Tuesday, March 25, 2008

The latest poll in North Carolina . . .

. . . shows Barack Obama expanding his lead here over Sen. Hillary Clinton. The poll, released today by a Raleigh group called Public Policy Polling, says Obama leads Clinton now 55 - 34. This is apparently a rebound from his numbers on March 17, a low point for the campaign, just prior to his speech on race and his pastor in Philadelphia. PPP attributes the stronger showing to both his Philadelphia speech and his one on the war delivered in Fayetteville.

In other races, the poll has Richard Moore closing the gap with Beverly Perdue in the governor's race, and in the U.S. Senate primary race Kay Hagen leads Jim Neal 19 - 9, with 61 percent of the voters still undecided.

The complete poll can be downloaded in a pdf format here.

Did Obama's Philadelphia and Fayetteville speeches change your mind about his candidacy? Just click the 'comments' link below to continue the conversation.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Perhaps there's hope that Hillary's ruthless hunger for power will end here in NC.

Obama '08

Anonymous said...

I like what Hillary has to say about HealthCare, Iraq and most recently Economic measures. I think once folks here let her speak, they will see a great deal of difference between what Sen. Obama says he'll do and what Hillary has done. (It is a shame Sen. Obama couldn't have used his speach to turn away from his divisive ex-pastor. Intead, he reinforced his bad behavior. I can't imagine how editors and people would've reacted had a European American running for president had been associated with European American pastor that spoke bad about America, race relations. I think this will hurt him against McCain if NC Dems aren't don't choose Hillary.)

Anonymous said...

Maya Angelou turns 80 this week, and I recall her life-changing words on courage and leadership when confronted with racism. Per Angelou, “I will not sit in a group of black friends and hear racial pejoratives against whites… I will not hear it. As soon as I hear it, I say, "Excuse me, I have to leave. Sorry." Or if it's in my home, I say, "You have to leave. I can't have that. That is poison, and I know it is poison, and you're smearing it on me. I will not have it.” When we talk about racism, we have to see that we are not just talking about acts against blacks; we are talking about vulgarities against any human being because of her -- his -- race. This is vulgar. That is what it is, whether it is anti-Asian, whether it is the use of racial prejudices about Jews, about Japanese, about Native Americans, about blacks, about Irish, it is stupid, because what it is, really is, it is poison. It poisons the spirit, the human spirit.”
See full excerpt at http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/page/ang0int-4

Sen. Obama should have demonstrated courage and left his church. But he didn’t. He stayed... for 20 years. Who isn’t troubled by the Obama Family’s judgment and character when the comparison is drawn between their religious affiliation and that of Sen. McCain or Sen. Clinton? Can you envision an image of the Clinton Family attending a Sunday mass, wherein their preacher advocates anti-American and racial rhetoric? How exactly do you explain these actions away regardless of which candidate performs it? You don't. It is completely indefensible, and it is this point that will be pushed to the limits by GOP ads in a continuous loop in the fall. This is Obama’s paramount problem, it was self-created, and despite what a flawed 1,000-person poll may show, it is actually spreading uneasiness and anxiety in living rooms across America with regard to his candidacy. He should demonstrate courage and leave. It is time to drop out of the race.

In short, the candidate who has primarily been running his campaign on change and unification, is now the poster child for divisive racism. An overwhelming number of Americans do not have an issue voting for Obama because he is a black man… the underlying issue is Obama is not the right black man. If he did have courage, he would acknowledge his candidacy in the general election is ruined, he would step down from the nominee race, he would stop muddying the waters thus allowing a GOP win, and he would support Sen. Clinton toward a strong victory

Anonymous said...

Many of us view this election cycle as one of great historic value, and as such, actively discuss and critically assess the nomination process. What were once pro Senator Obama supporters are now switching their vote over to Senator Clinton.

The main reasons for increasing uneasiness over Sen. Obama center on (1) lack of experience (2) no original policy making (3) plagiarized speeches (4) Obama-Reszko corruption scandal (5) lying about NAFTA-Canada for political gain (6) poor judgment with regard to pharmaceutical lobbying (7) disenfranchising Florida and Michigan by rejecting a revote, and most importantly (8) lack of courage and accountability with his support in the Reverend Wright atrocity.

Anonymous said...

Before you vote, take time to read Shelby Steele's latest book, "A Bound Man: Why We Are Excited about Obama and Why He Can't Win." Absolutely fabulous articulation of the problem with Obama --- Dr. Steele is a must read.

You can also listen to his interview lecture from the Commonwealth Club of California.

http://wordforword.publicradio.org/programs/2008/02/01/

.

Anonymous said...

I personally think Obama's speech was a diversion from the question that was put forth. His speech was on racism. Nobody but he and his camp brought up race. The question was about patriotism and judgement. Why would someone in the US Senate, sworn to serve his country sit there while someone degrades and disrespects his country without saying something, anything? Why did he not leave?
Then there is this issue of his camp making a big deal along with the media about Senator Clinton embellishing on her trip to Bosnia, lying is what they said.
Senator Obama has embelleshed on the following 1. his parents met in Selma at an activist walk, (thatwalk happened the year after he was born)2. The Kennedys' bought his father's ticket to come to the US and he got a scholarship to college,(wrong again, the year after his father was in this country going to school in Hawaii, is when the Kennedys' joined the program to bring youn Africans here from Kenya to further there education)3. His mother was a single parent(she remarried after her divorce when he was two, and stayed married to that husband until he was nine and sent him to live with his grand-parents, the typical white woman)4. his resume when he was running for the US Senate(embellished according to Senator Jones of Ill. and that's why the Judicial Watch couldn't find any papers on his achievements, they were borrowed from other statesmen) 5. He didn't know Tony Rezko. he only worked 5 hours for him and a church group on a real estate deal (Rezko was a bundler for his campaign beginning in 1995 through 2007, had a deal for his house, etc.) doesn't take money from lobbyists/lawyers (just this year he has accepted $13,456,386.00)doesn't accept moneys from oil and gas companies (has accepted $160,000,00 ) and that comes from our candidate with honesty and integrity that will always tell the truth. These facts come from the Center of Responsive Politics.

Anonymous said...

Sadly enough, most honest people have known since Obama started campaigning, whether or not they would support him even before the association was made between him, his family, the church he attends and Rev. Wright.

The shock that many White Americans have over the supposed incendiary words of a black preacher is just hypocrisy. We the American public, via the media have heard and seen, since the years of Ronald Reagan, White preachers with the EAR of our leaders condemning America for her "sins" - whether they were sins of abortion, support of gay rights and even down to natural disasters. White evangelical preachers told us that the Tsunami that struck the islands of Indonesia and killed thousands were due to "God's Judgement upon the people - due to their faith in Islam". Lest we forget that even as recent as the devestation of Hurricane Katrina - right wing evangelicals claimed God's Judgement upon New Orleans as a city of sin.

Luke 6:42 says "How can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,' when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.

We are a country of hypocrites and cynics - desperately looking for anything negative and ugly to say about anyone that does not fit neatly into our "world".

This country will not be able to change - because so many FEAR change. We say we want new leadership - but yet we elect the same people, who tell us lies (we like to hear lies) and then once the liars get into office - they follow their own agenda! And we've done this for a long time - before Obama - there has never been leadership that is different or that would dare have perspectives and ideas that were inclusive for all people instead of exclusive and reserved for the few!

We love bad news - that's why we have played this most wearisome topic, Rev. Wright & Obama over and over again. We feed into the media/propaganda's urges to continue to feed us this level of negativity. We feel better knowing that "Whew - I knew deep down inside that Obama was flawed" and now that you think you have something concrete to point at - you continue to regurgitate the same words - actually relishing the fact that this man just might be flawed" Well DUH! All of us are flawed - the fact is he is flawed as a person - perhaps he shouldn't have been so ready to align himself with that particular house of faith - but the bottom line is - Pastor Wright was his preacher - but he(Obama) still acknowledges Jesus & God as his real inspiration! But you hypocrites will keep looking and harping on the negative side -- you won't turn and acknowledge that the man is human - and ultimately is following GOD - not Pastor Wright. If you think he's following Pastor Wright and NOT God - then why don't you ask him or require the media to ask him this directly? BY the way -- what church does President Bush attend every Sunday? What church did he get baptised in? Married in? Who was the spiritual guide that helped him beat his cocaine addiction? Who is Hillary Clinton's pastor - and what church has she regularly attended over the years? Who spiritually counseled her through the adulturous affairs of her husband? What church has John McCain attended over the course of his 70 year life? And why with all the hype about "spiritual advisors" do we not have the answers to the above?

Because we are a nation of Hypocrites!

I for one hope that Obama does not become President - as the task of dealing with a CORRUPT Government -only interested in making money off the backs of people who seem powerless and asleep to change that - a government that panders to special interests and private investors - a government that's not interested in a future where our children are able to compete in math & science - let alone read or write and comprehend or able to find another country on the world map- a goverment that doesn't care about the environment and the garbage and toxins we will leave our children to inherit -No I don't want Obama to have to deal with all of that - as he will also be powerless to change things unless we the people overthrow the folks who have a chokehold on our leaders....No we're not interested in change - we want to continue to be a nation of egoistic, self righteous, materialistically driven, CONSUMERS, DEBTORS and Hypocrites!

That is, in reality what we aspire to, because ACTION(S) speak(s) louder than words! and our PAST actions (the history that we're so willing to whitewash and cleanse), show this, because we continue to elect the same type of individuals over and over.

No I don't want Obama to win - because some racist person with an axe to grind - will probably kill him.

Historically - the people (Jews & Romans) who lived during the time when Jesus walked the earth and was talking about change (love thy neighbor as thyself - the greatest commandment) thought he was a NUT! Martin Luther King Jr., wasn't running for a political office - and was running a non-violent campaign of change (folks thought he was a radical, communist - a NUT!) - and he was Killed! - SHOT dead! and that is what I fear will happen to Obama if he happens to be elected to the highest office in this land! And I don't want his children to grow up embittered and fatherless!

As for the question of attending the same church for 20 years - well the only thing I can tell you is that Obama is like a lot of black people (and white people) LOYAL. That's what it boils down to. One example and I'll get off the soapbox - My 89year old Black Grandmother (I hope you all figured out I am black) is and always has been a member of the Republican Party (history here - the party of Lincoln who in her mind - freed the slaves(and as a young idealist - I couldn't understand why) Especially after my dad told me how racist republicans like Jesse Helms would have a 5 minute editorial on the evening news back during the civil rights movement and do nothing but spout negative things regarding Martin Luther King Jr. and black people who were participating in trying to CHANGE Jim Crow in the south. When I asked her - why are you a republican - she said it was Lincoln's Party and her parents were republican. So- Loyalty. That's the only way to describe it.

I've heard people in the black church say "if it was good enough for great grandma - then its good enough for me."

I'm not saying that Obama is Loyal to Rev. WRight - although most would say he is - I'm saying his 20 year membership shows he's LOYAL to his CHURCH!