Obama Making Serious Battleground Gains Over McCain

A slew of reports out today show Obama gaining in national and swing-state polls.

Posted 10/07/08 in Daily Intel : Early and Often

Tags: barack obama, campaigns, early and often, elections, indiani, john mccain, new hampshire, north carolina, ohio, politics, polls, wisconsin

Peter Braunstein Sentenced to 23 Years in Ohio

But he couldn't make a public appearance without spitting out some of the crazy.

Posted 07/17/08 in Daily Intel : It Just Happened

Tags: crime, It Just Happened, media, ohio, peter braunstein, prison, riker's island

Obama’s Troubles Mount — Just in Time for the Latest Primaries!

Barack Obama must be wondering how the worst press he’s received practically all campaign season came down just before today’s primaries — his chance to close the deal. He can look inward for answers. The big story, of course, is the meeting an Obama advisor, Austin Goolsbee, had with a Canadian official about NAFTA. After Canadian TV reported that Goolsbee had assured the Canadian official that basically all Obama’s tough talk on NAFTA was political maneuvering, the Obama campaign denied the meeting ever took place. Then, on cue, a Canadian memo surfaced confirming that the meeting did take place. The Obama campaign’s evasive answers and qualified denials have failed to placate a press corps determined to prove they’re holding Obama accountable. At the same time, a former Obama supporter, Antoin Rezko, begins his trial in Chicago for influence peddling. While nothing unethical or illegal has been proven about Obama’s relationship with Rezko, the fact that new details are still emerging raises doubts about Obama’s previous claims that he has divulged everything about their association. None of this meshes well with Obama’s claim to be running on a new kind of politics, and, from looking at the polls showing a Clinton rebound, voters are taking notice.

Posted 03/04/08 in Daily Intel : Early and Often

Tags: antoin rezko, barack obama, early and often, elections, hillary clinton, ohio, primaries

Clinton: Should She Stay or Should She Go?

A day before the latest all-important primaries, in Ohio and Texas (and oh, Vermont and Rhode Island), the expectation game has taken on even more significance than usual. Weeks ago, the pundits were saying Clinton needed a blowout win; Bill Clinton admitted they needed to take both Ohio and Texas. With the polls showing a tightening race, people are beginning to wonder what Clinton will do if tomorrow's results are muddled — which, given Texas' ridiculously complex primary-caucus hybrid, is a very real possibility.

Posted 03/03/08 in Daily Intel : Early and Often

Tags: barack obama, bill clinton, early and often, elections, hillary clinton, ohio, primaries, texas

Who Took the Democratic Debate? It’s a Matter for … Debate

Watching the twentieth Democratic debate last night was kind of like watching a rerun of Seinfeld for the twentieth time: There were some entertaining moments, but for the most part, you knew exactly what to expect. Moderator Tim Russert gave us a couple of fresh angles asking about Louis Farrakhan’s endorsement of Barack Obama and the candidates’ familiarity with Russia’s “successor” to Vladimir Putin. Clinton and Obama are supposedly all about “change,” but in terms of the dynamics of the race, little of it seems to have come about in Cleveland last night. Not that there’s anything wrong with that: It made for another one of those close contests the experts make so much hay out of.

Posted 02/27/08 in Daily Intel : Early and Often

Tags: barack obama, debates, early and often, elections, hillary clinton, ohio, primaries

Spitzer to (Potentially) Stump for Hillary in Ohio

In a conference call with reporters today, Eliot Spitzer said that he would be heading to Ohio to rally voters on behalf of New York's junior senator, just as she is posting a dip in the polls there. Spitzer was on the line with New Jersey governor Jon Corzine and Ohio governor Ted Strickland to discuss economic development, in a call that was arranged by Hillary's people. The first question from reporters was about Spitzer's plan to issue driver's licenses for illegal immigrants. According to the Observer, Spitzer batted away the idea that Hillary Clinton's hedgy attempts to support him cost her political capital. "The answer is no," said Spitzer. "I have not had any conversations with her about it. I'd just point out that Barack Obama is for my policy on driver's licenses, so I don't see that that's been an issue." When he heads to Ohio, he'll join Corzine, who's also headed there to help out Hillary. Since she's in fighting mode lately, it makes sense to bring out the steamroller. But he's kept himself pretty distant from her over the past few months. Will he still be as effective if he's not revved up? Spitzer Sells Clinton, Says Driver's License Mess Didn't Hurt Her [NYO] Update: According to the Sun, Spitzer stopped short of saying that he would stump for Clinton, but left open the possibility "if this continues."

Posted 02/26/08 in Daily Intel : Early and Often

Tags: campaigns, early and often, economy, elections, eliot spitzer, hillary clinton, jon corzine, ohio, primaries

Clinton Might Have the Edge in Tonight’s Super-Important Debate

“Meet me in Ohio” was Hillary Clinton’s challenge to Barack Obama over the weekend. Never mind that the two were already scheduled to debate there tonight (“See you Tuesday!” would have been less dramatic). Their last debate before the mini–Super Tuesday primaries on March 4 — and, perhaps, their last ever — promises an airing of issues connected to health care and NAFTA, both of which Clinton and Obama have been recently feuding over. In mailers and speeches, Obama has claimed that Clinton supports NAFTA and sending working families into poverty with her health-care mandates. Clinton disagrees. And the popular opinion actually seems to favor her position — take that, SNL!

Posted 02/26/08 in Daily Intel : Early and Often

Tags: barack obama, debates, early and often, elections, hillary clinton, ohio, primaries