Well, Ted Kennedy just gave one hell of a speech endorsing Obama, and if Obama does go on to win it all, I think you can trace a lot of the momentum back to what happened today. I had it playing in the background, and I had to stop grading and pay full attention.
Not to go all tweety on you, but you could really feel the importance of the occasion. Clinton needs to do something, have some sort of magic this week, or her comfortable control of the lead could begin to slip away. It felt that big, watching that event today.
Doubting Thomas
Great Headline, John!
Charlotte would approve…
Elvis Elvisberg
Well, Obama’s SC speech is one of the best I’ve seen. Gotta watch for this one, too.
What are your thoughts on Ted these days, John? He can’t have been your favorite guy for the past ten or fifteen years.
Gus
It’s easy to get caught up in the moment and see something like this as defining shortly after it happens. It might indeed be a big thing for Obama, but it might lead nowhere.
ThymeZone
You’re a fanboi now, John. Just admit it.
Pixie
Still…it’s hard to get excited about Obama considering he has to be physically dragged back to Washington for a vote on the FISA situation. I guess it must be irritating to have to take a break from giving flowery speeches on “change” to actually, like change something.
TheFountainHead
John just won uber brownie points for his E.B. White reference.
Question: If Kennedy is Obama’s Charlotte, who is Obama’s Templeton??
On the topic: Ted Kennedy knows how to give a speech, and his presence in this campaign can only help Obama, but by far the most important thing Kennedy brings with him is his personal little black book of names and numbers as well as the following sentence, “I have Senator Kennedy on the phone for you…”
ThymeZone
Will this be the year that BJ discovers the concept of vote counting in Congress?
How close is the vote? What’s the expected outcome? With few exceptions, outcomes are known well in advance, and considerable voting is theatrical.
The people have better things to do that spend all their time in airplanes and airports running back and forth to cast meaningless votes.
Can we have the expected vote count please, before we start the drumbeat of BJ crapola?
Daniel Munz
One thing I was struck by was how this didn’t just seem like Obama getting The Kennedy Endorsement — Teddy seems to genuinely like the guy. And Teddy, say what you will about the old fool, knows a thing or two about a thing or two.
OBAMA FANBOY DISCLAIMER
Hillary Clinton is a great woman, as is her husband. Attacking Obama doesn’t automatically make you a racist. Obama can’t transcend everything. It will be a tough election. There is no such thing as a “unity pony.”
Zifnab
*sniff* *sniff* Is that Aqua Velva on the air?
Haha, Ted Kennedy hasn’t been a Senator this long by accident. He was a damn good public speaker thirty years ago, and he’s a damn good public speaker today. Honestly, I read the headline and thought this was going to be about pork spending – something Ted is also good at – but, yeah, I’m not disappointed even if I am a bit surprised.
I just wish I could say “He knows how to pick’m”. After the Kerry-tastrophy last election-cycle, I wouldn’t call a Kennedy endorsement a coronation just yet.
El Cruzado
It should be noted that voting “no” on cloture is meaningless. The rules of the senate are that you need 60 “aye” to force closure of a debate, no matter how many senators are sitting there that day. That’s why many won’t bother to appear around if they are against cloture (i.e. pro-filibuster) since their vote won’t amount to much.
That said, I’m happy to see that public outcry, mostly through the netroots (has the MSM even mentioned all this crapola?) has forced the candidates to make a stand. It may not mean much rules-wise, but it will help raise awareness of the issue and with some luck will pressure other senators into killing this abortion of a law for good.
Lee
Hillary just got Janet Reno’s endorsement.
Does that count as magic?
/sarcasm off
Adam
Not to mention his support among Hispanic voters and union households. He also symbolically represents that Obama will be able to work with the DC establishment, which moots much of Hillary’s “experience” arguments. Kennedy has more influence and experience in Congress, and in DC, than Obama and Hillary put together. Now, the response to “Hillary knows the beltway,” is “Obama can have Ted Kennedy take care of that for him…”
Zifnab
And that does bother me. Would Clinton or Obama be rushing back to Washington if they thought this vote would actually pass? Were we not reaching the end of our rope, why bother? Spend the day campaigning in Florida and come back to Washington on the vote that people will remember. That this will be the “vote to remember” makes me think this is a vote we will lose. And so it will be that much more significant which Senator showed up to “voice disapproval” in time for another big Democrat loss. Neither needs a black mark on their records in the left wing, especially when the politics are getting dirty and distorted. But neither want to piss of their Telecomm donors by actually disrupting a path to amnesty.
So, in short, this looks more grim than if they hadn’t showed.
ThymeZone
Note to self, never hire this guy as your campaign advisor.
There is nothing more useless than “making a stand” in January of a presidential campaign year. Casting that meaningless vote would cost basically a day of campaigning, a week before Super Tuesday. Nobody in his right mind would do such a thing. Only a desperate candidate would even consider it. I’d call it a Giuliani-class move.
“While history wavered, I voted.” Rudyisms. Posturing.
TheFountainHead
Yes. This hasn’t been said enough. I see a lot of comments on a lot of blog sites crying about whether or not Obama or Hillary will “do something about it” or not, when in reality, all they have to do is nothing. I appreciate their intentions and the message they send by actually voting no, but it’s not material in the least.
DougJ
I readily admit to being a Ted Kennedy fanboy.
The Grand Panjandrum
Interesting how all these endorsements are timed. BJuice should have a pool to guess when Al Gore throws his support to a candidate. I say he endorses on Friday: Obama. Al Gore has no love for either Clinton.
Here is a brutal Hitchens evaluation of the Clintons playing both sides of the race card. It is also a smack down of liberals for supporting the Clintons in the 1990’s.
ThymeZone
Now that John is a fanboi, what’s the next step in his evolution?
I think it’s Fluffer. Isn’t that the progression?
Aloof, Indifferent, Interested, Impressed, Fanboi, Fluffer?
DougJ
Whenever Hitchens argues something, I’m very compelled to take the opposite side. Even with religion, where I mostly agree with him, I just find him so obnoxious, so strident, so eager to hit below the best become an apologist for religion by the time I’m done with his pieces.
In this case, I think the Jesse Jackson comments were out of line, but I’m sure if I read Hitch, I’ll think they were just fine.
Hypatia
Kennedy’s endorsement is definitely food for thought, and it may be significant that so many Senate bigwigs are going for Obama. I note the dismal failure of and bitterness arising from Kennedy’s own challenge to Carter seem to have largely been forgotten. (Kennedy gave a boffo speech on that occasion, too.)
Caroline Kennedy (she used to call herself Kennedy Schlossberg, or did they go phffft?) has asserted that Obama will be a president like her father, which one hopes does not mean that he will a) screw up relations with Congress so that virtually nothing meaningful gets accomplished; b) engage in ill-advised invasions of nearby Communist-controlled islands, thus setting off a chain of events that nearly starts World War III; c)continue on the path of a dumbfounding unwinnable war with no end in sight; and d)the other stuff.
He gave some great speeches, though.
ThymeZone
Report from the hustings:
I sit in a Safeway lunchroom seating area as I write, about a mile from the house that John McCain lived in until about a year ago.
At the table next to me, this exact conversation:
“I see that McCain is gaining some momentum.”
“Oh, that’s not good.”
libarbarian
Hooey. The very first thing transcended by Obama was the inability to transcend everything.
myiq2xu
Falling stars have momentum too, until the burn out.
Ninerdave
Anyone have some links? Work is getting in the way of my surfing time.
myiq2xu
I guess John really does want a pony.
El Cruzado
I’d also add that now that we’re past the single state primaries and going towards Super Tuesday, it’s more on the interest of primary candidates to do things that get heard nationally, since it’s going to be impossible to properly do retail campaigning in 20 states.
ThymeZone
Heh.
Jamey
Can God create a thing so big that neither He, nor Barack Obama cannot transcend it?
ThymeZone
Why does this site crash all the damned time?
ThymeZone
Well I hope he doesn’t get one. Because you know who will have to come along behind it and shovel up the horseshit?
You and me, amigo. Dibs on the wheelbarrow.
The Other Steve
I don’t know much about Ted. He apparently scares Republicans, as they’re always trying to demean him.
This, along with several of the other nominations, and the SC win, and the media attention may carry him into 2/5 with some momentum.
myiq2xu
Okay, you push and I’ll fling the horseshit at ya!
libarbarian
Apotheobamasis?
The Grand Panjandrum
Video of the Ted Kennedy endorsement of Obama. Its pretty good.
myiq2xu
What happened to the momentum he had coming out of Iowa? Remember how all those Obamaniacs were getting wet and drippy after hearing Obama’s victory speech?
Then a funny thing happened.
myiq2xu
Maybe the same guy who writes Big O’s speeches wrote it.
gypsy howell
I blame that blinky Verizon ad. I can’t get the page to load past that. Maybe my internet provider comcast has decided to go all HAL on me and not let me see any competitive ads.
For some reason, comcast had decided that most of the time I’m not allowed to go to Steve Benin’s site either. And today, crooks and liars is on their shitlist too apparently.
I guess they’re just conditioning me for the time when they’ve finally paid our congresscritters enough to squash net neutrality.
Jen
So, myiq, are you the mythical Enthusiastic Hillary Supporter, anti-Obama, or just stomping on the unity pony for kicks?
ThymeZone
Some straightlines are just so good, they should be put away in a box and saved for a rainy day.
John Cole
WTF have I said that even remotely sounds like Obama fanboi nonsense? All I am saying is what I think is clear- this was a big, big deal today.
Jake
Because unlike Erik the RedState, John isn’t going to grovel, whine and threaten us into clicking the PP button.
DougJ
How about: Can Obama create a political movement so large that He Himself cannot transcend it?
zmulls
I’m (still!) an Edwards supporter, and he’s still getting my vote in Pennsylvania in April.
And up till now Obama has been my third choice in the race.
But I can’t deny — if I step back and just look at the big picture — that Something Is Happening Out There. I’m getting a feeling of something inexorable. And I’m trying to wrap my head around the idea.
Edwards is still the best candidate, but Obama may just be riding on the waves of history right now.
I think it really did “snap” for Hillary Clinton last week. And I think it had everything to do with Bill Clinton being all over the tube. I’ve admired him in retrospect (even though I never voted for him). I admire his brilliance — just his ability to encapsulate and explain and lobby about any subject you throw at him. And his energy and drive are terrific.
But part of the grudging support for Hillary, for me, was that she was doing her own work. I argued (to myself and others) that she was running on her own — she’s earned the respect of her Senate colleagues by her hard work. And certainly she has a grasp of issues and details that puts many to shame.
But last week was just ugly. I was embarassed for her. and for Bill Clinton. It looked desparate and wrong. And it hit me that if she’s elected, Bill is going to bigfoot issues at all the wrong times. (I’m picturing him hanging outside of the situation room, angling with the guard to let him in for old times’ sake).
And Obama’s sweep of SC was a little breathtaking. Iowa wasn’t a fluke. The wave of endorsements is turning into a tsunami.
I’m trying to get used to the idea of Obama being the nominee — and the next President. I have to hope — really hope — that the office will make the man, as much as the man makes the office. And I have to hope he’ll be another Lincoln — a smart legal mind with a seemingly sparse resume, but with a backbone and a moral compass who will find a way to make the right choices. I may have no choice but to hope that…..
The next few weeks should be extremely interesting…
ThymeZone
Good catch, I am playing with the advanced options and shooting for faster load times.
dslak
Which is something an Obama fanboi would say. You’re such a fanboi that you can’t even see it, John. You could learn a thing or two from myiq2xu.
ThymeZone
Aha, faster. I opted out of animations and pix. Faster.
Doh! Shoulda thought of that sooner.
TheFountainHead
myiq2xu is starting to sound like this guy a bit…
ThymeZone
The obligatory denial phase ……
Next, anger, and then acceptance.
Dreggas
I don’t think Kennedy just gave Obama an Endorsement. He gave him the keys to camelot, promise of his sword and a big old war mace to beat on opponents with. He eviscerated every Clinton attack. I must say this is impressive.
Ghost of Lee Atwater
Hillary should try to counter by picking up an endorsement from MAD or the YMCA Swimming Instructions of America Union, or better yet both. Sure, sure I just made up that YMCA thing but trifles like that never stopped me before. And Hills is a woman after my own heart, no scruples in that one.
The Other Steve
Didn’t he come in second in New Hampshire, and basically win in Nevada?
myiq2xu
A heartbroken Gore fanboi wannabe
myiq2xu
It be raining hereabouts
Jen
My guess is, Gore will kick in his $.02 for the Pony before this thing is played out.
In other news, Romney may really be Bush 2.0…
myiq2xu
Second both times, and he was supposed to win both according to the talking empty-heads
dslak
It’s awfully early in the campaign for the Republicans to pull out the “OMG!! SOCIALISTS!!!!1111” spiel. They must be out of ideas.
LiberalTarian
According to the gurus No Script on Firefox isn’t all that great. But, I don’t have a stinkin’ blinky Verizon ad. I love No Script.
myiq2xu
Since when does a Ted Kennedy speech give anyone the 3rd degree thigh sweats?
Was it rubbing against your leg or were you touching it with you hands?
demimondian
I loves me some noscript, too. It’s evil and disreputable to not let people send me unwanted advertisements to ruin my browsing experience, I know…but…what can I say? This way, I don’t have to see any of the Google ads, either.
The Other Steve
OH NOES!
Jen
There are neither ideas nor comprehensible grammar in that response. I mean, heaven forbid the nation become DIVIDED, or the government play some role in running the nation. And there is just something very Bushian about that syntax, isn’t there?
TheFountainHead
myiq2xu needs a nap. Or a Gore endorsement. Or something.
dslak
Obama must pay for the talking heads and their talking headedness. Either rebuke the talking heads, or feel the sting of my cynicism!
Jen
Myiq and Dslak, drink the damn Magical Unity Kool-Aid already and ride the damn pony! It is teh awsum and it feels like dis…
Rex
Glad you started paying attention, John. It has felt that big for a while now.
libarbarian
Yeah, didn’t he get the memo that it’s supposed to be “OMG!!! LIBRUL FASHISTS!!!” now?
Wilfred
Does this count?
Hm, I’ll see your Caroline and raise you a Kerry Kennedy.
Get me a Kennedy. goddammit!!!
OxyCon
Sorta feels like the way John Kerry all of a sudden sucked all the wind out of Howard Dean’s sails and went on to be the Dem candidate, then went and got his ass handed to him by the shitiest President in American history.
This is why Dems always snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. They always fall for the “feel good” story instead of voting with their brains.
dslak
I’m just having a bit of fun. As things stand right now, I plan on voting for Obama (in the first online primary, for Democrats living abroad, no less). Rawk!
PGE
Not that her endorsement means anything to me, one way or the other, but Caroline Kennedy’s book on the Bill of Rights ought to be required reading to get out of high school.
dslak
Exactly. I remember how much Kerry inspired me in 2004. How about the rest of you? And the way he handled those Swift Boat attacks? The man’s confidence was contagious, and where did it get him?
OxyCon
BTW, Kennedy already endorsed John Kerry over Hillary Clinton in 2005.
————
Wednesday, 12. October 2005
Senator Kennedy Pre-Endorses Kerry For 2008
The AP and ABC News are reporting that Senator Ted Kennedy has offered his endorsement to John Kerry for 2008, even if Senator Hillary Clinton seeks the nomination. Kerry has yet to announce any intention to run again, but at this early stage it’s doubtful that he has ruled it out.
“If he runs, I would support him,” Kennedy told The Associated Press in an interview at his Boston office.
While Kennedy has frequently entertained the New York senator and her husband, former President Clinton, he said his loyalty is to Kerry. Early polling shows Clinton and Kerry among the favorites for their party’s nomination in 2008, but neither has said for sure whether they’ll run.
myiq2xu
Is that a racist slur?
dslak
Don’t sweat it, kid.
Dreggas
Wilfred,
What’s even funnier is the Clintons got this endorsement a while back and updated it with Townsend’s statement just to make it look “new”.
TheFountainHead
I dunno, wouldn’t I have to have some sense of your racial background to make it so?
myiq2xu
A-Ha! You admit your ignorance!
Dreggas
We’re trying to break that streak by nominating Obama this time.
Haltelcere
I heard that tears of a transcended Obama can cure cancer. And Restless Leg Syndrome.
Wilfred
They’re all class these Clintons.
I’m for Obama but am getting tired of the whole process. I say next Kennedy wins, fuck it.
Stephen
Tweety was seduced by the Light Side of the Force. You don’t know the *power* of the Light Side, John.
Strike away all of your skepticism and your journey towards the Light Side will be complete.
Original Lee
Yah, Townsend knows what it takes to win, all right. She’s just endorsing Clinton because she’s running another inevitability campaign. Townsend thought the Kennedy name and being lieutenant governor meant she wouldn’t have to lift a finger to be elected governor of Maryland, and she flamed out but good. At least Clinton is out there on the campaign trail.
BTW, did anybody see Clinton’s appearance on the Tyra Banks show a week ago Friday? The woman actually came off as human and funny.
TheFountainHead
I do so gladly.
Adam
John, you just got trolled on your own blog. And by a really bad troll, too.
Obama’s mind control is taking hold. Fight it, John! Fight it!!
Caidence (fmr. Chris)
Hitchens is ALWAYS trying to beat something down. He sees misery all around him, and tries to get people in his little hole with him
Yeah, but if you step back enough, you can learn to love him for it. He is such a dick, but when you see him in front of something like a book discussion, he actually engages them. He’s not there just entertaining them. He goes up firmly believing what he’s written, he bumbles around on stage trying to address everyone’s concerns, and at worst, he leaves saying “I guess I can’t change your minds”. Dickhead: yes. Panderer: hell no.
Now, when he’s on a panel like Bill Maher… yeah, I want to emboss my shoe treads into his face…
He’s still SO fucking wrong on the war.
Caidence (fmr. Chris)
Oh, now I understand.
myiq is allergic to Charisma. Wants Gore, can handle Hillary. Despises Obama. It makes perfect sense.
Zifnab
I demand that Barak win the Dem nomination so I can continue using the phrase “Obamarama” through the general election. Only then will I be appeased. After eight years of bullshit, I think I’ve earned this one token gesture.
myiq2xu
What will Obama do when the media turns against him? They have helped him tremendously in making the Clinton’s look bad, if by nothing else by making it look as if only one side was going negative.
Do you really think that will last?
Jen
Myiq, if Obama girl came out there and showed you her “O[bama] face” would that help???
myiq2xu
I always liked Sarah Michelle better but allergic? Naw.
It’s worth a try.
Sasha
Obama once KOed Chuck Norris just by wishing for it. Chuck Norris can no longer bear to look into Obama’s transcended gaze.
Andrew
I saw Mike Relm live and his video scratching was pretty neat.
myiq2xu
Here you go John, some more Magic Unity Pony shit from Truthdig:
The full effect of Barack Obama’s transcendent victory speech in South Carolina has yet to be felt, but his historically stirring and inspirational words have already generated praise from around the country and even across the political aisle. Whether this speech proves to be the turning point in this election, we don’t know. What we do know is that Obama has made Hillary Clinton’s contention that words don’t matter seem so very small and suspect.
Tanscendent, turning point, all the fanboi stuff.
LastOneStanding
Ok, So I have been a lurker here for a long time. But, I live in LA now, and I am from Charleston, SC, and I can tell you one thing I think that Hillary will take Cal. by a large margin. I think what people constantly forget is that Hillary is best on defense. I know giving examples of “My friend will vote for Hillary or Obama” is just pointless personal examples that most ignore but I just wanted to say my piece about what I think will happen on Feb 5th. Btw, full disclosure I am a Hillary supporter.
Broken
More like:
STOP THE OBAMA-NATION!!!
myiq2xu
More irrational discourse:
What will the Obamaniacs do when the Magic Unity Pony turns out to be a pig with lipstick?
LiberalTarian
Oh man. I’m gonna need some prozac.
myiq2xu
From C&L RE: “Billary”
Annoy the media – Vote for Hillary!
Svensker
Yeah, because John Kerry was especially well known for his charisma and ability to get teh crowds excited. All of us Kerry supporters there, packed in the room, with our Kerry signs, shouting “Well, we think we might be able to at some point!” in rhythm. It still gives me goosebumps just thinking about it.
Dreggas
What you gonna do when Obamania runs wild on you!
myiq2xu
Obama is currently a favorite of the media.
Think about that for a second.
These are the same people who hated Gore and loved G-Dub.
ThymeZone
If I were him, I’d hope that they fluffed McCain. That crusty old lying lunatic’s picture on tv 24 hours a day is all we need to secure a Dem victory.
Pb
Remember, folks–if you don’t stand for Hillary Clinton for President, you’re betraying women, just like Senator Ted Kennedy!
Krista
Is that a racial slur? You’re with the Clinton campaign, aren’t you?
D-Chance.
You mean, like “Bushilter”?
Yeah, throw a little mustard on the hot dog along with the relish, mate!
Bruce Moomaw
Well, “pig” is definitely a word that popos into my mind whenever I think about Teddy (although “spider” is pretty appropriate, too). Nevertheless, I agree with you that today’s event was Big Trouble for the Clintons, given the ecstatic rock-concert nature of the event, the co-appearance by Caroline (who doesn’t have any dirt in HER background), and the surprising ferocity and explicitness of Ted’s attacks on the Clintons. Somehow or other, they’ve managed to piss him off REAL bad.
myiq2xu
I thought that after all these years of CDS that the media and the reich-wing had nothing new to throw at the Clintons.
I was wrong. Now the Clinton’s are racists.
Up is down, war is peace.
Jen
Ah, yes, the Vagina Litmus Test, which would no doubt be vigorously applied by NOW in the event of a Condi run…
And they wonder why younger women don’t want to be called feminists any more…
D-Chance.
Great. Another NYT ad. Kennedy in speedos in a full-page color spread. Senator “Layus, then Betrayus”.
Wilfred
We’ll see about that. Hitchens will be on Al-Jazeera English TV tonight at 10:00 EST, opposite As’ad Abu Khalil, whose blog I pimp here regularly, to discuss the State of the Union speech. Very creative programming.
Krista
Ridiculous. The author of that piece is betraying women by recommending Hillary solely because of her gender. Isn’t the entire point of feminism for us to be judged on our merits, not by what’s between our legs? Voting for Hillary just ’cause she’s a woman is just as damaging as voting against her just ’cause she’s a woman. And frankly, if I were eligible to vote in your country, I’d be starting to get seriously pissed off at these people implying that any choice but Hillary is a betrayal to my gender.
Bruce Moomaw
You have, I presume, all heard about McCain’s latest stunt. I swear on the ghost of George Washington’s cherry tree that I am not making this up:
“John McCain says in almost every stump speech that he knows how to capture Osama bin Laden and that he’d follow the al Qaeda leader to the ‘Gates of Hell.’ So [Wall St. Journal’s] ‘Washington Wire’ was wondering, what does McCain know that President Bush and the Pentagon don’t about how to sweep up America’s most elusive enemy.
” ‘One thing I will not do is telegraph my punches. Osama bin Laden will be the last to know,’ he said today while riding on the back of his bus between Florida events. In other words: he’s not telling. Why not share his strategy with the current occupant of the White House? ‘Because I have my own ideas and it would require implementation of certain policies and procedures that only as the president of the United States can be taken.’ ”
Opposition to torture or no opposition to torture, three weeks of this oaf in the White House and we would all be nostalgic for the calm, reasoned leadership of the Bush-Cheney team.
myiq2xu
Does that mean I hafta vote for a white guy?
myiq2xu
Remember Nixon’s “secret plan” to win the war in Vietnam?
Yeah, all we need is more secrecy.
Krista
Dude.
I. Was. Kidding.
Jeez….
myiq2xu
You. Were.
Others. Aren’t.
Jeebus . . .
Krista
To me it seems to be a lot of noise about nothing. You have probably two Hillary supporters foisting the meme that any criticism of Hillary means that you’re a sexist, misogynist, woman-betraying fuckwad. And then you have probably two Obama supporters foisting the meme that any criticism of Obama means that you’re a racist, cross-burning, wanna-be KKK member.
And, because conflict sells, that’s what people are picking up on. Which makes it part of the dialogue, which means that more people talk about it and respond to it. Which brings us to where we are now. Kind of silly, really. Women have been heads of state all over the world. As have non-white males. I guess I just don’t understand the hoopla.
Conservatively Liberal
Obama Presidency = ObamaNation
Clinton Presidency = Abomination
Say no more. ;)
Ted may be despised by the right, but he is loved twice as much by the left. This is a huge deal for Obama. Ted made it look like he was introducing the next generations JFK/RFK torch bearer. I watched it and I have to say that I rarely see something this politically powerful. Ted delivered some serious smackdowns to what the Clinton camp has been saying, and he even stole Hillary’s line about ‘Ready for the presidency on day one’ (or whatever the exact line is). That isn’t just a shot across the bow of the SS Clinton, this shot hit the bridge dead center.
Obama has a huge uphill battle coming up on the 5th, and I still don’t see him pulling it off but I really hope he will. Ted put a tiger (ok a lion) in Obama’s tank today, and Caroline’s endorsement is the icing on the cake. She has remained pretty much out of direct politics and this endorsement is very unusual for her.
We will see how it pans out on the 5th though. Ted is strong with the Latino community, and he carries considerable weight with them. It will be interesting to see how this all goes down.
Chuck Butcher
While I may not believe the huge progressivism of Obama, the leap from Edwards to Clinton leaves me entirely boggled. Obama can give a speach and Teddy has never been a slouch in that regard. Me and Teddy don’t see eye to eye on the 2nd but I can understand and he’s wrong on illegal immigration, but I understand the impulse; all that said, Teddy’s pretty liberal for a long term Senator.
John sees this as important, it is surely important to Obama’s campaign. Teddy may not trump Bill in the general public’s mind, but this and Carolyn is a large development for Obama. This ups Obama’s chances on 2/5 considerably.
How much is up to Obama. I said when Hillary started making moves that people would like her less with exposure. We’ll see, I guess.
cain
You racist fuck. We know you mean go to your white side…
cain
Conservatively Liberal
John, walk towards the light. ;)
OxyCon
I’m just wondering how Ted Kennedy’s endorsment of Obama is going to win Obama any votes from all of those Repubs that Obama wants to play nice with. Ted Kennedy is the single most hated man in all of Repub Land.
The Other Steve
This comment confused me, as Howard Dean was the feel good story. We all supposedly went with John Kerry because he was the smart choice… i.e. electable.
In this race, that’s what Hillary is. The electable one. Which is similar to Dukakis and Mondale and so on.
Every time we pick the electable Dem we fucking lose.
So I’m with OxyCon, we’re trying to break this pattern by nominating Obama.
The Other Steve
You don’t need Republicans to vote for you. You just need them to stay home on election day.
The Republicans are demoralized this season, I say we throw them an anchor instead of a lifeline.
myiq2xu
I sense a trainwreck a-comin’
curtadams
I haven’t seen Kennedy’s speech, but I doubt this is that big a deal. Endorsements, even by deeply respected party icons like Kennedy, just don’t swing that many votes. Even if Kennedy gave the awesomest speech, will even 100,000 people see it? And of those who see it, how many will be Feb 5th voters not already planning to vote for the big O?
Last week I agreed with Chris Bowers that Hillary had about a 90% chance of winning the nomination. I was surprised how depressed I was about that after 2 years of saying Hillary’s a good candidate, albeit not as good as several others including Edwards and Obama. Given Hillary’s lead in CA, and her likely delegate lead after Feb 5th, I’m still pretty depressed although Saturday sure did chipper me up for a while.
myiq2xu
If Teddy could swing that many votes with his endorsement he’d be running himself.
How many drunken old Irish poonhounds are in this country anyway?
Jen
Myiq, will you watch the man’s SC speech? You will be begging for the unity pony.
Goosebumps. Seriously.
myiq2xu
Nope, and I ain’t drinking the kool-aid neither.
Psycheout
In Shrillary’s case, cobwebs?
myiq2xu
I’m sure he can sweet-talk the panties off of a nun, but so what?
I haven’t seen anything besides his oratory that justifies the entire electorate acting like a bunch of pre-teen girls at a concert by the latest boy-band.
What happens to this country if he turns out to be all hat, no cattle?
ThymeZone
As mentioned upthread, endorsements like this are really about connections and fundraising.
myiq2xu
MEE-ow!
Actually, that area is known as the “Dog Pound.”
Brachiator
Can you say “Beatles.” Or even 1940s “Frankie Sinatra.” As one bluesman once said, “the boys don’t know, but the little girls understand.”
Compared to what? Hillary’s hyperbolic claim that 35 years of
apprenticeshipbackseat driving is the equivalent of real experience?Compared to what? All of the GOP candidates jockeying for who can most bring about perpetual war? Note how even some Republicans react positively to the challenge to look beyond the tired, increasingly irrelevant polarization of the country into red and blue states, while Romney still tries to insist that smearing McCain as a (gasp!) “liberal” is going to fire up the Republican base.
[Note here no particular knock against Edwards here, except to note that he just is not catching fire.]
Compared to what? Dubya, Rumsfeld, Condi, and Cheney?
Teddy Kennedy’s endorsement of Obama may be a signal that the Democratic Party insiders are becoming disenchanted with the strong-arm tactics of Team Clinton. If elder statesman Al Gore weighs in, you might see some serious back-room dealing no matter what the delegate count. I am not saying that a Hillary Clinton juggernaut would be derailed, but there might be some very interesting compromises made.
And although I greatly liked Bill Clinton, I think that some Democratic Party bigwigs are seriously reconsidering the idea that it would really be a good thing that a former president might end up being an unelected advisor-in-chief. Especially when a sitting president Hillary Clinton might be unwilling to fire him or distance him from her administration no matter what he did.
Johnny Pez
Forget about Teddy, it’s Patrick’s endorsement that’s going to propel Obama to the White House. He’s my Representative, and he can (and will) crush all those who oppose him. Mark my words.
Jim
I’d say Obama has a fairly good shot to do well on the 5th. Keep in mind that under the goofy ways things are scored, the media gets to decide who wins, and generally it is perception over reality. In 1984 after Gary Hart won those early primaries he really had a pretty good Super Tuesday (such as it was back then), but Mondale exceeded expectations by not getting blown out and all of a sudden the press said he was back in the game. If Obama wins Colorado, Illinois, Alabama, Georgia, and Arizona, either wins California or gets close (he isn’t all that far behind in the polls there), and does relatively well in most of the other states, he will be perceived by a fawning press as the winner, which would likely boost him in the states yet to come. At worst, the two are closely matched in delegates, which gives Edwards the ability to act as mini-king (or queen)maker.
Neil H
This endorsement actually made the televison news in Australia, and we usually only get highlights from the US campaign, such as who won which state. Apparently the local programmers viewed this announcement as comparable to that in importance.
Napoleon
curtadams said:
Ordinarily I would agree with this, but maybe not in this case. After watching the speach a couple of times and concluding it is a great pitbull attack kind of a speach you would expect from your vice-presidential candidate, and seeing the press reaction, if he goes on the road with Oboma (as he said he would) from now until 2/5 I think it could be a huge help. He likely gets more press coverage in local markets with Teddy, and if its anything like yesterday’s favorable coverage, and Teddy will wack the Clintons around like Oboma really can’t. And the best part is the Clinton’s will have a tough time hitting back against Teddy.
On top of this I can see Teddy helping with older voters. Obama clearly has made less inroads with older white Democratic voters, which is exactly where Teddy could help.
So the endorcement, but more importantly the traveling road show to follow and a repeat of what was a pretty good hard hitting speach from Teddy along the lines of yesterdays, I think will make a real impact on the race.
Bupalos
>>>>Teddy will wack the Clintons around like Oboma really can’t. And the best part is the Clinton’s will have a tough time hitting back against Teddy.>>>
I would remind everyone that the one really positive performance Clinton had in this primary is pretty readily attributable to being hit too hard. Her tough, victorious streetfighter persona apparently turns women off, but when she’s getting beat around by raging old Irish drunks like Tweety and Kennedy, teh women swoon.
Apologies to the feminists, of which I count myself one. Apologies to the Kennedy supporters, of which I count myself one. Seems true though.