2008 Election CoverUps
DON'T GET COCKY OBAMA
June 2008
By Andrew Peterson
For CoverUps.com
He's beaten his strongest rival in the Democrat party primary. National polls show him far ahead of his Republican rival. Campaign contributions are pouring in, at a rate unequaled in the history of politics. Oprah loves him. The press loves him. Fans faint at his speeches.
The election? A formality.
Sure, there have been some speed bumps on the way. An angry, America-hating pastor. A corrupt landlord who got him his house cheap and gave him campaign contributions when he was a state lawmaker. Home-grown American terrorist friends who probably have him on speed-dial. All these things would probably kill an ordinary politician. But he just brushes them off.
In short, life is good for Barack Obama. What, him worry? He can just kick back now and coast all the way to the White House in November, right?
Well not so fast. New York Post writer Robert Schroeder has some advice for the young political superstar – don't get cocky:
At this time in 1992, for example, Ross Perot (remember him?) was ahead of both George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton in Gallup's polling. Newcomer Clinton went on to win the White House. Over June 21-23, 2004, it was John Kerry who was leading George W. Bush – by just one percentage point. Bush later won the White House by just three percentage points.
If that's not sobering enough for you, consider this: the time in history that may apply most directly to Obama is also the scariest:
The experience from the past that should worry Obama most is that of Michael Dukakis, the former Massachusetts governor who challenged the first President Bush in 1988. As pollster Larry Hugick pointed out to Newsweek, Dukakis was leading Bush by 16 points in May 1988, when the primaries concluded. The governor's bid for the Oval Office ended in vain.
With the economy hurting and the price of oil through the proverbial roof, the lay of the land supposedly favors Obama over John McCain, who is burdened by his party membership and his political nearness to President Bush. But Schroeder cautions:
... the good news for McCain is that he's got a little more than five months to out-do Obama on the economy. And in election season that can be a lifetime.
Our Take
A lot can go wrong for Obama between now and November.
One thing this article doesn't even mention is the sheer plodding stubbornness of McCain, who was written off as dead by just about everyone a little more than six months ago. Now he's the presumptive Republican nominee. Has been for awhile. The man doesn't give up. No way is this thing over.
Read the original article.
