Take a look at this report excerpted here and then watch the video.
Barack Obama has lost ground among some of his strongest bases of support, including young people, women, Democrats and independents, according to a new ATV/Zogby poll.
The Illinois Democrat has also lost some support among African-Americans and Hispanics, where his lead over Republican John McCain has shrunk, and among Catholics, where he's lost his lead.
The net result, pollster John Zogby found, is a race that's neck and neck, with McCain supported by 42 percent; Obama by 41 percent; Libertarian Bob Barr by 2 percent; and independent Ralph Nader by 2 percent. Another 13 percent supported other candidates or were undedcided.
Zogby called the results a "notable turnaround" from a July survey he did that showed Obama leading by 46-36.
May I also add that Obama is losing support with people. Put a fork in him. He is done.
And then there is this HuffPo piece which looks at Obama's personal problems which can be summed up: there is no there there. Obama is a far left guy (read Marxist), who ran a moderate far left primary campaign and is now adopting a great many of McCain's positions with caveats. As the HuffPo points out, America is a moderate right country (in terms of American politics) and McCain is right in the center of the American political demographic. Which is why many on the right don't like him. Still, when the choice is a Scoop Jackson Democrat or a Marxist the right is going to go with Scoop every time.
As to "Change we can believe in" I think Obama is correct on that without reservation. He is a weather vane blowin' in the wind. It has gotten to the point that not even his supporters know where he stands. Add in the dirty deeds he did to win the primary and it is obvious Obama has made a lot of enemies and is not making any headway with people he now wants to be his friends.
The only question now is: will it hurt the Democrats in the down ticket races. My guess? Yes. Will it be enough to change control of Congress? Too early to tell.
Instapundit links to an article in The Nation that lists the changes Obama followers can believe in. It is a socialist environmentalist laundry list. Almost every one of which Obama has qualified or repudiated recently. Evidently the recent changes are not ones they can believe in.
Leftists are good for making lists and "naming names." Look at most any piece in "The Nation" and you'll find that the writer lists his or her kaffee klatch or drum circle affinity group.\
My considered opinion is: Yaaaaaaaaaawn. It's the same s***, dished out the usual suspects in a different year.
Frankly, the only thing that surprises me is that these idiots didn't also also call for justice for the Scottsboro Boys and the Rosenbergs, not to mention demand that we boycott the 1936 Berlin Olympics.
MarkJ · August 5, 2008 8:18 PM
I'm no Obama fan, but it's rich listening to HILLARY CLINTON supporters whine about rules and processes. Cry me a river.
Machine Gun · August 5, 2008 8:22 PM
I'm no Obama fan, but it's rich listening to HILLARY CLINTON supporters whine about rules and processes. Cry me a river.
The video is hard to watch. It stops about every 6 seconds. Is it my computer or the video?? Anyways, from what I could watch it is a sad display of Obama's tactics.
I strongly fear (and am going to call Rush Limbaugh about this....) that the Obama campaign will try and prevent the overseas military ballots from being counted and threaten riots if he is not elected in order to scare the older white crowds from voting at all.
Sad, but true.....
Artbyruth · August 5, 2008 8:37 PM
The video is hard to watch. It stops about every 6 seconds. Is it my computer or the video?? Anyways, from what I could watch it is a sad display of Obama's tactics.
I strongly fear (and am going to call Rush Limbaugh about this....) that the Obama campaign will try and prevent the overseas military ballots from being counted and threaten riots if he is not elected in order to scare the older white crowds from voting at all.
Sad, but true.....
Anonymous · August 5, 2008 8:44 PM
Congress does have the lowest approval ratings ever, which is not going to help the Democrats. They're in control, and they seem to have messed things up even worse than the other guy, so I'm not sure why the conventional wisdom is that they'll gain seats.
That great Republican stunt a few days back when they fought to grandstand over an energy bill even after the Democrats turned off the lights was a stunning piece of political theater. Awesome. At that rate they might just turn a few seats.
I seem to remember there are more contested Republican seats than Democratic seats, but ironically enough it looks like conservatives of a sort still control the Congress. Remember, the Democratic strategy to win was to run conservative Democrats in conservative districts. But then they don't get people who are keen on stopping the war once it starts going well. That's not really a majority, is it?
I thought a year ago that that Obama would win the nomination, because Hillary Clinton is an awful public speaker, but then that the war would start turning our way and that would cause McCain to win the general. Looks pretty good for that assessment today.
Now I think Congress could turn back, since people seem dissatisfied overall with it, and the Republicans are showing real leadership from a theoretically weak position. That's bound to be impressive to people in the center, who think our system should "just work" and who don't see the Democrats making it happen.
D
Anonymous · August 5, 2008 8:44 PM
The video is hard to watch. It stops about every 6 seconds. Is it my computer or the video?? Anyways, from what I could watch it is a sad display of Obama's tactics.
I strongly fear (and am going to call Rush Limbaugh about this....) that the Obama campaign will try and prevent the overseas military ballots from being counted and threaten riots if he is not elected in order to scare the older white crowds from voting
Artbyruth · August 5, 2008 8:44 PM
hi simon.
great post.
but actually, the boom has been off of obama's rose for a long time:
obama has actually been crashing since rev wright.
It's the "MoveOn/ACORN" fascism coming to fruition. The whole "new Man," "change we can believe in" dynamic that utopian socialists have proclaimed in their ecstasy for years now has coalesced behind "The One," BHO. Be very afraid, people.
njoriole · August 5, 2008 9:36 PM
Hit 'pause' and walk away from your computer for a few minutes, Artbyruth. When you come back, it will play well.
I love the line where it was suggested by an Obama supporter that everyone who supports Obama is extremely smart and good-looking. Everyone is "a Sports Illustrated sports suit model, who also has a Phd."
I'd say since Wright he has been sliding. What ever has happened he is now crashing.
It may be just the usual time lag. It takes most people time to adjust to new facts. Look at how long it has taken for people (MSM esp) to notice the surge is working. About six months delay. The Wright delay has been about that long too.
I figured the Wright fiasco wounded Obama a little, but I started noticing (and telling my friends and colleagues) the wheels coming off the bus in a serious way about a month ago, about the time he started trying to 'move to the middle'. It just wasn't working. He is more and more being exposed for whatever it is that he is.
JorgXMcKie · August 5, 2008 10:05 PM
Tood,
I saw that chart a while back and blogged it here. Thanks for posting the link.
I'm beginnin to think that we may have another 1994 backlash election. Obama is an empty suit and the dems in the house have the lowest approval rating in history. This may be a throw the bums out election when it comes to congress and the empty suit gets thrown under the bus. For want of a better metaphor.
eric · August 5, 2008 10:13 PM
As I've argued on other blogs, this campaign is likely to put paid to the notion that you can't win an election without raising oodles of money. All money really does is buy you exposure, and a big exposure advantage doesn't give you an edge in the election itself - it merely transforms the election from a two-sided affair into a referendum on you.
Obama has turned this election into a referendum on Obama, a referendum he is now in real danger of losing.
Joshua · August 5, 2008 10:26 PM
The bloom is off the rose, but the rose has to do a lot of wilting for Obama to lose in this Democratic year.
Don't misunderstand: absent a horrific VP choice, McCain will get my vote. My enthusiasm is another matter. Way too often, the GOP has left me feeling like a patsy after my support.
Read my lips.
gs · August 5, 2008 10:56 PM
blah blah blah
Nothing but a bunch of paranoid crap form some disgruntled people. Both side put out crap like this and the people that put out this crap are pathetic losers. Their one saving grace though is that they are less pathetic losers than the fools who believe the crap they put out.
Jason Bates · August 5, 2008 11:15 PM
Welcome to Chicago politics - sounds like SOP.
Sandy P · August 6, 2008 2:11 AM
OBAMA WILL HAVE DIFFICULTY MEETING EXPECTATIONS, INCLUDING HIS OWN ---
Mr. Obama has yet to complete something. His strong opponents were destroyed by his activists in a worse manner than the video depicts and as soon as he has been elected, he runs for higher office. A man with no successful executive experience (he failed in the educational efforts with Ayres), no foreign policy experience, little national political experience, no military service, apparently limited actual knowledge of any subject beyond political expediency (inflating of tires saves the equivalent oil as we would see from drilling offshore) and one who has little gravitas when compared to JFK or even Dan Quayle; but one with a magnetic public personality such as JFK or worse Huey Long.
Geraldine Farro said that Mr. Obama wouldn’t have gotten as far as he has in the ’08 race if he was white or female. I agree with the white part; the female part, well Mrs. Clinton did very well for someone whose experience was being on the periphery of power. Ah, for the days of a Scoop Jackson or even a Sam Nunn or a Jeane Kirkpatrick.
I am really surprised that nobody ever brings up the Richie Daley connection here. Obamas campaign was created and is being run by two of Daley's heavy hitters, David Axelrod and Valerie Jarrett. The reason that Obama is so insubstantial and the political infighting so brutal is that this election is all about the Chicago Machine wresting control of the DNC from the Clinton Machine. Obama is Richie Daley's handpuppet.
Paul · August 6, 2008 2:17 PM
Tood, thank you. Your link was very informative, the author thoughtful and the comments outstanding. That was bookmark worthy and I will be using it for future reference.
The Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler
Don?t bang your head!
Leftists are good for making lists and "naming names." Look at most any piece in "The Nation" and you'll find that the writer lists his or her kaffee klatch or drum circle affinity group.\
My considered opinion is: Yaaaaaaaaaawn. It's the same s***, dished out the usual suspects in a different year.
Frankly, the only thing that surprises me is that these idiots didn't also also call for justice for the Scottsboro Boys and the Rosenbergs, not to mention demand that we boycott the 1936 Berlin Olympics.