by jai2 — published on October 20th, 2008
Four-star General Colin Powell said that Sen. Barack Obama has the makings of becoming “an exceptional president” when he endorsed the Illinois senator on Sunday’s Meet the Press. For those who are asking what this high profile foreign policy and military expert endorsement of Sen. Obama will do in terms of votes, Sen. Obama’s numbers increased today by two points in the Reuters/Cspan/Zogby daily tracking poll. On Sunday before the endorsement the numbers were Obama 48 to McCain’s 45. After Gen. Powell’s endorsement, Obama’s numbers bumped up 50 to McCain’s 44. Sen. Obama also gained three points among Catholics (primarly white voters). A shout out to Obama: Sen. Obama has built a very broad coalition of voters. The Illinois senator enjoys 40% of the white vote (average for democratic candidates Clinton, Gore, Kerry), 95% of the black vote, and 70% of the latino vote. His support in the asian community is also very significant. He is a candidate that truly represents all Americans instead of a small part of it. The Reuters?Cspan/Zogby poll is a three day tracking poll where the average of three days polling is given as the final result. On Sunday alone, after the Powell endorsement, Sen. Obama’s tracking numbers jumped 10 points! The numbers are in and the four-star General definitely made a difference. General Powell has worked for Bush 41 and Bush 43 and is a very good friend of Sen. John McCain’s. Therefore, for the General to come out and support Sen. Obama, his opposing party’s candidate, is a tremendous vote of confidence in Obama-Biden and more importantly a significant lack of confidence in a McCain-Palin administration. General Powell said that Sen. McCain’s campaign is not good for the country or its reputation around the world. The former Secretary of State went on to say that he is concerned about McCain’s choice of Sarah Palin as his running mate. The General believes that Palin is not qualified to be vice president. Now I say to you, if Palin is not qualified to be vice president, she is certainly not qualified to be president should the recent concerns about McCain’s health be substantiated.
One last thing. General Powell made a really interesting point about allegations from the Right that Sen. Obama is proposing redistributing wealth through his tax policy. To paraphrase, Powell said that all tax policy is about redistribution of wealth in some form because for the government to function it cost money. Think about it this way, when the Republican party and its leaders Bush/McCain demand military actions in other regions of the world knowing that it will result in significant government expenditures and then demand deep tax cuts simultaneously for a small group of Americans in the highest tax bracket, this results in wealth redistribution from the middle class and the working poor to the rich. So for republicans and McCain to call Sen. Obama tax policy wealth redistributing, they are for redistributing themselves but to a different socio-economic class…..the rich.
by jai2 — published on October 16th, 2008
The Independent vote is in and Sen. Barack Obama won last night by an even wider margin than he did in previous debates. In a CNN poll of several hundred independent debate watchers, 57% of the independents said that Obama won the debate. Only 31% said McCain won the debate. In a CBS poll, 53% of uncommitted voters said that Obama won the debate while only 22% said that McCain won. A Fox News focus group was asked which candidate won the debate and a “clear majority” of the group said that Obama won. Finally, an MSNBC poll showed that Obama won the debate 20 to 7. It looks as if this final debate was not the game-changer that McCain was hoping for.
And by the way, Joe the plumber, who makes over a quarter million dollars a year, is not your average Joe. To compare this plumber who is making over $250,000 a year to Joe sixpack or your average Joe who makes under $50,000 a year is insulting to our intelligence. The McCain campaign believes that because his name is Joe and he is a plumber that they can bamboozle voters into believing that this guy is your average American struggling to make ends meet in this floundering economy. Well Joe is quarter millionaire Joe. Yes, Joe who makes more than 95% of Americans will have to pay the same tax percentage that was paid by that tax bracket during the Clinton administration……you remember, when the economy was flourishing. The amazing irony, as highlighted by Sen. Obama, is that had Joe the plumber been receiving the tax cuts for the middle class that Obama proposes when Joe was working 12-hour days and trying to save enough money to buy his plumbing business, Joe the plumber could have bought his plumbing business alot sooner than he has under the Bush-McCain tax plan.
by progress — published on October 10th, 2008
American Research Group has just released its West Virginia poll and Sen. Barack Obama is ahead 50% to 42%. West Virginians were asked the following question:
If the general election were being held today between John McCain for president and Sarah Palin for vice president, the Republicans, and Barack Obama for president and Joe Biden for vice president, the Democrats, for whom would you vote - McCain and Palin, Obama and Biden (names rotated), or someone else?
A pool of 600 likely voters said that they would vote for Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. Joe Biden to be the next president and vice president of the United States of America. This is a bleak sign for Sen. John McCain. Bush carried West Virginia both in 2000 and 2004. If McCain is eight points behind in West Virginia, the paths to victory are dwindling even further for the Arizona senator.
by jai2 — published on September 25th, 2008
Sen Barack Obama is leading Sen. John McCain 49-47 in North Carolina according to latest Rasmussen polls. Why is this significant? Well Rasmussen is owned by Republican pollster Scott Rasmussen. Notice how they always conduct their polls in cahoots with Fox News. That’s why. Not really legitimate in terms of pollsters. So the fact that they have Sen. Obama ahead by 2 points in the traditionally red state of North Carolina is very significant. Last week McCain was ahead by 3 points according to Rasmussen. Rasmussen is the last of the McCain arsenal, if they can’t even distort there surveys so McCain comes out on top, it is a scary situation for Sen. McCain. This is the first time in eight Rasmussen polls that Obama has ever had the edge over McCain in North Carolina. Link
McCain, the voters are paying attention.
by progress — published on September 24th, 2008
National
Rasmussen Obama 48 McCain 48
Hotline/Diageo Obama 47 McCain 43
Gallup Obama 47 McCain 44
Battleground State Polls
SurveyUSA here
VIRGINIA Obama 51 - McCain 45
Quinnipiac here:
COLORADO: Obama 49 - McCain 45
MICHIGAN: Obama 48 - McCain 44
MINNESOTA: Obama 47 - McCain 45
WISCONSIN: Obama 49 - McCain 42
Trust to handle the economy:
CO: Obama 47 - McCain 41
MI: Obama 50 - McCain 38
MN: Obama 45 - McCain 45
WI: Obama 47 - McCain 40
NBC/Mason-Dixon
FLORIDA: Obama 47 - McCain 45
Arkansas: Obama 41 - McCain 53
Massachusetts: Obama 55 - McCain 39
Oregon: Obama 52 - McCain 41
Pennsylvania: Obama 50 - McCain 46
Vermont: Obama 56 - McCain 38
National: Obama 48 - McCain 46
PPP here
COLORADO: Obama 51 - McCain 44
INadv/PollPos
OHIO: Obama 46 - McCain 46
