Clinton up by 10 in Final Survey USA poll

[kennetha]

Hillary has pulled away in Ohio, at least according to Survey USA. And it seems that healthcare was the ticket. If we can pile on all day today with NAFTA-Gate maybe we can win decisively in TX and OH and put the Obamabeasts on the run.

http://www.wkyc.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=84309&provider=gnews"> Clinton widens lead over Obama on eve of Ohio primary


Go Hillary!!!

[bicentennial_baby]

1. Obamabeasts?

Classy, as always.

[niceypoo]

57. I believe it is a play on Obamites 'Hildebeast'

FYI

[bicentennial_baby]

65. And yet, two wrongs don't make a right

Eh?

[niceypoo]

69. I didnt say it was right or wrong...

...hense the 'FYI' designation

[musicblind]

152. I agree

There is no reason for name calling in either side. No one is an "Obamabeaste" for supporting Obama and I'm not a "Hillshill" or whatever for supporting Hillary. We are ALL friends because we support DEMOCRATS. They are both WONDERFUL democrats too. This is really the year that our cup runneth over!

[UALRBSofL]

89. bicentennial_baby pay him no mind

Anyway, you know how bad people were calling Hillary names last night and you were in the middle of it. I guess it goes both ways. But, let's quit name calling. :)

[bicentennial_baby]

117. I didn't call anyone any names, as far as I remember

:)

[Maddy McCall]

146. Sorry about the behavior of some Hillary supporters.

You've been one of the nicest Obama supporters through this thing. (There are some wretched Obama supporters that the OP's label fits, but you're not one of them.)

I'm sorry you were lumped in with those.

[bicentennial_baby]

147. WOW...thank you Maddy!

I am shocked and honored to hear you say that. :o

I try to keep it positive and above board. No need to slum with the assholes. And I agree, some of my compatriots are downright wretched, unfortunately. x(

:hi:

[NJSecularist]

2. Damn, this is bad news

Obama isn't getting the traction in Ohio that I thought he would.

Thanks once again to Ohio. They gave up Bush twice and now they will keep Hillary in the race. They sure love their conservative candidates.

[Colobo]

6. She will win OH. Hopefully we will win Texas.

[Teaser]

8. Ohio was always gonna be tough

I have not expected to win it. Texas, that's where my interest lies.

[hogwyld]

12. Why do they keep voting

against their own best interests?

[ronnykmarshall]

105. You mean Obama voters?

Sorry but that comment is arrogant and insulting.

[berni_mccoy]

26. It's the Muslim bullshit the Clinton campaign started

[oasis]

40. Hillary had nothing to do with Obama's muslim connections. He knew it was

a liability before he entered the race.

[femrap]

53. Yes....the Evangelicals have been sending

mass emails about him being a Muslim. This has been going on for a long time.

[SoxFan]

113. Hillary's field staff sent them, too

And let's not forget the too-cute-by-half "as far as I know" bit.

[Name removed]

156. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[SoxFan]

163. Nice ad hominem attack

Ever been elected to office as a Democrat?

Ever been a member of the Democratic State Committee?

Ever worked as a staffer for Joe Biden, Paul Tsongas, or Paul Simon?

Ever been honored for your pro-environment and pro-consumer voting record as a legislator?

Didn't think so.

[femrap]

166. You must love yourself so much....bushdog. Do

you ever take your eyes off of your navel? You are the sun and the world is to care for you, almighty master of Bushdogs.

What you doing wasting your time here for....don't you have the world to save or to cure cancer or something?

You brag like a 4 year-old.

I wouldn't waste my time telling you my accomplishments....why? It would shatter you fragile male ego.

[WVRevy]

170. Two Campaign workers were "fired"...

...for forwarding those e-mails, and at least one other was implicated.

But hey...you don't want proof. You want to put someone who stands for the same kind of Rovian tactics as Shrub and his crowd back into the white house.

As for your accomplishments... :wtf: Who gives a rat's as? Since when is it required for ANYONE to show their credentials at the door to be able to have an opinion around here?

[JackORoses]

56. Obama doesn't have any Muslim connections, douchebag.

I'm pretty sure we can find an ancestor of yours who was Muslim. Does that mean you have Muslim connections?

[niceypoo]

62. Why are Obama supporters so sensitive to this issue?

His father and grandfather were both Muslims. His father eventually converted to christianity.

Dont be so frigging hypersensitive about it.

[JackORoses]

82. How does that have anything to do with him? His father left when he was 2.

Obama has never been a Muslim, thus no connection.

People get pissed when idiots like you try to use it against Obama. Don't play dumb, meanyshit.

[niceypoo]

100. It is his family history....

deal with it...

Calling people who point out the simple truth, 'idiot,' only weakens your position by emotionalizing it and it changes nothing, facts are facts.

Apparently you find shame in the fact that he has muslim roots, is your shame rooted in bigotry?

[JackORoses]

129. I call bigots idiots. Maybe that is too nicey. So how does it feel to use bigotry?

I would despise myself for doing so. You have apparently gotten over that.

The only thing I am ashamed of is people like you pretending to be Democrats. You bring the rest of us down.

You are a dumb shit. Facts are facts.

[Justitia]

114. You are clueless. His father was a confirmed atheist. RW smearmongering. -eom

[oasis]

133. Ancestor? What kind of dummy would call their father an ancestor?

:crazy:

[bvar22]

120. And what exactly are Obama's "Muslim Connections"?

?

[oasis]

132. His father, for starters. Then there's this guy Minister Farrakhan. Those connections. (eom)

[onenote]

159. you didn't really play the Farrakhan card did you? Pathetic.

Yes, Farrakhan endorsed Obama. So that becomes a "muslim connection" for Obama?

So if a rabbi endorses HRC, does she have a Jewish connection? If a gay leadership organization endorses HRC does she have a "gay connection"? If a lobbyist for the banking industry endorses HRC does she have a "banking" connections?

[krkaufman]

125. What connections would those be? n/t

[Straight Shooter]

88. What "Muslim" bullshit?? Muslim-Americans have been actively campaigning for Obama.

Ohio Muslims Unite Behind Obama

A large majority of Muslim-Americans voted for George W Bush on the road to the White House eight years ago. But now their support seems to be coalescing around an African-American senator, whose first name derives from the Arabic word for blessing.

Among them are the 60,000 Muslims of the economically depressed Cleveland area.

They are mostly middle-class naturalised citizens, disappointed with the Bush administration's record and with a powerful sense that their religion has been misrepresented in the years since 9/11.

The city boasts Ohio's largest mosque, a building that until a few years ago was a Christian church, complete with a wooden spire, but is now attached to the Shiite Unity Center ..."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7271646.stm

It might occur to Hillary-bashers that the vocal, active support by Ohio Muslims, and the tacit support by praise from the Council on American-Islamic Relations ("a lightning rod for criticism by the right wing"), is the reason that Obama's popularity has eroded slightly, needless to mention the NAFTA debacle.

[berni_mccoy]

98. The Clinton Campaign has been Spreading falsehoods that Obama is a Muslim

They are playing on the fears of the uninformed and bigots who would otherwise vote for Obama if they new the truth.

It's all Clinton has.

[cryte9]

93. Obama's muslim links are not Hillary's fault

Most of those attacks are coming from RWers and are being falsly attributed to Clinton (thanks to drudge and faux news)

[berni_mccoy]

99. As Far As You Know. We'll just have to take her for her words.

[laugle]

167. You are correct! Just turn on any RW talk radio host

and all they talk about is Obama's muslim heritage and how dangerous it would be for him to be our president!

There are whole sites on the internet speaking about him and the schools he went to, the prayers everyday, etc., etc.....

Hillary doesn't need to bring it up, it's all out there already.........

[susankh4]

28. You are welcome!

Ohio is not an easy sell. That's for sure. We like to see a resume.

I hear that's the "problem" with RI as well. Persnickety old disagreeable Rhode Islanders....

[Renew Deal]

Resume's like Bush and Blackwell?

Yea, real tough sell. :eyes:

[blonndee]

42. Even resumes with failed health care plans and IWR votes? Huh. nt

[susankh4]

50. Onery old things

Us Ohioans and Rhode Islanders.

[rodeodance]

81. ha ha-*******and so glad they ARE****

[VolcanoJen]

121. Speak for yourself.

I'm an Ohioan, and Clinton's "resume" is exactly why I'm voting for Obama.

[Independent-Voter]

67. Ohio went for Bush TWICE. Take that "tough sell" bullshit somewhere else

Really - Ohioans have proven to be pretty fucking stupid regarding their election choices the last 8 years.

[niceypoo]

76. Bush cheated in Ohio

Obamites now call all Ohioans stupid.....because the republicans blocked African Americans from voting, isnt that just lovely??

The poster is very, very angry.....so much for the 'hope' they brag about having...

[nonconformist]

103. Uh, you sure you want to go there?

Because so were these states that Obama won:

Alabama
Alaska
Colorado
Georgia
Idaho
Iowa
Kansas
Louisiana
Missouri
Nebraska
North Dakota
South Carolina
Utah
Virginia


But guess what? They're staying red in November, too! However, we have a shot at Florida and Ohio, and that's what we need to win the GE.

[krkaufman]

126. Actually, many of those states could still be in play, including ...

Kansas
Missouri
Iowa
Colorado
Virginia

[niceypoo]

55. "conservate candidate" with almost identical voting record as Obama

that is when he had the balls to actually take a stand and vote...

[Benhurst]

87. I can see why you might not like Ohio if they don't go for Obama;

but don't blame them for Bush -- the 2004 election was definitely fixed, and from what we now know, I wouldn't be surprised if 2000 was stolen as well.

[Independent-Voter]

94. If Ohio couldn't get their shit together to keep Bush from "fixing" elections, then don't complain

when somebody calls their number on it.

[krkaufman]

131. hummina? I'm taken aback only at the framing of 2004 as a dead-certain fix ...

... and 2000 as only a possibility. It's long been shown and known that 2000 was both a fix *and* stolen -- when all the various fixes didn't provide the necessary margin. As for 2004, it is clear that the fix was in, but did the fix affect enough votes to affect the OH outcome?

[Thrill]

3. We'll find out tomorrow...... won't we?

[loveangelc]

4. C: 54 O: 44

fwiw. I've always thought Hillary would win Ohio.

[Name removed]

5. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Windy]

22. No, Ohio is very racist, especially near Cincinnati. I'm from there. I can tell you

that you can compare their attitudes for the most part with the old south during segregation days. Its very sad.

[mtnester]

38. Maybe your part of Ohio is

it is not right that you reflect the entire state that way, and I take offense you generalized that Ohio is racist...if you think CINCY is racist, then you can say Cincy is racist. Don't put me in that box or my part of Ohio.

[Windy]

110. I'm sorry, but people in the Cincinnati area are extremely racist.

It is blatant in conversations you have with people in general and sadly, even people in my own family.

Someone I overheard just last weekend while eating in a restaurant in Anderson Township (affluent) said "I can't vote for Barack Obama", he should be serving me.

Those people said that they have to vote for Hillary as they could never vote for a black man.

If you don't think that is the case, then you are blind.

[Metric System]

43. So, vote for Obama or you're a racist?

[writes3000]

74. No, but Hillary can probably count on the racist vote.

Do you care to disagree?

[Metric System]

91. Following that logic, Obama can count on the mysoginist vote.

[Straight Shooter]

92. And Obama can probably count on the sexist vote.

Bigot swords cut both ways.

[susankh4]

149. Yes.

Most of the racist / mysogynist vote will swing to McCain in the end.

[laugle]

169. And Obama can count on the sexist vote and he is!! nt

[aquarius dawning]

173. Just like Obama can count on the SEXIST VOTE.

[Windy]

111. No, not at all, but it is an issue in Southwestern Ohio. There are MANY legitimate reasons

not to vote for Hillary. Voting for her only because of race is ignoring all the rest of her problems. The IWR and Kyl/Lieberman votes in particular, that speak to her lack of judgment and rule her out as commander in chief in my book.

[VolcanoJen]

44. Hey now!

I don't think Cincinnati is anywhere near as racist as it was, say, twenty years ago. In fact, I find your generalization to be offensive.

But... the muslim smear has certainly hurt Obama here. Saturday afternoon at Obama HQ, our organizers were fielding calls from concerned voters who said they'd been contacted by the Carpenters' and Communications' Unions about their vote. When told they'd be voting for Obama, the callers said, "So, you'd rather vote for a Muslim than a woman?"

They're working frantically to get the calls on tape, but there have been many instances of this happening.

It's depressing. C'mon Texas!!

[Adelante]

72. How sad about those calls

:(

[writes3000]

77. Surprise, surprise - a smear campaign

I'm too disgusted to even say any more. Hillary could and should have nipped this in the bud.

[VolcanoJen]

119. It is indeed disgusting.

After the Ohio Primary is concluded, I'm pretty sure all of these smears will come out in the wash.

It may or may not be too late for us here, but maybe Pennsylvania will heed the call and stand up against this kind of campaigning.

[niceypoo]

66. Hmmm.....this post is so flawed on so many levels...

Ohioans are racists if Obama loses?

Sad, sad stuff...

[anamandujano]

130. Flawed, but not new with our hope and inspiration people.

[thewiseguy]

7. Very classy

I alerted the poster.

[bowens43]

9. Obamabeasts?

what are you , about 12 years old. No wonder you're losing

[Connie_Corleone]

10. Fuck you for your "Obamabeasts" name calling.

[niceypoo]

80. Which is a play on 'Hildebeasts' which Obamites have used for months

Where was your outrage then?

[kennetha]

83. Right!

Obama's followers are amazingly thin skinned. They dish it out constantly, but can't take return fire. I think it comes from their sense of entitlement. They think somehow they have already won and that anything that gets in their way is somehow illegitimate. They think their candidate is owed worship or adoration from everybody, not just those who have already imbibed the kool-aid.

[Hepburn]

90. Any reason you have hidden your profile?

[niceypoo]

95. And when Obamites have clearly lost an arguement...

...they start digging for personal information to smear with, just like the republicans.

[Binka]

102. Do you really need to ask that?

Clear as glass. And stinks like shit.

[Hawkeye-X]

135. Many of the incredibly stubborn and stupid Hillary supporters

have hidden their profile.. They're truly Freepers.

Me? I have nothing to hide, therefore my profile is open for anyone to see - and I've been here a long time (6 years, but feels like more!)

Hawkeye-X

[ronnykmarshall]

107. Oh come on ....

You know that's DIFFERENT!!!

Tho shant useith againsth Obama.

But ye are allowed to talkith shit about the horrible Hillary woman.

[kentuck]

11. The economic fear card has been played.

Trump that!

[Tatiana]

13. Isn't there a minimum age requirement for posting here? n/t

[bunnies]

35. a minimum IQ would be better.

:eyes:

[MadBadger]

14. Here's to hoping SurveyUSA gets this one wrong, and Zogby gets it right

Its odd seeing on one side the Q-Poll Zogby, and Mason-Dixon showing it a very close race with Obama gaining, while SurveyUSA, University of Cincinatti, and Rasmussen show a not as close race with Hillary pulling away.

[Zachstar]

24. We are seeing polls going all over the place.

When will DUers learn that polls suck this year?

[thewiseguy]

29. SurveyUSA had Clinton up by 13 in Missouri two days before the voting

And Zogby had him leading by 2. This race is not as close as Zogby shows but its not as wide as SurveyUSA implicates.

[skipos]

15. Not quite the 20% she needs (and the 20% she had a few weeks ago)

I think she will win OH, maybe TX, but not by the large margins she needs. If these numbers hold, she will be on her way to doiing the Huckabee.

[Windy]

16. You need to re-evaluate your statement.

I find it disgusting. Maybe you should also reevaluate your posistion after watching Hillary speak here:

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/3/2/192832/8354/283/467547

start at 6:03.

[Zachstar]

17. NAFTA-GATE?!

You people are sick...

[oasis]

138. Hey the Obama people shouldn't have given the Canadians the heads up

on Obama's double talk.

[DUyellow]

18. LINK?

[DUyellow]

148. where did this poll come from??? LINK???

[JimGinPA]

19. Zogby Has Her Up By 1

47 - 46. She was up 23% Jan.31st.

[MadBadger]

21. Actually Zogby has Obama up 2

[Lucinda]

20. Your link doesnt work.

[Lucinda]

39. Here's a local OHIO TV station talking about the poll:

http://www.whiotv.com/politics/15339714/detail.html

[Renew Deal]

23. I found a working link

http://www.wkyc.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=84309&provider=gnews

I think that's a poll of registered voters. The wording is funny.

[NJSecularist]

25. They were very wrong in Missouri. They were off by 11 points.

That's the only thing that gives me hope for Ohio, seeing as that Missouri's demographics are somewhat like Ohio's.

[Alhena]

27. The huge shift in Cincinnati makes this poll suspect ...

I expect Hillary is up by about 5 points, but the Survey USA poll has the Cincinnati vote switching from an Obama lead to a 19 point Hillary lead in 2 weeks. That just doesn't make sense, especially since Cincinnati was expected to be an Obama strong area.

I would note that, if Hillary does have a lead in SW Ohio, she likely won't pick up any delegates there since the three SW Ohio districts are all 4 delegate districts which require 62.5% of the vote to avoid a 2-2 delegate split.

So if Hillary had to be surging anywhere in the state, Cincinnati is a good place for Obama, although I seriously doubt she's surging as much there as this poll indicates.

[susankh4]

41. Cincinnati

The poll makes complete and total sense.

McCain, and his "friend" Bill Cunningham, made short work of Obama here.

I hate Bill Cunningham. But, many Cincy folk listen to him like he's news. I'm not kidding. I've lived here all my life and I can vouch for it.

[Alhena]

49. You could be right- didn't think about Cunningham

great that this moron is deciding a Democratic primary.

But once again- that's a good place for a Hillary surge as far as Obama is concerned. It's a 4 delegate district which means Hillary only gets a 2-2 delegate split in each of the 3 SW Ohio districts unless she wins by more than 24 points or so.

[susankh4]

54. I am a Hill supporter....

but I am going to agree with you on this point.

I hate that S.O.B. Cunningham. And he hates me... and all dems.... as well.

Don't worry, tho. He did Hillary a favor this time. Next week he'll stab her in the back too.

[NJSecularist]

58. The fact that Ohio Democrats listen to Bill Cunningham

Tells you all you need to know

[susankh4]

71. I think you can look at it two ways...

You can slam us. Sure.

But, you can also try to understand that Cincy Dems feel they have a valid reason to be concerned. If Cunningham can make mincemeat of Barack in a matter of a few days (wow, what a poll change!) they are imagining what Limbaugh and O' Reilly could do.

It's not *right* but it is a concern.

Cincy sits at the gateway to the south. We have a proud history as the entry point of the Underground Railroad. But, we have few delusions about how our southerly neighbors think and feel.

[Kukesa]

141. I didn't know who Cunningham was and I'm an Ohio Dem. n/t

[Windy]

112. As I said before, I'm from cincinnati and its a very bigotted area. nt

[BadgerLaw2010]

85. If you think Obama will even be close in Cincy, you have obviously never been there.

That is one ugly attitude city, let me put it that way.

[ProSense]

30. Graphs of poll averages

[book_worm]

31. Obama will do better than that in Ohio and he will win Texas

and still be ahead in delegates and Dems will begin to call for Clinton to get out of the race.

[meow mix]

32. damn, pass the oxycontin plz

:hangover:

[Arkansas Granny]

33. Name calling is childish behavior and is inappropriate.

[MadBadger]

34. I think your name-calling is the worst yet.

[ronnykmarshall]

109. I make a note of that.

Next time some asshole calls Hillary "Billary", "Shillary" and so on .... I make sure to let you know so you can join me and alerting the shit. K?

[grantcart]

36. Quinnipiac: Clinton's Lead Evaporating in Ohio

http://politicalwire.com/archives/2008/03/03/quinnipiac_clintons_lead_evaporating_in_ohio.html

Quinnipiac: Clinton's Lead Evaporating in Ohio
Sen. Hillary Clinton's margin over Sen. Barack Obama among Ohio likely Democratic primary voters has shrunk to just 4 points, 49% to 45%, on the eve of the state's primary, according to a new Quinnipiac poll.

On Feburary 14, Clinton held a 21 point lead; on February 25 she was 11 points ahead.

Key finding: "Obama has made gains in the last week especially among men and black voters."

[high density]

37. OK let's not bother to vote and use Survey USA for allocating the delegates.

:rofl:

I guess?

[CyberPieHole]

45. Thanks for posting, kennetha and welcome to DU...

:kick: and rec

[Dogmudgeon]

46. It ain't over 'til it's over.

And cut the "Obamabeasts" crap, too. It ain't classy.

--p!

[zulchzulu]

47. Either way, Hillary Clinton will be asked to give it up

Thanks for the namecalling and lack of a link. A real class act...

:puke:

[loveangelc]

79. I don't think she will if she wins both TX or OH no matter what the margins are.

[Lucinda]

48. SUSA link

http://www.surveyusa.com/client/PollReport.aspx?g=96160e3e-e0bc-44cb-8273-28a16edbf219&c=30

[JackORoses]

51. Keep dreaming kenny g! I hope you are around on Wednesday so I can laugh at you.

[oasis]

145. "Keep dreaming"...Ha ha. You Obamamites will never run short on dreams. Your

guy is cranking them out by the bushel. With the accent on BUSH.

[femrap]

52. I'm taking my 80 year-old neighbor

with me to the polls tomorrow. We're both ready to vote for HRC! Supposed to be heavy rain tomorrow...only repugnants melt!

[Windy]

115. that's a shame. You are NOT well informed or don't give a damn about the Military. nt

[femrap]

154. My taking the next door neighbor to vote in

the rain makes you think I am "NOT well informed or care about the military."

Possibly you're responding to someone else? But now that you mention it, I do think the Pentagon's budget is bloated...the defense contractors are the boys making the $$$, and the soldiers are getting screwed.

[Mass]

59. I do not think there were ever any question for serious people that she would win OH.

She was always the favorite there. This said, the final margin remains to be seen until after the vote.

The real question is whether she can win enough delegates throughout the 4 states that she can challenge Obama's pledged delegates.

[Independent-Voter]

64. Indeed - I've always though +5% would be her floor there.

[DemGa]

60. The Obama-facade grows thinner by the day! ----NT

[Barack_America]

61. Only 12% Independents in the survey?

That seems way too low, IMO. Especially considering 10% of the survey was Republicans. It seems to me that Independents are much, much more likely to vote in the Democratic primary. They should have sampled more.

http://www.surveyusa.com/client/PollReport.aspx?g=96160e3e-e0bc-44cb-8273-28a16edbf219&c=30

[jefferson_dem]

63. Hillary may win the pop vote but break even or lose in the delegate count. LINK --->

http://ruralvotes.com/thefield/?p=809

[elixir]

68. I share you're enthusiasm but, please, don't denigrate Obama supporters. It makes us look petty.

Thanks again for the good news.

[madrchsod]

70. just what is an "obamabeast"?

i`ve googled and nothing matches.....oh you just made this up cause you think you are cute!

[DemocratSinceBirth]

73. Don't Call The Obama Supporters Names (Unless) They Call You A Name First

~

[rodeodance]

97. ok

[DemocratSinceBirth]

106. We Are Entitled To Self Defense

:7

[Zodiak]

75. Are cell phones part of that telephone survey?

If not, then the poll will seriously underestimate Obama support. Many young adults do not have land lines.

[rodeodance]

78. GO HILLARY~~

[Coexist]

84. bad link

[HeraldSquare212]

86. Oy vey! Congrats to Hil, but damn!

[NewHampster]

96. thanks for the news

[AtomicKitten]

101. She has to win 65% in Texas and Ohio plus 70% in Penn to just catch up.

[NJSecularist]

104. Obama is officially the underdog

If he wins in Ohio, it will be a New Hampshire-like surprise.

[Sir Jeffrey]

108. SUSA has been the gold standard so far...

but in this contest I think they may be off a few points.

In the 2004 Dem primary, the white/black votes as a percent of the total number of voters was 81-14. SUSA has the split at 81-16.

Now, with that said, I still think that Hillary is going to win Ohio, but I don't think it is going to be as big as SUSA says.

I think that MO gives us an idea of what kind of turnout change we can expect amongst blacks in Ohio tomorrow. In the 2004 Dem primary, the white/black split was 82-15. In 2008 it was 77-18. And those turnout figures were from Super Tuesday, after the SC race-baiting but before Hillary started throwing the kitchen sink at Obama. Blacks are going to turn out better than the paltry 2% improvement SUSA gives them. I suspect 4-7% improvement is more likely, and that will probably not be enough for Obama to win.

Given SUSA's reputation and track record, I would say that they are closer to being correct than Zogby. Rasmussen and SUSA have Hillary up outside the MOE. When you look at the previous contests thus far, Hillary seems to perform right at her polling percentage while Obama consistently outperforms. I will go ahead and make a prediction that Hillary wins Ohio tomorrow by about 4 points (51-47). The delegate split will be slightly in her favor.

[MyNameGoesHere]

116. Stupid post.

It is good news, the bad news you presented it like a jackass with that slur.

[rodeodance]

118. need a pillow?

[MyNameGoesHere]

123. No i actually work for a living and

cannot sleep at work. need some hope to breathe?

[yellowcanine]

122. "maybe we can win decisively in TX and OH" Who is "WE"?

Are you Hillary employing the "royal we"?

[VolcanoJen]

124. Outside of the rather disgusting calling-out of the city of Cincinnati within this thread...

... I'm pretty amused watching all of you count chickens before votes.

Let's revisit this around 7:30 pm tomorrow, ok? We're having a huge Obama party at Cadillac Ranch in downtown Cincinnati, if anyone's in the neighborhood.

And you all discount the Obama ground game at your own peril. :-)

[writes3000]

134. Go, Volcano Jen!

You are an inspiration! Thank you, thank you, thank you for all of your hard work.

Sorry about people painting your area with one brush. As you can imagine, it's scary for those of us in other parts of the country to hear the stories of smears and race-baiting.

Go, go, go, Jen!

[Kukesa]

142. Way to go, Jen! n/t

[amborin]

127. maybe the Rezco stink has something to do with it?

The Times (London)

February 26, 2008 Tuesday
Correction Appended

Mansion 'mistake' piles the pressure on Obama

BYLINE: James Bone in New York and Dominic Kennedy

British billionaire lent millions to fundraiser

Questions over who paid for family home

A British-Iraqi billionaire lent millions of dollars to Barack Obama
's fundraiser only weeks before an imprudent land deal that has returned to haunt the presidential contender, an investigation by The Times has revealed.

The money transfer raises the question of whether funds from Nadhmi Auchi, one of Britain's wealthiest men, helped Mr Obama to buy the mock Georgian mansion in Chicago where he lives.

A company related to Mr Auchi, who has a conviction for corruption in France, registered the loan to Mr Obama's bagman, Antoin "Tony" Rezko, on May 23, 2005.

Mr Auchi says that the loan, through the Panamanian company Fintrade Services SA, was for $3.5 million (£ 1.75 million).

Three weeks later Mr Obama bought a house on the South Side of the city, while Mr Rezko's wife bought the garden plot next door from the same seller on the same day, June 15. Mr Obama says that he never used Mrs Rezko's still-empty lot, which could only be accessed through his property. But he admits that he paid his gardener to mow the lawn.

Mrs Rezko, whose husband was widely known to be under investigation at the time, went on to sell a 10ft strip of her property to Mr Obama seven months later so that he could enjoy a bigger garden. Mr Obama says that his involvement in the land deal was a "boneheaded mistake".

Mrs Rezko's purchase and sale of the land to Mr Obama raises many unanswered questions. It is unclear how Mrs Rezko could have afforded the down payment of $125,000 and $500,000 mortgage for the original $625,000 purchase of the garden plot at 5050 South Greenwood Avenue. In a sworn statement a year later Mrs Rezko said that she had a salary of $37,000 and $35,000 in assets. Mr Rezko told a court that he had "no income, negative cash flow, no liquid assets, no unencumbered assets (and) is significantly in arrears on many of his obligations".

Mrs Rezko, whose husband goes on trial on unrelated corruption charges in Chicago on March 3, refused to answer questions about the case when she spoke by telephone to The Times. Asked if she used money from her husband to buy the land next to Mr Obama's house, she said: "I can't answer these questions, I'm sorry."

Asked how long she and her husband had known Mr Auchi, she replied: "I will not be able to answer this question." Mr Auchi's lawyer, asked whether the Fintrade Services loan was used to buy the land which became Mr Obama's garden, stated: "No, not as far as my client is aware." Mr Auchi's links with Mr Rezko are a new political headache for Mr Obama, the Illinois senator vying to become America's first African-American president. Hillary Clinton has sought to make Mr Rezko, who has bankrolled Mr Obama's political career since his first run for the Illinois state senate in the mid-1990s, into an election issue by calling him a "slum landlord" in a televised debate. She has suggested repeatedly that Mr Obama has not been "vetted" by media scrutiny and will not withstand "the Republican attack machine".

Bill Burton, a spokesman for Mr Obama, told The Times: "The bottom line is, Obama does not recall ever meeting him (Mr Auchi)."

The house and garden deal raised questions about whether Mr Rezko, a property developer and fast-food restaurateur, made it possible for the Obamas to purchase a mansion they could otherwise not afford.

Mrs Rezko paid the asking price for the garden but the Obamas bought the house for $1.65 million, - $300,000 less than the asking price. The sellers deny that they offered the Obamas a discount on the house because the garden had fetched full price from Mrs Rezko.

Mr Rezko has since been indicted for allegedly scheming to pressure companies seeking business with the state of Illinois for kickbacks and contributions to the campaign of the Governor, Rod Blagojevich.

A prosecution document filed last month alleged that a "political candidate" - identified by the Chicago Sun-Times as Mr Obama - received a $10,000 campaign contribution from what is said to be a $250,000 kickback in the corruption case. That means Mr Obama's name could figure in Mr Rezko's trial, although he is not accused of any wrongdoing.

Mr Obama insists that he never used his office to do favours for Mr Rezko but admits that, as an Illinois state senator, he once wrote letters to housing officials urging them to provide money in support of a proposed apartment building for elderly people that Mr Rezko wanted to build.

Mr Obama has sought publicly to atone for his closeness to Mr Rezko, paying $150,000 to charity to distance himself from a man accused of political corruption.

The spotlight fell on Mr Rezko's ties to Mr Auchi last month when the Chicago businessman was thrown in jail for violating his bail terms by failing to declare a different $3.5 million loan from the British billionaire, made in April 2007. Prosecutors feared that Mr Rezko, who travels widely in the Middle East, might flee to a country without an extradition treaty, such as Syria, his birthplace.

Mr Auchi was convicted of corruption, given a suspended sentence and fined £ 1.4 million in France in 2003 for his part in the Elf affair, described as the biggest political and corporate scandal in postwar Europe. He, in a statement from his lawyers, says that he is appealing against the sentence.

Mr Auchi founded his Luxembourg-based General Mediterranean Holding (GMH) in 1979, a year before he left Iraq. He says that he did business with his native country when it was considered a friend of the West but ceased to trade with the late Saddam Hussein's regime once sanctions were imposed after the invasion of Kuwait.

Mr Rezko has told a court that Mr Auchi is a "close friend". Mr Auchi's lawyer told The Times: "It is untrue that my client and Mr Rezko are "close friends". Mr Auchi first met Mr Rezko after the 2003 Iraq war and they have a business relationship.

Mr Rezko and Mr Auchi have been partners in a pizzeria business in the Midwest and a 62-acre (25ha) land development in Riverside Park in Chicago. According to court documents, Mr Rezko's lawyer said that his client had "longstanding indebtedness" to Mr Auchi's GMH. By June 2007 he owed it $27.9 million.

Under a loan forgiveness agreement described in court, Mr Auchi lent Mr Rezko $3.5 million in April 2005 and $11 million in September 2005, as well as the $3.5 million transferred in April 2007. That agreement provided for the outstanding loans to be forgiven in return for a stake in the Riverside Park development.

A posting last week on a GMH-owned website, middle-eastonline.com, portrayed Mr Auchi as a Middle Eastern "Donald Trump" with a global business construction empire.

Mr Auchi visited the United States in 2004. Pictures show him meeting Emil Jones, the president of the Illinois state senate, an ally of Mr Obama, a former state senator.

Mr Auchi and Mr Obama say that they have no memory of meeting. But, according to a source, the two may have had a brief encounter at the Four Seasons Hotel in Chicago where Mr Auchi's visit was being honoured with a dinner attended by the governor when Mr Obama, coincidentally in the hotel, dropped in. An aide to Mr Obama said that he did attend an event at the Four Seasons at which Mr Rezko was present, but does not remember meeting Mr Auchi.

Prosecutors say that, after Mr Auchi was unable to enter the US in 2005, Mr Rezko approached the State Department to get him a visa and asked "certain Illinois government officials to do the same". Mr Obama denies that he was approached. Mr Auchi's lawyer has emphasised to The Times that it would be false to imply that money had been lent by GMH to Mr Rezko in return for Mr Rezko seeking to assist Mr Auchi to obtain a visa.

Mr Auchi's lawyer said that the purpose of the Fintrade Services loan was to "assist the financial position" of a pizzeria company called AR Pizza, in which GMH held a shareholding. He said that the loan had since been repaid in the form of a greater stake in the Chicago 62-acre land project.

Mr Auchi's lawyer said: "My client played no part in the management and/or day to day running of AR Pizza, the GMH Group being an entirely passive investor in the company. Further, there was no need as a minimum return on the investment was guaranteed. As to the court proceedings, my client is not a party to these."

Mr Rezko was a fundraiser for Governor Blagojevich. The governor's chief fundraiser, Christopher Kelly, who also served as his gambling adviser, is fighting tax charges.

*Read our blog dedicated to the White House race timesonline.co.uk/acrossthepond

DEALS AND LOANS

Spring 2004 Nadhmi Auchi visits Illinois and Michigan, attending an event at Four Seasons Hotel. Senator Obama shakes his hand

2004 Mr Auchi makes first investment in 62-acre land development project Riverside Park in Chicago

June 16, 2004 AR Pizza established in Delaware. Mr Auchi is "passive investor"

April 28, 2005 Mr Auchi's General Mediterranean Holding (GMH) lends $3.5 million to Tony Rezko

May 23, 2005 Fintrade Services SA, a Panamanian company related to Mr Auchi, registers loan to Mr Rezko, secured by Mr Rezko's stake in AR Pizza

June 15, 2005 Mr Rezko's wife, Rita, buys garden plot on same day as Obamas buy neighbouring mock-Georgian mansion from same seller

September 30, 2005 GMH makes $11 million loan to Mr Rezko

November 2005 Mr Rezko lobbies to get a US visa for Mr Auchi

January 2006 Mrs Rezko sells 10ft strip of garden to the Obamas for $104,500

November 2006 Mr Rezko tells court he is broke

April 4, 2007 Mr Auchi's GMH makes $3.5 million loan to Mr Rezko

January 28, 2008 Mr Rezko jailed for violating his bail by failing to declare $3.7 million in payments from Mr Auchi's companies

March 3, 2008 Mr Rezko's corruption trial due to begin in Chicago

Source: Times database

[oasis]

137. Obama's Axis of Evil: Rezko, Muslim connections and NAFTA-gate.

Strike three. Yer out.

[writes3000]

140. Your muslim chanting is beyond repulsive. I'm literally nauseous.

And ashamed that someone doing that shit is in the same party as I am.

Disgusting, repugnant and shameful.

[oasis]

143. He's not a muslim..Okay. It's just guilt by association. But not Hillary's fault.(eom)

[SeaLyons]

128. Go Hillary!!!!

Hillary for President

[LostInAnomie]

136. 10 pts. isn't the 25 pts. she needs to justifiably keep running.

Especially, if she loses Texas. She needs to accept the reality that she will never be president.

[oasis]

144. Hillary said she will soldier on. So pack a big lunch.(eom)

[AtomicKitten]

139. The latest polling has them deadlocked in both Texas and Ohio.

http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2008/03/03/daily1.html

[LadyVT]

150. Whoo hoo!!

[Robbins]

151. Ohio

I have long maintained that Hillary could very well win Ohio.However the fact that the Q poll has
it closer suggests to me this could be another Missouri(Survey USA had a Hillary 12 point lead and Obama won by 1) and they have always had Hillary a bit better than the actual vote.Now I am not saying Obama will win Ohio I am just saying I doudt it will be a 10 point win.

[Maribelle]

153. Boogity, Boogity, Boogity, Hillary

from all your NASCAR fans!

[kikiek]

155. Great news from Ohio! They're smart enough to see the truth!

[oasis]

164. Wake up Democrats, please wake up.

:kick:

[AX10]

157. It's a racist poll!

:sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm:

[quakerboy]

158. That dosnt look too good

For Obama. I was a little dissapointed when I looked up Survey USA today. In my personal opinion, it would have been better to have a nice clean end to the primary tomorrow, but that seems unlikely at this time.

I want to say thank you to the hillary supporters that propounded civility earlier in this thread. It gives me more hope for all of us, that has been noticeably lacking lately.

josh

[DesertRat]

160. Tomorrow is going to be an interesting day! n/t

[DesertRat]

161. dupe, sorry

[geiger]

162. link not working, which immediately makes me suspicious.

[JoFerret]

165. I hope she pulls of both Ohio and Texas

Plus Vermont and RI.
She deserves it.
Too much wool over too many eyes.

[RememberWellstone]

168. Smiles!

Good news.

[oasis]

171. Smiles and a kick back up top.

:kick:

[libbygurl]

172. Kickety-kick!

Go Hillary!

[tandem5]

174. kick nt

[cooolandrew]

175. Well very handy he turned out massive early voting eh . =)