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Roller coaster year of political thrills and spills

Submitted by SHNS on Thu, 05/01/2008 - 16:04.

If the election were today, Democrats would sweep local, state and national offices -- and John McCain would be the nation's 44th president.

Polls are showing a remarkable state of affairs. There is strong alarm about what is going on in Washington, and Republicans get the blame. According to a Wall Street Journal/NBC poll by Republican pollster Neil Newhouse and Democratic pollster Peter Hart, voters favor Democrats by a 44 percent to 32 percent margin. But there is strong and growing admiration for McCain; a majority of voters identify with his "values."

Yes, four out of ten voters are distressed that Republican McCain's views are too much like those of President Bush, whom eight out of ten voters think has handled the economy poorly. A majority doesn't like McCain's position that the war in Iraq must continue.

But voters also question Hillary Clinton's honesty and say they are concerned she seems to have changed her mind often. Many others wonder if Barack Obama is "out of touch" with Americans and are vastly aghast at his long ties with the outspoken Rev. Jeremiah Wright.

One of my brothers said to me the other day while I was in Ohio, "You people in Washington have no idea how much this thing with Wright is resonating out in the rest of the country."

Yet, back in Washington, that's just about all I hear people talking about when they talk politics (which is most of the time).

Did Obama's new denunciation of Wright's "rants" stop the candidate's decline in the polls?

Did he wait too long after his speech on racial healing to make clear to a majority of Americans that he finds his former pastor's remarks out of line? Obama clearly is angry with Wright now, but is it too late?

When Obama originally said he could not disown the preacher who married him to Michelle and baptized his children, did that blur the lines of his disagreements with Wright?

Will voters still be angry over this in the autumn, if Obama were to win the nomination? Will voters accept Obama's dismissal of Wright as over the top because of his diatribes making such charges as insisting AIDS is a government plot?

The 300 undecided Democratic "super delegates," those 800 party big wigs who get to vote and who probably will decide the nomination, are closely watching Obama's handling of the Wright issue and also how he responds to charges he is too "elitist" before they decide.

Clearly, the bloom is off all three roses at the moment. But McCain is holding his own, despite the clear anger against Republicans nationwide, for three reasons. He is a true war hero; a prisoner in Vietnam for five years, his patriotism is not in question. His long experience in Washington, especially his reputation as a "maverick," makes him a known quantity. The two Democrats are so wrapped up in attacking each other that he is skipping around the country without getting the scrutiny he'll definitely get in the fall.

McCain must tell his personal story to voters, convince them he's not too old or too conservative to be president, has solutions for a bad economy and distance himself from Bush. Right now, by a margin of 54 percent to 35 percent, voters say they identify with McCain's values and background, according to the Newhouse/Hart poll.

Only November will tell if McCain's task is easier than for Clinton to convince voters she's honest and steadfast and that her husband won't hog the limelight or for Obama to convince voters his past association with Wright doesn't matter, that he is experienced enough for the White House and that he is not "out of touch."

In this roller coaster election year, it's anybody's guess what will happen. Based on what they're guessing now, 50 percent of the people will be proved right, and 50 percent will be proved wrong.

(Scripps Howard columnist Ann McFeatters has covered the White House and national politics since 1986. E-mail amcfeatters(at)hotmail.com.)

(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)

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:-)

Submitted by jacksmith (not verified) on Thu, 05/01/2008 - 22:06.

MY FELLOW "BITTER", STUPID, WORKING CLASS PEOPLE :-)

If you think like Barack Obama, that WORKING CLASS PEOPLE are just a bunch of "BITTER"!, STUPID, PEASANTS, Cash COWS!, and CANNON FODDER. :-(

You Might Be An Idiot! :-)

If you think Barack Obama with little or no experience would be better than Hillary Clinton with 35 years experience.

You Might Be An Idiot! :-)

If you think that Obama with no experience can fix an economy on the verge of collapse better than Hillary Clinton. Whose ;-) husband (Bill Clinton) led the greatest economic expansion, and prosperity in American history.

You Might Be An Idiot! :-)

If you think that Obama with no experience fighting for universal health care can get it for you better than Hillary Clinton. Who anticipated this current health care crisis back in 1993, and fought a pitched battle against overwhelming odds to get universal health care for all the American people.

You Might Be An Idiot! :-)

If you think that Obama with no experience can manage, and get us out of two wars better than Hillary Clinton. Whose ;-) husband (Bill Clinton) went to war only when he was convinced that he absolutely had to. Then completed the mission in record time against a nuclear power. AND DID NOT LOSE THE LIFE OF A SINGLE AMERICAN SOLDIER. NOT ONE!

You Might Be An Idiot! :-)

If you think that Obama with no experience saving the environment is better than Hillary Clinton. Whose ;-) husband (Bill Clinton) left office with the greatest amount of environmental cleanup, and protections in American history.

You Might Be An Idiot! :-)

If you think that Obama with little or no education experience is better than Hillary Clinton. Whose ;-) husband (Bill Clinton) made higher education affordable for every American. And created higher job demand and starting salary’s than they had ever been before or since.

You Might Be An Idiot! :-)

If you think that Obama with no experience will be better than Hillary Clinton who spent 8 years at the right hand of President Bill Clinton. Who is already on record as one of the greatest Presidents in American history.

You Might Be An Idiot! :-)

If you think that you can change the way Washington works with pretty speeches from Obama, rather than with the experience, and political expertise of two master politicians ON YOUR SIDE like Hillary and Bill Clinton..

You Might Be An Idiot! :-)

If you think all those Republicans voting for Obama in the Democratic primaries, and caucuses are doing so because they think he is a stronger Democratic candidate than Hillary Clinton. :-)

Best regards

jacksmith... Working Class :-)

p.s. You Might Be An Idiot! :-)

If you don't know that the huge amounts of money funding the Obama campaign to try and defeat Hillary Clinton is coming in from the insurance, and medical industry, that has been ripping you off, and killing you and your children. And denying you, and your loved ones the life saving medical care you needed. All just so they can make more huge immoral profits for them-selves off of your suffering...

You see, back in 1993 Hillary Clinton had the audacity, and nerve to try and get quality, affordable universal health care for everyone to prevent the suffering and needless deaths of hundreds of thousands of you each year. :-)

Approx. 100,000 of you die each year from medical accidents from a rush to profit by the insurance, and medical industry. Another 120,000 of you die each year from treatable illness that people in other developed countries don’t die from. And I could go on, and on...

OBAMA AIDE: "WORKING-CLASS VOTERS NOT KEY FOR DEMOCRATS" :o

DEBATE! DEBATE!! DEBATE!!!...

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Just The Facts

Submitted by jacksmith (not verified) on Thu, 05/01/2008 - 22:07.

DEBATE! DEBATE!! DEBATE!!!

It's time for everyone to face the truth. Barack Obama has no real chance of winning the national election in November at this time. His crushing defeat in Pennsylvania makes that fact crystal clear. His best, and only real chance of winning in November is on a ticket with Hillary Clinton as her VP.

Hillary Clinton seemed almost somber at her Pennsylvania victory speech. As if part of her was hoping Obama could have proved he had some chance of winning against the republican attack machine, and their unlimited money, and resources.

But it is absolutely essential that the democrats take back the Whitehouse in November. America, and the American people are in a very desperate condition now. And the whole World has been doing all that they can to help keep us propped up.

Hillary Clinton say's that the heat, and decisions in the Whitehouse are much tougher than the ones on the campaign trail. But I think Mr. Obama faces a test of whether he has what it takes to be a commander and chief by facing the difficult facts, and the truth before him. And by doing what is best for the American people by dropping out of the race, and offering his whole hearted assistance to Hillary Clinton to help her take back the Whitehouse for the American people, and the World.

Mr. Obama is a great speaker. And I am confident he can explain to the American people the need, and wisdom of such a personal sacrifice for them. It should be clear to everyone by now that Hillary Clinton is fighting her heart out for the American people. She has known for a long time that Mr. Obama can not win this November. You have to remember that the Clinton's have won the Whitehouse twice before. They know what it takes.

If Mr. Obama fails his test of commander and chief we can only hope that Hillary Clinton can continue her heroic fight for the American people. And that she prevails. She will need all the continual support and help we can give her. She may fight like a superhuman. But she is only human.

Sen. Hillary Clinton: "You know, more people have now voted for me than have voted for my opponent. In fact, I now have more votes than anybody has ever had in a primary contest for a nomination. And it's also clear that we've got nine more important contests to go."

Sincerely

Jacksmith... Working Class :-)

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