Sunday, November 4, 2007
Democratic National Convention Host Committee 2008
Special thanks to George Washington University for archiving this information!
Democratic National Convention Host Committee 2008
Democratic Convention Boston Host Committee Archive 2004
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Sunday, October 7, 2007
Terry McAuliffe, On a Mission...
Can he make sure she carries the Iowa caucus?
He’s giving it a shot, one small cluster at a time.
Richard Wolffe Oct 4, 2007
Oct. 5, 2007 - The scene did not exactly reek of triumph. Just two dozen supporters had gathered at the union hall
perched between a welding company and a gas station in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The room was two-thirds empty, the sign-up sheets on the walls blank. But that did not deter Terry McAuliffe, the hyperkinetic chairman of Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign, as he tucked into his speech at the seventh event of his long day. The campaign is on fire.
We’re doing great, McAuliffe told the room.
Click Here for MORE...
Friday, October 5, 2007
Mike Dino - Michael Dino Denver 2008
By George Merritt Denver Post Staff Writer
Article Last Updated: 02/05/2007 11:20:35 PM MST
The group organizing the 2008 Democratic National Convention wants Democratic strategist Michael Dino to head the staff.
Two sources confirmed Monday that Mike Dino will be named executive director of Denver's host committee this week. He is the senior policy adviser at Patton Boggs LLP.
Michael Dino has a long track record in Denver politics. He was a leader of Denver Mayor Wellington Webb's 1995 runoff campaign and served as a senior adviser under Webb.
And Dino has connections to three of the state's top Democrats. He was a campaign adviser to both Gov. Bill Ritter and U.S. Rep. Ed Perlmutter, D-Colo., last year.
He was also campaign chairman in 2003 for Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper.
Under Webb, Dino gained event experience as executive director of Denver's 1997 Summit of the Eight Task Force.
Debbie Willhite, who has served as the host committee's executive director during the successful bid for the convention, said she plans to continue working with the host committee as it transitions from bidding for the convention to preparing for it.
An assistant to Mike Dino said he declined comment.
Democrats Prefer Hillary Clinton to Her Rivals 2008
Democrats Prefer Clinton to Her Rivals to Handle Most Policy Issues
However, ratings suggest possible bias against having a woman in the commander-in-chief role
by Lydia Saad
GALLUP NEWS SERVICE
PRINCETON, NJ -- Sen. Hillary Clinton, who currently leads the Democratic race for the 2008 presidential nomination by more than 20 percentage points in a USA Today/Gallup poll, is also chosen by Democrats (including Democratic-leaning independents) as the candidate best able to handle many national issues. In fact, according to the latest Gallup Panel survey, Democrats perceive Clinton as the best prepared of the top three Democratic contenders to handle 13 of 17 different challenges that could face the next president.
While Clinton dominates on core policy issues, Sen. Barack Obama does relatively well on the handful of items included that tap into the candidates' ability to relate to people and heal divisions in the country. Democrats do not consider former Sen. John Edwards the best candidate on any issue.
Clinton Walks Away With Top Policy Issues
When given the choice of the top three Democratic candidates -- including Clinton, Obama, and Edwards -- an outright majority of Democrats say Clinton would do the best job on 6 out of 17 issues measured in the poll. This includes some of the major domestic policy issues that Americans typically rate among the most important to their vote for federal offices: healthcare, the economy, and education. It also includes two of the leading values issues in today's culture: abortion and gay marriage.
Clinton is preferred by a solid plurality of Democrats on an additional seven issues. Among these are terrorism and the situation in Iraq. She also holds solid leads on taxes, energy, and crime, and somewhat smaller leads on immigration and being commander-in-chief of the military.
Obama's Strength Is on the Personal Dimension
A majority of Democrats prefer Obama on only one issue: race relations. He also leads Clinton and Edwards with a sizeable plurality as the candidate best able to inspire Americans.
While being inspiring could be a valuable asset to a candidate, particularly as campaigning picks up closer to the first primaries, Obama's existing lead in that area is evidently not enough to compensate for Clinton's overwhelming advantage on policy issues. Otherwise, he might not be trailing Clinton by as much as 22 points in Gallup's latest trial heat.
Obama's image as someone who can move people is also evident in his relatively strong scores for healing political divisions in the country; he edges out Clinton by a statistically non-significant 3 points on this item. Obama also ties Clinton as the candidate most likely to be perceived as "reforming the way the government in Washington works" -- something that could require as much interpersonal as political skill. (Reform has been a focal point of the Obama campaign, so the fact that he only ties Clinton among Democrats on the issue is notable.)
Edwards Is Shut Out
Edwards, currently in third place for the Democratic nomination, is shut out of contention for top billing on all of the 17 issues.
Notably, Edwards receives his highest score -- 28% -- for being commander-in-chief of the military. This is much higher than his average score of 18% for all 17 issues.
The fact that Edwards receives his highest rating on the commander-in-chief dimension could say more about what Democrats think of Clinton and Obama on this issue, than what they think of Edwards.
Why?
Clinton could be underperforming on the commander-in-chief item because she is a woman. This is suggested by the fact that she is much more widely chosen for "handling relations with other countries" than for being "commander-in-chief of the military": 54% vs. 38%.
Obama may not be the perfect commander-in-chief alternative to Clinton for the Democrats. He went on record this summer saying that, as president, he would consider a unilateral invasion of Pakistan to root out terrorists, and promised to engage in diplomacy talks with the leaders of nations hostile to the United States. This earned Obama considerable criticism from his Democratic rivals, and may explain Clinton's expanded lead in Gallup's trial heat polls in the past two months. (See "Clinton Bounds Further Ahead in Democratic Contest" in Related Items.)
Indeed, the percentage choosing Obama as best able to handle relations with other countries fell by five points between January 2007 and today.
Saturday, August 11, 2007
2008 Presidential Election - 2008 Election Polls
Aug. 10, 2007 - News
Senator Hillary Clinton of New York retains her position firmly at the front of the pack of Democratic presidential candidates, with poll Thursday giving her 44 percent of the vote, nearly double the 24 percent garnered by the next-closest candidate, Senator Barack Obama of Illinois. For information go to CNN.
Republican presidential long shot Ron Paul's passionate online supporters face a critical challenge in Saturday's Iowa straw poll: translating their online energy into success in the offline political process. For more information go to wired.com.
Perhaps if Mitt Romney wasn’t such a rubber stamp for every blunder George Bush has made in Iraq, then the question he was hit with in Iowa the other day could be viewed as out of bounds. For more information go to The Boston Herald.
Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee warned Thursday that nominating Mitt Romney would leave the party vulnerable to Democratic charges of flip-flopping that could endanger GOP chances of winning the White House in 2008. For more information go to The Washington Post.
Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani said Thursday he had exposed himself to the same health risks as workers at ground zero after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and spent as much time at the site as those involved in the recovery. For more information go to The Washington Post.
A new University of Iowa poll released today shows the race for the Democratic presidential nomination tightening in Iowa with caucus goers splitting nearly evenly between former vice presidential nominee John Edwards, and Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. For more information go to boston.com.
Sunday, June 3, 2007
June 2, 2007 - 2008 Election Poll News
Republican candidates Ron Paul, Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney, John McCain, and Mike Huckabee are preparing for the next republican debate, to be held in Manchester, New Hampshire on June 5, from 7 to 9 PM. More information go to TransWorldNews.com.
Barack Obama delivered a half-hour speech to an enthusiastic crowd in Seattle on Friday. Issues he addressed included the Iraq war, health care, education, and the environment. More information go to seattlepi.com.
John Edwards receives $100,000 in campaign funds from supportes in Utah. More information go to The Salt Lake Tribune.
Al Gore launches a scathing attack on President Bush regarding his handling of the war in Iraq as well as his reluctance to reduce carbon dioxide emissions responsible for global warming. More information go to dnaindia.com.
Permalink.
June 1, 2007 - News
Pennsylvania and New York Polls released
source: USAElectionPolls.com
Quinnipiac University Poll 5/25/2007Pennsylvania
Hillary Clinton
33% - Al Gore - 16% - Barack Obama - 13%
John Edwards
11%
Joe Biden
3%
Bill Richardson
3%
Dennis Kucinich
1%
Other
4%
Siena College Poll 5/22/2007New York
Hillary Clinton
42%
Barack Obama
13%
Al Gore
13%
John Edwards
7%
Dennis Kucinich
4%
Joe Biden
3%
Bill Richardson
3%
Unsure
15%
Quinnipiac University Poll 5/25/2007 Pennsylvania
Rudy Giuliani
28%
John McCain
11%
Fred Thompson
10%
Mitt Romney
9%
Newt Gingrich
8%
Tom Tancredo
1%
Sam Brownback
1%
Mike Huckabee
1%
Ron Paul
1%
George Pataki
1%
Other
2%
Siena College Poll 5/22/2007 New York
Rudy Giuliani
52%
John McCain
14%
Mitt Romney
7%
Tommy Thompson
4%
Ron Paul
2%
Tom Tancredo
1%
Sam Brownback
1%
Jim Gilmore
1%
Mike Huckabee
1%
Unsure
17%
Siena College Poll 5/22/2007w/ Thompson/GingrichNew York
Rudy Giuliani
50%
John McCain
12%
Fred Thompson
8%
Mitt Romney
7%
Newt Gingrich
7%
Unsure
15%
Source: USAElectionPolls.com
Monday, May 21, 2007
2008 Republican Presidential Candidates Polls
Wednesday, May 9, 2007
Election 2008: Clinton Ties Giuliani 45% to 45%
Friday, May 04, 2007
In the race for the presidency, Senator Hillary Clinton (D) and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani (R) are now tied 45% to 45%. That’s little changed from a month ago when Giuliani enjoyed a nominal edge, 48% to 47%.
The new national telephone survey also found Clinton leading Republican Senator John McCain by four percentage points, 48% to 44%. A month ago, Clinton was up by just a single point over McCain, 47% to 46%.
Giuliani and McCain have consistently been the top two candidates in the Republican Primary competition. Clinton and Illinois Senator Barack Obama have been on top of the Democratic Primary field. MORE... CLICK HERE
Monday, May 7, 2007
Internet Freedom and Internet Independence 2008
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Will Congressman Ron Paul Register on the 2008 Election Polls?
He voted against the Patriot Act.He voted against regulating the Internet.He voted against the Iraq war. More on Congressman Paul...
Friday, April 20, 2007
As John Edwards travels the country, he's sticking to his message
Newsweek
April 9, 2007 issue - After Bill Clinton, there is perhaps no spouse in the 2008 presidential race as powerful as Elizabeth Edwards. She is her husband's closest adviser and toughest enforcer. She has her own fund-raising following. She revises drafts of some of John's speeches. Outsiders angling for staff positions get grilled intensively by the candidate—and his wife. "This doesn't require any parsing of words," John Edwards says. "Elizabeth is involved in everything."
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Poll: Presidential races tighten on both sides
Giuliani, the former New York mayor, had a healthy 16-point lead over the Arizona senator last month, but that has dwindled to six points -- that is, if either Thompson or Gingrich enters the race.
Should they both toss their hats in the ring, Giuliani's lead over McCain drops to three points, 27 percent to 24 percent.
Analysts say McCain may have been buoyed by an April 11 speech at the Virginia Military Institute, in which he declared full support for President Bush's plan to send additional troops to Iraq. Giuliani may have taken a hit in the polls as questions continue to arise about his stances on abortion, gay rights and gun rights.
The Democratic survey has a sampling error of 4 percentage points; the GOP survey's sampling error is 5 percentage points.
The poll shows that voters would give substantial support to Thompson or Gingrich if they decided to enter.
Thompson, a former senator from Tennessee who has played a district attorney on three episodes of NBC's "Law & Order," would snare 11 percent of the vote (12 percent if Gingrich decides not to enter) if he announced a 2008 presidential bid.
Gingrich, on the other hand, would take 8 percent of the vote (10 percent without Thompson in the race) if he entered the running.
Gingrich has said he will announce whether he will run in September, while Thompson has said he is eyeing a presidential bid and will appear Wednesday on Capitol Hill with about 50 GOP lawmakers who would support his candidacy. (Watch how Reaganesque politics, cancer could affect Thompson's chances )
Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who led Republican hopefuls in first-quarter fundraising with $23 million, slid into the No. 4 spot -- between Thompson and Gingrich -- with 10 percent of the vote.
Nine GOP candidates placed behind Gingrich and each earned 2 percent or less of the vote. Thirteen percent of Republicans polled said they were unsure who they would vote for.
Clinton still tops among DemsOn the Democratic side of the ticket, Sen. Barack Obama has slashed Sen. Hillary Clinton's lead to single digits, according to the poll, but not because support for the former first lady is waning.
The New York senator still earns 36 percent of the vote, compared to 37 percent in a poll last month, but Obama, the freshman senator from Illinois, saw his support jump from 22 percent last month to 28 percent this month.
The poll suggests a generational divide may be emerging in the Democratic race, according to CNN Senior Political Analyst Bill Schneider.
"Clinton's lead comes from blacks, older Democrats and those who did not go to college -- traditional Democrats," Schneider said.
Obama's supporters, however, are more likely to want to change the direction of the Democratic Party, Schneider said.
"Obama does best among younger, college educated Democrats -- those who distrust the establishment," Schneider said.
Bringing up the rear is former North Carolina senator and vice presidential candidate John Edwards, who earned 15 percent of the vote. New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson and retired Gen. Wesley Clark each earned three percent of the vote, while the remaining four hopefuls failed to snare more than 1 percent of the vote.
Seven percent of Democrats polled said they were unsure who they would vote for.
However, just like with Republicans, the inclusion of a well-known politico in the race could make the Democratic picture murkier. If former Vice President Al Gore enters the race -- although he has said repeatedly that he has no plans to -- support for Clinton, Obama and Edwards drops.
Obama and Edwards would see marginal drops in support, but Clinton would see her support decline from 36 percent to 30 percent, according to the poll. Gore, the 2000 Democratic nominee who won the popular vote but fell short in Electoral College votes, would draw 15 percent of the ballots if he entered the race, the poll states.
Clinton has an 11-point edge over Obama with black voters, and a recent poll suggests that may be directly related to her husband. In a recent poll that showed 50 percent of whites were glad that former President Bill Clinton was no longer in office, only 2 percent of blacks polled gave the same response. Ninety-six percent of blacks said they missed the former president. (Watch how Bill Clinton remains a magical name among black voters )
"The name 'Clinton' remains a powerful draw among African-Americans," Schneider said.
Obama's share of the black vote has grown since last month, but last week's poll showed that 88 percent of blacks felt Clinton understood the problems they face, while only 77 percent said the same of Obama. Those questions had a sampling error of 6 percentage points.
Friday, April 13, 2007
Rasmussen Reports’ Election coverage has been praised for its accuracy and reliability.
Illinois Senator Also Leads Romney by Double Digits
Democratic Senator Barack Obama
The latest Rasmussen Reports national survey of the presidential race shows Democratic Senator Barack Obama now leading GOP Senator John McCain 48% to 42%.
The two candidates were tied 44% to 44% a month ago and in February.
McCain continues to out-poll Obama among males and whites. But Senator Obama, fresh from a surprisingly successful quarter of fundraising, enjoys a more dramatic advantage among women (53% to 37%) and especially blacks (70% to 21%) and other minorities. And Obama dominates 51% to 35% among unaffiliated voters--especially bad news for the GOP candidate given the declining number of voters calling themselves Republican.
In November, McCain had an eight-point lead, besting Obama 47% to 39%. But Senator McCain's campaign has been hindered by his staunch support of the unpopular war in Iraq, Rudy Giuliani's ascendancy as the leading GOP contender.
"Democracy is a device that ensures we shall be governed no better than we deserve."
With the advent of YouTube, it's never been easier for the candidates to communicate with the voters. YouTube even has a project to encourage dialog with the candidates, called YouChoose.
ExpertVoter is simply an organization of candidate videos by issue.
ExpertVoter does not endorse any candidate or political party.
To the contrary, ExpertVoter makes every attempt to be politically neutral.
If you have a movie suggestion, go here.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Friday, April 6, 2007
Most Searched ='s 2008 Presidential Cash?$?
Run for the Money
By Vera H-C Chan
Thu, April 05, 2007, 1:59 pm PDT
Senator Barack Obama played coy, but he finally cashed in his fundraising chips and showed that he had raised $25 million in the first quarter of 2007, just a cool mil under fellow Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton's $26 million record-breaker.
Their successes have been partially credited to Web fundraising strategies. The Internet has proven to be a great equalizer, especially for Obama, who reported half his donors contributed through his web site.
Still, neither the people nor the pundits should be surprised by the junior Senator's first-quarter numbers, or that Republican presidential contender Mitt Romney out-earned John McCain (who has a new finance guy).
Obama and Clinton have been playing a game of Buzz leapfrog week to week, while Romney's queries have surpassed that of McCain and Giuliani. Dollars may not translate into election-booth support, but people might put their money where their searches are...
Top 10 Presidential contenders in Search: March 2007
Barack Obama (raised $25 mil)
Hillary Rodham Clinton ($26 mil)
John Edwards ($14 mil)
Mitt Romney ($23 mil)
Rudy Giuliani ($15 mil)
John McCain ($12.5 mil)
Ron Paul (not yet announced)
Bill Richardson ($6 mil
Dennis Kucinich (not yet announced)
Sam Brownback ($1.9 million)
A few notes on the month gone by...
—A Time magazine cover, his book, and a slew of public appearances helped Obama's searches. He drew 22% more queries than Clinton during March, but his Buzz declined 42% during the month, compared to Clinton's 8% drop.
—The news of Elizabeth Edwards' cancer pushed John Edwards' buzz up 174%. However, prior to the announcement Edwards had been in the middle of the pack, trailing Rudy Giuliani.
—On the Republican side, Mitt Romney took the lead over Giuliani (with the good people of Utah helping to boost the former Mass guv's buzz), while John McCain lost his slim lead over the former New York City mayor.
Cash-poor candidates may have to make hard decisions soon because final fundraising numbers are due April 15. At least that gives them two extra days to write off any losses on their taxes.
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
2008 Election Polls
Friday, March 30, 2007
Republican Candidates 2008
Sam Brownback
Current Job/Position: Senator from Kansas
Hometown: Parker, Kan.
Status: Statement of Candidacy 1/22/07
Jim Gilmore
Current Job/Position: Adviser
Hometown: Richmond, Va.
Status: Statement of Candidacy 1/9/07
Newt Gingrich
Current Job/Position: Chair, the Gingrich Group
Hometown: Columbus, Ga.
Status: Unofficial
Rudy Giuliani
Current Job/Position: Lawyer
Hometown: New York, N.Y.
Status: Statement of Candidacy 2/5/07
Chuck Hagel
Current Job/Position: Senator from Nebraska
Hometown: Columbus, Neb.
Status: Unknown
Mike Huckabee
Current Job/Position: Candidate
Hometown: Hope, Ark.
Status: Statement of Candidacy 1/29/07
Duncan Hunter
Current Job/Position: Representative from California
Hometown: Alpine, Calif.
Status: Statement of Candidacy 1/25/07
John McCain
Current Job/Position: Senator from Arizona
Hometown: Alexandria, Va.
Status: Statement of Candidacy 11/16/06
George Pataki
Current Job/Position: Candidate
Hometown: Peekskill, N.Y.
Status: Unofficial
Ron Paul
Current Job/Position: Representative from Texas
Hometown: Pittsburgh, Pa.
Status: Exploratory Cmte. 1/7/07
Mitt Romney
Current Job/Position: Candidate
Hometown: Bloomfield Hills, Mich.
Status: Statement of Candidacy 1/3/07
Tom Tancredo
Current Job/Position: Representative from Colorado
Hometown: Broomfield, Colo.
Status: Exploratory Cmte. 1/22/07
Fred Thompson
Current Job/Position: Actor
Hometown: Lawrenceburg, Tenn.
Status: Unofficial
Tommy Thompson
Current Job/Position: Candidate
Hometown: Elroy, Wis.
Status: Statement of Candidacy 1/11/07
2008 Democratic Candidates
Joe Biden
Current Job/Position: Senator from Delaware
Hometown: New Castle, Del.
Status: Statement of Candidacy 1/31/07
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Current Job/Position: Senator from New York
Hometown: Park Ridge, Ill.
Status: Statement of Candidacy 1/22/07
Chris Dodd
Current Job/Position: Senator from Connecticut
Hometown: East Haddam, Conn.
Status: Statement of Candidacy 1/11/07
John Edwards
Current Job/Position: Director for Center on Poverty; Trial Lawyer
Hometown: Robbins, N.C.
Status: Statement of Candidacy 1/3/07
Al Gore
Current Job/Position: President of television channel Current
Hometown: Carthage, Tenn.
Status: Unofficial
Mike Gravel
Current Job/Position: Lecturer
Hometown: Springfield, Mass.
Status: Statement of Candidacy 4/14/06
Dennis Kucinich
Current Job/Position: Representative from Ohio
Hometown: Cleveland, Ohio
Status: Statement of Candidacy 12/29/06
Barack Obama
Current Job/Position: Senator from Illinois
Hometown: Jakarta, Indonesia; Honolulu, Hawaii
Status: Statement of Candidacy 2/12/07
Bill Richardson
Current Job/Position: Governor of New Mexico
Hometown: Pasadena, Calif.; Mexico City, Mexico
Status: Statement of Candidacy 1/22/07
Gallup Polls 2008 Election
Although there are similarities in the reasons given for support of each of four leading candidates for president -- Rudy Giuliani, John McCain, Hillary Clinton, and Barack Obama -- there are also some important differences. Giuliani and Obama supporters are most likely to cite problems with these candidates' opponents, while McCain and Clinton supporters focus more on these two candidates' own strengths.
FULL ANALYSIS
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Election 2008: Presidential, Senate and House Races Updated Daily
Here are the cumulative primary polls. Take them with a grain of salt. It is still early in the season and a lot can happen. A candidate's wife having cancer is a serious problem, but a candidate having it is a lot worse (McCain has had malignant melanoma 3 times and Giuliani has had prostate cancer). One or more Thompsons (Fred, Tommy) could catch fire. Al Gore or Newt Gingrich could enter the race. Stay tuned.