Obama Gets Democrats ELECTED, While Clinton KILLS Democratic Congressional Campaigns!

[BlooInBloo]

On the one hand there's Obama, who gets Congressional Democrats elected in places they otherwise NEVER win:

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/5/3/006/11466


http://www.jedreport.com/2008/05/obamas-coattail.html

Despite the GOP's apparent confidence in its strategy of tying Obama to Cazayouz, their gambit fell short -- Cazayouz won by about 3%. That's not bad for a district that's been in Republican hands for the past three decades, and it's pretty good evidence that Barack Obama isn't the drag on the ticket that his detractors have claimed.

In fact, quite the opposite is more likely to be the case. Earlier this year, in another seat lost by Republicans, Democrat Bill Foster won a special election to fill former House Speaker Dennis Hastert's congressional seat. Foster's campaign ran advertising featuring an endorsement from none other than...Barack Obama.

So the Republican record in defending their own districts in special elections featuring Barack Obama is now 0-2.

And on the other hand, there's Clinton, KILLING Congressional Democrats' campaigns:

http://www.americablog.com/2008/05/hillary-is-hurting-congressional.html

One congressional candidate told us that if Hillary is the nominee, it's a guaranteed 5 point hit they take right from the start (meaning, they start the race 5-points down in the polls). Why? Because too many people hate Hillary. That's why her negatives are higher than her positives. She will bring out voters who might not have voted otherwise. And the voters she will bring out will be rabid conservatives who will vote against Democrats across the board.

Another congressional candidate told us that it's even worse than that. Not only will the candidate have to publicly run AGAINST Hillary, should she get the nomination, but she's already damaging their campaign. First off, fundraising. The money isn't coming in, first because everyone is focused on the Hillary-Obama race, and not paying attention to congressional races. Another problem, people are pissed off, on all sides. They're not in the mood to give. And finally, some major donors don't want to give to any second-tier campaigns (meaning, campaigns that have less of a chance, but still have a chance, of winning) until they see whether Hillary or Obama get the nomination. Why? Because if Hillary gets the nomination, our candidates in red states, or states that are red/blue, will get slaughtered, and thus there's no reason to fund them. (We're seeing it on our own site. People are not giving to congressional races like they did in 2006.) And don't forget, even the DNC admitted last week that the ongoing Hillary-Obama saga has hurt their efforts to raise money to take on John McCain.

But there's another problem Hillary is causing. These campaigns can't get the field staff they need. Potential field staff are telling the campaigns that they have no idea what they're doing in the coming months because the Obama-Hillary battle isn't settled. This is a very real problem - one candidate said it's killing them.

One final point, we were told: the black vote. In states or cities with a large black community, Obama will bring them out in droves. Hillary, on the other hand, is suffering from a blacklash, so to speak. Her poll numbers among blacks have plummeted after her campaign's repeated race-baiting. But not only will a Hillary candidacy potentially turn blacks away from voting, it won't inspire them TO vote. One candidate told us that they have a major city with a sizable black vote. The problem? The black community in that area has a notoriously bad voter turnout. If Obama is the nominee, that candidate will get a 3 percentage point bump in the polls votes because of the increased black turnout - but if Hillary is the nominee, they lose that 3%, added on to the 5% hit they take because of her name inspiring every far-right loon to vote.

It IS gratifying to see that even though Clinton and her supporters' Whites Only strategy is good enough for them, it's not good enough for other Democrats.

[anigbrowl]

1. And another thing

Those big campaign loans = Republican charges that Hillary bought the nomination rather than worked for it. They'll brand her as the biggest welfare queen ever.

[BlooInBloo]

2. Indeed - how elite of her.

[blm]

3. I think we will gain two GOP seats in Charlotte area this year. Hayes and Myrick will not

prevail with all the extra tens of thousands voting for Obama.

[BlooInBloo]

4. Woot! Obama's coattails have been proven.

[SaveAmerica]

6. I concur with you about Hayes and am hopeful about Myrick, I think all of NC would

benefit from Sue Sue being retired. She stirs up hate like it's her family recipe.

[patrice]

5. GE Common Sense: If HC is the nominee, a significant number of Independents will assuage their

unease at having to vote for her by voting the rest of the ballot RED. I know we have a good chance at a bunch of open seats in Congress, but that's going to turn out to be a disappointment if HC is our nominee, so we COULD lose the WH AND damage our chances to control McCain by means of Congress.