'Fools! They called me mad!'
-Voters shift away from Hoover... I mean, McCain-
Economic trouble, combined with the slow exposure of the false advertising campaign that is Sarah Palin, is proving to be a little drag on John McCain.
According to the report, "The Democratic hopeful, who has been lacerating rival John McCain over his capacity to rescue the US economy, led 49 to 45 percent in a new poll of likely voters nationwide by Quinnipiac University." A CBS/New York Times poll shows a wider gap, 48%-43%. For those addicted to Gallup daily tracking, I'll give you a little taste -- but just this once -- 48%-44%, up from yesterday's 47%-45%.
Remember how I said McCain's numbers were a post-convention bounce and they'd go back down again? Remember how all the other political scientists laughed and called me mad, mocking my theories and warning me not to tread in God's domain? Well, check this out this quote from Maurice Carroll, director the Quinnipiac University polling institute:
"Senator Obama is right back where he was before the so-called convention bounces with a four-point lead."
I am vindicated! Now, let's see how they feel about my graviton pulse election ray! BWAHAHAHA!! (Agence France-Presse)
-A firm grasp of the economic fundamentals-
Desperate to display his economic prowess and having only the "tough guy" crutch to lean on, John McCain gave some tough, although not especially straight, talk about Securities and Exchange Commission head Chris Cox.
"The regulators were asleep, my friends," John Hoover McCain said. "The chairman of the SEC serves at the appointment of the president. And in my view has betrayed the public trust. If I were president today, I would fire him."
You've got a slight problem with that plan there, Pokie. Turns out you can't do that. It's what you call "unconstitutional." ABC News reports, "[W]hile the president nominates and the Senate confirms the SEC chair, a commissioner of an independent regulatory commission cannot be removed by the president."
But then again, John McCain never speaks for John McCain. Seriously, he just pops off and then the campaign has to do all this clean up. Tucker Bounds speaks for John McCain and he says McCain wouldn't fire Cox -- which is good because, as we've already established, he can't. McCain would "remove" him.
"Not only is there historical precedent for SEC Chairs to be removed, the President of the United States always reserves the right to request the resignation of an appointee and maintain the customary expectation that it will be delivered," Tucker said. And there's always the very real danger that that expectation would be met with "blow me, jerkwad."
So, of course, that request would never actually be made.
McCain-Palin '08, straight-talkin' themselves right over the cliff. (ABC News)
-[Reddit] headline of the day-
"If you grow up in Hawaii, raised by your grandparents, you're 'exotic, different.' - Grow up in Alaska eating moose burgers, a quintessential American story."
That's a damned good point. Among other good points made in the piece:
-If your name is Barack you're a radical, unpatriotic Muslim.
-Name your kids Willow, Trig and Track, you're a maverick.
-If you teach responsible, age appropriate sex education, including the proper use of birth control, you are eroding the fiber of society.
-If , while governor, you staunchly advocate abstinence only, with no other option in sex education in your state's school system while your unwed teen daughter ends up pregnant, you're very responsible.
If you got more cars on blocks in yer yard than you got cars in yer driveway -- why, you just might be a red-stater! (Congressional Quarterly, via reddit)
