No doubt everyone posting and reading here is already familiar with Obama’s recent comments at a private April 6th San Francisco fundraiser, so no need to rehash.
Sure, Obama’s marginalizing church-going, gun-toting, camouflage-clad Midwesterners. But at what expense? As Charlie Cook at the National Journal correctly anticipates, Obama’s lead
is very difficult to overcome given how few states are left to vote, how hard it is to close a gap under the Democrats’ proportional representation system and that the remaining undecided superdelegates hardly seem ready to march lock step into the Clinton column.
However, I think Cook might be a tea leaf or two short when prophesying how this could affect Obama in the general election:
It doesn’t mean this isn’t costly and doesn’t hurt Obama in a general election. Even a cursory look at the national and state-by-state polling shows that voters are predisposed to vote Democratic and vote for change this year. But swing voters have to be comfortable with the change they are asked to make.
Are we to believe that those Midwesterners Obama slighted comprise the numerosity necessary to swing the vote McCain’s way? Having lived in the Midwest (for three years too many), I couldn’t imagine one of these fellows straddling the fence between Obama and McCain. If anything, Obama has fostered an even greater connection with his left wing fanbase with his off-the-cuff, off-color comments.
Share This
RSS
