Flag City Politico

Swing Vote

As we bid July a fond farewell...

Gallup Daily Tracking Poll
Obama - 45%
McCain - 44%
Obama -1%, McCain +2% since last poll

Jumping Off Bandwagons
Writing in the New York Times, former communications director for McCain 2000 Dan Schnur offers his take on the worst VP picks for McCain and Obama. >>
Real Clear Politics

The big, bellwether battlefield
Over the coming weeks we will look at the states that could decide this year’s election. We start with Ohio, decisive in 2004 >>
The Economist

Choose your candidate — and drink, too
Maybe Shakespeare had it wrong. Sometimes it is all in a name. >>
Politico

Obama-Clinton Group VoteBoth Shuts Down
An effort to urge Barack Obama to pick former rival Hillary Rodham Clinton as his running mate is shutting down under the assumption she is not a contender for the No. 2 spot. >>
HuffingtonPost

Poll: Country's mood rivals historic low
A new poll out Thursday indicates that less than quarter of Americans think things are going well in the country. >>
CNN

Red and Blue conventions spar for the green title
Given wind power, solar power, a fleet of flex-fuel vehicles and perhaps even delegates on bicycles, national Republican Party officials are vowing that their convention in St. Paul, Minn., will be the party’s most environmentally friendly convention ever. >>
Boston Herald

Swing Vote in theaters August 1

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25 days until the Democratic National Convention.

32 days until the Republican National Convention.

57 days until the first Presidential debate in Oxford, MS.

63 days until the Vice-Presidential debate in st. Louis, MO.

68 days until the second Presidential debate in Nashville, TN.

76 days until the final Presidential debate in Hempstead, NY.

96 days until Election Day.

-RSKnopfJr

Obama already wins one vote

Gallup Daily Tracking Poll
Obama - 46%
McCain - 42%
Obama -1%, McCain +1% since last poll

McCain Goes Negative, Worrying Some in G.O.P.
In recent days Senator John McCain has charged that Senator Barack Obama “would rather lose a war in order to win a political campaign,” tarred him as “Dr. No” on energy policy and run advertisements calling him responsible for high gas prices. >>
The New York Times

Celebrity - McCain

Party Crasher
The last time a two-term president spoke at his party's nominating convention, he sparked a grand celebration. >>
Slate

McCain extends olive branch to Pelosi, Gore
Republican Sen. John McCain, engaged in increasingly sharp attacks on rival Barack Obama, pledged that if elected president, he would work closely with Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, praising her as an effective leader and an "inspiration to millions of Americans." >>
San Francisco Chronicle

Romney could lift McCain in West
As Republican presidential candidate John McCain weighs his running-mate options, political experts say Mitt Romney would energize fundraising and generate the most enthusiasm in the Rocky Mountain West. >>
Politico

Kaine: Obama's List 'Seems to Be Getting Shorter'
ABC News' Teddy Davis, Tahman Bradley, and Ayana Harry Report: Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine (D) said Tuesday that Sen. Barack Obama's, D-Ill., list of possible vice presidential running mates "seems to be getting shorter". >>
ABC News

Cartoon Character
Do you remember when conservatives used to speak warmly, and sometimes rapturously, about Barack Obama? That was back when they were certain that the Clinton voodoo magic would make Hillary the nominee, and Obama her sympathetic roadkill. >>
The New Republic

Low Road - Obama

Richardson to help retire HRC's debt
After Bill Richardson endorsed Obama over Hillary Clinton during the Democratic primary season, many in Clinton Land were upset with the New Mexico governor -- given that Bill Clinton made Richardson his Energy secretary and UN ambassador. >>
MSNBC

Michelle Obama, not Cindy McCain, wins best dressed vote
Score one for Michelle Obama. The First Lady fashion fight continues as the Democrat White House wanna-be got the vote from Vanity Fair, which put her on its global best-dressed list for the second year in a row.  >>
Daily News

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26 days until the Democratic National Convention.

33 days until the Republican National Convention.

58 days until the first Presidential debate in Oxford, MS.

64 days until the Vice-Presidential debate in st. Louis, MO.

69 days until the second Presidential debate in Nashville, TN.

77 days until the final Presidential debate in Hempstead, NY.

97 days until Election Day.

-RSKnopfJr

Electoral College Projection - 14 weeks until Election Day

Gallup Daily Tracking Poll
Obama - 47%
McCain - 41%
Obama -1%, McCain +1% since last poll

Obama Takes Cues From Bill Clinton In Handling McCain's Age
They have been the preferred adjectives for the Obama campaign when going after its opponent. Following a John McCain misstatement, policy shift, or harsh attack, the Senator is usually labeled "confused," "angry," or a hybrid of the two. >>
HuffingtonPost

Obama notes ‘tragic’ US past
en. Barack Obama, speaking to a gathering of minority journalists yesterday, stopped short of endorsing an official U.S. apology to American Indians but said the country should acknowledge its history of poor treatment of certain ethnic groups. >>
Honolulu Star Bulletin

House formally apologizes for slavery and Jim Crow
The House on Tuesday issued an unprecedented apology to black Americans for the wrongs committed against them and their ancestors who suffered under slavery and Jim Crow segregation laws. >>
My Way News

Dems launch Latino outreach effort
The Democratic National Committee announced today that it will team up with the Obama campaign for an unprecedented $20 million effort to organize and mobilize Latino voters. >>
MSNBC

Oil prices drop, easing fears of energy shock
The sharp drop in energy prices since the beginning of the month is turning into a rare bright spot in a bleak economic landscape. >>
International Herald Tribune

AFL-CIO launches campaign to dispel Obama rumors
The nation's largest labor conglomerate says it's set to launch a major effort Tuesday to dispel ongoing rumors surrounding Barack Obama that continue to percolate more than 18 months after the Illinois senator launched his White House bid. >>
CNN

Many GOP Senate seats at risk
For the first time in months, Senate Republicans have reason to feel better about their prospects in November. In a few states, they have put Democrats on the defensive over their opposition to additional domestic drilling at a time when gas prices have surpassed $4 per gallon. >>
Politico

China preparing Olympic spy attack
Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.) on Tuesday alleged that China is preparing a spy attack on visitors of the Olympic Games, which will begin in less than two weeks. >>
The Hill

RealClearPolitics Electoral College
270 Electoral Votes Needed to Win
Obama - 322
McCain - 216
no change since last projection

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27 days until the Democratic National Convention.

34 days until the Republican National Convention.

59 days until the first Presidential debate in Oxford, MS.

65 days until the Vice-Presidential debate in st. Louis, MO.

70 days until the second Presidential debate in Nashville, TN.

78 days until the final Presidential debate in Hempstead, NY.

98 days until Election Day.

-RSKnopfJr

102...101...100...99...

Gallup Daily Tracking Poll
Obama - 48%
McCain - 40%
Obama +1%, McCain -1% since last poll

Why is Obama not improving in the polls?
It is a question that has hovered over Senator Barack Obama even as he has passed milestone after milestone in his race for the White House: Why is he not doing better? >>
Interntional Herald Tribune

Kaine 'very, very high' on VP shortlist
As Senator Barack Obama turns to the choice of his running mate, Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine has emerged as one of the campaign’s potential finalists, sources familiar with conversations in Richmond and in Chicago said. >>
Politico

Obama Campaign Seriously Vetting Kaine
Virginia governor Tim Kaine has told close associates that he has had "very serious" conversations with Sen. Barack Obama about joining the Democratic ticket and has provided documents to the campaign as it combs through his background, according to several sources close to Kaine. >>
Washington Post

Obama heads to VP vetter’s office building
Virginia governor Tim Kaine has told close associates that he has had "very serious" conversations with Sen. Barack Obama about joining the Democratic ticket and has provided documents to the campaign as it combs through his background, according to several sources close to Kaine. >>
CNN

Obama close to pick?
Obama traveled Monday afternoon to the Washington office of Eric Holder, his vice presidential search committee chair. Campaign manager David Plouffe also joined him Monday on the road, a rare occurrence. >>
MSNBC

100 days to go: The presidential race's red-letter days
The longest presidential election season in American history is about to enter its final stretch. Count 'em: 100 days to go. >>
USAtoday

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28 days until the Democratic National Convention.

35 days until the Republcan National Convention.

60 days until the first Presidential debate in Oxford, MS.

66 days until the Vice-Presidential debate in st. Louis, MO.

71 days until the second Presidential debate in Nashville, TN.

79 days until the final Presidential debate in Hempstead, NY.

99 days until Election Day.

The clock is running.

-RSKnopfJr

Who should John McCain select as the Republican VP nominee?

conducted July 22-27, 2008

-RSKnopfJr

Time Out for Humor

"I'll tell you how hot it was today in the Northeast. It is so hot today that Vice President Dick Cheney replaced his pacemaker with an icemaker. Honest to God. So hot today in New York that former governor Eliot Spitzer was dating a girl named Margarita."
David Letterman

The Word - Stephen Colbert

"He has undertaken his first fact-finding mission to the Middle East as the presumptive Democratic nominee. And thus begins the Daily Show's week-long coverage of: 'Obama Quest: The Legend Begins.' ... Obviously, it's is not uncommon for sitting senators to make this kind of visit, but Obama's trip is getting more attention than usual. Tagging along were not one, not two, but all three major network news anchors. And as I understand it, on every night of the trip, Barack Obama will give a rose to the anchors he wants to stay. Whoever doesn't get a rose has to go home."
Jon Stewart

"Now, you know, I don't want to say McCain is running a lackluster campaign, but his Secret Service code name is 'Bob Dole.' That's not good."
Jay Leno

"It was kind of surprising; they really love Obama in Germany. He's like a rock star over there. It's impressive until you realize that David Hasselhoff is also like a rock star over there."
Jimmy Kimmel

Classic Video - Saturday Night Live

"Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi is calling the Bush presidency a total failure. Total failure. I don't know, I think he's done okay. I think he's done okay if you don't count Iraq, the economy, the environment, Afghanistan, the mortgage crisis. I think he's done all right..."
David Letterman

-RSKnopfJr

A liberal bias in the media? I just don't believe it.

While sitting here wondering if I would get 'the benefit of the doubt' if I owed the city more that a dollar and wasn't a rich developer...

Gallup Daily Tracking Poll
Obama - 47%
McCain - 41%
Obama +1%, McCain -1% since last poll

Bonjour, Barack
While Sen. Barack Obama was busy winning the image battle during his foreign trip (and Sen. John McCain was barely in the same game) three things happened (and one thing just might be about to): >>
ABC News

He ventured forth to bring light to the world
And it came to pass, in the eighth year of the reign of the evil Bush the Younger (The Ignorant), when the whole land from the Arabian desert to the shores of the Great Lakes had been laid barren, that a Child appeared in the wilderness. >>
(London) Times

Israeli paper publishes Obama Western Wall prayer
A written prayer that Barack Obama left this week in the cracks of the Western Wall, Judaism's holiest site, asks God to guide him and guard his family, an Israeli newspaper reported Friday. >>
CNN

Sheldon Adelson: GOP's Answer To George Soros?
Sheldon Adelson, the 74-year-old casino billionaire who has become the third richest man in America and who has strong ties to the hard-line Likud Party in Israel, has emerged this year a major benefactor of the American right. >>
HuffingtonPost

The Window to Announce V.P.

The next article contains a nomination for quote of the year...

Pelosi: Dems saved Bush's 'chestnuts'
After driving a hard bargain, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is now taking credit for pulling President Bush’s “chestnuts out of the fire” in winning House approval of a landmark home mortgage bill expected to clear Congress this weekend. >>
Politico

Ohio offers paper ballots for touch-screen voters
Ohio voters concerned about touch-screen electronic voting must have the option of using a backup paper ballot during the November election, as they did for March's presidential primary, the state's top election official said Friday. >>
Toledo Blade

Putting Money Where Mouths Are: Media Donations Favor Dems 100-1
The New York Times' refusal to publish John McCain's rebuttal to Barack Obama's Iraq op-ed may be the most glaring example of liberal media bias this journalist has ever seen. >>
Investor's Business Daily

It's funny how it seems some people just start to see things like this, and others just know that things like this happen yet they are bright enough to not let it influence them too much. Maybe the Washington Post should do a story about this.

-RSKnopfJr

Does the 2008 election remind you of 1996?

While pondering the future of RiverPlace...

Gallup Daily Tracking Poll
Obama - 46%
McCain - 42%
Obama +1% since last poll

For VP, Economy Matters
As both campaigns zero in on their running mate selections, the new NBC/Wall Street Journal poll finds that a sizeable number of voters would like to see both nominees shore up their ticket with someone with economic credentials. >>
MSNBC

Jindal: I will not be VP
One day after it was revealed the presumptive Republican presidential candidate was slated to hold a closed-door meeting with the 37-year old governor, Jindal told Fox News there is no way he will fill the bottom half of the GOP presidential ticket. >>
CNN

All Hail ‘McBama’
John McCain needs to wake up and smell the Arabic coffee. I know this is not an easy time for him. When you have been beaten up for four years because of your support for the Iraq war, and then you get something big right — your support for the surge — you want to be able to savor that for a while. >>
The New York Times

Comparing 1996 and 2008
If you want to start worrying about the presidential election this year, you can look at the comparison between 1996 and 2008. >>
The New Republic

-RSKnopfJr

Electoral College Projection - 15 weeks until Election Day

Gallup Daily Tracking Poll
Obama - 45%
McCain - 42%
Obama -2%, McCain +1% since last poll

McCain gaffes pile up; critics pile on
en. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said “Iraq” on Monday when he apparently meant “Afghanistan”, adding to a string of mixed-up word choices that is giving ammunition to the opposition. >>
Politico

Was Novak used?
McCain told reporters today: “When we are ready to announce, we will announce.” Bob Novak, appearing on FNC, says he got the tip from a very senior McCain aide, but acknowledges he may have been used. >>
MSNBC

Luck and Load
Was Sen. John McCain right about the surge yet not getting credit for it? Was Sen. Barack Obama wrong about it and getting credit for it anyway? Does anyone in the history of presidential politics have Obama-like luck? >>
ABC News

McCain Camp "Frustrated" With Obama's Trip
Is John McCain frustrated, or maybe a little of jealous, of Obama's headline grabbing trip? >>
Huffington Post

RealClearPolitics Electoral College
270 Electoral Votes Needed to Win
Obama - 322
McCain - 216
Obama +18 since last projection

-RSKnopfJr

Who is your choice for President of the United States?

conducted June 3 - July 21, 2008

-RSKnopfJr