News-Record.com

We have loaded audio for the District 4 races for Guilford County Commissioners on our pages for election coverage.

Check out District 4 Democratic commissioners candidate and current board chairman Kirk Perkins and his statements on sales tax, building schools, connecting with voters and more.

And his Republican challenger, Eddie Souther, spoke about the failed sales tax vote, building schools, his tax philosophy and more.

We'll be adding to this page for all races throughout the election, so be sure to drop in periodically for updates.

Do you keep up with the news? Can you read and write emails?

If so, you’re the type of person we want for Voterspeak ’08, a weekly online conversation about news and political tidbits on the 2008 election.

How does it work? We pose a question on a topic – examples could range from The New Yorker’s Barack Obama cover to a city parks bond referendum with a new pool. If you can write a couple paragraphs of thoughts in an email, then you’re qualified. Your comments will appear online with other regular people from the group in a roundtable discussion format.

How to get involved? Give us basic information such as your name, age, political leanings, job and other info in this form. We want moms, dads, children, immigrants, minorities, singles, students, retirees, business owners, employees and anyone with even a slight interest in voting. Email the filled-in form to county reporter Gerald Witt or state reporter Mark Binker.

We won’t give your info out to marketing or sales groups. In a few weeks, we’ll gather a group from those who email us, tell you more about how Voterspeak ’08 will work and then start up in September.

I just got this notice in my e-mail box from McCain’s presidential campaign:

TALLAHASSEE, FL -- U.S. Senator John McCain's presidential campaign today announced that Hilco Transport Inc. founder Doc Long and president Gurney Long will hold a press conference in Greensboro on August 5th at 6:00 p.m. EDT to discuss John McCain's Lexington Project. The comprehensive plan will lower gas prices, expand the use of nuclear energy, and encourages more research while investing in alternative energy sources. Tuesday, August 5, 2008 GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA

WHO: Founder of Hilco Transport Inc. William H. "Doc" Long
President of Hilco Transport Inc. Gurney Long

WHAT: Press conference to discuss John McCain's energy plan

WHEN: Tuesday, August 5th at 6:00 p.m. EDT

WHERE: Hilco Transport, Inc.
7700 Kenmont Road, Greensboro, NC

Hilco’s website is here.

So I rolled out the McCain event at Hilco this evening. It struck me as the sort of things pols used to do, getting local supporters to talk to the hometown crowd and paper about what’s on their mind.

Doc Long, the 84-year-old founder of the company, was particularly fun. He is a McCain fan and therefore took a few swipes at Obama’s energy policy. He noted, for example, that Obama said Americans need to maintain their cars and keep their tires inflated. So in conjunction with that sentiment, he handed out tire pressure gauges. That allowed Rep. John Blust, a Greensboro Republican, to quip from the peanut gallery: “Look, it’s Obama’s energy plan.”

More in tomorrow’s paper, including wire coverage on the candidates, a breakdown of the plans and my story from the McCain event. In the mean time:

* Click here for McCain’s energy plan.
* Click here for Obama’s energy plan.
* And here’s a picture of Doc in action:

A look at where some of the candidates for state and national offices are scheduled to hang out over the next few days:

Today
11:50 a.m.: U.S. Senate candidate Kay Hagan tours the North Carolina Small Wind Initiative, 119 Central Way SW, Banner Elk.
12:15 p.m.: Gubernatorial candidate Pat McCrory attends Rotary Club meeting and delivers remarks, MacGregor Downs Country Club, 430 Saint Andrews Lane, Cary.
1 p.m.: Coble meets with David Murdock, Castle & Cooke Offices, 210 Oak Ave., Kannapolis.
1:30 p.m.: Coble meets with Miller's Ferry Fire Dept., 2650 Long Ferry Road, Salisbury.
1:30 p.m.: Sen. Elizabeth Dole tours an industrial company, 1710 Airport Road, Monroe.
3:30 p.m.: Dole visits Group Homes for the Autistic Carolina Farms Facility, 31736 Herb Farm Circle, Albemarle.

Thursday
8:45 a.m.: U.S. Senate candidate Kay Hagan attends N.C. A&T University's Small Farms Field Day, 3136 McConnell Road, Greensboro.
10 a.m.: Hagan speaks at the Service Learning Impacting Citizenship Camp, 130 Summit Ave., Greensboro.
10 a.m.: Gubernatorial candidates Bev Perdue and Pat McCrory speak separately to a meeting of the North Carolina Farm Bureau, 5301 Glenwood Ave., Raleigh.
10 a.m.: Rep. Howard Coble speaks at dedication ceremony of Randleman Lake.
4:30 p.m.: McCrory meets with farmers at Chef & the Farmer Restaurant, 120 W. Gordon St., Kinston.
7:30 p.m.: McCrory attends Kinston Indians baseball game, Grainger Stadium, Kinston.

So far, some interesting people want in on Voterspeak, the election forum for regular citizens we'll start up in September.

If you want to get on board, here's the form

When you fill it in, email it to Gerald Witt or Mark Binker.

Cross-posted from Capital Beat:

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The John Edwards affair story has been the stuff of speculation for weeks:

My boss weighed in...

...as did the barkeep and my friends at McClatchy. And so did the folks at Blue NC and Cone..

Now there is some there there as the candidate speaks. From our friends at the AP:

WASHINGTON (AP) _ Former Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards is admitting to an extramarital affair but denies fathering the woman's daughter.

Edwards tells ABC News that he lied repeatedly about the affair with a 42-year-old woman but says that he didn't love her. He says he has not taken a paternity test but knows he isn't the father because of the timing of the affair and the birth.

ABC says a former Edwards campaign staffer claims he is the father, not Edwards.

Edwards was a top contender for the Democratic nomination for president. He placed second in the Iowa caucuses last January but dropped out of the race a few weeks later.

Edwards, a former senator from North Carolina, was the Democratic nominee for vice president in 2004.

Here's ABC's early take.

This is ugly all the way around:

• * Ugly for the family. You don’t need me to explain that.
• * Ugly for Edwards’ career and rep. He goes from being kind of an interesting, different sort of national figure to just another pol who couldn’t keep it in his pants.
• * Ugly for the news business. The National Enquirer is not a legit newspaper by any stretch of the imagination, but everyone once in a while that blind pig finds an acorn.
• * Ugly for the news business part II. As if it weren’t bad enough to have to follow an Enquirer story, we now get treated to whole news cycles full of material that will push the puerile interest test. Ah, shucks, it’s not like there’s a national election to cover or anything.
• * Ugly for the electorate. Once again, they’ve been lied to. Not good for one’s faith in politicians.

Ugly, ugly, ugly.

Update: Edwards has issued an official me culpa, via the AP:

In 2006, I made a serious error in judgment and conducted myself in a way that was disloyal to my family and to my core beliefs. I recognized my mistake and I told my wife that I had a liaison with another woman, and I asked for her forgiveness. Although I was honest in every painful detail with my family, I did not tell the public. When a supermarket tabloid told a version of the story, I used the fact that the story contained many falsities to deny it. But being 99 percent honest is no longer enough.

I was and am ashamed of my conduct and choices, and I had hoped that it would never become public. With my family, I took responsibility for my actions in 2006 and today I take full responsibility publicly. But that misconduct took place for a short period in 2006. It ended then. I am and have been willing to take any test necessary to establish the fact that I am not the father of any baby, and I am truly hopeful that a test will be done so this fact can be definitively established. I only know that the apparent father has said publicly that he is the father of the baby. I also have not been engaged in any activity of any description that requested, agreed to or supported payments of any kind to the woman or to the apparent father of the baby.

It is inadequate to say to the people who believed in me that I am sorry, as it is inadequate to say to the people who love me that I am sorry. In the course of several campaigns, I started to believe that I was special and became increasingly egocentric and narcissistic. If you want to beat me up - feel free. You cannot beat me up more than I have already beaten up myself. I have been stripped bare and will now work with everything I have to help my family and others who need my help.

I have given a complete interview on this matter and having done so, will have nothing more to say.

Cross-posted from Capital Beat.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

I spent some time researching and writing on energy policy in the U.S. Senate race this week. For those who might have forgotten, your players are incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole, Democratic state Sen. Kay Hagan and Libertarian Chistopher Cole.

Click here for Sunday's story on the energy policy debate.

And click here to read the graphic that accompanies the story in the Sunday paper. (PDF)
Both Hagan and Dole did events this week where they talked energy policy. Dole visited with the Chamber of Commerce down in Lincolnton to chat about economic issues, which pretty much is headlined by gas prices and energy policy these days. Hagan visited the wind power demonstration site run by Appalachian State, wanting to highlight her commitment to non-petroleum energy sources.

Click here to listen to a portion of my conversation with Dole. We start out talking nuclear and end up on her telling how she went about turning the lights off in her hotel room that morning.

To read more from Dole on energy policy:

• * a recent blog post laying out some ideas. She also includes some bullet points on energy in her economic security plan.

• * a floor statement from July 23 on energy policy.

• * A June 4 floor statement on the climate security act.

• * more from Dole’s Senate office.

Click here to listen to a portion of my conversation with Hagan. We were talking at the top of Beech Mountain standing under the wind turbines, so I apologize for the wind blowing in your ear during this clip.

For more from Hagan on energy policy:

• * This is her campaign’s energy plan.

• * Back during the primary, Hagan put a campaign ad on the air concerning energy:

Cole isn’t on the campaign stump regularly, but did send along an e-mail after we chatted over the phone, highlighting his differences with the other two candidates. I’ll paste that after the jump.

And of course, your thoughts are welcome at the comments link.

Guilford's Elections Director, George Gilbert, just passed this release along.

Rather than just drop a bunch of filled-in voter registration cards at the elections office on the last day of registration, it makes life easier on elections officials if the cards are instead dropped off regularly. The release says:

To avoid a bottleneck in the registration process, registration groups should submit their forms daily, and let officials know if a big drive is underway. Likewise, election officials should reach out to voter registration groups and coordinate efforts, such as arranging convenient times to deliver completed forms.

North Carolina Republicans opened their Triad “Victory Office” this afternoon. These things are joint operations between Arizona Sen. John McCain’s presidential campaign and the state party.

Should you be inclined to stop by, this one is in High Point near the N.C. 68 and Wendover intersection. The address is 3800 Tinsley Road.

As noted in my my first-take story, former Senator and presidential candidate Bob Dole was on hand to celebrate the opening.

Those doing the speechifying today were particularly upbeat about Republican chances in November. Part of that had to do with the nature of the event. But there was a bit of genuine optimism emanating from the GOP faithful that I haven’t heard from them in a while.

Click here to listen to Sen. Richard Burr give his take as to why Republicans might win more races this fall. Short answer: he thinks the party has better candidates this time around.

Congressman Howard Coble also gave a go-get-‘em speech, which surprised me a little bit because from December through this spring he’s been talking about “a very difficult year.” So has he changed his mind?

Click here for Coble’s answer, which started “No, I’m still pessimistic.” He said that McCain’s chances were improving, but the real bright spot on the ballot was Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory, who is running for governor. In particular, he said there seems to be growing sentiment that its time for a change in the executive office that plays, ironically enough, off Obama’s message of change.

More pictures of the ribbon cutting...

...and Laura Wiley sporting her convention outfit:

So state Sen. Kay Hagan, a Greensboro Democrat, has a new television commercial out in her campaign against Republican incumbent Elizabeth Dole. Her campaign folks have billed it as her first television commercial of the fall campaign, which is true enough if you don't count the third party attack ads that have been running against Dole.

If you listen to the ad, you’ll heard that Hagan was one who helped “Balance five state budgets in a row.”

Aside from the tortured grammar, you might also remember that the state constitution requires North Carolina’s budget to be balanced. So laying claim to a balanced budget is a bit silly because all of North Carolina’s budgets are required to be balanced or the governor balances them for you.

Speaking of that: Hagan was in the Senate when it drafted budgets in 2000 and 2001 that were a bit overly optimistic in terms of revenue growth. That forced Gov. Mike Easley to take some unpopular steps like confiscating local revenues and pinching money from state retirement funds.

As for the rest of the ad, Republicans will probably scoff a bit at the “reaching across party lines” thing, but Hagan can show enough cooperation with others to back that one up. And state budgets did indeed expand funding for early childhood education and raise teacher pay while she was in the legislature.

Cross-posted from 'Scoop

We're doing a story on this in tomorrow's paper.

We'll try to get at what's creating the holdup in the voting machines, and SPOILER ALERT, it appears that the county won't get them in time for November.

At this point, Guilford County would be about 6 percent short on the machines that they wanted in the fall election. That could mean longer waits for people who want to vote in person. Fortunately, there are options to get around Election Day crowds.

Still, it must kind of stink for those who want to be old school about their voting, or get their "I voted" sticker. So do you think that it's going to hurt the election to not be able to have as many machines as possible?

This, from the Facebook inbox:

Text DEM to 69866

You'll receive only the most election crucial information. By keeping yourself and your friends informed, we'll win this election by margins so great the GOP will be forced to stop fielding candidates who would deny us education, health care, and a decent environment.

-It's from the North Carolina Democrats group on Facebook.

Mobile updates are nothing new. But how many folks want campaign info straight to your mobile? With endless e-mails, online groups on myspace, Facebook and other places, then TV, radio and us, how do you find the best way to get into the races?

Who has signed up for this? We would definitely like to hear from you.

And while we're on it, if you see me on Facebook, feel welcome to add me as a friend.

At 11:30 a.m. today, the Obama folks (along with Gov. Mike Easley) are going to hold a news conference to talk about their "blueprint for victory in North Carolina."

This is the virtual handout sent in advance of the call.

No shock: "The campaign will help turn North Carolina blue by harnessing the enormous enthusiasm and support throughout the state evident in the unprecedented volunteer involvement."

Looks like a pretty serious effort, especially in terms of investing in volunteers and "change crews." But the real indicator will be whether Obama stays on the air here into October. If you're seeing Obama ads on the television around Halloween, his folks will be serious in thinking he can win the state.

-=-=-=-=-=-

Update: Gov. Mike Easley on the call: "The people of North Carolina want two things: they want out of this war and they want changes in the economy."

Update: The ground game sounds pretty serious. Obama State Director Marc Farinella: "Every single precinct in the state will be worked by volunteers."

Update: Gov. Mike Easley: "Those who like what we (Democrats) have done in North Carolina, should vote for Sen. Obama."

Update: Gov. Mike Easley: "What I don't understand is why this is even a close race."

Remember Syene Jasimin, the A&T student we wrote about a couple months ago who brought a bunch of new voter registrations from the college to the Guilford County Board of Elections?

Well, he's still at it, this time in Kinston. And he took a video camera around to show some of the reasons that people don't register or vote, such as disillusionment with the system, lying politicians and the belief that voting doesn't matter.

Jasmin shoots those theories down, but says he's still got a long way to go.

See for yourself, here:

On Wednesday, we'll close the period to sign up for Voterspeak, so if you're interested in getting on board, do it soon.

Fill out this questionnaire by Aug. 20 and email it to Gerald Witt or Mark Binker, and we'll review it and get back to you in a few days with more info on Voterspeak.

If you live in High Point, this could be the issue.

Some towns and cities choose to remove campaign signs, but with the abundance of signs that can appear in some places, it can be a big chore to police their proper placement.

With that, have any of you had any issues with your favorite politician's campaign sign being taken down? We'd like to hear about it in the comments.

Bev Perdue and Pat McCrory, two of the candidates for governor, will debate at 8 p.m. today, and WTVD in Durham will air it. Problem is, WTVD isn't available in Guilford County.

But a spokesman for the station says a video of the debate should be available on the station's web site Wednesday.

Update: WUNC will air a tape of the debate at 1 p.m. Sunday.

Update again: Sorry. Rephrased the "candidates for governor." Libertarian candidate Mike Munger was not invited, but he is a candidate as well. Read more about the three of them.

Here's audio from Barack Obama's interview with us Tuesday.

On winning North Carolina in the fall.

How he hopes to break down support existing along racial lines for his and John McCain's campaigns.

Capturing older voters.

A look at where some of the candidates on the Guilford County ballot are in the next few days:

TODAY
U.S. Senate candidate Kay Hagan
10:30 a.m.: News conference on crime and gang violence. Several Charlotte officials plan to endorse her. Mecklenburg County Historical Courthouse, 700 E. Trade St., Charlotte.
1:45 p.m.: Addresses a meeting of the N.C. Correctional Association. N.C. Cooperative Extension, Randolph County Center, 112 West Walker Ave., Asheboro.

Gubernatorial candidate Pat McCrory
11 a.m.: Speaks at the N.C. Association of County Commissioners annual conference. New Bern Riverfront Convention Center, Colonial Capital Ballroom A, 203 South Front St., New Bern.

Gubernatorial candidate Bev Perdue
4 p.m.: Speaks at the N.C. Association of County Commissioners annual conference. New Bern Riverfront Convention Center, Colonial Capital Ballroom A, 203 South Front St., New Bern.

U.S. House District Rep. Brad Miller
12:30 p.m.: Gives keynote speech at the Kiwanis Club Luncheon. Highland United Methodist Church, 1901 Ridge Road, Raleigh.

SATURDAY
U.S. Senate candidate Kay Hagan
11:30 a.m.: Attending an open house at her campaign headquarters, 700 N. Eugene St., Greensboro.
2 p.m.: Participates in a crime and gangs round-table. N.C. Central University, Whiting Justice Building, Room 324, Corner of Nelson and Lincoln Street, Durham.

SUNDAY
Gubernatorial candidate Pat McCrory
2 p.m.: Attends Alamance County Republican Party Headquarters grand opening, 16 Northeast Court Square, Graham.
6 p.m.: Speaks to the Greater Greensboro Republican Women’s Club, Starmount Forest Country Club, One Sam Snead Dr., Greensboro.

UPDATE: Adds Hagan's open house on Saturday and McCrory's events Sunday; removes Thursday's events.

Toward the end of the five minutes that we had with Barack Obama, we talked football.

Defense wins championships. Not too sure what it does for a shot at the presidency, though.

N.C. Sen. Kay Hagan, the Greensboro Democrat who is running against incumbent Republican Elizabeth Dole and Libertarian Chris Cole for a U.S. Senate seat, will hold an open house at her new campaign headquarters at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, 700 N. Eugene St., Greensboro.

Hagan will welcome supporters and volunteers and introduce them to her campaign staff. fterward, volunteers will go door-to-door to talk about Hagan’s campaign.

Gloria Craven, of Eden, told her story of being laid off while she struggled to pay for health care when presidential candidate Barack Obama visited North Carolina last week. She'll tell that story to a national audience Tuesday at the Democratic National Convention. From the Obama press gang:

Gloria Craven of Eden is scheduled to speak at 10:01 pm Eastern Time Tuesday night. She and her husband lost their jobs as textile workers when Pillowtex closed its doors in 2003. After going to community college using Trade Adjustment Assistance, she encountered work-related medical problems. Now the bad economy, rising prices and lack of health insurance have left her and her husband in tough times. Gloria is supporting Barack Obama because she believes he understands the struggles of working families, and he will help to protect American jobs, rather than rewarding companies who ship jobs overseas. She introduced Senator Obama at last week’s Town Hall Meeting in Raleigh.

She will join Pamela Cash-Roper of Pittsboro in the convention spotlight. Also up, according to the campaign:

Additionally, two North Carolinians will have their questions featured at “America’s Town Hall” TONIGHT in Denver, which is scheduled to take place between 8 and 9 pm Eastern Time. People from around the country videotaped questions that will be aired during the live town hall tonight. Brandy Bynum and Adam Terando came to a taping at Moore Square in Raleigh, and their questions on health care and job losses will be among those featured during tonight’s event. The virtual town hall will be moderated by Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown, and it will include a panel of policy experts to answer the questions.

From the Rockingham Republican Party:

Rockingham County Republican Party plans family picnic on the grounds of Chinqua Penn Plantation

Members, guests and their families are invited to this pot-luck picnic

REIDSVILLE - Republican Congresswoman Virginia Foxx of the 5th District and Republican candidate for the 13th Congressional District, former state Sen. Hugh Webster of Yanceyville, will be in attendance at the Rockingham County Republican Party’s pot luck picnic to be held at 5pm Sept. 6 on the beautiful grounds of Chinqua Penn Plantation just outside of Reidsville.

Local Republican state Sen. Phil Berger and Rep. Bryan Holloway will be on hand to greet constituents.

The Rockingham GOP is seeking to build community among its diverse membership by offering this relaxed time of food and fellowship in a family friendly setting.

The local GOP is extending invitations to Republican candidates from across the state. Republican candidates for county commissioner will be in attendance along with representatives from the McCain, McCrory and Dole campaigns.

As a pot luck dinner, attendees are asked to bring food to share with others. Local Republican women's groups will provide tea and lemonade and the party will provide soft drinks, ice and tableware.

All Republicans and potential party members and their families are encouraged to attend. If you are certain of your attendance, please help us plan for this event by emailing info@rockgop.com with the number from your family or calling Tom Schoolfied, local party vice-chairman, at 336-634-0713. RSVP is not required but helpful for planning purposes.

The party asks for a small cash contribution at the picnic to help offset facility rental fees. Those attending the picnic are free to stroll the grounds of Chinqua Penn. House tours are available during normal business hours.

For directions please visit http://www.chinquapenn.com/directions.htm

PPP says Greensboro Democrat Kay Hagan has a small lead in her U.S. Senate campaign against incumbent Republican Elizabeth Dole.

PPP’s Tom Jensen chalks the numbers up to the DSCC smacking Dole around with negative ads, which certainly makes sense. I would add to that the national Republicans basically punting on NC as contributing. Without their ads, there’s no counterweight to the DSCC ads.

But I’m suspicious of the numbers, as am of all poll numbers at this point. I think the far better reads will come in a couple weeks after both parties have ended their convention and there’s not so much noise in the political system. Still, this has to ad fuel to Hagan’s fundraising fire, letting her point to some numbers that shows she’s not only competitive but, by at least one measure, is winning.

What does a candidate for governor do between meetings and campaign appearances?

If you’re Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory, see a movie. (McCrory is a Republican running against Democrat Bev Perdue.)

McCrory met with the News & Record’s editorial board on Monday and before things got rolling allowed as how he had taken a break on a trip through the city Sunday. He and a campaign worker stopped to see Topic Thunder.

“It was wild. It was wild. We had a two hour break between meetings and instead of sitting around making phone calls, I said, ‘You know what? Let’s get our mind off it and go see a good comedy,” McCrory said.

I haven’t been out to the movies much lately, so I’ll leave it to you as whether the Ben Stiller film qualifies as a “good comedy.”

Michelle Obama as seen through Pricey Harrison's cellphone, via Facebook:

High Point City Councilwoman Bernita Sims chatted with us from her perch at the Democratic National Convention in Denver today.

Not surprisingly, she had good things to say about Michelle Obama’s speech Monday night. I asked her what stuck out from the presentation.

“Well, I think the tone of her speech in terms of letting everybody know in the room that she’s just an ordinary person, that she doesn’t come from a monied background or a background that speaks of some sort of dynasty … She doesn’t have a pedigree that speaks to two and three or four generations of folks coming up in this country. I think it resonated with just everyday people. That part I liked, and the fact that she talked about the legacy she wants to leave for her children. And I think with most Americans that’s what we’re looking for, what kind of country are we going to leave when we’re gone.”

(More on Michelle Obama’s speech here.)

Sims was in Boston for the 2004 Democratic convention and I asked her to compare the two.

“In terms of the historical significance of what we’re doing in Denver, there’s no comparison. When he gets the nod and he becomes the nominee, we’ve made history. And I think that’s what the individuals who are here, the delegates who are here and the folks who are attending, are here for that reason alone. I talked to several people who said they wanted to cast their vote for an individual who first of all is going to be different from what we currently have in Washington, and then secondly the historical nature of him being an African American and the very first to actually achieve this level.”

So, are people more enthusiastic in Denver than in Boston?

“I think for the North Carolina folks, it’s probably the same level of enthusiasm because if you remember, John Edwards was the vice presidential nominee. As far as our delegation goes, the excitement level is probably the same. But I think overall, it’s greater and it’s higher and there’s more energy in the room than there was four years ago. I think the party was in a defensive posture four years ago. I think this year we’re more on the offense than we are being defensive about our position.”

So, coming up tonight is the big Hillary Clinton speech. Are you running into many people who are still sore about the primary and about the fact that Clinton didn’t win?

“There are still a lot of Clinton supporters who are here, there are still a lot of people undecided about what they’re going to do. They announced in our breakfast meeting this morning that Hillary was going to go ahead and release her delegates tomorrow and that she intended to vote for Sen. Obama. Now the question becomes, once she releases her delegates, if she goes in and says, ‘I’m asking you all to support Barack,’ then that makes a difference… I guess the tale of the tape will come tomorrow when that conversation takes place. But there are a lot of supporters here in this convention and they’re still sort of holding out, for what, I don’t know. But there still not really clear about what they’re going to do.”

(More conversation about the Clinton vs Obama thing here.)