Preston on Politics: On The Campaign Trail

Tuesday, November 04, 2008

The Final Poll

Reflecting upon a fascinating election cycle that began in early 2007 and culminates today, the participation in the election has to be looked at by all sides as an encouraging sign that Americans understand the significance of the outcome. With two candidates who aim to take the country in different directions, there is a clear choice to be made, one that will reflect upon our society and our priorities. And once the results are certified, the campaigning will subside as we begin to set policy expectations. The winner and the loser will both be in Washington, DC next year, working on behalf of Americans who voted for and against them. Having seen supporters of both Barack Obama and John McCain motivated by hope and fear, let’s hope we can view the new administration through a prism of opportunity and accountability, rather than blind admiration or suspicion. By their nature, campaigns are divisive, but the results serve to hit the reset button and bring us back together with a common agenda: a better tomorrow.

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Debate Night, The Final Face-to-Face Clash

Wednesday night is our last chance to see the presidential candidates question each other, assuming they do. Debate moderator Bob Schieffer has pledged to work to get the candidates to talk to each other, let’s hope he’s successful. And once again, I will offer live debate analysis on Twitter.

In the meantime, I’d like to hear your opinions on the campaign. Do you think the choice is clear? Are you happy with how the candidates have conducted themselves? Let’s hear your thoughts.

Monday, October 06, 2008

Live Analysis of Tuesday’s Presidential Debate

If you plan to watch Tuesday’s presidential debate between Senator John McCain and Senator Barack Obama, you can follow my live commentary here and through Twitter. The candidates will make their cases starting at 9 p.m.

Here is a link.

Thursday, October 02, 2008

VP Debate Wrap-Up

I realize this is tough to read as Twitter organizes comments in reverse order and the time stamps are from when you copy and paste, so feel free to click on the link to my Twitter page and sign up to follow my comments on the next presidential debate.

We’ll have to wait for polling to see how Biden and Palin fared with the independents. Thanks for following my live analysis. Great debate! 6 minutes ago from web  

Neither candidate made a glaring mistake. So the winner of the debate likely reverts back to who you prefer from a policy standpoint. 11 minutes ago from web  

Going back to the central question, who do you feel most comfortable with assuming the Presidency, that will break on idealogical lines. 12 minutes ago from web  

I think Palin proved herself a worthy opponent, one who will hold onto her base, but still has work to do with independents. 14 minutes ago from web  

Biden gave the best debate performance of the campaign so far, better than Obama last week, better than McCain, better than Palin. 16 minutes ago from web  

Solid, steady performance by Palin. Nothing spectacular but with the expectations so low coming in she comforted many who worried about her. 19 minutes ago from web  

Click below to read more…

9pm Twitter Update

You can follow live analysis online by clicking here.

Gwen Ifill is on stage in her moderator’s seat. Two minutes to show. less than 5 seconds ago from web

For her to succeed, she must come across as in command and steady under pressure. America wants to know if she can answer the “3am call.“
less than a minute ago from web  

Palin’s ability to excite the GOP base is not in doubt, but tonight “Joe Six Pack” must win over an audience that isn’t already behind her. 3 minutes ago from web  

NBC4 is carrying the debate in High Def if you have it. I like to see the candidates’ facial muscles react to the questions and responses. 6 minutes ago from web  

15 minutes to go. If this moment is anything like television news, there’s a nervous excitement pulsing through the candidates veins. 9 minutes ago from web  

A strong performance coupled with four/eight years of seasoning could put Palin in the driver’s seat for a run at the top of the GOP ticket. 11 minutes ago from web  

Also, keep in mind this election may be setting up a Palin candidacy in four or eight years. Palin’s legacy could be cemented tonight… 12 minutes ago from web  

A poor performance could dry up the well of money as potential donors decide this isn’t their year. A strong performance could bring the $$$ 12 minutes ago from web  

Another key impact from tonight’s debate is fundraising. The selection of Palin sparked renewed interest in donating to the McCain campaign. 13 minutes ago from web  

Meantime, Barack Obama must sense how a Biden debate “win” can keep the momentum on his side. But have we already seen the October surprise? 17 minutes ago from web  

Can you imagine how John McCain feels right now? Seeing his poll numbers slip dramatically in the past week, his stomach must be churning. 20 minutes ago from web  

Flipping briefly to Bill O’Reilly, even if you agree on an issue it’s difficult to watch unless you enjoy argument for argument’s sake. 25 minutes ago from web  

Palin’s popularity is down to 68% in Alaska - still remarkably high for a Governor, but lower than the 82% she polled earlier in the year. 30 minutes ago from web  

Here’s a link to the story: http://tinyurl.com/45patg 34 minutes ago from web  

The Politico reports the McCain campaign is pulling TV ads and mailers in Michigan, essentially conceding the state to Obama. #CbusVP 35 minutes ago from web  

In the spirit of the 1992 Clinton campaign documentary “The War Room,“ a documentary about debate preparations would be fascinating. #CbusVP 39 minutes ago from web  

Watching Joe Biden tonight, I wonder if this will feel like a debate with Sarah Palin or a debate with George Bush and John McCain. #CbusVP 42 minutes ago from web  

Less than an hour until the VP debate on NBC4. Palin’s ceiling is high because of the low expectations set by her recent interviews. about 1 hour ago from web  

Specficity will force the candidates to reveal how they think, instead of reverting to stump speeches and rehearsed lines. about 1 hour ago from web

8pm Twitter Update

You can follow live analysis online by clicking here.

Gwen Ifil’s selection and ordering of questions will set the debate’s tone and tempo. If the questions are vague, the dialogue will suffer. 5 minutes ago from web

Thankfully, the candidates are held to a higher standard in answering questions with honesty. The key to tonight’s debate is the questions. 6 minutes ago from web

It must be difficult to always work in a positive answer in response to a potentially negative question. 8 minutes ago from web

Watching the surrogates be interviewed: I wonder if they practice giving evasive answers in order to circle back to their talking points. 11 minutes ago from web

Even detractors must privately hope she has the mental capability to process complex world issues and act rationally, not on gut instinct. 18 minutes ago from web  

Palin has a near 50 percent chance of being our country’s VP, and tonight is her best chance to demonstrate why McCain selected her. 21 minutes ago from web

Palin’s main goal should be to demonstrate her thought process on issues, how she arrives at conclusions, and how she relies on her values. 24 minutes ago from web  

Palin’s main goal tonight should not be to recite facts and figures in an attempt to demonstrate she’s been reading up for the debate. 25 minutes ago from web  

I’ll be watching tonight’s debate on NBC4 - Biden v. Palin - here’s a prediction: Palin comes strong, Biden plays it safe. Debate is a draw. about 1 hour ago from web  

@wyliemac Hey Alvin, great to see you - better late than never. Add me to the tracking page. Are you watching the debate tonight? about 1 hour ago from web in reply to wyliemac  

If you haven’t discovered realclearpolitics.com yet, I strongly recommend the site to anyone who loves to be in the know on politics. about 1 hour ago from web  

The Biden-Palin V.P. debate gets underway at 9 p.m. - for a political junkie, the anticipation doesn’t get much bigger than this. about 2 hours ago from web

Live Analysis of the Vice Preisdential Debate

If you plan to watch tonight’s vice presidential debate between Senator Joe Biden and Governor Sarah Palin, you can follow my live commentary here and through Twitter. The VP candidates will make their cases starting at 9 p.m.

Saturday, September 27, 2008

Thoughts and Observations From the First Debate

Here are a few thoughts on Debate Round 1: McCain v. Obama - I twittered these comments during the debate, but as you can see I didn’t begin at the top of the hour.

9:28pm
You can see Obama working to stay calm and in charge, and McCain using laughter as a response.
9:30pm
McCain dropped the liberal reference, but glossed over it fairly quickly and Obama laughed it off. McCain isn’t going all out on negativity.
9:31pm
Both candidates seem reluctant to address each other directly. They are more comfortable addressing their responses to Jim Lehrer.

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

AG Race: Cordray Responds to Crites’ Attack

Leesa Brown, spokesperson for Richard Cordray’s campaign for Attorney General, responded to this morning’s attack from Mike Crites’ campaign.

- - - - - -

The assertions made today by D. Michael Crites are flat wrong and deliberately misleading. 

First:
—Prior Treasury administrations paid 34 full-time employees in the divisions Crites disingenuously refers to as “public relations”—higher than the number he mocked Cordray for employing. Cordray has consolidated employees in those operations.

AG Race: Crites Attacks Cordray’s “PR Staff”

Republican Attorney General candidate Mike Crites’ spokesperson, Jen Detwiler sent out this press release today criticizing Crites’ opponent, State Treasurer Richard Cordray.

- - - - - - -

Cordray’s PR staff consumes 20 percent of State Treasurer operating budget
31 of the offices’ nearly 150 employees make in excess of $1.8 million

Columbus – Nearly $2 million in taxpayer dollars are devoted each year to the public relations efforts of State Treasurer Richard Cordray.  That represents nearly 20 percent of the office’s operating budget that’s being used to aggressively promote Cordray’s name while he runs for Attorney General. 

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Ohio State’s Loss Should Help Obama

Returning from a week’s vacation after spending Saturday in Los Angeles watching USC pound the Buckeyes, and Sunday evening at Chicago O’Hare Airport watching my connecting flight(s) get delayed and then canceled, the fun continues this week without power. But back to Saturday: Calling the USC game an unpleasant experience for Buckeyes fans would be like calling Ohio State’s passing game slightly challenged. Saturday’s 35-3 thrashing by the Trojans led me to wonder if what seems to be the end of any hopes for a national championship season, would favor one of the presidential candidates more than the other. My feeling is Barack Obama picks up a slight edge from a down Buckeye football year, here’s why:

Friday, September 05, 2008

Post Convention Thoughts

Americans are paying attention. The world is paying attention. And the race for the presidency is proving to be every bit as engrossing as a prime-time detective show. How did she get the VP spot? How does it change the race? Who has the momentum down the stretch? I love talking politics.

So let’s talk turkey…

Friday, August 29, 2008

Sarah Palin: A Very Interesting VP Choice

Clearly, John McCain wants attention because he did not go the safe route in selecting his VP pick. Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin shakes up the political matchup between McCain and Barack Obama in several key ways. The first effect is giving Hillary Clinton supporters a pathway to continue to vent their frustrations. Following Obama’s speech last night, the choice of Palin plays well to keep the momentum going in the GOP’s efforts to drive Clinton supporters away from Obama. Those are the short term benefits of selecting Palin: media attention and momentum with women. Long-term, there are significant challenges that may surface. Does Palin’s relative youth and inexperience compared to McCain, Biden, and even Obama, eliminate one of McCain’s strongest debating points, that Obama is not ready to lead? And does Palin standing next to McCain paint the GOP nominee as even older than his 72 years of age already reflects? For a political junkie, the pick is great for discussion. But Palin now faces considerable pressure to become presidential, knowing that a turn of events could put the former small town mayor in charge of the free world.

Thursday, August 28, 2008

McCain Set to Name VP in Dayton; Obama, Biden to Dublin on Saturday

The Buckeye state shines in the national political spotlight over the next 48 hours, first with Senator John McCain in Dayton, where he is expected to announced his V.P. pick. A day later, Senator Barack Obama and Senator Joe Biden will speak at Dublin-Coffman High School. Doors open at 4:30pm and the speech is set for 6:45pm. The event is open to the public and free, but the campaign is urging those wishing to attend to visit the Obama website to RSVP.

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Questions About The Democratic National Convention?

Do you have questions about the Democratic National Convention? Here’s your chance to get an answer!