When McCain-Palin moved ahead in the polls, Obama’s supporters began to worry. McCain’s lead is not sizable and not even uniform in all polls, but the perception that “we’re gonna frickin’ lose this thing,” as one columnist at the Huffington Post recently wrote, is driving some panic. Ariana Huffington wants Obama to get all huffy and put the smack down.
Various Dems have offered support, including President Bill Clinton. I am also hearing that the word is ignore Palin and attack McCain, specifically on the economy.
Given the ongoing, bad economic news, finding lots to criticize won’t be hard. However, it is very difficult to pin that on McCain since he has been a persistent critic of Bush administration spending.
In any event, the campaign promises to get uglier and uglier.
Month: September 2008
Still stumping for Hillary; Ohio Dems mixed on Obama
This article from the Daily Telegraph reports some Hillary supporters who are not ready to let go of their gal, Hillary.
I have been quite surprised how many women I have talked to around Western PA who were not in favor of Hillary because of her stance on social issues or other issues for that matter, but favored her nonetheless. Rather, they really believed it was simply time for female leadership. Palin has resonated with them and may be the ticket going forward. There are so many demographic groups which may do some shifting this time around. I continue to wonder if evangelicals will break at the last minute toward Obama; not in large numbers but enough to offset some of the 18 million HIllary voters who might defect from Obama toward McCain.
Canadian doctor warns that Palin's decision could lead to fewer abortions
I had to read this several times to understand that this doctor did not mean this in a good way.
I am at a loss for words (for now…)
UPDATE: The above link has been removed but this article mentions the same doctor. The LA Times then ran an explanation here
A September 11 post on this blog based on a September 9 story in the Globe and Mail in Toronto mischaracterized executive vice president of the Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists in Ottawa Dr. Andre Lalonde’s sentiments as expressed in the Globe and Mail story. The headline for the post read “Canadian doctor warns Sarah Palin’s decision to have Down baby could reduce abortions.” And the second paragraph said, “But a senior Canadian doctor is now expressing concerns that such a prominent public role model as the governor of Alaska and potential vice president of the United States completing a Down syndrome pregnancy may prompt other women to make the same decision against abortion because of that genetic abnormality. And thereby reduce the number of abortions”. Doctor Lalonde’s point of view should not have been portrayed as a concern that the number of abortions would decline but rather, as expressed in the Globe and Mail, that women would be influenced by Gov. Palin’s decision to keep Down syndrome children that they were neither emotionally nor financially prepared to care for. Here’s a link to the article on which the post, since removed was based.
(h/t: sheepcat).
Sarah Palin ABC News interview – Open Forum
The Palin interview is reverberating through the blogs. What do you think about her performance? The questions?
Open forum…
Various links to segments and transcripts:
Christianity Today and Palin on social issues
Entitlement programs
Earmarks/infrastructure
ABC News misrepresents Iraq war comments
Obama supporter: Americans are being fooled by "incompetent, corrupt liars"
Liberals cannot figure out why John McCain is doing well in the polls. It is making them restless. Witness Bob Cesca’s column, “Fooled Again,” at Huffington Post (Mr. Obama’s other home page):
It’s happening again. Regardless of the outcome of this thing, it’s clear that half of America is falling for the same superficial trickery that gave us eight years of George W. Bush. You know the routine. Who do you want to have a beer with? Who is more plainspoken? Who would you like to drive your kids to hockey?
Only this time around, America is exponentially worse off than it was in 2000 or 2004, which only makes the degree to which certain voters are being tricked all the more infuriating and incomprehensible.
The left is nonplussed about why people are not lining up for the Democratic ticket. They reason that current events and the Republicans are sooooo bad, how can any thinking person vote for McCain?
According to Cesca, perhaps these McCain voters are thinking, but what they are thinking is just bad. In fact, most likely, these Republicans are just bad, awful people. He says,
Given their record of success in years past, it’s no wonder why the Republicans do what they do. But this goes beyond cause and effect. It’s their nature. They’re simply unable to govern, so all they have left are their basest, most cynical and depraved instincts. Their presidential ticket is composed of two incompetent, corrupt liars who want to continue the Bush legacy (while also lying about their “change” message). But they’re good at whining; they’re good at smearing; and they excel at fear-mongering. John McCain has fully embraced Karl Rove’s brand of insect politics.
Don’t hold back, Bob. How do you really feel about the other half?
Cesca then blames the media for failing to inform the dense American people of how bad the Republican ticket is, saying
With a complicit barbecue media at their disposal — a team of fainting goats on cable news and AM radio — their screaming and stomping gets plenty of airplay.
Strange to hear an Obama supporter complain about the media. A recent Rasmussen Reports poll showed that 69% of those polled perceived that the media plays favorites in their reporting of the presidential race. So Cesca is on to something, right? Not at all. According to the Rasmussen folks,
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 50% of voters think most reporters are trying to help Obama win versus 11% who believe they are trying to help his Republican opponent John McCain.
Five to one, people think the media is biased toward Obama. Maybe Cesca thinks that this is as it should be since a little over half of Americans are so prone to believe “corrupt liars.” Maybe he thinks the media should work a little harder to get Mr. Obama elected.
Being stupified that Americans might resonate with the conservative positions articulated by McCain-Palin may reflect a kind of elitism. Senator Obama got into some hot water for a similar perspective during the primary season when he told wealthy San Francisco donors that rural Pennsylvanians were “bitter” and “cling to guns or religion or antipathy toward people who aren’t like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations.”
I don’t know which is worse, Cesca’s sense of superiority or his dim assessment of the perspicacity of Americans who disagree with him.
No need to decide since I am obviously unable to see through the trickery.