Barack and Whites

An interesting breakdown of how Reverend Wright impacted voters in Indiana and North Carolina in the Washington Post shows, once again, that Hillary had a point about Barack and white voters.

Among white active churchgoers in both states, a majority said Wright was very important to their vote, and in each state about nine in 10 of those for whom the issue was very important voted for Clinton.

Were black voters who attend church regularly immune to some reality about Barack? Nope:

In the Tarheel state, black voters who gave Wright's sermons the most consideration still gave Obama a 70-point advantage, but it was slimmer than his 93-point win among those who said it was not a factor.

So if you are a values-based voter, you hold Barack to a higher standard:

In Indiana, the issue also split voters: About half of those who attend services weekly or occasionally rated the Wright issue important, while only a third of those who never attend services said the same.

But the numbers are scarier for Barack in North Carolina:

In North Carolina, among those who said they attend religious services weekly, nearly six in 10 called Wright important to their vote, almost double the figure among those who never attend services. Even among Obama's own supporters in the Tarheel state, 45 percent who attend services weekly called the controversy important to their vote; among those, a third who rated it "very important."

Its fun to consider how less energized voters, those who vote in general elections but not primaries, will choose in the Barack McCain matchup.

And what happens when the other scandalous Obama relationships begin to get explored? Is Barack immunized from Wright style controversies now, or is he more vulnerable to being undermined now that his judgment has been shown to be questionable?

There are many exciting months, and story lines, to go.