The early results are suggesting a healthy win for Barack Obama in North Carolina and a much narrower win, maybe 52-48 or so, for Hillary Clinton in Indiana. That won't end her campaign -- nuclear obliteration wouldn't do that at this point but it makes Clinton's mission even harder. In that context, do you think this smacks of a little desperation coming from Team Hillary tonight.
This is what Harold Ickes, a longtime advisory to both Bill and Hillary Clinton, told Mark Halperin of Time's The Page tonight:
“We don’t know enough about Senator Obama yet. We don’t need an October Surprise. And (the chance of) an October Surprise with Hillary is remote.”
This remark is dismaying on several levels, partly because Ickes is virtually channeling Karl Rove, who implied something similar in a recent interview with GQ -- not backed up by any information of course. Just planting this vague idea in Joe Average Voter's head that there's something about Barry -- pick your vice, political or personal -- that all the kool kidz inside the Beltway know about, and it's going to pop one week before the election, is the only strategy here. As if the Clinton camp wouldn't use that information now, when they are still so eager to win but probably can't do so without a "game changer."
Look, anything's possible but I highly doubt it. Despite what people claim, Obama has now been pretty vetted -- the Wright stuff has been bubbling under the surface for a year now -- and I'd be surprised if there's a surprising new avernue of attack at this point. Meanwhile, the only October Surprise I worry about is that our lame ducks at 1600 Pa. Avenue sign onto the Iran obliteration plan. And the only October Surprise I want is the one depicted at top -- the Philadelphia Phillies win the World Series.
Here is an October surprise. She will be cherry picking with Bill on the lecture circuit in October,. By then she will have destroyed the Democratic party .— SJ- These people will stoop to anything. Anyone who doubted the 2012 strategy should be beated about the head and shoulders with a Nerf bat. The lot of them are trying to subvert an Obama win. Shame on you, Hillary Clinton. Let's have a debate about your behavior and your campaign and tactics during this election. Meet me behind the woodshed.— Jade7243
- If there's an October Surprise, she had better make it a May 7 surprise instead. She's running out of time.— SteveMG
Comment removed.- Hillary and Barry will never happen. They can't stand each other. If Obama is the president, could he trust clinton not to knife him in the back at every opportunity so his adminstration would fail and she could ride to the rescue. If he were VP, it would be in name only with Bill being co-president. Obama would be another Spiro Agnew in the clinton WH. Remeber that the original October Surprise was brought up by the Reagans against Carter, afraid that he would get the hostages home right before the election. Of course, the Reagans sabotaged that, dealing with Iran to not release the hostages until he took office. Wouldn't surpise me if hillary did try something to wreck Obama's election come the fall.— mike l
- "And the only October Surprise I want is the one depicted at top -- the Philadelphia Phillies win the World Series." There is more chance of Dennis Kucinich winning the nomination than of the Phillies winning the World Series.— Darren
- HC didn't destroy the Democratic party, it destroyed itself with the most asinine primary system imaginable. Add to that the fact that they are running the two most divisive candidates at a time when they should win the WH in a walk. Geniusues. Another factor is all the BO supporters and their holier than thou, superiority attitudes about anyone who would even dare to vote for HC over BO. Will has a better chance of growing hair than BO becoming president.repukes are going to have a field day. Then all you wonderful BO supportes can again insult everyone for not being as enlightened or intelligen aas yourselves. How progressive and superior you must feel.— Malachy
- No one complained about the democratic primaries before so why the complaint now? Nothing has changed except a few states moved up their date, to the detriment of Michigan and Florida voters. There hasn't been a primary like this (close between two candidates) since 1980. I see the democratic voters getting together behind Obama with perhaps John Edwards as the VP and beating McCain this fall.— James TL
- The Clinton staff keeps acting like all the possible scandals related to Hillary and Bill are known and over. Fat chance of that. The way the right wing and Conservatives have been promoting herand dyoing for her to get the nomination, they must be sure they have some great stuff on her, not to mention all the old stuff they can rehash (like the Vince Foster shooting now that Hillary assured Pennsylvanians of her fondness for guns).— atp2007
- Obama and Hillary both lead McCain in national polls and that is before the Dems turn all their guns on the guy. McCain can't even get overf 77% in primaries where his opposition dropped out months ago. The RNC just told all the congressional candidates they are on their own, it doesn't have the money to help their races. In special elections to fill long-held seats vacated by retiring repubs, Dems are winning handily. So tell me again why McCain will win in Nov.— mike l
- Malachy, you speak of intelligence like its a flaw. I hope thats not what you meant. I have no problem with a voter picking Hillary over Barack on substance, as long as its not about some other nonsense like "he's an elitist" or "he's not like us". Thats just flat out stupid. People with that mindset want a president who promises them the world then has a beer with them. We see where that got us with Bush. Hillary's problem is that she reinforces the worst stereotype that she'll do/say anything to get elected. Her war vote/NAFTA/Columbia/her newfound love of guns/gas tax holiday etc., helped demostrate that.— RG
- Here's the October surprise - a gay man claiming to have had sex and drugs with Obama: http://larrysinclair0926.wordpress.com/ http://www.youtube.com/user/larrysinclair0926 I think this is something that Obama needs to deal with before it bites him in October.— skau
- The sad fact is that really, there is no chance McCain will lose. If Obama gets the nod -- there is a group of die hard Hillary supporters who are threatening to vote for McCain if Obama gets the nomination because of "sexism" in the Democratic party (as if Hillary being a woman is the ONLY reason not to vote for her). If Hillary gets the nomination -- Obama supporters are going to see him as being robbed of it by the DNC power players and, if they don't vote for McCain, they at least won't vote for Hillary. The Dems won't win if half or even a third of their base defects. Either way, come election time, the Republicans can run against the Clintons (whom they love to hate -- though, I have to admit, I have plenty of reason not to like them: NAFTA, voting for Iraq war, Patriot Act, threatening to obliterate Iran, etc.). Or else, they will be running against a black man whose middle name is Hussein. I have nothing against Obama -- he seems okay, I guess, best choice left -- but there is still enough racism (especially since they can always hit the Muslim angle if they don't want to push the black issue too much because Muslim hating has become an American past time -- much like Jew hating was the Nazi's favorite blood sport). When you throw in questionable voting machines as we saw in 2000, 2004 and in some of the primaries -- well, I think it all adds up to McCain taking over and working hard to out-crazy Bush. Sadly, I think McCain could manage to be an even worse President that Bush. Assuming of course that Cheney is willing to give up power and doesn't orchestrate some event as an excuse to declare martial law and suspend elections. That is the only thing scarier than the idea of President McCain.— scarlett
- I think the "surprise" will come in time for the Democratic convention. The Clintons will arrange the "surprise" such that "angry white male gun owners" and talk radio receive the blame. I am trying to be responsible, but I want to bring attention to this possibility precisely to make sure the Clintons know we suspect them already and thus force them to reconsider.— Richard_GC
- I got this in the email today about the OCT Surprise I was ondering have any one else seen this rumor...I am SHOCKED if this happens... I would really be hurt and disappointed of what Politics have became... On or about October 5th, Joe Biden will excuse himself from the ticket, citing health problems, and he will be replaced by Hillary Clinton. This is timed to occur after the VP debate on 10-2. There have been talks all weekend about how to proceed with this info. Generally, the feeling is that we should all go ahead and get it out there to as many blog sites and personal email lists as is possible. I have already seen a few short blurbs about this - the 'health problem' cited in those articles was aneurysm. Probably many of you have heard the same rumblings. However, at this point, with this inside info from the DNC, it looks like this Obama strategy will be a go. Therefore, it seems that the best strategy is to get out in front of this Obama maneuver, spell it out in detail, and thereby expose it for the grand manipulation that it is. send this info out to as many people as you can - post about it on websites and blogs - etc.— Joan_Patt
15 comments
About Will Bunch
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Will Bunch, a senior writer at the Philadelphia Daily News, blogs about his obsessions, including national and local politics and world affairs, the media, pop music, the Philadelphia Phillies, soccer and other sports, not necessarily in that order.
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