The Obama Spin Out Of Tonight

by Todd Beeton, Tue May 06, 2008 at 04:20:39 PM EDT

I have to say Senator Claire McCaskill is turning into my favorite Obama surrogate. It was a really smart decision for them to start putting her out there instead of losers like Tom Daschle and Ed Schultz. On MSNBC a few minutes ago, she just, as always, succinctly and charmingly communicated the Obama message out of tonight:

For Senator Obama to have had the three weeks he's had, and what he's had to fight back from, for him to put the most delegates on the board tonight, which it appears we may do, is remarkable. It shows that he is ready for the general election, it shows that he can be straightforward and honest with the American people and they relate to that as opposed to any of the election pandering or gimmicks that were going on on the other side. So I think this is shaping up to be a pretty good night for us tonight.

Considering the size of Obama's likely NC victory, it's starting to look like this will be the gist of the message that wins the night.

Tags: 2008 Presidential election, Barack Obama, Claire McCaskill, Democratic nomination (all tags)

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Re: The Obama Spin Out Of Tonight

well, if these numbers stick in N.C. (anything over 20%), i'll be incredibly surprised. Didn't seem possible. One thing is certain though. if Obama is doing the closing (on the polls), he'll certainly lose a larger percentage of last minute voters. If Clinton is the one closing, she'll certainly lose a larger percentage of last minute voters.

by alex100 2008-05-06 04:23PM | 0 recs

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Slightly off-topic...

Claire McCaskill for V-P! (if not HRC)

I can't think of any Democrat who comes across better on TV than Senator McCaskill....

by TrueBlueCT 2008-05-06 05:02PM | 0 recs

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Re: The Obama Spin Out Of Tonight

Are you following the Axelrod press conference?

I didn't think I'd find a campaign director that I liked less than Penn or Rove. Axelrod takes the cake - I've counted about half-dozen outright lies so far, and more petty insults than I can count.

by bobbank 2008-05-06 04:24PM | 0 recs

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I'm an Obama guy, but I agree...

The only thing I like about Axelrod is his ability to win...

by TrueBlueCT 2008-05-06 05:52PM | 0 recs

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Re: The Obama Spin Out Of Tonight

They can spin it like they want, but Hillary won the state that he was suppose to win, and even predicted on his spread sheet. He is losing in a landslide there, especially among the white voters.

by steve468 2008-05-06 04:24PM | 0 recs

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Re: The Obama Spin Out Of Tonight

The polling doesn't support your assertion so it looks like you're the spinner.

by RLMcCauley 2008-05-06 04:25PM | 0 recs

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Re: The Obama Spin Out Of Tonight

I believe concerning the white vote, Obama cannot break forty. We can' t win the GE with those numbers. Oh, that's right! Whites aren't a desirable demo, are they, now that Brazille has thrown half the party under the bus.

by bird52 2008-05-06 04:30PM | 0 recs

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Re: The Obama Spin Out Of Tonight

Right, and here's where I say "see how you do with 8% of the black vote". Yawn.

Primary results aren't the same thing as general election results - if they were, both candidates would be screwed.

by Mostly 2008-05-06 04:33PM | 0 recs

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Re: The Obama Spin Out Of Tonight

Finally the reality check we have all been waiting for. If Obama takes flak for not carrying rural low-income whites (not a reliable Democratic demographic) then Clinton has to take that same flak for not carrying blacks (a huge Democrat demographic).

by belicheat 2008-05-06 05:02PM | 0 recs

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Re: The Obama Spin Out Of Tonight

HRC got less than 7% of the African American vote in North Carolina. In December, I wouldn't have believe that was even possible.

How can she win with that? Further, how can our down ticket candidates win if AAs stay home / don't vote democratic in the fall?

by mijita 2008-05-06 04:49PM | 0 recs

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Re: The Obama Spin Out Of Tonight

Actually he can win the GE with 40% of the white vote.

by RLMcCauley 2008-05-06 04:50PM | 0 recs

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Re: The Obama Spin Out Of Tonight

Lanslide?

Yeah, a 6% "landslide". And with Lake County yet to report a single vote.

Oh, what a "landslide" ...

by Collideascope 2008-05-06 05:15PM | 0 recs

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Re: The Obama Spin Out Of Tonight

Other than a months old internal prediction from the Obama campaign, who said Obama was going to win IN? Cinton's been favored heavily for a long time.

by Mandoliniment 2008-05-06 06:16PM | 0 recs

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Is Ed Schultz officially part of the

campaign or is he just asked to appear by networks? How does that work?

by RLMcCauley 2008-05-06 04:24PM | 0 recs

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Re: Is Ed Schultz officially part of the

He's a freelancer.

It's the reason I'm in this thread: calling Ed Schulz an Obama surrogate is like calling Pat Buchanan a Clinton surrogate.

by Mostly 2008-05-06 04:34PM | 0 recs

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Re: Is Ed Schultz officially part of the

Heh. That would just be mean. Even if Pat hearts Hillary right now.

by RLMcCauley 2008-05-06 04:49PM | 0 recs

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Re: The Obama Spin Out Of Tonight

It's true. Obama will win more delegates and popular votes today, even if Clinton gets the same percentage win in Indiana, due to North Carolina being bigger.

Just 218 pledged delegates left after tonight (and 270 superdelegates, 54 of those being add-ons yet to be selected).

by Skaje 2008-05-06 04:24PM | 0 recs

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Wow

Axelrod actually just said that Clinton only won Indiana because of Rush Limbaugh.

Unbelievable.

by bobbank 2008-05-06 04:25PM | 0 recs

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Re: Wow

And the media will regurgitate Axelrod's heavy spin without question or remorse, just as they have the entire campaign.

The fix was in on this one since the convention speech before Obama was even in the Senate. He's been groomed for quite awhile. Axelrod's first "hope" template was the Deval Patrick campaign, a dry run for what we'll be stuck with now.

by Jim J 2008-05-06 04:28PM | 0 recs

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Re: Wow

Actually, I believe John Edwards in 2004 was Axelrods first "Hope" candidate.

by Mostly 2008-05-06 04:35PM | 0 recs

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Re: Wow

I don't have a link, but one exit poll I read earlier in the night indicated that 19% of primary voters plan to vote for McCain in the general. Of these, 87% indicated that they voted for Clinton. If this is true, and the numbers tighten somewhat, then Axelrod might just be right.

by Clancy 2008-05-06 04:34PM | 0 recs

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Re: Wow

Why is it unbelievable? The number of Clinton voters who in exit polls say they will not support the nominee is alarmingly high. It was 5 percent of her number in Mississippi - that's already an incredibly high number.

I would expect it to go up. What would you do if you were politically motivated, unscrupulous, and Republican? You'd vote for Hillary - no matter which candidate you ultimately want to face, a vote for Clinton at least extends the primary.

by Mostly 2008-05-06 04:39PM | 0 recs

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Re: Wow

Oops - that should read "will not support the nominee no matter who it is."

by Mostly 2008-05-06 04:40PM | 0 recs

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Re: The Obama Spin Out Of Tonight

I'm looking at the NC State Elections board and only 2 counties have been counted.

Scotland County (where my family is from and still live- rural) has not reported yet. Before the Obama camp starts jumping all over the racially split race he just won, they should wait to see all the number.

And has the mail in ballots been counted yet?

by stefystef 2008-05-06 04:25PM | 0 recs

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The Hard Mathematic Fact

If Obama gets even a small net gain in both pledged delegates and popular vote from today's primaries, it will be a huge loss for Hillary's campaign.

by toyomama 2008-05-06 04:26PM | 0 recs

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Re: The Hard Mathematic Fact

I think Hillary will do very well in IN to negate anything from NC. Hillary is showing that Obama can't win blue states or the Blue Dog Democrats. Obama's support from white voters is decreasing dramatically.

And this is a problem. You can't win the General on just black voters and a handful of students.

by stefystef 2008-05-06 04:29PM | 0 recs

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Re: The Hard Mathematic Fact

Count the net delegates at the end of the day.
If Obama nets more pledged delegates from the two primaries, it's a huge win, period.

by toyomama 2008-05-06 04:33PM | 0 recs

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Re: The Hard Mathematic Fact

Obama can't win blue states?

Gosh, I didn't know that that Illinois, Vermont, Wisconsin, Iowa, Washington, Minnesota, Maryland, DC, Delaware, Connecticut, Maine and Hawaii had turned into Republican strongholds all of a sudden.

by Last Frontier Democrat 2008-05-06 04:36PM | 0 recs

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Re: The Hard Mathematic Fact

Obama's support among white voters is not, in fact, decreasing. It's been rising since Ohio.

by Mostly 2008-05-06 04:41PM | 0 recs

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Re: The Hard Mathematic Fact

Shhh... just nod and smile.

by Mandoliniment 2008-05-06 06:19PM | 0 recs

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Re: The Obama Spin Out Of Tonight

http://results.enr.clarityelections.com/ NC/1875/3225/en/summary.html

North Carolina state election board website.

by stefystef 2008-05-06 04:26PM | 0 recs

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Re: The Obama Spin Out Of Tonight

It's just that, spin, supported by a totally compliant media that makes no attempt to hide its open support of Obama.

Our entire democracy has essentially turned into American Idol -- first railroaded into Bush by the media, and now Obama. In each case it's simply a matter of personality. America has become a weak country with no convictions to speak of.

by Jim J 2008-05-06 04:27PM | 0 recs

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Re: The Obama Spin Out Of Tonight

"It's just that, spin, supported by a totally compliant media that makes no attempt to hide its open support of Obama."

That's right. They're so supportive. I mean they didn't say anything about that Rev. Wright guy or about those "bitter, clingy" rural voters. Yeah, they're totally in the tank for him.

Give me a break.

by chewie5656 2008-05-06 05:07PM | 0 recs

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no spin here

14 days to victory.

by mboehm 2008-05-06 04:28PM | 0 recs

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Next Axelrod outrage

Axelrod says that Obama went into North Carolina at a substantial disadvantage, due to the Governor's endorsement.

by bobbank 2008-05-06 04:30PM | 0 recs

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With the racial split that Obama turns up...

the Dems will lose in November.

I'm sorry to have to say it and I know you will all attack me as a racist....but somebody has to address this issue.

Obama cannot win with these demographics.

by CoyoteCreek 2008-05-06 04:31PM | 0 recs

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Re: With the racial split that Obama turns up...

Look at Jerome's map on the front page. According to it, Obama is beating McCain.

by Blue Neponset 2008-05-06 04:54PM | 0 recs

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Sorry, it won't happen.

by CoyoteCreek 2008-05-06 04:58PM | 0 recs

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Right

Why let data or common sense prevent a good line of attack?

Obama will carry white Democrats by a very healthy margin in November, and if (somehow) Clinton is the nominee, she will carry African-Americans by at least the 88 percent that Kerry carried them at. Some might not be as enthusiastic, but there will not be an enormous divide in the Democratic Party come November.

The "racial split," as you call it, is a primary season thing only.

by Fitzy 2008-05-06 05:11PM | 0 recs

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Re: Sorry, it won't happen.

Just saying "Obama won't win" doesn't make it true. You also have to prove that Clinton would do better. And there is no evidence to support that. Hell, she is 4% into the negative on popularity ratings! How the f*** do you win the presidency when more than 1 in 2 Americans has a negative view of you?

by belicheat 2008-05-06 05:19PM | 0 recs

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The Clinton Spin is on the Front Page

by Lefty Coaster 2008-05-06 04:33PM | 0 recs

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Re: The Obama Spin Out Of Tonight

Obama may have won the nomination tonight.

by MissVA 2008-05-06 04:35PM | 0 recs

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Re: The Obama Spin Out Of Tonight

Easy to see why McCaskill is in the Senate and Daschle is not.

by alamedadem 2008-05-06 04:35PM | 0 recs

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Re: The Obama Spin Out Of Tonight

The more I hear of McCaskill the more I like. I hope she can improve on her margins in the next Senate race. I remember it was a tight race in 2006.

by Mr DC 2008-05-06 04:37PM | 0 recs

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Re: The Obama Spin Out Of Tonight

I worked on McCaskill's campaign and it was going back and forth between her and Jim Talent all night. On the plus side, that meant the victory party went on long into the evening. :)

I've always liked her, even though I was a little disappointed with some of her votes. Hopefully her star in the party keeps rising.

by CrazyDrumGuy 2008-05-06 05:06PM | 0 recs

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Re: The Obama Spin Out Of Tonight

Remarkable when he has 92% of one third of the electorate in his pocket. Not quite how I'd put it but there you are.

by ottovbvs 2008-05-06 05:27PM | 0 recs