Generically Speaking

The latest Diageo/Hotline poll shows no evidence of a Dem unity problem or an HRC hangover. Among Dems, Obama has an 84% fav rating w/54% strongly fav. (Sidenote: B. Clinton's strong fav was just 36%, HRC's was 35%). Six out of 10 Dems support Obama enthusiastically - just 46% of GOPers can say that about McCain.

-- Despite the Beltway obsession w/HRC as VP, it's generating little controversy among rank-and-file Dems. The same (small) number say they'd be more likely (11%) than less likely (12%) to vote for Obama if he picked HRC as his #2.

-- But the drawn-out Dem primary has benefited McCain. Far from being seen as "McBush", the AZ GOPer outperforms 'generic' GOPers across the board. Obama has a 6-pt lead on the question of who'd best handle the economy, but it's nowhere near the 26-pt lead the Dems have over GOPers on the issue.

-- Same goes for Iraq. Voters see Dems as best able to handle the war, by 12 pts, but McCain leads Obama on the issue by 8 pts.

-- And what about those ubiquitous (say it with us now) white working-class voters? They too are siding w/ McCain, giving him 51% of their votes. Obama draws just half that number.