Barack Obama's team stays calm

Barack Obama's lead strategist, David Axelrod, sported a T-shirt with the slogan "Stop the Drama, Vote for Obama," as the campaign plane left Philadelphia this evening for a rally in Indiana.

Pennsylvanians, obviously, weren't ready to bring down the curtain on the compelling Democratic presidential race. But Axelrod, speaking to reporters at a point when exit polls pointed to a Hillary Clinton victory but before the vote count confirmed that, did what he's paid to do: remain sanguine in the face of defeat.

"No matter what happens [in Pennsylvania], I feel fairly comfortable that we're going to come away with a good group of delegates," said Axelrod, who had purchased his shirt for $10 earlier in the day from a street vendor. (Obama communications specialist Robert Gibbs bought one, too.) "But if she has a few more and we have a few less, I don't think it's going to change the fundamentals of this race.  We're on a good path here.''

He added: "If you don't think we've done well enough, ask the Clinton folks if they'd like to change places with us.''

No -- but as Axelrod's attire suggested -- the Obama camp is anxious for the final act in this saga.

-- Don Frederick

Comments

[LCSusan]

Mr. Axelrod, don't be so quick to shut the race down, after all the party is once again going down in flames come November.

http://strictlyanecdotal.com

[Jack Paulson]

1st post!!!

You Got it. David. This win is too little too late! After this contest Hillary has a lot of thinking to do about her future.

Jack
Los Angeles

[EG]

LGSusan....you're a parroting idiot. 'Nuff said. How 'bout an original thought for a change? Or better yet....go watch FoxNoise like a good little sheep, mmmkay?

[mariann]

Hopefully Clinton becomes the Nominee because Obama is too nice, intelligent and gentleman-like. If you think the Obama and Clinton fight has gotten ugly, you probably haven't seen nothing yet! The PA exit polling showed that if Clinton is the Nominee, Obama supporters (94%) would be willing to sit it out in November (may be not such a bad decision after all). Clinton doesn't care if it gets "dirty" with the Republicans because she is willing to sell her soul if that means obtaining the Presidency. It's not about her Solutions for the Nation, it's about HER!

[INDIANA]

From Indiana:

Of course, Billary and McClinton have always and will continue character "Niper Fire" attacks on Senator O. as he heads towards the nomination finishing line.

This will be a test for the Obama organization in their ability to accuarately return fire back with politcal accuracy with no more than a scape or two. However, if wounded, do not retreat but move foreward with caution and arrive at '09 inauguration.

[Dolph T]

It's time for Obama to take the gloves off. Let's start talking about Clinton's constant lies -- and back them up with video tapes and quotes from her books. It's time to talk about her "lucky" (back-dated) commodity trades that were explained by saying she got her strategy from a publication that didn't cover those markets then. It's time to talk about her lies about never supporting NAFTA when her own autobiography, her white house logs and videotapes of her speeches say she certainly did support it big time. It's time to talk about SNIPER FIRE SNIPER FIRE and then her subsequent lies about it-- she repeated this lie over and over and often in the morning and never late at night as she claimed. How about the lie about the young woman with no health care who lost a child -- along with the quotes from those at the hospital who say the woman DID have health care. Let's talk about her lobbyist advisers who support the job-losing agreement with China. Let's talk about the times in early debates where she said there were only "minor" differences between their health care plans. Let's talk about Bill Clinton getting advice from Rev. Wright. Let's talk about all the money her brothers made when Bill pardoned various criminals. Let's talk about all the money Bill made from his most famous pardon. Let's talk about her husband being disbarred for lying in court and disgraced for lying to the US public -- and she still associates with this man? Disgraceful! Let's talk about her Walmart board service. Let's talk about White Water and the "missing records." Let's talk about the fact that she got NO experience at all from being first lady either in ARK or in Washington. In Washington, she had no clearance and could NOT speak for the US in any international matter. Her only substantive responsibility in the White House was the health care project where her arrogance and incompetince set the cause of health care back at least a decade. Let's talk about the fact that over 60% of the US distrusts every word that comes out of her mouth. If that's what this is about, then let's go at HER, where there are REAL, rather than imaginary issues and where the problem is HER not who she might have known over the years.

[Joseph S.]

I agree with Dolph T. Obama has to stop running so much against John McCain and recognize his main opponent is Hillary Clinton. He has to be MORE effective in countering her negative attacks. I wish he had answered Stepanopolous' question about whether Reverend Wright loves America as much as he does, by saying the question was beneath the dignity of a credible journalist, and asking Stepanopolous if he (George) loved America as much as he (Barack) does. Anyway, except for Anderson Cooper, the CNN team, particularly Campbell Brown, appears to have become pro-Hillary. I suppose the barrage of emails and phone calls from the Clinton camp has worn them down. I thought it was an outrage for Larry King to get away with hosting Clinton for an hour on the eve of the primary. That had to be the equivalent of at least 10 million dollars for campaign ads. Is he planning to have her back on May 5? Hannity and the Republican bullies are going after Obama because they fear him. If they thought he was so out of touch with the American people, they would want him to win the primary and save their fire for the general election. They must think they'll be more effective in attacking Hillary than Obama in the long run. They think Hillary's negatives will doom her in the fall. The TV media is buying into Clinton's argument that she is more electable. Thank goodness at least for David Gergen who has been sympathetic to Barack all along and is willing to speak up for his chances. Obama has to play offense now and not go into a "prevent defense" (as in football), merely holding on the rest of the way. He can't let himself get beat up the way he has this past week, and not fight back. Don't be a punk, Obama. Hillary Clinton is giving you hell. Stop praising her campaign. Fight to win.

[Nancy]

I couldn't agree with E.G. Hilliary will say or do anything to win the candidacy, and it's all for her own ego gratification. Listen to her language. It's all "me, me, me, I , I, I." As compared to Barack, who speaks consistently of "we." He is the transformational leader our country sorely needs. Whereas Hillary wants to continue to infantilize the people of this country, playing off of and encouragin their whining about gas prices and other pocketbook issues, Barack Obama (who has practically the same issue stances as she does) is challenging the people of America to essentially "grow up" and take responsibility for our government and move ourselves forward into the new era. We need to grow up America and become the great nation we were meant to be. And Barack Obama is the leader we've been waiting for.....Let's step it up and be grown-ups. Yes, we can!

[David]

Barack is wise to shift toe focus from Billary to John McCain.
Billary will not exit the primary race before the convention even after her nomination becomes mathemtically impossible. She knows advancing age will hinder another presidential effort four years from now.

[nazcalito]

I'm beginning to suspect that the Clintons have some sort of secret deal with the Republican party to keep the primary going and burn up as much Democratic money as possible.