Political Comebacks and Shifting Opinions
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Political Comebacks and Shifting Opinions

Last week political pundits had Barack Obama on life support because of his pastor, Jeremiah Wright. This week, they're asking when Hillary Clinton will quit the campaign. Do primary victories really determine who's likely to win in November? What's behind the sudden swings in conventional wisdom? Also, the US military admits mistakenly delivering missile parts to Taiwana, and a former aide to two Republican presidents says Barack Obama is the same kind of leader as… Ronald Reagan. 

Making News

Military Mistakenly Delivers Missile Parts to Taiwan ()

Air Force Deputy Under Secretary Ryan Henry admitted another big mistake today. Two years ago, four nose-cone assemblies designed for intercontinental ballistic missiles were accidentally shipped to Taiwan. They did not include nuclear materials, but they were triggers for nuclear warheads. Julian Barnes reports from the Pentagon for the Los Angeles Times.

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Main Topic

Obama Was on the Ropes, Now Clinton Urged to Get Out of the Ring ()

Last week, it appeared that Reverend Wright had put the kibosh on Barack Obama. Then came the speech about race and Bill Richardson's endorsement.  Now pundits are asking when Hillary Clinton will hang up her running shoes. With ten states still to hold presidential primaries, what if Clinton goes on a winning streak? Are the primaries really the best measure of who will win in November? Are swings in conventional wisdom about political campaigns determined by competition for hits on political websites?

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Reporter's Notebook

Doug Kmiec Says He's an Obamacan ()

Douglas Kmiec was legal advisor to Republican Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush, but this Sunday, he delivered an endorsement he said his own friends might see as "treachery." He endorsed Barack Obama. Why would a conservative Republican do such a thing? Kmiec, who now teaches Constitutional law at Pepperdine University, admits that his endorsement of Obama "comes from an unlikely source."

Guests:
  • Douglas Kmiec: Professor of Constitutional Law, Pepperdine University
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