"...The real revelation of the last few weeks, however, has been just how erratic Mr. McCain’s views on economics are. At any given moment, he seems to have very strong opinions — but a few days later, he goes off in a completely different direction.
Thus on Sept. 15 he declared — for at least the 18th time this year — that “the fundamentals of our economy are strong.” This was the day after Lehman failed and Merrill Lynch was taken over, and the financial crisis entered a new, even more dangerous stage.
But three days later he declared that America’s financial markets have become a “casino,” and said that he’d fire the head of the Securities and Exchange Commission — which, by the way, isn’t in the president’s power.
And then he found a new set of villains — Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the government-sponsored lenders. (Despite some real scandals at Fannie and Freddie, they played little role in causing the crisis: most of the really bad lending came from private loan originators.) And he moralistically accused other politicians, including Mr. Obama, of being under Fannie’s and Freddie’s financial influence; it turns out that a firm owned by his own campaign manager was being paid by Freddie until just last month.
Then Mr. Paulson released his plan, and Mr. McCain weighed vehemently into the debate. But he admitted, several days after the Paulson plan was released, that he hadn’t actually read the plan, which was only three pages long.
O.K., I think you get the picture.
The modern economy, it turns out, is a dangerous place — and it’s not the kind of danger you can deal with by talking tough and denouncing evildoers. Does Mr. McCain have the judgment and temperament to deal with that part of the job he seeks?"
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Over the span of the past two and a half weeks, Obama has gotten substantially more popular while McCain has gotten less popular, Biden has maintained his favorability level, and Palin has utterly tanked in the favorable ratings department.
Ok, fine, I'll watch next Saturday's game against West Virginia...but I'm still going to continue to assume a Rutgers loss by at least 28 points, that way I'll be pleasantly surprised by anything better.
A couple of quick reaction points for tonight's presidential debate:
Regardless of which candidate you happen to support, who do you think did the best job in the debate -- Barack Obama or John McCain?
Obama 51%
McCain 38%Did _______ do a better or worse job than you expected?
Obama: Better 57%, Worse 20%, Same 23%
McCain: Better 60%, Worse 20%, Same 18%
Next, regardless of which presidential candidate you support, please tell me if you think Barack Obama or John McCain would better handle each of the following issues:
• The war in Iraq: Obama 52%, McCain 47%
• Terrorism: McCain 49%, Obama 45%
• The economy: Obama 58%, McCain 37%
• The current financial crisis: Obama 54%, McCain 36%
Thinking about the following characteristics and qualities, please say whether you think each one better described Barack Obama or John McCain during tonight's debate:
• Was more intelligent: Obama 55%, McCain 30%
• Expressed his views more clearly: Obama 53%, McCain 36%
• Spent more time attacking his opponent: McCain 60%, Obama 23%
• Was more sincere and authentic: Obama 46%, McCain 38%
• Seemed to be the stronger leader: Obama 49%, McCain 43%
• Was more likeable: Obama 61%, McCain 26%
• Was more in touch with the needs and problems of people like you: Obama 62%, McCain 32%
Based on what _______ said and did in tonight's debate, do you think he would be able to handle the job of president if he is elected?
Obama 69%-29%
McCain 68%-30%..
Once again, as can be said at so many junctures of this presidential campaign season, if it were Senator Obama that spent the past two weeks flailing about, unable to come up with any coherent, consistent message regarding the economic crisis...if it were Senator Obama that had a chief campaign adviser whose lobbying firm was receiving regular payments from one of these crumbling economic institutions as recent as last month...if it were Senator Obama whose vice presidential candidate refused to give any tough press interviews, and in the soft interviews that were given he/she failed miserably to even coherently string together sentences...if it were Senator Obama that three days before the first presidential debate stated he was suspending his campaign and he would not be participating in the debate, and then spent the next day bringing chaos to the negotiating process in Washington D.C., and finally on the day of the first presidential debate reversed his statement and chose to participate in the presidential debate......if all of this political campaign INSANITY were instead at the behest of Senator Obama and his campaign, something tells me that mainstream media reporters wouldn't be asking about "McCain winning the week" or "McCain's gamble paying off", but rather they'd be asking if Senator Obama was planning on dropping out of the presidential race this week or next.
It cannot be made any clearer now: the Republican Party, led by John "suspend my campaign to go save Washington" McCain, are playing Russian roulette-style politics with the economic security of the American people.
Let's see here: actively shutting down the access of a free press...check...overtly disseminating lies and propaganda about political opponents...check...demanding the suspending of national electoral proceedings...check...welcome to Supreme Leader McCain's America, everyone!
UPDATE: Look how that nose keeps growing! Not only is Palin back to her favorite "thanks, but no thanks" and "I put it on eBay" lies regarding the bridge and jet issues, but yet another new lie about crowd size emerges..."Sept. 13 (Bloomberg) -- Senator John McCain has drawn some of the biggest crowds of his presidential campaign since adding Alaska Governor Sarah Palin to his ticket on Aug. 29. Now officials say they can't substantiate the figures McCain's aides are claiming.
McCain aide Kimmie Lipscomb told reporters on Sept. 10 that an outdoor rally in Fairfax City, Virginia, drew 23,000 people, attributing the crowd estimate to a fire marshal.
Fairfax City Fire Marshal Andrew Wilson said his office did not supply that number to the campaign and could not confirm it. Wilson, in an interview, said the fire department does not monitor attendance at outdoor events.
In recent days, journalists attending the rallies have been raising questions about the crowd estimates with the campaign. In a story on Sept. 11 about Palin's attraction for some Virginia women voters, Washington Post reporter Marc Fisher estimated the crowd to be 8,000, not the 23,000 cited by the campaign."
This is actually quite insulting to Grampa Simpson and Maude Flanders.
It appears that in our American democracy a vice presidential nominee must face the press and the public in answering substantive questions regarding the policies they represent and the issues we face in our country and around the world...ohhh boy, that's not good for a certain someone.
Have some free time to check out useless websites, you say? Well then, take a look at this bunch of internet gems...
For months now, my wife and I have been talking about how Rachel Maddow should clearly have one of the weeknight television slots on MSNBC...ask, and ye shall receive! With The Rachel Maddow Show at 9pm and Countdown with Keith Olbermann at 8pm, now every weeknight will provide a 2-hour safe zone for liberals and their hairbrain schemes for progress in American society.
Let it be known that when John McCain, Sarah Palin, and the Republican Party throw hyper-partisan rhetoric at the Obama-Biden ticket, they do so at their own peril. Since Sarah Palin's degrading debut last night at the Republican convention, the Obama-Biden campaign has raised more than $10 million in donations from more than 130,000 donors, a single-day record for the campaign. Meanwhile, the McCain campaign has managed to raise about $1 million over the same period of time. Newsflash McCain campaign: if the throwing of red meat to your conservative base is going to bring you a 10:1 fundraising disadvantage and continue to turn off Independent voters, you may want to reconsider such a strategy.
Last Thursday, the country and the world heard what was universally heralded as one of the greatest political speeches of our generation's time, as delivered by Barack Obama accepting the Democratic nomination for the presidency.The Detroit Free Press invited a panel of Michigan voters to weigh in on Gov. Sarah Palin's speech last night. Their reactions run the gamut, but the independents didn't seem to care for her very much.
Ilene Beninson, 52, Berkley independent: "Her speech contained few statements about policy or the party platform. … I am not convinced that Palin's experience as a mayor or governor in Alaska meet the qualifications to be vice president much less one stroke or heart attack away from being commander in chief.”
Mike Kosh, 38, West Bloomfield independent: “The way it looks to me, she's the Republican vice presidential nominee for one reason: Because Hillary wasn't selected.”
George Lentz, 66, Southfield independent: “I was completely underwhelmed. She was a Republican novelty act with a sophomoric script. It was not even a speech I would expect for someone running for the local PTA, much less for vice president.”
Diane Murphy, 42, Sterling Heights independent: “It appears that once she makes up her mind, that is the end of it. We live in a gray world, not every answer is black and white.”
Jan Wheelock, 58, Royal Oak independent: “Nothing worked for me. I found her barrage of snide remarks and distortions to be a major turnoff. She is not a class act. The most important point she made is that she will be an effective attack dog.”]
So, then, one might ask why exactly if this is supposed to remain a private matter is Levi Johnston, the boyfriend of Governor Palin's daughter and alleged father of the pregnancy, currently en route from Alaska to St. Paul to be present at the Republican Convention? This must be one of those "special" private matters (kind of like John McCain being a POW...say, you haven't heard about that yet?) that when discussed in a negative light pertaining to the larger political issues of a campaign they become "off limits", but can be unquestionably exploited by the campaign itself in whatever perverse manner they desire. In this particular case, it appears they believe having little Levi around the convention will make all those "family values" Republicans proud, continuing to miscalculate, in my judgment, precisely how damaging the ever-expanding media coverage of the dozens of news stories one could collectively refer to as 'Palin-gate' will be to their campaign in the longer-term of the general election.
