Republican Congressional Candidate Voices Support For Obama

In Oregon's 1st Congressional District, the Republican candidate who won his party's nomination with 70% of the vote in the May primary has voiced support for Senator Barack Obama for president. And the latest Rasmussen poll finds that as high as 18% of registered Republicans could vote for Senator Barack Obama in the November election as well.

Joel Haugen, who is the Republican Party nominee in Oregon's 1st Congressional District has faced some serious problems with the statewide Republican Party for his support of Obama, and even considered running as an independent for a time because of the lack of support that he has gotten since his support for Obama became public. Yet Haugen's support for Obama is yet another sign that John McCain hasn't sealed down his own party support with many voters wary that he will only continue more of the failed Bush Administration policies in too many areas.

U.S. Senator Gordon Smith has run some remarkable ads recently as well, voicing support for his bipartisan work with Obama on legislation to raise fleet fuel economy averages for automobiles. Even though Smith supports John McCain, Smith still recognizes that Obama may sweep Oregon by a wide majority in November and realizes that Obama is widely popular in the state.

It cannot possibly be good news for the McCain campaign when so many little cracks are appearing in what is normally a more solid Republican effort to back their nominee. It is also a good sign for the Obama organization that he benefits from such a positive view by many Republicans that he may be able to count on enough goodwill from many Republicans to rule the nation with a decent degree of bipartisan support. This may allow Obama to achieve great results as president and become one of the most effective U.S. presidents in some years.