Campaign attack ads by Mccain n' Obama

John McCain vs. Barack Obama. The candidates will debate for the first time this Friday, but they've been throwing barbs back and forth for several months now. Some of the hardest hits have been in their campaign ads.
In case you missed them, here are some of the highlights and lowlights from a rough-and-tumble campaign season:Initially, each man set out to define himself. John McCain went with a trippy time-lapse ad.Meanwhile, Barack Obama introduced himself to America, accompanied by acoustic guitar.McCain soon followed with a James Bond parody.But the 1960s groovy graphics might have seemed a bad idea when viral videos about "things younger than McCain" appeared.The first Obama ad that took off was unofficial — this now famous music video. It took the "Celeb" ad to give the McCain campaign its first home run.The Obama folks counterpunched, as did Paris Hilton.While the celeb theme got headlines, this Web-only ad is in fact the most-searched-for McCain ad.On the other side of the aisle, this attack ad against McCain is the most-searched-for offering from the Obama campaign.McCain paired Obama with blond starlets, while Obama has made much of McCain's connection to a certain unpopular president, like in this ad. All seem to feature the two men hugging.What issue will star in the next round of ads? If Obama's new ad and this McCain ad released Monday are any clue, it may turn out to be this.

Poll: Barack Obama Could Lose Six Percentage Points on Election Day for Being Black

Six percentage points is the price Barack Obama could pay on election day for being black.
That disturbing calculation was found in a groundbreaking new Associated Press-Yahoo News poll conducted with Stanford University which probes the effect of the Democratic presidential candidate's race on his historic campaign for the White House."There's a penalty for prejudice, and it's not trivial," Stanford University political scientist Paul Sniderman told the AP.
In a close contest, racism "might be enough to tip the election," Sniderman said.
Still, the Illinois senator seems to be making some headway even with white Americans who don't have much good to say about African-Americans.
Among the white Democrats who think blacks are lazy, or violent, or boastful, two-thirds said they will vote for Obama over Sen. John McCain, a white Republican.
The poll of 2,227 adults was conducted Aug. 27-Sept. 5, and was designed to probe people's racial attitudes and how those attitudes affect voting.
It shows that when it comes to race, there has been some progress in America: Most white people have positive things to say about black people.
Still, pollsters found that a substantial portion of white Americans have very little contact with African-Americans - and many still harbor negative feelings toward them.
Whites also have a rosier view of race relations than blacks. When asked "how much discrimination against blacks" exists, 10% of whites said "a lot" while 57% of blacks said "a lot."
Asked how much of the nation's racial tension is created by blacks, more than a third of whites said "most" or "all."
Meanhile, nearly three-fouths of the blacks polled said while people have too much influence in U.S. politics.
Also, the perception that voters in their 20s and 30s might go for Obama because they're less racially biased than their parents might be wrong.
The survey found no meaningful differences in the way younger and older whites viewed black people. But older whites were more likely to say when they really think of blacks than the younger generations.
Not surprisingly, racial prejudice tends to be lowest among college-educated whites living outside the South, the pollsters found.

Palin to Meet With World Leaders, Bono at UN

Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin may have little experience in foreign policy, but she's about to get a two-day crash course.
The first-term Alaska governor plans to meet seven world leaders and former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger in New York City this week, where the U.N. General Assembly is convening. The meetings might help her answer critics who say she is not ready to handle world affairs. Palin obtained her first passport last year.
On Tuesday she will meet separately with Kissinger, Colombian President Alvaro Uribe and Afghan President Hamid Karzai. On Wednesday she is to meet jointly with Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili and Ukrainian President Viktor Yuschenko. She then will meet separately with Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Palin also will sit down with rock star and humanitarian activist Bono.
Her discussions are certain to touch on some of the globe's most sensitive and troubled areas. Kissinger, who was secretary of state under presidents Nixon and Ford, writes and counsels clients on a range of world topics. Uribe is seeking a free-trade agreement that Congress has yet to approve.
Pakistan has been roiled by violence and political upheaval, and its relations with India remain testy. Georgia just fought a brief war with Russia over a contested province. Afghanistan's government is struggling against resurgent Taliban forces, and thousands of U.S. troops continue to fight in Iraq.

Ronald Reagan's tactices and secrets

If you love Ronald Reagan – or just enjoy laughing – you need to get Newsmax.com’s special audio program "Ronald Reagan’s Greatest Laughs."
This unique program brings together Ronald Reagan's best jokes, one-liners and funny stories.
Reagan often used humor to inform, and you'll share in his insights.
No other President in modern times has used humor to capture the attention of the American people like Ronald Reagan did.
During several decades of public service Ronald Reagan used his gift of humor as a tool and a weapon against his adversaries, unlike a lot of politicians who memorize stunt jokes to lighten up and entertain the crowd.
Reagan had true wit and used humor in both public and private occasions. He was a funny man.
Laughter was his way of creating a special warmth, like an electric arc between him and his audience. There’s a lot we can learn from Reagan’s humor.
For those who believe that Ronald Reagan was an icon, this audio program will bring back great memories. For those of you who want to know what Reagan really believed, you’ll find that out also.
In "Ronald Reagan's Greatest Laughs" you'll laugh as the Gipper uses wit:
to expose big government
to defeat the Evil Empire
to take the Democrats to task
to learn from children
to make light of his deficiencies and weaknesses
to take on the liberal press like Sam Donaldson
to make light of fellow conservatives
to live a happier, smarter life
and much, much more.
And for students of communication, you’ll learn from the Great Communicator himself just how to use humor, make a point, deflect criticism, defang an enemy, win friends and elections, and influence people worldwide.
So sit back, relax, laugh, and enjoy "Ronald Reagan's Greatest Laughs."

Bill Clinton says,''Hillary never wanted to b Obama's v.p''

Former President Bill Clinton, appearing on ABC’s “The View” Monday morning, admitted wife Hillary Clinton, D-NY, never wanted to be Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama’s vice president and that he likes both Obama and Republican rival John McCain.
"Not really. No, she didn't," Clinton said when asked if Hillary really wanted to be chosen as Obama’s running mate after loosing out to the senator from Illinois during the Democratic Party’s presidential primaries.
Clinton, however, did say Hillary would have agreed to run on Obama's ticket had Obama asked her, but that never happened.
"She said that 'if [Obama] asks I'll do it, because it's my duty.' And I had no real opinion. I think it's very important, once a party gets a nominee, it's a very personal decision who should be vice president. I like Senator [Joe] Biden a lot,” Clinton said, referring to whom Obama ultimately chose for his running mate. “He was a good choice."
But Hillary would've been the better choice, Clinton conceded.
"[Hillary] would have been the best [choice] politically, at least in the short run, because of her enormous support in the country," he said.
"She loves being a senator from New York and she has more freedom to develop her positions on the issues and her things."
Barbara Walters, host of “The View asked Clinton if he thought Obama didn't want Hillary because "he didn't want you in the bargain."
"I don't know the answer to that," Clinton said. "I think he felt more comfortable with another choice. And you have to respect that."
"Was it because he didn't want you along?" Walters said, pressing the issue.
"I have no idea. If anybody thought that, they were just reading the political press and believing it," Clinton said.
Clinton maintains that Obama will win the presidency, but also spoke admiringly of McCain, whom he said was instrumental in his administration’s normalizing of relations with Vietnam, where McCain spent five years as a prisoner of war.
"The American people, for good and sufficient reasons, admire him," Clinton said of McCain. "He's given something in life the rest of us can't match."
Clinton also called Obama a "good man" and "smart candidate. I'll be surprised if he doesn't [win.]"

Republicans are so self destructive

Conservatives have a type of chronic mind-blindness which often leads them to conclusions that are completely and catastrophically wrong. I learned this long ago and learned how to profit from it. As an example, immediately after G.W. Bush became President I exchanged all my US cash holdings (many millions) into Euro and also the Pound Sterling, and within a few years they increased in value more than 50%. Currency experts had advised me otherwise, but rather than drown in the data, as they had, my decision was based upon a few simple proven observations.However, the people who hate America do not care to learn why Republicans are so self-destructive - they merely rejoice when American voters elect them.

Once upon a time in Europe lived a generous hearted Mighty King William,he was famous for his graciousness,amicability,kind-heartedness.He was a Just ruler,people loved him and respected him.He had the knack of handling any situation be it tense or negative with his gentleness.He refrained from warfare.Men wanted to be like him,they emulated his morals,principals and women always sighed cursing their fateover the loss of the noble King to the Queen Nicola.The King loved her dearly,they had a lovely daughter whom they named Phoebe.
Once out hunting the King realised he had left his entourage somewhere behind,while chasing a golden deer.Now he couldnot find the deer nor could he find the right way out.It was getting darker,because of severe thunder and lightening.He tried shouting and calling his entourage but found his voice getting drowned by the fierce lightenings.So dismayed at chasing an elusion,he was deeply upset with himself,but not the one to brood over his mistake and cry,he decided God had plans for him maybe.He tried to stay positive,suddenly it occured to him he heard voices somewhere around him,a little far maybe though they were getting drowned by the downpour,yet he had a radar for things.Unafraid,he went forward bemused in the direction of the voices,his streak for adventure didnt let him down,though his mind alerted him there could be danger,what if it could be a trap,but still not the one to let his curiosity get away so easily,he had a feeling of positivity.He was amazed to see a flock of kids around shouting and dancing.He was astonished to see so many kids there,he went in and was shocked to see the kids were affected by leprosy.But the kids never seemed to have been bothered by thet,they were busy jigging,jiving around in joy.The King didnt know how to get in

Barack Obama and his alter ego

In the wake of the fascinating forum hosted by Pastor Rick Warren at his Saddleback Church in Orange County, everyone is focusing on the contrasts between presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama. More interesting are the contrasts between the intellectual-theologian Obama and the political Obama. "Does evil exist?" Warren asked Obama. "And if it does, do we ignore it, do we negotiate with it, do we contain it or do we defeat it?"Obama the moral philosopher replied, accurately, that evil is everywhere, in Darfur, in our city streets, in our own hearts. We cannot "erase evil from the world. That is God's task. But we can be soldiers in that process, and we can confront [evil] when we see it." (Imagine the reaction if President Bush called himself a soldier of God in the battle against evil.) When asked what America's greatest moral failing was, theological Obama said it was our collective failure to "abide by that basic precept in [the Book of] Matthew that whatever you do for the least of my brothers, you do for me." For Obama the politician, such scriptural quotations often serve as an all-inclusive writ to impose his religious views on others when it comes to fighting poverty, global warming, racism, etc. But when the question turns to abortion, political Obama insists on a policy of moral agnosticism and political laissez faire. Asked directly when life begins as a legal matter, he punted, insisting the answer was "above my pay grade." Obama, commendably, told Warren that he wants to reduce the number of abortions. After all, he observed gravely, "we've had a president who is opposed to abortions over the last eight years, and abortions have not gone down." Unfortunately, Obama wasn't telling the truth: The number of abortions in the U.S. are down, from 1.31 million in 2000 to 1.21 million in 2005, according to the Guttmacher Institute. The abortion rate per 1,000 women age 15 to 44 is the lowest it's been since 1974, partly because of pro-life policies under Bush, but also thanks to those implemented at the state level since the 1990s. At Saddleback, Obama offered the ritualistic support for Roe vs. Wade expected of all Democratic politicians, "not because I'm pro-abortion" but because women "wrestle with these things in profound ways." Now, this is surely true in a great many instances. But political Obama isn't inclined to explain why "wrestling" with a serious moral question is an adequate substitute for deciding it correctly. People wrestle with all sorts of moral quandaries in "profound ways," but that is not enough. Many slave owners wrestled with whether they should free their slaves, but that did not obviate the need for the Emancipation Proclamation.Alas, when it comes to abortion, it's probably silly to expect anything but rote fealty to ideological pieties from a Democrat, just as it's naive to expect anything but the appropriate pro-life talking points from a Republican. But for a self-styled champion of nuance, political Obama's rigidity is spectacular to behold.In 2003, as chairman of the Illinois Senate Health and Human Services Committee, Obama received a statement from Jill Stanek, a registered nurse at Christ Hospital in Oak Lawn, Ill. She testified that at her Chicago-area hospital, she'd seen a baby accidentally delivered alive during an abortion and then "taken to the Soiled Utility Room and left alone to die." I'm no expert on the Christian Gospel, but something tells me that Matthew might consider these wailing creatures the least of our brothers.Alas, the abandonment of babies to suffer and die on the modern equivalent of a Spartan cliff did not require confronting evil. Indeed, Obama led the battle to defeat Illinois' version of the federal Born-Alive Infants Protection Act, which would have treated babies living, albeit briefly, outside the womb as, well, babies. He opposed the bill in 2003 (as he had a similar one in 2001), saying it would undermine Roe vs. Wade. But even after Roe-neutral language was included -- wording good enough that it won support for the federal version of the bill from abortion-rights stalwart Sen. Barbara Boxer -- Obama remained unmoved. Until this week, Obama denied that he ever took such a position. His campaign has now admitted that he was, in effect, lying when he said pro-lifers were lying about his record. But simultaneously, Obama defends a position that comes dismayingly close to the layman's understanding of infanticide while claiming any other position would require him to play God."A lot of evil has been perpetrated based on the claim that we were trying to confront evil," intellectual-theologian Obama said at Saddleback. And "just because we think our intentions are good doesn't always mean that we're going to be doing good."Perhaps that theological Obama should wrestle a bit more with political Obama.

The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream

"A government that truly represents these Americans--that truly serves these Americans--will require a different kind of politics. That politics will need to reflect our lives as they are actually lived. It won’t be pre-packaged, ready to pull off the shelf. It will have to be constructed from the best of our traditions and will have to account for the darker aspects of our past. We will need to understand just how we got to this place, this land of warring factions and tribal hatreds. And we’ll need to remind ourselves, despite all our differences, just how much we share: common hopes, common dreams, a bond that will not break." from The Audacity of Hope
In July 2004, Barack Obama electrified the Democratic National Convention with an address that spoke to Americans across the political spectrum. One phrase in particular anchored itself in listeners’ minds, a reminder that for all the discord and struggle to be found in our history as a nation, we have always been guided by a dogged optimism in the future, or what Senator Obama called "the audacity of hope."
Now, in The Audacity of Hope, Senator Obama calls for a different brand of politics -- a politics for those weary of bitter partisanship and alienated by the "endless clash of armies" we see in congress and on the campaign trail; a politics rooted in the faith, inclusiveness, and nobility of spirit at the heart of "our improbable experiment in democracy." He explores those forces -- from the fear of losing to the perpetual need to raise money to the power of the media -- that can stifle even the best-intentioned politician. He also writes, with surprising intimacy and self-deprecating humor, about settling in as a senator, seeking to balance the demands of public service and family life, and his own deepening religious commitment.
At the heart of this book is Senator Obama’s vision of how we can move beyond our divisions to tackle concrete problems. He examines the growing economic insecurity of American families, the racial and religious tensions within the body politic, and the transnational threats -- from terrorism to pandemic -- that gather beyond our shores. And he grapples with the role that faith plays in a democracy -- where it is vital and where it must never intrude. Underlying his stories about family, friends, members of the Senate, even the president, is a vigorous search for connection: the foundation for a radically hopeful political consensus.
A senator and a lawyer, a professor and a father, a Christian and a skeptic, and above all a student of history and human nature, Senator Obama has written a book of transforming power. Only by returning to the principles that gave birth to our Constitution, he says, can Americans repair a political process that is broken, and restore to working order a government that has fallen dangerously out of touch with millions of ordinary Americans. Those Americans are out there, he writes --- "waiting for Republicans and Democrats to catch up with them."

The McCain camp is in a death spiral

Chill, guys. The McCain camp is in a death spiral.
Like many Obama supporters, I’ve been in a poll-induced funk recently. So I went to the Obama HQ in downtown Orlando looking for a t-shirt, a bumper sticker, something, anything, to make myself not feel so damn worried. Here’s what I found:
1. A brisk campaign operation staffed mostly by 25-35 year olds, all at computers, all analyzing data on GOTV operations.
2. After speaking with my precinct captain who was present, she told me that since August 1, the downtown HQ has registered 80,000 new voters. Let that number sink in. In the last 40 days or so, they’ve registered an average of 2,000 voters per day.
I know they probably won’t keep up that pace, but even half that is good.
3. Consider that Florida was won by Bush in 2004 by 380,000 votes. Nader got 33,000 votes. I don’t even think he’s on the ballot in Florida this year. Assume that most of those go to Obama. The margin, to beat the Bush turnout in 2004, is 350,000 (give or take 50,000 votes.)
4. To win Florida, Obama needs everything Kerry got plus 400,000 votes.
5. Of those 80,000 newly registered voters (whose info won’t be available for pollsters for weeks, if not ever, before the election), the campaign has identified over 80% as Obama supporters. That’s 64,000 new Obama votes since Aug 1.
6. Assume they decrease their registration by 50% in September, and 50% in October. After all, there are only so many people not registered to vote. That would be another 60,000 voters, with approximately 48,000 new Obama votes, who can’t be polled. All together, that’s 112,000 new Obama votes. In Central Florida alone. Since Aug 1. 25% of the 400k to get Florida’s 27 electoral votes. Since Aug 1.
7. Of course, you have to get people to the polls. However, the precinct captain said that the 80% support of the newly registered voters has a built-in no-show formula.
8. I mentioned my worry over the polls. Without condescension, without a dirty look, or a snide quip, she said, calmly as possible, “we aren’t running the Florida campaign based on polls, we’re running it based on votes. There are so many people who have signed up to vote that pollsters can’t even reach, that the only thing the campaign is looking at right now is the GOTV operation and their own internal polls which are run much more specifically than, for instance, the state Mason-Dixon polls commissioned by the Florida newspapers.”
Patience and steel.

Why Young People Like Obama

Obama is creating a mass following of net-generation teen, pre-teen and millennial young people. Many parents ask me: Why do teens and young people love Obama? Here are the reasons I think that Obama strikes a strong chord with our generation.
**Please note, this is not an endorsement of Obama, just an explanation of this trend–I prefer to keep my own political opinions out of this blog, but thought it is an important issue to talk about!
1) Obama is young
We like Obama because he does not feel as far away from our own reality as many of the other candidates. He feels young, he feels fresh and therefore he is relatable to us.
2) Obama lets youth feel important
Talk about a grass roots campaign! Obama asks us, begs us, and gives incentives to youth for speaking out on his behalf because he tells us we matter! Many of my friends are practically begging to campaign for him and he makes us feel great about helping him. He thanks us and reinforces the importance of the young vote—we love feeling important.
3) Obama pushes change, which feels like a challenge, which feels exciting
Obama constantly talks about change, new beginnings and his untainted background. We love be a part of something that is new, exciting and a little counter-revolutionary or daring, so we jump on his band wagon!
4) Obama loves net-generation tools (the internet)
Obama is all over the web, he has YouTube videos, online platforms, chat rooms and a blog. Many other candidates have these as well, but Obama focused his campaign on the online community early and with full force. We love tackling and reading all of his online aspects and feel he is speaking to us in our language.
5) Obama is good looking
Isn’t there some research done that the most attractive candidate always wins? Well, Obama has grasped the votes and hearts of many young women. Obama girl flaunts her crush on Obama and has a following of her own.

updates on barack obama

Some people (Arianna Huffington, say) may be wanting Barack Obama to “release his righteous rage” at all the lies, smears and negative campaigning of the Republicans - but one reader wrote into Andrew Sullivan’s blog with the following very important point (includes Sullivan’s comment):“A Reader Gets It
This is all Rove has left:
‘Speaking of getting into Obama’s head, always remember this. This is what all this is about period. It’s all they got:
The most readily identified, most easily stereotyped, and most quickly dismissed figure is an angry black man.’
That’s what that tool Rove and his acolytes are trying to do. It’s the only card they have left. Obama must not let them get their way. If he doesn’t, he doesn’t just win. We have a chance now to defeat the forces of evil that Obama has smoked out of their cubicles.”
Very true. And not only is Obama avoiding falling into this Rovian trap by not getting angry; he may not even have to in order to win. At the rate they’re currently going, I wouldn’t be surprised if John McCain and Sarah Palin hang themselves with their own rope*.
*This is, of course, a metaphor, in the same way that ‘lipstick on a pig’ is.
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Tags: andrew sullivan, arianna huffington, campaign, comment, John McCain, karl rove, Opinion, racsim, Sarah PalinPosted in Opinion, Press Coverage, Strategy No Comments »
Sixty Six Million Dollars!September 14th, 2008 by e4o
The campaign of US Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama today announced it had raised a record $66m in August with the help of more than half a million new donors.
Full story at the Guardian

Lindsay,Pamela condemn Palin

Celebrities aren’t going to change the way Americans vote. Who cares, right?
Even so… I found these two celebrity assessments on Sarah Palin amusing:
Lindsay Lohan and her girlfriend, Sam Ronson, posted their thoughts on Sarah Palin, the Republican vp nominee, on her myspace page. Here is an extract:
“I find it quite interesting that a woman who now is running to be second in command of the United States, only 4 years ago had aspirations to be a television anchor. Which is probably all she is qualified to be… Also interesting that she got her passport in 2006.. And that she is not fond of environmental protection considering she’s FOR drilling for oil in some of our protected land…. Well hey, if she wants to drill for oil, she should DO IT IN HER OWN backyard. This really shows me her complete lack of real preparation to become the second most powerful person in this country…Is our country so divided that the Republicans best hope is a narrow minded, media obsessed homophobe?”
And they added “Don’t pose for anymore tabloid covers, you’re not a celebrity, you’re running for office to represent our, your, MY country.”
Great, since Obama has been criticized by the McCain campaign for being nothing more than a celebrity like Britney Spears and Paris Hilton. (Remember the marvellous Paris Hilton video?)

Angelina found giving birth funny

Angelina found giving birth funny27 Jun 2007
First, the must-do celebrity trend when it came to giving birth was to attempt to do it in silence, thanks to Scientologist Katie Holmes, but now it appears that laughing your way through, a la Angelina Jolie is the thing to do.The Tomb Raider star said she couldn't stop giggling all the way through the caesarean birth of her and Brad Pitt's daughter Shiloh, nor could she stop when she was feeding her baby half an hour later."They were trying to put the IV in me and I began laughing so hard, with tears rolling down my face. I was out of my mind," she grinned, adding that Ocean's 13 star Brad had managed to capture the whole thing on video camera.It appears that her cheerful disposition was down to the fact that the hospital staff had administered the actress with a morphine injection, giving her a slightly high feeling.Even Shiloh's grandmother was in on the act, according to Angelina: "I was on the phone with my mom, who was also in the hospital. We were laughing because we were both under the same assumed name and we both had been given a dose of morphine."This report of Angelina giving birth contrasts wildly with an interview she gave people magazine shortly after the event, in which she admitted she was "terrified" throughout the caesarean procedure.