Voters (Heart) Obama, But Think Like McCain
ILLUSTRATION BY JOE CIARDIELLO FOR USN&WR
This election is starting to look like a tragic play, one where the heart fights the brain. Polls show that voters are passionate about Sen. Barack Obama. Even 23-year-old Meghan McCain thinks he's "cute." But when they consider where the candidates stand on the political spectrum, voters find themselves closer to Sen. John McCain. The latest evidence comes to us from the Winston Group, which just asked voters where they stand ideologically compared with Obama, the Democrat, and Republican McCain.
Winston Group Senior Vice President Myra Miller says most voters see themselves as center-right. On a scale of 1 to 9, with 1 being very liberal, 5 moderate, and 9 very conservative, the average voter is at 5.85. Miller says voters put McCain just to their right, at 5.94. And Obama is off to the left at 4.1.
So is it a lock for McCain? Well, yes, no—and maybe. "Because they are ideologically closer to McCain, voters will be more inclined to hear what he has to say and be open to his ideas, presenting McCain with a structural advantage toward building a center-right majority coalition," says Miller. However, she adds, "it is not a given that voters will vote for a candidate that they are closer to ideologically. Voters still want to hear ideas and what a candidate is going to do, especially in this environment." So keep on talking, guys.
Tags: presidential election 2008 | Barack Obama | John McCain | polls
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Reader Comments
Obama...no experience??
just because Obama doesn't have experience doesn't mean he will not be a great president. Regan had no experience. He was a cowboy/actor but he was a great president. We need to consider what are they trying to accomplish over the next 4 to 8 years instead of their experience. Bush has experience but he sucks as a president!
the 2008 election
I believe it's going to take a lot of trust and strength on the part of the American voters, to give Mr.Obama a chance.Look at what's happened to this country in the last 8 years.This all because what was going on in another country was more important than the United States.You can go on believing that he had good reason to provoke this war.But he has yet to prove to this reader that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction.As far as I'm concerned, it was only a ploy to send troops over there to handle some unfinished business his father failed to take care of. (way-to-go Bush,daddy should be real proud of ya!)But in the mean time our American people have suffered in every area from health care, to home mortgage loans.If your worried about the condition of this country and a light at the end of this pitch black tunnel.We as Americans need to take a stand, and give this man a shot. Because John McCain's plans for America's future,mirrors the Bush administration to a (t)I've also been paying close attention to the tactics the John McCain has been using during this presidential race, and all i have to say is that, he reeks of a desperate man who's resorted to dirty under-handed tricks to win voters over.I think that when a person is being honest about their plans, or whatever it is their saying.They don't have to attack their opponent or stoop to nasty comments,or just out in out lies to make themselves appear more worthy.and I'm sorry but for all McCain"s finger pointing, name-calling and facial expressions.I still have no idea what his political package in-tales.Sorta reminds me of the last debate.Maybe he'd be better suited as a boxer.Because when it comes to answering questions concerning his plans as president,he does more ducking,bobbing and weaving than any other politician I've ever seen.If we want something to change in this country,we as voters are going to have to be the ones to make it happen.Or we'll just be settling for another 8 years of the same lies and self-involvement that's been going on thus-far.We've got a chance to change this around.And if we don't take advantage of it, don't kick scream and shout about the condition of this country. Please give Mr.Obama a chance and let him show you he's more than capable of backing up what he's saying.
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