Obama Seen As More Centrist Than McCain?
By Justin Gardner | Related entries in 2008 Election, Barack, McCain, PollsRasmussen just released a poll which found that Obama is pulling off quite the feat when it comes to voter perceptions.
- During the Primary campaign season, Obama was viewed as politically liberal by an ever-increasing number of voters that grew to 67% by early June.
- However, since clinching the nomination, he has reversed that trend and is now seen as liberal by only 56%.
- Twenty-two percent (22%) characterize the Democrat as Very Liberal, down from 36% early last month.
- McCain similarly has been seen as politically conservative by more and more voters, also hitting 67% a month ago, but he is still viewed that way by 66%.
- While 19% saw him as Very Conservative in early June, that figure now has risen to 28%.
- The Democratic candidate is viewed as a political moderate by 27%, up from 22% three weeks earlier, while McCain is seen as a moderate by 23%, down from 26% in the survey at the beginning of June.
Long story short, McCain and the Republicans are failing miserably at painting Obama as a typical liberal politician, and if this trend continues McCain is looking at certain defeat come November.
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July 8th, 2008 at 9:32 am
“I serve as a blank screen on which people of vastly different political stripes project their own views.”
– Barack Obama, The Audacity of Hope
July 8th, 2008 at 10:42 am
Right now the campaigns are in the period after the noms have been decided but prior to the conventions. IMO, that’s a big lull period. It makes sense not to put too much emphasis on what the perceived trends are during such a lull. I think the sailboat race analogy applies here. The race will be decided when the wind picks up, and that hasn’t happened yet.
The wind picks up after the conventions, after labor day, and when the debates occur. Notice how stable the RCP state-by-states have been.
July 8th, 2008 at 11:34 am
Alot of those people who are seeing him as more centrist are liberals….
July 8th, 2008 at 12:17 pm
Since securing the nomination, Obama has worked at getting back to the center. Since securing the nomination, McCain has continued to work at getting to the right. Which is reflected in the perceptions of who is more moderate.
And may also be why attempts by the McCain campaign to paint Obama as a liberal are failing: since McCain is still running hard to the right, people just assume that someone can be moderate in fact, even if they are liberal compared to McCain.