US 08 Presidential Campaign General Discussion Thread #8

[anitram]

Bad tax cuts. Bad!

Alan Greenspan says the country can't afford tax cuts of the magnitude proposed by Republican presidential contender John McCain — at least not without a corresponding reduction in government spending.

"Unless we cut spending, no," the former Federal Reserve chairman said Friday when asked about McCain's proposed tax cuts, pegged in some estimates at $3.3 trillion.

"I'm not in favor of financing tax cuts with borrowed money," Greenspan said during an interview with Bloomberg Television. "I always have tied tax cuts to spending."

[Lila64]

Got this in an email today about McCain's health issues...

John McCain's health records must be released

[Tiger Edge]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L16IVxHB4lY

[anitram]

The Obama campaign has responded to that Rove comment:

In case anyone was still wondering whether John McCain is running the sleaziest, most dishonest campaign in history, today Karl Rove -- the man who held the previous record -- said McCain's ads have gone too far.

[Diemen]

I'm shocked that Rove actually said that in public. Granted it was a kind of weak admission. "Doesn't exactly pass the 100% truth test" eh? Most people call that lying, Karl.

File that in the "You know you've gone too far when..." department.

[financeguy]

Those Rove comments are interesting, perhaps there is truth in the rumour that the Bushies really don't want McCain to win?

On the other side of the fence, there's another little rumour that the Clinton's don't want Obama to win.

Clenis was reported the other day as saying that he is doing everything he is asked to do to help the Obama campaign - doesn't that imply that he doesn't really want to help, but is only doing so under duress??

[WildHoneyAlways]

Originally Posted by BonoVoxSupastar

Well my point is, I'm wondering how you define the "women's movement"?

And feminism, for that matter.

[A_Wanderer]

The Democratic presidential candidate's slump in the polls has sparked pointed private criticism that he is squandering a once-in-a-generation chance to win back the White House.
Party elders also believe the Obama camp is in denial about warnings from Democratic pollsters that his true standing is four to six points lower than that in published polls because of hidden racism from voters - something that would put him a long way behind Mr McCain.
The Sunday Telegraph has learned that senators, governors and union leaders who have experience of winning hard-fought races in swing states have been bombarding Obamas campaign headquarters with telephone calls offering advice. But many of those calls have not been returned.
A senior Democratic strategist, who has played a prominent role in two presidential campaigns, told The Sunday Telegraph: "These guys are on the verge of blowing the greatest gimme in the history of American politics. They're the most arrogant bunch Ive ever seen. They won't accept that they are losing and they won't listen."
After leading throughout the year, Mr Obama now trails Mr McCain by two to three points in national polls.
Party leaders and commentators say that the Democrat candidate spent too much of the summer enjoying his own popularity and not enough defining his positions on the economy - the number one issue for voters - or reaching out to those blue collar workers whose votes he needs if he is to beat Mr McCain.
Others concede that his trip to Europe was a distraction that enhanced his celebrity status rather than his electability on Main Street, USA.
Since Sarah Palin was unveiled as Mr McCain's running mate, the Obama camp has faced accusations that it has been pushed off message and has been limp in responding to attacks.
A Democratic National Committee official told The Sunday Telegraph: "I really find it offensive when Democrats ask the Republicans not to be nasty to us, which is effectively what Obama keeps doing. They know thats how the game is played."

Barack Obama under fire for ignoring advice on how to beat John McCain - Telegraph

[maycocksean]

^Obama better get it together. There's not much time left.

[maycocksean]

Originally Posted by Tiger Edge

In fairness, he did say that both campaigns have "gone too far."

Though I would argue that both have and I'd be curious what his examples of Obama's campaign "going too far" would be?

[MrsSpringsteen]

(CNN) –Cindy McCain, wife of Republican presidential nominee John McCain, criticized the media at a weekend fundraiser, telling supporters that the hosts of The View “picked our bones clean.”

"In spite of what you see …in the newspapers, and on shows like The View — I don't know if any of you saw The View yesterday, they picked our bones clean — in spite of what you see, that's not what the American people are saying and what they are believing," said McCain, in a recording obtained by ABC News. "They are now seeing a clear difference with these candidates, and they are seeing who is going to make the best president, and that's why we're pulling ahead."

John McCain had a tough exchange with the hosts of The View during a recent appearance, during which he was pressed on the credentials of running mate Sarah Palin, claims in his campaign ads that co-host Joy Behar called “lies,” and how many houses he and his wife own.

[Utoo]

Funny. "The View" is widely seen to be somewhat of a joke. To admit getting your bones "picked clean" by the ladies on The View....kinda lame. The fact that it happened is lamer still.

[Utoo]

Just caught a few minutes of McCain's rally in Florida this morning.


How can the guy say that he wants less government presence/involvement, and then a few sentences later say that more government regulation is the key to solving America's investment bank crisis?

[melon]

Originally Posted by Utoo

Funny. "The View" is widely seen to be somewhat of a joke.

Because they're women, of course. Only men are real journalists.

Frankly, these ladies have proven themselves to be better journalists than our entire "librul media" combined. They finally asked the questions that most of us wanted to hear asked.

[Utoo]

Originally Posted by melon

Because they're women, of course. Only men are real journalists.

Frankly, these ladies have proven themselves to be better journalists than our entire "librul media" combined. They finally asked the questions that most of us wanted to hear asked.

Definitely true. I was about to say that it might be the manner in which the argue about the topics on the show--Rosie, Whoopi, the crazy blonde girl, essentially "bickering"--is what probably gives it that image.....but then I realized that is essentially related to the fact that they're women. I mean, most of the male-dominated pundit shows consist of a bunch of guys bickering with each other, and yet it's not viewed as negatively.

No, I'm glad that they did what they did, and I'm glad that more journalists are starting to do just that--cut through the crap and make them answer real questions. I was amazed this morning to see a journalist on Fox News Channel tear into the main McCain spokesman (I forget his name, but he practically embodies sleazy spin) about the lies in McCain's ads. It was pretty sweet.

As I've said before, 'The Daily Show' needs to be on a major broadcast network and on at 8PM---so that all of America could watch Jon Stewart cut through the crap and point out all the spin and ridiculousness.

[MrsSpringsteen]

NY Times

September 15, 2008
Both Sides Seeking to Be What Women Want
By KATE ZERNIKE

For evidence of how intensely the presidential candidates are battling over women, consider their investment in Oprah Winfrey. After the news programs, “Oprah” is the chief recipient of campaign advertisements this year, with Senator John McCain buying more commercial spots on the program in the last month than Senator Barack Obama — even though Ms. Winfrey herself is backing Mr. Obama.

Mr. Obama, the Democratic presidential nominee, is teaming stars from soap operas and “Sex and the City” with congresswomen in contested states. Mr. McCain, the Republican nominee, is sending tailored mailings on taxes to women who drive minivans, watch “The Biggest Loser” or “Lost” and know their way to the nearest big-box store.

And both campaigns are trying to highlight the issues they think will draw more support from women, with Mr. Obama emphasizing pay equity and abortion rights and Mr. McCain playing up his “maverick” image and raising questions of respect.

The fierce, and complicated, competition for the female vote has been escalated by Mr. McCain’s selection of Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska as his running mate. Even before the Palin selection, Mr. Obama was moving to shore up support from women, especially those who had supported Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton in the Democratic primaries.

Now Obama campaign officials are stepping up their efforts, and both campaigns are recalibrating pitches to women to navigate cultural forces and policy positions that can give them an advantage.

In particular, they are competing for working-class white women, the group that could be especially pivotal in the states likely to decide the election.

For Mr. Obama, the push for women means emphasizing that he is running against Mr. McCain, not Ms. Palin, and drawing attention to Mr. McCain’s record on issues that particularly resonate with women: his opposition to abortion rights, his votes against expanded health insurance for children and pay equity legislation, and his support for private investment accounts for Social Security, of concern among white women over 50, a group Mr. Obama has had trouble winning over.

This week, Obama events have a theme, “Women for the Change We Need,” as the campaign tries to connect with women in conference calls, rallies and registration drives.

The campaign will also begin increasing advertising on television programs watched by women — besides “Oprah,” some of the biggest investments for the campaigns have been during “Dr. Phil,” “Live With Regis and Kelly” and “The Ellen DeGeneres Show.”

Each campaign is also beginning to put more spots on Lifetime, and a McCain media buyer recently lamented that the Food Network did not accept political advertising.

Mr. McCain will continue to campaign this week with Ms. Palin, with a rally on Tuesday in Ohio, an important state for working-class women. The two are expected to be together frequently in the seven remaining weeks of the campaign.

Beyond that, the McCain campaign’s strategy is to emphasize personality, capitalizing on the booming celebrity of Ms. Palin, highlighting Mr. McCain’s story as a war hero, showcasing their families, and trying to keep alive the anger about sexism that many women felt during Mr. Obama’s primary campaign against Mrs. Clinton.

Democrats have relied heavily on women in recent presidential elections — so much so that McCain strategists say they believe that to win they need to run even among women over all, and lead among white women.

Women have voted in greater proportions than men for almost three decades — in 2004, nearly nine million more women voted than men, 67.3 million to 58.5 million. But the hard-fought candidacy of Mrs. Clinton and Mr. McCain’s selection of Ms. Palin as the first woman on a Republican presidential ticket have put new cultural and ideological elements more fully into play.

“It’s because there were these women who supported Hillary Clinton, some of whom so visibly said they might not support Obama or might sit it out or vote for John McCain,” said Susan Carroll, a senior scholar at the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers who has written extensively on the gender gap in voting. “That really called attention to the fact that women were going to be critically important.”

Mr. McCain’s strategists do not expect to win more than a small fraction of Mrs. Clinton’s supporters. But they do see blocs of women they think they can win.

Democrats have been accused of taking women for granted, in part because they have been able to count on them: More women have voted Democratic in the last four presidential cycles. More men have voted Republican in all but two of the last nine, the exceptions being 1976, when Jimmy Carter was the Democratic candidate, and 1992, when Bill Clinton was elected.

But white women have voted Republican in all but two of the last nine presidential elections. In 1992, they were evenly divided between the first President Bush and Mr. Clinton; in 1996, they voted for Mr. Clinton, 48 percent to 43 percent. And while unmarried women have consistently given their majority to Democrats, married women gave President Bush the majority in 2004.

“It’s about how much Democrats can maximize the gender difference and how much the Republicans can hold it down,” Ms. Carroll said.

The McCain campaign’s polling identifies two ripe demographics: So-called Wal-Mart women, who shop at the store at least once a week, earn less than $60,000 a year, have less than a college education, and hold a poor impression of Mr. Bush; they tend to call themselves independents and say their economic situation is fair or poor, listing the economy as their prime election issue. McCain strategists believe this group will be attracted by the ticket’s “maverick” image.

The second group is women in important suburbs in Florida, Michigan, Missouri, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

The McCain campaign is also on the offensive in trying to stoke anger about perceived sexism. The campaign has designated a squad of prominent Republican women to call out what they see as gender-based smears against Ms. Palin. Last week, it released two spots accusing Mr. Obama of being “disrespectful” toward her.

Mr. Obama appears to have a strong advantage among young, unmarried women. But, said Anita Dunn, a senior adviser: “We are not ceding women with children. We have a candidate whose wife is a working mom with two young children.”

In part, the Obama campaign is emphasizing the Republican ticket’s opposition to abortion rights. The campaign ran a radio advertisement during the Republican convention calling the party’s platform on abortion “extreme” because it did not include an exception for rape or incest.

But that issue alone may not swing many women. In a Gallup poll in May, 14 percent of women said that a candidate for major office must share their view on abortion (about the same percentage as among men). For half the women in the poll, abortion was one issue among many affecting their decision.

The Obama campaign is also emphasizing Mr. McCain’s opposition to pay equity legislation, with a television spot that began running on Sunday saying that he “just doesn’t get it.”

The Obama campaign’s focus on women this week will start with a conference call Wednesday between 20,000 women in leadership positions nationwide and Mr. Obama’s running mate, Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr. of Delaware, who the campaign believes commands respect among women, particularly because of his advocacy for laws against domestic violence. Mr. Biden and Mr. Obama will then hold rallies with women Thursday and Friday, setting up a weekend of voter registration, beauty shop canvassing and mobilizing events.

To secure working-class women, the campaign sees Mrs. Clinton as its best surrogate, and has sent her to Florida, Nevada and Ohio, states she won in the primaries. In recent days, female aides and surrogates to Mr. Obama have also begun arguing in television appearances that Mr. McCain has a history of insensitivity toward women — recalling a joke he made about Chelsea Clinton’s appearance when she was a teenager, or his going along at a South Carolina event last year when a woman used a coarse term to refer to Mrs. Clinton. (Mr. McCain now frequently lauds Mrs. Clinton.)

Though there is little question that Ms. Palin’s bursting onto the scene has put pressure on the Obama campaign, it is unclear how much difference she will make. Geraldine A. Ferraro created a small bounce in the polls when Walter F. Mondale chose her as his running mate in 1984, making her the first woman on a major party ticket. But in the end, the nation went in a landslide for President Ronald Reagan.

“Ultimately in that election,” Ms. Carroll said, “people voted the top of the ticket.”

[Irvine511]

looks like we know how Alan Greenspan is voting:

Greenspan: Can't afford McCain tax cuts
GOP candidate has advocated spending offsets, but Democrats pounce
The Associated Press
updated 4:50 p.m. ET, Sat., Sept. 13, 2008

WASHINGTON - Alan Greenspan says the country can't afford tax cuts of the magnitude proposed by Republican presidential contender John McCain — at least not without a corresponding reduction in government spending.

"Unless we cut spending, no," the former Federal Reserve chairman said Friday when asked McCain's proposed tax cuts, pegged in some estimates at $3.3 trillion.

"I'm not in favor of financing tax cuts with borrowed money," Greenspan said during an interview with Bloomberg Television. "I always have tied tax cuts to spending."

McCain has said that he would offset his proposed cuts — including reducing the corporate tax rate and eliminating the Alternative Minimum Tax that has plagued middle-class families — by ending congressional pork-barrel spending, unnecessary government programs and overhauling entitlement programs such as Medicare and Social Security.

Democrats pounced on Greenspan's comments, in part because McCain professed last year that he was weaker on economics than foreign affairs and was reading Greenspan's memoir, "The Age of Turbulence," to educate himself.

"Obviously he needs to go back to that book and study it some more," Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., said during a conference call arranged by the campaign of Democratic nominee Barack Obama.

McCaskill said eliminating congressional earmark spending — estimated at $17 billion annually — cannot offset McCain's proposed tax cuts.

"That's a huge amount of money, but it's not even a drop in the bucket to pay for $3.5 trillion in tax cuts," she said. "So, every time he throws up earmarks and he's asked how he's going to pay for it, he knows he's being disingenuous, he knows he's not being forthcoming."

McCain aides dispute numbers
McCain campaign officials dispute the $3.3 trillion figure, saying it assumes eliminating 2003 tax cuts made by the Bush administration and then cutting from that higher level. They say McCain is proposing tax cuts worth $600 billion from current levels.

"John McCain opposed President Bush's tax cuts in 2003, because they didn't include the necessary spending controls. Sen. McCain's proposed job-growing tax cuts are modest in comparison to his plans to slow the exploding growth of federal expenditures — meaning that contrary to Chairman Greenspan's assertions, this relief isn't proposed on borrowed money," said McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds.

While McCain opposed the 2003 cuts and previous Bush administration tax cuts from 2001, he now says he would leave them intact. Obama has said he would repeal Bush tax cuts benefiting families making over $250,000 annually to pay for programs and provide middle-tax class relief.

Conservative summit miffed
Meanwhile, organizers of a conservative summit in Washington said McCain and his running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, missed an opportunity by not addressing the gathering. Some 2,100 activists from 44 states, plus another 10,000 people who signed up to watch online, participated in the three-day Values Voter Summit.

On Saturday, McCain was less than 10 miles away, working in at his campaign headquarters in Arlington, Va. Palin was leaving Alaska and traveling to a rally in Reno, Nev. Last year, McCain and seven other GOP presidential candidates spoke at the summit.

"I think there is some disappointment that he's not here. I think there's greater disappointment that Palin is not here," said Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, a key sponsor of the summit. "I think people would have liked to have heard from her."

Activists attending the summit were unanimous in their enthusiasm for Palin, including several who said their support for McCain was lukewarm before he selected her.

Gary Ward, pastor of the Rocky Point Church in Stephenville, Texas, said he supported former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee for the GOP nomination but that his enthusiasm for McCain has been increased by his choice of Palin and his recent statement that he believes life begins at conception.

"That was absolutely the right answer," Ward said.

Elizabeth Kish, an administrative assistant from Gainsville, Fla., said she was put off by McCain's record on immigration and was considering voting for Libertarian Party candidate Bob Barr until Palin's selection.

"Once he chose Palin that was it for me," said Kish, who was wearing a "Pro-Life Pro-Palin" button and another button featuring pictures of Chief Justice John Roberts and Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito under the slogan, "The Kind of Change I Believe In."

[diamond]

it doesn't matter, sarah can kick greenspan's rump.

<>

[Irvine511]

Originally Posted by diamond

it doesn't matter, sarah can kick greenspan's rump.

<>

this is why America is doomed.

[LarryMullen's POPAngel]

Has anyone seen these yet?

Campaign Cola 2008 | Election Resources | Voting Vernacular

I bought a Yes We Can cola last night at the gas station.