Defeats puncture the Obama bubble

CNN ^ | 03/07/08 | Jonathan Mann

[TigerLikesRooster]

Defeats puncture the Obama bubble

Story Highlights Hillary Clinton halts Barack Obama's run of 11 primaries and caucuses victories

Obama still slightly ahead in delegates who will choose Democratic nominee

Near-tie may last for weeks or even months of hard and nasty campaigning

By CNN's Jonathan Mann

(CNN) -- It was a bubble and it burst.

The growing American infatuation with Barack Obama had to pop eventually and this week, the cult of personality finally got punctured.

Obama's run for the presidency is hardly over, but it's a little deflated. For now, the fun is over and the fight is on.

Looking back, the Illinois senator with the illuminated smile had it pretty good. The media were gentle and admiring, party leaders felt pressure to embrace him, and ordinary Democrats got more excited about him than any politician in at least a decade.

Cute new catch-phrases made the rounds about "Oba-mania" and America's new "Barack-star."

Obama won 11 consecutive primaries and caucuses, and he won again this week in the state of Vermont.

But that was as far as his extraordinary charisma and expertly run campaign could get him.

This week there were suddenly reports that while Obama was telling voters he'd get tough on foreign trade, a campaign aide was telling neighboring Canada that Obama didn't mean it.

(Obama says he told the truth about his plans and his aide never said otherwise).

There was suddenly new attention to his ties to a businessman who is on trial for corrupt deals with the Illinois state government.

(Obama says he was unwise to associate with the man but said he, personally, did nothing illegal).

[mouser]

More like a Nascar race where two members of the same team keep trying to run each other into the wall.

I like your description best may they fight to the political death

[Bernard]

non-loony Democrats

The same people who put Joe Lieberman back in the Senate for another term? That could actually happen, and Senator Joe can testify, it has happened already.

[saganite]

Nope. That site you linked apparently didn’t know there was a caucus in Texas as well as a popular vote. Check this link which breaks it down for you.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1982472/posts

[mouser]

Thank you had not seen that

How do they have both caucus's and primary votes do those in one not able to go to the other different counties or do some of them git to vote twice

very strange

[D-fendr]

I’m a white male and if McCain put a black on the GOP ticket, I wouldn’t know who I was supposed to vote for.

[SlapHappyPappy]

You have to vote in the primary to be allowed to participate in the caucus.

[RightWhale]

O’Bama is not yet ready to sing ‘Danny Boy.’

[adversarial]

McCain should then pick a black VP

Are you suggesting that the republican vice president should be chosen based on skin color?

[SampleMan]

I’m a white male and if McCain put a black on the GOP ticket, I wouldn’t know who I was supposed to vote for.

What?

[SampleMan]

I applaud your virtuous ideals of what should be done. However, we have an entire population of people trained to respond to identity politics. Sometimes its fitting to let the enemy fall into their own trap. Even those most virtuous of men, our founders, understood strategy and political expediency when they saw it.

[Richard Kimball]

[D-fendr]

It’s really very simple, this president-picking thing:

If I’m black I’m supposed to vote for the blackest candidate, Obama. If I’m female, I’m supposed to vote for the most womanish candidate, Hillary (I think).

If I’m a black woman, then I have a quandary.

Since I’m a white male, it’s simple for me: I’m supposed to vote for McCain.

If he picks a black, or woman, or both, as a running mate, then I’m very very conflicted.

[shaft29]

Huh?

Not sure how you read that into my post?

[SampleMan]

Ah, but you see, those rules only apply to Democrats.

[Dante3]

And Obama just won Wyoming.