May 4, 2008

Jack Kelly Sunday

Last week, it was the Clinton/Obama race.

This week it's Obama/Wright.

How much you wanna bet next week's column will be on Reverend Hagee's characterization of the Roman Catholic Church as the "Whore of Babylon"? Or on Senator McCain's denounciation of Rod Parsely for claiming that the United States was "founded, in part, with the intention of seeing this false religion (Islam) destroyed"?

Yea, you're right. There's next to no chance that either will happen. It's ok if you're a Republican. At least Senator Obama never called his wife the "c-word."

Anyway, back to Jack. It's an odd little column - meandering, almost non-committal in a way. He characterizes the Obama campaign as a "sinking ship", Senator Obama's poll numbers as "plunging" and says that the Reverend Wright could torpedo the campaign with one interview, (whether or not he speaks the truth) about his relationship with Senator Obama.

However Jack Kelly ends the column with this:

The pundits say Mrs. Clinton faces a must-win primary in Indiana Tuesday. That's true. But the more important primary that day may be in North Carolina, which -- because of the state's large black population -- was to have been Sen. Obama's firewall. All polls taken since Monday show the race there has narrowed dramatically. One showed Mrs. Clinton with a slight lead. If she were to win in North Carolina, it would be clear the bloom is off the Obama rose.

If Mr. Obama wins, however narrowly, in North Carolina Tuesday and, two weeks later, in Oregon, he can limp to the nomination because super delegates are more afraid of offending blacks than they are of losing in November.

That's probably what will happen ... unless Jeremiah Wright opens his mouth again.

So at the end of it all, Senator Obama will "probably" "limp to the nomination" in November.

Let's take a closer look at the meat of Jack's column, though. Jack writes:
Support for Sen. Barack Obama has plunged nationally and (more importantly) in North Carolina since Rev. Wright confirmed at his National Press Club appearance Monday that he does indeed hold racist, lunatic, anti-American views, and implied that Sen. Obama has been insincere in separating himself from them. "He had to distance himself, because he's a politician," Rev. Wright said.
Note the word "plunged". Note, also, that he doesn't give any examples. Here are some:

Gallup Poll daily tracking. Three-day rolling average. N=approx. 1,200 Democrats and Democratic-leaning voters nationwide. MoE ± 3. Preference for Democratic Nominee:

May 2, 2008
Clinton 47%
Obama 47%

May 1, 2008
Clinton 48%
Obama 46%

April 30, 2008
Clinton 49%
Obama 45%

April 29, 2008
Clinton 47%
Obama 46%

April 28, 2008
Clinton 47%
Obama 46%

Jeremiah Wright spoke at the National Press Club on April 28 so going back any farther doesn't make much sense.

By the way, where's the "plunge"?

Here's a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation Poll that does show a drop. When asked the question:
"Who would you MOST like to see win the Democratic nomination for president: Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama?" (Names rotated)
The numbers from 3/14-16/08 are:

Obama 52%
Clinton 45%

From 4/28-30/08:

Obama 45%
Clinton 45%

Note first that with these two polls, there's a drop of seven points for Senator Obama. No rise for Senator Clinton. And also, note the second poll was taken the day of Wright's appearance at the National Press Club as well as two days later. Senator Obama's response did not occur until the 29th. So Kelly's "plunge" may just be a temporary drop. No way to tell until more time has elapsed.

Sinking ship? Where?

8 comments:

  1. Are you smoking hopioum or something?

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  2. John K. says: Yah its not like the left doesn't trash the Catholic Church every chance they get.

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  3. It's called a double standard, John K...you should be pretty familiar with the concept but you're probably too stupid to recognize it.

    It's the fact that a "white" preacher can say horribly offensive comments - 9/11 was God's punishment on America, Katrina was God's punishment. Billy Graham can get away with telling Nixon that the Jews are undermining America, but when a black preacher says something controversial, look out!

    As Bill Moyers recently said, it is the deliberation conflation of the man in the pulpit with the man in the pew.

    Obama gets smeared with Wrigth's outlandish commments because he's black, while McCain, who actively pursued that fat fuck Hagee's endorsement, isn't equally attributed the corpulent preacher's equally radical views.

    I don't expect you to get this John K. In fact, I'm certain you won't.

    You wouldn't want to ruin your reputation as the region's most obtuse yinzer, now would you? I mean, if it got out you were capable of cogent thought, you might not be allowed to stay in the GOP. There's no room for thinking there.

    No, John K., it's better that you and all the other conservative worms keep your heads firmly impanted up your assholes so as not to create too much confusion.

    It's better that way; and besides, you're probably used to it by now.

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  4. i vote jaywillie gets his mouth washed out with soap!

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  5. John K. says: From now on I demand everyone call me the Acid Queen.

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  6. Okay, let's talk about double standards...

    How about when you leftists concern yourself with some moron televangelist preaching his drivel about the religion of Islam, but then turn around and attack the religion (in addition to the people of Iraq) by suggesting every chance you get that they are nothing but murderers.

    ...and yes, you people are implying this when you deny that AQI exists and simply blame the ferocious suicide attacks that have decimated neighborhoods in Iraqi cities on "ancient hatred". Having had this discussion with Muslims of both sects myself, I can promise you that true Muslims on all sides of the spectrum reject such brutal acts of violence, regardless of the rivalry or tension between them. Any violence between the two today in Iraq is because of the work of AQ, the baathist remnants, and Iranian interference...who have done everything possible to make it happen. Surely, anyone with eyes and a mind that is not warped by their political ideology can see that.

    I do not like to listen to the nonsense preached by Hagee and Parsley any more than you do, but their statements pale in comparison to what you people say.

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  7. CH:

    Examples?

    Who said "every chance they get" that Muslims are "nothing but murderers"?

    I only hear ranting right-wingers say that.

    Do you have concrete examples?

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  8. John K. says: Well we are not going to keep our heads planted anywhere. Operation Chaos rules! And since the left likes to bash those Catholics, they seem to be right in line with Rev Wright and his thinking.

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