New poll: Obama's historic September lead

By Michael J.W. Stickings

Pew:

At this stage in the campaign, Barack Obama is in a strong position compared with past victorious presidential candidates. With an eight-point lead over Mitt Romney among likely voters, Obama holds a bigger September lead than the last three candidates who went on to win in November, including Obama four years ago. In elections since 1988, only Bill Clinton, in 1992 and 1996, entered the fall with a larger advantage.

Not only does Obama enjoy a substantial lead in the horserace, he tops Romney on a number of key dimensions. His support is stronger than his rival's, and is positive rather than negative. Mitt Romney's backers are more ardent than they were pre-convention, but are still not as enthusiastic as Obama's. Roughly half of Romney's supporters say they are voting against Obama rather than for the Republican nominee. With the exception of Bill Clinton in 1992, candidates lacking mostly positive backing have lost in November.

And Mitt Romney, if I may venture out on a limb, is no Bill Clinton.

As Ed Kilgore writes, pretty much stating the obvious, this is really bad news for Mitt.

Paul Krugman's "I told you so" moment

By Creature

I like Paul Krugman. I like Paul Krugman the economist. I like Paul Krugman the Bush critic. I don't like Paul Krugman the Hillary Clinton supporter. See, today, after calling the storm surrounding Obama's new economic director, and established corporate cheerleader, Jason Furman silly--Furman is a lefty at heart, after all--Krugman takes this dig at those of us who have enjoyed a frosty glass of Obama Kool-Aid:

Maybe I’m wrong, but my sense is that Jason Furman has become a proxy target for some Obama supporters who, now that the Great Satanness has been defeated, are suddenly starting to have the queasy feeling that their hero might be a bit of a …. centrist. I’m tempted to say I told you so; in fact, I guess I just did. But that’s all in the past now.

Mr. Krugman, with all due respect, you assume that Obama supporters are not aware that our "hero might be a bit of a ... centrist." Obama's centrist leanings are well known to a good number of us. It's why we are amazed that the Right likes to paint him a radical lefty. Obama is no lefty, this is true, but no candidate is perfect. I am wide-eyed and awake, thank you very much. I know Obama will disappoint me with these leanings, but I would take Obama's centrism over Senator Clinton's DLC-centrism and her hawkishness in any election, on any day. So, please, save your I-told-you-sos for those who haven't realized how far you have jumped the shark this election year.

(Cross-posted at State of the Day.)