Obama to Meet the Press
The seriousness of the Rev Wright affair for Obama’s campaign is demonstrated by the fact that this Sunday he is sitting down with Tim Russert for an hour on Meet the Press. The full hour on Meet is generally regarded as the toughest interview in US politics and the Obama campaign must be hoping that if he can get through this the super delegates, and Democratic voters more generally, will be confident that the issue will not destroy him in the fall. The danger, obviously, is that the interview goes badly further hurting Obama before the key May 6th votes in Indiana and North Carolina.
Russert is a dogged questioner and Obama will have to be prepared to say more about what he knew about Wright’s views and when he knew it than he has to date. He is also going to have to work out if he continues to condemn only Wright’s words and not the man himself. Also expect Russert to press Obama on why he won’t debate Clinton.
Obama is still the overwhelming favourite to win the nomination. But he needs to staunch the bleeding from the Wright affair fast. The longer it drags on the longer the primary process will drag on, hurting Obama’s chances in November.