Obama trails Hillary by several frames

Zogby has, after a long silence (that is to say, no releases that have come to my attention), released poll figures that show Barack Obama still trailing Hillary Clinton in PA:

UTICA, New York – Democratic presidential candidate
Hillary Clinton of New York leads party rival Barack Obama of Illinois
by a narrow margin in the all-important Pennsylvania primary heading
into the final stretch before Democrats there head to the polls April
22, a fresh Newsmax/Zogby telephone poll shows.

    Clinton
wins 47% support to Obama’s 43% among likely Democratic primary voters,
the survey shows. Another 2% are still holding out for someone else,
while 8% said they are yet undecided.

Ya gotta wonder about those folks who are still "holding out for someone else…"

… where was I? Oh, yeah. No doubt there will be all sorts of explanations for why Pennsylvania Democrats have not yet succumbed to the Obama magic — the fact that (inexplicably) Mrs. Clinton appeals more to blue-collar types, the Rev. Wright business, maybe even the unfortunate thing about guns and religion.

But personally, I think it was the bowling — if you can call it that.

I’ve spent a lot of time in Pennsylvania the last few years — I could just about do the drive up 81 through the Shenandoah Valley in my sleep (although I’d be missing some terrific scenery). And from what I’ve seen of Pennsylvanians — and mind you, I’m not talking Philadelphia lawyer types, but salt-of-the-earth, regular, small-town working folk — it’s hard for me to see them respecting a guy who can only put up 37 points after seven frames. (Frankly, I don’t even see how he did it; while it’s been a bunch of years since I maintained a 150-plus average, I don’t think I could convincingly pull off a 37.)

Normally, you wouldn’t look at Hillary and say, "There goes a bowler." But you can at least look at her and say, "Well, she should at least be able to beat a 37."

The way I see it, Obama’s got three frames left to go. Picking up spares isn’t going to do it; he’s going to have to strike out on his last five rolls.

12 thoughts on “Obama trails Hillary by several frames

  1. Jerrith Cutestory

    You are an idiot if you think a significant portion of people are going to judge a candidate on their bowling. I’d like to see them go to Harlem and try basketball.

    Reply
  2. bill

    Everyone I know consider bowling skills as their sole criteria when choosing a candidate,but they also feel that elections are held only to see if the polls were correct.
    What percentage hung up?

    Reply
  3. jacksmith

    MY FELLOW BITTER, STUPID, WORKING CLASS PEOPLE.
    YOU MIGHT BE AN IDIOT, TOO 🙁
    If you think like Barack Obama, that WORKING CLASS PEOPLE are just a bunch of BITTER!, STUPID, PEASANTS, Cash COWS!, and CANNON FODDER. 🙁
    You Might Be An Idiot, Too!
    If you think Barack Obama with little or no experience would be better than Hillary Clinton with 35 years experience.
    You Might Be An Idiot, Too!
    If you think that Obama with no experience can fix an economy on the verge of collapse better than Hillary Clinton. Whose husband (Bill Clinton) led the greatest economic expansion, and prosperity in American history.
    You Might Be An Idiot, Too!
    If you think that Obama with no experience fighting for universal health care can get it for you better than Hillary Clinton. Who anticipated this current health care crisis back in 1993, and fought a pitched battle against overwhelming odds to get universal health care for all the American people.
    You Might Be An Idiot, Too!
    If you think that Obama with no experience can manage, and get us out of two wars better than Hillary Clinton. Whose husband (Bill Clinton) went to war only when he was convinced that he absolutely had to. Then completed the mission in record time against a nuclear power. AND DID NOT LOSE THE LIFE OF A SINGLE AMERICAN SOLDIER. NOT ONE!
    You Might Be An Idiot, Too!
    If you think that Obama with no experience saving the environment is better than Hillary Clinton. Whose husband (Bill Clinton) left office with the greatest amount of environmental cleanup, and protections in American history.
    You Might Be An Idiot, Too!
    If you think that Obama with little or no education experience is better than Hillary Clinton. Whose husband (Bill Clinton) made higher education affordable for every American. And created higher job demand and starting salary’s than they had ever been before or since.
    You Might Be An Idiot, Too!
    If you think that Obama with no experience will be better than Hillary Clinton who spent 8 years at the right hand of President Bill Clinton. Who is already on record as one of the greatest Presidents in American history.
    You Might Be An Idiot, Too!
    If you think that you can change the way Washington works with pretty speeches from Obama, rather than with the experience, and political expertise of two master politicians ON YOUR SIDE like Hillary and Bill Clinton..
    You Might Be An Idiot, Too!
    If you think all those Republicans voting for Obama in the Democratic primaries, and caucuses are doing so because they think he is a stronger Democratic candidate than Hillary Clinton. 🙂
    Best regards
    jacksmith…
    p.s.
    If you don’t know that the huge amounts of money funding the Obama campaign to try and defeat Hillary Clinton is coming in from the insurance, and medical industry, that has been ripping you off, and killing you and your children. And denying you, and your loved ones the life saving medical care you needed. All just so they can make more huge immoral profits for them-selves off of your suffering…
    You Might Be An Idiot, Too!
    You see, back in 1993 Hillary Clinton had the audacity, and nerve to try and get quality, affordable universal health care for everyone to prevent the suffering and needless deaths of hundreds of thousands of you each year. 🙂
    Approx. 100,000 of you die each year from medical accidents from a rush to profit by the insurance, and medical industry. Another 120,000 of you die each year from treatable illness that people in other developed countries don’t die from. And I could go on, and on…

    Reply
  4. jacksmith

    DON’T BE DUPED !!!
    Large numbers of Republicans have been voting for Barack Obama in the DEMOCRATIC primaries, and caucuses from early on. Because they feel he would be a weaker opponent against John McCain. With Hillary Clinton you are almost 100% certain to get quality, affordable universal health care very soon.
    But first, all of you have to make certain that Hillary Clinton takes the democratic nomination and then the Whitehouse. NOW! is the time. THIS! is the moment you have all been working, and waiting for. You can do this America. “Carpe diem” (harvest the day).
    I think Hillary Clinton see’s a beautiful world of plenty for all. She’s a woman, and a mother. And it’s time America. Do this for your-selves, and your children’s future. You will have to work together on this and be aggressive, relentless, and creative. Americans face an even worse catastrophe ahead than the one you are living through now.
    You see, the medical and insurance industry mostly support the republicans with the money they ripped off from you. And they don’t want you to have quality, affordable universal health care. They want to be able to continue to rip you off, and kill you and your children by continuing to deny you life saving medical care that you have already paid for. So they can continue to make more immoral profits for them-selves.
    Hillary Clinton has actually won by much larger margins than the vote totals showed. And lost by much smaller vote margins than the vote totals showed. Her delegate count is actually much higher than it shows. And higher than Obama’s. She also leads in the electoral college numbers that you must win to become President in the November national election. HILLARY CLINTON IS ALREADY THE TRUE DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE!
    As much as 30% of Obama’s primary, and caucus votes are Republicans trying to choose the weakest democratic candidate for McCain to run against. These Republicans have been gaming the caucuses where it is easier to vote cheat. This is why Obama has not been able to win the BIG! states primaries. Even with Republican vote cheating help.
    Hillary Clinton has been OUT MANNED! OUT GUNNED! and OUT SPENT! 4 and 5 to 1. Yet Obama has only been able to manage a very tenuous, and questionable tie with Hillary Clinton.
    If Obama is the democratic nominee for the national election in November he will be slaughtered. Because the Republican vote cheating help will suddenly evaporate. All of this vote fraud and republican manipulation has made Obama falsely look like a much stronger candidate than he really is. YOUNG PEOPLE. DON’T BE DUPED! Think about it. You have the most to lose.
    The democratic party needs to fix this outrage. Everyone needs to throw all your support to Hillary Clinton NOW! So you can end this outrage against YOU the voter, and against democracy.
    The democratic party, and the super-delegates have a decision to make. Are the democrats, and the democratic party going to choose the DEMOCRATIC party nominee to fight for the American people. Or are the republicans going to choose the DEMOCRATIC party nominee through vote fraud, and gaming the DEMOCRATIC party primaries, and caucuses.
    Fortunately the Clinton’s have been able to hold on against this fraudulent outrage with those repeated dramatic comebacks of Hillary Clinton’s. Only the Clinton’s are that resourceful, and strong. Hillary Clinton is your NOMINEE. They are the best I have ever seen.
    “This is not a game” (Hillary Clinton)
    Sincerely
    jacksmith…

    Reply
  5. david

    jack, switch to decaf.
    Hillary surely has the thighs to be a bowler. Anyone who thinks that whatever it was she was doing while her husband was boffing the help qualifies her now to be president is the idiot. Now, it is probably true that she is more qualified to be president than is B. Hussein Obama. Heck, I am far more qualified to be president than is Obama. Just about anyone is. But whatever Hillary was scheming while her husband was getting lucky with college students in no way qualifies her for the top office now.
    Clinton is a serial liar. If you hear her say she likes bowling, or guns, or church, please don’t be naive. The only reason she even brings any of these things up is that she believes they may garner her a few votes. And if her internal polls show that they don’t, watch for her to drop them without ceremony and try something, ANYthing, else. David

    Reply
  6. anne arbor

    Mr. Smith, Hillary is better than Obama — as a bowler.
    She couldn’t help but be, even with no experience.
    Still, I bet she’s rolled more bowling balls than she’s dodged sniper bullets.

    Reply
  7. Russ

    Where’s the love? Shouldn’t the dems by now be preaching the “anybody by McCain” sermon?
    I love the above post that rightly emphasizes Obama had no experience. But I love better when Clinton’s experience is being married to a person who had experience. Or as the internet joke puts it: Denna Farve should be the next quarterback of the
    Green Bay Packers.
    Barrack Obama is probably a very good, idealistic person. But for folks my age remember that we once elected one of the best men of our lives in Jimmy Carter who proved that being a good person just wasn’t enough to be a good president.
    For the 2% in PA looking for somebody else there’s alway Ralph Nader or even Brad Warthen.

    Reply
  8. anne arbor

    Write in Warthen!
    He supports Obama, but he can bowl well enough to keep our nation out of the gutter.
    A vote for Brad beats a hanging chad.
    Our nation needs a calm voice.
    Let Unparty Brad be your unencumbered choice.
    Can’t make peace with Obama or McCain? Vote for Warthen, and now, and 100 years from now, because he likes both of them.

    Reply
  9. Richard L. Wolfe

    The reason that the race is so close is the democrats tend to believe the press more than republicans. They really believe that the sky will fall if there isn’t a democrat in office so they are flip-flopping with every story that exposes a weakness in either Clinton or Obama. Obama has recieved some negative press lately so now they are swinging toward Hillary.

    Reply
  10. Phillip

    Brad, I think you’ve missed the main point in the poll. If Obama was indeed trailing by only 4 points in the Zogby poll, that is a remarkable closing of the gap for him in PA from the way the numbers looked a few weeks ago. Unfortunately for him, this poll seems to have been conducted before the recent dustup over his “bitter” comments. Especially after all this, if Hillary only wins PA narrowly (and thus barely nipping into Obama’s delegate lead), it will be seen as a net positive for Obama more than Clinton.
    Russ and others, “Jack Smith” is a Clinton robo-poster targeted at all political blogs. You can tell that it is a boilerplate piece posted exactly the same word for word on various sites. Just one more sign (along with Hillary’s recent mindmeld with Karl Rove vis-a-vis the recent hysteria over Obama’s comment) that it is definitely politics as usual with her.
    No, it’s certainly not “anybody but McCain” among many Democrats. Hillary is antagonizing a huge block of Democratic voters and will have a very hard time getting a lot of them back in the fall, should she be the nominee.

    Reply
  11. Brad Warthen

    Yeah, and I guess we should look at the silver lining, Phillip — look how far Obama’s come, etc.

    But I still find myself marveling that he’s not in the lead in PA. He overcame Hillary’s lead, and passed her, in South Carolina in far less time than PA voters have had to think this over. And it seems that what we’ve seen in recent weeks would only make an Obama lead in the polls MORE likely.

    Of course, the Democratic electorate in Pennsylvania is VERY different. There’s the unions, for one thing — and public employee unions, which is very foreign to what I’m used to. As I noted back on this post, when you see historical markers right in front of your State House about the start of public-employee unions, you know for sure that you are NOT in South Carolina…

    Reply
  12. Lee Muller

    This infighting between Obama socialists and Hillary socialists reveals how much racism and elitism is contained within the Democratic Party. As mediocre as the GOP candidate is, again, all that Honest America can hope for is that the Democrats tear themselves apart and lose.
    Otherwise, it will be more of millionaire Democrats handing out welfare crumbs to their hordes they keep in poverty through the inculcation of victim mentalities, envy and despair.

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *