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McCain gains on warring Democrats

Posted by Foon Rhee, deputy national political editor April 10, 2008 04:13 PM

A new national poll gives more evidence that the protracted, sometimes nasty Democratic nomination fight is helping Republican John McCain.

The AP-Ipsos poll released today says that McCain has gained on both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama in recent weeks.

In late February, Obama led McCain 51 percent to 41 percent, but the current survey put them at 45 percent each.

Clinton led McCain 48 percent to 43 percent in February, but now they are statistically tied with 48 percent for Clinton and 45 percent for McCain.

The survey, conducted Monday through Wednesday, has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.

While the Democrats have been sparring, McCain did a week-long biographical tour and has been giving a series of speeches on the economy and foreign policy.

4 comments so far...
  1. Oh no, one freaking poll has McCain tied with Clinton and Obama in a general election matchup. Unfortunatly for McCain the nominee of the party typically gets a ten percent boost in the polls. It has alread been decided that McCain is the nominee, but where is his bounce? When either Clinton or Obama win the nomination and the "dream ticket" is made, McCain will be lucky to get 30% of the vote. Thank you GOP, you gave us another Bob Dole to beat.

    Posted by Rick April 10, 08 05:30 PM
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  1. It all depends what you consider a dream team to be. If your definition is Hillary/Bill
    Clinton or Barrack/Reverand Wright then John Mc Cain and Mike Huckabee sounds pretty good to me.

    Posted by Johns Son April 10, 08 07:15 PM
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  1. John McCain does not have the judgment, wisdom or temperance to beat Barack Obama in the November general election.

    When political and military judgment mattered most to U.S. military personnel and the American people, John McCain and Hillary Clinton failed as U.S. Senators to demonstrate any commander-in-chief qualities when without competent questioning, they both accepted the faulty intelligence used to justify the Iraq war and misjudged the Bush administration's competencies to lead the war.

    Barack Obama on the other hand demonstrated his superior judgment and commander-in-chief qualities when he took an unpopular position and cautioned that without clear rationale an invasion of Iraq would encourage the worst impulses of the Arab world and strengthen Al Qaeda's recruitment.

    Now, John McCain advocates maintaining U.S. troops in Iraq indefinitely which does little to incentivize the Iraqi government to deliver the political reforms needed to promote civil unity whereas Barack Obama's threat to withdraw U.S. troops does more to incentivize the Iraqi government to deliver the necessary reforms.

    Why would the Clintons' traditional adversaries Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity now embrace Hillary Clinton as the Democratic Party's nominee?

    The simple answer is that when elected, Barack Obama threatens their wealth, power and position. Instead of using fear, division and rancor as instruments to maintain power and position in Washington, Barack Obama offers confidence, unity and reason as a means for governing. While the Clintons and John McCain are willing traders in the fear mongering marketplace, Barack Obama refuses to trade.

    Posted by John Patrick Smith April 11, 08 03:58 AM
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  1. Information that is not aired but is out there by credible domestic news organizations and in the international community are the following: the complete story of Senator Obama's twenty year tie to the Trinity United Church of Christ (their support of the Nation of Islam and the lifetime achievement award to Louis Farrakhan), the church's separatist policy which can be found on their website called the Black Value System, his spiritual mentor Jeremiah A. Wright Jr. and his Black Liberation Theology (stemming from Marxist ideology and is supported by the Black Panthers), the church's Pro-Palestine support and their support of pastor's trip to meet with Khadafi in the eighties who was a known terrorist, Antoin Resko and his financial association to Arab billionaire Nadhmi Auchi (who was a co-conspirator and charged with Saddam Hussein to assassinate the President of Iraq Abdul-Karim Qasim in 1959, his friendship with American terrorists The Weatherman William Ayers and Bernadine Dohrn (who bombed U.S. buildings during the 1960-70's to overthrow the U.S. government), The Woods Funds membership which supports questionable Pro-Palestine organizations, Rashid Khalidi's group AAAN (Arab American Action Network) and their Pro-Palestinian fundraisers which the founder supports the PLO and his blood relationship with Raila Amolo Odinga of the Orange Democratic Movement and his interference with the Kenyan government's elections.

    This will be a glaring indictment of his character and judgment, lack thereof. These connections will be a nightmare for Senator Obama to explain to the American people. Once the flood gates are opened, his campaign will be expiring just as quickly as his media generated "movement" started. I am certainly sure that the Republican Party will of course not hesitate to bring these to the attention of the American people. Would Americans be proud to have the President inviting into the White House these kinds of associations? If a registered Democrat like myself, finds all these nefarious relationships disturbing, then this will not be palpable for Republicans as well.

    Posted by Teresa April 11, 08 05:38 AM
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About political intelligence Field reports from Boston Globe reporters and editors covering the 2008 presidential campaign and the national maneuvering of Bay State politicians.

Send your comments to masspolitics@globe.com

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