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The Note: Veepstakes Wait Fuels Parties’ Angst
August 21, 2008 8:31 AM
ABC News' Rick Klein reports in Thursday's Note: Everyone wants their convention to be a party that showcases one big happy family -- but which side looks ready to nab most-likely-to-be-dysfunctional honors?
(Wait before you answer that, at least until the running mates are chosen.)
As we still wait for that text message (still no leaks -- remarkable), the best-laid plans of both campaigns threaten to overshadow their big weeks. Two candidates who define themselves by reaching into the middle are seeing trouble spots emerge inside their bases.
Sen. John McCain has loaded his convention lineup with a fantasy team of "pro-choice" all-stars: Rudy and Arnold and Joe Lieberman -- not your father’s GOP (unless your father is George H.W. Bush, we suppose). (What’s a delegate to think when a platform is a handy scorecard chronicling featured speakers’ disagreements with dogma?)
Read the rest of The Note -- and get all the latest on the 2008 election, Congress, the White House and the wide world of politics every day -- from Rick Klein by bookmarking this link.
Sen. Barack Obama has seen his convention stuffed with enough Clinton drama to provide a tasty Denver buffet. (And those persistent "dream" ticket rumors -- if there’s no there there, how does it bode for catharsis?)
Then there’s the concerns of a suddenly very worried Democratic Party. As for why: It’s an identical Obama 45, McCain 42 spread in the new Wall Street Journal/NBC and New York Times/CBS polls.
"Sen. John McCain has all but closed the gap with Sen. Barack Obama, underscoring how international crises -- and some well-placed negative ads -- have boosted the prospects of the Republican presidential candidate," Laura Meckler writes in The Wall Street Journal.
Clinton alert: "Only half of those who voted for Sen. Clinton in the primaries say they are now supporting Sen. Obama. One in five is supporting Sen. McCain."
Can a convention do all this? "Slim majorities said neither candidate had made clear what he would do as president, suggesting that both need to use their conventions to provide voters with a better sense of their plans for addressing the deteriorating economy, high energy prices, access to health care and national security," Michael Cooper and Dalia Sussman write in The New York Times.
This is a feat: "Nearly half of those surveyed said that they expected [McCain] to continue the Bush administration’s policies if he were elected president. But voters, by a wide margin, view Mr. McCain as better prepared to be president than Mr. Obama, and as more likely to be an effective commander in chief."
Feel the angst growing? "It's not panic time -- yet -- but some Democrats watching Barack Obama say his campaign should have gotten a wake-up call this week, not only from his appearance alongside John McCain at the Saddleback Church but from a major poll suggesting he no longer leads his GOP opponent," Carla Marinucci writes in the San Francisco Chronicle.
Continue reading today's Note by clicking HERE.
ABC News' Hope Ditto and Amanda Temple contributed to this report.
August 21, 2008 in Biden, Joe, Bush, George W., Dodd, Chris, Hunter, Duncan, Kucinich, Dennis, Palin, Sarah, Romney, Mitt, Tancredo, Tom, Thompson, Fred, Veepstakes, Vote 2008: Democrats | Permalink | User Comments (21)
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Gee, William, you sound worried – or desperate. Call us bigots – that’s really the way to get through to people. Insult them and then ask for their vote. LOL!!!
Posted by: Carrie | Aug 21, 2008 9:23:00 AM
One of the primary reasons McCain is keeping this horse race neck and neck is because people from both the center are banking that McCain is still the maverick and only courting the republican base as a means to get votes in the election, while the Republican base is hoping that this "new" more openly conservative McCain is their man.
On the other side of the aisle, no one truly knows who Obama is. His message, his image and his actions just haven't coalesced into anything consistent for many voters to resonate with. Trust is not an easy thing for voters to give after eight years of Bush/Cheney and many are not willing to risk it on an unknown quantity. We've been there and done that and it did not turn out well.
Posted by: mhhunt | Aug 21, 2008 9:26:27 AM
I am not surprise if Californians picks a GOP President this time. They usually pick a GOP Governor and a DEM President. But this time I think they will pick a GOP President too and I am one of them. Thanks to the selfish DEM Leaders and Super Delegates who would rather sacrifice the Country than their own future political careers.
Posted by: stock_craft | Aug 21, 2008 10:10:31 AM
McCain = 3rd Bush term is so old and so not true. Do the Obamabots think if they say it a thousand times a day, people will believe it? John McCain is an honorable man, a war hero, a man who stands up for what he believes, a man who would rather lose an election than lose the war, a man who has bucked his own party when he believed he was right. So bring it on, Obamabots! Spread all the lies you want about John McCain. It just isn't working for Democrats like me. We like McCain, and we're going to make him McPresident.
Posted by: Carrie | Aug 21, 2008 10:18:03 AM
William - Maybe I'm wrong, I am kinda ignorant as I am a Republican, but I don't think Barry's won the nomination yet... I thought he was the "presumptive" nominee until the Democratic convention. Anyway, I think the Dems should change their mind and nominate Hillary. She would have won, and even as a Republican, I would rather have her than Barry any day. I don't agree with her on many things, but she smart, she doesn't need a teleprompter to sound intelligent, she's decisive, we know where she stands on everything and she's not a "we can solve every problem with diplomacy" wimp.
I will live here no matter who gets nominated and elected, it's still the best place to live, but we'll all be a lot poorer if Barry gets elected as we all have to pay for his $1000 tax credit, and I might think about putting in a bomb shelter to protect myself from diplomacy with terrorists.
Posted by: robert t | Aug 21, 2008 10:21:53 AM
As a Hillary supporter, I am PRAYING that Hillary is not the vice presidential pick. Hillary, why board the Titanic?
Posted by: JB in St. Louis | Aug 21, 2008 10:29:24 AM
When voting for a President, don’t confuse the individual candidate with the Political Party. Roosevelt, Reagan, Senior Bush and Clinton are much better than Nixon, Carter, and G. Bush.
John McCain seems old, he might not able to finish his first term but for sure he will serve the country better than his inexperience rival. I am interesting to see his VP pick than Obama’s choice.
Posted by: stock_craft | Aug 21, 2008 10:33:02 AM
I can't wait to watch a bunch of idiots at the Democratic convention try to cause a fuss and get their 15 minutes of "fame".
Posted by: The sixties are over | Aug 21, 2008 10:33:53 AM
carrie you tool, clintons campaign failed because of her
anyone clinton support that thinks otherwise is just a cry baby
Posted by: bhrandon | Aug 21, 2008 10:40:34 AM
JB in St. Louis post: "As a Hillary supporter, I am PRAYING that Hillary is not the vice presidential pick. Hillary, why board the Titanic? "
I wish her stay away from the liberal, dummy head Dem at this moment too.
Posted by: stock_craft | Aug 21, 2008 10:42:51 AM
Allow me to retort:
Being captured and spending a war in prison camp does not make one a "hero". It only makes one a former POW.
And "honorable"? Ask McCain's ex-wife about that.
John McCain bucked his own beliefs to suck up to his party, not the other way around. The "maverick" died when he announced his candicy.
McCain means four more years of big business and special interests dictating US economic policy.
And I prefer not to have a guy who graduated in the botton 1% of his class running our country. We've already had eight years of a Republican moron, and look where we're at because of it. We certainly don't need four more.
Posted by: McCain = McSame = McLame | Aug 21, 2008 10:44:29 AM
So Carrie, the issues you Clintonistas cared so much about no longer count, right? Toss them overboard and go 180 degrees in the opposite direction, all because "the anointed one" did not win the nomination? How sad.
Posted by: EdDoc | Aug 21, 2008 10:47:40 AM
Look at the responsed from Obama supporters. It is sad you can disagree with someone without calling someone an idiot. People are just beginging to realize that Obama lied from the start of the campaign he is all about Washington Politics and they only thing that will change if he is elected is the skin color of the corrupt politican who will say anything to get elected. Truth of the matter is that some people don't agree with Obama's tatics or policies and it has nothing to do with his race. Obama talks about unity and then man's supporters backstabs and undercuts people who dont agree with him and call black supporters like stephanie tubbs who stood with clinton turn coats and uncle toms.
Posted by: rachel | Aug 21, 2008 10:51:44 AM
McCain is a genuine war hero. We all thank him for his sacrifice and his service. I also served, and as a veteran I am stunned by his voting record on military and veterans issues. It is dismal, and downright shameful. He spoke against the new GI Bill and then did not bother to even show up for the vote. He voted against, time and time again, funding for veterans health care. He voted against equipment like flak vests for the Nat'l. Guard and Reservists. He voted against a mandatory rest period for troops between deployments. And yet he purports to "support the troops." What a hypocrite.
Posted by: EdDoc | Aug 21, 2008 10:53:27 AM
Dear Clintonistas
Please feel free to join Joe Leiberman and leave the Democratic Party immediately and permanently.
Your natural home is with the Rove/McCain smear specialists. After all, they are just using the Clinton campaign attacks and strategies better than she did when she LOST.
As a good Dem, I was willing to write a $2,300 check to help Senator Clinton pay off her debts to small business people.
I did not, because of your constant undercutting of the candidate who won more primary and caucus votes, more states, and more Super Delegate votes. You obviously do not see the Democratic Party as democratic.
The Clintons lost and you are NOT entitled to take the nomination away from Senator Obama.
If we lose this general election due to the likes of Rove and McCain, you are responsible.
Stay with them and watch our economy drop further, our country engage in endless war, the balance of the Supreme Court ruined, etc.
We shall blame you as the traitors within.
Please go.
Posted by: susan | Aug 21, 2008 12:10:55 PM
Congratulations, William. As a person who thinks that we need to elect Obama because he is black, you have now let everyone know you are a racist and can discount everything else you say.
What makes your blathering worse, is that you seem to imply that those of us who oppose Obama, whether Democrat or Rebublican are racists.
Posted by: Dan | Aug 21, 2008 12:26:26 PM
Now I understood why we had lost the last election and I regretted that I had voted for the flip flopper. As a registered Dem, this November, I will proud to vote for John McCain unless Hillary is the President candidate (not VP), sorry to say that
Posted by: stock_craft | Aug 21, 2008 12:27:54 PM
I will keep my dream on and switch to support John McCain until the Dem convention is over and Hillary is not the President nominee.
Posted by: stock_craft | Aug 21, 2008 12:36:55 PM
My hat off to all those Democrats who have made it clear that they will vote for McWinner in Nov. instead of Obama boy. Hillary would have been the best choice to go against McWinner but as usual the radical left has given the election to the Republicans.Thank you.I find it encouraging that a great many Democrats think for them selves and are not influenced by hype and out of control emotion. Welcome. (:
Posted by: bombem | Aug 22, 2008 10:53:03 AM
William, your to stupid to write on this forum. When are you going to"GET IT"!!!! The civil war has been over for about 160 years. Damn, how much more time do you need man. Listen to Bill Cosby. He gets it.
Posted by: bombem | Aug 22, 2008 12:55:38 PM
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