Potential Hillary Clinton Candidacy Worries Some Democratic Lawmakers

[THUNDER HANDS]

By Alexander Bolton
Posted: 03/12/08 07:55 PM


Democratic lawmakers are becoming persuaded that Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) would have a more positive impact on other Democrats on the November ballot than Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.). Obama’s advantage over Clinton would be most pronounced in the Southern and Western states President Bush carried in 2000 and 2004, say lawmakers interviewed by The Hill. In total, 32 members of Congress from these “red states” have endorsed Obama. Twenty-two lawmakers from those states have backed Clinton.

Obama will “bring new people into the process in Southern states, there’s no question about it,” said Rep. James Clyburn, the House Democratic whip from South Carolina. “In these Southern states he’s bringing out more people, young people, African-Americans. They’re being energized by him.” Clyburn, who has stayed neutral in the primary, said Obama at the top of the ticket would “certainly” do more to help other Democratic candidates, citing South Carolina and Mississippi specifically.

Bush won both South Carolina and Mississippi by nearly 20 points. A Southern House Democrat who faces a difficult reelection this year said Obama “has the potential to bring more folks to the polls and swell the ranks of Democrats.” The lawmaker, who has not endorsed either candidate, declined to speak on the record because Clinton may become the nominee.

Lawmakers have begun looking more closely at how the nominee may affect their own reelections or influence races in their states. Sensing this, Obama supporters have pushed their colleagues to consider how Obama and Clinton would impact Democratic candidates in November. “I’ve had quiet conversations with a number of members,” said Rep. Rick Boucher (D-Va.), who has endorsed Obama. “I don’t think there’s any doubt about it, Obama would be more helpful to House candidates virtually everywhere. “He has unique appeal to moderates, independents and Republicans,” said Boucher. “And I think he has enormous crossover potential.”


http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/eyeing-obama-coattails-2008-03-12.html

[muntrv]

1. I've said it before. Obama would turn out people to vote for him while Hillary

would turn out people to vote against her. Also, Obama has a wider and broader campaign and raises more money, something the Democratic lawmakers would like to be a part of.

[EmilyAnne]

2. Great article! This is exactly what we need if we want to start winning elections and making big

changes. We need NEW Democrats, reinvigorated OLD Democrats and disillusioned people to leave the Republican party to become life-long Democrats. This is happening with Obama and I'm optimistic that, after this silly primary season is over, we will really start to see the effects.

[goclark]

3. Yes. He. Can.

Pillary has got to go!


Put a woman on the ticket with him like Barbara Boxer.

[virtualobserver]

9. I vote for Kathleen Sebelius

I don't want to lose any Senators

[goclark]

15. Excellent point ~

[Stephanie]

4. There go your superdelegates, Hillary.

That was her last best shot. If word gets out she has toxic coattails it's over.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

16. If word gets out? Thought that was a well known fact.

[Raine]

5. GREAT article

THANKS for posting it. :thumbsup:

[Georgie_92]

6. Great article, thanks for sharing.

[HeraldSquare212]

7. Coattails! There's talk of getting 60 Senators - could you imagine that?

[globalvillage]

8. 60 Dem Senators?

Be still my heart. I've been trying to curb my C-SPAN 2 habit, but with 60 Dems, I just don't see that happening.

GObama!

[HeraldSquare212]

10. I think the story was in the Times a few days ago; Dem campaign officials were saying it

whether the Dem Senate Campaign Comm or party officials or both, I don't recall.

[grantcart]

13. It is very very possible with the right nominee

Tsunami in the Senate
Posted by grantcart in General Discussion
Sun Jan 06th 2008, 01:03 PM
Next year will be the election for the 2nd Class of Senators and it brings forth a perfect storm for Democrats.

Of the 33 Senators up for election 21 are Republicans and 12 are Democrats.
http://www.senate.gov/pagelayout/reference...

Of the democrats all but one is in a seat that is considered either very strong or strong and should run with little or no opposition and that is Landrieu in LA.

Of the republicans 9 seats are considered contestable. This does not include wild card seats like Craig ID, or Trent MS in which the republicans will have no incumbent.

4 Seats are vacated by retiring Allard CO, Domenici NM, Hagel NE, Warner VA.

4 Seats are held by republicans in democratic states; Coleman MN, Smith OR, Sununu NH, Collins ME

1 Seat is occupied by a republican currently being investigated by the FBI and could be taken if a good candidate runs
Stevens AL.

The Democratic Senate Campaign has been outraising the republicans by a 10-1 ratio.

It is easier for the Democrats to recruit good candidates because 1) Likely presidential coattails, 2)Higher interest in working in the majority party.

And finally we have the 'Macaca' factor. The rest of the republican candidates will say something stupid and Dean's strategy of having a good candidate in every contest will provide some surprises.
Read entry | Discuss (0 comments) | Remove from Journal | Add/Edit intro
Think about where this could go

[grantcart]

14. pls see #13 below

[tabasco]

11. Looks like the rotten "kitchen sink" strategy is earning some well-deserved scorn.

How anyone can support such a weak, shrill candidate is hard to understand.

[bain_sidhe]

12. One possible snag though

I too hope that, if Obama is the nominee, that he'll have long and strong coat tails. But an analysis by the Dallas Morning News gave me some concern. Essentially the analysis said that it appeared that the "Obama" voters didn't bother to vote in the down ticket races. If Obama's the nominee, he's going to have to make a big effort to encourage and inpsire his voters to continue on down the ballot.

The article is here: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/030908dnpoldemvoters.3a5249f.html