Money

does money affect politics? How? Is this good or bad? What rules, if any, should there be about money in politics?

I think money does affect politics. It's easy to get things done in your favor when you have money. You can influence people do stuff for money. Candidates can use money to buy well known people to support them. They can also use money to buy votes. I think it is bad. I think that some rules would be like putting a maximum amount of money a candidate can use.

McCain close to victory as Romney quits

McCain close to victory as Romney quits

Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts governor who spent $35m of his own money to become president, yesterday abandoned his bid for the Republican nomination, leaving John McCain the almost certain nominee.

Mr Romney won a reputation as a Republican moderate in Massachusetts, but was criticised by his opponents in the presidential race for "flip-flopping" on issues such as abortion and gay rights as he attempted to recast himself as a conservative.

He made a partial recovery from early defeats in the Iowa and New Hampshire primaries, but was swept aside by Mr McCain in this week's Super Tuesday contests. Mr Romney's 4m votes in the primaries cost him roughly $8.75 apiece. Each of the 294 delegates he secured came at a personal price of $119,000.

"This isn't an easy decision," he told a conservative conference in Washington. "If this was about only me I'd go on, but it's never been only about me."

Mr Romney acknowledged differences with Mr McCain after months of increasingly bitter rivalry. But he came close to endorsing the Arizona senator by urging Republicans to unite to prevent the Democrats seizing the White House. "I entered this race because I love America and, because I love America in this time of war, I feel I now have to stand aside for our party and for our country," he said.

"If I fight on in this campaign all the way to the convention I would forestall the launch of a national campaign and I would be making it easier for Senator [Barack] Obama or Senator [Hillary] Clinton to win."

Mr Romney earned his estimated $200m personal fortune as co-founder of Bain Capital, the private equity company. He spent nearly three decades in the private sector before entering politics as governor of Massachusetts. He burnished his reputation for competent leadership by rescuing the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics from financial crisis. His campaign spending dwarfed that of his rivals but his heavy television advertising and strong grassroots organisation failed to compensate for his perceived lack of "authenticity".

His efforts to become the candidate of the right were also undermined by his Mormon faith and the unexpected appeal of Mike Huckabee, a Baptist minister and former governor of Arkansas. Mr Huckabee has vowed to remain in the Republican race after his strong showing in several southern states on Tuesday, but he has virtually no chance of winning.

Mr McCain now faces a challenge to unify the Republican party after a bruising primary. He is still viewed with suspicion by many conservatives because of his record of compromise with Democrats on issues including immigration reform. Many audience members issued noisy pleas for Mr Romney not to withdraw as he addressed the Conservative Political Action Committee.

Mr Romney said every Republican could unite behind Mr McCain's pledge to remain on the offensive in the war on terror. "I disagree with John McCain on a number of issues but I agree with him that we do whatever it takes to succeed in Iraq and finding and executing Osama bin-Laden."

"Today we are a nation at war and Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton have made their intentions clear regarding Iraq. They would retreat and accept defeat."

McCain Snubs Giuliani While Thanking Top Supporters

McCain Snubs Giuliani While Thanking Top Supporters
Posted February 6, 2008 | 07:15 PM (EST)

Poor Rudy Giuliani. The man hasn't had the best week -- and John McCain probably made it a lot worse today. In his post-Super Tuesday press conference, the straight-talker made sure to thank the other men on stage with him, Senator Lindsay Graham and Senator Joe Lieberman, and two prominent recent supporters, Florida Governor Charlie Crist and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. But the name "Rudy Giuliani" was conspicuously absent -- like the man himself, who was, oddly, a fixture at McCain's side in the days following Giuliani's endorsement of McCain.

You'd think that McCain would want to take extra care to thank Rudy. The man has put his ego and the remaining political clout he has behind his former rival. It was only a week ago when Rudy limped out of the ashes of what was once the "front-runner" campaign to endorse McCain. Not only did he endorse his former rival, but he campaigned for him...in states that McCain won last night! He also went along as McCain's sidekick on the "Tonight Show" and he stood next to his candidate while Schwarzenegger was endorsing him. They spent enough time of the last few days together that you'd think he'd have a lot of Rudy on the brain.


The bigger question is why did Giuliani spend so much time with McCain? One would guess that Giuliani wants to be McCain's vice president. But Giuliani deflated that idea when he was making his way to endorse McCain last week. He told reporters,

I feel bad for Giuliani. McCain was a mean man by not even bothering to thank Giuliani who even campaigned and endorsed him. He should of atleast said a little thank you. I know Giuliani was not a good candidate but he didn't deserve to be treated like that.

Conservatives Weigh Options on McCain

Conservatives Weigh Options on McCain

WASHINGTON (AP) — Conservatives are nearly resigned to seeing front-runner John McCain capture the Republican presidential nomination, but they are still debating whether to stay home in November or to try to influence his positions and choice of a running mate.

The Arizona senator, who has a long history of disputes over economic and social issues with his party's right flank, is beginning to reach out to those critics now that Super Tuesday voting has given him a commanding lead in the race for delegates and his chief rival, Mitt Romney, suspended his campaign

"He's got nine months to give birth to a conservative support group," said Cleta Mitchell, chairman of the American Conservative Union Foundation.

Mitchell spoke as party activists gathered at the Conservative Political Action Conference where McCain was pitching his candidacy to a skeptical audience in a Thursday afternoon speech.

McCain planned to tell the group he cannot succeed without their support and any differences within the GOP are eclipsed by his differences with Democratic presidential hopefuls Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama.

"It is my sincere hope that, even if you believe I have occasionally erred in my reasoning as a fellow conservative, you will still allow that I have, in many ways important to all of us, maintained the record of a conservative," McCain said in his prepared remarks.

The day before, a leading Christian conservative revealed that McCain had personally reached out to him.

The Rev. Jonathan Falwell — son of the late Rev. Jerry Falwell who made the religious right a political force when he helped found the Moral Majority in 1979 — said Wednesday that he had a telephone talk with McCain within the past 24 hours. Falwell, who succeeded his father as pastor of Thomas Road Baptist Church in Lynchburg, Va., said he wasn't ready to endorse a candidate but wanted to hear more from the Arizona senator on the issues.

"I look forward to seeing what McCain's plan is to unite the party," Falwell said, "and to see what he has to say in the coming days on the social agenda." He also expressed interest in hearing more from McCain on national security, the economy, Supreme Court nominees, and "how to protect human life and traditional marriage."

McCain's outreach to conservatives comes after he has garnered nearly 60 percent of the delegates needed for nomination. He's won more delegates than rivals Romney, Mike Huckabee and Ron Paul combined.

As a result, conservatives angered over McCain's stands on immigration, campaign finance and President Bush's tax cuts are talking less about stopping McCain and have begun to discuss whether they can influence his positions or his selection of a running mate.

For McCain, the challenge is to sound a unifying theme without appearing too malleable or swayed by political convenience. McCain recognizes that tacking to the right could hurt his support among independents and moderates that have helped him get this far.

"I'm aware there's a very fine line between inspiring in unity and pandering," McCain said Wednesday. "You know, you've got to present it in the right way, of course."

Mitchell is one who does not expect McCain to undergo a transformation.

"He's 70,000 years old, he's not going to change," she said.

Right now she is not supporting any of the Republican candidates in the field. If not satisfied by Nov. 7, she said, she may well sit the election out.

"It's a very American privilege not to vote," she said.

For some conservatives, McCain's emergence is a sign that the Republican Party is abandoning conservatives.

"The Republican Party has left the moral conservative base adrift," said Jerome Corsi, a conservative activist and co-author of "Unfit for Command," a book that attacked 2004 Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry's Vietnam service.

"If the Republican Party doesn't come to its senses soon, I think there will be a lot of sitting out or discussion about a third party being formed or supported," Corsi said

I don't think McCain can get support from many Democrats. He is a very aggressive guy and i dont think anyone would want to support him. Even though he is the leading man from the republican party i think that Clinton or Obama will end up winning.

Hillary Clinton makes tardy stop at Arlington high school

Hillary Clinton makes tardy stop at Arlington high school

The day after Hillary Clinton revealed she had loaned her campaign $5 million, the presidential candidate offered to pay the cost of running school buses past their normal hours after she was late for a rally at an Arlington County high school.

Students and other county residents had been sitting in the bleachers at Washington-Lee High School's gym for more than two hours Thursday before Clinton took the stage around 4:30 p.m.

"Hello Arlington," Clinton said before apologizing for her tardiness. "My schedule got a little out of balance."

A campaign spokesman didn't know why Clinton was late, but the school's principal warned the crowd the speech was going to be later than expected.

Clinton was "running a little late," Gregg Robertson told the crowd around 3 p.m. "All politicians run a little late. Let's just hope she's not as late as her husband used to be."

Around 3:45 p.m., Robertsonl took the stage again and announced the candidate was on her way, and the school would keep buses there until 5:30 p.m. so everyone could still get home.

"Hillary volunteered to pay for the buses," Robertson said. "I think that was nice."

The Clinton spokesman confirmed the campaign offered to pick up the tab for any extra expense the school incurred because of the late bus runs.

Despite the delay, Robertson said the school was excited to host the candidate because it was a chance for its students to be "on the front lines" of the election process.

On Monday, students at the University of Virginia will get a look at Clinton when the candidate serves as guest lecturer at a government class there, according to the spokesman. Clinton and her opponent for the Democratic nomination, Barack Obama, are scheduled to speak Saturday at a Jefferson-Jackson Day event in Richmond

I think it was irresponsible of her to be late for her speech. It was a nice thing for her to pay for the buses because she made the students wait. I have to admit i'd be excited myself if i got a chance to meet her.

Where Candidates Stand After Super Tuesday

Where Candidates Stand After Super Tuesday

John McCain and Barack Obama should be feeling good today. McCain's way out in front with a delegate total of 613, Mitt Romney 269, Mike Huckabee 190.

About 1,200 delegates are needed to win the Republican nomination. So at this point, John McCain is more than halfway there with some friendly primaries coming up. So he's in good shape.

On the Democratic side, it's a tie with some Obama-friendly primaries coming up next Tuesday in D.C., Virginia and Maryland. So he has momentum. But Senator Clinton's certainly in the hunt.

The Associated Press reports that Senator Clinton has 845 delegates, Barack Obama 765. But Obama's camp says their man has more delegates. Let's just call it a dead heat.

I'm very excited to see what happens. I really hope Obama can beat Hilary. I don't believe she will be a good president. I'm not very surprised about McCain almost winning. I always thought he would win the Republican party.

Obama, Clinton Go for Black Vote in SC

Obama, Clinton Go for Black Vote in SC

CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — In beauty shops, churches and living rooms, organizers for Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton are in a fierce competition for the support of black voters in the upcoming first-in-the-South presidential primary.

Obama's campaign is counting on blacks who traditionally make up half of the Democratic primary voters here to deliver the state to him on Jan. 26, a victory that he hopes will help fuel momentum going into the "Mega Tuesday" voting in 22 states 10 days later. But he'll have to fend off Clinton, who comes with one of the most beloved political surnames in the black community.

The outreach is especially targeted at black women, who are reliable voters and who both campaigns recognize may feel loyalties to each candidate. And so far women have made the difference in the campaign — Obama won a majority of women in Iowa and took the state, while Clinton took most women and most votes overall in New Hampshire.

Juanita Edwards is one such voter. She came to see both candidates when they campaigned near her hometown of Simpsonville and still feels torn about which to vote for. Edwards said she's leaning toward Clinton because she likes that she had exposure to international affairs and health care during her time as first lady. But race and gender are on her mind too.

"I definitely respect the opportunity to vote for the first woman president and the first African-American president," she said. "If I have to lean toward one, I always lean toward a strong, intelligent woman."

In the early days of the primary race last year, Clinton had the advantage in polls here and she's won over many influential black leaders. But Obama has been able to turn that around, partly by establishing his credentials with the Iowa victory.

"What's important to a lot of African-Americans in general and certainly in South Carolina is that he's not a symbolic candidate," said David Bositis, an analyst at the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies. "He's in it to win."

Obama has courted South Carolina voters through a labor-intensive effort aimed at black communities. He has a large campaign staff that tries to win over preachers and barbers who hold sway in the community, and those organizers also hold meetings with small groups of people — mostly women — in their homes.

The message has a different focus than it did in Iowa and New Hampshire, where almost all voters are white. It stresses Obama's civil rights work, his faith and the struggles he faced growing up, only to end up in Ivy League schools.

"Dream of a president who was raised like Barack was by a single mom who had to work and go to school and raise her kids and accept food stamps once in a while," the candidate's wife, Michelle Obama, said on a visit to the state in November. "Imagine a president who knows what that's like."

It's a story that Deborah Williams says she shares with the two sons that she's raised on her own.

"He's an example of somebody who was raised by a single parent and came out on top and still cares for somebody else," she said. "That's what I always tell my sons; you have to care for others and you have to get your education."

Williams, who came to the College of Charleston on Thursday to see Obama speak, said she will vote for him in the primary, even though at first she was backing Clinton.

"Initially I was supporting her because I must say I'm a Bill Clinton fan," said Williams, an elementary school teacher's assistant. "But then Barack came along and had all the things to say about change."

John Kerry, the 2004 Democratic presidential nominee, endorsed Obama here on Thursday to send a message to South Carolina voters that Obama is not simply a candidate for blacks, but one who crosses the racial divide. It also could tell black voters who haven't been reassured by Obama's win in Iowa that he's a candidate who can be embraced by white America.

The Clintons have yet to announce a visit to South Carolina after her win in New Hampshire, and Obama advisers say they wonder whether she's going to campaign in the state. There's a theory that she could skip it, then argue that he was able to win because it was a predominantly black election.

Clinton adviser Minyon Moore said that won't happen. "It's her intention to be in South Carolina and work for every vote there," Moore said. "I can assure you that she's not abandoning South Carolina. There are trips being planned."

Asked how Obama was able to chip away at Clinton's lead among black voters, Moore pointed to a rally last month that drew nearly 30,000 to see the Illinois senator and his most famous friend. "He did have a lovely event with Oprah Winfrey, and we do credit him with that," she said.

Obama advisers say it's unlikely Oprah will make it back to campaign. But spouses of both candidates could help. Bill Clinton would be a powerful draw should the campaign decide to send him. Michelle Obama plans to campaign next week in Georgetown, S.C., her maternal grandfather's hometown.

I had never thought about how close this race might be. I always thought that the African American women would vote for Obama along with the males but now that i read this article i see that Clinton has a chance. I never thought that African females would support here but i can see that they might support her. A lot of women support her and i didn't think it'd make a difference but now that i read i see it does make a difference.