5 Reasons Why McCain Has Pulled Ahead

[demwing]

As reported on Politico.com...
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0908/13422.html

1. McCain as a 'change agent'
"...CBS News polling this week found that 46 percent of voters believe McCain can change Washington — up from 28 percent in July."

2. The center shifts: Independents move to McCain
"...Before the Republican convention, Gallup polling showed just 40 percent of independents favoring McCain. Post-convention, that rose to 52 percent..."

3. The economic gap narrows
"...Gallup this week shows a 3-point edge for Obama on the question of which candidate “can better handle the economy”—down from 16 points in August."

4. Palin narrows the enthusiasm gap
"...And among independents, 46 percent have a favorable view of Palin while only 31 percent say the same of Biden. While Democrats have continued to hit at Palin’s inexperience, only 36 percent of likely voters believe Palin lacks the proper experience while 47 percent said the same of Obama."

5. Democrats voter ID edge dulls
"...The week before the Republican convention, just 39 percent of voters said they leaned toward or identified themselves as Republicans. Following the convention, that number rose dramatically to 47 percent. Meanwhile the percentage of voters leaning toward or identifying themselves as Democrats dropped from 53 to 47 percent..."


Now, after reading the above, and realizing that McCain's gains have come through lying, distortion, and shameless negative ads, who here wants to say that we will win this thing by taking the high road?

If you want to put forward data that shows facts running in the opposite path, please do it. But facts only work with smart people, and--let's face it--the majority of voters vote with their heart, not their head. They let emotions like fear, group mentality, and greed drive their decisions.

I think Obama is running a wonderful campaign. He makes me proud of my party, and of my country. Unfortunately, circumstances require that he drop the wonderful aspect, and pick up the brutal. I would rather have a brutal candidate/wonderful POTUS, than the opposite. Wouldn't you?

It's time to kick some serious republickin' ass, drop the gloves, and fight as if our lives depend on the outcome.

Because my friends, they do.

[d_b]

1. It's time.

rec

[saltpoint]

2. McCain's on his way down, IMO. He had the boost from the

St. Paul convergence of screeching lunatics and now the somber mission of choosing a new president falls onto the heads of voters and I don't think a majority of them are going to support the idea of an antiquated old kook and a brittle brat from Alaska who shoots wolves from airplanes.

[navarth]

4. Well, I hope you're right, but....

I thought they would do the right thing in the last 2 elections. Remember them??

PLEASE convince me that won't be a factor.

[saltpoint]

9. Obama's running a great campaign.

Biden is a great veep choice.

The issues are more strongly with us than they've been for years.

McCain's campaign is a cobbled-together group of lobbyists and GOP slasher/strategists. Palin is a huge mistake and she isn't going to get any better in the glare of the footlights these next 51 or so days.

Surprisingly, the media has been more scrutinous of McCain's lies and distortions.

A weak economy going into a fall election traditionally boosts Democrats.

McCain is only polling very narrowly ahead of Obama in very-red Indiana. Virginia and Colorado are also up for grabs. A Republican candidate who has to fight for Indiana and Colorado is not well-positioned for an electoral college win.

[demwing]

18. BUT - McCain is trnding up, and Obama is not

when it was just national polls, we said "Just watch the state polls"

Well now the state polls are falling behind McCain - long after his "bounce" should have evaporated--and where will we go now to take refuge?

I love Obama. His intelligence and character shine like a lighthouse in a stormy port. But smart doesn't seal the deal. We have to act with urgency, not just you and me, but Obama, and Biden, and Clinton, and Kennedy, and Gore, and Kucinich, and every single person who cares about this countrry.

We must fight as if our lives rest on this decision.

[saltpoint]

19. I get a McCain ceiling after a boost from the convention in St. Paul

which was expected.

But not an Obama slide, and now McCain's numbers have plateaued and, I predict, will begin to fall again. He's on his way down.

[book_worm]

42. the polls are beginning to trend away from McCain

his bounce is ending.

Hotline and Research 2000 tracking polls today have Obama up by 2
Gallup no change, McCain up by 2 but he was up by 5 a few days ago
Rasmussen McCain up by 3, no change.

[ChimpersMcSmirkers]

28. I couldn't agree more. Not to mention a superior GOTV.

[enough already]

5. I'm not willing to take that chance

I don't give a fuck what we have to do to win, we need to do it. NOTHING is off the table. Hell, when we're done with everything on the table, HIT THEM with the fucking table.

[calimary]

10. I'm with ya! One Hundred Thousand Percent.

NOTHING is off the table.


NOTHING.


Unless, of course, it's "high road ONLY."


My attitude at this point is - FUCK the high road.

[Fire1]

36. The Palin 'bubble' is about to burst and even republicans have

criticized the lying in his campaign. If anyone watched meet the Press this a.m., Senator Debbie Shultz (D) of Florida reminded us that McCain repeatedly voted "NO" on legislation for women to get equal pay for equal work and Obama voted "yes", but the repukes campaign are spreading it in the reverse! My point? You keep telling thesam lies long enough, even YOU begin to believe them! I'm not saying to stoop to their level, but THESE LIES NEED TO BE ADDRESSED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[saltpoint]

38. I love the idea of "addressing" their lying and distortion -- preferably

with bulldozers and flaming arrows, but at the same time I see in Obama's team a very confident and professional group of folks.

I don't know them personally but I like them a lot.

[casus belli]

47. I agree, but that was a hell of a bump...

and seems to have been a lot more sustained than ours. I think we need to be a little more agressive with our attacks and McCain, and need to keep the focus on his irresponsible policies.

[navarth]

3. I think you're right. Time to fight fire with fire.

One MAJOR difference. We can bash him with the TRUTH. We don't have to LIE.

That's the DIFFERENCE.

[demwing]

11. The take a page from Harry Truman

and give them the truth in such a way that they THINK we're giving them hell.

But for the sake of all theis country should stand for, let's stop being so freaking reasonable. I want Obama to show some PASSION. I want him to act like he believes that this country will FAIL if we elect McCain.

As long as we act like it'll be bad, but maybe not SO bad, we cut our urgency, and our message.

What happened to the audacity of hope, and the urgency of now?

[Overseas]

6. 5 Reasons? NBC, CBS, ABC, CNN, and Fox. //nt

[geek tragedy]

7. If we can't beat the Atwater/Rovians, we need to join

them in the mud.

This is what America wants. Let's give it to them.

[Barack_America]

8. Here's my explanation.

1. Smoke
2. Mirrors
3. Media
4. Hypocrisy
5. Ignorance
6. Racism

[demwing]

21. OK fine - how do you fight that?

With a calm, overriding reason? Maybe, if you want to win half the battle.

You can fight fire with water, or you can burn a safe ground and fight it with fire.

Effective fighters do both.

[doc03]

27. I'll second that especially the racism n/t

[1corona4u]

35. I agree with you.

Especially the first two. I think you got them in the right order as well.

[NWHarkness]

12. The real 5 reasons

1.Racism
2.Racism
3.Racism
4.Racism
5.Racism

[Donald Ian Rankin]

14. Because, hey, Gore and Kerry won so convincingly?

NT

[AverageJoe]

31. Well, they did win...

Both of them.

[geek tragedy]

34. Well, then we shouldn't have nominated him. n/t

[FVZA_Colonel]

13. I think he finally is "hitting-back" the way people have wanted him to for a while,

with both the 527's and his own speeches of late.



On Edit: The only thing that really bothers me is McCain "closing the gap" on the economy, considering he has no plan and only lies through his teeth about Obama's tax plan.

[melody]

15. But he's tied or behind now

How does that work out?

[Bleacher Creature]

16. Who the hell thinks that McCain is a "change" agent or is better on the economy???

Seriously, I'm not worried about polls, but the fact that the answer his more than zero is mind-boggling.

[angstlessk]

17. since Obama will raise taxes on those makeing over 250,000 per year we need to ask the pundits

do you make more than 250,000 per year? if the answer is yes...THEY HAVE A VESTED INTEREST IN A MCSAME PRESIDENCY!!!!

[Teaser]

20. "Kick ass" is not a tactic or a strategy

It's just words. Concrete tactics would be nice.

[demwing]

23. You're right - It's a euphemism

for attacking the opponent, not defending your position.

Obama spent too much time in defense, not enough on offense.

The recent ads make me feel more secure with Obama's tactical approach, as long as we never give an inch, never give up a point. Delegate the fight if we have to, but keep up the pressure and the heat.

Get personal.

Go back to his dual mantra of the audacity of hope/urgency of now.

We have everything on our side, except the media. Money, ground game, truth, facts, even public opinion. So...

Q - What will it take to get the media on our side?

A - Ratings. What presentation will Obama give that will profit the news media - solemn and inspiring speeches, or impassioned, fire-breathing attacks against McCain?

[Teaser]

25. that's what I'm talking about

I wasn't trying to pull your chain. I just like to see specifics.

[rzemanfl]

22. Bullshit, bullshit, bullshit, bullshit and bullshit. Each and every

one of these points is incredible standing alone. All of them together require a conscious suspension of disbelief.

[Pab Sungenis]

24. #6: Democrats are chickenshit

and keep bringing a knife to a gunfight. They're getting down and dirty, and we need to as well.

[Fire1]

26. Politics is a 'dirty' game. Obama and especially Biden have been

in in this game long enough to know it. If you don't want to get dirty, then don't get into politics. Period. I hope Biden realizes that alot of people are depending on this ticket to turn this country around and going soft on Palin in the debates is not going to work. Any woman in politics SHOULD KNOW what she's getting into and there should be no 'deference'! I HOPE HE RIPS HER A NEW ONE!!!!!

[JerseygirlCT]

30. Don't fall for it!

Don't confuse honest criticism with "dirty"!

We need to hear from our candidates - we need to hear attacks against all the lies and smears coming from McCain, against his stands and performance in the past.

That's not dirty!

THAT is honest! And honest is good!

[JerseygirlCT]

29. I think we have to be very, very careful

not to confuse "high road" with "no criticism".

Obama's campaign promises and campaign style do NOT preclude telling it like it is. A truthful negative ad is NOT the same as McCain's lying smears.

The media will do their best to portray any negative ad from Obama as somehow a step away from his message of change and the "high road". We can't let them get away with it, and we surely can't accept that paradigm!

Honesty is what's needed. Clarity and honesty. That's not takiing the low road. That's not dropping a positive campaign. It's a very positive thing indeed to give the voters absolute honesty!

[GoesTo11]

32. Dems have to be willing to do what it takes to win, period.

You don't obtain defend a democracy against tyranny by being fair to tyranny. We've got to win this one. We should figure out what that will take and do it.

[Obamarulz11]

33. Honestly

It hurts me as well as others to say this.

the MSM's infatuation and the Rethug attacks on us took our focus away temporarly. I'll admit "the lipstick on a pig" put the brakes on the straight to hell express.

[TexasObserver]

37. And yet, we still have hand wringers worrying about what WE are saying about THEM.

How many fucking ass kickings do some people require before they GET IT?!

Do these same people try to be gentle with a pit bull that is off the leash and attacking?

I do not understand how so many Democrats can fret daily about whether "we ought to go there."

[Bread and Circus]

39. I think it's mainly due to Palin's gender and her reignition of the "culture wars"

From what I've read, gains are from women and reinvigorating the fundamentalist base.

Think about your average secular male white voter who self identifies as an Indepent. Do you think she actually curries favor with them? I doubt it.

She's definitely had an effect but I think it's all due to identity issues.

[book_worm]

40. his bounce is fading, the polls are beginning to slowly move towards Obama again.

[saltpoint]

43. They are, and I don't see McCain/Pailin enjoying any more "honeymoon"

periods, and now they have to defend their respective position and records.

Such as they are in Palin's case.

Advantage Obama/Biden.

[demwing]

44. All the more reason to seal the deal now.

We should go into the debates on the offensive, but we should attack McCain's strengths from our position of power.

[Honeycombe8]

41. It IS time. Time to take back the "change" mantra. Time to educate center how far right the other.

ticket is.

When those two things are taken care of, Obama wins, IMO.

[samuraiguppy]

45. I am pumped up

to turn this around.

[PatriotGames]

46. The media MADE Palin interesting. n/t