How to survive the presidential campaign?
(PHOTO CREDIT: GETTY IMAGE)
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
The interest in this year's presidential election is something we haven't seen in a very long time. Record turnouts for the primaries, young people involved on a scale that's unprecedented, hundreds of thousands of new voters. TV ratings for the primaries reflected a ravenous appetite – especially for the seemingly never-ending Democratic primary contests. The run for the White House this time has been relentless.
Ordinarily, the primaries wrap up early, and the country hits the snooze button on politics until the conventions later in the summer. Interest in the general election traditionally doesn't even exist until sometime after Labor Day. But not this time. There will be no recess. It's all politics all the time right through to November.
It's a reasonable bet that you will become so sick of Obama and McCain by the fall that Mickey Mouse might stand a chance as a write-in. And while it's tempting to make light of this marathon, nevertheless it's very healthy for our country.
The reason Washington D.C. has become the dysfunctional cesspool it has is because we have allowed it to. Maybe this election we stand a chance of getting it right.
But don't kid yourself… there's a lot of pain ahead.
Here’s my question to you: How do you plan to survive the presidential campaign?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
What does Obama’s lead in swing states mean?
CNN's Electoral College Map (PHOTO CREDIT: CNN)
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
Just two weeks after the end of the Democratic primary season, Barack Obama has jumped ahead of John McCain in three key swing states – Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Florida. Obama was defeated in the primaries by Hillary Clinton in all three of these states. Clinton made the point at the time that she was the only candidate who could defeat John McCain in November because she was winning the so-called battleground states.
The fact that support for Obama has increased so quickly in these states could be taken as a sign the Democratic Party is coming together behind its nominee despite the long and bitter primary fight between Obama and Clinton. Obama has never campaigned in Florida because its primary was disallowed by the Democratic National Committee. Clinton easily won the white, working class voters in Ohio and Pennsylvania considered critical for a Democratic victory in November.
The election is still almost five months away, and obviously anything can happen. Polls done this far ahead are often not indicative of what will happen on Election Day. Historically the public doesn't begin to really focus on the election until after the party conventions are over. But the record turnouts during the primaries indicate there is an unusual amount of interest in this election.
And there's no doubt the states in question are crucial. Florida clinched the presidency for George Bush in 2000; Ohio did the same thing in 2004.
Here’s my question to you: What does it mean that Barack Obama is already leading John McCain in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Florida?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
Does it matter that Obama’s rejecting public funds?
Click the play button to see what Jack and our viewers had to say.
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
Barack Obama has become the first major-party candidate to opt out of public financing since Watergate.
It's no big surprise. When it comes to fund-raising, Obama is a virtual ATM machine. Candidates who take public financing get about $85 million to spend in the 2 months before the general election. But, if Obama can tap into the 1.5 million donors who contributed to him during the primaries along with Hillary Clinton's donors, some predict he could raise as much as $500 million – which would put him at a tremendous advantage over John McCain, who says he'll take public financing.
Experts say Obama could use this money to run a national ad campaign similar to marketing drives run by companies like McDonald's and Nike. He'll also be able to compete in Republican states, where the GOP rarely gets competition.
The downside for Obama is he's opened himself up to charges of hypocrisy. Last year he vowed to work with the Republican nominee to "preserve a publicly financed general election." And he's now drawing fire from both friends and foes for this change of heart.
McCain lashed out at Obama, saying he's gone back on his word. Although campaign finance isn't a top issue for voters, the McCain camp is pouncing on this as an issue of trust as well as evidence that Obama doesn't really represent a new kind of politics.
Watchdog groups are also disappointed with Obama's decision, and Senator Russ Feingold, who has co-sponsored legislation with Obama to change the public finance system – is calling his decision "a mistake."
Here’s my question to you: How much does it matter that Barack Obama is opting out of public campaign financing?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
@jackcafferty on Twitter
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