Obama and Illinois screwing the Western Primary?
With Montana and Wyoming thinking about moving their primaries up to February 5, 2008 (joining Arizona, New Mexico and Utah) there is a real chance of an Western Primary. We need enough Western States to vote on February 5 to make the day meaningful, in the same way that the Super Tuesday Southern primary made the South a force in the late 80s and early 90s.
But, Illinois is thinking of bringing its 133 delegates to the February 5 party, all because of one candidate:
It looks as if Barack Obama is likely to run for president. Given the choice between backing their junior senator and Hillary Clinton, who grew up in suburban Chicago, Illinois Democratic pols are clearly lining up behind Mr. Obama -- and are even trying to change the date of the state's primary to help him.State House Speaker Michael Madigan unveiled a plan to move up the primary next year from March 18 to February 5. "If Barack is a candidate... the selection process may be finished before it reaches the Illinois primary," he warned fellow legislators. Other legislative leaders and the state's Democratic governor are on-board with the proposed change.
Even if all of the Western States (not including the Pacific coast and Nevada) were to vote on February 5, the delegates up for grabs would only be 178. Spread those out over a region nearly half the size of the United States, with dozens of small media markets. Where do you think Presidential candidates are going to spend their time?
Then again, if no one else wants to compete in Illinois because its assumed Obama has it wrapped up, then that might make the West all that more attractive. I'd still rather not have them crash the party.
Emmett O'Connell | January 19, 2007 | Comment on This Post (8 so far) |
Your Name: Your Personal Note: | Your Email: Friends' Emails*: |
Comments
I like the idea of regional primaries; they give candidates the chance to speak to sweeping policies that affect a great number of people, rather than focusing on the needs of residents of a single state, such as Illinois.
I live in New England, withy its population base probably somewhat comparable to the the Rocky Mtn states. I would like to see Northeasterners (ie., bloggers, organizers and state party activists) attempt a simiair strategy. Were we to unite with you folk in Rocky Mtn time, we may be able to make more headway.
With that being said, organizers of the regional primary concept may want to dialogue with favorite son states like Illinois, in order to devise a plan that works for both interests.
Posted by: Frederick Warren | Jan 19, 2007 11:37:30 AM
FYI - there's a movement afoot in Oregon to move up to February 5.
Posted by: Kari Chisholm | Jan 21, 2007 3:49:01 PM
The nomination could well be decided by February 6, 2008. If Illinois votes for Obama and the West votes for Richardson, that could derail Hillary’s campaign. Alabama, New Jersey, North Carolina, West Virginia could also be in the mix on February 5th and who knows who they might vote for. On the other hand, it could be all over before February 5th. Right now if looks like a Clinton vs. Obama contest with everyone else trying to be a viable third alternative. I think Edwards and Richardson currently have the best shot at being that alternative.
Posted by: Leo Brown | Jan 22, 2007 8:02:32 AM
Um, Leo? John Edwards is leading Hillary by 20 points in Iowa. You can also expect him to win his home state in South Carolina.
That's two of the first four.
He'll also be very competitive in Nevada, where the 65,000-member culinary union will be dominant. After all, they're a UNITE/HERE local - and Edwards has been working closely with them for several years on a number of initiatives. If he wins Nevada, that's three of the first four.
As much as I love Richardson, it looks like Edwards' to lose right now.
Posted by: Kari Chisholm | Jan 22, 2007 11:03:50 AM
At this point John Edwards has visited Iowa way more than any other candidate except Vilsack. If he isn’t polling well in Iowa now, he never will. However, Obama has passed him in the national polls. The black vote makes a big percentage of the Democratic vote in South Carolina. I wouldn’t automatically give SC to Edwards. The labor vote failed to deliver for Gephardt.
Edwards has some things going for him, but I am not sure he has traction in the long run. He didn’t help the ticket much in 2004. He would have difficulty getting back into the Senate from North Carolina. He doesn’t have Obama’s charisma, Richardson’s resume, or Hillary’s establishment backing. And will that Southern accent play out West?
Posted by: ldbrown | Jan 23, 2007 6:27:24 AM
Does Vilsack "visit" Iowa when he wakes up in the morning ;)
Posted by: Emmett O'Connell | Jan 23, 2007 12:08:04 PM
I'm from Chicago,
I agree with this post, that Illinois should not move it's primary date. I like Obama, but I think Richardson is also a very strong candidate, I don't know who would be better (a good problem to have.) I think Richardson is good on paper, but the whole giving nuclear secrets to china thing will bog him down.
Posted by: Ray Suelzer | Jan 24, 2007 12:44:54 PM
Obama’s efforts to connect to the Republican Party, specifically Bush, and Dick Chaney, of the Halliburton Company, dates back to the Presidents Grandfather, Prescott Bush, and indeed Chaney was once an executive officer of Halliburton.
The American military pounds Iraq with Artillary, bombs, and the like, destroying large sections of cities, and infra-structures, then Halliburton comes in to rebuild. Halliburton and Halliburton associated companies have raked in ten’s of billions.
Obama is just like the BIG HALIBURTAN. Haliburton has contracted to build detention centers in the U.S. similiar to the one in Quantanammo Bay, Cuba. Halliburton does nothing to earn the Two Dollars for each meal an American Serviceman in Iraq eats.
http://www.halliburtonwatch.org/
Halliburton was scheduled to take control of the Dubai Ports in The United Arab Emiirate. The deal was canceled when Bush was unable to affect the transfer of the American Ports.
Now we see what some might suspect as similiar financial escapading from the Democrats.
Two years ago, Iraq’s Ministry of Electricity gave a $50 million contract to a start-up security company - Companion- owned by now-indicted businessman (TONY REZKO) Tony Rezko and a onetime Chicago cop, Daniel T. Frawley, to train Iraqi power-plant guards in the United States. An Iraqi leadership change left the deal in limbo. Now the company, Companion Security, is working to revive its contract.
Involved along with Antoin “Tony” Rezco, long time friend and neighbor of Democratic Presidential hopeful Barack Obama, and former cop Daniel T. Frawley, is Aiham Alsammarae. Alsammarae was accused of financial corruption by Iraqi authorities and jailed in Iraq last year before escaping and returning here.
LIKE FATHER LIKE SON.
Recently, Obama's campaign staff have been vetted by the IRS to disclose his connection to the criminal money generating underworld. Besides, his connections to the REZCO MAFIA types, his up-coming tax fraud charges — Obama needs to disclose why he is a MUSLIM "PATWANG-FWEEE" and disclose Obama's MUSLIM Farrakhan mob connection to Chicago's Trinity United Church of Christ. Its minister, and Obama's spiritual adviser, is the Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr. In 1982, the church launched Trumpet Newsmagazine; Wright's daughters serve as publisher and executive editor. Every year, the magazine makes awards in various categories. Last year, it gave the Dr. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr. Trumpeter Award to a man it said "truly epitomized greatness." That man is Louis Farrakhan. Farrakhan and Chicago's Trinity United Church are trumpeting Barack Obama AKA Barack Hussein Obama as the second coming of the messiah. Obama should stop suppoting our intervention in IRAQ. It’s time to introduce this false, fake Xerox - X box Obama and invite the self-indicting thief plagiarizing pipsqueke "GLORK" Xerox - X box to meet the Buffalo "GAZOWNT-GAZIKKA" Police Department Buffalo Creek. He is MAD!!! --
OBAM YOU'RE NO JFK.
"GLORK" Obama looks like Alfred E. Newman: "Tales Calculated To Drive You." He is a MUSLIM "Glork" He's MAD!!! Alfred E. Neuman is the fictional mascot of Mad. The face had drifted through American pictography for decades before being claimed by Mad editor Harvey Kurtzman after he spotted it on the bulletin board in the office of Ballantine Books editor Bernard Shir-Cliff, later a contributor to various magazines created by Kurtzman.
Obama needs to disclose why he is a MUSLIM "PATWANG-FWEEE" and stop suppoting our intervention in IRAQ. It’s time to introduce this false, fake "GLORK" Xerox - X box Obama and invite the self-indicting thief plagiarizing pipsqueke Xerox - X box to meet the Buffalo "GAZOWNT-GAZIKKA" Police Department Buffalo Creek.
Michelle Obama should be ashamed.
"GLORK" Michelle Obama should be ashamed of her separatist-racist connection to Farrakhan and Chicago's Trinity United Church trumpeting Barack Obama AKA Barack Hussein Obama as the second coming of the messiah. If Michelle Obama new what her husband -- the Hope-A-Dope, Fonster Monster -- Barack Obama AKA Barack Hussein Obama did in Harlem, she would wash her wide-open, Hus-suey loving MUSILM mouth out, with twenty-four (24) mule-team double-cross X-boX-BorraX. He is a MUSLIM "Glork" It’s time to introduce this false, fake "GLORK" Xerox - X box Obama and invite the self-indicting thief plagiarizing pipsqueke Xerox - X box to meet the Buffalo "GAZOWNT-GAZIKKA" Police Department Buffalo Creek. He's MAD!!!
http://www.halliburtonwatch.org/
Posted by: Janet Reno | Mar 6, 2008 1:59:30 PM
Ads by Google
(and yes, we know that sometimes they're very, very wrong. Other times, they're right on.)
