Now! All New!! One Third the Campaigners
The McCain campaign, noting that by adding a celebrity to their ticket they can actually fill rallies, has announced McCain and Palin will continue to campaign together after she returns from trying to cover up her dirt in Alaska.
The McCain campaign is "very seriously considering" having McCain and Palin campaign together more often than not in the next two months, a senior campaign aide said, adding it could be the most a presidential and vice presidential candidate campaign in tandem in recent history.
The aide said the two have developed a strong chemistry together and will likely utilize it through joint rallies. He likened it to the chemistry Bill Clinton and Al Gore had in 1992, suggesting it was instinctive.
"Sometimes these vice presidential selections, the pairings, work in a magical way," the aide told reporters on the Palin campaign plane, on condition of anonymity.
Though, really, it’s not so much "chemistry" or "magic." It’s necessity. You can’t promise concert-goers Carrie Underwood and then deliver Lawrence Welk–which is what the McCain campaign will be doing until they get their hot celebrity back on the trail.
In fact, McCain couldn’t even get through his first campaign rally after Palin left, though that appears to have been Democrats capitalizing on really bad advance work from the McCain team.
Republican presidential candidate John McCain cut short his first public appearance without running-mate Sarah Palin after chanting supporters of Democratic rival Barack Obama interrupted his speech.
After lunching with a roundtable of women at Philadelphia’s Down Home Diner, McCain shook hands with supporters and strode up to a podium to deliver a statement. But as he spoke, chants of "Obama, Obama, Obama" filled the room.
Reporters craned forward trying to hear the Arizona senator. Unfortunately for McCain — and possibly overlooked by aides who planned the event — a section of the diner opened up to a market where a crowd had gathered behind a cordon.
A large contingent of Obama supporters showed up, mixed with some who had bumper stickers reading "Democrats for McCain".
[snip]
His words were barely audible. [my emphasis]
Frankly, this state of affairs has a lot of risk for McCain. He is already depending on her to bring out the crowds–which suggests a real dependency which kind of weakens the whole war hero image.
But I’m most interested in what McCain’s reliance on Palin will do for his ability to campaign. The race is currently effectively tied both nationally and in a number of key swing states. Barring some other big campaign news, those states will be decided by the amount of close attention each candidate gives them–the number of rallies they have. And by setting it up so that McCain has to appear with Palin to draw any crowd (and given the leers McCain has already made towards Palin’s legs, I presume Cindy McCain will continue to chaperone the pair), the McCain team has basically cut their number of potential campaigners by two thirds.
Every day, Barack Obama and Joe Biden split up, head to different swing states, and hit different kinds of voters (Biden, for example, has a much better draw among Catholics and white working class people). In addition, Michelle Obama seems to do at least one event a week, meeting with women to talk about economic issues. Any of the three of these people has the ability to represent Obama and his message proudly. Meanwhile, it looks increasingly like the McCain team will be offering McPalin-and-the-wife, one unit, at one third of the total campaign spots.
Already, the GOP is operating at a disadvantage because they didn’t have anything to excite the Christian conservatives who serve as key campaign volunteers until last week. They’re facing a Democrat who has the best ground game of recent memory. But now it looks like, on top of those hidden handicaps, the McCain team will be working this election with one third the campaigners.
And if McCain continues to spend weekends being recessitated in Arizona, will Sarah campaign alone? Or with Cindy? Hmmm.
This also poses serious health risks to McCain. As the Viagra commercials warn us, you contact a doctor if your erection lasts more than four hours (I’d contact a nurse, for my part).
A propos yesterday’s thread, wish granted — I can’t believe Obama said this on David Letterman(TPM):
I saw it and thought it was GREAT. It was a great humorous answer to the whole matter. Obama is just super sharp. Really really bright.
I have to say, I’ve never seen such promise in a candidate. He’s really one in a million.
What’s a circus without the clowns and the elephants?
Barnum & Bailey knew how to fill a tent.
Good, tough Brian Ross troopergate report on Good Morning America this morning. It even, to my surprise, argued that the firing of Monegan had hurt women who needed abuse outreach programs Monegan had some responsibility for.
In the long run, what you say may affect the election, short run though, McBush seems to get more press than Obama. Is it the stump or reporting the stump that’s more important. Unless something timely comes from all the (fill in name)gates of Palin, McBush looks to win the PR. Additionally, Obama just doesn’t seem to have an adequate vocabulary of one syllable words for use on our doltish electorate. His speechs and interviews seem to reflect the attitude ‘why use one word when two will do’. It isn’t working.
They were discussing this on teevee last night as the Allan Keyes method–
If you got no money for PR, say or do something outrageous. The Media will then provide coverage for free. Of course, the extra coverage didn’t do him much good, considering his landslide loss to Obama.
Bob in HI
Sarah is carrying the campaign. The excitement is generated by her and for her. If they want people to show up for McBush without being ordered to, they need her. I can’t ever recall a VP with this level of star power.
Comment from a disgruntled GOP friend: “What she does ain’t huntin’. And she can’t negociate with the Russians with a rifle from an aircraft”.
Lets face it, she’s put a media shield up around McBush. If there was a photo of McBush accepting a bribe, it’d be knocked out of the papers in an hour by one photo of her in shorts. Even her scandels are much more interesting. McBush was the best spokesman we had, every time he diverted from his prepared script we got votes. She’s a great speaker, with the ability to sell shoes to snakes.
Our goal should be to get her out of the news and McBush back in.
Boxturtle (Other than troopergate)
A crowd all psyched up to hear her belt out “Before He Cheats” would be less than pleased to be greeted with John McCain instead.
In fact, that’s probably *not* a song McCain would like to hear terribly often.
Don’t forget the McCain whine: I wouldn’t have smeared you with lipsticks, if you agreed to the “Town Hall” forums…
KO hit a homer: If McCain can get Osama bin Looney, he should announce
his plan to the Nation.
The Dems need to get tough, and Obama should cease with the metaphors,
and sic Biden on her…
I prefer “Osama bin Laughin”
Kinda seriously OT but…
I invite you all to participate in Instapundit’s INSTA-POLL.
See http://pajamasmedia.com/instapundit/ today’s date.
The topic: Would the likelihood of a serious terrorist attack be greater under Obama or McCain?
Under Obama, of course. From Alaskan secessionists or other right wingers.
sheez, what a rout. but then, those neanderthals don’t have two neurons to share amongst ‘em.
A couple of quick hits before I get dragged into a disaster prep meeting at the day job. I got an email last night from the Obama inviting me to take a short trip to New Mexico to
They’ve built up a decent organization in Texas, but they and we know that if they win in Texas, it’ll be because of an Obama landslide. Getting people to go to New Mexico for a weekend is pretty good idea. Of course, it’s over 800 miles from here to New Mexico, so that’s pretty long drive for a weekend of organizing (and they want people to drive…)
ew’s post points out the value of undermining Palin. It’s not just the hard core Religious Right that loves Palin. A lot of Republicans think she’s their chance to win.
I have yet to meet someone totally enchanted by her. Everyone we talk to, sees through the veil and sees an opportunist and inexperienced epitome of Peter’s Principle…not the person that one would trust with the nuclear codes.
Besides, her whine-laiden, nasal, screechy voice just does not say, “I can be effective in a diplomatic setting”…she just does not even have the language skills of diplomacy or effective international leadership skills.
Now Biden…He’s got the skills.
She’s not playing terribly well in the MW. She is playing well in the South. But seeing as how only NC, GA, and VA were MAYBE in play (and she’s not playing well in VA), I’ll take that.
and obama just took GA out of play (why piss in the wind? the guy’s smart), so that essentially leaves NC. i think obama will take VA pretty strongly.
When will Biden shart using those skills? He seems to have disappeared, along with most of the Democrats. Obama is having to fight alone and on all fronts.
My 91 year old father was totally enchanted by her. So was my right-wing brother in law. And my sister claims she “never talks politics” – but from the faces she made, it’s clear she’s in the mcShame camp too.
What I’m wondering is this. How in the heck can Sarah prepare for a debate if she’s wheeling Gramps to and from his POW-er speeches? Will they be piping info into a hearing aid in the ear? Are they doing a chip implant right now in Alaska? Seriously, how can McShame-Failin do the two-step together and have her prepare for something she has no experience for?
I know… that’s their problem! Just asking.
OT but important for future posts:
http://www.fredericknewspost.c…..ryID=79878
Ivins’ Colleague Says He Was Murdered
Dr. Ayaad Assaad, who worked in the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Disease lab at Fort Detrick from 1989 to 1997, was interviewed yesterday by the Frederick News Post (the local paper in the area of Fort Detrick).
Dr. Assaad said of Ivins:
“He’s a great man. He’s honorable, sincere, honest and most important, he didn’t kill five people and he didn’t kill himself”.
If Ivins didn’t kill himself, that can only mean that he was murdered.
BTW, an updated edition of The Peter Principle needs to hit the bookstores…
Marcy,
Has anyone made the connections between Palin and Abramoff yet? I understand she was tied to an Abramoff lobbyist that she hired as her own lobbyist?
And this Royalty In Kind program screams Abramoff…Any thoughts? And if it screams Abramoff then we know it screams ties to AK…
Last night on the MSM it was all Palin all evening. The MSMer’s kept asking “why are we so focused on lipstick and pigs” and then they continued to talk about “lipstick” and “pigs”
Watch Palin shake hands she never looks at people.
Strong strong focus on registering more people here in south eastern Ohio and Ohio in general. Folks are on fire.
Hoping as Bmaz and WO have pointed out that this young vote trumps those who still wallow in ugly side of human nature I think Hillary and Bill understood this ugly part of America very well.
My mother who is 82 and one of Hillary’s devotees is solidly on Obama and Biden’s bus as well as many of her rust belt women friends who are her age. She keeps pointing out how Obama, Michelle and Biden should take some time to go into the Independent, Assisted living and Nursing homes around the Dayton region. (since they are spending and will continue to hit Ohio). Our seniors are so often ignored.
Just heard from a Vietnam Vet friend that the Veterans Administration has just said yes to registering voters at VA’s across the country. Go register Vets folks. Visiting VA’s really opens your eyes to the situation many Vets find themselves in. (
REGISTER REGISTER REGISTER
It was really pretty disgusting. At least Tweety had something like a “special comment” bemoaning the excessive coverage. He wondered aloud what our children would say 50 years from now looking back on this election, and all the critical issues, but seeing constant media salivation over lipstick on pigs.
Rachel Maddow’s show, however, rocked. Much better than Countdown or Hardball. My only complaint is that here in Hawaii, it comes on at the same time (10 PM) as Democracy Now! (both in replay). Rachel even scored her first scoop on her third night. She selects younger talking heads, and her “Talk Me Down” segment is a great innovation.
Bob in HI
EW — Have you seen Gina Gershon Palin parody…funny…you might want to use it for one of your posts…
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/…..25522.html
Sarah the Fundamentalist one step away from the other Fundamentalist in the White House. Now that’s some real change!
Seeing as how Sarah the Liar is treated by men, like the round-card-holding bimbo at wrestling, McLumpy might as well stay home and let Mooselini do the heavy lifting, like he lets the rest of his wimmin do.
Totally OT – Looks like we’ll get to see that Yoo-authored GWOT Trumps 4th Amendment OLC opinion sooner rathar than later:
Conyers Agrees to Defer Mukasey Contempt Resolution
Letter from Assistant AG Office to Conyers:
Letter from Chairman Conyers to Mukasey:
Thanks.
Hopefully Conyers and the crew are serious. Send out the Sergeant of Arms. Arrest their criminal asses. If only Rove could be thrown in jail before he does more damage.
It is insane that an individual who purposely undermined National Security by outing Plame, and politicized the Dept of Justice, interfered in National elections and is now busy spinning the McCain campaign to hell and back. Enough!Arrest this criminal
thanks
Don’t defer the subpoena based on anticipated ‘publication in the near future’! That’s just a delaying tactic. Issue the subpoena and offer not to enforce it if they get you what you want right away.
Look – McSame’s a doddering old fart who can’t keep his stories straight anymore. Who would want to turn out for him?
Democracy Now has the most amazing segment on 9/11 Storycorp (tears and more tears)
http://www.democracynow.org/
Sorry to be OT, but Marcy have you heard anything about a massive caging operations orchestrated by McCain’s “Campaign to Nowhere” that is now underway in Wisconsin, Florida, Pennsylvannia and Michigan? Reports seem to becoming in with people receiving applications for absentee ballots from the McCain campaign in all of these states. Have you heard anything about Republicans in Macomb county challenging voters that have been involved in foreclosure proceedings? Something like 2,000 people.
I got one of those here Monday. Kept it as evidence! Shows 4 scary men on the front! Addressed to little me specifically.
But I foiled them! Went to vote in the primary yesterday! Still at the same address!
Can this be a foreshadowing?
Wow! “Brother John’s Evangelical Travellin’ Show” selling snake-oil and and penny-stock to the gullible masses impressed with empty words and the flag bunting. And here he introduces “Sister Sarah” who talks with God to determine which wars we should go into- Manifest Destiny, My Friends!”
” And watch her amazing ability to determine where to drill for “black gold”.” And she doesn’t even use a dowsing rod! It’s the Lord’s work, My Friends…THE LORD’s Work!”
Here’s more on how the Michigan GOP are going to use foreclosure lists to remove those on the lists from the voting rolls.
Lose Your House, Lose Your Vote
And get this!
” According to voter challenge directives handed down by Republican Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land, voter challenges need only be “based on information obtained through a reliable source or means.”“But poll workers are not allowed to ask the reason” for the challenges, Rozell said. In other words, Republican vote challengers are free to use foreclosure lists as a basis for disqualifying otherwise eligible voters.”
The Foreclosure lists do not even mean that the individuals have been actually evicted. And even if the eviction notice has been sent out there remains a 30-day window for the move.
Apparently many LEGAL voters (who the Republicans justifiably think will be liable to vote for Democrats…) are being denied their right to vote. And this doesn’t even touch upon the ethical and moral issues of disenfranchising people who have been made homeless by the policies of the Bush Administration and their Republican cronies.
There are several means of responding to this. First, voters who are on these lists need to re-registered. Second…people in the neighborhoods where the GOP are using these tactics need to be informed about what is happening to their neighbors. Third, there needs to be legal and political challenges across the board against these caging tactics. If Republicans challenge an individual at a polling place this needs to be publicized the day of the election through the use of loudspeakers and public radio and people walking the precinct. For every challenged vote, five more actual voters need to replace them aware of what the GOP is pulling!
This means that resources and time will be spent trying to insure peoples franchise rather than helping the Obama campaign. Republicans know exactly what they are doing. They are as evil as the declared enemies of the United States only they are an enemy within.
What are the local dems doing to stop this?
The linked WaPo article about the ground game in VA is great, and not just because I know most of the Dems they talked to.
Especially entertaining is the bluster from an RNC official about how the Democratic organizing is “just catching up” to what they’ve been doing for years, followed shortly after by a chat with a former Republican state legislator (Jay O’Brien) who we beat last year with our superior organizing.
Congrats!!
It is a great article. Bodes well for VA, huh?
Heh heh; very cool indeed.
F
ormer Rhode Island Sen. Lincoln Chafee was known for keeping a low-key profile on Capitol Hill, but the Republican -turned -Independent is making waves with his exceedingly blunt comments on newly-minted Republican VP candidate Sarah Palin:
She’s a “cocky wacko,” he told a Washington think tank earlier this week.
ooh, link please!
Former Senator Lincoln Chaffee won my respect when he voted against the illegal and immoral invasion of Iraq. His deep concern about the absurdity of John Bolton”s UN nomination was so clear during the nomination hearings. Lincoln Chaffee was clearly outraged.
OT: Omar Khadr’s trial at Guantanamo has been delayed, which almost certainly means it won’t happen before the Canadian election (14 October) and maybe not before the U.S. election.
I’m not sure what this means or could mean. The stumbling block has been Harper — we’ve had a few hints that even BushCo would be relieved to be rid of the problem if Harper would fight to get Kahdr back to Canada. If Harper gets even another minority government out of this election, that wouldn’t change much … unless he’s already shifted somehow. Something may be afoot.
And it goes without saying that, however our election turns out, the world will look a lot better if you guys can elect Obama/Biden.
Sorry. Khadr: sp.
marcy, i thanks for this post, but i would caution any assumption that these polls of a tie are to be believed. here is an email i just shared with matt stoller:
first, let me just say that i have taught statistics. not that this qualifies me as an expert on polling, but i do know my way around numbers a little bit.
so, here’s my thinking.
number 1. registered dems have outnumbered registered republicans probably since the great depression (poor slobs outnumber rich ones).
number 2. since 2004, the dems have registered 3 MILLION voters; the repugs (sorry, snarky there) have LOST 344,000.
number 3. the number of registered repugs is roughly equivalent to bush’s popularity ranking (@ 27%).
number 4. during the primaries, i was more intrigued (thought all the dems were great, whoever won was fine with me) with the absolute numbers of dem v. repug voters; as much as 3X the voters showing up for the dem primaries than the repugs.
number 5. i’ve been following a great little site, http://www.electoral-vote.com, since well before the 2004 election, and it’s just terrific. the point i want to make here is that the number of states by population (read: electoral votes) that have remained STRONG dem vs. strong repugs has consistently remained significantly higher since the primary season began, and it has never been reversed.
number 6. this one is not mathematical, but hey, even godel recognized the limitations of formal systems; numbers have to be couched in reality. the excitement and intensity of the dem campaign, especially as registered by the convention, is just palpable.
ok. that’s 5 sets of data points and one substantive point that render the recent tied polls something of an anomaly. i mean, it just does NOT add up.
so, here is this:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/…..25158.html
it seems these recent polls may have been fudging a bit, over-weighting republicans over much.
and, speaking from the statistical point of view, the algorithms these companies employ to make their samples ‘look’ more like the general population are shaky, at best. hence the republican ‘over-weighting’ flaw.
which leads me to a few other thoughts about the polling.
1. never forget that they represent a ridiculous segment of the population. typically, they limit the numbers to ‘likely’ voters, which is defined as registered voters who have voted in the past TWO general elections. you’ll recognize instantly that this fact leaves out the HUGE numbers of young voters who have registered since 2000, and who are mighty energized.
2. also, polling can only be done on landlines, so that also reduces the window on the general population, and in fact slivers the viewfinder to the older generation.
3. the response rate is abysmal! about 11% or so, which sort of moves it outside the category of random and into more of a self-selected group (of older voters who own or rent homes with landlines….)
4. note that most of the polls cited for those ties were media polls. it behooves their ratings to keep this race a dead heat; a rout is quickly uninteresting and folks wander off to the sitcoms and reality shows.
and there is another, more insidious reason for the polls to be kept close. elections cannot be stolen if the polls show a democratic rout. it would raise too many questions. (not to say that the media folks are in on this piece of it, but those stealing the election know this piece and work it, no doubt.)
you may, or may not, be familiar with the myriad ways in which the GOP has been systematically and methodically working from several angles to suppress the democratic vote, from purge lists and voter id laws to loading state election offices and the DOJ with GOP loyalists, shifting to electronic machines, to downright intimidation, push polling, and lies about the rules and consequences of voting.
http://www.nybooks.com/articles/21771
http://www.freepress.org/depar…../2008/3201
i won’t load you up on that stuff here, as you may be already aware or you may be uninterested. but, to my mind, it’s the largest issue out there, right next to the theft of our free press and destruction of our constitution. someone studied these things very very diligently and recognized just what it would take to destroy our democracy, and here it is, in spades.
ironically, it raises godel again, who saw the flaw in our constitution as the absolute reliance on the formal system of laws; if a tyrant or tyrannical group makes, signs, and approves the laws, the democracy is gone.
a variation of the theme of ‘an election doesn’t belong to the voters, but the one who counts the votes.’
****
’nuff said; just needed to be said.
Thanks for the insights. Reading the polls is unpleasant. I wonder what the internal polls are telling Obama and McCain.
interesting you should ask that question, as it also occurred to me.
so i wrote the votemaster at electoral-vote.com about some of these things, just yesterday, and lo and behold, insta-response! his page today addresses many of those issues i raised, though he doesn’t post any of the partisan polls like i asked him to. some are available, but some are not.
my suspicion is, based on mccain’s extremely desperate behavior and obama’s cool behavior, is that they show us what my five arithmetical points would suggest; obama maintains a comfortable lead nationally, as well as electorally.
but you might also be interested to read votemaster’s analysis of what might happen if there is a tie in the electoral college! not so happy a situation as you might expect.
he’s a great resource; folks should check him out.
Interesting analysis on that site. I’m thinking that the Obama people are pretty bright at running campaigns, so I hope the internals look like that site thinks they do.
And here’s a link for the Chafee comment.
The Obama teams in Ohio and in Colorado ( the two Obama teams I have participated with) are kicking ass.
Polite, friendly, inclusive and working incredibly hard.
On a previous post in a Bmaz thread about Palin, Leen and I both asserted basically that Palin would infuse the McCain campaign with vigor and purpose.
For the most part, all Bmaz did (his thread) was fuss and cuss and deny that it would happen.
I wonder what he thinks now.
I respect but often disagree with Bmaz. He may know about Arizona (I believe that is where he lives). But he obviously does not know about pockets in southeastern Ohio and other spots around the nation that have folks who vote against their own self interest. That Rove and his team understand these self destructive tendencies very well and manipulate them to their advantage. But to do the advantage of the majority of the American public.
But as Bmaz and William O have pointed out in Ohio and other states where this is happening the most constructive way to deal with this is to continue to focus on registering younger and African American voters.
Hillary, Bill and Biden will be coming to Ohio. Their collective efforts in Ohio will leave McCain and Palin in the pig trough. (sorry pigs)
http://blogs.suntimes.com/swee….._obam.html
This is just getting beyond disgusting.
The MSM needs to be admonished big time. We need to start a letter campaign and boycotting products advertised on the networks running the ads.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/…..25812.html
This is a great response to her saber rattling…