Posted on 04/24/2008 8:32:38 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
John Judis is a big fan and booster of Democratic electoral prospects, which means that he likely reacts negatively in response to right-of-center talking points concerning whether certain Democratic candidates are ideologically beyond the pale.
Interestingly enough, however, it would seem that Judis has a lot of sympathy for right-of-center talking points concerning whether Barack Obama may be ideologically beyond the pale:
Hillary Clinton won a decisive ten-round decision over Barack Obama in Pennsylvania's Democratic primary, but she didn't score a knockout. The struggle continues. Clinton still has virtually no chance of overtaking Obama's delegate lead or his edge in the popular vote. And the superdelegates will be loath to ignore this advantage. Meanwhile, Obama's weaknesses as a general election candidate grow more apparent with each successive primary.
Clinton's best chance of winning the nomination was to win Pennsylvania so decisively that she would have set off a media firestorm about Obama's electability--one that would lead superdelegates to wonder whether she would not be a much, much stronger candidate in November. In the wake of revelations about Obama's relationship with Pastor Jeremiah Wright, Clinton was ahead by 15 percent or more in polls. I visited Pennsylvania during this time, and could feel the growing disillusionment with Obama.
Obama, of course, cut into Clinton's lead through outspending her two-to-one on advertisements, but Clinton seriously damaged her own cause by going negative on Obama during the April 16 debate--and probably, too, by her subsequent ads. ABC moderators George Stephanopoulos and Charles Gibson had already done sufficient damage without Clinton piling on. According to the exit polls, 68 percent of Pennsylvania Democrats thought Clinton attacked Obama unfairly, and they backed Obama by 55 to 45 percent. It's hard to know for sure, but these tactics probably cost her among white college-educated voters who don't like to think of elections as prize fights. (The editorial in this morning's New York Times, entitled "The Low Road to Victory," reflects this dissatisfaction with the way Clinton conducted herself.)
For his part, Obama cut into Clinton's advantage, but couldn't erase it. Even though he campaigned extensively among white working class Pennsylvanians, he still couldn't crack this constituency. He lost every white working class county in the state. He lost greater Pittsburgh area by 61 to 39 percent. He did poorly among Catholics--losing them 71 to 29 percent. A Democrat can't win Pennsylvania in the fall without these voters. And those who didn't vote in the primary but will vote in the general election are likely to be even less amenable to Obama.
But Obama also lost ground among the upscale white professionals that had helped him win states like Wisconsin, Maryland, and Virginia. For instance, Obama won my own Montgomery County, Maryland by 55 to 43 percent but he lost suburban Philadelphia's very similar Montgomery County by 51 to 49 percent to Clinton. He lost upscale arty Bucks County by 62 to 38 percent.
Judis's conclusion? That the juggernaut-like political coalition George McGovern put together is potentially coming back to "haunt" the Democrats. These very same talking points will likely be repeated to superdelegates by the Clinton campaign.
And who knows? At least a few of those superdelegates might listen. No wonder Hillary Clinton isn't leaving the race.
This should have been titled “How To Stop The Emerging Democrat Presidential Victory,” as there’s no mention of the down-ballot races, which look pretty bleak right now.
The way to stop an emerging Democrat majority is to CHALLENGE THEM.
Republicans must make the fact that the economy was great up until the Democrats took over Congress central to their campaign. Then, all of the new Republican candidates for congress (and there will be many, because Democrats hold more seats and so many deadbeat Republicans are retiring) should get together under the banner of a new sort of CONTRACT WITH AMERICA, lead by John McCain. This new contract will be simple: promise to INTRODUCE NO EARMARKS, and pledge to VOTE AGAINST ALL PORK BARREL SPENDING.
Together McCain and the new Republican candidates can reinforce each other. They can make it the theme for 2008. This will bring conservatives who abandoned the GOP in 2006 back to the party.
Finally, Republicans must embrace a “COMMON SENSE CONSERVATION” platform as an alternative to radical environmentalism. Most people want to be good shepherds to the environment, at least in their own backyards, and the GOP doesn’t offer them anything, so they have no choice to side with the Democrats, even though they may not agree with Democrats on the solutions or the extent of the problem. They see it as at least offering something, compared the the GOP’s nothing.
The “COMMON SENSE CONSERVATION” platform would emphasize innovation and new technology, made in America, that will cut pollution and conserve energy. This addresses people’s primary environmental concerns in a conservative way, without endorsing the theory of Man Made Global Warming™.
The Dem party is increasingly being percieved by those who can read and write, and who were blessed with an education as existed in past decades as being antithetical to the history, traditions and meaning of the US as a nation-state by their sponsorship of two Marxist encultured political actors for the highest office in the land. The Dem party itself is representative of so many competitive interests dedicated to reject our past that it is stumbling all over itself in what is being increasingly percieved as misdirected, demented effort by even some Democrats of long standing. For the good of our country, may the confusion continue.
Are these counties really very similar? I thought you had to go to California to find a place like Montgomery County Maryland.
Pass the popcorn.....this has been so much fun to watch.
I hope that it isn’t a sin to be gleeful about all of this.
You’re right! We are challenging Joe Biden in Delaware for the U.S. Senate. Take a look at —
Good ideas.
Many thanks to 2ndDivisionVet for posting so many election topics, and of course to all others who posted these:
Montgomery County results explain Clinton’s win
Pittsburgh Tribune Review | salena zito
Posted on 04/24/2008 4:10:01 PM PDT by Salena Zito
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2006578/posts
Obama and Clinton: two cynical losers
Timesonline.com | April 24th, 2008 | Gerard Baker
Posted on 04/24/2008 9:51:36 PM PDT by The_Republican
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2006715/posts
Gore Fest: It’s Time for Dems to Recruit Al Gore
The Boston Phoenix | April 23, 2008 | Steven Stark
Posted on 04/24/2008 1:09:31 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2006170/posts
I Think Obama Has a Serious Character Flaw That Has Not Been Discussed
Town Hall | 4/24/08 | Pensereo
Posted on 04/24/2008 8:06:15 PM PDT by kathsua
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2006689/posts
Obama’s 20 Best Lies. Did I omit one? (Vanity)
April 24, 2008 | no dems
Posted on 04/24/2008 4:07:40 PM PDT by no dems
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2006575/posts
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