McCain Train Picking Up Speed in FL, Oh, and Pa

From Ed Morrissey

As if the Barack Obama needed any more bad news, the St. Petersburg Times and Zogby both deliver cause for pessimism at Team O.   Florida polling shows that despite spending millions in advertising in the Sunshine State and a delay in advertising for McCain, Obama is in worse position that John Kerry at the same time in 2004.  Zogby has new polling that shows Obama now trails in Pennsylvania, a must-hold state for the Democrats.

Ruh-Roh!

“Change, As Long As You Pay For It!”

Ok, so that title is blatant thievery of this post by Paul Caron.  Evidently, Joe Biden is a stingy sucker.

Despite income ranging from $210,432 – $321,379 over the ten-year period, the Bidens have given only $120 – $995 per year to charity, which amounts to 0.06% – 0.31% of their income.

It is jarring that a couple earning over $200,000 per year would give as little as $2 per week to charity.  This giving compares very unfavorably to John McCain, whose tax returns show that he gave 27.3% – 28.6% of his income to charity in 2006-2007.  During the same period, the Obamas’ tax returns show that they gave 5.8% – 6.1% of their income to charity.

Perhaps the Obama-Biden campaign needs a new slogan:  “Change You Can Believe In (As Long As Someone Else Pays For It)”

“Yeah, that’s it.  We’ll sit around and eat arugula, and let those poor saps foot the bill.”  Works every time. Via Althose

Intrade Picking McCain

For the first time, the pay-to-play markets are suggesting John McCain will come away the winner in November.  The bid/ask spread is now 52.9/53.0 McCain, versus 46.1/47.9 for Obama.  For comparison’s sake, in mid-July Barry led 64.8 to only 31.1 McCain. 

This on the heels of news from Gallup that Congressional races are now tightening, with only a slim favoring of the Democrats.  I’ve said it before, but Dems are the MASTERS of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.  Not that I’m complaining.

Obama and “Lipstick on a Pig”

Hmmm, was he talking about Palin?  Odds on, I bet he was.  For a man who has built his image and his campaign on oratorical skills, this is an odd mistake.  He’s intelligent and, usually, his gaffes are more freudian slip than sexist slap.  This will not turn out good for him…

Good Advice

Glenn Reynolds says, “Don’t get cocky”.  Great advice, especially considering Obama people are already starting to raise the “cult of the messiah” bit they were wacked over the head with (rightly so).  Rush Limbaugh’s guest host dealt with at least one guy YESTERDAY who wanted to paint Sarah as our Republican savior.  Yeah, she’s hot, she speaks well, and she’s relatively bona fide. 

But, let’s face it, her experience is lacking for the national stage.  That doesn’t mean she won’t make an excellent VP, but…I think we need to stop pushing the experience thing so hard, even IF she does have as much experience as Barry.

McCain Moves Ahead

The Gallup numbers are out and McCain/Palin leads 48% to 45%.  This is the daily tracking poll with 2,765 registered voters and a sampling error of plus/minus 2 percentage points. 

I give most of it to Palin.  The convention itself was lackluster save Wednesday night, Palin’s unveiling.  She came through in the clutch; now, let’s see how she performs over the next 58 days.  Also, the pathetic media performance and smear factories that popped up this past week probably helped to give them a “pity bounce”.  We’ll see if it holds.

Malkin’s Thoughts on Well Deserved Mockery

Who knew community organizers could be such party hacks?  Wasn’t the Godfather a “community organizer”?  And yes, other party hacks have repeatedly mentioned that Jesus, too, was a community organizer.  Anyway, Malkin explains why Obama’s particular organization, ACORN, is deserving of derision.  Rabble-rouser indeed.

Palin Off the Cuff

Founding Bloggers has word that Palin’s teleprompter was on the fritz last night, scrolling even during applause.  Palin shrugged it off, and delivered the speech she needed to.  I thought she was just a little wooden at times, and absolutely brilliant others.  Like her rhythm was broken.  I guess I know why now.

Oh, here’s Barry when his teleprompter breaks.  He might need to get that fixed before the debates.  

Obama Camp Behind Palin Smear Site?

Gateway Pundit is all over this from Charles Johnson.  Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain…

Update: LGF says it’s not anybody connected officially to Obama, just some cat smearing away.

Obama and the Leviathan

Reason mag on Barack and Big Gov.

Anyone partial to free markets, restrained government, fiscal discipline and light taxation approaches a Democratic nominee’s economic platform with trepidation, expecting one fright after another. Obama does not disappoint.

Should we fear teh Barry?  I dunno, but you’d better watch what you say…

Barry Says “Hush, Child!”

As it turns out, American Issues Project won’t be bullied.  They’re the (527, I believe) that produced and is passing around the Bill Ayers ad that the Messiah wants pulled.  I won’t reproduce the whole thing here, but Michell Malkin has all of it, here.  Obama is adamant about having this thing pulled, and is just drawing MORE media attention to the story, which is going to make it very hard to spin it in any effective manner.  Here’s the ad

Barry Determined to Gaffe his way to the Finish

Barack Obama has made his worst strategic move of his campaign so far in trying to have an ad questioning his association with Bill Ayers pulled. 

1. Why would you take something that barely rumbled through the net, and put your stamp on it?  His attempts to squash the ad GIVE them legitimacy.
2. Attack machines far and wide are thrilled by his aggressive stance on these ads.  In trying to be the anti-Kerry, there is the potential that he gets dragged from his Messiah perch, down to the level of mere mortal.
3. He should have been more forthright from the beginning with Wright, Ayers, and Rezko.  He never should have played these as if they were only simple associations or acquaintances.  An approach that would have saved him in the long run would have been to admit that these cats were all insane, and to clearly delineate himself from said insanity. 

Instead, we’ve got tickets to the best show in the house.  Michelle Malkin and our own Thunder Pig have more.

Rezko and the ties that Biden

Rezko is the political gift that keeps on giving.  Even Clueless Joe Biden is caught up in the storm.  From the Chicago Sun-Times

Biden has described himself as a 30-year friend of a key figure in the Rezko trial who’s pleaded guilty to a federal extortion charge in Chicago and is awaiting sentencing.

Although, pols can never really be sure of how their donor’s cash was earned, or extorted.  Obama should be probed deeply on his relationship with Rezko, because it was a long-term deal.  This Cari and Biden connection seems rather tenuous in comparison.

Start Em’ When They’re Young

Heh.  “True Celebrity: My 2 3/4 year-old daughter came up to me yesterday as I was sitting reading a book and said, “Daddy, I want to see Barack Obama.” I replied, “Natalie, who is Barack Obama?” To which she replied, firmly and insistently, “I don’t know!”

The Roundup-August 25, 2008

• Are the Dems wacking the stock market?  I doubt it, but election year politics suck.  Hard.
• Uh-oh.  Biden’s son trapped in the clutches of the lobbying industry!  I know this is the change I was waiting for…
• Why the hell is Giuliani the keynote speaker for the Republican convention?  Good question
• Yeah, it’s probably starting to look like a bad idea to mention houses…Via Instapundit 

How Can You Screw Up the Veep Announcement?

Like this.  Heh.  “I’m not sure a political campaign could possibly screw up a running-mate announcement as badly as Team Obama.  The e-mail message that the world awaited for days finally came — at 4:50 am ET.  As widely known late the evening before, Barack Obama picked Joe Biden to be his VP nominee, but apparently he didn’t want too many people to know it.”

Biden Disrespects Gun Owner

Ooh.  This one speaks for itself.  Hotair via Glenn

Please, Please, Don’t Call it Socialism

In light of Ed Cone’s response to my allegation that Barack would suffer from pushing “failed Socialist policies (with groovy sounding names no less)”, in which he thanked me for reminding him that he needed “to write a column about the tortured usages of “socialism” in contemporary political conversation”, I would be remiss if I didn’t point out this gem by IBD. 

The article, entitled “Just Don’t Call it Socialism”, takes a look at what Americans say they want, compared to their attitudes toward what Barack is promising. 

In the survey of 856 adults taken Aug. 4-9, Obama supporters overwhelmingly backed an economic system that “emphasizes private property and free markets” — in other words, the capitalist model we have now. The breakdown was 59% in favor of such a system vs. only 11% against.

As expected, the majority of respondents supported the capitalist model.  When quizzed about a more socialist model…

… Obama backers by 59% to 15% turned thumbs-down on a socialist system that “emphasizes government control or ownership of industries and the economy.”

Yet, when also asked if they personally believe “the government should control or own key industries such as health care and energy,” 40% of Obama supporters said yes and 31% said no.

What gives? 

On another tenet of socialism — that government should redistribute wealth and income — Obama supporters disagreed by a margin of 52% to 28%, similar to the 50% to 29% split for Democrats. Respondents overall disagreed 62%-22%, while Republicans and McCain supporters replied no by spreads of 80%-14% and 79%-14%.

Yet when also asked if they were “willing to pay higher taxes to support more social programs,” Obama supporters answered yes by a margin of 42% to 31%.

Obviously, there’s a disconnect somewhere.  Americans are either disingenuous with their responses towards capitalism and socialism, or they don’t fully understand what Obama is proposing.  I don’t think Americans lie on a large scale, so I have to think it’s the latter.  Perhaps those with a wide audience and heavy journalistic talents, like Mr. Cone, should help explain these policies to America’s public in great detail.  This would lend support to the idea that socialism isn’t a “tortured” piece of our political conversation, but more akin to the forgotten red-headed stepchild.

The Roundup-August 22, 2008

• Evidently, fire does melt steel.  Trust me, that’s not going to stop the “truffers”, though.  Hit google blogs and look at the purported experts that are “debunking” this latest NIST report. 
• Kathryn Jean Lopez says Barry has a higher standard for VP than the real deal.  “Presidential candidate Barack Obama says his pick for a running mate — he’s made a decision but isn’t giving out a name just yet — had to meet three standards to join the Democratic ticket: Prepared to be president, able to help him govern and willing to challenge his thinking.”  Obviously, a wonderful fan has the kindness to correct her, in a wonderful, concise email.  “You stupid bitch!  Obama considers himself ready for president.”  That he does, that he does…
• Althouse “goes there“, and dives deep, I might add, on yesterday’s Smearfest ’08 opening shots.  No, forget digging for solutions to our indebtedness, market solutions to our health care problems, Iraq, A-stan, or drilling and alternative energy.  Instead, we’ve boiled down to “I know you’re rich, but what am I!”  Uh, you’re rich Senator.  Both of you.”
• I.O.U.S.A is here.  When people begin to realize the immensity of our debt, and how it will eventually relate to them, we’ll see less Obama and McCain type candidates, and more fiscally conservative ones.  Here’s to hoping…

Newest Obama Celebrity Ad

McCain is beating us over the head with this now.  But I don’t mind.  I just wish he’d focus more on Obama’s past rather than the Britney, Paris schtick.  It’ll do though.  I notice there aren’t anymore fainters…