That meme started because HRC outperformed Obama with white voters. What the pundits failed to take into account was that while white voters preferred Clinton, they didn't hate Obama. They just liked Clinton more. Of course, that didn't mean that they would prefer McCain. The only people who seem to prefer McCain are his own demographic, elderly white voters.

Is it a failure to research the facts?

Or worse, is it a blatant deception?

Or just gross incompetence?

To me it seems like the traditional corporate media has a LOT of explaining to do. There is no scenario with these regular, repeated misrepresentations and falsehoods that can be written off as a simple mistake.

There is a pattern of statements/headlines that paint a false picture.

the myth of black candidates attracting white voters persists despite evidence provided by the success of black candidates in majority white electoral districts (like the state of georgia).

parroting this myth is pure ignorance, generally trumpeted out of pure self-interest.

those who voice fear of black candidates winning in majority white districts either don't understand how campaigns are waged and elections won or have trouble understanding how voters behave.  there seems to be an assumption that being african american is a unique hurdle, as if white candidates don't face electoral hurdles of their own.  if nothing else, hillary clinton's campaign -- starting from an extraordinary position of strength with the best brand in american politics -- is evidence that this isn't true.

in the end, elections are about choices, and the choices that are on the ballots, not those that are in people's heads.  democrats will never win the racist vote, no matter the ethnicity of the candidate.  black candidates succeed when they are matched up well against their opponents, whether white or black (or something altogether different).  barack's discipline, political intuitiveness, analysis of the political climate and strength of his campaign plan and implementation allowed him to defeat a much better known opponent in the primary.  there's no reason to think that he won't have the same success against mccain.  mccain has his own problems...

Wait 'til the oldsters find out what McCain wants to do with their Social Security and Medicare checks.

It's like his "Hispanic voter problem" it only exists in the heads of TV pundits. While Obama absolutely crushes McCain in polls of Hispanic voters the talking heads continue to repeat the same  talking points about McCains great cred with Hispanics and Obama's problem.

The problem here is the premise; no one's ever actually said that Obama couldn't attract "white voters"; to the extent that he had a problem in the primaries, it was among working class voters, largely white, though he also did less well among working class Hispanics. That the "problem" with his working class appeal isn't there anymore speaks more to McCain's failure to be appealing than to the sense that Obama's gotten better at attracting working class votes: that's the PUMA problem, and the Hillary donor problem, and as someone notes above, a certain dawning lack of enthusiasm among the Democratic base.  But most of these people have nowhere else to go, and few good choices. It wouldn't surprise that Obama - right now - is polling better than previous Democrats; that's how bad McCain is, and how well Obama's selling the "change" message.  By creating an argument that never existed, Jonathan "proves" it's false. That's nice... but not really all that illuminating.

I wonder how the latest Jesse Jackson flap will help Obama among white voters...

I think it probably helps him.

Who would Jesus vote for? We had to ask the question, right? Everyone claims to know. Just not sure about this one. I mean really. Can they Guy even vote? He's not American. And I doubt whether he would be allowed into the US in any case. Think about it. Long beard, wears a dress and a Middle Eastern passport. But what if He could vote? Who would He vote for? Does He even care who you vote for? Let's speculate. It's all we can do. We have no direct line and He doesn't have a Facebook Group Page or radio show. Sorry Hagee, Pat and gang - neither do you have him on your "5 friends" list on your phone. I gave it a shot - but not sure I got an answer. http://angryafrican.net/2008/07/09/who-w ould-jesus-vote-for/

stupid white voters like the lady in red...

A while back I posed a satirical theory in a response to something or other.  I suggested that there were huge swaths of the [poor-white-male] population who were willing to do whatever was necessary to prove that they weren't racist--even vote for [Obama].  I'm not sure that should be a joke...
More likely, natural processes are at work here.  The electorate, even the white electorate, is younger than it was last cycle, the voters who most support McCain and the Republicans are dying, and voters who were still in  grade school when Bush took office are now on the rolls and pissed off.