Playing Defense: Palin Defending Traditional Red States

ABC News:

Republican vice presidential nominee Gov. Sarah Palin will visit Omaha, Neb., on Sunday, an official from the McCain-Palin campaign has confirmed, signaling an attempt to shore up a traditionally reliable red state from efforts by the Obama campaign to capture one of the state's key electoral votes.

After a fundraising event in the San Francisco Bay Area on Sunday, Palin will travel to Omaha to hold a rally Sunday evening at the Omaha Civic Auditorium, in the heart of Nebraska's second congressional district. Palin was originally scheduled to fly directly from California to Florida on Sunday, but the Omaha rally was added late on Saturday, according to the McCain campaign.

Read the whole story: ABC News

Comments

[foxbat]

Leave it to Obama to squeeze the map. Nebraska currently hold 5 EVs and McCain holds an almost 20% lead over Obama, yet Obama's going to potentially grab one of their five votes. That one vote actually makes a two-vote swing and takes the potential 269-269 option away from McCain, although Obama would probably win out in that scenario. Again, his campaign shows why he's a serious contender for the presidency by its precision and effectiveness.

McCain's having to play defense in a state that he has a 20% lead in. He's also pulling out of Michigan and may well be looking past PA while Obama spreads the playing field. He's draining McCain's cash and resources. It will be interesting to see what September's fund raising looks like for Obama. If it's another record month, he's going to be able to heavily counter McCain's negative campaign push with both positive and negative head-to-heads. Of more interest will be how Obama's campaigning plays down ticket. At this rate, Rove may end up being a short discussion when future strategists talk about campaign strategy and Obama may well be the new paradigm.

[OurKoan]

Nice post. When I read this kind of thing, I am absolutely impressed. I feel like I am watching the moves of a seasoned chess player. Not ready to lead....give me a break! This is leadership and strategy in a nutshell--no empty newbie can even come close to this kind of planning and organization. Go O!

[GeezerusMaximus]

yes the chess analogy is does come to mind, it is like watching a master of positional play squeezing an overly aggressive wood pusher till they attempt an illogical gambit and are crushed. Check and mate in 30 days.

[McChimp]

Barack has an unlimited war chest compared to John, point blank, Barack can afford to keep all of Kerry's states from 2004 and expand that map to include Republican states that are now leaning his way, whereas John has to decide whether he wants to try and flip Democratic states and lose some Bush states, or let Barack have all the Democratic states and play defense on states that he should already have.

Barack has 252 EV from the states Kerry won in 2004, with Iowa and New Mexico added his total jumps up to 264, Barack then needs ONE Bush state to win. In the same scenario, John McCain has only up to 200 EVs, the map is narrowing for McCain, and widening for Barack.

[Voting Must Happen]

Oct 5 Polling Update.
http://voteforamerica.net/editorials/Comments.aspx?ArticleId=90&ArticleName=Poll+Update

Checkout my piece on Youth Voter Registration. For every 100 registered voters aged 18-24, the democrats accrue a 9 vote advantage.
http://voteforamerica.net/editorials/Comments.aspx?ArticleId=85&ArticleName=Youth+Vote%3a+The+Power+of+Registration

Obama 355, McCain 183
http://voteforamerica.net/electoral.aspx

[loax]

You betcha they have to go to states they think they owned. At least the voters in this election are listening to what both candidates have to offer, and McCain/Palin are just doggon it, not it!

[EllaBee]

It's really fallin' apart for 'em! WINK

[ToddG]

Some of you don't seem to think that there are Repubs in the Bay Area but there are. I am sure that Carly Fiorina hosted the thing at her house with Meg Whitman in tow with a lot of other high tech Republicans. I would love to be a fly on the wall for a conversation between Whitman and Fiorina just after Palin walks away. I would imagine their opinion of her is similar to Peggy Noonan's, but of course they will never admit it publicly.

So while most of us in the the Bay Area are Democrats, there are a few Repubs that come out of their holes once in awhile.

[kellygrrrl]

well, there are a few Repubs in L.A. - but I don't know why she chose to speak in L.A. rather than O.C. "America's most Republican County" -- according to their website.

[HadEnoughCrap]

So they sent her to a county and a state that will never vote Repub...they just trying to keep her busy?

[omahadem]

The Omaha World-Herald is reporting that the event was held at the Civic Auditorium's Music Hall. This is a much smaller venue than the actual arena and has a seating capacity of 2,500. Obama drew between 11,000-13,000 back before the February caucuses. It is hard to explain the excitement here and the real possibility that we will split the electoral vote. I live in the conservative southwestern suburbs and I just saw my first McCain sign this week. Obama signs and volunteers are everywhere though.

[tomomaha]

Not quite.

World Herald reports 5,000 Attendees - they put the overflow from the Music Hall somewhere else (may be in the Arena).

Still, less than half Obama's CAUCUS crowd.

Interesting if Biden could match here.

We had 1,000 people show op for the Obama office opening here in Omaha, which we were all shocked at.

[kellygrrrl]

so how many of her kids will she be dropping off in Nebraska?

[jukesgrrl]

LOL!

[Dodge]

If McCain continues to show that he is not carrying his share of the load, Do you think Palin will drop McCain off the ticket?

[Grunty1]

Far more likely then the reverse, but I think they are stuck with each other.
At least until McCain steps down for "health issues" next year and a new Shadow King, Cheney-esque master is appointed to the VP slot.

[OKcarolee]

Palin is the 'fall-gurl'. When they lose, they won't blame McCain, they'll point to her. They know they're losing, and she'll take the fall for them. It wasn't Wrinkly, it was Winky!

[Hadrian3]

It seems like this was a navigational error.
McCrash did plough 5 planes into the ground.
That makes him qualified to send his parrot to Nebraska.
Or may be it is simply that the Republican GPS has broken down.
The parrot flies to a tree in a place she couldn't find on a map.

[tottie2001]

Obama drops hints of McSame's Keating 5 connection on new youtube video

www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsI_0bV2CZo

[timberdoodle]

The commanding General just now stated the war in Afghanistan can't be won and the best they can hope for is to hold the insurgency and negotiate with the Taliban. So much for the Bush/McCain war on terrorism. This will be all over the news tomorrow.

[OrionGal]

Here is the link:

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/10/05/asia/AS-Afghanistan.php

[Deluded]

The general is just stating the obvious nobody has ever won in Afghanistan - it just depends on how high the butchers bill goes before quitting time.

[Maury66]

Fundraiser in San Fran.....you wouldn't think the Rebumblican party would want to touch any nasty money from there, no telling where its been....I wonder what kind of shape McCain will be in by the next debate...meltdown? Anyway...Palin's shoring up the base...great....thats about all she's good for...and McCain himself, what is he shoring up?...Off the subject....Tucker Bounds is going to need a job in about a month, anyone out there wish to help out with this?

[Colmore]

Maybe Palin could invite her pastor to "pray the gay out" of those people in San Francisco? According to her, it is a choice they made.

[firewmn]

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[morefromLA]

My God! Nebraska! How are the internals looking in Kansas!? When is she headed back to Arizona to keep that state in the red? Republicans have shown they know how to get our country in the red.

[jeg]

One minor detail... Nebraska splits it's electoral votes, so what they're trying to shore up is "Omaha", more than "Nebraska". The population there favors Sen. Obama, so he could net 2 electoral votes if he carries Omaha.

Although "Omaha for Obama" makes things far too confusing. :)

[GuyFawkes]

From DKos:

Democratic surrogates say they've been given the go-ahead from the Obama campaign to mention John McCain's associations with S&L kingpin Charles Keating and other historically tarnished creatures when asked about Obama's connection to ex-Weatherman William Ayers.

A senior Democrat who has had contact with Obama's high command points to Democratic strategist Paul Begala's comments on this morning's Meet the Press.