http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/mccain/ en-us Sat, 26 Jul 2008 04:12:03 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051569/posts Want to know who will be the next US president? Allan Lichtman, a political historian who teaches at American University in Washington, DC, says he has the means to predict it. There are 13 questions, each with a "yes" or "no" answer. Lichtman calls these the 13 keys to the White House. Does the incumbent party hold more seats in the House of Representatives after the midterm election than after the preceding midterm election?Is there a serious contest for the incumbent-party nomination?Is the incumbent-party candidate the current president?Is there a significant third-party or independent candidate?Is the economy not in recession... New Scientist Short Sharp Science 'blog http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051569/posts#comment Sat, 26 Jul 2008 04:12:03 GMT 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/2051555/posts See the video at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EiTpS4MK3D8 youtube.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051555/posts#comment Sat, 26 Jul 2008 03:12:47 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051525/posts The presidential race is tightening in four key battleground states, with Republican John McCain holding an advantage among white male voters and Democrat Barack Obama keeping his lead among the youngest voters, according to a new Quinnipiac University poll. Results of the poll, which was conducted in partnership with The Wall Street Journal and washingtonpost.com, show the gap narrowing between Sens. McCain and Obama. Sen. Obama leads slightly in Michigan and by double-digits in Wisconsin, but by smaller margins than about one month ago. The two candidates are running statistically even in Colorado and Minnesota, compared to the respective five-point... wsj.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051525/posts#comment Sat, 26 Jul 2008 01:34:56 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051530/posts Does government do enough to help the poor? John McCain and Barack Obama could not be more divided on their approach. Obama’s Web site even has a section entitled “poverty,” with a large list of new antipoverty programs, while McCain's doesn’t. Yet, this is part of a bigger difference between the campaigns in whether to single out specific groups for help. While Obama’s Web site includes issue headings for “women,” “rural,” “seniors” and “disabilities,” McCain’s Web site generally focuses only on broad "issues" that affect everyone, such as “energy,” “education,” and “economic plan.” Both Web sites have sections on veterans.... Fox News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051530/posts#comment Sat, 26 Jul 2008 02:00:34 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/2051511/posts First the Iraqi government gave Senator Barack Obama a boost by seeming to embrace his proposal for a 16-month timetable for withdrawing American troops from Iraq. But could Senator John McCain, who built his candidacy in large part on his opposition to a timetable for withdrawal from Iraq, possibly be following suit? “I think it’s a pretty good timetable,” Mr. McCain said Friday in an interview on CNN’s “The Situation Room,’’ before adding that it should be based “on the conditions on the ground.’’ For months Mr. McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee, has railed against setting timetables for withdrawing from... NYTines - Cacus Blog http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051511/posts#comment Sat, 26 Jul 2008 01:10:10 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/2051484/posts John McCain and Country Music Star John Rich (from the Big & Rich Country music band and Nashville Star TV show) are coming to Panama City next Friday, August 1st. John Rich will perform live at the event, hosted by the Republican Party of Florida. Doors open at 3 PM CDT. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for kids 12 and younger. They can be purchased from the Republican Party of Florida online at: http://www.rpof.org/john-rich-concert. Don't miss this once in a lifetime opportunity to see John Rich perform in this small venue on the water. Bring your family and... johnmccain.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051484/posts#comment Fri, 25 Jul 2008 23:51:24 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/2051452/posts In the race for New Mexico’s Electoral College votes, Barack Obama has a five-point advantage over John McCain. The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey shows Obama attracting 46% of the vote while John McCain earns 41%. Last month, Obama enjoyed an eight-point advantage. Two months ago, it was Obama by nine. Rasmussen Reports http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051452/posts#comment Fri, 25 Jul 2008 22:50:21 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051453/posts John McCain said he would move the U.S. embassy to Israel to Jerusalem upon being elected president. "Right away," Sen. McCain (R-Ariz.) the presumptive Republican nominee for president told CNN Friday. "I've been committed to that proposition for years." JTA http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051453/posts#comment Fri, 25 Jul 2008 22:58:38 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051423/posts Debra Bartoshevich, a delegate to the Denver Democratic National Convention, did not help her case by repeatedly referring to the "Democrat Party" during Friday's conference call. That angered commitee members, who view that as a slur used by Republicans. One chastised her for using "Rush Limbaugh's talking points." Bartoshevich said she didn't understand and kept using the offending term......... Wisconsin Democrats on Friday ousted a delegate to their national convention for saying she would vote for Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain in November. Embarrassed by a defection in their ranks, the Wisconsin Democratic Party's administrative committee voted 23-0 to... WIBA - AP (Wisconsin) http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051423/posts#comment Fri, 25 Jul 2008 21:57:36 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051409/posts DENVER, July 25 (Reuters) - Republican presidential candidate John McCain slammed Democratic rival Barack Obama on Friday for poor judgment on the Iraq war, laying out in sharp terms his argument the Illinois senator should not be commander in chief. McCain, a Vietnam War veteran, said if Obama had succeeded in his effort to prevent last year's boost in U.S. troop levels in Iraq, American forces would have had to retreat under fire, the Iraqi army would have collapsed and al Qaeda would have found a safe haven. "Had his position been adopted, we would have lost both wars" in... Reuters http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051409/posts#comment Fri, 25 Jul 2008 21:40:49 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051429/posts PAGE ONE Voter Unease With Obama Lingers Despite His Lead Poll Finds Background, Experience Are Advantages for McCain WASHINGTON -- Midway through the election year, the presidential campaign looks less like a race between two candidates than a referendum on one of them -- Sen. Barack Obama.With the nominations of both parties effectively settled for more than a month, the key question in the contest isn't over any single issue being debated between the Democrats' Sen. Obama or the Republicans' Sen. John McCain. The focus has turned to the Democratic candidate himself: Can Americans get comfortable with the background... Wall Street Journal http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051429/posts#comment Fri, 25 Jul 2008 22:06:53 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051418/posts The McCain campaign released the following memo this morning: To: Interested Parties From: Randy Scheunemann, Senior Foreign Policy Adviser Date: July 25, 2008 Re: The Barack Obama Foreign Policy Myths In the past few days, Barack Obama has been trying to alter the reality of international developments to the benefit of his political campaign. Please find below the key Obama myths from this week. MYTH: Barack Obama Claims People Have Adopted His Unconditional Timetable For Withdrawal From Iraq FACT: John McCain, our military commanders and the Iraqi government agree that our troops should come home based upon conditions on the... Real Clear Politics http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051418/posts#comment Fri, 25 Jul 2008 21:51:57 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051416/posts Rasmussen shows a tightening race in New Mexico: Obama 46 (-1 vs. 6/23 poll) McCain 41 (+2) With "leaners" (who don't initially express a preference for one of the major candidates) Obama's lead widens to 6 points: Obama 49 McCain 43 Real Clear Politics http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051416/posts#comment Fri, 25 Jul 2008 21:49:24 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051406/posts For months now, rival campaign officials—first for Democratic primary rival Hillary Clinton and now for McCain—have complained about the fawning tone and voluminous amount of Obama media coverage. So have many newspaper readers and television viewers. And you know what? They've got a point—but not because of this week's extensive Obama coverage. The obviously unbalanced amount of coverage doesn't mean that this newspaper or others chronicling Obama's trip are biased against McCain. It means that Obama's first trip to the Middle East and Europe is bigger news this week than what McCain's been doing. chicagotribune http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051406/posts#comment Fri, 25 Jul 2008 21:35:36 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051405/posts Here is video of Sen. John McCain telling a group of Hispanic Veterans in Denver that, "Fortunately, Sen. Obama failed; not our military." McCain was speaking of Obama's attempts to block the Surge Strategy in Iraq, a failure in judgment McCain says he cannot conceive of in a Commander-in-Chief. . . . (see video) Blogs for John McCain http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051405/posts#comment Fri, 25 Jul 2008 21:31:07 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-news/2051378/posts It's another reminder of how much McCain is glad to talk about national security and also to let Obama define the race. Said the GOP nominee to a military veteran gathering in Denver: "We rejected the audacity of hopelessness, and we were right," McCain said of the surge and Obama's long-standing support for withdrawing troops in Iraq, mocking his rival's signature phrase and the title of his most recent book. Politico http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051378/posts#comment Fri, 25 Jul 2008 20:51:34 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051375/posts HuffPo notes that Maverick tweaked this charge during his speech this morning to a group of veterans, stating that Obama would rather win in Afghanistan by losing in Iraq. Blitzer presses him here to see if the old formulation still applies. Answer: Yup, pretty clearly it does, although McCain is careful to emphasize that he’s not questioning Obama’s patriotism, just his judgment. Is it possible to accuse someone of subordinating the national interest to their own personal ambition without, in essence, questioning their patriotism? I don’t know. Is it possible to “support the troops” while believing they’re carrying out an... Hot Air http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051375/posts#comment Fri, 25 Jul 2008 20:48:04 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051369/posts Thank you for that kind introduction and warm welcome. I want to begin by talking about an issue in this campaign that I know concerns you as it concerns all Americans: the war in Iraq. Thankfully, the news from Iraq today is much more encouraging than I could have reported to you last year. Eighteen months ago, America faced a crisis as profound as any in our history. Iraq was in flames, torn apart by violence that was escaping our control. Al Qaeda was succeeding in what Osama bin Laden called the central front in their war against us. The... realclearpolitics.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051369/posts#comment Fri, 25 Jul 2008 20:41:38 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-chat/2051365/posts With both ...Obama and John McCain calling for more troops to be sent to Afghanistan, there have been a slew of articles arguing this will at best not work and, at worst, fuel the insurgency...Zbigniew Brzezinski,...prominent supporter of Barack Obama, ...risks repeating the defeat suffered by the Soviet Union in Afghanistan."... Our strategy is getting in deeper and deeper.” ...Canada’s Globe and Mail, ... ”We knew by 1985 that we could not win,” it quotes veteran Ruslan Aushev as saying. It then took Moscow four more years to extricate hundreds of thousands of troops... Gulf News, Patrick Seale says that... Reuters http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2051365/posts#comment Fri, 25 Jul 2008 20:31:18 GMT