[See Update on new national polls from USA Today/Gallup and CBS/NY Times at bottom]

General Election polls continue to demonstrate that Clinton is the far stronger candidate against McCain than Obama.

Real Clear Politics has data from 6 recent national General Election polls.  In a Clinton v. McCain match-up, Clinton beats McCain in FIVE of the 6 polls. In an Obama v. McCain match-up, McCain beats Obama in 3 of the polls and ties him in one.

More importantly, in key battleground states, Clinton beats McCain in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Florida, while Obama loses to McCain in all 3 states. And RCP highlights a recent McClathy article about Obama's likely loss in Indiana to McCain. A new Rasmussen poll for New Hampshire claims "Clinton gains on McCain...Obama heads in opposite direction."

Obama's problems with working class voters have worsened, according to a story posted yesterday by the AP:

In an Associated Press-Yahoo News poll...53 percent of whites who have not completed college viewed Obama unfavorably, up a dozen percentage points from November. During that period, the numbers viewing Clinton and Republican candidate John McCain negatively have stayed about even.

In contrast, Hillary Clinton's strength among seniors, women, and key demographic groups such as Catholics improves with each election, as most recently seen in Pennsylvania.

*CLINTON, THE POPULIST*
Hillary Clinton is a candidate of the people, successfully delivering a populist message across American towns,  cities, and suburbs.  As the Washington Post said recently, "Clinton Is In Her Element:"

Clinton attacks the rope line with more gusto than her husband, who invented the genre in modern campaigns.

~snip~

Clinton has found a home -- and a potentially receptive audience -- among rural Democrats...Small towns. Middle-class and working-class. Older voters. Women.

~snip~

The rope line in Terre Haute late Thursday was dominated by women of all ages, who are as passionate in their support of Clinton as Obama supporters are for their candidate

UPDATE ON TWO NEW POLLS:

A USA Today/Gallup poll released on 5/5/08 gives Clinton a 7 point lead over Obama, "the first time in 3 months she has been ahead." USA Today writes:

Barack Obama's national standing has been significantly damaged by the controversy over his former pastor, a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll finds, raising questions for some voters about the Illinois senator's values, credibility and electability.

The USA Today/Gallup poll also demonstrates Clinton's strength on a number of variables:

Clinton Obama Advantage

Is a strong and decisive leader 53 37: Clinton +16

Has the best chance of beating John McCain in November 48 43: Clinton +5

Shares your values 47 42: Clinton +5

Cares about the needs of people like you 47 43: Clinton +4

A CBS/NYT poll released on 5/4/08 is being publicized by many news sources as showing a 12-pt. lead for Obama over Clinton, but this is among those who have voted or plan to vote in a Democratic primary.

However, Clinton actually leads Obama by 1 point when the question is asked of "registered voters who identify themselves as Democrats, regardless of whether they have voted or plan to vote in a Democratic primary".

This means that Obama has lost substantial support among people who have already voted for him.

In other good news for Clinton, the CBS/NYT pollster's report states:

For the first time since October 2007, more registered voters overall have a favorable impression of Clinton than an unfavorable one.

and...

When asked who is "tough enough to make hard choices," Clinton gets 70%, McCain 71%, and Obama 58%.

See related post 2 New Polls: MORE HILLARY MOMENTUM.

Cross Posted from Daily Kos

Why Johnny Populist should be President
by KaritaHummer [Subscribe] [Edit Diary]
Fri Oct 05, 2007 at 09:20:24 AM PDT

Why I support John Edwards, my response to a question asked of me

John Edwards: Best of All

I was asked on another blog about why I support John Edwards, and I was happy to oblige.  This is my response:

AN AVOWED SUPPORTER AND CAMPAIGNER FOR JOHN EDWARDS

Let me declare unequivocally my support for John Edwards.

There is no question that this is an unusual primary, and that it reflects the influence of K Street and Wall Street like never before, and that the need for campaign reform (money-wise) could never be clearer and that the corporate media is cherry picking candidates and smearing others.  What it does mean, though, when, and if, you discern a difference in a candidate, you help, because there has never been a more important election.  This is not a primary to wait out, folks, and all the more because of the hideous amounts of money being spent in this campaign.  Just ask, why and from whom are those hideous amounts being contributed - why?

In the interest of full disclosure, I want it to be perfectly known that I am not a Far Right Conservative, Nor am I against what the Democrats are doing in Washington DC.  However in light of recent events in Washington DC, I am compelled to write this editorial.  I, in fact, do wonder aloud, are the Democrats in congress on some sort of Liberal witch-hunt against the Conservatives in Washington DC?

National polls are showing Barack Obama surging, after he raised a whopping $5.7 million in small donor receipts (<$200) last quarter.

To put it in perspective, Senator Clinton and John McCain were second and third with just $2.5 and $2.27 million.

Obama also raised a higher percentatge of his money (22%) from small donations than any of the other leading candidates.

What happens when candidates build a large grassroots donor base?

They rise in the polls, as we are seeing Barack Obama doing right now...

...Today we stand on the precipice of a most divided union. These United States have become the most divisive and unilateral entities our country has ever known. We, collectively as a nation, have certainly exercised our right to autonomy and individualism, and that, to an extreme. No longer does "one" mean the same as it did in the beginning of mankind, no matter your personal beliefs, but the "one" in oneness now seems to shade to different shadows and shades away to shine in a different room...

...Many people who observe current events in the United States and overseas have said, "We are fighting the Vietnam war all over again." As many military experts have noted, Iraq is not precisely Vietnam. But there are significant similarities. Clearly, some people did not learn from it...

I was in a fairly brief exchange with Shaun Appleby about the underlying ideologies of John Edwards and Barack Obama, particularly on economic issues.  I'm looking at the records of the top contenders, including the two above, Hillary Clinton, and Bill Richardson, and below are my conclusions.
In the exchange I stated that it is fairly difficult to distinguish whether John Edwards or Barack Obama are more "modern" or "welfare" liberals, or social democrats, but that Hillary Clinton seemed to me to be more obviously an economic liberal, like her husband, which is why it would be difficult for me to support her.  There is a lot of talk about how hard it is to distinguish welfare liberals from social democrats, particularly when they are in a legislative role, but as an executive, they are much freer to express themselves in policy, rather than just voting on other peoples bills and compromising in order to pass legislation.  Shaun said that we should review the records, and then compare notes.  Here goes...

...The purpose of the personal income tax is to redistribute wealth upward and to control the civil society. The purpose of the Federal Reserve is to redistribute the wealth upward and to control the civil society. The receivers of the redistributed wealth and the controllers of the society are the private owners of the Federal Reserve, not us...