Hillary's bad behavior driving super delegates to Obama

[dkf]

Obama Gets Establishment Democrats' Backing as Clinton Attacks

By Julianna Goldman

April 19 (Bloomberg) -- Barack Obama is gaining support from Democratic establishment figures after a week of repeated attacks from his Democratic presidential rival, Hillary Clinton.

Former Senators Sam Nunn and David Boren, two of the most prominent members of the party's conservative wing, endorsed Obama yesterday. Robert Reich, labor secretary under former President Bill Clinton and a longtime friend of the couple, also threw his support behind the Illinois senator, saying he was ``appalled'' by ``mean-spirited'' attacks.

Obama's remarks earlier this month that some Americans in communities hit by job losses had ``gotten bitter and cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them'' ignited criticism from Clinton's campaign, which called him ``elitist.'' Even after those attacks, Obama, 46, won the backing of several superdelegates, the lawmakers and party officials who vote at the national convention.

Local party officials who moved this week to Obama are ``like the canary in the coal mine for the Clinton campaign,'' said Steve McMahon, a Democratic strategist unaligned with either campaign. ``What they're saying reflects what a lot of people are thinking but not yet saying.''

Reggie Whitten, an attorney and superdelegate from Oklahoma, announced his support for Obama on April 17. He said he ``could have waited a while'' to endorse the Illinois senator, yet it wasn't ``fair'' for Clinton to focus on ``that one comment out of context.''

`Tired of Negativity'

``The American people are tired of the negativity, I think they're tired of fighting among the party and I think its time for the party to unite,'' Whitten said. ``I hope that my coming out will be one tiny little thing that will push in that direction.''

Nancy Larson, a DNC member from rural Minnesota, said Clinton's ``bothersome'' response contributed to her April 13 endorsement of Obama.

Today, the Obama campaign said that Steve Achelpohl, the Nebraska Democratic Party chairman, was backing Obama. Achelpohl told the Lincoln Journal Star that people could rally behind Obama's ``positive campaign.''

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601070&sid=a73ugIZzKtIc&refer=home

[speedoo]

1. K&R. Thanks for posting. nt

[K Gardner]

2. This much is apparent to anyone breathing at this point.. K&R.

[PoliticalAmazon]

3. Voters and SDs are recoiling from Hillary's campaign tactics. n/t

[dkf]

4. Maybe this is another reason he doesn't clobber her verbally...

He can be the good guy and she will be the bad guy, and let her take the heat in the form of supers declaring for Obama.

Its possible he is being extra nice to display the contrast more starkly.

[Cha]

16. And it's only smart..hilary's doing fine

on her own petard and she and bil are making sure each other have plenty of rope.

[roseBudd]

5. "like the canary in the coal mine for the Clinton campaign"

[Zhade]

21. It's an awesome thought, isn't it?

Gobama!

[2rth2pwr]

6. Candy and rainbows won't beat McCain in the fall.

[lurky]

7. Rainbows and unicorns are beating Clinton.

And she doesn't pull punches. In fact, I think the strategy may actually be more effective against someone like McCain. The main thing he has going for him is his likable, grandfatherly, honorable image. Once the slime starts flying from his campaign, it will undermine everything people think they know about him.

[Zhade]

22. Fantastic point, thank you for making it.

NT!

[azmouse]

8. K&R

[quakerboy]

9. I would feel more confidant

if the SD's were backing the candidates in proportions closer to the other delegates, or the voting that has happened. The past week has been better for Hillary, delegate wise, than she has had in a very long time. At this point, they seem to be getting sd endorsements as a roughly equal pace. Granted, thats plenty for Obama to win if the trend continues. But I'm impatient, and I want more.

[writes3000]

17. I think some of these endorsement were timed for PA...

To give the sense of growing momentum.

Obama's gotten SDs at the rate of 8 to 1 since Super Tuesday. I think the Clinton side has been trying to make the most of the SDs. They've timed them. Just my opinion.

[quakerboy]

36. I hope you are right

and that others see through it.

[dailykoff]

10. Hillary is showing us the true face of Clintonism

and it isn't pretty. Policy wise, Bill was just as sleazy, but Hillary doesn't have Bill's background or personality to disguise it. She's a straight-up Goldwater sorority girl and frankly proud of it.

[Pavlovs DiOgie]

26. You nailed it

Perfectly said.

[dchill]

29. Harsh... Cold...

True.

[donheld]

11. Her bad behavior drove many of the regular voters away

I guess the super delegates should follow that lead.

[TexasObserver]

12. The party regulars are sick of Hillary's Republican style and leanings.

Except for the Clinton gaggle of oldsters, she's out of gas entirely. If it weren't for the Limbaugh crossovers trying to ensure the Republicans can run against Hillary, her campaign would have been buried over a month ago. Without the substantial support she gets from McCain voters voting for her in Democratic primaries, she would be long gone.

[ShaneGR]

13. Honestly, I have a ton of respect for both of them, and I hope Hillary will finally call it quits

After Pennsylvania. She's going to lose North Carolina anyways.

[Zhade]

24. She's a proven liar. How can you respect her?

I couldn't if I tried - I *hate* unrepentant liars.

[ORDem]

14. K

:kick:

[Cha]

15. Riveting! Thanks

dkf. Can't help but wonder how the clintons thought the SuperDees would go for all that negativity? The Bungles of their campaign Boggles the mind.

I just had a clue..sorta. Maybe they thought the people would be so turned off by Obama because of hilary's harping that they would run away in droves and the SuperDees would have to see it their way. How they did it..be damned.

[Shae]

33. I think she has been getting really bad advice,

and I think Penn (and maybe others) was there for the paycheck, and he doesn't really care if she wins or not.

[Cha]

40. And hilary's braindead to

take it.

[SunsetDreams]

18. yep it's just a matter of time

She knew this would happen, they were both warned about the negatative campaigning a few weeks ago, and were told to go after McCain.

Obama listened but Hillary turned a deaf ear.

The SD's are doing their thing to save the party.

I think his attacks on her today, were advised, to start putting her out of the partys' misery.

[Tarheel_Dem]

19. k&r...nt

:kick:

[Zhade]

20. Hey, SDs are human. They don't much like proven liars either.

Of COURSE they're deserting clinton, the more honest ones anyway.

[Tatiana]

23. The undecided Super Dees will come out after PA for Obama.

They want to end this thing as much as we do.

[davidpdx]

25. The incessant negativity of the Clinton campaign

did them in. It's too bad some of the Clinton supporters can't see this. I have yet to find one that will openly admit it.

In fact, if one of them does admit it in the next 24 hours, I'll eat my shoe and post a picture of it in this thread.

[davidpdx]

27. The interesting thing will be when the super delegates

start making up their mind and he takes the lead in the number of super delegates. Expect to see a full scale meltdown of the Clinton campaign and their supporters getting nastier then ever.

[MagickMuffin]

28. Now is the Time for ALL Good Super D's to come to the aide of OUR PARTY

Obama stands Head and Shoulders above Clinton.

[Swamp Rat]

30. Friends, Americans, Super Dees.... lend my your votes!

:D

[MagickMuffin]

31. Who is the Mystery Man?.?.?

[Swamp Rat]

32. ribbit!

:D

[MagickMuffin]

34. Looks like he was rubbed out

It looks as though it's a player to be named later. :)

President
Barack Obama

[Swamp Rat]

35. As long as it's not McLame.

[JVS]

41. zOMG! Cheney's face is going to melt but he'll become a Democrat and Obama's VP!!!!111!!!!1!!!

No more LSD

[MagickMuffin]

42. Oh NOES, he could never learn to be a Democrat, just like Obama's opponent

Stay away from the brown acid

[Ian_rd]

37. "The more you tighten your grip, Tarkin, the more star systems will slip through your fingers. "

Does this mean I'm geek?

[Dbdmjs1022]

38. Yes. But it also means you're AWESOME! Well played!

[Ian_rd]

39. Hehe. Thanks!

:toast:

Yea, that came to my mind way too fast.