The LuLac Edition #431, March 3rd, 2008
PHOTO INDEX: SENATORS CLINTON AND OBAMA AND GOVERNOR ED RENDELL IN HIS "WHAT DO I KNOW?" POSE.
D DAY
What happens in the Ohio and Texas primary essentially charts the road for the rest of the campaign. The results will have an impact on whether or not the Keystone State will be a player in the nominating process or just related to the role of a mop up reliever in a game that is all over but for the shouting.
In 1968, Pennsylvania was among the states that backed then-Sen. Eugene J. McCarthy, a leading critic of the Vietnam War who lost the nomination to then-Vice President Hubert Humphrey at a Chicago convention marred by clashes between anti-war protesters and police. But McCarthy was alone on the ballot because Senator Robert Kennedy filed too late to run in Pennsylvania and Vice President Humphrey did not formally announce until April 30th of 1968.
The last time Pennsylvania was a player was in the 1976 campaign. Jimmy Carter beat out Morris Udall plus a write in effort for Hubert Humphrey. When Carter won, Humphrey told his draft people to desist and the Georgia Governor retreated to Plains to mull over a choice for a running mate. On the GOP side, Pennsylvania provided plenty of drama right up to the nominating convention when Ronald Reagan picked U.S. Senator Richard Schweiker as his running mate if he should be the nominee. The method to this madness was that the Reagan camp needed the Keystone State's 90 some votes to put the former California Governor over the top. Ironically it was one of Schweiker's good friends, Pa. powerhouse Drew Lewis who made sure the Pennstylvania delegation hung on for President Ford. Since then, there has been little or no action in Presidential politics although in the 1992 primary, another former California Governor, Jerry Brown carried Luzerne County over Bill Clinton. In 1996, employees of a local landfill were caught giving improper funds to the Dole campagn but other than those things, there has been little excitement. Barack Obama clearly has the momentum and leads the delegate count and fundraising. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York hopes the stepped-up contributions that brought her $35 million in February will enable her to salvage her foundering campaign.
The results of balloting in Texas, Ohio, Vermont and Rhode Island could persuade Clinton to concede - effectively crowning Obama as the presumptive nominee.
If not, the focus of the campaign will shift mainly to Pennsylvania for the seven weeks until the state's April 22 primary - giving it an unexpected and potentially pivotal role in a historic presidential campaign.
This year, Democrats will nominate either the first woman for president or the first black. Such opportunities don't come along often. Plus the delegate race is so close, each candidate has a claim to the nod. Obama has carried more states than Senator Clinton but the Clinton backers point out they are red states Obama is unlikely to carry in the fall. If Clinton wins these remaining big states, there is a rationale to stay in the race. If she does not, then she might drop out of the race or suspend her campaign. The impact on Pennsylvania will be telling, we may become the pivotal contest where million of dollars are spent and the candidates are here in Northeastern Pa. every other day or we just might become as Governor Ed Rendell says, "irrelevent". Rendell has agreed with President Clinton's assessment that if Senator Clinton does not win Ohio and Texas both, then she should call it quits. But as former Ltn. Governor Mark Singel points out correctly, "One thing I've learned about politics is anything can happen". And when that anything happens in Texas and Ohio, Pennsylvania will be waiting in the wings to consider its role as a kingmaker or an afterthought in the 2008 race.
The results of balloting in Texas, Ohio, Vermont and Rhode Island could persuade Clinton to concede - effectively crowning Obama as the presumptive nominee.
If not, the focus of the campaign will shift mainly to Pennsylvania for the seven weeks until the state's April 22 primary - giving it an unexpected and potentially pivotal role in a historic presidential campaign.
This year, Democrats will nominate either the first woman for president or the first black. Such opportunities don't come along often. Plus the delegate race is so close, each candidate has a claim to the nod. Obama has carried more states than Senator Clinton but the Clinton backers point out they are red states Obama is unlikely to carry in the fall. If Clinton wins these remaining big states, there is a rationale to stay in the race. If she does not, then she might drop out of the race or suspend her campaign. The impact on Pennsylvania will be telling, we may become the pivotal contest where million of dollars are spent and the candidates are here in Northeastern Pa. every other day or we just might become as Governor Ed Rendell says, "irrelevent". Rendell has agreed with President Clinton's assessment that if Senator Clinton does not win Ohio and Texas both, then she should call it quits. But as former Ltn. Governor Mark Singel points out correctly, "One thing I've learned about politics is anything can happen". And when that anything happens in Texas and Ohio, Pennsylvania will be waiting in the wings to consider its role as a kingmaker or an afterthought in the 2008 race.
posted by David Yonki @ 5:07 PM
1 comments
1 Comments:
This is the quandry that many Democrat voters are in- Vote for a woman, who in Clinton's case isn't a bad deal, although her husband is heavy baggage, or vote for a black man, though Obama seems to be a lightweight. If Colin Powell ran, I'd vote for him in a NY minute. We need someone strong, a proven leader, and Powell fit the bill. Alas, we will be stuck with another pol taking the easy way out.
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