Tuesday’s campaign round-up

August 12, 2008

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 faithful behind him. It’s a special request of McCain image-makers, who think the candidate looks more comfortable — and feels more comfortable — when he’s surrounded by real people.”

* The Republican National Convention has unveiled its theme for the year: “Putting Country First.”

* Remember the only positive McCain campaign ad of the last several weeks? The one about him being a maverick and believing that the country is worse off now than it was four years ago? It “only aired six times on a single day last week.” And while the McCain campaign is barely investing at all in its positive ad, it has a bunch of “celebrity” attack ads “in heavy rotation.”

* McCain campaigned in Pennsylvania yesterday and sang former Gov. Tom Ridge’s praises, but hinted that Ridge would not be on the ticket. Asked about his plans for his first 90 days in office, McCain said, “Call Tom Ridge to Washington from whatever vacation he is taking and get him to work.”

* Bloomberg: “Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama is opening campaign offices in Indiana, North Carolina and Alaska, using his financial edge to challenge John McCain in states previously written off by Democrats…. Obama’s push in previous Republican strongholds includes 14 offices in Indiana, 11 in North Carolina and four in Alaska, according to his campaign Web site. Only one of those states, North Carolina, has backed a Democratic presidential candidate in the past 40 years.”

* Rasmussen shows Obama leading McCain in Iowa by five, 46% to 41%.

* Rasmussen shows Obama leading McCain in Oregon by 10, 47% to 37%.

* Public Policy Polling (D) shows Obama leading McCain in Colorado by four, 48% to 44%.

* SurveyUSA shows McCain leading Obama in Virginia by one, 48% to 47%.

* “Barns for Obama.”

* Remember when Mike Huckabee really wanted to be McCain’s running mate? He no longer seems interested, and doesn’t even want a cabinet spot. “Why would I want to do that?” Huckabee told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. “What possible reason? I’m gonna have a good life out here in the private sector.”

Kup Levitrę bez recepty

“SurveyUSA shows McCain leading Obama in Virginia by one, 48% to 47%.”

Here’s hoping their polling methodology ignores the youth vote and the Black vote and Obama smears him across the mat.

“Remember when Mike Huckabee really wanted to be McCain’s running mate? He no longer seems interested, and doesn’t even want a cabinet spot.”

He probably knows he isn’t going to get it, and is trying to set himself up not to seem disappointed. Which means I suppose that Mitt gets the nod.

Oh, how fun that will be, the Republican’t Ticket:

A Polygamist…
and a Mormon.

  • “The Republican National Convention has unveiled its theme for the year: Putting Country First.”
    So, after putting Party ahead of country since the start of the 20th century, suddenly this will win us back?
    Sounds like the old Ford motto: “Quality is Job One.” as opposed to job 150 or 160 like it used to be.
    Truely, these people have no concept of irony whatsoever.

  • It’s a special request of McCain image-makers, who think the candidate looks more comfortable — and feels more comfortable — when he’s surrounded by real people.

    But I thought this was at the Republican Convention? Are they planning on bussing in real people for the speech?

  • “Convention planners are working with broadcasters to stage McCain’s speech in the round, with Republican faithful behind him.”

    Didn’t Bush do this? I only hope McCain climbs onto a high leather stool and announces he’s going to sing his favorite lounge tunes.

    Remember when Mike Huckabee really wanted to be McCain’s running mate? He no longer seems interested, and doesn’t even want a cabinet spot.

    I doubt Huckabee thinks he’s done with politics. You wonder how many people are running from being tied to this ticket in a year in which Republicans are so reviled.

  • I’m thinking it’s a pretty good thing that Obama’s campaign has been “in” Alaska since the primaries, what with Stevens going down and whatnot.

    Wouldn’t it be kind of neat to see Alaska go Blue??

    (actually, I think we’ll see Alaska and the West go blue – which should offset the redneck racist vote down south. Wouldn’t a “Western Strategy” be cool?)

  • Maria (re #5) -Your statement let the secret out. Now when McCain enters the hall for his acceptance speech dressed in a white jumpsuit covered in sequins, we will know what’s coming.
    Spoiler

  • Let’s hope Tom Ridge does a better job for McAce than he did pimping sad tales of elevated terrorists warnings for the Bushleague years he served. Their credibility is at the same “lowered level” as the terrorist warning was when he left Bush’s team for “personal reasons relating to his family”. nauseating…

  • Mike Huckabee: “I’m gonna have a good life out here in the private sector.”

    By “good life”, Rev. Huckabee means well-paid. The prosperity gospel rides again.

  • Here’s an interesting article from the local Honolulu newspaper taking on Cokie Roberts’ rather anglophilic statements. Folks out here in Hawaii embrace their diversity, but we hardly consider our home to be exotic…guess she doesn’t plan on taking vacation out here any time soon…we must lean too heavily democratic for a hack such as her to feel comfortable in our presence…

    http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080812/NEWS05/808120359

  • “Surrounded by real people”

    That’s a friggn’ laugh. Being surrounded by hand-picked white anglo-saxon Protestants, half of which are divorced (including divorced from reality) and remarried, gay hating, fear mongering, torture supportive real people. Nauseating, truly nauseating…

  • with Republican faithful behind him.

    They will be required to keep their lips puckered the entire time to demonstrate their willingness to kiss their leader’s backside.

    Of course if elected, McCain will be standing right behind the American people. If you know what I mean. Nudge, nudge, wink, wink.

  • Being surrounded by hand-picked white anglo-saxon Protestants

    You forgot the lonely black guy whose face will be featured in 1,000 closeups during the convention!

  • SurveyUSA shows McCain leading Obama in Virginia by one, 48% to 47%.

    As a Virginian, for the love of God, we have GOT to make this happen!

  • Putting “the faithful” behind McCain is an old Republican ploy. Bush used it when he made that phony speech in NOLA—a perfectly-restored house as a backdrop to conceal all the destruction that lies everywhere else—and the MSM helped him do it, too. RudyGhoul used to do it during the runup to the primaries, putting the people behind him to conceal all the empty chairs everywhere else. It’s the same with McSame….

    As for “putting country first,” they forgot the word “club.” It comes right after “country….”

  • Here’s hoping their polling methodology ignores the youth vote and the Black vote and Obama smears him across the mat. -Lance

    Their polling methodology is irrelevant. They will supress the minority vote by sending too few ballots or broken machines, and even that is irrelevant.

    All they have to do is keep it close in the mind of the public.

    Then the media, Diebold, and the rest of the evil alliance can steal it without a messy revolution.

    Re: Huckabee – Isn’t he getting a fat check from FOX News now? That kind of money will make anyone want to stay, or at the most, have a brief stint as a press secretery before returning.

  • Why is Obama wasting his time and money in states like “Republican strongholds includes 14 offices in Indiana, 11 in North Carolina and four in Alaska”?

    If Obama wins any of those states then he will have already won 270 votes.

    Obama needs to be sure to win PA and MI and it would be very helpful to win OH. If he wins in NC then he also probably won VA and will have well over 300 votes.

    It would be a disaster if Obama comes close in a number of states and wins 52% of the popular vote and 48% of the electoral votes

  • “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”

    I say he becomes disoriented.

  • “Why is Obama wasting his time and money in states like “Republican strongholds includes 14 offices in Indiana, 11 in North Carolina and four in Alaska”? — neil wilson

    Oh look, the concern troll is back. Obama has substantial leads in Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Ohio, and plenty of cash to spare.

  • This is too funny

    The Republicans have decided that the concept /theme for this year is: “Putting Country First

    And here is a quote from a Republican who absolutely agrees with the GOP

    Rita Hauser, a former fundraiser for Bush who is helping organize this initiative for Obama, said this morning, “[I]t’s difficult to walk away from your party’s nominee but you have to put your country first.”

    I hope a lot more people will take the GOP’s advice and put their country first, by voting for Obama.

  • Indiana could potentially be carried by Obama.

    The keys are:
    – low turnout by the religious right
    – high turnout by black voters
    – Bob Barr getting 5% of the vote (from McBush)
    – Hillary’s witches not voting for Nader
    – all 25 of the progressives in the state voting for Obama

  • The Republican National Convention has unveiled its theme for the year: “Putting Country First.”

    Huh, I always thought their theme was “Putting Israel First.”

  • Franklin 23,

    No no no, their theme is “Putting Ourselves and Our Money First.” Israel is a sub-bullet in that statement depending on how many apocalyptic nutballs are in the audience.

  • Franklin said:
    Huh, I always thought their theme was “Putting Israel First.”

    Incorrect!!!!!!! The theme is ‘putting the Likud Party & AIPAC First’. Do not confuse Israel with the Likud Party & its Amerikan lobby group AIPAC. There is much more diversity of opinion allowed within Israel than within the U.S. In the U.S., if you even slightly diviate from the AIPAC line, you are branded an Anti-Semite. In Israel, dissent from the Likud/AIPAC line is allowed.

    If you believe that the Dimocrats are any less kissers of the asses of AIPAC than the rethugs, you are misinformed. Every damn politician of both parties, who is running for office, appears at the AIPAC yearly convention and kisses their rings.

  • The last “vacation” Tom Ridge took, he was supposed to be running the Dept. of Homeland Security.

  • comstock load said:
    The last “vacation” Tom Ridge took, he was supposed to be running the Dept. of Homeland Security.

    Tom Ridge efficiently ran the Dept of Homeland Insecurity exactly the way that Karl Rove wanted it ran. That department very effectively scared the crap out of the Low Information Voters to help get King George reelected.

  • Neil Wilson, @18,

    It’s not a waste of time and money; it’s in keeping with Dean’s 50-states strategy (which DLC-ers also considered a waste of time and money. Until ’06, when it began to pay off dividends).

    Even if Obama doesn’t win there, he’ll have enlarged the Dem base, through voter registration drives and through creating a wave of enthusiasm. It’ll be very helpful down-ticket. It’ll drain some money from the GOP, which will have to defend what it hadn’t planned on defending. He can afford to do it. And, you never know… It may just pay off in terms of electoral votes for him too, which would be icing on the cake.

    The only way you can be 100% sure never to dance is not to ask anyone to be your partner.

  • John McCain never puts himself first? Real self-less guy that McCain. But, let’s see:

    1. Okay, how about fully redeeming himself on his tax-payer funded education? – Selfish McCain first, Country Last (finishes in bottom 1% of his Naval Academy class)

    2. How about his concern for the taxpayer in taking care of government property? – Oh, he crashed 3 airplanes in training? – Reckless McCain First, Country Last

    http://www.vietnamveteransagainstjohnmccain.com/cin_mccain_lost_five_u.htm

    3. How about his faithfulness to his 1st wife? – Selfish McCain First, Wife last.

    4. Violating the Uniform Code of Military Justice by cheating on his 1st wife? – Selfish McCain First, Country Last.

    5. Disrespecting and insulting POW-MIA families during normalization of relations with Vietnam – Selfish/Temperamental McCain First, fellow Americans last.

    6. Keating 5? McCain has admitted to intentionally filing false tax returns to hide Keating bribes? – Selfish McCain First, Country Last!

    http://mccainkeatingfive.com/?p=6

    7. Participating in the misleading campaign to get the country to attack Iraq (by, among other things, trying to tie Iraq to the Anthrax attacks) – Reckless McCain First, Country Last!

    http://blogs.tnr.com/tnr/blogs/the_plank/archive/2008/08/02/mccain-anthrax-and-iraq.aspx

    8. Professing support for the troops, but voting against multiple bills to provide increased support to Veterans? – Reckless/Heartless McCain First, Veterans and Country Last!

    http://mediamatters.org/items/200806040002

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