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[Thad]

Detroit Free Press: the latest Gallup poll shows Obama with a 13-point lead over McCain among women voters.  In short, the mass defection of Clinton supporters to McCain does not actually seem to be happening.

As I said before, Obama has to earn Clinton's supporters and not just expect them to fall in line, but at the same time, I really don't see most of them voting for a President who wants to overturn Roe.

He's up 7% among the general population, too; obviously it's still way too far out to take that to heart, but it's a good place to be.

[Thad]

boston.com has more on Obama's response to the various smear campaigns against him.  He's set up a site called fightthesmears.com.  It's well-sourced, well-presented, and, best of all, the article I linked says Larry Lessig is involved.

The truth has finished putting on its shoes.  We'll see where it goes from here.

[Brentai]

"Fight the Smears" sounds like something Cap'n Crunch would do.

And that's AWESOME.   

[Thad]

SF Gate: Obama's gamble in debating McCain

Gist: McCain has challenged Obama to unmoderated town hall debates; Obama has accepted.  This plays to McCain's strengths in that he seems to be the better off-the-cuff speaker (while Obama is unquestionably the better scripted speaker), but plays to Obama's advantage because every time the two of them stand side-by-side is to his benefit.

Apparently Obama HASN'T actually agreed to 10 town-hall meetings.  Reuters:

The presidential libraries of Democrat Lyndon Johnson and Republican Ronald Reagan offered to host the two candidates at separate town hall meetings.

McCain, 71, quickly accepted and accused Obama, 46, of rejecting his offer from two weeks ago to hold 10 face-to-face encounters, one a week, throughout the summer.

McCain campaign manager Rick Davis said in an e-mail the Obama side had instead offered to take part in only one town hall before the Democratic nominating convention in Denver in late August.

I'm leaning toward McCain's side on this one.  Modern Presidential "debates" are bullshit.  I'm sick of watching two people repeat talking points unrelated to the questions they're asked; an actual debate, with questions that aren't screened, would be quite a thing to watch.

That said, Obama's playing it safe here.  He's up in the polls.  I personally think he has nowhere to go but up and he'd do just fine to accept McCain's challenge, but he's more politically savvy than I am and I can understand the potential for losing ground over something as simple as stumbling over a few words (there are still right-wingers giggling in comment sections across the Internet about his "fifty-seven states" comment).

[Arc]

It isn't because of worries of stumbling, but instead about the amount of time used prepping for questions all for what essentially puts your opponent, who is behind, back into the spotlight. It also takes away time that could be spent more effective at a rally. After his consecutive wins in February, Obama had little interest in going into even more debates with Hillary, instead opting to organize the largest events possible.

As of Thursday, McCain's "townhall meetings" have been proven to be dubious at best.

[Thad]

It isn't because of worries of stumbling, but instead about the amount of time used prepping for questions all for what essentially puts your opponent, who is behind, back into the spotlight.

I don't see why it can't be both.

I still maintain that, at least so far, McCain seems to be the better off-the-cuff speaker.  That could hurt Obama.

It also takes away time that could be spent more effective at a rally. After his consecutive wins in February, Obama had little interest in going into even more debates with Hillary, instead opting to organize the largest events possible.

Certainly.  He needs more exposure, but doesn't need to share the stage with McCain to get it.

But I still think he would benefit from the contrast.

He looks great by himself, but I think he'd look better still next to McCain.  Then again, I could be wrong, for the reason stated above.

As of Thursday, McCain's "townhall meetings" have been proven to be dubious at best.

Right, didn't hear about that until after I made the post.  More George Bush-style campaigning from John McCain.  Is anyone still surprised?

[Arc]

I don't see why it can't be both.

Because it likely isn't.

His campaign has him out in front of crowds of up to 75,000 people. They believe in his oratory skills, rehearsed and unrehearsed. They let him be himself (watch video for iPhone cameo). They know he'll make mistakes on the stump, off the stump, in public, behind closed doors, during interviews and more. They know that the media will latch onto any error of his whether it's during a debate or on the street. The important point is that also know that McCain will receive a free pass by the media for his omissions and fumbles, two thirds of the time. As with past Democratic challengers, Obama will "win" the debate, but the Republican candidate will garner applause from the pundit class for simply not swallowing his own tongue.

I'd like to be proven wrong on that last point, and agree with your notion that their contrast on stage will be significantly powerful. However, the Obama campaign has been in this position before with Hillary Clinton. Axelrod & Company know that the contrast will be election defining, and that wearing it out in a dozen or more Town Halls will simply diminish the impact of such a moment.

Further worthwhile reading: A damning, firsthand account of Friday's "Town Hall".

[Thad]

They know that the media will latch onto any error of his whether it's during a debate or on the street. The important point is that also know that McCain will receive a free pass by the media for his omissions and fumbles, two thirds of the time. As with past Democratic challengers, Obama will "win" the debate, but the Republican candidate will garner applause from the pundit class for simply not swallowing his own tongue.

I think we're in agreement in the broad strokes, but I don't think you give McCain enough credit as an off-the-cuff speaker.  He's lousy at speeches, but he knows how to play a crowd and press the flesh.  We're not dealing with Bush here, we're dealing with someone smarter and more likable.

I'm not saying Obama's bad at it, at all.  I'm just saying he's not as good at it as he is at delivering prepared speeches.  And he may not be as good at it as McCain, though without seeing the two of them side-by-side it's hard to make that call.

I'd like to be proven wrong on that last point, and agree with your notion that their contrast on stage will be significantly powerful. However, the Obama campaign has been in this position before with Hillary Clinton. Axelrod & Company know that the contrast will be election defining, and that wearing it out in a dozen or more Town Halls will simply diminish the impact of such a moment.

I think what we're debating here is "Should Obama do the politically smart thing?" or "Should our debate system be reformed?"  I happen to think the answer to both is "yes", but concede that they may be mutex.

[Arc]

mutex.

iz dat sum pokemon?
MUTEX, I CHOOSE YOU.

[Zaratustra]

mutex = MUTually EXclusive

Meanwhile, McCain completes his metamorphosis into fully blown Republican cronie.

[Kazz]

My dad has decided, after months and months of saying he's an enthusiastic Obama supporter, to vote for McCain.

[Cannon]

Kazz, I quite like your dad... But I'm disappointed. I hope he's really the exception and not the rule.

[Kazz]

He watches so much Fox News that it was really just a matter of time.  Still, he's notoriously indecisive, there's plenty of time between now and November, and the rest of my family is likely to bug him about it.

[Brentai]

McCain makes a fucking mockery of intellectual property rights.

I was really amused by irony of this but then I made the mistake of actually watching the ad.  Had the hypocrisy been cut off at the Napster debate, it would have just been deliciously proper.  But no, every word out of the withering old bastard's mouth is like violent shove onto the Straight-Fucking-Backwards Talk Express.  I am really terrified by the man's ability to make an amusingly stupid moment into an infinitely enraging stupid moment.

[sei]

Lennertz told GamePolitics that there was just a mix-up over rights, and nothing illegal took place.
...

While I do not control the ownership of this piece, I am extremely disappointed its placement in this commercial. I did not authorize the use and was not made aware of the situation."

 

[A²]

McCain finds humor in beating his wife
 

[Burrito Al Pastor]

Eh. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt on that. I mean, I like dead baby jokes, so...

[A²]

Making a wifebeating joke is not something someone running for office should do. ESPECIALLY when he knows the camera/recorder is running.

[Doom]

Jesus Christ, Lyrai. McCain isn't at fault for having a sense of humor in an interview.

....

He's at fault because making a wife-beating joke after abandoning your former model wife for a younger model is about as tactless as you can get.

[Mongrel]

Uh, actually guys I'm no McCain fan, but I at least know he is not in fact making a wife-beating joke of any kind. He's calling out the interviewer by referring to the classic trap question "And when did you stop beating your wife?"