Horserace
September 17, 2008 9:52 AM

Starting Gate: Feeling The Pain

It’s one of the most universally recognized political slogans in modern history and when Bill Clinton told voters that he felt their pain, he made instant and lasting connections with voters who saw the economic good times of the nation slipping away.

Fifteen years later, the presidential campaign is in a similar situation, this time with both candidates seeking to make that visceral sell to convince voters that they “get it.” John McCain has had a tough couple of days trying to get his message apart. He spent the better part of the past 48 hours seeking to erase the perception that he doesn’t understand the perilous situation most Americans perceive themselves to be in.

Having said that the “fundamentals” of the economy are strong on Monday, the Republican candidate quickly shifted into populist mode, blaming Wall Street fat cats for betraying their social contract and getting religion on financial regulation. Nobody wants to look at their 401K statements these days but outside of the mess on Wall Street, the underpinnings of the economy are not deteriorating – at least not yet. Energy prices are creeping down, unemployment is up but historically not at unhealthy levels and the vast majority of homeowners continue to pay their mortgages each month.

But McCain can hardly point those things out lest he come off as looking insensitive to the concerns that even those economically healthy voters may “feel.” It’s not about some cold, statistical analysis, this is about underlying fear that what is happening on Wall Street is coming to Main Street. So, he dropped the talk of a fundamentally sound economy and went with outrage about a system run amok.

Barack Obama, of course, has been in outrage mode since the beginning of the current financial crisis, blaming the Republican administration, and by extension McCain, for fiddling while the big banks burned.

Today, Obama is out with a two-minute ad, running nationally, in which he tries to pivot from outrage to optimistic solutions. Speaking directly to the camera, Obama lays out his agenda, including a $1000 tax break for the middle class, lobbying reform and an end to the war in Iraq.

What’s most interesting about the ad is that Obama voices the kind of bright outlook that McCain did when he vouched for the fundamental soundness of the economy. “Doing these things won’t be easy,” Obama said. “But we’re Americans. We’ve met tough challenges before. And we can again.”

Neither candidate thus far appears to have made that “connection” with voters on the economy and it remains a lasting curiosity as to why neither has made the issue the “laser beam” focus of their campaign throughout the past months. But Obama’s campaign has managed to knock McCain on the defensive for the moment and by doing so, have taken the edge on the issue. Whether he can convince voters he feels their pain is not yet clear.


Starting Gate

  • Obama played it low-key at a Hollywood fundraiser last night that brought in just under $10 million, reports CBS News’ Maria Gavrilovic. “This should be a celebratory evening,” he told the crowd. “We’ve got 48 days to go in a campaign, a campaign that started 19 months ago, at a time when a lot of folks thought we might not get here.” But because of the financial crisis, he added, “ I’m not in a celebratory mood.”

  • Hillary Clinton has pulled out of a planned rally to protest Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in front of the UN after organizers of the even “blindsided” her by also inviting Sarah Palin, the AP reports.

  • The New York Times looks at the Catholic vote and finds it leaning toward McCain in at least one key state.

  • Republican operatives have fanned out to respond to the influx of reporters looking into Sarah Palin in Alaska, the AP reports.
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    Starting Gate
    Add a Comment See all 29 Comments
    by screan_name September 17, 2008 11:53 AM PDT



    I think McCain really feels Americans pain.

    He''s so busy worrying about the struggles of every day Americans that he forgets how many mansions he owns(it''s 9).

    He surrounds himself with smart people who care about our struggles too. Why just the other day his economic advisor said, "Americans are a bunch of whiners", when they talk about the hard times they are experiencing.


    Reply to this comment
    by apachelx September 17, 2008 12:00 PM PDT
    George Bush has been in office for 7 1/2 years. The first six the economy
    was fine.

    About the time when Obama was elected to the US Senate two years ago:

    1) Consumer confidence stood at a 2 1/2 yr. high;
    2) Regular gasoline sold for $2.19 a gallon;
    3) the unemployment rate was 4.5%;
    4) the DOW JONES hit a record high--14,000 +
    5) Americans were buying new cars, taking cruises, vacationing
    overseas, living large!...

    But Americans wanted ''CHANGE''! So, in 2006 they voted in a Democratic
    Congress & yep--we got ''CHANGE'' all right!.....
    1) Consumer confidence has plummeted;
    2) Gasoline is now nearly $4 gallon and climbing;
    3) Unemployment is up over 5%.
    4) Americans have seen their home equity drop by $12 TRILLION
    DOLLARS & prices are still dropping;
    5) 1% of American homes are in foreclosure; and
    6) THE DOW is probing another low~~11,300--$2.5 TRILLION DOLLARS
    HAS EVAPORATED FROM THEIR STOCKS, BONDS & MUTUAL FUNDS INVESTMENT
    PORTFOLIOS!

    YEP , IN 2006 AMERICA VOTED FOR CHANGE!...AND WE SURE GOT IT!!!....

    NOW THE POLLS SAY OBAMA IS GONNA BE ''THE MAN''--CLAIMS HE''S GONNA REALLY
    GIVE US CHANGE!!....

    JUST HOW MUCH MORE ''CHANGE'' DO YA THINK WE CAN STAND???.....

    Reply to this comment
    by afmca September 17, 2008 12:08 PM PDT
    McCain doesn''t have a clue .. the Republicans don''t have a clue. Remember their concern in this economy is for the CEO and the large investors; not middle class America. They, along with the corporate buddies, duped Americans into entering the stock market only to use the funds to produce worthless mergers and give themselves large bonuses for non-performance. Even now the failed CEOs are leaving with large exit bonuses; while the workers hit the street with nothing. That is Republican compassion.

    Worker pay increases are miniscule, hours ever increasing, work load increasing, increased benefit cost shrink pay even more, and you can''t leave because there is no place to go!

    A new Democratic administration has to crack down on these Wall Street thieves and stop these endless mergers that produce nothing of value to the market or the consumers.

    Remember folks Republicans held all the reigns of power for 6 years and for the last two had effective veto power ... they are the party that needs to pay the price. I would be saying the same if the Democrats had performed so atrociously.
    Reply to this comment
    by afmca September 17, 2008 12:24 PM PDT
    ApacheX - which Republican propaganda location are you responding from? This is your typical Repub response to everything.. has anyone noticed Repubs are NEVER responsible for anything? They are not accountable and not responsible just like their CEO buddies. They will blame Clinton, Pelosi, Obama, and even go back to Carter; but never to the person that actually occupies the office.

    To remove the smell from ApacheX''s message. Things don''t just fall apart immediately. The executive decisions from Bush and Cheney, the new policies put in place for regulators hand picked by their industries, and a Repub Congress that were worse than lap dogs created the mess we are in today.

    Don''t believe the lies !!!!
    Reply to this comment
    by afmca September 17, 2008 12:34 PM PDT
    john43218 - the trouble with stats is they can be interpreted so many different ways. I would beat that many think of McCain in terms of 2000. I even respected him and proabbaly would have voted for him in 2000. He is but a shell of that man in 2008 and that is what Obama and the Democratic party needs to show the America voter.

    McCain''s promise of being a change agent is a marketer''s spiel not reality. That is all he and Palin say on the campaign .. all style no substance! He has been totally co-opted by the Repub ecomomic team, the neo-cons on the war and the pseudo-christians on morality. As he eventually did in Vietnam; he cracked under the pressure and sold his soul to become President. He has become more like them and less the maverick he claims to be. He will be 4 more years or Bush becuase that is what he had to promise to get support.

    Palin is just a bone thrown to the Prophets for Profits to get their lemmings to the polls. That is why we hold elections and not polls to elect our politicians.
    Reply to this comment
    by john43218 September 17, 2008 1:10 PM PDT
    Republicans confronted Barack Obama of inflating his record after he claimed Tuesday to have proposed the foundation for the $150 billion economic stimulus package passed by Congress early this year.


    A New York Times report from Jan. 12 noted that Hillary Clinton was actually the first candidate to offer a short-term stimulus proposal, including $70 billion for housing and other aid and $40 billion in potential tax rebates.
    Obama%u2019s plan focused more on tax rebates for working families, and in that respect was more similar to the final package passed by Congress.
    The Obama campaign reasoned, in a statement published by ABC News, that the bill that passed in February %u201Cwas centered on rebate checks to the broad middle class along the lines of what Obama proposed.%u201D
    But a Washington Post story from Jan. 23 suggested that leading Democratic candidates were kept out of the stimulus negotiations altogether.


    Reply to this comment
    by walt1944-2009 September 17, 2008 1:12 PM PDT
    1929 - Herbert Hoover (Republican) President - Black Friday, Wall Street crashes, banks close, companies close down, millions out of work, dollar worthless, thousands of home foreclosures, government clueless but rich live well.

    1991 - George HW Bush (Republican) President - economy in toilet, dollar almost worthless, companies close down, thousands out of work, highest inflation since 1968-70, Bush ignores whole thing, rich live well!

    2001, 2008 - George W Bush (Republican) President - 9/11, Black Monday, Wall Street meltdowns, Corporate greed out of control, prices out of control, jobs outsourced, tens of thousands out of work, dollar worthless, people''s IRA''s VANISH, middle class almost extinct, huge deficits, Bush ignores cries of citizens but rescues Corporate America, RICH LIVE WELL!!!

    Do I see a pattern here???????

    SIG HEIL, BUSH!!!!
    sig heil, WE''RE ALL WHINERS, McCain!!!!
    sig heil, I CAN SEE RUSSIA FROM MY HOUSE, Palin!!!!!
    Reply to this comment
    by mainedoggie September 17, 2008 1:22 PM PDT
    ========
    Anyone who believes in polls are just as naive as Obam thinking he has what it takes to lead a country--LMAO!!!!!!!!!!

    Posted by john43218
    ===========

    You''ll be crying like a little whining baby when McCain passes away though, won''t you.

    Reply to this comment
    by tpraskac September 17, 2008 1:29 PM PDT
    McCain for the Rich Obama for the Middle class. Which do you want elected
    Reply to this comment
    by lucasnico September 17, 2008 1:30 PM PDT
    WASHINGTON (Sept. 17) - Democrat Barack Obama has a 2-point lead in the U.S. presidential race on Republican John McCain, whose choice of Sarah Palin as his running mate helped shore up support for both candidates, according to a Reuters/Zogby poll released on Wednesday.
    Obama leads McCain among likely voters by 47 percent to 45 percent, within the poll''s 3.1 percent margin of error. He gained ground in the last month among independent and women voters and on the question of who could best manage the faltering U.S. economy
    Reply to this comment
    by ibzjem September 17, 2008 1:39 PM PDT
    Yes, I am better than I was 8 years ago. ...

    Posted by john43218 at 12:44 PM : Sep 17, 2008

    Me too, but I don''t give Bush any credit for it at all!!!
    Reply to this comment
    by dburfears September 17, 2008 1:53 PM PDT
    THESE are the people whose pain McCain "feels":

    All of the TOP PEOPLE in the McCain campaign are lobbyists for large corporations, including Big Oil, and FOREIGN COUNTRIES.

    Campaign CEO - Rick Davis, a partner at lobbying firm Davis Manafort

    National Campaign Director- Christian Ferry and associate at lobbying firm Davis Manafort

    National Political Director- Mike Dennehy, who founded The Dennehy Group, a New Hampshire lobbying firm

    National Finance Director- Susan Nelson lobbyist working for Loeffler Group LLC. Continued taking monthly lobbying payments after starting with McCain''s campaign.

    Senior Policy Advisor- David Crane. A Senior Executive at The Washington Group, a corporate lobbying firm with 2006 billings of $10.4 million.

    Senior Foreign Policy Adviser - Randy Scheunemann. He is McCain''s PRIMARY Foreign Policy Adviser. He is also a lobbyist for FOREIGN COUNTRIES, including Georgia (that was just in a war with Russia).

    National Finance Co-Chair Tom Loeffler Owns one of the most lucrative and influential lobbying practices in Washington.

    Regional Campaign Manager- Doug Davenport ran DCI''s lobbying practice. Was forced to leave when it was exposed that he LOBBIED FOR the REPRESSIVE REGIME IN BURMA.

    Campaign Spokesman- Charlie Black who is chairman of BKSH & Associates, with lobbying billings of $7.6 million in 2006

    Phil "Americans are whiners" Gram who created the current economic crisis.



    Barack Obama has no lobbyists on the payroll or serving as key advisers.
    Reply to this comment
    by spinster2 September 17, 2008 1:59 PM PDT
    "''Sarah Barracuda'' -- she''s proud of that name now, she uses it in her campaigns," said her former mentor. "But she got that name from the way she conducted herself with her own teammates. She was vicious to the other girls, always playing up to the coach and pointing out when the other girls made mistakes. She was the coach''s favorite and he gave her more playing time than her skills warranted. My niece was on her team; she was a very good player. I used to sit there in the stands, and I would wonder, Why on earth is Sarah getting so much playing time?"

    http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2008/09/17/palin_mayor/index.html
    Reply to this comment
    by rwassel September 17, 2008 2:02 PM PDT
    According to the McCain camp, we are a nation of whiners when it comes to the economy, and the fundamentals of our economy are strong.

    And Palin has secured over $127 million in earmarks from the federal government, so why should she be concerned?
    Reply to this comment
    by rwassel September 17, 2008 2:04 PM PDT
    Is it a coincidence that the last three recessions in our country have been under a Republican president?
    Reply to this comment
    by dburfears September 17, 2008 2:46 PM PDT
    Enough IS enough!

    Enough of Bush/McCain economics.

    Enough tax breaks for the rich and crumbs for the rest of us.

    Enough lies and mismanagement.

    Enough of a President who "doesn''t really understand economics" as McCain has himself admitted.

    Enough of lobbyist-run campaigns and Presidencies.

    Enough of McCain advisers complaining that Americans are "whiners".

    Enough corporate welfare.

    Enough of McCain-supported deregulation.

    Enough tax breaks for Big Oil.

    Enough of $10 BILLION a MONTH siphoned from our economy to pay for a war that is making us no safer.

    Enough about "earmarks" that constitute less than 1% of the Federal Budget.

    Enough about "reforming the economy" when McCain spent 26 years twiddling his thumbs.

    Yes. Enough. Enough LIES and DISTORTIONS.

    THROW THE BUMS OUT. No more neoCON Republicans driving our country down.
    Reply to this comment
    by amabobama September 17, 2008 2:55 PM PDT
    PALINBUSH = Bush again. (In Greek, the word "palin" means "again.")

    Say No To PALINBUSH!--amabobama
    Reply to this comment
    by ipublius September 17, 2008 3:20 PM PDT
    The Bushevik Party says the is nothing to worry about. And if the are re-elected, there will be nothing.
    Reply to this comment
    by ipublius September 17, 2008 3:48 PM PDT
    The true elite of this county is the Bushevik Party which Mr. McCain no leads.
    Reply to this comment
    by ipublius September 17, 2008 3:54 PM PDT
    The Republican Party has no concept of empathy or we would not have been subjected to this borrow and spend program which has led to the demise of the American Dream for the majority of the country. They have squandered the nations credit on foolhardy policies and misadventures. Enough is Enough. Enough Republicans that is.
    Reply to this comment
    by ipublius September 17, 2008 3:56 PM PDT
    I thought OJ was a Republican
    Reply to this comment
    by blindhowlin September 17, 2008 4:39 PM PDT
    Quit your whining people, life is good! The economy is fundamentally sound. Vote Republican and put a moose burger on every plate!
    Reply to this comment
    by joepack61 September 17, 2008 4:43 PM PDT
    We haven''t heard the names of the fat cats who attended McCain''s 5 million fund-raiser in Florida on the night before Obama''s in California. How much were the ticket prices at McCain''s event there in Boca-land.
    Reply to this comment
    by joepack61 September 17, 2008 4:48 PM PDT
    Hey OneAmerica6, you neocon rightists will say anything to get your candidate elected. Palin has provided her emails in an attempt to defend hersef in trooper-gate, and if what you rightists are saying is true about the web posting, Obama and his campaign had nothing to do with it.
    Reply to this comment
    by u-r-right September 17, 2008 6:25 PM PDT
    I''m thinking, we already had a VP shoot his friend in the face. I''m concerned Palin may shoot herself in the foot!
    Reply to this comment
    by u-r-right September 17, 2008 6:28 PM PDT
    I''m thinking, we already had a VP shoot his friend in the face. I''m concerned Palin may shoot herself in the foot!
    Reply to this comment
    by lwc777 September 18, 2008 10:19 AM PDT
    Out of all the stuff on the internet this is the best prepared.
    2008 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE COMPARISON TALKING POINTS


    ISSUE

    JOHN McCAIN
    BARACK OBAMA

    Favors new drilling offshore US
    Yes
    No

    Will appoint judges who interpret the law not make it
    Yes
    No


    Served in the US Armed Forces
    Yes
    No

    Amount of time served in the US Senate
    22 YEARS
    173 DAYS

    Will institute a socialized national health care plan
    No
    Yes

    Supports abortion throughout the pregnancy
    No
    Yes

    Would pull troops out of Iraq immediately
    No
    Yes

    Supports gun ownership rights
    Yes
    No

    Supports homosexual marriage
    No
    Yes
    0D

    INCOME TAX

    MCCAIN
    (no changes)
    Single making 30K - tax $4,500
    Single making 50K - tax $12,500
    Single making 75K - tax $18,750
    Married making 60K- tax $9,000
    Married making 75K - tax $18,750
    Married making 125K - tax $31,250

    OBAMA (reversion to pre-Bush tax cuts)
    0D
    Single making 30K - tax $8,400
    Single making 50K - tax $14,000
    Single making 75K - tax $23,250
    Married making 60K - tax $16,800
    Married making 75K - tax $21,000
    Married making 125K - tax $38,750
    Under Obama, your taxes could almost double!

    NEW TAXES PROPOSED BY OBAMA

    New gasoline taxes. ew taxes on natural resources consumption (heating gas, water, electricity) New taxes on retirement accounts, and New taxes to pay for socialized medicine so we can receive the same level of medical care as other third-world countries!!!



    Reply to this comment
    by lwc777 September 18, 2008 10:24 AM PDT
    Out of all the stuff on the internet this is the best prepared.
    2008 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE COMPARISON TALKING POINTS

    You can verify the above at the following web sites:

    http://money.cnn.com/news/specials/election/2008/index.html http://money.cnn.com/news/specials/election/2008/index.html
    http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/issues/issues.taxes.html http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/issues/issues.taxes.html

    http://elections.foxnews.com/?s=proposed+taxes http://elections.foxnews.com/?s=proposed taxes
    http://bulletin.aarp.org/yourworld/politics/articles/mccain_obama_offer_different_visions_on_taxes.html%C2%A0 http://bulletin.aarp.org/yourworld/politics/articles/mccain_obama_offer_different_visions_on_taxes.html

    http://blog.washingtonpost.com/fact-checker/candidates/barack_obama/ http://blog.washingtonpost.com/fact-checker/candidates/barack_obama/
    http://blog.washingtonpost.com/fact-checker/candidates/john_mccain/ http://blog.washingtonpost.com/fact-checker/candidates/john_mccain/


    Reply to this comment
    by mikemo1947 September 19, 2008 1:54 AM PDT
    TIME FOR ACTION. Everyone write their representative and senators to say it is time both parties worked together to find the right combination to stabilize our economy. We the voters will fire any incumbents that use partisanship or grandstanding to delay getting a bill through. If the parties fail to pass a bill by end of September, then we will fire incumbents of both parties. Also, write both presidential candidates to tell them to get back to Congress and demonstrate how you can bring together both parties in Congress to accomplish something good for the whole nation. If you don%u2019t go back and show your leadership, then we assume our nation%u2019s crisis is not important to you or you were bluffing and do not know how to bring the parties together. SPREAD THE MESSAGE TO ALL BLOGS AND LET THE CANDIDATES KNOW WE ARE TIRED OF PROMISES AND WANT SOME ACTION. http://www.congress.org/congressorg/home/
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