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[Tamanon]

Aight guys, it's not Survivor, it's "working across the aisle" like the aisle between the seats in the house.

 

[Cheebs]

All the bitching about this flip is ridiculous. Obama built his campaign on the idea that he would be a "post-partisan" president willing to work with the other side. That's exactly what he's doing here.

If you wanted someone who was going to stick it to the REPs damned the consequences, then you should have voted for Hillary. Frag and APF warned you.

Exactly. Obama said constantly in the primaries he could work with republicans but hillary kept saying we gotta hit them hard. The dems picked Obama, so stop complaining when he works with republicans. Obama ran on unity, Hillary ran on revenge. Unity won so thats what we'll get.

 

[KilledByBill]

This is something that is really worrying me. This election should be about Bush, and yet it's not - its about Obama. It's like Obama is running for re-election. Like he's the status-quo, which is the biggest threat to a campaign running on "change."

Yes the problem is (and this reared its head in the late Dem Primaries) is that ratings-wise the media wants to focus on the Obama story and all its associated narratives including the unspoken question: "Will a majority white country vote for an African-American?"

While Hillary Clinton and John McCain both complain that the press was/is focused too much on Obama it helps them when they go with negative ads, which the media then relentlessly replays and dissects while waiting for Obama's response.

This was a bad week for Obama, no question and I hope his team comes up with a way to control the narrative right out of the gate on Monday with policy/economic issues. The response ad about McCain taking the low road was okay but I hope more focused ads come out to the tune of "while John McCain and the republicans can't stop talking about me, I'm here to tell you my plan for job creation, the environment, energy, economic recovery, etc. after 'eight years' of failed policies in Washington."

After this week I'm wondering if Biden isn't a better VP choice over some one like Bayh or Kaine, someone who will really be able to hit the campaign and be vocal with the press.

 

[Cloudy]

McCain's celeb ad was awful, but the "chosen one" ad is interesting

I'm not sure how that one will go. On one hand, there were folks calling Obama the antichrist earlier this year so this was meant for them I think. Then again, isn't the ad somewhat offensive to Christians?

Personally, I think McCain will win in the end..

 

[Tamanon]

I dunno, after this week, I still think Clark might be reinserting himself in the Veep hunt.

 

[hokahey]

I live in the conservative midwest and I don't his jesus ad will play well. I think it's going to hurt him amongst undecideds. It's just a shitty ad and he gets more and more arrogant and cocky with every passing day.

 

[KilledByBill]

I dunno, after this week, I still think Clark might be reinserting himself in the Veep hunt.

Did you sign the petition?

http://www.obamaclark.com/

I do like Clark and it was total BS how the media painted his criticism of "the media" holding McCain's service record up as a qualification to be president as a sacred cow.

 

[Cheebs]

I dunno, after this week, I still think Clark might be reinserting himself in the Veep hunt.

If he was being vetted we'd hear about it like we heard about Kaine, Selebius, Biden, and Bayh.

 

[GhaleonEB]

If he was being vetted we'd hear about it like we heard about Kaine, Selebius, Biden, and Bayh.

I'm very dubious that the short list is what people think it is.

http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2008/08/vp-short-faves.html

Good article on why.

 

[Cheebs]

I'm very dubious that the short list is what people think it is.

http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2008/08/vp-short-faves.html

Good article on why.

Usually vetting is hard to keep private which is why I think it will be one of those 4 in the end. I'd be VERY surprised if it wasnt Bayh or Kaine.

 

[reilo]

Clark? As in Wesley Clark?

I would so fucking approve.

 

[GhaleonEB]

Usually vetting is hard to keep private which is why I think it will be one of those 4 in the end. I'd be VERY surprised if it wasnt Bayh or Kaine.

Obama keeps a lot of stuff private. I think people know some folks on the list, but not nearly all.

 

[Diablos]

I think I'm getting election fatigue already.

I tend to stop paying attention for as long as possible (usually a solid month, at least) and then gradually start to pay more attention again.

 

[shibby]

Personally, I think McCain will win in the end..

History is more on Obama's side. I'm sure he will win, it would take either an incredibly lopsided vp selction to put McCain ahead or some other huge mistake by Obama to put his campaign in jeopardy.

 

[Diablos]

Well, Sarah Palin or Carly Fiorna as VP would certainly make things interesting... I think it would prove to be quite helpful to McCain.

Nobody usually votes for the VP at the end of the day, but, what if for the first time in almost 25 years, that VP candidate is a female?

 

[shibby]

Well who's convention is first? If McCain goes with a woman, then Obama would probably go with Sebellius.

 

[Diablos]

The Democrats go first.

Democratic National Convention: 8/25 to 8/28

Republican National Convention: 9/1 to 9/4

The incumbent President's party has their convention after the challenging party -- it's a tradition.

 

[avatar299]

Watching all this is pretty amusing to me. How dumb does one have to be to change their mind about Obama just because of the ridiculous ads this week? Either these daily polls are stupid or the majority of the public is...or both lol

I just can't believe anyone who says they're leaning towards McCain after this week was ever considering Obama in the first place..

This is what you dumbasses get for relying so much on polls

 

[Gaborn]

I've got to ask, what was the point of pushing the primary season SO historically early since the conventions are as late or later than (weren't they held in Mid July in the past?) ever?

 

[Manager]

Might be a good avatar

 

[schuelma]

Obama has had a rough week, but I'm still reasonably confident he'll win once they actually start the debates. The contrast between the two, just from a very superficial image perspective, *should* end this thing.

 

[Door2Dawn]

http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSN0138628820080801

Here is your daily fix of hopium.

 

[ZealousD]

 

[Jason's Ultimatum]

http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSN0138628820080801

Here is your daily fix of hopium.

Good read, but in the back of my mind, there's something that tells me McCain will win.

I do like this quote:

"This model has correctly predicted the winning party 12 out of 14 times," Macroeconomic Advisers said.

 

[Instigator]

The first one is best. :lol

 

[Manmademan]

I've got to ask, what was the point of pushing the primary season SO historically early since the conventions are as late or later than (weren't they held in Mid July in the past?) ever?

don't quote me on this, but i think the intent was to have the nominee wrapped up as soon as possible, to avoid long, expensive, drawn out primaries and save that money to use vs. the republicans in the general.

it didn't quite work out that way though :lol

 

[PhoenixDark]

http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSN0138628820080801

Here is your daily fix of hopium.

Bookmarked for November


Obama agrees to the normal three debates

Obama's campaign released a letter this afternoon from campaign manager David Plouffe to the Commission on Presidential Debates only agreeing to the traditional three sanctioned fall debates and single vice presidential forum.

"Due to the late date of the two parties' nominating conventions, and the relatively short period between the end of the conventions and the first proposed debate, it is likely that the four commission debates will be the sole series of debates in the fall campaign," Plouffe writes.

Not said is whether Obama is any longer considering meeting McCain for any town hall meetings outside the Commission's debates. After initial indications in June that some would take place, it appears increasingly unlikely that the two candidates will meet on stage before the first debate at Ole Miss in September. McCain wanted to do one per week; Obama's campaign responded by proposing one town hall on July Fourth and a Lincoln-Douglas-style appearance in August. McCain's campaign rejected this counter-offer and discussions have since ceased as the campaign has increasingly turned negative.

Asked about the prospect last week on "Meet the Press," Obama only pointed to the three fall debates and noted how many joint forums he had done during the Democratic primary.

In the letter, Plouffe said that Rep. Rahm Emanuel would serve as the campaign's debate representative for negotiations with the commission and McCain's campaign.

http://www.politico.com/blogs/jonathanmartin/

 

[Father_Brain]

Exactly. Obama said constantly in the primaries he could work with republicans but hillary kept saying we gotta hit them hard. The dems picked Obama, so stop complaining when he works with republicans. Obama ran on unity, Hillary ran on revenge. Unity won so thats what we'll get.

Hillary's rhetoric on partisanship was better than Obama's, but her record really isn't. I'm less than convinced that she'd be any less of a capitulator on FISA or drilling.

Edit: Yes, I know Hillary voted the right way on FISA. Her overall record on "national security" issues (refusing to apologize for the AUMF, voting for Kyl-Lieberman) gives me no reason to think that she would have done so had she been the nominee.

 

[GhaleonEB]

McCain's "Country First Concert" Only Gets Hundreds Of People

Despite having the free entertainment of country music star John Rich, premiering his new song paying tribute to the candidate, the Washington Post reports that a McCain rally in the Florida Panhandle was only able to attract several hundred people. That's just a tiny fraction of the thousands of people who typically show up for John Rich at his own concerts -- meaning that John McCain is a serious drag on any marquee bill.

http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/08/election_central_saturday_roun_27.php

 

[John_B]

Good read, but in the back of my mind, there's something that tells me McCain will win.

It's destined for Obama to win. America is in a downfall and a black man is the favorit to win the presidential election. The signs apart, Obama has to win, your nation won't last 8 more years of abuse.

 

[The Librarian]

The first one is best. :lol

I would have to agree.:lol

http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/08/election_central_saturday_roun_27.php

This is even funnier.:lol

 

[Lucky Forward]

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/08/01/mccains_country_music_extravag.html

As McCain's Straight Talk Express bus drove up to the concert grounds Rich launched into "Raising McCain," which pays homage to the senator's time in captivity during the Vietnam War.

"He stayed strong, stayed extra long till they let all the other boys out. Now we've got a real man with an American plan, we're going to put him in the big White House," he sang and his band played the zydeco-infused tune. "You can get on the train or get out of the way. We're all just raising McCain."

Yeehaw.

 

[The Librarian]

Tied goes to Obama

From Politico.

 

[Macam]

Perhaps Rich should have gone with "raining McCain". I'm not even entirely sure what "raising McCain" means in that context, but it reminds me of the completely unrelated movie Raising Arizona, which is somewhat coincidental since McCain is from there.

 

[APF]

Hillary's rhetoric on partisanship was better than Obama's, but her record really isn't. I'm less than convinced that she'd be any less of a capitulator on FISA or drilling.

If only there were a way to see how she would have voted on such issues.

 

[librasox]

Hillary's rhetoric on partisanship was better than Obama's, but her record really isn't. I'm less than convinced that she'd be any less of a capitulator on FISA or drilling.

Um, she voted against FISA, dude.

 

[Father_Brain]

Um, she voted against FISA, dude.

True, and I should have noted that in my post. See my edit above.

 

[APF]

Perhaps Rich should have gone with "raining McCain". I'm not even entirely sure what "raising McCain" means in that context, but it reminds me of the completely unrelated movie Raising Arizona, which is somewhat coincidental since McCain is from there.

"Raising Cain" is an idiom.


Father_Brain: please tell me you are at least a little self-aware when you use the argument, "who knows how [x] would have voted if they were actually [y]"

 

[Father_Brain]

Father_Brain: please tell me you are at least a little self-aware when you use the argument, "who knows how [x] would have voted if they were actually [y]"

Fair enough. It's more of an assertion than an argument, really, and I'm certainly not saying it's provable.

 

[GhaleonEB]

lolz

 

[kkaabboomm]

McCain Press Release (in response to Obama's letter to the debate people):

"We understand it might be beneath a worldwide celebrity of Barack Obama’s magnitude to appear at town hall meetings alongside John McCain..."

http://thepage.time.com/mccain-response-to-obama-debate-letter/

he continues to hammer the 'celebrity' angle to try and make it stick...

 

[StoOgE]

McCain Press Release (in response to Obama's letter to the debate people):

"We understand it might be beneath a worldwide celebrity of Barack Obama’s magnitude to appear at town hall meetings alongside John McCain..."

http://thepage.time.com/mccain-response-to-obama-debate-letter/

he continues to hammer the 'celebrity' angle to try and make it stick...

ya, other than the fact he apears at town halls constantly

 

[Tyrone Slothrop]

i really doubt anybody's buying this celebrity thing. i mean this is america. we love celebrities. we let them get away with murdering their wives. so we would want one in the white house, no?

seriously though, it's just stupid and won;t gain much traction

 

[The Librarian]

McCain Press Release (in response to Obama's letter to the debate people):

"We understand it might be beneath a worldwide celebrity of Barack Obama’s magnitude to appear at town hall meetings alongside John McCain..."

http://thepage.time.com/mccain-response-to-obama-debate-letter/

he continues to hammer the 'celebrity' angle to try and make it stick...

CALAMITY! I am shocked... almost too shocked for words.

 

[StoOgE]

i really doubt anybody's buying this celebrity thing. i mean this is america. we love celebrities. we let them get away with murdering their wives. so we would want one in the white house, no?

seriously though, it's just stupid and won;t gain much traction

its too over the top. plus people might mock celebrities, but people like them.

something like obama = arrogant and presumptuous might work, but this paris britney shit is almost farsical.

 

[ToyMachine228]

McCain is the one painting himself as cynical about this whole thing. Really, these ads and press releases are making him look like a jealous cry baby sibling.

 

[maximum360]

Kerry and Lieberman on Meet The Press tomorrow. Should be quite a show.

McCain will lose the most this week though. Sure, the short term impact might temporarily affect the polls, but I'm positive this is all temporary. McCain's has so far trashed his own image in the eyes of the press so badly in just a week so that even his water carriers are calling foul.

McCain's strength was that he always was the most favored by the press, a relationship that gained him a reputation as a "Maverick", "Straight Talker", etc. Now it seems all that is just about out the window. He used up his free pass card. Add to the fact that McCain's other endearing quality as far as the press is concerned was that he was always available for comment. Since his campaign has been putting up more barriers between McCain and the press, that's just another finger in the eye for "his base", the media. When McCain begins to get the same scrutiny that Obama has gotten, that may very well be bad news for McCain, especially since, they might not take so kindly anymore to McCain's forgetfullness of his own policy position, his very vague policy positions (and Obama's get classified as an empty suit?), and his crass nature.

Couple all those things with the fact that Obama will probably destroy McCain in the debates, it should really be an interesting few months until November. I also have to disagree with Rachel Maddow about something. She disagreed with Obama meeting with the big wig economic advisers and said he should have been out on the trail instead. What seems to be Obama's plan all along is to go from grandiose (having huge rallies, meeting with leaders on the world stage, having discussion with some of America's top economic advisers) and then moving toward more town hall style meetings. Sounds like a winning plan to me (and his pushing of the bipartisan compromise angle must be infuriating to McCain who has always prided himself on this).

 

[Stinkles]

i really doubt anybody's buying this celebrity thing. i mean this is america. we love celebrities. we let them get away with murdering their wives. so we would want one in the white house, no?

Reagan agrees with you. Shirley Temple agrees with you. Arnie agrees with you. Actually, half the cast of Predator agrees with you.

 

[worldrunover]

McCain is trying to paint him as too disconnected and elite for working class Americans... the problem is nothing in Obama's rhetoric has suggested that.

 

[Mandark]

Reagan agrees with you. Shirley Temple agrees with you. Arnie agrees with you. Actually, half the cast of Predator agrees with you.

I'd like to take this opportunity to make the millionth joke about a prospective Carl Weathers gubernatorial campaign.