Evening Open Thread
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Shorter John McCain: Dow Jones? Who?
This week alone, the Dow Jones dropped nearly 1,100 points, and while Senator Barack Obama has issued statements on the matter reiterating many points about what he would do as president, John McCain is rather mum on the issue.
As countless thousands, perhaps millions, of Americans are losing their retirement savings, the McCain campaign is operating on radio silence. Must be part of McCain's "if we keep talking about the economy, we lose" so let's "turn the page on the financial crisis" strategy.
Local Republicans Frustrated with McCain in Indiana
And the hits just keep coming as Republicans are frustrated with John McCain's campaign (or lack thereof) in an uncharacteristically competitive Indiana:
Even if McCain does visit, there’s also this problem for his campaign: It hasn’t come close to matching other aspects of the Obama effort, such as TV ads, campaign offices, staff and energy, in Indiana.
It’s too late to catch up when it comes to organizing, so a campaign appearance is likely the best step McCain could take. Although such an appearance isn’t likely to decide this race, it would send a message to the GOP volunteers and die-hards the campaign needs to energize.
If you are in Indiana, or anywhere else for that matter, get involved. Only three and a half weeks to go.
McCain's Nevada Operation Mocked by Activists as ''A Joke''
Things aren't going so well for John McCain in Nevada. Local Republican activists fear the GOP nominee "lacks the ground operation and commitment to win Nevada" and one GOP operative called their campaign "a joke."
Conservative activists, operatives and officeholders are anxious about John McCain’s Nevada campaign, fearing the Arizona senator lacks the ground operation and commitment to win Nevada.
Concern grew last week after McCain canceled a Nevada visit. A new Reno Gazette-Journal poll showed McCain trailing by 7 percentage points, with Democratic challenger Sen. Barack Obama competing in traditional Republican strongholds here.
“People I talk to wonder where the campaign is,” said Chuck Muth, a conservative activist who regularly speaks to dozens of other conservatives — north and south — through his newsletter. [...]
A few Republican operatives, who declined to be named, offered blunt criticism.
The McCain campaign is “a joke,” one said. “There’s not a campaign in Nevada. A couple of guys, running around, being incompetent. Or even worse, arrogantly incompetent.”
The consultant said there was no discernible McCain ground game, which is political jargon for the massive effort needed to find likely supporters and get them to the polls.
Don't they wish they had a 50-State Strategy right about now?
Afternoon Open Thread
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Senator Obama Draws 15,000 in Cincinnati
Senator Barack Obama is taking his message of turning the page on the last eight years of failed Bush/McCain policies to southern Ohio this week.
"I can take four more weeks of attacks from John McCain," Obama told 15,000 gathered in resplendent sunshine under deep-blue skies Thursday afternoon at Ault Park.
"But this nation can't take four more years of the economic policies of George W. Bush and John McCain."
Obama began his two-day tour of southern Ohio on a day when the stock market continued to plummet and the attention of voters is divided, with one eye on the campaign and one eye on the economy.
"It's tough times for Cincinnati, it's tough times for Ohio, it's tough times for America," he said. "I believe in all of you. I believe in this country. In this great nation of ours, there's nothing we can't do when we put our minds to it.
"This is the United States of America."
Meanwhile, the McCain campaign continues their dishonest and dishonorable dive into gutter politics in a desperate attempt "turn the page on the financial crisis" strategy while the Dow Jones crashes at historic rates and taking the savings of thousands of Americans with it.
Morning Open Thread
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Evening Open Thread
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Dow Drops Below 8,600
Stocks fell sharply in late afternoon trading in New York on Thursday as concerns about the global financial system mounted and investors priced in a deep recession.
The Standard & Poor’s 500 stock index was down nearly 7.6 percent and the Dow Jones industrial average was down 678.91 points, or about 7.3 percent, both posting one of their worst days in post-war history. The Nasdaq composite was down 5.4 percent.
Afternoon Open Thread
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National Debt Clock Runs Out of Digits
George Bush has nearly doubled the national debt of all previous 42 U.S. presidents combined in just 7 1/2 years, and now, the debt clock has run out of digits.
As a short-term fix, the digital dollar sign on the billboard-style clock near Times Square has been switched to a figure -- the "1" in $10 trillion.
It's marking the federal government's current debt at about $10.2 trillion.
The Durst Organization says it plans to update the sign next year by adding two digits.
That will make it capable of tracking debt up to a quadrillion dollars.
''Tested''
John McCain’s new mortgage plan would reward lenders for their irresponsibility and uses taxpayer dollars to do it. That's not change, that's more of the same.
Morning Open Thread
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Evening Open Thread
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DNC on the TV
Communications Director Karen Finney appeared on MSNBC to talk about John McCain's sleazy, dishonest and dishonorable campaign.
