Super Tuesday Live Blog
12:42am–Of course, Blogger sticks it to me in the waning moments…
12:27am–CNN gives Missouri to McCain. President McCain…still getting used to that one.
12:25am–CNN gives California to Clinton and McCain. That’s not how I wanted to end the night.
12:21am–Damn, that was fast. NBC calls Californa for Clinton.
12:14am–Clinton wins Arizona, but the story is in Missouri. With 98% reporting, Obama has a 5,000 vote lead out of nearly 800,000 votes. The Associated Press has called the race for Hillary, already. So, I’m confused. Regardless, how the hell about it?
12:11am–Ari Fleischer just said on CNN that Republicans would kill to run againt Hillary and the tight race tonight is ideal for Republicans because Obama and Clinton will have to tear each other up in the net several weeks.
12:04am–Huckabee wins in Tennessee
11:45pm–Highlights from Obama’s speech. And damn it, I’m still inspired.
And thanks to Pokerwolf for the invite. I could use both.
11:33pm–Rapid Eye Reality is ready to make a projection. Taking an astounding 95% of the vote, Bone-In Ribeye has clinched the Beef nomination. Analysts say Ribeye not only ran a good campaign, but had the funding that Hamburger and Philly Cheesesteak couldn’t pull together. Even after a last-minute push poll from Cheesesteak suggesting Ribeye preferred to be served with A-1, Ribeye managed to reach the table in perfect medium rare form. Left unanswered tonight, which of the Poultry candidates Ribeye will face in November. Ribeye said tonight, “Poultry? Are you kidding me? I come from a cow. Have you seen what a cow can do to a chicken?”
11:29pm–Huckabee! Huckabee, you dog. You BULLdog. Going and winning Georgia tonight. How adorable.
11:27pm–Damn, Missouri is tight. Obama is closing in. May end up to be a 1 percent difference when it’s all said and done.
11:22pm–On a personal note, I could use: A massage, a six pack, a plate of steak and eggs, and some Visine. Maybe a box fan.
11:20pm–CNN exit polling data out of California is pretty damned interesting. Obama is carrying the black vote by a huge margin. He is also winning modestly in the white vote. On the same hand, Clinton is killing Obama in the Latino and Asian vote.
11:18pm–Re: the previous entry, ABC news differs a bit.
11:13pm–On the delegate count, G-Rob sends along this witchcrafty news from the Obama campaign. The upshot is Obama’s people believe they’ve got the lead.
11:11pm–Romney wins Minnesota.
11:07pm–CNN is finally showing me what’s going on in Missouri. As expected, Obama is winning in the cities. Outlying KC areas and St. Louis city are still out. It’s tight, but Obama has to crush the above areas to win there.
11:00pm–Mitt wins North Dakota.
Also polls have closed in CA.
10:57pm–So much for the 100th comment. And hey to the new folks!
10:55pm–Hillary is speaking. I’m…meh. Here are a few clips of the soundbites and thoughts of the night from Hillary Clinton’s speech in New York.
10:54–Who is gonna get the 100th comment?
10:48pm–Bless G-Rob. Here’s the laugh of the hour via IM:
Brian Williams is now reporting that after his speech in Boston, Mitt Romney turned back into a cassette playing boom box and headed to his meeting with Optimus Prime.
10:44pm–Garth asks in the comments, “Is it just me, or is Huckabee a more effective speaker than Romney?”
We were just talking about that here. Huck can give a speech. It can be a bit cheesey at times. However, that’s Republican speech writers for you. Regardless, the guy had great delivery and will make a great ambassador someday.
10:41pm–McCain wins Arizona. I also got me kid to tell me he loves me tonight.
10:38pm–I think there’s baseball reference to be made vis a vis Obama playing small ball to Clinton swinging for dingers. I saly know fuck all about baseball, so I’m going to leave it to somebody else.
10:33pm–“One thing thats clear is, this campaign is going on.” That from Mitt Romney just now. “It’s not all done tonight. We’re going to go all the way to the convention and win the White House.”
In other news, I’m going to win Powerball tomorrow night and have a nice steak dinner with Dorothy Mantooth. She’s a saint, you know.
10:32pm–Obama wins Minnesota, CNN projects.
10:29pm–Huckabee says Roll Tide and then wins ‘Bama.
10:25pm–G-Rob, my friend, live blog producer, and eternal optimist when it comes to things he wants, is back online and reminds me the overall vote is not nearly as important as where those votes are coming from in terms of Congressional districts.
In many cases districts have say 4 delegates and they’ll each get 2. The key is districts that have an ODD # of delegates. Obama, thanks to some DAMN SAVVY campaigning, is doing VERY well there. Therefore he’ll pull a massive delegate margin out of IL and GA. Whereas Hillary crushed him in TN but will only beat him by a net of 8 delegates.
10:21pm–Two more for Obama. Kansas and Connecticut.
10:13pm–I’m not entirely sure why the networks aren’t calling my home state of Missouri for Clinton yet. I haven’t seen what precincts are out. I can only assume they are waiting on St. Louis and Kansas City. Otherwise, Clinton beat Obama’s ass. Obviously, I’m missing something.
10:08pm–Here’s Mike Huckabee’s soundbite of the night: “Over the past few days, a lot of people have beenn trying to say that this is a two man race. You know what? It is. And we’re in it.” He just said it in Little Rock as his…beautiful wife Janet stood behind him. He started talking about spiders and rocks shortly after that and I got confused.
In related news, my wife just told me Huckabee was born in Hope, Arkansas just like Bill Clinton.
10:06–Obama picks up North Dakota. In other news, I just picked my foot up off the ottoman for a couple seconds. Both have about the same amount of meaning.
10:04pm–Sooners like McCain. He’s going to win the state by a fairly narrow margin. President McCain? How does that sound?
10:00pm–The 10pm projection from CNN:
Romney: Utah. No! Really?!! His supporters in Boston look like they are cheering for a 10-year-old kid who is playing on a losing soccer team and is running around the field in a leg brace.
9:56pm–Expect to hear the following talking points from the Obama folks in the next little bit.
They are winning states by a dominant amount and losing by smaller margins. Wait for the caucus states – their organization is better there. She should be winning her home state by more. The margin is comparable to her margin in Michigan.
Via Politico.com
9:50pm–Hillary wins New Jersey.
9:45pm–CNN finally went with NBC on the Clinton wins Massachusetts projection. Politics really are more fun when you don’t give a damn.
9:41pm–Double bubble? Really? Really.
9:36pm–More national exit polls…
Democrats Top Issuse:
Economy 47 percent
War in Iraq 30
Health care 19
Republicans Top issues:
Economy 38 percent
Immigration 24
War in Iraq 20
Terrorism 15.
Via ABCnews.com
9:30pm–Obama, as expected, wins Alabama.
Meanwhile, my wife has joined me in the Obama slump funk and sends the link that asks if Chelsea Clinton might have bungled some election laws.
9:26pm–Funniest comment of the hour comes by way of the on-the-road CC.
Reporting from London, Ontario. All of Canada seems to have shut down as everyone watches Super Tuesday to learn the names of the different states that don’t border Canada.
9:22pm–If I were Mitt Romney…I’d be a Mormon. And better looking.
Beyond that, if I were Romney, I would’ve spent a few of those $35 million bucks to frame Mike Huckabee in a Larry Craig wide-stance situation. Just sayin’.
9:20pm–McCain takes New York, CNN projects.
9:15pm–NBC news is calling Massachusetts for Clinton. CNN isn’t committing yet. Writing seems to be on the wall, however. I need a shot of adrenaline. Or just a shot of something.
9:09pm–I think we have already seen what tonight is not. Tonight is not an embarassment for Hillary Clinton. Whatever bounce Obama got out of South Carolina is not going to take him high enough to walk away tonight with a sense of confidence he’ll get the nomination. California, of course, is still the big state in play. It looks like conventional wisdom will win again and we’ll still have no idea in the morning who the Democratic nominee will be.
Obama’s crew obviously knew that before today. This morning, they were working hard to reduce expectations going into tonight. I can’t help but feel, however, that Hillary avoiding getting embarrassed tonight is exactly what she needed. She didn’t need to nail Obama to the wall. She needed to have a good showing. So far, she is. That may be all she needs to take it to November.
9:08pm–Obama takes Delaware.
9:00pm–Here come the 9pm projections…
Clinton–New York, a state should couldn’t lose.
….and that’s it.
8:45pm–With fifteen minutes until the big 9pm closings, the networks are projecting John McCain will win Delaware.
8:33pm–CNN says Hillary Clinton to take Tennessee.
8:32pm–Can you imagine being Mitt Romney tonight. Dude spent $35 million of his own money on this campaign. Buyer’s remorse, anyone?
8:30pm–No big surprises out of Arkansas. Hillary Clinton, one-time first lady, will win the most Razorback delegates. Same goes for former Governor MIike Huckabee.
8:24pm–A couple of not-so-noteworthy oberservations…
Barack Ombama’s supporters cheer very well. That said, someone needs to handle them better. When networks take live shots and the supporters cheer so loud you can’t hear the reporter talk, you’re sort of defeating your purpose.
Also on reporters…earlier today I questioned which SNL cast members were working on their Presidential impressions. Something else to consider is that the reporters who are embedded with the candidates have no small amount at stake in the outcomes. The reporters who are covering the candidates now stand to be the White House reporter for their network if their candidate wins.
Not a bad gig…
8:13pm–Now 12 hours into this live blog, we are nearing 80 comments. I’ve put down about eight Diet Mt. Dews and a couple Excedrin. Rapid Eye Radio is running somewhat smoothly. Still, I have an ugly feeling. Not sure what it is. It would be a lot easier, I guess, if I didn’t care.
8:08pm–CNN projects John McCain will carry New Jersey.
8:00pm–CNN projections from Central Time and 8pm closing ET states:
John McCain wins Connecticut, Illinois
Romney carries home state of Massachusetts
Barack Obama takes home state of Illinois
Hillary Clinton wins Oklahoma
7:44pm–Politico.com gives us a sneak peak at what we’ll be hearing from Clinton supporters tonight re: her loss in Georgia. These are the talking points.
Unlike the Obama campaign, the Clinton campaign never dedicated significant resources to Georgia. Sen. Obama spent over $500,000 dollars on ads on television and radio; we never went up on TV The Obama campaign has 9 offices in Georgia. The Clinton campaign only has 2. Sen. Obama has had staff and significant campaign operation across the state for 8 months. Sen. Clinton only deployed staff to the state in the last couple of weeks. Polls have consistently showed Sen. Obama with wide lead over Sen Clinton. That lead has only widened over time.
Translation: We knew we had no chance there, so we didn’t even try. So, don’t hold it against us.
7:36pm–Tornadoes in Arkansas and Tennessee touch down while polls are open. Reports of damage, but no word on casualties yet.
7:26pm–Interesting exit numbers based on all our talk today about experience. Democrats most important attribute in choosing their candidate
Bring needed change: 52 percent
Best experience: 23
Empathy: 13
Best chance to win: 9
Via ABC.
7:18pm–Drudge has some early exists across the nation. These should not be seen as anything but really early projections…
OBAMA: Alabama: Obama 60, Clinton 37… Arizona: Obama 51, Clinton 45… Connecticut: Obama 53, Clinton 45… Delaware: Obama 56, Clinton 42… Illinois: Obama 70, Clinton 30… Massachusetts: Obama 50, Clinton 48… Missouri: Obama 50, Clinton 46… New Jersey: Obama 53, Clinton 47…
CLINTON: Arkansas: Clinton 72, Obama 26… California: Clinton 50, Obama 47… New York: Clinton 56, Obama 43… Oklahoma: Clinton 61, Obama 31… Tennessee: Clinton 52, Obama 41…
7:12pm–It appears we’ve been relieved of Richard Quest on CNN’s California primary coverage. While an entertaining Brit, the guy has no place in serious coverage. Whoever thought he could be trusted should be fired.
7:05pm–Holy schnikes. G-Rob reports MSNBC exit polls are showing Obama wins 86% of black voters in GA and 43% of white voters. Black voters made up more than half the voters in the primary. In a word…mamacita.
7:00pm–Easy win for Obama in Georgia. Still waiting to see the breakdown. That may take a bit. Still a three-way race for the GOP.
6:58pm–Georgia results coming in shortly. In the meantime, I’d like to see your answer to Andy’s comment…
I can’t feel good about voting for any candidate based on what they say they will do, or how they stand on “the issues.”
in the last republican debate Ron Paul said he agrees with Bush….or at least how Bush ran in 2000. this is because Bush ran on many things in 2000 which he didn’t come though on. what candidates promise to do is pointless, it’s just words. they don’t have to stay true to them one their on office.also, and in my opinion more importantly, the “key issues” that are facing us now will most likely not be the most important thing this president will have to deal with. we’re not electing this guy/gal for 6 months…a term is 4 years people. thngs change. when Bush ran in 2000, the key issues everyone asked about was not Terrorism, not Iraq, not our borders, not how our rights would be treated. However, now, 8 years later, those few issues are the big issues that defined George Bush as a president.
I don’t see how I can vote according to the issues of today when most likely the most important thing this president does is on a subject that hasn’t come up yet. I think the only way to vote is by Character, by how good of Leader he/she will make. I need someone I can trust to make good decisions for 4 years, EVEN if that means I don’t agree with them on medicare, or social security, or Iraq.
thoughts?
6:46pm–Alright. Forget it. Was trying to set up a voting system for the beef and poultry. First ad had a milfhunter ad in it. The second was ugly. You want you food, vote for it in the comments. I’m going to change out of my cranky pants.
6:17pm–Well, if things are going to happen, they are going to start happening soon. Polls in Georgia close in less than an hour. Chaos has overtaken Mt. Otis. I’m going to stop this until it quiets down in here. Back in just a bit.
5:54pm–The sure sign someone is losing? When you start hearing, “My opponent isn’t playing fair.”
Here’s how it went down in West Virginia today. In the first vote of the Republican Convention there, it looked like Romney had a good shot. It further looked liked McCain didn’t stand a chance. Because no candidate got more than 50% of the vote, convention delegates had to vote again. McCain’s camp decided to make a play and, knowing Huckabee is no threat to win the primary, asked its voters to vote Huckabee. So, they do, McCain gets next to no votes and Huckabee takes the majority over Romney. All delegates go to Huckabee and Romney…well, he cries. Hic campaign manager said, “Unfortunately, this is what Senator McCain’s inside Washington ways look like: he cut a backroom deal with the tax-and-spend candidate he thought could best stop Governor Romney’s campaign of conservative change.”
5:46pm–Presented without comment.
When I am this party’s nominee, my opponent will not be able to say that I voted for the war in Iraq; or that I gave George Bush the benefit of the doubt on Iran; or that I supported Bush-Cheney policies of not talking to leaders that we don’t like. And he will not be able to say that I wavered on something as fundamental as whether or not it is ok for America to torture — because it is never ok… I will end the war in Iraq… I will close Guantanamo. I will restore habeas corpus. I will finish the fight against Al Qaeda. And I will lead the world to combat the common threats of the 21st century: nuclear weapons and terrorism; climate change and poverty; genocide and disease. And I will send once more a message to those yearning faces beyond our shores that says, “You matter to us. Your future is our future. And our moment is now.” –Obama, November 10, 2007
Via Wil.
5:41pmBest headline I’ve seen today:
Huckabee scores first in West Virginia, presumably with a relative
Well, yeah. It was from Fark.
5:33pm—Rapid Eye Radio is back online. Looking like the next few hours will have some Widespread, Uncle Tupelo, Ben Harper, YMSB, Scott Miller, Donna, Cigar Store, and other fun stuff. Enjoy. Or don’t. [link corrected]
5:24pm–First exit polls in…not at all surprising.
In the Republican vote, most people voting for Romney and Huckabee call themselves conservative. Only half of McCain voters call themselves conservative.
Among Democrats who make up their mind in the last three days, the vote was split evenly between Obama and Clinton.
5:19pm–CNN is reporting exit polls coming soon. That should be interesting. Oh, did I ever mention that if I ever just give up on life, I’m going to open an adult video store and calling it “Coming Soon” …?
4:58pm–Via CJ via MSNBC…
Romney releases statement saying McCain cut a backroom deal with Huckabee to keep Romney from winning West Virginia. Huckabee releases a statement basically calling Romney a whiner.
5:54pm–Apparently it’s not just the folks in Virginia who are a little confused. KSAT reports the good people of San Antonio are wondering why thier polls aren’t open. Something, yada yada, Texas not having a primary, something or other.
4:43pm–Hey, who is gamblin’? Crack producer G-Rob ships these lines from Slate.
4:34pm–Somebody called Madonna. Via G-Rob, the silliest thing I’ve heard yet, this one from New York magazine.
The “Evita factor” could make all the difference on Super Tuesday, says New York. Hillary Clinton has a major advantage over Barack Obama among Hispanic voters, which will be crucial in large states like California. One theory holds that Latinos are more willing to embrace Hillary because of precedence in Latin America for strong women who rode their husbands’ coattails into power
Um…yeah. Let’s forget the nation’s largest Spanish language newspaper endorsed Obama.
4:31pm–One interesting thing I’m noting among all of comments so far is how adamant everyone is that we shouldn’t vote for a candidate. I’d be interested to hear from anyone who is actually for a candidate and why.
4:28pm–On the subject of grassroots campigning in the digital age, G-Rob forwarded me this recent e-mail from the Obama campaign:
Friend —
Today, nearly half the nation will have the chance to join you in saying that we are tired of business-as-usual in Washington, we are hungry for change, and we are ready to believe again.
Twenty-two states across the country are holding their primaries and caucuses, and you can help Get Out The Vote in these crucial contests.
Use our online calling tool to reach out to fellow supporters. Encourage them to send a message that America is ready for a new kind of leadership and a new kind of politics.
Make calls using our online calling tool today:
http://my.barackobama.com/feb5calls
You can make a big impact — the more calls you make, the more people will take part in their state’s primary or caucus.
Thanks for everything you’ve done,
Barack
4:21pm–In all this political talk, the other races of the day are getting lost. As I mentioned at the top of the day…
On the Beef Ticket, voters have three choices: Hamburger, The Philly Cheesesteak, and The Bone-In Ribeye.
On the Poultry Ticket: Chicken Fingers, Deep Fried Turkey, Buffalo Wings.
At this hour, it appears the Ribeye is going to win in a landslide. Polls actually open HERE at dinner time. Stay tuned and campaign away!
4:16pm—Rolling Stone reports John Mellencamp is tired of John McCain using his songs at rallies. Discuss among yourselves.
3:50pm–CJ asks in the comments, “Would support John McCain, then? During their time in the Senate, who showed a better ability to reach across the aisle and get tough legislation passed, John McCain or Barack Obama?”
Would I support McCain? Good question. He is, by far, the best Republican candidate running for the nomination. I think he has a lot of talent in reaching across the aisle. If he weren’t so hawkish, I might be able to support him.
Also in the comments, Uncle Wilco reiterates, “The question was what would you change? Health Care? Taxes? Economy? How are is candidate going to do that?”
Here is a little background on where I’m coming from. I spend as much per month buying private insurance for my family as I do paying my mortgage. That insurance doesn’t cover much of what a normal family has to deal with on a regular basis. Do I think a change in the healthcare system is necessary? Yes. Do I think socialized medicine is a great idea? Maybe not. However, I have many friends around the world who don’t have any problem with the level of care they get under such a system.
Under a Republican administration, I’ve spent more in taxes than I ever have. Meanwhile, my government is engaged in a war with my money…a war that many of us agree should never have started.
Today, we are seeing the worst sell-off so far this year. The economy is in shambles. My portfolio (nothing but blue chips and purchased eight years ago) is worthless.
Add to all that, a small subset of the Republican party pretty much turned my professional life upside down about 18 months ago.
Do I think Obama is the perfect candidate? No way. Do I think he will fix many of my issues? I don’t know. I do know, however, he is speaking my language.
I’m no spring chicken. I have barely participated in national politics in my adult lifetime, largely because I could never support a canadidate even 75%. I don’t know what will happen if Obama is elected. This time, however, I’ve decided to care. It may come back to bite me in the ass. Naive and idealistic? Sure. It may be time for that. I’m sick of being a fatalist.
But, if it’s wrong to wish for the nation to not be at war, to hope for people to work together to fix a broken economy and healthcare system, and to believe there is someone who actuallly want to make that happen, then color me wrong. Dead wrong.
3:46pm–Quote an interesting discussion getting going in the comments. Take a look if you have the inclination.
3:26pm–Uncle Wilco asked in comments, “Since I hear a lot about the need for change I have a question for the people out there looking for change. What are you hoping to change (besides Iraq?), and exactly how are your canidates going to do that?”
I think by asking about Iraq parenthetically you diminish how important it is. That may not have been your intention, but to ask what we want to change besides that makes me wonder how many people don’t see it as the single biggest issue in the past thirty years.
That aside, what change? It’s a change in the way America thinks. I know it sounds naive. I hate to sound naive. Regardless, I know how America has operated in my adult life. It’s been an environment of hopelessness. When it comes to matters of policy, few if any candidates are speaking about changing through unity rather than battle.
If I want America to talk rather than fight, is that wrong? I don’t know if anybody has the ability to repair a fractured country, but I’m inspired by someone who wants to try.
2:58pm–My buddy, E, is laid up with the flu. That sucks for her, as she would rather mainline political coverage than any other drug. She is a junkie unlike anybody I know. She actually gets paid to do this stuff, so she’s in quarantine and live blogging from her bunker in Austin. You can find her HERE.
2:53pm–A lot of you reading types are poker fans. If you’re not one of those people, you might not know that 1) Obama enjoys a good game of cards and 2) Jim McManus is probably the best poker writer to emerge in the last ten years. My buddy Iggy posted this enlightening McManus column.
2:43pm–Dr. James Dobson, Focus on the Family honcho, took a huge shot at John McCain today, writing, “I cannot, and I will not vote for Sen. John McCain, as a matter of conscience.” And if McCain gets the nomination? “I believe this general election will offer the worst choices for president in my lifetime.”
I’m trying to think of another way to say “fractured party…”
2:38pm–CJ points out via IM that what looks like a McCain slaughter in WV is actually gamesmanship in play. Looks like McCain’s supporters went Huckabee to keep Romney from winning. That’s cute.
2:33pm–Rapid Eye Radio is taking a brief nap. Like a damned teenager after a roll in the hay. Or something like that. Back up shortly.
2:23pm–Huckabee wins West Virginia. Go figure. That’s 30 delegates that will be doing something else come convention time.
2:15pm–From Politico.com vis live blog producer G-Rob, re: Dole pile Romney stepped in…
Mitt Romney just tried to give Bob Dole a quick call from his campaign plane in West Viriginia.
He got Dole’s secretary and left a message.
2:06pm–Looks like West Virginia Republicans are rocking and rolling again. We;ll see if they can make up their minds this time.
1:45pm–Drudge is reporting “The board of elections failed to deliver voting equipment to polling places allover Los Angeles.” That can’t be good.
1:41pm–Robocall! Robocall! This hit Arizona phones this morning.
This is Ann calling on behalf of Hillary Clinton for President. Hillary Clinton has been a tireless fighter for seniors [unintelligible]. Barack Obama has said when it comes to Social Security all options should be put on the table. That includes raising the retirement age and cutting benefits. He has even proposed raising Social Security taxes by a trillion dollars. Hillary Clinton stood up to Bush’s plan to privatize Social Security and is against raising the retirement age. When you go to the polls tomorrow cast your vote for the Democrat committed to protecting Social Security as we know it: Hillary Clinton.
Via The Hotline
1:35pm–Why is CNN’s fashion and lifestyle reporter doing election coverage?
1:20pm–This is pretty neat. It’s a Google and Twitter thingy that is showing Tweets from voters around the country and world related to today’s primaries. You can find it HERE.
1:08pm–As I told G-Rob a few minutes ago, I would rather be sitting around with everyone listening to music, watching returns, drinking beer and arguing. Since that’s not going to happen, I scrounged around for a way to play some music to background this today. You can find it at Rapid Eye Radio.
It doesn’t require any downloads or anything. Just hit play on the linked page. There is a java-based player that kicks off with a promo for the site and then the station should kick off.
The next little bit will feature the Jerry Garcia Band, Donna the Buffalo, Cross Canadian Ragweed, the Beatles, and some other stuff.
1:01pm–Via G-Rob and CBSNews.com…it is getting more than a little ugly between McCain and Romney. Apparently Bob Dole wrote a letter to Rush Limbaugh stating…
McCain is a friend and I proudly wore his P.O.W. bracelet bearing his name while he was still a guest at the ‘Hanoi Hilton,’” Dole writes. “I believe our major candidates are mainstream conservatives and that our nominee will address our concerns…”
How does Romney respond? He says of Dole, “[He is] probably the last person I would have wanted to have write a letter for me.”
Yeah, that’s the way to win friends and influence people. More at CBS.
12:54pm–Romney wins 41% of vote in West Virginia Republican Caucus. Because no candidate got a majority of the vote, a second round of voting is coming up.
12:34pm–The weather is somewhere between 65 and Awesome degrees here in southeast. G-Rob reports big turnout in Georgia and predicts we’ll see an Obama landslide called before my kid is in bed.
12:25pm–I have no idea how I got on Mike Huckabee’s e-mail list, but it’s proven to be rather entertaining over the pas several weeks. One of my favorites came in overnight.
We just finished a campaign event here in Arkansas. The crowd was great and very enthusiastic. Arkansas will lead the way for us tomorrow as we begin to add to our delegate count. Polls in Missouri, Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama also show this race too close to call. We are in the middle of the fight for the Republican nomination and our hopes are running high.
What we need to do tomorrow is turnout every Huckabee supporter we can. Last minute reminder calls and messages to voters are going to be critical. Every vote counts. To help fund this effort in Tennessee, Missouri, Georgia and Alabama we are relying on you to help us close the gap. We are $215,000 away from reaching our midnight goal of $1,000,000 for get out the vote efforts.
Will you make an immediate contribution of $25 or more?
Please help us reach our goal. I will make a final decision on how many reminder calls we will make tomorrow based on the financial resources we have available at midnight. Reaching our goal will give us the resources we need to win in the states we are targeting.
I am counting on you so please consider making a contribution immediately.
Anyone feeling like re-arranging deck chairs on the good ship Huckabee?
12:15pm–Does anyone find it even vaguely amusing that even Rush Limbaugh is having a hard time getting behind the likely Republican nominee?
11:48am–And it’s time for the conservative voice. CJ, a longtime blogging partner at Up For Poker, decided we neeeded a little more Elephant on this side of the blogosphere. Here’s his take. I’m sure we’ll see him in the comments later.
As the conservative talking heads continue to cry about John McCain not being a “real conservative,” I challenge them to tell me who in the race really is. Mitt Romney? The one-time liberal governor from the most liberal state in the nation. The guy who fought to separte himself from Ronald Reagan in the 80s? Is it Mike Huckabee? The tax-raising governor of Arkansas? Sure, he’s got the religious folks behind him, but he’s not conservative. Was it Rudy Giuliani? Pro-choice, anti-guns. Need I go on? This race had one true Reagan Republican, Fred Thompson, and no one wanted to vote for him. Forgive me for borrowing from Donald Rumsfield, but you go to the election with the candidate you have, not the candidate you want. If conservatives want higher taxes and socialized medicine and a surrender mentality in foreign policy and up to three new liberal members of the Supreme Court, then all means ignore John McCain and support the Democratic nominee in November.
11:39am–Oh, and Perez Hilton supports Hillary. We gotta pull this out of the gutter.
11:30am–Here’s a question…of the current Saturday Night Live cast, who gets which candidate? I have to imagine, they are all already practicing and probably basing thieir hopes and dreams on who wins.
11:02am–If you haven’t been keeping up, here’s a look (Courtesy CNN Politics) at the states in play today.
10:52am–A brief aside…why is there no Windows-based program out there that allows me to easily create a quick pirate radio station and stream directly from my iTunes? Sorry about that, but it’s become a bit of an obsession. Back to the politics.
10:18am–In the interest of fairness, I should point out the extended Otis family is quite divided on this race. My brother, known as Crazy Smart Guy among his friends–mostly because he’s a lot smarter than me in most academic arenas–is no fan of Obama.
I’m a doctor. The only thing I know more about than the average Joe is
Healthcare. On this issue, Obama is a fool (or should I say the people who wrote his “plan” to save healthcare are fools).…
Basically, he wants to create a national health insurance that ANYONE and EVERYONE can purchase at a rate that is on a sliding scale based on what you earn, etc. Employers will be REQUIRED to either offer private health insurance or contribute more payroll taxes to the government plan.
There are MANY more insane details that are completely impractical and don’t even BEGIN to address the REAL issues related to the healthcare crisis.
BTW, it’s going to cost about $65 billion dollars (and that is the CAMPAIGN ESTIMATE). I’m sure the actual cost would be easily 2-3X’s that amount. Also, he plans to pay for it by increasing taxes on those who make over $250,000. Sounds like a great idea. Why don’t we raise taxes on doctors who already pay nearly half of their salaries to the government to fund poorly-run programs? And if you think that doctors make too much anyway, you should know that physician salaries make up only 8% of healthcare costs.
I could go on and on, but that is just ONE reason to not vote for Obama.
9:51am–At G-Rob’s urging, I went all grassroots yesterday and sent an e-mail to friends and family in Missouri and Colorado asking them to vote. In particular, I tried to sway them toward my candidate of choice. One of my buddies–one I didn’t expect to take heed–sent me a nice reply. I’ll let him take credit for it if he wishes. Regardless, yea grassroots.
You, sir, now have my promise. I was on the fence, could vote for him with a quite-clear conscience if only he wasn’t for letting or keeping every illegal immigrant in, but I like most of the other stuff he is for, and if his weakness is his lack of experience, well, it very well could be his strength in that he would be less likely to be beholden to the political machine and good-‘ol boy network that has ruined the world for the last decade. Enjoy. Voting for him shall likely be the highlight of my day…
9:30am–You know what makes me giggle? Conservatives who break the 11th commandment. If you’re not familiar with it, it’s the unwritten rule that a Republican does not speak ill of another Republican. Now, here we are on the most important primary day in history and great thinkers like Pennsylvania’s one-time Senator Rick Santorum are saying things like, “John was very rough in the sandbox. Everybody has a McCain story. If you work in the Senate for a while, you have a McCain story. He hasn’t built up a lot of goodwill.” That one, coming from a guy who fought McCain on immigration and same sex marriage issues, is cute. This one, though, is a downright kick in the ass to the 11th commandment. It comes from Senator Thad Cochran, a guy who used to be my Senator in Mississippi… “The thought of his being president sends a cold chill down my spine. He is erratic. He is hotheaded. He loses his temper and he worries me.”
9:16am–Obama wins! In Indonesia. In a Dixville Notch-ish round of early voting, expats in Indonesia, a place where Obama lived for several years as a child, went to a hotel to cast their votes. Early counts show Obama winning…which should do him a helluva lot of good come convention time.
9:01am–Polls are stupid. G-Rob sent this poll data along this morning. The Reuters/CSpan/Zogby poll has Obama up +13 in California. SurveyUSA has Clinton up +10. As G-Rob points out…both polls were conducted on the same day. Statistics…
8:52am–Happy Mardi Gras, by the way.
8:30am–I’ve asked myself several times why I’m going to bother doing this. I’m not CNN, Politico.com, or even Gawker. I’m just one of the hundreds of other people doing this. I’m a niche-less blogger with more time on his hands than good sense.
That said, I have some experience in the world of politics and news. I have developed a passion about this race. I need to find someway to help me wrap my head around what happens today. And like John Gorka once sang, I tend to make my mistakes outloud. So, here it goes.
I decided that I’m going to do live blog Super Tuesday for the same reason that I did it on Election Day in 2006. I’m doing it because this is a night I would like to be sitting in a bar with my closest friends and family and watching our nation change. This, quite frankly, is better than watching the Super Bowl. Today means something. I want to share it with you folks.
So, the comments are open. Use them as your playground.
Today is the closest the United States has ever come to a national primary. Two dozen states will be voting or caucusing.
David Axelrod, Barack Obama’s main man in the trenches–the guy who got him elected to the Senate in 2004 and has helped shape the Obama image since–summed up how today is expected to go. Yesterday he told Politico.com’s Ben Smith, “Sleep late.”
Why?
California.
With conventional wisdom saying this primary might not be decided by tomorrow, what happens in California late tonight will be more than important. Hillary Clinton was the favorite in that state until just a couple of days ago. As such, Axelrod seemed more than a little concerned about early voting and how that could affect Obama’s chances there.
I have no rules for this blog today. It will go where it goes. I may give up and hide in a closet by news time. As a one-time registered Apathist, I am now a Barack Obama supporter and make no apologies for it. If today goes as I want it to, Obama will have a strong showing and McCain will lock up the nomination.
Finally, some of you may remember the other race run in here in November 2006 between Hamburger and Chicken Fingers. There were some passionate supporters of both candidacies. As this is primary season, we’ll be looking to nominate a candidate from both parties.
On the Beef Ticket, voters have three choices: Hamburger, The Philly Cheesesteak, and The Bone-In Ribeye.
On the Poultry Ticket: Chicken Fingers, Deep Fried Turkey, Buffalo Wings.
Labels: Barack Obama, Elections, Hillary Clinton, Politics, Super Tuesday
I doubt your stocks are worth nothing at this point. This sell of is not worse than the .com self off at the time. This is a blip caused by the mortgage problem. I am paying more taxes as well, comes with making more money. You are self employed as well, now you are seeing what the other half of the social security taxes etc. looks like that your employer used to pay for you. It’s not pretty. Wait to see how much more you will pay in taxes after the Bush tax cuts go away in 2010, or sooner depending on the party. I have no real solution on the cost of health care, I just know I do not like the idea of another large government program based on the success of the other big government programs.
As for artist who dislike opposing political canidates using their music I suggest they only let people who agree with them listen to and buy their music. No thinking person would equate an artist supporting a candiate based on the a song at a rally.
By the way I think the ban on online gambling was crap, as well as the major FCC crackdown that occured after the Janet malfunction.
“Leaving Iraq won’t make our enemies stop looking for ways to kill as many of us as possible. It will only make their job easier.”
This is why I don’t talk politics with CJ.
This argument, with all due respect, is stupid.
G-Rob
“This argument, with all due respect, is stupid.”
And that is a very cogent counter-argument.
Otis said: “I’d be interested to hear from anyone who is actually for a candidate and why.”
I’m voting beef. Let me tell you why. First of all, experience. A well aged ribeye has exactly the kind of experience you’re looking for in a main course um, experience. Then there is leadership, ah screw it, I’m voting beef because beef is delicious.
Besides, I think Al Qaeda endorsed poultry.
Scurilous charges, Mr. THG. But not suprising coming from someone so closely aligned with the steroids pumped into cows across America.
Vote poultry. It’s the original white meat.
I’ve followed all day both here and “uugggghhhh” there.
Actual un-biased news coverage of anything political in our two countries is damn near impossible to find. Even CNN’s reporters show their true colours as they present what’s supposed to be ‘factual’ information.
I only have three choices and will explain why I’ll vote FOR them, not against the others.
In no particular order. (well OK, it is a pretty big day down there. We’ll start with that.)
1)Obama. The type of support a candidate can drum up, say’s a lot about the man and the future direction of a country. His visible supporters are staunch, strong, typically un-wavering and serious types. They also have potential for the FULL power of the media to support future decisions. Yes it’s a media play on things. But let’s face it. Media really does make the world go ’round in this information age.
I see potential in Obama from what I have read, heard and witnessed or listened to of late. Like anyone, I can’t say i agree with everything the man or his party stand for. But in this case, it’s not the lesser of two evils. It the pretense of the positive the man himself has to offer.
2) Without a shadow of a doubt, a legit Philly Cheese Steak eaten at an authentic establishment of Al’s choice, while sitting between he and Riggstad, sipping a SoCo,(for Al) and a Scotch.(for Riggs & I) Vote against that and perish !
3) Buffalo Chicken Wings. Actually, the “Buffalo” part is a bit miss-leading. The B is technically correct but there should be 2 of them. As in “Bam-Bam’s” Chicken Wings. Two thing’s I take great pride in after perfecting the recipes for oh what… say about 1.23 million years of practice. No one can touch my Chicken Wing and Baby Back Rib dinner.
No one !
G/L America ! An entire nation to the north is hoping for the best.
CJ,
Given the close physical proximity of well over a hundred thousand of our troops to the suicide bombers, insurgent guerillas, and IEDs which are undoubtedly rampant in the middle east, it seems fairly unlikely that leaving would “only make their job easier.”
Given that “their job” is killing United States citizens, or our allies.
Racist.
This country is all about diversity, and the glorious RED (and when well done, brown or even black) color of beef reflects the real America – not that pale white or grey color of your poultry.
Beef, it’s not only what’s for dinner, it’s what’s right for America.
Vote beef, people.
daddy:
Ah, okay. So you’d rather sit back and wait for them to kill thousands of innocent Americans at one time.
I’d prefer to send people trained to kill to find them first. Some of those American soldiers will die. And that’s a tragedy. By they know the risks and willingly take up the cause of freedom for the rest of us.
Who will I vote for?
At this point I honestly have no idea. I don’t agree with Hillary’s ideaology, Romney is too Kerry-esque, and McCain is too much of a warhawk (never mind the McCain-Feingold bill and how much that tried to squelch grassroots political activities). Obama, on the other hand, is a total question mark.
I liked half of Ron Paul’s platform, but I didn’t agree with the other half and Thompson didn’t get anything going.
So, I’m stuck with a tough decision that I probably won’t like no matter who I choose.
Unfortunately, I think it’s naive to think that suddenly withdrawing our troops from Iraq would make us a nation that’s not at war.
Why do we have to have a “wartime mentality” when we’re dealing with terrorists, CJ? Why does there have to be a “War on Terror”? Why can’t we simply be vigilant and work with our allies to counter the possible attacks? When will this “War” end? How will we finish it?
Leaving Iraq won’t make our enemies stop looking for ways to kill as many of us as possible. It will only make their job easier.
At this point, you’re right. If we left now, Iran would swoop in and take over. So, we’re already indefintely occupying another country.
Ah, okay. So you’d rather sit back and wait for them to kill thousands of innocent Americans at one time.
How do you reconcile this attitude with your opinion that things are going well because the U.S. hasn’t been attacked, CJ? Either things are going great because of what our government has done or we’re always in a state of emergency because the terrorists can attack at any time. Pick one.
I’d prefer to send people trained to kill to find them first.
So, when does it end, CJ? Where do we invade next? How many military bases do we establish in order to “prevent terrorism from happening”? What happens if a country says, “You can’t come in here”? What then?
CJ can you justify what we’re spending in Iraq then versus shoring up at-home defenses or making better use of those tax dollars?
I don’t see why we need 100,000+ troops if the threat is small and mobile. Wouldn’t you agree we should have a similar scaled down military plan versus walking down main street Bagdad with our giant missles stamped with the US flag ala old Soviet Union-type parades?
Okay, folks.
I’ve spent my nine hours supporting the warfighter today.
I’m heading home.
Maybe, I’ll coerce my wife into a little sex.
Perhaps even anal.
If all else fails, I’ll probably resort to a friendly sit-and-go, and maybe some silly “War is Bad; War is Good” comment banter with the resident brownshirts.
First- Fried Turkey FTW! – Anyone who doubts is invited to my place.
Second – I thought Gamecock died or something. WTH have you been?
Third – CJ and Pokerwolf = Special Olympics.
Fourth – Who besides me automatically associated beef with republicans and poultry with Democrats?
pokerwolf:
Why is it wrong to consider ourselves at war with Islamo-fascists? It’s the law & order mentality against terrorism that helped lead to 9/11.
And you seem confused. We haven’t been attacked because we’ve gone after the terrorists in the Middle East instead of waiting for them to choose when to kill as many innocent Americans as possible.
Where do we invade next? It depends on the situation. Not every nation must be handled the same way. Some nations have already voluntarily given up WMDs or worked with us in the fight against al Qaida and other Islamo-facsists. But if invasion is necessary to protect America, I support it.
drizz:
It’s possible other strategies may also have been successful, I don’t know. But we can’t deal in theory anymore. We’re in a war right now and if we pull up our stakes and run home, we make the world a more dangerous place.
Chilly:
That’s a good point. Democrats must be against beef. It’s indulgent and unhealthy.
Let’s remember that there are three branches of government. Whomever is elected president will have to work with or work against the Congress. While I appreciate each of the candidates and their camps drafting these beautiful plans on issues that are important to the country, I know that these “plans” will change once they get into office. What they’ve set forth now is also affected by what’s most likely to get them elected. Once they’re in office, they will have to tinker with these plans in order to gain approval from Congress. Therefore, while basic positions are important to me, I also consider who I think is most likely to be able to cooperate with Congress. I don’t think Clinton, Romney or Huckabee can do that. McCain has certainly made some enemies in Congress, but he’s also shown that he can make friends as well.
I think that a McCain/Obama general election would raise the level of political discourse in America, and I am pulling for that at the end of today.
I should add that I am heading to the polls now. My vote is for sale. Auction closes in 5 minutes. In Missouri I can cross and vote for either side.
Also it is raining cats and dogs in st. louis today. Expect lower than predicted turnout in the area.
Why is it wrong to consider ourselves at war with Islamo-fascists?
Dictionary.com’s definition of “war”. The only one I can kind of see working for dealing with terrorists is #4 and even that’s vague.
It’s the law & order mentality against terrorism that helped lead to 9/11.
No, it was mistakes which did not regard the actual threat as it should have been. Answering every threat with a bullet only causes higher recruitment for the terrorist groups that we are currently fighting.
It depends on the situation.
The situation is that our defense budget is at WWII era levels, except we have an economy which is on the brink of, if not already in, recession. We’re also currently fighting a two-front war, which is a strategic and logistical nightmare. You want to add a third?
But if invasion is necessary to protect America, I support it.
This is why you scare me, CJ. Your “World Domination is fine as long as I’m safe” mentality.
Ah, wil, too, falls for the inspirational-speaker-in-chief. Obama’s words sound great. And it’s good to hear who he’s not. Can’t wait to hear who he is.
pokerwolf:
That you searched for the dictionary definition of war really proves my point. Too many people do not understand the dangerous world in which we live. They search for definitions and semantics when they should be talking about how to keep us safe.
And I never said I wanted to add a third. I didn’t “want” to have a first or a second. But we don’t always get what we want. Well, except in Obama-utopiaville.
Didn’t quite die, just kind of fell off the face of the internet. Only to be brought out to be a fatalist asshole.
no matter how you look at it, it was genius on McCain’s part to send his supporters to Huckabee in WV. people love to vote for the favorite, I know some that do it. and the fewer states Romney gets, the more it “appears” McCain is the only “real” choice for the Republicans.
andy:
Agreed, it was a smart move on McCain’s part, and Romney would have done the same given the chance. In fact, most of Romney’s wins thus far have come in caucuses where I’m sure much of the same horse-trading occured.
Wait a sec… hypocrisy from a candidate? Say it ain’t so!
I’m going to throw something out there and see if y’all have an opinion on it.
I can’t feel good about voting for any candidate based on what they say they will do, or how they stand on “the issues.”
in the last republican debate Ron Paul said he agrees with Bush….or at least how Bush ran in 2000. this is because Bush ran on many things in 2000 which he didn’t come though on. what candidates promise to do is pointless, it’s just words. they don’t have to stay true to them one their on office.
also, and in my opinion more importantly, the “key issues” that are facing us now will most likely not be the most important thing this president will have to deal with. we’re not electing this guy/gal for 6 months…a term is 4 years people. thngs change. when Bush ran in 2000, the key issues everyone asked about was not Terrorism, not Iraq, not our borders, not how our rights would be treated. However, now, 8 years later, those few issues are the big issues that defined George Bush as a president.
I don’t see how I can vote according to the issues of today when most likely the most important thing this president does is on a subject that hasn’t come up yet. I think the only way to vote is by Character, by how good of Leader he/she will make. I need someone I can trust to make good decisions for 4 years, EVEN if that means I don’t agree with them on medicare, or social security, or Iraq.
thoughts?
Can I get a chip count on Obama? He’s a friend of mine and playing in today’s event.
check this out
http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2008/02/be-part-of-super-tuesday-action.html
anyone else noticing how much the numbers are changing as the votes are counted in Georgia? Obama started at 64, and is down to 58%, still dropping. huckabee has risen like 5% enough to maybe take the state. clinton is rising as well…
Andy,
The networks have certainly screwed up on projections before and badly. However, since they projected Georgia with the combo of 1% of precincts reporting actual numbers and exit polling, you’re going to see the numbers move every time an actual precinct’s votes are added in.
That you searched for the dictionary definition of war really proves my point. Too many people do not understand the dangerous world in which we live.
It’s interesting that you talk about “facts” regarding Obama, but when I present some to you about war and the “War on Terror”, they suddenly don’t matter and you try to point out that I’m misguided and I don’t understand, CJ.
As for “not understanding the dangerous world in which we live”, I lived in Italy during Desert Storm/Desert Shield and every day my school bus passed fully armed machine gun nests. I also watched the entire military hospital pack up and ship out at the same time (which left some of my friends without any parents because both were in the Army and they were both called to the front lines). I can keep naming experiences from my life which contain similar reminders of how dangerous the world at large is, but I think I’ve made my point.
I also notice that you’re avoiding my discussion about the “War on Terror” and your “disarm and help us or we invade” opinions.
And I never said I wanted to add a third. I didn’t “want” to have a first or a second.
You won’t hesitate to invade a sovereign country if they don’t meet our demands, yet you say you don’t “want” that sort of thing to happen. Is it all their fault if it happens, then? Those are our only two choices?
Otis: Thanks for doing the live blog. This comments section has been a great read.
I’d like to chime in on comment #38, or whichever one started the CJ vs. Pokerwolf debate.
Does Obama “seem” ready to be President? Does that make any sense as it is written? Etc.
I’m not well read on each candidate’s platform. I’m not following much of anything involving politics on a daily basis. So here is my extremely informed opinion.
Obama is the only candidate (with a realistic shot of becoming President) who currently carries himself like what I want in a President.
Maybe it’s from watching our current President struggle to complete sentences without butchering words, mangling meanings, and generally looking like a dumbass. Or maybe it’s the other candidates, and how the vast majority of what they say comes across as your typical political bullshit answer.
It could be just me, Wolf, Otis, and a few others, but Obama at least appears competent and sincere. And that would be a nice start.
Also, if Bone-in Ribeye doesn’t win I will completely lose faith in our system.
Uncle Bracelet will Perish for not chosing a Philly Cheese Steak with Al, Riggs and I.
But I forgive him. He made a point that I was trying to. “A nice start” is a great stepping stone towards the right thing to do.
Thanks for doing this Otis!
As an outsider, it’s been an interesting and entertaining read.
Hat’s off to you. I CHEERS in your general direction!
Reporting from London, Ontario. All of Canada seems to have shut down as everyone watches Super Tuesday to learn the names of the different states that don’t border Canada.
I myself face another important question: do I stick with red wine, or is time to bust out the whiskey sours? Supply is not an issue, and I have only consumed two glasses of wine.
So far wine is winning, but I expect a late surge from whiskey.
No matter what I still doubt the general electorates ability to elect either a black man or a white woman.
I wish I had more faith in the moral fiber of America, but I don’t. People are racist and sexist and will look for a reason to not vote for the democrat, HC or BO.
BO. Hah.
Wow. Huckabee is showing some moxy in this speech on CNN.
*breaking*
Really? 2nd amendment as important as the 1st?!
Thank God you’re here, Chilly. I was feeling lonesome.
How do you feel about “Red wine vs Whiskey Sour”?
We just returned from our Democratic Caucus. Attendance was obviously greatly underestimated. They ran out of both room and signin sheets. Luckily it was held at a school, so they were able to find more room and they ordered in more signin sheets. Girly Girl got to see Democracy in action up close. It was a great lesson for her.
Just returned from caucusing here in Denver. This was my first ever caucus, but from what I was hearing, this was a record turnout. The local news is calling it “controlled chaos”. It was crowded, hot and hard to hear, but I voted and I’m happy to report that Obama had 79% of the vote in my precinct.
Both are drinks of liberals. Why not a nice Manhattan?
I don’t think I have the correct ingredients for a Mahattan. But I do have a fuckload of red wine, and a whole bunch of whiskey and sour mix.
Sobriety, however, is lessening rapidly.
Whiskey shots with wine chasers.
Man up.
Is it just me, or is Huckabee a more effective speaker than Romney? Maybe it’s just the circumstances, but it seems to be the case here.
I dunno, maybe Romney could just speak a little more slowly.
In other news, I’m finding a shot glass.
Oh Fuck me running. Hillary is winning Missouri. Sorry, I’ve been busy all day and just caught this. I’m burning my apparently useless “I voted” sticker.
-Marty
No, the Husckster is a great speaker.
A comment from C.J. from much earlier in the day: “Leaving Iraq won’t make our enemies stop looking for ways to kill as many of us as possible. It will only make their job easier.”
Uh, unless you don’t include our troops when using the pronoun “us”, I have to strongly disagree. It’s much easier for al Qaeda and other terrorist groups to kill Americans when about 150,000 Americans are driving around in convoys and doing house-to-house searches in Baghdad.
Reading the exit polls, only 30% of Democrats and 20% of Republicans say that Iraq is their top issue. Leaving aside that it’s appalling that those numbers are so low, seeing that they ARE that low, how about the next President pull the troops out of Iraq? Doesn’t seem like it’d affect their popularity all that much.
For baseball references: how about Obama has read Moneyball, but Clinton hasn’t? Obama is maximising his OBP, but Clinton still believes in RBI, and doesn’t like to “clog up the bases”.
Someone fire Hillary’s sound engineer.