Campaigns Hit the Road; the Road Hits Back

On trail with no end in sight, both camps are exhausted

(NEWSER) - Barack Obama likes to joke that since his campaign started, "babies have been born and are now walking and talking," but he's hardly exaggerating. The last 15 months have seen staffers from both his and Hillary Clinton's camps get married, become parents, and grow increasingly exhausted as the campaign grinds on. The Washington Post takes a closer look at campaign fatigue. More»

Despite his critics, he seems to helping her regain momentum

(NEWSER) - Despite controversial remarks on more than one occasion, Bill Clinton has moved to the forefront of his wife’s campaign, the Wall Street Journal reports. In what some insiders call the “Billification” of Hillary Clinton’s presidential bid, the ex-President is pushing for sharper attacks on Barack Obama amid an aggressive stumping schedule. “We’re not quitters,” he reportedly tells his wife. More»

His campaign got a relatively late start in crucial state

(NEWSER) - Volunteers, not the paid staff Barack Obama has relied on to win previous primaries, are at the core of his campaign in Texas, reports the Wall Street Journal. It's "like a baling wire and duct tape thing," says his campaign chief in the state. A year ago, it didn't make a lot of sense for the Obama camp to devote many resources here, but the state's emerging importance has forced a relatively late scramble, the Journal notes. More»

Stress of political races can cause overeating, premature aging

(NEWSER) - Even the presidential candidates who miss out on the White House will feel the effects of their campaigns for years to come. The mad dash to the Oval Office—speeches all day, deadline pressures, cross-country tours—puts tremendous stress on the body. Forbes takes on the low points:

1. Sleep deprivation, leading to memory losses and risky decision-making.
2. Poor diets, causing that waist to grow (Clinton favors ice cream; Obama, French fries).

Remember, that was his deal in '08 campaign

(NEWSER) - If there’s one person to thank for the health-reform measure that passed the House yesterday, it’s John Edwards … really. It was Edwards, Chris Good points out, who was on stump talking about health care in 2007, even when it wasn’t a huge issue for voters, and well before Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama—and Edwards had an actual plan well before either of his Democratic primary competitors. More»