May 5, 2008

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ARG Poll: Clinton Keeps Lead in Indiana

May 5, 2008 in Campaign 2008, Democrats by Tony Steidler-Dennison | No comments

(Via Political Wire.)

According to a new American Research Group survey in Indiana, Sen. Hillary Clinton leads Barack Obama, 53% to 45%.

Key findings: Obama leads among men 51% to 47% and Clinton leads among women 58% to 40%. Clinton leads among white voters 60% to 38% and Obama leads among African American voters 90% to 8%. African Americans account for 12% of likely Democratic primary voters. Obama leads 51% to 47% among likely primary voters under 50 and Clinton leads 59% to 39% among voters 50 and older.

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Video of the Day: 05-05-08

May 5, 2008 in Video by Tony Steidler-Dennison | No comments

Democrats fear divided party after nominee chosen

May 5, 2008 in Campaign 2008, Democrats by Tony Steidler-Dennison | No comments

(Via Reuters.)

U.S. presidential primaries often divide party loyalists, but the drawn-out battle between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama may leave some Democrats too bitter to band together against the Republicans in November.

Indiana homemaker Ginger Smith, 48, said she was with Clinton all the way and would not vote for Obama.

“I believe a woman needs to be in the presidency,” Smith said. “He’s too smooth and doesn’t have enough experience. … I don’t trust him, that’s my gut feeling.”

And if the Illinois senator is the Democratic nominee?

“I’ll vote for McCain,” Smith said, referring to Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona. But on reflection, she tempered her response to say, “I probably won’t vote.”

Full story here.

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Why Catholics prefer Clinton to Obama.

May 5, 2008 in Campaign 2008, Democrats by Tony Steidler-Dennison | No comments

(Via Slate Magazine.)

I don’t know that I’d go as far as Doug Kmiec, the conservative jurist who proclaimed that except on the “life issues,” Barack Obama is a “Catholic natural.” For a lot of Catholic voters, that would be like saying they love pizza except for the crust. Still, there is a lot for Catholics to like in Obama’s early opposition to the war, attention to social justice issues, and promise of reconciliation across so many divides. And his stance on abortion rights is identical to Hillary Clinton’s, so you’d think that issue be would off the table in the Democratic primary. Most of my Catholic friends are backing Obama, and two of my colleagues at Commonweal are on his steering committee. (”Gosh, I don’t know anyone who’s supporting Hillary,” said Pam Wonnell, a friend since we had Sister Mary Edna in the first grade who is active in her parish in West Virginia now—and was en route to volunteer in Obama’s Huntington, W.Va., office when I caught her.)

Full story here.

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The endless Democratic party

May 5, 2008 in Campaign 2008, Democrats by Tony Steidler-Dennison | No comments

(Via Salon News.)

Barack Obama liked the speech so much that he gave it twice at high-profile events in Indianapolis over the weekend. Following Hillary Clinton and Howard Dean on stage Sunday night at the Indiana Democratic Party’s fundraising gala, Obama repeated (at times word-for-word) the new campaign speech that he unveiled here Saturday morning. Some of the more pointed references to Hillary Clinton were stripped away for the Democratic dinner-theater crowd, but the essence of the speech remained unchanged.

What is significant is not Obama’s deliberate repetition (if self-plagiarism were a crime, there would not be enough jails to hold the candidates and the reporters who cover them). But rather, at a moment in the campaign when Obama is trying to right himself after the uproar over Jeremiah Wright, the Democratic frontrunner has deliberately chosen to offer the voters in Tuesday’s Indiana and North Carolina primaries more of the same.

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Ruthlessness and Grit Seen in Clinton’s Style

May 5, 2008 in Featured by Tony Steidler-Dennison | No comments

(Via New York Times.)

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton is waving her fists across Indiana, signing autographs on boxing gloves.

“We need a president who’s a fighter again,” Mrs. Clinton said at a rally on Thursday, adding that the next president must understand what it is like to “get knocked down and get back up: that’s the story of America, right?”

In recent days, Mrs. Clinton has chided the experts for “counting me out” and Senator Barack Obama for his inability to “close the deal” and declared that no one was going to make her quit. “She makes Rocky Balboa look like a pansy,” North Carolina’s governor, Michael F. Easley, said in endorsing her, and a union leader in Portage, Ind., praised her “testicular fortitude.”

This kind of language and pugilistic imagery, however, also evokes the baggage that makes Mrs. Clinton such a provocative political figure. For as much as a willingness to “do what it takes” and “die hard” are marketable commodities in politics, they can also yield to less flattering qualities, plenty of which have been ascribed to her over the years. Just as supporters praise her “toughness” and “tenacity,” critics also describe her as “divisive,” “a dirty fighter” or “willing to do anything to win.”

Full story here.

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Republicans use Obama as the bad guy in negative ads

May 5, 2008 in Campaign 2008, Democrats, Republicans by Tony Steidler-Dennison | No comments

(Via CNN.com.)

Is Sen. Barack Obama the new Sen. Ted Kennedy, Sen. Hillary Clinton or former House Speaker Newt Gingrich? For Republican candidates and political ad makers, the White House hopeful might very well be.

A review of political television advertising nationwide shows that Obama has played a starring role or has been mentioned in at least 9 GOP-inspired ads designed to undercut a Democratic candidate in recent months.

In previous elections, Republicans have used Kennedy and Clinton — especially in the South, where these two Northeast Democrats might not be as well received — in negative ads targeting congressional or state Democratic candidates.

“We’re starting to see Barack Obama come into play in mostly conservative districts,” said Evan Tracey, chief operating officer of TNSMI/CMAG, CNN’s consultant on television advertising.

Obama’s comments about small-town Pennsylvanians being “bitter” people who “cling to guns and religion” over frustration with the economy, and the Rev. Jeremiah Wright’s controversial remarks, have provided Republicans with material to try to inflict damage in down-ballot races.

“What they do is they draw on the negative character of a candidate, and they attach them to another candidate in the race,” Tracey said. “The question is, is that negative character believable and defendable? That will be the test that these ads will have to stand up to in a few weeks.”

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John McCain’s Cabinet - Just Like Bush’s

May 5, 2008 in Featured by Tony Steidler-Dennison | No comments

(Via MyDD.)

One of the most effective charges that can be leveled against George W. Bush - beyond the ineptitude, lawbreaking, and destructive policies - is that he surrounded himself with the wrong people. They were either hopelessly incompetent (Condoleezza Rice), completely surrounded by conflicts of interest (Donald Rumsfeld), or simply evil (Dick Cheney - no link required). In fact, of the nine most trusted advisers Bush brought up from Texas with him in 2000, all of them have now resigned in disgrace.

In short, we’ve seen what America under the dubious leadership of an awful man can become, but we’ve also seen what happens when that man surrounds himself with equally awful allies. It should be readily apparent that the people our next President chooses for his or her Cabinet is of the utmost importance.

Given how high-placed campaign staff and policy advisors often move into the White House if their candidate gets elected (see Warren Christopher in Clinton’s administration and Condoleezza Rice in Bush’s for two examples), there is real cause to worry about the people John McCain might appoint if he wins in November.

Full story here.

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The credit bubble bailout continues

May 5, 2008 in The Economy by Tony Steidler-Dennison | No comments

(Via AmericaBlog.)

Supporting education makes fantastic sense but aren’t we just feeding the bubble by injecting even more cash? The cost of universities in the US has become crazy, unlike any other Western/rich country. No matter how you spin it, it’s impossible to say that the easy money credit hasn’t fed the high cost of universities. Take a look at the endowment funds that the top schools have and ask how tuition could be so out of control when these schools are sitting on so much money. A few schools are now changing their tuition plans for normal families but that’s only because of pressure (or threats of action) by Congress.

Graduating from college with over $120,000 of debt not to mention credit card debt that students all have these days is a bad way to enter the working world. Sure, we can and we should help but this system needs a drastic overhaul and one that does not center around the credit industry cashing in.

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Where the Nomination Campaign Stands

May 5, 2008 in Campaign 2008, Democrats by Tony Steidler-Dennison | No comments

(Via Open Left.)

The Obama campaign has started to keep a running count of superdelegates on its results page. While it does not provide a list of the superdelegate endorsements, the total is still a useful public service. Also, I can understand why they wouldn’t want to list the individual superdelegates, given that any errors could cause real problems from them. At this point, I’m fine that they only provide totals.

Some might object that I am not accurately portraying the position of the Obama campaign on Michigan and Florida. While I list the Obama campaign arguing for a 184-184 split of the 368 delegates from those two states, the results page on the Obama campaign website lists each state as receiving zero delegates. However, this is a contradiction from the Obama campaign, not an error on my part. While the campaign lists each state with zero delegates, it has also stated that it wants to see Michigan and Florida both seated at the convention, but with a 50-50 split of delegates. So, the campaign is arguing for 184-184 in some places, and 0-0 in others. Since we all know that both states will be seated at the convention, I will stick with 184-184 for now.

Full story here.

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