February 5: Big Prizes

Barackface: 173 Vs 1433 Delegates: February 5 Is Key (August 31, 2007)

The February 5 states have been holding up. There is some movement as Obama gains in name recognition, but otherwise the February 5 states are acting like the January states don't matter. Howard Dean might just have managed to scuttle the importance of the early states in the nomination process.

Clinton, California

I am impressed with Hillary's strength in California. It has largely sustained. If she carries New York and California by a decent margin, it is over.

500 Years, 10,000 Years

White folks carry 500 years worth of guilt. Men carry 10,000 years worth of guilt. I think it is inevitable by now that both Barack and Hillary are going to end up on the ticket. It is just that people like me hope it is Barack, and Hillary supporters support Hillary. We are all Democrats, we are all progressives. This is our year.

Hillary's Gender Card

It worked great twice. She cried in New Hampshire. She talked Monica in Nevada. Expect her to play the gender card again on February 4.

Could Barack Turn It Around

I think he could. He has to address the race issue head on, or the racial polarization from his South Carolina victory will hurt him on February 5. Barack has to tackle race and gender.

Tackling Race As An Issue The Average Person Way
How To Play The Race Card In South Carolina

Amazing

I think we are at an amazing point in history when we find a black dude and a woman are going to be on the same winning ticket. The collective guilt on race and gender has hit tipping point. And these are two amazingly talented people. If you are a black guy, and if you are a woman, you necessarily have to be extra smart to get to the top. These two are extra smart.

Gender

There are so many women out there. And gender as it might play out in relationships, and career challenges, they are all over the place. I can see why women might identify with Hillary. They might feel like, finally, after a lifetime of getting gender-skewed by the social reality. They might also feel like if not now then when. It might be a long time before another viable woman candidate shows up. But if Hillary becomes Vice President or President, I think that will begin a new era of women rising up in politics, in this country and in most other countries.

Bill Clinton Is Loving It

He is one of those guys born for retail politics. He is loving it in South Carolina, pressing the flesh.

600 Page Hits

Looks like this blog got 600 page hits yesterday.

In The News

India must be in expanded G8, says Sarkozy Hindustan Times
China’s growth up to 11.4% amid inflation fears Financial Times

Tough to Campaign for Hillary, Bill Clinton Says New York Times campaigning for his wife was much harder than campaigning for himself ...... “When I was running, I didn’t give a rip what anybody said about me. It’s weird, you know, but if you love somebody, you’d think they’d be good — it’s harder.” ...... But Mrs. Clinton is back in South Carolina today, and it will be interesting to see how much attention shifts back to her.
WRAPUP 1-Obama dips but still has big South Carolina lead Reuters
Clinton, McCain Top US Presidential Campaign Polls Voice of America
Obama takes on the black community's homophobia Guardian Unlimited
Times poll finds Clinton holding on to lead Los Angeles Times Clinton maintains a solid lead in her party's presidential race among Democratic voters nationwide ....... Clinton was preferred by 42% of the likely Democratic voters polled, and Obama by 33% -- a significant increase for the senator from Illinois since a similar poll in early December, when he was the choice of 21%. Support for the senator from New York remained virtually unchanged over that period. ...... a pronounced racial divide among Democratic voters: About two-thirds of black respondents said they would vote for Obama, whereas only about a fourth of white respondents said he was their choice. ....... slightly more Edwards voters leaned toward Clinton than toward Obama ...... Most Clinton voters said they would like to see their candidate choose Obama as her running mate. Most Obama voters said they would like to see him choose Clinton for the second spot. ....... Obama's lead fell 3 points overnight to give him a 39 percent to 24 percent edge over Clinton in South Carolina ....... Edwards, a former senator from neighboring North Carolina, climbed four points to reach 19 percent -- within striking distance of Clinton and second place. ........ "Since the debate, Obama and Clinton have dropped and Edwards has been rising," Zogby said. ........ Support for Obama, an Illinois senator who would be the first black U.S. president, fell from 65 percent to 56 percent among African-Americans ...... Edwards held a slight lead over Clinton among likely white voters at 35 percent to 32 percent. Obama had 19 percent. ..... "If the trajectories continue, it's within the realm of possibility that Clinton could come in third," Zogby said.
Giuliani's Florida Win Appears in Danger The Associated Press
Obama Gains on Clinton, McCain Moves Ahead as Giuliani Stumbles Bloomberg voters say they want both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama on a national ticket ...... Three out of five supporters of each candidate say they would like Clinton or Obama, if nominated, to choose the other as a running mate. ...... no contender in either party can claim the title of front- runner ..... ``She's really intelligent and straightforward and she's a good problem solver. He lifts your imagination.''