LCG Election Monitor Blog

Two quick thoughts this Friday morning.

1. The “monster” brouhaha notwithstanding, it will be interesting to see if (and how) Barack Obama really intends to “go negative” in the coming weeks, as aides have suggested.  Obama’s appeal, of course, is that he’s been above this sort of thing, and so there’s a real danger for him in embracing the “politics of the past” that he has so far rejected.  But one thing is clear: Hillary’s recent attacks have worked, and Obama cannot simply dismiss her charges; he needs to start launching accusations of his own.
2. Some recent surveys have interesting news on changing perceptions of Iraq and a potential Obama general election candidacy.  Three key findings from a recent Pew Survey: public attitudes toward the war in Iraq have become more positive, and 47% of the public favors keeping troops in Iraq until the situation there has stabilized, the highest that response has been in more than a year.  The survey also raises concerns about whether Obama will be “tough enough” in dealing with national security issues.  None of this suggests that John McCain will be the front-runner next fall, but it does suggest that the foreign policy environment may not be a solid advantage for the Democrats, after all. 

Tags: 2008 General Election, Barack Obama, Democratic Primary, Hillary Clinton, John McCain, New Polling Data //