Caucuses Dominate Saturday Voting: Advantage Obama?

On Saturday Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton will be going head-to-head for delegates in Louisiana, Nebraska, Washington and the Virgin Islands. On Sunday the race moves to Maine. Of these five contests, four are caucuses (Louisiana is a primary).
As the New York Times notes:

In Tacoma, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton alluded to the caucuses in Washington state tomorrow, telling an audience of nurses, "If this were a primary -- if you could vote all day -- I'd feel pretty good about it.''

She, of course, was citing their work shifts and their worries about getting away from work around 1 p.m., when their caucuses start.

But she also might've been lamenting the fact that so far, Senator Barack Obama has done better in states holding caucuses, save Nevada. So far, he's taken Democratic caucuses in Iowa, Colorado, Arkansas, Idaho, Minnesota and North Dakota. New Mexico, believe it or not, and we can believe it, given how close votes have been there for a few years now, is still counting and counting.

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Comments

[BlogUser]

SpectatorConsumer, you are completely missing the point. I have never said that Hillary was underdog. I have said completely oposite and have said that clintons are world figure. I think you are drunk on Obama drink. Get a fresh lemonade and then read and say what you have in your mind with open mind. Again, use common sense. Oh... ask Obama to add as an extra ingredient in his drink so when you drink his mix you can use some common sense.

[KarenZipdrive]

Your headline included the phrase, "Advantage Obama?"
That query would lead one to believe that particular prognostication is based on polling results.
I thought the subject of polling was verboten on HuffPo.
So, it's "just say no to pollsters" unless they are leaning toward Obama, then it's okay.
Is that bullshit I smell?

[jcandrsn]

did you read the story? Or did you just post nonsense and hope other people didn't read it either?

[Gabrielle]

Clinton's vote got us into WAR!!
Clinton was on the board of WalMart for 6 years and NEVER initiated any Healthcare Insurance (Full time workers apllied for Medicare - part timers got no health care coverage).
Clinton voted on every occasion to support the war even when her own party brought up bills that would have changed the course).
Her husband, President Clinton supported NAFTA after being against it. NAFTA has cost millions of Americans their well paying manufacturing jobs.
Hillary will be more of the same. GO OBAMA!!!

COPIED FROM THE "BUSINESS SECTION"

[beachdogs]

please explain to me

Obama and him receiving 270000 for his' senate and presidential campaigns
from Exelon who is a nuclear plant who had a radiocative spill

there should be no double standards

[kempis]

Teflon.

Obama has it. People so *want* to believe that he's a rare, inspirational, more-moral-than-the-rest leader, so they pretty much go "lalalalalalalala" whenever presented with anything that casts doubt on that.

It's irritating to me as a Hillary supporter, but it's a quality I'll learn to appreciate in him if he's the nominee and his teflon survives the general election. :)

Obama isn't JFK or MLK or Gandhi. He's Reagan. ;)

[repubstheirownworstenemy]

Could you provide a link to this fact, please?

Thanks in advance.

[ChimpmasterDJ]

She voted to cluster-bomb women and children

[BlogUser]

Obama has an advantage from the begining. How?
1) He has nothing loose from the begining. He came without his name recognization. He started his campaign on one statement.
"We are not Red State or Blue State, We are United State". Let me tell you what he has happen in the election since he has entered the race for WH. He is moving us towards
"Black State and White State". Nutshell - From color states he is moving towards black and white state. Very bad for America. He is not going to make change. He already made the change in the politics. People are afraid to talk about this "black states and white states". Why am i saying this, because if you see, 80% of African American have voted for him. So, he is definitely pulling African American on side from general politics.
Why African American have forgotten that when there were few stood for them. Clintons were one of them, anyway... It is a matter of common sense and i think people have lost most of their common sense.

2) He was no country hero. He is running against some one established as a uber political figure in democratic party and world wide.
3) If he looses against Clinton, he can stand still and say "I compete against the master of politics". If he wins, he takes all...
4) He has just stepped into the politics and he is African American so he has double advantage.
5) People in cacause will feel shy (especially democratic folks) to go against black person in public. That helps obama to win cacause.
So, there you go... he has an advantage from the begning and so i am surprised to read this blog now, talking about advantage for obama.

[findingthetruth]

CLINTON'S LATET CLAIM---"I'M BETTER PREPARED FOR ATTACKS".

Wow!!!! The attacks from AMERICA during her decision to support her husband's actions? If THAT didn't have anything to do with the issues troubling this country's economy, then she once again has lost touch with reality. The key word--"ATTACK"--NEEDS ASSESSMENT. Is it legitimate? Her personal life was legitimate. Her issues/platform (and process through legislation)on this country--if they're NOT legitimate---she'll get eaten alive.

[beachdogs]

just some facts

Obama ran commercials down here in Florida for 2 weeks prior to the primary--I know I live here and saw them.

Hillary won Florida with more votes than Obama by alot and Hillary won more votes than the Republicans combined
Hillary never campaigned down here- just have another primary she will it again-she is winning already all the big states needed for gen election.
Obama is only winning mainly red states that will go red in gen election-he could not even win Mass with Kennedys help-does this not alarm anyone?
Hillary has good chance to win red state Florida in gen election with all the dems here and NY dems/rep/indep here.

[DiamondSutra]

No, this does not alarm me at all. CA, MA and NY will go blue no matter who the Dems nominate. Many of the states Obama has won, however, are purple swing states that HRC would lose for sure.

My question to you is: What do you care about more: having HRC be the nominee? Or having a Dem in the White House? Because that's the choice. YOu can't have both.

Don't believe me? Check out the head-to-head polling over on RealClearPolitics.com. HRC loses to McCain consistenly. Obama wins consistently.

HRC is the REAL "roll of the dice."

[BushJustdrivesdemscrazy]

No, no, no, no!

Hillary is the one that scares us!

She would be unbeatable. She is the one you should nominate. Really, we're dreading the campaign if she is the nominee. Petrified.

[beachdogs]

Its like the causus thing when folks are questioned they don't tell the truth--in a private voting booth they will.

I tell you this know Obama is unelectable--I hate to admit that too as a dem, the republicans will continue the war. Alot of those indep, fiscal dems and moderates when it comes down to it will vote economy over war in end--this is where Obama looses- at least Hilalry has awesome economic plan and alot folks rememeber some pretty good economic years under Pres Clinton.
You all think I hate Obama when I don't its just that I too want a dem in the WH and he sadly is not electable. The media and republicans have given him pass but when he is dem nom the honeymoon will be over!

[ordinaryguy]

hillary only won and will only win the states that Dems always win on their way to losing. in order to win the presidency, the Dems have to win some of those so called "red states". go back and look at what states that bill won that kerry did not.

[ZinZen]

beachdogs- Hillary won on pure name recognition. Do you really think she would have won if she wasn't married to a very popular former president? I think not.

[ceasenake]

GO OBAMA GO!

He's got a great advantage during any caucus because (almost) no one in the USA will stand and make a statment against a Black man in public for fear of being thought a racist.

TAKE IT TO THE BANK OBAMA!

[repubstheirownworstenemy]

And yet here you are making racist assertions. Nothing will stop people like you. Not really.

[Lalo]

He's right, unfortunately. My best friend was in Iowa caucus. People were EMBARRASSED not to be seen going against a black candidate.

[beachdogs]

think about what you just said

basically folks are voting in a causcus for him so not to offend others or stand up for their own principals-wtf???

what do you think these folks will do in gen election in a voting booth-you are such a dumbass I am embarrassed for you

[Lalo]

The caucus in Iowa was in an open space where everyone was in front of everyone else. People were basically lining up against walls. And then the campaign supporters were walking to the "oponent" crowd trying to switch them.

[kay]

Senator Clinton moves the bar a lot.

Now caucuses are inherently unfair?

It's not even logical. She lost a classic swing state primary in Missouri, and she lost Connecticut. Were those races stacked against her too? She was the First Lady in Arkansas and she's the Senator from New York. That would seem to indicate a certain advantage in both Missouri and Connecticut, yet she lost.

One of the "big state" victories her campaign claims is...New York. Isn't that sort of a gimmee? Illinois is a "big state" too.

Since when are the Clintons anti-caucus? I don't remember Bill Clinton decrying caucuses as undemocratic. Is it neccesary to discredit the races the she doesn't do well in?

[BushJustdrivesdemscrazy]

Not only do the Clintons move the bar a lot, but they rewrite history shamelessly. With gusto even.

Bill was claiming that Hillary is always the underdog the other day, that she always has to come from behind. Gee, it was only four months ago that her campaign was counting on a strategy of inevitability. The implicit message to Dems was get on the bus or suffer retribution in the future.

[robodweeb]

That's not re-writing history.

That would be like Ari Fleischer saying that Americans need to watch what they say and then purging it from the transcript.

Or re-writing science to fit policy.

[Troubledwawa]

It would seem to me that Hillary has been sitting so long on her lead.

Not only has she lost it, but has lost her ability to get her offense restarted.

[Troubledwawa]

correction: "so" = "too"

[ZinZen]

The biggest problem with Hillary is that she started as a big name candidate with an aura of inevitability for about one year. The more primaries/caucus' she loses to Obama the more vulnerable she will be be to the Repubs in the GE. Do Dems prefer Hillary even with this damning scenario. If Hillary manages to somehow win the primaries she will be so weakened a box of rocks will be able to beat her. But hey, you folks want Hillary to win at all costs.

[cambio]

Waaaahhh, caucuses are out to get me, waaaaahhh. Um, last time I checked Hillary your prime demographic are retired people and adults with steady M-F jobs. Obama's key demographic is younger people, who are much more likely to be working odd jobs on the weekend, so quit whining like the only reason you've been losing caucuses by wide margins is because all of your people are at work. Shut up.

[robodweeb]

Hard to tell which is more pathetic...

The things Huckster is saying to CPAC or the hooting and cheering he's getting when he says it.

[MNmommy]

Creepy isn't it?

Red Meat, Red Meat, Red Meat.

[robodweeb]

My favorite is when they go on about the founding father's "values"...

Slavery, genocide, denying the vote to women, screwing their slaves or, as Ben Franklin wrote, spending their nights "a-whoring".

[OhgReaTone]

The pundits are busy analyzing caucuses versus primaries. Black versus White, man versus woman, rich versus poor, educated versus uneducated. They need something to talk about - and these are interesting after-the-fact statistics - but we are in a time of Revolution and the demographics are thrown out the window in favor of the best vote for this country. This is an American Revolution.
Ohg
http://thefiresidepost.com/2008/02/05/this-american-revolution-2008/

[OSUMercutio]

Once again the Clinton camp artificially lowers expectations to pave the way for Hillary's "miraculous comeback". Let's not get fooled again - Hillary is the incumbent candidate and always will be. Don't forget to vote early and often!

[Lalo]

Yes, as often as possible, preferably 3 or 4 times a day

[beachdogs]

HILLARY MAY HAVE THE LAST LAUGH IN WASHINGTON TODAY BECAUSE THE STATE WITH THE SECOND LARGEST AMOUNT OF ASIANS AFTER HAWAII IS WASHINGOTN STATE AND THE INTERVIEWS AND POLLING THEY HAVE DONE SHOW THE ASIAN COMMUNITY OVERWHELMINGLY VOTES HILLARY.
HAHAHA - THE MOST INTELLIGENT FOLKS IN THE WORLD ARE VOTING FOR HILLARY --WHAT DOES THAT SAY ABOUT YOU OBAMA PEOPLE LOL

[ZinZen]

Beachdogs,

I am so convinced because you posted everything in CAPS. Don't you know that posters who use caps look a bit desperate?

[Bobby]

After this weekend, endorsements will also help drive the way the campaign is headed. I believe Al Gore will endorse Barack Obama. I also believe John Edwards and Russ Feingold will as well. People don't want the same old Washington, with all of the lobbyists that are joined at the hip with Hillary. Hillary's hawkish voting record certainly won't win her many friend among this group. Change is desperately needed, for the U.S. foreign policy and for domestic agenda's like healthcare, the environment, the economy, education and energy. Hillary is Corporate America's candidate. We saw how that experiment worked with Dumbya Bu$h. Obama can take us where we need to go, and with no strings attached, unlike Hillary and her lobbyist friends. But unfortunately, we may be headed for the Super delegate highway, and that I think will be ugly for the Dems.

[MNmommy]

You were making comments about Edwards and Gore endorsing Obama before Super Tuesday.

It didn't happen.

Perhaps some folks think the electorate should decide.

[Bobby]

I don't believe I said that the two would endorse Obama BEFORE Super Tuesday, but if I did, I apologize. But I sincerely think that they eventually will. Feingold will be a key endorsement as well. He is the one Dem over the last 7 or so years that has shown some incredible courage against the Bu$h/Cheney terror machine. He was against the war in Iraq. He was the ONLY senator to vote against the Patriot act. He has been one of the more outspoken people against illegal wiretapping. And he at the very least, wanted to censure Bu$h & Cheney. We shall see, but it will be very interesting to see who these folks endorse. But I agree with you, that the people need to choose the nominee. That's why this whole Super delegate thing is so bad.

[beachdogs]

YOU NEED TO GET YOU FACTS STRAIGHT

WHAT IS WITH OBAMA AND EXELON( THE NUCLEAR PLANT THAT HAD RADIOACTIVE SPILL)
AND HIS' RECIEVING 270000 FROM THEM FOR SENATE AND PRESIDENTIAL RUNS?

OBAMA ALSO BOUGHT THE LAND FROM REZKO THAT HE BUILT HIS MANSION ON

I THINK YOU ALL HAVE REALLY BEEN DRINKING THE KOOLAID --SO SAD

OBAMA CAN'T WIN THE GEN ELECTION WITHOUT DEM BASE AND HE NEVER WINS THAT IN ANY STATES--THE STATES HE HAS WON ARE ALREADY RED STATES -HE HAS YET TO WIN MANY BLUE STATES THAT IS VERY WORRISOME-HE COULD'NT EVEN WIN MASS WITH KENNEDYS HELP

[Bobby]

I might try and listen if you DON'T shout. But the fact is that Hillary has MORE lobbyist money than ANY other candidate, Dem or Repub. Haven't we seen what the Abramoff influence did to the Dumbya Bu$h administration?

[DiamondSutra]

My mom used to be backyard neighbors with the Obamas in Chicago. She still lives within walking distance of their place. It's a decent-sized brownstone. But it's hardly a "mansion."

Interestingly it's on 47th street, which is the exact dividing line between Hyde Park, where the U of C is located, and the ghetto.

[Nonamnesiac]

I think Feingold endorsed or said he was leaning towards endorsing Hillary, but I could be wrong. It's one of the reasons I think of him as such a lightweight compared to Paul Wellstone.

[kristin]

Meant to add the word 'pathetic". Probably loves the attention of my complaint. Pathetic.