Obama Asks Americans to Help, Too

Anyone want to guess what kind of numbers could come out of this? TOLEDO, Ohio — Sen. Barack Obama announced that his campaign would mobilize supporters from his enormous e-mail list to send money or enlist as volunteers once the impact of Hurricane Gustav becomes apparent. Obama told reporters that his campaign already is coordinating [...]

In the Arena

Focused–The Sequel

Another week, another Frank Luntz/AARP focus group of undecided voters–this one in Minneapolis and with some bad news for John McCain: they don’t like the choice of Sarah Palin for vice president. Only one person said Palin made him more likely to vote for McCain; about half the 25-member group raised their hands when asked [...]

Re: A Non-Political Convention?

McCain campaign manager Rick Davis has just announced there will be an abbreviated session tomorrow, probably ending around 5, doing just the housekeeping kinds of things, the legal requirements they must go through for McCain to receive the nomination and qualify for federal matching funds. It is not clear what will happen after that. I [...]

A Non-Political Convention?

Years from now, political consultants will be studying how the McCain camp responded to the pending tragedy named Gustav, now swirling in the Gulf of Mexico. The first volley: John McCain promised today to hold something like a non-partisan, non-political start to the convention, which is a bit like making a banana split without bananas, [...]

Where Are the Republicans?, Part 2

The two most powerful ones — Bush and Cheney — sure ain’t here. My gut feeling: Gustav, as worried as we all are, is more cover than reason for the absence of the wrong-track twins. There’s talk of somehow altering the convention should things turn really sour, either making it a telethon of sorts or [...]

Lessons from Andrew

As McCain and Palin make their way down to Mississippi today they would do well to remember George H. W. Bush’s response to Hurricane Andrew in 1992. Most people remember Bush botching the job, prompting one outraged local official to ask “Where’s the cavalry?” But at the time Bush’s first trip to the Miami area [...]

Where are the Republicans?

It’s shortly before 8 a.m., and I’m at Reagan National Airport getting ready to board my flight to Minneapolis. Last week at this time, this airport was jammed. My Fortune magazine colleague Nina Easton, who traveled at this hour then and is marveling at the contrast now, says they were holding flights, because they couldn’t [...]

They Don’t Hang Out Together

I don’t remember a lot of “respecting the office” talk during Clinton’s impeachment, but I don’t think that’s the point here. “They’re friendly,” said Senator Lindsey Graham, the South Carolina Republican and McCain ally who has watched the two men up close. “They don’t hang out together. I don’t think John’s ever been to Camp [...]

John McCain: NOT DEAD YET!

My only question is just exactly how much is Obama paying Charlie “Let me call you from the bus” Black? She’s going to learn national security at the foot of the master for the next four years, and most doctors think that he’ll be around at least that long. HURRY, Sarah Palin, HURRY — YOU [...]

2008 Kerry vs 2004 Kerry

The Daily reminds us just how far he’s come.