"Bitter-gate": Where Do We Go Now?

[housewolf]

Below are some small snippets from an article in Washington Post reporter Cliff Clizza's blog "The Fix" addressing some of the issues that will play a part in determing how the "Bitter" story can play itself out over the following week(s). Go read the whole post and you can leave comments for Cliff Clizza there.


http://blog.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2008/04/bittergate_where_do_we_go_now.html


"Bitter-gate": Where Do We Go Now?

...
Broadly, the story can go one of two ways: it can disappear and join thousands of other blips on the campaign radar screen to date or it can persist and become a larger narrative about the problems with Obama's message ala Clinton and the driver's license issue earlier this year.

Below we outline the major developments that could drive the story down one path or the other. Did we miss anything? If so, leave your own thoughts in the comments section below.

* Ads: This is one of the few elements that will determine the direction of the controversy that is within the control of the candidates. Obama went up with his first post-bitter spot yesterday -- an ad featuring Sen. Bob Casey Jr. (D) in which the junior Senator from Pennsylvania makes only oblique reference to the controversy. "Barack Obama knows Pennsylvania is hurting," says Casey. "He can unite America and bring change." Clinton, on the other hand, took the issue head on with an ad that went up last night. ...

* Polls: Polling holds the key to understanding which direction this story is headed. Everyone in the political world is waiting expectantly for some good data from states ... If a series of polls come out in Pennsylvania that show Clinton with a far wider lead ... On the other hand, if polls come out in the next week that show little (or no) movement

* Superdelegates: ... Do Obama's comments freeze these superdelegates in their current undecided pose? Or, more problematic ...

* Pennsylvania: ... If that scenario comes to pass, Pennsylvania could be the domino that triggers a broader problem ...

* The Pope: Pope Benedict XVI arrives in the United States today -- spending three days in Washington before heading to New York City. The arrival, the procession from the airport and the Thursday mass at Nationals Park are red meat for daytime cable television. ...

* X-Factors: In a story drawing this much media attention, there are bound to be side stories that crop up that could -- if played right -- turn into main stories and take away time and attention from the initial comments. Case in point: Rep. Geoff Davis (R) ...

[ericgtr]

1. Obama goes up in the poll's

:)

[DJ13]

2. MSNBC this morning mentioned that weekend polls in PA didnt show it hurt Obama

Of course that didnt sit well with the woman anchor, who said "lets just wait for a few days".

Im glad theres no bias for Clinton on MSNBC.

:eyes:

[redqueen]

5. That's MSRNC! They LOVE Obama!

It's a non-stop Obama love fest over there!

/deranged person

[lisa58]

3. The debate

[housewolf]

6. Good one!

That wasn't discussed in the article.

[IDemo]

4. Hillary, Wolfson, or Bill suffer another foot-in-mouth episode,

and give us UnravelingCampaignGate.4.G.013.