PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN 2008 WATCH:
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| CONVENTION ROUNDUP | Republican Convention RoundupDemocratic Convention Roundup |
| THE WEEK THAT WAS.... | The week that was....- September 7, 2008:
Obama, McCain suggest changes in Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac ... Republican vice presidential hopeful's church
promotes prayer to make gays straight ... Presidential candidates plan joint appearance at Ground Zero to mark
Sept. 11 attacks ... -
AP, 9-7-08
- September 6, 2008: Pennsylvania Republicans want Libertarian Party candidate Bob Barr off presidential
ballot ... Lawmakers putting Troopergate investigation on fast track, issuing subpoenas ... Obama,
still raising money, gets help from rocker Bon Jovi ... -
AP, 9-6-08
- September 5, 2008:
Obama says McCain and GOP are out of touch with middle-class struggles ... McCain and Palin present themselves
as eager reformers ... Poll finds only 4 in 10 say Palin has enough experience to be president; number is higher
for Biden ... Subpoenas to be issued for Troopergate probe of Palin in Alaska ... -
AP, 9-5-08
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| THE STATS | The Stats- September 7, 2008: McCain leads Obama 48 percent to 45 percent among registered voters, by Gallup's measure.
McCain has so far earned the same convention bounce as Obama, though at a more rapid pace. -
Politico, 9-7-08
- McCain Camp to Leave Convention With $200 Million, Aide Says -
AP, 9-6-08
- John McCain speech draws record TV ratings:"Nielsen Media Research said a record 38.9 million TV viewers watched McCain accept the Republican nomination on
Thursday, slightly more than the 38.3 million people who tuned in for Obama's speech last week.
McCain's tally was believed to be the biggest commercial TV audience every for a single night of
a U.S. political convention, Nielsen said."
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Reuters, 9-5-08
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| IN THE NEWS.... | In the News...- Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin has agreed to sit down with ABC's Charles Gibson
later this week for her first television interview since John McCain chose her as his running mate more than
a week ago. -
AP, 9-7-08
- Barack Obama isn't John McCain's only opponent. Sometimes McCain sounds like he's running almost as hard
against President Bush and the Republican Party as he is against Obama, his Democratic rival for the White House. -
AP, 9-7-08
- McCain-Palin becoming Palin-McCain? -
AP, 9-6-08
- Candidates Launch 60-Day Dash to White House -
9-5-08
- John McCain, Republican top gun at last
The"imperfect" war hero steered clear of George W. Bush as he took aim at Barack Obama and tried to marshal
his tarnished party. -
Salon.com, 9-5-08
- Palin is catapulted into starring role -
Financial Times, 9-5-08
- McCain counts on character to clinch it -
Financial Times, 9-4-08
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| HISTORIANS' COMMENTS | Historians' Comments- Susan Livingston on"Palin, family life: Is it really an 'issue'?":"I think her daughter's pregnancy would have been an issue if Palin were running as a pro-life candidate
and she had secretly sought an abortion for her daughter," she said."But I don't think it's an issue at all."
She also thinks some of the other topics that have arisen are irrelevant to the campaign, such as talk
about Palin's priorities as the mother of a special needs child."I think that is between Palin and her husband, and they will decide about childcare," she said.
Questioning Palin's experience isn't sexist, Livingston said. That subject is fair game, but"some of the
questions about her success as a mother are a little questionable," she said. -
Clarion Ledger, 9-5-08
- Gil Troy"Republicans pull it off
Against all odds, the GOP held one of its best conventions in decades":
McCain's speech offered an important balance to his running mate's rhetoric. Underneath all Palin's charm
was an ugly, divisive call for Republicans to revive the Culture Wars of the last few decades. Her us-vs.-
them message, though gift-wrapped beautifully, might help Republicans win in 2008 but is not what the United
States needs. Politically, it helped compensate for George W. Bush's historic lows in the polls, and the
perception that Republicans have no fresh solutions to the problems that have appeared on their watch. But
it was the equivalent of the lawyer with a guilty client pounding the table passionately to compensate for
the weakness of his case.
McCain's speech reinforced the message that Republicans are patriots who serve, especially in the military, and
Democrats are doubters who dodge. But McCain also elegantly saluted Barack Obama and the Democrats as"fellow
Americans," saying:"that's an association that means more to me than any other." McCain also called for an end
to the"partisan rancour" that characterizes so much of contemporary politics. He used his running mate to
emphasize his maverick status as a Washington outsider - and as someone not responsible for the Bush
administration's failures.
The election remains too close to call and will inevitably be fought passionately, and at times, viciously.
But perhaps, just this once, Americans can be proud that they have such talented people vying to be their
leaders. Perhaps, just this once, they can follow John McCain's cue, and appreciate the common ideals that
unite these leaders and their fellow citizens, even amid the hurly-burly and hoopla of a presidential campaign.
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Montreal Gazette, 9-6-08 - Richard Norton Smith, Michael Beschloss, Peniel Joseph on"Historians Examine McCain's Message
of 'Change'":
panel of historians discuss the strengths and weaknesses of John McCain's
acceptance speech and the GOP message of" change" in Washington. -
PBS Newshour, 9-4-08
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- RICHARD NORTON SMITH, George Mason University:
I think so. You know, it's interesting. Clearly, the Democrats have no monopoly on hope and change,
because the biggest change that occurred this week is this party has hope.
This is a party that came in to St. Paul, if not defeatist, then, quite frankly, highly skeptical of its own
chances. This was a party that came here not terribly unified, not altogether thrilled about its nominee.
All of that, I think, has been transformed in the course of the last three days. You could feel it last
night during Governor Palin's speech. You can feel it tonight.
It's interesting the pivot away from George Bush. Senator McCain spent more time tonight apologizing
for the last eight years than he did boasting about the last eight years.
And, finally, we've talked several times about whether this was too biographical, whether there was
a lack of specifics, particularly on economic issues....
My sense is the Republicans are very good at stagecraft. And I think the biography that we've heard all week
long melded very nicely into the substance, if you will, of the speech. Sen. Obama is in for the fight of his life. -
PBS Newshour, 9-4-08 - PENIEL JOSEPH, Brandeis University:
Absolutely. Three big things stand out to me about this week, Jim, first, God, guns, and country.
Those are the resounding themes of this convention linked to biography and really linked to the
pick of Sarah Palin.
Second, Palin has successfully solidified McCain's conservative base. And she really gave a speech
last night that echoed Pat Buchanan's 1992 culture wars speech, but she did it more elegantly.
Finally, diversity, or lack thereof. This convention's delegates are 93 percent white, 5 percent
Hispanic, 2 percent black. This party has seemingly ceded the minority vote to Barack Obama and the
Democrats, which may have real clear electoral implications.
In 2004, George Bush got 14 percent of the black vote in Ohio and 56 percent of the Hispanic vote
in Florida, two key swing states that got him re-elected. -
PBS Newshour, 9-4-08
- MICHAEL BESCHLOSS, Presidential Historian:
Yes, it sure is. You know, it was a great speech, Jim, easily the greatest speech that John McCain ever
gave. And you can see the difference between Tuesday night and tonight.
This is a party with enormous intensity, especially after a very powerful speech by Sarah Palin last night.
And the interesting thing is, about 10 days ago, John McCain by all accounts was intending to choose Joe
Lieberman and go in a very different direction, which would have been to -- you know, cause there to be a
bridge to Democrats, try to go for independents, knowing that the group in this room probably would not have
been as enthusiastic as they are tonight with the choice of Sarah Palin.
The interesting thing is going to be whether he can augment this kind of intensity in the hall, in
this party, in his base with the kind of independents in swing states he's going to need to win the election....
You know, when you look at these speeches, you know, the people who write them always looked at
acceptance speeches of the past. And this one had references to other acceptance speeches by earlier nominees,
but the ones that I found were all Democrats.
Harry Truman, 1948, both he and McCain referred to a do-nothing Congress. John Kennedy, McCain talked
tonight about getting this country moving again. And of all things, Al Gore in 2000,"I will fight for you."
I think one of the things that we would have expected perhaps least would be that John McCain would be
quoting Al Gore. -
PBS Newshour, 9-4-08
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| ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL... | On the Campaign Trail....- Obama and McCain spar over Social Security -
Reuters, 9-6-08
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Sarah Palin criticizes Biden, Obama
Sarah Palin:"Senator Biden can claim many chairmanships across many, many years in Washington. He certainly has many friends
in Washington's establishment. But most of his admirers, would not call him an agent of change. Senator McCain has
called us a ticket of mavericks."
Obama: I know the governor of Alaska has been saying she's change, and that's great. She's a skillful politician.
When you've been taking all these earmarks when it's convenient, and then suddenly you're the champion anti-
earmark person, that's not change. Come on! I mean, words mean something. You can't just make stuff up.
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John McCain and Sarah Palin speaking to more than 10,000 supporters in suburban Detroit:
John McCain: Again and again, I have worked with members of both parties to fix these problems. Senator Obama never
has. That is why this ticket is the ticket to shake up Washington because Senator Obama doesn’t have the strength
to do it. 'He has never bucked his party on any issue, never. If you want real reform, if you want real change,
send the ones who have actually done it...send a team of mavericks who aren't afraid to go to Washington and
break some china....
Sarah Palin: True reform really is tough to achieve, but in short order, we put the government of our
state back on the side of the people. I came to office promising major ethics reform to end the culture of
self-dealing, and today that ethics reform is the law and that's what we're going to bring to Washington.
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McCain RNC Speech Excerpts: 'Change is Coming'
"I'm very proud to have introduced our next vice president to the country. But I can't wait until I introduce
her to Washington. And let me offer an advance warning to the old, big-spending, do-nothing, me-first, country-
second Washington crowd: change is coming....
The constant partisan rancor that stops us from solving these problems isn't a cause, it's a symptom. It's
what happens when people go to Washington to work for themselves and not you. Again and again, I've worked
with members of both parties to fix problems that need to be fixed. That's how I will govern as president.
I will reach out my hand to anyone to help me get this country moving again. I have that record and the scars
to prove it. Senator Obama does not....
I fell in love with my country when I was a prisoner in someone else's. I loved it not just for the many
comforts of life here; I loved it for its decency, for its faith in the wisdom, justice and goodness of its people.
I loved it because it was not just a place, but an idea, a cause worth fighting for. I was never the same again.
I wasn't my own man anymore, I was my country's.
I'm not running for president because I think I'm blessed with such personal greatness that history has anointed
me to save our country in its hour of need. My country saved me. My country saved me, and I cannot forget it.
And I will fight for her for as long as I draw breath, so help me God.
I hate war. It's terrible beyond imagination.
I'm running for president to keep the country I love safe and prevent other families from risking their loved
ones in war as my family has. I will draw on all my experience with the world and its leaders, and all the
tools at our disposal--diplomatic, economic, military, and the power of our ideals--to build the foundations
for a stable and enduring peace.
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Palin RNC Speech Excerpts:
From the inside, no family ever seems typical. That's how it is with us. Our family has the same ups and downs
as any other....
This is America and every woman can walk through every door of opportunity....
The difference between a hockey mom and a pit bull? Lipstick....
Here's a little news flash for all those reporters and commentators: I'm not going to Washington
to seek their good opinion; I'm going to Washington to serve the people of this great country....
We don't quite know what to make of a candidate who lavishes praise on working people when they are
listening, and then talks about how bitterly they cling to their religion and guns when those people aren't
listening. We tend to prefer candidates who don't talk about us one way in
Scranton and another way in San Francisco....
I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a community organiser, except that you have actual
responsibilities....
I got rid of a few things in the governor's office that I don't think our citzens should have to pay for.
That luxury jet was over the top. I put it on E-bay....
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Bill O'Reilly's interview with Barack Obama on Fox News, Part 1
O'Reilly: I think you were desperately wrong on the surge, and I think you should admit it to the
nation that now we have defeated the terrorists in Iraq, and the Al Qaeda came there after we invaded,
as you know. We defeated them.
Obama: Right.
O'Reilly: If we didn't, they would have used it as a staging ground. We've also inhibited Iran from
controlling the southern part of Iraq by the surge, which you did not support. So why won't you say,"I was right in the beginning. I was wrong about that"?
Obama: If you listen to what I've said, and I'll repeat it right here on this show, I think that there's
no doubt that the violence is down. I believe that that is a testimony to the troops that were sent and Gen.
Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker. I think that the surge has succeeded in ways that nobody anticipated, by
the way, including President Bush and the other supporters. It has gone very well, partly because of the
Anbar situation and the Sunni awakening, partly because of the Shia military. Look--
O'Reilly: But if it were up to you, there wouldn't have been a surge.
Obama: Look--
O'Reilly: No, no, no, no.
Obama: No, no, no--
O'Reilly: If it were up to you, there wouldn't have been a surge.
Obama: No, no, no.
O'Reilly: You and Joe Biden, no surge.
Obama: Hold on a second, Bill. If you look at the debate that was taking place, we had gone through five years
of mismanagement of this war that I thought was disastrous. And the president wanted to double down and continue
on an open-ended policy that did not create the kinds of pressure on the Iraqis to take responsibility and
reconcile.
O'Reilly: But it worked. It worked. Come on.
Obama: Bill, what I've said is--I've already said it succeed beyond our wildest dreams.
O'Reilly: Why can't you say,"I was right in the beginning, and I was wrong about the surge"?
Obama: Because there's an underlying problem where what have we done. We have reduced the violence.
O'Reilly: Yes.
Obama: But the Iraqis still haven't taken responsibility, and we still don't have the kind of political
reconciliation. We are still spending, Bill, $10 to $12 billion a month.
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