First the Des Moines Register poll: Obama ahead of Clinton by seven points in Iowa. This in a state Clinton must win big in order to prove that her insider-establishment-favorite credentials can transfer to the ballot box — and, indeed, is still predicted to win. Call that a jump to the right….
Next the news that Kucinich has thrown his support behind Obama:
Senator Barack Obama today thanked Congressman Dennis Kucinich for encouraging his supporters to caucus for Obama as their second choice in the Iowa caucuses. Obama noted that he and Kucinich both opposed the war in Iraq before it started and are committed to reclaiming the American Dream on behalf of families across the country.
Call that a step to the left…. (Of course, Kucinich has still asked NH supporters to vote for him).
Then a strong statement in support of civil unions in New Hampshire:
Today, New Hampshire has started a New Year by taking an important step forward that will make a meaningful difference in the lives of so many gay and lesbian couples. As President, I’ll work for the day when all gay and lesbian couples in America can enjoy the same legal rights and privileges as straight couples. It’s time to stop using these issues to divide us; it’s time to embrace a future of tolerance, equality, and hope.
This is how change can happen. Not the complete collapse of all organized opposition to the progressive agenda (vote for John Edwards if you think that is possible — more power to you!), but an improvement to the status quo. Barack Obama has a campaign firing all on cylinders heading in to the first contents. Watch for Hillary Clinton and the Powers that Be in the Democratic Party to try to slip in a quick shank in the next week or so. I wonder how Howard Dean is spending his time these days.
Speaking of Iowa endorsements.
He is the egomaniac who got us into this whole problem in the first place. An endorsement from him has about as much credibility as a Lawyer of the Year award from the ABA.
The 98-99ish percent of people who don’t care about Nader won’t change their choice because of them. However, the 1-2% who still care about Nader are more likely to vote Edwards than before.
<
p>Total change? Maybe Edwards picks up 0.25%. Not substantial, except in areas where he’s teetering around 15%… than that quarter point might come in handy.
that Nader still has a lot of credibility with liberal activists, whom after all, play a big role in the Iowa caucuses.
Nader was on Thom Hartman today and said that he wouldn’t rule out running if Hillary is the nominee. h/t Cliff Schecter. I truly don’t understand the man.
He used to be somewhat apologetic, but now that he has gotten comfortable with the notion that Nader didnt cost Gore the election. I agree with him almost always on issues but his final political candidate conclusions can be weird.
…aside from the fact that he oftentimes has nutcases (the Ayn Rand Institute?) on as guests, he is also oftentimes factually challenged.
take corrections on facts well though when he is called on them. I’m ok with his factual errors since I think he is better than most talkers. One thing re the ayn rand institute guests that he has on is that he never mentions the Ayn Rand atheism–which puts them at direct odds with a lot of conservatives that they are supposedly in alliance with. Overall his is my favorite radio show.
Hillary Clinton’s excellent statement in support of NH civil unions showed up in my inbox at 12:02 am on 1/1/08:
<
p>
<
p>Obama’s statement arrived at 4:48 pm, nearly 17 hours later. I’d say Hillary won that round.
<
p>As for the polls, two polls released almost simultaneously with the Des Moines Register poll showed Hillary ahead. It is simply not possible to come up with a reliable poll on the Iowa caucuses, because there is no reliable model for who’s going to show up, or what’s going to happen once they get there.
<
p>So nobody knows what’s going to happen tomorrow night. Which, I suppose, is how it should be!
I could not have said it better myself. Another recent poll, this one by the Pew Research Center also shows Hillary Clinton way ahead in the national polls. Here is what the Pew report says:
<
p>A twenty point lead…
In a poll conducted by Channel 7 and Suffolk University, Hillary Clinton leads by about 14 percentage points in New Hampshire.
Obama says he’s going to “work for the day when all gay and lesbian couples in America can enjoy the same legal rights and privileges as straight couples.” Clinton approves of the “fair and equal treatment of gays and lesbian families” but also – completely opposite to Obama – wants to preserve the rights of all citizens.
<
p>It’s one or the other, either “preserve the rights of all” or make the rights of straight couples and gay couples “equal”. You can’t make the rights of same-sex couples equal while preserving the rights of all.
What right of all is not being preserved if couple A has the same legal rights as couple B?
Just focus on their statements, and ask why they would be different. There are two ways to make things equal, you can give to one, or take away from the other. Clinton doesn’t seem to think that people should be equal rights with either sex, or she’d say so (she never has, to my knowledge). Obama says nothing about preserving the rights of all, or he would have said so.
<
p>Remember Giulliani supports CU’s, but said the NH ones went too far because they gave “all the rights of marriage” to same-sex couples. Hillary didn’t criticize them like Rudy did, but maybe because no one asked her, so why roil the waters?
It’s
A jump to the left and then a step to the ri-i-i-i-ght.
<
p>Not sure how it figures into presidential politics, but you
<
p>Put your hands on your hips and bring your knees in tight
But it’s the pelvic thrust that really drives you insa-a-a-a-ane
Let’s do the Time Warp again
Endorse the flavor of the month (Edwards/Obama) over a candidate who shares our values (Dean/Edwards), and get a bit of attention. These two deserve each other.
I have not been more excited for a candidate to win than I have been today!
<
p>I am fired up!
<
p>Also NH polls are irrelevant until the vote in IA occurs, remember Dean was ahead 20 pts the day of the caucus…
a Nader endorsement any day.
Most Democrats are FURIOUS with Ralph Nader for handing the last two elections to Bush. Who cares what he says.
<
p>What is more important is the groundswell of support that the “lower tier” candidates are throwing to Obama. Kucinich has already asked his supporters to make Obama their second choice in Iowa. And leaks from staffers in the Richardson and Biden campaigns suggest they will follow suit.
<
p>If Obama gets his present support, plus Kucinich, Biden, and Richardson, its all over folks.