Clipmarks | masbury's 'mccain' clips

McCain in 2000: Attack ads are sign of no vision

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 06:06:02 GMT

clipped by: masbury
clipper's remarks: New DNC response ad

Clip Source: sage

MCCAIN: "Uh, I, I just have to rely on the good judgment of the voters not to buy into these negative attack ads. Sooner or later, people are going to figure out if all you run is negative attack ads you don't have much of a vision for the future or you're not ready to articulate it." [The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, 2/21/2000]

CHYRON: McCain Campaign's Ad Spending Now Nearly 100 Percent Devoted to Attack Ads [Talking Points Memo, 10/3/08]

Tags: mccain

"Terrorist!" "Kill him!" - Anger growing at McCain rallies

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 21:44:04 GMT

clipped by: masbury
clipper's remarks: "Kill him!" shouted at Palin rally as Palin stokes Ayers paranoia; journalists taunted as Palin blames media for her weak interviews; "Terrorist!" shouted after McCain implies Obama is other than he seems. "Country first?" By stirring up hatred and suspicion?

Clip Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Anger consumes John McCain support as poll gap widens

Frustration at falling behind Mr Obama in opinion polls has begun to boil into anger at Republican rallies with Mr McCain and Sarah Palin.

Events this week have been marked by ugly outbursts from crowds. In Clearwater, Florida, shouts of “kill him!” could be heard amid a chorus of boos when Mrs Palin attacked the Democratic nominee over his links with 1960s radical, Bill Ayers.

Journalists were reported to have been taunted with obscenities or racial insults from members of audience when Mrs Palin blamed the “mainstream media” for what she described as her “less-than-successful” - and much-parodied - television interviews.

At a rally on Monday in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Mr McCain asked: “Who is the real Barack Obama?” A man in crowd screamed back the reply: “Terrorist!”

their campaign is increasingly playing to the fears some voters harbour about the multi-ethnic background of Mr Obama

Tags: mccain, palin, anger

From Goldwater to McCain

Wed, 08 Oct 2008 00:37:02 GMT

clipped by: masbury
clipper's remarks: "The American right has come full circle in 44 years, with two allegedly maverick senators from Arizona playing bookend roles, one at the beginning, one perhaps at the end"

Clip Source: www.salon.com

The Republican Party under Nixon and Reagan succeeded because it was able to convince enough white Democrats and swing voters that it was the party of the "average American," oppressed by federal bureaucrats and do-gooder programs like busing and affirmative action. It was able to conceal the fact that it was the party of the rich beneath a populist, race-tinged appeal to white resentment.

By embracing cracked ideologies like trickle-down economics, by letting big corporations do whatever they want, and by religiously refusing to raise taxes, the GOP since Reagan has tilted much too far to the right. George W. Bush pushed the party over the cliff, with the final straw being his own unique contribution, a demented and pointless war.

conservatism has returned to being

a fringe movement

If McCain wins, it will mean that all the forces that led to the rise of modern conservatism -- racial resentment, unthinking anti-governmentalism and hatred of "liberals" -- still reign supreme.

Tags: republican, mccain, goldwater

Vets Report Card: McCain=D; Obama=B

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 21:31:00 GMT

clipped by: masbury
clipper's remarks: Not what McCain would have you think

Clip Source: iava.www.capwiz.com

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ)

(3 out of 9 votes with IAVA Action, not a Post-9/11 GI Bill cosponsor)

Visit Official Website

Visit Sen. John McCain's candidate bio page.

Residence: Phoenix

Marital Status: Married (Cindy Lou)

Prev. Occupation: Naval Officer

Prev. Political Exp.: US House, 1982-86; US Senate, 1986-present

Military: USN, 1958-81

Education: BS United States Naval Academy, 1958

Birthdate: 08/29/1936

Birthplace: Panama Canal Zone

Religion: Episcopal

Clip Source: iava.www.capwiz.com

Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL)

(5 out of 9 votes with IAVA Action, plus 2 points for Post-9/11 GI Bill cosponsorship)

Visit Official Website

Visit Sen. Barack Obama's candidate bio page.

Residence: Chicago

Marital Status: Married (Michelle)

Prev. Occupation: Attorney, Lecturer

Prev. Political Exp.: IL Senate, 1996-2004; US Senate, 2004-present

Education: BA Columbia University, 1983; JD Harvard University, 1991

Birthdate: 08/04/1961

Birthplace: Honolulu, HI

Religion: United Church of Christ

Tags: veterans, mccain, obama

Diagramming Sarah

Wed, 08 Oct 2008 00:15:20 GMT

clipped by: masbury
clipper's remarks: "There are plenty of people out there—not only English teachers but also amateur language buffs like me—who believe that diagramming a sentence provides insight into the mind of its perpetrator"

Clip Source: www.slate.com

There are plenty of people out there—not only English teachers but also amateur language buffs like me—who believe that diagramming a sentence provides insight into the mind of its perpetrator

So let's take a crack at a few of Palin's doozies. From the Katie Couric interview:

It's very important when you consider even national security issues with Russia as Putin rears his head and comes into the air space of the United States of America, where—where do they go?

Other Palinisms are not so tractable. From the Charlie Gibson interview:

I know that John McCain will do that and I, as his vice president, families we are blessed with that vote of the American people and are elected to serve and are sworn in on January 20, that will be our top priority is to defend the American people.

I had to give up. This sentence is not for diagramming lightweights

To me, it's not English—it's a collection of words strung together to elicit a reaction

It requires not a diagram but a selection of push buttons.

Tags: palin, language

Bush snubs Iran breakthrough opportunity

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 07:17:58 GMT

clipped by: masbury
clipper's remarks: Might have undermined McCain; Iranians read it as no interest from America in anything but regime change or attack

Clip Source: www.atimes.com

Bush's final Iran blunder?

By announcing that the United States is no longer interested in opening a consular office in Iran, the George W Bush administration has forfeited a golden opportunity for a timely diplomatic breakthrough with Iran

Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki

also stated clearly and unambiguously Iran's willingness to consider a "freeze-for-freeze" option on its nuclear program

Iran's new signs of compromise have fallen on deaf ears in the US

Had Bush given a green light to a diplomatic presence in Iran, it would have undermined McCain's foreign policy objectives, benefiting Obama.

But, more than the election concerns, the role and influence of pro-Israel lobbyists deserves consideration

Bush's decision is yet another blunder that ranks with the negative reaction of the White House to an Iranian peace initiative in 2003.

The message that is being read

is that no matter how much interest Iran shows

Washington

still prioritizes

regime change or

outright attack on Iran

Tags: iran, bush

Rolling Stone: Make-Believe Maverick

Wed, 08 Oct 2008 00:02:59 GMT

clipped by: masbury
clipper's remarks: Remarkable biographical article

Clip Source: www.rollingstone.com

In its broad strokes, McCain's life story is oddly similar to that of the current occupant of the White House. John Sidney McCain III and George Walker Bush both represent the third generation of American dynasties. Both were born into positions of privilege against which they rebelled into mediocrity. Both developed an uncanny social intelligence that allowed them to skate by with a minimum of mental exertion. Both struggled with booze and loutish behavior. At each step, with the aid of their fathers' powerful friends, both failed upward. And both shed their skins as Episcopalian members of the Washington elite to build political careers as self-styled, ranch-inhabiting Westerners who pray to Jesus in their wives' evangelical churches.

Clip Source: www.rollingstone.com

This is the story of the real John McCain

a man willing to say and do anything to achieve his ultimate ambition:

ascending to the one position that would finally enable him to outrank his four-star father and grandfather

Tags: mccain

FL, CO move into "lean Obama" column

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 21:18:35 GMT

clipped by: masbury
clipper's remarks: Trend estimates grow in Obama's direction in Virgnia (+1.9), New Hampshire (+1.4), North Carolina (+0.9) and Ohio (+0.8) and Maine (+0.4

Clip Source: www.pollster.com

Today we see yet more evidence of the recent national gains for the Obama-Biden ticket trickling down to individual states. Seventeen new statewide polls released yesterday moved our estimates in Obama's direction in eight states. They also pushed the battleground states of Colorado and Florida into the "lean Obama" category, raising his electoral vote lead on our map to 296 to 163, with 79 electoral votes ~~states~~ still in the toss-up category. More specifically,

Elsewhere, yesterday's polls also helped move the trend estimates in Obama's direction in Virgnia (+1.9), New Hampshire (+1.4), North Carolina (+0.9) and Ohio (+0.8) and Maine (+0.4). The exception is New Mexico, where a new survey by the Albuquerque Journal, showing Obama leading by just five points (45% to 40%) narrowed the trend estimate slightly (-0.3).

Tags: polls, obama, mccain, election

Barbara Ehrenreich: Hillary's "gift" to women

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 19:08:51 GMT

clipped by: masbury
clipper's remarks: Clinton didn’t just break through the “glass floor,” she set a new low for floors in general

Clip Source: ehrenreich.blogs.com

Susan Faludi rejoiced over Hillary Clinton’s destruction of the myth of female prissiness and innate moral superiority, hailing Clinton’s “no-holds-barred pugnacity” and her media reputation as “nasty” and “ruthless.”

But by running a racially-tinged campaign, lying about her foreign policy experience, and repeatedly seeming to favor McCain over her Democratic opponent, Clinton didn’t just break through the “glass floor,” she set a new low for floors in general, and would, if she could have got within arm’s reach, have rubbed the broken glass into Obama’s face.

But did we really need another lesson in the female capacity for ruthless aggression? Any illusions I had about the innate moral superiority of women ended four years ago with Abu Ghraib

Hillary Clinton smashed the myth of innate female moral superiority in the worst possible way – by demonstrating female moral inferiority. We didn’t really need her racial innuendos and free-floating bellicosity to establish that women aren’t wimp

Tags: clinton, women

McCain aide: If we talk economy, we lose

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 20:20:56 GMT

clipped by: masbury
clipper's remarks: He wants us to put him in charge of it, but his ideas aren't good enough to sell his candidacy?

Clip Source: sage

As a result, the McCain campaign has issued a new strategy: just don’t talk about the economy and instead attack Sen. Barack Obama’s (D-IL) character — as a top McCain aide explained to the New York Daily News:

“It’s a dangerous road, but we have no choice,” a top McCain strategist told the Daily News. “If we keep talking about the economic crisis, we’re going to lose.”

Indeed, on Saturday, the Washington Post quoted another top McCain adviser acknowledging that McCain needs to shift away from the economy:

“We are looking for a very aggressive last 30 days,” said Greg Strimple, one of McCain’s top advisers. “We are looking forward to turning a page on this financial crisis and getting back to discussing Mr. Obama

Even McCain’s top surrogate Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) last week noted that talking about the economy is bad for McCain, saying that passing the bailout package “will be good for John McCain”

Tags: mccain, economy

Obama to McCain: Tell us about economy

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 20:09:48 GMT

clipped by: masbury
clipper's remarks: McCain attempts to change the subject away from America's most pressing crisis back to smear, knowing his economic views are not selling

Clip Source: news.yahoo.com

ASHEVILLE, N.C. - Barack Obama said Monday that John McCain is trying to shift attention from the troubled economy because the issue is bad for the Republican presidential nominee's campaign.

The Democratic presidential candidate told reporters in Asheville, N.C., that he "cannot imagine anything more important to talk about" than Americans' losing their jobs, health care and homes.

In published reports, an aide to McCain recently said his campaign would like to shift the presidential race's focus away from the economy, which has been a better issue for Democrats than Republicans

Obama, referring to economic turmoil, said: "The notion that we would want to brush that aside and engage in the usual political shenanigans and smear tactics that have come to characterize too many political campaigns is not what the American people are looking for."

Obama renewed his call for extending unemployment insurance and for

a second stimulus package that would include tax cuts for millions of Americans

Tags: mccain, obama, economy

AP: Palin attack "exaggerated" or "outright false"

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 07:01:44 GMT

clipped by: masbury
clipper's remarks: No evidence shows Ayers and Obama were "pals" or even close when they worked on community boards years ago

Clip Source: ap.google.com

In her character attack, Palin questions Obama's association with William Ayers, a member of the Vietnam-era Weather Underground. Her reference was exaggerated at best if not outright false. No evidence shows they were "pals" or even close when they worked on community boards years ago and Ayers hosted a political event for Obama early in his career.

Obama, who was a child when the Weathermen were planting bombs, has denounced Ayers' radical views and actions.

"Our opponent ... is someone who sees America, it seems, as being so imperfect, imperfect enough, that he's palling around with terrorists who would target their own country," Palin told a group of donors in Englewood, Colo. A deliberate attempt to smear Obama, McCain's ticket-mate echoed the line at three separate events Saturday.

Obama isn't above attacking McCain's character with loaded words

but not on the level of suggesting that a fellow senator is un-American and even a friend of terrorists.

Tags: palin, lies

Pollster: 29 days to go and a transformed election

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 20:00:45 GMT

clipped by: masbury
clipper's remarks: The economic situation has virtually ended John McCain's presidential aspirations and no amount of tactical maneuvering in the final 29 days is likely to change that equation

Clip Source: www.pollster.com

29 Days to Go and a Transformed Election

The past 14 days have transformed this election. The financial crisis has catapulted Obama into the lead both nationally and in key states. We have been saying for six months that the political environment has favored the Democrats significantly, but it took a near global financial meltdown for things to finally reach the tipping point. The economic situation has virtually ended John McCain's presidential aspirations and no amount of tactical maneuvering in the final 29 days is likely to change that equation.

Here is our up-to-the-minute take on the campaign:

The economy is going to get worse before it gets better, and that will drive the election dynamic for at least another 7-10 days.

September 15th will be seen as the day Obama won (or perhaps the day McCain lost

McCain said "the fundamentals of our economy are strong."

the beginning of the end

The window for challenging Obama's character may have closed

in light of the serious

issues

seems desperate

Tags: mccain, election, obama

Pollster: Three new states swing solidly Obama

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 19:53:13 GMT

clipped by: masbury
clipper's remarks: And three red states move to "toss-up" column. Still figuring Debbyski will deliver WV!

Clip Source: www.pollster.com

As of today we have Obama sitting comfortably with 264 electoral votes. McCain has only 163. It is very unlikely that any of the states we have put in the Obama column will switch to McCain in the coming weeks. Therefore, McCain has to win nearly all of the remaining toss-up states to win in November.

Here are the latest changes as we see it:

New Hampshire from toss-up to Obama

North Carolina from McCain to toss-up

Michigan from toss-up to Obama

Missouri from McCain to toss-up

Minnesota REMAINS Obama

The McCain campaign made several missteps last week including campaigning in Iowa (a sure Obama state) and allowing the Palin-Couric interview to be edited and dribbled out over a 7 day period, but the overwhelming force is the deteriorating economy and not even a perfect campaign could weather that storm.

There are more turns to come in this election and it is not over yet but it sure seems like it is.

Tags: election, polls, obama

50% and +8% in October usually mean a win

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 03:25:14 GMT

clipped by: masbury
clipper's remarks: Of 16 who've reached 50% in October, 14 won. Of 14 who've had an 8% lead in October, 13 won [corrected - I originally typo'd 23 instead of 13].

Clip Source: sage

Saturday's Gallup tracking poll revealed two big numbers for Obama. Obama hit 50% in the tracking poll and took an 8% lead over McCain. This isn't the first time that Obama has hit the 50% mark, and it isn't the first time he has held a lead of 8%; but now we are in the last month of the campaign and numbers like these in October usually mean electoral success in November.

Using Gallup's compendium of presidential trial heat polling since 1936, I counted16 candidates who received 50% support or higher in an October Gallup poll. Hitting the 50% mark was a very good predictor of victory. Of those 16 candidates, just two failed to win the general election--Al Gore and Thomas Dewey.

An 8% lead has also been difficult for trailing candidates to overcome. Only one candidate who held a lead of at least 8% in October ended up losing

thirteen other occasions since 1936 where a candidate had an 8% lead or greater in at least one October poll, and in each case that candidate won

Tags: obama, polls, elections