POLITICAL HEADLINES - 5/2
Trippi’s Regret
Joe Trippi had one shot to convince John Edwards to stay in the presidential race but “for the first time in thirty years of political work, I didn’t go with my gut.”
“I didn’t tell him what I should have told him: That I had this feeling that if he stayed in the race he would win 300 or so delegates by Super Tuesday and have maybe a one-in-five chance of forcing a brokered convention. That there was a path ahead that would be extremely painful, but could very well put him and his causes at the top of the Democratic agenda. And that in politics anything can happen — even the possibility that in an open convention with multiple ballots an embattled and exhausted party would turn to him as their nominee. I should have closed my eyes to the pain I saw around me on the campaign bus, including my own. I should have told him emphatically that he should stay in. My regret that I did not do so — that I let John Edwards down — grows with every day that the fight between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama continues.”
Congressman Arrested
Rep. Vito Fossella (R-NY) was arrested last night in Virginia and charged with driving while intoxicated, the Washington Post reports.
CQ Politics rates his NY-13 seat as Safe Republican.
Bonus Quote of the Day
“It’s the dumbest thing I’ve heard in an awful long time from an economic point of view….”
– New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, quoted by the New York Observer, on eliminating federal gas taxes for the summertime. The proposal is supported by Sen. John McCain and Sen. Hillary Clinton.
Quinnipiac: Clinton Shows Strength in Swing States
The new Quinnipiac Swing State Poll shows Sen. Hillary Clinton riding strong support among white working class voters to beat Sen. John McCain in three key swing states — Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania.
However, if Obama is the Democratic nominee, he’s in a tight race with McCain in Florida and Ohio, but takes Pennsylvania.
Florida: Clinton 49%, McCain 41%; McCain 44%, Obama 43%
Ohio: Clinton 48%, McCain 38%; McCain 43%, Obama 42%
Pennsylvania: Clinton 51%, McCain 37%; Obama 47%, McCain 38%
Said pollster Peter Brown: “If the super delegates are looking at electability, these results could be a shot in the arm for Sen. Clinton. No one has won the White House since 1960 without carrying two of these three swing states, Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania. And she clearly is running much better against Sen. McCain than is Sen. Obama, at least for now.”
Mason-Dixon: Obama Slipping in North Carolina
A new Mason-Dixon poll in North Carolina shows Sen. Barack Obama’s double-digit lead over Sen. Hillary Clinton is eroding.
The results now show Obama with a 7 point lead over Clinton, 49% to 42%, with 9% undecided. The poll has a margin of error of 5 points.
Quote of the Day
“I am convinced that the primary process has devolved to the point that it’s now bad for the Democratic Party.”
– Former DNC Chair Joe Andrew, quoted by Time, on why he’s now backing Sen. Barack Obama for president over Sen. Hillary Clinton. Andrew served as party chair under Bill Clinton.
InsiderAdvantage: Clinton Passes Obama in North Carolina
A new InsiderAdvantage survey of likely voters in North Carolina shows Sen. Hillary Clinton having moved from a double digit deficit just two weeks ago to a small lead over Sen. Barack Obama.
Clinton leads Obama, 44% to 42% with 14% undecided. The survey has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.8%, making the race a statistical dead heat.
Said pollster Matt Towery: “The shift has come almost entirely from white voters age 45 and over. There was a small drift of African-Americans back towards Clinton, but not so significant as to establish any trend.”
Flush Democrats May Expand Majority
Nine of the 10 most cash-rich challengers to House incumbents are Democrats, according to a new CQ Politics analysis of updated campaign finance reports.
Veep Madness
CQ has launched VP Madness, an interactive game modeled after the NCAA college basketball tournament, that enables political enthusiasts to select Sen. John McCain’s running mate from a competitive field of potential GOP vice presidential candidates.
It’s definitely worth checking out.
McCain Leads Both Democrats in Arizona
A new Cronkite/Eight Poll in Arizona finds Sen. John McCain winning his home state in the November election.
Arizonans surveyed favored McCain over Sen. Barack Obama, 47% to 38%, and favored McCain over Sen. Hillary Clinton, 53% to 37%.
Polls Show Mixed Results On Clinton vs. Obama
Several new national polls show conflicting results in the Democratic presidential race:
NYT/CBS News: Obama 46%, Clinton 38%
WSJ/NBC News: Obama 46%, Clinton 43%
Fox News: Clinton 44%, Obama 41%
Gallup: Clinton 47%, Obama 46%
May 1, 2008 at 11:12 pm
[...] unknown wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptNew York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, quoted by the New York Observer, on eliminating federal gas taxes for the summertime. The proposal is supported by Sen. John McCain and Sen. Hillary Clinton. … [...]