Election Central Morning Roundup
Obama Talking About Economic Issues Today
Barack Obama is holding an economic summit today in Washington, DC, where he'll be discussing issues such as job losses, financial markets, and rising prices in gasoline and other important commodities. Participants include: Businessman Warren Buffett, former Fed Chairman Paul Volcker, former Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin, AFL-CIO President John Sweeney and others.
McCain Raising Money Today
John McCain doesn't have any public events announced for today, but he'll be attending a fundraiser in Bakersfield, California, and another one in San Francisco.
GOP Source: McCain Camp "Lashing Out" With Latest Attack
The Washington Post reports that John McCain's latest attack against Barack Obama -- with an ad saying he doesn't care about the troops unless cameras are around -- is evidence of unhappiness within the campaign itself. "They're doing it because the candidate, and the campaign, is not happy with where they are and they're lashing out," said a GOP strategist with ties to the campaign.
NYT: Think Tank Gives Lobbyists Access To McCain
The New York Times takes a close look this morning at the International Republican Institute, a think tank that John McCain has built over the last 15 years -- and which in many ways runs contrary to his squeaky-clean image. The group is described by the Times as "something of a revolving door for lobbyists and out-of-power Republicans that offers big donors a way of helping both the party and the institute's chairman."
WaPo: Obama Faces Hurdles With Black Turnout Efforts
The Washington Post says this morning that Barack Obama faces multiple obstacles in his campaign's efforts to boost black turnout: Many of the Southern states with a lot of African-Americans are too Republican for it to make a whole lot of difference, and overall the campaign is dealing with a population that has become disaffected with politics. "Even if volunteers manage to get them registered, it will require intensive follow-up to make sure they know where to vote, have the necessary identification and then turn out," the Post writes.
Printshop Accidentally Puts Larry Craig On Democratic Button
Here's a fun campaign blooper. An independent button vendor in Idaho put in an order for buttons featuring Barack Obama alongside Larry LaRocco, the Dem nominee for U.S. Senate. Instead, he got back buttons featuring Obama and Larry Craig.
Talking about fund raising Bush will be less then a mile from my house (and almost certainly will have to drive by it) for congressional candidates tomorrow.
http://blog.cleveland.com/openers/2008/07/bush_still_draws_big_bucks.html
July 28, 2008 9:20 AM | Reply | Permalink
I didn't read the whole piece, but this:
strikes me as borderline insulting. Those people just can't keep straight where they're supposed to vote and what they need to bring with them, etc.
July 28, 2008 9:20 AM | Reply | Permalink
I had the same reaction.
July 28, 2008 9:58 AM | Reply | Permalink
I wouldn't necessarily agree. Political pros know that getting out first-time (or first-time-back) voters is very difficult and that there are logistical hurdles to getting new RVs out to the polls and able to vote. Especially when those voters are economically disadvantaged.
July 28, 2008 10:14 AM | Reply | Permalink
The problem is that it would be entirely appropriate to write that about the Obama campaign's focus on new voters, because that is a major element of the campaign. Writing the same thing about African American voters implies that applies to them more than to new voters in general, which actually is kind of insulting.
July 28, 2008 2:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
The WaPo, assisting in voter suppression efforts, because they can.
July 28, 2008 10:19 AM | Reply | Permalink
Get used to it.
CNN opted to use the occassion of Obama's speech in Berlin to ask the hard-hitting question of whether or not an Obama presidency would be bad for African Americans...
WaPo introducing a "really, why bother..." article to muddy the waters is frankly par for the course...
July 28, 2008 10:33 AM | Reply | Permalink
It's really a matter of class, plus the simple fact is that those who have never voted also haven't really paid attention.
I was working a local black arts festival this weekend. EVERYONE we asked was registered. And extremely pro-Obama. In fact there were three vendors selling Obama t-shirts.
When was the last time apparel makers tried to make money off of a candidate's name and image?
July 28, 2008 11:13 AM | Reply | Permalink
obama "Faces Hurdles With Black Turnout Efforts" i don't think he will have any problems with us being motivated to go out in vote.........
July 28, 2008 9:24 AM | Reply | Permalink
I co-sign what bosshogg just stated.
July 28, 2008 9:47 AM | Reply | Permalink
Woo hoo! Feel the bounce!! :)
July 28, 2008 10:04 AM | Reply | Permalink
It's strange how the article doesn't mention who will be at McCain's San Francisco fundraiser. Chevron and Bechtel are both based in SF. Their lobbyist minions will probably be in attendance. Also, Donald Fisher of GAP fame will probably be there. It's quite the contrast that while McCain is whoring himself to corporate interests, Obama is getting most of his money from real Americans.
July 28, 2008 10:16 AM | Reply | Permalink
Actually, as someone who was on the ground in 04, whose job it was to follow up with first time voters in downtown Las Vegas, I think the Post got it exactly right. It's not that these folks are so stupid they can't figure it out, it's that the system is gamed agaisnt them.
Most of these first time voters have enormous pressures competing for their time that can block their ability to vote. Day-to-day pressures such as lack of transportation (having to get up before dawn to catch a bus clear across town to get to a minimum wage job and not getting home until after the polls close), childcare issues (nobody to watch the kids even if Mom or Dad can make it back in time from work to wait in line at the polls to vote), confusion about polling places (because an underemployed first-time voter has had to move from one neighborhood to another since registering to vote), no voter i.d. (no driver's license) and lack of information (because the person has no phone or internet access so it's difficult to follow up with them)..................
I could go on, but you get the idea. In fact, I hope this article will be a wake up call to all of you. On election day, we'll need each and every one of you to do GOTV. We'll need you to walk miles to check in personally with first-time voters, we'll need you to drive them to the polls, and then maybe drive them all the way across town to get them to work, we'll need you to baby sit their kids, we'll need you to help them fill out provisional ballots, then follow through and make sure they come back with an i.d. the state will accept, we'll need you to buy them pizza so they don't pass out from low blood sugar as they wait in line for three hours, past dinner time, to vote.
We need you. Find out how you can help:
http://action.barackobama.com/page/s/volunteer/
July 28, 2008 10:41 AM | Reply | Permalink
Thanks for your answer. It's very informative.
July 28, 2008 11:46 AM | Reply | Permalink
I wonder if this attack about being not being "American enough" will help McCain with the Latin American community, and other immigrants and children of immigrants with "funny names".
Basically in his attacking of Obama he's saying unless you're family lineage in America goes back many generations and unless you've served in the Military you don't really count for anything.
Obama could really turn this attack around on him. Have commercials with regular Americans with funny names or funny backgrounds asking Sen. McCain "Am I American enough?" Have Muslims, Latin Americans, Asian Americans, Indian Americans (I guess with this attack Bobby Jindal can officially be counted out of the VP race), African Americans, European Americans with and without Military experience ask "Am I American enough?" The same commercial could then ask "If you would question my American-ness solely because of my name, by background, my lack of Military experience, if you want to send the message that my child could never aspire to be President of the united States - Why should I vote for you?"
July 28, 2008 11:54 AM | Reply | Permalink
It is sad to see political ambition is taken McCain from "war hero" to "character assassin" so quickly this election cycle.
July 28, 2008 1:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
How they act when they are running behind can reveal more about the actual character of a candidate than any other single factor.
July 28, 2008 1:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
Minor Milestones in the History of Supply-Side Economics (an anecdote):
Some years ago an old high school friend lived and worked in Washington DC and when we met some years later he related the following story...
One night driving along Pennsylvania Ave. not far from the White House he came across a stranded motorist and stopped to render assistance (being both an Eagle Scout and Vietnam Veteran); after several attempts to start the car (and keep it running) he finally had it set so the this poor traveler in distress could be on his way... so he asked "Have you ever had this car to a tune-up??" The driver replies "No - What's A Tune- Up??" and so my friend thinks to himself 'I think I see this guys problem....' and says "well take care - oh by the way aren't you David Stockman - you work in the White House?? And he says - "yes I'm the Budget Director".
As my friend told me in closing... a lot of things became much more clear after that encounter...
July 28, 2008 1:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
It's a good thing Robert Novk, went to his proctologist or he would not have got a proper diagnosis.
July 28, 2008 2:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
The Washington Post reports that John McCain's latest attack against Barack Obama... is evidence of unhappiness within the campaign itself.
...Can I seriously applaud the Washington Post? I think I might have to for that one. Wow.
July 28, 2008 8:11 PM | Reply | Permalink