McCain promises to win California

[Ebowed]

McCain in SF: ''I will win California''

Arizona Sen. John McCain hit San Francisco tonight for a major fundraiser. The full report from pool reporter Josh Richman of the Oakland Tribune just hit, and here's some excerpts detailing what he saw:

Contributors began gathering beneath the crystal chandeliers of the Fairmont Hotel's Gold Room -- an ornate, French Provincial-styled ballroom -- at around 6:30 p.m.

The drinks: California wines, Mountain View Vintners Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon, and a Gloria Ferrer sparkling wine. The food: hor's d'oeuvres including ahi tuna tartare, chicken sate skewers, bruschetta, crab cakes and local artisanal cheeses.
The crowd: About 250, though ''campaign staffers declined to say how many people attended the dinner and reception, or to estimate how much money was raised Monday evening.''

From Richman's pool report:

McCain entered at 7:49 p.m. with California Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner, who introduced the event's chairman, Howard Leach, the former U.S. Ambassador to France.

Leach introduced Cindy McCain, who said she recently returned from Rwanda on a trip with One, the anti-AIDS and poverty organization founded by U2 frontman Bono. She said it was a remarkable experience, witnessing reconcilation between Rwandan woman and those who'd brutalized them during the genocide of 1994.
''I can honestly tell you I'm not that strong... I've never been so moved and I've never been so honored to be in the presence of woman as strong as that,'' she said.

She then explained that she was telling this story because she realized it reflected the strength and forgiveness her husband showed during and after his time as a Vietnam prisoner of war. ''He is the true epitome of what is great about America and Americans: hope, honor, dignity and strength.''

McCain began speaking at 7:57 p.m., thanking the crowd for coming and promising not to let them down but rather to ''run a campaign you're going to be proud of.'' He also said he was glad to be back in ''one of the most beautiful cities on earth.''

He described himself as an underdog, said he loves that status and said he's doing better at this point than he thought he would be doing. ''I will compete and I will win in the state of California,'' he said, then quipped after applause, ''and following that I will take back to Arizona all the water that you've stolen from us.'' He then praised Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger as ''a great guy.''

He then took several questions from the audience. One person asked whether he believes its appropriate for a presidential candidate to apologize for America's mistakes while visiting overseas.

McCain said he didn't see Obama's big speech, but would prefer to wait to give a speech in Berlin until he's president.

''I think America has made mistakes, I'm sure that throughout our history the United States of America has made some mistakes'' but ''the United States is unique in the history of the world in that we have sent our young Americans to shed their blood in all four corners of the earth, usually in defense of someone else's freedom.''

On California's allowance of same-sex marriage: ''I have to tell you my personal opinion is that I do not agree with that, but I believe states should make the decisions within the states as to what those issues should be.''
Someone asked him how he would ensure nobody else suffers, as he did, the pain of torture, war and violence, either by staying in Iraq or by attacking Iran. ''My position is that as President of the United States, I will declare we will never torture anyone in our custody.'' He said a former high-ranking al Qaeda official now cooperating with U.S. troops told him the Abu Ghraib photos had been the terrorist group's ''greatest recruiting tool... So I don't think torture works, number one, and number two it hurts us as far as winning the long-term ideological struggle.''

An African-American man said the Republican Party hasn't given African-Americans a reason to rally to the GOP, and asked McCain how he would help minorities move their first-generation wealth to their children, and also about his stance on affirmative action.

''I've never believed in and do not believe in quotas,'' McCain replied. ''I think we ought to do everything we can to provide Americans with an equal opportunity.''

To that end, he said, ''I believe the biggest civil rights issue of the 21st century is education... When we condemn Americans to a terrible education because of their income and their location, we have done a grave injustice... I want every American to have the same choice that Senator Obama and his wife had and that Cindy and I had, and that is to send their children to the schools of their choice'' with a voucher system.
McCain said goodbye and left at 8:22 p.m.

Posted By: Carla Marinucci (Email) | July 28 2008 at 09:25 PM

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/sfgate/detail?blogid=14&entry_id=28608

[Joe Biden 2020]

McCain in SF: ''I will win California''

Keep dreaming John, keep dreaming...

[DownWithTheLeft]

No more far-fetched than Obama believing he can win Georgia

[Middle-aged Europe]

I'd believe him if he had said that with an Austrian accent.

[MODU]

Well, I wouldn't expect him to promise to "lose" California. 

[TheresNoMoney]

McCain in SF: ''I will win California''

Arizona Sen. John McCain hit San Francisco tonight for a major fundraiser.

OH NOES! McCain has "San Francisco Values"!

[WalterMitty]

...and obama is pissing away money in georgia, north carolina and OMGZ NEBRASKA!!!111

[Eraserhead]

...and obama is pissing away money in georgia, north carolina and OMGZ NEBRASKA!!!111

Thankfully it's a lot cheaper to "compete" in those states.

[WalterMitty]

...and obama is pissing away money in georgia, north carolina and OMGZ NEBRASKA!!!111

Thankfully it's a lot cheaper to "compete" in those states.

im sure those states are 'solid obama' by now.

time to buy some ads in utah, idaho and wyoming.

[Josh/Devilman88]

I think the bigger problem is the message on gay marriages will not play well with consv, the group he needs.

[Flying Dog]

WOW!!!! Would this not be great for the republican party.

I can see it happening, but McCain will have to really campaign in California. The reason that I say that I could see it happening is because there are a lot of Latino supporters there and the Clintons are very big in the Latino areas. If McCain can get Latinos who were Clinton supporters to come on his side, and he can hold the southern California counties, do relatively well in the northern areas, and hold the margin down in Los Angeles then he could have a shot.

The last poll had Latino's nation-wide going to Obama by like 65-24. So, it's probably even worse in CA

[exopolitician]

Go ahead and try

[??????????]

Go ahead and try

And Obama's gonna win Virginia.

[Flying Dog]

Go ahead and try

And Obama's gonna win Virginia.

That's a lot more plausible than California.

[exopolitician]

Go ahead and try

And Obama's gonna win Virginia.

I really didnt say he was going to. But it seems more possible that Obama can swing Virginia than McCain swinging KALIFORNIUH!

[Democratic Hawk]

WOW!!!! Would this not be great for the republican party.

I can see it happening, but McCain will have to really campaign in California. The reason that I say that I could see it happening is because there are a lot of Latino supporters there and the Clintons are very big in the Latino areas. If McCain can get Latinos who were Clinton supporters to come on his side, and he can hold the southern California counties, do relatively well in the northern areas, and hold the margin down in Los Angeles then he could have a shot.

The last poll had Latino's nation-wide going to Obama by like 65-24. So, it's probably even worse in CA

Yep . Pew found that Obama is leading McCain, 66% to 23% among Hispanics. Furthermore, they also found that:

1. 76% have a favorable opinion of Obama; 73%, Clinton; 44%, McCain and 27%, Bush

2. More than 75% of those Hispanics who voted for Clinton in a Democratic primary or caucus would either vote, or are leaning towards voting, for Obama in November; while 8% would vote, or are leaning towards voting, for McCain

Hispanics may well have lost some of the trust they once had in McCain - and it's easy to see why

Dave

[Хahar 🤔]

''I will take back to Arizona all the water that you've stolen from us.''

No, San Francisco takes water from Yosemite. Southern California steals water from Arizona (but, more importantly, from us). Clearly, McCain is OUT OF TOUCH.

[Nutmeg]

WOW!!!! Would this not be great for the republican party.

I can see it happening, but McCain will have to really campaign in California. The reason that I say that I could see it happening is because there are a lot of Latino supporters there and the Clintons are very big in the Latino areas. If McCain can get Latinos who were Clinton supporters to come on his side, and he can hold the southern California counties, do relatively well in the northern areas, and hold the margin down in Los Angeles then he could have a shot.

For that matter, I can see Obama winning Wyoming, but he will really have to campaign there.  The reason that I say that I could see that happening is because there are a lot of Romney supporters there.  If Obama can get Romney supporters to come on his side, and he can hold Teton County, do relatively well in other areas of the state and hold McCain's margins down in other areas of the state, then he could have a shot.

/ Any candidate can win in any place if he, you know, gets more votes than his opponent.  The issue is whether or not the candidate can do that and how he would go about doing it.

[MarkWarner08]

The food: "hor's d'oeuvres including ahi tuna tartare, chicken sate skewers, bruschetta, crab cakes and local artisanal cheeses."
Another elitist Massachusetts liberal! Oh...

[Keystone Phil]

The food: "hor's d'oeuvres including ahi tuna tartare, chicken sate skewers, bruschetta, crab cakes and local artisanal cheeses."
Another elitist Massachusetts liberal! Oh...

Bruschetta? Yeah, so elitist. 

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

If Obama can get Romney supporters to come on his side,

Somehow, I doubt Mormons will turn out to be Obama's strongest demographic.

[Nutmeg]

If Obama can get Romney supporters to come on his side,

Somehow, I doubt Mormons will turn out to be Obama's strongest demographic.

Right, kind of like California Democrats for McCain.

[Everett]

What a dumbass. Go away, McCain. We don't like you here.

[© tweed]

Go ahead and try

And Obama's gonna win Virginia.

Obama is the odds-on favorite to win Virginia and is 4-1 in polls there since he wrapped up the nomination, albeit all within the MoE.  dismissing VA's competitiveness as out-of-hand like you seem to is not intellectually defensible.

[Boris]

Don't the Republicans say they will win California every election?