One of the more amusing twists in the Obama-Clinton battle at the moment is how they are both trying to campaign in Florida without technically doing so.
While watching the Democratic debates the other night in South Carolina from Washington, DC, I saw my first Obama TV ads. Apparently, he had made a “national ad buy” that had his commercials running on major networks around the nation — including in Florida. All of the Democratic candidates had sworn not to campaign in that state because of the Florida’s Democratic Party bucking the decision of the Democratic National Committee that its primary could not move ahead of February 5th. Florida moved ahead anyway.
Hillary’s team got miffed at Obama ads running on Florida TV sets, but now I just received this creative approach from the Clinton campaign to not campaigning in Florida:
Statement by Senator Hillary Clinton on the Seating of Delegates at the Democratic National Convention
“I hear all the time from people in Florida and Michigan that they want their voices heard in selecting the Democratic nominee.
“I believe our nominee will need the enthusiastic support of Democrats in these states to win the general election, and so I will ask my Democratic convention delegates to support seating the delegations from Florida and Michigan. I know not all of my delegates will do so and I fully respect that decision. But I hope to be President of all 50 states and U.S. territories, and that we have all 50 states represented and counted at the Democratic convention.
“I hope my fellow potential nominees will join me in this.
“I will of course be following the no-campaigning pledge that I signed, and expect others will as well.”
More later.
— Steve Clemons
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