Hillary Clinton gets a key backer in North Carolina

A bad day just got worse for Barack Obama with word that the popular Democratic governor of North Carolina, Mike Easley (below), will be endorsing Hillary Clinton Tuesday -- one week before the state's May 6 primary.

Obama has been leading in the polls in North Carolina and the state's demographics still play to his strengths. But the latest flareup featuring the Rev. Jeremiah Wright could undercut what his camp hoped would be an impressive winning margin in the state -- and perhaps turn the contest into a tossup. And Easley's backing of Clinton now gives her the type of institutional political heft that helped her cause so much in Ohio (where Gov. Ted Strickland rallied support for her) and Pennsylvania (where Gov. Ed Rendell spared no effort on her behalf).

Intriguingly, Easley's choice, reported by the Associated Press, puts him at odds with the two leading Democrats vying to replace him (he's prohibited from seeking a third term). The pair -- Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue and state Treasurer Richard Moore -- back Obama (which recently spurred a controversial Republican ad).

Easley's potential to help Clinton is explained, in part, by this description of his political savvy ...

in the current edition of the National Journal's Almanac of American Politics:

"Easley has a blue-collar appeal, in part because he looks to popular culture for political insight; he has instructed his pollster to ask respondents whether they watch Fox television’s animated series 'King of the Hill.' Easley is a fan of the show and its main character Hank Hill, a conservative propane salesman in a small Texas town who likes guns and NASCAR. Hill’s character doesn’t identify with a political party, but Easley has said Democrats have had difficulty winning these voters and likes to know whether his proposals appeal to this audience."

This characteristic, combined with his decision to help her during a time of great need for Clinton, should improve his prospects as a potential running mate if she rallies to capture the Democratic nomination.

At the least, as a superdelegate to the party convention, Easley gives her one more tally in that category. The Obama camp neutralized that gain with its own superdelegate pickup today -- Sen. Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico announced his support for him. But in terms of impact, Easley's move counts more. After all, the caucuses in Bingaman's home state were held almost three months ago (and were barely lost by Obama).

-- Don Frederick

Photo credit: Associated Press   

Comments

[Tom Kaptain]

You mentioned Jeremiah Wright again and it seems like this is going to be a media focus. My question is why you never criticized John McCain for taking support from Jerry Falwell or Pat Robertson when they said that natural disasters were God's punishment on America for her sinful acts.

[keith]

Is this really what politics is in North Carolina? A key thing to know about your constituency is whether or not they like an animated cartoon with grown-up oriented themes? Just bring out the rebel flags and gun racks why don't ya? Thank you for backing Hillary, I'm sure she'll be written into the show sometime, maybe having trouble with a propane bottle at 3 am in the morning. No wonder this country is falling apart.

[Unci]

Senator Jeff Bingaman endorsed Sen. Barack Obama for president Monday, putting another superdelegates in camp with the Illinois senator.

"I am announcing my support for Barack Obama for president and declaring my intention to vote for him at the Democratic convention," Bingaman said in a news release".

Bingaman, D-N.M., said he believes Obama is a better choice than Sen. Hillary Clinton on issues such as the Iraq war, health care and improving energy independence.

Bingaman, re-elected to a fifth Senate term in 2006, said the United States needs a leader who can rise above partisanship and find common ground. He said it is imperative to "move the country in a dramatically new direction."

NOW WHY ISNT THIS BEING REPORTED BY THE MEDIA. THE MEDIA IS ONE-SIDED SUPPORTING HILLARY AND IT IS BLATANLY WRONG. AT LEAST BE EQUITABLE ABOUT REPORTING!!!!

[David Stewart]

Sen Obama is a fine person, a good orator but does not have the resume as of yet to be commander in chief.

Sen Clinton has the toughness, grit, experience and necessary street fighter skills to take on Congress and the special interests in the coming year. This is time for the next President to be ready on day one. There simply is not time for any OJT. Thanks Gov Easley for picking the right woman for the job!!!!!

David in Iowa

[Never_A_Clinton_Again]

Hillary has experience serving tea to other politicians.

That's not the resume of a president, it's the resume of a waitress.

Hillary is qualified to pick the kitchen staff and that's about it.

[dave]

READ... THINK.....

Letter of the day: Clinton, her pastor disagree about Wright

Hillary Clinton attends the Foundry United Methodist Church in Washington. So does Bill Clinton. Hillary suggests she would not have the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Barack Obama's controversial former minister, as her pastor.

But the senior pastor of her church has a very different take on how Americans should react to Wright. The Rev. Dean Snyder wrote, "The Rev. Jeremiah Wright is an outstanding church leader whom I have heard speak a number of times. He has served for decades as a profound voice for justice and inclusion in our society. He has been a vocal critic of the racism, sexism, and homophobia which still tarnish the American dream.

"To evaluate his dynamic ministry on the basis of two or three sound bites does a grave injustice to Dr. Wright, the members of his congregation, and the African-American church, which has been the spiritual refuge of a people that has suffered from discrimination, disadvantage, and violence. Dr. Wright, a member of an integrated denomination, has been an agent of racial reconciliation while proclaiming perceptions and truths uncomfortable for some white people to hear.

"Those of us who are white Americans would do well to listen carefully to Dr. Wright rather than to use a few of his quotes to polarize. This is a critical time in America's history as we seek to repent of our racism. No matter which candidates prevail, let us use this time to listen again to one another and not to distort one another's truth. "

JACK BEAIRD, GOLDEN VALLEY

[Core Democrat]

Thank you Governor Easley. Yes, Clinton is the most qualified candidate with the best solutions for America.

[mark Verstraete]

I understand Gov. Easley's support of Hillary. He will no longer be Gov. and is looking for a VP job. It is politics of convienience. If he had another term to run for Gov. he would be supporting Obama.

[jodi]

Obama supporters like Unci are soooo funny with their demand for equal reporting now. Where were you all when it was Hillary that the media refused to report anything positive about? It is different when it is your candidate being slighted but we live in a democracy and since you were not interested in fairness then, why should anyone care about your fairness demands now? Obama can not win the general election!! There is no question about that as I have said for months Obama with support from Kennedy and Kerry can not even win MA. We in MA despite the Kennedy and Kerry BS voted for Hillary and if Obama is our option we will vote for McCain here in MA. If a democrat can not carry MA he has lost before we even start. It is also unlikely that Obama can carry CA against McCain and you begin to see that Obama will lose for democrats in a year when almost any democrat should win. Obama will not win because he has been playing the race card through out this entire primary season and attempting to blame Hillary for it. We here in the USA can and will someday have a black President but it will never be one that plays the race card. HILLARY 08

[Tooter]

I find it odd that Obama supporters ignore the fact that Hillary has won some of the bigger states against him and yet they will insist that she's divisive. He's all about pretending that he's not playing the race card. He will lose the election, if he goes up against John McCain. He chooses to pretend that he can beat McCain. He won't. Hillary? She's going to have the momentum to beat McCain. Consider this "higher education", Obama. By the Democratic primaries, consider yourself "schooled". Learn the lesson. It'll be good for you the next time you run for president...in 8 years.

[Tre]

Comparing the McCain endorsements by Falwell and Robertson to the association of Obama and Wright is ridiculous, McCain didn't sit in the pews for 20 years listening to their evangelical drivel, he simply is a Republican candidate accepting endorsement from right wing evangelicals, who did you think they would support, a Democrat?? The last two elections were the Democrats to WIN, and yet the party cannot put up a decent candidate and has no coherent message. I can't believe the Democrats are gonna lose again, when the Reps have been so horrible in office, but with the quality of Dem candidates in the race, what should voters expect. Put your feet on the ground, get a real, viable candidate and stop whining about the media, it's a Liberal entity for God's sakes. Howard Dean is your leader, HAHAHAHAHA!!!