Where else but at the Huffington Post would PUMA have made a list of “ten chumps who helped elect Barack Obama?” In compiling his list, Erik Ose manages to smear Geraldine Ferraro and a good many other devoted Clinton supporters:
‘“Geraldine Ferraro - The most prominent member of the Nobama Democrats, she gave credibility to the divisive, time-wasting efforts of pro-Hillary deadenders who clung to PUMA, Just Say No Deal, and other faux-grassroots groups after Obama clinched the nomination. Ferraro was forced to step down from her official role with the Clinton campaign in March after claiming, ‘If Obama was a white man, he would not be in this position,’ similar to comments she made in 1988 about an earlier black presidential contender (‘If Jesse Jackson were not black, he wouldn't be in the race’). She reared her head again in May, quoted by the New York Times as saying she might not vote for Obama in the fall, because ‘I think Obama was terribly sexist.’
“Yet by refusing to cede her role as a Hillary surrogate, and tirelessly fanning the fames of party disunity, she helped keep media attention on the myth that there were legions of disaffected Hillary voters whose allegiance was available for harvest by any candidate in a pantsuit. Without Ferraro's efforts to keep the gender pot stirring, Sarah Palin might not have presented such a tempting opportunity for Team McCain to make a play for women voters.”
Read more:
Contact Erik Ose at thelatestoutrage@gmail.com.
Welcome to Katalusis for progressive views on politics, religion, environmental issues, and popular culture. (Photo of the Mississippi River from the University Club in St. Paul, MN.)
Showing posts with label McCain. Show all posts
Showing posts with label McCain. Show all posts
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Friday, November 7, 2008
Speaker Nancy Pelosi's Election Analysis (video)
Watch Nancy Pelosi present her analysis of the 2008 election here.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Media Coverage of the Presidential Race: Veteran Journalist Ashamed of his Profession
Michael S. Malone’s column at ABC News on the “Media’s Presidential Bias and Decline” in which he details the media’s irresponsible, if not unethical, coverage of the 2008 presidential campaign comes as no surprise to those who supported Hillary Clinton during the Democratic primary. Some of us continue to feel so stunned by the blatant sexist abuse the media heaped on our candidate, including its demand for her to drop out while the race was still tight, that we probably won’t bother to vote on Nov. 4.
Malone, updates us on media bias increasingly evident in the general election, especially its pathological assault on Sarah Palin, surpassing even what Clinton and her supporters underwent, and he asks why there has been no equivalent hardball coverage of the Obama camp.
Malone writes:
“The traditional media are playing a very, very dangerous game -- with their readers, with the Constitution and with their own fates.
“The sheer bias in the print and television coverage of this election campaign is not just bewildering, but appalling. And over the last few months I've found myself slowly moving from shaking my head at the obvious one-sided reporting, to actually shouting at the screen of my television and my laptop computer.
“But worst of all, for the last couple weeks, I've begun -- for the first time in my adult life -- to be embarrassed to admit what I do for a living. A few days ago, when asked by a new acquaintance what I did for a living, I replied that I was "a writer," because I couldn't bring myself to admit to a stranger that I'm a journalist.
“You need to understand how painful this is for me. I am one of those people who truly bleeds ink when I'm cut. I am a fourth-generation newspaperman. As family history tells it, my great-grandfather was a newspaper editor in Abilene, Kan., during the last of the cowboy days, then moved to Oregon to help start the Oregon Journal (now the Oregonian).
“My hard-living -- and when I knew her, scary -- grandmother was one of the first women reporters for the Los Angeles Times. And my father, though profoundly dyslexic, followed a long career in intelligence to finish his life (thanks to word processors and spellcheckers) as a very successful freelance writer. I've spent 30 years in every part of journalism, from beat reporter to magazine editor. And my oldest son, following in the family business, so to speak, earned his first national byline before he earned his drivers license.
“So, when I say I'm deeply ashamed right now to be called a "journalist," you can imagine just how deep that cuts into my soul.”
Read more.
Malone, updates us on media bias increasingly evident in the general election, especially its pathological assault on Sarah Palin, surpassing even what Clinton and her supporters underwent, and he asks why there has been no equivalent hardball coverage of the Obama camp.
Malone writes:
“The traditional media are playing a very, very dangerous game -- with their readers, with the Constitution and with their own fates.
“The sheer bias in the print and television coverage of this election campaign is not just bewildering, but appalling. And over the last few months I've found myself slowly moving from shaking my head at the obvious one-sided reporting, to actually shouting at the screen of my television and my laptop computer.
“But worst of all, for the last couple weeks, I've begun -- for the first time in my adult life -- to be embarrassed to admit what I do for a living. A few days ago, when asked by a new acquaintance what I did for a living, I replied that I was "a writer," because I couldn't bring myself to admit to a stranger that I'm a journalist.
“You need to understand how painful this is for me. I am one of those people who truly bleeds ink when I'm cut. I am a fourth-generation newspaperman. As family history tells it, my great-grandfather was a newspaper editor in Abilene, Kan., during the last of the cowboy days, then moved to Oregon to help start the Oregon Journal (now the Oregonian).
“My hard-living -- and when I knew her, scary -- grandmother was one of the first women reporters for the Los Angeles Times. And my father, though profoundly dyslexic, followed a long career in intelligence to finish his life (thanks to word processors and spellcheckers) as a very successful freelance writer. I've spent 30 years in every part of journalism, from beat reporter to magazine editor. And my oldest son, following in the family business, so to speak, earned his first national byline before he earned his drivers license.
“So, when I say I'm deeply ashamed right now to be called a "journalist," you can imagine just how deep that cuts into my soul.”
Read more.
Friday, October 24, 2008
A Sober Analysis of the Race: The People Have Not Yet Anointed Obama
If you paid attention to over-heated Left-wing blogs in full sexist mode, along with the piously intoning liberal punditry in the MSM cresting on a wave of misogynous sewage, you’d believe the presidential race ended this week with the banner headlines regarding the RNC’s funding of Sarah Palin’s campaign wardrobe.
According to our all-wise media – both the old and the new – voters should be more concerned about Palin’s clothing allowance than Sen. Biden’s dire warnings about what we can expect within the first six months of an Obama Administration. The gaffe-prone Biden has guaranteed an international crisis deliberately ignited to test the “brilliant” 47-year-old president who seduced the DNC into selecting him as its nominee on the basis of his abilities as a motivational speaker and fundraiser.
In contrast to the above, Adam Nagourney at the NY Times puts the state of the race in perspective with his sober analysis. (For the record, the Times just endorsed Obama for the presidency.)
Nagourney reports:
“Here are what Mr. McCain’s advisers are watching hopefully (and Mr. Obama’s are watching warily) as the contest enters its final days.
Issues
“Two issues have turned up in the final days, courtesy of some inopportune remarks by Mr. Obama and his running mate, Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr. of Delaware. Both have entered the campaign dialogue, and it is probably a little too early to tell whether they will have the impact that Mr. McCain hopes they will.
“The first was Mr. Obama’s response to the plumber in Ohio who asked about his proposal to increase income tax rates on households making over $250,000 a year, in which Mr. Obama asserted that there was a need to “spread the wealth.” Mr. McCain seized on the response to reprise the he-will-raise-your-taxes attack that has historically had resonance in states like Florida, Iowa and New Hampshire. “We believe we have traction with the tax issue,” said Charlie Black, a senior adviser to Mr. McCain.
“It was no coincidence that Mr. Obama spent about 10 minutes rebutting the notion that he would raise taxes on the middle class at a rally here in Florida on Tuesday. Advisers to Mr. Obama are carefully watching state polling and focus groups in Florida, Ohio and Virginia, where Mr. McCain is waging a vigorous push on this issue.
“The other was Mr. Biden’s prediction that a foreign power would test Mr. Obama with a crisis in the first months of his presidency. That remark goes to what has been the heart of Mr. McCain’s argument about the need for the next president to have experience in “handling high-stakes situations. No one in Mr. Obama’s campaign is disputing the potential damage from Mr. Biden’s remark, but they hope it will be offset by the endorsement of Mr. Obama by Colin L. Powell, the former secretary of state, on Sunday.
“Polls
“Pollsters say there has never been a year when polling has been so problematic, given the uncertainty of who is going to vote in what is shaping up as an electorate larger than ever. While most national polls give Mr. Obama a relatively comfortable lead, in many statewide polls, Mr. Obama and Mr. McCain are much more closely matched. Even a small shift in the national number could deliver some of the closer states into the McCain camp, making an Electoral College victory at least possible.
‘“The next 13 days will tell the story,’ said Gov. Charlie Crist of Florida, pointing to recent polls showing Mr. McCain gaining in his state. ‘I’m optimistic. I think he’s going to take Florida.’
“The other question is whether there is a hidden resistance among whites to casting a ballot for an African-American. That could potentially be a problem for Mr. Obama in Ohio and Pennsylvania. Mr. Obama’s advisers argued that race had already been factored into polls; but it was notable that the Times/CBS News poll found that one-third of voters said they knew someone who would not vote for Mr. Obama because he is black. That is a question formulation pollsters use to try to get at prejudice that a voter might not otherwise own up to.
“Turnout
“Mr. Obama has made major strides in expanding the voter pool, especially among young people and African-Americans; the question is whether first-time voters, especially younger ones, will actually turn out. Consider this: An ABC News/Washington Post poll on Thursday found that first-time voters support Mr. Obama by 73 percent to 26 percent.
“Mr. McCain’s campaign looks to history for evidence of how big a step it is for new voters to go from registering, which can take place at a doorstep, to actually voting. Still, by every indication here in Florida — where there were two-hour lines in the southern part of the state as early voting began this week — the Obama campaign may be delivering on the formidable get-out-the-voter operation it has promised.
“Which is not to say they are not a bit worried.
‘“Complacency is a big concern of ours, and that’s why we’re going to campaign energetically from start to finish here,’ David Axelrod, the chief strategist to Mr. Obama said in an interview. ‘We don’t want anybody to think that this thing is done — it’s not done. One of the things that can undo us is if people believe that.”’
According to our all-wise media – both the old and the new – voters should be more concerned about Palin’s clothing allowance than Sen. Biden’s dire warnings about what we can expect within the first six months of an Obama Administration. The gaffe-prone Biden has guaranteed an international crisis deliberately ignited to test the “brilliant” 47-year-old president who seduced the DNC into selecting him as its nominee on the basis of his abilities as a motivational speaker and fundraiser.
In contrast to the above, Adam Nagourney at the NY Times puts the state of the race in perspective with his sober analysis. (For the record, the Times just endorsed Obama for the presidency.)
Nagourney reports:
“Here are what Mr. McCain’s advisers are watching hopefully (and Mr. Obama’s are watching warily) as the contest enters its final days.
Issues
“Two issues have turned up in the final days, courtesy of some inopportune remarks by Mr. Obama and his running mate, Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr. of Delaware. Both have entered the campaign dialogue, and it is probably a little too early to tell whether they will have the impact that Mr. McCain hopes they will.
“The first was Mr. Obama’s response to the plumber in Ohio who asked about his proposal to increase income tax rates on households making over $250,000 a year, in which Mr. Obama asserted that there was a need to “spread the wealth.” Mr. McCain seized on the response to reprise the he-will-raise-your-taxes attack that has historically had resonance in states like Florida, Iowa and New Hampshire. “We believe we have traction with the tax issue,” said Charlie Black, a senior adviser to Mr. McCain.
“It was no coincidence that Mr. Obama spent about 10 minutes rebutting the notion that he would raise taxes on the middle class at a rally here in Florida on Tuesday. Advisers to Mr. Obama are carefully watching state polling and focus groups in Florida, Ohio and Virginia, where Mr. McCain is waging a vigorous push on this issue.
“The other was Mr. Biden’s prediction that a foreign power would test Mr. Obama with a crisis in the first months of his presidency. That remark goes to what has been the heart of Mr. McCain’s argument about the need for the next president to have experience in “handling high-stakes situations. No one in Mr. Obama’s campaign is disputing the potential damage from Mr. Biden’s remark, but they hope it will be offset by the endorsement of Mr. Obama by Colin L. Powell, the former secretary of state, on Sunday.
“Polls
“Pollsters say there has never been a year when polling has been so problematic, given the uncertainty of who is going to vote in what is shaping up as an electorate larger than ever. While most national polls give Mr. Obama a relatively comfortable lead, in many statewide polls, Mr. Obama and Mr. McCain are much more closely matched. Even a small shift in the national number could deliver some of the closer states into the McCain camp, making an Electoral College victory at least possible.
‘“The next 13 days will tell the story,’ said Gov. Charlie Crist of Florida, pointing to recent polls showing Mr. McCain gaining in his state. ‘I’m optimistic. I think he’s going to take Florida.’
“The other question is whether there is a hidden resistance among whites to casting a ballot for an African-American. That could potentially be a problem for Mr. Obama in Ohio and Pennsylvania. Mr. Obama’s advisers argued that race had already been factored into polls; but it was notable that the Times/CBS News poll found that one-third of voters said they knew someone who would not vote for Mr. Obama because he is black. That is a question formulation pollsters use to try to get at prejudice that a voter might not otherwise own up to.
“Turnout
“Mr. Obama has made major strides in expanding the voter pool, especially among young people and African-Americans; the question is whether first-time voters, especially younger ones, will actually turn out. Consider this: An ABC News/Washington Post poll on Thursday found that first-time voters support Mr. Obama by 73 percent to 26 percent.
“Mr. McCain’s campaign looks to history for evidence of how big a step it is for new voters to go from registering, which can take place at a doorstep, to actually voting. Still, by every indication here in Florida — where there were two-hour lines in the southern part of the state as early voting began this week — the Obama campaign may be delivering on the formidable get-out-the-voter operation it has promised.
“Which is not to say they are not a bit worried.
‘“Complacency is a big concern of ours, and that’s why we’re going to campaign energetically from start to finish here,’ David Axelrod, the chief strategist to Mr. Obama said in an interview. ‘We don’t want anybody to think that this thing is done — it’s not done. One of the things that can undo us is if people believe that.”’
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Just Testing: Is the Junior Senator from Illinois Ready to Lead?
If Hillary Clinton were the Democratic nominee, no one would be questioning her readiness to lead the nation at this stage of the general election campaign. For one thing, she would have known better than to pick Joe Biden for her running mate. The gaffe-prone Biden, who customarily gets a free pass from the media as in, “That’s just Joe, being Joe,” has caused some concern with his recent guarantee of an international crisis in the first six months of an Obama Administration.
As a consequence, Obama is again on the defensive about his foreign policy credentials, and as we know, the Obama campaign is masterful at stagecraft.
According to the LA Times:
“Reporting from Richmond, Va., and Cincinnati -- Barack Obama, thrown on the defensive by his own running mate, staged a high- profile appearance with a team of silver-haired advisors Wednesday to assert his readiness for any foreign crisis that might erupt if he becomes president.
‘“Yes, we are going to face a number of threats and tests and challenges,’ the Democratic nominee told reporters. Obama blamed that prospect on ‘a bad set of policies’ pursued by President Bush, which he said have produced ‘unresolved wars’ in Iraq and Afghanistan and a slumping world economy.
“That's why it's going to be important for us, I think, to move with resolve in a new direction," Obama said after a closed-door session with his national security brain trust at a hotel in downtown Richmond, Va.
“The question of judgment and experience -- especially on national defense and foreign policy matters -- has hung over Obama throughout the campaign, starting in the primaries. Lately, however, there have been signs that voters have grown increasingly comfortable with the idea of the Illinois senator sitting in the Oval Office.”
Read more.
As a consequence, Obama is again on the defensive about his foreign policy credentials, and as we know, the Obama campaign is masterful at stagecraft.
According to the LA Times:
“Reporting from Richmond, Va., and Cincinnati -- Barack Obama, thrown on the defensive by his own running mate, staged a high- profile appearance with a team of silver-haired advisors Wednesday to assert his readiness for any foreign crisis that might erupt if he becomes president.
‘“Yes, we are going to face a number of threats and tests and challenges,’ the Democratic nominee told reporters. Obama blamed that prospect on ‘a bad set of policies’ pursued by President Bush, which he said have produced ‘unresolved wars’ in Iraq and Afghanistan and a slumping world economy.
“That's why it's going to be important for us, I think, to move with resolve in a new direction," Obama said after a closed-door session with his national security brain trust at a hotel in downtown Richmond, Va.
“The question of judgment and experience -- especially on national defense and foreign policy matters -- has hung over Obama throughout the campaign, starting in the primaries. Lately, however, there have been signs that voters have grown increasingly comfortable with the idea of the Illinois senator sitting in the Oval Office.”
Read more.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Media Pillories Sarah Palin, but Gives Gaffe-Prone Biden a Pass
Photo credits: APKirsten Powers at the New York Post is wondering why Biden’s latest gaffe at a fundraiser last Sunday hasn’t exploded in the media. Powers rightly points out that if Sarah Palin had dropped such a bombshell regarding a McCain Administration, we would never hear the last of it.
But heck, folks, Biden was just warning us of a possible international crisis if Obama is elected. Over at the left-leaning Huffington Post the banner headline on the front page is all about Sarah Palin’s expensive wardrobe paid for by the RNC. Now which issue do you think the American people should be most worried about?
Powers puts Biden’s scary comments into perspective:
“Barack Obama's choice of Joe Biden as his running mate prompted a small wave of warnings about Biden's propensity for gaffes. But no one imagined even in a worse-case scenario such a spectacular bomb as telling donors Sunday to "gird your loins" because a young president Obama will be tested by an international crisis just like young President John Kennedy was.
“Scary? You betcha! But somehow, not front-page news.
“Again the media showed their incredible bias by giving scattered coverage of Biden's statements.
‘“There were a few exceptions. On MSNBC's ‘Morning Joe,’ co-host Mika Brzezinski flipped incredulously through the papers, expressing shock at the lack of coverage of Biden's remarks. Guest Dan Rather admitted that if Palin had said it, the media would be going nuts.
“So what gives?
‘“The stock answer is: ‘It's just Biden being Biden.’ We all know how smart he is about foreign policy, so it's not the same as when Sarah Palin says something that seems off.
‘“Yet, when Biden asserted incorrectly in the vice-presidential debate that the United States ‘drove Hezbollah out of Lebanon,’ nobody in the US media shrieked. (It was, however, covered with derision in the Middle East.) Or when he confused his history by claiming FDR calmed the nation during the Depression by going on TV, the press didn't take it as evidence that he's clueless.
“And Biden is the foreign-policy gravitas on the Democratic ticket, so his comments are actually even more disconcerting.”
Read more.
But heck, folks, Biden was just warning us of a possible international crisis if Obama is elected. Over at the left-leaning Huffington Post the banner headline on the front page is all about Sarah Palin’s expensive wardrobe paid for by the RNC. Now which issue do you think the American people should be most worried about?
Powers puts Biden’s scary comments into perspective:
“Barack Obama's choice of Joe Biden as his running mate prompted a small wave of warnings about Biden's propensity for gaffes. But no one imagined even in a worse-case scenario such a spectacular bomb as telling donors Sunday to "gird your loins" because a young president Obama will be tested by an international crisis just like young President John Kennedy was.
“Scary? You betcha! But somehow, not front-page news.
“Again the media showed their incredible bias by giving scattered coverage of Biden's statements.
‘“There were a few exceptions. On MSNBC's ‘Morning Joe,’ co-host Mika Brzezinski flipped incredulously through the papers, expressing shock at the lack of coverage of Biden's remarks. Guest Dan Rather admitted that if Palin had said it, the media would be going nuts.
“So what gives?
‘“The stock answer is: ‘It's just Biden being Biden.’ We all know how smart he is about foreign policy, so it's not the same as when Sarah Palin says something that seems off.
‘“Yet, when Biden asserted incorrectly in the vice-presidential debate that the United States ‘drove Hezbollah out of Lebanon,’ nobody in the US media shrieked. (It was, however, covered with derision in the Middle East.) Or when he confused his history by claiming FDR calmed the nation during the Depression by going on TV, the press didn't take it as evidence that he's clueless.
“And Biden is the foreign-policy gravitas on the Democratic ticket, so his comments are actually even more disconcerting.”
Read more.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
National Poll Average Shows Obama’s Lead Dwindling
What’s going on? In the national poll average posted by Real Clear Politics this morning, Obama’s lead over McCain has dwindled from over 7 points to 4.9 points: Obama 48.8 vs. McCain 43.9.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
High Stakes in Tonight’s Final Debate Between Obama and McCain
Obama and McCain face off at 9 p.m. Eastern at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York this Wednesday with a potential audience of 60 million or more.
John Whitesides at Reuters reports this morning:
“The debate comes as new opinion polls show Obama gaining strength nationally and in battleground states after weeks of economic turmoil and plunging stock markets, with more voters saying they trust Obama's leadership on the economy.
“A Reuters/C-SPAN/Zogby poll gave Obama a 4-point edge over McCain, but other national polls showed a larger margin for the Illinois senator. A CBS News/New York Times poll that showed Obama leading by 14 percentage points was the fifth survey this week to register Obama's lead in double-digits.
“The bad poll news heightened the debate stakes for McCain, who unveiled a package of measures on Tuesday to help investors, particularly older Americans, who have seen their retirement savings decimated by stock market losses.
“But McCain also said he was not finished talking about Obama's service on a community board in Chicago with former 1960s radical William Ayers. The Arizona senator said he was likely to talk about Ayers during the debate.”
Read more.
John Whitesides at Reuters reports this morning:
“The debate comes as new opinion polls show Obama gaining strength nationally and in battleground states after weeks of economic turmoil and plunging stock markets, with more voters saying they trust Obama's leadership on the economy.
“A Reuters/C-SPAN/Zogby poll gave Obama a 4-point edge over McCain, but other national polls showed a larger margin for the Illinois senator. A CBS News/New York Times poll that showed Obama leading by 14 percentage points was the fifth survey this week to register Obama's lead in double-digits.
“The bad poll news heightened the debate stakes for McCain, who unveiled a package of measures on Tuesday to help investors, particularly older Americans, who have seen their retirement savings decimated by stock market losses.
“But McCain also said he was not finished talking about Obama's service on a community board in Chicago with former 1960s radical William Ayers. The Arizona senator said he was likely to talk about Ayers during the debate.”
Read more.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Forced to Vote for the Lesser of Two Evils in the Worst Financial Crisis Since the Great Depression
Tony Rezko and Barack Obama, photo credits: PoliticoWe’re in the midst of the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression and bogged down in two wars, but in the run up to the presidential election in November, neither of the two major candidates is qualified to steer the nation safely through good times, much less these deeply troubled waters.
To my knowledge Barack Obama has never been responsible for any budget other than that of the Obama family, which he managed to screw up with his ties to indicted Chicago businessman and political fundraiser Tony Rezko who helped him buy a house.
John McCain undermined his own credentials early on in the race by admitting that economics was not his strong suit.
In light of the above, it’s sickening to recall how the corrupt Democratic party brutally pushed Hillary Clinton out of Obama’s way during the primary, thus depriving the nation of the leadership in the next four years of the candidate easily best qualified in both economic and foreign affairs.
Can you imagine how much it would have done for the nation’s spirit in the aftermath of the recent Wall Street meltdown to realize that it might soon be guided by a second Clinton Administration, now celebrated by even the blatantly calculating and hypocritical Obama team as an era of peace and prosperity?
But back to present day reality: Politico’s David Paul Kuhn reports this morning that Republican strategists are saying that McCain must hammer on the economy in the remaining weeks of the campaign.
Kuhn writes:
‘“He’s going to have to do something bold unless he basically has a very good night Wednesday night,’ veteran GOP strategist Ed Rollins said, referring to the upcoming final presidential debate. “If he doesn’t convince people to have a second look, it’s over.’
“Rollins suggested McCain should reconsider and pledge to serve only one term in office and then focus solely on revitalizing the economy and getting troops out of Iraq.”
Now there’s an idea!
Read more.
Friday, October 10, 2008
The Week the Presidential Race Stood Still
Photo credits: APAt the HorseraceBlog today, Jay Cost offers his explanation as to why the poll numbers for Obama and McCain haven’t moved this week:
“One week ago, the House of Representatives passed the financial bailout bill. At the end of that day, the RCP average stood at: Obama 49.2%, to McCain 43.4%. As of this writing today, the RCP average is essentially unchanged: Obama 49.2%, to McCain 42.9%.
“Why has the Republican gotten no traction in the last week? After all, the congressional spectacle was supposed to be damaging his prospects because (as the story went) Obama looked so cool and McCain too hot. Now that it's over, shouldn't his numbers be on the rise?
“No. That was never McCain's problem. McCain's problem a week ago is the same as his problem today, enhanced anxiety about the economy. The deal failed to sooth any nerves, so McCain is still in a weakened position.
“We can see this with crystal clarity by looking at what average voters are looking at. Here are the above-the-fold portions of my hometown newspaper for the last five days.”
Read more.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
The Long, Drawn Out, Boring Campaigns of Barack Obama and John McCain
Earl Ofari Hutchinson has been the most upfront political commentator in the 20008 presidential campaign. Ofari has never been caught up in the en masse media swoon for Barack Obama. Even during the most trying days of the Democratic primary, Ofari chose not to join the chorus of media pundits doing their best to force Hillary Clinton out of the race. Yes, that would have been consistent with Obama’s tactics in Illinois – force your opponents out of the race so you can walk to the finish line and claim your prize. Google Alice Palmer.
Most recently, Ofari offers his analysis of the second presidential debate and although he goes into detail; whereas, I simply yawned, he and I were obviously on the same page. I just couldn’t shake off my boredom long enough to write up the performance of our two mediocre candidates for the highest position in the nation. Honestly, couldn’t America have done better?
Ofari spells it out:
“OK, we now know for the umpteenth time that Senator Barack Obama and Senator John McCain will cut taxes, provide affordable health care to everyone, drill for more oil, expand nuclear power use, end global warming, rein in the Wall Street fast buck artists, take out Osama Bin Laden, and end the war in Iraq either by withdrawal or victory. And yes we know that both have had a tough family upbringing, and therefore they know what working people have to go through.
“These themes have been rehashed and reworked so many times that we can recite them in our sleep. But what we don't know and certainly haven't heard in the debates is what Obama and McCain will do about failing urban public schools, the HIV-AIDS pandemic, their view of the death penalty, the drug crisis, how they'll combat hate crimes, shore up crumbling and deteriorating urban transportation systems, and what type of judges they will appoint to the federal judiciary and to the Supreme Court.”
Read more.
Most recently, Ofari offers his analysis of the second presidential debate and although he goes into detail; whereas, I simply yawned, he and I were obviously on the same page. I just couldn’t shake off my boredom long enough to write up the performance of our two mediocre candidates for the highest position in the nation. Honestly, couldn’t America have done better?
Ofari spells it out:
“OK, we now know for the umpteenth time that Senator Barack Obama and Senator John McCain will cut taxes, provide affordable health care to everyone, drill for more oil, expand nuclear power use, end global warming, rein in the Wall Street fast buck artists, take out Osama Bin Laden, and end the war in Iraq either by withdrawal or victory. And yes we know that both have had a tough family upbringing, and therefore they know what working people have to go through.
“These themes have been rehashed and reworked so many times that we can recite them in our sleep. But what we don't know and certainly haven't heard in the debates is what Obama and McCain will do about failing urban public schools, the HIV-AIDS pandemic, their view of the death penalty, the drug crisis, how they'll combat hate crimes, shore up crumbling and deteriorating urban transportation systems, and what type of judges they will appoint to the federal judiciary and to the Supreme Court.”
Read more.
Gallup Poll: Potential Effect of Race in Presidential Contest Neutralized
Gallup reports fascinating results from a recent poll that attempts to determine the potential impact of race in the presidential contest between Barack Obama and John McCain.
Frank Newport reports:
“While 6% of voters say they are less likely to vote for Barack Obama because of his race, 9% say they are more likely to vote for him, making the impact of his race a neutral to slightly positive factor when all voters' self-reported attitudes are taken into account.
“At the same time, 6% of voters say John McCain's race will make them less likely to vote for him, with 7% saying it makes them more likely to vote for him, leading to the same basic conclusion: McCain's race, like Obama's, is on balance neither a plus nor a minus.
‘These conclusions are based on eight dimensions potentially affecting the vote for both candidates. The dimensions were included in Gallup's Oct. 3-5 poll, and analyzed overall by Gallup's Jeff Jones.”
Read more.
Frank Newport reports:
“While 6% of voters say they are less likely to vote for Barack Obama because of his race, 9% say they are more likely to vote for him, making the impact of his race a neutral to slightly positive factor when all voters' self-reported attitudes are taken into account.
“At the same time, 6% of voters say John McCain's race will make them less likely to vote for him, with 7% saying it makes them more likely to vote for him, leading to the same basic conclusion: McCain's race, like Obama's, is on balance neither a plus nor a minus.
‘These conclusions are based on eight dimensions potentially affecting the vote for both candidates. The dimensions were included in Gallup's Oct. 3-5 poll, and analyzed overall by Gallup's Jeff Jones.”
Read more.
Video Spoof: In Case McCain Wins, Canada Welcomes American Liberal Elites
I picked up this video over at Political Intel (Boston Globe) encouraging American elites to move to Canada if the Republicans win the presidency again. According to Political Intel, the video spoof originated at Slate, the online political magazine.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
A Draw in Nashville Debate as Obama and McCain Point Up Their Differences
I watched the McCain-Obama town hall debate on CNN this evening, but before I listened to any of the comments by the “best political team on television” (yawn), I had already decided it was a draw with one exception: I thought McCain showed more warmth and empathy in connecting with members of the audience who got to ask questions. For example, a man who mentioned his Naval background wound up shaking hands with McCain.
Who would have guessed that each campaign would issue statements declaring its candidate the winner?
Jill Hazelbaker, McCain's communications director, said:
"Tonight, John McCain won the debate. He was the only man who demonstrated he had the independence and strength to take on everything that's broken in Washington and on Wall Street. John McCain had a clear plan for improving the lives of Americans -- keeping them in their homes through his American Homeownership Resurgence Plan. From Barack Obama, we heard half-truths and contradictions between what he says and what he has done. He said he supported offshore drilling but has opposed it for months. He talked about tax cuts but he voted for higher taxes 94 times and promises increased taxes on small businesses. He talked about reducing the size of government but has proposed hundreds of billions of dollars in new government spending. Tonight, Barack Obama had an opportunity to level with the American people, but instead all we heard was more of the same."
Obama's campaign manager David Plouffe stated:
“Barack Obama won a resounding victory in John McCain’s favorite debate format because he made the case for change that will rebuild the middle class. The American people asked tough questions tonight, and only Barack Obama was in touch with their struggles and offered clear and passionate answers about creating jobs, reducing health care costs, cutting taxes for 95% of working families, and responsibly ending the war in Iraq. John McCain was all over the map on the issues, and he is so angry about the state of his campaign that he referred to Barack Obama as ‘that one’ – last time he couldn’t look at Senator Obama, this time he couldn’t say his name. The McCain campaign said, ‘if we keep talking about the economy, we’re going to lose,’ and John McCain definitely lost tonight."
Who would have guessed that each campaign would issue statements declaring its candidate the winner?
Jill Hazelbaker, McCain's communications director, said:
"Tonight, John McCain won the debate. He was the only man who demonstrated he had the independence and strength to take on everything that's broken in Washington and on Wall Street. John McCain had a clear plan for improving the lives of Americans -- keeping them in their homes through his American Homeownership Resurgence Plan. From Barack Obama, we heard half-truths and contradictions between what he says and what he has done. He said he supported offshore drilling but has opposed it for months. He talked about tax cuts but he voted for higher taxes 94 times and promises increased taxes on small businesses. He talked about reducing the size of government but has proposed hundreds of billions of dollars in new government spending. Tonight, Barack Obama had an opportunity to level with the American people, but instead all we heard was more of the same."
Obama's campaign manager David Plouffe stated:
“Barack Obama won a resounding victory in John McCain’s favorite debate format because he made the case for change that will rebuild the middle class. The American people asked tough questions tonight, and only Barack Obama was in touch with their struggles and offered clear and passionate answers about creating jobs, reducing health care costs, cutting taxes for 95% of working families, and responsibly ending the war in Iraq. John McCain was all over the map on the issues, and he is so angry about the state of his campaign that he referred to Barack Obama as ‘that one’ – last time he couldn’t look at Senator Obama, this time he couldn’t say his name. The McCain campaign said, ‘if we keep talking about the economy, we’re going to lose,’ and John McCain definitely lost tonight."
Friday, October 3, 2008
It’s a done deal; the House passed the $700 Billion Bailout
The Washington Post reported minutes ago:
“In a dramatic reversal, the House today approved by a comfortable margin a $700 billion financial rescue package that will bring the greatest intervention of the federal government into the private marketplace since the Great Depression, attempting to prevent the economy from sliding into a deep recession.
“Coming just four days after the legislation's initial demise sparked a free fall on Wall Street, the House approved the legislation 263-171. At 1:23 p.m., the measure cleared a majority of votes and the chamber broke out in applause.
“After initially rejecting the legislation on a 2-to-1 margin, 91 House Republicans backed the legislation on the second try, with 172 Democrats supporting its passage.”
Read more.
“In a dramatic reversal, the House today approved by a comfortable margin a $700 billion financial rescue package that will bring the greatest intervention of the federal government into the private marketplace since the Great Depression, attempting to prevent the economy from sliding into a deep recession.
“Coming just four days after the legislation's initial demise sparked a free fall on Wall Street, the House approved the legislation 263-171. At 1:23 p.m., the measure cleared a majority of votes and the chamber broke out in applause.
“After initially rejecting the legislation on a 2-to-1 margin, 91 House Republicans backed the legislation on the second try, with 172 Democrats supporting its passage.”
Read more.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Biden and Palin Scheduled to Debate at 9 p.m. Eastern Tonight in St. Louis
Photo credits: Cleveland.comThe 90-minute face off between Joe Biden and Sarah Palin is scheduled to begin this Thursday evening at 9 p.m. Eastern. PBS’ Gwen Ifill will moderate the one time only vice-presidential debate at Washington University in St. Louis. I’m betting the Palin-Biden confrontation won’t be nearly as boring as the first presidential round between McCain and Obama.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
McCain Defends Sarah Palin to Des Moines Register Editorial Board (video)
Jonathan Martin at Politico introduces film clips from the Des Moines Register’s interview with John McCain:
“An emphatic, combative and at times surly John McCain today tangled with the Des Moines Register editorial board over his running mate, the nature of his campaign and whether he can appreciate the health care needs of Americans.
“The paper posted a series of clips from the session on their website.
“It's a hard-edged McCain that is rarely seen on film.”
Watch the video here.
“An emphatic, combative and at times surly John McCain today tangled with the Des Moines Register editorial board over his running mate, the nature of his campaign and whether he can appreciate the health care needs of Americans.
“The paper posted a series of clips from the session on their website.
“It's a hard-edged McCain that is rarely seen on film.”
Watch the video here.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Stock Market Surges; Senate Bailout Vote on Wednesday
Wow! It seems Congressional leaders are capable of pulling together and producing necessary legislation in a national – if not a world – crisis. Joseph Williams at Political Intel (Boston Globe) reports:
“US Senate leaders announced tonight that their chamber plans to vote on a Wall Street bailout package Wednesday evening.
“It is expected to include the sweetener of raising the insurance limit on individual bank deposits from $100,000 to $250,000 to help small business owners and avert runs on banks by fearful customers. Earlier today, both John McCain and Barack Obama endorsed increasing the deposit guarantee after talking separately to the president from the campaign trail.
“Obama's campaign announced tonight that he will return to Washington for the vote, and McCain is expected to follow suit.
“Several influential lawmakers -- including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, and Representative John Boehner, the top Republican -- signalled their approval of the deposit insurance proposal as well, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. said today it will seek permission to temporarily raise the limit. Aides to House Republicans said the FDIC proposal might draw some conservative Republicans who voted against the package on Monday.
“Congressional leaders, alarmed by record losses in US financial markets and instability worldwide, worked publicly and behind the scenes today to resurrect President Bush's $700 billion bailout plan, pledging to set aside political differences and send a bill to the president's desk before the end of the week.
“The salvage operation seemed especially difficult since an unusual alliance of conservative Republican and liberal Democrats helped defeat the bill in the House on Monday. But the ensuing plunge on Wall Street injected a new sense of urgency to solve the biggest financial crisis in generations.
“Some lawmakers floated another proposal to persuade House opponents to reconsider -- a change to complex accounting rules that now require financial institutions to adjust the value of their assets to reflect current market prices, even if they plan to hold the assets for years. Some House Republicans say those rules undermined banks, forcing them to report huge paper losses on mortgage-backed securities and unnecessarily weakening confidence in them. (Federal regulators issued some bank-friendly clarifications to those rules today.
“The flurry of activity on Capitol Hill spurred the Dow Jones industrial average to a nearly 500-point surge today, a rally that partly offset Monday's 778-point drop -- the biggest one-day loss in years. Analysts said while bargain hunters were scooping up stocks, the rise reflected investors' confidence that Congress will come to the rescue.”
“US Senate leaders announced tonight that their chamber plans to vote on a Wall Street bailout package Wednesday evening.
“It is expected to include the sweetener of raising the insurance limit on individual bank deposits from $100,000 to $250,000 to help small business owners and avert runs on banks by fearful customers. Earlier today, both John McCain and Barack Obama endorsed increasing the deposit guarantee after talking separately to the president from the campaign trail.
“Obama's campaign announced tonight that he will return to Washington for the vote, and McCain is expected to follow suit.
“Several influential lawmakers -- including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, and Representative John Boehner, the top Republican -- signalled their approval of the deposit insurance proposal as well, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. said today it will seek permission to temporarily raise the limit. Aides to House Republicans said the FDIC proposal might draw some conservative Republicans who voted against the package on Monday.
“Congressional leaders, alarmed by record losses in US financial markets and instability worldwide, worked publicly and behind the scenes today to resurrect President Bush's $700 billion bailout plan, pledging to set aside political differences and send a bill to the president's desk before the end of the week.
“The salvage operation seemed especially difficult since an unusual alliance of conservative Republican and liberal Democrats helped defeat the bill in the House on Monday. But the ensuing plunge on Wall Street injected a new sense of urgency to solve the biggest financial crisis in generations.
“Some lawmakers floated another proposal to persuade House opponents to reconsider -- a change to complex accounting rules that now require financial institutions to adjust the value of their assets to reflect current market prices, even if they plan to hold the assets for years. Some House Republicans say those rules undermined banks, forcing them to report huge paper losses on mortgage-backed securities and unnecessarily weakening confidence in them. (Federal regulators issued some bank-friendly clarifications to those rules today.
“The flurry of activity on Capitol Hill spurred the Dow Jones industrial average to a nearly 500-point surge today, a rally that partly offset Monday's 778-point drop -- the biggest one-day loss in years. Analysts said while bargain hunters were scooping up stocks, the rise reflected investors' confidence that Congress will come to the rescue.”
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Breakthrough on Bailout While Media Debates the First Presidential Debate
Photo credits: Lauren Victoria Burke/Associated Press (NY Times)The NY Times reports this morning that while the first presidential debate dominated news coverage this weekend, Congressional leaders and the Administration reached a breakthrough negotiating the terms of a Wall Street bailout.
Times staff writers David Herszenhorn and Carl Hulse report:
Officials said Congressional staff members would work to finalize the language of an agreement and draft a bill to be brought for a vote in the House on Monday.
Times staff writers David Herszenhorn and Carl Hulse report:
Officials said Congressional staff members would work to finalize the language of an agreement and draft a bill to be brought for a vote in the House on Monday.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Campaigns Seek to Shape Perceptions on Who Won the Debate
Lots of discussion going on across the Web about who won the first presidential debate last night between John McCain and Barack Obama. As reported by Jim Rutenberg at the NY Times, it’s laughable how far spinmeisters will go to convince the populace their guy won. Not so laughable is the reality that large numbers of people are actually persuaded by such tripe.
Go here to read Rutenberg’s piece titled The Next Day, a New Debate on Who Won.
Go here to read Rutenberg’s piece titled The Next Day, a New Debate on Who Won.
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