Monday, March 10, 2008

Dem Campaign update (2008-03-09)

Some potentially bad news for Hillary Clinton on two fronts: First, South Dakota officials are thinking about making the SD Democratic primary an open one. Such a scenario would favour Barack Obama who's been on fire with independents. Sure, some Limbaugh dittoheads might try to shake it up by voting for Clinton, but it really wasn't that much of a factor in Texas last week if exit polls are correct about the cross-overs.

Second, to save costs, there is talk that a pending "do-over" primary in Florida might be done by mail in ballot. Clinton has every reason to fear this. Mail-ins done across America the last few years have tended to favour the more progressive side of issues, and the more progressive candidates. This is because there is plenty of opportunity given to a voter to think things over; this leads to rational thought.

There's no reason to doubt Clinton might win the overall vote as she did in the unofficial primary where Obama wasn't even listed as a candidate (in part due to the large Hispanic vote); but if Obama can keep it competitive and peel away a good chunk of delegates there, he might have enough to go over the top without the superdelegates.

It's possible the same may have to be done in Michigan.

To do it properly, though, the mail-in would have to be double blinded. (This is roughly the same thing that is done for absentee votes.) That is, the filled in ballot is put inside a plain envelope which is then put inside a numbered one. Upon receipt, the numbered envelope is opened, that envelope destroyed after being emptied, and the number crossed off the list (to ensure no one can vote twice); then the plain envelope is put in the box to ensure secrecy.

It gets more interesting, folks.

UPDATE (3:33 pm EDT, 1933 GMT): Barack Obama warns those thinking about voting for Clinton because they could still get Obama as veep are being bamboozled by Clinton. I hope this is just the first shot in a series of cannonballs at Billary -- they really deserve it.

UPDATE # 2 (3:47 pm EDT, 1947 GMT): New York Governor Eliot Spitzer admits he was involved in a prostitution ring; and may even resign. This may actually help Obama even more; after all, Clinton is one of Spitzer's most enthusiastic supports and vice versa. And people in the heartland of America got back to hating New Yorkers, especially the limousine riding ones like the Klin-tohns, once the shock of 9/11 wore off.

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