Flag City Politico

What Went Wrong?

What Went Wrong?
Endings are rarely as joyous as beginnings--and in the case of a long, wearing, and ultimately disappointing campaign, they can be downright brutal. But they also have the potential to be educational, for participants and gawkers alike. So it is that we asked (begged, really) a range of Hillarylanders for their up-close and personal lists of "What Went Wrong?" >>
The New Republic

Barack Obama's biggest problem now: How to get rid of Hillary gently
What does Hillary want? Whatever it is, Barack Obama should just say yes. Unless she wants to be his running mate. Then he definitely should say no. >>
New York Daily News

Belittled Woman
At some point along the way, Hillary Clinton became "poor Hillary" and it stuck. >>
The Washington Post

Amid clamor to drop out, Clinton campaigns on
Sitting on board Sen. Hillary Clinton's campaign plane are the remnants of a colorful balloon replica of the candidate, once nearly life-size but now almost deflated and shriveled. >>
Reuters

Florida, Michigan delegates cannot save Clinton
Sorry, Sen. Clinton. Michigan and Florida can't save your campaign. Interviews with those considering how to handle the two states' banished convention delegates found little interest in the former first lady's best-case scenario. >>
My Way News

Pity Party
The Democrats aren't the ones falling apart, the Republicans are. The Democrats can see daylight ahead. For all their fractious fighting, they're finally resolving their central drama. Hillary Clinton will leave, and Barack Obama will deliver a stirring acceptance speech. Then hand-to-hand in the general, where they see their guy triumphing. You see it when you talk to them: They're busy being born. >>
The Wall Street Journal

Veepstakes: Obama's 5 Options
In the latest issue of National Journal, Kirk Victor breaks down Obama's possible veep choices -- assuming he becomes the nominee, of course -- into five categories and lists names for each one >>
MSNBC

Perfect timing: Obama's super show-stoppers
With her deep party ties, New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton was supposed to own the superdelegate primary. But in the last two months, it’s been the rookie, Democratic rival Barack Obama, who has maximized his superdelegate moments. >>
Politico

-RSKnopfJr

What a day!

You miss a minute, you miss a lot...

John Edwards Endorses Barack Obama
At a rally in Grand Rapids, Mich., on Wednesday evening, John Edwards endorsed Barack Obama, who was on the stage with him, to be the Democratic nominee for president. >>
The New Work Times

Dann resigns
Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann resigned this afternoon, just hours after the inspector general's office launched a raid on his office. >>
The Columbus Dispatch

Dann resigns 'immediately'
Facing possible impeachment, Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann has resigned amid the scandal of a sexual harassment investigation in his office and his extramarital affair. >>
Cincinnati Enquirer

NARAL Backs Obama, Angers Emily's List
In yet another sign that the Democratic Party and its interest groups are beginning to coalesce around Obama, NARAL Pro-Choice America today endorsed the Illinois senator. >>
MSNBC

Hillary wins - does anybody care?
If a tree falls in the forest when everybody expects it to fall, does it make a sound? Yes, says Hillary Clinton. It makes a deafening roar, says Hillary Clinton. >>
Politico

Hillary Agonistes: Why Doesn't She Concede?
As the odds get longer and longer, the obvious question is: Why doesn't Hillary Clinton gracefully concede defeat and throw her support behind her party's defacto nominee, Barack Obama? >>
Real Clear Politics

Republicans fear election juggernaut
Hillary Clinton’s supporters on Tuesday proclaimed her crushing victory in West Virginia as evidence of Barack Obama’s continuing weakness among blue collar workers. But the simultaneous Democratic victory in a Mississippi congressional race suggested there may be little the Republicans can do to stop 2008 from being a washout. >>
Financial Times

Obama holds big lead in Oregon
A day after suffering his second-worst defeat of the primary season, a new poll shows Barack Obama is headed for a big win in Oregon next Tuesday. >>
CNN

A Better Way (McCain campaign)

-RSKnopfJr

Time Out for Humor

"So here's what happened on Tuesday. Hillary Clinton barely won my home state of Indiana. And she lost in the state of North Carolina. But here is the good news. She has a substantial lead in the state of denial."
David Letterman

"A lot of pressure now on Hillary Clinton to drop out of the race. She didn't do so well in the primaries the other night. A lot of pressure. And it's been reported, this is the latest, that Barack Obama's campaign is negotiating with Hillary Clinton for her to go away. ... And when he heard this, Bill Clinton said, 'I'd love to know how that works.'"
Conan O'Brien

Panderer's Box

"As I'm sure you know by now, Hillary Clinton is not throwing in the pantsuit. No, siree Bob. In fact, the 'New York Times' reported the other night, while they were on stage, you know, Bill Clinton actually wiped away a tear. This is true. And when Hillary saw it, she said, 'Don't worry, Bill, I'll always be here with you.' And he said, 'Don't make it worse!'"
Jay Leno

"One thing about getting eliminated on 'American Idol,' you have to leave. Unlike the race for president, where Hillary Clinton won't. After last night she now has almost no chance of winning the Democratic nomination, but she's still in it. She says she is staying in this race until the bitter end, or at least until Bill takes the sock off the door handle at their house."
Jimmy Kimmel

A Message from the Next President of the United States

"Nation, the more I learn about John McCain, the more I like his maverick spirit. For instance, his critics say he's too old. So what does McCain do? He keeps aging. The politically expedient thing would be to grow younger. McCain clearly doesn't care what the polls say. But there is one recent NBC/Wall Street Journal poll that he should pay attention to. It found that 32% of Americans consider Barack Obama's connection to Reverand Wright a major concern. But 43% are concerned about John McCain's connection to George Bush. In other words, the biggest political albatross heading into November is George Bush. That is a shame, especially considering everything President Bush has done to ensure the extinction of albatrosses."
Stephen Colbert

"I was thinking about this, and I'm no political genius. I'm no pundit, but it occurred to me that Hillary Clinton has one thing in common with President Bush. Neither of them has an exit strategy."
David Letterman

-RSKnopfJr

Not Quite Yet

Not Quite Yet
Elite opinion on the Democratic race has congealed around the idea that it is over. Clinton has no chance whatsoever to win the nomination now. There is a minority of analysts out there - maybe 5%, maybe even less - who see her path to the nomination as much narrower than it was four days ago, but who still see a path. >>
RealClearPolitics

What Is the What If?
History will record the Indiana and North Carolina primaries as the events that secured the 2008 Democratic nomination for Barack Obama—and put the final nails in the coffin of Hillary Clinton’s campaign. >>
New York Magazine

Clinton finds herself in cash-strapped effort
The once-formidable fund-raising machine of Bill and Hillary Rodham Clinton has begun to sputter at the worst possible moment for Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign, Clinton advisers and donors said Thursday, with spending curtailed on political events and advertising as Clinton seeks to compete in the last six nominating contests. >>
International Herald Tribune

Bill Clinton Argues With Voter

Obama Takes Lead in Superdelegate Tally
Sen. Barack Obama moved into the lead today in the last category that Sen. Hillary Clinton had claimed to have an edge -- support among the Democratic Party's superdelegates. >>
ABC News

Obama accuses McCain of 'losing his bearings'
Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama said Thursday that Republican John McCain was "losing his bearings" for repeatedly suggesting the Islamic terrorist group Hamas preferred Obama for president. >>
My Way News

Play of the Day: Obama Plays Taboo
Life on the campaign trail is often grueling. The 20-hour days, the ubiquitous turkey sandwiches, the constant travel, the never knowing where you're going to be the next night -- not to mention hearing the same speech over and over and over again. >>
MSNBC

Strongest Plan (Clinton campaign)

Happy 12th Birthday Rachel Shelby-Katherine!! Daddy loves you very, very much! (They grow up so quickly - sniff)

-RSKnopfJr

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