Entries for August 2008

If you're looking for answers as to why Senator McCain may have chosen a running mate who's involved in a messy state investigation, think "women's votes" and then think "former Clinton supporters." But she may well try to explain away the allegations of abusing her power by characterizing the investigation as payback for tangling with the state's GOP hierarchy.

Sen. John McCain's pick of Gov. Sarah Palin as his vice presidential running mate is a big "come hither" signal to former Clinton supporters to defect to the Republicans. Yes, Sen. Clinton is strongly pro-choice (although she talks more these days about dampening the need for abortion) and Gov. Palin is avidly pro-life, but both are successful female politicians.

The convention bounce has finally appeared. It appeared with a vengeance in today's daily presidential tracking poll by the Gallup organization:

"PRINCETON, NJ — Democratic candidate Barack Obama has gained ground in the latest Gallup Poll Daily tracking average from Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, and now leads Republican John McCain among registered voters by a 48% to 42% margin."

The Rasmussen poll shows a much more modest bounce:

"The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Thursday shows hints of a modest convention bounce building for Barack Obama. The Democrat gained a point from yesterday and now attracts 45% of the vote nationwide while John McCain earns 44%. When "leaners" are included, it's Obama 47% and McCain 47%.

DENVER—This is another tale of two conventions. I posted earlier from Denver on how Democratfest felt to me just like the 1976 Republican Convention in Kansas City where Gerald Ford narrowly squeaked by Ronald Reagan to win the nomination. No, in Denver there is no contested nomination as there was in Kansas City. But Sen. Hillary Clinton's presence weighed mightily and at times it felt like there were two Democratic candidates at the convention.

Uber-libs and party regulars seem completely blind to this and in fact seem to be trying to bury it down to the earth's core. Witness this post from left-leaning Salon.com's Rebecca Traister on a PUMA (or Party Unity My A**) protest:

Notice to all ancient history buffs! The head of a once 15-foot-tall statue of Marcus Aurelius, one of the earlier Roman emperors, has been discovered in Turkey.

DENVER—Democrats are certainly energized by Sen. Hillary Clinton's home run speech and the energy level at the Democratic convention is clearly kinetic. But the national polls are showing something completely at odds with Democrats' spirits.

As I wrote below, this still feels at times like a contested convention. The media are looking to Sen. Hillary Clinton's speech tonight to the convention to bring all her supporters around. So is Barack Obama's campaign, whether fairly or unfairly (why should it be Clinton's job to unite the party, after all). But I don't see her speech doing that. Two new daily tracking polls (Rasmussen and Gallup) show Sen. Obama slipping in public support. Yes, he's getting a convention bounce, but a bounce in the wrong direction.