With a Surge in Momentum, Obama Makes His Case: Party should coalesce around him

[DeepModem Mom]

NYT: With a Surge in Momentum, Obama Makes His Case
By ADAM NAGOURNEY
Published: February 13, 2008

WASHINGTON — The lopsided nature of Senator Barack Obama’s parade of victories on Tuesday gives him an opening to make the case that Democratic voters have broken in his favor and that the party should coalesce around his candidacy.

Mr. Obama’s triumphs capped a week in which he went undefeated in states across the country, in many cases by big margins, over Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York. And his strength on Tuesday sliced across nearly every major demographic line, with one element standing out: in Virginia and Maryland, according to surveys of voters leaving the polls, he beat Mrs. Clinton among women. The sheer consistency of Mr. Obama’s victories over the last few days certainly suggests that many Democratic voters have gotten past whatever reservations they might have had about his electability or his qualifications to be president.

Mr. Obama, in his victory speech in Madison, Wis., acted almost as the primaries were behind him, offering a case against the probable Republican nominee, Senator John McCain of Arizona, as he spoke disparagingly of “Bush-McCain Republicans.” It amounted to a preview of what an Obama-McCain race might be like, and it reduced Mrs. Clinton, at least for one night, to the role of bystander....

***

Even before his latest victories, Mr. Obama, of Illinois, had whittled away at the advantages amassed last year by Mrs. Clinton. He now enjoys a big financial advantage. Her big lead in national polls is gone. By most counts, Mr. Obama can now claim more delegates pledged to him. He has won far more states than Mrs. Clinton, although she won some of the big prizes, like California and New Jersey.

For weeks, Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Obama had approached this race the same way: as state-by-state trench warfare, in the belief that the nomination would go to whoever got the most delegates.

But the latest results suggest that the race might be tilting back to a more normal form, where the goal is achieving a series of splashing victories and thus momentum. That has provided Mr. Obama with the opportunity, which he plans to seize in a more full-throated way starting on Wednesday, to argue that voters across a wide cross-section of the country have embraced his candidacy, and that the time has come for the group that could hold the balance of power, those 796 unpledged superdelegates — party leaders and elected officials who have an automatic seat at the national convention — to follow suit....

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/13/us/politics/13assess.html?hp

[Eurobabe]

1. HRC will never cede this thing

it's not in her nature. She is a political animal (and I mean in a neither negative nor positive way)

It will go all the way to the convention. That's my guess.

[Bicoastal]

2. She risks making herself VERY unpopular if the writing is on the wall but she clings to

to her superdelegates...and unpopularity means her numbers will go down further...

...either way, at this point it's Obama's to lose.

[liberalnurse]

15. She's paying for the ride

so she can take it all the way if she wants. No matter; McCain's got Obama in his sights.

[sandnsea]

4. If we win Ohio & Texas

I think she'll concede. She isn't going to before that though. It's going to be an ugly few weeks I think. I'm intending to make liberal use of ignore and let this thing flame itself out.

[Eurobabe]

20. Ignore User has made my life bearable.

I highly recommend it, especially for newbies who for some strange reason feel the need to hide their profile and start flame-bait threads. :hi:

[KittyWampus]

25. The "Clinton Superdelegate Lead" is a bogus ploy. The Mediawhores should be whipped for using it

[OHdem10]

3. The way Hilary has been treated and all the antics used by

by the Media make coalescing rather difficult. Better to not
discuss it at this time.

[catagory5]

6. let it play out

Give her until Texas and Ohio. Then if she looses it a different story. Agree? Let her now work her base as obama was able to do this week. I bet the outcome will change some minds. Give her that!

[blm]

21. The way Clintons treated other Dems for YEARS caused coalescing around THEM difficult this goround.

They are reaping what THEY had sown - arrogantly sown - for the last two decades.


What they sowed:
http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2007/11/clinton200711

What they sowed:
http://www.depauw.edu/news/index.asp?id=13354

What they sowed:
http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/06/19/clinton.iraq/

What they sowed:
http://www.tpmcafe.com/blog/coffeehouse/2006/oct/07/did_carville_tip_bush_off_to_kerry_strategy_woodward


What they sowed:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dk1k0nUWEQg

[formernaderite]

24. i forgot about the kerry remark

spewing along with the repubs that he was "inappropriate".

[oasis]

5. "Mr. Audacity" had better wake up to reality. (eom)

[liberalnurse]

7. Obama has done nothing

to bond the Party...he lacks leadership skills. He will have to work things through with the groupies he has collected.

[hayu_lol]

8. Consider carefully...

the Obama brand of bipartisanship(according to Dr Lisa Schirch):

"...Obama attracts independents, Republicans, evangelicals, and conservative voters..."

That is the Obama party--the very same people who have given us the past 8 years.

[TheDoorbellRang]

19. Good thing one or two democrats voted for him in the primaries, too

Maybe more than one or two democrats, come to think on it...

[Mountainman]

27. Well, I guess you nailed it, screw voting, some pundit made up our minds for us!

[OzarkDem]

12. Agree

Obama cares about Obama and no one else.

[sniffa]

13. Millions and millions of groupies

or as some DUers like to call them, cultists.

[blm]

23. You prefer Clinton style bonding of party where they undermine other Dems for years

Historian Brinkley calls it "backstabbing"...
http://www.depauw.edu/news/index.asp?id=13354

Bill's 3 week Defense of Bush 2004 book tour...
http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/06/19/clinton.iraq/

Carville sabotages Ohio Dem voters....
http://www.tpmcafe.com/blog/coffeehouse/2006/oct/07/did_carville_tip_bush_off_to_kerry_strategy_woodward


Hillary jumps on Bush's bandwagon against Kerry....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dk1k0nUWEQg

[H2O Man]

9. Yes.

It's time for Senator Clinton to do the right thing, and for the democratic party to move forward.

[hayu_lol]

10. Ummm...where in that list did you see...

Liberal Democrats?

[liberalnurse]

16. Hillary Clinton's staying

in the Campaign is definitely good for the Party. Obama is full of "preaching hope and validating the sentiment" but he has not demonstrated leadership.

[OzarkDem]

11. I'm too busy working for Hillary

[liberalnurse]

17. Every day!

Chelsea will be in town today! The kids are going too!

[blogslut]

14. We'll see

But I agree, he spoke last night as the nominee. John McCain better pull up his garters because Mr. Obama is ready for this race.

[robbedvoter]

18. "surge" "uniter" "get over it" - all familiar words - and not good familiar

[blm]

22. Who made SURE Bush2 COULD return to WH in 2000, robbed?

And stayed in 2004?

Did Bill do THIS?

http://consortiumnews.com/2006/111106.html


Did Carville do THIS?

http://www.tpmcafe.com/blog/coffeehouse/2006/oct/07/did_carville_tip_bush_off_to_kerry_strategy_woodward

[BlackVelvet04]

26. I have a suggestion as to what he can

coalesce ....but it's early, I'll save it.