Posted on 01/23/2008 5:45:24 AM PST by jdm
David Broder calls South Carolina a must-win for Barack Obama, perhaps the 3,471st time a pundit has designated a state as such for a political candidate this year -- and we're only at January 23rd. Broder argues that after supposedly underperforming in New Hampshire and Nevada, Obama has to win the Palmetto State to maintain credibility. He has it exactly backward:
South Carolina has become a must-win state for Barack Obama.
Whatever the outcome of Saturday's Democratic presidential primary here, the Illinois senator has the money and the organization to compete in the nearly two dozen states voting on Feb. 5.
But as his first and only victory, in Iowa on Jan. 3, slips further into history, his strategists concede that Obama badly needs to demonstrate broad enough support to slow Hillary Clinton's progress toward the nomination.
Having trailed her in popular votes in both New Hampshire and Nevada, where he was favored, Obama finds himself more in need of help than he perhaps expected from the voters here.
I don't doubt for a moment that a loss in South Carolina would effectively end Obama's chances, but then again, Obama didn't have much of a chance anyway. Structurally, the Democratic Party has been engineered to fight off any opponents of Hillary Clinton. The Clintons practically built the DNC, they control the superdelegates, and they garner most of the media attention. Even the racial split that erupted in this race eventually benefits the Clintons.
The problem for credibility doesn't belong to Obama. Who is Barack Obama, anyway? He's a half-single-term Senator with no executive experience and almost no legislative record. The fact that he has come this close to winning a nomination from one of the two major parties with this paltry record speaks volumes about the talent level in their pool. In any other cycle, he wouldn't have any credibility at all.
Hillary Clinton is the one worried about credibility. She has had to face down Obama's challenge seriously as he gained traction against her, despite his nonexistent resume. What does that say about her credibility? That's why she went after Obama in the last debate so hard -- because she had to. If a lightweight like Obama -- and for now, that's exactly what he is -- can become such a threat to her nomination, it demonstrates how difficult it will be when she has to face off against a candidate with real experience and better positioning.
Hillary can't afford to have Obama win any more states. It makes her look weak against some pretty thin competition, and reminds everyone of her thin resume as well.
I think Obama will win SC, but Hillary will clean his clock on February 5th. She’ll take all the North East States and California. He wont know what hit him.
I don't know. Is he scheduled for a trip to Fort Marcey Park to meet with Hillary?
Another very good article by Ed Morrissey. Thanks for posting.
I couldn’t agree more with the analysis. The fact that Obama, a two year senator with a thin resume, could give Hillary, the annointed nominee, such a battle demonstrates her weakness as a candidate. Even the Dem party is polarized by her and she has yet to receive 50% in a primary.
All I can say is I hope so!!!
The Clintons are ruthless, diabolical people. They would sacrifice Chelsea to the devil to get back into the White House.
Having said that, I think that she would be easier to defeat than Hussein Osama-Obama. She is hated by so many. But, then again, who does the GOP have, to run against her, who could win?
God, help America.
If BLACKS don’t vote for the BLACK GUY, then I don’t want to hear one more word about how they are kept down!!! Vote for Barak or STFU cause uyou won’t be listened to!!
And the states she doesn’t win, she will win. Know whadImean Vern!
I hope not. Because if it were inevitable that a Dem would be elected, I would prefer it was him. He’s not anywhere near as corrupt as HRC, as phony as Edwards, and he’s smart enough to ask the right people for help if he gets in over his head.
Interesting point.
If Edwards drops out, it might help Obama in Feb..
But then, the RATS realize that the Hispanics hate the blacks, so there goes the HIspanic vote..UNLESS, Barak chooses Richardson for VP..but so will Hillary.
So nevermind..:)
sw
“If Edwards drops out, it might help Obama in Feb..”
..rumors here in NC are that Edwards will stay til his money is gone....he wants to be a kingmaker and hopes for a payoff from the wimnner.
Edwards was considered a strong candidate in Nevada with the unions and his strong, class warfare message of you would do better if you just took some of his money.
Then he sank like a rock. Expect a similar result in South Carolina, a neighboring state that has no love for him as his own.
It’s going to get harder to cut a deal for Silky Pony when his numbers are heading into Kucinich territory.
Thought his strategy was hoping Obama would trip up and leave so he could have a shot mano a mano. But I think that won’t happen. So not sure what Silky Pony will gain.
My guess is that he will land up with nothing and throwing in his lot behind Obama. Cuz to know Shrillary is not to love her.
Michigan was the proof of Ed’s hypothesis. There were no delegates at stake, only 3 fringe dim candidates on the ballow and hillary and still she was only able to get 55% of the vote. Blacks broke against her nearly 3 to 1 and the weather was bad which meant that the anti-hil forces really had to be against her. I just wish that Obama would level all the charges against her that have been leveled in the past. Her lies, untrustworthiness, etc. Perhaps coming from a dim might cause other dims to believe the truth or perhaps to care about it.
Agreed.
Hildabeast will get the nomination in the end.
Not discounting your point, but Michigan is still Michigan. Lots of deeply rooted problems there.
But no reason not to hope for the downfall of The Beast. She’s going down one way or another. I like the sounds emanating now. Quite transparent in their vile nature.
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