Do Clinton, Obama owe each other spot on ticket?
(PHOTO CREDIT: GETTY IMAGES)
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
The race between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama has gotten so nasty that it's hard to imagine the two ever teaming up on a so-called "dream ticket." But some Democrats are holding out hope for just that.
The New York Times reports how several high-profile Democrats, like Former New York Governor Mario Cuomo and Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell, along with some of the uncommitted superdelegates think it's a good idea. Their thinking is it would combine the voter bases of both and be a way to end the nomination race before the party's convention in August.
Aides from the two campaigns don't rule it out, but there are some serious roadblocks. To start with, Clinton and Obama probably can't wait to be done with each other. Obama's camp believes Clinton's baggage and her campaign's negative tone would hurt his message of hope. And the Times, citing unnamed sources, reports former President Bill Clinton thinks the Obama campaign has portrayed him as a race-baiter and bare knuckles campaigner.
Some Clinton aides say she would almost have to offer Obama the V.P. position because of his popularity. And at this point, either candidate could argue they have the right of first refusal on the number two spot.
History gives examples where politicians managed to put their dislike for each other aside for the greater political good. JFK picked LBJ as his running mate, Ronald Reagan selected George Bush and John Kerry chose John Edwards. After all – in the end, it's all about winning, isn't it?
Here’s my question to you: Do Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama each owe the other one a spot on the ticket?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
Heading into Pa., does Obama or Clinton have the advantage?
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
After a 6-week lull, we will actually get to hear from the voters tomorrow when Pennsylvania holds its long-awaited and much publicized primary.
The stakes are enormous. If Obama wins, Hillary Clinton may be asked by the party leaders to stay home and bake cookies. If Clinton wins – as she's expected to – the battle moves to Indiana and North Carolina.
Both campaigns are hedging expectations about tomorrow's results in Pennsylvania. An average of recent polls shows Clinton with about a seven point lead. Political experts have been saying Clinton must win Pennsylvania by double-digits for her campaign for the nomination to remain viable. Her supporters, not surprisingly, beg to differ. Clinton has vowed to carry her campaign all the way to the convention.
The two candidates have spent tons of time and money in Pennsylvania, although Obama has outspent Clinton by perhaps as much as 3-to-1.
If he's unable to get the support of blue-collar workers, it could make some uncommitted superdelegates question how strong he'd be in the general election.
Meanwhile, The Politico reports that the historic spike in Democratic voter registration could help Obama cut into Clinton's lead in Pennsylvania. One pollster has taken a look at people who have switched parties in order to vote Democrat this time around. They represent about 7% of the 2 million Democrats expected to turn out tomorrow... and 62% of them prefer Obama. This pollster says these voters could help Obama cut Clinton's margin of victory by 2 to 3 percentage points.
Here’s my question to you: Who has the advantage on the eve of the Pennsylvania primary, Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
How can McCain catch up with Democrats’ money?
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
Money talks, and these days John McCain is getting an earful. And it's not good.
McCain raised $15.4 million in March. Barack Obama raised more than $41 million in March, and Hillary Clinton raised $20 million in March.
Overall, McCain has raised one third of the $240 million Obama has raised and less than half of Clinton's total. The Los Angeles Times reports that Obama has raised more in small donations than what McCain has raised in his entire campaign.
McCain's advisers and some Republicans insist he'll have enough money to run a competitive race in the general election, but not everyone is convinced.
One thing working in McCain's favor is the Republican National Committee, which is overwhelmingly outraising the Democratic National Committee.
The Republicans have about $31 million in the bank, compared to $5 million for the DNC. Also, after his party's convention in September, McCain will probably opt for public funding of $84 million to run his general election campaign.
But that figure likely will pale compared to what Barack Obama might be able to raise with his network of about 1.5 million donors. Another problem for McCain is that several traditional Republican donors have been leaning Democratic thus far in the race. For example, the securities and investment industries have given nearly $7 million to Obama compared to $3 million to McCain. And, the real estate industry has given close to $6 million to Hillary Clinton, compared to $2.5 million for McCain.
Here’s my question to you: When it comes to money, how can John McCain catch up with the Democrats?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
Are the Democrats’ negative attacks working?
Click the play button to see what Jack and our viewers had to say.
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
The people of Pennsylvania probably can't wait until tomorrow's primary election is over. The campaign between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton has turned into a truly nasty affair, with the two trading accusations about who's been more negative in their campaigning.
Front page stories in both today's New York Times and Washington Post talk about how Obama has sharpened his tone and his attacks on Clinton, which is a departure from how he's treated her in previous primaries. Obama is questioning whether Clinton is honest and trustworthy and going after her as an expert in old-school, special-interest politics.
For her part, Clinton is calling Obama's approach "so negative" and says he's copying Republicans in his attacks on her universal health care plan. She's suggesting his message of hope has morphed into old-style politics. Both candidates unleashed TV ads yesterday in Pennsylvania, accusing the other of holding onto ties with special interests.
Meanwhile, Obama has been gaining support from establishment figures in the Democratic party after Clinton's repeated attacks on his "bitter" remarks. Former Senators Sam Nunn and David Boren backed Obama late last week. Also, Robert Reich – President Clinton's labor secretary and a longtime friend of the Clintons – is supporting Obama, saying he was "appalled" by her "mean-spirited" attacks.
An average of polls in Pennsylvania shows Obama trailing Clinton by 7 points heading into tomorrow, which is down from her double digit lead just weeks ago. Clinton is expected to win tomorrow, but the focus will be on the margin of victory. What's not clear is who, if anyone, is gaining from all this negativity.
Here’s my question to you: How effective are personal attacks by Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama on each other?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
What’s younger than John McCain?
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FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
John McCain has been known to say he's "older than dirt" and has "more scars than Frankenstein."
If he wins, he will be 72 and the oldest president to ever serve a first term. McCain says his age is no big deal, but for purposes of giving the Cafferty File something light to end the week with, it is.
A Democratic operative has started a web site called "Younger than John McCain” Steven Rosenthal presents a short video that lists things younger than the Republican candidate including: FM radio, the Golden Gate Bridge, Coke in a can, Velcro, Pakistan, McDonald's and Burger King... to name a few.
Rosenthal tells the Washington Post, quote: "McCain comes from another time, an old war-horse stuck in the past with an old-world view of things." He says the videos are meant to show in a funny way how "out of touch and clueless he is."
The McCain camp had no comment on the video, which comes just after Congressman John Murtha, a Clinton supporter, said McCain is too old to be president.
With no disrespect intended and knowing John McCain himself has a terrific sense of humor, we ask the following:
What would you include on a list of things that are "younger than John McCain"?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
Appropriate role for former presidents?
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak meets with former U.S. President Jimmy Carter in Cairo on Thursday. Carter also met with top Hamas officials in both Egypt and Syria. (PHOTO CREDIT:AP)
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
Former President Jimmy Carter has been making waves this week with his trip to the Middle East.
Today, Carter met with an exiled Hamas politician in Damascus, Syria. Earlier this week, he met with two other senior Hamas politicians in Cairo.
Carter's trip drew condemnation from the U.S. and Israeli governments; both consider Hamas a terrorist organization. Carter has said he's not a negotiator, but that he's "just trying to understand different opinions and... provide communications between people who won't communicate with each other." Critics say it's not useful to engage in diplomacy with a group like Hamas, and most Israeli officials have refused to meet with Carter.
His trip raises larger questions about what exactly former presidents should be doing with their time out of office, which could be many years for someone like Bill Clinton or the current President George Bush. In recent years, Clinton teamed up with former President George H.W. Bush to raise money for victims of the Asian tsunami and Hurricane Katrina. Clinton also has a foundation that deals with issues like HIV/AIDS and climate change, and Carter has donated countless hours to Habitat for Humanity.
Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton has said that if she's elected president, she would make her husband a roaming ambassador to the world to help repair our tattered image abroad.
But is there a line these men who used to hold the highest office in the land shouldn't cross?
Here’s my question to you: What’s the appropriate role for former presidents?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
Winning over undecided Pennsylvania voters
Click the Play Button to see what Jack and our viewers had to say. Democratic debate hosted by ABC in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, April 16, 2008. (PHOTO CREDIT: GETTY IMAGES)
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
It's crunch time in Pennsylvania. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are down to their last weekend of campaigning before Tuesday's primary.
And the stakes couldn't be much higher – especially for Clinton. The latest average of polls taken there shows her ahead of Obama by just 5 points, down sharply from the double-digit lead she had held for months.
Although Clinton is expected to win, the key is by how much. The Wall Street Journal reports anything less than a double-digit victory could make Obama appear more and more like the inevitable nominee. This could also trigger a flow of superdelegates into Obama's camp. On the other hand, a strong Clinton win might persuade superdelegates to at least stay neutral a while longer.
Experts say Clinton needs to win in Pennsylvania by at least 8 to 10 points in order for voters in the other upcoming states – like Indiana and North Carolina – to see it as a real victory.
A loss in Pennsylvania could be the end for Clinton, putting a lot of pressure on her to drop out. New Jersey Governor and Clinton supporter Jon Corzine says a loss would be a "door closer.” He calls it a key state because she needs to win the popular vote. Clinton aides point out they've been outspent by Obama by as much as 3-to-1 in the state and if he can't deliver, it's another sign he can't win big states.
Meanwhile, polls show that after 6 weeks of intense campaigning in Pennsylvania, about 9% of voters are still unsure who they'll support.
Here’s my question to you: In this last weekend before the Pennsylvania primary, what do Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton have to do to win over late undecided voters?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
Pope healing wounds of church sex abuse scandal?
(PHOTO CREDIT: AP)
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
The buzz began before the papal plane had even touched down. There were rumors beginning to circulate that Benedict XVI might actually meet with victims of the sex abuse scandal in the Catholic Church. The Holy Father said he would speak forcefully and directly about the shame the scandal has brought upon the church.
But talking to the victims was something that had never happened, not at that level. And yet for true healing to actually begin this is what was necessary.
And it did. Without fanfare Benedict XVI this afternoon met with a small group of people who were sexually abused by priests. No reporters, no cameras, private, personal, and profound. We are told the Pope listened to their stories and prayed with them.
There is a very long way to go if in fact it is even possible for the Catholic Church to ever overcome the effects of this, but it's a start.
Here’s my question to you: How far has Pope Benedict XVI gone toward healing the wounds of the church's sex abuse scandal?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
Clinton & McCain find common enemy
Click the Play Button to see what Jack and our viewers had to say. (PHOTO CREDIT: AP)
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
It looks like Hillary Clinton and John McCain have found a common enemy in Barack Obama.
As the Financial Times puts it: "The 2008 presidential race has boiled down to a fight of two against one”... meaning McCain and Clinton versus Obama.
Perhaps this shouldn't come as much of a surprise being that Obama is now the Democratic front-runner. Clinton needs to knock him out and win big in Pennsylvania on Tuesday in order to have a shot at the nomination. And McCain – unlike the Democratic candidates – already has the luxury of focusing on the general election.
Aides to the presumptive Republican nominee say they'd prefer Clinton as an opponent because of her high negative ratings. Yesterday in the Cafferty File we told you about a poll that shows 58% of Americans say Clinton is not honest and trustworthy.
So what we're seeing now is both Clinton and McCain going after Obama with almost identical criticisms. For example, both have portrayed Obama as an "elitist" during the fallout of his "bitter" remarks. Clinton often targets McCain in her attacks. But for his part, McCain sticks almost entirely to criticizing Obama, sometimes even as a response to a shot he's taken from Clinton.
The Republican National Committee also overwhelmingly targets Obama instead of Clinton in its attacks. When Clinton was in the lead last year, she was all the RNC could talk about.
Former Democratic presidential candidate and Obama backer Gary Hart says Clinton has broken "an unwritten rule of politics" by handing the Republicans ammunition to be used against Obama later on.
Meanwhile, another Democratic adviser, who's not backing either candidate yet, says that Clinton might be hurting herself among Democratic voters by her willingness to team up with McCain. He says, "One plus one equals zero if your ally is a Republican."
Here’s my question to you: Why do both Hillary Clinton and John McCain target Barack Obama with virtually the same criticisms?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
How can so many Democrats still be undecided?
(PHOTO CREDIT: AP)
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
Coming up on the three primaries that could end this thing, the polls are not trending in Hillary Clinton's favor.
In Pennsylvania, which votes Tuesday, Clinton's double-digit lead has been shrinking for weeks. An average of polls shows her only ahead by 5 points in a state the experts agree she must win convincingly if she hopes to reignite her campaign.
In Indiana, Obama has actually taken the lead. He's ahead by 5 points in a Los Angeles Times-Bloomberg poll. And in North Carolina, the same poll shows Obama even farther ahead, leading by 13.
Almost everyone, except Hillary Clinton, agrees that if this is the way these three states vote, the fat lady will be positively deafening. But there's a fly in the ointment: Despite 15 months of campaigning, dozens of primaries and caucuses already held, 21 debates, and news stories too numerous to mention, a lot of Democrats in North Carolina and Indiana say they still don't know who they're going to vote for. How's this possible?
In North Carolina, the undecided voters number 19%. And in Indiana, the number is even higher: 25%. Those two states hold primaries May 6th. I wonder what it will take for them to make up their minds.
Here’s my question to you: How can so many Democrats in Indiana and North Carolina still be undecided about whether they'll support Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
@jackcafferty on Twitter
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