Is the media and political punditocracy overplaying the impact of Jeremiah Wright on a potential Obama-McCain matchup this fall? The new NBC/WSJ poll has several findings that indicate this statement is true.

Though over 30% of voters are “concerned” about either Obama’s recent “bitter” comments and his association with Rev. Wright (people could pick multiple “concerns,” so the 30% number for each issue in the poll cannot be combined to make 60%+), over 40% are troubled by what they see as John McCain’s strong resemblance to President Bush on policies and ideology. They essentially view McCain as a third Bush term. And that’s bad when Bush 43 is below 30% in approval ratings.

In the survey, 43 percent of registered voters say they have major concerns that McCain is too closely aligned with the current administration.

By comparison:

  • 36 percent have major concerns that Clinton seems to change her position on some issues (like driver’s licenses for illegal immigrants and the North American Free Trade Agreement, which her husband signed but which she now opposes)
  • 34 percent say they’re bothered by Obama’s “bitter” remarks
  • 32 percent have a major problem with the Illinois senator’s past associations with Wright and the 1960s radical William Ayers
  • 27 percent have serious concerns that Bill Clinton would have too much influence on U.S. policy decisions if his wife is elected

So are we focusing on the wrong potential liability in the general? Is McCain’s Bush connections a more dangerous mix than Obama’s Rev. Wright problem?

The FOX poll detailed in another post shows Wright sapping Obama of support and favorable ratings. Is that the keeper? But it didn’t have the Bush question…

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