2008 Primaries Thread

At the moment I'm too hyp-no-tized by your funny/scary moving McCain image to do much thinking about the horse-race.

any normal dude's jaw would get sore after awhile.

McCain is no normal dude, dude.

As I recall, Ned also had a feeling of "creeping geopolitical dread" in early 2001, so now I'm worried.

ned_ms_cleo.jpeg

"call me nao for a reed'n!"

I am not a goddamn prognosticator nor do I pretend to be one. All I'll say for now is that the amount of energy being vented on these primaries -- here, there, everywhere, up to and including the candidates and races themselves -- is secondary to a lot of factors beyond anyone's control which will determine this election, the two most predominant being where things go next in Iraq and how the economy plays out over the course of the year. That may sound utterly obvious, I have no idea. Take it for what it's worth. But nine months is a long LONG time.

I see your points, Ned, and my expression of worry was actually genuine. Just though a Cleo/Ned shop would be too funny to ignore.

Cleo is a fake.

So Hillary looks like the smartest guy in the room, flaunting the DNC's rules about MI and FL and getting symbolic victories, free press, and momentum, not to mention the possibility of delegates. I just thought voters were nauseous of at all costs, ends justify means shit after last 8 years. She must really know that we need her.

Last times I had creeping (geo?)political dread: November 2000 (srsly I was horrified at likely election outcome.. but was in France so the reporting on it was not focused on trivia).. runup to invasion of Iraq (has everyone in this country gone crazy?) and immediately after the third debate in 2004 (oh shit, Kerry's going to lose this election).
I feel maybe I'm comparatively lucky when the economy continues heading into the shitbin because I have a university job (layoffs = impossible, pay cuts = impossible) and don't own real estate..

You're a Prof.? The "layoffs=impossible" line = possible giveaway. Nice job, if so.

No, I work in IT!

runup to invasion of Iraq (has everyone in this country gone crazy?)

yeah me too but trust me if the black man or the woman wins the shoe will be on the other foot.

You would have to set the office on fire to get shitcanned around here. Plus, I am one of the people who actually do work..

I'm not IT but otherwise Daria and I are pretty much in the same situation.

yeah me too but trust me if the black man or the woman wins the shoe will be on the other foot.

Pardon?

the sky will be falling on a lot of people

wtf guliani is dropping out?

looks like it.

Not surprising.

edwards out!

edwards out!

Sad

will edwards endorse obama?

he fucking better

def

when will Mike Gravel throw in the towel, that's what I want to know

U MEAN THROW IN THE ROCK LOLOLOLOLOLOL

... though I have complete faith that John Edwards will go on to do great things, of possible Al Gore proportions.

I’ve heard Mr. Edwards speak on a number of occasions and he was always genuine. It embarrasses me that the liberal wing of the Democratic party flocked to the center to support either Senator Clinton or Senator Obama and left him in the dust.

Democrat John Edwards is exiting the presidential race Wednesday, ending a scrappy underdog bid in which he steered his rivals toward progressive ideals while grappling with family hardship that roused voter's sympathies but never diverted his campaign, The Associated Press has learned.

The two-time White House candidate notified a close circle of senior advisers that he planned to make the announcement at a 1 p.m. EST event in New Orleans that had been billed as a speech on poverty, according to two of his advisers. The decision came after Edwards lost the four states to hold nominating contests so far to rivals who stole the spotlight from the beginning — Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama.

Source: AP News

will edwards endorse obama?

he fucking better

Ugh. That’s all people care about in this thread. Politics is fine if it has meaning at the end of the day but without that we’re all better off following football instead. Go team! Rah! Rah! Rah!

maybe someone made him a deal?????

can someone plz ban mr goodman from this thread weve god all the morbses we can handle thx

for real

I’ve heard Mr. Edwards speak on a number of occasions and he was always genuine.

You measured him on the Genuine-O-Meter?

From Daniel, Esq.'s link upthread...

The key was that McCain nearly doubled Romney among the 39% of Republicans who called themselvs moderates or liberals

A Britishe Writes: what do liberal Republicans stand for? And this McCain is one?

i have never in my life heard anyone describe themselves as a liberal republican

the word liberal to republicans is up there w/child-molester terrorist etc

the only 'liberal' republicans i can think of are...luger? maybe arlen specter? and these guys are 'moderates'. i don't know who would describe themselves as a liberal republican.

So maybe 38.9999999% of Republicans call themselves Moderates and there's Just This One Guy who calls himself a liberal?

or the pollsters didnt actually phrase the question in those terms?

Here's the poll that's being referred to...
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/blogphotos/Blog_Florida_Republican_Exit_Poll_Party_2008.gif

well then ok not sure what to say abt that 11%

oh wait ok all of those can be accounted for by democrats and independents that voted on the gop side this time

? You'll have to explain further.

the democratic contest yeilded no delegates -- disenfranchised moderates who would have otherwise voted on the dem side maybe wanted to effect the republican contest?

i could be wrong but i think you have to declare to vote in fla so i dont think those were actual dems

http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/gawker/2008/01/obama-1.jpg

^^^ OBEY OBAMA. fuckin' rad. large image.

interesting about edwards - i thought he'd really stick around until feb. 5. yea, he fucking better endorse obama, but i don't know if he will. i'll be really curious to see where his supporters flock to - as others mentioned upthread it's kind of difficult to determine who benefited more from him sticking around.

i know it probably didn't mean much, but that "private meeting" edwards had with clinton a week or two ago kind of frightens me now. cabinet position offered then? though i wouldn't be surprised he just waits and endorses the clear frontrunner later, whoever it ends up being.

? You'll have to explain further.

look a the top part of the poll 20% of the voters in the republican primary consider themselves independents or democrats - they just registered as republicans for whatever reasons.

for the 3% that are democrats is likely because the florida democratic primary didnt count this year due to beef abt the primary date w/the national democratic party.

most of the independents are probably pretty much republicans in their views - but some just have ideologies that dont particularly conform to party doctrine: like libertarians who are anti-immigration and pro-drug legalization or anti-war anti-abortion christians etc.