Obama Wins Wisconsin, Rebuffing Clinton Attacks

Barack Obama won his ninth contest in a row on Tuesday, scoring a convincing, double-digit victory over Hillary Clinton in Wisconsin.

The results showed Obama consolidating a remarkably broad coalition of voters. He won every age group under 65, every income level and both union and non-union households. Obama won among whites and blacks, married and unmarried voters and among both college-educated voters and people without degrees. Repeat primary voters backed Obama by seven points, while he dominated among first-time primary voters by 30 points.

Yet the most consequential exit polls actually had nothing to do with demographics. Many Wisconsin voters appeared to rebuff the Clinton Campaign's recent spate of harsh attacks on Obama. Asked which candidate attacked "unfairly," twenty-six percent of voters said "only Clinton," while only six percent said that of Obama. Voters who decided their vote in the last week went for Obama by 67 percent, and 54 percent of people who decided in the last three days backed him. Only voters who made up their minds on Election Day went for Clinton, by 51 to 49 percent.

Effective or not, Clinton did not let up on attacks during her speech on Tuesday night. She declined to concede Wisconsin or congratulate Obama on his victory, and instead launched an audacious attack that Republicans will surely use in the general election if Obama is the nominee. "Only one of us is ready on day one to be commander in chief," she declared.

Wisconsin voters disagreed. A bare majority told exit pollsters that Obama was "most qualified to be commander in chief," while another 63 percent said he was "most likely to win in November." Meanwhile, the troubled economy was the top issue for the largest share of voters, who backed Obama by ten points, while people who prioritized Iraq went for Obama by a margin of 18 points.

Comments (45)

1. ok...now to see how stupid the clinton campaign is...

   they've tested the sleazy lie tactic...and obama won by a wider margin than predicted...

   now logic would seem to dictate that this would suggest an 86'ing of the sleazy lies...

   so lets see what happens now!

   Posted by ibbleblibble at 02/19/2008 @ 11:40pm

2. Effective or not, Clinton did not let up on attacks during her speech on Tuesday night. She declined to concede Wisconsin or congratulate Obama on his victory, and instead launched an audacious attack that Republicans will surely use in the general election if Obama is the nominee. "Only one of us is ready on day one to be commander in chief," she declared.

   this would seem to bode ill for the clinton campaign IQ test...

   Posted by ibbleblibble at 02/19/2008 @ 11:43pm

3. SO now she is better commander in chief. Before it was CEO now we are at commander in chief. Someone needs to remind Mrs. Clinton that part of being commander in cheif is the ability to strategize adjust to unforseen challenges. Kind of like running a campaign.

   If I had doubts before I dont have them anymore she is going to play the fear card mark my words its coming.

   Carol

   Posted by harriscrl3 at 02/19/2008 @ 11:55pm

4. Carol

   Posted by HARRISCRL3 02/19/2008 @ 11:55pm | ignore this person

   this would seem to bode ill for the clinton campaign IQ test...

   Posted by ibbleblibble at 02/19/2008 @ 11:59pm

5. Posted by JOMAMMA 02/20/2008 @ 12:03am

   indeed?

   Posted by ibbleblibble at 02/20/2008 @ 12:08am

6. Posted by IBBLEBLIBBLE 02/19/2008 @ 11:40pm

   NEWSFLASH!

   "Clinton Campaign Promises Free Shopping At Wal-Mart For A YEAR!

   Federal Reserve printers said to be at ready."

   Posted by frosty zoom at 02/20/2008 @ 12:09am

7. oooooooo! plastic crap!!!!!!

   Posted by ibbleblibble at 02/20/2008 @ 12:14am

8. She needs to be careful because if she plays that fear card and wins with it in the Primary she is going to LOSE in the general election. I can see McCain say he is more battle tested than her he has more experience than her and rather than the economy which is her strong suit becoming the focus in November it will be National Security where she in all liklihood will lose.

   She and her people need to be careful how they go after Obama cause she may win the battle and lose the war. I hope she is not vindictive enough to be OK with losing the war as long as she wins the battle.

   The fear card is a dangerous card to play against another democrat. With that said I believe this may be the year that the fear card loses its power because in Obama people see someone who makes them not afraid. He presents a different face to the world and he is running on hope.

   Carol

   Posted by harriscrl3 at 02/20/2008 @ 12:19am

9. hunt there ass down and kill them...

   Hunt there ass down and kill them...

   Hunt There Ass Down And Kill Them...

   HUNT There Ass Down And KILL Them...

   HUNT THERE ASS DOWN AND KILL THEM...

   HUNT THERE ASS DOWN AND KILL THEM...

   HUNT THERE ASS DOWN AND KILL THEM...

   Posted by frosty zoom at 02/20/2008 @ 12:22am

10. Posted by HARRISCRL3 02/20/2008 @ 12:19am

    there is nothing to fear but hope itself.

    Posted by frosty zoom at 02/20/2008 @ 12:23am

11. Posted by JOMAMMA 02/20/2008 @ 12:25am

    another regular division on the ground in afghanistan at bora bora might have done it.

    not gettin conspiratorial here...but how hard could it be? at some point it seemed ol mushmouth just quit trying...or caring anymore...

    Posted by ibbleblibble at 02/20/2008 @ 12:32am

12. and if for no other reason than to shut up the conspiracy nuts and that crazy little doubt deep down in my own paranoid jungian depths of mind i would love to see another, thorough, investigation of the events surrounding you know what...

    Posted by ibbleblibble at 02/20/2008 @ 12:35am

13. Posted by IBBLEBLIBBLE 02/20/2008 @ 12:35am

    you mean to shut up that voice in the back closets of your mind.....

    Posted by frosty zoom at 02/20/2008 @ 12:49am

14. How bout those grits?!

    Posted by nicR at 02/20/2008 @ 12:49am

15. Posted by JOMAMMA 02/20/2008 @ 12:25am

    so, should all murderers be hunted down and killed?

    Posted by frosty zoom at 02/20/2008 @ 12:50am

16. Posted by JOMAMMA 02/20/2008 @ 12:25am

    so, should all murderers be hunted down and killed?

    Posted by frosty zoom at 02/20/2008 @ 12:53am

17. Posted by FROSTY ZOOM 02/20/2008 @ 12:49am

    yup...but not now...

    Posted by NICR 02/20/2008 @ 12:49am | i

    shhh! he's watching...

    Posted by ibbleblibble at 02/20/2008 @ 12:53am

18. yuck.

    Posted by frosty zoom at 02/20/2008 @ 12:53am

19. not you, frank

    nor grits....mmmmmmmmm

    double post.

    Posted by frosty zoom at 02/20/2008 @ 12:54am

20. hey ibbs,

    if osama is in bora bora, maybe we should trick the french into doing one more nuclear test.

    http://www.mundycruisingpressarea.co.uk/fileadmin/user_upload/press-imag es/Bora_Bora_01.jpg

    :+]

    Posted by frosty zoom at 02/20/2008 @ 12:55am

21. Posted by FROSTY ZOOM 02/20/2008 @ 12:55am

    oops...tora bora? lol...

    Posted by ibbleblibble at 02/20/2008 @ 01:39am

22. tora tora tora!?

    Posted by ibbleblibble at 02/20/2008 @ 01:40am

23. The Clinton Campaign is burning down the [The Democratic Party's] house - all for selfish and arrogant reasons.

    Perhaps she has secretly become a "Goldwater Girl" again.

    Excerpt from Katie Couric interview of Clinton:

    Couric: "Well, you were a Goldwater girl…"

    Clinton: "That's right. "

    Couric: "…all the way down to the cowgirl outfit. "

    Clinton: "That's right. I was a Goldwater girl. "

    Couric: "And you were elected president of the Young Republicans. But then found yourself leaning in another direction. I guess, as a result of your participation in the mock election debate. "

    Clinton: "That's right. Well, in the 1964 election, I, certainly, was a Goldwater girl. That was, you know, my father's candidate. That's what I believed. And I had a very smart senior high school government teacher who took me aside and said, ‘I want you to play the role of Lyndon Johnson in the mock election debate.' And he went to about the only girl who considered herself a Democrat in our school and said, ‘And I want you to play the role of Senator Goldwater.'

    I was really upset at first because I was such a Goldwater fan. But it forced to me to have to look at and rethink that which would not have otherwise come my way. So, that by the time I got to college I really had to start thinking about what I believed, you know, not my father's or my mother's or my teacher's or anyone else's beliefs. And as a result, I concluded that I was more independent than I had originally thought I was. And I began to look more closely at political ideas and evolved my own convictions and values.

    Source: Hillary Clinton: the early years [msnbc.msn.com]

    Posted by oraibi1952 at 02/20/2008 @ 08:35am

24. Quite a shellacking. And the numbers vis-a-vis the Republican turnout! Where was the GOP, watching "American Idol"? And the media hasn't even gotten to Cindy Hensley McCain's "colorful" history. How long before Rove rises from the crypt and jumps on board the Straight Talk Express? Time for that best-in-class fear-mongering to get underway.

    Posted by fougasseu at 02/20/2008 @ 08:47am

25. Excerpt from Daily Kos diary:

    John McCain follows the usual "family values" profile of Republican social climbers. He divorced first wife Carol in April 1980 and married Cindy one month later. Infidelity? Hell no!... they were just "friends."

    Source: Sorry Cindy McCain, It's Time to Take the Gloves Off [tiny.cc]

    Posted by oraibi1952 at 02/20/2008 @ 09:27am

26. In January 2008, Clinton began planning the use of 527s to attack Barack Obama.

    Excerpt from Political Wire:

    "Allies of Hillary Clinton plan an expensive, stealth campaign to buttress her standing in the must-win states of Ohio, Texas and Pennsylvania," Marc Ambinder reports. Political Wire has heard rumors of such an effort for several weeks.

    Source: Political Wire [tiny.cc]

    Posted by oraibi1952 at 02/20/2008 @ 10:34am

27. Posted by JOMAMMA 02/20/2008 @ 12:03am |

    Actually Bush tried the old hunt them down method. Where's Osama? Oh yeah still free. Looks like you Republicans are still screwing up. Tell me when you catch Osama then we will talk about the effective nature of your tactics. Also if you would like to say that our war has prevented further attacks cite me one example of an attack that has been attempted since 9/11. I can cite you one that would have succeeded had the guy not been a idiot. You remember the shoe bomber? Looks like war and excess security don't mean too much.

    Posted by Cccomfo1 at 02/20/2008 @ 10:38am

28. Posted by ORAIBI1952 02/20/2008 @ 10:34am

    Well, if they go over like the "plagiarism" attack....

    Obama is in pretty good shape!...heheh

    Posted by Mask at 02/20/2008 @ 10:39am

29. Posted by CCCOMFO1 02/20/2008 @ 10:38am

    Looks like war and excess security don't mean too much.

    We don't have "excess security". What we have is an exercise in security theater, and it is no different than 3rd baseman wearing his "lucky" underpants for every game.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Security_theater

    Posted by srjenkins at 02/20/2008 @ 11:21am

30. Posted by JOMAMMA 02/20/2008 @ 12:03am | ignore this person

    what silliness. Obama will be ready on Jan 20.

    two or more years of predictions, down the drain. I'm surprised you have the nerve to show your face around here.

    the old old soldier is DOA as a candidate.

    Posted by emile duBois at 02/20/2008 @ 11:34am

31. Another idiotic post from an idiot.

    Posted by JOMAMMA 02/20/2008 @ 10:01am | ignore this person

    yes we know.

    Posted by emile duBois at 02/20/2008 @ 11:35am

32. Should McCain enter the WH, I am sure the AQ types will leave him alone, for there is no doubt what he will do...hunt there ass down and kill them...

    Buwahahaha.

    Yep, that is working so well now.

    grrr, kill, grr, praise jesus. grrr kill.

    what did all of the experience of McBain and Hillary get us.... Iraq. A place where AQ has flourished and grown. Afghanistan unfinished, AQ growing again there.

    Platitudes and wishes don't win wars.

    Posted by crabwalk at 02/20/2008 @ 11:46am

33. Should George Bush enter the WH, I am sure the AQ types will leave him alone, for there is no doubt what he will do...hunt there ass down and kill them...

    But we know that AQ is no threat, Iraq is the real threat, no need to pay attention to AQ.

    By Bryan Bender, Globe Staff | July 26, 2007

    WASHINGTON -- A day after President Bush sought to present evidence showing that Iraq is now the main battlefront against Al Qaeda, the chief US intelligence analyst for international terrorism told Congress that the network's growing ranks in Pakistan and Afghanistan pose a more immediate threat to the United States.

    In rare testimony before two House committees, Edward Gistaro, the national intelligence officer for transnational threats, said that Al Qaeda terrorists operating in South Asia are better equipped to attack the United States than the network's followers in Iraq are.

    Asked which arm of Al Qaeda concerned him the most, Gistaro told a joint session of the House armed services and intelligence panels that it was South Asia.

    "The primary concern is in Al Qaeda in South Asia organizing its own plots against the United States," he said. Al Qaeda planned the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks from its bases in Afghanistan.

    ...Meanwhile, a top US general in Afghanistan told Pentagon reporters in a video teleconference that the number of Al Qaeda foot soldiers traveling to South Asia has increased up to 60 percent over the past year. "It's increased probably 50 to 60 percent over what it was last year . . . and they come from multiple areas in the Middle East," said Army Major General David Rodriguez, commander of the 82d Airborne Division.--http://boston.com/news/world/asia/articles/2007/07/26/ana lyst_counters_bush_on_al_qaeda/

    Posted by crabwalk at 02/20/2008 @ 11:57am

34. A quick look at Bush's concern with AQ pre 9/11

    http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15046240/

    RICE: I don't think anybody could have predicted that these people would take an airplane and slam it into the World Trade Center.

    DICK CHENEY, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: There wasn't any way then we could have anticipated what was about to happen, of course, in--on 9/11.

    (Subtitle: 1995, Philippines uncovers plot to fly planes into Pentagon and World Trade Center.)

    (Subtitle: September 1999, U.S. study: Al Qaeda might crash planes into Pentagon.)

    (Subtitle: Spring 2001, New York City trial testimony: Bin Laden sending agents to acquire planes.)(Subtitle: July 2001, FBI told of Zacarias Moussaoui‘s interest in flying jumbo jets.)

    (Subtitle: September 2001, FBI memo: Moussaoui could fly something into the World Trade Center.)

    Posted by crabwalk at 02/20/2008 @ 12:06pm

35. It is time for a new strateegery

    Lets hope the O train has some answers.

    A black president that can speak is a darn good start.

    think of "the message" that will be sent.

    think of the message electing another good 'ol boy will send

    Posted by crabwalk at 02/20/2008 @ 12:08pm

36. We don't have "excess security". What we have is an exercise in security theater, and it is no different than 3rd baseman wearing his "lucky" underpants for every game.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Security_theater

    Posted by SRJENKINS 02/20/2008 @ 11:21am

    that would be funny if all the world weren't a stage.

    Posted by frosty zoom at 02/20/2008 @ 12:19pm

37. but there is a scent in the air that is just unmistakable.

    Posted by ZERO 02/20/2008 @ 11:38am

    those are the paper mills in bellingham..................

    Posted by frosty zoom at 02/20/2008 @ 12:28pm

38. FROSTY ZOOM FOR PREZ'DENT!

    Posted by Doug Fir at 02/20/2008 @ 3:18pm

39. Maasch -

    I see aftre two plus years you are sticking to your guns re: Clinton.

    We'll see in a few weeks if we can add this prediction to your resume.

    Posted by Hman23 at 02/20/2008 @ 3:41pm

40. FROSTY ZOOM FOR PREZ'DENT!

    Posted by DOUG FIR 02/20/2008 @ 3:18pm

    seems you already control the executive branch, mr fir.

    Posted by frosty zoom at 02/20/2008 @ 3:56pm

41. pretty soon Crawford can have their idiot back; hoo-rah

    Posted by leftofcenter at 02/20/2008 @ 4:21pm

42. He won every age group under 65, every income level and both union and non-union households.

    The Nationeers haven't picked up the story running online in WaPo and LATIMES on the Teamsters endorsement of Obama. Announcement to be made right about now (4:30 eastern).

    Stay tuned...

    Posted by jackwells at 02/20/2008 @ 4:32pm

43. Posted by JACKWELLS 02/20/2008 @ 4:32pm

    Here ya go, JACK--

    WASHINGTON (AP) - "Sen. Barack Obama is slated to pick up the endorsement of the powerful Teamsters, the second major union endorsement for the Democratic front-runner in a week, union officials told The Associated Press on Wednesday. Obama will meet with Teamster President James P. Hoffa in Austin, Texas, on Wednesday. The endorsement is expected to come soon thereafter, said the officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the planned formal announcement.

    The Teamsters represent 1.4 million members."

    Posted by Mask at 02/20/2008 @ 4:40pm

44. but there is a scent in the air that is just unmistakable.

    Posted by ZERO 02/20/2008 @ 11:38am

    those are the paper mills in bellingham..................

    Whoa a bellingham ref? Where did that come from!?

    Posted by TheCraftyB at 02/20/2008 @ 5:39pm

45. How is it possible that Clinton is still in the election? She claims to be a great commander in chief, but she looks a lot like Bush. Just as Bush had no plan for Iraq after the initial capture of the country, Hillary had no plan for the campaign after Super Tuesday. Its strangely similar isn't it? Like Bush, she is very arrogant, ill prepared and surrounds herself with imcompetent people. Oh yeah, my favorite similarity to DUBYA: when times are rough she reverts to the good ole "Trust me, I know whats good for you" - see speech in NY today ("its time to get real" - as if all the voters for Obama are simpletons who need her to remind them to get real).

    Posted by rasalula at 02/20/2008 @ 5:44pm