Obama And Hillary: A False Unity

During the primary fight, before the Rules Committee handed the nomination to Obama, poll after poll found that a significant number of Democrats would vote for Senator McCain in November if Obama was the nominee.

The Hillary/Obama Unity charade didn't seem to do much to change Obama's deserter problem:

Obama still has a problem with Democrat deserters. Report after report about the Hillary/Obama Unity charade details a continued lack of unity within the Democrats' ranks:

Miller wasn't buying Clinton's plea for unity in Unity. “Obama is a fraud, and I'm going to vote for John McCain, the first time I've ever voted for a Republican.” She told me “the Democratic Party is a house divided. It's not over" and that she wouldn't rest until "Hillary and Hillary's supporters have their voices heard.” (Portsmouth Herald, June 28, 2008)

“I don't believe he's the right person for the job,” said Thomas, 49, of Merrimack, N.H., who showed up at yesterday's event wearing a Clinton campaign button. “Even in this speech it's promises, promises, promises. Realistically, how does he think he’s going to make all these changes?” (Valley News, June 28, 2008)

“I’m not supporting Obama,” the Merrimack small business owner said. “I don’t think he’s vetted. I don’t think he’s experienced enough.” (CBS News, June 28, 2008)

Malka Yaacobi, a musician from Cambridge, Massachusetts, said that she voted for Clinton in the primaries, and Obama still did not sit right with her. “I will not say I’ll vote for him,” she said. “ …I don’t trust him and he doesn’t have experience.” (CBS News, June 28, 2008)

"I think she has to say that right now, because I think what’s going on right now is politics," Lewis said. "This is the candidate that won the swing states," she said, pointing to a Hillary Clinton for President sign. "This is the candidate that won the large states, and she has the popular vote! If the vote were taken today, hands down, Hillary Clinton would be the delegate winner." (ABC News, June 28, 2008)

Eileen Quill, a 64-year-old retired teacher from nearby Sunapee who had supported Clinton, said: "I think she's usually a wonderful public speaker, and so is he, but she looked a little stiff and the whole thing wasn't entirely comfortable." (Associated Press, June 28, 2008)

Not everyone received the unity memo, however. Carmella Lewis of Denver chanted “Hillary” while Mr. Obama spoke, smirked throughout his remarks and then stuffed her ears with scrunched-up tissue. “I can’t listen to him,” Ms. Lewis said. “No way are we voting for Obama. We’re all voting for McCain.” (New York Times, June 28, 2008)

One Clinton voter who was not impressed was Carmella Lewis, a Clinton delegate from Denver. Lewis traveled to Unity to see her candidate one last time, and jeered throughout the event, while waving an autographed Clinton campaign sign. At one point while Obama was speaking, she plugged her ears with tissue paper. "I can't stand him," she said. "I'm either not voting, or I'm voting for John McCain." (Washington Post, June 28, 2008)

Yes, Obama still has a problem with Democrat deserters. As I posted yesterday, a new Associated Press-Yahoo News poll finds that only 53 percent of Hillary supporters support Obama. Nearly one quarter of those who backed Hillary say they will vote for John McCain:

Twenty-three percent of Clinton's backers picked Republican John McCain over Obama. Of the rest, 16 percent were undecided, 5 percent were for independent candidate Ralph Nader and 3 percent said someone else.

Definitely a false unity.