McCain - Panic 2008

• Author: Kyle Kutuchief
• Filed under: McCain, National Landscape 2008, Ohio
• Date: Sep 25,2008

The McCain campaign has gone into panic mode. We have seen John McCain go from saying the fundamentals of our economy are strong one week ago to asking for a timeout so he can fly to Washington to start paying attention to the economy. Oh, and he needs the presidential campaign to stop and the debate to be postponed with less than 40 days left. Please? Pretty please? This week has proven to be too much for John McCain and his campaign. Jon Stewart nails it.

Last night President Bush spoke to the nation and repeated the same vague description of the financial bail out plan that we have heard all week. It was a reminder to the nation of who has been there for the past 8 years. Bush announced that he is convening a special meeting today and invited Obama and McCain to participate. Today, both candidates will be flying into Washington for a photo-op with President Bush, the man John McCain has been trying desperately to distance himself from. Hopefully SEC Chairman Chris Cox, the man John McCain hastily called for to be fired, will be there for pictures also. It is good to see President Bush back in the headlines. We Democrats have missed him.

In the midst of all this, Barack Obama has shown why he is ready to be president. He hasn't completely changed his positions, hidden from reporters, or needed a timeout. What I liked most was that Obama said that the American people deserve to hear from the candidates seeking the highest office in the land now more than ever. I completely agree and look forward to Friday's debate. Hopefully John McCain will be able to make it.

Bonus: If you missed Sarah Palin's interview with Katie Couric, you need to press play. It is obvious why they don't want her doing interviews.

60 Minutes Interviews McCain and Obama

• Author: Kyle Kutuchief
• Filed under: McCain, Obama
• Date: Sep 22,2008

In case you missed it, 60 Minutes had two well done interviews with the presidential candidates. It was also the first 60 Minutes broadcast in HD, which will add a lot to the stories they cover at home and around the world.

Contrasting Biden and Palin in NE Ohio

• Author: Kyle Kutuchief
• Filed under: McCain, National Landscape 2008, Obama
• Date: Sep 18,2008

Joe Biden with Eric Mansfield

Joe Biden spoke with Eric Mansfield during his stop in Wooster yesterday for about 10 minutes. They touch on keeping college graduates working in Ohio after school, home foreclosure, job loss from Ohio, and Ohio's National Guard. It is clear that Joe Biden has a sound understanding of the issues important in our state. Contrast Biden doing an interview with a local news anchor as he stops in our community with Palin taking one question shouted from a reporter while she sits at some coffee shop in Cleveland:

Compare the two and tell me who is ready to address the issues important to Ohio.

The novelty of Sarah Palin is starting to wear off as voters start to realize the importance of this presidential election in the midst of an economic crisis. Joe Biden is hitting Ohio hard this week. Today, he will campaign in hard hit Canton, where he will be introduced by Congressional Candidate John Boccieri. Later today he will be in Youngstown for an outdoor rally. These events present Biden with an opportunity to continue to showcase his understanding of the economic issues impacting our state.

The press has become increasingly impatient with Palin's unwillingess to participate. One of my favorite lessons from political science class is something to the effect of "you've got to feed the press or they will eat you alive." Since Sarah Palin isn't feeding the press, they have gone looking for something to eat and seem to have chosen a steady diet of fact checking Palin's talking points and looking into her record. The coverage is revealing that she is all show and little substance.

We've got a long way to go. I believe this race is dead even nationally and that we are a bit behind in Ohio. I also believe that Joe Biden is the kind of guy who understands the working class issues of Ohio voters and will be a difference maker down the stretch.

Pep Talk.

• Author: Ben Keeler
• Filed under: McCain, Presidential
• Date: Sep 17,2008

Obviously it has not been a good three days or so for John McCain. After six weeks or so of everything going exactly right, momentum was stopped cold. First it was Hurricane Ike and now it is Wall Street. Obama needed one or two events to get McCain and Palin out of the news and he got them. I would imagine there are some conflicted Democrats out there who want economic turmoil to the detriment of the country despite it hurting their pocketbooks so they can get a poll boost. Must be a pleasant position to be in. The poor economic news is helping Obama; it isn't that surprising.

Polling was bad today. Obama retook the lead in the Gallup. CBS News, with an interesting sample, put Obama +5. State polls weren't that kind either. It is going to get worse over the next couple of days for McCain the polls. Expect it. As of right now, the RCP average is exactly tied. Everyday can't go exactly the way of McCain.

Obama has unleashed negative ads. No problem with that…people say they don't like them, but they work. They won't go unanswered and some are likely to backfire (like the latest ad on Spanish speaking TV). It is politics. This is a tough campaign.

Anyhow, there is a way to go - 7 weeks. As good as some of you felt last week or the week before, I urged caution for this very reason. The environment was tough going in, and as we are being reminded it still is. There will be more twists and turns, but don't get discouraged because of a bad couple of days. Polls go up and down. Down today, and probably the next few, but they'll be back up at some point. Get down off the ledge. The candidate who has no flaws (according to Obama himself) isn't invincible. There is an opening for leadership, McCain's #1 trait.

McCain-Palin Rally Voters Outside Youngstown

• Author: Ben Keeler
• Filed under: McCain
• Date: Sep 17,2008

Yesterday I went to the McCain-Palin rally in Vienna, outside Youngstown. It was held at the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport / Winner Aviation hangar, which was cool because the plane landed right there and you got to see it come in - the place went crazy when the plane touched down just a couple minutes after 4.

Before that, there was a gaggle of local speakers as well as Auditor of State Mary Taylor.

As far as the main speeches went, it was nothing you wouldn't have expected. Palin had a lot of the same lines she has been using, but added some new stuff about how she will have a major role in energy policy. McCain spent the bulk of his time discussing the current events on Wall Street as it was the major news story of the day. His last line was how he would rather spend time in Ohio campaigning with the people there as opposed to Obama who was at a Hollywood fund raiser. Crowd ate it up. The attendance was estimated at 7,000+. I am horrible at estimating sizes of large masses of people, but would have guessed a little lower. Regardless, it was a great turnout for a Tuesday afternoon and people stayed patient in the hot airplane hanger that occasionally filled with fumes. One thing really stood out, and I think you know what I am going to say…..the number of women. Tons. The effect of her selection is real. Many brought their daughters to see Governor Palin. Saw a few wearing their Hillary shirts as well and a few "Another Democrat for McCain" signs in yards nearby. Not based on what I saw today, but Obama is going to have real trouble matching Kerry's performance in the Mahoning Valley. I don't think he will get what he needs there.

It is clear from polling the base is consolidated, but it was nice to see it in person to get a personal confirmation.

Aside from McCain and Palin, the most recognizable person there was "Campaign Carl," Carl Cameron from Fox News. People cheered him….while staring at the rest of the media in a not very approving way. Through a few phone calls, I set myself up with a press pass. The best part of it was that I got to sit in a chair while others had to stand while waiting. Thanks to those who helped me with that. The traveling press that was there with McCain and follows him around paid absolutely zero attention to anything he or the Governor said. I mean none. McCain could have said he was going to eliminate the federal income tax or ban the NFL and they wouldn't have noticed. They were all sitting there with their playing with their laptops and talking to each other. This might be normal - when you hear basically the same thing at every stop, you probably stop paying attention. Not sure. The local media, however, was paying attention and taking notes - the guy directly next to me was from ONN. I think I angered a couple of them because I stood the whole time, but that is because I gave my chair to a little girl on the other side of the barrier so she could stand up and see. Probably would have stood anyhow. I wanted to clap at various points, but I figured that wasn't acceptable in the media area so I didn't. It wasn't an Obama speech.

Lastly, I spent a good few minutes talking to two women from Warren, Marge and Myrna while waiting for McCain to arrive. Very nice ladies….glad to have met you.

Pictures added after the jump.
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Weekend Daily Part IX

• Author: Ben Keeler
• Filed under: Ad Watch, Congress, McCain, Obama, Ohio 2008, Weekend Daily
• Date: Sep 13,2008

"I'm Barack Obama, and I approved this message."

Good one!! Obama's new ad, which I mocked yesterday, gets even better. It tries to make McCain look old and makes fun of him for not using a computer. Obama spokesman Dan Pfeiffer: "It’s extraordinary that someone who wants to be our president and our commander in chief doesn’t know how to send an e-mail." Yes, it is true. McCain can't use a computer. He can't type on a keyboard. Nor can he tie his shoes or comb his hair. That is because his arms were repeatedly broken in Vietnam. Well played, Chicago! It will go down as one of the worst campaign ads ever. I guess this is what "taking off the gloves" entails.

And really, is insulting a large segment of the voting population that is probably in the same boat and are uncomfortable with computers a good idea anyways?

Cleveland Frowns which sometimes gives out advice on sports betting has a call for the 2008 election. Put your money on John McCain at the current odds.

Sarah Palin from the ABC Interview: ""I think he's regretting not picking her (Hillary) now, I do." Yes, but he also probably regrets not picking Sarah Palin.

Whoopi Goldberg, to John McCain, on The View: "Should I be worried about being a slave again?" Goodness.

Scott MacFarlane of WTOV 9 (Wheeling / Stubenville) has interviews with both candidates in OH-18, incumbent Democrat Zack Space and Republican challenger Fred Dailey. The pieces discuss each of their plans for the current housing market and what to do. Worth taking a look at.

Ohio State - USC. I am in the minority, I think OSU plays a good game and it comes down to the end. Plus, even if we lose we have a built in excuse that Chris Wells didn't play. I went with my dad to watch Wells his senior year at Garfield in their opening game against Hoban (2005). I could not have been less impressed with his performance. He didn't run hard, he didn't want to get hit, and generally looked like he would have rather been anywhere else. I said he was going to be a bust. That is why I don't recruit for college football teams or give advice on that front anymore. Speaking of Wells, and I know this is way off topic, but Maurice Wells should never get another carry ever for Ohio State. They should have told him the wrong time the plane was leaving for Southern California and left him in Columbus. He is just not good. Lets hope he doesn't get too many carries tonight.

Lastly, Ohio.com launched another new blog this week. It is a style blog titled "See Jane Style." Many people often tell me I am need of style tips. Probably accurate. Anyhow, I know Jane and had a heads up this blog was coming, and so far I have enjoyed reading it. Check it out.

And of course, there are the other two great political blogs on Ohio.com - All Da Kings Men (from the right) and Blog of Mass Destruction (from the left). Both authors are frequent commenters here. Be sure to check out their pages if you haven't already. Yes, Reverend, I don't like your politics, but you are a talented blogger.