Category: The Dish

This is kinda important: it’s not a primary:

126 of the 193 delegates will be chosen at the district level, but differently than in other states where they’ve been allocated based on Congressional district: they’ll be chosen based on totals in 31 state senate districts by caucuses in more than 18,000 precincts. The remaining 67 pledged delegates will be chosen by statewide primary vote.

So the Texas primary gives only a delegate catch of 67 delegates, less than, say, Minnesota.

On the same date, in the evening, precinct caucuses will be held across the state and to participate one has to have voted in the primary earlier in the day. That is where the big prize of 126 delegates will be chosen.

That scenario favors a campaign that spends the resources and has the volunteers to wage a ground game on 18,000 fronts.

Advantage Obama?

A reader writes:

Maybe he met someone?! My partner and I met at an Exodus-type "ex-gay" group in 1995. As you might expect, we were asked to leave. In hindsight, it ended up being a wonderful experience for us!

An interesting bit of nanny-statism from Mississippi. Of course, fat, unhealthy smokers save us all money in the long run.

"We are very frustrated because we have a Supreme Court that seems determined to say that the wealthier have more right to free speech than the rest of us. For example, they say you couldn’t stop me from spending all the money I’ve saved over the last five years on Hillary’s campaign if I wanted to, even though it would clearly violate the spirit of campaign finance reform," – Bill Clinton, December 24, 2007.

"The real story of the night, when you look at their rallies and their turn-out numbers, is that the Dems have two strong candidates either of whom could lead a united party to victory. Forget the gaseous platitudes: in Dem terms, their choice on Super Duper Tuesday was deciding which candidate was Super Duper and which was merely Super. Over on the GOP side, it was a choice between Weak & Divisive or Weaker & Unacceptable. Doesn’t bode well for November," – Mark Steyn. 

Josh Marshall:

Wolfson confirms to me that the $13.5 million that Hillary raised in January does not include this $5 million.

It seems he couldn’t be heterosexualized – and has quit the re-programming "therapy". I hope Haggard will at some point reflect on all this, and perhaps emerge as a figure able to talk about sexual orientation with evangelicals and persuade some that it truly is an integral part of someone’s psyche and soul. The issue of homosexuality is tearing churches apart and alienating the next generation from the core message of the Gospels. I see no reason why Haggard could not turn his life around and help heal this wound. I’m probably being way too naive. But maybe it is his mission. God works in mysterious ways.

Was that $5 million included in her January total of $13 million? In which case, her fundraising has all but collapsed in comparison with Obama’s. And whence exactly did that $5 million come from? Her book royalties? Or did her husband bankroll it? Or was it drawn from tabloid plutocrat Ron Burkle’s $20 million fork-over to Bill? These are all tantalizing questions. Maybe someone in the press will demand an answer.

It’s four times Obama’s net worth. But she’s the alleged tribune of the poor. Like her husband was black.

Not Britney’s latest prognosis, but Clinton’s Hallmark Special. A Daily Show classic: