Nancy's Insights Moving To Conservativeinsights.com

As Of 10/2/08 Nancy's Insights Is Moving To Conservative Insights.com

The content will be the same, but this way its a bit easier to find me. So to all of you who are following my blog, thank you, and I can't wait to see you over at the new site!

Media On The Attack

I want to prepare you, dear reader, for the onslaught that is about to befall the Republicans and John McCain. We all know that the mainstream media is in the tank for Obama, but we are about to see the lengths they will go to get him elected. The media is on a mission and I want you to understand and realize that whatever you are seeing on television or reading in news reports, it is all designed to help Barack Obama. The media is in a fighting mode; they feel that they are close to victory so expect them to turn up the heat. Take a look at the quote below that a media source sent Instapundit, on the condition of anonymity :

Off the record, every suspicion you have about MSM being in the tank for O is true. We have a team of 4 people going thru dumpsters in Alaska and 4 in Arizona. Not a single one looking into Acorn, Ayers or Freddiemae. Editor refuses to publish anything that would jeopardize election for O, and betting you dollars to donuts same is true at NYT, others. People cheer when CNN or NBC run another Palin-mocking but raising any reasonable inquiry into Obama is derided or flat out ignored. The fix is in, and its working.

As we get closer to this election, one Obama might very well win if McCain doesn’t go on serious offence, this is what you should be looking for from our media in the near future.

Palin Debate, Even If She Wins She Loses- Our so called “conservative media commentators” the ones that are supposed to be on our side, have turned into gutless wimps. So eager are they to be liked by their liberal pals they will go along with the media spin of the debates. If Sarah even has one moment, one little thing off about her performance, they are going to pounce. Even if Joe Biden makes several mistakes or gives weak answers its not going to matter. The media has their marching orders. Its going to be up to talk radio and frankly bloggers to tell the truth about what happens at the debate. Remember, you know what you are watching; if you think she did well others will too. Don’t trust what you hear on television, don’t trust the polls, remember there is a narrative going on and they are trying to depress our vote. Don’t let them.

McCain Death Stories- This AP story is just the beginning:

McCain would be the oldest president to begin a first term in office. By the end of a second term, Jan. 20, 2017, he would have a 24.44 percent chance of dying, compared with 5.76 percent for Obama, the firm estimates.

The firm estimates that McCain has a health expectancy of 8.4 years, while Obama can expect another 21.9 years of good health. The calculations are from January 2009, covering two terms in office for either candidate. McCain, if he's like others in his age group, would have a cushion of just about five months.

This is just complete and utter manipulation on the AP’s part. John McCain if he is elected will have the best health care in the world. Dick Cheney had how many heart surgeries in office? Cheney is a guy who should frankly not be with us any longer, but he is and so will McCain. Scare tactics to be sure, but expect media outlets to pick up on this story and expand it.

Final Thoughts- This is going to be an all out media assault. Its going to come from entertainment shows like Saturday Night Live and every other media outlet. The media does not care this year about their credibility; they just want to win. Steve Schmidt needs to unleash some genius maneuvers like we saw with the “celebrity” ads. Now’s the time Steve, lets get this going. Also to the media, be careful what you wish for. If Obama wins and it’s a Democratic congress, who are you going to blame then?

Campaign Shenanigans

As this election trudges forward both campaigns are trying tactics to subconsciously move the American electorate. The mark of a good campaign is employing these tactics as a part of larger strategies (and just to be clear Obama, tactics and strategies are different things). Be prepared to be inundated as we move ever closer to November, here is what the campaigns are going to try.

“Look If He’s Driving The Car, Get Off The Sidewalk”- This is what Obama’s communication guy, Robert Gibbs, said this morning about John McCain on Morning Joe. Do you think this phrase was picked by accident? The Obama campaign is doing their best to paint John McCain as a crazy old geezer who is going to recklessly destroy the country, until of course he dies after a few months in office and then were left with “the lipstick on a pig” Sarah Palin.

The Obama campaign is using Chicago thug tactics to paint McCain as unfit, and its not going to work. People know John McCain is old, but by talking about it and turning it into a blatant campaign partisan issue you are only hurting your own campaign. What you are doing is transparent and therefore silly. If it is this easy to see through your campaign tactics then you are not running a very good campaign.

Deliberately Downplaying Sarah Palin- I’m beginning to have a theory about Sarah Palin and why she has been doing a bit poorly in interviews, I think its by design. Look the reason the pundits thought Obama “won” the debate (which I think is nonsense) is because McCain “didn’t win it large enough”. I believe Joe Biden is going to have this very same problem.

Joe Biden is expected to wipe the floor with her in the debate, but I think the pundits will be in for a bit of a surprise. When McCain first unveiled Palin and she gave that great introductory speech followed by the terrific convention speech, she clearly wasn’t in a “underdog” position. If Sarah Palin delivers another convention style performance at the debate, Obama is toast, but in order to retain the maximum effect her expectations must be low. I think what has looked like a poor strategy on the outside, may in fact turn out to be genius by Friday. But this all depends on Governor Palin.


Final Thoughts- What is interesting me most right now are the undertones of the campaign, these stories are not talked about widely but have significant subconscious impact. While most bloggers and American’s are tuned into the bailout crisis, what I am most interested in is the political impact of events and it is too soon to judge who this bailout benefits. Expect a story from me on the impact of the bailout after the hype has died down. So now I leave it to you readers, I illustrated the subconscious tactics and strategies I’m seeing, what are you noticing? Until next time…

The Great Hype Of 2008

Last Friday night, the big debate. This was the debate that would make or break the candidates. Media pundits were saying how this is going to be “the most important debate ever.” Over 100 million people were supposedly going to be glued to their seats. One problem, less people watched this debate then the Bush/ Kerry first debate. Reading this in The Live Feed was a huge surprise for me, I mean, every media pundit has been going on about “how this is the most important election in our lifetime.” If people felt that way, wouldn’t more of them have watched? I mean were told by media pundits that Obama has so inspired the masses that this election he and his army of supporters are going to storm to the polls and take back the White House.

So my question is, if the country is so supercharged for Obama and “change” why does no one seem to be paying attention? The media has become drunk on their own hype, why don’t we bring them back down to earth for a moment.

The Polls Say Obama Is Going To Win…If Huge Numbers Of Democrats Vote- Look, lets cut through this area quickly because I have discussed these polls before. Most polls are weighted, heavily, democratic. The truth is, if Democratic voters outnumber Republican voters by heavy margins McCain is going to lose. Shocking isn’t it? We don’t need a poll to explain what is really quite obvious. Quick note to pollsters though, there has never been an election where Democrats outnumber Republicans on Election Day by 10 percent or more. So those of you out there, ahem ABC/ Washington Post pollsters , this is just wishful thinking on your part.

Old Folks Vs. Young Folks- The youth of America are going to win this for Obama; and if you believe that I have a bridge to sell you. The truth is this election is going to come down to who comes out to vote, baby boomers or college students. Do you want to guess who I am putting my money on? The fact is older Americans have the most at stake. People 45 and up, who are mostly McCain supporters, are the ones paying taxes and they are the main constituency who will feel the impact of an Obama or McCain presidency.

I predict it’s going to be 2004 all over again; the MTV crowd isn’t going to vote for Obama as big as he needs them too. Remember that ridiculous “Vote or Die” campaign targeted to the youth last election? I remember that didn’t work out so well for John Kerry. Maybe I’ll be wrong about this, but I don’t think so. The lack of interest in this first debate tells me that in this election, the same folks who watched and voted in the last election will be the same ones voting this time.

The Myth Of A Bad Economy= Democratic Victory- People vote based on the person, period. Who do they like? Who do they feel comfortable with? As these debates continue and McCain makes his case on the economic situation, I believe McCain can cut into Obama’s lead on the economic issues enough to win in November. If McCain starts running ads that label Obama as a radical tax increaser, then McCain will have this election in the bag. Every answer in the next two debates, I don’t care what the question is, needs to paint the picture of Obama as a “tax and spend liberal.” That’s how McCain, if he does it, will win.

Final Thoughts- If this is truly a “transformational election” the likes of which we have never seen, fine, I will cheerfully admit to being wrong and eat crow diligently. But there is something going on out there I think the media is missing. I think there is anger over this “bailout bill” and I think the public is frankly sick of both candidates.

Senator Obama has shown himself to be just a politician, and when you are relying on the support of idealistic youth, this is the worst thing that can happen to you. The only person who benefits from dampened enthusiasm is McCain. Unless Obama starts pulling away and recapturing some of the magic of the primaries, I believe McCain is going to win by default.

One quick caveat I would like to mention, and I will discuss this in greater detail at a later date, if Sarah Palin blows the debate this week it is over. I like Sarah, I am rooting for her, but she needs to get better in public. I don’t think Sarah Palin can win the election for McCain, but she might lose it for him if she doesn’t learn a lesson from her interviews and get better prepared. It looks like shes headed for debate camp this week and that is excellent news because, frankly, she needs it. These are just my opinions though, what do you think? I encourage comments and discussions but please keep it civil. Until next time…

Sunday Reads

Today is a family day for me, but there are some great stories out there today I wanted to link to.

Bailout Plan Finalized- More on this on Monday, but it looks like the House Republicans can claim victory, a lot of Democratic pork was taken out of this bill. Full details at HotAir.

Family Did Not Want Obama To Wear Sons Bracelet- During the debate Obama, after forgetting the soldiers name, trumpeted his bracelet as a tribute to a fallen soldier. One problem, the family doesn't want him wearing it. More on this at NewsBusters.

SNL On Sarah Palin- It was very funny stuff. I am hoping that this week there is solid debate prep for her. I like her like everyone else does, but man was that Katie Couric interview bad. HotAir has the SNL parody.

Liberalism Is Ruining Archaeology- London Locke over at Trunk Report has a very interstig story about Liberalism's affect on destroying archaeology. It's a bit different from the kind of articles I post so be sure to check him out.

On The Lighter Side, How About Some Football?- Scott Martin has a great Football blog Smart Plays which is perfect for all of you football fans, especially those of you who bet on the games. If you are looking for something lighter be sure to check it out.

Final Thoughts- I hope everyone likes the stories and I will be back tomorrow with an original post on the current state of the election. Have a great Sunday everyone!

Round One McCain

First let me say how much fun I had over at the Patriot Room Blog, it was a great time discussing the debate with my fellow bloggers. Before I give you my opinion on why McCain won, its important for you to know that I am not saying this to cheer lead “our guy.” If Obama would have won tonight I would have said so, I would have started the death march for the McCain camp because I will always be honest and give you my real opinion. Lets talk about why he won tonight:

McCain Took Control Of The Debate- From the first question on McCain set the rhythm and the tone of the debate. He was calm but forceful and never let Obama get away with his talking points. Obama on the other hand looked angry, nervous and smug and struggled through his answers. This was an embarrassment for Obama, from beginning to end.

Jim Lehrer Let The Candidates Debate Freely- This benefited McCain, he wasn’t restricted in calling out Obama for his “naiveté.” Obama seemed unsure of himself and frankly didn’t seem to know the issues, especially foreign policy. McCain came to play tonight and seemed to revel in the fight. He took it to Obama frequently and forced Obama off of his game. Obama had three days devoted to debate prep, but I guess that wasn’t enough.

“ I Agree With John”- The smart folks over at the McCain camp already have an new ad out that illustrates how many times Obama agreed with McCain. Look, this is politics 101, you don’t agree with your opponent especially when he is saying you are “naïve” and that “he doesn’t understand.” This ad is going to play often and even the crew at the liberal MSNBC thought he blew it by saying that so much. Chris Mathews went so far as to call it “Nixonian” because he compared what happened tonight with what happened between Kennedy and Nixon. Nixon conceded many points to Kennedy, and he lost. It is not tough to see the parallel here.

Final Thoughts- You all watched this debate so I want to know what you think because you are the people that matter. The mainstream media is trying to paint tonight as an Obama win, even conservative commentators are saying this, but they are wrong. Tonight is an example of why I became a blogger in the first place. I know what I saw. The politico’s, even the conservative ones, don’t have a clue. Now that I told you my opinion, what do you think?

Tonight's Debate

Just wanted to give an FYI for tonight's debate, I will be over at Bill Dupray's site The Patriot Room blogging about the debate as it happens. After the debate I will be posting my analysis back on this site to sum up the evening. So if you have some time and want to make comments and follow along, head on over at 8:45 Eastern time. I'll see you guys there!

Tick, Tock

So it looks like the Paulson bailout deal is all but dead and the prospects of tonight’s debate are becoming dubious, though still likely. Even though things are looking bad as of this morning, I believe a bill of some sort will be framed out today. But lets not kid ourselves, the clock is ticking and what happens over the next 24 hours will have great impact on the campaign. To win the American people over and gain their trust, here is what needs to happen today:

Pass Something Already- The Paulson plan is not going to pass because house republicans hate it. That’ s fine, in fact most people agree with the republicans. The Paulson Bill is bloated and wasteful, but what is the alternative? My message to house republicans is this; you had better have an alternative bill that can pass. The democrats, every day this bill does not pass, are going to blame McCain and the GOP. McCain went to Washington to demonstrate he can work with both parties to get something done, so help him out a bit. One final thought on this topic for the house GOP, if you think this bill is outrageous and bloated, just wait until a President Obama is in office and he submits his first budget. What you are doing today will have a large impact on the election and I would humbly submit that maybe getting everything you want on this bill isn’t worth losing the election. Just think about it.

McCain Can’t Lose Face, But He Has To Debate- This is a very precarious day for McCain because he needs to accomplish two things; sticking to his word, but also attending the debate. According to Survey USA 74 percent of the American people want a debate tonight, he needs to debate tonight. A framework of a bailout bill has to be done today and hopefully done by early afternoon so McCain can justify attending the debate tonight. The House GOP has quite a bit of power today and I hope they use it wisely. If McCain shows up tonight and the bill isn’t finished he will look like a liar. On the flipside if he keeps to his word the democrats will accuse him of being a coward. Bottom line, that bill has got to get done today for McCain’s sake.

Debate Advice- I believe the debate ultimately will happen this evening and I think McCain has a big opportunity to take this election and start running away with it if he does the following:

• Pithy Answers- Let Obama sound like a gasbag, use the Saddleback Debate as a guide and keep it crisp.

• Control Temper- Be passionate but take it easy, don’t start glaring and getting fidgety in your chair.

• “My Friends”- This is a statement that just needs to die already, you sound very tense when you say it and it’s a verbal crutch you need to get over.

• Engage- Do not let him get away with anything, forget the moderators, they are not on your side anyways. If he lies about you or your record go after him, interrupt him if necessary.

• It’s The Democrats, Stupid- Whatever problems the moderator mentions, you take it and put a democratic stamp on it. Do not throw Bush under the bus this isn’t about him. Go after your real enemies for once and draw clear differences.

Final Thoughts- This is the big night tonight, after all the pre election season garbage the big game is finally starting. If McCain nails his points in the next 24 hours, gets this bailout bill ready to go and starts taking it to Obama then this race is pretty much over. If this next 24-hour period goes terribly wrong… well, I don’t want to think about that. Until tomorrow…

High Noon In Washington

Today both presidential candidates are going to Washington to try and get an economic bailout that will actually pass. Events in Washington today will determine if we even have a debate on Friday. Yesterday, McCain made a bold but risky move by suspending his campaign in order to deal with the financial crisis. It was a grown up decision, but we don’t know yet if it was smart politically. President Bush helped McCain when he stepped in and invited both candidates to Washington. This allowed McCain to look ahead of the curve but it also allowed Obama to save face. As we lead into the debates, here is what needs to be accomplished today:


Get This Bill Done- This bill needs to be fixed and passed today. Wall Street needs to be assured that the Government is going to save them or we are going to keep having these record falls on Wall Street. Now I know some very smart conservatives are opposed to the whole concept of this bill, but as Americans look at their 401Ks I guarantee they are soon going to join the chorus for a bailout. Like I said yesterday, none of us like this bill, but it has to pass.


Let Sarah Out Of Her Cage- Look McCain camp, I understand you want to save her for the debates, but that strategy has to change. This is a very serious time and people are looking to be assured and have their questions answered by her. Let her make a new speech and get out in front with McCain. If McCain is in Washington today suspending his campaign, she needs to be out making the case. If the Presidential and Vice Presidential debates get delayed, she needs to be out sooner rather then later.


Final Thoughts- This is the moment, from today forward, that the American people are going to start hanging on every word. Whoever looks most Presidential in the crisis wins, period. Starting today McCain needs to eat and breathe the economy and aggressively take the lead. If the bill doesn’t pass tonight, don’t leave; stay until it does even if you take the hit for delaying the debate. People will remember who acted in this crisis and who just reacted. The election, Mr. McCain, is entirely in your hands. What you do today and tomorrow will matter more then any ad. Stay tuned things are getting interesting….

McCain Takes A Stand

John McCain is a genius. I am sitting here laughing at the brilliance of this move to force Obama to make a decision when it comes to the economic bailout bill. For those of you who do not know, here is the big news of the day via Drudge Report

McCain Suspends Campaign To Focus On Economy; Wants Debate Delay

How brilliantly smart is this? This is a message to those swing voters out there that there is only one grownup in this election and it is not Obama. Now the Obama folks are trying to put out the spin that McCain is trying to duck the debate. Oh yeah Obama camp, McCain is scared of a foreign policy debate. That will sell to the American people.


Final Thought- With the President speaking tonight and McCain off to Washington, the Republicans are finally taking leadership on this bill and putting as McCain would say "Country First." The American people will take notice, stay tuned for the ensuing nose dive for the Obama campaign poll numbers..

Conservative Panic

Perspective. This is a very important word especially in this election. Can I go out on a limb and say something here? Nothing matters yet. From a purely political point of view polls, campaign ads and economic fears do not matter politically yet. After Friday, everything will matter. Conservative journalists are having a collective panic attack over Obama’s rising in the polls, this idiotic economic bailout and McCain’s lack of leadership. Lets break it down from a political perspective so we can all calm down a bit.

Obama’s “Rising”- Can I be absolutely frank? I find the current polls, especially the Washington Post Poll, to be nonsense. This poll in particular shows Obama leading McCain 52 percent to 43 percent. Not to be too snarky about this, but please. It is an embarrassingly tiny sample with only 1, 082 voters over an entire week!

The Gallup Poll interviews 1000 people daily and their daily tracking poll show Obama 47 and McCain 44. This poll shows that McCain is closing the gap with Obama, but again it really doesn’t matter at this point.

A Yahoo Poll shows that 18 percent of people are undecided. So what does this mean? Nothing, these polls are garbage right now so don't waste your time. Mid next week, after people have digested the debates, we will see where this election is headed.

Economic Bailout- This bill is a bloated disgrace, but some form of this thing is going to pass and it needs to. From a purely political perspective, keeping my own conservative disgust of this bill out of it, this bill needs to pass and soon. We do not have the time during this election season to hedge and relinquish this issue to the Democrats. The FBI is looking into the collapse of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae and this is great news, because I think some of our Democratic congressmen are going to be caught in that net.

In the meantime, we have to fix this thing now, even if it is only a band-aid. Let’s get this issue off the table, pass the bill, elect John McCain in the fall and allow him and Sarah Palin to start cutting the size of government. This is a weird situation we are in, but we have to think long term, so lets get that stock market back up and these headlines off the papers.

McCain’s Lack Of Leadership- Here is the thing about politicians, and yes McCain is one, they want to get elected. McCain has to dance around this economic bailout issue for the same reason the rest of us have to. We hate the economic bailout bill on principle, but we are more fearful of what will happen if we don’t do it. McCain hates pork barrel spending, like we all do, but how do you ignore the Treasury Secretary? McCain needs to make a decision quickly and then start hammering Obama daily and pressure him to come to Washington and vote on the issue. Will Obama show up to vote on the bill? Will he actually DO something instead of talk? We shall see, but I would guess not.

Final Thoughts- The bottom line folks is we are just going to have to hang in a bit. This bill is going to pass, we are not going to like it and the media is going to have a great time releasing polls every two seconds trying to depress the Republican vote. Stop worrying, this is still preseason and it does not start counting until Friday. It’s a foreign policy debate Friday, McCain is going to wipe the floor with this guy and you are going to see movement similar to what happened after the convention. Just hang in and don’t buy into what you read. Until tomorrow…

Election Projections

Forget what you are hearing in the media because its nonsense. This race isn’t even as close as what is being portrayed, so I thought it would be fun a few days out from the first debate to take a look at different scenarios and what the candidates need to do to win. As you will see, it’s a much greater uphill battle for Obama then McCain:

269-269 Scenario- If this thing is close and one candidate doesn’t break away, this is what we are looking at potentially. There are many different ways to get to a tie, its almost painfully easy to do. Here is what would happen, as written by the Washington Times, if this scenario occurred:

On Nov. 5, the presidential election winds up in a electoral-college tie, 269-269, the Democrat-controlled House picks Sen. Barack Obama as president, but the Senate, with former Democrat Joe Lieberman voting with Republicans, deadlocks at 50-50, so Vice President Dick Cheney steps in to break the tie to make Republican Sarah Palin his successor.

Sound impossible? It's not. There are at least a half-dozen plausible ways the election can end in a tie, and at least one very plausible possibility - giving each candidate the states in which they now lead in the polls, only New Hampshire - which went Republican in 2000 and Democratic in 2004, each time by just 1.5 percent - needs to swap to the Republican column to wind up with a 269-269 tie.

While no one wants this scenario, I have to say it would be quite entertaining if this whole election came down to Dick Cheney. Democrats may want to start that mass migration to Canada now, its not looking good.

It’s A Much Tougher Map For Obama- McCain has a much easier time at the traditional electoral map. All McCain has to do is carry the traditionally solid red states and take Florida and Ohio. This is well within reach for the McCain camp. While Virginia and Colorado are showing some slippage for McCain, its nothing compared to what’s going on for Obama. Currently Obama is struggling with New Hampshire, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Florida. This guy is spending hand over fist and cannot break away in these states. While the press touts his tiny 4 point lead in a national Gallup Poll, the truth of the matter is he should be much farther ahead like Kerry was at this point. While Republicans are hemming and hawing about this election I would much rather be in McCain’s position then Obama’s.

Final Thoughts- Look, the election should be Obama’s and therefore the impetus is on him to win this election. He has money, the country is having economic problems, and he has the entire press core. This race should not be this close, period. Before you start believing the nonsense in the press about how Obama is pulling ahead remember this is an electoral state battle and right now McCain is on the offense, while Obama is on the retreat. Until tomorrow…

A Pivotal Week For John McCain

Preseason is over folks, as the first debate looms ever closer. While I believe the fundamentals of John McCain’s campaign are strong, there is starting to be a perception that Obama is retaking his lead. On this week leading up to Friday’s debate the McCain campaign need to reclaim the energy and momentum. Here is what I believe needs to be accomplished this week.

Get Back To Using Thematic Ads- The best week the McCain camp had before Sarah Palin was when Steve Schmidt unveiled the “Celebrity” ads. This was a masterstroke by the McCain campaign because it started defining Obama for the voters. This week a new crop of thematic ads need to appear. The McCain camp has released an ad that will hopefully be the first in a series to air this week. The ad is titled “Chicago Machine” and lays out Obama’s past associations. This is good, this whole week there should be “Chicago Machine” ads that will allow the folks around Obama to be exposed and thus change the narrative of the campaign leading up to the pivotal first debate.

Romney Should Be Traveling To Michigan And Colorado- I know Mitt Romney is on McCain’s economic commission, but he needs to be used to greater advantage. Mitt Romney, I believe, can only do John McCain good in both Colorado and Michigan. Colorado has a fairly substantial LDS population that can be rallied by Romney and Michigan is just waiting to be plucked from the democratic column. Romney has economic leadership that can be used to reassure and shore up these two states for McCain. Romney has been all over television, but he needs to be on the ground in these two states. McCain has a great asset in Mitt Romney during this economic uncertainty. He just needs to use him correctly.

Practice, Practice, Practice- You need to be prepared John, there will be no friendly or even fair questions directed your way. The format of these debates will allow for a great deal of back and forth between the candidates and this is a great development. Stay on offense, don’t be deferential and start conceding points. The moment you sound apologetic and concede any issue to Obama its over, you lose the debate. Get your message out, leave Bush alone, talk about why this economic mess was caused by bad democratic policies, and finally bring home those national security points. Though I hate to bring back this clichéd word from the 2000 campaign, show some “gravitas”. It is your job in this first debate to marginalize Obama, put him on defense and keep him there.

Final Thoughts- The media, as begun on Morning Joe this morning, is painting the McCain campaign as “off their game” and “starting to fall behind.” Frankly, I have looked at these polls and I do not believe that, yet. Recapturing the momentum leading up to the debate will be the McCain camps task and if they can do it and stay on offence in the debate, the Obama folks are going to be in for a rough October. Until tomorrow…

The Ever Present Hubris Problem Of The Obama Campaign

I'm starting to wonder if the Obama Campaign knows something that the rest of us do not. They must really think they have the election in the bag to be making so many careless and arrogant mistakes. Susan Estrich, a vocal democrat and former Dukakis adviser, compares Obama's arrogance to Dukakis's by citing this example:

I’m also told that Sen. Obama himself projected great confidence that he will win this race. Is he really so confident? Who knows. Candidates tend to live in bubbles.

I remember, after a meeting between then-candidate Dukakis and various party and congressional leaders prior to the disastrous second debate, Gov. Dukakis projected so much confidence that more than one of the people in attendance took me aside afterwards to find out if he was following the polls. Of course, no one said that to him.

Yes, I know that polls released this week show Obama back ahead by about 4 points but I am shocked that Obama and his campaign are taking comfort in that. The polls traditionally overstate democratic strength and if you're not 10 points ahead, then you are behind. But, like I stated at the first, apparently the Obama campaign knows something the rest of us do not. How else do you explain the following:

Letting Michelle Obama Back Speak Publically- Haven't they learned by now that if they want to hide who the Obama's really are that they can't let this woman out in public? Here is Michelle stepping in it once again at a campaign event:

People shouldn't make a decision this time based on, 'I like that guy' or 'she's cute,' she said.

Gee, who could she be talking about there? A moment after her comment she lamely said she was talking about herself "being cute." It was obvious she was talking about Sarah Palin, even the glazed over audience figured that one out. It was just dumb, I keep hearing about what an "educated" and "intelligent" woman Michelle Obama is, but I have yet to see evidence of it.

Blatantly Lying About Rush Limbaugh- Here is what the Obama campaign is to obtuse to realize. You do not pick a fight with this guy, period, especially if you are blantantly lying about his remarks. You are now guaranteeing yourself hammering not only from Limbaugh but all of talk radio and I mean serious hammering. Some of you are thinking, "well, Rush picks on the guy anyways." This is true, but now its going to be personal with him and the attacks will sharpen and it will make its way into the news cycle. Limbaugh isn't a big fan of McCain anyone who has ever listened even briefly knows this, but now expect Limbaugh unleashed. I'm not even going to repeat the lies on this blog, but the Obama campaign has made a severe rookie mistake that will cost them big time in November.

Final Thoughts- I believe that insiders in the Obama campaign truly believe this election is locked up, that they will win the debates and that ultimately because the American people are disappointed in George Bush that Obama will be anointed with the Presidency. I would be shocked if this scenario took place because that is not the feel I'm getting from this campaign. The debates will be pivotal and I cannot wait for them, but have no doubt that as we speak voters are solidifying their impressions. We have seen Obama debate, he's not that great, but to quote Susan Estrich "of course, no one has said that to him." Until Monday, have a great weekend...

What??

The headline above represents my overall feeling about what has been going on with the Obama Campaign and the media. Lets see if we can make sense of what they have been doing strategy wise with their, Obama's and the media's, campaign.

Biden Says Its Patriotic To Raise Taxes- After watching this guy on Good Morning America one has to wonder if he is actively trying to sabotage an already damaged campaign. Here is how Hot Air reported it:

Biden told ABC’s “Good Morning America” on Thursday that, in his words, “it’s time to be patriotic … time to jump in, time to be part of the deal, time to help get America out of the rut.”

So, let me get this straight, to help a struggling economy, the patriotic thing to do is to raise taxes and drive businesses out of America? It's quite funny that someone from the Obama campaign is lecturing us on patriotism, I mean do you really want to go there?

The Candidate Of Hope Is Getting A Bit Angry- Someone is sounding a bit less "hopeful" on the campaign trail these days and a bit more desperate. Here's a gem from a recent campaign stop:

"I need you to go out and talk to your friends and talk to your neighbors. I want you to talk to them whether they are independent or whether they are Republican. I want you to argue with them and get in their face," he said

Let me tell you something Obama, your glassy eyed followers are already loud and obnoxious so don't worry they are making plenty of noise and that doesn't exactly help you. What I love about what's happening with Obama now is that the true Chicago street guy is finally coming out. This dude who hung out with his buddies Tony Rezko, William Ayers, Reverand Wright and no doubt other angry folks is finally showing who he really is.

Polls Have To Over Sample Democrats In Order To Make McCain/Obama Even- The media's campaign for Obama has really hit a new low. Here is CBS News:

In a sign that John McCain's convention bounce has dissipated, Barack Obama has taken a 48 percent to 43 percent lead over his Republican rival among registered voters in the latest CBS News/New York Times poll.

This would be a bit startling to the McCain supporters, until you look at who they asked. In the sample it was 42% democrats, 32% Republicans, 28% Independents. So there is a 10 point discrepency between Republicans and Democrats and Obama only leads by 5? But this demonstrates how desperate the media is to change the narrative of the campaign. This is bad news for Obama, not good news.

Final Thoughts- The first debate is going to be the most pivotal event of this election and I believe after that debate we will have a more clear view on things. The media and the Obama campaign are going to do everything in there power to pull this off and it's up to us to call them out on bias, bad strategy and outright lying. Until tomorrow...

Nails In Obama's Coffin...

Things are just not going well for the "Hope" and "Change" candidate Barack Obama. The democrats are becoming increasingly nervous and with stories like the ones below, its easy to see why:

Prominent Clinton Backer Set To Endorse McCain- This is from CNN's Political Ticker:

Lynn Forester de Rothschild, a prominent Hillary Clinton supporter and member of the Democratic National Committee’s Platform Committee, will endorse John McCain for president on Wednesday, her spokesman tells CNN.

Forester will “campaign and help him through the election,” the spokesman said of her plans to help the Republican presidential nominee.

Man, this guy cannot catch a break can he? What's interesting to me about this announcement is who Lynn Forester de Rothschild represents, she represents older white women who have not taken a shine with Obama. There are a lot of women out there like this and they are growing by the day thanks to Sarah Palin. If Obama cannot beat McCain among women he is toast, he needs women and it looks like he isn't going to get enough of them.

It's Close In New Jersey - Look, I don't think McCain is actually going to win this state, but what this represents is that he cannot close the deal with white women and white blue collar voters. According to Marist College Institute For Public Opinion Poll Obama leads 48% to 45% . If Obama is going to have to start defending these solidly blue states there will be nothing to stop the bleeding. He doesn't have enough money to do the 50 state strategy he wants and this does not help matters. Even with the hollywood fundraisers, that campaign is bleeding money and we are still close to 50 days from the election.

Obama Is Losing On Economic Issues- Perhaps I should have led with this story because this is truly telling. According to Rasmussen Daily Tracking Poll John McCain is leading on "who do you trust more with the economy" by 49% to 45%! This is huge because this is the one advantage Obama has had and it has evaporated. While the democrats gleefully celebrate bad economic news perhaps it is time for a new strategy. McCain is leading on leadership, experience, foreign affairs and now the economy? Oh is the democratic party wishing for Hillary Clinton about now...

Final Thoughts- Though much of McCain's recent success is attributed to Sarah Palin, I would argue that though that is true something else is occurring here. Obama is failing and badly. The Republicans waiting until late summer to start slamming this guy and he does not know how to handle it. His campaign has been disjointed and poorly managed. Yes McCain is doing well, but what's truly shocking is how badly Obama is starting to flounder...

McCain Calls Mika Brzezinski Out...And Other Fun Stories

What I'm Reading This Morning

John McCain Calls Out Mika As An Obama Supporter- John McCain in an interview with Morning Joe stated that Mika was a "supporter of Obama" and told her to "check his website" if she wanted the facts. I have to say as a follower of Morning Joe that McCain was right on the money and I think its smart to be aggressive. MSNBC is a network you can say without hesitation is solidly in the tank for Obama and I think its funny that McCain himself called her out.

It's All Good In The Economy For The Obama Elite- So, to further distance himself from being called a celebrity, Obama has made the brilliant campaign move of hosting a 28,500 a plate hollywood fundraiser in Beverly Hills. So I guess the "broken economy" isn't to terrible for your friends Barrack now is it? After the overpriced meal guests can then fork over another 2,500 dollars to hear Barbara Streisand sing. Way to stay on message Obama, well done.

New Fake Us Weekly Scandal "Tanning Bed Gate"- If you still have a subscription to Us Weekly, um why? Showing that they are so solidly in the tank for Obama there is no low they will not sink to, Us Weekly has made a story out of the fact Sarah Palin bought a tanning bed and put it in the Governor's Mansion. The taxpayers did not pay for it, she bought the tanning bed used, because its dark half the year in Alaska and that can not only get depressing but its easy to become deficient in vitamin D. Its her money, her choice, there is no story. This is how desperate they are at this point, sad.

Obama Continues To Try To Silence Critics- This story is a scary one folks because if this guy gets elected then say hello to the "Fairness Doctorine." This is from The Swamp Blog:

Chicago radio station WGN-AM is again coming under attack from the presidential campaign of Sen. Barack Obama for offering airtime to a controversial author. It is the second time in recent weeks the station has been the target of an "Obama Action Wire" alert to supporters of the Illinois Democrat.

This isn't the first time the Obama Campaign has done this and it will not be the last. They have threatened lawsuits to 527 groups and have tried to intimidate radio and television managers into not running anything they deam "anti-Obama." You want to know a big reason why Im not voting for the guy? This is it, free speech is a big issue and one you should weigh carefully before making your vote.

Final Thoughts- Things are getting a bit desperate in Obama Land so expect a lot of noise from them in the coming weeks leading to the debate. The polls are not going his way and the media and his campaign are getting desperate. Stay tuned...

Send An Email For McCain

As you know, Obama has created an ad belittling John McCain for not being able to use email. Michael Graham has written an email to Senator Obama lambasting Obama for his attack on a veteran. John McCain can't use email because it hurts the guy, because he was hung by his arms and has a hard time raising them now. Is this your new tone Barry? Go on over to Michael's site and check out his great piece.

What The Politico's Care About Doesn't Matter

The most overpaid job in this country is that of "political analyst," because these people do not have a clue. Politics is a gut feel for most people, they look at a person and they either connect or they do not, period. Obama's success at the beginning of this election cycle is that a lot of people, who lets face it didn't have a clue what he stood for, liked him. This morning almost every morning cable news show was proudly trumpeting Obamas "tough new ads." Ok, reality check please, it doesn't matter. His ad talked about the "lobbyists running the McCain Campaign," wow, thats really tough. Way to punch back with a topic people can care less about. The average American one, doesn't buy that McCain is run by lobbyists and also they are for more concerned about the folks hanging out with Obama then McCain's pals. Here are some other overanalyzed nonsense that only politicos care about.

Editorial Opinion Pages- Look, I don't know many people in mainstream America who wake up excitedly to read the next Maureen Dowd collumn. You wouldn't know that by watching cable shows in the morning, in their minds editorial collumnists are shaping what Americans are talking about and what they are thinking about. Yeah, not exactly. Newspaper subscriptions are down dramatically and The New York Times are barely making a profit. No one cares, seriously, stop harping on it already.

The Insipid Gallup Daily Tracking Poll- In election after election we are inundated with polls as news stories. As Obama would say, "enough already." How is it news that about 10 percent of the electorate is uninformed and therefore go back and forth between candidates? We all know people like this and these people should not be our focus on a daily basis because frankly they are not that bright and they typically do not vote anyways. Take a poll the day before the election and leave it at that, to take a daily poll tells you nothing and its just time filler for the cable heads.

Celebrity Endorsements- I do not care what Matt Damon, Lindsey Lohan, Pamela Anderson or the rest of them think about politics and I don't know anyone who does. I mean every time one of these morons speak it becomes a drudge report headline! Why?? I mean if celebrity endorsements matter, we sure havent seen that reflected in election results. Show me in an exit poll that a celebrity endorsement made a difference to voters, until you can do that media stop giving these people attention. You want attention celebrities? Why don't you try making a movie worth seeing instead of using your politics for media coverage because no one cares anymore, hmm Lindsey Lohan?

Final Thoughts- As I have illustrated in a previous post I think McCain and Palin are going to win this thing, and possibly pretty handily. The media on election night are going to be shocked and appalled just like last election and then blame it on racist Republicans or some such nonsense. They don't get it, its almost embarrassing how badly the media reads these elections. Stay tuned for the madness...

Mark Levin Shows What Was Left Out Of Palin Interview

The hatchet job at ABC News is appalling, especially when you look at what was left out. The Great One Mark Levin has the full transcript of the interview and what was left out.

Sarah Shines In Interview Conclusion

Displaying poise and grace Sarah Palin nailed it in her final interview with the pompous Charlie Gibson. I have to tell you after the first interview I was hoping she would get her confidence back and she did. Stylistically she changed her posture, she stopped gesturing and she kept her tone friendly and kept the smile on her face. Charlie Gibson was so out of his depth I actually felt bad for the guy at one point. He asked her insane question he would never ask Obama, hit attempt at further "gotcha" questions backfired big time.

She Had Depth- In this interview Sarah really went there and explained her positons in depth and went beyond the surface. She answered the questions the way she wanted to and wasnt afraid to really engage. Extraordinarily impressive growth from the first interview to this interview.

Charlie Gibson Blew It Again- His whole demeanor was offensive to my entire being. A lot of women, myself included, were watching this interview and thinking "he would never ask this or have this tone with a man." The lecturing community college professor thing is really old, Charlie she is a Governor of Alaska not your student, have some respect.

Stylistically She Nailed It- She looked better, sounded better and controlled her gestures much better. She was confident in her own message and it showed and the friendly Sarah was back in a big way. She took Charlie to task in the nicest possible way and it was so appealing. I found myself just fascinated by this woman. She looked powerful and feminine all at the same time. Way to go Sarah!

Final Thoughts- Sarah improved in leaps in bounds from the previous interview. If I'm Joe Biden, Im watching her and thinking "uh oh." Can't wait for the next interview...

On "Gotcha" Pop Quiz, Sarah Scores

Charles Gibson of Abc News had the first opportunity to interview Sarah Palin and he blows it by looking like a condescending community college teacher. After watching the interview I have a question for Mr. Gibson. "Can you sir, look the American people in the eye and really say that you have the intellectual fortitude to be a journalist?" I mean, I'm just modeling this question after the type of questions you asked Governor Palin, so thats fair right? This interview was a "Gotcha" quiz that Sarah was prepared for. Heres what she did right and what she needs to continue to improve on because the media is out to destroy her:

Charlie Came Off So Bad, It Made Her Better- The tone that Charlie took with Sarah was just embarrassing, heres an example from the Abc News transcript after Gibson asked about The Bush Doctrine and if we have the right to invade a country if our security is threatened. (Emphasis added)

PALIN: Now, as for our right to invade, we're going to work with these countries, building new relationships, working with existing allies, but forging new, also, in order to, Charlie, get to a point in this world where war is not going to be a first option. In fact, war has got to be, a military strike, a last option.

GIBSON: But, Governor, I'm asking you: We have the right, in your mind, to go across the border with or without the approval of the Pakistani government.

PALIN: In order to stop Islamic extremists, those terrorists who would seek to destroy America and our allies, we must do whatever it takes and we must not blink, Charlie, in making those tough decisions of where we go and even who we target.


GIBSON: And let me finish with this. I got lost in a blizzard of words there. Is that a yes?

Yes Charlie, its a yes, like she said quite clearly. I mean his insipid question of "Do you support the Bush Doctrine?" She said, quite reasonably, "In what respect?" What Gibson doesnt seem to understand is that the Bush Doctrine as he calls it has more then one meaning. If he wanted to ask about preemptive strikes then he should have asked about that, not lectured her on what he thinks the Bush Doctrine means. The Bush Doctrine, Charlie, can mean Bush's policy and ideology that promotes the democratization of the middle east, it can mean almost any aspect of his foreign policy. It was a ridiculous "gotcha" question that she handled quite well.

She Needs Stylistic Improvement- Watching the interview I think the tone of the "pop quiz" interview got Sarah off guard a bit and put her on the defensive. Part of her appeal is the ability to attack with a smile on her face and that was missing last night. Don't let the interviewer get you off your game, ignore him, speak to the audience and bring them on your side. Also, the gesturing is a problem. What works well on a podium does not play well on a sit down interview. Keep the gesturing to a minimum. I know that your tough and you want to come across as tough, but its distracting. Smile, speak to the audience and calm your movements.

Why She Scored Despite Her Problems- Despite what I mentioned above, the terrible interviewer and stylistic problems, she won in this interview. She won because she came across as intelligent and genuine if just a bit green in these interviews. I wanted, like Peggy Noonan, to learn more about Sarah. She was interesting and engaging and there is this fire and passion within her that is frankly refreshing. Round two of the interview will air tonight. Stay tuned America...

September 11, 2001 In Memorium

We remember and use this day to honor the victims of that great disaster but also our nations troops still in harms way. Politics aside, today is for them.

Joe Biden, The Gift That Keeps On Giving

Oh the excitement and drama the proceeded Obama's VP pick, Obama had the media in a tizzy just trying to guess just who HE, The One, would pick. Then the other shoe dropped, all that buzz was just for Joe Biden, better known as the "mouth" in the senate. During the debates Joe opined that Barack was "not ready to lead," and that the White House "was not the place for on the job training." If you havent heard this yet, you will, its already been in numerous McCain commercials. Now Joe, showing his usual penchant for placing his foot in his mouth further denograted Obama's decision making by saying:

"Make no mistake about this, Hillary Clinton is as qualified or more qualified than I am to be vice president of the United States of America. Let’s get that straight. She’s a truly close personal friend, she is qualified to be president of the United States of America, she’s easily qualified to be vice president of the United States of America, and quite frankly, it might have been a better pick than me."

E tu Brute? So not only do you have Republican's questioning Obama's judgement, now his running mate is too. Joe's right, he is a lousy pick and heres why:

Joe Biden Has Zero Filter- Man can this guy talk, if you have ever watched one of his Senate hearings, and that takes an excercise in patience, you know this guy bloviates even more the Bill O Reily and thats tough to do. Biden is a guy, like Obama, who feels entitled and feels smarter then everyone in the room. He will say whatever he wants and has in the past, when he isn't busying plagerizing other people in his speeches he uses his time to opine on any topic presented to them. This guy actually said that Sarah Palin's nomination is "a step backward for women." Um, excuse me? I don't care what your political affiliation is, here is a woman with five children, is a Governor and is a heartbeat away from the Presidency. Oh Joe, just keep talking, these ads are writing themselves as I type.

Joe Biden's Foreign Policy History Is Scarier Then Obama's- Look, I get it Obama Campaign, you wanted a guy who would shore up Obama's lack of foreign policy credentials. But Biden? First of all his record on foreign policy is laughable. He was against the first Persian Gulf War, which was a rousing success and then he voted for the war in Iraq but against the surge. Come again? So you are telling me if I vote for Obama/Biden Im getting an inexperienced Presidential candidate combined with a guy who over 20 years has displayed poor military judgement? Well, sign me up! In this time of escalating tensions with Russia and the middle east I'm sure that would be a wise decision for the electorate to make. (Sigh)

Final Thoughts- Everyone in the media is salivating for the Vice Presidential debate because they think this is where Biden will redeem himself as a good VP pick. Yeah, I'm going to put my money on no. The media has constantly underestimated Sarah and overestimated Biden and this will be to their detriment. Biden is not a strong debater, I watched him in the Democratic Primary and his performance was blustery and uneven. Hillary vs. Palin, now that would have been something to see. Alas, Obama hitched his star to a proven loser who couldnt muster up enough presidential votes to fill an average high school. Wrong move rookie, wrong move.

Turning Sarah Palin Into Barbie

After the Democratic and Republican conventions there is one thing that is clear, Sarah Palin has connected to voters and the media and Obama campaign are having a collective freakout. Trash that used to be found only on the internet has now made its way onto our televisions and newspapers. Sarah has been critized for, being a mom, being a working mom, being a mayor of a small town, her hairstyle, being a governor, being pretty, being dumb, ect ect. The insanity in which we now find ourselves in this election cycle is only just beginning. The elite media and the Obama campaign are out to destroy Sarah Palin by painting her as too pretty and dumb. Here is why shes going to destroy her critics:

They Don't Call Her Barracuda For Nothing- As a tough woman myself, I recognize a kindred spirit and that is what Sarah Palin is, tough as nails. I bet she and the McCain love playing rope a dope with the press knowing full well shes going to do great in interviews and the debates. This woman is not a weeper, shes not going to hide from her critics, a girl like this welcomes her critics. Her first test is with Charlie Gibson who will have two unfettered days to interview Sarah. They, the media, expect her to look like an ignorant hillbilly. Boy do they have another thing coming. In Alaska there are many dead political careers thanks to Mrs. Palin, I suspect after this election a few journalism careers will be buried as well.

Steve Schmit- Steve is the genious who took over McCains floundering campaign in early summer and is responsible for those "celebrity" ads. This guy, like Sarah, is tough and disciplined and is ready for any counter attack against Sarah. No more does the McCain campaign care about catering to the media, they see the media as the enemy and they are right to think that. Steve has already formed a "truth squad" which will go after any Sarah Palin smear. They are just itching to fire both barrels at even the slightest smear on Governor Palin.

Hillary Wont Hit Her- The most interesting aspect to this new Sarah Palin obsessed media is Hillary Clinton's reaction to it. Nothing. Shes not going to touch her. The one person who can help bring back those women voters to team Obama is doing no such thing. I bet her thinking is, "well they were to arrogant to pick me, so if they are so smart they can fight there own battles." Shes not going to allienate her base of women to help a guy she doesnt think deserves to be President.

Final Thoughts- Look, you dont go from the PTA to Governor of Alaska because all you have is your looks. Shes smart, steely and even I would say a bit cocky which she needs to be. Shes not an empty headed barbie doll like some in the media and Obama camp seem to think. Democrats out there you can keep hitting her, but its like your hitting a brick wall, your only going to make yourself bleed more. Until next time...

Predictions For The Fall

Unfortunately I was unable to comment on the GOP convention like I did the Democratic convention because I was on a well deserved vacation. Let me just say in summary that I found the GOP convention to be far more successful then the dems and not just because way more people watched. Sarah Palin has single handedly saved the Republican nominee and the GOP party this election cycle. So what does this all mean? I'm going to go out on a limb and predict to you all right now that John McCain is going to win this election and I think fairly easily. Here are some key points to consider:

Ratings Matter- Consider how hyped the Democratic Convention was. Given how excited the media was, surely the nation couldnt wait to watch right? Wrong. The Democratic Convention averaged 30 million over 4 days. This may not sound that bad but consider that the GOP Convention drew 35 million over 3 days and it was on less networks. So, um, the enthusiam gap applies to which party??

Media Attacks On Sarah Palin- After this election, once McCain wins, I wonder how much attention will be played to the medias role insuring a McCain victory. I mean, not that they wanted to, but there brazen personal attacks on Sarah Palin and obvious Obama bias has turned off a lot of voters. Sarah Palin, I dont care which party you belong too, we all know someone like Sarah. Shes a straight talking mom of 5 who has family problems just like everyone else. The way the media has treated this lady has galvanized center and right of center women to her cause. The republican party is unified and the democrats can thank the media for that.

Blue Collar Workers- I personally think the media is in for a few surprised come election night, and thats thanks to blue collar workers. These men and women may have democratic leanings, but they are culturally conservative and I believe they will find McCain centrist enough to vote for him. Michigan, Pennsylvania and Minnesota I believe will turn red this year. I know the polls don't reflect it yet but this is where we are going to see the big surprise. These states will go red, Obama cant close the sale with the white middle class voters and that will be his downfall in these traditionally democratic states.

Final Thoughts- These opinions may or may not come to fruition, but I believe unless Palin and McCain freeze in the debates this scenario is becoming more and more inevitable. The Obama campaign will have an impressive ground game, but the base is excited now and so are women. The Obama campaign can call and text there supporters all day long, but its getting very close to being to late...

On Vacation

For the next week my posts are going to be sporadic as I am in the great sunny state of Florida that is currently undergoing constant rain. I will post a bit while on vacation but not on a daily basis. I hope things are sunnier where you are!

Dem Convention Finale

I'm going to keep this post relatively short by saying if you are a supporter you loved Obama's speech, but if you were a normal person it scared the living daylights out of you. If this guy is coming, so is massive intrusive government. We can't say after his speech he didnt warn us. 

Dem Convention Night Three- Oy Vey

Night three of the Democratic Convention offered a depressing view on what America is. If you turn your brain to zombie mode, there were moments that worked, namely Clinton's speech. Unfortunately for the Democrats, no one saw Bill's speech, it wasn't in prime time, Joe Biden's was. Yeah, good call on that dems. Here are my observations from night three:

The Ghost Of Clinton Past- This whole convention has been dominated by the Clintons and last night was no exception. But last night Bill came to play, to show up "The Chicago Thug" ( yes he really said that and it was reported by the Washington Post). Both Clinton's gave excellent, if inaccurate speeches that have set the bar soaringly high for Obama. The former President has been the only speaker thus far to provide a theme to attack Republicans effectively. The rhetoric was full of inaccuracies but the pitch was right on. To bad no one saw it.

Oh No Joe- Listen, when you have been in politics as long as this guy has you should know how to give a speech effectively, this was not to be. Before Joe came out there was a moving video and introduction by his son that was effective and frankly moving...and then Joe ruined it. The speech was disjointed jumping from place to place attacking John McCain at one point for not sending more troops into Afghanistan like Barack wanted. At that moment they panned to Melissa Etheridge and her face looked confused and frankly, angry. Way to fire up the base, I mean nothing moves the anti war left like saying we should pull troops out of Iraq and send them to Afghanistan. I almost fell out of my chair. There was also the awkward part where he tried to get the crowd to say "McCain more of the same" right after he said it, but it didn't work. Everyone was saying it at different times and it was just embarrassing. I don't know what the Democrats problem is, but this speech and this night illustrates why Obama is getting zero bounce.

Barack Obama, Ringmaster- Alright, the first time Obama showed up via satellite night one was unexpected and interesting. Last night was just weird. He shows up, bouncing across the stage quite pleased with himself and gives a preview of tomorrow night. I mean is this guy the nominee or is he David Copperfield magically appearing and then disappearing just as quickly. This whole thing has been so strange and circus like its difficult to make sense of it, or him frankly. Who does this guy think he is? That is what people will be left thinking.

Final Thoughts- This whole convention has been botched and mishandled. No theme, no coherent message about the country and plan for the future. Its been biography and Bush bashing. Um, Bush isn't running again and no one thinks McCain is Bush it just doesn't fly, hes been around to long we actually know McCain, unlike Obama. Tonight Obama will ascend from On High and give his speech in front of the temple they have constructed for him. Huge mistake. Embarrassingly stupid frankly. John McCain is supposedly going to leek his VP choice during the speech and the attention will shift to the RNC. This convention will be remembered for its critical errors and the missed opportunities. Obama had better have the speech of his life tonight, because barring a critical McCain error, I see this election slipping away for the Inevitable One.

Dem Convention Night Two... Santa Evita

The DNC Convention has turned into the biggest blunder for a nominee that I have ever seen. Operation Chaos was in full effect last night with the Clintons storming in and taking over that arena. Michelle Obama's icy stares toward Hillary Clinton last night as she was speaking pretty much summed the whole evening up nicely. The Clintons had crashed the party and now instead of a week of free press about Obama, once again its about the Clintons. Here are some observations from last night.

How Great Is Bill Clinton?- Look, I'm not talking policy wise here but as I watched the camera pan to him incessantly with his eyes tearing and biting his lip looking adoringly at his wife I just had to laugh. This guy is a pure political animal who knows how to work a room and an audience. When he mouthed "I love you, I love you forever" to his wife I about lost it. This guy is just great, full of it but just brilliantly audacious.

Michelle, Ice Queen- If looks could kill... yikes. As Hillary was speaking, i.e promoting herself, the camera would pan to Michelle and she had an expression in her eyes that was just so cold. Her lips smiled but her eyes told an entirely different story. She looked wonderful though, I am surprised she didnt do her hair and outfit like that when she spoke. NBC News reported that Hillary had been trying to get in touch with Michelle but her calls were not returned, well after last night I doubt that is going to change.

Hillary, Happy Warrior For 2012- Despite gushing reviews from the clowns at MSNBC, her speech to the convention was the most lukewarm endorsement I have ever seen. She mentioned Obamas name only a handful of times and spent most of the time talking about the people she met and her issues. This night was about Hillary doing only what she was required to do and not an inch more. She laid into John McCain, but her heart wasn't in it and it showed. She could have used her speech to build up Obama but instead just repeated a generic stump speech. After her speech many networks interviewed her visibly upset supporters. Do you know what the consensus was? They couldn't believe that she wasn't the nominee and were flabbergasted a guy with no resume "stole it" from her. She made Obama look worse, not better. Last night was about what could have and what should have been. There are going to be a lot of angry supporters today and they are drifting further and further away from Obama's reach.

Final Note- On Fox last night Susan Estrich's email was flooded with unhappy Hillary supporters and that consensus will grow with time. Bill Clinton is tonight, the last successful Democratic President and I have the feeling that Bill is going to promote himself tonight and dig into McCain only to show how much better he is then Obama. Ego will be on full display tonight and I cannot wait to watch. Feel free to share your thoughts!

Dem Convention Night One.. Wasted Space

The fundamental problem with night one of the Democratic convention can be summed up in one word, forced. I was, frankly, uncomfortable at many points during night one because I felt like I was watching a rather frenetic display of incoherent speeches. Conventions are supposed to be thematic, taking you on a predetermined journey into the heart of the party. This is not what happened. Here is why night one went so wrong for the DNC, even though the media won't say it.

Ted Kennedy- It was supposed to be a rousing moment for the DNC when, after a fairly whitewashed tribute, Ted Kennedy would triumphantly take the stage and show the strength of the Democratic Party. This isn't what happened, he instead highlighted their weakness. As I watched the senator I couldn't help but think what a big life he has led, the history he has seen. Here is a man from "Camelot" whose family has captured the imagination of a country. The contrast between his families life, his presence and Michelle Obama's is what made him weak for the DNC last night. Love him or hate him, he and his family have done something. There was history last night on display for the American people and seeing the contrast between the all American Kennedy family and the Obama family did not do the candidate or the party any favors.

Oh Michelle, Michelle- There was a fervent quality to her speech and an intensity that was just difficult to watch. From the video to her speech there was a contrived, over focus grouped feeling to the entire ordeal. In her speech when she states

'' And you know, what struck me when I first met Barack was that even though he had this funny name, even though he'd grown up all the way across the continent in Hawaii, his family was so much like mine.''

It was like a wink and a nudge to middle America saying "he's just like you." It was contrived and scripted and frankly delivered poorly. I don't believe for one moment Michelle was ever put off by his name and it was just an unnecessary pander. Which was the downfall of her entire speech, contrived pandering. She made sure to smile and say she was "proud of my country," well terrific that settles that then, or would have had she not been so wooden when she said it. What saved her speech from being a disaster was her very cute daughters. They were wonderful, even though Barack pretty much ruined it buy trying to get his script out and talked over them.

Final Analysis Of Night One- Wasted opportunity is going to be a phrase you here a lot from Democrats after November 4th and last night was a perfect illustration of why. If you are going to have Kennedy speak, have Obama on the screen right after talking to him and allowing Kennedy to pass the torch personally. That would have been touching for the dems, but it was not to be. Michelle Obama won over no one last night because her whole speech should have been focused on her being a mother and a wife who was just proud and happy to be there. No stump political speeches about "the southside of Chicago," I mean do you really want to go into Obama's Chicago days? Um, I think not.

Stay tuned for DNC Convention Night Two, will Hillary sabotage the whole event? Probably not. Prediction, Hillary will deliver the best most rousing speech of her life which will basically say "look what you could have had instead of this novice." She will do great not for Obama, but to stick it to the DNC because she knows that 2012 will probably have an open slot because so far this convention has helped McCain not Obama.

How McCain Can Sweep The Ladies Off Their Feet

In my previous post I wrote about Obama's women problem, which is much bigger then being reported. Now I move on to McCain, who, lets face it ladies and gentlemen has some lady problems of his own. What politicians do not understand is that women want to be swept off their feet, connecting to them on the issues is not enough, we want to feel something. Whoever wins this election is going to win because of women, pure and simple. So here is what McCain is doing wrong and how he needs to fix it:

Get A Tan- I know, this is shallow, but guess what? So are women. We don't want a commander in chief who looks like the crypt keeper. We know you are a weathered war hero and we respect that, but this is the television age man and you are looking a little rough. Cindy McCain always looks wonderful and youthful for her age, a little bronzer will do you a world of good.

Dump The Teleprompter Forever- Study the Saddleback Debate and don't stray from that performance. You can't read a prompter to save your life without looking angry, confused or overexcited. When its time to give your acceptance speech at the RNC Convention you had better have that thing memorized. What separates you from Obama is what I like to call an "authenticity gap". Don't try sweeping speeches, talk to us with authority and we will respect you.

Utilize Cindy McCain More- You need to start doing positive ads right now with Cindy McCain sitting in a living room, hallmark style, talking to the average American woman. Women aspire for the beauty and grace that Cindy naturally possesses. She looks like a first lady and shes a successful business woman, don't run away from that, use it.

A final note, warmth and style matter and they matter hugely to women. In 2000 at the DNC convention Al Gore gave his wife the biggest kiss I have ever seen a politician give on television. If you don't think this helped turn the tide for women and Gore you are mistaken. Women project their own lives onto candidates. Gore represented the husband they wanted, one who kisses and is romantic and warm. He didnt win, but he came awfully close.

Why Im Not Getting The Warm Fuzzies For Obama

As the media continues to lament the fact Obama isn't beating McCain I cant help but marvel at how they just don't get it. Its the women, stupid! Now I'm not talking about those sore loser Hillary supporters, even though lets face it they haven't been this angry in a long time, I'm talking about average non-partisan women. When they look at Obama he is the epitome of that arrogant popular guy in high school who will gladly smile at you if you do his homework for him, but other then that has zero use for you. Here are some observations on why I think they guy is losing women, big time.

Obama Will Not Stop Glaring At Me- I enjoy political speeches, I enjoy discerning body language and every time Obama speaks he just glares at everybody. His voice takes on this preacher like persona and all the sudden I feel like he is speaking from a mountain top and to his unrepentant disciples. Lighten up man! Look at people when you talk to them, but don't glare at them. There is nothing worse to a women then a guy looking intimidating and threatening. Its like fine I'll pretend to give you my vote, just don't hurt me!

We Don't Like Your Celebrity Friends- Celebrity magazines and blogs are not popular because we love celebrities, they are popular because we love to hate on celebrities. Most people think celebrities are jokes who are best used for diet tips and as subject for biting gossip. Perez Hilton is popular for a reason and its not because we love and respect celebrities, its because we like to see stuff drawn on them! This is why the McCain ads Celebrity Ads were so successful. Back away Barack, throw them right under the bus like you did your grandma. (Which by the way, didn't help us women in the warm fuzzies department).

Um, Buddy, Your Friends Scare Us A Little- Jeremiah Wright, that Rezko dude, William Ayers, not exactly a posse of folks you want in your entourage. Your a guy, who we dont really know, surrounded by a terrorist, a racist and a crook. Um, yeah. Heres how girls think when they pick a president, they want someone whose going to protect them and there families and not give them a pit in their stomach. The more women see if the men you surround yourself with, the worse it is for you. You better find yourself some reputable people (preferably women) to hang around or your toast.

Share your thoughts, am I way off base? Tomorrow Ill have a post on McCain and what I think his problems are, until then!