Bill Clinton: 'North Carolina Now Crucial' for presidential bid

[loveangelc]

Like it did in Texas and Ohio, the Clinton campaign for president has drawn a line in the sand, down the middle of the Tar Heel state.

Bill Clinton said Friday in Charlotte that his wife's presidential bid hinges in many ways on whether the New York senator wins North Carolina's Democratic primary.

Speaking to about 4,000 at a rally at UNC Charlotte, the former president said Hillary Clinton would likely have to win the state's May 6 primary to have any chance at winning the overall popular vote and ultimately overtaking Sen. Barack Obama as the party's nominee.

http://www.charlotte.com/217/story/567422.html

[MadBadger]

1. Looks like she will lose the nomination than.

[tekisui]

2. Reducing PA expectations.

[anonymous171]

3. Oh God, not again. They must be hoping for an Edwards endorsement

[polichick]

46. She tossed Poverty Czar into the deal just this week!

[dkf]

4. They love ya til they lose ya...and then you are a nothing.

[caledesi]

39. So true! nt

[ORDem]

5. So, they've already written off PA? Hillary doesn't close big gaps

like Obama does, so small chance she's going to make much headway against his 20+ point lead in NC.

Guess it's just time to move the goal posts once again (I'll be they're wishing they'd bought the kind with wheels...).

:dem:

[Whisp]

6. this is sounding like a anticipated computer game expected release...

at least it was like that a while back, they were frequently late and kept changing the dates.

or maybe not.

[MaineDem]

7. The shifting sands of the Clinton campaign

That line keeps moving.

[tokenlib]

8. I can just see the goalposts on the back of a truck with tourist stickers from each state....

Here we go again...

[Muttocracy]

20. ...

[jenmito]

9. But she lost TX. Like he said, if she doesn't win OH AND TX she probably won't be the nominee. She

didn't.

[BzaDem]

13. She won the TX primary, she lost the TX delegates.

Just like no one aside from people on this board think that Hillary lost NV, the standard way of thinking outside this board is that she won TX since 100,000 more people voted for her in TX than Obama.

You can argue that "winning" means delegates (he wins), others can argue it means votes (tie, different in primary than in caucus), others can argue it means voters (she wins, since caucus voters already voted in the primary). But just because winning has different definitions doesn't mean everyone has to pick the definition most favorable to Obama.

[anonymous171]

15. TX is different because Clinton's "win" was tarnished by "Operation Chaos"

[jenmito]

26. According to Bill Clinton, you have to vote TWICE to give Hillary the win. She lost.

It's a "prima-caucus," and Obama won it. Simple as that.

[KittyWampus]

10. For the Clintons, there ARE no goal posts.

[BzaDem]

11. This is very interesting. Maybe this is one step towards a graceful exit?

Contrary to opinion on this board, Hillary can't drop out now -- this would make many of her strong supporters feel like she was pushed out. But if they set expectations unreasonably high for NC and then lose, at least it won't look like she was pushed out.

[JayFredMuggs]

14. One can only hope eom

[my3boyz]

12. Well, since they have admitted it I hope she packs her bags

and heads back to New York once she loses North Carolina. Oh...I forgot...the Clintons change the goal posts as much as they want.

[noel711]

22. Packs her bags...

Wait a minute, she threw it across the room years ago..

[quantass]

36. lol

[Whisp]

16. Bill in June: If she doesn't win Poland, then we're Really in trouble. nt

[TahitiNut]

17. The key word is "rally" ... he's just rousing the rabble ...

... and picking their pockets. Reality isn't invited at a "rally." Cash, check, or credit cards are gratefully accepted.

:shrug:

[jgraz]

18. Wow, they must be getting some seriously bad internal polling from PA

Excellent.

[kmsarvis]

19. LATEST N.C. POLL

RASMUSSEN
OBAMA-56% CLINTON-33%

[loveangelc]

21. It's true though. She HAS to win the popular vote to have any chance

and that hinges on NC.

[HCE SuiGeneris]

23. Damn, these goal posts are getting HEAVY!

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

28. BREAKING: Clintons favor annexing Mexico

But cause the Sonora Primary will be the key, you know...

:sarcasn:

[BlueIdaho]

24. It over

She's finished. Sorry kids, its all over but the shouting.

If Billy is counting on NC then its really a case of too little too late.

[Bullet1987]

25. I guess the Clinton camp hasn't been looking at the polls that show her

down by 20+ points...HAHAHAHA.

[bunnies]

27. Does he know that Obama is currently ahead in NC by 23 points?

Hey Bill... what was that you said about Texas?

[anigbrowl]

29. I have a slightly different take

Maybe they're laying the ground for a dignified exit, since Obama is projected to do very well in NC and has been for a while. If Bill is saying this about a state where Obama is widely expected to win it may be a truce signal directed at the party - in effect saying they'd like to hold the surrender ceremony in a context that makes Obama looks good. Assume Hillary wins in PA, but not by an outstanding margin - lots of people would be upset if she quits right after a victory (for money or math reasons). There would be all kinds of arguments raging that the race was fixed in a back room somewhere or the party froze Hillary out, which would damage the Democrats in the GE.

But if Obama does what polls have long suggested and wins big in NC, then Hillary can say 'oof - that hurt, you beat me all right. I hear what the voters are saying.' Obama gets the credit for the knockout blow, Clinton rehabilitates herself by holding his arm up while he's declared the winner, the party breathes a big sigh of relief, and McCain's spring break is over.

Of course, it's possible that the Clintons know John Edwards is going to endorse Hillary at a critical moment and have some 'secret weapon' type plan, such as a fantastic ground organization or amazing early voting results to give them confidence. It just doesn't seem so likely to me.

[NJSecularist]

32. If their secret weapon is an endorsement from John Edwards, they might as well drop out now.

John Edwards holds no sway in that state. As a PPP from a week ago shows.

[Bullet1987]

34. I agree...I don't think Edwards has much strength if any in this state

outside of Populist Democrats who largely support Obama now anyway.

[davidpdx]

42. That sounds like a reasonable assumption

but then again we are talking about the Clintons so you really never know what they are up to. I think it's a safe to say Hillary will win Penn, but I think it's only going to be a 5-8% margin. Obama needs a win (even a narrow one) in Indiana and a big win in North Carolina and both the popular vote and delegate count will be pretty close. I said somewhere else I think between the three states it will come out 195 Obama 150 Clinton.

[Ravy]

30. I read that as he is raising the bar, and I think I almost agree.

It is a given that she will have to win PA, but even with that win, if Obama blows her out in NC or Indiana, it is going to be over. I don't know that she has to win, but if she loses PA, or loses either of the other two big, I don't think she will be the nominee without some Obama implosion.

If she wins PA big, and the other two I think she *will* be the nominee. I think the chances of that are slim, but not non-existant.

I think Bill Clinton is counting on a PA win, and saying that it will take NC, too, in his estimation.

[NJSecularist]

31. Do we have a quote from Bill regarding this?

I don't trust random newspapers. They will make up stuff to get readers.

[Cha]

33. So bil just says that shit to

hussle 'em out to polls?

[stop the bleeding]

35. Oh brother

:beer:

[quantass]

37. k&r

[MattNC]

38. then she should drop out now

she ain't winning the Tar Heel state.

[Eurobabe]

40. What, is PA dead to them ALREADY??

:rofl:

[mmonk]

41. After losing here, where will it be crucial?

[book_worm]

43. and a new Ras poll has Obama up by 23-points.

[catgirl]

44. Latest NC poll: Obama up by 23 pts

What is it going to take Billary?

[polichick]

45. Forget it - the KNOCK OUT PUNCH is coming in PA!

[babylonsister]

47. He's beginning to sound like a broken record. Just go away, Bill. nt