New CNN Texas Poll: Obama 50 Clinton 46

The newest CNN poll from Texas shows a net shift of +6 for Obama over the last poll.

Obama 50 (48)
Clinton 46 (50)

The numbers in parentheses are from 2/15-17

If Clinton loses TX and only wins OH by a small margain (<10) it will be hard for her to argue that she should stay in the race.</p>

UPDATE:  I just want to add that this poll doesn't mean that Barack is ahead-- it only means that our work is paying off.  Keep volunteering and donating

•  Tips N/T

  by ARingMD2B on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 01:28:44 PM PDT

  •  pics to celebrate the new poll

    

    

    

    

    

    by kubla000 on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 02:11:06 PM PDT

    •  The pollster picture is old- Obama is now ahead

      Before CNN: C 48.2%  O 48.1%

      After CNN: Don't know but Obama will lead.

      by ARingMD2B on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 02:20:03 PM PDT

•  Shit yeah!

  by mayan on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 01:29:46 PM PDT

  •  Put on yer shitkickers!

    by zreeb on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 02:49:28 PM PDT

•  Let it be so. eom.

  by Hope08 on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 01:29:48 PM PDT

  •  We all helping to make it possible

    Just do not rely on polls alone. GOTV and MAKE CALLS.

    by AHiddenSaint on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 01:30:46 PM PDT

    •  Mr. Franklin Backs Obama

      $200 so far

      by bernardpliers on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 01:32:24 PM PDT

•  Pretty good poll

  Dunno how accurate CNN has been this cycle, but it's a likely voter phone poll with 600+ participants, so at the very least, the information isn't garbage.

  by arquebus on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 01:30:43 PM PDT

•  Bricks keep falling right into place . . .

  This goes with the ARG poll from earlier.

  by dbratl on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 01:30:57 PM PDT

  •  I was going to mention ARG in the diary

    but didn't want to be ridiculed... :)

    by ARingMD2B on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 01:39:19 PM PDT

    •  Bright person. I posted the ARG Diary . . .

      here, and got like 20 "ARG SUCKS!" comments.

      by dbratl on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 01:40:37 PM PDT

      •  At least you didn't...

        holler "First" in a crowded Kossian theater.

        by mayan on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 01:52:16 PM PDT

•  Praise the lord, Barack may win!

  Let's make it so Hillary can't keep lying to Pennsylvania.

  Let's finish this March 4.

  Then we'll have 7 months to get ready for the General.

  by kubrick2008 on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 01:31:05 PM PDT

•  I think it'll go till PA

  And one of them will win at Gettysburg.

  Oh come on, that should have sent chills down...

  by bhagamu on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 01:31:05 PM PDT

  •  Hillary = Pickett's Charge nt

    by arquebus on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 01:32:09 PM PDT

    •  Cemetary Ridge Is Still There (NT)

      by bernardpliers on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 01:33:43 PM PDT

      •  Heck, Gen. Reynolds isn't even dead yet nt

        by arquebus on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 01:38:06 PM PDT

    •  No, Pickett volunteered to sacrifice

      for what he thought was the greater good.  He knew the charge was likely to fail but volunteered to lead it for the benefit of a larger cause.  Hillary is only charging for the benefit of Hillary.

      by Miss Snarkypants on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 01:38:43 PM PDT

      •  To continue the metephor...

        ...Pickett's charge was actually somewhat successful--it breached the union line for a moment.  The problem was that all those other confederate divisions who were supposed to be right behind Pickett's men didn't bother to follow them.

        Hmmm...maybe the other divisions = superdelegates?  OK it's a stretch.

        by Cat Servant on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 01:48:02 PM PDT

        •  Who's the Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain...

          ... in this metaphor?

          by pat208 on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 01:49:44 PM PDT

          •  Jeff Daniels

            by mayan on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 01:52:45 PM PDT

            •  He dumb and dumber

              I believe that would be George W.

              by sja on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 01:55:26 PM PDT

          •  Howard Dean? n/t

            by bwintx on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 02:27:35 PM PDT

            •  Someone on Obama's PA campaign staff...

              ... who's been told to hold Little Round Top say, Philadelphia "at all costs."

              by pat208 on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 03:19:05 PM PDT

•  If Obama wins TX it's...

  OVER!

  by First Amendment on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 01:31:17 PM PDT

  •  True.

    by kubrick2008 on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 01:31:47 PM PDT

  •  re

    Sortof.

    I think a 5+ point win in OH for HIllary will allow her to play the "we won" card and take it to PA.

    If the last weekend is any indication of what she will do to win.....

    by cookiesandmilk on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 01:32:29 PM PDT

    •  She won't have the $$$

      to compete with Obama if he wins Texas and she ekes out a victory in Ohio. There's 6 weeks in between Texas/Ohio and Pennsylvania. It'll be hard for HRC to sustain it.

      That being said, I've always said you never say the Clintons are finished until they are giving their concession speech. Last week, I thought she'd step aside should she lose Texas. After the shit she's pulled this weekend and today, I'm not so sure anymore.

      by Slatersan on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 01:35:39 PM PDT

      •  re

        agreed.

        That being said, I've always said you never say the Clintons are finished until they are giving their concession speech

        This is the part (free media, name recognition, ex president) is how she can pull it off where 99% can not.

        by cookiesandmilk on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 01:37:51 PM PDT

      •  Not to be a damp rag...

        but there could also be six weeks of continuing and withering attacks from McCain, Clinton, their surrogates and the cronies in the bloviosphere.

        by mayan on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 01:41:33 PM PDT

        •  True dat

          But this is just bean bag compared to what will come in the general election.  All things considered, Senator Obama and his campaign staff have performed admirably so far and I believe people have noticed.   None of the polling data so far suggest that any of the muck has hurt him. Indeed, it looks like his numbers are still on the uptick. He can take the heat and that's one of the characteristics of a good president.

          by sja on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 01:52:47 PM PDT

          •  I agree...100%

            I agree.  I have been waiting for a heavy weight champ since Dukakis made a fool of himself.  Gore and Kerry were incredible disappointments.  And then...I saw the 2004 speech.  Yes, this candidate AND his staff are as facile and adept at campaigning as any that I've seen since I became politically aware in the 60s.

            Having a true candidate who knows how to win is almost as important to me as the issues.  I feel a bit bad for saying so but with possible vacancies in the S.Ct., I have no apologies.  And the past few months have shown me that Hillary has nothing on Obama in that department.

            by mayan on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 01:59:44 PM PDT

            •  It's because he was an organizer

              and he's taken his experience with organizing and applied it to every part of his campaign. He seems to be an extremely competent leader.

              by Slatersan on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 02:13:25 PM PDT

      •  It will be too hard to continue

        if she's loses TX.  She set up the expectations and she can't back away now.  She'll never be the Huckabee sucking up free media at every turn.  If she fails to win both BIG states, she's done.

        by Hope08 on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 01:49:39 PM PDT

    •  Nope - If Obama wins TX & OH

      it's a knockout and she's out that same night.  

      If he wins TX and she wins OH by single digits she will be out within 48 hrs on a TKO.

      by RobertInWisconsin on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 01:37:59 PM PDT

      •  re

        I hope so. Really I do. I want to believe all this ends on March 4th.

        by cookiesandmilk on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 01:39:14 PM PDT

      •  No Way

        Hillary has seen what can happen to someone who has "won" the nomination with the McCain stuff.  She will stay in until the convention.

        by Miss Snarkypants on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 01:40:30 PM PDT

        •  You get the feeling they're really hoping

          that Rezko will amount to something, or that some pictures might surface of Obama in Muslim garb

          by frankzappatista on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 01:49:55 PM PDT

          •  Yeah...

            a picture of Obama in a turban could be devastating.

            by mayan on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 01:53:51 PM PDT

            •  oops

              by memofromturner on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 02:51:08 PM PDT

            •  LOL!!!

              Snap!

              by jre2k8 on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 03:11:42 PM PDT

        •  She Won't Be Able To Campaign

          in the style she's been accustomed to, due to rapidly falling contributions. That might be too harsh on Mark Penn if she asks him to take a pay cut.

          If they had to switch from Dunkin' Doughnuts to Krispy Kreme . . . the horrors, oh the horrors.

          by GW Chimpzilla on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 02:36:17 PM PDT

        •  but she won't be able to advertise or ...

          pay for her campaign.  The donations will completely dry up.  She needs about $1 million a day and doesn't have Romney-type money to fund it.  She can pay for a few days, but there are 6 weeks until PA after 3/4.

          by jeroly on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 02:54:12 PM PDT

    •  Totally...

      Bill is apparently already laying the foundation by suggesting that the popular vote in Texas may get "stolen" by the delegate assignments.

      by mayan on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 01:40:29 PM PDT

      •  Oh for Christ's sake

        would he say the same if the reverse were true.  I'm sick of Bill (for about 18 years) and thought he was shutting up.

        by gchaucer2 on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 01:43:10 PM PDT

        •  I'm sick of Bill too...

          but no, he won't shut up.  I think he left some personal belonging or something incriminating in the WH and needs for Hillary to get elected so he can get back in and find it.

          by mayan on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 01:50:00 PM PDT

      •  Won't it be great then if we can neutralize that

        by winning both the delegates and the popular vote.

        by Pragmatic Left on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 01:57:13 PM PDT

        •  Then...

          they will declare Texas to be "insignificant" because, not only is it a Republic, it's just plain "weird."

          by mayan on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 02:15:25 PM PDT

      •  that's because it will thwart the popular will

        C'mon, you can't argue that the delegate system doesn't matter and the nominee should reflect the will of the voters and simultaneously argue that the voters don't matter, its the crazy delegate system that's all important.  

        If Hillary can argue that she is ahead with the voters in June, regardless of delegate counts, she's got a persuasive case to make with the superdelegates.  

        by chick ghandil on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 02:09:12 PM PDT

    •  she will bow out

      no way she spends 6 weeks smearing and attacking barack obama...  the undecided superdelegates will line up behind him and will make it mathematically and totally impossible for her to win at the convention.

      by soros on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 01:41:11 PM PDT

    •  Maybe, but I don't think so.

      I think a 5+ point win in OH for HIllary will allow her to play the "we won" card and take it to PA.

      Bear in mind that Obama also will be winning Rhode Island and Vermont next week, same day.

      Clinton can't claim to win one state in four and be on a roll of any sort.

      by pat208 on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 01:50:47 PM PDT

      •  Hopefully...

        but isn't he behind in RI?

        by mayan on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 01:54:25 PM PDT

        •  Yeah, true. RI not being polled very much...

          ... so harder to pull out the trend as easily as with the hourly (it seems!) polling of OH and TX.

          The latest one still shows him behind, but with a narrower gap than before.

          That did cause a big drop in the probability markets (for example, National Journal Political Stock Exchange), which had Obama favored almost 2:1 last I checked... and right before this data point arrived.

          Right now Obama futures are trading around 0.40, which means "street wisdom" now has Clinton favored 60:40. So he's back to being an underdog in the Ocean State.

          by pat208 on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 02:01:07 PM PDT

        •  Last RI poll

          was from Feb 10 and had Clinton at 36 and Obama at 28... a lot has changed since then... this was before DC, HI, MD, VA and WI voted...

          by Frederik on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 02:02:28 PM PDT

          •  Someone wrote a diary this weekend...

            about canvassing in Rhode Island.  The diarist said it looked awful for Hillary.  Which gave me glee.  Still, I'm in Massachusetts and I'm sure we share some of the demographics, even if we are several weeks and much big momentum down the road.

            by mayan on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 02:07:16 PM PDT

          •  See my comment above.

            Link to poll taken Wed/Thu of last week, with Clinton still leading.

            by pat208 on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 02:09:25 PM PDT

          •  Obama's down 12

            Clinton's up 52-40 according to ARG (2/20-2/21)

            by CA Pol Junkie on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 02:44:11 PM PDT

            •  ARG Sucks.

              by zreeb on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 02:52:04 PM PDT

              •  OK. He's down 15.

                Rasmussen says it's 53-38.

                by CA Pol Junkie on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 07:34:49 PM PDT

      •  re

        Clinton can't claim to win one state

        After this past weekend's drama-rama I do not agree with this statement.

        by cookiesandmilk on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 02:01:48 PM PDT

  •  remember "meet me in Texas" ???

    by newyorknewyork on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 01:54:52 PM PDT

•  If Clinton wins OH by any margin

  My guess is she'll use that as justification for staying in the race, since she'll claim that Ohio is more important to the Dems than Texas, which is a red state we probably wouldn't win in the GE anyway.  But one thing that would but a damper on that argument would be if Obama could win BIG in Texas.

  Anyway, I'm not putting too much credence in any of these polls.  Everything is in such a state of flux that it's impossible for any poll to accruately capture what's happening on the ground, let alone predict what the final outcome will be.

  by davidkc on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 01:31:37 PM PDT

  •  re

    Jinx.

    by cookiesandmilk on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 01:32:53 PM PDT

  •  She will start to get the "superdelegate pile-on"

    Texas or Ohio breaks the dam.

    by Pragmatic Left on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 01:58:35 PM PDT

    •  That will clinch it

      If even half of the superdelegates who HRC thinks are in her corner announce their support for Obama, it's over.  And that will happen if Obama wins either TX or OH.

      It might be over anyway, but it will be over more quickly once that happens.

      by MJB on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 02:11:09 PM PDT

    •  May it be so!

      by mayan on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 02:16:29 PM PDT

•  Obama won the debate

  See this?

  "Among the one-third of Texas Democratic primary voters who watched all or most of the debate, Obama leads Clinton by 20 points," said CNN senior political analyst Bill Schneider.

  "Among the 42 percent who followed news about the debate, Clinton and Obama are neck and neck. And among the one-quarter of Texas Democrats who paid no attention to the debate, Clinton leads Obama by nearly 20 points.

  If Clinton loses like that in the Ohio debate, this thing is over.

  by daveweigel on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 01:31:41 PM PDT

  •  we focused on same info

    with my comment going up 4 seconds after yours

    great minds and all that . . .

    by teacherken on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 01:32:46 PM PDT

    •  I rec'd your comment

      I think you're right about their internals. But then... why did they do a $1.3 million buy with a 60-second ad highlighting the end of the debate? If that was the only part of the debate that worked, why would she go so hard negative this weekend?

      My sense from the bizarre Sunday speech ("celestial choirs will sing!") is that the candidate is too pissed off to follow a blueprint anymore, or maybe has stopped listening to Penn's advice.

      by daveweigel on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 01:36:02 PM PDT

      •  firing up base for two reasons

        1. to solidify base so it is not a blowout

        2. raise money to be able to pay off debts

        after all the talk about valedictories they were probably hitting resistance from funders and small donor contributions probably drying up.  But by being aggressive you might persuade base to kick in

        just speculation, and not original to me, but I think it makes a certain amount of sense

        by teacherken on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 01:41:51 PM PDT

      •  That **is** Penn's advice

        If campaign gossip can be believed, he's the one who's been telling her to go nuclear, while others (such as Mandy Grunwald) have been urging the Kum-ba-yah approach she seemed to be nearing at the end of the Texas debate. Oh, how wrong that supposition turned out to be...

        by bwintx on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 02:31:35 PM PDT

  •  Yes, Obama as commander-in-chief

    while Hillary appeared to be conceding...

    by MKS on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 01:37:27 PM PDT

  •  Or rather, Obama supporters are more enthusiastic

    and are more likely to watch a Democratic debate ...

    by jeepdad on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 01:50:27 PM PDT

    •  Or more simply

      Obama supporters are high information voters

      by barath on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 02:02:26 PM PDT

      •  Agreed

        I think that's why Clinton has always been 20 or so points ahead until the campaign begins in earnest and Obama hits the state -- she's always ahead because of her fame, not because of her platform.

        by GW Chimpzilla on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 02:39:05 PM PDT

  •  That was certainly my reaction

    Hillary's constant staring at Obama with her pasted-on smile was positively WEIRD.  Very few of the commentators remarked upon it, but I can't imagine that it was missed by anybody who watched it.  

    My reaction was that it might be like the one 1960 debate between Kennedy and Nixon, where people who heard it on the radio thought Nixon had won, but people who saw it overwhelmingly thought Kennedy had won.  Except that in this one, I think it was pretty even if you listened, but one-sidedly Obama if you watched.

    by leevank on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 01:55:13 PM PDT

•  With PPP showing him within 4 in Ohio

  This is a very good polling day.  I don't put much stock in polls, but the shift the last few weeks has been remarkable.  Let's hope it continues.  

  by smash artist on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 01:31:41 PM PDT

•  note the following snippet

  courtesy of Bill Schneider in the piece on the poll:

  "Among the one-third of Texas Democratic primary voters who watched all or most of the debate, Obama leads Clinton by 20 points," said CNN senior political analyst Bill Schneider.

  "Among the 42 percent who followed news about the debate, Clinton and Obama are neck and neck. And among the one-quarter of Texas Democrats who paid no attention to the debate, Clinton leads Obama by nearly 20 points.

  and she wants more debates?

  My guess is that their internal polling showed this right after the debate, and during the day on Friday, which is why by Saturday the campaign of HRC was going so negative.

  by teacherken on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 01:31:45 PM PDT

  •  Name ID is still propelling Hillary

    Hillary spent so much time saying Obama was a quack and his supporters were nuts, that the bar had been placed very low....

    It was kinda like the Carter/Regan debate, where Reagan didn't look or sound like a maniac, but seemed genial, and so he won....

    by MKS on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 01:39:36 PM PDT

•  I guess I should cease to be amazed when

  Obama closes hard as a primary approaches. It has to be grassroots. What a tremendous plan he and his advisors put together. His planning abilities and can do approach bodes well for our country when/if he gets the Oval Office chair.

  by alasmoses on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 01:32:12 PM PDT

  •  Reminds me of Deval Patrick.

    His clone.  :-)  In the MA governor's race Deval was within a few points of his opponents until 2 weeks before the election, then he rocketed up in the polls and won the election by 20.

    by Cat Servant on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 01:50:55 PM PDT

•  WOWOWOWOWO

  doing happy dance

  I just KNEW it. I knew he was ahead. This is pretty much what happens in every state...Clinton is ahead. Obama shows up. Obama blows everyone away! If he had more time, I am convinced he could have won California, New Jersey and the other "significant" states.

  by jenontheshore on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 01:32:16 PM PDT

  •  On election day

    Obama DID win California.  We have a lot of early voters who get their ballots over a month before election day.  Edwards got a lot of those early votes since the ballots were all sent back in before he dropped out.  If you look at exit polling on election day, Obama actually beats Clinton pretty handily in CA.

    by jkfp2004 on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 01:35:32 PM PDT

    •  That's one problem with early voting

      Gore actually won Tennessee as well on election day.  It was the 22% of the vote which was early voting that flipped it to Bush.

      by TLS66 on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 04:51:16 PM PDT

      •  link pls, tls?

        by NeuvoLiberal on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 05:03:09 PM PDT

  •  Pssst to John McCain

    ...If things go well, Obama's gonna have nearly eight months in which to clobber you. All the flag pins and weird photos and wifely quotes and other pitiful BS you try will be to little or no avail, because the voters who would listen to that are already on your side. And there ain't a helluva lot of 'em. Be afraid, John; be very afraid.

    [Yeah, I know, folks: 30 points down. But one has to let these comments out occasionally. It's good for the soul.]

    by bwintx on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 02:36:09 PM PDT

•  No, absolutely wrong

  Senator Hillary Clinton needs substantial wins in both Ohio and Texas in order to keep her hopes alive in winning the Democratic Nomimation for President.  

  Anything less is changing the bar, substantially.  Pretty soon, her campaign will saying that since she can win by strong arming SD's, she must stay in the race.

  by egarratt on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 01:33:12 PM PDT

  •  Won't she run out of MONEY?

    by kubrick2008 on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 01:34:11 PM PDT

  •  Texas and Ohio don't matter

    but she's going to do well in the "must win" Puerto Rico contest.  (snark, sort of)

    by costello7 on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 01:38:55 PM PDT

  •  The "HRC needs to win by one point only"

    is a momentum argument, that is, it will stall Obama's eleven victory momementum.  And it will.  But momentum doesn't mean very much at this stage.  She needs to catch up with delegates.  Lots of them.  And going fifty fifty with Obama from here on out means he wins.

    by Inland on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 02:12:48 PM PDT

•  Debates

  The crack-up is that he's beating her by 20 pts with people who watched the debate last week and is losing by 15 pts with people who neither watched nor followed the news about it (i.e., very low information voters).

  There is no refuge for Clinton, not even with debates. Now maybe if Obama would just stop campaigning, she'd have a shot...

  by lapis on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 01:33:52 PM PDT

  •  enough with the speeches

    and big rallies!

    by TobyRocksSoHard on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 02:18:26 PM PDT

    •  That's why she 'won' Florida!!

      She didn't campaign. She could pull this nomination out yet! All she needs to do is move the whole campaign to her front porch in Chappaqua.

      by GW Chimpzilla on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 02:43:03 PM PDT

•  Texas doesn't matter

  At this rate, only RI will count on March 4

  by RandySF on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 01:34:39 PM PDT

  •  That is only the "significant" streets in RI n/t

    by Patrick B on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 01:38:49 PM PDT

•  Second poll showing Obama lead in Texas

  Could it be close to being really done?  

  by MKS on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 01:34:50 PM PDT

  •  I hope so, I have Primary fatigue

    by kubrick2008 on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 01:35:44 PM PDT

    •  We all do

      I can only waste so much time at work following this stuff. I need a few months to catch up before the general election.

      by mndan on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 02:21:39 PM PDT

      •  Yup. I hope it's virtually over on 3/4...

        then I can do a lot of work in March April and May (my busy season)... then focus back on taking down "the fossil".

        by kubrick2008 on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 03:40:16 PM PDT

•  CNN

  played the debate all weekend.  That's probably another reason for the histrionics on her part, to make it clear she wasn't giving up at the end.  

  by dougdilg on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 01:35:49 PM PDT

  •  I noticed that too

    They replayed it at least twice and it spoke volumes because it was Obama's best debate performance by far.

    by RobertInWisconsin on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 01:39:33 PM PDT

•  This is dated 10 days, maybe he's up more now

  by kubrick2008 on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 01:36:33 PM PDT

  •  what's the deal

    with your recommend of this comment? Please remove it.

    by taylormattd on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 01:37:44 PM PDT

  •  No, the 2/15-17 date...

    is the previous poll in parentheses. The 50-46 numbers are current.

    by ttujoe on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 01:42:47 PM PDT

    •  oh ok... oops.

      by kubrick2008 on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 02:10:12 PM PDT

•  I'm not a big country music fan

  But like the song goes, God Bless Texas.

  by mikedallas23 on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 01:37:49 PM PDT

•  My fav part of this writeup...

  "Among the one-third of Texas Democratic primary voters who watched all or most of the debate, Obama leads Clinton by 20 points," said CNN senior political analyst Bill Schneider.

  Did you still want more debates, Hillary?

  by ttujoe on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 01:41:57 PM PDT

  •  If Clinton stays in this thing

    to see what happens in PA after March 4, Obama should refuse to take part in any more debates with her.  I think 20 primary debates is more than enough.  

    by Blackacre on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 02:02:08 PM PDT

    •  Why not?

      maybe by the 20th debate instead of shaking his hand she'll french kiss him.

      by tazz on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 03:40:56 PM PDT

•  making the antici.....pation

  for the SUSA poll tonight all the greater.

  by rigso on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 01:42:15 PM PDT

•  If Obama wins TX and VT

  it is a lights out and the nomination is his. However, somebody will have to tell Hillary. I think she'll instinctively want to continue onward.

  by Erik W on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 01:45:06 PM PDT

  •  Likely to win RI too, same day. n/t

    by pat208 on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 01:52:29 PM PDT

    •  I thought

      Hillary was still pretty far ahead there.

      by taylormattd on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 02:04:36 PM PDT

      •  Just got some new polling...

        ... in a sparse polling environment, and yes, Clinton is still ahead.

        Poll was Wednesday and Thursday of last week, however. That is, before this weekend's fireworks... so things may still change.

        by pat208 on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 02:08:13 PM PDT

•  If the fat lady is singing

  "The Yellow Rose of Texas" on March 4, does it count if Hillary has her hands over her ears and refuses to listen?

  by NomDeKos on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 01:47:39 PM PDT

•  disagree that she should quit

  and I say that as an ex-leaner, now in the Obama camp.

  If she wins Ohio and Rhode Island and Obama wins Texas and Vermont then nothing has really changed. The two will be within 150 delegates or so and neither will have wrapped it up.

  Most importantly there are still a lot of states left that can decide this.

  I would like to see her drop out simply because I want Obama to be the nominee but that is imposing a new rule: if my candidate is ahead at any point the opposition should withdraw.

  As long as Sen. Clinton runs a campaign based on what she brings to the table then she should keep going if she wants.

  That said, I'll probably disagree with myself in about an hour.

  by Shahryar on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 01:49:26 PM PDT

  •  It's the delegates

    If Clinton doesn't win Ohio & Texas there's no realistic way to make up the delegate margin.  Obama would actually increase his lead due to the Texas caucuses, plus the Mississippi primary + Wyoming caucus within a week of the 4th.

    She'd have to win the rest of the states 2 to 1 in delegates to catch up, even if Obama and Clinton tied in North Carolina.

    by Fro on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 01:55:51 PM PDT

  •  he's ALWAYS been ahead in the delegate count

    since Iowa.  He won Iowa, tied for dels in New Hampshire, won Dels in Nevada and South Carolina, increased a bit on Super Tuesday, and has been barnstorming since.  Its basically mathematically impossible for Hillary to make up the deficit now.

    by TobyRocksSoHard on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 02:21:18 PM PDT

•  Momentum Kills

  And there is still more time.  Texas and Ohio are looking a lot like the previous state races.  Hillary has a large presumptive lead, Obama campaigns, closes the gap and then overtakes in the last weeks.  

  Not good for the Clinton campaign.  

  by AGuevara on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 01:50:38 PM PDT

  •  I forget...

    up to what point was Hillary still ahead in Wisconsin polling?  It seems to me that she was still leading as of Potomac Primaries...but it seems like a lifetime ago.

    by mayan on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 02:20:41 PM PDT

    •  I believe in Wisconin...

      ..she was up by 9 with two weeks or a week and a half to go.

      by CupofTea on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 02:41:53 PM PDT

      •  Thanks...I seem to remember...

        the pundits waxing eloquent about how Wisconsin was Hillary's state and that the demographics favored her.

        by mayan on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 05:55:52 PM PDT

•  Great to see

  And if Clinton wants to go Huckabee and continue if she loses in Ohio or Texas, let her do it.  Keeps the free press going.

  by marcvstraianvs on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 01:51:38 PM PDT

•  .

  by Eternal Hope on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 02:26:59 PM PDT

•  Keep up the work.

  Keep the nose to the grindstone.

  by rikyrah on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 02:32:53 PM PDT

  •  Absolutely

    Look at the poll, say Yeah, and get back to the phones.

    Peace.

    by not a cent on Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 02:44:52 PM PDT