Analysis: McCain Wins As Dems Bicker

[Omaha Steve]

Source: U.S. News/CBS

By the time Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama spoke at a forum on manufacturing in Pittsburgh recently, they were still consumed by their latest food fight. This one was about some of Obama's ill-chosen words at a San Francisco fundraiser where he said that, after years of neglect, small-town voters had become bitter and "cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them ... as a way to explain their frustrations." Soon Clinton was drinking a beer and a shot of Crown Royal, full of nostalgia about how her granddaddy taught her to shoot a gun. Obama dubbed her "Annie Oakley," while Clinton started to run paid ads about Obama's elitism. Then Clinton took to the stage to tell steelworkers, yet again, that she had been "disappointed" by Obama's initial remarks.

They hissed. Some shouted, "No." This wasn't the debate they wanted. Their message: We want this election to be about us. Too bad that memo never made it to the last Clinton-Obama debate. The topics: the pressing questions about Obama's flagless suit lapels and whether he has ever socialized with radicals from the 1960s.

The winner: John McCain. He had been in Pennsylvania, too, only he was talking about the economy. Sure, his speech was late. And yes, it contained all of the appropriate bromides for Republican base voters--making the Bush tax cuts permanent, for instance. But his prescription had a populist bent, with calls for a summer gas tax moratorium and for the wealthy elderly to pay more for their prescription drugs. McCain also took offense at the "extravagant salaries and severance deals of CEOs" and their "reckless corporate conduct." Smart Nixon-going-to-China politics for a Republican, especially one who wants to attract independent voters.

So as the Democrats bicker, McCain pulls just about even in matchups in the national polls. That's closer than he has any right to be, given the unpopularity of the president and the Iraq war, not to mention that a whopping 81 percent of voters think the country is headed down the wrong track. Democrats remain the favorites to win the election, but, as former George W. Bush pollster (and now independent) Matthew Dowd tells me: "They're taking a likely Democratic victory and turning it into a probable Democratic victory that could well become a dead heat." And it's not that McCain has a brilliant political strategy. "He's gained everything," adds Dowd, "and has had to do virtually nothing for it."



Read more: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/04/21/politics/main4033516.shtml

[DinahMoeHum]

1. There's still 6 months to go until the GE. That's an eternity in politics.

n/t

[Warpy]

2. Lockstep conservatives just don't know how the Democratic Party

works. We fight like cats and dogs until the last minute, but I sincerely doubt any Democrat is going to cross party lines this time. Some of the sour zealots will stay home if the candidate they've invested their egos into doesn't get the nod, but they're a tiny, tiny minority.

However, good luck to the GOP on rallying their fracturing coalition of the stupid, the greedy, the ultra rich, and the ultra religious to vote for another 100 years of war, another 4 years of ruining the environment, another 4 years of a brutal economy, and another 4 years of starving the public to fatten the rich.

The real danger for our party isn't a nominating fight during which McSame is exposing himself as out of touch and out of ideas. The real danger is another lackluster DLC campaign driven by focus groups and packaging another good candidate as a bland Milquetoast who can be counted upon not to rock the GOP boat.

[alstephenson]

8. The "real danger for our party"....

is another stolen election. They're setting us up, folks.

[NJmaverick]

3. I can't believe the Dems are not all smart enough to see this

[specimenfred1984]

4. Is there a category called "Latest Breaking Propaganda"?

A lot of "news" stories belong in it if there is.

[LeftishBrit]

5. Please NOT!

For the sake of the entire world - PLEASE not!!!

[and-justice-for-all]

6. Dont you fret now...

McSame will get his, it is already on the way.

[Irishonly]

7. If the MSM would do their jobs

and call McCain on his statements it wouldn't be as bad. The MSM is too worried one of the candidates may pick their nose in public they don't do anything else but stalk them.

[Doctor_J]

9. BS. first of all, McBush's numbers have not gone up in the

last month. Second of all, as soon as Billary gives up her ridiculous vanity trip, Obama put the old slug away with about 10 million new voters.

The MSM will take another step toward obsolescence this year.

[bemildred]

10. Why should I pay any attention to these media whores? nt

[katty]

11. yup, Dems fighting away when they need to pull together