Obama, McCain Eye Western Battlegrounds

Obama Releases Two-Minute Closing Argument Ad As McCain Continues To Hit Rival On Taxes

(CBS/AP) 
"There's a lot of volatility left, particularly with these undecided voters in battleground states," CBS News analyst and former Bush advisor Dan Bartlett said on the Early Show.

"What John McCain has to try to do, and obviously he has a tougher hill to climb, is to keep hitting this issue of taxes and try to raise fresh doubts here at the last minute that at this time in our country's history, we don't need to be entrusting somebody with so little experience at the national level," Bartlett said.

He added: "He's going to hammer home that message over the next few days and then hope that maybe Barack Obama trips up or acts a little too presumptuous that this might be over and give an opportunity here at the close to make -- to shake things up."

Obama counters that he would lower taxes for most wage-earners and that McCain's tax plan favors wealthy corporations.

Obama's running mate, Joe Biden, campaigned Saturday in Suffolk, Virginia, where he said McCain is out of touch on economic issues. Polls show the southern state is leaning toward Obama who is trying to become the first Democratic presidential candidate to win Virginia since President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964.

Biden also criticized Palin's remark in North Carolina that she likes campaigning in "pro-American" regions of the country and a McCain adviser's recent comment that the more rural parts of the state are the "real Virginia."

"We are one nation, under God, indivisible. We are all Americans," Biden said, growing louder with each word as the crowd cheered.

While campaigning Saturday in Sioux City, Iowa, McCain's running mate, Sarah Palin, said her criticism of Obama isn't negative or mean-spirited.

"Don't be made to feel guilty. I'm not feeling guilty," said Palin, the Alaska governor.

While she spoke, cries of "he's a socialist" rang out from crowd.

Polls show the path to the winning tally of 270 electoral votes is tricky for McCain, a Republican weighed down by the economic crisis and an unpopular incumbent president.

The meltdown in financial markets and the national economic downturn have helped undermine McCain's standing in the polls because Obama is viewed more favorably than McCain on handling economic issues.

The economy has almost eclipsed foreign issues such as the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan with voters, and putting McCain, a former prisoner of war in Vietnam whose strength had been considered his foreign policy experience, at a disadvantage.

New surveys have shown Obama's lead growing in key battleground states such as Ohio and Pennsylvania. The winner of the U.S. election is not determined by the popular vote, but instead by a state-by-state tally of electoral votes, making certain states key to a Nov. 4 victory.

Obama, wary of overconfidence among his backers, is charting multiple winning paths.

That's where 19 electoral votes in three closely contested Western states factor into the equation.

Nevada, with five votes, is posing the toughest challenge for Obama; the race is a tossup. Colorado is competitive, though Obama has a slight edge in polls in the state that offers nine votes. Obama is more deeply favored to win New Mexico's five votes.

President Bush carried all three states in 2004. Obama is focusing his time on plucking away states Bush won four years ago while McCain is playing defense.

Obama could win the White House by hanging onto all the states that Sen. John Kerry won four years ago and then sweeping the three Western states getting attention this weekend.

However, McCain has mounted comebacks before, such as last year when his campaign seemed all but over even before the first primaries. But political momentum can change fast, and McCain was able to regroup and eventually become the nominee.

Part of the West's demographic change includes larger numbers of Hispanics, a traditionally Democratic-leaning group that has posed a challenge for McCain. The most recent Gallup poll showed Obama leading among registered Hispanic voters, 61 percent to 29 percent.

[amberkat]

Everyone complains about the manipulation of oil prices. What about the manipulation of Rx prices? Americans pay the same or less for gas than people in other parts of the world. We pay more for prescription drugs than anyone else that I am aware of. The drug makers spend more on lobbiest than the oil industry does. If we could produce more of the oil and gas that we need, then we could do something to control the price.

[amberkat]

If Barack Obama, a black man, wins the highest office in the United States of America, what argument can be made for affirmative action? Affirmative action may have helped him with his education. Affirmative action will not get him elected. If he wins, it is because the people of the US look beyond race. If the majority of Americans look beyond race, do we need affirmative action?

[white-marsh]

NEWS ANCHOR FAILS IN AN ATTEMPT TO SMEAR SENATOR OBAMA AS A MARXIST DURING INTERVIEW WITH SENATOR BIDEN

First the backdrop. Barbara West is married to Wade West, a political media consultant for Republican politicians and organizations. Not sure if Senator Biden knew that when he sat down to do the interview. Barbara also is an ABC News Anchor with Orlando, Florida affiliate WFTV channel 9, which is owned by Cox Enterprise.

But with all her so-call ''professional objectivity'', Barbara could not resist the temptation to try and smear Senator Obama with Marxist question while interviewing Senator Joe Biden. Either way, Senator Biden handled himself very well. Naturally the full interview is all over the web and a %u201Cmust see" video.

GOD Bless the United States of America!
GOD Bless the Obama-Biden Leadership Team!

http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment_tv_tvblog/2008/10/wftvs-barbara-w.html

[gotravel1]

Obama''s campaign and the media have applied Saul Alinsky''s techniques to cause devisiveness and resentment.Please read an article at IBD editorilas.com,Sept.22,2008 entitiled "How Obama Applies Alinsky''s Rules".The community organizing training that Obama received was an Alinsky program to work for "radical change from the inside,rub raw the resentments of the people,search out controversy and issues and promote grievances from''economic injustice''". Do any of these sound familiar to what we''re experiencing?Have you noticed the Obama express media,funded by Soros,who wants to bring down capitalism.Americans,Democrats,republicans,black and white,there are too many signs that all connect in a circle back to Obama-Frank Marshall davis,Odinga,Dr.Khalidi al-mansour,Nadhmi Auchi,Rezko...

[raheem44]

McCain just bought himself a Halloween masque.

He bought a John McCain masque; he coming as himself and that is scary.

[windmaster12]

Country First?
The Double talk express!!!

According to documentation obtained by the U.S. Veteran Dispatch, not only did POW McCain promise to give the communists "military information" in exchange for special hospital care not ordinarily available to U.S. prisoners, but he also made numerous antiwar radio broadcasts.

This is a violation of the Military Code of Conduct and is considered collaborating with the enemy.

The following is McCain''s own admission of collaboration in an article he wrote, printed May 14, 1973 in U.S. News and World Report:

"I think it was on the fourth day [after being shot down] that two guards came in, instead of one. One of them pulled back the blanket to show the other guard my injury. I looked at my knee. It was about the size, shape and color of a football. I remembered that when I was a flying instructor a fellow had ejected from his plane and broken his thigh. He had gone into shock, the blood had pooled in his leg, and he died, which came as quite a surprise to usa man dying of a broken leg.

Then I realized that a very similar thing was happening to me.

"When I saw it, I said to the guard, `O.K., get the officer.''

"An officer came in after a few minutes. It was the man that we came to know very well as `The Bug.'' He was a psychotic torturer, one of the worst fiends that we had to deal with. I said, `O.K., I''ll give you military information if you will take me to the hospital.''"

GOOGLE:

MCCAIN COLLABORATOR

[bonddouble07]

Republicans have such a wild imagination.

[robert7562]

Thank You FSW3, for the correction. It is good to see that someone is able to make a correction without condemnation of the person in error.

[robert7562]

Wasn''''t the outcome of the past midterm elections - cleaning out congress and NOTHING TO SHOW FOR IT!!!

Posted by pelosilover

Actually, the wording of The Constitution is "abolish" the current govt., not just elect new politicos with the same old same old. Your example is accurate, I do not disagree with you, However, the system is corrupt, too many of our elected officials are corrupt. We need a TOTAL cleanout of the current govt. I''ve got a novel idea, how about a government that actually IS of The People, By The People and For The People

[stevex47]

Howzilla somehow finds a way to lower the republs past the cesspool level.

Mission Accomplished.

[mavnomore]

I''ve often heard the cheapest form of argument is from the absolute extreme, these extremest viewpoints define intolerance and racism.

The lack of compassion for your fellow man, passing judgment on anyone who is not just like you or who you perceive is less than you, the outright venom and hate you direct at minorities (all Muslims, Blacks, Hispanics...) How in the world do you people deceive yourself into believing you are even remotely religious while you stand in direct contradiction to every teaching of Jesus?

I think there is a very good reason Evangelicals and politicians gravitate to one another, they are just alike.

[martin9p2]

howzilla, .... you are the Ashley Todd type. You are beating yourself up with foolish comments just for some attention, and by Nov. 5 McCain will disavow the likes of you. You are not helping to win votes for McCain.

[martin9p2]

howzilla, .... I''m white as snow and I''m voting for Obama. And by the way, voting for McCain simply because of momentum from your regular voting habit (essentially ignoring every issue except abortion) is extremely foolish. That''s how Bush got re-elected.

[martin9p2]

CNN and Politico are reporting that Sarah is disenchanted with her handlers, ... claiming her awkwardness is their fault and not her own incompetence. Nice. So first she wanted to distance herself from the Bushh admin, and now she''s trying to distance herself from HER OWN CAMPAIGN. Oh Sarah, please distance yourself from ME.

[gowerdog]

Hey, howzilla,brianbwb,needrbaur & thinkharder:

Where do you folks buy your white robes and hoods these days?

[brianbwb-2009]

"He will take money from all of us and give it to the lazy and unsuccessful and legitimize failure." Posted by howzilla

Right, like how Bush gave $850 billion to lazy and unsuccessful financial institutions, and the $1.3 trillion given to the lazy and unsuccessful war profiteers, and the tax breaks given to the lazy and corrupt Bush cronies...

[mavnomore]

Is That a Fact?

It is close to impossible to have a rational discussion with the manure spreaders when they refuse to acknowledge or fail to provide actual facts (see posts below.) Here is your chance to separate spin from fact and test your campaign knowledge. Go to the attached CNN link and take the quiz.


http://news.yahoo.com/election/2008;_ylt=AhmuljTHD7iuBoaBUBBQ5P2s0NUE#truth-o-meter

Let me get this over with, the wing nuts likely response, %u2018CNN is just a bunch of lib-rul, Gawdless, fact mongers that is in the tank for the Tiger Woods guy%u2026%u2019

If you take the quiz you will see that there are even some swipes at Obama.

[brianbwb-2009]

"He will revive it and make the lower class the middle class." Posted by howzilla

It is about time somebody reversed the neocon flow of making the middle class the lower class. If you have a problem with it, it is just that, your problem.

[brianbwb-2009]

"NObama is a racist and he will attack the white man. It is his mission while on this Earth. His words are poison and his heart is made of the darkest coldest coal mined from the deepest depths of hell. This is a matter of survival for white people." Posted by howzilla

Insomuch as you think of yourself as a "White" person, you are irrelevant.

Even if your nightmare was to come true, such as yourself won''t be missed.

[brianbwb-2009]

"... Joe the Plummer told him to his face he was a robber and it didn''''t phase him. That is the disrespect BJbama had for us." Posted by howzilla

You mean joe the liar, don''t you?