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Change vs. Status Quo; Poll Shows Obama Surge
By Scott Galindez
t r u t h o u t | Perspective
Monday 07 January 2008
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Obama campaign strategist David Axelrod works the spin room after a presidential debate in Manchester on Saturday night.
(Photo: Scott Galindez / Truthout)
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Manchester, NH - The battle lines are drawn in New Hampshire. Since change
won big in Iowa, all the candidates are trying to paint themselves as agents
of change. In back-to-back debates in Manchester on Saturday night, many of
the candidates attempted to position themselves as the change candidate; on
the GOP side one succeeded, Mitt Romney. In an attempt to label Romney a flip-flopper,
Sen. John McCain said, 'one thing is for sure, you are the change candidate'
to Romney.
On the Democratic side, John Edwards and Sen. Barack Obama teamed up on Sen.
Hillary Clinton, who Edwards labeled at the status quo candidate. Senator Edwards
even defended Senator Obama from an attack by Senator Clinton:
"We have a fundamental difference about the way you bring about
change. But both of us are powerful voices for change."
"And if I might add, we finished first and second in the Iowa caucus, I think
in part as a result of that."
"Now, what I would say this: Any time you speak out powerfully for change, the
forces of status quo attack. That's exactly what happens. It's fine to have
a disagreement about health care. To say that Senator Obama is having a debate
with himself from some Associated Press story I think is just not - that's not
the kind of discussion we should be having. I think that every time this happens,
what will occur - every time he speaks out for change, every time I fight for
change, the forces of status quo are going to attack - every single time. And
what we have to remember - and this is the overarching issue here, because
what we really need in New Hampshire and in future state primaries, is we need
an unfiltered debate between the agents of change about how we bring about that
change. Because we have differences about that. But the one thing I do not argue
with him about is he believes deeply in change. And I believe deeply in change.
And any time you're fighting for that - I mean, I didn't hear these kind of
attacks from Senator Clinton when she was ahead. Now that she's not, we hear
them."
And any time you speak out - any time you speak out for change, this is what
happens."
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Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul speaks to the media in the spin room following a presidential debate in Manchester on Saturday night.
(Photo: Scott Galindez / Truthout)
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Clinton resisted the label, calling the Bush administration the status quo
and vowing to bring change to Washington. Senator Obama agreed:
"I think there's no doubt that any of the candidates on this
stage would represent significant change from George Bush. And we've seen a
disaster, in both foreign policy and domestic policy, over the last seven years."
"But what the people in Iowa were responding to, what I think that we're seeing
here in New Hampshire, is a hunger for a different kind of politics that is
very specific about pushing aside special interests that have come to dominate
the agenda and the debate, reducing the power of lobbyists; something that I
have done."
"I think people are very concerned about making sure that the American people
are let back into their government."
After the debate, I asked Elizabeth Edwards and Joe Trippi if we should read
anything into Edwards's defense of Obama. Trippi just said no and didn't elaborate,
while Mrs. Edwards said it wasn't a defense of Obama as much as it was a defense
of change. She said the "status quo always resists and attacks those seeking
change."
On Sunday, Obama responded directly to a charge by Clinton that some candidates
are presenting 'false hope'. Obama said, "Women had hope; they struggled
for the right to vote, African Americans had hope; they struggled against slavery
and oppression. Without hope a man wouldn't have walked on the moon."
On the Republican side, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney found himself
in the hot seat. McCain accused him of both changing his positions on the issues
too often and of false charges in attack ads. Volunteers who were watching the
debate said Romney looked fake to them. The latest polls show McCain moving
ahead.
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Sen. Barack Obama rallies supporters and undecideds at the Palace Theater in Manchester, NH, on Sunday morning. Obama responded to Hillary Clinton's allegations that he is spreading "false hope."
(Photo: Scott Galindez / Truthout)
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A loss in New Hampshire could be the end of the road for Romney, heading into
states where Rudy Giuliani has the advantage.
Late Sunday, a new poll released by WMUR/CNN showed Obama surging to a 10 point
lead 39 percent to 29 percent. If this is accurate, the Democratic race could
be over on Tuesday. Donna Brazile, who was Al Gore's campaign manager in 2000,
didn't agree; she said the race was a "marathon and would go until February
5th." Brazile did say the results in Iowa felt good and acknowledged Obama
has the "momentum"; but she told Truthout even if Obama wins the first
three races, she expects the race to continue until super Tuesday.
Others aren't as cautious; the buzz is an Obama win here sets him up so well
in South Carolina this momentum would be very hard to stop.
In another development, Obama picked up a key endorsement: Former presidential
candidate Bill Bradley, who was a favorite among independents in New Hampshire
eight years ago, will be campaigning with Obama today.
"Barack Obama is building a broad new coalition that brings together Democrats,
independents and Republicans by once again making idealism a central focus of
our politics," Bradley said in a statement released by the Obama campaign.
Senator Edwards showed no signs of slowing down and has embarked on another
36-hour marathon bus tour through New Hampshire, holding events in the wee hours
of the morning. The Edwards campaign argues an Obama win will narrow the race
to the real agents of change; and they look forward to a two person race on
who is better equipped to bring effective change to Washington.
Scott Galindez is Truthout's Washington, DC Bureau Chief.
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