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Candidates Told Some Questions in Advance more similar news »
"So it turns out that Pastor Rick Warren, in an
effort to increase the candidates' comfort level with his pioneering
format, gave each of them a heads-up on several of the hardest
questions he asked Saturday night..." A source close to Warren tells Mike Allen that Sen. John McCain and Sen. Barack Obama "knew in advance they would be asked their own greatest moral failure, America's greatest moral failure, and the three wisest people in their lives."
However, McCain may have had an even bigger advantage. The New York Times notes he was not in a "cone of silence" during Obama's questioning and could have heard some of the questions he would also be asked.
Mon Aug 18, 2008 more from this source»»
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New Voters Put Virginia in Play more similar news »
According to the Washington Post, Virginia "has added nearly a quarter-million registered voters since
the 2004 elections, and about half of that growth came from
increasingly Democratic Northern Virginia."
"With Virginia a battleground state in the presidential race for the
first time in 44 years, the additional voters have the potential to
alter long-standing electoral patterns in some historically Republican
counties while reinforcing the Democratic tilt of others."
Mon Aug 18, 2008 more from this source»»
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Obama to Choose Veep Within Days more similar news »
Sen. Barack Obama "is expected to choose his running mate this week in a key decision
about the direction and narrative of his bid for the White House," according to Politico.
"A person familiar with the campaign's planning noted that Obama's
schedule at the end of this week is open, but said the announcement
could come 'as late as the weekend.'"
The Financial Times says Obama is "almost certain to make his choice in the next few days."
Marc Ambinder: "If Obama wants to hold the suspense of the press corps and the country,
he'll probably wait until the convention itself -- maybe the weekend
before, maybe the Sunday before.... maybe during the convention.
Particularly if the pick is a big name.. a name that will generate
excitement, he'd be wise to wait."
Meanwhile, the New York Times notes we're all waiting for the text message.
Mon Aug 18, 2008 more from this source»»
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Acceptance Speeches Should Aim Low more similar news »
Gotham Ghostwriters: "Right now the speechwriters for Senators John McCain and Barack Obama
are working away at their convention speeches. They are writing for the
biggest stages of their lives. If they're like most speechwriters, they
are being tempted by hundreds of pages of collected rhetoric sitting at
their fingertips, waiting to be plumbed. But it's a temptation they
should avoid..."
"The time for poetry is January 20. The time for a careful, grind-it-out, measure-every-word juggling act is now."
Mon Aug 18, 2008 more from this source»»
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PPP Poll: Deadlocked in Ohio more similar news »
A new Public Policy Polling survey in Ohio shows Sen. John McCain catching Sen. Barack Obama. After two months with Obama in the lead, the race is now tied at 45% each.
Key findings: "Party unity is an issue for Obama in the Buckeye State. While McCain
has an 89-7 lead with voters who identify as Republicans, Obama has a
narrower 75-17 edge with Democrats. Delving deeper into the numbers, it
appears that residual unhappiness from Hillary Clinton supporters could
be the cause. The 25% of Democrats who currently either support McCain
or are undecided are disproportionately middle aged, white, and female
or in other words prototypical Clinton voters. Ohio is one state where
some joint appearances of the former Democratic foes might do the
nominee some good."
Nonetheless, Obama "is able to keep the race tied overall
due to a 45-28 lead with independents voters."
Mon Aug 18, 2008 more from this source»»
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On Libertarians more similar news »
The New York Times runs a very good review of The Wrecking Crew by Thomas Frank, a book which "tells the story of free-market ideologues who came to Washington to start a revolution and built a lucrative lobbying empire instead."
However, what struck me was an excerpt in which Frank explains why there are so many libertarian think tanks in a country with so few actual libertarians: "The reason that we have so many well-funded libertarians in America these days is not because libertarianism suddenly acquired an enormous grass-roots following, but because it appeals to those who are able to fund ideas... Libertarianism is a politics born to be subsidized."
That's exactly right.
Sun Aug 17, 2008 more from this source»»
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Democrats Will Easily Pick Up Senate Seats more similar news »
"Even the top Republican in charge of the party's Senate campaigns concedes that the GOP will lose seats this year -- the only question is how many," Associated Press reports.
"Democrats have solid chances of winning five seats, according to strategists in both parties and public polls, and realistic shots at picking off another three to five Republican senators. Republicans have only one good opportunity for replacing a Democrat, in Louisiana."
Meanwhile, "the scent of defeat threatens to become a self-fulfilling prophecy: Republican donors are sitting on their hands, giving Democrats a nearly 2-to-1 advantage in fundraising that limits the GOP's ability to defend key seats."
CQ: Senate Seats to Watch.
Sun Aug 17, 2008 more from this source»»
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Party Leaders Want More Specifics From Obama more similar news »
The New York Times spoke to Democratic party leaders in key battleground states.
"These Democrats -- 15 governors, members of Congress and state party leaders -- say Mr. Obama has yet to convert his popularity among many Americans into solutions to crucial electoral challenges: showing ownership of an issue, like economic stewardship or national security; winning over supporters of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton; and minimizing his race and experience level as concerns for voters.
They "say he must do more to convince the many undecided Democrats and independents that he would address their financial anxieties rather than run, by and large, as an agent of change -- given that change, they note, is not an issue."
Sat Aug 16, 2008 more from this source»»
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Many Will Still Cast Vote for Clinton more similar news »
According to Politico, half of House Democrats attending the Democratic National Convention are likely to cast their vote for Sen. Hillary Clinton.
It's now becoming clear that Sen. Barack Obama's campaign moved his nomination speech to Invesco Field so that he could pack the stadium with true Obama supporters rather than face a convention hall with nearly half the delegates being only reluctant supporters.
Sat Aug 16, 2008 more from this source»»
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The 49 State Strategy? more similar news »
The New York Times notes that Sen. Barack Obama campaign officials "have made much of their desire to expand the
traditional Democratic playing field into states like Idaho, Indiana,
Missouri and Montana and have promised they will run a 50-state
campaign."
However, the campaign has no office in Arkansas, even though the state has "a Democratic governor, an overwhelmingly Democratic legislature, two
Democratic United States senators and three Democratic Congressional
representatives out of four."
"But while Arkansas on paper might entice a Democratic candidate,
Arkansas in person is a different story, and the fact that Mr. Obama's
campaign is not yet here reveals much about his strategic approach to
turning red states blue."
Sat Aug 16, 2008 more from this source»»
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Obama, McCain Will Appear at Faith Forum more similar news »
Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. John McCain "make back-to-back
appearances Saturday at an evangelical conference aimed at getting the
presidential hopefuls' views on issues dealing with leadership and
compassion," USA Today reports.
Rick Warren, the
pastor of the 22,000-member Saddleback Church and author of The Purpose Driven Life, "will interview each candidate separately
for about an hour on the presidency and Constitution, the role of the
United States in the world, global poverty and, possibly, abortion."
However, in an interview with David Brody, Warren suggests he'll also ask both candidates about personal issues each has had to deal with. Expect questions on McCain's marriages and Obama's past drug use.
Fri Aug 15, 2008 more from this source»»
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McCain Has Big Fundraising Month more similar news »
Sen. John McCain raised $27 million in July, "his largest one-month fundraising haul since clinching the Republican presidential nomination," the AP reports.
McCain also had $21.4 million available to spend -- a sum he must spend before he accepts the Republican nomination during the first week of September since he accepted public financing for the general election.
Fri Aug 15, 2008 more from this source»»
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Edwards Cover Up Continues more similar news »
A front page New York Times piece investigates an elaborate attempt by John Edwards to cover up his affair with Rielle Hunter, "one that is continuing even after he admitted last week that he had an
affair with Ms. Hunter but denied that he fathered her child."
"The revelations of ties among the lawyers" involved in the effort to protect Edwards "emerged through public
records and interviews with people close to Mr. Edwards and Ms. Hunter,
which suggested that their affair went on longer than Mr. Edwards
admitted and that the effort to conceal it by Mr. Edwards's inner
circle was much more extensive than has been reported."
The paper says the Edwards "went to unusual lengths" to make a final $14,000 payment Ms. Hunter. As the AP notes, the payment to Hunter "is significant because its source was
Edwards' OneAmerica political action committee, whose expenditures are
governed by U.S. election laws. Willfully converting money from a
political action committee for personal use would have been a federal
criminal violation."
Several people close to Edwards have told Political Wire that Edwards' insistence that the affair was over before he announced his candidacy -- which photos now call into question -- is important to protect him from campaign finance violations.
Fri Aug 15, 2008 more from this source»»
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Why the Tabloids Got the Edwards Story First more similar news »
Sharon Waxman nails it: "My guess is that there is a simple reason why the mainstream media is unable to confirm the Edwards-Hunter affair during these past weeks. Because very few people knew what had been going on. Edwards' staff didn't know. Elizabeth Edwards didn't know. The group may have been as small as three: Edwards, Hunter and her pal Bob McGovern. One of those, in my view (and not Edwards), sold the information."
The National Enquirer's editor talks to Cindy Adams: "We have exclusive photographic evidence, pictures, videos, hard proof
to further incriminate Edwards. He doesn't at this point know what we
have, which is why I'm asking that we don't reveal too much yet. And
which we will use unless and until he acknowledges paternity."
Fri Aug 15, 2008 more from this source»»
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Obama Planning Event in Virginia more similar news »
Marc Ambinder and Jeff Greenfield report that an Obama advance team is headed to Richmond, VA to prepare for a visit next Thursday.
"For some reason, I don't think this is IT -- THE vice presidential
announcement. It could happen somewhere else... on another day..--
Wednesday -- in another state... and not involve anything related to
Virginia. Maybe Richmond is a stop on the vice presidential tour -- a
tour that begins elsewhere the day before."
Obama's Wednesday schedule is not yet known.
Update: A Political Wire reader reports Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine canceled a planned town-hall meeting event in Williamsburg, VA this Sunday.
Fri Aug 15, 2008 more from this source»»
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Udall Leads in Colorado more similar news »
Rep. Mark Udall (D-CO) holds a 6 point lead over opponent Bob Schaffer (R) in Colorado's U.S. Senate race, 44% to 38%, according to a new CBS4/Rocky Mountain News poll.
A new Rasmussen Reports poll also gives Udall a six point lead, 47% to 41%.
Thu Aug 14, 2008 more from this source»»
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McCain and Lobbyists more similar news »
David Nather: "One of the biggest mysteries about John McCain, the man who claims to be the enemy of powerful lobbyists and special interests, is why he has surrounded himself with lobbyists and former lobbyists on his campaign team."
Thu Aug 14, 2008 more from this source»»
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Clues from the Sunday Shows? more similar news »
The Sunday morning political talk shows have booked many of those on the public short lists of vice presidential contenders as their guests this weekend.
Meet the Press: Lousiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) and Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine (D)
Face the Nation: Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) and Sen. Evan Bayh (D-IN)
Fox News Sunday: Former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge (R)
Late Edition: New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson (D)
This Week: Not yet announced.
Thu Aug 14, 2008 more from this source»»
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Jackson Will Not Speak at Convention more similar news »
After speaking at the last six Democratic conventions, Rev. Jesse Jackson tells Essence magazine that he will attend this year but not play a formal role.
On his recent comments critical of Obama caught on a live microphone, Jackson said, "It should not have happened. What was private talk became
public controversy, and I am embarrassed by that. There is no virtue in
that kind of talk, and it should always be discouraged. My appeal even
then was that responsibility is a significant message, but our needs
require real government intervention and private sector incentives to
address the issues of unemployment, building affordable housing and
making education more affordable, which really was my point. It was a
very painful period for me to have gone through that. The good news is
that it's behind us now."
Thu Aug 14, 2008 more from this source»»
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Obama Tries Late Night Infomercials more similar news »
"The Obama campaign is the first to use a long-form infomercial during the 2008 presidential campaign," according to Ad Age. "If you hadn't noticed, that may have been because the nearly 30-minute program aired at 1:30 a.m. Aug. 10 on ION Television."
"The mostly biographical 28-minute,
30-second program included scenes of the Illinois senator's keynote
speech to the 2004 Democratic National Convention as well as scenes
from other campaign appearances along with background about Mr. Obama
and frequent call-in numbers."
Thu Aug 14, 2008 more from this source»»
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Obama Leaning Towards More Experienced Pick? more similar news »
Lynn Sweet: "I'm just passing on the latest I'm hearing -- that Sen. Joe Biden is moving up on the list of potential running mates for
presumptive Democratic nominee Sen. Barack Obama. While
Obama's heart may go towards Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine -- his head takes
him to a more experienced pick, a Sen. Evan Bayh or Biden,
chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee."
Thu Aug 14, 2008 more from this source»»
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Statistical Tie? more similar news »
An interesting debate broke out in the comments on our post reporting the latest Pew Research poll that showed the presidential race narrowing. While the pollster claimed the race was now even because Obama's 46% to 43% lead over McCain was within the survey's margin of error, this is very misleading.
The survey clearly shows the race narrowing, but suggesting it's a "statistical tie" or "deadlocked" is not accurate. As Kevin Drum noted, what we're really interested in is "the probability that the
difference between the two candidates is greater than zero -- in other words, that one candidate is
genuinely ahead of the other."
So instead of reporting that any result within the margin of error is a tie -- something we're often guilty of -- it's more informative to show how probable it is that a candidate is actually leading. A simple spreadsheet shows that in the case of the Pew Research poll, there is a 94% probability that Obama is actually leading McCain.
Thanks to the many Political Wire readers who took the time to make this point.
Thu Aug 14, 2008 more from this source»»
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Another Nailbiter in Washington more similar news »
According to a new SurveyUSA poll, the rematch for governor of Washington looks like another close one with Gov. Christine Gregoire (D) edging Dino Rossi (R), 50% to 48%, within the survey's 3.7 percentage point margin of sampling error.
Gregoire has consistently received 49% or 50% of the vote, and Rossi has consistently received 46% or 47%, until today's poll, where Rossi hits 48% for the first time.
However, in the presidential race, Sen. Barack Obama has a solid 51% to 44% lead over Sen. John McCain.
Thu Aug 14, 2008 more from this source»»
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Huckabee Knocks Romney more similar news »
It seems the 2012 Republican presidential race is already under way with Mike Huckabee shooting down the idea of Mitt Romney as a possible running mate for Sen. John McCain, according to CBS News.
Said Huckabee: "I think a lot of people, not just social conservatives, but a lot of the Republicans I know are not necessarily comfortable with Romney. But it has nothing to do with religion. It has everything to do with inconsistencies in positions he's held, and that's it."
Thu Aug 14, 2008 more from this source»»
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Clinton Will Be Put Up for Nomination more similar news »
Sen. Hillary Clinton's name will be put up for nomination at the Democratic National Convention, according to Marc Ambinder.
"Within the past week, Clinton
advisers informed the Obama team that many of Clinton's staunchest
supporters felt strongly that something had to be done, and that
Clinton had concluded that, in part for the sake of unity, their wishes
ought to be respected. They heard back immediately: the Obama campaign
had always been open to having her name
placed in nomination alongside his."
However, "the exact choreography has not been worked out."
Thu Aug 14, 2008 more from this source»»
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Rove Sees Four Battlegrounds more similar news »
Karl Rove says Colorado, Virginia, Ohio and Michigan will be the true battleground states in the presidential election.
"Other states will see serious competition, including Florida,
Pennsylvania, Nevada, New Hampshire, Missouri and Wisconsin. But
Colorado, Virginia, Michigan and Ohio are likely to be the center of
the action. To win, Mr. Obama needs to pick up 18 electoral votes more
than John Kerry received, meaning Mr. Obama must carry Colorado or
Virginia and add another small state to his column. If Mr. McCain
carries Michigan as well as Ohio, it would make Mr. Obama's Electoral
College math very difficult."
Thu Aug 14, 2008 more from this source»»
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Edwards Misjudged more similar news »
Walter Shapiro on John Edwards: "I naively believed that I knew Edwards as well as I understood anyone
in the political center ring. Yet I never saw this sex scandal coming
-- partly because I accepted the mythology that surrounded the Edwards'
marriage and partly because I assumed that any hint of a wandering eye
would have come out during the 2004 campaign. But then Rielle Hunter
and the National Enquirer brought us all into the real world."
Thu Aug 14, 2008 more from this source»»
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Pew Research: Presidential Race Draws Even more similar news »
According to a new Pew Research poll, Sen. Barack Obama's national lead over Sen. John McCain has disappeared.
The race is now a statistical tie, with Obama barely edging McCain, 46% to 43%. In late June, Obama held an eight point lead.
Two reasons for the shift:
McCain "is garnering more support from his base --
including Republicans and white evangelical Protestants -- than he was
in June, and he also has steadily gained backing from white working
class voters over this period."
McCain "has made gains on his leadership image. An even greater
percentage of voters than in June now see McCain as the candidate who
would use the best judgment in a crisis, and an increasing percentage
see him as the candidate who can get things done."
Wed Aug 13, 2008 more from this source»»
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