Super Tuesday: Is This Hillary's Last Hurrah?

Super Tuesday: Is This Hillary's Last Hurrah?
February 3, 2008 8:04 AM
Kareem: Sky hooks for Obama

by Roger L. Simon
If either party's nominating process reaches a conclusion on Super Tuesday, conventional wisdom has it that it will be the Republicans with McCain sweeping the Northeast and California.

But a surprise may be brewing on the Democratic side. Obama fever is clearly growing.
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The latest California Field poll shows McCain up eight, but more unexpectedly shows Obama within two points of Clinton in the nation's most populous state. Other polls are less favorable to Barack, but it's clear the younger man is surging.

Hillary is lucky the primary is this Tuesday. Another week and she could be toast. In the long run, she could be anyway.

What does this mean for the Republicans? Nothing good. Running against Hillary would not be difficult for them. The country is experiencing Clinton fatigue and what with recent revelations like Bill's nuclear finagling in Kazakhstan (probably just the tip of an endless iceberg) Hillary presents them with an easy target and likely victory.

Not so Obama. He is the "cool kid" on the block and getting cooler. Everyone wants to be part of him. "Yes, We Can" - a new video by Black-Eyed Peas featuring Scarlett Johansson and Kareem Abdul Jabbar, among others – although based on the usual campaign rhetoric, radiates an optimism about a future with and through Obama, which we haven't seen since Reagan, ironically.

Furthermore, Obama's lack of record or experience, while obviously something any concerned voter should be concerned about, may be an advantage for him. There's less to shoot at.

In a head-to-head, Obama's glamour could be lethal. McCain would look like Barack's crotchety old father and Romney—even worse—a starchy, clueless businessman (in Huckabee's words, "the guy who fires you"). I don't have to tell you, the facts are not operative here. Images rule.

This was writ large by Frank Luntz's focus group after the recent California debate at the Kodak Theater. Unlike the pundits, the people in Luntz's group overwhelmingly declared Obama the winner, although he had spoken largely in generalities throughout the entire debate. Hillary, the wonk, had focused on the details of her programs. Who wants to hear about them? Again ironically, they just contribute to Clinton fatigue.

Like it or not, people are more interested in being inspired.

So, on Super Tuesday, all eyes will be on whether McCain can administer a knockout blow on the Republican side.

But the spotlight should be shared equally with the Democrats. Hillary, even more than McCain, needs to win with some deciseveness on Tuesday. Otherwise, she will be on the wrong side of a juggernaut.

http://pajamasmedia.com/2008/02/super_tuesday_is_this_hillarys.php

NY Times Sets Up Hillary For A Fall

NY Times Sets Up Hillary For A Fall
CONFEDERATE YANKEEE
In 2005, Bill Clinton accompanied mining financier Frank Giustra to Kazakhstan, provided dictator Nursultan A. Nazarbayev with a propaganda coup that undermined American foreign policy and glossed over Kazakhstan's dismal human rights record. For Clinton's trouble, Giustra walked away with shared mining rights to 1/5 of the world's known uranium reserves.

Clinton subsequently picked up $131 million dollars in donations and pledges from Giustra for the William J. Clinton Foundation as a result, including a donation of $31.3 million within months of the mining deal being finalized.

On the surface, this sounds like peddling influence for cash—and truth be told, I can't easily come up with any other rational explanation.

This is rather a bizarre time to be publishing an accusation of an incident that occurred several years ago, with only days left before Hillary Clinton engages Barack Obama in the Super Tuesday Democratic presidential primaries, and occurring just days after the New York Times publicly endorsed Clinton as their candidate of choice.

Are we to believe that the Times editors were unaware of the pending article on Bill Clinton's apparent influence peddling when they gave Hillary their endorsement less than one full week ago?

In a large news organization it is indeed possible that the editorial staff who wrote Clinton's endorsement was unaware of the pending Bill Clinton/Giustra article... but I doubt it. And it is the Times editors that chose when to publish an article that was not locked into a specific time-sensitive news cycle, but was, as they say, "evergreen." This could have waited until after Super Tuesday, without a loss of importance... but then it would lack the colossal political influence that this story now may have.

Publishing the Clinton/Giustra article on this day, so close to Super Tuesday, seems indicative of ill intent on behalf of the Times.

Perhaps Hillary isn't their real choice for President after all.

http://confederateyankee.mu.nu/archives/253602.php

Get ready for the Dirt...

I couldn't agree more...get ready for the campaign to get down and dirty. Can Obama survive the microscope? Hillary has already threatened to disclose something on Obama...watch for Hillary to unleash the attack dogs soon.

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The Queen Is Dead…
…Long live the king?
By Victor Davis Hanson

For the past year, I, like millions of others, have been bewildered by TV's talking heads, always assuring us that Hillary — before a single vote was cast, before a single attack ad was made, before a single blunder or mini-crisis occurred—was to be coronated as the Democratic nominee and would inevitably go on to beat any Republican rival. (Many instead thought 'Never underestimate the ability of Bill Clinton to do damage to those around him' ).

Now after the first week of the primary season, these same geniuses are deifying Obama (formerly trashed as running a "surprisingly" dismal and uninspiring campaign) to the skies and writing Clinton's post mortem — even as her national polls are still even or ahead of Obama. Something similar is true of McCain as well — once worshipped, then pitied, and now admired.

What comes across to the viewer is the near complete absence of any independent judgement; instead, the 24-hour buzz makes someone hot or cold, and the pundits adjust accordingly with praise or blame. We've seen this before with the Gary Hart, Howard Dean, and Ross Perot pet-rock like craze — which are not that unusual in the popular cultural of radically democratic cultures such as our own.

The truth is that what a few thousand Americans think in Iowa and New Hampshire does not trump the tens of millions in states like Florida, New Jersey, New York, and California. The Clinton and Giuliani campaigns were based on this fact, and could still work — as long as the perceived momentum achieved by Obama or Huckabee among tiny populations in these two early states, amplified and exaggerated by spin doctors on television, does not cause second and third thoughts in voters of these key mega-states, inasmuch as most have no firm or fixed views other than a desire to be associated with a winner.

Hillary is not comatose, but instead at a crossroads. If she distances herself from Bill, goes silent about her First Lady years, stops the play-safe, don't-blow-it-fourth-quarter strategy, and instead takes risks, talks about what she's going to do in simple, blunt terms, gives more interviews, answers impromptu questions at her campaign stops, jettisons the canned laugh for real give and take, she could recover in two weeks.

Left unsaid is that America will soon — thanks to input from the shadows from various hitmen from the Clinton 1992/1996 team — be hearing a lot more details about the relatively unknown life and views of one Barrack Obama and those around him.

Right now voters know almost everything about Hillary and are troubled by that knowledge; they know almost nothing about Obama, and are happy for that ignorance — but that too can change, since she has nothing left to disclose or lose, he everything.

Hillary Out?

The fact that this is even being talked about is incredible...stay tuned.

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TALK OF HILLARY EXIT ENGULFS CAMPAIGNS
Mon Jan 07 2008 09:46:28 ET

Facing a double-digit defeat in New Hampshire, a sudden collapse in national polls and an expected fund-raising drought, Senator Hillary Clinton is preparing for a tough decision: Does she get out of the race? And when?!

"She can't take multiple double-digit losses in New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada," laments one top campaign insider to the DRUDGE REPORT. "If she gets too badly embarrassed, it will really harm her. She doesn't want the Clinton brand to be damaged with back-to-back-to-back defeats."

Meanwhile, Democrat hopeful John Edwards has confided to senior staff that he is staying in the race because Hillary "could soon be out."

"Her money is going to dry up," Edwards confided, a top source said Monday morning.

MORE

Key players in Clinton's inner circle are said to be split. James Carville is urging her to fight it out through at least February and Super Tuesday, where she has a shot at thwarting Barack Obama in a big state.

"She did not work this hard to get out after one state! All this talk is nonsense," said one top adviser.

But others close to the former first lady now see no possible road to victory, sources claim.

Developing...

[The dramatic reversal of fortunes has left the media establishment stunned and racing to keep up with fast-moving changes.

In its final poll before Iowa, CNN showed Clinton with a two-point lead over Obama. Editorial decisions were being made based on an understanding the Democratic primary race would be close, explained a network executive.]

http://www.drudgereport.com/flashhn.htm

Obama and transcript from "Face the Nation"

Obama on 'Face the Nation'
by John McCormick

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama appeared on "Face the Nation" this morning on CBS. The transcript is below:

http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/news/politics/blog/2007/12/obama_on_face_the_nation.html

Symbolism and Barack Obama

Barack Obama, originally uploaded by Barack Obama.

A Series of "Must Read" Obama Articles...

I scour the internet to bring the best information and perspective I can find on Obama. Here are some "must reads" that you just won't find in your newspaper, or on the news. MJ
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March 23, 2007
Psychoanalyzing
Barack Obama
Steven M.
Warshawsky

http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2007/03/psychoanalyzing_barack_obama.html
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Sailor has written a number of shorter follow-up pieces about Obama that
also are well worth reading. See here, here, and here.

http://isteve.blogspot.com/2007/03/andrew-sullivan-on-sailer-on-obama.htmlhttp://isteve.blogspot.com/2007/03/obamas-self-pity.htmlhttp://isteve.blogspot.com/2007/03/obamas-doppelganger.html
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Obama’s Identity Crisis

March 26, 2007 IssueCopyright © 2007 The American Conservative
Although he presents himself as a healer of differences, the presidential
candidate’s own racial struggle paints a conflicted portrait.by Steve Sailer

http://www.amconmag.com/2007/2007_03_12/feature.html

The Grassroots Media Wins Round One?

More information and background on the so called "Hillary 1984" video.I find the whole story fascinating and will continue to follow it here.

This story is at the epicenter of the changing face of U.S.politics,campaign tactics and media, converging with the internet. MJ
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Who is the person behind the Clinton attack ad?

"considering Hillary Clinton's biggest video has only received 12,000 views on YouTube, I'd say the grassroots has won the first round."

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/03/19/BAGSFONU1A16.DTL

Obama and Hillary

Obama and Hilary, originally uploaded by nata2.

Most of my fascination with Obama, is his effect on Hillary.

I couldn't resist sharing this photo after I came across it. ;-)

barack the cowboy

barack the cowboy, originally uploaded by Mr. Wright.

Another great catch by the grass roots media.

A Great Photo of Senator Barack Obama

Senator Barack Obama, originally uploaded by Stephen Voss.

A great photograph by Stephen Voss