Who benefits from early voting?
Casting ballots at the peak of Palin-mania
Who benefits from early voting?
Dick Polman, Inquirer National Political Columnist
With so many Democrats seemingly preparing to hurl themselves from the nearest cliff, firm in their conviction that Barack Obama has been fatally trumped by Palin-mania, it is perhaps sadistic to cite another potential factor that might darken their mood even further.
That would be the burgeoning trend of early voting.
Roughly 30 states this autumn will offer the option; the idea is to make voting easier and cull the long lines that have lately marred the election-day process in many key locales. Early-voting experts now predict that 33 percent of the '08 electorate could cast ballots in advance of November 4, and that would mark a sharp increase over 2004, when 20 percent voted early.
Most noteworthy, however, is that early voting will be available in some of the most important '08 battlegrounds: Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Iowa, Florida, and Ohio. Those were all red states in 2004, and Obama can kiss his chances goodbye if they stay red in 2008. Obama optimists have long figured, however, that he could take advantage of the early-voting option in those states by registering scads of new voters, mobilizing the enthused partisans who are already registered, and getting them all to cast early ballots.
But here's a thought that could lengthen the Democratic line at the cliff: What if these early-voting laws actually wind up benefiting John McCain?
Under this Democratic doomsday scenario, the peak period of Palin-mania might well coincide with the early-voting window, prompting many bedazzled citizens to vote en masse for the GOP - whereas the voters who wait for election day might well realize, with good reason, that Palin's "reformer" image is a fraud and that Palin, with fewer national security credentials than a think tank scholar, really has no business being situated a heartbeat away from running the war on terror. (If McCain does better than expected in the early voting, we will undoubtedly hear some Democrats complain that these reforms are a disservice to democracy, and that all voters should have full access to all candidate information before making such a crucial decision.)
On the potential upside for Democrats, however, is the early-voting deal in Ohio. Thanks to a loophole in state law, the most populous counties - which also happen to have large student and urban populations - will be permitted to conduct instant registration and instant voting between Sept. 30 and Oct. 6. (Again, the motivation is to cull long lines in heavily populated areas on election day.) Expect to see Obama in Ohio that week; his prospects in that crucial state may hinge on enhanced turnout in college and urban communities.
It's commonly assumed that McCain is imperiled if he loses Ohio, but here's another potential hitch for Democrats: The Ohio GOP doesn't like the fact that this instant registration and voting rule is not being applied equally to all 88 counties....so they may well decide to file a lawsuit.
One of the great underreported stories of this campaign is that a photo finish could trigger voting-law litigation in key states, and both sides are planning accordingly. Which means that if any election lawyers are lined up with their Democratic brethren at that cliff of despair, they might want to step out and report for work instead.
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Meanwhile, on the Palin front, new information continues to strip away the faux-reformer image crafted by the McCain camp (assuming anybody is noticing). In the last 24 hours alone, we have learned, among other things, that the hockey-mom heroine and alleged enemy of earmarks has requested federal pork money for things like studying the mating habits of crabs and the DNA of seals (precisely the stuff that McCain always rails against); that this alleged champion of ethics has hired a former gas pipeline company lobbyist to oversee a deal involving the gas pipeline company; that this alleged role model for women has hired a police chief accused of sexual harassment to head the state police; and that, while serving as mayor of Wasilla, she presided over a crime policy which required that rape victims foot the bill for their own medical examinations, for the so-called rape kits that police use to gather forensic evidence. (The state legislature, thinking it was a tad unfair for rape victims to pay such costs, abolished the policy during Palin's tenure.)
We'll see if any of this gets a mention when Charlie Gibson quizzes Palin on ABC News tonight and, mostly, on 20/20 tomorrow night (conveniently at 10 p.m. on a Friday, a time when most Americans are otherwise occupied). She is currently busy memorizing the necessary talking points, under the tutelage and protection of her new GOP entourage. And with respect to that entourage, consider some of the key names: Taylor Griffin, Tracey Schmitt, Tucker Eskew, Steve Biegun, Nicole Wallace, Mark Wallace.
They're all George W. Bush alumni, from either his White House, his campaigns, or both. This may be a long shot, but one is tempted to argue that McCain's reliance on the old Bush team - directly contradicting his claim that he is breaking with the past - is perhaps a more important issue than Barack Obama's appropriate use of a standard American colloquialism about pigs and lipstick.
Comments (106)
Yeah, but Biden's been in the Senate since the Lincoln administration and has served on important committees. Palin has served half a term as governor of a state with around 660,000 people. Before that she was mayor of a town of 7,000. Dude, that's smaller than Oxford PA. Even Karl Rove thinks this makes Palin vastly underqualified.— p-diddy
Comment removed.- Tom: Yes, I do think Obama's ethic background, as well as his having lived overseas for a period, gives him a perspective that other presidents have been missing. Of course, these are intangibles, but I think it's important. By the way, RIP Lehman Brothers.— p-diddy
- Tom: I'm not saying having a passport is the number one criteria for being VP. I don't fault her for not having met a foreign head of state either; many potential presidents haven't. But not even having a passport until last year? She's running for VP! I think anyone who has traveled to other countries will tell you that the experience of being a foreigner in a different culture permanently changes your world view. Personally, I think McCain should have picked the mayor of West Chester PA, which has a population of around 90,000.— p-diddy
- Tom, here's that link I posted earlier that is a well-sourced site featuring news stories from major papers around the U.S. and in Alaska, as well as the complete tape of her remarks at the church. http://dailysource.org/palin#1— NigeltheMastiff
- Three things that really struck me. One, ABC cut her speech to her church right in the middle. There is more to her words than what they played, and it could have distorted the context. Second, she seemed over coached. Gibson did not offer any ice breaking questions that a lot of interviewers do, such as "How do you feel about your son leaving for Iraq", but delved right into it, probably not leaving room for any "connection" in the interview. Asking her if she believes she can look into the camera and tell the American people she is qualified to be VP is a bit unfair.....who else ever got asked that question? Nobody. Third, I believe she was nervous and that really came across. Her first interview was a tough one. She should get better at this, and I am certain her debate performance will leave no doubt she is ready and qualified.— tom - wilmington, de
- I must confess I did not watch ABC News tonight....I was at a football practice. However, from some of the clips I saw last night, some questions seemed fair and some over the top. Did it bother me she seemed flummoxed about the Bush Doctrine....a little. But she should be more concerned about the McCain doctrine, not the Bush doctrine of the Clinton doctrine or the Reagan doctrine. Did I believe it fair she as asked about Iraq being a Holy War? No, and I thought her bringing up a quote from Abraham Lincoln was a good retort to that question. About Georgia and NATO, I did not hear her, as suggested by MSNBC and I am sure Polman today, her say we should go to war with Russia. The question should be if Georgia were a member of NATO would Russia have invaded them. So if we do not defend Georgia as a member of NATO, let's just scrap the whole treaty. After all, if Russia invaded Germany, we would have to go to war with Russia, so let's just do away with the whole alliance. That was a bit of an unfair assertion and the liberal blogs are going nuts with it today.— tom - wilmington, de
- I know before becoming Senator Obama definitely had a passport and took numberous trips overseas, right? Surely he was asked that question by somebody since it is of such high importance, right? I mean, before becoming Senator, I know he lived in Indonesia, so surely he had visited other countries as an adult, right? I wonder if I could google "Obama", "passport", "overseas trips" if the questions he faced about this subject will surely come up, followed by the media scrutiny of his passport and his foreign trips.....do you agree? Where did Obama travel to prior to his being a US Senator?— tom - wilmington, de
- diddy, I agree. From now on, we should have the first question asked about anybody seeking national office, since Senators/Congressmen have to sit on foreign relations committees, defense committees, etc., when their passport was issued, how many times it has been stamped, and how many different countries they have visited, for how long and what did they do there. Why, that is almost as important as whether or not they believe in evolution or if the dinosaurs were here 4,000 years ago. After all, these people make decisions affecting our lives everyday dealing with intelligence matters and may even have the nuclear codes. Passports are definitely the number one criteria for these high offices.— tom - wilmington, de
- p-diddy: Its real obvious that Palin can thinhk on her feet, is very smart & has the requisite moxie & toughness to handle the job. Personally, I find her politics & social positions abhorrent overall. Heck, she's more like Bush than McCain is. The BIG problem I (still) have with her pick is how McCain made it --- by pulling it out of his butt. Its worse that its actually worked out for him (so far). After the way decisions were made during the Bush Presidency, the LAST thing this country needs is another POTUS who acts like a craps gambler.— yobill626
- Seriously though, Palin didn't even have a passport until last year? This woman wants to be Vice President of the United States, for crying out loud.— p-diddy
- Yobill, I'd be happy to help. Let's see. How's this: Palin handled the Gibson interview with confidence, showcasing her ability to handle the hostile, liberal MSM. Plus, there was a sexist undertone to the whole interview, with Gibson towering over Palin, wearing his professorial glasses and school principal-like facial expressions. You almost expected Gibson to tell Palin that she was getting a detention. What hypocrisy! Plus, Gibson set a trap for Palin when he asked her what she thought the "Bush doctrine" was. Unfair. There's no way he'd look down his nose at Biden or the Messiah like that. But Palin showed that she is well versed in policy and tough as nails. She dispelled any notion that her lack of experience would be an issue. What a woman.— p-diddy
- fetch: Yeah, I feel the first three were from "The Polman-Cons' Greatest Hits" collection. The fourth was a request. I just love the fact the 2nd Amendment is the only one that can never be altered or updated in any way shape or form, no matter how mauch its needed.— yobill626
- Pretty funny yobill— fetchez la vache
- Red Wright-Hand: Since this appears to currently be a "no spew zone" with no Cons currently on the board, let me step in for my absent wingnut friends: "You're obviously a KosKook". "The American Library Association is a well known Left Wing Democratic run organization, so come back with a source that shows some fairness". "This shows how scared you & your in foil hat wearing friends are now". "Banning books...come back with a real problem --- like when somebody tries to ban AK-47's". I could go on, but they usually have OBAMAHATER here on the night shift & I want to give him something left to say when he gets here.— yobill626
- The funny thing is, no one even expects a candidate to reveal anything about themselves or illuminate the problems we face. Thus we'll have a raft of body language experts and political oracles trying to tell us what Palin "really meant". Is Polman finished writing tomorrow's column yet?— p-diddy
- Yoda - I know, but still this entire process should take 6 months: 3 months for primaries, 3 months for the general election. Think about it, a few months after the 2006 congressional elections ended, the presidential campaigns started. So much time, and so little dialogue. Candidates live in a bubble on these campaigns. They're giving speeches to nothing but handpicked crowds (an exception would be Obama's speech on race). You start to realize that self-imposed isolation is an important part of campaign strategy. I think Charles Gibson was a decent interviewer of Palin tonight. But watching it, I started realizing that I "knew" all the answers too. We know the stock answers of the two parties to questions about drilling and Iraq. I'm not picking on Palin; almost all of them do it. But I was thinking that the interview was more about branding than learning anything about Palin. Okay, now for the body language experts...— p-diddy
- Speaking of Caribou Barbie, does Grandpa Simpson let her go out on the campaign trail by herself now? At first I thought the McCain folks didn't trust her out on her own. Now I think he won't be able to handle it when he again sees how few people come out to see...just him. Really says something about a candidate when its obvious so few will put forth any effort to go see you or hear what you think.— yobill626
- The American Library Association weighs in on the "Did Mayor Palin Try to Ban Books?" story, and now-Governor Palin doesn't come out looking too well. Citing coverage this month in the Anchorage Daily News: "'Back in 1996, when she first became mayor, Sarah Palin asked the city librarian if she would be all right with censoring library books should she be asked to do so.' The report goes on to say that 'according to news coverage at the time, the librarian said she would definitely not be all right with it.' Emmons [the librarian] then received a letter from Palin, the News goes on to say, telling her she was going to be fired because she did not fully support the mayor. Emmons, however, was said to be popular with the public and, after a wave of support, kept her job, but resigned in August 1999, two months before Palin was voted in for a second mayoral term. [snip...] June Pinnell-Stephens, chair of the Intellectual Freedom Committee of the Alaska Library Association, was quoted in the September 4 Daily News as saying she had no record of any books being censored in the Wasilla library nor any conversations about the issue with Emmons, who was president of the association at the time. But she did recall that Palin 'essentially forced Mary Ellen [Emmons] out. She all but fired her.'" Full ALA account: http://tinyurl.com/6htnvn— Red Wright-Hand
- p-diddy, you have to remember we've only had NOMINATED candidates for president for 2-3 weeks now - they were all pretenders to the throne before the conventions. I have to say, I just can't wait to see McCain standing on some stage somewhere flapping his arms like some overweight earthbound albatross, chanting "Drill here! Drill now!" over and over as he dances to the tune of Karl Rove's Imperius Curse*. If he loses the election maybe he can salvage a career as a right-wing rap star... *Imperius Curse - from Harry Potter, for those not familiar with it - a spell that forces the victim to do whatever the attacker tells them to do.— yoda
- I was just thinking how amazing it is that we've been bombarded by campaign coverage for 19 months, yet we haven't had a single direct exchange between candidates for president. This isn't an election, it's a form of national degradation.— p-diddy
- Fetchez, I think Mike was trying to say that he thinks Polman is more qualified than either Palin or Obama. Or maybe he needs to work on his communication skills.— yoda
- Swedesboro, First, I guess you have Polman on the brain. You probably meant to type Palin instead of Polman. But when was Obama inaugurated as a Senator?— fetchez la vache
- If Polman is not qualified to be President as a governor then how in the world is Obama qualified considering he only has 2 years in the Senate and spent most of those years campaigning?
- Proving that there are levels of animosity light years beyond what tom and I have exchanged over the past couple days I present the following from profootballtalk.com: With the Eagles set to visit the Cowboys Monday night, Terrell Owens can’t miss an opportunity to discuss his former team and his former quarterback, saying a major reason he left Philadelphia was that Donovan McNabb couldn’t handle his fame. “I think the fans and just the excitement of me coming there and being there, it became too overwhelming for Donovan,” Owens said, per Tim MacMahon of the Dallas Morning News. “Other than that, I think at one point in time I will say that we had a good relationship. I think I got too big for Philly, too big for him. But here, Tony [Romo] and I have a great relationship.” Owens also indicated that McNabb didn’t like how popular Owens was becoming among fans in Philadelphia. “I can remember being in that stadium and hearing them chanting my name,” Owens said. “That couldn’t bode well for Donovan to hear that. It was an every-week thing.” Owens did acknowledge that “Donovan made me a better receiver in Philly.” He then added, “but I think it would be hard for him to admit that I made him a better quarterback.” ............. I've got my popcorn and can't wait for Monday night.— fetchez la vache
- I hope the Republicans are enjoying McSame's peak, because that's what this is. Things can change pretty quickly, and considering McSame's partner hasn't even fielded a single question from a reporter yet, you can bet they will. Ultimately, this race will be between Obama and McSame, not the VPs. These are temporary headlines, that's it.— p-diddy
- JeffA, You're right. It is great. I was just amazed how many times it's already been used on the net. Kudos to the person who came up with the term. And thanks for sharing it.— fetchez la vache
- Okay kids (Tom, fetchez) perhaps you should take this to a private chatroom or something. As for Caribou Barbie, when I came across it, it was just too funny not to share.— JeffA
- fetch...you're right. I lie awake at night, crying into my pillow, wondering what you think about what I wrote and what you may write in return. "Will he call me names" I ask my wife, who lovingly pats my shoulder. "What will I do if he says I am just making things up" I cry. Why, I am I said, to noone there, and noone heard at all not even the chair, .....leaving me lonely still.— tom - wilmington, de
- "Even his backers say Obama's achievements were modest, while stressing how the experience shaped his aspirations." ""What he brought to the effort was he helped [residents] to step into themselves to do things they weren't going to do and that the establishment here was not going to get done," said Linda Randle, an Atlgeld Gardens resident who worked closely with Obama and now has an Obama for President sign in her window." "But some residents remain upset at Obama's characterization of the people in the projects and his role in helping them. He writes unsparingly of his frustration, for example, with a "plump woman with a pincushion face who was president of the official tenant council and spent most of her time protecting the small prerogatives that came with her office: a stipend and a seat at the yearly banquet; the ability to see that her daughter got a choice apartment." The woman is given a pseudonym." Yeah...the guys a real saint. A community organizer like, to quote some good Democrats, Jesus.— tom - wilmington, de
- tom, You really need to learn to read. I did not cite the article in regards to the economic condition of Altgeld Gardens. I cited it in reference to the efforts to clean up asbestos and someone speaking well of Obama's community organizing. And I think Obama making it a core component of his book means he has touted it. And while I see you cited the reference of the woman who did not think highly of him, you ignored the woman who spoke highly of him. I acknowledged that the article was not all praise of Obama when I put it out there. But the purpose of my citing the article was to refute Echo's point. Instead of this silly back-and-forth, please read the full text of my posts more than once to make sure you fully understand the purpose. I try to be as clear as possible.— fetchez la vache
- tom, From you yesterday: "The 143 day claim did not originate with me...it has been around for quite some time. Stop acting like I made it up." From me today: "The question is whether your defense will be based on something "made up" by others or whether it will be based on non-partisan, reliable sources." I didn't say that you would make something up. So I did not personally attack you for making things up. By I did say that you use stats made up by others. I stand by the assertion that 143 days is made up. Unless someone can come up with a rational basis for how 143 days was derived, I'll stand by that argument. The touchy one here is you, tom. And still_independent is right. You have reached Clintonian heights with your parsing of your own statement. Now that's a personal attack on you that I'm sure hits close to home.— fetchez la vache
- still and fetch, actually I was not saying anybody was being intellectually dishonest. I simply was stating that making the statement that McCain voted with Bush 90% of the time without mentioning that the figure pertained to only a specific year and not the entire terms is being intelletually dishonest. It could have been anybody.....touchy touchy guys. Next time I will use phonetic spelling so you can understand it. And fetch, the attack was in saying I would find some convoluted way to defend the MMS or use something "made up". That is a personal attack.— tom - wilmington, de
- fetch, in an effort to be intellectually honest, from the article you site about Obama and organizing, is the woman named Hazel Johnson, who said of Obama "I like him, he is a nice, young intelligent man, but some of the things he said are not true. I was organizing, doing that work before Obama even came to the Gardens." How about when he said in his book, as stated in the article, he "stayed in the background of the asbestos fight." The article closes with "For all its impact on Obama, Altgeld Gardens today seems far from the kind of success story politicians like to tout. Dozens of buildings are boarded up, with fences surrounding much of the property. The roads are a potholed mess. Blinking lights illuminate a series of towers where police have mounted cameras." No wonder it is not mentioned by Obama as one of his success stories.— tom - wilmington, de
- tom: perhaps you should go into politics. Bill Clinton would be scratching his head at your 4:03 post. ... You're saying that when you said fetch was being intellectualy dishonest you meant Obama, and when you said "you" you meant the article ... or the post ... or ... 2007 ...— still_independent
- tom, maybe you need to learn how to write non-vague sentences. Your post said "my point". Not "Obama's point". Not "Polman's point". Not anybody else's point. And BTW, the first place I found the statement was from an Obama ad that at the end specifically cited the CQ 2007 study. But I never referenced that ad since that was a secondary source and not a primary source. I'm sorry I have offended your delicate sensibilities by challenging your assertions. If you don't want me to say anything, then make sure you don't use information that "someone else made up" and make sure that you use a full quote and don't just pick the parts that fit your narrative.— fetchez la vache
- tom, What personal attack? You really are getting a little too sensitive. I said that I'm sure that you would come up with a way to defend the MMS. I did not say that you would come up with a way to defend the sexual escapades of the employees. And even if they are long-term civil servants, my post from earlier stated that as early as May the IG had noted that there were strong indications of ethical conflicts at the MMS. So if Bush has been relying on the agency that manages the offshore leases to provide him with information that has been used to support his argument for drilling made over the summer months, then you have to question anything Bush has said. But, in the end, you did find a way to defend Bush's management of the MMS by deflecting and ignoring the fact that Bush has been relying on a troubled agency for information with the full knowledge that the agency had been cited for being too cozy with the industry. At the first hint of the problem, Bush should have ordered the employees of the agency to terminate all non-business day contact with members of the oil industry. And he should have replaced senior management. That way no one could question arguments made for offshore drilling. As it now stands, we don't know whether the information Bush has received from MMS is legit or has been colored by the intimate nature of these relationships. As you can see, it doesn't matter whether the MMS employees are D's or R's. We know that there is a level of conflict that should not be accepted.— fetchez la vache
- fetch.....go back to the original question from factcheck.org (to paraphrase, has McCain really supported Bush 90% of the time as Obama suggests). Now, in all of Obama's ad, all Polman's posts, all the comments on this site, it is mentioned that McCain supported Bush 90% of the time. It is never mentioned that the 90% relates only to the year 2007. So, what I said, was "to sum up your point" means the point of the article and of your post. "In your words" means you used those words against me, saying I was intellectually dishonest. And lastly, to paraphrase myself, not mentioning that the 90% refers to a particular year or two, is being intellectually dishonest. I swear, liberals are so darn sensitive...it is always about them. Maybe you need to grow a pair.— tom - wilmington, de
- tom, from you this morning, "fetch, so to sum up your point....saying McCain has voted with George Bush either 90% or 95% of the time without the caveat that those figures only relate to specific year or two is...in your words....intellectually dishonest." Sounds like you are implying that I had been intellectually dishonest— fetchez la vache
- Let's see, we have Donna Brazil and Representative Steve Cohen comparing Obama to Jesus and Palin to Pontius Pilate (Jesus was a community organizer and Pontius Pilate was a governor) on TV (CNN) and the floor of the House of Representatives. We have Matt Damon saying he thinks it is important if Palin believes there were dinosaurs on the earth 4,000 years ago because she will have the nuclear codes. So, if she believes dinosaurs were here 4,000 years ago, I guess that means she could start a nuclear war. We have the Chairwoman of the South Carolina Democrat party saying Palin's only qualification for VP is that she has not had an abortion (isn't that freedom of choice). And her husband was one of those saying God must be a Democrat because he put a Hurrican in New Orleans at the time of the Republican convention. Yep, we cannot have any of those Republican extremist in government or positions of influence.— tom - wilmington, de
- Echo, there's this marvelous little thing on the internet called Google. Now maybe you accidentally found a computer that was turned on with the browser pointed to this page. And you decided to type your question about who has benefited from community organizing under Obama. But it took me less than 5 minutes using Google to find an answer to your question. All you had to do was type "community organizing" "obama" and "benefited" and you would have found a slew of postings. I burrowed into a couple before I found "Altgeld Gardens" and a mention of asbestos. I then typed "obama" and "Altgeld Gardens" and "asbestos" Now, if I wanted to be intellectually dishonest, I could give you just the name of the woman who praises Obama. But I'll cite the whole article which also addresses some of the people who don't believe his role was that integral. But since your question only addressed finding one person, I have now answered the question. Next time, try Google. It really is amazing. (http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/01/22/a_defining_time_of_advocacy/?page=2) (BTW, I googled "Caribou Barbie" and came up with over 27,000 citations. Nothing against JeffA, but I think it's safe to say that the phrase originated somewhere else. It's still great.)— fetchez la vache
- Sarah Palin left the Pentecostal church in either 2001 or 2002. She now belongs to a non-denominational church. BTW, if anyone is curious, she was reared Catholic.— tom - wilmington, de
- fetch...I like the personal attack. I would not come up with any way of defending the MMS, unless the wives and husbands weren't getting any at home. Then I could at least understand it. But I believe that is part of the problem with career civil servants who think they cannot be fired for their behavior. I would caution at laying all those people at the feet of Bush, however. For all we know, many of them could have been hired 10, 15, 20 or more years ago. So there is no defense for what happened there and they should all be fired. Sorry to disappoint you and mute your personal attack.— tom - wilmington, de
- fetch....you did not miss my post because I did not respond. I did not call you intellectually dishonest. The only time I referenced you was when I wrote "in your words". If you took that to mean you were being intellectually dishonest, then you are really paranoid. Go back and re-read my post from yesterday.— tom - wilmington, de
- tom, I must have missed your reply. You asserted this morning that I had been intellectually dishonest because I did not give a specific time period for McCain's voting record of 95% with Bush. However, in my first post from yesterday regarding the 95% I stated, "According to CQ, John McCain voted in 2007 in support of the president’s position on legislation considered 95% of the time." Don't know how I could have been even more specific unless I was to cite the specific days in 2007 on which McCain voted with or against Bush. So I think was pretty intellectually honest in my statement. I also addressed you question about differences between Obama and Bush when I addressed drilling offshore. Given the fact that the segment of the Bush administration responsible for administering offshore leases is literally in bed with the oil industry, I think that any claims by the Bush admin regarding the need to drill offshore have to be taken with a large grain of salt. Those bozos literally gave away $10 billion through errors in writing the contracts. I wouldn't be surprised if you came up with a convoluted way to defend the MMS under Bush. The question is whether your defense will be based on something "made up" by others or whether it will be based on non-partisan, reliable sources.— fetchez la vache
- come un help us dont be vicious. I have my good share of hot steamy ones— jjfalcon35
- jjfalcon35 maybe next time in one of your boring nights. Seems like you're all alone,awwwws, maybe you should start thinking and give us something real to read instead of making us all bored too. Or maybe ask yourself what it is that is going to 'change' if the republicans win? OBAMA/BIDEN— help us
- Here is a very well sourced site, complete with video of Sarah Palin, on her beliefs and life story. I'm not a Pentecostal, so it completely creeps me out. http://dailysource.org/palin#4— NigeltheMastiff
- Most of voter rolls cleansing happens , if successful, beacuse proof of residence can not be verified— jjfalcon35
- Well one of my boring nights I was googling average poll results in the lead up to the Gen election and saw that mid Sept is a good predictor of Nov. In 1968 Nixon was way a head, it tightened but he won. The same for Carter in 1976. In 1980 reagan was slightly ahead and the broke big. As a matter of fact McCain has a better position now on state to state polling than Bush had in 2004 when the averages for Ohio and Florida were clearly better for Kerry. I still think this election has so many new variables that we really are in uncharted territory— jjfalcon35
- Anyone remember the movie 'Da-n Yankees'? I can just see McCain selling his soul to 'Joe' if in return he can just win the Republican nomination and the Presidency. 'Joe' agrees on condition that 'Lola' gets to be President before McCain's first term is up. Apparently the title was blocking the post previously.— JeffA
- Comment removed.
- jfalcon: now please post source for "Obama is trying to get people registered in Ohio and MI who do not live there"— still_independent
- jfalcon: can you post link to or data for "poll position" (old enough to remember the video game?) for last 10 elections? Whose poll? State-by-state, or national? Snapshot poll? What date? Just curious.— still_independent
- Obama is trying to get people registered in Ohio and MI who do not live there. That is voter fraud and yes should be disenfranchised— jjfalcon35
- Apparently Michigan and Ohio voters need to voter early since the GOP is planning to attempt to disenfranchise the voters on November 4th. see info in link below http://www.michiganmessenger.com/4076/lose-your-house-lose-your-vote— amharrison130
- mid Sept 2004 I meant to say— jjfalcon35
- The mid september poll position has predicted the winner in November in the last 10 elections. Even Bush had a slim lead in mid Nov 2004, lost the debates and won the election. Personalities trump issues in American elections.— jjfalcon35
- Since 9/11 was mentioned - Does anyone remember life in America pre-9/11? How many of you grand-standing today about the lack of respect paid to the memory of 9/11 uttered a peep at the lack of respect paid to Pearl Harbor? In two generations, 9/11 will be another historical footnote to the majority of Americans just like Pearl Harbor day. And it will hurt those who were touched by 9/11 as deeply as those who were touched by Pearl Harbor have been for the past forty years.— JeffA
- tom: Nashua thing was yesterday ... Just a nit, but you seem to like those ;)— still_independent
- When you cut through the bull, does anyone care that the people advising McCain/Palin are the ex-Bush people? (People I've never heard of btw.) Seems linking W to McCain is exactly the right tactic.— JeffA
- It's a shame that Biden didn't have the messianic power to make Chuck Graham stand up out of his wheelchair. Now, if Obama had been there....— justwondering
- Xi Jah - is "playing the race card" anything like claiming "sexism" any time a non-pro Palin statement is made? jfalcon - actually, considering the fact that there was only a holiday before the two conventions (thus eliminating much of a "D" bounce) and all the buzz around Palin, what's remarkable is that McCain only holds a SLIM lead. I completely ignore polls until after one or two debates, anyway.— still_independent
- Yoda...it's amazing that when W sounds like a moron (not an uncommon occurrence unfortunately), he is referred to as a moron. When Obama sounds like a moron (60 states, his birth was the result of the Selma march despite his being born 4 years before it happened, “that’s not the Rev. Wright/Tony Rezko I knew”, etc. – just as common as W) he is a “thinker”. Just watch this short clip and tell me about all the “thinking” going on (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GM8fqtjk3qs). The teleprompter to Obama is like make-up for Lindsy Lohan…they desperately need it, and boy do they look terrible without it. He knows so little about the socialist drivel he is spewing that when the prompter goes down, he can’t even put together a full sentence… but he gives me a tingly feeling up my leg!!!— Seriously?
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- Gee, I was hoping for a post about Biden's gaffes of the past two days. Yesterday he introduced a state senator at a rally and said "Stand up Chuck" to State Senator Chuck Graham. Well, turns out, Chuck is a paraplegic confined to a wheelchair. And there was Biden exhorting him to stand up. Today, Ole Joe told a crowd in Nashua New Hampshire that Hillary was probably more qualified than him to be Vice President and that she probably would have made a better choice than he to be on Obama's ticket. Yes, Joe telling people in New Hampshire that Obama should have chosen Hillary. Way to go Joe!!!!!— tom - wilmington, de
- NigeltheMastiff the are going to start making a stand up comedy routine about Obama's "intellect".— jwad56
- pagoda Obama is the biggest whiner ever EVER! He never stops. He even whines about stuff he thinks people are going to say but haven't said yet.— jwad56
- No, the specter of Obama doesn't concern me. Why? Because he has a very sharp intellect and listens to other people. Neither of the Republican candidates, to put it as kindly as possible, ranks high on the intelligence front. They are wily, yes, but our problems deserve a lot more than knee-jerk political positioning. And frankly, Xi, I haven't insulted you or been sarcastic, so why are you being so?— NigeltheMastiff
- No, the specter of Obama doesn't concern me. Why? Because he has a very sharp intellect and listens to other people. Neither of the Republican candidates, to put it as kindly as possible, ranks high on the intelligence front. They are wily, yes, but our problems deserve a lot more than knee-jerk political positioning. And frankly, Xi, I haven't insulted you or been sarcastic, so why are you being so?— NigeltheMastiff
- 5for5, thanks for that link. I kinda feel sorry for Biden now.. I'm gonna lay off calling him a "dud" for a while.— Leron
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- Bill Clinton's half hearted unenthusiastic prediction that Obama will win the election gave me a good laugh. It's pretty obvious that the Clintons are sabotaging the Obama campaign from within. That, combined with Biden's ineptitude spells disaster for Obama in Novemeber. With that said, Obama himself, isn't holding up too great. Gaffes..and constantly saying "UHHHHH" makes him look really bad.— Leron
- Right now one week after the end of the GOP convention seems the race is tied to slight McCain advantage based on polling averages and market futures. Really astonishing considering the advantages Dems had coming in. Obama owned the concept of change but never defined it in a short simple way. Americans know from experience with politicians and Obamas own lack of record there is no possible way he will deliver on his never ending list of promises during the convention speech. McCain came , selected Palin and introduced his own definition of change as reform and female power with a figure a lot in the mushy middle can identify with. It is harder to paint McCain now as more of the same , same old stuff, out of touch. A lot has been thrown at Palins image, nothing stinks bad enough to voters. Her oponents keep expectations about her , the lowest possible which I think is a tactical mistake. Everybody is talking about her, even people I have never heard talking about politics.— jjfalcon35
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- Hey Yoda, think Biden thinks before he speaks? The new phrase to describe him.."The Brain to Nowhere" Biden was speaking in Missouri yesterday and began thanking local officials, including State Senator Chuck Graham. Biden then said to Graham, "Stand up Chuck, let them see you." Biden soon realized that Graham, a paraplegic, is confined to a wheelchair. http://www.delawareonline.com/blogs/2008/09/biden-steps-in-itbig-time.html— 5forfighting
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- Xi,actually I think McCain used to be centrist, but all his actions within the last year have tacked so far to the right -- including his pick for VP -- that he can no longer claim that position. Whether he would tack toward the center after election remains to be seen, but for me is entirely too risky. I certain don't want the specter of a President Palin.— NigeltheMastiff
- "Obama didn't take 400+ million dollars from the national coffers in the name of hope and change." He didn't have time to - he was too busy writing his autobiography and running for president to actually do his job in the Senate. Why can't the Obama campaign produce one person in Chicago who can come forward and say "Mr. Obama's community organizing benefited me"? Running a political machine is not community organizing, folks.— Echo
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- jwad56- Thanks for keeping alive the "pig" story. Only makes your candidates look like sissys. I thought she was a pitbull?— pagoda
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- Are we really a country of extremists? Palin is certainly one. You could argue that Obama is one, though his pragmatism seems to make him more compromising and less knee-jerk in his responses, especially to hot-button issues. I really believe if we don't come back toward the center nothing will ever be accomplished. For a while I thought most Americans wanted both sides to compromise, but now I'm not sure of that. The divide just seems to widen. Meanwhile, our image and influence -- and certainly our wealth -- are fading. How frightening.— NigeltheMastiff
- I wonder what Obama was thinking while he was stammering right before he called Sarah Palin a pig?— jwad56
- Yoda that is BS. When our fine president Bush stutters and stammers he is an idiot but when Obama does it he is thinking? It's another of the ridiculous double standards that apply to radical left wing candidates.— jwad56
- Nothing on this site about Biden's gaffe. Typical. Thanks for reporting the news.— Leron
- Nothing on this site about Biden's gaffe. Typical. Thanks for reporting the news.— Leron
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- Fanatic, sorry, I had PHillies on the brain.— pagoda
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- The race is not supposed to be about vice presidents. Although you say there is no news about Biden, there is also no bad news about Biden. It is clear that McCain has morphed into McCain-Palin. That means McCain will live and die with every story surfacing concerning Palin. Palin is a religious phanatic, period. That may help firm up the religious phanatic base, but they were never going to vote Obama, perhaps they would have stayed home on election day- but I doubted that all along. Undecided voters are not Bible thumpers- and most disagree with Palin's COMPLETE ban on abortion, and her anti-science / teach creationism in school policies. By November the honeymoon will be over and McCain will relize he's sharing the bed with a Puritanical PTA buzz-kill!— pagoda
- jwad, what you are hearing when Obama talks is the sound of a person thinking while he speaks. We are not accustomed to hearing politicians who can do that, but both Obama and Biden seem to be pretty good at it, from what I have seen.— yoda
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- AHiredGun all I hear from him is stuttering and stammering and changing his position to fit what he thinks people want to hear. I think the stuttering and stammering and uhs and you knows are just him trying to figure out the best way to not say what he knows people don't want to hear: His true positions. He is a farce and that is a no brainer.— jwad56
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- AHiredGun hits the proverbial nail on the head.
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- Anybody who sees and hears Barack Obama, if they can get past the color of his skin, knows that he is a far better candidate to be president than John McCain. It is an absolute no brainer.— AHiredGun
- "If Obama can falsely lay claim to Change and Hope then he can't complain when someone lays claim to it also." That's fine and good when it's rhetoric, but Obama didn't take 400+ million dollars from the national coffers in the name of hope and change. And not return it. And claim that he did... as for running mates, on both counts, Obama and McCain, this is a travesty. I'm incensed that the VP pick is so close to the election and that we get so few debates between the VPs. These primaries need to be pushed up and completed within a month's time, and the winner needs to pick the VP a month after that. Political ads need be fact checked (BOTH SIDES) before airing. This is what we call democracy? And we want to spread THIS democracy to other countries? Please.— psv
- I am not in the mood to argue so I am just going to skip past the attacks on Palin. I will say, though, that there was a lot of buzz surrounding early voting in the primaries and who it would benefit or harm. As I recall, the early voting was not different than the day-of voting in any significant way.— bon
- If Obama can falsely lay claim to Change and Hope then he can't complain when someone lays claim to it also.— jwad56
- My adult children say I'm a pessimist, a doomsdayer - I think I'm an optimistic realist. You're Thoreau quote in today's Detroit Free Press, "Racism Remains a Key Unspoken Factor in Election," reflects my feeling of the truth from the day Obama announced his candidacy. I hope I'm wrong. Ruthanne Pearlman Huntingto Woods, Michigan— Ruthanne Pearlman
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About this blog
Cited by the Columbia Journalism Review as one of the nation's top political reporters, and lauded by the ABC News political website as "one of the finest political journalists of his generation," Dick Polman is a national political columnist at the Philadelphia Inquirer. He is on the full-time faculty at the University of Pennsylvania, as "writer in residence." Dick has been a frequent guest on C-Span, MSNBC, CNN, NPR and the BBC. He covered the 1992, 1996, 2000, and 2004 presidential campaigns.
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