Andrew Sullivan's blog--
The Loneliest Republican
05 Sep 2008 09:37 am
Former McCain advisor Mike Murphy speaks out:
I think she’ll ultimately be a polarizer. After last night’s smash, Republicans are in deep love. Nothing thrills ‘em like a good “us vs. them” speech. But I’d guess that most Democrats had the opposite reaction. In a year where the Democrat generic numbers are 10+ points better than the Republican, I don’t like the math of a strategy that just polarized the election along party base lines. Among the vital sliver of voters in the middle, I think Palin’s rock solid social conservatism will be a turn off. And while voters may value vision over experience, Palin’s inexperience is a weakness, denying McCain an argument that has been helping him against Obama.
Obama, McCain, Integrity
A reader writes:
Way back in the heat of the Democratic primary, I told all who would listen that if it came down to Hillary vs. McCain I'd vote McCain.
If Senator McCain was still around, I suppose I wouldn't regret that claim, but somewhere along the line, Senator McCain got replaced by Candidate McCain.
I was dwelling on this a bit today and it struck me. One benefit of this long campaign is that it really does show a person's character. And I realized. We have two men running for president right now. One has stayed true to himself throughout despite all the pressure. The other really hasn't or maybe we've just seen what he really was all along.
Obama said at the outset that he wanted a civil campaign on the issues. He said he would avoid the politics of person destruction. He demanded a cool, no drama organization -- much like himself.
He organized a strong team. Set clear goals. Adopted a sound plan and stuck to it. Reasoned, careful. Solid judgment. And in the intense glare of things like Wright and flags pins, he stuck to it all. Above all, Obama really has stayed true to who he is.
McCain on the other hand, despite his calls for a civil campaign, injected personal attacks. He cosied up to the same religious extremist he once decried. People like Hagee. And when that wasn't enough, he brought onto the ticket a evangelical with extreme views on abortion, contraception and sex education -- positions well to the right of most of the people in the Republican Party. And he hired the same polarizing, no-holds-barred political assassins that George Bush unleashed on America and McCain himself.
Senator McCain didn't stay true to himself. He morphed into a right-wing, polarizing ideologue campaign. And why? On the one hand, he's ambivalent about his ambitions, but often he'll lose sight of his values and overreach for the sake of those ambitions. In other words, he falls victim to the allure of power and loses his good judgment. He doesn't stay true to himself.
I dearly hope American's will come to appreciate this about these two men. One has stayed true to the better angels of his nature. One succumbed to the darker angels of his. Which one would make a better president in these sad and trying times?
Friday, September 5, 2008
Thursday, September 4, 2008
OBAMA MEDIA APPEARANCES
REMINDER: OBAMA IS ON BILL O'REILLY TONIGHT--THURSDAY (FOX NEWS AT 8:00PM AND REPEATED AT 11:00PM;
ON SUNDAY (9/7) HE'S ON "THIS WEEK", 10:00AM ON ABC;
AND OBAMA WILL BE ON KEITH OLBERMANN'S COUNTDOWN MONDAY NIGHT (9/8) AT 8:00PM ON MSNBC. WILL REMIND YOU AGAIN LATER.
ON SUNDAY (9/7) HE'S ON "THIS WEEK", 10:00AM ON ABC;
AND OBAMA WILL BE ON KEITH OLBERMANN'S COUNTDOWN MONDAY NIGHT (9/8) AT 8:00PM ON MSNBC. WILL REMIND YOU AGAIN LATER.
OBAMA MEDIA APPEARANCES & OTHER NEWS
REMINDER: TONIGHT (THURSDAY, 9/4) AT 8:00PM ON FOX, AND REPEATED AT 11:00PM.
SUNDAY NEWS SHOWS
This Week: Obama
Face the Nation: McCain
Axelrod Returns Fire on Palin
Thursday, September 4th, 2008
“This is what politicians do when they don’t have a record to run on,” Obama’s chief strategist says aboard the campaign plane Thursday.
Of Palin’s address: “There wasn’t one thing that she said about Obama or what he’s proposing that’s true.”
Adds: “For someone who makes the point that she’s not from Washington, she looks like she’d fit in very well there.”
Also hits back on Giulaini’s swipe at community organizing: “It may not pay the millions of dollars that Rudy gets for shilling for pharma, but it’s significant work.”
SUNDAY NEWS SHOWS
This Week: Obama
Face the Nation: McCain
Axelrod Returns Fire on Palin
Thursday, September 4th, 2008
“This is what politicians do when they don’t have a record to run on,” Obama’s chief strategist says aboard the campaign plane Thursday.
Of Palin’s address: “There wasn’t one thing that she said about Obama or what he’s proposing that’s true.”
Adds: “For someone who makes the point that she’s not from Washington, she looks like she’d fit in very well there.”
Also hits back on Giulaini’s swipe at community organizing: “It may not pay the millions of dollars that Rudy gets for shilling for pharma, but it’s significant work.”
McCain Sees Changed Map with Palin
McCain Campaign Sees Changed Map With Palin
04 Sep 2008 08:47 am by Marc Ambinder
Gov. Sarah Palin may well draw larger crowds than Sen. John McCain ever did, and the McCain campaign plans to take advantage: they're filling a calendar that will find her deployed to places where McCain can't go, places where McCain's gone and fallen flat, and places where social conservatives need an enthusiasm boost.
The campaign disclosed plans for both McCain and Obama to visit a conservative exurb of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the economically distressed suburbs of Detroit, Michigan and the conservative bastion of Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Requests for Palin have poured in from Republican-leaning client groups. The National Association of Home Builders want Palin to speak at their fall board meeting in San Diego. Social conservatives hope she shows up at "values voter" conferences in Washington.
Beginning Monday, Palin will travel on her own. One of her first stops will be in Tampa, FL on September 8, a region of that state where McCain is underperforming.
04 Sep 2008 08:47 am by Marc Ambinder
Gov. Sarah Palin may well draw larger crowds than Sen. John McCain ever did, and the McCain campaign plans to take advantage: they're filling a calendar that will find her deployed to places where McCain can't go, places where McCain's gone and fallen flat, and places where social conservatives need an enthusiasm boost.
The campaign disclosed plans for both McCain and Obama to visit a conservative exurb of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the economically distressed suburbs of Detroit, Michigan and the conservative bastion of Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Requests for Palin have poured in from Republican-leaning client groups. The National Association of Home Builders want Palin to speak at their fall board meeting in San Diego. Social conservatives hope she shows up at "values voter" conferences in Washington.
Beginning Monday, Palin will travel on her own. One of her first stops will be in Tampa, FL on September 8, a region of that state where McCain is underperforming.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
OBAMA ON O'REILLY THURSDAY NIGHT
Dept. of Counterprogramming: Obama to appear on O'Reilly Thursday, airing at 8:00pm and repeated at 11:00pm
Barack Obama will appear on Fox News' "O'Reilly Factor" Thursday night, a Democratic source tells Politico.
The move is timed to counterprogram John McCain's speech to the Republican National Convention, which is likely to drive Fox's ratings sky-high and to give Obama access to a conservative audience.
It's Obama's first appearance on the widely viewed cable show, and is a sign of what Vanity Fair today reported is a "tentative truce" between Obama and News Corp. chief Rupert Murdoch.
Obama clashed with Fox News during the primary after it aired early reports suggesting he had been a Muslim in Indonesia. The relationship warmed in May, however, when he appeared on "Fox News Sunday" and told its host, Chris Wallace, that he was "looking forward" to appearing on "The O'Reilly Factor
Barack Obama will appear on Fox News' "O'Reilly Factor" Thursday night, a Democratic source tells Politico.
The move is timed to counterprogram John McCain's speech to the Republican National Convention, which is likely to drive Fox's ratings sky-high and to give Obama access to a conservative audience.
It's Obama's first appearance on the widely viewed cable show, and is a sign of what Vanity Fair today reported is a "tentative truce" between Obama and News Corp. chief Rupert Murdoch.
Obama clashed with Fox News during the primary after it aired early reports suggesting he had been a Muslim in Indonesia. The relationship warmed in May, however, when he appeared on "Fox News Sunday" and told its host, Chris Wallace, that he was "looking forward" to appearing on "The O'Reilly Factor
Obama's Convention Bounce
FROM REAL CLEAR POLITICS AND FIVE-THIRTYEIGHT ELECTION PROJECTIONS
The Diageo/Hotline poll conducted Aug. 29-31 shows that Barack Obama now leads John McCain 48-39 percent, an increase from the 44-40 percent lead in the Aug. 18-24 survey.
The poll finds Obama enjoying much stronger support among independents, with a 42-33 percent lead. The mid-August survey found McCain with a slight edge among this group by 38-36 percent.
The Diageo/Hotline poll surveyed 805 registered voters and has a margin of +/-3.5 percent. It was conducted after both Obama's acceptance speech and the selection of Sarah Palin as John McCain's running mate.
THERE'S MORE:
Tuesday, September 02
Race Poll Results Spread
National Gallup Tracking Obama 50, McCain 42 Obama +8
National Rasmussen Tracking Obama 51, McCain 45 Obama +6
National USA Today/Gallup* Obama 50, McCain 43 Obama +7
National Hotline/FD Obama 48, McCain 39 Obama +9
National CBS News Obama 48, McCain 40 Obama +8
Monday, September 01
National CNN Obama 49, McCain 48 Obama +1
A large number of national polls have come out within the past 24-48 hours, most of which had conducted a survey close enough to the beginning of the Democratic convention to provide for a direct comparison. These polls show Obama having gained between 2 and 8 points since before the convention began, or an average of 4.4 points. Although this is slightly below the average convention bounce of 6 points, it is a pretty reasonable result considering that the Republicans had named their VP candidate immediately following the Democratic convention, a circumstance which had never occurred before. Moreover, the internals of these polls show Obama gaining ground among Clinton supporters, a group of votes that John McCain is likely to have a difficult time getting back.
Still, it is imperative for Democrats not to get too giddy. A bounce is usually just a bounce, and the Republicans will have three nights of rebuttal tonight through Thursday to attempt to generate some momentum of their own. The Republicans rallied the base with the selection of Sarah Palin; having done so, they need to find messaging during their convention that will appeal to moderates and independents.
The Diageo/Hotline poll conducted Aug. 29-31 shows that Barack Obama now leads John McCain 48-39 percent, an increase from the 44-40 percent lead in the Aug. 18-24 survey.
The poll finds Obama enjoying much stronger support among independents, with a 42-33 percent lead. The mid-August survey found McCain with a slight edge among this group by 38-36 percent.
The Diageo/Hotline poll surveyed 805 registered voters and has a margin of +/-3.5 percent. It was conducted after both Obama's acceptance speech and the selection of Sarah Palin as John McCain's running mate.
THERE'S MORE:
Tuesday, September 02
Race Poll Results Spread
National Gallup Tracking Obama 50, McCain 42 Obama +8
National Rasmussen Tracking Obama 51, McCain 45 Obama +6
National USA Today/Gallup* Obama 50, McCain 43 Obama +7
National Hotline/FD Obama 48, McCain 39 Obama +9
National CBS News Obama 48, McCain 40 Obama +8
Monday, September 01
National CNN Obama 49, McCain 48 Obama +1
A large number of national polls have come out within the past 24-48 hours, most of which had conducted a survey close enough to the beginning of the Democratic convention to provide for a direct comparison. These polls show Obama having gained between 2 and 8 points since before the convention began, or an average of 4.4 points. Although this is slightly below the average convention bounce of 6 points, it is a pretty reasonable result considering that the Republicans had named their VP candidate immediately following the Democratic convention, a circumstance which had never occurred before. Moreover, the internals of these polls show Obama gaining ground among Clinton supporters, a group of votes that John McCain is likely to have a difficult time getting back.
Still, it is imperative for Democrats not to get too giddy. A bounce is usually just a bounce, and the Republicans will have three nights of rebuttal tonight through Thursday to attempt to generate some momentum of their own. The Republicans rallied the base with the selection of Sarah Palin; having done so, they need to find messaging during their convention that will appeal to moderates and independents.
Sarah Palin and God's Will
(THE BLOG WAS NOT FORGOTTEN--FINALLY BACK ON A COMPUTER THAT IS NOT SO ANCIENT!)Quotes from Gov. Palin from Andrew Sullivan's blog:
"God's Will"
That's the reason for an oil pipeline:
"I think God's will has to be done in unifying people and companies to get that gas line built, so pray for that."
Much, much more disturbing is her describing the occupation of a Muslim country thus:
"Pray for our military men and women who are striving to do what is right. Also, for this country, that our leaders, our national leaders, are sending [U.S. soldiers] out on a task that is from God. That's what we have to make sure that we're praying for, that there is a plan and that that plan is God's plan."
Andrew's Comments: The drama that could unfold in the next few days is simply immense. The emotions involved - especially among the Christianist base who have immediately bonded on purely religious and cultural terms with Palin - are epic. What I fear is some kind of pure emotional-religious wave that redefines the GOP for ever as a purely religious party, swamps all genuine questions about governance, celebrates this woman as the epitome of modern conservatism and rides the tidal wave of fundamentalist fervor to the White House.
This is not what McCain intended or wanted.
He wanted a reformer. He's got a saint. He doesn't understand the profound forces he has unleashed with this pick, especially when all the facts are on the table. I predict that as this story develops, it will be Palin who is effectively running for president for the GOP. Or if she is forced to withdraw, McCain will be forced back to Romney, but they will blame Palin's demise on the liberal media, and hoist Palin like a martyred mascot on a freight train.
"God's Will"
That's the reason for an oil pipeline:
"I think God's will has to be done in unifying people and companies to get that gas line built, so pray for that."
Much, much more disturbing is her describing the occupation of a Muslim country thus:
"Pray for our military men and women who are striving to do what is right. Also, for this country, that our leaders, our national leaders, are sending [U.S. soldiers] out on a task that is from God. That's what we have to make sure that we're praying for, that there is a plan and that that plan is God's plan."
Andrew's Comments: The drama that could unfold in the next few days is simply immense. The emotions involved - especially among the Christianist base who have immediately bonded on purely religious and cultural terms with Palin - are epic. What I fear is some kind of pure emotional-religious wave that redefines the GOP for ever as a purely religious party, swamps all genuine questions about governance, celebrates this woman as the epitome of modern conservatism and rides the tidal wave of fundamentalist fervor to the White House.
This is not what McCain intended or wanted.
He wanted a reformer. He's got a saint. He doesn't understand the profound forces he has unleashed with this pick, especially when all the facts are on the table. I predict that as this story develops, it will be Palin who is effectively running for president for the GOP. Or if she is forced to withdraw, McCain will be forced back to Romney, but they will blame Palin's demise on the liberal media, and hoist Palin like a martyred mascot on a freight train.
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