Samuel Wurzelbacher's 15 minutes of fame will be over soon.

Obama blankets TV with ad
By Kathy Kiely, USA TODAY
SUNRISE, Fla. — Barack Obama pulled out all the political and technological stops Wednesday, barnstorming across Republican territory and blanketing the airwaves.

As an unusual 30-minute commercial aired on several broadcast and cable networks, the Democratic presidential nominee appeared here at a packed basketball arena with his running mate, Joe Biden. In what Obama aide Linda Douglass described as "a bit of a high-wire act," the campaign cut from the pre-taped ad with a live feed from the rally.

Obama's ad ran simultaneously on several broadcast and cable networks at a cost of more than $3 million. It intertwined the stories of families facing financial and personal difficulties with segments in which the candidate discussed how he plans to help them and other Americans like them overcome their challenges.

"This election is a defining moment," Obama said during the beginning of the ad. "The chance for our leaders to meet the demands of these challenging times and keep faith with our people."

The ad included testimonials about Obama from leading politicians, including two former rivals for the Democratic presidential nomination, Biden and Gov. Bill Richardson. The ad didn't mention his current rival, Republican John McCain.

The airing of the ad highlighted the enormous financial advantage enjoyed by Obama, whose fundraising has been so successful that he opted out of the public campaign-finance system. McCain, who accepted public funding, is limited to $84 million for the general election campaign. Obama raised $153 million in September alone, and spent $106 million in the month of September.

After the rally, Obama was to head to his first joint campaign appearance with former president Bill Clinton, timed for the 11 p.m. ET news in central Florida, the state that gave President Bush the White House in 2000 and helped re-elect him in 2004. The pair's rally in Kissimmee, just outside Orlando, was scheduled to start at the same time that an interview Obama had with Jon Stewart aired on the comedian's Daily Show.

In the Stewart interview, Obama joked that his own children were appalled at his big television buy. He quoted his 10-year-old daughter, Malia, as saying " 'hold up a second. Are you saying that my programs are going to be interrupted?'

"I said, 'No, we didn't buy on Disney.' So she was relieved," Obama said.

In a sign of his confidence that his Democratic base is secure, Obama spent the day trolling for votes here and in North Carolina, two states where early voting is underway and where Republican presidential candidates usually win. The last Democratic presidential candidate to win North Carolina was Jimmy Carter in 1976. The last to win Florida was Clinton, who beat Bob Dole here 48%-42% in 1996.

The former president's willingness to share a stage with Obama also represents a sign of Obama's success in unifying the party after a bruising primary with the Clinton's wife, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y.

In Raleigh, Obama poked fun at attacks on his economic policies by McCain. "By the end of the week, he'll be accusing me of being a secret Communist because I shared my toys in kindergarten," he told a lunchtime crowd of 28,000 in Raleigh.

Contributing: Fredreka Schouten

Damn. I though I copied and pasted a lot.

Geez, this Barack Obama guy is everywhere tonight--"Daily Show" too

Pretty hard to avoid you-know-who from Illinois tonight.

He was everywhere on the tube tonight. If the White Sox hadn't collapsed, he'd have probably been out in left field, so to speak.

Why doesn't he just buy his own channel with all that money people donated?

Barack Obama didn't just buy a half-hour of time on four national television networks tonight -- he also got a free ride on "The Daily Show." (Complete text of the campaign infomercial is available here.)

Illinois senator and Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama on almost all TVs all the time tonight

Here's a preview of the "comedy" show, from the campaign pool report, so you don't have to stay up (because, frankly, it doesn't sound very comedic):

How is he holding up? host Jon Stewart asked Obama in the taping.

"We are now counting down every single vote," the Democratic presidential nominee replied. "And the crowds are terrific. And I think we've got a good shot at this thing."

Asking about former President Bill Clinton campaigning for Obama today in Florida, Stewart said: "I know Florida. ... Many of my people go there to retire. ... You might want to hold the rally early. They don't like to miss their shows at night or the early bird special at the diner."

"No comment on that Jon," Obama said, with an explanation for his reticence: "I'm trying to win Florida."

Asked about his "infomercial" airing on four television networks tonight, Obama called it a "story about what's happening to families all across America. We've got four families that we feature. All of them have great hopes, but all of them are struggling too, and we want to talk about what the next four years would mean to them...

"These four families that have been featured remind me either of myself or people that I know, and I think they'll have a better sense of exactly what I want to do as president."

Stewart asked: "If you do win, is that a mandate for socialism?"

"I think that there's a certain segment of hardcore Sean Hannity fans that probably wouldn't want to go have a beer with me," Obama conceded. "There's no doubt about that."

For a review of the rest of the program, check out the account here by our pal Mark Silva over at the Swamp.

--Andrew Malcolm

30-minute Obama ad shows campaign muscle

* Story Highlights
* NEW: Obama ad features stories of struggling families, high-profile endorsements
* NEW: Obama discusses plans for economy, bringing end to Iraq war
* NEW: On ad's timing,McCain says it used to take "act of God" to delay World Series
* McCain launched an ad attacking Obama for his 30-minute special

By Richard Allen Greene
CNN

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Sen. Barack Obama's 30-minute TV ad, which ran simultaneously on broadcast and cable networks at 8 p.m. ET Wednesday, is muscle-flexing that has little precedent, a campaign advertising expert said.

"It's evidence, if you needed any, that the Obama campaign has more money than there is ad time left to buy," said Evan Tracey, director of the Campaign Media Analysis Group. "This is flexing the muscles."

Tracey estimates that it will cost the campaign "in the $4 to 5 million range -- at a minimum, $3.5 million."

But, he said, spending the money is a "no-brainer" for the Democratic presidential hopeful.

"The strategic brilliance of this for Obama is that he is going to consume about 24 hours of the news cycle," Tracey said. "It boxes [John] McCain in, takes the oxygen out of the room."

In the carefully produced infomercial, Obama laid out his plans for the economy and for bringing an end to the war in Iraq.

It also featured stories of struggling families in swing states such as Ohio and Missouri and included testimonials from high-profile supporters, including Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson.

Obama's Republican opponent, Arizona Sen. John McCain, was not mentioned, nor was the GOP. The spot ended with a brief, live Obama address to a rally in Florida, another hotly contested state in this year's campaign.

"I'm reminded every single day that I am not a perfect man," he said. "I will not be a perfect president.

"But I can promise you this: I will always tell you what I think and where I stand. I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you when we disagree. And, most importantly, I will open the doors of government and ask you to be involved in your own democracy again."

There was so much buzz surrounding the infomercial -- which was announced about two weeks ago -- that on Tuesday, Time magazine's Mark Halperin put the ad's two editors on his daily list of the "five most important people in American politics not running for president." VideoWatch more on the Obama campaign ad buy »

Those editors, Erik Smith and Mark Putnam, were "still in an edit room" cutting the 30-minute piece Tuesday when he published the list, according to Halperin, Time's editor-at-large and senior political analyst.

The ad ran at 8 p.m. ET on CBS, NBC, MSNBC, Fox, BET, TV One and Univision, the Spanish-language network, six days before Election Day.

CNN declined to run the spot, and talks between ABC and the Obama campaign fell apart.

"We were approached by the Obama campaign and declined their request," said Sal Petruzzi, senior vice president for public relations of Turner Broadcasting, CNN's parent company.

"We did not want to pre-empt our programming lineup with a 30-minute spot. We would rather use our air to continue to cover the campaign, candidates and issues like we always do, from all points of view with the best political team on television."

An ABC spokeswoman declined to comment about the network's talks with the Obama campaign.

"As a matter of policy we don't comment about clients with whom we are doing business," said Julie Hoover of ABC. The Obama campaign has bought advertising on ABC in the past, she said, "but they did not buy the half-hour."

Obama taped an interview Wednesday with ABC's Charles Gibson, which is to run Thursday, his campaign said.

A source familiar with ABC policy suggested the network had offered the Obama campaign a different time slot.

"Hypothetically, we would have offered them equivalent time," the source said. "We don't have to give them the exact slot they are asking for."

Obama campaign spokesman Bill Burton said ABC had ultimately offered Obama the slot he wanted, but the campaign turned it down.

"By the time they agreed, we had already committed our resources," Burton said.

The Obama campaign reported last week that it had raised a record-shattering $150 million in September.

Obama has outspent McCain by a huge margin, according to CNN's consultant on ad spending.

Between the time the two candidates clinched their party's nominations in the spring and October 25, Obama spent more than $205 million on TV ads. McCain spent more than $119 million, according to TNS Media Intelligence/Campaign Media Analysis Group.

The McCain campaign launched an ad Wednesday attacking Obama for his 30-minute special.

"Behind the fancy speeches, grand promises and TV special lies the truth: With crises at home and abroad, Barack Obama lacks the experience America needs," the ad said.

The timing of Obama's informercial pushed back the start of a World Series game, provoking a jab from McCain during a Wednesday afternoon appearance in Florida.

"It used to be that only rain or some other act of God could delay the World Series," he said. "But I guess network executives figured an Obama infomercial was close enough."

The Obama campaign did not ask that the game be delayed, said a spokesman for Fox, which broadcasts the World Series.

"They asked Fox to buy the air time," the spokesman said. "Fox went to our partner, Major League Baseball, and asked if it would be OK to delay the game to take this important political advertisement. They agreed."

MLB's willingness to delay the fall classic for a political ad shows how very unusual the Obama TV spot is.

"Ross Perot did it in 1992, but it wasn't this close to Election Day, and now you have a very different media consumption environment. You didn't have the cable then," Tracey said. "There is no precedent for this sort of an ad this late in the race."

Obama rips Sarah Palin in new campaign ad
By Jimmy Orr | 10.29.08

Up in every national poll, leading in most of the battleground states, and blanketing the networks with a 30 minute infomercial you may think that the Obama campaign would be somewhat confident.

Nope. They’re still worried. Worried enough to launch a new campaign ad that targets McCain’s decision to select running mate Sarah Palin. But in truth, it is a shot squarely at Sarah Palin’s intelligence.

The ad

The spot begins with soft music and a photo of McCain. Then quotes from McCain appear.

“I’m going to be honest: I know a lot less about economics than I do about military and foreign policy issues. I still need to be educated.” Wall Street Journal 11/26/05

“The issue of economics is not something I’ve understood as well as I should.” Boston Globe Political Intelligence 12/18/07

“I might have to rely on a Vice President that I select for expertise on economic issues.” GOP Debate 11/28/07

“His choice?” flashes up on the screen followed by slow moving video of Palin. Winking.

Questionable

Support her or not, it’s a harsh ad. And one that is questionable, simply because Obama had the opportunity to discuss his thoughts on Palin during the third debate.

Back then he was asked if he thought Palin was qualified.

“That’s going to be up to the American people,” Obama said. “I think that obviously she’s capable politician. She has, I think, excited the base in the Republican Party and I think it’s very commendable, the work she’s done on behalf of special needs.”

But today, a different answer from the Obama campaign.

Questionable or not, people from across the spectrum have voiced their discontent with the day-in, day-out mockery of Palin.

O’Reilly and Letterman

It’s no surprise that Bill O’Reilly stuck up for her last night while appearing on the David Letterman show. And he was applauded after his remarks.

“I think she’s a self-made woman,” he said to Letterman. “Reformed the state, went after her own party, put those people in jail, got the oil companies to give the folks some of these obscene profits they make. I admire her record in Alaska. I think the media is beating the hell out of the woman unfairly and I don’t like it.”

“If you don’t like her, don’t vote for her. But you don’t have to beat the living daylights out of her. If you don’t like her, don’t vote for her. But knock it off,” he added.

“Women are the real losers”

The director of Women’s Watch Inc., a nonprofit women’s advocacy group in New Jersey, wrote an op-ed two days ago in the Philadelphia Inquirer entitled, “Palin deserves our respect.”

It’s a difficult column to read. What she discusses is ugly. Really ugly.

“I cannot predict who will win the presidential campaign, but I already know who will lose big: all women,” she writes.

After describing a disgusting encounter with a Palin hater, she writes:

“All this is at a time when women are regularly being raped as they try to cross the border into the United States; bloody, broken women haunt the emergency rooms of hospitals; and abuse and disrespect for women and girls is rising faster than bank bailouts. That is the atmosphere in which people, including women, choose to attempt to destroy a woman who is a legitimate political leader.

“Agreement on issues is not required, but Palin merits respect.

“Mockery and vilification of women such as Palin should become just as taboo as race-based slams. Until then, women are the real losers.”

Hollywood

Even some Democrats in Hollywood say enough is enough.

At a political forum sponsored by the Caucus for Producers, Writers and Directors, Variety reports that television producer Linda Bloodworth-Thomason spoke up for Palin.

Bloodworth-Thomason said that even though she disagrees with Palin politically, she is dismayed by personal attacks. “It’s made me angry, and it’s made me angry on behalf of women,” she said.

Fair ad or not?

Keith Olbermann vs 'Joe the Plumber'

McCain can still win, if things break his way
By Steven Thomma, McClatchy Newspapers Steven Thomma, Mcclatchy Newspapers Wed Oct 29, 5:43 pm ET

WASHINGTON — John McCain still could win.

It would take what one analyst calls a "perfect storm" of events breaking his way in the campaign's final days, but he could come from behind, overtake Barack Obama and pull off the greatest upset in 60 years.

He'd have to squeeze out more support from independents, score higher with his "Joe the Plumber" warning about Obama's tax and economic polices, and hope that enough undecided voters swing his way to help him sweep almost all the states that now are considered tossups.

Difficult? Yes. Impossible? No.

While he's still trailing, polls show McCain within reach and gaining, even if only slightly, both nationally and in some key battleground states.

"Sure, McCain can win," veteran conservative strategist Greg Mueller said. "It's not going to be easy. But it can be done."

A new Ipsos /McClatchy Poll this week found McCain trailing nationally by 6 percentage points, 2 points closer than the week before. The poll also found 8 percent of likely voters still undecided, enough to deliver the election to the Arizona senator if they moved to him as a bloc.

McCain also has closed the gap in several key battleground states, according to new polls released Wednesday by Quinnipiac University . In Florida , he trailed by 2 points, narrowing the gap from 5 points the week before. In Ohio , he went from 14 points back to 9 points behind.

For McCain to win, he must hold all the states that went for President Bush four years ago, which would be enough to give him 286 Electoral College votes and victory. He could even lose one midsized Bush state, such as Virginia , which has 13 electoral votes, and still have more than the 270 Electoral College votes needed to win.

To be sure, that won't be easy. Obama leads in many of those states, including Florida and Ohio narrowly. And McCain doesn't have any good prospects right now for offsetting the loss of a "red" state; he doesn't lead in a single state that went Democratic in 2004.

"It would take a perfect storm. Everything has to break his way," said Dennis Goldford , a political scientist at Drake University in Iowa , a Bush state in 2004 where McCain now trails. "All of a sudden, all of those states that are close or within the margin of error would have to tip back to McCain."

One way to win independent voters, analysts said, is to stay on the economic message that McCain's adopted in recent days, raising doubts about whether Obama's tax increases on the wealthy would hurt the economy while simultaneously convincing voters that McCain's plan is better for growth.

Already, McCain has gained on the issue of the economy, by far the top concern on voters' minds. The Ipsos /McClatchy Poll found likely voters preferring Obama to handle the economy by a margin of 7 points, a much narrower edge than his 16-point advantage the week before.

"He's made up some ground the last several days by concentrating almost completely on economic issues," said Dan Schnur , a former aide to McCain who's now the director of the Unruh Institute of Politics at the University of Southern California . "That's probably the right thing to keep doing."

McCain also could score if he raises doubts in the minds of independents and undecided voters about electing a liberal Democrat as president to work with a Congress that's sure to remain in Democratic control.

"If there is a realization among voters that they're giving away all the keys to the house without any checks and balances, there might be a pullback from that," said William B. Lacy , the director of the Dole Institute of Politics at the University of Kansas .

Another way that McCain could win is if the polls are wrong, particularly if there's a so-called "Bradley effect," in which white people are overstating their support for Obama to pollsters, and their votes for him drop on Election Day . Several recent studies conclude, however, that the phenomenon first suspected in the 1982 California gubernatorial campaign of black Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley either was never true or has faded with time.

Finally, McCain would have to match or surpass Obama at turning out his voters on Election Day . Obama's counting on a surge of support from first-time voters, particularly African-Americans and young people. McCain hopes to counter that with the Republicans' proven get-out-the-vote machinery, plus a conservative base in small towns energized by running mate Sarah Palin .

"They're not arguing against the possibility of increased Democratic turnout," Schnur said. "They believe they can increase turnout by just as much among Republican voters. If they can, they have a shot."

Best, worst finance decisions of the election
Jeanne Cummings Jeanne Cummings Wed Oct 29, 4:09 pm ET

Barack Obama’s decision not to accept taxpayer financing for his general election campaign turned money into a central issue of the 2008 presidential race.

When all is said and done, the two champions of campaign finance reform, Obama and John McCain, will go down in history as the first two major party nominees to spend a combined $1 billion.

That figure, which doesn’t include the money shelled out by their national parties, was widely predicted at the start of the 2008 election cycle. The surprise is that it was reached with one candidate playing inside the limits imposed by the presidential financing system and the other staying outside of them.

But having money and spending it wisely are often two different things.

So here is Politico’s take on the best and worst financial decisions of the 2008 presidential campaign.

Best Decisions

1. Obama’s gamble to stay out of the presidential financing system. The decision allowed the Illinois Democrat to fully implement a campaign strategy that simply was too expensive for the system’s $85 million allotment. It also allowed him to continue building a broad grass-roots base and play in both red and blue states, on offense and defense.

2. McCain’s decision last winter to leverage a suggestion that he would enter the primary race’s public financing system into securing bank loans that helped him stay outside of it. Once he wrapped up his party’s nomination, the Arizona Republican declared he never really intended to enter the public financing program, even though he filled out the paperwork to do so. He then aggressively began raising money to build the national operation he needed to compete in the fall. He also had the resources to defend himself and go on the attack on television in the notoriously risky weeks leading up to the GOP and Democratic party conventions.

3. Obama’s embrace of Internet fundraising, which twins with the campaign’s best hire: Facebook founder Chris Hughes, 24, and other members of his young Internet squad. They built one of the most vibrant and interactive Internet fundraising operations in history. The computer wizards also came up with the idea of buying Internet ad space on billboards embedded inside online games. Talk about real world meeting the virtual one.

4. Adoption of the “If you can’t beat them, bankrupt them" strategy. That must have been the cry of Obama’s Pennsylvania primary campaign against Hillary Rodham Clinton. Clinton had to win the Keystone State to stay in the race. Obama, down in the polls, sunk about $15 million into television advertising there anyway, forcing Clinton to try to keep pace. She won the primary, but emerged broke. Meanwhile, Obama leaped ahead of her to the next primary states, flush with cash and dominating the airwaves. Clinton never caught up.

5. The toughest decision of all sometimes is to do nothing, but that’s what Ron Paul did when a group of true believers set up their own fundraising drive on his behalf. Actually, Paul did do one thing: He welcomed them. Drawn by his anti-war, libertarian philosophy, they poured $35 million into the little-known Texan congressman’s campaign.

Worst Decisions

1. The Republican National Committee’s impulse to spend $150,000 on designer clothing for vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin and her family. The outlay undercut Palin’s hockey mom image, caused a tsunami of bad publicity, and outraged RNC donors who gave money for voter turnout operations, not Valentino alterations.

2. The front-loaded spending of McCain’s primary campaign, which spent more money than it raised during the early months of the primary battle and wound up bankrupt by August. The early money woes erased McCain’s front-runner status and left his campaign hobbled until his comeback in New Hampshire. Even then, McCain lacked the resources to put his competitors away. He faced lingering and sometimes embarrassing challenges from former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and Paul, whose candidacies were used by social conservatives and libertarians to register their discomfort with McCain.

3. Obama’s squishy promise to confer with his Republican opponent before making a decision to opt out of the presidential financing system in the general election. Although the “pledge” had a Swiss cheese quality to it, Obama might have had at least one conversation with McCain before declaring his intention to opt out of the system. The decision probably was inevitable, but that was all the more reason for some finesse.

4. McCain’s decision in the final days of the race to continue airing advertisements in Iowa and New Mexico and a host of other apparent lost causes. This goes into the category of throwing good money after bad. If defeated, McCain is likely to face questions about whether those resources should have been shifted into such critical and perhaps more winnable states as Florida and Ohio.

5. Republican Mitt Romney’s investment of $45 million in a presidential primary campaign that yielded 249 delegates. That’s about $181,000 per delegate, paid by a candidate whose major argument for elevation to the Oval Office was his financial and business expertise.

Obama promises rescue plan for middle class in ad
By JIM KUHNHENN, Associated Press Writer Jim Kuhnhenn, Associated Press Writer 11 mins ago

WASHINGTON – He was the family man, the solutions-driven politician, the gifted orator. But for those who still harbor doubts about his candidacy, Barack Obama sought to present a special image — a man ready to sit in the Oval Office.

Amid a pastiche of American stories, the Democratic presidential nominee spent 30-minutes and more than $4 million of prepaid television time Wednesday delivering his final introduction to the public.

He capped the prime-time commercial with a live address from Sunrise, Fla., with a full-throated appeal for help and for votes.

"If you'll stand with me, and fight by my side, and cast your ballot for me, then I promise you, we will not just win Florida, we will win this election. And together we will change this country and change the world," he said to a roaring crowd.

The commercial and his live remarks from one of the main battlegrounds in the presidential contest represented a return to the unifying themes of his speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention that launched him into national politics.

"In six days, we can choose hope over fear and unity over division, the promise of change over the power of the status quo," he said. "In six days, we can come together as one nation, and one people, and once more choose our better history."

The ad was a dashing display of Obama's fundraising prowess. He bought his way into millions of American homes just six days before the end of an exhausting, 21-month quest for the presidency.

As a message, the ad was equal parts Americana, stump speech and quasi-presidential address. The most formal scenes — Obama describing his government agenda — were filmed in a distinguished looking office with a flag and a backdrop not unlike that of the Oval Office.

The spot was a mix of prerecorded Obama and voters, plus a live appearance from the campaign trail by the candidate. He offered prescriptions for an ailing economy and a rescue plan for a middle class caught in tough times.

"I will not be a perfect president," Obama said. "But I can promise you this — I will always tell you what I think and where I stand."

Aides described the unusual ad as a final summation of Obama's campaign. They put the total cost at roughly $4 million, enough to show it simultaneously on CBS, NBC and Fox. It also ran on BET, Univision, MSNBC and TV One.

Besides the Oval Office setting, the commercial included views of Obama speaking at the 2004 and 2008 Democratic conventions and elsewhere, as well as scenes of Americans discussing their economic and health care troubles, and testimonials to him by politicians and business executives.

The ad showed his wife, Michelle, and his two daughters as well as photos of his black father from Kenya and white mother from Kansas.

Without the money to match the commercial, Republican rival John McCain sniped at the man and the moment.

"He's got a few things he wants to sell you: He's offering government-run health care ... an energy plan guaranteed to work without drilling ... and an automatic wealth spreader that folds neatly and fits under any bed," McCain said during a campaign stop in Florida.

McCain also criticized Obama for having signed a pledge to accept federal funds for the fall campaign and then breaking his word.

By opting out of the public financing, Obama was free to raise unheard of millions for the final weeks of the race, and afford costly events such as the television commercial.

After months of campaigning, Obama offered no new proposals in the ad. Instead, he stressed his plan to offer tax cuts to the middle class, "restore the long-term health of our economy and our middle class."

Obama said the nation's neglected problems predate President Bush, but that the economic crisis was a "final verdict on eight years of failed policies."

The video featured footage shot by Davis Guggenheim, the director and executive producer of former Vice President Al Gore's global warming documentary "An Inconvenient Truth." Guggenheim also produced and directed the HBO series "Deadwood." In the commercial, his scenes play out against a soaring score.

The ad did not appear on ABC because by the time the network decided to offer the time slot to Obama, his campaign had already finalized the ad buy, according to people familiar with the discussions who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly.

Earlier, taping an appearance on Comedy Central's "The Daily Show" for broadcast Wednesday night, Obama said he had to reassure one of his daughters that the commercial would not pre-empt all programming.

"I was describing this to Michelle and my daughters, and Malia, who's 10, said, 'Hold up a second. Are you saying that my programs are going to be interrupted?' I said, 'No, we didn't buy on Disney.' So she was relieved."

Analysis: Obama on his way toward election win
By LIZ SIDOTI, Associated Press Writer Liz Sidoti, Associated Press Writer Wed Oct 29, 7:49 pm ET

WASHINGTON – Barack Obama has pulled ahead in enough states to win the 270 electoral votes he needs to gain the White House — and with states to spare — according to an Associated Press analysis that shows he is now moving beyond typical Democratic territory to challenge John McCain on historically GOP turf.

Even if McCain sweeps the six states that are too close to call, he still seemingly won't have enough votes to prevail, according to the analysis, which is based on polls, the candidates' TV spending patterns and interviews with Democratic and Republican strategists. McCain does have a path to victory but it's a steep climb: He needs a sudden shift in voter sentiment that gives him all six toss-up states plus one or two others that now lean toward Obama.

Obama has 23 states and the District of Columbia, offering 286 votes, in his column or leaning his way, while Republican McCain has 21 states with 163 votes. A half dozen offering 89 votes — Florida, Indiana, Missouri, North Carolina, Nevada and Ohio — remain up for grabs. President Bush won all six in 2004, and they are where the race is primarily being contested in the homestretch.

Though sounding confident, Obama is still campaigning hard. "Don't believe for a second this election is over," he tells backers. "We have to work like our future depends on it in this last week, because it does."

The underdog McCain is pressing supporters to fight on: "Nothing is inevitable here. We never give up. And we never quit."

Less than a week before Election Day, the AP analysis isn't meant to be predictive but rather provides a late snapshot of a race that's been volatile all year.

It's still possible McCain can pull off an upset. Some public and private polling shows the race tightening nationally. And, roughly one fourth of voters in a recent AP-GfK poll were undecided or said they still could change their minds. It's also still unclear how racial feelings will affect the results in voting that could give the country its first black president.

Last month, in a similar analysis, Obama had an edge over McCain but hadn't laid claim to enough states to cross the 270-vote threshold.

Since then, the economic crisis has reshaped the race, and the public's call for change has grown louder. Obama has strengthened his grip in the contest by using his significant financial advantage to lock up most states that Democrat John Kerry won four years ago, even as he makes inroads into traditionally GOP turf that McCain cannot afford to lose.

Obama now has several possible routes to victory, while McCain is scrambling to defend states where he shouldn't even have to campaign in the final days.

In new AP-GfK battleground polling, Obama has a solid lead in typically Republican Colorado, Nevada, Ohio and Virginia. He and McCain are even in two other usually GOP states: Florida and North Carolina. Obama also is comfortably ahead in New Hampshire and Pennsylvania. The series of polls showed Obama is winning among early voters, is favored on most issues, benefits from the country's sour mood and is widely viewed as the likely victor by voters in these states.

McCain's senior advisers acknowledge his steep hurdles and no-room-for-error strategy. However, they insist that internal polling shows the race getting closer. They hope the gains trickle down to competitive Bush-won states in the coming days and help the Arizona senator eke out a victory in Kerry-won Pennsylvania. McCain is keeping up his attacks against Obama as a tax-and-spend liberal; his strategists contend that's moving poll numbers.

"This campaign is functionally tied across the battleground states with our numbers improving sharply," said Bill McInturff, McCain's lead pollster in a strategy memo. "All signs say we are headed to an election that may easily be too close to call by next Tuesday."

Democrats privately acknowledge the race is narrowing, though they say they aren't concerned. Obama's top aides hope not just for a win but a sweeping victory that would reshapes the political landscape.

"Strategically we tried to have as wide of a map as possible," to have many routes to reaching the magic number of 270 on Election Day, David Plouffe, Obama's campaign manager, told reporters this week. "We think we've been able to create that dynamic and have a lot of competitive states in play."

Indeed, Obama has used his financial heft and organizational prowess, a remnant of the long Democratic primary that was fought out in every corner of the nation, to compete in states the party has ignored in previous elections because of their histories of voting Republican. McCain has lagged in both money and manpower.

As a result, the GOP's hold on states usually considered safe has shrunk, and the election's final week is being played out largely in states that Bush won and that are toss-ups in a political climate that greatly favors Democrats.

They include the traditional GOP bastions of Indiana and North Carolina, as well as perennial battlegrounds of Missouri and Nevada. Also on the list are the crown jewels of Florida and Ohio, which were crucial in deciding the last two presidential elections. McCain could sweep all six and still lose the White House.

Obama has every state that Kerry won four years ago seemingly in the bag or leaning his way, including Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan and New Hampshire — four states with 41 votes that McCain and his allies aggressively fought for before pulling back this month when they became out of reach. McCain still hopes to win one of Maine's electoral votes, which are allotted by congressional district.

Among Kerry's states from 2004, only Pennsylvania, which hasn't voted for a Republican since 1988, remains realistically in McCain's sights. Public polls show Obama leading by double-digits, though McCain aides say it's much closer. McCain hopes that working-class white voters who haven't fully warmed to Obama will vote Republican. Some aides say a Pennsylvania victory, with 21 votes, could be what allows McCain to win the White House, provided he can thwart Obama in Bush-held states.

Over the past month, Obama has strengthened his standing in four of those offering a combined 34 votes.

He has comfortable leads in Iowa and New Mexico polls. Long considered toss-ups, Colorado and Virginia have started tilting more toward Obama. McCain is still advertising heavily in the four and has visited all in recent days. His advisers say their polling shows the race tighter than it seems.

West Virginia and Montana both emerged as GOP trouble spots after Obama started advertising in them; the Republican National Committee was forced to go on the air this week to defend them.

Earlier in the year, Obama had put millions of dollars into Georgia and North Dakota only to pull out when McCain ended up maintaining an edge. But, as the race closes, there are indications Obama could win them, too. Obama also could pick up a single vote in Nebraska, which awards votes based on congressional districts.

There are even signs that the race in McCain's home state of Arizona — which would be a battleground if he didn't live there — is narrowing. Public polls show McCain with a single-digit lead, even though Obama hasn't targeted the state.

Joe the Plumber pursued for record deal
Jeffrey Ressner Jeffrey Ressner Wed Oct 29, 4:59 pm ET

Move over, Sanjaya, and tell William Hung the news: Joe the Plumber is being pursued for a major record deal and could come out with a country album as early as Inauguration Day.

“Joe” — aka Samuel Wurzelbacher, a Holland, Ohio, pipe-and-toilet man — just signed with a Nashville public relations and management firm to handle interview requests and media appearances, as well as create new career opportunities, including a shift out of the plumbing trade into stage and studio performances.

On Tuesday, Wurzelbacher joined country music artist and producer Aaron Tippin to form a new partnership that includes booking-management firm Bobby Roberts and publicity-management concern The Press Office to field the multiple media offers he’s received over the past few weeks.

Among the requests: a possible record deal with a major label, personal appearances and corporate sponsorships. A longtime country music fan, Wurzelbacher can sing and “knocks around on guitar” but is not an accomplished musician or songwriter, according to The Press Office’s Jim Della Croce.

“He’s a complicated guy with a very dynamic personality,” Della Croce told Politico. “He can sing and obviously has a strong political point of view.”

The Press Office, a PR firm based in Nashville, Tenn., represents an eclectic array of other clients including country stars John Anderson and the Gatlin Brothers, quirky folk singer Leon Redbone, NASCAR driver Chase Mattioli and animal repellent firm Liquid Fence. The Bobby Roberts Company reps several of the same acts, in addition to Juice Newton, Merle Haggard and Jon Secada.

Wurzelbacher made his auspicious debut earlier this month when Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama appeared in “Joe’s” neighborhood and was buttonholed on his tax plan. The media blitz went into high gear after John McCain talked about Wurzelbacher during the last televised presidential debate.

He has since made an appearance on Fox’s weekend variety show starring former presidential aspirant Mike Huckabee, and this week was showcased by McCain in a series of “Joe the Plumber” events.

The new partnership originated on the set of the “Huckabee” show, where Tippin appeared with his band during the same program.

Bill Clinton hails Obama as America's future
By BEN FELLER, Associated Press Writer Ben Feller, Associated Press Writer 7 mins ago

KISSIMMEE, Fla. – Portraying harmony like never before, Bill Clinton hailed Barack Obama on Wednesday, a power pairing designed to inspire Democrats already smelling victory.

"Barack Obama represents America's future, and you've got to be there for him next Tuesday," Clinton, with Obama at his side, said to the cheers of a partisan crowd.

Heaping praise on President Bush's predecessor, Obama said of Clinton: "In case all of you forgot, this is what it's like to have a great president."

Obama even prodded the crowd to cheer more, saying "Bill Clinton. Give it up!" And there was Clinton, laughing with gusto every time Obama jokingly mocked rival John McCain.

The appearance of the former and would-be president marked the first time they shared a stage in the campaign. It capped one of the most ambitious days of Obama's White House run, including a 30-minute prime-time infomercial in which he tried to seal the deal with voters.

It wasn't so long ago that Clinton, still a giant of his party, was publicly criticizing Obama as untested and unready for the job of president. His wife, Hillary Rodham Clinton, engaged in a grueling and ultimately losing battle with Obama for the party's nomination.

The two men later smoothed over matters. And lately, Hillary Clinton has been out campaigning for Obama. Wednesday it was Bill Clinton's time, in his element.

He clasped Obama's hand and held it high when the men came on stage. Clinton made a methodical case for Obama, describing him as a strong thinker with smart policies.

In one of his testimonials, he praised Obama for seeking the advice of experts — including him and his wife — on how to handle the country's financial crisis before acting.

"Folks, we can't fool with this," Clinton said. "Our country is hanging in the balance. And we have so much promise and so much peril. This man should be our president."

Obama said of the two Clintons: "I am proud to call them my friends."

Through the day, in two states, Obama unleashed a bleak portrayal of a McCain presidency and told a national TV audience that "the time for change has come."

Ahead in the polls, flush with cash and blanketing himself all over television, Obama said he is counting down the days but not letting up. The election looms on Tuesday.

Obama's rare, prime-time infomercial cut live to him appearing at a rally in Sunrise, Fla., where 20,000 packed a hockey arena all the way to the nosebleed seats.

"In six days, we can come together as one nation, and one people," Obama said.

During the primary race, Bill Clinton said Obama's opposition to the Iraq war was a "fairy tale" and raised questions about whether the first-term Illinois senator had enough experience.

His remarks angered some black leaders who felt Clinton was dismissing Obama's historic bid, as when he compared Obama's win in South Carolina to victories by civil rights activist Jesse Jackson there in the 1980s. Clinton fumed in response that Obama's campaign "played the race card on me."

Bill Clinton played such an aggressive role in his wife's campaign that during one debate, Obama snapped at Hillary Clinton, "I can't tell who I'm running against sometimes."

Back on the trail Wednesday, in rallies in North Carolina and Florida, Obama sharpened his tone in responding to McCain's charges of socialism.

He accused his Republican rival of resorting to desperate tactics.

"I don't know what's next," Obama said. "By the end of the week, he'll be accusing me of being a secret communist because I shared my toys in kindergarten."

Obama warned voters that if McCain is elected "100 million Americans will not get a tax cut. ... At least 20 million Americans risk losing their employer health insurance. ... We'll have another president who wants to privatize part of your Social Security."

The day was signature Obama, riding momentum.

He led three rousing rallies. He reached out to huge numbers of television viewers with the informercial and taped a segment on "The Daily Show," Comedy Central's popular late-night show.

An analysis by The Associated Press indicated he had pulled ahead in enough states to win the 270 electoral votes he needs to gain the White House — with states to spare.

All the while, McCain campaigned aggressively in Florida. He welcomed the fight and vowed to win it, defying odds that seem huge.

Obama turned to ridicule to rebut McCain's daily references to Obama's encounter with Joe the Plumber. Obama had told the Ohio plumber that he wanted to "spread the wealth around" by boosting taxes on wealthier people to finance a middle class tax cut.

McCain said that amounts to socialism. Obama said McCain was down to empty name-calling.

"Whether you are Suzy the student, or Nancy the nurse, or Tina the teacher, or Carl the construction worker, if my opponent is elected, you will be worse off four years from now than you are today," Obama said. "Let's cut through the negative ads and the phony attacks."

I guess there's no reason for me to check the news wire tonight. svsg has posted all the election news for the last 24 hrs.

Noosed Palin mannequin removed from front yard
5 mins ago

WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif. – Amid a growing frenzy of protesters and media surrounding his home, Chad Morrisette decided his noosed Sarah Palin mannequin should be cut loose.

He and his partner had created the effigy of the GOP vice presidential hopeful three weeks ago and vowed to keep it outside their home until Halloween, despite widespread criticism from neighbors and local officials. On Wednesday the mayor convinced Morrisette the mannequin should come down.

"I explained to them that this could be dangerous to you and your neighbors," said Mayor Jeff Prang, noting that he received hundreds of venomous e-mails from people offended by the display. "They were totally unprepared for this kind of international attention, for the amount of impact on their home and their neighborhood."

Besides a constant flow of angry callers, the homeowners had received a visit from the Secret Service and criticism from a Los Angeles County supervisor who ordered an investigation into whether the effigy constitutes a hate crime.

Then, on Wednesday, neighbors covered up the Palin mannequin with sheets, and more protesters showed up later in the day accompanied by a man driving a vehicle adorned with an effigy labeled "Chad," with a noose around its neck, said sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore.

"This evening, it wasn't as friendly," he said.

Prang said he drove by after work and saw protesters and media around the home with helicopters overhead. Morrisette saw the mayor and waved him inside for a talk.

Afterward, the mannequin came down, but Morrisette kept the rest of his Halloween decor intact, including a display of Palin's running mate, John McCain, popping out of a flaming chimney.

Palin faces new ethics complaint over kids' travel
By RACHEL D'ORO, Associated Press Writer Rachel D'oro, Associated Press Writer

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A new ethics complaint has been filed against Sarah Palin, accusing the Alaska governor of abusing her power by charging the state when her children traveled with her.

The complaint alleges that the Republican vice presidential nominee used her official position as governor for personal gain, violating a statute of the Alaska Executive Branch Ethics Act. It follows a report by The Associated Press last week that Palin charged the state more than $21,000 for her three daughters' commercial flights, including events where they weren't invited, and later ordered their expense forms amended to specify official state business.

In some cases, Palin also has charged the state for hotel rooms for the girls.

The complaint released Wednesday says Palin charged the travel costs for events her children were not invited to and where they served in no legitimate state purpose or business. Administration officials have said Alaska law allows governors to charge the state for their family's travel if they conduct state business.

"Governor Palin intentionally secured unwarranted benefits for family members, improperly used state property to benefit her personal and financial interests, and illegally altered documents that were the subject of a Public Records request," the complaint states.

Earlier this month, a legislative report found Palin violated state ethics laws when she fired her public safety commissioner. The state's Personnel Board also has hired an independent counsel for a similar investigation.

Any ethics complaints against a governor, lieutenant governor or attorney general go to the Alaska Personnel Board to determine whether state law was violated. The three-member panel is appointed by the governor.

Dave Jones, an assistant attorney general, said ethics complaints are confidential unless their targets waive confidentiality or allegations are found to have merit. Jones said he could not discuss any particular case, but added that in general possible penalties could include fines of up to $5,000. In a case where an official has been found to have benefited, the official could be ordered to pay up to twice the amount of the personal gain.

The latest complaint was filed by Frank Gwartney, an Anchorage Democrat who supports Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama. Gwartney, 60, said he is fed up with "all the corruption" among Alaska's elected officials, including Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens, who was convicted this week on federal corruption charges.

"Sarah ran on this very self-righteous campaign on ethics and anti-corruption," Gwartney told the AP. "She is no different from the others."

Palin's attorney, Thomas Van Flein, said he was not aware of the complaint and could not comment.

Palin spokeswoman Sharon Leighow said she can't comment specifically on the complaint because it is confidential. But she said generally the first family is expected to participate in community activities across Alaska and represents the state on travels.

"We receive hundreds of invitations for the governor each month, and a majority of them request the first family participate," Leighow said. "The Palin children can only participate in a fraction of the events."

Responding to the travel issue, Palin told Fox News last week that every Alaska governor has traveled with family when it's a first family function. "And it's always been charged to the state," she said. "That's part of the job."

The state already is reviewing nearly $17,000 in per diem payments to Palin for 312 nights she slept at her home in Wasilla, about an hour's drive from her satellite office in Anchorage.

The ethics travel grievance was first reported by CBS News.

Palin hints she's in politics for good, eyeing 2012
Wed Oct 29, 9:46 pm ET

WASHINGTON (AFP) – Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin hinted in an interview with ABC News to be broadcast Thursday that she will remain a key player in US politics regardless of who gets elected president next week, and may even run in the 2012 election.

A transcript of the interview was made public late Wednesday.

"I'm not doing this for naught," Palin said, when asked if all the mudslinging in the current campaign made her long for a return to the politics of Alaska, where she is governor.

"I think that, if I were to give up and wave a white flag of surrender against some of the political shots that we've taken, that would bring this whole" endeavor to nothing, she said.

Palin's comments followed reports that she was breaking free of campaign restrictions and doing more self-promotion, as she sees her White House chances dwindle along with those of her running mate John McCain.

Nevertheless the 44-year-old mother of five told ABC News she was confident the McCain-Palin ticket would defeat Democrats Barack Obama and Joseph Biden in the November 4 vote.

I'm "thinking that it's going to go our way on Tuesday," Palin said. "I truly believe that the wisdom of the people will be revealed on that day."

Regarding charges by her and the campaign that Obama was unpatriotic, especially in view of his contacts with 1960s radical Bill Ayers, Palin did some backtracking.

"(I'm) not calling him un-American," Palin said.

"There is nothing wrong, though, with calling someone out on their record, their associations and the association issue here. It's not mean spirited. It's not negative campaigning. It's important and fair to the electorate," she said.

Copyright © 2008 Agence France Presse. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AFP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of Agence France Presse.

Obama effigy found on U. of Kentucky campus
By JEFFREY McMURRAY, Associated Press Writer Jeffrey Mcmurray, Associated Press Writer Wed Oct 29, 9:25 pm ET

LEXINGTON, Ky. – A life-sized likeness of Barack Obama was found hanging from a tree with a noose around its neck Wednesday at the University of Kentucky, the second time in about a month such an effigy of the Democratic presidential nominee was reported on a college campus.

UK spokesman Carl Nathe said the effigy was found Wednesday morning in a high-traffic area between a classroom building and parking garage. Police immediately took it down but released no information about their investigation.

University President Lee Todd said he planned to apologize to the Obama family on behalf of the school and that he is "personally offended and deeply embarrassed by this disgusting episode."

Federal authorities have been notified, Todd said. He said the effigy violates the university's code of ethics and won't be tolerated.

"I am outraged because we work very hard, every day, to build bridges across the divides," Todd said. "Diversity and inclusion are among our most precious core values. Episodes like this serve only to erode our confidence in and respect for one another."

Mike Lynch, a faculty member who works in a building near where the effigy was found, said he saw it around 8:40 a.m. He described it as life-sized with a Barack Obama Halloween mask, a suit jacket and sweat pants.

"This, as far as I'm concerned, says nothing — absolutely nothing — representative of this university or this community," he said.

Obama's Kentucky campaign director, Kenya McGruder, had no immediate comment.

Secret Service spokesman Ed Donovan declined to comment specifically on the situation, but said an effigy can suggest a threatening tone or be an attempt to intimidate. He said the agency is "very proactive about addressing these matters."

It's the second time an effigy has been found on a college campus recently. George Fox University in Oregon, a small Christian college, punished four students who confessed to hanging a likeness of Obama from a tree.

That effigy was found in September with a message taped to it — "Act Six reject." The message was targeted at participants of a scholarship program geared toward increasing the number of minority and low-income students and several Christian colleges, mostly in the Northwest.

In West Hollywood, Calif., authorities on Wednesday were looking into a Halloween display depicting a mannequin of GOP vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin hanging from a noose. The display also displayed her running mate, John McCain, surrounded by fake flames.

And in Clarksville, Ind., a man had hanged an inflatable doll made to look like Obama from a tree. He took it down Wednesday, and authorities said it didn't appear to violate any state laws.

At the University of Kentucky, Martin Luther King Jr. Cultural Center interim director Chester Grundy said he was outraged by the incident. A rally was held Wednesday night, where staff and student leaders condemned the act.

Gov. Steve Beshear called the incident "embarrassing" and "deeply offensive."

Raoul Cunningham, president of the Louisville chapter of the NAACP, said he is still trying to sort out his feelings "because there may be a double-meaning because Barack Obama is black, that he would be hung from a tree — that goes back to lynching."

John Johnson, executive director of the Kentucky Commission on Human Rights, called the action unacceptable even if it was a prank.

"It's astonishing that somebody would do that at this day and time," he said. "You would hope that our country has progressed further than that."

___

Associated Press writers Joe Biesk and Roger Alford in Frankfort and Malcolm C. Knox in Louisville contributed to this report.

Obama says would include Republicans in cabinet
Wed Oct 29, 9:03 pm ET

SUNRISE, Florida (Reuters) – U.S. presidential candidate Barack Obama said on Wednesday he would include Republicans in his Cabinet if he wins the election.

Obama, a Democratic senator from Illinois, also said he had "some pretty good ideas" about people he might tap for senior government jobs, though he emphasized he is focused for now on the final days of the campaign and takes nothing for granted.

"There is a transition process -- that I'm not paying attention to on a day-to-day basis -- but that has been set up," Obama told ABC News in an interview.

Obama said he "absolutely" considered it important to have Republicans in the Cabinet but he sidestepped a question on whether he would ask Defense Secretary Robert Gates to remain in his job. There has been speculation that either Obama or his Republican rival, John McCain, might ask Gates to stay on.

"I'm not going to get into details," Obama said, but he added that national security policy, in particular, should be nonpartisan.

Other people mentioned as possible defense secretary picks in an Obama administration include former Navy Secretary Richard Danzig and Sen. Chuck Hagel, a Republican senator from Nebraska.

Some analysts have speculated that during the transition period between November 4 and January 20, when a successor to President George W. Bush will take office, the new president-elect would move quickly to fill key jobs such as Treasury Secretary, Defense Secretary and Secretary of State.

Some public policy experts see a need for early announcements on such appointments in light of the global financial crisis and the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

"I am not going to jump the gun on this," Obama said but he gave credit to the Bush administration for its offer to make government resources available to both candidates to begin the vetting process early.

(Reporting by Caren Bohan; editing by Todd Eastham)

AFP

Obama frets about his 'white half' voting wrongly
Wed Oct 29, 7:59 pm ET

SUNRISE, Florida (AFP) – Running as the first mixed-race candidate with a serious shot at the White House could pose a psychological test for Barack Obama come election day next week.

Satirical TV host Jon Stewart, on his "Daily Show" program, asked the Democrat Wednesday if he was worried that his "white half" might balk at voting for a black candidate next Tuesday.

"It's a problem," quipped Obama, whose father was a black African from Kenyan and his mother a white American from Kansas. "I've been going through therapy to make sure I vote properly on (November) the 4th."

Obama dismissed the so-called "Bradley effect," when white voters are supposed to tell pollsters of their support for a black politician only to vote the other way in the privacy of the ballot booth.

"They've been saying that for a while, but we're still here. I don't think white voters have gotten this memo about the Bradley effect," he said, interviewed by satellite ahead of a rally in this Florida city.

"We are now counting down every single vote. And the crowds are terrific. And I think we've got a good shot at this thing," the Illinois senator added.

Asked by Stewart if he was daunted at the prospect of becoming president at a time of crisis at home and abroad, Obama said: "I actually think that this is the time to want to be president.

"If you went into public service thinking you could have an impact, now is the time when you can have an impact," he said.

Obama says white voters won't bail on him
By BEN FELLER, Associated Press Writer Ben Feller, Associated Press Writer Wed Oct 29, 7:19 pm ET

SUNRISE, Fla. – Barack Obama, bidding to be the first black president, says he doesn't believe that white voters will bail on him in the privacy of the voting booth.

"They've been saying that for a while. But we're still here," Obama told host Jon Stewart of "The Daily Show" during the taping of a segment to air Wednesday evening.

In Stewart's satirical show, which pokes fun at politics and media, he also puts newsmakers like Obama on the spot about serious topics. Stewart quizzed Obama about whether white voters who keep telling pollsters they back him will do otherwise on Election Day.

That potential of prejudice, known as the "Bradley Effect," has hung over the election. "I don't think white voters have gotten this memo about the Bradley Effect," Obama said.

Then, making light of the race topic, Stewart asked whether Obama is going to be confused about whether he should even vote for himself as the son of a white mom and black father.

Obama played along.

"I won't know what to do," the smiling Democratic presidential nominee said. "It's a problem."

Stewart also suggested that Obama made a tactical mistake by planning a Wednesday rally with former President Clinton in Florida at the late hour of 11 p.m. By that time, Stewart said, many of Florida's older people will already be asleep.

"No comment on that, Jon," Obama said. "I'm trying to win Florida.

Obama, an Illinois senator, is leading most polls in his race against Republican Sen. John McCain. The election is Tuesday.

The presidential contender laughed when Stewart said the nation has changed since Obama first launched his bid, like a once new car that has since been kicked around too much.

Obama said he had no second thoughts about running.

"I actually think this is the time to want to be president," Obama said. "If you went into public service thinking that could have an impact, now is the time you can have an impact."

Obama taped the segment via satellite ahead of two campaign rallies in Florida. It was scheduled to air at 11 p.m. Wednesday on Comedy Central.

Obama has 5-point lead on McCain
By John Whitesides, Political Correspondent John Whitesides, Political Correspondent Wed Oct 29, 6:59 pm ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Democrat Barack Obama has a steady 5-point national lead over Republican John McCain with six days left in the grueling race for the White House, according to a Reuters/C-SPAN/Zogby poll released on Wednesday.

Obama leads McCain by 49 percent to 44 percent among likely voters in the three-day national tracking poll, inching up from his 4-point advantage on Tuesday. The telephone poll has a margin of error of 2.9 percentage points.

"The daily numbers were essentially unchanged from yesterday, with just a slight improvement for Obama," pollster John Zogby said. "The race is frozen in place for now."

The Illinois senator still holds a solid lead with several crucial blocs of swing voters -- he is ahead by 15 points among independents, 10 points among women, 8 points among Catholics and 5 points among voters above the age 65.

The race is essentially tied among men and McCain moved into a slight 2-point lead among self-described blue-collar workers as the two candidates push toward next week's vote.

"Obama is holding steady," Zogby said.

Obama has held a lead of between two and 12 points every day since the tracking poll began three weeks ago. McCain, an Arizona senator, has not been able to push his support above 45 percent in that time, while Obama reached a high mark of 52 percent a week ago before drifting back.

About two percent of voters remain undecided in the race, which still has time for some last-minute shifts.

BUSH LED BY 5

The 5-point margin for Obama is the same lead then-Texas Gov. George W. Bush held in the tracking poll over Democrat Al Gore with six days left in the 2000 race. Gore closed fast and narrowly won the popular vote, but Bush won the Electoral College and the presidency after a disputed Florida recount.

With six days to go in the 2004 race, Bush led Democratic challenger John Kerry by one point before winning re-election by 3

points.

McCain and Obama campaigned in Pennsylvania on Tuesday as they turn their attention to about a dozen battleground states that will decide the race. All except Pennsylvania are states won by Bush in 2004.

Independent Ralph Nader received 2 percent in the national survey, and Libertarian Bob Barr was at 1 percent.

The rolling tracking poll, taken Sunday through Tuesday, surveyed 1,179 likely voters in the presidential election. In a tracking poll, the most recent day's results are added, while the oldest day's results are dropped to monitor changing momentum.

The U.S. president is determined by who wins the Electoral College, which has 538 members apportioned by population in each state and the District of Columbia. Electoral votes are allotted on a winner-take-all basis in all but two states, which divide them by congressional district.

(Editing by Chris Wilson)

I still don't get the point about this. Obama and Ayers were at the same time board members of an NGO which was sponsored by the Republican Party too. And that's all?? If you do political work, you can't always choose the people you're working with. Ayers is still working at the University of Illinois. Does that make all the rest of the professors at that university suspects? 11 years ago I was working for an NGO who had hired a rather unpleasant guy as a teacher. In 2001 I recognised him as one of the 9/11 pilots. Does that make me someone who's "palling around with terrorists"?

svsg - just wondering, given your recent and quite avid interest in the election, if you are allowed to vote in this country?

No, his skin color is brown so he is a Muslim and as such, Apple doesn't allow him to vote cause he'd turn all Americans into communist anti-patriots.

Yeah I'll admit there was some sarcasm in that post, but disrespect give me a break.

Perhaps I should have stated that I have better things to do with my time then to post my views in this thread and get attacked for them. I learned a long time ago never get into an argument over politics as it never solves anything, perhaps you never learned that.

Unless I missed it, this is one story that our BB Obama supporter, SVSG missed:

Obama considering late surge to Arizona Raising Arizona
Richard Wolffe


Running against any other GOP candidate, the state of Arizona would be a natural battleground for Barack Obama, alongside other Western states that lean toward him, like New Mexico, Colorado and Nevada. But with John McCain as the Republican nominee, a serious push to win Arizona was off the table.

Until now.

Obama’s senior aides are intrigued by several late polls that show a narrowing of the presidential contest in Arizona. Most recently, on Tuesday a Cronkite-Eight poll (named for Arizona State University's journalism school and the local PBS channel) showed the state a statistical tie, with the Arizona senator just 2 points ahead of Obama. That poll suggests Arizona is too close to call, with Obama making significant gains among women and independents.

The campaign is now seriously examining a late surge into the state. That may include ramping up TV advertising, on-the-ground staff or even deploying the candidate to stop there. Obama is scheduled to make a Western swing late this week, making an Arizona visit possible.

According to Pollster.com’s averages, Arizona is a 6 point race in McCain’s favor, compared to Pennsylvania--McCain’s best hope of picking up a blue state--which is an 11-point race in Obama’s favor. That means Obama has more reason to travel to Arizona than McCain does to Pennsylvania, no matter how far-fetched it once seemed to try to win McCain’s home state.

TIS




http://blog.newsweek.com/blogs/sprinttotheoval/archive/2008/10/29/raising-arizona.aspx

Yes.

Iceman, I believe that your attitude leads more to these supposed "attacks" than your views. If you don't discuss ideas, if you don't exchange thoughts, then how would anyone ever learn anything new or different?

As for Senator Obama's "associations", the insinuations are insulting and demeaning. I notice that the only "stories" that are publicized are those that have him with "terrorists" or "shady" non-profit organizations that work with minorities. To me, that plays on the internal racist in all of us. He looks different. He has a "funny name". Therefore, he must be a suspicious character.

If you disagree with his stance on energy, on abortion, on the economy, with his healthcare plan, then fine. Tell us WHAT you object to and, more importantly, WHY you object to it and why you think that Senator McCain has a better plan. But posting articles that call him a "Jew-hater" or accuse him of associating with terrorists just smacks of the lowest and most baseless biases.