The Note: Candidates Look for Breakthrough on Jobs, Gas Prices
EmailABC News’ Rick Klein Reports in Monday’s Note: We’re 100 days out now — yes, that’s it — and at least the next seven of those will depend on which of these seven storylines matters most:
Will it be . . .
1. Sen. Barack Obama’s move toward Sen. John McCain’s Iraq position?
2. McCain’s move toward Obama’s Iraq position?
3. McCain’s leftward mobility?
4. McCain’s rightward mobility?
5. Obama’s messaging flexibility?
6. Obama’s messaging on inflexibility (a sore hip — enough to keep him off the court for a stretch)?
7. Vice-presidential advisability? (Good chance of one pick this week — but whose might it be?)
Read the rest of The Note — and get all the latest on the 2008 election, Congress, the White House and the wide world of politics every day — from Rick Klein by bookmarking this link.
Or is it just the inevitable comedown that bears watching? "We had a good week," Obama tells Maureen Dowd. "That always inspires the press to knock me down a peg."
"I wouldn’t even be surprised if that in some polls that you saw a little bit of a dip as a consequence we have been out of the country for a week," Obama told reporters on the last leg of his foreign trip, per ABC’s Jake Tapper. (Seriously — after THAT week?)
It’s with just a little bit of Obama baggage — and, spin aside, a little bit of extra Obama confidence (Gallup’s daily tracking has his lead at nine points) — that the campaign returns stateside this week.
If everyone knows this race is going to come down to the economy — where’s it been for us lately?
This is one of those rare openings for either candidate to shape the race: The No. 1 issue has been sorely neglected (no, McCain’s adventures with processed cheese don’t count), so there’s a potential payoff for the first candidate to approach the economy in a way that gets traction.
Continue reading today’s Note by clicking HERE.
ABC News’ Alexa Ainsworth contributed to this report.
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McCain’s shift to a timetable is a much bigger story – and flip-flop – than anything Obama has said on Iraq.
Posted by: matthew | July 28, 2008, 8:54 am 8:54 am
Every city on the globe is installing and instigating some kind of eviro-friendly technolgies…
the country that gets ahead of that technology wins.
on first it’s manufacturing and second it’s implementation…
right now Sweden is looking pretty good because with their “horrible” high taxes…they started on this road 20 years ago…
stupid republicans…holding us back for the last 20 years.
Posted by: dl | July 28, 2008, 9:03 am 9:03 am
Look For McCain to call for a pre-emptive invasion of Canada to keep their oil field from being taken over by “the terrorists” and thus lower gas prices.
Posted by: The Commander Guy | July 28, 2008, 9:10 am 9:10 am
Some of these Jabs are not really founded in any truth., Like McCain attacking Obama on his trip. Why should he have to defend his trip, It was a necessity, no one should be questioning his trip. Maybe questioning why he didnt visit troops in the hospitol is a legitamate question. Or ask him about his cigar break with PM of france. If you havnt seen that video its worth watching lol. I thought he quit smoking? lol I thik this is the link where I seen it. http://www.theobamaplan.com
Oh and I dont want to be bias so here is a link of McCain taking a fall. If you want to see the video I think It was at http://www.mccanes.com Its not on the home page, but on one of the links there. I thinks its the clip lkni. Hmm. Im not warming to either candidate yet, I am much more interested in why these candidates are not coming up with more detailed plans about fixing our economy or this energy crisis that we find ourselves in. You can compare all of the candidates plans at http://www.pickeneplan.com Its unfortunate that the best plan comes from someone who isnt even running for office at all. The best Plan comes from t Boone Pickans or at least my oppinion. You should compare the plans at the above link. This late in the process I still am not sure who I am voting for.
Posted by: Jane | July 28, 2008, 9:11 am 9:11 am
Mike…are you suggesting that McCain has a better plan? Do you want to move the SS sytem into the Stock Market as McCain is proposing?
Posted by: truthtell | July 28, 2008, 9:32 am 9:32 am
dl…you got there number!!!
Truth be told all these lies about Obama are ridiculous. Either we have a lot of Rep bloggers here or people have not educated themeselves. No matter what you party affliliation, we all need to educate oursleves. This could be the most important election in a decade. THIS IS MAKE OR BREAK..
Posted by: t | July 28, 2008, 10:04 am 10:04 am
why is it huge news when apparently obama flip flops on iraq even though he never did
but mccains obvious flip flop is soooo apparent but he doesnt get called out on it?
Also, why does mccain support malikis 16months but not obamas?
Posted by: bhrandon | July 28, 2008, 10:10 am 10:10 am
If McCain is sooooo great why is he not getting past 42 to 46 in the national poll??
Posted by: becky | July 28, 2008, 11:03 am 11:03 am
I just read that McCain needs Rove to guide his way…Ya! that would be just want McCain needs.
Posted by: becky | July 28, 2008, 12:43 pm 12:43 pm
obama facts on the economy: capital gains rate increase 13%, plans to do away with fica payroll tax cap, anything over 102,000 will see a 7% increase in tax rate, government backed health insurance program for all, including illegal immigrants…the list goes on and on. Personally I am keeping my eye on the polls, if it looks like Obama has it, so be it…but I will be selling my stock funds, pray over my 401(k), and cut back on my income level and sit back and let the liberals who voted him in office to support me for a change through government sponsored programs while I lounge on the beach……….Good Luck Libs your going need it….
Posted by: REPUB | July 28, 2008, 1:38 pm 1:38 pm
McCain continues to run around crying about the surge this and the surge that. I mean who gives a darn anyway about these semantics from a year or so ago??
The American people want this stupid Bush/McBush war finished and thereby stopping the cash bleed down this rat hole Bush and McBush have created, that’s all…
Last week we saw McCain screaming ME TOO, ME TOO! On Obama’s 16 month timetable position, and whining about press coverage and other made up stuff like this troop visit in Germany (because they have nothing)!
So now this week Obama is getting down to business on what really matters to Americans, the ECONOMY STUPID! Let’s all just watch as Obama again sets the pace and how McBush comes running from behind screaming ME TOO, ME TOO, on this one as well….
How pathetic is this old fool McCain anyway???
Obama ’08!!!!
Posted by: Davis | July 28, 2008, 4:40 pm 4:40 pm