Politics
-
Nevada: Vindication of the Clinton Race Strategy?
Sullivan thinks so: Fascinating data from Nevada: just as Hispanics went overwhelmingly – 64 – 24 – for Clinton, blacks went more overwhelmingly – 80 – 16 – for Obama. I’d say this is a vindication of the Clintons’ racial polarization strategy: force Obama to be the "black" candidate and rely on some white and
-
Huckabee Mea Culpa
I never said he was electable or that I would ever want him elected, but I have to say I was wrong to think as positively about Huckabee as I did in the wake of his Iowa victory. I thought then he was being misunderstood by people who saw him as closer to James Dobson
-
Obama is the New Reagan?! (updated)
Obama’s comparison of himself with Reagan has raised a few eyebrows, but Sullivan explains the logic of such a comparison well here in a post he wrote almost a year ago. Key idea: The overwhelming first impression that you get – from the exhausted but vibrant stump speech, the diverse nature of the crowd, the
-
Debate: Eye of Storm
That’s my read–a temporary lull before things start blowing again. Everyone was on his or her best behavior, and it would be nice if it could stay that way. It was a decent, informative exchange of ideas, and on points I’d give the debate to Clinton. She scored on accusing Obama of voting for the
-
More on Race & Gender
From Gary Kamiya today in Salon: But if Clinton is caught in the damned-if-she-does, damned-if-she-doesn’t trap [too feminine or too butch], Obama is caught in a similar, even more extreme one. He has a bigger head start because of racial guilt, but a bigger downside because of racial fear. His tightrope is higher up, but
-
More on Clinton’s Race Strategy (Updates 1 & 2)
This is a follow-up to my post on this issue on Friday. Here’s how it works. The Clintons make these subtle, racially charged remarks, and then people like Joe Klein and corporate blacks like Robert L. Johnson start accusing Obama of making race an issue if he or his campaign complain about it. Judicious and
-
The Bradley Effect in N.H.
I haven’t addressed the Bradley Effect as a factor to account for Clinton’s surprise victory in N.H. It never made any sense to me that it would be significant enough to account for a ten-point swing. The explanations based on women identifying with the embattled Hillary made more sense. And indeed John Judis has the
-
Race-and-Gender Strategy Shaping Up for Clinton?
Hope not, but there has been some weird stuff said in the last week that has made me wonder. I think Clinton haters tend to think that everything she does is calculated, even the tears. I prefer to give her the benefit of the doubt on that, but this post at TPM Greg Sargent raises
-
Hillary Hatred
Sullivan reprints this email to him, which calls him out on his irrationality toward Clinton. I don't want her nominated, but I simply do not get the Clinton hatred displayed by the Andrew Sullivans and Chris Matthew types in the media establishment. To Sullivan's credit, he hears the criticism and promises to amend his ways.
-
Quote of the Day: Robert Scheer
In response to Gloria Steinem’s column asserting that women become more radical as they age, and that’s why they voted in N.H. for Clinton: What is radical about voting for a corporate lawyer who, in defense of her Arkansas savings and loan shenanigans, once said you can’t be a lawyer without working for banks? Steinem