While the pundits, never missing an opportunity to be wrong, are enraptured by the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, the party has already begun a powerful and profound movement of superdelegates to Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.).
Today, former Democratic National Committee Chairman Joe Andrews, who served during the Clinton presidency, is switching from Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) to Obama. Several major Clinton fundraisers have made the switch and more than a thousand Clinton donors have now donated to Obama.
Andrews has major influence in Indiana.
In an excellent front-page story last Friday in The Hill, it was noted that a large number of leading Edwards supporters, now totaling more than four dozen, plus at least nine members of Congress who supported Edwards, have moved to Barack.
The pundit class doesn't get it, though they will be forced to by events. In the coming primaries Hillary is shamelessly pandering to voters with the gas tax, a true elitist view as it suggests that voters can be fooled. Not to be outdone, the elitist pundits similarly talk about what a "brilliant" tactic this is. Wrong again. Voters are not stupid.
It is Obama who treats voters with respect. It is Hillary, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and most of the pundit class who are the true elitists and think fooling voters is the clever move in 2008, which it is not.
Listening to the news, one misses the only important point. There has been a steady and inexorable move of superdelegates to Obama that continued even during the lowest points of the Wright affair.
I predict you will soon hear the words of this note repeated on the political talkies. They will catch up, but you can read it here, first.
Originally published on The Hill's Public Blog.