McCain pulling out of Michigan

[RandomGuy]

Jonathan Martin
53 minutes ago



John McCain is pulling out of Michigan, according to two Republicans, a stunning move a month away from Election Day that indicates the difficulty Republicans are having in finding blue states to put in play.

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McCain will go off TV in Michigan, stop dropping mail there and send most of his staff to more competitive states, including Wisconsin, Ohio and Florida. Wisconsin went for Kerry in 2004, Ohio and Florida for Bush.

McCain's campaign didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

Republicans had been bullish on Michigan, hopeful that McCain's past success in the state in the 2000 primary combined with voter dissatisfaction with Democratic Gov. Jennifer Granholm and skepticism among blue-collar voters about Barack Obama could make it competitive.

McCain and his running mate Sarah Palin spent the night after the GOP convention at a large rally in Macomb County, just outside Detroit. The two returned later last month for another sizable event in Grand Rapids.

But recent polls there have shown Obama extending what had been a small lead, with the economic crisis damaging an already sagging GOP brand in a state whose economy is in tatters.

A McCain event planned for next week in Plymouth, Michigan, has been canceled.


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Politico article on yahoo news.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/politico/20081002/pl_politico/22895

[JoeChalupa]

Damn.

[RandomGuy]

DUN DUN DUN!!!

Looks like damage control to me.

He did something very similar when his campaign was in trouble in the primaries.

Good strategy. Not sure it will make much of a difference in the end tho'.

[JoeChalupa]

Yeah, he's going to have to hit the toss up States and he'd better do it with Palin by his side if he expects anyone to show up.

[Findog]

You libs crack me up...he's pulling out of Michigan because he knows he has it in the bag...

He's now going to concentrate his resources on states that are in play...like Iowa...

We can go ahead and put Michigan in the red column...Don't say I didn't warn you on November 4th...

[JoeChalupa]

You libs crack me up...he's pulling out of Michigan because he knows he has it in the bag...

He's now going to concentrate his resources on states that are in play...like Iowa...

We can go ahead and put Michigan in the red column...Don't say I didn't warn you on November 4th...

Brahahahahahaha!!!! :lmao

[Anti.Hero]

And you fools said McCain didn't have an exit strategy.

[Johnny_Blaze_47]

AP reporting via Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

http://bit.ly/2dW32i

[Findog]

http://spurstalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=106224

[Crookshanks]

Michigan is my home state and I can't believe how stupid those people are! They've had a one-state recession going ever since they elected that new idiot Governor - and they still haven't figured out that the liberal policies espoused by the democrats haven't done them ANY good. They still want to vote democrat - I guess they want the rest of the country to suck as bad as the state of Michigan!

[Johnny_Blaze_47]

http://spurstalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=106224

Bah. My bad.

[Crookshanks]

Michigan is my home state and I just can't believe those people haven't learned anything. They've had a one-state recession since they elected that idiot governor who raised taxes, yet they still insist on voting democrat! I just don't get it - I guess they want the rest of the country to suck as bad as they do!

[JohnnyMarzetti]

Michigan is my home state and I can't believe how stupid those people are! They've had a one-state recession going ever since they elected that new idiot Governor - and they still haven't figured out that the liberal policies espoused by the democrats haven't done them ANY good. They still want to vote democrat - I guess they want the rest of the country to suck as bad as the state of Michigan!

And they realize the conservative republican McSame is worse. You are the stupid one.

[JohnnyMarzetti]

You are the stupid one who doesn't get it.

[Anti.Hero]

You are the stupid one who doesn't get it.

Explain it to us.

[MannyIsGod]

Holy fucking shit. If he's conceding MI then his internal polls must be baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad.

[Crookshanks]

You are the stupid one who doesn't get it.

Do you now or have you ever lived in Michigan? I grew up in Flint - you know, the birthplace of General Motors - and it's almost criminal what has happened to the economy there. My father worked for General Motors for over 40 years - and it's so depressing what's happened that he won't even drive down the road where the factories he worked in used to be.

The state is suffering greatly and it's due in large part to the policies of the democrats in power. Michigan is known to be a state that is very hostile to business because of the taxes.

Michigan has been a blue state for as long as I can remember - yet things have gotten progressively worse. Yet, they keep voting democrat - I just don't understand it!

So Please - explain it to us!

[samikeyp]

From what I have been told from people up here, Michigan's economy was not that good before Grandholm got in either.

[JohnnyMarzetti]

Do you now or have you ever lived in Michigan? I grew up in Flint - you know, the birthplace of General Motors - and it's almost criminal what has happened to the economy there. My father worked for General Motors for over 40 years - and it's so depressing what's happened that he won't even drive down the road where the factories he worked in used to be.

The state is suffering greatly and it's due in large part to the policies of the democrats in power. Michigan is known to be a state that is very hostile to business because of the taxes.

Michigan has been a blue state for as long as I can remember - yet things have gotten progressively worse. Yet, they keep voting democrat - I just don't understand it!

So Please - explain it to us!

Its the same way you all keep voting republican when you see how screwed things got under Dumbya and you all still want to vote for another 4 years under McLame? Explaine that to me!!??!??

The people of MI know that Obama is for the working man and McLame is for the corporate greed. Get your head out of your asses.

[ChumpDumper]

Hasn't Michigan's economy been in the tank since everyone realized American companies make shitty cars?

[Anti.Hero]

Its the same way you all keep voting republican when you see how screwed things got under Dumbya and you all still want to vote for another 4 years under McLame? Explaine that to me!!??!??

The people of MI know that Obama is for the working man and McLame is for the corporate greed. Get your head out of your asses.

How will Obama help "the working man"?

[101A]

The people of MI know that Obama is for the working man and McLame is for the corporate greed. Get your head out of your asses.

This ones hooked; reel him in.

[Crookshanks]

How will Obama help "the working man"?
He's going to bring them "change". Well - change is all they'll have in their pockets because he'll take all their dollars! :lol

[MannyIsGod]

Spin this one for me Whottt. I want to see what you can say about this.

[ChumpDumper]

He'll be posting an article later that you might find interesting.

[JoeChalupa]

Romney is saying "I told you so..."

[Shastafarian]

McCain's just pulling out so he can bust all over Pennsylvania's face.

[Buddy Holly]

LOL at Repubs blaming a person's party as the reason their state is in the shitter. It's even more LOL when you realize that state is Michigan!

Dude, it wasn't democrats or republicans that caused Michigan economy to go into the crapper.

I could understand being pissed off at the Governor if said Governor were from Japan.

[Crookshanks]

LOL at Repubs blaming a person's party as the reason their state is in the shitter. It's even more LOL when you realize that state is Michigan!

Dude, it wasn't democrats or republicans that caused Michigan economy to go into the crapper.

I could understand being pissed off at the Governor if said Governor were from Japan.

Do you live in Michigan? Do you understand the part Unions played in the decision to move entire factories to Mexico? And Unions are pro-democrat. The other part of the problem is that Michigan is known as being hostile to business - so they're having a hard time enticing new businesses to locate there.

[clambake]

maybe the corperate bigwigs should have made a product that doesn't suck.

[Crookshanks]

maybe the corperate bigwigs should have made a product that doesn't suck.
I'll admit - there is some merit in what you said. What happened is that the Big 3 thought they were always going to be the big guys and they didn't take Japan seriously. Growing up in the 60's and 70's, you couldn't find parts in Flint for any import cars, and if you dared to park an import in the union lot - you could expect for it to get keyed.

Back to the Unions - part of the cause of the crappy cars was that the employees really didn't care about the product they were manufacturing. Because of the AFL/CIO, it was almost impossible to fire someone - and there was widespread abuse of timekeeping, etc.

My dad said you should never buy a car that came off the assembly line on a Friday afternoon because so many of the workers were drunk! They got paid every Friday and they went to the bars at lunch.

And then there was affirmative action - dad said there were many people who were hired who were really unqualified, but got the job because they were a minority.

Put all this together - and you get the current crappy state of affairs in Flint! It's in the top 10 of every worst list - economy, unemployment, crime...

[JoeChalupa]

I'll admit - there is some merit in what you said. What happened is that the Big 3 thought they were always going to be the big guys and they didn't take Japan seriously. Growing up in the 60's and 70's, you couldn't find parts in Flint for any import cars, and if you dared to park an import in the union lot - you could expect for it to get keyed.

Back to the Unions - part of the cause of the crappy cars was that the employees really didn't care about the product they were manufacturing. Because of the AFL/CIO, it was almost impossible to fire someone - and there was widespread abuse of timekeeping, etc.

My dad said you should never buy a car that came off the assembly line on a Friday afternoon because so many of the workers were drunk! They got paid every Friday and they went to the bars at lunch.

And then there was affirmative action - dad said there were many people who were hired who were really unqualified, but got the job because they were a minority.

Put all this together - and you get the current crappy state of affairs in Flint! It's in the top 10 of every worst list - economy, unemployment, crime...

My dad retired from GM and that affirmative action crap is BS. There are many unqualified workers who are NOT minorities and my dad worked his ass off with a 5th grade education and retired as line foreman. That blame affirmative action doesn't fly with me at all.

[JoeChalupa]

Spin this one for me Whottt. I want to see what you can say about this.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y29/clintsquint/ace4.gif

[Crookshanks]

My dad retired from GM and that affirmative action crap is BS. There are many unqualified workers who are NOT minorities and my dad worked his ass off with a 5th grade education and retired as line foreman. That blame affirmative action doesn't fly with me at all.

hey - take a chill pill! I never said it applied to EVERY minority worker! But it did apply to some of them - and it affected the quality of the work being produced. I applaud your father - he's a perfect example of why we DON'T need affirmative action. It proves that you can accomplish great things if you work hard - and he was rewarded for his loyalty and hard work.

But I'm sure he knew of employees who got their job almost soley because they were a minority - remember the 70's were a time when this was a real sore subject. GM was a great company to work for - it's a real shame what has happened to it.

[JoeChalupa]

hey - take a chill pill! I never said it applied to EVERY minority worker! But it did apply to some of them - and it affected the quality of the work being produced. I applaud your father - he's a perfect example of why we DON'T need affirmative action. It proves that you can accomplish great things if you work hard - and he was rewarded for his loyalty and hard work.

But I'm sure he knew of employees who got their job almost soley because they were a minority - remember the 70's were a time when this was a real sore subject. GM was a great company to work for - it's a real shame what has happened to it.

I know, it just irks me when I hear that. And I'm sure there were those who did NOT get hired simply because they were a minority. Yeah, I thank God that my dad got hired at GM and was able to give us a typical middle class life growing up. But he does admit that the union got carried away and caused car prices to skyrocket. I used to pick him up after work and he'd tell me that guys would get high and slam beers during their breaks. I remember when he first got hired at GM he'd work all week and then still work the fields on the weekends until he was able to buy a house for us to join him.
He's been able to live a comfortable retirement with great benefits and pension. All that is long gone now.

[Buddy Holly]

Do you live in Michigan? Do you understand the part Unions played in the decision to move entire factories to Mexico? And Unions are pro-democrat. The other part of the problem is that Michigan is known as being hostile to business - so they're having a hard time enticing new businesses to locate there.

Yes, democrats are the reason. Continue to tell yourself that. :lol

[Cry Havoc]

You libs crack me up...he's pulling out of Michigan because he knows he has it in the bag...

He's now going to concentrate his resources on states that are in play...like Iowa...

We can go ahead and put Michigan in the red column...Don't say I didn't warn you on November 4th...

This thread has been pre-Whottt'ed. Beautiful.

[Cry Havoc]

Do you live in Michigan? Do you understand the part Unions played in the decision to move entire factories to Mexico? And Unions are pro-democrat. The other part of the problem is that Michigan is known as being hostile to business - so they're having a hard time enticing new businesses to locate there.

What the fuck are you talking about?

Yeah. It's the UNION'S fault that the executives at General Motors and Ford neglected to modernize their production factories.

It's the UNION'S fault that the corporate heads were so cocky about dominating the auto industry that they gave people shitty cars for YEARS and laughed their way to to the bank.



This right here tells you EVERYTHING about why the American auto maker fucked up. It had absolutely NOTHING to do with Unions. It's because it took 20 years for a car to go from looking like this:


http://images.mustangandfords.com/featuredvehicles/0603_mufp_02z+1968_ford_mustang_fastback+rear.jpg

To "evolve" to this:

http://media.motortopia.com/files/4082/vehicle/4650e07f255f7/HPIM1505.jpg

Fuck you and your finger pointing partisan shit. Go get a fucking education. Don't blame unions. They had nothing to do with the absolute shit that GM and Ford turned out for 20+ years.

[Findog]

If you want to understand what happened to the US auto industry, read "The Reckoning" by David Halberstam. Great fucking book:

http://www.amazon.com/Reckoning-David-Halberstam/dp/0688048382

[clambake]

don't forget the K-car.

[Cry Havoc]

If you want to understand what happened to the US auto industry, read "The Reckoning" by David Halberstam. Great fucking book:

http://www.amazon.com/Reckoning-David-Halberstam/dp/0688048382

Or you could compare the above pics and save yourself a lot of time. :lol

[ChumpDumper]

don't forget the K-car.That car actually helped keep Chrysler relevant, since it provided the basis for the minivan. The Dodge Aspen is one to ridicule.

[Findog]

Or you could compare the above pics and save yourself a lot of time. :lol

Basically, time and again Detroit has been caught going in one direction while the market goes in another.

[Cry Havoc]

Basically, time and again Detroit has been caught going in one direction while the market goes in another.

The market goes in the direction the consumer wants. At least, as far as cars go. People are passionate enough about cars that they will actually buy them on principle. It's why that even with the gas crunch, Ford continues to sell a ton of V-8 Mustangs. Because no one who buys a 300 hp convertible cares about practicality anyway.

[Findog]

The market goes in the direction the consumer wants. At least, as far as cars go. People are passionate enough about cars that they will actually buy them on principle. It's why that even with the gas crunch, Ford continues to sell a ton of V-8 Mustangs. Because no one who buys a 300 hp convertible cares about practicality anyway.

The Japanese were able to make inroads in the domestic auto market in the seventies due to oil shocks and the fact that Detroit was still making huge-ass gas guzzlers. Some things never change.

[Cry Havoc]

The Japanese were able to make inroads in the domestic auto market in the seventies due to oil shocks and the fact that Detroit was still making huge-ass gas guzzlers. Some things never change.

Even then, if Detroit would have made fast, good looking gas guzzlers they would be a lot better off. Instead they made huge, ugly gas guzzlers that weighed ~4500 pounds and handled like boats.

I reject the notion that we would have automatically lost so much ground to Japan, because even the Japanese cars didn't become really fantastic until the mid 90s. We had a ton of time to alter our automotive practices. We settled for "good enough". And it sucks for everyone.

[01.20.09]

In the automobile industry it is very hard to catch up once you fall behind and the fact is that the Japanese did it better. Simple.

[Cry Havoc]

In the automobile industry it is very hard to catch up once you fall behind and the fact is that the Japanese did it better. Simple.

That's a complete myth. Japan and Europe have been trading title of "the best sedan" for a long time now. One falls behind and then the other catches up. They're pushing each other.

The only reason "it's hard to catch up" is because you make cars that have 5.0 liters of displacement and fail to generate 200 horsepower.

The reason it's hard to catch up is because you completely ignore the consumer for over TWO DECADES and consistently think they will buy trash.

Yep. It IS really hard to catch up when you do business like that. If Intel would have followed that example against AMD or Apple, we'd be hanging out on 20 Mhz computers with a whole 8 megs of RAM right now. Well, no we wouldn't, because Intel would have gone bankrupt in a heartbeat.

[MannyIsGod]

WTF Whottttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt

The polls are cooked. SPIN THIS SHIT.

[Cry Havoc]

WTF Whottttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt

The polls are cooked. SPIN THIS SHIT.

Are the polls still ridiculously biased if McCain's camp agrees with them?

[George Gervin's Afro]

Michigan is my home state and I just can't believe those people haven't learned anything. They've had a one-state recession since they elected that idiot governor who raised taxes, yet they still insist on voting democrat! I just don't get it - I guess they want the rest of the country to suck as bad as they do!

So does that mean whichever party is in control at the state level is soley responsble for the economic situation in that state?

[Pistons < Spurs]

As a current Michigan resident who is/was mostly McCain leaning, I'm a bit disappointed by this news. But I also think it's probably smart for his overall campaign. He's got very little chance of winning the state. He's got a core of old Reagan Republicans living in the 'bubrs, but can't even get a foothold in the city of Detroit. Go spend the campaign monies in states where you may have an actual chance.


And Michigans biggest problem is it's reliance on the Automotive industry. Too high a percentage of viable jobs are one way or another tied to the Big3. When the industry struggles, it effects the entire state. And it takes forever for the entire state to have any sort of recovery. Unions and Taxes have obviously played a part in the struggles, but until we diversify our job market with other industries, we will constantly be reliving this cycle.

[RandomGuy]

Do you now or have you ever lived in Michigan? I grew up in Flint - you know, the birthplace of General Motors - and it's almost criminal what has happened to the economy there. My father worked for General Motors for over 40 years - and it's so depressing what's happened that he won't even drive down the road where the factories he worked in used to be.

The state is suffering greatly and it's due in large part to the policies of the democrats in power. Michigan is known to be a state that is very hostile to business because of the taxes.

Michigan has been a blue state for as long as I can remember - yet things have gotten progressively worse. Yet, they keep voting democrat - I just don't understand it!

So Please - explain it to us!


The state is suffering because of the bad policies of the CEOs of US car manufacturers, not anything out of Washington.

[MannyIsGod]

Whottt, you've had a fucking day and you refuse to even enter this thread.

I smell..

Pussy.

[MannyIsGod]

Sarah Palin sucks ass


Maybe that will get whottt in here.

[boutons_]

"If you are going to end visits to the state by McCain/Palin, do it," Emmet County GOP Chairman Jack Waldvogel replied, copying a list of Michigan Republicans. "Just don't formally announce that you are 'pulling out' of Michigan, and then come back two days later asking the base core of support to 'keep working.' What a slap in the face to all the thousands of people who have been energized by the addition of Sarah Palin to the ticket. I've been involved in County Party politics and organization for 40 years, and this is the biggest dumbass stunt I have ever seen."


"He has given up on our State? What a total and complete crock of crap," Waldvogel added. "Again, I think McCain owes the Republicans and the People of Michigan a HUGE APOLOGY. SOON!...How on earth are we to get people to work for McCain here, when he has already, publicly, in the media, given up on Michigan? We feel abandoned, we are disappointed, and we are heartsick to know that we aren't important enough for him to fight for."

http://rawstory.com/news/2008/GOP_official_McCain_Michigan_pullout_dumbass_1005. html

==============

McMeFirstLastAlways running a magnificently lame campaign.

[Buddy Holly]

McShame, when will you ever learn?

[RandomGuy]

"If you are going to end visits to the state by McCain/Palin, do it," Emmet County GOP Chairman Jack Waldvogel replied, copying a list of Michigan Republicans. "Just don't formally announce that you are 'pulling out' of Michigan, and then come back two days later asking the base core of support to 'keep working.' What a slap in the face to all the thousands of people who have been energized by the addition of Sarah Palin to the ticket. I've been involved in County Party politics and organization for 40 years, and this is the biggest dumbass stunt I have ever seen."


"He has given up on our State? What a total and complete crock of crap," Waldvogel added. "Again, I think McCain owes the Republicans and the People of Michigan a HUGE APOLOGY. SOON!...How on earth are we to get people to work for McCain here, when he has already, publicly, in the media, given up on Michigan? We feel abandoned, we are disappointed, and we are heartsick to know that we aren't important enough for him to fight for."

http://rawstory.com/news/2008/GOP_official_McCain_Michigan_pullout_dumbass_1005. html

==============

McMeFirstLastAlways running a magnificently lame campaign.

Ouch. I kinda was wondering how the GOP in Michigan feel.

Kinda like the rear guard of the 6th Armee at Stalingrad...