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Turning Point for Obama, Limbaugh Winning Indiana for Hillary
Barack got his game back. Hillary needs a reality check.
Barack had the voters at his back against all the forces trying to bring him down. He held his lead in North Carolina, and only the Rush Limbaugh Republican vote stands between Barack and victory in Indiana.
Hillary needed two wins. She failed utterly. But she will not stop, not on her own.
The superdelegates should intervene tomorrow to send Hillary a message. Out now.
If they don't, the supporters of Obama should step up their persuasion on those still-undeclared superdelegates to recognize the inevitable and bring this campaign to an end.
Supporters of John Edwards should push their former candidate to release his pledged delegates now, a move that might make the difference as early as this week.
Progressives should intensify the counter-attack against Clinton's smear campaign against Barack's character and bogus arguments for recognizing Michigan and Florida, sending the message that her campaign tactics risk a massive defection of the disillusioned in November.
It must be understood that the Clintons are beyond persuasion or capable of thinking beyond their own interests, at least not on their own. Left to their own repetitive patterns, they will step up the attempt to damage Barack Obama so that he is rendered unelectable in the minds of the superdelegates. At the very least, beginning this week, this may mean an assault on Bill Ayers, the Weather Underground, and a twisted depiction of Obama's history of statements on the Palestinians. [On this latter point, they can run commercials of Clinton kissing Yasser Arafat's wife, perhaps coupled with footage of the landing under "sniper fire" in Bosnia. Bloggers may have to carry these messages, since Obama won't].
The Obama forces cannot [and will not] coast to victory. In terms of issues, they should intensify the focus on the Clinton proposal for "massive retaliation" and "obliteration" against Iran on behalf of Israel, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. That was front-page news in Toronto yesterday while receiving zero attention in the New York Times and CNN. Barack should take up Robert Kennedy's 1968 anti-poverty mission in West Virginia. Finally, his campaign needs to build firewalls in Oregon, Montana, and South Dakota to maintain his lead.
www.tomhayden.com
www.progressivesforobama.blogspot.com
Read more reactions from Huffington Post bloggers to the Indiana and North Carolina primary results
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So now that democracy is back to warm and fuzzy, who fills out the ticket? The cynic here prefers, but expects other then, what mamamedia says it already is.
If we were NOT thinking of Karl, the dream of a Hayden innaugeration could be realized. Who cares who heads the ticket.
Mr. Hayden states: "Barack had the voters at his back against all the forces trying to bring him down. He held his lead in North Carolina, and only the Rush Limbaugh Republican vote stands between Barack and victory in Indiana."
I think this is a correct assessment. We the Citizens will never know all the insider crap that the Obama campaign has had to endure to become the Democratic party presidential nominee. The 16 to 20,000 vote difference in Indiana open primary was almost certainly caused by the Limbaugh operation chaos. Don't think for a moment that there is not a lot of sh*t going on during this primary.
Obama will persevere however, without stooping to gutter tactics, To his credit.
I wish this wasn't so, but Barack won with the highroad anytime in my 40+ years.
This IS great, though.
I still think our only hope left in my lifetime is his assignment to the Supreme Count, or the American Renneisance. Apparantly, I need to know how this is NOT the ANATOMY of the poison pill. His seduction by the whitehouse is so karl. Are they tactics, or antics?
I don't need to agree, these are still breathtaking great posts. g
It's because of hateful people like aaror that the American people have got a new attitude. We have had enough of the so called religious right and their rove,rush combs and all the other I know what 's best for you mouthpieces. They wouldn't know true religion if they fell in it. Crooks wouldn't know. All the lies didn't work. The spin of the socalled news media didn't work. The good ole boy network didn't get their way. Eventually the truth comes out. If they had reported the truth about Clinton she wouldn't have made it this far. They considered her an easy target, and would have creamed her in the fall. As of now she and Bill are to testify in a corruption trial . Guess what that's about. Greed. Good credentials for a presidential nominee? Obama 08
I wonder if in February 2009 she is still going to be campaigning? I guess she'll campaign until she is 80. Nobody from the Dems dares telling her is all over. Biden, Richardson, Dodd, Edwards, should had stayed another 2 years.
Here is what happens next;
1) Just before the convention, Hillary bows out, and announces she is an "Independent" now. She spends the rest of the campaign trashing Obama and extolling McCain.
2) McCain picks Condoleza Rice for VP. Obama's poll numbers go up anyway.
3) McCain performs so badly in the debates (makes a total fool of himself) that even the MSM can't support him anymore.
4)Bush/Cheney start the war with Iran in mid-September.Congress fumes, but does nothing.
5) Oil prices hit $500/barrel as the Iranian war goes badly with many US ships damaged or sunk in the Persian Gulf. Bush spends his press conferences talking about "God's will" and appears to be drunk. Terrorist attacks occur all over the Western world.
6) Bush/Cheney declare martial law and suspend the elections. Congress is disbanded, a national draft is begun. The "detainment" camps built by Blackwater are officially opened and begin filling up with "enemy combatants" that Cheney designates. Most are political enemies of the Bush/Cheney dictatorship, with just enough "A-rabs" to pull the wool over the eyes of a terrified American public. An imprisoned Barrack Obama becomes the next Nelson Mandella internationally.
7) US nukes Iran, while we are at it, we "accidentally" nuke Syria too. Russia decides now would be a good time to re-invade the Baltic states. China joins the fun and invades Taiwan.
8) Dictatorship, permanent war.
What are you? Some kind of optimist?
Certainly not the politics of hope. Conspiracy theorist
"Barack should take up Robert Kennedy's 1968 anti-poverty mission in West Virginia."
From your lips to God's ears (and Obama's). I would be surprised to see it though because Obama is treating the liberal RFK/McGovern tradition as something to reject "Sister Souljah" style rather than re-popularize and fight for. Obama seems to have decided to run in the general election for a third Clinton term (8 years removed). In his speech last night in North Carolina he went out of his way to echo Clinton's long outdated rejection of "big government" (as if anything but rejuventated regulation is going to bring corporate criminals to heel), downplayed the catastrophe of Iraq (failing to mention when he easily could have, the veteran suicide epidemic), and adopted completely the Clinton '92 mantra that people should vote for him to promote their own self-interest. These are Republican-lite themes. What is missing is any appeal whatsoever to middle class and more affluent voters to combine self and social concerns, and even to vote against their own self-interest (narrowly defined) because it is the moral and right thing to do, i.e. to care about uplifting the poor in West Virginal and elsewhere. Obama's conduct in West Virginia will indicate whether he intends to even try to make history beyond Bill Clinton's "same old, same old" egotistical politics of nothing.
Eric C. Jacobson
Public Interest Lawyer
Culver City, California
Good point. Democrats in the US have gotten away from the traditional progressive view that one's broader self interest is in conflict with one's narrow self interest, and it is that broader self interest that one is expected to serve when one acts as a citizen and a voter. Bill Clinton, in a Republican-like manner, conflated the broader self interest and the narrow self interest to the Democratic Party's and the nation's detriment. We could use a leader who can articulate the need for individual Americans to personally evolve so that they feel inclined to put more energy and focus into that broader self interest, as the myopic pursuit of narrow self interest has led to our current precarious situation with regard to the economy, the environment, national security, and other areas of serious concern.
Reality check, the movement of change is here and now,
The country is sick and tried of the clintons and bush types of bullying.
In schools we don't allow bullying, then why in our new age politics?
Senator Obama is our Mr. Clean, in order to clean the White House!
He is showing us and the world what one can achieve with dignity and truth.
Those Fear Mongers are really running like dogs with their tail between their legs!
Guess you'll have to talk to Heath "took too many blows to the head" Shuler. Apparently, Dittoheads mean a lot to him.
Really, I thought it was refreshing. Screw the party, represent the constituency.
The americans tried that kind of society once.
Ah, the memories.
Ummm...we ARE talking about the Clintons, right? Your post was littered with excellent suggestions, but...they're The Clintons (insert Trademark). What a sad and pathetic story and legacy they have created!
It's going to be so interesting how she will handle her campaign in the next few days, weeks, months, etc. We'll see how shameless she really is and how far she's willing to go and drag the Party down with her as well as how much more sun damage Bubba is willing to risk! Stay tuned...
That's tooo funny about Bubba... My guess is, if the SD's ask her to drop out I think they will try and force Obama to take her as his VP for the good of the party. I will cringe if they do that... Can you imagine the Clinton's looking over his shoulders, while still plotting to make him look bad. The woman called him "stupid" for removing his name off the Michigan ballot.
That is a horrendous situation and I pray they don't put him in that position.
I think the Clinton Sr. Advisors are finally realizing that she can't win, which is why they are so angry and the racial slip upremarks are coming to the fore front. I am waiting on Carville to accidentally slip up next.
Who will be in Denver? Will there be a new movement--an uprising of concerned citizens wanting to insure that their voices are heard? Or will we leave it to old war horses like Tom to take to the streets for us, yet one more time?
Months ago I predicted that it would come down to these two things for Hillary: Getting the FL and MI votes in any way she could--even if it meant breaking the rules she helped to set up; and twisting enough super delegate arms to support her, in spite of Obama's commanding lead in popular votes.
Note, that both these tactics are back room deal sorts of business--Old School, Mayor Daley Democratic Machine politics. I give you this, you give me that, we all have a shot and a cigar and keep on keepin' on with business as usual. Can anyone say, "Chicago, 1968?" I knew that you could.
So, in the event that these things look as though they might come to pass, and the public's will, the majority will, is about to be thwarted, who will be there in Denver? And what will We do? It seems the current generation of young people lack the motivation of a Draft, or the inspiration of a cultural movement like the 60's where peace and equality were more than just words. Who will be in Denver making sure that the People's business is at the top of the agenda?
Um, comrad, that would be the wonderful quarter- lap media.
Feels great, don't it >; = /
John Edwards could have really elevated his stock by endorsing Senator Obama in North Carolina. It would have been a great moment to have a son of the south endorse the first viable African American candidate. He would have gained tremendous love form the state's African American community as well as the younger generation. Instead, he stayed on the sidelines and now he's effectively sidelined in the party.
Elizabeth Edwards sidelined John Edwards with her support of HC's healthnplan over Obama's. Maybe they felt that Obama stole the presidency from him. Who know?
I'm from Indiana and I know people who are registered Republicans who crossed over to vote for Hillary, but stated that they will vote for the Republican candidate in the fall. Would Rush keeping quiet changed the outcome? Who knows....but it certainly had an effect. The true losers? The Republican candidates for local offices who did not receive votes in the primary.
The Clintons are like a heckler at a basketball game. Heed them, and they're dignified. Ignore them, and they eventually have to be escorted out of the arena by the cops. In either case, they must be dealt with. By someone or some thing.
Today is the first day of the general election. There is too much at stake for people to pout and take their toys home. Meanwhile, policy is being made and lives are being lost. The makeup of the Supreme Court will resonate for a generation.
Enough. We have to unite behind the nominee and beat John McCain in the fall. And I'm saying that as an Independent.
Exit polls show Hillary also won among registered Democrats. The crossover repubs going for Hillary balanced the independents going for Obama. So the stories that claim Hillary won because of repubs is bull!! The independents are not Democrats either and not reliable GE democratic voters. Otherwise they would simply register as democrats.
Democrats make up a third of the voting population and cannot win anything except mayor of Chicago without the support of independents.
20 years ago independents made up something like 10% of the voting population, now they make up a full third. Voters have become increasingly unlikely to declare a party in the last few decades even though they usually lean one way or the other.
The point is that the independents are much more likely to be sincere in voting for Obama now; they'd actually seriously consider if not actually vote for Obama in November. You're going to tell me the Dittoheads aren't just being cynical and would actually consider voting for her in November?
Check your fact again, it was 11% Repugs voted for Broom Hilda and 21% Independents voted for Obama. Hence, the 2 point difference.
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