NPR: At Year's End, Both Parties Races Still Wide Open

At Year's End, Both Parties Races Still Wide Open

What a long, strange presidential nomination race it's been ... so far. As 2007 comes to a close, NPR's Mara Liaason reports that long time frontrunners for their party's presidential nominations are suddenly struggling to either keep their leads or regain them. Candidates once written off as unknown or too inexperienced are suddenly surging. And a guy from Texas who never seems to get much media attention out fund-raises all the other candidates running for his party's nomination.

For months and months, it looked like Sen. Hillary Clinton's campaign team was the New England Patriots of the Democratic Party — it just couldn't lose. Clinton had the endorsements, the money, the poll numbers, you name it. She was on her way to convincing every one she was the inevitable Democratic nominee.

But as Mara notes, in October the pre-race ended, people in the early voting states started to pay more attention and the Clinton campaign blinked. It was the debate in Philadelphia at the end of October where Hillary Clinton first seemed to falter, with her "I'm for it, I'm against it" answer to the need for driver's licenses for illegal immigrants in New York.

And it took Obama a while to get into gear, says Democratic strategist Bill Carrick. At the same time, he says, the Clinton persona as the candidate of experience "just ran out of gas," and she hasn't been able to change her direction very well. Meanwhile, Obama is trying to sure up his weakness on foreign affairs, and John Edwards has continued to build his campaign. What was once see as inevitable has become a three-way race.

Over on the other side the nomination is also still up for grabs — which Republican insiders say is unusual for the "follow the leader party. For instance, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney was the leader for a long time in Iowa. But recent polls show that he has surrendered that lead to Mike Huckabee, largely thanks to the surge of support among evangelical Christians for the former Arkansas governor.

Huckabee may be looking good now, but his campaign faces a larger question — does it have legs? Is he a spoiler, bringing Romney down in Iowa so that another candidate, like McCain, can undermine him in New Hampshire? Or will the funding Huckabee needs so badly to stick around come if he does win in Iowa? Then there is Rudy Giuliani, whose Feb. 5 strategy is looking more like a "Hail Mary" pass, as one party strategist described it. It might work, he notes, but most times those passes don't connect.

And then don't forget Ron Paul, who has shown that he can raise enough money to stay in the race for a long time, even if the polls seem to be overwhelmingly against him.

As Mara describes it, a complete free-for-all.

10:11 AM ET | 12-21-2007 | permalink

Comments (Send a comment)

A fractured Democratic party.
Republicans united behind Romney/McCain.

Ron Paul/Huckabee (Reform party adoptees?)

It doesn't get much better!!

Sent by Harold | 11:25 AM ET | 12-21-2007

I have yet to talk to a Ron Paul supporter who's been polled. Many have said there would be a time when traditional polling becomes obsolete. That time may finally be here.

Sent by Derek | 6:37 PM ET | 12-21-2007

The race is wide open, and there is no one to choose. Thieves to the right, and liars to the left.

We're all doomed. 2012 man, 2012.

Sent by Jody Sol | 6:42 PM ET | 12-21-2007

Yes, This is the most excited I've been about a presidency in years.

I'm not much for politics, however Doctor Ron Paul brings tears to my eyes regularly.

Peace, Prosperity, Liberty, The reasons most of our ancestors came to this great country.
Dr. Paul is the only candidate who not only promises it, he lives it! :)

Sent by Jaime Hodgins | 8:24 PM ET | 12-21-2007

Dear Public Broadcasting:

A gentle suggestion.

We did not know you are dyslexic.

Remember, it is not NPR: The National Paul Ron Broadcasting.

It's NRP: The National Ron Paul Broadcasting.

Tom Cruise learned to live successfully with dyslexia. NRP broadcasting can too.

fred camorra call

Sent by fred camorra call | 1:05 PM ET | 12-22-2007

we only have future with ron paul,kucinich or edwards rest are thieves and liars
god help them win

Sent by darek | 11:52 AM ET | 12-25-2007

NPR, NRP...we're still listening so please keep reporting. At no other time in my lifetime has the debate for President been so involving. People are engaged, the people are acting on their right to vote! Please, help us keep the conversation going.

Sent by Pat Brethen | 12:31 PM ET | 12-25-2007

I've been wondering about these Ron Paul spammers, so, over the Xmas holidays I looked into what these Libertarians are about.

I located an interesting article in Mother Jones (and I haven't heard anyone call Mother Jones a right wing publication, not lately, anyway), and I found this article by Josh Harkinson titled 'The Apostles of Ron Paul.'

Seems that NPR is not the only blog to get spammed by the Paultards of the Libertarian theology. There's a nationwide Paultoid spam attack in progress. Many of the Paultards are high schoolers who are not yet old enough to vote. They got their Robin Hood.

"Paultards: Blogosphere dis for those who annoy the online masses by relentlessly shilling for their man in comment threads, polls, and social networking sites
???J.H."

The potential idea is that when Ron Paul finally drops out of the Republican race, he is going to run on the Libertarian ticket. The idea is, of course, to pull Democrat votes away from Hillary. Which is not hard to do, by the way.

Since the Paultards are, by and large, inexperienced in politics, allow me to give you Paultards a word of advice: We hate spam so much that you are making us hate Ron Paul like ugly dirt.

Just thought you Paultards should think about your spamming strategies. And if any of you want to read Josh Harkinson's piece, go spam Mother Jones in your search engine.

fred camorra call

The Apostles of Ron Paul
??
News:??How does a 72-year-old conservative Texas congressman become the hottest thing in online politics? Ask the techies, hippies, tax haters, and war protesters who believe that only Ron Paul can save America from itself.
By Josh Harkinson
December 17, 2007
??
At a gun show in San Francisco's Cow Palace, between a table of switchblades and a rack of Enfield rifles, David McBride sat glumly under a "Ron Paul for President" banner.

Sent by fred camorra call | 9:56 AM ET | 12-26-2007

Fred, perhaps it would be enlightening to you to find out the source of the enthusiasm? No candidate in my lifetime has inspired the passion Ron Paul is- why?

Have you ever known of a politician who speaks the truth, who cannot be bought, who is true to their principles, who stands for peace, freedom and prosperity, and has the ability to achieve amazing, revolutionary things once in office?

I have not, before now. I donated $1000 to Ron Paul, it is the first donation of my life. And I am as liberal as they come.

Sent by HaloIQ | 3:46 AM ET | 12-27-2007

Sent by HaloIQ: Have you ever known of a politician who speaks the truth, who cannot be bought,

Yes, HaloIQ, believe it or not, I once knew a politician that did all those things. He's mummified and leaning against a wall in the Smithsonian.

I also knew a fish who lived out of water. It was called dinner. But I had to buy that.

I think you'd have to spend some time in Texas to understand the Texan concept of honest politics before I could even begin to explain the whole idea of Ron Paul.

Let's see. Let me try this: Ron Paul. Ross Perot. Gee. Now there's a coincidence. Two Texans with the initials R.P. What could be the difference between the two?

Well, Ross Perot wouldn't need your contribution. He has even more money than Arnold Schwarzenneger. Perot used his own money (cause he has plenty of it, he's the 57th richest American) to finance his own paid political television infomercials (and they were indeed hilarious, pie charts and all). Ross Perot stole a lot of votes and was a big reason Bill Clinton got to live in the White House.

Okay, HaloIQ, you took your hard earned money and you gave it to the other R.P. The guy who is this election's vote stealer. Welcome to the whacky world of Texas politics.

If you are as liberal as they come, and you want to understand Texas politics, my advice is you get every book the late, great Molly Ivins wrote, and start reading. Do it sitting lotus under a bao tree for emphasis on political enlightenment.

Then, if you really, really, really want to get brave, go spend some quality election time in Texas. Then, and only maybe then, you will come to understand Texans with the intitials R.P.

Oh, one more thing. To get an even better understanding of the honesty and integrity of Democrats, you need to spend some quality election time in Chicago. That will add balance to your enlightenment of honest politicians who've been mummified and donated to the Smithsonian. Not bought, but donated.

Good luck,
fred camorra call

Sent by fred camorra call | 9:45 AM ET | 12-27-2007

"I think you'd have to spend some time in Texas to understand the Texan concept of honest politics before I could even begin to explain the whole idea of Ron Paul." says Fred. Yeah, in Texas they still worship LBJ and the Bush family like they're saints or even demi-gods. Never mind that the first and the last of these presidents, LBJ and our current King George, are, IMHO two of the worst presidents this country has ever had. Thus, the popularity of Ron Paul shows two things 1) there's still hope for Texas and 2) he really is unique.

Sent by John R. Otten | 1:44 PM ET | 12-27-2007

Fred, are you on the payroll of another candidate? If so, they should consider letting you go, because your posts reinforce readers' opinions that their vote for Ron Paul is the correct choice.

I have always been apathetic and cynical like you (though much better read).

Just watch the YouTube videos and judge for yourself. It's time you will never regret.

We have a window of opportunity to start to turn the whole thing around. Get registered and vote Ron Paul in your state's primary.

Sent by HaloIQ | 7:26 PM ET | 12-28-2007

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