Flag City Politico

Toast!

Starting (very) early this morning, the news was not good for Senator Clinton. The headline 'Toast!' on one of the New York papers said it all. Despite all the momentum she had received with the primary win in Pennsylvania, as well as Obama's continuous struggles with his former pastor's comments, she just could not continue the good fortune.

After losing North Carolina in a landslide (after her campaign said the polls were tightening) and barely garnering a win in Indiana (if Operation Chaos or a new Indiana voter ID law were not in effect, Obama could have won the Hoosier state as well), the question in the air this morning was, 'Will she continue'?

Let's see what Tim Russert had to say last night...

The light of day didn't bring good news either. With nothing positive to spin on morning news programs, Clinton decided to go straight to West Virginia (the primary is next Tuesday) and continue campaigning. Despite declaring that she will continue on, you knew what was coming next.

McGovern, former Clinton backer, endorses Obama
Former Sen. George McGovern, an early supporter of Hillary Rodham Clinton, urged her to drop out of the Democratic presidential race and endorsed her rival, Barack Obama. >>
Breitbart

Stick a Fork In Her - She's Done
This was supposed to be Hillary Rod ham Clinton's ticket back into the game. Instead, it was a one-way ticket home. >>
New York Post

Pundits Declare the Race Over
Very early this morning, after many voters had already gone to sleep, the conventional wisdom of the elite political pundit class that resides on television shifted hard, and possibly irretrievably, against Senator Hillary Clinton’s continued viability as a presidential candidate. >>
The New York Times

Clinton pledges to fight on despite split primary result
Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton struck a publicly defiant posture on Wednesday about continuing her presidential bid despite waning support from Democratic officials and donors, while some of her advisers acknowledged privately that they remained unsure about the future of her candidacy. >>
International Herald Tribune

George's Bottom Line on Clinton for Veep
Is Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., staying in the race to get the vice presidential slot? George thinks so. >>
ABC News

Big Rewards Await Clinton If She Ends Campaign Now
She has ruled it out, but a prompt withdrawal from the contest for the Democratic nomination offers Sen. Hillary Clinton the prospect of major rewards. >>
The Huffington Post

Just like the Republican race, until there is a nominee, Clinton is within her right to run. Even though I supported Huckabee and knew at a point that he wasn't going to overtake McCain, it was still a matter of principle to fight until the end. If Clinton wants to be afforded the same luxury, I can support that. Just remember, however, that the rules shouldn't change.

-RSKnopfJr

Should Hillary Clinton drop out of the race for the Democratic nomination?

conducted April 28 - May 6, 2008

-RSKnopfJr

Hardcore Republicans voting Democrat

'Hardcore' Republicans voting Democrat
The two precincts at Broad Ripple Family Center selected Republican Jon Elrod over Democrat Andre Carson in March's special election for U.S. Congress. But by 9 a.m., just 21 voters in one of those precincts had requested Republican ballots -- out of 168 cast. >>
The Indianapolis Star

Polls open in North Carolina
A heavy turnout was reported this morning at some polling places across North Carolina in the state's first significant presidential primary election in two decades. >>
The Charlotte Observer

Obama Expands Lead in NC; Dems Still Biting Nails in Indiana!
On the strength of good polling numbers on the final day before the primary elections in Indiana and North Carolina, Barack Obama of Illinois holds a convincing lead in North Carolina, but the race is simply too close to call in Indiana, the latest Zogby two-day telephone tracking poll shows. >>
Zogby International

Clinton campaign retools delegate math
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's campaign yesterday tried to redefine the delegate math for securing the Democratic presidential nomination, signaling its willingness to wage a divisive battle with front-runner Sen. Barack Obama through the summer. >>
The Washington Times

Paul Campaign Never Ended
As the Democratic presidential candidates held pre-primary rallies yesterday in Indiana and North Carolina, and presumptive Republican nominee John McCain spoke to the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce, another major-party presidential candidate continued his own quest for nomination, headlining a "Freedom Rally" on a Fort Wayne, Ind., university campus. >>
The Washington Post

-RSKnopfJr

Groundhog Day

Rise and shine campers...

Haven't we been here before, or does this political season just seem like the longest in history? It probably does, considering that candidates started running sooner, and the primaries started earlier than ever. You know the (not so) funny part? It still won't be over after today. Obama winning Indiana and/or North Carolina will not cause Clinton to end her campaign, and a win (or wins) by Clinton only strengthens her resolve and commitment to play this out until the convention.

Here's how the delegate count stands as we begin the day

The latest polls show both Clinton and Obama headed to victory today...

Indiana

North Carolina

numbers courtesy of Real Clear Politics

Candidates make pitch to party insiders
In back-to-back speeches before state Democratic activists in Indianapolis on Sunday night, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama each offered themselves as the candidate who can best deliver change to voters' paychecks, at gas pumps and to the power-brokers in Washington. >>
Indianapolis Star

Race for your vote
Candidates up and down the ballot started revving up their voter-turnout efforts Sunday, setting the stage for a bigger-than-ever N.C. primary finish. >>
The Charlotte Observer

Spin set, let the voting begin
In the run-up to Tuesday’s latest crucial set of primaries, Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton have both called themselves the “underdog.” But as they barrel into the biggest states left to vote, North Carolina and Indiana, polling and conventional wisdom have set clear expectations that belie that label.  >>
Politico

Check out the 'Democratic Delegate Calculator' from the New York Times so you can play along at home and see how far ahead Obama actually is. For example, if Clinton won 60% of the delegates in the remaining states (and that is NOT going to happen), Obama only needs to get 42% of the remaining superdelegates for the nomination (and considering he currently has the support of 48%, and has been exceeding even that number over the past two months), it shows how strong he is.

I'll check in later today, and be sure to check back tonight to find out who won, who lost, and how the spin is progressing.

-RSKnopfJr

Date with Destiny

Dems have Aug 28 Date With Destiny
ANYONE interested in peeking ahead to see how this whole Democratic primary debacle ends, mark down this date: Aug. 28. >>
Charles Hurt
New York Post

Bill Clinton Asks N.C. Churchgoers to Pray for Hillary
ABC News' Sarah Amos reports: Former President Bill Clinton spent time in two western North Carolina churches this morning, speaking more from his heart than any sort of political handbook. >>
ABC News

Parting Shots - Indiana Hometown (Obama for President)

What John McCain Told Me
At a dinner party in Los Angeles not long after the 2000 election, I was talking to a man and his wife, both prominent Republicans. The conversation soon turned to the new president. "I didn't vote for George Bush" the man confessed. "I didn't either," his wife added. Their names: John and Cindy McCain (Cindy told me she had cast a write-in vote for her husband). >>
Arianna Huffington

Clinton in 2005: 'I Agree with McCain' on long-term Iraq Presence
Three years ago, during an appearance on CBS, Sen. Hillary Clinton stated that she agreed with the overarching premise of John McCain's Iraq policy: that America's commitment to the war shouldn't be based on time frames but rather on the level of troop casualties. She even cited, as McCain now regularly does, that the United States would be well suited to follow a model for troop presence based on South Korea, Japan, or Germany. >>
Sam Stein

Parting Shots - What's Happened (Clinton for President)

McCain Courts Hispanic voters...
Sen. John McCain said Monday the tenor of the immigration debate has hurt the way Hispanic voters view the Republican Party. >>
CNN

...and launches a new Spanish campaign website.

 

You know by now that Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann has been asked to resign by Governor Ted Strickland and other Democratic leaders. Here is the text of the letter sent to him, and his response.

And finally, to end with something cheery...

-RSKnopfJr

Time Out for Humor

"How 'bout that John McCain, you like John McCain? I like John McCain. He looks like a guy who goes grocery shopping and yells at the bagboy, 'Put the eggs on top. Hey, hey junior, put the eggs on top.' He looks like a guy who still calls the TV the 'Idiot Box.' ... He looks like a guy you take shopping and have to yell into the changing room, 'Everything alright in there, pop?'"
David Letterman

"I guess you heard, Barack Obama's former pastor, Reverend Wright, is now traveling the country trying to explain those controversial remarks he made in some of his sermons. And even Barack Obama is starting to admit it's hurting his campaign. In fact, you know what Barack Obama did today to distract reporters from Reverend Wright? He went bowling again."
Jay Leno

Top 10 Surprising Facts about Barack Obama

"Barack Obama announced that after all the insulting comments and bitterness, he is severing his 20-year relationship with Reverend Wright. After hearing this, Bill Clinton said, 'Wait, you can do that with someone?'"
Conan O'Brien

"David Blaine today broke the world record for holding his breath, on 'Oprah' - 17 minutes, four seconds. Blaine has now frozen himself, he's starved himself, he's gone without sleep for weeks, and deprived himself of oxygen. Today, Dick Cheney said, 'See, it's not torture. It's magic.'"
Jimmy Kimmel

"Hillary Clinton announced today she'll appear on 'The O'Reilly Factor.' That should be a great confrontation. On one side, a loudmouthed bully who wants to tear apart the Democratic Party and on the other side, there's Bill O'Reilly."
Craig Ferguson

The Word - Separation of Church & Plate

"And his daughter, you know, is getting married, Jenna Bush. She was on Larry King talking about it. Kind of a big brouhaha with the Republicans going on here, because she said she wasn't sure that she was going to support McCain. She said she's 'open to learning' about the other candidates.' Because they haven't been on TV a lot. But come on, this is kind of a treason in the Bush family. Not supporting a Democrat -- being open to learning. That's outrageous."
Bill Maher

"How about that John McCain? John McCain is the guy, don't you think? I like John McCain. He looks like the kind of guy that walks into Circuit City and says, 'Do you have typewriter ribbons?'"
David Letterman

-RSKnopfJr

Mission Accomplished!

Five Years After 'Mission Accomplished'
Much has happened in the five years since President Bush flew aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier in "Top Gun" style, stood under a banner proclaiming "Mission Accomplished" and proudly declared: "Major combat operations in Iraq have ended." >>
Washington Post

Bush most unpopular in modern history
A new poll suggests that George W. Bush is the most unpopular president in modern American history. A CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey released Thursday indicates that 71 percent of the American public disapprove of how Bush his handling his job as president. >>
CNN

MoveOn launches “mission accomplished” anti-McCain ad
McCain + 100 years in Iraq comments + President Bush’s approval rating = Democratic Victory >>
FOX News

Bloomberg Praises Obama on Gas Tax
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg weighed in on the summer gas tax holiday, arguing "the last thing we need to do is encourage people to drive." He praised Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver (first time since congestion pricing died a predictable death in Albany) and Barack Obama for opposing "one of the dumbest ideas" he says he's ever heard. >>
MSNBC

Clinton Stands by Gas Tax Proposal
After being roundly criticized by newspaper editorials, economists, and energy experts for her gas tax holiday proposal, Clinton is still plowing ahead. >>
MSNBC

RNC hits Obama on Gas Taxes
The gas-tax debate continues -- this time with a new Republican National Committee Web ad blasting Obama for not supporting a gas-tax holiday, while also noting that he supported a state one while in the Illinois legislature. >>
MSNBC

Super-Scare
If this wasn't a super-scare, what might be? Six solid weeks of Wright's wrongs, "bitter" pills, bad bowling, gaffes, and goofs (and one big loss in one important state) surely have registered with those astute political observers known as superdelegates, and yet...Sen. Barack Obama's magic number shrinks by the day. >>
ABC News

GOP gives Clinton the silent treatment
Hillary Clinton’s decisive Pennsylvania primary win last week may have reinvigorated her campaign, but you wouldn’t know it from listening to the Republican party. >>
Politico

The District That May Decide Indiana
Next Tuesday's primary in Indiana could decide the Democratic nomination: if Hillary Clinton can't combine her post-Pennsylvania momentum and Barack Obama's continuing pastor problems into a red-state victory, her aides concede privately that it would be difficult for her to continue. But polls show the state is still a toss-up, and both sides are focusing on one key battleground — the first Congressional district, which holds 20% to 25% of the likely Democratic primary vote. >>
TIME

Indiana and North Carolina in 5 days.
Rachel's birthday in 8 days.
Election Day in 187 days.

-RSKnopfJr

Let's Play Hardball!

A 'Hardball' Senator?
The possibility of the host of MSNBC's "Hardball" Christopher Matthews, running against Senator Specter of Pennsylvania, a Republican, for Mr. Specter's senate seat in Pennsylvania is intensifying. >>
Seth Gitell
The New York Sun

Chaos over Paul cuts short gathering
After a super-majority of Ron Paul supporters captured control of the Republican state convention Saturday, state party officials abruptly canceled the event without electing delegates to the national convention. >>
Anjeanette Damon
Reno Gazette-Journal

Coming soon to the XBOX360 and PS3 platforms

click here to play

Clinton: $2.3B in earmarks
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) has requested nearly $2.3 billion in federal earmarks for 2009, almost three times the largest amount received by a single senator this year. >>
Manu Raju & Kevin Bogardus
The Hill

The New, New Math
Despite the recent show of strength by Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., the odds against her winning the Democratic presidential nomination are as imposing as ever — and probably worse. >>
Charlie Cook
National Journal

Sometimes all you can do is poke fun

Gov. Jindal Flattered by V.P. Rumors
Governor Bobby Jindal appeared on NBC's "The Tonight Show" with host Jay Leno and said while he is flattered by the rumors Senator John McCain could choose him as a running mate, he is happy in Louisiana. >>
ABC News

For McCain, There's Only One Perfect Candidate for Veep
We all hear the same names mentioned as prospective running mates for John McCain: former Office of Management and Budget Director and one-time U.S. Trade Representative Rob Portman, Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty and even former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge. >>
Stuart Rothenberg
Real Clear Politics

With one week to go...

North Carolina

• Obama 49%-44% (Survey USA 04/26-28)
• Obama 51%-37% (Rasmussen 04/28)
• Obama 51%-39% (Public Policy Polling 04/26-27)

Indiana

• Clinton 50%-42% (Public Policy Polling 04/27-28)
• Clinton 52%-43% (SurveyUSA 04/25-27)
• Obama 47%-45% (Howey-Gauge 04/23-24)

Election Day in 189 days.
Inauguration Day in 266 days.

-RSKnopfJr

Around the Country: Bill vs. Barack

Bill vs. Barack
On the Thursday before the Pennsylvania primary, Bill Clinton spoke to a crowd of college students at a gymnasium in Lock Haven. The event was typical of the stops—forty-seven of them—that the former President had made in the state during the seven weeks leading up to the vote. >>
Ryan Lizza
The New Yorker

Barack's Blues
After spending the campaign answering questions about whether he's too green, too black, or too red (as in states where he's winning) -- and now that his opponents' husband has gone purple -- all Sen. Barack Obama has to do next is show that he's blue enough (of collar) to be president. >>
Rick Klein & Mike Elmore
ABC News

NV Gov to endorse Clinton
Mike Easley, two-term North Carolina governor in his final year, will endorse Hillary Clinton at a rally in Raleigh tomorrow, according to sources in the governor's office and sources close to the Clinton campaign. >>
Mike Memoli, Mark Murray, Domenico Montanaro
MSNBC

Is Hillary Preparing to Run in 2012?
Does Hillary Clinton really believe she can overtake Barack Obama among elected delegates? No way. The math is dead against her and she’s a realist. Even after Pennsylvania, Obama still leads by more than 140 in elected delegates. They’ll likely break even in Indiana and he’ll win North Carolina where one third of the vote is African-American. After that? If she wins Kentucky, West Virginia, and Puerto Rico by 15 points and they break about even in Guam, North Dakota, Montana, and Oregon, she’ll still trail him by at least 130 votes among elected delegates. >>
Dick Morris & Eileen McGann
FOX News

Indiana, a Different Kind of Midwestern State
A few days spent on the campaign trail in Indiana confirmed one fact: Barack Obama's got a pretty good hoops game, which isn't a bad thing to flaunt in Indiana (or North Carolina) -- as long as TV clips of him flitting across the court like a 35-year-old don't have the unintended effect of making him look even younger in the eyes of voters worried about his greenness. >>
Alec MacGillis
Washington Post

Obama: flag always in my heart
Barack Obama defended his commitment to patriotic ideals this afternoon, telling a town hall meeting in North Carolina that "I always have the flag in my heart." >>
Mike Dorning
Chicago Tribune

Wright to Obama: 'Coming after you'
The Rev. Jeremiah Wright said Monday that he will try to change national policy by “coming after” Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) if he is elected president. >>
Mike Allen
Politico

-RSKnopfJr

What was the top story of the week?

poll conducted April 19-27, 2008

-RSKnopfJr

Pennsylvania Primary Results

After a long, long, looooong six weeks, the winners are...

REPUBLICANS

JOHN McCAIN - 72%
MIKE HUCKABEE - 12%
RON PAUL - 16%


DEMOCRATS

HILLARY CLINTON - 54%
BARACK OBAMA - 46%

75% of precincts reporting - updated 04/22/08 10:30p