Bush more unpopular than Wright

Pat Buchanan, on MSNBC:

If President Bush is more unpopular than the Reverend Wright, the Republicans are in a lot of trouble.

Was there ever any doubt about this? I know Clinton supporters and Republicans fervently believe that Wright is a top concern among voters, but really, were people supposed to think that the crazy rantings of a Chicago preacher are more relevant to their lives than the mess Bush has left behind the last eight years?

Buchanan was likely responding to this new NBC/WSJ poll:

According to a new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll, Sen. Barack Obama’s ties to his former pastor, Jeremiah Wright, could end up hurting his chances of winning the White House.

So could his earlier comment that small-town Americans are “bitter” and cling to guns and religion.

Question have also been raised over Sen. Hillary Clinton’s honesty and trustworthiness, as well as her husband’s possible return to the White House.

But a bigger problem appears to be John McCain's ties to President Bush.

How much bigger? 43 percent of respondents are concerned about the 71-year-old John McCain's close ties to George Bush.

36 percent have concerns about Clinton's political opportunism, and 27 percent are concerned about Bill Clinton being back in the White House.

34 percent have problems with Obama's "bitter" remarks and 32 percent give a damn about Jeremiah Wright.

Of course, Wright is about the only thing Republicans have on Obama beyond the "liberal elitist" thing they run against any Democrat by rote. But no matter how much they harp on it over the rest of the year, it'll never have the effect that eight years of Bush have on McCain's bid. So much so, in fact, that despite having two Democrats beating the crap out of each other, the November matchups still tilt Democratic:

McCain (R) 43
Obama (D) 46

McCain (R) 44
Clinton (D) 45