Ben Smith at Politico has a piece about an inspired strategy Barack rolled over on McCain this morning at the VFW in Orlando, Florida this morning:

Obama tries to push back McCain's shots at his character, without impugning McCain's, in a speech to veterans today. In particular, he's demanding that McCain call him a patriot -- forcing the direct question to a candidate who, at times, shies away from his own harsh attacks; and pressing a storyline Obama likes: That McCain is Mr. Negative.

Traditionally, candidates seem to have two ways to travel during an election: the high road and the low road.  Obviously this is oversimplified drivel but it is true that a candidate and his campaign team will choose the general direction of their strategy.  It is becoming very transparent that McCain has chosen neither but has opted for some subterranean, miasmic nether world where he can spew out his calumnies about Obama.

If you hate VP talk, or if you're just tired of hearing everyone's take on who he/she will be and why it does or doesn't make sense, step away from the water cooler and move on to other things. I'm getting my two cents in before the credits roll. I'm also unabashedly supporting Joe Biden in the horse race that the institutional media has framed for us between Evan Bayh, Tim Kaine, and Joe Biden. Follow me after the fold to find out why...or go away and come back when I have something more to your liking. ;)

" Hello?... What's that? ...Tell those kids to Get Off My Lawn!!"

Should we feel anger or pity for John McCain?

First he demonizes Obama for being "presidential" and "presumptuous".... ...and then McCain proceeds to presumptuously impersonate the presidency with Georgia on his mind.

More below the fold...

I have a very important point to make that I believe gets lost in the day-to-day quibbling about celebrity ads and the VP speculation.

Senator Obama is doing very, very well.

For Obama to win, he needs to win the electoral college. The fact of the matter is that Obama is in a much better position to win 269 electoral votes than McCain is. Consider the following:

but both spending the same per day.

Shamelessly taken from TPM but worthwhile for comments.

I dont understand their point that McCain hasnt made key inroads. Well he has except for PA. we're waiting for a MI poll.

This is interesting bc we might be questioning the 50 state strategy

I used to have my own political blog, but turned it over to a photo blog of my twin boys when they were born last year.  I do this mostly for the benefit of my family, especially my mom.

Today, I heard a rumor that my mom has expressed support for John McCain.  I'll save my mother the embarrassment of detailing why she's against Obama ... but given her surprising position, I felt I had no choice but to wage my own personal negative campaign to change her mind.

Check it out here.

Well, I spent another Saturday canvassing for Barack Obama and I must say it's now something I really look forward to each week.  I have lived in Ohio for 12 years and have never really felt like this is where I belong.  The city I live in is pretty conservative and has a reputation for being narrow minded.  I've made a lot of close friends in my life, but have only a few in Ohio.  It's just been a difficult, awkward road for me here.  However, in the last few weeks, I have met people that I feel a real connection to and I almost feel like I have a new outlook on my community just from participating in this process.  We as a nation are 100% responsible to "get it right" when we elect our President and it is not only ok to engage our neighbors, it is our obligation.  I have never felt more certain of this.  

    Canvassing for Obama today in a very conservative small city in this battleground state (Wisconsin), I came off the streets  after 5 hours feeling . . . elated.  That is not an exaggeration, and it's not because of finding lots of  Obama supporters.

I have lived through Presidential elections since 1968, when I was 3. Each of the years a GOP liar would win, I could just feel it in my bones. The dem that year, whether it be McGovern, Dukakis, or Gore, just wasn't properly dealing with the constant barrage of GOP smears, lies and attacks.

I have this distant, but growing feeling of dread for Obama this year because I just feel the GOP is going to do a rush attack on him just like they did to the others who have simply never gone on the offensive and gone on to lose.

All they need to do is get within a few points, so their caging operations, voter suppression games, voter registration tricks, and trick machines can do their dirty work for a third time in a row.

We can't let it get that close!

Thought you guys might enjoy this.

Lulu - my Maltese - is modeling a "Team Obama" shirt. I took her downtown today and we got lots of very positive comments about her Obama gear and my "Got Hope" T-shirt. That resulted in a number of nice conversations about the campaign and absolutely everybody was positive and for Obama. Well, I live in the Bay Area and nobody likes McSame in this part of California. Here is the shirt ...

"Nobody knows anything."

- William Goldman, "Adventures In The Screen Trade"

In a Northern Virginia Starbucks tucked snugly away in a featureless shopping center not far from Washington D.C., a man, once solid, but now thickening in late middle age, looks around furtively, almost warily, before he leans in to his companions, and says, loud enough for me to overhear,

"This country will never elect a black man president."

The two middle-age women, one stylish in a pink silk t-shirt, Cartier watch and diamond rings, the other older and frumpier in a "Cougars for Hillary" sweatshirt, nod knowingly. The older woman sighs,

"He's too young. He has no experience."

The younger woman shakes her head in agreement,

"I can't bring myself to vote for McCain though."

"Oh what a horrible dilemma," the older woman laments.

"It's not good," the man agrees.

"How's the diet going?" the younger woman asks, suddenly brightening.

Politics now safely behind them, the three make small talk for a few minutes before the man says his goodbyes and leaves. I watch as he exits the store and climbs into a brand new Mercedes convertible.

The man is African American, as are his two women friends.

Barack Obama and John McCain are scheduled to make a quasi-joint appearance tomorrow evening at Pastor Rick Warren's Faith Forum.  The event is scheduled for 8 p.m. eastern time and will be televised live on CNN and MSNBC.

I hope Obama takes this opportunity to ask McCain the perfect zinger, in exactly the right forum and context.  If you agree that this is a good tactic for Obama, join me in emailing his campaign and urging him to ask McCain the question I've drafted -- below the fold.

Now that I have your attention, we still have to deal with the the fact that the Republicans have perfected campaigning by character assassination  

As foreign affairs, the economy, and political strategy take center stage, one of the most significant pieces of Bush legislation seems to have been erased from the minds of many voters.  Some of you may remember that, when signing the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation into law, President Bush declared that he wanted to be remembered as the "Education President."  If that was his intent, then it is curious that he  believed  NCLB would achieve that end.  Personally, I believe NCLB to be some of the most damaging and backward legislation ever imposed on America's school systems.

As students and teachers head back to school over the coming weeks (our opening day was Tuesday) I'm hoping those who have been affected by this administration's misdirection will stand up and make their voices heard.  It would be too easy in this climate to have the agenda and campaigns move forward without hearing the candidates truly discuss this all-important aspect of America's future.

More below the fold...

Attack Ad #3: Lies

- Open with George W Bush "The evidence indicates that Iraq is reconstituting its nuclear weapons program"

RUBBER STAMP – LIES!

- Cut to Bush "Let me make this clear – we do not torture"

RUBBER STAMP – LIES!

- Cut to Bush ""The vast majority of my tax breaks go to those at the bottom of the ladder."

RUBBER STAMP – LIES!

Voice-Over: "Do you remember the good old lies of the Bush administration?  Well John McCain isn't wasting any time carrying on that tradition, he's lying to us already.  This is what he has to say about the benefits of off-shore drilling:"

- Cut to McCain "Oil company executives say that it could be as short a time as one to two years"

Voice-Over: "The Bush Administration’s own Department of Energy says that off-shore drilling would not have any impact on gas prices for over twenty-two years.  So why is John McCain lying?  He’s lying because he accepts millions of dollars in campaign contributions from the oil industry.  Sound familiar?  Let’s put an end to the lies.  Let's elect a president who will be honest with us and get us on the right track."

Today at 3pm ET/Noon PT, I'll be holding my third live online video town hall, and I want you to join me!

I've already had two live online town hall meetings, and they have been really successful. I've been able to reach out to voters from Idaho and friends like you from across the country and answer their questions -- face to face. I hope you'll stick around and join the conversation!  Just ask your questions in the chat room below.

Update: Thanks to everybody who participated in today's 3rd online town hall meeting!  You can watch video from today's event below.  I look forward to chatting more with you online very soon!

clipped from hotair.com

 

McCain: Lieberman and Graham are going to Georgia
   posted at 7:31 pm on August 13, 2008 by Allahpundit

    He’s (McCain) careful to say that Liebs and Graham will be going in their capacity as senators and members of the Armed Services Committee (and invites other members to go with them), but given the context and the fact that they’re his two most ardent supporters, it comes off like he’s dispatching them as envoys. Questions that pop to mind: Do Committee members really need to conduct their own fact-finding missions in the middle of a hot war? State and Defense briefings could probably get them up to speed. And what would the reaction have been if The One had made this move first with Bayh and Webb in the surrogate roles? Would have seemed to me like a transparent attempt to squeeze a photo op from a crisis that the administration’s already straining to manage without needing any extra distractions.