By Big Tent Democrat

Like WV, SUSA has Kentucky as overwhelming Clinton country:

[F]ive weeks to the vote, Hillary Clinton defeats Barack Obama 62% to 26%, according to a SurveyUSA poll . . . Compared to an identical SurveyUSA tracking poll released two weeks ago, Obama has lost ground among men and women, young and old, conservatives and moderates. . .

Key number, Clinton wins whites (90% of the vote) by 66-20. Obama wins blacks by 4-1.

By Big Tent Democrat

Speaking for me only

Why do most bloggers who follow polling closely emphasize the Survey USA results? The better question to me is why does the Media ignore the Survey USA results? For Pennsylvania, many of us look for SUSA first and foremost for good reasons. Here are three of them - SUSA's results, INCLUDING INTERNALS, for the three states nearest Pennsylvania in terms of location and demographics, New York, New Jersey and Ohio, were by far the most accurate. I'll demonstrate on the flip.

100 Pennsylvania Mayors today endorsed HIllary Clinton for President.

The 100 mayors endorsing Hillary today will work in the final week of the campaign to get out Hillary’s message of change for Pennsylvania and the country. Hillary understands the economic pressures of families who have lost jobs, face foreclosures, and can’t afford health insurance or college tuition. She understands what it’s like to roll up your sleeve and work hard. As president, Hillary will fight for the issues that matter to all Americans starting on day one in the White House.

Add to that 11 Indiana Mayors who wrote a letter criticizing Obama's Bitter-Gate remarks.

A new Rasmussen poll out today, taken Saturday, before Bitter-Gate dominated the news:

The new poll, which was conducted Saturday and has a 4.5 percent margin of error, shows McCain with a 53-to-38 percent lead over Obama in Florida. If Clinton is the Democratic nominee, the poll shows her edging McCain 45 percent to 44 percent in the state.

The poll's results are similar to a Quinnipiac University poll of Floridians released this month that showed McCain topping Obama 46 percent to 37 percent but losing to Clinton, 44 percent to 42 percent.

The poll finds support slipping for Obama and that his unfavorability rating is 56%.

If he doesn't stand up for the right of Floridians to have their votes counted in time to select the nominee, I suspect they won't stand up for him in November.

Barack Obama thought he was being funny with his comment about Hillary Clinton acting like Annie Oakley.

Here's the new Rasmussen poll, finding Hillary ahead by 9 in PA. (Questions and Numbers here.) Check this out:

Among voters from households where someone owns a gun, Clinton leads by seventeen points.

As to whether Bitter-Gate had an effect, draw your own conclusions from these numbers about religion and immigration, both mentioned in Obama's now infamous remark:

Clinton leads among voters who say faith and religion are Somewhat or Very Important. Obama leads among those who say such topics are Not Very Important or Not at All Important.

...Sixty percent (60%) of Likely Democratic Primary voters in Pennsylvania say that it is Very Important for the government to enforce the borders and reduce illegal immigration. Among these voters, Clinton leads by sixteen. [More...]

By Big Tent Democrat

The new SUSA PA poll is out:

54 percent would vote for Clinton and 40 percent would vote for Obama. Three percent chose the "other" category. The 1,600 interviewees were questioned for the poll Saturday through Monday.

SUSA's site does not have the internals. I will add to this post as soon as we get them. We have now seen the SUSA Internals. Obama has solidified his African American support, just as we suspected. He trails by 2-1 with whites.

Barack Obama launched a new ad attacking Hillary Clinton for taking lobbyist money. I think it is flat out deceptive.

Obama relies on lobbyists. His campaign spokesman called his refusal to take money from lobbyists "symbolic" and acknolwedged "it doesn’t solve the problem of money in politics."

Obama has a network of lobbyists supporting him:

While Obama has decried the influence of special interests in Washington, the reality is that many of the most talented and experienced political operatives in his party are lobbyists, and he needs their help.

Mike Williams, the director of government relations at Credit Suisse Securities, said of the network of lobbyists supporting Obama: “I would imagine that it’s as large as the Clinton list,” in reference to rival presidential candidate Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.), who is an entrenched favorite of the Washington Democratic establishment.

He said that while lobbyists cannot give money to Obama, they can give “policy” and “campaign support.” Indeed, K Street denizens have rare policy and national campaign expertise. Williams is actively building support for Obama among lobbyists and the corporate clients they represent.

Among the lobbyists helping Obama: [More...]

By Big Tent Democrat

The Q poll is out and "shockingly," the pollster matches his punditry, Clinton by 6. Also Ras doubles Hillary lead, to 9.

On the flip, our usual poll analysis.

All three presidential hopefuls have said they will close Guantanamo. The LA Times examines how it could be done.

Officially, Pentagon officials say there are no plans in hand to move suspected terrorists to the United States if the new president orders it. No official orders have been given to Southern Command, which oversees the prison, to prepare for its shutdown. Such orders would trigger a formal planning process.

But unofficially, midlevel officials watching the campaign pronouncements have begun working on plans -- including examining other sites and estimating the work that would be involved in moving detainees -- in case the next president orders a shutdown.

Possibilities: The military prison at Leavenworth, KS and the South Carolina naval brig.

The detainees would gain greater legal rights if moved to the U.S. [more...]