Alaska Governor Sarah Palin discusses Russia with CBS News anchor Katie Couric. Fortunately for John McCain, his running mate is not debating foreign policy tonight.
** TONIGHT’S FOREIGN POLICY DEBATE (OR IS IT?). Below I link to my new column, discussing the big geopolitical focus that probably will not happen tonight, lamentably, despite the debate’s official subject area. The US financial crisis — and there is no bailout deal yet — is just too big for it not to have the most dominant impression.
What will happen? Here’s a short way of putting it. Both candidates need to go in different directions, John McCain with regard to his philosophy, Barack Obama with regard to his persona. McCain, who has had a bad week with his various oscillations, has to go against his deregulationist economic philosophy to identify with the fear and anger out in the country. Obama has to go against his cool persona to identify with the fear and anger out in the country. McCain has to go further in his different direction than Obama has to. I expect Obama to win the debate.
** LATE HITS. Senator Ted Kennedy has been taken to the hospital, after complaining that he felt ill in his Massachusetts home. Kennedy, as you know, has brain cancer, but made a dramatic speech at last month’s Democratic national convention. The 911 call came in from the Kennedy compound in Hyannisport late this afternoon. He suffered a seizure, but will return home tonight. … His nephew-in-law, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, announced his speech today at the Commonwealth Club, viewable by webcast link below, that he will convene the Governors Global Climate Summit November 18-19. “We will bring government officials to California from around the world,” said Schwarzenegger. “From provincial governments in China and India. From European nations. From Australia, from Mexico, Canada. And every governor in America will be invited. The goal is very simple: To form a broad international alliance so that when the Kyoto negotiators start their work in Poland this December, they will have our summit as a framework.”
** VIRGINIA SENATE RACE: MASSIVE LEAD FOR DEMOCRAT WARNER. He may have given a bad keynote address at the Democratic national convention, but former Virginia Governor Mark Warner may give a big boost to Barack Obama in his bid to win the Dominion State. Warner leads former Governor and Republican national chairman Jim Gilmore, by an amazing 60% to 34%, in the brand new Rasmussen poll. That has to help Obama, who now leads in Virginia, to win the longtime red state in presidential politics.
** VIRGINIA POLL: OBAMA BY 5. The brand-new Rasmussen poll of battleground Virginia has Barack Obama pulling ahead of John McCain, 50% to 45%. The same poll over the weekend had McCain by 2. 52% of Virginia voters say the economy is the top issue; 83% say it’s getting worse.
** CALIFORNIA POLL: OBAMA BY 17. The new Rasmussen poll of California has Barack Obama holding a landslide lead over John McCain, 56% to 39%. McCain’s controversial pick for a running mate, Sarah Palin, is very unpopular in California.
** THAT FOREIGN POLICY DEBATE WE’RE NOT HAVING. Let’s face it. This has been a disappointing campaign. Two very interesting candidates. Some of the biggest issues going, both within and without the US, and they have to blow up in our faces to get much attention. Then there’s the ridiculous media coverage. Which brings us to tonight’s foreign policy debate, which is finally back on.
Part of the problem is what it’s called. Because foreign policy is not “foreign,” it’s geopolitics. The underlying essential dynamics of geopolitics deeply affect domestic politics. In the flows of energy and capital and products and people, in our military budget, and in flash-point electoral politics. When there is debate, we end up debating symptoms — illegal immigration from Mexico, a surge in Iraq — rather than systems. … From my new Huffington Post column.
** REPORT FROM THE MCCAIN PRESS POOL. McCain now boarding plane at DCA with Cindy, Salter, Rudy Giuliani, wife Judith, and other aides plus pool.
Heading to Memphis, 1:50 minute flight, then motorcade to site.
General atmosphere is utter confusion.
9:10 AM UPDATE: The debate is on, as I expected. But what will it be about? It’s scheduled to be about foreign policy and national security or, more accurately, geopolitics. But with the massive financial crisis still very much unresolved — remember, its resolution was John McCain’s prerequisite for debating tonight — how can the economy not dominate tonight?
** AS OF NOW, 7:30 AM … No Wall Street bailout deal and no final word on whether John McCain will participate in tonight’s debate. McCain is meeting with House Republicans, the main impediment to a deal. I expect McCain to be in Mississippi tonight for his scheduled debate with Barack Obama.
** WHERE THEY ARE TODAY.
Barack Obama is in Washington, DC and Oxford, Mississippi.
Joe Biden is in Cudahy, Wisconsin.
John McCain is in Washington, DC and Oxford, Mississippi.
Sarah Palin is in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
** SCHWARZENEGGER LIVE WEBCAST AT NOON ON CLIMATE CHANGE. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger addresses the Commonwealth Club at San Francisco’s Fairmont Hotel nearly two years since his signing of AB 32, the landmark climate change program co-authored by former Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez and former LA Assemblywoman Fran Pavley. Schwarzenegger will take questions and hold a discussion with a Commonwealth Club official.
The Western Climate Initiative, a consortium of American and Canadian states and provinces spearheaded by Schwarzenegger, put out its climate change plan earlier this week.
The event will be webcast live at noon on www.gov.ca.gov.
** FROM THE ARNOLD FILE. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger will not address this weekend’s California Republican Party convention in Anaheim. He will appear at a debate watch party there tonight.
The far right California Republican Assembly is having a board meeting this weekend at the convention, and will take up the question of whether to back the prison guards union’s proposed recall of Schwarzenegger. CRA president Mike Spence — longtime readers will recall him posting here in defense of his characterization of then Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez as a “Communist fellow traveler” — favors the recall. Schwarzenegger should be so lucky as to have this group join forces with the prison guards union.
** BEHIND TEAM MCCAIN’S SUDDEN GAMBIT. … From Wednesday’s column.
Russia is making a big move into Latin America with this tightening alliance with Venezuela.
** 24/7 LIVE TV NEWS FEED FROM RUSSIA TODAY. Russia has re-emerged as one of the world’s great powers. Click here for a live TV news feed on your computer, bringing you English-language, jargon-free, fast-paced coverage of global and Russian news from the new Russia Today channel. You probably already know about CNN International, BBC World, and Al Jazeera. Russia Today, which also features culture, entertainment, and sports, is based in Moscow and is owned and operated by the TV Novosti division of Russia’s state news agency, RIA Novosti.
While it’s quite foolish to expect to see, say, criticism of Vladimir Putin on Russia Today, which I know as a former DemRussia advisor, the channel is very interesting nonetheless. With U.S. cable news chattering away as it does, this sort of respite can be informative. The NWN live link to RT does not constitute an endorsement of the channel’s views. It’s presented as an otherwise unavailable new media window.
** SCHWARZENEGGER’S CALIFORNIA. Here is my series of five columns for the Los Angeles Times in debate with Pulitzer Prize-winning former Times reporter/editor Bill Boyarsky, whose columns are also included.
Among them is what I’m sure is the first piece examining Schwarzenegger’s legacy as governor of California. Since he will actually be governor of California until 2011. No technology known to be disruptive to the space/time continuum was used in its preparation.
** TRACK GLOBAL AND U.S. ENERGY PRICES IN NEAR REAL TIME VIA BLOOMBERG ENERGY MARKET WATCH. After crashing over $147 for yet another record on July 11th, crude oil is trading in the $105 to $106 per barrel range. The global oil market is reacting to the proposed massive American move to stabilize Wall Street.
The drop of over $42 per barrel since the record high two months ago comes on acknowledgement that the weak US economy will cut future demand and the easing of geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. The Russian war with Georgia, confounding much speculation and reporting to the contrary, actually decreased the geopolitical risk premium in the oil market.
Your posts are welcome in the Forum.
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McCain has stayed in this race by running a hurry-up offense and calling offbeat plays. This was the latest.
>Elroy El:
McCain took a riverboat gamble because (1) he is not even on the Senate banking committee and Dodd won’t give him the time of day, let alone a real role in shaping the bill, (2) the ranking member of the banking committee (Shelby) opposes the bill, and (3) the House Republicans are in open revolt against the President. Now McCain has to tuck his tail between his legs and fly to Mississippi to debate Obama at Ole Miss, he hardly looks like a man of action who flew to Washington, banged heads together, and got a bill. Had
They’re not pushing very hard for concessions.
>Hattie Caraway:
You know, with all of this discussion of the bailout, I am disappointed that the Democrats have not insisted on rolling back the bankruptcy “reform” laws as a condition to agreeing to this bailout. Another example of how we as a party have forgotten our populist roots.
Sep 26, 2008 – 10:01 am
I thought that was the moment where Palin clearly reached her high-water mark.
>tom the 3L:
LOL. I think SLN nailed the issue.
“I can see Russia from my house.”
Sep 26, 2008 – 9:12 am
“McCain has stayed in this race by running a hurry-up offense and calling offbeat plays. This was the latest.”
as Keith pointed out last night… we don’t even remember the “Blackberry” issue, which is only a few days ago. so far, from that perspective, it has worked. overall, not so stabilizing. 2 min drill is a 2 min drill ’cause its the end of the game. too early.
“Great guy, but he has the Inherit The Wind problem …”
Good thing his current VP pick doesn’t have that problem!
I do have to say that I’ve noticed a remarked decrease in incidents of witchcraft since Palin was named to the ticket.
Palin/McCain – Keeping America Safe…From Witchcraft
Maybe those weren’t Russian plane invading Palin’s personal airspace…maybe Putin has developed a squadron of broom-riding Ruskies.
Bill Bradley:
Sorry about that …
—–
Bro, nutting to be sorry ’bout. ‘Tis what it ’tis and we make the best out of it.
Go Cubs!
Schwarzeneger was good at the Commonwealth Club. He was like he’s actually the governor. lol
okay, so here’s the quandary (as i see it). she is clearly not qualified, which the McCain camp knows (which we know b/c they won’t put her out there and the few times they have, uhmm, it’s not gone so well).
if she bows out, for “personal reasons,” everyone will know what’s up. most people are not that dense. even the ones not paying attention — and esp. now that the bailout is on the table, a remarkable number of people are actually paying attention (which polling supports).
choosing her in the first place will look like yet another — in what is becoming a pattern — of rushed, poorly made decisions in impt. circumstances.
if she stays on the ticket, he has no chance in hell. even people in his party (who pay attention) will not in good conscience elect her into such a profound role, given the circumstance. (no matter how they are polling now.)
they cannot hide her long enough. they will run out of 2 min drill tactics — or more accurately, people are beginning to see those for what they are, and they are backfiring…
what to do. what to do.
September 26, 2008
Palin should step down, conservative commentator says
Posted: 02:27 PM ET
From CNN Ticker Producer Alexander Mooney
Palin was in New York City Thursday.
(CNN) – Prominent conservative columnist Kathleen Parker, an early supporter of Republican VP candidate Sarah Palin, said Friday recent interviews have shown the Alaska governor is “out of her league” and should leave the GOP presidential ticket for the good of the party.
The criticism in Parker’s Friday column is the latest in a recent string of negative assessments toward the McCain-Palin candidacy from prominent conservatives.
(obviously the rest of the CNN article is on the CNN site — if you want to read it.)
Four Waters,
You mean that Senseless Sarah Palin is failin’??? Shocking…how could that be. Here’s a lady who can see Russia…feel Russia…is Russia. How can anybody possible say that she’s not ready????
Hope that Senior Sid says it ‘taint so and that Senseless Sarah must not go.
well… Kathleen Parker is only one of several well-known conservatives coming out and saying this. hummm…. what to do?
Utter Confusion? They opened for Rage Against the Machine at Coachella.
Sacramento Salon: better make sure that you have built-up some good goat karma.
Stuff like this ain’t going to help:
“Severed goat’s head warning sent to football club official”
http://news.scotsman.com/world/Severed-goat39s-head-warning-sent.4531023.jp
Brasky,
Last year I went so far as to eat goat ice cream…it didn’t work. Not sure what I’ll do this year…perhaps I should check and see what they do with goats in Alaska.
Ugh.
I always thought Schmidt was a Rage Against the Machine guy.
Four Waters,
I watched Bill’s video. My comment would be oh Sh*T:(
Welcome back, Carole.
Carole,
I agree with Marcus Waldron.
“I watched Bill’s video. My comment would be oh Sh*T:(”
sorry Carole…
really.
a woman for the sake of gender, will only set us back.
(and she is truly not qualified.)
McCain is all over the map. If Obama doesn’t let him get away with running against his real economic record, there is no way he can win.
This debate is nothing more than a highlight reel of past debates. We need new material or the ratings will end the show.
McCain is actually losing his temper…you can see it in his face.
I am not declaring one side better than the other. I don’t feel challenged in this debate …so they are both below standard.
Barack easily won the financial crisis part of the debate. He was easily equal to McCain on foreign policy. How many names of foreign leaders did McCain mispronounce?
I don’t know, 3?
McCain was angry and condescending. So small bore, rattling on about earmarks. Too bad he didn’t vet his embarrassing running mate on that stuff.
McCain got the new President of Pakistan wrong and also the President of Iran.
Obama was good. He nailed McCain on how wrong he was about the invasion of Iraq. He wasn’t strong enough on the economy.
Obama came across well…might have agreed with McCain too often. Obama looked Presidential and I don’t think McCain did. Plus, McCain came across as mean-spirited and too dismissive of Barack. As I said earlier, it appeared to me that he was loosing his temper.
Be interesting to see how our host saw it.
The debate did get a little more intense towards the end but, I don’t like the laughing, cocky attitude from the youngster. I am not taking sides but, you should school your candidate on this trait.
Carole,
Perhaps you should school you candidate on what countries she was in and what were the conditions when she landed since it’s more than a little apparent that you can’t get over her loss.
McCain didn’t act presidential. Obama held his own. He didn’t need to go on the attack in this one, and he didn’t. This was McCain’s home turf — Obama just had to come away with a tie.
When they debate the economy, you can bet the Obama will beat McCain like a drum.
Carole, get real. McCain was snorting, smirking, shaking, condescending, angry, you name it. He couldn’t even look Obama in the eye.
72 is pretty old to be an adolescent.
I guess the suspending of the campaign is over — McCain already has an attack ad up with Obama debate footage.
Or maybe it’s intermittent–
“Game on”
“Car”
“Game on”
“Car”
“McCain was snorting, smirking, shaking, condescending, angry, you name it. ”
Exactly. The president is, in a lot of respects, the top diplomat of the nation.
If McCain can’t treat Obama with respect, how’s he going to treat other nations?
I think the polls will show further movement toward Obama in the wake of this debate.
On balance, I thought Obama got the best of it. More to follow.
LA Times notes that McCain sent a fundraising pitch to supporters 25 minutes after the debate.
OK: debates, campaign ads, tv interviews, fundraising appeals and event appearences — what part of “suspend” does this guy not understand?
i agree with Carole… rehash.
and i call it a draw.
we’ll see how the polls react in the next few days.
four waters:
i agree with Carole… rehash.
—————————-
You all do stick together, don’t you???
I shall now go into hiding…neither of you can find me, so you can’t hurt me.
Good night!
You all will have an African president I think.
Sergei,
We will have an American president. And I’m not speaking about Sidney.
While I’m sure our host will have much more on this later, word is just in that Paul Newman has passed at the age of 83.
What new video today? Paul Newman?
well, shows you what i know…
polls all give the edge to Barak last night.
trying to get into the head of something who you really don’t think like is hard… i kept trying to view it from the undecided pov.
TPM has the internals of the CNN poll of debate-watchers, which had Obama winning overall by a margin of 51-38. The poll suggests that Obama is opening up a gap on connectedness, while closing a gap on readiness.
the New Republic has (i think) a really excellent analysis of the disparity between the “political wonk” vs. general pop perception.
http://tinyurl.com/4cnp8y
from the same piece:
EDIT: The CBS poll of undecideds has more confirmatory detail. Obama went from a +18 on “understanding your needs and problems” before the debate to a +56 (!) afterward. And he went from a -9 on “prepared to be president” to a +21.
There are a couple of more debates . If you guys are real tooled, you will have no problems. I am more focused on the financial turmoil and I leaving the foreign policy up to you. Four Waters is making sense, not defending a campaign. I was not criticizing the Rep VP debate last night. I will wait until the VP debate for those comments. Keep up the good work…..Everyone:)Looking forward to the Monday wrap up. My fingers are crossed that we will be arguing about the new finance bill.
Carole,
My comments of last evening were not aimed at Sarah Failing…they were pointed in the direction of Hillary Cinton — your true candidate!
Ease up, my friend.
Exactly.
>four waters:
from the same piece:
EDIT: The CBS poll of undecideds has more confirmatory detail. Obama went from a +18 on “understanding your needs and problems” before the debate to a +56 (!) afterward. And he went from a -9 on “prepared to be president” to a +21.
Sep 27, 2008 – 9:49 am