Posted on 03/20/2008 7:14:26 AM PDT by jdm
No big surprise that Sen. Obama's refusal to explain why he put his family in front of such vile rhetoric and linked himself to such a divisive church has hurt him in the polls. Even Kos is acknowledging that the revelation that Sen. Obama has spent two decades associating himself with a "spiritual mentor" who hates America and white people is not the best way to win friends and influence people.
Specifically, the RCP Average now shows Clinton as more competitive against McCain than Obama (although McCain leads both within the MoE). As Kos notes, SurveyUSA has new polls from swing states MO and OH showing a big drop for Obama:
OH: 3/14-16. RV. MoE 4.3% (2/26-28 results)
McCain 50 (44)
Obama 43 (47)
McCain 44 (42)
Clinton 50 (52)
MO: 3/14-16. RV. MoE 4.3% (2/26-28 results)
McCain 53 (43)
Obama 39 (49)
McCain 48 (44)
Clinton 46 (51)
KY: 3/14-16. RV. MoE 4.3% (2/3-4 results)
McCain 64 (61)
Obama 28 (32)
McCain 53 (53)
Clinton 43 (43)
That's a swing in the Obama-McCain matchup in OH of 10 points, in MO of 20 points, and in KY of 7 points. Clinton lost 4 points in OH, lost 9 in MO, and didn't move in KY showing that this is not just a different (pro-R) sample but rather a shift in voter's views of Obama.
Read On...
[UPDATE] - Note that some numbers were wrong in the original post and have been fixed.
Although some commentators are being distracted by a generally good speech by Sen. Obama on race yesterday, pundits shouldn't lose sight of the real problem for Obama here. Sen. Obama ran as someone who can "transcend" race and take the country into the future of race relations. For most Americans that means moving toward a more colorblind future where people are judged as individuals, not by the color of their skin.
And for most Americans, the next phase of race relations is one where people with Rev. Wright's views are considered as vile as the KKK. Racial anger and hatred against any group is to be shunned. Thus, Sen. Obama's choice to associate with, learn from, and defend Rev. Wright is a very risky decision. Sen. Obama's decision to take his children to a church where racial hatred is part of the sermon will make many independents and moderates uncomfortable. And it may be a big chink in Obama's message of unity and reconciliation.
Sen. Obama still has not answered the important and hard questions. Why did he choose to go to a church where a race baiter was in charge? Why did he not leave when he learned of these noxious views? Why should we trust him to heal the nation's racial wounds when he won't stand up against the remnants of black racism? How can we trust someone who would put his children in front of this man and call him a "spiritual mentor?"
Obama avoided these questions in his speech. Will the media buy the head fake, or will they continue asking the hard questions? Will they become an SNL skit and give Obama a pass they would never give if a Republican (or Democrat) choose to be part of a church where the pastor peddled racial anger against blacks?
Regardless, Obama's image has been hit and the "Mr. Perfect" feeling is gone. We are about to learn how much of Obama's appeal was from being "perfect" and how much was due to his views and experience.
Obama is a coward and cannot be the POTUS. He truly believes that Racism is a one way road and is only when Whites say something about Blacks and he will never admit that what Jeramiah Wright said was Racist.
This lack of Courage and lack of judgement disqualifies him to be potus.
Hussien now wants to have a national discussion on RACE. OK, how about a national discussion as to why you attended this racist church for 20 years and why your refuse to denounce hate speech and white hatred ?
Its Oprah’s church as well.
He was doomed anyway once the connection was made. If he denounced totally, it would be impossible to explain why he stayed associated for two decades.
There was no way out.
Not to sound flippant, but THANK GOD! I was worried that empty-suit black racist was going to skate into the Oval Office based entirely on political correctness, media fawning, a good oratory style, and his racial orientation.
Now that he's shown that he thinks black racism is justified, he's marginalized himself as nothing more than the bastard child of Robert Byrd and David Duke with a tan.
Yay!! But, hang in there Obama don’t abandon ship..........yet.
I am afraid that he will slither out of this problem since he has so many idiots who support him.
YES, they will buy the head fake.
NO, they will not ask hard questions.
and YES, they already are an SNL skit. They piled on the praise of his speech and it sounded like SNL. I was laughing at the hyperbole.
It was. She bailed out, maybe as long ago as the late 90's. I seem to recall seeing on TV one sermon Wright gave where he denounced her along with others for being rich. Haven't heard him trash rich Black basketball and football players though.
Oprah left the church in 2005, I’m not sure how long she was a member though.
I agree. My dilemma is that Hillary is a coward and corrupt and Sidney McCain is loony tunes and corrupt who just had yet another one of his meltdowns yesterday. This country needs to be save form this unholy trio.
Oprah quit that church.
not “is”, “was”
“David Duke with a tan.”
Great line in a nutshell.
Portland, Oregon
mccain can of course work on on Ohio in case hillary does get the nomination. He’s not going to be stuck in PA
Prophets are supposed to speak directiy to sinners who need to repent.
True prophets do not speak to white sinners from the pulpit of all-black churches.
Wright is a non-prophet.
No surprise there.
I guess we are forced to find the lesser of the 3 evils, The running mates should make all the difference. Especially in the case of McCain.
That is what bothered me more than he and his "spiritual adviser" being closet racists. There has never been an instance of another US Senator running for POTUS with less than at least one full (or close to it) term in the Senate. The silky pony tried TWICE, and lost both times before the primaries were over.
I listened to the Rev @l $h@rpton on Greta last night. He spun the race issue every way it could be spun. Imus should have been fired because he used the term "nappy headed H***", but the Rev Wright was calling the US Govt corrupt and accusing it of trying to kill the blacks with AIDS.
Never mind that he called it the "whitey States on America", G** D*** America, the KKKAmerica, etc. Whites did this and whites did that to oppress the blacks. He basically said "Blacks cannot be racists and racism is only against blacks".
Now, the Rev Meeks presents a totally new problem for Hussein since he said homosexuals are an abomination in the world. Don't you think BO just lost the homo vote too? That is cutting into his base just as much as losing the "guilty white voters" who were going to vote for him.
I’m glad she gets a pass then, no double standards in this country.
....Sidney McCain is loony tunes and corrupt who just had yet another one of his meltdowns yesterday..... Just curious, I did not hear. What was mclame’s meltdown yesterday?
Ok... Thanks. I heard about the al Qaeda Sunni/Shiite blooper. Briefly skimmed over it to get back to the B Hussein Obama debacle. LOL
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