Though many are looking forward to the Democratic primary in Pennsylvania next Tuesday, Indiana and North Carolina may be the states that may have the biggest impact on the outcome of the Democratic nomination when they hold their primaries on May 6. Between the two states, there are 187 delegates up for grabs. If Clinton pulls ahead with a decisive victory over Obama in both states, her victory could extinguish calls for her to drop out of the race. Whatever way the primaries go, the outcome could be used as argument to sway the superdelegates and determine who receives the nomination.
Senators Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama took part in a forum Sunday night in Grantham, Pa., at Messiah College, which was devoted to topics of justice and faith. Audience members watched as the two candidates exchanged cold glances as they passed one another on stage. The candidates appeared on stage individually to participate in the forum. In recent days, Clinton has criticized Obama calling his comments he made at a fund-raiser last week, where he said that Pennsylvanians are bitter over their economic plight and cling to guns and religion for solace. Clinton called the comments “elitist and patronizing.” When Obama took to the stage, he defended his comments saying that they had been taken out of context and altered.
After former Republican Congressman Bob Barr established an exploratory committee for the possible pursuit of the Libertarian nomination for president, former Sen. Mike Gravel (D.-AK) has now joined the race. Though the Libertarian Party is not as well known as the Democratic Party, the race for the Libertarian nomination may become just as contentious. Since the Libertarian Party was formed in 1971, there has been no presidential candidate who has received more than 1 million votes. The battle for the Libertarian nomination may become more heated than anyone anticipates, and with such a battle may come more publicity than the Party has received to date.
Sen. Barack Obama is slowly taking away the lead that Sen. Hillary Clinton had in Pennsylvania. According to a recent article published on CNN’s web site, Clinton is now leading Obama by 6 points. The recent shift is said to be a result of Obama’s buying air time for television commercials in the state. The senator has also benefited from the efforts of union members who have spent roughly $700,000 on campaigning efforts to inform the public and gain supporters.
Normally, superdelegates don’t have as big of a role in the presidential election process as they do this time around. The reason is that, in past elections, the Democratic nominee was declared much earlier in the primary process. However, with this election, Sens. Clinton and Obama are running too close in the numbers of delegates each has won — and that number continues to change rapidly. With neither candidate backing down, the battle looks as though it will be taken all the way to the Democratic convention, where the superdelegates will have the final say.
Sen. Hillary Clinton has called on President Bush to boycott the opening ceremonies of the Olympics in Beijing, China, this summer. Clinton’s campaign released a statement Monday explaining why the boycott should be supported — citing China’s history of human rights violations, the recent events in Tibet and China’s lack of support to help end the violence in Darfur. Toward the end of March, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was the first to call on President Bush to boycott the opening ceremonies.
The Democratic Party is entering dangerous territory. There have been record numbers turning out for primaries and caucuses. There have also been record numbers registering to vote. However, the party has become so divided between Hillary Clinton and Barrack Obama that there is danger that those whose candidate does not get the nomination will not only not support the candidate who does win the nomination, but that they may not vote at all. And immediately following the nomination, supporters of the candidate who did not win the nomination will yell that the process was not fair. There is also still dispute over what will be done regarding the Michigan and Florida delegates which further divides the party.
Former Republican Congressman Bob Barr announced Sunday afternoon the formation of a presidential exploratory committee and that he may seek the Libertarian Party nomination. During his speech, Barr stated that it is the status quo of the two-party system which is responsible for the problems facing this nation. Barr said that it is both the Republicans and Democrats who are to blame for stifling the nation, impeding any kind of growth, or positive change. On his latest web site, Barr addresses issues facing this nation that he believes are the most pressing — issues such as individual liberty, securing our borders, national defense, and cutting big spending. The Libertarian Party is known for its stances on smaller government, lower taxes, and more freedom.
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