PunditGuy

Massachusetts Senator John Kerry, the 2004 Democratic nominee for president, has thrown his support behind Senator Barack Obama in his bid for the 2008 nomination.

Kerry, a senator from Massachusetts, planned to announce his support Thursday at a rally with Obama at the College of Charleston, arguing that the Illinois senator can best unite the country, said a Democrat familiar with the decision. Kerry was timing his announcement before South Carolina’s Jan. 26 primary, a contest that has taken on extra importance for Obama after Hillary Rodham Clinton beat him in New Hampshire.

Following in the footsteps of Al Gore, who in 2004 supported the nomination of Howard Dean instead of his 2000 running mate, Joe Lieberman, Kerry’s endorsement is a slap in the face to John Edwards, his running mate in the ’04 campaign. But it’s easy to understand. No one believes John Edwards has a chance to be the nominee this time.

The ‘Fredo Kiss‘ implication aside, this is probably good news for Obama, regardless of the Kerry baggage. The endorsement follows on the heals of another one received from the 60,000-member Culinary Workers Union in Nevada yesterday.

Tags:
2008 Election, Barack Obama, South Carolina, John Kerry

Bill Richardson is history.

New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson ended his campaign for the presidency Wednesday after twin fourth-place finishes that showed his impressive credentials could not compete with his rivals’ star power.

Richardson planned to announce the decision Thursday, according to two people close to the governor with knowledge of the decision. They spoke on a condition of anonymity in advance of the governor’s announcement.

Richardson stayed in long enough to show the other candidates that he’d be a loyal VEEP. I think he’ll appear on a couple of short lists come April.

Tags:
2008 Election, Bill Richardson, Campaign, Vice President, New Mexico

Now that he’s unencumbered by the White House, he’s able to speak his mind.

Obama’s ‘Smarmy, Prissy’ Slap Helped Clinton

Karl Rove told Cybercast News Service in an interview Wednesday that Sen. Hillary Clinton’s New Hampshire campaign was helped when she responded in a smiling, self-deprecating manner when asked during Saturday night’s televised debate why some voters had an issue with her “likeability” and that her rival Sen. Barack Obama only enhanced the positive impact for Clinton when he responded like “a smarmy, prissy little guy taking a slap at her.”

Rove, whom President Bush cited as “the architect” of his victorious 2004 reelection campaign, said of Clinton’s emotional moment in the coffee shop: “Now, look, I know there is a lot of controversy on this. It says something about the peoples’ concern about Hillary Clinton that we are having a debate as to whether or not that was a real moment. But I think it is a real moment. And I think a lot of people look at it, and particularly Democrats, who said, you know, I may have a concern about her. I’m really concerned about whether we’re-you know, she is calculating everything. And that was one moment where if you saw it or heard about it, it was hard not to think that was a real moment. I think those two things helped her.”

Well, I think Hillary is smarter than that. As far as I’m concerned, she saw an opening and ran with it. I’m not say that she didn’t answer honestly at first, but the moment she saw a connection happening with the people in the room (applause, the look in their eyes, etc.) she capitalized on it. She knew what was happening, and she got her money’s worth.

About Obama, the more I think of it, the more I agree that his performance during the debate was weak, in the sense that, he thought he just had to phone it in. There’s a real lesson to learn. We’ll see if he “got educated”.

Tags:
2008 Election, Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, New Hampshire, Oval Office, Republicans, Karl Rove

Chris Matthews on MSNBC this morning:

I think the Hillary appeal has always been about the mix of toughness and sympathy. Let’s not forget, and I’ll be brutal, the reason she’s a US Senator, the reason she’s a candidate for President, the reason she may be a front runner, is that her husband messed around. That’s how she got to be a Senator from New York. We keep forgetting it. She didn’t win it on her merit, she won because everybody felt, “My God, this woman stood up under humiliation,” right? That’s what happened. That’s how it happened. In 1998, she went to NY and campaigned for Chuck Schumer as almost like the grieving widow of absurdity, and she did it so well and courageously. But it was about the humilation of Bill Clinton.

Heh.

Tags:
2008 Election, Hillary Clinton, New Hampshire, Chris Matthews, MSNBC

Color me completely surprised. I thought, and the majority of bloggers and the MSM thought as well, that Hillary Clinton would get clobbered tonight in New Hampshire. As we all know now, that didn’t happen.

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York rode a wave of female support to victory over Senator Barack Obama in the New Hampshire primary on Tuesday night.

Mrs. Clinton’s victory came after her advisers had lowered expectations with talk of missteps in strategy and concern about Mr. Obama’s momentum coming out of the Iowa caucuses.

Mrs. Clinton told supporters, “I want especially to thank New Hampshire. Over the last week I listened to you and in the process I found my own voice.”

She added, “Together, let’s give America the kind of comeback New Hampshire has just given me.’

Mr. Obama conceded the race to Mrs. Clinton, congratulating her on a “hard-fought victory.”

He told cheering supporters in Manchester: “You made it clear in this moment and this election there is something happening in America. We are ready to take this country in a fundamentally new direction.”

Over the next few days, the exit poll data will be analyzed thoroughly and we’ll know more about how it was that Hillary came back from a double digit Obama victory to winning by 2 or 3 percent. Obviously women voters came out and believed her “Muskie moment” on Monday. Hillary connected with additional voters when she pulled out her can of whupass Saturday night during the debate. The question is now, can Hillary keep up the act? Can she script a tear on cue? Can she keep from yelling monotonously during campaign events which drives men crazy? We’ll see.

On the Republican side, no surprises at all. Everyone thought McCain would win and he did. The big question now is, what happens to Mitt Romney? Can he come back and win after losing Iowa and New Hampshire? Sure, he won Wyoming but no one is really paying attention to that. If anyone has the clock running against him, it’s Mitt.

One thing is for sure. This race remains wide open on both sides of the aisle.

Tags:
2008 Election, Barack Obama, Campaign, Hillary Clinton, New Hampshire, Politics, Republicans, Democrats, John McCain, Mitt Romney

While the candidates await the results of voting in today’s New Hampshire Primary, one of the Republican candidates has flown south seeking a warmer reception.

With his Republican rivals jockeying for victory in New Hampshire, presidential hopeful Fred Thompson sought Tuesday to boost his support in this early voting state considered critical to his campaign.

“I don’t know of any better place to stand my ground and test my case than in South Carolina,” Thompson told a couple of hundred people at a pancake house in the northern part of the state as he began an 11-day bus tour.

Several hours later, he said primary results in New Hampshire and in Michigan on Jan. 15 will factor into whether he stays in the race — but that South Carolina will be key.

“This is where we make our stand — this is where I have chosen to make my stand,” Thompson told a crowd at a barbecue restaurant. He later told reporters he needs to do well in South Carolina, which votes Jan. 19.

I’ve said before that I don’t think Fred’s heart is in this campaign, so it’s not surprising to me that he’s left New Hampshire. His showing there will be unimpressive. There was much speculation regarding the future of his bid for the GOP presidential nomination. Now, it’s pretty clear what Fred’s plans are. Win and live through South Carolina, or stop and get off the bus, permanently.

Tags:
2008 Election, Campaign, Fred Thompson, New Hampshire, Politics, Republicans, GOP, South Carolina

Well, well, well…looky here. Mr. Obama is already acting like he’s in the Oval Office.

Obama calls Kenyan opposition leader; appeals for calm

NAIROBI, Kenya (CNN) — U.S. presidential hopeful Barack Obama — whose father was from Kenya — has called Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga to express his concerns about the outcome of the recent presidential elections in the African country, Odinga told CNN Tuesday.

An official with Obama’s campaign confirmed the Monday phone call, saying Obama wanted to speak personally to Odinga and emphasize how important it is to reduce the violence, because it can’t be allowed to tear the country apart.

“He said he was very concerned about the situation” and asked Odinga to hold talks with newly re-elected President Mwai Kibaki, the opposition leader told CNN’s Jim Clancy.

OK, so maybe he’s legitimately concerned about Kenya, but this stunt gets the eyebrow raise of the day.

Tags:
2008 Election, Barack Obama, Oval Office, President

I love the rumor mill, especially when we’re only a few hours away from a second crushing defeat for Hillary Clinton. Fox News’ Major Garrett writes:

It’s back to the future at Hillary Clinton’s campaign as some of the top advisers to former President Clinton are set to join to Hillary’s faltering campaign as early as tomorrow. Senior Clinton sources tell Fox that Hillary intends to bring in as top day-to-day advisers James Carville and Paul Begala.

And then a bit later…

Paul Begala sent the following e-mail to The Bourbon Room moments ago.

Major:

I know you’re swamped and I hate to bother you on such a busy news day, but whoever told you I am joining Hillary’s campaign fed you some bum info. It’s just not true. Or as I say to my boys, N.H.D. Not. Happening. Dude.

I am not coming in as a volunteer, or as an adviser or as a strategist or anything else. I have contributed to her campaign, and am convinced she would be a great President. But I am not joining the campaign in any form or fashion.

Thanks a lot.

All best,

Paul Begala

The sourcing on the story is impeccable and its been confirmed through other, external sources very close to the Clinton campaign. The story has always said this is a matter that has to be finalized in a shake-down meeting tomorrow after what is expected to be a bruising Clinton loss here in New Hampshire.

The final decision is due tomorrow but the current intention, as The Bourbon Room first reported, is to bring Begala and Clinton on board as day-to-day strategists on a volunteer basis.

One of the realities of political coverage, is denials fly until the press release is out. There’s no press release on this. It is in development and that’s always the way The Bourbon Room has reported it.

The topic of bringing Carville and Begala on board was first raised in a Clinton conference call yesterday, a call in which two very credible sources tell me Begala and Carville participated.

Like everyone else who has spent time with the Clintons, Paul Begala knows how to chose words. In his letter to Garrett, did you notice how did denied that he’s joining the Clinton campaign, today? He didn’t say anything about tomorrow, or the next day, or next week. The words missing from Begala’s letter were: “I’m not joining the campaign today or at anytime in the future.” But he didn’t say that, did he? Nope.

He’ll be on board by the end of the day tomorrow.

Tags:
2008 Election, Campaign, Hillary Clinton, Politics, Paul Begala, James Carville