NYT/AP: Obama's Rough Patch Could've Been Worse
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: March 23, 2008
MEDFORD, Ore. (AP) -- Barack Obama refers to the past couple of weeks as a tough, turbulent stretch. And why not? His foreign policy adviser quit for calling Democratic presidential rival Hillary Rodham Clinton a ''monster.'' Then he had to distance himself from his longtime pastor's fiery statements, a controversy that threatened his image as a uniter. He trails in polls in the upcoming Pennsylvania primary. Obama also watched his lead wither in national opinion surveys....But as bad weeks go, things certainly could have been worse.
Obama received generally favorable reviews for his somber speech on the nation's racial divide, though it didn't completely silence the criticism over his former pastor's rhetoric. Then Florida and Michigan indicated they would not hold new primaries to replace the contests that favored Clinton but violated party rules. Campaign finance reports showed him far ahead in the money race. And finally, he picked up the much sought-after endorsement of New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson -- one Clinton also had coveted.
Most importantly, as the Illinois senator prepares to takes a break from campaigning for a brief family vacation, he retains a nearly insurmountable lead in pledged delegates and is winning the nationwide popular vote.
With weeks to go before the next primary, imagery and perception matter.
It's almost impossible for Clinton to catch Obama in the delegate count, but he can't clinch the nomination through primaries alone. That leaves both candidates trying to woo superdelegates, the party leaders who can vote for whomever they choose.
Clinton's campaign says Obama's recent struggles prove she is the better candidate to face Republican John McCain in the general election. Setting aside the difficult delegate math, Clinton says the turbulence in Obama's camp proves he hasn't been vetted and would be vulnerable to Republican campaign tactics. Obama's campaign tells a different story. Supporters credit him for addressing the furor over the Rev. Jeremiah Wright's comments head-on and for speaking from his heart. Obama's bad week, supporters say, revealed him to be confident, cool under pressure, even presidential....
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/AP-Obamas-Tough-Week.html
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