US parties aim big guns at knife-edge California

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Source: AFP

ANAHEIM, California — US President Barack Obama is due in California this week, as his Democrats and their Republican rivals aim their big guns at the Sunshine State, facing knife-edge polls on November 2.

Former president Bill Clinton brought his star power to Los Angeles this weekend, followed closely by Republican "Mama Grizzly"-in-chief Sarah Palin, who roused the faithful at a packed rally in Orange Country, south of LA.

The Republicans are fighting tooth and nail to help wrest power from the Democrats in crucial mid-term polls -- and also to elect another Republican to succeed former film star Arnold Schwarzenegger as California governor.

The most populous state in the United States and one of its most socially liberal, California has long been a Democratic stronghold, with a massive 61 percent of its voters backed Obama in the 2008 presidential polls.

Read more: http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5j43cmcWLX9ffoYqukzD10m1U8nIg?docId=CNG.19150b1b67c62c47b0bb0979b034af6b.41

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Dang, "knife edge", like is was close.

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1. Proposition 19: high-profile issue, low-profile campaign

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And the endorsement of the Service Employees International Union and the United Food and Commercial Workers, which see legalized marijuana as an industry that could create union jobs, means slate mailers will reach about 900,000 members and hundreds of volunteers will make calls and walk precincts.

Proposition 19 would allow people 21 and older to grow up to 25 square feet of marijuana and possess up to an ounce, and authorizes cities and counties to approve commercial cultivation, retail sales and taxation.

The measure has remained steadily ahead in most polls, with the support of about half of the electorate. If it passes Nov. 2, it might be due to the ardent believers, many in their 20s, who are the ground troops.

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More than eight out of 10 voters have told pollsters they are aware of the initiative. And a Public Policy Institute of California poll last month caused a stir. It found that likely voters favor legal marijuana more than they favor any of the candidates for governor and senator, leading comedian Stephen Colbert to quip: "If Prop. 19 were a human, it would be the most popular candidate in California."

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-pot-campaign-20101018,0,624268.story

[pattmarty]

2. This is basically the ONLY news I will be waiting for on Nov 2...............

.........Hopefully it will pass and will help to lessen the BAD news.

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3. I think the best possible way we can "send them a message" is to pass it overwhelmingly.

Along with kicking Carly and Meg's asses, and voting down the Robo-outside-money initiatives. Just think of all that conservative campaign money being completely thrown away, useless, accomplishing nothing. Now that's a "message".

[Jefferson23]

4. K&R

[left coaster]

5. Subject matter aside..CA is THE GOLDEN STATE.. Florida is the Sunshine State..

"Journalists". Yep.

[bemildred]

6. Well, you know, they are busy cranking this stuff out, no time for editing, editing costs money.

I sort of liked the story because it is not so "screechy", but you are right, we are the "Golden State".

[left coaster]

7. lol! Yep! Facts? We don't need no stinkin facts! Just keep the noise machine cranking! nt

[XemaSab]

8. Who writes this shit?

The first sentence is terrible.

Sarah Palin is a nobody-in-chief. This sentence is also pretty bad.

The third sentence makes it sound like the battle is over the polls, and not the outcome of the election. Furthermore, I'm sure it's news to Arnold that he's a former film star. Finally, "help wrest power?"

The last sentence from the excerpt is the WORST. "With a massive 61 percent of its voters backed Obama in the 2008 presidential polls."

Frankly, the whole thing is so bad I wonder if the person who wrote it was a native English speaker.

[bemildred]

9. Outsourcing political propaganda, an idea whose time has come.

:rofl:

[XemaSab]

10. Something about this article reads a little like a MadLibs

(Former president) visited (city) today to rally the faithful and secure (state) for the (political party) in the upcoming elections. Meanwhile, archrival (former governor) held a different rally in (city), hoping to help poll numbers for (political party) candidate (ex-CEO) in the state's hotly contested southern region.

[savalez]

11. LOL!

[bemildred]

12. You could have a computer program churn this stuff out, yes.

Since it has only the most tenuous connection to any real events, it's basically just a bunch of emotional drivel designed create an impression.

[backtomn]

14. Probably outsourced.

Send out a form.....plug in the names....it's easy.

[backtomn]

13. Definitely some low-cost reporting.

Nice read "XemaSab". I will continue to look for this formula. : )