http://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/2008/05/alert-a-new-mes.html

Wayne Slater (DMN) just said that Bush went after Obama in Isreal (after he said he would stay out of the campaign) to appeal to the evangelicals.

They must be feeling a little threatened. You were right again.

Ms. Martin, I was talking about the RANK of big moments not the chronological order. That is to say that IMO the Edwards endorsement isn’t anywhere near the top of my list. On the importance of Oprah’s help, Michelle O. and I agree completely on how she opened the door for him in Iowa and SC to get the attention he wasn’t getting before. Now he can draw 30,000 people without Oprah’s name on the marquee but without her giving him a boost well we can all disagree…but I agree with Michelle on how important Oprah was in getting this ball rolling full speed ahead.

I am starting to think that maybe Clinton and Edwards are playing some version of that typical game among white people seeking to preserve something of the status quo: good cop/bad cop. I hope I’m wrong about this, but that’s the sense I’m starting to get.

(And I don’t know that they have overtly coordinated with each other on this — possibly not — it’s just that it’s a dynamic that is familiar and easy for white people to slide into in certain situations.)

I am glad that Edwards did what he did and glad of the timing. Though of course it was only useful like that because Clinton has used racism like she does, and the relative passivity of the Democratic Party all along in the face of it — so it created a situation that then needed addressing and made Edwards look so useful and good.

My gut just doesn’t like John Edwards and felt a sort of deception in his “ensorsement.” Which isn’t to say it’s not useful — clearly, politically, it is. But still, I feel he acts from self-serving motives and is not to be trusted no matter what he does. I particularly appreciate bpm/Truthseeker’s discussion of his body language.

I would not like him as VP, for exactly the reasons bpm talks about. And I question the VP talk in case it is acceptable mainly because of a good cop/bad cop dynamic.

Though I also agree w/ anon @ 7:48 that One thing I’ve noticed about Obama is he is a quick study and very observant. I’m quite sure he saw Edwards’ assholery last night, knows that he’s just a bandwagon jumper and is figuring out what to do with him. Funny thing about Obama, most people think he is a very weak guy, easily led by Rev. Wright, Michelle etc. but dude is always laying back in the cut, watching and then he pulls a slick move.

And I appreciate that bpm pointed out that happening in the 6:11 am comment. I don’t think Senator Obama misses much.

I agree. I believe it was the most important endorsement, because it stopped in its tracks the Billary attempt to ‘Ghettoize’ Obama. Giving him the traction he needed to win all those White states on February 5th.

*** Five big turning points: In today’s installment of our look at the big — yet underappreciated — turning points in the Obama-Clinton race, we take a look back at the very beginning of this contest.

While that moment might not have been a turning point, per se, since it happened at the very outset, it signaled that it would be Obama — and not Clinton — dictating the pace of the race. “It sort of forced their hand,” an Obama source tells First Read. “We did it on our own terms. It caught everyone by surprise.”

A few of the women there say last night they got email from John requesting donations. One woman was livid because she said she’d sent him numerous emails asking him to endorse Hillary, but her emails were never acknowledged.

I don’t think this has really been about the pres. nomination since NC though but the VP. She “will do anything necessary” is included in her answer to serving as VP questions now. It’s all about delegates and she is still getting them.

Hillary and the Congresswomen who support her are involved in a breach of trust. Hillary has suggested that McCain is a more viable choice for POTUS that Obama, knowing full well that McCain is notorious for his anti-abortion stance. She also lied in NH about Barack’s pro choice stance. Hillary’s supporters are considering voting for McCain as a consequence of all this. She has caused women to consider voting against their best interest. NARAL made the only choice they could under these circumstances.

::

Say it again.

Had she moved back “home” to Illinois to seek her Senate seat, Obama might not even be in the Senate.

Bill Clinton must’ve seen something in Obama to have helped knock him out during Obama’s first attempt to enter the Illinois legislature. Something that would derail Clinton’s bid for a third term by proxy in order to rehabilitate his impeachment legacy.

Karma’s a bitch.

But what’s even more fucked up is that a two-term President of the US could very publicly endorse a former Black Panther in a state primary and not be punished. That his wife could be running for president and not be vetted for her husband’s support for a former member of the Black Panthers.

And yet Obama is being smeared by his association with William Ayers.

Enter. . . the “popular vote” myth.

Somebody please correct me if I’m wrong, but this is how I see this whole popular vote spin from the Clintons:

1. Nominee is chosen by delegates, not popular vote. That alone should make all of this a non-issue.

2. If the Party wanted to use popular vote, they’d just hold one giant primary in June and be done with it.

3. Popular vote totals are often skewed because they usually don’t account for the caucus states.

4. That ABC popular vote number is soooooo misleading and disingenuous it makes me want to hurl. The only way Hillary even gets close (or slightly ahead) to Obama in the popular vote is if she counts MI and FL and gives Obama absolutely NOTHING from MI….and still discounts the caucus states.

5. State popular votes help determine state delegate counts. The DELEGATES vote on the nominee. That’s why we don’t have 35 million people show up in Denver to pick the nominee.

6. If the party validated the “popular vote” myth (which I don’t think they ever have) then there’d be nothing to stop a candidate from parking his or her butt in the most densely populated states to run up the score. . . smaller states would virtually have no say. . . and the nominee would be chosen by NY and CA every year.

7. I heard that there are 5 or 6 caucus states that never even recorded/saved they’re final tallies.

8. If the popular vote determined the nominee, then caucus states wouldn’t be allowed. But that’s not the way things work. Some states choose primaries, others choose caucuses. Some choose primaries and caucuses.

We have a metric. . . it’s delegates . . . Clinton can’t catch Obama in delegates unless she gets super delegates to reverse the will of the people and give it to her (for what reason, I really don’t know).

Or….the super delegates could RATIFY the will of the people and put Obama over the magic number (I’m sticking with 2025). . . as it should be.

It’s not impossible for Hillary to catch Obama in the popular vote if you count MI (zero votes for Obama), FL and Puerto Rico (which doesn’t even vote in the general election). It’s unlikely, but not impossible.

Which is why I’d like to see the Obama camp do a better job of stopping this spin dead in it’s tracks. It’s hard to argue process to an uninformed electorate if Hillary’s screaming “one man, one vote.”

Yes. Get the media to repeat a narrative and people will believe it after enough repetitions.

So this is probably especially painful for Bill after putting Rush over the top with the radio spot. Had Obama been in the House, he couldn’t get traction for serious consideration for Prez.

Clinton vs. Obama, 1.0

A reader points out a tidbit in Time I hadn’t known, concerning Obama’s failed 2000 run against Bobby Rush:

It fell to Bill Clinton to deliver the coup de grace. The President broke his policy of staying neutral in primaries and endorsed Rush in a glowing radio spot. When it was over, Rush piled up 61% of the vote, compared with 30% for Obama. He lost the most heavily black wards by more than 4 to 1. The race was called before Obama could even make his way to a would-be victory party at the Ramada Inn in Hyde Park.

So, I guess Obama and Bill go back a ways….lol

If you want a laugh, mosey on down to the Hillary website and read the blogs. Here, Wolfson is embroiled in a misinformation campaign. In discussions of the popular vote, Barack is never given credit for the caucus votes. Do they really believe they can win this nomination via smoke and mirrors?

by Howard Wolfson, Communications Director
5/15/2008 11:07:40 AM

Leading the Popular Vote: According to ABC News, Hillary’s West Virginia victory put her over the top in the popular vote. She now leads Sen. Obama 16,691,283 to 16,647,926 when Florida and Michigan are included in the count.

Oh and I agree with whomever that was…Does that mean he will never call me sweetie?!?!?!

What’s the big idea here with that?!?! SHEESH!