Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers: * McCain in the round: “John McCain plans to accept the Republican presidential nomination in a unique setting. Convention planners are working with broadcasters to stage McCain’s speech in the round, with Republican […]
Back in January, campaigning in New Hampshire, John McCain was asked whether he would be able to serve eight years as president, given his advanced age. McCain seemed to suggest that he might only serve one term: “If I said I was running for eight years, I’m not sure that would be a vote getter.” […]
The McCain campaign has unveiled two ads in four days, both with the same false claim. The ad from late last week insisted that Barack Obama “voted to raise taxes on people making just $42,000.” Yesterday, McCain’s campaign argued that one of the “perks” of joining the Obama “fan club” is “a tax increase for […]
Looking at the war between Russia and Georgia, which reportedly is still ongoing, from a purely political perspective, John McCain is clearly looking to use the conflict to his advantage. He’s characterizing Obama’s position as “appeasement,” and using some strikingly caustic language towards Russia. McCain is not, however, actually moving beyond bluster. The NYT noted […]
With the focus of the political world on November, and what’s going to happen over the next 84 days, it’s tempting to downplay revelations about the inner workings of the Clinton campaign. If only the revelations weren’t so interesting, I probably would. I should note at the outset that more than two months later, the […]
At this point, I’ve lost count of exactly how many ad/videos the McCain campaign has released mocking Barack Obama’s so-called “celebrity” status. I suspect we’re approaching double digits by now, and the problem with diminishing returns is rather obvious. It’s one thing for a campaign makes a spot or two to make a point, it’s […]
Today’s edition of quick hits. * The offensive continues in Georgia: “Russian forces continued airstrikes against targets in this central Georgian city Monday as Moscow’s troops moved deeper into Georgian territory around the western town of Senaki. The airstrikes and ground movements came despite an announcement by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev Monday that military operations […]
There was a point, in the spring, when the media was abuzz with talk of “plagiarism.” Apparently, Barack Obama and Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick (D), who are friends, shared some a few rhetorical lines. Politicians do this all the time, both Obama and Patrick had each other’s permission, and there was nothing untoward about it. […]
A couple of months ago, Time magazine posed the question: “Does McCain Have a Vets Problem?” The question hardly fits into the existing media narrative — John McCain is a decorated veteran of the Vietnam War. He shouldn’t, the argument goes, have any trouble winning over the support of other veterans. But the narrative is […]
Stephen Hess, a presidential historian with the Brookings Institution, noted the other day, “Anybody who picks on [Barack Obama] for going to Hawaii is really looking for something to pick on.” Dr. Hess, meet ABC News’ Cokie Roberts. “I know Hawaii is a state, but …” Roberts said, before recommending Myrtle Beach, S.C., as a […]