Sweet.
Barack Obama, who has come under attack by his presidential rivals for describing small-town voters as "bitter," seems to be weathering the storm to this point as far as voters are concerned. He maintains a 10 percentage point lead over Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination, 50% to 40%, according to the latest Gallup Poll Daily tracking.
Well, actually, she's down one point from 41%, but that's gravy.
More >>>
That 10-point lead matches Obama's best of the campaign, and even as the controversy has dominated the political airwaves, Obama's support remained strong in tracking interviews conducted on Saturday and Sunday. It is likely Clinton and Republican John McCain will continue to remind voters of the remarks, and the possibility remains that it could affect voters in the coming days, but so far they seem unaffected by the controversy.
Obama has now held a significant lead over Clinton in Democratic voters' nomination preferences for the last eight days, averaging roughly an 8-point lead, compared with the current 10-point spread. During this time, 50% of Democratic voters have supported him on average, matching the latest figure for interviewing conducted April 11-13.
Rasmussen has Obama up four points - 48% to 44% - while making the remarkable observation that 56% of voters disagree with Obama's reported quote. I say "remarkable", because that kind of disapproval doesn't normally accompany a rise in polls.
Long story short, this newest flap hasn't hurt the most immediate goal - securing the Democratic nomination. Just like Jeremiah Wright, or "typical white people", this admitted gaffe has not derailed Obama's candidacy.
Which means that Hillary Clinton, having just denounced Al Gore and John Kerry as out-of-touch elitists, must be feeling somewhat silly right now. This silver bullet failed, too.