The Primary Landscape
08 January 2008 11:44 am by Taylor Marsh
Republicans heart Obama. There are a couple of ways to interpret it. Pick one. But the stories of Obama getting closer scrutiny on his record are greatly exaggerated so far. Right now, this race isn’t turning on issues. The emotional connection is real. It remains to be seen if going forward it will shift to policy. I have serious doubts.
Via Republican, Mary Katharine Ham over at Townhall:
A few reporters are chatting behind me:
Reporter A: “Is she scheduled to emote again at this event?”
Reporter B: “No, I think she’s scheduled to show more stoicism here.”
The above video was made by reader sarahfdavis. Thought it was fitting for today.
Oh, and the Big Dog is pissed.
“.. … It is wrong that Senator Obama got to go through 15 debates trumpeting his superior judgment and how he had been against the war in every year, enumerating the years, and never got asked one time–not once, ‘Well, how could you say that when you said in 2004 you didn’t know how you would have voted on the resolution? You said in 2004 there was no difference between you and George Bush on the war. And you took that speech you’re now running on off your Web site in 2004. And there’s no difference in your voting record and Hillary’s ever since.’” Mr. Clinton said at a town-hall style meeting Monday afternoon at Dartmouth College. “Give me a break. This whole thing is the biggest fairy tale I’ve ever seen. … ..”
No doubt he’s frustrated. But if the Clinton campaign had taken the primary election as everyone being on equal footing, going after Obama’s record from the start, she might not be in this position today. The “above the fray” campaign, aka running on her inevitability, meant that she wasn’t going to take her opponents on directly. The campaign, I’m tagging it as Mark Penn’s strategic decision, believed the polling and didn’t think Obama was a threat.
To be blunt about it, as I have before, I saw Obama early on and knew he was. Back at the beginning of ‘07 when I started going after Obama on specifics on things like health care, everyone thought I was crazy. Again, when you see a candidate that connects emotionally with voters, which is a great thing to watch and a powerful uniting feature between politician and supporter, but you disagree with him on policy and the way he presents himself politically, you better go after the record. That’s what I did. That Clinton’s campaign did not is the reason she’s in this situation today.
But again, I don’t think this primary race is over. That said, there are activists who believe Clinton and Edwards should get out after New Hampshire if Obama wins in a landslide. Clinton will not. I said after Iowa that Edwards may get out after South Carolina, but I would never tell Edwards to make that move. It’s clear he’s going all the way. A lot of people believe in him, which I completely understand, though he’s lost all his credibility with me, which gives me no pleasure to say. Edwards acting as a fluffer for Mr. Obama on Saturday night, with Mr. Edwards evidently believing Mr. Obama has a strong ideology (insert cackle here) along with his politics of change, which I do believe is very real though certainly isn’t based in ideology, is nothing but insulting to those of us who are very familiar with Mr. Obama’s record and his “let’s make a deal” ideological penchant. Let me also say that if some of Edwards supporters are going to push negative stories on Obama behind the scenes, it would be nice if Edwards did the same in public. I have no intention of being used as the conduit, while the candidate talks a completely different game in public.
Anyway, lots to talk about today.
Hope you can join me.
