Political Punch

Ouch, my head hurts. Thanks for the great reportage. How do I, as a 51-year-old female citizen, let this "rules committee" know that if they overturn this to give it to Sen. Clinton, this is one lifelong Democrat that will actually vote for John McCain as a vehement protest? I began the campaign supporting Sen. Clinton. Her behind the scenes low-brow tactics, shepherded by Sid Blumenthal, led me to question that decision. Sen. Obama's positive campaign and refusal to get in the mud led me to change sides. I will not vote for Sen. Clinton no matter what given the decisions she has made in her campaign. If the Rules Committee hands her the nomination, I will indeed go one step further and vote Republican for the first time in my life. Might I suggest that anyone reading contact any super delegate that is reponsible to them for re-election. We all have members of Congress and Governors. Object strongly to rewriting the rules over and over until a set arises that queens Hillary Clinton.

Around January, after Iowa, when people first really began considering Obama, both candidates had raised about the same amount of money (then around $100 million dollars each).

Today, Obama has excess tens of millions of dollars to spend as his campaign wishes, while the Clinton campaign is some $20 million in debt. ( 11.4m to herself and over 10m to her pollsters and contractors. )

I think, Hillary has another math problem here, too.

( Who do you want fixing our economy? )

I know this blog is about Hillary Clinton's magical math but for a second lets talk about her attacks on NAFTA. All the progressive candidates are attacking NAFTA and "Globalization." First, that is economic horse pucky, if it were not for world trade (as un-free and imbalanced as it in fact is) we would be in a depression and not teetering on recession. Second, too few Americans have ever had a passport --- let alone used it --- and they, in general, know so little about the world that they think that all of the other nations are waiting for America to vote on whether or not they can go into business. Also absurd. We are in a global economy folks. The way to thrive in it is to seek education; gain skills that are valuable and be aggressively competitive. The way to loose at it is to sit around and snivel about the world changing and the unproductive factories closing and to keep looking back to the good old days, which are gone forever and ain't coming back. That is not to say that more balanced "Fair" trade agreements can not be made, but even where possible they won't change things very much. We are in a global struggle for economic survival. The first thing that we must let go of is our sense of entitlement about what the world owes us... Th world is tired of First world whining and does not give a damn if their progress discomforts us. Get used to it. No politician can do very much to change that, other than to support life-long education and to inspire people to seek it. The 20th Century (the American Century) is over. We must prepare to work hard to take an honorable place among the nations of the world. We must also prepare to work very hard to repair the damage done by the arrogant, ignorant, inarticulate, incompetent imbecile who is our current president, he has sailed us onto the rocks... Nobody running for president is saying this. I understand. Too many people do not want to hear it and lack the experience of the world to know that much of what I just wrote is indisputably true, but whoever is elected in November, that is the world they will get to work with... Just one reporter's opinion...jt

Dear "English Teacher" Thank you for standing up for the fact that words matter. as Amy Lowell wrote: “All books are either dreams or swords. You can cut or you can drug with words.” Racism cuts both ways... and as we have seen in this election cycle, one can get a great deal of milage out of racially charged charges with little or no substance. How could the issue of "Race" make the first page of the list of problems we are auditioning these candidates to address. Talk about re-arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. Hey there out there in America land: Black, White, Brown or Gray, Don't you know that you have no civil liberties left? Any that you did not give away to fight the "Drug War," they have taken to fight the "war on terror." Have you noticed? At some point those little rights might matter to you, but then it will probably be too late. How about getting a passport and flying to France. Then you'd see your money is worth about half of what it was three years ago, in the real world outside suburbia.... Do you know that Americans pay more for bad health care than the Europeans do for world class health care? NUMBER ONE! We're NUMBER ONE! At what, besides debt and delusion? Now tell me that the big issue is that Senator Clinton is a woman and Senator Obama is Black... Right.

Anybody got any jelly?

This broad is toast!

Hillary is the experienced liar in this race. She'll say anything!!

NO MATTER WHAT THE ISSUE IS -

SHE'LL TRY SPIN IT TO WIN IT!!!

FIGURES DON’T LIE BUT LIARS CAN FIGURE

ETHICS BE DAMNED.

"So to fight the impression of a bunch of (mostly white) party insiders "thwarting" the will of the pledged delegates..."

Admittedly, this is off the original topic, but I wonder what the race of the party insiders has to do with the issue. It seems that to introduce a (parenthetical) note about their race is to suggest that their race plays a significant factor in their actions. One wonders how readers would react should an author write of "violent crimes committed by (mostly black) residents of inner city Chicago." Working to erradicate racism is an admiral goal, but standards must be applied evenly.

For the Democrats and Independents:

It is okay to stand behind your candidate right now. However, when the time comes lets close ranks. The anti Obama and negative Hillary sentiment has got to stop.

For Republicans and Ultra Conservatives:

Don't try to dilute our message. It would be better to try to strengthen your party, then trying to ruin ours.

We need to stick together as Americans to fight against OPEC, Taliban, and other anti-American groups

For the Democrats and Independents:

It is okay to stand behind your candidate right now. However, when the time comes lets close ranks. The anti Obama and negative Hillary sentiment has got to stop.

For Republicans and Ultra Conservatives:

Don't try to dilute our message. It would be better to try to strengthen your party, then trying to ruin ours.

We need to stick together as Americans to fight against OPEC, Taliban, and other anti-American groups

The problem with the campaign Hillary has run is that it has divided the Democratic party. If he wins, he cannot count on the people that voted for her to vote for him. If she wins, she will not get the people who voted for him to vote for her.

And the Republicans love it. They get to watch the "inevitable" Democratic win in 2008 turn into a fiasco. Well I hope it was worth it.

HRC was a republican in college! What does that say?

Bill Clinton certainly didn't mind that 90% of the blacks voted for himin the 1992 & 1996 elections. Without the black vote, Clinton would have never been President

Ever notice how Obama supporters who attack Clinton typically refer to something she's actually done or been involved in at some point, but Clinton supporters who attack Obama accuse him of everything from being a Taliban secret agent in disguise to the figurehead of a Stalinist resurgence?

I'm gonna give real Clinton supporters the benefit of the doubt and presume these conspiracy theorists aren't really Democrats, but Republicans trying to impact our nomination. Only a Republican can come up with such ugly lies to scare people into supporting their efforts.

A chip right of the W block...

The percentage of black people that stand behind black leaders (approx 90%) is overwhelmingly greater than that of any other group- women,Jewish people, to name two. This says a whole lot of things.

dl - Well I will tell you that this female lifelong democrat will either vote McCaine or not vote if Obama is the nominee. Take that to the bank.

I flat out do not trust Barack Obama to run a cubscout meeting let alone to be POTUS. Either one of the other candidates has more expirence in their little toe than Obama has.

I'll tell you another thing. Obama is making more enemies than he is making friends. I was offended by his "rural America" remarks and I live in a city. I won't even bring up his family and reverend.

David H. I wonder why Terry McAuliffe didn't think that 4 years ago...about the same state... or Ickes...or Gov rendell who was in charge of the most recent committee to figure out the process of delegate counting.

Hypocrites and lackies.

Most people are bad at math, so the DNC has to make the nomination process simple. One number people can understand is the popular vote. If Hillary wins the popular vote she should win the nomnination, period. Hillary's supporters will not be satisfied if Hillary wins the popular vote but loses the nomination because of the meshuge rules created by the DNC.

And, if you think that we will not count the popular vote in Florida and Michigan you are meshuge! Tossing Florida and Michigan under the bus is the brainchild of Howard Dean and his gang at the DNC -- people who have no clue about winning a presidential election. The voters in Florida and Michigan don't care about DNC rules. They do care about counting their votes.

Has the DNC learned nothing from losing to the Republicans? If people vote for you, you count the vote, period! Who cares what stupid rules were broken. If you want people to vote for you, you better count their votes!

Clinton's only goal is moving up and winning by all means. So naturally she wants to change the numbers. She is as much concerned about the welfare of blue collar workers as CEOs from Halliburton or former ENRON are concerened about the welfare of their employees.

NAFTA is Clinton's baby, no matter how much she denies it. They have large amount of stock in WALMART and are gaining from the bypassing of import tax on Chinese products. How much overseas oil stocks do they hold?? I never had sex with that women! Did he mean Hillary??

I have a new number for Hillary. 2016.

Nicholas -

She's much more unelectable.

Why can't Hillary win Black and Educated voters?

Political Center.

-----

Umm...no. It's not "unless Michigan and Florida are not seated." They have already been banned from being seated. If and when they are seated, the number will change. Until then, the number is the number given by the Clinton campaign for the first 14 months of this campaign, by the Obama campaign, AND the DNC.

2024.

It wouldn't be a problem if the just count Floria and Michigan

I heard this morning the media experts,
that: if Obama gets the nomination,around 20% of democrats will
vote for McCain.
This is a disaster for the democratic party.
Remember Dukakis????? He lost 45 states
in general elections.
OBAMA IS UNELECTABLE.

So, the math is wrong? What is wrong with this picture is that there is only one official number and that is not the one promoted and adopted by the AP, CNN, CBS, NBC, and ABC, all of whom call Obama to find out the numbers. The right number is what is set by the DNC, which has never changed the number to the new lower one.

So let's at least report the truth. Unless Florida and Michigan are not seated, an event yet to happen but that is like to take place, the right number is the one that the Clinton camp is saying is correct. Not Obama's number that the media have all adopted.

It's really too bad that there isn't an even higher number than 2026 for Clinton to make as the "new goal post!"

I'm sure she'd like that!

What she doesn't say is that raising the number means she is even further behind!

She continues to fall behind every day!!! Senator Obama has surpassed the number of delegates Hillabeans netted from her PA "win," with the supers he's picked up just since that vote. And beginning tomorrow, I expect he'll surpass any net gain she has from a potenial Indiana win (if she does), by the end of the week.

She's math challenged, physics challenged and economics challenged!

Do we really want her to be President?

Obama 2008 -- Yes, WE CAN!!!

We don't need beautiful speeches America needs a solution. NOBAMA for AMERICA.

All of you people who are opposed to Hillary because she was misquoted about her Bosnia experience, or because of her failure to pass a health-care plan 15 years ago, or because of her Travel-Gate experience, or because of her failure to release her records from the 1990s, or because of her failure to release her tax returns -- you're just part of that vast right-wing conspiracy, and you are not entitled to weigh in on who the next Democratic nominee will be.

Aaron - Give her a Break Gravitational Theory is just a theory.

You can't prove or disprove all of the effects attributed to this THEORY.

Hillary knows gravity is just a theory. Like many other Americans she ain't gonna some theory tell her what to think. By the way ain't theories just made up of bunch of 50 dollar words, anyway?

Actions over words. That's what Hillary says.

Hillary is running for miracle.

I don't know what that story about Wright is supposed to demonstrate, Wrong. That he's somehow LESS savory? That it's even less understandable why Obama remained in the pews, raising his children steeped in such not only anti-American fervor, but spewed by a known adulterer as well?

Oprah left the church over differences with Wright. Maybe even this one. Why didn't he?

I only count votes of people who live at elevations above 2200 ft. and below 3275 ft. Because that way, HILLARY is winning.

You can't announce that an election won't count, have candidates and voters make decisions based on the announcement that it won't count, hold the election, and then months later decide the election will count after all. That is cheating, plain and simple, and if that is how Hillary Clinton wins the Democratic nomination, it will be a worthless nomination, because millions of Democrats will revolt against that kind of corruption.

Aaron,

Well Said! Hillary makes Newton and Einstein look like Fairies. That Nasty Obama pretends to care about Gravity, but we all know he and his wife are too elitist to understand how held down we are by it.

Where's Obama's plan to fight Gravity? he simply has no solutions to REAL PROBLEMS!

Hillary 08, even Phyisics can't keep her down!

Another great Clinton argument, the irrefutable negative.

"So you don't support Clinton? So how long have you been a communist pinko republican hippie terrorist small state sexist race pandering undemocratic caucus activist naive youth loser, anyway?"

They're doing it again now. "You don't like Clinton? So you must like really high oil prices" Like the two are somehow indellibly balanced like that...

"The voters of Florida and Michigan were in favor of Clinton over Obama but Obama refused to consider a new legal election."

More HRC BS. The governors of those states did not want to PAY for another election. I love how even HRC supporters want to distort the truth and change the rules because their queen Hillary is losing.

If Hillary REALLY cared about MI and FLv voters, WHY DID SHE AGREE THEY SHOULD NOT BE COUNTED? No one has ever been able to answer that question. Seems like she only cares about them if she can votes from them. Which means she only cares about HER OWN LUST FOR POWER.

I hate the way people who ARE NOT from Michigan or spin our "Primary". Everyone in Michigan knows our primary was rigged. All the candidates agreed to keep their names off the ballot in protest over Michigan moving its primary ahead. And why? Ask our Gov. Jennifer Granholm, HRC's State Chairman. Does anyone actually think that this is all just too conveinent?

Damm how many times will this happen in my life time no unity I am changing to independent if Kennedy took it to the floor and he was 750 short why can't Clinton.

I agree with Irish Gram. Also know matter how much you want Obama to be able to lead this country, he is NOT QUALIFIED at this point in time. If you don't like Clinton how do like $4.00 a gal for gas?

sorry "democracy"

I'm so bored with Clinton supporters trying to link Obama's thoughts and ideas with people he's met, and sone he hasn't even met, in his life. It's a lame debate. I know I can think for myself even when others around me have differing opinions. GUESS THAT'S THE DIFFERENCE. Hillary's folks obviously CAN'T think for themselves. They don't understand how someone can have their own ideas. So they're obviously afraid of anyone who has diffing opinions. They'll CLING into anything Hillary says regardless of the truth. And then just fabricate the details to support it. It's sad. I'd argue about with them, but it's just wrong to have a battle of intellegence with unarmed HRC supporters. My advice, put down your six pack and your remote, read some books, and learn to think.

Everybody knows that Math is bad.
Algebra is even worse and don't get started on calculus because that's just plain evil.

Speaking of evil, what's up with these economists that are saying Hillary's Gas tax holiday is bogus.

ELITISTS all of them with their college degrees and mastery of the so called sciences. Hillary is Right! Go with what you feel is right. Don't let these bozo elitists talk down to you.

lmao The correct term is "ex-officio" delegates which is used in every other English speaking deomcracy.

Super delegates is a ridiculous word that sorry to say makes Democrats seem dumb.

And yet 1/2 the party still votes for her. Go figure?

"I know my Calculuuuuuus, it says YOU plus ME equals UUUSSS"

Sorry, just popped into my head...

Should have done the revote we had plenty of time but Obama would be behind and now that Rev Wright will bring the Republican base out big time and Clinton supporters smell the rats in our own party all I can say is good luck.

I swear if the Superdelegates or the DNC does not stop this woman and lets her take this from Obama I will switch my party for sure. She is nothing more then a first class cheat. Grow up Hillary, you lost this when you felt Iowa and those other states did not count. That just goes to show you should not be running our country. The only reason they are letting you go on is because Obama is black/white, if it was reversed they would have demanded Obama to step down by now.
He has won this, now end it.

Obama has and had nothing to do with Florida and Michigan votes not being counted, Your girl Hillary is as normal a cheat. For those who do not live in those states need to ask the ones who do live there, the ones who never went to polls to vote because they are adults they knew what the rules were and are, they know that their votes would and will not count. Grow up people.

Oh how the Clintons live to change the rules, for whatever purpose suits them the best. Sorry to inform ya, no matter how ya do the math the Clintons are going to lose big time!
Obama '08

I know let's redo the elections in FL and MI but this time, let's take Hillary's name off the ballot in MI and let's let Obama campaign in FL while Hillary sits it out

Hillary does not represent my values. I am a college educated single father with two kids (ages 8 and 10), who can see through Hillary’s smoking mirrors. Hillary Clinton is an ELITIST. She has become like The Pied Piper of Hamelin...where many voters follow her without question...not realizing that she's driving them towards the abyss.

Regarding Michigan and Florida, 50% for each of the delegates per candidate is reasonable and fair. Everyone knew the rules and agreed upon them before the game started. All of the candidates knew the rules. All of the states knew the rules. Suddenly, in the middle or near the end of the game, because Hillary is not winning, certain people want to change the rules.

We, the people of the United States, have a moral obligation to maintain the rules agreed upon by everyone. If we change the rules now, what are we teaching our children? Let’s play the game fair. Majority wins.

Obama is waaaaaaaaaaaaaay too creepy for the masses. His supporters need to get their heads out of the sand and recognize this. Otherwise, it's President McCain 08.

Just for the record Hill Shills.

Obama is polling alot better than your girl is in
Michigan right now.

You can tell how off base and pathetic her claims are
when you read the comments made by her supporters
on this blog.

Hillary is giving them nothing to work with.
Not even a decent spin can come out of her claims.

Hillary spotted Obama two states, I wonder how many McCain will spot him?

Can we have equal time in looking back 16 years to what Obama was doing and saying? It won't be pretty would it?

Obama surrogates keep fibbing that he didn't campaign in Florida while he was running cable commercials. He took his name off in Michigan to propagandize Iowa.

The Democrats cannot win without Florida and Michigan and the Obama run up of States that will vote Republican in the GE has to be discounted given they won't contribute to the electoral vote.

In reality, the only math that matters is the electoral college. Obama has done a good job with a jab feint and spin but there are no free throws in the general election. It's 270 and no overtime.

Seat the delegates. Let's get the Democratic campaign off the court and back on the tracks to win in November. Otherwise, all those contributors on both sides of the nomination threw their money into the crapper. Let Dean and Pelosi explain that in December.

The voters of Florida and Michigan were in favor of Clinton over Obama but Obama refused to consider a new legal election. He simply wants to get elected by devault. And i n states that had early elections , many Obama voters have changed their minds. They now know the truth and would vote for Clinton. If Obama wins, America loses.