You Have 1,000 Votes

Note: I've been predicting a double-digit victory for Hillary Clinton in Tuesday's Pennsylvania Primary. Most of the polls are predicting a single-digit win, the number now favored by Gov. Ed Rendell, a Hillary supporter. I've also pointed out that Obama, post-"bitter" comments, has been dropping like a rock in national polls. Tomorrow night will be a big one for Sen. Clinton. (I know, I'm going out on a limb.)

John McCain's victory -- in your precinct, state, and country -- depends largely on people exactly like you. During the time between now and the General Election (November 4, 2008), I'll discuss ways that average Americans (and above-average Americans) can help ensure that John McCain becomes the next President of the U.S. Here are some basic steps you can take:

• Tell your friends and family members that you're strongly backing John McCain -- something that will make them more likely to do so. You can do this face-to-face or through e-mails;
• Keep yourself up on what's happening each day in the McCain Campaign -- by e-mailing Patrick Hynes at phynes@calypsocom.com and asking to be on his mailing list;
• Go to the John McCain store at: http://store.johnmccain.com/ to order McCain-related apparel, buttons, stickers, signs, and accessories. If you wear a McCain hat or tee-shirt, you're functioning something like a walking billboard;
• Visit http://johnmccain.com/ to find out the various ways you can back McCain, including making a small donation (or a large one!) to the candidate;
  
• Join interest or demographic groups for McCain, including O. P. Ditch's http://www.vets4mccain.com/. Col. Ditch is signing up tens of thousands of veterans who back their fellow veteran, John McCain.
• Learn ways you can use your blog to enhance McCain's chance of winning. A great resource is Kathy Morrison's at: http://mccainbloggerresources.blogspot.com/.
• Join Bard Marston's exciting new McCain site: McCainNow.com. It's designed to bring our combined power together in a fun and exciting form. Built on the same software platform as Facebook, McCainNow.com allows you to start your own blog, join or start discussions on our forums, and join or start your own group. As Brad explains, "We are already getting ready to roll out Wall posts, Friends Connections and much, much more."
• Make certain all the McCain supporters in your community are registered -- and that they vote on November 4. Explain that every vote truly counts.
• Visit blogs that continue good information and insights about the presidential race, including this blog or its mirror blog. I also blog about Pennsylvania at: http://pennsylvaniaforjohnmccain.blogspot.com/. And, when my arms don't fall off, I blog at an innovative site called: http://hillarysupportersformccain.blogspot.com/. Although I don't support Hillary Clinton, I hope to work closely with people who have supported her but now lean toward John McCain.

If you leverage your individual strength by helping recruit other McCain supporters, you might influence 100 votes -- or, if you have lots of time on your hands, even 1,000 votes. I'm certainly hoping to do so.


Here are some quick links you should explore: McCain Now
McCainVictory08
JohnMcCain2008
State Groups
Donate Today

Black Conservatives, McCain Service Tour

Can McCain Win PA's Black vote?

This will be tomorrow's topic: Can McCain Win the Black Vote? The short answer is that he can't win a majority of the Black vote -- in any state -- but we can do a lot better than Republicans have in the past. In the past generation, Republican presidential candidates have won only about 10% of the Black vote.What if McCain can win 20%-plus of the Black vote in battleground states like Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Ohio, and Michigan? Then he would win the electoral votes in all of them. It's that important.There's some evidence that McCain will do better in Black communities than any Republican since Richard Nixon in 1960 (who won 32% of the Black vote in his race against John F. Kennedy). Frankly, McCain has more in common with most Black who vote than either Caucasian Hillary Clinton or mixed-race Barack Obama.

More to follow on Tuesday.



Patrick Hynes, an important operative on the McCain Campaign sent me the following. (If you want to get regular updates from Patrick, you can do so by e-mailing him at: phynes@calypsocom.com. He's terrific.

Throughout this week I will be filing blog posts from the McCain campaign’s bio tour.

I have three posts up today:

“Biography as Character Witness” http://www.johnmccain.com/Blog/Read.aspx?guid=5ec275cc-c79e-4953-a198-28ce465a36fa

“Service” http://www.johnmccain.com/Blog/Read.aspx?guid=14cbad26-ceba-4844-b4f4-5ff5333d58e5

“Lex!” http://www.johnmccain.com/Blog/Read.aspx?guid=8f5c39ff-35cf-43fb-a63e-bd4f789f759d

I sure would appreciate it if you decided to link to these posts, and some of the upcoming posts later this week.

Patrick

Note From Steve: My very popular quote from Sam Adams is below.

GREAT NEWS FOR JOHN MCCAIN!

Gallup Poll: “Sizable proportion of Democrats” would vote for John McCain over Clinton or Obama

· Clinton supporters who would vote for McCain over Obama = 28%
· Obama supporters who would vote for McCain over Clinton = 19%

Gallup says, “The data suggest that the continuing and sometimes fractious Democratic nomination fight could have a negative impact for the Democratic Party in next November's election. A not insignificant percentage of both Obama and Clinton supporters currently say they would vote for McCain if he ends up running against the candidate they do not support.”

http://www.gallup.com/poll/105691/McCain-vs-Obama-28-Clinton-Backers-McCain.aspx

What would Gallup's number mean for John McCain in The Keystone State?

Here are (close) approximations of Pennsylvania's current registration figures:

4.4 Million Democrats
3.2 Million Republicans
1.0 Million Independents

As you can see, McCain -- at least theoretically -- couldn't win Pennsylvania if Democrats and Republican voted within their parties. And that would be the case if he does well, as expected, with Independent voters.

In short, to win Pennsylvania, McCain must attract a good chunk of Democratic voters. The Gallup Poll numbers suggest that's doable, especially if Barack Obama wins his Party's nomination, as appears likely.

How probable is it that McCain will do well with Pennsylvania Democrats? It is probable, based on past experience. In 2000 and, especially 2004, George W. Bush, not as popular with Pennsylvanians as John McCain, performed well in The Keystone State. Against John Kerry, he got 48% of the vote -- a number well above the less than 40% of the electorate that identifies itself as Republican.

If voter attitudes stay roughly as they are now, John McCain should be an almost certain winner in Pennsylvania, and that's very bad news for Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.

NOTE: If you want to get up-to-minute information from the McCain campaign, please send an e-mail to Patrick Hynes at: phynes@calypsocom.com.

Pennsylvania: McCain Leads Clinton, Obama

"A political gaffe occurs when someone inadvertently tells the truth." (John Fund)

Things are getting very ugly in Pennsylvania on the Democrat side. Meanwhile, things are looking very good for Sen. McCain in the Key Stone State.

http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2008/03/13/poll-puts-mccain-ahead-of-clinton-and-obama-in-pennsylvania/print/

Bulletin: I received the following today from an important McCain operative, Patrick Hynes.

Wall Street Journal’s Washington Wire Blog: Poll Puts McCain Ahead Of Clinton And Obama In Pennsylvania

By Elizabeth Holmes

Could the mudslinging between Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama in Pennsylvania help Sen. John McCain?

A new poll gives McCain,the presumptive Republican nominee, a lead over both his Democratic opponents in the Keystone State, which holds its primary on April 22. When survey respondents were asked if they would choose McCain or Clinton in the general election, 48% opted for McCain versus 42% for Clinton. A match-up between McCain and Obama was closer, with McCain receiving 47% and Obama at 44%.

Even though the poll puts McCain ahead of Obama, his campaign sent the numbers to the media with the subject: “Obama outperforms Clinton against McCain.”

But McCain isn’t resting on his laurels. The Arizona senator is headed to Pennsylvania for a fund-raiser tonight in Philadelphia and a town hall meeting Friday morning in Springfield, Pa. McCain recognizes the need to work for attention — acknowledging Wednesday that the constant media focus on Obama and Clinton keeps his name out of the headlines.

“If we have spirited campaign between Sen. Obama and Sen. Clinton for a long time and I turn on the TV, I don’t see my face very often,” McCain said from the back of his Straight Talk Express bus. “That’s what news is about.”

Steve notes: On this site, I've discussed how critical it is that, in the general election, McCain wins Pennsylvania. The recent poll data suggests McCain is ahead of his two Democratic rivals, but there's a lot of work remaining to be done. John McCain needs your donataions, your vote, your volunteer activity, and -- most of all -- your prayers. Playing the race and gender cards is not helping Clinton or Obama.

Breaking News: McCain Lambastes Clinton, Obama for Their Wasteful Pork Barrel Spending!


http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/03/13/mccain-obama-and-clinton-wasted-hundreds-of-millions/

CNN’s Political Ticker Blog: McCain: Obama And Clinton Wasted Hundreds Of Millions

By Alexander Marquardt

WASHINGTON (CNN) – John McCain left the campaign trail Thursday to return to the Senate to vote for a bill that would place a one-year moratorium on earmarks, money that is tacked onto bills by legislators for pet projects.

“I believe we must end this process, which has diverted billions in taxpayer dollars to needless projects, once and for all. If voters give me the pen, I will veto every single pork-barrel bill Congress sends me,” McCain said in a statement.

The Arizona senator blasts excess spending every step of the way on the campaign trail and though Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton will join him in voting for the measure, McCain criticized their past use of earmarks.

“They have used earmarks and some of them in a manner I don’t that think taxpayers would at all approve of,” McCain told CNN. “It’s hundreds of millions of dollars, taxpayers’ dollars, that are absolutely outrageously wasted.”

McCain urged Obama and Clinton to be more transparent and reveal the earmarks they’ve asked for, saying it’s likely much of that money hasn’t been spent yet and can be recuperated.

“I call on them to say ‘hey, don’t spend that money,’ because they’re earmarks, they didn’t go through a proper process and taxpayers can’t afford it.”

All three senators running for president are back in their day jobs on Capitol Hill Thursday for the first time in about a month.