Politics Q&A: Chuck Todd at the DNC

If McCain announces his VP Friday, does that mean Obama definitely won't get the poll bounce You'd expect otherwise or does it depend on how the media divides its coverage between that and Obama's acceptance speech? And does it really matter come Nov. 4?

Thanks.

What are your thoughts on Obama's recent downward trend in the polls?

Do you think the new "fighting spirit" in the Obama campaign (including Joe Biden) will reverse that downward poll trend?

Do you have a gut feel for whether the Dem Convention is going to be considered a success (particularly re the Clintons)?

Chuck a lot is being made in the press that Hillary bears the most responsibility for releasing her delegates and seeing that the DNC convention becomes a unifying party event. Comments like, "it's up to Hillary not to do a roll call," "The burden is on Hillary to let her delegates support Obama," "Hillary needs to reach out and show more support for Obama," etc...

What are your thoughts on the pressure being applied to Hillary, does she need to avoid a roll call, does she need to release delegates to fully demonstrate her support to Obama? What should Obama do?

Is Biden a mistake?

Are the Clinton folks really upset enough to not vote?

Chuck:

I argue here that if Biden gets off just one zinger between now and November half as good as the "Noun, Verb and 9/11" comment aboout Rudy, he'll be a net positive to the ticket:

Correctly Political: Joe Biden, Bryan Clay and Other Stories of Pointy Sticks

Agree or disagree?

Hey Chuck hope you are having fun...I will be there tomorrow.

In the interim side note...check out rioja which was pretty good...snooty and depends on the meal but pretty good...and if you guys want a cool little hotel bar in downtown...magnolia hotel has a pretty cool small space/bar downtown my team has hit a couple of times.

1. What are your thoughts on the effects of this on Clinton's senatorial race? Do you think this is all coming into play. (I gotta say she looks like the toll of this small group of rabblerousers that think they are supporting her with all this anger is payin a heavy price on her both politically and stress wise...she didn't look this stressed during the impeachment hearings)

2. What's your analysis on the evolution and evolving differences of both Biden and Mccain on the war?

will those play out...

I just went back and reread Biden's and McCain's interviews on meet the press from 2002, 2005 etc... and it sounds like (very clearly) it was only Joe B. was the one who called out the President on the misleading stuff coming out of the administration

I mean these guys had very similar stances and voices on the mistakes of how we went in... (even though differences on if there was really enough evidence of WMD)...

...and if Biden hadn't called out the administration , you can ALMOST hear McCain might have... but then you can see he is contemplating which side his bread is buttered on.

but when you lie the evolution of arguments out and their explanations (which the RNC is already twisting if you read the transcripts of what Biden really said) the evolution of those programs with Tim R. ...shows ...(really clearly better than any assemblage of quotes out there) that Biden really gets the complexity of the culture and tribes... Mccain's answers tend to be about how to quiet the violence and he stumbles or avoids questions of political or cultural nature.

Biden says as this evolved...quieting the violence means nothing if we don't have reconciliation...and you can see throughout the various years of this conversation between these two and the administration and Warner...that Mccain avoids that end of the conversation...and it comes off as ...reasonalbe as ...the fact that he doesn't think in those terms.

I think it clearly explains or signals...identifies...I guess...why McCain thinks the surge is a success... not realizing that the quieting has a very small shot of being permanent.

Quiet is great but if you look at the list of accompishments... the political...or the cement...just isn't there...even close.

anyway sorry for the long post... just something to think about and thought if you have seen the MTP shows consecutively with their back and forth ...it is a great tool for what may end up being a central point of debate. who is smarter on how to deal with conflicts.

chuck...

don't forget this FYI... trivia quiz to give your staff... just to throw a quiz back at ya...

what is special about...

the "13th" step of the capital there...?

and Colfax Ave?

the town folk of Fruita CO...and the celebration of 'Mike the Headless Chicken Day' (hopefully it's not a PUMA metaphor for the DNC)

what song was inspired from the view from Pike's Peak?

every year Denver host the worlds largest...blank? (hint you might think you are at it now)

and there are ___— parks in Denver.

where is LoDo?

what native started howling when there was a full moon.?

what native folk hero was called the Manassa Mauler?

I gave it to my team... tip...don't give it to them in the office...the internet has ruined ...trivia challenges.

Assuming a candidate can be wealthy and still empathetic to those in need, is too much being made of the wealth issue now? Or is this really something the Dems can use to their advantage?

Chuck - I tuned to MSNBC first thing Saturday morning (no not 3am) but about 7am to hear confirmation that indeed Biden had been selected as Obama's VP. I watched MSNBC for about 3 hours and not one of the various commentators who were talking up the pick brought up Hillary Clinton--i.e., what may be the reaction of Hillary and her supporters to the Biden news. To me that was the question I wanted answered. Was that Hillary Clinton omission in MSNBC's early morning coverage by design?

How HURTFUL for the democratic party it is for these Hillary hangers-on to be upset at Obama, so decide to vote for McCain?

These "Hillaryites" will be the first ones to scream when the new Republican-biased Supreme Court reverses laws favorable to women, minorities, schools, small businesses, etc. They will be the loudest to complain when we have more wars, more big business running our lives and even worse health care disasters. And they will NEVER realized that THEY were the ones who might have helped keep that from happening!

One other thing that also troubles me, is the way the tv news programs are keeping this story going--which only fans the flames of the women who are angry at Obama for the perceived slights against Clinton--and the more coverage there is, the more emboldened they become about insisting they will vote for McCain (at their and everyone else's peril--for the future). If that isn't "Hell hath no fury like [some women feeling] scorned, I don't know what is!

What impact will giving Michigan and Florida delegates full voting rights have, especially if there is a rollcall?

What does Hillary have to do or say to bring her most stubbornly "won't take no for an answer" supporters on side (Obama's side)???

Chuck,
Is it standard practice for a Presidential candidate to consult with the competitors in his own party as to whom he/she should select for their running mate? I can't help but think that if Hillary had won the nomination she wouldn't have put Obama on her ticket and she certainly wouldn't have consulted with him in regards to her choice for running mate. I'm also trying to find a good rational for why Hillary supporters would now vote for McCain. Everything Hillary stands for and positions she campaigned on McCain opposes. Not to mention, once upon a time in this campaign everyone said that Hillary and Obama were alike on almost every issue!

For the record, I'm a 54 year old, white, college educated, single adoptive mom.

Linda

Are there any rumbllings about a Clinton end run? I have a friend that is "one of those women" and is a delegate, and she tells me the "Clinton's have a plan" and that "it ain't over yet". Could be she is just digging at me, because I am a Republican firmly committed to Obama. Being a Republican, I trust nothing Clinton.

Hey Chuck,

The Obama camp seems to be hesitant to really dirty up McCain. Do you envision them or a 527 ever running an ad highlighting McCain's relationship with his first wife and the deplorable way he treated her after her accident? You gotta think the Media would really love to talk about that story endlessly and it may help the Senator from Illinois with the older female crowd that seems to be hesitant to vote for him.

Thanks for being one of the most insightful pundits on my T.V.

Grant

Hi Chuck,
Are the Democrats doing a little more hand-wringing than they should be right now? From the electoral maps on Pollster.com, and similarly on MSNBC.com and NYTimes.com, it appears that Obama is ahead everywhere he needs to be and if he grabs all the expected blue states (MI, WI, and PA don't appear to be as close as the GOP and some in the news media would have us believe) plus Virginia, for example, he wins. I don't want to be cocky but it looks like Obama is in very good shape despite what the national polls suggest. Am I wrong and/or missing something?
-Rob

Chuck,

Do you expect Hillary and/or Bill CLinton doing a campaign ad to respond to McCain/RNC ads using Hillary against Obama?

IS there anything Hillary or Obama can do to move these PUMA to Obama's corner or not.

Do you think Obama has some over confidence on thinking that the combination of new registered voters and young voters will overcome any loss by Hillary supporters..

If I was Obama I would have Biden and the Clintons campaigning on Michigan, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and FL from the day the convention ends to election day (everyday) with maybe some stops in NM and Nevada by Hillary mixed in.

So Chuck,

Have you decided who you're voting for yet?

What will be the basis for your decision?

A few things for the Dem. Convention -- is it me or should the 'hillaryland diehards' get on message or take their toys and go home. While I realize the Clinton news fodder is inevitable, how is Rendell, Begala and the handful of others 'she wasn't even vetted' moaning helpful 24 hours before convention? What is the purpose and why hasn't the party come out more forcefully against them - in particular, why hasn't the media in general come back at pundits with - perhaps Clinton didn't want to release the Foundation names to be vetted?

Speeches from the convention floor, handicaping that the expectation and significance of Obama's speech is a given -- how would you rank the importance of the keynotes? Who would you bank on being a standout? I realize Warner has a key role and much is made of the Clinton speeches, but where do you think we are going to be most surprised?

Your piece about Michelle Obama setting the tone for how she will be used -- do you think we will see early Michelle who humanized Barack and put him in context as father, husband, neighbor? Isn't that the best way she can service the campaign?

And finally - I hope you and the NBC/MSNBC family know we are thinking of and missing Tim Russert with each turn of the process as it unfolds. Can't hear Springsteen on MSNBC without thinking of him!

You gonna buy ObamaBiden.org?

Chuck, Biden was the wrong choice. It should have been Bill Richardson of New Mexico. His background
is the best of any of the VP candidates of either party. Even better than Obama's own. The Democrats
seem to ignore that there are powerful states west of the Mississippi River. Obama traded the HUGE
Latino vote for the "Good old Boy's" club in Washington. Now the election is a toss-up. As an Independent, my vote will most likely be third party now.

Hi Chuck.
I think you're doing a great job with the convention so far. It was great to see Luke Russert. He's a smart young man. Here's my question.
I thought there was a gentleman's agreement with regard to one party respecting the other's convention. What do you think the republicans hope to prove by strutting Mitt Romney and others in Denver?? Thanks, and keep up the good work!

Dear Chuck First impressions of the Big Tent or wherever you are ?

Dear Chuck,

I live in San Diego and I am a great fan of Morning Joe. Do you think there is a chance that sometime in the near future I can get my beauty sleep and still get my morning Joe fix?