Rasmussen poll: Most don’t agree with Wright or believe Obama
posted at 5:54 pm on May 2, 2008 by Allahpundit
A Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey found that just 30% of the nation’s Likely Voters believe Barack Obama denounced his former Pastor, Jeremiah Wright, because he was outraged. Most—58%–say he denounced the Pastor for political convenience…
Fifty-six percent (56%) say it’s at least somewhat likely that Obama “shares some of Pastor Wright’s controversial views about the United States.” That figure includes 26% who say it’s Very Likely Obama holds such views. At the other end of the spectrum 24% say it’s Not Very Likely that Obama shares such views. Just 11% say it’s Not at All Likely.
Just 7% of the nation’s voters agree with Wright’s views of the United States. African-American voters, by a 64% to 12% margin, disagree with Wright. Eighty-one percent (81%) of all voters are following the story somewhat or very closely…
Seventy-four percent (74%) of Republicans believe it’s somewhat or very likely that Obama shares some of Wright’s views. That assessment is shared by 48% of Democrats and 49% of those not affiliated with either major party.
Exit question one, per the new Gallup poll: Was Rush premature in reinstating Operation Chaos? That is to say, has Obama indeed become an easier opponent for Maverick than Her Majesty? Seven former DNC chairs can’t be wrong! And exit question two, a harder one: If you believe Hillary’s the tougher match-up … do you pull for her anyway? This goes back to the “pragmatist vs. hard leftist” consideration I mentioned the other day. Is the greater risk of a (slightly) more moderate Democrat becoming president worth preferring her to the lesser risk of a (slightly) less moderate Democrat doing so? The big A swallows hard and says … yes.
Update: Never mind, doesn’t matter.
Blowback
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Well, golly gee. Apparently it is possible to disown Wright while not disowning the African-American community.
amerpundit on May 2, 2008 at 5:57 PM
a little sanity returns.
shooter on May 2, 2008 at 5:57 PM
Remember, though, that the point of OpChaos was not to give Hillary the nomination. It recognized that no matter how well (realistically – we’re not talking 80% sweeps here) she does in the remaining primaries, she still has little to no chance of claiming the nomination. So the mission objective of OpChaos is to keep them at each others’ throats, and let McCain walk in and clean up the mess.
Hannibal Smith on May 2, 2008 at 6:00 PM
It’s not about picking the candidate, it’s about extending the primary and causing Chaos. And if the supers DO steal the nomination from Obama in a smoke-filled room, do you really think Hill will have a chance in hell of winning the general? 45-50% of America will not vote for her under any circumstances, a significant number of blacks will not vote for her, and at least some moderates/independents will vote for McCain. I don’t see how either one can win at this point. But I’m an optimist.
Allah’s got a crush. The older the berry, the sweeter the juice.
misterpeasea on May 2, 2008 at 6:00 PM
Yes, I know what the point of Op Chaos is. Rush is conveniently avoiding the hard issue, though: Someone’s going to emerge and you need to measure the risk of that person winning. If you think Hillary’s a sure winner over McCain but Obama’s got only a 50/50 shot, then it’s insane to cross over and vote for her.
Allahpundit on May 2, 2008 at 6:02 PM
It doesn’t matter who is better for us now because every day this goes on they are BOTH damaged. She is damaged because he is winning and he is damaged because the bloom is falling off the rose.
It also makes McCain look like the only serious grown-up in the lot.
We need to hope (and help) they continue to beat the hell out of each other until one crawls across the finish line in August.
EJDolbow on May 2, 2008 at 6:03 PM
About time.
Hillary’s not ideal but BO doesn’t look vaguely up to the job.
And for all her bluster I reckon she’d be no more lefty than Bush. Damn, I think i just spouted a DKos meme there.
Ares on May 2, 2008 at 6:04 PM
Exit question 2: I’ll take a crook over a dreamer anyday.
Limerick on May 2, 2008 at 6:05 PM
Also, the later this the finishes the less time their will be for reconcilliation in the Dem Party.
There are a lot of Obama supporters who will need considerably more than 3 months before they are in a place where they can vote for the woman who destroyed their chance to get Obama elected.
EJDolbow on May 2, 2008 at 6:06 PM
She cannot catch up to Bambi in pledged delegates. If she gets the nomination, it will have been “stolen” from Obama.
Why help the Democrats avoid that situation? Why increase Bambi’s margin and make it less likely that the nomination will be stolen?
Do you think Hill is a sure winner over McCain? Does anyone? Especially after alienating the votes-90%-Democrat base?
misterpeasea on May 2, 2008 at 6:08 PM
Hillary may have a great chance of winning the general, but no matter of voting we do will win her the primary. Obama’s got this locked up. The supers aren’t interested in her arguments and the facts, otherwise they wouldn’t have sided with him en masse after Pennsylvania.
amerpundit on May 2, 2008 at 6:08 PM
Rev Wright, the smelling salt of reason in the 08 election.
TroubledMonkey on May 2, 2008 at 6:09 PM
Once you vote for this black you won’t get your tax cuts back…
Or something like that.
SouthernGent on May 2, 2008 at 6:12 PM
Better question, his new pastor is no different than wright. Will that make the news?
Les in NC on May 2, 2008 at 6:17 PM
I would say yes, but those pesky super delegates keep defecting to the guy.
Weight of Glory on May 2, 2008 at 6:17 PM
Oops. Sorry, AP, I should’ve read your update before answering.
Weight of Glory on May 2, 2008 at 6:18 PM
Funny you should mention PA, and why I think Rush needs to relax with the Operation Chaos stuff, Obama is the weaker candidate.
Did you know the last Democrat to win the presidential election without Pennsylvania was Truman? Obama can’t win PA, and if he can’t win PA, he can’t win the election, no modern Democrat has. Beyond that, he isn’t going to make it up anywhere else that I can see. Hillary would at least give McCain a fight in PA. I say, why make it a challenge? We’re gonna have enough on our hands keeping McCain in line, why risk a Clinton?
doubleplusundead on May 2, 2008 at 6:19 PM
After watching the videotapes of the congregants in Wright’s “church” whooping and cheering him on while he spouted his hateful lunacy, this helps restore some of my faith in my fellow Americans.
AZCoyote on May 2, 2008 at 6:21 PM
We can vote for General Panstuit until we’re blue in the face. Obama will win the pledged delegates, and the supers will push him the rest of the way. Regardless of the fact he’s weaker, the supers still abandon her for him.
The only thing OC will do now is encourage Hillary and her supporters to keep fighting. She’ll still lose in the end; The party bigwigs will make sure of that.
amerpundit on May 2, 2008 at 6:25 PM
From his pulpit in the Church of Hateamerikkka, the Rev. Jerkemiah Wright has become a festering carbuncle on the ass of Husseinobama’s campaign. But we are an instant gratification, sound bite-addicted society. Subsequent dropping shoes will make the fulminating preacher gradually shrink in the rear-view mirror. Plenty of time remains for events to go 180 degrees. And don’t forget that her highness – the war strategy, torture and petroleum economics expert – is still capable of a campaign-sinking gaffe. Stay tuned.
whitetop on May 2, 2008 at 6:31 PM
It would still be better for Hillary to win the nomination, even if BO is the weaker candidate. The Democrats have managed to find one of the few people who is worse than the Clintons, and he must lose the primary so that there is no chance he will become president.
Obama represents the worst that politics has to offer. He is pure style over substance. His core constituencies are all voting for a symbol: they like him because he is young,
iswas well spoken, exciting, etc. Rich liberals can feel extra sophisticated for voting for him. How many of those Che-shirt-wearing-miscreants-without-a-job would even know a political issue if it bit them? Obama is the ultimate appeal to ignorance. Where did they find this guy, anyway?Nosferightu on May 2, 2008 at 6:40 PM
Everyone keeps talking about how the purpose of the super delegates is to restrain the dopey masses from nominating another McGovern. Seems to me the more logical reason for keeping it was to cut off the primary sniping as soon as a clear front-runner emerged by having the supers put the leader over the 50% mark as early as possible. In this case however, it is the one thing that is prolonging the race. If it weren’t for the black-vs-female thing, the supers could put away the Beast right now.
pedestrian on May 2, 2008 at 6:42 PM
I was shocked last night to get the call from Rasmussen. I thought it was a joke but for my small service to the American people and I proudly stand with the 58, 81, 74 60+.
CynicalOptimist on May 2, 2008 at 6:43 PM
Hussein is unelectable now. Toast. But the dems are in total freak out mode, because if they hand the nomination to the harridan, their party will meltdown and worse.
And because they are stupid they are panicking and don’t know what to do…
dogsoldier on May 2, 2008 at 6:47 PM
dogsoldier nailed it. They’re too invested in the weaker candidate now, and leave it up to the geniuses to fark up their 2008 chances. I fear what they’ll do in Nov., the beginning of…
…for the Pastor’s ‘crime’ of stating the obvious, that Barry Obama is a politician, just like all the others. And thus, the Pastor spake the truth, which hurts more than all the others. Change, Unity and Hope are no mo…
The Pastor will release his book in October, of all the months in the year, and any church attendant can come forward to claim that the Obamas sat right next to them during any one of those ‘nice’ sermons. Also, the electorate knows that behind our back Obama might still be in touch with his beloved pastor, and that it’s all a game.
The media bought it all. The Pastor was the Messiah and is now the Devil. Obama was the Messiah, and is no more, but they can’t give up their Utopian dream. Oh, how I feel for Chris Mattews, Mulitsas and Olberkind.
Entelechy on May 2, 2008 at 7:02 PM
I’ll note that for all the polling, no preacher, Black leader, politician, civil rights advocate, or NGO head has been able to criticize Wright.
Not even the Rev. Joseph Lowery, a man who’s achievements and bravery speak for itself, at the end of his career, can speak out and say Wright was wrong on the theory that American governments created the AIDS virus.
This suggests that the beliefs are held widely and deeply enough that to say they are nonsense, publicly, is to risk everything. That Lowery would not on Fox News say Wright was bunk on the AIDS conspiracy speaks volumes.
whiskey_199 on May 2, 2008 at 7:56 PM
Having twice as many against him provides against that margin of error we used to malign pollsters for manipulating.
maverick muse on May 2, 2008 at 8:14 PM
I guess this will really make Michelle Obama bitter.
Maybe this image is what she is shooting for?
cannonball on May 2, 2008 at 8:14 PM
That’s very encouraging for the whole country, I would not have expected numbers in disagreement with Wright to be anywhere near that high in the black community.
Maxx on May 2, 2008 at 8:43 PM
Your kidding right? Under Hillary or BO you will get “free” health care for your dog. (Of course, that might be good news for CyberCipher)
Maxx on May 2, 2008 at 8:50 PM
Q#1 No, operation Chaos was and is accomplishing it’s purpose.
Q#2 It appears the nomination of Obama or Hillary is in the hands of the superdelegates and therefore out of the hands of the voters.
Why help Obama? I agree with misterpeasea @6:08 pm and also with amerpundit @6:25 pm.
The only way that Hillary could win the nomination, in my opinion, would be if Obama has another “Wright” moment of any kind that would damage him irrevocably. Again, out of the hand of the voter’s hands. So, Roll on, O.C. Thanks Rush
bluefox on May 2, 2008 at 9:21 PM
Op Chaos Rocks!Come on, hello. Do see how verbally bloody these 2 are? Come convention time, and with the superduperdelgegates pi%%ing off one or more aggrieved constituency-identity-politics-on-roids, the fruits will be reaped. Life is not a 24 news cycle. BHO and HRC will have gone 15 rounds and still no winner. Pretty exhausted by Nov….
Branch Rickey on May 2, 2008 at 10:07 PM
Meant:
Op Chaos Rocks!
whoops! now should make sense…
Branch Rickey on May 2, 2008 at 10:09 PM
The Dems are imploding. They’re spending all their money battling each other. It’s a perfect storm! And…..the best we can hope for is McCain?? Operation Chaos has been a big success so far, but if..if! it even works, we aren’t really winning in a big way. Just my two cents.
KCB on May 3, 2008 at 1:54 AM
Op Chaos is a perfect success. Either Barry O or Hillary will be elected by super-delegates. This means that EVERY single Dhimmicrat voter will be disenfranchised by party hacks.
Priceless!
Mojave Mark on May 3, 2008 at 2:11 AM
The Democratic front runner for president is mortally wounded. The candidate in second place is unelectable, hated by 40% of the electorate. To proceed with the front runner is political suicide. To replace the front runner with Ms. Second Place will outrage black voters, the Democrats most slavish followers, and throw the entire Democratic party into a civil war, with all the liberals at each other’s throats.
‘Tis bliss to be a Republican in this sunny season, with euphoria to follow in the fall election.
Tantor on May 3, 2008 at 12:47 PM
Unfortunately, my 74 year old father still thinks Obama is the best thing since sliced bread, as does his wife. This is someone who voted for Goldwater in 1964 and Nixon in 1968 and 1972. I’m ready to give up on trying to correct his incorrect thinking….
Mooseman on May 3, 2008 at 11:30 PM