The Candidates
As we watched Obama stumble like a wounded puppy during late April and early May, some wondered if he could even win North Carolina.
The ‘Reverend’ Wright controversy seemed to be sticking to Obama. Even worse he couldn’t find a way to move on.
So why did Obama over-perform last week?
Sure, NC had large African American turnout. You can’t blame racial solidarity for Obama’s strength in Indiana.
So what happened? Where voters just not paying attention to the news that week?
In a way, Yes. During late April and early May only 16% of voters thought the Campaign was the biggest news story. 30% thought gas prices were the most covered story. 20% thought it was the economy.
In reality 38% of the news during that time was campaign related. Evidently people were simply tuning out the news.
In an election against Obama we have to assume many voters will do this. They’ll stick their fingers in their ears and live in a fantasy world where Obama isn’t an elitist who hangs out with terrorists, bigots, and corrupt Chicago power brokers.
May 12th, 2008 at 11:33 am
Doug, those are national stats. Most of the nation has voted. You’d have to find stats for NC and IN voters.
May 12th, 2008 at 11:58 am
Obama did exactly what he should have done in NC and underperformed in IN I think.
May 12th, 2008 at 12:00 pm
http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/archives/2008/05/the_general_election_map.php
Here is Marc laying which states are for who, are leaning, and all tosses up. I dissagree with him in a few areas (MT should be in McCain Column and NH a toss up.) But he is likely right in most areas. Good point about VA that want ever ground NoVA McCain takes back in Stillwater.
May 12th, 2008 at 12:24 pm
Or…perhaps the Wright controversy wasn’t such a big deal after all and the voters were smart enough to ignore it. He found a way to ignore, and it didn’t stick. Trying to brand him as equal to Wright didn’t work, so shut up about it.
Don’t get me wrong, but I’m against Obama because he’s a) inexperienced and b) a liberal. That’s it. He and Wright are not the same person, so we should get over it. I’m sorry, but the way race42008 has turned into a pure Republican-narrative-enforcing machine bothers me.
May 12th, 2008 at 12:53 pm
Obama’s luck may have gotten a little better with Bob Barr possibly joining th race as a libertarian.
May 12th, 2008 at 1:06 pm
Will, Wright is really a small part of it. I think it was overplayed. Most of why Obama scares me is that he chooses to hang out with terrorists and is closely linked to criminals. I’m not scared of the empty suit. I’m frighten of the far-left handlers that are behind the scenes.
May 12th, 2008 at 1:45 pm
If Obama’s knowing that 60’s radical is a problem, then you should be really concerned that McCain’s convention manager lobbied for Burmese thugs in the process of genocide.
May 12th, 2008 at 2:35 pm
I chuckled with my wife the other day when I said that people are scared to death of the snake oil salesman politicians, yet right now the democratic party is going gaga over one right now. How people trust someone they know so little about, with so few statements of substance shows me that as a society we really do sway in the wind pretty easily. Luckily most people tend to fall back into reality at some point in which Obama will hit the wall. I think he will be a horrible general candidate against McCain. Since McCain is a moderate in many ways he will get a fair amount of Hillary voters. I don’t think the Wright issue will break his back, but his shallow approach will be exposed and lack of experience will do him in against McCain.
May 12th, 2008 at 2:37 pm
I don’t mind that he knew a 60’s radical.
I mind that he closely associated with someone who attempted to plant a bomb to kill US non-commissioned officers.
I also mind that Obama has a close financial relationship with Tony Rezko.
Obama is just the standard corrupt Chicago far left politician.
May 12th, 2008 at 4:50 pm
Voters get attentive in presidential races after the World Series, and they will not ignore the facts about Obama.