A sad truth visible in March 4th voting

It is sad that these tactics worked. Now is the time for Obama to start fighting back. He has plenty of time to correct these negativities and misconceptions and drive it home. He's been trying to conduct his campaign as a gentleman but has no choice now but to show his strength. These Rove tactics from the Clinton campaign are status quo, just like her presidency would be.

I don't know if it was the Hillary smears or the Republicans voting Democrat? I know that someone didn't just find a laptop computer belonging to Obama's people. Then find something on it about NAFTA. Right before the voting that would probably have been the end of Hillary's campaign. Was this intended to make people forget Hillary's husband signed NAFTA into law? Gather up and send Obama money and support him in any way you can. I can't stand the thought of a Democrat that employs the tactics that Hillary has in the last week.

I'm totally up for that Marilynn, totally!

I think her "big wins" in Texas had a lot to do with Republicans voting for Hillary. It was open voting and Rush was on the radio for weeks urging his loyal listeners to go out and get Hillary the vote.

What I've always found curious is that Obama supporters all admit they'd vote for Hillary if she were the nominee because they hate McCain (and Republican philosophy in general).

BUT the Hillary supporters always seem to make a big show about how they'd rather vote for McCain than Obama!

Why?

Well, Hillary is basically a socially liberal/Pro-Choice Republican war hawk. Or just a moderate Republican.

I just think it's very revealing that Hillary's core supporters are basically torn between Hillary and McCain. I guess in the minds of Hillary supporters there isn't much difference between them.

Very revealing.

Based on Ohio, the most effected area of the country didn't blame her. It's the Hillary and McCain sameness that bothers me. The Republicans want Hillary and their motive is very suspicious to me.

When Ross Perot was explaining that the cheap labor in Mexico would create a "giant sucking sound" as US businesses left America --- I believe it was Bill Clinton (and Hillary) that patiently explained that, no, such a thing would NEVER happen and that obviously Ross didn't understand global economics as well as Bill and Hill did. Hillary, as I recall, chimed in taking time to patiently explain that creating a trade agreement wherein hundreds of manufacturers would be free to leave the US and replace expensive US workers with cheap foreign labor would actually "create millions of jobs in the US."

Is Hillary counting that massive trade blunder as part of her much vaunted "experience"? It is arguably an excellent learning experience....on what not to do.

I think someone should make a vcast as to why Hillary supporters like both Hillary and McCain. What is it about a Democratic candidate (Obama) that they don't like?

How does arranging the spices in the White House kitchen count as experience? I really don't understand how she can count her being Arkansas First Lady, and First Lady of America as experience. Why doesn't anyone challenge that? If that counts does that mean Barbara or Laura Bush are qualified to be President? Come on Obama supporters get busy we don't need another dishonest know it all that doesn't listen to the people for our candidate.

word, marilynn. word.

I'm a Hillary supporter, and I know others as well, and we don't support McCain - where is that information coming from? If Obama were to win the Democratic nomination - I would be impressed, and excited, to have him as President. I simply voted for Hillary because I feel she has more experience and with a better cabinet, could get things done.

Why are Obama supporters so against Hillary? Would they vote for McCain instead? It sounds like it....If he's such a gentleman, then why doesn't he and his supporters commend Hillary for even mentioning that she would choose him as Vice? She may be getting ahead of herself, but it seems she's at least trying to mend a ripping seam between us (Clinton & Obama teams).

Star17537 (or any Hillary supporter) what exactly is the difference between Obama and Hillary?

We keep hearing about this massive difference between their policy positions and their experience -- and yet (to me at least) they seem very similar.

So what exactly are the major policy differences between the two candidates that would make you vote for Hillary as opposed to Obama?

And in terms of "getting things done" -- are you at all concerned that Hillary has a long and bitter history with her Republicans rivals on the other side of the aisle?

Are you concerned that maybe all her great ideas will just die in Congress because she will not be able to get enough votes to make anything happen?

word, marilynn. word. ????????????

Obama has been criticized for not attacking Hillary hard enough -- or responding in kind to her negative ads.

Well, that's the problem, isn't it?

Obama is preaching a new kind of politics -- one without endless attack ads (like Hillary's 3am spot and others) wherein the announcer with the scary, gravelly voice intones ominously that "Obama is a coward and a liar without the guts to kill terrorists!" (paraphrasing, of course).

Now people are pointing to his kid gloves approach to Hillary's attack ads and making the claim that it cost him critical votes.

I would have to disagree with that. Ohio and Texas were never really his. Obama never had a commanding lead in either state and he finished very, very close. And I think it's worth noting he did it without really going negative.

I have to give the voters more credit. I truly believe that after a solid decade of Rove-style in-your-face over the top attack ads that it has almost no impact on voters anymore. I really don't think significant numbers of people were really swayed by any ad that Hillary put out (although I do think some were swayed to vote against her because her ads were so hamfisted and so typical of the old style attack politics).

I think a huge part of Obama's popularity is that his campaign style is so friendly and so unlike what we've seen over the past decade. I think it would be a mistake if he tried to match Hillary's tone and style.

These guys are similar on policy that the only thing really seperating them is their personality -- and I think Obama has the edge there.

All's fair in this war to win. Why is that Clinton becomes the evil monger when she plays on mistakes by Obama? I want to know about his history, I want to know that he has had links with bad people. I want to know more about what he stands for than what he says. His charisma is great and I would vote for either but holding hillary to a litmus set higher than the other candidates is horribly wrong. People who feel that Hillary people will vote republican are spreading fear.....;McCain is a republican and more bush like than ever.....

Yes Crob - he does have the edge on personality. He's calm, easy going and not forced. He comes off as sincere - a trait that's easy to like him for.

Use your vote. Stop the Clinton winning streak. She won't have more delegates by the convention anyway, but make it a clear case.

I'm tired of the Clintons and their self-righteous approach.

guess you Hillary haters/women haters need to read this and think about it.

Hillary said the other night at the Austin,Texas town hall that the first thing she would do as president is to rescind the “Bush executive orders". This would return the power to the people and less power to the president. (Preventing a Dictatorship)
The second thing that she will do is meet with all Joint Chiefs of Staff and start the process of withdrawing from Iraq.

I am a woman (Mother and wife) and it is time that an experienced woman who cares about children, women- people becomes the next president.
Senator Clinton, if you look at her record has always cared about the American people starting with the children. She has 30 years of experience in politics.

Bottom line the Clinton years were excellent for America and the World. Especially if compared to the last 7 years. We were loved by the world and the USA economy was doing great. EXAMPLES: Largest deficit reduction in history $600,000,000,000.00 (Billon).
The longest economic expansion in US history.
Lowest un-employment.
Highest home owner ship %66.
Lowest number of people on welfare since 1969.
Hillary helped change the adoption laws allowing kids stuck in foster care to move to permanent homes.
She has an excellent environmental record.

Hillary is against Nuclear Energy without having a solution to the toxic nuclear waste it creates.
She is for solar and wind power which creates no waste! i.e. Clean Energy.
Her plan is to create jobs in Clean energy.

BTW to judge a person on one vote (WAR) is very closed minded. Obama was not part of the senate till after the vote. He was elected to the senate long after the Iraq war vote! She voted for the war with all the Bush mis-information as did most the men. She regrets it and has said so many times.

jspear, I don't think people are being critical of Hillary for pointing out policy differences. When she talks about her her healthcare plan has a mandate and his doesn't, okay, that's a fair discussion and one worth having.

The problem (for me at least) is that when she can't win policy arguements she tends to go for the old style "Gotcha!" tactics and personal attacks.

My favorite example would be when, during a debate, Obama was asked about Louis Farrakhan's endorsement of him. Obama spent about 5mins denoucing Farrakhan's anti-semtic rhetoric and making it clear that it was not an endorsement he sought out.

Hillary tried to capitalize on this with a poorly orchestrated "Gothca!" moment by going on and on about how Obama didn't specifically "reject AND denounce" Farrakhan's endorsement. Well, true, he didn't triple dog denounce it either -- but c'mon. She was trying to make an issue out of a non-issue. Obama deftly defused her attack by doing the unthinkable -- he conceded the point! "If you think denounce is more powerful than reject, fine, I both denounce and reject Farrakhan's endorsement."

And then there was her moment wherein she mocked Obama (and by extension all his supporters) with that little skit where she talked about the clouds parting, the music playing and everyone holding hands, ect.

Almost all of her attacks seem to be personal rather than based on actual policy differences and for that people are being more critical of her.

For me, who does not watch TV, Clinton swayed me by her positive message at the Austin rally. She had understandable, clear plans to improve the economy, provide health care for all and withdraw from Iraq. Then she said as president one of the first things she would do was to rescind the Bush executive orders. As far as McCain - I would never vote for him! I think Obama is a great candidate as well and would vote for him over 100-years-of-war McCain. I voted for Clinton in the primaries because I think she's more seasoned, more experience and has been through the heavy hitting media hate machine and survived.

Barrack Obama's campaign structure has not been above using negatives to get ahead from the start. Check You Tube for ample proof. This is a very one-sided topic, in my opinion. He is not the only victim.

paul262 -- just an honest question: have you been to Obama's website and reviewed his specific policies and proposals and compared them to Hillary's?

You are all delusional. You think Hillary won Texas and Ohio because Rush Limbaugh encouraged Republicans to vote for her? That's the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. You are full of negative campaigning. You guys talk so much "smack" about Hillary it's crazy. Look, she's exposing him because quite frankly, she WAS desperate. Politics are nasty--that's the game and that's why we love politics. Sorry if Barack isn't tough enough to stand up to some really minor criticisms maybe it's an indication that he won't be tough enough to beat Hillary and he won't be tough enough to beat John McCain. John McCain was a prisoner of war when Barack Obama was a child living in god knows what country. This election is going to become more and more about the war in Iraq and national security, as it was when Kerry was botched by Bush in 2004. You think Hillary is a bitch? Wait for the Republicans. Didn't you hear the head of the RNC? They've been researching smear leads for months now. They're ready for Barack. If he can't take these 72 hours of "negative press" then he's done in this campaign and in politics in general. Mr. Obama is seriously jaded if he hasn't realized that yet.

WELCOME TO FRONT RUNNER STATUS BARACK, CAN YOU HANDLE IT? so far it looks like he can't.