In the empty space before Pennsylvania, the Democratic primary is getting to be a grind, daily trench warfare. A couple of peeks below the top line on who it's helping:
A new WSJ/NBC poll shows Obama and Clinton dead even at 45-45. Numbers show some hurt, but no major hemmorhaging of Obama over Wright -- his net personal positive rating is 49-32, down only slightly from 51-28 two weeks ago -- while Hillary hits her lowest positive rating since 2001, at 37 percent. Also: Her edge among white Dems shrinks from 12 to 8 points, compared to two weeks ago.
Elsewhere, MSNBC's First Read interviews a bunch of unaligned superdelegates, and comes away with a fair amount of criticism of Hillary's tactics:
"The Democratic Party insiders say they believe Clinton's direct attacks against Sen. Barack Obama in recent days are hurting the party and its chances in November, and also say it is showing a calculated, desperate-to-win side of Clinton that they dislike.
" 'In looking at the manner in which the candidates are campaigning, I think it would be best they focused their attention on the presumptive nominee and showed our party which one is better in campaigning against McCain,' said Garry Shay, a California superdelegate, who announced his support for Clinton."
Another superdel: "I don't think anybody's saying 'step aside,' but 'stop with the garbage' is what people want to say. Just chill a little bit."
Another: "We're feeling her advisors are leading her in a path that diminishes her as well as him."
And this, about Hillary's decision Tuesday to give her take on Jeremiah Wright:
"One delegate said the Clinton campaign is 'using Jeremiah Wright to scare white people.' ... A full and fair debate about issues and differences and even fights is good. Mud slinging, personal attacks and lying is never good for any political fight or party. And I see a lot of that coming from one side more than the other."
Comments (4)
Hillary Soprano is just getting warm, she wants to be president, and her "GANG" will say and do anything. They have "MISSPOKE" they have "MISSPOKE AGAIN AND AGAIN. But Bill does not what her to be President. He is doing everything to make sure she losses one way or another. As I have said many many times. IN THE END THERE CAN ONLT BE ONE WHO WAS PRESIDENT NOT TWO. IT'S BILL STUPID.
Obama said he never heard rev wright from a pew... well that's another lie from this guy... he said he only worked 5 legal hours for rezko... what a whoppper... the republicans are going to crush him....
Greg,
Drop it. If you have a candidate you prefer, fine. Spend your time doing something positive for YOUR candidate. Do you like hating Obama and thinking he is lying to you? Does Obama have any power in your life? Do you care if he sat in the pew, didn't sit in it, sat in it for fity or a hundred years listening to Reverend Wright who is now your personal evil incarnate--let me guess--was that the role Saddaam Hussein once played and since he's dead you need a new boogie man? Greg, take whatever drugs you take for your paranoia and dream sweet dreams of the republicans crushing Obama. And just hope that the Repugs cover your meds. You need a lot of em.
In a day and age of instant history recall, it is important - no - imperative that the candidates (which implies candid, doesn't it) be absolutely "candid" - or they will get canned!
It doesn't matter if it is Billary, O'Bama or McBush - they all have skeletons in the closet and the American people are now eight years fighting mad with lies and BS. They are digging for the dirt, no matter the party. No one is a shoe in this time. No more hanging chads, Supreme Court fixes - it will incite riots this time.
A voice of reason and integrity is necessary. Sliming (a feature from a celebrated children's show, by the way) is uncalled for in the election of the President of the United States.
The USA and the US elections are the laughing stock of the rest of the world. How do I know? I am an American living in Australia and travel literally all over the world in my work. What surprises people most is the mudslinging and how long it takes to decide who should run the country. Here in Oz, it takes four weeks. Total! And if the election is on a Friday (usually Saturday), the newly elected officials go to work on Monday - the next Monday!
Funny that.