Economic Unrest Shifts Electoral Battlegrounds

The turmoil on Wall Street and the weakening economy are changing the contours of the presidential campaign map, giving new force to Senator Barack Obama’s ambitious strategy to make incursions into Republican territory, while leading Senator John McCain to scale back his efforts to capture Democratic states.

Mr. Obama has what both sides describe as serious efforts under way in at least nine states that voted for President Bush in 2004, including some that neither side thought would be on the table this close to Election Day. In a visible sign of the breadth of Mr. Obama’s aspirations, he is using North Carolina — a state that Mr. Bush won by 13 percentage points in 2004, and where Mr. Obama is now spending heavily on advertisements — as his base to prepare this weekend for the debate on Tuesday.

By contrast, Mr. McCain is vigorously competing in just four states where Democrats won in 2004: Pennsylvania and New Hampshire, followed by Wisconsin and Minnesota. His decision last week to pull out of Michigan reflected in part the challenge that the declining economy has created for Republicans, given that they have held the White House for the last eight years.

But Mr. McCain’s abrupt decision, which caught many members of his own party by surprise, also underlined the tactical political squeeze he finds himself in: by using his fund-raising advantage to compete in so many places, Mr. Obama has forced Mr. McCain to spend money to hold on in what had been viewed as safe Republican states, like Indiana and Missouri, while limiting Mr. McCain’s ability to play offense on Democratic turf.

Mr. Obama now has a solid lead in states that account for 189 electoral votes, and he is well positioned in states representing 71 more electoral votes, for a total of 260, according to a tally by The New York Times, based on polls and interviews with officials from both campaigns and outside analysts. It takes 270 electoral votes to win the presidency.

Mr. McCain has solid leads in states with 160 electoral votes and is well positioned in states with another 40 electoral votes, according to the Times tally, for a total of 200. Just six states representing 78 electoral votes — Colorado, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, Ohio and Virginia — are tossups.

Mr. Obama appears to have significantly more options to reach the 270 threshold, particularly if Mr. McCain fails to win any states that Democrats won in 2004, like Pennsylvania, where the Republican ticket has been competing especially vigorously. ...

Mr. Obama in particular is moving to seize on what both sides think could be a decisive moment in this campaign, using Wall Street as a way to focus attention on related concerns, like Social Security and health care.

Campaigning on Saturday, Mr. Obama told several thousand supporters in Newport News, Va., that Mr. McCain’s health care plan was outdated and had hidden tax increases that would erode companies’ coverage for workers and leave millions of people uninsured.

He called it an “old Washington bait and switch,” adding, “He gives you a tax credit with one hand but raises your taxes with the other.” ...

It is health care, advisers said, that they believe resonates more than other issues for Americans who are worried about their economic condition. It is a less-threatening way to talk about the economy — showing pictures of shuttered banks, for example, could create more worry — that aides said tested well across demographic groups, but particularly among older voters who have been slower to warm to Mr. Obama. ...

“One of the biggest economic anxieties that people have is the cost of health care,” said Gov. James E. Doyle of Wisconsin. “There is a great deal of uneasiness.”

I checked recent polls for Indiana.


Survey USA: John McCain 48% Barack Obama 45%


Rasmussen Reports John McCain 49% Barack Obama 47%


American Research Group John McCain 47% Barack Obama 44%


Big Ten Battleground Poll: John McCain 47% Barack Obama 43%


CNN/Time Magazine/Opinion Research Corp: John McCain 48% Barack Obama 43%

quote:

Originally posted by Nemeses:
I checked recent polls for Indiana.


Survey USA: John McCain 48% Barack Obama 45%


Rasmussen Reports John McCain 49% Barack Obama 47%


American Research Group John McCain 47% Barack Obama 44%


Big Ten Battleground Poll: John McCain 47% Barack Obama 43%


CNN/Time Magazine/Opinion Research Corp: John McCain 48% Barack Obama 43%

Jeff must be reading HUFFY PUFFY AGAIN

Jeff just want an excuse to start another thread, five or six are not enough.

Just say "NO" to "BO"

I'm trying to figure out if Jeff is a paid obama/democrat employee. He feels so strongly for his cause that he will post so much one-sided (often incorrect or misleading) information.

I've been very down the middle in these threads and call Jeff out when he is in the wrong. He may see me as a Rebublican (I'm an Independant) while Jeff's posts are so far leftist that it is nearly impossible to be any farther to the left. Any decenting moderate opinion would be viewed as a RWNJ in Jeff's eyes.

I agree the main source for Jeff is the Huff-Post. There is so much one-sided misinformation and hatred there that any reasonable person would dismiss most of the info there.

I think he is paid. According to what I have been told, he is "semi-retired" and he allegedly works for the state. From the date and time of his posts, it appears he spends much of his time posting while at work "earning" tax dollars. It must be nice to slam your leaders and government while getting a tax subsidized paycheck.

Maybe it is not true, but it is another case of don't ask don't tell. As a business owner, I post on my own time - and work on my own time like this weekend when the computers needed updating.

Obama is the poster child of don't ask don't tell.

The left wing media has such a love affair with Obama they must think he is a fudge sickle. If they turned up the heat he would melt.

Ayers - don't ask don't tell.

Wright - don't ask don't tell and Obama never listened.

Frank Marshall Davis - don't ask don't tell.

Hussein's middle east trip, postponing troop withdrawals - don't ask don't tell.

"typical white woman" don't ask don't tell.

Drug induced homosexual relationships - don't ask don't tell.

One of the highest recipients of Fanny Mae campaign money - don't ask don't tell.

Acorn - don't ask don't tell (hey they helped him get elected)

Babies born alive - don't ask don't tell and they can't vote

"My Muslim faith" don't ask don't tell

Donald Young - don't ask, don't tell

Rezko - don't ask don't tell

Sam Graham-Felsen - don't ask don't tell

Franklin Raines - don't ask don't tell

Penny Pritzker - don't ask don't tell

The list goes on and on, and in most cases even if you ask, the left wing media that loves Obama won't tell.

Fight the smears...

Barack Obama Never Organized with ACORN

Read it.

quote:

Originally posted by Jeff Martin:
Fight the smears...

Barack Obama Never Organized with ACORN

Read it.

I read it. I also read this.


Wall Street Journal


THE ACORN/OBAMA RECORD



http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/rnc-obama--acorn-...87ED547%7D&dist=hppr

Several articles, just one link.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Nemeses,

Snip...................



Several posts removed by Jeff Martin an Nemeses.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Nemeses,

quote:

Originally posted by Jeff Martin:

quote:

Originally posted by Nemeses:

Jeff doesn't get it. People get annoyed when people spam the board. He could just post the one source.

Your response would be the same.

Why do YOU do it then?

Edit:


For those of you who were unaware.

Late night cut and paste battle. Most of the posts taken down (it takes longer to take them down than put them up) and consolidated under one single post.

This board will be better off if EVERYONE did the same and bring some more discussion to the board.

Thanks Jeff for consolidating your posts. I did the same.

The following few posts were made at the end of our "discussion"

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Nemeses,

You aren't an independent as you claim.

You don't want a discussion, so don't act as if you do.

You want to be the forum police.

You want to ensure the people won't get the Democratic message from these threads.

I actually vote Democrat, Republican, and occasionally for an independent. Wanna guess who I voted for in the Primary? I bet you would be surprised.

I surely would like to see discussions in these threads. I just find it nearly impossible when you make post after post after post that comes from the same site. One hyperlink will do.

I do moderate on other boards. Just not here. I spent 90% of my time dealing with more courteous people. I have been courteous to you right from the start when I even told you how to make one big private site (like Huff-Post) to convey your message.

Each post covered a different topic, with each pertaining to a right-wing smear that some are bringing to these threads. I posted them for informative purposes as is my right, and as a service to inform others.

Your actions clearly indicate your intent to stand in the way.