Scientists have decoded the complete DNA of a cancer patient and traced her disease to its genetic roots.
The Washington University team identified 10 gene mutations which appeared key to the development of the woman's acute myeloid leukaemia.
Just two of these had been linked to the disease before.
The sequencing technique, described in the journal Nature, could be applied to other cancers and aid the design of targeted drugs.
=====================================
By Liz Szabo
Talk about personalized medicine: For the first time, scientists have mapped all the genes in a single person's cancer, allowing them to uncover eight new genes that could lead to better ways to treat the disease.
Researchers used malignant blood cells from a 50-something woman who died of acute myeloid leukemia, a cancer of blood-forming cells in the bone marrow, according to a paper in today's Nature. Doctors mapped all the genes in her tumor cells, the compared them — side by side — with the genes in a normal cell from her skin.
That allowed them to see exactly how the DNA of cancer differs from healthy DNA, says author Timothy Ley, a professor of medicine and genetics at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.
Ley and his colleagues found just 10 key genetic changes in the woman's leukemia. Eight were new genes never before linked to this kind of cancer.
Ley says his findings are a reminder of cancer's daunting complexity.
He examined tumor samples from 187 other patients with the same type of leukemia, hoping to find many genes in common — something that could make it easier to design one drug that would work for everyone. But none of the other patients had the same eight new mutations found in the woman's tumor.
That suggests that even cancers that look alike may actually be caused by completely different genetic changes, Ley says.
"There's a lot to learn," Ley says. "We're just getting started."
It's possible, Ley says, that doctors may find that there are dozens of genes that contribute to this type of leukemia. He compares the pathways to cancer development like the roads that lead to a city. Although these roads may follow different paths, they all converge at once place. In the future, doctors will try to design drugs that block the parts of these pathways that cells have in common, much as police set up roadblocks on commonly used highways.
Ley and colleagues are already mapping another patient's "cancer genome," as the collection of genes is called, and hopes to quickly map 10 more.
"We need to do hundreds, if not thousands, of each of the major cancer types," he says.
But researchers won't need to map every patient's genome, says Ley, who adds that sequencing this patient's genes cost $1.6 million.
After mapping enough individual genomes, Ley says, scientists will get a good idea of all the mutations that can make a cell malignant. That might allow them to design drugs that block the bad genes.
Doctors now use a designer drug to treat another type of leukemia, called chronic myeloid leukemia, as well as rare gastrointestinal tumor. That drug, Gleevec, is one of the few real breakthroughs in cancer. It works so well because it blocks the very first mutation involved in those cancers, says Gleevec's developer, Brian Druker, a professor at the Oregon Health and Science University Knight Cancer Institute who says Ley's techniques are incredibly promising.
Researchers already have developed a drug that blocks one of the well-known mutations in the woman's leukemia cells, called FLT-3. That drug has had limited success, however, because the FLT-3 mutation happens relatively late in the cancer process, after a cell has already become abnormal, Druker says.
"It's like trying to put out a wildfire after it already covers acres and acres," says Druker, who wasn't involved in Ley's study.
Ideally, he says, researchers will develop more drugs that block the earliest changes in cancer.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Obama promises rescue plan for middle class in ad
The tone of the rhetoric in the U.S. presidential campaign is sharpening with less than a week to go until Election Day. Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain are focused on the economy and each other in the final days of the campaign, as we hear from VOA National Correspondent Jim Malone in Washington.
******************************************
By JIM KUHNHENN
WASHINGTON (AP) — He was the family man, the solutions-driven politician, the gifted orator. But for those who still harbor doubts about his candidacy, Barack Obama sought to present a special image — a man ready to sit in the Oval Office.
Amid a pastiche of American stories, the Democratic presidential nominee spent 30-minutes and more than $4 million of prepaid television time Wednesday delivering his final introduction to the public.
He capped the prime-time commercial with a live address from Sunrise, Fla., with a full-throated appeal for help and for votes.
"If you'll stand with me, and fight by my side, and cast your ballot for me, then I promise you, we will not just win Florida, we will win this election. And together we will change this country and change the world," he said to a roaring crowd.
The commercial and his live remarks from one of the main battlegrounds in the presidential contest represented a return to the unifying themes of his speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention that launched him into national politics.
"In six days, we can choose hope over fear and unity over division, the promise of change over the power of the status quo," he said. "In six days, we can come together as one nation, and one people, and once more choose our better history."
The ad was a dashing display of Obama's fundraising prowess. He bought his way into millions of American homes just six days before the end of an exhausting, 21-month quest for the presidency.
As a message, the ad was equal parts Americana, stump speech and quasi-presidential address. The most formal scenes — Obama describing his government agenda — were filmed in a distinguished looking office with a flag and a backdrop not unlike that of the Oval Office.
The spot was a mix of prerecorded Obama and voters, plus a live appearance from the campaign trail by the candidate. He offered prescriptions for an ailing economy and a rescue plan for a middle class caught in tough times.
"I will not be a perfect president," Obama said. "But I can promise you this — I will always tell you what I think and where I stand."
Aides described the unusual ad as a final summation of Obama's campaign. They put the total cost at roughly $4 million, enough to show it simultaneously on CBS, NBC and Fox. It also ran on BET, Univision, MSNBC and TV One.
Besides the Oval Office setting, the commercial included views of Obama speaking at the 2004 and 2008 Democratic conventions and elsewhere, as well as scenes of Americans discussing their economic and health care troubles, and testimonials to him by politicians and business executives.
The ad showed his wife, Michelle, and his two daughters as well as photos of his black father from Kenya and white mother from Kansas.
Without the money to match the commercial, Republican rival John McCain sniped at the man and the moment.
"He's got a few things he wants to sell you: He's offering government-run health care ... an energy plan guaranteed to work without drilling ... and an automatic wealth spreader that folds neatly and fits under any bed," McCain said during a campaign stop in Florida.
McCain also criticized Obama for having signed a pledge to accept federal funds for the fall campaign and then breaking his word.
By opting out of the public financing, Obama was free to raise unheard of millions for the final weeks of the race, and afford costly events such as the television commercial.
After months of campaigning, Obama offered no new proposals in the ad. Instead, he stressed his plan to offer tax cuts to the middle class, "restore the long-term health of our economy and our middle class."
Obama said the nation's neglected problems predate President Bush, but that the economic crisis was a "final verdict on eight years of failed policies."
The video featured footage shot by Davis Guggenheim, the director and executive producer of former Vice President Al Gore's global warming documentary "An Inconvenient Truth." Guggenheim also produced and directed the HBO series "Deadwood." In the commercial, his scenes play out against a soaring score.
The ad did not appear on ABC because by the time the network decided to offer the time slot to Obama, his campaign had already finalized the ad buy, according to people familiar with the discussions who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly.
Earlier, taping an appearance on Comedy Central's "The Daily Show" for broadcast Wednesday night, Obama said he had to reassure one of his daughters that the commercial would not pre-empt all programming.
"I was describing this to Michelle and my daughters, and Malia, who's 10, said, 'Hold up a second. Are you saying that my programs are going to be interrupted?' I said, 'No, we didn't buy on Disney.' So she was relieved."
******************************************
By JIM KUHNHENN
WASHINGTON (AP) — He was the family man, the solutions-driven politician, the gifted orator. But for those who still harbor doubts about his candidacy, Barack Obama sought to present a special image — a man ready to sit in the Oval Office.
Amid a pastiche of American stories, the Democratic presidential nominee spent 30-minutes and more than $4 million of prepaid television time Wednesday delivering his final introduction to the public.
He capped the prime-time commercial with a live address from Sunrise, Fla., with a full-throated appeal for help and for votes.
"If you'll stand with me, and fight by my side, and cast your ballot for me, then I promise you, we will not just win Florida, we will win this election. And together we will change this country and change the world," he said to a roaring crowd.
The commercial and his live remarks from one of the main battlegrounds in the presidential contest represented a return to the unifying themes of his speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention that launched him into national politics.
"In six days, we can choose hope over fear and unity over division, the promise of change over the power of the status quo," he said. "In six days, we can come together as one nation, and one people, and once more choose our better history."
The ad was a dashing display of Obama's fundraising prowess. He bought his way into millions of American homes just six days before the end of an exhausting, 21-month quest for the presidency.
As a message, the ad was equal parts Americana, stump speech and quasi-presidential address. The most formal scenes — Obama describing his government agenda — were filmed in a distinguished looking office with a flag and a backdrop not unlike that of the Oval Office.
The spot was a mix of prerecorded Obama and voters, plus a live appearance from the campaign trail by the candidate. He offered prescriptions for an ailing economy and a rescue plan for a middle class caught in tough times.
"I will not be a perfect president," Obama said. "But I can promise you this — I will always tell you what I think and where I stand."
Aides described the unusual ad as a final summation of Obama's campaign. They put the total cost at roughly $4 million, enough to show it simultaneously on CBS, NBC and Fox. It also ran on BET, Univision, MSNBC and TV One.
Besides the Oval Office setting, the commercial included views of Obama speaking at the 2004 and 2008 Democratic conventions and elsewhere, as well as scenes of Americans discussing their economic and health care troubles, and testimonials to him by politicians and business executives.
The ad showed his wife, Michelle, and his two daughters as well as photos of his black father from Kenya and white mother from Kansas.
Without the money to match the commercial, Republican rival John McCain sniped at the man and the moment.
"He's got a few things he wants to sell you: He's offering government-run health care ... an energy plan guaranteed to work without drilling ... and an automatic wealth spreader that folds neatly and fits under any bed," McCain said during a campaign stop in Florida.
McCain also criticized Obama for having signed a pledge to accept federal funds for the fall campaign and then breaking his word.
By opting out of the public financing, Obama was free to raise unheard of millions for the final weeks of the race, and afford costly events such as the television commercial.
After months of campaigning, Obama offered no new proposals in the ad. Instead, he stressed his plan to offer tax cuts to the middle class, "restore the long-term health of our economy and our middle class."
Obama said the nation's neglected problems predate President Bush, but that the economic crisis was a "final verdict on eight years of failed policies."
The video featured footage shot by Davis Guggenheim, the director and executive producer of former Vice President Al Gore's global warming documentary "An Inconvenient Truth." Guggenheim also produced and directed the HBO series "Deadwood." In the commercial, his scenes play out against a soaring score.
The ad did not appear on ABC because by the time the network decided to offer the time slot to Obama, his campaign had already finalized the ad buy, according to people familiar with the discussions who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly.
Earlier, taping an appearance on Comedy Central's "The Daily Show" for broadcast Wednesday night, Obama said he had to reassure one of his daughters that the commercial would not pre-empt all programming.
"I was describing this to Michelle and my daughters, and Malia, who's 10, said, 'Hold up a second. Are you saying that my programs are going to be interrupted?' I said, 'No, we didn't buy on Disney.' So she was relieved."
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Obama well ahead nationally, tied in Ohio
Democrat Barack Obama widened his lead over Republican John McCain in most national polls and surveys of key states as the U.S. election contest heads into its final full week.
The Illinois senator was up 8 points over presidential rival McCain in an average of 16 polls taken during the last week, according to RealClearPolitics.com. Last week, Obama was up about 6 points.
**********************************
By The Associated Press
NATIONAL
THE POLL: Newsweek poll, national presidential race among registered voters nationwide.
THE NUMBERS: Barack Obama 53 percent, John McCain 40 percent.
OF INTEREST: Obama's lead is as strong among likely voters, 53-41. Obama appears to be consolidating his support across demographic groups, leading in every age group and among men as well as women. In a reversal from April, when McCain led Obama among working-class whites 53-35, the poll found Obama with 46 percent to McCain's 44 percent. The survey also found that 62 percent now say they have a favorable view of Obama, versus 32 percent who have an unfavorable view.
DETAILS: Conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International from Oct. 22-23 by telephone with 1,204 adults and 1,092 registered voters. Sampling error margin plus or minus 3.4 percentage points for all adults and 3.6 percentage points for registered voters.
MORE: http://www.newsweek.com
___
OHIO
THE POLL: Ohio Newspaper Poll, presidential race in Ohio (20 electoral votes) among likely voters.
THE NUMBERS: Barack Obama 49 percent, John McCain 46 percent.
OF INTEREST: Obama has taken the lead in a poll that in September showed the Republican with a 6-point lead. The latest results essentially show a deadlocked race once the margin of error is considered. Most other polls have also shown the race extremely close. The poll also found that 11 percent of voters might still change their minds, while 3 percent are undecided. Obama has a big advantage among women voters and is about even with Republican McCain among men.
DETAILS: The poll was conducted from Oct. 18-22 for the state's eight largest daily newspapers. It involved telephone interviews with 886 likely voters in Ohio, with a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.3 percentage points.
The Illinois senator was up 8 points over presidential rival McCain in an average of 16 polls taken during the last week, according to RealClearPolitics.com. Last week, Obama was up about 6 points.
**********************************
By The Associated Press
NATIONAL
THE POLL: Newsweek poll, national presidential race among registered voters nationwide.
THE NUMBERS: Barack Obama 53 percent, John McCain 40 percent.
OF INTEREST: Obama's lead is as strong among likely voters, 53-41. Obama appears to be consolidating his support across demographic groups, leading in every age group and among men as well as women. In a reversal from April, when McCain led Obama among working-class whites 53-35, the poll found Obama with 46 percent to McCain's 44 percent. The survey also found that 62 percent now say they have a favorable view of Obama, versus 32 percent who have an unfavorable view.
DETAILS: Conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International from Oct. 22-23 by telephone with 1,204 adults and 1,092 registered voters. Sampling error margin plus or minus 3.4 percentage points for all adults and 3.6 percentage points for registered voters.
MORE: http://www.newsweek.com
___
OHIO
THE POLL: Ohio Newspaper Poll, presidential race in Ohio (20 electoral votes) among likely voters.
THE NUMBERS: Barack Obama 49 percent, John McCain 46 percent.
OF INTEREST: Obama has taken the lead in a poll that in September showed the Republican with a 6-point lead. The latest results essentially show a deadlocked race once the margin of error is considered. Most other polls have also shown the race extremely close. The poll also found that 11 percent of voters might still change their minds, while 3 percent are undecided. Obama has a big advantage among women voters and is about even with Republican McCain among men.
DETAILS: The poll was conducted from Oct. 18-22 for the state's eight largest daily newspapers. It involved telephone interviews with 886 likely voters in Ohio, with a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.3 percentage points.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Liberals let loose on Palin and Joe the Plumber
McCain and his running mate Sarah Palin have been attacking Obama using the Delaware Senator’s remarks - arguing that even his own VP nominee thinks Obama is too weak to pass the international test. In fact, Biden actually said Obama has the strength to stand up to such a crisis.
In a press release, the McCain campaign says “because of Barack Obama’s inexperience, Joe Biden has guaranteed the American people that the world will test Barack Obama within the first six months of being elected. If Barack Obama’s vote against the surge and response to the Russia-Georgia crisis are any indication, Americans can’t afford to see if he passes the test or not.”
****************************************
By Ruben Navarrette Jr.
Special to CNN
SAN DIEGO, California (CNN) -- I thought liberals were supposed to be good-hearted, open-minded and non-judgmental.
Tell that to the angry Left's favorite piñata, Sarah Palin. As far as liberals are concerned, Palin can do no right just as Barack Obama and Joe Biden can do no wrong. In fact, Biden is catching more passes than an NFL wide receiver.
As Palin herself pointed out in a recent CNN interview, imagine if she had been the one to imply that electing Obama would invite calamity. Biden does it, and the media shrug.
I also thought the Democratic Party was supposed to go to bat for the little guy, the everyday Joe the Plumber.
Tell that to Joe Wurzelbacher, the Ohio resident who got his 15 minutes -- and 40 lashes -- because he dared question Obama about his tax plan. Obama insists that the plan would raise taxes only on those Americans earning more than $250,000 per year. It was then Obama made his clumsy "spread the wealth" comment.
What was Joe thinking: that we live in a democracy where everyday Americans who pay the salaries of elected officials can dare question their policies? That just isn't done.
To prove it, the elites who run the Democratic Party -- along with their surrogates in the media and organized labor -- went after the plumber.
We now know that Samuel Joe Wurzelbacher owes back taxes, doesn't have a plumbing license (he told the Associated Press he doesn't need one because he works for someone else's company), and may not be registered to vote.
Commenting on a CNN.com story, one condescending reader wrote that Joe the Plumber should pipe down and "get back in my bathroom and unclog the toilet."
Even Biden and Obama got in a few licks. Biden quipped to Jay Leno that Democrats wanted to take care of "Joe-the-real-plumber-with-a-license," and Obama sarcastically asked supporters, "how many plumbers do you know making $250,000 a year?" The implication being that Joe the Plumber isn't who he pretends to be.
What worries me is that the Democrats aren't what they pretend to be.
Obama supporters like to talk about how the Democratic presidential nominee has lived the American Dream. So why is it to so hard for them to conceive of a situation where someone dreams of earning more money a few years from now than they earn today. Has Barack Obama consumed all the social mobility this country has to offer, so there isn't any left for the rest of us?
Now, the Obama-Biden boosters have refocused their attention on their earlier irritant, Sarah Palin.
The latest media template is that the vice presidential nominee is a drag on the GOP ticket. Pundits detect a backlash, not just among Democrats who love to hate Sarah Palin but also among women, independents and seniors. They cite polls showing Palin with an unfavorable rating of 50 percent.
So what? We're in the post-Clinton, post-Bush era of polarization where any politician with a pulse -- Sorry, Joe Biden -- will be loved by half the country and hated by the other half.
It's surreal. Before McCain put Palin on the ticket, he was getting 200 people at campaign rallies, and now, when he appears when Palin, he gets 20,000. Yes, definitely a drag. iReport.com: Rock star welcome for Palin in Ohio
McCain oversold it when he said Palin was the most qualified vice presidential candidate in recent history. Better than Dick Cheney? Could she be worse? Obama might have paid Biden the same compliment if his running mate hadn't already told supporters that Hillary Clinton would have been a better choice.
Then there is the faux-scandal that the Republican National Committee shelled out $150,000 in the past several weeks on Palin and her family for campaign wardrobe, accessories, makeup, etc.
Many Americans don't see why it's a story. Fellow hockey mom Page Growney of New Canaan, Conn., asked The Associated Press, "What did you want to see her in, a turtleneck from L.L. Bean?"
Still, we're told, this tempest in a Gucci bag has some Republicans worrying that shopping sprees at Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue might undermine Palin's everywoman image. To think, just last month, the criticism was that Sarah the Moose Hunter wasn't sufficiently sophisticated or glamorous. Now her wardrobe signals the hockey mom is high-maintenance.
Just how many more caricatures -- some of them contradictory -- can we expect the left to throw at Sarah Palin before time runs out on this election?
In a press release, the McCain campaign says “because of Barack Obama’s inexperience, Joe Biden has guaranteed the American people that the world will test Barack Obama within the first six months of being elected. If Barack Obama’s vote against the surge and response to the Russia-Georgia crisis are any indication, Americans can’t afford to see if he passes the test or not.”
****************************************
By Ruben Navarrette Jr.
Special to CNN
SAN DIEGO, California (CNN) -- I thought liberals were supposed to be good-hearted, open-minded and non-judgmental.
Tell that to the angry Left's favorite piñata, Sarah Palin. As far as liberals are concerned, Palin can do no right just as Barack Obama and Joe Biden can do no wrong. In fact, Biden is catching more passes than an NFL wide receiver.
As Palin herself pointed out in a recent CNN interview, imagine if she had been the one to imply that electing Obama would invite calamity. Biden does it, and the media shrug.
I also thought the Democratic Party was supposed to go to bat for the little guy, the everyday Joe the Plumber.
Tell that to Joe Wurzelbacher, the Ohio resident who got his 15 minutes -- and 40 lashes -- because he dared question Obama about his tax plan. Obama insists that the plan would raise taxes only on those Americans earning more than $250,000 per year. It was then Obama made his clumsy "spread the wealth" comment.
What was Joe thinking: that we live in a democracy where everyday Americans who pay the salaries of elected officials can dare question their policies? That just isn't done.
To prove it, the elites who run the Democratic Party -- along with their surrogates in the media and organized labor -- went after the plumber.
We now know that Samuel Joe Wurzelbacher owes back taxes, doesn't have a plumbing license (he told the Associated Press he doesn't need one because he works for someone else's company), and may not be registered to vote.
Commenting on a CNN.com story, one condescending reader wrote that Joe the Plumber should pipe down and "get back in my bathroom and unclog the toilet."
Even Biden and Obama got in a few licks. Biden quipped to Jay Leno that Democrats wanted to take care of "Joe-the-real-plumber-with-a-license," and Obama sarcastically asked supporters, "how many plumbers do you know making $250,000 a year?" The implication being that Joe the Plumber isn't who he pretends to be.
What worries me is that the Democrats aren't what they pretend to be.
Obama supporters like to talk about how the Democratic presidential nominee has lived the American Dream. So why is it to so hard for them to conceive of a situation where someone dreams of earning more money a few years from now than they earn today. Has Barack Obama consumed all the social mobility this country has to offer, so there isn't any left for the rest of us?
Now, the Obama-Biden boosters have refocused their attention on their earlier irritant, Sarah Palin.
The latest media template is that the vice presidential nominee is a drag on the GOP ticket. Pundits detect a backlash, not just among Democrats who love to hate Sarah Palin but also among women, independents and seniors. They cite polls showing Palin with an unfavorable rating of 50 percent.
So what? We're in the post-Clinton, post-Bush era of polarization where any politician with a pulse -- Sorry, Joe Biden -- will be loved by half the country and hated by the other half.
It's surreal. Before McCain put Palin on the ticket, he was getting 200 people at campaign rallies, and now, when he appears when Palin, he gets 20,000. Yes, definitely a drag. iReport.com: Rock star welcome for Palin in Ohio
McCain oversold it when he said Palin was the most qualified vice presidential candidate in recent history. Better than Dick Cheney? Could she be worse? Obama might have paid Biden the same compliment if his running mate hadn't already told supporters that Hillary Clinton would have been a better choice.
Then there is the faux-scandal that the Republican National Committee shelled out $150,000 in the past several weeks on Palin and her family for campaign wardrobe, accessories, makeup, etc.
Many Americans don't see why it's a story. Fellow hockey mom Page Growney of New Canaan, Conn., asked The Associated Press, "What did you want to see her in, a turtleneck from L.L. Bean?"
Still, we're told, this tempest in a Gucci bag has some Republicans worrying that shopping sprees at Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue might undermine Palin's everywoman image. To think, just last month, the criticism was that Sarah the Moose Hunter wasn't sufficiently sophisticated or glamorous. Now her wardrobe signals the hockey mom is high-maintenance.
Just how many more caricatures -- some of them contradictory -- can we expect the left to throw at Sarah Palin before time runs out on this election?
Thursday, October 23, 2008
New polls show dead heat or Obama landslide
Senator Barack Obama is showing surprising strength among portions of the political coalition that returned George W. Bush to the White House four years ago, a cross section of support that, if it continues through Election Day, would exceed that of Bill Clinton in 1992, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News polls.
Underscoring the building strength of Mr. Obama’s candidacy in the final phase of the campaign, he was ahead of Mr. McCain among various groups that voted for Mr. Bush four years ago: those with incomes greater than $50,000 a year; married women; suburbanites; white Catholics, and is even competitive among white men — a group that has not voted for a Democrat over a Republican since 1972, when pollsters began surveying people after they voted.
*********************************************
By Jimmy Orr
immortal words of Sheila Broflovsky, “What, what, what?!?!?”
John McCain and Barack Obama are tied?
Well, it depends on who you’re listening to. Two new national polls show the race is statistically a dead heat. But new state-by-state polls are showing something completely different. And to make things as confusing as possible, the polls are all coming out at around the same time.
Signs of life
We’ll first look at the polls which show the McCain campaign has a pulse.
The Associated Press/GfK survey released yesterday gives Obama a one-point lead at 44 - 43 percent. While a George Washington University Battleground poll put out today shows Obama at 44 percent and McCain at 42 percent.
The Associated Press says its poll shows that McCain’s stronger showing in the third debate and using Joe the Plumber to carry his less taxes message are working.
“Since McCain has seized on that line of argument, he has picked up support among white married people and non-college educated whites, the poll shows, while widening his advantage among white men,” AP reporter Liz Sidoti writes.
“The Republican also has improved his rating for handling the economy and the financial crisis. Nearly half of likely voters think their taxes will rise under an Obama administration compared with a third who say McCain would raise their taxes.”
GW Battleground
Criteria for surveying voters vary from pollster to pollster. As for the George Washington University Battleground Poll, Bloomberg reports the directors of this poll purposely did not interview people on Friday and Saturday.
“I think there are a lot of the harder core Republicans that are family adults that just will not engage in polling over the weekend,” Goeas said.
In addition, some pollsters have an “unrealistic” expectation that the youth vote will dramatically increase this year, he said. Younger voters tend to be Obama voters by large margins.
Zombies
If these polls are legitimate and not outliers, then in the true spirit of this late October season, the Republican candidate’s campaign — just like a pack of wild zombies — has come back from the dead.
We could even apply the lines of the cult classic “Return of the Living Dead,” to Team McCain.
Paramedic #1: You have no pulse, your blood pressure’s zero-over-zero, you have no pupillary response, no reflexes and your temperature is 70 degrees.
McCain Campaign: Well, what does that mean?
Paramedic #1: Well, it’s a puzzle because, technically, you’re not alive. Except you’re conscious, so we don’t know what it means.
McCain Campaign: Are you saying we’re dead?
Paramedic #2: Well, let’s not jump to conclusions.
It is easy, however, to jump to conclusions when looking at polls. A national poll is one thing, but presidents are not elected by popular vote. It’s all about the Electoral College — the road to 270.
No Zombies
The Big Ten Battleground Poll released today shows Obama with sizable leads in eight Midwest states including Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois and Minnesota.
The results are tough for the McCain campaign — especially in key states like Ohio where Obama has a 12 point lead and Pennsylvania where McCain is down by 11 points. Even Indiana, which hasn’t voted Republican since 1964, is in Obama’s camp with a 10 point lead.
It’s the economy
Not surprisingly the directors of the poll credit the economy for Obama’s dominance.
“McCain was gaining until the financial crisis hit,” said Charles Franklin, co-director of the poll. “Once the crisis hit, support moved from McCain to Obama.”
Here’s how they break it down.
# Illinois: Obama 61, McCain 32.
# Indiana: Obama 51, McCain 41.
# Iowa: Obama 52, McCain 39.
# Michigan: Obama 58, McCain 36.
# Minnesota: Obama 57, McCain 38
# Ohio: Obama 53, McCain 41.
# Pennsylvania: Obama 52, McCain 41.
# Wisconsin: Obama 53, McCain 40.
Another poll, same result
Another state-by-state poll echoes the Big Ten results. The Quinnipiac University Swing State poll gives Obama a five point edge in Florida, a 14 point lead in Ohio and a 13 point lead in Pennsylvania.
Obama is doing some big damage said the directors of this poll. Historic damage.
“As we enter the home stretch, Sen. Obama is winning voter groups that no Democrat has carried in more than four decades, and he holds very solid leads in the big swing states. If these numbers hold up, he could win the biggest Democratic landslide since Lyndon Johnson in 1964,” said Peter Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.
Just like the Big Ten poll, it’s all about the economy.
“Voters are scared about their economic futures and have decided that Sen. Obama is Mr. Fix-it,” Brown said.
Who’s right?
So with 11 days to go before the election, which polls do you believe? Pollsters say take the average. The Associated Press explains it this way:
Every poll has a margin of sampling error, usually around 3 percentage points for 1,000 people. That means the results of a poll of 1,000 people should fall within 3 points of the results you would expect had the pollster instead interviewed the entire population of the U.S.
But — and this is important — the results are expected to be that accurate only 95 percent of the time. That means that one time in 20, pollsters expect to interview a group whose views are not that close to the overall population’s views.
UPDATE: Just to make things even more confusing, a new national poll arrives on the scene. A new CBS/New York Times poll just came out and it shows Obama up by 13 by a 52 - 39 margin. These were similar to the numbers recorded last week.
If there’s any hope for McCain from looking at this poll, it’s movement from Independents.
Obama’s lead among independent voters, who have swung back and forth between the candidates, has fallen 12 points since last week - though the Democratic nominee still holds a 45 percent to 39 percent edge among the group.
Underscoring the building strength of Mr. Obama’s candidacy in the final phase of the campaign, he was ahead of Mr. McCain among various groups that voted for Mr. Bush four years ago: those with incomes greater than $50,000 a year; married women; suburbanites; white Catholics, and is even competitive among white men — a group that has not voted for a Democrat over a Republican since 1972, when pollsters began surveying people after they voted.
*********************************************
By Jimmy Orr
immortal words of Sheila Broflovsky, “What, what, what?!?!?”
John McCain and Barack Obama are tied?
Well, it depends on who you’re listening to. Two new national polls show the race is statistically a dead heat. But new state-by-state polls are showing something completely different. And to make things as confusing as possible, the polls are all coming out at around the same time.
Signs of life
We’ll first look at the polls which show the McCain campaign has a pulse.
The Associated Press/GfK survey released yesterday gives Obama a one-point lead at 44 - 43 percent. While a George Washington University Battleground poll put out today shows Obama at 44 percent and McCain at 42 percent.
The Associated Press says its poll shows that McCain’s stronger showing in the third debate and using Joe the Plumber to carry his less taxes message are working.
“Since McCain has seized on that line of argument, he has picked up support among white married people and non-college educated whites, the poll shows, while widening his advantage among white men,” AP reporter Liz Sidoti writes.
“The Republican also has improved his rating for handling the economy and the financial crisis. Nearly half of likely voters think their taxes will rise under an Obama administration compared with a third who say McCain would raise their taxes.”
GW Battleground
Criteria for surveying voters vary from pollster to pollster. As for the George Washington University Battleground Poll, Bloomberg reports the directors of this poll purposely did not interview people on Friday and Saturday.
“I think there are a lot of the harder core Republicans that are family adults that just will not engage in polling over the weekend,” Goeas said.
In addition, some pollsters have an “unrealistic” expectation that the youth vote will dramatically increase this year, he said. Younger voters tend to be Obama voters by large margins.
Zombies
If these polls are legitimate and not outliers, then in the true spirit of this late October season, the Republican candidate’s campaign — just like a pack of wild zombies — has come back from the dead.
We could even apply the lines of the cult classic “Return of the Living Dead,” to Team McCain.
Paramedic #1: You have no pulse, your blood pressure’s zero-over-zero, you have no pupillary response, no reflexes and your temperature is 70 degrees.
McCain Campaign: Well, what does that mean?
Paramedic #1: Well, it’s a puzzle because, technically, you’re not alive. Except you’re conscious, so we don’t know what it means.
McCain Campaign: Are you saying we’re dead?
Paramedic #2: Well, let’s not jump to conclusions.
It is easy, however, to jump to conclusions when looking at polls. A national poll is one thing, but presidents are not elected by popular vote. It’s all about the Electoral College — the road to 270.
No Zombies
The Big Ten Battleground Poll released today shows Obama with sizable leads in eight Midwest states including Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois and Minnesota.
The results are tough for the McCain campaign — especially in key states like Ohio where Obama has a 12 point lead and Pennsylvania where McCain is down by 11 points. Even Indiana, which hasn’t voted Republican since 1964, is in Obama’s camp with a 10 point lead.
It’s the economy
Not surprisingly the directors of the poll credit the economy for Obama’s dominance.
“McCain was gaining until the financial crisis hit,” said Charles Franklin, co-director of the poll. “Once the crisis hit, support moved from McCain to Obama.”
Here’s how they break it down.
# Illinois: Obama 61, McCain 32.
# Indiana: Obama 51, McCain 41.
# Iowa: Obama 52, McCain 39.
# Michigan: Obama 58, McCain 36.
# Minnesota: Obama 57, McCain 38
# Ohio: Obama 53, McCain 41.
# Pennsylvania: Obama 52, McCain 41.
# Wisconsin: Obama 53, McCain 40.
Another poll, same result
Another state-by-state poll echoes the Big Ten results. The Quinnipiac University Swing State poll gives Obama a five point edge in Florida, a 14 point lead in Ohio and a 13 point lead in Pennsylvania.
Obama is doing some big damage said the directors of this poll. Historic damage.
“As we enter the home stretch, Sen. Obama is winning voter groups that no Democrat has carried in more than four decades, and he holds very solid leads in the big swing states. If these numbers hold up, he could win the biggest Democratic landslide since Lyndon Johnson in 1964,” said Peter Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.
Just like the Big Ten poll, it’s all about the economy.
“Voters are scared about their economic futures and have decided that Sen. Obama is Mr. Fix-it,” Brown said.
Who’s right?
So with 11 days to go before the election, which polls do you believe? Pollsters say take the average. The Associated Press explains it this way:
Every poll has a margin of sampling error, usually around 3 percentage points for 1,000 people. That means the results of a poll of 1,000 people should fall within 3 points of the results you would expect had the pollster instead interviewed the entire population of the U.S.
But — and this is important — the results are expected to be that accurate only 95 percent of the time. That means that one time in 20, pollsters expect to interview a group whose views are not that close to the overall population’s views.
UPDATE: Just to make things even more confusing, a new national poll arrives on the scene. A new CBS/New York Times poll just came out and it shows Obama up by 13 by a 52 - 39 margin. These were similar to the numbers recorded last week.
If there’s any hope for McCain from looking at this poll, it’s movement from Independents.
Obama’s lead among independent voters, who have swung back and forth between the candidates, has fallen 12 points since last week - though the Democratic nominee still holds a 45 percent to 39 percent edge among the group.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
McCain aide fumes over al Qaeda story
Al-Qaeda is watching the U.S. stock market's downward slide with something akin to jubilation, with its leaders hailing the financial crisis as a vindication of its strategy of crippling America's economy through endless, costly foreign wars against Islamist insurgents.
And at least some of its supporters think Sen. John McCain is the presidential candidate best suited to continue that trend.
************************************
by Frank James
A lot of push back from the McCain campaign, as one might expect, to the Washington Post's story today on a posting on an al Qaeda linked website that expressed a preference for Sen. John McCain to win the White House over Sen. Barack Obama.
In a teleconference for which the McCain campaign provided a partial transcript, Randy Scheunemann, McCain's top foreign-policy adviser, questioned why the WaPo would run the story in the form it did, with what he called an "inflammatory" headline: "On al Qaeda web site, joy over U.S. crisis, support for McCain."
He also suggested the WaPo cherry-picked information, implying that it was an anti-McCain hatchet job.
Scheunemann said:
"Now The Washington Post can explain why it used the quotes it did. Minimal perusing of the same website they quoted finds many, many other quotations including one which says quote, 'regardless of who wins the election, the old man or the climber, I inform you it will be dealt with according to your policies towards the land of Islam and Muslims.' So they had many alternative postings that they could have chosen to write about but they obviously chose one, for whatever reasons, wherever they found it, why ever they did it, to create an inflammatory headline that is not even supported by its own story and certainly not supported by a full reading of the Post.
To be honest, I had some qualms about the story when I read it. While the posting was attributed to someone named Muhammad Haafid who was identified in the story as "a longtime contributor to the password-protected site" linked to the terrorist group, the story went on to say:
It was unclear how closely the commentary reflected the views of al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, who has not issued a public statement since the spring. Some terrorism experts said the support for McCain could be mere bluster by a group that may have more to fear from a McCain presidency. In any event, the comments summarized what has emerged as a consensus view on extremist sites, said Adam Raisman, a senior analyst for the Site Intelligence Group, which monitors Islamist Web pages. Site provided translations of the comments to The Washington Post.
"The idea in the jihadist forums is that McCain would be a faithful 'son of Bush' -- someone they see as a jingoist and a war hawk," Raisman said. "They think that, to succeed in a war of attrition, they need a leader in Washington like McCain."
Islamist militants have generally had less to say about Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois. Leaders of the Iranian-backed group Hezbollah expressed a favorable view of Obama during the primary campaign but later rejected the Democrat after he delivered speeches expressing support for Israel.
So we're uncertain if the posting reflects al Qaeda's leaders' real thinking. We also don't know whether or not the posting and other jihadi postings reflects some form of psy ops. What if al Qaeda, for its own strategic reasons, would really prefer an Obama presidency but is using reverse psychology?
McCain supporter James Woolsey, a former Central Intelligence Agency director, made a somewhat similar point during the teleconference.
"... If one takes one individual Islamist blogger from one terrorist Islamist blog, who has come up with this statement that it would be good to have McCain in the White House, I think one has to consider the motives. This individual knows that the endorsement of people like him is a kiss of death, figuratively and literally, so it seems to me it's pretty clear that by making this statement that he wants, that it would be a good thing for McCain to be President, he is clearly trying to damage John McCain, not speaking from his heart. So I must say I think the overall structure of the debate as one analyzes it coming out of this story taken at face value is quite remarkable."
This isn't to say that it's not worth knowing what the enemy is thinking. It's always important to know what's on the enemy's mind. It's just hard to be sure if that's what we're truly getting on these jihadi websites.
But even if terrorists prefer one candidate over the other, what do we do with that information? Are we going to allow terrorists to choose our nation's leaders? I doubt that. We're not going to let them or their sympathizers choose our leaders any more than they let us choose theirs.
Which connects to something else Scheunemann said. He tried to turn the tables on Obama by suggesting that if terrorists support anyone, it's the senator from Illinois. This seemed like misdirected anger, kind of like invading Iraq if you're outraged at al Qaeda.
"Now let me be clear. If we are going to talk about who had got support from terrorist groups in this election I am going to read some quotes, I am not going to characterize them, I will let others judge whether the amount of expression of support or opposition whether they amount to expressions of endorsement or opposition. First this week a Hamas spokesman, Ahmed Yousef said quote, 'I do believe Mr. Biden is a great man and we do count on him as also a good partner with Mr. Obama to put the right policy regarding how to handle problems in the region. It is good for America to have the new administration with someone like Mr. Obama and his vision for change. I do believe actually with this administration, the Bush administration, we don't have luck in ending our isolation. We as Palestinians are thinking we might have better luck with the new administration if Obama wins the election. I do believe that he will change American foreign policy in the way they are handling the Middle East.' Now this has been publicly available for several days. Again this is terrorist group Hamas and their spokesperson Ahmed Yousef. The Washington Post did not find time to write a story about that. Not a single story, not a single mention about a very clear statement from Hamas.
"Second, last month when Iranian President Ahmadinejad was in the United States, he was asked by a student whether he supports Democratic nominee Barack Obama or Republican John McCain. This is what president Ahmadinejad, who has called for the extinction of Israel has said, quote, 'the American government 28 years ago decided to cut its own ties with Iran. We do prefer to have relations whereas one of the candidates in this election would prefer that.' I think everybody on this call understands which candidate for president has endorsed unconditional meetings with president Ahmadinejad.
"Three, from Muammar Qaddafi of Libya, he said talking about Obama 'all the people in the Arab and Islamic world and in Africa applauded this man. They welcomed him and prayed for him and for his success and they may have even been involved in legitimate contribution campaign to enable him to win the American presidency.' I'm not sure if The Washington Post ever reported on that. So we have three clear examples here of very strong statements, none to my knowledge have ever been covered by The Washington Post, all are on the record, all are clear, they are not on an obscure website by an obscure individual where words have to be twisted to create headlines that The Washington Post chooses to put on its stories."
I'm not sure Scheunemann win many points from the fair-minded by doing to the Democratic presidential nominee the exact same thing he excoriated the Post for doing to McCain.
And at least some of its supporters think Sen. John McCain is the presidential candidate best suited to continue that trend.
************************************
by Frank James
A lot of push back from the McCain campaign, as one might expect, to the Washington Post's story today on a posting on an al Qaeda linked website that expressed a preference for Sen. John McCain to win the White House over Sen. Barack Obama.
In a teleconference for which the McCain campaign provided a partial transcript, Randy Scheunemann, McCain's top foreign-policy adviser, questioned why the WaPo would run the story in the form it did, with what he called an "inflammatory" headline: "On al Qaeda web site, joy over U.S. crisis, support for McCain."
He also suggested the WaPo cherry-picked information, implying that it was an anti-McCain hatchet job.
Scheunemann said:
"Now The Washington Post can explain why it used the quotes it did. Minimal perusing of the same website they quoted finds many, many other quotations including one which says quote, 'regardless of who wins the election, the old man or the climber, I inform you it will be dealt with according to your policies towards the land of Islam and Muslims.' So they had many alternative postings that they could have chosen to write about but they obviously chose one, for whatever reasons, wherever they found it, why ever they did it, to create an inflammatory headline that is not even supported by its own story and certainly not supported by a full reading of the Post.
To be honest, I had some qualms about the story when I read it. While the posting was attributed to someone named Muhammad Haafid who was identified in the story as "a longtime contributor to the password-protected site" linked to the terrorist group, the story went on to say:
It was unclear how closely the commentary reflected the views of al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, who has not issued a public statement since the spring. Some terrorism experts said the support for McCain could be mere bluster by a group that may have more to fear from a McCain presidency. In any event, the comments summarized what has emerged as a consensus view on extremist sites, said Adam Raisman, a senior analyst for the Site Intelligence Group, which monitors Islamist Web pages. Site provided translations of the comments to The Washington Post.
"The idea in the jihadist forums is that McCain would be a faithful 'son of Bush' -- someone they see as a jingoist and a war hawk," Raisman said. "They think that, to succeed in a war of attrition, they need a leader in Washington like McCain."
Islamist militants have generally had less to say about Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois. Leaders of the Iranian-backed group Hezbollah expressed a favorable view of Obama during the primary campaign but later rejected the Democrat after he delivered speeches expressing support for Israel.
So we're uncertain if the posting reflects al Qaeda's leaders' real thinking. We also don't know whether or not the posting and other jihadi postings reflects some form of psy ops. What if al Qaeda, for its own strategic reasons, would really prefer an Obama presidency but is using reverse psychology?
McCain supporter James Woolsey, a former Central Intelligence Agency director, made a somewhat similar point during the teleconference.
"... If one takes one individual Islamist blogger from one terrorist Islamist blog, who has come up with this statement that it would be good to have McCain in the White House, I think one has to consider the motives. This individual knows that the endorsement of people like him is a kiss of death, figuratively and literally, so it seems to me it's pretty clear that by making this statement that he wants, that it would be a good thing for McCain to be President, he is clearly trying to damage John McCain, not speaking from his heart. So I must say I think the overall structure of the debate as one analyzes it coming out of this story taken at face value is quite remarkable."
This isn't to say that it's not worth knowing what the enemy is thinking. It's always important to know what's on the enemy's mind. It's just hard to be sure if that's what we're truly getting on these jihadi websites.
But even if terrorists prefer one candidate over the other, what do we do with that information? Are we going to allow terrorists to choose our nation's leaders? I doubt that. We're not going to let them or their sympathizers choose our leaders any more than they let us choose theirs.
Which connects to something else Scheunemann said. He tried to turn the tables on Obama by suggesting that if terrorists support anyone, it's the senator from Illinois. This seemed like misdirected anger, kind of like invading Iraq if you're outraged at al Qaeda.
"Now let me be clear. If we are going to talk about who had got support from terrorist groups in this election I am going to read some quotes, I am not going to characterize them, I will let others judge whether the amount of expression of support or opposition whether they amount to expressions of endorsement or opposition. First this week a Hamas spokesman, Ahmed Yousef said quote, 'I do believe Mr. Biden is a great man and we do count on him as also a good partner with Mr. Obama to put the right policy regarding how to handle problems in the region. It is good for America to have the new administration with someone like Mr. Obama and his vision for change. I do believe actually with this administration, the Bush administration, we don't have luck in ending our isolation. We as Palestinians are thinking we might have better luck with the new administration if Obama wins the election. I do believe that he will change American foreign policy in the way they are handling the Middle East.' Now this has been publicly available for several days. Again this is terrorist group Hamas and their spokesperson Ahmed Yousef. The Washington Post did not find time to write a story about that. Not a single story, not a single mention about a very clear statement from Hamas.
"Second, last month when Iranian President Ahmadinejad was in the United States, he was asked by a student whether he supports Democratic nominee Barack Obama or Republican John McCain. This is what president Ahmadinejad, who has called for the extinction of Israel has said, quote, 'the American government 28 years ago decided to cut its own ties with Iran. We do prefer to have relations whereas one of the candidates in this election would prefer that.' I think everybody on this call understands which candidate for president has endorsed unconditional meetings with president Ahmadinejad.
"Three, from Muammar Qaddafi of Libya, he said talking about Obama 'all the people in the Arab and Islamic world and in Africa applauded this man. They welcomed him and prayed for him and for his success and they may have even been involved in legitimate contribution campaign to enable him to win the American presidency.' I'm not sure if The Washington Post ever reported on that. So we have three clear examples here of very strong statements, none to my knowledge have ever been covered by The Washington Post, all are on the record, all are clear, they are not on an obscure website by an obscure individual where words have to be twisted to create headlines that The Washington Post chooses to put on its stories."
I'm not sure Scheunemann win many points from the fair-minded by doing to the Democratic presidential nominee the exact same thing he excoriated the Post for doing to McCain.
Palin uses the Plumber to call Obama socialist on CNN
Democratical presidential candidate Joe Biden blasted John McCain over the weekend for voting against raising the minimum wage 19 times. CNN.com finds the claim misleading, partly because McCain also voted at least five times to raise it.
McCain, responding to a Fox News question about Barack Obama's statement that he wouldn't raise taxes for 95 percent of Americans, said 40 to 50 percent don't pay any federal taxes. PolitiFact.com ruled that statement mostly true.
*************************************
Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin gave her first interview to CNN Tuesday, and it is hard to say which was the bigger disappointment: the fact that she was still trafficking in Joe-McCarthy-like smears against Barack Obama, or the fact that correspondent Drew Griffin mainly let her get away with it.
CNN called the interview “wide ranging,” but I would call it rambling, with Palin driving the bus while Griffin looked on, nodding and smiling for the most part.
Here was the money moment: “Is Barack Obama a socialist?” Griffin asked.
“I'm not going to call him a socialist,” Palin said. “But as Joe the plumber has suggested, in fact he came right out and said it, it sounds like socialism to him. And he speaks for so many Americans who are quite concerned now after hearing finally what Barack Obama's true intentions are with his tax and economic plan.”
CNN has done exemplary campaign reporting since December, better than any other news division on TV at times, but this interview was not one of its better moments. In some ways, in fact, it served as a reminder of how focused and forceful ABC’s Charles Gibson and CBS’s Katie Couric were in controlling their time with Palin and helping American voters get a measure of the candidate.
Palin was allowed to launch into a long talking point about how Obama’s statement about “redistributing the wealth” is the very definition of socialism. At least, it’s the definition according to Joe the Plumber, the plumber without a plumbing license who doesn’t pay taxes and has suddenly become an expert on socialism.
And the CNN correspondent did little to rein her in.
Typical of the kind of soft, take-it-run-with-it questions that Griffin served up was this one on experience: “You are the only person in the race with executive experience….”
“That’s a good point about experience,” Palin replied brightly. We don’t like to toot our own horns…but I do have more executive experience that Barack Obama does.” And off she was on all the great things she has done as mayor and governor.
She was also given plenty of room to bash her vice presidential opponent, Joe Biden, for comments he made that Obama might be tested internationally in the early days of his presidency. Although she did wind up using the rope to hang herself when she spun out a strange scenario in which she imagined Obama sitting down to talk with Cuban dictator Fidel Castro, and suddenly we are faced with an international crisis.
But she recovered well enough to use the moment to issue a challenge.
“Ask your bosses,” she commanded of Griffin, “Why does Joe Biden get such a pass? …. If I’d a said that (what he said about Obama possibly being tested), you guys would have clobbered me.”
“You’re right,” Griffin said, essentially agreeing with her complaint that the press was treating her unfairly.
To be fair, Griffin did ask her about comments she made saying some parts of the country are “more American” than others.
Her response: “I certainly don't want that interpreted as one area being more patriotic or more American than another. If that's the way it has come across, I apologize.”
The non-apology apology – apologizing for any misunderstanding not what she said.
Griffin also queried her on a recent ethics finding that went against her in Alaska. And he did try to very gently point out a contradiction or two in Palin’s comments.
After she got through pounding away at the evils of “big government” and urging “government to get out of the way and let the private sector do what it does best,” the CNN reporter did point out that McCain supports most of the government intervention in the marketplace now being pushed by the Bush administration.
But Palin, ignoring the contradiction in her comments, replied, “I beg to differ with that.” And then, she was given a wide open field to say that while McCain has supported the “crisis” infusion of cash, he is not for spending more money the way the “Democrats are.”
Unlike Couric or Gibson, Griffin did nothing to try and force her back to the points of contradiction. At one point, he asked her if she felt frustrated at the way some in the press “mocked” her and made it hard for her to get her message out.
“I’m getting my message out right now,” she said.
Indeed, she was -- allowed to simultaneously try to link Obama to socialism and then act like she was taking the high road with Joe the Plumber doing the dirty work for her while CNN’s correspondent looked on.
McCain, responding to a Fox News question about Barack Obama's statement that he wouldn't raise taxes for 95 percent of Americans, said 40 to 50 percent don't pay any federal taxes. PolitiFact.com ruled that statement mostly true.
*************************************
Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin gave her first interview to CNN Tuesday, and it is hard to say which was the bigger disappointment: the fact that she was still trafficking in Joe-McCarthy-like smears against Barack Obama, or the fact that correspondent Drew Griffin mainly let her get away with it.
CNN called the interview “wide ranging,” but I would call it rambling, with Palin driving the bus while Griffin looked on, nodding and smiling for the most part.
Here was the money moment: “Is Barack Obama a socialist?” Griffin asked.
“I'm not going to call him a socialist,” Palin said. “But as Joe the plumber has suggested, in fact he came right out and said it, it sounds like socialism to him. And he speaks for so many Americans who are quite concerned now after hearing finally what Barack Obama's true intentions are with his tax and economic plan.”
CNN has done exemplary campaign reporting since December, better than any other news division on TV at times, but this interview was not one of its better moments. In some ways, in fact, it served as a reminder of how focused and forceful ABC’s Charles Gibson and CBS’s Katie Couric were in controlling their time with Palin and helping American voters get a measure of the candidate.
Palin was allowed to launch into a long talking point about how Obama’s statement about “redistributing the wealth” is the very definition of socialism. At least, it’s the definition according to Joe the Plumber, the plumber without a plumbing license who doesn’t pay taxes and has suddenly become an expert on socialism.
And the CNN correspondent did little to rein her in.
Typical of the kind of soft, take-it-run-with-it questions that Griffin served up was this one on experience: “You are the only person in the race with executive experience….”
“That’s a good point about experience,” Palin replied brightly. We don’t like to toot our own horns…but I do have more executive experience that Barack Obama does.” And off she was on all the great things she has done as mayor and governor.
She was also given plenty of room to bash her vice presidential opponent, Joe Biden, for comments he made that Obama might be tested internationally in the early days of his presidency. Although she did wind up using the rope to hang herself when she spun out a strange scenario in which she imagined Obama sitting down to talk with Cuban dictator Fidel Castro, and suddenly we are faced with an international crisis.
But she recovered well enough to use the moment to issue a challenge.
“Ask your bosses,” she commanded of Griffin, “Why does Joe Biden get such a pass? …. If I’d a said that (what he said about Obama possibly being tested), you guys would have clobbered me.”
“You’re right,” Griffin said, essentially agreeing with her complaint that the press was treating her unfairly.
To be fair, Griffin did ask her about comments she made saying some parts of the country are “more American” than others.
Her response: “I certainly don't want that interpreted as one area being more patriotic or more American than another. If that's the way it has come across, I apologize.”
The non-apology apology – apologizing for any misunderstanding not what she said.
Griffin also queried her on a recent ethics finding that went against her in Alaska. And he did try to very gently point out a contradiction or two in Palin’s comments.
After she got through pounding away at the evils of “big government” and urging “government to get out of the way and let the private sector do what it does best,” the CNN reporter did point out that McCain supports most of the government intervention in the marketplace now being pushed by the Bush administration.
But Palin, ignoring the contradiction in her comments, replied, “I beg to differ with that.” And then, she was given a wide open field to say that while McCain has supported the “crisis” infusion of cash, he is not for spending more money the way the “Democrats are.”
Unlike Couric or Gibson, Griffin did nothing to try and force her back to the points of contradiction. At one point, he asked her if she felt frustrated at the way some in the press “mocked” her and made it hard for her to get her message out.
“I’m getting my message out right now,” she said.
Indeed, she was -- allowed to simultaneously try to link Obama to socialism and then act like she was taking the high road with Joe the Plumber doing the dirty work for her while CNN’s correspondent looked on.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Hillary Clinton: Barack Obama Will Be Ready on Day One
Now Clinton says that Obama will be ready on day one, and is ready for that call. She praised his "steady, calm, intelligent leadership" over the last few months..
"What has happened in the last month, given the economic crisis that we have confronted as a nation, is that the American people could see very starkly the two people vying to be our president," she said.
******************************************
'Back in the Fray' on the Trail, Sen. Clinton Reflects on Own Historic Candidacy
By KATIE ESCHERICH
Oct. 21, 2008
As the presidential campaign enters the homestretch, Sen. Hillary Clinton hit the trail in Nebraska, Tuesday, in support of Sen. Barack Obama, whom she called her friend.
Clinton questioned Obama's experience during the campaign, but in an interview with "Nightline" co-anchor Cynthia McFadden she said that she was now committed to helping him win the White House.
"I was running against him," she said. "I mean, it would be like saying to somebody who just lost the playoffs ... to get into the World Series, 'Well, you know, are you going to root for the team from your league?' And, you know, 'Yeah, I'll get around to it.' ... It's a human experience and, obviously, a lot of human emotion."
Clinton said that after the "intense experience" of the primary, she needed to recharge before returning to campaign on behalf of her former opponent. After "getting a little sleep, taking a few long walks, I was back in the fray and very happy to be doing everything I can for him," she said.
Reflecting on her own historic campaign for the presidency, Clinton said that she had never thought of herself as "the woman candidate, although obviously I was," and that she hadn't anticipated "the historical burden that I was carrying."
When asked about Gov. Sarah Palin, Clinton said that she didn't mind comparisons with the Republican vice presidential candidate, but wouldn't say whether she thought Palin represented a positive step forward for women.
Issues, Clinton said, are "fair game," but "I think that both Barack and Joe [Biden] were very smart, after an initial kind of misstep, in pulling back and not criticizing Governor Palin personally."
Sen. John McCain's campaign has been criticized for raising personal attacks against Obama, in referencing his relationship with former 1960s radical Bill Ayers. McCain initially defended his decision, but the campaign later backed off that approach. Clinton said she wouldn't "make a value judgment" on how another campaign was run. "He gets to run his campaign however he chooses," she said, "But I don't think that he's been very effective in making the case for new leadership and the kind of separation from the Bush policies and the Republican ideology that has been so bad for America."
Clinton on Palin: Let People 'Draw Their Own Conclusions'
Palin referenced Clinton in her first speech after being announced as the vice presidential pick, saying that Clinton had put "18 million cracks in the glass ceiling."
When asked whether she resented Palin invoking her campaign in that speech, Clinton said, "I think we all stand on other people's shoulders. I believe that you can hold two thoughts simultaneously. You can hold the thought that she's an extraordinary woman. She has an incredible set of skills, personal skills that are really apparent in how she connects with people and her life story. But that doesn't mean that she and John McCain should lead our country, for a million reasons that I think people understand."
When asked if Palin was prepared to be commander in chief, Clinton said, "I believe that our ticket is much better." She said that Obama and Joe Biden possess a greater "ability to really assess difficult, complex problems," citing their response to the recent economic crisis.
"The contrast could not be starker," she said. "And see, that's convincing to people. You don't tell people, do this or believe that. Let people see it and draw their own conclusions, and that's what's happened."
Mutual Praise from Obama, Clinton in First Interview Together
Clinton and Obama went their separate ways after a joint appearance Monday in Orlando, Fla. In their first joint interview with "Nightline," the two hugged.
During the campaign, Clinton maintained that Obama didn't have the experience necessary to be commander in chief, most memorably with a campaign ad asking viewers who would be ready for a "3 a.m. phone call."
Now Clinton says that Obama will be ready on day one, and is ready for that call. She praised his "steady, calm, intelligent leadership" over the last few months..
"What has happened in the last month, given the economic crisis that we have confronted as a nation, is that the American people could see very starkly the two people vying to be our president," she said.
On Monday, Obama told "Nightline" that his former opponent has helped his campaign.
"She's been doing great," Obama continued, "And I was just talking to her, I can't thank her enough. In places like Florida, where she's got so much popularity, she can be a more effective messenger for us than just about anybody."
"We've had a great campaign," said Clinton, who has made more than 50 appearances for Obama since he secured the Democratic nomination.
"We're going to win," Clinton said. "We are going to win. This campaign has so much momentum for all the right reasons. Not only are people concluding in their own self-interests that they need Barack as our president, but external circumstances in the economy have focused attention on what's been going on for the last eight years."
Clinton said Obama "is offering the kind of change that is needed. It's not just a campaign slogan. It is absolutely at the root of everything he stands for. The more I campaign across the country, I am seeing people really make up their minds that they are really voting for themselves by voting for Obama."
Clinton: I've Grown in This Campaign
As for her future, Clinton said she was looking forward to returning to the Senate. "I am very optimistic and increasingly confident that Barack is going to be our president. I want to help him as a senator from New York. We need all of the Democratic senators we can possibly get. ... I want to stay there. I want to fight for health care, to turn this economy around, to get the best energy policy -- everything that I campaigned on."
She did, however, say that the campaign changed her.
"I am certainly a different person. I mean, I like to think that, you know, at the end of most days, I've learned something and I've perhaps grown and come more fully into whoever it is I'm supposed to be."
Clinton added that she was surprised to discover that "there is a lot of unfinished business in our country when it comes to gender." In addition to the important issues, such as equal pay for equal work, Clinton said that she had witnessed firsthand "the more invisible and hidden attitudes about women and women's roles and responsibilities. We just have to keep chipping away."
When asked if it was helpful or harmful to be a woman running for president, Clinton said "I'll have to think about it."
"I don't know what the answer is," she said. "I think it was incredibly gratifying in lots of ways because of what it engendered in other people. I think that it also had certain unexpected burdens that came with it. But I couldn't have run any other way because of who I am and what I believe in. So I'm hoping that the next time someone runs for president who happens to be a woman, we will have knocked down a lot of those hidden barriers, and it'll be on the merits: are you the better candidate, are you going to be able to make the best case? Will you be the better leader? That's the question."
"What has happened in the last month, given the economic crisis that we have confronted as a nation, is that the American people could see very starkly the two people vying to be our president," she said.
******************************************
'Back in the Fray' on the Trail, Sen. Clinton Reflects on Own Historic Candidacy
By KATIE ESCHERICH
Oct. 21, 2008
As the presidential campaign enters the homestretch, Sen. Hillary Clinton hit the trail in Nebraska, Tuesday, in support of Sen. Barack Obama, whom she called her friend.
Clinton questioned Obama's experience during the campaign, but in an interview with "Nightline" co-anchor Cynthia McFadden she said that she was now committed to helping him win the White House.
"I was running against him," she said. "I mean, it would be like saying to somebody who just lost the playoffs ... to get into the World Series, 'Well, you know, are you going to root for the team from your league?' And, you know, 'Yeah, I'll get around to it.' ... It's a human experience and, obviously, a lot of human emotion."
Clinton said that after the "intense experience" of the primary, she needed to recharge before returning to campaign on behalf of her former opponent. After "getting a little sleep, taking a few long walks, I was back in the fray and very happy to be doing everything I can for him," she said.
Reflecting on her own historic campaign for the presidency, Clinton said that she had never thought of herself as "the woman candidate, although obviously I was," and that she hadn't anticipated "the historical burden that I was carrying."
When asked about Gov. Sarah Palin, Clinton said that she didn't mind comparisons with the Republican vice presidential candidate, but wouldn't say whether she thought Palin represented a positive step forward for women.
Issues, Clinton said, are "fair game," but "I think that both Barack and Joe [Biden] were very smart, after an initial kind of misstep, in pulling back and not criticizing Governor Palin personally."
Sen. John McCain's campaign has been criticized for raising personal attacks against Obama, in referencing his relationship with former 1960s radical Bill Ayers. McCain initially defended his decision, but the campaign later backed off that approach. Clinton said she wouldn't "make a value judgment" on how another campaign was run. "He gets to run his campaign however he chooses," she said, "But I don't think that he's been very effective in making the case for new leadership and the kind of separation from the Bush policies and the Republican ideology that has been so bad for America."
Clinton on Palin: Let People 'Draw Their Own Conclusions'
Palin referenced Clinton in her first speech after being announced as the vice presidential pick, saying that Clinton had put "18 million cracks in the glass ceiling."
When asked whether she resented Palin invoking her campaign in that speech, Clinton said, "I think we all stand on other people's shoulders. I believe that you can hold two thoughts simultaneously. You can hold the thought that she's an extraordinary woman. She has an incredible set of skills, personal skills that are really apparent in how she connects with people and her life story. But that doesn't mean that she and John McCain should lead our country, for a million reasons that I think people understand."
When asked if Palin was prepared to be commander in chief, Clinton said, "I believe that our ticket is much better." She said that Obama and Joe Biden possess a greater "ability to really assess difficult, complex problems," citing their response to the recent economic crisis.
"The contrast could not be starker," she said. "And see, that's convincing to people. You don't tell people, do this or believe that. Let people see it and draw their own conclusions, and that's what's happened."
Mutual Praise from Obama, Clinton in First Interview Together
Clinton and Obama went their separate ways after a joint appearance Monday in Orlando, Fla. In their first joint interview with "Nightline," the two hugged.
During the campaign, Clinton maintained that Obama didn't have the experience necessary to be commander in chief, most memorably with a campaign ad asking viewers who would be ready for a "3 a.m. phone call."
Now Clinton says that Obama will be ready on day one, and is ready for that call. She praised his "steady, calm, intelligent leadership" over the last few months..
"What has happened in the last month, given the economic crisis that we have confronted as a nation, is that the American people could see very starkly the two people vying to be our president," she said.
On Monday, Obama told "Nightline" that his former opponent has helped his campaign.
"She's been doing great," Obama continued, "And I was just talking to her, I can't thank her enough. In places like Florida, where she's got so much popularity, she can be a more effective messenger for us than just about anybody."
"We've had a great campaign," said Clinton, who has made more than 50 appearances for Obama since he secured the Democratic nomination.
"We're going to win," Clinton said. "We are going to win. This campaign has so much momentum for all the right reasons. Not only are people concluding in their own self-interests that they need Barack as our president, but external circumstances in the economy have focused attention on what's been going on for the last eight years."
Clinton said Obama "is offering the kind of change that is needed. It's not just a campaign slogan. It is absolutely at the root of everything he stands for. The more I campaign across the country, I am seeing people really make up their minds that they are really voting for themselves by voting for Obama."
Clinton: I've Grown in This Campaign
As for her future, Clinton said she was looking forward to returning to the Senate. "I am very optimistic and increasingly confident that Barack is going to be our president. I want to help him as a senator from New York. We need all of the Democratic senators we can possibly get. ... I want to stay there. I want to fight for health care, to turn this economy around, to get the best energy policy -- everything that I campaigned on."
She did, however, say that the campaign changed her.
"I am certainly a different person. I mean, I like to think that, you know, at the end of most days, I've learned something and I've perhaps grown and come more fully into whoever it is I'm supposed to be."
Clinton added that she was surprised to discover that "there is a lot of unfinished business in our country when it comes to gender." In addition to the important issues, such as equal pay for equal work, Clinton said that she had witnessed firsthand "the more invisible and hidden attitudes about women and women's roles and responsibilities. We just have to keep chipping away."
When asked if it was helpful or harmful to be a woman running for president, Clinton said "I'll have to think about it."
"I don't know what the answer is," she said. "I think it was incredibly gratifying in lots of ways because of what it engendered in other people. I think that it also had certain unexpected burdens that came with it. But I couldn't have run any other way because of who I am and what I believe in. So I'm hoping that the next time someone runs for president who happens to be a woman, we will have knocked down a lot of those hidden barriers, and it'll be on the merits: are you the better candidate, are you going to be able to make the best case? Will you be the better leader? That's the question."
Prosecutor: Ted Stevens' story on gifts 'nonsense'
Prosecutor Joseph Bottini told jurors that Stevens surrounded himself with wealthy, generous friends who could be counted on to give gifts and who could be trusted to keep it quiet.
Stevens testified for three days and said he never asked for the rope lighting, furniture, gas grill, fully stocked tool chest or other items that kept appearing at his house. He said he repeatedly pressed his friend, contractor Bill Allen, to remove them.
********************************************
By MATT APUZZO and JESSE J. HOLLAND
WASHINGTON (AP) — Prosecutors scoffed at Sen. Ted Stevens during closing arguments of his corruption trial Tuesday, repeatedly dismissing the Alaska senator's efforts to explain away hundreds of thousands of dollars in gifts as "nonsense."
Prosecutor Joseph Bottini told jurors that Stevens surrounded himself with wealthy, generous friends who could be counted on to give gifts and who could be trusted to keep it quiet.
Stevens testified for three days and said he never asked for the rope lighting, furniture, gas grill, fully stocked tool chest or other items that kept appearing at his house. He said he repeatedly pressed his friend, contractor Bill Allen, to remove them.
"Does anybody really believe that the defendant really can't get Bill Allen to stop giving him all this free stuff?" Bottini asked.
Stevens, 84, is charged with lying on Senate disclosure forms about $250,000 in home renovations and other gifts he received from Allen and his oil services company, VECO Corp.
Bottini repeatedly questioned Stevens' credibility and remarked that the Senate's longest-serving Republican looked uncomfortable answering questions on the witness stand.
In particular, Bottini seized on an awkward exchange that occurred Monday, in which Stevens said an expensive massage chair was a loan, not a gift, from another friend.
"Does anyone really believe he thought that chair was a loan? It's been in his house for seven years," Bottini said. "What were the terms of this loan? Zero percent interest for 84 months? Simply saying, 'We're going to call this a loan and I don't have to report it,' is nonsense."
Bottini went item-by-item through the list of renovations and gifts and ridiculed Stevens' explanations for them: At one point the prosecutor said his answer was 'ridiculous,' and at another, responded to a Stevens reply to a question by asking a question: "Does that make any sense whatsoever?"
"Is there any doubt he cooked up a story?" Bottini said at another point, adding: "That's not what happened and you know it."
Closing arguments were scheduled to continue throughout Tuesday. Jurors were expected to begin deliberating Wednesday.
Stevens asked for an unusually speedy trial that he hopes will clear his name before Election Day. He is fending off a tough Democratic challenge for a seat he's held for 40 years.
Democrats have invested heavily in the campaign, sensing an opportunity to unseat a legendary Republican figure and perhaps capture a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate.
Stevens testified for three days and said he never asked for the rope lighting, furniture, gas grill, fully stocked tool chest or other items that kept appearing at his house. He said he repeatedly pressed his friend, contractor Bill Allen, to remove them.
********************************************
By MATT APUZZO and JESSE J. HOLLAND
WASHINGTON (AP) — Prosecutors scoffed at Sen. Ted Stevens during closing arguments of his corruption trial Tuesday, repeatedly dismissing the Alaska senator's efforts to explain away hundreds of thousands of dollars in gifts as "nonsense."
Prosecutor Joseph Bottini told jurors that Stevens surrounded himself with wealthy, generous friends who could be counted on to give gifts and who could be trusted to keep it quiet.
Stevens testified for three days and said he never asked for the rope lighting, furniture, gas grill, fully stocked tool chest or other items that kept appearing at his house. He said he repeatedly pressed his friend, contractor Bill Allen, to remove them.
"Does anybody really believe that the defendant really can't get Bill Allen to stop giving him all this free stuff?" Bottini asked.
Stevens, 84, is charged with lying on Senate disclosure forms about $250,000 in home renovations and other gifts he received from Allen and his oil services company, VECO Corp.
Bottini repeatedly questioned Stevens' credibility and remarked that the Senate's longest-serving Republican looked uncomfortable answering questions on the witness stand.
In particular, Bottini seized on an awkward exchange that occurred Monday, in which Stevens said an expensive massage chair was a loan, not a gift, from another friend.
"Does anyone really believe he thought that chair was a loan? It's been in his house for seven years," Bottini said. "What were the terms of this loan? Zero percent interest for 84 months? Simply saying, 'We're going to call this a loan and I don't have to report it,' is nonsense."
Bottini went item-by-item through the list of renovations and gifts and ridiculed Stevens' explanations for them: At one point the prosecutor said his answer was 'ridiculous,' and at another, responded to a Stevens reply to a question by asking a question: "Does that make any sense whatsoever?"
"Is there any doubt he cooked up a story?" Bottini said at another point, adding: "That's not what happened and you know it."
Closing arguments were scheduled to continue throughout Tuesday. Jurors were expected to begin deliberating Wednesday.
Stevens asked for an unusually speedy trial that he hopes will clear his name before Election Day. He is fending off a tough Democratic challenge for a seat he's held for 40 years.
Democrats have invested heavily in the campaign, sensing an opportunity to unseat a legendary Republican figure and perhaps capture a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Obama Appeal Rises in Poll; No Gains for McCain
With the election 15 days away, the Democratic and Republican tickets stumped in states they desperately want or need to win the White House . McCain was in Missouri , a state that Bush won in 2000 and 2004 and where McCain finds himself in a close race against Obama, who toured Florida on Monday.
At rallies in St. Charles and in Belton, Mo. , McCain seized on remarks that Democratic vice-presidential candidate Joe Biden had made predicting that Obama will be tested by an international crisis within his first six months in office and supporters will have to stand behind him.
****************
By MEGAN THEE
Published: October 20, 2008
As voters have gotten to know Senator Barack Obama, they have warmed up to him, with more than half, 53 percent, now saying they have a favorable impression of him and 33 percent saying they have an unfavorable view. But as voters have gotten to know Senator John McCain, they have not warmed, with only 36 percent of voters saying they view him favorably while 45 percent view him unfavorably.
Even voters who are planning to vote for Mr. McCain say their enthusiasm has waned. In New York Times and CBS News polls conducted with the same respondents before the first presidential debate and again after the last debate, Mr. McCain made no progress in appealing to voters on a personal level, and he and his running mate, Gov. Sarah Palin, had alienated some voters.
Personal appeal is an intangible element in voters’ decisions. Each voter has a personal reason for connecting with a candidate or not. But the percentage of those who hold a favorable opinion of Mr. Obama is up 10 points since last month. Opinion of Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr., Mr. Obama’s running mate, is also up, to 50 percent last weekend from 36 percent in September.
In contrast, favorable opinion of Mr. McCain remained stable, and unfavorable opinion rose to 45 percent now from 35 percent in September. Mrs. Palin’s negatives are up, to 41 percent now from 29 percent in September.
Mr. Obama’s favorability is the highest for a presidential candidate running for a first term in the last 28 years of Times/CBS polls. Mrs. Palin’s negative rating is the highest for a vice-presidential candidate as measured by The Times and CBS News. Even Dan Quayle, with whom Mrs. Palin is often compared because of her age and inexperience on the national scene, was not viewed as negatively in the 1988 campaign.
The nationwide telephone poll was conducted Sept. 21-24, with re-interviews completed Friday through Sunday of 518 adults, 476 of whom are registered voters. The margin of sampling error is plus or minus five percentage points for all adults and voters.
Among the voters who said their opinion of Mr. Obama had improved, many cited his debate performance, saying they liked his calm demeanor and the way he had handled the attacks on him from the McCain campaign.
Of those who said their opinion of Mr. McCain had been tarnished, many cited his attacks on his opponent, the choice of Ms. Palin as his running mate and his debate performance.
“Even though I am a Democrat, there was a strong possibility I would have voted for McCain,” said Yolanda Grande, 77, a Democrat from Blairstown, N.J. “What pushed me over the line was McCain’s choice of vice president. I just don’t think she is qualified to step in if anything happened to him.”
Marina Stefan contributed reporting.
At rallies in St. Charles and in Belton, Mo. , McCain seized on remarks that Democratic vice-presidential candidate Joe Biden had made predicting that Obama will be tested by an international crisis within his first six months in office and supporters will have to stand behind him.
****************
By MEGAN THEE
Published: October 20, 2008
As voters have gotten to know Senator Barack Obama, they have warmed up to him, with more than half, 53 percent, now saying they have a favorable impression of him and 33 percent saying they have an unfavorable view. But as voters have gotten to know Senator John McCain, they have not warmed, with only 36 percent of voters saying they view him favorably while 45 percent view him unfavorably.
Even voters who are planning to vote for Mr. McCain say their enthusiasm has waned. In New York Times and CBS News polls conducted with the same respondents before the first presidential debate and again after the last debate, Mr. McCain made no progress in appealing to voters on a personal level, and he and his running mate, Gov. Sarah Palin, had alienated some voters.
Personal appeal is an intangible element in voters’ decisions. Each voter has a personal reason for connecting with a candidate or not. But the percentage of those who hold a favorable opinion of Mr. Obama is up 10 points since last month. Opinion of Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr., Mr. Obama’s running mate, is also up, to 50 percent last weekend from 36 percent in September.
In contrast, favorable opinion of Mr. McCain remained stable, and unfavorable opinion rose to 45 percent now from 35 percent in September. Mrs. Palin’s negatives are up, to 41 percent now from 29 percent in September.
Mr. Obama’s favorability is the highest for a presidential candidate running for a first term in the last 28 years of Times/CBS polls. Mrs. Palin’s negative rating is the highest for a vice-presidential candidate as measured by The Times and CBS News. Even Dan Quayle, with whom Mrs. Palin is often compared because of her age and inexperience on the national scene, was not viewed as negatively in the 1988 campaign.
The nationwide telephone poll was conducted Sept. 21-24, with re-interviews completed Friday through Sunday of 518 adults, 476 of whom are registered voters. The margin of sampling error is plus or minus five percentage points for all adults and voters.
Among the voters who said their opinion of Mr. Obama had improved, many cited his debate performance, saying they liked his calm demeanor and the way he had handled the attacks on him from the McCain campaign.
Of those who said their opinion of Mr. McCain had been tarnished, many cited his attacks on his opponent, the choice of Ms. Palin as his running mate and his debate performance.
“Even though I am a Democrat, there was a strong possibility I would have voted for McCain,” said Yolanda Grande, 77, a Democrat from Blairstown, N.J. “What pushed me over the line was McCain’s choice of vice president. I just don’t think she is qualified to step in if anything happened to him.”
Marina Stefan contributed reporting.
Barack Obama has advantage of big bucks, a big name: Colin Powell
Obama aides said the endorsement from retired Gen. Colin Powell during NBC's "Meet the Press" couldn't have come at a better time, as Obama campaigned in this military town next to Fort Bragg in North Carolina , a one-time solidly red state Obama hopes to win.
It came hours after the Obama campaign announced raising a record-shattering $150 million last month — a record for any presidential campaign — and just one day after he broke another record with a crowd of 100,000 at a single rally in St. Louis, Mo.
News of the Republican's endorsement and a record $150 million raised in a month propel the Democrat as he campaigns in GOP country.
By Mark Z. Barabak and Richard B. Schmitt, Los Angeles Times Staff Writers
October 20, 2008
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. -- Barack Obama strongly boosted his presidential prospects on Sunday, winning the coveted endorsement of former Secretary of State Colin L. Powell and ringing up a staggering $150 million in contributions in a single month of fundraising.
The endorsement from one of the country's most respected statesman-soldiers enhances Obama's credibility on national security issues, and his huge cash haul allows him to extend his crucial advantage on the television airwaves.
The Illinois senator's showing came as he continued to drive deep into Republican territory, stumping in North Carolina, which has not backed a Democrat for president since 1976.
Republican John McCain campaigned Sunday in must-win Ohio, where polls show a close race, and spent part of the day defending running mate Sarah Palin's qualifications on national television and in a call with Jewish leaders.
The day's main stage, however, was a TV studio in Washington, where the retired four-star Army general ended months of speculation by crossing party lines to support Obama, who is vying to become the nation's first African American president.
The Illinois senator's showing came as he continued to drive deep into Republican territory, stumping in North Carolina, which has not backed a Democrat for president since 1976.
Republican John McCain campaigned Sunday in must-win Ohio, where polls show a close race, and spent part of the day defending running mate Sarah Palin's qualifications on national television and in a call with Jewish leaders.
The day's main stage, however, was a TV studio in Washington, where the retired four-star Army general ended months of speculation by crossing party lines to support Obama, who is vying to become the nation's first African American president.
"I think he is a transformational figure. He is a new generation . . . coming onto the world stage, onto the American stage; and for that reason, I'll be voting for Sen. Barack Obama," Powell said on NBC's "Meet The Press."
Given his credentials -- as secretary of State for President Bush, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under Bush's father, and national security advisor to President Reagan -- Powell's vote of confidence may allay concerns about Obama's readiness to be commander in chief, one of the Republicans' primary lines of attack.
"What that just did in one sound bite -- and I assume that sound bite will end up in an ad -- is it eliminated the experience argument," former GOP House Speaker Newt Gingrich said on ABC's "This Week."
For all its potency, however, Powell's endorsement may have been only the second most important political development of the day, coming hours after the Obama campaign announced its latest fundraising total in an e-mail to supporters.
The $150-million figure shattered the previous monthly record and, combined with the $49.5 million raised by the Democratic Party in September, gives Obama a gargantuan financial advantage over McCain with just more than two weeks to go in the race.
"Presidential campaigns are about making tough decisions with limited resources," said University of Wisconsin political scientist Ken Goldstein, who tracks presidential campaign spending on television. "Obama doesn't need to make tough decisions."
Indeed, Obama has used his riches to mount serious challenges in such traditional GOP strongholds as Indiana, Nevada, Virginia and here in North Carolina, where polls show the race essentially even.
Obama has a significant cash advantage over McCain, who accepted $84.1 million in federal funding for the fall campaign and can spend no more than that amount. Obama had initially said he would accept public financing if McCain did, but changed his mind after his strong fundraising performance in the primaries.
By opting out of the government financing system -- and becoming the first major-party candidate to do so since it was set up in 1976 -- Obama is free to raise and spend unlimited sums. Overall, Obama has raised a record $605 million for his campaign.
Powell, 71, who once considered a history-making bid to become America's first black president himself, said he reached this decision after closely observing Obama and McCain over the last two months.
He said the GOP nominee did not seem to grasp the depth of the global financial crisis and appeared to offer shifting solutions to it.
He called Alaska Gov. Palin "a distinguished woman," but added, "I don't believe she's ready to be president of the United States, which is the job of the vice president."
Powell expressed disappointment at the tone of McCain's campaign, saying the Arizona senator and GOP operatives were resorting to "demagoguery" in their portrayal of Obama's dealings with William Ayers, a Vietnam-era radical who is now an education professor. The two men are not close, but have served together on civic boards in Chicago.
"It isn't easy for me to disappoint Sen. McCain in the way that I have this morning, and I regret that," Powell said, adding that the two Vietnam veterans had known each other for 25 years. "But I strongly believe that at this point in America's history, we need a president . . . who will not just continue, basically, the policies that we have been following in recent years."
Obama acknowledged Powell's support at a rally in Fayetteville. "I have been honored to have the benefit of his wisdom and his counsel from time to time over the last few years, but today I am beyond honored," he said.
McCain said he was not surprised by Powell's decision. "We have a respectful disagreement," he said on "Fox News Sunday."
Obama's tactical advantage was evident from Sunday's light schedule: a lone event in a state that he does not need to win. Appearing at Fayetteville's sports arena, Obama laced into McCain, summoning some of the high-flown rhetoric that helped launch the Democrat's national rise. And, in a rare mention, he attacked McCain's running mate.
Last week, Palin extolled the values of what she called "the real America" and "very pro-America areas." On Saturday, a campaign aide spoke about McCain's support in the "real Virginia," as opposed to the northern suburbs near the nation's capital.
Obama shouted his response over the roar from the crowd of more than 10,000. "There are not real or fake parts of this country," he said. "We're not separated by the pro-America and anti-America part of this country. We all love this country, no matter where we live or where we come from."
Fayetteville is near Ft. Bragg, one of the Army's largest installations. Some in the crowd had military buzz cuts, and a few came in camouflage.
"The men and women from Fayetteville and all across America who serve in our battlefields may be Democrats or Republicans or independents, but they have fought together and bled together and some died together under the same proud flag," Obama said. "They have not served a red America or a blue America. They have served the United States of America."
The Republican candidate held two rallies in Ohio, rushing through his standard speech so quickly that he left both ahead of schedule. At the convention center in Toledo, which was half-full, the crowd barely responded at times to his applause lines.
In Toledo, which is near the town where Joseph Wurzelbacher challenged Obama on his tax plan, McCain cited the now-famous plumber to press his argument that his opponent's agenda would hurt businesspeople in a time of economic stress. "I won't raise taxes on small businesses, as Sen. Obama proposes, and force them to cut jobs," he said.
McCain had invited Wurzelbacher to join him Sunday, but the burly Everyman rebuffed the offer and instead took his son and father to New York City, where he appeared on a Fox News talk show hosted by former GOP presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee. McCain is scheduled to campaign in the area again at midweek, and aides said the invitation stood.
Wurzelbacher has acknowledged that his taxes would actually be cut under Obama's proposal, but McCain and Palin continue to intone his name frequently to try to connect with swing voters who are increasingly skeptical that the duo can be trusted to fix the economy.
McCain has also been forced to spend more time trying to reassure anxious voters -- including many Republicans -- that Palin is qualified to assume the presidency.
Twice on Sunday morning, in an interview on Fox News and later in a conference call with Orthodox rabbis and other Jewish leaders, McCain defended his decision to select the first-term governor and former small-town mayor.
He also opened his remarks at his first rally, in Westerville, Ohio, by praising Palin as "a role model and a reformer" who had "energized America."
Palin electrified delegates at the Republican National Convention and continues to draw far larger, more euphoric crowds than McCain. And, initially, she helped McCain rise sharply in the polls and briefly overtake Obama's once solid lead in national polls.
But the bounce subsided quickly amid the economic crisis. Despite Palin's credible performance in the one vice presidential debate, polls show that she has become a liability for McCain, with a plurality saying her presence makes them less likely to vote for the GOP ticket.
But McCain admits to no second thoughts. He called his running mate "a direct counterpoint to the liberal feminist agenda for America," and insisted that he "could not be more pleased."
"She's the best thing that could have happened to my campaign and to America," he said on Fox News. "And when I see the enthusiasm and I see the passion that she has aroused, I am so happy."
mark.barabak@latimes.com
rick.schmitt@latimes.com
Barabak reported from Dunn and Fayetteville, N.C.; Schmitt from Washington. Times staff writers Bob Drogin in Westerville and Toledo, Ohio, and Dan Morain in Sacramento contributed to this report.
It came hours after the Obama campaign announced raising a record-shattering $150 million last month — a record for any presidential campaign — and just one day after he broke another record with a crowd of 100,000 at a single rally in St. Louis, Mo.
News of the Republican's endorsement and a record $150 million raised in a month propel the Democrat as he campaigns in GOP country.
By Mark Z. Barabak and Richard B. Schmitt, Los Angeles Times Staff Writers
October 20, 2008
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. -- Barack Obama strongly boosted his presidential prospects on Sunday, winning the coveted endorsement of former Secretary of State Colin L. Powell and ringing up a staggering $150 million in contributions in a single month of fundraising.
The endorsement from one of the country's most respected statesman-soldiers enhances Obama's credibility on national security issues, and his huge cash haul allows him to extend his crucial advantage on the television airwaves.
The Illinois senator's showing came as he continued to drive deep into Republican territory, stumping in North Carolina, which has not backed a Democrat for president since 1976.
Republican John McCain campaigned Sunday in must-win Ohio, where polls show a close race, and spent part of the day defending running mate Sarah Palin's qualifications on national television and in a call with Jewish leaders.
The day's main stage, however, was a TV studio in Washington, where the retired four-star Army general ended months of speculation by crossing party lines to support Obama, who is vying to become the nation's first African American president.
The Illinois senator's showing came as he continued to drive deep into Republican territory, stumping in North Carolina, which has not backed a Democrat for president since 1976.
Republican John McCain campaigned Sunday in must-win Ohio, where polls show a close race, and spent part of the day defending running mate Sarah Palin's qualifications on national television and in a call with Jewish leaders.
The day's main stage, however, was a TV studio in Washington, where the retired four-star Army general ended months of speculation by crossing party lines to support Obama, who is vying to become the nation's first African American president.
"I think he is a transformational figure. He is a new generation . . . coming onto the world stage, onto the American stage; and for that reason, I'll be voting for Sen. Barack Obama," Powell said on NBC's "Meet The Press."
Given his credentials -- as secretary of State for President Bush, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under Bush's father, and national security advisor to President Reagan -- Powell's vote of confidence may allay concerns about Obama's readiness to be commander in chief, one of the Republicans' primary lines of attack.
"What that just did in one sound bite -- and I assume that sound bite will end up in an ad -- is it eliminated the experience argument," former GOP House Speaker Newt Gingrich said on ABC's "This Week."
For all its potency, however, Powell's endorsement may have been only the second most important political development of the day, coming hours after the Obama campaign announced its latest fundraising total in an e-mail to supporters.
The $150-million figure shattered the previous monthly record and, combined with the $49.5 million raised by the Democratic Party in September, gives Obama a gargantuan financial advantage over McCain with just more than two weeks to go in the race.
"Presidential campaigns are about making tough decisions with limited resources," said University of Wisconsin political scientist Ken Goldstein, who tracks presidential campaign spending on television. "Obama doesn't need to make tough decisions."
Indeed, Obama has used his riches to mount serious challenges in such traditional GOP strongholds as Indiana, Nevada, Virginia and here in North Carolina, where polls show the race essentially even.
Obama has a significant cash advantage over McCain, who accepted $84.1 million in federal funding for the fall campaign and can spend no more than that amount. Obama had initially said he would accept public financing if McCain did, but changed his mind after his strong fundraising performance in the primaries.
By opting out of the government financing system -- and becoming the first major-party candidate to do so since it was set up in 1976 -- Obama is free to raise and spend unlimited sums. Overall, Obama has raised a record $605 million for his campaign.
Powell, 71, who once considered a history-making bid to become America's first black president himself, said he reached this decision after closely observing Obama and McCain over the last two months.
He said the GOP nominee did not seem to grasp the depth of the global financial crisis and appeared to offer shifting solutions to it.
He called Alaska Gov. Palin "a distinguished woman," but added, "I don't believe she's ready to be president of the United States, which is the job of the vice president."
Powell expressed disappointment at the tone of McCain's campaign, saying the Arizona senator and GOP operatives were resorting to "demagoguery" in their portrayal of Obama's dealings with William Ayers, a Vietnam-era radical who is now an education professor. The two men are not close, but have served together on civic boards in Chicago.
"It isn't easy for me to disappoint Sen. McCain in the way that I have this morning, and I regret that," Powell said, adding that the two Vietnam veterans had known each other for 25 years. "But I strongly believe that at this point in America's history, we need a president . . . who will not just continue, basically, the policies that we have been following in recent years."
Obama acknowledged Powell's support at a rally in Fayetteville. "I have been honored to have the benefit of his wisdom and his counsel from time to time over the last few years, but today I am beyond honored," he said.
McCain said he was not surprised by Powell's decision. "We have a respectful disagreement," he said on "Fox News Sunday."
Obama's tactical advantage was evident from Sunday's light schedule: a lone event in a state that he does not need to win. Appearing at Fayetteville's sports arena, Obama laced into McCain, summoning some of the high-flown rhetoric that helped launch the Democrat's national rise. And, in a rare mention, he attacked McCain's running mate.
Last week, Palin extolled the values of what she called "the real America" and "very pro-America areas." On Saturday, a campaign aide spoke about McCain's support in the "real Virginia," as opposed to the northern suburbs near the nation's capital.
Obama shouted his response over the roar from the crowd of more than 10,000. "There are not real or fake parts of this country," he said. "We're not separated by the pro-America and anti-America part of this country. We all love this country, no matter where we live or where we come from."
Fayetteville is near Ft. Bragg, one of the Army's largest installations. Some in the crowd had military buzz cuts, and a few came in camouflage.
"The men and women from Fayetteville and all across America who serve in our battlefields may be Democrats or Republicans or independents, but they have fought together and bled together and some died together under the same proud flag," Obama said. "They have not served a red America or a blue America. They have served the United States of America."
The Republican candidate held two rallies in Ohio, rushing through his standard speech so quickly that he left both ahead of schedule. At the convention center in Toledo, which was half-full, the crowd barely responded at times to his applause lines.
In Toledo, which is near the town where Joseph Wurzelbacher challenged Obama on his tax plan, McCain cited the now-famous plumber to press his argument that his opponent's agenda would hurt businesspeople in a time of economic stress. "I won't raise taxes on small businesses, as Sen. Obama proposes, and force them to cut jobs," he said.
McCain had invited Wurzelbacher to join him Sunday, but the burly Everyman rebuffed the offer and instead took his son and father to New York City, where he appeared on a Fox News talk show hosted by former GOP presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee. McCain is scheduled to campaign in the area again at midweek, and aides said the invitation stood.
Wurzelbacher has acknowledged that his taxes would actually be cut under Obama's proposal, but McCain and Palin continue to intone his name frequently to try to connect with swing voters who are increasingly skeptical that the duo can be trusted to fix the economy.
McCain has also been forced to spend more time trying to reassure anxious voters -- including many Republicans -- that Palin is qualified to assume the presidency.
Twice on Sunday morning, in an interview on Fox News and later in a conference call with Orthodox rabbis and other Jewish leaders, McCain defended his decision to select the first-term governor and former small-town mayor.
He also opened his remarks at his first rally, in Westerville, Ohio, by praising Palin as "a role model and a reformer" who had "energized America."
Palin electrified delegates at the Republican National Convention and continues to draw far larger, more euphoric crowds than McCain. And, initially, she helped McCain rise sharply in the polls and briefly overtake Obama's once solid lead in national polls.
But the bounce subsided quickly amid the economic crisis. Despite Palin's credible performance in the one vice presidential debate, polls show that she has become a liability for McCain, with a plurality saying her presence makes them less likely to vote for the GOP ticket.
But McCain admits to no second thoughts. He called his running mate "a direct counterpoint to the liberal feminist agenda for America," and insisted that he "could not be more pleased."
"She's the best thing that could have happened to my campaign and to America," he said on Fox News. "And when I see the enthusiasm and I see the passion that she has aroused, I am so happy."
mark.barabak@latimes.com
rick.schmitt@latimes.com
Barabak reported from Dunn and Fayetteville, N.C.; Schmitt from Washington. Times staff writers Bob Drogin in Westerville and Toledo, Ohio, and Dan Morain in Sacramento contributed to this report.
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