Don Walton: Democrats may win gamble
Nebraska Democrats might cash in on their long-shot gamble after all.
“If this is not decided on Feb. 5, the states right after that are very important,” Sen. Barack Obama’s campaign manager said Saturday.
“If Feb. 5 is not determinative, we will campaign in states that come after that,” David Plouffe said.
Nebraska Democrats hold their first-ever presidential caucuses on Feb. 9.
In selecting that date, they wanted to avoid being lost in the mob of about two dozen states, including California, New York and New Jersey, that vote on Feb. 5.
And they hoped against hope that the Democratic presidential race still would be raging after those big states weigh in.
Then, Nebraska Democrats might have a voice in this year’s contest for their party’s presidential nomination.
Probably still a long shot, but the odds have narrowed. It conceivably could happen.
“There’s a chance this could continue through February,” Plouffe said.
Vic Covalt is the guy who has been organizing the caucuses in Lancaster County, devoting countless hours to arranging that complicated venture.
Fifty-three caucus sites have been chosen. Democrats will gather at schools, churches, union halls, apartment club houses, bars and restaurants to express their presidential preferences.
“We’re opening up the party, throwing the doors open,” Covalt says. “Come on in and let’s have a conversation.
“Here’s where you learn to run for office,” he says. “You’ll be competing for (county convention delegate) slots within your neighborhood and that’s a good place to start.”
Results of the presidential preference balloting ultimately will be reflected in national convention delegate selection.
Democrats who want to be delegates to the August convention in Denver need to begin that journey at their neighborhood caucus.
Republican voters will express their presidential preferences at the May 13 primary election.
If Pete Ricketts is right when he suggests the GOP could be headed toward a brokered convention for the first time in recent memory, think of how valuable those delegate slots would be.
Every delegate would be treated like a king or queen in Minneapolis-St. Paul in early September.
Adrian Smith returned from a trip to the South Pole and the Great Barrier Reef believing the United States should focus on technological solutions to climate change.
“It’s quite obvious temperatures are increasing,” Smith told a telephone news conference.
Smith said he’s not inclined to “pick winners and losers” through energy legislation, but wants everything on the table, including nuclear, hydro and wind power as well as more efficient use of petroleum.
Researchers need to “keep a close watch over climate and temperature change in Antarctica,” Smith said, where cooling is occurring now and the ice cap is growing.
“If that reverses and results in ice melt,” he said, “it could contribute significantly to sea level rise” threatening coastal areas in the United States.
Smith’s trip to the ice shelf at the bottom of the world and to the collection of more than 2,800 coral reefs off the coast of Australia was “an incredible experience,” the freshman congressman said.
In attempting to describe the vastness of Antarctica, he said, “huge is an understatement.”
Scene: Bipartisan meeting of centrist political leaders on the University of Oklahoma campus last week.
Chuck Hagel: “I’m actually here looking for linebackers.”
Mark White, former Texas governor and Baylor grad: “We don’t come to Norman looking for linebackers. We from Baylor come to Norman looking for mercy.”
***
Finishing up:
* Hagel will travel to Russia and Great Britain this week. He’ll address a conference of the International Center for the Study of Radicalization and Political Violence in London on Friday.
* How to give terrorists all the power: “Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said ‘there will be no peace’ unless attacks are halted from all parts of the Palestinian territories, including those not controlled by his negotiating partners in the Palestinian leadership,” AP reported last week.
* Doc, Bo, Tom, we got something going.
Reach Don Walton at 473-7248 or at dwalton@journalstar.com.
“If this is not decided on Feb. 5, the states right after that are very important,” Sen. Barack Obama’s campaign manager said Saturday.
“If Feb. 5 is not determinative, we will campaign in states that come after that,” David Plouffe said.
Nebraska Democrats hold their first-ever presidential caucuses on Feb. 9.
In selecting that date, they wanted to avoid being lost in the mob of about two dozen states, including California, New York and New Jersey, that vote on Feb. 5.
And they hoped against hope that the Democratic presidential race still would be raging after those big states weigh in.
Then, Nebraska Democrats might have a voice in this year’s contest for their party’s presidential nomination.
Probably still a long shot, but the odds have narrowed. It conceivably could happen.
“There’s a chance this could continue through February,” Plouffe said.
Vic Covalt is the guy who has been organizing the caucuses in Lancaster County, devoting countless hours to arranging that complicated venture.
Fifty-three caucus sites have been chosen. Democrats will gather at schools, churches, union halls, apartment club houses, bars and restaurants to express their presidential preferences.
“We’re opening up the party, throwing the doors open,” Covalt says. “Come on in and let’s have a conversation.
“Here’s where you learn to run for office,” he says. “You’ll be competing for (county convention delegate) slots within your neighborhood and that’s a good place to start.”
Results of the presidential preference balloting ultimately will be reflected in national convention delegate selection.
Democrats who want to be delegates to the August convention in Denver need to begin that journey at their neighborhood caucus.
Republican voters will express their presidential preferences at the May 13 primary election.
If Pete Ricketts is right when he suggests the GOP could be headed toward a brokered convention for the first time in recent memory, think of how valuable those delegate slots would be.
Every delegate would be treated like a king or queen in Minneapolis-St. Paul in early September.
Adrian Smith returned from a trip to the South Pole and the Great Barrier Reef believing the United States should focus on technological solutions to climate change.
“It’s quite obvious temperatures are increasing,” Smith told a telephone news conference.
Smith said he’s not inclined to “pick winners and losers” through energy legislation, but wants everything on the table, including nuclear, hydro and wind power as well as more efficient use of petroleum.
Researchers need to “keep a close watch over climate and temperature change in Antarctica,” Smith said, where cooling is occurring now and the ice cap is growing.
“If that reverses and results in ice melt,” he said, “it could contribute significantly to sea level rise” threatening coastal areas in the United States.
Smith’s trip to the ice shelf at the bottom of the world and to the collection of more than 2,800 coral reefs off the coast of Australia was “an incredible experience,” the freshman congressman said.
In attempting to describe the vastness of Antarctica, he said, “huge is an understatement.”
Scene: Bipartisan meeting of centrist political leaders on the University of Oklahoma campus last week.
Chuck Hagel: “I’m actually here looking for linebackers.”
Mark White, former Texas governor and Baylor grad: “We don’t come to Norman looking for linebackers. We from Baylor come to Norman looking for mercy.”
***
Finishing up:
* Hagel will travel to Russia and Great Britain this week. He’ll address a conference of the International Center for the Study of Radicalization and Political Violence in London on Friday.
* How to give terrorists all the power: “Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said ‘there will be no peace’ unless attacks are halted from all parts of the Palestinian territories, including those not controlled by his negotiating partners in the Palestinian leadership,” AP reported last week.
* Doc, Bo, Tom, we got something going.
Reach Don Walton at 473-7248 or at dwalton@journalstar.com.
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