http://blog.washingtonpost.com/thefix/ en Copyright 2008 Thu, 08 May 2008 15:30:51 -0400 http://www.movabletype.org/?v=3.36 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss In the wake of Tuesday night's results in North Carolina and Indiana, there is only one question on the minds of political junkies: "Why is she staying in?" The "she" in that query is Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) who appears committed to continuing her bid for the Democratic presidential nomination despite facing daunting odds that she can overcome Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) in any measurable metric of the presidential race. There are undoubtedly many reasons that Clinton is staying in, not the least of which is that she still believes a path exists for her to win the nomination. How could she? The answer lies in a simple word that has defined the entirety of the Clintons long run atop Democratic politics: endurance. Dating all the way back to Bill Clinton's 1992 presidential campaign and weaving through the narrative of his presidency as well as Hillary Clinton's run http://blog.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2008/05/fixcam_clinton_and_the_enduran.html http://blog.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2008/05/fixcam_clinton_and_the_enduran.html FixCam Thu, 08 May 2008 15:30:51 -0400 Note: Please upgrade your Flash plug-in to view our enhanced content. var thisObj = "flashobj050508X2v"; var so = new SWFObject("http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/mmedia/player/wpniplayer_blog.swf", thisObj, "454", "305", "8", "#ffffff"); so.addParam("allowScriptAccess", "always"); so.addParam("swfliveconnect", true); so.addVariable("thisObj", thisObj); so.addVariable("vid","050508-2v_title"); so.addVariable("playads", "yes"); so.addVariable("adserv",""); so.addVariable("autoStart", "no"); so.write("flashcontent050508X2v"); The Fix has returned from vacation just in time for tomorrow's primaries in Indiana and North Carolina. While Rev. Jeremiah Wright dominated the headlines in the Democratic presidential race last week, the debate has lately turned to a proposal by Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) to create a summer-long gas tax holiday. Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) opposes such a move, insisting that it may sound good but would have little practical impact on the high price of gas. Both Democratic candidates believe they have the upper hand politically on the issue. Clinton went on the attack first with a commercial that outlines her plan and says that Obama "would make you http://blog.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2008/05/fixcam_week_in_preview_big_eas.html http://blog.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2008/05/fixcam_week_in_preview_big_eas.html FixCam Mon, 05 May 2008 08:29:25 -0400 SAN FRANCISCISO, Calif. -- The Fix has traveled to the West Coast for a week of rest and relaxation with Mrs. Fix. Unlike past "vacations," I am going to do my best to stay away from the computer entirely this week. The Fix editors will be putting up posts intermittently, however, so make sure to stop by the site occasionally during the week. Thanks, as always, for your support of The Fix and I'll be back rested and ready next Monday! http://blog.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2008/04/fixcam_week_in_preview_the_fix.html http://blog.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2008/04/fixcam_week_in_preview_the_fix.html FixCam Mon, 28 Apr 2008 11:25:14 -0400 Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) and Barack Obama (Ill.) will share a debate stage for the first time in 50 days on Wednesday in Philadelphia. The debate, which is being sponsored by ABC News, comes at an intriguing time in the campaign -- as Obama seeks to put to rest questions about whether he is an elitist raised after remarks made to a group of San Francisco donors was made public. The issue seems to be showing little sign of disappearing, with Clinton, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and a handful of Republican candidates and organizations from across the country continuing to fan the flames. Two recent examples: * Brian Davis, a Republican candidate seeking to challenge targeted Rep. Tim Walz in the fall, called on the Minnesota Democrat to renounce his superdelegate support for Obama. "We have learned a great deal more about Senator Obama in the past two http://blog.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2008/04/fixcam_week_in_preview_debate.html http://blog.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2008/04/fixcam_week_in_preview_debate.html FixCam Mon, 14 Apr 2008 11:30:00 -0400 Last night in New York City, pop icon Elton John held a concert that raised upwards of $2.5 million for Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's (N.Y.) presidential campaign. (Politico's Ben Smith was in attendance and offers a blow-by-blow of the proceedings.) In the video above, you'll find The Fix's tribute to Elton John. Can you name all the songs mentioned in the clip? If so, The Fix stands impressed. Also, if you're wondering where Elton John's backing of Clinton ("I've always been a Hillary supporter.") falls in The Fix Endorsement hierarchy, it's clearly a celebrity endorsement with a twist. On the plus side, John not only endorsed Clinton but also helped raise a boatload of money; on the down side, he is a British citizen and can't cast a vote for her. http://blog.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2008/04/fixcam_an_elton_john_tribute.html http://blog.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2008/04/fixcam_an_elton_john_tribute.html FixCam Thu, 10 Apr 2008 13:55:29 -0400 On day three of his re-introduction tour, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) made some unexpected news by telling radio talk show host Don Imus that the search for a running mate is already under way. "We just started this process, getting together a list of names, and having them looked at," McCain told Imus in an early morning radio interview. And, from that one simple comment grew a media firestorm. A search of "McCain" and "Imus" on Google News last night produced more than 350 news articles on the Arizona Senator's comments. So, what do you need to know about where things stand when it comes to McCain's veep search? 1. OF COURSE, it is already going on. The accumulation of names and the early vetting of potential candidates -- no matter what McCain's folks say -- has probably been going on for week if not months. 2. McCain acknowledged http://blog.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2008/04/fixcam_mccains_big_secret_is_o.html http://blog.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2008/04/fixcam_mccains_big_secret_is_o.html FixCam Thu, 03 Apr 2008 13:30:54 -0400 A new Gallup poll shows a significant number of supporters of both Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) and Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) would not vote for the other Democrat in the general election should their favored candidate lose the nomination. These folks say they would instead back Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.). Twenty eight percent of Clinton backers in the survey said they would back McCain if Obama won the nomination; 19 percent of Obama supporters said they would choose the Arizona Senator if Clinton wound up as the nominee. These numbers prompt two thoughts. First, these blocs of voters need names. The Fix is putting forth Obamacains and McClintons -- not terribly original. If you have better ideas, suggest them in the comments section below and we'll grab the best of the best and use them when we write about this topic again. Second, be careful to put too http://blog.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2008/03/fixcam_obamaniacs_and_mcclinto.html http://blog.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2008/03/fixcam_obamaniacs_and_mcclinto.html FixCam Thu, 27 Mar 2008 15:54:16 -0400 Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton is scheduled to give a speech on the economy this morning at the University of Pennsylvania -- the kickoff to a week in which the New York Senator will spotlight the nation's fiscal troubles and her allegedly unique ability to solve them. It's a sound strategy in a rust-belt state like Pennsylvania, which is set to hold its presidential primary on April 22. In a recent Quinnipiac University poll, that showed Clinton ahead of Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) 53 percent to 41 percent, roughly half of those tested (48 percent) cited the economy as the most important issue to them. The war in Iraq (23 percent) and health care (18 percent) lagged in importance in voters' minds. A look back at Clinton's major triumphs in this campaign makes it clear that nearly every win was based on scoring a significant victory over Obama among voters http://blog.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2008/03/fixcam_week_in_preview_its_the.html http://blog.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2008/03/fixcam_week_in_preview_its_the.html FixCam Mon, 24 Mar 2008 10:48:37 -0400 Looking for ways to keep yourself amused in between watching NCAA tournament games and pining for the return of The Fix? The team at washingtonpost.com has come up with an amazing tool that is sure to provide endless entertainment for political junkies. It's called the Electoral College Prediction Map. Pick how each state will vote in November using either the results from the 2004 general election or the primary results to date on the Republican and Democratic side. Feeling adventurous? Pick the states without any past results as a guide. The best part of the map is the ability to save your picks and send them to friends (and enemies). If you have a blog of your own or a Facebook page, the code to embed your own 2008 electoral map is right there too. Noodle around with it below and offer your thoughts in the comments section. (If http://blog.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2008/03/fixcam_the_electoral_college_p.html http://blog.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2008/03/fixcam_the_electoral_college_p.html FixCam Wed, 19 Mar 2008 22:26:00 -0400 Note: Please upgrade your Flash plug-in to view our enhanced content. var thisObj = "flashobj031308X4v"; var so = new SWFObject("http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/mmedia/player/wpniplayer_blog.swf", thisObj, "454", "305", "8", "#ffffff"); so.addParam("allowScriptAccess", "always"); so.addParam("swfliveconnect", true); so.addVariable("thisObj", thisObj); so.addVariable("vid","031308-4v_title"); so.addVariable("playads", "yes"); so.addVariable("adserv",""); so.addVariable("autoStart", "no"); so.write("flashcontent031308X4v"); The Fix grew up a HUGE fan of "choose your own adventure" books. So, when David Plouffe, campaign manager for Sen. Barack Obama's presidential campaign, promised on a Wednesday conference call that North Carolina would be a "central battleground" in the general election if the Illinois Senator winds up as the Democratic nominee, we were intrigued. (Plouffe's comments were made in response to a statement by Harold Ickes, a senior adviser to Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, to the New York Times that the "Carolinas" would NOT be competitive in the general election.) Hearkening back to The Fix childhood, we offer our readers two separate adventures: 1) Plouffe is right. Democrats have http://blog.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2008/03/fixcam_choose_your_own_north_c.html http://blog.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2008/03/fixcam_choose_your_own_north_c.html FixCam Fri, 14 Mar 2008 15:30:54 -0400 Note: Please upgrade your Flash plug-in to view our enhanced content. var thisObj = "flashobj031008X1v"; var so = new SWFObject("http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/mmedia/player/wpniplayer_blog.swf", thisObj, "454", "305", "8", "#ffffff"); so.addParam("allowScriptAccess", "always"); so.addParam("swfliveconnect", true); so.addVariable("thisObj", thisObj); so.addVariable("vid","031008-1v_title"); so.addVariable("playads", "yes"); so.addVariable("adserv",""); so.addVariable("autoStart", "no"); so.write("flashcontent031008X1v"); Three things to watch this week: 1. Mississippi Primary: Given the Magnolia State's 36 percent black population, Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) has to be favored in tomorrow's primary. He has dominated southern states so far in the nomination fight thanks in large part to overwhelming support from the African American community -- carrying this voting bloc at an eight- or even nine-to-one clip over Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.). Obama's wins in Georgia (28.5 percent black), Alabama (25.9 percent) and South Carolina (29.4 percent) should provide a blueprint for a win in Mississippi. The lone question is how big Obama's margin will be over Clinton and how many more delegates that http://blog.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2008/03/fixcam_week_in_preview_and_the.html http://blog.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2008/03/fixcam_week_in_preview_and_the.html FixCam Mon, 10 Mar 2008 08:45:22 -0400 Note: Please upgrade your Flash plug-in to view our enhanced content. var thisObj = "flashobj030608X2v"; var so = new SWFObject("http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/mmedia/player/wpniplayer_blog.swf", thisObj, "454", "305", "8", "#ffffff"); so.addParam("allowScriptAccess", "always"); so.addParam("swfliveconnect", true); so.addVariable("thisObj", thisObj); so.addVariable("vid","030608-2v_title"); so.addVariable("playads", "yes"); so.addVariable("adserv",""); so.addVariable("autoStart", "no"); so.write("flashcontent030608X2v"); As The Fix digs out from the Ohio-Texas Two-Step, we've started to look ahead at the votes remaining on the Democratic side between now and the June 7 when the Puerto Rico caucus brings to a close the race for pledged delegates. All told, there are twelve contests slated between now and then. Ten states will vote as well as Guam and Puerto Rico. According to our rough back of the envelope calculations (read: do NOT hold us to these), Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) should be favored in five states -- Wyoming (March 8), Mississippi (March 11), Oregon (May 20), South Dakota (June 3) and Montana (June 3). Sen. Hillary Rodham http://blog.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2008/03/fixcam_is_may_6_the_new_super.html http://blog.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2008/03/fixcam_is_may_6_the_new_super.html FixCam Thu, 06 Mar 2008 13:05:34 -0400 The defection of Rep. John Lewis (Ga.) -- congressman, civil rights pioneer AND superdelegate -- from Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) to Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) drew wall-to-wall press coverage after it was first reported in the Atlanta Journal Constitution. Lewis's decision to cast his superdelegate vote for Obama rather than Clinton is important on several levels. Symbolically, Lewis's support for Clinton was seen as evidence that the black community was not monolithically behind Obama. Lewis's decision to switch sides to Obama -- and the words he used to describe why he did so -- signal that a movement is afoot in the black community and the country that even a politician as powerful and savvy as Clinton cannot stop. On a practical level, Lewis's defection is part of a broader trend since the Feb. 5 Super Tuesday votes. In the three weeks since, Obama has added 34 superdelegates http://blog.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2008/02/fixcam_john_lewis_and_the_supe.html http://blog.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2008/02/fixcam_john_lewis_and_the_supe.html FixCam Thu, 28 Feb 2008 12:04:00 -0400 It's a week without a primary (or caucus) vote -- what will we do? Never fear political junkies. We're less than 24 hours from a Democratic debate at Cleveland State University. The debate will be the last get-together between Sens. Barack Obama (Ill.) and Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) before the critical March 4 Ohio-Texas Two-Step -- and, given the stakes for Clinton, could be the last debate of the primary season if she comes up short in either Texas or Ohio. The Fix (a lover of historic moments) will be in attendance for the debate and will spend a few days afterward in the Buckeye State. We'll be filing occasional dispatches from the debate and from the road. It's no secret that Ohio is likely to (again) be the center of the political universe this November. No Republican has ever won the White House without carrying Ohio; it's hard http://blog.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2008/02/fixcam_week_in_preview_7.html http://blog.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2008/02/fixcam_week_in_preview_7.html FixCam Mon, 25 Feb 2008 09:36:00 -0400 Note: Please upgrade your Flash plug-in to view our enhanced content. var thisObj = "flashobj021908X2v"; var so = new SWFObject("http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/mmedia/player/wpniplayer_blog.swf", thisObj, "454", "305", "8", "#ffffff"); so.addParam("allowScriptAccess", "always"); so.addParam("swfliveconnect", true); so.addVariable("thisObj", thisObj); so.addVariable("vid","021908-2v_title"); so.addVariable("playads", "yes"); so.addVariable("adserv",""); so.addVariable("autoStart", "no"); so.write("flashcontent021908X2v"); Today marks -- yet another -- primary day in a race that could well extend to the party's convention in late August. Wisconsin is the crown jewel today and both campaigns spent President's Day playing the expectations game. Make sure to read the Post's Dan Balz on what's at stake in the Dairy State. David Plouffe, campaign manager for Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) held a conference call yesterday in order to make clear that Wisconsin is a state Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) wanted to, and could, win. "Wisconsin by their own definition should be a state that is a very strong state for the Clinton campaign," said Plouffe. He added http://blog.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2008/02/fixcam_week_in_preview_the_bat.html http://blog.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2008/02/fixcam_week_in_preview_the_bat.html FixCam Tue, 19 Feb 2008 08:33:51 -0400