South Carolina

[Stan]

CNN and the Associated Press and television networks projected

Senator Barack Obama as the winner of the South Carolina

Democratic presidential primary.

Just because Steven Colbert was not accept to run.. :)

[Neil D]

That's ok....I have asked Stephen if he would like to be VP?

[Dr. Shane]

Barack was projected to win but I didn't hear anyone projecting these numbers. Obama 55% and Clinton 27%. I would say Hillary got spanked in North Carolina. It looks like this pretty much ends Edwards' hopes.

[Ron Lambert]

As a Republican voter who favors McCain, I deplore seeing Bill Clinton playing the race card for his wife, hoping that by polarizing the electorate and getting so many blacks to vote for Obama, he will provoke a white backlash that will give his wife the victory in most other states. This tactic did work for him when he was running against Jesse Jackson.

But Obama's appeal is wider than Jackson's was, and Bill Clinton's tactic may not work. Obama still got 1/4 of the white vote in SC, and the majority of young voters, white or black.

[Neil D]

I am hoping that the Clinton camp will see this as a clear message to Hillary...."You want the nomination, then run a clean campaign on issues."

And ummm...sorry, Ron that you're a republican.... [smile]

[Woody]

Good Points here but I do disagree with the point below ...

Quote:

This tactic did work for him when he was running against Jesse Jackson.

I don't think it worked because as I recall ... Jesse Jackson actually won South Carolina. So Clinton's methods didn't help then either. However ... I think that the Clinton's true colors are shinning right now. This is So typical.

[Dr. Shane]

If Hillary does get the nomination, her racial comments may actually help the Republicans get more of the black vote in November.

[Woody]

I am not sure what people see in Obama other than his skin.

What experience does he have?

Not much.

I think I will call him the PC candidate. Many I think will get on his band wagon because it would look politically correct.

[Neil D]

Go Obama!

[Woody]

Fine ... but tell me what you like about him.

[Neil D]

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[Woody]

Read my lips ... words mean nothing to a politician.

It is a lot safer to look at "record" rather than "words".

Also look at character.

McCain has both.

[Neil D]

Granted, he is short on experience...but, he is a man of character as evidenced by what he has done...He seeks to unite our country which is fractured by politics, and he has worked with Repubicans...HIs is a politics of hope....and character...

In the Illinois State Senate, this meant working with both Democrats and Republicans to help working families get ahead by creating programs like the state Earned Income Tax Credit, which in three years provided over $100 million in tax cuts to families across the state. He also pushed through an expansion of early childhood education, and after a number of inmates on death row were found innocent, Senator Obama worked with law enforcement officials to require the videotaping of interrogations and confessions in all capital cases.

In the U.S. Senate, he has focused on tackling the challenges of a globalized, 21st century world with fresh thinking and a politics that no longer settles for the lowest common denominator. His first law was passed with Republican Tom Coburn, a measure to rebuild trust in government by allowing every American to go online and see how and where every dime of their tax dollars is spent. He has also been the lead voice in championing ethics reform that would root out Jack Abramoff-style corruption in Congress.

As a member of the Veterans' Affairs Committee, Senator Obama has fought to help Illinois veterans get the disability pay they were promised, while working to prepare the VA for the return of the thousands of veterans who will need care after Iraq and Afghanistan. Recognizing the terrorist threat posed by weapons of mass destruction, he traveled to Russia with Republican Dick Lugar to begin a new generation of non-proliferation efforts designed to find and secure deadly weapons around the world. And knowing the threat we face to our economy and our security from America's addiction to oil, he's working to bring auto companies, unions, farmers, businesses and politicians of both parties together to promote the greater use of alternative fuels and higher fuel standards in our cars.

[Ron Lambert]

Redwood, Pres. Bill Clinton's tactic of polarizing the races did work in the past, because it was in reaction to Jesse Jackson winning in SC thanks to a big African-American vote that a white backlash gave him the victory throughout the rest of the country. African-Americans are 55% of the electorate in SC, but only about a tenth or so throughout the country. The question we now have to see is whether Obama's big win among African-American voters in SC will provoke a similar white backlash in the other states, particularly on "Super Tuesday." I think that the tactic will not work this time around, because Obama has a much wider appeal, and too many people are "on" to Bill Clinton this time.

[Woody]

Quote:

African-Americans are 55% of the electorate in SC

I wasn't aware that SC had more blacks living there than whites. Where did you get this information?

[Bravus]

The media have pretty much done the 'X triumphant, Y all washed up!!' story for every primary so far... which has meant a lot more switching around among the Repubs than the Dems, but still, this story is part of that pattern. I'm certainly not making any big comments on the likely candidates until after Super Tuesday.

[Dr. Shane]

well, I think Hillary is more qualified but Barack would have a better chance of winning. Many people will not vote for a woman - including some women. Being female will hurt Hillary much more than being black will hurt Barack.

I don't think being a Clinton will be much of an advantage to Hillary in November either. The only people that are excited about voting for a Clinton would vote the Democratic ticket regardless who is on it.

[Bravus]

..and conversely, being a Clinton is likely to bring a massive anti-Clinton turnout of people who otherwise would be likely to skip voting.

[Ron Lambert]

Redwood, I got the figure 55% of the SC registered voters being African-American from one of the commentators on Fox News. I did not check it myself. The figure 10% of the rest of the country's population came off the top of my head--it used to be true, but may be out of date, and be off by a couple of percentage points. Which could be another reason why Bill Clinton's strategy may not work this time--if there are even more African-Americans proportionally.

[Woody]

Ron. I heard the same Fox News report. But what I heard was that 55% of the "Democratic" registered voters were African-American. Not ... "55% of the electorate in SC". That is why I simply asked for clarification. I don't believe that 55% of the population of SC is Black.

No problem. Just wanted clarification.