"From Bill Schneider
CNN senior political analyst
Wright flap may hurt Obama - CNN.com
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- After tapes of inflammatory statements made by Sen. Barack Obama's pastor came out last weekend, it appears to have had some negative impact on the Illinois senator.
Sen. Barack Obama and his church's former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, in a 2005 photograph.
Nationally, Obama's lead over Sen. Hillary Clinton narrowed in a poll of polls -- which included CBS News, USA Today and Gallup.
The polls, taken between March 14-18, show Obama with 49 percent to Clinton's 43 percent.
"I don't think there is any doubt that the [Rev.] Jeremiah Wright controversy played a role in the 10-point drop in his favorable ratings," said pollster Terry Madonna. Watch reaction to Wright's comments »
Some of Wright's old sermons came under fire after a news report last week turned some of his most controversial comments into a YouTube phenomenon.
In one, the minister said America had brought the September 11 attacks upon itself. In another, he said Clinton had an advantage over Obama because she is white.
Speaking in Pennsylvania at Philadelphia's National Constitution Center Wednesday, Obama, a Democratic presidential candidate, said he rejected racially charged comments.
"Did I strongly disagree with many of his political views? Absolutely -- just as I'm sure many of you have heard remarks from your pastors, priests or rabbis with which you strongly disagreed."
The controversy appears to be having a big effect in Pennsylvania.
Among Pennsylvania Democratic primary voters, Clinton's lead over Obama more than doubled from last month, according to polls.
Obama's association with Wright appeared to be hurting him as of last weekend.
A Franklin & Marshall College Poll taken February 13-18 showed Clinton with 44 percent, Obama with 37 percent. When voters were asked March 11-16, Clinton had 51 percent to Obama's 36 percent.
A Gallup tracking poll, taken from March 15-21, showed Obama's race speech may have helped him.
Clinton started moving ahead of Obama last weekend when the Wright story broke. By Tuesday, she had a statistically significant 7-point lead.
Then Obama spoke about his relationship with Wright and his view of race relations. Clinton's lead began to narrow, to 5 points and, as of Friday, 2 points.
Friday's results -- statistically, a tie -- represent the first poll in which all interviews were done after Obama's speech"
__________________________________________________ _____
"Gallup Tracking Poll: Obama Regaining Support After Wright Race Speech
March 22nd, 2008 by JOE GANDELMAN
Gallup Tracking Poll: Obama Regaining Support After Wright Race Speech
Senator Barack Obama’s campaign has gotten some good news — one of several bits of good news in recent days:
a new Gallup tracking poll shows him on the rebound after the firestorm over his pastor’s comments and Obama’s heavily covered speech on race: Barack Obama has quickly made up the deficit he faced with Hillary Clinton earlier this week, with the latest Gallup Poll Daily tracking update on Democratic presidential nomination preferences showing 48% of Democratic voters favoring Obama and 45% Clinton.
Obama’s campaign clearly suffered in recent days from negative press, mostly centering around his association with the controversial Rev. Jeremiah Wright. Perhaps as a result, Clinton moved into the lead in Gallup’s Wednesday release, covering March 16-18 polling. But Obama has now edged back ahead of Clinton due to a strong showing for him in Friday night’s polling, perhaps in response to the endorsement he received from well-respected New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, a former rival for the nomination.
The poll news could not come at a worse time for Clinton. Obama was on the defensive. But in recent days the media has begun to ask if it’s now the beginning of the end for the Clinton campaign. You also have to wonder how Superdelegates will feel about one little political tidbit: the reportedly actively and recently sought Richardson’s support, but once Obama got it a campaign spokesman said it didn’t matter. Richardson fired right back saying it was “typical of some of his advisers that kind of turned me off.”
Meanwhile, despite the thumbs down from some talk radio and cable show hosts, a
CBS poll indicates that Obama’s race speech general got good reviews.He did pay a price, though: fewer people now think he has the capacity to unite the country.
Sixty-nine percent of voters who have heard or read about Obama’s speech say he did a good job addressing the issue of race relations, and 63 percent of voters following the events say they agree with Obama’s views on race relations. Seventy-one percent say he did a good job explaining his relationship with Wright.
When registered voters were asked if Obama would unite the country, however, 52 percent said yes - down from 67 percent last month
What remains for the Clinton camp? Although The Politico recently ran a piece saying Clinton has no chance and coverage is essentially now a media game, Clinton’s chances still seem a bit short of what the must-read website called “a myth.” Even though the numbers are against her, if there is some huge revelation about Obama, his support could collapse and the Superdelegates might step in at the convention.
But it’s now the longest of long shots, particularly since the Richardson endorsement, which longtime Clinton friend and strategist James Carville likened to Judas betraying Jesus.
The likelihood is that the campaign is going to get much rougher in coming weeks, as Clinton seeks to win Pennsylvania by a whopping landslide and overtake Obama in North Carolina. Obama, in turn, will work to narrow her margin in Pennsylvania and pull out all stops to win North Carolina.
A big problem for Clinton: right now Obama has a decided edge in campaign funds. Which means when he wants to pull out all stops he has the big bucks to do it.
" 
Linear Mode
