washingtonpost.com - Elections

Obama Camp Relying Heavily on Ground Effort

Alec MacGillis — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT

In 2004, Democrats watched as any chance of defeating President Bush slipped away in a wave of Republican turnout that exceeded even the goal-beating numbers that their own side had produced.

Issue of Race Creeps Into Campaign

Anne E. Kornblut — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT

In the first presidential campaign involving an African American nominee of a major party, both candidates have agreed on this much: They would rather not dwell on the subject of race.

Pollsters Debate 'Bradley Effect'

Steven A. Holmes — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Not long ago, it was considered political gospel: Be wary of polls when an election involves an African American candidate, because many whites will voice support but then vote for the white opponent.

Probe Finds Palin Abused Power in Case of Trooper

James V. Grimaldi and Kimberly Kindy — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT

An Alaska state legislative investigator found yesterday that Gov. Sarah Palin abused executive power when she and her husband engaged in a campaign to oust her former brother-in-law from the state police force.

Palin's New Role: Traditional Running Mate

Perry Bacon Jr. — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT

WILMINGTON, Ohio -- In her initial days as a vice presidential candidate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin sought to reach beyond the Republican base to independents and moderate Democrats dissatisfied with Sen. Barack Obama. At campaign events, she praised Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) and openly...

McCain Mum on Former Pastor

Steven A. Holmes and Michael D. Shear — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT

As John McCain's campaign hits hard at some of Barack Obama's past associations, one person closely tied to the Democratic candidate is conspicuously absent from the attacks: the Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr. It is an omission that some Republican strategists and McCain supporters find puzzling and...

McCain Moves to Soften the Tone at Rallies, if Not in Ads

Michael D. Shear — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT

LAKEVILLE, Minn., Oct. 10 -- At the end of perhaps the most charged and negative week of the presidential campaign, Sen. John McCain sought to tone down his rhetoric toward Sen. Barack Obama even as his running mate, allies and his own advertising continued to attack the character of the Democrat...

Measuring the Curtains?

Howard Kurtz — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 09:47:02 EDT

Contrarian thought for the day: Could all the recent poll-driven chatter about how Barack Obama is sewing up the election come back to bite him?

PR Consultant Helped Palin Grab Spotlight

Kimberly Kindy — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT

During her first months in office, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin kept a relatively light schedule on her workdays in Juneau, making ceremonial appearances at sports events and funerals, meeting with state lawmakers, and conducting interviews with Alaska magazines, radio stations and newspapers.

Candidates Spar Over McCain Plan for Loans

Robert Barnes and Michael D. Shear — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT

PORTSMOUTH, Ohio, Oct. 9 -- Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama on Thursday said rival John McCain's mortgage rescue plan "punishes" taxpayers and rewards lending institutions that created the crisis, while McCain charged that his opponent's response showed a lack of concern for...

Anger Is Crowd's Overarching Emotion at McCain Rally

Michael D. Shear and Perry Bacon Jr. — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT

WAUKESHA, Wis., Oct. 9 -- There were shouts of "Nobama" and "Socialist" at the mention of the Democratic presidential nominee. There were boos, middle fingers turned up and thumbs turned down as a media caravan moved through the crowd Thursday for a midday town hall gathering featuring John McCai...

Bush Creates Council for Transition

Dan Eggen — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT

President Bush created a special council yesterday to guide the transition to a new administration, another step toward the end of Bush's eight tumultuous years in office.

From Outsider To Politician

Eli Saslow — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. The taunting began as soon as Barack Obama joined the Illinois Senate in January 1997. He had expected to face some skepticism as a political neophyte, but not such outright hostility. For the first few months of his career as a lawmaker, Obama navigated the unfamiliar corridors of...

MoveOn Grows Up

Jose Antonio Vargas — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT

NEW YORK Five days after Sen. John McCain named Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate, Quinn Latimer and co-worker Lyra Kilston sent an e-mail to 40 female friends and invited them to outline the reasons they were upset with his choice. It elicited such a huge response -- from friends of...

McCain Campaign Tries To See Glass as Half Full

Dan Balz — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT

NASHVILLE, Oct. 8 -- It was a late night for John McCain's campaign -- a post-debate repast of karaoke until the wee hours of the rain-soaked morning. They sang neither in celebration nor to drown their sorrows. Tuesday's presidential debate did not fundamentally alter the race.

Battling Through Battleground States

Robert Barnes and Michael D. Shear — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT

INDIANAPOLIS, Oct. 8 -- Barack Obama delivered a reassuring economic message and a combative John McCain blistered his opponent as ill-prepared and opportunistic as the two entered the final four weeks of the marathon presidential campaign with swings through the battleground states of the Midwest.

Economic Crisis Dominates Debate

Dan Balz, Anne E. Kornblut and Michael Abramowitz — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT

NASHVILLE, Oct. 7 -- On a day when the stock market took another sharp plunge, presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama clashed repeatedly here Tuesday night over the causes of the economic meltdown that has shaken the country and offered sharply contrasting prescriptions for how to r...

Obama Leading In Ohio, Poll Finds

Post — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Bush Stresses Judicial Nominations

Dan Eggen — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT

CINCINNATI, Oct. 6 -- President Bush stepped gingerly into the presidential campaign on Monday, offering an implicit endorsement of Sen. John McCain's judicial philosophy and accusing Democrats of contributing to a "broken confirmation process" for federal judges.

McCain Pledge Sought For Dulles Rail Project

Michael Laris — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Virginia congressional leaders are lobbying Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) to make a commitment, before next month's election, to support funding for extending Metrorail to Dulles International Airport, one of the Washington region's top transportation priorities.

Biden Played Less Than Key Role in Bosnia Legislation

Glenn Kessler — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT

The moment when Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr. looked Serbian leader Slobodan Milosevic in the eye and called him a "damned war criminal" has become the stuff of campaign legend.

As Palin Brings Up Ayers, Obama Team Cites Keating

Anne E. Kornblut and Michael Abramowitz — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT

The presidential campaign of Sen. Barack Obama for the first time criticized Sen. John McCain for his role in the "Keating Five" savings-and-loan scandal yesterday, saying the issue is fair game after a weekend of attacks by Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin over the Democrat's ties to Vietnam War-era radical...

Obama Leading In Ohio, Poll Finds

Jon Cohen and Dan Balz — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Aided by the faltering economy, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama has the upper hand in the race for Ohio, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll, putting Republican John McCain at a disadvantage in a state considered vital to his chances of winning the White House in...

Registration Gains Favor Democrats

Alec MacGillis and Alice Crites — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT

As the deadline for voter registration arrives today in many states, Sen. Barack Obama's campaign is poised to benefit from a wave of newcomers to the rolls in key states in numbers that far outweigh any gains made by Republicans.

Tenacious, Yes, but Forget the Lipstick

Donna St. George — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT

At her daughter's school in Silver Spring, three people asked Colleen Thompson about her lipstick one day -- not that she was wearing any.

Bush Enacts Historic Financial Rescue

Lori Montgomery and Paul Kane — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT

With evidence mounting that the nation faces a sharp economic downturn, Congress yesterday gave final approval to what may be the biggest government bailout in American history, authorizing the Bush administration to spend $700 billion to try to thaw frozen credit markets and prevent a deep...

With No Plan B, House Reluctantly Passes Politically Risky Measure

Jonathan Weisman, David Cho and Paul Kane — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Henry M. Paulson Jr. was in his corner office in the Treasury Department on Monday afternoon, too nervous to turn on his television, when his chief of staff poked his head into the Treasury secretary's office to tell him the stunning news playing out on Capitol Hill: The House had just defeated the...

McCain Plans Fiercer Strategy Against Obama

Michael D. Shear — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Sen. John McCain and his Republican allies are readying a newly aggressive assault on Sen. Barack Obama's character, believing that to win in November they must shift the conversation back to questions about the Democrat's judgment, honesty and personal associations, several top Republicans said.

Palins' Assets Are Worth Up to $2.1 Million

Dan Morgan — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin and her husband, Todd, have assets worth up to $2.1 million, and they paid $24,738 in 2007 income taxes on total income of $166,495, which came from her salary as governor of Alaska and money he earned as an oil worker, fisherman and snowmachine...

Palin Delivers, But Doubts Linger

Dan Balz — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT

ST. LOUIS, Oct. 2 -- Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin spent much of the past two weeks on the defensive, hounded by critics over halting performances in television interviews and questioned even by conservative writers doubtful about whether she is ready to be vice president.

McCain To Stop Fight for Michigan

Perry Bacon Jr. and Michael D. Shear — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT

EAST LANSING, Mich., Oct. 2 -- Sen. John McCain on Thursday officially abandoned his efforts to win in Michigan, deeming it a lost cause after internal polls showed the Republican presidential nominee trailing badly in the economically hard-hit state, according to officials with the campaign and ...

Courting Middle-Class Voters

Robert Barnes and Juliet Eilperin — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT

ST. LOUIS, Oct. 2 -- Republican Sarah Palin and Democrat Joseph R. Biden Jr. each sought to claim the mantle of "kitchen table" candidate in the first and only debate between the major-party vice presidential candidates last night, both arguing that their running mates better understand the concerns...

Alaska Probe of Palin to Go Forward

Matt Volz — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT

ANCHORAGE, Oct. 2 -- An Alaska judge on Thursday refused to block a state investigation into whether Gov. Sarah Palin abused her power when she fired her public safety commissioner this summer.

Lobbyist Hired by Freddie Mac to Work on McCain Is Now Senator's Aide

Matthew Mosk and David S. Hilzenrath — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT

When mortgage giant Freddie Mac feared several years ago that Sen. John McCain was too outspoken on the issue of executive pay, it pinpointed a lobbyist known for his closeness to McCain and hired him to work with the senator.

Skepticism of Palin Growing, Poll Finds

Jon Cohen and Jennifer Agiesta — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT

With the vice presidential candidates set to square off today in their only scheduled debate, public assessments of Sarah Palin's readiness have plummeted, and she may now be a drag on the Republican ticket among key voter groups, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.