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| Home Front: Politix |
| Campaign Combat Fatigue Dogs Dems |
| 2008-04-27 |
| With seemingly no end to the Democratic campaign in sight, Sen. Barack Obama's traveling press aide went to the Chicago apartment she has seen a dozen times since December, put her belongings into storage and let her lease lapse. She is now officially homeless. "This race gives new meaning to that phrase 'marathon, not a sprint,' but these last few months have been more like sprinting through a marathon," said Psaki, who saw no reason to keep paying rent after Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's win in Pennsylvania. "Nobody expected it to go this long." If the American people are growing weary of the protracted Democratic nomination fight, they've got nothing on the candidates, their staffs or their staffs' families. A campaign that has stretched more than a year has now reached virtually every state, has seen babies born and staffers married, and has now begun to heat up again. Between the two, the campaigns have logged more than 2,000 meal stops, from Yum Yum Donuts in Baldwin Park, Calif., to the Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami Beach -- with pit stops at 15 7-Elevens from North Las Vegas to Raymond, N.H. The Clinton campaign has sent out 1,572 news releases since the beginning of the campaign in 2007, the Obama campaign 454. "Sometimes, yes, of course," Obama acknowledged Tuesday, when asked whether he was exhausted. It's starting to show. "Why can't I just eat my waffle?" Obama snapped at a reporter who sought to interrupt his breakfast with a policy question last week in Pennsylvania. Pressed during the Philadelphia debate on her claim to have faced sniper fire in Bosnia, Clinton shrugged off a question from voter Tom Rooney. "I will either try to get more sleep, Tom, or, you know, have somebody that, you know, is there, as a reminder to me," she said. Clinton and Obama aides insist that the candidates are holding up remarkably well. Clinton gulps down hot peppers to keep illness at bay. Obama took a day off last week to see his daughters off to school. But there is no way to completely hide how punishing the campaign has been. Presumptive Republican nominee John McCain has pared back his schedule, taken the time to grill ribs for reporters at his Sedona, Ariz., ranch and carefully picked the venues for his public appearances. His would-be Democratic opponents have no such luxuries. Usually, long before spring, primary campaign staffs are rejuvenated with new blood from other campaigns that have gone under. Jobs and roles change to keep people from languishing. The Clinton team has gotten some fresh legs. Under duress, the candidate brought in a new campaign manager, Maggie Williams, in February, then a new pollster, Geoff Garin, who became a strategist this month. But the tight-knit Obama camp has remained small, stable and overworked. Last year, Democratic campaign veteran Steve Hildebrand turned down a top job with the campaign, not wanting to leave his home and business in South Dakota. He finally joined, with the understanding that he would handle the first four states and that was all. Instead, he has become the deputy campaign manager. Those four states turned to 44, and he is now in the Chicago headquarters he had hoped to avoid. Adding to the strain is the race's shifting momentum, along with the false hope raised at several intervals that an end would be just around the corner. Obama's losses in Texas and Ohio dealt a serious psychological blow to his staff. They had counted on a better outcome -- if not nudging Clinton out of the race, then at least easing the pressure until the Pennsylvania primary six weeks later. Many had already made vacation plans. But their traditional sojourns to spring training became a three-day Easter weekend, overlapping with Obama's family trip to the Virgin Islands. The candidate tries to swing through Chicago about once a week, sometimes for just a few hours. The night of the Pennsylvania primary, Obama flew from Philadelphia to Evansville, Ind., held a 10 p.m. rally, then headed back to the airport to fly to Chicago. He got home after 1 a.m. and was back at Midway Airport by 8 a.m. to return to southern Indiana for another event. Obama was notably flat at the New Albany town hall, but he did get to have breakfast with his daughters. But not attend the Rev. Wright's sermon? More personal fluff at link. |
| Posted by:Bobby |
| #6 I think both Democrat candidates should create and follow a timetable for their sensible withdrawl from the campaign. It is obviously a Civil War, and is a breeding ground for misogynist racists. They are just running for President for the oil, as well. NO VOTES FOR OIL! |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2008-04-27 20:25 |
| #5 Quagmire! |
| Posted by: anonymous5089 2008-04-27 11:10 |
| #4 Hunter S. Thompson, I suspect -'the' 'gonzojournalist' |
| Posted by: lotp 2008-04-27 10:51 |
| #3 HST = Harry S Truman? |
| Posted by: Bobby 2008-04-27 10:37 |
| #2 "Regardless of your thoughts on the Democratic candidates, this is There - fixed that for ya', George. ;-p "Nobody expected it to go this long." Yeah - Billary and Obamalamadingdong both expected to be anointed. Welcome to the real world, schmucks. May it drag on |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2008-04-27 10:30 |
| #1 Regardless of your thoughts on the Democratic candidates, this is historic. I wish HST had forgone blowing his brains out for a couple of years. |
| Posted by: George Smiley 2008-04-27 09:21 |