Do or Die For Clinton? A Few Non-Scandals For Obama

Senator Hillary Clinton is facing what many believe will be her best chance to stop Senator Barack Obama's momentum in the Wisconsin Democratic Primaries today. Clinton had held a big lead in this states for several months until the last few weeks when Obama took it away from her. During the aftermath of the Potomac Primaries it was thought that Hillary was going to have little chance in Wisconsin: She did not campaign there in until Sunday and Monday, opposed to Obama who practically lived there all of last week. Clinton quickly split to Ohio and Texas who vote March 4th where she thinks she can make some moves and perhaps regain the delegate lead going into Pennsylvania. But then something interesting happened, and perhaps we should have noticed this before but everyone seemed to be impressed with Obama's wins to actually look into the Wisconsin demographics. Most Democratic voters are not college educated 55% actually (Clinton people) there is also a small percentage of Black people in Wisconsin (Obama people), which would help Clinton hold her own in the Badger State. There are also a nice percentage of seniors in Wisconsin who are also supporters of Clinton. Given all this it was a little surprising to see Obama was leading until some polls started to show Clinton had a lead going into today. An American Research Group had a poll showing Clinton as a 6 point favorite. So now Wisconsin is setting up as a test for both of the Democratic Candidates, Hillary needs to win or place very close in order to show Obama isn't the unstoppable force he has appeared to be over the last 2 weeks or so. Obama needs to show he can win a state where the demographic outlook doesn't favor him.

There is another contest going on today as well, the islands of Hawaii are caucusing today to see who will receive the majority of their 20 delegates. Obama is expected to win in Hawaii because of his background growing up there. Although Chelsea Clinton has been campaigning for her mother down there for the past few days so you never know.

Obama Plagiarizes?

That is the accusation the Clinton Campaign rained down on Barack Obama on Monday after it was found out that Obama had used words very similar in a speech as current Governor of Massachusetts Deval Patrick used in a speech of his own while campaigning for the governorship back in 2006. Deval Patrick was on Good Morning America today and he said the "Plagiarism" charge was a little out of line. "It's an elaborate charge and an extravagant one," Patrick said. Obama and Patrick have been very friendly for a long time, Obama campaigned for Patrick back in 2006 and Patrick is currently an Obama supporter. Here is a quote from an ABC report about the situation.

"In 2006 Patrick gave a speech quoting famous phrases: "'We have nothing to fear, but fear itself,' … just words. 'Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.' Just words. … 'I have a dream' … just words,'" he said, switching effortlessly from FDR to JFK to MLK. On Saturday in Wisconsin, Obama said, "Don't tell me words don't matter. … 'I have a dream.' Just words. 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.' Just words. 'We have nothing to fear but fear itself.' Just words. Just speeches."

Obama also campaigned in 2004 on the slogan, "Yes we can," which Patrick did in 2006.

Clinton responded Monday by saying, "If your whole candidacy is about words, they should be your words."

This was a very interesting thing for the Clinton Campaign to tackle, after the Potomac Primaries Clinton attempted to draw sharp contrasts between the two Senators by saying that she was about "Solutions" and he was about "Speeches” so it was very clever attempt of the Clinton camp to try to catch Obama on the one thing he is apparently about.

Obama has since said he should have attributed the words to Patrick which he had actually done earlier in the campaign in New Hampshire while quoting another concept of Patrick's. "But you know in the end, don’t vote your fears. I’m stealing this line from my buddy (Massachusetts Gov.) Deval Patrick who stole a whole bunch of lines from me when he ran for the governorship, but it’s the right one, don’t vote your fears, vote your aspirations. Vote what you believe."

Plagiarism is not uncommon on the campaign trail Senator Joe Biden infamously plagiarized a speech by the then-leader of Britain's Labor Party. Michael Dukakis, his rival for the Democratic nomination, jumped on the situation, distributing a tape of Biden's address juxtaposed with its British counterpart. Biden dropped out of the race.

Michelle Obama is Only Proud of Her Country Now?

Another situation that has caused some people to raise their eyebrows towards the Obama camp stems from a quote from Michelle Obama, Barack's wife, had to say during a stump speech on Monday in Milwaukee

"Let me tell you, for the first time in my adult life, I am proud of my country."

Obama claims to be referring to all the Hope that is being spread across the country at this time due to her Husband, but Right-Wingers took it as a chance to kick dirt on the Obama's. Cindy McCain, John's wife, took he time in a rally for her husband to state, " I am proud of my country. I don’t know about you — if you heard those words earlier, I am very proud of my country,”. Another nothing out of something situation in my opinion at least but I guess we will have to wait and see if this story has any more legs to stand on later this week. I would not be surprised to see that if Obama doesn't perform as well or even loses to Clinton in Wisconsin today, people to look back to these to things in order to find some reasons why when in fact if that were to happen it would be because of the voters and the demographics in Wisconsin. We will just have to wait and see.