Two distinctly different takes on a big new CBS/NYT poll out last night.
Top line in the poll is Obama leading Clinton, 46-43. The Times headlines "Obama's Support Softens in Poll, Suggesting a Peak Has Passed:"
"Senator Barack Obama’s support among Democrats nationally has softened over the last month, particularly among men and upper-income voters, as voters have taken a slightly less positive view of him than they did after his burst of victories in February...
"The survey suggests that Mr. Obama, Democrat of Illinois, may have been at something of a peak in February, propelled by a string of primary and caucus victories over Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York, and that perceptions of him are settling down. Mr. Obama’s favorability rating among Democratic primary voters has dropped seven percentage points, to 62 percent, since ...late February."
But then the release on the poll includes a lot of stronger numbers for Obama. Not only is he best able to unite the country, but he's red-white-and-blue:
"All three candidates are seen as sharing the values that Americans try to live by, and none more so than Obama, who leads all three candidates on this measure. 70% say Obama shares America’s values. Nearly as many, two-thirds, say McCain does too. 60% say this about Hillary Clinton."
Also: Obama is the one Democrats expect to win the nomination 69-21. Democrats view him as more electable than Hillary 56-32 -- and remember, this is the linchpin of her argument to superdelegates. And among all voters he the highest net favorability rating of 19 (43-24) ahead of McCain who nets 6 (35-29) and Hillary who nets -1 (38-39):
"Obama’s ratings today look much like they did in February, before the Jeremiah Wright controversy erupted. UNfavorable views of Obama today (24%) have receded from the 30% found in a March 16-17th CBS News Poll, taken amid the controversy, and are now comparable to the 23% they were in February."
So, the Times thinks surviving Wright with favorability ratings among all voters intact is "softening"?