Rolling The Campaign Dice In Pennsylvania

CBS Evening News: McCain Campaign Hopes Keystone State Can Offset Western Losses, But Are Tactics Working?

(CBS)  It's game night inside the Kline household near Allentown, Pa., and the family is gathered around a deck of cards.

But picking a president this year is the real contest in the home, CBS News' Jeff Glor reports.

"This is probably the one that stands out the most as far as being undecided," said Jane Kline, a registered Republican.

Both Jane and her husband Rick, 50, are registered Republicans. But Rick especially believes he has reason to cross party lines.

"In 2006 and again this year I've been laid off from two different jobs, and I look at it, and it's all happened under the current party," he said.

Even though John McCain is behind in the state, which hasn't gone for a Republican in a presidential election since 1988, his campaign has come to believe that Pennsylvania is essential.

"It seems inevitable that the McCain camp is going to lose some Western states, and if they can somehow offset those losses with wins in Pennsylvania, and its 21 electoral votes, it really does give them the chance that they're hoping for," said Christopher Borick, director of the Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion.

McCain spent six days in Pennsylvania in the past two weeks - and Obama's noticed, launching a two-day swing this week, and bringing in Bill Clinton Wednesday.

While McCain is being outspent on TV ads, the commercials he is running in the Keystone State are overwhelmingly negative.

"They rolled the dice here," Borick said. "They rolled the dice in making a negative campaign, and so far the results simply don't show that it's bearing any fruit."

Rick Kline said: "I don't think it's necessary to be that ugly and that nasty against your opponent."

His wife added: "I think it actually hurts their cause rather than helps it - at least for me it does."

That said, she's still likely voting Republican.

"I'm in the middle, but I'm leaning slightly towards McCain," she said.

Her husband, likely not.

"Obama, most likely," he said.

A split decision here, as McCain keeps swinging for a last-chance late-round knockout.

[gmjh-2009]

interesting

you post an irrelevant piece of paranoid mud slinging absolute garbage

you people are truly desperate

As desperate as your pathetic sad nasty old man of a leader

grow up and accept defeat with some degree of grace for goodness sake

[paulnolan97]

I used to live in Pennsylvania, close to Bucks county, and I admire the people of Pennsyvania. They are too smart to fall for the negative tactics of John McCain. Pennsylvania voters are among the smartest in the United States and they care about results. Negative scare ads by John McCain and silly slogans by Sarah Palin will not win the state. Penn voters know a good person when they see one and that person this year is Barack Obama.

[stevemd2]

When a campaigncan only use old cliches and negative campaigning to denigrate their challenger, they have lost all reason for respect. They show their desperation and ethical emptiness.

Besides the Iraq war, this campaign is about putting in order our economy, and undoing the economic catastrophe Bush and his gang, including McCain have given us. The $700 BILLION bailout is likely just a down payment on unraveling how Trillions were stolen via wall street scams. Former Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan admitted he and the fed didn''t understand the depths of these "Enron reborn" games.

Someone will have to pay for the problems Bush and his party gave our nation. And obviously it should come primarily from the super-wealthy and the very very wealthy - those with tens or hundreds of millions of $$, or Billions.

And there is something terribly wrong with a nation where a select number of people, super well connected, get paid more in a month, and for some more in a week, then the average American can earn in a lifetime. The super / very wealthy, who count their wealth in the tens and hundreds of Millions of $$, and even Billions are going to have to pony up.

Or you can kiss the middle class goodbye. As millions of them are currently doing with their homes.

If McCain wins, he will be controlled just as the puppet Bush has been, by those same superwealthy, who have no heart at all. The people who gave us what may be the next great depression.

[fulghum2]

Obama made it crystal clear to Joe the Plumber that he plans a massive redistribution of wealth %u2014 taking your wealth!
Just so you know, Obama''s plan defines ''rich'' anyone making over $90,000 a year, because that''s when his FICA tax cap comes off and you start paying an addition 7% of tax on each and every dollary you earn above the cap!

And if you are making just $50,000 a year or more %u2014 expect to pay another 4.5% on each and every dollar you earn starting in 2010. That''s when the Bush tax cuts expire.

''President Obama'' has emphatically states he will expire those cuts for "rich" people like you.

Obama''s crazy plan must be stopped. It will not only cost you money, it will throw the U.S. economy into a depression.

[fmoolten-2009]

As a Republican, Rick Kline''s situation is not unique. Support for Obama among Democrats is not surprising, but a striking development recently has been Barack Obama''s endorsement by prominent Republicans. The most notable was Colin Powell, but others include former Republican Governors, as well as Charles Fried, who was Ronald Reagan''s Solicitor General. Despite some policy differences with Obama, they have seen him as more stable, better informed, better qualified, and less impulsive on critical issues, including the nation''s economic crisis.

Possibly more important, as the election nears, some conservatives have grown terrified at the thought that Sarah Palin might become president in a complicated and dangerous world where her incompetence would put the nation at unprecedented risk. Even with the hope that a Palin presidency would never occur, that same alarm has impelled them to lose faith in the judgment of Senator McCain, based on his selection of an unqualified candidate for the second place on the ticket. It would be a mistake to confuse their preference for Obama with a permanent shift in political allegiance. At this point, their overriding concern appears to be the nation%u2019s safety, but their support for Obama in this election may not be a good predictor of how they will vote in the future.

Fred Moolten

[stevemd2]

And dear reader, you can bet that these writers perpetrating all these McCain fantasies are an organized group who troll the blogs looking for articles on which to spill their lies and venom.

But the populace now generally understands how Bush and McCain & co. have divided and polarized our nation, turning our politics into a hate campaign,

We can do better.

[jimlayton]

fulghum2,

Don''t worry about Obama''s tax plan. Based on your comments you certainly don''t know what the FICA limits are or what happens when you exceed them. Your taxes will most certainly go down.

[jimlayton]

doctor-cool,

If you want to bomb, bomb, bomb Iran, your choice is clear.

[abnerm-2009]

To those who think Obama is good news. Here a is something to note:

Last week Hamas'' Yousef told Batchelor and Klein that Hamas would send Obama a congratulatory letter "the moment that he will win the election."

Obama has also gotten a nod of approval from Iran.

[butterflyxo]

fulghum2..
if you want to get technical...McCain wants to give a $5,000 tax break for the medically uninsured..and how is he going to pay for it...by taxing people who are getting insurance coverage from their employers.

So now ANYONE rich or poor who receives coverage from their employer will now have to pay for those who are uninsured. Wouldn''t that be considered socialist? It''s just as much a "redistribution".

But you know what makes it worse, those poor people who get this tax credit will NEVER find quality coverage for a family for $5,000 a year. They''ll get the lowest grade of insurance, where they will poor coverage and extremely high premiums.

Good coverage costs about $12,000 a year for a family.

By McCain taxing employers who offer their employees medical benefits (unlike Obama who wants to reward businesses who offer healthcare with tax breaks) many employers will be forced to stop giving medical benefits to their employees. That could increase the uninsured by 20 million.

The collapse of healthcare in this country will be an even bigger problem than Wall Street.

McCain''s a bad Socialist.

So what I am trying to say is that when it comes to taxes and tax codes, its always about distribution. Its all a matter of who you give the breaks to and who you dont.

[butterflyxo]

And if Obama''s plans were so socialist, why would he have some of the richest people in the world endorsing him? Warren Buffet, the 60 billion dollar man...Eric Schmidt, the CEO of Google....Steve Jobs..CEO of Apple..I could go on and on, but fact of the matter is if you look at the endorsers(check out wikipedia), Obama has alot more wealthy people endorsing him than McCain, so I doubt he''s a socialist.

[incog-nito]

Butterflyxo: McCain''s plan is so ludicrous it''s unbelievable that anyone thought of it, let alone wanting to implement it. Instead of going with group plans which are cheaper, McCain wants to use taxpayer money to encourage people to buy individual plans which are much more expensive to start with. Also, unlike group plans, with individual policies insurers can raise your rate or discontinue coverage ANYTIME, not to mention deny you coverage for a preexisting condition. And how he is going to prevent insurers from simply raising their premiums to take advantage of the credit?

McCain''s plan for health care is, simply put, insane.

[jimlayton]

kimcon22000,

I''m open minded. What is factually wrong with butterflyxe''s post?

[jimlayton]

kimcon22000,

You say Obama is a Socialist, correct?

How does his tweaking of the existing tax policy make him "Socialist"? He is not rewriting the current tax code.

[jbrinkmeyer]

One of the saddest spectacles of this long presidential election campaign has been watching the slow implosion of what could have been a decent Republican candidacy. It started with the puzzling selection of Sarah Palin who even a cursory vetting would have recognized to be more liability than benefit. The tone was struck with her red meat baiting convention speech which pumped the hard core, but alienated the independent voters McCain sought. It was mostly down hill from there as the Karl Rove instinct took over.

Sad to see a once decent man sink into the slime of attack dog politics. The good news is that a landslide may finally put an end to this nonsense.

http://sarahpalinwatch.blogspot.com

[jimlayton]

tex,

The current tax plan redistributes the wealth. Obama is not overhauling today''s tax system.

[jimlayton]

kimcon22000,

Thought you were a Bushie. Now you''re questioning electoral college versus popular vote?

[onarollagain]

Why isn''t the Los Angeles Times releasing the videotape of the 2003 farewell bash in Chicago at which Barack Obama lavished praise on Rashid Khalidi former mouthpiece for master terrorist Yasser Arafat? Because it shows Obama standing next to Bill Ayers? Now that would damage Obama severly and since LA Times opening supports Obama they won''t release the tape.

[jimlayton]

tex,

Wow it''s hard to get you to answer directly.

Obama is not revamping today''s existing tax code. How does that make it much different from what we have in place today?

[jimlayton]

kimcon22000,

Regarding Khalidi, John McCain chaired a board that gave Khalidi 500k in grant money.

Be careful what you wish for.

[butterflyxo]

fulghum,
McCain does want to give a $5,000 tax break for medical insurance and I think its a really horrible plan, and I will stick by that. But regardless, he is going to tax others to do so. So doesn''t that make him a socialist? Also why are there so many top Republicans supporting Obama if he was the crazy left wing socialist? McCain campaign has succeeded on fooling alot of people.

Look all I am trying to say, is that our country is in a very bad place. Thank God I am not struggling, but I see so many people around me losing their jobs and finding it impossible to find a job. You see 2 income families go to 1 and its not enough. You see people unable to afford food and their utilities. People who can''t afford to fill up their gas tank to go out and find a job.

I come from NY and things here are bad, but not nearly as bad as the rest of the country. I can take a train or bus anywhere for 2 bucks, you can find anything you need all in walking distance. I never need my car. Most of the country does not have this luxury. Imagine having your job shipped off to another country or losing your home because you don''t have healthcare. I feel it is my duty as an American to help those who need it. If it means more spending, then I am willing to pay a little more. I don''t think i''m a Socialist.

[jimlayton]

tex,

You''re mnot getting my point. The current tax code redistributes wealth, correct?

[pta-mom-4-vp]

It''s official: Latest poll out of Arizona has Mccain leading by ONLY 2 POINTS!

[noamnestymc]

The amnesty mccain camp is stupid to think they will win in Pennsylvania! I''ve lived in PA for more than 10 years, I know that of all republicans, Mccain is someone Pennsylvanians would NOT vote for! Amnesty Mccain wants to give amnesty to over 20 million illegal immigrants! That is something people from PA will not be able to swallow about Amnesty Mccain!

[noamnestymc]

I''''ve answered you TWICE! High taxation and sucking the country''''s wealth up into government control IS SOCIALIST! It is against every principle this country was founded on! Don''''t you ever remember the Boston TEA Party history at ALL?
Posted by FromTexwLove at 09:34 PM : Oct 28, 2008
*** I hate to differ with you, but amnesty mccain wanting the government to buy up over 300 billion in bad mortgage loans, that is WAY More socialist than any of Obama''s plans! Obama doesn''t want EVERYONE to make the same wage, which would be true socialism. We democrats just want it more fair. Why should I work my rear off for only 14 thousand bucks per year and pay more in taxes than the walmart executives that make millions per year?? The answer is NOT for me to go back to college to get a better job, because I already have a bachelor''s degree and there are already NO jobs for me to get already! The answer is make walmart pay more in taxes, so that small businesses can compete with WAlmart!

[jimlayton]

kimcon22000,

I was just reading an article in the NY Times (yeah, I know what you think of them) from 3 months ago talking about McCain and the IRI (International Republican Institute). Cheney, GW Bush, Condee Rice were there as were the heads of companies like AT&T.

The IRI gave grant money to Khalidi.

I think McCain''s campaign did not vet this story thouroughly enough before they try to tie Obama to Khalidi.

[stevemd2]

And dear reader, you can bet that these writers perpetrating all these McCain fantasies are an organized group who troll the blogs looking for articles on which to spill their lies and venom.

But the populace now generally understands how Bush and McCain & co. have divided and polarized our nation, turning our politics into a hate campaign,

We can do better.

[stevemd2]

And dear reader, you can bet that these writers perpetrating all these McCain fantasies are an organized group who troll the blogs looking for articles on which to spill their lies and venom.

But the populace now generally understands how Bush and McCain & co. have divided and polarized our nation, turning our politics into a hate campaign,

We can do better.

[nearl4511]

Chris Buckley (William F.''s boy) has it right. What the right is most afraid of is that Obama will make an extremely competent President.

He endorsed Obama recently, realizing he has a better vision and judgement than the other fellow.

[noamnestymc]

Obama = Marxism
Posted by earthlives at 09:44 PM : Oct 28, 2008
**** Mccain = amnesty for over 20 million illegals!!
I''ll take marxism over mccain amnesty anytime! Obama/Biden 2008!

[jimlayton]

tex,

So you''re saying today''s tax rates are NOT Socialist, so where do we cross the line into Socialism? 37, 38, 39 percent max? Which one?

[noamnestymc]

Obama/Biden 2008! Government for working class AmericanS!

[nearl4511]

No Rowdy YOU especially are afraid of his competence....thay and a lot of C R AP that you''ve been spewing may may you an enemy combatant during the next administration.

[jimlayton]

tex,

I guess sitting on a board that approved giving Khalidi 500k is nothing to McCain. I would think he would know better than to try and use Khalidi as a liability for Obama.

[jimlayton]

tex,

Allright, I appreciate the answer that anything higher than today''s tax rates is Socialism.

I can live with that.

[o_the_potus]

Chris Buckley (William F.''''s boy) has it right. What the right is most afraid of is that Obama will make an extremely competent President.

He endorsed Obama recently, realizing he has a better vision and judgement than the other fellow.

Posted by Nearl4511 at 09:49 PM : Oct 28, 2008

------------------

I contrast to the last eight years of colossal presidential ineptitude in which the US has been made a laughingstock, even McCain would seem competent.

[okaussie]

If McCain has a history of standing up to his own party for "what he believes are his principles", then why did he brag that he voted with the president 90% of the time?

[dude1961-2009]

VOTE NO - OBAMA IS A BAD CANDIDATE - VOTE NO
----------------------------
Obama has a 100% ANT-GUN voting record
Obama has a 100% Pro-PORK spending record
Obama wants GOVERNMENT RUN Health Care
Obama thinks ''LIFE IS ABOVE HIS PAY GRADE''
Obama WILL TAKE FROM YOU
Obama WILL GIVE TO SOMEONE ELSE
Obama WILL INCREASE GOVERNMENT IN YOUR LIVES
----------------------------
VOTE NO - Mr Government OBAMA - VOTE NO

[dude1961-2009]

VOTE NO - OBAMA IS A BAD CANDIDATE - VOTE NO
----------------------------
Obama has a 100% ANT-GUN voting record
Obama has a 100% Pro-PORK spending record
Obama wants GOVERNMENT RUN Health Care
Obama thinks ''LIFE IS ABOVE HIS PAY GRADE''
Obama WILL TAKE FROM YOU
Obama WILL GIVE TO SOMEONE ELSE
Obama WILL INCREASE GOVERNMENT IN YOUR LIVES
----------------------------
VOTE NO - Mr Government OBAMA - VOTE NO

[dude1961-2009]

VOTE YES - JOHN McCAIN & SARAH PALINE - VOTE YES

--------------------------
PRO GUN RIGHTS - "Believes gun laws do not reduce crime"

LOW TAXES FOR EVERYONE - "do not raise taxes on anyone"

PRO AMERICAN VALUES - supports the present Constitution. Does not believe it is ''flawed'' like Mr.Government does.

PRACTICES SOUND GOVERNANCE - he has never asked for Earmarks (Pork) in 26 years.

PEOPLE DRIVEN HEALTH CARE - supports private health care not run by the Government
--------------------------

VOTE YES - JOHN McCain & SARAH PALIN - VOTE YES

[dude1961-2009]

LOOKS LIKE FEAR ON DEMOCRATS FACE

It is NOT guilt by association it is guilt by AFFILIATION.

(1) The Ayers (D-IL) issue isn''t just what Ayers did "when Obama was 8 years old". It is about Obama''s 7 year "mutual" participation on the boards of two foundations. Obama LIED about his "neighbor" and his "level" of involvement when he apparently didn''t have to. Why?

(2) Tony Rezko (D-IL) (Convict) is singing like a canary. He purchased Obama''s property "for him", "as well as" an adjacent lot. The adjacent lot went for only a $100K in Hyde Park Chicago, IL. Sweeeet Deal!

(3) Tony Rezko (D-IL) (convict) financed Obama''s Illinois campaign for state office long before the real estate deal. Sounds like Chicago "you scratch my back and i''ll scratch yours".

(4) Acorn employed Obama to litigate class action cases against banks (Citi) who would not lend to minorities (or anyone) who couldn''t pass the free market requirements for loan approval. These lawsuits "contributed" to the relaxed lending standards that ultimately ended up in Taxpayer backed Fannie & Freddie.

NOW WE HAVE 5 TRILLION IN MORTGAGES AT FANNIE & FREDDIE WHERE 10''S OF THOUSANDS ARE MEARLY WORTHLESS PIECES OF PAPER THAT TAXPAYERS ARE ON THE HOOK FOR.

NOW WE HAVE THOUSANDS OF CASES OF VOTER REGISTRATION FRAUD AND OUTRIGHT "SAME DAY REGISTRATION SAME DAY VOTING" FRAUD.

OBAMA''s real compaign slogan (and McCains Mantra) should be:

"HOPE" (we don''t get caught) "CHANGE" (you will never see)

[doctor--fool]

Obama wants to take our guns...

Posted by mr22585 at 10:24 PM : Oct 28, 2008

Wah, wah, wah, go cry about it to someone who gives a rat''s azz.

[tachoma-2009]

For what i''m hearing the election is already been decided and barack obama has won. those people showing up at mcCain''s rallies are the ones that waited to late to register and can''t vote. Early voting from the democrats have out numbered voting for the repulicans 2 to 1 and at that pace the undecided which is 5% won''t be enough to stage a come back for mcCain. now i understand why him hand Palin are becoming the butt of jokes. She looking towards her future in 2012 so she can try to head the republican ticket and put the old guy second.

Palin-Stevens 2012 ?

[doctor--fool]

MCCAIN IS PICKING UP PENNSYLVANIA! THE SURGE IS WORKING! THE SURGE IS WORKING! LMAO!

[targaray-2009]

Next Bush/McCain/Palin Political Gimmick to BACKFIRE!!!
___ Sarah Palin was not actually pregnant with Trig last year after all...

FACT:
7 days before the general election, a seemingly very healthy Sarah Palin still has NOT released her medical records, what''s up with that???

[dude1961-2009]

OBAMA ON GUN RIGHTS

Barrak Hussein Obama has NEVER supported your firearm rights in deed or action! NEVER!

FACT: Liberal Obama restricted the poor from protecting themselves from crime in their own home!
Obama opposed an Illinois bill (SB 2165, 2004).

FACT: Liberal Obama has supported total bans on handguns in Illinois!

SB 2165, Obama''s support for a total handgun ban in defense of the home

FACT: Liberal Obama has tried to eliminate and restrict ammunition used in common firearms!
Obama voted for an amendment by longtime ammunition ban advocate Sen. Edward Kennedy (S. Amdt. 1615 to S. 397, Vote No. 217, July 29, 2005), which would have the authority to ban any bullet that "may be used in a handgun and that the Attorney General determines is...%u201D

Obama also said, on his 2003 questionnaire for the Independent Voters of Illinois-Independent Precinct Organization, that he would "support banning the sale of ammunition for assault weapons."

Kennedy and Obma specifically denounced the .30-30 Winchester rifle cartridge, used by millions of deer hunters since 1895

FACT: Liberal Obama wants your private property registered for future confiscation!

Obama claimed he doesn''t support licensing or registration because he doesn''t think he "can get that done" - isn''t enough to get around his clear support for handgun registration and licensing.

OBAMA IS REPEATEDLY ON RECORD - NOT IN FAVOR OF YOUR GUN RIGHTS!

[dude1961-2009]

OBAMA ON GUN RIGHTS

Barrak Hussein Obama has NEVER supported your firearm rights in deed or action! NEVER!

FACT: Liberal Obama restricted the poor from protecting themselves from crime in their own home!
Obama opposed an Illinois bill (SB 2165, 2004).

FACT: Liberal Obama has supported total bans on handguns in Illinois!

SB 2165, Obama''s support for a total handgun ban in defense of the home

FACT: Liberal Obama has tried to eliminate and restrict ammunition used in common firearms!
Obama voted for an amendment by longtime ammunition ban advocate Sen. Edward Kennedy (S. Amdt. 1615 to S. 397, Vote No. 217, July 29, 2005), which would have the authority to ban any bullet that "may be used in a handgun and that the Attorney General determines is...%u201D

Obama also said, on his 2003 questionnaire for the Independent Voters of Illinois-Independent Precinct Organization, that he would "support banning the sale of ammunition for assault weapons."

Kennedy and Obma specifically denounced the .30-30 Winchester rifle cartridge, used by millions of deer hunters since 1895

FACT: Liberal Obama wants your private property registered for future confiscation!

Obama claimed he doesn''t support licensing or registration because he doesn''t think he "can get that done" - isn''t enough to get around his clear support for handgun registration and licensing.

OBAMA IS REPEATEDLY ON RECORD - NOT IN FAVOR OF YOUR GUN RIGHTS!

[doctor--fool]

he supported a proposal to ban almost every gun store in America.

Posted by mr22585 at 10:26 PM : Oct 28, 2008

LOL -- almost every one? You don''t say! Which one did he decide to leave open? The one where Jeremiah Wright buys his anti-cracker guns? LMAO! You rednecks are so funny, really you are.

[gotravel1]

Biden just told a Tv reporter in PA today that now you are wealthy and can expect a tax increase at $150,000.Just two weeks ago it was $250,000.Do you see a trend here?Including the fact that they aren''t in favor of extending the Bush tax cuts,you''d get a double whammy of tax increases.My husband was out of a job twice in Pgh,when USSteel went down ,but Pgh has compensated in technolgy,medicine and manufacturing.You will always be able to find a job,and it''s more likely under McCain than with Obama,who wants to double the capital gains tax,which would cause businesses to either go overseas or seriously scale down.We cannot afford a risky,obama.His defense plans,economic plans,and stand that the Constitution is a "fluid" document,are dangerous for America.

[doctor--fool]

Obama says the constitution is negative. That it limits the governments power. Obama wants to change the constitution. We don''''t want this kind of change...

Posted by mr22585 at 10:31 PM : Oct 28, 2008

I am a paid republican shill. I have been typing at this computer for 48 hours straight. My boss will not let me leave, even for a bathroom break. We don''t want this kind of change.