Yes We Can!!

The picture above is from Senator Obama's campaign stop in Portland, Oregon yesterday (read story here). An estimated 65,000 people showed up to see the Senator speak, the event has been dubbed the "Obama Mass" by Matt Drudge. A split in tomorrow's primaries (Obama will handily win Oregon and Senator Clinton will easily win Kentucky) added to the newfound civility being exuded by the Clintonistas and the continuous trickle of super delegates into the Obama column will make for a smooth landing at the top of the Democratic ticket for Senator Obama in the coming weeks.

Hillary Clinton Is Desparate

I saw this headline and was confused:

"Clinton attacks Obama on guns..."

Was Senator Obama not as tough as I had already thought? The esteemed senator from New York has always been a staunch gun control advocate, as has her opponent in the never-ending race for the Democratic nomination. Of course there was Pennsylvania, where Senator Clinton told stories about duck hunting and seemed be a bit more conservative on the gun issue. But that was a mere aberration, she was exaggerating to get a couple more votes, right? All politicians do this. The Clinton campaign apparently is now attacking Obama's stance on gun control. Apparently, the senator from Illinois has been pandering too much on the gun issue and the time has come for the experienced senator to call him on it. Her campaign has been distributing mailers in Indiana to this effect (see story here). The ad also reminds people that Obama called those who are downtrodden in Pennsylvania bitter. I think there are bitter people in Indiana, which will make this brilliant ad quite effective. Or maybe not. Senator Clinton's candidacy jumped the shark right after Super Tuesday I (apparently every time there is primary it is now called Super Tuesday) and continues to grow more and more annoying by the day. It is important to remember that there is no way the senator can win the nomination. She is too far behind in pledged delegates and the popular vote and her lead in the super annoying super delegates has been dwindling since Super Tuesday I (now 17, down from 20 at this time last week, see here). My theory about the viability of her candidacy has seemed to gain an air of credibility with the "experts," as now we hear people wondering if Senator Clinton is softening up Obama for John McCain. An Obama loss means that she will have the opportunity to run in 2012. In other political news that no one should care about, Senator Obama got a huge W in the Guam primary. Why should we care about this? We shouldn't.

Still Hoping...

The people in Pennsylvania finally voted yesterday, putting an end to the longest 6 weeks of any one's life who has invested as much time and energy into this never ending process as I have. What does Senator Clinton's 55%-45% victory mean? Little, it would seem. These gains will be negated in two weeks when she loses North Carolina by a similar margin (probably a little more). Indiana also votes that day and that is shaping up to be a close race that has far-reaching implications for the viability of the Clinton candidacy. Her major hurdle at this point (besides the insurmountable delegate lead for Senator Obama) is money. Shortly after claiming victory last night she made a direct plea to the electorate to send money. Have all of her big donors already given the max? The Clinton campaign is hoping that the ultra annoying super delegates will come to her aid in the 11th hour and put her over the top at the convention. Has the time not come for these party elites to throw their collective hat in the ring and get behind someone? I realize that everyone wants to pick the winner and not alienate themselves from a job opportunity in a potential Obama or Clinton White House, but there might be no Obama or Clinton White House at this rate. While these candidates continually go back and forth sniping over nothing, the crazy right (yeah I am talking you Hannity) continues to try and link Senator Obama to the words of every person he has ever known. Personally, I believe this tactic backfires in the end, as an overly aggressive attack campaign on an individual ultimately turns them into a victim in the eyes of those that are less fanatical about their politics (see the end of the Clinton presidency for an example). This has to end at some point, right? I do not mind Senator Clinton staying in the race, but I do mind the tone of her campaign. When she starts coming across as a mouthpiece for the GOP in her attacks, it is a little disconcerting. Thus is political discourse in the 21st century, we can only hope that it improves...

Pennsylvanians speak out:
-For the take of LWAL's Senior Clinton Aficionado (he is really old, John McCain old, senior has nothing to do with the value of his opinions), go here.
-For a Howard Beale-esqe rebuke of the Pennsylvania electorate, go here.
-For a more moderately disappointed take, go here.

Not So Super Tuesday: The Politics of Fear Wins the Day

Last night, the Clinton campaign got much needed wins in Ohio and Texas. Senator Obama had the opportunity to issue the deathknell to the Clintonistas, but ultimately did not prevail (it is worth noting that Senator Clinton possessed 20+ point leads in both states about a month ago and won Ohio by 10 and Texas by 4). This further proves how effective negative campaigning can be. Silly pictures designed to make the feeble-minded think that Senator Obama is Muslim, attack ads that indicate that your children will die if Senator Clinton is not president (the ridiculous 3 am, red phone ad), and the continued talking point that the only thing Senator Obama brings to the table is speeches are commonplace in the Clinton campaign. My favorite utterance of the campaign thus far:

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"I think that I have a lifetime of experience that I will bring to the White House. I know Senator McCain has a lifetime of experience to the White House. And Senator Obama has a speech he gave in 2002."

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What is her party affiliation? At least for those of us who believe that there can be an effective candidate that does not find it necessary to employ the "kitchen sink" (if I hear this one more time I will scream) in a political campaign, Senator Obama is winning. There seems to be little the Clinton machine can do to overtake him short of rounding up a high percetage of the remaining utterly ridiculous superdelegates. Her advantage from last night, including wins in Ohio, Texas, and Rhode Island and a loss in Vermont, only nets Senator Clinton 17 delegates (not all results are in). She will lose convincingly in Wyoming on Saturday and Mississippi in Tuesday. I cannot imagine this will go on for three more months, especially considering that Senator McCain will have his day at the White House today, taking the endorsement of the man who attacked his integrity in order to win the naomination in 2000. There has been one interesting development this morning, with Senator Clinton seemingly enertaining the notion of an Obama-Clinton (or vice versa) ticket . I have a hard time seeing her taking the #2 spot, but wo knows at this point. There's still hope for hope...

Out with the Old, In with the New

Delegates, bonus delegates, super delegates....my head is spinning. When will the madness end? Today I cast my first vote that I was excited to cast. It helps that our primary is pertinent for once with the Democratic co-frontrunners deadlocked and John Kerry’s name not on the ballot. Senator Obama should be weary of my endorsement, as every candidate I have ever voted for in a primary has lost the nomination. My hit list includes Howard Dean, Ken Longmyer, Harris Miller (I was one of three people who voted against Jim Webb), and guys who's names I cannot remember. It appears that my streak will end to today, as Obama is poised to sweep the non-cleverly dubbed "Chesapeake Primary." With three wins today, Obama will have won seven contests in a row following the weekend sweep of Louisiana, Kansas, Washington, and Maine. That streak could reach nine with Hawaii and Wisconsin voting next Tuesday (I challenge anyone to come up with a clever name for that one). By this time tomorrow Senator Obama can claim to have won 23 of 35 contests to date, a winning percentage of .657. A winning percentage like that would make the Senator the #3 seed in the NBA's eastern conference behind the mighty Celtics and the Detroit Pistons. Not too bad for a guy that was supposed to be finished after Super Tuesday.

Senator Clinton's campaign seems to be embracing a Rudy Giuliani strategy of establishing March 4 as a firewall for her candidacy. Chances are she will lose every contest between Super Tuesday and Super Tuesday Lite, thus loses in either Texas or Ohio could be the fatal blow for the Clinton era. At this point, Pennsylvania could matter on April 22 (BK should get throwing in the bullpen). It is worth noting that the primary that precedes Pennsylvania is Mississippi, which is held 43 days before Pennsylvanians head to the polls. That could be longest six weeks of our collective lives. Go Obama…