Polling Entertainment

Real Clear Politics continues to provide the best polling data synopsis that I've found. Their National Head to Head matchups. They indicate that the Clinton machine will have to destroy Obama before turning its guns on Giuliani. Tom Maguire has a post up referencing a NYT article that is marvelous in its opacity. I must say that while Obama appears to share Clinton's deep and abiding faith that control and power are the sine qua non of existence his 'faith journey' is marred a bit by his choice of fellow travelers. He does have the useful knack of casting them aside when they become a burden but Clinton has a definite edge in ruthlessness. He's a smart man and he will be even smarter when Clinton gets done with him.

I noticed that the President's approval ratings continue to not move much at all (according to Rasmussen). He's been stuck at 41 +-2 for twelve months now and is still holding 78% among Republicans. We'll see if it's a real floor as gas prices move up for the summer. I hope it's the floor - that 41% represents the core base needed to hold off Clinton in '08. I don't believe that Giuliani will weather the Clinton attack machine very well, McCain is way too mercurial to hold the core and I doubt Romney's ability to get over the 'Who?' hump. Thompson can hold the core and his chances of taking the necessary 10% from the muddle are much better than McCain's or Romney's.

I wonder what the actual issues will be in '08 (barring another AQ attack)?