1. The polls may be wrong. This is an unprecedented election. No one knows how racism may affect what voters tell pollsters—or what they do in the voting booth. And the polls are narrowing anyway. In the last few days, John McCain has gained ground in most national polls, as his campaign has gone even more negative.
2. Dirty tricks. Republicans are already illegally purging voters from the rolls in some states. They're whipping up hysteria over ACORN to justify more challenges to new voters. Misleading flyers about the voting process have started appearing in black neighborhoods. And of course, many counties still use unsecure voting machines.
3. October surprise. In politics, 15 days is a long time. The next McCain smear could dominate the news for a week. There could be a crisis with Iran, or Bin Laden could release another tape, or worse.
4. Those who forget history... In 2000, Al Gore won the popular vote after trailing by seven points in the final days of the race. In 1980, Reagan was eight points down in the polls in late October and came back to win. Races can shift—fast!
5. Landslide. Even with Barack Obama in the White House, passing universal health care and a new clean-energy policy is going to be hard. Insurance, drug and oil companies will fight us every step of the way. We need the kind of landslide that will give Barack a huge mandate.
If you agree that we shouldn't rest easy, please sign up to volunteer at your local Obama office by clicking here
Monday, October 20, 2008
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Sunday, October 5, 2008
The Palins' are apPalin'
Palin's Attack On Obama's Patriotism Legitimizes Questions About The Palins'
Association With Group Founded By America-Hating Secessionist
By Greg Sargent - October 4, 2008, 4:55PM
Sarah Palin attacked Obama's patriotism today over his association with
former Weatherman Bill Ayers -- a move that makes it perfectly legitimate to
raise questions about the Palins' associations with a group founded by an
Alaska secessionist who once professed his "hatred for the American
government" and cursed our "damn flag."
In Colorado today, Palin seized on the big front-page New York Times story
about Ayers and Obama, which concludes that the two men "do not appear to
have been close," to launch her most vicious attack yet on the Illinois
Senator -- a harbinger of what's to come.
"This is not a man who sees America as you and I do -- as the greatest force
for good in the world," Palin said. "This is someone who sees America as
imperfect enough to pal around with terrorists who targeted their own
country."
If Palin is going to say this, it is now perfectly legitimate to point out
that she repeatedly courted a secessionist group founded by someone who
openly professed hatred of the American government, cursed our flag, and
wanted to secede from the Union. Sarah's husband, Todd Palin, was a member
of this group, which continues to venerate that founder to this day, for
years.
As you already know, the group is the Alaska Independence Party, which sees
as its ultimate goal seceding from the union. Todd was a member, with a
brief exception, from 1995 until 2002, according to the Division of
Elections in Alaska.
And though Sarah Palin herself was apparently not a member of this group,
there's no doubt that she repeatedly courted this secessionist organization
over the years. In 1994, Palin attended the group's annual convention,
according to witnesses who spoke to ABC News' Jake Tapper. The McCain
campaign has confirmed she visited the group's 2000 convention, and she
addressed its convention this year, as an incumbent governor whose oath of
office includes upholding the Constitution of the United States.
The founder of the AIP was a man named Joe Vogler. Here's what he had to say
in a 1991 interview, only a few years before Palin attended its convention:
"The fires of hell are frozen glaciers compared to my hatred for the
American government."
He also said this: "And I won't be buried under their damn flag. I'll be
buried in Dawson. And when Alaska is an independent nation they can bring my
bones home."
Vogler has also said: "I'm an Alaskan, not an American. I've got no use for
America or her damned institutions."
McCain apologists will argue that Sarah Palin was not a member of this
group. But Obama wasn't a member of any Ayers anti-American group, either.
And again, Palin repeatedly courted the AIP, and her husband was a member
for years.
The main takeaway from today's Times story is that Obama's ties to Ayers
are, if anything, less substantial than commonly alleged. So if the Ayers
association means Obama "palled around" with "terrorists," as Palin put it
today, surely Palin can be said to have "palled around" with a secessionist
party whose founder openly professed hatred of America.
If Palin is going to directly question Obama's patriotism over his
association Ayers, surely all these facts are now fair game and freshly
relevant.
Association With Group Founded By America-Hating Secessionist
By Greg Sargent - October 4, 2008, 4:55PM
Sarah Palin attacked Obama's patriotism today over his association with
former Weatherman Bill Ayers -- a move that makes it perfectly legitimate to
raise questions about the Palins' associations with a group founded by an
Alaska secessionist who once professed his "hatred for the American
government" and cursed our "damn flag."
In Colorado today, Palin seized on the big front-page New York Times story
about Ayers and Obama, which concludes that the two men "do not appear to
have been close," to launch her most vicious attack yet on the Illinois
Senator -- a harbinger of what's to come.
"This is not a man who sees America as you and I do -- as the greatest force
for good in the world," Palin said. "This is someone who sees America as
imperfect enough to pal around with terrorists who targeted their own
country."
If Palin is going to say this, it is now perfectly legitimate to point out
that she repeatedly courted a secessionist group founded by someone who
openly professed hatred of the American government, cursed our flag, and
wanted to secede from the Union. Sarah's husband, Todd Palin, was a member
of this group, which continues to venerate that founder to this day, for
years.
As you already know, the group is the Alaska Independence Party, which sees
as its ultimate goal seceding from the union. Todd was a member, with a
brief exception, from 1995 until 2002, according to the Division of
Elections in Alaska.
And though Sarah Palin herself was apparently not a member of this group,
there's no doubt that she repeatedly courted this secessionist organization
over the years. In 1994, Palin attended the group's annual convention,
according to witnesses who spoke to ABC News' Jake Tapper. The McCain
campaign has confirmed she visited the group's 2000 convention, and she
addressed its convention this year, as an incumbent governor whose oath of
office includes upholding the Constitution of the United States.
The founder of the AIP was a man named Joe Vogler. Here's what he had to say
in a 1991 interview, only a few years before Palin attended its convention:
"The fires of hell are frozen glaciers compared to my hatred for the
American government."
He also said this: "And I won't be buried under their damn flag. I'll be
buried in Dawson. And when Alaska is an independent nation they can bring my
bones home."
Vogler has also said: "I'm an Alaskan, not an American. I've got no use for
America or her damned institutions."
McCain apologists will argue that Sarah Palin was not a member of this
group. But Obama wasn't a member of any Ayers anti-American group, either.
And again, Palin repeatedly courted the AIP, and her husband was a member
for years.
The main takeaway from today's Times story is that Obama's ties to Ayers
are, if anything, less substantial than commonly alleged. So if the Ayers
association means Obama "palled around" with "terrorists," as Palin put it
today, surely Palin can be said to have "palled around" with a secessionist
party whose founder openly professed hatred of America.
If Palin is going to directly question Obama's patriotism over his
association Ayers, surely all these facts are now fair game and freshly
relevant.
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