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Bad Day at Hanging Rock

February 23, 2008 10:53 AM

Texas state Rep. Aaron Pena, the director of outreach for the Clinton campaign in the Rio Grande Valley, was spotted dancing on the dais at an Obama rally.

"I will maintain my commitment," the lawmaker told the Rio Grande Guardian. "But it appears to be increasingly evident who's going to win."

Maybe I'm wrong, but it's likely not a good omen if your supporters are spotted rocking out at a rally for your opponent.

The Washington Post has some further depressing news for the junior senator from New York.

Or rather, depressing news about people anticipating depressing news.

"Some supporters said they had discussed how to raise with Clinton the subject of withdrawing from the race should she fail to win decisively on March 4. One option was to wait a day or two and then dispatch emissaries to former president Clinton to urge him to make the case."

Adds someone in the know: "She knows where things are going. It's pretty clear she has a big decision. But it's daunting. It's still hard to accept."

Ruh-roh.

What do you think? Are rumors of her demise premature?

- jpt

February 23, 2008 | Permalink | Share | User Comments (429)

User Comments

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The most thrilling news of this election will be that Hillary Clinton has been defeated. The Clintons are both yesterday's news, not to mention corrupt and power hungry (to say the least). By this defeat perhaps the threat of the Clintons in the White House again is forever gone, and she can just go about her business as a senator and he as a crazy ex-president.

Posted by: Dale Mack | Feb 24, 2008 1:20:44 PM

Lets see what happends when all the dancing is over!

Posted by: evie | Feb 24, 2008 1:11:37 PM

His real name is Barack Hussein Obama.
Wake up America! Why are we following a cult leader? He is a very good tap dancer and a very good cheap sales man.

Posted by: jason | Feb 24, 2008 11:43:45 AM

I have but one thing to remind the American people of. There has not been a through check on Obama..Why? What is it they are hiding. I fear that this country has lost all its upbring and if Obama is what they want then I fear it is going to come back and bite them in the butt. They think the term of Bush was something ...then just wait. Please do your homework and then decided. When Clinton left office the country was in the green and now look at it. Think, if you have anything left to think with.

Posted by: Shirley | Feb 24, 2008 11:41:04 AM

IF CLINTON drops out then idiots have taken over the democratic party. OBAMA is a real scam.

Tina Fay summed up a lot in a few short words last night

Posted by: maria | Feb 24, 2008 10:40:44 AM

Michelle Obama is in her early 40's. Her "adult life" consists of two Clinton terms (with repulsive personal dramas and incessant political warfare) and two terms of George W. Bush (with a trumped-up war and torture as official foreign policy). I've been lucky enough to be older than her, and remember being proud of my country, but she is absolutely right -- we have behaved shamefully over the past 20 years. The world recognizes it and has abandonned us. The sooner we come to terms with what we have become as a country, the sooner we can get back in touch with what we used to stand for, and feel proud again.

Don't attack the messenger. Attack those who have betrayed our national ideals -- and hope that Michelle's husband, who has already done so much to restore our pride, goes all the way.

Posted by: Follitics | Feb 24, 2008 10:32:37 AM

McCain's not planning to do us any favors on illegal immigration. Check out who his advisor on that front is; Juan Hernandez. Maybe it would be best if the raw deal that is surely coming is served by a Democrat.

Posted by: We the Sheeple | Feb 24, 2008 7:36:38 AM

career politicians can't be trusted to do the "right thing" for the common people. too many IOUs, too many favors to repay, too much cloudy waters to wade through. bush and other dynasties fit right in to the mold. ie. tax breaks for the rich every six months!! omgoshies, absolutely nauseating.

Posted by: johhn341 | Feb 24, 2008 5:46:11 AM

clintons dirty washington politics again. she knew about these mailers before the debate and now comes out as a mad dog after her academy award performance at the debate pretending to be civil and presidential.

the flyer is BASED ON FACTS, NOT FICTION. it is another clinton ploy to APPEAR AS A VICTIM WHEN IN FACT SHE IS THE AGRESSOR. it is another desperate bid in a desperate campaing. she will now go on the attack and will try to draw obama into her dirty politics.
I URGE THE AMERICAN PEOPLE TO SEE THROUGH HER TACTICS AND PLOYS AND UNDERSTAND THAT THE FLYERS ARE BASED ON FACTS.
the clintons supported nafta and they support mandatory health care under penalty if you dont comply. HILARY AND HE HUSBAND TREAT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE LIKE A BUNCH OF IDIOTS,BUT I THINK AMERICA SHOULD SHOW THE CLINTONS WHO ARE THE REAL IDIOTS, THEY ARE.

HILARYS ANGER IS JUST A FARCE TO INCITE THE AMERICAN PEOPLE AGAINST OBAMA.

VOTE OBAMA IF YOU CARE ABOUTH THIS COUNTRY AND THE FUTURE OF AMERICA AS A PROSPEROUS AND UNITED COUNTRY.

Posted by: PET | Feb 24, 2008 5:38:56 AM

It's November 2008 and McCain wins over Obama in a landslide, because the Big Oh has raised and spent half a billion $ for ads that come on during every commercial break during prime time for five straight weeks. The nation finally snaps as the word "change" becomes a shrill meaningless nails-on-a-chalkboard word! Panhandlers are beaten-up while asking for "change". Vending machines at laundromats that are labled "change" are smashed to bits! Teachers mark student reports with an "F" for having the offending word - and a "D" for writing down "hope".

Yup, now that's change you can believe in... oops, I typed it again. I now have to place my fingers over cleansing fire!

Posted by: smartprimate | Feb 24, 2008 5:27:52 AM

If HRC cannot run her campaign properly...What makes you think that she can do it at a national level?

Posted by: clark | Feb 24, 2008 4:48:27 AM

Ok she has a legitimate claim, Obamas, campaign new the paper corrected it and recanted, so why put in a mailer knowing it was untrue, listen to his answers,, its untrue and has anyone noticed his speaches are not as elegant as they once were before he was found out,, by borrowing Patricks speaches mmm borrowing after he was found out what a stupid response and you guys fell for it,, and i suppose you have also not noticed how boring he as gotten, well only the media can point that out and no one listen,, well we see there are followers rather than people who use the voice to vote substance, and as i said hope is needed , but a path is also, we see who will fight and found out who will just say he will,,,,,,

Posted by: vi | Feb 24, 2008 4:24:07 AM

Well today i watched the Black Union Address in New Orleans, and i suppose you already know who attended and who did not, now someone for the people, as you Obamanites call him, then why did he send a statement he was unable to attend to continue to campaign in Texas and Ohio, to support the issues of Black Union Address, but who made time to attend and accepted, one who truly believes in the people, and one who is nothing but reddrick and full of air this is very important to the community of New Orleans, what there good enough to beg for votes but not good enough to attend from the busy schedule to speak,,, whatever, Hillary is the one who gives you like it is and offers you hard work rather than offer you the world,, just to get elected,, wake up if he couldnt make the time for them, is he really inspirational boy this is a slap in the face for those who truly believed his reddrick or is this just another of Hillarys attacks whatever,, vote experience,, hope is needed so is a path, and one willing to fight for us,,,

Posted by: vi | Feb 24, 2008 4:13:16 AM

Some keep bringing up that Obama supporters can't recite Obama's legislative accomplishments. Can Hillary supporterss recite Hillary's legislative accomplishments? If you could, you would know that she has done very little of a substantive nature. There is only name recognition from the 90's when her husband was president. Tell me what SHE has done.

Posted by: JBrown | Feb 24, 2008 4:04:01 AM

hillary is in the mist of a nervous breakdown and bill has already lost his

Posted by: cisconchipper | Feb 24, 2008 3:39:12 AM

McCain is qualified to do what? keeping the Bush policies alive?

Posted by: JT | Feb 24, 2008 2:53:36 AM

Apparently, paid campaign workers move from one campaign to the next. The worker cited in the article was probably out there scouting another job in case Hillary's campaign went south which may or may not happen, but he is just covering his bases.

Posted by: Two-cats | Feb 24, 2008 2:28:36 AM

Mr. "So do I" Obama is piggy backing on other people's words and policies. It was clear from Thursday's debate who has substance and who does not. Since he was caught copying people's speeches, he was reduced to the "ah...ah..." pregnant pauses when asked about his own policies. He keeps saying "so do I" confirming that he really does not have any ideas of his own.

Posted by: WakeUpPeople | Feb 24, 2008 2:25:45 AM

I thought Clinton wasn't going to back out of the race until AFTER Texas and Ohio had their shot at humiliating her? What I saw yesterday was Clinton throwing in the towel, albeit in a quite embarassingly manner, to be sure.

Posted by: Namako OH3 | Feb 24, 2008 2:18:50 AM

It's a shame that the national media has largely failed to inspect Obama's history more closely. When you actually start looking, the reality doesn't exactly match the brand image. I fear that we'll end up with the same kind of buyer's regret that we now have with Bush.

E.g. Excerpts from a story about how Obama first gained public office in the Illinois State Senate
(Chicago Tribune April 4, 2007)

The day after New Year's 1996, operatives for Barack Obama filed into a barren hearing room of the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners.

There they began the tedious process of challenging hundreds of signatures on the nominating petitions of state Sen. Alice Palmer, the longtime progressive activist from the city's South Side. And they kept challenging petitions until every one of Obama's four Democratic primary rivals was forced off the ballot.

His overwhelming legal onslaught signaled his impatience to gain office, even if that meant elbowing aside an elder stateswoman like Palmer.

A close examination of Obama's first campaign clouds the image he has cultivated throughout his political career: The man now running for president on a message of giving a voice to the voiceless first entered public office not by leveling the playing field, but by clearing it.

One of the candidates he eliminated, long-shot contender Gha-is Askia, now says that Obama's petition challenges belied his image as a champion of the little guy and crusader for voter rights. "He talks about honor and democracy, but what honor is there in getting rid of every other candidate so you can run scot-free? Why not let the people decide?"

Had Palmer survived the petition challenge, Obama would have faced the daunting task of taking on an incumbent senator. Palmer's elimination marked the first of several fortuitous political moments in Obama's electoral success: He won the 2004 primary and general elections for U.S. Senate after tough challengers imploded when their messy divorce files were unsealed.

Obama contended that in the case of the 1996 race, in which he routed token opposition in the general election, he was ready to compete in the primary if necessary.

Asked whether the district's primary voters were well-served by having only one candidate, Obama smiled and said: "I think they ended up with a very good state senator."

And he defended his use of ballot maneuvers: "If you can win, you should win and get to work doing the people's business."

Posted by: gg | Feb 24, 2008 1:49:53 AM

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