Well, a win there is not likely, but Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton is campaigning hard for Oregon, which votes on May 20. I had a piece exploring this in Sunday's paper.
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton is making a stealth play for Oregon, where a primary win next month - combined with her two strongest remaining states, West Virginia and Kentucky - may open up a pathway to the Democratic ticket by convincing superdelegates that she deserves the nomination.Mrs. Clinton has set her sights on the Beaver State and its 52 delegates by focusing on local issues. She has concentrated surrogates, staff and resources there and called for two debates in hopes of narrowing the gap between rival Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois and herself.
With neither candidate likely winning enough delegates to capture the nomination outright, the attention to the party's superdelegates and their mind-sets has become increasingly important.
Few polls have been taken of Oregon voters, but Mr. Obama leads Mrs. Clinton 52 percent to 42 percent in a SurveyUSA poll done earlier this month.
Mr. Obama, who is favored to win the state known for antiwar, liberal voters and college towns, last campaigned there March 21 and has not yet announced plans for another trip.
Read the full story here.
An important element of the Oregon primary I neglected to mention in the story - the Beaver State votes by mail. Clinton supporters predicted regularly their candidate would win California because they were so organized with absentee balloting. This could give her another Oregon advantage, or not, since Obama also has been good at organizing early vote events.
An Obama-ite recently scoffed at the possibility of a Clinton Oregon victory, telling me they hope she spends time trying to win there because, "Those are our people."
— Christina Bellantoni, national political reporter, The Washington Times
Comments (14)
Obama has 36,000 volunteers (and more being added daily) in Oregon with 11 offices, HRC 6,000 volunteers with 1 office, you do the math. Over 200 house parties for Obama here this past Saturday, and not an HRC yard sign or bumper sticker to be found. Good luck Hill. THIS IS OBAMA COUNTRY!
HRC voted for the war and that's all you have to say in Oregon, the most anti-war state in the nation, and we're proud of it!
Posted by Robin | April 28, 2008 1:10 PM
Yes, we vote by mail. The process greatly increases the turnout of young voters...not a Clinton demographic.
And Clinton may have won California, but Obama won Northern California and the rest of the bordering areas (Northern Nevada, Idaho, and Washington).
Posted by TheNumantine | April 28, 2008 1:54 PM
People in Oregon know what arugula is. Then again we had our KKK years too. Our mail voting system works very well because activists from both sides are allowed to monitor the opening of the ballots. The ballots are opened and the ones that can be counted by machine are stacked up and counted. If some of them have got problems, maybe they got rained on, happens in Oregon, they get processed manually.
Observers sit there all day with the workers and it's friendly and sweet and nobody tries to mess with the numbers.
I am pretty shocked to see the Clintons kissing up to Oregon voters in the way that they are. You'd think she's going to fix everything from the fishing industry to the dire straits our public education system is in, with money troubles, classrooms with not enough teachers, higher education too costly, food prices reflecting the fuel prices, she's romping around here making so many promises you'd think Oregon is going to be her only concern as President. Oddly enough, this approach seems to be working for her.
I prefer integrity and intelligence. Arugula is good for you.
Posted by Gaias Child | April 28, 2008 2:16 PM
We already know that Hillary is far more electable than Barack. And we know that the rest of our fellow Americans agree.
NOW, let�s just hope that the DNC gets it. Having listened to Donna Brazile yesterday on ABC�s This Week, I have to wonder how much negative influence she has on Dean et al., and how much her irrational fervor for Obama drains the DNC�s ability to wake up and do the right thing � nominate the candidate who has A CHANCE of beating John McCain.
Posted by Nancy Sabet | April 28, 2008 2:47 PM
HIllary is the only one who can beat McCain ...as many of us Clinton supporters will stay home or vote for McCain ourselves....and yes we are educated people as well .... I have an MBA from RPI ......
Obama needs to wait his turn, get some experience and then take a run later ...
Posted by Ellen Lindop | April 28, 2008 3:44 PM
I have to chuckle everytime I hear someone saying Hillary is the only one who can beat McCain!!
Anyone has a chance of beating John McCain. He's a weak candidate for the Republicans. This is one reason why many Republican voters are changing their party to democrat. I want a true Democratic Liberal in the White House this year. One who work at repairing our standing with other nations. Not a Moderate who's willing to "obliterate" something. That's almost as bad as Bush's "bring it on" statement. We don't need another hot head or "tuff guy" in the office.
GObama 08
Posted by Leah | April 28, 2008 4:48 PM
LA Times is now reporting Obama took money in exchange for political favors. He awarded a state contract to Robert Blackwell Jr. when he was having financial problems. So much for "hope" and "change".
Posted by goldenstate | April 28, 2008 4:55 PM
Obama was on Robert Blackwell Jr.'s payroll, $8,000.00 per month for a whole year. Obama is a bad man. He doesn't belong to America. I am glad that people are starting to know about his bad background. He can keep his hope and change for himself. We will keep Hillary Clinton, "Madame president", you go girl.
Posted by mary smith | April 28, 2008 5:35 PM
Obama and Hillary are the same person in different skin.It doesn't matter whois chosen they are both a different shade of bad.
Be careful what master you choose to serve.
Posted by reality | April 28, 2008 7:40 PM
"Clinton Country?"
God forbid!
Posted by Tim McFarland | April 28, 2008 9:20 PM
I live in Oregon and have all my life......Hillary is now "making" time to campaign in Oregon because we carry the 3rd most delegates for the remaining states......But Oregonians remember everything the Clintons have done....We are readers of the news and are aware of doublespeak....thats why this is Obama country!!!!!!!
Posted by Oregon4Obama | April 28, 2008 9:27 PM
The Clinton Strategy of going after rural voters is pretty amazing in its lack of understanding Oregon demographics. Democrats are concentrated in the 3 counties ( Multnomah, Washington, and Clackamas ) that make up the Portland Metro area. There are also a few in Eugene ( Lane County ). This is where the University of Oregon is located. I live in Portland and you have to look real hard to find any Clinton supporters. The cars are covered with Obama stickers and there is an Obama lawn sign on every street. This is a LIBERAL city and very anti-war. If Obama was running against Kucinich he might have something to worry about.
Posted by Uberlefty | April 29, 2008 2:46 AM
YOU KNOW THIS A SAD DAY AND TIMES IN AMERICA,WHEN
A BLACK MEN WHO IS RUNNING FOR THE HIGHEST OFFICE
AMERICA HAVE TO WORK TEN TIMES HARDER THAN A WHITE OLD MEN AND A WHITE WOMEN,MR OBAMA HAVE WON ALMOST ALL THE STATES,HE LEADS IN OTHERS AREA
BUT YET HE,S STILL BLACK,.....YOU KNOW PEOPLE OF ALL COLORS HAVE BEEN VOTING FOR WHITE MEN EVER SINCE AMERICA WAS BORN,BECAUSE THEY WERE THE ONLY ONES TO VOTE FOR,THIS COUNTRY HAS MORE THEN
WHITE MENS AND WOMENS,THINGS ARE CHANGING WHO MADE THEM THE OWNER OF THE WORLD.....I SAW SOMEONE SAY THAT IF HILLARY LOSE TO OBAMA YOU WILL VOTE FOR McCAIN OR STAY HOME,I HOPE YOU HAVE A WHOLE LOTS OF MONEY? IF NOT YOU WILL BE
HOMELESS AND HUNGRY,OBAMA,HILLAY,McCAIN HAVE MONEY,IF YOU THINK YOU ARE GETTING SOME IT THINK AGAIN,YOU SAW THEIR TAX,S FOR LAST YEAR,SO YOU CAN BE A FOOL IF YOU WANT TO AND NOT VOTE OR VOTE FOR McCAIN,IN THE END YOU LOSE,BESIDE THE YOUNG VOTERS ARE OBAMA VOTERS,THEY ALL CALL FOR A
CHANGE,AND THE COUNTRY NEEDS IT,THE COUNTRY DO NOT WANT (THE CLINTONS OR NO MORE BUSH,S NO WHERE
NEAR THE WHITE HOUSE EVER,THEY HAVE ALREADY DONE
TIHS COUNTRY IN,FROM OLDMAN CLINTON TRADE SLEEPING BUDDIES TO BUSH,S LYING ABOUT THE WAR..
WE WANT SOMETHING NEW,BY THE TIME THE GENERAL
ELECTION MILLIONS OF YOUNG PEOPLE WILL BE READY TO VOTE,CLINTON OR McCAIN WANT BE CASHING IN ON THEM..THAT,S IS WHAT GOING TO MAKE THE CHANGE....
Posted by robert H | April 29, 2008 3:28 AM
Hillary has plans to fix the problems that Oregon has and just doesn't TALK about fixing problems. I'd say that is REAL CHNAGE. I'm from Illinois and I don't support Obama. People feel that it's a racial thing that Obama hasn't wrapped up the nomination yet. The FACT is that Obama DOESN'T have the experience, the connection with middle class America, or have ACTUAL plans to solve America's problems to make him a viable nominee. The "real change" is someone that has the plans for America not just talking about changing things.
He is a WEAK candidate. Want PROOF? Here you go EXIHIBIT A....he says that he will unite the democrats and republicans. Nice idea, but unrealistic! Why? Because why do we have all these separate parties in the first place if we were meant to work together? Why not just have one party-which would be no party. We spend all this time in society showing how different we are from the next person and now we are all supposed to be like minded?!
The republicans will demolish Obama. If we realistically want the White House to belong to the democrats we need to choose Hillary as our nominee.
If we DON'T choose Hillary as our nominee McCain will be Mc Can because the White House will be his in November. SIDE NOTE: Hillary has at least 6 headquarters in the state that I know of. And has made great progress throughout the state. A win for her here can be very likely.
Posted by OREGON4HILLARY | April 29, 2008 4:50 PM