Analysis: Gas-Tax Battle Good For Obama

Shorter version: Good things come to those who talk to us honestly and as if we are adults:

The fight, which dominated the final days before the North Carolina and Indiana contests, gave him an opening to talk about the economy with working-class voters and helped Obama at least temporarily bury the controversy about his former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright.

Democratic strategists said Obama’s focus on the economy as he rejected a summer-long suspension of the gas tax as a “political gimmick” will make him a better candidate heading into a likely battle against Republican John McCain in November.

“The game changer in the last week was when Clinton went after him on the gas tax,” said Simon Rosenberg, head of the Democratic advocacy group NDN. “Obama pivoted very well to the economy and figured out how to talk about the struggles of everyday people.”

As he engaged Clinton on the gas tax, Obama shifted his campaign events in Indiana and North Carolina to smaller settings where he took a more personal approach to talking to voters about their economic anxieties.

Rosenberg said Obama’s closing ads on the economy in both states were particularly effective. Obama did not air an economic ad in the final days of last month’s campaign in Pennsylvania, where he lost badly to Clinton.

“The new Obama, who has survived Jeremiah Wright and now has a powerful economic argument, is a significantly better candidate than he was three weeks ago,” Rosenberg said.

“Clinton is the one who moved the national conversation from Jeremiah Wright. Her campaign did that. It was the greatest gift,” he said.

Obama’s big win in North Carolina and narrow loss in Indiana on Tuesday widened his advantage over Clinton in the Democratic race and effectively ended her chances.

Meanwhile, Kos uses actual primary results to debunk Hillary’s assertion — based on a single opinion poll taken three days before the North Carolina and Indiana primaries — that Obama was losing support among whites. In fact, as the primary battle has gone on, Obama’s strength among white voters has increased.

Get Ready For The China-India Arms Race

Hoo boy:

Today the Times of India reports that the Indian military will conduct the third flight test of their Agni-IIIAgni-III Test, Source- India Today intermediate range ballistic missile (IRBM) on Wednesday. The first test was evidently botched when high temperature gases damaged some of the missile’s wiring, but this was corrected for the second trial and India hopes for another success today. The new missile is spec’d with a range of about 3500 kilometers.

What’s interesting about the piece is that it states directly in the title that the new IRBM is “China-specific.” Of course, realistically, China is the only country of strategic significance that falls within the Agni-III’s range (aside from Pakistan, but 3500 km would be overkill for that target). There really isn’t another reason to build such a weapon, but the way it’s discussed is just so…blunt.

The test was successful, by the way.

Welcome Back To Another Edition Of “Things That Don’t Surprise Me One Bit”

Phyllis Schlafly hates science, spews nonsense, and defends Ben Stein. But of course.

When M. Scott Peck wrote People of the Lie, he was talking about you, dear heart.