Hmmm: McCain creeps back to within four in new Gallup
posted at 2:25 pm on October 1, 2008 by Allahpundit
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The One led by eight on Monday and by six yesterday. If it’s true that McCain’s chances are at the mercy of the economy, why’s he gaining in the middle of an economic crisis, after an 800-point drop on Wall Street? I’m tempted to call it an outlier — but if it is, how’d he gain five points in the new WaPo poll too? The knee-jerk answer is that he’s riding a wave of residual goodwill from the House GOP’s revolt against the bailout, but (a) passionate opposition to the bailout is cooling, (b) McCain actually took credit for getting a bailout deal done before it was undone, and (c) he’s unambiguously in favor of the Senate bill so the backlash may only have been delayed. (Then again, Obama’s unambiguously in favor too so he shouldn’t reap any political windfall.)
Whatever the cause, America’s coming back, baby! Except, er, in all the states we need to win. Quinnipiac’s numbers actually do look like outliers, but the trends ain’t good even in other polls in Pennsylvania and Michigan. Current pessimism meter reading: Nine, indicating pronounced worries of a landslide and elevated levels of heart-ache in anticipation of tomorrow night’s debate.
Update: Why would anyone care what poll trends look like a month out? Here’s why.
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AP, I think I’m going to start calling you “er” from now on.
Mr_Magoo on October 1, 2008 at 2:27 PM
Wright, Ayers, Farrakahn, Dohrn and the rest of the crew.
Expose them…hard.
Let the voters decide.
mylegsareswollen on October 1, 2008 at 2:28 PM
yeah right. he’s toast
Roger Waters on October 1, 2008 at 2:28 PM
I thought 9 was less pessimism, 1 was more?
Wouldn’t it be at a 2? I’m like -38.
lorien1973 on October 1, 2008 at 2:29 PM
maybe, just maybe I will come in from the window ledge….
SDarchitect on October 1, 2008 at 2:29 PM
Whatever happens with the election, we know it isn’t the politicians who will save America, in any case. Connecting with each other, while reteaching the populace about the principles our country was built on, and why they are the best, is much more important.
But I haven’t given up on victory just yet.
kc8ukw on October 1, 2008 at 2:30 PM
Who are these swing voters?
Seems to me that if you’re interested in voting, you should have been for one candidate or the other a long, long time ago.
The differences are so stark.
If you go back and forth between Obama and McCain from day to day, what really are you thinking? I don’t see how you can agree with one candidate on a portion of the issues and another on other issues and go back and forth, day to day?
Really can’t see it. So I’m not sure what really they’re measuring here.
NoDonkey on October 1, 2008 at 2:30 PM
I thought state polls lagged a bit?
I thought the higher it was the calmer you were? So shouldn’t it be down to 1-2?
ninjapirate on October 1, 2008 at 2:31 PM
Be careful with that surge analogy, you might hurt someone
Trent1289 on October 1, 2008 at 2:31 PM
Early voters are usually partisans who aren’t going to be swayed anyways. This election will be won or lost by the undecideds and most of them don’t decide until the last couple days. Obama still has time to lose this, and maybe, just maybe, the Artic Fox can help him do so.
Browncoatone on October 1, 2008 at 2:31 PM
The country is still deeply divided – it will be close, but a Barry landslide? Na-ah.
Ares on October 1, 2008 at 2:33 PM
I agree: OBambi’s being found out to be the loser, lightweight, liar we’ve always known him to be.
AubieJon on October 1, 2008 at 2:33 PM
Mac can win this if he gets his groove back. He just needs to be compelling.
Spirit of 1776 on October 1, 2008 at 2:34 PM
Damn! Time to tweak the model gain!
TheBigOldDog on October 1, 2008 at 2:35 PM
Define “landslide”. How many Electoral Votes means it is a landslide? Is 300 a landslide? 330? Does he need to crack 400?
The last few election winners EV total:
2004: 286
2000: 271
1996: 379
1992: 370
1988: 426
1984: 525
1980: 489
1976: 297
1972: 520
1968: 301
Nixon and Reagan clearly had landslides (only losing 1 state a piece +DC). Was Clinton’s win in 1992 a landslide? Bush 41 in 1988?
Abby Adams on October 1, 2008 at 2:35 PM
Maybe word of the true cause of the financial mess is getting out, despite the best efforts of the MSM?
Vashta.Nerada on October 1, 2008 at 2:35 PM
Abby Adams on October 1, 2008 at 2:35 PM
300
Spirit of 1776 on October 1, 2008 at 2:36 PM
I was watching Hannity and Colmes last night, and they had Steve Wynn on, the Las Vegas Casino owner of Wynn Casino
Lou Dobbs and Steve Wynn, and a few others are all saying the same thing. I wish I could find the video or transcript.
In Wynn’s words. NO you do not want all this worthless paper bought up by the Government, to be re capitalized. There are not enough bureaucrats to handle all this worthless paper, and we know from their past performances, they are not up to the task of handling this much worthless paper. What is wrong with our Legislature? They are ignoring every sound business principle. Wynn already said, there are ways to handle this with in the free market, if our Govt., tinkers with it, they will make it worse. This isn’t unlike the Amnesty Bill, the McCain/Kennedy Bill, our Immigration system is terrible. If they passed that Bill they would have flooded a dysfunctional bureaucracy, with more applications to file. The bureaucracy is not handling the load it already has. The Politicians are NOT Thinking this through, there are so many reasons, not to go down the road, they are choosing, and there are alternatives. Where are the cooler heads, that need to prevail?
Dr Evil on October 1, 2008 at 2:36 PM
The current round of polls that people are fretting over were conducted over the same time period that the Gallup tracker’s spread peaked at 8 points. Only time will tell if they were a snapshot of a temporary blip based on events.
If it means anything, Hotline’s tracker also narrowed a bit, down to 5 points today from 6 yesterday.
Mark1971 on October 1, 2008 at 2:36 PM
Voters still have their doubts about Obama. They want to believe, but…
Ayers
Wright
Johnson
Raines
etc…
McCain – It’s time to highlight your record of Reaganesque fiscal conservativism. It’s time to unleash the full power of your 527’s. It’s time to demonstrate beyond a shadow of a doubt who has the real judgment to lead.
CliffHanger on October 1, 2008 at 2:36 PM
I guess he’s still in the name. The state polls seem to lag anyway.
phronesis on October 1, 2008 at 2:37 PM
I have a feeling the Samples in whichever poll your citing differ greatly from the others.
Interesting what the McCain team is saying about their internals in Florida having them up 6 and polls showing Obama up must be over sampling blacks and under Cubans. Also, how they think Florida is a state who should track National polling
jp on October 1, 2008 at 2:39 PM
Allah,
surely you missed the posts (in the Quinnipiac thread) where it was decided that you post negative headlines? You’re doing some serious trend busting…
hippie_chucker on October 1, 2008 at 2:39 PM
McCain???
Is the guy still running? I thought he threw in the towel weeks ago. He sure fooled me I guess.
rigdown on October 1, 2008 at 2:39 PM
McCain probably needs to win all of Ohio, Florida and Virginia and as of now, per RCP averages, he is behind in all three.
MB4 on October 1, 2008 at 2:39 PM
Rasmussen has shown Obama consistently up though, even getting a sickening 51%. Gallup seems to swing widly all the time based on the slightest turn in the news cycle, so I’m not sure what their method is.
lodge on October 1, 2008 at 2:39 PM
Still a month to go. McCain has been hurt by the financial crisis, and Obama blaming it on Bush, and on McCain, by extension (Obama: “George Bush dug us into a hole, and John McCain carried the shovel”).
If this financial crisis is solved by a bailout of some kind, McCain can come out with ads blaming the Fannie and Freddie largesse on Democrats who blocked HIS reforms in 2005, then say that McCain worked constructively to solve it rather than running around shooting off his mouth.
Then, let’s get back to Drill, Baby, Drill, and start telling the story of Barack the Community Organizer for ACORN and Ayers, AKA Chicago Thug-In-Chief.
Of course, to start off, SarahCuda needs to be sharp tomorrow!
Steve Z on October 1, 2008 at 2:40 PM
this early voting is a bunch of b.s. and should be banned.
jp on October 1, 2008 at 2:40 PM
Give it a day or two after all the “conservatives” get done trashing the ticket and our wonderful “conservative” bloggers get done telling the world what an awful awful candidate/vice-candidate we have then nobody will vote, and they get their hands back in the book publishers candy jar for the next 15 Obama hit peice books…. Hope ya’ll get some big advances on them, cause taxes are gonna be a bi*ch!
Randy1968 on October 1, 2008 at 2:40 PM
When was the last time that an event of the magnitude of a potential financial meltdown occur during a presidential campaign? We may be in new territory here with respect to how polls shift.
Mark1971 on October 1, 2008 at 2:41 PM
Ugh, which poll should decide the fate of my bunker?
Bishop on October 1, 2008 at 2:42 PM
In case you haven’t noticed, the “bailout” legislation has vanished into thin air. It is been replaced by something entirely new and different. The brand new approach is a “RESCUE”.
Paramedics, firefighters, lifeguards, and dogs trained in admirable valor perform rescues all the time. Who on Earth could be opposed to performing a “RESCUE”?? Why, you’d have to be freaking crazy to oppose a rescue!
jay12 on October 1, 2008 at 2:43 PM
As does a great many things it would seem.
wise_man on October 1, 2008 at 2:44 PM
Allah,
you want to talk trends? Take a look at the daily tracking polls. the trend is that Obama is leveling off. His surge over the bad economic news has stopped. Gallup was the first to see Obama surge for the economy. Ramuseen poll showed the surge a little later. Gallup showed Obama leveling off 2-3 days ago and now going down. Ramuseen now shows Obama leveleing off. The state polls are always behind the national polls. One reason is time frames. the state polls are not taken everyday but over a certain time frame.
The state polls will show this leveling off of Obama next week. The debate on Fri no matter what the “overnightpolls showed” stopped the Obama surge. The crisis of the markets is a plus for McCain becaus eit is a crisis not just a bad economy
The leadership question is huge. while Obama does better on the economy question the polls show that McCain does better on Crisis. Thus the dems are shooting themselves in the foot. As long as the economy is just bad Obama gets the nod. but if the economy is in crisis and we are doomed to a massive depression McCain and his leadership abilities get the nod. An economic crisis is akin to a war. you want leadership not a wonk at the helm. If you just want a little change Obama is your guy. IF however you are forced into a very negative problem that requires leadership you want a leader and thus McCain.
If the debate goes well Thurs Mcain will surge and could possible tie the results befor ehis debate. which is a townhall format. McCain has the plus on this one. Obama just does not think quick on his feet.
If both debates go for McCain=Palin. the last debate will be Obama’s last chance to seal the deal.
unseen on October 1, 2008 at 2:44 PM
John and Sarah, if u cn rd ths mssg thn u shld ht hd wth Ayrs, Wrt, Akn and othr BS. PLEASE!!!!
bloggless on October 1, 2008 at 2:45 PM
McCain (and the Republicans for tht matter) really need to take the gloves off. Bash Barry HO on his past, the feckless congress on the economy. Blast the dems for the energy crisis, show how they’re responsible for the credit crunch, and they can win.
Iblis on October 1, 2008 at 2:45 PM
Allah, I think you flipped the meter. Didn’t a high number used to be LESS pessimism?
someone on October 1, 2008 at 2:45 PM
McCain is eeking back closer because other people are carrying his water for him. Rush, Gingrich, Dick Morris, Hannity have been doing a good job getting the message out about how the democrats caused all of this.
poljunkie on October 1, 2008 at 2:45 PM
Surge? More like hollow reverb. McCain has gonged himself.
Fletch54 on October 1, 2008 at 2:45 PM
It did. Allah is pessimistic about the reliability of his pessimism meter.
lorien1973 on October 1, 2008 at 2:46 PM
I don’t understand these polls, and following them is giving me a headache. It honestly makes no sense for McCain to be gaining, as horrible as their campaign has been of late. I’m glad to see it, and I hope those Quinn. polls are indeed outliers, but it doesn’t make sense.
I think a landslide would have to be at least 350 EVs…
changer1701 on October 1, 2008 at 2:46 PM
Who cares what any poll says? The only poll that matters is the 1 on Nov. 4th.
I grow tired of polls. One day someone is up 8, then 2 days later they are up 4. Suddenly they are down 4.
It is all geared to surge and discourage voters in either direction. Its psychological warfare, nothing else.
If there are people who are undecided still, they should not be allowed to vote b/c they are not intelligent enough to make any kind of decision whatsoever.
TheHat on October 1, 2008 at 2:48 PM
Wait till the “God Damn America” ads come out. Independents will leave Obama like rats from a sinking ship.
marklmail on October 1, 2008 at 2:48 PM
i think at this point the state polls in key states matter most.
venicesurfer on October 1, 2008 at 2:48 PM
If Palin evisorates Biden on Thursday, McCain will do well. If she pulls a Couric, he’ll do poorly.
His fate is inexorably tied to hers.
Then again, McCain hasn’t looked good for 3 weeks and he’s this close? People are scared of Obama.
lorien1973 on October 1, 2008 at 2:49 PM
Palin is hitting the ground in Florida next week:
Naples, Florida
Monday, October 6, 2008
11:30 A.M. ~ Main Reception
Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club
851 Gulf Shore Boulevard North
Naples, Florida
12:00 Noon ~ Luncheon
At the home of
Rhodora & Jack Donahue
Boca Raton, Florida
Monday, October 6, 2008
5:00 PM ~ VIP Reception/Photo Opportunity
5:30 PM ~ General Reception
6:00 PM ~ Private Dinner
Boca Raton Resort and Club
501 East Camino Real
Boca Raton, Florida
Jacksonvile, Florida
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
11:00 A.M. ~ Roundtable
11:30 A.M. ~ VIP Photo Reception
12:00 Noon ~ Luncheon
Jacksonville Municipal Stadium
West Touchdown Club
One Stadium Place
Jacksonville, Florida
No McCain. Just Palin.
lorien1973 on October 1, 2008 at 2:49 PM
300? That’s only 300-238.
Does it have to do with also number of states won? Does popular vote play a part in naming it a “landslide”?
Abby Adams on October 1, 2008 at 2:51 PM
jp on October 1, 2008 at 2:51 PM
All that matters is which group shows up more in PA, OH and MI:
The bitter gun/God clingers or Obama’s Blue Shirts
Nothing else matters in this election
Agent of the Cross on October 1, 2008 at 2:53 PM
Is it bad of me to say “YAY!!!”?
*eats*
Grue in the Attic on October 1, 2008 at 2:53 PM
surely there is video of Obama in that church somewhere, possibly speakign with Wright.
and who is ever going to ask him where he was the Sunday after 9/11 if not at his Church? and witnessing the “G-D America” idiocy?
jp on October 1, 2008 at 2:53 PM
Whitey tape comes out in oct
unseen on October 1, 2008 at 2:54 PM
Look for Obama to win in Ohio with the new register and vote in the same day scam.
carbon_footprint on October 1, 2008 at 2:54 PM
Especially here in Ohio, where drunk homeless bums are entitled to register & vote absentee on the same day! One of the local radio stations was even kind enough to do an interview of one of the drunk homeless bums: http://www.wcpn.org/index.php/WCPN/news/14607/
Outlander on October 1, 2008 at 2:55 PM
…the whitey tape was a myth, no?
hippie_chucker on October 1, 2008 at 2:56 PM
I have seen it, it’s pretty bad!
philnewkirk on October 1, 2008 at 2:56 PM
Haha
I follow your point, but considering the tightness of the Bush years, it’s just a the ability to claim mandate.
Spirit of 1776 on October 1, 2008 at 2:56 PM
probably, BUT, given the “church” and other connections they come from. ANYTHING is possible
jp on October 1, 2008 at 2:58 PM
Well Bill Clinton is stumping down in Florida for Obama today GRIN. He promised to help Obama get elected remember.
Dr Evil on October 1, 2008 at 2:59 PM
It’s not nice to talk with your mouth full, Grue :)
BillH on October 1, 2008 at 2:59 PM
this is ridiculous, and they have a Democrat Govenor now
jp on October 1, 2008 at 2:59 PM
Yep, Ken Blackwell was on H&C last night talking about it.
Ohio is lost. Count on it with Chicago style voting.
carbon_footprint on October 1, 2008 at 3:00 PM
Right right, gotcha :)
*eats*
Grue in the Attic on October 1, 2008 at 3:00 PM
…the whitey tape was a myth, no?
hippie_chucker on October 1, 2008 at 2:56 PM
I not sure. Remember it was Hillary that was running. If Hillary campaign would have come out with it she would have been toast in HER party. If the reps come out with it? that’s another story. the tape story during the primaries reminded me of a trail balloon. the Clinton campaign IMO was testing the waters and what type of backlash it would cause. I don’t think they like the reaction within the democratic party. In the general election? who knows. I think it would be a good idea in states like NC, PA,OH and MI. since hillary already had those states locked up she saw no reason to release the tape.
unseen on October 1, 2008 at 3:01 PM
Palin will be on Hannity’s radio program this afternoon.
CanadianGuy on October 1, 2008 at 3:02 PM
I’m driving home to stop it….
sven10077 on October 1, 2008 at 3:02 PM
I notice McCain “creeps” while Obama “surges” “pulls” “bounces”. You know, like a bug. Not unintentional I’ll bet.
Marcus on October 1, 2008 at 3:02 PM
Marcus on October 1, 2008 at 3:02 PM
good catch. Like the Ms. Palin in the NYT
unseen on October 1, 2008 at 3:04 PM
We’re going to lose in a landslide, but just as a technical point about the update: there may be reason trendlines matter a month out – historical patterns, gaps to overcome, etc – but early voting isn’t one of them. The only reason to watch the polls is to see (a) how many undecideds are left, broadly defined as everyone who’s not “certain” and (b) which way they’re moving. But the early voters have been locked in for months – so they’re not reflected in the trends one way or another.
omriceren on October 1, 2008 at 3:04 PM
Gee, I thought the Maverick, not the TV Movie, said he would name names … Was that “naming names” just a punchline or was he just kidding us. If Maverick doesn’t assign blame, he will be blamed for the financial mess and then lose the election.
Remember how it worked with Katrina.
tarpon on October 1, 2008 at 3:05 PM
NINE? What a farking optimist you are, Allah. Sheesh. My Despair-O-Meter is firmly pegged at 9.9 and the needle is straining. You have to snap out of this, man. Get a hold of yourself. It’s going to be much, much worse that even you can imagine.
Tomorrow nite our dear Sarah will be eviscerated, drawn and quartered in the first 40 minutes. For an encore, Plugs will field dress her corpse on national television.
McCain will respond with a plea for bipartisan cooperation ad a promise not to ever go negative against his worthy opponent. His poll numbers will go down faster than Larry Craig in a Minnesota men’s room.
The election will be an Obama blowout as the Drive-By media has a collective orgasm. The Dems will have insurmountable majorities in both houses. The Fairness Dotrine will be resurrected and the government will come after bloggers next.
Here’s to worse days ahead, my friend.
ManlyRash on October 1, 2008 at 3:05 PM
ACORN, flush with millions they got on the last bailout bill has been busily registering hobo’s and dead people.
Frank Smith 1943-2007, spokesman for dead people, said he’s glad that the democrats are finally seeing the potential that dead people have to offer.
darwin on October 1, 2008 at 3:05 PM
Godspeed
carbon_footprint on October 1, 2008 at 3:07 PM
I can’t tell if that’s sarcasm or if the bottom’s really dropped out beneath you….
*eats*
Grue in the Attic on October 1, 2008 at 3:07 PM
they know too, if McCain challenges legitmacy of some votes it’ll be called McCain trying to steal election from first black president ever. GOP = racist, etc.
jp on October 1, 2008 at 3:08 PM
The reversal of the post-Convention bounce has two causes: 1) the political neutralization of Palin; 2) the crowding out of all other issues (remember the Republican “drill, baby, drill” advantage? – seems like ages ago) by the financial crisis. With Palin still giving McCain a bridgehead on reform/change, the Republican ticket could still fight Obama-Biden to a draw on the crisis. Without the crisis, McCain-Palin could still be driving the issue agenda on taxes, energy, reform, etc.
If the country trusted Obama and his party, both as people and in terms of the program they’re offering, they’d be ahead by 10 to 20 points, not 4 to 6. Even a partial restoration of Palin’s appeal as more than a party base phenomenon, beginning with a sympathetic, competent performance vs Biden, could add momentum to the “natural” tightening of the polls heading into election day.
We’ve gone in a few weeks from having found our Thatcher to mourning her loss to political/character assassination. Something closer to reality – between those two poles – could help put McCain within striking distance. Once the GREATEST CRISIS IN THE HISTORY OF HISTORY passes, Mr. Bipartisan will also be much better positioned to kick a$$ and name names.
It’s not over. It could be over with a disastrous Palin debate performance, but a merely good one keeps the game alive, and a great one could turn things around.
CK MacLeod on October 1, 2008 at 3:11 PM
Obama surged because people heard about the Fannie/Freddie meltdown and assumed that the Republicans were to blame. This assumption was reasonable: the crisis has been building for years, and the Republicans were in power until 2006.
In the past week it has emerged that the Republicans did foresee and try to fix the problems at Fannie and Freddie, and were blocked by Dems. Footage showing the Dems ridiculing the Republicans’ concerns back in 2004 is particularly significant.
So people are starting to reassign blame from the Repubs to the Dems, and this affects McCain vs. Obama.
This helps the Republican brand, and will probably help with the Congressional elections, but I think it will not get McCain over the top. He is (a) not taking enough advantage of it, and (b) not seen as all that much of a Republican. It should get him back to where he was before the crisis, but it will not get him back to where he was before Palin shot herself in the foot with Couric and Gibson.
Gaunilon on October 1, 2008 at 3:11 PM
Nah. I bet he could win with 1/2 of Ohio and 3/5 of Virginia and Florida, as long as he gets 4/9 of Colorado.
BadgerHawk on October 1, 2008 at 3:12 PM
McCain wouldn’t dare….he’ll lose the black vote.
jay12 on October 1, 2008 at 3:14 PM
nice post, CKMac… +1
hippie_chucker on October 1, 2008 at 3:14 PM
They might be wrong, but they’re very unlikely to outliers, at least in the statistical, margin-of-error sense. For three separate samples from different populations (PA, OH, and FL) to show the same degree of deviation the same direction from the true population numbers in each of those states is so highly unlikely that it’s almost certainly a problem with Q’s methodology. If the polls are wrong, that is.
Big S on October 1, 2008 at 3:15 PM
I have no doubts Palin will turn StandUpJoe into mincemeat. Getting Maverick to buck up and call the Dems on their malpractice on the other hand…. :|
*eats*
Grue in the Attic on October 1, 2008 at 3:15 PM
Exactly. Obama is not closing the deal yet. I think Hillary Clinton already would have.
Mark1971 on October 1, 2008 at 3:18 PM
But then, wouldn’t he have to vote AGAINST the bailout, instead of for it? Wouldn’t that put his bi-partisan record of standing with liberals in jeopardy? That doesn’t sound like the Maverick.*
* Yeah, I’m being snarky. But I just watched McCain make a promise (no earmarks) and then break it in less than a week. John McCain was a hero and demonstrated honor in the past, but I question if he still has that honor if he is so willing to make a promise and then break it that quickly.
Why couldn’t Palin be at the head of the ticket? [sigh]
dominigan on October 1, 2008 at 3:20 PM
Why are you saying “he will”? He already has! By no fault of his own.
newton on October 1, 2008 at 3:22 PM
I’m sure he’ll make up those 37 votes somewhere
Chuck Schick on October 1, 2008 at 3:22 PM
Then, it will be time to create a brand-new country…
newton on October 1, 2008 at 3:24 PM
People are starting to calm down and realize that Obama doesn’t have any kind of plan to help the economy. Obama couldn’t even be bothered to make a few phone calls to Democratic law makers to encourage them to vote for the bail out plan. Obama certainly hasn’t closed the deal yet. There are still a lot of undecided voters. If the markets stabilize, most or all of whatever Obama has gained over the past week will evaporate as fast as it materialized.
Palin can definitely help McCain by putting in a solid performance tomorrow night.
eyedoc on October 1, 2008 at 3:24 PM
Grue – you’re right that Mav isn’t the best on offense, but the top-line of the ticket isn’t necessarily supposed to be the dagger man. The VP has a lot more freedom to go for the jugular.
Mav needs to drive the attack to a great extent, and I believe he and the entire campaign will get more aggressive, but remember what was so kewl about Palin at the Convention? It wasn’t that she was adorable, it was that she skewered Obama in a way that no one had been able to skewer him up until now, while remaining sympathetic the entire time. That’s what we’ve been without the last couple of weeks, and that’s one of the things we need to get back from her. She’s been on her heels the last couple of weeks. She needs to get out of the defensive crouch and start spewing that sweet, sweet Obama-poison again – and hit the rest of the Dems, too, while she’s at it.
As she began to show during the Hewitt interview, she can embody the reaction of the public to this whole bailout mess, and use it to critique the Dems from Obama on down. Her response on abortion – bringing up Obama on the Born Alive act – could be a preview. Fingers crossed. If she gets a social issues question in the debate, the identical answer she gave Hewitt could be a roof shaker.
CK MacLeod on October 1, 2008 at 3:25 PM
AP’s Pessimism Meter must be an anal one. I’m so sick of no-nuts’ whining.
Sugar Land on October 1, 2008 at 3:25 PM
These polls are like listening to baseball scores from someone standing outside of the park.
The good news is as long as O-face is leading, the real American will crawl to the polls if needed to save it from the attack of the fascist zombies.
Hening on October 1, 2008 at 3:26 PM
I’m waiting for the 527 ads over the next few weeks showing Obama showing his two faces about Middle America, what with them slack-jawed rednecks clinging bitterly to their guns and religion. That should go over great in the heartland of Ohio.
Interesting if Ohio flips blue and New Hampshire flips red. President Obama and Vice President Palin becomes a distinct possibility.
Physics Geek on October 1, 2008 at 3:27 PM
We can hope. As people have been saying in other threads repeatedly, let Sarah be Sarah. She’s suffocating on having to haul McCain’s bipartisanship when she’s a more effective attacker.
She’s a Pit Bull, not a Sled Dog.
*eats*
Grue in the Attic on October 1, 2008 at 3:27 PM
This financial crisis has been a severe problem for McCain. He lets Obama attack him and he does not attack Obama enough. McCain almost seems to be slowly giving up the fight. (Plus he wasted the use of Palin by trying to turn her into a Washington insider in 4 weeks of less.)
RE: The “whitey tape”.
Even if a whitey tape by Michelle would come out, wouldn’t McCain ignore it?
And with the spin of the media reporting on it, or lack there of, they would make it mean nothing.
This is why Michelle seems to have disappeared from being such a voice in the campaign – so she can’t be tied so closely to “Barrack the Politician”.
The press would say regarding a “whitey tape” that while Michelle had those thoughts she will be spending her White House days as a devoted mother, rarely visiting the Oval Office. And Obama will throw her under the bus…
albill on October 1, 2008 at 3:28 PM
If he comes back, it will be due to a counterattack to the Democrats putting the blame for the financial meltdown on Bush, McCain and the Republicans.
If the McCain campaign does not put the facts of the CRA, Fannie, Freddie, Rains, Dodd, Frank, ACORN and other Democratic Party liabilities out there, he will lose.
Star20 on October 1, 2008 at 3:32 PM
If there is a “whitey” tape, they’re done. Ironic, because there’s such a mountain of devastating stuff being hidden that is about him, not his wife, that ought to make Americans reject him in droves.
capitalist piglet on October 1, 2008 at 3:33 PM
I still think McCain has a good shot at this once the bailout passes and everyone focuses on the race again… but after this week Im starting to believe letting this one go to Obama won’t be so bad.
No matter who’s president- they will be blamed for the deep and inevitable recession after about 6 months to a year of forgiveness. I dont know about depression- but this one will look alot like what Carter left Reagan.
If McCain were to be president, the long lasting image of the GOP will be far worse off.
And really look at Congress. The Dems have a far far greater spread of left and right than the GOP does. This bailout failure was a good example of how Nancy can’t even hold her own party together. No matter who’s president that wont change.
Look at whats come out of Congress the past 2 years- Bush got pretty much everything he wanted and the really bad laws on global warming and the 6 for 06 pretty much all died.
And then with Obama the GOP will have 0 inclination to vote along with all the kooky liberal big spending garbage that we got from Bush anyway.
Plus Hillary will start challenging him in 2 short years for 2012. Now that is something to look forward to.
Chuck Schick on October 1, 2008 at 3:42 PM
PS- the whitey tape is bogus. From what I read she’s talking about Bush and says “why’d he”- which in context makes more sense.
Please- it would have surfaced faster than the Wright tapes if it were true.
Chuck Schick on October 1, 2008 at 3:44 PM
Don’t forget the Greenlining Institute in Berkeley, CA:
http://www.zombietime.com/zomblog/?p=60
Marybeth on October 1, 2008 at 3:44 PM
The Quin-pee-ack poll is crap; they almost always are
Most polls in this election are not reliable, so any of you who are having Mood Swings based on polls need to ignore them. The ‘race factor’ is new & unknown; the current ‘crisis’ in the credit / lending markets a month before a prez election is new & unknown; the pairing of a non-conservative Repub candidate for prez with a conservative woman VP is new & unknown
The Totally in the Tank Media is essentially new & unknown, because although the media has been in the Tank for Democrats and liberals for four decades, the extent to which they are throwing out any semblance of ‘journalistic neutrality’ is new & unknown–as it the reaction to it among coservatives
In 1972 they ridiculed McGovern–and gave up on him early–even though they hated Nixon. In 1988 they were willing to criticise Dukakis for his obvous faults and mistakes
Here & Now, everything is Obama-based, and they’ve gone All In; they’ve damned the torpedoes, probably because they know their entire industry is on the verge of imploding
Janos Hunyadi on October 1, 2008 at 3:46 PM
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