ABOUT FIRST READ

First Read is an analysis of the day's political news, from the NBC News political unit. First Read is updated throughout the day, so check back often.

Chuck Todd, NBC Political Director

Mark Murray, NBC Deputy Political Director

Domenico Montanaro, NBC Political Researcher



Give Bill credit in Texas?

Posted: Wednesday, March 05, 2008 12:10 AM by Domenico Montanaro
Filed Under: ,

From NBC/NJ's Carrie Dann
AUSTIN, Texas -- Just a quick note on Texas as results roll in.

If Hillary Clinton wins the popular vote in Texas, and especially if she doesn't hemorrhage caucus delegates to the extent that many expected her to, her husband can fairly be credited with much of that victory.

By a quick rough count, the former president did at least 50 public events in Texas since Obama's sweep of the Potomac Primary states on Feb. 12th made the Lone Star State a must-win contest for the New York Senator.

Those events ranged from neighborhood pickup truck rallies that reached 100 voters to high school auditoriums packed with a thousand.

At every event, Bill Clinton explained the complex caucus/primary hybrid, encouraging supporters not to let "her opponent steal delegates in the nighttime that she won in the daytime."

Many of Clinton's recent stops have been in counties -- like Taylor, El Paso, Midland, and Maverick-- where she is currently leading in the count.

MAIN PAGE

Email this EMAIL THIS

Comments

WE DO GIVE SPECIAL "THANKS" TO PRESIDENT CLINTON, HE DID MAKE THE DIFFERENCE, DEFINITLY IN TEXAS AND OHIO.
The Clintons, both of them, are relentless.  I don't trust them and I find them both incredibly irritating and phoney, but I can't help but be in awe of their energy and will-to-power.
Credit him for being a race and gender biating co-presidential candidate.
Thank you President Clinton.  You are well loved by so very, very many, despite what msnbc likes to say.

Goooo Hillary, all the way!
According to FORMER President Clinton, either Hillary wins Texas and Ohio, or the people lose it for her.

Hillary won't drop out and she shouldn't, as we see by her double-digit win in Ohio. Obama will have the lead in popular vote and elected delegates heading into Denver. But Bill has been wheeling and dealing the super delegates for months now, and the heat will get pressure-cooker intense in the weeks and months leading up to the convention. It'll come down to the floor of the DNC in Denver, and as we all watch in shock, despite the will of the people, these super voters will mostly side for the Clintons.

So dirty politics will win out, leading to record low turnouts in November as Hillary pulls off another comeback win after they unleash their October surprise on McCain. Get ready for a third term of co-presidency. Get ready for socialized medicine. Amerika wants the Clinton circus, they'll get it.
I especially like his comments about stealing delegates at night time (in the caucuses) that she had won in the daytime. It is of note that practically all caucuses operate at night. So do most thieves! Caucuses are prone to intimidation and badgering whereas you will be by yourself in a voting booth and can vote for whomever you want to without having to explain to a bossy husband/wife/ employer (as in Nevada where the caucus was at the place of business for most participants)
the clintons pulled this country out of the ditch once,but no one seems too remember Hillary is our best chance,before the republicans turn us into a third world country.                                      
Go hillary,GO!!!
Give thanks to the voters for voting for Hillary. I thank President Bill for 8 years of making our country better. Now I'm kinda in a hurry for President Hillary to do the same. Both of the Clinton's have worked so hard for the working people---not for themselves but for the people.
GO HILLARY!!!  I DO NOT UNDERSTAND THE TEXAS CAUCUS. IT APPEARS EXTREMELY CONFUSING TO A RESIDENT OF OHIO. PERHAPS, SOMEONE WILL EXPLAIN THIS PROCESS!  ANYWAY..........GO TO THE WHITE HOUSE HILLARY!! WE NEED YOU. GOD BLESS THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND WE NEED GOD!!
Bill Clinton, the new Bull Connor.
Bill is a great co-candidate and he is lots better than michelle "I hate America" dumbama.

dumbama's true colors are finaly showing - lol!

Clinton machine '08 - hitting on all cylinders  - hitting like dumbama's crackpipe
He's been criticized ever since he's been in the White House and people have this obsession to continue to do so, so why not give them credit where credit is due?  Yes to Bill & Hillary Clinton for working so hard standing up to all of it and wanting to make this a better place.
Hillary ROCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
B. Clinton won the first time,because Bush 1
was considered politicaly invinceable;Cuomo and the
other demo heavies declined to run;Clinto won with a plurality;second time Perot was responsible for the win;again a plurality.
Clinton's success as president had as much to do with
him following the ideas of the republican majority congress;if a
demo wins this time,it will be
a congress & senate majority made up of demos.  
CLINTON POWER! EVREY HOUR! LONG LIVE THE FIGHTERS!
WE LOVE YOU HILLARY!
We're  Republics but we will vote for you, Hillary!  
Who needs another Republican when John McCain is not even a true Republican?  I think conservatives Glenn Beck and Ann Coulter said  that they'll vote for you too if McCain is the Republican candidate.
Way to go Hillary. I'm proud of you, Bill and Chelsea. Keep fighting the fight. You will be a president that will lead our country to greatness.
Thank you Clinton supporters!  Thank you JakeD, pattisd and others.  You have ensured John McCain will win in November.  Obama has been fighting clean, with one hand behind his back thus far.  Having used fear and the "kitchen sink" to win in Ohio and Texas Obama will go Nuclear.  Be prepared to see Hillary against headlines reading Whitewater, Intern scandals, Vince Foster and all the great hits of the 90s.  Be prepared for the party split that is coming by dragging this fight all the way to Denver.  Be prepared that if somehow Hillary steals the race for Obama supporters to sit out the General Election.  After South Carolina, after the release of the photo of Obama in tribal dress after the hit adds you can expect no support from us and thus John McCain will be the next President of the United States.   So keep cheering Go Hillary, hope you are happy with what will come.
Wasn't the Clinton lead Double Digits in OH and TX originally? So an appeal to fear and racism won. Our party has already lost this year.
The democrats seem to be evenly split among these two fine candidates.  So let's all play by the rules, quit expecting anyone to just step aside "for the good of the party" and let's see how it all shakes out.  And hopefully the supporters of these candidates will take the high-road "for the good of the party" and quit BASHING the opposing candidate! Grow up! The dems win either way as long as we "supporters" stick together!
Obama can't win the big states.  He proved that tonight.

So, go ahead and nominate him.  You will just be turning the White House over to the GOP for another 4 or 8.

Is it race-baiting to say that Sen. Obama is trading on his race and that almost all African-Americans are voting for him?
Simply Great Mrs Clinton. Keep it up.
If Obama can not stand up to Hillary Clinton's TV ads how can he stand up to John McCain's TV ads?
Billary is unethical, and Ohio was won unethically. Bill gave us NAFTA, not McCain, not Bush, not even Obama.  
Remember folks, Ohio gave us Bush. Bush has once again cut medicaid funds. Don't whine when come this fall your children lose many services, especially school funded services, like speech and O.T. -so as you praise Hillary, don't forget to thank Ohio for that one, too (and Universal Health Care will take YEARS to catch up if it EVER really does happen!)
"Is it race-baiting to say that Sen. Obama is trading on his race and that almost all African-Americans are voting for him?"

Yeah pretty much since Obama does not bring up race in his campaign and has avoided running as a black canidate.  The ones who bring up race baiting appears to be Hillary supporters.  After South Carolina can you blame African-Americans for voting for Obama after Bill was done insulting them?  Prior to South Carolina African Americans where one of her strongest bases of support.  After Bill was done, not so much.

The fact of the matter is at the end of the day the only way Democrats will win is if they are united. After Hillary's tactics I just don't see that happening.  On all the boards I have been on it seems that many (not all) Hillary supporters would rather trash Obama and his supporters with accusations regarding cults and being robots rather than talking up Hillary.  Again, you have to think beyond the primary.  Hillary does not seem to be giving much thought to this.  Hillary especially earlier on kept using the language of "I"  I am going to do this.  The not so subtle subtext here is its not about you or the Democratic Party is about ME, getting power.  Fault Obama all you want but his language is about "We".  We can do things, we can change the world.  Words have power and words matter.  I see Obama trying really hard not split the party, he has not gone as negative as he most easily could.  Seems to me that Hillary really doesn't care if she splits the party as long as she is the nominee.
I do not, and have not ever, cared about the mistresses in Bill Clinton's life.  Still a great President.  But I'm not voting for her just beacuse I loved him, and even though I really really really want a woman president, I'm going with Obama.
I agree with John Doe who wrote on 3/5 at 12:24am that Hillary is well liked despite the media (msnbc)trying to tell the public that she isn't. They are not being objective newspeople. How about when Hillary just won Ohio and Rhode Island and
Texas was so close and Chris Matthews and Keith O. were saying she should withdraw and unite the party. How dumb is that?? Hillary is such an intelligent woman and she has spent most of her adult life helping the needy when she could have had any big time career job making a lot of money. She is her own person and what a FIGHTER! She CAN and WILL WIN! Go Hillary!! We love you in California.
As of this moment, Black American should now decide if we're going to continue to let the Democratic party and the Black elitest of the nation, Our so call leaders take us for granted, Split our vote, Question our vote if we vote for a Black man but it's alright for white America to vote as if having a black man the white house is to much for them. No not all whites but those states that traditonally have shown a disdain for any black canidste. If the Democratic party give this nomination to Hillary and she continue her slanderous attacks, I suggest the we regiter to vote and I mean we register everyone that can vote and not vote in November. Refuse to take part in this farce of a fair election process from the snide suggestive remarks from the media veiled as commentary and the old boy code words being used by the C;inton campaign. Let finally show that they will not take us for granted any longer. Or think for one instant that we don't understand wat being said. We Have no choice but to finally say no more and, no longer will we be use by this party, that throws us under the bus when it's politically expedient. Latinos can play the game that we've played for years, getting so far but no farther. smiling as we're being used hoping that maybe things will change and finding that there is that group that will always deny us. if White American Democrats can band together to stop a black man from being President, we certainly can deny Hillary our vote. Maybe then she realize the Barack Obama is a Christ, and she won't have to say as far as she knows he is. Don't worry If McCain becomes President when you really think about it 6 in one hand and a half dozen in the other.
As of this moment, Black American should now decide if we're going to continue to let the Democratic party and the Black elitest of the nation, Our so call leaders take us for granted, Split our vote, Question our vote if we vote for a Black man but it's alright for white America to vote as if having a black man the white house is to much for them. No not all whites but those states that traditonally have shown a disdain for any black canidste. If the Democratic party give this nomination to Hillary and she continue her slanderous attacks, I suggest the we regiter to vote and I mean we register everyone that can vote and not vote in November. Refuse to take part in this farce of a fair election process from the snide suggestive remarks from the media veiled as commentary and the old boy code words being used by the C;inton campaign. Let finally show that they will not take us for granted any longer. Or think for one instant that we don't understand wat being said. We Have no choice but to finally say no more and, no longer will we be use by this party, that throws us under the bus when it's politically expedient. Latinos can play the game that we've played for years, getting so far but no farther. smiling as we're being used hoping that maybe things will change and finding that there is that group that will always deny us. if White American Democrats can band together to stop a black man from being President, we certainly can deny Hillary our vote. Maybe then she realize the Barack Obama is a Christ, and she won't have to say as far as she knows he is. Don't worry If McCain becomes President when you really think about it 6 in one hand and a half dozen in the other.
GO HILLARY!!!  from michigan
Sorry...I do not see as winning through deceit and dishonor as a win...she has shamed our party.
Register and don't vote,Black America answer Hillary tactics with one of our own
I have always been active in the Democratic party, but I have never had my heart so deeply involved as it is in this primary battle...I would give any material possession I have to see a woman elected president.  ---a 56 year old female diagnosed with cancer.
Let's remind Hillary that Barack Obama a Christian, Black America Risgiter and don't vote in November. Let's answer her tactics with one of our own, Maybe Both Hillary and Bill and perhaps the Democractic Party will find that we will not be taken for granted, Let the Latinos play the game we plyed for years and when the throw under the bus the will wake up.
Go Hillary all the way. The USA needs you. You are our only hope to change this dying economy, our moral struggles with this war, and the deathly heartbreak that we stare in the faces of sick children and elderly americans that we have left with no health care and very little help these people need you. freedom needs you the constitution needs you as it has been trampled on these past 7 years, help us preserve our way of life. Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness
Way to go Hillary!!  You did good girlfriend.  I am so proud of Hillary.  She, President Clinton and Chelsea worked tirelessly as did all of us Hillary supporters.  She is like the little engine that could
and she WILL.

The media had prepared her obit and were ready to order flowers.  Shame on them.  

                 HILLARY 08
Barack Obama, Oh yeah he'll get the black vote. If I haven't heard that remark Ten Thousand times during this Campaign. But when whites band together she won them, from the electorate the decided to vote for her. I've listen to this pundits for months now and grimace nearly everynight at these callous remarks as if we don't think, we herd. I  do really think it time we send the democractic Party a rude awakening and register to vote in mass and don't vote in November. I think that we show Hillary that as a people she will not throw us under the bus because it's politically expedient. Then she will know for sure that Barack Obama is a Christain. and her surogates will know that slander does make a party win.
not
For Hillary I think you smile to much to night I for one will continue to seen that if nominated you will be defeated in November. I spend every minute of my leisure time making the case that Black America not vote for you in November
ALL I COULD STATE IS THAT ALL SHE COMES UP WITH IS WHATEVER NEGATIVES SHE COULD FINF ON OBAMA WELL IF HE IS NOT THE NOT THE CHOSEN ONE, I DONT THINK THAT THE REPUBLICANS WILL BE AS NICE AND THEN WE WILL UNDERSTAND WHY WE CHOSE THE WRONG ONE. YOU KNOW TAX RETURNS AND A FEW OTHER MISHAPS.
I suggest that Black America show there disdain for Hillary and Bill's tactic and sit out the November election
ALL I COULD STATE IS THAT ALL SHE COMES UP WITH IS WHATEVER NEGATIVES SHE COULD FINF ON OBAMA WELL IF HE IS NOT THE NOT THE CHOSEN ONE, I DONT THINK THAT THE REPUBLICANS WILL BE AS NICE AND THEN WE WILL UNDERSTAND WHY WE CHOSE THE WRONG ONE. YOU KNOW TAX RETURNS AND A FEW OTHER MISHAPS.
Guess small minds and computers get to rant about how much they love bill and hillary tactics. I knew cheap computers would do this
This race-baiting discussion seems to ignore the obvious: Obama is White as well as Black. { such a silly,ignorant concept as we are all genetically "African" - anddoes it matter a fig? }. Obama is inspirational and he was right on the war,but was he right to ignore the migrant workers who needed him in Illinois? Each candidate has short comings and strengths. Let's have progress, not just change. Wouldn't it be great if one nominated the other for Prime Minister. We'd have one working for the domestic issues and one working on the international issues. then we'd have Bill Richardson as Vice- President to guide them when they disagree. That would be some real change! All this talk about race is so deliterius and backwards. Let's move forward together. Yes, we all passionate for our preferred candidate; yet we need to look at the whole picture: the best approach to make sure that John McBush does not win in November!! Beat McBush!!!!!
I Agree with NanD

I also think that Bill and Hillary will make excellent Commanders in Chief, I just wonder which one of them will actually pick up the phone at 3 AM.
LOL. Obamasheep say Hillary won because of racism. Is that why Obama got 91% of the black vote in Texas. Give me a break!!
The media has done it's very best to paint Obama in a good light. I am so proud of the American voter for seeing through all the Obama hype.Way to go Hiliary.
All the way in 08.
I voted for Bill the first time- mistake number one.  I voted for Bill the second time- mistake number two.  Vote for Hillary- never!!! And I am also sick of hearing that white women over the age of 45 support Hillary. I am white and college educated, over 45 and most of my friends are also college educated and none of us will vote for her!  We will not support her if she gets the nominee.  We will work hard to make sure that she does not win.  NO more Clinton's or Bush's.  It is time to move on.  McCain will surely win if the choice is Hillary or him.  All the young people (who are the future) who have become involved in this process will not be there in November. Do we really want to bring all the Clinton baggage back in the limelight?  I think not.  I am praying that come November I will have someone to vote for-- if not it may be the very first time in my life that I did not vote.  Maybe that is part of the Republican strategy???  
I voted for Bill the first time- mistake number one.  I voted for Bill the second time- mistake number two.  Vote for Hillary- never!!! And I am also sick of hearing that white women over the age of 45 support Hillary. I am white and college educated, over 45 and most of my friends are also college educated and none of us will vote for her!  We will not support her if she gets the nominee.  We will work hard to make sure that she does not win.  NO more Clinton's or Bush's.  It is time to move on.  McCain will surely win if the choice is Hillary or him.  All the young people (who are the future) who have become involved in this process will not be there in November. Do we really want to bring all the Clinton baggage back in the limelight?  I think not.  I am praying that come November I will have someone to vote for-- if not it may be the very first time in my life that I did not vote.  Maybe that is part of the Republican strategy???  


SEND A COMMENT

PLEASE READ: All comments must be approved before appearing in the thread; time and space constraints prevent all comments from appearing. We will only approve comments that are directly related to the blog, use appropriate language and are not attacking the comments of others.

Message (please, no HTML tags. Web addresses will be hyperlinked):

TRACKBACKS

Trackbacks are links to weblogs that reference this post. Like comments, trackbacks do not appear until approved by us. The trackback URL for this post is: http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/trackback.aspx?PostID=731193

First Read e-mail alerts


Sign up for First Read alerts
The first place for key political news and analysis

More First Read

Recent Posts:


Archives:


Topics:

Syndicate This Site

Add First Read to your news reader:
live.com xml
myyahoo msn
bloglines newsgator
google