever would represent the USA, and the parties would have to make their decisions based on that fact, (assuming that the US, as is often the case, is holding the cards).

Howard
CNn.com has all of their exit polls broken down by party (as does the other media outlets) and none have the general election matchups included in the exit polls. What your suggesting simply doesn’t exist, your making it up. I asked you for a link, you can’t come up with one, instead you mention a source which doesn’t even have what you suggest it does.

Firestorm
two guys in Washington who had tons of foreign policy experience Cheney & Rumsfeld were the brains behind our current foreign policy. Look at where that got us….

McCain is prepared to vie for the presidency against either Obama or Clinton. It won’t matter. He is preparing to win the election, then take out Osama bin Laden. He knows how to do it. And, he will improve our national security. I can’t wait for him to choose a running mate, and I hope it is Condoleeza Rice. She knows the world’s leaders better than anyone else. Now, that will be a ticket women and minorities can smile about.

Iowan,
I agree with most of your post. I do take issue with your second to last paragraph. While some will claim voting for the other party’s candidate out of sheer spite, some of us are independents and look strictly at issues and past experience. I will vote for Obama if he is the candidate on the Democratic side.
If Hillary is the candidate, I am voting for McCain because he has the second best answers to the issues that are important to “me”. First and foremost, I want change in political beliefs and ideology and another Clinton in office is not reflective of change, solely in my opinion. Yes, it’s different than Bush’s administration thank God, but I wasn’t happy with the Presidential office 9 years ago either.
I don’t agree with your statement, “if you truly support your candidate than you will support the party no matter who the candidate is.” Party doesn’t amount to a hill of beans to independent voters. But I am very passionate about voting for Obama.
Let’s face it, no matter what, it can’t be worse than the last 8 can it? :)

Howard,
The cnn.com primary election exit polls do not ask anything about the general election at all. I read them on Super Tuesday and went back to check. Not a thing.
Oh, and one other thing:
I have to say how much I enjoy the occasional “socialist” accusation popping up in these discussions. Someone asks if we really want out-of-control federal spending.
I don’t, which is why I won’t vote for the party of George Bush.
Can we just put this to rest, already? The presidents over the last forty years who have increased federal spending the most have been Republicans.
http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=3750
and
http://www.libertyunbound.com/archive/2004_11/bradford-spending.html
The second link is from a liberal publication, but the first is from the Cato Institute. Hardly a bastion of “socialist” thought (it’s libertarian).
As far as raising my taxes is concerned, here’s a real tax for you: Due in no small part to the massive borrowing the government has done under Bush, the dollar is shrinking rapidly, which means that everything imported we buy (almost everything) is much more expensive than it would be with a healthy dollar. That is a de facto tax to finance the mad-money, bank-breaking spending of the Bush Republicans.
So lay off the scaremongering about Democrats on the economy. Since 1968, spending under Republican presidents with friendly congresses has been 64% greater than Democratic presidents with friendly congresses (we’re most parsimonious, by the way, with Republican presidents with Democratic congresses, but when the donkeys have the key to the house and the car, they’re a lot less likely to break the bank).
Sorry for the interruption. Please return to howling “socialism” if it makes you happy.

miss Fine
A Democratic Gov in Michigan signed it, Democrats in the Legislature in both states had the power to stop it. they didn’t. Democrats in both states also had the ability to have their primaries on different days than the Republicans (a number of states did that as well), they didn’t. The rules are the rules, if we started breaking the rules for michigan & Florida how many other states do we break the rules for?? Where does it stop??
The time to speak up about it would have been several months ago when the decisions by the DNC were made. Clinton didn’t, in fact she said she agreed with the decisions at the time even stating while in New Hampshire that the results would not count.

The last thing America needs is another warmongering President who will cater to the Rush Limbaugh crowd. The draft will have to return so we can fight the GOPs neverending wars,if McCain wins. No wonder they are against abortion,they need more cannon fodder. Too bad Ron Paul doesn’t have a shot,he would end all this warmongering that’s ruining our country.

I have not taken the time to read all of the posts on this article, so if I say something contrary to someone else, or if I repeat something then I apologize.
As an African-American male who has been actively involved in FLORIDA politics for quite some time, I am terribly excited about the historic moment to which we have come. I am proud to belong to a party that will have a historic nominee from a group of people that at one time in history were both excluded from society. However, we are faced now with a situation which will cause a fundamental cultural decision to be made by the majority of America who now is faced with the question that everyone tiptoes around – is the country truly ready for an African-American or a woman to be President? Although both are deeply present in today’s society, in my humble opinion, I believe sexism to be more prevalent than racism.
It is my sincere hope, and thinking, that the party will rally around either candidate who are both clearly qualified and able to lead us in a new direction. I also believe that there will not be a seismic shift in the congressional races, so another question must be asked – who is better positioned to get anything done where some cooperation between the parties will be required? To this question I beleive, again in my humble opinion, that Sen Obama is better positioned. Sen Clinton is too polarizing a figure and the other side of the aisle is likely to rise up her against her just because she is who she is.
I believe it will be an Obama – McCain choice we will be faced with. I believe that Obama has the edge. Let’s hope that whoever emerges as the Democratic nominee that we all work together to ensure that a Democrat is taking the oath of office on Jan 20th!!!!

I hope you’re wrong (I really can’t stand Obama), but I fear you’re right.

Howard
the Philly suburbs did not vote for Casey, they voted AGAINST the whack job Santorum. casey won in the western portion of the state on his own merit, he won the Philly suburbs because they hated Santroum. Ed Rendell is far from a conservative Democrat, he is pretty liberal he won the Philly suburbs hands down. I have some family in the Philly suburbs (Delaware County) it is NOT a conservative area. The reason the area has moved so much to the left is because the GOP has moved to the right. The area is without question socially liberal. In March Clinton wins the central & western portions of the state, Obama wins Philly and its suburbs.
As far as Webb, is he as liberal as Obama? No, but to state he is a conservative is simply false
Also, why do you insist on making things up which I can look up. Your either misinformed or simply wrong. This in regards to the Hispanic vote in the west in 04
With the Hispanic vote Kerry won NM 56-44, he won NV 60-39 Arizona 56-44, California 63-32, and Colorado 68-30.

Yes,We Will:
No, seriously, republicans are switching parties to ELECT OBAMA PRESIDENT. I know republicans who are doing this. It might not make any sense to you: yes, they disagree with him on a lot of issues, but they don’t care: they are in love. They listen to him speak and like the way it makes them feel; they like the kind of people he makes them want to be.

howard
it si primary season and their are General election polls, I pointed out to you the last four GE polls all showing Obama matching up better against McCain than Clinton. You still fail to source or link what your basing this off of, and it still isn’t true. Their is no General Election questions within any of the Primary exit polls. I asked you to provide a link and yet you still haven’t.

Why Obama will loose
Sen. Obama can give a wonderful political speech. A wonderful speech that is – that says not a thing. Sen. Obama’s people are extremely good at playing the national press. The press believes everything that his people put out. You must wonder who they are working for – perhaps Sen. Obama.
Anything negative said about the Sen. – and – low and behold it must be racism.
Any questions raised – it must be prejudice.
70 % of the white people vote for Hillary in the South – the race card is raised.
90% of the African Americans vote for Obama – he must be the best candidate.
Sen. Obama’s wife gives a speech – she must be wonderful.
Sen. Clinton’s daughter campaigns for her mother – she is being pimped.
Sen. Clinton & the President – have always stood by the African American population – see how quickly their good deeds are forgotten.
Sen. Obama worked with the poor in Chicago – he must almost walk on water.
Question Sen. Obama’s experience – you must be a fool.
Vote for Sen. Clinton – you must be an idiot.
What has Sen. Obama done – a very thin resume? What has he promised? What can he really get done?
Where has Sen. Obama won?
Check the number with the respective Sec. of States Offices:
Missouri – that states primary by 1% – he only won 1 whole county –he carried no others
Connecticut – a small primary that Sen. Obama won.
Nebraska – less than 30% of the registered democrats voted in the caucus.
Washington – less than 30% of the registered democrats voted in the caucus.
Idaho – less than 30 % of the registered democrats voted in the caucus.
Maine – less than 30% of the registered democrats voted in the caucus.
Delaware – we all know.
Georgia – we all know.
South Carolina – we all know.
Alabama – we all know.
Etc.
The Sen. from Illinois won he own state – but that is the only big primary he has won.
Sen. Clinton won all the others – including Florida & Michigan
Sen. Clinton has won the popular vote by 600,000 – every voted must be counted?
Only when Sen. Obama is involved – I’m sure.
The left side of the Democratic Party – belittles the center and the right side of the party.
Do you honestly believe that – other than the demographic groups already voting for the Senator – he will win any others in numbers sufficient to win an election?
Too much anger from the left – has already destroyed his chances – in my opinion.

As an outsider(independent)looking in,I only hope that this love obama,hate hillary does not kill the democratic
nominee in 2008.Surely you all have not
forgot what the swift-boat liars did to
kerry,harold ford and just recently mccain
New books will be opened and twisted and
old books will be rewritten.They won’t
need your help.

Doreen and Terrie — Stop blaming the media. You’re a couple of whiners, just like the Clintons. Does this sound familiar? “Why does the press gang up on us? What did we ever do (Whitewater, Gennifer Flowers, Paula Jones, Travelgate, Hillarycare, Vince Foster’s death, Lewinsky’s dress, etc, etc) to deserve all this biased, unfair coverage?”
Those people do it to themselves. Look at Bill in South Carolina. Dude doesn’t know when to keep his mouth shut.
For that reason, I’m sure the media would just as soon cover the always entertaining Hillary-Bill train wreck than an Obama-Mac lovefest.

Dont tell me about PA or philly suburbs–im sitting here right now! Rendell moved to the center when he ran for govenor–Nutter,the newly elected mayor of phila(he ran as someone who would RESTORE clinton philosophies)–all support Hillary.It was casey who won over santorum because he was santorum lite.Remember in 2002,santorum won re-election because klink was the “agent of change”.The key to PA politics is the voter rich suburbs of phila–which are white,more women,and hispanic.You are right west of the philly suburbs are all going for hillary-we call it pennsyltucky–anything west of the philly suburbs is like kentucky–they will never vote for Obama.I know you are all excited about”cleaning Hillarys clock in northern VA. but a dose of reality is about to hit you in PA,Ohio(Obama barely registering 20%),kentucky,texas,indiana,wva,etc.

Frank,
I’m guessing you work for Hillary’s campaign? One thing I hate to see is the minimizing of success. A success is a success no matter how trivial you try to make it seem. For instance, you say that Obama, “sure he won his state, but that is the only big primary he’s won.” That depends on your definition of winning. I’d say he won quite a bit in Hillary’s own state of NY; her margin of victory was 17 points. Obama in Illinois, on the other hand, his margin was more like 32 pts. One could extrapolate that the citizens of NY liked Obama almost as much as they did Clinton. But that’s not the point is it really? She won, whether it was by 1/2 a point or 17. It is a fair fight, really.

I almost fell off my chair when I saw Clinton campaign commercial speaking how she will use her over 25 years of experience as president. Whoaa!!!, what was this over 35 years experience. Let’s see 8 years in the White House hosting vip donors for her husband campaign, plus 4 plus year as Senator minus 2+ years running of campaigning for president since 2005. Even if I missed a few years of her other experiences that she claimed that’s not even not even close. Let all wake up USA please.

Esvida,
You are right it is YOUR STATE official that you ought to be blowing steam at, and you shouldn’t punish the country in Nov. as a result (no that Florida wasn’t going to go red any way). The parties have rules, the states abide by them or are sanctioned. This was a sanction that they were fully aware of but chose to ignore. Voters should take steps to get rid of those party officials specifically. Turning your frustration to the country seems childish.

Matt Weiss,
Its gonna be hard to admit something I know is not true–i do it every day.But I am more interested in your post about vote counting–should all votes be counted? legal votes,isn’t that what florida 2000 was all about–count the votes,especially in a close race.

I am shocked at the venom of supposed Dems – this will cause us to lose the election – no matter who your pet candidate is you must stick together or we will have McCain/Bush – both Obama & Clinton supporters have made good arguments – no matter what happens support your Democratic candidate and work as hard for them as you possibly can – I cannot fathom 4 more years of corrupt Republicans who care only about not being taxed and don’t give a damn about the poor – if we stick together McCain won’t have a prayer – believe it – they’ll have to put alot more than a “patch” on their Diebold voting machines to steal this one

Joe B:
Reasonable access? To participate in the caucus, all you have to do is show up. I understand that some people work in the evening–I used to work in the evening–but if you care at all about voting, you get time off work or find someone to trade shifts with you. If you really can’t make it, you make a difference by reminding your friends and neighbors to go or even asking one of them who wasn’t planning on going to go on your behalf. In Iowa, we do things like that for each other. I challenge you to find 227,000 “upscale elitists” in this state, and I doubt the few you might find would want to sit around a high school gym packed with a couple hundred of the unwashed masses.
tina:
Have you been to a caucus? There is no screaming. Caucuses work here because people respect their neighbors and know how to be civil even when they disagree. 5 hours? They last 2 or 3 at the most, and you can leave after the votes are counted, which is typically within the first hour. In many precincts in primary states, people had to wait in line for longer than that to vote.
If someone would vote differently with a secret ballot than with a public statement, how do you decide which vote is “correct”? Why would you vote differently with a secret ballot? If you are ashamed of who you are voting for, maybe you should reconsider your choice.

Ed, you are precisely right which is why I mentioned earlier that this division could ultimately destroy the democratic party. If mutiny occurs and Obama did run as an independent, no matter how you slice it, the vote goes to McCain–you triangulate it and McCain wins. It would be disappointing either way.

ed,
it works both ways.hillary could run as an independent and you will get a repub. white house,senate,house of reps., and by proxy the supreme court.Nader effected the 2000 race–you dont think hillary could effect it even more?

Esvida,
I am not suggesting that we not respect MI and FL. The party leaders of those two states did the disrespecting already. The fact that you pronounce that these two states will go red in defiance of the party could hurt the nation if the goal is to prevent the total and complete economic collapse that is assured to come with the next round of repub spending. I say take the gripes to the doorsteps of those that it belongs–some political hack within the states. Remove them from their office, egg their house, whatever, just keep it where it belongs.

If Obama is nominated, I who have never voted Republican will vote for John McCain. Hope is not the answer, it is in the ACTION.
Unfortunately, race will play a role because the hispanics will support the guy gave us the Amnesty Bill. Asians will switch to McCain. And yes, A lot of whites will switch to McCain causing a landslide of epic proportions, meaning the Democrats have folded again. In the End, it will be NO YOU CAN’T!!!

I like Obama because he is a natural leader. He commands respect. He’s a great communicator. He cuts right to the heart of an issue, and he communicates it well. He sets high goals for our country. He has the personality to gather people behind him on issues. He is so strong–on his own—that he has beaten the Clintons to date. He has the strength and courage to start his campaign from scratch (he’s not married to an ex-President). He has a brilliant mind, so he can take on the toughest issues with good judgement.
On the other hand, I see the Clintons as being divisive because the two of them will be a distraction. Who will be the real president? I see Hillary as so much a part of the current system that she acts like a DemoRepublicrat. While a Senator, she has blurred her identity too much. The Republicans don’t respect her for this reason, so they won’t help her get things done, so she won’t be an effective agent of change.

M,
We don’t caucus in november–its in secret.why you would vote different is you would not want to be labeled or intimidated in front of a crowd in a caucus.its easier in the privacy of a voting booth.Also,in a caucus if you do not have 15% supporting your candidate–you choose a second choice and get counted with the group.in a voting booth you vote for who you want and dont add on to someone elses total.not to mention its a small sample size when you caucus,which usually is unreliable to predict a true winner.when you vote by machine,you get a larger vote and easier to predict the true winner.

Matt, you’re hardly a man in the middle. An opportunist is more like it. Today the man in the “middle” will support the future president, at leasts for awhile.

Hopeful in 08,
Do you think Obama will win Idaho in November?

Kevin,
There is no honor among thieves. Repubs will go after Rezko and Dems will go after Keating 5. Skeletons either way.

In November, reality is that Obama loses almost every state that he won a caucus in. He will lose Nebraska, Idaho, North Dakota, South Dakota and probably Colorado. He gets beat when the Latinos support McCain in Nevada, Arizona, California, New Mexico, Florida, and Texas. He loses in the South (all of them from Virginia to Louisiana) when the White Republican majority shows up and a bunch of white Democrats join them. He loses Connecticut when the Independent, Lieberman supports McCain.
Four more years of the same with John McCain.
Karl Rove and Company are licking their chops!!!

Let us hope that Texas and Ohio vote for Obama. HRC is a lier, she has 35 years of experience. With all these exerience she voted for a wrong war with Iraq. With her 35 years experience she could not do any notable achivement. Now I am not what she will be capable of doing. She blames Obama of just talk, I say HRC is all about lie and deception and big establishment. America needs someone better. Women, do not waste your vote for this womann, keep your vote for a better woman.
She has started her campaign with a lie(35 years experience). If I apply for a job with false information like this, I would be fired. Fire HRC and also from her Senate seat. Please.

Esvida,
As I said, the MI/FL state flacks should suffer the brunt, not the nation, but we’ll agree to disagree on that one.
As for the primary schedule, they extend out that for precisely for ocassions like this when the contests are close. Ordinarily this is not the case which is why the smaller states don’t know how to manage the attention because they’re just not used to their votes being the determinant ones.
As to your last point, I think the argument that the delegates not be seated is a fair one only because Hillary was the only name on the ballot in Michigan and the vote, consequently, was not fair. I think a compromise could be a caucus or something as they are suggesting to provide some representation. But I am adamantly against the notion of superdelegates deciding candidacy. I have long believed that the electoral college has outlived its usefulness and this notion of superdelegates, in my humble opinion is no different–they both ostensibly take the selection out of the hands of the people.

esvida,
Obama’s doesn’t have a problem with the SD. He just feels that their support should reflect the votes from their state…which is a reasonable thing to ask.
As for MI/FL
It is a clear indication of Hillary’s win at any cost attitude. They all agreed to follow the rule and then suddenly when she’s down she wants to cheat and use those votes.
It’s wrong because obama was not on the MI ballot. As for FL while he was on it he did not get to campaign and organize like he usually does which gave Hillary an advantage. Remember Hillary is the most famous woman in the world with the most recognizable last name of any politician from either party. The FL result is just a name recognition victory, nothing more.

Senator Obama so far can only win the small states which he will be defeat by John McCain in this November. It’s a bad news for DEM if he wins the DEM nomination after all, GOP will again control the White House for another 4 years.

The best thing about reading through this debate that Mr. Dowd has started is the simple fact that Democratic Sentiment is alive and well across the country.
He has provided an excellent forum for die-hard supporters, undecided voters and those that just wound up here by pure happenstance to debate and hash-out the issues that are now important to us all. The fact that we can all debate, speak out, criticize and even demean our opponents online is American in and of itself. (Thank you, Al Gore!)
However, the most frustrating thing about American Democracy is that we are not, and never have been, a true democracy. We are a representational democracy. We elect people to elect our presidents. The Founding Fathers instituted a system of government that was meant to, and did, prevent monarchs and tyrants from taking complete control.
Like it or not, they did.
And this is where the Obama Effect, as I see it, takes over. For now, Hillary has more popular votes — and in 2000, that was the creed we carried for weeks, hoping that Al Gore would become president. We could not accept the fact that the popular vote would not reign the day, when it ended. All because we have a Supreme Court, the final say.
But, still, we all moved on from that, fought hard against the “Swift Boat Conspiracy,” only to lose to the president we despise the most. Again.
If Barack Obama has the most popular votes when Puerto Rico is done, then, yes, he should be the candidate. But, if the same holds true for Hillary, then she, too, should be extended that same courtesy. No matter his delegates count.
But that is not the way his supporters want it. No, he should win either way.
Which is why we have Super delegates.
The below, not to mention articulate, McGovern Campaign Supporter, I think has a very important and precarious point for us all: are you voting for hope or are you voting for security?
I think, in the end, the majority (small as it may be) of the country will vote for security and not hope, and that John McCain will be president.
That is, unless, Hillary is nominated for the Democrats. She has the experience that McCain does, and he will look like a monster talking down to her the way that he talks down to his current opponents. People don’t like men talking down to women.
McCain and Obama will just pander and nothing will make sense.
This is politics, but this is American Politics.
Hillary makes sense. Her policies have become Obama’s policies. He criticizes the mandates in her health care plan, but then changes the subject when people ask him about mandating parents to cover their kids. How will he, as the leader of the government, enforce that policy? By knocking on their front door? Or by garnishing their wages?
And by the way, to all you Obamaians – he ran campaign commercials in Florida, a spot called “Inspiring,” leading up to its primary and all because the Chair of the South Carolina Democratic Party told him the rules wouldn’t apply, because it would be on national programming. That’s fair? That’s democratic? Hillary didn’t run those kinds of commercials. Her people figured out how to make them stop in Florida. And she won. (http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0108/8019.html)
Nothing to be said about the CNN debate that everyone could watch, with no bias.
I think Barack Obama is cutting Hillary out at the knees. He proselytizes change, but fails to encourage the movement to bring the Clintons back? There is no bigger change than to return to the government that Bush has destroyed and to get back to the point where America was successful, not to mention well-liked, throughout the world.
Something inside Obama actually believes that he can beat McCain and Hillary can not.
That is absurd. Is he really a Democrat?
There is this thing called a gender gap, people. Even though women in Missouri, Texas, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, Ohio, et al tell their husbands that they are voting for the male candidate, there is this itty-bitty little thing called “voting your conscience.”
And many, many women do.
Support Hillary. She is the experience.
Obama is the new ideas. (And there is nothing better than new ideas.)
But he needs an elder statesWOman to help him condense, hone and perfect his said new ideas – he needs someone who has proven steadfast, serious and committed to bettering the lives of those around her, as well as her own, to be his guide.
And there is nothing wrong with that.
It’s the American Dream, really.
Obama 2016!!

Howard,
I’m not sure who will win Idaho in Nov., if I could be sure, I’d be worth my weight in gold. As for superdelegates–I don’t think either candidate, Obama or Clinton should be selected that way. The selection should be up to the people. I just noted that I believe the electoral college has outlived its usefulness and I am in the same camp with the SD.

hopeful in 08,
When is the last time a democrat has won the presidential election in idaho?LBJ and Truman not exactly Obama,if you know what i mean.

I would agree with you that Obama isn’t JFK, I personally like McCain, wouldn’t vote for him but I don’t see why the GOP is so against him I think he is plenty conservative. I don’t expect a blowout if it is Obama v McCain but all Obama realistically has to do is win everything that Gore won in 2000 and that is not counting Florida, get Iowa back in the Democratic column which Kerry lost in 2004; keep New Hampshire which Gore lost in 2000 but Kerry won in 2004; not much of a stretch and win any one of the following states; Missouri, Colorado, Ohio, Nevada, Virgina or Kansas. At the very least you have to concede that Obama will be competitve in all of these states for various reasons. For the Republicans to win in November they have to win all of the states I listed, the math doesn’t add up for them if they lose even one of them.

Speedy,
you and I are cut from the same fine cloth!

Top of the Hill,
If the founding fathers felt that experience was the most important criteria for a presidential candidate to have, I am sure they would have said so. Since they didn’t and since Bill had little experience entering into the white house, I think it’s fair to allow obama the same opportunity.
obama has integrity, sound judgment, better leadership skills, charisma and the ability to unite instead of the Clinton divisiveness.
In her 35 years of experience, Hillary failed in the universal healthcare of 1994, what makes you think the ’09 version would pass? She showed bad judgment in supporting war in Iraqi and current Iran foreign policy. So much for her leadership and economic prowess, she couldn’t even effectively manage her own campaign so why should we entrust this nation to her?
Look at how obama has raised money and ran an effective campaign, imagine what he could do for this country.

As I said, the biggest problem with Obama vs McCain is that I believe Calif will go McCain because he was sponsor of the Amnesty Bill. McCain always wins in New hampshire and Hillary dusted Obama there.

The real problem is the parties want to control everything with their rules. It is hell for an independent to get on a ballot in any state. I don’t think the founding fathers were thinking of the two parties that we have today when they were framing the constitution. Therefore, we have caucuses in some states that are trying to save money. We have Super Delegates. We have proportioned delegates, and we have winner take all in some Republican States. Someone died in the middle of all of this nonsense and made Iowa and New Hampshire God for presidential elections so therefore we penalize Michigan and Florida for wanting to have an impact. It is simply the DNC and the RNC at their finest. I really wish we had a good independent candidate to break up this duopoly.

steve,
you are assuming Obama can win all those states that are normally blue.So, the repubs will lose traditional red states and the dems will not?not likely,and you didnt mention new mex.new hampshire will go to McCain.Kansas?(27% dem) Obama is barely getting 20% in the ohio primary,thats out. Nevada,Colorado,and anywhere hispanics are including california(especially with governator) will be in play.minnesota,michigan(with the snub).maybe iowa? its risky–too risky for me. i like your enthusiasm though. Delaware,N.J.?

Speedy,
I couldn’t agree more. This is why I keep my dem registration and crossover–it is easier. The two party system, as well as corporate corruption and the military industrial complex are strangling this nation. And it is a great shame.

Esvida,
I suppose voter plurality isn’t necessarily efficient for the least among us…

As far as Caucuses go, I voted in one and it was simple…go in, cast your ballot, and either stay or leave, didn’t matter, much like a primary, except you have an option to stay and listen to others.
As far as experience goes, how does Clinton keep being perceived as the one with the most “experience” when in reality that is far from the truth. Neither the media nor the Obama campaign take a close look and they should per the following:
Hillary has not INITIATED one bill!!
“Senator Clinton has based her campaign on an erroneous claim to
greater legislative and administrative experience. Former President Clinton
talks up her role in his administration on the campaign trail but
pointedly refuses to release any documents that would provide greater details
on her actual activities there. It is broadly understood that Hillary
spearheaded the response team that staved off Republican attacks and
spun the many scandals of the Clinton years. As to her Senate record, no
one in the press has had the diligence to lay out her record for the
public to assess.
Senator Clinton, who has served only one full term (6yrs.), and another
year campaigning, has managed to author and pass into law, (20) twenty
pieces of legislation in her first six years.
These bills can be found on the website of the Library of Congress
(www.thomas.loc.gov), but to save you trouble, I’ll post them here for you.
1. Establish the Kate Mullany National Historic Site.
2. Support the goals and ideals of Better Hearing and Speech Month.
3. Recognize the Ellis Island Medal of Honor.
4. Name courthouse after Thurgood Marshall.
5. Name courthouse after James L. Watson.
6. Name post office after Jonn A. O’Shea.
7. Designate Aug. 7, 2003, as National Purple Heart Recognition Day.
8. Support the goals and ideals of National Purple Heart Recognition
Day.
9. Honor the life and legacy of Alexander Hamilton on the bicentennial
of his death.
10. Congratulate the Syracuse Univ. Orange Men’s Lacrosse Team on
winning the championship.
11. Congratulate the Le Moyne College Dolphins Men’s Lacrosse Team on
winning the championship.
12. Establish the 225th Anniversary of the American Revolution
Commemorative Program.
13. Name post office after Sergeant Riayan A. Tejeda.
14. Honor Shirley Chisholm for her service to the nation and express
condolences on her death.
15. Honor John J. Downing, Brian Fahey, and Harry Ford, firefighters
who lost their lives on duty.
Only five of Clinton’s bills are more substantive.
16. Extend period of unemployment assistance to victims of 9/11.
17. Pay for city projects in response to 9/11
18. Assist landmine victims in other countries.
19. Assist family caregivers in accessing affordable respite care.
20. Designate part of the National Forest System in Puerto Rico as
protected in the wilderness preservation system.
There you have it, the facts straight from the Senate Record.
Now, I would post those of Obama’s, but the list is too substantive, so
I’ll mainly categorize. During the first (8) eight years of his
elected service he sponsored over 820 bills. He introduced
233 regarding healthcare reform,
125 on poverty and public assistance,
112 crime fighting bills,
97 economic bills,
60 human rights and anti-discrimination bills,
21 ethics reform bills,
15 gun control,
6 veterans affairs and many others.
His first year in the U.S. Senate, he authored 152 bills and
co-sponsored another 427. These included:
**the Coburn-Obama Government Transparency Act of 2006 (became law),
**The Lugar-Obama Nuclear Non-proliferation and Conventional Weapons
Threat Reduction Act, (became law),
**The Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act, passed the Senate,
**The 2007 Government Ethics Bill, (became law),
**The Protection Against Excessive Executive Compensation Bill, (In
committee), and many more.
In all since enter the U.S. Senate, Senator Obama has written 890 bills
and co-sponsored another 1096. An impressive record for someone who
supposedly has no record according to the spin meisters and mindless
twits. I challenge Clinton supporters to name a single legislative
accomplishment that demonstrates her superior experience.

So Bochki you’re saying Obama has done more in 2 yrs as a US Senator than Clinton has in 8 yrs? Nice try but I don’t buy your right-wing fascist propaganda. We know the real reason you so-called independents (republican fence sitters) are for Obama. We know you idiots will join the McCain attack machine once the genral election hits. Don’t try to insult our intelligence with your phony stats because they are far from the truth

And Reallynow when someone speaks against Obama they are considered a racist. The Democrats don’t need uniformed people like you anyway reallynow. I don’t have to learn about the Clintons I lived it. The Greatest economy ever. I find it real funny how some of you so-called Democrats in here trash the Clintons. You people are a disgrace. The truth is I know for a fact you guys are nothing but right-wing Nazi fascist hacks. You trolls can’t fool me.

Actually, when Bill Clinton tries to link Barack Obama’s win in South Carolina to Jesse Jackson’s victory there 20 years ago – in an effort to pigeon-hole Obama as merely a black candidate and to marginalize his success in SC as black folk voting for someone who looked like them – that is racist. He was deservedly called to the carpet on that. As for the economy, the country was in a recession when Clinton left office. And, much of the economic boom of the 1990s is attributed to the dot-com revolution. Clinton was very much in the right place at the right time. But if you are going to credit him on the economy, shouldn’t we also point out the GOP was running congress at the same time of this prosperity? Ah yes, but doing this would make me a right-wing conspirator. Hmph. More of the same…

The fact is Obama has no record of anything as a US Senator. Obama wasn’t there for the vote to send troops to Iraq so you don’t know how he would have voted. Remember this is when the media like the NY times was calling people like the Dixie Chicks traitors for going against the war and Dumbya. I like Obama but he will be ripped to shreds because he will be seen as inexperienced. That’s not only a fact but a scientific fact. Once the Carl Rove/McCain machine starts it will be curtains for Obama. He reminds me of John Kerry who didn’t respond to swift boat attacks. Obama comes across like that to me.

Parker, as noted above Obama sponsored and passed landmark ethics reform as a U.S. Senator. I’m not saying you should take my word for it, or just blindly vote for the guy, but actually seek out some information and read about the guy’s record before making blanket statements and going on “feelings.”

Scratch that, Parker. That last post was in response to an MR post. My mistake.

Bob, you’re absolutely right, the Democrats would be stupid to try and expand their voting base and appeal to more people. The last President who did that, let’s see former Governor of California whose name I can’t recall … is now universally despised by his party. Good call. Eff the independents and general election voters (the other 65 percent of the electorate), this is something pure Democrats should get to decide, since they’ve done such a bang-up job getting Presidents elected the past 60-plus years.

MR, if Bill Clinton didn’t mean to marginalize Obama’s South Carolina victory, then why did he make a point of bringing up Jesse Jackson’s campaign there? Why not bring up the litany of white candidates who have won in SC only to lose the nomination? Why not bring up John Edwards in 2004? Why not bring up the fact that 42 never carried SC in a general election? You are fooling yourself.

Yeah reallynow to Republicans that Governor of California was the greatest thing since sliced bread. But to most of us democrats he was a scumbag. Also that Governor of California never trashed Republicans like I see so-called Democrats in this room trashing other Democrats like Hillary. The Reagan Doctrine stated Republicans could never trash other Republicans period.

Sorry reallynow Obama will not carry the south or any of those little red states in the general election. You are fooling yourself if you think Obama will carry the South Carolina. Wow you really are delusional. Face it you are a republican and you can’t fool me. Just admit it.

So what significant legislation has she passed as Senator from New York?

Well reallynow she sponsored legislation for the aids crises in the world helped strengthen children’s health care and was able the free up money to the 911 victims and workers at ground zero and was on the senate armed services. Those are just a few things i remeber about here record.

Hillary is the better candidate….immeasurably more qualified and more experienced.
Obama makes florid speeches, is tall and skinny and younger, and inclines his head at 45 degrees and moves it left to right while speechifying so as to seem “visionary”.
He made a self-conscious speech ostensibly for Kerry and suddenly he was Abraham Lincoln.
HUMBUG !
I VOTE FOR HILLARY.
And if not, then for McCain.
PS: If Obama was short and stout but said the same pap….would anybody notice ?

America now! Obama now!

I live in Hong Kong and I’m watching the American election. I was surprised to learn that the “Democrat” party has “Superdelegates” that do not have to answer to the voters. It’s exactly like Beijing’s handpicked few in the Communist Party who can override the wishes of Hong Kong voters. Shame on you America.

Well reallynow what she’s done is a hell of allot more significant than what obama has done in his very short virgin career as a US Senator. Facts are facts. Those accomplishments obama has done as you say are just symbolic and that’s it. Look it up

For those of you who are witnessing the racial divide in this Democratic primary season, much of that can be attributed to the Philanderer-In-Chief, Bill Clinton. After his Jesse Jackson analogy and Obama “fairy tale” slap during the SC primary, we saw his true colors and the wounds reopened. Thanks HillBill.

The centrepiece of Obama’s campaign has been the claim that he is the candidate of “hope” and “change” as opposed to the establishment figure, Hillary Clinton. He has crowned himself the king of post-racial and post-partisan politics. With the assistance of the corporate media, he has captured the imagination and hope of millions of voters, particularly new layers of politicised young people.
The truth behind the Obama phenomenon, however, is much less attractive than the image. If you look at his concrete policies, voting record and source of campaign funds, Obama is a trusted servant of the big business elite. He represents the US ruling class’s desperate attempt to put a new face on its domestic and global domination.
Obama’s list of top campaign contributors reads like a Wall Street Who’s Who list, with Goldman Sachs at the top. How does he deny taking money from lobbyists and PACs [Political Action Committees, which can receive up to $5,000 a year from any one individual - Eds.] and still raise over $100 million? The answer is the magic of ‘bundling’ – elite individuals with a lot of influence get many senior and junior level executives to donate the maximum amounts.
As of 29 October 2007 , Obama had received 46% of his campaign money from mega-rich donors who had given $2,300 or more (OpenSecrets.org).

George Soros and Moveon.org are manipulating the whole thing from behind the scenes with their millions of campaign contributions. The media know this but won’t report it because they have been largely bought out by Soros and moveon too!

Hillary opens a new bag of tricks;Chelsea went out to dinner with a young super delegate!Hillary travels around with McCain!Hillarys own Campaign Manager steps down!That should be enough to show Americans its time for hillary to step aside, “Its Obama time”!

Barack Obama has shown his class over Hilary in giving leaderhip to his campaign.Given all the experience and “superior” ground resources, the Clinton campaign is found wanting.Every win is a win! Ordinary Americans are showing that they can recognize superior talent that will deliver in a timely manner! The world is watching and America will be better off once democracy is allowed its course!Obama for President!

I’d be happy with either Obama or McCain.
Hillary is polarizing, vindictive and spiteful. She is the typical political shiester- and her tactics prove it. Her only vision is selfish promotion, and is a detriment to the women’s movement- never had an honest day of work in her life, never paid rent, nor had a mortgage until she moved to Chappaquah, NY.

Jane: Are you jealous of the fact that Hillary accomplished what you couldn’t do? Hillary doesn’t need to mortage she has more money than you will ever have and has accomplished more in her life.What have you done to make millions? Hate for another person that has more than you is like a disease. It never goes away. If it isn’t Hillary it would be someone else. Get a life. What work did Obama do in his life besides jumping from job to job and being an attorney for a crook. Obama still has in his possession $100,000 that he never returned. Must be nice to get payoffs.

People like Chris Mathews and NBC are hell bent to elect Obama. Perhaps he will nominate Chris Mathews as Ambassador to Maldives.

The New York Times – from Hillary’s state of corruption is now posting front page articles trying to hurt Obama. It is journalism at it’s worst because it is based upon false assumptions. You know the saying, “when you assume you make an ass out of you and me.” It is truly frightening to see a newspaper willing to be so dishonest and hurtful. The site for the NYTimes does not provide email feeback. I guess they rather not alloow readers to write and share their outrage with other readers. BOO HILLARY and HER NY TIMES!

I don’t think we should count Hillary out but I am totally stunned by Obama’s success to date. He is not such a light weight that I presumed, but I still think experience will be a critical selling point in the GE. We are a country at war and have men and women in harms way. I think John McCain’s experience will look very attractive in a world that is facing tramendous challenges. I also think Hillary had some trouble convincing some folks that she was that much more experienced than Obama. Obama and the Right Wing put holes into her “35″ years of experience. Obama won’t be able to do that with McCain. At the end of the day people will be reluctant, if not nervous, about putting an untested person out there on the world stage.

Richard: You are so wrong. Obama talking to foreign countries. He’s lucky he’s running for the presidency. I don’t believe the DNC is going to give him the nomination. Read between the lines. If he was elected he would become more dictorial. Listen to his speeches. Congress would have a battle on their hands believe me and it would become a disaster. If you think you have it bad with Bush look out.

Emily: You really don’t know what your talking about. Hillary has ten times more experience than Obama ever will have because he wasn’t in the Senate everyday. Was he busy with Rezko his crooked client? Obama does not have the money that the Clinton’s have and could never write a check for 5 million. He is what you call the pauper’s millionaire because he only has 1.5 million. And he got half of that from Rezko. Wake up before you start talking and read the facts. Your like the rest of this dumb generation that thinks they know it all and know nothing. Most of those going to college today lack the brains to think properly. They listen to Obama speak and they are so dumb they can’t read between the lines. I can guarantee most of them drop out of college afte two years because of their grades.

I am a republican but I have to say this, dimissing the effort of Barrack and his plans, even his messages by michaelinphilly is very unfair and untruthful. If michaelinphilly can neutrally go to Barrack’s website, he will see his plans. I have been as interested as I have in the election, and I will be voting for the first time but I have to say that this guy is making me believe that we can come together again in order to achieve great things

Jommy: You hit it right on the head. This has become a race issue and Obama made it that way although people can’t see it. He played like he was the underdog because he was black. But he isn’t all black he is l/2 white but he doesn’t recognize that part of him. The blacks want a black president in the white house and the white college students think he is for the whites. They can’t see beyond his speech which he does a lot of talking saying nothing. He thinks of himself comparable to MLK and JFK who were both more educated than he will ever be and better speakers. This generation needs to wake up and get a life.

I hope that Obama doesn’t have any skeletons in his closet, because the way some of you place him on a pedestal is absurd. Especially the way America is so quick to build you up just to tear you down….Obama beware!

Obama has reason to be confident. The frustration for Clinton is that she has run a good strategic campaign, has well developed positions on the issues, and has presented well – all to marginal avail. Obama only has to say the word “hope.’ Why is this? This country is tired of worn policies and worn politics. Obama’s whole life speaks to the power of hope and the success of determination….
http://thefiresidepost.com/2008/02/11/barack-obama-the-color-of-water/

Mrs. Brown: Obama couldn’t write a check for 5 million because he only has 1.5 million compared to the 40 or 50 million dollars the Clinton’s have. He is the pauper’s millionaire. McCain and Huckabee both can’t write a check for 5 million either. Only Romney and Hillary have the millions. So when you make a statement like Obama stands for change? Yes, changing the white president to a black president. Wake up or are you like the rest of this dumb generation that don’t know enough to come in out of the rain.

Attention America; The Election should be Won on who gets the most Popular votes, not by some Delegates/Super;We all know Obama has Won more Popular Votes the Hillary could even dream about!

howard
the thought that California is in play in an Onama/ McCain matchup is just plain silly. It shows how little you truly know about national poliitcs. Just because Hispanics preferred Clinton over Obama doesn’t mean they will rpefer McCain over Obama. hispanics went for Kerry by a 2-1 margin in 04 Colroado went to Kerry with almost 70% of the vote and that was before the GOP buried themselves with the Hispanics on immigration. New Hampshire is a staunchly anti war state, pro war mcCain has no chance there. Without Edwards in the mix, Obama likley wins new Hampshire anyway. To suggest Obama won’t do well in the strong Democratic states that Clinton won is like saying McCain won’t do well in strongly GOP states Huckabee won. You just don’t understand national politics if thats what you think. What Obama has shown is the ability to appeal to voters in the purple states (Colorado, Virginia) ansd with Independent voters a crucial voting block in November.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120277819085260827.html?mod=opinion_main_commentaries
This is what Clinton means to me, and why the media cares so much for Obama that they spin everything in his favor. Puerto Rico is now a free state, and Bill and she freed the freedom fighters. Yes, they may have been terrorists at one point, and yes, they may have killed some US cops and civilians with bombs on US soil, but that was WHILE Puerto Rico was demanding more independance. 16 years in Prison is more than enough for their actions, and only Clinton realized these pardons for old terror crimes were needed to appease the Hispanic community in the United States.

Unless he is beating her by a substantial margin, the superdelegates have every right to support Hillary. I suspect that unless he is creaming her, most of them still will vote for her. Accept it. If he doesn’t obliterate her in the rest of the primaries with the pledged delegates, your boy is done.

howard
Clinton’s unfavorables are higher than Obama’s her favorables are also quite a bit lower. Clinton is generally even beteen favorbale to unfavorable, Obama’s favorables are 2-1 over his nfavorable ratings.

Tim J.,
I appreciate your enthusiasm–but when i challenged you on PA politics–you took a powder.
Obamas own campaign admits they are having problems connecting with hispanics,asians,and “reagan democrats”.Thats about 80% of the general electorate–this just in–wisconsin poll at ARG(2/10/08):clinton 50% obama %40.were you counting on wisconsin as a blue state?

Kerrys were better than his in 2004,how did that workout?

Chelsea is going out to dinner with delegates.WTF! If that dont show you just how low the Clintons will go!

How pathetic all this bickering amongst Democrats – either candidate is light years ahead of any Republican past or present! To prevent further division later in the campaign if the delegate count is still too close, there should be new primaries run in Michigan and Florida – with both candidates names listed on the ballots. The “People’s” votes must be heard – not those of the Super Delegates”. And just to set the record straight, I’m a Floridian, and Obama ran TV ads the entire week leading up to the primary here. I never saw a Hilliary ad, but that doesn’t mean it didn’t run in some other part of the state. We should get our facts straight before spewing half-truths on blogs like this that do nothing to promote our ultimate goal of having a Democrat in the White House on January 20, 2009!

Obama does speak specifics in his rally speeches, maybe the Hillary supporters arent listening. God Forbid anyone do research on their own as well.
I am tired of the Hillary excuses :
The Media hates me
The Right Wing Extremists hate me
The Blacks hate me now
Caucuses are unfair
It goes on and on and on and on…if she cant handle the heat…imagine what she will be up against with McCain !

As an Obama supporter, I agree that they can’t go against the popular vote and delegates even if Hillary were to win those.
As for Obama on the issues, anyone who can use a website and read can look here:
http://www.barackobama.com/issues/
It’s listed under issues.

It’s obvious, that many of you, who criticize Obama, didn’t look into his program, or listened to his speeches. The media and foremost Fox would have ripped him apart already, if they could.
Better educated voters wouldn’t follow a Pied Piper in masses. They vote for someone who can convince them with though arguments and substance. For educated people an abstract viable concept is a key issue. But Obama has even new features, and I know, that many of you cynics don’t believe it, but Barack is 100% authentic and he is a leader, who can motivate.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120277819085260827.html?mod=opinion_main_commentaries
I would encourage everyone to read this. It tells you everything you need to know about what Hillary would do for a vote. It is positively embarassing.

Stupid commented “Many are speaking of this being about race. It’s black vs white. And, they get called racist. What on earth is MORE racist than the blacks uniformly voting for Obama because he’s BLACK? If I were to vote for someone just because they are WHITE, I’d be called many racist slurs. Yet the blacks are doing it. Oh, I forgot: Only whites can be racist. Blacks can’t. Right.”
You must be dumb to say that. You said “blacks uniformly”, stop lying by generalizing right there. There are blacks supporting Hillary and I dont need to list them all but I will list 2 famous black celebrities: Quincy Jones, and the director of BET (Black Entertainment Television)…I dont know his name but most blacks watch BET on cable and he is supporting Hillary. Get ur facts b4 u try to act smart. Your name says it all.

The repukeagains attacks on public schools, teachers, jimmy carter, al gore, peacemakers everywhere, etal, will earn them a glorious eternity tending to the devils lower forty. Release your fondness for them, lest you carry their garden tools for them…SPIRIT OF TRUTH sends you this message…

Hillary wont disclose her Income Tax, that says something is fishy right there!Hillary Campaign Manager Steps Down, theres something wrong there to!A Top News Paper lady said on the Chris Matthews Show Sunday, that Hillary does alot of Traveling around with McCain..WTF!Chelsea is taking Delegates out for dinner!Its time you step aside Hillary, “Its Obama Time”!

/signed.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120277819085260827.html?mod=opinion_main_commentaries
I want my $50 back too, Hillary doesnt deserve it knowing that.

Asian group?
Obama and his campaign are admitting they are having a hard time connecting with hispanics,asians,and “reagan democrats”.thats only 80-85% of the general election voters.
Again,just because you want to change–doesnt mean the general electorate WILL want change.Obama can only convince half of the democrats up until this point to “change”–thats a losing formula for november!

Mr Dowd,
Your opinion does not surprise me. You also thought W would be a uniter, not a divider. Good job on that one. All of you loons out there that think Obama can “BRING THE COUNTRY TOGETHER” sound like W supporters in 2000. This cult of personality among the electorate ushered in the era of W Bush because, “he was a regular old guy” and Al Gore was a “stiff”. Well guess what, this AINT American Idol and in Washington, there is too much money influencing why people dn’t come together. If you think a good speech will end that, I have a great piece of property in the 9th Ward for sale.

” Worthless persons appointed to have supreme control of weighty affairs do a lot of damage ” – Aristotle

Howard,
by stating Hispanics & Asians won’t vote for Obama in November just ebcause they happen to favor Clinton just shows how little you know about national politics. Whil;e they might not be as Democratic as African Americans, both groups strongly votye Democratic (outside of Cubans)and their is no indication they will vote GOP over Obama just because they happen to prefer Clinton. No evidence to suggest that whatsoever. if their was you would think it would show in the polls wouldn’t it? But it doesn’t Obama is polling betetr against McCain than Clinton is.

Most African Americans go for Obama, because naturally they’ve been watching him for a much longer period than European Americans or Hispanic Americans. So also their opinion leaders were into the process, of changing their mind much longer, and swung earlier away from Hillary.
Changing ones mind is the hardest and most inconvenient process. It takes effort and time.
Probably that’s also the reason why more educated voters changed their mind earlier for BHO. But it seems in time, the majority will follow and change their mind.
Please vote Obama only if you are sure about it and you have informed yourself!
If you are not interested in politics go for Hillary and get business as usual.

Hi, I’m an idiot. My name is Howard. I make up numbers about 80% of the general electorate, and forget the fact that Hillary has the highest negative number of any candidate in either party.

Mr Dowd,
I mostly agree with your analysis; however, if Clinton is behind in pledged delegates but still ahead in the popular vote, I think that her case to superdelegates would be vastly improved.

Tim J.,
You will admit Obamas negatives are higher than Kerrys were–right?

Barack Obama will end up like Senator John Kerry in 2004 if he is the Democratic presidential nominee.

Tim J.,
So Obamas negatives are higher! The repubs. haven’t even started to swiftboat him yet.
Hispanics and Asians,as you point out,are willing to switch party allegiance at the general election.
Blacks dont–never have!
Repubs know this–its not a secret! They are going to race bait until the white house comes home-unfortunately.
I dont think you can ignore that what you are hoping for;the general election voters are probably not hoping for–it happened in 2004–haven’t we learned?

Let’s face it either Hillary or Obama can win against John. The problem comes with governing. Hillary is hated by the Republicans and will cause many of them to come out and vote. Not only will they be voting for president, they’ll be voting for Senators and House members. If the Democrats don’t have 60 votes, in the Senate and 2/3s of the House they’ll have trouble getting legislation through. With Obama, I think, Democrats will have the working margins they need. The Republicans won’t be as motivated to vote.

ALL OF YOU GOTTA FACE IT. THERE WILL BE A WOMAN PRESIDENT, BUT SHE WILL BE REPUBLICAN. THERE WILL BE A BLACK PRESIDENT, BUT HE OR SHE WILL BE REPUBLICAN!!!!!!!!!!

Obama will wil for the reason you mention. It will be hard to see superdelegtes deciding. After all the American voted for change in the mid-term elections. Barack will carry out the will of the people.
Hilary is the reason we have had the incompetence of the past seven years. She should have been the candidate in 2004.She lost the moment to be. Its now “the fierce urgency of now” and Barack Obama is the man for now.
Americans be wise..!

I love to see the Dems screaming about how caucuses are not “democratic”, of course only when their candidate doesn’t benefit from them. Similar to when the al-Gore got more popular votes- how the presidency should be determined on this and not the Electoral College. So sad!

Well, Matthew has chosen the nominee. We can all go home now. He has done the maths. Not so fast. This media bias is disgusting. Please let the people make up their own minds.
You obviously want Obama to win. Just watch what happens.
If Obama wins then the Republicans get another 4yrs in the White House. USA is not ready for a black president, no matter how savvy he may be. Sorry that is the reality of life in the US of A.

I’m beginning to agree that Obama might be the nominee. Still, this spells problems for the Democratic Party. Case in point: me. A lifelong (straight ticket) Democrat, I would vote for John McCain before Barack Obama. He’s just not ready.

Barbara/Tim j.,
Read margie and josephs posts–i don’t need any stinkin’ polls–thats how its going to go in november–not that i agree–i dont!But the repubs.know this–its not a secret!

Oh my Lord. I can’t believe he pardoned those terrorists. I can’t believe it’s not headline news in other media sources.
I remember all the accusations and anger at how many criminals he pardoned right before he left office but he did those 16 pardons right beneath our noses during his time in office.
We can’t let the Clintons anywhere near the White House again.

Howard
You don’t make any sense in your arguments. You compalin about Obama’s negatives being slightly higher than kerry’s was at this point (completley disregarding the fact that his positives are MUCH higher than Kerry’s ever was), but you do that while also ignoring that Hillary’s negatives are higher than Obama’s, and her positives are lower than his. Do you realize what you are suggesting here??

Howard
and if you have read this board you sill see some people have said the same thing in reverse. they are supporting Obama, but if Clinton gets the nod they would vote McCain. in fact I have seen more posts on here suggesting that, than Clinton voters who would support McCain over Obama. My father (white guy in his early 60′s) wants Obama, and doesn’t really lkie Clinton, not sure who he will vote for if its Clinton v mcCain, but will vote Obama if its Obama v mcCain.
Regardless who it comes down to it the vast majority of Democrats like myself will support whoever the Dem nominee is. The race will come down to how Independents vote, and Obama does much betetr and is liked much more among Independents.

Wrong. Hillary will get Florida to count and Bill will work the Super Delegates. Come Fall, McCain will have a big win over Hillary and the Dems…again.

Jim C
So you make over $250,000??? thats the only way your taxes will go up under Obama or any Dem

It is disturbing to hear this thing! I’m really very, very scared to imagine OBAMA being U.S. President in’09. America better wake up!!!! It’s NOT THE PROPER TIME TO EXPERIMENT ON OBOMA! The BUSH administration will leave mountainous of problems to the next president, we feel and see RECESSION IS NOW HERE, WAR ON TERROR THAT ENCOURAGED MORE TERRORIST TOO, IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN WAR, THREAT OF IRAN, SKYROCKETTING GAS PRICES, GLOBAL WARMING ARE PRESENT PROBLEMS WE NEED TO ADDRESS, ETC. Considering the phrase ‘ if we will be doing the same old thing over and over again, we can expect the same results”, this is really true but isnt it that if we will seek a candidate for the highest position in a company, we will require him to have plenty of experience? AMERICA PLS WAKE UP AND GO BACK TO YOUR SENSES, WE ARE CHOOSING NOT ONLY FOR THE HIGHEST POSITION OF THE U.S.A. BUT OF THE WHOLE WORLD! IF AMERICA WILL NOT WAKE UP, WE MIGHT END WAKING UP FACING BIGGER, FRIGHTENING PROBLEMS LATER. AMERICA CAN NO LONGER AFFORD 4 MORE YEARS TO BE ENTRUSTED TO PRESIDENT WHO IS INEXPERIENCED, NOT TESTED AND CANNOT EVEN DECIDE FOR SO MANY ISSUES FOR A HUNDRED OF TIMES AND INSTEAD DECIDED TO PLAY SAFE POLITICALLY AND VOTED “PRESENT”. HIS IRAQ VOTE IF HE WILL CLAIM IT AGAIN IS ONLY A DECISION BASED ON LUCK IF YOU WILL ANALYZE IT. HIS CAMPAIGN FOR CHANGE IS HOLLOW AND EMPTY BECAUSE HE HIMSELF SAID CHANGE WILL BE HARD AND IT’S SIMPLY BECAUSE HE NEEDS CONGRESS AND JUDICIARY, ALL 3 BRANCHES OF GOVT TO BRING CHANGE. AND SEEING THAT IT IS ALSO THE SAME OLD POLITICIANS BACKING HIM WILL BRING THE SAME OLD RESULT OVER AND OVER AGAIN. AMERICA PLEASE WAKE UP!!! IT’S ABOUT OUR FUTURE, OUR CHILDREN’S FUTURE AND THE WHOLE WORLD. THESE THINGS ARE AT STAKE AND WE SHOULD STOP EXPERIMENTING ON OBOMA AT THIS TIME! IT’S NOT YET TOO LATE AMERICA, PLS WAKE UP! PLS PASS…..

I haven’t listened to Fox News since the bias of the past 2 elections. Then MSNBC and CNN this year with Obama. Now I have to stop listening to ABC’s bias with posts like this one. Where can you go to get unbiased reporting. Doesn’t the media realize that they elected Bush with their sleazy reporting? Now they want to do the same with this election. I’m sure that after they get Obama the nomination, they will switch over to the McCain side because they are Republicans at heart.

Sam,
how exactly is this bias reporting. dfirst off this was an opion piece, it even says so, but he got this one right and I typically disgaree with Dowd. Quite simply the math makes it diffcult for Clinton to be able to catch up to Obama in the pledged delegate count.

All of you Hillary supporters I just want to let you know that you need to do more than come on here and start bashing and crying because know one is voting for the word hillary clinton when they see it their voting for BARACK OBAMA WHEN THEY SEE IT.
I STILL DON’T KNOW WHAT HILLARY CLINTON STANDS FOR . SHE SAYS LOOK HER HER RECORD. WHAT RECORD?

If Obama wins the nomination, winning the general election won’t be as easy as the polls now show. John Kerry was leading Bush in polls until Election Day.
I find it strange that people are celebrating Obama’s softness, as if that is what we need in a president.
And if Obama manages to become president, while the talk of unity is good, politics is brutal. For crying out loud it still took 2 rounds of voting in the senate to pass a very popular bipartisan stimulus bill. Passing a Universal Health Care Bill is going to be a monumental undertaking. And the Republicans are not just going to seat by while the troops are pulled out, especially if violence explodes across Iraq by so doing.
Democrats may not have a convincing majority in Congress for another 2 years. And if the withdrawal from Iraq is mishandled, you better believe there will not be any majority in 2 years. The Republicans are already planning their comeback if they lose this one. And for all those who are now gloating over the attacks on Hillary, wait until they unleash on Obama.
The most careful statement Obama has made is I will be as careful getting us out as we were careless going in. In any Obama supporters take that to mean he will pull the troops out, they need to go and study the semantics and syntax of English language. Obama has just left himself room to come back and say in 6 months, when he is asked why has he not started pulling out troops, that he is just being careful.
Obama is not going to rush out of Iraq any more than he would if it was Kenya. He will not forsake those people, and that is not necessarily a bad thing.
The time for a strong president is now and Obama needs to demonstrate that, otherwise enjoy his 1st 100 days in office, because that is all there will be to enjoy.

I sincerely hope that the superdelegates realize that the only way the Democrats will win the election is with a Clinton/Obama ticket. They need to broker this deal to ensure every Democrat shows up at the polls in November. No other ticket wins with the strong resentment on either side. Clinton has seniority and Obama needs to wait his turn. It’s the union way.

Sam,
Obama has about a 85 delegate lead right now (CBS doesn’t have all the data from Washignton & Colorado two states Obama won handidly). He is certain of big wins tonight and will have at least a 125 pledged delegate lead after tonight, probably in the 135-140 range. Quite simply thats just too hard for clinton to make up mathamaticlly.

Matthew, I find your naivete about the Democratic Party leadership shocking. The noise from them over the 2000 and 2004 elections was not about trying to implement high principles about how a free democracy should be run. It was about what was expedient at the moment to say in their attempt to grab power. For the proper motivation (thinking that one candidate or the other has a better chance to win in Novemberm for example) the Superdelegates will do what they want and not even notice that the primaries and caucuses occurred. All of this will be accompanied by yet more high sounding rhetoric they think the American people will swallow. I am actually looking forward to hear what the Democratic Party leadership will say concerning their undemocratic shenanigans. My rose bushes are looking a bit puny and need some fertilizer.

Hillary will do great when it comes to controlling terrorism in this country!!
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120277819085260827.html?mod=opinion_main_commentaries

But also how does a party who fought to have every VOTE counted suddenly tells swing states of Florida and Michigan, WE WILL NOT COUNT YOU! So I am not sure, I think Hillary will have a slim lead and FL and MI will be included giving her a win and SuperDelegates will have to vote for her. This really goes to show the Democratic party is absolutely disorganized. The Chair, Dean, is intransigent. He should have come to some agreement before FL and MI. Super Delegates should not even exist and it should not be complicate mathematical formulas for obtaining delegates. Should be winner takes all. A year in which Republicans ought to lose is turning into a great opportunity because the Democratic part and Howard Dean simply cant manage. Can you imagine if Dean was President? He botched the votes of critical states like FL and MI, he would botch agreements in worse ways than Bush has (if that is even possible).
Bottom line, the party has to allow for the votes cast by FL and MI voters to be counted. The argument that if Obama had campaigned the results would be different is not valid. Data shows it over and over again. Big diverse states, Hillary wins consistently by similar margins. Small caucus states, Obama wins or predominant African American populated states. In MI, unpledged delegates will have the opportunity to cast their support for Obama.

Also, Obama won in Maine, Nebraska, Utah,AND Iowa, so I really don’t see why there are so many people, including the Media, saying that he only wins in black populated states and areas. I mean, MAINE and IOWA how lilly white can you get (not to mention the other states are mentioned).

Match up polls
They are somewhat meaningless at this point because the full steam of the Republican machine has not unloaded in ways in which it will for the Democratic nominee.
If Obama is the nominee the favorables will go higher, much higher. The purchase of his home in 2005 in Illinois will be brought front and center and national media will have to ask questions beyond “it was a boneheaded mistake.”
McCain will run strong on national security and will have a RECORD of working across party aisles. Obama will want to claim that mantle to which McCain will say: My Friend, Senator Obama, what have YOU to SHOW to back that idea of unity up. There will be a blank stare and then beautiful poetry after stammering since Obama does not perform as well on debates.
Lets not forget Senator Obama was a state Senator 3 years ago! McCain will boast a strong record of understanding and dealing and delivering CHANGE.
Republicans say they want to run against Hillary Clinton, and offer praise for Senator Obama. They WANT to run against Obama. It will be John McCain, war hero, independent thinker, change agent vs Obama, Community organizer from Chicago who has run the Harvard Law Review, his State Senate office and his campaign. They are salivating. While we all think at this time McCain will have a conservative as his VP, he will stun the world with a black woman for VP in Condi Rice.

To Kevin @ 10:31:50 AM
Hillary Clinton is full of achievements. And this is perhaps what you don’t like.

To Kevin @ 10:31:50 AM
Hillary Clinton is full of achievements. And this is perhaps what you don’t like – that she is such a successful human being.

Sean,
The party did come to an agreement regarding FL & MI. Everyone came to an agreement on it, including Clinton. The rules were made well inadvance, the states knew the consequences of breaking the rules. Yet they went ahead and broke them anyway. What kind of precednet does it set for future primaries if we don”t have any rules onn when you cann hold them? Do you want to start having Primaries a year before election day? or more?? the rules were put in place for a reason, to prevent that. Michigan and Florida decided for some reason they were above the rules and decided to move their primaries up despite warnings of what would happen if they did.
On top of that all the candidates, Hillary including voiced support for the decsion made by the DNC to strip the delegates. She is only complaing after the fact. You can’t count votes in which you told people ahead of time that the results would not count.

Hillary’s secret health care debacle from the past assures that I will not vote for her. Obama is right and I agree with him conclusively that national health insurance should not be mandated. Hillary’s vote for the war followed by her spinning of the vote to look as though she really didn’t anticipate what was to ensue points to her lack of knowledge and credibility on foreign affairs. Obama offers diplomacy and he is the one who will get my vote.

MR – I thought we all agreed in the late 90s that perjury wasn’t actually a crime…now you want jail time for it?
Also, I keep hearing about this mythical list of Hillary achievements from her vast array of experience (35 years!!!). Care to enlighten me? Can someone point me to a list of bills that she authored and got passed in Congress? Can someone point me to something she did as First Lady that wasn’t a spectacular failure (like her previous attempt at “fixing” health care)?
Anyone? With 35 years – that list of accomplishments and real change must be staggeringly long, no? I’ll settle for a top 10 list.

Ai,
their is no evidence to suggest Clinton’s supporters didn’t go out because they didn’t get the chance. Obama did betetr with the cacus vote because his supporters are more energized. Clinton has done better than Obama with that portion of the party, but it doesn’t mean that portion of the party won’t turnou t and vote Democratic on Election Day. As far as the polls go, one thing is Hillary has a celing, Obama doesn’t. tyhe Clinton people are trying the Rove strategy (not the heinousness of it mind you) but the 50 + 1 way of winning an election Obama offers much more than that, and doesn’t have a ceiling. its been shown as more people get to know Obama the more people like him, its been shown over and over again.

I would not read too much into Obama’s victories in Utah and Idaho. No Democrat can or will win in those states unless that Democrat is a clone Ronald Reagan-literally a clone.
But seriously, Obama is exciting many people. The fact is there are two super stars in the Democratic party. Both candidates are bringing new people to the process. Both are exciting different groups.
So it is not insignificant that Obama has won and gets all of these crowds. And the media does love the story of his life. They are writers and the love the David vs Goliath narrative. Obama the grass roots organizer who moves a Nation. Hillary the cold calculating woman who cuts back room deals, changes the rules of the game to fit her goals.
The reality is not as simple. Obama is also calculating, voting present to maintain a careful record, missing votes like the Iran vote which he brings up against Clinton. Obama says he was right from day one, but day one in the Senate, he has not shown any different from anyone else in getting the troops back, or working across the aisle to bring unity and a resolution to this war.
Hillary has shown a strong record of working with conservative and moderate Republicans. She has delivered for her state. She has won the respect of people who meet her and talk to her. Once she talks to people and shows her understanding of many issues they are impressed. I think we are actually seeing she was the smart one in the family! She is smarter than Bill and therefore in these difficult times perform better at the job than Obama.
The embarrassment is really not of riches but of the Democratic party and ridiculous rules. They clearly have a system that does not yield winners. Gore, Kerry, Dukakis, Mondale, Carter all losers. They have a system of super delegates. No rationale or process for those super delegates. They have an extremely complicated system in which the winner of the popular vote in a state does not necessarily win more delegates. If Democrats lose this year is it not because of the candidates. Democrats have the A team of candidates but it is because of the rules and party infrastructure. And they have a Chair, Howard Dean, who has no diplomatic skills or ability to run anything effectively.
This will come to the Speaker who is the highest ranking elected Democrat. She will have to accept the votes of FL and MI and it will be a Clinton Obama ticket. If Obama wins the nomination he will not win the election.
Republicans want Obama. They will savor the chance to have their super star McCain talk about the two wars we have, the economy in shambles, and McCain already has a record with votes to show he is not a divisive figure. He actually has made change happen. It will deflate Obama’s argument.

Oh – and as for Republicans wanting to run against Obama – you have to be kidding me. The Democratic faithful aren’t the best people to preach about what the Republicans want to do.
Pay no attention to the Republicans in VA today that are voting for Hillary in the open primary. They’re voting for her because they are supremely confident that they can beat her.
They are scared to death of running against Obama. How will McCain make the argument that experience matters, if Hillary couldn’t make it to her own party? Unless the electorate is more perceptive than I give them credit for, and they realize that John McCain is the only candidate still in the race that can credibly claim to be the “experienced” candidate – it won’t work for McCain either.
I’ve voted for the Republican in every national and congressional election since 1992. On Feb 5, I declared myself as a Democrat here in NJ and voted for Sen Obama. With any luck, I will vote for him again in November.
And that’s why the Republicans don’t want to run against Sen Obama. Obama *kills* McCain amongst Independents (where elections are won), and will poach disgusted Republicans like me.
And if that’s not enough, McCain *needs* Hillary to be the opposing candidate to get his own base fired up. They certainly aren’t going to get fired up to vote for McCain (regardless of his VP choice).

I cant believe you people turn this into a black and white racial election. Obama is half white… His mom is white. Cant we look past the skin color and the gender and see the candidates for who they truly are? Obama is by far the best candidate who has popped his head out of the gopher hole in 8 years. Hillary is a synthetic plastic barby doll for bill to play with while she is in office. People are not voting for hillary they are voting for bill clinton. Because they recognize his name and do no research on any other candidates. I respect your opinion if you truly do believe in what hillary is preaching but her campaign is floundering, she is losing momentum and it looks as if she is breaking down. Obama is as strong as ever and he will gain support of republicans, democrats and independents. I didnt vote in the last election, but I am voting now. I have met alot of republicans who are going to vote for Obama, and I know alot of people who wont vote if hillary becomes the nominee.. including myself. I hope people do the research on their candidates and realize how fake hillary really is. Please, use intuition and intelligence to decide who your candidate is. If you dont think Obama is going to change than dont vote for him but if you havent done any research on both candidates than you dont deserve to vote. There is no onesided argument, peer through both looking glasses to truly have the best judgement.

Mike I totally agree with you there. The Republican attack machine will shred Obama once he gets the nomination. Obama=John Kerry.

I ask all the bloggers demanding the vote in Michigan be counted how they intend to allocate the “uncommitted” votes to Obama, given that his name was not on the ballot. Nor was Edwards, who was still running at the time. Should 40% of Michigan’s delegates show up to the convention “uncommitted”?
Two months ago, Hillary Clinton was supposed to be the eventual nominee as of today. Only when another candidate has put up a fight does she whine and try to change the rules in the middle of the game to get MI and FL to count. If she was such an inevitable candidate, she should be winning so many other states that FL and MI won’t matter. But she’s not. And after today it’s almost a certainty that Obama will win a majority of states.

I get a kick out of you folks that think Clinton is stronger against the Republicans…….LOL……You have your head in the clouds my friends.
The Clintons have more trash in there back yard then the city land fill.
A Clinton nominee = another Republican in office.

It doesn’t matter who gets in real democrats will support either candidate. This crap about “if Hillary gets in I will vote McCain or if Obama gets in I will vote for McCain” is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever witnessed in my life. Nothing else compares to this.

Mike,
Maybe that is something we can do in the future. However the rules are the rules. Florida and Michigan knew the rules, they broke the rules. We were setting ourselves up for having Primaries before Christmas. That was insane. the rules were put in place beforehand. Everyone knew the rules, Michigan and Florida thought they were above the rules they weren’t. they put the DNC in a bad spot, but what arwe they going to do. Let them break the rules with no consequences?? What kind of precdent does that set? If that happens then indeed you wind up every state trying to one up each other by moving their primaries up further and further and we would have had Primaries before the Holidays. the rules were the same for every state, Michign and Florida decided to break them. Hillary even agreed with the decision, but only changed her mind on it after the fact. We ren’t the Republicans.
We have rules in palace and if the rules are broken we don’t just ignore them.

At the end of the day, I would be most excited to see a Clinton/Obama ticket. Everyone gets their Democratic candidate on the ticket. And, our country gets the experienced President and a hopeful Vice President to help with changing attitudes in this country. It is a “dream ticket” in my opinion…one that McKain would never be able to beat…EVER! And, Obama would be one of the best VP’s in our country’s history, and that is exciting stuff! Then, in 8 years, he will have the experience under his belt to sweep the Presidency! It’s all exciting, if you really open your mind and consider it and think about it. The first woman President, and the first black Vice President! All brought by the Democrats! I love it, and I hope that is what happens.

I forgot one other point that I feels needs to be made: Everyone talks about the Clintons being divisive and polarizing. Let’s not forget that B. Clinton won two national elections and H. Clinton has won two New York elections. That’s batting 100% I believe. Divisive? Maybe. Winners? Absolutely

Again my question for anyone is how can the Democratic party tell voters in key swing states that are must win in NOV, we are NOT going to count you now but we do care about you in NOV. McCain will tell voters in FL and MI, the Democratic party does not want to hear you, I DO!! I will listen to you in the White House.
For those of you who think the race against Obama has been tough. LOL. Wait til the 527s pop up. There will be the full force of attack on him. Can he defend it? Maybe
Lastly, I would put CA in a maybe column. CA is a very independent state. Arnold is the governator and McCain is clearly an independent thinker who has fought for campaign finance reform, made sensible agreements to break deadlock in Washington on judicial nominees. McCain is CHANGE. McCain has a RECORD of change. It is not just a dream or a speech or a hope, McCain has made it a reality and will claim that he can unity the country. As a Republican, I want Obama to be the nominee because I cant wait to see McCain talk about Change and Experience and Obama to talk in abstracts.

LOL James Brown like McCain is clean candidate. Have you ever heard of Keating 5? John McCain should be in jail fro Racketeering charges and ties with the mafia and also the failed savings in loans. You want talk about trash bring it on.

THANK YOU DEMOCRATS FOR GIVING US REPUBLICANS A CHANCE TO WIN THE WHITE HOUSE AGAIN. The clinton / Obama fight will divide the democrats and as usual the loser team of rich liberal Kerry/Kennedy will help put Obama in that column as well. Just look at history, the Dems do not know how to win. They are too busy drinking their Latte’s and discussing idealogy. The only Democrat that can and has won is a Clinton. Yeah Hillary would have united the Republican party, but Hussain Obama will unite the party even more, since he is a far left Liberal than Hillary. McCain / Obama fight is a easy one. Hmm….lets see, Drug User, No Experience, Far left Liberal that will divide the country. Heck his campaign is the same as Bush’s 2000 one.
A year we Republicans were far behind in Polls on winning the White House. Now we are almost even. So Thank you again Dems….Your bumbling ways – a La Kerry – have opened a new window of opportunity for the Republican machine.
BTW, I am an independent that would have voted for Obama, until I took a closer look at his record (what little there is) and who is supporting him. Sorry, I cannot trust my country to some kindergarden kid, drinking the ‘Hope’ Koolaid, when there are 2 wars going on, economy is crashing, who cannot provide any specifics on issues. Get some experience, provide details on issues and move your views to the middle (where most of the country is) and then you will have my vote.

Sanctions against MI/FL should be held up, but Super Delegates independence should not even though both were set up before this election started – actually, the S.D. independence was set up long time ago.
I don’t see how giving Republicans a leg up in MI/FL will help any Democrat in the Fall.
McCain looks tough to me for either Democrat candidate. He shows leadership, he shows wisdoms, he has credentials, he shows independence, he has involuntary help from the extreme right to convince the middle spectrum voters that he’s a bona fide centrist. Last but not least, he’s a true survivor: think Hilton Hanoi, think his apparent dead campaign a few months ago.
As a non-partisan voter in CA, it will be a tough decision for me if HC runs against JM. It’s no brainer for me if BO carries the Democrat ticket. Why? The change that I can believe in is the change that is probable.
I’ve been here for 3 decades. The 80s was good. The 00s is so so. The 90s was the best. If the 10s is a continuation of the 90s, it will be a perfect conclusion for my working life.

Why care about foreign policy experience or any experience when you sat around for a 2 term MORON who lied you into a WAR and let his sidekick and their cash collecting contractor brigade destroy your countries name for a long long time?????
You clowns keep listening to a fat pill popping saphead who rolls around on his inflamed hemorrhoids each day, and you will get exactly what you deserve!!!!

Look at all the polls! Those who are saying that Hillary is a better candidate to face Mc Cain are blind or what? Not all the polls (but nearly) give the win to Obama in a face to face with Mc Cain, but ALL THE POLLS give him better results against Mc Cain than Hillary!!! Keep this in mind!

jim
Stop trying to act like the proposals put forth by the Democrats would raise taxes to anyone other than the very wealthy. As far as the hikes to the wealthy udner Clinton well they continued to do very well then, the middle class and working class did well as well. Record strength in the economy, record drops in poverty,. The economy works the best when economic policies are focused on the middle and working class as evident during the 90′s. In recent years the economic policies have been focused on the very welathy and while they have done real well. poverty is up, unemployment is up, median incomes have dropped for inflation 7 years in a row, men and women have seen their incomes drop 3 yers in a row (even without indexing it for inflation)
Asi
As far as the late deciders, they have generally been split. Look at the poll results a month or so ago when Clinton was well ahead look at them now. Its evident as people get to know Obama more and more they like him more and more.

A what do we know about politics. Nov is an eternity, let alone next week.
Polls had Obama in the 20s a month ago. Now he is a formidable force. Polls show him beating McCain. But we have not seen the Republican force to attack him. And also Obama has not been yet questioned on his record and his life. There are many questions he will need to answer. This has been a coronation march, to elect Obama.
As a Republican, I am delighted and will continue to contribute to Obama because I think Obama will easily be beaten by my candidate in the Fall.
The Clintons are tough and have won every election. WE DONT want their attack machine to be unleashed on McCain.
Please vote for the better public speaker, the man who can inspire a Nation and create a movement, please public media continue your love affair with Senator Obama. Ted Kennedy please continue to spend time telling him how much he reminds you of your brother (which one Joe, Jack, Bobby). I sure hope Obama does not remind you of your father or your domineering mother. lol.
So Please lets coronate Obama, let’s send Hillary back to Chappaqua.
And John will be the 44th president. Someone who understands war, someone who can win the war against terror, someone who can stand tall in the face of adversity and someone who is a true change agent, who works across ideology for the good of the country. He is our man!! the TRUE change agent!!

Osama is smiling in some cave because americans are voting for his muslim mole for president.

Josh
McCain’s views on Iraq will hurt him big time in November. he iw not the change agent he was, the Dems will easily be able to show he isn’t the Indpendent minded Maverick he once was and claims to be. he goes from calling Falwell and Robertson the agents of intolerance to courting their votes and speaking at their Universities. His views on Iraq, lets stay in a palce 70% of the country wants us out of yesterday for 100 years. gThats not going wo work well for him.

MR – you are right that most Democrats will certainly vote for either Dem nominee. Excepting the “Anyone But Hillary” contingent. But that’s what Democrats don’t seem to get yet.
Obama’s support is coming from Democrats, and Independents, and Republicans. Hillary’s isn’t. Should she win the nomination – those Independents and Republicans will go fleeing for the hills.
And you’ll be left wondering why Hillary only managed to win the states that John Kerry won. You need a candidate that can flip red states. Nominating someone that is on record with wanting to garnish my wages to pay for a universal healthcare system that I don’t want is a poor way to do it.
Obama will take *every* state that Hillary will take. But to win the Presidency, you have to win some of the states that Obama is winning. Obama beat Hillary in Missouri – which is critical. What if he beats her in Ohio?
The DNC is putting FL at risk – but let’s not be ridiculous. John McCain is not going into MI and winning. That’s ridiculous.
You’ve got one candidate that survives on name recognition, and another that has ignited an electorate that you didn’t even know existed.
And we haven’t even got to the part where we get to find out what was in the redacted portions of the Barrett Report. At least we’ll finally get to see what additional malfeasance the Clinton’s engaged in before it backfires on McCain and costs him the election. ;)

To Abi: as mentioned previously, no one will flee if presented with a Clinton/Obama ticket. It will be historical in nature, will energize the party like nothing we have seen before, and will bury the Republican party in a landslide election. I will be very upset if Hillary does not choose Obama as a VP because it’s the perfect fit for the perfect win. And, did I mention the historical significance of such a ticket? This is what the Democratic party should be thinking about and hoping for. This is the dream ticket that would be the Republicans worst nightmare.

I am sick and tired of the same old same old. No more Clinton or Bush tired old politics as usual. GW was a disaster but who was the option? Kerry? Dukakis? Please….. Now is the time for change. I’m a Republican and my worst nightmare was Romney or Huckabee versus Hillary. No votes in either direction. At least with McCain you get a more centered view that all people can identify with except for the religious right (aka the religious wrong)and with Obama you get an inspirational, intelligent candidate whose closet doesn’t resemble Arlington National Cemetary (too many skeletons in Hillary’s closet!). Finally in a McCain / Obama election it won’t be about which bucket of excrement is least offensive.

Well as a Republican I am elated to take Obama to task on the Iraq war.
Iraq was clearly run by a dictator. Fighting terrorists there has kept them on a run. Sorry folks but this is war. We were attacked by middle eastern extremists. We have to fight on several fronts and now we are winning in Iraq. We can not pull out and leave that Nation in crisis.
Obama has said he wants to meet with Iran’s president. He will be used as a tool by them. He is a novice. Sorry but we cannot afford on the job training on the world stage.
Whatever you do, please do not count Florida votes!! Show that you do not care about who votes in Florida and Michigan!!

Yep, he’s right. If Obama has the delegate lead when all is said and done, he has to be the nominee. If the super delegates go to Hillary, she can forget about the general election. African-Americans will feel the nomination was stolen and will refuse to turn out. I’m sure the party recognizes that also. If African-Americans feel disenfranchised over this, they won’t soon forget. I wrote about this on my blog:
http://www.spikesoft.net/blog/?p=75

President Obama – start getting used to it. And Hillary’s supporters can just keep whining and complaining, how it is unfair and repeating right-wing lies about Obama. The reality is that Obama beat Hillary fair and square. So unless you really are racists, stop whining and lying and get behind the Democratic nominee.

You followers are going to really be surprised when the LEFT has to save your country. You might thank them after they accomplish the task and try turning off the radio listening to losers like HUSH BIMBO and mikey the savage weiner.

Here’s a report that isn’t getting much publicity:
“Shorn of his Teleprompter, we saw a different Obama,” Barnett writes. “His delivery was halting and unsure. He looked down at his obviously copious notes every few seconds throughout the speech. Unlike the typical Obama oration where the words flow with unparalleled fluidity, he stumbled over his phrasing repeatedly.”

I cannot wait for this to be decided and I will vote for McCain and really I cannot wait for 24 months into Bamey’s term and then read the blogs. I remember back when “shock and awe” happened and how everyone at work was so victorious…cannot wait and do hope Bamey wins…when the sheep follow in this big of a herd nothing good happens…something wrong with this picture when you make a “saint” and worship a man like this…we’ll just see how human he is in the ole’ Oval office!

Mr. Dowd wrote, “The answer is: I think it’s impossible for the Democratic party establishment to go against voters in the Democratic primaries and caucuses.” Oh really? With all due respect to Mr. Dowd, I think he fails to realize just the reverse, that is, how very tenable it is that the Dem. Party, which is largely sympathetic to the Clintons and which holds the power, will give her the nod. There is just no getting around that reality despite how many popular votes or delegates Obama gets or how much momentum he has. That is a reality–called power–that neither Obama nor his supporters can change. So, Mr Dowd, I’d say start getting used to backing Clinton in the generals.

We beat Saddam Hussein in Iraq and we are getting Barack Hussein Obama as our potential president if all of us do not stop him now
Saddam Hussein must be laughing in his grave that he finally succeeded in having a Hussein as possibly our new President. What is the difference between Osama & Obama ? Both are using trickery and words to beat hard working Americans into accepting false propaganda.Only history will tell how the complacent white Protestant & Catholic majority was fooled into electing a Hussein to be nominee of a major party in USA. It is still not too late. Barack Hussein has won mainly in Caucus states where a tiny minority of voters ( many of them are not even Democrats)who show up while majority of registered voters especially white men & women are too busy in their work and too indifferent to what is going on around them. Go vote today . Why is it that 91% of blacks are voting for Hussein while only 40% of white men vote for a Hillary Clinton who has spent all of her life in the service of this country and supports the primciples laid out in our constitution. Nobody has worked harder or longer to improve health care than Hillary Clinton. From her time in Arkansas when she improved rural health care to her successful effort to create the SCHIP Children’s Health Insurance program which now covers six million children, Hillary has the strength and experience to ensure that every man, woman and child in America has quality, affordable health care. “Our message to the president is clear. It is time to begin ending this war — not next year, not next month — but today.”And as we replace military force with diplomacy and global leadership, Hillary will not lose sight of our very real strategic interests in the region. She would devote the resources we need to fight terrorism and will order specialized units to engage in narrow and targeted operations against al Qaeda and other terrorist organizations in the region.
This is the only way to beat Saddam Hussein for ever and not by electing Barack Hussein to be our nominee for the democratic party.

Obama is good at stage show while Hillary is good at political debates which has been proved by the candidates’ preferences. I think one who is strong at political debate is best candidate and capable of winning the presidential race this fall.

We beat Saddam Hussein in Iraq and we are getting Barack Hussein Obama as our potential president if all of us do not stop him now
Saddam Hussein must be laughing in his grave that he finally succeeded in having a Hussein as possibly our new President. What is the difference between Osama & Obama ? Both are using trickery and words to beat hard working Americans into accepting false propaganda.Only history will tell how the complacent white Protestant & Catholic majority was fooled into electing a Hussein to be nominee of a major party in USA. It is still not too late. Barack Hussein has won mainly in Caucus states where a tiny minority of voters ( many of them are not even Democrats)who show up while majority of registered voters especially white men & women are too busy in their work and too indifferent to what is going on around them. Go vote today . Why is it that 91% of blacks are voting for Hussein while only 40% of white men vote for a Hillary Clinton who has spent all of her life in the service of this country and supports the primciples laid out in our constitution. Nobody has worked harder or longer to improve health care than Hillary Clinton. From her time in Arkansas when she improved rural health care to her successful effort to create the SCHIP Children’s Health Insurance program which now covers six million children, Hillary has the strength and experience to ensure that every man, woman and child in America has quality, affordable health care. “Our message to the president is clear. It is time to begin ending this war — not next year, not next month — but today.”And as we replace military force with diplomacy and global leadership, Hillary will not lose sight of our very real strategic interests in the region. She would devote the resources we need to fight terrorism and will order specialized units to engage in narrow and targeted operations against al Qaeda and other terrorist organizations in the region.
This is the only way to beat Saddam Hussein for ever and not by electing Barack Hussein to be our nominee for the democratic party.

Obama is a good guy, I like him a lot. However I believe that experience is desperately needed to turn our economy around after Bush’s hugh mess. In this matter, I trust Clinton will have the experience. If Obama is nominated, it will become a muddy future. I would think the best combination for our future and our country is the Clinton-Obama ticket.

What about popular vote? I believe that’s what all the hoopla was about in the 2000 Presidential Race. Who cares about the delegate race? Elections, in my opinion, should be about popular vote.
I hope Hillary prevails!

Obama is a good guy, I like him a lot. However I believe that experience is desperately needed to turn our economy around after Bush’s hugh mess. In this matter, I trust Clinton will have the experience. If Obama is nominated, it will become a muddy future. I would think the best combination for our future and our country is the Clinton-Obama ticket.

I got more Experience in my left pinky then Hillary does! Tz, we know your not a rocket-scientist!

Jackie
Nice racism there and using Obama’s middle name. Go take yout butt where it belongs with remarks like that the Republican Party.

Brian:
Your comments appear to be on point….
thanks.

Exactly right. A plurality of pledged delegates by one candidate – probably Obama – will lead the “supers” to encourage the other candidate to step out of the race. If that other candidate doesn’t, then the supers will knock him or her out on their own.
Though there are people on this posting board suggesting that caucus votes should be thrown out, I don’t think the party or either candidate would be stupid enough to disenfranchise those states.
As for Michigan, Sen Clinton’s name was the only name on the ballot. It would be completely unfair to Sen Obama and his supporters in MI to seat the delegates chosen this way. Can anyone explain how it wouldn’t be?

To any HRC supporter who “cannot possibly vote for BHO” or any BHO supporter who “cannot possibly vote for HRC” I double-dog dare you to visit
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/interactives/candidatequiz/
Take the quiz and you’ll be astonished at how similar the candidates are. Net result: chill out, folks.

I was hoping Bush’s Chief “stratigizer” would explain the inner workings of the Democtatic Super Delegates to me. You are either as dumb as your former boss or trying to fool people.
The Super Delegates were put into place not to play a game of follow the leader but to make sure the Democrats put up their best candidate. If the party wanted them to vote for whom ever won their state they would of alloted extra delegates to each state and not used Super Delegates.
As far as Florida and Michigan, if the Democrats do not allow them to be counted the party risks the state delegations ground teams siting out the general.
A democrat will have a very slim chance in November without Michigan and Florida. Especially Obama who hasn’t shown much strength in the northeast and derives his wins from crossovers, black votes and the young. Three demographics who can not be counted on in November.
You may be right about him winning the nomination but he is another Dukakis and Kerry and would go down the same way.

Hillary and her would-be-co-president are strangers to truth and honesty. HILLARY CLINTON’S 35 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE BS: The first 15 years she spent in “public service” she worked for the biggest law firm in Little Rock, Arkansas. Her goal then: make as much money as possible, ethics be damned. Almost forgot her stint working in Goldwater’s campaign for president. Then there was White Water, Travelgate Vincent Foster, et al. Then there was her job working at Wal-Mart where she did an outstanding job of fighting off the workers attempts to organize a union for collective bargaining. And what a disaster her health plan was. When she took the DC Bar exam she failed twice. By then, she was fighting against the “Vast right-wing conspiracy. Stole items from the White House and later gave them back – only because she was caught. The most extensive experience this woman has is serving tea to foreign dignitaries. Claimed to be a New Yorker so she could run for the senate. She has a reputation of being the queen of earmarks and recently secured a 1.5 million dollar earmark awarded to a Harlem minister who endorsed her candidacy for President. She also has accepted more corporate donations than any of the Republican candidates.
Voted to authorize Iraq war; voted to give Bush power to go to war against Iran and voted for NAFTA. Bottom line: This woman has no ethics. She has a lot of class – but it’s all low.

We have a general idea of where they stand on the issues; right now we’re looking for character. They’ll get to the issues after the nominations. Patience, my children.

If I were so in awe of Obama’s “inspiring” speeches, I’d vote for his speech writer! As for his positions – Hillary’s are best(and he has always come out with his after her.) Too bad his health care plan is not adequate. Hillary has been for universal health care before anyone else and all the experts have said her plan is best! Health insurance needs to be mandated to arrive at universal coverage. Have you ever heard of mandated car insurance? Same idea. Everyone insured brings down the costs of insurance and health care for all of us! And, her plan is based on affordability! Nobody will pay more than they can afford – a certain percentage of their income.
Obama could not stand up against the Repubs in November – they will have him for breakfast. Remember what they did to Gore and Kerry. They will “swift boat” Obama so hard, he won’t know what hit him. Hillary is a woman of steel and after all is over and done with, she will be the last one standing!
Go Hillary!

Matthew, if your arguments hold true, the DNC might as well scrape the superdelegates votes henceforth. What is the point if they cannot vote their conscience?
As you said, “count the votes” and that means theirs too since they too have the right to vote and that I believe means the ‘FREEDOM TO VOTE THEIR CONSCIENCE” like everyone else. so please let them vote freely as was intended when they were given the right. If it is for Obama, fine. Equally, Obama must not complain or attempt to spin if they decide for Hillary.
It seems to me Obama is asking for too much advantage just because he is black. I hope he fights clean and strictly on merit and nothing else. Barrack seems to me to be an opportunist taking advantage of the psychology of reverse racism. Thats not right!

I hope that the Democrats are not setting themselves up for a fall in the November general elections. I see a dynamic young president in the oval office. Obama is that man. And with a running mate like John Edwards who champions the plight of the middle class, McCain does not stand a chance. A new day has dawned for America.

Hillary did not raise more money than Obama. In fact, Hillary was never in the lead in fund-raising point-by-point, hour-by-hour, day-by-day. As soon as we saw Hillary was trying to raise a record number, we started donating in droves. We have 400,000+ donors. Hillary had 75,000. Despite higher income people favoring Obama, Hillary’s donors are maxing out to make their fundraising quotas. Curious. Perhaps the corporations are indeed still giving to Hillary’s campaign. For us, it is a multitude of people giving small amounts. We must reward the candidate who is inspiring generations of voters, young-and-old. His in-depth detailed plans provide the backbone of our movement. Check the website for details.

Hillary most qualified, best policies etc. Sorry..
Unfortunately in our politics, what matters is one’s ability to achieve a consensus.
Hillary cannot. She is a devisive, polarizing figure. She cannot get people together.
Maybe Obama can. Maybe McCain can.
If Hillary includes her tenure as first lady as part of her “experience”; why do we have nothing to show for it. If she has 8 years in the senate as part of her “experience”.. again “where’s the beef”.
Health care has not advanced since 1992. Energy consumption per capita has not decreased since 1992. We are in a war that Hillary supported….
Someone please tell me..What do you really see Hillary being able to do?
We need to jump start our government. I see Obama doing that.

President Obama – start getting used to it. And Hillary’s supporters just keep whining and complaining about how it is unfair and repeating right-wing lies about Obama. The reality is that Obama beat Hillary fair and square. So unless you really are racists, stop whining and lying and get behind the Democratic nominee.

Douglasdao,
“Whining” is sexist.
And you’re also discriminating against Barack. Just because he’s black doesn’t guarantee he’ll make a great president! And just because he talks pretty doesn’t mean he’ll get anything done! Right now, he’s untested. If Barack beats Hillary, there will be another Republican in the White House.

What have you people been drinking? HRC has not been able to stay out of conflicts, battles, or criminal investigation,for as long as she has been in National Politics.Isnt it clear to anyone who has not been in a coma, the Clintons will do, say or buy anything or anyone they need to get them back in to thse White House. They are the worst thing that has ever happened to this country, and you people want to give them back the power they need to further corupt and degrade our country? Can I ask why?

What have you people been drinking? HRC has not been able to stay out of conflicts, battles, or criminal investigation,for as long as she has been in National Politics.Isnt it clear to anyone who has not been in a coma, the Clintons will do, say or buy anything or anyone they need to get them back in to thse White House. They are the worst thing that has ever happened to this country, and you people want to give them back the power they need to further corupt and degrade our country? Can I ask why?

I don’t think it will come down to super delegates, but if it does they are supposed to make their choice based on who would be the strongest canidate going into Nov. not just bend to popularity. They’re there to correct the mistakes of the average voter. And picking Barack is the BIGGEST mistake this party is on the verge of making. So if they do their duty they will stop it from happening.

Giovina: Obama may have won 8 small states however I do not believe he will win in the state of Texas, PA and Ohio. Clinton is right to go after the major states like she did in CA, NY & NJ. Right now he is ahead in the delegates by only 17 but that will change on March 4th. You have to remember Obama is getting the black vote 100% in these states and some white votes. Naturally the blacks want to see one of their own in the white house but that will not happen with Hillary winning the major states again. The DNC should restore the delegates in Michigan and Florida. The DNC has no right to tell any state they can’t change their primary date. Who does Howard Dean think he is. He is getting out of control, I never did like him from the beginning. He is an Obama supporter and that is probably why he doesn’t want to give the delegates back to those states. I was hoping Huckabee would beat out John McCain because John McCain is too old to be running for the presidency. McCain is getting closer to the nomination and that is bad for this country. He will be worse than Bush. And Obama would be worse than McCain. I believe him to be a stubborn person with some dictorial when he speaks and he is definately copying MLK and JFK. They were both ten times smarter than Obama ever will be and had better recognition. The youth of today is easily fooled by Obama because most of them don’t have any common sense. When Obama talks about change he means changing a white president to a black president not the issues. Wake up Giovina and smell the coffee. Think before you speak.

Kim: You hit it right on the head. Choosing Obama for the nomination would definately would bring this country to rock bottom but most of the young of this generation cannot see thru him. All they hear is the word change. What changes could he make. I understand he had an interview on foreign policy and he gave the wrong answer to every question asked which means he does not have the capabilities or experience for the white house and should have waited another 4 years to run. All I can say we are in real trouble if he gets elected. And all the young people who voted him will be kicking themselves. I am not voting for him because I can read him like a book without the cover.

Kevin: What mess are you talking about. Bill Clinton did not make a mess when he was president George Bush did the second time around. All you young people that voted for him got what you deserved and more of it. You have seen anything yet. If Obama gets elected then you will see the mess of your life. Let’s hope that he does not get elected instead of Hillary so we can bring America back to where it was.

I can’t wait for Obama to run as an independent!! It will be a kicker!!!
the democrats will be the laughing of the world.
well, our political system will be which doesn’t bore well to our reps…
which means Mr. Dowd is right. the super dupers will have to vote along the popular vote.

If Obama finishes up ahead in the pledged delegate count and the super delegates give the nomination to Hillary we will see riots in the streets that will make Watts look like a Sunday picnic.

Min Yee (above) is a must read. Don’t let his apparent prolixity put you off. Cogent and straight-up analysis.

Attention Delegates & Super Delegates, ya need to take notice; American has spoken we want Obama as the Demo. Nominee!

I have a strong preference in the race for the Democratic nomination, but I won’t say who. Why? Because I think we are all losing sight of the big picture. Please don’t forget who we have had as President for the past eight years and keep in mind that McCain is essentially Bush-lite. So lets come together and ignore the haters by not bringing each other or our two candidates down.

IF OBAMA WINS …………………..PRESIDENT MCAIN….IS THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES IN 2009. THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY…..THOUGHT WILL WIN THE WHITE HOUSE IF OBAMA WINS. IT WAS PREDICTED THAT IT IS A WHITE PRESIDENT WILL SIT ON WHITE HOUSE ON 2009. THIS IS A NO JOKE. BUT THIS IS TRUE. SO CAREFUL DEMOCRATIC PARTY. IT IS A WHITE PRESIDENT THAT WILL SIT ON THE WHITE HOUSE ON 2009.

If Senator Obama is nominated, I urge Senator Hillary Clinton quit the DEM and form a new – working and middle class party. I see no way that she can help the dump party which she belong any more and believe many DEM including me will join her.

A WORD IS ENOUGH FOR THE WISE AS THEY SAY.OBAMA IS THE RIGHT CANDIDATE,YES WE CAN,WE CAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!GO OBAMA YES WE CAN DO IT!!!!!!!

LOL the Obama wave will look puny once the tsunami wave by McCain hits in the general election. I will support Obama however he will trounced in the general election. You people are delusional if you think otherwise. Obama has only won states he will lose in the general election and that’s a fact. These white men voting Obama are just voting against Hillary and will jump to McCain.

“It is impossible for the Democratic establishment to go against the voters in the Democratic primaries and caucuses.” I hope Mr. Dowd is right, As I see it, the only way that the Democratic Party can loose in the fall is to hack the convention and nominate someone who did not win the actual support of the voters in the primaries. Even H.C. who is the weaker candidate — by far — can beat any Republican candidate, if Democrats do not waste the momentum of this primary season, General revulsion at the overwhelming incompetence of the Bush administration will remain constant; it only remains for the out-of-power party to maintain its integrity and to focus on the problems that Americans face… problems that the cowardice and irresponsibility of the Bush administration have created. It’s time for all to see how smart these “smart people” really are.

Hillary’s Next Round Of Cuts! Hillary’s Deputy Campaign Manager Steps down.A few days ago her Head Campaign Manager stepped down!Hillary wont release her Income Tax Info, sounds like she has somethign to hide!

Here’s an objective review of where things stand rather than this one person’s OPINION. You can only get objective reporting at CBSNEWS, the other media outlets only report Obama all the time. Let’s see what the big state primaries bring and then do the math if the democrats awarded delegates like the republicans with winner take all.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/02/12/politics/main3824058.shtml?source=mostpop_story

Last night, Hillary again ignored the “Potomac supporters’ who DID vote for her. Had she won, she would have been drooling all over them. Instead, since she lost, she ignored them. She did, however, give a lovely speach. For about 10 minutes, she droned on with each sentence starting out as, “I see an America where….”. No comments on how she was going to accomplish any of her promises or who was going to pay for them. And his critics say Obama doesn’t have a plan??????? Geez, get real, Hillary. You’re now trying to copy Obama–if so, then you’d better check out his web site–he HAS specific plans as well as vision and the ablity to bring folks together to make it happen.

Peter;I got more experience then Hillary in my pinky, we know your not a rocket-Scientist!

How to split the “superdelegates” “fairly”, and still allow some of them to both endorse AND vote for their selected candidates?
Not complicated math.
All the states are proportional, so even in states Clinton won, unless TOO MANY superdelegates want to support Obama, just let the undecided ones go with Clinton until the ratios are right. That way Kennedy CAN vote for Obama at the Primary, who he has endorsed, AND Clinton “gets her share”. That way it is still fair, the public is NOT overruled by the Superdelegates, and there is NO ISSUE!

Justin, don’t worry, once Obama wins the nomination the republicans will see that the story gets its due. Those hypocrites will use “family values” along with Obama’s 2 Muslim fathers and his current religious affiliation to an African-based church to beat him with the swiftboating techniques. The democrats just can’t find anyone to beat them as we know from their ineffective majority since last Nov. I was hoping that Bloomberg would run. At least he has democratic leanings.

OMG! That whole Larry Sinclair thing is a riot! I just watched the video of Larry on Restoretherepublic.com. You can find it too by Googling with keywords “Larry Sinclair claims to have had sex with Barrak Obama”. Funny story. What an interesting claim. I just hear Obama impersonating Bill Clinton’s voice, “I did not have sexual relations with that man, Larry Sinclair.” OMG, the writer at SNL need to do this bit! Funny stuff.

Mariann,
one other thing, regarding Michigan and Florida changing the Primary dates. Their are rules, they broke them. They were told what would happen if they broke the rules, yet they broke them anyway. Those rules go far back before Dean. We haven’t seen it become an issue because no states in the past thought they were above the rules and could do whatever they want as Michigan and Florida did. On top of that we were headed in a direction of every state trying to one up each other by moving their primries up. We would have set the stage for Primaries before Christmas. perhaps even before Thanksgiving? Do you honestly want that? Have Primaries a year before Election Day?
The rules were put in place, the states were told of the consequences if they broke the rules, yet they broke them anyway. What kind of precedent does it set when we have rules and let people, states or whomever break them whenever the feel like it?? So we have to stick to it. the Democratic Party isn’t the Bush administration, we aren’t the Republican Party. We aren’t a party that breaks the rules and just goes on about it like nothing happened.
Not to mention Clinton had no problem with thedelegates being stripped at the time it happened. She only changed her tune after the fact. You can’t say the results won’t count and then after the fact, after the vote say they should count. It doesn’t work that way.