Analysis: Mrs. Comeback Kid & Obama's Wave

CBS's Dick Meyer Says Change Isn't All It Was Cracked Up To Be

(CBS)  This analysis was written by CBSNews.com Editorial Director Dick Meyer.

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Hillary Clinton wasn't just the underdog in New Hampshire. After Barack Obama's Iowa win, she was written off - by the pollsters, by the pundits and by her own campaign staff. At times, Senator Clinton herself seemed resigned and dispirited.

But the voters of New Hampshire hadn't written Clinton off at all. With drama worthy of New Hampshire's flamboyant political history, Senator Clinton repeated the epic comeback that sent her husband on his way to the White House in 1992. It was a squeaker, but it was a win.

And on her way to Clinton Comeback II, Hillary Clinton made some history by becoming the first woman to win a presidential primary in America.

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Complete New Hampshire returns

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And what of the Obama wave? Clinton strategists say it crested and has turned. They believe if they had more time after Iowa, Clinton's slender margin of victory in New Hampshire would have been even much wider.

So is Hillary Clinton the front-runner, the "inevitable" winner, once again? Probably not. She won New Hampshire by just a hair. The next crucial contest is South Carolina, where roughly half of the Democratic primary voters are African-American. And then there's the de facto national primary, Super Duper Tuesday, on February 5.

John Edwards finished a distant third in New Hampshire, but is likely to stay in the race at least through South Carolina, the state where he was born.

There are some big, perhaps huge, questions to be answered after the New Hampshire stunner. Why were the polls so wrong? What role did race play in New Hampshire, one of the whitest states in the nation? What role will race play in the states ahead? Do voters want change Obama-style or not?

Perhaps most of all, did Senator Clinton's teary moment the day before the election somehow turn the tide? Was it a Muskie Moment in reverse? Was it a glimpse of something unscripted and tender in the American Iron Lady that changed minds and last-minute votes?

For Democrats, yesterday's conventional wisdom is today's malarkey.

Yesterday, every wise head between Washington and Manchester knew the voters wanted capital-c Change. Today, they say experience and electability carried the day.

Yesterday there were rumors from the Clinton camp that she would skip South Carolina and the little-noticed Nevada caucuses on Jan. 19 to focus her cash and campaign bandwidth on the Super Duper Tuesday states.

Yesterday, everyone from John Edwards to Mitt Romney to John McCain was swiping Obama's change and hope melody. Not today.

Two days after Hillary Clinton's third place finish in Iowa, her top pollster and strategist Mark Penn wrote a memo titled, "Where Is The Bounce?" Penn swiped the line Walter Mondale used so effectively against 1984's candidate of "change," Gary Hart, to argue that Obama wasn't getting much of a bounce from his Iowa win in New Hampshire. "New Hampshire voters are fiercely independent," Penn wrote. "They will make their own decisions about who to support." And they have.

After many public polls showed Obama with a wide lead, the grapevine said Penn's job was in danger. Presumably his job is safe for now and he's having the last laugh. "As voters began to see the choice they have and heard Hillary speak from her heart they came back to her," Penn said Tuesday night.

Senator Clinton herself resorted to Mondale's gag line repeatedly as she tried to derail Senator Obama in New Hampshire. Complaining that Obama's message of hope and change was dangerously content-free, Clinton kept asking "Where's the beef?" It was a tactic that didn't get rave reviews among the punditocracy, but it seems to have played differently with the voters.

Now the question is simple: Is there any way Barack Obama can bounce back? Certainly it has been amply proven that in Campaign '08, it's wiser to ask questions than predict outcomes.

In New Hampshire, Clinton benefited from a huge gender gap, grabbing 47 percent of the female vote compared to 34 percent for Obama. In Iowa, there was no deep divide between the sexes.

In both New Hampshire and Iowa, Clinton enjoyed overwhelming support from voters over 64.

Obama vowed to attract young voters, new voters and independents to his campaign. So far, he has delivered. In Iowa, Obama snared 57 percent of the 17-29 crowd and 42 percent of the 30-44 bracket. He took 41 percent of the voter among first-time caucus attendees. And among that 20 percent of the caucus-goers who describe themselves as independent, Obama beat Clinton 41 -17.

In New Hampshire, 61 percent of the voters between 18-24 went for Obama. Forty-three percent of Democratic primary voters actually call themselves independent and 43 percent went with Obama compared to 31 percent for Clinton and 18 percent for Edwards. But that wasn't enough for Obama this time.

Obama's support in New Hampshire was substantially mor eelite than Clinton's. He did especially well with college graduates and people whose incomes were over $100,000.

Given the dramatics so far, there could be several more shifts in momentum before South Carolina. And Florida comes right after South Carolina. But because of a party dispute over the primary date, the candidates have basically agreed not to campaign there. So it isn't clear that Florida will have any impact on the momentum of the race.

"Obama is surfing right now, and like a lot of movement candidates, you either ride the wave or get knocked off the board," said Democratic media consultant Will Robinson. "Is there time for Clinton to get people to step back and say, 'We're all excited about it, but is this the guy we really want to be president?' I don't know whether she has the capacity or the resources to get people to take a step back."

Clinton seemed to raise those doubts in the nick of time to win New Hampshire. Her campaign now has much more time to nurture questions about Obama.

"We always go through this cycle of infatuation, then extreme examination, and then tearing them down," Robinson said. Clinton's campaign is hoping the tear down of Obama has begun.

But Obama still has a potent formula. "His support comes from Democrats, Independents and even some Republicans and that kind of bipartisanship is a very refreshing change," said freshmen Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-Pa.), an Iraq war veteran from a rural part of Pennsylvania who endorsed Obama early on.

"Barack Obama is inspiring and motivating voters across this country, and that includes districts like mine where Republicans outnumber Democrats but there are also a lot of independent voters," Murphy said.

But Senator Clinton is holding on to the party's core, women and seniors. Still, she has learned a few tricks about "change." At her concession speech in Iowa, Clinton was surrounded by party elders like Madeleine Albright and Wesley Clark. A sea of bright, young and unknown faces provided her backdrop for New Hampshire's victory oration.

One clear loser in New Hampshire: conventional wisdom. R.I.P.

[cbs_oliver]

The predictive polls were wrong I guess.

Polling certainly has its limits - especially when the population that needs to be polled is unpredictable or misjudged.

That may have been the case this time.

I gather that a significant number of voters actually registered on the spot.

News folks would be well advised to spend more time covering the positions of the candidates and less time covering the horserace.

[paris1969]

This question is so ignorant: "What role did race play in New Hampshire, one of the whitest states in the nation?" ... as if Iowa is not a white-bread state too? To assume that blacks in South Carolina will vote for Obama is RACIST ... why does the media persists in giving life to old hateful stereotypes??

[tomtomasters]

Obama is against Impeachment, not much of a sell for the Media there, but I think Hillary will begin to support Impeachment proceedings which will change this race overnight. The Media Guru
s will have a field day, and the stock market will surge with new confidence in this tattered Terrwar economy. McCain, and other Republicans might as well forget November. The Comeback Gal will energize the Democrats to push for Impeachment to show the American people the difference between unsubstantiated Impeachments over a ridiculous *** issue, compared to the wanton murder of Thousands of Iraqis, to the lie about going to War, and having no WMD, to a new inquiry to 911, and the anthrax attacks, and getting a conviction of Impeachment on the guys who really caused this mess to our country to begin with. Vendetta Impeachment? Nonsense! Its called accountability, and legitimacy. She was lied to about the war, and many Americans were duped too, but this will change when Hillary announces her support for Impeachment.

[brianbwb-2009]

"There are some big, perhaps huge, questions to be answered after the New Hampshire stunner. Why were the polls so wrong?"

Perhaps because, as always, the pollsters cherry pick the respondents that are most likely to give answers that support the agenda of the pollsters. They have frequently taken polls on Bush''s war, from an area known to be full of neo con war worshipers, (like Simi Valley, Ca.), then publishing the results as "the opinion of the American people".

As for Obama, the writer implies, again wrongly, that "Black" voters will vote for Obama simply because he is "Black", or that NH voted for Clinton because she is "white". These assumptions will in reality, only account for about 10 to 15% of the voters in each category.

The writer''s failure to understand this suggests that he or she still hasn''t seen the faint rays of the new day dawning, and thus still lives in an older day whose midnight has passed.

If a pollster wishes to truly conduct an impartial poll, they should not limit themselves only to eligible voters in selected areas, because the prevailing mood of all Americans, not just a few "eligibles", is what influences the overall outcome of an election.

[tbweb]

No matter who wins the Democratic nomination I would like to see a fair race with the bulk of speeches and activity by the Candidates who are actually running for office, not 3rd parties! Barack Obama is actually running against Hillary and Bill Clinton at the same time, Obama needs to find a way to neutralize Bill Clinton and unfortunately Oprah can not devote the daily time Bill Clinton can. Barack Obama needs a Bill Clinton solution or he will lose the race! Bill Clinton, who is not even running for office himself is more active, giving more speeches and making just as many appearances if not more than Hillary herself which I don''t think is fair. But it is what it is, I just hope Voters remember Hillary is the Candidate, not Bill Clinton.

[pepperp1]

Let me add why did the Media and the Left savagely and viciously attack a candidate for President of the United States as they did Senator Clinton and attempt to anoint their own choice placing the crown clearly on Obamas head denying us our vote and who would have succeeded other than the safe guard of NHiets paying really close attention and being diligent in their charge for our country. Thank You NH of course but what recourse other than the obvious do we the People have against these media conglomerates acting in unionism to undermine our elections.

And why are you asking if it is Obama change the county wants, the answer is NO ... look at 2006 those Dems that were elected they were in the center not lefty darlings who won, they were hard working pragmatic wonks who would govern for all thats the change we want not personailites.


AHHHHHH hello dummies the women in Iowa and NH would naturally be different check income for example education maybe.

I''m glad to see Hillary come back...and to have a open race. This will make all the candidates very attentive to people and will produce a clearer focus in all of them.

[pakaal]

"Yesterday, every wise head between Washington and Manchester knew the voters wanted capital-c Change. Today, they say experience and electability carried the day."

Yeah, and those same wise heads said Obama couldn''t win in Iowa - until it happened. The good news is that no matter which of the Democrats becomes President, we get change. A win-win, you might say.

Great comment brianbwb - one thing you can''t count on in this race due to the huge numbers of new voters, and that''s the pundits and their "conventional wisdom".

[pepperp1]

99% of conservatives cant stand Hillary, and the majority of Libs dont trust her. Stand back and watch the train wreck happen.


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Posted by NameVerified at 12:13 AM : Jan 09, 2008


Yeah well tonight proved the Middle who want fair ethical honest good governance are engaged and kicking patoot and there are more of us than you people on the fringe, we have had enough of your puppet weak candidates and your divisive hate.

[sharncedar]

It was the crying - i knew when she "cried" with 24 hours to go, she had it locked up. The Clintonistas are the strongest, most ruthless election team since Karl Rove and his thugs. they will do anything for power, and what they really understand about america is the same thing Karl Rove understood - we are really, really stupid. Women actually were fooled by the fake "cry" and i knew they would be, just like dumb Christians were fooled by George Bush''s election eve conversion to Christianity.

[pakaal]

pepperp1 wrote: "look at 2006 those Dems that were elected they were in the center not lefty darlings who won, they were hard working pragmatic wonks who would govern for all thats the change we want"

That''s the second time I''ve seen that written by you, and I still disagree. Jon Tester won Nevada. Jim Webb beat out incumbent George Allen in Virginia. Claire McCaskill won in Missouri. Sherrod Brown won in Ohio. It''s true that there were some Red Dog Dem wins, but most of the folks who won in ''06 are Progressives, not centrists. I agree on one thing though, they are definitely working for the change we want!

[sharncedar]

She cried - that was it, that was the turning point. when I saw her "crying" played on TV and discussed for 24 hours nonstop before the election, i knew the Clintons had done it again. They just got 500 million dollars worth of free advertising with exactly the message they wanted - the boys were picking on little poor Hillary. They are really smart, and yet really disgusting, like Hitler, or Karl Rove, a phenomenon of purest evil.

[pakaal]

NameVerified: "99% of conservatives cant stand Hillary"

Well, if the Neocons don''t like her, that''s the first reason to consider voting for her, ain''t it? Of course the fact that in Iowa the third place winner - Hillary - still beat out top place Republican Huckabee in votes is something to consider as well.

Congratulations Democrats, looks like the party''s just starting!

[sharncedar]

"Was it a glimpse of something unscripted and tender in the American Iron Lady that changed minds and last-minute votes? "

*** Meyer lies for Clinton. how precious he is. He carries water for the devil. Of COURSE IT WAS SCRIPTED. These are the Clintons. I am a moron like you all, but I seme to have more memory. I remember the Clintons. I recognize them for what they are, what they have always been.

honestly, does *** Meyer, an experienced commentator who has seen more elections than most people can imagine, really think the "Clinton tears" were unscripted? Of course he knows it was scripted, just as the infamous and repulsive "Clinton kiss" was scripted. So then why does he pretend it is unscripted? This is collusion with evil. That''s how it looks folks. He plays the game - perhaps he thinks he''ll get access to the White house or some political favors. That''s corruption in the media.

[nmsuip]

Sean Hannity was happy that Hillary won. Is that a good thing?

[sharncedar]

Note every picture of Hillary on CBS news tonight has "young people" in it who are adoring her. That is because the campaign senses a demographic problem with younger voters (somewhat of an oxymoron since young people generally don''t vote). Why is CBS showing these photos? Are they a paid part of the Clinton campaing? How much do you think those phony, staged photos being spread all over the airwaves and all over the Internet is worth? Possibly a few million, possibly more. CBS, and the corporation that owns it, have just effectively donated millions of dollars to the Clintons campaign. And that''s just one night, folks.

[sharncedar]

In a perverse way I kind of was hoping Hillary would win this morning. I remember having the same angry, cynical, pervers thoughts about George Bush, thinking like good, these people want a crook and fool like George Bush, they deserve him. But those are dark moments. Let me assure you that whatever George Bush was, Hillary is more of it. It seems we are really going to suffer in this nation. We want the worst people in the nation to govern us, we invite the most ruthless and destructive people into our lives, ask them to be president, almost beg them to destroy our freedom.

She will take, not give. No need to remember Ruby Ridge, we will live it again. No need to remember the murder at Waco, she will bring it fourfold on all of us. She will take, not give, look in her eyes you see only the hunger and the hate.

[shanev137]

The tears worked.

We''re doomed

[btehrani]

There is a lot of talk about what Clinton did to reverse the two digit lead by Obama shown on the polls? What went wrong with polls taken just days in advance? One answer not too much discussed is "the poll effect". It was perhaps the polls that made the change not campaigning, not Hillary and not her tears.

From the beginning, all analysts new that Obama''s two digit lead are mainly due to it''s support from unaffiliated voters, those independent that many share their support of Obama with McCain. Today many independent in NH accepted the suggestion from the polls that Obama is unstoppable, but McCain needs help. They rushed to republican primary to keep McCain in the race assuming that it will not hurt Obama.

The question is did Obama or McCain prepare for such poll effect. Perhaps, McCain did as he got NH vote on 2004 in a similar fashion when unaffiliated voters rushed to republican primary.

[shanev137]

Jonnie62...your post is -exactly- why she will never be our next president.

People are MORE interested in finding someone who does not have baggage or skeletons in their closet to lead this country into the changes it needs, rather than helping "a woman" break through the "glass ceiling of power".

She''s doing the wrong thing at the wrong time trying to promote her feminist agenda and everyone, other than women like her, can see it.

[coby2001]

I don''t get it. If Clinton''s near tears had been truly caused by her "passion" for helping people, then why haven''t we seen them EVER before? Certainly this week was not the first time she''s ever talked about politics in public. Rather, what we saw was her seeing her chance at a return to power slipping away.

But at least NH voters, on both sides of the aisle, were infinitely more sensible than their counterparts in IA.

It''s time once and for all to get rid of this incredibly undemocratic system we have for choosing our presidential nominees. I''m sick of letting voters in a handful of states be surrogates for us all.

[coby2001]

I don''t get it. If Clinton''s near tears had been truly caused by her "passion" for helping people, then why haven''t we seen them EVER before? Certainly this week was not the first time she''s ever talked about politics in public. Rather, what we saw was her seeing her chance at a return to power slipping away.

But at least NH voters, on both sides of the aisle, were infinitely more sensible than their counterparts in IA.

It''s time once and for all to get rid of this incredibly undemocratic system we have for choosing our presidential nominees. I''m sick of letting voters in a handful of states be surrogates for us all.

[bywill]

Dios mio! One day crying to the people of New Hampshire, the next day grinning like the fox that swallowed canary! Please America, don%u2019t let the charlatan win the nomination. Look between the lines. She represents all that got us in this mess. OBAMABIDDEN 08!

[speakingout]

Has anyone considered that the Democratic process is doing well in that N.H. guaranteed that the discussion continues for all of us to get involved? With record attendance numbers & positive polls Sen Obama was touted to win. But, Sen Clinton is a known candidate; her involvement in politics centrist, steady and consistent. Sen Obama is an exciting new candidate who''s views and patterns have not yet been fully elucidated but whose position is edging more to the left. Since I don''t know him as well I would be inclined to go and hear him expand his words of change and hope. They are compelling, but I need content, context and practical solutions showing how. I need details. I already know Senator Clinton''s and former Senator Edward''s details. However, if I really want to make the most informed decision, I need to listen to each and compare what they say to what they do. Only then can I judge them on the content of their character. All of the Democratic line-up is stellar. Sen Joe Biden (though out) has an outstanding plan for withdrawal from Iraq; Gov. Richardson is eminently qualified with his diverse record; Former Sen John Edwards dares us to get rid of the ''good ol'' pal network'' of the wealthy lobbyists representing the few determining the outcomes for the many. I''ve never been more proud to be a Democrat. We have a great slate of potential. Whoever wins the Presidency, she''ll have a wonderful talent pool to draw from for her cabinet.

[coby2001]

I don''t get it. If Clinton''s near tears had been truly caused by her "passion" for helping people, then why haven''t we seen them EVER before? Certainly this week was not the first time she''s ever talked about politics in public. Rather, what we saw was her seeing her chance at a return to power slipping away.

But at least NH voters, on both sides of the aisle, were infinitely more sensible than their counterparts in IA.

It''s time once and for all to get rid of this incredibly undemocratic system we have for choosing our presidential nominees. I''m sick of letting voters in a handful of states be surrogates for us all.

[cs4466]

She will take, not give, look in her eyes you see only the hunger and the hate. Posted by SharnCedar at 01:20 AM : Jan 09, 2008

Sharn... you''re looking in a mirror, that''s the problem.

[coby2001]

I don''t get it. If Clinton''s near tears had been truly caused by her "passion" for helping people, then why haven''t we seen them EVER before? Certainly this week was not the first time she''s ever talked about politics in public. Rather, what we saw was her seeing her chance at a return to power slipping away.

But at least NH voters, on both sides of the aisle, were infinitely more sensible than their counterparts in IA.

It''s time once and for all to get rid of this incredibly undemocratic system we have for choosing our presidential nominees. I''m sick of letting voters in a handful of states be surrogates for us all.

[swerveberg]

How could the polls be so wrong? i smell an illuminatti freemason skull and bones new world order conspiracy (seriously) this has all been orchestrated like a rigged football game vegas calls the shots. The truth is the majority of americans find politics downright offensive and are particularly disgusted with the concept of a political dynasty AKA the clintons and the bushies, not to mention that flaccid political shemale john edwards. On the republican side it''s just as painful those guys make us cringe. what a bunch of *****!!! we deserve a better slave master. Too bad we are all so busy paying ridiculous taxes feeling guilty and afraid of terrorism we cant speak......wow after thousands of years we find ourselves in the same helpless enslaved repressed depressed exploited state that spawned religion. our founding fathers would burn us all at the stake... GOD HELP US

[jedi08]

NH has been scamed with an average acting job. Im totally shocked at the outcome. Now I will have to wait a month to see the fall of the Clintons.

I wonder if she will tear up again or if her campaign will decide against anymore fake tears

[mikeyac86]

Pt. 1

I spent all of yesterday giving of my time for the Barack Obama campaign in New Hampshire, going door to door and doing the work of democracy, physically helping the person who I believe to be most worthy of the Presidency of the United States. I have felt tremendously inspired by this man ever since the Audacity of Hope speech in 2004, and through reading his books and watching his speeches, I believe that I agree with him on a large host of issues facing the American people. After victory in Iowa, recent poll numbers showed Obama with a significant lead in New Hampshire, and I believed that a broad majority of Americans shared this view of America%u2019s future, which filled me with hope.
And yet, here I am, feeling exactly as I have every time that there has been a Presidential election in this country that I have been old enough care about %u2013 confused and defeated.
The questions seem endless at the moment %u2013 How could the polls be so wrong? How could an organization as tight as the one I witnessed in New Hampshire fail? Where were the young voters when we needed them? Did they feel complacent after the Iowa win? Et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.

[mikeyac86]

Pt. 2

But in the end, none of it was good enough, as the results of the New Hampshire Democratic Primary crushed my hopes yet again. Crushed just as they were when John Kerry was defeated by George W. Bush, after years of what I believed to be perverse failure. Crushed just as they were when Bush defeated Gore in 2000, after I had been brought up in a Democratic home where Bill Clinton was looked upon with favor. In each case, a repudiation of the values and beliefs most important to me seems to have taken place, whether by the entire nation, as was the case in the Bush wins, or, on a smaller scale, by New Hampshire voters yesterday.
This has led me to reconsider whether or not Barack Obama%u2019s idea of building a working majority based on shared hopes, dreams, and a bond which will not break %u2013 is as valuable as it first sounded to my ears. If his supporters agree with him on all of the issues, and think that the positions he has outlined accurately summarize what is important to us, then the kind of constant defeat that this thinking has endured this decade suggests that perhaps we aren%u2019t as unified as a people as we may have thought.

[erasmus6]

Yahoo!!! I knew she would do it!

You know what is really pathetic? If she doesn''t show emotion, she''s a cold b-i-t-ch, if she does show any emotion at all then of course she is too weak to be president. She can''t win either way.

But guess what? She did win this one didn''t she?? Even after the polls said she wouldn''t.

[mikeyac86]

Pt. 3

I hope I%u2019m overreacting here, and that Obama rebounds from this loss to win the Democratic nomination and then the Presidency, because if those things don%u2019t happen, then it will be evident that his views (and subsequently, the views of his supporters) are not the views of American society at large, which is a depressing prospect, to be sure.
I suppose the only thing we young Democrats can do is to continue along the path of what we think is right and good. Maybe someday, there will be validation at the other side of the road.

[lauren0211]

YOU GO GIRL!!
PLEASE GO OUT AND VOTE AND BE COUNTED!!
HILLARY IS THE MOST QUALIFIED & HUMANE!!
SHE WILL GET THE JOB DONE!!!
YOU HAVE MY VOTE AND TELLING EVERYONE I KNOW.
GOD BLESS HILLARY AND HER FAMILY!!!

[samthetvcat]

"I hope I%u2019m overreacting here"
Posted by MikeyAC86

MikeAC - keep up the faith! As a fellow Obama supporter, I think it''s always a plus when ppl are given the opportunity to put their concerns to the test, and thanks to the ppl of New Hampshire we all get the chance to do that now.

It must come as a real shock to you to hear the results if you looked ppl in the eyes and saw the excitement they had for Obama. That kind of excitement will only get stronger as Obama is tossed some knocks in the coming days by an emboldened Clinton machine and comes out on top.

Obama''s not Kerry, but it does seem like ppl have the Kerry debacle in mind so it''s fine that Obama''ll have the chance to show his substance - he''s going to do well in that department!

Go Barack!

[swerveberg]

hillary is experienced? at what? being a woman is that something you can put on your resumenow????... yeah why not...??? nowadays people make careers out of just being black in...
Hillary personifies all that is wrong with this society we need to move past her generation....
we need to focus on abridging the rights of our ''government'' not the rights of the people. the founding documents were pretty clear on this if anyone can still read these days since we gave the government the sole responsibility of educating our children. what a disaster does anyone know why we our ancestors came here to begin with???? TO BE FREE!!!!! yet in 2008 here we are slaves again

[coby2001]

I don''t get it. If Clinton''s near tears had been truly caused by her "passion" for helping people, then why haven''t we seen them EVER before? Certainly this week was not the first time she''s ever talked about politics in public. Rather, what we saw was her seeing her chance at a return to power slipping away.

But at least NH voters, on both sides of the aisle, were infinitely more sensible than their counterparts in IA.

It''s time once and for all to get rid of this incredibly undemocratic system we have for choosing our presidential nominees. I''m sick of letting voters in a handful of states be surrogates for us all.

[aartcom]

hillary clinton is popular and may go all the way and win. polls and commentary are inaccurate. why. because of her solid support among women and the over 60 group. the young often do not vote. and the negative comments are, most likely, from men. the women of america may likely decide who is the next president.

[godfreytom]

Hilary will make the best president but is a polarising figure. Obama is more likely to succeed as he carries no baggage but at least the race is interesting now.

[meanny]

Boy was I I ready to vote for mccain or huckabee had hillary of lost , but thank god she won and the end is near,me being from berkeley most of all my friend are left of me and I am a liberal, I realized the rednecks in red state america willnever ever vote for obama ,who are you kidding, so that is why I votwed with my brain instead of my heart.Iam liberal on economy and almost alldomestic issues ,except for national securuity, and I feel she will defend us , shee is even stronger than huckabee on nbational defensenot quite as good as mmcccain but obanma is the weakest of all even behind huckabee, you see calif and new york and new hamphire we are educated voters not a bunch of dome hicks from iowa.the jewsih and hispanic vote in flordia new york and calif. will go overhemlmlly for hillary. As for the tom bradley affect that is bolonie he ran against republicans and what smart democrats in calfi,and new york and to certain extent new hamphire they realize red state america will not elct a blck man for president as sad as it is it is true!!Hilllary will win ohio and florida I guaranteee it.Happy new year everbody.

sincerely, dave rosenberg I will be working rlentlessly here in calif, thousands of people here have already voted absentee for hillary

[bobacorn]

What needs to be changed is the Diebold voting machines that control the New Hampshire voting.
They''ve been compromised.

[jack3213]

The differance was 6 thousand votes in NH out of a half million people that Clinton won. She didn''t win anything, actually, there is so much more to go. Super Tueday will be the deciding factor. No one is more of a fool that celebrates before you trully win... which she won''t. 56% of the USA will never vote for her.

[oleander8]

The Hillary bashers here are so violent in their attacks...it reeks of fear.

[barbjc1]

The American people never cease to amaze, they want Hillary to be tough but when she is they call her unapproachable and robotic. She has a moment when it is obvious she is just plain worn out and her competitors call her weak. I just do not understand why everyone is trashing her, frankly I think it is because she is FEMALE. Well, you all need to read the article a couple of days ago about MR Obama and how a lot of his speeches were direct lines from what MR BUSH said in 2000. Obama is a fraud, just like the rest of the good ole boys in Washington. At least we already know the dirt on the Clintons.Remember what Britain said about Margaret Thatcher, one of the best Prime Ministers they every had.

[barbjc1]

I agree the media is shoving Obama down out throats and frankly I am sick of it. Obama is a fraud, and frankly Oprah needs to stay out of it. Her support has confirmed what my son has said for years, that Oprah is a closet racist.

[barbjc1]

Most of the negative comments are from men, including from John Edwards calling her weak. Women of America stand up and vote. Give us our first woman President. The vote in Iowa went to Obama, because of a bunch of under 25 kids, who have not gained their wisdom yet, voted for him. Look at the stories about college age women swooning over Obama, because they have a crush on him. Now that shows how they can really make an intelligient choice. A few years ago when Colin Powell was thinking about making a presidential bid, I would have voted for him. So my choice is NOT made on race.

[barbjc1]

Who are you to call anyone incompetent? Maybe you need to go to work at a company that has outsourced to India and you will find real incompetence. I know because I worked as a temp for a VERY LARGE corporation that had outsourced 80% of its IT to India.

[chitown639]

Most of the negative comments are from men, including from John Edwards calling her weak. Women of America stand up and vote. Give us our first woman President. The vote in Iowa went to Obama, because of a bunch of under 25 kids, who have not gained their wisdom yet, voted for him. Look at the stories about college age women swooning over Obama, because they have a crush on him. Now that shows how they can really make an intelligient choice. A few years ago when Colin Powell was thinking about making a presidential bid, I would have voted for him. So my choice is NOT made on race.

Posted by BarbJC1

No, from your comments it doesnt seem like your choice was based on race. But, based on your comments, ''Give us our first woman president'', your choice was based on gender. Voting for someone solely because of their gender makes you just as big of a bigot than the men you made a sweeping generalization about saying, ''most of the negative comments are from men''.

[chitown639]

Most of the negative comments are from men, including from John Edwards calling her weak. Women of America stand up and vote. Give us our first woman President. The vote in Iowa went to Obama, because of a bunch of under 25 kids, who have not gained their wisdom yet, voted for him. Look at the stories about college age women swooning over Obama, because they have a crush on him. Now that shows how they can really make an intelligient choice. A few years ago when Colin Powell was thinking about making a presidential bid, I would have voted for him. So my choice is NOT made on race.

Posted by BarbJC1

No, from your comments it doesnt seem like your choice was based on race. But, based on your comments, ''Give us our first woman president'', your choice was based on gender. Voting for someone solely because of their gender makes you just as big of a bigot than the men you made a sweeping generalization about saying, ''most of the negative comments are from men''.

[chitown639]

Most of the negative comments are from men, including from John Edwards calling her weak. Women of America stand up and vote. Give us our first woman President. The vote in Iowa went to Obama, because of a bunch of under 25 kids, who have not gained their wisdom yet, voted for him. Look at the stories about college age women swooning over Obama, because they have a crush on him. Now that shows how they can really make an intelligient choice. A few years ago when Colin Powell was thinking about making a presidential bid, I would have voted for him. So my choice is NOT made on race.

Posted by BarbJC1

No, from your comments it doesnt seem like your choice was based on race. But, based on your comments, ''Give us our first woman president'', your choice was based on gender. Voting for someone solely because of their gender makes you just as big of a bigot than the men you made a sweeping generalization about saying, ''most of the negative comments are from men''.