Blacks, the Poor, and Democrats Overwhelmingly Endorse McCain's Mortgage Plan

I have written a few entries on Senator John McCain's surprising proposal for a federal buyout of mortgages of distressed homeowners (see, e.g., here and here). Although the bailout legislation authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to purchase individual mortgages, it is extremely light on details. McCain's plan fills in some of the blanks, but it has received harsh criticism from Senator Barack Obama and the media. Obama has not released an alternative plan.

Despite the cold reception from Obama and the media, "rank and file" Americans actually favor the plan -- particularly blacks, the poor, and Democrats! Rasmussen, the respected pollster, released a survey on this subject today. Here are some highlights:

* 52% of all voters favor the plan

* 59% of Democrats favor the plan, compared to 47% of Republicans
and 49% of Independents;

* 70% of African-Americans versus 50% of whites agree with the
plan.

Will these numbers convince McCain to keep pushing the plan? In an earlier entry, I argued that McCain could use his plan to demonstrate that he differs from Bush and that he can deliver concrete ideas, rather than simply criticism or slogans. The McCain campaign, however, seems tone deaf and unable to follow through with its narratives. Unless McCain stays the course with a working script, he will begin to come across as erratic, as Obama has described him.