Obama '08?

Ted Kennedy has the largest machine in the Democratic Party. When I used to work in the Senate, I marveled at the Kennedy franchise -- at the number of people who had started with Kennedy, who then went on to different positions in government and the private sector, and then came back for his annual "friends only" Holiday Party at which he and his wife always showed up in some extremely cool but outrageous attire (I was there for Beauty and the Kennedy Beast). There were thousands upon thousands at this close friends' party.

The Clintons have a franchise of course. So does Joe Biden and Daschle and John Breaux. But the Kennedy empire is enormous -- and when Tom DeLay tried to stop the hiring of Democrats by K Street, it was Ted Kennedy's machine and his acolytes that he was really trying to hurt.

So this endorsement by Kennedy does have magnitude -- and bolsters Obama's position. The Clinton machine remains formidable and nationally deployed -- and may still have an edge. But there is no doubt that Kennedy's endorsement is not about Massachusetts nor about an aging white liberal -- it is about the thousands and thousands of followers who owe their careers to Ted Kennedy.

This is also about machine politics -- and Kennedy wants his machine to continue to thrive and to have major impact on the course of American policy and politics (and also wants his people to get jobs).

The Clinton franchise could never really be true to the Kennedy machine -- Bill and Hillary have their own many thousands of followers beholden to them.

Obama is fresh enough and new enough that he doesn't have such a machine; now Kennedy has gifted Obama an enormous vehicle which Kennedy hopes Obama will take as his own and keep intact.

Bi-Polar Bear wrote:

Cycloptichorn wrote:

Bi-Polar Bear wrote:

sozobe wrote:

Yes, if he'd just stayed in his place instead of having the impertinence to challenge Hillary, she wouldn't have had to go negative! You're so right, it's all his fault... how could I have missed it?




Ahem.



There's stuff here I want to respond to more seriously, but later, when I have some time.

yes apparently someone forgot to tell Obama that being a vessel for civility means being civil even if others are perceived as being uncivil to you

Obama has remained civil.

Putting a laughing face at the end of every post tends to remove the effect after a while - though I'd love to see you keep doing it.

Cycloptichorn

the laughing emoticons are to show how absolutely hilarious it is that you folks swallow all of this guys passive agreesive holier than thou bullshit....

I'm afraid I don't know what you mean.

Cycloptichorn

Can we set aside our differences long enough to celebrate the last state of the union byt that prick currently talking on tv?

Clinton and Obama's Senate voting records offer clues as to whether they will keep their campaign pledges

Elana Schor
Tuesday January 22, 2008

The scene that greeted the candidate backstage could have been a Kennedy family reunion. Ted's branch of the clan had gotten there first. The senator was there with his congressman son Patrick, Ted's wife Vicki, and Vicki's son Curran. Then Caroline arrived with her three teenagers. Teddy's sisters, Eunice Shriver and Jean Kennedy Smith, showed up too, along with an assortment of their children and grandchildren. Through the blue curtains, the crowd was thundering: "Yes. We. Can."

For a moment, Obama looked overwhelmed when he saw all of the Kennedys waiting for him. Then he gathered Caroline in a big hug. "Thank you so much," he whispered. "I'm so excited."

As they prepared to go onstage to declare their support for Obama, Caroline and Ted Kennedy discussed their decisions to support him in exclusive interviews with TIME.

So before the democratic FL election tomorrow I just wanted to find out if the vote counts for anything?

If Obama loses, does it really matter since the delegates don't count?
If he wins, does it really matter since the delegates don't count?

So before the democratic FL election tomorrow I just wanted to find out if the vote counts for anything?

If Obama loses, does it really matter since the delegates don't count?
If he wins, does it really matter since the delegates don't count?

Lola wrote:

and although the law was passed by the Republlicans (to move the primary up before Feb 5)

I did not know that Republicans were responsible for passing this law.....I don't know what to say.

The Florida legislature voted via House Bill 537 to move forward the date of their state's primary to January 29th, causing a chain reaction which moved many other states' primaries and caucuses to much earlier dates. The vote passed with bipartisan support 118 to 0 in the House, 37 to 2 in the Senate. In response, the Democratic National Committee has ruled that Florida's delegates will not be seated, or, if seated, will not be able to vote, at the National Convention. Furthermore, the DNC has also stated that it will forbid any candidate from receiving delegates should they campaign in the Florida primary.[24] The DNC Rules Committee met on August 25, 2007 and ruled that Florida would have 30 days to move its primary date at least 7 days later than the current date of January 29, or else lose all of its delegates in the Democratic primary.

The problem springs from the Florida Legislature's decision in the spring to hold the state's presidential primary on Jan. 29. They hoped the early date would make Florida more influential in choosing the nominees.

However, the date violates rules set by both parties, which want to prevent states from moving their primary dates earlier and earlier. Both set Feb. 5 as the earliest for most states.

Of course, party rules can't control Florida's primary date, but they can control seating of delegates at the national conventions. The delegates carry out the will of primary voters by casting convention ballots for the winners.

Both the Florida Republican and Democratic parties are in conflict with their national parties over their convention delegations.

The GOP delegation could be cut in half, diluting the power of Florida Republicans' primary votes.

Under the Democratic Party's tougher rules, the minimum penalty would be the loss of more than half its delegation - at least 117 of its 210 members - plus a boycott intended to prevent candidates from campaigning in Florida before the primary. A candidate who broke the boycott would lose any Florida delegates.

Roosevelt said the rules panel is prepared to enforce at least these penalties if Florida Democrats don't alter their plans.


...

The committee is expected to find Florida out of compliance with party rules, and to give the state 30 days to find a way to comply.

The national party has suggested Florida Democrats could comply by holding a caucus on Feb. 5 or later to choose their convention delegates. In that case, the Jan. 29 primary would be a meaningless "beauty contest," choosing no delegates.

State party Chairwoman Karen Thurman ruled out that idea Wednesday.

The result, she said, would be that votes in the primary wouldn't count - unacceptable in a state where memories of the 2000 presidential election and allegations of uncounted votes are still raw.

"We are not going to do anything that's going to disenfranchise Florida Democratic voters," Thurman said. "That is our biggest commitment and the place that we just can't move from."

...

There's one possible escape hatch: a clause in the rules that says the committee could be lenient if the state party takes "provable, positive steps" to resolve the situation, even if those steps aren't successful.

The state party has done that, it contends, asking GOP Gov. Charlie Crist and the Republicans who dominate the Legislature to reconsider the Jan. 29 date. Bubriski acknowledges they are highly unlikely to comply with any additional request.

Democratic leaders in the Legislature did what we could do move the primary to a later date, including proposing amendments in both houses, one of which I personally sponsored. But, in the end, the Republican majorities defeated both amendments, and added a provision to the final bill to require vital paper trails for Florida elections by 2008. Although as a DNC member, I had reservations about voting for a bill that violated DNC Rules, no Florida Democrat - especially a member of the Black Caucus like me - could be expected to vote against a guaranteed paper trail.

Spousal support may mean many things to different people - but in Florida politics, it has nothing to do with alimony.

It's the latest terminology to come out of the debacle in Florida's attempt to defy the Democratic National Committee and hold a Jan. 29 primary, much earlier than the DNC and its Iowa-New Hampshire-South Carolina-Nevada allies want.

Spouses of the Democratic candidates - with their better-halves signatories to a DNC-induced pledge not to campaign in the Sunshine State - are now the latest weapons in running a "shadow campaign."

Most of the candidates agree the DNC mandate that the state holds the primary after Feb. 5 is ridiculous. Insofar as fund-raising is involved no campaign rallies or headquarters are to be visible.

And almost every Florida elected official calls the DNC action - a threat not to seat the state's delegates - ludicrous.

Volunteers are now running their own campaigns out of their homes, and fund-raising via the Internet is full speed ahead from out-of-state locations.

And, now, the latest surrogates to come to Florida are the spouses. From what we can learn, there is no objection to an Aspiring First Lady or First Gentleman to attend events, book signings, receptions, pass out bumper stickers and yard signs, to be interviewed by the Sunshine State media or to making news himself or herself.

Aspiring First Gentleman/ former President Bill Clinton has been especially visible in interviews and at receptions. He even made state-wide front pages in the media when he announced that Florida was getting a new solar power plant. The announcement was made by Clinton - with Republican Gov, Charlie Crist and Florida Power & Light 's chief executive Lew Hay at his side -- at the beginning of the Clinton Global Initiative Conference in New York Thursday, but its focus was clearly toward the Florida media who scooped up the announcement on its "clean energy program" with major stories and editorials. No presidential politics was mentioned, but the visibility for the Clinton name was as total as the promise to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

It was also confirmed that President Clinton was invited - along with several First Lady Wannabees - to appear at the state party convention next month in Orlando. Although party leaders are still mum on the invitation list, everyone suspects that it would be tough not to invite Michelle Obama or Elizabeth Edwards - both of whom have had huge turnouts here - and if that happens, you can expect invitations for the wives of Gov, Bill, Richardson (Barbara), Sen. Chris Dodd (Jackie), Sen. Joe Biden (Jill), Rep, Dennis Kucinich (Elizabth) and ex-Sen. Mike Gravel (Whitney). The state convention looks like it might be a free-for-all for the First Wives' Club (plus the star power of President Clinton).

Clinton got a turnout of 1,000 people for a recent book signing in Coral Gables, just one of many stops in Florida, and then reportedly went to a fundraiser for his wife.

In the meantime, the other spouses are making regular stops in Florida, as well. John Edwards' wife may or may not be asking for money for her husband's campaign but she is making big points and raising big cash for breast cancer research in a multi-city swing through Florida. Her next stop is Oct. 4 in St. Petersburg. She had huge turnouts in vote-rich Broward (Fort Lauderdale) county and Jacksonville.

Cancer research director Robert Sherman has been quoted as saying that most of the comments on Elizabeth Edwards appearances are "that they admire her for carrying on in spite of illness." He stressed that everyone knows someone with breast cancer "and can relate to her. "

Mrs. Obama (also an attorney, like Mrs. Edwards) did a recent campaign swing covering Miami, Palm Beach, and Jacksonville and got good receptions.

The DNC may yet change its mind about having Democratic candidates campaign in person. After all, how can the party ignore one of the largest states - a state which needs to vote Blue?

Much more is ahead in the enduring saga of Florida's primary calendar and its offshoot. A future president may yet be allowed to campaign in one of the major population sites, rich with its campaign money and voting machine controversies.

In the meantime, leave it to the un-named volunteers to run a shadow campaign with spousal support.

Tonight I had a call from the DNC. The nice, patient man on the line wanted me to continue my membership at the level I did last year which was a monthly amount. He said our conversation was being recorded.

I said I was glad our conversation was being recorded because I hope the DNC hears what I have to say. I said that I wasn't going to give any money this year to the DNC. Because, for now, I don't want any of my money going to any candidate other than Hillary. He tried to explain how in Florida, "everybody had agreed" and although the law was passed by the Republlicans (to move the primary up before Feb 5) the DNC felt that if they made an exception for Florida, the other states would try to move their primary up too. I asked why Iowa, NH and Nevada, South Carolina have early primarys. And he said because the DNC had decided that those states represented the country as a whole.

I said that they don't represent the country as a whole because they don't represent me or my neighbors because we're in Oregon. Why should our voice be so weak in comparison to those of Iowans? I told him that I didn't think the "party elite" or Gov Dean had the moral right to decide that Bill Clinton had "stepped over the line" or that he was "race bating."

I told him that I appreciated his hard work, but I wanted to make my little voice heard as loudly as I could. I'm only one person but that I was sending the money I would have given to the DNC to Hillary that very night.

When I hung up the phone I went to my computer and donated that money to Hillary. I also signed up to help with her campaign. Wouldn't it be nice if everyone who felt like me would do the same?

Bi-Polar Bear wrote:

Can we set aside our differences long enough to celebrate the last state of the union byt that prick currently talking on tv?

Well, I for one am enjoying it.

But Bear, you forget .. Bush is going to issue a Presidential directive and assume another term. I think debralaw told me that.