NGOMPOL: John McCain

Showing posts with label John McCain. Show all posts

Monday, November 24, 2008

Obama Birth Certificate: SCOTUS Conference Scheduled for Dec 5

Denofrio Vs. Wells
Barack Obama, Birth Certificate, Citizenship Questions
Justice Clarence Thomas: Distributed Leo C. Denofrio’s renewed application For Conference on December 5

IF Four of the Nine Justices Favor Review, A Hearing will Be Held

WILL SCOTUS VET OBAMA?
McCain, Colero Also Challenged

Three candidates for U.S. President and none of the three were eligible--one of the candidates wasn't and has never been a citizen of the United States?

What's up with that?

Leo C. Denofrio of New Jersey wants to know.

Denofrio (who has had his named spelled "Denofrio" and "Donofrio" in a wide array of stories) has challenged the legality of three candidates that appeared on the New Jersey ballot for U.S. president: Democrat Barack Obama, Republican John McCain and Socialist Workers Party candidate Roger Calero.

And he makes good arguments that none are qualified to serve as president.

Denofrio has offered up the U.S. Constitution, New Jersey law, the 14th Amendment, the U.S. Department of State’s Foreign Affairs Manual, and other laws as the basis for his case.

Denofrio began his case in New Jersey against New Jersey Secretary of State (SOS) Nina Mitchell Wells. The case is now one step away from a hearing by the U.S. Supreme Court.

The suit is just one of many that sprung up challenging the constitutional qualifications of Barack Obama, John McCain or both, to serve as U.S. president.

On November 19, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas distributed Denofrio's renewed application (for a stay of the 2008 election) for conference on December 5.

The Supreme Court wouldn't be anxious to involve itself in another US election, but it wouldn't have to--IF the individual secretaries of state had fulfilled their duties. Three other justices would have to join Thomas in requesting a hearing.

Four of the nine SCOTUS justices have to favor review for a hearing on the matter to be scheduled.

Donofrio's first application was denied by Justice David Souter on Nov. 6. The rules of the court, however, allow for a renewed submission to a justice of the petitioner's choice.

From a highly-informative Linda Bentley article, Justice Thomas distributes Obama case for conference:

ALSO at DBKP:
The Missing Records of Barack Obama

* Obama Selective Service Registration: Another Obama Record, Another Question
* Unreleased Obama Records: Did Obama Attend Columbia?
* Obama Records: Obama Medical, College, University, Other Records Still Hidden
* Obama College, Medical, Birth Records: Who is Barack Obama?
* Obama Medical Records: MSM’s Don’t Ask, Obama’s Don’t Tell Policy
* Obama Records: Obama Campaign Still Refuses to Release Medical, Other Records

Beginning in October, Denofrio made his way up through the ranks of the courts until his constitutional question as to the meaning of “natural born citizen” reached the Supreme Court.

He submitted an application for an emergency stay to prohibit the use of what he called “defective ballots” in the state of New Jersey because they contained ineligible candidates for the office of President of the United States, and asked that the court order New Jersey Secretary of State (SOS) Nina Mitchell Wells to remove the names of Republican candidate John McCain, Democratic candidate Barack Obama and Socialist Workers Party candidate Roger Calero from New Jersey ballots.

According to Denofrio, the three candidates are not “natural born citizens,” as required by the Constitution to hold the office of President of the United States.

Leo Denofrio contends Obama, even if it were proven he was born in Hawaii, because his father was born in Kenya, having been born with split and competing loyalties, is not a ‘natural born citizen’ as required by Article 2, Section 1, of the U.S. Constitution.”

Denofrio contacted the New Jersey SOS Elections Division on Oct. 22 to determine what steps the SOS had taken to determine whether any of the presidential candidates listed on the New Jersey ballots were eligible for the office.

He was informed by Elections Manager Donna Barber the SOS took no steps to determine eligibility and assumed eligibility based only upon the fact they had been nominated.

However, New Jersey statute requires Wells to make a “statement” wherein she certifies, under her hand and official seal of office, the names … “of all such candidates for whom the voters within such county may be by law entitled to vote at such election.”

So the Secretary of State is required to vet candidates to determine if they're qualified--and then admits no such vetting occurred?

What's up with that?

On Oct. 23, Denofrio spoke to Barber, who again informed him she had no reason to object to such party nominations and the statutory deadline for objections had passed. Barber specifically stated the Elections Division would not change ballots at such a late date.

Denofrio says New Jersey voters must rely upon the SOS to safeguard the integrity of their electoral process, especially during presidential cycles “when she must be most vigilant of her oath of office.”

If the SOS doesn’t protect the citizens of New Jersey, Denofrio states it is then up to the citizens to command Wells to do so.

As a result of Wells’ “misfeasance,” Denofrio says the state’s ballots contain the names of three presidential candidates who are not, “by law entitled,” to hold the office of President of the United States.

Denofrio states McCain was born in Panama, Calero was born in Nicaragua and Obama’s birthplace has not been verified.

He asks, “If the SOS’s role is clerical, then who is responsible for Roger Calero appearing on the ballots?”

Just how good of a job did the New Jersey Secretary of State do fulfilling her duties of office?

Colero isn't even a citizen of the United States and appeared on the New Jersey ballot for president of the U.S.--an office which he was constitutionally unqualified to hold.

NJSOS Wells would seem to be in clear violation of her oath of office to ensure that candidates are "qualified".

Calero, born in Nicaragua, not only is not a “natural born citizen,” he isn’t even a citizen. He’s a resident alien who also appeared on numerous state ballots during the 2004 presidential election.

While the Socialist Workers Party was somehow qualified to place its candidate on the ballot in 10 states, five of those states refused to list Caldero on their ballots because he is not constitutionally qualified and substituted candidate James Harris, a “surrogate nominee.”

The story goes on to point out that "Denofrio also quotes a section from the U.S. Department of State’s Foreign Affairs Manual, which states, “Despite widespread popular belief, U.S. military installations abroad and U.S. diplomatic facilities are not part of the United States within the meaning of the 14th Amendment. A child born on the premises of such a facility is not subject to U.S. jurisdiction and does not acquire U.S. citizenship by reason of birth.”

"The Foreign Affairs Manual also addresses the issue of eligibility for president as such: “It has never been determined definitively by a court whether a person who acquired U.S. citizenship by birth abroad to U.S. citizens is a natural born citizen within the meaning of Article II of the Constitution and, therefore, eligible for the Presidency.”

Denofrio cites 8 USC 1402(a): that McCain may claim his citizenship because of the statute. But does that make McCain a "natural born citizen"?

Denofrio states, “McCain is in the class of citizens who obtain their citizenship at birth, but not from the Constitution, but rather federal statute.”

Extremely interesting.

Denofrio offers more evidence that his case has merits.

Denofrio states, “… had the U.S. legislature intended to grant ‘natural born citizen’ status to all who were born on U.S. soil, then the 14th Amendment would contain the words ‘natural born citizen,’ but it doesn’t … McCain was born in Panama. Panama is not considered U.S. soil, nor has it ever been considered as such.”

The Naturalization Act of 1790 stated, “… the children of citizens of the United States that may be born beyond Sea, or out of the limits of the United States, shall be considered as natural born Citizens ...”

However, Denofrio points out the Naturalization Act of 1795 specifically repealed the 1790 act and replaced it with the same clause except with the words “natural born” deleted.

So Calero is not even a US citizen and he appeared on the NJ ballot.

John McCain, though he served his country and is a citizen by federal statute, wasn't constitutionally-qualified to serve as president.

And Obama?

Denofrio: "Obama has not been presented with a legal request from a party with proper standing to command him in any way, and therefore has no legal responsibility to produce one."

"[S]ince candidate Obama was born to a Kenyan father, he also is not eligible to the office of president since he is not a ‘natural born citizen’ by the Constitution.”

In conclusion Denofrio states had the legislature intended to grant “natural born citizen” status to all who were born on U.S. soil, the 14th Amendment would contain the words “natural born citizen.”

Will Denofrio's petition get the necessary support to command a hearing?

Does his petition have merit?

Did the NJ Secretary of State fulfill her obligations under the law to ensure that only qualified candidates appear on the ballot? One candidate--Calero--clearly was not qualified to appear on the NJ ballot.

Were there others?

How many other Secretaries of State "assumed" that the candidates were qualified--instead of "ensured" they were qualified?

We'll know more about this in the coming weeks, it seems.

In the meantime, what of Leo C. Denofrio?

He's used to tension: he retired from law to enter the ranks of professional poker players.

ALSO at DBKP:
The Obama Birth Certificate Questions

* Obama Records: Obama Campaign Still Refuses to Release Medical, Other Records
* Obama Birth Certificate: Ruling in Berg v. Obama Expected In Next Two Days- UPDATED
* Obama Birth Certificate Lawsuit: Obama, DNC Fail to Respond-UPDATED
* Washington Man Files Lawsuit over Obama Citizenship Questions
* Obama College, Medical, Birth Records: Who is Barack Obama?
* Obama Birth Certificate Federal Lawsuit: Video Released On YouTube
* Obama Birth Certificate Federal Lawsuit: Updates, News and Reactions
* Obama Birth Certificate Federal Lawsuit: The Curious Behavior of the Obama Campaign
* Obama, Bill Ayers, and FactCheck.Org: All Have Ties To Annenberg Foundation

by Mondo Frazier
images: dbkp file

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Newt Gingrich: 2012Presidential Run or 2008 RNC Chairman?

Newt Gingrich:
Architect of 1994's Contract with America

Gingrich New GOP Chairman?

Sherri Reese is reporting [Newt Considers a Run for RNC Chairman] that Newt Gingrich "is considering throwing his name in the hat to be the next Chairman for the RNC.'

As Georgia Republican Leadership meet today to plan for the expected run-off of Saxby Chambliss against Jim Martin, my sources tell me Gingrich is having meetings to discuss his own race.

Newt is best known for leading the charge for the Contract with America. It is this famed Contract that has been credited for the Republican take-over of the US House and Senate in 1994. It is also well believed among traditional Republicans that it has been the abandonment of this contract by elected Republicans that has lead to their downfall.

Robert Novak assesses the mood in the Republican Party as "desperate".

"But Republicans are in a desperate mood after the fiasco of John McCain's seemingly safe candidacy."

Writing about talk of a possible Gingrich run for the Republican presidential nomination in 2012, Novak describes Republicans as "chastised".

Republicans seem chastened by the failure of seeking moderate, independent and even Democratic votes. They are ready to try going back to the "old-time religion."

One Republican critic of Gingrich concedes that he has an "unlimited" energy flow and a constant stream of ideas, an important commodity in a party that appears to have run short of ideas during the Bush years. But there is widespread concern about what is described in the party as deep "character flaws" of Gingrich's that would be difficult to overcome in a presidential campaign.

Novak may have hit the nail on the head: Republican Party leaders have reason to feel chastised. Voters who had an inclination to vote for the GOP were given few reasons--outside of Sarah Palin's pick as John McCain's running mate--to feel enthusiastic about a party that, given the chance, fed as voraciously at the public trough as Democrats.

Self-identified Republicans voted in less numbers in 2008 than they did in 2004, though by how much is disputed. Michael Medved thinks it wasn't too many. [DID SIX MILLION REPUBLICANS REALLY STAY HOME?].

The Republicans worked as hard to expand big government under George Bush as Democrats traditionally did. Karl Rove's plan to expand the Republican "base" by enrolling millions in the expensive prescription drug plan--that will eventually be paid for by coming generations--was a travesty.

In many cases, Bush's "compassionate conservatism" was neither compassionate nor conservatism.

Newt Gingrich proposes so many interesting ideas that it's possible to both disagree and agree with him at the same time--depending upon the idea being discussed.

Many will questions Gingrich's decisions at various points in his life, but Gingrich's conservative credentials are unquestioned.

While Newt Gingrich may rightly have some problems with a possible presidential nomination run, a stint at the RNC would be a perfect fit for the former Speaker of the House.

by Mondo Frazier
image: dbkp file

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Sarah Palin, McCain Campaign: Scapegoating Sarah Palin

The McCain Campaign:
Mistakes, But Hampered Ultimately By Both the Candidate and his Campaign Advisers--Not by Sarah Palin
McCain Campaign is Responsible for McCain's Defeat

Palin Was Attacked from the Inside from Almost the Moment She gave the McCain Campaign their First Realistic Chance at Victory

The McCain Campaign Rats vs. Sarah Palin

FROM GOSSIP TO GOSPEL

The McCain campaign made some shrewd moves, but it also was guilty of some moves that ultimately doomed its unlikely candidate--with the most momentous misstep coming from John McCain himself.

Like any losing campaign, those in charge of the campaign seek to lay the blame for losing on factors beyond their control. In this regard, the long knives came out from various unnamed aides and advisers in the McCain campaign, who are anxious to run from their responsibility for the Election 2008 loss.

Most of those knives appear to have Sarah Palin's name on them--and they were unsheathed before the race for the presidency was even over.

In what can be most charitably described as "resume-polishing", various aides in the John McCain campaign have continued their practice of leaking uncomplimentary "anecdotal" information detrimental to Sarah Palin.

Understand: these "aides", "advisers" and "sources" from "within the McCain campaign", as they're labeled, bear much responsibility for a campaign that, like its candidate, was somewhat unconventional and ultimately failed to win McCain the presidency.

These staffers--most of whom will soon be in the job-hunting market--apparently feel that there's a wider market for an aide from a losing campaign that was sabotaged from within. Stories of an "uncooperative" VP pick inoculates them against any bad decisions made by such "aides" and "advisers".

These aides-gone-rogue merely have to pick up their cellphone or hit "send" on their email--anonymously, by the way--and a waiting press eagerly elevates such grousing and sour grapes from gossip to gospel.

THE McCAIN CAMPAIGN

There is much for which the McCain campaign can be proud.

John McCain garnered the fourth-largest vote total for any candidate in history.
His total of 56,497,501 votes were more than any previous losing Republican candidate. It was also the fourth-highest popular vote total in U.S. history.
McCain won 21 states with 174 electoral votes.
Included in this total were wins in states in which McCain was outspent by a wide margin. McCain was also competitive in the "battleground" states, losing several by close margins, while winning others.
The McCain campaign produced these numbers with a not-unimpressive ground game.
Republicans in general however, voted in less numbers than they did in 2004. Also, there were paticular groups who came down on the side of Obama: wealthy voters across the USA voted for Obama, for instance.
John McCain was never a favorite of conservatives--this site included. McCain's "maverick" image was achieved by attacking conservatives and Republicans.
Still, McCain's naming of Palin as his running mate energized conservatives.
McCain took a risk and named Sarah Palin as his running mate.
McCain's campaign was staffed with many non-conservatives. The campaign's failure to excite the Republican base was evident prior to the naming of Palin. After Palin, contributions and volunteers came into the McCain camapign from conservatives--many who were prepared to "sit out" this election.

That being said, John McCain was a Republican candidate that the New York Times could love--and indeed, the NYT did endorse the Arizona Senator in the primary election. Of course, after the election, the NYT and the rest of the Mainstream Media deserted McCain, just as many predicted would happen.

JOHN McCAIN: LIB-LITE

Even, the Times' Elizabeth Bumiller is skeptical about the unnamed aides involved in the McCain leaks. From
Internal Battles Divided McCain and Palin Camps:

As a top adviser in Senator John McCain’s now-imploded campaign tells the story, it was bad enough that Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska unwittingly scheduled, and then took, a prank telephone call from a Canadian comedian posing as the president of France. Far worse, the adviser said, she failed to inform her ticketmate about her rogue diplomacy.

As a senior adviser in the Palin campaign tells the story, the charge is absurd. The call had been on Ms. Palin’s schedule for three days and she should not have been faulted if the McCain campaign was too clueless to notice.

All of the McCain rats prefer to stomp their sour grapes in the darkness.

“I think it was a difficult relationship,” said one top McCain campaign official, who, like almost all others interviewed, asked to remain anonymous.

For her part, Palin has "refused to address the strife within the campaigns. “I have absolutely no intention of engaging in any of the negativity because this has been all positive for me.”"

So the it's the "unnamed McCain advisers" talking to Big Media on one side.

On the other side, there is Sarah Palin--and the millions of like-minded Americans who attended McCain rallies for the sole reason of hearing her speak.

Ann Coulter may be a polemicist, but she distills one of the main problems with John McCain as the Republican messenger: his message was crafted to enhance his credentials among non-Republicans. Every time it was discovered that Obama took an outrageous stand on an issue, more likely than not, John McCain stood beside him.

Republicans lost this presidential election, and I don't blame the messenger; I blame the message. How could Republicans go after B. Hussein Obama (as he is now known) on planning to bankrupt the coal companies when McCain supports the exact same cap and trade policies and earnestly believes in global warming?

How could we go after Obama for his illegal alien aunt and for supporting driver's licenses for illegal aliens when McCain fanatically pushed amnesty along with his good friend Teddy Kennedy?

How could we go after Obama for Jeremiah Wright when McCain denounced any Republicans who did so?

How could we go after Obama for planning to hike taxes on the "rich," when McCain was the only Republican to vote against both of Bush's tax cuts on the grounds that they were tax cuts for the rich?

And why should Republican activists slave away working for McCain when he has personally, viciously attacked: John O'Neill and the Swift Boat Veterans, National Right to Life director Doug Johnson, evangelical pastors Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson and John Hagee, various conservative talk radio hosts, the Tennessee Republican Party and on and on and on?

The problem with John McCain's message ultimately was: on most issues, John McCain was Lib-Lite. His foreign policy stands were the most notable differences with Barack Obama.

Otherwise, there was little to choose among the candidates, especially after Obama tacked hard right on taxes and a host of other issues.

The McCain campaign is not responsible for McCain's past stands on the issues: it's the hand they were dealt. But, they are responsible for their candidate and his message.

They are also responsible for John McCain's single cause for defeat.

JOHN McCAIN FINANCIAL MELTDOWN MAVERICK FAILURE

John McCain billed himself as a "maverick", who would fight established interests.

Palin, who had attacked her own Republican Party and entrenched interests in her run to the Alaskan governor's office, could rightly lay claim to the label, "maverick".

During the financial crisis, John McCain had the single example to prove that he was indeed a maverick.

Instead, he suspended his campaign, flew to Washington and voted for an unpopular bailout bill--that will saddle American citizens, their children and grandchildren with a tremendous tax burden for generations to come--that squarely originated from the Bush administration.

When John McCain had the opportunity to walk the walk, he chose--like Barack Obama--to talk the talk.

Instead of calling for investigations into wrong-doers and those responsible, he chose to side with his colleagues in the Senate and House. McCain had been on the right side of reform when he called for the reform of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae in 2006.

His bailout vote relegated that vote to the memory hole. He also lined up with Barack Obama on this particular issue. The siren song of "Bipartisanship" caught the Arizona Senator's ear at a most inopportune moment.

McCain was at that point leading in the polls. Afterwards, his campaign never recovered from John McCain's retreat from maverick to establishment pol.

As Rush Limbaugh observed, "John McCain's campaign staff has spent more time attacking Sarah Palin than it did attacking Jeremiah Wright, Bill Ayers...and Obama himself."

Among some of the gossip elevated to "news" by the sinking McCain ship mates were claims that Palin was:

A shopaholic;
Threw tantrums;
Didn't know about American exceptionalism;
Didn't know Africa was a continent;
Just one of the "Wasilla hillbillies looting Neiman-Marcus coast-to-coast".

Big Media has proved to be a mouthpiece for all things anti-Republican and anti-conservative. This latest Palin bashing is no different.

THE NUTTY PROFESSOR

Julian E. Zelizer, a professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School, rehashes Big Media's talking points on how it covered the McCain campaign. Zelizer does so in the guise of listing five "mistakes" the McCain campaign made.

After listing what he considers historical presidential campaign errors, Zelizer reveals more about his point of view than he does about the McCain campaign. In case readers mistake the Newsweek piece for journalism, the second page title reads, "Worst Campaign Ever?" From John McCain's chaotic operation may well rank among recent history's least successful efforts:

But Team McCain ran a campaign that ranks on the bottom of this list. This was an aimless and chaotic operation made worse by poor choices at key moments. Their first mistake was picking Gov. Sarah Palin.

Zelizer's list of other McCain "mistakes":

McCain missed the biggest lesson of the Reagan Revolution: conservatives usually do best when they appeal to America's optimism and develop a positive campaign around a vision for the country.
The third mistake was the "no-state" strategy. In contrast to Obama's "50-state" strategy whereby Democrats hoped to win support in red states, the Republican ticket moved from one state to the next without any clear rationale.
The fourth mistake was the way McCain handled the crisis on Wall Street.
McCain's final mistake was to leave his most politically powerful argument until it was too late. While there were many problems with Joe the Plumber, the argument could have been used much more effectively against Senator Obama: that the Democratic ticket was too left of center, especially on the issue of taxes.

Zelizer winds up by giving one last Newsweek touch: "Now, the McCain-Palin campaign will be added to the list of devastated losers." The author also empirically observes, "In contrast, Obama's decisions and performance seemed presidential."

Losing campaigns point fingers. Winning campaigns congratulate each other.

2008 is no different.

However, Election 2008 heralds a year in which the losing campaign's aides and advisers acted like losers--with the leaking of anti-Palin gossip months before the election took place--from almost the very moment that John McCain's naming of Sarah Palin gave them a realistic chance to hope for victory.

by Mondo Frazier

Barack Obama: New 44th President Will Face Real Challenges, Responsibilities

Barack Obama:
44th President of the United States

New President Will Find Responsibilities Replace Rhetoric

Electoral Win Solid, if Not Spectacular

Barack Obama was elected in Election 2008 as the USA's 44th president and almost immediately will face hard choices in governing, both on the domestic and foreign fronts.

The media has called Obama's election "historic", and on that--unlike most other matters of fact--they are correct.

Obama becomes the country's first bi-racial candidate, and even those that opposed Obama on policy issues can find much good in the hope that his election will put issues of race into their proper perspective.

The raw statistics surrounding the election of Barack Hussein Obama as the nation's 44th president indicate that the country gave a Democrat presidential candidate a majority of the popular vote for the first time in 32 years.

Obama's 52.4% of the popular vote surpasses Jimmy Carter's 50.1% total in 1976 election. That total could finish up or down, but not by much. Obama's total was far short of predictions that he would approach Lyndon Johnson's 1964 total of 61.1%.

The electoral college total had Obama winning 364-174 over challenger John McCain.

Bill Clinton exceeded both totals in the electoral college--in spite of never winning a majority of the popular vote--in both 1992(370) and 1996 (379). Obama did surpass Carter's 297.

Obama will be tested immediately, it seems on foreign policy.

Russia reacted to the news of Obama's election within hours. From Russian missiles to counter U.S. defence plan: Medvedev.

Russia will deploy short-range missiles in the Baltic Sea region near the border with Poland in response to plans by the United States to build an anti-missile system in Europe, President Dmitry Medvedev said on Wednesday.

The proposed U.S. anti-missile system, which would include 10 missile silos in Poland and a radar station in the Czech Republic to help detect and shoot down any ballistic missiles, threatens Russia's national security, Medvedev said in his state-of-the-nation address on Wednesday.

"To neutralize — if necessary — the [U.S.] anti-missile system, an Iskander missile system will be deployed in the Kaliningrad region," Medvedev said. "Naturally, we are also considering using for the same purpose the resources of Russia's navy."

There will be the traditional 'honeymoon' between the new Obama administration and the press. DBKP is no different: we wish the new president well for the sake of the United States.

We'll reserve comment on the press' relationship with the Obama campaign before the election for another post.

Obama's campaign mantra of "hope" affects even us: we hope that what we don't know about the Senator from Illinois won't affect his good judgment for the good of the country. We also hope that the Obama we see in White House really the go-slow, tax-cutting Obama we saw in the last weeks of the campaign.

Obama's campaign mantra of "hope" affects even us: we hope that what we don't know about the Senator from Illinois won't affect his good judgment for the good of the country.

Republicans in Congress continued to pay a price for their free-spending, pork-barreling ways when they had control. We hope they learned a lesson, though we are a bit skeptical.

Barack Obama is a smart man. We hope he uses his intelligence to study the effects of what happens--to Democrats and Republicans alike--when they try to buy votes using the hard-earned money of their fellow citizens.

We Barack Obama a hearty "Good luck".

by Mondo Frazier

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Election 2008: LIVE Blogging the Elections All Evening

DBKP Live Blogging:
LIVE! Coverage of the 2008 Election

DBKP will LIVE! Blog Election Day 2008 from 6 pm until the finish.

UPDATES throughout the evening at Election 2008: LIVE Blogging the Elections All Evening.

UPDATE #1 - 1815 EST - MORE Exit Poll Information
UPDATE #2 - working

1800 EST - Exit poll information

70% Think there will be another Terrorist Attack on USA

5:45 pm

Fox News has some exit poll information. Remember that exit polls have been historically, dramatically wrong. They have been wrong. Most likely there are many items wrong in 2008.

Pick and choose time from the 2008 exit polls.

75% of exit voters were concerned about Supreme Court justice picks.
70% of exit polls thought that their taxes will go up under Obama.
61% of exit polls thought that their taxes will go up under McCain.

90% think their votes will be counted accuately.
9% don't.

24% think that Congreessis doing a good job.
74% don't.

60% think McCain has the right Experience.

Exit Polls:
In Indiana, Ohio and Virginia, white males favor McCain.
In Indiana, Ohio and Virginia, new voters favor Obama by 2-1.
In Ohio, late undecideds broke for Obama.
In Virginia and Indiana, they broke

56% opposed financial bailout.

62% think the economy is the top issue.
70% think there will be another terrorist attack on the USA.

42% think they are worse off than 4 years ago.
21% think they are better off.

23% will be scared if Obama wins.
30% will be scared if McCain wins.

That's what's happening shortly before 6 pm. Next Update at approximately 6:20 pm.

UPDATE #1 - 1815 EST - MORE Exit Poll Information

BEWARE! Exit Poll info. Four years ago, Kerry was winning in a landslide, according to exit polls at that time. That, of course, was totally incorrect.

CHANGE! voters favor Obama 91-8%.
New voters favor Obama 67-29%.
New voters are not making up any larger percentage of of the electorate than in previous years.

Clinton Democrats are saying they are backing Obama 82-16% in Ohio.

Both sides are turning out voters in big numbers.

No information yet about how Obama's remarks about coal, which were publicized the last several days, are affecting the vote in coal states.

More Exit poll info:

40% think McCain is in touch.
42% think Obama is too liberal.

Some polls have Obama trailing by 5% in Indiana.

Sarah Palin was cleared of ethic charges yesterday. How much press coverage did that receive? We're looking right now.

It was covered by the Associated Press. There are a few stories on Google News--but not nearly as many as reported the earlier report that she was "guilty" of ethics violations.

Figures.

UPDATE - working

by Mondo Frazier
image: dbkp file

PUMA Watch: PUMA Sites Talking McCain Victory

PUMAs Hold the Keys to the Election

A random roundup of PUMA (People United Means Action or the more colorfu Party Unity My Ass) sites and what was collected there on Election Day 2008.

PUMA08

* Prediction 1- The inevitable McCain/Palin Landslide: McCain-Palin 309 Obama-Biden 229

Just Say No Deal

* i choose the hero

The Confluence

* While we wait for a Voting Strategy post, SUSA reported what would happen in this election

[ABOVE: The electoral map in 2006, according to SUSA]

PUMAPac

VOTE TODAY

Anyone who tries to claim with a straight face that the national media is not actually manipulating the news in Obama’s favor has LOST THEIR MIND.

Hillbuzz

* Fun With Math

Here’s some fun with math:

Obama = 10 Democrat votes

McCain = 10 Republican votes

So, let’s really simplify things and say 20 people total are voting in a state the media says is statistically tied, and polling models this Obamedia use claim almost all Democrats are voting for Obama and almost all Republicans are voting for McCain. Completely ignoring PUMAs.

Look what happens when just a few Democrats cross the aisle and vote for McCain — the way all of us at HillBuzz (and our friends and families) have done. Look what happens when just 2 Democrats walk over to McCain:

Obama = 8

McCain = 12

10 + 10 = 20. 8 + 12 = 20. But, what was once tied, suddenly becomes a 4-point deficit for Obama, with just two Democrats leaving Obama’s column and heading over to McCain.

Every Democrat voting for McCain is 2 votes Obama loses. He’s lose only 1 vote if a Democrat sat home, but he loses 2 votes if they cross the aisle over to McCain.

So, every Democrat who was called a racist by Obama followers and now votes for McCain costs Dear Leader 2 votes.

Every Democrat whose car was keyed or whose windows were broken with rocks by Obama followers and now votes for McCain costs “The One” 2 votes.

Every Democrat who railed against the sexism and misogyny leveled against Hillary Clinton, and then Sarah Palin, who casts a vote for McCain costs ObaMessiah 2 votes.

Every Democrat who cried out when the DNC broke its own rules and handed Obama 4 free delegates from Michigan at the Rules and Bylaws Committee Meeting, after mishhandling the Florida and Michigan situations with gross incompetence, and casts a vote for McCain costs “The Lightbringer” 2 votes.

You get the picture.

So, basically, every nasty, undemocratic, vile, sexist, misogynistic, violent, vulgar, dirty, rotten, thuggish, dishonest, unethical, and revolting thing Obama and his followers did to Clinton and her supporters will come back to Obama and the DNC twofold, for every PUMA voting for McCain/Palin.

PUMAs don't believe the Mainstream Media Obama drone.

And they have long memories.

by Mondo Frazier
images: dbkp file

Dixville Notch: Dixville Notch Election Results In: Obama 15-6

Barack Obama has won the Dixville Notch, NH vote, 15-6.

Dixville Notch is always the first place that votes in the nation: the residents all usually cast their ballots shortly after midnight on Election Day.

It's results as a bellwether is mixed.

2008 - Obama 15 McCain 6
2004 - Bush 19 Kerry 7
2000 - Bush 21 Gore 5 Nader 1
1996 - Dole 18 Clinton 8 Perot 1 Browne 1
1992 - Bush 15 Perot 8 Marou 5 Clinton 2
1988 - Bush 34 Dukakis 3 Kemp 1
1984 - Reagan 29 Mondale 1
1980 - Reagan 17 Carter 3 Anderson 2 Clark 1
1976 - Ford 13 Carter 11 McCarthy 1
1972 - Nixon 16 McGovern 3
1968 - Humphrey 8 Nixon 4
1964 - Goldwater 8 Johnson 1
1960 - Nixon 9 Kennedy 0

--Dixville Notch, New Hampshire

The report from Dixville Notch, NH:

CNN reports that Obama received 15 of the 21 votes cast this morning in Dixville Notch, NH--the town that traditionally gives us the first election returns. McCain received the other 6 votes.

In 2004, Bush won in Dixville Notch by a vote of 19 to 7.

The nearby New Hampshire town of Hart's Location also has completed their voting.

The town of Hart's Location reported 17 votes for Obama, 10 for McCain and two for write-in Ron Paul.

--Obama Beats McCain 15-6 In Dixville Notch, Dixville Notch, Hart's Location Cast Nation's First Votes

Dixville Notch has picked six of the past twelve winners in national presidential elections.

by Mondo
image: DBKP file

Monday, November 3, 2008

The World and US Elections: Israelis Favor McCain; Iran for Obama

Israelis Favor McCain, Iranians Prefer Obama

By Bob McCarty at BobMcCarty.com

Barack Obama has, according to many news accounts about the 2008 presidential race, won the love and admiration of many people around the world. Perhaps more worthwhile than the results of any global opinion poll is a look at how Israelis and Iranians would vote if given the chance.

Published one week ago, a ynet news article, Poll: Israel votes McCain in US elections, revealed that 46% of Israelis would vote for Republican Party presidential nominee John McCain if given chance to elect the U.S. president while only 34 percent would vote for the Democratic Party contender. Further, almost half of those polled believe McCain would better impact Jewish state.

[ABOVE: Click image to read article.]

Published a few days earlier, another ynet news article, Larijani: Iran prefers Obama, revealed that Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani believes his country is leaning towards Obama in the U.S. presidential election "because he is more flexible and rational."

[ABOVE: Click image to read article.]

Summary: Israelis like McCain, and Iranians like Obama. Any questions?*

*If, after carefully considering the facts above, you find yourself still undecided about who to support in the presidential election Tuesday, remember to listen to "The Poll Whisperer" before you cast your vote.

Obama and Coal: Obama Policies Would Bankrupt Coal Industry and Skyrocketing Electricity

Barack Obama, Coal and Electricity:

"Under my plan of a cap and trade system, electricity rates would necessarily skyrocket."

"So if somebody wants to build a coal-powered plant, they can. It's just that it will bankrupt them."

One energy source that America has plenty of--and does not depend upon the whims of foreign governments for the price--is coal.

But, coal is not a politically-correct source of energy. The burning of coal is anathema to environmentalists. The preoccupation of environmentalists with the dubious claims of man-made climate change has made coal highly-unpopular with the liberal crowd.

Barack Obama agreed with these views.

Obama says he favors "clean coal technology", but until this technology is fully developed, coal will remain politically incorrect.

America still depends on coal for almost half of its electricity.

Which makes the Obama statements from an interview earlier this year with the San Francisco Chronicle chilling to working in the coal industry--or anyone paying an electric bill.

Transcripts of the previously-unpublished Obama remarks on coal, as well as the audio are below.

ALSO at DBKP: Obama and Coal: Obama Admits His Policies Will "Bankrupt" Coal Industry

PJ Gladnick of NewsBusters on the unpublished parts of the interview," Amazing that this statement by Obama about bankrupting the coal industry has been kept under wraps until this time."

Ed Morrissey of Hot Air calls the Obama plan--and his statement, it can be supposed on "skyrocketing electricity"--an "utter disaster".

We need to plan for the transition better than what Obama proposes. We need to use our own reserves of oil, natural gas, coal, and shale to cushion the economy while we develop the alternatives and build the infrastructure to deliver it. That’s what John McCain proposed in his Lexington Project.

Price shocks on energy is the last thing this economy needs. It would be worse than the taxes Obama promises to impose on investment, and would have the same depressive effect. It’s an utter disaster.

Audio of the interview below the transcripts.

From the interview transcript: Audio: Obama Tells SF Chronicle He Will Bankrupt Coal Industry

Let me sort of describe my overall policy.

What I've said is that we would put a cap and trade system in place that is as aggressive, if not more aggressive, than anybody else's out there.

I was the first to call for a 100% auction on the cap and trade system, which means that every unit of carbon or greenhouse gases emitted would be charged to the polluter. That will create a market in which whatever technologies are out there that are being presented, whatever power plants that are being built, that they would have to meet the rigors of that market and the ratcheted down caps that are being placed, imposed every year.

So if somebody wants to build a coal-powered plant, they can; it's just that it will bankrupt them because they're going to be charged a huge sum for all that greenhouse gas that's being emitted.

That will also generate billions of dollars that we can invest in solar, wind, biodiesel and other alternative energy approaches.

The only thing I've said with respect to coal, I haven't been some coal booster. What I have said is that for us to take coal off the table as a (sic) ideological matter as opposed to saying if technology allows us to use coal in a clean way, we should pursue it.

So if somebody wants to build a coal-powered plant, they can.
It's just that it will bankrupt them.

From Obama: I’ll make energy prices “skyrocket”:

The problem is not technical, uh, and the problem is not mastery of the legislative intricacies of Washington. The problem is, uh, can you get the American people to say, “This is really important,” and force their representatives to do the right thing? That requires mobilizing a citizenry. That requires them understanding what is at stake. Uh, and climate change is a great example.

You know, when I was asked earlier about the issue of coal, uh, you know — Under my plan of a cap and trade system, electricity rates would necessarily skyrocket. Even regardless of what I say about whether coal is good or bad. Because I’m capping greenhouse gases, coal power plants, you know, natural gas, you name it — whatever the plants were, whatever the industry was, uh, they would have to retrofit their operations. That will cost money. They will pass that money on to consumers.

They — you — you can already see what the arguments will be during the general election. People will say, “Ah, Obama and Al Gore, these folks, they’re going to destroy the economy, this is going to cost us eight trillion dollars,” or whatever their number is. Um, if you can’t persuade the American people that yes, there is going to be some increase in electricity rates on the front end, but that over the long term, because of combinations of more efficient energy usage, changing lightbulbs and more efficient appliance, but also technology improving how we can produce clean energy, the economy would benefit.

If we can’t make that argument persuasively enough, you — you, uh, can be Lyndon Johnson, you can be the master of Washington. You’re not going to get that done.

Audio of Barack Obama declaring, "So if somebody wants to build a coal-powered plant, they can. It's just that it will bankrupt them."

Audio of Barack Obama declaring, "Under my plan of a cap and trade system, electricity rates would necessarily skyrocket."

The Obama campaign predictably says the statements above are "taken out of context".

Are they?

Readers can read and listen and make their own decisions as to what the correct context should be.

There's something about San Francisco that emboldens Barack Obama to reveal more about his agenda and thoughts than his political advisers would want.

by Mondo Frazier
image: dbkp file

Saturday, November 1, 2008

Obama Campaign Tactics: Voter Suppression Depends on Media Help

PUMA Revelations:
Obama Campaign Secrets

The Obama Plan to Suppress McCain Voters

* Astro-turfing
* Poll-itics
* True Confessions

Mainstream Media: "We'll Help Wherever We Can!"

An interesting post which confirms talk on the PUMA sites. The view from both an anonymous former Hillary staffer/Obama campaign worker and other info posted on PUMA (Party Unity My Ass) sites jive.

The main points?

Don't believe the polls.
Obama's campaign main goal has been to keep conservatives divided.
Former Hillary voters are not meekly lining up behind Obama.
Democrats are actively working for John McCain in many areas.
The "Sarah Palin is bad" meme is wrong.
People do care about Obama's radical associations.

Who is this anonymous Obama workers?

"First, a little personal background… I am a female grad student in my 20’s, and a registered Democrat. During the primaries, I was a campaign worker for the Clinton candidacy. I believed in her and still do, staying all the way to the bitter end. And believe me, it was bitter."

From
What you were never intended to know in this election:

I’m going to let you in on a few secrets here, and this is not because I enjoy the gossip or the attention directed my way. I’m doing this because I doubt much of you know the true weaknesses of Obama. Another reason for my doing this is that I am lost faith in this campaign, and feel that this choice has been forced on many people in this country. Put simply, you are being manipulated. That was and is our job – to manipulate you (the electorate) and the media (we already had them months ago). Our goal is to create chaos with the other side, not hope. I’ve come to the realization (as the campaign already has) that if this comes to the issues, Barack Obama doesn’t have a chance. His only chance is to foster disorganization, chaos, despair, and a sense of inevitability among the Republicans. It has worked up until now.

What's the Plan?

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Obama, McCain Flag Pin Watch: Taking Turns Playing Gotcha

Hey, MsM and Bloggers, Dems and GOP:
Stop the flag pin blood feud!
by Rhonda Roland Shearer

Nicole Belle, CrooksandLiars.com, claimed, gotcha!, Apr. 19 08, "Notice Anything? John McCain doesn't wear an American flag pin on THIS WEEK" (Arrows in photos are original to Belle's article. Are they big enough? )
Image source

Taking Turns on the Obama, McCain Flag Pin Watch

On Sunday, Oct. 26, Fox News showed The View’s Elisabeth Hasselbeck introducing VP candidate Sarah Palin. Hasselbeck emphasized that Palin wears a flag pin for her son, who serves in the Army. Palin reached for her lapel and smiled right on cue, as if she were Hasselbeck’s sidekick modeling jewelry on the Home Shopping Network.

That's fine. But what does the focus on the pin mean for her boss, John McCain, who does not always wear his flag pin? McCain made it clear last October, when he was asked about Barack Obama not wearing a flag pin, that he "doesn't wear a flag pin on a daily basis."

Obama soon started to wear a pin after that dust-up. (See LA Times, Breaking News: Obama caves! Flag pin returns to his coat lapel, Apr.16 2008). Case closed? Not a chance. Dem and GOP pin watchers alike cannot give it up.

Later on Oct. 26, there was Fox News again, this time Hannity's America, flogging the flag pin flap, replaying a 2007 Obama interview - breaking news! - in which he first said he would not wear the flag pin.

Not to be outdone, one web site has assembled a "montage" of press photos of John McCain in the 70 days after he secured the Republican presidential nomination. In none of the more than 1,300 images reviewed between March and May was McCain wearing a flag pin. Yet by the fall, the pin's absence was still enough of an issue that the Louisville, Ky., Courier-Journal reported on Oct. 1 that McCain "did not wear an American flag lapel pin during the debate."

So what's the "gotcha" all about?

Continue reading: Hey, MsM and Bloggers, Dems and GOP: Stop the flag pin blood feud!

by Rhonda Roland Shearer
image: Stinky Journalism
source: Hey, MsM and Bloggers, Dems and GOP: Stop the flag pin blood feud!

MSM Investigative Journalists Go After 1964 McCain Auto Accident

Investigative Journalism:
Vanity Fair, NSNS Hot on Trail of
44-year-old McCain Auto Accident

Media Remains Silent on Obama's Refusal to Release
Medical, College, University and other Records

Huffington Post is all over an auto accident involving John McCain in 1964.

For the past two months, a major American magazine and an allied news service have been engaged in a legal battle with the United States Navy over records that they believe show that John McCain once was involved in an automobile accident that injured or, perhaps, killed another individual.

Vanity Fair magazine and the National Security News Service claim to have knowledge "developed from first-hand sources" of a car crash that involved then-Lt. McCain at the main gate of a Virginia naval base in 1964, according to legal filings. The incident has been largely, if not entirely, kept from the public. And in documents suing the Navy to release pertinent information, lawyers for the NS News Service allege that a cover-up may be at play.

"First-hand sources" are talking, according to the report--yet those "first-hand sources" can't say if the auto accident killed another person?

While HuffPo, Vanity Fair and the NSNS are fighting the good fight over an auto accident 44 years ago, the brave trio are still silent over more recent records: the medical, college, university and other records of Barack Obama.

ALSO at DBKP: Obama's Refusal to Release Medical, Other Records

* Obama Records: Obama Medical, College, University, Other Records Still Hidden
* Obama College, Medical, Birth Records: Who is Barack Obama?
* Obama Medical Records: MSM’s Don’t Ask, Obama’s Don’t Tell Policy
* Obama Records: Obama Campaign Still Refuses to Release Medical, Other Records
* Obama Birth Certificate: Ruling in Berg v. Obama Expected In Next Two Days- UPDATED
* Obama Birth Certificate Lawsuit: Obama, DNC Fail to Respond-UPDATED
* Washington Man Files Lawsuit over Obama Citizenship Questions

Given our crazy driving record during our teen years, we'd be the last to criticize someone's driving. But, it seems that regardless of what happened, the McCain campaign could easily dismiss it with a two-sentence press release.

"Barack Obama was only three years old when this happened. John McCain deplores killing people with automobiles."

Because this story involves John McCain, we expect this story to get wide play from the Mainstream Media.

An MSM that has remained silent on the refusal of the Obama campaign to release records of a much more recent vintage.

John McCain's 44-year-old auto accident may or may not determine the type of president he will be. Just as Obama's medical, college, university and other records may or may not determine what type of president he will be.

Information about the auto accident will be added to an extensive body of McCain knowledge.

Information about Barack Obama is much harder to come by--or reported.

Cover-ups are in the eye of the beholder, it seems.

by Mondo Frazier
hat tip: What's Your Evidence
image: myperformancechiropractic