May 2008

You are currently browsing the monthly archive for May 2008.

‘Hardcore’ Republicans voting Democrat

May 6, 2008 in Campaign 2008, Democrats, Republicans by Tony Steidler-Dennison | No comments

(Via The Indianapolis Star.)

The two precincts at Broad Ripple Family Center selected Republican Jon Elrod over Democrat Andre Carson in March’s special election for U.S. Congress. But by 9 a.m., just 21 voters in one of those precincts had requested Republican ballots — out of 168 cast.

Amid heavy turnout, Republicans appeared to be crossing over in droves today in Marion County and suburban counties, where fewer Republican voters might impact down-ticket primary races.

At the Broad Ripple center, nearly 400 voters — of 1,800 registered in the two precincts — had turned out in the first few hours of voting. Among them was Meghan Ward-Bopp, 24, who went against family tradition and asked for Democratic ballot so she could vote for Barack Obama; she plans to vote for Republican John McCain in November.

“I’m a hardcore Republican,” she said, “but it’s about who I wanted in second place in case McCain doesn’t make it. … I don’t like the way this country’s been run in the last 20 years. I’m sick of the dynasty (of two families) that’s been running things.”

Ward-Bopp voted for the Democrat she liked, but Jim Adams, 36, voted for Hillary Clinton to keep the race going beyond Indiana. He’s a McCain backer and enjoys watching the Democrats fight.

“In the end, I think McCain is going to win,” Adams said, and then referred to controversial statements by Bill Clinton and the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Obama’s pastor. “Bill can’t keep his mouth shut, and the reverend can’t keep his mouth shut.”

Full story here.

Tags: , , , ,

Polls open in North Carolina

May 6, 2008 in Campaign 2008, Democrats, Republicans by Tony Steidler-Dennison | No comments

(Via Charlotte Observer.)

A heavy turnout was reported this morning at some polling places across North Carolina in the state’s first significant presidential primary election in two decades.

Longtime N.C. political observers say that 1.5 million voters may participate in the historic Democratic primary — the first in which a woman, Hillary Clinton, or an African American, Barack Obama, will represent the party.

A half-million more voters could participate in the Republican primary. John McCain — who campaigned in Charlotte on Monday — is the party’s presumptive nominee for president, but state races will attract GOP voters.

Full story here.

Tags: , , , ,

Economists Release Letter Opposing Clinton Gas Tax Plan

May 6, 2008 in Featured by Tony Steidler-Dennison | No comments

(Via washingtonpost.com.)

Hillary Rodham Clinton said Sunday she’ll have no truck with economists telling her where to put her gas-tax holiday.

Well, now she’s got a truckload of them.

More than 230 economists — Democrats, Republicans, advisers to past presidents and four Nobel laureates — signed a letter today opposing proposals by Clinton and presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain to suspend the 18-cent federal gas tax for the summer driving season.

“First, research shows that waiving the gas tax would generate major profits for oil companies rather than significantly lowering prices for consumers,” they wrote. “Second, it would encourage people to keep buying costly imported oil and do nothing to encourage conservation. Third, a tax holiday would provide very little relief to families feeling squeezed.”

Signatories include four Nobel laureates: Joseph Stiglitz (a Clinton White House adviser), James Heckman, Daniel Kahneman and Roger Myerson. Also signing were: President-elect of the American Economic Association Angus Deaton; former AEA presidents Charles Schultze, Alice Rivlin and Peter Diamond; former Reagan administration economist Clyde Prestowitz and former Clinton economic adviser Jeffrey Frankel. Indeed, former president Bill Clinton’s administration is well represented on the list, with the signatures of Jeffrey Liebman of Harvard University, Rebecca Blank of the University of Michigan and J. Bradford DeLong of the University of California at Berkeley.

Others are household names within the smaller household of the economics profession: John Shoven and Lawrence Goulder from Stanford, Alan Auerbach from Berkeley, David Cutler from Harvard, James Galbraith from the University of Texas and Frank Levy from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Tags: , , ,

Eight Questions About Today’s Primaries

May 6, 2008 in Featured by Tony Steidler-Dennison | No comments

(Via washingtonpost.com.)

Some Democrats think this is now largely a media-driven story, though a few party strategists say the controversy will hurt Obama today in Indiana and North Carolina. And there is near-universal agreement among strategists in both parties that, if Obama emerges as the Democratic nominee, the Wright issue will continue to dog him through the November election. “This story will continue to drip and seep into the electorate,” one Democrat noted. Another said that “all bets are off if the reverend decides to go on another press tour.” Republicans were adamant that Obama will have to deal with the Wright fallout through the rest of his campaign. They argue that his handling of the controversy has raised questions about his judgment and veracity. But they predicted, and Democrats agreed, that John McCain and the Republican National Committee will try to stay away from the story, though other groups — whether state parties, as happened in North Carolina last week, or independent groups — will put it into the laps of voters. One GOP strategist, however, offered this warning: “The chance that such an attack could backfire, though, seems to be relatively high.”

Tags: , , , ,

Five things to look for in Indiana

May 6, 2008 in Campaign 2008, Democrats by Tony Steidler-Dennison | No comments

(Via Politico.com.)

Before Barack Obama experienced a rough couple of weeks, his campaign was optimistic about his chances in this state.

But with a black population of less than ten percent and swaths of blue collar towns and rural counties, Indiana is looking far more favorable to Hillary Clinton, who has blanketed the state with visits from her, former President Bill Clinton and their daughter Chelsea.

Can she achieve a replay of Ohio and Pennsylvania, when the rural counties turned in huge margins for her? Or will Obama, with significant endorsements in southern Indiana, be able to cut into her support? And will Obama succeed in driving up his totals in Indianapolis and the northwestern corner of the state?

Here is what Indiana political strategists and experts will be looking for Tuesday:

Full story here.

Tags: , , ,

Tagged as Elitist, Obama Shifts Campaign From High-Flown to Folksy

May 6, 2008 in Campaign 2008, Democrats by Tony Steidler-Dennison | No comments

(Via New York Times.)

With sleeves rolled up and folksy on his mind, Barack Obama stepped into the Evansville Labor Temple — a highbrow name for a barlike haunt where the walls are adorned with photos of Nascar drivers, basketball schedules and a poster celebrating the 75th anniversary of the end of Prohibition. Mr. Obama slapped backs and ambled over to a mountainous breakfast buffet long on grease.

“I’ve been losing weight on this campaign,” he announced. “I hope there are some biscuits and grits.”

A bricklayer type offered, “Gravy?”

Mr. Obama replied, “Hey, I’m trying to fatten up, right?”

Right.

For the last 10 days leading up to Tuesday’s primaries in Indiana and North Carolina, Mr. Obama’s campaign has unfolded against a choreographed backdrop of factory floors and farmsteads, dinner tables and diners. He has talked less often of the audacity of hope and more often of the anxieties of middle-class Americans, while throwing in allusions to Nascar, fatty foods and beer, and playing the occasional game of basketball.

Tags: , , ,

Clinton’s Fate Hangs In The Balance

May 6, 2008 in Campaign 2008, Democrats by Tony Steidler-Dennison | No comments

(Via CBS News.)

If Hillary Rodham Clinton wins in either Indiana or North Carolina Tuesday, the primary election terrain suddenly begins to look more favorable to her than at any other point since Super Tuesday Feb. 5.

For the first time since February, she will enter a month-long stretch of states where a variety of factors leave her well-positioned to win or compete in most of them.

None of the remaining six states hold caucuses, the nominating events where Barack Obama’s campaign’s organizational strength and savvy shines. Four of the six are closed primaries, which neutralizes Obama’s strength among independents and Republicans. None have African-American populations above 10 percent - a key Obama constituency. And two rank among the top 10 states with populations aged 65 or older - a group Clinton runs well with.

Regardless of her performance against Barack Obama in the six remaining primaries, the delegate math remains daunting for Clinton. But if her campaign gains momentum out of Tuesday’s primaries, the next six contests in West Virginia, Kentucky, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Montana and South Dakota may afford enough opportunities for victory to sustain her campaign at least through June 3.

“After Tuesday, most of the upcoming states are really good states for her,” said Tad Devine, a strategist for 2004 Democratic nominee John F. Kerry. “She’s got some good real estate in front of her.”

Tags: , , , ,

Clinton, Obama Go for KO, but Expect Split Decision

May 6, 2008 in Campaign 2008, Democrats by Tony Steidler-Dennison | No comments

(Via ABC News.)

“Today is likely to be Groundhog Day. It’s most likely to be six more weeks [of campaigning] because we’re going to see a split,” said ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos on “Good Morning America”.

Stephanopoulos told “GMA” Tuesday that Sens. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., and Barack Obama, D-Ill., tried to downplay expectations.

Obama’s supporters suggested to Stephanopoulos that Clinton would win in Indiana by as much as eight points, and Clinton’s camp hinted that Obama would win by as much as 10 points in North Carolina.

If either of those margins are trimmed, the loser will likely claim some sort of upset victory.

Tags: , , , ,

Wright issue will haunt conservative media elite

May 6, 2008 in Featured by Tony Steidler-Dennison | No comments

(Via CNN.com.)

Now that Sen. Barack Obama has denounced his former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, many of his critics, especially those who call themselves conservative, are happy he has put the dashiki-wearing, American-criticizing former Marine in his place.

See, these same voices, many that are allegedly Christian, have reacted with glee by calling Wright a prophet of hate and a race baiter.

They hold themselves up to be so concerned about their fellow brother and sister, yet if you looked at their personal lives, I doubt you’d find many with African-American friends and associates (and I doubt their staffs are the most diverse in the world, but that’s another story).

But be careful what you ask for.

Full story here.

Tags: , , ,

Video of the Day: 05-06-08

May 6, 2008 in Video by Tony Steidler-Dennison | No comments

Tags: , ,

« Older entries § Newer entries »