Polls: McCain now within five in CNN, Hotline
posted at 11:30 am on October 20, 2008 by Allahpundit
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“The race will tighten,” saith The One, and so it hath. McCain’s netted three points since CNN’s last poll two weeks ago and two points since Hotline’s tracker yesterday to trail by five in each. That’s squarely in line with most of the national polls RCP’s following, so there’s our task with two weeks to go. Five points in 15 days. Let’s hope Ace is right about an October surprise to jumpstart it and that ABC’s wrong about voters not caring about Ayers.
We’re close enough to E-Day that we should start paying attention to the map, too. Not only does Maverick need to win all eight toss-up states (he trails in four), he has to peel 18 electoral votes away from the four states currently leaning blue. Virginia and Colorado would do it and each is within about six points, so they’re the ones to watch. Minnesota and New Mexico look like lost causes.
Exit question via Geraghty, responding to the ABC poll: What exactly is McCain doing for the ticket? The states that are currently red go red in every election and are likely to stay that way this time only because the base loves Palin, not because they love McCain. The battle plan in picking her, or so I thought, was to have her lock in and turn out the grassroots on election day while he went off and worked some mavericky RINO charm on swing voters in the middle. She’s done that. Even if she’s a drag on the ticket with independents (51/39 say picking her makes them less confident in his judgment), I can’t believe she’s so heavy a drag as to nullify his 25-year record of bipartisanship among centrists. He’s simply not making the sale.
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Polls are of the devil.
cryptojunkie on October 20, 2008 at 11:33 AM
And I care about what other independents say why?
The only “drag” is their own feet.
upinak on October 20, 2008 at 11:34 AM
Actually, Obama is one who is supposed to have closed the deal – and he hasn’t closed it. After spending half a billion dollars, airing hundreds of TV and radio ads all over the country and enjoying the fawning and complicit assistance of the entire Drive-By media…Obama’s only 4 points ahead. Four lousy points – and that doesn’t factor in the Bradley Effect.
Sorry to light a candle in your darkness Allah, but Bambi is toast. On November 4 he’s going down.
ManlyRash on October 20, 2008 at 11:35 AM
Because you don’t win without them.
amerpundit on October 20, 2008 at 11:37 AM
why aren’t we pushing in the con media, the Obama endorsing Ayers book thing and Obama and Ayers and the Communist having an office on same floor with each other???
jp on October 20, 2008 at 11:37 AM
There is no doubt Palin is a asset, many more pluses then minuses, and the pluses keep piling up in the closing weeks.
McCain has to close, he is the point man, he is the nominee…he has to close the deal.
The deal is the final weeks appointing Guiliani to head up investigation into fraud, and mismanagement. Freezing all “bonuses” and golden parachutes for any company taken over by the government. Romney in charge of a special oversight commission to evaluate the next steps. A group of private high profile business citizens to advise the government, and make sure the government does not “overstep” their boundaries, and redistribute money to unworthy areas, groups, causes, etc.
right2bright on October 20, 2008 at 11:39 AM
The second amendment’s guarantee of an individuals right to own a firearm survived the USSC by one vote.
One.Vote.
Why this isn’t an issue is beyond me.
mylegsareswollen on October 20, 2008 at 11:40 AM
And you don’t win with them either it seems.
I know quite a few independents whom aren’t voting for McCain, they are voting for Palin. And those who do not want to vote for either are voting Barr or something else…. which is their issue if they feel the need to vote for someone whom isn’t going to get anywhere.
upinak on October 20, 2008 at 11:41 AM
Was Manson not available?
JiangxiDad on October 20, 2008 at 11:41 AM
C’mon Bradley affect.
NoDonkey on October 20, 2008 at 11:41 AM
DISSENT WILL NOT BE TOLERATED!!!!!
Oh wait, wrong party.
BadgerHawk on October 20, 2008 at 11:42 AM
Man, I hope you don’t really mean this. Clearly it’s Palin’s fault. I kid, I kid.
The way they handled the Palin pick, actually does reflect poorly on McCain’s judgment, fwiw. But the press took ‘maverick’ and turned it into ‘eccentric’ during the bailout business, and he didn’t refute it with explaining the value of his presence or explaining d’s connection with fm/fm at the root of the problem. The ticket’s problems are on his shoulders. And yet still, within 5.
Spirit of 1776 on October 20, 2008 at 11:43 AM
Filling a slot that should have been filled by a candidate the base could get behind. He was the choice made by a bunch of GOP leader-idiots who were running a race against Hillary Clinton before she ever got the nomination. He was going to be the “left of the party” ideologue (I refuse to use the word maverick to describe McCain’s disloyalty to the party) that would peel away votes from those unsure of Clinton.
As it happened, Clinton was NOT the candidate and those inclined to vote for Obama are somewhat out of the demographics that would ever under any circumstances vote for McCain (some PUMAs aside for their own agenda). The GOP got stuck with a dud of a candidate distrusted by the Republican base. The fact of the matter is running against somebody like Obama, the Republican candidate should be in double digits ahead in the polls. That McCain is trailing speaks volumes just how much damage the so-called leadership of the GOP did to the nation when they engineered McCain’s nomination over better men.
highhopes on October 20, 2008 at 11:43 AM
I simply do not believe the polls.
The press lies to the public about just about everything and this is no exception. Look at the pollsters who are independent of the press and ignore those partnered with the DNC-MSM.
Elizabetty on October 20, 2008 at 11:44 AM
so how will Obama/media dismiss the babysitting story coming from a conservative outlet(Fox I guess)???
and will they also point out Obama reviewing Ayers book, all his other Marxist ties and them having an office on same floor of same small building in same report?
jp on October 20, 2008 at 11:44 AM
I have yet to have someone answer this simple question about the polling process: How are voice mails & hang-ups treated in the overall statistical sample?
For example, if a pollster wants a weighting of 45/35/20 (D/R/I) and gets responses from 1,000 people that produce a 50/45/5 (O/M/U) result, how many calls where actually made?
Was it only 1k, or was it really 1.25, 1.5 or even 2,000 calls to get 1,000 responses? And if so, what can we assume about the voting tendencies of the VM’s & hang-ups of non-respondents?
If they are pro-McC by even the slightest margin, this is a HUGE under-representation of likely/potential voters.
kuhio on October 20, 2008 at 11:44 AM
Because the “con media” is busy chattering among themselves about why Noonan, Junior Buckley, et. al. have defected, and being “reasonable” and emoting about how Osama Obama isn’t such a bad guy after all….
To their credit, many have done what they could regarding Ayers, Rezko, Wright, Odinga and others, but the weight of the MSM has done a near-perfect job of stifling any leakage of the truth.
Despite the cries that the MSM is “dead,” it still has the reins of power in this election.
MrScribbler on October 20, 2008 at 11:44 AM
if you notice, the dems/media have shifted the dialogue to the ‘fact is Obama has won’ narrative.
jp on October 20, 2008 at 11:44 AM
Joe the Plumber, or more accurately Obama’s answer, impact. I hope lots of people read Biden’s latest trip on his own appendage re Obama’s inexperience. The guy is gold for our side.
a capella on October 20, 2008 at 11:45 AM
McCain is just too calm, easy and collected. I predict the October Surprise this week.
carbon_footprint on October 20, 2008 at 11:45 AM
The internals of a lot of these polls–particularly the MSM polls–show that they disproportionately poll democrats over republicans – sometimes like 47% (D), 29% (R) & 34% (I – undecided). This methodology will almost invariably provide the MSM their desired results.
perroviejo on October 20, 2008 at 11:45 AM
I want to know how the heck Zogby has a 3 point move against McCain in a day? Yesterday the big news was how McCain had gained so much–now a 3 point move the other direction? In a rolling poll? What gives with all these big moves… of course I like the ones that move toward McCain–but this is silly.
petunia on October 20, 2008 at 11:46 AM
No, plenty of that among so-called Republicans and conservatives. There is a whole STFU and support McCain without question crowd here at HA that claim saying anything the slightest bit critical about McCain means that you are an Obama supporting communist who wants to see America destroyed and replaced with a new world order thwarted only by the fact that McCain’s out there campaigning for the presidency.
highhopes on October 20, 2008 at 11:46 AM
That’s part of it, tho. Just sayin’.
JetBoy on October 20, 2008 at 11:46 AM
It’s going to tighten even MORe now that Joe Biden thinks that Obama is too experienced and we’ll be “tested” by our enemies.
Don’t we all look forward to that? Maybe they’ll test Chicago.
And then, Obama can go to terrorist William Ayres and ask him what they are thinking?
originalpechanga on October 20, 2008 at 11:46 AM
I think the rise of Fox, internet/drudge and blogs has in the minds of the MSM helped justify to them being more partisian hacks than they were before.
jp on October 20, 2008 at 11:46 AM
Frank Luntz on Fox and friends this A.M. showed one of his Luntz’s Duntz’s meters after shiowing a 527 ad tying 0B0mber to Ayers, Wright, Rezko and the numbers approving of 0B0mber tanked for repubs and dems with repubs dropping out the bottom. Idependents in a room were going heavily against the one based on this info.
The idea this stuff does not work is spin by the obamabots and media trying to get team McCain to stop a successful strategy. It works precisely because the media handmaidens have ignored it so the American voter is largely unaware.
dhunter on October 20, 2008 at 11:46 AM
zogby said Obama had a 10 point swing on Sunday polling.
simple reason though, conservatives were at church praying to the real messiah to deliver us from this fraud
jp on October 20, 2008 at 11:47 AM
First of all, 80-odd percent of Republicans are voting for McCain. That’s more than the number of Dems voting for Obama, according to IBD. Second of all, there was no way in hell a Republican was going to be up double-digits in an anti-Republican year with economic crisis. A June ‘84 Gallup poll showed Reagan up 9 points against Mondale. He won in the largest landslide to date.
amerpundit on October 20, 2008 at 11:47 AM
Election night will be an early one. So goes VA so goes the election. OH, MO, FL will fall in line with the Old Dominion.
Limerick on October 20, 2008 at 11:47 AM
of course it works, dems know it because its us they use stuff like this against to success regularly. See Trent Lotts joke to Thurmond for example, cost him his Majority leader status
jp on October 20, 2008 at 11:48 AM
60% of likely voters don’t consider Ayers a legitimate issue. In other news, 60% of likely voters intend to eat five servings of vegetables today, to spend more time volunteering for charity work, and to resist sexual fantasies about members of the opposite sex other than their spouses.
CK MacLeod on October 20, 2008 at 11:48 AM
The press is already acting like Obama and the Democrats had a huge victory but it is also true that McCain isn’t making the sale. I know an awful lot of Republicans that were out there banging down doors to support GWB that, in the words of McCain’s mom” are going to hold their noses and vote for McCain even though they don’t like the man.
highhopes on October 20, 2008 at 11:49 AM
Still hoping for an Eagleton to make Charlie the VP?
BadgerHawk on October 20, 2008 at 11:49 AM
That turned out to be a bad battle plan… she was so new and interesting that McCain couldn’t get out of her shadow for a bit… she really needed some policy pivots to reach out to the center… especially on something like health care… she should have been more awe shucks than pitbull… she needed to lose the sentimentality…
If Team McCain loses then Palin is pretty much through with national politics IMO, but almost none of the blame should go to her for the loss… Team McCain’s lose should be attributed to unimaginative policy and bad management…
ninjapirate on October 20, 2008 at 11:49 AM
lose some of it… not alll
ninjapirate on October 20, 2008 at 11:50 AM
So that means he leads by five.
Hening on October 20, 2008 at 11:50 AM
if the stuff hits the fans on Ayers link, GOP needs to point out Obama is a pathological liar and has a lot to hide, can’t trust him, etc….
jp on October 20, 2008 at 11:50 AM
Ayers would have been an issue six months ago (or even three). Two weeks before the election this is a dead horse that will make no difference on election day. What I find inexplicable is why McCain didn’t make it an issue when it could have done some good.
highhopes on October 20, 2008 at 11:50 AM
Voters are angry. Really, really angry. The last time this happened the television newscasters looked like they were about to cry as the Congress and Senate went to the Republicans for the first time in 40 years.
The question remains whether Obama is the bum the voters want to throw out, or McCain. If McCain can continue to pin the economic downturn on Obama and distance himself from Bush, I think we’re going to have a bunch of glum newscasters on television come November 4th.
bonnie_ on October 20, 2008 at 11:50 AM
Another Obamabot with a button on here in voting line. What a with these people? No McCain people are wearing campaign things.
Enoxo on October 20, 2008 at 11:51 AM
yeah, bad timing on ayers. unless MSM plays along some how with the real story at this point it just sounds like gop desperation to the ignorant moderates. Financial mess really undercut it.
jp on October 20, 2008 at 11:52 AM
They don’t feel like being attacked by Obots.
BadgerHawk on October 20, 2008 at 11:53 AM
I wonder if Powell had much to do with the 10 point Zogby sample taken Sunday night…
ninjapirate on October 20, 2008 at 11:53 AM
highhopes is absolutely correct. We’re all supposed to bash McCain, just as the democrats are. And if you don’t bash McCain, then you are not a true conservative. President Obama won’t be that bad, right highhopes? I recall you saying that before. So you are supposed to bash McCain and say nice things about Obama. Thats what real conservatives are supposed to do, right?
Come on, highhopes – Let’s here some more from you about how we’re all supposed to bash McCain from when he announced that he was running all the way to the weeks before the election and on election day!
wise_man on October 20, 2008 at 11:54 AM
Maybe it has something to do with the fact that Osama called all Mccain supporters RACIST in the last debate?
I don’t know..or it might be because people understand that if Hussein O was the President right now…Joe the Plumber would be awaiting execution at this very moment.
SaintOlaf on October 20, 2008 at 11:55 AM
MCain people talking loudly. Some arguing with the third party nut. Waiting for a fight to break out. With either the third party or the obamabots getting up in faces-though they are outnumbered in this county
Enoxo on October 20, 2008 at 11:56 AM
I just saw an Obama spokesperson say that Obama is receiving donations from the grassroots $50 -$100 at a time. I don’t see how that gets him $150M in this economy. Doesn’t he have to prove where the money is coming from?
ctmom on October 20, 2008 at 11:56 AM
I suspect he never wanted to bring it up at all, and only does so now under pressure of his aides.
Spirit of 1776 on October 20, 2008 at 11:57 AM
Exactly. Before Fox, Rush & alternative opinions surfaced there was a monopoly. Since the MSM lost stranglehold, they feel comfortable without their “objective” masks.
perroviejo on October 20, 2008 at 11:57 AM
heh…
JetBoy on October 20, 2008 at 12:00 PM
Palin is doing her bit…within her limited capabilities.
Its McCains fault…he is weak. He embarrassed himself by kneeling down in front of David Letterman like a chick in a cheap porno flick and going “he he he I screwed up he he he”. He cant articulate a single point. He acts like he has given up. He looks confused. Nobody cares that is a POW when they see their 401-k’s all blasted and since Mav cant articulate a conservative argument for conservative economic policies which he doesnt believe in (buying mortgages for deadbeats? Dear God!) and surely doesnt understand…we are screwed.
He wants to get back to the senate so he can go back to what he does best…reaching across the isle aka screwing his fellow republicans.
He cheated to get the nomination. If he was a real American hero, which he aint, he wouldve looked in the mirror before the nomination and said…”ah, I dont want to Bob Dole the republicans”. But he didnt.
At least Bob Dole had the courtesy of resigning his senate state when he turned the country back over to Clinton…you can expect NO such heroism or magnamity from Maverick…he doesnt care for you or republicans….he cares for himself.
He has run a tired old man campaign. And now, my advice to you with the Obama president and Pelosi and Reid and their filibuster proof socialist majority is that you better make your face up with your favorite disguise with your button down lips and your roller-blind eyes…with your empty smile
And your hungry heart.
Feel the bile rising from your guilty past.
With your nerves in tatters
When the cockleshell shatters
And the hammers batter
Down the door.
You’d better run
RUN LIKE HELL!!!
Wont be long til the “Fairness Doctrine” shuts down this site. Nice work guys.
Roger Waters on October 20, 2008 at 12:00 PM
Umm, I wouldn’t think that those are independents. If anything, they’d be serious conservatives who might not like McCain, which isn’t really the same.
That seems irrelevant. For one, it can’t be proven. For another, answering or not answering the phone would seem to be a party thing, not a McCain/Obama thing.
Besides, the lesson to learn from that is to answer your phone.
Esthier on October 20, 2008 at 12:00 PM
The deal closer will be telling the American people that Rudy Guiliani will head up the investigative commission that will NAME NAMES to the corrupt politics and policies that caused our current economic crisis………… and these people, POLITICIANS and citizens alike, will be held accountable and will face JAIL time!
That and the promise to STOP THE PUBLIC FUNDING OF ACORN AND LA RAZA would push McCain over the top by ten points…….
Seven Percent Solution on October 20, 2008 at 12:00 PM
You have it exactly right…
The problem with McCain is that he may be a “Maverick” doesn’t mean a damn thing… please PR team at Team McCain… articulate things people can reason about and repeat… quit the bumper sticker demagoguery… more evidence, less conclusions… it’s better if you make the people make the inferences themselves rather that be blunt about the conclusions…
ninjapirate on October 20, 2008 at 12:01 PM
I think we’re going to learn that the polls this year are grossly skewed to the D side.
And I think we’re going to face some very, very ugly violence when the hard Left learns that the nation rejected Obama, and blames the rejection on imaginary cheating by Republicans. You think the ACORN-style voter fraud is bad? You think they acted demented after the 2004 election? Just wait.
philwynk on October 20, 2008 at 12:02 PM
If we nominated someone like Fred Thompson, a great conservative but absolutely unelectable, then Obama would be ahead by 30 at this point. The truth of the matter is that Obama is the most liberal senator, and now he’s running to the center, except when he gets tripped up in little moments like how Joe the plumber’s question helped us all see the real Obama. McCain votes with us 80% of the time, and tries to do what he thinks is right. He is more centered than Obama pretends, but he is still a friend of conservatives. When the election comes, most if not all democrats will be voting for the democrat.
Most(hopefully) conservatives will be voting for McCain. The election might just be decided by the moderates who see Obama claiming to be not as left as he actually is, and McCain, who does not hide who he is. If people like highhopes got their way in the republican primary, then we’d all lose the election to Obama. And now, we have a change to win, as we all want. Well, almost all. People like him would rather see Obama win so we can try again in 4 years. I don’t want to live under Obama for 4 years.
wise_man on October 20, 2008 at 12:02 PM
Plus a statement that Governor Palin has convinced him we should drill in ANWR.
a capella on October 20, 2008 at 12:04 PM
Dead? Hardly. Dying? Oh yes…and they are not going down without a fight. But they are going down – and Obama is going down with them.
ManlyRash on October 20, 2008 at 12:05 PM
Think Biden’s accidental honesty will effect the polls? It should.
marklmail on October 20, 2008 at 12:05 PM
The rioting will be confined largely to bright blue urban areas and mostly in bright blue states.
ManlyRash on October 20, 2008 at 12:06 PM
Election night will be an early one. – Limerick on October 20, 2008 at 11:47 AM
Yup…look for Olbermann’s head to explode sometime before 11 PM EST.
ManlyRash on October 20, 2008 at 12:10 PM
No, he didn’t cheat. Put it on Huckleberry’s distaste for Mormons and hate for Mitt.
a capella on October 20, 2008 at 12:12 PM
It’s called desperation. Recall the pressers given by Baghdad Bob early in the Iraq War. We all know how accurate HIS spin was, don’t we?
They are losing the election. And they know it.
ManlyRash on October 20, 2008 at 12:13 PM
Breaking from the voting line in sw Florida: people in front of me overheard saying they’re frm Chicago, came down here to vote and they’re going back to Illinois.
Enoxo on October 20, 2008 at 12:15 PM
Actually, thats what I meant. He didnt technically cheat but he teamed up with a horrible guy to gang up on the only conservative left running…thats how they stole West Virginia, etc.
Roger Waters on October 20, 2008 at 12:15 PM
I think comments like these are a bit absurd.
McCain’s biggest problem, in my estimation, is his inability to articulate big ideas*. At least Thompson could do that. Rudy could do that. Hell, Huck could do that.
*excepting his view on torture
Spirit of 1776 on October 20, 2008 at 12:15 PM
Campaigns don’t have to report under $200. No one ever thought that would be an issue. If Obama does actually have 3 million people who have donated, it is very easy to raise that kind of money. Just ask them for $25 and boom! you have $75 million (minus the credit card processing charges–I bet they are loving that). This is one thing that killed Hillary–she relied on the traditional big-donor model, and once they pony up to the $2300 max, there is nothing they can do financially. With donors giving smaller amounts, you can always go back and ask for another $25. He actually even has a $15 button on his donation page. If people are inspired, they can always come up with $15. That’s part of how he is doing it.
okonkolo on October 20, 2008 at 12:15 PM
I agree that is his problem. Rudy was pro-choice…a non-starter. Huck had no big ideas. He wouldve been worse than Mav. Hell, I would vote for Obama before I would vote for Mike Huckabee.
Roger Waters on October 20, 2008 at 12:19 PM
Minnesota is NOT a lost cause, the local polls here are run by folks that make Barry look like a moderate. They have always oversampled left. I think we have a chance to win Minnesota.
billhedrick on October 20, 2008 at 12:19 PM
No, he didn’t cheat.
Put it on Huckleberry’s distaste for Mormons and hate for MittPut it on Mitt for staying in the race when he never had a chance to win the general election due to his mormonism and liberalism.a capella on October 20, 2008 at 12:12 PM
SaintOlaf on October 20, 2008 at 12:20 PM
O sh!t. Who let the psycho religious nut, whose friends ruined our country, back out of the rubber room?
Roger Waters on October 20, 2008 at 12:21 PM
Which is why conservatives like myself in Blue areas like Santa Monica always keep a low profile.
JadeNYU on October 20, 2008 at 12:21 PM
After 8 years of an unpopular republican with the press and entertainment media beating the drum for change and for a democrat, the only person who can defeat a democrat, in my opinion, is someone who is more moderate. Am even stronger conservative, especially an old white conservative such as Thompson would be doing much more worse than McCain if he were to be nominated and going up against Obama. To think otherwise considering all the facts might be a bit absurd. But hey, what do I know, I’m just offering my opinion.
wise_man on October 20, 2008 at 12:25 PM
I never said anything close to what you claim. Once again you have done nothing more than prove that you are filthy liar.
highhopes on October 20, 2008 at 12:26 PM
Heh. We have someone here who didn’t actually follow the primaries, except through Huck’s newsletter I see.
Mitt voluntarily withdrew without asking for a quid pro quo from McCain to the great chagrin of conservatives (both at CPAC and nationally).
Spirit of 1776 on October 20, 2008 at 12:27 PM
Which is why conservatives like myself in Blue areas like Santa Monica always keep a low profile.
kuhio on October 20, 2008 at 12:27 PM
Our acreage is on the market, we had an open house yesterday, and the real estate agent and I got into a political discussion after she said she hoped Obama would win so the economic mess would get straightened out. This is a lady who has 30 years in the business, was highly successful in CA, and prides herself on her understanding of financial matters. She couldn’t give me a single example of why she felt that way about Obama based on his record. She also felt he was far superior to McCain in foreign policy because he was so cool and McCain was so unhinged. She knew absolutely nothing in the way of facts but has total confidence in Obama’s style. I’m not even sure she understands socialism. My wife gets uneasy when I get sarcastic and finally sent me out to the shop.:)
a capella on October 20, 2008 at 12:28 PM
Having a loaded shotgun nearby can only help.
ManlyRash on October 20, 2008 at 12:28 PM
Now that McCain isn’t going for Powell’s nod, he can bring on the “GOD DAMN AMERICA” ads.
marklmail on October 20, 2008 at 12:30 PM
I’m concerned that the opposite might occur if Obama wins and gets away with all the stuff he is proposing under an energized left-leaning Congress with multiple SCOTUS nominations….. Groups and individuals who lose all faith in government and decide to take matters into their own hand.
highhopes on October 20, 2008 at 12:30 PM
Wrong approach. You need to go to the City Council and get yourself declared an endangered species!
highhopes on October 20, 2008 at 12:33 PM
Serious question: Would Powell’s endorsement helped or hurt McCain? I think the latter is more accurate.
highhopes on October 20, 2008 at 12:34 PM
He stayed in a race that he was winning. If he could lead on the side that tends to have the more conservative religious folks, what makes you think he couldn’t win in a wider venue that includes the folks on the right (that he was winning with) and the folks in the center (that tend not to care so much about religious affiliations)?
When Kennedy ran, people said no one would vote for a Catholic either and that sentiment seems silly to us now.
The fact is that the more liberal candidates (like Giuliani) dropped out early on leaving McCain as the only option for people that didn’t want to vote for a social conservative. On the more conservative side, 3 candidates stayed in splitting the vote. If 2 of them had dropped out the remaining one would be the candidate now. If 1 of them had made a clearer case for being the conservative torch bearer, that person would be the candidate right now. The fact is that Romney concerned people because of his change in opinion on big conservative issues like abortion, Huckabee’s populist rhetoric struck many conservatives as Dem Lite and not conservative and Fred! seemed to most as if her were just phoning it in and didn’t have it in him to fight through to a win.
McCain IS the candidate now. Let’s just hope Romney’s guy was right when he said that McCain’s a ridiculously good closer. I remember when his campaign was out of money and scaling back all over the place. I thought, “Good, he’s out of the way, now my guy can win.” I was wrong about him being out then and I hope the liberals are wrong about him being defeated now.
JadeNYU on October 20, 2008 at 12:34 PM
Filling it.
spmat on October 20, 2008 at 12:38 PM
Fire her immediately…she is clueless
SaintOlaf on October 20, 2008 at 12:39 PM
Meanwhile we are nationalizing the banking industry and buying up foreclosed mortgages..I bet those same anti Huck people feel pretty stupid now.
SaintOlaf on October 20, 2008 at 12:41 PM
Good to know. I live and work in SaMo, so, I should be able to steer clear of the troubled areas. I just have to deal with all the self-righteous liberals here telling me that they, of course, know I’m liberal because I’m too smart to be conservative. Heh.
It’s impossible to get gun licenses in the city. Though, I suppose I could go to skid row and buy one off the back of a truck like everyone else.
Conservatives are one species they’d be happy to extinct. When my sister voted, the poll worker saw she was registered Republican and demanded to see her photo id (which is highly illegal in CA). My sister’s id is from MO (she’d lived and paid taxes in LA for 6 years at that point but hadn’t changed her license because her MO license hadn’t expired yet). The poll worker said, “I shouldn’t even let you vote since this isn’t a local id. Why don’t you vote in MO and stop trying to mess up our state?” I’m still mad that my sister didn’t file a complaint with the election board.
JadeNYU on October 20, 2008 at 12:42 PM
Why? Would we not have a $700 billion bailout if Huck were the candidate?
Populism and demagoguing about the wall street fat cats isn’t going to get us out of this mess. A return to conservative principles regarding the free market and resistance to social engineering is what’s going to right this ship.
Unfortunately, I’ve yet to see a high profile elected official or candidate (or former candidate) from any party make that argument. As far as I can tell by watching the news, this fiasco was caused by ‘greed’….whatever that means.
JadeNYU on October 20, 2008 at 12:45 PM
Let’s get beyond win/lose. How would McCain lead for the next four years? Obama’s leadership is too horrendous for words at this point and to start down that road would be truly demoralizing so let’s just think about a President McCain. How would the man get concensus on issues of principle or is he just a “go along to get along” guy who will defer serious policy decisions and SCOTUS nominations to the veto power of Pelosi and Reid?
McCain’s the best choice of two awful options and, therefore, gets my support by default but let’s not kid ourselves that this is over on election day. McCain’s the lesser of two evils but that doesn’t mean he can be trusted to do the right thing once elected. If you are a conservative, prepare yourself for a long bitter fight for the next four years no matter who is in charge.
highhopes on October 20, 2008 at 12:45 PM
No, she is a good broker, in that she is good at what she does. My point was that many people who should know better, don’t, and when challenged on their lack of knowledge, they plead not enough time to keep up. Yet, there are millions of them out there, and their vote counts. I would guess there are many McCain voters who are just as clueless on facts. Discouraging.
a capella on October 20, 2008 at 12:47 PM
Where in the hell is Romney and Guiliani? They should be out there doing lots of work right now???
M/P need to explain to the American Public, as STUPID as they are, that SOCIALISM is not the answer no matter how much you hate GW…….that is all he needs to do, explain the consequences….the welfare state, unchecked immigration, HUGE tax increases…..etc…..
SDarchitect on October 20, 2008 at 12:49 PM
One can only hope that Johnny Mac is locked and loaded with the whitey tape, and just maybe riled up enough over the New York Slimes front-page Cindy hit job to have firing solution…
max1 on October 20, 2008 at 12:51 PM
True. But, like you said, if we’re going to be fighting for the next four years, we’d better hope we’re going to be fighting the guy that might actually listen to us occasionally.
JadeNYU on October 20, 2008 at 12:53 PM
I would have rolled on the floor laughing. California is such a messed up state the only people that don’t see it for what it is are Californians who put up with the nonsense.
I’ve been stationed out in California twice- the last time in the 23rd Congressional District (Lois Capps) whose voting record and agenda pretty much silenced my voice on issues. Where I wanted fiscal responsiblity, she wanted federal funding to remove gang tattoos and protect oak trees. Where I wanted a strong national security policy, she was talking smack about troops in harm’s way. I wasn’t sorry in the least to leave the “Golden State” and return to the United States of America.
highhopes on October 20, 2008 at 12:58 PM
Doing what exactly? Showing up at events and lauding McCain so Obama’s people can use their primary quotes about McCain as fodder in much the way Hillary and Biden’s comments about Obama have stung?
If either Romney or Guilani are doing anything it is behind the scenes making phone calls and working on organizational issues outside the public view- not holding political rallies.
highhopes on October 20, 2008 at 1:05 PM
Yeah, thats a great idea. Remind the voters daily that the weak republican got the nomination…..that’ll work. McCain, wisely, doesnt want to be shown up by his superiors on a daily basis.
Roger Waters on October 20, 2008 at 1:09 PM
That’s what we thought. To my knowledge, it’s not the state of Missouri that’s currently asking the feds for a $7 billion loan.
JadeNYU on October 20, 2008 at 1:09 PM
Even with the rigged polls, using an insanely tiny sample and weighting the sample with an assumption there are more democrats in the US than republicans McCain comes within a margin of error. (I used to work applying weights to numbers and we never used samples that small to represent the US)
The real battle is election fraud in battleground states which is horrendous
Motor voter, alien registrations and the normal ballot stuffing in controlled districts almost won the election for Gore. The hanging chad gimmick in Florida was a backup plan by the DEMs. Janet Reno and her successors had fought to retain the useful voting system in Florida and the DEMs held seminars on the chad chicken dance.
The chad chicken dance is similar to the shoplifter’s chicken dance. When caught red handed the shoplifter screams indignation, then makes moves and yells they were physically assaulted, and then screams out a list of rights violations. It sometimes works so it is worth the effort
With Gore in Florida they knew the numbers were bad from internal polls. The lawyers were ready, a poorly design ballot (surprise!) had been installed in a lucky DEM loaded precinct, and the chicken dance trainees were ready to swarm. It has been an important part of the dance to continue the noise for eight years now to instill the myth that the election was stolen to rev the crowds. Plus it is never useful to admit guilt
Obama is doing amazingly badly for anyone going against a two term war and economy crash President. Bush’s support of illegal immigration threatening the voice of legal citizens was bigger than either party admits based upon the public scream that killed the bill.
Last minute fear of Obama is shrinking his lead further. That will accelerate as election day closes. McCain can tap that fear.
Fear is the normal reaction to a threat to survival. The fear in this case is backed by a lot of evidence
The Powell endorsement cements some undecided fears that it is just about race because Powell waited too long. Dems may not read it this way but Powell boosted the Rev Wright/ Farrakhan aura at just the wrong time.
Powell has been ‘out of the war’ a long time. He is a fader anyway, and his last minute fake has dented his credibility and moved him to the Rev. Wright side of the Left.
The real danger is a national political fraud machine beyond belief but not beyond the Soros brigade who prefer to rig nations, not precincts
mcCain needs a huge participation election day to counter the fake votes. Powell helped McCain here. It may not show on Gallup but it shows in the silent fear factor
What I cannot figure is the nay sayer big shot talking heads on the Right who think they know America. They can fight a war with other peoples’ children but they cannot fight an election battle. The masses are better than these jokers and the masses are going to have to fight the battle for them, again, on election day
entagor on October 20, 2008 at 1:12 PM
Google is your friend.
Romney and Rudy are both out campaigning for McCain and R candidates.
One thing McCain isn’t is insecure. He’s been more then willing to let Palin get the limelight from adoring fans. Maybe time to stop projecting, and start examining the evidence of this campaign.
Spirit of 1776 on October 20, 2008 at 1:22 PM
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