The organization only exists to support Clinton. Its whole existence is of dubious legality, because it exists only to support a single candidate and not push an issue. Although, really, I would be surprised if it couldn't return money to its donors, which are just other big organizations.

Posted at May 15, 2008 1:56 PM in response to Big Pro-Hillary Independent Group Will Spend Up To $500,000 On Ad In Oregon

May 2.

Posted at May 14, 2008 3:34 PM in response to Big Pro-Hillary Group Looking To Make Ad Buy In Oregon

Maybe he's just supposed to ask and she's supposed to say no? Whatever else you can say about the guy, Rendell seriously wants to be part of the winning team. Plus he's a loud mouth who would say things like this. I think Mario Cuomo should go back to whatever he was doing. (What HAS he been doing?)

But honestly, I think this has more to do with them seeking their own place in the sun. I don't see why she would want to be VP.

Posted at May 14, 2008 1:26 PM in response to Hillary-Backer Ed Rendell Suggests Obama Ask Hillary To Be Veep

Wisconsin voted R in 1960, 1968, 1972, 1980, and 1984. In the other years it voted D. Hmmm. Sounds like a swing state!!

Posted at May 13, 2008 4:31 PM in response to Clinton Camp: Obama Shouldn't Get Away With Writing Off West Virginia Loss

She really, really, needs to stop including MI and FL. According to what I read by Simon Rosenberg, who probably knows better than most of us, the super delegates, especially the DNC types, are extremely unhappy with the idea that they will likely have to count them in any form or fashion. She's just rubbing salt in the wound.

Posted at May 13, 2008 2:08 PM in response to Clinton Camp: Obama Shouldn't Get Away With Writing Off West Virginia Loss

Like I said, Clinton supporters are pissed off that Rev. Wright didn't have more of an impact in many states and are still in denial.

Have you heard the term issue fatigue? I might have believed that GWB's failure to complete his national guard service, or getting arrested for drunk driving, would have had an impact but they didn't because it was possible to spin them as "old news" by the time they should have mattered.

In answer to your question: I don't think Rev. Wright videos would have more of an impact than the cutting and pasting of scenes of Bosnia that will make it clear that Clinton was lying outright about her trip. Can you prove I'm wrong about that? Neither of us knows for sure.

Posted at May 13, 2008 11:30 AM in response to Obama Expected To Lose Big In Today's West Virginia Primary

It just goes to show that Clinton supporters were really banking on Rev. Wright to do Obama in and they are pissed off and in denial that he didn't.

WV voters are backward looking -- which is different from being backwards. I would like to know whether dijamo has ever even been to West Virginia.

Posted at May 13, 2008 11:12 AM in response to Obama Expected To Lose Big In Today's West Virginia Primary

I didn't say he would win outright. I think it will be a close race, but it will be closer with Obama than Hillary Clinton, who is not well-liked among many of her "natural constituents" here because we saw her up close and personal for 8 years of her "government service" (which many of us share), and we don't really want the Clinton family circus and psychodrama back in town.

Posted at May 13, 2008 11:09 AM in response to Obama Expected To Lose Big In Today's West Virginia Primary

Rural voters are increasingly less "relevant" because they make up a smaller and smaller percentage of the population.

I can attest that not all West Virginians are racist, and I would even venture to say that the "real" issue has to do with being asked to choose vanilla versus, say, espresso nib ice cream. If you try it you might love it, but in WV and KY, they are a lot less likely to try. We may call that racism, and it may truly be as such, but it's also a form of sticking with what you know, which I believe is particularly pronounced all over Appalachia. They are traditionalists in a way that few other groups of Americans can really identify with.

Re: natural resources. To some extent, WV reflects what is clearly prevalent in the developing world, which is the focus on investing in the extraction of "natural resources" in the ground without quite internalizing the fact that the greatest natural resource that any place has is its people. Outside of the Mon, which flows to PA, West Virginia is also mountainous and land locked.

All my life, I have lived in states that border WV.

Posted at May 13, 2008 10:54 AM in response to Obama Expected To Lose Big In Today's West Virginia Primary

I live in Virginia. You don't know what you are talking about.

Posted at May 13, 2008 10:44 AM in response to Obama Expected To Lose Big In Today's West Virginia Primary