CBS Poll: Pastor's Remarks Hurt Obama
A new CBS News poll finds that while most voters who have heard at least something about controversial statements made by Barack Obama's longtime pastor say their view of the Democratic presidential candidate is unchanged, a third say it has made them feel more negative about Obama.
The poll found that among registered voters, 25 percent said they had heard "a lot" about Rev. Jeremiah Wright's comments, while 33 percent said they had heard some. Forty-two percent said they hadn't heard about the comments.
Of those voters, sixty-five percent said it didn't make a difference in their view of Obama. However, of those whose opinion is changed, the net impact is very negative. Thirty percent said it made them have a less favorable view, whereas 2 percent said it made their view more favorable.
Interviewing for these questions was completed Sunday and Monday, before Obama's speech on the subject today.
Republicans are the most likely to say their view has been affected: 47 percent say they've become less favorable, and 53 percent said it did not make a different.
Sixty-one percent of independent voters say they are unaffected, but 36 percent said it made their view less favorable. Two percent of independents said it made them more favorable view.
Overall, unfavorable views of Obama are up somewhat from February. His favorable ratings remain largely unchanged at 44 percent, but there has been some movement from undecided views to unfavorable views, from 23 percent in February to 30 percent now.
Among Democratic primary voters, unfavorable views have doubled, but favorable views remain dominant: more than six in ten Democratic primary voters are positive.
Independent voters - a group Obama has successfully courted in many primaries and would try to draw in the general election - still view him favorably, about the same as last month. Unfavorable views have risen among Republicans.
This poll was conducted among a random sample of 844 adults nationwide, including 749 registered voters, interviewed by telephone March 15 - 17, 2008. Interviewing for the questions on Wright and Obama was conducted March 16-17, 2008 among a sample of 355 registered voters. The error due to sampling for results based on the entire sample could be plus or minus three percentage points and five points for those questions. The error for subgroups is higher.
Copyright 2009 CBS. All rights reserved. The poll found that among registered voters, 25 percent said they had heard "a lot" about Rev. Jeremiah Wright's comments, while 33 percent said they had heard some. Forty-two percent said they hadn't heard about the comments.
Of those voters, sixty-five percent said it didn't make a difference in their view of Obama. However, of those whose opinion is changed, the net impact is very negative. Thirty percent said it made them have a less favorable view, whereas 2 percent said it made their view more favorable.
Interviewing for these questions was completed Sunday and Monday, before Obama's speech on the subject today.
Democrats are especially apt to say their views are unchanged, with 76 percent saying it has made no difference of their view of Obama, 15 percent saying it made their view less favorable and 2 percent saying it made their view more favorable.
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Republicans are the most likely to say their view has been affected: 47 percent say they've become less favorable, and 53 percent said it did not make a different.
Sixty-one percent of independent voters say they are unaffected, but 36 percent said it made their view less favorable. Two percent of independents said it made them more favorable view.
Overall, unfavorable views of Obama are up somewhat from February. His favorable ratings remain largely unchanged at 44 percent, but there has been some movement from undecided views to unfavorable views, from 23 percent in February to 30 percent now.
Among Democratic primary voters, unfavorable views have doubled, but favorable views remain dominant: more than six in ten Democratic primary voters are positive.
Independent voters - a group Obama has successfully courted in many primaries and would try to draw in the general election - still view him favorably, about the same as last month. Unfavorable views have risen among Republicans.
This poll was conducted among a random sample of 844 adults nationwide, including 749 registered voters, interviewed by telephone March 15 - 17, 2008. Interviewing for the questions on Wright and Obama was conducted March 16-17, 2008 among a sample of 355 registered voters. The error due to sampling for results based on the entire sample could be plus or minus three percentage points and five points for those questions. The error for subgroups is higher.
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Heck, say what you want about the Catholic church, but in all the time I attended Catholic Mass growing up, I never once heard my preacher use the term "****" to describe female breasts, nor did he degrade a person solely on the fact that they were born of a father of one race and a mother of another race. Hopefully, with all the intermixing of races these days, no young children were subjected to hearing that term used to describe them.
Oh and by the way judgment and wisdom trump experience.
During one of the most difficult periods in the presidency of Bill Clinton, he addressed a group of clerics at an annual prayer breakfast in September 1998 just as the Starr report outlining his dalliance with Monica Lewinsky was about to be published.
Among those in attendance, was the Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr., who is seen shaking hands with Mr. Clinton in a photograph provided today by the Obama campaign. Mr. Wright%u2019s relationship with Senator Barack Obama, as his longtime pastor, has been the subject of considerable controversy in recent days because of incendiary excerpts of sermons Mr. Wright gave at their church, Trinity United Church of Christ, in Chicago.
Dear Pastor Wright:
Thank you so much for your kind message.
I am touched by your prayers and by the many expressions of encouragement and support I have received from friends across our country.
You have my best wishes.
Sincerely,
Bill Clinton
Source: http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/03/20/photograph-of-bill-clinton-and-rev-wright-surfaces/
Kudos to him for having the guts to speak the truth. It''s a pity that so many of us still just can''t take it. Most of us are apparently still not comfortable without our blinders on, I guess.
Posted by Hillarygrl34 at 07:40 PM : Mar 19, 2008
What you fail to understand, and the pastor fails to comment on, is that Jesus already did this. By dying for mankind''s sins, he helped along the "righting of many wrongs" that have occured since sinful man began. This is the Christian Ministry.
Posted by BLKPRESIDENT at 02:07 PM : Mar 20, 2008
Who gives a *** what terrorist''s respect. I don''t respect terrorists and don''t care whether they respect me. The worst reason to answer the question of whether a person is considered a good president, is what my enemy''s perception of my choice.
3 AM call to Whitehouse - Oct 3 1993 - Muslim extremists attack US Troops in Mogadishu, Somalia. 18 killed 90 wounded
The Clintons response: withdraw troops
Clintons decides to cut losses, Sets timetable, declares that American troops are to be fully withdrawn from Somalia by March 31 1994. The hunt for Aidid is abandoned, and US representatives are sent to resume negotiations with the warlord.
Builds Confidence of Muslim extremists to plan further action in Africa, Middle East, Europe & USA.