joe the plumber needs to go away

We've got a memo for Joe the Plumber.

The 2008 presidential election is over, John McCain lost, and nobody cares about you anymore.

Samuel Wurzelbacher, known affectionately during last year's campaign as Joe the Plumber, has decided to try and get another fifteen minutes in the spotlight. This time, he slurred gays and lesbians, saying he'd never allow "queers" near his children.

"Queer means strange and unusual. It's not like a slur, like you would call a white person a honky or something like that. You know, God is pretty explicit in what we're supposed to do--what man and woman are for. Now, at the same time, we're supposed to love everybody and accept people, and preach against the sins. I've had some friends that are actually homosexual. And, I mean, they know where I stand, and they know that I wouldn't have them anywhere near my children. But at the same time, they're people, and they're going to do their thing."

It's alright, Joe. Honestly, I understand that there are ignorant, prejudiced, redneck assholes out there and they're going to do their thing, but I wouldn't want them around the kids.

(P.S. We apologize that our site hasn't been updated in a while. Hopefully that'll change.)

the trashing of a former president (throwing bill clinton under the bus)

It began during the Democratic primary, when detractors began accusing former President Bill Clinton of being a racist.

Since then, people have blamed Clinton for sinking his wife Sen. Hillary Clinton's presidential ambitions. People, especially the pundits, have been chattering since before the New York senator even conceded about the former president's role on the campaign trail.

After his wife's concession and endorsement of Barack Obama for president, they continued to denigrate Bill Clinton by saying that he wasn't fully on board, he wasn't doing what was asked of him by the Obama campaign, that he didn't really want Obama to be elected, and that he and Hillary would likely vote for John McCain so she could run for president again in four years.

Now, as reports abound that Hillary has been offered the secretary of state position in the incoming Obama administration, the networks can't stop discussing whether or not Bill will cost her the cabinet post.

I think it's high time that we take a step back and remember the 1990s. Under President Clinton's purview, economic growth was positive. And when Clinton left office, armed conflict around the world was at an all-time low. We truly were experiencing a time of peace and prosperity.

And even though the Clintons lost the health care battle in their day, their hard work on introducing the issue on the national stage will make it that much easier for the Obama administration to assemble and pass a national health care plan.

Let's stop attempting to tarnish President Clinton's legacy, and instead honor and respect the great work that was accomplished in the Clinton years. The Republicans have done enough to try and bring down the Clintons-- we don't need good Democrats following their lead.

could alaska go blue?

Of course it's a long shot, but new polling suggests that the conservative bastion of Alaska may be in play in tomorrow's presidential election.

Yes, the same Alaska whose governor, Sarah Palin, is the vice-presidential candidate on the GOP ticket.

A Hays Research statewide survey in Alaska taken yesterday gave John McCain 46.6% of the vote, while Barack Obama garnered 43.9%. Factoring in those that were leaning one way or the other, the numbers are 48-45. That would mean that the Democrats are only down in Alaska by a mere three points, which is within the margin of error of the poll.

According to RealClearPolitics, however, an average of October polling puts the Republican ticket more than 15 points ahead of Obama in the state.

While it would be a total rejection of the Republican Party if the Democrats were to prevail in Palin's home state, we think it's much more likely for Obama to carry McCain's state, Arizona.

palin continues desperate "terrorist" talk

John McCain's running mate, Sarah Palin, may have been going "rogue" again, but on the eve of tomorrow's historic election she continued a desperate line of attack against her opponents.

In the process, she's helping to confirm in people's minds how sad the back-to-the-wall Republican campaign has become.

At a rally in Missouri today, Palin asked:

"What do they think? Do they think the terrorists have all the sudden become the good guys and changed their minds? No, the terrorists still seek to destroy America and her allies and all that it is that we stand for: freedom, tolerance, and equality. The terrorists have not changed their minds."

You can watch a video of her remarks below.



We hope that the American people will repudiate this despicable style of negative campaign when they head to the polls tomorrow to elect a president. We don't need more dirty politics in Washington- we need change. Real change.

palin eyes 2012, leaving mccain aides "speechless"

It seems that even Sarah Palin is ready to jump off the sinking ship that is the John McCain campaign.

McCain's running mate Palin has already begun talking about her future aspirations if her ticket were to lose Tuesday's election.

ABC News is reporting that Palin has already begun talking about 2012:

In an interview with ABC News' Elizabeth Vargas, the Republican vice-presidential nominee was asked about 2012, whether she was discouraged by the daily attacks on the campaign trail, and would instead pack it in and return to her home state of Alaska.

"I think that, if I were to give up and wave a white flag of surrender against some of the political shots that we've taken, that would bring this whole … I'm not doing this for naught," Palin said.

On CNN, Dana Bash said that when she told a senior McCain adviser about Palin's remarks, that person was "speechless."

Are you surprised?

his choice

It may go against conventional wisdom that the vice-presidential picks don't do a lot of mind-changing in the long-run, but I will say that I've spoken with several undecided voters and even Republicans who voted early for Barack Obama, and when asked why, Sarah Palin was at the top of the list.

It seems that the Palin pick has backfired.

She may prove to be a formidable candidate one day, but for now, she's just now ready. And it shows. John McCain is losing valuable votes because of his choice.

Watch Barack's compelling new ad below. It really makes you think doesn't it?

mccain and obama tied in arizona

Along with red states West Virginia and Georgia, John McCain's home state of Arizona has been moved to the "Leaning McCain" column on the RealClearPolitics electoral map.

You read that right: the senator from Arizona may actually lose the state he represents.

The Arizona Republic reports that McCain's lead over his Democratic opponent has shriveled to only two points, and with a three point margin of error, the state is now an electoral toss up.

Sen. John McCain's once-comfortable lead in Arizona has all but evaporated, according to a new poll that has the underdog Republican presidential candidate struggling in his own backyard.

With less than a week until Election Day, McCain is leading his Democratic rival, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, by 2 points, 46 to 44, down from a 7-point lead a month ago and a double-digit lead this summer, according to a poll from Arizona State University.

This race is getting very interesting. We may be in for some surprises next Tuesday!

fort worth star-telegram endorses obama

The Fort Worth Star-Telegram endorsed Barack Obama for president today in an editorial citing America's need for new leadership.

For many of the same reasons that the Star-Telegram recommended Democrat Bill Clinton in 1992, it is recommending Democrat Barack Obama in 2008.

Obama provides the prescription for America’s ills at this moment: a fine, inquisitive intellect, paired with an eloquence that allows him to articulate a message with clarity and substance; an ability to inspire people of all ages, races and ethnicities who never before were engaged in the political process; and an unflappable temperament that allows him to weather a barrage of withering personal attacks.

Under his leadership, the Obama campaign has been amazingly disciplined, efficient and effective. Those same talents will be essential for the difficult work ahead to rebuild the nation’s faltering economic institutions and restore citizen confidence.

Meanwhile, the Fort Worth newspaper's main competitor, the Dallas Morning News, has endorsed John McCain. We think that, like the two biggest newspapers, the voting population in North Texas is also split. That's why you need to get everyone you know out to the polls on Election Day, or better yet during early voting next week. We could turn this around and give Obama much-needed, valuable votes. And yes, Texas is a red state, but you never know what could happen! We may end up with a Democratic senator if we get out the vote!

the end of sarah palin

In September, we brought you a two-piece special series on the Republican vice-presidential nominee, Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska [The Palin Pick and The Sarah Palin Show].

At that point, after the American public was still getting introduced to the governor, we argued that Palin seemed real to voters in Middle America, and that Barack Obama's supporters would do well not to ignore Palin's "everyman" appeal.

After today, we've changed our mind. We're retracting that warning. Why? Because now, it will be hard for Middle American voters to view her as much more than a fraud.

After weeks of battling her public image as Tina Fey "mocked" her and Katie Couric "tricked" her, she seemed to redeem herself by not falling flat at the vice-presidential debate.

But now she has suffered a death knell: it has been revealed that the Republican National Committee provided Palin with a $150,000 wardrobe from high-end retailers, including over $75,000 at Neiman Marcus and nearly $50,000 at Saks Fifth Avenue.

In a time when the Democratic ticket is leading the Republicans by double digits in most polls and has already amassed over 270 electoral votes in most predictions, this is the nail in the coffin for John McCain and Sarah Palin.

If this were Cindy McCain (and it has been), we wouldn't bat an eye. Why? As the Style section of the Washington Post says this morning, a shopping spree doesn't go against McCain's public persona. It isn't unexpected or out of character. McCain has never tried to appeal to "Joe Sixpack." (And we're sure that Barack is forever grateful today for his wife Michelle's ability to shop on a budget.)

But Palin is almost desperately middle-class- and she never lets the media or the voters forget her humble beginnings. While her spokesman has said that Palin has intended to give the clothes to charity in some way after the election ends, I'd like to hear a surrogate or Palin herself explain how the shopping trip matches anything that the candidate has said on the trail over the past couple of months.

The fact is that it doesn't. Not at all. Not ever. And there's no defense for Palin to be dressed in Valentino while she criticizes liberal regions of the country for not being "real America."

The act is up, Sarah. It's time to return your expensive wardrobe- but you can keep a winter coat, because you may need one back in Alaska.

90 percent (not george bush?)

The Obama campaign has released a brand new ad featuring John McCain's "I am not George Bush" remark from Wednesday night's presidential debate. While the ad concedes that McCain isn't technically George Bush himself, the Republican senator did vote with the president 90% of the time.

final round (obama and mccain go head-to-head at hofstra in third debate)

Tonight is the third and final presidential debate between senators John McCain, the Republican nominee, and Barack Obama, the Democratic nominee for president.

If for whatever reason you remain undecided in this election, this debate is a must-see for you. Take a look at the two candidates and we're sure you'll find that Obama has a better message of hope and change, and real solutions to get our economy and our country back on track.

As Obama continues to pull ahead in every national poll, McCain is going to try and recover lost ground in this debate, so don't be surprised if his negative campaigning continues tonight while Obama offers real substance with his ideas and goals for us as a nation.

fourteen! (obama opens wide lead on mccain)

Today (coincidentally the fourteenth of October) a new CBS News/New York Times poll has Barack Obama leading John McCain by a whopping 14 points, 53%-39%.

One week ago, prior to the Town Hall debate that uncommitted voters saw as a win for Obama, that margin was just three points.

Among independents who are likely voters - a group that has swung back and forth between McCain and Obama over the course of the campaign - the Democratic ticket now leads by 18 points. McCain led among independents last week.

McCain's campaign strategy may be hurting hurt him: Twenty-one percent of voters say their opinion of the Republican has changed for the worse in the last few weeks. The top two reasons cited for the change of heart are McCain's attacks on Obama and his choice of Sarah Palin as running mate.

Obama is currently leading in every major poll, and Real Clear Politics gives him an average lead of 8.1 points after factoring in this new poll and an LA Times/Bloomberg poll that has the Democrat leading by nine points. (Obama's second-highest showing is in the GW/Battleground Tracking poll, in which he leads by 13 points.)

Taking a look at the electoral map at RCP, the Democratic ticket also holds a clear advantage over McCain and Palin. Obama has 313 electoral votes according to their calculations, while McCain would only win 158. Even if McCain were to win all of the remaining toss-up states (Nevada, Missouri, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, and North Carolina), he would still lose the election handily. Notice any notorious swing states missing from that list? That's because Florida, Virginia, Colorado, and New Mexico have shown the potential to become bonafide blue states, and for now are being listed in the Democratic column.

campbell brown blasts mccain camp for race-baiting

Looks like she'll be in hot water with the Republicans again.

CNN's Campbell Brown denounced Sen. John McCain's campaign surrogates for "race-baiting" in their constant attacks on Sen. Barack Obama.

She also weighs in on the "that one" hoopla, writing it off as a generational remark.

mccain calls obama "that one"

Following tonight's presidential debate in Nashville, Tennessee, the pundits on CNN seemed indignant about one comment in particular: Sen. John McCain, when referring to Sen. Barack Obama, called his opponent "that one."

Now we can tear apart that comment a million times over to try and figure out whether there were any kind of undertones or implications, but we'll let you be the judge. View the video of the comment below:

So what do you think? Did McCain have a momentary lapse in memory and forget Obama's name? Was it just to reinforce the point? Was there any sort of condescension intended? You tell us.

biden v. palin

Thursday night's vice-presidential debate was hands down the most-watched VP debate ever and the second most-watched political debate in U.S. history, according to the Style section of today's Washington Post. That means more people tuned in to see Joe Biden and Sarah Palin debate the issues than than the number that have tuned in to almost every presidential debate in history. And these guys don't even get to run the show.

Along with a projected seventy-three million Americans, we tuned in to see Biden v. Palin. Many thought that Palin, the governor of Alaska and Republican John McCain's running mate, would fall flat on her face (figuratively, at least). Her expectations were low following a series of Katie Couric interviews that were released last week that made Palin seem like she didn't know what was going on. She couldn't name any newspapers that she read or any Supreme Court cases that she disagreed with other than Roe v. Wade.

Palin surprised us all, though, by generally seeming as if she knew the issues when pressed on them. She employed the age-old tactic of skirting the question, but that's to be expected of most honed politicians. She at one point even claimed to be such a Washington outsider that she likely wouldn't answer questions in the way that Biden or moderator Gwen Ifill may like.

Palin also employed colloquialisms and her famous Alaskan accent to her advantage, making her seem more appealing and real. If the debate were judged solely on style, she'd be a sure winner. Unfortunately for Palin, we judge debates on substance.

Biden, Democrat Barack Obama's running mate and the senior senator for Delaware, was more substantive. His deeper understanding of the issues was glaringly apparent. He made a clear case against a McCain administration while remaining friendly and cordial toward Palin. He outlined to the American people why they can't afford to re-elect the Republicans, and spoke of a better future offered with an Obama administration.

Biden also seemed to have a better understanding of the role of a vice president. While Palin argued that the Constitution allowed for an expansion of the VP's role, Biden countered that Vice President Dick Cheney "has been the most dangerous vice president we’ve had probably in American history."

Other standout moments found the governor and senator practically agreeing on their respective stances against same-sex marriage, followed up by stark contrasts on foreign policy. "Your plan is a white flag of surrender in Iraq," Palin told her opponent.

It was an interesting debate and seemed to captivate a large audience, but historically vice-presidential debates haven't had much, if any, of an effect on the outcome of an election. Eileen Smith at Poll Dancing sums it up nicely:

In the end, do VP debates matter? Probably not. Palin had the most to lose, and could have possibly done damage to the ticket, if she had given a lackluster performance. But she didn’t. Biden didn’t all of a sudden turn into Rick Lazio, and there were more than a few opportunities for that to happen.

So, Biden did well and Palin did well, and nothing changes. Now back to your regularly scheduled programming, also known as McCain versus Obama.

house republicans are cry-babies

Yeah, we said it.

Minority Leader John Boehner and his Republican caucus are being a bunch of cry-babies.

They really want to blame the economic recovery plan's failure in the House on a "partisan" speech by Speaker Nancy Pelosi? Give me a break.

Whatever happened to putting "country first?" Or is that just a campaign slogan for John McCain and the Republicans? Instead of doing the right thing, they took their toys and went home when big, bad Pelosi hurt their feelings.

Only 65 Republicans voted for the bill. 140 Democrats voted in favor. You can see how your representative voted here.

By the way, the stock market took a plunge today as the Dow Jones saw the largest-ever single-day drop: nearly 780 points.

mccain's last senate vote in april

According to an article in this morning's Washington Post, John McCain's vote on the bailout package will be his first since April 8. He has missed 115 consecutive votes in the Senate since then.

He hasn't voted since before Hillary Clinton won the Pennsylvania primary.

Comparatively, Barack Obama's last Senate vote was in July.

Just thought that was an interesting little tidbit. Welcome back, John.

david letterman snubbed by john mccain

John McCain, after suspending his campaign yesterday in light of the unfolding economic crisis, snubbed an appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman.

After praising McCain's military service, Letterman took him to task for canceling his appearance at the last minute. Letterman also said that "you don't quit" in the middle of a campaign, and that McCain should have returned to Washington and let his vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin shoulder the campaign. The late night host continued to express his disappointment in McCain, suggesting that the campaign suspension was due to sliding poll numbers for his campaign.

"This just doesn't smell right. This is not the way a tested hero behaves," Letterman chided.

Later in the show, Letterman realized that McCain was conducting an interview with CBS News host Katie Couric, after telling Letterman by phone that he was "racing to the airport" in order to return to Washington.

You can view the video of Letterman's remarks below:

obama wants to debate as scheduled

Barack Obama responded to John McCain's call to delay Friday's debate and suspend the presidential campaign by saying that the American people need to hear from the two people vying for the job of the next president.

In his statement from Florida, Obama said that he would return to Washington if necessary, but thought he could still make it to Mississippi on Friday night. He said right now he is focusing on preparing for the debate, and had no immediate intentions to suspend his campaign.

obama out in front in new poll

In a new Washington Post-ABC News national poll, Sen. Barack Obama has opened a big lead on his Republican opponent -- almost ten points.

More voters trust Obama to deal with the economy, and he currently has a big edge as the candidate who is more in tune with the economic problems Americans now face. He also has a double-digit advantage on handling the current problems on Wall Street, and as a result, there has been a rise in his overall support. The poll found that, among likely voters, Obama now leads McCain by 52 percent to 43 percent. Two weeks ago, in the days immediately following the Republican National Convention, the race was essentially even, with McCain at 49 percent and Obama at 47 percent.

Perhaps these new poll numbers -- which give Obama a comfortable lead on the economy -- have something to do with McCain suspending his campaign and calling to delay the first debate.