http://political-buzz.com News and opinion on politics and the 2008 election Fri, 04 Jul 2008 23:56:01 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en We'll be back on Monday after a weekend off. Feel free to use this post as an open thread to write what's on your mind... Until we're back, you can enjoy the following: A new Political Buzz poll asking for your opinion on Obama's palpable shift to the center on a host ... http://political-buzz.com/2008/07/04/back-on-monday-open-thread-and-goodies/ In a week full of distractions like shifty comments on Iraq, liberal dissent over warrantless wiretaps and a series of speeches on "patriotism," the Obama campaign is finally moving back to the issue most able to beat McCain and fire up support from struggling moderates: The economy. The end of the ... http://political-buzz.com/2008/07/04/obama-brings-focus-back-to-economy-next-week/ For the second time in a year McCain has ordered a major shake-up of his campaign structure with the intent of shifting the overall direction and strategy of the campaign during a time of quasi-crisis for the GOP nominee. The current situation is obviously nowhere near as dire as it ... http://political-buzz.com/2008/07/03/the-buzz-138/ This is the nuts-and-bolts campaign story of the day. The $3 million first wave of GOP attack ads against Obama is to be launched this weekend in four key battleground states. They are: Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Energy security is to be the first target of the ads, which are ... http://political-buzz.com/2008/07/02/rnc-set-to-launch-anti-obama-ads/ This is a high-profile "tour" from the Obama campaign that has sent the Dem nominee to several November hot spots to deliver various speeches touching on "patriotism" and service to America, trying to dually deflect criticism away from himself concerning questions of loyalty and whether he is "patriotic" enough (stemming ... http://political-buzz.com/2008/07/02/obamas-patriotism-and-service-tour/ And again it's Mississippi GOP Senator Thad Cochran who brings up JMac's infamous...er..."aggressive" streak. You'll remember that it was the conservative Cochran who tried to thwart McCain's primary bid by regaling an eager press (and GOP competitors) with tales of JMac's blue streaked rants in the Senate and his "disturbing" ... http://political-buzz.com/2008/07/02/mccains-temper-again-an-issue/  Don't forget to listen to our latest "Political Dispatch" podcasts with Jonathan Allen of CQ Politics and Mark Murray of NBC News. Early concern from Republican strategists and organizers over the ability of McCain's campaign to find its operating niche and present a solid message against Obama has turned into near-panic ... http://political-buzz.com/2008/07/02/the-buzz-137/ The following piece  - excellently done by WaPo's Alec MacGillis - from today shows just how much ground level resistance, aided by anonymous lies, Obama's candidacy is facing in the towns and hamlets of the working class regions of this country. This particular story is from West Virginia and has ... http://political-buzz.com/2008/07/01/obamas-grass-roots-problem/ While outlier polls like Newsweek had Obama surging to a 15-point lead over McCain days ago, the Gallup Daily Tracking Poll had remained steady with Obama and McCain in a virtual tie. Polls like this were pointed to as areas of concern for Obama at a time when a large ... http://political-buzz.com/2008/07/01/gallup-poll-obama-bouncing/ The snafu over Obama surrogate Wes Clark's decision to publicly downplay John McCain's Vietnam War service and then stand behind that statement in the face of withering outrage from McCain's camp has become a central issue of the campaign lately. What was initially an eyebrow-raising quip that pulled a potential ... http://political-buzz.com/2008/07/01/the-buzz-136/