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Closing Arguments: The Palin Effect Today

October 31, 2008 12:05 AM

We reported earlier tonight that our recent poll showed Sarah Palin's favorablity rating drop from 59 percent immediately after the Republican National Convention to 46 percent one week ago.

But she continues to electrify on the campaign trail.

So tonight, we ask you: Do you think Sarah Palin has become a drag on the Republican ticket?
 
Tell us what you think.

October 31, 2008 | Permalink | User Comments (270) | TrackBack (0)

Last Night's 'Nightline'

October 30, 2008 3:45 PM

By Cynthia McFadden:

Oops... A clarification about something I said last  night.  Terry Moran closed his piece about Bill Clinton campaigning with Barack Obama this way:

"One note on the mood.  The polls show he is ahead, but the campaign feels a little nervous, feels on edge a little bit.  They have seen this before.  They predicted in New Hampshire they would win and they got a real comeuppance there and they're pressing harder the final days.  Cynthia?"

And I said: "Well, no doubt they also remember Al Gore was ahead in 2000.  Thanks, Terry."

Well, true and not true. Al Gore was ahead in the  national polls in early October, up by 11 points in the CNN/Gallop poll. But by the week before the election the polls had Bush pulling ahead by three points nationally.

What I was trying to say was that Obama's team wants to take nothing for granted. They know how 2000 turned out.  But I certainly failed to make the point clearly. In fact I think it left a misimpression. I regret the error.

October 30, 2008 | Permalink | User Comments (29) | TrackBack (0)

Closing Arguments: Ad Man or Buyer Beware?

October 30, 2008 12:03 AM

Much has already been made - and much more will be made - of Barack Obama's 30-minute, primetime television ad.

But before his production was even over, the McCain campaign issued this simple statement: "As anyone who has bought anything from an infomercial knows, the sales-job is always better than the product. Buyer beware."

So tonight, we ask you: Was the ad worth $3 million dollars to the Barack Obama campaign? 

Tell us what you think.

October 30, 2008 | Permalink | User Comments (87) | TrackBack (0)

Closing Arguments: The (Bill) Clinton Factor

October 29, 2008 12:02 AM

Tomorrow, former president Bill Clinton will join Barack Obama in Florida, the largest battleground state, in their first joint campaign appearance.

So tonight, we ask you: Do you think Bill Clinton is really on board with the Obama campaign? Or is he just doing his duty to the Democratic Party?

Tell us what you think.

October 29, 2008 | Permalink | User Comments (119) | TrackBack (0)

Report Card: Will You Watch Obama's Infomercial?

October 28, 2008 11:18 PM

Tomorrow Senator Obama will use 30-minutes of prime-time television to deliver his closing argument to the American people.  With the election less than a week away and the Obama ticket holding a steady lead in many of the polls, some pundits have called the tomorrow's commercial risky.

ABC News' Chief Washington Correspondent, George Stephanopoulos gave his analysis on tonight's 'Nightline'. 

But what do you think?  Will you watch tomorrow's infomercial and if so, what can Senator Obama tell you that you don't already know?

October 28, 2008 | Permalink | User Comments (141) | TrackBack (0)

Closing Arguments: Can They Win Over Voters?

October 28, 2008 12:05 AM

Time is running out in this historic election and both candidates are laying out their own closing arguments, trying to win over any undecided voters.

So tonight, we ask you: What, if anything, can Barack Obama and John McCain do before next Tuesday to sway voters one way or the other in the campaign's final days?

Tell us what you think.

October 28, 2008 | Permalink | User Comments (53) | TrackBack (0)

Closing Arguments: Obama Steps Off-Trail

October 24, 2008 12:05 AM

We focus tonight on Barack Obama, whose plane left Indiana earlier this evening and is heading to Hawaii, where he'll visit his ailing grandmother.

He's going to leave the campaign for two days -- so our question tonight: Will Senator Obama's absence have a detrimental effect on his hopes of reaching the White House?

Tell us what you think.

October 24, 2008 | Permalink | User Comments (47) | TrackBack (0)

Closing Arguments: Do Polls Lie?

October 23, 2008 12:04 AM

The latest ABC News tracking poll has Democrat Barack Obama holding an 11 percent lead over Republican opponent John McCain among likely voters.

So will the poll ring true? Will Barack Obama win the presidency?

Tell us what you think.

October 23, 2008 | Permalink | User Comments (130) | TrackBack (0)

Closing Arguments: Dancing With the Politicians

October 22, 2008 12:00 AM

President Bush set the bar low when he joined in a traditional African tribal dance.

Sarah Palin may have lowered that bar during her appearance on Saturday Night Live.

And now Barack Obama?

Politicians just can't help themselves from getting down on camera.

So, should the song and dance stop?

Tell us what you think.

October 22, 2008 | Permalink | User Comments (15) | TrackBack (0)

Closing Argument: Palin's SNL Punchlines

October 20, 2008 11:46 PM

After weeks of priceless imitations performed by comedian Tina Fey, and knock-out punch lines served up by the relentless SNL writers, it was now the real Sarah Palin's turn to appear on the sketch comedy show.

But how would she fare?

Tina Fey opened the show on Saturday by -- you guessed it -- imitating Palin, this time giving an ill-informed press conference.  Meanwhile, the Republican vice-presidential nominee appeared backstage watching the performance with the likes of actors Mark Wahlberg and Alec Baldwin.  She soon interrupted Fey by introducing the show.

But that wasn't all.  Palin appeared again later during the Weekend Update segment, and showed off some of her dance skills, leaving many viewers amused. 

Her appearance this weekend generated an enormous amount of attention. But the jury is still out: Did Palin's turn on the comedy show help her or hurt her? Tell us what you think below.

October 20, 2008 | Permalink | User Comments (143) | TrackBack (0)

Obama's Secret Weapon in Florida: Hillary Clinton

October 20, 2008 4:17 PM

"Nightline" co-anchor Cynthia McFadden reports:

After five extensive interviews with Sen. Hillary Clinton over the past couple of years, we met up with her again this morning backstage at a Barack Obama rally in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. It was the first time I had talked with Clinton since she lost the primary in June.

Clinton was met by an enthusiastic crowd of a thousand or so supporters in outdoor Huizenga Plaza. Undaunted by a sudden rain shower, Clinton called on the crowd to support Sen. Barack Obama:   "Help him as much as you helped me," she said.

"The question is," Clinton continued,   "Who is for you? Barack Obama and Joe Biden are for you, which is why I am for them."

Florida,  with it's 27 electoral votes,  is an important swing state,  and today marked the first day of early voting.

As testimony to the state's importance, Clinton and Obama will appear together in Orlando for an outdoor rally at the Amway Arena. Although Clinton has made more than 50 appearances for Obama since losing the nomination, tonight's rally will be the first time the two have appeared together since June. Clinton told me they had been "trying to cover as much ground as possible."

"Nightline" will be there,  and we'll have a full report from the campaign  trail tonight.

Backstage this morning,  Clinton and Florida Sen. Bob Graham said they believed that Obama may well win Florida,  despite Bush's win in the state in 2000 and 2004.

"What," I asked Graham, "can Clinton do for Obama in this state that Obama can't do for himself?"

"Hillary Clinton is the most popular national politician in Florida today," said Graham. "She won this state,  and she can help Obama win it."

October 20, 2008 | Permalink | User Comments (20) | TrackBack (0)

Closing Arguments: Race and the Ballot Box

October 17, 2008 11:49 PM

No one can dispute that race is an issue in this presidential election. No one can dispute that race remains a sensitive issue for many Americans.

So tonight, we ask you: Are Americans being honest about the impact that race will have when they close the curtain and cast their ballots?

Tell us what you think.

October 17, 2008 | Permalink | User Comments (136) | TrackBack (0)

Nightline Hits the Road

October 17, 2008 11:09 AM

"Nightline" is hitting the road and heading for Route 66 as part of ABC News' "50 States in 50 Days." On Monday, Oct. 20, John Donvan travels to El Dorado, Kansas, the hometown of Sen. Barack Obama's grandfather. In January, Obama himself visited the town and held a campaign event there. Donvan talks with several voters in this historically red state about the democratic presidential candidate's visit to the small town and whether it's reason enough to vote for him.

On Tuesday, Donvan profiles the mayor of Muskogee, Oklahoma. At just 20 years old, John Tyler Hammons is the mayor of a city of 38,000 people. A Republican, Hammons shares his thoughts on this historic presidential election as well as his own remarkable story. Donvan also talks to Hammons about whether or not experience is necessary for an elected official these days.

On Wednesday, Donvan talks to an 82-year old woman in San Antonio,TX whose last name is "Maverick." But Terrelita Maverick is a staunch Democrat and tells Donvan why she takes issue with the GOP's use of the term. Considering her family's long history associated with liberalism and progressive ideals, Ms. Maverick explains why Sen. McCain and Gov. Palin are not real "mavericks."

On Thursday, Brian Rooney explores the growing abuse of methamphetamine in southeastern New Mexico. Rooney rides with the Pecos Valley Drug Task Force on their daily rounds to witness first-hand the devastation and impact the drug is having on the community.

And on Friday, Jeffrey Kofman travels to Arizona where illegal immigration is an on-going hot button issue in the state. He talks to Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, up for re-election this year, who has come under fire for charges of racial profiling and heavy-handed tactics used to round up illegal immigrants. Kofman also sits down with Arpaio's opponent in the race for re-election and the mayor of
Phoenixwho has asked the Department of Justice to investigate these claims of racial profiling.

October 17, 2008 | Permalink | User Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)

Joe the Plumber: In His Own Words

October 16, 2008 12:30 AM

In an instant, he became a centerpiece in the final presidential debate -- and according to the most famous plumber in America, he didn't have a clue this political celebrity was coming.

Joe Wurzelbacher, now known simply as Joe the Plumber, spoke by phone to "Nightline" co-anchor Terry Moran after tonight's debate.

"No one got in touch with me," Wurzelbacher told Moran when asked whether either campaign had contacted him before tonight's debate to let him know he would become a talking point.

The plumber told Barack Obama on the campaign trail in Toledo, Ohio, earlier this week that he's worked 15 years to try to buy the plumbing company he works for. Obama's tax plan, which would raise sole proprietor small business taxes by 3 percent if he made more than $250,000 a year, would prevent him from buying the business.

At tonight's debate, with the faltering economy weighing heavy on the minds of Americans, McCain jumped at the chance to use Joe the Plumber as the perfect vehicle for ripping the Obama tax plan. Obama pushed the criticism back, countering that 98 percent of small businesses make less than that quarter-million dollar number.

Wurzelbacher stood by his criticism of the Obama tax plan after tonight's debate -- telling Moran that business owners should not be penalized with higher taxes just because they are successful. It didn't matter if it was a small business owner like him, or a billionaire like Bill Gates, he said.

But Wurzelbacher still would not reveal who he will be voting for on November 4. "I'm not going to tell anyone who I'm going to vote for," he said, adding that he's had some idea for a long time.

"That's for me and the button I push to know," he said.

October 16, 2008 | Permalink | User Comments (52) | TrackBack (0)

The Last Dance:Grade the Debate

October 15, 2008 11:47 PM

The third and final debate is finally in the record books.  Some are saying that Senator McCain delivered his strongest performance yet, while others claim that Senator Obama looked more presidential.

Our Chief Washington correspondent George Stephanopoulos gave his grades for the tonight's debate. So who do you think came out on top?  List your grades below.

October 15, 2008 | Permalink | User Comments (118) | TrackBack (0)

Nightline Report Card: Who Dominated the Debate?

October 07, 2008 11:35 PM

The second of three planned presidential debates wrapped this evening in Nashville, a town hall format moderated by Tom Brokaw. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and frontrunner Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) sparred in an arena filled with 80 uncommitted voters from the Nashville area. The pressure was on for McCain, who trails Obama in national polls and in many key swing states.

How did their performances compare? ABC News' Chief Washington Correspondent George Stephanopoulos rated the presidential candidates:

Strategy:

Obama: A

McCain: B+

Style:

Obama: A-

McCain: A-

Accuracy:

Obama: A-

McCain: B+

So, who do you think won the debate? Give us your scores.

October 7, 2008 | Permalink | User Comments (405) | TrackBack (0)

Palin versus Biden: Who Won the Debate?

October 02, 2008 11:50 PM

The vice presidential debate that ended at Washington University a little while ago was eagerly anticipated.

Would Palin somehow collapse into incoherence or ignorance on the stage -- as some parodies and pundits predicted? Would Joe Biden run off at the mouth with long-winded speeches and embarrassing faux pas?

In the end, the debate turned out to be fairly typical -- substantive, not terribly revealing, tightly structured and formatted, with polite open-ended questions giving both candidates plenty of opportunities to fall back on scripted responses and stump speeches. 

So how did they do in their one and only chance to face-off? Our chief Washington correspondent George Stephanopoulos graded tonight's performances in the Nightline Report Card:

On Strategy:

Biden: A
Palin:  A-

Style:

Biden A-
Palin A

Accuracy:

Biden: B
Palin: B

What do you think?  Give us your scores below.

October 2, 2008 | Permalink | User Comments (97) | TrackBack (0)