McCain 2008

McCain Bets the Farm on Pa.

Philadelphia Inquirer  |  Oct 21, 08 10:51 AM CDT

(Newser) - John McCain is going full throttle in Pennsylvania, but his work is cut out for him: He’s behind 12-15 points in state polls, and Democrats vastly outnumber Republicans in the state, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. McCain, wife Cindy, and Sarah Palin have stumped heavily there all week. “We will win Pennsylvania,” said a rep. “We wouldn't be here unless we were 100% confident of that." More »

Voters Flee GOP Fury Like It's 1964

Washington Post  |  Oct 21, 08 10:10 AM CDT

(Newser) - Eight years ago George W. Bush made it to the White House as a "compassionate conservative," with plans to reform education and build a multiracial coalition. In 2008, writes Richard Cohen, that vision of the GOP is dead—replaced by "a mean, grumpy, exclusive, narrow-minded and altogether retrograde Republican Party." And John McCain's campaign bears a disturbing resemblance to that of another Arizona senator: Barry Goldwater. More »

Poll: Race Tightens Up

CNN  |  Oct 21, 08 7:32 AM CDT

(Newser) - The presidential race is tightening, with Barack Obama leading John McCain 51% to 46% among likely voters, down from an 8-point gap, a CNN/Opinion Research Center poll shows. McCain’s boost may be linked to a drop in the number of people who think he’ll continue President Bush’s policies —49% compared with 56% in an Oct. 3-5 poll, reports CNN. More »

Swing Voters Don't Like 'Hothead' McCain

Los Angeles Times  |  Oct 21, 08 4:23 AM CDT

(Newser) - Doubts over John McCain's disposition are pushing undecided voters Barack Obama's way, according to the Los Angeles Times . Swing voters interviewed by the newspaper say McCain's negative body language over the last few weeks and his "hothead" outbursts have given them strong misgivings—as did his snap decision to suspend his campaign— while Obama' s "cool" demeanor has impressed them, especially at a time of crisis. More »

Mac Irked at Powell for Not Calling

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review  |  Oct 20, 08 7:37 PM CDT

(Newser) - John McCain is disappointed that longtime friend Colin Powell didn't even call him before backing Barack Obama, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports. McCain didn't like Powell's criticism of Sarah Palin, either. "I wished he had taken the opportunity to meet Governor Palin," McCain said. "I'm proud to have four former secretaries of state endorse me and over 200 admirals and generals who are retired support me." More »

McCain Sees Comeback; Tightening Race More Like It

Washington Post  |  Oct 20, 08 5:09 PM CDT

(Newser) - As supporters get increasingly giddy about Barack Obama’s persistent lead in the polls, advisers to John McCain charge the media is ignoring a comeback by their candidate, writes Chris Cillizza in the Washington Post . The McCain campaign credits a return to a traditionally Republican tax-based argument for some recent figures showing Obama’s advantage narrowing from double to mid-single digits. More »

Baldwin on SNL : 'It's Not Meet the Press '

Huffington Post  |  Oct 20, 08 4:45 PM CDT

(Newser) - If you saw Alec Baldwin's courtly interaction with Sarah Palin on Saturday Night Live and you're wondering what's gotten into the well-known liberal firebrand, he's wondering something, too: What's your problem? "What did some of you people actually think would happen?" he writes in a post that went up on Huffington Post today. More »

'Outsider' Palin Used Media Insiders to Win VP Nod

New Yorker  |  Oct 20, 08 4:23 PM CDT

(Newser) - Sarah Palin likes to play up her outsider credentials while decrying the media elite, but she’s relied on both throughout her career. Belying her mockery of the “mainstream media,” Palin hired a well-connected PR firm to target East Coast journalists and courted conservative media insiders who eventually championed her VP candidacy. Jane Mayer of the New Yorker looks at a "surprise" nomination that was months, if not years, in the making. More »

Ignored Hoosiers May Turn Blue

Salon  |  Oct 20, 08 2:25 PM CDT

(Newser) - Indiana has voted Republican 16 times in the past 17 presidential elections, so why is Barack Obama even bothering to run ads and rally? The state that favored George W. Bush over John Kerry 60-39% is showing surprising support for Obama—enough that he could scrape out a win,  Salon reports. And if that does happen, it'll be because the Obama team spotted opportunity among that state's long history of campaign neglect. More »

VP? If She Can Do It, So Can I

Salon  |  Oct 20, 08 1:17 PM CDT

(Newser) - If being mayor of a town of 6,000 puts you on course for the vice presidency, then Mark Friedman, former mayor of El Cerrito, Calif., is ready for Washington, he writes in Salon. “I have proved I have the inspirational qualities required to say a few words at the annual Little League pancake breakfast,” he points out. And his view of Berkeley from his house amounts to sturdy foreign policy experience. More »

Powell Makes Mac Play Defense (Again)

Politico  |  Oct 20, 08 8:30 AM CDT

(Newser) - Colin Powell’s endorsement of Barack Obama has backed an already-defensive John McCain even further into a corner, writes Politico. Following what McClatchy Newspapers calls a “blistering critique” of McCain’s campaign by the former secretary of state, the Republican has found himself defending anew the Palin pick, the Ayers angle and his recent onslaught of negative robocalls—a tactic he condemned in the 2000 race. More »

Obama Gets Nod From Houston, Austin Papers