Let's Play Smack Barack

Beating up on Barack Obama seemed to be the theme of Tuesday evening's Democratic Presidential debate in Chicago. In addition to trading turns whacking the Obama-piñata, the seven candidates attending did their best to woo a sometimes hostile crowd of about 10,000 union members, under the stars on a humid night at Soldier Field.

Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama lashed out at each other on foreign policy and the dangers of corporate influence as they aggressively wooed the support of organized labor yesterday.Fellow Sens. Joseph Biden and Christopher Dodd joined Clinton in zinging Obama, both calling his comments about Pakistan ill-advised.

The sharpest exchange at the AFL-CIO forum in Chicago came as Obama defended his stand on threatening a military strike against terror targets in Pakistan with or without the permission of that nation's government."I find it amusing that those who voted to authorize and engineer the biggest foreign policy disaster in our generation are now criticizing me for making sure that we are on the right battlefield and not the wrong battlefield in the war against terrorism," declared Obama, alluding to Clinton's vote authorizing force against Iraq.

Obama's statement has to be the take away soundbite from the debate. Regardless of that comeback rejoinder, much of the media would have us believe that Obama's earlier statements regarding Pakistan & his willingness to meet with leaders of governments hostile to our own has hurt him severely with voters.

Though this trend may seem to be reflected in national polls, state polls tell a different story.

While the current national polls have the top tier ranked accordingly...

Clinton--41.7%/Obama--21.3%/Edwards--17.9%

...early primary states have the race shaping up as a much tigher contest...

Iowa

Clinton--26%/Obama--19.3%/Edwards--24.7%

New Hamphire

Clinton--30.3%/Obama--26.3%/Edwards--10.7

South Carolina

Clinton--34%/Obama--30%/Edwards--14.5%

...however, most recent polls in Florida, California, Nevada, Michigan & New Jersey have Clinton firmly in the lead, that is if anything can be definitively stated as "firmly" with the first votes to be cast are still over five months distant.