On The Campaign Trail...

Read the latest notes, thoughts, opinions and stories as News 13's reporters cover the elections -- both local and national.

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President's Day: Who's Next?

Blog by Samantha Hayes, News 13 Washington Reporter
Feb. 18, 2008 

I hadn't given President's Day much thought until I noticed, during my Saturday afternoon run which included a jaunt through The Mall, an unusually large number of tourists.

Of course it makes sense to come to the nation's capital on this three-day weekend, but for most Americans, President's Day is often signaled by sales advertisements in the paper and on television.

Patriotism.org says the original intent of President's Day was to commemorate the birthday of George Washington in 1796, which was the last full year of his presidency.  

Later on, Abraham Lincoln's February birthday was also recognized. The first formal observance took place in 1865, a year after his assassination.

Nearly one hundred years later, legislation was enacted that set aside the third Monday in February to combine several federal holidays, one of them being Washington's birthday.  But now its expanded to recognize all the presidents.

So in the spirit of President's Day, we can look forward to 2009 when we will add number 44 to the list.

It's down to three possibilities: Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and John McCain.

Of course, they all have political advantages and disadvantages...depending on what side of the aisle you stand on.

Barack Obama, at 46 years old, faces criticism over his age and experience.  But a fellow Democrat, John F. Kennedy, was younger than Obama when elected -- 43 years old.  Republican Ronald Reagan was the oldest at 69.  That records stands to be broken if John McCain, 71, wins the White House.

"Change" has been an overriding theme of the 2008 election. Especially among the Democratic candidates.  Being a "Washington outsider" always seems to be a check in the plus column.  But all the candidates in the race now, with the exception of Mike Huckabee, have Capitol Hill experience.

So who has come to the White House from outside the Beltway? If you consider never serving in Congress the qualification, there are eighteen. They include George Washington, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Delanore Roosevelt, Dwight Eisenhower, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, and our current President, George W. Bush.

History books will have much more to add on Nov. 5.  America may elect its first female president, or the first African-American man.

I thought about that later as I joined hundreds of other tourists standing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial last weekend, looking down at the marker where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech on August 28, 1963, almost 44 years ago. 

 

Chelsea Clinton's More Active Campaign Role

Blog by Samantha Hayes, News 13 Washington Reporter
Feb. 15, 2008

After campaigning with her mother in Iowa, New Hampshire, and other cold stops along the campaign trail, Chelsea Clinton probably deserves this assignment: Hawaii.

Most recently, Ms. Clinton, who is 27 years old, was in Ohio, where she talked primarily to students on college campuses.

She will be in Hawaii over the weekend, making campaign stops in Oahu and Maui before leaving on Sunday, and her schedule shows several of her appearances will be directed at younger voters.

This afternoon, Ms. Clinton attended a rally at the University of Hawaii-West Oahu campus. Saturday she will tour a farmer's market at Kapi'olani Community College, and also board a "Hawaii for Hillary" trolley on the campus of The University of Hawaii-Manoa.

Chelsea Clinton's solo appearances reflect a change not only in her role, but the overall strategy of the Clinton campaign.

For many months, it was not unusual to see Ms. Clinton standing silently by her mother during campaign events. Chelsea Clinton was seen, but not often heard. At the beginning of the year, she was asked by a fourth-grader in Cedar Rapids, "Do you think your dad would be a good 'first man' in the White House?"

Chelsea replied, "I'm sorry, I don't talk to the press, and that applies to you, unfortunately -- even though I think you're cute."

While she still does not speak to the news media, cute or otherwise, Ms. Clinton's role has evolved quite a lot since then.

A campaign source said she has been effective, and that the rural congressional district where Chelsea campaigned in Nebraska outperformed others in that state's recent nominating contest. So maybe she can work some magic on Barack Obama's home turf before Hawaii votes this coming Tuesday.

Her mother may not win Hawaii, but the hope is that Clinton can at least win enough delegates to lessen the impact of a potential loss to Obama.

Nevertheless, even with the pressure of the election, it will be a nice weekend outside. The highs in the Aloha State will be in the 70s.

Wisconsin votes the same day as Hawaii holds its caucuses, and that is where her father, the former president, has been campaigning.

The weather there? Single digits. Looks like we know who chose the short campaign straw.

 

Polls Packed Despite Icy Weather

Blog by Samantha Hayes, News 13 Reporter in Northern Virginia
Feb. 13, 2008

My polling location has never been so convenient. All I had to do was walk a couple blocks across the street.  And at 10:30 a.m., I thought I would have perfect timing. The morning commute had passed and the lunch crowd had yet to arrive. Nevermind. At least at the Walker school in Arlington, Va. there would be no McVoting.

The line to vote stretched outside the little gym and all the way down the outside hall.

As I walked to the end I noticed many professionally dressed middle-aged men and women. Younger voters were there, too, and lots of people were on their cell phones explaining why they would be late to their next appointment.

"I hear it’s at least a 45 minute wait," said Russ, the man standing directly in front of me. "And I haven't ever seen anything like this in the 15 years I've lived in Arlington.

Judy Weiss, the woman checking to make sure everyone was in the correct polling location, overheard us talking about the wait and said folks were showing up outside the school before it opened for voting at 6 a.m.

"A few people couldn't wait and said they would come back. It’s taking a long time because we only have two voting stations set up and they have to check everyone off because there are two ballots, Republican and Democrat, and we don't want anyone to vote twice," said Weiss.

In Virginia, you can show up and vote for a candidate in either party. That tends to bode well for candidates who attract independents like Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama.

It’s those questions a young man standing outside the school was posing to voters as they left.  He stopped me as I was putting my "I Voted" sticker on my fleece. "Hey, can I ask you who you voted for?"  I didn't think Andrew, who, as it turns out, was conducting an informal exit poll for his class on elections at George Washington University, really wanted the opinion of a member of the news media, so I asked him a few questions.  Andrew told me he had been standing outside the school for an hour and a half and had heard from a lot of people who decided to vote for Obama. "Even older people, which was a surprise to me," said Andrew. "Nobody for McCain yet."

A second polling location in Northern Virginia reflected the same support for Obama. That's where we reported on the Potomac Primaries through the evening. Precinct organizers told us through 6 p.m. they had seen high turnout. About 3,800 people are registered in this precinct and 1,100 had voted at that point. Eighty-three percent picked a Democratic ballot. 

Even as the weather worsened, turning from cold rain into sleet, a steady stream of voters drove in and out of the school parking lot.  We got word later in the evening that polling hours had been extended 90 minutes in Maryland to accommodate voters held up by the weather.

As the night wrapped up, I thought that perhaps like voters in other states who have been enjoying the primary spotlight, people living in and around the nation's capital are relishing their chance to change the course of this race, too.  And long lines and cold temperatures are not an inconvenience.

 

The Great Divide On a Slightly Smaller Scale

Blog by Karin Caifa, News 13 Reporter
Feb. 11, 2008
 
In an America divvied up between red and blue, it doesn't get bluer than Manhattan's Upper West Side. Democrats dominate the blocks between Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and Columbia University. But is this swath of the island developing a political fault line?
 
During my five years in the neighborhood, political leanings became palpable pretty quickly. It wasn't uncommon to stroll up Broadway towards the gourmet food markets and find a cluster of anti-war protesters outside Citarella, volunteers taking signatures for Democratic candidates on the sidewalk in front of Fairway and a guy peddling buttons with slogans like "Dump Dubya" outside Zabar's.
 
The numbers back up the anecdotes.  Democrat Jerry Nadler, who represents the congressional district that includes this party stronghold, won re-election in 2006 with 85 percent of the vote over Republican and Conservative challengers. Since his first election in 1992, he's won by wide margins, usually garnering 70 to 80 percent of the vote.
 
This weekend I went back to my old neighborhood and discovered that the fierce anti-Bush sentiment is alive and well among most residents, but there's a split when it comes to which Democrat should succeed him: Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton.
 
The New York state primary behind them, folks there were still pledging allegiances this weekend. One pedestrian paired his "W. = Wrong" button with another that read "Obama '08."  Another coupled a pin declaring "Party Like It's 01.20.09" with one below out simply reading "Hillary." Obama. On the blocks between Broadway and Central Park, signs in the upper windows of brownstones alternated between those for the senator from Illinois, and those for the hometown senator. On a daily basis, Obama and Clinton supporters stand side-by-side at the deli counter and at newsstands here, and rub elbows on the #1 subway line.
 
If you look at the current delegate count, the Hillary vs. Obama split is playing out among Democrats all over the country. More than two-thirds of the country has voiced a primary preference and, according to CNN's count, Clinton holds a tenuous, 27-delegate lead. (That's counting pledged superdelegates.) But this Manhattan neighborhood is a microcosm of the big debate.
 
From my perch at a Starbucks near Lincoln Center over the weekend, I couldn't help but notice two women getting up from their table, both with Obama pins on their winter jackets. I asked one of the women, Shari, how she made her decision.
 
"He is amazing," she said, punctuating each of those three words as her friend nodded in agreement. "I have never felt so inspired. We have been waiting for this for so long. If someone like him could just get to Washington, get into the White House, I feel like we, as a country, could start feeling again, could start dreaming again."
 
Was she disappointed that Obama lost New York's primary last week?
 
"Hey, it was closer than we thought it would be," Shari replied. "Don't forget, Hillary is entrenched in this state and in this city."
 
And would Shari cast a vote to keep Clinton as the senator from New York?
 
"Of course. I think she does a fine job in that role," she answered.
 
Later I talked to Steve, a guy in his late 20s sporting two Hillary buttons on his messenger bag, a fading Hillary sticker on his jacket and a pink rubber bracelet reading, "Hillary 2008." I asked him how he chose between the two.
 
"I like Obama, don't get me wrong. He's an amazing speaker," Steve told me. "It's great to be hopeful, it's great to push for change, and it's an important message for the country. But you have to be practical. I don't think Obama has the kind of experience you need to make that change," he said, almost spitting back a Clinton talking point.
 
And one elderly woman told me she feels so strongly about her candidate that she'll - gasp! - cross party lines in the general election if she has to. "I can't stand Obama," she told me, as bluntly as a New Yorker often will. "If he's the nominee over Hillary, I swear I will go and vote for McCain."
 
Really? Vote for a Republican, even on the Upper West Side?
 
"I know," she said, reaching out and grabbing my arm. I wonder if she was steadying herself or simply assuming I was shocked. "And I've never voted any other way than with the Democrats. I can't believe I'm saying it either." 
 
She walked away clucking and shaking her head. Then she paused a moment, pumped her fist and exclaimed, "Hillary!"
 
A young woman at a nearby table looked up from her laptop and latte to shout back, "Yeah!"
 
Then from a table in the corner, a crisp staccato, "Obama!"
 
And then good-natured giggles across the coffee shop, a sign that maybe the divide isn't that insurmountable.

 

Where Do The Candidates Go From Here?

Blog by Karin Caifa, News 13 Reporter in New York
Feb. 8, 2008

It was billed as a "super" week in presidential politics, but Tuesday's coast-to-coast voting wasn't as conclusive as many anticipated. Both parties are still without presumptive nominees, though the Republicans are closer, with Mitt Romney's departure yesterday making it just a two-man race. But for the Democrats, primary season looks far from over.

So where do the candidates (and the journalists who follow them) go from here? To places they never anticipated they'd have to. This weekend brings contests to states that probably never imagined they'd get some pre-primary love from the candidates. Today, Kansas gets visits from John McCain and Mike Huckabee ahead of their Republican caucuses tomorrow. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama will hold events in Washington state tonight, as they hold their caucuses tomorrow as well. Nebraska Democrats will also caucus tomorrow, and both parties hold Saturday primaries in Louisiana as well.

And don't forget about the U.S. territories. The U.S. Virgin Islands hold Democratic caucuses tomorrow and the folks in the Northern Mariana Islands wrap up their Republican caucuses tomorrow.

Maine held their three-day Republican caucuses last weekend, and Mitt Romney was the winner. The Democrats hold their contest on Sunday.

Beyond the weekend, the campaigns are gearing up for the so-called "Potomac Primary," when voters in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia go to the polls. In fact, Virginia residents were so eager to weigh in on the 2008 race that the State Board of Elections reported receiving over 700 calls on Super Tuesday, wondering why their local polling places were closed. Election officials told them to wait just one more week, when their votes will indeed become very relevant.

 

Romney Ends Presidential Run

Blog by Alexander Marquardt, News 13 Reporter
Feb. 7, 2008
 
Mitt Romney made the decision to end his presidential run Wednesday, as he wrote what turned into his valedictory speech, said campaign spokesman Eric Fehrnstrom.

As Romney "put pen to paper" writing his speech for the opening day of this year's Conservative Political Action Conference, it "evolved into a goodbye speech."

Fehrnstrom said he had an idea the former Massachusetts governor's White House run was drawing to a close when Romney left the campaign headquarters Tuesday, saying he wanted what was best for the country.

Romney's senior staff was notified last night, and the rest of the staff was told the news right before Romney took the stage along with conservative talk show host Laura Ingraham Thursday.

Romney had not spoken to Republican rivals John McCain or Mike Huckabee before his speech. His spokesman said he would talk to his former opponents - with whom he's clashed, often fiercely, throughout the primary season - "at some point."

It's important that at this point the party comes together, said Fehrnstrom, and GOP frontrunner John McCain will have Romney's support, though there's no talk of an endorsement timeline just yet.

 

Super Tuesday: The Aftermath

Blog by Karin Caifa, News 13 Reporter in Los Angeles
Feb. 6, 2008
 
"Voting is sexy."
 
At the corner of Sunset and Gower in Los Angeles Tuesday afternoon, a young woman held a cardboard sign with that very message scrawled in permanent marker, peddling her message to passersby.
 
"Sexy," and apparently seductive. It's estimated Californians came out in record numbers to award the biggest prize of Super Tuesday.
 
With its 370 Democratic and 170 Republican delegates at stake, California was clearly the star of the day and candidates and supporters eagerly awaited the outcome. Like a good TV cliffhanger, the results were among the last to come in, around midnight Eastern Time. And Hillary Clinton and John McCain were the big winners.
 
But unlike sappy sitcoms that wrap up in a neat little bow at the end of the show, California delivered little clarity to the 2008 race. Even though Clinton won the Democratic race here, she will split its delegates with Barack Obama. She got the win but in the proportional world of Democratic politics, he gets something.  Clinton also won her home state of New York with the second-biggest delegate load of the night.
 
Barack Obama didn't have a bad night either. He won over a dozen states last night, including his home turf of Illinois, where his rival Clinton was born.
 
"What began as a whisper in Springfield has swelled to a chorus of millions calling for change," Obama told supporters in Chicago last night. "It's a chorus that cannot be ignored, a chorus that cannot be deterred. This time can be different because this campaign for the presidency of the United States of America is different."
 
He didn't sound like he'll be giving any ground up anytime soon. Neither did Hillary Clinton, even when fielding questions today about a $5 million loan she made to her campaign late last month.
 
"I loaned it because I feel very strongly in this campaign," she said in Arlington, Va. this afternoon. "We had a great month fundraising in January, broke all records, but my opponent was able to raise more money.  But we intended to be competitive - and we were - and I think last night proved the wisdom of my investment."
 
Mike Huckabee is also hanging in there. Going into Super Tuesday, the GOP race looked like a two-man affair between John McCain and Mitt Romney. But Huckabee slowed Romney's momentum by snagging Super Tuesday's first win in West Virginia, and then swept the south. That sent Romney back to Boston to engage in serious discussions with his advisers today, and got Huckabee preaching of a campaign revival.
 
"We did it going against the head winds of talk radio and the pundits saying that I had simply disappeared, I wasn't even relevant, didn't matter," Huckabee said this morning.
 
So now these candidates, the campaigns, and the folks who follow them have had to shake off Super Tuesday and move on to contests in states like Washington and Louisiana over the weekend. Then the next big day is Feb. 12, dubbed "The Potomac Primary." Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia will take their turn. Sure, it may not be as "sexy," as the big show here in California, but it's shaping up to be just as important.

 

Pumping Up For Super Tuesday

Blog by Samantha Hayes, News 13 Reporter in Los Angeles
Feb. 5, 2008

It's interesting to watch the way the Presidential candidates and their campaigns behave like athletes the night before the big game on the eve of Super Tuesday.  That's because the stakes are so high.

John McCain was feeling superstitious again, telling reporters in New Jersey he's not ready to discuss what he'll do if he wins the nomination.  Before the New Hampshire primary  he stayed in the same hotel room as he did in 2000.

Hillary Clinton, whose much publicized emotional moment on the eve of her win in the New Hampshire primary got a little weepy-eyed again yesterday at Yale University when she was introduced by a college friend. "Here is the abiding truth we know," said Penn Rhodeen, "you have always been a champion for children, welcome home, dear friend. We are so proud of you."

Later in the evening, Mrs. Clinton cracked jokes on David Letterman's show.

Mike Huckabee did the same on NBC's Late Night with Conan O'Brien.

All the candidates campaigned heavily on Monday. For example, Mitt Romney criss-crossed the country looking to rack up votes like frequent flyer miles.

Romney changed his travel plans to include Long Beach, California after stops in Nashville and Atlanta. Romney is crunching the numbers. On Sunday he said "this is get every delegate that you can, everyway that you possibly can." And California is clearly a strategic state. "If I can win California," Romney said about going to Orange County for one rally yesterday, "that means you're going to have a conservative in the White House."
 
Barack Obama's staff has been making it their  goal to pack arenas with thousands of people in one stop per city rallies where the feeling is more rock concert than town hall meeting.

Clinton campaign chairman Terry McAuliffe recognizes Obama's ability to "excite people," and said of a possible Clinton-Obama ticket, "how could you deny consideration of someone who has excited so many people."
 
In what has seemed to be a race for big name endorsements, a couple interesting ones came in Monday.
 
Former Senator Bill Bradley endorsed Barack Obama. Actor Jack Nicholson endorsed Hillary Clinton and the two spoke together on the Rick Dees Radio Show Monday.

Whether any of this will affect voters' decisions remains to be seen. But the candidates are convinced that every commercial, every campaign stop, every chance to influence one more voter could make a difference on the big day. And its going to be a long one.

 

Baseball Cards To Include Presidential Candidates

Blog by Gary Darling, News 13 Senior Promotions Producer
Feb. 4, 2008

Ahh, February -- that time of the year when a youngster’s thirst for the return of Major League Baseball is amplified by the anticipation of buying the season’s first pack of baseball cards.

Trading cards have been around for over 100 years, and have covered many different sports and non-sports topics (Remember the Garbage Pail Kids?), but this year’s set of baseball cards may be the most unique set ever.

Topps, makers of baseball cards for over 60 years, has announced that they will include 12 presidential candidate cards in their sets this year. Cards will be distributed in individual packs and will appear, on average, in one of every nine packs.

So who made the cut of twelve? On the Democrat side, you can get Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, John Edwards, Joe Biden, Dennis Kucinich and Bill Richardson.

Team GOP sports John McCain, Mitt Romney, Rudy Giuliani, Fred Thompson, Ron Paul, and Mike Huckabee.

Click on the cards below to view a larger image of them.

No word yet on how many Obamas and McCains you would need to get an A-Rod and a Jeter.

 

Star-studded Support For Obama

Blog by Samantha Hayes, News 13 Reporter on the campus of UCLA
Feb. 4, 2008

If Super Tuesday had stayed where it was supposed to, on March 4, my Super Bowl Sunday would have probably looked much different.

Nevertheless, I'm glad the world of sports and politics intersected during my second weekend on the campaign trail in Los Angeles.

After an interesting drive through Beverly Hills, during which my cab driver pointed out everything from the public bathroom where George Michael was arrested and charged with a lewd act, to the road that leads down to Hugh Hefner's Playboy Mansion, I found my way to the Pauley Pavilion on the campus of UCLA.

Next to it, I could hear the marching band practicing, but even the brass section couldn't overcome the cheers from inside the Pavilion, and that was before Caroline Kennedy, Oprah Winfrey, Stevie Wonder, Michelle Obama, and another Kennedy --California's first lady, Maria Shriver -- took the stage.

As a member of the news media, I found out Friday afternoon about this star-studded rally for Barack Obama, but I realized during the event that most of the folks there didn't know about it until much later.

Oprah Winfrey, who was introduced by Caroline Kennedy, who recently made headlines when she and her uncle, Sen. Ted Kennedy, endorsed Obama, told the cheering crowd, "I believe change has already come, California, because I know you all only heard about this, this morning."

Between every sentence, the crowd interrupted Winfrey with thunderous applause and cheers. She spoke passionately about the presidential election as a significant moment in time, recognizing the historical significance of both a woman and an African-American competing for the Democratic nomination -- but of course, Winfrey is both, and she received the loudest applause after announcing, "I'm voting for Barack Obama, not because he's black, but because he's brilliant. Because he's brilliant!"

The man sitting to my left had similar feelings about his vote. Eric Jackson told me he is a medical doctor, and was glad he found out about the rally and that it was on Sunday, allowing him time to attend.

"I've done a lot of research on the candidates -- where they went to school, et cetera," Eric said. "Barack Obama is a very intelligent man. I'm not voting for him because he's African-American and I'm African-American."

Hillary Clinton is also very well educated, so I probed Eric for a little more information on the differences he sees between the two.

"When she speaks, it sounds phony to me. She's not convincing," he replied.

One thing people seem to feel in unison when they hear Obama speak is inspired, but Obama was not speaking at his own rally. Instead, his wife Michelle Obama, followed Winfrey in the star-studded lineup that also included singer Stevie Wonder.

Michelle Obama spoke about her childhood growing up modestly in a neighborhood on the south side of Chicago. Her parents, she said, managed to raise a family on her father's blue-collar income and send their two children to Princeton.

"I don't want you to see the next first lady. I want you to see what an investment in public school looks like," Michelle Obama said.

This was clearly an event aimed at female voters just 48 hours before California polls open -- and Hillary Clinton, Obama's only Democratic rival for the party nomination, has been enjoying support from women voters, who delivered her a win in the New Hampshire primary -- but this crowd was diverse, to say the least. Men, women, students, and retirees filled three-quarters of the auditorium, and the crowd periodically chanted, "Si, se puede," Spanish for "Yes, we can."

Maybe it was because of Super Bowl Sunday, or because I was in an athletic facility, but the tone of the event felt like a pep rally before the big game. There was an energy and enthusiasm in the air. This race is a close one, too.

Game on at 7 a.m. Feb. 5.

 

Democrats Debate In Hollywood

Blog by Samantha Hayes, News 13 Reporter outside the Kodak Theater on Hollywood Boulevard
Feb. 1, 2008

There is no need for screen writers in this show. The presidential election of 2008 is weaving its own storyline, with no lack of drama, suspense, conflict, and contrast.

It is the contrast that was so obvious to me after reporting on the Republican debate at the Reagan Library Wednesday night.

Against the serene backdrop of Simi Valley, Calif., GOP frontrunners Mitt Romney and John McCain did not try to hide their aggravation with each other's campaigns and positions on the issues.

Transition to Hollywood Thursday night, where the opposite seemed to happen.

Hours before Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton took the stage at the Kodak Theater, hundreds of people gathered outside, enthusiastically chanting in three syllable -- "O-BA-MA" or "HILL-A-RY."

This is all I could hear when I walked from my hotel to the theater to get my credentials before the debate, but this crowd was not purely political. After all, we were on Hollywood Boulevard, the Walk of Fame.

I saw Spider-Man. He passed Jack Sparrow from "Pirates of the Caribbean," who was posing for a snap shot with an Obama supporter. The Incredible Hulk was also outside the theater, walking around in all his big, green glory. Next to the stand where a group of people were selling "Hillary" buttons and T-shirts stood SpongeBob SquarePants.

Maybe SpongeBob has concerns about health care, too.

So this was the backdrop to our live reporting leading up to the debate. Colorful characters, chanting campaign supporters, and the soundtrack of "Hannah Montana" piped through the El Capitan theater across the street.

While cheers for the candidates transitioned into an all out anti-war rally, inside the Kodak Theater the atmosphere was -- peaceful.

For the most part, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama talked more about what united than divided them.

They discussed, in detail, their policies on health care and immigration reform and politely countered one another on their differences. Compared to the warring words of their South Carolina match up, this debate was strikingly civil.

Now they wait for the real battle to be decided by the voters, on Feb. 5, Super Tuesday.

In a campaign of twists and turns for both parties, there may still be surprises around the corner.

 

Republicans Speak About Reagan During Debate

Blog by Samantha Hayes, News 13 Reporter at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, Calif.
Jan. 31, 2008

I was two when Ronald Reagan was first elected president. So I don't remember much of his first term! But he was the first president I can remember in my lifetime. And even though I was young, I recall feeling that the world was a good, safe place.  Okay, that probably had more to do with just being a kid, but I really do think Reagan, whether you agreed with his politics or not, had a sense of optimism that made Americans feel good. 
         
The design of Reagan's Presidential Library, shining and sitting atop a hill overlooking the Simi Valley, stirs up that feeling.

It's a beautiful drive up to the library and when you arrive, the views are breathtaking, and change in color and texture every few minutes as the sun tucks itself behind those hills.

Ideologically speaking, Reagan preferred to talk about mornings, but I bet he enjoyed many of these California sunsets, which provided the spectacular backdrop for our reports leading up to the GOP debate.
         
Karin Caifa, who is producing those reports with me, managed to find a few free minutes and explored the walkway that winds up to Reagan's grave.

"It's an impressive view. Standing at the site were two little Cub Scouts, one of whom told me it would be disrespectful to snap a picture of Reagan's resting place! The site faces out to the mountains, some of them lush and green, others capped with snow. Walking back to our media tent, I stopped to look at a piece of the Berlin Wall, which stood for most of my childhood thousands of miles away, until Reagan was instrumental in bringing it down. I wasn't quite aware enough of global events when it happened in 1989, but I knew that it was big."
         
Memories of Reagan were obviously on the minds of the candidates, especially Mitt Romney and John McCain, the top two contenders for the GOP nomination.  Were they trying to recapture that feeling of optimism? Perhaps. Or maybe it was just nostalgia.
         
During the hour and a half debate, CNN tallied the number of Reagan references:

Mike Huckabee: 7
Mitt Romney: 19
John McCain: 8
Ron Paul: 3

In addition to Reagan, the other overwhelming presence during the debate was Air Force One. The pavilion where the debate was staged was built for the aircraft, a 707 model which served as the "Flying White House" for almost 30 years.
        
Now, usually when on the job I don't get to experience things like this, but we had some time between our last two live hits. A woman with a lovely English accent, who gives tours at the library, offered to take us inside Air Force One. Linda, our guide, told us that nothing inside had been changed, only preserved.  

The cabin is divided up into sitting areas with large leather seats. One partition looked just like an office area. The overall feeling was stately, not exceedingly lavish.  And I thought it was charming to see a jar of jelly beans on one of the desks. Reagan was known for his love of jelly beans. Apparently he started eating them when he gave up smoking and used to pass around the jar before cabinet meetings, and I'm guessing before takeoff.
         
As we exited Air Force One, Karin and I shifted from reporters to tourists and quickly snapped a couple of shots of ourselves next to the Presidential Seal on the door of the aircraft. 
         
A year from now, we wonder who of the candidates, Democratic or Republican, will board the latest version of Air Force One. For now, it's still up in the air.

 

Dave Weldon's Congressional Seat

Blog by Scott Harris, News 13 Senior Anchor
Jan. 30, 2008

With Dave Weldon deciding to retire from Congress after seven terms, District 15 is an open seat.

A lot of speculation has centered on two state senators from Brevard County: Mike Haridopolos and Bill Posey. Both are Republicans, and District 15 is considered a Republican district.

Bill Posey called me today with an update. He was asked directly if he was waiting for Hairdopolos to decide, and Posey put it this way: If Mike Haridopolos decides to run, Posey will support him enthusiastically. If he doesn’t run, Posey will likely run himself.

 

American Idols: When Present Greets Past

Blog by Karin Caifa, News 13 Reporter in Simi Valley, Calif.
Jan. 30, 2008

The campaign trail has taken us west, ahead of two debates here in California, as well as their Super Tuesday primary.

We have been spending our nights in the heart of Hollywood, at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, fabled to be haunted by the likes of Marilyn Monroe and Montgomery Clift. According to hotel lore, some guests swear they have seen the reflection of Marilyn staring back at them from a mirror in the lower lobby, and others have felt the presence of Clift pacing the ninth floor at night.

While I have personally avoided paranormal encounters -- so far, anyway -- the presidential candidates may feel like they are running up against the past this week.

Hollywood and Washington are both woven into American history. In the same way that famous "Hollywood" sign in the hills inspires thoughts of glamorous film stars who exist to me only in black and white frames, I cannot look at the White House and not marvel at those who lived there decades ago. And much like I scratch my head reviewing the scroll of more obscure signers of the Declaration of Independence, I have strolled along Hollywood Boulevard and wondered just who Stuart Erwin was, and what he did to get that star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame I am standing on.

See, in Hollywood, there are fleeting stars, and there are lasting icons. The same goes for Washington. There have been presidents who have simply avoided recession or war, kept the country on an even keel for their four-year terms, and gone home quietly at the end -- and then there are those who leave looming legacies, their names invoked by political successors for generations.

The remaining Republicans on stage here at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library tonight are in the shadow of one of those oft-metioned Washington icons.Taking a walk around the library grounds, admiring the stunning valley vista, I came across a piece of the Berlin Wall, dismantled starting in 1989.

For his instrumental role in bringing that divider down, and for various other achievements, Ronald Reagan evolved from Hollywood star to Republican icon in the eyes of these candidates vying for the White House.

For Rudy Giuliani, the trip up this picturesque hill was a pilgrimage of sorts, his final stop on the trail. Giuliani announced the close of his presidential campaign here earlier today. A flawed primary strategy culminated in a disappointing loss in Florida last night.

Giuliani may have become a star as mayor of New York City, but for now, he will have to abandon ambitions of becoming a Washington icon -- unless, of course, he becomes a VP candidate.

"President Reagan's leadership remains an inspiration to both John McCain and myself," Giuliani said as he endorsed his friend, John McCain, here hours before the debate. "Today I am officially announcing my withdrawal as a candidate for president of the United States."

"He is an American hero, and America could use heroes in the White House," Giuliani continued.

Whether McCain will go from Giuliani's "hero" to a Reaganesque Republican icon, that is still for the voters to decide, but the Democrats have an icon playing in their race, too.

It's funny, in two separate instances out on the trail -- once in New Hampshire and once in South Carolina --  I have encountered men in their 50s and 60s, both Obama supporters. They both told me that Obama reminded them of John F. Kennedy.

That notion was confirmed over the weekend, when JFK's daughter, Caroline, penned a New York Times op-ed piece in support of the young senator from Illinois titled, "A President Like My Father."

Obama also received the backing of JFK's brother, Sen. Ted Kennedy, at a rally on Monday.

JFK comparisons came up a lot when Bill Clinton ran for his first term in 1992, and of course, now we have his wife taking her shot at the White House. So in two campaigns that have talked so much about change, there is a lot of old mixed in with the new, and like a director remaking a Hollywood classic -- or perhaps a guest in my "haunted" hotel -- the candidates from both parties have encountered a little bit of the past in their present this week.

 

Election Day Is Here

Blog by Jennifer Cook, News 13 Executive Producer
Jan. 29, 2008

Well, people, this is it -- Election Day! Get out and vote!

Driving around this morning, I saw decent-sized lines at a couple of polling places.

There was a minor traffic jam at my precient, the Chuch of Jesus Crist of Latter-Day Saints off Dean Road in Orlando.

So far, the two election supervisors I've talked to said things are going smoothly this morning.

I did get a report that the Oviedo library is pretty busy, and parking is hard to find for voters!

Basically, if you're planning to check out a book today, might want to rethink that plan!

We have a very full day of election coverage, so keep it tuned to News 13, and here at cfnews13.com, for the very latest! You won't miss a thing!

We also want to hear from you on your voting experience. Send us an email at special@cfnews13.com.

 

Faith Takes Romney To Utah

Blog by Samantha Hayes, News 13 Reporter in Los Angeles
Jan. 29, 2008

Whether he wins the Republican primary in Florida or not, Mitt Romney knows where he'll be this coming weekend -- Utah.

Along with more than 20 other states, Utah will hold its presidential nomination contest on Feb. 5, one week from today. But Romney's not worried about a win in Utah.  He says he'll be there for another reason -- his faith.

On Sunday night, the leader of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints passed away at age 97. His funeral is planned for Saturday. Mitt Romney's membership in the Mormon church has been a defining characteristic of his presidential bid, and he spoke about it in a speech at the George Bush Presidential Library last year on Dec. 6. In part, Romney said this of his allegiance to the LDS church, "I believe in my Mormon faith and I endeavor to live by it. My faith is the faith of my fathers -- I will be true to them and to my beliefs."

During a campaign stop in Florida Monday, Romney brought up the death of President Gordon B. Hinckley himself, calling Hinckley "one of the great leaders in our faith."

I know from personal experience, having been a reporter in Salt Lake City, that Gordon B. Hinckley worked to raise the profile of the LDS church worldwide. The number of LDS temples more than doubled during his presidency. And Gordon Hinckley was one of the more visible presidents of the Mormon Church. CNN's Larry King said of Hinckley, "he was very easy to listen to. He was never boring. He had a nice touch. It's a quality you can't teach someone."

While Mitt Romney's Mormon faith has attracted a lot of attention, his presidential bid, in turn, has also shined a light on the LDS church, which he says has not been involved in his campaign in any official way. But you get the impression from a recent article that he may have sought guidance from his church's leadership on his decision to enter the presidential race.

According to a story in the Washington Post, Romney says Hinckley told him a presidential run "would be a great experience if you won and a great experience if you lost."

 

Delegates Set To Flood California

Blog by Samantha Hayes, News 13 Reporter in Los Angeles
Jan. 28, 2008

I've got news for the Mamas and the Papas. Turns out, it does rain in Southern California.

And the rain on Sunday night, when we flew into L.A. from Atlanta, caused flash flooding in some areas, according to local news reports.

But while weather maybe the big story today, very soon it’s going to be a flood of something else – delegates. Hundreds of them are coming to the California primary on Feb. 5 - Super Tuesday's mother load.

According to an article in this morning's Los Angeles Times, there's already a big kink in the voting process.

The secretary of state decertified the vast majority of electronic voting machines in California because she felt they were vulnerable to tampering or they were defected.

So as a result, about a third of California counties are scrambling to prepare before the primary, printing millions of ballots.

But whether they punch a ballot, or press an electronic screen, California voters will play a heavy hand in the nomination process of candidates and are watching closely at the last races before Feb. 5.

Officially, that has already taken place for the Democrats. I say officially because as it stands now, no delegates will be awarded to the winner of the Florida Democratic Primary tomorrow. So last weekend's win in South Carolina was a big one for Barack Obama, and he's hoping his victory in that state's primary will widen his national appeal.

Tomorrow's primary in Florida is the last stop for Republicans, one week before Super Tuesday. The winner of that contest, which on the eve of voting looks to be between John McCain and Mitt Romney, could see significant momentum before more than 20 states jump into the fray. At stake in California alone on Super Tuesday are 370 Democratic delegates and 170 Republican delegates.

Man, looks like it's gonna pour.

 

Primary Day in South Carolina

Blog by Karin Caifa, News 13 Reporter in Columbia, S.C.
Jan. 26, 2008

It's like déjà vu all over again, to quote the esteemed philosopher of another favorite American pastime, baseball's Yogi Berra.

South Carolina is in the thick of presidential politics again today. Last Saturday Republicans braved rain, sleet, wind and - in some parts of the state - snow, to cast their votes in the first-in-the-South GOP primary. Today, with the skies a little less cloudy and the temperatures slightly warmer, the Democrats take their turn at the polls. And the local newspaper slipped under my hotel room door this morning, The State trumpets, "Signs Pointing to Record Turnout."

Here in South Carolina, it doesn't take long for the natives to figure out that I'm not from around here. The natural thought progression is that I must somehow be tied to the primaries, like the vast majority of out-of-towners. At a Starbucks near the State Capitol in Columbia Friday afternoon, the woman in front of me cooed about the lovely lilt of the Aiken, S.C. native working the register. "What a gor-gee-ous accent, you have, young lady," she purred.

Hearing me place my order behind her for a venti "kaw-fee" (or "coffee," as you guys reared outside of New York refer to a certain hot, caffeinated beverage), the same woman seemed startled and somewhat horrified. Whipping her head around, trying not to stare, she said, "Oh my, that's not an accent from around here," she said with a smile as faux as her leopard-print coat.

Actually, she did me a favor. By outing me as an intruder - and, consequently, as a member of the media - she gave me an opening to talk to two guys in the line behind me, one sporting a John Edwards sticker and the other a Barack Obama pin. They both looked to be in their late-50s to early-60s, both white men. And when they opened their mouths, there was no question where they were from either.

"Born and raised right here in South Carolina," the man with the Edwards sticker, Jack, said. "Just like John Edwards."

Jack voted for Edwards here in 2004, when the former North Carolina senator beat John Kerry by taking 45 percent of the vote. That strength in the South helped nudge Kerry to choose Edwards as his running mate and, well, we all know how that story ends.

"Good family man, good all-around guy," Jack continued. "He knows what it's like for the little people. He comes from a working-class family and worked his way through college in our textile plants. He gets us, he's not just swooping in here and asking us, oh, vote for me now so I can move on to the next one."

I asked Jack if that "swooping" in, he was referring to Hillary Clinton's campaign. Though husband Bill has been here in the state all week, the candidate herself left after Monday night's debate in Myrtle Beach, stumping in Super Tuesday states like California, Arizona and New Jersey before returning here Thursday.

"It's not just Hillary," Jack replied. "It's the whole lot of 'em. I know they have to make time for Iowa and New Hampshire and whatnot, but that's why I appreciate John Edwards. He knows our state."

After Monday's nasty debate, many wondered if Edwards might see an uptick in support from voters sick of the bickering between frontrunners Clinton and Obama. Edwards himself seized on that message, debuting an ad here that touts him as a representative of the "grown-up wing of the Democratic Party." I asked Jack's friend, Briggs, if his decision to support Obama was made before or after the Myrtle Beach showdown, and if he might change his mind before he casts his vote.

"I'm not, never, voting for Hillary, if that's what you're asking," he replied, with a laugh.

"Look, we know they have this big political machine behind them. It has been in place for a long time, too long. It's time for something new, get somebody else in there. We saw what good ol' boys and good ol' pals did for one another in what we got in the White House now," Briggs said of the current Bush administration. "You're gonna be trading one set of backscratchers for another."

Briggs also echoed something I'd heard from another voter his age in New Hampshire earlier this month: drawing a comparison between Obama and John F. Kennedy. "Yeah, he was a first too, but you know, I don't care much for first this and first that. My wife would love to see a first woman president in her lifetime, but that don't mean she'll vote for Hillary either."

(Both men guffawed heartily at that one. "She's your senator, Miss New York," Jack teased.)

We won't know the winner of this final Democratic primary before Super Tuesday until at least 7 p.m. tonight, when the final South Carolina polls close. But yesterday afternoon there was a clear winner in the battle for the corners of Gervais & Assembly streets, right outside of the State Capitol grounds.

Around 3:30 p.m. supporters of both the Clinton and Obama campaigns showed up with massive signs, hoping to sway the votes of those driving by. A "Honk for Hillary" versus "We want Barack" war broke out on the sidewalk and on the roadway. A guy in a passing car stuck his head out of a sunroof and whooped cheerleader-style, "Two-thou-sand eight. Ob-a-ma is here to stay!" That sent signs waving frenetically, and inspired a fortissimo chorus of hollers from the sidewalk.

By 5 p.m., there wasn't a Clinton supporter in sight, and the Obama crowd was still going strong, with all four corners of the intersection, plus the medians, to themselves and their signs, a steady stream of car horns punctuating their cheers.

 

Replacing Bob Allen: The District 32 Race

Blog by Greg Pallone, News 13 Reporter
Jan. 25, 2008

The District 32 race is an interesting scenario. It was left vacant by the former Rep. Bob Allen, convicted for asking for sex with an undercover Titusville P.D. officer in a public restroom late last year.

Allen resigned, and that leaves about a year on the term.

That means a potential nine years in that seat for the person who wins. A long time for someone who wants to leave their mark.

Also, do most voters realize District 32 is 75 percent in Brevard County, and 25 percent in Orange?

Many Orange County residents in the district may not even know District 32 is up for grabs. It is listed on a second page of the ballot. That could make a huge difference in the tally.

Seven total candidates -- four Republicans, two Democrats and one Independent -- good race.

 

S. Carolina Democrats Expect Large Voter Turnout

Blog by Samantha Hayes, News 13 Reporter in Columbia, S.C.
Jan. 25, 2008

Inside the offices for the South Carolina Democratic Party, it is remarkably quiet today; only a few people are working.

Joe Werner, the executive director, tells me why.

"We have staff out everywhere today, and the phones won't stop ringing," Werner said.

One of the things people are calling about is a Presidential Primary stump meeting tonight.

Joe hands me an invitation, and says the word is out that Hillary Clinton has committed to the event, and now a lot of people are interested in going -- and there will be hot dogs. Can't beat that on the night before the Democratic primary!

There is another reason the chirping of phones goes on in the background of our conversation. The expression on Joe's face changes from excitement to disgust.

"There's a nasty rumor going around about Hillary Clinton, and people are calling to make sure we know about it," Joe said. "We tell callers we are aware of it."

Rumor control is a problem for candidates in both parties. I'm reminded of Republican John McCain, who lost in the state in 2000. He formed a "truth squad" before last weekend's GOP primary in case false accusations were spread.

Taking a more upbeat note, Joe says Democrats in the state are happy with their choices, and feels many voters like both Clinton and Obama.

"What about Edwards?" I asked.

Werner stood up from his desk and walked over to a map of South Carolina, and pointed to Seneca, where Edwards was born.

It's in the northeast part of the state, not far from Clemson University.

"He has a lot of support up there. A lot of folks who worked in the mills and lost their jobs when the textile factories went overseas." Werner said Edwards could do better than people think, but if he doesn't, South Carolina could further shrink the number of candidates, though Edwards has said he was staying in the race until the convention.

Dennis Kucinich, the Ohio Congressman who struggled in the polls, made his exit from the race official today, and a glance around the office shows the toll the early voting states have taken on candidates who could not gain traction.

Campaign posters for Bill Richardson and Chris Dodd are stacked in the corners, but the candidates who remain have energized the state's Democrats.

"It's the most exciting race we've ever had. We're expecting very large turnout -- more than 2004." Joe then pauses for a second before exclaiming, "I think it's the most exciting race we'll ever have. I mean, Oprah was here!"

 

Chelsea Clinton Campaigns Solo

Blog by Trisha Henry and Rebecca Sinderbrand
Jan. 24, 2008

For months, Chelsea Clinton was a silent presence on the campaign trail as her parents commanded center stage.

But since voting began, she's begun to take tentative steps on the trail on her own, at events where she commands solo billing - without her mother, presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, or her father, former President Bill Clinton.

She's visited campaign offices and casinos, cafes and even a cosmetology school. On Wednesday night, she campaigned for her mother at Spelman College in Atlanta, a historically black women's college - at a time when her mother is in a critical battle for black women voters.

"I want you to think of me as your peer, even though I am 27," Chelsea Clinton told the college students. "I want to talk to you about why you should vote for my mom."

The younger Clinton, who has been a much more low-key trail presence than her famous parents, took questions on topics as varied the environment, health care, government spending and waste.

She discussed her own work experiences, saying "I work in finance, I am a numbers dork."

But she also ventured away from the safest topics, endorsing condom distribution in schools, and telling the crowd she was proud of her mother for fighting for over-the-counter distribution of the morning-after pill.

Black women are a key voting bloc in many upcoming Democratic primaries, and Hillary Clinton has been in a battle for their votes with her chief presidential rival, Barack Obama.

"I don't think you should vote for her or against her because she is a woman," but because she's been "working on these challenges for more than 25 years."

"I think she came off very down to earth, she answered and welcomed everyone's question and I really appreciated that." said Spelman junior Janelle Richards. The former First Daughter even made a stop in the school cafeteria, walking by tables and introducing herself to students as they were eating.

At a later stop at downtown Atlanta's Luckie Lounge one supporter asked her to reveal something that nobody else knew about her. Chelsea responded that she'd love to - if all the cameras weren't around.

 

Property Appraiser's View On Amendment

Blog by Saul Saenz, News 13 Reporter
Jan. 23, 2008

Volusia County property appraiser Morgan B. Gilreath Jr. is letting his views known on the property tax vote issue.

Gilreath says it’s no secret he agrees local governments need to get a better handle on their budgets and not rely on future property tax revenues.

This is in response to the Volusia County Council on Goverments going on the record opposing property tax cuts. Many local governments tell voters that public services, like firefighters and law enforcement agencies will suffer cutbacks if the property tax amendment passes.

Gilreath says that if politicians use such scare tactics they should be voted out of office.

The property tax appraiser echos what Gov. Charlie Crist tells viewers when asked about property tax cuts affecting public services. He, too, says politicians who make false claims about public services suffering do not belong in public office.

Gilreath is up for re-election next year.

 

Who Are The Front-Runners?

Blog by Samantha Hayes, News 13 Washington Reporter
Jan. 23, 2008

After several weeks on the campaign trail covering the Presidential nominating contests, I've noticed a pattern among voters. And it's not confined to a geographic region, age, race, or gender.

Indecision. Voters aren't quite sure which candidate to support. They have told me they want a candidate who can bring change, has experience, and seems genuine. A man or woman who will lead the country in the "right" direction. Often times they have narrowed it down to two. Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton. John McCain or Mike Huckabee. One man in Manchester, N.H. was even deciding whether to vote for a Democrat or Republican in his state's primary. You can do that in New Hampshire and a few other states. Over the weekend in South Carolina, a woman jokingly told me she might vote for John Edwards because "he's so handsome."

All jokes aside, there maybe something to that. Or at least that intangible "likeable" quality.

The candidates are certainly aware of it. The night after Monday's heated debate among the three leading Democratic candidates, John Edwards appeared on "The Late Show with David Letterman."

Regarding the debate, Edwards joked, "What I was trying to do was represent the grown-up wing of the Democratic Party." But then came a moment between host and guest that looked downright boyish. Letterman leaned in, examining Edwards' hair and asked, "Has it ever been messed up?" While the audience laughed, the two pretended to mess up each other's 'do.

Score one in Edwards' column for "likeable," or at least a cute moment. It's the sort of thing the campaigns of presidential candidates hope will influence the emotional side of voters. That part of their brain that says "I want to vote for this candidate." And the talk show format seems to be a favorite forum.

Hillary Clinton's recent interview on the syndicated "Tyra Banks Show" made headlines when Clinton spoke personally about her husband's affair. "You are mad, you are really upset, you are disappointed - all of that goes through your mind...I have found you really shouldn't make decisions in the heat of those moments." Clinton has also appeared on Letterman.

On the eve of the Iowa caucuses, which he ultimately won, Republican Mike Huckabee was a guest on "The Tonight Show" with Jay Leno. He played the bass. And he let voters know he's on their side.

"People are looking for a presidential candidate who reminds them more of the guy they work with rather than the guy that laid them off. I think that's part of what's going on right now," the former Arkansas governor said.

What's gone on since then is that the race for the Democratic and Republican nominations is up in the air.

Two important contests coming up could better define who the front-runners in each party might be -- the Democratic primary in South Carolina Saturday, and the Republican primary in Florida three days after that.

When voters go to the polls, will it be change they want? A candidate with experience in Washington, or a newcomer? Or will it get down to who is having a good hair day? Let's hope it's not the latter.

 

Candidates Weigh In On The Economy

Blog by Karin Caifa, News 13 Reporter in Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Jan. 22, 2008

As the Democrats debated the president's economic stimulus proposal and the best way to help homeowners sort out the subprime mortgage mess Monday night, the economic news already was growing even dimmer.

Asian markets opened Tuesday with steep losses, compounding damage done during Monday's global sell-off. India's Sensex declined so rapidly in the opening minutes, that trading in Mumbai had to be halted, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average, which remained unscathed Monday only because of the market holiday here in the U.S., braced for a bumpy ride Tuesday, with morning futures pointing downward almost 500 points.

Though the Dow dropped over 460 points in the first minutes of trading here Tuesday, the close was not nearly as bad as many had anticipated, and certainly not the huge loss that markets in Asia, Europe and Latin America suffered in the early portion of the trading week. That was largely due to an unprecedented move by the Federal Reserve, stepping in Tuesday morning with an emergency rate cut, an abrupt move slashing its key interest rate by 75 basis points, to 3.5.

The news calmed the markets, and the Dow closed down about 128 points, or 1.06 percent, but the rate cut will do little for the Americans facing home foreclosures right now, and it's no surprise that on Tuesday, the presidential candidates were talking about the mortgage crisis, job creation and how to best stimulate the U.S. economy.

The Democrats used the news of the day to continue their debate on the economy. Their next major contest is Saturday in South Carolina, a state that has seen high unemployment and a loss of jobs in recent years.

Native son John Edwards, who often reminds us that before becoming a successful trial lawyer, he grew up as the son of a mill worker, told voters Tuesday that when the middle class struggles, the whole economy feels weak.

"Think about the American economy as a pyramid, in your head, with the very wealthiest people at the top, and the middle class and lower income families being the foundation of the pyramid," he said in Conway, S.C. "What Bush has been doing is he's been strengthening the top of the pyramid, but doing nothing to strengthen the foundation. Nothing. So what's happening is the richest Americans are getting richer -- they're doing great -- but the foundation is getting weaker and weaker and weaker."

Edwards, contending the nation already is in a recession, detailed an economic plan his campaign said would offer his native state's economy $1.5 billion in relief.

Barack Obama also cast blame for the nation's economic woes upon the current administration.

"What started as a crisis in the housing market has now spilled over to the rest of the economy," Obama told voters in Greenville, S.C. "Banks are facing a credit crunch, leaving businesses with less money to invest and more Americans unable to get loans. Joblessness rose more last month than at any time since just after 9/11, and oil reached $100 a barrel. People have less money to spend, higher bills to pay, and fewer opportunities for work. For years, we were warned this might happen, but Washington did what Washington increasingly does. It looked the other way."

Hillary Clinton said Tuesday that the recent events point to "a global economic crisis."

"There is no doubt in my mind that the American consumer has largely sustained the global economy," Clinton told reporters in Washington before heading out west, to California and Arizona. "The fear that the American consumer will stop spending has moved like a contagion through global markets. We need action."

Republicans were also talking economy. Mitt Romney's reputation as a turnaround artist in the private sector and success in the business world won him support from Nevada voters in last Saturday's caucus, and he hoped the same would happen in the Florida primary just a week away.

"The stock market is not a perfect indicator of what's happening in our economy, but it's one of those indicators that tells you whether things are getting better, or if it's having some difficult times, and right now, let's say the market is troubled, to say the least," Romney said in a campaign stop in Boca Raton. "I believe that at a time like this, it's important -- it is -- to have a president who actually had a job in the private sector to become our next president."

 

Debate Day in Myrtle Beach

Blog by Samantha Hayes, News 13 Reporter in Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Jan. 21, 2008

The high in Myrtle Beach Monday was 46 degrees, and it was windy. It was cold in the South Carolina's capital, Columbia, too, where the top three Democratic candidates spent the afternoon delivering speeches ahead of Monday night's debate.

Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and John Edwards were all bundled up, and their voices sounded strained after long days on the campaign trail.

Their tone, however, was warm. The candidates complemented each other's achievements, and honored Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., on the day set aside to honor the civil rights leader.

The tone could change Monday night, when the three take the stage in a debate sponsored by the Congressional Black Caucus Institute and CNN in Myrtle Beach. It was one of the last opportunities to influence voters in South Carolina before they head to the polls this weekend.

Before getting situated at the Palace Theatre, where the debate will take place this evening, I decided to take an unscientific approach to taking the pulse of voters in the Low Country.

January is an interesting time to be in a vacation town. As I drove onto the main drag, it was not surprising to see empty parking lots at the golf courses, closed surf shops and empty streets. I noticed only a couple of brave souls dressed in heavy coats and scarves walking down the beach.

So, in my search for local folks, I stopped at the Piggly Wiggly grocery store, and asked Betty at the checkout counter if she was planning on watching the debate tonight.

"Probably not," Betty said. "There have just been so many ads on the TV -- 'I approve this, I approve that.' I'm just sick of it all already."

A man standing behind me piped up when he heard us discussing the onslaught of campaign commercials.

"I'm for Hillary," he said. "I just think she has more experience than Obama."

"I don't know about Obama,” another man checking out in the aisle next to me said.

"Isn't he a Muslim?"

"No," I replied, and I told him that on Obama says he is a Christian, and attends the United Church of Christ.

"Well, his name just sounds like -- well, you know."

This conversation reminded me that people in general are uncomfortable with the unfamiliar, and with a woman and an African-American vying for frontrunner status in the Democratic nomination process, voters have to confront their own feelings about race, gender, and -- in some cases -- religion.

At the nearby donut shop, I asked Anthony, an African-American man, his feelings about Clinton and Obama, and their efforts to win support from black voters.

Anthony smiled and said, "I'm paying attention to the issues, and right now I'm leaning toward John Edwards. Health care is really important to me, and he talks about fighting for the middle class. That would really help me out."

Anthony said he would be watching the debate tonight to get a better feel for the candidates before this weekend's vote.

There is another element to the upcoming Democratic primary that can’t be dismissed. One of the candidates is from Seneca, S.C., and understanding the issues important to people in this southern state counts for a lot.

"I also like that Edwards is from South Carolina -- a local boy," Anthony pointed out.

 

The Republican Invasion

Blog by Jennifer Cook, News 13 Executive Producer
Jan. 21, 2008

Nine days until the Florida Presidential Primary, and you can bet the Republican candidates are working the state, trying to squeeze out every vote possible.

The campaign for Arizona Sen. John McCain is opening six offices in Florida today, including one in Orlando. That's located at 234 South Semoran Blvd.

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romey is also coming to town. He's started the day in Jacksonville, but is planning to hit Central Florida this afternoon.

He's scheduled to be in downtown Orlando at about 2 p.m. today for an event at CNL Center One on South Orange Ave.

Mike Huckeabee, who recently opened an Orlando office, is also hoping for a strong showing in Florida. He's coming to Orlando Tuesday for a media stop at Signature Flight and a private fundraiser. He's set to kick off a bus tour of the state later this week.

One person we haven't heard from is Fred Thompson. He placed a disappointing third in South Carolina. Florida campaign organizers say, so far, Thompson has yet to announce travel plans to the Sunshine State, but tell us to expect something soon.

If you are looking for a non-partisian, non-political way to pick your presidential nominee, perhaps you should try the power of prayer. Tuesday, a prayer service is scheduled to ask for God's help in choosing our next president. Here are the details:

First Baptist Church of Orlando
Faith Hall
Tuesday – January 22, 2008
6:30 a.m. to 7:30 a.m.

 

Primary Eve In South Carolina, Nevada

Blog by Samantha Hayes, News 13 Reporter in Columbia, S.C.
Jan. 18, 2008

On primary eve in South Carolina, I know exactly what I want for breakfast: "Good Food Fast." That is the slogan associated with Waffle House, and along with a waffle and hash browns, I am smothered and covered with fast political talk.

As Ann pours a large glass of orange juice for me, she asks, "Is that y'all's big bus out there?"

She was looking toward the C-SPAN bus in the parking lot near the Embassy Suites.

"Nope," I replied. "We have the CNN Election Express, which at last check, was at the state capital."

She may have just been making conversation, but Ann's interest in political vehicles provides me with an opening to ask her about her thoughts before Saturday's Republican primary.

"Not sure I'll vote in that. I'm a Democrat -- was raised that way."

"So you may be heading to the polls next weekend for the Democratic primary?" I asked.

"Yeah, there's a chance," Ann replied. "I like Edwards. At least I think he's pretty good looking!"

And from South Carolina, I add.

As I take a moment to dress up my waffle with butter and syrup, I notice that a Marine is sitting a couple of seats away.

"I served during the first Gulf War," Nathan tells me. "Spent three years in that desert, and after the first Bush, I really didn't like Clinton. Hated him, really. Didn't like the changes in policy he made. So I wouldn't be for Hillary, especially with this war."

I asked him his thoughts on John McCain.

"Yeah, he's the only one with that kind of experience, so I might lean toward him."

South Carolina is my third stop since the beginning of the year, and I have discovered that voters in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina have not made up their minds, which is what the polls have been indicating.

So here we are, three weeks into the nomination process, and it's impossible to determine a frontrunner in either party.

That could change after Saturday's caucuses in Nevada, and the Republican primary in South Carolina.

For an insider's look at what was going on there, I called David Damore, a political science professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He told me the contest in Nevada may just get down to which candidate has the best organization to get people to the caucuses.

We met Damore in November during the CNN Democratic Debate, and this week. I was also interested in his thoughts on the most recent Democratic debate among Clinton, Obama and Edwards.

"It may have been boring for the media, but I thought it was very good for voters," Damore said. "We saw some clear differences in policies, and if undecided, I think many voters had a good feel for the candidates afterward."

Damore also directed me to a blog where he contributes political insights. On PolitickerNV.com, Damore outlines what he thinks may be some of the "wildcards" affecting his state's caucuses.

He points out that the Democratic Party is allowing voters to register on Saturday, the same day as the caucuses. To participate in a GOP caucus, you must be registered a month prior.

During our conversation, Damore told me that this may benefit Obama, "who has shown the ability to expand traditional voting groups."

Damore's second wildcard scenario could also benefit Obama. It involves young voters who contributed to his win in Iowa.

The Democratic Party in Nevada is allowing voters who will be eighteen and eligible to vote in November during the general election, to participate in the caucuses now.

So will a significant number of 17-year-olds show up?

His third point involves the "at large" casino caucuses. Many workers on the Vegas strip are members of the Culinary Union which has endorsed Obama.

"The real question is how much discipline the culinary union will be able to instill over its rank-and-file members at these sites," Damore said. "In particular, are Hispanics who are more likely to support Hillary Clinton going to break ranks with their union bosses and if so, what will be the consequences?"

Some political analysts are saying that this weekend's contests may not bring us any closer to a leading candidate in either party, but even if the race remains muddled among the candidates, it will be interesting to see, just as in Iowa, New Hampshire and Michigan, who turns out.

Will younger voters head to the caucuses and primary? What are going to be the motivating issues?

For the first time, we will hear from minority voters, possibly a substantial number of Latinos in Nevada, and African-American voters -- if not Saturday, then next week in South Carolina's Democratic primary.

 

Rove Weighs In

Blog by Karin Caifa, News 13 Washington Reporter
Jan. 17, 2008

Karl Rove, the former top adviser and campaign strategist to President Bush, doesn't have a horse in this year's race for the White House, but that's not stopping him from enjoying the event.

"The primaries are far from over," he told an audience in Washington Wednesday. "We've got a lot more fun yet to come."

Rove was the featured speaker before a gathering of state GOP executive directors at the Republican National Committee's Winter Meeting. He outlined a strategy for this year's GOP nominee to win the White House, but had plenty more to say about the opposing party.

"The Democrats running for president may attack each other, but there are a lot of things that they share in common on the big things," Rove said.

Specifically, he took aim at the two top Democrats: Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. "She claims to have fiscal responsibility," he said of Clinton. "She talks about the need to be fiscally responsible, and, yet, if you look at it, she's already proposed $800 billion in new spending and the campaign is less than half over. She says, quote, 'I have a million ideas and the country can't afford them all.' For once, I agree with Senator Clinton."

Rove mocked Clinton's victory in last night's Michigan primary, largely a beauty contest due to national party sanctions stripping the state of its delegates. Clinton, the only major candidate on the Democratic ballot, took 55 percent of the vote. Three other candidates - Kucinich, Dodd and Gravel - got five percent of the vote combined, with the remainder voting "undecided."

"She's running against nobody and nobody gets 40 percent of the votes," Rove chided. "The other five percent of the vote went to three other people. 27,924 votes went for the guy who believes in UFOs, the guy who dropped out, and the guy who last held public office somewhere around 1855."

Rove's words for Obama were no kinder. "He was elected to the United States Senate three years ago," he said of the Illinois lawmaker. "He's spent almost the entire time running for president. In fact, he's managed to pass one piece of legislation while he's been in the United States Senate for three years."

"Before that, in his short career in the Illinois legislature, he had an unusual habit. He would show up and vote present on controversial topics. He wouldn't say that he was for it or against it. He'd simply show up and vote present."

With that kind of competition, Rove seemed pretty sure that his party will remain in control of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue come Inauguration Day 2009. But he offered four helpful hints for the GOP nominee to seal the deal on November 4, including creating a sustained narrative about who they are; engaging voters on the issues like education, health care and jobs; campaigning aggressively for votes they don't traditionally get, like in the African-American and Latino communities, and showing strength on the issue of the war in Iraq.

 

Romney Campaign Downplaying Southern Expectations

Blog by Peter Hamby, News 13 Reporter in Columbia, SC
Jan. 17, 2008

The Romney campaign is downplaying expectations for Saturday's vote in South Carolina.

South Carolina GOP chairman Katon Dawson said Thursday that Mitt Romney's decision to downplay expectations in the state and look ahead to other primaries may be a mistake.

"If you can't win that Southern firewall, and any states bleed off of you in the general election, then you're going to have a Democrat president," Dawson said in a phone interview.

"The base of the Republican party is the Southern firewall," he continued. "Every president who has won the nomination has won a solid bloc of the South."

Romney will leave South Carolina for Nevada tomorrow, and then spend Saturday evening in Florida as polls close here.

Dawson said that's a curious shift, considering how long and hard Romney's team has worked to win over South Carolina voters.

"I think certain campaigns are setting expectation levels that are different than what they were doing a month ago," Dawson said.
Over the last year, the Romney campaign has spent vast sums on their organization and media strategy in the state, only to pull their TV ads last week following Romney's disappointing second-place finishes in Iowa and New Hampshire.

At one point, before Mike Huckabee's spectacular rise, some polls had Romney in a tie for first place.

Now, said Romney spokesman Will Holley: "According to the polls, we're in a dogfight for third or sitting in fourth, so anything higher than that is icing on the cake."

 

Sorry About That!

Blog by Jennifer Cook, News 13 Executive Producer
Jan. 16, 2008

A big oops out of last night's Michigan presidential primary.

The Michigan Republican Party mistakenly sent out a news release Tuesday night congratulating John McCain for winning the state's GOP primary.

Problem is, he didn't win!!

It quickly issued a second statement praising Mitt Romney for his win.

"Heading into tonight, this race was too close to call, so we prepared a release for either scenario," state GOP spokesman Bill Nowling said. "We simply pushed the wrong button."

The Associated Press named Romney the GOP winner when polls closed in Michigan's western Upper Peninsula at 9 p.m. EST.

The first GOP release went out just minutes later and stated, "In a close-fought victory, Sen. John McCain succeeded again (in) the Michigan Republican primary, winning over a traditionally unpredictable voter base in Michigan."

Five minutes after that, the party sent a release that said, "In a close-fought victory, native son Governor Mitt Romney won an important contest here tonight."

 

Iowa, New Hampshire -- Michigan?

Blog by Karin Caifa, News 13 Washington Reporter
Jan. 15, 2008

No, you don't usually hear Michigan mentioned among the chorus of traditional early primary states. But state officials wanted to change that, and took it upon themselves to move the date of their contests earlier this year, hoping to give the nation's eighth-most populous state a greater say in the nominating process, and hoping to get some more attention from the candidates and their campaigns.

Not so fast, said the national parties. Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada were given the parties' blessing to hold the nation's first contests. So for breaking the rules, the Republican National Committee sliced Michigan's delegate count in half, to 30. The Democratic National Committee went even farther and stripped the state of all of its 156 delegates. That means that these delegates won't be seated at this year's convention, and won't count towards a candidate's nomination. Florida faces the same penalty for moving their primary to January 29, ahead of the February 5 "Super Tuesday" contests.

So what's up for grabs in today's primary? For the Democrats, not a whole lot. All of the candidates pledged not to campaign in the state, and top Democrats Barack Obama and John Edwards removed themselves from the ballot. Only Hillary Clinton, Dennis Kucinich and Mike Gravel remain. But that doesn't necessarily make it a slam dunk for Clinton. Obama and Edwards supporters have been urged to go with an "uncommitted" option, so that Clinton doesn't win by default. It's also an "open primary," which means any voter could vote in either party's primary.

All of the Republican candidates remained on the ballot, but only three actively campaigned in the run-up to voting there today. Mitt Romney, whose father served as governor of the state after heading the old American Motors Corporation, was once considered a shoo-in for Michigan victory, but John McCain is giving the "favorite son" a run for his money. The senator from Arizona won the state in 2000, and flew to Michigan immediately after his New Hampshire win last week to capitalize on the momentum. Also in the mix is Iowa caucus winner Mike Huckabee.

The Republicans who did campaign in Michigan talked a lot about the state's struggling economy. The state, sunk by the woes of the American auto industry and hit hard by home foreclosures and the collapse of the subprime mortgage market, has the nation's highest unemployment rate at 7.4 percent.

The winning candidate may not even celebrate in the state tonight. Only Romney plans to hold a rally there. McCain and Huckabee end the day in the next crucial GOP primary state, South Carolina. And Clinton, along with the other Democratic candidates, participates in a debate in Las Vegas.

 

St. Cloud Candidates Answer Questions

Blog by Stephanie Coueignoux, News 13 Reporter
Jan. 15, 2008

Have a question? Get an answer!

On Wednesday, St. Cloud City Council candidates will participate in a special forum.

As in a traditional forum, a panel of people -- in this case, newspaper editors -- will pose a series of questions to the candidates, but residents also have that opportunity.

It's a great way to meet the candidates, learn what they stand for, and make a difference in local politics. A lot of times, people just aren't informed and therefore, don't have an opinion one way or the other come election time. Here's your chance! These candidates are just sitting there, waiting to be asked questions.

Candidates for Seat 3, as well as mayor, will be attending.

It starts at 6:30 p.m. at the Women's Club, 1012 Massachusetts Ave. in St. Cloud.

The forum is sponsored by the Osceola County Landlords Association.

 

Latino, Black Voters To Make Themselves Heard

Blog by Samantha Hayes, News 13 Reporter in Washington
Jan. 14, 2008

As it stands now in the race for the Democratic nomination, the score is 1 to 1. Barack Obama won the Democratic caucuses in Iowa; Hillary Clinton edged him out in the New Hamsphire primary, but the next two states to weigh in are much different demographically.

Soon, Latino and African-American voters will make their voices heard in the process to nominate a Democratic candidate.

The Nevada caucuses on Jan. 19 are new to the early presidential voting calendar for 2008. Latinos are about a fifth/quarter of the population in the state, but only half are eligible to vote.

Still, Democratic gains in the West are being attributed, in part, to the support of Latinos.

Democrats have been holding dozens of mock caucuses around the state to prepare voters for the real thing this Saturday.

Of the two front-runners, Barack Obama has the backing of two powerful labor unions in Nevada: the state's chapter of the Service Employees International Union and the Culinary Workers' Union.

In Reno Monday evening, Obama told reporters, "My history is excellent with Latino support in Illinois, because they knew my record -- that I stood for and supported comprehensive immigration reform."

His chief rival, Hillary Clinton, is supported by influential politicians in the state, including Rory Reid, son of Senate majority leader Harry Reid, and Monday, her campaign announced that two young actresses will be campaigning for Clinton in Nevada and other states.

One of them, America Ferrara, stars in ABC's comedy-drama "Ugly Betty," and is quoted in a campaign media release saying, "I look forward to rallying young people to use their voices and get involved. I believe that Hillary Clinton can turn this country around."

Ferrara, who was named Hispanic Woman of the Year in 2007 by The Hollywood Reporter and Billboard, might appeal to Latinos and young voters.

Also important to Hillary Clinton is the support of African-Americans, who backed her husband, the former president. Monday Clinton attended a birthday celebration in New York honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Clinton and Obama have been involved in a tense exchange over insinuations of using race for political gain before two states with significant minority populations vote.

Clinton accuses Obama of distorting recent remarks she made about the political influence of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Obama supporters question the timing of that accusation, saying Clinton's campaign may be deliberately bringing up the issue of race as Obama has gained momentum.

The back and forth will inevitably influence African-American voters who make up 50 percent of Democrats who are eligible to vote in South Carolina's primary.

South Carolina is the first southern state to weigh in, and its primary may be the first time race becomes a tangible factor in the nomination process.

 

Politics Never Stop

Blog by Jennifer Cook, News 13 Executive Producer
Jan. 12, 2008

It would be nice to have a weekend off, but no the politics never stop!

First thing today was a conference call with the Rudy Giuliani camp.

Giuliani advisors say they are now deploying over 50 people to the state, focusing hard on winning Florida.

We were also told to expect Rudy in Florida everyday until Friday, and most days leading up to the Jan. 29 state primary.

Meanwhile, the Huckabee camp has officially opened its Orlando doors.

For those interested, the office is set up at the LaQuinta Business Center near the Florida Mall. The phone number is (407) 438-9134.

 

Clinton Clarifies

Blog by Karin Caifa, News 13 reporter in Washington
Jan. 11, 2008

Bill Clinton's comments about his wife's chief rival for the Democratic presidential nomination raised eyebrows this week, and today the former president clarified.

The day before the New Hampshire primary, when polls suggested Hillary Clinton might suffer another loss to Barack Obama, the former president offered strong words about the candidacy of the senator from Illinois.

Speaking in Hanover Monday, Bill Clinton criticized the media for giving Obama what he characterized as a free pass on his position on the Iraq war. "It is wrong that Sen. Obama got to go through 15 debates trumpeting his superior judgment and how he had been against the war in every year, enumerating the years, and never got asked one time, not once," he said.

"Well, how could you say that when you said in 2004 you didn't know how you would have voted on the resolution? You said in 2004 there was no difference between you and George Bush on the war. And you took that speech you're now running on off your Web site in 2004. And there's no difference in your voting record and Hillary's ever since."

"Give me a break," the former president concluded. "This whole thing is the biggest fairy tale I've ever seen."

It was that last line about a "fairy tale," that turned heads, with Clinton critics finding the characterization of the Obama campaign disrespectful. This afternoon, the former president called into Al Sharpton's syndicated radio program to explain his remarks.

"There's nothing fairy tale about his campaign. It's real, it's strong, and he might win," Clinton told Sharpton during the Radio One broadcast.

Clinton said he was speaking of one issue, not making a generalization about Obama's campaign. "The point I was trying to make is there really no difference between his voting record and Hillary's on Iraq. So what matters now is who can do the best job of getting us out of there without making it worse."

He told the largely African-American radio audience that while he hopes they'll support his wife's candidacy, he understands the choice that they face.

"You have a hard choice, and if you decide to vote for Sen. Obama, I respect you, because it is a source of enormous pride in the African-American community, and it should be. He is an impressive man," Clinton said.

 

Giuliani Campaign