Anti-Student Blather From Clinton, Dodd
The Clinton campaign is characterizing Obama’s efforts to draw student voters as “trying to manipulate the Iowa caucuses with out-of-state people” who have no business participating in the election, unlike “people who live here, people who pay taxes here.” Writes John K. Wilson at Inside Higher Ed, “[H]er campaign is skillfully appealing to the most xenophobic prejudice of older Iowa residents: the fear of people from Illinois.” Well, Illino-Iowan relations have never quite recovered after that devastating tollbooth bombing.
Some say.
I say, happy new year!
David Boyle
posted by Out Of State Devil Youth Go Home on January 1st, 2008 at 2:24 amNothing the Clinton campaign does surprises me.
I hope people who support Obama (or other candidates) cast their ballot for Uncommitted in the January 15 primary.
posted by David Cahill on January 1st, 2008 at 1:21 pmOr cross-over and vote in the GOP primary. Michigan is an open primary state and you choose the party to vote for when you walk into the polling place.
Hillary sucks.
posted by Just a homeowner on January 2nd, 2008 at 7:14 pmAll Republicans are evil.
posted by David Cahill on January 2nd, 2008 at 8:21 pmIn a normal Michigan primary, unlike most other states, your ballot includes both party primaries. In other words, you choose to participate in one or the other within the privacy of the voting booth. If you choose both, neither one will be counted.
However, in the presidential primary on January 15, the normal rules are suspended. Instead, there will be two physically separate ballots, one for each party. You will have check a box to request one or the other, and your choice will be recorded.
These special rules are likely to inhibit Democratic activists from voting in the Republican primary and vice versa.
posted by Larry Kestenbaum on January 2nd, 2008 at 10:35 pmNext thing, Obama will move here and start Organizing Students in the sinister way he apparently did in Iowa…
posted by Oh Bama on January 4th, 2008 at 2:32 amSorry, forgot name on above comment.
posted by David Boyle on January 4th, 2008 at 2:33 amI am uncomfortable with this “uncommitted” business. Because in fact, I’m quite committed: I support Obama. Should Michigan end up with any voice in the final outcome, I would hate to know I’d given my blessing to the opaque machinations of Democratic party politics.
posted by Elise on January 4th, 2008 at 6:54 pmI’m uncomfortable with Uncommitted too, Elise, but that is our only option. If Uncommitted wins delegates here in the 15th Congressional District (which is likely), then who those delegates will be is determined by a Congressional District Democratic meeting some time in the future. I hope Obama supporters come to that meeting and elect Obama people as Uncommitted delegates.
posted by David Cahill on January 4th, 2008 at 9:07 pmBetter “Uncommitted” than “Hillary”…
posted by David Boyle on January 5th, 2008 at 12:48 amYou are missing your chance to mess with the GOP
posted by Just a homeowner on January 6th, 2008 at 5:52 pmThe best way to mess with the GOP is to beat it like a drum in November.
posted by David Cahill on January 7th, 2008 at 8:26 amWhen they decided to remove their names from the ballots, what Obama, Edwards, and others basically told Michiganders is that Iowa and New Hampshire special interests are more important than Michigan’s special interests. We have some pressing economic issues in our state that could use some federal intervention, and Obama or Edwards or even Hillary are not going to do anything to mitigate them.
posted by Jack B Nimble on January 7th, 2008 at 2:03 pmRight now, Iowa and New Hampshire hold the keys to the Presidency, so any serious candidate would be very unwise to spurn them.
John Edwards’ national campaign manager is former Michigan congressman David Bonior, someone who yields to no one in being pro-Michigan. Yet he and Edwards had no choice but to dance to the IA/NH tune.
And, indeed, look what happened. Quite possibly, Iowa has picked out Obama as our next president. It doesn’t always work that way, but with the tightly compressed schedule and the frantic drive to figure out who the winner is going to be, the early states get to decide.
posted by Larry Kestenbaum on January 7th, 2008 at 2:42 pmWith all due respect to Dave & Dave, I’m not convinced that uncommitted is our only option and/or is better than Hillary.
For one thing, how many Michigan voters are savvy enough to have done their research on how to make their voices best heard? How many people are going to get to the booth and think their only choice is between Hillary, Kucinich and Gravel? Others will try to write in the names of Edwards or Obama, only to have their vote count for nothing. A relatively small percentage of people in the know will vote “uncommitted.”
Assuming “uncommitted” garners the 15% necessary to gain seats at the convention, the delegates can then vote *for any candidate they want.* A delegate might still vote for Hillary Clinton; and if I know anything about the sort of Democratic party faithful who would love to attend a convention, I feel this is a very real possibility.
I think we as Michigan liberal voters need to make peace with the fact that, despite the good intentions of many, we’ve been disenfranchised this time around. I would like nothing better than to see Michigan’s Democratic primary count for nothing in the national convention.
posted by Elise on January 7th, 2008 at 6:17 pmi don’t get it. what is a lifelong democrat (like, say, me) supposed to do in the primary?
mleh.
anyway, the guy i want to vote for isn’t running … and the guy i was planning to vote for pulled out.
maybe i’ll vote in the refuglican primary. i mean, why not?
posted by peter honeyman on January 7th, 2008 at 6:26 pmMy response to your question, Peter, unfortunately, is Nothing. Don’t vote. It’s not a nice option, but I feel it’s the only one.
posted by Elise on January 7th, 2008 at 6:35 pmAnother way dems shoot themselves int he foot. By the way, why would I vote uncommitted if Dennis Kucinich is On the ballot and campaigned here. The entire MI primary is illegal and should be banned
posted by John on January 25th, 2008 at 2:45 pmWe all need change whether it be Dem or Rep. Politics is a dirty game no matter which side of the fence your on.
posted by Glamour And Company on February 1st, 2008 at 6:42 pm