Saturday Flap Jack

A kinder gentler Hillary? Are you kidding? She has heightened the rhetoric and intensity of her criticism of Barack Obama over his comments to the point that her only possible objective is to destroy him. Yes, she will do literally anything to win this nomination. She is in lock step with the Republican candidate--in fact, she's taking the lead. No Democrat in memory has ever attacked another so savagely and personally in a presidential primary. And so far, though it has inflamed the bloodthirsty cable channels, it doesn't seem to be working with voters. Says an NBC reporter in North Carolina, But the issue doesn't seem to be sticking.

While Obama has apologized if he offended anyone and acknowledges that his choice of words in California could have been better, he's sticking to the main point--which supports his rationale for running.

A sampling of opinion on the usual sites shows about a 50-50 split on this becoming a damaging item. But because Clinton and Obama are about to be in the same city (Pittsburgh) at the same time, and then a joint appearance at a forum and then a debate, it's going to be raised again as long as the McCain-Clinton ticket believes it helps their cause. Al G. at the Field (who swears by the SUSA polls) suggests that their next poll will tell, but that Clinton has little room to grow in blue collar/rural areas, while sustained attack on Obama that appears to be piling on could get a backlash in Philly. But the key the pollsters say in PA and more importantly in the long run Indiana, is the white male with the blue collar. Do they see Obama insulting them, or as articulating their anger? Those who are racist will take the former view, as an excuse and an emotional response. This is very dangerous territory: the uppity factor. But black voters are going to see it that way, too. So more of them may defy the party leaders in Philly and PA, and in Indiana, to defend Barack.