Obama Far More Protected From Primary Challenge Than Clinton: Poll

The notion that President Barack Obama would face a primary challenger in his reelection contest always seemed far-fetched, even during the nadir of his first two years in office. Not only were there no volunteers to take him on (the most obvious choices having professed their lack of interest), but Obama's standing within his own party wasn't particularly precarious.

In early December, when talk of primarying the president was loud -- owing to the drubbing the party took in the mid-term elections, and the imminent deal on the Bush tax cuts -- the Huffington Post reported that the chatter was, nevertheless, subdued compared to what Bill Clinton faced in 1994.

Clinton, of course, never faced a primary challenger in his path to re-election. And Paul Begala, Clinton's close adviser, predicted that Obama would coast to re-nomination as well.

On Tuesday, polling numbers were released confirming that suspicion. According to a CNN/Opinion Research survey, a full 78 percent of Democrats want Obama to win the nomination for a second term in office -- up five percent from late October. At roughly the same point in his presidency, only 57 percent of Democrats wanted Clinton to be re-nominated.

Polling numbers, at least ones this far out, are not entirely reliable. But it seems likely that Obama's position will only improve as the election nears, with Democrats galvanized by the prospects of a presidential contest and the emergence of a Republican candidate.

Comments

[Lu4PUMA]

11:22 PM on 12/30/2010

Obama has had his chance to show us who he is. Porkulus Bill for the Banksters, Healthcare with no Public Option, more War, inaction during the Gulf Eco-disaster, Tax Breaks for Millionaires and Billionaires, and serious levels of Unemployment.

The reversal of DADT is a mixed bag because those who serve are dying in the never ending wars.

Now, how do you think people are going to react this year as they loose their Medicaid benefits and the economy continues to tank?

[dhinds]

02:26 PM on 12/30/2010

How did "Hope You Can Believe In" turn into "Friend of the Status Quo"?

(Like something out of Franz Kafka).

[askmeificare]

02:08 PM on 12/30/2010

Yes, the telepr0mpter

[Abraxas79]

12:58 PM on 12/30/2010

The shift on Obama exemplifies the ceaseless efforts of the corporate-owned and controlled media to artificially create political realities by means of image making. Obama’s election was largely the result of a media marketing operation, backed and financed by sections of the ruling class that saw the need for a change in image and personnel after the foreign policy disasters of the Bush years and in the face of public hatred for Bush and the Republicans.

Now, the media is seeking to repackage and repair the badly discredited Obama administration. Why? Because it is dutifully doing the bidding of the financial aristocracy.

Obama is presently being built up because he has made clear that his cave-in on tax cuts for the rich is only the prelude to a further shift to the right on social policy. Appearing Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press” program, Obama aide Valerie Jarrett, a multimillionaire Chicago real estate investor who is described as Obama’s liaison to business, said Obama would focus in the immediate future on reining in the deficit and improving his relationship with American business.

[dhinds]

02:19 PM on 12/30/2010

Is that good for the rest of us?

Somehow it doesn't sound like a government of the people, for the people and by the people.

It sounds like something the rest of us have to protect ourselves from, politically.

[Meesterclean]

04:09 PM on 01/03/2011

Hello, friend. I am contacting you because you are one of my fans when I use a different name and I believe we have a mutual admiration. There is something afoot. I'm trying to organize.

I'm looking to start an organization that will take on the media in a more direct manner. We are not getting the stories that we need in order to run this country in a productive way. The media is obstructing the stories that we need to know.

They are discriminating against minority opinions.
They are not providing their fiduciary duties to provide the news.
They are taking part in the obstruction of justice by taking part in the conspiracy to keep news about crimes in our government from being covered.
They have taken part in militarypropaganda that led us to two occupations that have bankrupted our country and prevented its ability of taking care of the welfare of the American people.
A democracy is dependent on an educated populace who are aware of relevant news stories. To disrupt this should be considered treason.

If you are interested in taking action, please, contact me at [e-mail].

[Mikyung Lim]

12:42 PM on 12/30/2010

Whmmmmm, Smooth sailing for President Obama.
What happened in the past? Was it all dreaming?

[AgingLady]

11:37 AM on 12/30/2010

78% nuff said, I am there.

[joe757]

11:03 AM on 12/30/2010

I guess I'm part of the 78% of Democrats that think the President is doing a great job.

[JMBrodie]

12:48 PM on 12/30/2010

You are not alone.

[skyblu]

08:35 AM on 12/30/2010

Obama 2012? BARF!

[JMBrodie]

12:49 PM on 12/30/2010

Obama 2012. Yea!

[Carole Williams]

06:25 AM on 12/30/2010

Let's primary him! Love this NH poll taken 12/14-12/15/10. A Primary would be a suicide mission!

New Hampshire

2012 President: Democratic Primary
59% Obama, 28% Clinton
78% Obama, 10% Dean
79% Obama, 8% Sanders

[MRb1000]

04:55 AM on 12/30/2010

Now this is funny. Who! LOL

They could not raise the money!

[fiscaltiger]

12:48 AM on 12/30/2010

259

to say obama is moving to the middle is silly. it is the middle that rejected the democratics candidates after they failed to change washington and instead accepted massive debt to push through the gay and latino agenda. You should really stop with the talking points. It makes you look like a follower.

[dhinds]

07:29 AM on 12/30/2010

I didn't know that the gay and latino agenda was responsible for the decision to invade and occupy Afghanistan and Iraq, borrow trillions from China to finance those privatized wars, extend personhood to corporations and allow them to manipulate public policy and the political process even more than they already do in the USA and erode the Civil Rights of American Citizens in the name of Homeland Security - the things that keep dragging America down further and further over time.

Apparently you blame the gay and latino community for the current administration's helping bankers far more than home owners, and big pharma and big insurance far more than sick patients.

[lqw]

08:51 PM on 12/29/2010

I agree with Mickey 99..........."We need to vote now on records instead of
campaign promises"............When it's election time the candidates say whatever they think it will get them votes. Wether it's true or not.

[Sergeant]

08:28 PM on 12/29/2010

He is moving to the middle. And if he continues the independents who elected him will help elect him again. The November elections were a warning. He is more of a Clinton than a Carter.

[TeeLolly]

10:25 PM on 12/29/2010

He's turning out to be more of a Clinton than Hillary ...

[JMBrodie]

12:50 PM on 12/30/2010

Hillary has not been president so we don't really know what she would do.

[water57]

08:20 PM on 12/29/2010

Their was nothing wrong with my comments. I responded respectfully to a comment about a independent candidate. Please read what I say before take off my post.

[Barton449]

08:11 PM on 12/29/2010

Obama is a menace.

His lack of basic knowledge of economics, organization,
recruiting, and management in general is so poor, it is beyond belief.
His eloquence and his smile, no longer make it.

African Americans will never leave Obama.
White liberals, however, are split three ways.
The ultra liberals are angry at Obama for his compromises.
The moderate Democrats believe that Obama is a menace.
AND
The great majority of Union loving, and middle class workers are split on Obie.
Independents who backed Obama in 2008 will not in 2010.
So
If Hillary decides to run she has a great chance of winning a primary,
but not necessarily the election

[Sergeant]

08:30 PM on 12/29/2010

Good points. But even Ted Kennedy couldn't defeat a sitting President. It just isn't done. The hope for conservatives is for someone who can attract the independents like Obama did.

[Barton449]

10:11 AM on 12/30/2010

LBJ

[water57]

08:36 PM on 12/29/2010

Will never happend. She could not win the primary without the AA vote, and what makes you think she can do it now? The minute she decides to run her disapproval poll rating will go up.

[water57]

09:07 PM on 12/29/2010

Also,your theory still leaves out the fact, Hillary won the white working class vote in the primaries, and progressives were and still mad at her for her vote on the war.