NY Times Thursday blows a Trailer Park Sized hole in the Clintons' electability fantasy.
Exit polling and independent political analysts offer evidence that Mr. Obama could do just as well as Mrs. Clinton among blocs of voters with whom he now runs behind. Obama advisers say he also appears well-positioned to win swing states and believe he would have a strong shot at winning traditional Republican states like Virginia.
According to surveys of Pennsylvania voters leaving the polls on Tuesday, Mr. Obama would draw majorities of support from lower-income voters and less-educated ones — just as Mrs. Clinton would against Mr. McCain, even though those voters have favored her over Mr. Obama in the primaries.
And national polls suggest Mr. Obama would also do slightly better among groups that have gravitated to Republican in the past, like men, the more affluent and independents, while she would do slightly better among women.
Why is Hillary weak with Educated Voters? Men? Blacks? Western State Democrats? Young Voters??? Fun Decision-Tree:
Does it say something about a candidate if they consistently win the Educated? And what does it say about your opponent if they're strongest with the Under Educated??? Anyhow, more on the NY Times Torpedo through Hillary's Meme Du Jour
Mr. Hart, as well as Obama advisers, also say that Mr. Obama appears better poised than Mrs. Clinton to pick up states that Democrats struggle to carry, or rarely do, in a general election, like Colorado, Iowa, Missouri and Virginia, all of which he carried in the primaries. Obama advisers say their polling indicates he is more popular with independents, and far less divisive than Mrs. Clinton, in those states.
“Hillary goes deeper and stronger in the Democratic base than Obama, but her challenge is that she doesn’t go as wide,” Mr. Hart said. “Obama goes much further reaching into the independent and Republican vote, and has a greater chance of creating a new electoral map for the Democrats.”
Of Course however, if you were to listen to Bill Clinton, Only one segment of voters count... White Working Class who he claims Obama has forsaken.
"And today her opponent's campaign strategist said, 'well we don't really need these working class people to win, half the time they vote for Republicans anyways. And I will tell you something, America needs you to win and therefore Hillary wants your support and I hope you will help her in this primary in North Carolina," continued the former president.
Clinton may have been referring to comments made by Obama strategist, David Alexrod. “The white working class has gone to the Republican nominee for many elections, going back even to the Clinton years. This is not new that Democratic candidates don’t rely solely on those votes," Axelrod told NPR.
This is in Response to the Axelrod assertion that White Working Class Voters have been voting for Republicans for years... which is infact true. They're called Reagan Democrats. They are illusive, and for the most part, undependable. The few who are voting in the Dem Primary are just a portion of the much larger crowd who will vote for McCain in the General and scoff at us from the sidelines. "Anyone raised in a "Reagen Democrat" home is a Republican which the Democrats need to convert to Democrat, i.e an Obamacon." It's quite telling when Bill Clinton is in public agreement with Rick Davis, John McCain's campaign manager.
The cracks in Obama's Democratic coalition in Pennsylvania mirror what we saw in Ohio, and those cracks could have implications in November.
The truth is this is an election that will be won in the middle ground, among independents. In Pennsylvania, Obama won Independents 54%-46%
In California, Obama won Independents 58%-34%
In Missouri Obama won Independents 67%-30%
In Wisconsin Obama won Independents 64%-33%
In Virginia Obama won Independents 69%-30%
The pattern is clear... Independents + Core Democratic Groups like Youth and Minorities create Obama victories. The General Election is very different than a closed Pennsylvania Primary. Independents are the middle ground, the holy grail of the DLC, the place where the battle takes place. There are essentially three general rules of the General Election:
1- Democrats vote for Democrats
2- Republicans vote for Republicans
3- Independents decide the Election; Electability starts and ends with these often educated, often affluent voters who are allergic to Hillary's Brand.
Of the Remaining candidates, Only Obama has a shot at matching or besting McCain's hold upon Independents... And that, my fellow, Kossac is what we call ELECTABILITY
Update: Thanks for the Rec List. Let's hear it for the NY Times who certainly seems to be responding to their "Endorsed" Candidate's sell-out to Scaife and Fox News. I wanted to share with you a Great piece of Logic.
People are voting for their favorite dessert in the primary between brownies and chocolate chip cookies. Chocolate chip cookies wins. In the general the choice comes down to chocolate chip cookies and broccoli (i.e., the Republican). Hillary Clinton is claiming that those who voted for brownies in the primary will choose broccoli in the general because they "rejected" chocolate chip cookies.
That should be dumbed down enough for the Media... Even Mark Halperin could get his Scarecrow Brain around that one.