Bill Burton and David Plouffe held a conference call this morning. Plouffe announced that the campaign is putting up ads in Georgia and North Dakota and Arizona. On the early vote, Plouffe said the Democrats outnumber Republicans in Florida by 200,000 votes. In North Carolina, 19% of all Democrats that have voted early have never voted before.
Plouffe said they feel confident that they will all the Kerry states, plus they have a realistic path to win all the battlegrounds, plus North Dakota, Arizona, and Georgia. They sent Obama to Iowa today “to pad their lead.”
Because of the extensive early voting, people doing election-day GOTV will have to ‘drive-and-knock’ rather than walk.
In Florida, about a quarter of the sporadic-voting Democrats have already voted, which is roughly the same as the likely-voter pool.
The early vote is going ‘extremely well’ in Georgia. If they win it, they will win it narrowly. They have 4,800 neighborhood captains in Georgia.
In Arizona, their internal polling says that they’re killing with Hispanics and suburbanites. It will be a battle to get to their ‘win number’ there.
The McCain campaign has bought 5,000 points of Television this week in the Tampa area, ‘which may be the most ever in a political campaign.’
Finally, they are ‘laser-focused’ on getting 270 electoral votes and their decisions are not aimed at anything else. Helping Senate candidates is only of secondary importance.
I’m not overconfident – just confident that this is mostly over. This is something akin to being mostly dead, but McCain doesn’t have the right Billy Crystal in his corner.
We’re doing viz and canvassing all day here in NH. Did a viz this a.m. – 7 – 9 – and had about 3000 cars on a very busy NH highway (Rte 4). More than 50% waves and toots, less than a handful of thumbs down or shaking heads, and zero profane shouts. The latter kinda bothers me because I enjoy the verbal rejection almost as much as a horn toot or wave. Something about getting under somebody’s skin appeals to me.
We’re running on fumes – trying to maintain our business and putting in 6 campaign hours per day. For me, it’s similar to hitting the 23 mile marker in a marathon – you know you only have a 5K to go!
It may not be completely over, but the fat lady is warming up.
Yup. It’s time to execute the plan. The pieces are all in place.
viz?
Black folks jumped back up to 35.58% of voters in Georgia this morning. In yesterday’s voting, they were over 40%.
Man, it really could flip.
Chambliss is running around North Georgia telling people that “the other folks are voting.”
I’d trade two other Senate seats to see this piece of crap lose.
Yes this one and the congress lady from Minnesota.
Nelson & Nelson? Sure!
Feingold & Leahy? Uhhh, not so much.
hmmm…obviously this is just a rhetorical exercise that reflects frustration level.
Since you’re going to bring me back to reality, the sad truth is that I wouldn’t trade 2 for 1.
Just this once can we count Lieberman as a Dem for trading purposes?
If the noise from the Dem caucus is accurate, it looks like Lieberman will lose his chairmanship but remain in the caucus. The pragmatic side of me sees the necessity of this, but it is a jagged pill to swallow.
Even if we hit 60 without Lieberman, we’re going to need his vote on some issues. If he’s shown anything these past four years, it’s his willingness to be spiteful. We only have to tolerate him for two more years, then, hopefully, in 2010 the Nutmegers will finally give us Lamont or Blumenthal.
Lieberman was reelected in 2006, so unfortunately, we’ll have him around until 2012.
Correction appreciated. I guess it just seems longer.
The best option is to let him stay in the caucus and have a seat on one or two committees AS LONG AS he behaves — which means no more GOP talking points, not more unauthorized talk show appearances, no more straying from the party line. He goes over the line, he’s truly alone in the corner.
To me, that’s a far more painful punishment than just cutting him loose. And it does a much better job of serving the Dem majority’s purposes.
With 57 or 58 Democrats, he add nothing. We need him only if we have 59. Even then, the Nelsons can’t be counted on, so Lieberman adds nothing but a trojan Horse in the caucus. He endorsed McCain. He campaigned with McCain. He’s a Republican. I’d much rather try to induce some Northeast Republicans to switch.
And how about Bernie Sanders? Are those Senate counts counting him? He’s more of a real Democrat than 90% of the others.
is going to face some pretty tough choices pretty soon, and he’s pretty much sealed his fate…l prefer doom…regarding the choices he’ll have.
the hill reported yesterday that trent lott, ex RATpub sen, now high $ k st. lobbyist, is urging the RATs to `aggressively pursue’ Lieberman:
steve benen offers this opinion on the prospect of him jumping the aisle:
but l really have to agree with kos’ take on this one, Listen to Trent, Joe:
poor ol joe bet his future on the wrong horse, eh.
couldn’t happen to a more deserving ass.
I REALLY want to see him get a well deserved beat down for what he did to Max Cleland!
Sign of the times:
it’s falling our way. You gotta love the Obama Campaign folks:
Penn Judge Rejects GOP Suppression Bid
Big deal story over at Politico: Off the plane: NYPost, Washington Times, and Dallas Morning News
Drudge has lost his perch as the assignment editor
And, no doubt, the irony of this statement is totally lost on the McCain campaign.
The McCain-Palin campaign. The epitome of openness.
Heh…they are the gift that just keeps on giving.