OPINION
SC senator plays eager foil to Republican nominee's quirks
New Republic Sep 5, 08 4:50 PM CDT
(Newser)
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“While most politicians collect allies, McCain collects followers,” Eve Fairbanks writes in the New Republic , and there’s no better example than Sen. Lindsey Graham, McCain’s “sidekick” and foil in the nation's most prominent “bromance.” McCain’s top stump surrogate is no stranger to the costs of McCain’s friendship: non-stop travel and speaking schedules, being the butt of fraternal jibing, and tolerating his idiosyncratic obsessions ... like, er, birdwatching.
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Poll: VP pick creates sharp divides, making overall impact a wash
ABC News Sep 5, 08 1:45 PM CDT
(Newser)
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About half of the public had a favorable first impression of vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin, and that half consists primarily of Republicans, a new ABC News poll finds. This not-so-shocking divide mirrors the numbers on Joe Biden: his candidacy makes 22% of people more likely to support the Obama ticket and 10% less likely.
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opinion
Pundits view speech
as workmanlike,
maybe even boring
Guardian (UK) Sep 5, 08 11:25 AM CDT
(Newser)
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Last night was John McCain’s big moment at the Republican National Convention. Oratory hasn’t been his strong suit in the past. How were the reactions to his speech? McCain bored Michael Tomasky at the UK Guardian , who wonders if he was baiting negative reviews to rile up his base: “I now suspect that the speech was intentionally awful.”
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OPINION
Time Sep 5, 08 9:44 AM CDT
(Newser)
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John McCain’s acceptance speech was remarkable, honorable, and sometimes moving, but also sounded like a valedictory, “more the end of a career than the beginning of a presidency,” writes Joe Klein of Time. McCain was short on new ideas—the policy section "was a half-hearted and unadventurous slog through the world of policy." But who but McCain would so comprehensively admit his party’s failures?
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analysis
McCain, Obama fight for 'nebulous' image of change
Washington Post Sep 5, 08 8:15 AM CDT
(Newser)
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John McCain and Barack Obama are both laying claim to an agenda of “reform”—but neither has offered a clear idea of what that means, writes Jonathan Weisman in the Washington Post . In opening speeches last night, the words “reform” or “reformer” were spoken 11 times. McCain’s camp says the calls aren’t for “programmatic” reforms, but rather something “both more sweeping and more nebulous,” Weisman notes.
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ANALYSIS
Establishment party adopts anti-establishment stance
New York Times Sep 5, 08 7:02 AM CDT
(Newser)
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The Republican National Convention was so full of calls for change and vows to clean up Washington that it was almost easy to forget that the GOP has been in power for the last 8 years, writes Peter Baker in the New York Times . John McCain is seeking to distance himself from his party's recent record, and trying to seize the "change" mantra for himself.
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updated
MSNBC Sep 4, 08 9:44 PM CDT
(Newser)
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John McCain accepted the Republican nomination tonight and promised that "change is coming," MSNBC reports. McCain stressed that he, not Barack Obama, can bridge party differences and end the "constant partisan rancor" in Washington. “Again and again, I’ve worked with members of both parties to fix problems that need to be fixed,” he said. "I have that record and the scars to prove it. Senator Obama does not."
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Variety Sep 4, 08 7:11 PM CDT
(Newser)
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Sarah Palin's big introduction to America last night drew 37.2 million viewers, Variety reports. Her huge Nielsen ratings came in just 1.1 million under Barack Obama's for his acceptance speech last week. Palin, who officially became the vice-presidential nominee today, dwarfed the ratings of Joe Biden (24 million). She also topped the Olympics opening ceremony (34 million) and the Oscars (32 million), CBS notes. Of those who watched, 19.5 million were women.
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17-year-old pregnant daughter of Republican VP pick has actual ring
TMZ Sep 4, 08 5:10 PM CDT
(Newser)
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Levi Johnston, boyfriend and father-to-be of Sarah Palin's teenage daughter Bristol is apparently serious about doing the right thing with the potential first kid: He's sporting a 'Bristol' tattoo in the place of an engagement ring, TMZ comments. “In lieu of a tramp stamp,” the celeb site adds snarkily, “Bristol Palin went with the more traditional unwed pregnant teen engagement ring.”
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Rapper says McCain's choice 'completely irresponsible'
YouTube Sep 4, 08 4:23 PM CDT
(Newser)
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P Diddy—“government name" Sean Combs—has a heart-to-heart with John McCain on a dizzying YouTube video complaining that the Arizona senator's choice of running mate is “not respectful to our diverse lives.” Sporting tinted shades, a white tee and serious bling, Diddy, “aka Ciroc Obama,” spins in circles delivering a profanity-ridden solo. His beef? That Alaska probably has no black people.
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Choice of Palin underscores how pro-life wing hamstrings party, some say
Chicago Tribune Sep 4, 08 3:46 PM CDT
(Newser)
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Where conservatives once felt uneasy with John McCain, his drift rightward now has moderates wondering if there’s a place for them in the Republican Party, the Chicago Tribune reports. “We are discouraged by the platform,” says one pro-choice Republican, noting that while she was glad to have a woman on the ticket, Sarah Palin’s far-right views worried her.
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New setup will put Mac among GOP delegates as he accepts nom
Minneapolis Star Tribune Sep 4, 08 3:33 PM CDT
(Newser)
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John McCain will reinforce his “maverick” image and encourage bipartisan cooperation when he addresses the Republican convention tonight, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. The speech will describe “where, how and why he wants to lead the country," his speechwriter said. The arena setup has been reconfigured for Mac’s address, giving him a fashion-style runway that will put him closer to the audience.
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