RECENT POSTS
- Free Bird
- The "Good" War
- The Presidential Planner
- Under the Stars, Obama Toasts India’s Prime Minister
- White House State Dinner – Who Made the Exclusive Guest List?
- Admiral Mike Mullen To Geneva for START Talks
- VP Biden to Indian Prime Minister: “You’re the Hottest Ticket in Town”
- FLOTUS on the State Dinner: Like a Swan, "Calm and Serene Above Water, But We're Paddling Like Mad, Going Crazy Underneath"
- White House State Dinner: The Menu, Entertainment, and Decor
- Dan Pfeiffer, White House Blogger
MONTHLY ARCHIVES
« Previous | Main | Next »
Obama on Offense; But Does Playing Field Lean Republican?
October 04, 2008 2:50 PM
As Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., campaigns in traditionally Republican states Virginia and North Carolina this weekend, the Boston Globe notes that Obama has overwhelmingly been campaigning in Red states that went for President Bush in 2004, while Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., has been forced to play defense by campaigning in those same states.
Since Obama wrapped up the nomination in June, he's held 82 events, the Globe says. Seventy-five percent of those -- 62 -- have been in Red states, while one quarter of them, 20, have been in Blue States won by Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., in 2004.
"Conversely, of 97 McCain events since June, 59 have been defending states Bush won and 38 were on offense, in states taken by Kerry," says the Globe.
But the importance of this should not be overstated. McCain has the luxury of being able to play defense -- Bush won. If McCain holds the Red states, he will win too.
In fact, if Obama wins the Blue states and picks up New Mexico and Iowa, two states where he's polling well, he still won't win. He has to be playing offense.
So it's significant that Obama's in Red states.
But he also has to be.
-- jpt
October 4, 2008 | Permalink | Share | User Comments (152)
You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post.
To all of you people who say that McCain was a traitor when he was a prisoner of war and gave millitary secrets to the enemy! So would you if someone tortured and beat you and broke both of your arms and one of your legs and you thought that they were going to kill you at any time!
Posted by: carlyonsue | Oct 6, 2008 2:33:41 PM
Voter fraud, law suits....get ready....BO ties to ACORN....knows all about ruthless vote getting....register the dead, let some double vote, get homeless off the street and register convicts....B. HUSSEIN KNOWS ALL THE TRICKS.
Posted by: DLM | Oct 6, 2008 3:14:18 AM
Judging by the shrillness and the unhinged rage of some of the Republicans posting here, they must be pretty worried. They view the polls and they know what is happening.
And when I see some of the name-calling and the hysteria against Senator Obama, it doesn't make me like McCain more; it does the opposite. It makes me wonder what some of his supporters are like. I personally don't want to be associated with some of these people.
When people are confident and secure, they don't lash out. They don't act desperate. They don't slander and exaggerate in a last ditch effort to turn things around.
Why can't McCain and Palin stick to the important issues and stop the personal attacks?
Posted by: Snesich | Oct 5, 2008 11:04:02 PM
when was the last time a major corporation or an organization went to a school to pick a freshman to lead it during a serious crisis. Let me know when someone finds one.
Posted by: Zafar Sohrwardy | Oct 5, 2008 9:13:31 PM
Obama is leading in the polls, in even in the red states. But we are forgetting that 4 million people registered to vote since Barack has been on scene. Just wait on the day of the election and see the turn out for Barack. The racist is a minority the young voters will decide this election. Mccain already pulled out of Mi,I think he should pull out of the race. We are tired of the republicans and there foolishness. There is no way we can let Mccain win. The republicans can't be put back in office. Now the republicans are crying fraud in Ohio it is not fraud just a new wave of voters like never before. To truthful peolpe think it will be close, I don't believe that Barack will win easy.
Posted by: ricky brown | Oct 5, 2008 9:08:59 PM
Obama will win, Mccain is deseparate and now is stooping to dirty tactics. that is fine but when Barack starts putting Palin info and Mccain dirt back out no need for crying. It can't be a double standard. I say Barack should fight fire with fire. Mccain is to old to be president he does not have a vision for america.I also don't won't a soccer mom for vp or president.
Posted by: ricky brown | Oct 5, 2008 8:57:25 PM
Virginia won't send Democrat to the white House, but they send Dem to be the Governor.
McCain will win Virginia.
Posted by: Beatrice | Oct 5, 2008 2:09:09 PM
McCain knew how to crash or
lose planes. And how to get
shot down by the enemy.
His campaign is falling to
pieces the same way.
He doesn't have a snowball's
chance.
Posted by: anon | Oct 5, 2008 9:54:03 AM
Obama will win because:
1. McCain looks more and more out of touch by the day. He is the epitome of social coservatism on its last legs.
2. He has only half-heartedlt tried to distance himself from the obviously failed policies of the Bush administration. No one believes that he isn't a closet Bush clone.
3. Obama is younger, more alert, less easily flustered, more together, more genial, and has a better team behind him. He is increasingly showing his readiness to be President and has already more than amply demonstrated the requisite leadership qualities.
4. Palin is "Dubya without the brains," as someone perhaps a little too cruelly put it. Worse, she comes across as the archetypal stooge who will do the GOP's bidding without the slightest degree of compunction. She is the antiheroine of the feminist movement.
Everyone's dread is that she might well one day herself assume the role of President, especially as McCain is so old and has been diagnosed as having a virulent form of cancer which people of his age are not expected to survive much past two years after having contracted the condition.
5. People don't just *want* change now, they need it. The collapse of the economy is now rapily driving Obama into the White House.
Posted by: James50 | Oct 5, 2008 6:14:42 AM
I don't see how Obama can lose now. He's up in all the swing states.
Posted by: James50 | Oct 5, 2008 5:21:22 AM
Speaking as an Independent for Obama, Democrats must keep a keen focus on the road ahead and prepare Plan B and Plan C ready for the Rape-publican Lie Machine.
They know how to lie really, really well.
Prepare to hear lots of "character" and "family values" arguments from the candidate who cheated on his wife & family before calling Cindy the "C" word in public. 'Can't wait to hear that come up again.
(On a separate note, if Ayers is/was a terrorist WHY IN THE HELL hasn't this Administration locked him away?!)
Posted by: Keith W | Oct 5, 2008 5:00:18 AM
Obama will lose this election, he should of picked Hillary for vp, but Hillary is a woman, and that is agaist the muslim religion.
Posted by: Jack | Oct 5, 2008 1:57:47 AM
I live in New Mexico. Obama is not "flipping" New Mexico.
This backward state I am stuck in is a Demoidiot state and always has been.
Until nov 4 that is...
Posted by: sheri rogers | Oct 5, 2008 1:51:50 AM
McCain and Palin are trailer
park riffraff compared to
Distinguished Professor of
Education Ayers.
Posted by: anon | Oct 5, 2008 1:37:06 AM
What would the headline look like if Obama was trailing? Perhaps I overlooked the wittiness?
Posted by: mavsreader | Oct 5, 2008 12:14:42 AM
How is McCain having the "luxury" pf having to play defense in SOLID, BLOOD RED Republican states that went for Bush in 2004, like Indiana? Virginia and North Carolina are also solid states that are now leaning Obama. That's saying something, if McCain is having to defend states that are traditionally Republican turf-the "don't bother states".
Look at RealClearPolitics or any other website. Obama has managed to eat into McCain's lead in even Missouri and North Carolina, Virginia and Ohio, but at the same time, has managed to hold on well to his Kerry states. The electoral vote is practically a landslide, with Obama/Biden at 330+ to 180+ of McCain/Palin.
Electoral-vote (dot) com offers an interesting feature called "This Day in 2004" showing the electoral map when it was Bush vs Kerry. It wasn't true Kerry was going to win, his hold on states like Oregon and Washington were weak, Bush took Iowa and New Mexico and Colorado were trending Bush-all these states have been trending Obama-with Iowa a solid lock. Obama is clearly a stronger candidate compared to Kerry, reacting more swiftly to any attempted Swift-Boating.
Posted by: Grey Matter | Oct 4, 2008 11:27:51 PM
RIChris :
Chavez is dead (1993)
Castro is senile...
Putin and Ahmadinejad can not spell constitution.
What's your point?
Obama/Biden '08
Posted by: Bev | Oct 4, 2008 9:57:56 PM
Since 2OO4,many more Americans have learned that Republicans rely on smear campaigns and cheating. McCain said he would run a clean campaign and it's ranking among the dirtiest. The sad thing is that when voters buy into the dirt, they vote against their best interests. This is why the USA is where it is today. Clinton left us in the black, GWB, with a Senate and House MAJORITY until 2OO6, has brought our economy to its knees and broken all of the campaign promises that got him elected. Face it Bush voters, you were lied to and used. Americans need to accept the FACT that the neocons have stolen the Republican party --the party of moderate, fiscally responsible and States' rights advocates is no more. There are few that remain... in fact John McCain might once have been one of them, but he, too, has turned to the dark side. Do you want to live another 4 years under their regime with McCain?
VOTE FOR OBAMA!!
Posted by: swing state bluesblog | Oct 4, 2008 9:03:12 PM
John McCain reminds me of Mr Burns from the Simpsons...
Homer votes for Obama!
Posted by: Andrew | Oct 4, 2008 8:58:31 PM
Obama would vote for the United States to give up the Constitution if Chavez, Castro, Putin and Ahmadinejad asked him to.
Posted by: RIChris | Oct 4, 2008 8:53:09 PM
Post a comment


