Imagining Obama Back on Offense

By: jsrutstein
Published On: 3/9/2008 11:24:18 AM

This morning, Dan Balz of the WaPo told Tim Russert on Meet the Press that new primary elections in FL and MI are inevitable.  I imagine they won't try to squeeze them in before PA on Apr. 22.

Earlier on the show, PA Gov. Rendell said that if Sen. Clinton could put together a streak of wins in these big important states - OH, TX (notwithstanding the possibility that Sen. Obama might have more pledged delegates from TX), PA, FL, and MI - the superdelegates would choose to make Sen. Clinton the nominee, and the party rank and file, and generally all those open to voting for the Dem nominee in Nov. will support that decision by the superdelegates.

Obviously, if Sen. Obama could win both the popular vote and the majority of pledged delegates in PA, FL, or MI, it'll be a lot tougher for Sen. Clinton to make her case to the superdelegates.

Sen. Obama did close gaps in OH and TX, but not enough to win both the popular vote and a majority of pledged delegates.  He's facing a gap in PA now, and he might face gaps in FL and MI.

I'm a supporter of Sen. Obama, and I think there's a lot he could do between now and Apr. 22 to win both the popular vote and a majority of pledged delegates in PA.  I also think Sen. Clinton will not pull any punches to try and do the same thing.

My bias in this race is probably causing me to get more angry about Sen. Clinton's aggressive tactics than I otherwise would be.  Her comment about her and Sen. McCain meeting the "threshhold" to be Commander-in-Chief and Sen. Obama not meeting that threshhold was particularly provocative.

But, I'd like to try to stay positive and focus on what Sen. Obama needs to do proactively to help himself.

I welcome comments along these lines.  It may feel good to bash Sen. Clinton.  It may be useful to try to anticipate future low blows by her.  But I'd prefer people make such comments elsewhere.

Thanks

Comments



I agree... She is angering noncommittal voters. He continues to inspire. (njpenning - 3/9/2008 4:27:48 PM)
Speaking with a relative not akin to any particular candidate, he volunteered that he's upset at the Clinton attacks and just 'wants it to be over.'  The 'kitchen sink' strategy may be her undoing.  She and Bill have turned off a lot of their former backers with their South Carolina comments: "Oh, he's just black, like Jesse" and "Dr. King did the dream; it took a president to pass the law."  [That's why President Obama will turn those dreams into law.]  

Now it's the 3am phone call and McC and she are the only ones capable of carrying on an intelligent conversation at 3am?  

We need this man, who represents the possibility of hope and its potential fulfillment ... the kind of inspirational leader who only comes around once in a generation.  Dr. King; JFK; RFK ... he's all of them rolled into one.  

FDR spoke to the nation at a time of deep economic crisis, and it was his WORDS, 'the only thing we have to fear is fear itself,' and his WORDS in the 'fireside chats' that gave folks hope in the most terrible times of our parents' generation.  You have a cabinet and a circle of senior advisers to help move the levers of power; to help craft the strategy you want, to inform you, so YOU, the president, can make the right decision.  This man has the basic instincts to know what is right and what is wrong.  What we need, and not what the big boys want.  

We need him to repair our broken system, our broken direction, our nearly broken spirit.  He can rebuild our broken house, which, as Lincoln said, 'cannot stand' if it is divided.  

Please, go to BarackObama.com and volunteer to make 20 phone calls to Mississippi now, and Pennsylvania in a few days.  Download free Skype.com and use your computer to dial and talk to the voters there (17 cents per minute)  The script is on your screen and the campaign directions make the process easy.  Let us make this man our President and get our country back.



A fighter (tx2vadem - 3/9/2008 5:11:51 PM)
Remember when there were the Edwards supporters here challenging Obama to be a fighter.  Well, that is what he needs to prove to PA voters.  He needs to come up with a compelling economic message and he needs to convince the working class that he will fight for them in Washington.  And to top Clinton on that message, he needs to drive home the point that he has a better chance of making it Washington to fight for them.  I mean you don't want to vote for a fighter who might never get the chance to fight for you as president, right?


The choice (Rebecca - 3/9/2008 8:19:20 PM)
I think the choice is whether we want a good president or a great president. With that in mind I just gave $250 dollars more to the Barack Obama campaign.


barack won texas... (lgb30856 - 3/9/2008 8:34:24 PM)
with the caucus, he is up 4 delegates. so out of all the contests, hil got 3 delegates total.
wow. what a win.