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December 15, 2008
Posted: 01:30 PM ET

Sen. John McCain refuses to say he would support his former running mate, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, if she runs for president in 2012.

McCain was asked directly during an interview on ABC's "This Week" if Palin can count on McCain's support. He ducked. When pressed on the question he ducked again, saying, "My corpse is still warm."

Palin was McCain's running mate, and he won't say he'll support her? This is the person he picked to be the second in command, to lead the nation should something happen to him, had he been elected President. And now he not only pauses, but won't answer whether or not he'll support her?

This was McCain's first Sunday political TV interview since he lost the election. He insists Palin helped his campaign and continues to publicly state his appreciation to the entire Palin family.

Maybe McCain is finally coming to terms with the true impact she had on his campaign. Toward the end his name didn't even appear at some of her rallies.

Barack Obama hasn't even been sworn in yet and polls have shown Republicans want Palin in 2012.

Here’s my question to you: What’s with Sen. John McCain unwilling to say he’ll support his former running mate?

Interested to know which ones made it on air?

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Filed under: John McCain • Sarah Palin


November 6, 2008
Posted: 01:48 PM ET
How can Obama win over McCain voters?
How can Obama win over McCain voters?

FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:

One of the longest, nastiest and most divisive presidential races is now in the history books. Thankfully.

Now the next chapter: Moving forward and getting this country back on its feet.

Obama supporters are ready. They're fired up, but that isn't exactly the case when it comes to many of John McCain's supporters.

Amidst all the jubilation over the election of Barack Obama broadcast all over the world, it's worth noting that 56 million Americans did not vote for Obama and are not thrilled that he won. In the popular vote, Obama won by less than eight million votes out of more than 120 million votes cast.

Obama has talked about repairing this divided nation. In Grant Park on Election Night, he said that he would be a president for the people that didn't vote for him as well as for those who did. But with emotions running high, supporters of John McCain are having trouble letting go.

Here’s my question to you: What will Obama have to do to win over wary McCain supporters?

Interested to know which ones made it on air?

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Filed under: Barack Obama • John McCain


November 5, 2008
Posted: 12:25 PM ET
What was the likable 'maverick's' biggest mistake?
What was the likable 'maverick's' biggest mistake?

FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:

What happened to John McCain? The likable "maverick" who beat some pretty strong competition to capture his party's nomination had morphed into something else by yesterday.

After promising to run an "honorable" campaign, McCain quickly became another symbol of the divisive politics of past Republican presidential campaigns. Name calling, insults, pettiness, and empty gestures replaced the once likable McCain we all look to to challenge the status quo. His campaign got nasty, and his lack of judgment was on display for all to see a couple of times late in the race.

Sarah Palin was an act of desperation. With little vetting McCain named an unknown from Alaska to energize the Republican base. But she came with too much baggage and quickly went from an asset to a liability. Openly ignorant of the issues in press interviews, Palin began to offend women and anger McCain's campaign managers who sniped that she was a "rogue" who frequently went off the reservation in pursuit of her own interests instead of McCain's.

When the financial crisis exploded, McCain made a huge empty gesture. He suspended his campaign, threatened to cancel the first presidential debate-he was the one who wanted all those town meetings, remember? - and rushed back to Washington where he accomplished absolutely nothing. In the end, he looked silly.

He might not have been able to overcome the damage to the Republican brand anyway, but he quickly became his own worst enemy who gave away any chance to win.

Here’s my question to you: What was John McCain's biggest mistake?

Interested to know which ones made it on air?

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Filed under: 2008 Election • John McCain


November 4, 2008
Posted: 01:32 PM ET
 Click the play button to see what Jack and our viewers had to say.

Click the play button to see what Jack and our viewers had to say.

FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:

A lot can change in politics in a year. Just think about it. Last year at this time, the race for the White House looked entirely different. John McCain was far from being the front-runner on the Republican side. And Barack who? Senator Hillary Clinton and former V.P. candidate John Edwards had to be considered the odds on favorites for the Democrats.

And, of course, most of us had never even heard of Sarah Palin.

Different issues held different weight with voters and candidates too. In late August of last year, a CNN poll found that 31 percent of voters saw the war in Iraq as the top issue facing America, while 23 percent said it was the economy. Health care came in at 17 percent and terrorism at 10 percent.

Watch: Cafferty: Most important issue?

Flash-forward to this fall and everything has changed. In a CNN poll released Sunday, more than half of voters listed the economy as the top issue - 57 percent– followed by health care and the war in Iraq, tied for second at 13 percent each. Just 11 percent felt terrorism was the top issue.

Here’s my question to you: What single issue was most important to you?

Interested to know which ones made it on air?

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Filed under: 2008 Election • Barack Obama • John McCain


October 31, 2008
Posted: 05:00 PM ET

ALT TEXT
(PHOTO CREDIT: GETTY IMAGES)

FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:

Voters have a distinct choice between John McCain and Barack Obama in this presidential race– two very different approaches to arguably the most serious set of challenges we have faced in a hundred years. Whoever wins will have his hands full.

But what about the rest of us? Our part is finished after we cast our ballots on November 4th, and after all the votes have been tallied, the excitement will be over.

Most of us will be happy with the outcome, but if you look at the latest polls, a good number of us won't be rushing to embrace the new leadership.

Either way a new administration means new faces at the top and new policies that will trickle down to all of us little people. The form of that trickle will determine the way a lot of our lives will go in the future.

Here’s my question to you: How will your life change if your candidate loses?

Interested to know which ones made it on air?

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Filed under: 2008 Election • Barack Obama • John McCain


Posted: 01:05 PM ET
 Click the play button to see what Jack and our viewers had to say.

Click the play button to see what Jack and our viewers had to say.

FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:

Former Secretary of State Lawrence Eagleburger - a Republican and supporter of John McCain - told national public radio yesterday that Alaska governor Sarah Palin is not prepared to take over the job of President if she had to. He said, "I devoutly hope that [she] would never be tested."

But the fact is that if some people in the Republican Party get their way, she could be tested one day. Should John McCain lose the race for the White House, you can bet your last dollar this moose huntin', gun totin', pro-life hockey mom will not fade from the political spotlight. She's a huge hit with a group of social conservatives who embrace her values and see her as a fresh face for a divided party… to them, a 2012 Palin run for President may be on the horizon.

Watch: Cafferty: What's next for Palin?

But a lot of other people feel quite differently. Sarah Palin quickly became a national joke for her lack of experience, failure to grasp the issues and inability to handle herself with the media - especially those awful interviews she did with Katie Couric. Recently she's gone off script and off message on the campaign, angering several of McCain 's campaign advisers. She's been called everything from a "diva" to a "whack job," and yet through it all she remains remarkably unphased.

In an interview this week on ABC's 20-20, Palin said, "I'm not doin' this for naught." Yet another pithy utterance.

Here’s my question to you: If John McCain loses, what’s next for Sarah Palin?

Interested to know which ones made it on air?

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Filed under: 2008 Election • Gov. Sarah Palin • John McCain


October 30, 2008
Posted: 04:59 PM ET
How can McCain win undecided voters?
How can McCain win undecided voters?

FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:

Less than 140 hours until election day when Americans will rush to the polls in what is expected to be record numbers to decide the direction of their country for the next four years.

Never has more money been spent by candidates for president to try to convince you they are the answer to America's problems. And yet after almost two years of campaigning, it is estimated that somewhere around seven percent of Americans still have not decided whether they want John McCain or Barack Obama to run things.

The differences between the two men are as pronounced as between any two candidates for the nation's highest office in a very long time. Whether he admits it or not, John McCain carries the mantle of President George W. Bush with him–seen as a continuation of the policies that have led to record low approval ratings for our current president. Americans are simply not happy with the way things are going. Yet McCain remains competitive.

Barack Obama is seen by many as a transformational figure who offers the country a chance to break with the past. His early campaign theme of change took hold with many of those Americans who are dissatisfied.

It would seem that if John McCain has any realistic chance of winning next Tuesday, he must somehow attract a large percentage of those voters who have yet to make up their mind.

Here’s my question to you: In the final few days, what can John McCain do to win over undecided voters?

Interested to know which ones made it on air?

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Filed under: 2008 Election • John McCain


Posted: 02:06 PM ET

ALT TEXT

This CNN Electoral Map shows Barack Obama's lead, if the Election was held today. (PHOTO CREDIT: CNN.COM)

FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:

The signs are increasingly ominous that John McCain's dream of being president is just about over. In one battleground state after another, Barack Obama's lead continues to grow. CNN's electoral map has been adjusted to suggest that if the election were held today, Barack Obama would get 291 electoral votes - it takes 270 to win - while John McCain would get just 163 - leaving 84 electoral votes up for grabs.

Barack Obama holds substantial leads in Pennsylvania, Nevada, Colorado and Virginia… all red states won by President Bush in 2004.

Obama also leads in Florida and North Carolina .

The Associated Press quotes GOP consultant Tom Rath in New Hampshire where McCain trails by double digits as saying the race is all but over, quote, "I get the sense it's shutting down," unquote.

AP also cites a senior GOP aide in Congress speaking on condition of anonymity as saying McCain advisers are now being asked by some Republican leaders to focus McCain's travel on states with close senate races… essentially abandoning his White House ambitions to help re-elect GOP Senators.

Here’s my question to you: How close is the White House race to being over?

Interested to know which ones made it on air?

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Filed under: 2008 Election • Barack Obama • John McCain


October 29, 2008
Posted: 05:00 PM ET

ALT TEXT

Click the play button to see what Jack and our viewers had to say. (PHOTO CREDIT: GETTY IMAGES)

FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:

Of all the differences between Barack Obama and John McCain, here's one that could really make a difference down the home stretch: One has a president to help him and the other one does not. And at first glance, it's not what you might think.

After his appearance with Barack Obama tonight at a rally in Kissimmee, Florida, former president Bill Clinton plans to criss-cross the country on behalf of Obama in the closing days of the campaign. Tonight will mark President Clinton's first joint appearance with Obama on the campaign trail. Despite his lukewarm support at first,President Clinton as well as Hillary Clinton will campaign hard in the next few days to help Obama try to close the deal.

Watch: Cafferty: Cafferty: Bush support McCain?

But what about John McCain? He has a sitting president in his party. President Bush has been dubbed "the invisible man" when it comes to campaigning for his dear friend and fellow Republican, John McCain.

Here’s my question to you: President Clinton is campaigning for Barack Obama. Why isn't President Bush campaigning for John McCain?

Interested to know which ones made it on air?

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Filed under: Barack Obama • John McCain


Posted: 04:55 PM ET
McCain says Obama will be a tax and spender if he's elected.
McCain says Obama will be a tax and spender if he's elected.

FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:

In a last ditch effort to pick up those undecided voters, John McCain's message is focused on portraying Barack Obama as a socialist who wants to raise your taxes and redistribute your wealth.

A socialist? Really? A couple of weeks ago the government effectively nationalized some of the nation's largest banks– a plan signed into law by the current republican president, George W. Bush. A law Senator John McCain voted in favor of. Is nationalizing our banks socialism?

McCain says Obama will be a tax and spender if he's elected. Consider this: The Republican administration of John McCain's good buddy, President Bush, has doubled our national debt since 2000. Bush rewrote the definition of spending money, and McCain supported him more than 90 percent of the time.

We're fighting two wars and facing a giant financial crisis. My buddy, CNN Senior Political Analyst Gloria Borger, says in a column on CNN.com, quote: "No matter who is elected, the new president will find himself trying to figure out a way to keep some of his campaign promises without breaking the bank." Borger says in a week that means someone is going to have to start figuring out how to govern.

When Clinton left office the economy was sound, the government was running a surplus, we were at peace, and the banks were still private institutions. Then what happened. John McCain 's friend George Bush happened.

Here’s my question to you: Who would be the bigger spender in the White House: John McCain or Barack Obama?

Interested to know which ones made it on air?

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Filed under: Barack Obama • John McCain



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About this blog

Jack Cafferty sounds off hourly on the Situation Room on the stories crossing his radar. Now, you can check in with Jack online to see what he's thinking and weigh in with your own comments online and on TV.

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Jack Cafferty: It's Getting Ugly Out ThereJack Cafferty is the author of a new book, "Now or Never: Getting Down to the Business of Saving Our American Dream," now available.

Read excerpts about Jack's battle with alcoholism and Jack's philosophy on parenting.


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