Obama a Terrorist! McCain a Crook!
We've reached the seemingly inevitable part of the campaign where the trailing candidates start hurling charges out of desperation and the leader responds in kind. In the closing days of 1992, President George H.W. Bush, ordinarily among the most decent, genteel fellows you'd ever meet, was running around calling Bill Clinton and Al Gore "bozos." He simply couldn't ...Posted in Outside The Beltway | OTB on October 6, 2008 08:05
Obama Waffles - Racist or Fair Satire?
Attendees at a Family Research Council convention were buying up "Obama Waffles" like hotcakes before organizers decided they contained images that could be deemed racist and suspended sales. Activists at a conservative political forum snapped up boxes of waffle mix depicting Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama as a racial stereotype on its front and wearing Arab-like headdress on its top flap. Values ...Posted in Outside The Beltway | OTB on September 14, 2008 08:12
Obama: Sex Before Reading?
A new John McCain ad belittles Barack Obama's legislative achievements on education reform and includes this gem: Obama's one accomplishment? Legislation to teach "comprehensive sex education" to kindergartners. Learning about sex before learning to read? TPM's Greg Sargent finds the charge "false" and "pernicious." He cites this passage from the bill, as circulated by McCain's staff: "Each class or course in comprehensive sex ...Posted in Outside The Beltway | OTB on September 10, 2008 09:21
Sarah Palin - John McCain’s VP Choice
BREAKING: Alaska Governor Sarah Palin has been tabbed as John McCain's vice presidential running mate, CNBC reports. ________________________ Earlier this morning, all signs were pointing to Tim Pawlenty as John McCain's running mate. He even had issued the requisite "I'm not the guy" statement. His name has been on the short list all along and, while he's not an exciting choice, ...Posted in Outside The Beltway | OTB on August 29, 2008 08:56
Can Hillary Convince Supporters to Back Obama?
Hillary Clinton's speech is the big draw tonight at the Democratic Convention. She's going to have to convince a lot of people -- perhaps starting with herself -- to put aside their grudges and voter for Barack Obama to be the next president. Matt Yglesias echoes my longstanding view that this will happen organically and notes a recent parallel: As you may ...Posted in Outside The Beltway | OTB on August 26, 2008 17:59
Why Not Hillary?
The GOP has come up with a clever yet bizarre line of attack on Barack Obama: How dare he pass over Hillary Clinton for Joe Biden as his running mate? As WSJ's Amy Chozick reported last night, Team McCain debuted a new spot, "Passed Over," at 3 a.m.: The timing is a reference to Hillary Clinton’s national security ad during the ...Posted in Outside The Beltway | OTB on August 24, 2008 08:32
VP Speculation Heats Up
All indications are that Barack Obama has made his choice for running mate and will announce it today. Through some combination of clever public manipulation to throw people off the scent and wishful thinking on the part of those with a stake in the outcome, the guesses as to who it'll be are all over the map. Obama's stated criteria: "I want ...Posted in Outside The Beltway | OTB on August 22, 2008 08:11
Eric Cantor for VP?
Eric Cantor, a fourth-term Congressman from Richmond, Virginia, is being strongly considered as John McCain's running mate, Mike Allen and Jonathan Martin report for Politico. Cantor, 45, has provided records to the running-mate search team of Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), the adviser said. With a Southern lilt and that belies his talent for raw politics, Cantor is one of the nation’s most ...Posted in Outside The Beltway | OTB on August 3, 2008 07:58
Apples, Oranges, and Vice Presidents
Nate Silver compares Mitt Romney's 2008 primary fundraising with that of George W. Bush in 2004 and concludes that Romney would be an asset, were he added to the Republican ticket as vice presidential nominee, in the Mormon Belt but a liability in the Deep South. The problem with this is at least twofold. First, people simply aren't as ...Posted in Outside The Beltway | OTB on July 28, 2008 06:23
McCain to Pick VP This Week: Romney or Jindal?
Bob Novak is reporting that John McCain is planning to announce his vice presidential choice this week, presumably in an attempt to grab the press spotlight back while Barack Obama is being feted overseas. He notes that "Mitt Romney has led the speculation recently." Meanwhile, Chris Cillizza says "McCain will huddle with vice presidential aspirant Bobby Jindal during a trip ...Posted in Outside The Beltway | OTB on July 22, 2008 06:45
