Kudos to John McCain

[Laugh O. Grams]

I saw the clip on Larry King where John McCain told the people at a town hall meeting that Obama is not an arab but a "decent family man, American citizen, whom I happen to disagree with on some fundamental issues".

He also told another questioner "Barak Obama is a decent family man and I want to be clear, there is no reason to be afraid of Obama being president."

(My quotes may not be exact, but it's what I recall he said, feel free to correct me. I know it's pretty close.)

I have criticized McCain on here today for inciting hatred and I felt that it was only right for me to give him props for doing the right thing - even though the audience boo'd him.

Sorry. I'm not willing to give McCain a pat on the back for something that anyone with half a conscience could tell you he should have done a month ago. He's lost the middle and made a bed full of hateful, unhinged supporters...now he needs to sleep in it.

 

[LuvDuke]

Wowie zowie, McCain said Obama was "decent". Geeez, McCain is a regular Mother Teresa.

 

[What the Heck]

I try to have my children aspire to be one of the "elite" aka highly educated, well-informed, tolerant of all.

I just don't want my kids to aspire to be "Joe Sixpack".

I am still trying to figure out when being highly educated and pursuing a college (never mind Ivy League) education became a thing to be ashamed of in this country, while being "Joe Sixpack" is something to be admired.

It's disgraceful, really.

It hasn't. What is a thing to be ashamed of is when you believe that because you have the college education, because you have the finer things, you are better than everyone else who doesn't. That is the difference between elite and elitist. Obama isn't elite, he is an elitist.

I don't understand your disgraceful comment. Why is it wrong to be middle class? Why does that make them something to not be admired? The people who go to work each day, do their job, and make it possible for those with more money to make even more so they can send their children to college. People who won't be able to send their children to college, at least not completely, but will do what they can to get them there. People who, if they went to college had to pay for it themselves and are still paying for it (and will be for the next 20 years). People who may or may not own a house, and if they do it's one they can afford, not one that the government told the bank to put them in. People who aren't losing millions in the stocks because they don't have millions to lose. They are losing thousands and they are being hurt badly, not saying that they aren't. What is so terrible if one of your children becomes one of them, either by fate or by choice (for instance if they want to do a job that doesn't pay well but gives them satisfaction)?

 

[Goofyluver]

Yep, exactly! All the people who are going to say "I agree but..." Maybe we should help them out by giving them options:

- it took so long for him to say it
- he's still evil because of the Keating 5
- he's only doing it as a political ploy
- Other

Now, if only we could create check boxes for them too (I'm not sure how) then they could save all that typing!

(Was there a talking point I missed?)

-Obama is a socialist
-Obama pals around with terrorists
-Obama does that tooooo (said in a whiny voice)
-Obama is the anti-Christ
-Obama is a marxist
-All OS care about is abortion rights and gay marriage
-Those crazy lefties!!!
-You can't argue with "crazy"

You got any to add?

 

[crazyforgoofy]

Fair enough, but we don't have enough information to factor that into the evaluation. Instead, we can only go on the objective data, which is that his chances of dying in office, if elected, would be about 30%. Of course, that's far far far more than enough to be critically concerned about the possibility of a Palin ascendency.

Hence the reason I said personally, Bicker. I realize my concern has a personal bias because I watched 'the Colonel' die a horrible death. I loved my big brother deeply and I miss him. I won't vote for John McCain but I also hope and pray the melanoma hasn't spread. It's a horrible way to die. And, since my brother's cancer was considered 'managed and contained' but turned deadly suddenly and without warning I'm concerned there's a more than 30% chance Sarah Palin would become President if McCain wins the election.

 

[BuckNaked]

So all those Republicans in Chicago who 'associate with Mr. Ayers' are 'indeed ugly' and need to be chastised? The Annenberg Foundation needs to be chastised? The University of Chicago? Please.

I don't see any of them running to be President of the United States, a position that one would reasonably expect be filled by someone that doesn't think it's OK to assoicate with a domestic terrorist. When and if any of those people do run for President, you can bet I'll be saying the exact same thing.

Will you? Or will your position change if the party of the prospective candidate changes?

 

[crazyforgoofy]

-Obama is a socialist
-Obama pals around with terrorists
-Obama does that tooooo (said in a whiny voice)
-Obama is the anti-Christ
-Obama is a marxist
-All OS care about is abortion rights and gay marriage
-Those crazy lefties!!!
-You can't argue with "crazy"

You got any to add?

You forgot:

Obama eats elitist arugula

 

[corndog]

There's only one reason why John McCain has decided to slither on the high road. The low road wasn't good for John McCain or his party. The GOP is taking a beating all across the country and in races they never dreamed they'd have to actually compete. More than likely, the GOP told McCain to tone it down.

However, the negative campaining did achieve one thing: It bit McCain, Palin, and the GOP in the ***. Go, Johnny, go.

Your statements are not consistent with the facts. Over the course of the last week Obama's negatives have risen 10-12%, and McCain has tightened to Obama 2-3%.

 

[Goofyluver]

You forgot:

Obama eats elitist arugula

My bad.

 

[corndog]

You forgot:

Obama eats elitist arugula

Can you put grey poupon on that?

 

[crazyforgoofy]

I don't see any of them running to be President of the United States, a position that one would reasonably expect be filled by someone that doesn't think it's OK to assoicate with a domestic terrorist. When and if any of those people do run for President, you can bet I'll be saying the exact same thing.

Will you? Or will your position change if the party of the prospective candidate changes?

Wasn't Mrs. Annenberg a U.S. Ambassador under some Republican President? Pehaps she shouldn't have been given such an important job since she pals around with terrorists.

Come on, Brenda. Bill Ayers has done great good for education. He's 40 years past the Weathermen. Give it up.

 

[crazyforgoofy]

Your statements are not consistent with the facts. Over the course of the last week Obama's negatives have risen 10-12%, and McCain has tightened to Obama 2-3%.

Newsweek says 52 Obama - 42 McCain but then your calculator may subtract differently than mine.

Throwing mud is hurting McCain more than its hurting Obama. The economy is in the crapper and McCain is flailing about nonsense.

 

[BuckNaked]

Your hysteria over a "Palin ascendency" is amusing to alot of Republicans. Palin has more experience with Govenering than Obama and she is running for VICE PRESIDENT. Is she were to become president she is still more qualified than Obama. You may not like her but the fact is she is. If you looked at the job of president like any other job and compared resumes obama wouldn't even get to the first interview. A presidential campaign is becoming a popularity contest. Scarey. I don't like his associations, but I especially don't like the way he has handled the questions. He seems dishonest to me. That's jmho.

We just had another Obama canvasser at our door - I guess the McCain-Palin bumper stickers and lawn sign aren't obvious enough for them.

Anyway, this chick's take on it was "You can't vote for McCain! What about Sarah Palin? What if she becomes President?" The near panic in her voice at the mere contemplation of Sarah Palin being President made me laugh out loud. When I responded that I would be much more comfortable with a President Palin than a President Obama, she launched into a near hysteric tirade about Gov. Palin being a "right wing crazy". At that point, I asked her to please go on her way and to not come back.

Not a word about why Sen. Obama would be better.

 

[corndog]

Newsweek says 52 Obama - 42 McCain but then your calculator may subtract differently than mine.

Throwing mud is hurting McCain more than its hurting Obama. The economy is in the crapper and McCain is flailing about nonsense.

I'm not just cherrypicking one poll. It's the composite of all.

 

[BuckNaked]

Wasn't Mrs. Annenberg a U.S. Ambassador under some Republican President? Pehaps she shouldn't have been given such an important job since she pals around with terrorists.

You're right, she shouldn't have been.

Come on, Brenda. Bill Ayers has done great good for education. He's 40 years past the Weathermen. Give it up.

I see - it's OK to bomb buildings or commit other terrorist acts so long as you say you're sorry and move on to do good things. Got it. Too bad Timothy McVeigh didn't think of that, maybe he could have been a school teacher in Oklahoma now.

But wait, Ayers has never said he's sorry, has he? In fact, quite the opposite, he's said he wishes he had done more. How anyone can defend him is beyond me.

I don't care what he's supposedly done for education - the man is an unapologetic, unrepentant terrorist, and I'm not at all comfortable with the idea that the likely President of the United States launched his poltical career in the guy's living room.

 

[lindalinda]

I'm not just cherrypicking one poll. It's the composite of all.

The spread
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2008/president/us/general_election_mccain_vs_obama-225.html

favorables

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2008/president/favorable.html

these are composites

 

[chobie]

The spread
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2008/president/us/general_election_mccain_vs_obama-225.html

favorables

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2008/president/favorable.html

these are composites

I keep having a co-worker whine that Obama should be doing better (he's supporting McCain so I don't know why he cares anyway) and he keeps saying there is only a 2 point difference. In which poll?

 

[CPT Tripss]

Not to mention hockey moms vs. east coast politicians.

Like Romney, Collins, Lieberman, Gregg?

 

[Alicnwondrln]

Sorry. I'm not willing to give McCain a pat on the back for something that anyone with half a conscience could tell you he should have done a month ago. He's lost the middle and made a bed full of hateful, unhinged supporters...now he needs to sleep in it.

I agree and Palin is still out there saying this stuff. THey have ramped up the attacks so much what did he expect.

 

[Carly_Roach]

I see - it's OK to bomb buildings or commit other terrorist acts so long as you say you're sorry and move on to do good things. Got it. Too bad Timothy McVeigh didn't think of that, maybe he could have been a school teacher in Oklahoma now.

But wait, Ayers has never said he's sorry, has he? In fact, quite the opposite, he's said he wishes he had done more. How anyone can defend him is beyond me.

I don't care what he's supposedly done for education - the man is an unapologetic, unrepentant terrorist, and I'm not at all comfortable with the idea that the likely President of the United States launched his poltical career in the guy's living room.

But here's the thing:

1). Ayers isn't running for President

2). I don't give a frak what Ayers did when I was five years old and Obama was eight years old. I give a frak about:

• No insurance, RIGHT NOW, for over forty million people
• Massive job losses overseas
• Economy in the tank
• Foreclosures at an all time high
• A looming recession for sure, and possibly another Depression
• A 10 billion dollar American debt that grows each month by staying in a no-win war that has absolutely no benefit for Americans at all
• Loss of American soldiers in that war

I'm more likely to be a victim of any one of those things I just listed than be a victim of terrorism. MUCH more likely.

Therefore, whether or not a Presidential candidate had lunch with, lives in a neighborhood with or sat on a board with 20 people, one of whom was a man who, when he was 18 or 19 years old, did something foolish or downright stupid almost 40 years ago ....well that just not an issue that really matters to me. Nor do I want an apology from him because, let's face it, his apology don't pay my rent.

The issues that matter to me are the very real ones I listed above. I personally believe that an Obama Administration would address those issues better than a Palin Administration.