Exit Polls May Prompt Clinton-Obama Ticket in the Fall
But exit polls taken after voters cast their ballots revealed stunning strengths -- and weaknesses -- for both candidates, which could increase pressure on Clinton and Obama to settle their differences and join forces as the Democratic Party ticket in the fall campaign.
Obama greatly expanded his appeal with white voters — particularly white men — even as he scored an overwhelming majority of blacks, while Clinton solidified her support among Latinos -- with the notable exception of young Latinos under 30, who broke for Obama.
Clinton also won solid support among women, who made up 57 percent of Democratic Super Tuesday voters, while Obama scored high among men. Obama drew the lion's share of younger voters under 30, while Clinton swept older voters over 55.
While voters weren't specifically asked if they wanted to see Clinton and Obama become running mates, the exit polls did show that Democratic voters would be happy with either candidate as the party's nominee. But with voter sentiment nearly evenly divided between the two, a Clinton-Obama combo would appear to be much more formidable against the Republicans in the fall than either candidate separately.
And consider this: So far in this primary season, Democrats are drawing record-breaking turnouts across the country, almost twice as many voters as Republicans: 14 million to 8 million, according to CNN. And independents -- who make up a third of the general electorate and without whom neither party can win in November -- are leaning 2-1 in favor of the Democrats.
McCain Appeals For GOP Unity -- But Right-Wingers Are Unlikely to be Moved
With his lead over his rivals widening, McCain expressed hope that criticism from within his own party would ease. "I do hope that at some point we would just calm down a little bit and see if there's areas we can agree on," he said Wednesday, the eve of a scheduled appearance before conservative activists at the annual Conservative Political Action Committee (CPAC) conference in Washington.
But these hard-line, so-called "conservatives" -- who, to this blogger, are really right-wing ideologues only slightly to the left of Benito Mussolini -- are in no mood to hear any of it.
Why? Because McCain, in these neo-fascists' estimation, committed two unpardonable sins:
1) He teamed up with Democratic Senator Russ Feingold of Wisconsin to move through a law that severely restricted campaign fundraising in federal elections. This infuriated the far right because the McCain-Feingold law robbed the GOP of its decades-long fundraising advantage over the Democrats. Now, it's the Democrats who are flush with money and the Republicans who are strapped for cash.
2) McCain co-sponsored a compromise bill that would curtail the nation's unsecured borders, while figuring out a way to deal with the 12 million illegal immigrants already here. That bill, unfortunately, was killed off by the rabid blatherings of the right-wing talk-radio hosts and their equally rabid listeners, who'll accept nothing less than the government building "Berlin Walls" on our northern and southern borders and throwing the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants already living here out of the country.
A third of those illegals have native-born, U.S.-citizen children who cannot be deported. In a country that prides itself on supporting the family, are we really willing to deport the parents of of three million American children? This blogger don't think so.
Prediction For November Matchup: Clinton-Obama vs. McCain-Huckabee
One thing that has been widely noticed in this campaign is the refusal of either McCain or Huckabee to fling mud at each other. On the contrary, they've directed their fire at Romney -- and only in response to Romney's attack ads against them in Iowa and New Hampshire and his biting remarks against McCain on the stump.
And McCain's effusive praise for Huckabee's southern success in his victory speech Tuesday night -- compared to his grudging praise for Romney -- is leading to speculation that the Arizona senator and the former Arkansas governor my become running mates in the fall campaign.
I'm a native of New York City who's called the Green Mountain state of Vermont home since the summer of 1994. A former freelance journalist, I'm a fiercely independent freethinker who's highly skeptical of authority figures -- especially when they're on the wrong side of the issues I care about. But I'm not afraid to also call into question those with whom I would usually be "on the same page" if and when they, too, are on the wrong side of the issues I care about.
Hillary and Bill would be co-presidents for a third and probably fourth term -- 12 to 16 years. I hope the voters will not make that choice, but if they do, I do not believe that Barack Obama would choose to play 3rd fiddle to those two as co-presidents.
by
Christie (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 143 comments)
on Thursday, February 7, 2008 at 2:23:41 PM
Why would she take Obama, she probably already made a deal with Edwards for VP. Obama brings very little the Blacks will all vote Democrat as usual.The hispanics will decide the race.Mccain will be bowled over quickly!
by
dave stanley (5 articles, 1 quicklinks, 7 diaries, 286 comments)
on Thursday, February 7, 2008 at 6:18:29 PM
Why Would Hillary Take Obama? She Can't Win Without Him
There's no way that Hillary Clinton can win in November without Barack Obama as her running mate. That much is clear. She's lost the support of African Americans, young people and -- most importantly -- male voters.
If one thing ermerged most glaringly from the Super Tuesday exit polls, it's that there is a major gender gap separating Clinton and Obama -- and an even larger gender chasm between Clinton and McCain.
Of course, what's unspoken in these results is that men are far less comfortable with the thought of a woman as commander-in-chief of the armed forces than they are about an African American commander-in-chief.
You can thank that in part to Hollywood. The movie "Deep Impact" and the TV series "24" both featured a black president -- and both were hits. The TV series "Commander-in-Chief" featured a woman as president -- and it flopped.
You can also thank Colin Powell. After the success of the Gulf War in 1991, There was a lot of speculation and media attention about Powell seeking the GOP presidential nomination in 2000 -- but he flatly declared that he would not run.
Now, of course, there are a lot of people who wish that Powell HAD run; he would have been a far better president than Bush turned out to be.
by
Skeeter Sanders (32 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 78 comments)
on Friday, February 8, 2008 at 5:28:18 PM
I can certainly see Clinton, if she wins the nomination, asking Obama to be her running mate. That would really strengthen the ticket, and Clinton is a smart, pragmatic politician. I can't see Obama accepting, not because of animosity towards Clinton, but because the Vice Presidency is a very poor platform as one has to follow someone else's line and has little opportunity to take meaningful initiative. Remaining Senator would better position him for the future than being Vice President.
McCain-Huckabee is much more plausible. Huckabee has a long enough political career to have established a record. He is viewed with considerable suspicion by mainstream Republicans, and being a Republican Vice President could thus set him up to be in a better position to gain the Republican Presidential nomination in the future. I'm not sure what other course could so set him up, given who he is. And the two seem to like and admire each other., and they have enough of a different appeal to well complement each other. The ticket is not going to exactly enthuse mainstream Republicans, but they have nowhere to go and will support it for the most part. The ticket would be a great one for the Republicans, because each one has a reputation of breaking out of the standard politician mold and the standard Republican mold, in somewhat different ways. Such a ticket would hold appeal to independent voters, who hold the balance of power.
by
Bill Samuel (4 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 330 comments)
on Thursday, February 7, 2008 at 8:30:07 PM
I can't see Obama accepting, not because of animosity towards Clinton, but because the Vice Presidency is a very poor platform as one has to follow someone else's line and has little opportunity to take meaningful initiative.
After eight years of Dick Cheney, the vice presidency is no longer what it used to be. Truth be told, the Bush policies on Iraq and the war on terror were Cheney's ideas, not Bush's. Not to mention the "unitary presidency" doctrine. As vice president, Obama would have HUGE shoes to fill.
by
Skeeter Sanders (32 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 78 comments)
on Friday, February 8, 2008 at 5:36:37 PM
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