RCP State Poll Averages: Obama now leading Hillary in Iowa and NH

[ClarkUSA]

Looking at early states' daily poll averages are the best way of seeing momentum at a glance:

RCP Iowa Poll Averages 12/12/07 Link: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2008/president/ia/iowa_democratic_caucus-208.html
#1 Barack Obama, 29.8%
#2 Hillary Clinton, 27.5%
#3 John Edwards, 21.3%

RCP NH Poll Averages 12/12/07 Link: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2008/president/nh/new_hampshire_democratic_primary-194.html
#1 Hillary Clinton, 30.8%
#2 Barack Obama, 27.0%
#3 John Edwards, 14.8%

RCP SC Poll Averages 12/12/07 Link: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2008/president/sc/south_carolina_democratic_primary-234.html
#1 Hillary Clinton, 32.5%
#2 Barack Obama, 31.8%%
#3 John Edwards, 14.0%

Oh and campaign manager David Plouffe said Obama now has offices in 17 of the 22 states expected to hold primaries or caucuses on Feb. 5...
"We are the most aggressive campaign to date in making sure we win on Feb. 5," he said, adding that the campaign of Sen. Hillary Clinton of New
York has offices in "maybe four." Link: http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2007/12/12/20488/462/660/419363

Obama isn't taking anything for granted. :-)

[bluestateguy]

1. This kid isn't going to know what hit him when the Republican Attack Machine gets to work on him

"Oh, but Hillary is too polarizing! She can't win! The conservatives will stampede to the polls to defeat her! Edwards is phony (whatever that means)! If we nominate Obama, then the conservatives won't get mad! They'll go easy on him because he's not Hillary."

He has no idea what he's getting himself into if he thinks he's ready for what FOX News, talk radio and the Republic Party's attack ad makers have waiting for him.

[ClarkUSA]

2. Oh, don't worry...

With the Clinton machine trying to swift boat him at every turn lately, Obama gotten plenty of practice fending off Rovian attacks. And
doing it very well, thank you.

[Lint Head]

4. Re-Pubic-Rats will use subtle racism in a new way.

This country still has racism at it's core. The kind of racism we have today is not as overt as it use to be but is definitely still there. There are code words that white elitists use to communicate and identify the victims of their hate and those words will be used on Obama. These words will seem innocuous to most people but those that utter them, in private white society, will know their meaning. I will not use them here but I have heard them. Subtle propaganda is still propaganda. :dem:

[DFW]

6. I have met Obama, and I think he has the ability to transcend the race issue

I realize that saying that risks opening Pandora's box,
but in person, he has that rare intense personal charisma
that Bill Clinton does, and he is so engaging personally
that you totally overlook whether he is black, white, Oriental
or Vulcan. If he wins or loses, I don't think race will be the
deciding factor, especially in the primaries. Should he win the
nomination, the republicans will do everything they can to
subtly appeal to racists, but I don't see it as a factor in
Democratic primaries. His message will either carry him or sink
him, but I don't think his genetic make-up will do either.

[tavalon]

9. You are so right

and if my black friends are right, it is more insidious in the North than in the South. I guess their point is that in the South, it's in your face, in the North, well, they act like they accept you but.......

I remember well, from my too many years in the South, that all put downs ended with "...Bless his/her heart."

[Libface]

7. I worry about this

too, as much as it disgusts me. I wandered over to the Oprah boards the other day and I was in for a seriously rude awakening. The posts there from Oprah fans (who had 300+ posts under their names) were SO racist and anti-Muslim and they didn't really seem to get the irony. I know it's an non-issue on the left but it's very much alive elsewhere. Of course if reliable polls are saying Obama has a better chance against the GOP than Hillary, who am I to say different? I just don't know if the Obama campaign is ready to take it on.

Edit: Their, not there.

[Colobo]

13. Obama is not a kid. He is a 46 yrs old constitutional law professor

former state legislator and current US Senator.

[karynnj]

14. Actually neither will HRC

The Republican attack machine 2008 is not the Republican attach machine 1992. HRC's campaign has completely over reacted to the Democrat's criticisms and to her falling numbers - even with media allies and more party support than was there for any non incumbent. Both Gore and Kerry withstood the much worse Republican smears far better than she has dealt with the primaries.

Any candidate will be attacked. So, far Obama has handled most attacks with humor and with getting the truth out.

[DFW]

3. How odd

The OP says that Obama is leading Hillary in NH and then posts
statistics saying Hillary is leading Obama in NH.

I went to the home page of the source site, and the first things I
see are videos of a staged Frank Luntz group, articles by Bob Novak,
Jonah Goldberg, National Review (presumably all for balance?), oh,
yeah and some little insignificant ABC/Washington Post poll saying
HRC leads Obama by 53-23 nationally, which is probably as unrealistic
as anything else, but left totally unmentioned by the OP.

Methinks the OP doth protest too much. At least Fox "News" director
Roger Ailes came right out and said "we have an agenda." The least
the OP could do is come equally clean. Maybe I'm gleaning the wrong
message here, but dozens of posts with nothing but the same negative
message about one particular candidate will do that to ya....

[SIMPLYB1980]

10. Very odd indeed.

[MadBadger]

5. you do realize that you're wrong about NH, right?

[tavalon]

8. Wow, what a horse race!

Too bad it's rigged. I'll apologize if I'm wrong, but I doubt I am.

It makes great bread and circuses, though, doesn't it?:evilgrin:

[TwilightZone]

11. You might want to look at your numbers again - Hillary is ahead in NH.

[kenfrequed]

12. Hmm

As much as I prefer Obama to Hillary I should remind you that the early Iowa Caucus hasn't been too consequential. Front runners are often vanquished later on.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iowa_caucus#Democrats

[JackORoses]

15. my prediction is that this OP will be 100% correct within the next 2 days

must have been a psychic posting

[oasis]

16. Gee thanks. Your predictions carry as much weight as your opinion. (eom)

[JackORoses]

17. I also predict you will be in a pissy mood on Jan 4

:)

[oasis]

18. What ever my mood may be on Jan.4, I will participate in the Nevada caucus, Jan. 19.

Please tune in for the results.;-)

[Carrieyazel]

19. If he's leading now, then he's likely to lose, as most "frontrunners" do.