U.S. jobs increased significantly in February after a very strong January. This could create an interesting political wrinkle for Republicans running for president. Simply blaming President Obama for the economy is losing it's punch. The Republican candidate needs to explain why less regulation and lower taxes will make the economy stronger. A few months ago some Republicans thought they'd simply be able to point to the economy and win the election. That no longer appears the case. The economy is not the only issue, but if the Republican candidate doesn't win that issue, it seems unlikley that they'll have much of a shot next November.
U.S. gains 227,000 jobs in February
"The unemployment rate was unchanged at 8.3% as nearly half-a-million workers reentered the labor force in search of jobs, the Labor Department reported. That’s usually a good sign because it means people believe more work is available.
The increase in nonfarm jobs topped 200,000 for the third straight month, which reinforces the view of an economy gathering strength as 2012 unfolds. The past three months of full-time job growth — aided by unusually warm winter weather — is the fastest since the end of the 2007-2009 recession and marks the best performance since early 2006.
The influx of new jobs is also pumping more cash into the economy in the form of wages and salaries, generating fresh demand among consumers for the goods and services that businesses produce. Consumer spending accounts for 70% of U.S. economic growth.
If that keeps up, businesses might have to hire more workers to meet the rise demand, further underpinning the economic recovery.
Improved job growth exceed Wall Street estimates. Economists surveyed by MarketWatch had predicted an increase of 213,000 jobs on a seasonally adjusted basis, with unemployment holding steady at 8.3%. "
Showing posts with label presidential race. Show all posts
Showing posts with label presidential race. Show all posts
Friday, March 9, 2012
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Expanding McCain's Online Presence
While the McCain online presence has lagged behind the Democrats, there has been a recent increase in supporter run pages. A key element of connecting and promoting the average McCain blogger or site owner has been the McCain Victory 08 Blog Roll. This lists many of the active pro-McCain sites on the web. Some of these sites are strictly dedicated to supporting Senator McCain for President, while others focus on other topics yet also are signed on as McCain supporters. For example this post was originally published at Broad Side of the Barn, a site with a broad focus yet often used to host McCain related pages like the McCain Traffic page. An affiliate of that site is Purple People Vote, a site for Independents and Moderates that is focused on the presidential race. Yet recently there has been the addition of sites like McCain Google Groups, which focuses on state based volunteering and resouces. A couple new and promising social network sites have emerged, McCain Now and John McCain 2008. These site include a variety of features such as individual blogs, and topic discussions. They add a new wrinkle to McCain SocNets; though MySpace and Facebook still have active McCain groups too. A couple of the major McCain contributor based blogs include Blogs 4 McCain and Blogs for McCain Victory. There is always a need to increase the reach of the McCain online presence. For those who would like to become bloggers, or would like blogging tips there is McCain Blogger Resources. It includes a simple how to article for McCain supporters to set up there own blog. As more sites go online an join the growing McCain blogger/online volunteer community the message and reach of the McCain campaign is given a better opportunity to grow. Bloggers, site owners, network managers all welcome newcomers and hope you will consider volunteering online and off.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
NYT Attacks Giuliani and McCain
The few people that I have seen come to the defense of the NYT have stated that they didn't think it was fair to say that the article was written with the intent to undermine the Republican nominee. The fact that the NYT smeared Mayor Giuliani only a few months ago then burried a retraction in the back of their paper adds to this theory, and explicitly shows their lack of integrity and journalistic chops. Some have noted that this story is unifying conservatives, but I think it also needs to be noted that people across the political spectrum are coming to the defense of Senator McCain. This article is an affront to fair minded people of all political persuasions. The Times itself admits,
"Personally, I was surprised by the volume of the reaction (including more than 2,400 reader comments posted on our Web site). I was surprised by how lopsided the opinion was against our decision, with readers who described themselves as independents and Democrats joining Republicans in defending Mr. McCain from what they saw as a cheap shot."
The NYT has shown repeatedly that it lacks credibility and is more than willing to run unsubstantiated drivel to sell a paper. Just look at how their effect on the Giuliani campaign...
------
Relevant reading...
The New York Times Would Like to Hear From You
Why the Left and the Right Should be Upset About the NYT Story
------
From - http://blogs4mccain.com/
"Personally, I was surprised by the volume of the reaction (including more than 2,400 reader comments posted on our Web site). I was surprised by how lopsided the opinion was against our decision, with readers who described themselves as independents and Democrats joining Republicans in defending Mr. McCain from what they saw as a cheap shot."
The NYT has shown repeatedly that it lacks credibility and is more than willing to run unsubstantiated drivel to sell a paper. Just look at how their effect on the Giuliani campaign...
------
Relevant reading...
The New York Times Would Like to Hear From You
Why the Left and the Right Should be Upset About the NYT Story
------
From - http://blogs4mccain.com/
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
McCain Leads - and can Defeat Clinton
Washington Post --Dan Balz
Sunday night speeches rarely get much attention but the address John McCain delivered in New Hampshire last night deserves a closer look. It was his most cogent argument for why he should be the Republican nominee and a blueprint for how he would run against Hillary Clinton, if she were the Democratic candidate.
McCain couched his criticisms of the Democratic front-runner in civil tones, eschewing some of the hotter rhetoric coming forth from other Republican candidates and particularly from GOP partisans anxious to demonize her. "I intend this to be a respectful debate," McCain said. "She and I disagree over America's direction, and it is a serious disagreement. But I don't doubt her ability to lead this country where she thinks it should go."
That said, McCain proceeded to draw a series of bright and highly unflattering distinctions between the two of them -- in their worldview, in their approach to government's role in health care and the economy and especially on two of the most difficult issues likely to face the next president, Iraq and Iran.
McCain promised a respectful debate, but he was scornful of Clinton's position on Iraq. He implied that she had voted for the 2002 resolution authorizing the war because of polls and that she has abandoned that position because the war has become highly unpopular.
"I wouldn't surrender when we can still succeed, and accept the terrible consequences that would ensue, because I feared the polls more than history's judgment," he said, according to the prepared text of his remarks.
McCain recalled, critically, Clinton's comment to Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander of U.S. forces in Iraq, during congressional testimony in September, when she said that his optimistic assessment of progress on the ground required "the willful suspension of disbelief."
Instead, McCain said, it is Clinton who has suspended belief in the face of positive reports about the effect of the troop surge policy in Iraq. He accused her of succumbing to "her rivals and the fringe of her party" in allowing her to be jerked "toward a position she knows is irresponsible."
McCain stacked up his record against hers -- highlighting his opposition to the policies of former defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld and his advocacy for the surge policy proposed by President Bush and implemented this year by Petraeus. In contrast to Clinton, McCain suggested that he had taken the honorable but more difficult course.
"I took abuse from members of my own party -- some of it pretty tough -- for doing so," he said. "And I stuck by it knowing it could hurt my chances for the presidency. I did it for one reason: I would rather lose an election than stay silent and watch my country lose a war."
On Iran, he suggested that Clinton is mostly confused. He asserted that she once ruled out unconditional negotiations with the Iranians but now is willing to talk without preconditions. McCain said he would pursue vigorous diplomacy with others to apply pressure on the Iranians. In reality, it is not clear there is as much difference here as McCain suggests, but he portrayed his potential rival as naive if she were to follow the course he said she favors.
On other issues, McCain drew a contrast between his long record of fighting government waste against what he said is Clinton's belief in big government. "She'll have Washington assume more of your responsibilities and raise your taxes to pay for it," he said. "She won't address seriously the fiscal crisis of Social Security and Medicare or if she does she'll let congressional Democrats convince her to raise your taxes."
McCain was more circumspect about his plans for the two big entitlement programs, promising only to fix them without raising taxes. That leaves the choices as either potentially painful in terms of reduced benefits or fanciful through gimmickry and sleight-of-hand. He said he would, if Congress balked, force an up-or-down vote on his proposals. Bush learned on Social Security how hard that can be.
McCain said he and Clinton would have a major argument over health care -- as would any of the Republican candidates. Clinton favors universal coverage that would include a mandate for all individuals to purchase insurance. McCain said he would make health care "more accessible by making it more affordable."
McCain called hers a big government plan, while Clinton has argued that she would keep the bulk of the current system of private insurance in place. She and other Democrats have argued that Republicans are not serious about insuring everyone and are not willing to put enough additional money into the system to achieve real success.
There were other areas of disagreement, from judicial appointments to reforming and expanding the military, which McCain cited in his speech at Franklin Pierce University. Boiled down to its essence, he said he offers one direction and she offers an alternative that he believes "is absolutely wrong for America and wrong for the world."
What McCain said about himself, however, may be the more important part of the speech, given that his campaign still faces serious obstacles en route to the nomination. Without speaking about his GOP rivals, McCain portrayed himself as the most equipped to deal with a hostile world and the conservative with the best chance of defeating Clinton.
"On matters of war and peace," he said, "I offer Americans my experience, my personal familiarity with the tragedy of war, deep involvement in all of the national security issues of the last two decades and steadfast conviction that America cannot afford to relinquish its leadership of the world and the world can't afford it either."
McCain's speech came hours before Rudy Giuliani was to launch a new television ad extolling his experience in crisis management as without parallel in the presidential race. The Arizona senator begged to differ. "No other candidate," he said, "has my experience or the judgment it informs."
McCain must spend the next eight weeks repeating that argument over and over again as he campaigns to win the New Hampshire primary. Should he succeed, he might yet have the opportunity to demonstrate whether it is possible to run both a courteous and vigorous general election campaign. As he showed on Sunday, the differences between the parties are huge and the stakes high. The choice, he said, "couldn't be a bigger one."
Reprint from http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2007/11/19/mccain_experience_no_one_else.html
Sunday night speeches rarely get much attention but the address John McCain delivered in New Hampshire last night deserves a closer look. It was his most cogent argument for why he should be the Republican nominee and a blueprint for how he would run against Hillary Clinton, if she were the Democratic candidate.
McCain couched his criticisms of the Democratic front-runner in civil tones, eschewing some of the hotter rhetoric coming forth from other Republican candidates and particularly from GOP partisans anxious to demonize her. "I intend this to be a respectful debate," McCain said. "She and I disagree over America's direction, and it is a serious disagreement. But I don't doubt her ability to lead this country where she thinks it should go."
That said, McCain proceeded to draw a series of bright and highly unflattering distinctions between the two of them -- in their worldview, in their approach to government's role in health care and the economy and especially on two of the most difficult issues likely to face the next president, Iraq and Iran.
McCain promised a respectful debate, but he was scornful of Clinton's position on Iraq. He implied that she had voted for the 2002 resolution authorizing the war because of polls and that she has abandoned that position because the war has become highly unpopular.
"I wouldn't surrender when we can still succeed, and accept the terrible consequences that would ensue, because I feared the polls more than history's judgment," he said, according to the prepared text of his remarks.
McCain recalled, critically, Clinton's comment to Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander of U.S. forces in Iraq, during congressional testimony in September, when she said that his optimistic assessment of progress on the ground required "the willful suspension of disbelief."
Instead, McCain said, it is Clinton who has suspended belief in the face of positive reports about the effect of the troop surge policy in Iraq. He accused her of succumbing to "her rivals and the fringe of her party" in allowing her to be jerked "toward a position she knows is irresponsible."
McCain stacked up his record against hers -- highlighting his opposition to the policies of former defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld and his advocacy for the surge policy proposed by President Bush and implemented this year by Petraeus. In contrast to Clinton, McCain suggested that he had taken the honorable but more difficult course.
"I took abuse from members of my own party -- some of it pretty tough -- for doing so," he said. "And I stuck by it knowing it could hurt my chances for the presidency. I did it for one reason: I would rather lose an election than stay silent and watch my country lose a war."
On Iran, he suggested that Clinton is mostly confused. He asserted that she once ruled out unconditional negotiations with the Iranians but now is willing to talk without preconditions. McCain said he would pursue vigorous diplomacy with others to apply pressure on the Iranians. In reality, it is not clear there is as much difference here as McCain suggests, but he portrayed his potential rival as naive if she were to follow the course he said she favors.
On other issues, McCain drew a contrast between his long record of fighting government waste against what he said is Clinton's belief in big government. "She'll have Washington assume more of your responsibilities and raise your taxes to pay for it," he said. "She won't address seriously the fiscal crisis of Social Security and Medicare or if she does she'll let congressional Democrats convince her to raise your taxes."
McCain was more circumspect about his plans for the two big entitlement programs, promising only to fix them without raising taxes. That leaves the choices as either potentially painful in terms of reduced benefits or fanciful through gimmickry and sleight-of-hand. He said he would, if Congress balked, force an up-or-down vote on his proposals. Bush learned on Social Security how hard that can be.
McCain said he and Clinton would have a major argument over health care -- as would any of the Republican candidates. Clinton favors universal coverage that would include a mandate for all individuals to purchase insurance. McCain said he would make health care "more accessible by making it more affordable."
McCain called hers a big government plan, while Clinton has argued that she would keep the bulk of the current system of private insurance in place. She and other Democrats have argued that Republicans are not serious about insuring everyone and are not willing to put enough additional money into the system to achieve real success.
There were other areas of disagreement, from judicial appointments to reforming and expanding the military, which McCain cited in his speech at Franklin Pierce University. Boiled down to its essence, he said he offers one direction and she offers an alternative that he believes "is absolutely wrong for America and wrong for the world."
What McCain said about himself, however, may be the more important part of the speech, given that his campaign still faces serious obstacles en route to the nomination. Without speaking about his GOP rivals, McCain portrayed himself as the most equipped to deal with a hostile world and the conservative with the best chance of defeating Clinton.
"On matters of war and peace," he said, "I offer Americans my experience, my personal familiarity with the tragedy of war, deep involvement in all of the national security issues of the last two decades and steadfast conviction that America cannot afford to relinquish its leadership of the world and the world can't afford it either."
McCain's speech came hours before Rudy Giuliani was to launch a new television ad extolling his experience in crisis management as without parallel in the presidential race. The Arizona senator begged to differ. "No other candidate," he said, "has my experience or the judgment it informs."
McCain must spend the next eight weeks repeating that argument over and over again as he campaigns to win the New Hampshire primary. Should he succeed, he might yet have the opportunity to demonstrate whether it is possible to run both a courteous and vigorous general election campaign. As he showed on Sunday, the differences between the parties are huge and the stakes high. The choice, he said, "couldn't be a bigger one."
Reprint from http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2007/11/19/mccain_experience_no_one_else.html
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