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The Note: McCain Caught in Old Pull Between Center, Right

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October 31, 2008 8:53 AM

ABC News' Rick Klein reports in Friday's Note:

So as October is set to pass without a surprise . . .

Sen. Barack Obama wants us to be scared of something in the rearview mirror . . .

While Sen. John McCain wants us to be scared of something coming into view through the front windshield . . .

Both candidates are a little bit scared when their running mates get behind the wheel. . .

Republicans are mildly haunted by a ghost whose name cannot be mentioned . . . 

Democrats are counting on certain ghosts in Florida . . .

And McCain is dealing with a set of familiar demons.

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.


As he and his running mate tax the tax issue, and hope for a boost from an action hero Friday, McCain is caught in the same sort of push-pull that has defined his political career.

Call it the Palin Paradox: McCain seems unable to effectively fire up the GOP base without turning off independents. He can’t win without both, not this year, not in this climate. And Palin, for all the energy she’s inspired, has pretty much literally caused more trouble than she’s worth to the ticket.

Does this sound like total confidence? "The enthusiasm level is incredibly high," McCain told ABC’s Robin Roberts in Ohio, on "Good Morning America" Friday. "It’s higher than I’ve ever seen it in any campaign I’ve ever been in. I’m not predicting -- well, I think, I’m confident that we’ll win, but this intensity level in the last several days has really been remarkable. And I’m enthusiastic."

"We’re going to fight it out on the economic grounds," McCain said.

If McCain really isn’t concerned about his running mate’s impact, well, he’s the one. "59 percent of voters surveyed said Ms. Palin was not prepared for the job, up nine percentage points since the beginning of the month," Michael Cooper and Dalia Sussman write in The New York Times. "And in a possible indication that the choice of Ms. Palin has hurt Mr. McCain’s image, voters said they had much more confidence in Mr. Obama to pick qualified people for his administration than they did in Mr. McCain." 

(It’s Obama 51, McCain 40 in the latest NYT/CBS poll.)

Said ABC’s George Stephanopoulos, on "Nightline" Thursday: "When you look at the bottom line, Joe Biden helped Barack Obama with all voters. He made people feel better about Barack Obama. Sarah Palin has hurt John McCain with the broader electorate. It's shown in poll after poll after poll."

Continue reading today's Note by clicking HERE.

ABC News' Hope Ditto contributed to this report.

October 31, 2008 in Ballotwatch, Biden, Joe, Bush, George W., Clinton, Bill, Clinton, Hillary, McCain, John, Obama, Barack, Palin, Sarah, Vote 2008: Democrats, Vote 2008: Republicans, Washington, White House | Permalink | User Comments (48)

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Stock facts 1901 to 2005:

Republicans = 6.9% gain over 56 years
Democrats = 13.3% gain over 48 years

401K bounce ONLY if Obama is elected!

Obama/Biden 08!

Posted by: Common Sense | Oct 31, 2008 9:01:16 AM

"When you look at the bottom line, Joe Biden helped Barack Obama with all voters. He made people feel better about Barack Obama"

Joe "Mark my words" Biden?
George needs to see a doctor.

What's up Georgie? Angling for a job with obama? Afriad you will get kicked off the plane to make rrom for another black magazine?
The Obama campaign has decided to heave out three newspapers from its plane for the final days of its blitz across battleground states -- and all three endorsed Sen. John McCain for president!

The NY POST, WASHINGTON TIMES and DALLAS MORNING NEWS have all been told to vamoose by Sunday to make room for network bigwigs -- and possibly for the inclusion of reporters from two black magazines, ESSENCE and JET, the DRUDGE REPORT has learned.

Posted by: geevill | Oct 31, 2008 9:06:40 AM

Whatever shift McCain is making has worked in the last week. Most battlegrounds are back to a dead heat and there is a very good possibility that McCain will pull off the upset. Days to go, not hours...

http://www.political-buzz.com/

Posted by: matt | Oct 31, 2008 9:06:58 AM

Stephanopoulos is history as a journalist. Watch his ratings plummet. Six to nine months and he'll be back in government or making a run at it. As for the rest, it ain't worth the time to offer an opinion.

Posted by: jcarob | Oct 31, 2008 9:13:09 AM

McCain made his own bed. Whatever he was he didn't acknowledge, it is what he has become that counts. Perhaps it explains his campaign's lack of direction , message, and focus.

Posted by: Thinking | Oct 31, 2008 9:17:06 AM

Matt if Mc Bush and his stupid running mate get in office this nation might as well hang it up.We will go back years the market will not rebound no one will ever retire.SS put into markets will never pay the retires what is due them ,the only good thing about this is the freaken government can not use it for some thing else but knowing the republicans they will get at it.

Posted by: NH voter | Oct 31, 2008 9:18:50 AM

What Is Mccain Proposals as President he never talks about the Issuses like The Economy,Healthcare,Education,The Wars I dont hear anything the only thing Mccain talks about is Obama!

Posted by: Angie | Oct 31, 2008 9:23:13 AM

now dont b woorrn dem papars aunt neber bin foor ol barrack sew we git dem away we dont be nneedn no bad pub rit now an we dont reed no posts times ore mornn news sew y shood them bee thar enyways its all gonna bee good foor all inn jus 5 mooor deys thin we all bee tha same

Posted by: cribsonite | Oct 31, 2008 9:23:56 AM

I find it hard to believe that the media is now saying 'oh, this race is too close to call'. When 59% of Americans polled said Palin wasn't qualified to be VP - how in the hell can they vote for McCain then?? He obviously has one foot on a banana peel and the other in the grave. Our Country is totally screwed up... no wonder we are the laughing stock of the planet!

Posted by: Sandi | Oct 31, 2008 9:26:15 AM

Best reason to vote Mccain

Seal and Heidi Klum promise to leave the country! (yet they will stay like all the other lying celebritites)

Posted by: geevill | Oct 31, 2008 9:26:26 AM

I find it hard to believe that the media is now saying 'oh, this race is too close to call'. When 59% of Americans polled said Palin wasn't qualified to be VP - how in the hell can they vote for McCain then?? He obviously has one foot on a banana peel and the other in the grave. Our Country is totally screwed up... no wonder we are the laughing stock of the planet!

Posted by: Sandi | Oct 31, 2008 9:26:15 AM
I know we are the laughing stock I guess thats why we have to limit the amount of people who come here I guess it so much better everywhere else

Posted by: reddog0216 | Oct 31, 2008 9:29:02 AM

A question of perspective
Obama/Biden vs. McCain/Palin

What if things were switched around? Think about it. Would the country's collective point of view be different?

What if the Obama’s had paraded five children across the stage, including a three-month-old infant and an unwed, pregnant teenage daughter?
What if John McCain was a former president of the Harvard Law Review?
What if Barack Obama finished fifth from the bottom of his graduating class?•
What if McCain had only married once, and Obama was a divorcee?•
What if Obama was the candidate who left his first wife after a severe disfiguring car accident, when she no longer measured up to his standards?•
What if Obama had met his second wife in a bar and had a long affair while he was still married? •
What if Michelle Obama was the wife who not only became addicted to painkillers but also acquired them illegally through her charitable organization?•
What if Cindy McCain graduated from Harvard?•
What if Obama had been a member of the Keating Five? (The Keating Five were 5 US Senators accused of corruption in 1989, igniting a major political scandal as part of the larger Savings and Loan crisis of the late 1980s and early 1990s.)•
What if McCain was a charismatic, eloquent speaker?•
What if Obama couldn't read from a teleprompter?•
What if Obama was the one who had military experience that included discipline problems and a record of crashing seven planes?•
What if Obama was the one who was known to display publicly, on many occasions, a serious anger management problem?•
What if Michelle Obama's family had made their money from beer distribution?•
What if the Obama’s had adopted a white child?•

If these questions reflected reality, do you really believe the election numbers would be as close as they are?

This is racism and fanaticism pure and simple. It covers up, rationalizes and minimizes positive qualities in one candidate and emphasizes negative qualities in another.

EDUCATION BACKGROUND:•
Barack Obama: Columbia University - B.A. Political Science with a Specialization in International Relations. * Harvard - Juris Doctor (J.D.) Magna Cum Laude
Joseph Biden: *University of Delaware - B.A. in History and B.A. in Political Science. *Syracuse University College of Law - Juris Doctor (J.D.) vs. •
John McCain: *United States Naval Academy - Class rank: 894 of 899
Sarah Palin: * Hawaii Pacific University - 1 semester *North Idaho College - 2 semesters - general study * University of Idaho - 2 semesters – journalism *Matanuska-Susitna College - 1 semester *University of Idaho - 3 semesters - B.A. in Journalism.

Education isn't everything, but this is about the two highest offices in the land as well as our standing in the world. Intelligence should matter.

Posted by: deb in Iowa | Oct 31, 2008 9:36:33 AM

Im in Ohio. Chuck Baldwin has my vote. And why do I feel like I'm not wasting my vote? Because here in Ohio, they throw away your votes anyway. Our Election offical allowed ACORN to register Mickey Mouse, so HE could vote for Obama; So I figure I might as well vote my intentions and do my duty. If they don't count it, then I did all I was supposed to do. You think that Democracy (mob rule) had ANYTHING to do with justice??? Boy, you've got some learning to do about the history of THIS country!!! All they have to do is go into the computers, switch the memory card and flip the election to 51-49, with NO PAPER RECORD!!! SO it doesn't matter WHO YOU want!!! The establishment will get their guy, no matter what you vote! Watch "Hacking Democracy" on Google, if you don't already know this by now!!!

Posted by: hmn | Oct 31, 2008 9:40:38 AM

deb in Iowa: Good and thought-provoking post, far beyond anything the McCain supporters are capable of.

Posted by: samurai | Oct 31, 2008 9:41:35 AM

If Michelle Obama paraded around 5 kids and an pregnant, un-wed daughter most Americans would have been saying things that are to nasty to print. Everyone knows that! Republicans are for the rich - so they can get richer, and pis- on the rest of us lower class. King George W is a prime example - of course, he can say 'middle class' unlike McCain and his Botox Barbie wife!

Posted by: Sandi | Oct 31, 2008 9:44:46 AM

If Michelle Obama paraded around 5 kids and an pregnant, un-wed daughter most Americans would have been saying things that are to nasty to print. Everyone knows that! Republicans are for the rich - so they can get richer, and pis- on the rest of us lower class. King George W is a prime example - of course, he can say 'middle class' unlike McCain and his Botox Barbie wife!

Posted by: Sandi | Oct 31, 2008 9:44:46 AM
You mean kinda like saying her 5th child is not hers.Republicans are not for the rich they are for opportunity .Why should some person who chooses not to save money not to work full time not to work overtime leech of someone who does????

Posted by: reddog0216 | Oct 31, 2008 9:51:18 AM

Posted by: samurai | Oct 31, 2008 9:53:45 AM

I love how most of you feel so entiltled to someonelses money I fall into a better tax bracket under obamas plan today and do not want someonelses money I would much rather earn my own

Posted by: reddog0216 | Oct 31, 2008 9:55:00 AM

Whatever shift McCain is making has worked in the last week. Most battlegrounds are back to a dead heat and there is a very good possibility that McCain will pull off the upset. Days to go, not hours...
-----------------------
Hey Matt,

The link you gave has the article "Obama's Lead Still Comfortable"

Is that the one you wanted us to see?

Posted by: Odd Choice | Oct 31, 2008 10:01:25 AM

Next Wednesday morning, you will see TV footage from Obama’s coronation event in Chicago’s Grant Park showing hysterical, weeping, cavorting, fighting, swearing Obama Kool-Aid kids who are angry and confused that The Marxist One and his merry band of America-haters, terrorists, racists and felons lost the election.

Beginning next week, when Americans talk about colossal failures they will mention the movies Ishtar and Heaven's Gate -- and they will mention Obama.

Obama is a bad, bad news for America. Be sure to vote.

Posted by: Kerri Washington | Oct 31, 2008 10:01:29 AM

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