Pundit on the pod: I was interviewed earlier today by Matt Parker, a true political junkie, for a podcast at his politicalbuzz.com web site. You can hear me pontificate about what’s happening in the N.H. primary. Listen at your own risk and you too can disavow it quicker than Rudy did when a few of his thinking-challenged supporters came up with a $9.11 fund raising scheme. You can listen here.
Now on to other matters:
The latest UNH survey center poll on where the Dem hopefuls are standing (or sinking) should be required reading for all political junkies trying to figure out what voters are thinking out there in first-in-the-galaxy primary land. And just what are they thinking? Is Hillary an irresistible force of inevitability and immovable object who can’t be penetrated? Maybe, maybe not; it all depends on how you read the numbers. Thankfully, dear readers, your humble blogoscribe will offer a guide through the maze and boil it down to a simple pro and con formula:
Hillary Clinton -- PRO: Having a 43 to 20 lead over Obama among likely voters and spanking him around in the experience and change categories must warm your heart. CON: Only 17 percent have voters in the poll have definitely made up their minds (more than 80 percent are leaning or undecided) and Obama leaves you in the dust in the likability category by a 39 to 16 percent margin. This could prove to be your Achilles heel come election day when undecided voters often break for reasons that have nothing to do with political savvy..
Barack Obama -- PRO: You’re likable, have the highest favorability rating, you’ve managed to defy expectations and separate yourself from the rest of the pack and hang in there with Hillary. CON: Clinton really slaps you around among Dem voters as most likely to win (54 percent to 13 percent.) And you must wonder what kind of voodoo Clinton is performing to steal your message thunder and position herself as the change candidate. Ouch!
John Edwards -- PRO: Your hard work is paying off as you are rising back into double digits from July. You have high favorability ratings. CON: Your are in single digits among Democrats in the most likely to win category. I wouldn’t advertise this.
Bill Richardson -- PRO: You’ve worked hard to distinguish yourself with your ads, your campaign style and your stances on issues such as Iraq. CON: You’ve dropped from 10 percent in July to 6 percent in September and only 1 percent of NH voters believe you can win the general election. Can you sing ‘brother, can you spare some hope?’
Joe Biden -- PRO: You’ve maintained your position in the polls since July and your partition proposal for Iraq is gaining traction. CON: You peaked in April at 4 percent and despite 35 years in the Senate, only five percent of NH voters believe you have the right experience to be president. Maybe that’s not the right kind of experience.
Dennis Kucinich -- PRO: You’re tied with Joe Biden at 3 percent and you’ve been hailed by Pat Buchanan as a passionate and serious straight shooting liberal whose stances on the issues such as Iraq and universal health care has given you a small but dedicated cadre of followers. CON: Pat Buchanan is a Republican who worshipped Richard Nixon.
Chris Dodd -- PRO: You’re at 1 percent and the large firefighters union endorsed you. You have nowhere to go but up. CON: At this rate, your excellent new book ‘Letters from Nuremberg’ may prove more memorable than your campaign.
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