presumptive nominee

Now Rasmussen and Gallup show the exact same spread, albeit it with different numbers. And McCain can’t like that he is now back down to 42%.

He just can’t get a break.

The only bright spot in this is that Obama still hasn’t gone over the 50% mark yet, so McCain could still get all the remaining voters, but that’s obviously HIGHLY unlikely.

The 112 delegates on the Republican platform committee have hammered out a 20,000-word document outlining the party's beliefs, positions and ideals.

It's a symbolic document, non-binding on the candidates. It proved to be an exercise in balancing positions held by the party faithful with those of their presumptive nominee, John McCain.

With leaners
Obama - 47%
McCain - 46%

Without leaners
Obama - 45%
McCain - 42%

Pretty much the same numbers as yesterday, but McCain did gain one in the “with leaners” numbers.

Some notes on favorability and the Dem convention…

Obama is viewed favorably by 56% of the nation’s voters, McCain by 55%.

[...]

Given how contentious the primary was, I understand why former Clinton supporters would vote for McCain.

However…a delegate?

From JS Online:

“I’m sure people are going to be upset with me,” said [Debra] Bartoshevich, a 41-year-old emergency room nurse from Waterford in Racine County, and convention delegate pledged to Clinton.

[...]

Bartoshevich called herself a “devoted Democrat” who had never voted for a Republican for president.

Now that the Democratic presidential nominating contests are over, Barack Obama says he is the presumptive nominee.

Hillary Clinton has not pulled out of the race, though. Strategist Mark Mellman, a Democrat, says there's no doubt the race is over, but Republican Tucker Eskew says Obama needs Clinton's support.

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I just saw this on MSNBC’s front page and it got me to thinking…

Does anybody think it’s odd that the President has acknowledged that Obama is the presumptive nominee before Hillary has?

What’s more, I got a fundraising email from her last night.

Here it is…

I’m sorry…but contribute for what?

I do think that speech last night will haunt her political career for years to come.

Polls indicate that Hillary Clinton is headed for landslide victories in Kentucky’s and West Virginia’s primaries.

She leads by 29 and 34 points respectively. Unfortunately for Clinton, this is what’s known as too little, too late.

As with every single contest in the Democratic nomination contest this year. One can’t help but think this is putting the Republicans at a distinct disadvantage this fall.

From Charlotte Observer:

A heavy turnout was reported this morning at some polling places across North Carolina in the state’s first significant presidential primary election in two decades.

And he’s not too fond of McCain.

From CNN:

In an interview on The Situation Room, Paul told Wolf Blitzer that endorsing Sen.

John McCain, the Republican Party’s presumptive nominee, “would really confuse” his supporters “because they know we have a precise program and we have to defend that program.”

For the last several months I’ve read multiple columns suggesting that Democrats solve their nomination problems by choosing Al Gore.

Today, there’s yet another pro-Gore column, this time from the Boston Phoenix.

I won’t bore you with a quote. The gist is simple: Gore is well-liked and isn’t as damaged/fundamentally flawed as Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton.