Bill Clinton predicts Obama will win 'handily'

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Barack Obama and former President Clinton talked for two hours on Thursday, their first meeting in a White House race that had once bitterly divided them. Clinton predicted that Obama will win the presidency "pretty handily."

Their conversation started with small talk about the former president's commute to his Harlem office and ended after a lunch of sandwiches, flatbread pizza and salad from Cosi.

"They discussed the campaign briefly, but mostly talked about how the world has changed since September 11, 2001," their spokesmen said in a joint statement. The meeting came on the seventh anniversary of the attacks and shortly before Obama was to visit Ground Zero with Republican presidential rival John McCain.

Reporters were allowed in at the beginning of the meeting in Clinton's 14th floor office, but the former president kept his answers short when he was asked about his involvement with Obama's campaign this fall. He noted an already announced trip Sept. 29 to Florida.

Obama said, "We're putting him to work."

Asked if he would be campaigning beyond that, Clinton said, "I've agreed to do a substantial number of things, whatever I'm asked to do."

Before reporters were ushered out, Clinton was asked where he sees the race between Obama and McCain.

"I predict that Senator Obama will win and win pretty handily," he said.

Obama interjected: "You can take it from the president of the United States. He knows a little something about politics."

Obama and Bill Clinton appeared less friendly toward each other at times during Obama's Democratic primary battle with Clinton's wife, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York. After Obama clinched the party's nomination, both Clintons gave strong speeches in Obama's favor during the party convention in Denver.

Obama's visit to Clinton's Harlem office, which overlooks Central Park, sparked excitement in the neighborhood, with people crowding around police barricades that shut off the block. The two men briefly appeared in front of the building, where a large group had been waiting for hours in hopes of a glimpse.

People screamed loudly and snapped cell phone pictures when the two emerged. Obama ducked back in the building with Clinton after a few waves but without shaking hands.

Their spokesmen said the two men were complimentary of each other's work, with Obama praising the Clinton Foundation, and Clinton applauding the candidate's campaign.

"They also spoke about what the next president can do to help make the economy work for all Americans, as it did under President Clinton, and ensure safety and prosperity far beyond the coming the election," their joint statement said.

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{"commentId":2891469,"authorDomain":"141trans"}

I want bill clinton to provide the same "wealth of knowledge" he gave al gore. Better yet the same advise he gave to his wife.

{"commentId":2891469,"threadId":"355410","contentId":"1855364","authorDomain":"141trans"}
  • 3 votes
Reply#26 - Thu Sep 11, 2008 9:42 PM EDT
{"commentId":2891574,"authorDomain":"cubiased"}

To Not over it yet,

I am independent. Swimming through the endless array of half-truths, lies, rumors, and drama.

I do look for character in my candidates and have to say that I have doubts about Palin as well as for Obama.

It is crazy out here.

{"commentId":2891574,"threadId":"355410","contentId":"1855364","authorDomain":"cubiased"}
    Reply#27 - Thu Sep 11, 2008 9:51 PM EDT
    {"commentId":2901932,"authorDomain":"tishamauro"}

    Just curious how do you feel about the republican nominee...McCain? I do know what you mean though...I am a democrat but I'm having a hard getting excited the last 12 years.

    Having said that, I can not possibly force myself to vote for McCain.

    {"commentId":2901932,"threadId":"355410","contentId":"1855364","authorDomain":"tishamauro"}
    • 1 vote
    #27.1 - Fri Sep 12, 2008 3:16 PM EDT
    {"commentId":2902234,"authorDomain":"Bor"}

    not over it
    try this logic:
    I think we agree to want the "Change"
    The question is
    Change for better or for worse?
    We have two exact opposites:
    1-A president candidate that has no experience (but talks about change) with a VP that has experience but does not talk about the change.
    2-A President candidate that has experience and talks about the change with a VP that brings change.

    Here is the logic (from experience)
    If you want to do the change, first you have to understand the current problem, means you have to have experience in the current.
    Draw your own conclusion.

    {"commentId":2902234,"threadId":"355410","contentId":"1855364","authorDomain":"Bor"}
    • 1 vote
    #27.2 - Fri Sep 12, 2008 3:34 PM EDT
    Reply
    {"commentId":2892292,"authorDomain":"bluecollarbytes"}

    What else did anyone expect from Bill? The truth? "well of course ever since Barack walked away from half the party, he's been slowly imploding. Ever since McCain chose Palin, Barack has been kickin hiself for throwing Hillary away like so many American flags".

    {"commentId":2892292,"threadId":"355410","contentId":"1855364","authorDomain":"bluecollarbytes"}
    • 1 vote
    Reply#28 - Thu Sep 11, 2008 10:45 PM EDT
    {"commentId":2892298,"authorDomain":"bfbell"}

    I guess Bill Clinton is a SEER now. Many talents he has. First Obama isn't qualified to be President, now he is going to win Handily. WOW !

    {"commentId":2892298,"threadId":"355410","contentId":"1855364","authorDomain":"bfbell"}
    • 1 vote
    Reply#29 - Thu Sep 11, 2008 10:45 PM EDT
    {"commentId":2892693,"authorDomain":"caroleroach"}

    I certainly hope that Obama does win....wish that I could vote.

    {"commentId":2892693,"threadId":"355410","contentId":"1855364","authorDomain":"caroleroach"}
      Reply#30 - Thu Sep 11, 2008 11:14 PM EDT
      {"commentId":2896595,"authorDomain":"lpwillham"}

      I just have a "feeling" that Bill has so much work with his foundation that its going tpo be VERY VERY dificult to spare any free time.

      And Hillary has "pressing important issues in the senate'. Think about it If you are on the top of the Democratic ticket you get "one shot" at it, Obama has his shot at it and well if he loses he will have a long term in the senate or until he eventually winds up in an Ethics investigation.

      Besides Hillary and Bill have to think about that run against Palin in 2012. I think McCain picked Palin because he really only plans on one term, go in fix things and put Palin in the perfect position 4 years later to run for president.

      {"commentId":2896595,"threadId":"355410","contentId":"1855364","authorDomain":"lpwillham"}
      • 3 votes
      Reply#31 - Fri Sep 12, 2008 9:29 AM EDT
      {"commentId":2899064,"authorDomain":"Ejerod"}

      I agree, but it isn't over yet. I think McCain is making the same mistake the Clintons made by underestimating Obama and his staff. The reason he was able to beat the Clintons is he hired the best people in the game. Period. I believe they are waiting for the debates. Chuck Todd keeps saying this but everyone keeps talking about the ads. Chuck keeps saying that whereever the election stands on Oct 15 is the way it's going to end up.

      I think in the debates, Obama and Biden are going to rip McCain and Palin a new one. Palin has demonstrated she doesn't have a clue when it comes to national policy. Biden is going to smile and probably ask her questions like "whats the name of the leader of the Sunni's and how did he come to power? What is hit the Shia really wanted and who should we negotiate with to make sure we aren't wasting our time?

      McCain himself is confused about the middle east. Remember Joe Biden having to correct him in front of the press ?

      Its going to be a landslide for Obama, and the Clintons are hedging their bets. Because once Obama wins, the Clintons will lose a tremendous amount of influence in the party. He will be the new head with a Democratic Congress and Senate. Joe Liebermann has made his bed and he will probably decide to retire after the elections are over. The Dems aren't going to let him vote on if they should order pizza for lunch or hamburgers once this is over. The Clintons are going to play ball... trust me.

      {"commentId":2899064,"threadId":"355410","contentId":"1855364","authorDomain":"Ejerod"}
        #31.1 - Fri Sep 12, 2008 12:08 PM EDT
        {"commentId":2899171,"authorDomain":"200MilesUp"}

        I think that approach will be horrible for Biden if you ask me.

        The way to do it is just talk of the issues with depth and refer to an intricate issue that might prompt a follow-up question to him or to her.

        Another way is to focus on the grave implications of minutae on their own platform. Over the course of the debates, there will be something she'll get wrong, and then Biden can point out she doesn't know their own platform, thus working the refs (or moderator) into taking her up.

        It's what Hillary thought she was doing with Obama on the issue of Pakistan but it turned out Obama knew what he was talking about.

        {"commentId":2899171,"threadId":"355410","contentId":"1855364","authorDomain":"200MilesUp"}
          #31.2 - Fri Sep 12, 2008 12:17 PM EDT
          {"commentId":2901971,"authorDomain":"tishamauro"}

          EJC

          Just a comment on Obama's organization. He an incredible ground game. I can't believe tha amount of people out here in Colorado that are working for him.

          {"commentId":2901971,"threadId":"355410","contentId":"1855364","authorDomain":"tishamauro"}
            #31.3 - Fri Sep 12, 2008 3:18 PM EDT
            Reply
            {"commentId":2898242,"authorDomain":"charles-l-burns"}

            The GOP has launched a full scale attack on OBAMA since he got the nomination, slandering both him as an individual and the Democratic Party as a whole. The Clintons have been noticeably silent during this attack. They have no loyalty to Obama or the party. She claimed to champion the cause of 18 million voters, promising to fight until there was a Democtrat in the white house. But since that Democrat can't be her, she and Bill have abandoned the fight. It was never about the 18 million loyal supporters, it was not about the Democratic Party, it was, has and always will be about the Clintons.

            {"commentId":2898242,"threadId":"355410","contentId":"1855364","authorDomain":"charles-l-burns"}
              Reply#32 - Fri Sep 12, 2008 11:21 AM EDT
              {"commentId":2898597,"authorDomain":"Ejerod"}

              One thing the pundits on all the talk shows do very well is they play up nonsense so they can have something to talk about. Truth is boring as Pat Buchanan loves to say. They did the same thing in the primaries when they would talk about "bitter" and other nonsense that anyone with a half a brain totally understood. All Obama was saying is middle class people are pissed and hell yeah they have guns and are praying that someone in Washington will finally start looking out for them!!

              The truth is this. The polls they take everyday are polls of likely voters. These are people who have voted in the last two elections. None of the polls take into account that since Obama entered the race, nearly 3 million people have registered to vote as Democrat for the first time. This doesn't even take into account the number of Independents and Republicans that changed their party affiliation to be able to participate in the Democratic primaries.

              So when Bill Clinton says without a smile Obama will win handily. He's probably right. The proof in the pudding will come at the debates. Both sides can play to their base and have photo ops, but the Democrats have had foot soldiers out there registering new voters for 19 months now. The Republicans are just starting to get energized now. They have less than 50 days to do what the Dems have been doing for over a year and a half.

              So Joe Scarborough and Pat Buchanon and the bunch have to have something to talk about every morning. They can't say "hey folks its over" like Tim Russert did while everyone was still saying "Hillary can win this thing!" I miss Tim. He was unbiased and being a V.P. at the network, he had the balls to call it like it was without having to worry about what some program director would say.

              Bill is right. It's going to be Obama by a landslide.

              I don't care if you are a die hard Republican or Democrat. The numbers don't lie.

              {"commentId":2898597,"threadId":"355410","contentId":"1855364","authorDomain":"Ejerod"}
              • 1 vote
              Reply#33 - Fri Sep 12, 2008 11:39 AM EDT
              {"commentId":2898954,"authorDomain":"Ejerod"}

              You know I laugh when I see Joe Scarborough talk about how the Republicans run ads that attack Obama's character. I for one have never in my life voted for someone because of an ad they ran!!! Sure there might be some dufuss in West Hell Georgia that might think like that but the vast majority of the American people are smarter than that.

              There is a hell of a difference between now and the last two elections as well. In the first election (2000)our economy was doing fairly well and The Republicans painted Gore as weak and it worked. Even then he lost Florida by less than 600 votes and even then Bush won using dubious if not outright illegal methods!!

              2004 we were still fretting about 9/11 and were angry. We wanted revenge and Georgie played to our anger and fears.

              Today people are losing their homes. There are about 15 million people who still have ARM's that have yet to reset in the next couple of years. Two of our largest banks have failed and of course gas is through the roof!!! We watched some of our family members die in the streets of New Orleans like dogs while the Republicans stood by for 5 days with their finger up their asses and the whole world witnessed this.

              If people are dumb enough to put the Republicans back into power based on some ads aimed at about pretending to be pissed off because of lipstick and pigs, America would continue to be the laughing stock of the world.

              I mean we impeached one President for lying about getting a blow job, even though he led to the creation of 22 million jobs, oversaw the birth of entire new industries, left us with the first budget surplus in decades and kept world peace!!

              Georgie on the other hand has run up the debt to 9 trillion dollars ( all while saying Republicans are for smaller government by the way ) we have a 500 billion dollar deficit, the most horrible attack next to Pearl Harbor in American history, occurs on his watch ( He had a Republican congress too ) He starts a war based on his belief that America is called to democratize the world, get another 4100 American's killed, alienates nearly all of our allies, doesn't even know that our soldiers were coming home to a ghetto called Walter Reid Hospital, allows our fellow citizens to drown in the streets or die like dogs from dehydration for 5 days and we seriously are thinking about putting the Republicans back in the White House ?

              I will end with this. There is one nation that thinks Obama will win. The Suadi's!! They walked out of the OPEC meeting in protest to Chavez and Putin and Akmdinjad wanting to slow down oil production in order to hurt our economy even more. They did that because they can sense a new attitude in America.

              In WWII when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor they thought it was a brilliantly executed strike. One Japanese Admiral wasn't so sure and he made the statement "All we have done is awaken a sleeping giant!!!"

              The oil ministers are listening to the ads about energy and understand something very well. Once the American people wake up from their slumber, there is not a country in the world that can even come close to competing with us.

              Obama has awakened us. Even McCain and the Republicans are realizing now that we are going to change this country with or without them!!!!

              {"commentId":2898954,"threadId":"355410","contentId":"1855364","authorDomain":"Ejerod"}
                Reply#34 - Fri Sep 12, 2008 12:00 PM EDT
                {"commentId":2899038,"authorDomain":"dc4hilburn"}

                EJC: As far as the Saudis and OPEC are concerned, The Saudi's walked out on Opec because they refuse to cut production. I have no idea where you got your claim from!!

                {"commentId":2899038,"threadId":"355410","contentId":"1855364","authorDomain":"dc4hilburn"}
                  #34.1 - Fri Sep 12, 2008 12:05 PM EDT
                  {"commentId":2899211,"authorDomain":"Ejerod"}

                  If you read carefully thats what I said. Chavez, Putin, and Akmadinijad want to cut production to shore up oil prices. The Saudis refused to participate in such a plan because the understand history and how its going to backfire.

                  Maybe I wasn't as in depth as I should have been but my statement was long enough and I didn't want to bore anyone. But the truth of the matter is the Saudi's are shrewd people who always land on their feet.

                  For example we went through something almost identical to this in the 70's with the oil embargo. Oil production was cut by OPEC nations and Americans literally had to sit in line for get gas. America responded by 1) Increasing it's own production. 2) Starting a national conservation campaign. 3) Raising automotive fuel efficieny standards. ( This led to the birth of the Plymouth K car and the minivan that were huge hits for Chrylser in the 80's) and many other things we did that I won't bore you with.

                  The results were this. In the mid 80's the bottom fell out of oil and the big oil producers and states where oil is a large part of the local economy (such as Alaska and Texas ) were hit with a severe recession. I don't know how old you are but there was a time in the 80's where you could buy a million dollar mansion in Texas for 200,000.00. It got that bad.

                  The rest of the American economy however kicked into high gear. Under Reagan and Clinton we saw the largest economic exansion in the history of the world. We as American's got spoiled and bored so when Clinton got caught with his pants down, the Republicans seized the opportunity to launch their "Contract with America." Promising us ethical and moral leadership in government.

                  A few scandals and a 9/11 later here we are.

                  Again I'm leaving out a few details but this should give everyone enough to do their own research with. So what i was saying is the Saudi's remember very well what happened when they tried this "embargo" approach before. It won't work.

                  {"commentId":2899211,"threadId":"355410","contentId":"1855364","authorDomain":"Ejerod"}
                    #34.2 - Fri Sep 12, 2008 12:20 PM EDT
                    {"commentId":2899357,"authorDomain":"dc4hilburn"}

                    EJ: I apologize as I misinterpreted what you were trying to get across. I initially read it as there would be a comma after meeting and then again after production. Once again, Sorry:)

                    {"commentId":2899357,"threadId":"355410","contentId":"1855364","authorDomain":"dc4hilburn"}
                      #34.3 - Fri Sep 12, 2008 12:31 PM EDT
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