Archive - November 3, 2008 - The Page by Mark Halperin

The Page

Politics up to the Minute

An Emotional Homecoming for McCain

"Tomorrow we’re going to reverse that unhappy tradition and I’m going to be the president of the United States," McCain declared to the crowd in Prescott, Ariz. Read about McCain's last Election Day eve stop here. Plus: Click here to read about Palin's final campaign stop which took place in the early hours of Tuesday morning in Elko, Nevada. Permalink

FIRED UP AND READY TO GO

Obama ended final election eve rally in Manassas, Virginia with his most famous campaign anecdote ever. "Virginia, your voice can change the world tomorrow," Obama told the crowd. Crowd estimate of close to 100,000 people. Watch the video of Obama in Greenwood, South Carolina with the woman who started it all-- click here. Permalink

PALIN RELEASES MEDICAL INFO

The Alaska Governor's physician sends out a letter saying Palin is healthy with no medical problems. "At the time of her most recent medical evaluation, she continued to be in good health and recovering well from the birth of her last child, Trig." Read the letter here. Read the AP story here. Permalink

What's at Stake

NY Times’ Nagourney: "The '08 Race: A Sea Change for Politics as We Know It." WSJ: "New Economic Ills Will Force Winner's Hand." Permalink

Chart Your Own Path to Victory

See what it takes to hit 270 electoral votes-- check out electoral vote calculators here, here and here. Permalink

Candidates on What They'd Change in Sports

Obama tells ESPN's Chris Berman he wants college football to pick a champion with a playoff system while McCain wants to put an end to performance-enhancing substances. Interviews air during half-time of "Monday Night Football" between the Redskins and the Steelers on Election Eve. Permalink

Obama Pays Tribute to His Grandmother

The Illinois Senator calls it "a bittersweet time" in speaking about his late grandmother at a North Carolina rally Monday evening. Madelyn Dunham died of cancer in Hawaii at 86. Obama tells the crowd about her life, says "she was somebody who was a very humble person and a very plainspoken person. She's one of those quiet heroes that we have all across America..." Click above to watch. Read Obama statement here. Read a condolence message from the McCains here. Permalink

Palin Warm-Up Act: Obama "Not Real Crazy About" National Anthem

Country star Hank Williams Jr. takes a swipe at Obama’s patriotism before singing the national anthem at a Palin rally in Colorado Springs. Palin: "Hey, he exercises those First Amendment rights." Permalink

Obama: Bradley Effect "Outdated and Overstated"

In the final installment of his interview with CBS anchor Katie Couric, the Democrat discounts the theory that voters tell pollsters they'll vote for an African American but don't in the voting booth. Says people have been "fussing about whether or not I’m hampered because I’m an African American" since Iowa. "The reason I’m sitting here two days before the election as the Democratic nominee is because the American people ultimately care about whether or not you can do the job." Watch clip above. Read transcript here. Permalink

Oh, The Expectations They'll Set!

On Election Day Eve, McCain pollster Bill McInturff urges colleagues (and the press) not to take exit polls at face value, arguing that they overstate Democratic support. Read his memo here. Permalink

Cindy McCain Opens Up to Larry King

The potential first lady tells CNN that it's not her style to do a lot of solo campaign events, she and her husband "thank" Cheney for his endorsement, Palin got a bad rap. Also says 2000 wasn't the worst campaign for her -- instead, it was 1982, since it was McCain's first time out and they didn't know what to expect. Read transcript here. Permalink

Evening News Roundup

Networks offered expanded, hour-long broadcasts focused almost entirely on Election Day. Recapped the candidates' last-minute sprints around the country and Obama's loss of his grandmother. Reports began wrapping up the entire campaign, noting the importance of President Bush and the lasting impact of McCain's comment about "the fundamentals of the economy." Analysts painted a mostly bleak picture of McCain's possible paths to victory, with NBC making a projection of 286 electoral votes for Obama, vs. 157 for McCain. Painted similarly grim picture of the GOP's congressional odds, pointing in particular to competitive Senate races in North Carolina, Mississippi, Georgia and Kentucky. Permalink

Troopergate Report Clears Gov. Palin

An investigator for Alaska's State Personnel Board finds Palin did not violate ethics rules in the firing of her former brother-in-law from the Alaska State Troopers. "There is no probable cause to believe that Governor Palin violated the Alaska Executive Ethics Act...." An earlier report by the state legislature found Palin improperly pressured subordinates to fire Mike Wooten, who was involved in a custody dispute with Palin's sister. Permalink

It's the Governing That Keeps Obama Up

The Democrat tells ABC News' Ann Compton he’s not worried about whether he’ll win Tuesday, but does lie "tossing and turning" about governing, and ensuring "we fulfill the commitments to the American people that we've made throughout this campaign.” Best campaign moment: Winning Iowa caucuses. Worst campaign moment: Losing New Hampshire primary. Permalink

MONDAY NATIONAL POLLS SUGGEST OBAMA STRENGTH

ABC/WASHPOST TRACKING: Obama 53, McCain 44. More here. CBS NEWS: Obama 51, McCain 42. More here. FOX NEWS: Obama 50, McCain 43. More here. MARIST COLLEGE: Obama 53, McCain 44. More here. NBC/WSJ: Obama 51, McCain 43. More here. Permalink