Super Tuesday Flashback – Change is Big – Romney Misfires – Dems Battle On
What a day! It began with a political mistake by Mitt Romney. After Bob Dole endorsed John McCain. Romney suggested that he wouldn’t even want Dole’s endorsement. It was an insult, pure and simple, and he tried to backtrack, but you don’t want to insult a party icon on election day.
Romney, whose campaign, from my perspective, has not been managed well, is out of options. He seemed too desperate in the last few days. And the results showed. McCain, perhaps the greatest comeback “kid” of this political generation is rolling toward the nomination. And how about Huckabee. The man is for real, as in genuine. He proved again that he can do more with less.
The Democrats are engaged in the hottest primary race in history. Splitting the delegate vote, Clinton and Obama dueled for the duration last night, with Obama showing brilliant resiliency and an ability to cross gender, income, and racial lines. Hillary Clinton can brag about wins on both coasts and can call herself “slight frontrunner.” Others may view it differently, but I think Obama may have the upper hand as we head into Maryland, Virginia and DC next Tuesday. We’ll see. As you know, this has not been a good year for pundits!
I was frankly blown away by the turnaround in the California and New Jersey votes over the last few days. In fact, I have never seen quite anything like it. It seems that there is a national mini=surge going on for Obama, and Senator Clinton. who will fight to the end, knows it. Here’s the real problem for Clinton: after making public peace with Obama, it will be very difficult for her to go on the attack, and going on the attack may be the only way to stop his momentum.
The big story here is change. Change is usually a product of disenchantment with an outgoing administration. It is ironic that “change” was also a theme during the outgoing Clinton administration in 2000, as it was when Clinton defeated George Bush in 1992.
In the next few weeks, watch for more endorsements, gargantuan fund raising, and background courting of super delegates, the 20 percent from both parties who are VIP delegates, elected officials and big fund raisers. They may be the deciding factor in the Democratic battle.
Comments(22)
I am masturbating to this report right now! I am aroused by your politics, Larry Kane!
LOL
As much as I would like to see Obama win the Donky Party nomination I fear he will not. Ask a question. Is it really likely for him to be the nominee when he lost California.
I believe two things are happening on the Donky Party side. People are telling the pollsters one thing and going into the voting both and doing the other. This happened in New Hampshire and it will be interesting to see what the analysis brings out on this issue.
The reality of this has big impacts on the general election. Be it a woman or a black will people say to the pollster what they want to hear and in the privacy of the voting both do differently? I believe this is a trend. Also I find it interesting that Obama in cacuses does better. Probably because people have to do this in person in a crowd of peers.
If the Donky Party has this problem, the most liberal party, think about the impact accross the entire national distribution of voters.
Super Tuesday also proves that endorsements don’t mean much. Ted Kennedy’s Mass went for Hillary.
I fear endoresements are about going to the trough for the endorser. Witness the very silent Ed Rendel backing Billary. He is a crafty poll who knows he is to get goodies if Billary wins. He is betting on that.
For all the lemmings that were breathless over the various Kennedy’s endorsing Obama, how’d that work out for your candidate yesterday?
Sour grapes,guys. Hillary is intelligent and a women and it scares the hell out of you. Wise up, this is the 21 st centuary Remember the old helen Reddy song I AM WOMEN> Way to go Hillary
Pat – yadda yadda yadda… just playing the gender card – it just gets soooo old.
Hillary does scare the hell out of me – but it has NOTHING, repeat NOTHING to do with her being a woman (or intelligent).
It is what she plans to try to DO that scares the hell out of me.
Some examples, words from her mouth:
“We’re going to take things away from you on behalf of the common good.”
“I certainly think the free-market has failed.”
She wants forced purchase of health insurance, tax increases, on and on. Do those socialist goals scare me? Darn right.
Hillary with Obama as VP appears to be an unbeatable ticket, but without Obama McCain could easily take her, so that explains the recent love affair between Hillary and Obama. Larry’s “silent man” McCain pulled it out- props Larry. Now would a McCain/ Huckabee ticket work? Huckabee’s got the evangelicals locked up, also very telegenic and showed he can do hatchet work when needed, so he’s an excellent VP pick for Mcain. There it is: Clinton/ Obamna, McCain/ Huckabee, we could have another very tight race in Novemeber. One Kennedy endoresment had some value; Maria Shriver for Hillary, and with hubby supporting McCain, California is in good shape to get paid no matter who wins in Novemeber.
Well, isn’t this an interesting political season? The spin on entry/exit polls is nothing new (tell’em one thing, do another) – it is just more pronounced in recent years.
Good point about ‘Ubama and Clinton making nice – it’ll be hard for ‘em to slam each other effectively and it could well make for the downfall of the left.
As I stated before in this forum, I see a McCain-Huckabee ticket being really viable. McCain is not MY first choice (Huckabee is), but seems destined for the nomination. If Senator McCain chooses Governor Huckabee, he brings a great balance to the Repubican Right (heck, there’s a good reason why they call us ‘The Right”).
I was watching Al-Jazeera in Iraq this morning, and their post-Super-Duper Toooosday analysis has anointed Baraq Husayn ‘Ubama as the next President, eschewing Senator McCain as being ‘too Hawkish’, and Governor Huckabee as being ‘extremely anti-islamic’ — giv e me a break. I am not surprised by this endorsement, and I wonder if Senator ‘Ubama will cite this resounding endorsement in his TV and print ads? (My guess is that he will not.)
It is rather refreshing that the nominations were not locked on Toooosday – this will make for an iteresting remainder of the political season leading up to the General Election in November.
Will it be the first black man; the first woman, or the first former Prisoner of War with an Evangelical Christian Preacher Vice President?
I’m ready to vote NOW!
What a country!!! God Bless America, and, America, Bless God!
I still fantasize an Obama/Richardson ticket. As much as I am for Barack, he is still a lightweight internationally (although he could be elected chancellor of Germany, to judge from the local press!) The Europeans want so badly for America to recover from its mental lapse in giving Bush eight years to “bring`èm on!” The Decider (rhymes with Divider)was just not up to the job–consulting God while Cheney was busy undermining our freedoms, and inventing the farce of eye-to-eye diplomacy in assessing Putin. Richardson would help us restore global confidence in our ideals. Bush just faked idealism while playing footsie with the Emirs for their oil. And of course there is the more and more significant Hispanic vote. He’d have a lock on that. I hope John Edwards is not holding back his endorsement for a Veep slot. He’d make an exemplary Secretary of Labor.I`m disapponted with weaseling Ed Rendell.Harrisburg is turning him into a political dwarf.Patrick D.Hazard, Weimar, Germany.
Someone please slap me. I can’t stop laughing over the fact that Hillary took Mass. Caroline Kennedy, Ted Kennedy, John Kerry………… WOW! Mr. Obama should probably rethink his endorsements.
By the way George, Marie Shriver endorsed
Obama not Hillary.In fact the Terminator’s daughter voted for Obama. I wonder who Joe Kennedy will endorse……..hmmmmmmmmmm?
Hugo Chavez?
Hello Larry,it will be nice to see Hillary clinch it in penna ,also her 35 years experience will help against Mccain in november.
Thanks Larry
35 years experience being Bill Clinton’s caddy. DO we really want both of them in the white house? If she was such a brilliant strong feminist-she would have left him. Didn’t her name used to be Hillary Rodham?
Hillary and Bill are a dysfunctional couple with too much influence. If she’s nominated and goes up against McCain, my guess is that we’ll have a Republican president and that her presence will drive enough anti-Hillary types to the polls that Dems will also lose Senate seats in red states where they presently hold them. She’s a wonk who lives by “my way or the highway” absolutes. She’s not a leader.
He won 13 states to her 8. Hillary is not leading based on delegates generated by popular votes but rather from super delegates or political connection.
It is not over. Not by a long shot. Many of you said that Obama couldn’t get this far. Mark my words. Obama is going to win and he won’t have to scheme to get it.
Ed, you’re right about Maria endorsing Obama. That Kennedy-Winfrey alliance didn’t do much for winning delegates, but Obama did rack up quite a few votes and states-enough to be the must have VP for Hillary. It will be a great job for him, no messy voting in Senate to tarnish his eventual presidential bid, really nice VP crib in DC, what’s not to like?!
I can’t help but imagine what the White House will look like with Hillary as Prez. Instead of Camelot it will be like some version of a Mae West and
W C Fields movie with the title “Cumalot” or maybe “Raging Bill”.
Or maybe “It Came From Park Ridge!” (I know, the title kinda sounds like a horror movie).
Where’s Bill Clinton today? Didn’t he say after the SC defeat, “wait for those millions of voters on Super Tuesday”?
Well millions did vote and Hillary is still in a dogfight for her life. It looks like trashing Obama might have backfired. I am by no means a political junkie (I prefer orchid Afghani tar) but
it will be interesting to see if Bill resurfaces as the attack dog again or
will Hillary put a muzzle on that dirty dog.
Obama will not run with Hillary in either slot. He’s so tired of the Clintons and their dirty tactics. He wants to distance himself from 3$Bill and 3$Hill. No way he picks her as his VP or runs as her VP. Sorry, George, your unbeatable “Dream Ticket” is just that, a dream.
As for Republicrat McCain, how can someone so wrong on so many important issues be so far out in front? He can’t beat 3$Hill or Obama. The Conservatives better draft someone fast before McCain goes down in flames again.
“”Romney, whose campaign, from my perspective, has not been managed well, is out of options. He seemed too desperate in the last few days.”"”
You guys in the East are finally paying attention. Romney has been like this since Day 1 in Iowa, talks a mile a minute and reminds me of those guys on the Boardwalk in AC that made the most useless itmes sound important. Total Huckster, oh wait, that’s Mike. Snake Oil salesman, that’s Mitt or should I say Willard? Still think he’s the personification of Guy Smiley.
Larry:
Are you making this stuff up?
Bob Dole never endorsed John McCain.
Here’s what he said on “Hannity & Colmes”: “My heart’s kind of with McCain, but you know, again, I’ve stayed out of it. I don’t have any dog — I don’t want to say dog, some may say that’s saying we don’t have a good candidate, but I don’t have anybody in this fight.”
How can you possibly claim that that’s and endorsement of John McCain? What part of “I don’t have anybody in this fight” don’t you understand?