Seismic Obama Defections
In a presumably must-win state for Barack Obama, Ohio Governor Ted Strickland sent a stinging message to Barack Obama during an NPR interview yesterday. Strickland was a fervent supporter of Hillary Clinton in the primary and endorsed Obama following her eventual withdrawal from the primary last Saturday. When most people are asked if they have an interest in being asked to be a running mate, they demurely say they have no interest. These folks consist of people who want and don’t want the job. There is a significant number of wannabees who say they don’t want it but will serve in any way the nominee asks. Then there is a sliver of people like Mike Huckabee and Mitt Romney who eagerly admit they would be honored to serve. Its very rare for someone to come out, as Strickland did, and categorically tersely, irreversibly say they wouldn’t do it. Strickland even used Shermanesque verbiage: "Absolutely not. If drafted I will not run, nominated I will not accept and if elected I will not serve." The press is giving this little attention but it’s a sign of trouble and a huge slap in the face to Obama. Strickland stood at Hillary’s side during some of her most bombastic criticism of Obama. So its part payback. More than that, he knows that Obama will not play well in Ohio. Party loyalty says he’ll endorse him but this remark was totally unnecessary. Anyone under consideration could privately communicate that they are not interested. This public rebuke of Obama means he wants to make it perfectly clear that he will not tie his own reputation to Obama.
Meanwhile, Democratic Congressman Dan Boren, of Oklahoma, referred to Obama as "the most liberal senator" in Congress and declared that has no intention of endorsing him. He did state that he would cast his delegate vote for him at the convention, vote for him in November, and celebrates the "testament to the Democratic Party" in nominating an African American. Stressing economic issues and foreign policy challenges, Boren said he cannot endorse Obama.
Hillary Clinton carried Boren’s rural district by 66% in the primary. Boren considers himself a centrist but describes his district as conservative. Boren should not be confused with his father, David Boren, who is the President of University of Oklahoma, former governor and senator.
Here is what makes Boren’s refusal to endorse Obama unimportant. He is the only Congressman in Oklahoma that is a Democrat. Oklahoma’s 7 electoral votes have not supported a Democrat since LBJ in 1964. What’s important about it is that it reflects attitudes among like-minded Democrats in states that could conceivably go Democratic: Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan, West Virginia.
The media is in love with Obama. He's in trouble.
In a presumably must-win state for Barack Obama, Ohio Governor Ted Strickland sent a stinging message to Barack Obama during an NPR interview yesterday. Strickland was a fervent supporter of Hillary Clinton in the primary and endorsed Obama following her eventual withdrawal from the primary last Saturday. When most people are asked if they have an interest in being asked to be a running mate, they demurely say they have no interest. These folks consist of people who want and don’t want the job. There is a significant number of wannabees who say they don’t want it but will serve in any way the nominee asks. Then there is a sliver of people like Mike Huckabee and Mitt Romney who eagerly admit they would be honored to serve. Its very rare for someone to come out, as Strickland did, and categorically tersely, irreversibly say they wouldn’t do it. Strickland even used Shermanesque verbiage: "Absolutely not. If drafted I will not run, nominated I will not accept and if elected I will not serve." The press is giving this little attention but it’s a sign of trouble and a huge slap in the face to Obama. Strickland stood at Hillary’s side during some of her most bombastic criticism of Obama. So its part payback. More than that, he knows that Obama will not play well in Ohio. Party loyalty says he’ll endorse him but this remark was totally unnecessary. Anyone under consideration could privately communicate that they are not interested. This public rebuke of Obama means he wants to make it perfectly clear that he will not tie his own reputation to Obama.
Meanwhile, Democratic Congressman Dan Boren, of Oklahoma, referred to Obama as "the most liberal senator" in Congress and declared that has no intention of endorsing him. He did state that he would cast his delegate vote for him at the convention, vote for him in November, and celebrates the "testament to the Democratic Party" in nominating an African American. Stressing economic issues and foreign policy challenges, Boren said he cannot endorse Obama.
Hillary Clinton carried Boren’s rural district by 66% in the primary. Boren considers himself a centrist but describes his district as conservative. Boren should not be confused with his father, David Boren, who is the President of University of Oklahoma, former governor and senator.
Here is what makes Boren’s refusal to endorse Obama unimportant. He is the only Congressman in Oklahoma that is a Democrat. Oklahoma’s 7 electoral votes have not supported a Democrat since LBJ in 1964. What’s important about it is that it reflects attitudes among like-minded Democrats in states that could conceivably go Democratic: Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan, West Virginia.
The media is in love with Obama. He's in trouble.
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