Obamacons

Are Obamacons the "Reagan Democrats" of 2008? Those conservatives fully backing Obama are growing and are certainly a promising factor for his candidacy. Populista has a great up-to-date summary with a list:

Former GOP Representative Jim Leach endorsed Obama today and kicked off the campaigns official Republicans for Obama effort...

"...It's been a very difficult thing for me because I've never endorsed a Democrat before...but sometimes in life you come to a juncture where it's very clear the national interest trumps party discipline - Jim Leach"

Hence the McCain campaign's fever to claim Obama somehow doesn't "put country first," as if McCain is the first Senator and Presidential candidate ever without personal ambition.

Populista's list goes on:

Also today Fairbanks, Alaska's Republican Mayor Jim Whitaker endorsed Obama.

Other Republicans who have endorsed Obama include:
-Tom Bernstein who went to Yale University with Bush and coowned the Texas Rangers baseball team with him
-Oregon's First District GOP Congressional Nominee Joel Haugen
-Reagan policy advisor Bruce Bartlett
-Delbert Spurlock, who was Assistant Secretary of the Army under Reagan
-ex Senator (and Governor) Lowell Weicker of Connecticut
-Tony Campell, a former GOP congressional candidate from Maryland
-Douglas Kmiec, a Republican who served in the Justice Department under President Ronald Reagan
-Dorothy Danforth Burlin, a lawyer who is the daughter of former U.S. Senator John Danforth
-Susan Eisenhower, president of the Eisenhower Group

And, of course, ex-Senator Lincoln Chafee (R-RI).

Obama's up in a very interesting way, the most credible poll being the one that doesn't prompt for an answer. From Chris Bowers:

Gallup just released a very useful poll, one that is, in fact, my favorite poll of the year. What makes this poll different from all other polls released this year is that it is open-ended, and does not include the names of any candidates or parties in the question. Thus, this poll measures hard support for each candidate, and also provides an accurate gauge of third-party support:

Gallup, August 7-10, 903 RVs, MoE 4
Obama: 45%
McCain: 38%
Nader: 1%
Barr: 1%
Clinton: 1%
Other: 2%
None / Won't Vote: 7%
Unsure: 6%

I'd take 45% hard support over 38%, a solid 7% lead, any day of an election cycle.