Political bits
(AP) Seems to be a growing number of these "angry McCain" stories listing his past known outbursts and questioning whether he has the temperament to be president.
(Politico) The SEIU is planning on spending $5 million in Texas and Ohio alone. (GOTV? That seems like alot of money without TV.)
(Politico) Clinton surrogate Harold Ickes says on a conference call that he expects Clinton to have the nomination wrapped up by June 7. (They're still trying to buy time.)
In FirstRead's version, Ickes seems to be saying she's going to win every state left.
The same FirstRead post also notes the continuing Clinton efforts to get the media to refer to "superdelegates" as "automatic delegates."
(TPM) DNC Chair Howard Dean issues a straight down the middle memo on how superdelegates should vote. ("Their role is to exercise their best judgment in the interests of the nation and of the Democratic Party.")
(Gallup) Look at the trendlines on the Gallup daily tracking poll. (Fairly useless for alot of reasons, but Clinton's highpoint was Super Tuesday?)
(TPM) Obama outspending Clinton in Wisconsin. (FirstRead) She hasn't even been to Wisconsin until today.
(ABCNews) "Speaking about Wisconsin, a Clinton adviser told ABC News on Friday, "I don't expect her to win but you never know."
And, This very bizarre video (Reuters?) of fainting incidents at Obama rallies.
(Politico) The SEIU is planning on spending $5 million in Texas and Ohio alone. (GOTV? That seems like alot of money without TV.)
(Politico) Clinton surrogate Harold Ickes says on a conference call that he expects Clinton to have the nomination wrapped up by June 7. (They're still trying to buy time.)
In FirstRead's version, Ickes seems to be saying she's going to win every state left.
The same FirstRead post also notes the continuing Clinton efforts to get the media to refer to "superdelegates" as "automatic delegates."
The effort to change the terms journalists use to refer to the superdelegates was particularly interesting as a political ploy. The word "automatic" has implications that would seem to fit well with the arguments the Clinton camp has been making, namely that superdelegates should exercise their independent judgment.
(TPM) DNC Chair Howard Dean issues a straight down the middle memo on how superdelegates should vote. ("Their role is to exercise their best judgment in the interests of the nation and of the Democratic Party.")
(Gallup) Look at the trendlines on the Gallup daily tracking poll. (Fairly useless for alot of reasons, but Clinton's highpoint was Super Tuesday?)
(TPM) Obama outspending Clinton in Wisconsin. (FirstRead) She hasn't even been to Wisconsin until today.
(ABCNews) "Speaking about Wisconsin, a Clinton adviser told ABC News on Friday, "I don't expect her to win but you never know."
And, This very bizarre video (Reuters?) of fainting incidents at Obama rallies.
posted by mikevotes at
2:37 PM
8 Comments:
Hillary Clinton's campaign is:
a) Staffed with the power players of a previous administration.
b) Running a campaign of division, both in rhetoric and in gaming the collection of delegates.
c) Fighting to count votes that are not legitimate.
d) Attempting to redefine the political vocabulary to imply a reality that isn't quite the truth of the situation.
Now what does this remind you of?
Still, a lot of people seem to like her. Or at lest the idea of getting a Clinton back in the WH.
By
-epm, at 4:03 PM
The biggest one to me is that she's trying to change the rules on Fla Mich after the game is 3/4 over.
By
mikevotes, at 5:07 PM
Rules never matter to the Clintons. In fact, rules seem to matter very little to anyone or to any level of politics anymore. It really is quite saddening. Everywhere you look rules are being obviously broken and ignored - often with no attempt to hide or spin it away! Sports, politics, money, education, military et al. Greed and ego has cracked through the foundation. The ivory towers are just straw huts...
By
Anonymous, at 9:25 PM
Anon, I think you need hear the tinkle of the icecubes in a glass of scotch and some Tom Waits in the dark.
That's my antidote when I get there.
By
mikevotes, at 9:39 PM
this Obama fainting business... isn't it about half rock n' roll show behavior (think screaming girls at Shea Stadium), and half evangelical 'revival' behavior (think 'touched by the power of Spirit')?
I like Obama and the ideas he's put forward pretty well, but the 'personality cult' stuff rubs me the wrong way.
By
r8r, at 12:19 AM
I think actually both campaigns are trying to have it both ways: they each want to honor the letter of the law where it favors them (Obama in the Florida/Michigan debate, Clinton concerning superdelegates) and the supposed will of the people where the letter of the law DOESN'T favor them.
Though actually, as Ickes points out, it's totally within the letter of the law for the credentials committee to approve the seating of the Florida and Michigan voters. Not likely, admittedly, but I thought the most tantalizing bit of that FirstRead article was Ickes' hint that the credentials committee might be stacked with Clinton people. Probably a bluff, but interesting.
And maybe I missed something, but isn't what Howard Dean said about superdelegates what Hillary has been saying? That they should use their own independent judgment? (Of course she means they should use their own independent judgment and vote for HER, but still...)
By
Anonymous, at 4:08 AM
8r, I don't know what the fainting thing is. Probably people coming out hours early and standing without food or water.
,,,,
TG, Okay, take this with kindness, but I think you've bought some Clinton spin.
In recommending the superdelegates vote to match popular, delegates, whatever, Obama isn't encouraging them to change any rule.
You might argue its somehow against the intent, but he is not trying to get actual standing rules of the game changed. He's trying to use guilt to get the superdelegates to back him.
That is very different than the Clinton effort to overturn the DNC's ruling on Fla and Mich.
Adn regarding Howard Dean, yes, and no. Really, it's doen the middle. Use your best judgement about what best for the pary could be read to mean don't overturn the popular vote.
It was very carefully worded not to pick sides.
By
mikevotes, at 6:39 AM
I acknowledge your point about the distinction between the two debates, but in my opinion it's a distinction without a difference. Both sides are trying to work the system to their own advantage, and both sides are willing to overlook the will of the voters if it profits them.
As for Howard Dean, wow, I just don't see an inch of daylight between her position and Dean's. Hillary: “Superdelegates are by design supposed to exercise independent judgment." Obama's position is that they SHOULD take into account the local and national voting; Hillary's and Dean's is that they should take into account whatever they want to.
By
Anonymous, at 1:57 PM
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