'Who is the real Sen. Obama?'

The McCain-Palin team launched its latest ad, "Folks", which continues the Republican's campaign theme of questioning Sen. Barack Obama's record.

"The ad highlights Barack Obama's defense of his extreme liberal voting record by accusing others of lying," according to JohnMcCain.com.

'That one' just might have taken the cake

Amid a worsening economic saga, Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama took the stage at their second presidential debate, a town-hall-style affair expected to favor the Republican nominee. But in the end, it was all about "that one." 

"The world has changed a great deal, and not for the better," moderator Tom Brokaw said at the opening of the debate, at Belmont University in Tennessee. "We still don't know where bottom is at this time." 

The candidates, responding to pre-selected questions from a politically-mixed, Gallup Poll-selected audience, hit on the economic crisis and the $700 billion bailout, healthcare reform and the war in Iraq. 

Neither came out as a star; perhaps it is as Politico's Roger Simon put it, "McCain loses by not winning." 

McCain, with such remarks as, "Not you, Tom," when asked about a replacement for U.S. Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson, or that now infamous, "You know who voted for it? That one," referring to an energy bill "loaded with goodies for oil companies," came off as more grumpy than anything else. 

An Obama supporter seized onto the one-liner, and immediately launched a website selling t-shirts with the phrase and a Facebook page. 

T-Shirt from thatone08.com

Independents responded well to Obama's performance at the debate, according to MSNBC, and the Democratic nominee continues to enjoy the lead he had prior to the debate in most polls.

The third and final debate will take place Wednesday, Oct. 15 at Hofstra University in New York. 

 

Watch the debate on YouTube. 

Offshore Drilling: Obama vs. McCain

With gas prices beginning to affect more and more aspects of American life, a recent research poll suggestsedthat 69% of the US population support some form of offshore drilling. But are the 2008 Presidential nominees’ potential solutions sounding increasingly similar?

While John McCain supported the offshore drilling of previously untapped oil reserves early on, Barack Obama advocated for research into alternative forms of energy such as biodiesel fuels. With gas prices beginning to affect food and consumer prices and showing no signs of slowing down, however, Obama has changed his stance and recently advocated for limited & “responsible” offshore drilling. The McCain campaign has correctly accused Obama of altering his position on the energy crisis, but Obama still contends that offshore drilling cannot be the whole solution. While offshore drilling would eventually increase the domestic supply of oil, the Presumptive Democratic nominee states that we would not see the benefits of new refineries for “at least seven years.” McCain has been steadfast in his support of offshore drilling.

McCain: Create a Better Car Battery and Win $300 million

Republican Presidential Candidate John McCain has put forward a less conventional idea on how to deal with rising gas prices: a cash prize! Last week, John McCain alienated some environmentalists by labeling environmental conservation a “moral luxury” and calling for intensified offshore drilling. This week, however, McCain is promoting a more environmentally-friendly platform including intensified fuel economy standards. The Republican Nominee also said he would offer a $300 million prize for the “development of a battery package that has the size, capacity, cost and power to leapfrog the commercially available plug-in hybrids or electric cars.” This unusual proposition provides a free market response to heightened environmental concerns.

Publically Funded Elections: Good or Bad?

Presumptive Democratic Nominee Barack Obama announced today over a video message on his website that he would not participate in the “broken” public financing system during his bid for the White House, making him the first major party candidate to decline public financing since the system was established in 1976. Had he accepted, the US Treasury would have allocated $84.1 million to Mr. Obama, but, in exchange, would have forbid him from accepting private donations and spending more than that $84.1 million. John McCain is a longtime supporter of the public funding of elections and is expected to accept the government funds.

Mr. Obama had previously stated an interest in pursuing “an agreement with the Republican nominee” to establish a reasonable procedure for a publically-financed election. His latest decision to privately fund his campaign, however, has been seen by John McCain as just “one of a number of reversals” by the Democratic Senator. Obama defend his choice by asserting that the McCain campaign were “masters of gaming” the public financing system due to the Republican Party’s unofficial relationships with the special interest “527” groups, who put forward some of the elections dirtiest smear campaigns without officially affiliating themselves with a candidate.

It is widely believed that Senator Obama would be able to out raise McCain as well as the $84.1 million cap he would be issued if his campaign was publically financed. Obama was able to win the Democratic primary through a grass roots movement based around donations of $100 or less.

McCain & Obama: Different Ideas on How to Salvage the Economy

John McCain and Barack Obama have begun to debate what will surely be the single-largest issue of the 2008 election campaign: The US Economy. Their strikingly divergent plans and ideas are indicative of how much this Presidential election will shape the economic direction of our country for the next four years.


John McCain’s Early Economic Platform


- A health care plan that allows for affordable, portable health care - Employees could take the plan with them from job to job.
- A “simpler, a flatter, and a fair tax code” - All people would be taxed at the same rate, regardless of total income.
- Keep the ‘Capital Gains Tax’ Low – Investors would keep more of their profits and invest them back into more business ventures.
- Keep ‘Estate Taxes’ Low – When a family member passes away, a low estate tax would keep the government from taking away a substantial portion of the family’s inheritance.
- Phase Out the Alternative Minimum Tax – The AMT, which was originally meant to tax only the nation’s largest incomes, now taxes a larger proportion of the populace than originally intended. McCain says he could save middle-class families $2000 a year by depleting it.
- Keep NAFTA as is – McCain vows to not “undo the gains” of NAFTA during “a time of uncertainty” for American workers.
- Greater Government Intervention for Homeowners – McCain’s most striking economic disagreement with George W. Bush concerns his more-leftist belief that the government should take direct action against mass-scale foreclosures.


Barack Obama’s Early Economic Platform


- $50 Billion Economic Stimulus Package – This is a traditional stimulus package to keep demand high and avoid a positive feedback loop of a descending profits and subsequent job losses.
- Relief for Homeowners Facing Foreclosure – Similar to McCain’s belief that the government should step in to help struggling homeowners.
- Keep Social Security in Government Hands – Obama would require higher payments from the wealthy in order to avoid privitizing the Social Security industry.
- Expansion of Unemployment Benefits – Obama believes that in this period of economic “crisis” the unemployed must be directly assisted by the government.
- Tax Cuts for Middle-Income Families and Retirees – More middle-class money means intensified consumer demand.
- Repeal Bush's tax cuts for the wealthy – An increase in taxes here would compensate for cuts in other places.



http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/10/us/politics/10cnd-campaign.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/10/us/politics/10obama.html?pagewanted=2

Time for the Candidates to Begin Choosing Veeps!

With the long and drawn-out Democratic Primaries all but officially over, it is becoming time for the Presidential Nominees to begin assessing potential running-mates:

DEMOCRATS

In the Democratic camp, much of the early buzz has surrounded the woman that was, until a few days ago, fighting for the nomination. Many believe Hillary Clinton’s experience in Washington could counterbalance an Obama campaign that has been criticized for placing rhetoric above reality. Others have quickly disagreed, arguing that having four more years of the Clintons in the White House is not friendly with the Obama campaign platform of “change.”

Some have hoped that John Edwards would again emerge as the Democratic Vice Presidential Nominee, but that no longer seems an option. Although he has officially endorsed Senator Obama, Edwards stated today that the Vice Presidency is “just not something [he is] interested in.” John Edwards was John Kerry’s running-mate in 2004.

REPUBLICANS

The Republican Party has been more hushed in recent weeks on who will prevail as John McCain’s running-mate. On May 21, McCain invited early front-runners Gov. Charlie Crist of Florida, Gov. Bobby Jindal of Louisiana and Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts to his Sedona-based Ranch for a “social weekend.” McCain’s camp has said that the potential candidate’s personal chemistry with McCain would be “a key consideration.” Steve Schmidt, a senior adviser, said that the McCain campaign will not discuss the details of the selection process with the press. Condoleezza Rice and Mike Huckabee have also been mentioned as potential Vice-Presidential candidates.

Sources:

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/21/us/politics/21cnd-mccain.html