Obama On Track To Win Caucus 2nd Tier Support

Des Moines--Barack Obama has already begun shoring up support among the lower-tier candidates who lack the money or poll numbers to be serious contenders in the early primary states, such as Iowa, and Offthebus hears that "agreements" with these candidates may be announced soon.

Dennis Kucinich started what may add up to the critical mass Obama needs for a win or strong second-place showing in the Iowa caucuses, when Kucinich encouraged his supporters - few though there are in this frozen state - to join the Obama forces on caucus night, if Kucinich doesn't have enough voters to be viable.

The Kucinich endorsement flooded the blogoshpere and the main-street-media and handed Obama a mini-bounce at a critical time in this campaign for the most privileged voters in America - Iowa's caucus attendees.

For days, the rumors have been flying between the campaigns about which of the top three candidates for the Democratic presidential nomination will benefit from the second tier non-viable candidates - Joe Biden and Bill Richardson - to be specific.

The Biden national and state campaign honchos met at 4 p.m. Monday in a Des Moines attorney's office to discuss their strategy and decide if they would encourage their non-viable voters to choose either Obama, Edwards, or Hillary Clinton's caucus contingents.

At a crowded and noisy Star Bar on Ingersoll Avenue, where the Biden campaign staffers were sipping champagne - or harder stuff - and waiting for their candidate, his wife, and the Biden Family to arrive for a New Year's Eve informal gathering, Offthebus chatted with one of the Biden's national consultants who wanted to remain anonymous:

"A decision will be made tomorrow about who we'll encourage our supporters to stand behind if we aren't viable in a precinct. Right now, I'd guess Obama gets our support because we're more inline with his vision of foreign policy than any of the other candidates, and besides, we like him and how he's run his campaign."

"Is Biden angling for a Secretary of State position in an Obama Administration?"

The Biden consultant told Offthebus, "Well, Joe would make a great Secretary of State, wouldn't he?"

Biden's son, Joseph R. Biden, III is the current Attorney General for Delaware. Should Joe Biden resign his seat and accept a major post in the next Democratic Administration in Washington, his son is positioned to replace him in the U.S. Senate.

After attending the press party at the Temple for the Performing Arts, I headed over to Dos Rios, to pick up any additional bar talk conversations and dangle the Biden scoop.

Off-the-bus spoke with a national Obama staffer who confirmed, "We've heard that Richardson may also be telling his supporters to caucus for Barack if they aren't viable. Nothing definitive but there's a trend going on," she added with a smile. Ah, that's an understatement.

All of this off-the-record conversation and backroom pol talk could be nothing or something.

But the fact that the rumors are flying and top aides are willing to discuss their thinking with Offthebus, albeit without disclosing their names, is still enough smoke to detect yet another spark that could ignite a fire under the Obama campaign's fortunes in the Iowa caucuses.

This trend, along with the latest polls showing Obama ahead of Clinton or within the margin of error to win this first all-important national test, bodes well for Obama and puts additional pressure on the Clintonites to outdistance Obama in the next 48 hours.

Time is running out for Clinton, but may be the best of all possible worlds for Obama should his campaign continue to build support with the lower tier candidates open to a conversation about where their voters should land on caucus night - if they aren't viable.

None of the campaigns I spoke with - on or off the record - are prone to hand their support over to John Edwards, who is busy today flying around the state for his final push to win - and therefore, survive until New Hampshire, where his poll numbers continue to fall far behind either Clinton or Obama.

Comments

[IkeChicago]

If experience was the only determining factor:

Bill Clinton would never have been president…­.. Bush 10 times more experienced

Microsoft would never be………..IBM 100 times more experienced.

Google would be around………Microsoft 50 times more experienced

Walmart would never be…. Sears and Kmart are 50 times more experienced

Youtube would never be……. Microsoft, Google 50 times more experienced

Facebook would never be…… Microsoft, Google 50 times more experienced

Amazon would never be… Barnes and Nobles 100 times more experienced

Entrepreneurs all, don’t do it, there are more experience companies out there who could do it better.

:Looks like 1992 Bill Clinton was right. Looks like Barack Obama is right now

[IkeChicago]

If experience was the only determining factor:

Bill Clinton would never have been president…­.. Bush 10 times more experienced

Microsoft would never be………..IBM 100 times more experienced.

Google would be around………Microsoft 50 times more experienced

Walmart would never be…. Sears and Kmart are 50 times more experienced

Youtube would never be……. Microsoft, Google 50 times more experienced

Facebook would never be…… Microsoft, Google 50 times more experienced

Amazon would never be… Barnes and Nobles 100 times more experienced

Entrepreneurs all, don’t do it, there are more experience companies out there who could do it better.

:Looks like 1992 Bill Clinton was right. Looks like Barack Obama is right now

[BirdsEatCats]

You can probably estimate how many Kucinich supporters there are at the caucuses by counting the number of UFO's parked outside.
The thing is, with UFOpooling, you have to guess how many Kucinichites have come in each vehicle.

[foreffectivegovernment]

How can you all be spliting up the cabinet offices when you are bashing all of the candidates in the Democratic Party?
Promote the good points of your favorite candidate, but don't give the Republicans ammunition to use to Swiftboat the others. We haven't won yet but we should unless we screw up. There is a place for everyone if we win but the objective should be to win.
Only the MSM thinks that candidates should attack each other so they can justify their high-dollar jobs with reports of who beat who. Lets surprise them and present a united front. Don't burden our candidates with baggage they will have to carry in the general election.
Can't you see that the Republicans are baiting us as they have in past years? The advantage we have this time is, they are more undecided than we are as to which candidate can unite their party. Democrats unite against Republicans, not each other!!!!!!!!!

[bluesky49876]

Who else among the democratic presidential candidates, beside Kucinich, is endorsing Obama. From the headlines, it would appear there were more than one. HuffPost is not much different from FOX in its constant distortion of the news.

[foreffectivegovernment]

I have contributed to the Joe Biden campaign and signed up for E-mails from this campaign. I have not been notified that he has betrayed me by selling out to the Obama campaign. I believe that Joe has a good chance of making a showing in Iowa and I will not give up on him.
I think this is an obvious case of the MSM trying to sway voters in Iowa toward Obama. Don't be fooled.
The talking heads just want something to talk about so their ratings will increase and make more money for their bosses.
I am tired of being played for a sucker by these rich people. The "Liberal Media" is a myth. How many of them feel your pain? How many of them make $200,000.0­0 per year or less.
Tune them out and make your decision based on your situation, not theirs.

[HumeSkeptic]

From the blog post:

"All of this off-the-record conversation and backroom pol talk could be nothing or something.­"
-------------------

I think there is a word for such things: rumor.

[longislandlol]

Obama has the momentum.. he will get the nomination and then- proceed with a winning strategy by selecting a southern vice-president- much the way J.F.K. did..

[JoaquinHGuerra]

Hi this is Joaquin with the Richardson Campaign and the rumor is false- there are no deals. These are typical last minute election shenanigans.

Joaquin H. Guerra
Richardson for President
jguerra-at-richardsonforpresidnet.com

[Tellmethetruth]

Beau Biden said today that under no circumstance would his dad become Secretary of State. Repeat - never. His dad would remain in the Senate as Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee because he can be more effective there. So, this article is incorrect. Over and Over again Joe Biden has stated he will not be Secretary of State.

One more time Beau Biden said what his father has said, "Anyone not qualified to be Secretary of State is not qualified to be President.­" This includes Obama, who for reasons that are obvious, Obama needs Biden's experience to be an effective President because Obama doesn't have any foreign policy experience. Obama if he moves up would have to look to someone other than Joe Biden.

That's the way it is folks. Everyone has to accept an inexperienced Obama who totally 100% lacks foreign policy experience.

Biden has already said he would not be Clinton's VP, whether that rules out another candidate, I am not sure.

Biden says he likes John Edwards message, but doesn't know how John Edwards plans to accomplish what he says he wants to. Biden has dismissed Obama over and over again as unqualified to be President - lacking in any experience.

As to Clinton - Biden has been silent - but most of Biden's major legistlation was passed when Clinton was President - Bush has made it rough on Democrats (Republicans as well) to get any effective legistlation passed, even though Biden has better luck than some. But, Hillary Clinton did listen to Biden on Kosovo, and was able to work with the Clintons in the past. So who knows.

I doubt Obama can attract Biden supporters since Obama has taken most of his 100m from Corporations which Biden has totally avoided, and Obama has no experience which has meant something to Biden supporters.

Biden expects to come in 4th - he plans to tough it out.

[BWonka]

"Barack Obama has already begun shoring up support among the lower-tier candidates "

He should be more concerned with 'shoring up support' with the PEOPLE of this country. If he is already into making back-room style deals, what will he be like once in office?

Having said that, if he is the Democratic nominee I will vote for him. After all, EVERY Democrat is better than ANY Rethuglican.

[ErnestineBass]

SAY IT AIN'T SO, JOE!!!

PLEEEEEEEASE throw your support behind John Edwards!

Please?

[CurtisLWalker]

Come Together, RIght Now.

Just as I had "hoped" for!

Is what we need!

And Joe would be a great Sec of State or VP for that matter!

[BlueBoomer]

This report regarding the Biden camp distresses me mightly...

Obama is LAST on my list, for several reasons (none having ANYTHING to do with race).

Shit.

[ncbluedem]

This is it folks, we have to get it right this time! I admire Obama and believe he is more than qualified to be our Commander in Chief, but I have ABSOLUTELY NO CONFIDENCE IN THE AMERICAN ELECTORATE.
¢ What significant concrete evidence suggests that the entire American electorate will elect an African American or female President?
¢ What about the American voting public leads you to believe that they will check their prejudices at the door come Election Day when there is another suitable candidate on the ballot?
¢ Who gives the greatest probability of winning the Electoral College and popular vote?
¢ Who does the GOP fear the most in this election?

What significant concrete evidence suggests that the AMERICAN ELECTORATE will ignore the following evidence or scenarios?
¢ the number of hate groups in America continued to grow in 2006, rising 5% over the year before to 844 groups. That increase translated into a 40% jump in the number of groups since 2000, when there were 602 hate groups operating in America, according to research by the Intelligence Project of the Southern Poverty Law Center http://www.splcenter.org/intel/intelreport/article.jsp?aid=762aid=762
¢ the possibility people may come out in droves just to vote *against* Obama and Clinton, perhaps in equal or greater amounts than the numbers who would come out to support them. Having something or someone to "fight against" can be a powerful motivator.
¢ The last time the Democrats took the White House with a candidate that was not a white southerner was JFK. I am not willing to bet the Supreme Court on the progressive conscious of the AMERICAN ELECTORATE. Too much is at stake this time around given the composition of the Court.
¢ Remember, the out of wedlock child rumor used against John McCain 8 years ago, and the "call me Harold Ad." against senatorial candidate Harold Ford in the 06 elections.

THIS ELECTION IS TOO IMPORTANT TO NEGLECT THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE!
Edwards is the most electable by the entire American Electorate!