It's a real coin toss

New York Daily News ^ | February 1, 2007 | Errol Louis:

[oldtimer2]

Thursday, February 1st, 2007

Hillary Clinton - universally known, widely admired and hellbent on becoming our next President - will have a hard time turning her fame into votes, according to nine ordinary New Yorkers I watched talk for a couple of hours about their hopes, fears and desires for abetter nation. That creates an opening for Barack Obama, who the same minipanel of voters like, and want to know more about.

I was hiding out behind a two-way mirror, watching a focus group run by superpollster Craig Charney, who has sampled voter opinion for everyone from Bill Clinton to Nelson Mandela.

snip

The results were stunning.

snip

"Obama's postpartisan discourse doesn't really play with older primary voters," Charney told me. "The very thing that makes him attractive to younger voters and potentially a strong contender in the general election will make it hard for him to get through the primaries."

Edwards came out of the session as the winner, with four of the nine participants saying they would vote for him. Some described him as a palatable alternative to Clinton, and nearly all liked the fact that he filmed his announcement in devastated New Orleans rather than a studio.

In the end, only two group members said they were committed to the hometown candidate.

You can't overgeneralize about one focus group, but this early reading of Hillary's base suggests her support may be a mile wide - but, surprisingly, only an inch deep.

[oldtimer2]

This op-ed from the Daily News seems to come to the same conclusion that I have. Of course, many things can change between now and the primaries. I would not discount the Clinton team's love for dirty tricks.

This is going to be fun.

[sionnsar]

Hillary Clinton ... widely admired...

barf.

[o_zarkman44]

Perhaps the unprecidented early announcements of DemoRats announcing their candidacy will be the undoing of their campaigns? There is plenty of time for them to make mistakes, misquotes, unorthadox screams, and put the foot in the mouth. We should sit back and enjoy, but be ready to pounce on the opportunity to return our country to common sense leadership.

[D.P.Roberts]

But she's going against the first clean African-American candidate.

[Republicus2001]

Is she the first clean woman to run?

Go BOXER/Hillary in 08!

[pankot]

Hillary Clinton "hellbent"? I already knew that.

[MortMan]

Hillary Clinton ... widely admired...

Not only barf, but the author will be horsewhipped for having put her thighness' name in the same sentence as the word "wide"!!! ;-P

[Always Right]

I can still see Al Gore stealing the nomination.

[lowbuck]

You hit the nail on the head.

Gore, despite the fact that he is essentially an empty suit, (well not as empty as Kerry or Hillery) does have the advantage of being a "solid, seasoned, VP kind of player".

I look for Gore to toss his hat into the ring and be the only "adult" in the Dem stable come the election.

Now if the Republicans can only get someone into contention.

[Republicus2001]

What would happen if Diane Feinstein is sentenced to prison and has to give up her Senate seat and BOXER wins the Democrat endorsement and US Presidency - does the Governator get to choose replacement California senators?
Better not be Laura Sanchez though - talk has it she not "clean".

[PeterFinn]

Obama is a closeted and practicing muslim as is indicated by his visit to a mosque in Indonesia last year - a mosque that forbids entry to non-muslims.

[Socratic]

Is she the first clean woman to run?

Let's ask Old Crusty.