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Obama Wins Maine, Clinton Changes Campaign Manager

2008_02_baracksun.jpg
Photograph of Barack Obama at a rally in Virginia Beach by Rick Bowmer/AP

Barack Obama won yesterday's Maine caucus, with about 57-60% of the vote to Hillary Clinton's approximate 40-42%. This makes Obama's fourth win in a row, after sweeping the Democratic contests in Louisiana, Nebraska, and Washington yesterday.

About 8 inches of snow fell in Maine, but voters were still lined up outside some doors. Politico's Ben Smith writes:

Obama's victory comes despite being down in all four polls of the state, and despite his loss in the primary in neighboring Massachusetts. Clinton had been thought to have a strong shot at winning in Maine, whose demographics -- largely white, heavily working-class -- are those that have typically favored her... But Obama demonstrated his edge, yet again, in states decided by caucuses, in which the key factors are organization and the intensity of support. His supporters proved willing to trudge out in the Maine snow on a Sunday afternoon to support him, and they were rewarded with victory.
Obama's strength comes as Clinton's campaign experienced a big change: Her campaign manager Patti Solis Doyle stepped down, with aide Maggie Williams replacing her. Clinton gave a statement remarking on Solis Doyle's “extraordinary job in getting us to this point - within reach of the nomination"

The Clinton camp sought to characterize this not as a shake-up but as a "seamless transition," since Solis Doyle and Williams had been working together for the last month. Williams, Clinton's senate chief of staff, joined the campaign after Clinton's third-place Iowa showing. Solis Doyle will stay on as a senior adviser.

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Photograph of Hillary Clinton at a campaign stop in Bowie, Maryland by Carolyn Kaster/AP

On Tuesday, there are primaries in D.C., Maryland and Virginia (by some counts, only 28 delegates separate Clinton and Obama). And CNN reports that John Edwards met with Clinton last Thursday and will be meeting with Obama today. While Edwards and his advisers have been discussing who he will endorse, some are recommending he not make an endorsement. CNN adds, "There are policy considerations at play: there is a sense within the Edwards camp that Clinton's policies could be better for working class Americans. But Obama's anti-lobbyist proposals are more aligned with Edwards’ politics."

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Comments [rss]

  • ARealGothamite

    You put your racism in my misogyny.



    NO! You put YOUR misogyny in MY racism!



    Either way, it tastes great for the "Democrat Party" in Nov

  • Leon Freilich

    Hillary appoints African-American campaign manager. --news item



    SHIFTING HILL



    Each move is calculated,



    Consistent with her goals;



    Her eye is on Obama



    And I know she watches polls.

  • Automocar

    So how the hell is Obama winning all these primaries and caucuses, babyhitler?

  • VanessaNYC

    babyhitler,



    Based on your screen-name, I'm guessing your not just "the messenger" but you are also the message.



    I'm looking forward to November of 2008.



    Vanessa

  • babyhitler

    VanessaNYC, My stance is that Hilary and Obama fail against McCain. Obama fails by himself, but Hilary fails cause Obama goes against her. I wonder why all the Republicans and the NY POst have not attacked Obama yet and are scared shitless of Hilary. That makes me like Hilary, even though she has no shot either. If you guys think Republicans will vote for either Hilary or Obama all you have to look at is the 2004 election and see that even though Bush Presided over the worst terrorist attack in our nation, Hurricane Katrina, anthrax scares, oil price gouging, and global warming and countless other atroicities he was still elected president by a wide berth. If Obama didn't go up against Hilary, maybe she would have had a shot, but now the democrats are fractured and no one does. You guys can live in a world of unicorns and ride on rainbows if you want to, I'm just telling the truth. Don't shoot the messenger. Look at all the blogs, and messageboards of the world where people are honest and tell me that people aren't racist and will vote for Obama. This goes both ways since many blacks vote for Obama just cause he's black.

  • likesrudylikesbooty

    Forget what you learned about past participles or irregular verbs. This is about cha...



    Wait. That's another one.



    "Irregularity you can really believe in"

  • virgil

    likesrudy:



    He's probably looking for someone who knows the difference between nouns, verbs and adjectives. "Replaced you can believe in" just doesn't scan. ( I do like "Fluid you can believe in", though.)



    I bet rudy's looking for some help, though. I hear he's running for mayor of Boston.

  • bklynd

    It is strange that Hilary keeps talking about how Obama will get "knocked out of the ring" by Republicans, and yet a poll on one of the network talk shows this weekend showed her losing to McCain and Obama winning.



    While I can appreciate the appeal to "experience," I think Hillary would turn out to be Gore-like in her unlikeable wonkiness. Obama is so different from what the Dems have run, lately, that it really is worth a shot.



    Hope the Obama momentum continues!

  • virgil

    McCain is not a formidable opponent. (unlike Stephen Colbert). He wants us in iraq for the long term, and claims he knows nothing about the economy.



    Remember, republican voters adored george bush until the economy and war started going bad. The Repub candidates don't seem to grasp how deep this feeling is. I know republicans who are going to vote democrat for the first time in their lives over exactly these two issues.



    But they'll never vote for hillary. they've been hating her too long.

  • likesrudylikesbooty

    There must be other similar words or terms that he can use for his campaign slogan.



    "Inconsistent"

    "Not the same thing"

    "Different"

    "Something else"

    "Shift"

    "Convert"

    "Variation"

    "Switch"

    "Fluid"

    "Transform"

    "Replaced"

    "Deviate"

    "Modify"

    "Deformed"



    I kinda like "Deformity - You Can Believe In".



    Obama, hire me as your deputy campaign manager for NY. We'll sweep the state. You can believe it, 'Bama.

  • JMH

    Why does Hillary Clinton want to take away our cookies? I haven't heard her say that she doesn't.

  • nonumentalart

    yea for obama!!

  • David McCaffredy

    A vote for Obama is a vote for cookies. Has Hillary Clinton stated her position on cookies? NO.

  • JRod5417

    Both Democratic nominees are flawed against McCain. People hate Hillary and may vote for McCain as the lesser of two evils. The Republicans will definitely emphasize Obama's lack of experience against McCain. Also, McCain is attracting a lot of the same voters (young and independant) that Obama is courting. Regardless of whoever gets the Dem nom, it is going to be a tough race against McCain.

  • VanessaNYC

    babyhitler,



    I suspect that the opposite is in fact true (and I think that you know it). A vote for Hillary is a vote for McCain as there is just too much hate for Hillary from the Republican party. She can't win - not because she's a woman, necessarily, but because she is polarizing (much like our current president).



    In any case, did you know that many voters now interpret "can't" as "can"?? That means every time you and your camp tells voters that we can't have Obama as president people come out of the woodwork to vote for him! It's pretty amazing! There was even this video made in response to babyhitlers like you! Check it out!



    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjXyqcx-mYY



    I know you're acutely aware of social and cultural trends and you seem to have this innate ability to get inside the head of the American voter, so I suspect that you know what you're doing. I just want to say, thank you for your support babyhitler.



    Obama 08 ;)

  • babyhitler

    a vote for Obama is a vote for John McCain.

  • lower manhattan

    Paul Krugman strongly supported the policies and approach of John Edwards. Today's column in the NYT shows why he (and many of us) see Clinton as the next best thing.

  • lower manhattan

    Paul Krugman strongly supported the policies and approach of John Edwards. Today's column in the NYT shows why he (and many of us) see Clinton as the next best thing.

  • HughGass

    Hillary CUNTry!

  • VanessaNYC

    or Obama Nation! :D

  • blablanyc

    or Obamaton 2008

  • blablanyc

    Obamary 2008

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