POLITICAL WIRE’S HEADLINES – 3/28
CNN Poll: Democratic Bickering Could Hurt Party
A new CNN/Opinion Research poll ”suggests the increased bickering between Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama could affect Democratic turnout in November.”
Sixteen percent of Clinton supporters questioned in the survey said “they are not likely to vote in the general election if Obama is the Democratic nominee. An equal number of Obama supporters said they’ll sit it out come November if Clinton is their party’s nominee.”
Teflon or Krazy Glue?
Matt Bai: “Why do some political missteps haunt their candidates forever, while others are easily put to rest? John Kerry saying he voted for the war before he voted against it, or Howard Dean screeching on a stage in Iowa, instantly becomes the stuff of political history, but when George W. Bush admits that he was once arrested for driving under the influence, it immediately fades into obscurity. Some politicians, as they used to say of Ronald Reagan, seem coated in Teflon, while others seem covered in Krazy Glue, unable to shake the stickiness of what seem like minor embarrassments.”
Bonus Quote of the Day
“I think it’s very difficult to imagine how anyone can believe that Barack Obama can’t be the nominee of the party. I think that’s a foregone conclusion, in my view, at this juncture given where things are.”
– Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT), in an interview with the National Journal.
Obama Taps Operative for Pennsylvania
“On the eve of his six-day bus tour of Pennsylvania, Barack Obama is bringing in a new operative to lead his efforts in the state,” the Boston Globe reports.
“Paul Tewes, who directed Obama’s impressive win in the Iowa caucuses, will take over the Pennsylvania campaign from Jim DeMay, according to campaign sources.”
“Obama’s national campaign has come under criticism from supporters that his defensive strategy in Pennsylvania — designed largely to limit Hillary Clinton’s ability to run up her popular-vote total — was tantamount to conceding the state.”
Pew Research: Obama Maintains Lead Over Clinton
The recent controversy over comments made by the Rev. Jeremiah Wright does not appear to have undermined support for Sen. Barack Obama’s presidential candidacy, according to the latest Pew Research survey.
The poll finds that Obama maintains a 49% to 39% advantage over Sen. Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination, which is virtually unchanged from than the 49% to 40% lead he held among Democrats in late February.
Key finding: “The new polling suggests that the Wright affair has not hurt Obama’s standing, in part because his response to the controversy has been viewed positively by voters who favor him over Clinton. Obama’s handling of the Wright controversy also won a favorable response from a substantial proportion of Clinton supporters and even from a third of Republican voters.”
Barr Considers Libertarian Bid
Former Rep. Bob Barr (R-GA) “confirmed on Wednesday that he’s ‘very seriously’ looking at joining the race for the White House as a Libertarian,” according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
“Barr said a Libertarian candidacy would essentially be an extension of the Ron Paul campaign.”
Meanwhile, former Democratic presidential candidate Mike Gravel (D-AK) announced he will join the Libertarian Party, the Washington Post reports.
Clinton Focuses on Economy in Pennsylvania
As she campaigns in Pennsylvania, Sen. Hillary Clinton is “adopting a battle plan reminiscent of the one James Carville and Paul Begala used to boost underdog Democrat Harris Wofford into the Senate in 1991 and adapted a year later to help propel Bill Clinton to the presidency,” reports the Wall Street Journal. “Their strategy: Focus on health care and the economy.”
“Inconveniently for Sen. Clinton, however, Mr. Wofford is supporting Sen. Obama.”
Quote of the Day
“My family’s not big on quitting, you probably noticed that.”
– Bill Clinton, quoted by the Charleston Gazette.
PPI Poll: Obama Stronger in California Against McCain
A new Public Policy Institute of California poll shows Sen. Barack Obama would be a stronger Democratic presidential candidate in the general election than Sen. Hillary Clinton.
Obama leads Sen. John McCain in the nation’s most populous state, 49% to 40%, while Clinton edges McCain, 46% to 43%.
Could Bloomberg Endorse Obama?
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg “will stand side by side with Democratic presidential hopeful Sen Barack Obama for the second time in four months Thursday,” according to WCBS-TV. “Bloomberg will introduce the Illinois senator at a speech on the economy at Cooper Union College.”
“They have spent time with each other in the past, but Bloomberg’s latest appearance with Obama is fueling speculation about whether the mayor will officially endorse the presidential candidate.”
Quinnipiac: Independents Prefer Obama in Connecticut
“With strong support from young and independent voters,” Sen. Barack Obama leads Sen. John McCain, 52% to 35%, in Connecticut, according to a new Quinnipiac poll.
However, these same voters do not give Sen. Hillary Clinton as much support as she barely edged McCain, 45% to 42%.
Said pollster Douglas Schwartz: “Sen. Barack Obama has argued that he is more electable than Sen. Hillary Clinton because of his appeal to independent voters. And in Connecticut that is what we are finding. Independent voters, especially independent men, make the difference in Connecticut.”
