Oct. 30, 2008
Candidates Make Swing State Appeals
McCain, Obama Trade Barbs On The Economy As Election Day Approaches
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Play CBS Video Video Obama Woos Red States In the hopes of winning over key red states, Barack Obama spent much of Thursday in Sarasota, Fla., where President Bush won by 8 points in 2004. Dean Reynolds reports.
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Video Did Obama Score On Primetime? CNN media critic Howard Kurtz tells Harry Smith that the Barack Obama TV spot was well produced, but perhaps over produced in some ways.
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Video Obama's TV Blitz Sen. Barack Obama appeared at a rally, on "The Daily Show" and in his own primetime spot, reports Jeff Glor. Harry Smith talks to Bob Schieffer about how Sen. John McCain will react.
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In-Depth Ways To Win Calculate your own path to the presidency with CBSNews.com's electoral vote prediction map.
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Photos Pursuing The Presidency Images from the debates, conventions and campaign trail in the 2008 presidential election.
Aiming to seal the victory and become the nation's first black president, Obama raced into a day that would take him from Florida to Virginia to Missouri, all traditionally Republican territory.
McCain rolled by bus through battleground Ohio five days before the election, struggling to make up ground in a state that has voted with the winner in every presidential election for two decades.
By all available evidence, on the Thursday before Election Day the race was Obama's to lose.
The national polls showed him ahead, he was rated the favorite in a half-dozen states that sided with Mr. Bush in 2004, and surveys showed close races in three more.Ways To Win
Calculate your own path to the presidency with our Electoral Vote prediction map.
Both campaigns invested heavily in turning out early voters.
Officials in North Carolina said roughly 30 percent of all registered voters had already cast ballots - about 1.7 million in all - and the Board of Elections ordered the state's 100 counties to keep longer voting hours.
Like the opinion polls, the early ballot count favored Obama. Officials in Iowa, Florida, Colorado, New Mexico and Nevada as well as North Carolina said more Democrats that Republicans had cast ballots, in some cases by lopsided margins.
Democrats, increasingly optimistic about regaining the White House, looked forward to padding their majorities in Congress, too, and then tackling the economy and bringing the war in Iraq to an end.
But McCain and his aides sought to stoke doubts about one-party government. The campaign challenged Obama to say whether he supports a 25 percent cut in defense spending that is advocated by some in his party
In Sarasota, his first stop of the day, Obama tried to take advantage of the day's dreary business news, a government report that consumers cut back spending so sharply that the economy had shrunk at an annual rate of 0.3 percent in the third quarter.
It was the economy's worst showing since the fall of 2001, when a recession in progress was compounded by the impacts of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11.
"Folks have to watch every penny, tighten their belts," said Obama, contending that the downturn was the result of eight years of Republican economic policies.
"If you want to know where John McCain will drive this economy, just look in the rearview mirror. Because when it comes to our economic policies, John McCain has been right next to George Bush. He's been sitting there in the passenger seat, ready to take over, every step of the way," he added.
Obama's campaign re-enforced the rhetoric with a new television commercial. It showed the faces of Bush and McCain together in a car's rearview mirror as the announcer said, "Look behind you. We can't afford more of the same."
In a second ad, Obama touted endorsements from Colin Powell, the former secretary of state and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Warren Buffett, arguably the nation's best known investor. (Read more about the ads)
Those ads followed up Obama's 30-minute infomercial that aired on multiple channels Wednesday night at a cost of $4 million. (Read more about the ad)
Nielsen ratings that were released on Thursday showed that the ad was watched by 33.5 million people on CBS, NBC, Fox, Univision, MSNBC, BET and TV One.
In the 30-minute primetime campaign ad, Obama promised a rescue plan for the middle class in tough times as he reached for victory in his 21-month quest for the presidency.
"I will not be a perfect president," Obama said in the commercial. "But I can promise you this - I will always tell you what I think and where I stand."
As for reaction, CBS News senior political correspondent Jeff Greenfield said he doubts the ad changed many minds, but the goal of it was just to increase the "comfort level between Obama and voters."
"The spin doctors who put together this infomercial followed their own version of the Hippocratic Oath: 'first, do no harm.' It was an exercise in reassurance, from the reassuring images -- amber waves of grain, anyone -- to the soothing music, to Obama’s low-pitched voice, to the stories of his childhood and his family, to his narrations of the lives of typical Americans," Greenfield said. "This was all one message: 'I may have an odd name, come from a big city, and I’m obviously of a different color than other presidents -- but I share common roots, common values, and I understand what you are going through, and what you need from your government.'"
McCain's first stop of the day was in chilly Defiance, Ohio, where he did not dwell on the economic report. Instead, he pointed to Exxon Mobil's announcement of a $14.83 billion profit in the third quarter, a record, and said Obama had voted for legislation that included millions in tax breaks for oil companies.Read Wyatt Andrews' Reality Check On Obama's Campaign Pledges
"Senator Obama voted four billions in corporate giveaways to the oil companies," said McCain in an apparent reference to a 2005 energy bill that Bush pushed through Congress.
"I voted against it," the Arizona Republican said.
The legislation included nearly $3 billion in tax breaks for the oil and natural gas industry including some - but not all - that would benefit the largest oil producers such as Exxon Mobil Corp. It also had $11.4 billion in tax incentives for alternative energy and efficiency programs, cited by Obama as his reason for supporting the legislation.
Meanwhile, McCain's running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, says there is nothing wrong with calling out Obama on his past associations or other controversial elements of his record. Besides Obama's association with '60s-era radical Bill Ayers - Palin has accused Obama of "palling around with terrorists" - both McCain and Palin have now brought up Obama's friendship with a Palestinian-American professor, Rashid Khalidi, who has been critical of Israel.
Asked by ABC if she was suggesting in any of her criticism that Obama is un-American, Palin said: "No, not at all. Not calling him un-American." She added, "I am sure that Sen. Obama cares as much for this country as McCain does."
© MMVIII The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
More From Politics
Add a Comment See all 72 Comments
- In this economy - If Mr Obama brings home the troops from Iraq - how does he propose to employ them? where will their jobs come from? With all the layoffs, downsizing and bankruptcies - how is this going to work?
- Reply to this comment
- Consider carefully your choice:
October Surprise:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyspCRmJv7w
YouTube Search "Suit To Remove Barack Obama"
There are a TON of unanswered questions about the Democrat! - Reply to this comment
- FACT:
John McCain, as chairman of the International Republican Institute proved over $480,000 in grants to PLO spokesman Rashid Khalidi''s organization in 1998. - Reply to this comment
- he has ties with radicals,
Posted by kevinkkloste at 07:09 AM : Oct 31, 2008
Heard about the AIP ? - Reply to this comment
- "Given that Bush''''s policies have been such a powerful recruiting tool for terrorists, and that a continuation of those policies would result in more recruits, it''''s no surprise Osama Bin Laden would endorse Obama in the hopes that McCain would be elected.
Apparently "reverse psychology" is a new concept to you, Olivia4441.
Posted by smurfcrusher at 08:36 AM : Oct 31, 2008"
And what she said is not even true ...
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/uselection2008/johnmccain/3238578/John-McCain-endorsed-by-al-Qaeda-supporters.html
In a message broadcast on the password-protected al-Hesbah site, the group said they would also welcome a pre-election terror attack on the US because that would make a McCain win more likely.
In an endorsement that will not be welcomed by Mr McCain''s flagging campaign, the group said that if al-Qaeda wants to exhaust the USmilitarily and economically, the "impetuous" Republican presidential candidate is the better choice.
"This requires presence of an impetuous American leader such as McCain, who pledged to continue the war till the last American soldier," the message said.
"Then, al-Qaeda will have to support McCain in the coming elections so that he continues the failing march of his predecessor, Bush." - Reply to this comment
- Posted by jeb001980 at 07:51 AM
Even Senator McCain has conceded Senator Obama is not a socialist, you really need to keep updated on the current talking points. - Reply to this comment
- Bin Laden wants Obama elected. Just came out today in the news.
Terrorists want to destory America, and they want Obama to help.
Enough said.
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Posted by Olivia4441 at 08:04 AM : Oct 31, 2008
Looking back on the days after September 11, 2001: if I knew than that the Bush Administration would fail to capture or kill Osama Bin Laden in the next 8 years combined with the news that the only non-military plane allowed to fly in American airspace was the one taking the Bin Laden family safely home, I would have had a very strong suspicion of treasonous activity by our top leaders.
...and I would have been far from alone. - Reply to this comment
- Unlike Obama''s tax break, which only benefits the working,
the Alaska Oil Check goes to every man, woman, and child - working or not.
More Republican hypocrisy. - Reply to this comment
- "Bin Laden wants Obama elected. Just came out today in the news.
Terrorists want to destory America, and they want Obama to help.
Enough said."
Posted by Olivia4441
A thinking person might wonder why Osama Bin Laden would suggest a particular candidate, since we want to kill Osama Bin Laden. His endorsement is the LAST thing a candidate wants.
Given that Bush''s policies have been such a powerful recruiting tool for terrorists, and that a continuation of those policies would result in more recruits, it''s no surprise Osama Bin Laden would endorse Obama in the hopes that McCain would be elected.
Apparently "reverse psychology" is a new concept to you, Olivia4441. - Reply to this comment
- "Mr Barry H. Obama i only make $6.25 hour, why don''t you just take my holl pay now, before i get my check. Why don''t i just work and my employer give you the paycheck and you give me what you think i should get??? oh you allready do that!
Posted by MaryKaye23 at 06:34 AM : Oct 31, 2008
Oh, so your the 40% that doesn''''t pay taxes anyway, but that will get a tax break from President Obama''''s plan. Boy are you lucky we''''re going to elect Barack. Idiot."
Posted by tru_america1
Now you know why she makes $6.25 per hour - Reply to this comment
- Bin Laden wants Obama elected. Just came out today in the news.
Terrorists want to destory America, and they want Obama to help.
Enough said.
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Posted by Olivia4441 at 08:04 AM : Oct 31, 2008
Bin Laden should kiss the Republicans on the mouth for letting him live since 9-11.
Enough said. - Reply to this comment
- As the wealthy Republicans in this country happily accepted the big tax cuts and continued to make corporate decisions that boost profits at the expense of American workers, they forgot that we live in a Democracy.
Well, the meal is done and the check has arrived.
Electing Republicans this election would be like allowing them to Dine and Dash.
Punish a Republican, make them pay the bill,
Vote Democrat. - Reply to this comment
- Bin Laden wants Obama elected. Just came out today in the news.
Terrorists want to destory America, and they want Obama to help.
Enough said. - Reply to this comment
- "Mr Barry H. Obama i only make $6.25 hour, why don''''''''t you just take my holl pay now, before i get my check. Why don''''''''t i just work and my employer give you the paycheck and you give me what you think i should get??? oh you allready do that!
Posted by MaryKaye23 at 06:34 AM : Oct 31, 2008"
Guess wath ? Which party voted to increase mimimum wages ? - Reply to this comment
- Mr Barry H. Obama i only make $6.25 hour, why don''''''''t you just take my holl pay now, before i get my check. Why don''''''''t i just work and my employer give you the paycheck and you give me what you think i should get??? oh you allready do that!
Posted by MaryKaye23 at 06:15 AM : Oct 31, 2008
Guess what ? Check which part votes to increase minimal wages ... - Reply to this comment
- Palin said the election is in God''''s hands...if Obama wins, how will she feel about God choosing a Democrat over her and Mccain? Would it mean God is Democrat too?
Posted by idahoSilk at 04:04 AM : Oct 31, 2008
At least, we know that Jesus was a community organizer, and Pontius Pilate a governor.
As for past associations, Plain would be wise to shut her big mouth ...
"The fires of hell are frozen glaciers compared to my hatred for the American government", "and I won''t be buried under their d*a*m*n flag."
"I''m an Alaskan, not an American. I''ve got no use for America or her damned institutions."
Jo Vogel, Founder of AIP
Sarah Palin addressed the Alaskan Independence Party Convention a little over 6 months ago, happily telling its attendees that she shared its "vision of upholding the Constitution of our great state", curiously not mentioning the Constitution of the United States. She encouraged AIP to "keep up the good work". - Reply to this comment
- "Candidates Make Swing State Appeals"
I agree. And there should be more slides too ... and see-saws. - Reply to this comment
- Palin said the election is in God''s hands...if Obama wins, how will she feel about God choosing a Democrat over her and Mccain? Would it mean God is Democrat too?
- Reply to this comment
- Don''t feel your pain McCain
- Reply to this comment
- Debunking rumors of both Obama and McCain:
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1008/15106.html - Reply to this comment
