TresSugar

So What Happens Now? The Republicans Open a New Chapter

CitizenSugar — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 06:00:47 -0800

John McCain stepped over the mystical threshold of 1,191 delegate votes needed to secure the Republican nomination last night. Mike Huckabee, his last vocal competitor, dropped out of the race. It was a victory to be sure, but it lasted approximately 37 seconds. By the time McCain left the stage, he was in an entirely new phase of the campaign, for better - or worse.

First, the good: according to a Pew Research study just released, "Overall, 20% of white Democratic voters say they would vote for McCain if Obama is the Democratic nominee. That is twice the percentage of white Democrats who say they would support McCain in a Clinton-McCain matchup." So although Obama is far from assured, McCain still enjoys the dangled carrot of defecting Democrats.
McCain has to make a big decision now, re: the company he keeps. President Bush is expected to give his endorsement of McCain this morning. It's a dicey proposition to balance, given Bush's 19 percent approval rating. McCain has not hinged his platform on embracing nor rebuking the current administration, but potential voters may. Al Gore faced a similar dilemma in 2000, deciding whether to shake the scandals of his former boss, or enjoy the glow and credit for the good. His distance seemed petty at the time. What's McCain to do? Can he be a maverick and a party man all at once? Is now the time to accept the endorsement, while there's still time to forget it?
Now that he's the nominee McCain has to balance the sum between malaise and scrutiny. It will be open season on John McCain - while whoever becomes the Democratic nominee gets to skate on by for a little longer. Adding to the protection of not yet being the nominee, is the excitement surrounding the Democratic race. How can John McCain compete with that? He's a fine speaker, but he only gives one kind of speech - can that hold voters' interests until election day? How can he remain both relevant and intact?
The Veep? Okay. It's on. Let the rumors fly! Who's going to be the #2? I'll be accepting your short lists in the comments!

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Clinton vs. Obama: Who Has the Momentum?

LibertySugar — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 03:00:58 -0800

Who won today? Well, that depends what your definition of "win" is. Clinton definitely broke Obama's winning streak, and came away with big prizes - Ohio, a state crucial in the general election, and Texas, which is as big as it gets.

Hillary Clinton might have a legitimate ticket out of Junior Super Tuesday, simply as a result of the complicated nature of the results. Deciding which matters most -net delegates, the popular vote, big states vs. small states, momentum - is all susceptible to serious pro-Clinton spin. Today, it may mean that the Democrats and the press, want to take a second look at Barack Obama.

Earlier, most of you said that Hillary Clinton needed double digit wins in Ohio and Texas, or she's toast. It's true that the math is still not in Hillary's favor, and an appeal to superdelegates may turn people away from the Democratic Party. Now that the results are in, do you think Hillary should go on?

And for Politico's Top 5 factors behind a potential Clinton comeback, read more.

The "SNL" Factor. SNL exposed fawning coverage of Obama.
Wolfson Barks. Howard Wolfson is Clinton’s hired thug, a.k.a. campaign communications director. He is convincing the press to be tougher on Obama.
Burying Bill. Is the former President on a covert mission with Harry in Afghanistan?
Sister Sledge. The press may be underestimating how much complaints of sexism ring true to many women.
Timing. The Tony Rezko trial coming on the tail of the 3 AM phone ad was perfect.

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Wow! Are You Surprised?

CitizenSugar — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 00:00:48 -0800

Okay young voters! We had quite a day! Clinton snapped the Obama winning streak grabbing victories in Texas, Ohio, and Rhode Island, Huckabee dropped out, and McCain secured the nomination, . . . .

Are you surprised by any of the outcomes? Are you ready for the Democratic race to keep going? Check back here to see Liberty's take on the Democratic situation, and my opinion about the new Republican nominee, and the controversial potential Bush endorsement. . . .

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Headline: Mike Huckabee Drops Out, Endorses McCain

CitizenSugar — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 18:22:23 -0800

Though he maintained all day that he was going to stay in the race, after losing Texas to John McCain, Mike Huckabee has dropped out of the presidential race. Huckabee said, "I'd rather lose an election, than lose the principles that got me into politics to begin with."

John McCain swept all four primaries today, securing the delegates he needs to become the Republican nominee.

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Junior Super Tuesday Update

LibertySugar — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 14:30:19 -0800

Right now voters are going to the polls across Ohio, Texas, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

In Ohio, flood warnings in the south, and icy conditions in the north could deter voters. A new balloting system in the Cleveland area may potentially make voting messy. The new paper ballot system sometimes counts erase marks or stray marks as a vote for multiple candidates, and with the new system, the voter cannot review her selection. Final results from the area may not be available by tonight.

And in Rhode Island, where polls stay open until 9:00 p.m., record turnout is expected. Check back here tonight for the winners as they're announced!

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Everything You Need to Know About Today's Primaries

CitizenSugar — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 12:30:05 -0800

Or close, anyway! It's your one-stop shop for definitions, delegate counts, and a chance to predict who will win each contest tonight with our patented CitizenSugar Junior Super Tuesday ballot.

On the info-front, want to calculate every possible delegate scenario tonight and see the outcomes? And just what is happening with the crazy Texas primary/caucus hybrid anyway? Want to figure out once and for all what the heck a superdelegate is? And caucuses - just how are they different from primaries? We've got you covered.

Oh, and just for fun, and because Hillary had her turn on The Daily Show last night, here's one more look at our famous McCain Singing/Obama Dancing Mash-Up. Now that's music to our ears.

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What Counts as a Clinton "Win?"

LibertySugar — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 12:00:37 -0800

Super Tuesday, on February 5th, was supposed to be the day the Democratic nominee emerged. Instead, absolutely nothing changed. Today could be decisive, but I still get the feeling neither candidate is ready to call it quits.

Today, Hillary has a chance to break her 11-state losing streak. If she does well, and closes in on the delegate count, Obama's momentum could be irrelevant.

But Obama doesn't see it that way. On Monday, his campaign manager, David Plouffe, wrote in a memo to reporters: "While the Clintons gamely continue to try to move the goal posts, at some point there has to be a reckoning."

How far can the goal posts be pushed back and where does the field end? In such a tight race, under what circumstances (if any) should Clinton, now the underdog, exit the race?

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Past Candidates Weigh In on What's Not Being Said

CitizenSugar — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 09:00:50 -0800

In perhaps the most eloquent reunion of candidates who've fallen by the campaign wayside, the New York Times extended an invitation to each drop-out, asking what issue they would still be highlighting if they were campaigning, and how they'd like to see the current candidates speak out.

Called, "What I’d Be Talking About if I Were Still Running," in eight different editorials, everyone from Joe Biden's piece called "Afghanistan. Pakistan. Forgotten," to Tom Tancredo's "Bordering on Disaster," each is well worth a read, and presents a nugget to keep in your mind as you listen to the current campaign topics.

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Lighten Up: Hillary on The Daily Show Last Night

CitizenSugar — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 08:45:26 -0800

Hillary Clinton showed up via satellite to The Daily Show last night, rounding out a weekend of comedic cameos. Jon Stewart couldn't believe she was spending the night before the big Junior Super Tuesday with him, and well, Hillary couldn't either, giving him a good natured, "pathetic!"

Hillary's campaign might not be giving Last Comic Standing a run for its money (though that's not a bad idea for her next slogan . . .) Her turn on SNL this weekend garnered mixed reviews. Last night's interview with Jon Stewart seemed more within her comfort zone than the weekend sketchfest. Uber-commenter colleenb tells us her take on the matchup, so to see if you agree, read more.

Citizen: So? We heard about this appearance for days. Worth the hype?

colleenb: It was a little stumpy around the edges if you ask me. What with all that talk of her Texan friends and Ohio being the "salt of the earth." I love that Jon was quick to point that Ohio (that forgotten mistress) hears these salty promises every four years, hinting that she might need plans to end this abusive relationship.

Citizen: Did she win you over via Jon Stewart?

colleenb: Well, she let her hair down, laughed her hearty laugh, and I liked her more for it. Cause that's what this is all about, right? And she called it "pathetic" when Jon asked why she would talk to him on the eve of, what could be, the most important day of her life. Ha!

So were you wowed? Campaign-altering sensation or just a cute appearance?

How Does the Texas Primary Work?

CitizenSugar — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 00:00:01 -0800

They're calling it a "primacaucus" or the "Texas Two-step" and it's not easy to understand just how Texas doles out those coveted Democratic delegates. There's a whole book trying to explain it - but here are the basics:

Texas has a primary first. For 10 days all Texans - regardless of party - are able to cast a secret primary ballot at designated sites within their county - with an additional 12 hours on Tuesday, for those who did not vote early, they will be able to do so at their neighborhood polling place.

Then, 15 minutes after the polls close on Tuesday, anyone who cast a ballot in the Democratic primary will be able go to their polling place - and participate in a caucus known as a precinct convention. Delegates will be awarded separately from each process.

126 delegates will be awarded according to the primary results, and another 67 delegates will be up for grabs in the caucus.

Easy right? Just like falling off a horse.

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