Senator Obama's campaign in crisis and near collapse?

[Tropics_Dude83]

Five questions from only unbiased observers please or people that can present unbiased answers:

1. How serious of an incident is this for the Obama campaign on a scale of 0-10? Is it equatable to Spitzer in terms of political damage, not illegality of course

2. Is there any chance that Senator Obama will have to withdraw from the race because of this?

3. Does Senator Clinton become the new frontrunner because of this?

4. What must he do to save his campaign now (if it needs saving)?

5. What kind of a hit in the tracking polls should he get from this?

I'm in panic mode.

[Name removed]

1. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[tblue]

I second that!

[depakid]

25. waaaa.

What did I predict that some Obama supporters here would do when the heat turned up?

[SoFlaJet]

30. were we supposed to be paying attention to you?

our bad

[depakid]

38. Better get used to it -the far right media's cranking up the machine

No more coddling from here on out.

And actually- you ought to be thankful it's happening now, rather than in the fall....

[KAZ]

Thank God you're here to tell us the ways of the world!

[depakid]

67. I wish I could say I took a little scheudenfraude in all the whinging

but unfortunately, it's too important for me to really feel that.

[SoFlaJet]

they have stacks of papers on Hugh Rodham's pay-for-pardon

scandals...hoping and waiting and the Clinton Library and the Saudis 10 million bucks...that whip swings both ways

[roguevalley]

161. my take;

1. How serious of an incident is this for the Obama campaign on a scale of 0-10? Is it equatable to Spitzer in terms of political damage, not illegality of course

No. This is sex weeks before Pennsylvania. He expects to lose that one. It is months and months before the general. John McCain can be met tit for tat over anything brought up so far. Hagee, et al put Wright into the shade. given McCain's war love and his 'spiritual advisors' who believe the death of all muslims is what america was created for will neutralize this pretty well.

2. Is there any chance that Senator Obama will have to withdraw from the race because of this?

No. He will handle it. He knew it was there eventually I am sure and he's articulated well so far.

3. Does Senator Clinton become the new frontrunner because of this?

I doubt it. Her negatives are huge and her count too small.

4. What must he do to save his campaign now (if it needs saving)?

Continue on his way. Calm articulation of his programs and steady leadership during this storm will be powerful.

5. What kind of a hit in the tracking polls should he get from this?

Hard to say. This will play in the "Alabama" between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia that commentators say Pennsylvania is. The rest of the world isn't Pennsylvania. he will weather it and I doubt it will be as damning when it came so early.

I'm in panic mode.

Be strong, honey.

[OnceUponTimeOnTheNet]

18. Economy and the Math

No more need be said.
Go Obama!

[americanstranger]

28. Yep. It sure smells like it.

Now, watch it turn from 'concerned poster' to flat-out Obama hater inside 10 posts.

- as

[depakid]

43. And people wonder why some see cult-like behavior in the campaign

Your post is spot on with what one would expect.

[americanstranger]

54. Happens every day here.

But you're right. Concern trolls on DU automatically make me part of a cult.

Get back to me when you start to make sense.

- as

[depakid]

62. What makes it cult-like is your dismissal of legitimate points in the OP

and your denigrating the poster as a "troll" -with no evidence, instead.

Classic behavior one often sees with, say scientology.

[americanstranger]

71. Yeah, you're right.

Wanna buy a copy of 'Battlefield Earth?' Or I have the DVD with Travolta if you'd perfer.

5 bucks.

- as

[anamandujano]

79. My only concern is that the MSM will help him out of this and then

help him lose the general.

I couldn't stand him from the get-go but had no idea he was such a puff ball with such heavy ballast. Live and learn.

~~~unabashedly unconcerned poster

[2rth2pwr]

2. All the calls for Hillary to give it up have been a bit

premature, no?

[depakid]

21. delete

[rodeodance]

61. very very premature

[JackORoses]

135. no, they still apply. she will not be the nominee.

and from what Pelosi has said, she won't even be on the ticket.

[hell-bent]

148. Pelosi has said?

WTF! Who gives a shit what that poor excuse of a Democratic Speaker has to say at this point? Tell her to stuff it........

[babylonsister]

3. Don't panic, he'll be fine. nt

[stray cat]

4. None of this is new information - the media or someone is just jumping all over it.

It surely doesn't destroy his campaign but it may allow Hillary to win in PA

[C_U_L8R]

5. Unbunch your panties there Chicken Little

It's just the nasty old Clinton machine oozing the only thing it's got left.
Don't worry, it will all be over very soon.
And Obama is doing just fine.

[Maven]

11. Really? So Rev. Wright is actually a robot under Hillary's control?

And she devised a scheme to entangle the two over twenty years ago, foreseeing this very series of events?

My GOD, that woman is even more powerful and brilliant than I thought.

[C_U_L8R]

24. I didn't say that. You did.

What i was referring to was the creeping ooze of inevitable
failure that has permeated your campaign.

[Maven]

27. Oh, no, but you implied it.

Obviously everything that goes wrong with your idol must be Clinton's fault. Where have I heard that before?

[C_U_L8R]

47. Fine. Whatever. See below.

[FedoraLV]

75. No

but this is only the 8th ... 9th attempt to make Obama look like a Scary Black Man(tm) or a militant black muslim (or a muslim terrorist.) Most of those prior efforts (make him look like Jesse Jackson, smear him with his wife's thesis (ai, they're hiding it ... oh, it's on Politico), smear him with a link to Farrakhan, smear him with the photo, smear him with his African family, smear him with the school he attended in Indonesia, smear him with the black church he attends, smear him with his black pastor.)

(Stephanie Miller drop) "Have you noticed he's *black*?" (/Stephanie Miller drop)

Several of those smears originated with the Clinton campaign: I see the pattern of the last few months ... take one of Sen. Obama's strengths (that he's successfully navigated being a person of color to succeed in American politics) and try to make it his weakness.

I won't buy any variation on that theme, no matter who is pushing it.

Gobama!

(And if this is just what the Republicans will give him ... um, why are we imitating the Republicans? Why are their tactics suddenly such a grand idea? If they're going to do this kind of junk, why don't we leave it to them? We've got better, more substantive, more honorable ways to campaign, right?

Dont't we? Or is this the best we, as Democrats, have got to go on?)

-FedoraLV

(Look up the picture that forms my .sig :D)

[JoFerret]

12. Um.

this is Obama's "pastor". His choice not a Clinton invention. Get a grip.

But I agree with those who say - off you go wooden spoon op troll.

[C_U_L8R]

39. see above.

it's you Clinton folks who are doing all the panicked squawking about this old dotty pastor.
C'mon. Get real. Do you really think you're helping Hillary with all this nonsense? We'll see won't we.
You've been losing delegates, you're losing time, you're losing money, you've lost your own campaign message.
All that's left of the Clinton campaign is this ... silly squawking. Meh.

[indimuse]

37. well aren't you........

WRONG!

[islandmkl]

6. yes or no...

but definitely one of the two....

[Tropics_Dude83]

8. Not a troll-check my post history n/t

[JackORoses]

141. you sure are scare prone. You go into a panic once every few days.

Do you really think OPs like this accomplish anything?

Every third 'Sky is Falling' post seems to be yours.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

7. There's nothing wrong with Obama's campaign

the problem is the GOP

[texastoast]

9. ...

1. 3. No.
2. No
3. No
4. Remain a passionate advocate
5. Little

Remember, most thinking Americans will regard this as the political bullshit it is. Most church-goers I know don't always agree with their pastors.

[Tropics_Dude83]

14. Oh I totally agree

I thought it was nothing until I watched Hardball just now and Chris Matthews was outraged and some pastor was intoning "this isn't going to blow over." It's the lead story on CNN now. The appearances on all 3 cable shows kind of freaked me too. And the posts on GD:P pushed me over the edge I'd say.

[doc03]

63. Just what part of Rev. Wrong's venom does Obama

disagree or agree with? If I went to a church that had an outright racist hate monger as a pastor
like Rev. Wrong I would have quit 20 years ago.

[texastoast]

73. Some folks can see beyond the fear

Maybe Obama was able to do something with his pastor that I was able to do with my parents: forgive their racism, throw it out of my own life's door, and cherish the good things they brought to me.

Something about bathwater and babies is ringing a bell with me.

And something else about walking in another's shoes.

Maybe he lives by those credos.

[doc03]

89. He was his friend and mentor for 20 years

I certainly wouldn't attend David Duke's church for 20 years then try and say I don't agree with everything he says. You are known by the friends you keep, at least everyone except Obama.

[anamandujano]

87. Wright is his MENTOR--he follows the guy, takes spiritual direction from him.

If you disagree with someone that much, you have a different mentor.

Now that I think of it, how old is Bama? He's been listening to this guy since he was like 25 yrs old or so?

[roseBudd]

116. Saying that rich white people run America is not racism, it is reality

And white people who are not rich know that

[anamandujano]

121. It's the how one says it that counts.

[roseBudd]

147. If there is any group of people that has the right to say god damn america besides Native Americans

it is African Americans

[Cooley Hurd]

10. .

1. 3

2. No

3. No

4. He's doing it - he's slated to appear on Olbermann at 8, Hannity & Colmes at 9 and Anderson Cooper at 10

5. Minimal, perhaps 2-3 points at most

[Coexist]

20. jinx!

[Tellurian]

112. who really cares on a Friday night..

answer: nobody!

[MojoMojoMojo]

35. I just hope Obamas announcing that he will drop out

He's doing it - he's slated to appear on Olbermann at 8, Hannity & Colmes at 9 and Anderson Cooper at 10

[Cooley Hurd]

55. Ha. Hahaha. Hahahahahaha....

Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha*cough*hahahahahahahahahaha!

Oh, wait. You're serious?:eyes:

[Coexist]

117. why does "Ignored" keep replying to me?

[Up2Late]

144. LOL! They must not know that they made the list.

:rofl:

Btw, still trying to figure out what the OP is talking about, any clues?:popcorn:

[Coexist]

146. maybe he's seen too many Mark Penn flop sweat moments

and is having sympathy pains?

[CreekDog]

70. uh, no, you give one speech to drop out

you give lots when you are staying in.

people really are getting stupider! :banghead:

[anamandujano]

90. He's presently testing the waters, like Spitzer did for a day or two.

[CreekDog]

97. you must have been at Taco Bell when that satellite was supposed to crash

expecting to get your free taco --such is your realism.

:rofl:

[anamandujano]

122. No doubt that's how Bama's campaign team is feeling right about now.

[CreekDog]

131. how's your reading comprehension?

:eyes:

[Window]

83. LMAO!

:rofl:

Your mojo is still not working.

[Coexist]

13. ....

1. 3

2. No

3. Hell no.

4. He's doing it.

5. -3, for a few days, then back up after the first debate in Pa.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

15. pretty damn serious

[KAZ]

42. Come on, you have to get your 2/thread in. Next post?

"Serious pretty damn".

[nadinbrzezinski]

16. Answers not from a supporter for EITHER side

Five questions from only unbiased observers please or people that can present unbiased answers:

1. How serious of an incident is this for the Obama campaign on a scale of 0-10? Is it equatable to Spitzer in terms of political damage, not illegality of course

4, perhaps 5. It should not be too serious, since we have seen the reaction to the Hagee events. And yes, Hagee should have done more damage. Of course, we also have the Radio and TV pushing this the way they didn't do with Hagee, or for that matter Vitter

2. Is there any chance that Senator Obama will have to withdraw from the race because of this?

Not for the moment, but it could come to that if the pressure from the press is high enough

3. Does Senator Clinton become the new frontrunner because of this?
If Obama withdraws it is automatic, she gets the delegates too

4. What must he do to save his campaign now (if it needs saving)?

He's issued a letter and distanced himself, much more he can't do.

5. What kind of a hit in the tracking polls should he get from this?

He will take a hit in the short term... but assuming he handles all well and the press stops their yapping, he will recover, it is five years to the PA primary

I'm in panic mode.

Both candidates the lesser of the two evil compared to Mcinsane

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

46. I Agree With You On All Points But #1.

I'd call this an easy 7.

I can't get the potential ad out of my head, with video of the pastor saying the worst of the disgusting comments, followed by video/audio/text of Obama's praise/closeness with him. Coupled along with the flag pin incident, hand on heart incident and his wife's comments incident, and you've got yourself the most powerful propaganda ammo the RW could've asked for. Because of the content: i.e. lack of patriotism, hatred towards whitey, blaming 9/11 on us, believing in wacko conspiracy theories, this is easily a 7. It has EVERYTHING the RW could want in a smear.

I don't think the main damage is going to come to Obama now. I think the main damage will be seen in the midst of the GE battle.

[nadinbrzezinski]

126. There is plenty of ammo for BOTH candidates from the RW

during the GE.

They will throw the kitchen sink and then some at both

So that argument does not fly with me

I expect EITHER of them to face impeachment if they manage to get elected. That is the nature of the RW in this country

[Voice for Peace]

143. What percentage of the American people are RW lunatics and/or people who

are not sick of smear tactics and the politics of lies and fearmongering? (serious question, if you know the answer).

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

149. Enough To Cost Us The Election, If They Use The Attacks Properly. n/t

[psychmommy]

151. mccain has his questionable religious endorsements

i saw one of his surrogates on morning joe and he didn't want to wallow in the crap w/joe. there are sound bites all around. don't forget bill clinton had jesse jackson as his religious homeboy after the big got caught. next thing ya know jesse was dealing w/a pregnant mistress in the press. do we really want to sink to this level. a lot of ugliness will be coming out on all sides. we are none perfect and all fall short the glory of God. that includes pastors, husbands, men/women, americans (of all colors). we need to fall back and deal with the issues. see i told you we don't always agree but, i still liked your post yesterday. i feel better debating with you now.

[americanstranger]

159. I have my doubts about the ad in your head, OMC.

McCain, I'm pretty sure, doesn't want to go there in an official capacity, as there are similar skeletons in his endorsement closet.

Sure, maybe some 527s will run it, but judging by McCain's immediate reaction he wants to give this a wide berth - so there may be pressure from the McCrazy campaign for the 527s to cool it.

Yeah, I know. I'm an optimist. :D

- as

[CreekDog]

84. how does this change the delegate math?

he still has it. if he lost by 25 points, he would still have it.

is this going to cause him to lose by that much in Michigan? nope.

and let him look like he's being beat up on unfairly (like if say, this goes on for more than a week) and he will actually benefit from all this.

you know, all candidates have baggage, issues, stuff that's going to come up --this is his thing. is it worse than the worst any of his opponents would have to face, sure doesn't seem like it.

so i think this reaction is premature.

[nadinbrzezinski]

128. One of the points asks what happens if he bows out

if he bows out there is only one more candidate running, unless I missed something

[cbayer]

114. It's 5 years to the PA primary!?!?!?!?! no!!!!!!!!!!!! please, no!!!!!!!!!!!! nt.

[nadinbrzezinski]

129. weeks, sorry

:hugs:

[cbayer]

139. Oh, thank god.

I can't do this for 5 more years.

:hugs: back atcha.

[backscatter712]

17. Unbiased observers? There ain't no such thing here on GD:P

Let me give you my very biased responses.

1. I'd give this one a 4. Definitely some ugly sound bites that have the 527s licking their chops. It's nothing near Spitzer. Not even close.

2. No. He had to respond, and did respond, and is responding effectively.

3. No. She's still behind in delegates, and has little hope of catching up.

4. Go on TV and the media, which he's doing, denounce and reject Wright's words, and set the record straight. He's already doing this.

5. He may lose a few percent in the short term, but the total hit will be limited, as Obama and Axelrod are practicing swift and effective damage control.

[nadinbrzezinski]

19. Answers not from a supporter for EITHER side

Five questions from only unbiased observers please or people that can present unbiased answers:

1. How serious of an incident is this for the Obama campaign on a scale of 0-10? Is it equatable to Spitzer in terms of political damage, not illegality of course

4, perhaps 5. It should not be too serious, since we have seen the reaction to the Hagee events. And yes, Hagee should have done more damage. Of course, we also have the Radio and TV pushing this the way they didn't do with Hagee, or for that matter Vitter

2. Is there any chance that Senator Obama will have to withdraw from the race because of this?

Not for the moment, but it could come to that if the pressure from the press is high enough

3. Does Senator Clinton become the new frontrunner because of this?
If Obama withdraws it is automatic, she gets the delegates too

4. What must he do to save his campaign now (if it needs saving)?

He's issued a letter and distanced himself, much more he can't do.

5. What kind of a hit in the tracking polls should he get from this?

He will take a hit in the short term... but assuming he handles all well and the press stops their yapping, he will recover, it is five years to the PA primary

I'm in panic mode.

Both candidates the lesser of the two evil compared to Mcinsane

[angie_love]

22. don't worry man. I was in a panic too, but hes going to address it on KO, Hannity and Andy Coop

tonight. Will this ever fully go away? Doubt it, but I'm heartened to know that hes talking about it, rejecting and denouncing it.

[Tropics_Dude83]

34. And that's the bloody f**ing thing-what about Hagee?

Hagee got a COMPLETE pass, or rather Mccain got a complete pass over Hagee and Obama is hammered over this? Huh????

[angie_love]

52. Its called double standard my friend. unfortunately obama needs to work twice as hard as McCain to

win. Thats the reality, but I'll work twice as hard to try and get him elected. It will be tough but we have to right?

[doc03]

72. John McCain didn't attend Rev. Hagee's church for 20 years

and he never said he considered him an uncle and his mentor.

[anamandujano]

95. Important distinctions that they don't care to address. Most

voters, and one would hope a few "journalists" will be able to easily make these distinctions.

[misanthrope]

102. No, he just actively courted Hagee's affiliation.**nm

**

[roseBudd]

118. Patience, grasshopper, Obama is aware of Hagee

[anamandujano]

125. He can use that instead of whining that Hillary did it too!

[Ashy Larry]

23. Don't panic. Not yet anyway.

1. I would give it a 4. Spitzer is an 11.
2. No.
3. No.
4. He needs to exactly what he will be doing tonight. Publicly addressing the issue and explaining it to people.
5. No more than 2 points. Have you heard any Obama supporters say that they no longer support him because of his pastor?

[MojoMojoMojo]

26. It has very little effect on the primaries,unless theres a landslide in Pa

That would show Obamas really done for.
But even if he takes the nomination , the GE is already lost for Obama.
I would guess the effect is 1 in the primaries .10 in the GE

[anamandujano]

96. That's exactly what the Repuke MSM is shooting for now.

[loveangelc]

29. no this will not cause him to drop out. don't get too overdramatic.

it's a concern. it's a concern obama supporters have. it's not going to cause him to drop out of the race though, that is silly.

[MaineDem]

31. Let's spread more rumor and innuendo

Good grief.

Watch Obama over the next 48 hours. I think you'll be pleased.

[uponit7771]

32. 1.) 2 (mostly because of McCaints associations) - 2.) hell naw (he addressed Write a year ago) - 3.)

...hell naw, people can see Clinton doesn't have good judgment - 4.) He doesn't have to save his campaign but he can score points by getting the free face time - 5.) a point or two till it blows over, people who are being objective knows this is a guilt by association issue...hell, even McCaint isn't going after him on this.

[Still-ill]

33. I must have missed something

his camp is falling apart, when did that happen

[C_U_L8R]

59. Don't believe the Clintons

they're full of it.,, and this is the last desperate gasp of a failed campaign. It ain't pretty.

[rodeodance]

64. ha the clintons had nothing to do this.

[Cant trust em]

36. I wouldn't call this a crisis

setback certainly, but crisis would be if Tuesday were the Pennsylvania primary. Plenty of time for this to blow over.

[LSparkle]

40. Take a Xanax ...

Panic mode? Please ... This will end up as a net gain for Obama -- he'll be seen as taking responsibility,
dealing with a problem, being candid about where he disagrees with one of his surrogates. He gets to talk
about his faith and dispel once and for all the Muslim rumors. Making lemonade out of lemons -- he's handling
this perfectly.

[rodeodance]

127. i think that......

:puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke:

[HopeforChange]

41. Are you Crazy?

[tishaLA]

44. Yes, he will have to withdraw and

he will be placed under psychiatric observation (a 5150) for a period of 72 hours. Happily, the Washington press corps will be nearby to see him hauled out on a gurney while Michelle shrieks in the background, her two daughters, with tears streaming down their faces, clutching her skirt on either side. But, if you look down the driveway, you will see the smirking faces of Mark Penn and Harold Wolfson, who will inform the press that it all happened because he knew he could never get over the wily old Commander in Chief threshold.

[DURHAM D]

45. OK -

1. In the primary - a 3. In the general - a 10.

2. No

3. No

4. Pray

5. Not much in the near term. Ginormous in the fall when the Rethug 527s start running ads.

[Tropics_Dude83]

50. Oh and also I supported Obama when no one else did

When he was at 19% in the January 2007 ABC/WP primary poll, through the media coronation of HRC in 2007, et al. Just FYI for every one.

[Radical Activist]

48. About the same effect as Geraldine Ferraro's comments.

Not much.

[rodeodance]

82. NO one at the library was talking about Fererro this week but sure were turned off to BO and paster.

[Radical Activist]

153. Oh no! Not the old ladies at the library!

Who is paster?

[Bread and Circus]

49. Just relax....this is like a 2 on a scale of 1 to 10. He has some work to do...

but it's better it dusts up now than in late October.

[rodeodance]

80. FULL DAMAGE CONTROL MODE

[Tellurian]

115. This is 9.8 on the Richter scale..

from here on in his numbers will bottom out!

wait and see!

[theboss]

150. Please, Bill Clinton was banging cocktail waitresses two at a time in New Hampshire and survived

Obama's campaign is not going to collapse because of something another human being said.

[hell-bent]

156. Living vicariously through Bill Clinton's penis again?

Get your own life,will ya......

[theboss]

160. Bill survived his own actions; Obama will survive another's words

This is obviously a political problem but one that could be solved.

What it really does is give white people an excuse not to vote for him.

[NJSecularist]

51. The best thing that can come out of this is that it happened in March and not August.

I'd say it's about a 6 or 7 on the serious scale.

[rocktivity]

53. It depends.

1. Compared to Hillary/Ferraro and McCain/Hagee, you mean?

2. Compared to Hillary/Ferraro and McCain/Hagee, you mean??

3. Compared to McCain/Hagee, you mean?

4. Compared to Hillary/Ferraro and McCain/Hagee, you mean?

5. Compared to Hillary/Ferraro and McCain/Hagee, you mean?

And if Hillary and McCain aren't panicking, why should he?

:crazy:
rocknation

[anamandujano]

106. "And if Hillary and McCain aren't panicking, why should he?"

Pssst! It's not their problem, it's his. "Duh" X 1000.

[rocktivity]

145. But THEY haven't stepped aside, have they?

:headbang:
rocknation

[rocktivity]

163. I'll rephrase the question, your honor

And if Hillary and McCain aren't panicking OVER THEIR PROBLEMS, why should he?

:headbang:
rocknation

[izzybeans]

56. Turn off the t.v. and come back to reality. It's safer here. No false boogeymen.

[rodeodance]

68. just at least a 10000000000 boogeymen.--not safe here. very little truth told here

[izzybeans]

78. Well I don't mean here, here

I mean out there. I miss"spoke"

Good point.

[sueragingroz]

57. here's my stab at it

1. How serious of an incident is this for the Obama campaign on a scale of 0-10? Is it equatable to Spitzer in terms of political damage, not illegality of course

It's a 8 out of 10 IMHO. It goes to core values.

2. Is there any chance that Senator Obama will have to withdraw from the race because of this?

A good chance.

3. Does Senator Clinton become the new frontrunner because of this?
She could very well become the nominee: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=5082220&mesg_id=5082220

4. What must he do to save his campaign now (if it needs saving)?

I don't know what he can do. How do you distance yourself from someone that you had such a close association with for 20 years without coming across as a cynical politician. His whole meme was to transcend all of that. The meme is broken. He was Roved.

5. What kind of a hit in the tracking polls should he get from this?

It's conceivable that if he stays in it until Pennsylvania that he will lose 80-20.

I'm in panic mode.

Don't panic yet... there is still hope for the party if it's handled correctly.

[anamandujano]

113. "He was Roved." He was Roved into thinking he could ascend unchallenged.

So was Kennedy, Kerry and the other party numbnuts who went along for the joy ride.

[sueragingroz]

132. yep! and in more ways than one

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=5071482&mesg_id=5071482

[CreekDog]

58. this = $80k to prostitutes?

you really need to examine your "panic" and sense of proportionality.

i mean if even the media can tell the difference, well that should tell you something. :eyes:

[anamandujano]

120. The Spitzer family is now enjoying a stress free weekend now that

Bama has blown them off the front page. No doubt Mrs. Spitzer has put in a permanent order for 2 dozen long stemmed red roses for their savior.

[jackson_dem]

60. He is done as a viable general election candidate

All it will take is one rethug ad splicing together Wright's views and Obama's hypocrisy and they kill his false image as being someone who means what he says, says what he means as well as any appeal he has to white voters.

[HCE SuiGeneris]

69. Bookmarking

And so I can plan ahead, how do you like your crow?

[rodeodance]

77. I will serve your crow with rice .

[Qutzupalotl]

99. Can you read? This thread is for unbiased observers only.

:rofl:

[rodeodance]

124. gd=p would not exist if that were the case:

:grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug:

[Forkboy]

155. ....

:spray:

[HCE SuiGeneris]

103. You are so heavily invested in your campaign

that I seriously don't think you will serving up anything when reality hits you. I feel sorry for you.

[rodeodance]

136. BO is fried green tomatoes

[DURHAM D]

81. And another ad re: Michelle -

The "I am proud of America for the first time" film with quotes from her master's or senior thesis over excerpts from Wright's sermons.

As some Republican strategist said yesterday -the Wright stuff is gold. Bringing down Obama with this stuff makes the swiftboating of Kerry look like a public service announcement.

[loveangelc]

111. Shut up. This is not going to paralyze him.

it's a concern. he's addressing it now. get over it, your girl isn't getting it (in all likely hood) and throwing out the idea that he is unable to win because of his pastor is ludacris.

[RelativelyJones]

65. Nobody gives a shit about this but political junkies

[rodeodance]

74. talking about today at the grocery ck out. and not good either.

[shadowknows69]

66. 1)1-2

2)No
3)No
4)What he's doing tonight in the MSM
5)he's gone up a couple points in the last day.

[madrchsod]

76. a collapsing house of cards

he should pick up his cards and go home...

see ya later barack!

[hell-bent]

157. Ha,ha,ha,

Now, that was frigging funny! :>)

[comrade snarky]

85. Let's see...

1)Fairly serious, not fatal. It was going to be used in the GE so I think they have an answer for it. I just didn't expect it to be used by another Democrat but that's been happening a lot lately.

2. Oh my, no.

3. Not unless Obama drops out and endorses her. If that happened I don't know what I'd do, that's a lot of monkeys flyin out my butt. We'd have to plan for the butt monkey plague. <shudder>

4. Hmmm maybe go on some cable shown and explain. You know, like he's doing tonight

5. I expect a blip. I'm surprised this wasn't held until closer to the primary. Looks to me like the right wing press grabbed it and the Clinton campaign decided to go along for the ride.

[doc03]

86. I saw this Obama supporter Naomi Wolf

on one of the morning shows today and she is blaming the MSM. She said all Obama wants to do is debate the issues. That's a good one, all he has done is talk about "hope and change" and the MSM has given him a free pass until a couple days ago, now he wants to talk issues. I think he will go down big in PA, like I have heard you have Pittsburgh on one side and Philadelphia on the other and Alabama in the middle. This Rev. Wrong stuff got legs.

[shadowknows69]

91. Since you're a cicada I guess you wouldn't know

That Naomi Wolf is like a Goddess on DU. Well for real duers anyway.

[doc03]

94. What the f--- are you talking about "cicada" and what are

real DUers people who agree with Obama right or wrong. I don't care if she is God she's full of crap.

[knixphan]

108. cicada! lol

[Crooked Moon]

88. my take:

1. How serious of an incident is this for the Obama campaign on a scale of 0-10? Is it equatable to Spitzer in terms of political damage, not illegality of course

a 5. it equates in no way to spitzer. it does, however, call into question his judgment, an aspect he has often bandied to trump experience.

2. Is there any chance that Senator Obama will have to withdraw from the race because of this?

no.

3. Does Senator Clinton become the new frontrunner because of this?

not mathematically, no. depending on how he handles his mini-media tour tonight, he could lose a lot of his shine, however, and cause people yet to vote, people who have voted and superdelegates to closely reflect on their decision.

4. What must he do to save his campaign now (if it needs saving)?

basically, he needs to sell out his church. it's risky because of his hard-fought support from blacks could turn somewhat as some people view it as denouncing a segment of black political thought.

5. What kind of a hit in the tracking polls should he get from this?

pennsylvania is so far off that i can't see it changing much. clinton is already running strong. it could affect the tenor of the north carolina contest and that would not be insignificant.

[housewolf]

92. Here are my answers to your questions

1. 2.5
2. No
3. No
4. He's doing it - talking about it on all the media tonight, released a written comment and moving forward in a calm, reasoned and un-paniced mode
5. A few, probobly

[AtomicKitten]

93. This leveled the "Muslim" bullshit in two-seconds flat.

And otherwise:

[doc03]

98. That's what you think there is quite a large

percentage that still believe he is a Muslim and they normally would have voted for the Democrat.

[AtomicKitten]

101. hey, you can't have it both ways

Either Hilly needs to stop spreading the Muslim email rumors or stop trying impugn him through this 6-degrees of separation. Continuing to do both just highlights how entirely bereft of credibility her campaign has become.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

100. Good try . . . yaawwwn.

[casus belli]

104. Ah...another "concern" post.

Panic mode...how dramatic.

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

105. In order: 8, no, no, unknown, unknown

[knixphan]

107. panic? wtf?

1. - Easiest way to silence Muslim-smear is to give him a free forum to discuss his Christian-ness.... free air time for Barack!

2. Clinton Library donors - MUCH scarier. Tax returns, MUCH murkier.

3. Hagee?

panic? Puh-leeze

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

109. -

[dcindian]

110. I am not sure there can be any campaign in crisis now.

If you consider Clinton to be a viable non crisis campaign there is absolutely nothing Obama can do to get below that mark.

Even if he lost every single primary by a lot he would still be closer to Clinton than Clinton is to him now.

[Johnny__Motown]

119. wow, you are desperate for a miracle.. well this isn't it

1) maybe a 3. It also helps discredit the Muslim lies so not even a 3 when you take that into account. Also there is 6 weeks before the next primary. This will be old news in 2.

2) Hell no

3) oh Hell no

4) keep racking up the delegates after he does all 3 major news network interviews tonight.

5) there will be a dip in his poll numbers but it won't be permanent.


Don't panic, better this came out now than 5 weeks from now.

[writes3000]

123. Tropics, there you are - panicking again.

I've seen you do this multiple times now. A bad poll. A primary loss. You freak out like Chicken Little. Stop making yourself sick with worry.

Learn how to relax and observe.

If Obama is meant to lead this country, he will be able to handle this. And I believe he will be able to handle this.

[4_Legs_Good]

130. Hee hee

I would say

1. 2, and a temporary 2 at that. It will be gone by Tuesday of next week, and it will be brought up again in negative ads in November, but won't go anywhere among people who would ever vote for Obama anyway

2. No, not in this or any other universe.

3. No. (LOL)

4. Nothing. He can dampen it out a little, by saying he doesn't agree. He can dampen it out a bit more by getting rid of any campaign connections.

5. Tracking polls don't matter, but I'd say you'll see panicked shift of 2-4 points for about a week, and then a rebound to where he is now.

This is nothing more than a distraction, and with Obama's sights set on winning big in North Carolina and the other May contests, this isn't even that much of a distraction.

David

[bhikkhu]

133. So you are looking for "unbiased observers" in the GDP?

Best of luck. I'd respond, but don't fit the description.

[ProSense]

134. This might be a sign

[CreekDog]

137. My goodness, some people here would call for last rites if they got a hangnail in a foxhole

sheesh.

[intaglio]

138. Forget it

The attention span of most of those pushing this story is short

Also, despite the shouting, this is actually good - it wipes out the "Obama=muslim" canard

OK?

[NDambi]

140. Well, I just him another $250.00 so his campaign is still alive to me..

[CreekDog]

142. you could get struck by lightning while riding in an elevator too

yes, bad things are possible.

but they aren't necessarily inevitable.

[theboss]

152. He'll be fine. No campaign is going to be brought down by words spoken by a friend of the candidate

This actually hit at a pretty fortunate time. It was bound to come out at some point. It could be in the media cycle for two weeks and he would still have a month until the next primary.

[farmbo]

154. Chill!...For the first time many voters know he's a CHRISTIAN...not a Muslim

Although it will create a rocky news cycle for the Obama campaign, it will help him in the long run. It finally-- and irrevocably-- confirms to Redneck Nation that he is a devout Christian... who, like many of us, sometimes has to endure a loud-mouthed pastor.

[aquart]

158. You're being funny, right?

So he's a religious bigot and he's denying it, so what?

So he was best buds with a political "fixer" who raised $250,000 for him, so what?

Olbermann had him on so he could explain and make it all nice.

AND we haven't caught him with a whore so he's golden.

Stop worrying. Devout Christian Obama is going to be your president.

[adoraz]

162. answers...

1. How serious of an incident is this for the Obama campaign on a scale of 0-10? Is it equatable to Spitzer in terms of political damage, not illegality of course

No, not even ANYWHERE close. not even comparable. It will be mainly forgotten once the next primary even comes around.

2. Is there any chance that Senator Obama will have to withdraw from the race because of this?

No chance in Hell.

3. Does Senator Clinton become the new frontrunner because of this?

No.

4. What must he do to save his campaign now (if it needs saving)?

What he already did, address the issue on TV.

5. What kind of a hit in the tracking polls should he get from this?

Probably a couple point decline for a couple days, but it will go back up.

[scheming daemons]

164. Tropics_dude... are you scared of your own shadow? Seriously... you scare every other day....

Calm down... your candidate hit a homerun tonight on all the cable network shows.


CNN is now playing tapes of McCain's "pastor problems".....


The media is moving on now... except for Hannity... but he doesn't count.


Relax.