Major reports on top Dems coming out in support of Obama after President Bush suggested he was an “appeaser”. Carl Cameron outlines John McCain’s expansive vision of American after four years of a McCain presidency.

from www.hulu.com posted with vodpod

Very quietly and very delicately the Obama and Clinton campaigns have begun back channel communications to find a common ground that can break the stalemate over Florida and Michigan.

Discussions are in very early stages with more expected over the weekend. The players at the national and state parties (as well as in the state governments) understand that any fix will have to be acceptable to both candidates.

The governors, lawmakers and political community in both states (and nationally) are working on various possible fixes, but this is an attempt BY THE CAMPAIGNS to stakeout what both would find acceptable, in order to give the states a target to work toward.

According to insiders the basic requirements of both campaigns could be met with “firehouse primaries in both states, with mail-in ballots for those who can’t make it.”

A “firehouse primary” involves fewer voting places at regional locations. Such an scenario would dramatically reduce costs.
A “Do-Over” of Florida’s primary would cost 20 million dollars, that is considered prohibitive.

Though Michigan’s nominating contests are called caucuses, as a matter of practice it is a ballot like a primary not a caucus like the meetings that take place in Iowa or Texas.

Insiders estimate that “fire house primaries in both states, with mail-in ballots for those who can’t make it” would cost about $10 million dollars for both states. Both campaigns could easily raise the money and keep it separate from regular campaign coffers.

The state political parties may also raise the money for party building. The national parties could also kick in money for party building as well. This would mean that the new votes would be paid for by the parties and the campaigns, not taxpayers.

Both campaigns agree it is unacceptable to NOT seat the Fla and Michigan delegates, recognizing that they are too influential in the general election and can’t be disenfranchised.

The latest polls tell it all. McCain wants, and for now NEEDS his opponent to be Hillary. The latest Zogby poll shows McCain handily beating Hillary outside the margin of error, while if he goes up against Obama, McCain LOSES.
McCain has begun trying to define both dems – with particular emphasis last night on Obama. There is more time for the general election race than EVER before, so no campaign is in any hurry to start the serious attacking too soon.
The truth is some in the McCain camp are particularly comfortable with Obama riding higher and higher – the McCainiac argument is that the bigger Obama gets, the bigger the target and the harder the fall, in the fall.

Election 2008 National Head-to-Head Polls

Columbus, Ohio:

At his victory rally after handily winning Wisconsin, there was no confetti and little raucous music but McCain flanked the stage with young people following post Potomac Primary criticism of the image of him surrounded by old members of the party establishment.

In his victory speech he attacked Obama HARD.

See our own Embed producer, Mosheh Oinounou’s write-up on the predicted win.

click here:

After the sweep by Obama and McCain in the Potomac Primaries the latest delegate count by Real Clear Politics shows McCain has about 3/4 of the needed delegates and Huckabee has less than one quarter.

The actual delegate count is completely vague. Each campaign on both sides counts delegates differently. The AP and various networks have differing numbers too. On the democratic side, it is clear that Obama has the lead but by how much is the subject of debate and super delegates which are available only for the democratic contest are another story entirely.

The latest RCP polls show Obama gaining ground on McCain in a head to head match-up with McCain. His lead is still within the margin of error in most polls and much can change in the next 9 months but McCain acknowledged Obama’s front-runner status in his victory speech in VA when he made reference to hope, “Hope, my friends, is a powerful thing…” and continued by saying “to encourage a country with only rhetoric rather than sound and proven ideas that trust in the strength and courage of free people is not a promise of hope, it is a platitude.”

He finished his speech with Obama’s signature line, “Fired up and ready to go.”

National Head-to-Head Polls

At the conclusion of his victory remarks in Alexandria, Va tonight John McCain used Barack Obama’s famous line “fired up and ready to go!” This after McCain on the Senate floor today made a show of crossing the aisle into democratic territory to shake hands, back-slap, and trade campaign trail stories with Obama!

The two mention one another almost daily now. Obama, in his victory remarks from Madison Wisconsin tonight, praised McCain’s military service even as he bashed McCain’s policies as out of date and out of touch. McCain writes off Obama and Clinton, et al, as defeatocrats.

There were a few nervous moments for McCainiacs as the Virginia returns were tabulated but otherwise it was a big night. He erases embarrassing setbacks in La. and Ks. over the weekend. He has over 800 delegates by all counts now. He is probably only 250 delegates away from clinching the nomination.

Is he impatient for Mike Huckabee to bow out? YOU BET! Huckabee’s continued presence in the race keeps alive the discussion of McCain’s weak support among strong conservatives. When Huckabee is finally gone conservative carping will further diminish for lack of a McCain alternative and the unification process will progressively accelerate. Will some conservatives NEVER back McCain? Probably. But don’t underestimate the potential for that to change. When those same conservatives are confronted with an imminent election of Obama or Clinton, they may see things differently.
Huckabee will focus on Texas and Ohio for the next few weeks. That’s going to force McCain to continue to campaign as opposed to taking a victory lap and starting the general election organizational push we described in earlier posts.

With all due respect to the spectacular campaign that McCain so understandably praises at every opportunity…McCain is the presumptive nominee now and barring a catastrophic change Huckabee is not going to win.

McCain has much work to do and for now is not yet free of the HUCK! Once again proving that the grassroots are never to be underestimated.

The internet has changed the rules of the game. Anyone can post a video and sometimes the distribution goes “viral”. Four days ago a group of Seattle musicians, including Pearl Jam’s drummer, Matt Cameron, put together an original “Fired Up and Ready to Go” music video for Obama.

They are hoping this video goes viral?

The Confederate flag debate may fascinate the liberal media elite outside South Carolina but in the Palmetto state it’s simply not a big deal. What could be is Mitt Romney autographing an AMERICAN FLAG?!?!?!

Romney aides say he signed a shirt with an American Flag pattern…good thing cause
If he had used a sharpie on the Star Spangled Banner he could have had a whole new flag controversy all to himself.