Mired in 3rd Place, Couric Rallies

Campaign strategist, authors discuss new book Game Change

(NEWSER) - When Sarah Palin memorably asked Joe Biden, “Can I call you Joe?” during the vice-presidential debate, it was a strategy—but not the strategy everyone assumed. During debate prep, Palin kept referring to Biden as “O’Biden,” campaign strategist Steve Schmidt tells CBS . “When you had gone through the Tina Fey parodies, you certainly cannot be in a position where you walk onto the stage and refer to him repeatedly on national television as 'Senator O'Biden,'" he told 60 Minutes last night. More»

(NEWSER) - Katie Couric didn't want to diss Sarah Palin when grilled by a New York Post reporter, but she did let slip that the Alaska governor "should keep her head down and learn about governing." Couric, whose interview with Palin during the presidential campaign opened up the candidate to a deluge of criticism, added—too late—that she "didn't want to judge." More»

The NY Times chats with some of the 4% who remain unsure

(NEWSER) - After a long campaign season, John McCain and Barack Obama have had ample chance to define themselves in America’s eyes—yet 4% of the country, a recent poll says, remains undecided. The New York Times spoke to a few of these “gray-state” voters to see what was holding them back; they noted good and bad qualities in each candidate, but remained tough to pin down. More»

Gaffe-prone senator manages to stay (mostly) out of trouble

(NEWSER) - While the rest of the big three draw huge crowds and intense scrutiny, Joe Biden is out of the spotlight, rallying four-digit rather than five-digit crowds and generally dodging the national media. With higher favorability ratings than Sarah Palin but a well-documented propensity for gaffes, he shores up the base with a disciplined strategy that takes advantage of his strengths. The New York Times hits the trail. More»

... by a thinner margin than they supported fellow Dem Kerry in '04

(NEWSER) - Barack Obama has a big lead among Jewish voters, according to a survey by the American Jewish Committee. But his 57% support, to 30% for John McCain and 13% undecided, is “a bit lower than one would expect,” a group exec tells VOA News. At this time in 2004, John Kerry had 69% of the vote, which grew to 76% by Election Day. More»