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Election '08: Endorsements

 

The above photo shows former Massachusetts Gov. William Weld -- a Republican -- at a Barack Obama campaign office in Salem, N.H. Weld endorsed the Democratic presidential candidate today, joining a growing list of Republicans who are endorsing Obama.

"Sen. Obama is a once-in-a-lifetime candidate who will transform our politics and restore America's standing in the world," Weld said in a statement. You can read the AP story on Weld's endorsement here.

Other prominent Republicans who have bucked the party to endorse Obama include: former Secretary of State Colin Powell, former Minnesota Gov. Arne Carlson and Scott McClellan, who was President Bush's former press secretary.

The Gray Lady also chose Obama in an editorial published yesterday. The New York Times summed it up this way:

"The nation’s problems are simply too grave to be reduced to slashing “robo-calls” and negative ads. This country needs sensible leadership, compassionate leadership, honest leadership and strong leadership. Barack Obama has shown that he has all of those qualities."

John McCain also has received some newspaper endorsements, including backing from The State of Columbia, S.C., and the McCook Daily Gazette of Nebraska.

The State opined: "... First and foremost, (McCain) is far better prepared not only to be commander in chief, but to lead the nation as it deals with a complex array of global challenges, from Iran to North Korea, from Russia to Venezuela."

The McCook Daily Gazette, meanwhile, said that Obama's charisma and confidence is appealing, "But the majority of southwest Nebraskans and northwest Kansans don't want to see the country shift to the left, the direction Obama and his running mate, Joe Biden, would take it, especially as it relates to the Supreme Court."

Read this AP story on newspaper endorsements, which also includes a few for Obama.

--Paul Chavez

Photo credit: AP Photo/Cheryl Senter

For the latest news and analysis on the presidential election, check our Election '08 section at Clear365.com. As always, your comments and questions are welcome.

Election '08: Around the Web

Not sure what Sen. John McCain is smiling about, but he appears to be enjoying himself today at a campaign rally at Robert Morris University in Moon Township, Pa.

We'll guess that he's not smiling about a new poll released today by the Pew Research Center for the People & The Press that showed his Democratic rival, Sen. Barack Obama, widening his lead to 52 percent to 38 percent among registered voters. Both candidates were about even back in mid-September, but the folks at Pew have found Obama gathering increasingly more support since then. Obama's performance in his three debates with McCain and the faltering economy have seemed to help Obama in the polls -- more voters see Obama as "well-qualified" and voters also see Obama as the candidate best able to improve economic conditions by a 53 percent to 32 percent margin.

SOCIALISM AND SPREADING THE WEALTH

I'm blaming Joe The Plumber (JTP) for this, but suddenly the S-word (socialism) and the S-phrase (spreading the wealth) are being splattered all over the campaign trail. JTP, in case you forgot, asked Obama during a campaign stop in Toledo, Ohio, if the candidate's tax plan would increase his taxes if he carried through with his plans to run his own small business.

Obama explained his tax plan to JPT and included the line, "... I think when you spread the wealth around, it's good for everybody."

McCain and his vice presidential running mate, Gov. Sarah Palin, pounced on the comment. McCain wouldn't stop talking about JTP during his final debate with Obama and the GOP ticket has kept it up since. McCain has likened Obama's stance to socialism -- earning him raucous cheers at campaign events. Palin, too, has joined the chorus, criticizing Obama as "Barack the wealth-spreader" today during an event in Reno, Nev.

For a more nuanced approach to the subject, take a look at this story by The Associated Press that examines the country's history of redistributing wealth.

Speaking of spreading the wealth, you might want to take a look at this AP graphic:

A story pushed out today by The AP shows the gap between the rich and the poor is growing in the world's richest countries, according to a new study by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. As the above graphic shows, the United States isn't faring so well. Here's an excerpt:

In the United States, the richest 10 percent earn an average of US$93,000 — the highest level in the OECD. The poorest 10 percent earn an average of US$5,800 — about 20 percent lower than the OECD average.

End of excerpt.

Here's the whole AP story on the widening chasm between the haves and the have-nots.

Over at the conservatie National Review, writer Mona Charen is wishing blessings upon JTP for exposing Obama's true motive for raising taxes. Here's her point, in a nutshell:

People do not work for the general good. They work for their own individual ends, which in turn promotes the general welfare. Societies that ask workers to labor for “the people” get poor results.

End of nutshell. You can read all of Charen's story here.

For yet another ode to JTP, you can read the article titled Robama Hood's Tax 'Fairness' on the National Review Online by Deroy Murdock. Here's the gist:

So, it really is about class warfare, punishing the successful, and picking their pockets so the state can “spread the wealth around.”

Instead, government should foster a favorable environment where people can prosper to the best of their abilities and keep as much of their earnings as possible, minus a low, reasonable amount to finance limited, basic public services.

End of gist.

In case you're still contemplating all of this, here are two more links from the UCLA election blog to check out and ponder. Education Professor Patricia Gandara states her opinion in a posting filed today titled "Why taxing millionaires and billionaires is fair" and campus colleague Professor Gary Orfield offers up his own posting today simply called "Socialism?"

--Paul Chavez

Photo credit: AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar

For the latest news and analysis on the presidential election, check our Election '08 section at Clear365.com. As always, your comments and questions are welcome.

Election '08: Around the Web

This photo showing Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain speaking at a rally today in Belton, Mo., looks more like there's an alien robot running for the White House. Rest assured, neither candidate's immigration policy goes that far.

In case you're wondering where the candidates do stand on those pesky little "issues," here are some links to Sen. Barack Obama's position on issues ranging from abortion to trade and McCain's stance on the same issues.

While we're talking issues, we'll note for the record that Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin told the Christian Broadcasting Network that she supports a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage. That's a departure from her running mate, who has said he believes states should have the right to define marriage.

Here's an excerpt from an article filed today by The Associated Press on her gay marriage views:

"I have voted along with the vast majority of Alaskans who had the opportunity to vote to amend our Constitution defining marriage as between one man and one woman. I wish on a federal level that's where we would go. I don't support gay marriage," Palin said. She said she believed traditional marriage is the foundation for strong families.

End of excerpt.

CBN released excerpts of the interview today and planned to broadcast the whole interview Tuesday.

THE BRADLEY EFFECT

The late Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley hasn't had this much attention since the April 1992 riots that killed more than 50 and caused roughly $1 billion in damage.

Why all the attention?

Bradley, who was black, ran for governor as the Democratic Party nominee in 1982 and barely lost to Republican George Deukmejian, even though Bradley had been heavily favored in the polls. The so-called "Bradley Effect" was coined to describe an alleged tendency by some voters to tell pollsters they are voting for a black candidate, so they don't seem racist, while behaving differently in the polling booth and voting for the white candidate.

Here's a video explanation from some professors at UCLA:

Blair Levin, who worked on Bradley's gubernatorial campaign, penned an Op-Ed piece in today's New York Times titled "What Bradley Effect?" Levin said that an unpopular gun control initiative and a GOP absentee ballot program generated hundreds of thousands of Republican votes that pollsters didn't anticipate. The piece is also worth reading for a yarmulke anecdote that illustrated Bradley's unique ability to reach out to the city's disparate interest groups.

IN THE HEARTLAND

The presidential campaign has been dominating the news media, with only cursory coverage of pending contests for Congress and local ballot measures. In Minnesota, however, the race between Republican Rep. Michele Bachmann and Democrat Elwyn Tinklenberg made the AP wire after Bachmann went on MSNBC's "Hardball" and said that Obama "may have anti-American views."

The AP story said the comment prompted criticism from former Secretary of State Colin Powell and Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Even worse for Bachmann, her opponent's campaign received an outpouring of financial donations -- about $740,000 in less than 72 hours -- transforming a race that Bachmann had been favored to win.

--Paul Chavez

Photo Credit: AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster

For the latest news and analysis on the presidential election, check our Election '08 section at Clear365.com. As always, your comments and questions are welcome.

Election '08: Presidential Debate, Round 2, cont'd

University of Miami students watch Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama during a presidential debate in Corral Gables, Fla. on Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2008. (AP Photo/Alan Diaz)

FINAL THOUGHTS

We heard a lot tonight about the "fundamental" differences between the two candidates. McCain believes that health care is a responsibility, while Obama thinks it's a right for every American. McCain favors an across-the-board spending freeze -- with the exception of veterans affairs, defense and some unspecified vital programs -- to deal with the financial crisis; Obama opposes a blanket spending freeze, claiming that it would unfairly spread the financial burden. Both men like multibillionaire Warren Buffet, an Obama economic adviser, whose name came up when asked about a future treasury secretary.

McCain, who is trailing in nationwide polls and in key battle states, needed to make some kind of headway in this debate, but with the economy in the tank and his link to the incumbent party, McCain is swimming against a riptide that's only gaining strength.

The third and final presidential debate will be held Wednesday, Oct. 15, at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y. It will be moderated by Bob Schieffer of CBS News, who is the network's chief Washington correspondent and host of "Face the Nation," and will focus on domestic and economic policy.

Photo credits from the debate:

McCain and Obama waving to the crowd -- AP Photo/Charles Dharapak/Pool.

Tom Brokaw at start of debate -- AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite

--Paul Chavez

For the latest news and analysis on the presidential election, check our Election '08 section at Clear365.com. As always, your comments and questions are welcome.

Election '08: Presidential Debate, Round 2 cont'd

Obama and McCain both agreed to the debate format that called for a two-minute response to a common question with one-minute follow ups. They both also promptly ignored the rules once the debate got under way, despite pleadings from Brokaw to follow the format.

THE $700 BILLION FINANCIAL BAILOUT (aka RESCUE)

The Wall Street bailout dominated the early parts of the debate, just as it did in the first presidential debate and last week's vice presidential debate.

Obama won a coin-flip and fielded the first question on what would be the quickest and fastest way to mitigate the financial meltdown for the most at-risk, particularly retirees. The Illinois senator took the opportunity to bash the
Bush administration, and McCain by extension, saying that the financial crisis was the "final verdict on the failed economic policies of the last eight years." He also didn't answer the question.

McCain answered the same question by first talking about the need for energy independence but then said that as president he would order the treasury secretary to purchase failing home loan mortgages and replacing them with fixed-rate mortgages as part of a "new" plan. The plan, however, also said that funding from the bill could come from the $700 billion bailout package Congress passed last week, making it not so new.

WHERE'S THE MUD?

Maybe both candidates listened to California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who complained about the recent mudslinging between the Obama and McCain camps. McCain didn't mention Obama's relationship with Bill Ayers, the 1960s anti-war activist and founder of the violent Weather Underground group. Obama, meanwhile, didn't mention McCain's role in the Keating Five scandal that was part of the savings and loan crisis in the late 1980s.

Most political observers expected McCain and Obama to tone down the attacks due to the town hall-style of the debate where the candidates were expected to interact more with the audience and less with each other.

More to come...

Election '08: Presidential Debate, Round 2

The second presidential debate between Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama has started at Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn., with NBC special correspondent Tom Brokaw serving as moderator. Brokaw, of course, was the longtime anchor of NBC Nightly News and is currently the interim replacement for the late Tim Russert on the Sunday morning political talk show "Meet the Press."

The debate is in a town hall-style with the candidates receiving questions directly from Nashville-area residents who are undecided voters and Brokaw also is feeding them questions culled from the Internet.

The most memorable presidential debate under the town hall-style format occurred in 1992 when Bill Clinton faced George H.W. Bush. The incumbent Bush looked at his watch while fielding a question about the national debt; Clinton came off seeming more empathetic with his friendly engagement of the audience.

More on the debate coming up...

Election '08: Vice-Presidential Debate follow-up

At the very least, GOP vice-presidential nominee has a nice wink. Facial gestures, however, shouldn't score you political points.

We mentioned last night how vice-presidential debates are really inconsequential affairs. To that end, we'd like to point out this AP story by national writer Ted Anthony that brings the point home. The story, by the way, is part of an ongoing series this political season called "The Measure of a Nation." Here's an excerpt:

The Sundance Kid aside, American culture often grants meager props to the right-hand man. Playing Ed McMahon to Johnny Carson, Jimmy Olsen to Superman, Robin to Batman or, for that matter, Dan Quayle to George H.W. Bush is not always the most epic of endeavors.

End of excerpt. If you're looking for a full transcript of last night's debate, the Commission on Presidential Debates has posted one here.

JUST THE FACTS

Interested in just the facts? Here is AP's latest story on the facts that went adrift last night and the New York Times offered their own Check Point on their political blog The Caucus.

PALIN THE EVERYWOMAN?

Palin, either by default or calculation, made an attempt to portray herself as just a regular good 'ol American. She peppered her responses with cute little sayings, such as "Darn right," "I'll betcha," and even gave a "shout-out" to elementary school students.

In response to a question about the $700 billion financial bailout, Palin attempted to ingratiate herself with the common man by saying: "...let's commit ourselves just every day American people, Joe Six Pack, hockey moms across the nation, I think we need to band together and say never again. Never will we be exploited and taken advantage of again by those who are managing our money and loaning us these dollars."

For the record, according to 2006 U.S. Census Bureau data, the median U.S. family income was $58,526. According to this AP story on Palin's finances, she and her husband, Todd Palin, earned more than $225,000 last year. Palin also reported no personal credit card debt, compared to average household credit card debt of $9,840 reported last year by Americans.

NEXT DEBATE

The second debate between Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama will be held next Tuesday at Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn., with former NBC news anchor Tom Brokaw moderating a town meeting-style debate on domestic and foreign policy. The candidates will be given two minutes to answer followed by one-minute discussions for each question. There's an interactive component to the debate, check here for more details.

Photo credit: (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

For the latest news and analysis on the presidential election, check our Election '08 section at Clear365.com. As always, your comments and questions are welcome.

--Paul Chavez

Election '08: Vice Presidential Debate Pt. 2

This AP photo shows a "Palin Bingo" card sitting on a counter at a debate watching party at a tavern in Seattle. The playing card full of Palin slogans was designed to be filled out during the debate.

Did anyone else play this?

Before we get more into this debate, a little perspective is in order. Vice presidential debates in recent history have had little, if any, bearing on presidential elections. Perhaps the most well remembered recent vice-presidential debate occurred between Dan Quayle and Lloyd Bentsen in the 1998 debate when Bentsen famously told Quayle, "Senator, I served with Jack Kennedy. I knew Jack Kennedy; Jack Kennedy was a friend of mine. Senator, you're no Jack Kennedy." It was an ouch moment for Quayle, but he and George H.W. Bush won in November anyway.

FACTS, SCHMACTS

The truth squad went to work right away, double-checking Biden and Palin on the so-called facts they asserted during the debate. The AP in this story fact-checked numerous points, ranging from Palin's assertion that Obam voted 94 times to increase taxes or not support a tax reduction to Biden's claim that McCain supports tax breaks for oil companies and wants to give them another $4 billion tax cut.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Palin did herself some good by showing an ease that wasn't displayed in her interviews with Couric, particularly this interview about Roe v. Wade and other Supreme Court decisions:

Given the lowered expectations for Palin going into the debate, it's hard to grade her out. Whatever her score, it's doubtful that her performance will give her ticket much of a boost. As for Biden, he displayed a strong command of the issues and politics that didn't hurt his ticket. He also showed some wit. Biden received the only laugh of the night during a give-and-take on taxes when he called McCain's health tax credit the ultimate "Bridge to Nowhere" -- a sorespot for Alaskans and Palin.

For the latest news and analysis on the presidential election, check our Election '08 section at Clear365.com. As always, your comments and questions are welcome.

Photo credit: AP Photo/Jeff Roberson

--Paul Chavez

Election '08: Vice Presidential Debate

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and Senator Joe Biden are facing off against each other in the one and only debate among the vice presidential candidates.

Palin has been skewered recently in the media and in the polls after a series of awkward interviews with CBS anchor Katie Couric and Tina Fey's parody of her on Saturday Night Live. The debate is primarily a referendum on Palin and whether she can again be cast in the glowing light she basked in after her national debut at the Republican National Convention.

As far as debates go, it's been a rather odd fair. Like in the first debate between presidential candidates Sens. Barack Obama and John McCain, their understudies have shown a knack for failing to answer the moderator's question.

Gwen Ifill, the former New York Times reporter who is a senior correspondent for the News Hour and moderator of Washington Week on PBS, chose the questions.

Ifill opened the debate the same way that her colleague, Jim Lehrer, did last week during the inaugural debate between McCain and Obama with a question about the pending $700 billion financial bailout. If we're keeping points, Biden won this opening salvo by focusing on his running mate's four-point plan for the bailout and his party's support for the middle class. Palin went into an anecdote about talking to parents at a soccer game about the economy and then rambled about how she and McCain represent reform.

But it's nearly impossible to score these things. First of all, the rules of the debate allow for only short 90-second responses to questions and then another two minutes for additional follow-ups and rebuttals. Not really much of a debate?

Palin, to her credit, even told Ifill and Biden that she wouldn't answer the questions the way they might like. So much for rules...

More to come...

Photo credit: (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

--Paul Chavez