Stories related to: Democratic presidential candidates

In the last few weeks, two giants of center-left politics—Hillary Clinton in America and Gordon Brown in Britain—have seen their electoral chances reduced to near impossibility. Both have struggled as uncharismatic politicians in a media age. But for one columnist in London's Times , their trajectories have more important parallels: not least, their support for the war in Iraq, the unspoken element in both of their downfalls. More »

Voters in North Carolina and Indiana go to the polls today in what many are seeing as the last major battle in the Democratic race. The Washington Post outlines the stakes. Has Obama put the Wright controversy behind him? Pretty much, say both sides; it's a media story now. How's the gas tax holiday playing? Economists hate it, but it was a smart strategic move for Clinton. Is the race going to the convention? At least until June 3, if Hillary wins one of today's contests. More »

Like Barack Obama, Oprah Winfrey attended Jeremiah Wright's church but ultimately gave up on it, Newsweek reports. She went for nearly a decade, starting in 1984, and wasn't surprised by his angry sermons. But "Oprah is a businesswoman, first and foremost," a friend said. "She's always been aware that her audience is very mainstream, and doing anything to offend them just wouldn't be smart." More »

Joe Andrew, a superdelegate and the Democratic Party chair during Bill Clinton's presidency, has switched his allegiance from Hillary Clinton to Barack Obama, reports the AP. Andrew had endorsed Hillary on the day she announced her candidacy, but in a lengthy letter to other superdelegates he says they must rally behind Obama to "heal the rift in our party." More »

Until recently, Barack Obama seemed to have quashed concerns about the chances of an African-American winning the White House. But as he inches closer to the nomination, more Democrats are beginning to ask whether white and other non-black voters will elect a black man in November. The question has taken on new urgency since Obama's loss in Pennsylvania, writes the New York Times . More »

As Pennsylvanians go to the polls on what could be the decisive day of the Democratic primary, one columnist sees today's vote not as a race between two candidates, but a referendum on one. Barack Obama has appeared as both populist and elitist, crusader and policy wonk, black and post-racial. Which Obama voters choose to see today will define his fate, writes EJ Dionne in the Washington Post . More »

Voters go to the polls today in Pennsylvania after a bruising last day of campaigning in which Hillary Clinton unleashed a particularly harsh attack ad that uses an image of Osama bin Laden. The TV spot shows news footage of Black Thursday, Pearl Harbor, the Berlin Wall and the mastermind of the 9/11 attacks to call into question Barack Obama's ability to lead in a crisis, reports the New York Times . More »

George Stephanopolous has drawn fire for posing too many "gotcha" questions at last night's Democratic presidential debate on ABC, but the pundit is sticking to his guns. Stephanopolous says he didn't focus on electability over policy issues by accident. "It's not only, who will be the best president, but who has the best chance of winning," he told Talking Points Memo. More »

Barack Obama is holding a 9-point lead over Hillary Clinton despite the uproar over "Bittergate." He is ahead by 50% to 41%, a margin he has maintained with little change for the past week, including Friday and yesterday.  Meanwhile, he and Clinton are both in statistical dead heats with John McCain. Any fallout from Obama's remark, that some rural Americans are "bitter," should be perceptible in the coming days, Gallup reports. More »

Hillary Clinton's strong public stance against the crackdown in Tibet flies in the face of her husband's past fundraising ties in China, reports the LA Times . At the crux is a 2005 speech the former president gave for which he received an undisclosed donation to his charitable foundation—from Internet giant Alibaba. More »

Media can't settle on a superdelegate count these days because many of the mucky-mucks refuse to name a candidate, Politico reports. Current figures all have Clinton leading Obama—and she needs the votes badly—but media estimates vary from 256-225 to 221-209. “This is an art rather than a science," the New York Times ’ political editor said. More »

The demotion of Mark Penn in Hillary Clinton's campaign hasn't ended the problem the errant consultant is causing her in Pennsylvania, Bloomberg reports. Unions supporting Barack Obama have pounced on the strategist's advocacy of a Colombian free-trade deal, calling him pro-business and anti-worker. "She has to sever completely with Mark Penn," said Teamsters president James Hoffa. "Her credibility is at stake." More »

Since his crash-and-burn run for president four years ago, Howard Dean has served as a decidedly low-key Democratic Party chairman, slowly building up state organizations while staying out of the limelight. Yet as the Clinton-Obama race wears on, many are wondering if Dean has the political acumen—or even the will—to rally a party in danger of fracturing. More »

A new Gallup poll puts the two Democratic presidential candidates on even footing nationally, with Barack Obama holding a statistically negligible 1-point lead over Hillary Clinton. The poll, conducted after Obama's widely praised speech on race, suggests that the Illinois senator has erased the damage done by the Jeremiah Wright controversy, writes the Baltimore Sun . More »

Keystone state voters prefer old-school to bling, Politico reports—which is why they favor Hillary Clinton by 12 points in the state's April 22 primary. “If you are going to introduce a brand new product, you don’t come to Pennsylvania,” one analyst said. “We are much more about heritage than cutting edge here.” Hillary has the heritage: Her father grew up there, and her last name has already hit the ballot twice thanks to husband Bill. More »

Bill Richardson will back Barack Obama for president today, giving the Illinois senator one of the Democratic party's most coveted endorsements. The New Mexico governor and former presidential candidate called Obama a "once-in-a-lifetime leader that can bring our nation together and restore America's moral leadership in the world" in a statement obtained by the AP. More »

Barack Obama will deliver a major speech on race and politics in America in Philadelphia this morning. The candidate will address the racial issues that have dominated the campaign in recent days, fueled by the firestorm over the divisive remarks of Jeremiah Wright, Obama's former pastor. An aide told the Chicago Tribune that the Illinois senator's speech will be "very candid." More »

Despite charges of racism from the Barack Obama camp, former vice presidential candidate Geraldine Ferraro yesterday refused to back off earlier comments  that the candidate is enjoying a campaign advantage because of his race. "Every time that campaign is upset about something, they call it racist,” snipped Ferrro. “I will not be discriminated against because I’m white. If they think they’re going to shut up Geraldine Ferraro with that kind of stuff, they don’t know me." More »

Seeking to regain momentum, Barack Obama triumphed in a racially divided Mississippi primary today by winning about 90% of black votes and a third of white voters, CNN projects. He also won last week's Texas caucuses, scoring more state delegates overall than primary-winner Hillary Clinton. Mississippi awards 33 delegates and Texas 193 in their respective state races. More »

Hillary Clinton is ignoring calls to fire adviser Geraldine Ferraro after she said Barack Obama is succeeding because of his race, MSNBC reports. "If Obama was a white man, he would not be in this position," the former vice presidential nominee said. “He happens to be very lucky to be who he is. And the country is caught up in the concept." More »