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Month: August 2008

Will they stop naming streets after Roger?

Will they stop naming streets after Roger?

You shouldn’t gloat….but… I am sure Roger, who over the years has been one of our most prolific contributors, will forgive me for publishing this. But check out comment one from this thread from May 26th 2005. I’m on holiday in the Pyrenees and spotted this street sign this morning in the fabulous town of Foix and have been trying to work out how to put it on the site. Mike Smithson

So has McCain chosen the former Alaskan beauty queen?

So has McCain chosen the former Alaskan beauty queen?

The money pours onto to the woman who is now Governor We don’t know anything yet for certain but in the past hour all the money has been going on to Sarah Palin – the woman described by her supporters as “America’s Margaret Thatcher” and “The Iron Lady” – as the Republican party V-P nominee. The above is from her supporter’s website. The 44 year old who was elected Alaska’s governor only two years ago certainly seems an amazing choice…

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Labour’s polling nightmare continues – YouGov

Labour’s polling nightmare continues – YouGov

Are polls like this news any more? The August YouGov survey for the Daily Telegraph is out this morning and the figures are in the same broad territory that we have seen since the budget last March – Labour in dire trouble and the Tories in the mid or high 40s. The numbers according to the paper are those recorded in the panel above showing changes on the last survey by the firm a fortnight ago. There is a slight…

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The overnight White House thread

The overnight White House thread

With suggestions that McCain’s running mate decision will be leaked in the next hour and the build up to Obama’s big speech it’s an important night in the 2008 White House race. Please continue the discussions here. Mike Smithson

Why not Condoleezza Rice?

Why not Condoleezza Rice?

Is there an obvious, but bold, choice being overlooked? Choosing a running-mate is a about as difficult a decision as a Presidential candidate can make. The rules are not complex (e.g. do no harm, bring a state or demographic if you can, and ‘complement’ the nominee), but the decision is not easy. Back in December, I said that I struggled to see any of the Republican Party candidates as a Vice President to one of the others. All seemed to…

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Is it now more likely that McCain will choose a woman?

Is it now more likely that McCain will choose a woman?

How will the final convention betting market play out? After the scintillating speeches overnight from Bill Clinton and Joe Biden there’s the big rally tonight in the massive stadium in Denver and the Obama campaign must be more hopeful that their convention will end giving it the boost they had planned for. So how is it going to affect the McCain campaign particularly the choice of VP. ? We won’t have to wait long. For at noon, local time, tomorrow…

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Who thought this was a good idea?

Who thought this was a good idea?

Did nobody realise how McCain would respond? It appears from the photo above (hat-tip to Drudge) that the stage for Barack Obama’s historic address tomorrow evening will be classical in design, with a facade resembling a Greek or Roman temple. McCain’s campaign has ‘gleefully’ responded, calling it the ‘Temple of Obama’ and have sent out an email of their magazine “Audacity Watch”. This chimes with the video that they made mocking Obama’s messianic following, called ‘The One‘. After his international…

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Are the polls really all over the place?

Are the polls really all over the place?

A guest slot by Bob Worcester – the founder of MORI (This is a specially adapted version for PB of an article produced by Bob Worcester for his new Vox Populi blogs on the Ipsos MORI site. The aim is to produce a monthly piece between now and the next election based on Bob’s personal experience of nearly 40 years conducting and observing polls and how they are reported) “Let’s look at the record”, as the politicians say. Just this…

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