Joe Six Packs and soccer moms turned out en masse to see Barack Obama in Columbus, Ohio this weekend with special guest Bruce Springsteen. The Boss recently made a very special donation to the Obama campaign: Along with his co-headlining a benefit in New York City with Billy Joel, a group of very special campaign volunteers got free tickets to a Saturday show in Philadelphia.

But with the second presidential debate coming up Tuesday, he's off preparing until tomorrow night's bout at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee. While he crams, Michelle Obama will be meeting and greeting the populace tomorrow in Jacksonville, North Carolina.]]> egw 2008-10-06T13:30:40-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/10/2/12258/2932

Get ready for the big show! Tonight, vice presidential candidates Sen. Joe Biden and Gov. Sarah Palin go head to head on campus at Washington University in St. Louis for the only scheduled Veep debate. And the question everyone's asking is, "Can they prove the naysayers wrong?"

Will Palin show a higher level of preparation than she did in news clips released from her interview last week with Katie Couric? Will Biden keep himself from stumbling and accidentally (and repeatedly) inserting his foot in his mouth? We'll just have to find out. Either could happen, even in 90 seconds of answering time.]]> egw 2008-10-02T13:05:37-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/9/30/143328/356

A Harris poll last week found that 54 percent of Americans believe the economy is the most important issue in this election, with health care a distant second at 21 percent. (The war in Iraq took third.) So after Friday's national-security-themed debate, the candidates came out swinging with critiques of how their opponent might clean up this domestic mess in his first term.

Senator Barack Obama suggested to a Westminster, Colorado audience that his opponent's fondness for gambling may lead to a certain recklessness in not pushing for further regulations on the banking and mortgage industries. He heads to La Crosse, Wisconsin tomorrow before flying back to Florida (where he prepped for last week's debate) for two rallies with former President Bill Clinton.]]> egw 2008-09-30T15:45:37-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/9/26/121637/705

His poor travel agent! After declaring he would stay in Washington, DC until the bailout package had been pushed through Congress, John McCain will participate in tonight's debate against Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama. A campaign statement said the Republican candidate was "optimistic" that a solution had advanced far enough that he felt that he could resume normal campaign activities.

If we could suggest a venue change, we would love to see the candidates opine while scrambling through this corn maze of vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin. A Whitehouse, Ohio farmer carved the election-themed maze this year in hopes that Palin would pay him a visit, but also in the wish that people would take this election seriously. How corny!

Related Stories:
· McCain to Show up for Debate After All [CNN]
· Palin A-Maze-Ing in Whitehouse Cornfield [Toledo Free Press]
· Possible Presidents Travel: Get Me to Ole Miss on Time [Jaunted]

[Photo: Toledo Free Press]]]> egw 2008-09-26T13:30:34-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/9/25/14361/5703

Retreat or revolution? John McCain announced he was "suspending" his campaign yesterday to return to Washington and vote on the impending bank bailout proposal.

The Obama campaign rejected this postponement (and a subsequent suggestion to replace the October 2 Veep debate with this Friday's tourney), so... what's going on? Where are we? What are these holes in our pants?

In all seriousness, the Commission on Presidential Debates has not yet made any official announcement about a postponement of lack thereof, so our two potential presidents are still expected to show up in Mississippi on Friday. He who does not will be roundly mocked even more than David Letterman mocked McCain for canceling last night's talk show appearance!]]> egw 2008-09-25T15:15:16-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/9/24/152515/143

Former Wasilla Mayor Sarah Palin is in New York again today, trying to associate herself with the world leaders on parade at the United Nations this week. After meeting with Hamid Karzai and Alvaro Uribe Tuesday, she hunkered down for a rap session with Henry Kissinger.

Today's schedule has her lunching with Pakistan's new President Asif Ali Zardari. Later tonight, she plans to meet Indian PM Manmohan Singh. While the company is très internationale, she's staying at the relatively frumpy Millenium Broadway.

Meanwhile, Joe Biden, whose foreign policy resume needs no padding, gave a speech on the subject today at the Cincinnati Museum Center--where President Bush laid out his case for the Iraq war six years ago. Why all the talk about international relations? It was supposed to be the subject for the first debate between Barack Obama and John McCain on Friday night in Oxford, Mississippi--but now McCain wants the debates put on hold!

Related Stories:
· Palin Gets an Introduction to Foreign Policy [LAT]
· Biden Attacks McCain's Judgment [Cincinnati Enquirer]
· Possible Presidents Map [Jaunted]

[Photo: Mudflats]]]> pbb 2008-09-24T15:30:33-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/9/23/122822/615

The candidates' paths will converge Friday for the first official presidential debate, held at Ole Miss in Oxford, Mississippi. But it'll be hard to stay focused on the ostensible topic of the debate, foreign policy, given the national economic climate. If McCain and Obama are indeed skipping the vote on the Paulson bailout, as the Los Angeles Times reports, where are they instead?

Obama will be doing most of his prepping for the debate in Tampa, Florida, where he arrived after a rally Sunday in Green Bay, Wisconsin, but he is scheduled to make an appearance at a rally in the suburb of Dunedin tomorrow.

Vice presidential candidate Joe Biden met with vets for Obama in Baltimore yesterday, while Michelle Obama kicked off Women in Action week in West Allis, Wisconsin.]]> egw 2008-09-23T14:05:32-05:00 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/