Apr 29, 2008
New Clinton Supporter Is A Potent Symbol
Politico: N.C. Governor Is A Strong Ally In N.Y. Senator's Culture War Claim
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Photo
Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., applauds with North Carolina Gov. Mike Easley at an event where he announced his endorsement of her candidacy, Tuesday, April 29, 2008, in Raleigh, N.C. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)
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Hillary Clinton
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Barack Obama
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North Carolina Governor Mike Easley's endorsement of Senator Hillary Clinton today offers her a potent symbolic and electoral boost in the biggest state left to vote.
Easley is a meaningful ally in the culture war she's waging against Senator Barack Obama, as she seeks to cast him as a hopelessly unelectable liberal elitist and to persuade the Democratic Party leaders who will decide the nomination - the "superdelegates" - to choose her instead.
"It’s an incredibly strong endorsement because Easley is popular among the blue collar 'Bubba' voters who are Democrats," said David "Mudcat" Saunders, a Democratic consultant who advised former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards and former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner on winning rural voters.
Easley had endorsed Edwards for president, but again became a heavily sought superdelegate once Edwards bowed out of the race.
"He's clean in the culture. Easley's wrecked the Charlotte Motor Speedway doing 150 miles per hour, and Bubba likes that," said Saunders, referring to NASCAR fan Easley’s 2003 race car crash. “He's a hunter. He's a strong Second Amendment guy. He gives her great cultural validation in the state of North Carolina."
Clinton aides were jubilant.
"Huge deal," Clinton's North Carolina director, Ace Smith, told Politico.
Smith, sticking with the campaign’s official line, said that if Clinton could keep the margin within 15 percentage points - she currently trails Obama by 12 percent in an average of polls - she'd have won a victory.
But other Clinton backers were more optimistic, saying Clinton had a shot at the definition of victory she set for Obama in Pennsylvania: Victory.
"The governor clearly feels she can now pull this out," said a prominent Clinton supporter. "He's not doing it to be embarrassed in his own state. Governors don't endorse for number two."
Easley doesn't bring the kind of field organization or financial base that Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell gave Clinton's Pennsylvania campaign, but he does carry a popular name and a symbolic validation of her central argument: That she, better than Obama, connects with the working-class white people who are traditional swing voters.
Easley, 58, the lone survivor of a class of Southern Democratic governors elected between 1998 and 2000, has managed to thrive by figuring out how to win reelection in a region where the national Democratic party is typically a burden to statewide elected officials.
Wary of the stigma carried by the national party, he skipped the party convention in 2000 and 2004. He's term-limited this year after serving two terms.
Easley has looked to popular culture for clues to help him connect to the average voter. In the past, his pollster has asked respondents whether they watch the popular animated Fox series, "King of the Hill." Easley, it turns out, is a fan of the main character Hank Hill, a small-town Texas propane salesman who likes guns and NASCAR. The governor has made the show’s audience his lodestar.
With or without Easley, Obama has the demographic equivalent of a home-field advantage in North Carolina. More than a third of the primary electorate is expected to be African-American, a group Obama is winning by an unmatchable 90-plus percent. To win the state, Clinton needs the support of about three quarters of its white voters - a group on average more educated and more liberal than Democrats in the only part of the country where her margins approached that, the Deep South.
Clinton backers hope the new high-profile of Obama’s controversial pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, has changed the dynamic of the contest and strengthened her hand.
Obama was scheduled to tour the state Monday and Tuesday, holding massive rallies in its college towns.
"The total focus is on turning out as bg an Obama vote as we can and hoping it's enough to win," said Ed Turlington, a former state Democratic Party chairman who backs Obama.
Obama has also been outspending Clinton in North Carolina, as elsewhere. Smith estimated that the Illinois senator has a three-to-one edge in television advertising in the state. And so the campaigns are engaged in the ritual sparring over the meaning of victory.
"A win is one more vote than the other candidate," said Turlington.
"If we can take it to anything lower than double digits, it's been an incredible accomplishment for us here," said Tom Hendrickson, another former state party chairman, who backs Clinton.
Recent polling has shown the gap between the two candidates narrowing - with the movement among the same moderate voters to whom Easley has his strongest appeal.
"Her numbers went up in the same demographic she controlled in Pennsylvania to win - which is white male, specifically blue collar white males," said Dean Debnam, president of North Carolina-based Public Policy Polling, which found Monday that Clinton had cut Obama's lead from 25 percentage points to 12. "Obama had been pulling closer to her in the white vote, and she had regained that strongly in the past week."
Debnam said Easley's endorsement was an enormous boon, especially among moderate whites. "I don't think there could be a more perfect candidate for that demographic," he said. Clinton's other asset with the "Bubba" vote, her husband, has also been working the state hard, continuing what's become his specialty: Speeches to working-class white audiences in small media markets.
"He's going into counties where he can land an airplane and she cannot, because she's in too big a plane," said David Parker, a Statesville lawyer and uncommitted superdelegate.
Whatever Easley's electoral virtues, though, his endorsement also carries a clear message for an even more important audience-the superdelegates.
"The message of Easley's endorsement to superdelegates around the country is that she is the most electable Democrat in November," said Robert Zimmerman, a New York superdelegate who backs Clinton.
Avi Zenilman, Richard T. Cullen and David Mark contributed to this report.
By Ben Smith and David Paul Kuhn
Copyright 2008 POLITICO
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See all 134 CommentsHe''s a lameduck who didn''t have the guts to take on Dole and he''s currently embroiled in a scandal of his own regarding the willful destruction of e-mails between executive departments.
He''s a symbol of governement corruption whose support for Hillary is a disaappointment to the voters, but not a surprise.
I expressed the same sentiments directly to his office last night and was told that soemone would get back to me. I''m not holding my breath.
North Carolinians can do no better than to vote for Hillary next Tuesday. Please do this country proud and vote for Hillary for 2008 !
LOUISVILLE, Ky. | Kentucky bigwig Ben Chandler, a new U.S. rep and grandson of a former governor, will endorse Barack Obama today, Obama%u2019s state campaign director said.
Posted by JACK3213 at 02:35 PM : Apr 29, 2008
*** Jack~ You need to grow up and realize that ANYONE would be better than Juan AMnesty McCain! McCain already voted 2 years ago to let all illegals immigrants become legal overnight without having to learn english or pay fines. Thank god the republicans and democrats in the house and senate knocked down that legislation that would have given all illegals citizenship! ANYONE other than Juan Amnesty McCain 2008! NO AMNESTY!
Posted by JACK3213 at 02:35 PM : Apr 29, 2008
*** Jack~ isn''t it the Republicans that normally want to control our lives and have us make laws that follow the bible! SEPERATION OF CHURCH AND STATE! Anyone other than Juan Amnesty McCain! We need to all stand up AGAINST Amnesty McCAIN! If you don''t want millions of mexicans coming into the country and taking your job, then vote DEMOCRAT in 2008!
ism/0108 27.reparations.html
Posted by Obamamania at 02:47 PM : Apr 29, 2008
*** you do realize that every stupid comment is scaring away likely NC and Indian voters! Repartions? What makes you think just because your black you should get reparations?? My great grandfathers grandfather was a soldier in the Union army during the civil war, so do I get a reparation check too because my relatives were willing to die for their country and to allow you and your ancestory to attain freedom and equality???? I think no one should get reparations, we should live and let live! It would also be wayyy to hard to chose who gets them and who doesn''t! Vote anyone but Juan Amnesty McCain in 2008! Hillary has the best chance to win!
p.s. it speaks volumes about Hilldawg and her supporters
ism/0108 27.reparations.html
Posted by Obamamania at 02:47 PM : Apr 29, 2008
*** What Obama should be doing is allow Hillary to be the nominee so we can beat Juan Amnesty McCain in 2008! We need a democrat in the whitehouse, and Hillary has the better chance to win. If you let Obama be the nominee, then Juan MCain will let all the mexicans in to take all our jobs! If you want to keep what little we have, vote Hillary! Vote for Obama or Juan Mccain if you want mexicans to come take every job and everything we have!
Gov. Easley, As you join Governor Rendell and Governor Strickland(our former Represenative of Ohio who worked in congress with Hillay) we will be able to beat McCain and it will be a landslide!
Thanks, also, to Hillary for her view to give a tax to the oil companies, NOT take money from our road/bridge funds and give all our citizens a cheaper gas this summer so we can travel to the Great State of North Carolina. U.S. Congress make this happen quickly.
John McCain is "CURLEY"
Barrack Obama is "LARRY"
and Hillary Clinton is "MOE"
I think I''ll vote for ....hmm.... "SHEMP"!!!!
GO RON PAUL!
Honestly -- Do you think any other candidate could stand up against both Bill and Hillary Clinton and the Republicans (to say nothing of the fact that he is half-Black and has a name that sounds like Osama)! Now, that''s a STRONG SMART candidate.
And, he hasn''t played dirty and he hasn''t lied!!!
Vote Obama!
Oh what FOOLS I see...
In the MEANTIME - Housing FORECLOSURES are MORE THAN DOUBLE what they were last year''s 1st quarter.
The PRICE OF GAS has a Price Chart that looks like it''s GOING STRAIGHT UP
FAMINE strikes HUGE swaths of the world.
and the WEALTH GAP GROWS EVER WIDER.
Welcome to the NEW DARK AGE FEUDALISM.
Posted by brassbawlz at 03:14 PM : Apr 29, 2008
More likely a McCain supporter.
We also don''t need McCain supporters posing as Hillary supporters to bash Obama. You people have too much time on your hands (and you''re not fooling anyone).
Having problems with that PTSD again ? Hope you can get some help.
A vote for Hillary is a vote for a democratic dynasty.
David "Mudcat" Saunders makes a living out of providing cultural interpreation of bubbas for the beltway crowd- I''m a gun owning white male in a Western town with population less than 100 and take it from me the guy is a moron- If Mudcat knew what he was talking about John Edwards would be president- boy they blew that one. The fact that they are sniffing aroubd Hillary''s hydrant should be a red flag to Demos that want to win...
Obama- Carry on!
GOD "BLESS" AMERICA. NOT "G D" AMERICA.
NOW WHAT are YOU going to do? Condemn Obama for NOT "standing by" his former pastor like the JOHN McSame does for his "EMBARRASSMENT" King George????
GET OVER IT and find some NEW MUD to SLING - the American people are growing "bored" and have a short attention span.
How about that "polygamy" thing? NOPE? WHY? Might it DRAW ATTENTION to the 2 WIVES of McSame? Serial Marriage/Divorce/Marriage... SOUNDS LIKE "LEGAL POLYGAMY"to ME...
Ohhh....that%u2019s what you call it....a "culture war". Great.
Obama is MORE %u201Celectable%u201D every day and there doesn''t seem to be anything the Clintons are going to be able do about it. We don''t a third Clinton term....we need new leadership in the White House.
Obama in 08...
and God bless Hillary Clinton, a real Democrat and a real American,
always was and always will be.
Don''''t know who Obama''''s more like his Kenyan father who abandoned the US after using it to get a college degree or his white atheist Mom who only slept with foreign men.
"Now the two Washington candidates in the race have decided to do something different," said Obama. "John McCain started it, he made the proposal, and then Hillary Clinton said ''me too.''"
The plan would suspend collecting the 18.4 cent federal gas tax 24.4 cent diesel tax for the summer.
"We''re arguing over a gimmick that would save you half a tank of gas over the course of the entire summer so that everyone in Washington can pat themselves on the back and say they did something," said Obama.
"Well, let me tell you, this isn''t an idea designed to get you through the summer, it''s designed to get them through an election," said Obama.
We don''t need "gimmicks".
We don''t need another Clinton term in the White House.
We need Barack Obama
Hows it going today, whats the new propaganda?
Did I read this right? Is Mike Easley really a staunch supporter of the 2d Ammendment?
Given Hillaries (and Wee Willie Winkie''s) blatient lies, twisting of facts and complete ignoring of facts unplesant to whatever line of sewage streaming from their mouths and campaign; It would be wise to also ask what does Easley''s endorsement of Hillary tell us about his own values?
A "staunch supporter of the Second Ammendment?! Oh, Really?!?
(Another example needing attention; "When In Doubt, Throw The Bum Out!"
-Clinton''s windfall tax proposal will also give oil companies a reason to raise prices, and perhaps not lower them when the "holiday" is over.
-Economists say the gas prices will simply be raised and no one will benefit even marginally except for the oil companies. This was obvious to even myself, a layman, before I read anything that economists were saying.
-McCain and Clinton are both condescending to Americans who are hurting. This exemplifies Clinton''s propensity for poor policy decisions that benefit her, including her authorization of the Iraq war.
Oh yeah, Miss "I''m a fighter" will definitely unite the party afterwards, the only problem is that she united the Republicans. Seriously, is that really George W Bush cleverly disguised as Hillary Clinton?
Also I think she is going to win the nomination now. Obama has lost too much ground the last few weeks.
1. He opposed the war in Iraq while Hillary supported it. Yes he did, and yes she did, and there''s no wriggling away from that fact.
2. It''s become apparent that Hillary''s constituency is composed of those very "Democrats" who cheered the invasion of Iraq, who gave Bush his sky-high approval ratings in 2003, who defected to Bush in 2004 over silliness like the gay marriage scare.
Nothing would persuade me to stand alongside such people, who seem determined to repeat all their previous errors.
Also I think she is going to win the nomination now. Obama has lost too much ground the last few weeks.
Also I think she is going to win the nomination now. Obama has lost too much ground the last few weeks.
Also I think she is going to win the nomination now. Obama has lost too much ground the last few weeks.
THE DELEGATE BREAKDOWN
Barack Obama: 1728.5
Hillary Rodham Clinton: 1594.5
Delegates decide the nomination.
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