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While Barack Obama seems presidential during his trip abroad, John McCain looks petulant for knocking Obama's visits to Iraq, Afghanistan and other countries after the Republican had done the same and had initially complained that Obama hadn't, writes DemFromCT. Evangelical ... READ MORE

MyDD
Democrat Ronnie Musgrove is running neck and neck with Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) in recent polls and Democrats could win the race on the way to 60 Senate seats, writes Jonathan Singer. What Rush Limbaugh, who attacked Barack Obama's speech ... READ MORE

TalkingPointsMemo
When pundits talk about the need for Barack Obama to prove he can become commander-in-chief, they forget that the Constitution's framers sought to give the position to a president who was a civilian elected by the people and not a ... READ MORE

The Next Right
Liberals took the lead online when Democrats were out of power and they needed to try something new, according Jon Henke in a response to a question about why conservatives are behind when it comes to using the Internet. The ... READ MORE

Townhall.com
Many Americans, especially those in swing states in the industrial Midwest, could find Barack Obama's speech lacking in American pride and bordering on arrogance, writes Hugh Hewitt. John McCain will benefit from the view of Americans who see Obama as ... READ MORE

The Corner
Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-Mich.) deserves credit for getting an amendment adopted to a House intelligence bill that would require the Department of Homeland Security to continue using terms like jihadism, Islamofascism and mujahideen and therefore ending the departments campaign to ... READ MORE

Drudge Report
Barack Obama is now leaving for Paris, the next leg of his trip abroad, notes the front page of the Drudge Report. But Drudge highlights some of the negative reaction to Obama's speech in Berlin, linking to a story in ... READ MORE

The Huffington Post
Sen. Chuck Hagel's (R-Neb.) call on both presidential candidates to quit talking about the surge and focus instead on the future leads the Post. Now that the corporate press has lauded Barack Obama's address in Berlin, it's poised to lash ... READ MORE

The Plank
The decision by Barack Obama's campaign to start a transition team to ready the Democrat to take office can hurt and help Obama, writes Nicole Allen. Republicans see it as another example of Obama's presumptuousness, but it will also prepares ... READ MORE

Hot Air
Ahead of Barack Obama's trip to Paris, France the Republican National Committee is running ads in the cities of Paris in Michigan, Maine and Missouri that slam the Democrat for opposing war funding bills because they didn't include withdrawal timetables, ... READ MORE

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May 13, 2008

Clinton Camp: If Obama Is Nominee, Why Can't He Close in W. Va.?

@ 12:15 pm by Andy Barr

The Hillary Clinton camp is questioning Barack Obama's inability to close the gap in West Virginia, considering that he is the "presumptive nominee."

The memo argues West Virginia voters will "make clear" that Clinton is the stronger candidate to take on John McCain.

Read the memo after the jump.

To: Interested Parties
From: Clinton Campaign
Date: Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Re: Why West Virginia Matters

With a record turnout expected in today’s primary, West Virginia Democrats will make clear who they believe is the strongest candidate to take on Sen. McCain in the Fall.

The Mountain State is used to picking winners. Every nominee has carried the state’s primary since 1976, and no Democrat has won the White House without winning West Virginia since 1916.

Democrats carried West Virginia in 1992 and 1996, but lost the state—and the White House–in 2000 and 2004. Hillary has predicted victory against Sen. McCain in West Virginia based on the strength of her economic message.

Given the attempts by our opponent and some in the media to declare this race over, any significant increase in voter turnout, coupled with a decisive Clinton victory, would send a strong message that Democrats remain excited and energized by Hillary’s candidacy.

In the face of grim poll numbers, the Obama campaign has attempted to dismiss today’s outcome despite the fact that Sen. Obama has outspent us on advertising, has more staff in the state, and more than double the number of offices.

He has also benefited from the support of the most high-profile endorsers in West Virginia—Sen. Jay Rockefeller and Congressman Nick Rahall. By every measure, the Obama campaign has waged an aggressive campaign in the Mountain State.

Despite being the so-called “presumptive nominee” and benefiting from these advantages, Sen. Obama has been unable to close a significant gap in the polls.

Sen. Clinton has already won Ohio, Pennsylvania, Florida and Michigan. With a win in West Virginia, Sen. Clinton will have once again proven her greater ability to win in the key swing states.

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