CNN Assures Us Democrats Are Still Behind Obama

CNN made sure to come out with this poll the day after Obama's worst nightmare entered the presidential race:

A new CNN/Opinion Research poll finds President Obama's base is behind him with 70% of Democrats saying they'd like to see Obama as their party's presidential nominee next year.

Notes pollster Keating Holland: "In 1994, only 57% of Democrats wanted the party to renominate Bill Clinton, and he went on to win the nomination and a second term two years later."

The pollster seems to be ignoring one important fact - Clinton's opponent was Bob Dole, an establishment Republican who inspired pretty much nobody. Obama won't get so lucky.

Clinton also had the benefits of a growing economy, thanks in large part to the efforts of congressional Republicans who reined in spending and eventually produced a balanced budget.  Obama will have a floundering economy with high unemployment, consumer confidence at historic lows, and tremendous unease about the future in the minds of most Americans.

There really is no comparison between 1994 and 2011.

UPDATE:  Here's a little factoid Political Wire left out of the report mentioned above:

That figure (70%) may seem promising, but support for Obama's re-nomination has fallen 11 percentage points since June.