From Ben Smith's blog:
I just got an astounding e-mail from a Republican consultant I know well. He's a guy who's always thought Obama had a "glass jaw," and was always among those agitating for hitting Obama harder.
Recently, he conducted a focus group in an upper-Midwestern state, showing them the kind of ad he thought would work: A no-holds-barred attack, cut for an independent group, which hasn't aired.
I'm just going to reprint his amazed e-mail about the focus group:Reagan Dems and Independents. Call them blue-collar plus. Slightly more Target than Walmart.
Yes, the spot worked. Yes, they believed the charges against Obama. Yes, they actually think he's too liberal, consorts with bad people and WON'T BE A GOOD PRESIDENT...but they STILL don't give a f***. They said right out, "He won't do anything better than McCain" but they're STILL voting for Obama.
The two most unreal moments of my professional life of watching focus groups:
54 year-old white male, voted Kerry '04, Bush '00, Dole '96, hunter, NASCAR fan...hard for Obama said: "I'm gonna hate him the minute I vote for him. He's gonna be a bad president. But I won't ever vote for another god-damn Republican. I want the government to take over all of Wall Street and bankers and the car companies and Wal-Mart run this county like we used to when Reagan was President."
The next was a woman, late 50s, Democrat but strongly pro-life. Loved B. and H. Clinton, loved Bush in 2000. "Well, I don't know much about this terrorist group Barack used to be in with that Weather guy but I'm sick of paying for health insurance at work and that's why I'm supporting Barack."
I felt like I was taking crazy pills. I sat on the other side of the glass and realized...this really is the Apocalypse. The Seventh Seal is broken and its time for eight years of pure, delicious crazy....
This tells me two things.
1. None of these people believe Obama will do the things he says he will.
2. They don't think it matters who is in the White House.
I look at people like this and think, "Ok, when the Great Depression comes, you're not getting any of my carrots. Go ask Barack Obama."
I still think John McCain can win, so Mike Ganzweld shouldn't read more into what I said than the joke it was meant to be. But I am of two minds when it comes to a Barack Obama administration. First, I'll be happy to sit back and carp to my heart's content about his destructive policies. I'll enjoy being able to point at Obama supporters and tell them that everything that happens on their watch--including another terrorist attack, which I think will happen during 2009, regardless of who is president--is THEIR fault. No excuses.
Secondly, I am appalled at the destruction an Obama administration could create. It's like the figure of Death who causes everything to curl up and die when he touches it. This is what I see the Democrats doing if they have both houses of Congress and the presidency.
But then I read about people who just don't want to buy insurance anymore voting for Obama and I realize that we really get exactly the government we deserve.
|