Pennsylvania Republicans Highlight Wright in Last-Minute Ad
The Republican Party of Pennsylvania launched a last-minute television ad that calls attention to Barack Obama's relationship with the Rev. Jeremiah Wright.
"If you think you could ever vote for Barack Obama, consider this: Obama chose as his spiritual leader this man," the ad's narrator says before clips of Wright's controversial statements are shown.
"Does that sound like someone who should be president?" the ad asks.
The retired pastor's ties to Obama became an issue during the primary season after controversial clips of Wright's sermons were circulated and widely discussed on the Internet and on television.
Obama later condemned Wright's remarks and said he would have left his church if his pastor had not retired and had not acknowledged making comments that "deeply offended people."
Sen. John McCain has repeatedly said he does not believe Obama's relationship to Wright should be an issue -- to the ire of some Republicans who feel it raises questions about the Illinois senator's judgment.
Gov. Sarah Palin appeared to suggest last month that Wright is a fair issue to raise, but said ultimately it is McCain's decision.
"[Obama] sat in the pews for 20 years and heard Rev. Wright say some things that most people would find a bit concerning. But again that is John McCain's call," Palin told reporters.
The state GOP did not release the extent of the ad buy, but defended airing it.
We feel that it is necessary that the American people remember that Obama sat in a church and listened to this man preach hate for many, many years," said a statement on its Web site. "What does that say about his judgment? Do we want the next president of the United States to have spent years listening to hateful rhetoric without having the good judgment to walk out?"
The ad was paid for by the Republican Federal Committee of Pennsylvania and was not authorized by the McCain campaign.
McCain and Palin have barnstormed Pennsylvania in recent weeks as they try to win the state's 21 electoral votes. Obama leads McCain by 7 points in Pennsylvania, 51 to 44 percent, according to CNN's latest poll of state polls.
Earlier Sunday, Democratic VP candidate Sen. Joe Biden condemned the "politics of division" at a rally interrupted by protesters.
"We can't move past the politics of division unless after this election is over, if God willing we win, we reach out to the very people out in the outer parking lot," he said, calling out the protesters at the Tallahassee, Florida, event.
"We've got to reach out, we've got to end this. Somebody's got to be big enough to stand up and end this," he said.
With two days left until the election, Obama holds a 6-point lead over McCain, 50 to 44 percent, according to CNN's average of national polls.
Six percent of respondents said they are still undecided.
McCain on Sunday told supporters that he and his running mate would "shake up Washington" with a win in Tuesday's presidential election.
"I want to repeat to you one more time, my friends -- we're going to win, and we're going to bring real change to Washington," he said at a rally in Wallingford, Pennsylvania.
"Two days, two days to victory," he said to roaring applause.
Obama has maintained a steady lead over the last month, but CNN Polling Director Keating Holland cautioned against assuming the election is over.
"Keep in mind that this is not a prediction of the final outcome," Holland said. "That's not an easy task with two full days of campaigning to go, in a country in which roughly one in 10 voters tend to make up their minds in the last few days."
Watch more on the final days of campaigning »
Obama on Sunday told voters that their future depends on the final days of the campaign.
"Don't believe for a second this election is over. Don't think for a minute that power will concede without a fight. We have to work like our future depends on it in these last two days, because it does," he said in Columbus, Ohio.
Obama also continued his push to tie McCain to the current administration, calling attention to Vice President Dick Cheney's endorsement of the McCain-Palin ticket.
"I'd like to congratulate Sen. McCain on this endorsement, because he really earned it. That endorsement didn't come easy," Obama said.
"Do you think Dick Cheney is 'delighted' to support John McCain because he thinks John McCain's going to bring change? Because he thinks that somehow John McCain is really going to shake things up?"
Obama's campaign on Sunday released a 30-second ad that highlights Cheney's endorsement, which came Saturday.
"And boy, did McCain earn it. He voted with Bush and Cheney 90 percent of the time," the announcer says of the endorsement. "And that's not the change we need."
McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds responded Saturday in a statement: "Barack Obama and Dick Cheney aren't just cousins; they've shared support for the Bush energy policy and the out-of-control spending that John McCain has fought to oppose."
Bounds was referring to research done by the vice president's wife showing that Cheney and Obama are distant cousins.
CNN's national poll of polls is an average of six surveys: Fox/Opinion Dynamics (October 28-29); ABC/Washington Post (October 28-31); Reuters/C-SPAN/Zogby (October 29-31); Gallup (October 29-31); Diageo/Hotline (October 29-31); and IBD/TIPP (October 27-31). There is no sampling error.
Source:http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/11/02/campaign.wrap/index.html
*** I haven't seen the ad, but I can only assume it is vomit inducing. Elizabeth is going to be all obnoxious about it on the View tomorrow, you betcha! O_o
"If you think you could ever vote for Barack Obama, consider this: Obama chose as his spiritual leader this man," the ad's narrator says before clips of Wright's controversial statements are shown.
"Does that sound like someone who should be president?" the ad asks.
The retired pastor's ties to Obama became an issue during the primary season after controversial clips of Wright's sermons were circulated and widely discussed on the Internet and on television.
Obama later condemned Wright's remarks and said he would have left his church if his pastor had not retired and had not acknowledged making comments that "deeply offended people."
Sen. John McCain has repeatedly said he does not believe Obama's relationship to Wright should be an issue -- to the ire of some Republicans who feel it raises questions about the Illinois senator's judgment.
Gov. Sarah Palin appeared to suggest last month that Wright is a fair issue to raise, but said ultimately it is McCain's decision.
"[Obama] sat in the pews for 20 years and heard Rev. Wright say some things that most people would find a bit concerning. But again that is John McCain's call," Palin told reporters.
The state GOP did not release the extent of the ad buy, but defended airing it.
We feel that it is necessary that the American people remember that Obama sat in a church and listened to this man preach hate for many, many years," said a statement on its Web site. "What does that say about his judgment? Do we want the next president of the United States to have spent years listening to hateful rhetoric without having the good judgment to walk out?"
The ad was paid for by the Republican Federal Committee of Pennsylvania and was not authorized by the McCain campaign.
McCain and Palin have barnstormed Pennsylvania in recent weeks as they try to win the state's 21 electoral votes. Obama leads McCain by 7 points in Pennsylvania, 51 to 44 percent, according to CNN's latest poll of state polls.
Earlier Sunday, Democratic VP candidate Sen. Joe Biden condemned the "politics of division" at a rally interrupted by protesters.
"We can't move past the politics of division unless after this election is over, if God willing we win, we reach out to the very people out in the outer parking lot," he said, calling out the protesters at the Tallahassee, Florida, event.
"We've got to reach out, we've got to end this. Somebody's got to be big enough to stand up and end this," he said.
With two days left until the election, Obama holds a 6-point lead over McCain, 50 to 44 percent, according to CNN's average of national polls.
Six percent of respondents said they are still undecided.
McCain on Sunday told supporters that he and his running mate would "shake up Washington" with a win in Tuesday's presidential election.
"I want to repeat to you one more time, my friends -- we're going to win, and we're going to bring real change to Washington," he said at a rally in Wallingford, Pennsylvania.
"Two days, two days to victory," he said to roaring applause.
Obama has maintained a steady lead over the last month, but CNN Polling Director Keating Holland cautioned against assuming the election is over.
"Keep in mind that this is not a prediction of the final outcome," Holland said. "That's not an easy task with two full days of campaigning to go, in a country in which roughly one in 10 voters tend to make up their minds in the last few days."
Watch more on the final days of campaigning »
Obama on Sunday told voters that their future depends on the final days of the campaign.
"Don't believe for a second this election is over. Don't think for a minute that power will concede without a fight. We have to work like our future depends on it in these last two days, because it does," he said in Columbus, Ohio.
Obama also continued his push to tie McCain to the current administration, calling attention to Vice President Dick Cheney's endorsement of the McCain-Palin ticket.
"I'd like to congratulate Sen. McCain on this endorsement, because he really earned it. That endorsement didn't come easy," Obama said.
"Do you think Dick Cheney is 'delighted' to support John McCain because he thinks John McCain's going to bring change? Because he thinks that somehow John McCain is really going to shake things up?"
Obama's campaign on Sunday released a 30-second ad that highlights Cheney's endorsement, which came Saturday.
"And boy, did McCain earn it. He voted with Bush and Cheney 90 percent of the time," the announcer says of the endorsement. "And that's not the change we need."
McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds responded Saturday in a statement: "Barack Obama and Dick Cheney aren't just cousins; they've shared support for the Bush energy policy and the out-of-control spending that John McCain has fought to oppose."
Bounds was referring to research done by the vice president's wife showing that Cheney and Obama are distant cousins.
CNN's national poll of polls is an average of six surveys: Fox/Opinion Dynamics (October 28-29); ABC/Washington Post (October 28-31); Reuters/C-SPAN/Zogby (October 29-31); Gallup (October 29-31); Diageo/Hotline (October 29-31); and IBD/TIPP (October 27-31). There is no sampling error.
Source:http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/11/02/campaign.wrap/index.html
*** I haven't seen the ad, but I can only assume it is vomit inducing. Elizabeth is going to be all obnoxious about it on the View tomorrow, you betcha! O_o