February 22, 2008

How About *A Campaign* You Can Xerox

Did Hillary Rodham Clinton step under a ladder and over a black cat before announcing her presidential campaign last year? The hits -- in the bad sense -- just keep on coming at her.

She was booed last night after sniping that Barack Obama was pushing a message of "change you can Xerox" -- a reference to Camp Clinton's charges that Obama plagiarized Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick -- an Obama supporter. It was an Ouch moment for Clinton, and the audience did not like it.

Yesterday's CNN/Univision debate at the University of Texas (transcript) was tense at times and warmly collegial at times. Neither candidate tripped up too badly, but it was clear that Obama has greatly improved his debating skills. Clinton's been strong there from the beginning, so she's not being awarded any extra points.

The New York senator ended the evening on a high rhetorical note that won a standing ovation. Points for that, right? Nope. Many viewers read her lips and saw a concession speech.

Continue reading "How About *A Campaign* You Can Xerox"

Posted at 5:52 PM
Posted to: Barack Obama, Campaigns, Democrats, Hillary Rodham Clinton, John Edwards, John McCain, Republicans, WH 2008
Share via

January 30, 2008

Edwards Ends WH Bid But Keeps Anti-Poverty Message Alive

UPDATED.

John Edwards ended his bid for the Democratic presidential nomination this afternoon during a stop in New Orleans, where he first announced his entrance into the race one year ago in order to punctuate the primary theme of his campaign: combating poverty.

"It's time for me to step aside, so that history can blaze its path," he told the assembled crowd against a backdrop of newly built homes in the hurricane-ravaged Ninth Ward. "We do not know who will take the final steps to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, but what we do know is our Democratic Party will make history."

Edwards, surrounded by his wife, Elizabeth, and three children, said he had spoken with the two remaining Democrats in the race -- Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama -- who both pledged to him that they'd make "ending poverty central to their campaign" and, if elected, their presidency. However, he did not formally endorse either candidate.

"America's hour of transformation is upon us," Edwards told the crowd, returning to the message of "change" that has dominated the Democratic primary race. He evoked numerous images of the kinds of struggling Americans -- the homeless, the hungry, the uninsured, neglected veterans and working people -- that he has pledged to fight for, and he promised to continue that fight even as he exits the White House race. "It's hard to speak out for change when you feel like your voice isn't being heard," but "the Democratic Party hears you," he said.

"It's time for all of us together to make the two Americas one," he concluded, echoing the theme of equality that he first laid out as a presidential candidate in the 2004 race.

Edwards thanked his supporters, volunteers and campaign staffers after saying he was "suspending" his campaign. That terminology may generate some head-scratching, but AP reports that, according to his advisers, it "was simply legal terminology so that he can continue to receive federal matching funds for his campaign donations."

Continue reading "Edwards Ends WH Bid But Keeps Anti-Poverty Message Alive"

Posted at 2:05 PM
Posted to: Campaigns, Democrats, John Edwards, WH 2008
Share via

January 29, 2008

McCain Edges Romney In Florida; Giuliani Bowing Out

UPDATED.

John McCain edged out rival Mitt Romney to win the Republican primary in Florida, sealing his comeback status as the front-runner in this race.

"Our victory might not have reached landslide proportions, but it is sweet nonetheless," McCain said, as supporters cheered an increasingly familiar refrain, "Mac is back! Mac is back!"

"To everyone who in good times and bad devoted much time and energy and hope to keeping our candidacy competitive: Thank you from the bottom of my heart," McCain said, in reference to his astonishing revival after being left for dead last summer when his campaign operation imploded.

These numbers will be confirmed tomorrow, but McCain bested Romney by about 36 percent to 31 percent. Rudy Giuliani won 15 percent of the registered-Republicans-only vote, followed by Mike Huckabee 2 points behind. The exit polling data show some surprising alliances. Latinos overwhelmingly went to McCain, even though Romney was up with Spanish-language ads in Florida nearly a year ago. McCain also bested Romney among voters middle-aged and older. The two fared about equally among middle-income voters, with Romney gaining an edge in the $100,000-$199,990 bracket. But McCain won over Republicans earning $200,000 or more, 44 percent to 30 percent.

With Super Tuesday just a week away, McCain heads into that 24-state competition the delegate-count winner, with Romney his chief rival and Huckabee the wild card.

Meanwhile, without actually saying he was dropping out, Giuliani all but drew his campaign to a close in his concession speech tonight. He said he was "proud" of his campaign for keeping things positive -- he never really went after anyone except Romney and Ron Paul -- and nodded to his improbable candidacy and improbable strategy.

Continue reading "McCain Edges Romney In Florida; Giuliani Bowing Out"

Posted at 11:17 PM
Posted to: Barack Obama, Bush Administration, Campaigns, Democrats, Hillary Rodham Clinton, John Edwards, John McCain, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, President Bush, Republicans, Rudy Giuliani, WH 2008
Share via

January 26, 2008

Obama Pulls Off Decisive S.C. Win, Plus One Heck Of A Speech

UPDATED.

When Barack Obama announced his candidacy for the White House in February last year, he knew he was a mere mortal going up against a dragon. Hillary Rodham Clinton and her husband, former President Bill Clinton, comprised the head of the Democratic Party establishment. The race for the nomination was Hillary's for the taking, the chattering classes believed, because the Clinton machine was simply too entrenched, too monied, too formidable.

Tonight, Barack Obama drove a dagger into the heart of that dragon.

In a rousing, to-the-rafters speech reminiscent of a religious revival, the one-term, 46-year-old senator from Illinois delivered a damning indictment of the very thesis of Clinton's candidacy.

"We're looking to fundamentally change the status quo in Washington. We are looking for more than a change in the party in the White House," Obama told a packed auditorium of supporters. "This is a status quo that extends beyond any particular party. We are not going to let them stand in our way any more."

Continue reading "Obama Pulls Off Decisive S.C. Win, Plus One Heck Of A Speech"

Posted at 10:36 PM
Posted to: Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Bush Administration, Campaigns, Democrats, Hillary Rodham Clinton, John Edwards, John McCain, President Bush, Republicans, WH 2008
Share via

Clinton Wins W&L Mock Convention Nod

In a very close electoral battle that wasn't decided until the New York delegation cast the last vote, Washington and Lee students predicted at their centennial mock convention that Hillary Rodham Clinton would be the Democratic Party's 2008 nominee for president.

Having only missed a prediction once since 1948, this year's preview is especially risky because most political analysts are still hesitant to forecast who will win the fight between Clinton and Barack Obama.

In the end, Clinton received 2,117 votes, with Obama in a close second at 1,642. John Edwards received 288 votes, and former Alaska Sen. Mike Gravel got 2 delegates thanks to his native Alaska.

Continue reading "Clinton Wins W&L Mock Convention Nod"

Posted at 1:11 PM
Posted to: Barack Obama, Campaigns, Democrats, Hillary Rodham Clinton, John Edwards, Mike Gravel, WH 2008
Share via

January 25, 2008

WH '08: Everyone's Being So Nice! (For Now.)

Hey, you guys! It's so super to see you! No matter what happens in Florida on Tuesday, let's promise to always be friends. I am so serious!!!

Ahem.

The Republican candidates debate last night was mind-bogglingly polite -- proof that in politics, anything really is possible. Gone were the condescending swipes at Mitt Romney that dominated the previous GOP debate earlier this month. Romney, in kind, held his fire, and so for once we had a forum that was dominated by issues.

We heard some interesting ideas from the candidates on how to jump-start the economy. Mike Huckabee, for instance, made a pretty good point when he said that the rebate checks millions of Americans will receive as part of a congressional stimulus package will likely go to goods made elsewhere, which does nothing to address the dying manufacturing sector here at home.

"And frankly, in talking about the stimulus package, one of the concerns that I have is that we'll probably end up borrowing this $150 billion from the Chinese. And when we get those rebate checks, most people are going to go out and buy stuff that's been imported from China. I have to wonder whose economy is going to be stimulated the most by the package," the former Arkansas governor said.

You won't hear talk like that on the Democratic side, where it's anathema to question the soundness of cutting those checks even though economists doubt they are actually stimulative.

Yesterday's debate also saw the return of the Iraq war as a campaign issue. Romney in particular foreshadowed the general-election argument to come on this topic: "We cannot turn Iraq over to al-Qaida and have al-Qaida have a safe haven from which they could recruit people to carry out bombings, to attack this country and our friends around the world. It's unthinkable. And that's why I will not walk away from Iraq until we have been successful and finish that job."

Where there were policy differences, the candidates managed to lay out their arguments without elbowing the others along the way. We saw what looked to be genuine camaraderie between Romney and Rudy Giuliani on the heels of a New York Times article on why Romney is the most disliked candidate in this field. And speaking of Giuliani, his chuckling and snorting punctuated nearly all the lighter moments of the 90-minute debate. (Where was that Giuliani when he was mayor of New York??)

Continue reading "WH '08: Everyone's Being So Nice! (For Now.)"

Posted at 5:51 PM
Posted to: Barack Obama, Campaigns, Democrats, Hillary Rodham Clinton, John Edwards, John McCain, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Republicans, Rudy Giuliani, WH 2008
Share via

January 19, 2008

Super Saturday I: McCain Wins S.C. Primary In Nail-Biter

UPDATED.

Now you may call it a comeback: John McCain has taken the South Carolina Republican primary.

McCain pulled out a narrow victory over Mike Huckabee, 33 percent to 30 percent. Fred Thompson (16 percent) and Mitt Romney (15 percent) basically tied for third.

"You know, it took us a while, but what's eight years among friends?" McCain quipped in his trademark self-deprecating manner, referencing his South Carolina loss to President Bush in 2000. "As I have said before, I know that before I can win your vote, I must earn your respect. And the only way I know how to do that is by being honest with you. I have tried to do that throughout this campaign, and to put my trust in your willingness to give me your fair consideration. So far, it seems to be working out just fine," he continued, in a room filled with ecstatic volunteers and supporters who minutes before had been chanting "Mac is back! Mac is back!"

McCain also made sure to note -- or gloat, perhaps -- that the chattering classes had declared his campaign DOA just months ago. "I am aware that for the last 28 years, the winner of the South Carolina primary has been the nominee of our party. We have a ways to go, of course," he said. "There are some tough contests ahead, starting tomorrow in the state of Florida. But, my friends, we are well on our way tonight. And I feel very good about our chances."

The outcome in South Carolina tonight is meaningful for at least two big reasons. One is that neither Huckabee nor McCain directly engaged in a negative way in a state infamous for its down-and-dirty politics.

Continue reading "Super Saturday I: McCain Wins S.C. Primary In Nail-Biter"

Posted at 10:05 PM
Posted to: Barack Obama, Campaigns, Democrats, Duncan Hunter, Fred Thompson, Hillary Rodham Clinton, John Edwards, John McCain, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Republicans, Ron Paul, Tom Tancredo, WH 2008
Share via

January 17, 2008

Dissecting Nevada's Caucus Fracas

UPDATED.

U.S. District Judge James Mahan has ruled in favor of the Nevada Democratic Party in a dispute over the use of casinos along the Las Vegas strip as caucus sites in Saturday's presidential nominating contest. The ruling allows voting to be held at the casinos as planned.

Mahan determined that the Democratic Party had a right to set its own rules, and he said he did not want to set a precedent that could impact other caucuses held across the U.S. AP has details.

Today's decision will likely have a profound impact on Saturday's results in what is shaping up to be a very close three-way race among Democrats Hillary Rodham Clinton, John Edwards and Barack Obama (the GOP contenders are largely ignoring Nevada in favor of South Carolina).

Continue reading "Dissecting Nevada's Caucus Fracas"

Posted at 3:00 PM
Posted to: Barack Obama, Campaigns, Democrats, Hillary Rodham Clinton, John Edwards, WH 2008
Share via

January 15, 2008

The Dems In Vegas: Liveblogging The Debate

End note. We've suspected for a while that the media have blown up trivialities in the Democratic nomination contest because the candidates are mostly on board with each other on the major issues. This forum was a case in point.

Have Clinton and Obama really been squabbling over who is the rightful heir to MLK? Of course not. But you might have been led to believe otherwise by the previous days' news cycles, which is why it came up tonight.

Is Obama really struggling to convince voters that he's not a jihadist in disguise? Certainly. Not. The only plausible defense Williams et al. could give for bringing that story up is that it's already out there, and they were simply giving Obama a chance to put the rumors to rest. Again, we say: Anyone willing to believe those rumors hasn't been following Obama hardly at all and probably wouldn't vote for him no matter what. Imagine George Stephanopoulos asking John McCain about his rumored illegitimate black baby. Some things, my friends, should simply be out of bounds.

You're going to hear more about the rocky beginning of this debate tomorrow, I suspect. We'll update with reaction in the afternoon. [I lied; we'll go up with it Thursday.]

By the way, with 89 percent of precincts reporting, it's not even close: Romney trounced McCain 39 percent to 30 percent. Because Romney is a native son, a win in Michigan means much less than a loss would have. Still, he needed a gold, and he'll use his victory tonight to convince GOP voters that he's still in it to win it. See reports on the GOP contest here and here.

Continue reading "The Dems In Vegas: Liveblogging The Debate"

Posted at 11:16 PM
Posted to: Barack Obama, Campaigns, Democrats, Dennis Kucinich, Hillary Rodham Clinton, John Edwards, John McCain, Mike Gravel, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Republicans, WH 2008
Share via

Will Dennis Menace MSNBC's Vegas Debate?

UPDATED.

No, he won't. Keith Olbermann just reported that Nevada's Supreme Court has overruled a lower-court judge in favor of MSNBC's decision to exclude Dennis Kucinich from tonight's debate.

On the merits alone, it looked like the network would have to reinvite Kucinich in order to air the Democratic candidates forum at 9 p.m. EST as scheduled.

The Ohio rep sued parent network NBC earlier for excluding him from the Las Vegas debate. District Court Judge Charles Thompson ruled in Kucinich's favor and told the Peacock Network that he would order an injunction stopping the debate if Kucinich was not included.

NBC appealed Thompson's decision to Nevada's Supreme Court. With less than an hour to go before showtime, the court announced that MSNBC had not breached its contract when it disinvited Kucinich from the debate.

Continue reading "Will Dennis Menace MSNBC's Vegas Debate?"

Posted at 8:13 PM
Posted to: Campaigns, Democrats, Dennis Kucinich, Duncan Hunter, John Edwards, Republicans, Ron Paul, WH 2008
Share via

January 09, 2008

WH '08: Don't (!!!) Call It A Comeback

"Over the last week, I listened to you, and in the process I found my own voice," a relieved and triumphant Hillary Rodham Clinton told a roaring crowd of supporters last night.

Today's campaign news cycle is all about how the media and pundits boo-boo'd so badly, having declared Clinton's campaign DOA heading into the New Hampshire primary and John McCain out for the count for the last six months running. There's a sea of red faces out there but, we contend, for the wrong reason.

Last we checked, journalism was about reporting facts, not predicting them. Some amount of prognostication can be quite useful for contextualizing the news. But when so many talking heads call a close contest well before the first vote tallies come in, what's the point of that, exactly? It seems as if egos, and not the public, are the ones getting served.

Leave it to quirky, independent-minded Granite Staters to tell the rest of the country: Not so fast.

Continue reading "WH '08: Don't (!!!) Call It A Comeback"

Posted at 5:58 PM
Posted to: Barack Obama, Bill Richardson, Bush Administration, Campaigns, Democrats, Fred Thompson, Hillary Rodham Clinton, John Edwards, John McCain, Media, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, President Bush, Republicans, Rudy Giuliani, WH 2008
Share via

Clinton Takes New Hampshire In Stunner; McCain (& Huckabee) Also Triumph

UPDATED WITH FINAL RESULTS.

Hillary Rodham Clinton has pulled out an upset in New Hampshire, where a surprisingly tight battle with Barack Obama upended early predictions that a misguided strategy might doom her bid for the Democratic nomination. The upside for those embarrassed by their premature crystal ball-gazing is that voters across the country have a real menu of options in both parties.

"I come tonight with a very, very full heart," Clinton said to tremendous cheering and applause from supporters. "I want to especially thank New Hampshire. Over the last week, I listened to you, and in the process I found my own voice."

The crowd roared in response. More than anyone else on the 2008 slate of presidential candidates, the question of "how human" she seems dogs the former first lady. When Clinton appeared to be the inevitable nominee just months ago, it was because she had defied expectations in her strong debate performances and favorable responses from voters on the trail. In what was probably a moment of simple, human fatigue (although longtime Clinton-haters will say otherwise), she appeared to choke up during an exchange in a diner yesterday. A media frenzy ensued, and pundits were wondering out loud whether Clinton was too soft to endure the knocks of a presidential campaign.

By a hair (39 percent to 36 percent), Granite State voters voiced their preference for Clinton today, putting on pause the post-Iowa surge Obama appeared to be riding. If you aren't already convinced, Clinton's squeaker may be yet more proof that cable news is often best watched on mute.

Continue reading "Clinton Takes New Hampshire In Stunner; McCain (& Huckabee) Also Triumph"

Posted at 10:35 AM
Posted to: Barack Obama, Campaigns, Democrats, Hillary Rodham Clinton, John Edwards, John McCain, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Republicans, Rudy Giuliani, WH 2008
Share via

January 07, 2008

N.H. Countdown: Of Knuckleheads, Huckaburgers & Crybabies

As much as you might resent the presidential candidates for forcing you to confront the 2008 election so early, it's hard not to feel a little sorry for them. Most are sleep-deprived and anxious just four days after the Iowa caucuses, the results of which forced some candidates to retune their campaign strategies on the run.

This is especially true for Hillary Rodham Clinton, who is locked in a super-tight battle for first in tomorrow's New Hampshire primary, polls released today show. Her decisive loss to Barack Obama in Iowa seemed to send her camp into a tailspin. There are strong hints that if she is humiliated in the Granite State, a personnel shuffle will follow.

A mixture of anxiety, adrenaline and sheer physical exhaustion may explain why we've seen such a range of emotions from Clinton this week. First, she feistily returned fire at rivals Obama and John Edwards at the ABC/Facebook debate on Saturday -- a performance that indicated she wasn't going to take the onslaught of attacks lying down.

An uncharacteristically emotional moment for her today is sucking up most of the oxygen in coverage of New Hampshire. That she seemed to choke up when asked about the hardships of campaigning by a voter raises questions about her gender again. Those questions have distracted the media before, but the Clinton Crying story comes less than 24 hours before Granite Staters go to the polls.

Continue reading "N.H. Countdown: Of Knuckleheads, Huckaburgers & Crybabies"

Posted at 6:35 PM
Posted to: Barack Obama, Campaigns, Democrats, Duncan Hunter, Fred Thompson, Hillary Rodham Clinton, John Edwards, John McCain, Media, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Republicans, Rudy Giuliani, WH 2008
Share via

January 04, 2008

WH '08: A Brusque, But Not Brisk, Farewell To Iowa

We haven't matched the rest of the media's outsized coverage of the Iowa caucuses because of the very nature of the caucuses themselves. But we have to admit that what we saw last night was pretty astonishing, in part because a poll predicting the results actually turned out to be right.

Of course, that could just be a coincidence, but the Des Moines Register appears to have corrected for some of the factors that plagued surveys past. (Though it's still not without its problems, Mark Blumenthal points out.) The David-vs.-Goliath victory of Mike Huckabee (results) flew in the face of conventional wisdom, proving that a virtual unknown with hardly any money to campaign with and virtually no organization could sell himself to voters.

Huck's defeat of Mitt Romney does not, however, mean that the conventional wisdom won't prevail.

If you know anything about how the caucuses work, you know that they are unrepresentative of party voters nationwide and are undemocratic, particularly on the Democratic side (irony, irony), to boot. So of course all the attention now goes to New Hampshire (but not Wyoming, which holds its GOP caucus tomorrow), for the first primary vote of the season. New Hampshire's results will almost certainly be different from Iowa's, so a lot of comparing and contrasting will ensue.

We purposely did not devote a lot of blog space to the caucuses for good reason. But yesterday's surprising results dispelled some long-standing prognostication about the 2008 presidential election. Since dispensing with conventional wisdom can be fun (OK, we're nerds), let's take out the trash after the jump.

Continue reading "WH '08: A Brusque, But Not Brisk, Farewell To Iowa"

Posted at 5:51 PM
Posted to: Barack Obama, Bush Administration, Campaigns, Democrats, Economy, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Iraq, John Edwards, John McCain, Joseph Biden, Middle East, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, President Bush, Republicans, WH 2008
Share via

Obama & Huckabee Win Iowa; Biden & Dodd Exit Race

Last night's Iowa caucuses created two decisive winners in the first-in-the-nation presidential nominating contest and two new casualties in the overall race.

With 100 percent of precincts reporting, Barack Obama pulled ahead of the Democratic pack with 38 percent of the vote, followed by John Edwards in second with 30 percent and Hillary Rodham Clinton close behind at 29 percent.

On the Republican side, Mike Huckabee completed his ascent from relative obscurity just a few months ago to capture first place with 34 percent of the vote, with 96 percent of precincts reporting. Mitt Romney came in second with 25 percent, and Fred Thompson eked out a third-place finish with 13 percent, dispelling (for now) recent rumors that he could soon drop out of the race. John McCain tied Thompson for third, with Ron Paul close behind at 10 percent.

Meanwhile, two other candidates did bid their presidential ambitions adieu last night. Democratic Sens. Joseph Biden and Christopher Dodd announced they were abandoning their bids after the former drew only 1 percent of the vote in Iowa and the latter garnered even less.

If you're all Iowa-ed out, NationalJournal.com's Ronald Brownstein looks ahead to the New Hampshire contest coming up on Tuesday. NationalJournal.com also has the overall results for the Democratic and Republican caucuses, and the Des Moines Register breaks down the results by county. See On Call for more reactions and details from Iowa, and check back with The Gate later today for more analysis.

Posted at 9:25 AM
Posted to: Barack Obama, Campaigns, Christopher Dodd, Democrats, Fred Thompson, Hillary Rodham Clinton, John Edwards, John McCain, Joseph Biden, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Republicans, Ron Paul, WH 2008
Share via

January 03, 2008

Obama Projected To Win Iowa

CNN, NBC and FOX News are calling it for Barack Obama. His margin over John Edwards and Hillary Rodham Clinton is much smaller than Mike Huckabee's over Mitt Romney's, however, so the Edwards and Clinton camps may well declare tonight a sort-of victory, too.

Campaigning in New Hampshire, John McCain declared Huckabee's win "a victory" for positive campaigning -- a dig at Romney. The enemy of his enemy is Huckabee... for now. Romney spent loads of cash in negative ads against McCain and Huck. Does his defeat tonight force his campaign to rethink that strategy? Or, does his loss in Iowa mean the "anything goes" strategy holds?

Again, check with On Call for updates as the night progresses; we'll have full analysis tomorrow.

[UPDATED 9:52] Obama's lead is turning out to be pretty significant, according to the Register's returns.

-JANE ROH

Posted at 9:31 PM
Posted to: Barack Obama, Campaigns, Democrats, Hillary Rodham Clinton, John Edwards, John McCain, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Republicans, WH 2008
Share via

January 02, 2008

Those Fickle Iowans...

MOUNT PLEASANT, Iowa -- A woman who famously switched from volunteering for Hillary Rodham Clinton to Barack Obama has changed her mind again.

Susan Klopfer was volunteering for Clinton until, she estimates, November. She worked hard as a volunteer but resented the advance staff that was brought in to take charge of the events. As the next-door neighbor of Clinton backer and former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack, Klopfer (a recent transplant from Nevada and, therefore, a first-time caucus-goer) had a bit higher profile than most Iowans. When she switched, the Obama campaign made a video that got lots of play -- not only on YouTube, but also on cable news programs.

"It got more hits than Paris Hilton and Britney Spears. It got the all-time highest over that weekend," she said of the video's YouTube hits. The video was so potent that the Clinton campaign made a response video with its own former Obama supporters.

Yet when Klopfer showed up at a John Edwards house party this morning, it was because she was on the verge of switching again.

Continue reading "Those Fickle Iowans..."

Posted at 12:32 PM
Posted to: Barack Obama, Bill Richardson, Campaigns, Democrats, Hillary Rodham Clinton, John Edwards, WH 2008
Share via

December 13, 2007

Liveblogging The Final Dem Debate Of 2007!

4:10. All over, no more debates until next year, hurray!

Up until a couple of months ago, there seemed to be a critical mass of Democratic support building behind Clinton, in part because of her metamorphosis into a suddenly "human" and likable politician and the assumption that the Clinton machine could best take on the Republican nominee next year. The political press carried on that change vs. experience debate all summer and into the early fall.

But now the nomination fight has been upended, and polls [PDF] show (subscription) that Obama and Edwards are viable in general election matchups, too. That eliminates for some voters their primary thesis for supporting Clinton, and it's why she's been struggling to stay afloat this month.

Most of us can look forward to relaxing with family in a week or so, but for the presidential contenders and Iowans it's closing arguments time. One thought to keep in mind: Part of the shifting around in this field and in the GOP as well is that the Iraq war has largely dropped out of the debate. Iraq no longer dominates the front page because of the decrease in violence and because of the campaigns. That changes in March at the latest, when Gen. David Petraeus is due back in Washington to report on the ground situation. We know the military part of the surge is working, but we are not much farther than we were in September on political reconciliation. The "what's next?" question is still hanging out there, unanswered. The GOP front-runners have more or less indicated loyalty to the Bush administration's policies, so answers will have to come from the Democratic field.

Early reactions: boring, boring, nice, snark.

Continue reading "Liveblogging The Final Dem Debate Of 2007!"

Posted at 4:10 PM
Posted to: Barack Obama, Bill Richardson, Campaigns, Christopher Dodd, Democrats, Economy, Education, Health, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Iraq, John Edwards, Joseph Biden, Middle East, Republicans, Taxes, Trade, WH 2008
Share via

December 04, 2007

NPR Debate: The Gloves Come... On

UPDATED.

As we had hoped, this afternoon's Democratic debate in Des Moines sponsored by NPR and Iowa Public Radio left little room for petty politics and applause lines (largely because there was no live audience) and brought the conversation back to the issues. Three main issues, to be exact: Iran, China and immigration.

Debate moderators Steve Inskeep, Michele Norris and Robert Siegel said they chose to narrow their questions to those three broad topic areas in order to dig deeper into the candidates' positions and allow more time for follow-up. The heavy focus on foreign policy and immigration largely left out the talking points that Democrats have focused on throughout this year of campaigning: Iraq, climate change, health care and economic burdens on the middle class (although at the end they candidates were given time to discuss what they'd do to improve the economy over the four years of their first term).

Instead of standing at podiums, the seven candidates were seated at a V-shaped table. (Bill Richardson was attending the funeral for a Korean War soldier whose remains he helped repatriate back to the U.S. earlier this year.)

The format largely had the intended effect: The candidates were civil, the discussions were substantive (for the most part) and the moderators did their best to coax straightforward answers from the candidates. And maybe it's just us, but there's something about the radio format that made everyone (well, almost everyone) sound more presidential. Here are some of the highlights:

Continue reading "NPR Debate: The Gloves Come... On"

Posted at 6:25 PM
Posted to: Barack Obama, Bill Richardson, Campaigns, Christopher Dodd, Democrats, Dennis Kucinich, Hillary Rodham Clinton, John Edwards, Joseph Biden, Mike Gravel, WH 2008
Share via

November 29, 2007

Republican Debate Postmortem: A Bad Night For CNN

CNN's sorry, so very sorry, for the Clinton plant at last night's debate.

"We regret this, and apologize to the Republican candidates. We never would have used the General's question had we known that he was connected to any presidential candidate," said CNN exec David Bohrman.

"The Most Trusted Name In News" protests that it checked out retired Brig. Gen. Keith Kerr, the gay serviceman who asked the Republican candidates about "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," to make sure he had not contributed to any of the candidates. But if CNN's producers had just, say, Googled the guy, they would have found that he is a member of Hillary Rodham Clinton's LGBT steering committee. Bloggers did, and they were alerting the media about it before the debate was over.

Let's assume that CNN tried its level best to ensure a fair and balanced debate for the Republicans. The network's defense of how it not only let the Kerr question through without full disclosure but gave him five minutes on the floor for follow-up rings pretty weak because of the swiftness and ease with which bloggers found him out. As I noted in my liveblog coverage yesterday, conservatives were already dubious about whether they would be treated fairly at last night's forum, and afterward, a few prominent bloggers agreed they were not.

What it comes down to is this: The debate last night was first and foremost about Republican primary voters, not the general electorate. The reasonable thing to have done was make sure there were plenty of questions being asked by Republicans on issues of primary concern to Republicans. Those illegal immigration questions were a good start, but the evening took several bizarre turns as the night went on. Since the debate ended, conservative bloggers have found out the following:

Continue reading "Republican Debate Postmortem: A Bad Night For CNN"

Posted at 5:58 PM
Posted to: Bill Richardson, Campaigns, Democrats, Hillary Rodham Clinton, John Edwards, Media, Republicans, Ron Paul, WH 2008
Share via

November 16, 2007

The Dems In Vegas: Nothing To Lose...

... and little gained. Barack Obama and John Edwards continued to pepper front-runner Hillary Rodham Clinton with pointed attacks -- and seemed to have shot themselves up a bit instead. By dint of steely preparation Clinton swiftly crushed the immigration ID debate with a simple "no" and hit the gender card question out of the park.

"I'm just trying to play the winning card," Clinton said to tremendous applause. "People are not attacking me because I'm a woman, they're attacking me because I'm ahead."

Ker-pow. Not only is that almost certainly correct, but it's also a great talking point. In a remarkable contrast to her would-be Republican rivals, Clinton has powered through the media's sometimes great mistrust of her to what increasingly resembles a bulletproof lead. This is not a case of base-wide amnesia; the Democratic left's concerns about Fortress Clinton are still quite real. But those voters seem to have decided that there are bigger issues to worry about this election.

Highlights, lowlights and frosted tips (stay with us) after the jump.

Continue reading "The Dems In Vegas: Nothing To Lose..."

Posted at 8:50 AM
Posted to: Barack Obama, Bill Richardson, Bush Administration, Campaigns, Democrats, Hillary Rodham Clinton, John Edwards, Joseph Biden, President Bush, WH 2008
Share via

November 15, 2007

WH '08: They're After You For A Reason. No... Not That Reason.

Within the first 15 minutes of tonight's Democratic presidential candidates debate in Las Vegas, expect Hillary Rodham Clinton to make a self-deprecating joke about her last debate performance and then try to move on. Will her rivals let her? Fat chance.

Two weeks ago, Clinton's uncomfortable equivocations on drivers licenses for illegal immigrants and on her husband Bill's White House records reminded Democrats of what they like least about her: that she sometimes appears to be a politically savvy cyborg. Clinton's nearest rivals, Barack Obama and John Edwards, aren't very near at all, according to polls. As expected, Obama and Edwards went after Clinton pointedly in Philadelphia. They are expected to go after her even harder tonight.

While Clinton's numbers slipped a bit by some measures since the MSNBC forum in Philly, she still appears to be Democratic primary voters' candidate of choice to go against a Republican next year. That last part is key. Recent history indicates that voters no longer believe they have the luxury of being swept off their feet by a candidate. Funny that the last time this appears to have happened for Democrats was when Bill Clinton was the nominee...

If all this is somehow hurting Hillary Clinton's feelings, she isn't showing it. Mark Penn, her top strategist, had this message for Democrats today: Suck it up, and keep your eye on the ball.

Continue reading "WH '08: They're After You For A Reason. No... Not That Reason."

Posted at 5:45 PM
Posted to: Barack Obama, Campaigns, Democrats, Hillary Rodham Clinton, John Edwards, WH 2008
Share via

November 09, 2007

WH '08: Don't Quit Your Day Jobs! No, Seriously. Don't.

Many of the candidates for president say that the campaign finance system is in urgent need of repair, yet they are shelving the issue precisely because of said system. As a result, we've got the longest, most expensive and most annoying presidential election maybe ever.

Meanwhile, here inside the Beltway, Congress is still mostly deadlocked on such pressing concerns as the war and health care for disadvantaged children. Hence, disapproval ratings that have managed to exceed those of the pariah in chief, President Bush.

Coincidence?

An astonishing number of sitting lawmakers -- nine as of today -- are crisscrossing the country in their bids for the White House. They certainly can't make every roll call or floor debate, not when there are babies to manhandle, cows made out of butter to admire and Hooters girls to embrace. (Lord knows what's going on here.)

Might all this playing hooky in order to chase a dream that for some is very (very, very) distant explain why Congress doesn't seem to be accomplishing very much?

Continue reading "WH '08: Don't Quit Your Day Jobs! No, Seriously. Don't."

Posted at 1:09 PM
Posted to: Barack Obama, Campaigns, Christopher Dodd, Congress, Democrats, Hillary Rodham Clinton, John Edwards, John McCain, Joseph Biden, Republicans, Senate, WH 2008
Share via

November 01, 2007

State-By-State Endorsements Work For Edwards

When the Service Employees International Union announced that it wouldn't endorse a candidate on the national level this year, it seemed like bad news for John Edwards, who's widely considered organized labor's best friend among the Democratic contenders. But it turned out to be just the opposite: Instead of a single big endorsement that faded from the news in a day or two, the state-level nods Edwards is collecting one by one are keeping the story alive and, his campaign hopes, at the front of voters' minds.

NBC News/National Journal embedded reporter Tricia Miller reports on the SEIU endorsements' impact on the Edwards campaign. Hotline On Call and Atlantic's Marc Ambinder have more on Barack Obama and the New Hampshire union's endorsement process.

Photo: Edwards campaign

Posted at 1:35 PM
Posted to: Campaigns, Democrats, John Edwards, WH 2008
Share via

October 31, 2007

WH '08: Clinton Gets Hazing In Philly Debate

It was ugly, all right. And we're not just talking about the city.

The Democratic presidential candidates chasing Hillary Rodham Clinton sought last night [video] to portray the front-runner as George W. Bush with a better health plan. Did they succeed? And does it matter?

We ask the second question because of how close we are to the primaries and because of how gaping the Big Mo gap's become. Clinton tops second-place Barack Obama by 14 percent and 28 percent per Zogby and CBS News, respectively. Though everyone on stage at Drexel University might come to regret it later in the general election, last night seemed as good a time as any to air out the family business.

By that we mean the internal conversation Democrats have been engaged in practically since Clinton announced she was running for the Senate, a move widely viewed as a springboard to this moment. To the amazement of quite a few old political hands, the former first lady has managed to overcome many of her negatives. In the latest survey, CBS respondents gave her the highest favorability rating among the candidates.

So last night, as expected, Clinton was attacked more pointedly and with more aggression than we've seen in this field. Did anyone manage to land a punch? Yep. Is Clinton down for the count? Nope. Are we going to ride the "Rocky" metaphors for the duration of this post? You bet.

Takeaways from the Dilly in Philly after the jump.

Continue reading "WH '08: Clinton Gets Hazing In Philly Debate"

Posted at 1:49 PM
Posted to: Barack Obama, Bill Richardson, Bush Administration, Campaigns, Christopher Dodd, Democrats, Hillary Rodham Clinton, John Edwards, Joseph Biden, President Bush, Republicans, Rudy Giuliani, WH 2008
Share via

October 30, 2007

Yo, Hillary! Field Hopes For Front-Runner KO Tonight

Seven of the Democratic presidential contenders descend tonight on America's least-attractive metropolis for what promises to be the ugliest debate of the season.

Both Barack Obama and John Edwards are scrambling to slam the brakes on Hillary Rodham Clinton's runaway lead. With the Iowa caucuses about two months away, double-digit spreads are forcing the rest of the pack to be more forceful and, dare we say, meaner than they've been so far.

The M-word might be unfair, but it's inevitable because of Clinton's gender. Everyone wants to avoid a Rick Lazio moment, in which they attempt to treat her as they would a male candidate and end up coming off as ungentlemanly.

On the other hand, Clinton isn't just any woman. She's in the lead because she's been exuding forcefulness and strength throughout her campaign -- a breakdown in most polls shows she scores highest on national security issues, not personality. It also doesn't hurt that a large swath of the Democratic left is waving the white flag as they signal their support for the former first lady. So Obama, Edwards and the rest -- Christopher Dodd, Joseph Biden, Bill Richardson and Dennis Kucinich -- will take time to remind primary voters of Clinton's many apparent weaknesses.

Continue reading "Yo, Hillary! Field Hopes For Front-Runner KO Tonight"

Posted at 6:45 PM
Posted to: Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Bill Richardson, Bush Administration, Campaigns, Christopher Dodd, Democrats, Dennis Kucinich, Hillary Rodham Clinton, John Edwards, Joseph Biden, Michael Mukasey, Mike Gravel, WH 2008
Share via

October 16, 2007

McCain Reports More Money Woes In 3Q

The third-quarter money race is coming into focus this week, as yesterday marked the deadline for candidates to file their official fundraising reports with the Federal Election Commission. The national front-runners on both sides of the aisle -- Hillary Rodham Clinton and Rudy Giuliani -- pulled ahead of their closest rivals in the money race, adding fuel to their growing leads and fresh hurdles for Barack Obama and Mitt Romney, who have been stagnating in the polls.

But for at least one candidate, the correspondence between campaign momentum and cash flow isn't quite as clear-cut.

Arizona Sen. John McCain, who has experienced something of a renaissance on the trail after a dismal second-quarter showing and a major campaign shakeup, is reporting $3.4 million cash on hand, $1.8 million of which is set aside for the general election. Factoring in his $1.7 million in reported debt, Marc Ambinder helpfully does the math: "That means that McCain's campaign has no cash on hand -- in fact, even with the general election money factored in, it owes about $94,000. It is, in other words, bankrupt."

Continue reading "McCain Reports More Money Woes In 3Q"

Posted at 3:21 PM
Posted to: Barack Obama, Campaigns, Democrats, Hillary Rodham Clinton, John Edwards, John McCain, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Republicans, Ron Paul, Rudy Giuliani, WH 2008
Share via

October 12, 2007

Hey Democrats -- Remember When You Liked Hillary Clinton?

Is it 1996 again? Al Gore's going to run in the next presidential election, and Democrats like Hillary Rodham Clinton!

Reality check: Gore is probably not going to enter the 2008 presidential contest, despite what a group of speculationists would have you believe. As for Clinton, she's surged ahead of her rivals in Iowa and New Hampshire, where primary victories would all but clinch the nomination for the former first lady. Her negatives are still high, indicating she's the front-runner because of the perception she's best equipped to beat the eventual Republican nominee.

"It's not as cut-and-dry as, I used to hate her but now I love her," liberal advocate Fred Gooltz told the New York Observer recently. "It's a complicated mix of feelings."

Continue reading "Hey Democrats -- Remember When You Liked Hillary Clinton?"

Posted at 12:45 PM
Posted to: Barack Obama, Campaigns, Democrats, Hillary Rodham Clinton, John Edwards, WH 2008
Share via

October 02, 2007

Clinton & The Democrats Lead In Third-Quarter Fundraising

As if further proof was needed, the third-quarter fundraising totals trickling out of the top presidential campaigns this week are demonstrating that in the 2008 White House race, the Democrats have the almighty dollar on their side.

And despite breathless media reports crowning Barack Obama the king of the third quarter yesterday, Democratic front-runner Hillary Rodham Clinton's campaign reports this morning that she raised $27 million ($22 million for the primary) in the past three months -- $7 million more than her closest rival. Looks like Democrats are going to have an even harder time combating Clinton's image as the inevitable nominee.

Continue reading "Clinton & The Democrats Lead In Third-Quarter Fundraising"

Posted at 10:40 AM
Posted to: Barack Obama, Bill Richardson, Campaigns, Democrats, Fred Thompson, Hillary Rodham Clinton, John Edwards, John McCain, Mitt Romney, Republicans, Rudy Giuliani, WH 2008
Share via

September 27, 2007

Edwards Opts In For Public Financing

The Democrats' perpetual No. 3, former Sen. John Edwards, put a little oomph into his campaign this afternoon when he announced that he would accept federal matching funds for the primaries -- and the limitations that go with them.

An Edwards campaign adviser told The Atlantic's Marc Ambinder that the influx of cash means three big players will go into the primaries: "Before we did this, there were only two campaigns [Barack Obama's and Hillary Rodham Clinton's] who thought they'd be around before the primaries with about $20M or $30M on hand. Now, we're going to be right there with them. We're going to have between $18M and $21M on hand now. That'll give us a huge boost."

After a town hall forum in Conway, N.H., last night, Edwards defended his choice to ask for public financing this far into the campaign, saying he wasn't concerned about state campaign finance limits.

"One thing that's clear is that we have plenty of money to compete," he said.

Ambinder has more on the pros and cons of Edwards' decision, as well as the official statement from his campaign that challenges Clinton to follow his lead.

Posted at 6:25 PM
Posted to: Campaigns, Democrats, John Edwards, WH 2008
Share via

September 06, 2007

BREAKING: Dodd Won't Take Money From Criminals

This just in: Democratic presidential candidate Christopher Dodd has made it his campaign's policy not to accept money "raised, solicited, or delivered by fugitives from justice."

That bold and principled stand was announced in a press release earlier this afternoon -- just one day after a judge in California issued an arrest warrant for Hong Kong businessman (and Clinton campaign donor) Norman Hsu when he failed to show up in court.

Coincidence? Of course not.

Continue reading "BREAKING: Dodd Won't Take Money From Criminals"

Posted at 2:15 PM
Posted to: Barack Obama, Campaigns, Christopher Dodd, Crime, Democrats, Hillary Rodham Clinton, John Edwards, WH 2008
Share via

August 21, 2007

Market Crisis: In Bernanke We Trust?

To state the obvious, it's no fun being a new homeowner or investor these days. Today's news that foreclosures are up 93 percent from a year ago says it all. So where do we go from here?

Expect the issue to be harped on -- and distorted -- on the campaign trail. As CNBC's Bob Pisani observes, more than half of the foreclosures are in states that are packed with votes (California, Florida, Michigan, Ohio) and/or are emerging battlegrounds (Nevada, which leads the country with one foreclosure for every 199 households).

Democratic candidates including Christopher Dodd and John Edwards play right into critics' hands when they suggest the federal government throw money at the problem. The few recent polls on the subprime lending meltdown indicate Americans hold lenders and borrowers responsible for the default crisis.

Continue reading "Market Crisis: In Bernanke We Trust?"

Posted at 12:11 PM
Posted to: Campaigns, Christopher Dodd, Congress, Democrats, Economy, John Edwards, WH 2008
Share via

August 20, 2007

The Dems' Iowa Debate: Knocking Obama, Stuck On The War

"Let's pick on the new kid!"

Such went the kickoff of yesterday's Democratic debate in Iowa. ABC News' George Stephanopoulos didn't mince words, in a repeat of his fine performance as GOP debate moderator two weeks ago. First question: Is Barack Obama ready to be president?

A good question to ask on behalf of those who've watched Obama's political evolution and are beginning to wonder if his candidacy isn't all just heat and light.

Hillary Rodham Clinton, who can be held responsible for planting doubts in the ether about Obama's readiness, opted to stay above the fray and sidestep the topic. Saying she would comment only on her own qualifications, she added, "So I think we have a great group of candidates. You don't have to be against anybody. This is a great problem to have."

Ice cream and puppies for everyone!

Continue reading "The Dems' Iowa Debate: Knocking Obama, Stuck On The War"

Posted at 5:20 PM
Posted to: Barack Obama, Bill Richardson, Bush Administration, Campaigns, Democrats, Hillary Rodham Clinton, John Edwards, Joseph Biden, President Bush, Republicans, WH 2008
Share via

August 17, 2007

ICYMI: Frank Luntz Gets Down

The dearth of journalists of color in the media might be bothersome to some, but Larry Wilmore from "The Daily Show" almost makes up for it. In a segment on journalists' fascination with Barack Obama's blackness and whether America is "ready" for it, Wilmore says, "It's a good question that's for some reason mainly asked by white newscasters."

Burn.
The underlying premise being, of course, that the "black enough" question is about as insulting as Joseph Biden's ham-handed attempt to praise his Democratic rival as "the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy."

But GOP strategist Frank Luntz says the "black enough" question belies some advice for Obama: Blacken it up.

Continue reading "ICYMI: Frank Luntz Gets Down"

Posted at 4:25 PM
Posted to: Barack Obama, Campaigns, Democrats, Hillary Rodham Clinton, John Edwards, WH 2008
Share via

August 10, 2007

Queer Eyes On The Candidate Guys

The gay vote will be reliably Democratic for the foreseeable future, but the LGBT community has a real beef with the party: the M word.

That's marriage, of course. Most of the Democratic leadership and all the 2008 presidential front-runners essentially back marriage rights for gays but without the "marriage" part. During last night's Human Rights Campaign/Logo forum, Barack Obama (perhaps unknowingly) summed up that contradiction succinctly. "You know, semantics may be important to some," he said. "From my perspective, what I'm interested in is making sure that those legal rights are available to people."

The question was whether his backing of civil unions but not marriage for gays was tantamount to a separate-but-equal policy. Gay marriage-backers have a point in that criticism, and Obama's response wasn't much of an answer.

Continue reading "Queer Eyes On The Candidate Guys"

Posted at 12:51 PM
Posted to: Barack Obama, Bill Richardson, Christopher Dodd, Democrats, Dennis Kucinich, Gay Rights, Hillary Rodham Clinton, John Edwards, Joseph Biden, Mike Gravel, Republicans, WH 2008
Share via

August 08, 2007

A Stumble For Edwards; Plus: Gravel Returns!

We paid only cursory attention to last night's AFL-CIO debate in Chicago because the pander factor tends to skyrocket during niche forums. But that doesn't mean this meeting, or tomorrow's before a gay issues-oriented crowd, isn't significant. Here are a few takeaway moments that may portend where this race is heading.

Does he really feel your pain? Former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards has been working the union vote practically ever since his bid for the vice presidency came up short in 2004. Ahead of the forum, campaign reporters were describing the debate as Edwards' chance to shine. Well, he didn't.

Continue reading "A Stumble For Edwards; Plus: Gravel Returns!"

Posted at 5:50 PM
Posted to: Barack Obama, Campaigns, Christopher Dodd, Democrats, Dennis Kucinich, Hillary Rodham Clinton, John Edwards, Joseph Biden, Mike Gravel, WH 2008
Share via

July 27, 2007

We Want A GOP YouTube Debate!

The Gate tries very hard to not cross the "advocacy" line, but some recent (un)developments have forced us to take a stand.

We want a Republican YouTube debate.

No, the format of Monday's Democratic forum wasn't "revolutionary," as CNN would have you believe, but it was both informative and entertaining. The kids need a little cheese sauce with their broccoli sometimes, and we bet that the YouTube format had them more engaged than in any of the previous face-offs.

So listen, Sam Brownback, Rudy Giuliani, Mike Huckabee, Duncan Hunter, Mitt Romney and Tom Tancredo: Sign on to the Sept. 17 CNN/YouTube debate, already.

We get that campaign time is an increasingly precious commodity. Republicans, not to mention the rest of the country, aren't really hot on any of you right now. But how could taking occasionally quirky questions from real-live Americans hurt? If anything, you get a platform on which to let your good humor and personality shine. We urge you to seize this opportunity.

Note that it's a group of Republicans who are circulating a petition asking you to reconsider. Conservatives ridiculed Hillary Rodham Clinton and John Edwards for skipping the planned FOX News Democratic debate. Gentleman, do not cut and run from this chance to show Americans a) that you are running for president (a lot of them don't know this yet) and b) that you are not afraid of the occasional curveball. Please follow Tommy Thompson's lead and show us you're not scared of a talking snowman.

The Gate isn't signing any petitions for obvious reasons, but we encourage our readers to send this along: http://www.savethedebate.com/.

-JANE ROH

Graphic: Reuben Dalke

Posted at 4:55 PM
Posted to: Campaigns, Democrats, Duncan Hunter, Hillary Rodham Clinton, John Edwards, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Republicans, Rudy Giuliani, Sam Brownback, Tom Tancredo, Tommy Thompson, WH 2008
Share via

July 24, 2007

The CNN-YouTube Debate: What About Edwards?

We didn't give John Edwards very much ink last night (8 candidates vs. 1 blogger = no fair), but quite a few other political commentators were impressed by the former VP nominee. The Politico's Roger Simon was wowed by Edwards' fiery People vs. The Powerful responses, and named him the winner.

"Edwards needs to project strength, and he is on the road to doing that," Simon concludes.

The veteran journo did "deduct 3.5 points" over Edwards' "dumb" attack on Hillary Rodham Clinton's suit, saying it appeared "sexist and cheap."

Edwards did give forceful responses, particularly on his pet issue of poverty. He's been through the primary meat grinder before, and it shows. But thanks to their disgust with President Bush, Democratic voters (and the independents who now stand with them) seem to be looking beyond the primaries. Edwards' third-place slot means he doesn't have the luxury of taking aim at his possible general-election opponent, as Clinton and Rudy Giuliani do.

Still, he appears to be gaining ground in Iowa, and has a decent amount of cash to work with. He's in nowhere near as much trouble as his GOP third-place counterpart, John McCain. That's reason for the former North Carolina senator to hope.

Continue reading "The CNN-YouTube Debate: What About Edwards?"

Posted at 7:00 PM
Posted to: Barack Obama, Campaigns, Democrats, Hillary Rodham Clinton, John Edwards, Joseph Biden, WH 2008
Share via

'Obama Guy' Isn't Necessarily Sold On Namesake Candidate

Also at the CNN-YouTube debate, in case anyone was wondering, was Obama Girl, aka actress/model Amber Lee Ettinger, whose lip-synced ode to Barack Obama has been viewed 2.5 million times and counting. For that reason, organizers invited her to the debate, giving the audience something other than their possible future president to gawk at.

Ben Relles, the man behind Obama Girl, accompanied his creation to South Carolina. Relles is a registered Democrat who's not necessarily an Obama Guy -- he's still weighing his vote.

Continue reading "'Obama Guy' Isn't Necessarily Sold On Namesake Candidate"

Posted at 6:50 PM
Posted to: Barack Obama, Campaigns, Democrats, Hillary Rodham Clinton, John Edwards, Mitt Romney, Republicans, Ron Paul, WH 2008
Share via

July 23, 2007

Liveblogging The Democratic Debate: Clinton, Biden Come Out On Top

End note. Overall, a pretty fun evening, insofar as debates this early in the cycle can be fun. We already know that the front-runners are not happy with the debate lineups, but a certain senator from New York would be wise not to look a gift horse in the mouth.

She has come out looking surefooted at every meet-up so far, and that has to help answer all those woman-Bill-Iraq-vote clouds that hang over her head. Obama, meanwhile, was shakier this evening.

Democrats are learning to their frustration that control of Congress isn't enough. Not only do they need a more substantial majority in the Senate, but they need to not have a veto-wielding president standing in their way. In short, Democrats are out to win next year, and a made-for-TV bio and bucketloads of charm may just not cut it in '08.

The surprise of the evening was Biden, who has the resume but lacks the name recognition (and cash) to make headway in this contest. He delivered some of the more memorable lines of the night and, as his camp frequently and loudly points out, has the only detailed exit plan from Iraq. The Kuciniches and Cindy Sheehans of the nation will never accede to this, but the reality of the situation in Iraq is there is no good way to leave, just less bad ones. Both Clinton and Biden took pains to explain that tonight; we'll see if it starts sinking in with the MoveOn segment of the base.

No gaffes, no Ron Paul moments. The best thing the Democrats have going for them is unity on Iraq (more or less), President Bush, and being on the right side of voters on domestic issues. The worst thing they have going for them is probably history. We'll see how the Republicans fare in this format on Sept. 17 -- by which time everyone's political fortunes could be reversed depending on the highly anticipated U.S. report on progress in Iraq, due Sept. 15.

Continue reading "Liveblogging The Democratic Debate: Clinton, Biden Come Out On Top"

Posted at 10:16 PM
Posted to: Barack Obama, Bill Richardson, Campaigns, Christopher Dodd, Democrats, Dennis Kucinich, Hillary Rodham Clinton, John Edwards, Joseph Biden, Mike Gravel, Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, Republicans
Share via

Democratic Debate Preview: Confronting The YouTube Generation

How are you gonna fix Social Security?

How will you make health care available to all?

Can I be your intern?

These are just a few of the questions Americans have posed to the Democratic presidential candidates in tonight's CNN/YouTube debate, which The Gate will be liveblogging.

In some ways, tonight's format, in which candidates must answer 30-second-long video questions selected by CNN, is a natural fit for this slate. The YouTube generation tends to skew young and anti-Bush -- so much so that unhappy conservatives have started a rival site.

There's an argument to be made that the 2008 presidential race is the Democrats' to lose. But none of the candidates -- and that includes you, Senator Clinton -- should expect a free ride to the White House. The answer to that riddle lies on Capitol Hill.

Continue reading "Democratic Debate Preview: Confronting The YouTube Generation"

Posted at 5:14 PM
Posted to: Barack Obama, Bill Richardson, Campaigns, Christopher Dodd, Democrats, Hillary Rodham Clinton, John Edwards, Joseph Biden, WH 2008
Share via

July 20, 2007

Pentagon Slap A Boost For Clinton

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton seems to be getting some anti-war street cred on the left, with a little help from the Pentagon's No. 2.

Clinton is ratcheting up a spat with Undersecretary of Defense Eric Edelman by going to his boss, Robert Gates. Yesterday, AP reported on a letter Edelman sent the senator in response to a letter she had sent him about the Iraq war. News organizations and bloggers (including this one) went to town on Edelman's insinuation that asking the Pentagon to begin planning for a withdrawal scenario was akin to aiding the enemy.

Read in full, however, the letter is hardly the spanking AP made it out to be. At the same time, the "embolden the enemy" argument is there, so it's not completely innocuous, either. (TPM has a copy of Edelman's letter.)

Continue reading "Pentagon Slap A Boost For Clinton"

Posted at 1:46 PM
Posted to: Barack Obama, Bush Administration, Campaigns, Democrats, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Iraq, John Edwards, Media, Middle East, President Bush, Robert Gates, WH 2008
Share via

June 29, 2007

Democrats Angle For Minority Support At Howard Forum

Though it's a safe bet that black and Latino voters will stick with the Democratic Party in 2008, there is a strong sentiment that the mostly white leadership has taken their support for granted -- a feeling the Rev. Al Sharpton capitalized on in his short-lived 2004 bid. And with post-Katrina dialogue on race and poverty largely disappeared from headlines, it's little wonder many voters of color feel their concerns are still being ignored.

Which makes yesterday's PBS-sponsored candidates forum such a significant event, no matter how debate-fatigued one might be at this point in the cycle. The debate was moderated by black and Latino journalists, and the audience, at Washington, D.C.'s Howard University, was largely black. The candidates were pressed on issues near and dear to minority communities, and will undoubtedly be held to their pledges should any one of them be voted into the White House.

Continue reading "Democrats Angle For Minority Support At Howard Forum"

Posted at 2:27 PM
Posted to: Barack Obama, Campaigns, Democrats, Hillary Rodham Clinton, John Edwards, WH 2008
Share via

June 28, 2007

Supreme Court Rules Against School Desegregation Policies

UPDATED.

The modern-day Supreme Court has a tendency to save its touchiest cases for the end of the term, and that was certainly true today. In what was surely a coincidence on the justices' part, this morning's 5-4 decision [PDF] against two school districts' desegregation programs was handed down hours before PBS hosts the first 2008 presidential candidate forum that will focus on race-related issues.

Luckily for the Republican hopefuls, they will be spared having to defend the "right-wing judicial activists" who "turned Brown v. Board of Education on its head" during tonight's event at Howard University. Those criticisms of today's ruling are from Democratic candidate John Edwards, who was joined in the race to release a statement condemning the decision by first-tier rivals Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama.

Continue reading "Supreme Court Rules Against School Desegregation Policies"

Posted at 6:02 PM
Posted to: Campaigns, Constitution, Democrats, Hillary Rodham Clinton, John Edwards, Race, Supreme Court, WH 2008
Share via

June 20, 2007

Take Back America: Obama Wins Straw Poll

With 29 percent of the 737 votes cast, Barack Obama won the Politico's straw poll at the progressive Take Back America conference this afternoon. Results were revealed right after 3 p.m.

John Edwards placed second with 26 percent of the vote, followed by Hillary Rodham Clinton with 17 percent. When the first and second choices were taken together, Obama also led with nearly 60 percent, followed by Edwards with 54 percent, and Clinton with 33 percent.

Greenberg Quinlan Rosner (D) pollster Stan Greenberg revealed the results with the Politico's John Harris. Greenberg said that the straw poll's real contest was between Edwards and Obama for the progressive activist vote. (That could explain Clinton's third-place finish -- the activist, progressive audience is not as receptive to the New York senator as the whole Democratic base might be.)

Continue reading "Take Back America: Obama Wins Straw Poll"

Posted at 4:49 PM
Posted to: Barack Obama, Campaigns, Democrats, Hillary Rodham Clinton, John Edwards, WH 2008
Share via

June 19, 2007

Take Back America: The Kennedy Contest

Today was a real zoo at Campaign for America's Future's fifth Take Back America conference. No wonder: Barack Obama and John Edwards delivered back-to-back speeches before the activist-heavy crowd.

The Democratic presidential race's two youngest hopefuls struck many of the same chords, two of which are the major messages touted by conference leaders: grassroots activity and the moral side of the issues facing the country.

Although both candidates stumped naturally on the overarching themes of their campaigns, it was all they could do not to utter former President John F. Kennedy's infamous inaugural address line, "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country." (Earlier in the day, MSNBC's Chris Matthews compared Obama to Bobby Kennedy during AFSCME's presidential forum. In Edwards' TBA speech, the candidate told the audience that he grew up watching the 1968 presidential hopeful.)

Continue reading "Take Back America: The Kennedy Contest"

Posted at 3:03 PM
Posted to: Barack Obama, Campaigns, Democrats, John Edwards, Labor, WH 2008
Share via

June 05, 2007

Finding Their Religion

Democrats want voters to know that Republicans don't have a monopoly on religion, so the Christian group Sojourners partnered with CNN to give the party's top-tier presidential candidates a chance to burnish their faith-based credentials.

CNN's Soledad O'Brien moderated the hour-long forum featuring front-runners John Edwards, Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton, in that order, at George Washington University's Lisner Auditorium yesterday evening. Each candidate was given 15 minutes to respond to a series of questions from O'Brien and a panel of religious figures sitting in the audience. Edwards made it all the way down the panel, while Obama was only able to field one.

When Edwards took the stage, O'Brien intimated that he might just "own" the crowd -- perhaps because in addition to faith and values, poverty was a central topic of conversation. Not surprisingly, the candidate called as much attention as he could to his background on the issue.

Continue reading "Finding Their Religion"

Posted at 10:17 AM
Posted to: Barack Obama, Campaigns, Democrats, Hillary Rodham Clinton, John Edwards, WH 2008
Share via

June 04, 2007

Talking Tough On Iraq In New Hampshire

Iraq was the prevailing issue in Sunday night's Democratic debate at St. Anselm College in New Hampshire, the second among Democratic presidential hopefuls so far this cycle.

In the otherwise tame debate, tension mounted when former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards sought to distinguish himself as the most vocal opponent of the Iraq war. Initially trying not to name names, Edwards scolded Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama for casting their latest votes against the Iraq funding bill quietly rather than leading the charge on the issue.

Obama replied that Edwards was four-and-a-half years late in his crusade against the war and reiterated that he himself was opposed to the war from the start. Edwards did give Obama credit for that. Clinton later pointed out that while the differences between the Democratic candidates are "minor," the differences between the Democratic field and the Republican contenders for the White House are "major." Most of the Democrats agreed that in general, they are united in the effort to end the war.

Continue reading "Talking Tough On Iraq In New Hampshire"

Posted at 11:09 AM
Posted to: Barack Obama, Bill Richardson, Campaigns, Christopher Dodd, Democrats, Hillary Rodham Clinton, John Edwards, Joseph Biden, WH 2008
Share via

May 14, 2007

WH 2008: Careful, Folks...

Remember that old saw about people in glass houses?

Last week, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama hit Detroit automakers where they lived -- literally -- which, as Newsweek's Keith Naughton noted, didn't exactly endear the home of the Big Three to the presidential hopeful. Now, it seems, Obama forgot one minor detail before he went up in front of the Detroit Economic Club to talk about reducing fuel emissions.

Start driving a hybrid car.

Continue reading "WH 2008: Careful, Folks..."

Posted at 4:47 PM
Posted to: Barack Obama, Christopher Dodd, Democrats, Fred Thompson, Hillary Rodham Clinton, John Edwards, Republicans, Sam Brownback, Tom Tancredo, WH 2008
Share via

Pols Don Their Caps & Gowns

It's that time of year again, and with Washington entangled in the ongoing battle over Iraq and presidential candidates eyeing next year's increasingly early primaries, politicians are scrambling for that sweetest of spring gigs: the college commencement address.

Here's a snapshot of some of the speeches graduates were treated to over the weekend:

President Bush at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, Pa.: "Be the face that brings a smile to the hurt and forgotten. Lead lives of purpose and character -- make a difference in someone else's life. And if you do, you will lead richer lives, you will build a more hopeful nation, and you'll never be disappointed."

Nancy Pelosi at Webster University in St. Louis, Mo.: "At a time when some world leaders question the value of constructive dialogue with our adversaries, young people are engaged in their own international dialogue, on campuses and through e-mail, instant messaging and blogs. They are talking about their hopes for a brighter future -- of their desire for peace and prosperity."

Continue reading "Pols Don Their Caps & Gowns"

Posted at 2:27 PM
Posted to: Hillary Rodham Clinton, House, John Edwards, Mitt Romney, Tony Snow
Share via

May 02, 2007

Edwards Is First Dem To Hit The Airwaves

Former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards today became the first of the Democratic presidential candidates to buy airtime. The targeted audience: U.S. lawmakers in Washington, D.C.

Unlike Mitt Romney, who went up with his first spot in Iowa and New Hampshire among other key primary states, Edwards isn't targeting voters, per se. Rather, the ad, which is airing only in the District, urges his former colleagues to send President Bush a plan to end the Iraq war "again and again."

Edwards wasn't the only one anticipating Bush's veto of the Iraq war supplemental bill yesterday. Anti-war group Americans United For Change gave the media a heads-up that they would be airing a response ad, hours before Bush had put veto pen to paper.

For more on the ads, see NationalJournal.com's Ad Spotlight (subscription).

Posted at 6:03 PM
Posted to: Democrats, John Edwards
Share via

March 27, 2007

Poll Track: Edwards Sees Movement In Static Field

When John Edwards announced he would continue to seek the Democratic nomination for president even though his wife was again battling cancer, this time in an incurable form, many wondered (though few would say aloud) a rather uncomfortable thought: Will this help him politically?

A very preliminary answer seems to be: Yes.

Continue reading "Poll Track: Edwards Sees Movement In Static Field"

Posted at 11:51 AM
Posted to: Alberto Gonzales, Attorney Scandal, John Edwards
Share via

March 22, 2007

Reaction To The Edwards Announcement

These are the first statements released after John and Elizabeth Edwards' press conference this afternoon:

“I spoke with Elizabeth Edwards today and shared my heartfelt belief that she serves as an inspiration to the entire nation. Both Cindy and I wish John and Elizabeth the very best, and our thoughts and prayers are with them.” -- '08 candidate Sen. John McCain (R)

"Elizabeth is a wonderful, strong individual and my thoughts and prayers are with her, John, and their children during this difficult time. I admire her optimism and strength in the face of adversity, and I look forward to seeing them both on the campaign trail." -- '08 candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton (D)

Continue reading "Reaction To The Edwards Announcement"

Posted at 3:36 PM
Posted to: John Edwards
Share via

Edwards: 'The Campaign Goes On'

Democratic presidential contender John Edwards today confirmed that his wife, Elizabeth, had fallen ill again with cancer, but put to rest speculation that he would suspend his campaign as a result.

"The campaign goes on. The campaign goes on strongly," said Edwards, with his wife at his side, during a press conference in Chapel Hill, N.C.

Earlier reports quoted sources close to the campaign saying John Edwards was expected to drop out of the race in order to be with his wife. Newsday originally reported that Elizabeth Edwards' breast cancer had spread to her lung.

Continue reading "Edwards: 'The Campaign Goes On'"

Posted at 12:51 PM
Posted to: John Edwards
Share via

Edwards Sources: Don't Assume The Worst

While it is pretty clear that there will be some bad news for supporters of John Edwards at noon today, sources close to the presidential candidate and his family are cautioning against assuming the worst-case scenario. Which, for the Edwards camp, would be that his wife, Elizabeth Edwards, is no longer in remission in her fight against breast cancer, and John Edwards will have to drop out of the race.

Continue reading "Edwards Sources: Don't Assume The Worst"

Posted at 11:45 AM
Posted to: John Edwards
Share via

March 05, 2007

Conservative Bloggers Want CPAC To Drop Coulter

Ed Morrissey of Captain's Quarters, Seth Hackbarth of The American Mind and Patrick Hynes of Ankle Biting Pundits are among the influential conservative bloggers incensed by pundit/author/TV personality Ann Coulter's use of a derogatory word for gays in a one-liner about Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards. And they've teamed up, in an open letter to the Conservative Political Action Conference and its sponsors, to urge the event organizers to sever ties to Coulter for good.

Continue reading "Conservative Bloggers Want CPAC To Drop Coulter"

Posted at 1:41 PM
Posted to: Ann Coulter, John Edwards, John McCain, Mitt Romney, Republicans, Rudy Giuliani, WH 2008
Share via

March 02, 2007

CPAC: Coulter Pulls A Dr. Burke

The Gate is no longer on site at the CPAC conference, so we just missed conservative fire-bomber Ann Coulter dropping the F-bomb (rhymes with maggot) during her address.

As conservative bloggers Sean Hackbarth, Ed Morrissey and Andrew Sullivan are noting, Coulter has nicely reaffirmed a stereotype non-conservatives have about conservatives. (Hackbarth's The American Mind blog has audio.) Even Michelle Malkin, who is reviled by the left almost as much as Coulter is, was not pleased.

First, a couple steps back...

Continue reading "CPAC: Coulter Pulls A Dr. Burke"

Posted at 5:16 PM
Posted to: Ann Coulter, John Edwards, Republicans
Share via