Those who would vote for Senator Obama do not yet recognize or they discount entirely the threat that he represents to the peace and prosperity of this world. On Hugo Chávez, Obama isn’t just wrong, he’s dead wrong. News websites and blogs across Latin America covered Senator McCain’s latest ads starring the clearly dangerous Hugo Chávez and they were a hit.
Dios mío que gane MCCain. . .no porque sea lo mejor para USA; pero al menos no implica más mal para nosotros. — My God may McCain win . . . not because it will be the best for the USA but because it implies the least worst for us.
Hay que votar por McCain. — It is imperative to vote for McCain.
ARRIBA MCCAIN
USA es lo maximo ! McCain es garantia de un pueblo — USA is the best! McCain is guarantor of a people (or country)
Yo votaria por McCain pero no puedo, ojala los gringos se den cuenta de lo que pasa aca. — I’d vote for McCain but I can’t, let’s hope the Americans realize what’s going on here.
El problema de Obama es que tiene 0 experiencia manejando este tipo de situaciones, el cree que Chavez es un tipo al que se le habla. McCain como buen republicano sabe muy bien como se debe tratar la locura de Chavez. — Obama’s problem is that he has 0 experience managing these type of situations, he thinks that Chavez is the type of person one can talk with. McCain as a good Republican knows how to deal with crazies like Chavez.
Obama asqueroso. — Obama is filth.
Obama es un verdadero peligro para la estabilidad Latinoamericana por su inexperiencia y manifiesta debilidad ante los peligrosos terroristas que están emergiendo en el continente. — Obama is a real danger to Latin American stability with his inexperience and he demonstrates weakness before the terrorist dangers that are emerging across the continent.
To be fair, there are websites in Latin America where Obama is all the rage. The FARC’s for example.
In the clips above, Jon Meacham of Newsweek discusses Presidential courage with historian Michael Beschloss and his most recent book, Presidential Courage: Brave Leaders and How They Changed America 1789-1989. In the clip below, Michael Beschloss discusses the challenges President Lincoln faced over the question of slavery.
Beschloss has written books on several U.S. Presidents, including The Crisis Years: Kennedy and Khrushchev, 1960-1963, which won the Ambassador Book Prize and was called the “definitive” history of John F. Kennedy and the Cold War. The Conquerors, Beschloss’ book about Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman, and the destruction of Hitler’s Germany, was a national bestseller and praised by The New York Times Book Review as “vigorously written” and without “a dull page.”
Beschloss contributed a revealing essay on George Herbert Walker Bush in a recent book concerning Presidential leadership. A compelling critic and keen political observer, he appears regularly on The News Hour with Jim Lehrer and Meet the Press.
A new poll in Michigan (link is to US Census demographic data) from WXYZ and the Detroit Free Press points to tight and tightening race with Senator Obama leading Senator McCain by three points. The previous poll from Rasmussen Reports had Obama leading by five points. This new poll seems consistent with the dynamic at play in Michigan.
Michigan voters are weighing in on the race for the White House. The latest results are in from an exclusive WXYZ-TV/Detroit News poll which shows that the presidential race is extremely tight. Experts say it could all come down to Michigan in this historic election.
The exclusive poll shows the race getting even closer, with Barack Obama leading John McCain 43% to 42% with a 4 point margin of error. When Michigan voters were asked to consider both tickets, now that both running mates have been chosen, Obama’s lead jumps slightly to 45% compared to McCain’s 42%.
For the first time, our exclusive poll is showing how Michigan voters feel about McCain’s Vice Presidential Pick, Sarah Palin. When asked if Sarah Palin should John McCain not be able to serve out his term, 43% of Michigan voters polled said yes compared to 47% who said no.
According to the poll, an overwhelming 73% of voters are convinced that the U.S. is headed in the wrong direction, while 80% believe Michigan is on the wrong track.
Three issues concern Michigan voters the most, according to latest poll results. The economy is at the top of the list, followed by protecting America from terrorism and health care.
In Iowa, a new poll from Survey USA shows the race in-line with the other recent poll from the Des Moines Register. In the Des Moines Register poll, Senator Obama led Senator McCain by an 12 point margin, 52% to 40%. In the SUSA poll, Obama leads McCain 54% to 43%, an eleven point margin.
In an election for President of the United States in Iowa today, 46 days from the election, Democrat Barack Obama defeats Republican John McCain by 11 points, 54% to 43%, according to this latest SurveyUSA poll conducted exclusively for KAAL-TV Mason City and WHO-TV Des Moines.
Among women, Obama leads by 20 points; among men, Obama and McCain tie. Among voters younger than Barack Obama, Obama leads by 15. Among voters older than John McCain, Obama leads by 9. Among voters who are in-between the two candidates’ ages, Obama leads by 7. Among white voters — 95% of Iowa’s likely voters — Obama leads by 8 points. 11% of Republicans cross over to vote for Obama; 8% of Democrats cross over to vote for McCain; Independents break for Obama by 9 points.
John McCain leads among Republicans, conservatives, those who attend church regularly, pro-life voters, those focused on terrorism, among the 16% of likely voters who say they may yet change their mind, and in Southwest Iowa. Obama is slightly ahead in Northwest Iowa and leads by double digits in the northeast and southeast portions of the state.
Takeaways
Iowa is likely not to become a battleground state. Its seven Electoral College votes are safely in Obama’s column. For McCain to be competitive in the state, he would have to have a double digit lead among men and be within ten points among women. That does not seem likely to occur.
The McCain campaign released yet another ad this afternoon, its eighth in the past 24 hours. This ad is entitled Overseas and is tailored for the Michigan market. The ad is a 30 second spot. It hits Senator Obama and the Democratic party over the flight of Michigan jobs overseas.
Michigan has 17 Electoral College votes and it is shaping up to be one of the more contested battleground states and as of right now it is seeing some of the most heavy ad buys by both campaigns.
A Rasmussen Reports poll out today for the state of Maine (link to US Census demographic data) shows still comfortable four point lead for Senator Obama despite a tightening race. Maine is one of two states that awards its Electoral College votes by Congressional district. Maine has two Congressional districts and thus a split of Maine’s four Electoral College votes is possible.
John McCain has pulled within four points of Barack Obama in Maine. That’s the closest he has been in any of the six monthly polls Rasmussen Reports has conducted in the state since April.
The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Maine voters finds Obama with 50% of the vote and McCain with 46%. Last month, and in July, Obama was up by double digits.
In Maine, McCain is now supported by 82% of Republicans and 22% of Democrats. The latter figure is up from 14% in August.
Obama earns the vote from 76% of Democrats and 12% of GOP voters. He holds a 10-point advantage among unaffiliated voters.
The last poll (August 23) from Indiana (link is to US Census demograghic data) showed Senator McCain with a six point lead. Today’s Rasmussen Reports poll show that once reliable Republican state is now a battleground state with Senator McCain leading Senator Obama by just two points now. In effect since that’s within the margin of error, the race is a dead heat.
Indiana is one of the most reliably Republican states in the nation, but John McCain currently holds a statistically insignificant two-point advantage over the Barack Obama among Hoosiers.
The latest first Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of voters in the state shows McCain attracting 49% of the vote while Obama earns 47%. A month ago, McCain enjoyed a slightly larger advantage.
Parts of northwestern Indiana are effectively suburbs of Chicago, Obama’s home base. During the Indiana Primary, strong turnout in this region almost enabled Obama to pull off an upset victory. Four years ago, John Kerry racked up a 23-percentage point margin over George Bush in Lake County, the state’s most northwestern county. Strong turnout in that region could have an impact on the fall election as well.
Jim Johnson, former CEO of Fannie Mae and former Obama Advisor
Taxes Are Patriotic
Proven Reformers
Do You Believe We Should Talk to Chávez?
¿Tú Crees Que Debemos Hablar Con Chávez?
The Chávez spots are 60 second spots and running in Florida. Chávez’s remarks were made last week, you can them in full in the Latin America category. How anyone can think that Chávez is not a serious threat is beyond me.
The other spots are 30 second spots. McCain airing spots in 15 states. For all the talk of an expanded electoral map, both campaigns are concentrating resources in traditional battlegrounds, with slightly more than half the total spent on advertising going to Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin, Indiana, Minnesota and Pennsylvania. Other states seeing ad buys are Nevada, New Mexico, Florida, Virginia, Missouri and Colorado.
As I expected they would, the McCain campaign released an ad tying Obama to former CEOs of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. This ad ties Senator Obama to Franklin Raines, the former CEO of Fannie Mae and the man most responsible for its collapse. The ad is a 30 second spot. Obama’s has a very close relationship with former CEOs of these now seized institutions and they contributed heavily to his campaigns.
