General Election News & Commentary

Unbalanced But Fair · **Joined:** Fri Jun 10, 2005 11:28 am **Posts:** 5647

Schieffer: Paulson Pleaded for McCain to Save Bailout

By Mark Finkelstein
September 25, 2008 - 07:53 ET

So much for a "stunt."

[snip]Bob Schieffer reported on this morning's Early Show.[snip]

Here was Schieffer speaking with the Early Show's Maggie Rodriguez at 7:05 AM EDT today:

Quote:

BOB SCHIEFFER: I am told, Maggie, that the way McCain got involved in this in the first place, the Treasury Secretary was briefing Republicans in the House yesterday, the Republican conference, asked how many were ready to support the bailout plan. Only four of them held up their hands. Paulson then called, according to my sources, Senator Lindsey Graham, who is very close to John McCain, and told him: you've got to get the people in the McCain campaign, you've got to convince John McCain to give these Republicans some political cover. If you don't do that, this whole bailout plan is going to fail. So that's how, McCain, apparently, became involved.
Continued Schieffer . . .

SCHIEFFER: He has gotten what he wants, he's going to have this meeting, kind of a summit today with the president and Barack Obama. I'm told that the leaders of both parties are getting close to having some kind of a bill. The question, though, is whether rank-and-file Republicans, especially, are going to vote for this.

[snip]

http://newsbusters.org/blogs/mark-finkelstein/2008/09/25/schieffer-paulson-warned-bailout-would-fail-unless-mccain-got-invo

Barney · **Joined:** Thu Jul 21, 2005 11:04 am **Posts:** 5035

Humor break:

Quote:

WASHINGTON - The first Presidential debate will go on as planned this Friday at the University of Mississippi, but with only Sen. Barack Obama participating. Sen. John McCain announced late yesterday he was pulling out.

The Obama campaign issued a statement: “In Friday’s debate, Senator Obama will argue both sides of every issue, something he has not done previously. At least not in the same forum.”

Obama campaign manager David Plouffe said he is “confident that after Americans hear Obama debate himself, they’ll overwhelmingly support both sides of every issue.”

Richard Saunders · **Joined:** Sun May 22, 2005 7:36 pm **Posts:** 50368

Obama need only to show up, announce "present", and depart, saying, "if you need me, call me."

38sw · **Joined:** Mon May 23, 2005 4:36 pm **Posts:** 3165

What would they need Obama for? Has he shown any actual leadership in this mess? Has he done anything other than run his mouth? And besides, he's got studying to do. There's supposed to be a debate tomorrow evening.

Barney · **Joined:** Thu Jul 21, 2005 11:04 am **Posts:** 5035

A presidential candidate must be able to multitask, according to Obama - who can't even speak without a teleprompter. :chin:

Unbalanced But Fair · **Joined:** Fri Jun 10, 2005 11:28 am **Posts:** 5647

Obama had time to autograph copies of Rolling Stone.

Quote:

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill. signs autographs backstage after a rally in Dunedin, Fla., Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2008.
(AP Photo/Chris Carlson)]
http://tinyurl.com/3r6z3g

Fuzzy · **Posted:** Thu Sep 25, 2008 6:28 pm

38sw wrote:

What would they need Obama for? Has he shown any actual leadership in this mess? Has he done anything other than run his mouth? And besides, he's got studying to do. There's supposed to be a debate tomorrow evening.

Obamamessiah's idea of "leadership" is to suggest issuing a joint statement with McCain. All that proves is that Obama is nothing but words, words, words. Worse yet, he expects us to believe them

Obama the fraud and his ilk started the ball rolling on this nightmare by demanding loans be granted to people that didn't have the means to pay the damned things off if the rates went up the slightest bit. Predatory lending? Did these jerks READ what they were signing? Some stupid SOB's goes in way over their head with NOTHING down and they cry for Uncle Sam to bail their fannies out. This isn't a case of people having a disaster affect their incomes--they didn't have the income to begin with.

Myself and the Mrs. busted our asses to pay off a mortgage. We scrimped and saved and did without so we'd have a house-as did many of those here. In the end, we did it!

What on Earth is wrong this country?

Richard Saunders · **Joined:** Sun May 22, 2005 7:36 pm **Posts:** 50368

Fuzzy wrote:

What on Earth is wrong this country?

People want instant gratification. They want things, but don't want to do the work to earn them. They feel entitled to have what they want, and don't mind having the government raid our wallets in order to pay for it.

If your neighbor steals from you to pay his mortgage, it is theft. If the government taxes you to subsidize your neighbor's mortgage, it is "Section 8".

Richard Saunders · **Joined:** Sun May 22, 2005 7:36 pm **Posts:** 50368

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080926/ap_ ... tes_debate

McCain remains undecided about debate with Obama

By NEDRA PICKLER, Associated Press Writer

Republican John McCain has yet to commit to participating in Friday night's scheduled debate with Democratic rival Barack Obama, tying his appearance to progress on a Wall Street bailout plan being negotiated by the Bush administration and congressional lawmakers.

McCain met briefly Friday morning with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., before heading to the office of House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio. A close friend and supporter, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., appeared to lower the bar on what sort of agreement would satisfy McCain that sufficient progress had been made.

"What's more important than anything that when we go to Mississippi tonight, both candidates can say that the Congress is working, back in business, that we have an outline or proposal that will protect the taxpayer and save the country from financial Pearl Harbor, as Warren Buffet called it," Graham said on "Today" on NBC. "We are not there yet, but we will get there."

Obama said Thursday that he intended to travel to the University of Mississippi in Oxford, where the debate had long been scheduled to begin at 9 p.m. EDT. He tried to press McCain into showing up for the first of three scheduled debates between them, saying they should be able to handle the 90-minute forum and the financial crisis at the same time.

"Sen. McCain has no need to be fearful about a debate," Obama told reporters. "He's a person of strong opinions and he's been expressing them on the campaign trail."

[snip]

Richard Saunders · **Joined:** Sun May 22, 2005 7:36 pm **Posts:** 50368

http://www.politico.com/blogs/jonathanm ... uilds.html

McCain camp raising town halls again as pressure builds

September 25, 2008

In what could be groundwork for the possibility that they have to skip tomorrow's debate, both John McCain and his top aide used similar rhetoric tonight to downplay the importance of the first presidential forum.

If Barack Obama had agreed to McCain's summer proposal to do joint town halls, the candidate and Steve Schmidt said, this would only be one more of many sessions featuring the two major party nominees.

"I understand that there is a lot of attention on this but I also wish Senator Obama had agreed to ten or more town hall meetings that I had asked him to attend with me," McCain told ABC's Charlie Gibson when asked in an interview broadcast on World News Tonight whether there would be a debate Friday in Mississippi as planned. "Wouldn't be quite that much urgency if he agreed to do that, instead he refused to do it."

[snip]

McCain needs at least consensus on the framework of an agreement to declare victory and jet south. To attend the debate without a deal in place just days after saying he would not do so could well undermine his entire gambit.

But missing the face off is hardly a preferred option, especially if McCain is not seen as aiding progress towards a deal. McCain's camp had hoped to put the onus on Obama by effectively forcing him to return to Washington for a high-level White House meeting. But if the GOP nominee, who has used his ability to get stuff done as a signature talking point, can't deliver after returning to the capital to do just that, his ploy could boomerang.

[snip]

Unbalanced But Fair · **Joined:** Fri Jun 10, 2005 11:28 am **Posts:** 5647

Richard Saunders wrote:

"Sen. McCain has no need to be fearful about a debate," Obama told reporters. "He's a person of strong opinions and he's been expressing them on the campaign trail."

[snip]

This from the guy who refused more debates and townhalls. :hyst!:

And if McCain gets elected the best thing that could happen would be the AP's implosion.

Richard Saunders · **Joined:** Sun May 22, 2005 7:36 pm **Posts:** 50368

http://www.democratandchronicle.com/art ... /1002/NEWS

Pollster says election could end in landslide

Jill Terreri • Staff writer • September 25, 2008

One of the country's top pollsters was in Rochester on Thursday and suggested that the November presidential election will end in an electoral landslide, even though the candidates are running close.

"Essentially the election is at equilibrium," said John Zogby, president of Zogby International. "This election will stay close until the end."

Zogby said he thinks the race will turn in the last weekend before Election Day and though the popular vote will be tight, the successful candidate will win in a landslide.

He likened this year's election to the contest in 1980, when Ronald Reagan defeated President Jimmy Carter.

[snip]

Despite two books by Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama, Americans still don't know enough about him. And if they don't think they know him well enough by the time they vote, they'll go with the "comfortable old shoe," Republican Sen. John McCain, Zogby said.

[snip]

"It is the center that is driving this election," he said. "It is the center that will decide this election."

[snip]

Richard Saunders · **Joined:** Sun May 22, 2005 7:36 pm **Posts:** 50368

http://news.yahoo.com/s/politico/200809 ... X6Sk6s0NUE

Signs point to McCain attending debate

Daniel W. Reilly, Mike Allen

Aides say Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) is lobbying congressional colleagues furiously today to get a mortgage bailout deal, and a close adviser suggests McCain will attend tonight’s opening presidential debate.

McCain was going to his Senate office this morning, and his traveling staff and press corps were prepared to fly to Oxford, Miss. later today for the 9 p.m. ET debate. No departure is being confirmed.

On Thursday night, McCain and his staff had left open the possibility to follow through on his vow to boycott the University of Mississippi debate if a deal was not locked down.

But Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), McCain’s closest ally on Capitol Hill, suggested on morning shows that McCain will go to the debate with as little as “an outline or a proposal” pending.

“I think we are very close to some common ground that will protect the taxpayer," Graham said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”

[snip]

Richard Saunders · **Joined:** Sun May 22, 2005 7:36 pm **Posts:** 50368

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080926/ap_ ... tes_debate

The debate is on; McCain agrees to participate

By NEDRA PICKLER, Associated Press Writer

Republican John McCain agreed to attend the first presidential debate Friday night even though Congress doesn't have a bailout deal, reversing an earlier decision to delay the event until Washington had taken action to address the crisis.

With less than 10 hours until the debate was scheduled to start, the McCain campaign announced that the Arizona senator would travel to the University of Mississippi. The campaign said that afterward McCain would return to Washington to continue working on the financial crisis.

[snip]

By Friday morning, it appeared McCain was looking for a face-saving way to get to the debate even though a deal had not been reached. He met with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, before heading to his campaign headquarters and issuing a statement that blamed others in Washington for the failure to reach an agreement.

"John McCain's decision to suspend his campaign was made in the hopes that politics could be set aside to address our economic crisis," the statement said. "In response, Americans saw a familiar spectacle in Washington. At a moment of crisis that threatened the economic security of American families, Washington played the blame game rather than work together to find a solution that would avert a collapse of financial markets without squandering hundreds of billions of taxpayers' money to bail out bankers and brokers who bet their fortunes on unsafe lending practices."

[snip]

Josey Wales · **Posted:** Fri Sep 26, 2008 1:51 pm

Persuasion Expert Listens for 'ers' and 'ums' as Obama, McCain Face Off in Election Debates

DAYTON, Ohio, Sept. 26 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- When presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama meet in the election debate, it will be style and smoothness that will catch the ear of persuasion expert Randy Sparks.

"People are very, very concerned about the style of the message. Style has a strong impact on whether you are persuaded," said Sparks, whose research on persuasion was published this year in the Journal of Applied Social Psychology. The New Scientist has also written about his work.

During the debate, he'll be listening carefully to the styles of the candidates. Sparks, associate professor of marketing at the University of Dayton, has found that speakers who use many "ers" and "ums" or speak with considerable hesitation are less effective persuaders.

"The degree to which a speaker is fluent has an effect on his or her credibility. Even though what someone says may make sense, you are more likely to think they don't know what they're talking about," he said.

Listeners attribute less social power to those who speak less smoothly and are less likely to be persuaded by them, he said. Frequent hesitations also are distracting and may permit listeners to begin "arguing with the speaker in their heads."

[...]

"Obama tends to do better with a prepared speech, which is appropriate for the large venues and audiences he's been seeing. Those venues add to some of the grandeur, so if you are looking for that grandeur, you'll find that more effective," Sparks said.

[...]

From what Sparks has seen, Obama may have an advantage in speech-making skills, but "Oratorical skills don't win elections," he said. "It's ultimately about getting your message to the voters."

[Snip]

Richard Saunders · **Joined:** Sun May 22, 2005 7:36 pm **Posts:** 50368

It's, umm, like, harder when you don't, errrr, have a teleprompter.

Barney · **Joined:** Thu Jul 21, 2005 11:04 am **Posts:** 5035

Obama works to maintain his girlish figure instead of working to resolve problems in the American economy:

Quote:

September 26, 2008
Categories: Antics

Obama: In town, working out

Obama, headphones, baseball hat, hitting the gym. Spotted working out this a.m. at the Washington Sports Club, near Adams Morgan/Kalorama, from 7:30a - 8:20a.

Stay tuned for more gym/Obama news...
By Anne Schroeder Mullins 08:40 AM

Politico

Richard Saunders · **Joined:** Sun May 22, 2005 7:36 pm **Posts:** 50368

I read something yesterday about him autographing Rolling Stone magazine covers for his adoring fans while McCain was in D.C. trying to work on the bailout legislation.

Fuzzy · **Posted:** Fri Sep 26, 2008 5:49 pm

Richard Saunders wrote:

Fuzzy wrote:

What on Earth is wrong this country?

People want instant gratification. They want things, but don't want to do the work to earn them. They feel entitled to have what they want, and don't mind having the government raid our wallets in order to pay for it.

If your neighbor steals from you to pay his mortgage, it is theft. If the government taxes you to subsidize your neighbor's mortgage, it is "Section 8".

Have you ever seen the commercial for a credit card company or some financial company (I think it was that...) It had people saying "I want it NOW" That sums up what you've said.

I was listening to a Long Island station on my way to the Docs today, all I heard were whiners complaining that the government should bail them out. :angry:

Fuzzy · **Posted:** Fri Sep 26, 2008 6:55 pm

Who Am I?

I am under 45 years old,

I love the outdoors,

I hunt,

I am a Republican reformer,

I have taken on the Republican Party establishment,

I have many children,

I have a spot on the national ticket as vice president with less than two years in the governor's office.

Have you ever heard of me before now?

I am Theodore Roosevelt

Barney · **Joined:** Thu Jul 21, 2005 11:04 am **Posts:** 5035

More "business as usual" from the Democrats:

Quote:

JEFFERSON COUNTY, Ohio -- Dozens of voter registration forms from the Franciscan University of Steubenville disappeared in the mail.

University spokesman Tom Sofio confirmed for NEWS9 an envelope containing those forms arrived at the Jefferson County Board of Elections empty Friday. While Sofio said he has no solid evidence of any deliberate tampering with those forms, the university has reported the facts to the U.S. Postal Service and the Ohio secretary of state's office.

The forms were collected on campus between Sept. 1 and Sept. 15.

The envelope was found cut open and partially torn and the forms were gone. It had been postmarked "Youngstown" and was marked with a stamp that the post office had received it unsealed.

A member of the College Republicans who helped organize the voter registration drive said the students are outraged and will get to the bottom of it. Sen. John McCain has set the organization up with an attorney to assist them in dealing with the situation, according to the group.

Students are also concerned with the issue of personal information potentially being compromised on those missing forms.

The university notified students via e-mail that if they had registered on campus, they would need to re-register next week on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday at Egan Hall on campus.

source

Josey Wales · **Posted:** Sun Sep 28, 2008 8:04 am

Quote:

Obama Hails Those Who Paved His Way
Candidate Addresses Black Caucus
By Nikita Stewart
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, September 28, 2008; Page A14

[...]

Obama and his wife, Michelle, were among thousands attending the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation's annual awards dinner at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. He hailed the caucus, founded nearly 40 years ago, as laying the groundwork for his nomination, and he asked the crowd to join him in his historic run for the presidency.

He recalled the dreams of an earlier generation: " 'I may not ever see a black man be able to be in the White House, but maybe my child will see it or my grandchild will see.' That's the long way we've come," Obama said to roars and a standing ovation.

[...]

Obama was given the foundation's Harold Washington Award, named after the late Chicago mayor and honoring the senator's work in coalition-building. He saluted Washington, who he said had inspired him to move to Chicago and become a community organizer.

"He understood that ultimately power comes from the people," he said.

[...]

Before last night's dinner, Obama's wife, Michelle, addressed an exclusive group of campaign contributors at a reception at the nearby Embassy Suites hotel, where the price of admission started at $1,000 per person.

[...]

Her nearly half-hour speech touched on bringing health care to the uninsured and underinsured, ending the war in Iraq, educating children and repairing the economy. But she also stressed the importance of voter registration and, ultimately, turnout.

"Let's just say right here and now: Barack has done his job," she said. "So now it's on us. . . . We have no excuse anymore.

"I'm sure everyone in this room knows some trifling person who is not registered," she added. "You need to talk to them, those folks, and shake them. Tell them we don't have time to play. Because the choice is clear. We know what we will get if Barack Obama doesn't win."

[End]

This quote by Michele Obama struck me as a bit condescending:

Quote:

"I'm sure everyone in this room knows some trifling person who is not registered," she added.

Trifling:

Barney · **Joined:** Thu Jul 21, 2005 11:04 am **Posts:** 5035

Trifling = didn't have their way paid to attend an Ivy League college or law school?

Richard Saunders · **Joined:** Sun May 22, 2005 7:36 pm **Posts:** 50368

Fuzzy wrote:

Who Am I?

I am under 45 years old,

I love the outdoors,

I hunt,

I am a Republican reformer,

I have taken on the Republican Party establishment,

I have many children,

I have a spot on the national ticket as vice president with less than two years in the governor's office.

Have you ever heard of me before now?

I am Theodore Roosevelt

Thank you thank you thank you!!! I knew there was a past VP candidate who had a similar political background to Palin's, but I couldn't remember who it was.

Richard Saunders · **Joined:** Sun May 22, 2005 7:36 pm **Posts:** 50368

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstop ... slide.html

US elections: Barack Obama's team believes he can win by a landslide

Barack Obama's senior aides believe he is on course for a landslide election victory over John McCain and will comfortably exceed most current predictions in the race for the White House.

By Tim Shipman in Washington
27 Sep 2008

Their optimism, which is said to be shared by the Democratic candidate himself, is based on information from private polling and on faith in the powerful political organisation he has built in the key swing states.

Insiders say that Mr Obama's apparent calm through an unusually turbulent election season is because he believes that his strength among first time voters in several key states has been underestimated, both by the media and by the Republican Party.

Mr Obama has come under fire from within Democratic ranks over his message and his tactics. Critics say he has failed to connect with the blue-collar workers seen as crucial to winning the election, and too reluctant to make direct attacks on Mr McCain.

But his aides are convinced that he has a strong chance of winning no fewer than nine states won by George W.Bush in the closely contested 2000 election, including former Republican strongholds like North Carolina, Virginia and even Indiana, which have not voted Democrat for a generation.

[snip]

"Public polling companies and the media have underestimated the scale of new Democratic voters registration in these states," the campaign official told a friend. "We're much stronger on the ground in Virginia and North Carolina than people realise. If we get out the vote this may not be close at all."

[snip]

So let's funnel more money to ACORN.

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