Tuesday, February 05, 2008

Barack's Big Mo: Will it Last?

This trip to Wilmington is going to be a tad shorter than I had imagined. It turns out that the Obama campaign is the only one to have a fully fledged campaign HQ here in Delaware. Clinton is relying on her media presence to get out the vote, while the Republicans apparently haven't had the money to campaign heavily in this small state.

I just did an interview with Obama's press secretary here and he agrees that turnout is likely to be high. They have 2,000 people knocking up across the state. Obama's visit here on Sunday has galvanised them. He attracted a crows of 20,000 in what the mayor described as the biggest public meeting seen anywhere in the state for years. His wife, on a separate visit, attracted 3,000 too.

As I was leaving their campaign hq, one of the staff said she had heard reports that Obama was ahead in each of the 22 states holding primaries today, and was even ahead in women voters. I find it inconceivable that he could beat Hillary Clinton in her home state of New York, but if he did, and these reports are accurate, the 'Big Mo' would be his.

John McCain has launched an attack on Mitt Romney for an insulting remark about Bob Dole. If there is any justice in this world Romney will be trashed today. He is un unworthy candidate.

Right, back I go to Washington.... I will post the interview with Chris Lu later, if I can work out how to do it on my Macbook. Don't hold your breath!

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

One can only hope that you did not use the phrase "knocking up" when you were talking to your american colleagues

Yak40 said...

Deleaware doesn't have many delegates so not a "player" today. Nice place, go down to Dover & points south, all those old English town & county names !

Alan Douglas said...

your freudians are showing :

"He attracted a crows of 20,000"

Sure it wasn't blackbirds ?

Alan Douglas

Anonymous said...

I'm an Obama supporter and he could never win New York in a month of Sundays just like Hillary will never win Illinois (despite it being her birth state)

Anonymous said...

Why is Mitt Romney unworthy in your opinion? Not that I disagree, but I'm interested in your thoughts. Personally, I'd be horrified if a Mormon became President.

Sorry if you've already blogged about this, there's just too many to wade through, so I'm hoping you'll give me a link :D

Fred Harrison said...

Er umm -- a breathless local campaign worker's second-hand report “that Obama was ahead in each of the 22 states holding primaries”? A measure of local enthusiasm perhaps, but worth reporting as anything more than that?

Well, I guess we'll see.

Anonymous said...

Iain, you've still yet to grasp the distinction between primaries and caucuses.

BTW, Huckabee's won today's West Virginia GOP state convention, WTA 18 delegates (with further nine dependent on results of WV primary later this spring)

Agree with yak40, hope Iain checks out life "south of the canal" before he departs DE.

As for "2nd hand" report for campaign worker, is possible that what she was refering to was Obama campaign exit polling.

Which would be better than "local enthusiasm" but as said, must wait & see.

Anonymous said...

Sea Shanty Irish here:

Iain, you've still yet to grasp the distinction between primaries and caucuses.

BTW, Huckabee's won today's West Virginia GOP state convention, WTA 18 delegates (with further nine dependent on results of WV primary later this spring)

Agree with yak40, hope Iain checks out life "south of the canal" before he departs DE.

As for "2nd hand" report from campaign worker, is possible she was refering to Obama campaign exit polling.

Which would be much better than "local enthusiasm" but as said, must wait & see.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous at 8:20 PM, New York has many citizens of Irish descent, and I believe Obama has been marketing himself there as O'Bama. So he should be in with a chance.

Anonymous said...

I'm glad you're having fun in the DC area and with our nomination process, Iain.
Enjoy your time at the Capital Grill tonight!

Anonymous said...

Remember New Hampshire!

Anonymous said...

Sea Shanty Irish again:

Mitt Romney to Bob Dole: "Stop lying about my record!"

That line didn't help Dole in '88, and won't help Mitt in '08.