Obama Means It

Voters believe Obama means what he says, whereas voters believe Clinton says what she thinks will get her elected. It baffles me with these continual poll finding that Clinton maintains a lead.

A new FOX News poll finds that voters are focusing on Iraq, terrorism and health care as they consider their vote for president. Looking at the candidates, more voters think Rudy Giuliani, John McCain and Barack Obama say what they truly believe, even if it is unpopular, while a majority thinks Hillary Clinton usually says what she thinks will get her elected. Clinton is the only candidate where a majority of voters (55 percent) thinks she says what she thinks will get her elected, rather than what she truly believes (34 percent).

Opinion Dynamics Corp. conducted the national telephone poll of 900 registered voters for FOX News from May 15 to May 16. The poll has a 3-point error margin.

Democrats (60 percent) are much more likely than Republicans (45 percent) to say Iraq is extremely important to their vote — by a 15-point margin. Republicans are most likely to be motivated by the issue of terrorism.

Even with the early start, attention to the presidential election remains high. Many voters say they are extremely (27 percent) or very (35 percent) interested right now, although few (13 percent) say they have already made up their mind about which candidate to support.

Not Up for Debate

Today Obama announced he will not participate in the Fox News and Congressional Black Caucus-sponsored Democratic debate this fall, joining Edwards who three days ago announced his refusal to participate. Obama said he would instead participate in the Congressional Black Caucus' debate that will be hosted by CNN in January.

Democrats have been under pressure from liberal activists, such as Jesse Jackson, a supporter of Obama, to avoid Fox-hosted debates. Last month, the Nevada Democratic Party canceled a debate that Fox was to co-sponsor in August. Democratic critics complain that the network displays a conservative bias in its news broadcasts. Last week the Democratic National Committee sanctioned six debates before the 2008 primary season, but did not include the Fox-CBC Institute debate among them.

Although the debates are still scheduled as of now, two major contenders are out, and ColorOfChange.org, an online organization of black activists, is urging Clinton to also pull out of the debate on Fox.

More Name Calling

The Obama name comparison and bad taste of newscasters continues…

Fox's Roger Ailes made a remark last week about the similarities between the Illinois senator's name and al-Qaida leader Osama Bin Laden.

At a Radio & Television News Directors Association Foundation event in Washington on Thursday, Ailes said, "And it is true that Barack Obama is on the move. I don't know if it's true that President Bush called (Pakistani President Pervez) Musharraf and said, 'Why can't we catch this guy?"' according to a transcript provided by Fox.
Ailes went too far, the state's Democratic Party chairman, Tom Collins, and Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., wrote Fox News. "We cannot, as good Democrats, put our party in a position to defend such comments."

Nevada Democrats already were under criticism by MoveOn.org Civic Action, a network of liberal activists, for the partnership with Fox, which the group called "a mouthpiece for the Republican party."

In response, Fox News vice president David Rhodes said, "News organizations will want to think twice before getting involved in the Nevada Democratic caucus which appears to be controlled by radical, fringe, out-of-state interest groups."
"I didn't take great offense at the joke," Obama said in an Associated Press interview while campaigning in Iowa. "I have been called worse."

What can Obama really say that won’t continue to enlarge this topic in the news? It’s best for him, and everyone, if it just goes away. Instead of focusing on his name, why don’t we focus on what he stands for?!