Primary Battles Remain Wide-Open

Washington Post: Candidates Start Anew On The Road To The "Super Bowl" Of Primaries

(Washingtonpost.com) 
"One of the useful things . . . about yesterday was it reminds us that change isn't easy," Obama told the crowd. "Change is hard. Change is always met by resistance from the status quo." Someone in the crowd shouted back, "Hillary is the status quo!"

Organizers said about 3,000 people -- not including hundreds of journalists -- were packed inside, and Obama said an additional 2,000 were not allowed in because of concerns that the gym was too crowded.

Showing a bit of the strain of the nearly nonstop campaigning, Obama apologized for his raspy voice. "My voice is a little hoarse. My eyes are a little bleary. My back is a little sore. But my spirit is strong," he told the crowd.

During his round of morning interviews, Obama made clear his displeasure over attacks leveled at him by the Clinton campaign over the weekend, especially charges by former president Bill Clinton about his past positions on the Iraq war.

Obama called Clinton's charges a distortion of his record and promised not to allow future attacks to go unanswered. "I come from Chicago politics," he said on MSNBC. "We're accustomed to rough-and-tumble."

Senior adviser David Axelrod said Obama told him after Tuesday's loss: " 'This wasn't meant to be easy. We were like Icarus flying too close to the sun.' "

Howard Wolfson, Clinton's communications director, called New Hampshire "the biggest possible win at the most important moment" of the campaign. "I think that it stopped Senator Obama's momentum, which had he won in New Hampshire would have even gotten greater."

A day ago, Clinton's campaign was considering whether to duck Nevada and South Carolina. On Wednesday, aides were considering plunging headlong into both states. But both campaigns are digging in for Feb. 5.

"We are no longer in a contest for states; we are in a contest for delegates," Wolfson said. "What matters now is the delegate count."

But Obama's campaign has long prepared for a protracted battle aimed at maximizing delegate accumulation even in states where Clinton is strong. David Plouffe, who is managing the Obama campaign, said it has organizations in 19 of the 22 states with Feb. 5 primaries and will gear up in the other three -- Delaware, Arkansas and Connecticut -- in a matter of days.

Neither Clinton nor Obama can claim an initial fundraising advantage coming out of New Hampshire. Each campaign raised about $25 million during the fourth quarter of last year.

Terry McAuliffe, chairman of the Clinton campaign, said it has about $25 million in cash on hand, although it was not clear how much of that can be spent only in the general election. Obama advisers said their cash flow is strong, with about $1 million a day coming this month.

McCain's campaign said its once-cash-strapped campaign is raising money at a faster clip, campaign manager Rick Davis told reporters. So far, the campaign has raised about $1 million, and aides expect the victory in New Hampshire to increase the pace of fundraising.

McCain now is unlikely to accept federal matching funds, one adviser said, a decision that would severely hamper him through spring and summer if he were to become the party's nominee.

Early Wednesday, the former Vietnam POW took his message to Michigan, where he emphasized his national security credentials and focused on economic issues in the hard-hit industrial state by pledging to help workers who have lost jobs.

"We cannot abandon them in the name of progress, in the name of the information technology revolution, in the name of anything," he said, adding that community colleges could help give these workers new skills. "We are a Judeo-Christian valued nation, and we cannot leave these great Americans behind."

Huckabee campaigned in South Carolina on Wednesday, but even as he predicted that state would be a turning point in the GOP battle, his campaign launched an ad in Michigan called "Understanding," in which he emphasized economic issues. Huckabee will appear there Friday and Saturday.

"When you grow up and life's a struggle, you have a whole different understanding of what most people are going through," Huckabee says in the ad.

Romney strategist Alex Gage sought to reassure supporters that the former governor can still win the nomination, emphasizing his change-oriented message. Exit polls in New Hampshire, he said, showed that Republicans divided their votes between McCain and Romney. In upcoming states where party rules exclude independents, he said, Romney would be a strong candidate.

Staff writers Perry Bacon Jr., Juliet Eilperin, Matthew Mosk, Shailagh Murray, Keith Richburg and John Solomon contributed to this report.

[belker1-2009]

Balz is part of the WaPo''s anti-Hillary team. He is supposed to be a reporter.


If there is a way to a negative on Hillary, it will be done in the WaPo.


If all candidates are doing something the WaPo thinks is bad the negative headline will include only Hillary''s name. The opening paragraph will beat up on her. In the following paragraphs added as almost an after thought: Oh all the other candidates are doing it too.


Novak, Broder and Will are star Hilliary beaters.

The national media stars all need to go back to journalism school for a refresher course on basing your words on the facts -- not your "feeling!"

[realpatriot1]

Ron Paul wans to abolish the federal Reserve. I''ve been trying to wrap my mind around how that one would work. Would we allow the banks to print their own money and set their own interest rates? Would they set everyone''s APRs at 30%?

That sounds like just what our fragile economy needs. Go for it Professor Looney Tunes!

[tylenol6]

To all John McCain supporters, google
Sen. John McCain the ultimate rhinestone hero

In other words, John McWar is a FRAUD.......

[teamsterwif1]

HELLO! I WOULDN''T COUNT EDWARDS OUT FOLKS! Union endorsements don''t guarantee the rank and file vote, and Edwards is the guy for the rank and file! The media ignoring him doesn''t mean the people aren''t behind him. Clearly the pollsters were wrong in NH. He is the answer to what this country needs...True Leadership! GO JOHNNY GO!

[samthetvcat]

"Clinton and Obama began readying for the next contests on the Democratic calendar, Nevada on Jan. 19 and South Carolina on Jan. 26; they are the first states in which minority voters will play a substantial role."

I''m not so sure SC''s going to be the ''lock'' all the pundits are expecting since there''s a big ''black vote''. I don''t know . . . it'' just seems like blacks are aware that for a black candidate to be viable he needs to win without a ''black vote'' otherwise there''ll be backlash (?)

If Barack wins in SC, it might be because of the white vote, not the black vote. And blacks might actually shift to Clinton if Barack has a big win in NV just to shore her up . . . I don''t know though. I think the polls are still trustworthy - it sounds like they might have overestimated the youth vote and underestimated the senior vote and just ran out of time at the end (?) so it''ll be interesting to watch the shifts . . .

[davidmwe]

Ron Paul, he is the person for the job.

[bigsk8fan]

Having said that, there is only one candidate worth voting for and that''s Ron Paul. He isn''t in the pockets of any group. Posted by tuckerndfw

just one problem with this idea: no one knows who ron paul is! just look at the results in iowa and new hampshire.

[scarletphd]

What ever happened to Fred Thompson???

[toontown22]

Primary Battles Remain Wide-Open! Jeez, do you think?? Even after two small states?

[piercetheval]

t-barr where the hell were you in 2000 when we all got Bushwacked. You repugs are shakin'' ain''t cha''. Oh, how I love to watch you repugs squirm. Here comes Hillary! Here comes Hillary! No more Dubya'' Here comes Mrs. Bubba!

[merlgrey]

Posted by nolalou at 11:46 AM :
"doncooper588, Ron Paul is getting the coverage any candidate would get who finishes 4th or worse. The battle is for delegates, and so far , he has none!"

check the delegate scorecard.. so far giulianni is the only candidate with zero delegates.. even hunter has one, paul has two...

[radiob-2009]

If Hillaryous or Obama win the democratic nomination they will hand the election over to the republicans. Sad in a nation of 3 billion that we cannot have 1 or 2 decent candidates.

[nolalou]

doncooper588, Ron Paul is getting the coverage any candidate would get who finishes 4th or worse. The battle is for delegates, and so far , he has none!

huanaco, you claim Obama is a "Republcian Troyan Horse".
First, you show your ignorance since there is no such thing as a ''Troyan Horse'', (I assume you mean Trojan Horse!) but then you don''t explain your argument. What are you getting at when you say Obama a Republican Trojan Horse?

[abbe91]

Ouch! Fox really slams Obama in this video!
http://bravenewfilms.org/b
log/573-fox-attacks-obama
Posted by micma at 10:58 AM : Jan 10, 2008

Nothing new, but a good summary. Still waiting for the MSM to report about Giuliani links to 911 terrorists via his clients in Qatar ... Better a President who went to school in a muslim country than a president who betrayed his country. One is enough.

[antoniof123]

I get a charge out of the elections every four years they do monkey tricks to act on the greatest stage on Earth.

This year should provide a lot of entertainment. Watch out Hollywood you have some real competition this year.

[micma-2009]

Ouch! Fox really slams Obama in this video!



http://bravenewfilms.org/blog/573-fox-attacks-obama

[prinzowhales]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qV6qAGigGYY

http://www.freedomsphoenix.com/Find-Freedom.htm?At=028740&From=News

http://www.product-reviews.net/2008/01/09/new-hampshire-vote-fraud-confirmed-ron-paul-votes-not-counted/

The miscount in New Hampshire is documented! Will Americans tolerate yet another rigged election by the Oligarchs? The machines used in South Carolina are even more susceptible to rigging than the ones in New Hampshire! THERE IS NO POINT EVEN DISCUSSING THE MERITS OF THE VARIOUS CANDIDATES IF THE ELECTIONS ARE RIGGED!!

[doncooper588]

I find it interesting that this article, like other major news media, still don''t mention Ron Paul. Ron Paul beat both Guiliani and Thompson in Iowa, beat Thompson again in New Hampshire and tied Guiliani. Paul beat both in fund raising last quarter and so far this quarter yet Thompson and Guiliani continue to be "treated" as legitimate contenders and Paul not. Pathetic.

[navyretired2]

"I don''t think of politics as a game; I think of it as a means to an end," the senator from New York said on NBC News''s "Today" program. "I don''t get up every morning to go out and make a great speech or shake a million hands, and then go to bed at night and say, ''Good for you.'' I go out to say, ''What can I do for you? How can we make our country what it should be?''" -- Hillary Clinton

Umm....does she REALLY believe that? Wow.

[huanaco]

OBAMA, DO AMERICA AND THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY A FAVOR, QUIT THIS RACE .YOU ARE NO MORE THAN A REPUBLICAN TROYAN HORSE.