Before Super-Duper Tuesday, I'd like to provide you with a quick round-up of what's on the grapevine.
Recently, questions about the role of Bill Clinton in his wife's campaign have emerged. Is he an asset or is he a liability?
Has he lost touch with contemporary America and politics? Is he still the incredible "natural" potician and campaigner that he was in the 1990s, had he adapted to the new media constraints.
Time magazine says : "Bill Clinton, get out of the way".
NYTimes offers a short video on the subject : "Hillary's worst half" which is very interesting and I strongly recommend.
Another issue raised by the important role taken by the former President in the campaign is : what will Bill's role in a new Clinton White House be? Will he be ubiquitous? will he be in charge of policy? Would that prove to be a problem, materially? democratically?
A few more noteworthy things:
There is an interesting opinion-editorial by the NYTimes on the impact John Edwards has had on the Democratic campaign
An analysis of the shift that McCain might need to accomplish from maverick candidate to official front-runner.
Compare the websites of Barack Obama (listen to the "Yes we can" video produced by Obama supporters ) and Hillary Clinton and read the NYTimes mock(?)-analysis : Obama is a Mac and Clinton is a PC.
A friend of mine has advised me to visit a blog in French on the American elections. I find it interesting and really worth a visit.
And now for all it's worth : the latest polls that give McCain ahead of Romney by a 20% margin and Clinton ahead by 8% but with Obama closing the gap...
3 comments:
Currently the news have talk of the recent endorsement of the Kennedy to Obama. Do you think the Kennedy dynasty still has a power of persuasion in this campaign, an asset for Obama ?
"Voices from the Polls" on the NY Times website is nice too!
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2008/02/05/us/politics/20080205_SUPER_TUESDAY_FEATURE.html
Especially for "Republicans" who're thinking of voting Obama.
Enjoy your super tuesday..
Thank you anonymous and Sophie for your comments, I've checked out the voter's opinions. Thanks.
To answer the question : I think that the endorsement of Obama by Edward and Caroline Kennedy is quite significant, not least because Senator Kennedy has gone on to campaign on his behalf and because of the huge media hype that it has attracted.
First of all, the Kennedy trade-mark (if I dare say) still has currency on the symbolic market : the family stands for change, aspiration and reform.
Moreover Edward Kennedy has a voice of his own on the political stage, he has been a Senator for a very long time (first elected in 1962) and has been active in many fields (including foreign policy and immigration reform : he co-sponsored a bill on the subject with Senator McCain) so he does not only speak as the brother and heir of Jack Kennedy.
two more articles:
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9804EFD71539F93AA15752C0A96E9C8B63&scp=13&sq=edward+kennedy&st=nyt
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/02/us/politics/02kennedy.html?sq=edward%20kennedy&st=nyt&adxnnl=1&scp=6&adxnnlx=1202328050-eOHL4e+q170FyrGEpGjnqg
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