Poll: McCain's Attack Strategy Paying Dividends

[FVZA_Colonel]

Source: Associated Press

Poll: McCain's attack strategy paying dividends
By STEVEN R. HURST

WASHINGTON - Intensified attacks by Republican John McCain on the character of his Democratic opponent have coincided with Barack Obama losing a nine percentage point advantage in a national poll, which showed the candidates running dead even over the weekend.

McCain, who had vowed to avoid the kind of negative tactics that were used against him in the 2000 Republican primary contest with George W. Bush, began attacking Obama during the Illinois senator's trip to Iraq and Afghanistan late last month.

In the course of the McCain offensive, Obama's lead in a Gallup Poll tracking survey slid from nine percentage points on July 26, when he returned from overseas, to nothing by Saturday, when the poll showed the candidates tied at 44 percent.

The four-term Arizona senator, who backed the war and claims experience with security and foreign policy issues, charged that Obama's promise to withdraw U.S. forces from Iraq within 16 months of taking office amounted to his having chosen to lose a war to promote his run for the presidency.



Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/mccain_obama_poll

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If Gallup's poll really holds water, how can so many people be falling for McCain's shit? His entire argument is that the fact that Obama is so popular proves he's too dangerous to be President.

[tomhayes]

1. Looks like we'll get what we deserve

America is 51% MORANs.

[rzemanfl]

2. The polls are bullshit. n/t

[here_is_to_hope]

9. 2

...

[jayfish]

32. That's So 2004.

I'd love to be proven wrong though.

Jay

[fjc]

43. People keep saying the polls are bullshit. What's that, some kind of mantra?

[bemildred]

45. It's just an observation.

When something is so obviously used to manipulate and mislead, it's fair to call it bullshit. Why the hell should we believe in them when they are so often wrong and so often bought and paid for to sell a point of view?

[fjc]

48. Because

by and large, people here cheer and believe the polls when they reflect what you want to hear.

[bemildred]

50. I don't. It think they are all crap.

Except the polls that occur when voters vote, and even then I think that there are people trying to rig the outcome.

[shanti]

46. true, true

i do believe so. too easy to manipulate.

[opihimoimoi]

3. I for one, cannot suck for that crap....Americans are NOT THAT STUPID...

[anonymous171]

4. Yes they are. That's a good thing. We can feed them shit too.

[opihimoimoi]

30. Truth/Reality sometimes works....enough so it means a diff...thats what got the Pubs Worried

Obama is showing more than Promise...he is showing CLASS...something them PUBs Lack.

People was surprised at 200 000 Germans applauding Obama....McEnvy was stupified with Jealousy...

Just wait till he reaches the OVAL OFFICE...he gonna show them PUBs how to REALLY GOVERN....For ALL Americans he will....

[Spiffarino]

26. Yes, Americans are that stupid

...by and large. The U.S. "education" system is geared toward making good worker bees and consumers. Students don't learn critical thinking, civics, or any historic facts that might damage their tender little consumerist minds.

[opihimoimoi]

31. The Small percentage change is enough to aid Obama into White House

The situation is such even some PUBs gonna vote Dem...Many only because they finally see that its in THEIR BEST INTEREST...the Fear Card has two sides.....

Peeps are beginning to Fear McSANE?

They see enough gaffes to convince them that THERE IS SOMETHING ABOUT McGRAMPS

[Spiffarino]

35. I hope you are right

I sincerely do, but I don't trust the majority of voters in this country not because they're bad, but because they're brainwashed by the abundance of lies that permeate the schools and mass media.

[shanti]

47. well, not us DU'ers

;)but when you have a largely dumbed-down, anesthetized electorate that doesn't question the status quo, you get someone like our esteemed gropenator! i remember being so stunned when he won the power grab and thinking "people can't be that stupid"...but apparently they were.

i am so ready for a change, hopefully, the american people are too!

[jefferson_dem]

5. Short term gain, long term loss.

McCain has smashed into a million pieces his brand as a supposed "straight talker". Now he's just another "say anything/do anything" pol.

[Cant trust em]

6. McCain can't keep this up for three months

When he's run this idea into the ground in the next three weeks, what's he going to say come October? This schtick is going to get old pretty quickly.

[AndyTiedye]

24. Of Course He Can! Do You Think They're Gonna Run Out of MUD to Sling?

Do you think the Mighty Slime Machine will get tired of slinging the Repiggies' mud for them?

[hopewell1985]

39. no

we need to fight back mccain is wide open for attack.

[AndyTiedye]

40. We Should Make McAngry's Temper an Issue

We need a new "Daisy" ad!

Here is a link to the original. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKs-bTL-pRg

[hopewell1985]

41. works

for me

[FrenchieCat]

7. Ron Fournier's AP is part of the McCain base!

so of course they herald a poll! Why not?

Plus they repeat McCain's little smear about Obama choosing to lose a war to win an election bit.

How quaint!

I guess this is posted here for a reason, although I'm not sure what that reason is....other than providing AP more dissimination than it already has.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

8. Not good news at all (if true)

It's depressing to think that there are so many people who fall for such stupidity. Hopefully, Obama and the rest of the Democratic Party really start taking the fight to him now. The good thing is that it's still way too early to write off this election. I just refuse to believe that enough of this country would send John McCain to the WH after the past 8 years of Bush/Cheney.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

16. It's official. The American People are effin' morons...

Anybody who bought into the "Celebrity" advertisement should have their right to vote taken away permanently. Hey, we do it for convicted felons, and they're just criminals, not jaw-droppingly stupid.

[Demeter]

10. Please See the Daily Widget Thread Before You Panic

The P-man, as I call him, Phriggindumass, does daily masterful analysis of all aspects of polling and the electoral and popular vote trends.

He can tell you who's blowing smoke, and who's smoking.

[FVZA_Colonel]

11. Thank you.

I suppose I was a bit concerned seeing this, but so far that thread is doing a great job of providing analysis and context.

[Number23]

15. Thanks for the info, but I'm ALREADY panicking

When I read this article earlier today, it was truly all I could do not to scream.

[jayfish]

33. Yeah, There Used To Be A Person On DU Called...

TruthIsAll (he/she may still be around),TIA as everyone called him/her, that did the same thing. We lost.

Jay

[onetinsoldier]

12. latent racism

some of the slippage of obama's numbers is due to latent racism,people are racist or culterists and do not even know it,some of his support has been quite shallow,it does not take much to push this support to mccain,obama is being painted as "not one of us" he may have peaked too early,i do not think time is going to be his friend,a number of voters may start to feel that obama made for a fun date but they are going to marry McCain ..... just saying

[scarface2004]

13. propaganda!!!

this is such a crock! if that s the case then obama should attack mkane for being the pathetic doddering combed over old pasty white asshole he is!!!

[childslibrarian]

14. What are you going to reply Obama campaign?

Are you going to let them Swift Boat You?

[regnaD kciN]

17. According to Rassmussen...

...53% of Americans think that Obama's comment about "not looking like other presidents" was racist. On the other hand, only 22% think McCain's Paris Hilton/Britney Spears ad was racist.

:puke:

[rainlillie]

18. It's time for Obama...

To come out swinging. He needs to make an ad with McCain and Lieberman whispering in his ear. He needs to make an ad with McCain's voting record, that shows he voted along with Bush 95 percent of the time. He needs to make an ad showing McCain's major flip flops. The McCain campaign has the media right where they want them. They knew those ads were crap, but they also knew the media and the public would once again be distracted away from the issues. Now the talk is about the race card. Only we can put a stop to this. Lets write the MSM and Obama's campaign.

[Narkos]

19. Should I be depressed? This is killing me! n/t

[rainlillie]

20. I want everyone to stop panicking and start writing...

Write the campaign and tell them they need to fight back.

[Psephos]

21. Big effin' deal

Three months to go. This is the 64th lap of the Indy 500.

Get rid of the flop sweat people. It's a marker for the weak-hearted. Replace it with commitment, cautious optimism, and tenacity.

[phrigndumass]

22. It's only one poll, and only one source (AP) spinning it.

Good thing elections are won by electoral votes.

[regnaD kciN]

25. Actually, TWO polls...

...if you include the Rasmussen one I mentioned above. While it doesn't list presidential preference, it shows that a clear majority considers Obama's campaign to be racist, but McCain's not to be so. :crazy:

[Spiffarino]

27. And Electoral votes are won by Diebold, ES&S, etc. n/t

[DallasNE]

23. There Is So Much We Don't Know

Is the a recycling of the AP poll of "likely" voters?

Who paid AP to conduct this specific poll?

One of the key factors in deciding "likely" is the voting history of the person polled. All newly registered voters would be disqualified because they have no history of voting. The newly registered voters are by a wide margin Democrats. The AP also to measures to assure a 50-50 split between Republican and Democrat. Does this mean that they also excluded independent voters? Lastly, blue-dog Democrats will be over represented in a sampling like this.

Having said this, I also agree with the basic premise put forth; negative campaigning works. It has for now made Obama the issue rather than the Bush administration. Obama must get this monkey off his back. The poll showing 72% negative coverage of Obama shows that this will be no small task. McCain and his pals in MSM control the microphone and that means that Obama has his work cut out for him. The McCain campaign is linked at the hip with MSM and that will be the case throughout this election cycle. How much can the blog world offset that huge advantage?

[Spiffarino]

28. America the Fucked.

We have achieved feudalism. The überlords have won.

[Doremus]

29. Do you believe polls or your own eyes? (see pics)

They're playing us. They can't if we don't let them.

[jayfish]

34. Here Is A Never Before Published Picture Of A John Kerry Rally In Grand Rapids,...

Michigan taken 08/02/2004. If you don't know anything about Grand Rapids, know that it is beat red. It is the heart of Christian conservatism. Do you see the size of that crowd? It was amazing. Oh and BTW, we lost. I think we are f'ed and I'm placing the blame squarely on the media.



Jay

[still_one]

36. hmm, is this from the same source that told us Iraq had WMDs, that there is no recession

that oil would never go over 100 dollars a barrel, that Obama or for that matter mccain would never be their parties nomination, and so much other nonesense in the past 8 years

I don't buy the MSM peddling the crap that people that mccain is gaining

The facts are very simple, you want a continuation of bush, vote for mccain

Otherwise, vote for Obama

Most people are NOT better off the past 8 years

Obama will win

[deutsey]

37. Never underestimate the gullibility of people or the ability of corporate-owned media to dupe them.

The Rovians now contributing to McCain understand this only too well.

:evilfrown:

[ajh60]

38. Just another Dem Candidate??

For much of the last year we have come to believe that perhaps, just perhaps, Barack Obama was not just another politician. He was, despite few years of experience, someone different. He looked, spoke and acted differently. He was the right man at the right time for the right reasons. He was going to be the next President. He ran a masterful campaign against one of the most talented, well funded primary candidate's to come down the road in a long time. He defeated a Clinton. He was destined to be President. Then again, Hillary Clinton was destined to be the Democratic nominee and we know how well that turned out.

If Obama is going to win he must strike back. Sen John McCain has decided that the way to beat Obama is to have America become afraid of Obama and portray him as an empty suit. Dear Senator Obama, it is working. If the plan of the Democrats is to portray McCain as nothing but a third term of George Bush then they must treat McCain as a quasi incumbent. Obama must go after him at every opportunity. If McCain wants ten town hall meetings, suggest twenty. The site of Obama on stage with McCain is a win for Obama. Do not believe the polls, run as if you are ten points down.

By saying no to the town hall meetings you fall into the trap of appearing weak, a candidate who is afraid of the heavy lifting a campaign requires. McCain does not want you at the town hall meetings. He wants you to say no. This is to his advantage. Just as your declining, no matter how savvy the reason is again, advantage McCain. Bill Clinton survived his campaign and eight years in office by hitting back at his opponents, hard and often.

You must hit back and challenge McCain at each and every opportunity. Suggest a bus tour together if you must, but follow him and go after him. If not, you will be just another Democrat running for President. We all know how those elections usually turn out.

[apnu]

42. "...hitting back at his opponents, hard and often..."

I've been saying that Dems need to do this for 8 years. The reason so many people in America thing the Dems are weak, is because Dems potray themselves as weak.

Obama should get out there and swing away at McCain, the GOP base is loath to embrace McCain and smacking him around will remind the base that he is not liked.

Dems, grow a spine already!!!

[KansDem]

44. I place most of the blame on US CorpMedia...

This morning NPR came on with a news item about Obama's energy plan. Then, NPR immediately referenced it with McCain's criticism, including a statement from a GOP house member who also criticized Obama's plan.

So in the space of a couple of minutes, we heard Obama's energy plan told by a third party, McCain's criticism told by a third party and then reinforcement of that criticism told by a live comment of a house GOPer.

With constant "reporting" like this, it's no wonder the lead Obama has over McCain isn't bigger...

[indypaul]

49. I believe it was Mark Twain who said

"Ain't we got all the fools in town on our side
and ain't that a majority in any town?"