Kennedy support for Obama?
Sen. Barack Obama stands with Sen. Edward Kennedy, Patrick Kennedy and Caroline Kennedy, during a rally for Obama at American University on Monday. (PHOTO CREDIT: GETTY IMAGES)
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
It was a big snub coming from one of the nation's most well-known Democratic families to another. And, you better believe Senator Ted Kennedy's endorsement of Barack Obama hit Hillary and Bill Clinton pretty hard.
The Clintons had apparently tried to keep Kennedy neutral in the race, but it seems that it was what Kennedy saw as former President Clinton's racially divisive comments that tipped the scales.
So Kennedy has gone "all in" for Obama, calling him a "man with extraordinary gifts of leadership and character." Ted Kennedy plans to campaign aggressively for Obama, both out west and in the northeast ahead of Super Tuesday. Kennedy will help Obama shore up support among unions and Hispanics. Getting the backing of one of the party's most senior members will also serve to blunt the criticism that Obama doesn't have enough experience.
And it's not just Ted Kennedy. Caroline Kennedy, the daughter of President John F. Kennedy, is supporting Obama, too, saying he "offers that same sense of hope and inspiration" that her father did. Ted Kennedy's son, Congressman Patrick Kennedy, is also supporting Obama.
The symbolism here is breathtaking. Caroline Kennedy said, "I have never had a president who inspired me the way people tell me that my father inspired them. But for the first time, I believe I have found a man who could be that president - not just for me, but for a new generation of Americans." Senator Kennedy also compared Obama to JFK, saying like his brother, Obama is a candidate who sees the world is changing and represents a new generation of leadership.
Here’s my question to you: What will support from the late President John F. Kennedy’s brother and daughter mean to Barack Obama’s campaign?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
How can President Bush salvage his legacy?
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
All eyes will leave the campaign trail briefly tonight and turn to President Bush as he delivers his final State of the Union Address. With just 12 months left in office, this is typically the last time a lame duck president manages to get everybody's attention.
The speech is expected to be about half domestic and half foreign affairs - the big topics to be the economy and the war in Iraq. He'll talk about improved security in Iraq, and other international hotspots like Iran as well as his efforts to jump start the peace process in the Middle East.
When it comes to the economy, there's not much good news to report. A possible recession, the housing collapse and sub prime mortgage mess, a falling dollar, rising unemployment, inflation at a 17 year high, the stock market in pretty much of a nosedive since the first of the year. Not pretty.
The president will call on Congress to finish that economic stimulus package quickly. But that may not happen. Democrats in the Senate are now reportedly trying to add their own list of additional items to the bill despite warnings from the White House not to.
The White House insists this speech will be forward-looking, and not about his legacy. And perhaps that is a good thing. The president's approval ratings have been terrible for several years now. And there are dozens of unanswered questions about the legality of a lot of what he's done while in office, but no willingness on the part of Congress to do anything about it.
Here’s my question to you: With 12 months to go, how can President Bush salvage his legacy?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
How can Obama attract more white support?
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
Barack Obama crushed Hillary Clinton in Saturday's South Carolina primary, 55% to 27%.
His overwhelming victory was propelled by landslide margins among blacks, winning 78% of their votes. But when it came to the white vote, Obama received 24%, trailing both John Edwards and Clinton.
So far in this campaign, Obama's highest support among white voters came in New Hampshire where he got 36%. In Iowa, he got a third of the white vote.
Results from South Carolina also suggest that racial attitudes play a part in how effective voters think the candidates would be once elected. Whites were far likelier to name Clinton than Obama as being the most qualified to be commander-in-chief, likeliest to unite the country and most likely to win the general election. As for blacks, they named Obama over Clinton by even stronger margins in all three areas.
So despite his overwhelming victory this weekend, it seems like Obama is going to need to find a way to capture more of the white vote. Clinton continues to maintain a big lead in national polls. And, when it comes to the major Super Tuesday states like New York, New Jersey, California and others, she has wide, in some case double-digit, leads in the polls over Obama.
Here’s my question to you: What does Barack Obama have to do to attract more white support?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
@jackcafferty on Twitter
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