Michelle Obama and Senate hopeful and former New Hampshire Governor Jeanne Shaheen are holding an event today in Manchester, aimed at getting Democratic and independent women in New Hampshire to support Obama. That's a good strategy. Senators Obama and Clinton are holding a manufactured, non-retail, dog-and-pony show tomorrow in Unity, N.H., that might hurt as much as it helps.
It's not because New Hampshire voters won't turn out-- they will. It's not because they don't want to see Senator Clinton or Senator Obama-- they do. But strategically, Obama does not need to overtly court Clinton voters in New Hampshire. Obama needs the independent voters who thought he had a lock on New Hampshire and used McCain to send him a message to view him as a real change candidate. New Hampshire indies will look for the Party Nominee that better embodies and communicates change.
The Unity event is a Democratic red-meat event. That's fine during the primary cycle, but now it's time to move to the middle. New Hampshire is small, with only four electoral votes, but it can make all the difference as a battleground state. Al Gore, for example, would have been the 41st president if he'd won here, something that should have been achievable once Bush beat McCain for the nomination in 2000.
Speaking of President Bush, he knows a lot about how manufactured, non-retail, dog-and-pony show events go over in New Hampshire. Voters showed him loud and clear that nothing replaces a handshake and a look in the eyes to get a vote in New Hampshire.
London Telegraph
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/uselection2008/barackobama/2211812/Bill-Clinton-says-Barack-Obama-must-'kiss-my-ass'-for-his-support.html
Let's line up all the brain-dead narratives, imagined attacks and invented controversies from the primaries and sautee them for the next five months, just in case one or two voters haven't gotten their full serving of toxic soup.
That'll accomplish a lot more than two Democrats getting past the prelims, dusting themselves off and standing together with a combined army of 40 million voters.
Good idea.
it's such a farce and simply demeaning to presidential campaign.
Instead, her supporters should be helping Hillary with her debt and if they so overwrought by the campaign then, take a trip to the bookstore and get Politics for Dummies and learn about it. It's not about feelings and talking about them.
They all need to grow up and get over it.
And let Obama run his campaign like a adult and like it's suppose to be. If they can't take that too bad.
And the post and responses to the contrary, Barry has his work cut out for him with many of us who voted for Hillary.
I know you people don't want our votes, but he does.
"I know I'll get her voters..."
If you earn them, Barry, if you earn them.
There's a whole new, more legitimate reason (FISA) to raise issue with him so why are you beating the skeletal horse?
No, it's not time to move to the middle. Moving to the middle and triangulating worked for Bill Clinton SIXTEEN YEARS AGO.
Gore an Kerry lost (or rather barely won but for the 'errors' in FL and OH) by moving to the middle. The time for triangulation is past.
Bill Clinton moved the middle toward the right. It's time to stand on principal and move the middle back to the middle by standing up for progressive principles.
Standing for what you believe in motivates more independents than wishy-washy pandering to those in the 'middle' has ever done.
Candidates kiss babies and sell apple pies, this isn't much different and basically try to promote "We are the World" all the time.
Ooh, I know, how about when they take the stage together, they play "Ebony & Ivory"?
I think she'd make one hell of a Supreme Court justice.
This is such a benign event, a welcome one, and it is not distracting from the message: A united Democratic party will win in November.
Please, enough with the overanalyzing, dismissive punditry. Why not get a job with a campaign and put some of that critical thinking to positive use?
Never said there was.
"Really, in America you are now damned by one side or the other within minutes of making a decision."
Oh, get over yourself...
"Please, enough with the overanalyzing, dismissive punditry."
Please, enough with the hypersensitivity. All I said was it was too cutesy to hold it in Unity, N.H. I stand by that. PUKE!
The Democratic party will be completely energized seeing Hillary and Obama together, in unity, on the same stage in front of a big and enthusiastic crowd.
What a fantastic photo-op. CNN may even cover it!