Why did the GOP abandon Michigan?

[ColbertWatcher]

[opihimoimoi]

1. No sense wasting monies chasing Truth in the Woods....

:toast:

[saltpoint]

2. McCain's team felt they had a fighting chance to steal Michigan from

us.

It was a no-go. Their internals must have been dreadful. They don't have the cash to stay and fight on. Obama is surging in red states. McCain appears to lack the funds and his team definitely lacks the talent to pretend they can contend for Michigan.

He loses New England. He loses the mid-Atlantic states. His only Great Lakes state chance is Indiana, and that's in question. He's in trouble in Virginia and North Carolina and Florida.

[ColbertWatcher]

3. There are even indications that Obama may be gaining in West Virginia. n/t

[saltpoint]

4. That would be great.

We'd be pleased to welcome WV to the blue side.

[ColbertWatcher]

5. Here is a link ...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=7279720&mesg_id=7279720

[beac]

9. Ralph Stanley (the famous bluegrass artist) made a great radio ad that

is running in western Virginia and I sure hope they are running it in West Virginia. I think his word will carry a LOT of weight with voters from a certain demographic who might otherwise be fearful of a black President.

Stanley bio here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ralph_Stanley

Listen to ad here: http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/10/new_obama_ad_in_south_stars_bl.php

[ColbertWatcher]

10. Wow. Have you posted that as its own thread?

You really should.

You know, I didn't think I'd ever heard of him, but after listening to his voice from the ad it sounded familiar.

Then when I clicked on the Wikip*dia link you gave and read up, I realized where I'd heard his voice before: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VoIebIKNS4s

Great guy, thank you for posting.

[beac]

14. Just checked and it looks like a few others beat me to it.

(I figured this would be the case since I didn't read the TPM article until today.)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x7284904

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x204939

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x3523309


Too bad they didn't search first too, so it could have been one BIG thread. :(


In any case, the Stanley endorsement will be really GREAT for Obama!

[ColbertWatcher]

16. Well, I'll be damned. I must have missed them. Thank you for posting here! n/t

[JDPriestly]

6. In this economy, Republicans are dirt in Michigan and they know it.

[TahitiNut]

7. It wasn't the GOP. It was the McCain/Palin campaign. Big difference.

In my district, we're hoping for the end of Joe Knollenberg ... but he's deeply rooted and campaigning hard. Carl Levin is running for reelection to the Senate and it looks OK. This state as a lot of GOPhers.

[ColbertWatcher]

8. As far as I'm concerned, they're all the Bush Administration. n/t

[Demeter]

11. Even Denial of Reality Will Get You Only So Far

with employment in Michigan at 8.9%, McCain offering nothing, there was no hope whatsoever. And with the word out to poll inspectors that voters may not be challenged because of foreclosure, all the fun was taken out of the game.

[ColbertWatcher]

12. Is that 8.9% the number of people collecting unemployment?

Because I've heard the real unemployment numbers are way worse.

[Demeter]

17. That's What's Left of the Population that Hasn't Exhausted Unemployment

and that qualified for it in the first place. We've been like this since 2001. We're already adjusted (unlike California) and there hasn't been any care or assistance until this Big 3 loan guarantee.

Lots of people up and left. Lots.

[ColbertWatcher]

18. Had to have been before that ...

... Michael Moore's "Roger and Me" was in 1989 (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098213/)

I hate that eviction scene.

[Demeter]

26. There Were 8 Good Years (Clinton, of Course)

but before that, Engler and Reagan/Bush, and after, Dumbya.

[existentialist]

33. I know that the energy industry in Wyoming

has sent many recruiting teams to Michigan these past several years and there are now many former MI residents living and working in Wyoming and making damned good money with good job security so far. Many of those from Michigan who've been interviewed say they have no intention of ever returning to MI.

My wife left Ohio for South Dakota a few years ago, where we met, for the same reasons and will never be going back except for visits to family and friends. She says that Ohio won't be any better than Michigan economically and job-wise before too long, if it's not there already.

[4lbs]

13. On one of the MSM shows they were talking about this and someone mentioned McCain's speech...

that occurred early in the campaign. He was talking to Detroit autoworkers and trying to give them some of his "Straight Talk".

He said (paraphrasing): "Face it, your jobs have gone overseas, and they're never coming back."

That did a lot of damage to his campaign in the eyes of many Michigan voters. Much more so than Obama's speech to "The Big Three" early this year (or was it late last year?).

[ColbertWatcher]

15. Oh yeah, I remember that!

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/01/10/staking_out_the_next_battlegrounds/?page=2

Can't find a video though.

[Taverner]

19. So they could refocus their efforts to cheat in Ohio or Pennsylvania

[MrScorpio]

20. I told them to get the Hell out

[TahitiNut]

22. You too?

GMTA :shrug:

[MrScorpio]

23. Hey, you're over Royal Oak, I'm in Chesterfield

I'm going to an Obama canvassing meeting this Monday in New Baltimore

Are you interested in going?

[Suspicious]

21. I just came back from a walk with my dog....

I live in Michigan. I am not kidding - we walked all around the neighborhood and NEARLY EVERY YARD for blocks and blocks has an Obama sign.

[Motown_Johnny]

37. where the hell are they getting the signs? I can't get an official Obama sign no matter what I do

right now I have 2 up that were printed by a local labor union. It is the best I could do. (along with a Bledsoe sign)

I even went to the state headquarters down on West Grand and they were out too.

[existentialist]

24. McCain abandoned Michigan

The Republicans have not. Republican groups are still running ads and campaigning in Michigan, and some of them are upset with the McCain organization for giving up.

Also, the Obama organization has said that they don't buy McCain giving up there, and are still running a campaign.

This has implications in the Congressional races, and, indirectly in the nationwide races in aggregate.

Some of those congressional races are looking much better for the Democrats in the last week, and we stand to pick up some seats there, and the coattail effects work both ways.

It's good that Obama is ahead in Michigan and gaining.

As far as the presidential race it was a tactical decision (and we can hope an act of desperation) on the part of the McCain campaign to bail out, and who knows whether it was a good decision or not.

However, in so far as it has an affect on the congressional races, and insofar as it has affects on the morale of the larger party organizations--Democrat and Republican--this is good news.

[adamuu]

25. Other:

Dems suspicious of McCain pullout - Obama camp sticks to Mich. game plan
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x3526643

[radfringe]

27. mccain raised the white flag of surrender then cut and ran... n/t

[ColbertWatcher]

28. Perfect! I wonder if we got anyone in Michigan who can do something with that!?

Maybe a picture in front of an abandoned manufacturing plant of some sort?

[radfringe]

29. working on a toon about it now... "evil grin" n/t

[ColbertWatcher]

30. LOL! Can't wait to see it! n/t

[radfringe]

31. here you go... ***spit take alert***

[ColbertWatcher]

32. LOL! Poor, poor asshole! n/t

[lonestarnot]

34. For the same reason they are going to abandon Ohio, Florida, Colarado and yes Arizona!

:evilgrin:

[kenny blankenship]

35. Telling them their jobs are never coming back doesn't go down too good

[ellie]

36. There is no way in hell

the good people of Michigan will allow their state to go red. No way. I used to live in Royal Oak, outside of Detroit. Michiganians or Michiganders are salt-of-the-earth types and they are not going to be taken in by McSame and his side-kick Gov. Stupid.

[Liberal_in_LA]

38. kick

[Blue_Tires]

39. the Michigan Militia is voting for Ron Paul

[roamer65]

40. Because Southeast MI is overwhelmingly Democratic and turnout is going to be very high.

When SE MI votes in large numbers, the Rethuglican party loses in MI. I heard on local public radio the other day that registration is at record numbers in MI.