Of course the swing states matter, how can we win without them? There is no way Colorado, Wyoming and Utah, or other states in the Mountain West, are going to make up that difference. Obama supporter simply do not want to hear anything that doesn't equal a
coronation for their candidate. If McCain carries the usual Red states, plus the majority of the swing states......he wins. Why is that so hard for you simpletons to understand? That's why the big swing states are important. If the Democrat wins them, he/she wins the White House.

Posted at May 22, 2008 2:39 PM in response to Polls: Hillary Outperforms Obama Against McCain In Three Key Swing States

If Obama gets the nomination the White House is lost. Obama's supporters are living in a fantasy world, and will have a rude awakening on election day. Obama always polls well ahead of actual returns. If Obama is the nominee this is what will happen; in the quiet of the voting booth, away from judging eyes, voters will reluctantly go with McCain. Middle and rural America will not vote for him....even if they claimed to in an exit poll. Hillary is the only Democrat that can actually beat McCain this fall.
My hope is that the super-delegates already know this, and after she wins the same demographic in Indiana, as in Pennsylvania, that will convince them beyond doubt.

Posted at April 30, 2008 1:44 AM in response to Rep. Ike Skelton (D-MO) Endorses Clinton

The DNC is already planning on seating
half the delegates from Florida and Michigan, and ALL the
super-delegates. They are meeting on May 31st to work out the
details. Also, if you count all votes, by registered voters, in certified primaries this year.....Hillary leads. The DNC can choose to throw out those votes, but that's not the same thing as saying they DON'T EXIST.
The super-delegates can use ANY criteria of their choosing regardless of math. Also, Obama has an actual weakness with the Democratic base, a fatal disconnect that could cost the Democrats the election. Hillary is behind in delegates....which means NOTHING outside of the our convoluted primary system. It has no direct relationship to her chances in the general election.....Obama's problems most certainly do. The super-delegates can't ignore the Democratic base, or the key swing states, because we can't win without them. And right now, Hillary is the stronger of the two candidates. She is tied with McCain in Florida, while Obama lags far behind.
And she leads McCain in Pennsylvania as well. If she won these
states, and/or Ohio where she is strong, she would secure the
nomination. I can't say with complete certainty who will win, but I can say this. The super-delegates can stop Hillary from
proceeding, but it's the voters that can stop Obama. Hillary will have an easier time winning over super-delegates than Obama will winning over women, seniors, working class whites and Reagan Democrats.

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Posted at April 26, 2008 11:02 PM in response to Enough with the Blood-letting. Do your job supers. Hillary Nader must be Stopped.

It's not going to be decided on delegates. Neither candidate will have enough. The super-delegates will decide it, and several have already indicated that it isn't just numbers they will be considering. Super-delegates are not obligated to follow ANY criteria. They could choose to follow popular vote, and when all votes are counted, by registered voters in certified primaries, Hillary leads. At least two super-delegates have stated publicly that they will get behind the candidate that looks most likely to carry the Democrats to the White House.....regardless of math.
So, stop getting all giddy over delegates, even if the DNC seats Florida and Michigan, and Hillary won every state coming up, it's still going to be up the the super-delegates.

Posted at April 25, 2008 3:39 AM in response to The tides have "turned"

Speaking as a moderate Democrat, who never watched Fox news, I was more than a bit surprised when I did. They WERE more fair and balanced.....at least where covering the Democratic candidates was concerned. MSNBC had become nothing more that a cog in the Obama propaganda machine. I couldn't get any commentary about Clinton or Obama without total spin.....and always in favor of Obama. I wanted to know what was really going on, and Chris Matthews, Keith Olbermann and McCafferty didn't want me to. Any good news about Hillary was buried or spun as bad news, while a constant ( and sickening) stream of glowing news and praise for Obama was
on a loop. Say what you will about Fox News, I still watch Fox to find out what is happening with the Democratic candidates, and to hear a balanced panel discuss their prospects. That simply doesn't happen on MSNBC, and only occasionally on CNN.

Posted at April 24, 2008 5:38 PM in response to Obama Next Destination: Fox News

Looking at the Gallup poll today, it appears Hillary and Barack are in statistical dead-heat North Carolina. I have no idea what Edwards will do, but my assumption has been tht he would endorse Obama. I think any claims that Hillary "bribed" him are just nonsense and conspiracy theories that crop up around candidates. Hopefully Edwards will put any personal feelings aside and vote for the candidate that he really believes can win in November. That's what I would do if I were him.

Posted at March 19, 2008 6:44 PM in response to North Carolina: Democratic leadership lining up behind Obama

The old Shell Game is what I saw. Obama trying to confuse the issues and muddy the waters so we can't see what is in front of us. Pastor Wright's hateful rhetoric wasn't just about race...it was about an anti-American view. Obama seemed eager to talk about race in order to keep us from noticing that he wasn't addressing the anti-American tirades of his Pastor. He didn't want to talk about the, almost gleeful, comments from Pastor Wright regarding the "chickens coming home to roost". Pastor Wright was referring of course to his belief that we deserved the 911 attacks, and that any Americans that died were small potatoes compared to Hiroshima..... or America's attempts to kill blacks with A.I.D.S.
Obama's speech did not inspire me. I saw it a very clever attempt to distract us, make us doubt ourselves and our sensibilities, and white-wash hateful rhetoric that was totally indefensible.

Posted at March 18, 2008 8:19 PM in response to Obama's Speech

I was an Obama supporter until December of last year, but noticed
a troubling pattern regarding Hillary.

Hillary's supporters were being pigeon-holed as "old" and "unintelligent"....neither of which I was.

The criticisms against Hillary were rarely about the issues....they were almost always deeply personal. She has been described as a "criminal" "ruthless" a "monster".

She was regularly blamed for things her husband did and said....even his affairs were somehow her fault.

She was accused of having no experience beyond her years as first lady.... which is patently untrue. And she gets no credit for her own good work. Attempts to discredit her involvement with Northern Ireland and with other international issues have themselves been discredited. The Irish Times has a recent article praising her efforts to help the peace process. Her travels to over eighty countries were purposeful. She met with many leaders and Heads of State, and helped negotiate settlements. She has been to Tibet several times, and has been involved in the Tibetan/Chinese conflict since 2001....for example.

In short, I feel the bitterness Hillary's supporters express is largely justified. The national media has been shown to be strongly biased against her as well.....by the Center for Fairness in the Media. I grew increasingly queasy about the attacks on her....while still an Obama supporter. My sense of fair-play was called up, and I went from uncomfortable to outraged as it continued.
Senator Obama has almost no chance of winning without Clinton's supporters (assuming for moment he gets the nomination) and those that have made a practice of sneering at Hillary and her supporters are delivering the White House to John McCain.

Posted at March 17, 2008 5:35 PM in response to Why Clinton voters are not joining Obama

Nancy Pelosi is a light-weight compared to Hillary...and she knows it. If she is driven by anything it's probably competitiveness, and a desire to maintain her position as the most powerful women in American politics. She worries about being eclipsed by Hillary, if Hillary should win, so her comments don't surprise me at all. Pelosi's approval rating is in the basement....she certainly doesn't have throngs of cheering Democrats gathering when she appears in public. You don't think that eats at her? She isn't capable of being rational and impartial about Hillary. Ignore her.

Posted at March 17, 2008 3:41 AM in response to First it was Pelosi. Now its superdelegates. A consensus is forming: Barack Obama will be the Democratic Party's nominee.

Whatever else Obama is, or is not, he is the candidate with the real baggage now. He is the candidate that is most controversial and divisive. Hillary can't compete with him on that score. He may be too polarizing to win the general election, and I hope the voters in the remaining primaries recognize this reality. I am sure some of the super-delegates already have. At this moment in time, things look quite good for McCain. The last polls I've seen show another disturbing reality. The Clinton supporters are much LESS likely to move behind Obama than the Obama supporters are to get behind Hillary. The difference was six or seven percent. Many of these conservative and moderate Democrats have indicated they will move over to McCain. Too many Obama supporters are fixated on delegates and getting the nomination, almost as if THAT were the real election. This short-sightedness may cost us. This whole process has been about getting a Democrat in the White House, nothing else. When you break it down, looking at all the elements from purple state support to Clinton backers vs. Obama backers, Hillary appears to be the more solid horse in the
race. The important race, to reach the White House.

Posted at March 16, 2008 2:27 PM in response to The Fierce Urgency of Hate