Posts Tagged ‘Bill Clinton’
The question that could determine the 2012 election
It is always the most important question for any president during a re-election bid, “Are you better off than you were 4 years ago?” It worked for Ronald Reagan, and Bill Clinton. George W. Bush won by convincing people they were safer than they were four years before. Jimmy Carter and George H.W. Bush were unable to convince the American people that their policies were successful. They were one term presidents.
Now Barack Obama is confronted with that question. Both democrats and republicans seem willing to gamble that the answer for each individual voter will help them win this fall.
It was a key point in yesterday’s kickoff rally in Richmond. Here is my report for NBC12:
RICHMOND, VA (WWBT) – The battle for Virginia has officially begun. President Barack Obama kicked off his re-election campaign in Richmond. It is a state, and town, the president needs to win.
The rally atmosphere was electric, exactly the start that the Obama campaign wanted, but after all the crowds have left and all the music has stopped, each individual voter is going to have ask themselves the same question. And the answer may determine who they vote for in November.
That question came about mid-way through the president’s speech to a raucous VCU crowd.
“How well is the typical family doing?” asked Obama.
The typical family and their view of the world, could determine the election.
Four years ago then Senator Barack Obama made a pledge to turn things around. He now returns asking for a chance to keep the progress going.
“It is going to take sustained consistent effort, yours and mine,” he said. “For America to fully recover, for us to be where we need to be.”
But republicans, like Romney supporter Pete Snyder are happy to have people judge where they were 4 years ago, and determine if things are better.
“Gas prices are up over $2 since 2008, we are all feeling that pain and higher education costs are up 25%,’ he said. “That’s not hope and change. That’s doom and gloom.”
According to NBC news political director Chuck Todd, the place where both sides need to win that argument, more any other place in America, is right here in Richmond, Virginia.
“When you look at this area from the Richmond suburbs, City of Richmond, the larger media market in general, it is 50-50 as you can get,” he said.
read and see this story on NBC12.com
Monster day on the campaign trail
It is at it should be with now only two weeks to go before election day. A full slate of an important and potentially pivotal political events take place on Tuesday as candidates make the sprint toward the final vote.
First- two new polls out yesterday, both good news for the Republicans.
*A CNU/WCVE/Virginian Pilot poll has Bob McDonnell running away with the election. The poll has McDonnell up 14 points and the rest of the GOP was up as well. The poll did not include so called “leaners”, meaning that the undecided pool was very large. As expected Democrats poked fun at the results.
*The second poll, released this morning by Clarus Research Group shows McDonnell leading by a comfortable 8 points. This same poll, taken a month ago showed Creigh Deeds closing the gap. In a release the poll’s director Ron Faucheux wrote that “Deeds has failed to gain sustained momentum,”.
*A third poll, from Public Policy Polling is expected to be released later today.
Secondly- Even though Deeds is behind in the polls today marks the start of a big push to get his voters to the poll.
*Today in Northern Virginia the Democratic Nominee will hold a rally with Former President Bill Clinton and his former rival Terry McAuliffe. The Macker, is back buzzing on social media sites this morning, pledging that Deeds will beat the odds and he will then win a bet he made with Republican strategist Karl Rove on Fox News Sunday.
*Deeds is also specifically targeting the African-American vote today with the help of the group “Black Women for Obama for Change”. This very engaged organization of African-American women worked hard to get the black vote out for Barack Obama in last year’s election. Today they begin phone banks across Virginia featuring prominent black leaders encouraging their community to come out to vote.
*The Deeds team is also attempting to get women excited about the Democratic campaign. First Lady Anne Holton and VEA President Dr. Kitty Boitnott will lead a bus tour through Central Virginia that talks specifically about education. The bus will make stops in Charlottesville, Petersburg and Richmond.
Oh.. and there is a DEBATE tonight…
*The final debate between Bob McDonnell and Creigh Deeds will take place tonight at Roanoke College in Salem. It will produced by our affiliate WSLS. The Debate will be seen in only a few television markets throughout the Commonwealth, but you can watch the debate streamed live on our web site NBC12.com.
We’ll have complete coverage of all of this activity throughout the day, including a complete recap of tonight’s debate on NBC12 news at 11.
Bob McDonnell to appear on NBC12 First at 4
The Republican nominee for Governor and Virginia’s former Attorney General, Bob McDonnell will be my exclusive guest today (Monday) on NBC12 First at 4. McDonnell’s opponent, Sen. Creigh Deeds appeared on First at 4 on Thursday.
McDonnell’s appearance comes with only about two weeks left in the campaign and on the heels of a bit of momentum for his opponent. Sen. Deeds picked up the endorsement of the Washington Post over the weekend and learned that both President Barack Obama and former President Bill Clinton will stump for him in Virginia prior to election day.
However, McDonnell is brimming with confidence. He has held a steady, if not commanding lead in the polls since the beginning and has become the poster child for the Republican recovery around the rest of the nation. We will touch on McDonnell’s role in national politics as well as getting his take on transportation, his controversial masters thesis and more today at 4pm on NBC12-TV. If you can’t get to a television in the Richmond area at that time, First at Four is streamed live on NBC12.com, and I will post the entire interview here on Decision Virginia soon after the program ends.
Reminder: Bill Clinton comes to Richmond Monday
Former President Bill Clinton comes to Richmond in support of Terry McAuliffe‘s campaign for Governor. Below are the details if you are interested in checking it out:
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MCAULIFFE TO APPEAR WITH PRESIDENT CLINTON IN RICHMOND, ROANOKE
This Monday, gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe will appear with President Bill Clinton at events in Richmond and Roanoke.
Monday, April 27
9:30 am- Terry McAuliffe and President Clinton speak in Richmond
Richmond Farmer’s Market
17th and Franklin Streets
Richmond, VA 23219
12:15 pm- Terry McAuliffe and President Clinton speak in Roanoke Fire Station #1
13 East Church Avenue, SE
Roanoke, VA 24011
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We will have complete coverage of the former President’s visit on NBC12 starting at Noon and then again at 5 and 6pm.
Clinton visit details released
The Terry McAuliffe campaign just released the details of former President Bill Clinton‘s visit to Richmond and Roanoke on behalf of his campaign for Governor of Virginia.
McAuliffe’s campaign released the news of Clinton’s visit earlier in the week but the details were just finalized.
The former president will appear on Monday at 9:30 am at an event at the 17th Street Farmer’s Market in Richmond.
He will then travel with McAuliffe to another event in Roanoke that will be held 12:15pm Fire Station #1 on East Church Avenue SE.
The former DNC chair describes President Clinton as his “best friend”. Clinton has already held a fundraiser for McAuliffe and a visit to Virginia in support of the Macker’s campaign was widely anticipated.
This will mark Clinton’s third visit to Richmond in less than a year. He stumped for Barack Obama at VCU in October right before the election and was the keynote speaker at the annual Jefferson-Jackson dinner this winter.
Clinton’s visits to both Richmond and Roanoke are free and open to the public.
Bill Clinton Coming to Richmond/ Trouble at the RPV?
After a 2008 edition that featured Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, it wouldn’t be too big of surprise if the Virginia Democrat’s 2009 Jefferson-Jackson Dinner took a step back. Well today they announced their headliner and its not too shabby. Former President William Jefferson Clinton will be the keynote speaker at the state party’s biggest fund raiser of the year.
(For more on the Clinton visit, the RPV and the race for Governor, click here)…
Coverage Today for Palin Visit
Governor Sarah Palin comes to Richmond today to an event at the Richmond International Raceway Complex. There is no telling how big the audience will be, but organizers are planning for a crowd that could reach as high as 20 thousand. The doors of the venue are already open and event doesn’t begin until 2pm. Governor Palin and Senator McCain are speaking right now at an event in Virginia Beach.
Tonight during our early evening newscasts, our political reporter Rob Richardson will have complete coverage of the Palin visit. In addition to our coverage on the air we will stream the Palin visit on our political web site www.decisionvirginia.com. You can see the entire event there.
Also tonight in our late newscast, I will have a major interview with one of the key players in the race for president. Check back later to learn who it is that I will be talking to.
Meanwhile, in case you couldn’t stay up for our broadcast last night, here is my report from President Clinton’s visit to Richmond.
Bill Clinton Event Wrap
Tonight, coming up after the game, I will take a look at Hillary Clinton supporters and their slow wait to finally get on board with Barack Obama. It didn’t take me long to find Hillary supporters in this crowd that came to see her husband. The first two people I talked to told me they voted Hillary in the primary. I’ll go into it more tomorrow, but until then I will leave you with this picture from my view of the event.
NBC12 Coverage Plans For President Clinton Visit
Good Morning. Get Ready. The next two days will be a political whirlwind as high profile candidates decsend on Richmond for major rallies in the race for President. We will have complete coverage of both former President Bill Clinton’s visit to VCU tonight and Governor Sarah Palin’s rally at RIR tomorrow. Here is what we have planned on-air and online:
Sunday- I will be anchoring live from VCU for President Clinton’s rally tonight. The former President will be in Roanoke earlier in the evening and will then jet over to Richmond for a rally at 9:30 tonight. We will have a preview tonight at 6 and then a full report during our late news which tonight will be on immediately following Sunday Night Football.
In addition to hearing from President Clinton, we will also hear from former House Speaker Newt Gingrich. I spoke one on one with him this morning and we will hear about what he has to say about the campaign and the Clinton visit in particular.
Online you can see President Clinton’s speech in its entirety streamed on decisionvirginia.com and I will have regular updates on what the former President has to say on my twitter page: twitter.com/ryanobles.
Check back later tonight for a complete preview of what we have planned for Sarah Palin’s visit tomorrow.
Bill Clinton Richmond Rally Details Announced
The details have been announced for the Bill Clinton event in Richmond on Sunday. Clinton will start his swing at an event in Roanoke at 6:15pm. He will then headline an event at VCU that begins at 9:30pm. The doors open for the event at 8.
**UPDATE**
Full details on the Bill Clinton visit are after the jump.
