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What Obama's Pick Means more similar news »
Politico examines Sen. Barack Obama's selection of Sen. Joe Biden as his running mate and says it tells us five things about the Democratic nominee:
1. He's fixing for a fight.
2. He's a lot more conventional than advertised.
3. He's insecure about security.
4. He's more worried about Lunchbox Joe than Bubba.
5. He doesn't hold a grudge -- or at least doesn't let one get in the way.
Sun Aug 24, 2008 more from this source»»
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WP/ABC Poll: Obama Leads By Four Points more similar news »
The latest Washington Post/ABC News poll shows Sen. Barack Obama leading Sen. John McCain, 49% to 45%.
"The results show little movement from the last Post-ABC survey,
conducted in mid-July, before Obama embarked on a highly publicized
trip overseas and prior to a series of fierce exchanges between the
campaigns. Other recent national polls also show only limited changes
in the overall race heading into the conventions, although several of
those surveys indicate an even-tighter race."
The poll was taken before Obama named Sen. Joe Biden as his running mate.
Sun Aug 24, 2008 more from this source»»
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Early Reactions to Obama's Pick more similar news »
Just as news broke early this morning of Sen. Barack Obama's choice of Sen. Joe Biden as his running mate, Sen. John McCain's campaign sent out a prepared attack ad using a quote from Biden saying that Obama was not "ready" to be president. It was predictable given that the two men were primary opponents; more interesting will be the Obama campaign's response this morning.
From a purely political perspective, no presidential campaign has ever handled the announcement of a running mate so deftly. The Obama campaign set a new standard that will be studied for years.
Other reactions:
New York Times: "Mr. Obama's selection ended a two-month search that was conducted
almost entirely in secret. It reflected a critical strategic choice by
Mr. Obama: To go with a running mate who could reassure voters about
gaps in his résumé, rather than to pick someone who could deliver a
state or reinforce Mr. Obama's message of change."
Politico:
"On foreign policy and national security, an area where John McCain
regularly assails Obama's lack of experience, Democrats offer few more
seasoned practitioners than Biden."
First Read: "On the Democratic side, it was a collective 'phew.' As the days got
nearer for the pick, it was hard to find a Democrat -- even savvy
Clintonites -- who weren't hoping it would be Biden. Only the most
strident Hillary supporters appear to be upset this morning. On the GOP
side, the sound you heard was disappointed silence. Of everyone on the
short list, the candidate many Republicans least wanted to see Obama
pick was Biden."
Mark Halperin: "Balanced against all of those unmatched qualifications is one quality
that has afflicted Biden for as long as anyone can remember: a persistent
tendency to say silly, offensive, and off-putting things. Over the next few
days (and, likely, weeks) some of Biden's ungreatest hits of gab will be
recycled by the media and Republicans aiming to take the luster off Obama's
choice of running mate."
Craig Crawford: "Obama-Biden works on several fronts, A longtime sentimental favorite among the Democratic faithful, Delaware Sen. Joe Biden provides a comfort zone for labor leaders, Catholics (he is one) and national-security voters. Although Biden's poor fundraising skills doomed his presidential campaigns, he performs extremely well in debates and demonstrated considerable skill at shifting from the arcane language of the Senate chamber to the street language of the campaign trail."
David Brody: "Time will tell if Barack Obama made the right choice in picking Joe
Biden but if you look at it on paper, it makes a whole lot of sense."
Marc Ambinder: "Obama-Biden will be a formidable ticket, and a risky ticket, and not a comfort zone choice for Obama."
Jonathan Cohn: "Conservatives will blast [Biden's] record, just as
surely as liberals will (or should) celebrate it. But one of the
virtues of having Biden as the vice presidential nominee is that he
won't take those kinds of attacks lightly. He'll fight back. He'll
remind people, rightly, that being a liberal Democrat means raising the
minimum wage, making sure everybody has affordable health care,
providing strong public schools, and protecting human rights. Then,
he'll ask why conservative Republicans don't want the same things.
That's exactly the kind of political debate this country needs. By
picking Biden as a running mate, Obama has signaled that he welcomes
this argument--and intends, finally, to win it."
Sat Aug 23, 2008 more from this source»»
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Bloomberg May Fight Term Limits more similar news »
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg "has quietly approached some of the city's most powerful media figures to assess whether their publications would endorse a bid to overturn New York City's term limits, which could clear a path for him to run for re-election next year," the New York Times reports.
"Such a move would upend New York's political world and be a dramatic reversal for the mayor."
Sat Aug 23, 2008 more from this source»»
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Activity at Biden's House more similar news »
CNN -- which has had a camera trained on Sen. Joe Biden's home all day -- reports there is now "a flurry of
activity" there.
"Cars have recently pulled into the driveway -- including a police car -- and Biden's daughter, son, and wife are now believed to be inside."
First Read: "Just asking, so which news organization is going to irresponsibly go
with Biden without confirmation from Biden or the Obama campaign --
even though they all have the same information we do? Some news org who
loves credit and hits has to be itchin'..."
Sat Aug 23, 2008 more from this source»»
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It's Not Bayh or Kaine more similar news »
Sen. Evan Bayh (D-IN) and Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine (D) have been told by Sen. Barack Obama's
campaign they will not be his vice presidential choice, NBC News
reports.
"Speculation
about Obama's choice has centered on Bayh, Kaine and Delaware Sen.
Joseph Biden. Other names in the mix include Kansas Gov. Kathleen
Sebelius, New York Sen. Hillary Clinton, New Mexico Gov. Bill
Richardson and Texas Rep. Chet Edwards."
Campaign officials told the AP that they "had taken the trouble to print material bearing the names of several
potential ticketmates -- thereby minimizing the significance of a report
that a printing company in Kansas was churning out signs bearing Bayh's
name."
The AP confirms Kaine was told he's not Obama's pick.
CNN confirms Bayh was told he's not the pick either.
Sat Aug 23, 2008 more from this source»»
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More Running Mate Hints? more similar news »
A Kansas City television station reports a local company is printing Obama-Bayh bumper stickers. The design, however, looks very unlikely. A reader also notes there's no union label on the bumper sticker.
Marc Ambinder finds a charter flight from Chicago to Delaware. More information here. Could it be Joe Biden's flight?
The New York Times asked Sen. Hillary Clinton if she wanted to be Obama's pick, and she responded: "I have never said I did. I have always said I would do whatever I can
because I feel so strongly in making sure that we elect senator Obama
our next president. I'm going to do everything I can as I did yesterday
in Florida to make sure that happens."
The Hotline staked out Biden's home in Delaware: "We have not seen the senator or his wife, leading some to wonder if he may have snuck out overnight."
Dan Balz is impressed with the Obama campaign: "So far they've orchestrated the
vice presidential roll out deftly -- delaying it until the eve of the
convention to assure that they dominate the last days before opening
night with real news, while steadily ratcheting up the frenzy of
speculation in the days beforehand."
And so is Politico: "In dragging out the announcement of his vice-presidential nominee to almost the eve of the Democratic National Convention, Barack Obama has at once demonstrated his willingness to defy conventional political expectations--and to hold the news media in his thrall while doing it."
Sat Aug 23, 2008 more from this source»»
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The Money Is On Biden more similar news »
For what it's worth, the political futures markets are converging Friday afternoon on Sen. Joe Biden as the most likely running mate for Sen. Barack Obama.
Of course, they're trading on the same unsubstantiated rumors that everyone else hears.
Fri Aug 22, 2008 more from this source»»
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Turnout Among Unmarried Women Key for Obama more similar news »
A new Greenberg Quinlan Roser survey finds unmarried women overwhelmingly backing Sen. Barack Obama for president, 58% to 29%,
"but their commitment to voting lags behind
the rest of the country."
Key finding: "It is almost impossible to understand the 'women's vote' without
understanding the role marital status plays in political
decision-making. Marital status not only drives how women vote, but
whether they vote."
Fri Aug 22, 2008 more from this source»»
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Senate Republicans Fail in Fundraising Effort more similar news »
Sen. John Ensign (R-NV), the head of the Senate Republicans' campaign effort, said his colleagues "have not heeded his calls
for contributions to contested races, threatening advertising on behalf
of GOP candidates," CQ Politics reports.
Said Ensign: "It has become clear that my call has gone largely unanswered. I have no control over the timing or
content of (independent) ads, but I have had no choice but to decrease
the total budget for our (independent expenditures) unit.
Fri Aug 22, 2008 more from this source»»
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Edwards Said to Be On Short List more similar news »
The Associated Press reports that Sen. Barack Obama "is hours away from naming his running mate, as
little-known Texas congressman Chet Edwards is emerging as a finalist."
"Democratic officials say that Edwards was one of the few Democrats
whose background was checked by Obama's campaign, and he was a finalist
for the job."
Fri Aug 22, 2008 more from this source»»
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Obama Makes the Calls more similar news »
Sen. Barack Obama "called some people on his short-list for the vice
presidential slot Thursday night to tell them he had not selected them
as running mate," a highly placed Democratic party source told CNN.
The source did not say which people got the call.
Fri Aug 22, 2008 more from this source»»
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Why McCain's Homes Matter more similar news »
Sen. John McCain's inability to tell a reporter how many home he owns became a major issue in the campaign last night, with segments on all three network news programs.
Chris Cilliza nails why it matters: "In politics, there is nothing worse than appearing out of touch."
Fri Aug 22, 2008 more from this source»»
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Obama Weighed Change vs. Experience in Pick more similar news »
We know Sen. Barack Obama has made his choice for a running mate, and a source tells CNN Obama was "very hung up on the experience versus change" and how his message of change may conflict with a longtime Washington insider.
"The source doesn't know who Obama ultimately chose, but confirms Sens. Joe Biden and Evan Bayh, along with Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine are all in the running."
Fri Aug 22, 2008 more from this source»»
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Kaine Allies Don't Think It's Him more similar news »
Marc Abminder: "Virginia Democrats close to Gov. Tim Kaine read a lot into Kaine's body
language during the day yesterday. He seemed... to know. Apparently,
he doesn't have much of a poker face. From his mien, we've all
concluded that Obama told Kaine he wouldn't be picked and that Kaine
was wearing the rejection."
Fri Aug 22, 2008 more from this source»»
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Detroit Free Press: Obama Jumps to Lead in Michigan more similar news »
A new Detroit Free Press poll in Michigan gives Sen. Barack Obama a seven point lead over Sen. John McCain, 46% to 39%.
Key findings: "Obama has significantly more support among voters younger than 35
and an 11-point lead among women statewide. Among men, the two
candidates are virtually tied."
"Still, the numbers could move.
Nearly one-third -- 31% -- of those polled said they could be persuaded
to change their minds by Election Day Nov. 4."
Fri Aug 22, 2008 more from this source»»
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Biden Family Gathers in Delaware more similar news »
In anticipation of Sen. Barack Obama's announcement of a running mate, NBC's Andrea Mitchell reports that one of Sen. Joe Biden's sons was flown in a private plane from Maine to the Senator's home in Delaware on Wednesday. Biden is "gathering the clan."
Another report said Biden has stopped talking to the media again.
Jonathan Alter thinks it's Biden "for some of the very reasons that were thought to disqualify Biden."
Fri Aug 22, 2008 more from this source»»
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Romney? more similar news »
Mark Halperin has two Republican sources who say Sen. John McCain will pick Mitt Romney as his running mate.
Update: He took down the report with no explanation.
Update II: Marc Ambinder reports there are "hints" of a major McCain rally being planned in Michigan "on or about 8/31."
Fri Aug 22, 2008 more from this source»»
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Obama to Highlight McCain's Houses more similar news »
Sen. Barack Obama's campaign, "moving rapidly to exploit what they see as a major opportunity, is deploying high-profile surrogates in 16 states across the country today to highlight John McCain's uncertainty yesterday about how many houses he owns," according to Politico.
"Governors, members of Congress and state legislators will hold conference calls and press conferences in front of homes to draw attention to the issue."
CNN quotes Obama today on the campaign trail: "Now think about that -- I guess if you think that being rich means you
gotta make five million dollars, and if you don't know how many houses
you have, then it's not surprising that you might think the economy is
fundamentally strong," he continued. "But if you're like me and you've
got one house -- or you were like the millions of people who are
struggling right now to keep up with their mortgage so that they don't
lose their home -- you might have a different perspective..."
The Obama campaign even put up a new ad on the topic.
Thu Aug 21, 2008 more from this source»»
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Nothing Has Changed, Race Is Still Close more similar news »
The following guest post is from Charlie Cook, publisher of the Cook Political Report.
In recent days, it has been killing me to watch over-caffeinated journalists, bloggers and cable networks talk about the Presidential race tightening up. The bottom line: Obama has been pretty consistently in the lead by 2-4 points since March. The gap between Democrats and Republicans on generic presidential and congressional ballot tests has narrowed ever so slightly, but it's hard to imagine that Democrats could hold such leads as the campaign begins in earnest.
The media cycle is oh-so-predictable. One poll comes out with a wider margin than the average. The 'Excitables' then push the "Obama is pulling away" mantra, despite the fact that the poll was an outlier from most of the others. Then that same polling organization (the same ones often provide a disproportionate share of the outliers) will come out with a new poll, close to the average, and the new mantra is "Obama's lead is evaporating." Meanwhile, very little, if anything, has happened.
This race, in my opinion, has been close, is close and hasn't changed much. Republicans have firmed up a bit but that is to be expected. Obama still is underperforming in his party, a sign that should be worrisome to Democrats. But, again, that is not new.
If you see the Pollster.com trend estimates or the Real Clear Politics averages get to dead even and stay there for a few days, or Obama widen his lead to six for more than a few days, you know the race has changed. But until then, avoid over interpreting outlier polls.
Thu Aug 21, 2008 more from this source»»
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MPR Poll: Obama Holds Double-Digit Lead in Minnesota more similar news »
A new Minnesota Public Radio poll in Minnesota shows Sen. Barack Obama leading Sen. John McCain by 10 points, 48% to 38%.
However, the poll indicates the race is still very fluid and suggests McCain could close the gap, and possibly win in Minnesota, if he picks Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) as his running mate.
Key findings: "The results show deep disapproval of President Bush's job performance and a view that the country is heading in the wrong direction. Both of those factors are helping Obama and hurting McCain. Age appears to be a negative for McCain, and lack of experience is hurting Obama."
Thu Aug 21, 2008 more from this source»»
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