I think the media makes much more of endorsements than the general public. I mean, does anyone vote based on a newspaper’s endorsement? Or a celebrity’s? Or another politician’s? I don’t think so. [UPDATE: Well, maybe I’m wrong…] Still, Kennedy’s endorsement of Obama is a nice coup for that campaign. And coming off of Obama’s South Carolina win 28-point blowout, … Read More
State Of The Union 2008
Not much to say about Bush’s last State of the Union speech. I only note it because my first post ever on this blog was about the State of The Union — four years and one week ago today. That was 5,301 posts ago. But who’s counting? Anyway, Bush will speak tonight — supposedly to calm American’s nerves about the … Read More
Election 2008: South Carolina Watch
There’s something going on down there. Obama has a commanding lead and is set to win that state’s primary. But the not-much-discussed story is Edwards who has been surging like a madman over the past few days according to this poll: Candidate 1/22-24 1/21-23 1/20-22 RCP 5-poll Ave. Obama 38 39 43 38.2 Clinton 25 24 24 26.4 Edwards 21 … Read More
Clinton: “I Have To Defend Myself”
What? Hillary Clinton said Friday she must respond in kind to attacks from rival Barack Obama even though she’d rather keep the race for the Democratic presidential nomination focused on their differences on public policy issues. "I try not to attack first, but I have to defend myself — I do have to counterpunch," Clinton told NBC’s "Today Show." Wow. … Read More
Elizabeth Kucinich Drops Out Of Race For First Lady
She’s pictured here with her hobbit husband Dennis, who also dropped out of something.
Not Happy With The Clintons
The bill of particulars, from an article by Paul Waldman: Pick your tired metaphor — take-no-prisoners, brass knuckles, no-holds-barred, playing for keeps — however you describe it, the Clinton campaign is not only not going easy on Obama, they’re doing so in awfully familiar ways. So many of the ingredients of a typical GOP campaign are there, in addition to … Read More
The State Of Political Reporting
ABC News, yesterday. Read this: "I am trying to make sure that his statements by him are answered. Don’t you think that’s important?" Obama shot back, while walking away. When Zeleny yelled a follow up question suggesting the Illinois senator had not answered the question, Obama fired back angrily, "Don’t try cheap stunts like that." Obama then walked away and … Read More
Thompson Is Out Of The Race
No surprise. In fact, I doubt his heart was ever in it. UPDATED THOUGHTS: This strikes me as odd timing. Sure, he hasn’t done well so far, but he’s got some delegates in his column (see sidebar at right) — more than Giuliani and Ron Paul. He’s also got some money. Maybe he’s just disappointed that he didn’t do well … Read More
Election Update
On the sidebar at the right, I’ve brought back the "2008 Election Market" information, showing where the candidates are currently trading in the "prediction market" (Intrade). I’ve also added, courtesy of MyDD, the current delegate count for each party’s race. This is rather complicated, as many delegates are uncommitted. And then you have the countroversy regarding the Michigan delegates — … Read More
Attorney Firing Probe Deepens
With Iraq, the economy and the elections, we seem to forget the Bush scandals. And the attorney firing scandal, which has been festering in the background, is about ready to blow (some say), with allegations of perjury, witness tampering and the like: The federal investigation into the firing of nine U.S. attorneys could jolt the political landscape ahead of the … Read More
Where’s Rudy?
From Vanity Fair’s James Wolcott, a precisely correct assessment of the disappearing-via-incompetence act more popularly known as the Giuliani campaign. Think about it: Rudy Gulliani was the national frontrunner a year ago in many, many polls. He led virtually all of his Republican opponents, and several of the top Democratic candidates as well. Today, he has been drubbed in every … Read More
Idelological Placement Of Voters/Candidates
Interesting chart from the Pew Center: A couple of things that strike me: (1) Voters (on average, of course) are slightly to the conservative side of moderate. However, when you look at party breakdown, Republicans generally see themselves as being much further from moderate than Democrats. In other words, the average Democratic voter is closer to "moderate" than to "liberal", … Read More
The Edwards Campaign
John Edwards is trying to raise $7 million dollars today. I hope he succeeds (and I’ve helped a tad). I haven’t commited to Edwards; in fact, I’m still undecided. But I think it important that he stay in the race, keep the media-annointed "frontrunners" (Obama and Clinton) to the left, and raise the issues that he so passionately raises, especially … Read More
Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes
Very funny (wait for the chorus):
Huckabee And Wallace
Arkansas governor, now: Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee told South Carolina voters Thursday that the government had no business making decisions over the Confederate flag. "You don’t like people from outside the state coming in and telling you what to do with your flag," Huckabee said at a Myrtle Beach campaign event. "In fact, if somebody came to Arkansas and … Read More