Mar 17 2008
Clinton Has Succeeded In Dragging Obama Down To Her Level
Barack Obama had potential to be different (folks – don’t confuse my noting his historic opportunity to be some kind of support – he had caught a rare wave in America). I never bought into his fantasy “change” schtick because I am too old and cynical I guess. But he had a chance. But the Clinton’s are power hungry, powerful and nothing is beyond the pale when it comes to getting their hands on more power. And so we find Obama a bruised and crippled candidate, having taken the “kitchen sink” the Clinton camp sent his way right on kisser, who now has the same negative favorability ratings that have dogged Clinton for years:
The dialogue about Wright’s controversial comments appears to have had at least a short-term impact on public perceptions of Barack Obama. The Illinois Senator is viewed favorably today by just 47% of voters nationwide. That’s down five points since last Thursday (see recent daily results). The number with an unfavorable view of Obama has risen from 44% on Thursday to 50% today. Among White voters, Obama is now viewed favorably by 43% and unfavorably by 54%.
Looked at from a slightly longer perspective, Obama’s overall favorable ratings peaked at 56% on February 21, shortly after he won the Wisconsin Primary. At that point, Clinton began raising questions about Obama as part of the campaign that ultimately enabled her to win the Texas and Ohio Primaries. Since then, Obama’s net favorability ratings have fallen seventeen points (from plus 14 points on February 21 to minus 3 points today).
…
McCain, visiting Iraq and left out of the Democratic mudslinging, is now viewed favorably by 54%, unfavorably by 42%. Clinton is viewed favorably by 46%, unfavorably by 52%. Her unfavorable total has been at or above 50% for most of the past month …
That was the only way for Clinton to stay viable – to make Obama as unfavorable to the nation as she is. And she succeeded. The only problem with this strategy is that McCain is riding high above the fray. It is a risky scorched-earth strategy, but it is all the Clintons had left in their bag – the dirty tricks.
If Obama wasn’t so liberal he may have made it. His magic was in the promise of ending the hyper-partisan stalemate that has left the nation cold to politics, and cold to the parties. McCain is now the one left standing who can honestly be called a moderate who can unite people across the divide. It seems the GOP primary voters were able to push back their hyper-partisan elements and nominate a clear centrist. The Dems were unable to bridge that divide and now have months more of infighting and disappointment ahead of them as they continue to slash at their remaining two options for presidential candidate.
Obama had a chance if he had not missed his Sister Soldjah moment with radical Reverend Wright. But now, no matter what he says tomorrow, it will be seen as a ploy bowing to bad press instead of a sincere effort to reject the hyper-partisans and their hate and look to the center. To be honest the liberals and progressives are fed up with compromise – Obama never really had a chance. But I don’t think he was going to try all that hard to fight the far left after he was elected. That is why he tried to avoid the Sister Soldjah opportunity with Wright.
Well, that moment is gone and Obama is still dying the slow death of a 1,000 minor slashes from Clinton. It looks really good now for another GOP president, given McCain is riding well ahead of both damaged Dems now in national polls:
The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Monday shows John McCain with a six-percentage point lead over both potential Democratic opponents. McCain currently leads Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton by an identical 48% to 42% margin. McCain has a double-digit lead over Clinton among unaffiliated voters and is essentially even with Obama among those same voters. However, McCain makes greater inroads among Democrats with Obama as the nominee.
Hillary did her job – she destroyed Obama’s mythical magic connection with the voters. But she will never replace him. The country will not go for BCBC (Bush-Clinton-Bush-Clinton). With Obama sinking that leaves McCain standing alone as the one candidate to keep the country safe, finish winning the war in Iraq and against al-Qaeda, and bridging gaps for progress where possible.
The Democrat party is not likely to survive this fracture. Too many people with too many broken hearts will never forgive them for what they did this year. It is much harsher than when Carter let everyone down and Reagan rose from his ashes to show how good conservatism could be. And that is when I went from liberal to conservative. Look for the same to happen almost 30 years later.
AJ
Don’t have too much sympathy for Obama. He fooled a lot of people who didn’t know about his questionable tactics in all his elections. These were normal Chicago politics which is scorched earth. He is not the good guy he portrays but is a budding Clinton wannabe with an excellent head start. Clinton didn’t pull him down. He was already there. She just exposed him. And I’ll bet he was laughing at the suckers all the time for falling for his con. If ashe had lied it would be a different story but she didn’t lie. The truth was there all the time and ignored by the MSM who are at this time trying to shore up his credentials.
Whoa! You think Obama had something to offer? The noble child?
The Savior?
I looked at his eyes way before there were websites like
obamamessiah and realized demagogue, fakir, phony guru.
Clinton didn’t destroy Obama. Obama did.
Obama was eminently destroyable – all it took was daylight.
No normal person would have attended those sermons for 20 years
unless they agreed with them. The current defenses, and there are
two, say Obama never heard any of those sermons (which is
ludicrous) or those feelings are natural for “Black” people.
If those feelings are natural for “Black” people, then that is tragic
because we cannot elect a person with such hatred into the
most powerful office in the world.
If the democrats nominate a moderate centrist, they may win,
but their two hard left candidates seem doomed.
One more thing. O Reilly is defending Obama, saying there
is no evidence that Obama himself is a hate filled person.
???
I suppose one might attend an al-qaeda training camp in
Pakistan and then just say you fancied some rugged exercise
with different scenic views. You could claim there was no
evidence that you actually intended to be a terrorist.
Well, you could try that claim, but then again there is what
is called common sense.
Barbara is absolutely right.
Dave:
Maybe O’Reilley is trying to look fair and all that stuff. But in reality, I doubt that he believes half of what he says, himself.
Well it should be obvious that lacking any evidence to directly prove that he is, any responsible media person would have to say that Obama has yet to show himself to be a racist black supremecist.
Remember, we’re not talking about Olbermann, Shuster or the other trash from MSM.. but people who seem to really care about the fair protrayal of opinion and the committment to getting to the truth of a subject.
I personally think Obama joined that church cuz of his wife. And that he had no problem with the garabage that is the theme there. Just like he had no problem with the garbage Rezko buying property with him.
Barack Obama had potential to be different
I’ve never believed this.
Listen to the way he talks about the things he really disagrees with or the people he really disagrees with. he’s been just as nasty towards them as your typical Leftist/Democrat.
Has Obama had one nice thing to say about Bush? Remember when Obama got in a little fight with John Howard , the PM of Australia? He wasn’t playing nice there either.
And when Obama appeared in front of a church conference thingiee and had this to say:
That’s funny considering his own church.
“So-called leaders”.. how insulting is that?
This is choice coming from someone who supports infanticide.
And what’s this about “being told” that Democrats dislike their Church… Isn’t that exactly what Obama is conveying?
Here is Preacher Obama to tell us all his Christianity is the only Biblical one.
Sorry but nothing about this charlatan should give any thinking person the idea that he is anything except a Far-Leftist who is trying to run a campaign in such a way whereby he is immune to criticism and safe to avoid discussing anything of substance.
Vince,
As I said, I was not lulled into believing it either – all I noted was he had a chance few get in history.
Dave M,
Same comment. having picked up that wave of support he had an opportunity to really do something. He was unbeatable (if unbelievable as well). Just noting that he had a chance to be something else than a spinning politician kowtowing to his base.
The text of the speech is online now for those who want to review it. Before I make a comment, I want to reiterate that I don’t support Obama’s policy’s, don’t think he’s fit to be C in C, and won’t vote for him.
Having said that, this speech was easily the best I’ve seen in at least 20 years and was the equivalent of any of Reagan’s great moments. Give the man his due – he is a fantastic communicator, like Reagan in that regard, and whoever wrote it (maybe he wrote most of it as he claimed, maybe not) is a fantastic writer.
I don’t think he’ll beat McCain, but I do think he’ll beat out Hillary and get the nomination after this. Of course, that’s not certain – dem’s still face the very real possibility that the party will split along racial lines (it’s already happening) which can only result in chaos for them.
So Obama is a great speaker…so what? It’s not HOW he says it, it’s WHAT he says. I didn’t find this to be a great speech at all and I listened to it.
It was nothing more than race-baiting and trying to draw the “white middle class” into the fray as camoflage.
He’s has and uses the classic victimization ploy. It’s one excuse after the other and he is never to blame. Hope and Change? Nope…just more of the same.