As I arrived in Tulsa, Oklahoma today, the big news was that Rep. Dan Boren (D-OK) was not going to endorse Barack Obama. Is it something that Team Obama should worry about?
Boren's district in the eastern part of Oklahoma went overwhelmingly for Hillary Clinton back on Super Tuesday, as did most of the state. Obama only won one county, around Oklahoma City
"We're much more conservative," Boren told the Associated Press. "I've got to reflect my district. No one means more to me than the people who elected me. I have to listen them."
Maybe the lowest blow came when Boren labeled Obama "the most liberal senator in the U.S. Senate."
What makes this more interesting is that Boren is a familiar political name in this state. His father - the former U.S. Senator - endorsed Obama back in April along with former Sen. Sam Nunn of Georgia.
Those endorsements were a clear signal to me that some members of the more moderate to conservative wing of the party had decided that they would rather deal with the new guy (Obama) as opposed to the Dem who had been around the track a few times (Hillary.)
But, evidently that note didn't get down to Boren The Young.
What's at work here? Boren must be feeling some heat from his constituents, maybe in Adair County, where only 15% voted for Obama, or in Sequoyah County where Obama got 17%.
But while trying to keep some distance between himself and Obama, Boren made clear he would vote for the Illinois Senator on November 4th.
So what does it mean?
It probably means that more conservative Democrats can expect to field a lot of questions about whether they will be on board with Obama. Republicans certainly hope they can use Obama as a wedge in House and/or Senate elections in some states, where Obama is seen as too liberal and more.
One of those is Democratic Rep. Jim Marshall of Georgia, who has made a living in his short time in Congress of differing with party leaders on Iraq and other issues. He evidently isn't saying whether he will endorse Obama.
Then you had the Governor of Ohio, Ted Strickland (a former Congressman himself) take himself out of the Veepstakes for Obama.
Obama was never going to win Oklahoma, so Rep. Boren's lack of endorsement isn't really a big deal for Team Obama.
But Obama needs to win Ohio. And if he can't win Ohio, he's got to find a way to win some other states. You get the picture.
We're in a new phase of this campaign. And it's not like the primaries.
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