RCP Links 1/17/07

Early Morning Update

The Perils of Identity Politics - Christopher Hitchens, Wall Street Journal
Dems Can't Ignore White Working Class - E.J. Dionne, Washington Post
McCain No Longer a Maverick in S.C. - David Paul Kuhn, The Politico
Can Romney Catch On? - Jay Cost, HorseRaceBlog
Black Dreams, White Liberals - Charles Krauthammer, Washington Post
Rethinking Iran - Samantha Power, Time
Stopping Iran: The Case Still Stands - Norman Podhoretz, Commentary
A Political-Risk Outlook for 2008 - Ian Bremmer, RealClearPolitics

Real Clear Politics Thursday

RCP Afternoon Edition

Can John McCain Mend Fences? - David Freddoso, National Review Online
Huckabee Goes National on a Shoestring - Laura Meckler, Wall St. Journal
Obama: The Visionary Minimalist - Cass Sunstein, The New Republic
Clinton/Obama or Obama/Clinton? - Ellen Goodman, Boston Globe
Why I Like Fred Thompson - Alicia Colon Commentary
The Hypocrisy of Suppressing the Vote in Nevada - John Fund, WSJ
GOP Funk Slows Turnout, Money - J. VandeHei & J. Harris, The Politico
Will Dems Ever Acknowledge Progress in Iraq? - Mort Kondracke, Roll Call
Democrats Winning the Debate on Taxes & Economy - Democracy Corps
Open Letter to NY Times Readers - Daniel Finkelstein, Times of London
Latest Polls: South Carolina, Florida & New Jersey / Videos: Election '08
RCP Blog: Hillary on NV Suit | PM Line / Politics Nation: Mitt Done n/SC?

RCP Morning Edition

Clinton Pulls Race Card, Obama May Fold - Margaret Carlson, Bloomberg
Misstep in a Liberal Minefield - George Will, Washington Post
Old Warrior, Go Home - Debra Saunders, San Francisco Chronicle
In Michigan, Mitt Finally Sold the Real Romney - Byron York, USA Today
Will Romney 3.0 Work Outside of Michigan? - Duffy & Tumulty, Time
South Carolina is Thompson's Turn - Quin Hillyer, The American Spectator
The Use and Abuse of Reagan - Victor Davis Hanson, RealClearPolitics
Class, Not Race, Divides the Democrats - Marie Cocco, Newsday
A Democratic Field Without an Executive - David Broder, Washington Post
Clinton's 'Vetting' Attack - Robert Novak, Chicago Sun-Times
Can Giuliani Get Into the Game in Florida? - Stuart Rothenberg, Roll Call
Notes on the GOP Race - John Ellis, RealClearPolitics
Democrats Go Upscale in '08 - Ronald Brownstein, National Journal
The Education of Ben Bernanke - Roger Lowenstein, NY Times Magazine
What Can We Infer from $900 Gold? - Paul Hoffmeister, RealClearMarkets
School Choice Isn't Enough - Sol Stern, City Journal
The Ideology of Canada's "Liberal" Elites - David Warren, Ottawa Citizen
RCP '08 Charts: Democratic Nomination | Republican Nomination
RCP Blog: SC Track: Steady as She Goes / Politics Nation: Vegas Time

Editorials

The War in Afghanistan - Washington Post
Republicans' 2008 Senate Prospects Look Dismal - Washington Times
A Political Fight Coming on Trade - The Hill
The New York Times' Killer-Vet Lie - New York Post

Political News & Analysis

Clinton Accuses Obama of $1 Trillion Tax Increase - Associated Press
Candidates Flood State in Dash to the Wire - The State
In South Carolina, the Campaign Mud Arrived Before Santa - NYT
GOP Funk Slows Turnout, Money - Politico

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http://www.bransonedge.com
http://www.bransonmissouri.blogspot.com

The story on the McCain side from Michigan

This is from a campaign volunteer for the McCain campaign who spent 2 months in Iowa working to bring out caucus-goers in support of the senator. Owen recently sent pictures and material from his blog from Michigan: (I love the picture of the FOX station-wagon, as John Stewart put it recently).

I went with the advance team this morning to set up for one of McCain's four events today. "Advance" are people who set up an event hours before the principal ever takes the stage. They're in charge of set design, sound, placement of people, preparation of note cards (VIPs, elected officials, and others who need to be thanked), press area, registration, coat check, and myriad other details that need to be in order for an event to run smoothly.



Hanging the McCain Sign







Today's event is at Hope College, a campus with 3,000 students in Holland Michigan.







Officially, the event is sponsored by the College Republicans, who have publicized all over campus and the city. We were expecting around 300 people, but the event hasn't even started yet, and we're already at standing room only, starting to run into the hall, and there's still a line outside in the snow of people waiting to get in.











Can they vote?







The racks set up are full, and coats are being piled on tables and the floor











Local media broadcasting before the event begins







Fox jeep, with a great wrap






Full House Inside







Veteran and Volunteer







Happy Front Row







Asking a Question







Talking with supporters







Press Pack







Straight Talk Express







McCain Train







Photos and narrative by Owen Paun

John Edwards Supporters - Steelworkers give up holiday to support Edwards

Steelworkers answer questions about their support for John Edwards.

John Edwards Supporters - 3 things that changed the world

The footage above was shot by Darin Codon of Branson, Missouri of a John Edwards supporter who went to Iowa from Pittsburgh to support the Edwards campaign.

He states three things changed the world as we know it today.

1. Containerized cargo

2. The fall of the Soviet Union

3. The Internet

Ron Paul on Economics and Running as an Independent

Interview with Ron Paul on foreign policy, running as an independent and the war in Iraq.

Obama Rally

The video clip above was filmed by Crystal Rose. The video captures a drill squad celebrating Obama's victory in Iowa

Rudy Guiliani interview with Chris Wallace

WALLACE: You were the frontrunner for the Republican nomination for all of 2007, but that has changed dramatically in recent weeks. Let's take a look, sir.

The RealClearPolitics average of recent national polls now shows John McCain is leading, with you back in third place trailing by 10 points.

And even in Florida, which your campaign has always called its firewall, a poll came out this weekend that shows you in second place, trailing McCain by eight points.
Related

So, Mayor, I've got a simple question. What happened?

(LAUGHTER)

GIULIANI: The race tightened up. It's a wide-open race. We have now several candidates that have won different primaries.

You get a great deal of momentum and bounce from winning, but the reality is, you know, we've got a good long campaign here in Florida that we've put on for quite some time. We've got a lot of time until January 29th.

We're conducting a major campaign here in Florida. We've had great crowds yesterday both places that we were at, tremendous enthusiasm.

And in fact, many people don't know this, but people in Florida have already begun voting. Absentee ballots have been cast. There's going to be early voting starting next week. So this is a state in which we're well organized and we believe we're going to win.

WALLACE: But doesn't what we just saw in the polls -- doesn't that raise serious questions about your overall strategy? The candidates who have won in the early states have the momentum while at the same time you're fading.

GIULIANI: Well, you know, everybody has to have a strategy that fits their strengths, their weaknesses, the places where they can get their message across the best, and we think this is the place for us to get our message across the best.....


Full Transcript


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http://www.bransonedge.com
http://www.bransonmissouri.blogspot.com