and the RATS, take another one in the..................HA ha!!!
Posted on 07/05/2008 2:19:25 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
One week after Sen. Hillary Clinton made a public show of unity with Sen. Barack Obama, a new survey suggests supporters of the New York senator are increasingly less likely to follow her lead.
A growing number of Clinton supporters polled say they may stay home in November instead of casting their ballot for Obama, an indication the party has yet to coalesce around the Illinois senator four weeks after the most prolonged and at times divisive primary race in modern American history came to a close.
According to a CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll released Friday, the number of Clinton supporters who plan to defect to Republican Sen. John McCain’s camp is down from one month ago, but — in what could be an ominous sign for Obama as he seeks to unify the party — the number of them who say they plan to vote for Obama is also down, and a growing number say they may not vote at all.
In a CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey completed in early June before the New York senator ended her White House bid, 60 percent of Clinton backers polled said they planned on voting for Obama. In the latest poll, that number has dropped to 54 percent.
In early June, 22 percent of Clinton supporters polled said they would not vote at all if Obama were the party’s nominee, now close to a third say they will stay home.
In another sign the wounds of the heated primary race have yet to heal, 43 percent of registered Democrats polled still say they would prefer Clinton to be the party’s presidential nominee.
That number is significantly higher than it was in early June, when 35 percent of Democrats polled said they preferred Clinton to lead the party’s presidential ticket.
Obama won 59 percent of support from registered Democrats polled in June; now he garners 54 percent.
“These things always take time to heal,” said Bill Schneider, CNN senior political analyst.
“I think Clinton’s supporters are waiting to see if Sen. Obama will pick her as vice president. That would certainly be very healing to them.”
But most political observers agree the prospects of an Obama-Clinton ticket are dim, most notably because Clinton remains a divisive figure in American politics and Obama’s message of change threatens to be muddled by the 16 years Clinton has spent in Washington
But the question remains whether Obama can win enough Democrats without Clinton as his No. 2.
“If he doesn’t pick her, a later stage of grief is depression and then acceptance,” Schneider said.
“In the end I expect Clinton supporters will accept Obama, because they will listen to Sen. Clinton, who has said the stakes are too high for Democrats to sulk.”
The analysts said maybe more than four weeks is needed for many of Clinton’s most devoted supporters to move past her loss, especially considering the primary campaign stretched more than 17 months.
“Many voters find it tough to immediately switch allegiances to a candidate that they once opposed, so they find a ‘neutral’ setting more comfortable for awhile,” said Keating Holland, CNN polling director.
“If that’s what is happening to the Clinton supporters who now say they plan to stay at home, Obama may have nothing to worry about. If not, there’s a big chunk of the party base that Obama won’t be able to count on in November.”
While Clinton’s stock among many Democrats remains high in the latest poll, her husband’s is decidedly lower since a year ago.
Much has been made of Bill Clinton’s role in his wife’s White House bid — the increasingly aggressive campaign style, the sharpened attacks leveled at Obama that some viewed as carrying racial overtones and the outbursts at some reporters over what he viewed as unfair media coverage.
The former president increasingly came under fire from neutral Democrats and party elders concerned he was fracturing the party in an election cycle during which Democrats appeared to hold the advantage in nearly every way.
Among all registered voters questioned in the latest poll, his approval rating is down 9 points in just more than a year, from 60 percent to 51 percent.
“Former presidents are supposed to be above politics, but Bill Clinton couldn’t be above it in this campaign since his wife was a candidate for president,” Schneider said.
“But he was seen as too political. Democrats thought it was appropriate for him to support his wife but not appropriate to get overly critical of Obama.”
So can Clinton, who left office eight years ago with approval ratings well over 60 percent, repair his image with most Americans?
“He needs to show he’s gotten over it,” Schneider said.
Oh, c’mon now. Ole Bill can go cover Ted Strickland’s Cornholing Jamboree.
Stop it, you're drooling.
I don't believe for a minute more than 5% of Hillary's voters are going to vote Republican.
Nope. The anger's real, but these are lifelong Democrats who can't be considered "moderate" or "Jacksonian." Voting "R" -- even for the likes of McCain -- is a bridge too far for most of them, so, yes, they are more likely to stay home.
I think effectively Obama has already lost 25% of the Democratic vote. I think the Hillary supporters are serious. They may not all vote for McCain but neither will they vote for Obama. The bottom line here is that McCain is losing none of these votes, yet Obama is losing them all.
My gut feeling is that unhappy Hillary supporters who don’t vote for Barry will ultimately be more likely to “sit this one out” than crossover for McCain.
Couldn’t even begin to guess how many or how few either group would number, though. Hopefully enough to pick up Michigan, Nevada, and Ohio :) .
Yes, I can see why McCain appeals so well to Democrats. Mainly because he is one.
But wait till this election season really kicks off and the media blitz takes over. WE are likely to see the entire woes of $5.00 gas, huge budget deficits, State and Federal (Lack of positive revenue) and the onset of Winter with heating oil at over $4.00, be entirely blamed on Republicans and Bush. Imagine that.
Those Democrats will then realize that they need Obama in the White House to “straighten” out the mess the Republicans created. You know, to punish evil “Big Oil”, take charge of the market and force them to lower prices, subsidize heating oil for all Americans, fix food prices, etc....
They will vote Democrat. You can guarantee it. And they will hit the polls in record numbers like they did in the Primaries, after Obama picks Hillary as his running mate.
CNN polls are rather unreliable because they reflect the Clinton Brigade mostly. This is where the Clintonistas get their marching orders.
It is also too early to take any poll seriously because too many modern voters are not easily pollable these days. 2006 was the biggest indicator of where American Politics has gone. Not to mention everything that is at stake in this one. The Democrats see it as the result of a Republican in the White House.
They will certainly do all they can to fix that. They certainly won’t stay home and they certainly won’t support putting another Republican in office for a third Bush term.
See my #5, click thru and read the THOUSANDS of comments just at the first site...
Now this is just a damned lie!!!!!!!!!! EVERYBODY knows barack mcgovern is cruising to a BIG victory, Look he’s plus 5 now already in Montana! So what that he is down 7 in Florida. “We’ll trade Montana for Florida any day right?”
Trade 3 Electoral Votes for 27? Hahahahaha! Yeah, that’s a good idea!!
You're right.
A lot of them, and a lot of fed-up registered Republicans too, are going to quietly vote for Ron Paul.
He is the "anti-establishment" candidate who, for disaffected voters on both sides, represents real change - and they are going to vote for him regardless of any arguments that their particular party may lose.
For them, Obama and McCain represent what is wrong with the poilitical system in America, and it really does not matter which of the two gets elected.
Ron Paul, for them, represents the only real choice.
There you go again, reading tea leaves and chicken entrails in some other form, to give yourself a sense of false hope.
I already see this one as lost. Even if Juan McAmnesty wins, we lose. It will set Conservatism back decades and both candidates will set this country back equally as much.
Just hoping McNasty will change or listen to us is not at all a reason to sell out the Principles that make us who we are. To say otherwise admits defeat and sets the stage for degrading the ideals and philosophy that we once stood for.
That’s why we dig Foxholes when the enemy outnumbers us. In doing so, we better our chances of holding onto the same ground with fewer troops. Those “Foxholes” are now basically our principles.
There is NO compromise or substitute for what makes us the Conservatives we are. To accept a counterfeit like McCain out of the fear of the enemy, is like asking the enemy himself to come share your foxhole. And like he has done repeatedly in the past, thanked us by sticking a knife in our backs. And you want to reward him for it? (Amazing)
The muslims will take the cost of gas to $5.00 in an attempt to get one of their own elected.
These are websites put up by angry DEMOCRATS who are all pissy because their girl didn't get the nomination.
Proves nothing except that the Clintons and their fans love to smear their political opponents.
No hardcore Clinton fan will vote Republican. I mean, give me a break--some idiot supports Hillary for years, votes in primaries, gives money, etc. and, when she doesn't get the nomination, they suddenly decide to cast a vote for a Republican out of pique?
Maybe Rush wasn't the only one with an Operation Chaos going on.
The Kennedys, and in particular, Caroline, detest the Clintons. In fact, I would not be surprised if part of the deal of Teddy endorsing Obama early on was a promise not to put the Clintons on the ticket and having Caroline in charge of the VP selection process is to help ensure this does not happen.
In the last several days I noticed on DU a celebration by Obama supporters crowing about a new purge of Hillary supporters. Apparently a number of long time DU members were indiscreet about their refusal to bow down to the Obama crusade, and this week they got kicked out. Years of Bush hate bought them no slack from the moderators.
Some will wind up in McCain’s column, most won’t. Replies skeptical about them going for McCain overlook there are options other then McCain or Obama. Some will stay home but more will either leave that line blank, write in Hillary, or vote for Nader. Either way it’s a dead loss to the Obama campaign.
If Candidate McCain takes the Gov. of Alaska NOW, before
it is a ‘reaction’, he could pick up a worthwhile fraction
of these dissatisfied voters.
“Yes, I can see why McCain appeals so well to Democrats. Mainly because he is one.”
That’s the reason I will sit this one out. It really does not matter which one is elected.
I do think that serious thought should be given to starting a third party, a Conservative Party, for true conservatives.
No longer can we afford to allow the Republican Party to be our standard bearer.
While I truly admire President Bush for doing a tremendous job with the cards that have been dealt to him, I do not believe that he represents conservatives.
Heh....to quote Bill, "hey Barack, 'put some ice on it'"
I really could care less who Obama picks. It’s that simple. If any of you want to see a fraction of what I believe, read #17.
I began voting in ‘72 and voted for Nixon, my Commander in Chief. I have pretty much seen most of this before. We will see more Democrats in the White House. It’s a political fact. America swings like a pendulum back and forth. All the writing on the wall says that Obama will be our next President.
Like Carter, he will be an utter failure and we can make great progress as Conservatives as a result. Or, we can shiver like dogs from fear and go hide in some dark corner.
I do not fear the likes of Obama or his kind. That’s because they will have the likes of me and my kind to deal with. We never lost a battle in the war because we ran, we held our ground for what we believe in and won. And we won’t stop now, simply for the sake of those who fear him, because most of them believe the enemy is just too scary.
For me, voting for McAmnesty is like retreating or choosing appeasement to the principles that gave us the courage to hold that ground in the first place.
Yeh, we had some fat democrat in our 4th of July parade yesterday. He was handing out nobama flyers and the only people taking them were small kids about 8 years old, and they were only being courteous because Mr. Fat Democrat was an adult. When he tried to give his flyers to adults, everyone I saw politely declined.
If you really believe that then I fear you're deluding yourself. Some may vote McCain. Some may stay home. But the overwhelming majority of her core supporters will troop into the polling booth in November and pull the lever for Obama. It's just what Democrats do.
Doesn't give them much hope for the down ballot elections. Obama has the opposite of coattails.
They will either ‘vote for the Vet’ as my cousin in Ohio says or write in Hillary Clinton. They can still express their anger at Bush by voting Democratic in the state races and that is what they will do.
The research and reseracher are full of prunes. Hillary’s supporters are Democrats. Democrats vote for Democrats.
Obama is a Democrat. Come election day, Hillary supporters will be back on the plantation. Voting for Obama if he is the Democrat candidate.
My personal belief is that come election day, Hillary will be the Democrat nominee. But if Obama is the Democrat nominee Hillary supporters will vote for him. Probably more than once.
Sadly, what you say is very real and honest. I will still vote, but only for Conservatives. I will write in my favorite Conservative for President. (Reagan)
In the down stream elections, we have our best chance of initiating real change. The party of the future will determine that by holding to their principles without fail.Republicanism will die because it has no clear direction. They have compromised themselves too often and have become what the Democrats used to be. There is little difference between the two.
Conservatism will only grow stronger because we still keep our principles true even if it is deemed unpopular at the moment. In time, we will be there to clean up the mess that the moderate Republicans and the Left were too busy trying to avoid.
See post #5
That is now. But wait until they get in the voting booth.
They are four things Democrats hate with a rabid hatered. Conservatives, Christians, Capitalists,and Republicans.
“Bill Schneider is dreaming and he’s a tool. Another aging presstitute that needs to be put out to pasture. There are millions of former Hillary supporters saying they are voting for John McCain in November.”
The RATS version of “Operation Chaos.”
If she doesn’t get the VP slot, Hillary needs them to either stay home or vote McCain. Its the only way she can run again in ‘12. I don’t believe for a second that she is just going to let this go.
"...the number of Clinton supporters who plan to defect to Republican Sen. John McCain’s camp is down from one month ago, but — in what could be an ominous sign for Obama as he seeks to unify the party — the number of them who say they plan to vote for Obama is also down,..."
The None of the Above vote continues to grow.
If Barry wins, will Clinton drop out of the senate after her next term? After all, the senate was a stepping stone to regain the White House. Once that chance is over there is no reason for her to remain in the senate. I can’t see her becoming one of many when she is used to being part of the select crowd.
Believe it! I expect it'll be more like 10%, and more wouldn't surprise me.
All too many people cast votes based on factors other than positions on issues. Besides, Obama is getting closer to McCain on the issues. When issues don't decide it, who wins? Hero or Hussein?
Well yes. But we're not seeing, on the web, the sentiment of a million-plus Hillary voters who do not have any contact with the internet. You find them in the senior centers or waiting for the casino bus. They do their banking in person on the day Social Security checks come in. They're in taverns and beauty salons, talking to like-minded individuals.
The closest thing to an issue with them is when they remember the price of a gallon in the Clinton era.
Political thinkers, of any grade, are in the minority.
So both major parties have managed to pick repulsive candidates?
If anything, this is supposed to lull conservatives into complacency and give u reason to not hold our noses and vote for McCain.
Folks unless you want Obama as your President, then you will have to hold your noses, vote for McCain and then wash your hands, your eyes, and your mouth out with soap after voting....but we do have to vote for McCain lest we do want an Obama presidency...Thats reality.
Actually, not voting at all would be much better than having them vote for McCain. If they vote for McCain, they will likely vote for democrats elsewhere. If they stay home, that hurts the downticket races.
Kind of like the purges here, only those happened long ago.
Sorry, he's not even on the radar for Hillary voters, and I doubt that any Republicans other than his original supporters -- maybe a few protest voters -- are considering voting for him.
I think that even if every available Conservative did vote for McCain that he will still lose. I see several reasons for this which have developed since 2006. The Primaries were really an indicator. Look at the donations for each party. The Democrats dwarf the GOP treasury and continue to do so.
This election is really, still waiting to begin and the media is just now starting to get in gear for Obama. All the Networks, New York Times, CNN, MSNBC even FOX are beginning to pave the road to the White House for Obama. The 527’s will be particularly nasty for McCain.
Many scoffed here when I said Obama would be the nominee 6 months ago. There was simply no way the Democrats would pick him becasue of Rev. Wright, Hillary, etc.... but look who was left standing.
I’m going to stick my neck out again and say the same thing, that due to the obvious indicators, Obama will be President. I hate it as much as the rest here. But we need to take that to our advantage. We did in ‘94 and we can do it again in 2010 and rebuild this party and country at the same time.
Of course she will stay in the Senate. In there, she is still someone with influence. Out of it, she is just another failed Presidential candidate.
If that.
Old Bill Clinton must be busting blood vessels with the way Obama has switched his position on just about every issue.
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