Pre-Debate: An Epic Snit
EmailA little polling background for the debate tonight:
-Americans are in an epic snit. In a Gallup poll completed Sunday only 9 percent said they’re satisfied with the way things are going in the United States, the fewest since Gallup first asked the question in 1979. Ninety percent are dissatisfied. The only election year since 1984 in which satisfaction was even close to this low was in 1992, but even then it bottomed out higher, 14 percent, and earlier, in June.
-Sixty-nine percent named some aspect of the economy when asked the most important problem facing the country. In our own national ABC/Post poll last week, 53 percent called it the single most important issue in their vote choice, with all other mentions in the single digits.
-Also in Gallup’s data, 25 percent approved of the president’s job performance, a new Bush low for Gallup, while 70 percent disapproved. That’s very much like the 26-70 percent in our ABC/Post poll last week.
-This is not a hold-your-nose election; majorities of Americans have a favorable opinion of McCain and Obama alike – 55 percent and 62 percent respectively in the Gallup poll. That may make it a hard decision for swing voters not rooted in partisanship. (McCain’s favorable rating is the same as Bush’s at about this time in 2004; Obama’s is 10 points better than John Kerry’s.)
-As reported in our last two national polls and our Ohio poll yesterday, economic concerns have turned the dynamic in Obama’s favor; he leads McCain in better understanding the economic problems Americans are having and, by extension, in trust to deal with the issue. Obama’s also built back to a 2-1 lead in trust to “bring needed change” to Washington. But he’s still dogged by the experience question, a continued opening for McCain. McCain, on the other hand, is even more dogged by the suspicion he’d be a Bush retread.
-This dynamic has pushed Obama into leading status in most (not all) national polls, and competitive or leading status in many battleground states. In airworthy state polls just out today, he’s +10 in Pennsylvania, +8 in New Hampshire, +7 in Nevada, +5 in Wisconsin and dead even in North Carolina. Yesterday we ourselves had him +6 in Ohio.
Advantage Obama – but with 19 percent of likely voters still movable.
USS Gabrielle Giffords Honors Courage 
Mitt Romney's Full Speech at CPAC 2012
Factcheck.org is owned by The Annenberg Foundation. Factcheck published the “fight the smears” story about Obama’s Certificate of Live Birth (COLB). The Chicago Annenberg Challenge is the organization of Bill Ayers that Barack Obama chaired for years. The American Public has been HAD.
Posted by: Mike | October 7, 2008, 5:37 pm 5:37 pm
Obama and Ayers are, and continue to be, casual acquaintances. They served on some board together, both were appointed. Ayers is a professor at the University of Illinois, and the son of the former chair of ComEd…40 years ago he was a student radical. So were a lot of other people. 40 years ago the geezer was a POW in Viet Nam, collaborating with the Viet Cong and admitting “war crimes” 40 years ago the skeezer was a little kid in Alaska trying to stay warm. Enough already.
Posted by: NatFrankie | October 7, 2008, 5:49 pm 5:49 pm
I am curious to know how is that like many polls by state, your ABCNews/ Wash. poll shows Obama ahead in Ohio where he is significantly underperforming John Kerry’s 2004 numbers by double digits (12 points) among independents (30% of the voters in Ohio).
OH: Obama 46 to McCain 45 among Indies
OH: Kerry 58 to Bush 41 among Indies.
Can Barack Obama win states like OH, PA, FL, NH, and MN underperforming Kerry 04 numbers by double digits among independent voters?
Posted by: Angel | October 7, 2008, 5:57 pm 5:57 pm
If John MCCain is such a maverick! Then why did he drop out of the Michigan race? Does he not like a good fight?
Danny
Posted by: Danny | October 7, 2008, 6:03 pm 6:03 pm
mccain first decision as possible president was to pick the second most qualified person in his judgment to lead the united states should something happen to him
he picked sarah palin
when the economic crisis hit the fundamentals of our economy were strong,
and then the fundamentals were suppose to be workers
and then we need a commission to study this
and then dont bail out this bank
then do bail out think bank
mccains judgment is severely in question here
not only with the palin pick but the whole economic crisis, mccain has nothing and is out of touch
and sarah palin is the scariest person ever to be a heart beat away from teh presidency
did she look angry in that couric interview?
no she had no idea what was going on, she can read up on the answers she missed and she can make up reasons why she did so terribly
but the fact remains all that was after the fact, if interviews and debates are the only thing we get to judge a person on running for office to gauge weather or not they are capable of dealing and reacting to situations under stress and testing their knowledge base
palin wouldnt even bother answering the questions at the debate
and defending john mccain? nah why would she do that
now she has people yelling kill him at her rallies, and Treason!
and mccain has people yelling a terrorist
meanwhile the economy is still going to hell, and basically what we are hearing from the mccain camp is
the fundamentals are strong, they dont care about the economy, they just want to get elected, so they want to make the other guy scary
but nothing
nothing
is more scary then palin, and nothing is more scary then mccains judgment as a contender as commander and chief to have his first decision be the sarah palin pick
Posted by: Bhrandon | October 7, 2008, 6:04 pm 6:04 pm
The only reason why Obama appeals to many voters is they think if he is elected it will usher in a whole new era of hand-outs. The reality is that people will still have to work, still have to pay their mortgage and if they don’t, they’ll still be foreclosed upon. Government-subsidized homeownership is not part of his plan.
Posted by: Great Big Sigh ... | October 7, 2008, 6:05 pm 6:05 pm
Could some explain to me why the Obama and the rest of the Democratics in the Senate voted down the Kyl Amdt. No. 507; To protect families, family farms and small businesses by raising the death tax exemption to $5 million and reducing the maximum death tax rate to no more than 35%, to extend college tuition deduction, to extend the student loan interest deduction, to extend the teacher classroom deduction, to protect senior citizens from higher taxes on their retirement income, to maintain U.S. financial market competitiveness, and to promote economic growth by extending the lower tax rates on dividends and capital gains?
Posted by: Doug Lindsey | October 7, 2008, 6:06 pm 6:06 pm
Doug, probably because the republicans filled the bill with pork by-products and they had no choice,but to vote it down.
Posted by: Miki | October 7, 2008, 6:18 pm 6:18 pm
OBAMA CERTAINLY CANNOT MAKE ANY CLAIMS ABOUT UNITY !!! HE HAS TO BE THE MOST POLARIZING CANDIDATE IN US HISTORY
Posted by: disillusioned2008 | October 7, 2008, 6:46 pm 6:46 pm
2 TRILLION DOLLARS HAVE BEEN LOST IN RETIREMENT SAVINGS IN THE LAST YEAR
But McCain and Palin want to “turn the page” on the economic crisis. Why?
Because Americans know McCain has no plan. He is out of touch. He still think the fundamentals of our economy are strong.
So McCain and Palin now believe that name calling will solve our problems.
Posted by: Truth Hurts the GOP | October 7, 2008, 6:48 pm 6:48 pm
Republicans are worried about ‘Guilt by Association’!(Obama & Ayers). They didn’t worry about it when it was a known fact that G.W. Bush was associated with the terrorist Osama bin-Laden through his brother Salem bin-laden. They didn’t worry about Bush’s association with his grandfather who was Adolph Hitler’s banker financier. What goes Republicans????
Posted by: mary | October 7, 2008, 6:49 pm 6:49 pm
Miki – You mean like they voted down the porked up bailout bill?? What a joke!!
Posted by: fairelection2008 | October 7, 2008, 6:49 pm 6:49 pm
OBAMA AND THE MSM ARE THE POLITICAL EQUIVALENT OF “ANYTHING GOES” WALL STREET CULTURE
- Pal with terrorists, no problem
- Listen to anti-american rehetoric for 20 years, no problem
- Blatantly lie to the whole country about the Wright relationship, no problem
- Finance your home with tainted money, no problem
- Finance your campaign with “mysterious” foreign donors, no problem
- Hurl the racist charge against an ex-President who’s done the most for black americans, no problem
- Lie about McCain’s record of reform in Washington, no problem
WAKE UP AMERICA!!
Posted by: fob | October 7, 2008, 6:51 pm 6:51 pm
OBAMA CERTAINLY CANNOT MAKE ANY CLAIMS ABOUT UNITY !!! HE HAS TO BE THE MOST POLARIZING CANDIDATE IN US HISTORY
———————-
Sorry, Palin took that prize. And she’s only been at it a few weeks!
Posted by: Truth Hurts the GOP | October 7, 2008, 6:51 pm 6:51 pm
OCTOBER SURPRISE!!! Remember that the terrorists struck Spain just 3 days before their election.
Posted by: mary | October 7, 2008, 6:52 pm 6:52 pm
The brilliance that is Sarah Palin:
That’s why I say, I like ever American I’m speaking with were ill about this position that we have been put in where it is the tax payers looking to bailout.
But ultimately, what the bailout does is help those who are concerned about the health care reform that is needed to help shore up the economy– Helping the — Oh, it’s got to be about job creation too. Shoring up our economy and putting it back on the right track. So health care reform and reducing taxes and reining in spending has got to accompany tax reductions and tax relief for Americas. A
And trade we’ve got to see trade as opportunity, not as a competitive scary thing. But 1 in 5 jobs being created in the trade sector today. We’ve got to look at that as more opportunity. ALl those things under the umbrella of job creation.
This bailout is a part of that.
Posted by: Words of a Self Proclaimed | October 7, 2008, 6:54 pm 6:54 pm
The 9% consists of the following:
Bush Family
Cheyney Family
McCain Family
Palin Family
All the CEO’s who got humongous bonuses and severance packages.
Posted by: J | October 7, 2008, 6:56 pm 6:56 pm
OBAMA CERTAINLY CANNOT MAKE ANY CLAIMS ABOUT UNITY !!! HE HAS TO BE THE MOST POLARIZING CANDIDATE IN US HISTORY
Posted by: disillusioned2008 | Oct 7, 2008 6:46:18 PM
Funny, they used to say that about Hillary Clinton.
Posted by: J | October 7, 2008, 7:00 pm 7:00 pm
seansatx,
Yes, you want to stay away from the birth certificate because you CANNOT PRODUCE the birth certificate!!
Posted by: fob | October 7, 2008, 7:01 pm 7:01 pm
Because the left-leaning press controls “sound-bites”, there is a lot of disinformation concerning the financial crisis. The Financial crisis was caused by the housing crisis, and housing crisis was caused by the corruption in Fannie-Freddie, and Fannie-Freddie has been run by Democrats for 20 YEARS, then McCain’s bill to curb and regulate Fannie-Freddie in 2005 was BLOCKED, and now we find Democrats Obama, Dodd, Kerry are the top three in contributions from the Fannie-Freddie lobbies, AND look at the Democrats Franklin Raines (OBAMA CAMPAIGN), Jamie Gorelick, and Jim Johnson who RAN Fannie-Freddie and RAKED IN $ MILLIONS in CEO bonuses proven to be CORRUPT when the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight’s report came out in 2006 —- All fingers point to DEMOCRATS in charge of this financial area, with Barney Frank overseeing!!!!
Posted by: Mark - Indiana | October 7, 2008, 7:24 pm 7:24 pm
Millions of Americans had their life savings wiped out when one savings-and-loan after another went down because of the criminality of repugnant swindlers such as Charles Keating. KEATING IS A CONVICTED FELEON who defrauded millions out of their life savings, while at the same time he donated more money to McCain’s campaign than any other contributor. AND WHAT DID MCCAIN DO WHEN HE LEARNED OF KEATING’S ARREST? HE ILLEGALLY TRIED TO USE HIS INFLUCEN TO KEEP HIS GOOD FRIEND AND SINGLE LARGEST CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTOR OUT OF JAIL…… Did McCain care about the millions who lost their life savings in the savings and loan collapse? No, he only cared about the felon Keating who gave McCain money.
Posted by: Sallie | October 7, 2008, 7:25 pm 7:25 pm
Just for all you OBAMA “MESSIAH” people who do ya think is going to pay for all of his great plans he has for US all. Well in two words “WE ARE”. When he gets elected, and he will be elected!!!! Don,t start gripeing when you see your paychecks start to dwindle, and dwindle they will. Remember you heard it here first!!!!!!!! GOOD LUCK AMERICA cause when we get our buts kicked in another fracas be it our fault or someone else’s, LIKE IRAN!!!!! Know this his weakness will show then. I am a democrat and have always been a democrat, but this election I think I’ll pass, and don,t worry I won’t gripe, or complain cause I’m just not going to be a part of it. I’ll just try and cover my own but.
Posted by: Earl J | October 7, 2008, 7:37 pm 7:37 pm
With a mess that George Bush is leaving for his successor, it would take divine intervention to get out of this mess regardless of who will become the next president. There are two major(fatal) mistakes that McCain has made-turning negative with lies about Obama and picking Palin. Heaven forbid if anything happens to McCain during his presidency, our enemies will eat and spit out Palin and our great nation. Come on America, wake up! Get realistic.
Posted by: Kamala | October 7, 2008, 7:43 pm 7:43 pm
Sallie – McCain returned the $100,000 Keating donated to his campaign and cooperated with investigators. He was cleared of wrong-doing in 1991. The four democrats (the other members of the Keating 5) were not convicted, which is why democrats rarely bring the issue up. Bush attempted to use this against McCain 8 years ago and got no where with it. Obama is just following in Bush’s footsteps on this one, and hurting his own party in the process.
Posted by: Me Again | October 7, 2008, 7:44 pm 7:44 pm
Sorry, that was a typo – my post should have read: the other 4 members of the Keating5, 4 democrats, were convicted.
Posted by: Me Again | October 7, 2008, 7:47 pm 7:47 pm
Kamala,
Palin as president – our enemies might try to eat and spit her out
Obama as president – our enemies will hug him and he’ll hug them back
I’d much rather take my chances with the former
Posted by: fob | October 7, 2008, 8:36 pm 8:36 pm
Earl J,
Great point about us paying for The Great One’s programs.
Notice, how all interviewers ask the candidates “How will you pay for xx”, conveniently forgetting that the candidate doesn’t pay but the people pay.
They should repharse the question “How will you get the american people to pay for your xx program”. Then maybe people will be more sensitized to their reckless spending.
Posted by: fob | October 7, 2008, 8:40 pm 8:40 pm
Still a good Idea to put Social Security dollars into the stock market?
Posted by: Alex | October 7, 2008, 8:57 pm 8:57 pm
Alex,
Yes, it is still a good idea to put SS dollars into the stock market because even with the current meltdown my investment would have made more than 50%, whereas the current SS scheme would pay be zero by the time we retire..
For those like Alex who are mathematically challenged – 50>0
Posted by: fob | October 7, 2008, 9:20 pm 9:20 pm
I am so SICK of both candidates pointing the finger and slinging mud. I am tired of both of them side stepping the question.
Both state the obvious but don’t address HOW. FIX THE STINKING PROBLEM. Noone bales out middle american if we can’t pay our house payment. Who is there for us
Again, they both state the obvious, but neither one states HOW. It’s unfortunate that I have to vote for the lesser of two evils.
Posted by: Shelley-Louisville, KY | October 7, 2008, 9:30 pm 9:30 pm
Well you know if Obama and McCain ends in a tie Obama does get the president but Governor palin is your vp due to VP Cheney gets the deciding vote. I am democrate and I won’t be part of Obama and his corruption friends either.
Posted by: Chris | October 7, 2008, 11:45 pm 11:45 pm
A substantial number of Americans will vote against Sarah Palin…about 55%…dooming McCain by a landslide.
Posted by: Tangito | October 8, 2008, 12:09 am 12:09 am
Doesn’t McCain know that 5,000 dollar tax credit for insurance won’t pay medical bills if you have cancer, I should know this is my 3rd time around in 3 years, and still paying bills from two years around. We know health insurance that will help the working class. And insurance that will cover you if you have a pre-existing condition. We need better health plans not a health cut.
McCain need to rethink, revisit, and redesign, because he doesn’t what we as Americans really need.
Posted by: Marie | October 8, 2008, 12:31 am 12:31 am
Hey, NatFrankie, dig this:
“… the AIP’s founder, Joe Vogler, told an interviewer in 1991: “The fires of hell are frozen glaciers compared to my hatred for the American government. … And I won’t be buried under their damn flag.”
“Video footage shows AIP Vice Chairman Dexter Clark describing Palin at the 2007 North American Secessionist Convention as an “AIP member before she got the job as a mayor of a small town — that was a nonpartisan job. But you get along to go along. She eventually joined the Republican Party, where she had all kinds of problems with their ethics, and well, I won’t go into that.” (No need to. The Alaska Legislature’s ethics investigators are on the case.) Apparently with Palin in mind, Clark then went on to urge AIP members to “infiltrate” the major parties.”
(Los Angeles Times | September 4, 2008).
“Now a conservative radio talk-show host, Liddy [G. Gordon Liddy. ] spent more than 4 years in prison for his role in the 1972 Watergate burglary. That was just one element of what Liddy did, and proposed to do, in a secret White House effort to subvert the Constitution. Far from repudiating him, McCain has embraced him.
“Last November, McCain went on his radio show. Liddy greeted him as “an old friend,” and McCain sounded like one. “I’m proud of you, I’m proud of your family,” he gushed. “It’s always a pleasure for me to come on your program, Gordon, and congratulations on your continued success and adherence to the principles and philosophies that keep our nation great.” Which principles would those be? The ones that told Liddy it was fine to break into the office of the Democratic National Committee to plant bugs and photograph documents? The ones that made him propose to kidnap anti-war activists so they couldn’t disrupt the 1972 Republican National Convention? The ones that inspired him to plan the murder (never carried out) of an unfriendly newspaper columnist?
“Liddy was in the thick of the biggest political scandal in American history — and one of the greatest threats to the rule of law. He has said he has no regrets about what he did, insisting that he went to jail as “a prisoner of war. [...] How does McCain explain his howling hypocrisy on the subject? He doesn’t.” (Chicago Tribune)
Posted by: ludmila | October 8, 2008, 2:23 am 2:23 am
For anyone out there that seems to be lost let me explain something, the surge was simply sending more troops, and also fighting the war the way the Democrats have been saying all along. Here we are this many years later and the Republicans think they can sit there and say their “backup” plan was a success and people wont admit it…wth are they talking about?!?! Simple Simon at work again, fact is, Obama won the debate plain and simple, he wasnt wrong about the surge, its just who wants to send more troops when the leadership has failed?? it only makes sense. It wasnt that we need more so much as it was they failed at a concrete plan that would benefit not only us but the Iraqis, its insane to say Obama wants to leave in defeat, to anyone with military experience, this shows McCain doesnt understand. And you cant sit here and deny that McCain seems hellbent on “winning” whatever that means….in Iraq, meanwhile WHAT ABOUT AFGHANISTAN!!!!! jesus show some respect, it was the Taliban thats the prize here, lets not take our eyes off the ball, hmm i wonder why they are so worried about Iraq….derrrr….couldnt be oil or anything, or the fact that it was a backdoor way into the mid east. Real cute. Either way these middle eastern countries take what we give and turn away just like the Saudis, so lets just keep up this failed attempt at making friends with enemies, and they still say Obama doesnt get it, i love it. Bye bye Simple Simon Republicans, Parties over, enough with the first grade mentallity.
Posted by: James | October 8, 2008, 3:52 am 3:52 am
America is set for doom mark my words . if OBama should get this thing, Osama will attack America once again but this time it will be totally deadly and it might either be a nuclear or chemical attack. MSM has already finished America and MSM is already surrendering up this country to terrorist.Once again I say America is doomed.
Posted by: msm is too bias!!!!!!!! Palin is the answer | October 8, 2008, 4:38 am 4:38 am
Ayers was a terrorist. Obama worked with Ayers while at the Annenberg Challenge. Walter Annenberg created TV Guide, Seventeen Magazine and worked for Nixon. Thus Nixon and readers of TV Guide are terrorist.
Posted by: Josh | October 8, 2008, 3:40 pm 3:40 pm
Josh – thanks for the laugh, it’s too bad the foil hat brigade fearful of Obama won’t read it.
Posted by: citizen voter | October 8, 2008, 8:06 pm 8:06 pm
As reported by WNBC News:
On October 8, 2008, the McCain campaign issued a press release announcing the formation of a group dubbed Former U.S. Ambassadors For McCain-Palin. Lenore Annenberg is listed as “chief of protocol” for a group.
Lenore Annenberg is the president of the Annenberg Foundation.
Posted by: Tracy | October 15, 2008, 4:48 pm 4:48 pm