Obama's Negatives Higher than Clinton or Edwards

by Taylor Marsh

Obama has negative numbers? Somebody tell Chris Matthews, who's fawning over Mr. Obama has reached get a room levels. Just look at the ads above for Obama and Edwards. One is about me-me-me. The other is about you.

Obama's negatives are up to 51%, even after the pass he's been given by the press. Clinton is at 50%, but that's after 15 years of scrutiny and the worst coverage of the primary season. Edwards, who has been virtually ignored by the press for months, has the lowest negatives of the top three Dems:

McCain Favorable: 53 Unfavorable: 27 Edwards Favorable: 49 Unfavorable: 42 Clinton Favorable: 48 Unfavorable: 50 Obama Favorable: 43 Unfavorable: 51 Thompson Favorable: 42 Favorable: 42 Giuliani Favorable: 40 Unfavorable: 55 Huckabee Favorable: 40 Unfavorable: 47 Romney Favorable: 38 Unfavorable: 51

Maybe it's because Mr. Hope is now being endorsed by -- wait for it -- lobbyists.

A former South Carolina governor who now runs a lobbying and consulting firm threw his support behind Democratic White House hopeful Barack Obama on Wednesday, despite the Illinois senator's constant criticism of lobbyists. ... Hodges was also named co-chairman of Obama's national campaign.

A lobbyist as national co-chair. Stunning. Almost as shocking as Obama going after Gore, a story I broke online, or Obama's "trial lawyer" line he levied against Edwards even though he voted with Lieberman on CAFA, or Obama supposedly buying ads from Drudge.

But if Obama's independent strategy sounds familiar it should. As eriposte over at The Left Coaster says, It's Lieberman Democratic politics 101.

UPDATE and TM NOTE: I appreciate all of your comments. But you really are wasting your breath attacking me. The truth is always the best offense, which I've been laying out for months. But you shouldn't just take my word for it, because many others are writing similar reviews of Mr. Obama now, too. Read Digby, Matt Stoller, Eriposte, Turkana, Molly Ivors and Markos just today. There are several good Democratic candidates who would make a fine president. Obama just isn't one of them. None of them will be perfect, for sure, but if you care anything about the progressive agenda you should do more research, because you quite simply are ignoring the facts. Thanks for listening.

Comments

[Tankan]

Does that include all those who attacked Obama on her behalf in order to protect her image?

Anyway, anybody but the preacher from hell!

[drblack]

The Clinton's would have been moderate Republicans before Reagan ...so what true Democrat would vote for a Republican ?

[Grey]

Right on target, Taylor. We, in the contingent that has refused to drink the Kool-Aid, see Sen. Omaba for what and who he is - and we're taking a pass.

[NoMoreDrama]

People reading anything writers say on any Newspaper or magazine should keep in mind that there is an in kind contribution factor to their bias. If you tote water during the campaign, and thereafter, you get invited to all the swanky events. You get to meet all the movers and shakers so you can plunge your nose in them real deep to further your career. In both parties, and for all candidates. It's just so much more dangerous to tell the truth if it hurts. A couple weeks ago, Clinton's negatives were higher than her positives. Pro RoboClinton party goers were really churning it out then.

[lgillooly]

Edwards/Biden 08'

[NoMoreDrama]

In the wise words of Homer Simpson, "Aw, people can come up with statistics to prove anything, Kent. Forty percent of all people know that."
If you can get an article pulled from GQ that's unfavorable to Clinton, don't you think you can buy a poll and have it conducted in say, Alabama, where obviously his negatives would be higher?

[JimR]

This is yet another - wait for it - Taylor Marsh Obama attack column.

[klm]

Great post Taylor, I agree completely.

It seems people who felt "thrown under the bus" by Bill Clinton don't want to be fooled again ... but they ARE being fooled. Obama Zombies, great phrase.

[plutorage]

Taylor, you are so right. Obama talks about that one voice of the caucus voter - that's you and me exercising our democratic privileges - and raises the power of that voice to the world stage and shows how much it can count. Obama is certainly a people's man.

Edward's ad is about a man losing his job at maytag which might fit into a broader mosaic but it is narrowly focused and thereby fails to cast the wide net Edwards needs to surpass his 2004 result, at the end of the day.

[lafrance]

Taylor, I swear you could write for that silly Hillaryis44. Actually rumor is....
Anyway, you give me such good laughs with your all day ongoing rants about Obama.
But, Please keep away from sharp objects after the caucus tonight...I look forward to your rants and fictional posts on Obama. Love that daily chuckle.

[Politihal]

Add me to your list of writers who share your opinion concerning Senator Obama.

Halli Casser-Jayne
ablahblahblog.com

[texanna]

Taylor, you've done it again -- stepped on that Obama beehive and his dreamers/hopers in the Democratic Party are all over you for it. Personally, I see Obama as a more animated version of Kerry and I think our chances to take back our country with him as our candidate are about the same as we had in 2004. In fact, I don't even think it will take more than 30 days of the LONG, LONG time until the election for the Republicans and the corporatist media to consume him entirely. I wonder if we all had to listen to these candidates without the benefit of any knowledge of their gender or race, who would we be supporting? It would be great if Hillary weren't trying to win on the predicate that she can be just like all the male politicians that have preceded her. Or, it would be great if Obama had a passion for reviving the middle class/working class.

[OhPlease2007]

Taylor, thanks for another great post! I have to laugh at all the Obama Zombies on this thread. Don't expect them to wake up from their trance any time soon. Facts are not a necessary ingredient in their pop-culture kool-aid mixture. To borrow from your GREAT quote, ... "The insanity from the amateur hour campaign of Mr. Hope never stops."

Happy New Year Taylor!

:)

Edwards '08!

[BUSHsurvivor]

Thank you Taylor for once again pointing out the facts that the Obama crowd chooses to ignore!

[MRb1000]

This is laughable. Here we go again. We will see how high his negative are 3 jan 08. LOL