Posted on 04/21/2008 4:59:28 AM PDT by moderatewolverine
Traveling the country the past few months, I have encountered habitual Republican voters so entranced by Barack Obama’s potential to lead the nation that they plan to vote for him in November. Once Hillary Clinton’s defected supporters return to loyalty, Obama Republicans could produce a Democratic presidential landslide. But Obama’s current missteps jeopardize their support and imperil his election.
These apostate Republicans never were deluded into considering him anything other than a doctrinaire liberal who wants a more intrusive government with higher taxation and tougher regulation. But they have leaned toward him as an exceptional candidate in the mold of John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan, a post-partisan leader and a welcome contrast to George W. Bush’s failed presidency. That impression is threatened by Obama’s performance the last 10 days, climaxed by Wednesday night’s debate with Hillary Clinton.
Obama’s new resemblance is less to Kennedy or Reagan than to leftist author Thomas Frank, whose 2004 book, “What’s the Matter With Kansas?” answered the liberal conundrum: Why do ordinary Americans vote against their own economic interests to support Republicans? Frank explained that “deranged” and “lunatic” Kansans were led away by Republicans from material concerns to social issues. Obama similarly described small town Americans turning to guns and the Bible in frustration over government’s failure to take care of them — a more genteel version of Frank. That raises the question, “What’s the matter with Obama?”
(Excerpt) Read more at primetimepolitics.com ...
vaudine
This is total crap. No real Republican would ever consider voting for B.O.
He’s better suited to be one of Dorothy’s companions in the Land of Oz. Hmmmm, probably not the lion. Well, maybe.
I have to agree. I live in the liberal Northeast and although there are plenty of RINOs here, they will of course vote for McCain. Republicans voting for Obama? Who is Novak hanging out with - no doubt more elitists? ;-)
This is wishful thinking. I know of no Republicans, except for the mainline type who vote for guys like Spector, who would even consider Obama. Most of us are terrified of the cryptofascism of Barry and his Obamabots. I know a lot of blue dog dems who feel the same way. What people say and what they do are different things. Obama will get crushed in November.
Who are those people, actually? They hate Bush so much that they think Obama will be better than Bush? Or, perhaps, they are like some Freepers, who want to see him elected either to 'teach a lesson to the Republicans' or 'let President Obama crush the presidency that people will realize how bad he is. Then, we might get a real conservative to the WH in 2012.'?
where to start with this one?
“Though he revealed political inexperience by thinking what he said”,
umm no, he screwed the pooch by saying what he thinks.
“habitual Republican voters so entranced by Barack Obama’s potential to lead the nation that they plan to vote for him in November.” We keep hearing this kool aid served up by the media about what an inclusive, all embracing wonderful person obama is. PuF#$%$%lease. we are supposed to believe the most hard core leftist senator, is going to unite the country?. uh huh. right. if the most conservative senator was also running, (if there is one), the media would howl at the notion that he could be a unifying force. he would just be a right wing fanatic.
is the media that blinded by their obama love fest?, or are they just hoping to tell the lie often enough to the sheeple, to get him in the white house?
Novak has jumped the shark BIG TIME. This is such utter crap!
These apostate Republicans never were deluded into considering him anything other than a doctrinaire liberal who wants a more intrusive government with higher taxation and tougher regulation
YEA RIGHT! These were Republicans! The phony ones that CNN puts on each election "I was a lifelong Pubbie but this time am voting hard core RAT..."
To be fair, the article really has nothing to do with Republicans voting for Obama. At best, it’s about Reagan democrats who might have been leaning that way, but are now being turned off by the Frank-like belief of Obama. That said, Novak is still wrong—there never were very many of those people except maybe in the rarified groups Novak hangs out with.
yeah...i’ve met a few of these republicans who like Obama.
So what.
I live in a blue blue state...these are NOT exactly the republican base anyway.
Obama’s comments will have pissed off enough of the “bitter” swing vote in those very necessary.... “bitter” Swing states.
>> I have encountered habitual Republican voters so entranced by Barack Obama’s potential to lead the nation that they plan to vote for him in November.
>>they have leaned toward him as an exceptional candidate in the mold of John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan
>> George W. Bush’s failed presidency.
Novak had a lobotomy? I don’t recall reading about it anywhere. When did he have it?
Oh, I get it. This was his April Fools column and it got misplace.
“Why do ordinary Americans vote against their own economic interests to support Republicans?”
Higher taxes are good for my economic interests?!?
I will continue to vote Republican and live in the real world.
I do think the Democrats will come together more than they appear to now but there’s no way they’ll repair all the damage that Obama and Clinton have done. However, that being said, the media is going to have a hard time spinning McCain as the latest monster from the right. They just spent the last 8 years telling everyone how wonderful the Maverick is for opposing conservative republicans. Americans have short attention spans but I think they’ll remember McCain’s good press. Thankfully we still have a secret ballot. I’m convinced that many, many Democrats will vote McCain.
How does Obama still manage to raise $40 million in a month? Apparently, there are still plenty of people out there buying his brand of hokum.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.