That was the first ad that just made me instantly pissed off at John McCain.

Joke of the day.

What do John McCain and Sarah Palin have in common?

They've both been charged with corruption and ethics violations.

Get it?

It's like a match made in heaven. I think an Obama surrogate should bring this match made in heaven to light and suggest maybe its this dishonesty that has brought them together.

That McCain ad is just dumb and is made dumber with the liberal congressmen line at the end. Obviously it's using RNC money to run it. McCain's money must be REALLY low right now if he has to use RNC money.

The World Financial Market has tumbled today. Thus the economy is still very much in people's minds. Obama needs to keep talking about the economy and what he will do to improve it. That's what people care about.

Ayers, Wright, and Rezko will only take the McCain campaign so far. Palin has her troopergate stuff that will happen on Friday.

McCain/Palin: an absence of truth and honor.

In a further sign that a whole lot more dirt is going to be dug up on the candidates before this race is over, the Los Angeles Times reports that McCain's record as a Naval Aviator was marked by recklessness and avoidable accidents

Add to this the lengthy Rolling Stone expose and today's Washington Post style section piece on McShame's first wife and how he and Cindy got engaged while McShame was still married, and one thing is clear: If reporters look into both candidates' backgrounds equally, McShame will be expose for the fraud he is and Obama will win in a landslide.

Palin can and will continue to say anything she wants - regardless of how ridiculous it may be - because she is completely unaccountable to the american people. The only members of the press she is speaking to are the right-wing lapdogs and they sure won't call her on it. Regardless of my own biases, from a perspective on what that means for democracy, it's very sad.

A tidbit for your enjoyment: "Palin", an 11th Century Norman name, comes from the Latin, meaning, as one might guess, "backwards." So, there you go...again.

Possibly from a line of bastardy issueing from Duke William the Bastard of Normandy,,,,,, ya never know.

Rasmussen: 52 O 44 M

Financial Markets: Asia and Europe down around 5%. US markets down around 2%.

I think the Keating 5 History Lesson is gonna arrive just about in time for folks to learn the toxic stuff that mcShame's been involved in. Toxic stuff he's wallowed in forever. No lipstick involved.

Hey, it's fair game now.

Why let the other side define the norms: "its only fair game if they do it first."

If its constructive to our cause to do it now, just do it.

Personally, I think its more instructive to get out in front. That way, instead of launching another ad attacking Barach, they have to launch another ad defending themselves.

I say this as an observer, not a pro. I assume that they know what's best. Of course I thought the same of Kerry.

Wait, Palin drinks mochas at Starbucks? What an elitist!!

Game plan from the Obama campaign: All counter punches must be directly linked to economy and/or Bush, the way Keating 5 has been done. You have to keep economy and Bush's 3rd term in the forefront.
This is the only winning strategy.

With Global Markets plunging... this seems like another bad tactic from the McCain campaign.

The Wall Street Bailout was not a silver bullet.

So Palin thinks that the media hasn't covered the Wright story enough? Good lord, what rock was she living under during the primaries?

Does Palin really want to go there with her witch doctor and Todd’s associations with some whacked out church that renounced America? Please go there please. I would love to watch the complete annihilation of dip shit Palin on national TV

Funny how she only talks to the home team media now.

Does Palin really think she can use this strategy?

It's like she's saying "Us Joe and Jane Sixpackers wouldn't want to see a, ya know, the blacks livin' in the White House, but, ya know, I'm not goin' there."

Or "Barack and his librul friends could, ya know, like engage in some domestic turrism and might be plannin' to bomb Main Street 'Merka, but I'm not gonna go there, also."

I'm waiting for her to bring up "Obama wants to kill babies who survive abortions" and I doubt I'll have to wait long.

Her voice is the death rattle of a fatal chest wound. Stick a fork in McStain.

PEACE

I'm kind of glad Palin isn't talking to mainstream press. She's in a bubble and doesn't know that her tactics are tired.

I think the witchdoctor pastor and the secessionist association could definitely be part of an Obama attack -- just end with something like "John McCain chose this woman to be one heartbeat away from the presidency. Do we want a president who would make such a reckless choice?" Bring it all back on John.

Pres '08
Oct 6 Rasmussen: Obama (D) 52%, McCain (R) 44%
Oct 6 Res. 2000: Obama (D) 52%, McCain (R) 40%

KOS 2000 has been holding steady in that +12 range. Rasmussen, which hasn't always been Obama favorable, hit it's widest lead.

That GQR pol looks like a throwaway. Skewed massively to older voters. 40% 55+, 32% 60+.

John

Good piece by Nate at the 538:

http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2008/10/in-georgia-small-improvements-in-black.html

The polls show Saxby Chambliss getting into a much tighter Senate race there. This is an instance where some synegy between Obama's Ground Game and Jim Martin's campaign could pay dividends. Obama has too many states to work to be there all the time. But Martin is in the state 24/7, and if the race looks tight, is going to be getting loads of free press coverage. If the tide fully turns on Bush-McCain-Chambliss as the Old Boys Network that got us into this mess, Martin can start working the Change angle which help up ticket.

Obama is going to get a hurricane of slime that McCain and the RNC is going to throw at him this week. I think more than a Rope-A-Dope is needs. In part he needs to to let McCain Punch Himself Out - looking bad going negative. But he also needs a good stinging counterpunch: be it Keating or a extemely good job of framing the Narrative that McCain went negative because he doesn't want to talk about the Economy.

The thing is... *if* Obama weathers this and comes out the other side of this weak in the same polling position or better (if McCain punches himself out and the counterpunch lands), there's massive upside for the Dems. There are a lot of ripe Senate and Congressional races. If McCain is flopping around the last four weeks of the race largely DOA, the ability to work down ticket to help local races, and in turn up ticket for "coming" candidates to help drive more votes to Obama, we could see something amazing. Right now we're on the road to seeing something very good. But we still have about 25% chance of something really monumental.

If the last 2-3 weeks on the Economy were key to "turning" the race by finally getting McCain re-framed, this week could be a key to a way that's quite different from what the RNC Gang things. Rather than "re-turning" the race to McCain with the slime, if it fails or has little impact, it opens up the game to a huge blowout not just on the Presidential level, but also in the Senate and Congress.

We need to look back at 2006. Did things look this good around the country in the first full week of October? Was there a clear national push to it, or was it more localized with things like Allen melting down in VA, stem cells playing a role in a race, etc? This time we've got local issues/candidates, and a national message that's getting more defined and an obvious standard bearer for the party.

Big week.

John

These attacks have made the millions of Obama supporters angry, contribute more money and go out and get hundreds of more registered voters--keep it up McCain and Palin. I know no better way to energize the Obama campaign even more in these last days before November 4th. The contributions keep coming in.