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Wednesday’s campaign round-up

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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:

* Evan Bayh told the Indianapolis Star that Obama has not asked him to be on the Democratic ticket. Asked if he will be asked at some point, Bayh said, “I have no idea. You’d have to ask him.”

* Last month, the Obama campaign announced it would spend $5 million on TV ads during the Olympics. Yesterday, the McCain campaign announced it would spend $6 million on Olympics ads.

* Last week, the McCain campaign insisted Obama had flip-flopped on coastal drilling. Today, the McCain campaign insisted Obama hasn’t flip-flopped on coastal drilling. Obama’s position hasn’t changed over the last week, but McCain’s bizarre rhetoric has.

* The latest Pew Forum poll shows a lot of Americans believing that they’re hearing too much about Obama in this campaign, and want to hear more about McCain.

* The latest Associated Press-Ipsos national poll shows Obama leading McCain by six, 47% to 41%.

* A new Elway Poll shows Obama leading McCain in Washington state by 12, 47% to 35%.

* Public Policy Polling (D) shows McCain leading Obama in Florida, 47% to 44%.

* At a town-hall meeting in Youngstown, Ohio, Obama shared his perspective on the McCain campaign: “When John McCain gets up there and says I’d rather win an election than win a war. When he says I didn’t visit the troops when I was overseas, even though every media outlet says that’s just not true… [It suggests] you are not trying to solve problems. All you are trying to do is divide people so you can win an election. That is nothing to be proud of. Let’s have a real honest debate about policies that are going to make a difference in people’s lives.”

* Hillary Clinton will host a rally and voter registration drive for Obama in Nevada on August 8, and another in Florida on August 21.

* DNC unveils The Next Cheney. They did a great job on this.

* I don’t expect Kentucky to turn blue anytime soon, but voter registration numbers look encouraging for the long-term.

* Interesting new poll: “According to a recent poll by the National Women’s Law Center, women feel the impact of economic insecurity and rising food, energy, education, and health care costs more deeply than men – and see government as a key to the solution.”

* And the official schedule was released yesterday by the Commission on Presidential Debates. Mark your calendars:

Debate #1: Friday, September 26, at the University of Mississippi, moderated by Jim Lehrer

VP Debate: Thursday, October 2, at Washington University in St. Louis, moderated by Gwen Ifill

Debate #2: Tuesday, October 7, at Belmont University in Nashville, moderated by Tom Brokaw

Debate #3: Wednesday, October 15, at Hofstra University in Hempstead, moderated by Bob Schieffer

Comments

  • CJ

    says:

    The latest Pew Forum poll shows a lot of Americans believing that they’re hearing too much about Obama in this campaign, and want to hear more about McCain.

    I agree. They need to hear a lot more about McCain. Without the media’s silence, he might have been finished himself off weeks ago.

  • Chris

    says:

    Bob Schieffer: I have to say, Barack Obama has not had any of those experiences either, nor has he ridden in a fighter plane and gotten shot down.

    Wesley Clark: Well, I don’t think riding in a fighter plane and getting shot down is a qualification to be President.

    Bob Schieffer: Really?!

    Me: Yes Bob. Really. Can we have a different moderator please?

  • Ohioan

    says:

    “Obama’s position hasn’t changed over the last week, but McCain’s bizarre rhetoric has.”

    So if you flip flop on the other candidate’s position, that should count as a McCain flip-flop too, right?

    “VP Debate: Thursday, October 2, at Washington University in St. Louis, moderated by Gwen Ifill”

    Hmm… not feeling great about Gwen – hopfully she improves from Cleveland 2004, where she was scared sh^%less of Cheney, and didn’t ask him a SINGLE question about Bush’s record. (Go check, I tell you, not one question)

  • Tom Cleaver

    says:

    I’ll continue to point out for the hand-wringers who get upset whenever they see mcCain ahead of Obama that in all the important states where McCain leads, he’s practically within the margin of error or just outside it, margins of 5% or less. In states Bush carried by double-digits. The ones he’s ahead in by more than that, no Democrat is going to carry every anyway.

    All of which means that a solid campaign over the next 88 days can put Obama ahead in nearly all those states.

    And as Zeitgeist pointed out so accurately, all we need is what Kerry carried in 2004, plus Virginia and Iowa. All else is gravy.

  • neilt

    says:

    “The latest Pew Forum poll shows a lot of Americans believing that they’re hearing too much about Obama in this campaign, and want to hear more about McCain.”

    I have a feeling the media will oblige and we’ll see alot more coverage of McCain – they’ve spent enough time hammering Obama, now they need to tilt the see-saw the other way and hit McCain.

    I’m still firmly of the belief that the media doesn’t love McCain, they love ratings. And forcing this thing to become a horse-race is the best way to ensure ratings.

    and once they’ve hit McCain for a week or so, they’ll go back and hit Obama (I’m personally looking forward to WrightGate 3.0 – it’s going to be AWESOME!)…lather, rinse, repeat.

  • Ohioan

    says:

    Although the good news is, Charles Gibson of ABC has been kicked out after that primary Obama-smear-job (or “debate”). Good riddance.

  • wvng

    says:

    I agree with Ohioan. Ifill is really not a very good debate moderator, and she is a reflexive purveyor of conventional wisdom. I would prefer someone who would be challenging on substantive issues.

  • Dale

    says:

    Last month, the Obama campaign announced it would spend $5 million on TV ads during the Olympics. Yesterday, the McCain campaign announced it would spend $6 million on Olympics ads.

    I know they have basketball in the Olympics. But shuffleboard?

    * And the official schedule was released yesterday by the Commission on Presidential Debates. Mark your calendars:

    I’ll mark my calendar to remind you to watch them for us. 🙂

    * Evan Bayh told the Indianapolis Star that Obama has not asked him to be on the Democratic ticket. Asked if he will be asked at some point, Bayh said, “I have no idea. You’d have to ask him.”

    When you get a little older you have thoughts like, “Birch Bayh? I don’t want him to be VP.”

    * Last week, the McCain campaign insisted Obama had flip-flopped on coastal drilling. Today, the McCain campaign insisted Obama hasn’t flip-flopped on coastal drilling. Obama’s position hasn’t changed over the last week, but McCain’s bizarre rhetoric has.

    I don’t know if McCain has Alzheimers, but his campaign sure does.

    All you are trying to do is divide people so you can win an election.

    I hope Obama is not falling into the sloppy rhetorical habit of using “you” like that too much. It’s confusing and can lead to some very bad out-of-context quotes. “All they are trying to do” or “All the McCain campaign is trying to do.” That’s your lesson for today Professor O.

  • ericfree

    says:

    Obama’s strategy in the primaries was to hang back and let people get to know him while slowly gaining ground, pulling ahead only in the final days. It’s a little more difficult now since he started the campaign ahead, but he’s following roughly the same strategy. The registration numbers and polls in traditionally Red states look very encouraging. He needs to be tough while sticking to the high road though, a painful contortion. Let’s hope McCain crashes a few more Sturgis-type events. Too bad there’s no Spring Break before the election.

  • FreeProton

    says:

    Obama’s position hasn’t changed over the last week, but McCain’s bizarre rhetoric has.

    All right, here’s the thing: if you flip-flop about someone else’s flip-flop (real or imagined) it’s like you haven’t flip-flopped at all. Also he’s a Fighter-Jet-Ridin’ Hanoi-Hilton-Survivin’ Straight-Talkin’ Wife-To-Nude-Beauty-Pageant-Sellin’ Maverick, so shut yer trap and vote.

    (Vote Obama. What you think I’m crazy?)

  • Dale

    says:

    FreeProton said: “he’s a Fighter-Jet-Ridin’ Hanoi-Hilton-Survivin’ Straight-Talkin’ Wife-To-Nude-Beauty-Pageant-Sellin’ Maverick, so shut yer trap and vote.

    I smell what you’re cookin’

  • Steve

    says:

    Last week, the McCain campaign insisted Obama had flip-flopped on coastal drilling. Today, the McCain campaign insisted Obama hasn’t flip-flopped on coastal drilling.

    So, McFlippy flipflops on coastal drilling AND Obama? That’s a two-fer. Add it to the flipflop list twice….

  • ericfree

    says:

    Just saw #9. Man, would I ever like to have Birch Bayh as VP. Evan doesn’t much appreciate references to his Populist old man, which seems like a character deficiency. I’d sure be proud of him.

  • impeachcheneythenbush

    says:

    I’d love to see Bill Moyer moderate one of these debates. Like, for sure, replace old Bob.

  • james k. sayre

    says:

    When McCain poses his rhetorical question about Senator Obama‘s readiness to lead by saying, “Is he ready to lead?”, the answer is obvious. Senator Obama has already been leading for several months. Both McCain and Bush are following Obama’s foreign policy recommendations on Afghanistan and Iraq. So if McCain and Bush are already following the leader, then, obviously, Obama is the leader. Q.E.D.

  • Tom in Ma

    says:

    ” Evan Bayh told the Indianapolis Star that Obama has not asked him to be on the Democratic ticket. Asked if he will be asked at some point, Bayh said, “I have no idea. You’d have to ask him.”

    If you look closely, that statement is not as definitive as it first appears.

  • Michael W

    says:

    impeachcheneythenbush (# 15) said:

    I’d love to see Bill Moyer moderate one of these debates. Like, for sure, replace old Bob.

    Forget Moyer, let’s get John Stewart to moderate one of these debates. Cut out the Bush-it and get down to the nitty-gritty.

  • TR

    says:

    The latest Pew Forum poll shows a lot of Americans believing that they’re hearing too much about Obama in this campaign, and want to hear more about McCain

    That’s what happens when both campaigns focus on Obama.

    Someone did a search of the campaign websites and found that “Obama” was the most common word on both his own site and McCain’s.

  • tomj

    says:

    Carly Fiorina just talking to Andrea Mitchell complained about Wolf Blitzer’s question to Mit Rmoney to name one McCain legislative attempt at energy independence. Since Mit couldn’t name one, what didd Carly think: bad question! We should look forward.

    Then she went on and _didn’t_ name anything McCain did in the past.

    That is two top surrogates, potential VPs for McCain, that can’t name a single thing McCain has done in 26 years in congress.

  • Prup (aka Jim Benton)

    says:

    TR nailed it, and I hope Obama caught this and uses it as well as he has used other things about McCain this week.

    Btw, to use a baseball analogy, a really great pitcher who has four good pitches will, sometimes, in the early innings, not use one or two of them, or use them only as ‘waste pitches.’ So, when the game gets important in the sixth or seventh inning, the batter comes up saying ‘Okay, he doesn’t have his curve ball today’ (which does happen) ‘ all I have to look for is the fastball.’ Before he realizes it, three straight curve balls and ‘Strike 3, take your seat.’

    Obama is a great pitcher.

  • The Caped Composer

    says:

    Hey now, Jim @ #23, don’t be dissin’ Al like that! He was overcautious and over-managed during 2000, but look at the change he has made since then! I somehow doubt that Evan Bayh is capable of as much. Remember, all along, Gore had his environmental passion– recall the time that Bush Sr. referred to him as “Ozone Man,” saying that the country would be “up to [its] neck in spotted owls, but with no jobs for [American citizens].” Gore took bad advice from the Shrum/Brazile faction, and muted his own strong beliefs, but did not give up on them. His re-emergence with An Inconvenient Truth indicated that he is not just another cardboard politician . . . unlike Evan Bayh, who has yet to demonstrate leadership or vision on, well, anything. He is the good-looking son of a well-liked political figure, and that has been enough to fuel his political career, but– please, G-d, please– don’t let him near the national ticket. Evan Bayh is no Al Gore!!!!

  • Another Chris

    says:

    Gwen Ifill’s questions to Cheney four years ago:

    1. Vice President Cheney, there have been new developments in Iraq, especially having to do with the administration’s handling. Paul Bremer, the former head of the Coalition Provisional Authority, gave a speech in which he said that we have never had enough troops on the ground, or we’ve never had enough troops on the ground. Donald Rumsfeld said he has not seen any hard evidence of a link between al-Qaeda and Saddam Hussein. Was this approved—of a report that you requested that you received a week ago that showed there was no connection between Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and Saddam Hussein?

    2. Tonight we mentioned Afghanistan. We believe that Osama bin Laden is hiding perhaps in a cave somewhere along the Afghan-Pakistan border. If you get a second term, what is your plan to capture him and then to neutralize those who have sprung up to replace him?

    3. When the president says that Senator Kerry is emboldening enemies and you say that we could get hit again if voters make the wrong choice in November, are you saying that it would be a dangerous thing to have John Kerry as president?

    4. Mr. Vice President, in June of 2000 when you were still CEO of Halliburton, you said that U.S. businesses should be allowed to do business with Iran because, quote, “Unilateral sanctions almost never work.” After four years as vice president now, and with Iran having been declared by your administration as part of the “axis of evil,” do you still believe that we should lift sanctions on Iran?

    5. Mr. Vice President, the Census Bureau ranked Cleveland as the biggest poor city in the country, 31 percent jobless rate. You two gentlemen are pretty well off. You did well for yourselves in the private sector. What can you tell the people of Cleveland, or people of cities like Cleveland, that your administration will do to better their lives?

    6. I want to read something you said four years ago at this very setting: “Freedom means freedom for everybody.” You said it again recently when you were asked about legalizing same-sex unions. And you used your family’s experience as a context for your remarks. Can you describe then your administration’s support for a constitutional ban on same-sex unions?

    7. President Bush has derided John Kerry for putting a trial lawyer on the ticket. You yourself have said that lawsuits are partly to blame for higher medical costs. Are you willing to say that John Edwards, sitting here, has been part of the problem?

    8. I want to talk to you about AIDS, and not about AIDS in China or Africa, but AIDS right here in this country, where black women between the ages of 25 and 44 are 13 times more likely to die of the disease than their counterparts. What should the government’s role be in helping to end the growth of this epidemic?

    9. Without mentioning them by name at all, explain to us why you are different from your opponent.

    10. Whichever one of you is elected in November—you mentioned those three electoral votes in Wyoming and how critical they’ve turned out to be. But what they’re a sign of also is that you’re going to inherit a very deeply divided electorate, economically, politically, you name it. How will you set out, Mr. Vice President, in a way that you weren’t able to in these past four years, to bridge that divide?

  • Chopin

    says:

    In the spirit of producing light-hearted and comical ads which the GOP seems suddenly so fond of, I have a suggestion for Obama’s olympic ad budget. Produce dozens of 15 second spots with a common theme – an angry old McCain look-alike attempting various olympic events. Grabbing his heart 5 seconds after the starting gun for the 100 meter dash. Doing a belly flop off the diving platform. Dropping the shot put on his foot. Completing a 5′ long jump head-first into the sand. Attempting a pole vault using a walking cane. Dead lifting a bar with no weights and dropping his Depends in the process. Etc, etc, etc. End each one with a different person laughing so hard they must gasp out the words “McCain – nice try but no thanks”.

  • Cal Gal

    says:

    So McSame is now flip-flopping about flip-flopping? He’s meta-flopping. We need HIM in the Olympics, either diving or gymnastics.

  • President Lindsay

    says:

    Debate #1: Friday, September 26, at the University of Mississippi, moderated by Jim Lehrer Bill Moyers

    VP Debate: Thursday, October 2, at Washington University in St. Louis, moderated by Gwen Ifill Rachel Maddow

    Debate #2: Tuesday, October 7, at Belmont University in Nashville, moderated by Tom Brokaw Phil Donahue

    Debate #3: Wednesday, October 15, at Hofstra University in Hempstead, moderated by Bob Schieffer Bill Maher

    Fixed.

  • libra

    says:

    * The latest Pew Forum poll shows a lot of Americans believing that they’re hearing too much about Obama in this campaign, and want to hear more about McCain. — CB

    Funny this should come up just today. Because just a couple of hors ago, my husband and I were discussing the way the two candidates are treated in the media. I was bitchin’ about the NYT article about the donors to Obama and pointing out where and how it was skewed.

    So he mentioned watching Lehrer’s program the other day. He said Obama’s representative (Pena?) talked about Obama’s energy policy. “Quite detailed, and I don’t remember everything but it was very interesting” my husband said. “And then McCain’s representative (that Nancy photo-nauer or whatever) talked … about Obama’s energy policy and what was wrong with it. Not a word about McCain’s policy, though I’d have liked to hear something about it. And that ninny (interviewer) never stopped her, never asked what McCain’s plan was, nothing”

    Smile. Due to this election, my husband is learning to be as critical of *presentation* as he is of the content. There’s never been anything wrong with his critical thinking but, being an American born-and-bred, he always assumed that he could trust at least *some* of the media. That may have been true in the past but it’s true no longer.

  • The Lurkologist

    says:

    Debate #3… moderated by Bob Schieffer

    McCain must be feeling pretty fortunate… he’ll seem spry and razor-sharp by comparison.