Posted by
Bullfrog on Thursday, January 11, 2007 10:26:26 PM
The
Washington Times had an interesting article on Hillary's latest poll results.
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's popularity in Democratic
presidential-preference polls has fallen in the nation's first caucus
and primary states in the face of increasing support for her chief
rivals for the 2008 nomination.
Why does this not surprise me? We have Obama the "rock
star," and Edwards the "pretty boy." Personally, I don't think Edwards
is much of a threat. He didn't even carry his own district in the last
presidential primary, and thus ended up running with Flip-Flop Kerry.
But Obama has momentum.
"I think Hillary strikes these voters the same way Senator John Kerry
did in 2004. They would really like to vote for someone they really
like this time. Hillary doesn't fit that characterization right now,"
said pollster Del Ali of Research 2000, who conducted polls in both
Iowa and New Hampshire.
By this, I think Ali means that people simply don't like
Hillary. That may be, but I think it misses the point. What's telling
is that her leftist base is abandoning her for being too centrist.
She's never been centrist in her life! She's pulling the wool over her
own constituency in a misguided effort to suck in moderate Democrats.
The wolves are buying her sheep disguise, and don't like it.
His findings mirror more recent polling showing a similar national
decline in support. "There's been erosion," said pollster John Zogby.
"She's polling in the low- to mid-40s nationally."
Anyone familiar with Zogby and his research polls knows that he's a
dyed in the wool Democrat. These findings must cut him to the core.
Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Obama drew 22 percent and 21 percent respectively
late last month, while Mr. Edwards took third place with 16 percent.
One month before, Mr. Obama was trailing Mrs. Clinton by 23 points.
Mr. Ali, who interviewed 600 likely voters in New Hampshire,
said its electorate was made up of "a lot of independents. These are
the same people who loathe [President] Bush, loathe the Iraq war. But
deep down, they don't like Hillary Clinton," he told the Concord
Monitor.
In a telephone interview with The Washington Times, he said,
"Her chief rivals are very much against the Iraq war and prefer that we
begin withdrawal. I don't think they trust her, to be honest with you.
Mr. Ali, with whom I'm not familiar as a pollster, is dead
on with his last remark. Forget whether they like her or not--they
don't trust her. And why should they? She blows with the wind. Or
blows wind. Which one depends on your perspective.