[Opinion-Bonnie Erbe-US News & World Report]Bonnie Erbe—“who has covered Washington politics since God was a baby”—is leading what may soon be a growing chorus of Democratic voices urging Barack Obama to leave the race for he Democratic nomination, at least if he fails to convincingly trounce Hillary Clinton in North Carolina by double digits.
In today’s opinion piece for US News Erbe writes:
“Sen. Barack Obama's response to the Rev. Jeremiah Wright's incendiary appearance on Monday at the National Press Club is not just a day late and a dollar short: It's a month and a half late and a few million dollars short.
“Wright's self-promoting and racially divisive remarks have set back a half-century of progress on race relations in the United States. Obama's long-delayed denunciation of his former minister seems to have come too late to save the senator's political self-immolation.”
Wow, strong stuff—particularly in the face of “conventional” Washington insider wisdom that Obama has had the nomination locked up for months by virtue of his insurmountable pledged-delegate lead, and that the supers are just delaying their annoncement of an Obama victory —which is probably true until it isn’t.
Erbe continues:
“We may soon start to see the defection from his campaign of superdelegate support. The New York Times reports, "Eileen Macoll, a Democratic county chairman from Washington State who has not chosen a candidate, said she was stunned at the extent of national attention the episode [Wright's remarks] has drawn, and she said she believed it would give superdelegates pause.
'I'm a little surprised at how much traction it is getting, and I do believe it is beginning to reflect negatively on Senator Obama's campaign,' Ms. Macoll said. 'I think he's handling it very well, but I think it's almost impossible to make people feel comfortable about this.' "”
To Urbe, who feels that the one, two punch of Obama’s “clinging to guns and religion” remarks last month at a San Francisco fundraiser and the candidate's Reverend Wright problem have mortally wounded him, points to a SurveyUSA North Carolina poll showing Sen. Hillary Clinton closing in fast on Obama there—and observes that the full impact of both these events was not yet felt when the poll [showing Obama’s lead shrinking to 5%] was taken.
“As soon as polls start to show the extent of alienation Obama has produced among white Democratic voters, superdelegates won't be far behind. If Obama does not carry North Carolina next week by double digits, he will be in serious trouble. Look for calls by party leaders for him to drop out if his victory in North Carolina is not convincing.”
Urbe closes with the following to illustrate the magnitude of Obama’s current trouble:
“In case you needed one, here from washingtonpost.com is a refresher on what Wright said on Monday:
“From the moment he entered the room, Wright seemed to be looking to stir controversy; he was escorted by Jamil Muhammad , a leader of the Nation of Islam, which contributed to the minister's prominent security detail. Speaking before an audience that included Marion Barry, Cornel West, the New Black Panther Party's Malik Zulu Shabazz and Nation of Islam protocol director Claudette Muhammad, Wright praised Louis Farrakhan, defended the view that Zionism is racism, accused the United States of terrorism, repeated his belief that the government created AIDS to extinguish racial minorities, and stood by his suggestion that "God damn America."
“And remember what Obama said about this man six weeks ago:
“"I can no more disown him than I can disown the black community."”
Is Donna Urbe the leader of a growing chorus, or is her report of Obama’s impending demise (to paraphrase Mark Twain) "much exaggerated"?
We will have the first indications when the actual votes in North Carolina and Indiana are tallied after the polls close on May 6.
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[TO SEND TIM RUSSERT SUGGESTED QUESTIONS FOR SENATOR OBAMA ON MEET THE PRESS THIS SUNDAY, WHERE OBAMA WILL BE QUESTIONED FOR THE FULL HOUR, CLICK HERE. ]
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