home

Obama Surrogate Joe Andrew Flip Flops: "A Miracle If Obama Comes Close In Indiana"

By Big Tent Democrat, Section Elections 2008
Posted on Tue May 06, 2008 at 02:12:51 PM EST
Tags: (all tags)
Share This: Digg This!! StumbleUpon del.icio.us reddit reddit

You gotta love the newly all important Obama surrogate Joe Andrew. Sunday, just 2 days ago, he was giving a Joe Namath guarantee that Barack Obama would win Indiana. Now I am watching him on MSNBC (the Obama News Network, as Chris "Tweety" Matthews admitted) claiming it would be a miracle like parting the Red Sea if Obama comes close in Indiana.

Andrew, the DC lawyer/lobbyist, is a hoot. This is an Open Thread.

More...

By the way, MSNBC (the Obama News Network) is having a conniption over the fact that Michigan and Florida need to count. But we all know the Media is in the tank for Obama.

Jonathan Singer contends Barack Obama will not seriously contest West Virginia and Kentucky. Which makes sense. He is down 29 in West Virginia and 34 in Kentucky.

Dem voters want race to continue.

By Big Tent Democrat

Comments now closed.

< FBI Raids Special Counsel Bloch's Offices and Home | Mapping Indiana >

  • Premium Ads

  • Blog Ads

  • Contribute To TalkLeft

    donate to TalkLeft


    • Display: Sort:
    Obama Surrogate Joe Andrew Flip Flops: "A Miracle If Obama Comes Close In Indiana" | 199 comments (199 topical)
    Now we know (5.00 / 8) (#3)
    by Stellaaa on Tue May 06, 2008 at 02:15:43 PM EST
    why Andrews did not get any contracts from the Clintons.  

    You can thank Joe Andrew for Bush... (3.50 / 2) (#71)
    by Exeter on Tue May 06, 2008 at 02:40:28 PM EST
    As head of the DNC, his "early intervention" strategy of going exclusively after Bush in the spring of 1999 -- a full eight months before the Iowa caucuses -- was horrible strategy. It caused the GOP to rally around the guy that was being attacked by the dems and it gave Bush the early annoitation as THE GOP candidate. Plus there was so much over-the-top ridiculous noise generated by the DNC attack team at the time that when the real campaign started against Gore in 2000, the media, for the most part, tuned out and gave Bush a free ride and thought the Dems were once again screaming that the sky was falling.

    [ Parent ]
    Well (5.00 / 1) (#107)
    by Steve M on Tue May 06, 2008 at 02:59:31 PM EST
    I don't think McCain would have been the more beatable candidate in 2000.  If Andrew helped Bush get nominated, that was probably the right call.

    [ Parent ]
    Honestly? (none / 0) (#154)
    by kredwyn on Tue May 06, 2008 at 03:26:14 PM EST
    I don't think that McCain woulda dropped attention on Afghanistan to "pre-emptive" strike Iraq.

    [ Parent ]
    Well (5.00 / 1) (#161)
    by Steve M on Tue May 06, 2008 at 03:29:54 PM EST
    you may be right, but it's 20/20 hindsight to say "at least if we were going to get a Republican, we might as well get the better one."  We had no way of knowing 9/11 and Iraq would happen.

    Also, it's worth remembering that many of the big-time neocons - Bill Kristol, Richard Perle, those guys - were actually not Bush supporters in the 1990s.  Back then, McCain was the neocon candidate!  So actually, he might have been just as likely to go along with the whole crazy PNAC thing.

    [ Parent ]

    It is 20/20 hindsight... (none / 0) (#194)
    by kredwyn on Tue May 06, 2008 at 04:29:11 PM EST
    With this WHouse, Cheney was the real PNAC mover when it came to getting the "Iraq Idea" through the door.

    [ Parent ]
    Who knows how it would have worked (none / 0) (#196)
    by Exeter on Tue May 06, 2008 at 04:42:33 PM EST
    out, though. Maybe Bush would have had a prolonged nomination battle. Maybe if Andrew hadn't cleared the field for everyone except McCain, maybe one of the other candidates would have emerged to challenge Bush. As we have seen on both sides of the aisle, alot can change the year before Iowa caucuses.

    [ Parent ]
    sheesh (none / 0) (#105)
    by karen for Clinton on Tue May 06, 2008 at 02:58:32 PM EST
    I figured I had enough reason to think he's a goof from what he's said and done this week alone.

    So it is all his fault Gore lost.  Learn something new everyday.  :-)

    [ Parent ]

    I think you can thank (none / 0) (#129)
    by Jlvngstn on Tue May 06, 2008 at 03:11:26 PM EST
    teh american people who voted for the worst president in modern history.

    Twice.

    [ Parent ]

    Gore won in 2000 -- that's been proven (none / 0) (#197)
    by Exeter on Tue May 06, 2008 at 04:44:19 PM EST
    time and time again. If the supreme court would not have intervened, he would have won.

    [ Parent ]
    Ouch (none / 0) (#5)
    by andgarden on Tue May 06, 2008 at 02:16:29 PM EST


    [ Parent ]
    Deep Mole? (none / 0) (#31)
    by Salo on Tue May 06, 2008 at 02:25:10 PM EST


    [ Parent ]
    Joe Andrew (5.00 / 4) (#7)
    by CST on Tue May 06, 2008 at 02:16:33 PM EST
    Is becomming the Mark Penn of the Obama spin campaign.  Rediculous statements that make no sense and only end up hurting your candidate... great...

    Awww (5.00 / 4) (#8)
    by TeresaInSnow2 on Tue May 06, 2008 at 02:16:53 PM EST
    Isn't hypocrisy cute?

    Mr. Andrew has definitely (5.00 / 2) (#9)
    by bslev22 on Tue May 06, 2008 at 02:18:08 PM EST
    provided some comic relief in the last few days.  He really is quite the piece of work and seems to be enjoying his 15-minutes of fame.

    Diebold hires Andrews for 50-state strategy! (none / 0) (#151)
    by Josey on Tue May 06, 2008 at 03:25:19 PM EST
    LOL
    Oakland Tribune, Aug 2005 -  http://tinyurl.com/4d8vbd

    >>>With a phone call and a retainer, Diebold CEO Walden O'Dell has launched former Democratic National Committee chairman Joe Andrew on a 50-state ambassadorship for electronic voting.

    [ Parent ]

    And he was so successful that every (none / 0) (#177)
    by Joan in VA on Tue May 06, 2008 at 03:45:21 PM EST
    state went back to paper and pen.

    [ Parent ]
    Turnout not so heavy in NC (5.00 / 1) (#10)
    by oldnorthstate on Tue May 06, 2008 at 02:18:17 PM EST
    http://www.wral.com/news/local/politics/story/2835547/

    "State elections director Gary Bartlett said turnout was "steady ... not tremendously heavy." "

    When I voted (5.00 / 1) (#115)
    by Nadai on Tue May 06, 2008 at 03:05:32 PM EST
    at 7:15 this morning, I was the 45th person at my precinct.  My parents voted at 7:05 and they were 30th and 31st (same precinct).  So not jammed, but not slow, either.  I usually get there about 7:30-7:45 and I'm usually 20-something-th.

    [ Parent ]
    My friend (none / 0) (#13)
    by Kathy on Tue May 06, 2008 at 02:20:07 PM EST
    working in NC in a predominantly aa neighborhood (her own) says that she's been surprised by the turn-out.

    The day is long, though.  We shall see.

    [ Parent ]

    No one's going to listen. . . (5.00 / 3) (#64)
    by LarryInNYC on Tue May 06, 2008 at 02:36:56 PM EST
    to KUSA polling predictions if you actually start collecting data!

    [ Parent ]
    How dare you question KUSA's integrity! (5.00 / 4) (#92)
    by Kathy on Tue May 06, 2008 at 02:50:35 PM EST
    this was unsolicited opinion that backed up KUSA's unsolicited opinion, which made it vitally important and imminently reportable.

    I'm just doing my job, man.

    KUSA still holds: Clinton by 9 in IN and 3-4% in NC.  Chaos ensues.

    [ Parent ]

    high or low? n/t (none / 0) (#18)
    by DJ on Tue May 06, 2008 at 02:21:25 PM EST


    [ Parent ]
    Woops (5.00 / 1) (#38)
    by Kathy on Tue May 06, 2008 at 02:28:31 PM EST
    Should have been more clear--low turnout.  She's worked just about every race possible over the last 20 years, so she knows about voter turnout and what to expect.  She knows the patterns, the usuals, etc.  She says there have been a lot of older aa's that she's known for ages, but that the station just hasn't seen the influx they were expecting.

    And, again, she lives in a predominantly aa neighborhood, which is where this polling place is.

    I have to say, this really fits in with the KUSA model that predicted depressed aa turnout because of the recent Wright controversy.

    [ Parent ]

    except AAs have voted early (5.00 / 1) (#56)
    by oldnorthstate on Tue May 06, 2008 at 02:32:16 PM EST
    in huge numbers

    [ Parent ]
    That (none / 0) (#74)
    by Ga6thDem on Tue May 06, 2008 at 02:44:12 PM EST
    I think is the crux. Obama got AA's to the polls early so there probably won't be much turn out in those areas today. Also on another blog, a guy from Chapel Hill said low turnout there too. Perhaps Obama was hoping to bank enough votes to win.

    [ Parent ]
    okay (none / 0) (#81)
    by Kathy on Tue May 06, 2008 at 02:46:37 PM EST
    I found this article, which states:

    nearly half a million people had already cast early and absentee ballots as of Monday - more than half the total number of voters who cast a ballot during the 2004 primary.

    Are all of those dem ballots?  The gubernatorial race is extremely tight right now, which has not been a factor post-Tsuper Tuesady.  Could some of those 500K ballots be republican?  How do we know the ethnicity of the voters?

    These extrapolations just don't work for me.  I'm not going to just assume that 500K early votes mean Obama is going to sweep.  He may very well, but I don't think this is enough to go on right now.  

    [ Parent ]

    I believe (none / 0) (#136)
    by nell on Tue May 06, 2008 at 03:13:57 PM EST
    Survey USA found that based on their polling, AA turnout among early voters was 40 percent and Obama has a 16 point lead with early voters. Not sure what this means, but if Hillary can take the lead with voters today by getting HUGE turnout in rural areas so that rural voters were underrepresented in the polling, she may have a real shot to make it close.

    [ Parent ]
    Early voter polling= exit polling (none / 0) (#140)
    by Stellaaa on Tue May 06, 2008 at 03:15:56 PM EST
    they lie.  We went through this in PA.  

    [ Parent ]
    Exactly. They lie. (none / 0) (#143)
    by Kathy on Tue May 06, 2008 at 03:20:29 PM EST
    I had this image in my head of some woman with the phone in the crook of her shoulder, glancing over at the ballot that just came in the mail, and saying, "yeah, I voted already."

    Oddly enough, I had her making hamburger patties while she did this.  And she was wearing bedroom slippers with her heels hanging over the back.

    [ Parent ]

    North Carolina Reports Race of Early Voters (none / 0) (#149)
    by BDB on Tue May 06, 2008 at 03:24:14 PM EST
    Like eleven other Southern states, NC has to track race of folks voting.  They make the early voting data available on a website.  As of May 3, 40% of early/absentee voters were black, 60% were women.

    [ Parent ]
    don't count on it. (none / 0) (#51)
    by Salo on Tue May 06, 2008 at 02:31:12 PM EST
    But it would be a measure of how you can't go agianst your own Clergy and hope to win.

    [ Parent ]
    there are some loyal Clinton AAs (none / 0) (#146)
    by thereyougo on Tue May 06, 2008 at 03:21:47 PM EST
    they don't forget. Obama IMO, seems like a passing thing to them and they trust the Clintons. Obama showed disloyalty when he didn't claim his people as much in front of crowds,and didn't see him show up for invitations from some of them.                    

    One that stands out, is Tavis Smiley and another prominent group (I can't think of the name at the moment, which Hillary did show up)in the AA community.

     KUSA's preds. could hold water. Subconsciously I think the AA community saw through Obama especially after he disowned the good reverend the 2nd time.

    Were it me, I'd be deeply offended that Obama sold his soul to the devil like that.

    [ Parent ]

    Surprised because it was low or high? (none / 0) (#19)
    by Just another person on Tue May 06, 2008 at 02:21:39 PM EST


    [ Parent ]
    i vote in what should be a strong AA voting place (none / 0) (#22)
    by oldnorthstate on Tue May 06, 2008 at 02:22:05 PM EST
    and i was one of three people voting.  

    but honestly, i have no idea what to make of this.  i won't begin to say this is good for one candidate or another.

    [ Parent ]

    primary voting is a habit (none / 0) (#39)
    by Salo on Tue May 06, 2008 at 02:28:36 PM EST
    If Indiana always does it so late the habit may not be fully formed.

    [ Parent ]
    I agree with those... (none / 0) (#111)
    by OrangeFur on Tue May 06, 2008 at 03:03:50 PM EST
    ... who say that a lot of AA's voted early.

    Every state has had record turnout so far (except Michigan, maybe?). These two probably won't be different.

    [ Parent ]

    I'm not sure if that's good or bad for Hillary. (none / 0) (#14)
    by sweetthings on Tue May 06, 2008 at 02:20:17 PM EST
    Wasn't turn out today supposed to counter early voters going for Obama?

    [ Parent ]
    Bad (none / 0) (#20)
    by andgarden on Tue May 06, 2008 at 02:21:40 PM EST


    [ Parent ]
    Depends (none / 0) (#24)
    by dissenter on Tue May 06, 2008 at 02:22:43 PM EST
    On who is turning out.

    [ Parent ]
    Yes and no (5.00 / 1) (#30)
    by andgarden on Tue May 06, 2008 at 02:25:09 PM EST
    the evidence is that Obama has already gotten his base out. That means that HIllary needs lots of white indy crossover. Obama's negative ad might have kept them home.

    He tried this in PA.

    [ Parent ]

    but i thought (none / 0) (#37)
    by oldnorthstate on Tue May 06, 2008 at 02:28:10 PM EST
    that obama didn't practice those negative politics of old?

    [ Parent ]
    He doesn't (5.00 / 1) (#94)
    by JavaCityPal on Tue May 06, 2008 at 02:51:13 PM EST
    he's just pointing out the truth, even it that means having to trash Hillary to do it. Only Clinton's ads that stick to policy and make no reference to Obama are negative.  HA!

    [ Parent ]
    I'm still waiting for my pony, alas. (none / 0) (#44)
    by andgarden on Tue May 06, 2008 at 02:29:59 PM EST


    [ Parent ]
    Doo Dah parade! (none / 0) (#83)
    by Fabian on Tue May 06, 2008 at 02:47:31 PM EST
    The Unity Pony Patrol!

    [ Parent ]
    Does the Obama Network mention that (none / 0) (#125)
    by bridget on Tue May 06, 2008 at 03:09:54 PM EST
    their fav candidate runs a negative campaign AGAIN

    and tells wrong stuff about Hillary's policies which Krugman had to correct?

    Haven't watched it for months.

    [ Parent ]

    heh (none / 0) (#41)
    by CanadianDem on Tue May 06, 2008 at 02:28:53 PM EST
    Republicans.

    [ Parent ]
    Seriously (none / 0) (#26)
    by Kathy on Tue May 06, 2008 at 02:24:13 PM EST
    why do folks assume that early voters all went hugely for Obama?  If we've learned anything from polls, it's that the people who are asked these questions have been known to lie.

    You could just as easily make the argument that long-time, more experienced voters tend to vote absentee to avoid the rush, which would go toward Clinton's demographic.

    Add in the depression of aa voter turn-out, and you've blown it out of the water.  Then throw in that they only gave a "percentage" of early votes, and weren't specific beyond that and...

    The fact is, we won't know until we know.  

    [ Parent ]

    You ask (none / 0) (#34)
    by andgarden on Tue May 06, 2008 at 02:26:32 PM EST
    why do folks assume that early voters all went hugely for Obama
    Because SUSA sez so. Because the Sec of state for NC sez that black turnout was huge in early voting.

    No, I don't believe that Hillary got a substantial chunk of the black vote.

    [ Parent ]

    It's interesting (5.00 / 1) (#42)
    by Steve M on Tue May 06, 2008 at 02:29:24 PM EST
    that the Secretary of State would know such a thing - my first reaction was like, "do they sit there counting black people as they come to the polls?" - but then I realized they're actually required to collect that information under the Voting Rights Act.

    [ Parent ]
    Yup (none / 0) (#57)
    by andgarden on Tue May 06, 2008 at 02:32:20 PM EST


    [ Parent ]
    those are mailed in ballots, though (none / 0) (#63)
    by Kathy on Tue May 06, 2008 at 02:36:22 PM EST
    and you don't check black or white on the ballot anywhere.  I suppose you could take note of the area in which the voter lives, then extrapolate from that, but it's still hit or miss, because many neighborhoods in NC are mixed.  They're not segregated to the extent of Watts or Harlem.  (Yes, yes, Andgarden, I know that the south is evil...)

    At any point, I am dubious about these sorts of predictions based on mail-in balloting.  And we all know from FL '00 that the sec of state is hardly a partisan position.

    [ Parent ]

    Early voting in NC (5.00 / 1) (#96)
    by Nadai on Tue May 06, 2008 at 02:51:50 PM EST
    isn't all mail-in ballots.  There are early voting locations you can go to in person and cast a vote.  It ended last Saturday, but I think there was a two-week period when they were open.  I'm not certain of the whole timeline; I always vote on election day.

    [ Parent ]
    Also (none / 0) (#70)
    by dissenter on Tue May 06, 2008 at 02:39:19 PM EST
    Don't they count the ballots after the polls close? How would they know who voted? Also, I will not discount the possibility that many AA would lie to pollsters. AA Hillary supporters are probably lying to their friends. I can't tell you how many people have lied to me claiming they voted for Gore lol

    [ Parent ]
    It's supposed to be in the voter registration (none / 0) (#79)
    by andgarden on Tue May 06, 2008 at 02:45:43 PM EST
    data.

    I'm not particularly comforted by throwing out information that disagrees with my preconceived notions, but others feel differently.

    [ Parent ]

    Ok (none / 0) (#93)
    by dissenter on Tue May 06, 2008 at 02:50:57 PM EST
    But let's say I live in NC and I ask for a mail in ballot. They send it to me. I vote and send it back. The Voter office has it but if they don't count the ballot before the polls close how do they know who returned their ballot. Also, if it is like CO there are lot of drop off places. Nobody is checking off your name as you hand it in.

    I would be interested to know what the percentage of ballots that are requested each election but are not returned.

    [ Parent ]

    Easy answer to your question (5.00 / 1) (#113)
    by TeresaInSnow2 on Tue May 06, 2008 at 03:04:39 PM EST
    In Washington state, our absentee ballots come with 2 envelopes.  Voters put their ballot inside the anonymous envelope, put the anonymous envelope inside an envelope containing their name, address and signature.

    Mail ballot.

    At destination, voting official checks off that the ballot has been returned, then puts the anonymous envelope containing the ballot in a bin to be counted.

    So yeah, they know who has voted, and probably know the enthnicity of that voter.

    [ Parent ]

    Yeah (none / 0) (#84)
    by Steve M on Tue May 06, 2008 at 02:47:31 PM EST
    I am not sure how they do it, to be honest.

    The information is important because, for example, let's say North Carolina proposed to do away with early voting for the next election.  Under the Voting Rights Act, the federal government would have to determine whether that would have a disproportionate impact on minorities, and they can't do that unless the state collects the data in the first place.  But I'm not clear on how the data collection actually happens in the real world.

    [ Parent ]

    North Carolina (5.00 / 1) (#155)
    by BDB on Tue May 06, 2008 at 03:26:45 PM EST
    is one of eleven states that have to track voters by race under the Voting Rights Act.  See here.  There's also a link at the link I gave where you can download the info on who has voted as of this morning.  As of May 3 - 40% black, 60% women.

    [ Parent ]
    And the SBE in NC (none / 0) (#91)
    by andgarden on Tue May 06, 2008 at 02:49:50 PM EST
    is Dem dominated.

    [ Parent ]
    Pretty sure SSN (none / 0) (#128)
    by JavaCityPal on Tue May 06, 2008 at 03:11:18 PM EST
    was required in my state to get registered to vote. Plenty of information available via that.

    [ Parent ]
    Must sign for one's ballot (none / 0) (#100)
    by JavaCityPal on Tue May 06, 2008 at 02:55:18 PM EST
    Registered voter rosters are used at the polls, aren't they? I always have to sign my name on my line to get a ballot. I'm sure my SSN tells them everything they could ever want to know about me. Not too far to stretch between my voter's registration and other government records, I would think.

    [ Parent ]
    ever think that the SOS (none / 0) (#153)
    by AgreeToDisagree on Tue May 06, 2008 at 03:25:31 PM EST
    might no the demographics of districts?  if turnout is high in a heavily african american district, it is safe to assume there was heavy african american turnout.  

    pretty simple.

    [ Parent ]

    If true, that gives extra weight to (none / 0) (#17)
    by andgarden on Tue May 06, 2008 at 02:21:19 PM EST
    Obama's early voting lead. It could make Drudge right, amazingly.

    [ Parent ]
    Heh (5.00 / 1) (#52)
    by Big Tent Democrat on Tue May 06, 2008 at 02:31:17 PM EST
    The turnout reports, heavy, light or steady, never mean anything ever.

    [ Parent ]
    Fair enough (none / 0) (#61)
    by andgarden on Tue May 06, 2008 at 02:33:15 PM EST


    [ Parent ]
    Comforting [for a Clinton fan]. (none / 0) (#67)
    by oculus on Tue May 06, 2008 at 02:37:40 PM EST


    [ Parent ]
    as with the weather report, (none / 0) (#97)
    by cpinva on Tue May 06, 2008 at 02:52:19 PM EST
    The turnout reports, heavy, light or steady, never mean anything ever.

    you're better off looking out your window. :)

    [ Parent ]

    Wouldn't this info, if correct, indicate (none / 0) (#49)
    by oculus on Tue May 06, 2008 at 02:30:57 PM EST
    the AA turnout for Obama might be lower than predicted?

    [ Parent ]
    Not if he already banked it (none / 0) (#59)
    by andgarden on Tue May 06, 2008 at 02:32:57 PM EST
    and it looks like he did.

    [ Parent ]
    Do we know how many early votes (none / 0) (#78)
    by bslev22 on Tue May 06, 2008 at 02:45:43 PM EST
    were cast?  I understand that predictions for the overall vote in the Democratic primary are that as many as 1.5 million people will vote.

    [ Parent ]
    as of 6AM (5.00 / 1) (#85)
    by andgarden on Tue May 06, 2008 at 02:48:07 PM EST

    Absentee Mail Ballots Returned: 24,900
    Absentee Onestop Ballots Cast: 471,006

    http://www.sboe.state.nc.us/

    [ Parent ]

    Thanks! (none / 0) (#101)
    by bslev22 on Tue May 06, 2008 at 02:55:42 PM EST


    [ Parent ]
    So that is only about 15% of the projected vote (none / 0) (#117)
    by ineedalife on Tue May 06, 2008 at 03:06:05 PM EST
    If they are estimating 40-50% turnout on the Dem/unaffiliated side and 20% on the Republican side, the early vote is a lot less than SUSA was reporting. So the 40% AA component in it has much less impact.

    [ Parent ]
    Frankly (none / 0) (#119)
    by andgarden on Tue May 06, 2008 at 03:06:50 PM EST
    I still believe SUSA's vote projection.

    [ Parent ]
    1.5 mm are expected to vote today (none / 0) (#118)
    by Kathy on Tue May 06, 2008 at 03:06:17 PM EST
    If Obama already has 500K votes in the bag, he's got a landslide.

    [ Parent ]
    KUSA you have a responsibility (5.00 / 3) (#135)
    by Stellaaa on Tue May 06, 2008 at 03:13:56 PM EST
    DON'T PANIC.

    [ Parent ]
    He's not goint to get every early vote!! (none / 0) (#121)
    by bslev22 on Tue May 06, 2008 at 03:08:11 PM EST


    [ Parent ]
    Using the power of SUSA (none / 0) (#124)
    by andgarden on Tue May 06, 2008 at 03:09:07 PM EST
    more like 200,000 in the bank.

    [ Parent ]
    KUSA, hold firm (none / 0) (#130)
    by RalphB on Tue May 06, 2008 at 03:11:30 PM EST
    in those predications.  He led big in early voting in TX as well, but that didn't work out so well for him.

    [ Parent ]
    Don't worry (5.00 / 1) (#137)
    by Kathy on Tue May 06, 2008 at 03:14:14 PM EST
    KUSA is Zoby-esque in their arrogance.  They have successfully predicted every election thus far within an MOE of +/- 1%.  Even when they were wrong, they ended up being right.

    [ Parent ]
    Why is it different in SC (none / 0) (#133)
    by Stellaaa on Tue May 06, 2008 at 03:12:43 PM EST
    Little old white ladies do all the early voting in California, what is the basis of it not being the same in NC?  

    [ Parent ]
    OOPS NC (none / 0) (#138)
    by Stellaaa on Tue May 06, 2008 at 03:14:43 PM EST


    [ Parent ]
    I thought a quarter of the likelys voted early (none / 0) (#82)
    by ineedalife on Tue May 06, 2008 at 02:47:04 PM EST
    And of those 40% AA. That is only 10%. Obama's math requires 35% AA. So will the lower voter day turnout take it below the extra 25% he needs?

    [ Parent ]
    Voting steady; turnout may set record (none / 0) (#69)
    by oldnorthstate on Tue May 06, 2008 at 02:39:06 PM EST
    http://www.newsobserver.com/politics/story/1062464.html

    "Democratic turnout could reach 50 percent, assuming voters continue to show up at the same rate they appeared at the polls this morning, said Gary Bartlett, executive director of the state Board of Elections. Republican turnout is likely to be in the range of 20 percent, he said."

    The same guy here is quoted here

    [ Parent ]

    Haha! (5.00 / 1) (#11)
    by Kathy on Tue May 06, 2008 at 02:18:26 PM EST
    "Newly all important"  This is why we love you, BTD.

    Who has the inner progressive edge? (5.00 / 5) (#15)
    by Stellaaa on Tue May 06, 2008 at 02:21:06 PM EST
    From Progressive Involvement

    Who is the true progressive in the race?
    See progressivepunch.org, which ranks all the candidates on a variety of issues.  On 17 issues related to poverty and aid to the poor, Hillary gets a 99% score, Obama scores 96%--both stellar, in other words.  On corporate subsidies, Hillary scores 100% and is ranked first among all Senators in trying to get corporate America off welfare.  Obama criticizes Hillary for her corporate ties, but managed only a 78% score on this issue.

    Why people believe she is not an elitist.  

    Wow (5.00 / 1) (#53)
    by Steve M on Tue May 06, 2008 at 02:31:34 PM EST
    That's very interesting!

    I'm of the belief that it's silly for Democrats to be fighting for a windfall profits tax on the oil companies when we could accomplish the same thing by just eliminating some of the subsidies they don't need.

    [ Parent ]

    Progressive Punch (none / 0) (#112)
    by madamab on Tue May 06, 2008 at 03:04:17 PM EST
    is a great site. You can use it to evaluate the score of any of your Congresscritters.

    I lurve HRC's overall score (91%), and Obama's is very close (88%). It makes me feel a bit better about him and what he'd do as President.*

    ***Disclaimer: I don't think he can beat McCain. Maybe he can run again in 2016 after HRC takes McCain down and becomes the first woman President. ;-)

    [ Parent ]

    Interesting look at the pollsters (5.00 / 1) (#23)
    by fuzzyone on Tue May 06, 2008 at 02:22:11 PM EST
    Interesting look at how the pollsters have done so far.

    Not surprisingly SUSA is the champ.

    Warning:  This link will take you to that horrible orange place.  Believe it or not there is still interesting stuff to be found there.

    Not on an election day!! (5.00 / 1) (#25)
    by Stellaaa on Tue May 06, 2008 at 02:23:48 PM EST


    [ Parent ]
    You couldn't pay me enough (none / 0) (#134)
    by bridget on Tue May 06, 2008 at 03:13:07 PM EST
    to go to the Orange place

    [ Parent ]
    Praying for gas prices to drop (5.00 / 1) (#29)
    by eleanora on Tue May 06, 2008 at 02:24:43 PM EST
    "Lord, come down in a mighty way and strengthen us so that we can bring down these high gas prices," Twyman said to a chorus of "amens".

    I got this from a friend who thought it was funny, but it just goes to show how people are hurting. The part about the lady who commutes to work at a food bank was pretty striking:

    "The cost of food has gone up... quantities we get from the food bank have gone down. The cost at the gas station has gone up and that means I spend more money to get here," she said after joining the prayer for gas prices to come down. "

    My local food bank is begging for donations right now. Hard times mean people can't afford to give as much as they used to.

    The cure for high prices... (none / 0) (#43)
    by sweetthings on Tue May 06, 2008 at 02:29:24 PM EST
    Is high prices. Or so the economists would have you believe.

    That said, given that gasoline demand is fairly slow to adjust, I suspect prices are going to have to go a LOT higher before they go down...if they ever do.

    In related news, I've started carpooling to work. It's working out ok so far.

    [ Parent ]

    so (none / 0) (#60)
    by CanadianDem on Tue May 06, 2008 at 02:33:01 PM EST
    the high prices have helped you conserve fuel and lessen your GHG emissions?  Consuming less and lessening demand then creates a supply surplus and lower prices, or perhaps alternative sources which introduce competition in energy and lower prices?

    [ Parent ]
    You make it sound so pleasant. (none / 0) (#90)
    by sweetthings on Tue May 06, 2008 at 02:49:42 PM EST
    They've helped me. How kind of them.

    It's more like they've forced me. And no, there won't be any supply surplus, because any drop of gasoline I don't use will be happily used by someone else, in China if not here. I'm under no illusions that I'm accomplishing any kind of greater good, here.

    But sadly, there's really nothing to be done but pay up. It's going to worse before it gets better.

    [ Parent ]

    Wasn't this the (5.00 / 3) (#33)
    by Iphie on Tue May 06, 2008 at 02:26:16 PM EST
    guy who was supposed to change the subject from Wright and get us focused on more positive Obama news? I know he's a super delegate, but he really seems to be a scraping the bottom of the barrel super delegate.

    He's getting his 15 minutes (none / 0) (#36)
    by andgarden on Tue May 06, 2008 at 02:26:55 PM EST


    [ Parent ]
    I think he's up to 20 (none / 0) (#46)
    by Kathy on Tue May 06, 2008 at 02:30:25 PM EST
    what a tool...a useful tool for Clinton!

    [ Parent ]
    Wright got more coverage last week than (none / 0) (#58)
    by oculus on Tue May 06, 2008 at 02:32:21 PM EST
    Clinton did.

    [ Parent ]
    Heyyyyy (none / 0) (#103)
    by Nadai on Tue May 06, 2008 at 02:56:53 PM EST
    Maybe he's a Clinton mole and only claims to support Obama.  You know that Hillary - there's nothing she won't do to win.

    The sad thing is, I'm snarking, but it wouldn't surprise me at all to hear that someone at the Great Orange Satan put forth the argument seriously.

    [ Parent ]

    Does (5.00 / 3) (#87)
    by Ga6thDem on Tue May 06, 2008 at 02:48:57 PM EST
    Obama have any good surrogates? Seriously. John Kerry trying to explain how Obama isn't an elitist? The guy from texas who couldn't state what Obama had accomplished.

    Obama (5.00 / 2) (#102)
    by Ga6thDem on Tue May 06, 2008 at 02:55:59 PM EST
    seems to be taking your strategy BTD. He's going to throw everything into OR.

    He's certainly favored there (none / 0) (#106)
    by andgarden on Tue May 06, 2008 at 02:59:22 PM EST


    [ Parent ]
    wait until they see the next week of news (none / 0) (#127)
    by Kathy on Tue May 06, 2008 at 03:10:20 PM EST
    Ayers has been simmering.  Should be boiling by Thurs/Fri, which will take us nicely into the weekend.

    [ Parent ]
    He still should saturate the airwaves in KY and WV (none / 0) (#120)
    by magster on Tue May 06, 2008 at 03:06:55 PM EST
    because he can.

    [ Parent ]
    Reports (none / 0) (#147)
    by Ga6thDem on Tue May 06, 2008 at 03:22:14 PM EST
    are that he's begging for money.

    [ Parent ]
    Doubtful (none / 0) (#152)
    by andgarden on Tue May 06, 2008 at 03:25:28 PM EST
    He has a huge cushion of cash.

    [ Parent ]
    What's this? (none / 0) (#159)
    by ineedalife on Tue May 06, 2008 at 03:29:32 PM EST
    Can we be treated to another trip to Billionaire's Row and Obama's gaffe machine?

    [ Parent ]
    A few weeks ago... (5.00 / 1) (#122)
    by OrangeFur on Tue May 06, 2008 at 03:08:17 PM EST
    ... they were very confident about Indiana.

    I don't want to hear things like "we always knew winning the electoral vote was going to be a challenge" in November.

    Get ready (none / 0) (#126)
    by andgarden on Tue May 06, 2008 at 03:09:58 PM EST
    We're going to be hearing lots about the "movement for the future" around October or so.

    [ Parent ]
    "movement of the future" (5.00 / 1) (#131)
    by Kathy on Tue May 06, 2008 at 03:12:10 PM EST
    reminds me of the movement you get from eating a lot of fiber.

    [ Parent ]
    Haven't you already used that?! ;-) (none / 0) (#141)
    by andgarden on Tue May 06, 2008 at 03:17:14 PM EST


    [ Parent ]
    Oh, you kid. (5.00 / 1) (#145)
    by Kathy on Tue May 06, 2008 at 03:21:38 PM EST


    [ Parent ]
    This movement? (none / 0) (#167)
    by Josmt on Tue May 06, 2008 at 03:37:18 PM EST
    Movement

    [ Parent ]
    We have always been at war (none / 0) (#132)
    by madamab on Tue May 06, 2008 at 03:12:40 PM EST
    with Eurasia.

    Come on, get with the program!

    /swigs more Kool-Aid

    [ Parent ]

    In the tank? (5.00 / 1) (#180)
    by halstoon on Tue May 06, 2008 at 03:54:19 PM EST
    So the in the tank media has been leading with Wright every day for weeks while ignoring Hillary's black panther and Communist connections and McCain's religious backers b/c they love Barack?

    Obama has had to answer over and over, "Why don't white people like you?" b/c the media loves him, while Hillary never gets asked, "So, why did black people totally abandon you? After all, you were beating Obama among AAs in 2007?"

    The media loves Obama so much. It's a good darn thing they don't love him more.

    Crikey! (none / 0) (#183)
    by kmblue on Tue May 06, 2008 at 03:57:07 PM EST
    Did you see Olbermann last night?
    He was very seriously asking Dana Milbank (of the WashPo) if Hillary wasn't Risking Everything by running such an Unscrupulous Campaign against Obama.

    And Milbank was nodding his heading, saying, well you know, the Clintons are like that.

    I was rolling around on the floor, laughing.

    Gimme a break.

    [ Parent ]

    Further (none / 0) (#185)
    by kmblue on Tue May 06, 2008 at 04:01:01 PM EST
    I believe the question Teh Media has been asking Obama is "Why can't you get the blue-collar vote?"

    And a darn good question it is, too.

    [ Parent ]

    NBC does not equal "the media." (none / 0) (#193)
    by halstoon on Tue May 06, 2008 at 04:22:12 PM EST
    NBC equals NBC.

    They love Obama. Fox hates him and have decided Hillary is just dandy.

    CNN? They can't decide. They actually do give both sides a reasonable platform.

    So it's not "the media." It's NBC.

    Last I checked, Hillary is backed by the cable news winner, and The Obama Network is in last place.

    So should you guys really still be complaining?

    [ Parent ]

    Off the top of me head (none / 0) (#199)
    by kmblue on Tue May 06, 2008 at 04:59:48 PM EST
    Dana Milbank Washington Post
    Eugene Robinson WashPo
    Rachel Maddow Air America
    Young Turks Air America
    Richard Cohen WashPo
    Bob Herbert NY Times

    I could probably list a few more, including some blogs that shall not be named.

    [ Parent ]

    And every day they ask her "Why won't (none / 0) (#188)
    by Joan in VA on Tue May 06, 2008 at 04:05:11 PM EST
    you effing quit this race already?!?!"

    [ Parent ]
    What an idiot! (none / 0) (#1)
    by tree on Tue May 06, 2008 at 02:15:20 PM EST
    Laugh of the day!

    Like I said. . . (none / 0) (#28)
    by LarryInNYC on Tue May 06, 2008 at 02:24:29 PM EST
    two first names.

    [ Parent ]
    What about two last names? (none / 0) (#32)
    by Salo on Tue May 06, 2008 at 02:26:14 PM EST


    [ Parent ]
    I think that is okay (none / 0) (#40)
    by DJ on Tue May 06, 2008 at 02:28:49 PM EST
    but then I have a lot of that in my family.

    [ Parent ]
    I don't know. . . (none / 0) (#73)
    by LarryInNYC on Tue May 06, 2008 at 02:42:49 PM EST
    never thought about it.  You mean like "Worthington Smithers"?

    [ Parent ]
    Remington Steele (5.00 / 1) (#80)
    by angie on Tue May 06, 2008 at 02:45:58 PM EST


    [ Parent ]
    Anything (5.00 / 1) (#104)
    by Nadai on Tue May 06, 2008 at 02:58:19 PM EST