Winning
Elections aren't decided until after the World Series, according to the old axiom. The Series seems to last longer every year, but it's an old saw worth heeding, particularly now.
The McCain camp is playing every divisive card they can find, or make up. Some Americans are pro-America, others are not. Anyone who wants to register everyone to vote could well be investigated by the incumbent government,even if the law doesn't permit the Justice Department to try to influence the outcome.
And the mainstream media, at the very least eager to have a close race, especially with a come-from-behind narrative, will do all it can do to intensify the wild, cruel and crazy allegations made against the Obama campaign and its allies and supporters.
The McCain plan will be to give up on the national popular vote and re-run the Bush campaign of 2000. By voter intimidation and robo-calls and litigation and outrageous allegations it will aim for victory in the states that can provide an Electoral College victory. In this case, that means McCain will focus his diminished but vigorous efforts on Florida, Ohio, Colorado, and Virginia. In each state we need hardly ask what images, stereotypes, and fears the McCain campaign will hope to evoke.
Only if we win will McCain and Palin have to cope with the reputations they will have earned. If they win, they get to write the history.
Democrats need to knock on every door in those key states; respond to every charge, no matter how crazy, in every media forum that can be found; stay on the air; stay on the offense. And remember the essential voters in those key states won't finally decide until the weekend before that Tuesday.















The guy who 'fought for us' by bombing people on the other side of the world 45 years ago before being shot down, and who now has 9 houses, $100 million in third hand inheritance is telling us that an organization that tries to register some of the 1/3 of Americans who have not filed papers to be eligible to vote is 'threatening democracy'.
Who the hell do McCain and the Republican Party think they are? They only support the laws or parts of the Constitution that benefit them politically.
McCain is a lying conscienceless SOB who does not respect democracy, does not respect Americans, does not respect what this country stands for and who will not do a damn thing 'for country' but let it slide further into collapse.
October 18, 2008 12:33 AM | Reply | Permalink
But he does respect his/her bank account, which is why he is so disdainful, and uncomfortable, with Barack's redistributiion of income remark.
Of course, for the last 30 some years income has been distributed with the hearty approval of the rich - the top 1 percent saw their share of total US household income increased almost fivefold between 1970 and 1998, jumping from 0.7 percent to over 3 percent, a stunning ratio.
Obviously, it's not about redistribution, it's about who benefits from it.
October 18, 2008 12:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
phelicity --
your statement makes no sense at all. how could the top 1% make less than 1% of the total income?
Please cite a source. Here is mine, which seems to be more reasonable to me:
http://sociology.ucsc.edu/whorulesamerica/power/wealth.html
There are distinctions between wealth, net worth, and income that need to be clarified too. Anyway, the above link indicates that the top 1% take in about 20% of the income, and have about 40% of the wealth.
October 19, 2008 12:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
You hit the nail on the head. The core of politics is who gets what and how much.
October 19, 2008 3:56 PM | Reply | Permalink
Noble,
yeah, but he puts the country first.
October 18, 2008 2:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
People need to vote EARLY!!!! Don't wait for November 4th, as the republicans will try to intimidate folks at the polls. Vote now people; don't wait for November 4th - PLEASE!
October 19, 2008 1:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'll be doing my part. I'm headed 450 miles to Cleveland for GOTV the final weekend through Election Day. I've had the trip and the destination set for awhile now. I have the means and the vacation days, and I just can't imagine not doing it.
October 18, 2008 3:35 AM | Reply | Permalink
Elwood,
speaking of TV, here's something, (subtle bias?) I see constantly;
Chris Matthews Sunday Show, 4 guests; 2 Conservative Columnists and 2 Reporters.
Meet the Press, 4 guests;
an ex Republican Congressman, a Conservative columnist, a reporter and a Newsweek Editor.
and this after Brokaw threw all the Republican talking points at Powell.
October 19, 2008 11:18 AM | Reply | Permalink
I use to like Jealous Joe Scarborough, but after listening to him during this elections; I can no longer stand him, and I often times just tune him out.
October 19, 2008 1:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
Island,
I used to watch Joe in the Morning, but Scarborough hogs the chat too often. I left his show behind.
Another thing, Joe's show is like Hardball in that you can't disagree with the host.
October 19, 2008 4:43 PM | Reply | Permalink
I agree with Mr. Hundt's analysis of the strategy for Sen. McCain. It seems to me it is very important to understand that his campaign is about WINNING. If Oblovian (not the place actually named) recipes always start with "First, steal 2 eggs.", then ALL political recipes (on ALL sides) start with, "First, WIN." The ugliest victory is worth a great deal more than the noblest loss: Its effects last so much longer.
I think it's important to make that point, because it shows the futility of wasting a lot of time in here and in other similar forums wailing and nashing teeth over the opponents's mean tactics. In a perverse way, that response can actually backfire: It distracts our people from their main duty at this point, and it reinforces McCain's methods by both getting them even MORE attention, and by allowing the people camplaining about it the most to become the issue (ie, 'Hollywood', liberal bloggers, the'media', etc.).
Certainly, these attacks must be answered - there is no argument so completely silly that SOMEONE won't buy it in the absence of a counter-proposal.
But just 'answering' is not nearly enough. There's a REASON why Sen. Obama came from where he started to where he now is. It's more important than ever at this point that he and his supporters REMEMBER that, and push his positive message more relentlessly than ever, face-to-face as much as possible, as if life itself depended upon it. We have money, we have numbers, we have committment, we just might have the trend of the times, and we have Sen. McCain desperately trying to play on an ever-larger field with shrinking resources. USE ALL THAT no matter what McCain does, and keep using it right up to Election Day!
October 18, 2008 5:07 AM | Reply | Permalink
There is an urgent need for attorneys to work on voter protection in battleground states. You do not need to be licensed to practice law in that state, per the Obama campaign. If you are an attorney or can contact Obama supporters who are attorneys, please check go to this website for more information and to sign up:
wwww.barackobama.com/counselforchange
Or you can phone the Illinois Obama office in Chicago for more information. There will be training sessions for volunteer attorneys.
October 18, 2008 7:34 AM | Reply | Permalink
If you are an attorney or can contact Obama supporters who are attorneys, please check go to this website for more information and to sign up:
wwww.barackobama.com/counselforchange
That url, like the last 8 years, has one too many Ws.
October 19, 2008 11:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
Here's what I always tell people about voting;
When you're home on election day, and you're feeling lazy and rationalizing why you don't need to vote, remember this;
Your enemy is down there voting.
October 18, 2008 11:46 AM | Reply | Permalink
We're playing for keeps! Keep up the fight Barack!!
October 18, 2008 12:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
essential voters in those key states?
Unclear what this term means but it seems that collective and concerted actions are needed for the remainder of the election cycle; essentially, GOTV efforts all over the country. Also, money would be helpful especially from those in regions and states where GOTV efforts are needed less.
It seems that the overall broad impact of the Obama's campaign across many states and regions will be determinative, McCain does not have the capacity to respond. If this is or not the case, it does not matter as it is critical that all effort be focused 24/7 for the rest of this election cycle. Am hoping for a two way coattail effect with down ballot races throughout the country.
October 18, 2008 1:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
All Politics are LOCAL.
RW consultant sees armageddon for Republicans in focus group:
http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/1008/Voting_for_Obama_anyway.html?showall
Every single Republican & GOP McBush candidate on the down ticket during this election cycle must be voted down or out of office.
GOTV for Obama/Biden
October 19, 2008 10:51 AM | Reply | Permalink
Obama, Biden, and their surrogates should start ridiculing McCain for being the liar that he and his ventriloquist's dummy of a running mate actually are.
October 19, 2008 11:59 AM | Reply | Permalink
"Democrats need to . . . respond to every charge, no matter how crazy, in every media forum that can be found."
Agreed, but this is precisely what Obama has not been doing. No wonder McCain is beginning to gain traction with his crap.
October 19, 2008 12:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
He's not. Read Nate Silver's excellent post at 538: http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2008/10/todays-polls-1018.html
October 19, 2008 1:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
Agreed: McCain IS gaining traction.
Please, please, please Obama campaign get dirty!! Please get nasty and dismantle this old lying bag of crap and his hate-filled, vindictive running mate!!
October 19, 2008 1:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
What Nate says is that he's gaining traction among his base. He's not convincing undecideds. I don't care if he gains traction among his base. That's not the group we're targeting, and the rise among the base has been small.
For Obama to get dirty would be to sacrifice the very characteristics that make him appealing to someone of the stature of Colin Powell, and "ittle people" like me!
October 19, 2008 2:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
Depressed base = Win. Late breaking Undecideds have not gone Obama's way for a while now. I'm not trying to be panicky here; I'm just saying we need to play for keeps. I say dirty a lot around here so people can get used to it. I'm nto saying invent a story that McCain had syphylis from all the out of wedlock sex in random seaports and that it infected his brain.
I'm saying call him "erratic" and "unfit" non-stop for 2 weeks. Call him weak. Indecisive. Bush's sidekick. We need to hear it all.
Low Information Voters Need to Hear It All. Again, and again.
Fight.
Crush McCain.
October 19, 2008 6:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
What will it take for the MSM to stop saying that McCain is a decent man, that he is better than his campaign, that he is patriot. CLEARLY, HE IS NONE OF THOSE THINGS!
October 19, 2008 12:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
Obama, Biden, and their surrogates should start ridiculing McCain for being the liar that he and his ventriloquist's dummy of a running mate actually are. Posted by Rich in NJ
But that would be "negative"! If McCain wins, it will be a sad lesson.
October 19, 2008 12:47 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'm as concerned about seeing this campaign through to a successful outcome as anyone else (I'm still giving, volunteering, etc.), but some of this is excessive paranoia. It tags into the same perverse awe of Rove that thought he was capable of enlisting the Devil at the last moment to undermine all the forces of good.
In any case, we need to get out and make certain every vote we can get turns out at Nov 4, if not before. Let's stop wasting our time fretting about these most base assaults we can do nothing to control.
October 19, 2008 1:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
"Democrats need to knock on every door in those key states; respond to every charge, no matter how crazy, in every media forum that can be found"
That means the right-wing web too.
Get information here and go!
October 19, 2008 1:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
What's been so impressive about the Obama campaign is its equanimity. Obama hasn't over-reacted to short-term fluctuations in the polls. He hasn't ignored attacks, but he also hasn't gotten sucked in to the tempatation to respond vigorously to every attack. Doing so would have made him look defensive and maybe given some of the attacks more attention than they deserved. His approach is steady and relentless, rather than reactive and volatile. It contrasts stunningly with the impulsive and erratic McCain campaign and has helped separate the two, with Obama looking like the steadier, more confident, more trustworthy leader. As the election nears, the gap between Obama and McCain will close. Faced with an actual choice, most voters who are wavering tend to fall back to their comfort zone. McCain, an elderly white Republican will seem safer to many voters than a younger African American Democrat. Many people will get cold feet when it comes to voting for such a dramatic change. Expect to see the polls continue to close. But Obama looks especially strong and, absent some transformative revelation about one of the candidates, Obama should easily remain on top even as some folks fall back to McCain.
October 19, 2008 2:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
The election is a battle.
The war continues no matter the outcome.
Pay attention to the US since the twelve years of Reagan/Bush. After Clinton wins, he's relentlessly investigated, attacked, smeared, slandered and finally impeached.
The Republican party has no interest other than power for themselves and their patrons.
Even if Obama gets the most votes, they've already established the argument that somehow Obama is a threat to the national good. Remember that Bush has two and a half months and the USSC to overturn the outcome if not in fact, in practice. Even if Obama wins in a landslide, the memes established in the campaign continue. His every utterance, his every established policy, his every appointment will be met with partisan dispute trumpeted on talk radio and Fox while echoed by the mainstream (corporate) media.
The Republicans represent the monied class. They've transferred trillions of dollars from public coffers to private control. Why would they allow a mere election affect their balance sheet?
October 19, 2008 2:54 PM | Reply | Permalink
I agree with this. The Republican leadership never acknowledged Clinton's legitimacy. He was not one of them. If Obama wins, expect the bile to continue.
But there is an answer, of course. To wrest power back.
October 19, 2008 6:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
McCain was broken in that prison and he's never been the same since.
October 19, 2008 3:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
Once again, the tired old soldier waxes optimistic (or clueless):
"I love being the underdog. You know, every time that I've gotten ahead, somehow I've messed it up," the Republican candidate said.
Asked if Gov. Sarah Palin has become a drag on his ticket, McCain said, "As a cold political calculation, I could not be more pleased."
sigh...so sad
October 19, 2008 10:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
Inundated a few months ago, Mary-Kay Gamel, literature professor at U.C. Santa Cruz disabused all inquirers as to her purported authorship of an account of one family's nightmare week-long vacation to Turtle Island in Fiji circa 2000 WITH THE McCAIN CLAN.
The same account can now be found on another website, that of Neil Young, authored by Doctor Ana Dubey who is a practicing psychologist in San Francisco.
Given the amazing allegations made in the written account, it is not hard to understand why a mainstream media outlet or a political or current events website would touch it. Why suffer a storm of attack dogs, storm troopers (digital and otherwise) and Gordon Liddy wannabes?
Why would a major artist such as singer/songwriter Neil Young hazard the blowback from acting as an agent publicizing the allegations. He is known as having supported Ronald Reagan's re-election in 1984 and no one excepting a certifiable kook would suspect him of being a Rove operator of the left. He would not be so stupid as to feature the allegations in the way that he has without his lawyer and his record label's lawyers vetting Ms. Dubey and her allegations in equal measure.
Moreover, it is well known that Neil's father has had a career in journalism in Canada and has been quite well known and respected north of the border.
Artist Young has deep pockets. His label has deep pockets and the McCains can surely afford the finest lawyers in the nation.
Wake up people; there may likely be gold here:
http://www.neilyoung.com/lwwtoday/index.html
October 20, 2008 1:16 AM | Reply | Permalink
Like most Americans that constitute the ever-growing class of “disillusioned” voters, I watched the recent “town hall-style” debate between Barack Obama and John McCain. As expected, my perspective of politics and its participants remained the same: no matter how many direct questions you ask a politician, regardless of party affiliation, the answers you receive are nothing more than generalized sound bites. The New York Times described the debate as “ninety minutes of forced cordiality,” and I certainly agree. The Boston Globe reported that although the discussion was “mercifully free” of personal attacks, the discussion was also free of much of the tension that generates compelling television. McCain reiterated the value of his experience, his “stay the course” stance on Iraq, and his oil drilling policies. Obama condemned the Republican policies that he believes have led the American economy into its current recession. Based on the debate performances, we really have no concept of how either candidate would work to avoid a pending economic catastrophe. A realistic, well-thought out economic plan is what America needs. Obama’s stance on “predatory lending” – effectively sanctioning payday advance lenders – is not a legitimate solution to the real economic problems we face.
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October 20, 2008 5:49 AM | Reply | Permalink