Gov. Kathleen Sebelius released a statement taking on the Hillary Clinton campaign’s recent statements that Barack Obama’s wins in red states like Kansas aren’t important because those states won’t go Democratic in the general election.
“Sen. Clinton and her campaign surrogates keep deriding Sen. Obama’s wins in red states by saying that her victories in the ‘big states’ are the ones that matter,†Sebelius said. “The right Democrat, like Barack Obama, can carry red states, just like the 14 Democratic governors elected in states won by George Bush in 2004. We can’t tell people their votes don’t matter and then expect their support against John McCain in November. Sen. Obama is reaching to independents and Republicans because they desperately want to change our politics. I hope Sen. Clinton will follow his lead and stop dismissing Democrats that don’t live in New York or California.â€
She’s right — how is Clinton helping the party in the fall by insulting millions of voters and efforts to build the party base in red states? Strange strategy.
29 Comments
Man…did Obama thump Hillary in Wisconsin or what? Has quite the momentum going, doesn’t he?
We get it Randy.
You’re for Obama.
LOTS of wishy washy, naive people are.
“Sen. Obama is reaching to independents and Republicans because they desperately want to change our politics.”
Oh you bet they do. They think Republicans can be worked with.
You go ask Rush Limbaugh if he wants to work with Democrats.
“how is Clinton helping the party in the fall by insulting millions of voters and efforts to build the party base in red states? ”
I was born and raised in Kansas. Efforts to expect anything close to reason in red states is a monumental waste of time. They are majority populated with slack jawed white guys who THINK they can live like a Republican by simply saying they are one.
Obama supporters are wishy washy and naive? Given that he is now pulling a majority of Democrats I suppose that description applies to the great bulk of the party JR appears to support. While the majority can certainly be wrong, I think it is worth asking if there isn’t a reason that so many people feel one way. Is it easier to dismiss all of these people as naive rather than asking whether they may actually be the ones who are correct in their analysis instead of JR?
The next Vice President of the United States of America:
Gov. Kathleen Sebelius
Keep on pumping Obama! Keep on attacking Billary!
That way our main man won’t have to get dirty.
Kathy is jockeying for face time with the Press and candidates.
JR said: They are majority populated with slack jawed white guys who THINK they can live like a Republican by simply saying they are one.
I don’t know what you mean by “live like a republican”, JR. I suppose you mean that tired old wheeze about “wealthy, haughty, piss on the poor, country club republicans stereotype”. The truth is that the Democrats are and have been for a while the party of the rich. George Soros, Warren Buffet, all the Hollywood types. Need I go on. The US Senate is populated by filthy rich Democrats. Sam Brownback is a pauper compared to the likes of Feinstein, Kohl, Kennedy, Kerry, Rockefellar, etc.
To live like a republican really means to work hard, obey the law, worship as you choose, stand up for whats right and oppose wrong, while insisting on a government that lives within its constitutional boundries and does not try to be everything to everybody.
And she should! It has to be good for Kansas to have the VP Slot of the executive branch. It’s about the only way we will get our voices heard, or any national exposure.
I didn’t vote for her, but it would still be good for Kansas.
Well Chris I can agree with your overall take, but I would substitute the word, “conservative” in a few places.
You have to admit, the republicans in congress, have not been very conservative of late.
Republicans, with their record earmarks, budget busting spending, and no work on the deficit have not been living up to the expected standards. They too, it appears to be, are trying to be everything to everyone. They continue to garner the reputation of being the party of “big business” and have not really cut many programs that I am aware of (spending for everyone and everything).
My party of choice, so I can be critical. If we just “pretend” the republicans have remained conservative, we will never see improvement.
Republicans can be worked with and are reasonable. It’s Neoconservatives who are divisive, corrupt, and refuse to budge. It’s time for the Republican party to kick out the corrupt elitists who have seized control of the party for over eight years, and return the power to the people. And with reasonable decent Republicans in Congress, the excesses of the Democrats can be blunted through cooperation and intelligence, rather than blocked through partisan bickering and blind hatred.
Red State Voters.
One fear Y’all may have is that Obama may help pass legislation to improve the plight of minorities. You better hope he does. Whites will be a minority in another 15 or 20 years.
Deal with it.
There are two notable points to Hillary’s claim that Barack can’t carry Red states in November. She can’t either. As for Blue states, either would carry them. The key is “battleground” states, which will include Texas this year, given that the home team of Bush and Cheney won’t be playing.
Whites will be a minority in another 15 or 20 years.
May be. Americans will still be the majority, though, and, I feel, REAL Americans don’t see in terms of ‘minorities’ the way you do. People is just people. Deal with that!
Speaking of legislation, what legislation has Obama sponsored and introduced?
Anyone?
Anyone?
do your own research —- you might be pleasantly surprised
Sebelius? Campaigning for her guy obama? Wanting the VP slot so bad she can taste it?
Color me shocked…
If she had shown this much “fire” for Kansas, the repukes in the legislature wouldnt be running wild like they are.
I guess she really doesnt have time right now to deal with Holcomb and Sunflower.
Wonder how much Sunflower has contributed to the Obama campaign?
Speaking of legislation, what legislation has Obama sponsored and introduced?
-Regular
Use your imagination. It seems to work for many of the democrats supporting Obama lately.
In 2005, Senator Obama co-sponsored the “Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act” introduced by Senator John McCain. He also was a part of the Lugar-Obama initiative for the expansion of the Nunn-Lugar cooperative threat reduction concept to include conventional weapons, including anti-personnel land mines. He was a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Oh, and he also worked with Senator McCain on environmental issues.
This just proves that Senator Obama has been a do-nothing Senator who has nothing to his name. And it also proves that he definitely can’t reach across party lines to help pass legislation that is of use to the U.S. people.
PURPLE states matter the most. And Obama is carrying them.
http://www.ontheissues.org
All the isssues, all the candidates, no spin.
Samuelson hits a home run with this editorial:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/19/AR2008021902336.html?hpid=opinionsbox1
Obama is setting the bar as low as it can get in regards to experience befitting a front runner for the Presidency. But if America wants a 4 year Senator who makes good speeches to be its President, so be it.
“rfl” –
A one-term former-congressman (Lincoln) did pretty good. A lot of guys with decades of “experience” (Cheney and Rumsfeld come to mind) have pretty much screwed the pooch.
Yes, but Monkeyhawk, he took us to war….
Lincoln differentiated himself through the Lincoln-Douglas debates where he articulated the stark differences between his beliefs and that of his opponent regarding slavery. His idea that the new territories should be free won in the sense it was impossible to argue in favor of popular sovereignty and still allow for a unified nation. Through successfully arguing controversial and even unpopular ideas, Lincoln passed the test and demonstrated sufficient competency for the Presidency.
In contrast, it will be interesting to see how Obama does in an election race against someone who is NOT his virtual clone on the issues. Hillary and Obama can’t compete on issues since they are so similar.
Good luck winning against seasoned opponents who actually disagree with you on issues of substance. We will see what happens in the general election fight as well as in the Presidency if he were get it.
“Yes, but Monkeyhawk, he took us to war….”
No, the Confederacy took us to war. Lincoln JUST held the country together.
Obama can carry Arkansas and Kansas- her home state and his home state. She can carry neither.
Parties win elections by appealing to the center. The party that can most effectively win over moderate swing voters and attempts to bridge the red-blue divide will become the governing majority party.
Of course, we should have differences between the parties about the role of government but both have to appeal to mainstream values. As a Democrat, I am hoping that it will be my party that makes the move to reach out and expand the base.
Barack gets people EXCITED. Hilary shows promise that she is strong and smart. I would rather have a president with passion at this point. Let’s face it, they don’t differ a whole lot on the issues. The question is, who is actually going to make change happen? Hilary would do fine as President, but I don’t believe she has the ambition that Barack does.
Furthermore, the red states would be a definite possibility for a Democratic candidate to win. Have you seen the presidential approval rating lately? Less than 30% of Americans think Bush is doing a good job (I think I work with half the people:-), which in my head means…about 35% of America approves of McCain, since he has pretty much vowed to continue Bush’s tragedy, I mean legacy.
One more thing. Although I am quite left-wing (I’m just stubborn), Right Dem hit it on the nose.