Obama in St. Paul, McCain in Ohio

Posted: Thursday, August 07, 2008 11:58 AM by Mark Murray

From NBC's Mark Murray
Per today's pool covering Obama, the Illinois senator stopped at the Copper Dome Restaurant in St. Paul, MN, where about 40 patrons were having breakfast.

Obama stopped by each table, making small talk in barely a whisper. Toward the end of his 40-minute visit, he met an 18 year old, who said he was excited to vote for the first time. And Obama held a 7-month-old child for the traditional candidate baby shot.

Also this morning, McCain and his wife made an impromptu stop at a Bob Evans Restaurant in Marion, OH, which was packed with more than 120 patrons -- half of whom were there solely to greet McCain and were not eating, according to that pool report.

Upon entering the establishment, a local blogger with a video camera asked McCain how he felt, and McCain replied: "I'm feeling real good."

EMAIL THIS

Comments

"Also this morning, McCain and his wife made an impromptu stop at a Bob Evans Restaurant in Marion, OH, which was packed with more than 120 patrons -- half of whom were there solely to greet McCain and were not eating, according to that pool report."
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
How did all those people know about an impromptu stop?

Just askin! :)

P.S. This post made me HUNGRY!

Nashville_fan (Sent Thursday, August 07, 2008 12:05 PM)

Shocker! Candidates like to eat breakfast! They like talking to people! WOW.

Comment from another thread...why does everyone (not just FR) assume that Romney will carry MI? His FATHER was gov. not HIM. I think he's lived longer in MA than in MI - no?

Also - I think the Edwards stuff is fair game. I've not heard him deny it and one of the previous posters was right - McCain's relationship with that lobbyist was fodder for everyone at the time, so this isn't really that different.

MI Chick (Sent Thursday, August 07, 2008 12:06 PM)

Is it just me, or does Magoo know he's on the wrong side of most issues? The only way he attacks Obama is by taking comments out of context or misstatements about policy. If he tells people 95% of them will get a tax break and Obama's tire pressure comment was not a part of his energy policy would he be left with nothing to say?

A Charles, LA, CA (Sent Thursday, August 07, 2008 12:07 PM)

Did anyone ask obamma why the lapel pin to show patriotism or how he got his house from RESCO or why he sat in a church for 20 years and never heard a word or why with all the volenteering he never joined the armed forces on and on keep asking Macain even thou he is never going to win it is better not to know about tour next president and his true feelings ,did the goverment give AA people AIDS.Are gay people going against Obammas god that he asked to be an instrument for how about abortions ,how many AA people are on DEATH ROW is obamma for the death penalty you liberals should know this guy is more conservitive on personal rightds than bush TELKOM mean anything to yall

kenn (Sent Thursday, August 07, 2008 12:11 PM)

Did Obama just want to finish his waffle?

Biased (Sent Thursday, August 07, 2008 12:11 PM)

So now McCain is treating Bob Evan restaurants like his town meetings and packing people in to make it look like someone is intersted in hearing his non-plans? This is tooo funny! All they have to do is reminese about the last 8 years......it's the same plans.

Diane from Illinois (Sent Thursday, August 07, 2008 12:15 PM)

... and where's the Boner ??

'...But Boehner also has found time to squeeze in a couple rounds of golf...'

From Huff Post:

'...Boehner Golfing, McCain Absent During GOP Revolt

During the ongoing saga of the House's "Phantom Session," two items have caught Capitol Briefing's eye:

Item 1: On Monday, John McCain joined the party by declaring "Congress should come back into session," for an energy vote. "I am willing to come back off the campaign trail," he said.

Item 2: On Tuesday, House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) issued a release commending McCain for his call, trashing Barack Obama and adding: "While Democrats left town for a month-long break, House Republicans have stayed behind and continued to demand a vote on the American Energy Act, which will help lower energy prices and liberate America from its dependence on foreign oil."

Boehner was around for the start of the fake House session Friday but then left town and hasn't been back since. Even former Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) showed up today to rally with his GOP comrades, but the current party leader was nowhere to be seen.

What's Boehner been up to? His office says he's been in Ohio raising money for his political action committee, the Freedom Project, and that he should be back in D.C. later this week. He's also doing 18 events in August for GOP candidates across the country.

But Boehner also has found time to squeeze in a couple rounds of golf. Scores reported by Boehner himself to a United States Golf Association site show that he posted an 85 sometime this week at his home course, Wetherington Golf & Country Club in West Chester, Ohio. Boehner spokesman Michael Steel said he wasn't exactly sure of the details of Boehner's 18 holes, but that he felt confident that "if he did play at home, it was over the weekend."...'

Minority 'Leader' Boehner is too busy to help solve the energy crisis

You guys just keep it up, I support you in spirit !!

MSierra, SF (Sent Thursday, August 07, 2008 12:16 PM)

Seems to be a slow news day. Here's one for everybody.
There was a report released yesterday that the United States federal deficit is 400 billion dollars. Iraq has a 79 billion dollar surplus. Hmmmmmm.

Mark,Seattle (Sent Thursday, August 07, 2008 12:17 PM)

John McCain careless about children. He voted against SCHIP and has opposed numerous pro-Health Care Bills for our children.
John McCain votes against Children's Healthcare.. McCain: Bush right to veto kids health insurance expansion
http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/10/03/mccain.interview/

McCain represents the corrupt culture of Washington: Lobbyists, BlackWater, KBS, Halliburton, NAFTA, CAFTA etc. You can run but you cannot hide.
Video: Dems push Ohio job loss on McCain
http://www.politico.com/blogs/jonathanmartin/0808/Dems_push_Ohio_job_loss_on_McCain.html#comments

Video: McCain didn't anticipate Ohio losing jobs in OHIO.
Straight talk? I doubt it too. Watch it
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/8/6/11135/70995

Obama Needs To Hit McCain HARD TODAY!
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/8/7/85629/68281/419/564010

banko (Sent Thursday, August 07, 2008 12:17 PM)

Also this morning, McCain and his wife made an impromptu stop at a Bob Evans Restaurant in Marion, OH, which was packed with more than 120 patrons -- half of whom were there solely to greet McCain and were not eating, according to that pool report.
**************************************************

How exactly is it "impromptu" if people are made aware in advance that McCain is going to make an appearance?

CB, Hadley, NY (Sent Thursday, August 07, 2008 12:18 PM)

Can anyone tell me WTF I saw on David Gregory last night with the old Mayor of New York!!!!?????

The Obama bashing was unreal!

Bloggers please give me your take!?

Matthew, Bloomfield Hills MI (Sent Thursday, August 07, 2008 12:20 PM)

McCain again went to a place where all of his supporter are there, but no one was there to eat. It is surmised that they were paid to show up. Nice way to garner support unlike Obama where the people were not hand picked to attend the diner. They were real people not photo-ops.

voter (Sent Thursday, August 07, 2008 12:22 PM)

You are right Chuck this is a slow news day. So after this big blitz of selling overpriced air gauges to try and make less than half truths about Obama's energy plan seem infantile and then finding out that a good deal of his ardent base in the race car set, even understand that good tire pressure and engine tune-ups are important to saving oil consumption. In fact if this were actually done it would exceed the amount of oil that can be pumped from off shore wells that won't come on line for eight or nine years if it were started today and won't begin to solve the percentage of oil coming from outside our country anyway. Then you have these idiots come on here and claim that Obama is an empty suit. Wake up republicans and reagan democrats, the last eight years should give you some kind of idea about the reckless way the Republics have totally screwed up our country. Who has had their habds on the purse strings and who had control of the mess in Fema and who had control giving away our moral standing in the world at large. No bid contracts that are the reason our own troops are dieing from electric shock in their shower rooms. If this current mess seems OK to you then I propose you need therapy. Certainly not another Republican President.

Dand1212 Vancouver , Washington (Sent Thursday, August 07, 2008 12:25 PM)

"We got to make sure that we have that public service announcement, but it doesn't solve our energy problem." _McCain

*******************

But does it help John? You know, the way the 'surge' helped the Anbar uprising?

donna (Sent Thursday, August 07, 2008 12:25 PM)

How is it half of 120 patrons were at Bob Evans solely to greet McCain if it was an impromptu stop?

ujw, ny (Sent Thursday, August 07, 2008 12:26 PM)

I certainly do wish Senator McCain would give us some specifics. He is for cap & trade, but he is also against it. He is for increasing cafe standards (fuel efficiency), but he wants each one of our 50 states to set those standards. (Won't that be fun for auto. makers? 50 different designs to comply with 50 state standards). He continues to claim Senator Obama is against nuclear energy, which Senator Obama is NOT, so long as it is safe.

http://www.boston.com/news/politics/2008/articles/2008/08/06/mccain_pushes_nuclear_power/

Interestingly, Senator McCain toured the nuclear energy plant better known to most of us as the place where the action took place in reality from the movie "China Syndrome."

Senator Obama has provided a specific, detailed plan to end our dependency on foreign oil -- as Senator McCain and the GOP well know -- and Senator Obama's plan includes much far in excess of his helpful tip about tire pressure.

http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/newenergy

Kim, CA (Sent Thursday, August 07, 2008 12:30 PM)

Blogger Ben (Sent Thursday, August 07, 2008 12:30 PM)

Did Obama just want to finish his waffle?

Biased (Sent Thursday, August 07, 2008 12:11 PM)

Beijing Biased,

You're needed in China with Beijing Bush. Go get a pollution refill. You must be all out by now.

Unbiased (Sent Thursday, August 07, 2008 12:31 PM)

Can anyone tell me WTF I saw on David Gregory last night with the old Mayor of New York!!!!?????

The Obama bashing was unreal!

Bloggers please give me your take!?
Matthew, Bloomfield Hills MI (Sent Thursday, August 07, 2008 12:20 PM)

It was pathetic. He never once questioned any of Rudy's lies and bs. David is nothing but a hack and should lose his show just as that idiot Tucker did. I love how they say the panel is the "bedrock of the program", yet we hear NOTHING from them lately. It's all David. First his 10 minute lecture last week, now his "interviews". It's pathetic. Lately I find myself just not tuning in to MSNBC till the 2nd run of Hardball and just watching Hardball and Countdown, then the first half of Verdict. I turn off Verdict when he changes to the stupid "we don't have enough crime stories on MSNBC, all weekend isn't enough" topics.

BL, Cincinnati OH (Sent Thursday, August 07, 2008 12:37 PM)

I am glad that the 18 year old is planning on voting. We have far too few people voting in this country. It should be embarressing to us that other countries have higher percentages of people voting.

Now how did all of those people know that McCain was going to stop there? Maybe he favors the high fat diet. Has Cindy McCain campaign by herself yet, or is there some concern about her opening her mouth?

S.B. Stein E.B. NJ (Sent Thursday, August 07, 2008 12:38 PM)

The Democratic Party of Ohio greets McCain!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_I6GXfDUSM

Peg, Chicago, IL (Sent Thursday, August 07, 2008 12:41 PM)

Obama's little dust bunnies keep getting poed about any media mole that is critical of Obama, Gregory seems to be the latest. Keep throwing your old buddies under the bus Obama fans, pretty soon no one will be left, except you hateful little people that is.

Obama army of fools (Sent Thursday, August 07, 2008 12:42 PM)

Why doesn't someone keep after mccain on his willful and deliberate ignorance? Anybody that votes for mccain is voting for bush III and of course will no doubt be willing to serve their turn in Iraq or Iran. Or will they?

Rick, NC (Sent Thursday, August 07, 2008 12:43 PM)

I'm not surprised McCain found a larger crowd, unlike that tall fella his appearances are based on trotting about until he finds some cow pokes resting on the fence and interrupt their day (like the Buffalo Chip festival).
When your McCain you take an ear where you can catch one or else ya find yerself a crowd down there at the local amusement park.

John Wayne, on John McCain... (Sent Thursday, August 07, 2008 12:43 PM)

I've seen a lot of pro third party candidates on here today. Maybe somebody can explain to me why the dual party system is so frightened of letting a third or a fourth party actually be in a Presidential debate. Are they afraid people in America might think a third party candidate actually makes sense? I personally like fairness. Let everybody's voice be heard if they are going to be on the ballot.

Just asking, Down South (Sent Thursday, August 07, 2008 12:43 PM)

"Lately I find myself just not tuning in to MSNBC till the 2nd run of Hardball and just watching Hardball and Countdown, then the first half of Verdict" BL, Cincinnati OH (Sent Thursday, August 07, 2008 12:37 PM.

**********************
So you only chose to listen to the those individuals that agree with you 100%? That is as bad as republicans refusing to listen to anyone but Rush.

If you really want to get informed you have to listen to all sides of the story.

Lisa, NY (Sent Thursday, August 07, 2008 12:44 PM)

Gosh, I'm starving now. Could someone get those 60 people bused in to shill for mccain to please leave so I can sit down and eat?

One Hungry Voter (Sent Thursday, August 07, 2008 12:44 PM)

Can anyone tell me WTF I saw on David Gregory last night with the old Mayor of New York!!!!?????

The Obama bashing was unreal!

Bloggers please give me your take!?
------------------------------------------------------
Tell me - do you only like shows that talk Obama up, or do you like shows that offer both viewpoints? I can't count on shows that only plug one candidate while bashing the other, I want to hear honest takes. Which is why I can no longer watch Olbermann. Even if I want to hear pro-Obama stories, his total bias makes him unwatchable to me.

Jeff D., Sioux Falls SD (Sent Thursday, August 07, 2008 12:45 PM)

Word to the wise for Obama...don't go into the mens room at the airport...larry craig and mark foley have their stalls set up there....lmao

Rick, NC (Sent Thursday, August 07, 2008 12:46 PM)

I was unable to make earlier comments, so it is catch-up time. Hillary is only as strong as the media allows. If she sends up a red flag, the media becomes the bull. She and Bill have not yet healed, but she knows it is not in her best interests to cause too much trouble at the convention. Will she be quiet? No. Will she do something stupid? Doubt it.

Polls say the media gives Obama too much attention. Yes they do!! and too much of it is negative. For instance, last night on Hardball the question was (again) Why isn't Obama further ahead? Well that predictably brought forth many negative comments. Barnekle did not ask, With 26 years in the Senate why isn't McCain 20 points ahead? That would have brought forth multiple negative answers. It's fair to knock Obama, but with the exception of Abrams, (Verdict)and Olbermann (Countdown), McCain gets a free pass.
So the question to the media is: Will you take heed of the poll results and change your style of analyzing and reporting?
Another subtle Obama kick in the pants is Chuck Todd's electoral map. It is far more cautious than other polling/news outlets. I will give Chuck credit in saying that a 4 to 6 point lead is substantial. I guess they had not heard that on "Hardball" as their question was Why isn't Obama further ahead. Could it be that there is so much time to fill, the "talking heads" just say anything to fill up the time?

Ron Indiana (Sent Thursday, August 07, 2008 12:47 PM)

Can anyone tell me WTF I saw on David Gregory last night with the old Mayor of New York!!!!?????

The Obama bashing was unreal!

Bloggers please give me your take!?
Matthew, Bloomfield Hills MI

___________________________

You're absolutely correct. David Gregory is beginning to have more and more guests and even panel members who just spew McCain talking points. Thanks God for Rachel and a others who have their own smart opinions.

Polly, Tampa (Sent Thursday, August 07, 2008 12:49 PM)

"Also this morning, McCain and his wife made an impromptu stop at a Bob Evans Restaurant in Marion, OH, which was packed with more than 120 patrons -- half of whom were there solely to greet McCain and were not eating, according to that pool report."

If McCain's stop was impromptu, why were so many people aware of it beforehand?

It sounds like many of McCain's town hall meetings, where it's by invitation only.

Dan, McFarland, WI (Sent Thursday, August 07, 2008 12:50 PM)

Looks like the news is a little scarce today. McCain continues to trivialize the campaign, but that's certainly not news.

John Mehan, San Francisco, CA (Sent Thursday, August 07, 2008 12:50 PM)

Did anyone ask obamma why the lapel pin kenn (Sent Thursday, August 07, 2008 12:11 PM)

HEY KENN - McCain has not worn a flag pin in over 4 months - WHY????????????????????

SAM, USA (Sent Thursday, August 07, 2008 12:51 PM)

Also this morning, McCain and his wife made an impromptu stop at a Bob Evans Restaurant in Marion, OH, which was packed with more than 120 patrons -- half of whom were there solely to greet McCain and were not eating, according to that pool report.

--------------------------------------------------

120 people and half of them are there solely to greet Old Man River?

Doesn't sound very "impromptu" to me!

Pete - Albany, NY (Sent Thursday, August 07, 2008 12:53 PM)

Show your support.
Buzz this article up.
Buzz up!

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The Washington Post's David Broder talks to both candidates about the campaign tone:

The first question I asked John McCain and then Barack Obama was: How do you feel about the tone and direction of the campaign so far?

No surprise. Both men pronounced themselves thoroughly frustrated by the personal bitterness and negativism they have seen in the two months since they learned they would be running against each other.

"I'm very sorry about it," McCain said in a Saturday interview at his Arlington headquarters. "I think we could have avoided at least some of this if we had agreed to do the town hall meetings" together, as he had suggested, during the summer months.

TNR's Chris Orr is impressed that Broder managed to write about negative campaigning without mentioning any of McCain's, well, negative campaigning:

Broder manages the remarkable feat of writing on negativity in the campaign without once mentioning McCain's "troops" smear (which his own paper led the way in declaring untrue), any of his ads deriding Obama as a Paris-Hilton-like celebrity or self-imagined Messiah, or the GOP's hilarious tire-gauge antics. (Apart from that, Mrs. Lincoln....) The only actual attacks Broder cites are the charge that Obama was "playing the race card," and McCain's suggestion that Obama would be willing to lose a war in order to win an election. (Moreover, he backs into this latter attack, citing Obama's complaint about it rather than the smear itself.)

But none of that will happen again if Obama agrees to a town hall.

Do what I want, or ELSE (Sent Thursday, August 07, 2008 12:58 PM)

David Gregory's pseudo-Meet the Press interview with wacko Giuliani who was surrogate for McCain....oh so obvious David wants to take Russert's place. Oh so obvious and placating toward McCain.

KYObserver (Sent Thursday, August 07, 2008 1:00 PM)

Gregory really is ill-suited to the job, whatever his point of view. It is a shame to see a talented panel with new, different unique insights (often anyway) left mute, or subjected to his squirrelly "questions."

iowan (Sent Thursday, August 07, 2008 1:04 PM)

"Only say the things I want to hear" WHAT HAS THE NEWS BECOME TO YOU DOLTS.David Gregorey is in Obammas pocket but is paid to create ratings best way fire up obammas crowd ,you dont think fox news had high ratings because of repuckers it was dems that loved to be driven crazy that watched when fed up MSNBC filled the hole by telling what they want to hear now gregory comes in and confuses everyone by getting the goat its called RATINGS

kenn (Sent Thursday, August 07, 2008 1:06 PM)

I hope that McCains bus didnt hit anyone in the parking lot. LMAO

The StraightTalk Express sporting a Obama sticker...priceless!!! To the person that did it, if you are ever in Tucson, Az you drink for free. LOL

USAFVET, Tucson, Az (Sent Thursday, August 07, 2008 1:08 PM)

Al Gore invented the internet and Barack Obama invented the tire pressure guage.

Richard, Washington State (Sent Thursday, August 07, 2008 1:08 PM)

The blogger also jokingly asked about the importance of checking tire pressure. Said McCain: "We got to make sure that we have that public service announcement, but it doesn't solve our energy problem."

Has anyone in the media bothered to ask McSurge why he deliberately and blantantly attempts to distort and reduce Sen. Obama's energy policy to a pressure gauge? Come on fellas, do your job; someone, anyone!!

Nospin, MA (Sent Thursday, August 07, 2008 1:09 PM)

Kim, CA:

Have you visited McCain's website and read his energy plan?

Richard, Washington State (Sent Thursday, August 07, 2008 1:12 PM)

Did the blogger ask Mccain when he was going to come out with an Economic Policy. You know, the kind that gives solutions rather then the kind that simply says "we need".

C A, Tuscaloosa, AL (Sent Thursday, August 07, 2008 1:13 PM)

Unbiased- your right Obama will never finish waffleing.

Biased (Sent Thursday, August 07, 2008 1:13 PM)

By the way, any sailors in the house? If so, feel free to comment on the following. I just thought about this yesterday.

Among the Services, the one with a perception of having the most elitist officer corps is the Navy; particularly those who are boat schooled (attended the academy).

And the trappings of this elitism are readily apparent on ship. When Marines board a Navy ship, Marine officers are almost always embarrassed by them. For instance, though it differs ship by ship, in many cases enlisted personnel are required to serve officers their meals and even fetch their coffee.

This type of servitude is pretty alien to Marine culture, but at home in the Navy.

And Navy officers have a term for their enlisted personnel - Enlisted Friends. They say it with a snide smile, because the inside joke (one in which only Navy officers think is funny) is the F in friends is universally understood to refer to another word. Seriously. These guys think that's funny.

Now take a look at John McCain, and how he's always calling others "my friend." Kind of makes me wonder. Is this just another juvenile Navy-like tongue-in-cheek joke?

Paul Miller, Woodbridge, VA (Sent Thursday, August 07, 2008 1:19 PM)

seriously, you expected anything evenhanded from dancin' dave gregory, kkkarl's dancin' dolly?

keep those expectations basement level; you're less likely to be disappointed.

linda (Sent Thursday, August 07, 2008 1:23 PM)

The Obama bashing was unreal!

Bloggers please give me your take!?
Matthew, Bloomfield Hills MI (Sent Thursday, August 07, 2008 12:20 PM)
----------------------------------------------------
Matthew, I saw that and commented to my wife about how Juliani seemed to enjoy telling all those lies and half-truths and Gregory just sat there and did not try to challenge any of it, dispicable to say the least.

Coolbreeze Hussein, Okla. (Sent Thursday, August 07, 2008 1:25 PM)

Matthew, Bloomfield Hills, MI

David Gregory is a total hack! I tune in to hear Rachael, and usually change the channel when he goes into his self indulgent rants... He'll join the Tucker ranks in no time.

It would be great if Rachael was host... Then we would see some true "fair & balanced", Blogger Ben...

Lyn, KCMO (Sent Thursday, August 07, 2008 1:26 PM)

give rachel her own shoe. i love hearing her commentary.

ROD SC (Sent Thursday, August 07, 2008 1:27 PM)

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