2008 Primaries Thread 2: THE QUICKENING

6 weeks and 6 billion news cycles later, i wonder how many voters in those states will switch candidates.

at the time it didn't seem like it would become an issue. few people saw a protracted battle at the outset.

-- Cosmo Vitelli, Tuesday, March 11, 2008 4:05 PM (4 minutes ago) Bookmark Link

exactly.

its been pointed out more than once on this thread how ironic it is that these two states moved up their dates in an effort to be more important in the nominating process and it only ended up making them pretty much the only UN-important states in the whole race.

also, the Republicans made a v v smart move by punishing the same states for the same rule-breaking by stripping them of only half their delegates, which makes the Dems look even more stupid now.

obama should call for a revote in fl and mi right now. Seize all that disenfranchisement mumbo jumbo

open up new theaters of combat to pour his money and organizational strength into while it still counts for something

xxxpost

@Nathan, thanks, I can see your point.

So the Democratic Party's issue with believability/reliability probably weighs less than re-entering the two states, in order to get a - votes wise - most honest election as possible. I can see that.
Long after this race, people will mostly remember the big highs and lows, who won and who lost, rather than some complicated party-problem regarding two states. So ultimately it won't hurt the party as much as this whole race will hurt the loser of the race.

(I come from a country with multiple parties. A change of rules like this would seriously damage the reliability of one party, with many other parties eager to dig into this and take away votes. But ofcourse, Clinton vs Obama is a battle within one party))

(Typing up the word party this much sure makes me want to put on some music and drink wine)

Ben Smith posts this Ferarro Flashback. She's talking about Jesse Jackson:

Placid of demeanor but pointed in his rhetoric, Jackson struck out repeatedly today against those who suggest his race has been an asset in the campaign. President Reagan suggested Tuesday that people don't ask Jackson tough questions because of his race. And former representative Geraldine A. Ferraro (D-N.Y.) said Wednesday that because of his "radical" views, "if Jesse Jackson were not black, he wouldn't be in the race."

Asked about this at a campaign stop in Buffalo, Jackson at first seemed ready to pounce fiercely on his critics. But then he stopped, took a breath, and said quietly, "Millions of Americans have a point of view different from" Ferraro's.

Discussing the same point in Washington, Jackson said, "We campaigned across the South . . . without a single catcall or boo. It was not until we got North to New York that we began to hear this from Koch, President Reagan and then Mrs. Ferraro . . . . Some people are making hysteria while I'm making history."

RIP

Repeat after me: Barack Obama is not Jesse Jackson.

Regardless of who wins the nomination, can we even hope for Democrats to unite as a part after what is already appearing to be a very hotly contested and bitter race? I have heard so many people say that they will not vote if their preferred candidate does not receive the nomination. Given what little hope I have of seeing both of them on a split ticket, I really think that both Obama and Clinton (and their advisers) need to take great pains to avoid splitting the party and allowing that old geezer to win.

Hillary might seriously regret the day that she said that only herself and McCain were ready to lead the country, especially if she does not win the nom.

Elmo, we all know that. It's Ferraro with the problem here.

dems will line up just like repubs did. once the conventions end and the swiftboating/ad wars/sniping/armageddon gets going the choice will look pretty clear to most people.

thanks to the electoral college and me living in a securely Democratic state I have the luxury of not having to worry about voting for Hillary.

i need to hear more foreign views of the primary here.

I don't think her latest statements have been interpreted quite right but regardless, it's just a highly odd tack she seems to take at the racial question. slightly paranoic.

Ferraro I mean

on a different note,

Limbaugh was encouraging people to vote for Obama this morning, until Pennsylvania, when its time to vote for Hillary again. In PA you have to be registered Dem by March 24th or something in order to vote in April.

I listened to the MS Elections Commissioner predict about a 10% voter turnout on the radio this morning. Looks like it was closer to 40%, if I remember the number of total registered in the state right.

Limbaugh is so deluded.

thanks to the electoral college and me living in a securely Democratic state I have the luxury of not having to worry about voting for Hillary.

-- gr8080, Tuesday, March 11, 2008 9:38 PM (13 minutes ago) Bookmark Link

i was gonna say the same ... except we did landslide for barack so maybe not???

grady is implying that he's not gonna vote right?? i would not vote for hillary but this is the first election i could vote for and i don't wanna sit it out. by the same token i also don't want my FIRST VOTE EVER to be for hillary mf clinton. write in for barack?

first election i could vote in

nader80

yeah illinois might be "in play" but i doubt it's anything more than a long shot for McCain.

Hillz grew up there.

Should Geraldine Ferraro provide a DNA sample to see if she's also partially African?
Maybe she got where she's cause of her good African genes?

By the way I am white-hispanic
3 hours ago - 3 days left to answer.

Answer this Question
Answers

*smile*
3 hours ago

I don't understand your question.
3 hours ago

um ... with respect to her comment -- how would that make any difference?
3 hours ago

Well, she is Italian. Most S. Italians have African blood.
3 hours ago

yes she should because italians were conquered by the moors and this accounts for the features that she has.
3 hours ago

99%
reporting

Mississippi
Updated 4 minutes ago

County: Table | Map
Exit Poll

Obama

247,456

60%

17

Clinton

153,745

38%

11
--------

60-38? Still less than twice her score. I'm telling you, she's unbeatable.

Hillary is saving the Perez Hilton endorsement for when things really get rough.

Now up to 61-37

Tactical GOP Clinton voters clearly not that inspired on the day.

100% of the Clinton voters voted for Clinton. Beat that, Obama.

lol

http://ravingblacklunatic.blogspot.com/2008/03/hes-supported-by-who.html

http://www.theatlantic.com/images/issues/200802u/president-obama.jpg

I think I saw that bit back in December, 2000.

Shrillary's ticket to presidential candidacy was not her gender, biut her choice of mate

Regardless of who wins the nomination, can we even hope for Democrats to unite as a party after what is already appearing to be a very hotly contested and bitter race?

It depends how much crazy McBickle brings to the table this fall. GHW Bush labeled Reagan with "voodoo economics" in '80 before becoming his running mate, don't forget.

http://www.brokeland.com/tracerhand/McCainusesRALLYTHEBASE.gif

donars!

btw, when will Howard Wolfson be giving the Foreign Policy Aptitude test to Obama? The week before Denver, so he can have maximum study time?

http://blogs.pcworld.com/tipsandtweaks/archives/maptest.jpg

I have heard so many people say that they will not vote if their preferred candidate does not receive the nomination.

this scares me, a million times more than the prospect of my preferred dem not getting the nomination. i really hope that the people who would prefer to waste their votes out of spite are in the minority, but it's very worrying.

Very much agreed with this, but that sentiment seems strong in these parts.

6 weeks and 6 billion news cycles later, i wonder how many voters in those states will switch candidates.

-- Cosmo Vitelli, Tuesday, March 11, 2008 9:14 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Link

Florida may not change too much (demographics are in Hillary's favor), but recent polls show that if they conducted a do-over in Michigan (where Obama wasn't even on the ballot the first time), it'd be very close.

oh i'll get up bright and early to vote for hillary, even though i more or less hate her at this point, because i'm 100% positive a mccain presidency would be an unmitigated disaster.

maybe i'm in a tiny minority there but i think most democrats will come to that conclusion pretty quickly once this all shakes out. remember, everybody liked each other as of 3 short months ago.

I certainly ain't wasting my vote on McCain or Clinton

Hate is good!

mostly people are just a little heated right now w/all this ill stay home talk

well i wouldn't give HRC any $$ in the general...

most registered Democrats will probably vote for the nominee anyway. I'm less sure about indies.

you got to be kidding me:

Hillary spokesperson Phil Singer responds:

The path to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue goes through Pennsylvania so if Barack Obama can’t win there, how will he win the general election?