McCain Intelligencer 2008 September 11

Endorsements
The New York Post has endorsed McCain. The Post endorsement contrasts the major candidates differences on national security (including their responses to terrorism and events in Iraq, Iran and Georgia), taxes, trade and energy (Post endorses John McCain).

Influencers
Some of those closest to McCain include Mark Salter, a speech writer who has helped shape the candidate’s image, Charles Black, a former lobbyist, Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, and Orson Swindle, who was a POW with McCain in Viet Nam (Halloran).

Polls: McCain Takes Lead
In a recent USA Today/Gallup poll, Mcain took a lead over Obama 50 percent to 46 percent (Baldwin & Booth, Page). A CNN/Time poll showed the candidates to be tied (McCain, Obama tied).

Vice-Presidential Candidate: Sarah Palin
Some public relations experts think Palin presents an appealing story and image, but it doesn’t solve all of McCain’s image problems (Sunnucks). Pollsters found that about half of Americans had a favorable impressions of Palin, though this was higher among independents and much higher among Republicans. Even though a majority of those polled thought she was a good pick, fewer than half thought she had the experience for the job (Langer).

Sources
Baldwin, T., & Booth, J. (2008 Sept. 8). John McCain overtakes Barack Obama in opinion polls. The Times. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/us_elections/article4703189.ece, accessed 2008 Sept. 9.

Halloran, L. (2008 Sept. 8). McCain relies on tight-knit circle of confidants to guide his campaign. U.S. News & World Report. http://www.usnews.com/articles/news/campaign-2008/2008/09/08/mccain-relies-on-a-tight-knit-circle-of-confidants-to-guide-his-campaign.html, accessed 2008 Sept. 10.

Langer, G. (2008 Sept. 5). Highly partisan reception greets Palin as V.P. pick. ABC News. http://abcnews.go.com/PollingUnit/story?id=5725793&page=1, accessed 2008 Sept. 9.

McCain, Obama tied in U.S. opinion polls. (2009 Sept. 9). Reuters India. http://in.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idINIndia-35378820080908, accessed 2008 Sept. 10.

Page, S. (2008 Sept. 8). Poll: Convention lifts McCain over Obama. USA Today. http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2008-09-07-poll_N.htm?loc=interstitialskip, accessed 2008 Sept. 9.

Post endorsed John McCain. (2008 Sept. 8). New York Post. http://www.nypost.com/seven/09082008/postopinion/editorials/post_endorses_john_mccain_128044.htm, accessed 2008 Sept. 10.

Sunnucks, M. (2008 Sept. 5). Palin’s brand shakes up presidential race. Phoenix Business Journal. http://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/stories/2008/09/01/daily50.html, accessed 2008 Sept. 9.

Blogspeak 2008 August 27

Democratic National Convention
DNC Convention Speeches Day 2 - Including Keynote Mark Warner, Hillary Clinton, and Eleanor Holmes Norton (2008 Central, 2008 Aug. 26)

Sen. Hillary Clinton
Clinton says election isn't about her (Presidential Election 2008, 2008 Aug. 27)
Hillary's Speech (2008 Presidential Election Blog, 2008 Aug. 26)
Michelle Obama Meets With Hillary Clinton In Denver (Gavrilovic, M., From the Road, CBS News, 2008 Aug. 26)

Vice-Presidential Candidate: Joe Biden
Joe Biden loves RIAA, DRM; hates encryption, George Bush (Nusca, A., Toy Box, ZDNet, 2008 Aug. 25)
Joe Biden: Loves to Talk, Hates to ‘Ask’ (Cooper, C., Washington Wire, Wall Street Journal, 2008 Aug. 25)
The Mess in Mississippi, Redux: The Joe Biden Connection? (Slater, D., Law Blog, Wall Street Journal, 2008 Aug. 24)

Putin Intelligencer 2008 August 20

War in Georgia
Georgians fleeing the South Ossetia region claim Russian soldiers told them to flee or be killed, indicating Putin had given orders to clear the region of Georgians (Halpin).

Real Power in Russia
Though Putin is now premier, he still acts like president. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has been relatively quiet on the action in Georgia and diplomacy with the west. In contrast, Putin has been to visit refugees who fled to Russian, leaving the Olympic games (where he spoke to U.S. President George Bush) to do so, and sat in on Medvedev’s negotiations with the French-led coalition to end the Russo-Georgian conflict (Kolesnichenko).

Sources
Halpin, T. (2008 August 18). Putin has given us an order that everyone must leave or be shot. London Times. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article4553499.ece, accessed 2008 August 19.

Kolesnichenko, A. (2008 August 18). Best supporting actor in a lead role. Transitions Online. http://www.tol.cz/look/TOL/article.tpl?IdLanguage=1&IdPublication=4&NrIssue=282&NrSection=4&NrArticle=19864, accessed 2008 August 20.