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The Campaign Spot

Election-driven news and views . . . by Jim Geraghty.


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An Obama Endorsement Hurts Candidates . . . in Illinois.

I doubt you’ll read anything more surprising today:

Illinois voters say they would be negatively influenced if a candidate was endorsed by Barack Obama. And if his support isn’t an asset in his home state it’s hard to imagine where it is.

40% of voters in the state say they’d be less likely to support an Obama endorsed candidate to only 26% who say it would be an asset. The reality at this point is that Obama turns Republican voters off to a much greater extent than he excites Democrats. That’s reflected in the fact that 83% of Republicans say an Obama endorsement would be a negative with them while only 49% of Democrats say it would be a positive. Independents also respond negatively by a 38/19 margin.

The numbers on an Obama endorsement are perhaps more relevant with undecided voters. Among those who have not yet made up their minds in the Senate race 21% say an Obama endorsement would resonate positively with them while 33% say it would be a turnoff.

We’re hearing a lot of talk about Obama being a one-term president, his presidency is over, etcetera, etcetera. Most of this is premature. But if Obama has become a political liability in Illinois . . . well, he’s really in the depths, and it’s quite possible he’ll never recover.

Tags: Barack Obama, Illinois

New on The Campaign Spot. . .


COMMENTS   5

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   08/19/10 11:17

He would have thought in less than two years Obama is set to do worse than Walter Mondale in an election? Even Mondale won his home state...

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   08/19/10 11:48

Obama does seem on a one-term trajectory. I figure his best chances at re-election are: 1) Republicans shoot themselves in the foot over and over again (it could happen), and/or 2) an exogenous event that causes a "rally around the flag" effect (though this will still require Obama to handle a crisis WELL. Not good enough to "wait until he gets a chance to talk to the experts, so they can tell him whose ass to kick.")

His biggest problem is that his policies simply don't work -- the economy is not getting better, and it's his job to fix it. No amount of charismatic teleprompter-reading is going to put Americans back to work. Not only are his policies failing on the merits, he seems to think things are going fine and there's no reason to admit a mistake or change direction (if there's a problem, it must be the voters and their backwards ways. And Fox news lies.)

Smells like Jimmy Carter to me!

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   08/19/10 13:12

Good cause we can win his old senate Seat, Gov mansion and pickup 4 congressional seats

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   08/19/10 14:16

How bad is it that even liberals are talking about obama as a 1 termer less than two years in. Talk about a failure.

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   08/19/10 15:05

Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes
(Turn and face the strain)
Ch-ch-Changes
Don't tell t hem to grow up and out of it
Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes
(Turn and face the strain)
Ch-ch-Changes
Where's your shame
You've left us up to our necks in it
Time may change me
But you can't trace time

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