By Big Tent Democrat

Yes, it's me again. The PC police guy. And predictably, I have a problem with this:

FINEMAN: . . . [T]he problem that Hillary‘s got is in certain ways her whole candidacy is an act of ventriloquism from her husband. Or at least, some people view it that way. And Hillary isn‘t always known as the most authentic candidate that you‘ve ever seen that come down the pike, very calculating, very scripted and so forth.

(Emphasis supplied.) Yep, predictably, I see stating that a female candidate is merely a dummy for her ventriloquist husband is sexist.

I am predictable that way.

Via Instapundit, there's Krugman and Kevin Drum discussing when the "Obamamania" bubble will burst. I agree with both of them.

Krugman first:

One thing I worry about a lot if Obama is the Dem nominee — and he’s surely the frontrunner now — is that there will be a backlash against Obamamania. Actually, it’s already starting — probably too late to have much effect on the nomination fight, but in plenty of time to affect the general election.

I hope I’m just a cynical baby boomer who has never really trusted any politician since 1968. But I just have a very bad feeling about the way things are going.

Now Kevin: [More...]

By Big Tent Democrat

(Speaking for me only)

Via Atrios, more evidence of the incompetence of the Clinton campaign:

Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign failed to file a full slate of convention delegate candidates for Pennsylvania's April 22 primary.

This despite the possibility the primary proves critical and despite Clinton owning the full-throated support of Gov. Rendell, state Democratic Party leadership, Mayor Nutter and, presumably, the organizational skill all that entails.

And despite a Rendell-ordered extension of the filing deadline that could be viewed as more than just coincidental.

How could this possibly have happened? And make no mistake, this reflects on the candidate, Hillary Clinton.

Update [2008-2-19 14:27:1 by Big Tent Democrat]: Hilzoy says Atrios and I are wrong, that Clinton is in no danger of losing delegates. If that is so, I must say, never mind. I will leave the post up, but if it does not matter, then who cares?

(larger version here.)

Wisconsin demographics are here. There are 5.5 million people. 90% of the state is White, 6% are African Americans and 4.7% are Hispanic. By contrast, in Milwaukee County, the African American population is 26.6%.

Wisconsin is an open primary that allows same day registration. This favors Obama. So does the large student population in the state.

The weather is cold and snowy across the state today. I expect both campaigns have planned for that and have volunteers in place to drive people to the polls.

Wisconsin has 74 delegates to award. Small potatoes compared to Texas and Ohio. The question to me is whether an Obama win in Wisconsin will change the mind of voters in Texas and Ohio.

I didn't expect Hillary to win any contests in February. I don't think a loss in Wisconsin knocks her out by any means. On the other hand, if she does well, even if she doesn't win, it will be a clearer sign that her candidacy is still viable.

Updates below:

By Big Tent Democrat

The Obama blogs are now confident that Texas is Obama's to lose:

No question it's a tight tight race with two weeks to go. Given how much ground he seems to have gained recently (remember that this is the second poll released in 24 hours showing an even or nearly even race), and his history of rapidly moving from being well behind in polls to winning primaries, it's starting to look like Texas might go to Obama.

This comes on the heels of SUSA's Texas poll that has Obama within 5 of Clinton in Texas.

This is a terrific development. A real test now for Obama's ability to win the POPULAR VOTE in big contested states. No need for spinning. Just a need for WINNING THE POPULAR VOTE. Maybe now we can get this "will of the voters" thing right. BTW, I guess Ohio is not going to be a battleground after all.

Barack Obama expanded a bit today in Ohio on his meeting with John Edwards to seek his endorsement this weekend. He doesn't sound very confident he has it.

The courtship of John Edwards has been entirely inconclusive, Sen. Barack Obama said this afternoon...Edwards is not likely to endorse Obama or Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton soon, the Illinois senator concluded after visiting with Edwards and his wife Elizabeth.

....he suggested that the value of Edwards's backing would have its limits.

After saying he would "love to his support, he adds:

"But right now, what I think is most important is for me to make sure that I am getting out and talking to voters."

Calling all tea-leaf readers. Was he turned down, is Edwards undecided or just not ready to announce his decision?

By Big Tent Democrat

Triumphalism has returned to the Obama supporting blogosphere and the Media. Everyone is dying to call the race for Obama.

Now I was one of those ready to declare Clinton dead, twice in fact. Once before New Hampshire. And again on Super Tuesday. But I will miss this parade. I expect Obama to win comfortably tomorrow in Wisconsin. But I see no signs of the type of demographic shifts that will give Obama popular vote wins (we may discover how important the "will of the people" remains if Clinton wins handily in Texas and does not get the lion's share of the delegates) in Texas and Ohio on March 4.

Are any Obamaniacs in the blogs and the Media worried about the lay of the land here? Doesn't look like it. Time will tell if their confidence was justified.

Update: This thread is now closed, we're over 200 comments. Thanks for your thoughts.

Agree or disagree, Barack Obama's recycling of words taken from campaign speeches of Mass. Gov. Deval Patrick is a big story today. Here's just one compilation from Mememorandum.

Our original post has more than 200 comments, which means it's time for that thread to close. Since readers have more to say, and the cable news shows are about to start, here's a new one.

Is the media being too harsh on Obama? Not harsh enough? Is his run as media darling about to hit a snag? Or is it all a tempest in a teapot?

A line from a Bob Dylan song keeps running through my head -- I'll change the gender to fit the occasion: "He never stumbles cause he's got no place to fall."

Does Obama have enough of a space carved out to rebound from misses like this?

Update: Comments over 200, now closed.

By Big Tent Democrat

Thanks Howard. Thanks Donna. Way to go:

The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey in Florida shows John McCain holding a six-percentage point lead over Hillary Clinton and an even larger lead—sixteen percentage points—over Barack Obama. It’s McCain 49% Clinton 43% and McCain 53% Obama 37%.

The DNC is an incompetent organization looking to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

Update (TL): Comments almost to 200, this thread is closing. Thanks for your thoughts.

Both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are scheduled to speak in Texas tomorrow, the day Wisconsin voters go to the polls. They each had to cancel events Sunday in Wisconsin due to weather. Hillary did local campaigning at a diner and grocery store while Obama flew to North Carolina to seek John Edwards' endorsement.

Hillary rescheduled her canceled Wausau event for today, and addressed the labor-oriented crowd on issues.

Surrounded by several hundred enthusiastic union members, Hillary Clinton hit strongly populist themes in her second campaign appearance today in Wisconsin.

At the Wausau Labor Temple, the Democratic presidential candidate emphasized economic themes, including what she wanted to do as president to keep jobs in America, revive manufacturing jobs, hold down interest rates on student loans and stem home foreclosures.

She also spoke to a crowd of 500 at St. Norbert College in De Pere. Obama, on the defensive much of today for using Mass. Gov. Duval Patrick's speeches in his own without crediting the usage, will speak in Beloit tonight.

Hillary and Chelsea will be at a rally in Madison tonight. Hillary also offered new policy today. She announced a food safety recall plan, in the wake of this weekend's huge beef recall.

Who will win Wisconsin and by how much? Take our poll below:

I just love the sound of that phrase, "former President Bush." But, I'm referring here to former President George Herbert Walker Bush (Bush I) who has endorsed John McCain for President.

Here's the video.

What did anyone expect, that he would endorse Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama? This is news that's not news in my opinion. Just another predictable endorsement.

Update: New thread on this is here. Comments on this one are over 200 and closing. Thanks for your thoughts.

I'm just getting online today and I see there's a big to-do in the media over Barack Obama's use of Mass. Gov. Deval Patrick's words in his speeches.

The Clinton campaign says it's plagiarism. The Obama campaign says Obama should have credited Patrick but the two are friends and share ideas. Patrick says he doesn't mind Obama's use of his words.

Obama's oratory has been an issue in this campaign. There's been a plethora of media articles about Obama's speeches being inspirational while Hillary's are not.

I've often reminded readers that speeches are written by speechwriters and I'm not impressed that Obama has the ability, with a teleprompter, to inspirationally deliver a speech written by someone else. Not long ago, the New York Times ran a profile of his chief speechwriter. [More...]