In God We Trust Blog

Cameron Says:

7 July 2008 at 5:50 am.

Wow, 20% of the people is the “pulse of the nation”.

Old guy vs change: McCain, Obama images take shape
By ALAN FRAM and TREVOR TOMPSON, Associated Press Writers

WASHINGTON (AP) — Now more than ever, it’s the old guy against the agent of change.

Ask people to blurt out their first words about the two presidential candidates and one in five say “change” or “outsider” for Barack Obama and “old” for John McCain, according to an Associated Press-Yahoo! News poll released Monday. Those are not only the top responses for each man but the ones used most often since January, when fewer than one in 10 volunteered those descriptions.

Four months from Election Day, the survey underscores that people see quality and question marks in both contenders as they struggle to control their images. Lack of experience is the next most frequently offered view of Obama, 46, the Democrat who came to the Senate from Illinois less than four years ago; for McCain, 71, the Republican senator from Arizona and Vietnam prisoner of war, it’s his military service.

“My husband and I are about the same age as McCain, and I don’t think we’d be in a position to take this country in the direction it needs to go,” said Rosemary Bates, 65, of Barre, Vt., an Obama supporter. “We’ve grown up in a different era. Something is not working and it needs to be changed.”

Obama is seen as warmer and more empathetic, McCain stronger and tougher. When people are asked whether specific words and phrases apply to each man, the Democrat does 12 percentage points better for caring about “people like you” and is 11 points more likable. McCain has a 24-point edge as a military leader and is 9 points more decisive.

The Republican’s military service “gives him credibility when it comes to running a war, and to running this country when it’s at war,” said Lydia Muri, 52, a McCain backer from San Diego. “If you haven’t been in that situation, it takes away from your credibility.”

The image differences even extend to the issues people most trust them to handle. McCain is seen as more capable on hard-edged problems like Iraq, terrorism and guns, while Obama is preferred on domestic matters like the economy, the environment and education.

The AP-Yahoo! News poll, conducted by Knowledge Networks, has surveyed about 2,000 people since November to gauge how individuals’ views are changing during the presidential campaign. The repeated interviews show the candidates’ images have evolved gradually since the fall, with both getting higher favorable and unfavorable marks as additional people form opinions.

Yet peer down to the person-by-person level and things are more tumultuous. Just four in 10 Obama supporters have the same opinion of him that they had in November, with slightly more of the remainder turning more negative. McCain’s backers are divided about evenly among those with the same, better or worse views of him.

“In November he was a member of a crowd,” said Sam Kemp, 50, of San Francisco, who sees Obama more positively now. “There’s more information about his views now.”

Racial differences are clear. While whites are evenly split over which candidate better understands the problems of ordinary people, they are a bit likelier to say McCain shares their values, and prefer him by 2-to-1 for keeping the country safe. Nine in 10 blacks say Obama would do just fine in each of those areas, with only small fractions saying so about McCain.

The survey suggests Obama faces a bigger problem than McCain from growing negative impressions.

Both are seen favorably by about half of those surveyed, and unfavorably by roughly four in 10. But Obama’s image has deteriorated with two crucial groups: 52 percent of whites view him negatively, up 12 points from November. And 48 percent of independents have an unfavorable view of him, up from 31 percent last fall.

“He’s a senator just a few years. He doesn’t have quite enough experience, especially with foreign policy concerns and even with the economy,” said Joel Taylor, 29, a Republican from Chillicothe, Ill., whose view of Obama has dimmed.

Obama has not capitalized on his party’s far stronger popularity than the GOP, while McCain is exceeding his party’s miserable public perception. Obama is viewed less positively than the Democratic Party by 5 percentage points, while McCain’s favorable image is 9 points better than the Republican Party’s.
http://news.yahoo.com/page/election-2008-political-pulse-candidate-images

Mac Says:

7 July 2008 at 8:56 am.

It starts with something most people can get on board with like their example above about kids smoking and then like you say, the precedent is set. I want them to crack down on porn so something needs to be done but there is a real fear of them going to far. Like the cigarettes, it moves to trans fats and soon we’ll be like Japan with a fat tax.

Benjamin Says:

7 July 2008 at 10:00 am.

Iraq says may agree timetable for U.S. withdrawal

BAGHDAD (Reuters) – Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki raised the prospect on Monday of setting a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. troops as part of negotiations over a new security agreement with Washington.

It was the first time the U.S.-backed Shi’ite-led government has floated the idea of a timetable for the removal of American forces from Iraq. The Bush administration has always opposed such a move, saying it would give militant groups an advantage.

In a statement, Maliki’s office said the prime minister made the comments about the security pact — which will replace a U.N. mandate for the presence of U.S. troops that expires on December 31 — to Arab ambassadors in the United Arab Emirates.

“In all cases, the basis for any agreement will be respect for the full sovereignty of Iraq,” the statement quoted Maliki as saying.

http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSL0353522920080707?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews&rpc=22&sp=true

Cavetrollhead Says:

7 July 2008 at 10:33 am.

Benjamin,
When my wife and I were trying to survive with two kids in 2003 we were denied gvt help because she , though legal wasn’t in the country long enough and we wouldn’t lie. (Illegals often lie and get the help.)
Between my wife and I, we worked in a soap factory, a warehouse under a supervisor who hardly spoke english, and at the city dump, manually sorting garbage in a stench that would stun you. Many of these jobs were normally filled by Spanish only speakers- (weather they were illegal or not I am not sure.) These were dirty-very low paying jobs and we were willing to do them. The argument that only the illegals will do them is garbage! I was born here- a citizen!! These jobs should pay a living wage and probably would if there weren’t so many illegals to do them.

Matt Says:

7 July 2008 at 11:09 am.

Give me a break…

New Cars in California Must Display Global Warming Score

OAKLAND, Calif. — California is making it mandatory for cars to be labeled with global warming scores, figures that take into account emissions from vehicle use and fuel production.

The law requiring the labels goes into effect at the start of next year for all 2009 model cars, though its expected the labels will be popping up on cars in the coming months.

The labeling law forces cars for sale to display a global warming score, on a scale of one to 10, which is based on how vehicles in the same model year compare to one another. The higher the score, the cleaner a car is. The score takes into account emissions related to production of fuel for each vehicle as well as the direct emissions from vehicles.

The score will be displayed next to the already-required smog score, which also rates cars one to 10 for how many smog-forming emissions they emit. For both scores, an average vehicle will have a score of five.

California is the first state of pass such as law, and a similar law will take effect in New York for 2010 model year vehicles. Global warming scores will be included on the state’s DriveClean website.

http://www.greenbiz.com/news/2008/07/07/cars-california-global-warming-score

Sharon Anderson Says:

7 July 2008 at 11:23 am.

TODAY’S STOCK MARKET REPORT

Helium was up, feathers were down. Paper was stationary.
Fluorescent tubing was dimmed in light trading.
Knives were up sharply.
Cows steered into a bull market.
Pencils lost a few points.
Hiking equipment was trailing.
Elevators rose, while escalators continued their slow decline.
Weights were up in heavy trading.
Light switches were off.
Mining equipment hit rock bottom.
Diapers remained unchanged.
Shipping lines stayed at an even keel.
The market for raisins dried up.
Coca Cola fizzled.
Caterpillar stock inched up a bit.
Sun peaked at midday.
Rain dampened the rally.
Balloon prices were inflated.
Scott Tissue touched a new bottom.
And batteries exploded in an attempt to recharge the market.

Cavetrollhead Says:

7 July 2008 at 1:05 pm.

Thanks Sharon. That was cute. “Scott tissue touched a new bottom.” LOL

Matt Says:

7 July 2008 at 2:42 pm.

Zogby: Barr Is McCain’s Nightmare

UTICA, New York – As the race for President passes the Independence Day holiday and heads toward the dog days of summer, Sen. Barack Obama holds a 44% to 38% lead over Sen. John McCain in the horserace contest, but also leads by a substantial margin in a state-by-state Electoral College tally, a new Zogby Interactive poll shows.

The extensive national poll of of 46,274 likely voters also shows Libertarian candidate and former Congressman Bob Barr wins 6% support, eating into McCain’s needed conservative base of support.

Neither Obama nor McCain breaks a 50% favorable rating. Obama is viewed as very or somewhat favorable by 49.7%. For McCain, that number is 43.2%.

Pollster John Zogby: “Obama is in the driver’s seat right now, especially where it really counts – in the electoral votes. Bob Barr could really hurt McCain’s chances. McCain can’t afford the level of slippage to Barr we found among conservatives in this polling. While there has been plenty of talk about Obama’s recent emphasis on his centrist positions, he can get away with it during these dog days of the campaign as McCain finds himself still trying to shore up the conservative base. McCain will have to move to the center because right now Obama is clobbering him among independents. But there is the rub for McCain: Bob Barr has some juice among conservatives and is hurting him in several states. ”

http://www.newsmax.com/insidecover/Zogby_Barr_McCain/2008/07/07/110467.html?s=al&promo_code=657E-1

Cavetrollhead Says:

7 July 2008 at 3:11 pm.

BTW is Romney is in the race, I will Vote for McCain.

Hawk Says:

7 July 2008 at 3:21 pm.

I’m for McCain either way but it would be a brilliant move to put in Mitt.

Bryon Says:

7 July 2008 at 8:25 pm.

Some times I don’t feel like voting but I guess I should make a choice. I pick Mitt, as VP. Will McCain accept a pretty please?