Yikes! and Other Thoughts on Rural America
[Guest post by DRJ]
ABC’s Jake Tapper wonders how badly the presumptive Democratic nominee will get shellacked in West Virginia. Answer: Insiders say by 30 points. Yikes!
If that’s not bad enough, Tapper also posted this blog entry that summarizes Bill Clinton’s message to rural Americans as “Obama and the media are laughing at you and think you’re stupid!!!” Yikes!! again.
Obama has a problem with white voters and both Bill and Hillary Clinton’s rhetoric exacerbates that problem. Tapper notes that this may be keeping Pelosi and Dean up at nights. (Maybe they should consider Ambien.) I doubt it’s doing the Obamas much good either, but I’m increasingly convinced that Hillary is staying in the race to hurt Obama and position herself for 2012. I wonder if Jake Tapper agrees:
“So what purpose does it serve for him to barnstorm a state like West Virginia and tell rural voters that Obama and his elitist political/media cabal allies are mocking Appalachia?
He’s using the kind of language Democrats typically use against Republicans — as in, stuff you say when you don’t want voters to vote for the other guy under any circumstance.
This is tough stuff to walk back from.”
The priceless part is seeing reporters use the kind of language to describe Democrats that they typically reserve for Republicans. That’s tough stuff to walk back from.
— DRJ
So who wants to go in on a room in Denver? I’m bringing a backpack full of popcorn…
Scott Jacobs (d3a6ec) — 5/10/2008 @ 6:15 pmI never want to say never, but … Sen. Clinton’s behavior in this campaign is making me increasingly likely to never vote for her in the future, regardless of the outcome of this year’s election.
I can hold to that in a primary, at least. In a general, it would depend on who was running against her … but she’d start off with a huge black mark.
aphrael (db0b5a) — 5/10/2008 @ 6:17 pmYou are aware this was Bill’s behavior during his campaigns, right?
Scott Jacobs (d3a6ec) — 5/10/2008 @ 6:22 pmWhen it comes to the Dems and the Denver, I can readily envision Howard Dean convening a “Meeting of the Heads of the Five Families” like that shown in “The Godfather”:
Dean: I’d like to thank all the superdelegates who came from as far away as Kansas City for this meeting. How did it ever come to this?
Hillary: “Obama, you have all the superdelegates in your pocket, like so many nickels and dimes. YOU MUST SHARE THEM! Of course, I will pay you for this service: after all, I’m not a Communist…like you! Obama, what did I do for you to treat me so disrespectfully?”
Obama: “True enough. But when did I ever refuse an accomodation? And, furthermore, will Hillary attempt any individual vendetta? If not, I will take the vow of omerta and swear upon a statue of Our Lady that I will not break the peace.”
Dean: “Then it’s settled. Obama will give up delegates and influence in the East, the name-calling will be allowed, but controlled, Hillary gets the VP slot along with a guaranteed shot at the 2012 presidential nomination, and there will be the peace.”
Hillary (under her breath to Bubba): “Dean is a pimp. But now I know who really set me up: it wasn’t until this very day that I realized it was Karl Rove all along.”
MarkJ (7fa185) — 5/10/2008 @ 6:38 pmBill and Hillary are outlining McCain’s campaign against Obama for November.
SPQR (26be8b) — 5/10/2008 @ 7:31 pmThe demacrooks dont care about rural america they only want to appease the flat landers that elected them
krazy kagu (40bcdd) — 5/10/2008 @ 7:37 pmI know it sounds bad right now, but please don’t misunderestimate the Clintons’ and the media’s ability to walk back from things they previously said and wrote. This sort of double-talk “ain’t no thang” for the liberal elite. If it serves their interests, the Clintons will get back on board once Obama has clinched it.
JVW (c86819) — 5/10/2008 @ 7:56 pmSo true, SPQR. The problem the dems have, JVM, is neither McCain nor any of his “people” need say anything in the GE which will get them in trouble.
For the first time that I can remember, all of the opposition footage for ads can come entirely from Clinton’s primary ads.
All McCain has to do is put the message at the end, “I’m John McCain, and I approve this message”.
vnjagvet (d3d48a) — 5/10/2008 @ 8:09 pmObama is an odd candidate. He is the worst imaginable president. At least Carter was elected after Vietnam and it was thought at the time that he could do little damage. He gave us Iran under the mullahs and Afghanistan as a refuge for OBL. Imagine what Obama could accomplish with the present situation. I think we could survive him but it might be tough. Maybe Bill and Hillary realize this and are trying to be patriotic.
Mike K (f7870a) — 5/10/2008 @ 9:00 pmA comforting thought, Mike, but somehow, I don’t think patriotism is one of their main motivations.
I am pretty sure they do believe in the “truth” of their three am phone call ad, though.
vnjagvet (d3d48a) — 5/10/2008 @ 9:49 pmI don’t know about the rest of you, but I just made sure my contibution would make it in time for Planned Parenthood’s big Mother’s Day fundraising appeal. I’ve got an outdoor hose and it didn’t take too long to clean the dog shit off my hands so everything worked out OK.
daleyrocks (906622) — 5/10/2008 @ 10:45 pmEveryone it seems is missing the forest because they are too busy looking at the bright, shiny toaster sitting on a log.
First of all remember that the MSM and the Democratic party leadership lives in that echo chamber known as the “reality-based community”. Much like someone who is tripping on LSD their perception of “reality” is skewed.
Look at the remaining primaries. Look at who is expected to win them. Then do the math.
Look at who won the caucuses. Then think “credential fight”.
Look at Michigan and Florida. Then think that the Democrats can not afford to toss away 44 electoral votes because they had a hissy fit over them moving their primaries. Especially not this year. They will be seated.
Always bear in mind that the superdelegates can vote anyway they damned well please. Just because they say they are going to vote for someone does not mean they will actually do it when the time comes.
Now think about how does one get the nomination without splitting the party in two. In this situation it is to make the other guy unelectable. So unelectable that it is obvious to all except the most fervent of his followers which you will never convince anyway. You just need to convince enough to give you the numbers to win.
Now think of who would split off from the party if the other guy doesn’t win. Are they really that large of a block of voters or is their influence within the party much greater then their actual voting numbers are?
Three months is a very long time in any election year, alot of things can happen in that time.
Nahanni (3fe46b) — 5/11/2008 @ 12:08 amThe MSM media can walk away from anything.
Jack (d9cbc5) — 5/11/2008 @ 3:50 amShe is going to win with a larger margin first of all because it is a Primary state and not a Caucuss which without a doubt is one of the most Midevil ways of voting. Much like FL & MI I know my vote didn’t count the kids that were in charge at the station in MN I was at Just pretty much said Obama was the winner without much of a look into the Box.
Scott (ad5e66) — 5/11/2008 @ 4:53 amThe schtick attributed to Clinton is a fine old populist trick of plaintiffs’ personal injury lawyers:
Then during closing argument, on rebuttal (after defense counsel has already finished and can’t respond further), the plaintiffs’ lawyer springs the trap:
If the defense lawyers haven’t seen this coming and taken steps in advance to neutralize it, this can really fan the flames.
Beldar (8f59de) — 5/11/2008 @ 5:43 amPresident Bill is right. The Obamas – who are out-of-touch, crypto-Marxist academics – and the ultralefty media actually do think that the American people are simpletons. This is not new.
The next surprising revelation you’re going to report is that Michelle Obama is miserable and has a negative view of America. Wait…
Bubble (d671ab) — 5/11/2008 @ 6:25 amYou don’t work your whole life to become the first female President only to give up and let some young upstart take it away from you. She has shown she will do anything to win, and if she has to concede 2008 to Obama, then 2012 is her last chance.
Being his Vice President is no good either. He will either serve one term or two. If he is tossed after one term, so is she. If he serves two, then she is too old and the country will be too fatigued of Clinton-itis to give it to her. 2012 is her last chance. Her followers know this as well, and if she concedes but signals a possible run in 2012, they will flock to McCain because they know Obama must be defeated for the dream to be realized.
So, she has to sabotage him at some point to get that opportunity.
MagicalPat (ed14bb) — 5/11/2008 @ 7:41 amHillary has only one chance.
1)She loses 2008, Obama wins the nomination and wins the general election. She has virtually ZERO chance of becoming POTUS.
a)Obama does enough to run for a legitimate second term, he’s the incumbent, nobody else is even in the picture.
b)he does a terrible job, the results are catastrophic…the Democrats will pay a heavy price and virtually any Republican candidate can waltz in …probably in a landslide.
2)McCain beats Obama in the general election.
a)McCain maintains his health, does a sound job, the economy rebounds, …McCain runs for another term, he wins in a landslide.
b)McCain fares poorly, she is blamed for Obama “losing” the general election the last time and giving it YET AGAIN to the horrible, dastardly, evil Republicans…Obamas spends four years polishing his image for the 2012 run, filling in all the inexperience gaps and paving over all the extreme radical association pitfalls. Democrats rally behind him from the beginning and never give her a chance to get any momentum.
c)Obama loses in the General Election because his extreme radical ties continue to be vetted in earnest. McCain only runs one term due to some health issue, the war and economy are STILL not on track…Obama is unelectable due to his extremist associations. Republicans offer up a barely recognizable candidate and an independent libertarian type runs on a third party ticket. They split the vote and she wins the straight Democratic ticket voters. This is her ONLY chance of becoming the POTUS…and it ONLY takes place in 2012. Obama has to be damaged so badly, he can’t run a serious campaign. He HAS TO lose in the General Election.
And McCain has to be a one term President. Who has fared poorly. That is her only hope.
cfbleachers (4040c7) — 5/11/2008 @ 8:06 amTo paraphrase the old Variety headline
“Hix in Stix Nix Pompous Prix” —that’ll get ‘er dun!
Mike Myers (31af82) — 5/11/2008 @ 9:47 amThe news shows this morning seemed to confirm the impression that there is no chance she will take VP. Or that B. Hussein Obama will offer it. The scenario of her sabotaging the campaign of BHO then becomes a real possibility but she will have to leave no fingerprints. The far left would really be enraged by a McCain win. It will be 2000 all over again.
Beldar, I’ve been that expert witness many times. My favorite was testifying for a plaintiff in deepest Alabama. The defense attorney found out that I was scheduled to testify in New York in a couple of days. Part of his “cross examination” was asking me “You mean that after testifying here against this outstanding surgeon, you are going to crawl onto an airplane and fly to New York City (!!! Rising inflection ) and testify against another outstanding surgeon ?”
My reply, in my mousiest voice was “No, actually I was planning to walk onto the airplane.”
PS Don’t get sick in “LA,” as the locals refer to Lower Alabama.
Mike K (f7870a) — 5/11/2008 @ 10:11 amMichelle Obama: “This is not doing any good for my children.”
I don’t know why, but the potential West Virginia whoopin’ is reminding me of Blazing Saddles. Can’t put my finger on it.
Hillary: “Howard Johnson is right!”
Obama: “Oh baby, I am so talented…and they are so DUMB.”
David Plouffe: ” You’ve got to remember that these are just simple farmers. These are people of the land. The common clay of the new West. You know… morons.”
Hillary: “Piss on you. I’m working for Mel Brooks!”
I dunno. The reason’s in there somewhere.
Anyway.
Lamontyoubigdummy (b5d02f) — 5/11/2008 @ 10:52 amSome of us have been saying the Clintons were vicious, lying, self-absorbed con artists since, oh, about 1992. So it’s something of a vindication that, even after all this time, more than half the Democratic party now agrees with our assessment.
Of course, if the Democrats do nominate Obama, they really should designate one evening of their convention as “Kenneth Starr, We Apologize” Night.
JonSK (bef10c) — 5/11/2008 @ 2:25 pmBarack Obama is a dad gum flatlander hasnt dont one bit of farm work in his life just like any city slicker who thinks a pile of milk bottles is a cows nest so damn dumb and ignorant
krazy kagu (4c262b) — 5/13/2008 @ 8:52 am