Sensing Obama is in trouble, Dean calls for decisions

El_Conquistador · Apr 18, 2008

On the heels of Obama's elitist commentary in San Francisco and on the heels of Obama's worst debate, Democratic leadership is very nervous about their party's future in Noviembre. With McCain gaining in the polls, and a string of pro-Hillary states on the horizon, Howard Dean and the democrats are sensing imminent disaster. They know that a continued struggle, which by the way is becoming increasingly rancorous, between Hillary and Obama is severely damaging their future candidate. In the last week, Obama has been bloodied. Big time. With this in mind, they want to HALT the democratic process now -- halt the primary before Hillary can gain the momentum to win the popular vote. This is an outrage and goes against every principle that the democratic party stands for. Howard Dean wants to FORCE Hillary out of the race today because he fears further damage to Obama in the weeks ahead. That is chickenschit and cowardly. Discuss.

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/04/18/dean-i-need-a-decision-now/
Dean: I need a decision 'now'
(CNN)— An increasingly firm Howard Dean told CNN again Thursday that he needs superdelegates to say who they’re for – and “I need them to say who they’re for starting now.”

“We cannot give up two or three months of active campaigning and healing time,” the Democratic National Committee Chairman told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer. “We’ve got to know who our nominee is.”

After facing criticism for a mostly hands-off leadership style during much of the primary season, Dean has been steadily raising the rhetorical pressure on superdelegates. He said Thursday that roughly 65 percent of them have made their preference plain, but that more than 300 have yet to make up their minds.

The national party chair, who has remained neutral throughout the primary process, said again it’s his job to make sure both candidates feel they are treated fairly – but not to tell either of them when to end their run.

SWTsig · Apr 18, 2008

Trader_Jorge said:

On the heels of Obama's elitist commentary in San Francisco and on the heels of Obama's worst debate, Democratic leadership is very nervous about their party's future in Noviembre. With McCain gaining in the polls, and a string of pro-Hillary states on the horizon, Howard Dean and the democrats are sensing imminent disaster. They know that a continued struggle, which by the way is becoming increasingly rancorous, between Hillary and Obama is severely damaging their future candidate. In the last week, Obama has been bloodied. Big time. With this in mind, they want to HALT the democratic process now -- halt the primary before Hillary can gain the momentum to win the popular vote. This is an outrage and goes against every principle that the democratic party stands for. Howard Dean wants to FORCE Hillary out of the race today because he fears further damage to Obama in the weeks ahead. That is chickenschit and cowardly. Discuss.

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/04/18/dean-i-need-a-decision-now/
Dean: I need a decision 'now'
(CNN)— An increasingly firm Howard Dean told CNN again Thursday that he needs superdelegates to say who they’re for – and “I need them to say who they’re for starting now.”

“We cannot give up two or three months of active campaigning and healing time,” the Democratic National Committee Chairman told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer. “We’ve got to know who our nominee is.”

After facing criticism for a mostly hands-off leadership style during much of the primary season, Dean has been steadily raising the rhetorical pressure on superdelegates. He said Thursday that roughly 65 percent of them have made their preference plain, but that more than 300 have yet to make up their minds.

The national party chair, who has remained neutral throughout the primary process, said again it’s his job to make sure both candidates feel they are treated fairly – but not to tell either of them when to end their run.
Click to expand...

wait, i thought you prided yourself an elitist?

pgabriel · Apr 18, 2008

your logic is flawed as usual. how does him being the candidate prevent damage from so called perceived mistakes. its either going to be attacked from hillary or mccain. if you actually thought about this instead of trying to use it as another attack on obama you realize that the problem is mccain is getting a free ride.

A_3PO · Apr 18, 2008

The reason he wants a decision is because it's obvious Hillary won't win and there is nothing more to gain from extending the Dem race. In flinging mud pies on Obama, Hillary has buried herself in a pile of you-know-what. If the Dems are smart, they would put her out of her misery and train their guns on McCain. But knowing the Dem party, that won't happen and McCain will benefit all the way into July.

DonnyMost · Apr 18, 2008

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5711631.html

Poll: Obama overtaking Clinton despite bruises

WASHINGTON — Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton are both sustaining dents and dings from their lengthy presidential fight. The former first lady is clearly suffering more as Democratic voters no longer see her as the party's strongest contender for the White House.

Voters of all types have gotten a better sense of Obama, who was an obscure Illinois legislator just four years ago. As more people moved from the "I don't know him" category in an AP-Yahoo News poll, more rated Obama as inexperienced, unethical and dishonest. And 15 percent erroneously think he's a Muslim, thanks in part to disinformation widely spread on the Internet.

But Obama's positive ratings have climbed as well, while Clinton — widely known since the early 1990s — has been less able to change people's views of her. And when those views have shifted, it has hurt her more than helped.

The New York senator's ratings for being honest, likable, ethical and refreshing have fallen since January, and Obama scores higher than she does in all those categories.

In a dramatic reversal, the AP-Yahoo News poll found that a clear majority of Democratic voters now say Obama has the better chance of defeating Republican Sen. John McCain in November.

In late January, before Obama scored 11 straight primary and caucus victories, 56 percent of Democrats saw Clinton as the stronger nominee, compared with 33 percent for Obama. Now, Obama leads on that question, 56 percent to 43 percent.

Still, the poll, conducted by Knowledge Networks, contains some worrisome signs for the first-term senator. Those rating him as "not at all honest," for example, jumped from 18 percent last fall to 27 percent in April. It came as he was put on the defensive over incendiary comments by his former pastor. But many holding such views are Republicans or conservative independents who would be unlikely to vote in a Democratic primary or support a Democrat in the fall anyway.

The most encouraging sign for Obama is that many Democrats who previously saw Clinton as their party's best hope now give him that role. About one-third of them still prefer Clinton, but they have lost confidence in her electability.

"I would love to vote for Hillary," said Nancy Costello of Bellevue, Ky., one of the more than 1,800 randomly selected adults whose opinions are rechecked every few months in the AP-Yahoo News poll. "I'm 67, and I'll probably never get another chance to vote for a woman."

But Obama now appears to be the stronger candidate, she said, and electing a Democrat in November is paramount. If McCain wins and continues many of President Bush's economic and foreign policies, Costello said, "I think I would just sit down and cry."

By tracking the same group throughout the campaign, the AP-Yahoo News poll can gauge how individual views change. It suggests that Clinton has paid a price for hammering Obama since early February on several issues as she tries to overcome his lead in delegates and the popular vote. Among those Democrats who no longer consider her the more electable of the two, most now see her as less likable, decisive, strong, honest, experienced and ethical than they did in January.

Meanwhile, those same voters are more likely to see Obama as strong, honest and refreshing than before.

Beulah Barton of Leesburg, Fla., said she initially backed Clinton, partly because she liked Bill Clinton's record as president.

"But the more I hear her talk, and the more I hear him talk, the more put off I am," said Barton, 69. "I think she's brash, I think she's rude. I get the feeling that she feels she deserves to be president" and doesn't need "to earn it."

Barton said she likes Obama, and ignores e-mails suggesting that he refuses to salute the flag or is somehow threatening "because of his name."

"People try to make him look like a traitor," she said. "I think he has risen above most of that stuff."

Some misinformation sticks, however. The great majority of the poll's participants said this month they did not know the religious affiliation of Clinton (a Methodist) or Obama (United Church of Christ). But 15 percent ventured that Obama, whose father was Kenyan, is a Muslim.

That group includes more Democrats than Republicans, and it doesn't necessarily worry them.

Randi Estes, a Democrat from Ada, Okla., said she prefers Clinton but feels Obama is likely to win the nomination. "He's gotten very strong media coverage, and Bill Clinton's not helping her a bit," said Estes, 36, who has four children under the age of 6.

Speaking of Obama, she said, "I have a sense he's a Muslim."

If Obama wins the nomination, the poll indicates he will need to mend his image a bit as he battles McCain for independents and soft Republicans. His favorability rating among all voters has declined, with those ranking him as "very unfavorable" growing from 17 percent in January to 25 percent in April. Most of them are Republicans and independents.

In January, 30 percent of Republicans rated Obama very unfavorably. That grew to 43 percent in April. Among the coveted independents, 12 percent had a very unfavorable view of Obama in January. That has nearly doubled to 23 percent.

Obama would be the first black president, and the survey detected some evidence of racial discomfort in voters' minds. It found that about 8 percent of whites would be uncomfortable voting for a black for president. It produced an estimate of about 13 percent of Republicans who would feel that way, but suggested very few if any Democrats would now be uncomfortable. In November, about 5 percent of Democrats indicated discomfort at voting for a black person for president.

For Allen Lovell, a moderate Democrat in Everett, Wash., race is unimportant, but replacing Bush with a Democrat is vital. And lately he has concluded that Obama probably has the better chance of beating McCain.

"I am leaning towards him, not because he's black — because I'm white — but because we definitely need a change," said Lovell, 50.

He said the Democratic campaign has lasted too long, but there is one topic he'd like to hear more about. Lovell, who guessed that Obama is "either Christian or Muslim," said: "I don't think we're getting enough information on religion" from the candidates.

The survey of 1,844 adults was conducted April 2-14 and had an overall margin of sampling error of plus or minus 2.3 percentage points. Included were interviews with 863 Democrats, for whom the margin of sampling error was plus or minus 3.3 points, and 668 Republicans, with a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.8 points.

The poll was conducted over the Internet by Knowledge Networks. It initially contacted people using traditional telephone polling methods, and followed with online interviews. People chosen for the study who had no Internet access were given it for free.
Click to expand...

El_Conquistador · Apr 18, 2008

There is no doubt in my mind that Howard Dean backs Obama in this race. No doubt. Frankly, Dean and Obama are similar candidates, with the exception of timing. We found out about Dean's insanity immediately after Iowa in 2004. Obama didn't let his slip out until San Francisco in April of 2008. Sadly for the libs, it was after most primary voters had gone to the polls. Now the libs, sensing that Hillary is exploiting this, are scrambling to stop the bleeding. If Obama could close, he wouldn't need Howard Dean to step in and try to do his job for him. Why can't Obama close? If Obama is gaining momentum, why not let the primaries play out? Doesn't add up does it, now? Nope. This is a cry for help from Howard Dean this morning. It might backfire too. If Hillary's ardent supporter are pushed right out of this, they won't come back too happy in November.

Air Langhi · Apr 18, 2008

Trader_Jorge said:

There is no doubt in my mind that Howard Dean backs Obama in this race. No doubt. Frankly, Dean and Obama are similar candidates, with the exception of timing. We found out about Dean's insanity immediately after Iowa in 2004. Obama didn't let his slip out until San Francisco in April of 2008. Sadly for the libs, it was after most primary voters had gone to the polls. Now the libs, sensing that Hillary is exploiting this, are scrambling to stop the bleeding. If Obama could close, he wouldn't need Howard Dean to step in and try to do his job for him. Why can't Obama close? If Obama is gaining momentum, why not let the primaries play out? Doesn't add up does it, now? Nope. This is a cry for help from Howard Dean this morning. It might backfire too. If Hillary's ardent supporter are pushed right out of this, they won't come back too happy in November.
Click to expand...

Why are you complaining, you should be happy as this helps McCain.

bigtexxx · Apr 18, 2008

liberal hypocrisy at its finest. First they crucify Hillary for trying to change the rules of the game in Michigan and Florida, then they go and change the rules of the game for the entire primary timing. I'm not surprised. Obama looked like a doofus at the debate, and they can see more carnage if this thing plays out longer

pgabriel · Apr 18, 2008

bigtexxx said:

and they can see more carnage if this thing plays out longer
Click to expand...

like his numbers improving?

its not a lie if you believe. you guys have talked yourselves into believing that obama is somehow hurting. its really an astonishing study into the mind of the neocon. its not just obama, the more you guys tell yourselves things like I don't know, iraq was a good decision, you believe. obama is doing poorly, you believe. the economy's great, you believe it. fascinating stuff, really.

The Cat · Apr 18, 2008

bigtexxx said:

First they crucify Hillary for trying to change the rules of the game in Michigan and Florida, then they go and change the rules of the game for the entire primary timing.
Click to expand...

Ding ding ding.

Last I checked, there's no rule saying superdelegates have to decide by a certain day (well, before the primaries are over). Furthermore, if this "two or three months of campaigning time" was so important to him, he and the DNC could've come to an agreement before the primaries to have the final state come much sooner than June 3. Instead, they're using situational ethics and changing the system midway through to fit their own agenda. Sound familiar?

Funny how it's consistently OK to ignore the rules when it's to Obama's benefit, but they cry bloody murder any time Clinton even hints at challenging a prior decision such as those in Florida and Michigan.

pgabriel · Apr 18, 2008

The Cat said:

Funny how it's consistently OK to ignore the rules when it's to Obama's benefit, but they cry bloody murder any time Clinton even hints at challenging a prior decision such as those in Florida and Michigan.
Click to expand...

dong dong dong

how is asking them to make a decision bending the rules?

El_Conquistador · Apr 18, 2008

pgabriel said:

like his numbers improving?
Click to expand...

Not in the crucial Philadelphia suburbs, which were once an Obama stronghold...

Earlier this week, a poll by the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute, showed that Obama barely led Clinton by two percentage points in the suburbs after having enjoyed an 11 point lead the week before.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/04/18/philly.suburbs.ap/index.html

OOPS

bigtexxx · Apr 18, 2008

pgabriel said:

dong dong dong

how is asking them to make a decision bending the rules?
Click to expand...

If you're viewing his asking them to make a decision as an isolated event, I think you're wrong. It seems clear that he's hoping to use this information to shorten the race.

lpbman · Apr 18, 2008

pgabriel said:

like his numbers improving?

its not a lie if you believe. you guys have talked yourselves into believing that obama is somehow hurting. its really an astonishing study into the mind of the neocon. its not just obama, the more you guys tell yourselves things like I don't know, iraq was a good decision, you believe. obama is doing poorly, you believe. the economy's great, you believe it. fascinating stuff, really.
Click to expand...

No Worries · Apr 18, 2008

This is silly. Dean can ask for the moon. The Supers will do as they please, since Dean can not force their hand.

This non-story has been brought to you by the King of Non-stories, La Conquistadora.

rimbaud · Apr 18, 2008

SWTsig said:

wait, i thought you prided yourself an elitist?
Click to expand...

TJ works as a teller at a bank. He would never profess to be elite. If he did, he would just look silly.

pgabriel · Apr 18, 2008

bigtexxx said:

If you're viewing his asking them to make a decision as an isolated event, I think you're wrong. It seems clear that he's hoping to use this information to shorten the race.
Click to expand...

you're right, but the only way obama is going to loose the popular vote and delegate lead is something very drastic happens. there is an argument that there is no need to wait for something like that to happens, because its highly unlikely

bigtexxx · Apr 18, 2008

pgabriel said:

you're right, but the only way obama is going to loose the popular vote and delegate lead is something very drastic happens. there is an argument that there is no need to wait for something like that to happens, because its highly unlikely
Click to expand...

Kinda like the Bills coming back on the Oilers in 93.

You don't end the game short when the other side can still win. It's not over

rocket3forlife2 · Apr 18, 2008

A_3PO said:

The reason he wants a decision is because it's obvious Hillary won't win and there is nothing more to gain from extending the Dem race. In flinging mud pies on Obama, Hillary has buried herself in a pile of you-know-what. If the Dems are smart, they would put her out of her misery and train their guns on McCain. But knowing the Dem party, that won't happen and McCain will benefit all the way into July.
Click to expand...

Because he is being attacked by his own party (hilllary her followers) and macian & the republican party.He is taking attacks form both sides, so I'm sure a one on one would be more of a fair fight.

count_dough-ku · Apr 18, 2008

bigtexxx said:

Kinda like the Bills coming back on the Oilers in 93.

You don't end the game short when the other side can still win. It's not over
Click to expand...

Isn't it almost a mathematical certainty that Obama will go to the convention with a lead in delegates if this thing drags out that long? I suppose Hillary has an outside(VEEEEEEEEEERY outside) shot at taking the lead in the popular vote, particularly if Florida and Michigan are counted. But really, the only way she gets the nomination at this point is by convincing the superdelegates to back her.

That's why the Dems have screwed themselves on this one. No matter who wins, a large bloc of voters will feel like they got the shaft. Granted, more will be pissed if Hillary gets the nod, but it's a lose-lose situation at this point.

Forums

Sensing Obama is in trouble, Dean calls for decisions

El_Conquistador King of the D&D, The Legend, #1 Ranking
Supporting Member

SWTsig Contributing Member

pgabriel Educated Negro

A_3PO Member

DonnyMost be kind. be brave.
Supporting Member

El_Conquistador King of the D&D, The Legend, #1 Ranking
Supporting Member

Air Langhi Contributing Member

bigtexxx Contributing Member

pgabriel Educated Negro

The Cat Contributing Member

pgabriel Educated Negro

El_Conquistador King of the D&D, The Legend, #1 Ranking
Supporting Member

bigtexxx Contributing Member

lpbman Member

No Worries Contributing Member

rimbaud Contributing Member
Supporting Member

pgabriel Educated Negro

bigtexxx Contributing Member

rocket3forlife2 Member

count_dough-ku Contributing Member

Share This Page

About ClutchFans

Rockets Content

Support ClutchFans!

Sensing Obama is in trouble, Dean calls for decisions

El_Conquistador King of the D&D, The Legend, #1 Ranking Supporting Member

SWTsig Contributing Member

pgabriel Educated Negro

A_3PO Member

DonnyMost be kind. be brave. Supporting Member

El_Conquistador King of the D&D, The Legend, #1 Ranking Supporting Member

Air Langhi Contributing Member

bigtexxx Contributing Member

pgabriel Educated Negro

The Cat Contributing Member

pgabriel Educated Negro

El_Conquistador King of the D&D, The Legend, #1 Ranking Supporting Member

bigtexxx Contributing Member

lpbman Member

No Worries Contributing Member

rimbaud Contributing Member Supporting Member

pgabriel Educated Negro

bigtexxx Contributing Member

rocket3forlife2 Member

count_dough-ku Contributing Member

Share This Page

El_Conquistador King of the D&D, The Legend, #1 Ranking
Supporting Member

DonnyMost be kind. be brave.
Supporting Member

El_Conquistador King of the D&D, The Legend, #1 Ranking
Supporting Member

El_Conquistador King of the D&D, The Legend, #1 Ranking
Supporting Member

rimbaud Contributing Member
Supporting Member