Race, Rev. Wright, "bitter gate", Fox news, ABC news, etc. None of that stuff matters nearly as much as organization and hard work.

Posted at May 9, 2008 7:34 AM in response to IN Sec. of State final total: Hillary only won by less than 1%

Depends on how the winner wins and the loser loses. This is mostly a test of Howard Dean.

Posted at May 7, 2008 2:35 AM in response to Catholics, African-Americans, women, latte drinkers...

I'm black and I support Obama because of his policies. I like his health care plan better than hers. I like his foreign policy a lot better than hers. Her gas tax stupidity and her "massive retaliation" lunacy only sealed the deal. For all her policy wonkishness, she has embraced a number of incredibly stupid ideas.

That said, I think your point about Obama providing a bridge of trust between black and white Americans is real and meaningful. I hope no one votes for Obama just because he is (actually half) black as much as I hope no one votes against him only because he is black. But I am glad that white Americans - especially younger white Americans - can see some benefit to themselves and to this country derived from judging a candidate on his ideas, his record and his judgment, and not on the color of his skin.

Posted at May 4, 2008 8:59 PM in response to I Maybe Think We're Going to Be Okay

If Obama can not convince white working class voters as the nominee, he will lose to McCain. If Clinton cannot win a large majority of black voters, she will lose to McCain. Clinton deliberately alienated black voters since South Carolina. Obama has courted white working class voters but they still prefer Clinton.

Mrs. Clinton's strategy to damage Obama so much that he would lose to McCain and she could run again in 2012 has made the Republican's job much easier in 2008. Much much easier. This has made a Republican victory in November a near certainty. I hope Democrats remember her role in this in 4 years. She chose to ally herself with Republicans despite the fact that he brought massive new voters to the Democratic party, out organized, out fund-raised and went far less negative than she did. Clinton selfishness is legendary but it is becoming a liabilty to Democrats.

Posted at April 26, 2008 1:28 AM in response to Does The Democratic Party Want Black Voters?

Experienced political watchers tell me that campaigns end when the money runs out. I believe this is the end.

Posted at April 22, 2008 2:10 AM in response to March FEC Report: Clinton Further in Debt

You may be right. I don't think Sen. Clinton would lie when the truth was so accessible to the news media and her opponents. I'll bet she mixed emotion, the Snowe story and the actual events and came up with an emotionally true, but factually false result. I honestly don't believe she intentionally lied about Tuzla.

I am an Obama supporter, but I have long had an affection for Sen. Clinton. Before Iowa, I expected she would beat Obama handily and steadily secure the nomination. I thought Obama would make a good showing, establish a national reputation for himself and become well placed for 2012 or 2016. One of my biggest disappointments of this campaign has been some of Sen. Clinton's strategy failures and tactical missteps combined with her kitchen sink strategy. She has lost some of her luster.

I expect she will be back. She is an impressive politician and deserves great respect (just not the nomination.)

Posted at April 19, 2008 9:26 AM in response to An emotional memory -- the truth behind Hillary's Bosnia recollections

Why would a guy not wear a lapel pin with the flag on it? Well during the last eight years America's most prominent pin wearer has stood for a foreign policy that rejected any notion of cooperation with allies or former allies. I think it's fair to say that the lapel pin wearing crowd has changed the meaning of this little accessory. When they put it on, it stopped representing an uncomplicated love of America and it's ideals, and morphed into a symbol of American un-restrained power and unilateralism. If I were a guy who wanted to represent change, I might keep the pin in the drawer, as a subtle way to suggest that my approach to foreign relations will be different. My approach will seek opportunities for us to cooperate with our allies, negotiate respectfully with our enemies and seek to make progress through good faith diplomacy. In other words, I don't wear a lapel pin because George Bush does and I want to look different from him. I want America to seem less arrogant and snarling and more reasonable and practical to allies and enemies alike and sometimes if you want people to believe you are different, you have to look different.

Change, after all, requires not doing what has been done in the past.

Posted at April 19, 2008 12:51 AM in response to PRESIDENCY IS BARACK'S TO LOSE

I agree with your post. I think Obama's campaign will be looked at in 10-20 years as the first "modern" campaign (Howard Dean's will be pre-modern) for exactly the reasons you identify. The most encouraging development of 2008 is the drastic decline in the power of TV stations and newspapers to influence public opinion.

Obama is the first major beneficiary.

Excellent work.

Posted at April 18, 2008 8:50 PM in response to Politics 3.0

I, too, have been disappointed with Krugman but compared to ABC he, at least, attacks Obama on substance (the state of the economy under Bill, whether rural middle class voters base their votes on religious preferences or non-economic issues). Krugman lost it just before and after South Carolina, but now, still a HRC supporter, he is attacking on substance. No other member of the Obama pile on team (Hannity, Brooks, Stephanopolis, Gibson, etc.) is going after Obama on substance. Krug gets credit for that.

The real story is that the pile on is working against HRC nationally (Newsweek poll and in PA). HRC ran a preview of Republican attacks and her nastiness hurts her. I hope Rove sends McCain some new tactic; he will need it.

Posted at April 18, 2008 8:35 PM in response to Did Paul Krugman Just Concede Defeat for His Gal Hillary?

Greg I agree with your plea for civility.

I agree that sometimes Obama supporters (though not the candidate himself) fail to remain civil.

Both candidates seek the Democratic nomination, but Senator Clinton and Senator Obama are not on the same side and neither are each candidate's supporters.

Her tactics since before the South Carolina primary have convinced me that she is a poor choice for president. I consider her only marginally better than Senator McCain and I deplore her behavior during the primary.

I hope Senator Obama wins the nomination. I also hope he beats John McCain. If Senator Clinton wins the nomination, I will vote for her with great regret.

Posted at April 14, 2008 6:39 PM in response to Obama supporters respect Sen Clinton