Reply #54: re: "angry about his remark ... she wouldn't get votes from his supporters"

[krkaufman]

Yeah, I'm angry about that, too; but not at Obama. My anger is directed at the media* for spinning it as some sort of divisive comment rather that a factual statement about their supporters' demographics.

Obama has pulled-in far more Independents and Republicans, as well as new voters, than Hillary has, and opinion polling shows that Hillary still has high negatives outside of the Democratic Party. It is unlikely that she will be able to attract anything near the degree of independents and disaffected, crossover Republicans that Obama could.

Further, Obama has said that he would support the party's nominee, and I'm sure he'll urge his supporters to do so, as well. But just as we've seen every time a candidate leaves the race, the former candidate's endorsement has minimal effect on to which other candidate his supporters will switch.


* p.s. My email Re: the same sent to KO after his, yet again, characterizing Obama's comments as divisive.

Subject: Re: Obama comment that Hillary may not get "the votes he got"

Keith and Howard (Fineman),

Is it so difficult to recognize that Sen. Obama has pulled-in votes not just from "young people" and "African Americans," as you suggest, but that he has received more votes from Independents and Republicans than Sen. Clinton?

Why must the news media, i.e. you!, try to spin Obama's comments as some sort of subtle threat of party disunity? Obama is stating what I would think is common knowledge... that Hillary Clinton has high negative numbers, in opinion polls, and is less likely to bring in critical Independent and crossover Republican voters.