Starting Gate: On The Wrong Side Of Big 'Mo
There are plenty of signs pointing toward a decisive victory for Barack Obama in less than two weeks. The campaign is now being played out almost exclusively in those traditional Republican states John McCain must win, Democrats hold a huge advantage in new voter registration, he's being outspent at a rate never before seen in presidential politics and the polls aren't tightening the way many expected, at least not yet.
In case the McCain campaign needed one more reminder of the position they're in, consider this: Barack Obama has raised over $600 million for his campaign and the Republican camp finds itself besieged with outrage this morning over a report that they've spent $150,000 on a makeover for Alaska Governor Sarah Palin and her family since she was selected for the ticket in September.
This is what being on the wrong side of political momentum looks like. The Politico breathlessly reported last night that the Republican National Committee spent $150,000 in shops like Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue to "clothe and accessorize" Palin and her family for the campaign trail. Spending money on such personal items may run afoul of campaign laws although the McCain campaign says the clothes will be donated to charity after the election.
The story has predictably exploded across the Internet and cable television and political pundits are dutifully drawing the grand conclusions about it. On top of "shopping-gate," the AP is reporting that as governor, Palin charged the state about $21,000 for questionable travel expenses for her family on trips that appeared not to be state business.
These are the latest hits to the campaign focused on Palin, who has increasingly become a liability to McCain. Fifty-five percent of respondents in the new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll now say Palin is not qualified to be president while 47 percent now view her negatively.
While Palin's clothes are getting airtime, much less attention has been paid to Obama's stunning fundraising performance throughout the campaign. In an analysis of his fundraising, the Washington Post notes that in spite of his campaign's emphasis on its Web-based small donors, most of Obama's money has come from larger donors. "Lost in the attention given to Obama's Internet surge is that only a quarter of the $600 million he has raised has come from donors who made contributions of $200 or less," the paper reports.
McCain has bitterly complained about Obama's reversal of his pledge not to opt out of the public financing system earlier this year. Last Sunday, he said Obama has opened up Watergate-like floodgates for corruption and scandal. "Senator Obama raised $150 million …during the month of September," he said on Fox News Sunday, "completely breaking whatever idea we had after Watergate to keep the costs and spending on campaigns under control. … And I can tell you this, that has unleashed now in presidential campaigns a new flood of spending that will then cause a scandal, and then we will fix it again."
But such complaints by the McCain campaign have been met with yawns, resurrecting memories of Bob Dole's "where's the outrage" battle cry at the end of the 1996 campaign. That's what happens when you're on the wrong side of the momentum in the closing days of an election.
Around The Track
Obama yesterday taped an appearance on Ellen DeGeneres Show that will air today. "Michelle may be a better dancer, but I am convinced I am a better dancer than John McCain," the candidate tells the host.
Black voters are turning out in record numbers for early voting, an analysis by the Wall Street Journal finds.
And the New York Times finds significantly higher turnout among Democrats in key states allowing early voting.
Palin made a pitch to women voters in Nevada yesterday, pledging to be an "advocate and a defender" for women worldwide, reports CBSNews.com's Scott Conroy.
© 2008 CBS Interactive Inc.. All Rights Reserved. In case the McCain campaign needed one more reminder of the position they're in, consider this: Barack Obama has raised over $600 million for his campaign and the Republican camp finds itself besieged with outrage this morning over a report that they've spent $150,000 on a makeover for Alaska Governor Sarah Palin and her family since she was selected for the ticket in September.
This is what being on the wrong side of political momentum looks like. The Politico breathlessly reported last night that the Republican National Committee spent $150,000 in shops like Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue to "clothe and accessorize" Palin and her family for the campaign trail. Spending money on such personal items may run afoul of campaign laws although the McCain campaign says the clothes will be donated to charity after the election.
The story has predictably exploded across the Internet and cable television and political pundits are dutifully drawing the grand conclusions about it. On top of "shopping-gate," the AP is reporting that as governor, Palin charged the state about $21,000 for questionable travel expenses for her family on trips that appeared not to be state business.
These are the latest hits to the campaign focused on Palin, who has increasingly become a liability to McCain. Fifty-five percent of respondents in the new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll now say Palin is not qualified to be president while 47 percent now view her negatively.
While Palin's clothes are getting airtime, much less attention has been paid to Obama's stunning fundraising performance throughout the campaign. In an analysis of his fundraising, the Washington Post notes that in spite of his campaign's emphasis on its Web-based small donors, most of Obama's money has come from larger donors. "Lost in the attention given to Obama's Internet surge is that only a quarter of the $600 million he has raised has come from donors who made contributions of $200 or less," the paper reports.
McCain has bitterly complained about Obama's reversal of his pledge not to opt out of the public financing system earlier this year. Last Sunday, he said Obama has opened up Watergate-like floodgates for corruption and scandal. "Senator Obama raised $150 million …during the month of September," he said on Fox News Sunday, "completely breaking whatever idea we had after Watergate to keep the costs and spending on campaigns under control. … And I can tell you this, that has unleashed now in presidential campaigns a new flood of spending that will then cause a scandal, and then we will fix it again."
But such complaints by the McCain campaign have been met with yawns, resurrecting memories of Bob Dole's "where's the outrage" battle cry at the end of the 1996 campaign. That's what happens when you're on the wrong side of the momentum in the closing days of an election.
Around The Track
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And it is reall yscary when the spirit of the Antichrist has reached some of the pulpits of the evangelical church and other "christian" churches that serve to divide and take away the human dignity of millions of folks who are created in God''s image. I am not deceived....and it''s time some of took our pastors, who are no better than wolves in sheeps clothing, to issue.
"How so?" you might ask.
Because there is a very real Satan the Devil. Jesus Christ twice called him the "ruler of this world" (John 12:31; 14:30). Satan is the great deceiver. The Apostle John made it very clear that Satan deceives the vast majority of mankind: "So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him" (Revelation 12:9).
"But I am not deceived!" you might say.
Do not be too sure!
Is this the america you want?
McCain would be bad on security because he is impetuous and too ideological. He is erratic in a crisis. Too old now Im afraid. And his running mate is insane she doesnt even know what the job of a VP is and she isnt uncorrupted.
These guys are desperate: they almost called Obama a terrorist, called him a socialist and next week will probably call him a UFO.
It doesnt stick. They have run out of ideas, have weak character, have underestimated the american people.
Time for a change.
William Ayers is a terrorist who should have been executed years ago. This terrorist got off on a technicality. In 2001...when Obama was in Ayers back pocket...Mr. Ayers made the statement that he did not bomb enough.
ACORN is a very corrupt political organization (voter registration fraud, intimidating voters, etc) supporting the Democratic party. This is why Barack gave them almost a million dollars recently.
NONE OF US KNOW IF BARACK IS A CLOSET RADICAL MUSLIM OR NOT. What we do know is that he had two radical Muslim fathers, attended a Muslim school at one time, adopted a preacher for 20 years that is anti-American and anti-American way of life, strongly endorsed by Louis Farrakhan, supported by terrorist groups like Humas and dictators like the Castro family. YOU DRAW YOUR OWN CONCLUSIONS%u2026!
IF BARACK OBAMA IS A RADICAL MUSLIM%u2026.all the signs were there from the start. He has gravitated and aligned himself with people that hate America. To not consider this when electing a man to the Presidency of the United States...may prove to be a generational mistake that may forever damage this country. ARE WE REALLY STUPID ENOUGH TO TAKE THAT RISK%u2026?
I don''t believe you voted against Bush. Your saying that to try and gain credibility. You sound like a someone that doesn''t know anything more than what he hears on fox and talk radio. Nice try but Rovian tactics don''t work now that we have the internet .http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arianna-huffington/the-internet-and-the-deat_b_136400.html
Now I will be voting for John McCain in November for many reasons...including having the insight to recognize that our country is better off with a moderate Republican than a far left hardcore liberal like Obama (with a Democratic controlled Congress).
As for Barack Hussein Obama...once Barack, as Commander-In-Chief, is given our countries top military secrets... he will find a way to give the information to his "brothers" in the middle east. For anyone that doesn''''t think this is possible...think again.
How soon Americans everywhere forget how unprepared we were for 9/11. Intellectually we could not accept the real danger of such an attack. Now we are unprepared to accept the real threat that the next attack to destroy America will come from within....that threat is Barack Obama.
This country has sold out common sense and intelligence in their efforts to prove that a black man can become elected President. Not measuring Barack Obama''s character and political allegiance by his association with people like Rev. Wright, Louis Farrakhan, Tony Rezko, and William Ayers or organizations as corrupt as ACORN... is unforgivable.
Obama will finish the job of ruining this country started by George W. Bush...but Barack will prove to be the catalyst to the final fall of America and the ending of the American way of life.
- SHOP FIRST * COUNTRY LATER
Your list was so intelligent, you didn''t need to add the last point, I already knew who you''d be for.
But hey, I''ll second that #7
Give the smart people a chance to get us back on the right track
1. Do not watch just one news network, you need to get a universal view of each candidate. Some news networks are very biased toward one candidate or the other.
2. If you read something that seems "over the top" about what a candidate said, try to find the video of the speech and decide for yourself what is true.
3. Listen to the campaign ads then look up the truth about the subject. This is how you find if a candidate is stretching the truth, fabricating a story out of nothing or outright lying.
4. Know about the issues that are affecting this country, study them, understand them.
5. Listen to the debates. This will allow you to hear each candidate speak about the issues.
6. Go to the polls on November 4th
7. Vote for Barack Obama.