Barack Obama is projected to win the South Carolina primary.
UPDATE: Did I say win? I meant romp like Godzilla.
In other news, popular Florida governor Charlie Crist has endorsed John McCain. This is a big blow to Romney in a hotly fought contest. I'm guessing McCain's (relative) sanity on global warming had something to do with it. Don't miss Grist's interview with Crist.
UPDATE: Meanwhile, Caroline Kennedy, son daughter of John F., endorses Obama.
UPDATE: The big story tonight, yet again, is huge turnout -- close to a half-million people -- continuing a trend in the Dem primaries.
Looks like the semi-final numbers are Obama 55, Clinton 27, Edwards 18. That qualifies as, in the words of Obama campaign strategist David Axelrod, "a good old-fashioned butt kicking."
UPDATE: Here's Obama's (remarkable) victory speech:
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ids Posted 10:16 am
26 Jan 2008
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Bikechess Posted 12:17 pm
26 Jan 2008
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wesrolley Posted 3:27 pm
26 Jan 2008
Mr. Clinton will shape this race to that it becomes even more racial and that is one thing that this country can not afford right now.
I would think that he has already calculated the effect of this on the Hispanic vote and sees more of the Hispanics coming over to Hillary. Pure calculated divide and conquer politics.
Makes me glad that I am not a politician.
Wes Rolley
CoChair - EcoAction Committee
Green Party US
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spaceshaper Posted 12:28 am
27 Jan 2008
The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit.
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amazingdrx Posted 12:45 am
27 Jan 2008
Caroline endorsing Barack is perfect, and perfect timing. This is a real primary and a real party. No more rubber stamp. No more smoke filled room decision. Populism lives.
Will someone tell Brack about plugin hybrids now? Hillary heard about them a few weeks back.
Hillary wants to divert oil and coal subsidies to renewables and conservation.
Barack is for cap and trade, nuclear power, "clean" coal, and fuel farming. Hillary is skeptical of these lobbyist backed ideas.
The populist is turning out to be the corporatist front man. Barack is following in Bill Clinton's mode. Bill is a rock star too. just like jFK, MLK, and Barack.
Bill got almost nothing done on the environment. Is GHG climate change a rock star, populist issue? No. It would be were it connected to jobs.
Can Hillary do that and become a baby boomer populist? If she makes health care a populist issue as well. Revive the job and manufacturing base by fighting GHG and soaring energy prices, then use the surplus to pay for healthcare.
To long for a bumpersticker, hard to chant. Maybe she will be the first. FDRs fireside chats were more than bumpersticker slogans. Maybe we need an essay.
Baby boomers will vote for McCain, and he has the same energy policy as Barack. Has the nuclear, coal, and fuel farming agribizz lobby won this election already? Both McCain and Barack are touting their solutions.
Hillary could distinguish her position right about now. And make the general election at least a horse race for the lobbyists.
I wish Barack's populist change wave included renewable enegy policy, but it doesn't. With a Barack/McCain race we have a choice between two slightly different corporate lobbyist energy plans.
Come on Hillary. Get Bill out there talking about how to reduce gas prices and save the planet, instead of talking about Barack.
Barack just beat the Clinton strategy, set a bear trap, and Bill stepped right in it. Maybe he can do that to McCain, maybe not. Remember the swiftboaters, waiting over the horizon. Rove's navy, ready to sink our candidate. Can Barack beat them?
Women behind Hillary could, they have the numbers to swamp the polls and over run any amount of GOP vote fixing.
The youth change wave, rock star vote will have a harder time. Only a small percentage of younger voters actually vote. But they love to party!
http://amazngdrx.blogharbor.com/blog
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caniscandida Posted 12:58 am
27 Jan 2008
And, lest it get out of hand that he won in 2004, he was running against that adorable charm-bucket John Kerry in 2004; Hillary and Obama are competition of a totally superior sort.
As for "a good old-fashioned butt-kicking," there is nothing "old-fashioned" about these primaries. This is a totally new game.
As for the NYTimes endorsements: These were unusually weakly written, IMHO. The arguments for and against, regarding both the Democrats and the Republicans, were shallow and unconvincing. Their dismissal of John Edwards (and of Mitt Romney too, for that matter, though Romney is an utterly loathable person) made no sense, nor did the way they rejected Obama.
As for Caroline's endorsement of Obama: Ummm. She is obviously a sentimental favorite. But she is so disappointingly uncommunicative! With no graces as a speaker, either, as she showed amply at the Democratic National Convention in 2004.
I lightly agree with what she has to say about Obama and his candidacy. And I am not surprised that she feels as she (says she) feels. But she has not influenced my opinions at all.
Chickens are our cousins! So are fish! So are other sentient animals! Let us learn to be kind.
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GreenMom Posted 1:29 am
27 Jan 2008
Amazing, it's not as if Hillary has never fronted a corporation.
I'm hopeful that were Obama to become president, he would cease to be concerned with corporate interests specific to Illinois, i.e. corn and coal.
Anyway the big story in South Carolina is the turnout -- didn't Democractic turnout in SC exceed Republican turnout? When did THAT ever happen in the last 40 years?
Obama is becoming a JFK-like phenomenon. He's starting to show that he may be the Dem that can WIN in November. That's the important thing.
I believe he's educable on renewable energy. Let's make sure we educate him.
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amazingdrx Posted 2:07 am
27 Jan 2008
Yah, yah, yah..we are mad as hell, and we won't take this clean coal and nuclear, fuel farming anymore! Great bunpersticker.
http://amazngdrx.blogharbor.com/blog
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GreyFlcn Posted 4:50 am
27 Jan 2008
But frankly I don't know which way to vote between Hillary/Obama.
I'm a bit more concerned with getting any Democrat into the White House.
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caniscandida Posted 5:45 am
27 Jan 2008
Just to be clear, Grey Falcon, I have nothing against Obama. He is a fantastic "symbol"-candidate, and on that level at least I would have no problem supporting him in November.
But, while I cannot believe the NY Times editorialists' discounting him, still I would like to know more about his political and social values, and why his new, allegedly unifying style of politics will not amount to a capitulation on old but gravely important progressive issues.
Poor John Edwards! The current political environment ought to have favored him greatly -- if it were not for the fact that he is competing against not one but two candidates whose candidacies are of terrific historic appeal.
I hope he has not lingered long on the horrible thought that must have entered his poor little well-coiffed head: that very many of the people who voted for him in SC only voted for him because they would sooner die than vote for a black candidate.
Chickens are our cousins! So are fish! So are other sentient animals! Let us learn to be kind.
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ids Posted 6:09 am
27 Jan 2008
Wouldn't it be nice if he won in a landslide and provide the enviro mandate? Yes, but he is campaigning as much for digging bigger holes as not. That does not create a mandate in office for any significant change. You can hope, though, if you like.
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bookerly Posted 7:14 am
27 Jan 2008
It seems that the Clinton's sense of entitlement really blinded them during the campaign. Of especial interest is that the places where Bill spoke, Hillary's share of the Black vote DEcreased. Someone needs to take that man to the woodshed and get him back on track.
The Democratic vote was higher partially because of better weather.
An impressive win by Obama!! (I would still be voting for Edwards, but may have missed the deadline to apply from overseas, oh well, by then it may not make any difference.)
All of the Republicans are bad and all of the Democrats are mediocre. Say, didn't I see this movie before?? Is this another remake?? I hope not!!!
patrick in Beijing
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amazingdrx Posted 2:49 am
29 Jan 2008
http://amazngdrx.blogharbor.com/blog
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