Campaign Notes

In what political pundits see as the most extraordinary presidential race in modern history, recent deployments have Americans looking to the electoral arena with passion and hope not seen since RFK and 1968. Some notes:

Edwards

Populist-progressive John Edwards has dropped out the race for the Democratic nomination, and appears poised to consolidate the growing progressive direction of the national political Democratic party, as activists and white men congeal around Barack Obama. However, Hillary’s coalition includes activists as well as strong Hispanic and womens’ support.

Hillary

But Hillary's grandstanding in Florida (in what was supposed to be a state in which no campaigning was to take place among Democratic candidates) reveals a desperate campaign. From the Evans-Novak Political Report:

The combination of Sen. Barack Obama's (Ill.) unexpected landslide in South Carolina and Sen. Teddy Kennedy's (Mass.) dramatic endorsement mean real trouble for Sen. Hillary Clinton (N.Y.). This is not what she expected on a smooth run to the nomination. Her name ID may be enough in Super Tuesday states, but she can no longer be so certain.

McCain

From the Evans-Novak Political Report:

Sen. John McCain's (Ariz.) successive wins in South Carolina and Florida mean he clearly is the front-runner in a two-man race with former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. Everything is in his favor in the high population states, and he could come close to wrapping up the nomination because of winner-take-all Republican rules. Time is growing short for the right wing of the GOP to stop McCain or even wrest concessions from him.

Huckabee

Mike Huckabee has enough organization and appeal to evangelicals to stay in the race after Super Tuesday. As Huckabee notes in his e-mail sent to supporters today:

Our focus turns now to Super Tuesday. Recent polling shows us in first or tied for first place in Georgia, Arkansas, Alabama, Missouri, Tennessee and Oklahoma… If the Republican nominee appears out of touch with regular voters or has cast votes that were an anathema to his Party, that candidate will fail to unite the Republican Party against the Democrat nominee, no matter who that nominee is. I have what it takes, our campaign is still standing and drawing new support everyday and I am prepared to lead America forward. Spread the word. I am fighting for you and will continue to do so every step of the way.

Obama and Hillary

The Obama and Hillary race will be a clash of political titans that all Democratic activists hope will stay relatively good-spirited and on the high road.

The Obama-Hillary race is a 50/50 bet, and a political junkie’s dream:

Salon’s Joan Walsh writes:

Barack Obama went up with a new ad in Northern California that I just saw this morning, and I have to say it's powerful. It's about healthcare, and he tells a story that's now a staple of many of his speeches, about his mother's troubles with insurance while she was fighting and ultimately dying of cancer at age 53. One noteworthy image in the first frames: A photo of Obama as a child, with his adoring mother, Ann Dunham, who was, of course, white.

Rudy

Defeated Giuliani Endorses McCain
Rudy was his own worst enemy: Arrogant, authoritarian, Nixonian and so enamored of himself that he believed people would flock to him even though he skipped political campaigning.

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