Did the cocaine attack work? Hillary breaks 40% in Rasmussen poll, first time in weeks

[Herman Munster]

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/election_20082/2008_presidential_election/daily_presidential_tracking_poll

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Sunday shows Hillary Clinton reaching the 40% level of support nationwide for the first time in December.

In the race for the Democratic Presidential Nomination, it’s Hillary Clinton 40%, Barack Obama 27% and John Edwards 13%. Bill Richardson and Joe Biden are each supported by 3% of Likely Democratic Primary Voters. (see recent daily numbers).

[nradisic]

1. Rassmunsen is garbage...

Total garbage....don't trust a single poll they put out...

[Herman Munster]

3. that's funny

I didn't see people say they were total garbage when Obama was closing in on Hillary and she had a lead only in the single digits.

[forsberg]

16. I believe he's the most accurate pollster out there

[oasis]

2. Looks like the Obamamite's whining and embracing victimhood didn't play well.

[suston96]

4. Obama's cocaine admission to high schoolers in NH.....

...was his own doing and NOT an attack by anybody.

[BeyondGeography]

5. Look ma, the Hillbots are high-fiving over a smear

How's New Hampshire doing?

[K Gardner]

11. That's dignity and class.. and why their candidate is going to tank.

[aquart]

12. "Hillbots."

Obama supporters really do scrape bottom. Civil discourse is beyond your comprehension. Then you whine that people are attacking you.

If you represent what Obama really is, then Obama must be scum.

[BeyondGeography]

17. Scum is getting giddy over a poll blip and hoping it's because of a smear

Piss off.

[K Gardner]

18. "Obama must be scum".. wow, more Hillaryesque class.

[sandnsea]

26. Now that is jaw dropping

and disgusting.

[JackORoses]

38. if you are the poster boy for Hillarism, it is obvious why your ship is sinking

[MadBadger]

6. National Poll still dont matter much to me.

[David Dunham]

7. It likely did work. Go Hillary!!!

[TeamJordan23]

23. Pathethic Hillary supporters. nm

[emilyg]

41. Pathetic Obama supporters.

[Flabbergasted]

8. The polling indicates she took two points from Edwards and one from Obama.

It does indicate that the "attack" had any real effect.

[Forkboy]

9. If it did it's a sad statement on us.

[Herman Munster]

10. well better we vet the candidates now

then have the republicans do it later. We don't want to nominate a loser.

[Forkboy]

13. Yeah...let's "vet" them...

Thank God we're so concerned with one another. Where would the Republicans be without us?

[MadBadger]

15. Your candidate is not vetted completely

And there is one thing that could completely crush her.

[Robeson]

37. And the Democratic Party....

...never thought I'd live to see the day we'd be using the "drug" issue on one of our own. When did we become a bunch of Dan Quayles?

[Tom Rinaldo]

14. If she got a real bump rather than this being a fluke I think more likely...

...it is because of her stressing that she has already been pretty much "vetted" so what you see is what you get. Plus she has been stressing that she has what it takes to stand up to Republican pounding. That is a different side of the "experience" argument and one she can legitimately say she faced more than any of our other candidates. We'll see how it continues to play.

[mtnsnake]

19. I don't think it was the coke. I think it's backlash from the Oprah-Obama Circus in SC

What a dud that was.

[MadBadger]

20. backlash? According to RCP, last week's four day tracking poll had him at 27 percent.

Hes till at 27

[mtnsnake]

22. Wow, so Obama went from 27% to 27%. That Oprah event worked sure worked wonders (snicker)

[jenmito]

29. It sure DID work! Did you see the latest polls in the states she campaigned for him?

You don't need links, do you? I'm sure you've seen them all over the news!

[cloudythescribbler]

21. But other events besides the cocaine attack were at issue

There was a Democratic Debate televised on Thurs, and the press following from that, endorsement of HRC by the Des Moines Register (important in Iowa rather than nationally directly) and Bill Clinton appearing on Charlie Rose and vigorously arguing for HRC's candidacy.

One should also expect at least something of a tic as voters come to hear about Obama (EEEEEEK!) tooting blow as a teenager. Whether it will last over time is another thing. Bill Clinton had lots of bumps in the 92 campaign and still was elected.

A MUCH BIGGER PROBLEM -- what about the timing of the primaries, with a challenger/'upstart' facing 'Tsunami Tuesday'("TT" I call it) on Feb 5. Even the best campaigner, who grows on voters, could win in Iowa, NH and/or South Carolina, but get swamped in MI and FL (where campaigning is taboo) and then nationally on TT

[zanne]

24. Um.....You left something out of the Rasmussen report...

It also states that in NH, Iowa and South Carolina, the race between Obama and Hillary is too close to call. Sorry, Herman, but full disclosure and all that.

[ncabot22]

30. You're right

Here it is from Rasmussen:

This comes at a time when the Democratic race is too close to call in Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina. Rasmussen Reports will be polling in each of these states over the next couple of days. Just 4% of Americans say an endorsement by their local newspaper will make them more likely to vote for a candidate. Thirteen percent (13%) say it will likely have the opposite impact.


My personal favourite part is about the newspaper endorsement having the opposite effect. I don't know..there is just something disgusting about someone being happy that a campaign smear works, you know? It is rather repulsive and, well, republican like.

[zanne]

35. We have a rightwing rag as the biggest newspaper in the state...

They're endorsing John McCain.

[proudmoddemo]

25. If National Polls Are to Be Believed

Then Joe Lieberman would've won the nomination in 2004. They don't mean squat. John Kerry was at 4% in national polls in December of 2003. People start paying attention only after the first votes are cast. If Obama wins, he'll rocket to the front. If Edwards wins, ditto. If Hillary wins, she'll keep her lead. Tis how the game is played now.

[MGKrebs]

42. If you believe December polls predict January winners,

then I think you don't understand polls. Polls are not predictors of the future. They just tell us they way things were last week.

[proudmoddemo]

45. I agree, mostly

But let's just say Obama or Edwards sweeps the first four states. The national polls will probably be pretty reflective of the overall vote leading up to the quasi-national primary on February 5th. If Obama wins Iowa, I think it answers a lot of questions about his electability and sends him on his way to the nomination.

[MGKrebs]

47. Sure. But it's the same as saying "why don't we just skip to the fourth quarter"

of a football game. Things happen during the course of events that determine the outcome, and some people find monitoring those events interesting. Of course things can change, but those changes are usually a response based on what people and campaigns have seen in polls.

[zulchzulu]

27. Gee! Wouldn't that be great if Hillary's cheap shot negative politics worked!

:sarcasm:

National polls mean jackshit. Wait until the first four states vote.

[jenmito]

28. It didn't hurt Obama. He hasn't dropped in the poll.

[cali]

31. omg

could you be any more tone deaf. Disgusting to gleefully endorse smear tactics. Ugh.

[Mass]

32. If you had looked at the numbers, you would have seen that Obama did not move.

It is Edwards who is losing ground.

Whether this will continue or whether it is another of these week-end variations remains to be seen.

[Beacool]

33. Why are you all arguing?

Hillary went back to the polls she had before a couple of bad weeks, that's all. She's still the front-runner at the national level. The rest, we'll just have to wait and see.

[ncabot22]

34. I think there is arguing

because the OP seems to be gleeful about a cocaine smear "working".

[K Gardner]

36. You would be right in thinking that :-)

[hayu_lol]

39. From now until NH is over, the poll numbers are going to jump wildly...

going to jump to where this morning's victory becomes this afternoon's funeral.

We went through this in 2000 and again in 2004.

All these candidates are tired and strung out. It is the nature of the beast they are chasing. They, being tired, will stumble and falter. All of them pick themselves up and fight again.

I doubt very much if Obama's presentation to that high school crowd had much effect on his campaign. To give him credit, he tried to use the experience for a good cause. People who got their undies in a bunch failed to remember the drug of choice they used as teens.

The old saws, the old arguments, the 'did toos' and the 'did nots' can go on for years.

All our candidates are acceptable--all. Look across the aisle and see the clowns the opposition is pushing.

Yeah, after much thinking and researching, we do have favorites and appear to be defending them rather than listening to them.

[Renew Deal]

40. Hillary shares with Edwards. Obama is stuck

You see it once again. Hillary goes up. Edwards goes down. Obama might have a cap on his support.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

43. Well, yay for racist, push-poll smears! I guess.

Way to take the high road, Clinton campaign! :eyes:

[oasis]

44. Obamamites are so quick to play the race card nowadays. Smacks of desperation. (eom)

[mrreowwr_kittty]

46. I've yet to see a Caucasian candidate accused of dealing drugs

Based on an admission of using them, so yeah. Call it a race card if you want.