Click the play button to see what Jack and our viewers had to say. (PHOTO CREDIT: AP PHOTO)
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
All we have heard from John McCain for months is, "Barack Obama is too young. Barack Obama is too inexperienced to be commander-in-chief. Who do you want answering the phone in the White House at three a.m.? Blah, blah, blah."
So what does McCain do? He picks someone to be his running mate who is even younger than Barack Obama and has less experience.
Sara Palin is 44 – Obama is 47. Sara Palin is in her first term as governor of Alaska, a state that has 13 people and some caribou. Obama is a member of the United States Senate from Illinois.
It's not a big deal, except for this: If McCain wins, he will be the oldest person ever inaugurated for a first term at 72. He has a history of health problems that include bouts of melanoma, a potentially deadly form of skin cancer. It is reasonable to consider that McCain's running mate could be called upon to be our president.
Watch: Cafferty: McCain's VP mistake?
Meanwhile, some may see this as a move for McCain to attract disaffected women who voted for Hillary Clinton and aren't yet behind Obama. But that might not work for a few reasons: Palin, like McCain, is pro-life. Also, she might be a woman, but she's no Hillary Clinton – when it comes to her experience or her ideology.
At some point, voters will have to ask themselves who they would want running the country if it ever became necessary: Joe Biden or Sarah Palin.
Here’s my question to you: Does John McCain undercut his own message by naming someone even younger and more inexperienced than Barack Obama to be his running mate?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
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FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
The Democrats went out with a bang last night at Invesco field, and may have ended the week with one of the best political conventions ever. This also means they've left John McCain and the GOP with one tough act to follow when they convene in St. Paul on Monday.
Although it's pretty hard to argue that the week wasn't a hit, Republicans were quick to dismiss Barack Obama's speech in front of nearly 90,000 people last night. McCain called it "misleading" and "fundamentally at odds" with his "meager" record. McCain insists despite all the hoopla, Obama is still not ready to be president. it will be interesting to see if he keeps making that argument now that he's named Sarah Palin, a first-term governor from Alaska who's younger than Obama and has even less experience, as his V.P.
Republicans may also have to contend with Hurricane Gustav, which is on track to hit the Gulf Coast and maybe even New Orleans, next week. Some Republican officials are considering delaying the start of the convention, and the White House has also been debating whether President Bush should cancel his appearance Monday. Three years after Hurricane Katrina, the image of Republicans celebrating their nominee with another potentially deadly storm looming could be a disaster for the party. However, the convention president insists that the gavel will go down Monday.
Here’s my question to you: What do Republicans have to do at their convention to top the Democrats?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
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FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
Barack Obama is losing his lead over John McCain according to the latest polls. It is hardly an encouraging sign if your poll numbers are going down during the week you accept your party's nomination.
The latest CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll shows Barack Obama in a dead heat with Republican John McCain. 47 percent of registered voters like Obama, and 47 percent like McCain. And this poll was conducted AFTER Obama announced Senator Joe Biden as his pick for Vice President.
The Obama campaign had hoped for a bounce from that announcement. No such luck. And so far it doesn't appear the Democratic National Convention is moving the needle either. For one day this week McCain actually topped Obama by two points in the Gallup Daily Tracking Poll. Today Obama is back up by one. Last month, Obama had a 7-point lead in CNN's poll.
Maybe those negative ads are working. Painting Barack Obama as an out-of-touch celebrity, grabbing headlines like Paris Hilton or Britney Spears or "The One" parting the Red Sea like Charlton Heston's Moses. Now, the McCain ads are using Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton's own words in commercials AGAINST Obama.
Remember that Clinton ad: "It's 3 a.m. and your children are safe and asleep. Who do you want answering the phone?" The McCain campaign is re-running a version of it in key battleground states with the announcer saying at the end, "Hillary was right."
Here’s my question to you: Have John McCain's attack ads changed your opinion of Barack Obama?
Tune in to the Situation Room at 5pm to see if Jack reads your answer on air.
And, we love to know where you’re writing from, so please include your city and state with your comment.
(PHOTO CREDIT: GALLUP)
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
During these shaky economic times, many Americans are betting on higher taxes – no matter who the next president is.
A new Gallup poll shows 53% of those surveyed think Barack Obama would raise their taxes as president; 34% think John McCain would hike taxes if he gets the job. Both of these numbers are higher than what Americans expected from John Kerry and George Bush last time around.
And, what's especially interesting is that a substantial number of independents – that ever-important voting bloc – think their taxes will go up under either candidate.
Republican John McCain has pledged to renew President Bush's tax cuts, which he opposed twice while in the Senate. However after he promised not to raise taxes, McCain now says nothing can be ruled out in order to keep Social Security solvent.
As for the Democrat, Barack Obama, he's said he'll raise income taxes on the wealthiest but provide a tax cut to middle class Americans.
Although more people think their taxes would go up under an Obama administration – they also think he is better equipped to handle the issue of taxes. Gallup suggests this may be because a majority of Americans think Obama's policies will benefit the middle class and the poor most... while they think McCain's policies will help the wealthy.
Here’s my question to you: Are higher taxes inevitable with the next president?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
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