Click the Play Button to see what Jack and our viewers had to say. (PHOTO CREDIT: AP)
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
It looks like Hillary Clinton and John McCain have found a common enemy in Barack Obama.
As the Financial Times puts it: "The 2008 presidential race has boiled down to a fight of two against one”... meaning McCain and Clinton versus Obama.
Perhaps this shouldn't come as much of a surprise being that Obama is now the Democratic front-runner. Clinton needs to knock him out and win big in Pennsylvania on Tuesday in order to have a shot at the nomination. And McCain – unlike the Democratic candidates – already has the luxury of focusing on the general election.
Aides to the presumptive Republican nominee say they'd prefer Clinton as an opponent because of her high negative ratings. Yesterday in the Cafferty File we told you about a poll that shows 58% of Americans say Clinton is not honest and trustworthy.
So what we're seeing now is both Clinton and McCain going after Obama with almost identical criticisms. For example, both have portrayed Obama as an "elitist" during the fallout of his "bitter" remarks. Clinton often targets McCain in her attacks. But for his part, McCain sticks almost entirely to criticizing Obama, sometimes even as a response to a shot he's taken from Clinton.
The Republican National Committee also overwhelmingly targets Obama instead of Clinton in its attacks. When Clinton was in the lead last year, she was all the RNC could talk about.
Former Democratic presidential candidate and Obama backer Gary Hart says Clinton has broken "an unwritten rule of politics" by handing the Republicans ammunition to be used against Obama later on.
Meanwhile, another Democratic adviser, who's not backing either candidate yet, says that Clinton might be hurting herself among Democratic voters by her willingness to team up with McCain. He says, "One plus one equals zero if your ally is a Republican."
Here’s my question to you: Why do both Hillary Clinton and John McCain target Barack Obama with virtually the same criticisms?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
Dan from New York writes:
Dear Jack, Both Hillary and John are backed by the same power elite, the one that has been running this country since mid-20th century, the one that allows America the illusion it has a choice in its leaders when in point of fact it is this group of elites that decides who will be presented to the voters. The job of the candidates is to make it look good. But then, along comes Barack! What will these people do if someone who is not in their pocket gets a nomination?
Nick from Illinois writes:
Every time Obama gets asked a question that's controversial or not on his agenda he calls that question "the way of old Washington politics," or "not what this election should be about". This is what bothers independents and people trying to understand some of the controversy surrounding him. Obama discards and makes trivial what he doesn't see as important. That attitude is what led him to make the elitist gaffe.
Louise from Virginia writes:
The McHillary team put their heads together because neither one of them can handle Obama alone. It's obvious from the polls that they can't even handle him together. By the way, that debate last night exposed a sorry excuse for journalism. My neighbors are losing their children in Iraq, their houses, and can't afford gas. We're not interested in gossip-mongering, and he-said, she-said.
Jim writes:
Jack, It is very easy to understand why they are both going after Obama – he is challenging the status quo, and if he should win the presidency, then both Senators McCain and Clinton stand to lose. By my way of thinking, if the powers that be are against Obama, I'm that much more for him!
Dee from Michigan writes:
Because of the "enemy-of-my-enemy-is-now-my-friend" philosophy. Stay tuned for the McCain-Clinton GOP ticket!