News What are the Key Factors for Victory in the 2008 Presidential Election?

[turbo]

I listened to part of McCain's address in New Hampshire, and he sounded really good, and very positive. If only he had run the campaign with that positive message, and had picked a qualified canditate for VP.

What's unfortunate is that as a conservative, I supported McCain in 2000 when he was getting trashed by Rove's mud machine. The 2008 McCain is a monster, willing to say or do anything (or allow those actions to be taken in his name) to win. I was convinced in 2000 and before that he was more honorable and decent than that and his fall is disappointing. His selection of Palin as VP candidate sealed his doom IMO even before he went so horribly nasty.

Living in the 2nd district of ME (McCain wants our ONE electoral vote), I am subjected to a barrage of robo-calls accusing Obama of siding with terrorists, criminals, etc, and being anti-American. By contrast, Obama callers are always real people, and they are polite and respectful. By their fruits shall you know them.

 

[turbo]

Obama's Grandmother just passed away.

The GOP machine has revived their attacks on Obama in the last couple of days, because he had the temerity to go to visit the woman who raised him, in her final days. Would any of us have done anything different, under the circumstances?

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Obama's Grandmother just passed away.

Oh no; how sad.

 

[LowlyPion]

I'm waiting now for the first Republican to claim it is a stunt to steal the last Election news day cycle.

 

[Cyrus]

I drove all the way down to DC today to buy my Obama Biden T-shirt.

Im wearing it all over town today, giving high fives to girls who have obama shirts and pins on as well. And winks and nods to guys with it on, as they nod back. I feel like Sarah Palin.

 

[Astronuc]

He said his grandmother, Madelyn Dunham, had died peacefully after a battle with cancer.

RIP, Grandma Dunham.

 

[Astronuc]

Cheney's hometown paper endorses Obama
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/11/03/cheneys-hometown-paper-endorses-obama/

(CNN)—With just over a day before polls start to close, Vice President Dick Cheney's hometown newspaper named their presidential pick — Democratic Sen. Barack Obama.

"It is a foregone conclusion that Wyoming's three electoral votes will go to Sen. John McCain. It would be easy for the Star-Tribune to simply agree with the majority of voters in this red state and endorse the Republican candidate for president," the Editorial Board of Wyoming's Casper Star-Tribune wrote Monday.

"But this isn't an ordinary election, and Sen. Barack Obama has the potential to be an extraordinary leader at a time we desperately need one."

The board goes on to commend Obama's judgement, criticizing McCain's conduct during his campaign and choice of Sarah Palin as his running mate.

"If the John McCain of 2000 saw today's counterpart, he wouldn't recognize himself," the Board wrote. "McCain is no longer a GOP maverick, or the war hero whose principles were unwavering. He has flip-flopped on issues ranging from tax cuts to torture in an effort to win over the conservative base of his party. He has waged a dismal campaign based on fear and divisiveness."

. . . .

 

[LowlyPion]

Here's a shocker rushed to release just before the election. How accommodating her own Personnel Board was to her Election Schedule. Job Security couldn't have been the reason for their conclusions I'm just so sure.

New Troopergate report clears Palin

By LISA DEMER | ldemer@adn.com

Published: November 3rd, 2008 03:46 PM
Last Modified: November 3rd, 2008 03:50 PM

A new report just released -- hours before the polls open on Election Day -- exonerates Gov. Sarah Palin in the Troopergate controversy.

The state Personnel Board-sanctioned investigation is the second into whether Palin violated state ethics law in firing her public safety commissioner, and it contradicts the earlier findings by a special counsel hired by the state Legislature.

Both investigations found that Palin was within her rights to fire Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan.

But the new report says the Legislature's investigator was wrong to conclude that Palin abused her power by allowing aides and her husband, Todd, to pressure Monegan and others to dismiss her ex-brother-in-law, Trooper Mike Wooten. Palin was accused of firing Monegan after Wooten stayed on the job.

http://www.adn.com/palin/story/577323.html

Alas they don't have jurisdiction to change the conclusions of the Legislative Report.

 

[LowlyPion]

Try this stunt next time you are on Jury Duty.

Stevens juror admits lying about father's death

By ERIKA BOLSTAD
Anchorage Daily News

Published: November 3rd, 2008 08:44 AM
Last Modified: November 3rd, 2008 03:22 PM

WASHINGTON -- Juror No. 4 in Sen. Ted Stevens' federal corruption trial, otherwise known as Marian Hinnant, didn't leave to attend her father's funeral in California, as she told the judge at the time.

Instead, Hinnant had a plane ticket to see the Breeders' Cup at Santa Anita Park outside Los Angeles and didn't want to miss it, she told the judge today when he ordered her to court to find out why she'd left town and lost contact with him, forcing him to replace her just hours before the jury found Stevens guilty last week.

"I just wanted to go to the Breeders' Cup," she told reporters outside the courthouse in a rambling and incoherent interview.

http://www.adn.com/news/politics/fbi/stevens/story/576884.html

 

[Coin]

Here is a possibly useful chart showing when polls in each state tomorrow close, converted into each time zone.

and http://www.swingstateproject.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=3641

 

[LowlyPion]

Voting has begun at Dixsville Notch, NH.

So far then it's McCain 6 - Obama 15 in a landslide so far.

Dixville once went 9 - 0 for Nixon in the 1960 election.

 

[jal]

It appears that there are some good things being done outside of the spotlights.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601070&sid=aZBMZ0OU26uw&refer=home
Nov. 3 (Bloomberg)
Bush Praised By Both Parties for Transition Planning (Update2)

By Edwin Chen

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Joe the Plumber seems to have been dropped from the show since he didn't show up at a rally. In Joe's defense, reportedly, he had promised to show up somewhere between 10 AM, and 4 PM.

 

[phoenixy]

OMG ALASKA

http://www.haysresearch.com/OC110208.htm

McCain/Palin 46.6%
Obama/Biden 43.9%

 

[CaptainQuasar]

Joe the Plumber seems to have been dropped from the show since he didn't show up at a rally. In Joe's defense, reportedly, he had promised to show up somewhere between 10 AM, and 4 PM.

 

[OmCheeto]

Here's something I'd never seen before:

Trick or treat -- McCain or Obama?
Calgary boy, 11, tackles U.S. vote
Cailynn Klingbeil, Calgary Herald
Published: Sunday, November 02, 2008

When Davis Fader went trick-or-treating Friday night, he greeted those who answered the door with a most unusual costume -- and question.

"Place your vote, McCain or Obama?" asked the 11-year-old.

Dressed as a polling booth, Davis surveyed his northwest Calgary neighbours on how they'd vote in Tuesday's U.S. presidential election.

Obama won 45 pieces of candy to McCains 5.

In another troubling related story:

http://www.pubdef.net/2008/11/01/video-a-voting-booth-halloween-costume/

The 9 year old from Decatur Georgia said Obama got 111 pieces of candy and McCain got 27. But the best candy was received from the McCain camp. The largest piece appeared to be a 1 pound snickers bar!

The child was also noted to be a left wing socialist as he was actually willing to share his candy with the news crew at the end of the interview.

Now here is the worst part:
The video actually shows people under the age of 18 voting.
And many adults were shown voting more than once!

So this contest will most likely end up in the supreme court as did the one back in 2001.

 

[Gokul43201]

Watch for the margin in Palm Beach + Miami-Dade + Broward counties (FL).

Margin < 300,000 for Obama => hope for McCain.

That will likely be the earliest indicator or the way things are going.

 

[LightbulbSun]

Obama still campaigning today in Indiana. He's taking nothing for granted.

 

[Office_Shredder]

Only fifty pieces of candy? They need to man up and trick or treat longer in Calgary

 

[LowlyPion]

Obama still campaigning today in Indiana. He's taking nothing for granted.

I should hope not.

If Indiana goes for him at the early close or even goes to too close to call that may be the clearest indication that there is a positive Obama undercurrent.

 

[Gokul43201]

The pollsters' final say on some battleground states:

Statewise Margins (Obama - McCain):

               AGGREGATES OF CURRENT POLLS                
                                                                 
State     RCP   Elec-Vote  USAtlas-A   Pollster  

  IN     -1.4       -2         -3        -1.2       
  FL     +4.4       +1         +1        +1.6       
  GA     -4.0       -3         -3        -2.9
  VA     +4.4       +4         +6        +5.6
  NC     -0.4       +1         00        +0.4
  OH     +2.5       +3         +3        +3.1
  MO     -0.7       00         00        +1.1
  PA     +7.3       +8         +9        +7.2
  ND                           +1        -0.7
  MT     -3.8       -4         -2        -2.2
  CO     +5.5       +6         +7        +7.6        
  AZ     -3.5       -4         -4        -4.9
  NV     +6.8       +6         +6        +7.1

The polling aggregates seem to be pretty tight, with FL showing the widest distribution. Let's see how close they turn out.

 

[LowlyPion]

I am no longer in the uncommitted category. I admit that I was leaning just a smidge toward Obama. (I suspect that there are those that might have detected a certain hint in my posts, even as I may not have been fully aware.)

Ultimately the vision of the 3 Musketeers Bush Cheney and Rove hoisting tankards of ale to McCain and the vacuous Palin, shouting "No. We are the Real Americans" was just too much to contemplate.

So I cast my vote.

I even got a sticker that says "My Vote Counted".

Let's hope.

 

[LowlyPion]

As a side note, there were people with placards for various candidates outside the polling place, but not a one of them was for McCain/Palin. Maybe they overslept?

 

[LowlyPion]

Sarah Palin was on the news having just voted along with first dude. She sounded slightly nasal and sorrowful, like maybe she was even crying. But after machine-gunning out a few poorly constructed run-on sentences peppered with superfluous also's and there's, she seemed to perk herself back up into Ms. Congeniality mode.

If she was really crying then I guess that it must be difficult. But if she was, all I can think is better her than me.

 

[LightbulbSun]

Sarah Palin was on the news having just voted along with first dude. She sounded slightly nasal and sorrowful, like maybe she was even crying. But after machine-gunning out a few poorly constructed run-on sentences peppered with superfluous also's and there's, she seemed to perk herself back up into Ms. Congeniality mode.

If she was really crying then I guess that it must be difficult. But if she was, all I can think is better her than me.

Why do I have a funny feeling that she pulled the lever for Obama?

 

[Moonbear]

As a side note, there were people with placards for various candidates outside the polling place, but not a one of them was for McCain/Palin. Maybe they overslept?

Um...isn't that illegal to advertise for candidates at the polling place? Maybe you didn't see the McCain voters because they are the ones with important responsibilities that keep them from skipping work and voted early in the morning before work or will vote after work. Or, maybe they're just sick of the rabid Obamaniacs. I do still find immense humor every time I see someone driving a massive SUV with an Obama sticker on it though. Maybe they really do believe they can fuel it with hope and dreams of change.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Maybe you didn't see the McCain voters because they are the ones with important responsibilities that keep them from skipping work and voted early in the morning before work or will vote after work.

Yes, only McCain voters have real jobs.

We're not just a little biased against Democrats, are we?

Maybe McCain voters are just too lazy. That is another possiblity. .

 

[LowlyPion]

Um...isn't that illegal to advertise for candidates at the polling place? Maybe you didn't see the McCain voters because they are the ones with important responsibilities that keep them from skipping work and voted early in the morning before work or will vote after work. Or, maybe they're just sick of the rabid Obamaniacs. I do still find immense humor every time I see someone driving a massive SUV with an Obama sticker on it though. Maybe they really do believe they can fuel it with hope and dreams of change.

No. All placards were outside the proscribed distance from the polling place.

But as to the McCain supporters, if they have important jobs then they must be living in other states. I haven't seen a McCain Palin yard sign driving around anywhere here - not even in the primaries, and I voted for McCain at that time. It wasn't like I've had blinders on.

And btw I drive an SUV. But it does get 25+mpg highway.

 

[Moonbear]

Sarah Palin was on the news having just voted along with first dude. She sounded slightly nasal and sorrowful, like maybe she was even crying. But after machine-gunning out a few poorly constructed run-on sentences peppered with superfluous also's and there's, she seemed to perk herself back up into Ms. Congeniality mode.

If she was really crying then I guess that it must be difficult. But if she was, all I can think is better her than me.

They had the Obama's voting on the morning news...both Michelle and Barack side-by-side with their daughter standing in between looking HORRIBLY bored by the whole process. He seemed to be puzzled several times, and at one point, actually leaned over and looked at what Michelle was doing! I don't care if she's his wife, what the hell was he doing peeking into someone else's voting booth? Maybe he was worried she would vote for McCain? But, seriously, what was up with that? How was that allowed? I have to admit, I preferred when the polls had curtains around them so nobody wandering past could peek over your shoulder.

Anyway, I got bored of watching them looking puzzled and marking a ballot for what seemed like forever, but I was trying to figure out if there was something wrong with the ballot that he was having a hard time with it, or was he that uncertain of his choices for other offices that he needed that long to make them?

Again, that would have been better done if there was a curtain around the booth, and the news crews did some editing. Just show him entering the voting booth, get a shot of his legs under a curtain, cut away for some commentary or another short story, and then return to show him stepping out of the booth smiling...y'know, like the old days. Nobody needs to watch 10 minutes of them punching holes, or drawing lines, or pushing buttons, or whatever they were doing at their location.

 

[LightbulbSun]

Kind of off topic, but the current anchor on MSNBC right now is smoking hot.