Letters to the Editor
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What does this prove?
This poll was conducted at a time when every 24-hour news network has been playing the Rev. Wright clips over and over and over for the last three days. This will not be the case a week from now, a month from now, or six months from now. Fox News will still trot it out and flog the dead horse, but let's face it, most Fox News viewers probably are not going to be voting Democratic anyway.
I actually think that this story could not have broken at a better time. The Pennsylvania primary is still four weeks away, and Obama holds a narrow but indisputable lead in the popular vote and delegate count. It's extremely unlikely that Hillary will catch him on either, and this is not the scandal that Hillary has been hoping for, in order to convince the superdelegates to overturn the will of the people.
And by the time November rolls around, the right wing might have tried to establish a pattern of anti-Americanism about Obama, but he won't play into their hands. You don't see him rushing out to stick flag pins on his lapels, or quitting his church, or insisting that his friends start calling him "Barry" again. They'll try to sling some mud, he'll rise above it. He won't legitimize their attacks by coming down to their level. But he won't ignore them either. He'll elevate the tone and start talking about Really Big Things, which makes his opponents look small and petty by comparison.
When it comes time to vote, people who aren't inclined to vote for the black guy anyway are going to use Rev. Wright as their excuse. People who are going to vote for Obama anyway will still be ecstatic to do so. And a bunch of other people in the middle will take a look at their financial, housing, employment, and health care situation and vote for the person who's convinced them that they're going to take care of them better.
The Rev. Wright hooplah could have pegged Obama as "the black candidate" and doomed his chances. But Obama's response might establish him as "the friendly black candidate," which might have some tremendous upsides. A black dude who doesn't scare Middle America. Imagine that.