Archive - October 2, 2008 - The Page by Mark Halperin

...but Obama has moved to a commanding position in the last week. To read Mark Halperin's brand-new Scorecard from the upcoming issue of TIME click here. Democrats had the most dominant week either party has enjoyed in the general election. New Marist Poll finds Obama leading among likely voters, 49-44. Conducted Sept. 28-30; error margin 3.5 points. Permalink

IS DAVID PLOUFFE FUNNY??

At the veep debate in St Louis, The Page plays straight man to Obama's campaign manager, giving him every chance to make you laugh. Watch above and you be the judge of whether he kills. Permalink

...Getting to Know All About You

The VP candidates wrap up their "Vice Presidential Questions" series with CBS' Katie Couric. Biden: Says the former VP he admires is LBJ. Says he respects Cheney's strength, but "I think he has done more harm than any other single elected official in my memory in terms of shredding the Constitution." Favorite movie: "Chariots of Fire." Palin: Says she admires former VP candidate Ferraro, also George H. W. Bush. She respects Cheney's support for the troops, says his hunting accident turned him into "a caricature." Favorite movies: "Rudy" and "Hoosiers," especially the endings. Read the whole interviews. Permalink

McCain Team: Michigan Operations Being "Scaled Back;" Other States Strong

On media conference call, strategists DuHaime and Strimple acknowledge they are pulling back in Michigan and stopping advertising. Say those resources are being redirected to Maine, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania. DuHaime: "If we see a swing back in our favor, we'll re-engage." Claim they must find only 10 more electoral votes from Colorado, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Nevada, New Hampshire and New Mexico. Listen to full call audio here. PLUS: Campaign announces the RNC raised nearly $66 million in September. Politico: The states that now matter most, per McCain officials. Read the list here. Permalink

Crying Sunshine

Report: Panicked Florida Republicans see weak McCain effort. Read all about it here. Public polls showing Obama ahead causing Tallahassee-McCain tensions. Permalink

Debate Polls: Biden Wins

Among uncommitted voters who watched the debate: CBS poll: Biden 46%, Palin 21%, tie 33%. Among debate watchers: CNN poll: Biden 51%, Palin 36%. Permalink

Pundits Say...

David Gergen on CNN: Says Palin "erased" the potential risk of being seen as an "embarassment" to the campaign. Harold Ford on MSNBC: Palin "held her own in many ways tonight...." Pat Buchanan on MSNBC: "I thought she was sensational. She wiped up the floor with Joe Biden, quite frankly." Howard Fineman on MSNBC: From Palin "it was attack, attack, attack. Resort to Alaska when necessary, not listen to the questions or answer them when necessary...." David Brooks on PBS: "I thought she was every bit his equal. I thought she was fluid, confident, she struck her theme, just the regular old mom." Several commentators noted Palin confusing Gen. McKiernan's name, and her casual use of the phrase "shout-out." Permalink

From the McCain War Room

-- "Bipartisanship" -- click here. -- "The 1999 Deregulation That Joe Biden Supported" -- click here. -- "Total Biden lie on $42K tax hike vote" -- click here. Permalink

McCain: Bailout Will Pass

The Arizonan predicts the latest bailout legislation will pass the House during an evening town hall on the economy in Denver. Permalink

Down Day on Wall Street

The Dow closes down about 350 points, as uncertainty remains over the financial rescue. Disappointing employment and manufacturing reports sent stocks lower. Permalink

Pelosi "Optimistic" About House Bailout Vote

The Speaker of the House tells reporters on Capitol Hill that they're working to see if they still have the same amount of votes among Democrats with the Senate version. "We're not going to take a bill to the floor that doesn't have the votes. I'm optimistic we'll be able to take a bill to the floor." Plus: Rep. Wamp (R) and Rep. Cleaver (D) plan to change their votes from "no" to "yes." Permalink

Bush Urges House to Pass Bailout Bill Friday

In remarks after meeting with business leaders at the White House, the president says the current legislation has "the best chance" of providing liquidity, credit and money to small businesses. "People understand that the House of Representatives need to pass this piece of legislation. This issue has gone way beyond New York and Wall Street. This is an issue that affects hardworking people." Read remarks here. Permalink

Obama Stresses Jobs at Michigan Rally

The Land of Lincolner attends a morning rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan-- the state with the highest unemployment rate. "Just the other week, John McCain said the 'fundamentals of the economy are strong...' The fundamentals of our economy are not strong, and it’s time we had a president who understands that." Also pledges to revitalize auto industry. Read his prepared remarks here. McCain camp responds here. Permalink