Wednesday’s campaign round-up

August 13, 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:

* Meet your DNC Keynote speaker: “Mark Warner, Virginia’s former governor and its Democratic candidate for the Senate, has been tapped to be the keynote speaker at the Democratic National Convention, a plum spot that is often a springboard to national prominence. ‘Like Barack Obama, Mark Warner is not afraid to challenge the status quo to bring people together and get things moving,’ campaign manager David Plouffe said in a statement. ‘It’s that kind of spirit and innovation that resulted in his selection as keynote speaker on a night when we will be discussing how to renew Americas promise.'”

* Speaking of Plouffe, Obama’s campaign manager also responded yesterday to the notion that the email announcement about the running mate was just a stunt. “People keep asking me if we’re really going to announce Barack’s VP directly to our supporters. The answer is yes,” Plouffe said. “Let me be very clear. You are the ones who built this campaign, and Barack wants you to be the first to know who will join him in leading our movement for change.”

* Obama held a fundraiser in Hawaii yesterday, and raised $1.3 million.

* The line-up for other speakers at the Democratic convention were announced yesterday, including a tribute to Ted Kennedy. Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter will be among the speakers at Invesco Field on Thursday.

* Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) had said publicly that he would “consider” an invitation to join the Obama ticket, though he thought an invitation was unlikely. Yesterday, Hagel’s spokesperson ruled it out, and said Hagel does not intend to endorse either candidate this year.

* Franklin & Marshall shows Obama leading McCain in Pennsylvania by five, 46% to 41%.

* Quinnipiac shows Obama leading McCain in New Jersey by 10, 51% to 41%.

* SurveyUSA shows McCain leading Obama in North Carolina by four, 49% to 45%.

* InsiderAdvantage shows McCain leading Obama in Florida by four, 48% to 44%.

* SurveyUSA shows McCain leading Obama in Kentucky by 18, 55% to 37%.

* Hays Research Group shows Obama leading McCain in Alaska by five, 45% to 40%. (A caveat on this one: the poll was paid for by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, a PAC that has endorsed Obama.)

* Obama has been airing more TV ads in Florida than McCain by an enormous margin.

* Bob Perry, the financier behind the Swiftboat attacks, has teamed up with the Club for Growth to try to help scandal-plagued GOP Senate candidate Bob Schaffer in Colorado.

* I always thought former Ohio Rep. Rob Portman (R) would be a top contender for McCain’s ticket

Kup Kamagrę bez recepty

, but he claims that he hasn’t even been vetted.

McCain doing zero advertising in Florida has my ears pricked up. What’s up with that?

  • With Mark Warner giving the keynote speech, the short list is getting shorter. I wish Evan Bayh would say/do something really stupid in the next few days to eliminate him from the short list.

    A Bayh pick would renew my wanning commitment to withholding donations.

  • Perhaps because his “ads” are getting so much play in the media that they don’t have to pay to get the coverage?

  • Maybe the lack of tv ads in Florida is a hint that McCain plans to choose Crist as VP and doesn’t think he needs additional help there? Either that or his campaign has written off the state because they realize how unpopular their drilling policy is there. Surely they aren’t that stupid.

  • Conservative Democrats stick together – Bayh and Obama are so right for each other. Calling Hillary.

  • TR,

    I heard that about Wednesday’s theme, but according to Wes Clark on Rachel Maddow yesterday, he will be in Italy on business that Wednesday and hasn’t even been invited to the convention.

  • There is no way McCain is giving up on Florida. I wonder what kind of conversations he’s having with Republican Secretary of State Kurt S. Browning. Damn, it’s humiliating sounding like a tinfoil hatter, but we’ve already seen that our wildest creations in the paranoia department are no worse than what these people really do.

  • Evan Bayh would be an excellent choice for Obama. Senator Bayh has show the courage to consistently vote with the majority on important issues. Senator Bayh has show the good sense to not oppose Our Dear Leader on issues such as war and enhanced interrogations and removing the right of habeaus corpus from criminals.

    It would be surprising if ‘His Arrogance’ would select someone with courage and good sense, but it would offset some of His Arrogance’s Elitism.

  • Either that or his campaign has written off the state because they realize how unpopular their drilling policy is there.

    There is no way McCain gets to 270 without Florida.

  • TR (#5):

    That was some interesting tea leaf reading. While total speculation, I think it does slightly bump up the posibility of Wes Clark as VP. If so, I like the pick. Of the names tossed around over the last month or so, his was always on my short short list.

  • There is no way McCain gets to 270 without Florida.

    …which is why I think Charlie Crist, freshly bearded with his engagement announcement, will be McCain’s VP choice. Let the religious right’s heads commence exploding.

  • I always thought former Ohio Rep. Rob Portman (R) would be a top contender for McCain’s ticket, but he claims that he hasn’t even been vetted.

    Why would Portman need to be vetted? He is not a democrat.

    Portman would be a good choice, although McCain is going to carry Ohio with or without him. Senator McCain’s stand against unfair trade will carry the day in Ohio.

    Another possible choice would be Ken Blackwell. He would help carry Ohio and with his connections to Diebold would be useful in other states.

    Other viable options include Condi Rice and Charlie Crist. Condi would help split the African vote. Charlie would help in Florida. Both would help split the gay vote.

  • I’m ready to retire the silly “Let me be clear…” line. Right after the inane “My friends…”

  • Republican @ #10:

    Be honest. Don’t say “arrogant” when you really mean “uppity.”

  • Shalimar and Maria:
    The funny thing about Crist as VP choice for McCain is that he is probably the best possible one, both because of his position as Governor of a supposedly important state — I still argue that the election won’t be close enough for Florida to matter — and because he has always had a deserved reputation as a ‘Republican Democrats can vote for.’ (He is, in fact, what mcCain pretends to be.)

    Except for one itsy-bitsy teeny-weeny problem.

    He’s gay.

    (He’s never gone out of the way to hide it, even if he’s never actually ‘come out’ and used to bring his long-time companion — not sure if they are still together — to public functions.)

    On second reading I see you know this — yes, I write fast and make mistakes because, with few exceptions, I’m ‘talking with my fingers’ — but c’mon, he’ll be outed in a millisecond if he gets chosen.

    And as for Bayh, yet again:
    No one who voted for the Protect America Act deserves to be on the ticket!

    He does have to ‘do something stupid.’ He already did.

  • In response to Okie @16…

    A few excerpts from my soon to be published ‘Dictionary of Republican-Speak: with English interpretations’:

    Arrogant – uppity nigger (Have you ever heard a white presidential candidate referred to as ‘arrogant’?)

    Elitist – an intelligent, educated, knowledgeable person who prefers to make decisions and policies based upon science and facts, as opposed to religious dogma and beliefs

    Low Information Voter – stupid white trash, the majority of whom get their ‘facts’ directly and/or indirectly from Rush Limbaugh and/or Fox News

    To put into context: Low Information Voters are the core voting block for the Republican Party. The key to attracting Low Information Voters this year is to continually assure them that Obama is an Arrogant Elitist.

  • Apparently the President of Georgia has thanked McCain for saying we are all Georgians, but has told him to back up his words with deeds. Considering the fact that McCain and his Georgia lobbyist knew about the Georgia invasion into the Russian province beforhand, and had told them they would back them all the way, I think Georgia expected US troops to go there.
    Perhaps they think McCain is already president.

  • ‘does’ on the last line should be ‘doesn’t’ (another factor in my slips is that I am frequently called away three times in the process of writing a comment. I am carrying one dependent wife and four cats on my back and they frequently take precedence).

  • Oh, Republican, you are deluded. Blacks aren’t going to vote for Condi, no matter what shoes she’s wearing. And gays aren’t going Rethuglican in any greater numbers if Crist is chosen. Tin foil hat notwithstanding, McBush doesn’t have to spend much in Florida because voting there is, how to say it, “not a problem”. Blacks will continue to be disenfranchised, voting machines will continue to vote Rethuglican. There’s a reason Dear Leader could stop campaigning and start vacationing early in the last two “elections” with smirk intact.

  • The McSame campaign has but one strategy: Give every WHITE voter a (spurious? specious? Yes, of course, but deniably plausible) reason to stay home and NOT to vote for St. Barry.

  • 1.On August 13th, 2008 at 12:07 pm, Maria said:
    McCain doing zero advertising in Florida has my ears pricked up. What’s up with that?

    Florida? You funny. The fix is in, of course:
    The fix is in:
    The deal is down;
    The game is cooked;
    The dice are loaded;
    The wheels are rigged;
    The deck is marked, shaved, and stacked;
    The dealers ALL cheat,
    And the chefs spit in the fondue…

    That’s just how it is.

  • Obama raised $1.3 million in Hawaii? I thought presidential candidates couldn’t accept money from foreigners.

  • RepPOV – the astute reader would have caught your drift from the “Our Dear Leader” part of your comment on this post.
    Nice job, especially on previous comments. Do you enjoy Jon Swift’s blog?

  • I see that RepublicanPointOfView has taken over the parody gig here. Welcome, RPOV!

    I myself shall be retiring, this time for good unless the Really Insane Fake Professor, who is currently over at Washington Monthly having another complete meltdown (including wailing about being banned here at CB), manages to return. I think she shall not. Her computer skills appear to be about as advanced as Senator McCain’s.

    Thank you all for your kind forbearance. And Godspeed, RPOV, whoever you are!

  • …..Speaking of Plouffe…..

    Why hasn’t this guy gone to court & had that name changed??? How is it even pronounced. It looks & probably sounds awful.

    Ploo-fee – ,,, Pluff,…. or something like that. Ugh. It just distracts me.

    Anyhow, keep up the good work poofie.

  • “but according to Wes Clark on Rachel Maddow yesterday, he will be in Italy on business that Wednesday and hasn’t even been invited to the convention”

    Which makes me think it may be Clark. He would be an excellent choice.

  • On August 13th, 2008 at 1:02 pm, Prup (aka Jim Benton) re Crist said: Except for one itsy-bitsy teeny-weeny problem. … He’s gay.

    End of story.
    McBombIran would be NUTZ to pick FL Gov Christ; because of the recent & memorable downfall of the former Gov of NJ, McGreedy, who also has(had?) a beautiful wife. McSame would drown in the lake he has to date, been walking across.

  • Maria said:
    McCain doing zero advertising in Florida has my ears pricked up. What’s up with that?

    Maybe the republicans reinstated Kathryn Harris as Sec of State, so there really is no need for McCain to concern himself with campaining there.

  • End of story.

    Mmmmmmm, olo, I really think McCain’s dumb enough to do it. He’s desperate for Florida, and Crist’s strictly-for-show fiancee will shut up much of the religious right, quite a lot of whom still believe that a man married or engaged to a woman can’t be gay or bi. Unless Crist gets caught in flagrante delicto with a man, something I assume they’ve discussed with him, I think he’s a risk they’re probably willing to take. They’re also likely to counter any observations from the left on Crist’s sexual orientation with outrage at the purported “insult,” which will boost their bigot bona fides with the base.

    If McCain doesn’t go with Crist, I think it’ll be because in McCain’s hard choice between moderates and the religious right, moderates win–not because his people don’t think they can tamp down talk about Crist’s sexual orientation.

  • Grandpa McCain probably heard his aides warn him that Crist was “gay” and just assumed they meant he was “happy.”

  • Mea culpa. That should’ve been:

    If McCain doesn’t go with Crist, I think it’ll be because in McCain’s hard choice between moderates and the religious right, the religious right wins–not because his people don’t think they can tamp down talk about Crist’s sexual orientation.

    I’ll add, and then give it a rest, that there was no reason whatsoever for Crist to suddenly get engaged now. Except this.

  • A tribute to Ted Kennedy? What are they going to do, recreate the Chappaquiddick (sic) incident? Play some drinking games?

  • Why did you put [sic] after one of the few words you spelled correctly, Chad? I do not think it means what you think it means.

  • Maria – Chad gets bonus points for using ‘Ted Kennedy’ & ‘Chappaquiddick’ & ‘Drinking’ in the same blog.

    Used to be – we got some partially entertaining trolls on this site. Now – they are just out to accumulate McCain bonus points.

    If they were intelligent, thoughtful, and knowledgeable, they would not be supporting Senator Clean.

  • * Meet your DNC Keynote speaker: “Mark Warner, Virginia’s former governor and its Democratic candidate for the Senate, has been tapped to be the keynote speaker at the Democratic National Convention — CB

    Hah! Got that e-mail late last night. “wanted you (ie my supporters) to be the first to know…” And, unlike Obama’s “be the first to know”, I didn’t have to sign up for it specially.

    Re Plouffe. I always think of it as a “scrambled up souffle” then realize that the relative positions of “f” and “l” are not the same, then give up speculating as to either the origin or the pronunciation.

    Re Crist’s engagement. IIRC, it’s his 6th so the timing is not, *necessarily*, suggestive of anything.

    Re Chad. I’m beginning to wonder whether, rather than coming out of the Heart of Darkness (and deep Africa), it might not be coming out of Poland. In Polish, “czad” (pronounced “chad”) means “carbon monoxide” or smell of the same. Because of that, in popular parlance, “czad” now means “a) overpowering smell of something burning. b) overpoweringly bad smell”. Seems to fit.

  • He says “Pluff”–rhymes with “stuff.”

    Crist has really been engaged six times? Holy smoke! Let me guess…always in election seasons.

    Hey, it won’t bother me if it’s not Crist. I can hardly think of any choice for McCain’s VP that won’t make me howl with mirth.

  • * Meet your DNC Keynote speaker: “Mark Warner, Virginia’s former governor and its Democratic candidate for the Senate, has been tapped to be the keynote speaker at the Democratic National Convention, a plum spot that is often a springboard to national prominence.

    This is just very disappointing and disheartening. Mark Warner is rabidly anti-gay; he used gay-baiting in his campaign as smoothly and easily as the best right-wing asshole. Now, he gets the key spot at the Democratic Convention, where he will be front and center before millions of viewers. Is there anybody who really believes that Barack Obama won’t do anything to get elected? Anything? Now he’s pandering to the anti-GLBTQ folks with Warner as keynoter — the same people who are racist bigots. How long will it be, do ya suppose, until Obama sells out health care, Social Security, environmental concerns, trade?

  • MaBelle, @43,

    Bet your *real* beef with Warner is that he’s scheduled to speak on the same night as Hillary, meaning that she won’t have the evening all to herself or be allowed to speak all night long. For all Mark Warner’s alleged “rabid” anti-gay stance, he was adamantly against the poisonous, religiously-motivated, anti-gay amendment to VA Constitution (as was Tim Kaine), when it was on the ballot in ’06 (unfortunately, it passed; no telling when we’ll get the chance — if ever — to clean our Constitution off this garbage). But, of course, we’d rather have Hillary joining McCain — again — in nominating Saakashvili for Nobel Peace Prize, no?

  • I’m told the PUMA blogs have been churning all day over Hillary not being the keynoter on “women’s night” (whatever that means–the official theme for Tuesday is economics).

    Look, folks, it’s really simple: we need Virginia, Warner is beloved there, Hillary is poison there, and the percentage of Clinton supporters running around insisting this is a heinous slight is extremely small. She is, as she was always slated to be, a featured speaker that night, and will be accorded plenty of respect and listened to with great interest. If that’s not enough for you, too bad. The rest of us, and I include most people who voted for Clinton in that approximation, have moved on.

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