By Bob Gibson
Daily Progress political blogger
LEXINGTON - The students at Washington and Lee University are betting that Hillary Clinton will be the Democratic presidential nominee despite a loss in South Carolina and a likely loss in Virginia.
Ironically, Clinton’s nomination came despite louder cheers at times from students who favored presidential candidate Barack Obama, whom the convention picked to win Saturday’s South Carolina primary plus Virginia’s Feb 12 Democratic primary.
The W&L Mock Convention picked former Rep. Harold E. Ford Jr. of Memphis, chairman of the Democratic Leadership Council, as Clinton’s running mate for vice president.
The move surprised even convention organizers. Ford, a rising star in the Democratic Party, was thrilled with the choice and told a local radio station that he “has got to ask his fiancée if that’s OK.” He nosed out U.S. Sen. Jim Webb and Obama in the voice votes for vice president.
Webb declined to endorse either Clinton or Obama and told the convention that the Bush administration still lacks an exit strategy to leave Iraq.
He said Republicans are talking about having U.S. troops there for 50 years.
“When you are dropping off your grandchildren at Washington & Lee, the Republican Party still wants to be in Iraq,” Webb said.
The W&L convention gave 45 Virginia delegates to Clinton, compared with 55 for Obama. John Edwards won one Virginia delegate.
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Posted by ( ) on January 28, 2008 at 9:52 am
“That’s where the W&L;students miscalculate. Even with the results from South Carolina, I’m not convinced that being black is the main reason for Obama’s support in the African-American community.“
Well said Jemelle,
A primary reason for Obama’s support in the African-American community is the same primary reason for his support in every other community - he is campaigning for a fundamental change in politics, calling on average citizens to be a part of the process, and inspiring people to believe in what this country can, and should be. While that may seem like empty rhetoric to many political pundits, it is obviously more than that. Close to double the amount of people who voted in 2004 primaries voted in Iowa and South Carolina. That is the power of this campaign - it is a movement, and people are responding in record numbers. This is (in the words of Senator Obama) “about the past and the future”. The Atlantic’s Andrew Sullivan explains this in detail better than I ever could. If anyone is interested, check out this link:
http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200712/obama/1
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Posted by ( ) on January 27, 2008 at 1:03 am
The W&L;Mock Convention picked former Rep. Harold E. Ford Jr. of Memphis, chairman of the Democratic Leadership Council, as Clinton’s running mate for vice president.
That’s a really interesting pick for vice president, and one I never even considered. And there is some merit to the choice. Like Clinton, Ford is a moderate DLC Democrat with bipartisan credentials. And Ford - thought not a part of the Washington establishment - is certainly party of a political dynasty in Tennessee. I’m also guessing that his selection as VP is supposed to be a nod to Obama supporters.
That’s where the W&L;students miscalculate. Even with the results from South Carolina, I’m not convinced that being black is the main reason for Obama’s support in the African-American community.
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