If only everyone was this sane. Did these people just become voters? Half the polls in 2000 had Bush ahead by 7-8%, he was ahead nearly 20 after his convention. The actual results? 48-48. 2004 was similar, with Bush ahead by 10% after his convention. The actual results? 51-48. McCain is ahead 1-2% after his convention? That doesn't mean a whole lot. Hell, I'm 26, and I remember all of this pretty clearly.
Have some confidence people. If you supported Obama in the primaries, remember how we all fretted? And look at the result. If you supporter Hillary, remember how he beat the most formidable team in Democratic politics and an immensely popular party icon? He's got this, trust him. He's got proven skills.
Posted by Soullite at September 7, 2008 03:21 PMIsn't there a way that both could lose?
Posted by Skeptic at September 7, 2008 03:23 PMI do not think McCain's bounce will fade. I think that the national polls will settle at a 2-5% gap. They will stay that way until the first debate.
For reasons that I cannot imagine, the Democrats, as a group, have not launched a major attack on McCain. As Begala was saying during the DNC, it is necessary to attack because the other side needs to be seen defending themselves. This is particularly true with McCain because he has shown that he cannot play defense.
It is in many ways a replay of 2000 and 2004: the Republicans can run their campaign confident that the corporate press/media will protect and promote them while allowing any criticism or slander of the Democrats, no matter how spurious or false, to get plenty of air time.
It will take a major fuck up for McCain to lose this election.
Posted by James E. Powell at September 7, 2008 03:34 PMUm, it's fine to keep a fighting spirit, but there is NO way that this election looks good for Obama in November---not compared to near-landslide we were promised.
Posted by MarkL at September 7, 2008 04:07 PMOne thing that would help, is if one friggin commentator or reporter would call McCain and Palinass on their continue statement that 'Obama will raise taxes.' They repeat it over and over again, and no one calls them on it, no one.
Posted by Judith at September 7, 2008 04:29 PMLet's see the polls after Palin is interviewed by Charles Gibson of ABC. Don't have date and time yet.
Posted by Judith at September 7, 2008 04:40 PMI don't trust Gibson to press her on anything.
I agree, I heard some McCain surrogate on Fox talk about Obama raising taxes and he wasn't called on it. Yet on This Week, George pressed Obama on whether he would still raise taxes (he plans to raise some, cut others) if we were in an official recession in January.
I worry about the debates because of the way Obama talks--uh, you know, uh....
Posted by CG at September 7, 2008 05:06 PMJames Powell has it right. The DNC wasted its week of free air time campaigning against a guy not on the ballot. This was Obama's inexperience rearing its ugly head. He and the many of y'all have caught BDS and thought link the two somehow and you win. How wrong that was, how amature the thinking was. We heard all week about GWB and then as a throw in the name of John McCain. That linkage has grown stale, rancid lately. But the many here just wanted more, you got what you wanted. And you launched arrows at the wrong target. The guy running got off almost unharmed.
McSame/McLame/John Bush/McPOW, keep up that narrative, It will only lose this election for ya. Maybe it will make you feel happy for the doing. So feel happy, please feel happy.
John S. McCain isn't George W. Bush. Never was, never will be. GWB needed Cheney, Obama needed Biden, McCain didn't need either. He was free to pick a deal changer, a game breaker and he did. Clinton would have been able to make the same type of pick, a game breaker.
Capj, isn't this the same stuff you posted recently? More trash, even Seven has better maps...still. As for Obama and his campaign, seems he's pulling back. Writing off places he lead y'all to believe were available to him, they're not. His map is reverting back to the Kerry map of 2004. Your base states are out of whack.
Phid, from RAS: "McCain earns the vote from 89% of Republicans while Obama is supported by 81% of Democrats. McCain also manages to attract 15% of Democrats while Obama gets 9% of the Republican vote. Voters not affiliated with either major party remain fairly evenly divided between the two men."
Next week more polls, we'll see which direction they're heading. My feeling is they will move even moreso in McCain's direction. Palin has become a real force now. She will not be silenced and Senator Biden will have his hands full. Boy did he look mad the other day, not his affable self.
Posted by peter at September 7, 2008 05:30 PM"Isn't there a way that both could lose?"
I wish!
Posted by Shirin at September 7, 2008 05:54 PMShe will not be silenced...
How would you ever know if she's silent or not from the way she's been cloistered like a horny teenage girl during the Middle Ages?
McCain/Palin 08: Just A Heartbeat Away From Being A Great Grandmother In 12 Years!
Todd Palins business partner (the one who supposedly had an affair with Sarah) filed a motion to have his divorce records sealed. The motion was denied. Shouldn't be too hard for someone to go to the courthouse and pull the record--I do it all the time. It's my job. In divorce cases (and I worked on a study dealing with divorce court cases, so I've looked at a lot) the details of a hearing may not be in the case and names involved in infidelity probably aren't mentioned. I'm guessing there's no evidence in the case file pointing to Sarah Palin. But here's the docket
Posted by CG at September 7, 2008 06:09 PMThey already have looked into those records, CG. Sarah Palin's name isn't even mentioned.
Todd's former partner wanted the records sealed because the media was getting his phone number, address, Social Security number, and following and harassing his family, including his 11 year-old-son. Apparently the Obama oppo-research team was doing the same, and the former business partner wanted to stop them all from stalking him and his family.
The papers show nothing. Sarah Palin isn't even mentioned.
Sorry if that disappoints you.
Posted by Mary at September 7, 2008 06:23 PMLet's see, Obama gets the incumbent off the ballot to get elected state senator. He gets the divorce documents of the Ryan's unsealed to force him off the ballot. Am I noticing a trend here. He can't win without subterfuge, he lost his only attempt for a House seat. I guess he couldn't find anything there.
Go ahead and look there, spend a month up there looking. Spend a bunch of money too. Then come back with nothing. This guy didn't want his life messed with. He didn't want his children having to read about their parents problems, that's never gotten in the way of Obama fans tho.
Go look at the Anchorage news...
Y'all are on defense and have been since mid August.
Even George Step.(ABC) had to save Obama today after he said, "his Muslim faith..." George came back with the phrase "Christian faith", which Obama quickly reverted to.
You want Palin to interview with these people? Really, the MSM, you're willing to place all your hopes on them?
Posted by peter at September 7, 2008 06:25 PMBegin to watch for copies of Palin's eye ware. The more they turn up, the more influence she's bringing.
Posted by peter at September 7, 2008 06:43 PMYep, zero came across as either a blithering idiot or a muslim today.
Posted by onar at September 7, 2008 06:54 PMTodd's former partner wanted the records sealed because the media was getting his phone number, address, Social Security number, and following and harassing his family, including his 11 year-old-son. Apparently the Obama oppo-research team was doing the same, and the former business partner wanted to stop them all from stalking him and his family.
The papers show nothing. Sarah Palin isn't even mentioned.
Sorry if that disappoints you.
No, it doesn't disappoint me. I was just following up on a story someone had posted the other day about a request the record be sealed. As I said, I would doubt the file would show anything.
Posted by CG at September 7, 2008 07:43 PMNo one seems to bring up the fact tht Sarah Palin only thinks of herself and her ambition. She accepts the nomination after her one day vetting probably not telling the individual who interviewed her that her daughter is pregnant. Then goes ahead and exposes her daughter in a vulnerable state, to world wide attention apparently indifferent to what Bristol is going through. So much for family values from another right wing hypocrite.
Posted by laternighter at September 7, 2008 08:11 PMAnd the other shoe drops....USA Today/Gallup
"In the new poll, taken Friday through Sunday, McCain leads Obama by 54%-44% among those seen as most likely to vote. The survey of 1,022 adults, including 959 registered voters, has a margin of error of +/— 3 points for both samples.
McCain leads Democrat Barack Obama by 50%-46% among registered voters, the Republican's biggest advantage since January and a turnaround from the USA TODAY poll taken just before the convention opened in St. Paul. Then, he lagged by 7 percentage points.
The convention bounce has helped not only McCain but also attitudes toward Republican congressional candidates and the GOP in general."
Amazing!!!!!!!!!
Posted by peter at September 7, 2008 08:14 PMLaternighter,
No one one the left seems to ask themselves whether attacking Palin for the way she runs her family is an appropriate way to try to earn votes for Obama.
Actually, I think that attacking her in this fashion helps McCain, politically, so there should be no issue at all of going after her family.
Her politics are bad enough. There's no reason to cover yourself in slime to score a point.. unless that's what you like.
Obama appears to be on the verge of a collapse in the polls; I think that the undue focus on Palin is part of the problem.
Posted by MarkL at September 7, 2008 08:19 PMPeter, Peter, Peter. Let's see what the polls are after Ms. Palin's interview on ABC this week. Hope the list of books she tried to ban while mayor at her local library come out. Naturally Harry Potter is on it but Huckleberry Finn, To Kill A Mockingbird and the Dictionary.
Posted by laternighter at September 7, 2008 08:21 PMLaternighter,
Do you really think that an interview of Palin by Charlie Gibson is going to hurt??
You really hang on to forlorn hope, buddy.
I bet you're still waiting for Fitzgerald to indict Cheney.
P.S.
I count myself in Obama's camp now, but I'm definitely not part of the Fantasy Island crowd who comments here.
then there’s this today:
As a Matter of Faith, Biden Says Life Begins at Conception
By KATE PHILLIPS
Published: September 7, 2008
WASHINGTON — Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr., the Democratic nominee for vice president, departed Sunday from party doctrine on abortion rights, declaring that as a Catholic, he believes life begins at conception.
Interesting is it? How was he vetted?
Posted by peter at September 7, 2008 08:29 PMThe media types do check the internet and pick up what their research doesh't seem to from time to time. More interested in her book list, a totally valid point especially Palin trying to fire the town librarian who won't go along with her. Good for you Markl but that's a judgement on your part.
Posted by laternighter at September 7, 2008 08:32 PMLaternighter,
On what planet will people care about Palin trying to fire a librarian?
That is just not a big issue!
Glenn Greenwald gets it; he wrote:
"Moreover, Sarah Palin isn't Dan Quayle. She is extremely smart -- much smarter than the average media star who will eventually be interviewing her -- and she is very politically skilled as well. She didn't go from obscure small-town city council member to Governor to Vice Presidential nominee by accident. She'll be more than adequately prepared for the shallow, 30-second, rote exchanges that pass for political interviews in our Serious mainstream discourse. Anyone expecting her to fall on her face or be exposed as some drooling simpleton is going to be extremely disappointed. That might (or might not) happen with real questioning, but she's not going to face that."
Peter, I watched the Biden interview today. He did say he believes life begins at conception but unlike you repubs doesn't believe on imposing his beliefs on others and limiting their rights.
Posted by laternighter at September 7, 2008 08:34 PMAttemptinhg to ban books and fire the town librarian for refusing to do so is a first ammendment issue. It's highly offensive and I do feel that if it's brought up on the media people will start to see Palin for what she is. Someone who has no problem denying people their rights if it interferes with her beliefs.
Posted by laternighter at September 7, 2008 08:39 PMLaternighter,
You are projecting.
People will not care. I guarantee it.
"On what planet will people care about Palin trying to fire a librarian? That is just not a big issue!"
I will tell you who cares, Democrats, and it is a big issue. Palin fired the librarian because she believes in the First Amendment and does not believe in banning books. That is the issue, banning books. She was reinstated after a backlash from the community.
Posted by Judith at September 7, 2008 08:42 PMHaving an opinion is not necessarily projecting. Many people won't care but there will be others who do and I guarantee that they are people who vote.
Posted by laternighter at September 7, 2008 08:45 PMSo you think the Gibson interview will be poison for Palin?
Like I said---the comment section here is Fantasy Island.
She's probably so programmed that Gibson is unlikely to expose her true self. But going to watch it anyway and who knows.
Posted by laternighter at September 7, 2008 08:56 PMShe's probably so programmed that Gibson is unlikely to expose her true self. But going to watch it anyway and who knows.
Posted by laternighter at September 7, 2008 08:56 PMYou seem to be assuming that she's not truthful.
Posted by peter at September 7, 2008 09:03 PMEnter panic mode!
Posted by m12 at September 7, 2008 09:15 PMShe hasn't been truthful so far. e.g. She was against the Bridge to Nowhere but that was only after she was for it. Going to be an advocate for special needs children but never gave evidence of caring about them before she had one of her own.
Posted by at September 7, 2008 09:38 PMEnter panic mode!
ROFLMAO! Tomorrow, Hillary starts hitting the exact States Palin is supposed to be campaigning in. Wonder how that happened? Wonder what she'll say? Bet it gets an assload of press!
True, the polls are gyrating a bit. As CAPJ says, give it to Thursday. Better yet, next Monday. The real campaign starts tomorrow. The conventions are over. VPs are picked. Caribou Barbie has to come out at some point and her vetting continues. Who knows what goodies await us?
Posted by phidipides at September 7, 2008 10:43 PMThe books include Harry Potter and Bridge to Tarabithia according to what I heard on the radio this evening. I do not recall the other books at the moment.
As for going after her family, it depends on what one focuses in that regard. Given that she is a self-proclaimed "family values" person, and a "good [fundamentalist] Christian" her personal behaviour in regard to family does have some bearing.
Posted by Shirin at September 7, 2008 11:19 PMClinton's been careful about her criticism of another female. She hasn't said much about Palin. It's one of those rules in the senate and, I expect, she'll apply the rule to Gov. Palin. Oh she'll use the "No way, no how, no McCain" phrase, she may also ad Palin's name in, but don't look for her to extend too far any negative comments Palin's way. That's just wishful thinking right now.
Posted by peter at September 8, 2008 03:15 AM