http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/election/ en-us Sat, 26 Jul 2008 03:40:38 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051564/posts If you read, watch and hear the media describe the campaign of 2008, it appears to be the most one-sided contest since Reagan trounced Mondale in 1984. McCain always comes across as borderline senile, lethargic, and pitiful while Obama is awash in media heroics and theatrical flourishes. But the race is still basically tied according to the polls. While Obama has gotten a four point bounce, according to the latest Rasmussen poll, from his European trip and the adulatory response of the left-leaning German crowds, the two candidates have been within one or two points of each other for the... Dick Morris Website http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051564/posts#comment Sat, 26 Jul 2008 03:40:38 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051526/posts America is at the Mall by Bridget Geegan Blanton Several months ago I came across a photo while online that appeared to have been taken inside a military installation quite possibly in a theater of war. The photo was simple yet poignant. In the background was the indistinct image of a Marine dressed in camouflage entering the room from the outside and in the foreground the photographer zeroed in on the side of a refrigerator. Three sentences written on the side of the refrigerator constituted the single most riveting feature of the photo. The statement was brief, to the point... National Writers Syndicate http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051526/posts#comment Sat, 26 Jul 2008 01:39:42 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051519/posts The road ahead to the White House is long for Democrat Barack Obama despite a rock star reception overseas, with polls in key states showing a tight race against Republican John McCain. As the Illinois senator gave a crowd-rousing performance before 200,000 people in Berlin, polls released in the United States showed waning enthusiasm for the man who would become the first African-American US president. Obama maintains a lead over his 71-year-old rival — between one and six points according to pollsters — but his edge is beginning to recede, despite what McCain's camp has described as the media's "love... The Peninsula http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051519/posts#comment Sat, 26 Jul 2008 01:20:40 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051490/posts There was a spring in Barack Obama's step and a sense of heady excitement in the air as he took to the stage beside Berlin's Victory column for his latest Big Speech. Members of his expansive entourage could have been forgiven for dreaming about the West Wing offices they will occupy in January. By any yardstick, the first half of the Illinois senator's foreign tour was everything his campaign staff had wished for and a little bit more. Wherever he went, world leaders wanted to bask in his reflected glory as the presumed next president. Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki of... Real Clear Politics http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051490/posts#comment Sat, 26 Jul 2008 00:23:39 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051465/posts DETROIT -- Republican presidential candidate John McCain said Thursday he doesn't believe General Motors Corp. needs a federal government bailout, but if conditions worsen enough for the auto maker, all options need to be considered."I hope GM does not require it, but if it looks like it is approaching that, everyone has to consider every option," the Arizona senator said in a phone interview with Dow Jones Newswires. "I'm not ready to assume that's the case right now." The Wall Street Journal http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051465/posts#comment Fri, 25 Jul 2008 23:20:31 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051403/posts After days of all-but whining about the blanket media coverage Barack Obama is getting on his overseas tour, John McCain's campaign this afternoon argued that the press in key swing states is actually focusing on the message it wants to present voters. The Boston Globe - Political Intelligence http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051403/posts#comment Fri, 25 Jul 2008 21:27:38 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2051364/posts Focus on the Family is speaking out against a new pro-Obama radio ad airing on Christian radio. The ad calls for "a better Christian witness in politics." The new liberal political action committee Matthew 25 is running pro-Barack Obama ads on Christian radio. Salem Radio affiliate KBIQ 102.7 FM in Colorado Springs, Colorado -- home to Focus on the Family -- aired an ad that came in response to Dr. James Dobson’s recent criticism of the presidential candidate's theological views. Following is an excerpt from the radio ad: "You know it’s an election year when certain people start grabbing headlines... OneNewsNow.Com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2051364/posts#comment Fri, 25 Jul 2008 20:29:00 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051368/posts DENVER -- In the face of Barack Obama's overseas tour de force, rival presidential candidate John McCain struggled to be heard. Yet amid the awkward moments, he managed to campaign busily in key battleground states and to raise millions of dollars at fundraisers. Polls in many swing states are close, and some are tightening. The Arizona Republican sought to turn this to his advantage in what was clearly a difficult week to be a stay-at-home candidate. He repeatedly emphasized his long military and congressional background, scolded Obama from afar on foreign policy, and kept playfully fueling speculation that he was... newsmax.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051368/posts#comment Fri, 25 Jul 2008 20:33:19 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051314/posts Republican presidential candidate John McCain's short list of vice presidential possibilities has been essentially narrowed to six, according to a source familiar with the search. Factions within the Arizona senator's campaign are pushing for their favored candidate, sources tell the Phoenix Business Journal, a Baltimore Business Journal sister publication. The Baltimore Business Journal, Baltimore, Md. http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051314/posts#comment Fri, 25 Jul 2008 19:18:22 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051269/posts Barack Obama may be on a world tour surrounded by a fawning media, but Sunday an expert in electronic document forensics released a detailed report on the purported birth certificate -- actually a "Certification of Live Birth" or COLB -- claimed as genuine by his campaign. The expert concludes with 100% certainty that it is a crudely forged fake: "a horribly forgery," according to the analysis published on the popular right-wing Atlas Shrugs blog. The purported Certification of Live Birth published by the Daily Kos left wing blog and claimed as genuine by the Obama campaign features a security border... Israel Insider http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051269/posts#comment Fri, 25 Jul 2008 17:53:48 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051175/posts The New York Times' refusal to publish John McCain's rebuttal to Barack Obama's Iraq op-ed may be the most glaring example of liberal media bias this journalist has ever seen. But true proof of widespread media bias requires one to follow an old journalism maxim: Follow the money. Even the Associated Press — no bastion of conservatism — has considered, at least superficially, the media's favoritism for Barack Obama. It's time to revisit media bias. True to form, journalists are defending their bias by saying that one candidate, Obama, is more newsworthy than the other. In other words, there is... IBD Editorials http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051175/posts#comment Fri, 25 Jul 2008 14:52:50 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2051064/posts Barack Obama’s recent global tour may have been a media sensation abroad, but back home it was a punch line. “There was a huge reception for Barack Obama in the Middle East this past weekend,” quipped Jay Leno. “People were screaming, chasing him, hanging on his every word — and that was just the U.S. press corps.” Cross Action News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2051064/posts#comment Fri, 25 Jul 2008 11:38:22 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051040/posts The Democratic candidate is putting together a team to prepare him for taking office in January should he win the Nov 4 election. It is headed by John Podesta, Bill Clinton's chief-of-staff when he was in the White House. A senior adviser travelling with Mr Obama on his global tour told Atlantic.com: "Barack is well aware of the complexity and the organisational challenge involved in the transition process and he has tasked a small group to begin thinking through the process. "Barack has made his expectations clear about what he wants from such a process, and the establishment and execution... Telegraph.co.uk http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051040/posts#comment Fri, 25 Jul 2008 09:43:45 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051010/posts The professional odds-makers favor Barack Obama two-to-one to win the election. It's no wonder. Americans overwhelmingly believe the country is on the wrong track. They can't stand the current Republican occupant of the White House. The economy is weak and shows little sign of getting significantly stronger before the election. The country is fighting an unpopular war. And Obama, as he reminds us every time he opens his mouth, is all about "change." So why hasn't Obama closed the deal? Most national polls show Obama ahead -- but by margins so thin it can hardly give comfort to the putative... Townhall http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051010/posts#comment Fri, 25 Jul 2008 05:57:29 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051006/posts Barack Obama concedes that America's troops have contributed to improvements on the ground in Iraq, but he still stands by his vote against the surge. Why not just admit that he was wrong? Come on, senator, this is a lot easier than changing churches. Say: "As a proud American, I'm delighted that the surge has worked so we can move forward with my timetable for withdrawal. Look, if I'd known how successful it was going to be, I would have voted for it. At the time it didn't seem like a good bet, but prognosticators go broke in wartime." See,... Townhall http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051006/posts#comment Fri, 25 Jul 2008 05:42:28 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2050997/posts The original draft of John McCain’s speech at the Livestrong Summit Thursday evening made no mention of his own struggle with cancer. The text made a jab at Barack Obama, emphasized the need for improved health care and vowed to take on the tobacco industry — but excluded all references to the Arizona senator’s bout with melanoma. The Wall Street Journal - Washington Wire http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2050997/posts#comment Fri, 25 Jul 2008 05:05:32 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2050995/posts Sen. John McCain will have his own international summit -- of a sort -- tomorrow when he meets with the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama. The Dalai Lama is the keynote speaker at a three-day seminar at the Aspen Institute in Colorado that will bring together scholars, teachers and others to explore Tibet's history and culture. McCain already had a speech scheduled in Denver, and will then fly to Aspen for a private meeting with the leader. The Washington Post - The Trail http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2050995/posts#comment Fri, 25 Jul 2008 04:55:32 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2050994/posts CONCORD – A federal judge dismissed Thursday a Nashua man's legal challenge that Republican presidential nominee-to-be Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., was ineligible because he was born in the Panama Canal Zone. The Nashua Telegraph, Nashua, NH http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2050994/posts#comment Fri, 25 Jul 2008 04:51:38 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2050988/posts I'm optimistic that in this election we are choosing between two good and uniquely qualified individuals seeking the job with a least a more inherent civility, let alone grasp of history, than we've experienced in the last eight years. This can only be a good thing. I like John McCain. I wouldn't walk across the street to shake George Bush's hand, but I'd walk a country mile, barefoot, to shake McCain's. The Kennebec Journal, Kennebec, ME http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2050988/posts#comment Fri, 25 Jul 2008 04:35:27 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2050984/posts The McCain campaign is slamming Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., over a decision to cancel a visit with U.S. troops in Germany. The German magazine Der Spiegel is reporting online that Obama has “cancelled a planned short visit to the Rammstein and Landstuhl U.S. military bases in the southwest German state of Rhineland-Palatinate. The visits were planned for Friday.” “Barack Obama will not be coming to us,” a spokesperson for the U.S. military hospital in Landstuhl told Der Spiegel. “I don't know why.” Obama senior adviser Robert Gibbs told ABC News in a statement, “During his trip as part of the... ABC News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2050984/posts#comment Fri, 25 Jul 2008 04:12:07 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2050975/posts This site is a pretty good resource for compilations of polling data. There is also a mock election where votes are tallied on a per state basis. You can reach the mock election by clicking on the link in the middle of the page. Registration may be necessary to participate. Also note that the red/blue electoral college designations are reversed. As you will see, Obama has a pretty good lead, so we do have some work to do! Election Atlas http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2050975/posts#comment Fri, 25 Jul 2008 03:39:42 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2050937/posts As Barack Obama travels abroad, Americans seem to think most members of the media are in line with his message, according to the latest FOX News poll. Nearly 7/10 Americans (67%) say they believe most in the media want Obama to win the November election - while a scant 11 percent think the media are pulling for John McCain. ... When asked to rate the objectivity of media coverage of the campaigns, Americans feel Obama gets more of a positive spin by a better than 7-to-1 margin... FOX News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2050937/posts#comment Fri, 25 Jul 2008 02:04:42 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2050894/posts Obama's damp squib speech today to 50,000 Germans (yes, that's all that was actually there, despite the free food, free drink, and the concerts) started off with Obama recounting to the Germans their own history. They must have loved that. There's nothing better than being told something you already know and was very personal to you by someone who wasn't there and had no part of it. It crossed my mind as he droned on, just what would have Obama done had he been in the Senate when the Berlin Airlift was proposed? Would he have supported it or would... Vanity http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2050894/posts#comment Fri, 25 Jul 2008 00:27:08 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2050741/posts Editor’s Note: Newsmax Editor Christopher Ruddy is visiting Israel this week and met with Natan Sharansky. The former Soviet dissident spent more than a decade in the communist Gulag. He emigrated to Israel after his release in 1986, became a Knesset member and served in four successive Israeli governments, including time as deputy prime minister. In 2006, he resigned from Israel’s Knesset, but he remains active in the country’s political discourse. He has just authored his latest book “Defending Identity: Its Indispensable Role in Protecting Democracy.” Jerusalem — An Israeli businessman I met described Natan Sharansky as having an “inner... Newsmax http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2050741/posts#comment Thu, 24 Jul 2008 20:16:14 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2050702/posts ++ Visit to US Military Bases Cancelled ++ 1:42 p.m.: SPIEGEL ONLINE has learned that Obama has cancelled a planned short visit to the Rammstein and Landstuhl US military bases in the southwest German state of Rhineland-Palatinate. The visits were planned for Friday. "Barack Obama will not be coming to us," a spokesperson for the US military hospital in Landstuhl announced. "I don't know why." Shortly before the same spokeswoman had announced a planned visit by Obama. Der Spiegel Online http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2050702/posts#comment Thu, 24 Jul 2008 19:10:29 GMT