Momentum vs. Toughing It Out
With a win in the Maine caucuses, Barack Obama has scored four lopsided victories in a row and the map favors him for weeks to come. Hillary Clinton, meanwhile, responded to her troubles by replacing her campaign manager. Clinton now has to hold back Obama's momentum long enough to win the big states weeks from now, a strategy that did not help Rudy Guiliani.With a win in the Maine caucuses, Barack Obama has scored four lopsided victories in a row and the map favors him for weeks to come. Hillary Clinton, meanwhile, responded to her troubles by replacing her campaign manager. Clinton now has to hold back Obama’s momentum long enough to win the big states weeks from now, a strategy that did not help Rudy Guiliani.
Obama was expected to do well this weekend, but he more than exceeded expectations. He didn’t just sweep four contests, he blew Clinton out of the water, doubling her take in some states and winning by big margins in the rest. While much has been made of Obama’s support among African-American voters, he continues to do well in a variety of states. What do Louisiana, Nebraska and Maine have in common?
The Obama campaign is hoping that a string of impressive victories will weaken Clinton in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Texas, where Latino and working-class voters could make the difference for her.
Though a campaign shakeup is a sign of weakness, it might also do the trick. Remember that presumptive Republican nominee John McCain was widely considered to be out of the running when his campaign went broke and he was forced to restructure. Also, Clinton doesn’t need to win in order to force a decision by super delegates, where she enjoys an advantage. She just has to keep Obama from locking up the nomination.
Wait, before you go…MSNBC:
Democrats in 420 Maine towns and cities decided how the state’s 24 delegates would be allotted at the party’s national presidential convention in August. Despite the weather, turnout was “incredible,” party executive director Arden Manning said.
With 59 percent of precints reporting, Obama had 57 percent to Clinton’s 42 percent.
Los Angeles Times:
Democratic Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton replaced campaign manager Patti Solis Doyle with longtime aide Maggie Williams … engineering a shake-up in a presidential campaign struggling to overcome rival Barack Obama’s financial and political strengths.
The surprise announcement came hours after Obama’s sweep of three contests Saturday.
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