The McCain team is feverishly attempting CPR on the lifeless thing that is their campaign. Will the third and last debate provide the super-defibrillator they need?
The possibilities for excitement on stage today all hinge on McCain. To what do you ‘throw the switch’ in these circumstances, in which you are 8-10 points down nationally with 3 weeks to go? Vaudeville won’t help. He’s already tried that with Sarah the ventriloquists’ dummy. Perhaps you say, “We’ve got nothing to lose, let’s go for the goolies.” If Rove and his ilk are now running things, that is probably what McCain will attempt. Even winning the talking points in the debate is not sufficient for him.
Of course, this debate could be as dull as the “Town Hall” dirge-fest if Obama gets to run it his way. He ‘won’ the last debate by simply appearing cool. It didn’t matter a jot what he said, providing it wasn’t ‘courageous’ or even stimulating. It was all about Presidential poise. Due to that success and the Dems lead in the polls, Obama is highly unlikely to deviate from the minimalist approach now.
The danger for Obama is if McCain manages to wreck the debate with accusations, taunts and dirt, and succeeds in getting Obama down in the gutter with him. The aim would be to diminish the Presidential aura that Obama now has, and that McCain certainly does not. But this is also dangerous for McCain. If the tactic fails, and Obama stays above the fray, McCain will appear to be nothing other than the stumbling, flailing old dope he is.
McCain has already said he will be raising the Ayers ‘connection’ in the debate – ho hum – but that may only be an indicator of a full-on effort to unbalance Obama and prevent him from staying ‘in charge’ during the event.
Unless something radical is done now, the game will just slip away for McCain. The issue is whether he graciously accepts the impending crushing loss, or uses a last opportunity to tip over the card table which could, in the Rovians grotty little worldview, just possibly even things up again. One thing is certain: McCain shaking hands with a war veteran in the audience and saying ‘My friends’ 50 times won’t do the job.
My prediction is of a 70% chance of fireworks from McCain, and if so, a 95% chance of Barry holding the high ground.
626 replies on “Another Dull Debate or Blue Touch Paper, Lit?”
More on Joe the plumber.
Oh McCain! You’ve done it again!
May need registration.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/17/us/politics/17joe.html
A Liberal Supermajority
Get ready for ‘change’ we haven’t seen since 1965, or 1933.
Chris B says 64 senate seats. Including Texas and Maine. 😈
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122420205889842989.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/showtracker/2008/10/david-letterm-1.html
I love this bit in 402 “especially with the media cheering it all on.”
Alfred E Smith’s dinner speeches
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/10/16/221811/20/481/633104
405 asanque Good stuff, thanks for that.
Evening all.
Sheesh, you get dragged away from the computer for a couple of days, miss the debate and come back to discover the sky has fallen in.
Where to start. An Irish bookie called Paddy wants to pay out before the race is over??? Bloody Irish jokes. 🙂
Steven Conroy has decided to shut down the internet?
(Perhaps he’s Irish too.) Bloody wanker needs his arse kicked from here to China.
And finally…. Now I’ve finished catching up with all the posts.
@405
I discover that Barack (Steven) Obama is auditioning for a spot on The Daily show.
Great clip asanque.
CHristopher!! such language. As Sarah is my role mode,l I am uterly horrified. 😎
Yes, mother.
I only get called Christopher when I’m in trouble. Oh, I forgot. I am in trouble. 😈
I’ll tell Conroy. If I wanted the Internet shut down, I would have voted Liberal. If any knows any politicians, let me know and I’ll give then a piece of my mind.
Cheers and have a nice day. 😈
Gough Whitlam would be horrified!
Story of Joe the Plumber springs many leaks.
I think he succeeded in catching…………
McCain off guard.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/10/17/MNQ013J6JV.DTL
Christopher -I’m not your fucking mother.
414 – lol
414
No, that would be jen sixpack
(ducking and running)
Whew! Just as well, she passed away four years ago. Just a force of habit, jen. 😳
Gee, the spam thingy works well.
Oh Chris- now I feel terrible. 😳
That Barry is doin’ a Kevin and messin’ with Grandad’s head.
All this talk about moving the campaign into red states will have Team McCain running around trying to plug holes in the dyke every which way. Trouble is, they have to pull the money from somewhere to do it and they don’t have enuff to go round. It’s kinda like the water’s pouring through 21 holes – and you’ve only got 20 digits.
Well….unless you use some lateral thinking. But I reckon McCain’s extra digit ain’t been pluggin much for a while
Ferny-
“But I reckon McCain’s extra digit ain’t been pluggin much for a while”
and Cindy gets on her knees and Praises the Lord.
Well Jen, I’m sure knowing McCain (in the biblical sense) has given Cindy a greater interest in dykes too.
Fri Oct 17:
http://news.yahoo.com/edcartoons/tomtoles;_ylt=AhCLnj00ToKpEzEqmmm6s0DmcLQF
Going For Growth
http://editorialcartoonists.com/cartoon/display.cfm/61336
http://editorialcartoonists.com/cartoon/display.cfm/61416
http://editorialcartoonists.com/cartoon/display.cfm/61414
Fri Oct17:
http://news.yahoo.com/comics/doonesbury;_ylt=A0WTUd.HTfhIeMMA3QkDwLAF
ferny 😆
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=EYlDbv7MqE8&feature=related
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=ulGdqcez2JM&feature=related
http://editorialcartoonists.com/cartoon/display.cfm/61353
http://editorialcartoonists.com/cartoon/display.cfm/61321
http://editorialcartoonists.com/cartoon/display.cfm/61374
http://editorialcartoonists.com/cartoon/display.cfm/61362
http://editorialcartoonists.com/cartoon/display.cfm/61334
http://editorialcartoonists.com/cartoon/display.cfm/61397
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=lwcQvbNAntk
I don’t know who I’m more tired of: McCain or Joe the Frigging Plumber!
Oh come on Progressive – no contest.
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=ps78MC7mfpA&feature=related
Zogby Poll(with questionable weightings):
OBAMA 49
MCIDIOT 44
Black Vote May Help Downticket Democrats
http://www.electoral-vote.com
Lots and lots of goodies for the Democrats on Votemaster.
http://www.electoral-vote.com
On Intrade, the odds on NTH.DAKOTA.DEM have moved up to 34.0, with NTH.DAKOTA.REP now at 65.0.
OMG – It’s the narrowing!
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2008/president/us/general_election_mccain_vs_obama-225.html
When the Voice of (Redneck) America trashes King Neocon Kristol of PNAC and his cohorts on E-Day minus 19 you know it’s all over. In politics disunity is death.
A reasonable equivalent would have been Alan “Gloria” Jones savaging PPMcG and the board of Quadrant a couple of weeks out from our last Federal election.
The GOPpers are gonna get flogged come November.
http://thinkprogress.org/2008/10/16/limbaugh-fox-elites/
http://www.australianreview.net/digest/2003/10/sawer.html
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=BVaT2EM2Qm4
Latest Friday Senate polls on RCP – Repugs +2 in Georgia, +1 in Mississippi Special and +6 in Texas.
Mornin’ All,
E-Day minus 18, pollin’ continues apace and the passing parade keeps rollin’ like a river….and all is well.
Poss, some time back you wrote a lengthy piece in the comments of Nate Silver’s 538.com suggesting why looking at individual State Intrade market activity was a more accurate way of viewing the Big Picture. Furthur, you pointed to evidence of someone playing “silly buggers” with the Intrade BHO V JMc market.
Don’t believe Mr. Silver replied (he’s a busy man ‘n’ all) but it turns out that all the “silly buggers” was coming from one li’l ol’ source not tangential to the centre of McCain’s campaign.
Wonder if Nate, who made his name analyzing baseball stats, would have let something like this go through to the catcher.
🙂
http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?parm1=5&docID=news-000002976265
(cross posted the above earlier today at Pollytics)
———————————————
OBAMA, Barack 1.09
MCCAIN, John 7.00
http://editorialcartoonists.com/cartoon/display.cfm/61425
Fri Oct 17:
http://news.yahoo.com/edcartoons/billday;_ylt=AmfT9jXIVqESc__1qMHhGefV.i8C
Fri Oct 17:
http://news.yahoo.com/edcartoons/ettahulme;_ylt=Au9FpXUL9maDga6cYNEV2KLV.i8C
Fri Oct 17:
http://news.yahoo.com/edcartoons/billschorr;_ylt=An4Ro4aCZEKlT9lKUUweo3DV.i8C
Math America —2008
http://editorialcartoonists.com/cartoon/display.cfm/61421
http://editorialcartoonists.com/cartoon/display.cfm/61419
Morning EC. I’m not sure we should complain if a McPalin supporter wants to put a lot of money on the team when the odds are running so strongly to Obama. It makes the odds better for Obama punters and removes money that might otherwise be available from the McPalin campaign?
😆
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1008/14660.html
To Avoid Being ‘Depressed,’ Palin Skimps on Campaign News.
May need registration.
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/10/17/to_avoid_being_depressed_palin.html
ND-Pres: Yup, North Dakota *is* still in play.
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/10/17/134335/23/442/633159
McCaan and Obi put the gloves back on for a charity – they both sound quite funny actually!
http://edition.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/10/17/obama.mccain.dinner.ap/index.html?iref=mpstoryview
After hearing that Senator Conroy wants to give us a crappy 15 mb/s instead of the 40 mb/s originally promised, when for 25% of the cost the could be putting in a broadband network through the sewer in half the time at 100 mb/s that is really needed. Then we hear that Senator Conroy is going to introduce a draconian censorship program that will drastically slow the network down and restrict its usefulness, I cannot wonder what sort of LOONIES we have working in that department. No one who seems to have any sort of idea or understanding about telecommunications. I was under the misapprehension that Labor would do a much better job. Instead we got the Liberals part II. Senator Conroy you do not know what you are doing resign and get out. Put someone in there that can get the job done.
If you still don’t know about broadband in the sewer, and how easy and cheap it is. Here is another link. I have told three of your advisers about it. My local members staff have also read this blog. I assume they will pass on my “concerns”.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7104011.stm
“It makes the odds better for Obama punters and removes money that might otherwise be available from the McPalin campaign?”
Can’t argue with that, Wakefield.
🙂
Not so much “complaining” as pointing out a widespread American character trait that I’ve observed in my dealings with many Americans over the years. As part of their propagandistically reinforced hegemonic mind-set, many Americans can’t stand to be shown to be wrong about anything. Sort of a boorish triumphalism that borders on the punishing.
Too many of them believe that a simple “touche” is a sign of weakness, wheras more culturally sophistcated folk when presented with verifiable data say, “Yes, that’s quite true…well done”.
Voters contend they were duped into registering as Republicans.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-fraud18-2008oct18,0,1216330.story
Poll: Voters souring on McCain, Obama stays steady.
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jPJUoUeIanXw2SKL4rs1JIN0TIKAD93SGRT00
Why the Powell Endorsement (Could) Matter.
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2008/10/why_the_powell_endorsement_cou.html?nav=rss_blog
Northern Politics Creeping South in Virginia.
http://www.mgwashington.com/index.php/news/article/northern-politics-creeping-south-in-virginia/1936/
Ohio Democrats Win at Top U.S. Court in Voting Fight.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=a74yORYw2CEM&refer=home
Obama wins Chi. Tribune endorsement.
http://www.swamppolitics.com/news/politics/blog/2008/10/obama_wins_tribune_endorsement.html
African-American Turnout for Obama Could Pad Democratic Majorities in Congress.
http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?docID=news-000002975892&cpage=1
A Catholic Brief for Obama
Why the faithful can in good conscience back the Democrat.
http://www.newsweek.com/id/164445
La Opinion endorses Barack Obama.
http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_10748482
Locals Say Racist Obama Billboard is ‘Straight Talk’.
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGywkeeSuIc&eurl=http://www.michaelmoore.com/
Alert, alert , alert. More boat people coming! Tell the border patrol!
http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/daily/opinion/99953.php
Where is everyone?
Chris, you’ll never walk alone, mate.
It’s what they call a slow blog day.
🙂
——————————————
Plus ca change!!
Allons, mes amis, take a short journey with me down memory lane….
Once again the Nightbreed have emerged with their strident ratfuckery from the sewers beneath what was once the House of Un-American Activities or HUAC.
Step 1. Select appropriately primed zealot.
Step 2. Seat in front of friendly major Network TV camera.
Step 3. Wind up (tightly)
Step 4. Release and allow to spew forth shrilly at camera .
http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/10/prominent_mccain_supporter_im.php
When SBSTV Australia showed the movie “Good Night and Good Luck” recently, the following scene was censored in toto. The speaker is Republican POTUS, Dwight D. Eisenhower; “actual footage” from his step down speech in Jan 1961.
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=kCaBCdJWOyM
The owner of Fox, former Adelaide copy-boy made good, Citizen Rupert, has just endorsed McCain for POTUS. Fox pay BillO megabucks to do his hate-mongering schtick.
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=QgrM20nP8yU
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_Un-American_Activities_Committee
Watching O’Reilly eat caga on Nov. 5 will be one of the sweetest initial thrills of Obi’s victory.
457 Enemy Combatant Great article there mate, you, you, liberal you. 😈
They are really, really getting desperate!
456
Where is everyone?
Err …..*cough*…….Caulfield. 🙂
Meanwhile…I’m still waiting for teh narrowing.
I mean.
The Repubs are desperate for it.
The MSM are sobbing and begging for it.
The pollsters (the naughty ones) are dying to provide it.
And Barak Obama is telling us it’s inevitable.
So where’s it got to?
The only narrowing I can see is in my punting account!
Forgot about that, might catch a train to Caulfield to watch the naughty drunk ladies stagger out of the racecourse! It provides some fun entertainment, especially for the men. 😈
It’s a cheap sort of racy entertainment.
Naughty drunk ladies 🙂
Must be an omen Chris.
Absolutely Fabulous just ran third and saved my bacon in the 6th!
461- tragic.
464 jen Sorry, jen just a weak male.
Obama leads among white independents.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1008/14683.html
Back in Sydney now.
Now I have real, personal reason to be irritated by John McCain. Streets were cut off and he caused a traffic jam when we were heading for the JFK airport, for his appearance on Letterman. I thought it was ridiculous at the time – something that should be reserved for the President, visiting heads of state (maybe), or someone that would actually pull the crowds, like Obama.
Seems to be possible evidence of narrowing, per this link at Five Thirty Eight.
http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2008/10/todays-polls-1017.html
I note that site has Obama’s predicted ECVs at 349, down from a high of 361. But still, effect of the debate has not flowed through.
From FiveThirtyEight:
Obama wins important support.
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,24514838-663,00.html
Southern Whites and Obama, the changing face of American politics
http://en.afrik.com/article14699.html
I wonder whether there will be a “Reverse Bradley Effect”. People not saying they support Obama, because they don’t want it to get out.
468
No way! are you kidding me?
btw,,,
That was a good meet fella 😉
you should see what happened elsewhere after that! 🙁
Analysis: McCain jumps around in bid to stop Obama.
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/10/18/america/NA-US-Elections-McCains-Search-Analysis.php
http://defamer.com/5065090/tina-fey-on-sarah-palin-not-since-sling-blade-has-there-been-a-voice-like-hers
http://cartoonbox.slate.com/hottopic/?image=17&topicid=162
Sat Oct 18:
http://news.yahoo.com/comics/nonsequitur;_ylt=AjC.8BZN5hqM7aRDL72XRSHmcLQF
Sat Oct 18:
http://news.yahoo.com/comics/doonesbury;_ylt=Ai958vCsJebWC3v89ip9Rwwl6ysC
Fri Oct 17:
http://news.yahoo.com/edcartoons/mikeluckovich;_ylt=AhNbzfhZW2Sndbd.ClaldubV.i8C
472 Spam Box What at Zagames?
So paddy, it seems I took your money at Caulfield, but somebody gave you theirs in the 6th!. Some arse, in fact four of em took mine shortly there after. 😉
Lets link up, 😉
Otherwise I’m forced to spend the whole evening dicking around with trying to decide who has filled their dog with water and who filled it with crystal 😉
Michelle Bachman seems a nice lady.
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=2L9u1vBFUUc
She makes Sarah Palin sound like a serious intellectual!!
Well spammy, I fortunately decided to only visit Caulfield via the TV.
Otherwise, I’d be in for a long walk home.
The afternoon was not too flash around this house.
Any time a Billionaire, wins a multi-million$ horse race.
God kills another kitten.
Still…….the day has not been an entire waste.
Discovering that Michelle Bachman is running against an opponent
called……………Elywn Tinklenberg!!!!
Where do Americans get their names from?
Chris B’s comment fixed back at 306
(dodgy link)
G’day Ticsters
I see Chris has ben keeping us abreast of all the relevant news.
How are the odds doing? We all quote Intrade – here’s Sportingbet:
Sen. Barack Obama – DEM 1.13
Sen. John McCain – REP 5.25
Thanks Catrina. Some people had said they’d used it already.
By the way…there’s a narrowing goin’ on.
Did anybody notice?
paddy @ Caulfield
See, thats where you went wrong!… puppies buddy, would kill puppies!
it’s the small things 😉
7th in the 1st at Wentworth… good odds! 😆 sure it’s a big ask but?! 😆 lol
😮 … please nobody bet on that!, was a joke…ok!
Although, if it wins, twas part of a cunning, cunning plan 😉
The conservative commentariat continue to abandon McCain. Here’s Peggy Noonan from the WSJ (who in the same article tells us McCain won the 3rd debate):
“In the end the Palin candidacy is a symptom and expression of a new vulgarization in American politics. It’s no good, not for conservatism and not for the country. And yes, it is a mark against John McCain, against his judgment and idealism.
I gather this week from conservative publications that those whose thoughts lead them to criticism in this area are to be shunned, and accused of the lowest motives. In one now-famous case, Christopher Buckley was shooed from the great magazine his father invented. In all this, the conservative intelligentsia are doing what they have done for five years. They bitterly attacked those who came to stand against the Bush administration. This was destructive. If they had stood for conservative principle and the full expression of views, instead of attempting to silence those who opposed mere party, their movement, and the party, would be in a better, and healthier, position.”
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122419210832542317.html
For the first time ever, the Chicago Tribune endorses a Democrat:
“On Dec. 6, 2006, this page encouraged Obama to join the presidential campaign. We wrote that he would celebrate our common values instead of exaggerate our differences. We said he would raise the tone of the campaign. We said his intellectual depth would sharpen the policy debate. In the ensuing 22 months he has done just that.
Many Americans say they’re uneasy about Obama. He’s pretty new to them.
We can provide some assurance. We have known Obama since he entered politics a dozen years ago. We have watched him, worked with him, argued with him as he rose from an effective state senator to an inspiring U.S. senator to the Democratic Party’s nominee for president.
We have tremendous confidence in his intellectual rigor, his moral compass and his ability to make sound, thoughtful, careful decisions. He is ready.”
Good evening all!
I’m pleased that the Republican’s latest attempt to steal Ohio blew up in their faces! We should be glad there is a Democratic Governor in Ohio this time!
According to today’s AUSTRALIAN, Obama will soon visit West Virginia, and start advertising in Montana/North Dakota/Georgia/Kentucky
484
Spammy
You’re clearly a very sick and twisted individual.
Thank God there’s still a few of us left.
485
Ferny
It’s all getting to be a bit of a worry Ferny.
There’s still weeks to go and at the rate the rats are jumping ship, it simply won’t be any really juicy targets left.
I don’t want any of them to escape.
Also from the above Chicago Tribune endorsement:
“We might have counted on John McCain to correct his party’s course. We like McCain. We endorsed him in the Republican primary in Illinois. In part because of his persuasion and resolve, the U.S. stands to win an unconditional victory in Iraq.
It is, though, hard to figure John McCain these days. He argued that President Bush’s tax cuts were fiscally irresponsible, but he now supports them. He promises a balanced budget by the end of his first term, but his tax cut plan would add an estimated $4.2 trillion in debt over 10 years. He has responded to the economic crisis with an angry, populist message and a misguided, $300 billion proposal to buy up bad mortgages.
McCain failed in his most important executive decision. Give him credit for choosing a female running mate–but he passed up any number of supremely qualified Republican women who could have served. Having called Obama not ready to lead, McCain chose Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. His campaign has tried to stage-manage Palin’s exposure to the public. But it’s clear she is not prepared to step in at a moment’s notice and serve as president. McCain put his campaign before his country.”
Polls: Good AND Bad news for Obama
BAD:
Survey USA puts McCain ahead in Florida(49-47)
BETTER FOR OBAMA:
Rasmussen polls put the kid well ahead in
Nevada
Missouri
Colorado
Rumour: McCain is pulling out of Colorado
And in the Washington Post’s endorsement of Obama yesterday, it says this of McCain:
“But the stress of a campaign can reveal some essential truths, and the picture of Mr. McCain that emerged this year is far from reassuring. To pass his party’s tax-cut litmus test, he jettisoned his commitment to balanced budgets. He hasn’t come up with a coherent agenda, and at times he has seemed rash and impulsive. And we find no way to square his professed passion for America’s national security with his choice of a running mate who, no matter what her other strengths, is not prepared to be commander in chief.”
So…….was Joe the Plumber a GOP plant???
488
I do what I can! 🙂
Although right now, the troops are not doing what they could for me!
491
Progressive, that wouldn’t make any sense whatsoever, as Obama is virtually certain to retain all the Kerry States, and if you add the EVs of Iowa, New Mexico and Colorado that gives Obama 272 Electoral Votes. McCain would literally be surrendering the election.
KatieLou, home safe ‘n’ sound after that pesky delay on the way to JFK. Don’t worry, after Nov 4 the only way the old warmonger will be stopping traffic will be if he throws himself under his Babel Express.
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=OafqYNCzq5U
http://cartoonbox.slate.com/hottopic/?image=17&topicid=162
Sat Oct 18:
http://news.yahoo.com/comics/nonsequitur;_ylt=AjC.8BZN5hqM7aRDL72XRSHmcLQF
Sat Oct 18:
http://news.yahoo.com/comics/doonesbury;_ylt=Ai958vCsJebWC3v89ip9Rwwl6ysC
Fri Oct 17:
http://news.yahoo.com/edcartoons/mikeluckovich;_ylt=AhNbzfhZW2Sndbd.ClaldubV.i8C
After looking at 100’s (really, I think I saw most, if not every – toon! EC brought us)
http://cartoonbox.slate.com/hottopic/?image=17&topicid=162
Game over
Glad you like ‘em, Spammy.
*cliché alert*
It’s a tough job but somebody’s gotta do it. Every picture tells a story and saves a thousand words.
Ferny rides the zeitgeist again!
http://editorialcartoonists.com/cartoon/display.cfm/61439
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=x0YDuh1aGyY&feature=related
http://editorialcartoonists.com/cartoon/display.cfm/61436
Somewhere in Virginia…or Florida…or North Carolina….
http://editorialcartoonists.com/cartoon/display.cfm/61217
http://editorialcartoonists.com/cartoon/display.cfm/61435
Thanks EC. And thanks to everyone who sent their wishes while I was in NY. I was only on the puter intermittently.
GhostWhoVotes @468
Those reports about the robocalls are just frightening. I know there’s some unattractive behaviour on both sides, pulling the racist card in the US is truly dangerous, I think. I know lots of people think McCain is a good person, but I’m unconvinced of that. He may have talked back to the nutter who said Barack was an Arab, but he continued to allow Palin a free hand to insight that shit. I’m not buying this thing about McCain being better than his campaign.
Ooh, I have myself a set of shiny campaign badges, and an Obama doll!