From Newsday: Dems win may help Obama more than Hillary.
The Democratic sweep in the midterm elections buoyed Hillary Rodham Clinton's chances of taking the White House in 2008, her backers say. The problem is that it may have helped Barack Obama even more.Clinton's re-election victory in New York silenced critics who said she'd never be able to win over Republicans, independents or cultural conservatives. She racked up 67 percent of the statewide vote, triumphing in Republican-leaning Long Island burbs and upstate cities where she was soundly beaten in 2000. ...
And the Democratic victories in Ohio's Senate and governor's races sparked hopes among her supporters that front-runner Clinton can capture a state that decided the 2004 election in George W. Bush's favor.
On the other hand, Obama, an Illinois state senator two short years ago, has leveraged what was essentially a cheerleader's role this year into a national phenomenon with implications for 2008. He now runs second to Clinton in most polls.
"If Barack Obama gets into this race, he'll be a very serious candidate and he could win the nomination," said Simon Rosenberg of the New Democrat Network, which collaborated with Clinton on an affordable-housing initiative. "I love Hillary Clinton, but I'd love to see him run."
Obama has said he'll decide whether to run by early next year; Clinton hasn't set a timetable but will soon begin canvassing operatives in primary states to see if a run is feasible, according to campaign sources.
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Posted by Forkum at November 13, 2006 07:14 PM
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