Barack Obama has extended his lead over Hillary Clinton in the latest results of the tracking Gallup Poll.
The poll, conducted between March 27 and 29, shows Obama on 52% compared to Clinton on 42%.
In an apparent confirmation of the result, Rasmussen have also released a poll, conducted over the previous 4 nights, showing Obama leading Clinton 47%-42%.
White males and those under 50 are strongly supporting Obama, with white women and older voters still sticking with Clinton.
Obama extends lead over Clinton
Democrats Will Unite - Obama & Clinton
Both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton have declared that Democrats will unite behind whichever of them secures the nomination. Both candidates have spoken about the issue after concerns have been raised in recent weeks about the divisive nature of their campaigns.
Asked in North Carolina what she would say to Democrats who were thinking of voting for McCain, Clinton said that "It is not a wise decision for yourself or your country.I intend to do everything I can to make sure we have a unified Democratic party. When this contest is over and we have a nominee, we're going to close ranks, we're going to be united."
Obama also made a similar point. "I don't think we are hurt, long term. I think short term, there is going to be work to do for the nominee to bring the party back together again" he said.
"I think what's going to happen is that there are going to be some bruised feelings, whoever the nominee is. We are going to have to come together and remind ourselves that there is a heck of a lot bigger difference between either Senator Clinton or myself, and John McCain."
Clinton Urged to Quit Race for Obama
Hillary Clinton has been strongly urged to quit the race for the nomination, and allow Barack Obama greater time to prepare for the November election.
In a move that is seeking to quell the public fighting among Democrats, Senator Chris Dodd and Senator Patrick J Leahy have urged Clinton to withdraw.
"Senator Clinton has every right, but not a very good reason, to remain a candidate for as long as she wants to" Leahy said.
Leahy also said that it was almost impossible for Clinton to win the nomination from here.
Dodd said that he thinks a long drawn out contest, well into June, would be devastating for the Democrats.
The DNC Chairman, Howard Dean has called on the Clinton and Obama camps to cool it over the coming weeks, lest Democrats become demoralised for the real campaign later in the year.
Clinton is trailing in the pledged delegates, and Obama is making serious headway with the Superdelegates. The 2 latest polls have Clinton either even or behind Obama as preferred nominee. And Obama leads Clinton as the best option to defeat John McCain.
Senator Casey Endorsement of Obama
Senator Bob Casey of Pennsylvania endorses Barack Obama. Speech at the the Soldiers and Sailors Military Museum in Pittsburgh. This endorsement kicks of a 6 day tour of Pennsylvania by Obama.
Obama is hoping to make some inroads into the double digit lead that Hillary Clinton has in Pennsylvania.
Obama Secures Key Endorsement
Pennsylvania Senator Bob Casey has formally endorsed Barack Obama - a move which will be a major blow to Hillary Clinton's campaign for the nomination.
Casey is an extremely popular Democrat in Pennsylvania, and his support will go a long way to making inroads into the white, conservative voters in that state. This is Obama's first major endorsement in Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania Democrats go to the polls on April 22. Hillary Clinton still enjoys a solid double digit lead in that state, but a strong win there is crucial for her to stay in the race.
Obama is commercing a 6 day tour of the state, where he hopes to narrow Clinton's lead.
The Obama endorsement by Casey, the son of a former popular Governor, has ended a bad week for Clinton. Two national polls have shown her trailing Obama, she has had to defend her statements on her trip to the Balkans, and Gov. Richardson has also endorsed Obama.
Toughest TV Ad
Barack Obama's toughest TV ad. This is airing in Pennsylavania.
Its in the same style as the first campaign piece by Obama 14 months ago, with exactly the same music.
Wright Hasn't Affected Obama - Poll
A new poll by the Pew Research Center has found that the Rev. Wright issue has seemingly not affected Barack Obama's chances in securing the Democratic nomination.
Obama leads Hillary Clinton in the poll, 49% to 39% - the same result as a month ago. And further, the Gallup tracking poll again has Obama 4 points clear of Clinton.
The results of the survey also pointed to something interesting - that the Wright issue has attracted more public attention than any other issue during the campaign so far.
In this poll, both Obama and Hillary Clinton have a small lead over Republican Nominee, John McCain.
The poll by Pew Research was taken over March 19-22 and surveyed 1503 people.
Obama back on Message
Barack Obama has returned to the real enemy in the campaign, the Republicans and John McCain.
In a speech in Greenboro, North Carolina, Obama criticised John McCain for his policies which he suggests will be a continuation of the Bush economic doctrine.
Obama said that McCain offers no support for those threatened with losing their home or their job. He said McCain would prefer to continue the tax breaks for the wealthiest few. Obama said that America cant afford another 4 years of Bush economics.
This approach by Obama is paying dividends. Already he has recovered in the polls, and while Clinton is busy defending her statements about her trip to Bosnia, Obama is moving onto the real target, and talking about the big issues.
Obama Withstands Rough 2 weeks
Barack Obama has withstood the rough two weeks in the media, according to the latest poll.
The Poll, conducted by NBC and the Wall Street Journal show Obama and Hillary Clinton even as preferred nominee.
And in more good news, on the positive rating front, Obama leads Clinton 49% to 37%.
Obama is also back in the lead in the head to head match ups with John McCain. He leads McCain by two points, whereas McCain leads Clinton by the same margin.
The polls were taken on Monday and Tuesday, just as the latest gaffe by Hillary Clinton was revealed. Clinton was caught embellishing the truth about her trip to Bosnia in the 1990's.
Bill Clinton Just Like Sen. McCarthy
Bill Clinton has been likened to Senator Joe McCarthy by Barack Obama campaign aide, Tony McPeak after the former President made comments in North Carolina which potentially could be seen as suggesting that Obama was not patriotic.
Clinton said the following, in reference to a possible showdown in November between Hillary and John McCain.
"I think it would be a great thing if we had an election year where you had two people who loved this country and were devoted to the interest of this country. And people could actually ask themselves who is right on these issues, instead of all this other stuff that always seems to intrude itself on our politics."
McPeak said that he grew up in the 1950's, when "...McCarthy was accusing good Americans of being traitors."
He said that "It's a use of language as a disguised insult. We've seen this before, this little clever spin that's put on stuff.I have no idea what his intentions are, but I'm disappointed in the statement. I think Bill Clinton is, or ought to be, better than that."
The Clinton campaign have suggested that the comparison between McCarthy and the former President is absurd. But it certainly isn't the first time that Bill Clinton has caused ripples in this campaign with some of his language. And if he stays on the campaign trail, you can bet it wont be the last.
Richardson Endorsement of Obama
Gov. Bill Richardson's endorsement of Barack Obama today in Portland, Oregon. A very powerful speech. Richardson is extremely charismatic, has a sense of humour, and has strong experience. If he keeps this up, he certainly has strong claims for the Vice Presidential role should Obama secure the nomination.
The endorsement comes at a perfect time for Obama, and is a blow for the Clinton's who would have been hoping for Richardson's support.
Passport Breach extends to Clinton, McCain
Having admitted on Thursday, that Barack Obama's personal passport file had been breached on 3 separate occasions by 3 separate people, the State Department were forced Friday into another humiliating admission.
Both Hillary Clinton and John McCain's personal files had also been breached.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has phoned all three candidates and apologized for the breaches.
Although the breach of Clinton's file at this stage appears relatively minor, the inquiry into McCain's file was made by the same person who had looked into Obama's.
Speaking before the latest revelations on his own passport had come to light, McCain said that "If anyone's privacy is breached, then they deserve an apology and a full investigation and I believe that will take place."
The Obama campaign have placed the blame firmly at the Bush Administration describing them of committing an outrageous breach of privacy for political ends.
Gov. Richardson Endorses Barack Obama
Former contender for the Democratic Nomination and Governor of New Mexico, Bill Richardson has declared that he is endorsing Barack Obama for the nomination.
Both Obama and Hillary Clinton have spent time courting Richardson's support, both for his public endorsement, but also as a superdelegate. This significance of this endorsement can't be underestimated.
Richardson has called Obama a once in a lifetime leader who will be able to reunite America as well as providing for strong international leadership.
"As a presidential candidate, I know full well Senator Obama's unique moral ability to inspire the American people to confront our urgent challenges at home and abroad in a spirit of bipartisanship and reconciliation," Richardson said.
Richardson has long been considered a possible running mate for either Obama or Clinton. He brings not only a wealth of experience on the domestic and international front, but as an Hispanic, he may well appeal to the vital and growing latin American community which could prove crucial come November.
In addition, his support wont hurt during the remaining primaries. As US Ambassador to the UN and Energy Secretary during the Clinton Administration, his relationship with Hillary and Bill was said to be close.
This endorsement for Obama will come as a major disappointment for them.
Obama – It is about Experience and Judgement
“I am running for President of the United States of America. I’m running to be Commander in Chief. And the reason I‘m running to be Commander in Chief is because I believe that the most important thing, when you answer that phone call at 3 in the morning, is what kind of judgement do you have – not how long you have been in Washington, but what kind of judgement do you have when you’re answering that phone.” Barack Obama, Mississippi, 10 March 2008.
So said Barack Obama in response to the TV attacks by Hillary Clinton, implying that he was too inexperienced to deal with a national security matter at three in the morning. If you haven’t seen it, it’s an ad taken straight from the Republican playbook.
Unfortunately, this suggestion by Clinton falls into the same trap that Clinton has set, and indeed has begun to have some resonance in the American media.
And it’s just plain wrong. Barack Obama was a State Senator for seven years in Illinois, one of the more populous states in America, and not without its share of problems. Then, he secured a spot in a cherished position, the United States Senate – and became only the third Black Senator since Reconstruction. That’s right, one of three since the latter half of the 19th century. By the time the election comes around in November, Obama will be nearing the end of four years in that place.
For the record, that’s only four years less than Clinton in the Senate. Hillary’s only other experience, was not as an elected official, but as First Lady. True, she carved out her own role, was incredibly proactive and a serious advisor to the President. Yet, one of her major tasks during that time was to help secure a national health care reform and it failed dismally. And it failed in many ways because of the way the system in Washington works – one of the things that Obama is referring to when he uses the word “Change”.
But if we are to accept the notion that experience in Washington is all that matters, first we must look at the recent history. Let’s take four of the last five Presidents. Jimmy Carter was Governor of Georgia, Reagan a Governor of California, Bill Clinton, Governor of Arkansas and Bush Jr, Governor of Texas. Not one of them, including Hillary’s husband, had served in Washington before coming to the Presidency.
Yet as Obama says, it’s not just about experience in Washington, it is about judgement. On one of the most important matters in a generation, the Iraq war, Obama stood very much alone as an opponent, at a time when holding such a view as a politician was not only unpopular, but potentially a career breaking decision.
At the same time, Hillary Clinton was standing firmly behind President Bush in his call for war. It’s not just about being capable of admitting when you are wrong, but making the right decisions in the first place.
Only days ago, former Democratic Vice Presidential Candidate, and the first woman from a major party to stand for that high office, Geraldine Ferraro suggested that Obama wouldn’t be where he is today, were it not for the colour of his skin. But she went further, decrying America’s media for being too sexist.
It can’t be said that Obama hasn’t broken down barriers himself. Raised mainly by his grandparents in Hawaii, he then went on not to only attend Harvard, but to head the prestigious Harvard Law Review. Serving in the Illinois Senate, followed up by the United States Senate and then a real contender for President, are no small achievements. Particularly for a skinny black kid with a funny name. His words, not mine.
For all of last year, Obama was the underdog. In fact, some national polls had him more than thirty points behind Clinton. And it wasn’t until Super Tuesday a month ago that he was given a real chance. But let us be aware that it is not through some delicious scandal or massive political error that Hillary is now trailing Obama. The lead that Obama enjoys is due to persistence – the same which many credit the Clintons with – persistence in fighting against the odds and against the best political machine in the country.
The Democratic nomination is still at least weeks, if not months away from being decided. Unfortunately for Clinton, if she does secure the nomination, the 3am negative ad against Obama in Ohio and Texas, could just as easily be turned around and used by John McCain come November. Perhaps by then, it might be about judgement.
The Difference between Judgment & Experience
This is classic Obama - a great little snippet from North Carolina yesterday which sums up Obama'a position on Iraq, and makes a clear contrast between Judgment and Experience.
Obama Passport Breach - Political Motive?
Was there a political motive behind the breach in security that allowed 3 individuals to access Barack Obama's personal passport file on 3 separate occassions this year?
That is something the Obama campaign will seek to find out as they call for a full investigation.
"This is an outrageous breach of security and privacy, even from an administration that has shown little regard for either over the last eight years. Our government's duty is to protect the private information of the American people, not use it for political purposes," spokesperson for the Obama campaign Bill Burton said yesterday.
"This is a serious matter that merits a complete investigation, and we demand to know who looked at Senator Obama's passport file, for what purpose and why it took so long for them to reveal this security breach," he said.
2 people have been fired and one has been disciplined due to the breaches.
The State Department are looking into the matter, and there is a possibility that the FBI or Justice Department may be called in also to investigate.
Fox on Obama - Time to Move On
Barack Obama has captured the attention of a much wider audience, with not only the political viewing public and media tuning in to watch his Philadelphia speech on race relations in America.
24 Hours after the speech, over 1.6 million people had viewed the youtube video. This morning, just on the one version supplied by barackobamadotcom, it is up to 2 million.
Yet of course, there were some in the media who just cant seem to move on from the Obama/Rev Wright issue, notably the Fox Network. Does that surprise anyone?
Some were unimpressed with Obama's refusal to totally distance himself from Wright. Some considered that the issue was so damaging, as to disqualify Obama from running for the White House.
Right. I think the reaction of the media on this one is proving what a farce the "mainstream" media are becoming, and why many people are turning to online media, and using tools such as youtube and blogs to make up their on mind. People don't like being told what to do, and what to think anymore.
Obama bravely addressed the issue of race relations in America - a speech that was more fitting of a President, not a candidate in a tight contest for the nomination. And he dealt with the matter of Rev Wright, clearly unable to disown the person who had been his pastor for 20 years. And nor should he.
As Obama rightly pointed out, we have all likely disagreed with something our pastor/priest/rabbi has said at times, but that is no reason to disown them. That doesnt mean he agrees with what Wright has said - quite the opposite.
Could you imagine the line that Fox and other would have taken had Obama distanced himself completely from Wright? Yes, he was just being politically expedient and shallow.
Cant' win.
Obama did the courageous thing. Not only was he brave on this issue of Rev. Wright, but he went further, dealing with race relations in the United States. In doing so, this speech will go down as one of the most significant of the 21st century.
And thankfully, people are viewing the speech themselves, and not just listening to the unhelpful commentary provided by some media organisations.
Obama Speech - A More Perfect Union
Barack Obama delivers his speech in Philadelphia, on a More Perfect Union.
Obama to Address Race Issues in Speech
Barack Obama will today give a major speech at the Major Constitution Center in Philadelphia, where he will address the issues of race head on.
Obama has come under fire in recent days, for his association with the Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr, Pastor at Obama's church.
Wright has in the past given sermons which have attacked America and the Government.
Obama has distanced himself significantly from the Pastor over the last week and removed him from his religious advisory groups, but the controversy has bubbled along regardless.
Obama will today repeat his denunciation of the Pastor's remarks, but will go further, in an attempt to deal with the issue of race and race relations.
Apparently, Obama is concerned that if his association with Wright is not dealt with, along with the issue of race relations, then his campaign for the nomination could be damaged significantly.
If Obama's previous major speeches are anything to go by, this one should be worth watching. And by all accounts, it could be his most important yet.
Fox Can't Handle the Truth
A good defence of Barack Obama by Senator Chris Dood and Senator Chuck Schumer, but the Fox Network doesnt seem to be listening...and it goes on.
Obama responds to Rev. Wright Issue
Barack Obama interviewed by Major Garrett, shown here on Hannity and Colmes.
Fox Network are loving this arent they?
Obama gets more Delegates from Iowa
Barack Obama has secured more delegates from Iowa, 2 and a half months after the vote there.
The 14 votes that John Edwards picked up in Iowa have been up for grabs, with 9 one them to come to Obama.
This takes Obama's total from the State to 25, compared with 14 for Hillary Clinton. 6 Delegates are still stciking with John Edwards.
Dick Morris Analysis on Obama's Delegates
Former strategist for President Bill Clinton, Dick Morris, and Eileen McGann have put together some very interesting analysis of split of delegates between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. From the last line of the article, Morris and McGann suggest that the chances of Hillary securing the nomination from here are "increasingly remote". Wow.
By Dick Morris & Eileen McGann
A funny thing is happening. While Hillary and Bill appeal to super delegates to override the will of the voters and back Hillary, the super delegates are doing just the opposite.
The latest delegate count posted on realclearpolitics.com shows that Hillary’s lead among super delegates, once a comfortable 60 votes, has now been cut almost in half to 36 delegates. The latest tally has Hillary leading among super delegates by 247 to 211. So, with 57 percent of the super delegates decided, Hillary’s lead is shrinking.
In fact, Obama’s total delegate lead has swelled to 163 votes among elected delegates and 127 among all delegates. With 1,614 votes, he isn’t far from the 2,025 he would need without Florida or Michigan, to win the nomination.
Of the remaining 566 delegates to be selected, Hillary should enjoy a slight edge. She’ll probably win Pennsylvania (158 delegates), Indiana (72), Kentucky (51), West Virginia (28), and Puerto Rico (55). Obama will likely win North Carolina (115), Oregon (52), Montana (16), South Dakota (15) and Guam (4). If this turns out to be so, Clinton would lead in states with 364 delegates while Obama would prevail in states with 202. But even if we assume 10 point wins for each candidate in each state (and the margin will likely be much tighter), all Hillary would get from her states is 36 more delegates while Obama would get 20 from his — still leaving Obama with a lead of 147 in elected delegates.
At that point, Obama would have about 1,900 votes, within spitting distance of the 2025 he’d need to win. Hillary would have to win the remaining super delegates by a top-heavy margin of 2:1 in order to win (steal) the nomination from Obama, who will have won the most elected delegates.
Even if we factor in possible do-over primaries in Florida and Michigan, the nature of the proportional representation process is not likely to change this outcome significantly. Hillary might get an extra 20 delegates if she wins both states, but she’s not likely to get more.
Can Hillary carry the remaining super delegates by 2:1 when she is carrying the ones who have committed by only 247 to 211? Not very likely. The pressure on these delegates to vote as their states voted will be very intense and few are likely to stand up to it.
Remember that these super delegates are either elected officials in their own right, which means that they need to get reelected or party officials in the various states whose ears are very close to the ground. Particularly in caucus states that Obama carried heavily, they are not about to antagonize the party activists who backed Obama by undercutting their will and switching to Hillary.
In fact, the track record of the super delegates so far indicates that they are abandoning Hillary and signing up with Obama as his delegate lead mounts.
So even if the Clintons try as hard as they can (and they will) to steal his election, their chances of doing so are getting increasingly remote.
Clinton Playing Dangerous Game
The Hillary Clinton team is playing a dangerous game in the race for the nomination, with Chief Strategist Mark Penn declaring that Barack Obama can't win the November election.
Building on Clinton's remarks after Ohio, Penn has declared that the Pennsylvania primary in April is another real test.
"We believe fundamentally that Pennsylvania provides a very significant test of who can really win the general election" he said. "We believe this will again show that Hillary is ready to win and that Senator Obama really can't win the general election."
It's a strategy that is generally considered a no go between Democrat candidates. And its a little strange, particularly since last week Clinton seemed to imply that Obama could be her running mate.
However, Obama's chief strategist David Plouffe rebuffed the Clinton argument, saying that Clinton is only deeming the states she has won to be the important ones.
"Throughout this entire process, the Clinton campaign has moved the goal posts to create a shifting, twisted rationale for why they should win the nomination despite winning fewer primaries, fewer states, fewer delegates, and fewer votes." Plouffe said.
Ferraro Removed from Clinton Campaign
Geraldine Ferraro has been removed from the Hillary Clinton campaign after her divisive remarks about Barack Obama.
Having yesterday distanced themselves from Ferraro, and suggested that she only played a fringe role in the campaign, the Clinton team would have demanded action by Ferraro.
But in her own words, Ferraro admits to being a member of Hillary's finance committee.
Her "resignation" letter to Clinton reads:
"Dear Hillary, I am stepping down from your finance committee so I can speak for myself and you can continue to speak for yourself about what's at stake in this campaign. The Obama campaign is attacking me to hurt you. I won't let that happen. Thank you for everything you've done and continue to do to make this a better world for my children and grandchildren. You have my deep admiration and respect, Gerry."
This is a first step for Clinton - but she is yet to totally dismiss Ferraro's statements. And it took more than 5 days since the statement was made for any action to be taken. The inaction leaves Clinton open for an attack on her possible dog whistle strategy.
No Resolution on Michigan/Florida delegates
A massive impasse exists between the Obama and Clinton camps on the issue of how to seat delegations from Michigan and Florida at the Democratic Convention.
Florida and Michigan held their primaries earlier than usual in January, and had their delegations stripped by the DNC for breach of the rules.
Both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton want the delegations seated - there is no division on that point.
But Clinton wants the results on the January primaries in Michigan and Florida to be be official. The problem is - Obama didnt campaign in either state, and wasnt on the ticket.
At the time, all candidates accepted that the delegations wouldnt be seated, with Clinton going so far as to say that the Mihcigan Primary was "meaningless". Obama, out of respect for other states, removed his name from the ballot and didnt campaign there. As did most of the other candidates.
"We were told that Michigan and Florida wouldn’t count, and so we said we wouldn’t campaign there” Obama said. “Senator Clinton said the same thing, that they wouldn’t count. Now her campaign is suggesting that they should.”
If Clinton's first proposal isnt accepted, she is alternatively proposing a second vote in Florida and Michigan, in June, after the end of the other states votes. The benefit in such a move would be momentum - Hillary Clinton would be expected to win Florida and likely Michigan. Having momentum in the lead up to the Convention would be her main goal. The proposal would be for the vote to be attendance - a massive cost to the Democrats, or a mail in.
Obviously, the Obama team is not accepting either of the two points. It is believed that the preference would be for a 50/50 vote split, enabling the delegates to be seated, but not affecting the vote lead.
It doesnt appear that this matter will be settled anytime soon. The more this issue drags on, the better it is for the GOP - particularly in such a crucial state as Florida.
Obama talks after Mississippi Win
Barack Obama talks to Chris Matthews on NBC after his win in Mississippi yesterday.
Ferraro Won't Apologise - Crisis for Clinton
The Ferraro comments on Barack Obama threaten to turn into a major crisis for the Clinton campaign, with the former Democratic Vice Presidential Candidate refusing to apologise.
Geraldine Ferraro has suggested that Barack Obama wouldnt be where he is today, if he wasnt black. Clinton has distanced herself from Ferraro's comments, but has yet to remove her from the campaign. After the furore caused last week over the monster comment, this issue will seriously destabalise the Clinton campaign over coming days.
If this issue isnt resolved almost immediately by Hillary Clinton herself, this could well be a millstone around her neck for the next month in the lead up to Pennsylvania.
Check out Tim Russert's reaction - i have no doubt that the position the major media will take over the coming days will be very harsh indeed.
Obama Wins Mississippi
Barack Obama has convincingly won the state of Mississippi in the Democratic Primary for President.
Predictions put Obama on 17 delegates to 14 for Hillary Clinton. 2 are yet to be decided.
Obama won a massive majority of African Amercian voters in Mississippi, at a proportion of over 8 in 10.
With most of the precincts reporting, Obama had about 59% of the vote compared to 39% for Clinton - right in line with the most recent polls.
The win is sure to bring the momentum back to Obama. Not to mention the blow up that is bound to occur because of the Ferraro comments.
Polls Closing in Miss.
The polls are closing in Mississippi where Barack Obama is predicted to win up to 60% of the vote. 33 delegates are at stake today. And with Obama in the lead by about 140 in the pledged delegate stakes, it should be another blow to the Clinton team. But not an unexpected one.
Between 125,000 and 150,000 people were expected to vote today - up from just 100,000 four years ago.
When taking into account the committed superdelegates, Obama still has a lead of just over 100. But there are still a large amount of superdelegates yet to commit to either candidate.
Remaining states to decide on the nominee include, Pennsylvania, Indiana, North Carolina, Kentucky, West Virginia, Oregon, Puerto Rico, South Dakota and Montana.
Ferraro Attacks Obama
Unsuccessful Vice Presidential Canidate in 1984, Geraldine Ferraro has entered into the nomination debate by making a ridiculous attack on Obama. And for the record, Ferraro is a Clinton supporter.
"If Obama was a white man, he would not be in this position, and if he was a woman of any color he would not be in this position. He happens to be very lucky to be who he is. And the country is caught up in the concept."
I dont think any comment is needed on the above statement, I think it speaks for itself. Clinton has denounced the statement, but the Obama camp has called for Ferraro to be removed from Hillary's campaign. Rightly so, if the reaction to last week's monster statement is anything to go by. And that was about 1/100th as offensive as the Ferraro comments.
I just have one question. Who is Geraldine Ferraro and what has she done for the past 24 years?
Obama Scoffs at VP Talk
Barack Obama has laid out his strongest message so far on the suggestion that he should be considering the Vice President position on a ticket with Hillary Clinton.
"With all due respect, I've won twice as many states as Senator Clinton. I've won more of the popular vote than Senator Clinton. I have more delegates," he said. "So I don't know how somebody who is in second place is offering the Vice Presidency to the person who is in first place."
Speaking in Mississippi ahead of today's vote, Obama went on to question the logic that applied to the Clinton position.
"I don't understand," he said. "If I'm not ready, how is it that you think I would be such a great vice president? Do you understand that?"
Polls show that Obama should win comfortably today in Mississipi, with some pollsters having him on as much as 60% of the vote.
A big win there will give him an even bigger lead over Clinton, making the Pennsylvania contest even more important.
Split delegates 50/50 says Dodd
Former Democratic Presidential hopeful and Connecticut Senator, Chris Dodd has proposed that the fairest approach to the delegate question in Florida and Nevada would be to split them 50/50 between Obama and Clinton.
"Split up the delegations, let 'em each have 50 percent of it and move on," he said. "You don't have to go back over and re-do these things."
For the record, Dodd is backing Obama. Something tells me that Clinton won't be accepting this proposal.
New Polls show Obama Strong
New polls out today have Barack Obama well in the lead in Mississippi, and still very competitive in Pennsylvania.
A Rasmussen poll has Obama in the lead over Hillary Clinton, 53% to 37%, while an American Research Poll has a larger lead for Obama - 58% to 34%.
In the state of Pennsylvania, the Rasmussen poll found 52% favored Clinton compared with 37% for Obama. Obama was more competitive in the American Research Poll where the split was 52% for Clinton and 41% for Obama.
Mississippi votes on Tuesday, with 33 delegates up for grabs.
3am Kid Supports Obama
"It's 3am and your children are safe and asleep...", but who do those children support, Clinton or Obama?
The 3am ad, used by the Clinton campaign to question Obama's credentials, features a family, in particular a sleeping girl. Turns out that young girl featured sleeping in the ad, Casey Knowles is actually now 17 years old - the images in the ad are stock footage from 8 years ago!
I love this story, Casey is a Democrat and has been campaigning for Obama for months and was a precinct captain in Washington.
Obama Wins Wyoming
With 96% of the Wyoming precincts reporting, Barack Obama has 59% to Hillary Clinton's 40%.
This is an important win for the Obama campaign even though only 12 delegates were at stake.
The Clintons...all of them, have spent the last few days campaigning heavily in Wyoming, hoping to secure an upset victory which would boost her momentum after her narrow wins in Ohio and Texas.
Barack Obama in Casper, Wyoming
Barack Obama defends his record on the Iraq war, after sustained attacks from Hillary Clinton over the last day. Obama hit back at Clinton on the issue stating that "It was because of George Bush, with an assist from Hillary Clinton and John McCain that we entered into this war..."
Obama staffer resigns
From The Guardian
by Ewen Macaskill and Suzanne Goldenberg, Washington
ONE of Barack Obama's senior advisers, Samantha Power, was forced to resign yesterday after describing Hillary Clinton as a monster — one of the most personal comments yet in what is becoming an increasingly negative campaign.
Ms Power, who was in Britain promoting a book at the time, told The Scotsman newspaper: "We f---ed up in Ohio. In Ohio, they are obsessed and Hillary is going to town on it because she knows Ohio's the only place they can win. She is a monster, too — that is off the record. She is stooping to anything."
The Clinton camp immediately demanded Senator Obama sack Ms Power, a Harvard professor and foreign affairs specialist. It produced four members of Congress to denounce her comments and reminded Senator Obama of his promise in December to sack staff who engaged in such personal attacks.
Ms Power issued a statement saying: "With deep regret, I am resigning from my role as an adviser to the Obama campaign effective today.
"Last Monday, I made inexcusable remarks that are at marked variance from my oft-stated admiration for Senator Clinton and from the spirit, tenor, and purpose of the Obama campaign.
"And I extend my deepest apologies to Senator Clinton, Senator Obama, and the remarkable team I have worked with over these long 14 months."
Senator Obama's spokesman said the remarks were not in keeping with the senator's views. "Senator Obama decries such characterisations, which have no place in this campaign," the spokesman said.
Ms Power, a specialist on humanitarian issues, the United Nations and the Balkans, is one of many foreign policy advisers to the Obama team.
Her comment came as relations between the two camps have become increasingly fractious. Senator Obama's team blames the loss of the Ohio and Texas primaries last week on negative campaigning by Senator Clinton.
GUARDIAN
No Joint Ticket yet
Barack Obama has poured cold water on the Hillary Clinton suggestion that the two could form a joint ticket for the November contest, with her leading the charge.
"That may be where this is headed," she said. "But of course we have to decide who is on the top of the ticket. I think the people of Ohio very clearly said it should be me."
Obama has stated quite clearly that he is focussing on securing the nomination himself. And with a lead of at least 90 delegates, that seems quite reasonable.
"We are just focused on winning this nomination," Obama said. "I think it is premature to start talking about a joint ticket."
Obama has also gone on the attack, in response to the negative campaigning by Hillary Clinton in the last week. There was no doubt "...that Senator Clinton went very negative over the last week" and that it has had "some impact" Obama said.
In response to Clinton's 3am ad, Obama specificaly questioned what exactly were her foreign policy credentials. It's a fair question. Clinton has only been a Senator for 2 more years than Obama. Prior to that she was First Lady, where the major decisions were handled by her husband. Or is she claiming something different?
Clinton may have gained some momentum out of her wins in Ohio and Texas - but we can expect to see an even tougher Obama over the coming weeks, with a much more attacking rather than defensive style.
Texas and Ohio Down - Still in the Lead
Barack Obama claimed last night that his delegate lead would remain virtually unchanged after the votes in the states of Texas, Ohio, Vermont and Rhode Island.
Interestingly, the spin from the Clinton camp and the media is that Clinton has secured a big victory, taking 3 out of the 4 states.
We dont read it that way. Having been well behind in the polls, as late as a few weeks ago, Obama has made massive gains in all states, with perhaps his gains slowing only in the last days before the vote.
With counting almost complete, the tallys in the biggest states of Texas and Ohio, have Obama trailing slightly in Texas and only 8 points behind in Ohio.
Texas is showing a 51% to 47% split, with Ohio at 54% to 46%.
The actual delegate counts are still to come in, but estimations are that Obama will still have a very healthy lead heading into the Wyoming and Mississippi contests in the next few days.
One interesting point of note has been Clinton's answer to a question of a joint ticket with Obama,with of course her on the top. Its a clever ploy, vote for me and you still get Obama. Lets see where that story heads over the next few days.
This race still has a way to play yet, with Pennsylvania to come in a few weeks, and the constant push to secure the superdelegates.
With McCain confirmed as the Republican nominee, the head start on the Democrats will be substantial.
It's Showdown
It's getting close - by all reports Obama is just in front in Texas, slightly behind in Ohio, catching up in Rhode Island and way in the lead in Vermont.
While Clinton has been madly scrambling to play catch up on the fundraising stakes. Obama is outspending her in advertising, in some places as much as 3 to 1.
And he has to - Clinton is looking desperate. Her own husband has announced that she cannot be the Democratic nominee if she doesn't win the states of Ohio and Texas.
Even if she doesnt secure victories, or convincing victories, she may yet push on, hoping the delegates of Florida will be seated at the convention,combined with an all out oush for the superdelgates.
Obama conitnues to campaign hard - even suprising some by making a trip to Rhode Island, a place considered strong Clinton territory.
Can he continue the amazing run of 10 wins in a row and crush the Clinton dream?
We shall see in 2 days.
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