Nancy Reagan Update

Update from California that former first lady Nancy Reagan has been realized from the hospital; she was admitted on Wednesday after suffering injuries from a fall.

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Friday's Tracking Polls

Rasmussen Daily Tracking Poll: Obama 50%/McCain 46%

Diageo/Hotline Daily Tracking Poll: Obama 50%/McCain 40%/Undecided 7%

Gallup Daily Tracking Poll: Obama 50%/McCain 43%

 

In the first daily tracking poll to include at least one day after the third and final presidential candidates debate, Obama has reached the 50% threshold in all three daily tracking polls, while McCain is within a six-point range. Watch the tracking polls this weekend, as Saturday & Sunday, which will continue to show any third-debate bounce.

 

The Golden Report for Thurs Oct 16

It’s all about Joe the Plumber.

 

After 20 months of presidential campaigning in 2007 & 2008: a full slate of candidates from both parties, the rise and fall of Hillary Clinton (and, to a lesser extent, Mike Huckabee & Mitt Romney), the evolution of the debate over the war in Iraq which migrated to a debate over the financial health of the American economy, a protracted Democratic Primary Season, four debates, Jeremiah Wright, Sarah Palin, “The One” and “Bomb Bomb Iran,” a celebrity video by Paris Hilton and the latest creation by the Jib Jab Brothers, has the presidential race—inherently meant to be about substance over style (although we know the latter always wins) and about issues versus personalities (a statement which is, again, idealistic), been reduced to one man and one man only: Joe the Plumber?

 

Watch the morning shows. Watch cable news. Listen to John McCain or watch the Third and final Presidential Candidates Debate and you wouldn’t know otherwise.

 

Yet, of course, Joe is a symbol. And he’s a different type of symbol than the McCain Campaign would like voters to believe. Their intention was to make him a reflection of the struggles facing the good ol’ working class in the United States who would suffer under an Obama Administration with particular regard to tax policy. The hockey mom & Joe Six-Pack that the McCain Campaign has been trying to reach, based in part on the problems that Obama encountered with working class blue-collar voters during the primary battle with Hillary Clinton, is the demographic that the McCain Campaign believes will swing the election.

 

Almost as soon as we heard Joe’s name mentioned more than any other in Wednesday’s debate, we learned a little more about Joe and it wasn’t the type of news that the McCain Campaign would like us to hear:

 

From the Politico Story, “McCain’s plumber no ordinary Joe,”

“A day after making Joseph Wurzelbacher famous, referencing him in the debate almost two dozen times as someone who would pay higher taxes under Barack Obama, McCain learned the fine print Thursday on the plumber’s not-so-tidy personal story: He owes back taxes. He is not a licensed plumber. And it turns out that Wurzelbacher makes less than $250,000 a year, which means he would receive a tax cut if Obama were elected president.”

 

So, now, Joe the Plumber becomes a symbol for the McCain Campaign in this election. It reveals to us a lot about the internal organization, structure and management of the McCain Camp. First, it is clear that (just like the choice of Sarah Palin as VP) the campaign did not adequately vet Joe before introducing him on the national stage. As a result, they become responsible for anything that comes out about Joe and it makes their original objective muddled. This type of behavior has been repeated time and again throughout the course of this campaign and when the book on the race is written this will be a key element to explore.

 

The big question right now is: will Joe the Plumber relate to voters, especially independents in the swing states? Or will it be seen as a stunt, almost comedic, that does more damage to McCain? On tonight’s Thursday night edition of Saturday Night Live “Weekend Update,” Joe was mocked during the opening segment. Watch to see the full program on Saturday night to see if the new revelations about Joe make their way into the script. Also on SNL, significant time devoted towards mocking the “crazy lady from the McCain rally” who called Obama an “arab” last week and forced McCain to defend his rival on stage.

 

Must-Read Friday Story

Politico’s Mike Allen, “Nation faces Short Election Night”

 

And with just over 2 weeks to go, Allen is right to be in front of reporting this story (which is, incidentally, a story on reporting)

 

http://tinyurl.com/6j3y8g