Starting Gate: Taking Shape
If symbolism matters in politics, the Democratic convention (which kicks off two weeks from today) is going to be stuffed full of it. Barack Obama will accept his party’s nomination on August 28, which just so happens to be the 45th anniversary of Martin Luther King’s “I have a dream” speech.
But it may be another historic coincidence that ends up the most important at the end of the day. Hillary Clinton is slated to address the convention on Tuesday, August 26th – the 88th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote.
During the primary campaign, Clinton tried to steer away from running as a “woman” candidate, instead touting experience and policy positions. But toward the end of the race – and certainly since, there were some no-so-subtle suggestions that gender was a reason for her loss. Complaints about sexist press coverage gave way to her concession speech in which she maintained that the ultimate glass ceiling has been peppered by 18 million cracks.
If, as appears almost certain, Clinton is not going to be on the ticket, and if Obama opts not to choose another woman, then the New York senator’s role at the convention and in the campaign will be key. Conventional wisdom holds that Democrats have little to worry about when it comes to the women’s vote, that those voters will return to the party because of issues, whether it’s health care, education, the economy or the choice issue.
But divisions remain. While most of Clinton’s voters are backing Obama in the latest CBS News poll, about a quarter of them remain undecided – a larger percentage than most voting groups. Whether it’s gender or other concerns keeping those voters on the fence, it has to be a concern for Democrats who are cautiously optimistic heading into the fall crunch.
And, it’s why we’ve seen the not-so-delicate dance over the past week or so concerning Clinton’s role at the convention. Plenty of questions remain about how her candidacy will be remembered in two weeks and how prominent her role will be in the following weeks. But it’s a sure bet that her speech will be one of the most closely-watched in Denver and beyond.
Around The Track
John McCain commented on the crisis in Georgia this morning, continuing his tough-talk on Russia: “Yesterday Georgia withdrew its troops from South Ossetia and offered a ceasefire,” McCain said in part. “The Russians responded by bombing the civilian airport in Georgia’s capital, Tblisi, and by stepping up its offensive in Abkhazia. This pattern of attack appears aimed not at restoring any status quo ante in South Ossetia, but rather at toppling the democratically elected government of Georgia. This should be unacceptable to all the democratic countries of the world, and should draw us together in universal condemnation of Russian aggression.”
Barack Obama’s campaign sent out an invitation to supporters over the weekend to sign up for a text-message or e-mail alert that will broadcast news of the candidate’s vice presidential selection “the moment Barack makes his decision.”
Obama’s policy book, “Change We Can Believe In,” will hit bookshelves on September 9th, the AP reports.
The USA Today does some VP vetting and comes up with some minor trouble spots for Evan Bayh, Tim Pawlenty and Eric Cantor.
Did Oprah Winfrey really deliver a million votes for Obama during the primaries? That’s what one analysis suggests.
But it may be another historic coincidence that ends up the most important at the end of the day. Hillary Clinton is slated to address the convention on Tuesday, August 26th – the 88th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote.
During the primary campaign, Clinton tried to steer away from running as a “woman” candidate, instead touting experience and policy positions. But toward the end of the race – and certainly since, there were some no-so-subtle suggestions that gender was a reason for her loss. Complaints about sexist press coverage gave way to her concession speech in which she maintained that the ultimate glass ceiling has been peppered by 18 million cracks.
If, as appears almost certain, Clinton is not going to be on the ticket, and if Obama opts not to choose another woman, then the New York senator’s role at the convention and in the campaign will be key. Conventional wisdom holds that Democrats have little to worry about when it comes to the women’s vote, that those voters will return to the party because of issues, whether it’s health care, education, the economy or the choice issue.
But divisions remain. While most of Clinton’s voters are backing Obama in the latest CBS News poll, about a quarter of them remain undecided – a larger percentage than most voting groups. Whether it’s gender or other concerns keeping those voters on the fence, it has to be a concern for Democrats who are cautiously optimistic heading into the fall crunch.
And, it’s why we’ve seen the not-so-delicate dance over the past week or so concerning Clinton’s role at the convention. Plenty of questions remain about how her candidacy will be remembered in two weeks and how prominent her role will be in the following weeks. But it’s a sure bet that her speech will be one of the most closely-watched in Denver and beyond.
Around The Track
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Posted by kate1149 at 04:27 PM : Aug 11, 2008
No, but he CHOSE Wright, the old gas bag Muslim racist Marxist as his mentor for 20 years, supporter Wright and his church with thousands of dollars for 20 years, was groomed and financed for political office by a bunch of corrupt Muslims...lives in the Hyde Park neighborhood where all the rich Muslims are, where he bought his house with the help of a corrupt Muslim, and has NO resemblence to any average American in the US, and doesn''t want to.
Who the hell cares who his VP is? He''ll be lucky if he can find someone that will stand up with him in his Marxist whackjob campaign! Seems they''re all falling off voluntarily, or being knocked off with their scams and lies!
PUKE!
Who the hell cares who his VP is? He''''ll be lucky if he can find someone that will stand up with him in his Marxist whackjob campaign! Seems they''''re all falling off voluntarily, or being knocked off with their scams and lies!
PUKE!
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Posted by WellHell3
You still bitter Rowdy? Thats funny, your girl still got a big role at the convention, she is now incharge of cleaning up before Obama gets there and cooking for all the possible VP canidates.
Hill is a joke and everyone knows that you don''t have a good reason to vote for Obama, your just a ticked off femi nazi women activist that is mad that your lesbian crush lost.
Get over it women