It’s About the Electability, Stupid
By SusanUnPC on April 10, 2008 at 4:17 PM in Barack Obama, DNC, Democrats, Electoral College, Florida, Foreign Policy, Foreign affairs, Hillary Clinton, Howard Dean, Joseph Wilson, Larry Johnson, Media, Media Bias, Michelle Obama, Michigan, Obamedia, Patriotism, Qualifications, Race, Race Card, Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr., Sexism, Superdelegates, Swift Boat Veterans For Truth
There are a lot of tags above this story, aren’t there. But that’s because this piece addresses all of those concerns — including several must-reads on the ‘net about Obama’s iffy chances in a general election:
- “Obama Puts Democrats in Peril” and “Electability Is Name of the Game,” from TheStreet.com, and
- “Grand Unified Theory of The Race (GUTTeR),” by eriposte at The Left Coaster blog
Larry Johnson has been arguing here for months that Barack Obama faces a huge hurdle as a general election candidate, especially once the GOP begins its full-out assault. Larry’s most recent critique is “Obama’s Foreign Policy Faux Pas,” which hits on Obama’s vulnerabilities, particularly his dubious longtime associates who we are certain that the GOP and 527s will go after.
Former ambassador Joe Wilson has also written several strong op-eds — including Wednesday’s “Obama’s illusions on foreign policy” — that foresee the perils Obama faces when voters become more familiar with his lack of foreign policy experience and knowledge.
And on Tuesday, Bud White wrote a well-vetted analysis of what a general-election GOP assault will surely look like in “The Plan to Swift-Boat Obama.”
Now we have additional predictive analyses, substantiated by hard evidence and rational thinking, that any remaining sober superdelegates must face — that Barack Obama, as a general election candidate, may be overwhelmed by a tsunami of relentless GOP attacks and will face further insurmountable electability issues:
From “Electability Is Name of the Game” at TheStreet.com:
Barack and Michelle Obama sent a message to the media early in the primary season. Barack said:
“I’m confident that I will get her [Clinton] votes if I’m the nominee, it’s not clear that she would get the votes I got if she were the nominee.”
Then Michelle said on supporting Hillary Clinton:
“I’d have to think about that. I’d have to think about that, her policies, her approach, her tone.”
The logic behind those statements went unquestioned by the media. Ever since, the media has begun saying how Obama supporters would defect from a Clinton candidacy, ruining the Democratic party and handing the election to Sen. John McCain.
A poll last week put that thesis to shame. Gallup polled Democrats on their likelihood to defect from a Democratic candidate and crossover to support McCain: 28% of Clinton supporters chose McCain over Obama, while only 19% of Obama supporters abandon Clinton for McCain.
Enough said for the lazy analysis in the media.
This is bad news for Obama come a general election. Clinton has very strong support among women, and this election offers a classic scenario they know well: A lesser experienced man gets all the breaks on the way to being promoted to a better position. The media forgets sexism and intently focuses only on race. …
The author, John Fout, goes on to describe Clinton’s strong support among Latinos and older voters — two additional, solid voting blocks.
Fout also zeroes in on patriotism, an emotional, bedrock issue that Obama will face, especially from incoming GOP and 527 attacks:
Patriotism will become an issue, not race.
[…]
They will talk about him not wearing a flag pin; they will play the tape of his wife saying she’s never been proud of her country. Lastly, they will play Pastor Wright’s anti-American statements.
Obama’s favorability ratings could drop like a stone in middle America, including key swing states such as Missouri, Ohio and Wisconsin. Obama may recover by giving another speech on patriotism. But if the attacks come late in the election, it may be too late for him to recover.
Obama’s unifying message sounds wonderful, and I wish it were possible. But I believe it won’t happen in this election. …
Fout also points to the lead that Hillary Clinton enjoys in the major blue states with the largest number of electoral votes — and the inherent weaknesses of the Democratic nominating system that have driven us all mad recently:
Clinton likely wishes the Democrats used the electoral college to determine the election or winner-take-all. She would have sewn up the nomination with her big states already. Instead, Obama leads because of proportional representation of delegates and wins in many caucuses.
Read all of “Electability Is Name of the Game.”
In his latest story, “Obama Puts Democrats in Peril,” Fout describes Barack Obama’s failure to unite his own party:
His campaign has failed to recognize the results of the Florida primary — and Michigan — for political gain over his opponent, a decision that could disgruntle Democratic voters in Florida in November and years beyond.
[…]
The DNC is working its way out of the trap. Will Obama follow its lead anytime soon? He may want to take some action or face the wrath of Florida voters in the fall. A recent poll taken in Florida shows that as many as 25% of Florida voters will stay at home in the fall if the result does not count. That spells defeat for Democrats in the state.
(To see more of John Fout’s political commentary, click here.) Obama already polls much worse than Clinton in Florida vs. McCain, and it will be difficult to win the general election without Florida. I explained this last week.Florida Republicans have already used the DNC ruling as a campaign issue there in January and almost certainly plan to do so again.
Obama has a dilemma: Face criticism in a critical swing state where he’s in essence supporting disenfranchising Democrats because of a Republican ploy and against securing a verifiable paper trail for elections or recognize the results of the primary. The former choice places Democrats in a poor position for years to come in Florida.
Then there is Eriposte’s “Grand Unified Theory of The Race (GUTTeR),” a piece of writing so complex and deep that it is impossible to summarize neatly. Eriposte actually dares to talk about race, and without accusing all of the white voters of being racists for not voting for Obama.
You’ll have to read it yourself to get all that Eriposte describes. But here’s a tidbit to whet your appetite:
[I]f [David] Sirota is actually right, shouldn’t we ask a simple question?
If Sen. Obama was unable to win the large states that Sen. Clinton won (most of which are a must-win in November for Democrats) due to white racism amongst a significant portion of Democratic voters, how in the world is he going to win those states in November when the proportion of white voters in those states will only increase dramatically due to the massive influx of even more conservative white voters who are Independents and Republicans? Further, if Republicans use racially "coded messages and tactics" that work - in the general election (anyone want to bet they won’t?) - isn’t that a prescription for a rout of Sen. Obama in those very states - many of which have long been reliably Democratic?
As you can imagine, these questions are not considered very seriously in the BrilliantTM piece that Josh Marshall couldn’t wait to link to. Sirota says blithely:
Even if Clinton wins big in the remaining Race Chasm states, Obama has advantages in Montana, Oregon, North Carolina and South Dakota—smaller states, to be sure, but likely enough pledged delegates to keep a significant lead. Clinton, therefore, would have a difficult time convincing superdelegates to go against the will of the people in their states.
That leaves the “electability” argument with the superdelegates—and the problem for Clinton there is that polls show Obama is at least as “electable” as Clinton, if not more so.
In other words, Clinton is winning with the help of white racism amongst Democratic voters but Obama can win in those very states in November because, um, many of those very same whites - perhaps along with some even more conservative whites that don’t vote in the Democratic primaries in those states will vote for Obama in the general election against McCain because their racism will magically disappear right after the superdelegates pick Sen. Obama as the nominee. Got it? It’s so simple, really!
If only those Racist Uneducated RubesTM in the Democratic party just understood The Math of the GUTTeRTM!
Read all of “Grand Unified Theory of The Race (GUTTeR),” by eriposte at The Left Coaster blog.
Given what we know now about our electorate, a few questions come to mind:
1. Can Obama win large electoral states?
2. Can Obama win without Florida and Michigan?
3. Can Obama win without 28% (or more) of Hillary supporters?
4. Can he win? Period.
Answer to 1, 2, 3 and 4, No he can’t!
Slightly OT. I just saw Barbara Boxer on the Situation Room and she said as a superdelegate she was voting as her state went, she was voting for Hillary. I hadn’t heard this before.
she’s still claiming she doesn’t care which one wins, and that she’d decided to go with her state cause she likes them both before super tuesday. I find this hard to believe, although I suppose he must have a nice personality when he’s sucking up, he’s testy and high handed and that doesn’t wear well. I’m sure Hillary would win the GE although they’ll run against her too, because she’s so competent and everybody knows it. Her ability and competence polls are always sky high, which is why he’s smeared her character. He has an ad in PA bringing back her Bosnia gaffe. all this stuff is fair to use on him, he’s using whatever he can to smear her. But, she’s not, she isn’t ‘trying to ruin his chances’ if he becomes the nom, she’s trying to win the nom by her abilities. all this will be used on him, the pugs will have a great time with it. It might not work and it might work, but no one will be able to say about him that they don’t care cause he’s obviously so competent that he can run the country in this worst of all times. That’s for her, he doesn’t have that.
If that’s true, and she does nothing to undermine Clinton, and she truly understands WHY Obama is anathema, I will donate to her.
Even before the CA primary, Boxer said she would vote for whoever won her state. This is nothing new.
I agree I heard that around Super Tuesday as well.
My question is
will half the party (the ones in love with BO) be able to suddenly be OK with BO as VP?
And will BO as VP still drag Hillary down beyond a chance in Nov?
I am SURE his groupies will not accept anything less than VP.
I am also pretty sure most Hillary fans (including me) will not accept anything that doesn’t include her at the TOP. Unless she can convince me being VP is good for us. She’d have to give a pretty good speech.
I don’t see it going any other way w/out GREAT distress in all camps.
But I can’t fathom them sharing a ticket either. ONLY if she is at the top and can smooth him over somehow. jmo.
Even if she get the nominee, he will sank her ticket. He has become a liability to himself, the Democratic Party, and his running mate.
Not only that but Obama was very arrogant when he soundly said “no” to the possiblity of a VP spot with Hillary.
I say, thanks you Mr. Obama. I personally don’t think he should be allowed to live ten feet from a housing development much less have any high office.
Frankly, I would prefer that he go away. I don’t want to see his smarmy smirk even as a VP. Then we would have to put up with him as a presidential candidate again. He would have to work REALLY hard to convince me to vote for him EVER.
And I will tell you this, I will not vote for him with Hillary as VP either. I am sick of this shit where a competent woman has to play “bridesmaid” to an inept mediocre man.
Amen to that, Uppity!
I am an avid Hillary supporter! I do not trust nor like Obama, on his own merit. My NOBama status has nothing to do with Hillary!
I am a lifelong Democrat, huge Hillary supporter and yet, if Obama was the VP on the ticket …. with Hillary at the top.. I vote for McCain.
This man does not deserve to be anywhere near our White House and should be escorted out of the Senate ASAP.
He needs to find a country where he can be the Messiah and his wife can be proud. It is not here in the US of KKK America!
I do not think I am alone in this anti-Obama feeling!
Some may vote for him IF Hillary was on the ticket … yet not me.
I see it very clear, our next president will be Hillary or McCain …. and both choosing their own VP. The only question is .. who are the SuperDelegates, and the DNC, and Dean and all the elitist Democratics going to put in the Oval Office, Hillary or McCain?
Obama in the White house… is not an option.
Great article. The answer to questions 1.-4. is NO, NO, NO, NO.
I’ve never seen anything so dumb as the dem party this season. After 2004, you’d think they understood a latte liberal is not going to win Ohio, Florida, possibly MI. Worse, one with no experience. What is it the SuperDelegates don’t understand?
Just totally appalled.
I know, my head feels like it’s on a constant swivel!!
A- MaY -ZING!
“I’ve never seen anything so dumb as the dem party this season” — Amen to that, scorbs. Has Sidney Blumenthal yet started on the companion volume to the one advertised above right, only this time about the collapse of our party and its surefire win in 2008. You may not be able to make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear, but Howard Dean proved you sure can do the opposite.
Scorbs … the next round of lattes is on our new celebrity in da house, none other than the “Wizard of Magical Editing” Larry Johnson!
Cheers to the dumbass Democratic leadership of 2008!
Cafepress got the T-shirts yet?
The SuperDelegates don’t understand their choice is not actually between Obama or Hillary. Their choice is between Hillary or McCain.
Silly SDs still think they are choosing between Hillary and Obama…..
Can Obama win without Hillary supporters? Hmmmmmm, maybe they should have thought about that BEFORE insulting the hell out of us. I mean, how can I truly call myself a feminist(snark) if I let a man insult me, belittle me, and harass me for my support of Hillary, then go running back to him the moment he says “Oh sweetie, I’m so sorry I slapped you around, but you made me do it, now go make me a sammich.” Sorry Obamites, I don’t put up with abuse from my husband or from my presidential candidate.
Obama will have to win without me.
If Obama wins the nomination I suspect he will have to win the GE without a lot of women.
This primary season has been an eye opener for women.
If Obama wins the nomination I suspect that the Democratic Party will have lost a great many women for a very long time. Many of us will not accept being demeaned by members of our own party in order to win an election. Many if not most of us will never vote for a Republican because they do not share our goals or our values. But sadly, we see that the Democratic Party doesn’t either.
Women are welcome in the Democratic Party so long as we know our place. And that place, sadly, is not at the head of a ticket. Women are welcome in the Democratic Party, as in the Republican Party, only in subordinate roles. I will not, I cannot vote for a party that demeans and diminishes my gender and practices sexism that would gag a conservative.
Hey boyz, Win Without Us!
If Obama wins the nomination I suspect that the Democratic Party will have lost a great many women for a very long time. Many of us will not accept being demeaned by members of our own party in order to win an election. Many if not most of us will never vote for a Republican because they do not share our goals or our values. But sadly, we see that the Democratic Party doesn’t either.
Women are welcome in the Democratic Party so long as we know our place. And that place, sadly, is not at the head of ticket. Women are welcome in the Democratic Party, as in the Republican Party, only in subordinate roles. I will not, I cannot vote for a party that demeans and diminishes my gender and practices sexism that would gag a conservative.
Well, said… I don’t know where us, Progressive women are going to go or do next, if the Dem Party continues to tow this “Party line.” All I know is that at the age of 52, and being a Dem. Party member all of my life, and coming from a Latino family household that is longtime Democrats, I have to consider leaving the Party for the sake of Dem. Party women, in general; but for my self-respecct and self-dignity, personally. I continue to work for Hillary daily, and contribute to her campaign weekly. She MUST win! She can WIN!
Absolutely! Our friends who are Obama supporters keep saying that of course the Hillary voters will vote for Obama when he is the nominee. They live in a bubble in the Bay Area in California, the hotbed of super liberals and the home of our “friend,” Nancy Pelosi. When we say, “Have you ever traveled across the country? Do you see who the majority of America is? After everything they’ve seen with Reverend Wright, Farrakan, Muslim and terrorist connections, how in God’s name do you think they will vote for Obama?” They’re little Bambis, just like Barack. Their answer is always a doe-eyed, “They won’t?” I always considered myself a liberal, but if the Obama supporters are the models of liberalism, then…I guess I’m not?
I just saw some DNC officials talking about super delegates on CSPAN, and one of them said, while averting his eyes, “Well, the superdelegates have to vote for whomever their constituents want.” So, to quote Hillary, “If that’s the case, I’m looking forward to Ted Kennedy and John Kerry’s votes.” He went on to say, eyes shifting, head bowed, “And Barack Obama will win the most delegates and the popular vote in the upcoming elections. The superdelegates will have to vote for whoever’s ahead, because they themselves want to get re-elected.” The reporter asked, “What if Hillary’s ahead in the popular vote, which is very possible?” Suddenly his demeanor changed and he looked afraid. “If that happens, I’m not sure what the super delegates will do.”
Where are the Democrats’ balls? Is Hillary the only one with any courage around here?
yep
Ditto, Strawberry! He lost any possibility of a vote from me long ago for this very reason among many others.
I, fortunately, don’t have to “not put up” with such out of my own husband because he respects and appreciates the intelligence of women and the many, many contributions made by us to society.
Hehehe…after hearing about the “Sweetie” and “I’ll give you a kiss” comments, my husband commented that he’d have probably had an Obama pin quickly stuck to his own person somewhere if he’d said anything such to any of the women in our family. I was absolutely flabberghasted that he had the “audacity” to say those things, publicly nonetheless, AT ALL. And he wants to scream racism?!
AMEN Strawberrybitch!
I am right with you. I still remember that smug look on his face when he said that.
My vote goes to McCain if the SD are going to force me to choose between Obama and McCain.
Then we will have to see what options the Dems have in 4 years… to see if they can pull their heads out of their behinds …. and get Dean, Pelosi, Kennedy, Casey (and his kids) Kerry, Leahy .. and the rest to move to a new country with Obama where he can be their Messiah and Michelle can be proud, and if they are lucky, Oprah will build a school for their two daughters.
perfectly expressed.
no obama vote - ever! for any office, on any ticket, in any year.
hillary vote - absolutely!
what if the two are on the same ticket? if she’s on top, i’d want to vote for her, but would struggle, because i can’t stand the thought of him in any office. if she’s on the bottom, easy, no way!
i know my views are shared by millions of dems. and i know the sd’s know this. i’m having difficulty understanding why the sd’s, dean, pelosi, et al, don’t care. do they really think they can win without us? have they never studied math?
win without us!!! we’re not going along with you.
Exact-damn-lutely!
I could hold my nose and vote for Obama as VP so long as Hillary was Top of the Ticket. She could always send him on a 4 year fact finding mission so that he could become 1/2 as informed as he ought to be now. Hillary as a subordinate to this little twerp? No Damn Way!
If the Democratic Party doesn’t see that they have a revolution on their hands they are too damn stupid and too damn wimpy and certainly too misogynistic to ever get my vote.
I was mad and became an Independent after the elections of 2006 with all the promises that were soon seen to be just more empty rhetoric. Much wringing of hands and whining about how the nasty Republicans just won’t let them do anything about the festering sore of an occupation in Iraq.
Damn, they couldn’t do anything when they were the minority and they can’t do anything when they are the majority so it looks like they can’t do anything period.
Now that they’ve shown they really are a bunch of wimps with the same taste for corruption as the Republicans they are showing us their shiny misogynistic side.
Now they expect all the girls to get quietly in line and vote for the candidate chosen for us by the media, the party “leadership” and defeat the evil McCain.
Sorry boyz, not this old girl. You put Obama at the top of the ticket with anyone including Hillary Clinton and the chance of this old girl voting Democrat are nil.
Win Without Us Boyz!
Brad Delong, in making his case for Obama asks this question:
Considering that Obama will lose FL, OH, MO and possibly PA, I don’t see which combination helps him.
OTOH, HRC will carry FL, OH, PA, WV and AR, there is no question who is the stronger candidate and who should carry us in November.
Michigan.
Obama would likely lose that if Romney is McCain’s VP.
Also The temptation to bash Mormons will be so great that someone wll give in and have a macaca moment and the dems will be called bigots for a week for offending a religious minority.
Obama is a non starter in Florida as well.
Obama will loose MI regardless of who the VP is for McCain.
And I agree… with Romney, it is 100% McCain.
Well Clinton has already beat BO in MI, NH, NM, FL, OH and NV and she will win in PA and OR yet to come. So in answer to Mr. DeLong’s question — erm, Clinton??
I’m unclear what planet these people are living on, or maybe they’ve entered the ‘dream palace’ and no longer have to deal with reality. If BO can’t even win among Democrats in the states that he HAS to win, how the heck is he going to win the GE?
These BO supporters aren’t just political neophytes — I’m pretty well convinced they really ARE all children.
Excellent analysis. If the nomination is stolen by selectively refusing to count
MI & FL (by Dean & Brazille), I suspect the electoral map will look like Bush/Dukakis on election
night.
The numbers will look like McGovern/Nixon. The same types of little creeps put everbody off to McGovern as are now supporting Obama. The main difference is, McGovern was a gentleman and not a smarmy liar with ready access and friendships with foreign and domestic terrorists–not to mention despicable “spirtual” advisors. McGovern actually achieved things in life beofre running for President. His problem were his twitty street fighting child-supporters. Adults couldn’t wait to put that candidacy away. Does this ring a bell?
The numbers will be a huge bashing with Obama in the race. Even worse than the Nixon landslide because the swift boats have so much crap on this character, it will be a never-ending rainstorm. And I will enjoy every second of it.
very much rings a bell - i was one of those child supporters. happy to say i’ve grown up since.
i do remember, however, having the same emotions the obamanuts now have - i couldn’t believe that everyone didn’t see the world, and my candidate, the way i did. when the results were in, and my candidate was defeated by landslide proportions, i was so shocked. i actually thought he would win. the obamanuts now feel the way i did then - their candidate is “going to win bigtime.” and how they will feel in november is how i felt then - “how did this happen? i can’t believe mccain is president.”
this time, from my more grown up perspective, i can sympathize with them. but i strongly hope that they experience this devastation, so they can grow up and so our country can be saved from obama. (i still like mcgovern, but now realize how unelectable he was. obama, on the other hand, is both unelectable and disgusting).
Oh, Mr Hope is trying to claim that PR is not a state so they don’t count. The DNC has successfully helped Mr Hope by excluding MI and FL, I guess PR is next on the list.
Another electability problem: much of his 700K lead now comes from his Illinois win (about 600,000 something) and more than half of that lead about 429K comes from Cook county.
please publicize these numbers (I was aware of this for a while but have good sources now thanks to a commenter at TM):
Add the numbers from within Chicago (also in Cook county):
http://www.chicagoelections.com/dm/general/document_200.pdf
(page 6)
BHO 462,503
HRC 160,650
And the numbers from cook county SUBURBS:
http://www.voterinfonet.com/results/020508/SummaryReport.pdf
BHO 281,183
HRC 153,984
You get TOTALS (Cook County Suburbs and Chicago are tallied separately)
BHO 743,686
HRC 314,634
———–
DIFF 429,052 (from Cook County alone)
This is very interesting. Just how many registered voters are there in Chicago? What is the % turnout based on this number?
I might have to add a new group to BO’s ‘big tent’ Democratic party.
1. African-Americans
2. Rich, white liberals
3. The highly suggestible (that the Rethugs don’t already have hypnotized)
and now
4. Dead people in Chicago
1. No
2. No
3. No
4. No
And I will add to #4 that not only will I not vote for Obama - I will actively campaign against him.
I forgot to add - I think %28 is a low number. Hillary supporters (women in particular) are more outraged than the media is paying attention to.
Any vote for Obama means condoning the misogynist attitude of the mass media, Obama organization and Obama supporters.
No. That is unacceptable.
Dem_base …..
Right with you.. I am committed to campaign against him as well.
We are safer with McCain than Obama, any day of the week.
NO way can Obama be elected with is ties to Wright, Fahraakan, etc. Endorsements by The New Black Panther Party and the likes. This was a hilarious article on his friendship with Ludacris - http://nationalsquib.com/index.php/barack-obama-ludacris/
Anyone seen this today?
http://www.mydd.com/story/2008/4/9/13044/79718
and this?
http://gawker.com/5005030/obamas-dirty-trick-involved-dave-matthews
LOL…God! That reminds me of the scene in Rodney Dangerfield’s “Back to School,” where Burt Young stands in front of Rodney’s limo holding a card with a rock star’s name on it, so the kids in the bookstore run out to see the rock star, and Rodney doesn’t have to wait in line at the store. Can you say “juvenile”?
Here’s another little factoid to be considered that I haven’t heard mentioned before: Bill O’Reilly at Fox (and Hannity as well) just love to bash DailyKos and Huffington Post. He calls them hate sites. Now think about all the really vile, misogynistic, gross posts by Obamabots on those sites for the past 4 months. How do you think they are going to sound when they start reading those on air day and night leading up to November. They can already make a case that there is a ton of hate speech coming from Obama’s buddies. Then you add all the hate speech made by his supporters. These people actually sound and act like brown shirts. They could easily be used like a club by the GOP if they wanted more ammunition. And since O’Reilly seems to keep watch on just those 2 sites, I wouldn’t doubt that is a leadup to using the posts and inflammatory language more and more.
Heck I’ve been collecting them myself. I was saving them for a gift to Barry the Sexist Pig. Maybe Fox wants to buy them?
YIKES! Did anybody else see this today?
Obama’s Dubious Past Goes Mainstream by Jonathan Cifre
http://savagepolitics.com/
I guess in the Puerto Rican MSM, there’s huge news about Larry Sinclair (the guy who said he did coke with and had gay sex with Obama) and Donald Young, the violently murdered gay Choir master for Trinity United Church (who also claimed he had sex with Obama). I sort of dismissed these stories as crazy, but the Puerto Rican media is going crazy with it!
There goes the PR delegates…no wonder Obama is trying to discount them!
I like this part the best.
“Unlike American journalists, the Puerto Rican press WILL ask Obama about this controversy if he ever decides to show himself on the Island”
American journalists are such a disgrace to the nation.
The thing is Politico arranged a polygraph test for that sinclair guy, with two renowned experts analyzing. He failed the tests.
That’s one I never believed, even unto a scum ball like Obama. But if PR likes it, it works for me.
The Sirota piece “The Clinton Firewall” (http://www.inthesetimes.com/article/3597/the_clinton_firewall/)could be construed as an attempt by an Obama surrogate (with the blessings of the Obama campaign?) to make race as an issue again and race bait, too because the Wright controversy effectively stopped the ease in which Obama surrogates (with the blessings of the Obama campaign?) could race bait.
So what could the Clinton team (and surrogates) must do in order to counteract it? The only thing that they (Clinton team and surrogates) could really do is to be careful of what they say in public so that the other party (Obama team and surrogates) would not have any ammunition for race baiting. Because that is what it is. Race baiting.
Remember the time when the Somali tribal dress that Barack wore in 2006 and was leaked thru the Drudge Report? David Plouffe immidiately accused the Clinton team of ’shameful offensive fear-mongering’. Then there is the op-ed of Orlando Patterson in the NY times which tried to put race in the 3am ad of Sen. Clinton.To qoute the 1st paragraph of the op-ed:
“On first watching Hillary Clinton’s recent “It’s 3 a.m.” advertisement, I was left with an uneasy feeling that something was not quite right — something that went beyond my disappointment that she had decided to go negative. Repeated watching of the ad on YouTube increased my unease. I realized that I had only too often in my study of America’s racial history seen images much like these, and the sentiments to which they allude.” And that is only the 1st paragraph.
This can be construed as race baiting tactics of the Obama team and surrogates. It only needs a spark which Geraldine Ferraro unfortunately started. That is why the Clinton team and surrogates must be very careful of what they say or email to each other.
Dandy. I can always pull out all those messages on forums and count up how many times a woman and/or Hillary were called cun*s.
Well.. of course it’s the electibility issue. I cannot tell if Obama’s supporters and the DNC are being deliberately obtuse on this point, or completely naive. I mean.. if they can make John Kerry, a war hero and respected Senator, look like a lying coward, then what are we to make of Obama’s extensive baggage?
Sometimes I think that many of his supporters don’t grasp that there is ANOTHER election after the primaries. It doesn’t mean jack to get the nomination if you can’t close the deal.
That’s more or less what we are supposed to swallow.
The only thing that I can think of is that Kerry’s antiwar activity in the 60s-70s confused the hell out of people who had seen him present himself as Naval Hero.
Obama has not himself done anything radical or passionate in his life.
What will sink him is if he tries to be the nonblack guy and it turns out he’s pribvately obsessed about his racial identity.
Also if he’s the peace candidate and he proposes to keep identical numbers of troops in Iraq as McCain.
I’m remembering that horrific “purple band-aid” stunt at the Repub convention, and of course the awful Swift Boaters, who were so effective in their lies and attacks that they are now a VERB!
Kerry confused the hell out of a lot of people.
In retrospect the contradictions in Kerry’s Hero/protestor status were an obvious liability.
You can’t be John Rambo and Sister Kent.
..and point them in the other direction. Kalhidi isn’t raising bucks for him for nothing. Ever met his advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski? See below. Maybe Farrakhan can be secretary of defense.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJTv2nFjMBk
Well it looks as if Dean has finished stacking the deck against Hillary. He has selected four delegates for the Democratic National Committee, three of which are Obama supporters. Only one is for Clinton, Senator Leticia Van de Putte.
“Governor Howard Dean, Chairman of the Democratic National Committee, announced today his intention to nominate Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi of California to serve as Permanent Chair of the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver. Dean also announced that three outstanding leaders, Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius, Chair of the Democratic Governors Association; Texas State Senator Leticia Van de Putte, President of the National Conference of State Legislatures; and Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin, President of the National Conference of Democratic Mayors, will be nominated as Permanent Convention Co-Chairs.”
Let the games begin.
They Have..POWER BALL…
I think we Need Our Own TV Network..can we Get a grant..Its a Social experiment..We want to INFORM PEOPLE..Use Filenos Videos..reach right Out and grab Somebody..
Knock..Knock.. HELLO..Anyone there..??
Gee… Howard Dean really split those convetion delegates fairly. NOT. Is that the new math he would use to divvy up the Michigan and Florida delegates “50/50″? Damnit Howard, You’re a doctor not a mathematician!
Unbelievable, yet believable.
OT- I have a new Diary at MyDD about Hillary’s hospital story. Please give me some love if you are so moved: http://www.mydd.com/story/2008/4/10/17452/6347#9
I would love to help you out, but I can’t post there. I go into an endless loop where they keep telling me to login even though I am logged in. I am sure it’s because of all those tracking cookies I refuse to let them dump into my computer.
This is Another Amazing..Great Piece of Journalism and editing by Susan..She makes Newspaper editorials and TV Journalists look Weak and Lame..
There should be Awards..including Pulitzer Prizes for excellence in Journalism and Reporting on the Internet..
This is as much a part of Modern Media as Newspapers, magazines and TV..
Thnak you Susan for your Exscellent Reporting Here..
FIVE STARS..
Apparently, Obama is pulling out his “purge” card and clearing the playing field in California.
http://www.opednews.com/articles/2/opedne_marcy_wi_080410_obama_delegate_purge.htm
I want to know why there isn’t a HUGE outcry regarding this dudes penchant for PURGING people off ballots. Talk about disenfranchising! I realize this article only talks about the delegates that he has done the “slash and burn” number on in CA., however, it certainly seems as though Obama only believes in “democracy” as long as he is the one who wins. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again…the guy is an imposter. He is NOT who he pretends to be.
Thanks for the great post, Susan.
Cafferty tonight marveled at how Obama was so charming just like Ronald Reagan. How he gracefully handled his cell phone vibrating in his pocket while taking a group picture.
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.
I just don’t get it.
Oh…We are just so politically Correct these days..We don’t Profile..Might Prevent a Hijacking or something…might have prevented 9/11..but we DON”T PROFILE..especially if you are WHITE..or a WOMAN…
You never know who is going to be in Charge..I have got to play it safe…Twitch..twitch..Wink..Wink..and don’t look over your shoulder and behind You and both ways when trying to Cross the Street..
especially if you don’t want to Look Like a “typical White Person..”
You probably just need more Anti depressants..and a Flask of Scotch..take a trip to Jamacia..
“Don’t Worry…Be Happy”..
you will come Back Tan and relaxed…
Bring me a Cigar..
What can you expect from Cafferty that would be any more impressive?
BALLS….!!!
Like Valarie & Joe..and larry…and Susan..and Uppity..and Fleaflicker…and Simon,,,and Kite..and taters..and Retired..and Mr. Murder…and Pat Lang..and the whole Crew on the USS…NO QUARTER..
“Give Me Liberty…and give me..”BALLS..”
Riddle: How is foreign policy experience like electability? Answer: because Obama thinks he has both, and everybody who is not an Obama supporter knows that he is wrong. Especially the republicans know it. If he is the Democratic party candidate, the media offensive against him will be a bloodbath. And as others have noted, the Clinton supporters that his supporters have been, to put it nicely, insulting, will be uninclined to lift a finger to help Obama.
Four interesting questions - if you are paid to sit around and pontificate on the unknown, as most news pundits are.
No; no; no; no. And yes; yes; yes; yes.
CAN? Of course he can. That’s part of the exciting mystery of having primaries, caucuses, conventions, and elections - the results aren’t (usually) known beforehand.
And that’s what the zillions of dollars swimming around to consultants, pollsters, advisors, aides, and managers are all for: to help predict the unpredictable.
So if you repeat your opinion enough, maybe others will hear you and maybe it will come true. Or maybe it won’t.
It isn’t really possible to know what’s going to happen and who reaaalllly is “electable.” But I guess it is possible to influence the opinions of voters in PA, Guam, NC, WV, Kentucky, PR, OR and wherever else the vote isn’t yet in…
Obama is not electable for so many reasons and this is a great analysis of many of them.
There is absolutely no way that I will vote for Obama. The man is so unseasoned and unproven it scares the hell out of me. And on top of that he’s actually delusional - he keeps stating he has MORE foreign policy experience than either of the other candidates? Well, just when the hell did he pick that experience up??? His political career is limited and using the word “limited” is extremely generous. At the recent hearings regarding Iraq he couldn’t even keep the governments straight, confusing Iran and Iraq. Top it off with the fact that the man is a pathological liar. I honestly don’t know what’s scarier - him or the “Obamots” who are caught up in his web of deceit and can’t see the light.
As others have stated, the female vote in this country is STRONG and we have been greatly wronged in this political process. We are NOT going to forget it. I, along with many others, are going to register Independent and encourage every woman in America, and every Michigan and Florida voter as well to register Independent. Watch us all defect from the Dems to the Independents and the result of it. The politicos will be running around like chickens with their heads cut off trying to figure out how to garner out vote. Obama will be leading the pack if he can figure out what to do without having someone else lead him. The man hasn’t had an original thought yet. His latest example of this is after Clinton calls for Bush to boycott the Olympics, Obama decides to call for Bush to boycott the Olympics. He’s such a frickin’ coward that he has to WAIT to see what the potential backlash will be politically before he will take a stand and speak out. What a spineless bast**d!!!!
If he somehow gets the nomination I can’t wait to see the GOP spank him like a bad child. I’ll be right there with them, campaigning against him, and laughing all the way. Hopefully, we can drive him back into obscurity where he belongs.
It’s not just women who won’t vote for the creep!!
susan, you seem to respond well to requests, so here’s mine…any chance we can get this gentleman to post an article here? He’s brilliant, and he’s perfect NoQuarter material. Jeff Gold from Stop-Obama.org
His latest piece:
“Claims” About Media Bias