What role did sexism play in Clinton’s likely defeat?
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
Hillary Clinton says she's running for president "to break the highest and hardest glass ceiling" in the United States. But every day, it looks less and less likely that she'll succeed.
The New York Times reports today about what Clinton's all-but-certain defeat will mean for women. Clinton set records for a campaign by a woman, raising more than $170 million, often getting better debate reviews than her male competitors, rallying older women and getting white men to vote for her.
There are even those who believe Clinton was able to use sexism on the trail to her advantage, by bringing in more votes and donations after instances where many believed she was being unfairly picked on because she is a woman.
There is no question she has done exceedingly well only to finish second behind Barack Obama. Nevertheless, many of her supporters insist the race was unfair – focusing on things like her clothing, her voice and calls to exit the race. Some, including Clinton supporter and former vice presidential candidate Geraldine Ferraro, even think Barack Obama was sexist.
But despite the new markers for what women can do in a presidential campaign, there's still work to be done. Clinton had difficulties with some of the classic hurdles that face female politicians – things like trying to show toughness and warmth at the same time. Also, many women say they wish Clinton had inspired some kind of deep, national dialogue about gender issues between the sexes like what Obama did on the topic of race.
Here’s my question to you: How much of a role did sexism play in the likely defeat of Hillary Clinton?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
5th McCain aide resigns due to lobbying ties
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
If John McCain keeps firing people with ties to lobbyists, there won't be anyone left to run his campaign. His national finance co-chairman resigned from the campaign yesterday because of his ties to lobbyists. That makes him the fifth campaign adviser in about a week to leave due to increasing questions about whether lobbyists have too much influence over John McCain.
These folks have been cutting ties with McCain since the campaign issued a new policy that requires all staffers to either step down or end their relationships with lobbying firms or outside political groups.
The issue here is that John McCain has built his reputation on ethics and fighting special interest groups. The appearance of all these people with ties to lobbyists working for him doesn't seem to wash with his image as a self-described "straight talker." In fact, his campaign manager Rick Davis, who ran a lobbying firm for several years, has taken a leave of absence from his job. And, top political adviser Charlie Black, who was the head of a Washington lobbying firm, has resigned from that firm. McCain defends both of them, saying they've been "out of" the lobbying business.
When asked if he was worried about all the departures, McCain said his campaign's new conflict of interest policy should solve the problem.
He better hope it does. Of the latest resignation, Barack Obama said, "It appears McCain is very much a creature of Washington"... which doesn't represent the kind of change Americans are looking for. The McCain campaign shot back saying it looks forward to a debate about Obama's associations and what they say about his judgment, pointing to people like William Ayers, a former member of the radical Weather Underground group.
Here’s my question to you: What does it mean when five John McCain campaign aides have resigned in a week because of lobbying ties?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
What does 72,000 at Obama rally mean for GOP?
Barack Obama spoke to an estimated 72,000 people on Sunday in Portland, Oregon. (PHOTO CREDIT: AP PHOTO)
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
Barack Obama was a part of something pretty amazing yesterday – an event that looked more like a Rolling Stones concert than a political rally.
Obama drew the largest crowd of his campaign so far in Oregon, estimated at about 72,000 people. The pictures look like Woodstock, with cheering supporters going on and on as far as the eye can see.
"Wow, wow, wow” is how Obama summed it up when he got on stage and checked out the crowd. Tens of thousands crammed into a riverside park... with another 15,000 left outside.
Obama has achieved many "firsts" in this presidential campaign: the first African-American with a serious shot at his party's nomination, the first candidate in a long while to mobilize this nation's youth and get them to the polls, and now crowds that could fill a football stadium.
Obama says he's planning to go to Iowa to await the results of tomorrow's primaries because "it would be a terrific way to bring things full circle". Of course, the Iowa caucus is where he scored his first big win over Hillary Clinton. He says if things go "as we hope” after Oregon and Kentucky vote, he'll have a majority of pledged delegates which would be a "pretty significant mark."
Obama insists he won't be declaring victory at that point, but it does bring him one step closer to being the Democrats' nominee for president. In the meantime, his campaign has already stepped up attacks on John McCain – primarily tying him to President Bush, and has sent teams into battleground states hoping to sign up millions of Democrats in the next 6 months.
Here’s my question to you: What message does it send the GOP when 72,000 people show up for a Barack Obama campaign rally?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
@jackcafferty on Twitter
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