- Washington Post: The Downside of Obama's Strategy
If Obama becomes the Democratic nominee but cannot win support from working-class whites and Hispanics, they argue, then Democrats will not retake the White House in November. "If you can't win in the Southwest, if you don't win Ohio, if you don't win Pennsylvania, you've got problems in November," said Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), a Clinton supporter.
Even some Obama advisers see a real problem. "Ultimately, all that matters is how the nominee stacks up against John McCain," said one adviser who spoke on the condition of anonymity, referring to the senator from Arizona and presumptive GOP nominee. "Right now, Barack is not connecting with the children of the Reagan Democrats. That's a real concern."
There's more cause for concern:
But many Democratic elected officials are worried. "No one's jumping up and down in Okeechobee, Florida, saying we've got a perfect ticket," agreed Rep. Tim Mahoney (Fla.), a moderate, unaffiliated Democrat in a swing district. "If you're a Barack Obama, you're going to have to figure out how to reach out to white, middle-aged men."
Sen. Ken Salazar (D-Colo.), who like Mahoney has not endorsed either Obama or Clinton, is concerned about Obama's poor performance among Latino voters in California and Texas. "It's unfortunate," he said, "because Barack Obama has done very well with Latino voters in Illinois, and I know his heart, and it's for an inclusive agenda."
The more concern party officials and elected officials -- themselves superdelegates -- have, the more they may tend towards Hillary over Obama.
One last note: Trial lawyers are trained to look for inconsistencies, no matter how minor. They often are indications of others we will discover.
Here's Obama, telling the Times:
From the Times article above, Obama in Senate: Star Power, Minor Role.
Mr. Obama found the Hill a difficult place to fit in, and it was not always clear that he wanted to. He was 43 when he arrived, younger than most of his colleagues — whose average age was 60 — and even many senior staff members. Unlike senators who come up through the House, he did not have an existing network of friends, and while some members of Congress bunk with others, he lived by himself in one of the nondescript new boxes along Massachusetts Avenue. On the nights he was in town, he typically went alone to a Chinatown athletic club — not the Senate gym — or attended events on the Hill.
He went to a Chinatown Gym. But, here's Mr. Salazar this WaPo article linked above saying:
Sen. Ken Salazar (Colo.) noted that he entered the Senate in 2005 with Obama, and has shared numerous dinners and workouts at the congressional gym with him. As a moderate Democrat, he has also worked often with Clinton.
An image of Obama eschewing the Senate gym for one in Chinatown plays to the notion that he is his own man and not beholden to the Senate traditions while he serves there. He's the outsider, coming to fix Washington. But, how does that reconcile with Sen. Salazar saying one of the places they forged a connection was in the Congressional gym? Maybe Obama works out at both places, but that's not the image one gets form the Times article.
I'm sure I'll be adding to the list as the day goes on, but feel free to comment on these articles or add your own in comments. I think there is a lot more we need to know about Sen. Obama before handing off the Democratic nomination to him.
