Heated campaign souring Democrats on rival candidates

[GaryC 7]

The battle among the dems is getting increasingly personal for some. I started a poll to see where VJ members stand. Please check it out and cast your vote.

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=124891

Heated campaign souring Democrats on rival candidates

WASHINGTON - Democratic Party members increasingly dislike the contender they are not supporting in the bruising nomination fight, an Associated Press-Yahoo News survey and exit polls of voters show. That is raising questions about how faithful some will be by the November general election.

In the AP-Yahoo poll — which has tracked the same 2,000 people since November — Barack Obama supporters with negative views of the New York senator have grown from 35 percent in November to 44 percent this month, including one-quarter with very unfavorable feelings.

Those Obama backers who don't like Hillary Rodham Clinton say they would vote for Republican candidate John McCain over her by a two-to-one margin, with many undecided.

As for Clinton supporters, those with unfavorable views of Obama have grown from 26 percent to 42 percent during this same period — including a doubling to 20 percent of those with very negative opinions.

The Clinton backers with unfavorable views of Obama say they would vote for McCain over him by nearly three-to-one, though many haven't made up their minds.

"I'd be hard pressed" to vote for Obama, said April Glenn, 66, a Clinton supporter from Philadelphia, who said his handling of the controversy over the anti-American preachings of his former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, made her doubt his leadership skills. "I don't think he's capable."

Clinton backers who have taken a dislike to Obama have a sharply lower regard for his honesty and ethics than they did last fall, the poll shows. Obama supporters whose view of Clinton has dimmed see her as far less compassionate and refreshing than they did then.

Loyal Democrat Richard Somer says if Hillary Rodham Clinton gets his party's presidential nomination, he just may sit it out this Election Day.

A Barack Obama supporter, Somer says he has been repulsed by her use of "slimy insinuations" in the campaign. He especially disliked her attacking the Illinois senator for his relationship with William Ayers, a former Weather Underground radical with provocative views.

"She's better than that," said Somer, 72, a retired professor from Clinton, N.Y. He said he expects the Democrats to carry New York anyway, so he might not vote "as a protest to Mrs. Clinton."

Somer is not the only Democrat whose views of his party's rival candidate have soured.

The feelings seem especially widespread among the candidates' strongest supporters.

_About half of Obama's white backers with college degrees have negative views of Clinton. Fewer black Obama supporters dislike Clinton but their numbers have grown faster, more than doubling during the period to 33 percent.

_Among Clinton's supporters, Obama is disliked by nearly half the whites who have not gone beyond high school, a near doubling since November. Four in 10 white women backing her have unfavorable views of Obama.

Intensified passions during contentious intraparty fights are nothing new, and voters often return to the fold by the time the general election rolls around and people focus on partisan and issue differences.

"These are snapshots of today," said Rep. Rahm Emanuel, D-Ill., a member of his party's congressional leadership who has not committed to Clinton or Obama. By autumn, he said, "the party will come together."

Yet with the battle between the two contenders threatening to stretch into June or beyond, some Democrats are wondering whether the party will have time to regain the loyalty of those whose candidate failed to win the party's nomination.

"If we can bring this to a conclusion by mid-June or something, I think that healing can take place," Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen, who has been pressing party leaders to settle on a nominee quickly, said in an interview. "If it goes till late August, then it's a real problem."

Others express concern but argue that the divisions are not nearly as intense as when the 1968 Democratic convention in Chicago was split over the Vietnam War; when Ronald Reagan unsuccessfully fought President Ford for the Republican nomination in 1976; or when Sen. Edward Kennedy lost a bitter duel with President Carter to be the 1980 Democratic nominee. In each case, those parties' nominees lost the general election.

"It is not the same kind of rancor or bitterness" as those years, said Democratic pollster Peter Hart.

If by July 4 the Obama and Clinton campaigns are still maneuvering for advantage at the party's August convention, it will be harder to unify party voters and "Democrats will have done grievous harm to themselves," he said.

Obama and Clinton campaign officials express little concern their fight will leave Democratic voters disaffected come November.

"When the family squabble is over, the family will come back together," said Obama pollster Cornell Belcher.

Current Democratic divisions are "par for the course" at this stage of a campaign," said Clinton strategist Geoffrey Garin.

"I know a lot of party leaders are concerned about this. But the Democratic rank and file doesn't seem to be," Garin said, citing polls showing people want the nomination race to continue.

Exit polls of voters in this year's Democratic primaries tell a similar tale of hard feelings.

_In Pennsylvania's primary last week, which Clinton won, 68 percent of Obama voters said they would back Clinton against McCain. Just 54 percent of her supporters would vote for Obama against the Republican — including less than half of her white voters who have not finished college.

_In the 16 states that held primaries on Super Tuesday Feb. 5, a combined 47 percent of Clinton voters said they would be satisfied only if she won the nomination. That figure has grown to 53 percent in the nine states with primaries since then — including 58 percent who said so in Pennsylvania.

_In Pennsylvania, while Clinton voters overall would vote heavily for Obama over McCain, her supporters who expressed displeasure should Obama win the nomination were evenly split in a contest between Obama and the Arizona Republican senator.

_Obama voters have also grown more surly, though more modestly. On Super Tuesday, 44 percent of his supporters said they would only settle for him as nominee — a number that has risen to 49 percent in states voting since that day.

Exit polls also show key voting blocs' negative feelings about their candidate's rival have grown, though it is less intense on Obama's side.

On Super Tuesday, about half of Clinton's white supporters with less than college degrees said they would be satisfied only if she won the nomination. In voting since then, six in 10 have said so — including 68 percent in Pennsylvania last week.

On the other hand, 46 percent of Obama's black supporters on Super Tuesday said he was the only candidate they wanted to win. That number has edged up to 49 percent since that Feb. 5 voting — including 55 percent in Pennsylvania.

The findings from the AP-Yahoo News poll are from telephone interviews with 863 Democrats on a panel of adults questioned in November, December, January and April. It has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.3 percentage points.

The poll was conducted over the Internet by Knowledge Networks, which initially contacted people using traditional telephone polling methods and followed with online interviews. People chosen for the study who had no Internet access were given it free.

The exit poll is based on in-person interviews with more than 36,000 voters in 28 states that have held primaries this year in which both candidates actively competed. The margin of sampling error is plus or minus 1 percentage point, larger for some subgroups.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/campaign_divided_democrats

[Fandango 1,439]

he just may sit it out this Election Day.

I understand that if your candidate doesn't win, you'd be pissed off and a little bit apathetic towards whomever is remaining, but it strikes me as so sad when people optionally 'sit out' the vote when people are still dying for that right in other parts of the world.

[GaryC 7]

he just may sit it out this Election Day.

I understand that if your candidate doesn't win, you'd be pissed off and a little bit apathetic towards whomever is remaining, but it strikes me as so sad when people optionally 'sit out' the vote when people are still dying for that right in other parts of the world.

I have been following politics since Nixon and I have never seen things get so personal before. I know that McCain isn't my first choice, or even my second or third choice, but to throw a tantrum and stay home does no one any good. I will just choose who closest reflects my views and live with it. People that don't vote have no right to b!tch about what happens later.

[Fandango 1,439]

he just may sit it out this Election Day.

I understand that if your candidate doesn't win, you'd be pissed off and a little bit apathetic towards whomever is remaining, but it strikes me as so sad when people optionally 'sit out' the vote when people are still dying for that right in other parts of the world.

I have been following politics since Nixon and I have never seen things get so personal before. I know that McCain isn't my first choice, or even my second or third choice, but to throw a tantrum and stay home does no one any good. I will just choose who closest reflects my views and live with it. People that don't vote have no right to b!tch about what happens later.

Exactly!

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

People have short memories - once the candidate is decided I think most people will fall in line with the party. Whether its Clinton or Obama who wins the nomination - the fact remains that either of them represent their interests better than McC does.

[GaryC 7]

People have short memories - once the candidate is decided I think most people will fall in line with the party. Whether its Clinton or Obama who wins the nomination - the fact remains that either of them represent their interests better than McC does.

I don't know, this is different. Keep in mind I have been watching American politics for 40 years now. This is much more personal. Plus you need to take into account that the reps will do everything they can to rub salt into the wounds after the dems finally choose their candidate.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

People have short memories - once the candidate is decided I think most people will fall in line with the party. Whether its Clinton or Obama who wins the nomination - the fact remains that either of them represent their interests better than McC does.

I don't know, this is different. Keep in mind I have been watching American politics for 40 years now. This is much more personal. Plus you need to take into account that the reps will do everything they can to rub salt into the wounds after the dems finally choose their candidate.

Perhaps - but I find it hard to believe that very many people who support the Democratic party would rather boycott the election rather than vote for the Democratic candidate who represents their interests to a greater degree than McCain.

[GaryC 7]

People have short memories - once the candidate is decided I think most people will fall in line with the party. Whether its Clinton or Obama who wins the nomination - the fact remains that either of them represent their interests better than McC does.

I don't know, this is different. Keep in mind I have been watching American politics for 40 years now. This is much more personal. Plus you need to take into account that the reps will do everything they can to rub salt into the wounds after the dems finally choose their candidate.

Perhaps - but I find it hard to believe that very many people who support the Democratic party would rather boycott the election rather than vote for the Democratic candidate who represents their interests to a greater degree than McCain.

Thats the same argument that I use when someone suggests that reps will vote for Obama because they don't like McCain. Why would they do it?

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

People have short memories - once the candidate is decided I think most people will fall in line with the party. Whether its Clinton or Obama who wins the nomination - the fact remains that either of them represent their interests better than McC does.

I don't know, this is different. Keep in mind I have been watching American politics for 40 years now. This is much more personal. Plus you need to take into account that the reps will do everything they can to rub salt into the wounds after the dems finally choose their candidate.

Perhaps - but I find it hard to believe that very many people who support the Democratic party would rather boycott the election rather than vote for the Democratic candidate who represents their interests to a greater degree than McCain.

Thats the same argument that I use when someone suggests that reps will vote for Obama because they don't like McCain. Why would they do it?

Good question. They're more likely not to vote than go over to the other side - but even then I can't see too many people sitting out this time around.

[Fandango 1,439]

People have short memories - once the candidate is decided I think most people will fall in line with the party. Whether its Clinton or Obama who wins the nomination - the fact remains that either of them represent their interests better than McC does.

I don't know, this is different. Keep in mind I have been watching American politics for 40 years now. This is much more personal. Plus you need to take into account that the reps will do everything they can to rub salt into the wounds after the dems finally choose their candidate.

Perhaps - but I find it hard to believe that very many people who support the Democratic party would rather boycott the election rather than vote for the Democratic candidate who represents their interests to a greater degree than McCain.

Thats the same argument that I use when someone suggests that reps will vote for Obama because they don't like McCain. Why would they do it?

Good question. They're more likely not to vote than go over to the other side - but even then I can't see too many people sitting out this time around.

Well, the poll that Gary made kinda reflects that exact thing... 13 would vote for O, 4 for McC, but if Hil was the nom, 4 for Hil, and 9 for McC. Interesting

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

People have short memories - once the candidate is decided I think most people will fall in line with the party. Whether its Clinton or Obama who wins the nomination - the fact remains that either of them represent their interests better than McC does.

I don't know, this is different. Keep in mind I have been watching American politics for 40 years now. This is much more personal. Plus you need to take into account that the reps will do everything they can to rub salt into the wounds after the dems finally choose their candidate.

Perhaps - but I find it hard to believe that very many people who support the Democratic party would rather boycott the election rather than vote for the Democratic candidate who represents their interests to a greater degree than McCain.

Thats the same argument that I use when someone suggests that reps will vote for Obama because they don't like McCain. Why would they do it?

Good question. They're more likely not to vote than go over to the other side - but even then I can't see too many people sitting out this time around.

Well, the poll that Gary made kinda reflects that exact thing... 13 would vote for O, 4 for McC, but if Hil was the nom, 4 for Hil, and 9 for McC. Interesting

If indeed those people hold the same opinion when it actually comes time to vote - that's another question. The Democratic nomination, as Gary pointed out is very personal for a lot of people - so it would make sense that their opinion on that question (while the race is still going on) would be colored by that.

[Peikko 1,575]

Everyone should vote and if they don't like the names on the ballot they can print in their own name - or a fictional character - or someone they would have liked to have been on the ballot.

It is time for presidential election reform though, this way of doing things isn't in the best interests of anyone. At least that is my opinion.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Everyone should vote and if they don't like the names on the ballot they can print in their own name - or a fictional character - or someone they would have liked to have been on the ballot.

It is time for presidential election reform though, this way of doing things isn't in the best interests of anyone. At least that is my opinion.

Yep even writing Mickey Mouse on your ballot is better than not turning up at all.