US 2008 Presidential Campaign Discussion Thread - Part 9

[Irvine511]

potentially huge:

McCain pulling out of Michigan

John McCain is pulling out of Michigan, according to two Republicans, a stunning move a month away from Election Day that indicates the difficulty Republicans are having in finding blue states to put in play.

McCain will go off TV in Michigan, stop dropping mail there and send most of his staff to more competitive states, including Wisconsin, Ohio and Florida. Wisconsin went for Kerry in 2004, Ohio and Florida for Bush.

McCain's campaign didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

Republicans had been bullish on Michigan, hopeful that McCain's past success in the state in the 2000 primary combined with voter dissatisfaction with Democratic Gov. Jennifer Granholm and skepticism among blue-collar voters about Barack Obama could make it competitive.

McCain and his running mate Sarah Palin spent the night after the GOP convention at a large rally in Macomb County, just outside Detroit. The two returned later last month for another sizable event in Grand Rapids.

But recent polls there have shown Obama extending what had been a small lead, with the economic crisis damaging an already sagging GOP brand in a state whose economy is in tatters.

A McCain event planned for next week in Plymouth, Michiigan, has been canceled.

 

[bonoman]

potentially huge:

Not that huge. It went blue in the last election and wasn't counted on to be red. It's not like they stole one, just retained a blue state. They've gotta retain all the blue states, the huge news is if, or when, McCain pulls out of a red state! Now that's something to jump up and down about!

 

[Irvine511]

Not that huge. It went blue in the last election and wasn't counted on to be red. It's not like they stole one, just retained a blue state. They've gotta retain all the blue states, the huge news is if, or when, McCain pulls out of a red state! Now that's something to jump up and down about!

i think it's huge because it's confirming what we've all thought to be obvious by now -- McCain's only chance is to defend Bush's 2004 states. the blue battleground states are shrinking in number. MI was a close call for Kerry. now, Obama's got it locked up, it seems.

and this was a state where Obama didn't even compete in the primaries and has a large percentage of the Clinton-type voters -- older blue collar white folk.

 

[bonoman]

i think it's huge because it's confirming what we've all thought to be obvious by now -- McCain's only chance is to defend Bush's 2004 states. the blue battleground states are shrinking in number. MI was a close call for Kerry. now, Obama's got it locked up, it seems.

and this was a state where Obama didn't even compete in the primaries and has a large percentage of the Clinton-type voters -- older blue collar white folk.

Ya I see what your saying. It is pointing to McCain desperation of focusing soley on retaining Bush states rather then, GASP, branching out. That is what I think is so lost in politics nowadays, the motivation to go to places where your point of view isn't as popular and talk to those people and try to convince them otherwise. It includes the entire country. It happens in Canada all the time as well. As an Albertan, I feel left out of all Federal Elections because of the voting record of my province, I'm sure centre right people in Cali feel the same way, and centre left people in Texas do as well.

McCain is getting closer to free fall if he doesn't change something quick, that I'm sure of!

 

[dazzledbylight]

.
I'm seeing him again this Saturday...this whole swing state phenom is awesome.

Good for you!
Have a great time & cheer (W0000T !!!) for me, huh, U2dem!


Yeah, really who would of thunk that Virginia would become a swing State!!!

 

[dazzledbylight]

Not that huge. It went blue in the last election and wasn't counted on to be red.

no.... people had begun to worry..that Michigan would be harder to hold on to.

East Langsin, Michigan sez ...... Bye, bye, Mr.Temper & He-Who-Mustn't-Like-Regulation ( until 9/23/08 )

 

[dazzledbylight]

Ya .......That is what I think is so lost in politics nowadays, the motivation to go to places where your point of view isn't as popular and talk to those people and try to convince them otherwise. It includes the entire country........

Here-- that was Howard Dean's "Fifty State" strategy this time......
going back into States were organized Democratic Party stuff had gone away, or barely existed.
Some Dems were against it.....but I thought it was a good idea to try....with so much dissastifaction with how Team Bush has run things bubbling up all over.

 

[dazzledbylight]

wow!
I didn't know there were *crickets*
in FYM!

ttfn

 

[MrsSpringsteen]

wow!
I didn't know there were *crickets*
in FYM!

ttfn

Everyone's busy prepping Sarah Palin for the debate. diamond is picking out her outfit.

 

[bonoman]

As Artie Lange from the Howard Stern Show would say WHAAAA! WHAAAA!:

McCain camp cedes ground in Michigan - CNN.com

Meanwhile, McCain jokingly said Thursday that Obama's poll numbers are rising as the economy seems to sink "because life isn't fair."

"He certainly did nothing for the first few days," McCain told Fox News on Thursday. "I suspended my campaign, took our ads down, came back to Washington, met with the House folks and got on the phone, and also had face-to-face meetings."

And you still lost ground... Doesn't that tell you something?

 

[dazzledbylight]

Everyone's busy prepping Sarah Palin for the debate. diamond is picking out her outfit.

oh, yeah, of course!!
How could I have forgotten!!!


Since I can't drink.... .... should i have
a chocolate bon bons eating contest instead?

I don't want to go overgleeful....... "it ain't over till it's over"...
...tho the signs & portents do seem to be heading our way.

 

[anitram]

The way the polls have been, McCain only really has a chance in NH, with respect to flipping a blue state.

 

[dazzledbylight]

The way the polls have been, McCain only really has a chance in NH, with respect to flipping a blue state.

***FINGERS CROSSED***

 

[yolland]

.

Palin says she wants to keep campaigning in Michigan

By TODD SPANGLER
Detroit Free Press, October 3


In an interview with Fox News today, vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin said she questioned the decision by John McCain’s campaign to pull its resources out of Michigan. According to a story posted on Fox News’ Web site, Palin she and her husband would “be happy” to campaign in Michigan, which the McCain campaign announced Thursday it would be pulling resources from to concentrate on efforts elsewhere.

Palin, the Alaska governor who appeared in a vice presidential debate with Democrat Barack Obama’s running mate Joe Biden on Thursday night, said when she read the news that the McCain campaign was pulling out of Michigan--essentially conceding the state to Obama--she “fired off a quick email and said, ‘Oh come on, do we have to?’” In the interview, Palin went on to say her husband Todd and she would “be so happy to speak to the people there in Michigan who are hurting...I wanna get back to Michigan and I want to try.”

On Thursday, McCain campaign strategists said they were pulling out of Michigan because it was “the worst state of all the states that are in play” for the Republican presidential nominee. TV ads in the state--which had been considered a battleground--were ceasing and paid McCain staff were being moved to other states. Palin in the Fox News interview said the decision didn’t come as a surprise since polls have shown support for McCain falling in Michigan since the economy took center stage in the election. Michigan has the highest unemployment rate in the country and with a Republican in the White House, conventional wisdom is that the benefit accrues to the Democratic presidential nominee, Obama.

The McCain campaign did not immediately respond to questions from the Free Press whether Palin’s desire to stump in Michigan could change the campaign’s prior decision, either allowing her to visit Michigan on behalf of the ticket or possibly convince McCain’s strategists to let staff remain and TV ads to be purchased again. McCain and the Republican Party have spent more than $6 million on TV ads in the state from Memorial Day to Labor Day, a bit more than that spent by Obama in the state.

Palin said it should surprise no one she disagrees with the McCain on strategy regarding Michigan, saying they are “a team of mavericks. Of course we’re not gonna agree on everything.”

 

[anitram]

Go ahead, Sarah, campaign in Michigan.

You know what else is great? New York. Lots of Hillary voters there. I'm sure that if you tried real hard and winked a couple times, you could get that state to flip too.

 

[Irvine511]

The way the polls have been, McCain only really has a chance in NH, with respect to flipping a blue state.

The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey in New Hampshire Obama attracting 53% of the vote while McCain earns 43%. This is the first time Obama has held a significant lead in the state since July and the first time he’s held a double digit lead since June. Polls in August and September showed the race to be a toss-up. In fact, less than two weeks ago, McCain was up by two points, 49% to 47%.

Obama is now viewed favorably by 60% of New Hampshire voters, McCain by 57%. Those figures reflect a six-point improvement for Obama and a three-point decline for McCain compared to the late September survey.

As for the running mates, Delaware Senator Joe Biden is viewed favorably by 54% while 47% say the same about Alaska Governor Sarah Palin.

i'm sure it's not as accurate as a Fox News poll where "millions" of people text in their opinions, but we'll take what we can get.

 

[anitram]

That poll is a huge surprise, but a nice one. Let's hope a few other pollsters release some new NH numbers soon.

I'm running out of battleground states to go offer my services to.

 

[yolland]

I don't actually know. Someone on here sent it to me.

Sorry, I'm quoting a week-old post but I only just saw this.

I guess this is who Diemen had in mind too, but anyhow it's this guy:
http://www.amazon.com/Money-Everybo...=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1223067155&sr=1-4

Back when I managed a bookstore, this book--in an older edition that I think had the exact photo in your avatar--was one of those titles we were always having to send back damaged and order another shelf copy, because tons of people vigourously pawed through it but no one ever bought it. Unsurprising, I guess, for a book that irresistibly promises easy 'Free Money for EVERYBODY!' So, the first time I noticed there was a poster here called 'financeguy' with that as his avatar, I got a good laugh out of it because I assumed it was meant in a wryly ironic way.

 

[corianderstem]

Ha ha haaaa! Thanks for finding that, yolland. Now I have a frame of reference.

I have this weird thing about wanting to know "who is that???" when someone has a person in their avatar.

 

[U2Fanatic4ever]

/random observation:

was driving home from work today and on the main road that I usually take. Actually it's major street (in MD, Route 1 in Elkridge). I usually see this huge McCain/Palin sign that is up in front of business park that is held up by big wood 2x4s and staked into the ground. Of course it annoyed me everytime I passed it well today driving home I noticed (and got a huge giggle) that someone or something knocked it down breaking the wooden posts that held it up..

 

[corianderstem]

I hope it wasn't an intentional "knocking down," because I really have no tolerance for people who will knock down, vandalize or steal a political sign because they're on the "other side."

Or maybe they're just being obnoxious, like a pack of marauding no-goodniks or something. That's not okay, either.

 

[U2Fanatic4ever]

I hope it wasn't an intentional "knocking down," because I really have no tolerance for people who will knock down, vandalize or steal a political sign because they're on the "other side."

Or maybe they're just being obnoxious, like a pack of marauding no-goodniks or something. That's not okay, either.

i don't know cori. That road has a high accident area. One of the worst areas in Maryland. It looked like it could of been knocked down because of a car wreck. I know it happened sometime between this morning and at the end of the work day.

 

[deep]

That poll is a huge surprise, but a nice one. Let's hope a few other pollsters release some new NH numbers soon.

I'm running out of battleground states to go offer my services to.

Missouri and Indiana

and we could see:

Obama/Biden 386 McCain/Palin 152

 

[anitram]

What about North Carolina? They have nice weather down there.

 

[U2democrat]

I took these photos a few hours ago:

I still can't believe Virginia is getting this much attention.

 

[Night & Day]

Is that Paul Shaffer acting as a bodyguard?

 

[U2democrat]

'fraid not


The crush of the crowd was so intense when he got to me that he almost fell backwards himself...the secret service were going nuts.

 

[anitram]

Great pics! Thanks for posting them.

 

[U2Fanatic4ever]

such cool pics laura thanks for posting those! how was the speech btw?

 

[U2democrat]

heh, the speech was good, though it was all about healthcare. It was loaded with specifics and policy, and people wanted to get pumped up, and people were also passing out left and right, so he actually had somewhat hard time keeping the crowd's attention. The phrase of the day was, though, "That ain't right!" every time he listed off a McCain policy stance. "That ain't right!" The crowd was generally lower-middle class, mostly African American which is about what I expected. Plus there were random students from my university scattered throughout the crowd as well.

In all it was an insane day...but worth it to see the looks on my friends' faces who had NEVER been involved in politics before, and all of a sudden they've touched Obama. I saw the enthusiasm in their eyes that I've felt the last 8 years of my own life. I felt like a proud mama