Something to think about:
PRINCETON, NJ — Gallup Poll Daily tracking shows Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama as close as they have been since the polling program started at the beginning of 2008. Forty-four percent of Democratic voters nationwide support Clinton, while 41% support Obama, within the poll’s three-point margin of error. The data suggest that Obama has gained slightly more — at least initially — from John Edwards’ departure from the race. In the final tracking data including Edwards in all three days’ interviewing (Jan. 27-29 data), Clinton had 42%, Obama 36%, and Edwards 12%. Since then, Clinton’s support has increased two points and Obama’s five. Tomorrow’s release will be the first pure post-Edwards three-day rolling average.
It’s raining like crazy here. What’s going on where you are?
Snow.
It’s a glorious 65 degree spring day outside.
10 inches of snow overnight. Blue sky with sun shining on the snow. It’s quite lovely.
All supposed to melt this weekend.
We got that rain as snow last night, but not as much as was being called for.
In other news, WTF is Specter up to?
This is all about breaking NFL rules, not federal laws. Why does Specter feel the need to interfere here?
“Hello Senator Specter’s office.”
“Hi, my name’s Brendan Skwire. I’m a constituent calling from Philadelphia PA. Is it true that the Senator compared the New England Patriots’ spying on other teams to the destruction of the CIA tapes?”
“Yes, he was quoted in the New york Times.”
[pause]
[longer pause]
“Sir? Do you want me to pass along a comment?”
“Yeah, sorry, I’m just trying to get my head around such a monumentally stupid statement. Yeah…yeah, I would like you to send him a comment.
“Tell him that I’m looking forward to him writing legislation that gives the Pats retroactive immunity from prosecution for spying,just like he did for his buddies at AT&T.”
Specter’s office didn’t like that too much, but when I related the story to Bob Casey’s office, the guy who answered the phone couldn’t stop laughing.
Now that is funny!
yes, it is very funny.
either can I
That’s hilarious. I would have paid to see the look on the face on the guy from Specter’s office.
raining.
looking for sponsors for our annual read-a-thon.
going to the New Wave with my folks for polish food tonight. You wouldn’t believe how good it is, and what a great atmosphere. A full line of Polish beers too, especially Okocim Porter.
You should go. the prices are very good too.
Well, at least they didn’t break into his psychiatrist’s office.
Hey BooMan,
first The San Francisco Chronicle, now TPM links to Los Angeles Times
Barack Obama for Democratic nominee
Wow! Strongly endorses him. Nice.
Friggin’ freezing rain downpour. Drove 4 hours roundtrip to Rye, NY for a one hour meeting, white knuckles all the way.
I don’t usually spreads links I get from Andrew Sullivan – but this one is delightfully frivolous – fantasy home cinema rooms.
Check it out.
The geek in me is attracted to The Enterprise but the slacker in me who wants comfort would pick The Nautilus.
It’s delightfully frivolous, but hey…it’s their money, and the rooms were expertly put together. Can’t hate on it.
Wow…I would love any one of those rooms. As a Star Trek geek, I love the Enterprise. As a Sci Fi geek, the Nautilus really is just too cool for words. But, I have to say that the Bat Cave is also pretty bloody unique.
Our kids had a “snow day”–or something–today. No school.
This is what the roads looked like this afternoon around 3 p.m.
There is a dusting on the ground now. I guess it was more a concern about the freezing rain we were supposed to get than snow accumulation. Of course I’m glad the school district is cautious, but Friday is the one week day I don’t teach. I look forward to that day of unstructured time that I don’t have the distraction of the kids being home.
There’s a foot of snow laying around at the moment, but it’s supposed to get up to 40 or so in a couple days.
What I’ve been thinking about is, why did Edwards decide to drop out when he did? If he was planning to endorse, now would have been the time. But he apparently isn’t, so why not wait it out til Tuesday and maybe pick up a few more delegates here and there? You’d think he’d at least want whatever maximum clout he could bring to the convention.
He wouldn’t have had to advertise or campaign, just not officially call it quits quite yet. Has anybody made any sense of his timing?
I’m waiting to see if he endorses on Monday.
I had the same question. His announcement on Wednesday was good for Obama because it switched the media narrative away from Florida where Hillary had tried to regain the narrative. But without endorsing anyone before Tuesday I don’t see what the real point was.
Super Tuesday could make or break one of these candidates. Saving his powder for later doesn’t seem like a good strategy.
I have no idea what will happen, but here’s my thinking. Endorsing on the day he dropped out would have run the risk of alienating supporters. Plus, the media narrative would have been all about the endorsement, the meaning of the endorsement, what effect it will have on Super Tuesday, and so forth. Completely eclipsing his speech about poverty.
Also, since Edwards did not endorse either Obama or Clinton, during last night’s debate, both candidates spoke highly of him and emphasized the importance of carrying forth his vision on ending poverty. I didn’t see the beginning of the debate, since I was driving home from class at the time, but I heard some commentator say that Edwards was a bigger presence in last night’s debates than he was in the debates where he was actually on the stage.
An endorsement on Monday would dominate the news cycle right before Super Tuesday.
Of course, this is all just idle speculation by a simple unfrozen psychology instructor.
Very true.
Maybe that’s the plan. I got the idea somewhere that he’d said he wouldn’t do an endorsement, though.
I’m looking at the latest SUSA poll numbers from Missouri that shows Obama closing the gap to 4 points. Only 2% are undecided but 25% could change their mind.
The regional breakdown is interesting to me:
I see St. Louis as the prime area for Obama to increase support by Tuesday. In fact it kind of surprised me that he leads in KC but that it’s close in StL. He was, however, just in KC and is supposed to be in StL this weekend. So I don’t think he has peaked here by any means.
I’m still looking at it, but I think the trends look positive right now.