Obama Up in Indiana and North Carolina Polls May 4

zogby: obama is up in north carolina by 9 and up in indiana by 2.

The Shrinking Republicans

a good analysis of why the electoral map isn't like it used to be:

Three long-term trends have been especially significant in this regard: increasing racial diversity, declining rates of marriage, and changes in religious beliefs. As a result of these trends, today's voters are less likely to be white, less likely to be married, and less likely to consider themselves Christians than voters of just a few decades ago.

The combined impact of these trends on the composition of the electorate has been dramatic. Married white Christians now make up less than half of all voters in the United States and less than one fifth of voters under the age of 30. The declining proportion of married white Christians in the electorate has important political implications because in recent years married white Christians have been among the most loyal supporters of the Republican Party. In American politics today, whether you are a married white Christian is a much stronger predictor of your political preferences than your gender or your class -- the two demographic characteristics that dominate much of the debate on contemporary American politics.

republicans are shrinking in more than one way:

But to go from this to the vicious attempt to portray Obama as a fraud, an actor, and another phony politician is a sign of the hard right's nervousness. When you listen to Sean Hannity, you hear someone who looks at Obama and sees every racial fear he has ever had about black Democrats personified. The difficulty of making distinctions between, say, Sharpton, Jackson and Obama is just too much for him. They're all black Democrats, aren't they? They must all be traitors or far left anti-American hate-mongers. He doesn't even hear the broader Obama message, the full Obama manifesto, the book, the countless speeches, and interviews and debates in which Obama's broader post-racial, post-partisan appeal is exposed. One can only hope that most people will see the full picture. But the right-wing freak show machine will do all it can to prevent it.

for the right wing republicans, it's all about race, isn't it? in this video, bill moyers says as a nation, we should be ashamed of ourselves. indeed. what a pathetic frenzy we've been in, no thanks to our dumbed-down media. some people may not like obama, but as president, he's going go a long way to set things right with people, not by enslaving the white race, as jon stewart joked, but by setting an example, and initiating and guiding the race conversation until people get it.

why hasn't john mccain's embrace of chuck hagee, horrible human, been called out by the media? why hasn't hagee's ugly and twisted comments been looped and interspersed with photos of he and mccain in a warm embrace? frank rich at the nyt answers this question (thank you for such a cogent argument).

it's the old double standard-- for race and democrats. we have bashed obama to pieces. rich also suggests that we may not need the white working class men in ohio and pennsylvania (and likely kentucky and west virginia) who wouldn't vote for a black person. america is changing and white bigoted males (and females), you're set to be the minority, so you ought to broaden your minds or wither:

Mr. McCain says he does not endorse any of Mr. Hagee’s calumnies, any more than Barack Obama endorses Mr. Wright’s. But those who try to give Mr. McCain a pass for his embrace of a problematic preacher have a thin case. It boils down to this: Mr. McCain was not a parishioner for 20 years at Mr. Hagee’s church.

That defense implies, incorrectly, that Mr. McCain was a passive recipient of this bigot’s endorsement. In fact, by his own account, Mr. McCain sought out Mr. Hagee, who is perhaps best known for trying to drum up a pre-emptive “holy war” with Iran. (This preacher’s rantings may tell us more about Mr. McCain’s policy views than Mr. Wright’s tell us about Mr. Obama’s.) Even after Mr. Hagee’s Catholic bashing bubbled up in the mainstream media, Mr. McCain still did not reject and denounce him, as Mr. Obama did an unsolicited endorser, Louis Farrakhan, at the urging of Tim Russert and Hillary Clinton. Mr. McCain instead told George Stephanopoulos two Sundays ago that while he condemns any “anti-anything” remarks by Mr. Hagee, he is still “glad to have his endorsement.”

I wonder if Mr. McCain would have given the same answer had Mr. Stephanopoulos confronted him with the graphic video of the pastor in full “Great Whore” glory. But Mr. McCain didn’t have to fear so rude a transgression. Mr. Hagee’s videos have never had the same circulation on television as Mr. Wright’s. A sonorous white preacher spouting venom just doesn’t have the telegenic zing of a theatrical black man.

Perhaps that’s why virtually no one has rebroadcast the highly relevant prototype for Mr. Wright’s fiery claim that 9/11 was America’s chickens “coming home to roost.” That would be the Sept. 13, 2001, televised exchange between Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell, who blamed the attacks on America’s abortionists, feminists, gays and A.C.L.U. lawyers. (Mr. Wright blamed the attacks on America’s foreign policy.) Had that video re-emerged in the frenzied cable-news rotation, Mr. McCain might have been asked to explain why he no longer calls these preachers “agents of intolerance” and chose to cozy up to Mr. Falwell by speaking at his Liberty University in 2006. you must read the whole column.

if you have any question as to the thoughts extreme republicans are thinking, go to humanevents.com and look for "barack obama exposed." it's 37 pages worth of garbage that we've been seeing all over the media. you'll recognize some of hillary's stunts too. these people are scared out of their wits (they clearly have little left) that their voice, big during the bush administration, is going to shrink considerably during the obama administration.
No Way, No How Can Hillary Win
Hillary’s Impossible Chances of Winning
It’s Still Over for Hillary
The Clintons’ Fraud Case

Last Indiana Obama Rally May 5

this will be streamed at cspan.org at 9:30 eastern time.
Barack Obama in Indianapolis, IN
Join Barack Obama at a rally in Indianapolis on Monday, May 5th.

Get Out The Vote Rally with Barack Obama
American Legion Mall
N. Meridian St. and E. North St.
Indianapolis, IN

Monday, May 5th, 2008
Gates Open: 7:30 p.m.

The event is free and open to the public. Tickets are not required, but an RSVP is strongly encouraged. Admission is on a first-come, first-served basis.

For security reasons, do not bring bags and limit personal items. No signs or banners are permitted.
No Way, No How Can Hillary Win
Hillary’s Impossible Chances of Winning
It’s Still Over for Hillary
It’s Really, Really Over for Hillary
The Clintons’ Fraud Case

Tom Hanks Winning Endorsement of Obama

this is actually a good one. hanks says we need a "seismic shift." yes we do.

No Way, No How Can Hillary Win
Hillary’s Impossible Chances of Winning
It’s Still Over for Clinton
The Clintons’ Fraud Case

Obama's Big Day

i can't summarize any better, 5 new superdelegates today (unofficial) and so much more

New Mexico Superdelegate Endorses Obama

Superdelegate Brian Colon backs Obama’s movement for change

Albuquerque, NM – Today, New Mexico State Party Chair and superdelegate Brian S. Colón endorsed Senator Barack Obama, citing Obama’s ability to bring new voters into the process as well as the positive campaign Obama has run.

The endorsement brings the total number of superdelegates to endorse Barack Obama to 255. Senator Obama is 277 delegates away from securing the Democratic nomination.

State Party Chair Brian Colón said, “Barack Obama has proven to inspire a movement that has brought a record number of people into the process. He’s proven to be a candidate who can compete and will fight hard to expand the Democratic Party’s reach and put Western states in play in the general election. His message of change is resonating across all ages, races and economic backgrounds in New Mexico.

“As I talk to Democrats all over New Mexico they are increasingly concerned with the negative tone that the campaign has taken. I believe that Senator Obama has presented a positive message of change while continuing to focus on our real opponent; a John McCain presidency and another four year term of failed Bush policies.

“Barack Obama has run a different kind of campaign – one that goes beyond the things that divide us and is driven by a commitment to real change that starts at the grassroots level. Here in New Mexico, where we had a very close election on February 5th, the excitement I saw throughout the state is good for our Party and good for our State. While there are two very talented candidates in this race, I am proud to make this announcement today because I want to see Barack Obama’s positive movement for change continue to transform the Democratic Party and this country.”

Q&A With Evan Bayh

she's one of hillary's strongest supporters. she defends the gas tax holiday. it's amazing to me that so many people give up their own integrity in the name of loyalty. but the interviewer asked the question as if the gas tax holiday was a legitimate solution. it's about pandering, not whether it's legitimate, cause it's clearly not:

Q: Let's talk a little bit about the Senator's proposal for a gas tax holiday, which has sparked a lot of controversy with many, many economic experts saying it's not a good idea, it will only save consumers about $30 over the summer; it could drive up the price of gasoline, they say, because it would drive up the demand for gasoline, it will help the oil companies make more money and it will take money away from highway repairs. Those were all the arguments that were made by many, many economic experts that one has been reading over the last couple of days. Why do you think this is a good idea?

Bayh: Well, many middle-class families, Linda, are struggling. And while $30 is not a great amount of money in the great scheme of things, at least it is something. And, look, we need both a long-term solution -- which is the most important thing -- but also, if there's some things than can be done in the short term to provide a little relief, I think we ought to do that.
And that's -- look, she does not agree with John McCain, who wants to suspend the gas tax and then not pay for it and drive up the deficit. She wants to pay for her proposal by having an excess-profits tax on the oil companies who are making, you know, record profits because of the artificially high price of oil. Senator Obama, of course, disagrees with that and does not want to suspend the gas tax, so basically we would do nothing in the short run.
Now in the long run, she believes we have to switch to higher-efficiency vehicles, get more miles per gallon, alternative fuels like biofuels. We got a problem with the price of food today on that, but we can switch to more efficient ways to produce biofuels that don't drive up the price of gasoline and, in the long run, move to electric vehicles, hydrogen vehicles, and those kinds of things that use much, much less oil. So the bottom line is, we need to look at this both in the short term and in the long term, and I guess the economists are going to look at those middle-class families and just say, well, we're not going to do anything for you. During these tough times, she favors doing something rather than nothing.
Q: So the Obama campaign has clearly suffered this week from yet another eruption of controversy surrounding Reverend [Jeremiah] Wright. Hillary Clinton said on the O'Reilly show on FOX yesterday that she was glad he finally distanced himself from Reverend Wright. Do you agree with her suggestion that he waited too long?

Bayh: Well, I'll leave that up to Senator Obama. Look, I think it's good that he came out and separated himself very clearly. We all believe, Senator Obama included, that Reverend Wright's comments were just way out of bounds. And so I hope that his statements will allow us to refocus on the things that I think matter most to the people in my state, and that's those bread-and-butter economic issues. You know, folks are struggling in real ways, and they want tangible progress in their daily lives. And these controversies of the day, while it's understandable they get a lot of attention, ultimately don't affect people's daily lives. And so that's what we need to focus on, and I hope his statement will allow us to do that.

Q: One of the matters that the superdelegates certainly are considering is which of the candidates is going to be the most electable when running against John McCain in the general election. And the Obama campaign often points to the fact that Hillary Clinton has got very high negatives in the polls that have been taken recently -- that a majority of people have an unfavorable view of her. What about that argument? Is that a vulnerability for her?

Bayh: Well, these polls come and go, and there were a bunch more out today and it looked to me like the positives and negatives for Senator Clinton and Senator Obama were roughly equal. And the question is not where we are today, but where we're going to be. And unfortunately, I think that people on the far right and those who advise them, like Karl Rove, are going to look at this and conclude the only chance they have of winning, which is, of course, what they mainly care about, is to basically disqualify our nominee.
People don't like the direction of the country today. They don't approve of the job performance of our current president. And they are going to look more favorably upon either of our nominees. So regrettably, and I say this with sadness, but I just think it's an expression of reality -- they are going to attack, attack, attack. And the result of that is going to be -- we have got to look at who is strongest of our two candidates, who is going to be more resilient in standing up to those things. They'll attack Hillary, too, no question about it, but people already have a pretty fixed opinion of her. Barack's challenge is, when you are new, when people don't know you very well, the other side has a greater opportunity to kind of fill in those blanks in a way that is potentially harmful to you.

more

Early Voting Favors Obama in Indiana

let's hope prof. dion is right.

rcp: About 20 percent of the 127,000-plus absentee ballots received as of early Friday were cast in three Indiana counties" Marion, Monroe and Lake" that political observers believe Obama is strongly favored to win.

Lake County has a large population of black voters and is in Chicago's shadow. Obama has typically won big among college-age voters, and Monroe County is the home of Indiana University in Bloomington. Obama's campaign sought out IU students with voter registration and early voting drives and a free Dave Matthews concert.

Robert Dion, a professor of American politics at the University of Evansville, said Obama has mounted an innovative campaign that's stressed early voting and his supporters appear more energized than those for Clinton.

"In a close race, modest advantages in organization can yield big results, and if Obama out-organizes the Clinton campaign on these absentee ballots, it would be a great boost to him," Dion said.

Three other Indiana counties" St. Joseph, Vanderburgh and Vigo counties" have amassed more than 20,000 early ballots between them, about 16 percent of the total absentees cast statewide.

New Zogby and Rasmussen Polls

obama is leading in north carolina and has a slight lead (really a tie, 1 point) in indiana. zogby is a fairly reliable poll. it accurately polled pennsylvania.

zogby:
Obama leads in North Carolina by a 46% to 37% margin, with 17% either unsure or favoring someone else. In Indiana, Obama won 43% support, compared to 42% for Clinton, with the balance either favoring someone else or undecided.

The telephone surveys, conducted May 1-2, 2008, are the latest of Zogby's two-day daily tracking surveys that will continue until Tuesday. In North Carolina, 627 likely Democratic primary election voters were polled. The survey carries a margin of error of +/- 4.0 percentage points. In Indiana, 629 likely voting Democratic primary voters were surveyed. That poll also carries a margin of error of +/- 4.0 percentage points.

The telephone surveys were conducted using live operators working out of Zogby's call center in Upstate New York.

In North Carolina, Obama leads in all age groups with one exception - those age 70 and older, where the two are essentially tied. But Clinton closed the gap in some age groups, compared to yesterday's two-day tracking report.

rasmussen:
The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of North Carolina’s Presidential Primary, conducted Thursday night, finds Barack Obama leading Hillary Clinton 49% to 40%. Earlier this week, Obama led by fourteen, 51% to 37%. A month ago, Obama led by twenty-three percentage points.

The demographic results in North Carolina are similar to the dynamics seen nationally and in most primaries—Clinton leads by twenty-three points among White voters while Obama leads 74% to 10% among African-Americans. Clinton leads among senior citizens, the candidates split those in the 50-64 age range, and Obama leads among younger voters.

Eighty percent (80%) have followed news stories about Barack Obama’s former Pastor, Jeremiah Wright. Forty-three percent (43%) believe Obama denounced Wright because he was outraged while 40% believe political convenience was the motivation. Seventy percent (70%) of Clinton supporters say Obama was politically motivated. Sixty-nine percent (69%) of Obama supporters say their candidate was outraged by Wright.

Forty percent (40%) say it’s at least somewhat likely that Obama shares some of Wright’s controversial views about the United States. That figure includes 62% of Clinton voters.

Overall, 15% of Likely Democratic Primary Voters in North Carolina agree with Wright’s comments about the U.S. That figure includes 22% of Obama voters. Wright himself is viewed favorably by 15% of Likely North Carolina Primary Voters

indiana polls

Obama Leading in Guam

it looks like a close race. at 2 am, it was 768 votes for obama and 680 for hillary. guam is caucusing.

Herbie Perez, the chairman of the Democratic nominating committee said the turnout for the caucus was impressive, with many more voting than in normal caucuses.

“There are many new Democrats today,” Perez said, noting that many people registered — “Democrats for a day” — just to vote in the caucus. “I am so surprised. I never thought it would be like this.”

Perez said there were some kinks in the voting process today, though nothing major.

In Dededo, Barrigada, Mangilao and Agat, the voting stations ran out of ballots. More were quickly provided to each station, Perez said.

Perez said that a total of 8,160 ballots were printed, and that not all were used.

And in Talofofo, a family emergency caused the registrar to be a half hour late, Perez said. The polls there stayed open a half hour later to compensate.

Acting Speaker Tina Muna Barnes said the fact that some voting stations ran out of ballots was a sign of public interest. She said called the vote the “tightest race I’ve ever seen.”

“People are really taking the time and interest to know the issues and know the candidates and vote for the candidate they really want to,” she said. “For me it’s a very positive sign. … It’s a new generation. A generation that is going to be keen and informed about the issues that affect Guam.”

This Election is in the Gutter

i'm now convinced, more than ever, that we desperately need to fix our education system. the level of conversation during this election is in the gutter. the pandering makes me want to scream: wake up people! but people seem to enjoy it. somehow, they want a president just like them. it makes no sense.

the media -- all of them, there are no exceptions (sometimes there are exceptional stories) -- have been appealing to the lowest common denominator. it's been disturbing to watch the media implode before our very eyes.

i know the players all too well.

there's "jacksmith" and those like him, who post the same anti-obama hate everywhere, the most hateful things i've ever seen in my life. people say and write the dumbest things on the message boards.

there are the hillary supporters, who can't see anything beyond the first woman president. there are the extreme republicans who are totally in left field, and utterly childish. the things they dream up is crazy. there are the pundits. man, they are really boring me. and you know, obama supporters really seem to be decent, relatively speaking.

i've been surprised at how, dare i say, ignorant people are. i've been surprised at the number of people who are racist (white working class, some not ready to admit they wouldn't vote for a black man).

i've been surprised at how foolish supposed powerful politicians are, people like james carville. how do these people get in positions of power? politics obviously doesn't require a lot of people.

there isn't a lot of thinking going on. no wonder george bush was elected--twice. as a nation, we don't seem to be much brighter. really, if people can't figure out that the gas tax "holiday" is hokey, then there is no hope.

the nomination process has gotten so incredibly stupid that it's becoming sooooooooooooo dull. this nation deserves a hillary or a mccain. we don't deserve a barack obama. but we need barack obama. it's sad really. so i'll be blogging less.

Superdelegate Paul Kirk Endorses Obama

Chicago, IL – Today, Former Democratic National Committee Chair and Massachusetts supderdelegate Paul G. Kirk, Jr. endorsed Barack Obama.
The endorsement brings the total number of superdelegates to endorse Barack Obama to 253. Senator Obama is 279 delegates away from securing the Democratic nomination.

His statement is below:

“It is with a great sense of pride and confidence in his leadership that I am delighted to publicly endorse Senator Barack Obama and pledge my support to him as former National Democratic Chairman and as a superdelegate. Senator Obama is the one candidate who has and will continue to expand the electorate beyond the traditional Democratic party base and bring young and new and Independent voters to the Democratic banner in November, an essential ingredient to a Democratic victory.

“Throughout his life and public career, has fought the tough fights to advance the quality of life of the working families of Illinois, not with election year gimmicks like the gas tax holiday espoused by others, but by hard headed, common sense solutions, and that’s what he will do as President of the United States.

“America never turns back. America always marches forward to seize the future. 8 of 10 Americans believe their country is on the wrong track. Senator Obama is the one candidate who, in the best tradition of American history, will not take us back but will lead us to a new future.

“Senator Obama is the one candidate best able to quickly restore America’s respect and reputation globally. Senator Obama is the one candidate best able to set the tone at the top for the unity and reconciliation needed in this country, to bring us together, to define our common goals and to provide the inspiration to move us forward.

“After the attention paid to the poisonous and polarizing diatribe of recent days, Senator Obama’s clear and compelling message which appeals to our best instincts as Americans is more important than ever. For all these reasons, I heartily endorse Senator Obama and hope my colleagues will do the same.”

Many Blacks Won't Vote If Hillary Steals Election

i'm not black but i feel the same. i won't vote for hillary, not even if obama is rallying us to the cause.

i also think many of the younger voters will not vote for hillary. we've all been paying attention and we know the real hillary. why would i vote for the lesser candidate? why would i vote for someone who stole the election? that's what george bush did. what purpose does that serve? only obama offers fundamental change. if not that, then government doesn't matter much.

so what, we get another four miserable years with either hillary or mccain. hillary would be marked by scandals the moment she took office because of her long political history. she'd have to pay back so many favors. she'd never, ever pass universal healthcare. never. she'd have to renege on most of her promises. she has made so many just to get people to vote for her.

mccain might not have the option of keeping us at war for 100 years. the homefront needs more resources and the only way to get access to more money is to end the war.

maybe after four awful years we'd really be hurting and ready to put aside our prejudices and vote for obama. i can batten down the hatches for four years.

i'd rather be among the thousands, maybe millions, who would sit on the sidelines, or maybe take to the streets. i guess ralph nader is always an option.

Michelle Moore, an Indianapolis housewife, is less gentle: "Hillary Clinton would not even still be in the race if Obama was a white man," she said.

Her tough tone was common this week in this city's black community. Why, people asked, is the Illinois senator's relationship with the Rev. Jeremiah Wright being judged so harshly? Why won't Democratic Party officials acknowledge that Obama's in the lead and unite around him?

African-Americans have been the Democratic Party's most reliable bloc, giving about 90 percent of their votes to former Vice President Al Gore and Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., in the last two presidential elections.

In a close election this year, an African-American exodus from the voting booth could be costly to Democrats, particularly in the South, where blacks are a large proportion of the electorate.

If Obama isn't the nominee, "there would be a significant number of African-Americans who would stay home. They're not voting for (presumptive Republican nominee) John McCain," predicted David Bositis, a senior analyst at for Political and Economic Studies, which researches black voting trends.

Superdelegate Joe Andrew: Why He Switched to Obama

indiana super, joe andrew, starts out:

I have been inspired.

Today I am announcing my support for Senator Barack Obama for President of the United States of America. I am changing my support from Senator Clinton to Senator Obama, and calling for my fellow Democrats across my home State of Indiana, and my fellow super delegates across the nation, to heal the rift in our Party and unite behind Barack Obama.
..........
ask Hoosiers to come together and vote for Barack Obama to be our next President. In an accident of timing, Indiana has been given the opportunity to truly make a difference. Hoosiers should grab that power and do what in their heart they know is right. They should reject the old negative politics and vote for true change. Don't settle for the tried and true and the simplistic slogans, but listen to your heart and dare to be inspired. Only a cynic would be critical of Barack Obama inspiring millions. Only the uninformed could forget that the candidate that wins in November is always the candidate that inspires millions.

I ask the leaders of our Party to come together after this Tuesday's primary to heal wounds and unite us around a single nominee. While I was hopeful that a long, contested primary season would invigorate our Party, the polls show that the tone and temperature of the race is now hurting us. John McCain, without doing much of anything, is now competitive against both of our remaining candidates. We are doing his work for him and distracting Americans from the issues that really affect all of our lives.

We need to be talking about fixing the economy, not whose acquaintances once said what to whom. We need to be talking about stopping the attacks in Iraq, not stopping the attacks in Indiana. We need to be talking about policy, not politics.

...............

While I am a longtime critic of our Party's rules that created so-called super delegates, we have the rules we have and we must live with them. I am humbled and honored to be a super delegate, and I understand the seriousness of the duty it entails. I recognize that this is a difficult decision for super delegates like me, who owe so much to President Bill Clinton. It is right to be loyal, to be grateful and to be consistent. But it is also right to acknowledge the inevitability of change, right to dare to dream for a better world, and right to know what in your heart is the right thing for the future even if your friends and family disagree. Good things, just like good people, can disagree. But as Democrats, we must disagree with dignity, debate with admiration of each other, and in the end, go forward with mutual respect.

President Clinton and Vice President Gore gave me the opportunity to serve as the Chair of the Democratic Party. I pledged my loyalty to them, and I will never forget Al Gore putting ego aside, gently demurring, and simply asking me to put our country ahead of politics. It is a lesson I will remember forever, and it is what guides me now in this decision. What is best for our Party and our country is not blind loyalty, but passionate support for the candidate who can best correct the misguided policies of the last eight years.

We need a candidate who will re-invigorate the economy and keep good jobs here in America. We need a candidate who will end the war in Iraq. We need a candidate who will provide health coverage for our 45 million uninsured neighbors. We need a candidate who will end our addiction to high-priced foreign oil by investing in renewable energy here at home.

That candidate is Barack Obama.

..................

I write this letter from my mom's dining room table in Indianapolis, Indiana. Four generations of my family have argued and laughed around this table. But what I humbly believe today is that we, as Democrats and as Americans, face what Dr. King characterized and what Senator Obama reminds us is the fierce urgency of now. As a nation, we are at a critical moment and we need leaders with the character and vision to see us through the challenges at hand and those to come. I can't guess what will happen tomorrow, so I can't tell you what kind of experience our next President will need to have to deal with those challenges. But I can tell you what kind of character and vision they will need to have -- and that is what inspires me about Barack Obama.

As Democrats, however, we risk letting this moment slip through our fingers. We risk ceding the field to the Republicans and allowing the morally bankrupt Bush Agenda to continue unabated if we do not unite behind a single candidate. Should this race continue after Indiana and North Carolina, it will inevitably become more negative. The polls already show the supporters for both candidates becoming more strident in their positions and more locked into their support. Continuing on this path would be a catastrophe, as we would inadvertently end up doing Republicans work for them. Already, instead of the audacity of hope, we suffer the audacity of one Democrat comparing John McCain favorably to another Democrat. When that happens, you know it is time for all of us to stop, take a deep breath and unite to change America.

We must act and we must act now.
.............

the clinton loyalty thing seems to be causing anguish among supers.

My endorsement of Senator Obama will not be welcome news to my friends and family at the Clinton campaign. If the campaign's surrogates called Governor Bill Richardson, a respected former member of President Clinton's cabinet, a "Judas" for endorsing Senator Obama, we can all imagine how they will treat somebody like me. They are the best practitioners of the old politics, so they will no doubt call me a traitor, an opportunist and a hypocrite. I will be branded as disloyal, power-hungry, but most importantly, they will use the exact words that Republicans used to attack me when I was defending President Clinton.

When they use the same attacks made on me when I was defending them, they prove the callow hypocrisy of the old politics first perfected by Republicans. I am an expert on this because these were the exact tools that I mastered as a campaign volunteer, a campaign manager, a State Party Chair and the National Chair of our Party. I learned the lessons of the tough, right-wing Republicans all too well. I can speak with authority on how to spar with everyone from Lee Atwater to Karl Rove. I understand that, while wrong and pernicious, shallow victory can be achieved through division by semantics and obfuscation. Like many, I succumbed to the addiction of old politics because they are so easy.

Innuendo is easy. The truth is hard.

Sound bites are easy. Solutions are hard.

Spin is simple and easy. Struggling with facts is complicated and hard.
read all of it.

No Way, No How Can Hillary Win
The Clintons Ongoing Fraud Case

Hillary to Testify in Campaign Financing Fraud Case Against Bill Clinton

this is what we're dealing with people, baggage. i'm talking airports full. she would be hampered by her baggage, always. she's required to testify in a fraud case against her husband after the november election.

tpm: In the landmark civil fraud case against Bill Clinton in Los Angeles, where the former President is charged with defrauding a Hollywood dot com millionaire to help Hillary Clinton obtain more than $1.2 million from him for her 2000 Senate campaign, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Aurelio Munoz ruled on Friday, April 25 that Hillary Clinton would not be required to testify in a sworn deposition as a material witness in the case until AFTER the November election!
While Bill Clinton, Chelsea Clinton, Al Gore, Ed Rendell, Barabara Streisand, Cher, Stan Lee, Brad Pitt, Mike Wallace, Larry King et al may be called to testify and be deposed starting in May, Hillary alone has been protected from explaining her role in her husband’s fraud charges.

In an astonishing ruling by the Judge, Hillary Clinton may NOT be deposed about her role in the illegal solicitation and cover up of the largest contribution made to her Senate campaign until after the presidential election. This is the same contribution Hillary denied knowing about or receiving when Lloyd Grove of the Washington Post asked her specifically about it and her relationship with the donor, Peter Paul, in August 2000. Its the same contribution her finance director David Rosen was criminally tried in May, 2005, or hiding from her and her campaign. Its the same contribution the FEC fined her campaign for hiding from the voters in three false FEC reports by her treasurer between 2000-2006. (http://www.paulvclinton.com/)

Equally surprising as the ruling was the judge’s request to Hillary defense lawyer David Kendall to “say hello to his ( Judge Munoz”) friend Bill, also a partner in Kendall’s law firm”
The decision to shield Hillary Clinton from civil discovery for an additional seven months, thereby delaying a long postponed trial, was made by the judge on his own, without any request by Hillary or her lawyer to make the ruling. No discussion was permitted by Paul’s lawyer before the decision was made. Judge Munoz’ unilateral decision effectively saved the floundering campaign and hopes of Hillary Clinton to win her party’s Presidential nomination!

Had Senator Clinton be forced to testify under oath, as a material witness and beneficiary of the fraud that her husband is being sued for before the Democratic Convention, her remote chances for being nominated the party candidate would have been unquestionably destroyed.

Hillary has never publicly commented on the case in which she was a defendant from 2003-2006. Nor has Hillary ever commented on the videotaped phone call she made to Peter Paul the day he began spending more than $1 million for her Senate campaign, the false statements she made through Howard Wolfson to the Washington Post denying working with Paul or receiving any contributions from him, the sworn Declaration she made under oath where she refused to deny any of Paul’s allegations, the role her White House aide Kelly Craighead played in coordinating Paul’s expenditures and befirending Paul’s Japanese business partner during a White House visit and many other unanswered questions of illegal conduct. read more

more clinton baggage from politico taking the perspective of what obama wishes he could say:

All manner of Clinton controversies, Obama partisans argue, have not been fully ventilated.

This includes old issues, like Hillary Clinton’s legal career, which includes lots of cases that never got much public attention even during the Whitewater era.

It also includes new ones, like recent stories raising questions about the web of personal and financial associations around Bill Clinton. Since leaving the presidency, he has traveled the globe to exotic places and with sometimes exotic characters, raising money for projects such as his foundation and presidential library and making himself a very wealthy man.

Which gets us back to gall. In the fantasies of some of his high-level supporters, Obama would peel off the tape to say something like this:

You want to talk hypocrisy? How about piously criticizing me for Jeremiah Wright when you have a trail of associations that includes golden oldies like Webb Hubbell? (‘90s flashback: He was one of Hillary Clinton’s legal partners and closest friends, whom she installed in a top Justice Department job before prosecutors sent him to prison.) It also includes modern hits like Frank Giustra. (In case you missed it: There was a January New York Times story, which did not get the attention the reporting deserved, highlighting how this Canadian tycoon and major Bill Clinton benefactor was using his ties to the ex-president to win business with a ruthless dictatorship in Khazakstan.)


Obama has never pressed Clinton to talk about Marc Rich, even though the former fugitive financier who won a controversial pardon from Bill Clinton gave money to her first Senate campaign.

He has never mentioned her brothers, even though Hugh and Tony Rodham once defied Bill Clinton’s own top foreign policy advisers by entering into a strange investment in hazelnuts in the former Soviet republic of Georgia (they later dropped the deal) and Hugh Rodham took large cash payments for trying to broker presidential pardons.

Obama is likewise galled to be lectured by Clinton for not being sufficiently committed to universal health coverage. Why is it, his team asks, that Democrats have done so little to advance a long-time progressive goal for the past 15 years? The answer has everything to do with Hillary Clinton’s misjudgments when she was leading the reform effort in 1993 and 1994.

Most irritating of all to Obama partisans is what they see as her latest pose: that she is selflessly staying in the race despite the long odds against her because of devotion to the Democratic Party and the belief that she is a more appealing general election candidate.

It is an article of faith among most people around Obama that the Clintons were a disaster for the party throughout the 1990s. When Bill Clinton came to town in 1993, Democrats were a congressional majority, with 258 seats in the House. When he left in 2001, they were a minority with 46 fewer seats. There were 30 Democratic governors when he arrived, 21 10 years later.

As for electability, the Obama side believes — for all his trouble winning lower-income whites in recent primaries — that it is ludicrous to believe she is the stronger candidate in the fall.

A recent ABC News/Washington Post poll found nearly 60 percent of voters think Clinton is dishonest. Think about that: Only four in 10 voters do not think she lies when she needs to. A majority hold an unfavorable view of her.

Will those numbers improve if she wins the nomination and Republicans resurrect the scandals, the Bill Clinton sexual affairs and her Bosnia fib with the same intensity they brought to the Wright uproar? Unthinkable.

Now that the Democratic superdelegates are facing their moment of decision in this close race, you might think it would be time for politesse to give way to an unvarnished discussion about both candidates' real strengths and liabilities.

The Obama side is frustrated with the news media for not carrying more of its argument. His operatives thought a Newsday story looking exhaustively at her legal career — including the revelation that as a young lawyer she attacked the credibility of a 12-year-old rape victim — would provoke a herd of other coverage. It did not happen.

If he really wanted, Obama could generate all the coverage he wanted about Clinton’s past by leveling accusations in his own words. But that is not going to happen.

Politically, he correctly believes that he would be called out as a hypocrite if he practiced the conventional art of attack politics after preaching against it.

And, to view his motives in the best light — a benefit of the doubt extended by his own team — he believes this campaign would also undermine his governing strategy if elected. He has told associates it would be impossible to win support for a progressive agenda unless he assumes the presidency as a uniting figure who can transcend the personality-obsessed brand of combat that has dominated Washington for the past generation.

“I told this to my team, you know, we are starting to sound like the other folks, we are starting to run the same negative stuff,” he told a crowd in North Carolina this week. “It shows that none of us are immune from this kind of politics. But the problem is that it doesn’t help you.”

GOTV Obama Rallies May 2

these are usually streamed live at cnn.com
Join Barack Obama at a Get Out The Vote Rally in Charlotte on Friday, May 2nd.
Get Out The Vote Rally with Barack Obama
Cricket Arena
2700 E. Independence Blvd.
Charlotte, NC 28205

Friday, May 2nd, 2008
Doors Open: 3:30 p.m.
Program Begins: 5:30 p.m.

The event is free and open to the public. However, seating is limited and tickets are required. Admission is on a first-come, first-served basis.

For security reasons, do not bring bags and limit personal items. No signs or banners are permitted.

Join Michelle Obama at a Get Out the Vote Community Event in Durham on Friday, May 2nd. The event will be free and open to the public.
Get Out the Vote Community Event with Michelle Obama
The Durham Armory
220 Foster St.
Durham, NC 27701

Friday, May 2nd, 2008
Doors open: 11:30 a.m.
Program begins: 12:30 p.m.

The event is free and open to the public; however, seating is limited and tickets are required. Please RSVP using the form to the right to receive a free ticket via email. Seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis.

For security reasons, do not bring bags. Please limit personal items. No signs or banners permitted.

Join Michelle Obama featuring special guest, Gladys Knight at a rally in Asheville on Friday, May 2nd.

Rally with Michelle Obama
University of North Carolina Asheville
University Quad
One University Heights
Asheville, NC 28804

Friday, May 2nd
Doors Open: 4:30PM

The event is free and open to the public. Tickets are not required, but RSVPs are strongly encouraged.

For security reasons, do not bring bags. Please limit personal belongings. No signs or banners permitted.

Gas Tax Hoax

hillary still can't admit to the foolishness of the idea.
mccain has alas admitted it's just a little break.
hillary's made an ad out of it and is counting on most people being ignorant. sad thing is, it seems to be working for her. some americans are really easy to fool, especially the ones with their woman glasses on. this is the stuff we're going to get if hillary steals the election.
economists have come out against it and a new holiday gas tax calculator allows you to figure your "savings," if the oil companies don't raise the prices.

No Way, No How Can Hillary Win

Obama Adds Texas Superdelegate

this is the second of the day. the first switched from hillary to obama.
the gap between obama's superdelegates and hillary's is the narrowest it's ever been. obama is 16 shy of hillary's. the campaigns seem to be forcing supers to commit, topping each other with superdelegate announcements.

31 year member of the United Steelworkers, DNC Member John Patrick Backs Obama

CHICAGO, IL — Today, a Texas superdelegate backed Barack Obama, citing his record of standing up for working families and opposing trade deals that fail to protect American workers. The endorsement by Texas DNC Member John Patrick, who is also a 31 year member of the United Steelworkers (USW) as well as a Vice President of the Texas AFL/CIO, brings the total number of superdelegates to endorse Barack Obama to 249. Senator Obama is 283 delegates away from securing the Democratic nomination.

John Patrick said, “Senator Barack Obama has spent a lifetime standing up for American workers, and he will be a crucial voice for us in the White House. Senator Obama chose a career as an organizer on the streets of Chicago, fighting for working families who lost their jobs, specifically those families in neighborhoods devastated by steel plant closings. He has consistently opposed unfair trade deals that fail to offer protection to American workers - like NAFTA. Senator Obama has a real plan to put money back in the pockets of working families by restoring the manufacturing base in America.”

Former Clinton Superdelegate Switches to Obama

this is big.
big

WASHINGTON (AP) -- A leader of the Democratic Party under Bill Clinton has switched his allegiance to Barack Obama and is encouraging fellow Democrats to "heal the rift in our party" and unite behind the Illinois senator.

Joe Andrew, who was Democratic National Committee chairman from 1999-2001, planned a news conference Thursday in his hometown of Indianapolis to urge other Hoosiers to support Obama in Tuesday's primary, perhaps the most important contest left in the White House race. He also has written a lengthy letter explaining his decision that he plans to send to other superdelegates.

"I am convinced that the primary process has devolved to the point that it's now bad for the Democratic Party," Andrew said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press.

Bill Clinton appointed Andrew chairman of the DNC near the end of his presidency, and Andrew endorsed Hillary Rodham Clinton last year on the day she declared her candidacy for the White House.

Andrew said in his letter that he is switching his support because "a vote for Hillary Clinton is a vote to continue this process, and a vote to continue this process is a vote that assists (Republican) John McCain."

"While I was hopeful that a long, contested primary season would invigorate our party, the polls show that the tone and temperature of the race is now hurting us," Andrew wrote. "John McCain, without doing much of anything, is now competitive against both of our remaining candidates. We are doing his work for him and distracting Americans from the issues that really affect all of our lives."

Asked for a response to Andrew's decision, Clinton spokesman Phil Singer said, "We support that Democratic process and think that every American should be able to weigh in and support the candidate of his or her own choosing."

Andrew said the Obama campaign never asked him to switch his support, but he decided to do so after watching Obama's handling of two issues in recent days. He said Obama took the principled stand in opposing a summer gas tax holiday that both Clinton and McCain supported, even though it would have been easier politically to back it. And he said he was impressed with Obama's handling of the controversy surrounding his former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright.

Wright's outspoken criticisms of the United States have threatened Obama's candidacy. Obama initially refused to denounce his former pastor, but he did so this week after Wright suggested that Obama secretly agrees with him.

"He has shown such mettle under fire," Andrew said in the interview. "The Jeremiah Wright controversy just reconfirmed for me, just as the gas tax controversy confirmed for me, that he is the right candidate for our party."

Andrew's decision puts Obama closer to closing Clinton's superdelegate lead. Clinton had a big advantage among superdelegates, many of whom like Andrews have ties to the Clintons and backed her candidacy early on. But most of the superdelegates taking sides recently have gone for Obama, who has won more state contests.

Most People Under 30 Support Obama

not because they're inexperienced, as some would like to frame it, but because they're tolerant. that's right, they don't look at race, religion, womanhood. they're not using a bunch of excuses to hate on obama. isn't that what all this controversy about?

hillary (and bill) have exploited that to the top of the hill and for that reason alone, i find her a horrible human being, let alone a worthy presidential candidate. i know there are some people who are tolerant who support hillary. i don't know why but is suspect it's because she's a woman. all things equal, say they both looked like rocks, obama is the far better candidate.

npr: "We have a woman candidate running against a black candidate for president," Zukin says. "If you had advanced that idea 25 years ago, people would have said that can't happen. And the young people today are so tolerant that they don't even think of that as an issue."

There have been "youth candidates" before in the Democratic Party, including Eugene McCarthy, George McGovern and Gary Hart. But this year, young voters are doing more than just getting excited about a candidate. They are actually turning out to vote.

Young Lean Democratic

In primaries and caucuses all over the country, voters under 30 have doubled and, in some places, tripled their turnout participation. Traditionally young voters have very low turnout, but now their participation nationally is reaching their share of the population. And the young voters who are turning out largely are Democrats, Zukin says.

"If young people come into politics and identify as Democrats, there's going to cause a sea change in politics," he says. "What we've seen with George W. Bush is that he has made Democrats out of young people the same way Ronald Reagan made Republicans out of young people."

People tend to form their partisan preferences in their 20s and stick with them, so this trend could be the beginning of a long-term political realignment. In the short term, if Obama is the nominee, age will be a big issue.

new poll shows most young voters vote democratic.