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Born at the Crest of the Empire

Monday, May 12, 2008

Political bits

West Virginia is polling as a rout. How does the assumed end of the campaign affect turnout? Do Clinton supporters show up to protest vote? Stay home in despair? Do Obama supporters come out in what looks like a shellacking?

(WaPo) Clinton aides continued to insist that she will remain in the race even while confirming that she is $20 million in debt. "The voters are going to decide this," senior adviser Howard Wolfson said on "Fox News Sunday," acknowledging the $20 million figure.

Terry McAuliffe "he spoke to Clinton about the possibility of contributing more money and “she said that she would be willing to do it.” However, McAuliffe insists, “We haven’t needed it.”

And, (OpenLeft) An interesting post looking at Obama's online and networking power to raise money, organize volunteers, register voters, etc.

4 Comments:

  • The Clinton camp -- and Hillary herself -- is really starting to sound like Romney in his latter days. (pun intended).

    I don't expect Clinton to officially wind down until after the last primary. I just hope as she finishes out this Greek tragedy of a campaign she doesn't go all suicide bomber on Obama or the party.

    I go back and forth with Hillary; first thinking she's a seasoned pro and will act professionally, then thinking she a psycho hose beast from teen horror flick -- willing to take out everyone at the prom.

    By Blogger -epm, at 9:03 AM  

  • I have a hunch the pressure comes after Oregon Kentucky. We're already seeing her continuation being the subject of jokes.

    By Blogger mikevotes, at 2:08 PM  

  • Given how late in the game we are, I can see a benefit to Hillary (legacy) and the Democratic party with Hillary actually staying in the game through the end of the primaries. However, she has to start running a positive campaign and back off the poison drip of "Obama's not electable" and "My people won't vote for Obama" which is only planting the seeds of doubt for the General election.

    I think her supporters need to see her stay in. They don't want to see her quit and I think Hillary need to have history record that she may have lost, but she never quit.

    I don't buy the argument that somehow McCain is getting some sort of head start toward the White House just because the Dems still have a primary contest going on. This is all going to be ancient history by Labor Day, when the real fighting kicks in. Right now it's all theater....

    By Blogger -epm, at 3:16 PM  

  • Like I wrote a couple days ago, I think there could be a course where running this thing out is good for her and for everyone else as well, assuming the caveats you include.

    The problem, I think, is that such an exercise would necessarily include a tacit admission that she's lost, and I don't see that happening.

    The only real advantages I can see McCain gathering are fundraising time and setting up the nationwide organization, but Obama's already got all that in place already.

    Maybe you could argue that McCain is allowed to consolidate his base without spotlight pushing issues that might generate some blowback if he was more public. Maybe you could argue that he's defining Obama and himself, but that's almost exclusively to the Repub base.

    So, largely, no. No big negatives in continuing assuming Clinton plays nice.

    By Blogger mikevotes, at 3:37 PM  

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