Pa. Primary Turns Politics of Race On Its Ear

(NEWSER) - Barack Obama is wielding his clout to try to win the Summer Olympics for Chicago in 2016, which, if you follow the bouncing political ball, could be great news for Hillary Clinton or another lucky Democrat, writes Nate Silver of FiveThirtyEight.com. Here's the logic: The Olympics create a groundswell of patriotism that usually pays off for the president in office. In fact, three of four incumbents won re-election in a landslide when the US hosted the summer Games, notes Silver. More»

National security team shows transition from candidate to leader

(NEWSER) - Yesterday's unveiling of Barack Obama's national security team did more than just end the rancor between him and Hillary Clinton; it established Obama as leader of a broad coalition that may transform his own views on American power. As Peter Baker writes for the New York Times, Obama's partnership with Clinton, whose diplomatic judgment he once mocked, and Robert Gates, who is running a war he denounced as "dumb", signals his conversion from candidate to leader. More»

Trained Clinton-haters have to turn on a dime

(NEWSER) - While a Hillary Clinton appointment as secretary of State has been greeted with enthusiasm worldwide, Barack Obama’s own team of believers is feeling some confusion and dissonance, reports Politico. “These guys didn't put together a campaign in order to turn the government over to the Clintons,” says a Democrat close to Obama. "I can't stand her," said another—"but I think she's a great choice." More»

Senator calls on New Yorkers to support her former rival

(NEWSER) - It’s time to make a clean break from the "disastrous policies" of the past eight years, and the man to “chart a new course” is Barack Obama, writes Hillary Clinton of her one-time rival in a column in the New York Daily News. “We find ourselves in an economic crisis born and bred by the failed policies of Washington Republicans. And the fact is, President Bush has practiced what John McCain has preached," she notes. More»

19 days is a long time in electoral politics, candidate warns

(NEWSER) - Polls show that Barack Obama has a solid lead, nationally and in several swing states, over John McCain. But the Democrat warned supporters today to be wary of overconfidence, Reuters reports. “I've been in these positions before when we were favored and the press starts getting carried away and we end up getting spanked,” Obama told a New York audience. More»