MURDOCH, NOT A STUPID MAN, THINKS OBAMA CAN WIN

I've said a couple of times lately that it looks as if Rupert Murdoch's New York Post is pulling its punches against Obama, and now here's confirmation that Murdoch -- unlike, apparenrtly, Bill and Hillary Clinton a large number of their supporters -- thinks Obama's chances are good in November:

...The biggest news may have been the News Corp. chairman's hints that he sees Sen. Obama as having a good chance of winning the November election. Noting that respect for politicians and Washington DC is at an "all time low," Murdoch described Obama as a "rock star" and "fantastic," saying his Republican opponent John McCain is "unpredictable" and "doesn't know much about the economy." While he is a "patriot" and a "decent guy ... he doesn't know much about organizing a campaign it would seem."

Murdoch added that he wasn't backing anyone, saying he wants to know more about Obama's plans and the people around him. But he said he was involved in the New York Post's decision to endorse Obama in New York’s Democratic primarily earlier this year.

A major issue in the election will be the economy. The "average American today is really hurting financially and that bodes well for" Obama, he said....

It does give me pause that Obama's admired by Rupert Murdoch. But, of course, we don't have anyone on the Democratic side anymore who hasn't been praised by Murdoch, although Murdoch's support for Hillary Clinton now seems a distant memory. And I'm not sure if there really is any real admiration there, or just an attempt to get in good with what he sees as the inevitable new regime.

The interesting thing, to me, is that Murdoch is a smart guy, and yet he's not buying the notion that Obama is a fatally flawed candidate. I wish he'd have a chat about that with the large chunk of the Democratic Party that's convinced Obama is doomed.

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(See also: Mark Mellman's op-ed in yesterday's New York Times, in which he ran down the numbers on Democratic support from the white working class and noted that Obama, compared to other recent Democrats, is doing just fine.)