For those who can’t attend President Bill Clinton’s rallies in Minneapolis and Duluth today, The Uptake is providing a live feed of the Minneapolis rally. I’m happy to share it here. They will be recording the Duluth rally. I’ll also check to see if any news organizations are live streaming that event. UPDATE: Northland’s NewsCenter will live update their story. Most of the Duluth media will carry the rally live on television, but alas I am not finding any live stream options at this time.
FLASH UPDATE: Here is the embedded video of the Duluth rally.
Here is the feed from this morning’s Minneapolis rally featuring the former president.
Though many are trying to psychoanalyze the Obama camp’s decision to send Clinton to Minnesota as some sort of sign of serious trouble there, really these events are designed to bolster the ticket — especially Rick Nolan who is in a genuinely tight race. Further, the hurricane has shut down most of the prime campaign spots on the east coast and is set to shut down Ohio — so there’s time in the schedule to pick up some new states. I wouldn’t be suprised to see the Romney campaign here for the same reasons.
Minnesota probably will be closer than the “solid blue” rating it’s held for much of the campaign, but it won’t be a tipping point state under any circumstances. Any scenario where Minnesota goes red for Romney is one in which Romney wins the national contest handily. Most stats analysts predict a very close national race that, right now, slightly favors Obama. I feel safe in predicting Minnesota as an Obama state next Tuesday.
America’s most knowledgeable nuts and bolts analyst, Michael Barone, thinks Romney has the edge. But I think you’re right, Minnesota is unlikely to be what puts Romney over the edge. When/if Romney takes Minnesota it won’t be absolutely critical to his win. That District 8 poll that showed Romney one back of Obama should have shaken a few folks up. But I think assuming Clinton’s appearance doesn’t have much to do with bolstering Obama is kidding yourself. Even the Strib poll showed Romney-Obama within the margin of error.
I should add that Clinton is coming here for much the same reason that Biden was going to Pennsylvania.
Well, I do think the appearance has something to do with Obama’s standing in MN. My point is that this is a multi-part strategy, and a rally of convenience based on conditions out east. They know Obama could use a little help here because he hasn’t put any money in and Romney and allies have spent some in recent weeks. But I think this should be regarded as reinforcement, not panic, as was breathlessly reported in some circles.
I honestly don’t know about the national race anymore. This hurricane is something else and a reminder that we just need to turn this over to a force higher than our own convictions. I predict Obama by a nose, but I wouldn’t be surprised much by other outcomes.
On a side note what happened to the tradition of ex-presidents not being aggressively partisan in their public life? In the old days the most you’d see was maybe an appearance at a convention. Ike, LBJ, Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan and both Bushes weren’t seen to be doing what Clinton is. I’m not sure it is a good idea or that it will work to Clinton’s long run benefit.
David: You might recall that the Democrats in the 2000 campaign kept Clinton at arm’s length. That didn’t work out so well for them.
It has never been a gentleman’s game.
The tradition that you have adduced from recent history is an illusion. All is strategy and calculation.
The GOP would certainly be within their rights to trot Dubya around the contested precincts this fall, but for some curious reason have chosen not to . . .
I’m not saying that Clinton doesn’t have the right to campaign but having some senior statesmen who have stepped back from the partisan wars is a valuable resource and Clinton is essentially denying himself that status.
So Obama is now buying television time in Michigan as well as Minnesota and Pennsylvania. If someone is rooting for an Obama win this can’t be reassuring.
Additionally Gallup shows Romney up 52-45 among those who have already voted. Quite a change from 2008.