The 2008 Presidential Elections - Chapter 3

[Walkoff Balk]

To answer Rick Davis, I don't know, maybe because I thought she was a cross between a pit bull and a barracuda?

If Hilary Clinton used barracuda as a signature song. What body part of a man would she bite?

[LikaNui]

But McCain's campaign manager, Rick Davis, would not go that far.
"She'll agree to an interview when we think it's time and when she feels comfortable doing it," David said on "Fox News Sunday."

So if something happened to McCain and Palin moved into the #1 spot and suddenly had to negotiate with "piranha" heads of terroristic countries... what then? We ask them nicely to wait until Rick Davis or someone feels she's ready?!?

If she can't handle reporters, she can't handle the VP job. Period.

"So until at which point in time we feel like the news media is going to treat her with some level of respect and deference, I think it would be foolhardy to put her out into that kind of environment," he said.

"Respect and deference"? This ain't the Miss Alaska pageant, Mr. Davis... this is an attempt to RUN OUR COUNTRY AND DETERMINE OUR FATE FOR THE NEXT 4 YEARS!
Respect? She has to earn respect. She can't demand it.

Every day they refuse to let her face the media makes it more and more clear that they now realize they made the wrong choice. They're hiding her.
TimKona said something earlier today predicting "McCain by 10%." I say McCain will only get 10%.

[matapule]

I watched the replay of the first part of Obama's interview with O'Reilly. I was very disappointed in some of Obama's responses with regard to the war in Iraq.

However, what really upset me was how rude O'Reilly was to Obama. He was constantly interrupting Obama and spinning Obama's answers. O'Reilly is not a journalist. He is a propagandist for the republican party. He deserves no respect.

[GregLee]

I watched the replay of the first part of Obama's interview with O'Reilly. I was very disappointed in some of Obama's responses with regard to the war in Iraq.

However, what really upset me was how rude O'Reilly was to Obama. He was constantly interrupting Obama and spinning Obama's answers. O'Reilly is not a journalist. He is a propagandist for the republican party. He deserves no respect.

I saw it, too. I also fouind O'Reilly extremely obnoxious with his rudeness and constant interruptions. Generally speakihg, I can't stand O'Reilly. I wouldn't go so far to say he's not a journalist, though.

[LikaNui]

I just heard that Barack Obama will be on David Letterman's show this coming Wednesday night.
No word on if he'll be doing the Top Ten list.

[TuNnL]

I saw it, too. I also fouind O'Reilly extremely obnoxious with his rudeness and constant interruptions. Generally speakihg, I can't stand O'Reilly. I wouldn't go so far to say he's not a journalist, though.

I would. I tend to equate the term “journalist” with “reporter.” Bill O’Reilly is not a reporter. He’s a television commentator. The newspaper equivalent would be called an “editorial columnist.” Basically, the bottom line is, O’Reilly doesn’t go out into the field and gather information, and report facts based on critical analysis of all sides. He lets the real journalists do that.

IMHO, it’s more accurate to say O’Reilly was a journalist. Before 1989, he actually did real work. But then he became an anchor for Inside Edition, a television equivalent of the supermarket tabloids, and it was all downhill from there. At this point, I think we can agree he has decided that he wants to rep the right wing, and only the right wing, so by design he simply cannot function as a journalist, which by definition must be “fair, balanced, and objective.”

I will say he is a great t.v. commentator. He knows how to milk the ratings. I’ve seen him be reasonable when he wants to. But that is a rare occasion indeed.

[Leo Lakio]

best that i can google, the only people saying this include mr. blowhard oxycontin addict and his lemmings. (which, *sigh* would mean that my friend is turning into a lemming.)

As the bumper-sticker says: "Friends don't let friends vote Republican."

the conservative talk show hosts from Denver to Las Vegas to Spokane were all agog, delirious with joy over Palin. Actually it reminds me of their rap when Thompson announced--it was a slam dunk, the Republicans had it won. The Christian conservatives got their bite at the apple with Bush, he was their choice, their man, and look how well that worked out.

Just as the Democrats were too complacent in the 2004 election, perhaps the Republicans will be that way this time out. Then again, would you expect anything other than unquestioning support of their candidates?

Obama has to go on Bill O'Reilly's show. Leo, I know it grinds your cookie, but one thing is sure......The O'Reilly Factor is #1. For Obama to avoid an interview with him is political suicide.

I agree. In fact, I thought he had agreed to an interview many months ago, but put it off until now. (I could be completely off the mark on that, however, as I pay little-to-no attention to Fox News.)

I like the fact that Obama agrees with O'Reilly on so many points. Does that upset you also? Or would you concede that O'Reilly is not quite the reactionary, archconservative, neocon, warmonger that the left wishes to portray him as?

I would concede only that Sen. Obama knows how to play the political-centrist game extremely well.

However, what really upset me was how rude O'Reilly was to Obama. He was constantly interrupting Obama and spinning Obama's answers.

It's not just Sen. Obama. That's O'Reilly's "style," and it has paid off handsomely for him. He's welcome to become rich and successful with that interviewing technique, and I'm welcome to not watch.

[LocalMotion]

I watched the replay of the first part of Obama's interview with O'Reilly. I was very disappointed in some of Obama's responses with regard to the war in Iraq.

However, what really upset me was how rude O'Reilly was to Obama. He was constantly interrupting Obama and spinning Obama's answers. O'Reilly is not a journalist. He is a propagandist for the republican party. He deserves no respect.

Are you kidding? Explain exactly what was spinning?

That was a good real conversation. It wasn't a, let's throw him softballs, and just get his answers.

Both O'Reilly and Obama made some good points. it was a good real heated conversation.

It's sad to see so many blinded dems or reps. It's hyper-partisanship that ruins intelligent debate, which is most of what you have here in these threads (with a couple exceptions)

people are so afraid to agree with the "other" wing in a honest way. and all we hear is bashing, blah, blah, instead of constructive ideas.

[matapule]

Are you kidding? Explain exactly what was spinning?

Sorry, we must have been watching different interviews. Let me explain it.

Obama would answer a question and then O'Reilly would interupt and rephrase the incomplete answer to suit his needs. Obama remained patient and would say, "No, Bill, that's not what I said." O'Reilly did this several times and Obama would have to correct him each time.

To see what O'Reilly is really like when he thinks the camera isn't rolling, check this out!

[Leo Lakio]

It's sad to see so many blinded dems or reps. It's hyper-partisanship that ruins intelligent debate, which is most of what you have here in these threads (with a couple exceptions)

people are so afraid to agree with the "other" wing in a honest way. and all we hear is bashing, blah, blah, instead of constructive ideas.

True enough. We blame the politicians, we blame the spin-doctors and handlers, we blame the Karl Roves and James Carvilles, we blame the media.

But we perpetuate the behavior all by ourselves. Those we blame do not reside in our tongues or our fingertips.

[matapule]

people are so afraid to agree with the "other" wing in a honest way. and all we hear is bashing, blah, blah, instead of constructive ideas.

Okidokie, let's hear your constructive ideas. As Ross Perot said, "I'm all ears!"

[Ron Whitfield]

LM, would you consider non partisan observers of the decades calling it like they've seen it, "blinded/hyper partisanship"?

I personally don't like either party, but I know the difference between getting punched in the mouth, from a knife repeatedly driven into my back.
I'll take the former, at least that way it leaves me with a real fighting chance.

With this election, if Johnny Mc get's in, the Supreme Court will go even harder right and we can totally kiss the American way bye bye.
It's only by extreme grace of luck that Bush hasn't had the oppotunity to get it completely that way during his 8 yr. reign of terror.
As it turns out, this election will surpass the last as the most important in our lifetimes.
Please America, don't blow it again!

[TuNnL]

Sen. Obama pays a visit to enemy territory Bill O'Reilly - first part transcript here.

And for those who would rather watch the interview, O’Reilly is airing it in several parts.

Click here for part 1.

Click here for part 2.

[timkona]

Please America, don't blow it again!

Sorry Ron. Blame, this year, lies squarely on the shoulders of the Democratic voters who could come up with nothing better than a freshman Senator, and has been lightning rod. The Dem leadership is chock full of good people. Yet none of them made it to the top of the pile.

The brutal truth is that both choices promote hand-wringing, which is the life blood of the party. Choosing not to win is seldom a good strategy.

[Walkoff Balk]

To see what O'Reilly is really like when he thinks the camera isn't rolling, check this out!

It's the hair or alcohol talking.

[Frankie's Market]

Putting Sarah Barracuda has energized and solidified the GOP base. But as more information comes out about her background, the more eyebrows it raises among the independents and moderates.

Already, McCain's campaign has lost much of the "experience" argument against Obama. Now, it appears that the "pastor problem" attacks used against Obama and Rev. Wright are also coming back to bite them in the okole. Seems that McCain's "thorough vetting" of his running mate didn't account for the kind of things that are taught and promoted in Palin's church.

http://www.startribune.com/politics/...7PQLanchO7DiUl

Though Wasilla Bible Church has made waves as well. Two weeks ago, a guest speaker, David Brickner -- a conservative Christian who condemns the Jewish faith and tries to convert its adherents through his Jews for Jesus ministry -- suggested that terrorism in Israel is God's judgment against Jews.

The McCain campaign has acknowledged that Palin was in the audience but said the governor did not know Brickner would be speaking and does not share his views.

My goodness! Palin was in the audience to hear that anti-Semitic sermon,.... and she decided to stick around to listen to it instead of walking out? Tsk tsk! And since McCain made Rev. Wright an issue in this campaign, he can't complain about Palin's religion and church being off-limits to the media, unless he wants to come off as a whining hypocrite.

[Leo Lakio]

It's the hair or alcohol talking.

I know I've had times where I felt like that in the studio - but one of the very first rules for broadcasters is to never utter certain words or phrases when there is even the slightest possibility of an open mic and/or tape running. Shame on O'Reilly for forgetting his basic training.

[timkona]

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/polls/

But don't worry. Polls really don't mean anything.

[Vanguard]

But don't worry. Polls really don't mean anything.

Whew! What a relief!

[Ron Whitfield]

Tim, what on earth is with your freakish love affair with the silly and untrue phrase of 'handwringing' concerning Dems?

That anyone would simply care to have their country finally pull it's head out it's ass and start getting the important things correct and stop electing blatant liars with criminal and unAmerican no hope agenda's is mindless fretting to you?

I'm over 50 and have lived an awesome life, mostly by luck, and in spite of republican efforts to kill The American Way. But it would have been even greater had your political bunch never been allowed to contaminate this land.
I'd like to leave this world knowing that America stands a chance of getting it right, but with 50 million that think like you do, the chances are slim.

How old are you, and what makes you think republicans are anything other that the worst scum ever to pollute this planet?
I have the feeling you weren't old enuf during the Nixon years to appreciate how off truly evil and destructive their way of thinking is, and it seems you turn a blind eye to what they have been up to since.
Do you find it a joke to allow your country to commit suicide?
Your attitude is so common amongst those who would gleefully adore a third term for Bush, and I do not get it.

Clue me in, dude. What is so friggin great about those you support?

[Leo Lakio]

Polls really don't mean anything.

But if they did......if the McCain/Palin ticket hadn't seen a big post-convention bump, that would be very worrisome.

A few days out, it's looking like the addition of Gov. Palin was a very smart move. It certainly seems to have brought many evangelical voters back to the GOP fold, ones that were originally disappointed in having Sen. McCain as their standard-bearer.

The questions I wonder about are: (1) how long the honeymoon with Gov. Palin will carry the ticket, or will voters realize by November that it's still Sen. McCain that they are voting for, and (2) will the revelations of falsehoods in statements made by Gov. Palin have any effect whatsoever in voters' minds?

So far, the answer to (2) is looking like "no." The only people upset are those who wouldn't have voted for her anyway; those who support the GOP ticket don't seem to give a rip about her reality, only her image. Much the same as people say about Sen. Obama.

Sadly, it looks like yet another election that's all about the show, not the substance. Pay no attention to the skeletons behind the curtain.

[U'ilani]

I've been thinking about the women at Pua'i's aerobics class, and comparing them with my liberal girlfriends here in Seattle. None of my friends were impressed with Palin's convention address at all. If anything, it only strengthened their support of Obama and their dislike of the Republican ticket of McCain/Palin. So I've been wondering why the difference between the 2 groups of women, and I think the issue is geography/sociology. I think local people in Hawaii, and probably more so for those on an outer island, appreciate the kind of small-town, no-nonsense folksiness Palin's demeanor and rhetoric portrayed; and the low blows she took at Obama really played to a populist theme that does well with liberals.

I'm not interested in playing the Dems v.s. Repub game with you all (since I think our country's screwed no matter who gets elected in November), but would love any comments/observations you have regarding this.

[Frankie's Market]

But if they did......if the McCain/Palin ticket hadn't seen a big post-convention bump, that would be very worrisome.

If Tim was ever going to beat his chest like King Kong about the polls, now would be the time. Because after this week, the GOP convention bounce runs its course, then everything levels off. Where the candidates stand at that point, that will set the tone as to who is in the driver's seat.

My gut feeling? The national numbers are gonna be close all the way to election day. The popular vote may be closer still. Ultimately, the only thing that really matters is whoever gets 271 electoral votes, right?

The questions I wonder about are: (1) how long the honeymoon with Gov. Palin will carry the ticket, or will voters realize by November that it's still Sen. McCain that they are voting for, and (2) will the revelations of falsehoods in statements made by Gov. Palin have any effect whatsoever in voters' minds?

So far, the answer to (2) is looking like "no." The only people upset are those who wouldn't have voted for her anyway; those who support the GOP ticket don't seem to give a rip about her reality, only her image. Much the same as people say about Sen. Obama.

If I was only looking at the "would you vote for McCain or Obama" figures, I would have assumed the same thing too. But when you break down the numbers in some of these polls, it seems to reveal something else.

For example, let's consider the ABC News poll.

http://abcnews.go.com/PollingUnit/Po...5751238&page=1

Some of McCain's biggest gains in this ABC News/Washington Post poll are among white women, a group to which "hockey mom" Sarah Palin has notable appeal: Sixty-seven percent view her favorably and 58 percent say her selection makes them more confident in McCain's decision-making. Among those with children, Palin does better yet. And enthusiasm for McCain among his female supporters has soared.

White women have moved from 50-42 percent in Obama's favor before the conventions to 53-41 percent for McCain now, a 20-point shift in the margin that's one of the single biggest post-convention changes in voter preferences.

It appears that a big part of the wave the McCain campaign is now riding is due to this dramatic 20 point shift among white women. And we all know that Palin-mania is responsible for this phenomenom.

The GOP would love nothing more than to take this new-found level of support among white women to the bank. And if they can actually pull it off, McCain may have this election won on Nov. 4. But easier said than done. As the initial excitement and novelty wears off from Palin-mania, will the GOP ticket be able to hang onto this support? That remains to be seen. Will the majority of women still support Palin when they learn that she is opposed to abortion, even in cases of rape and incest? Will they still support the GOP ticket when they learn about their plans for their economy and how they stand on the kitchen-table issues? Ultimately, those things will decide how these women vote when they stand in the booth, not the hype and hoopla surrounding Palin right now.

One other thing: in the same poll's favorbility ratings, 58% view Palin as being favorable, compared to McCain's 59% and Obama's 58%. But what is telling is Palin's unfavorable rating, which is a very low 28%. In comparison, McCain and Obama are at 36%. This low unfavorability could be indicative of Palin's newness to the national stage. But if she continues on in the attack dog role that she has been playing since the GOP convention, her negatives will likely begin to climb, which might sway the moderates and independents who are currently leaning towards her.

These new poll numbers show that the Obama campaign has their work cut out for them over the next 56 days. But at the same time, it is way too early for the neocons to start celebrating just yet.

[TuNnL]

Tim ... what makes you think republicans are anything other that the worst scum ever to pollute this planet? ... Your attitude is so common amongst those who would gleefully adore a third term for Bush, and I do not get it.

I realize you are directing your comments to Timkona, but I feel compelled to respond. What makes you assume that all Republicans support Bush or John McCain for that matter? I would submit to you that there are a great deal of Republicans who neither support his ideology nor plan to associate themselves with his campaign in any way, nor plan to vote for him.

I find it abhorrent that you continue to blanketly demonize Republicans for every ill on the planet that happens to come to mind. I don’t consider myself a Republican, and I am not a card-carrying member of any party. But fiscal responsibility and non-interventionism have only been ideals that have been meaningfully expressed in the Republican Party, particularly by those rare brave mavericks like Ron Paul. These are values that are important to me, and most educated voters.

The value of the U.S. dollar is far less the it once was, and in any case is not where it should be, considering America’s status in the world. We print new money freely without the gold standard to back it up, and as result inflation artificially skyrockets every year. The federal government continues to spend money at a breakneck pace to the tune of $9.6 trillion in debt. That’s a burden of over $31,000 for every U.S. citizen. This is a financial fiasco we can no longer ignore. Old people like yourself don’t give a rat’s @ss about the young people who will not only have to overcome this burden, they are paying current retirees’ social security checks while NONE will be there for them, because at the current rate, the SS system will be bankrupt by then.

[Leo Lakio]

I find it abhorrent that you continue to blanketly demonize Republicans ...

Speaking of blanketly demonizing:

Old people like yourself don’t give a rat’s @ss about ...