Between Barack and a Hard Place

Clinton made mess in NC—and has all but lost her crucial blue-collar argument

(NEWSER) - The pundits agree that Hillary Clinton barely has a leg to stand on, though explanations vary:

• John Dickerson writes in Slate that Barack Obama closed the door on his blue-collar problem, shaking off the elitist label. Evidence is that Obama barely lost among poorer voters and actually won in “sharing your values” exit-polling; to win now, Clinton “must bring more states into the union.”

Wright controversy a godsend for Clinton

(NEWSER) - Optimism is spreading through Hillary Clinton’s once-dispirited war room, Politico reports, as a series of wins accumulate in their candidate’s column: fundraising has rushed in since Pennsylvania, she's collected some well-timed endorsements, she’s bobbed up in the polls, and Barack Obama is once again afflicted by Jeremiah Wright. All of which makes Clinton’s advisers believe that her comeback-kid rhetoric might actually have legs. 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»

With 40% of voters over 60, the 'Grandma Bloc' made Hillary's win

(NEWSER) - The best explanation for Hillary Clinton's big win in Pennsylvania was not race but age, Jonathan Alter argues in Newsweek. A remarkable 40% of the voters in Tuesday’s primary were over 60, and Barack Obama’s 41-59% defeat in the demographic was the killer. Pennsylvania is second only to Florida in average age, and Obama's showing among seniors there was actually markedly improved from his 28-69% thumping in that demo in Ohio. More»

NY Times columnists is sickened by Democrat's pandering

(NEWSER) - Hillary Clinton prevailed in Pennsylvania by dragging Barack Obama's bipartisan, hopeful vision through the muck, proving politics is “frequently mean and irrational,” Gail Collins writes in the New York Times. Clinton showed that the playing field is dirty, and that even the junior senator from Illinois would go negative if he was pushed. She also proved that nobody can match her for pure toughness. More»