By: Suzanne Rosenberg In today's edition of news from newspaper campaign blogs: Palin is great for "SNL" ratings; Bill Richardson and Bill Clinton are still on the outs; and Obama signage not welcome in North Carolina and Austin.
Is there a reverse Bradley Effect?The Swamp
Chicago Tribune
By Frank James
Frank James points out in the Swamp that Gallup pollsters are reporting that the number of voters who say that the race of the candidates could cause them to vote against Sen. Barack Obama is 6%. Ironically, this number may be offset by the 9% who say that race might make them vote for him, ultimately making race a net plus neutral or even a positive factor. But others disagree on this -- and also point out that on matters of race, voters often lie to pollsters.
Obama supporters not wantedOn Politics
USA Today
By Mark Memmott
Mark Memmott reported yesterday in On Politics that a parking lot owner in Gibsonville, N.C., does not want cars on his property that have bumper stickers supporting Barack Obama. He won't go so far as to tow anybody off his lot however, which is nice of him.
Memmott also reports that in Austin, the University of Texas wants to bar two students from registering for the spring semester because they have an Obama sign in their dorm window. Connor Kincaid, a 20-year-old junior and his cousin/roommate, Blake Kincaid, said they were told to remove the signs. The two believe that "this is an important free speech issue," and they claim they saw a sign supporting the Republican candidate in the window of another dorm.
The university says that the dispute has nothing to do with either candidate, but rather, has a policy of forbidding political signs in dorm windows in order to control the look of the campus and avoid giving the appearance that the university supports any specific candidate. Both University Democrats and Republicans have come together over this issue to fight these rules and both suggest that the rules are unconstitutional. They are encouraging all dorm students to place signs in their windows as a form of protest to force the university to hold thousands of hearings and clog their administrative system regarding the 10-year-old ruling.
Mixed messages from conservativesTop of the Ticket
Los Angeles Times
By Don Frederick
Even though James Dobson has given John McCain a qualified endorsement, hoping to bring conservative evangelicals to the polls for McCain, Richard Viguerie -- the other major conservative leader -- appears to be hedging on his support for McCain after initially responding positively to the Palin appointment as his running mate.
Don Frederick reports on The Top of the Ticket that McCain's performance during the last debate was an opportunity squandered. According to Viguerie, McCain spent too much time talking about himself, his record, and service to the country and not enough about what a victory by liberal Democrats would mean in terms of weaker defense, activist judges, higher taxes, and what he perceives will be a greater government burden on average Americans.
Palin is great for 'SNL'Political Intelligence
The Boston Globe
By Foon Rhee
"Saturday Night Live" executive producer Lorne Michaels said, "I think the gods smiled on us with the Palin thing. Like if he'd chosen Romney, I think it would be completely different." Foon Rhee points out that SNL ratings are up 50% so far this year in large part due to the dead-on impersonation Tina Fey does of the Alaska governor. With a Romney-Biden debate, "it would just have been politics as usual," according to Michaels. Stay tuned.
'Frienemies' Richardson and Clinton (Bill, that is)The Caucus
The New York Times
By Michael Falcone
After Gov. Bill Richardson -- formerly a close friend of President Bill Clinton -- chose to endorse Barack Obama rather than Hillary Clinton during the Democratic primary, Michael Falcone points out that the former President and Gov. Richardson have become "frienemies." In an interview on NPR on Thursday, Richardson indicated that the rift between the two could be a "permanent fissure. But that's politics." Richardson indicated that he has mended his rift with Hillary assisting her to raise over $250,000 to pay off her campaign debt, but not with the former president.
Trail Mix's Featured Blogs:Chicago Tribune:
The SwampLos Angeles Times:
Top of the TicketThe Boston Globe:
Political IntelligenceThe Denver Post:
Politics WestThe New York Times:
The CaucusThe Wall Street Journal:
The Washington WireThe Washington Post:
The Trail and
The FixUSA Today:
On Politics
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