Supported by Republicans, Obama Takes Lead in Presidential Race
Reported the Angus-Reid Global Monitor:
"At least 46 per cent of respondents would support the Illinois senator in head-to-head contests against four prospective Republican nominees."Obama holds a three-point edge over Arizona senator John McCain, a six-point lead over former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani, and a 17-point advantage over both former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney and actor and former Tennessee senator Fred Thompson.
"In other contests, both New York senator Hillary Rodham Clinton and former North Carolina senator John Edwards lead Romney and Thompson, but trail Giuliani and McCain."
The reason for Sen. Obama's dominance against potential Republican 2008 contenders for the White House? Republicans themselves.
Republicans for Obama
Seems that the senator from Illinois is rapidly developing a following among Republicans disenchanted with their own party's candidates.
In fact, one of the fastest growing campaign websites is Republicans for Obama, which presently counts chapters in 11 states, including Ohio, Texas, Pennsylvania and Colorado.
And now comes word that Republican Colin Powell may join the Obama for President groundswell.
The retired 4-star Army General and beleaguered Secretary of State under George W. Bush revealed that he's quietly been providing Sen. Obama with advice on foreign affairs. When asked yesterday on NBC's Meet the Press if he will support the Republican candidate in 2008, Powell cagily replied:
"I’m going to support the best person that I can find who will lead this country for the eight years beginning in January 2009."
Reagan Democrats, Obama Republicans
Martin Linsky, lecturer at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government and former Republican legislator, recently gave his views to the New York Post on Obama's appeal:
"Obama has the potential to appeal to Republican voters the way Reagan appealed to Democrats, and that the emergence of a group like Republicans for Obama... should be taken 'as a real signal, and not aberrational.'"He offers his own anecdotal evidence: 'Last week, I asked three Republican friends of mine, 'If you had to send a check to someone right now, who would it be?' And they all said: 'Obama.' So. That's interesting.' "
The London Times reported last month that a number of Bush supporters in 2004 have defected to the Obama camp for 2008.
"Tom Bernstein went to Yale University with Bush and co-owned the Texas Rangers baseball team with him. In 2004 he donated the maximum $2,000 to the president’s reelection campaign and gave $50,000 to the Republican National Committee."This year he is switching his support to Obama. He is one of many former Bush admirers who find the Democrat newcomer appealing."
And on June 6, 2007, Newsweek's political blog reported:
"Mark McKinnon, a senior media adviser to McCain--who led George W. Bush's ad efforts in 2000 and 2004, and remains one of the sitting president's closest friends--has told the McCain campaign that he would quit if Obama wins the Democratic nomination. "
Fresh Thinking, Civility, Bipartisanship
None of this surprises me. I see it in my own family. My daughter and her husband, both independent-thinking moderate Republicans, admire Obama above all other 2008 candidates.
Last December, one of their friends spied the senator, sitting alone, lunching in a sub sandwich shop in Honolulu. They gingerly approached him, and said he was quite nice, a low-key "normal" guy.
In particular, that's what generations X and Y want: normal, accessible, common sense. All without the baby-boomer-style animosity and regality of the Clinton and Bush 2 administrations.
They, and many of their friends in the 25-to-35-year-old age bracket, are attracted to Obama's fresh thinking, and his cool civility and unwillingness to indulge in attack-dog political warfare as usual.
The GOP hasn't (yet?) offered such a candidate for 2008, and cigar-chomping, slow-drawling actor Fred Thompson certainly won't fit the "fresh" profile.
Commented 29-year-old Republican John Martin, a Navy reservist, to the New York Post:
"I see Obama as representing a different kind of politician..."I think a lot of us are just really wary of the Republican Party and are looking for something new. His message of bipartisanship, of appealing to more than just 51 percent of the voting population, is, I think, what we need."
Don't Snicker, Democrats
Obama Republicans? Don't snicker, Democrats, and don't besmirch Sen. Obama's heartfelt drive for bipartisanship while retaining basic progressive values.
It just may be the winning formula for putting a Democrat back in charge of the White House.
Related Reading
Barack Obama's Gutsy Speech on Immigration Reform
Angus-Reid Global Monitor, May 29, 2007: Obama Leads Four Republicans in U.S. Race
New York Post, June 7, 2007: Turning their Barack on GOP
The London Times, May 6, 2007: Republicans defect to the Obama camp
Sen. Barack Obama in 2008 Info Center Hub
Comments
Interestingly enough, while this one poll gives the advantage to Obama, the average of all head to head polls clearly goes John Edwards who leads Obama and Hillary and has more Repuglican support in head to head matchups.
In fact, as of now Obama is losing in the average head to head vs Guiliani. The only one winning is Edwards.
check out http://www.realclearpolitics.com
You know I’m still a Hillary-lover, but I have to say Obama did way better in the last debate. He made some clear points and made me feel like he might actually have some real plans that go beyond just making good speeches.
Still, I felt like he came across as more Senatorial or, at best, Vice Presidential, next to Clinton and Edwards, who I thought was much stronger than I’ve ever seen him.
This is going to be a very interesting year and a half. Honestly, I’ll be happy if either of those three win the nomination. You could really see, though, that Hillary and Barack were stroking each other’s policies in this last debate, solidifying the gut feeling that they’ll make fabulous running mates, regardless of which of them gets the nomination.
Although reading this blog, Deb, I had a moment where I felt like Obama-Powell would make an incredible ticket.
Hi Kim!
In the last debate, I was quite impressed by both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, and can enthusiastically support either of them for the 2008 presidential race.
And like you, I was incredibly impressed that they treated each other with respect and high regard. If either Obama or Clinton gets the 2008 nominaton, I have no doubt that the other would still play a vital role in the campaign. An Obama/Clinton or Clinton/Obama ticket would be outstanding!
I personally still have questons and possible qualms about John Edwards, but would gladly support him if he receives the nomination.
No surprise here. As a Dem, I was thrilled when Obama was elected senator. That was then.
Illinois has suffered greatly from the mindless, destructive free trade agreements that have destroyed our economic underpinnings. Since Obama was touted as a progressive, I was sure that he, once he was in the Senate, would introduce or co-sponsor legislation that would rein in these agreements. He has done nothing. In fact, his economic team includes Michael Froman, the chief of staff for former Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin who now works with Rubin at Citigroup Inc., and Karen Kornbluh who served as deputy chief of staff to Rubin. Also on board is David Cutler, a Harvard health economist, who describes himself as a free trader.
Obama also managed to not be in the Senate for the vote on the motion to move the Gonzales no-confidence resolution forward. No wonder Repubs like him – he is one. Should Hillary or Obama win the nomination – or should there be my nightmare ticket of Hillary/Obama – I’m doing a write-in.
Of course some Republicans are supporting Sen. Obama. They want him to be the nominee because they know he cannot win. Look at the GOP talking heads, always talking up Obama. It’s part of their plan. There is NO WAY that in 2008 in the USA that someone named Barack Hussein Obama will become President. He’s got the wrong name and a color problem, GREEN. Not experienced enough. He’s simply not qualified to be President or Vice President.
Hillary is hands down the most qualified candidate and will be a great President.