Why the Race is Tied

[V8Assassin]

Published on TheHill.com on July 15, 2008.

After almost six weeks of a constant Obama lead, generally in the five to seven-point range, Scott Rasmussen’s daily tracking poll records two consecutive days of a tie race (July 12-13) and a one-point Obama lead on July 14. What happened to the Democrat’s lead?

Part of the slippage is Obama’s fault and part is McCain’s gain.

Obama has carried flip-flopping to new heights. In the space of a month and a half, this candidate - who we don’t really yet know very well - reversed or sharply modified his positions on at least eight key issues:


• After vowing to eschew private fundraising and take public financing, he has now refused public money.

• Once he threatened to filibuster a bill to protect telephone companies from liability for their cooperation with national security wiretaps; now he has voted for the legislation.

• Turning his back on a lifetime of support for gun control, he now recognizes a Second Amendment right to bear arms in the wake of the Supreme Court decision.

• Formerly, he told the Israeli lobby that he favored an undivided Jerusalem. Now he says he didn’t mean it.

• From a 100 percent pro-choice position, he now has migrated to expressing doubts about allowing partial-birth abortions.

• For the first time, he now speaks highly of using church-based institutions to deliver public services to the poor.

• Having based his entire campaign on withdrawal from Iraq, he now pledges to consult with the military first.

• During the primary, he backed merit pay for teachers - but before the union a few weeks ago, he opposed it.

• After specifically saying in the primaries that he disagreed with Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton’s (D-N.Y.) proposal to impose Social Security taxes on income over $200,000 and wanted to tax all income, he has now adopted the Clinton position.

Obama’s breathtaking flips and flops are materially different from McCain’s. While McCain had opposed offshore oil drilling and now supports it, the facts have obviously changed. Obama’s shifts have nothing to do with altered circumstances, just a change in the political calendar.

As a candidate who was nominated to be a different kind of politician, Obama has set the bar pretty high. And, with his flipping and flopping, he is falling short, to the disillusionment of his more naïve supporters. One wag even called him the “black Bill Clinton,” a turnaround of the “first black president” moniker that had been pinned on Bill.

Meanwhile, McCain and the Republicans have finally found an issue - oil drilling - exposing how the Democrats oppose drilling virtually anywhere that there might be recoverable oil. Not in Alaska. Not offshore. Not in shale deposits in the West. The Democratic claim that we “cannot drill our way out of the crisis in gas prices” begs the question of whether, had we drilled five years ago, we would be a lot less dependent on foreign market fluctuations.

The truth is that the Democrats put the need to mitigate climate change ahead of the imperative of holding down gasoline prices at the pump. If there was ever a fault line between elitist and populist approaches to a problem, this is it. In fact, liberals basically don’t see much wrong with $5 gas. Many have been urging a tax to achieve precisely this level, just like Europe has done for decades.

Obama said that he was unhappy that there was not a period of “gradual adjustment” to the high prices, but seems to shed few tears over the current levels. After all, if your imperative is climate change, a high gas price is worth 10 times a ratified Kyoto treaty in bringing about change.

Republicans can drive a truck through the gap between this elite opinion and the need for ordinary people to afford the journey to work in the morning. And, with a 16-state media buy, the Republican Party and the McCain campaign are doing precisely that.

If Obama softens his aversion to drilling, it may be the final straw for some of his liberal supporters. Where would they go? Nader is still a possibility. But McCain can attract liberal votes. He doesn’t need to bleed Obama only from the right. His own stands against drilling in Alaska and torture of terror suspects and for immigration reform make him suspect on the right, but quite acceptable to the left. If moderate liberals are disgusted by Obama’s obvious attempts at chicanery and repositioning, they might just cross the aisle.

[Gothmog]

Although all those OBama gaffs are bad, the race is tied for other reasons, I believe its race.
You need only read this forum to see that before he came out of any position or flip flopped on anything, members have been pursing him with a campaign of hate

[SGRIM]

All the polls show is that America is finally learning Obama is just as full of BS as any other politician. If they are even in the polls, that means McCain will win if it stays on this course....

[Gothmog]

That would infer that he was up at one time...he wasnt, I maintain that If Obama wasnt black, he'd be up by 20 pts and stay there.
People like UEATV8 search the internet all day for reasons to Hate obama, and you always find what you're looking for

[Weester]

Originally Posted by Gothmog

Although all those OBama gaffs are bad, the race is tied for other reasons, I believe its race.
You need only read this forum to see that before he came out of any position or flip flopped on anything, members have been pursing him with a campaign of hate

You hit the nail right on the head.....RACE will be a major factor in this election. The "tightie whitie righties" are running a campaign of fear and smear! It worked in the last election, so why not use it again!

Mr. McCain is desperately trying to distance himself from these losers!!!
He wants to run a campaign based on experience and facts, not the malicious lies that y'all are telling.........

OH, the Shame!

[V8Assassin]

Originally Posted by Weester

You hit the nail right on the head.....RACE will be a major factor in this election. The "tightie whitie righties" are running a campaign of fear and smear! It worked in the last election, so why not use it again!

Mr. McCain is desperately trying to distance himself from these losers!!!
He wants to run a campaign based on experience and facts, not the malicious lies that y'all are telling.........

OH, the Shame!

Well that's a two sided compliment. I agree McCain has been trying to run his campaign based on facts and experience. I believe if you keep up with the race the only person or group that keeps bringing up race is the dems. As I have stated previously, the Obama camp has to keep everyone talking about the color of his skin cause we know he can't win on the issues.

Shut up Goth, it's true! He certainly won't win on his "comprehensive" energy plan that doesn't include anything but far off technolgies and alot more hot air.

Wee wee I hate to tell ya, but the Obama camp is throwing as much mud as anyone ever has in a Presidential debate. Please don't make me bring up every instance, just acknowledge this is a close race and parties on both sides of the fence are launching grenades.

Also, I don't know if any of you have noticed, but there are plenty of whities out their campaigning for Obama. Again, the one positive thing I am seeing coming from his camp is the realization that the old gaurd of black politics are almost gone. It's time to put the jackson's and sharpton's back where they belong, in the past!!! It's time to put the victimization mentality down and realize over 90% of this country are not racist and are ready for a black President, just not this one.

[Weester]

"Also, I don't know if any of you have noticed, but there are plenty of whities out their campaigning for Obama. Again, the one positive thing I am seeing coming from his camp is the realization that the old gaurd of black politics are almost gone. It's time to put the jackson's and sharpton's back where they belong, in the past!!! It's time to put the victimization mentality down and realize over 90% of this country are not racist and are ready for a black President, just not this one."


Sharpton and Jackson are losers and dont even fit into the equation! There is a big difference between "white" and "tightie white". The white "person" is educated and basis his beliefs on FACTS, the "tightie whitie" basis his beliefs on innuendos and fear! Usually a high school dropout or poorly educated!

I'm not saying the "left" is guiltless but they sure arent throwin the mud that some on the right like to sling! I dont associate the mudslinging with John McCain, its being generated by those who are scared to death of a black man in the White House. These same people wont even come out in support of Mr. McCain because they think he is a sell out/liberal!

[UNGN]

Originally Posted by Weester

You hit the nail right on the head.....RACE will be a major factor in this election. The "tightie whitie righties" are running a campaign of fear and smear! It worked in the last election, so why not use it again!

Mr. McCain is desperately trying to distance himself from these losers!!!
He wants to run a campaign based on experience and facts, not the malicious lies that y'all are telling.........

OH, the Shame!

Obama will lose because of "tighty whitey Lefties". Middle class to lower middle class whites that compete daily with empty suit, Affirmative Action blacks for jobs and promotions.

No Republicans required.

[Gothmog]

Originally Posted by UNGN

Obama will lose because of "tighty whitey Lefties". Middle class to lower middle class whites that compete daily with empty suit, Affirmative Action blacks for jobs and promotions.

No Republicans required.

close, exit polls from the pimaries show conservative democrats found race to be a factor

[IEATV8S]

Chris Mattews almost cries when Obama loses Fla. ROTFLMAO!!!

YouTube Video

MSM BULLDADA about the race!!!Political Pundit's???LOL!!!!

YouTube Video

[Carr]

Originally Posted by Gothmog

Although all those OBama gaffs are bad, the race is tied for other reasons, I believe its race.
You need only read this forum to see that before he came out of any position or flip flopped on anything, members have been pursing him with a campaign of hate

people like you pointing out race are the ones who make it a race factor. this is not the 50's. only political corrective lefties make race an issue today.

[henschman]

Originally Posted by Gothmog

That would infer that he was up at one time...he wasnt, I maintain that If Obama wasnt black, he'd be up by 20 pts and stay there.
People like UEATV8 search the internet all day for reasons to Hate obama, and you always find what you're looking for

i say the opposite -- if he wasn't black, there is no way a 2-term senator with no experience would have gotten so much attention and interest that he was able to throw his hat in the ring as a major contender for president, and then actually beat somebody like Hillary Clinton. It's the whole image of "change" thing that gives Obama his appeal, and his blackness is a part of it.

i also think there are a whole lot more people that will vote for obama just because he's black than people who won't vote for him for that reason.

[Black Power]

Originally Posted by henschman

i say the opposite -- if he wasn't black, there is no way a 2-term senator with no experience would have gotten so much attention and interest that he was able to throw his hat in the ring as a major contender for president, and then actually beat somebody like Hillary Clinton. It's the whole image of "change" thing that gives Obama his appeal, and his blackness is a part of it.

i also think there are a whole lot more people that will vote for obama just because he's black than people who won't vote for him for that reason.

You nailed it!

[UNGN]

Originally Posted by henschman

i say the opposite -- if he wasn't black, there is no way a 2-term senator with no experience would have gotten so much attention and interest that he was able to throw his hat in the ring as a major contender for president, and then actually beat somebody like Hillary Clinton. It's the whole image of "change" thing that gives Obama his appeal, and his blackness is a part of it.

i also think there are a whole lot more people that will vote for obama just because he's black than people who won't vote for him for that reason.

Are you saying even if Dan Quayle could read a teleprompter and knew how to spell potato, he wouldn't be elected President?

Say it isn't so.

[Gothmog]

Originally Posted by Carr

people like you pointing out race are the ones who make it a race factor. this is not the 50's. only political corrective lefties make race an issue today.

EXIT POLLS MY FRIEND, they confirm that race was a factor, republicans dont have a monopoly on racism

[Gothmog]

Originally Posted by henschman

i say the opposite -- if he wasn't black, there is no way a 2-term senator with no experience would have gotten so much attention and interest that he was able to throw his hat in the ring as a major contender for president, and then actually beat somebody like Hillary Clinton. It's the whole image of "change" thing that gives Obama his appeal, and his blackness is a part of it.

i also think there are a whole lot more people that will vote for obama just because he's black than people who won't vote for him for that reason.

I guess you didnt notice that he is a fabulous speaker, and in these times where there are no great speakers, he stands right out

[IEATV8S]

Originally Posted by Gothmog

I guess you didnt notice that he is a fabulous speaker, and in these times where there are no great speakers, he stands right out

ROTFLMFAO!!!!!!!!!!

UHH - Needs Teleprompter To Sound Coherent And Intelligible :: Political News and commentaries :: Hyscience

Beacon Street Journal » Blog Archive » Barack Obama Badly Needs a Pocket Teleprompter

Commentary » Blog Archive » When Obama Is Off the Teleprompter

When Obama Is Off the Teleprompter

Barack Obama is the scripted "teleprompter" candidate" - Democratic Underground

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