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Ad Wars: It's 3AM In Louisiana
2008-03-19 15:51:00 Check out our video library at Political Realm TV.John McCainThe Democratic Party has released a new ad, "Lockstep," that ties McCain to President Bush , Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, and the war in Iraq . Barack ObamaObama delivered a speech in Philadelphia yesterday touching on the Jeremiah Wright controversy, but focuses on race in our society.Here is Obama's official statement on the Jeremiah Wright controversy:The Obama campaign has also released two new radio ads in Pennsylvania. The first ad appeals to young voters and urges them to register to participate in the state's primary (voters must register as Democrats by March 24). The second ad appeals more to independent voters and attacks the politics as usual in Washington, while again urging voters to register as Democrats to participate in the Pennsylvania primary.Gubernatorial Watch: North CarolinaLt. Governor Bev Perdue, locked in a tight Democratic primary with Richard Moore, has released this new ad, "Bev's Rhyme," wh... More About: Congress , Louisiana
This Week In Fake News...
2008-03-19 15:14:00 Around The Web ? The Gift Of Freedom ? Some Old Man Still Churning Out Marmaduke ? Report: 32% Of Prayers Deflected Off Passing Satellites ? The Battle For Berkeley More About: News , Fake , Week
Senate Watch: Rankings
2008-03-19 05:27:00 Our latest rankings paint a rosy picture for Democrats, who find only one of their incumbents on our list of the ten seats most likely to flip hands in 2008. After picking up six seats and winning a thin 51-49 majority in 2006, they appear poised to expand their holdings, but fall short of a filibuster-proof 60-seat advantage.1. Virginia (Open-R) [1]: As a former business executive and governor, Mark Warner (pictured) simply doesn't come across as a legislative branch kind of guy. Widely considered a potential 2008 presidential candidate before he surprisingly put such speculation to rest in October 2006, Warner does little to scuttle the notion that he has ambitions that lie beyond the Senate. A term in the Senate, which seems all but assured at this point, could help fill out the foreign policy portion of his resume for a presidential run in 2012, 2016, or beyond. At this point in 2006, however, another former governor was also prepping for an apparently easy Senate race befor... More About: Congress , Bush , Watch , Iraq , George W
Good Reads: Throw Out The Maps
2008-03-18 20:38:00 John Heilemann: A Pants-Down PrimerUndoubtedly the scarcest commodity in American political life, with its sky-high levels of partisan polarization and its cable-news-driven incentives toward oppositionalism and contrarianism, is unanimity of opinion. So maybe the most astonishing thing about the Eliot Spitzer self-immolation was the gusher of agreement that it brought forth from all sides, especially on two points. First, there was the unalloyed shock that, of all people, Spitzer?that storied crusader against Wall Street corruption, that tireless scourge against all manner of malfeasance, that embodiment of political rectitude?could possibly have been engaged in transgressions so tawdry and venal, so reckless and just plain dumb. And second, there was the insta-verdict about what he had to do: apologize (as profusely as possible) and resign (as quickly as possible). But the long and endlessly entertaining history of political jiggery-pokery suggests that neither of these reactions ... More About: Bush , President , Barack Obama , Hillary Clinton , George W
Quotable
2008-03-18 15:25:00 "When they started off, it was all about delegates. Now that we have more delegates, it's all about the popular vote. And if that does not work out, they will probably challenge us to a game of cribbage to choose the nominee."--Obama strategist David Axelrod, discussing Clinton campaign tactics. More About: President , Barack Obama , Hillary Clinton , Quotes
The Links: St. Patrick's Day
2008-03-18 05:36:00 Served fresh (almost) daily...General Petraeus says Iraqi leaders have failed to make "significant progress."Obama picked up two more superdelegates. Obama also gained 10 more delegates out of Iowa.As much as $1 million was embezzled from the NRCC.Which states are most likely to flip in 2008?Romney continues his veep push, raising money for McCain .Early voting begins today in North Carolina.Obama plans to give a major speech on race tomorrow.Pro-Clinton bloggers are going on strike. Markos responds.Chris Cillizza looks at the power of Keith Olbermann.Obama sets the Pennsylvania bar at -10.Matthew Tully offers Clinton and Obama 10 tips to win Indiana.Fox News Sunday starts an "Obama Watch."Clinton and Obama agree to debate #21.Ron Fournier says Obama is bordering on arrogance.New York Governor David Paterson is a popular man.Obama has removed Jeremiah Wright from his campaign.Pennsylvania Polling Average: Clinton +16The Madness has begun.The National Guard accidentally bombed Oklaho... More About: President , Barack Obama , Hillary Clinton , Links
Picture This: McCain In Iraq
2008-03-17 21:47:00 With the Republican nomination wrapped up, John McCain embarked this weekend on a trip to the Middle East, including a visit today with Iraq i Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. This is the eighth trip to Iraq for McCain, who was accompanied by Senators Joe Lieberman and Lindsey Graham. More About: President , Picture
Quotable
2008-03-17 21:31:00 "Anybody who looks at the two cases will see there is an enormous difference between the two of them. The people that are trying to draw comparisons to the two cases are people who've never agreed with me on important issues like immigration and other things."--Republican Senator David Vitter of Louisiana, on the comparisons of the Eliot Spitzer scandal to his own connection to a prostitution ring. More About: Quotes
Cartoon Monday
2008-03-17 12:19:00 Borrowed from here, here, and here. More About: Bush , Cartoon , President , Cartoons , Barack Obama
Quotable
2008-03-14 16:51:00 "Obama is the hope and future of the Democratic Party, not Hillary, and everyone knows it. He is the one bringing new energy and voters. He could be a Democratic Reagan, invigorating the party for 25 years. If the Clinton people knee-cap Obama, it would be like killing Santa Claus Christmas morning in front of the children. The children won't forget or forgive."--Alex Castellanos, a Republican politico, analyzing the race between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama . More About: President , Quotes
The Links: Prepping For Pennsylvania
2008-03-13 22:06:00 Served fresh daily...Jack Kevorkian is planning a run for Congress .Mike Gravel is supporting the Green candidate for president.The Obama campaign is downplaying Pennsylvania.Geraldine Ferraro, still angry, has stepped down.The pundit-in-chief returns.The AFL-CIO will use more than $50 million to defeat McCain.Jonathan Martin looks at McCain's ability to play in blue states.Obama supporters attack Clinton's big state argument.Clinton: if Obama can't win PA, he can't win the general.Chris Bowers looks at the Pennsylvania delegate math.McCain wants all Republican delegates seated.Brian Ross looks at the former minister of Obama's church.SNL is concerned about claims of a pro-Clinton bias.McCain attacks Clinton and Obama on earmarks.Obama says McCain has flip-flopped on taxes.Mark Halperin reports on a potential FL-MI compromise.Eliot Spitzer has resigned.Ben Smith profiles New York's governor-to-be: David Paterson.Even Sinbad has a role to play in the 2008 election.One in four te... More About: Bush , President , Barack Obama , Hillary Clinton
Quotable
2008-03-13 18:19:00 "The real commander-in-chief threshold doesn't have to do with years tallied up in Washington. It has to do with the judgment and vision that you will bring to the oval office."--Barack Obama , responding to criticism from rival Hillary Clinton . More About: President , Quotes
Ad Wars: New Senate, Gubernatorial Ads
2008-03-13 05:50:00 You can find all of our videos at Political Realm TV.Gubernatorial Watch: North CarolinaDemocrat Richard Moore, locked in a tight primary with Lt. Governor Bev Perdue, portrays himself as a fighter in his most recent ad, "Real Stimulus."Senate Watch: MontanaDemocratic incumbent Max Baucus has hit the airwaves with a new ad touting his power in Washington, while also emphasizing the fact that he is still connected to the voters back in Montana. Senate Watch: South CarolinaRepublican Senator Lindsey Graham, facing several primary challengers, recruited President Bush to star in his first ad of the cycle. Bush touts Graham's conservative credentials on taxes and notes his support for Supreme Court Justices Samuel Alito and John Roberts. More About: Congress , Wars , George W
This Week In Fake News...
2008-03-12 14:59:00 Around The Web? Obama Threatens To Give Best Speech Ever? Taco Bell To Open New Location Inside Former Taco Bell? Big Crybaby Released After 20 Years Of Wrongful Imprisonment More About: News , Fake , Week
The Links: "Attacking Me Because I'm White"
2008-03-12 14:34:00 What's on our plate this morning?Eliot Spitzer is expected to resign today. For real this time.Nancy Pelosi says a Clinton-Obama ticket seems "impossible."Florida Dems are getting close to a re-vote. Or not.McCain's campaign manager to surrogates: stay on message.Jeff Bliss looks at the Secret Service demands for this race.Geraldine Ferraro: "They're attacking me because I'm white."An Obama backer brings up the Clinton sex scandals, resigns.McCain is preparing for a decentralized campaign.The granddaughter of a mill worker? Move over John Edwards.Admiral William Fallon, CENTCOM commander, has resigned.Mitt Romney says he would be "honored" to be McCain's veep.Pennsylvania Polling Average: Clinton +12.3Andre Carson kept his grandmother's seat in Dem hands in Indiana. He becomes the second Muslim elected to Congress .This day in history: FDR gave his first fireside chat in 1933. More About: President , Barack Obama , Hillary Clinton
State Of The Race: Democrats
2008-03-12 05:21:00 Barack Obama: (26.5 States)Alabama, Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Democrats Abroad, District Of Columbia, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Carolina, Texas**, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, WyomingHillary Clinton : (15.5 States)American Samoa, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida*, Massachusetts, Michigan*, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas***The contests in Florida and Michigan currently award no delegates due to a Democratic Party ruling. The states appear increasingly likely to hold a re-vote at some point in the coming months.**Hillary Clinton won the Texas primary, while Barack Obama won the Texas caucuses. Delegate CountBarack Obama: 1,608 (1,402 pledged + 206 supers)Hillary Clinton: 1,478 (1,240 pledged + 238 supers)Needed to win the nomination: 2,025 More About: President , Barack Obama , Race
Mississippi Primary Results
2008-03-12 00:51:00 Voters in Mississippi have been heading to the polls today and we'll be here to bring you the results and our analysis. We'll update this post as we go, so make sure to refresh your browser. Our thoughts on the contests can be found below.Democrats (17% Reporting)Barack Obama 53%Hillary Clinton 45%Republicans (16% Reporting)John McCain 80%Mike Huckabee 12%Ron Paul 4%Mississippi offers 33 delegates to Democrats and 36 delegates to Republicans.Notes[6:51PM CST] We will include the Republican results, but McCain obviously has the nomination wrapped up. It will be interesting, however, to see how much, if any, opposition he receives. Despite being the presumptive nominee for weeks, Mike Huckabee still managed to peal off one-third of the Republican electorate.[6:54PM CST] For Democrats, Obama is clearly the candidate to beat, having lead by an average of 15 points going into the contest. The huge black population gives him a clear advantage and the Clinton campaign has all but conc... More About: President , Results
Questioning Experience
2008-03-11 21:50:00 In the days leading up to the contests in Ohio and Texas, the Clinton campaign began to push the notion that Barack Obama lacks the experience to be president. Most notably, the 3AM ad made that case that Obama lacks commander-in-chief credentials, but Clinton herself also pressed the experience issue frequently on the trail:I think that I have a lifetime of experience that I will bring to the White House. Senator John McCain has a lifetime of experience that he'd bring to the White House. And Senator Obama has a speech he gave in 2002.With Clinton going on to win the primaries in both states, the question of experience has clearly come to the foreground. It is a fair question to raise, one that Republicans will no doubt bring up in the general election. For Clinton, the issue provides a strong political footing that has been difficult to find in the race against Obama this cycle. Poll after poll shows Clinton testing better than Obama on the experience issue. Obama, after all... More About: Commentary , President , Hillary Clinton , Experience
The Links: Spitzer In Trouble
2008-03-11 05:47:00 Served fresh (almost) daily...The Times has more details on the Spitzer situation. Letterman has a Top Ten List of excuses for the governor.Obama pushes back on the commander-in-chief question.The Clinton campaign keeps pushing the issue. Steve King keeps stoking the Obama-Muslim fire.Juan Cole calls King a bigot.Stephen Hayes outlines a campaign plan for McCain.Oklahoma lawmaker: gays are a bigger threat than terrorism.Obama picked up support from three new superdelegates today.Al Sharpton injects himself into the Florida-Michigan situation.Kos says last week wasn't so bad for Obama. It looks like an uphill climb for House Republicans in 2008.The Times looks at McCain's fundraising plan.Hotline TV looks at the influence of SNL. Mississippi Polling Average: Obama +15.5Get it while it's hot. MSNBC has canceled Tucker. Most Americans don't read political blogs. Jerks!This day in history: the first telephone call was made in 1876. More About: Congress , President , Barack Obama , Hillary Clinton , Links
Quotable
2008-03-11 00:48:00 "If Obama was a white man, he would not be in this position."--Former Democratic vice presidential candidate Geraldine Ferraro, a Clinton supporter, discussing the Democratic race. More About: President , Barack Obama , Hillary Clinton , Quotes
Gubernatorial Watch: Scandal In New York
2008-03-10 22:05:00 New York Governor Eliot Spitzer, easily elected in 2006 after twelve years of Republican rule, has reportedly been linked to a prostitution ring. First reported by the New York Times (apparently not so liberally biased today), Spitzer was caught on tape by federal investigators arranging to meet with a prostitute in Washington, DC. Listed in an affidavit as "Client 9," Spitzer was informed of the implication on Friday by federal officials.Spitzer appeared with his wife for a press conference this afternoon, in which he called the situation a "private matter," adding:I have acted in a way that violated the obligations to my family and that violates my--or any--sense of right and wrong. I apologize first, and most importantly, to my family. I apologize to the public, to whom I promised better. I do not believe that politics in the long run is about individuals. It is about ideas, the public good and doing what is best for the State of New York. But I have disappointed and failed to ... More About: Watch , New York , President , Hillary Clinton , Rudy Giuliani
Cartoon Monday
2008-03-10 13:49:00 Borrowed from here, here, and here. More About: Bush , Cartoon , Iraq , Iran , President
The Links: Romney For VP?
2008-03-10 05:59:00 Here's what we're reading tonight:Democrats picked up Dennis Hastert's former seat.Does Clinton's dysfunctional campaign reflect poorly on her?President Bush bids adieu to the press corps with song.Mark Halperin looks at what the Clinton campaign is doing behind the scenes.Spain's socialist prime minister was re-elected.Down the ticket Dems are worried about the unsettled race.Republican Steve King stands by his Obama comments.Are the Bushes pushing Romney for vice president?SNL spoofs Clinton's 3AM ad.10,000 BC wins the weekend box office.This day in history: actor/comedian George Burns died in 1996. More About: Congress , Barack Obama , Hillary Clinton
Ad Wars: Democrats Focus On McCain
2008-03-10 05:47:00 Check out our video library at Political Realm TV.John McCainThe McCain campaign has produced this new web video, "Man In The Arena," which compares McCain to past leaders such as Winston Churchill and Teddy Roosevelt.The Democratic Party has released this new web video, "No Change," that compares statements of McCain to those of President Bush on Iraq , Social Security, and taxes.Senate Watch: TennesseeFormer Tennessee Democratic Party leader Bob Tuke announced his entry into the Senate race this week. Should Tuke win the nomination, he will face former Governor Lamar Alexander, seeking his second term. More About: Congress , Democrats
Quotable
2008-03-10 05:29:00 "You won't see me as a vice presidential candidate."--Barack Obama , denying the suggestion of a ticket with rival Hillary Clinton . More About: President , Quotes
Wyoming Caucus Results
2008-03-09 00:10:00 Wyoming voters will head to caucuses throughout the day today and we'll be here to bring you the results and our analysis. We will be updating this post as the results come in, so make sure to refresh your browser. Our thoughts on the contest can be found below.Current Results (91% Reporting)Obama 58%Clinton 41%Wyoming offers 12 delegates to the Democrats.Notes[1:11PM CST] Barack Obama was believed to be the favorite heading into today's vote and the early results seem to confirm that. With more than half of the precincts reporting, he has a commanding lead.[1:14PM CST] The Obama campaign continues to dominate the caucus contests. Clinton has won just one caucus thus far, Nevada, and even then the Obama campaign actually claimed a delegate victory.[1:37PM CST] As has become customary in Democratic races this cycle, turnout looks to be very impressive across the state today. Few major problems, common in almost every caucus this cycle outside of Iowa, have been reported thus f... More About: President , Hillary Clinton , Wyoming
The Links: Obama Wins Wyoming
2008-03-08 22:18:00 Here's the news we're following today:It looks like Obama has won the Wyoming caucuses.Karl Rove says a long Democratic race isn't all good news for Republicans.Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, a player in the McCain veepstakes, is pregnant.Obama vs. Clinton = Bugs Bunny vs. Daffy Duck?Obama claims a delegate victory in Texas.Obama brought in $55 million in February.Joe Klein credits SNL for Clinton's comeback.John McCain says he actually wants Bush on the campaign trail.Governors Charlie Crist and Jennifer Granholm call on the parties to seat their delegates.The Clinton campaign offers their path to the nomination.Obama pushes the media on Clinton's tax returns. Clinton responds: Rezko.Obama picks up support from West Virginia Congress man Nick Rahall and several (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) minor superdelegates.Rolling Stone endorses Barack Obama .An Obama aide calls Clinton a "monster" and later resigns.The Clinton campaign is raising money off of the incident.First Read notes all the apol... More About: President , Hillary Clinton , John Kerry
Quotable
2008-03-08 16:59:00 "The radical Islamists, the al-Qaida... would be dancing in the streets in greater numbers than they did on September 11, because they would declare victory in this war on terror."--Republican Congressman Steve King, on the reaction to Barack Obama 's election as president. More About: President , Quotes
Picture This: An Early Look At November?
2008-03-08 06:53:00 Survey USA conducting polling in all fifty states of a potential match-ups between Republican nominee John McCain and Democrats Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton . Obama carried the Electoral College vote 280-258, while Clinton beat McCain 276-262. Obviously a great can and will happen over the next eight months, so these polls aren't an accurate vision of the eventual outcome, but it's an interesting first look at the general election. More About: Picture , Early
What's Next?
More articles from this author:2008-03-08 06:43:00 Tuesday's results suggest their is no end in sight for the Democratic race, so let's take a look at the contests to come that carry 566 pledged delegates between them.WyomingDate: March 8Delegates: 12Type: CaucusPolling: N/A We don't have polling information, but Obama has shown strength in neighboring Mountain West states and his campaign has dominated the caucus format. Obama should be able to get back on the winning track tomorrow, after losing three of four races on Tuesday. Wyoming voters will head to county level caucuses throughout the day and results should come in during the early evening hours.MississippiDate: March 11 Delegates: 33Type: Primary Polling: Obama +15The state's sizable black population, by percentage more than any other state, should put it safely in the Obama column. The Clinton campaign, however, has shown they will not cede Mississippi entirely to Obama. Clinton campaigned in the state today, trying to downplay somewhat disparaging remarks she made... More About: President , Barack Obama , Hillary Clinton 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 |
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