NEWSWEEK: Secrets Of The 2008 Campaign [HIGHLY RECOMMENDED] POLITICO: Critics said they were too nice, too vague on the issues, too obsessed with the youth vote and too dependent on all those penny-ante Internet donors. But Obama’s core group of Chicago advisers, led by former reporter David Axelrod, has created a new paradigm for post-Rove campaigning. Instead of exploiting wedge issues (as Rove did) or micro-targeting demographic niche groups (as the Clintons and their pollster, Mark Penn, did), they focused on exciting a new base of young people, educated whites and minority voters. Get-out-the-vote wizard Steve Hildebrand built a hyperdisciplined […]
ENDORSEMENT: Why I Voted For Barack Obama
BY JONATHAN VALANIA EDITOR-IN-CHIEF PHAWKER.COM Because I don’t believe in politicians, but I believe in this man. Because the rest of the world believes in this man, and contrary to what some would have you believe, that is a good thing. In fact, it’s crucial. Because words matter and he is a man of his word. Because he appealed to our best hopes instead of our worst fears. Because he ran on the content of his character, not the color of his skin. Because despite all that, he had to be twice as good. Because he is neither black nor […]
Obama’s Grandmother Dies Of Cancer, Had Hoped To Live Long Enough To See Grandson Elected President
REUTERS: Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama‘s grandmother died of cancer, he said in a statement on Monday, a little more than a week after Obama interrupted the White House race to say goodbye to her in Hawaii. “It is with great sadness that we announce that our grandmother, Madelyn Dunham, has died peacefully after a battle with cancer,” Obama said in a joint statement with his sister, Maya Soetoro-Ng. “She was the cornerstone of our family, and a woman of extraordinary accomplishment, strength, and humility.” Dunham helped raise Obama from the age of 10 while his mother was working in […]
PAY TO PLAY: Volunteers Say ‘Show Me The Money’
PHILLY CLOUT: PhillyClout correspondent Dave Davies reports in on a growing wave of concern in the city’s Democratic party about “street money,” the funds distributed to pay for Election Day workers. When Democratic ward leaders fire up their election day operations tomorrow, they’ll do it without “street money” from the Obama campaign, and many are ticked about it. City Democratic chairman U.S. Rep. Bob Brady hasn’t returned out calls on it, but we heard from several ward leaders that Obama stiffed Bob and the local party, choosing to rely on his own massive volunteer army. Ward leaders told us they […]
WORTH REPEATING: Ask Not What Your Country Can Do For You, But What You Can Do For Your Country
“Now the trumpet summons us again—not as a call to bear arms, though arms we need; not as a call to battle, though embattled we are—but a call to bear the burden of a long twilight struggle, year in and year out, “rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation”—a struggle against the common enemies of man: tyranny, poverty, disease, and war itself. Can we forge against these enemies a grand and global alliance, North and South, East and West, that can assure a more fruitful life for all mankind? Will you join in that historic effort?” — John F. Kennedy, Inaurgural […]
EQUAL TIME: Letter From A Red State Mom
EDITOR’S NOTE: The following is a letter sent to Phawker Gaydar Editor Aaron Stella by his mother, explaining her decision to vote for McCain despite her son’s attempts to convince her otherwise. Both agreed to Phawker publishing it along with a rebuttal. Astute readers will recall Sylvia Stella’s proud mom remarks and constructive criticisms in the COMMENTS section of Aaron’s Gaydar columns. She currently resides in Cullman, Alabama. Dear Aaron, I have read quite a bit on both Obama and McCain. I am voting for McCain. People fought and died for our right to vote. A vote is not a […]
EMPIRE STRIKES BACK: Darth Cheney, Dark Lord Of The Sith, Endorses The McCain/Palin Ticket
POLITICAL WIRE: “He’s earned our support and confidence, and the time is now to make him commander-in-chief. I’m delighted to support John McCain and I’m pleased that he’s chosen a running mate with executive talent, toughness and common sense, our next vice president in Sarah Palin.” MORE FOX NEWS: “John McCain had to vote 90% of the time with Bush and Cheney to get that endorsement. He had to serve as Washington’s biggest cheerleader for going to war in Iraq. He had to support economic policies that have gotten us into this mess, so Senator McCain worked hard to get […]
Folks, I Think We’re Gonna Win This Thing
REAL CLEAR POLITICS: Pew Research is out with its final pre-election poll. After allocating undecideds nearly evenly between the two candidates, Pew is projecting Obama will finish with 52% of the vote on Tuesday to 46% for John McCain. MORE GALLUP POLL: Gallup’s interviewing conducted Wednesday through Friday shows that 27% of registered voters who plan to vote have already voted. The trend in early voting has trended consistently upward on a day to day basis, moving from 7% of registered voters, who had already voted during the period of Oct. 17-19, to the current estimate of 27%. Another 8% […]
JOHN MCCAIN: With Friends Like This
Who needs enemas? My Friends: The Musical [Humanitainment: Mr. Straight Talk himself stars in this musical inspired by his most favorite of phrases.]
POLL: Majority Of Americans Afraid Of Sarah Palin
HALLOWEEN MASK: Print Out, Cut Out, Put On, Scare White People NEW YORK TIMES: A growing number of voters have concluded that Senator John McCain’s running mate, Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska, is not qualified to be vice president, weighing down the Republican ticket in the last days of the campaign, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll. All told, 59 percent of voters surveyed said Ms. Palin was not prepared for the job, up nine percentage points since the beginning of the month. Nearly a third of voters polled said the vice-presidential selection would be a major […]
WE ASK YOU: Does This Man Look Like He’s Coasting?
NO RAIN NO GAIN: Senator Barack Obama, Widener University, Chester, Tuesday Morning [Photos by AP & GETTY IMAGES] NEW YORK TIMES: Despite a cold, steady rain and driving winds, Senator Barack Obama addressed a crowd of about 9,000 at Widener University in Chester, just outside Philadelphia, praising their dedication and promising tax cuts and solutions for the country’s economic woes. The punishing weather forced Senator John McCain and his vice presidential running mate, Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska, to cancel a rally in Quakertown, about 80 miles to the north. MORE PLUMBING THE DEPTHS: No Show Joe (The Plumber) [Joe […]
TONITE: Why Whitey Can’t Vote Live
Tonight I’ll be on The Big Talker (1210 AM) with Dom Giordano at 8:30 PM, to discuss my White People Shouldn’t Be Allowed To Vote editorial in Sunday’s Inquirer. I am told Dom is a teacher, so here’s hoping his reading comprehension skills are superior to the folks at the The David Boze Show in Seattle, who were DEEPLY disappointed to learn that I was not LITERALLY advocating that white people not be allowed to vote and thus rescinded their offer to have me come on their show. Sometimes I think we are just too damn stupid to be the […]
SAY IT AIN’T SO, JOHN: McCain Spreading False Story That Obama Infomercial Will Delay Start Of The Game
MCCLATCHY: Throw the flag against: John McCain. Call: Unsportsmanlike conduct. What happened: “No one will delay the World Series game with an infomercial when I’m president,” the Republican presidential nominee told a crowd Tuesday in Hershey, Pa. Democratic rival Barack Obama bought the 8-8:30 p.m. slot on Fox and other major networks Wednesday night to air a campaign pitch. The first pitch of the World Series game, the resumption of rain-delayed Game 5, was set for approximately 8:37 p.m. EDT, about nine minutes later than usual. Why that’s wrong: It’s not unusual for World Series games to start after 8:30 […]