McCain now defending his home state of Arizona

[ArcturusMengsk]

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By Greg Sargent - October 29, 2008, 5:38PM

John McCain and the Republican National Committee are now running robocalls attacking Obama as weak on terrorism -- in McCain's home state of Arizona, according to multiple readers from the state.

The call signals genuine worry about McCain's home state at a time when several polls show the race to be much closer than expected there.

McCain's robocall, which was played to us over the phone by Mary Joe Bartel, a retiree who lives south of Tuscon, attacks Obama as unprepared to defend the country from terrorism, singling out Joe Biden's recent remarks about the likelihood of Obama being tested by an international crisis early in his first term.

Here's the script:

I'm calling for John McCain and the RNC because Barack Obama is so dangerously inexperienced, his running mate Joe Biden just said, he invites a major international crisis that he will be unprepared to handle alone.

If Democrats win full control of government, they will want to give civil rights to terrorists and talk unconditionally to dictators and state sponsors of terror. Barack Obama and his Democratic allies lack the experience and judgment to lead America. This call was paid for by the Republican National Committee and authorized by McCain-Palin 2008.

Two other Arizona readers -- David Lorti, a Phoenix realtor, and Jerry Mooers, a retiree from Sun Lakes -- confirm to us that they received the same call today.

A poll last night found Obama within two points of the Arizona Senator. The call means Republicans are sinking resources into a state that obviously should have been a complete lock for McCain, with time fast running out.

Simply extraordinary. Audio when we get it.

Ouch. I hadn't really believed the polls that show Obama in striking range there, and I still don't think he'll take it, but the very fact that the cash-strapped McCain campaign is devoting resources to its home state is a sure indicator of things to come.

[CmdrWilkens]

Obviously the campaign considers the polling solid and I actually am not that suprised. Arizona is demographically similiar to NM and CO both of which are trending heavily blue this year. Even Wyoming is set to have a hevily Democratic representation in Congress (if its still an almost given that the state will go for McCain). Right now its probably only the fact that McCain enjoys a 3-5 point "home-field" advnatage which is keeping him from being in worse shape. had the nominee been anyone other than McCain (Romney for instance) its entirely possible that AZ was going to end up blue this year since Janet Napolitano was rather solid for Obama from early on.

[The Romulan Republic]

It would be priceless if Arizona actually flipped. My hope for this election is that the Republicans will not only lose the Presidency, but suffer a complete blow out across the board. Presidency, Senate, Congress, the works.

Political oposision is nessissary in a democracy. But the GOP cannot fulfill that role, because it's goals are more or less to undermine the integrity of that democratic system. I suspect the only way to salvage American Democracy in the long term is to crush the GOP badly enough that the party reforms itself from within, or suffers a split.

On the other hand, if the result is that the neo-cons lose complete control of the GOP to the Fundis, that would be even worse.

At any rate, though, another very good sign of where election day is headed.

[Stargate Nerd]

On the other hand, if the result is that the neo-cons lose complete control of the GOP to the Fundis, that would be even worse.

How so? Both camps are equally bad, but with the Fundis, at least the appeal is more limited to the general population.

[Patrick Degan]

On the other hand, if the result is that the neo-cons lose complete control of the GOP to the Fundis, that would be even worse.

How so? Both camps are equally bad, but with the Fundis, at least the appeal is more limited to the general population.

The Neocons want to rule the world. The Fundis want to see it burn.

[Drooling Iguana]

I'm calling for John McCain and the RNC because Barack Obama is so dangerously inexperienced, his running mate Joe Biden just said, he invites a major international crisis that he will be unprepared to handle alone.

If Democrats win full control of government, they will want to give civil rights to terrorists and talk unconditionally to dictators and state sponsors of terror. Barack Obama and his Democratic allies lack the experience and judgment to lead America. This call was paid for by the Republican National Committee and authorized by McCain-Palin 2008.

It still amazes me that Republicans would use this as a threat, as if it were a bad thing.

[Magus]

On the other hand, if the result is that the neo-cons lose complete control of the GOP to the Fundis, that would be even worse.

How so? Both camps are equally bad, but with the Fundis, at least the appeal is more limited to the general population.

The Neocons want to rule the world. The Fundis want to see it burn.

If the neocons and fundies refuse to play together, however, I don't see anyone else willing to vote with the fundies to give them meaningful influence.

[Temjin]

Robocalls? You mean when an automated machine calls someone watching television or in the shower?

I would think that would actually do more harm than good, given how annoying automated calls are.

[The Romulan Republic]

On the other hand, if the result is that the neo-cons lose complete control of the GOP to the Fundis, that would be even worse.

How so? Both camps are equally bad, but with the Fundis, at least the appeal is more limited to the general population.

To clarify, I want both groups to lose control of the Party, but the worst case senario is a fundi take over, because they represent a large enough percentage of the voting public that they could win, especially if the party fell apart resulting in a multi-party system. And because if they did take control, there world view makes them incapable of compromising or responding rationally to the world's problems. Indeed, the rapture crowd has a very powerful incentive to, as has already been said, "see it burn".

[Magus]

To clarify, I want both groups to lose control of the Party, but the worst case senario is a fundi take over, because they represent a large enough percentage of the voting public that they could win, especially if the party fell apart resulting in a multi-party system. And because if they did take control, there world view makes them incapable of compromising or responding rationally to the world's problems. Indeed, the rapture crowd has a very powerful incentive to, as has already been said, "see it burn".

I don't get your point. If the system splits into a multi-party before (inevitably) rebuilding to a bipartisan, then the Fundies and Neocons and Goldwaters will each be individually too weak to sway an election without working together. If the Republican party splits, I don't see how the Democrats won't dominate every election.

[Duckie]

Evangelical Christianity only has 25% of the electorate- not enough to win a margin except as a regional party holding seats in the Senate and House and the local governments of a lot of the states. Splitting with the Republican Party would mean that both the Non-Evangelical and Evangelical republicans would be committing suicide and they know it- it would guarantee a permanent Democratic Majority until the Democratic Party itself fell or the two mended ways.

Evangelicals only vote for 2 reasons- Abortion, and Gay Marriage. If you take those away, their support vanishes and they stay home. That's why Republicans are so quick to talk about both but never actually do anything significant (and plausable- the Federal Marriage Amendment was doomed to fail and so made a good stunt) to stop either- if they ever truly won, for instance, Roe vs Wade, they'd instantly lose a ton of votes.

The Evangelicals essentially are the Republican party right now. The Neoconservatives and other Republicans thought they could gain a huge vote amount by appealing to idiots, but now they've realised they essentially cannot stop being anything but the idiots' party. McCain had to pick Palin for the Abortion and Christian credentials, and even he can't motivate the evangelicals greatly with that- sure, his field offices about quadrupled in participation, but it's bled off by now and never amounted to Obama's ground game.

McCain's loss is the Evangelicals' revenge on the GOP for trying to avoid Far Right Social Issues "Moral Values" voters and instead reach out to the centre to have a chance of winning the elections. Not even his lurch rightwards could stop that. Prediction: Vicious Palin vs Huckabee vs Romney primary with unsteady incumbent Obama after a weak performance as president due to failing economy blamed on him.

On the other hand, we can only hope for Pat Buchanan's scaremongering "Obama: The First 100 Days" article to be true:

What does the triumvirate of Obama-Pelosi-Reid offer?

Rep. Barney Frank is calling for new tax hikes on the most successful and a 25 percent across-the-board slash in national defense. Sen. John Kerry is talking up new and massive federal spending, a la FDR's New Deal. Specifically, we can almost surely expect:

-- Swift amnesty for 12 million to 20 million illegal aliens and a drive to make them citizens and register them, as in the Bill Clinton years. This will mean that Nevada, Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona will soon move out of reach for GOP presidential candidates, as has California.

-- Border security will go on the backburner, and America will have a virtual open border with a Mexico of 110 million.

-- Taxes will be raised on the top 5 percent of wage-earners, who now carry 60 percent of the U.S. income tax burden, and tens of millions of checks will be sent out to the 40 percent of wage-earners who pay no federal income tax. Like the man said, redistribute the wealth, spread it around.

-- Social Security taxes will be raised on the most successful among us, and capital gains taxes will be raised from 15 percent to 20 percent. The Bush tax cuts will be repealed, and death taxes reimposed.

-- Two or three more liberal activists of the Ruth Bader Ginsberg-John Paul Stevens stripe will be named to the Supreme Court. U.S. district and appellate courts will be stacked with "progressives."

-- Special protections for homosexuals will be written into all civil rights laws, and gays and lesbians in the military will be invited to come out of the closet. "Don't ask, don't tell" will be dead.

-- The homosexual marriages that state judges have forced California, Massachusetts and Connecticut to recognize, an Obama Congress or Obama court will require all 50 states to recognize.

-- A "Freedom of Choice Act" nullifying all state restrictions on abortions will be enacted. America will become the most pro-abortion nation on earth.

-- Affirmative action -- hiring and promotions based on race, sex and sexual orientation until specified quotas are reached -- will be rigorously enforced throughout the U.S. government and private sector.

-- Universal health insurance will be enacted, covering legal and illegal immigrants, providing another powerful magnet for the world to come to America, if necessary by breaching her borders.

-- A federal bailout of states and municipalities to keep state and local governments spending up could come in December or early next year.

-- The first trillion-dollar deficit will be run in the first year of an Obama presidency. It will be the first of many.

Welcome to Obamaland!

[sketerpot]

On the other hand, if the result is that the neo-cons lose complete control of the GOP to the Fundis, that would be even worse.

How so? Both camps are equally bad, but with the Fundis, at least the appeal is more limited to the general population.

The Neocons want to rule the world. The Fundis want to see it burn.

Why are we all spelling it "Fundis" now?

[The Romulan Republic]

To clarify, I want both groups to lose control of the Party, but the worst case senario is a fundi take over, because they represent a large enough percentage of the voting public that they could win, especially if the party fell apart resulting in a multi-party system. And because if they did take control, there world view makes them incapable of compromising or responding rationally to the world's problems. Indeed, the rapture crowd has a very powerful incentive to, as has already been said, "see it burn".

I don't get your point. If the system splits into a multi-party before (inevitably) rebuilding to a bipartisan, then the Fundies and Neocons and Goldwaters will each be individually too weak to sway an election without working together. If the Republican party splits, I don't see how the Democrats won't dominate every election.

No party holds power for ever. If the Bible nuts become the dominant faction of the GOP, they would be the ones who would take power next time the Democrats screwed up. Remember that about half the country is sympathetic to their views.

[Samuel]

Welcome to Obamaland!

Wow... I find those all good things. I can't believe some people consider them insults.

Why are we all spelling it "Fundis" now?

It is simply a quicker way to type it out. Of course, we aren't on a time limits so it is just a little lazy. On the other hand, it is slightly demeaning, which is another reason to use it.

No party holds power for ever. If the Bible nuts become the dominant faction of the GOP, they would be the ones who would take power next time the Democrats screwed up. Remember that about half the country is sympathetic to their views.

Actually, parties HAVE head power for extended periods of time until a new party invented itself. The Democratic-Republicans controlled the US from 1800-1832, the Republicans essentially did the same from 1870-1900 and the Democrats did the same 1945-1968.

The number of fundamentalists in the US is around one third to 40%. I am going of Bushes approval rating for this.

[Duckie]

Bush's post-Lehmen approval rating is actually a mere 22%

[Magus]

I don't get your point. If the system splits into a multi-party before (inevitably) rebuilding to a bipartisan, then the Fundies and Neocons and Goldwaters will each be individually too weak to sway an election without working together. If the Republican party splits, I don't see how the Democrats won't dominate every election.

No party holds power for ever. If the Bible nuts become the dominant faction of the GOP, they would be the ones who would take power next time the Democrats screwed up. Remember that about half the country is sympathetic to their views.

I disagree. Half the country (Fundies included) was willing to work with the Fundies because of marginally similar goals and because Fundies can be easily corralled with buzz-issues like abortion or gay marriage. There are plenty of Goldwater and Neoconservative Republicans who are smart enough to abandon ship before the hypothetical "Fundies take control" situation could ever occur. Indeed, we've seen during the tail end of this election what happens when the more intellectual conservatives start fleeing the party. More and more, McCain has had to deal with trying to unite his disintegrating party while the moderating influence of the more moderate, more traditional, and more intellectual Republicans has evaporated around him.

The bottom line is that the other conservatives are too smart to ever go along with a system where the Fundies are calling the shots, and the Fundies themselves, while a large constituency, lack the raw numbers to get anything done on their own. Barring a massive influx in fundamentalism, any Fundie-run party will be dead in the water.


My personal guess is that the current Republican line-up will be dead following this election. What will emerge, I think, will be a conglomeration of Goldwater conservatives, neoconservative capitalists, and moderate libertarians.

[Stargate Nerd]

On the other hand, we can only hope for Pat Buchanan's scaremongering "Obama: The First 100 Days" article to be true

Amen.

[ArcturusMengsk]

Holy shit!

McCain is scheduled to appear at the Yavapai County Courthouse at 11 p.m. on Monday, along with his wife Cindy, for a "Road to Victory" rally.

Double ouch. Now he's stopping in his home state personally, taking precious time away from the waning hours of the election in the process? Damning.

[CmdrWilkens]

Holy shit!

McCain is scheduled to appear at the Yavapai County Courthouse at 11 p.m. on Monday, along with his wife Cindy, for a "Road to Victory" rally.

Double ouch. Now he's stopping in his home state personally, taking precious time away from the waning hours of the election in the process? Damning.

Check the time of it. He is making an 11th hour (literally) appearence in his home state near to where he will be casting his actual ballot. 11 PM on the night of election eve is after the campaign is over. Tuesday there is nothing for the candidates to do but monitor the GOTV operation, receive feedback from state field directors and make the call for allocating lawyers or interviews depending on whether things are close or runaway.

I fully expect, though I don't have the actual scheduel handy, that Obama will have a Chicago rally of some sort either Monday night or early in the day Tuesday (before telling everyone to go vote as he does so himself).