In what is a battle royale for the Democrats, Barack Obama, as expected, won in Louisiana, Nebraska, and Washington state on Saturday by two to one margins over Hillary Clinton.
However with many millions of dollars pouring to both campaigns ($10 million by 100,000 donors for Clinton and "more than Senator Clinton" with donations from 350,000 people for Obama), it is becoming more likely that this campaign will be settled in Denver this summer barring a financial or organizational collapse by Clinton on March 4 with major contests in Texas and Ohio to be decided.
Meanwhile on the Republican side, it looks like there may be some buyer's remorse among hardcore party activists over the apparent coronation of John McCain. Gov. Mike Huckabee won two of the three contests in Louisiana and Kansas and is neck and neck with McCain in Washington state with 86% of the caucus vote counted.
The wild card for the Republicans is now Ron Paul who garnered between 5 and 21% of the vote in Saturday's contests. If he left the race, who would benefit is anyone's guess.
Quotes of the day:
Barack Obama: "We won north, we won south, we won in between."
Hillary Clinton: "You'll never have to worry about me getting knocked out of the ring; I think I can go toe to toe."
Mike Huckabee: "I didn't major in math. I majored in miracles, and I still believe in them."
Showing posts with label Primaries. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Primaries. Show all posts
Sunday, February 10
Thursday, January 31
Super Tuesday Matters...If You Vote
From the Good Folks at Why Tuesday
Why Tuesday? is an effort to make America's democracy stronger through increased voter participation. We work to make election reform an issue that our politicians cannot afford to avoid.
Also see Fix the Primaries
Why Tuesday? is an effort to make America's democracy stronger through increased voter participation. We work to make election reform an issue that our politicians cannot afford to avoid.
Also see Fix the Primaries
Sunday, January 27
Obama's Hope Wins Big in SC
With 99% of the counties reporting, Barack Obama scored a decisive win in South Carolina by garnering 55% of the popular vote while Hillary Clinton got 27% and John Edwards won 18%.
The big story within the story may be the impressive turnout, which was almost double the turnout from the 2004 primary. Amo0ng the press, the story centers around race.
Going into the first Super Tuesday, the question will be, is this win due to the large turn out of African Americans in South Carolina (who make up 55% of the Democratic electorate in the state), of which Obama registered 78% of the vote or a combination of factors including young, affluent white voters voting solidly for him? The leader of the pack "O"-mentum has now swung in his direction.
For the Clinton camp, there is little good that came from finishing a distant second in the state, and for Edwards, the take away for him is that he did particularly well among white males and white voters who made up their minds within three days of the primary according to the Washington Post.
One clear message from last night's primary is that Obama can win in the south and this may carry him further in the minds of unconvinced Democrats than any other fact.
There is no ignoring that the Democrats are running against history and it is becoming clearer that the kind of change Democratic primary voters want looks less like John Edwards and more like Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.
The larger looming question is that the change that the majority of voters in the November election are also ready for?
The big story within the story may be the impressive turnout, which was almost double the turnout from the 2004 primary. Amo0ng the press, the story centers around race.
Going into the first Super Tuesday, the question will be, is this win due to the large turn out of African Americans in South Carolina (who make up 55% of the Democratic electorate in the state), of which Obama registered 78% of the vote or a combination of factors including young, affluent white voters voting solidly for him? The leader of the pack "O"-mentum has now swung in his direction.
For the Clinton camp, there is little good that came from finishing a distant second in the state, and for Edwards, the take away for him is that he did particularly well among white males and white voters who made up their minds within three days of the primary according to the Washington Post.
One clear message from last night's primary is that Obama can win in the south and this may carry him further in the minds of unconvinced Democrats than any other fact.
There is no ignoring that the Democrats are running against history and it is becoming clearer that the kind of change Democratic primary voters want looks less like John Edwards and more like Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.
The larger looming question is that the change that the majority of voters in the November election are also ready for?
Wednesday, March 21
Primary Motivation
Now New York is moving on up...
From the AP
No, not the budget, which is due April 1. Instead, the New York State Senate and Assembly both passed a bill moving New York's presidential primary date up to Feb. 5, 2008. The idea is to make New York "relevant" in the Presidential sweepstakes.
But with as many as 20 states considering or already having moved their primaries to Feb. 5, it seems unlikely any will gain added relevance. Why? Because that day will now be something akin to a national primary, with perhaps as much as half the country (population-wise) voting.
No candidate can really campaign in all those states in the short window between the South Carolina primary (Democrats on the prior Tuesday, Republicans on the prior Saturday) and the new "Super Duper" Tuesday.
So what will happen? Many now believe Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina (Nevada holds a Democrat-only caucus too, so maybe Nevada) will be more important than ever. Any candidate that can't win at least one of these states may be too hobbled by his or her lack of perceived momentum to win many states on Feb. 5.
From the AP
No, not the budget, which is due April 1. Instead, the New York State Senate and Assembly both passed a bill moving New York's presidential primary date up to Feb. 5, 2008. The idea is to make New York "relevant" in the Presidential sweepstakes.
But with as many as 20 states considering or already having moved their primaries to Feb. 5, it seems unlikely any will gain added relevance. Why? Because that day will now be something akin to a national primary, with perhaps as much as half the country (population-wise) voting.
No candidate can really campaign in all those states in the short window between the South Carolina primary (Democrats on the prior Tuesday, Republicans on the prior Saturday) and the new "Super Duper" Tuesday.
So what will happen? Many now believe Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina (Nevada holds a Democrat-only caucus too, so maybe Nevada) will be more important than ever. Any candidate that can't win at least one of these states may be too hobbled by his or her lack of perceived momentum to win many states on Feb. 5.
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