Hillary Cried, Women Responded, She Won

Trail Of Tears

I thought that was a masterstroke on her part. She got all these women around a table and then spilled her heart out. Her eyes went wet. That is what got her the New Hampshire victory.




Iron My Shirt

Two white guys yelled that at Hillary. That was one day before the vote. The story must have spread fast. I am thinking those two guys were planted by Terry McAuliffe. I want all inquiries made. Wait a minute, that was Marlon Brando in Godfather.

Now We Have A Race

I admit, I got lull after the Iowa victory. Now you are looking at a real contest. In Iowa Barack cancelled out Hillary's lead for most of 2007. In New Hampshire Hillary has managed to check Barack's momentum from Iowa. Fair enough. Now we are on level ground.

Barack Need Not Cry

But he must play the race card as skillfully in South Carolina as Hillary played the gender card in New Hampshire. Use the word unshackle.

February 5

Now I am thinking this race might go past February 5. It does not have to. But we have to have a Plan B.

This Was Never Going To Be Easy

Imagine how much worse we would have been if Hillary had managed to win Iowa. We would have been finished. So look at the silver lining.

$100 Million

Both have raised similar sums of money. That should tell you this race was going to be neck and neck.

Edwards Is Out

Edwards as anyone's running mate, that idea is out after New Hampshire.

Stuck With Each Other

Barack and Hillary are now stuck with each other. The winner will not be able to ignore the other.

Welcome Hillary

You can be Vice President.

White Moms Of The World

An elderly white lady was "manning" the Edwards booth at this event: Iowa: One And A Half Victory Parties. I think that is a reflection of the fact a lot of white males are cross that neither Barack nor Hillary are white males.

Well, imagine how my mother has been feeling this entire time. Now you know.

The Weather Was So Good

When I walked out of the bar where I watched the returns, I was struck by the great weather. It felt almost like spring. That made the loss so much easier to take. This was near West 4th street. I liked the weather so much, I decided to walk over to Times Square. I went over to the 99 cent pizza place on 41st and 9th.

Narrow Loss

The loss was so narrow we could practically claim it for a victory.

In The News

From a Big Boost for Obama to a Sharp Blow New York Times startled Mr. Obama and ensured that the fight for the Democratic presidential nomination remained fully engaged. ...... particularly women who broke with Mr. Obama in significant numbers in the closing hours of an accelerated campaign here. ........ a glorious springlike day where a record number of Democrats turned out. ..... narrow loss ..... women rallied behind Mrs. Clinton in the final hours of the race, when news coverage was dominated by accounts of her nearly breaking into tears as she answered a voter’s question. ....... Since Mr. Obama’s victory in Iowa, the volume of calls and inquiries into his campaign had more than doubled, with financial contributors, policy supporters and volunteers eager to join the campaign.
Why Clinton Won CBS News New Hampshire women went big for Clinton, supporting her 46 percent to 34 percent for Obama. And as 57 percent of the Democratic primary electorate, women were enough to make the difference. Among men, Obama turned the tables, beating Clinton 40 percent to 29 percent. ...... Union households, which make up one-fifth of the New Hampshire Democratic primary electorate, voted for Clinton 40 percent to 31 percent for Obama. Among voters with household incomes less than $50,000 a year, Clinton beat Obama by 15 points, and by 18 points among those with no more than a high school diploma.
Obama Loses New Hampshire - barely FOXNews Obama called Clinton to personally congratulate her just a few minutes before he was introduced by two NH members of Congress.
Obama Family in Kenya Watches US Vote The Associated Press
How Clinton won and what it means Dallas Morning News If New Hampshire 16 years ago threw a lifeline to Bill Clinton's struggling candidacy, the state this time put his wife's presidential bid back on track. Mrs. Clinton overhauled her strategy after losing Iowa, working to connect with voters and appear less imperial.
How Clinton pulled it out in New Hampshire. Slate Democrats like a fighter. Maybe that's the simplest reason Hillary Clinton pulled out a surprise victory in New Hampshire. Before her campaign even arrived here, her aides were promising they'd take the fight to Obama. In the five days between the two contests, the Clinton campaign worked hard to bring Obama down to earth. Direct mail and phone calls attacked Obama on issues from abortion to taxes. ....... Staffers openly acknowledged that Clinton was going to lose. Heck, the candidate and her husband acted like they knew it, too. Mrs. Clinton's display of emotion the day before the vote showed how much pressure she felt. ..... "The biggest fairy tale I've ever seen," Bill Clinton said. ...... While Clinton got teary-eyed responding to a question from a voter, Obama's performances were making voters weep. ...... The assumptions that governed the race before the Iowa caucus appear to be reasserting themselves. Was it Clinton's last-minute show of emotion that helped her, or was it the greater openness she started to demonstrate toward the end of her campaign in Iowa? In town-hall meetings, she answered question after question for hours and finally made herself accessible to the press. She and her advisers realized that the strategy of keeping her closeted had been a disaster. So they did what agile politicians do and changed it.
Clinton's stunning victory Chicago Tribune "Over this last week, I listened to you," she said. "And in the process, I found my own voice." ..... McAuliffe said the results eliminated the pair from contention and left a "one-on-one race" between Clinton and Obama. ..... stunting Obama's momentum heading into the high-stakes duels in Nevada and South Carolina ...... Bill Clinton, dismissed what he called the "fairy tale" of Obama's candidacy. In response, Obama dismissed him as "just more interested in trying to muddy the waters than actually talk fairly about my record."

Obama leads in New Hampshire polls Aljazeera.net for the first time shattered Hillary Clinton's advantage among Democratic voters nationally ..... a national poll by USA Today/Gallup said that Obama and Clinton each drew 33 per cent support from Democrats

GOP Hit Squads Load Up For Obama AlterNet, USA The squad consists of the Fox News Network, talk shock jocks, New York Times neo-liberal, Wall St. Journal neo-con columnists, and Christian Evangelical politicos. ...... Talk show gasser Rush Limbaugh took the first real swipe when he derisively sneered at Obama as the Magic Negro. ..... pokes at his wife, Michelle as outspoken, bossy and domineering.

Clinton's dog house The Australian FACING the prospect of another defeat in New Hampshire today, former Democrat frontrunner Hillary Clinton no doubt wishes she had followed the lead of her Republican rival Rudolph Giuliani. The former New York mayor has been criticised for ignoring the early polls where he was always expected to do poorly because of his liberal views, to concentrate on the big city votes such as Florida and New York, where both he and Senator Clinton are popular. ........ History suggests a loss in New Hampshire today would make it improbable that Senator Clinton would be able to win the Democrat nomination. ...... "Obamania" ..... In the final hours before the New Hampshire poll, the exasperation in the Clinton campaign had become palpable. There were wild rumours that Senator Clinton was preparing to pull out of the race. It was the final instalment in a bizarre series of events that started with Senator Clinton becoming teary for the cameras about her passion to become president and the personal difficulty of campaigning. Later, she was confronted by two male protesters chanting "iron my shirt", allowing Senator Clinton to remind voters she was trying to crack the toughest glass ceiling of them all. It ended with Bill Clinton lamenting he could not make his wife taller or male. ...... Senator Clinton has firmly seized the unfamiliar role of underdog. But after getting caught out stacking a campaign rally with out-of-town supporters to appear as popular as Senator Obama had been in the same venue the previous day, many observers concluded yesterday's tears and talk of sexism were merely another instalment of Clinton spin. The tear-jerking question about how hard it was to keep looking good on the road was asked by a freelance photographer. Senator Clinton's response that "This is very personal for me - it's not just political" was judged by many analysts to be contrived. ........ Her predicament is summed up by Bill Clinton's comment: "We can't be a new story. There's nothing we can do." ....... she did not get any votes in the first New Hampshire town to vote. Of the 10 Democrats casting ballots in Dixiville Notch, near the Canadian border, Senator Obama got seven.
New Hampshire Polls Show McCain, Obama Poised To Win U.S. News & World Report
Clinton sinking in Obama's wake The Australian
We're going to win, Obama tells New Hampshire Guardian Unlimited
Even Conservative Media Chorus Sings Obama's Praises Washington Post
Clinton's troubles are felt in California Los Angeles Times He suggested Clinton must "cut her losses" and focus only on states where she can still win. She could win in Nevada, he said, but maybe not South Carolina. ...... "Is everybody concerned and nervous?" asked a Los Angeles political consultant who represents a major Clinton donor. "Yes!" Several other Clinton backers told Morain they fully expect her to lose in New Hampshire today, perhaps by double-digits. They also anticipate a major shake-up of the campaign organization, possibly as early as Wednesday, and that the New York senator would pivot away from investing time in South Carolina. ..... Obama has planned a major California fundraising trip next week, with stops in Los Angeles and the Bay Area. And that could turn into a victory lap after two early wins.

Obama's rise stuns observers of US race relations Reuters South Africa a new chapter in race relations in America. ...... African Americans on average experience higher mortality rates than whites and lower life expectancy despite a black middle class that has grown since the civil rights movement in the 1960s. They also earn far less on average and are more likely to be arrested, charged and incarcerated. ..... "There's always been this thing of black exceptionalism, to take and elevate some African Americans and say: 'You are different. You are well spoken, intelligent.'" ..... A brutal system of racial segregation prevailed in the South until the 1960s and no black has been elected to the U.S. Senate from the region for over a century.
Clinton must stay up late to overcome Obama Bangkok Post Mrs Clinton is at her best when she's dead tired. Mrs Clinton, worn down to a nub, too beat to raise her eyebrows like Lucille Ball while pointing at someone in the crowd as if she has just spotted a long-lost friend from grade school. Mrs Clinton when her voice _ which so easily grates she didn't speak in her last 30-second ad _ was weary so that even her laundry lists of programmes sounded gentler and kinder. ...... Where voters were as Clinton joked after the State Fair ''opening up your mouth, check out your teeth as if you're a horse'' ...... She tried bolting ''change'' on to her slogan ''strength and experience'' ....... One of her biggest ad buys showed Hillary saying how proud she was to pass along to her daughter the lessons her mother taught about standing up for those who can't do it on their own. She doesn't say how Chelsea stands up for others at the hedge fund where she works, but never mind. ...... A poll early in the Clinton administration showed that many folks didn't even know Hillary was a mother. ....... Bone-tired, knowing she was slipping, she became more like her husband, who never performed as well when he was ahead as when he was down. In one of her last events in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, she blabbed about many of the same old things but did so from some place deep inside her sleep-deprived self. ....... how for the first couple of years of George W Bush's administration she ''yelled at the television set''. She went on: ''You couldn't make this stuff up! The vice president shoots someone?'' ...... We knew she had a brain. Fatigue forced her guard down so that we could see she has a heart. ..... Every once in a while when listening to Sen Obama, I got a lump in my throat. ..... the jolt of pure electric energy at the end of an Obama speech: ''Tears stain some cheeks'' and ''people look a little thunderstruck''. .... John Edwards, who never congratulated the winner at all. ....... Bob Dole joked when the Clintons hung around on Inauguration Day, long after tradition would have Elvis leave the building, that it was going to ''take a SWAT team to get them out of town''. Mrs Elvis is in the race to stay. But she'll have to be really exhausted to beat Sen Obama.

Groundswell for Obama leaves Clinton campaign on the rack Guardian Unlimited In a matter of days, Obama has been transformed from a promising Democratic candidate into a phenomenon. ..... his rousing televised victory speech. ..... The crowds have played havoc with Obama's campaign schedule, delaying the start of his meetings by an hour or more and leaving him stranded in traffic jams. ...... Reflecting Obama's new-found eminence, security round him has been stepped up. ..... Obama leading Clinton by 2 to 1 among independents, who make up an estimated 40% ........ For most of last year, Clinton concentrated on portraying Obama as inexperienced, but that failed to resonate in Iowa. Yesterday, she changed the message, acknowledging he was a good stump performer but questioning his ability to deliver: "There's a big difference between talking and acting, between promising and performing. Over the next three days, I'm going to be making that case." ..... Obama is attracting large numbers of young people, many of them seeing in him a rejection of the values of the "baby-boom" generation of Bush and Clinton. ...... said he became excited about Obama's candidacy after seeing his victory speech
Sarah Sands: To win, Hillary Clinton needs to kill Bill Belfast Telegraph Strategists for Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign have come to dread the rustle of conversation among the back rows of audiences during the final lap of her speeches. I feared that her husband, standing behind her as she took to the podium in Iowa, might be stifling a yawn as he thrust out his jaw. Hillary's voice has been so decontaminated of tell-tale feeling that it flatlines. ...... Obama's victory speech had the lyricism and potency (although not the radicalism) of Martin Luther King. ...... The line-up behind her - General Wesley Clark, Madeleine Albright, Bill Clinton - was impressive but dog-tired. Her husband suddenly resembled the sort of Hollywood star who hobbles on to the stage at the Oscars to receive the lifetime achievement award. ..... White suburban women were the most hostile. They described her as " threatening and unwomanly", "ruthless and greedy for power". ...... Penn concluded that Hillary's personality was "just too big a mountain to move" and that her campaign therefore should concentrate on issues and competence. ...... Hillary's stately progress, bolstered by a polished election machine and establishment funds, seems invincible, so long as she is kept away from voters. This is what appears to have gone wrong for her in Iowa. Suddenly political pedigree and clout counted for less than an outstretched hand. ..... To see Hillary lose on emotional intelligence ...... Didn't the sly old entertainer long to push her aside and win back the audience with his bashful charm? Yet he is as constrained as she. They are each other's political soulmates or two drowning swimmers who can't cut themselves free. ...... He thanked his wife, Michelle, " the rock of the Obama family", knowing that Hillary could not mention her husband by name without raising all the dust of their marriage. The name Clinton is so potent with conflict that it has been banned from the campaign. ..... Al Gore joked: "When people ask me what it's like being number two at the White House, I tell them she seems to enjoy it." ...... Should she, as Gore tried to do, now distance herself from her husband? ....... Recently the bumper stickers have grown more confident: "Vote Hill, Get Bill". ..... my favourite quote from Iowa was the voter who said of Bill's praise of Hillary: "It's like my mom saying how great I am." ..... Bill Clinton reportedly said to his friend the journalist Sidney Blumenthal that "trashing me is fine, if it helps Hillary". ..... She must show herself as more than a political construct or a marriage. Hillary Clinton needs to be bigger than the sum of her history.
Obama feels ‘urgency of now’ in US poll lead Financial Times In the wake of his Iowa victory, Mr Obama is also rapidly closing in on Mrs Clinton’s national lead. ...... a candidate even seasoned pundits are now comparing with Bobby Kennedy. ...... Mrs Clinton’s appearances, where there are often fewer people in the hall at the end than at the beginning, has gone from noticeable to striking in the space of a few days. ..... Obama gently deflates Mrs Clinton’s contention that he is peddling “false hopes” to the voters, who should take a “reality check” before endorsing him in today’s primary contest. “Hope”, says Mr Obama, is what led America to end slavery, pull themselves out of the Great Depression and champion civil rights. ...... Did you hear JFK [President Kennedy] saying: ‘You know this moon thing, it looks too far’?” ..... Looking visibly tired, Mr Clinton is for the first time in 20 years no longer obviously the most popular Democrat in America. ........ it will be an uphill struggle for the Clintons to halt Mr Obama’s momentum in South Carolina – or anywhere else. ..... “I am not running for president because I believe it is somehow owed to me or because I think it’s my turn,” Mr Obama says. “[I am running because] I believe we are on the cusp of building a new majority in America.” The applause spills over into whoops of enthusiasm.
Clinton Talks About Strains of Campaign New York Times On the Republican side, Mr. McCain added a new line to his usual remarks, saying: “What I will do will not be driven by any poll. It will be driven by principle. ..... Written off for dead as recently as a month ago, the McCain campaign realized this summer they would have no money to hire pollsters and does none of its own internal tracking. ...... Obama was nursing a strained voice. ..... “I was a little concerned about it, so I asked a doctor yesterday what they would prescribe and they said, ‘Shut up’ ” ...... “I have the experience, the knowledge and the judgment” to lead in a dangerous world. ..... telling voters that his conversations with them were the reason he was able to claw his way back.
Obama, McCain at the head of the poll Los Angeles Times Obama said: "You're the wave and I'm riding it." ..... the New York senator, battling former Sen. John Edwards for second place in New Hampshire ..... "Whatever happens tomorrow, we're going on," Clinton told CBS' "Early Show." "And we're going to keep going until the end of the process on Feb. 5." ..... some websites use photos of her where she appears tired and drawn ..... Obama widening his lead to 36% and Clinton, at 28%, losing ground to Edwards, now at 22%. ....... Actor Chuck Norris, whose early endorsement helped catapult the former Arkansas governor to national status, is with Huckabee on the campaign trail today. Bristling at attacks on Huckabee for being a minister, Norris said on "Fox & Friends" this morning: "Why can't they give him credit where credit's due as the governor of Arkansas, who took over the governorship with a deficit of $200 million and when he left the governorship it was $850 million in the black? Give him a break. I mean, you know, Mitt Romney's a bishop, so why don't they call him Bishop Romney?" ..... quipping to supporters to "vote early and often." ..... "Who do they think they are?" he said of media corporate executives "in glass offices" ..... usually "one is greater than zero." ..... a summit of Democrats and Republicans in Oklahoma offered the prospect of an independent bid for president, perhaps by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

Huckabee, Obama face new hurdles in New Hampshire Los Angeles Times Unlike Hart, Obama has plenty of money and a strong organization in place to build on his victory. Like Hart, Huckabee does not. ...... a Democrat who was a pied piper to students ...... Clinton has much deeper political roots in the Granite State than in Iowa
Obama and Clinton turn battle to New Hampshire Reuters took his presidential campaign to New Hampshire on Friday, where he hopes to deal a potential knock-out blow to one-time front-runner Hillary Clinton next week. ..... "New Hampshire, if you give me the same chance as Iowa gave me last night, I truly believe that I will be president of the United States of America," Obama told about 1,000 cheering supporters in Portsmouth. ........ There were hints from her campaign that she might get more aggressive in attacking Obama, which some Democrats said could backfire. ..... Trying to stop a media story line of a campaign in trouble ..... investors' worries that Democrats would end up in control of both Congress and the White House.
Iowa Behind Her, Clinton Campaign in a State of Urgency FOX News She pressed the flesh in New Hampshire and promised to take questions at every stop between now and the state’s Tuesday primary. She stressed that Iowa doesn’t determine who is the nominee, but the campaign’s putting all the chips on New Hampshire now. ....... But Obama’s equally confident, saying at a Portsmouth, N.H., rally Friday that “I am absolutely convinced that we will win the New Hampshire primary in four days.” ..... political analysts were parsing out just what happened to the candidate who just a few months ago was considered to have a near lock on the nomination. ....... the “anti-Hillary Clinton vote” will now “coalesce around Barack Obama
Obama Draws Record Number Young People NPR
Clinton Campaign in Crisis? ABC News
Clinton Camp Looks to Feb. 5 New York Times
Challenges Ahead for Obama (53 comments)
Clinton Loss Means Change of Tactics TIME The debate Thursday night inside Hillary Clinton's shell-shocked campaign was what to do now — specifically: how negative to go on Barack Obama.

Candidates Unleash Final Efforts in Iowa New York Times a nonstop 36-hour bus tour ..... “After all the town meetings, the pie and coffee, it comes down to this: Who is ready to be president and ready to start solving the big challenges we face on day one?” Mrs. Clinton said. ........ creating a coalition of Democrats, independents and Republicans looking for a new direction ....... Each of Mr. Obama’s rallies was designed to be a meeting place for his supporters, who picked up packets of materials to set off on a door-to-door canvassing effort to remind voters of Thursday’s caucuses. Virtually every arm of the campaign — from volunteers to fund-raisers to senior strategists — had a list of telephone numbers to call to encourage people to vote. ....... dispatching thousands of volunteers and staff members to go door to door ....... having been up for 24 hours as he campaigned in 12 cities and towns before wrapping up the bus tour with a rally in Des Moines ........ he said he identified with the striking television workers as an author himself ....... raised eyebrows by suggesting that the situation in Pakistan could lead to special scrutiny of Pakistanis at the borders in the interest of national security. ...... who “writes checks for 10s of millions of dollars and doesn’t miss the money?” ......... he said he expected his appearance on the Jay Leno show to reach more Iowa voters than a day of appearances to crowds of a few hundred each ....... Obama was leading the Democrats and that Mr. Huckabee was leading the Republicans. ....... Obama seemed to have a fresh bounce in his step as he set off on his first fly-around tour of Iowa ........ the trajectory matched the momentum that they were seeing in data they are collecting hourly through telephone calls and door-to-door canvassing. ............ we’ve got these great crowds with unbelievable energy ..... I’m putting my money on my organization. It’s as good and as dedicated and as intense as I’ve ever seen
In Iowa, Candidates Make Last-Minute Rally for Votes Washington Post
Back on the stump, Giuliani now trails in poll Chicago Tribune a new poll showed his once-commanding national lead had vanished. ....... a national image as the man who cleaned up New York City and provided steady leadership in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. ....... Giuliani down to 20 percent support, behind Arizona Sen. John McCain's 22 percent and just ahead of former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who had 17 percent. ........ "In modern times, no one has lost the first four states and come back by winning the fifth" ...... doubling U.S. troop levels in Afghanistan.
Kenya on the Verge of a Showdown TIME At one stage on Sunday in this nation of 36 million, Odinga was one million votes in the lead. Election officials in Kibaki's strongholds then disappeared with the ballot boxes, only to reappear with dramatically enhanced tallies for the President, who was promptly declared the winner and sworn in less than an hour later. Kibaki's first act was to ban live TV and radio broadcasts of the resulting unrest. With the U.S., U.K. and Kenya's own Electoral Commission questioning the result, Odinga is demanding that Kabika admit that he lost. ....... Kibaki is a Kikuyu, Kenya's largest tribe with 22% of the population. Odinga is a Luo, Kenya's third largest at 13%. .... Odinga's Orange Democratic Movement ..... might descend into the kind of ethnic slaughter seen in Rwanda in 1994.
Edwards in Iowa: Closing With Class For about 30 seconds before speaking he simply stood, head back, smiling, relishing the cheers and chants of "Go Johnny, go" ...... "I have to tell you I've never had so much fun in my life" ....... a two-minute speech, his voice breaking ...... his closing argument takes square aim at Clinton in particular ........ The way Edwards sees it, the people standing in the way of progress are not Osama bin Laden or Kim Jong Il, not even George W. Bush and the Republicans. The evildoers that Edwards promises to vanquish — to the delight of most crowds; "Go get 'em, John" is a frequent shout from the crowd — are America's CEOs. ......... Edwards may be worth an estimated $100 million
Obama in Lead Ahead of Iowa Caucuses Arab News Forty percent of likely Democratic caucus-goers identified themselves as independents, the poll said, double the percentage from 2004, and 60 percent said they would be attending a caucus for the first time. Both groups preferred Obama. ....... if Obama can produce the large independent turnout the poll anticipates, he will have transformed at least these Iowa caucuses from a conclave for party regulars to something more like a typical primary What an Obama presidency means Taipei Times For the past three decades, no Democrat could win the presidential nomination of the party after losing these two contests. ...... late September he was trailing Clinton 53 percent to 20 percent ...... In Iowa, an ABC News poll conducted last month showed that Obama had gained a 4 percent lead over Clinton (33 percent to 29 percent). In New Hampshire, Obama had 32 percent against Clinton's 30 percent, according to a Los Angeles Times survey late last month. In a similar survey in September, Clinton was 19 points ahead of Obama. ........ If Obama wins in Iowa, his chances for victory in New Hampshire will be greatly enhanced because other Democratic competitors with less than 15 percent support in Iowa will drop out of the race, allowing Democratic voters in New Hampshire to "bandwagon" Obama because of his greater electability nationwide. ........ "Obama fits the year in terms of aspirations and hope" ....... 45 percent chose having "strained relationships" with one's children (referring to president Ronald Reagan) and 52 percent chose being 70 years of age or older (Reagan was elected three months before turning 70). .......... 28 consecutive years of a family presidency ....... "inspirational, motivating, charismatic and compassionate" ...... Obama is more electable nationally than Clinton ....... a Princeton University professor (probably a Democrat), an expert on health insurance policy, told me her impressions of a meeting with Obama. She marveled at his magnetic personality and his vision as a potential statesman. ........ The war is costing some US$300 million per day ....... The war, already the top issue in the presidential campaign, will loom even larger in November. It will be heavy baggage for any candidate, Republican or Democrat, who has not consistently opposed it.
Obama's long tour ends on Iowa high Guardian Unlimited long bus rides across a frozen landscape. ...... the most exciting talent in the Democratic race ....... he knows how to build effective coalitions ....... Obama's crowds are generally fired up, even in conservative regions of the state like this one. Some have even crossed the state border from Nebraska to see Obama
Kucinich urges Obama as a second choice Los Angeles Times
Former SC Governor Endorses Obama The Associated Press Obama "was more impressive last week than he was the first day I met him — and he was pretty darn impressive then," said Hodges.
Plenty of reasons for saying a win here may be no big deal Times Online Never in the modern history of presidential elections has the identity of both parties’ nominees been so hard to predict on the day of the first vote. ...... In the 13 elections, Iowans have picked the man who became the party’s eventual nominee seven times, suggesting that a win in Iowa is useful rather than indispensable. ....... John McCain, once left for dead, but now resurgent
CNN/WMUR/UNH poll: Clinton regains lead, GOP tied Boston Globe With less than one week before the New Hampshire Primary Clinton went from two points down on Obama to up four in two polls
Giuliani's Collapse CBS News In New Hampshire, Rudy is similarly dropping like a stone. ..... Even in his 'firewall' states like Florida, Rudy's lead is rapidly diminishing. ..... polling evidence that shows the more Republicans voters see Giuliani, the less they like him.
Can Social Search Take Down Google? Sci-Tech Today Wikia Search will launch with 50 to 100 million Web pages indexed, while Google indexes billions of pages....... "Filtering as millions of eyeballs commenting and voting can beat any algorithm of any company"
Google Changes Algorithm? WebProNews search terms are revealing more time-sensitive articles as opposed to historical or factual pieces. Items from Digg are ranking higher than the usual favorite Wikipedia.
Big B: the off-screen persona Hindustan Times

Will Kenya's Vote Lead to Tribal War? TIME The chaos represents Kenya's biggest domestic political crisis since independence from Britain in 1963. It was also a major disappointment for a country that had been considered a bright spot in the troubled region of East Africa. ...... our institutions have failed us ...... Turnout was 70%. Nairobi's Daily Nation newspaper boasted such a peaceful and energetic political process would be the "envy of Africa." But the mood soured as the counting went on. And when Odinga jumped to a lead of nearly 1 million votes, results were delayed from several of Kibaki's strongholds. Election officials either disappeared with ballot boxes or refused to answer their phones. When the final result was announced, Kibaki had squeaked through with a victory over Odinga. .......... unrealistically high voter turnout rates, close to 100% in some constituencies
Iowa Braces for the Morning After the bittersweet day after — when the many presidential candidates, their thousands of campaign workers and countless journalists stampede out of the state, often even before the sun rises on January 4. ........... the campaign workers' fawning attention ...... the possibility of bumping into Bill Clinton and Magic Johnson at the grocery store. ....... Iowans will be able to answer their telephones again, free from automated robo-calls and solicitous pollsters. ....... They can switch from dissecting the candidates to grousing about the weather. ....... really picks up people's moods — they see themselves being viewed nationally as very important to a very important process ........ the national attention has been a bonanza for the state's hospitality industry, media outlets, politicians and pundits. (Des Moines fairly glowed after it was described recently as "cool" by the New York Times.) ......... "the most politically-knowledgeable and aware voters in the country" ....... don't Iowans deserve some credit for the many town hall meetings attended, the many questions asked, the many speeches endured? Surely the white-haired man who sat beside me in the bleachers at a candidate's event, diligently taking notes ....... volunteers who have canvassed for candidates door to door, rain (snow, sleet, freezing fog,) or shine. ...... "Usually Iowans are apologizing for where they live. That's not the case with caucus season." ..... once the circus moves on, I don't think we expect anyone to continue to pay attention to us.
Another Bhutto in Pakistan Bilawal, a 19-year-old student at Christ Church, Oxford, will lead the party with his father Asif Ali Zardari. ...... "I stand committed to the stability of the federation," Bilawal said in an extraordinary and emotional press conference following the meeting. Speaking in English, his voice rising to a youthful shout towards the end of his short initial statement, and fighting back tears, Bilawal told supporters, "My mother always said democracy is the best revenge." ....... would now be known as Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. Party supporters immediately began chanting, "Long live Bilawal Bhutto." ....... The ruling PML-Q party said the election would likely be delayed by three months or so, in part because several electoral offices have been ransacked and burned in the chaos that was unleashed by Benazir's assassination. ........ Following Benazir's death, the worst violence was in her home province of Sindh, where talk of separation has been growing. ........ he often made reference to his mother in his profile on Facebook. .... Bilawal posted a statement from his mother the day of her assassination, which read: "You can imprison a man but not an idea. You can exile a man but not an idea. You can kill a man but not an idea. — Benazir Bhutto." The day of the assassination his Facebook status read: "Well behaved women rarely make history." ....... He is a very sociable student and very well liked. ..... Bilawal attended many Oxford Union debates in his first few months at Oxford and says that Bilawal is an engaging and sociable young man.
Missing Evidence from Bhutto's Murder With rumors of government complicity in Benazir Bhutto's assassination rife throughout Pakistan, the country's stability may depend on the absolute transparencey of the investigation into the murder. ....... her husband and her supporters are asking for a United Nations-led inquiry into her death ..... there is very little for international forensics experts to investigate. ....... Within hours of the attack .... authorities had already hosed down the streets. Pools of blood, along with possible evidence such as bullet casings, DNA samples from the bomber and tracks had been washed away ....... Retired Lieutenant General Hamid Gul, the former director general of Pakistani Intelligence, said he was shocked to see people cleaning up the debris so soon after the assassination. "It's a crime scene, and they're washing away all the evidence! We need to be asking why the hell was this thing done." One of the few pieces of evidence from the crime scene that remains is amateur footage showing a clean cut man in a black vest brandishing what appears to be a gun. ...... Doctors who had attended Bhutto immediately after the attack initially said that she died of gunshot wounds, but over the weekend they released new findings in line with the Interior Ministry's claim that the official cause of death was head wounds sustained when Bhutto fell. The reversal has many people suspecting government interference. ....... Khan says he is naturally skeptical of talk that the government could be behind the assassination but says that their inept handling of the investigation only adds to the rumors. ......... "How come, at least in the last three years, there have been scores and scores if not hundreds of bomb blasts and suicide attacks in Pakistan and the only incidents that resulted in people being arrested and sentenced is in the two attacks on Pervez Musharraf?" ........... Islamic traditions hold that the body is sacred, and must not be disturbed in death. ...... a knee-jerk choice of "usual suspects." ...... Speaking through his spokesman to the BBC, Mehsud denied any involvement in the attack, as he did when he was accused in the October 18th suicide bombing at a Bhutto rally in Karachi that killed some 140. Such denials, of course, are meaningless, but they do exacerbate rumors of government complicity, a situation that benefits an anti-government insurgency. "There is a very strong possibility that the intelligence agencies were behind the attack," Mehsud's spokesman told the BBC. .......... The government pirouettes may have less to do with a possible cover-up of an administration-led assassination than a poorly executed attempt at damage control. ....... waving to crowds from the sunroof of her car was clearly a risky undertaking ....... Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, said that Washington needed to answer some "troubling questions" about Pakistan's investigation so far. ...... "We want a [assassinated Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik] Hariri commission-style investigation... we are writing to the United Nations for an international probe into her martyrdom."
Kenyan Church Burned, Killing Dozens New York Times an escalation of ethnic violence ...... In Nairobi, the capital, tribal militias squared off against each other in several slums. ...... clear evidence of ballot rigging ...... A knot of rage seemed to be moving across the country, from the slums of Nairobi, the capital, to the cities along the Indian Ocean, to usually tranquil towns on the savanna. ....... in the slums, heavy fighting continued ...... The election has uncorked dangerous resentment toward the Kikuyus, the privileged ethnic group of Kenya, who have dominated business and politics since independence in 1963. ....... country is one of the most stable and prosperous in Africa ....... there was undeniable evidence of fraud in the ballot tallying, but that election officials refused to do a recount because they wanted to keep the government in power. .......... Mr. Kibaki, 76, faces trouble not just on the streets, but in Parliament as well. More than half of his cabinet was voted out of office, and his party won about 35 seats in Parliament, compared with about 100 for the opposition. ......... two of Kenya’s largest donors issued pointed statements
The Money Factor: Edwards Responds to Obama Rumor Mill FOX News The latest Des Moines Register poll of 800 likely Democratic caucus-goers puts Obama at 32, Hillary Clinton at 25 and Edwards at 24. Questions have been raised about the poll’s accuracy since it says a large percentage of independents and Republicans will caucus with Democrats. ........ He said all campaigns should be publicly financed. “When I win the Iowa caucuses on Thursday, the money will pour in. That’s how it always works” ..... Edwards’ wife Elizabeth then got up and grabbed the microphone. “You may not be surprised, but I am surprised and disappointed in Michelle,” she said.
Clinton Pitches Her Experience; Disputes Register Poll Washington Post Beginning with her work for the Children's Defense Fund fresh out of law school, Clinton documented -- in a detailed manner -- the accomplishments she has accrued over the past three decades ....... Hillary is the "most famous person no one knows." Many voters still do not feel like they know Clinton beyond a superficial reading of her life. ...... "When I talk about the '90s some of my opponents say 'There she goes again talking about the past,'" Clinton said. "It's not like it's ancient Rome. It's ten years ago." ....... a desire for change is trumping the need for experience in the minds of Iowa voters. ...... Thirty percent said that a candidate's ability to bring about change was the most important factor in their vote, while 27 percent said they wanted a candidate who could unite the country. ....... Hoping to blunt Obama's momentum -- which may be an impossible task at this point ........ Clinton argues that she has seized the initiative following her endorsement by the Des Moines Register ...... The excitement and nervousness in Iowa from all the campaigns is palpable. What a contest!
Obama, Clinton battle for top spot in Iowa AFP Obama headlined a riotous New Year's Day rally, basking in a new poll by the respected Des Moines Register newspaper which had him up seven points on Clinton ........ "We stand on the brink of something very, very special here in Iowa," Democrat Obama told at least 400 cheering supporters, invoking his calls for hope and change, during nearly a year on the campaign trail. "Now after 10 months, it looks like it might just work," he said, though was careful to warn backers there was still work to be done. ........ the rivals braved icy Iowan roads for a penultimate full day of campaigning before the caucuses. ........ A Zogby poll had Clinton leading Obama 30 percent to 26 percent. A CNN/Opinion Research poll has her on 33 percent, Obama on 31 and Edwards on 22. ...... if Obama can get the legions of previously fickle young and first-time caucus goers to show up on Thursday, he has a good chance of victory. ..... "Why on earth would we expect the corporate powers and their lobbyists, who make billions by selling out the middle-class, to just give up their power because we ask them nicely?" Edwards wrote. ....... The Register, in its last poll before the caucuses, said Obama's lead in the hotly contested caucuses had been built on a huge influx of first-time caucus goers, and previously independent voters.
Obama: 'Some big things might happen in 2008' Baltimore Sun The stop was the first on a day when Obama will visit three of Iowa's four corners in advance of Thursday's presidential caucuses. ....... you have earned this special place you have in this democracy ..... "I want to thank Sasha and Malia for putting up with me running for president for the last 10 months," he said, after the girls waved shyly to an audience of hundreds in a high school gym. "And how about the Christmas commercial? They hit their lines perfectly." ........ Tuesday's edition of The Des Moines Register carried a large headline that reported that a new Iowa Poll shows Obama ahead .......... a critical psychological boost for Obama after several days that the media storyline had focused on a surge by Edwards. ..... "The only thing that matters is if you show up to caucus." ..... Obama said he rejected the "politics of slash and burn" when he was behind Clinton in the polls over the summer and early fall, saying he opposed doing a "Tonya Harding on the front-runner." ....... Obama volunteers had knocked on about 50,000 doors on Sunday. ..... her husband would be "the best president we have seen in a long time." ..... "Ten months later, Iowa, you have vindicated my faith in the American people," he said. "Ten months later, we stand on the brink of doing something very, very special."
Tough 2007 taught Obama how to fight Chicago Sun-Times a candidate whose parentage (African and Caucasian), elite education and emotionally riveting speech at his party's 2004 national convention seemed to bridge the racial divide that has distempered the American psyche. ....... Obama was too genteel to smack a lady for her policies, and it took him months to muster up the wherewithal to criticize her. ..... but his tours through Iowa taught him to duck and weave Clinton's jabs, and it gave him confidence in himself. ...... Obama has turned out to be a feisty Rocky with a Harvard Law degree ....... Over the next six months, Obama would make many visits to Iowa and New Hampshire -- with occasional forays to South Carolina, Nevada and California -- ducking out to fund-raising events between public town hall meetings. In fact, he spent so much time on the phone and importuning small groups for money that he was able to woo some former Clinton supporters, including high-profile Hollywood types such as David Geffen. ......... His campaign's sortie into new media, in a way no other campaign had done ...... But the savviest political minds can never predict how Iowans will decide.
Obama-labor relationship tense in Iowa Politico “I’m taken aback that somebody like Obama would think that Oprah Winfrey has a greater right to participate in the political process than the 4 million people I represent,” Edward J. McElroy, the president of the American Federation of Teachers .......... they are suggesting that workers are somehow a special interest, just like insurance companies and the pharmaceutical industry ......... The independent support — $2.7 million on Clinton’s behalf and $2.1 million on Edwards’ at the last count — is flowing simply at too high a volume for Obama to shrug off, and it’s immediately noticeable on the airwaves and in the mailboxes in Iowa. ....... So his campaign has tried to make the most of it, using it to raise money in urgent e-mails, to cast him as a reformer to reform-minded Iowans, and to cast Edwards — who says he opposes the spending — as a hypocrite. ........ The e-mail referred to AFSCME as “Hillary Clinton’s friends from Washington” ...... The campaign also released a letter from an AFSCME member in Iowa who wrote that she was dropping out of the union in disgust at their attacks on Obama. ......... In 2004, for instance, Plouffe managed the campaign of House Democratic leader Richard Gephardt, while Obama’s communications director, Robert Gibbs, worked for an independent group funded by Gephardt supporters that aired a notorious ad attacking former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean’s national security credentials by using the visage of Osama bin Laden. ......... “It’s a choice of allowing a party that is trying to kill it to keep power versus a Democratic Party, which isn’t always the greatest ally, but is an ally and isn’t out to kill it every day,” said Jonathan Tasini, the executive director of a pro-labor research group, the Labor Research Association. ... “whoever is the nominee of the Democratic Party is going to have 1,000 percent labor backing.”
Clinton raises record $100 million, says campaign CNN dollars -- the lifeblood of a presidential campaign.
Clinton, Obama Claim $100 Million Raised The Associated Press senator from New York will have raised more than $20 million during the past three months. ....... By only confirming its end-of-year total, Clinton's campaign was drawing attention to the biggest number it plans to report. ..... Plouffe said Obama had 472,630 unique donors as of Sunday evening. ...... Edwards has qualified for $8.8 million in public matching funds, bringing his total for the year to about $44 million. ..... dark horse Ron Paul was reporting having raised $19.5 million during the final three months of the year, a sharp increase from the $5.2 million he raised during the previous. ..... Paul's fourth-quarter haul would surpass the third quarter fundraising by each of his Republican rivals. Paul has caught fire on the Internet, attracting a national following among donors drawn to his opposition to U.S. troops in Iraq and his libertarian views.
Paul Rivals Clinton, Raising Almost $20 Million for Campaign Bloomberg
Clinton's fundraising topped $100M for year; $20M in 4Q USA Today
Clinton doubts new Iowa poll Boston Globe the new Des Moines Register poll that shows Democratic rival Barack Obama widening his lead just days before the crucial caucuses. ...... Obama led with 32 percent, while Clinton stayed at 25 percent and John Edwards stood at 24 percent. Obama rose from 28 percent in late November and had the largest lead of any Democrat all year, thanks to support from likely first-time caucus-goers, including large numbers of independents.

Iowa: One And A Half Victory Parties

There was a part of me that was relaxed: Barack will win Iowa. He will win all four. There was a part of me that was still anxious. Got to watch and make sure though.

First I had thought of going to the party in Harlem. Then I decided to go to the DL21C one near Times Square instead. Elizabeth Caputo's last question to me at the December Baby? party had been "Will you join DL21C?" I said, "I have no interest in DL21C." But later I kind of thought about it and produced this: I Want To Join The DL21C Steering Committee, 2.0 Screen Time, 5.0 Face Time, Of Racialism, Progressive Group Dynamics. I was not going to say no to joining, but I would only join if the organization agreed to go 2.0. I had said, it is that or death to the organization. That was a look at the trends. That was not a "threat." I am in the business of killing rival tech companies, political organizations are not my domain. What I had meant was minus 2.0 DL21C will shrink in size and importance. Just look at BarackObama.com. You think Barack will fold up the tent in January 2009? No way. That is when BarackObama.com will kind of launch. That will be his vehicle for eight years in the White House, that will be the primary attraction of his presidential library. And it is a stripped down version of both Facebook and MeetUp.

I got out of the train and walked over to the venue. Outside there were a few Hillary and a few Obama supporters holding placards for the benefit of TV cameras. I recognized Arthur. One woman gave me a placard to hold and tried to get me on TV. I hope it worked.

There was playful banter among the two crowds. One guy gave me a glove. That was handy in the cold.

Then we all walked in. I was pleasantly surprised to see there were booths for the top three candidates. I mean, DL21C is a neutral organization, officially. Members might have their choices, but the organization is neutral. Like their trip to New Hampshire, it is for supporters of any candidate. But this still surprised me because Danny Hamburger had created a ruckus over email with me about why you are posting links to your blog at the DL21C Facebook group wall? That was the beginning of the end of any semblance of civility between us.

Next time he met me, he growled at me, "I am serious!" And walked away.

I walk inside and see Hakeem Jeffries. I walk over to him. He looked like he just got there. We make small talk. Then he said he was thinking of going to the main Obama 2008 victory party that was somewhere downtown. He asked me if I wanted to go.

I got to know Hakeem before he became an elected official. I like him. NYC political organizations are full of people who are never going to run for anything. But he ran, and I saw it. When you meet him, you meet a pro.

I was not too excited about the prospect of walking outside right after I had just walked in from the cold.

So when I moved on, he was still standing there with a few people. I was a little torn though. But I walked upstairs. I went to the Obama table. Made some small talk. Then situated myself in front of the nearest TV from that table.

Soon enough I find myself flanked. Danny Babyface IamnobabyfacebecauseIgrewabeardsinceyoulastsawme Hamburger to my left. Mike Luchipuchinachi Thereisdumbwrittenallovermeandthereisawhitetrashtatooonmyforehead in the front kind of in the way of the TV. In Berkshire, England, these two would have been skinheads engaged in hate crimes, but here they don't even get to engage in hate speech, so they settle for rude speech. In the solar system they got asteroids. At DL21C they got Danny Babyface IamnobabyfacebecauseIgrewabeardsinceyoulastsawme Hamburger and Mike Luchipuchinachi Thereisdumbwrittenallovermeandthereisawhitetrashtatooonmyforehead. These two are total float objects. They don't have the slightest clue what they are doing on this planet. They don't know where they came from. They have no idea where they are going. They live from one meaningless conversation to the next, one beer to the next. Especially this Mikie guy, there is dumb written on the sole of his feet, I will bet you. His only political relevance is Dave Pollak probably says hello to him once every three months. Otherwise this guy could not speak two sentences of politics. He could not knock on doors to hand out flyers.

I talked about the last hurrah of the white male here a few days back: John Hot Air Edwards. What I meant was Barack's victory and Edwards' loss should not be seen as the last hurrah of the white male. Bill Clinton won for being the best candidate in 1992. In 2008 that best candidate happens to be Barack. This is not about color, this is about merits.

But Danny Babyface IamnobabyfacebecauseIgrewabeardsinceyoulastsawme Hamburger and Mike Luchipuchinachi Thereisdumbwrittenallovermeandthereisawhitetrashtatooonmyforehead are the theme song for the last hurrah of the white male. I have not read any of the Harry Potter books, but I am sure there are characters like these two thrown somewhere in there.

I heard a few repetitions of do you understand, and then leave. Leave? I am thinking Hakeem. Is that guy still downstairs? The idea of his offer sounded tempting. I also thought of this elderly white lady in this story: Holiday Party 4: Is This Where The Bingo Game Is At?. How about giving these two guys the same treatment? Will that make their day? I rushed down to see if Hakeem was still there, but he was gone. I did not know the location for the downtown party. So I turned around to go back up to go get the location from the Obama table. And these two dimwits, I noticed, had followed me out to the gate and had been looking at me walk away. They had expected some kind of a shouting match when they said "Leave!" Nothing dramatic like that happened. Or maybe a fire alarm. I am sure they were gunning for that.

At the gate Mike Luchipuchinachi Thereisdumbwrittenallovermeandthereisawhitetrashtatooonmyforehead says, "Can I help you with something?"

I guess I could have said, go get the flyer on the Obama table that has the directions to the big Obama party downtown, but that would have been a master-servant kind of thing, and I am an egalitarian kind of guy, so I went and got it myself. Arthur at the table is like, "Don't go, don't go!"

The Maoists of Nepal are the biggest, most ultra-left group this world saw after the end of the Cold War. I have played a role in mainstreaming them. That is tough. Two dumb white guy assholes talking rude, that is not tough.

When I got to the location downtown, Jackie had just stepped out to smoke. She gave an excited hello. Inside the place was packed. You could barely walk from one end of the room to the next. I did not see Hakeem but I saw a bunch of others. I was so glad. So many familiar faces. This was not a neutral crowd. Jordan was there. And so many others. People were just happy.

After greeting a few people, I found a place to stand and was glued to the screen. Not long after I felt this gentle nudge to my right. "What are you thinking?"

There was this serene, beautiful, slim woman looking at me. If I look like I am thinking when I am watching TV, I am impressed with myself.

She said she lives in Brooklyn.

"Me too."

"Park Slope."

"I live south of the park. Near the movie theater?"

Yes.

She said she was like Barack, both black and white. I find that so very attractive.

"Everybody's mixed, they just don't say it," she said.

She later asked for my card. My business card is highly misleading. My name on it is correct, everything else is slightly misleading. There is a random number on it that is not a phone number, there is a phone number that does not belong to anybody. There is a website address: the site does not exist. There is an email address that works but that I seldom check. The point being, google my name to get my contact info.

I said to email to my gmail address. She also gave me her email address.

I decided I was going to email her tomorrow. Let's hang out. I like it she lives walking distance. Prospect Park is the most parkey park in the city. She sounded up for it.

For a little while I was a little anxious about the results. Barack was neck and neck with the other two. And I was a little tense. But then soon enough he took the lead and the lead just got wider and wider and wider.

"There is no competition!" I high-fived a few people.

Barack's victory speech said it all. There was no competition. His speech stood out.

DFNYC, Drinking Liberally, Manhattan Young Dems, DL21C. There was this phase when I went to many of their events, and to numerous Nepali events in Queens. Then I veered to Obama 2008 while still going to a few events from the old organizations. I have been one of the early Obama volunteers. But I resisted getting into structured organization from the very beginning. (NYC, Obama, Structure, Me) I am not a blogger, I am a digital democrat. BarackObama.com works great for me, or at least did during summer. You find events to go to, and you go to them. I went to events in all four boroughs. It was so much fun to go to some of these far flung events. So different from the bar routine of the Manhattan events. Like there is this huge garden in Astoria. That was great.

I am so into Obama 2008, but I have stayed away from structural organization. Does not work for me. The group dynamics of a slow moving organization just does not float my boat. And so my style has been to keep the intensity by just showing up to experience events.

But I have met Barack. He is like Muhammad Ali or something. There's no more famous politician to meet after him.

Most important, I have my startup to look into. I am so excited. Finally I might be able to strike the kind of 2.0 and 5.0 balance that I have wanted. Not even corporations have the 2.0, 5.0 thing going on. Political organizations kind of thrive on inefficiency, slow movements, checks and balances, stuff like that.

Barack's Iowa victory has been so clear, it made me want to think in terms of a potential running mate, even though I have said I will not really do so before February 5. Hillary? Edwards? Spitzer? That Virginia guy? Somebody else? Who?

Obama proved something amazing in Iowa, that he could get young people to show up and caucus. This guy is now Mr. Organization Master in my book.