wnyc.org / 93.9fm / am 820

Comments

• [1] rohan lewis from Manhattan January 08, 2008 - 08:36AM

  Could it be explained on the show the difference between the Caucus(Iowa) and the Primary(New Hampshire). Which is more important and why? I know the difference in the implementation of the vote, secret voting vs. caucusing, but what is the political difference?

  
  
• [2] jamesH. from NJ January 08, 2008 - 09:31AM

  Bloomberg is now (thankfully) irrelevant, since Obama and McCain have the independent vote covered.

  
  
• [3] slowereastside from manhattan January 08, 2008 - 10:22AM

  Do we know how long the woman who asked Hilary the question (in the clip) has been working for the campaign yet? ;-)

  In all seriousness, why doesn't anyone simply ask Hilary how she came up with the number 35 -as in, '35 years of experience'? Or are the Dems supposed to wait until the Republicans ask the question?

  
  
• [4] Waldo from Manhattan January 08, 2008 - 10:26AM

  So Obama's more likable than Hillary? Wow! We got GWB because more people wanted to have a beer with him than wanted to have a beer with Kerry. Now we're going to get Obama because he's such a nice guy. Bah, humbug.

  
  
• [5] roberto from nyc January 08, 2008 - 10:26AM

  Democrats, call Dr Kevorkian!"change" = left of Democratic party = massive defeat, ghosts of Humphrey, Mcgovern,Carter 2,Mondale, Dukakis, Gore,, Kerry, all losers big time, only exception , Bill,[centerist] best 8 years since WW11. Nominate Obama/Edwards and you will go on to defeat in an election which you should win in a landslide!!

  
  
• [6] Steve from Brooklyn January 08, 2008 - 10:26AM

  I'm turned off by Edwards' accent.

  
  
• [7] Robert from NYC January 08, 2008 - 10:36AM

  See all the other comments here? That's why we get the people we get in office. Americans haven't got a clue and seem to be self-destructive to me. You got W because you voted for him!! Duh! LOL as I cry.

  
  
• [8] Doug from New Hampshire January 08, 2008 - 10:40AM

  I'm an Independent!

  When I go to the poll after work I will either be voting for Ron Paul or John Edwards. I'll know for sure when I arrive.

  
  
• [9] hjs from 11211 January 08, 2008 - 10:42AM

  edwards is for real change!

  
  
• [10] J.C. from Minneapolis January 08, 2008 - 10:44AM

  Re: Partial-response to Comment 1

  Most of the importance of Iowa and N.H. comes from the hype of being first (my personal opinion).

  Both states have relatively small numbers of delegates to the national conventions. On the Democratic side, Iowa has 56 delegates and N.H. has 30. California, by means of comparison, has 441. N.Y. has 280. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I think these delegates are usually distributed somewhat proportionally to the election results. A handful of delegate slots--at least for the Democrats--are reserved for Democratic officeholders.

  Also, I think this show might have pointed this out, but Iowa's caucuses were to elect delegates to the Iowa state convention. It's unclear to me if those delegates have to elect national delegates in the same proportion as the results of the Iowa caucuses (i.e. if Obama got 38%, must he get 38% of Iowa's national delegates? I don't know).

  I couldn't find delegate counts for the Republican convention in my cursory internet research.

  
  
• [11] Hugh from Brooklyn January 08, 2008 - 10:44AM

  The myth that Americans live better.

  As was recently pointed out by an essayist in the New York Times (perhaps Tony Judt, can't remember), it is simply FALSE to claim that Americans have the best standard of living in the world.

  Europeans live longer, have more accessible health care (and just as good), are better educated and more literate, have better prospects post-retirement, better care in early years, more vacation time, more job safety, etc. etc. etc.

  Americans need to get over their delusions regarding free markets and the "American Success Story". It's hokum.

  Then, perhaps, they can rationally vote for a liberal who makes some effort to stand by principle -- like Obama.

  
  
• [12] roberto from nyc January 08, 2008 - 11:05AM

  Re #9 refer to#5...thats where "change" got you, 8 defeats in forty years, every one of those poseurs were for "change", every one got their arse kicked. Obama and/or Edwards will lead the party to a miserable defeat..Republican rats are loving this!

  
  
• [13] P from Brooklyn January 08, 2008 - 11:14AM

  Halperin is a hack who has been wrong about basic trends time and again. I don't know why you bother talking to him.

  
  
• [14] roberto from nyc January 08, 2008 - 11:29AM

  Yeah Yeah #11, what the hell are you doing in Brooklyn, if you so dislike this place go back to whatever 'enlightened' dump you came from! As for a liberal who stands for principle, berate HC for her pro war vote, but we will ignore BO's vote for the Patriot act...very principled!!

  
  
• [15] Lara Kay from nyc January 08, 2008 - 01:30PM

  I agree with the sentiment expressed about Mr. Halperin being a "hack". Mark Halperin is part of the problem with today’s political discourse. I look to Brian’s show for alternative, thoughtful, and oblique takes on today‘s issues. Don't people like Halperin already take up enough media space. It is a disturbing trend which has already made NPR’s political news programming at times so disappointing (ie., Cokie Roberts, Juan Williams, Maira Liasson). It’s similar to the NYT giving valuable op-ed space to Bill Kristol—it's disheartening.