Thursday’s campaign round-up

August 14, 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:

* In a new mailer, the AFL-CIO is going after John McCain’s wealth: “McCain’s worth over $100 million,” the mailer reads. “He owns 10 houses…he flies around on a $12.6 million corporate jet…he walks around in $520 Italian loafers. If John McCain lost his social security, he’d get by just fine. Would you?”

* On Fox News yesterday, Bill Kristol said Colin Powell was poised to endorse Obama and would attend the Democratic convention. Soon after, Powell dismissed Kristol’s talk as false. “I do not have time to waste on Bill Kristol’s musings,” Powell told ABC News. “I am not going to the convention. I have made this clear.” Whether Powell may eventually endorse Obama remains unclear.

* The Obama campaign is running a new negative ad against McCain, but it’s only running in Indiana. The tagline: “How can John McCain fix the economy, when he doesn’t think it’s broken?”

* The International Association of Fire Fighters, during its annual convention in Las Vegas today, will throw its support to Obama. “The union chose to back Obama over John McCain because of the presumptive Democratic nominee’s support of collective bargaining, which gives workers the right to jointly work with their employers to negotiate hours, salaries, benefits and overall working conditions, IAFF spokesman Scott Treibitz said.”

* The DNC’s website is all about promoting the Obama campaign. The RNC’s website is all about trashing the Obama campaign. Poor John McCain, not even the Republican Party wants to talk about him.

* Let’s just say that Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.) would not be a netroots favorite if he joined the Obama ticket as the running mate.

* Soon after running ads connecting himself to Obama, Republican Sen. Gordon Smith of Oregon has now resigned as a state co-chairman for the McCain campaign. Smith’s campaign said the move was about saving the senator’s time, but in reality, being an honorary co-chair required no time commitment at all.

* And then there were eight: Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) is the eighth incumbent Republican senator to announce he won’t attend the party’s national convention.

* The latest Pew national poll shows Obama leading McCain by three, 46% to 43%.

* Rasmussen shows Obama leading McCain in Virginia by one

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, 46% to 45%.

* Rasmussen shows McCain leading Obama in Nevada by three, 45% to 42%.

* Rasmussen shows McCain leading Obama in Kansas by 15, 52% to 37%.

* Strategic Vision shows Obama leading McCain in Wisconsin by five, 47% to 42%.

* Don’t expect to see the Rev. Jesse Jackson speaking at the Democratic convention this year.

* The DSCC goes for humor against Sen. Elizabeth Dole (R) in North Carolina.

* The NRSC is giving up on the Senate race in New Jersey.

“Rasmussen shows Obama leading McCain in Virginia by one, 46% to 45%.”

I’ll say again, here’s to hoping that their polling methodology undercounts the youth vote and African-American vote.

And that our voting machines are not hacked…

  • “I do not have time to waste on Bill Kristol’s musings,” Powell told ABC News

    Ah, bi-partisanship. Democrats and Republicans agree – Bill Kristol’s musings are a waste of time.

    Now if only his editors would figure it out.

  • I’m in SE Pennsylvania in the Philadelphia market, and a different version of the “How can John McCain fix the economy, when he doesn’t think it’s broken?” ad ran here this AM.

  • How long until the Georga situation becomes part of the daily campaign news unable to generate a post of their own?

    Unlike a president, a candidate cannot sustain attention on something like this. If the situation enters a stable phase what will McCain do?

  • I’d like to think that Rudi 911ani is gnashing his teeth at the IAFF’s announcement.

    Don’t expect to see the Rev. Jesse Jackson speaking at the Democratic convention this year.

    Good.

    Poor John McCain, not even the Republican Party wants to talk about him.

    They know people dumb enough to vote for McWrinklyOldDude don’t need to be convinced. They’re going for the creeps who normally don’t vote but might be convinced to vote against the scary brown guy.

  • kristol’s trying to lay the foundation for a “Look-shinything!” moment. By starting some noise about Powell being on the brink of endorsing Obama, he can then come back and say that Powell must clearly have ” newly-formed misgivings” about Obama.

  • tomj said:
    “How long until the Georga situation becomes part of the daily campaign news unable to generate a post of their own?

    Unlike a president, a candidate cannot sustain attention on something like this. If the situation enters a stable phase what will McCain do?”

    What will McCain do? Easy to answer – he will claim that his strong leadership and actions kept the Russians from getting to Atlanta!

  • Why do you liberal wienies keep bringing up this ‘scary brown guy’ crap?

    Everyone knows that race was made an issue by the Obama camp. Race would not be an issue if ‘His Arrogance’ was white.

    It is now time for all good Americans to come out in support of the Real American, our American hero, our white Senator John McCain. It is now time for all good Americans to renounce the Afrikan Muslim. After all, everyone knows that you are a good American if you are born in Panama of white parents and not born in some foreign place like Hawaii!

  • The International Association of Fire Fighters, during its annual convention in Las Vegas today, will throw its support to Obama. “
    ***********************************

    But wait, how can that be, the repigs SAY they “support” our troops, our police force, and our heroic firefighters, but that all the Dems want to do is give away our country to the A-rabs and get everyone killed by terrorists, right? I thought Dems hated America and didn’t support those in uniform, right Chad?

    Hmmm. Interesting how fewer and fewer people are buying into the smear, fear tactics and demonization of Democrats. It is absurd to demonize half the country to begin with, and even stupider to think that people will think “Oh, a Republican political advertisement said Democrats are traitors, therefore it MUST be true!” No, it makes many of us mad as hell because, by extension, if you are saying the Dems are traitors, then you are saying my Mom, my family, my friends are traitors! And that, coming from the pugnacious mouths of repig party members who lied us into war, getting thousands of our people killed, injuring tens of thousands, ruining lives! Everyone is starting to see through the repig party now, those in and out of uniform. You repigs are the true traitors and the whole world knows it.

    Well, repigs, your taunting and name-calling and fear-mongering and lying aren’t working as well with thinking, rational, professional adults as you thought, are they? Your school-yard bully tactics and fake terrorist warnings might have scared ppl shitless after 9/11, but your free pass based on fear and intimidation of the American public is over. So, go put another magnet on your car and do NOTHING but send the troops poisoned food and water via your best buddies cheney and haliburton, lobby to cut the combat pay of our brave soldiers, vote against the expanded GI bill, outfit our military personnel in 1970’s-era flak jackets that do not protect them, and then stick them in rat and roach infested hospitals when they return home half-dead, or with no hands. Oh, and then top it off with more repig strategy, deny many of them the mental health care that they need by refusing to diagnose their PTSD symptoms as PTSD.

    Keep it up GOP. Keep lying, killing, torturing, spying on US citizens. You’re alienating most everybody at this point, including the Fire Fighters, who are a lot smarter than you give them credit for.

    Let’s really help our fellow citizens in uniform. ELECT Obama!!

  • Listening to the BBC news this morning I have to wonder what universe the American news channels are living on. They had some of the people of South Ossecia speaking and there was no doubt who they blamed for this war, they put it squarely on the shoulders of the President of Georgia, one lady called him a low life, said he sacrificed 2000 people for his political ambition. Looks like the NATO countries would not accept Georgia for membership now, after they attacked South Ossecia, the people there are apparently happy being Russian citizens. Seems like Putin came back strong to show Georgia and probably the US not to mess with him. Take note John McCain

  • I agree with Steve (comment #7).

    Generally I find Bill Kristol to be a goofball, as do most rational folks. However, I think this had at least some aspects of being a clever move.

    You introduce the idea that Powell is going to endorse Obama. That way, if it happens, it’s less of a bombshell b/c it’s already been put “out there”. It lessens the impact.

    And if it doesnt happen, then the Repubs can try to spin it into a story: “Why won’t Powell endorse Obama? What’s so bad about Obama that Powell refuses to endorse him??”

    (and the fact that Kristol made a prediction that turned out to be wrong? Well, add it onto the huge stack. One more won’t make a difference. It’s not like he’ll lose his NYT or Fox jobs for being wrong – that’s why they hired him in the first place.)

  • […] Repubs can try to spin it into a story: “Why won’t Powell endorse Obama? What’s so bad about Obama that Powell refuses to endorse him??” — TG Chicago, @12

    I would hope that any pundick with half a gray cell would also consider this question: “Why won’t Powell endorse McCain? What’s so wrong with John Sidney that Powell refuses to give him his heartfelt endorsement???” Because, after all, Powell’s endorsement of McCain should have been “a natural”– both are Republicans, both are veterans… What worm in the woodpile is there, which makes Powell baulk?

    Powell, BTW, expressed the “pox on both your houses” line of thought vis-a-vis the Conventions; he won’t be going to the Repub one, either.

  • That WaPo link tries a little snark on for size…

    So what? The undisputed fact remains that if Obama and the other candidates hadn’t run, Clinton almost certainly would have won the nomination.

  • * The Obama campaign is running a new negative ad against McCain, but it’s only running in Indiana. The tagline: “How can John McCain fix the economy, when he doesn’t think it’s broken?”

    That should read: “How can John McCain fix the economy, when he can’t find his oun ass with both bands?”

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