Putting the finishing touches on a week that was meant to be a re-introduction of sorts for her, Michelle Obama on Friday told a women’s advocacy group that helping to improve the lives of working families is a cause that she carries deep in her heart.
“It’s a cause that I have championed and will continue to champion no matter what the outcome of this election,” Mrs. Obama said. She cited her own struggle to balance work and family life along with her husband, Senator Barack Obama, the presumptive Democratic nominee.
Mrs. Obama spoke for just over six minutes at a meeting of the National Partnership for Women and Families, offering both a political message and personal reflections. It was also a pitch specifically aimed at female voters, a group that lined up behind Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton in large numbers during the primaries. The audience seemed receptive, lavishing standing ovations before and after her speech.
She called for an expansion of family and medical leave benefits, health care reform and equality of wages between men and women. “Believe me, when we’re paid less, we know it,” she said.
“I’ve always been, and will probably always be in some way shape or form, a working mom,” Mrs. Obama told the mostly female crowd, adding that she and her husband have been able to make their busy lives work.
But, she said, many of the families that she has met on the campaign trail have not been so lucky.
“I’ve listened to the mother struggling to make ends meet because her salary isn’t keeping up with the cost of groceries for her children,” she said. “And there is the mom who’s nervous about taking time off to care for a sick child, or the mom who is scared to death that her boss will fire her if she finds out that she’s pregnant.”Mrs. Obama was a last-minute addition to the event, organizers said. She was added to the program after the campaign reached out to the women’s group.
Mrs. Obama’s other major public appearance of the week, as a guest host on ABC’s “The View” generated a good deal of attention, not only for the personal anecdotes she shared (”We’re bacon people,” she admitted) and the defense of her patriotism (”Of course I’m proud of my country”), but also for her striking black-and-white print dress.
At Friday’s event, Mrs. Obama avoided the topic of fashion, though the dress she wore on television has been the source of endless chatter in some circles as well as a popular item at boutiques that carry it.
In making her pitch to the women’s organization, Mrs. Obama also did not mention her husband’s former rival, Senator Clinton, or the fact that so many women were passionate about her candidacy.
She left the fence-mending to Gov. Deval Patrick, Democrat of Massachusetts, who also spoke to the group on Friday and referred to the “deep frustration and honest grievances,” that some women felt after the primaries.
Mr. Patrick, a supporter of Senator Obama, made a plea for unity.
“Whether we mourn one primary campaign or celebrate another, our cause is not fulfilled,” he said. “Coming together is our responsibility.”
As Mrs. Obama campaigned in Washington on Friday, Cindy McCain, her Republican counterpart, was traveling in Vietnam on a charity trip. While there, Mrs. McCain, wife of Senator John McCain, criticized the human rights record of the military junta in Myanmar.
Friday, June 20, 2008
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Many Historians See Little Chance for McCain
One week into the general election, the polls show a dead heat. But many presidential scholars doubt that John McCain stands much of a chance, if any.
Historians belonging to both parties offered a litany of historical comparisons that give little hope to the Republican. Several saw Barack Obama’s prospects as the most promising for a Democrat since Roosevelt trounced Hoover in 1932.
“This should be an overwhelming Democratic victory,” said Allan Lichtman, an American University presidential historian who ran in a Maryland Democratic senatorial primary in 2006. Lichtman, whose forecasting model has correctly predicted the last six presidential popular vote winners, predicts that this year, “Republicans face what have always been insurmountable historical odds.” His system gives McCain a score on par with Jimmy Carter’s in 1980.
“McCain shouldn’t win it,” said presidential historian Joan Hoff, a professor at Montana State University and former president of the Center for the Study of the Presidency. She compared McCain’s prospects to those of Hubert Humphrey, whose 1968 loss to Richard Nixon resulted in large part from the unpopularity of sitting Democratic president Lyndon Johnson.
“It is one of the worst political environments for the party in power since World War II,” added Alan Abramowitz, a professor of public opinion and the presidency at Emory University. His forecasting model — which factors in gross domestic product, whether a party has completed two terms in the White House and net presidential approval rating — gives McCain about the same odds as Adlai Stevenson in 1952 and Carter in 1980 — both of whom were handily defeated in elections that returned the presidency to the previously out-of-power party. “It would be a pretty stunning upset if McCain won,” Abramowitz said.
What’s more, Republicans have held the presidency for all but 12 years since the South became solidly Republican in the realignment of 1968 — which is among the longest runs with one party dominating in American history. “These things go in cycles,” said presidential historian Robert Dallek, a professor at the University of California at Los Angeles. “The public gets tired of one approach to politics. There is always a measure of optimism in this country, so they turn to the other party.”
That desire for change also tends to manifest itself at the end of a president’s second term. Only twice in the 20th century has a candidate from the same party as a two-term president won the presidency, most recently in 1988, when George H.W. Bush replaced the term-limited Ronald Reagan, who was about twice as popular in the last year of his presidency as President George W. Bush is now.
But the biggest obstacle in McCain’s path may be running in the same party as the most unpopular president America has had since at least the advent of modern polling. Only Harry Truman and Nixon — both of whom were dogged by unpopular wars abroad and political scandals at home — have been nearly as unpopular in their last year in office, and both men’s parties lost the presidency in the following election.
Though the Democratic-controlled Congress is nearly as unpopular as the president, Lichtman says the Democrats’ 2006 midterm wins resemble the midterm congressional gains of the out-party in 1966 and 1974, which both preceded a retaking of the White House two years later.
One of the few bright spots historians noted is that the public generally does not view McCain as a traditional Republican. And, as Republicans frequently point out, McCain is not an incumbent.
“Open-seat elections are somewhat different, so the referendum aspect is somewhat muted,” said James Campbell, a professor at the State University of New York at Buffalo who specializes in campaigns and elections.
“McCain would be in much better shape if Bush’s approval rating were at 45 to 50 percent,” Campbell continued. “But the history is that in-party candidates are not penalized or rewarded to the same degree as incumbents.”
Campbell still casts McCain as the underdog. But he said McCain might have more appeal to moderates than Obama if the electorate decides McCain is “center right” while Obama is “far left.” Democrats have been repeatedly undone when their nominee was viewed as too liberal, and even as polls show a rise in the number of self-identified Democrats, there has been no corresponding increase in the number of self-identified liberals.
Campbell also notes that McCain may benefit from the Democratic divisions that were on display in the primary, as Republicans did in 1968, when Democratic divisions over the war in Vietnam dogged Humphrey and helped hand Nixon victory.
Still, many historians remain extremely skeptical about McCain’s prospects. “I can’t think of an upset where the underdog faced quite the odds that McCain faces in this election,” said Sidney Milkis, a professor of presidential politics at the University of Virginia. Even "Truman didn’t face as difficult a political context as McCain.”
Historians belonging to both parties offered a litany of historical comparisons that give little hope to the Republican. Several saw Barack Obama’s prospects as the most promising for a Democrat since Roosevelt trounced Hoover in 1932.
“This should be an overwhelming Democratic victory,” said Allan Lichtman, an American University presidential historian who ran in a Maryland Democratic senatorial primary in 2006. Lichtman, whose forecasting model has correctly predicted the last six presidential popular vote winners, predicts that this year, “Republicans face what have always been insurmountable historical odds.” His system gives McCain a score on par with Jimmy Carter’s in 1980.
“McCain shouldn’t win it,” said presidential historian Joan Hoff, a professor at Montana State University and former president of the Center for the Study of the Presidency. She compared McCain’s prospects to those of Hubert Humphrey, whose 1968 loss to Richard Nixon resulted in large part from the unpopularity of sitting Democratic president Lyndon Johnson.
“It is one of the worst political environments for the party in power since World War II,” added Alan Abramowitz, a professor of public opinion and the presidency at Emory University. His forecasting model — which factors in gross domestic product, whether a party has completed two terms in the White House and net presidential approval rating — gives McCain about the same odds as Adlai Stevenson in 1952 and Carter in 1980 — both of whom were handily defeated in elections that returned the presidency to the previously out-of-power party. “It would be a pretty stunning upset if McCain won,” Abramowitz said.
What’s more, Republicans have held the presidency for all but 12 years since the South became solidly Republican in the realignment of 1968 — which is among the longest runs with one party dominating in American history. “These things go in cycles,” said presidential historian Robert Dallek, a professor at the University of California at Los Angeles. “The public gets tired of one approach to politics. There is always a measure of optimism in this country, so they turn to the other party.”
That desire for change also tends to manifest itself at the end of a president’s second term. Only twice in the 20th century has a candidate from the same party as a two-term president won the presidency, most recently in 1988, when George H.W. Bush replaced the term-limited Ronald Reagan, who was about twice as popular in the last year of his presidency as President George W. Bush is now.
But the biggest obstacle in McCain’s path may be running in the same party as the most unpopular president America has had since at least the advent of modern polling. Only Harry Truman and Nixon — both of whom were dogged by unpopular wars abroad and political scandals at home — have been nearly as unpopular in their last year in office, and both men’s parties lost the presidency in the following election.
Though the Democratic-controlled Congress is nearly as unpopular as the president, Lichtman says the Democrats’ 2006 midterm wins resemble the midterm congressional gains of the out-party in 1966 and 1974, which both preceded a retaking of the White House two years later.
One of the few bright spots historians noted is that the public generally does not view McCain as a traditional Republican. And, as Republicans frequently point out, McCain is not an incumbent.
“Open-seat elections are somewhat different, so the referendum aspect is somewhat muted,” said James Campbell, a professor at the State University of New York at Buffalo who specializes in campaigns and elections.
“McCain would be in much better shape if Bush’s approval rating were at 45 to 50 percent,” Campbell continued. “But the history is that in-party candidates are not penalized or rewarded to the same degree as incumbents.”
Campbell still casts McCain as the underdog. But he said McCain might have more appeal to moderates than Obama if the electorate decides McCain is “center right” while Obama is “far left.” Democrats have been repeatedly undone when their nominee was viewed as too liberal, and even as polls show a rise in the number of self-identified Democrats, there has been no corresponding increase in the number of self-identified liberals.
Campbell also notes that McCain may benefit from the Democratic divisions that were on display in the primary, as Republicans did in 1968, when Democratic divisions over the war in Vietnam dogged Humphrey and helped hand Nixon victory.
Still, many historians remain extremely skeptical about McCain’s prospects. “I can’t think of an upset where the underdog faced quite the odds that McCain faces in this election,” said Sidney Milkis, a professor of presidential politics at the University of Virginia. Even "Truman didn’t face as difficult a political context as McCain.”
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Michelle Obama Becomes GOP Target
It’s less than a week into the general election campaign, but already Michelle Obama is a Republican target.
Former Secretary of State Lawrence Eagleburger leveled the first blow, introducing Republican John McCain’s wife at a fundraiser this week as someone who is “proud of her country, not just once but always.” Obama wasn’t mentioned by name, but the audience got it.
The dig signaled the start of what Democrats expect will be a concerted effort to cast Michelle Obama — and, by extension, Barack Obama — as an unpatriotic radical. It also pointed out the urgency to define Michelle Obama to general election voters before the opposition goes too far in doing it for her, strategists said.
“We live now in an era where everything and everyone is fair game,” said Douglas E. Schoen, who was a pollster and adviser to former President Bill Clinton from 1994 to 2000. “It is certainly the case that Teresa Heinz Kerry was probably not an asset in John Kerry’s campaign, at least publicly, and the jury is still out on how the public will view Michelle Obama.”
Despite being a steady presence at her husband’s side on primary election nights, and sitting for occasional media interviews, Michelle Obama remains an unfamiliar figure to most voters, strategists said. When she campaigned in recent months, it was almost always alone and in small settings. The most sustained attention she received on cable news shows was for her controversial February statement leaving the impression that she wasn’t proud of her country until this year.
“There is no reason to expect her to have a brand. But the campaign needs to start doing that,” said Erik Smith, a Democratic strategist and aide to former Rep. Richard Gephardt during his 2004 presidential campaign. “Defining Michelle Obama goes a long way in defining Barack Obama. I am sure it is a campaign priority.”
Indeed, when the campaign launched a website today to combat rumors about Barack Obama's patriotism, his religion and his family, the first entry dealt with his wife.
Other efforts are on tap. She joins the candidate Friday for a roundtable in Ohio with senior citizens and appears as a guest host next week on "The View," the popular daytime talk show, giving her access to friendly, high-profile platforms. Campaign aides said they are “staffing up across the board,” including for Michelle Obama — a move that Schoen said reflects the need to “manage the image and utterances of the spouse.”
The heightened scrutiny “requires a level of staffing and attention to detail that goes beyond what spouses have typically gotten,” Schoen said.
Most voters likely won't decide which candidate to support based on wives. Only 22 percent of respondents in a Rasmussen Reports survey released Wednesday said their perception of the spouse is very important to how they vote. But the more people learn about her, the more people understand her husband, strategists said.
Former Secretary of State Lawrence Eagleburger leveled the first blow, introducing Republican John McCain’s wife at a fundraiser this week as someone who is “proud of her country, not just once but always.” Obama wasn’t mentioned by name, but the audience got it.
The dig signaled the start of what Democrats expect will be a concerted effort to cast Michelle Obama — and, by extension, Barack Obama — as an unpatriotic radical. It also pointed out the urgency to define Michelle Obama to general election voters before the opposition goes too far in doing it for her, strategists said.
“We live now in an era where everything and everyone is fair game,” said Douglas E. Schoen, who was a pollster and adviser to former President Bill Clinton from 1994 to 2000. “It is certainly the case that Teresa Heinz Kerry was probably not an asset in John Kerry’s campaign, at least publicly, and the jury is still out on how the public will view Michelle Obama.”
Despite being a steady presence at her husband’s side on primary election nights, and sitting for occasional media interviews, Michelle Obama remains an unfamiliar figure to most voters, strategists said. When she campaigned in recent months, it was almost always alone and in small settings. The most sustained attention she received on cable news shows was for her controversial February statement leaving the impression that she wasn’t proud of her country until this year.
“There is no reason to expect her to have a brand. But the campaign needs to start doing that,” said Erik Smith, a Democratic strategist and aide to former Rep. Richard Gephardt during his 2004 presidential campaign. “Defining Michelle Obama goes a long way in defining Barack Obama. I am sure it is a campaign priority.”
Indeed, when the campaign launched a website today to combat rumors about Barack Obama's patriotism, his religion and his family, the first entry dealt with his wife.
Other efforts are on tap. She joins the candidate Friday for a roundtable in Ohio with senior citizens and appears as a guest host next week on "The View," the popular daytime talk show, giving her access to friendly, high-profile platforms. Campaign aides said they are “staffing up across the board,” including for Michelle Obama — a move that Schoen said reflects the need to “manage the image and utterances of the spouse.”
The heightened scrutiny “requires a level of staffing and attention to detail that goes beyond what spouses have typically gotten,” Schoen said.
Most voters likely won't decide which candidate to support based on wives. Only 22 percent of respondents in a Rasmussen Reports survey released Wednesday said their perception of the spouse is very important to how they vote. But the more people learn about her, the more people understand her husband, strategists said.
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Will Clinton Take the Blame if Obama Falls?
In classic Washington finger-pointing style, the Democratic primary is only barely over but the recriminations are already being teed up.
The main thrust of them is this: Will supporters of Sen. Barack Obama blame Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton if Obama loses in November?
While the point might eventually prove moot, her decision to remain in the race well past the point in which Obama appeared to have an insurmountable delegate lead has nevertheless generated discussion about what responsibility, if any, she might bear in the event of an Obama loss.
“If the Democrats don’t win the White House back this fall there will be a hard core contingent of young Obama supporters who will be extremely disappointed,” said Alexandra Acker, executive director of the Young Democrats of America. “They will be looking for someone to blame and some may look to the long primary.”
Democratic strategists, elected officials and political analysts interviewed by Politico agreed that any debate that surfaces over her culpability will be colored by how hard Clinton works to heal the rift between now and Election Day.
“Attitudes about Sen. Clinton among Obama supporters will be shaped almost entirely by her attitude, effort, and success in bringing the party together over the next several months,” said Jim Jordan, a Democratic consultant, in an email interview.
“[The question is] does Sen. Clinton go through the motions or does she go all out?” said Peter Hart, a Democratic pollster. “That is easily seen by the voters and the party leaders.”
Hart noted that the tone of the Democratic National Convention will also determine the course of the blame game.
“No one blames John Kerry’s loss on his opponents,” said Hart. “But many of the [Jimmy] Carter folks blame Ted Kennedy for the effect of the 1980 convention.”
Strategists close to the Clintons express confidence that they will work hard for Obama.
“The Clintons are politically astute and it’s in their interest to do everything they can to support Obama,” said Chris Lehane, a Democratic consultant who worked in the Clinton White House and supported Hillary Clinton in the campaign.
Yet even if Hillary Clinton goes to great lengths to ensure Obama’s election, there’s no guarantee she’ll emerge unscathed from an Obama loss.
“I don’t think there’s any doubt that fingers will be pointed,” said Thomas Schaller, a political scientist at the University of Maryland-Baltimore County.
“Obama supporters will blame Hillary. … Hillary supporters will say 'I told you so,'” said pollster Scott Rasmussen in an e-mail.
Most Democrats, however, express confidence that once the general election begins in earnest, voters will become too absorbed in it to reflect back on the primary.
“The nature of this race is going to change almost overnight,” said Mike Feldman, a Democratic strategist who worked for Al Gore and was unaligned in this primary. “I don’t think that people are going to be looking back at the primary.”
“I think the mindset will shift very quickly to Obama-McCain,” said Rep. Artur Davis of Alabama.
If there is an epidemic of finger-pointing in November, say some Democrats, it’s likely to take root among Obama’s most devoted constituencies — young voters and African-Americans.
But Davis said that whatever resentment African-Americans may feel toward the Clintons at the moment will be quickly overshadowed by the harsher attacks Obama will face in the general election.
“If anyone thinks the Clintons ran a divisive campaign, they haven’t seen what the Republicans will do this fall,” said Davis.
Obama’s young fans, said Acker, will be watching his reaction closely.
“I think young people will take their cues from the Obama campaign,” she said. “Sen. Obama will have a lot of power to encourage his young supporters to maintain their enthusiasm.”
The main thrust of them is this: Will supporters of Sen. Barack Obama blame Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton if Obama loses in November?
While the point might eventually prove moot, her decision to remain in the race well past the point in which Obama appeared to have an insurmountable delegate lead has nevertheless generated discussion about what responsibility, if any, she might bear in the event of an Obama loss.
“If the Democrats don’t win the White House back this fall there will be a hard core contingent of young Obama supporters who will be extremely disappointed,” said Alexandra Acker, executive director of the Young Democrats of America. “They will be looking for someone to blame and some may look to the long primary.”
Democratic strategists, elected officials and political analysts interviewed by Politico agreed that any debate that surfaces over her culpability will be colored by how hard Clinton works to heal the rift between now and Election Day.
“Attitudes about Sen. Clinton among Obama supporters will be shaped almost entirely by her attitude, effort, and success in bringing the party together over the next several months,” said Jim Jordan, a Democratic consultant, in an email interview.
“[The question is] does Sen. Clinton go through the motions or does she go all out?” said Peter Hart, a Democratic pollster. “That is easily seen by the voters and the party leaders.”
Hart noted that the tone of the Democratic National Convention will also determine the course of the blame game.
“No one blames John Kerry’s loss on his opponents,” said Hart. “But many of the [Jimmy] Carter folks blame Ted Kennedy for the effect of the 1980 convention.”
Strategists close to the Clintons express confidence that they will work hard for Obama.
“The Clintons are politically astute and it’s in their interest to do everything they can to support Obama,” said Chris Lehane, a Democratic consultant who worked in the Clinton White House and supported Hillary Clinton in the campaign.
Yet even if Hillary Clinton goes to great lengths to ensure Obama’s election, there’s no guarantee she’ll emerge unscathed from an Obama loss.
“I don’t think there’s any doubt that fingers will be pointed,” said Thomas Schaller, a political scientist at the University of Maryland-Baltimore County.
“Obama supporters will blame Hillary. … Hillary supporters will say 'I told you so,'” said pollster Scott Rasmussen in an e-mail.
Most Democrats, however, express confidence that once the general election begins in earnest, voters will become too absorbed in it to reflect back on the primary.
“The nature of this race is going to change almost overnight,” said Mike Feldman, a Democratic strategist who worked for Al Gore and was unaligned in this primary. “I don’t think that people are going to be looking back at the primary.”
“I think the mindset will shift very quickly to Obama-McCain,” said Rep. Artur Davis of Alabama.
If there is an epidemic of finger-pointing in November, say some Democrats, it’s likely to take root among Obama’s most devoted constituencies — young voters and African-Americans.
But Davis said that whatever resentment African-Americans may feel toward the Clintons at the moment will be quickly overshadowed by the harsher attacks Obama will face in the general election.
“If anyone thinks the Clintons ran a divisive campaign, they haven’t seen what the Republicans will do this fall,” said Davis.
Obama’s young fans, said Acker, will be watching his reaction closely.
“I think young people will take their cues from the Obama campaign,” she said. “Sen. Obama will have a lot of power to encourage his young supporters to maintain their enthusiasm.”
A New York Moment Waiting to Happen
Updated The Obama and McCain campaigns have apparently rejected the invitation from New York’s Mayor Michael Bloomberg and ABC News to hold the first town-hall meeting between the two in Manhattan.
Bill Burton, a spokesman for the Obama campaign, said:
Both campaigns have indicated that any additional appearances will be open to all networks for broadcast on TV or internet like the presidential commission debates rather than sponsored by a single network or news organization.
Tucker Bounds, a spokesman for the McCain campaign, expressed a similar sentiment:
“Both campaigns agree the town hall meetings will be open to press but not sponsored or moderated by the press.”
End Update.
We’re moving on, it seems, to the general election cycle, and that idea of town-hall meetings between the two presidential candidates just got lifted a little bit more into the realm of possibility.
Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg of New York and David Westin, the president of ABC News, sent a joint letter (interesting no?) to both campaigns, proposing a 90-minute gabfest with the two candidates at Federal Hall in Lower Manhattan.
No date has been set. The proposal suggests Diane Sawyer as the moderator.
In the letter, Mr. Bloomberg and Mr. Westin say:
We are thrilled to see you both embrace the idea of joint town hall meetings where voters can an have unfiltered opportunity to hear how each candidate would address the great issues facing our country.
On behalf of the City of New York and ABC News we respectfully offer to host and broadcast the first of these town halls on a date that can be agreed upon by all parties.
Just a few days ago, Senator John McCain proposed a series of joint town-hall meetings with Senator Barack Obama. Remember that town-hall settings proved to be Mr. McCain’s strength and his campaign life-boat, especially in New Hampshire where he held more than a hundred, going from town to town, that helped him win the state’s primary and indeed, resurrected his candidacy.
Our colleague Michael Cooper reported in the last week that the Obama campaign responded by indicating a willingness to conduct joint events, but said that it preferred the “Lincoln-Douglas”-style debate format.
No agreement has been reached between the two campaigns for a summerlong debate/town-hall experience, yet. Will they agree to let New York hold the first such event?
Stay tuned, as they say. The general cycle has officially begun.
Bill Burton, a spokesman for the Obama campaign, said:
Both campaigns have indicated that any additional appearances will be open to all networks for broadcast on TV or internet like the presidential commission debates rather than sponsored by a single network or news organization.
Tucker Bounds, a spokesman for the McCain campaign, expressed a similar sentiment:
“Both campaigns agree the town hall meetings will be open to press but not sponsored or moderated by the press.”
End Update.
We’re moving on, it seems, to the general election cycle, and that idea of town-hall meetings between the two presidential candidates just got lifted a little bit more into the realm of possibility.
Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg of New York and David Westin, the president of ABC News, sent a joint letter (interesting no?) to both campaigns, proposing a 90-minute gabfest with the two candidates at Federal Hall in Lower Manhattan.
No date has been set. The proposal suggests Diane Sawyer as the moderator.
In the letter, Mr. Bloomberg and Mr. Westin say:
We are thrilled to see you both embrace the idea of joint town hall meetings where voters can an have unfiltered opportunity to hear how each candidate would address the great issues facing our country.
On behalf of the City of New York and ABC News we respectfully offer to host and broadcast the first of these town halls on a date that can be agreed upon by all parties.
Just a few days ago, Senator John McCain proposed a series of joint town-hall meetings with Senator Barack Obama. Remember that town-hall settings proved to be Mr. McCain’s strength and his campaign life-boat, especially in New Hampshire where he held more than a hundred, going from town to town, that helped him win the state’s primary and indeed, resurrected his candidacy.
Our colleague Michael Cooper reported in the last week that the Obama campaign responded by indicating a willingness to conduct joint events, but said that it preferred the “Lincoln-Douglas”-style debate format.
No agreement has been reached between the two campaigns for a summerlong debate/town-hall experience, yet. Will they agree to let New York hold the first such event?
Stay tuned, as they say. The general cycle has officially begun.
Friday, June 6, 2008
VoteBoth's Petition Draws Thousands
VoteBoth, the organization that is aggressively seeking to land Hillary Clinton on Barack Obama's presidential ticket, says it has upwards of 25,000 signatures on its petition calling for the New York senator to serve as No. 2.
According to the group's co-founder, Sam Arora, the vast majority of those signatures came entirely after Obama clinched the party's nomination Thursday and were generated largely on media buzz and interest in the potential for a unity ticket.
"The online activity we've seen is a sneak peak at the millions of Democrats who are hoping for an Obama-Clinton dream ticket," Arora told CNN.
"The choice is Sen. Obama's alone, and we hope to continue making the case to him that choosing Sen. Clinton would unite the Party and lead us to victory in November," he also said.
Those who have signed the petition include several prominent Democrats, most of whom were backers of Clinton, including Govs. Ed Rendell and Tom Vilsack and Sens. Chuck Schumer and Dianne Feinstein.
Since Obama officially clinched the nomination Tuesday night, several high-profile backers of Clinton have publicly urged she serve as the Illinois senator's running mate.
Clinton even reportedly said she was open to the possibility in a conference call with supporters earlier this week, though her campaign issued a statement saying she is not actively seeking the job.
Arora said the organization will continue to step up its efforts for a unity ticket, and explore several different avenues for getting its message out. On Thursday, ardent Clinton support Lanny Davis, whose fierce support of the former presidential candidate has become a fixture on cable news shows, signed on to the group as a senior adviser.
According to the group's co-founder, Sam Arora, the vast majority of those signatures came entirely after Obama clinched the party's nomination Thursday and were generated largely on media buzz and interest in the potential for a unity ticket.
"The online activity we've seen is a sneak peak at the millions of Democrats who are hoping for an Obama-Clinton dream ticket," Arora told CNN.
"The choice is Sen. Obama's alone, and we hope to continue making the case to him that choosing Sen. Clinton would unite the Party and lead us to victory in November," he also said.
Those who have signed the petition include several prominent Democrats, most of whom were backers of Clinton, including Govs. Ed Rendell and Tom Vilsack and Sens. Chuck Schumer and Dianne Feinstein.
Since Obama officially clinched the nomination Tuesday night, several high-profile backers of Clinton have publicly urged she serve as the Illinois senator's running mate.
Clinton even reportedly said she was open to the possibility in a conference call with supporters earlier this week, though her campaign issued a statement saying she is not actively seeking the job.
Arora said the organization will continue to step up its efforts for a unity ticket, and explore several different avenues for getting its message out. On Thursday, ardent Clinton support Lanny Davis, whose fierce support of the former presidential candidate has become a fixture on cable news shows, signed on to the group as a senior adviser.
Clinton’s Bids Farewell to Staff
Senator Hillary Clinton’s campaign staffers showed up to her house in Washington Friday afternoon for a private farewell party and a celebration of her presidential bid as it winds down. Several high-profile supporters of Mrs. Clinton were on hand, along with hundreds of younger staffers clad in flip-flops and spring attire.
Representative Stephanie Tubbs Jones of Ohio said after the event that the overall mood was upbeat. “This is a fantastic group of young people who can hold their heads up high,” she said in referring to Mrs. Clinton’s staffers. She said that guests dined on hamburgers, and that President Clinton was present at the event.Loud applause could be heard from outside of the home, though Mrs. Clinton’s words were barely audible from the street as she addressed the crowd. A handful of curious on-lookers showed up for the event and watched curbside as people streamed in and out for the event.
Tomorrow Mrs. Clinton will officially end her White House bid at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C., and will endorse the candidacy of Senator Barack Obama.
Representative Stephanie Tubbs Jones of Ohio said after the event that the overall mood was upbeat. “This is a fantastic group of young people who can hold their heads up high,” she said in referring to Mrs. Clinton’s staffers. She said that guests dined on hamburgers, and that President Clinton was present at the event.Loud applause could be heard from outside of the home, though Mrs. Clinton’s words were barely audible from the street as she addressed the crowd. A handful of curious on-lookers showed up for the event and watched curbside as people streamed in and out for the event.
Tomorrow Mrs. Clinton will officially end her White House bid at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C., and will endorse the candidacy of Senator Barack Obama.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Cold or No Cold?
Is he sick or not sick?
Senator John McCain’s presidential campaign caused a bit of a buzz when it abruptly sent out an e-mail to reporters Thursday saying his public events the following day—a town hall and news conference–in Pennsylvania were being canceled.
Several political bloggers reported he had a cold and was feeling under the weather, citing unnamed campaign aides. An aide also confirmed to The Times that Mr. McCain has a cold. But Brooke Buchanan, Mr. McCain’s traveling press secretary, hurried over to reporters before a town hall meeting here and told them the senator was not sick at all.
Ms. Buchanan said she was mystified at where the illness rumors were coming from. After all, she said, he was plunging ahead with his town hall meeting at a high school here and a fund-raiser this evening.
“He’s not sick,” she said. “Otherwise, we would have canceled this.“It really is a scheduling issue,” she added but did not elaborate.
Indeed, Mr. McCain did not seem at all under the weather during his hour-long town hall meeting here, which aides said drew over a thousand people.
He continued with gusto the running count he began Wednesday of how many days it has been since Senator Barack Obama, Mr. McCain’s likely Democratic opponent, has been to Iraq; he listened patiently but responded forcefully as a woman pressed him about whether the war in Iraq was hurting the economy; and he argued vigorously that he had a “record” of working in a bipartisan fashion, as opposed to mere “rhetoric.”
The possibility that Mr. McCain might be feeling a bit rundown from campaigning is, of course, a bit more of sensitive topic than it might be for the typical candidate.
Mr. McCain’s age, 71, continues to be a source of concern for at least some voters. Last week, reporters pored over hundreds of pages of medical records his campaign released.
As part of an effort to deflect concerns about his age and vitality, Mr. McCain has kept up a vigorous campaign schedule, which often kept him going from early in the morning to late at night–although it has become much more focused on fund-raising event over the past few months.
Instead of flying to Pennsylvania Friday, Mr. McCain will hold a news conference in Milwaukee at 1 p.m. and then fly on to Long Island for a fund-raiser, before returning to Washington late that evening.
Still a long day.
Senator John McCain’s presidential campaign caused a bit of a buzz when it abruptly sent out an e-mail to reporters Thursday saying his public events the following day—a town hall and news conference–in Pennsylvania were being canceled.
Several political bloggers reported he had a cold and was feeling under the weather, citing unnamed campaign aides. An aide also confirmed to The Times that Mr. McCain has a cold. But Brooke Buchanan, Mr. McCain’s traveling press secretary, hurried over to reporters before a town hall meeting here and told them the senator was not sick at all.
Ms. Buchanan said she was mystified at where the illness rumors were coming from. After all, she said, he was plunging ahead with his town hall meeting at a high school here and a fund-raiser this evening.
“He’s not sick,” she said. “Otherwise, we would have canceled this.“It really is a scheduling issue,” she added but did not elaborate.
Indeed, Mr. McCain did not seem at all under the weather during his hour-long town hall meeting here, which aides said drew over a thousand people.
He continued with gusto the running count he began Wednesday of how many days it has been since Senator Barack Obama, Mr. McCain’s likely Democratic opponent, has been to Iraq; he listened patiently but responded forcefully as a woman pressed him about whether the war in Iraq was hurting the economy; and he argued vigorously that he had a “record” of working in a bipartisan fashion, as opposed to mere “rhetoric.”
The possibility that Mr. McCain might be feeling a bit rundown from campaigning is, of course, a bit more of sensitive topic than it might be for the typical candidate.
Mr. McCain’s age, 71, continues to be a source of concern for at least some voters. Last week, reporters pored over hundreds of pages of medical records his campaign released.
As part of an effort to deflect concerns about his age and vitality, Mr. McCain has kept up a vigorous campaign schedule, which often kept him going from early in the morning to late at night–although it has become much more focused on fund-raising event over the past few months.
Instead of flying to Pennsylvania Friday, Mr. McCain will hold a news conference in Milwaukee at 1 p.m. and then fly on to Long Island for a fund-raiser, before returning to Washington late that evening.
Still a long day.
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