Sowing the seeds of doubt
This latest ad is a cleverer effort I think at debunking Obama - less angry than the military hospital attempt but sowing the seeds of doubt.
By the way, if McCain does not pick his vice presidential candidate soon when is he going to do it? The Olympics end the day before the Democrats begin. Does he slide through the summer - effectively ceding the fight to Obama while the nation rests - and then try to catch up at the Convention?
Like the Florida strategy of the former New York Mayor. And it might be similarly unwise.
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It used to be customary to name the vice presidential nominees at the conventions. Nowadays, everything has been accelerated, so if Obama names his, I suppose McCain will follow suit. He ought to do it the old-fashioned way, but I expect he won't. No advantage to beating Obama to it, however.
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Clever ad. A talent to be popular is not necessarily a talent to lead.
Though I like Obama, I am beginning to be concerned.
"Change" without a plan is a bad idea. At the presidential level, ..., well, haven't we learned?
I have not seen a track record from him as a senator that projects any confidence that he is really good at anything. There is nothing of substance there.
I would like to see more than the "Change" mantra. "I'm not Bush" is also pretty weak.
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Very effective McCain ad...portraying Obama in the same light as Britney Spears and making him appear like some 3rd world leader...esepecially with the shot of Obama accepting the adulation from non-US citizens whose accents remain when chanting "Obama." It sounds harsh to the American ear - like something one would hear during a 3rd world riot somewhere...and looks foreign to the American eye...And Justin...don't discount the "wounded srvicemen" ad. It was quite a character-revealing decision Obama made and he will suffer for it once more MAericans learn about it.
And FYI Justin...customarily, in the US a Vice Presidential Candidate is not named until the convention. It's why peple tune in. Look for McCain to select a minority as his VP and look for Obama's numbers in the polls to descend after his convention in Denver as Americans, hopefully, start to finally learn details about Obama, the man and his policies -- A Liberal machine politician from the most corrupt city in the most corrupt state of the country; pushing for higher taxes, and socialist liberal big government growth.
I expect Obama's numbers will start to degrade as soon as the debates begin and America sees Obama without a script and teleprompter. Perhaps then the news media will finally start doing its job and recover from their ridiculous Obama imfatuation...and finally start telling their audiences about Obama in something other than broad glowing gushy platitudes.
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Nice serene profile of McCharacter at the end of the spot, looks like he's just "inhaling". Good for him, do him good. Unfortunately, the flitting ad doesn't "debunk" Obama Copacabana in all his hypocrisy nor is it intended to. Obama is most vulnerable for "debunking" from the left but McCain is no position to attempt that so he's constrained to falling back on hoary Republican campaign tocsins about taxing the rich and fuel costs to feed gas-guzzling SUV's. The rich and the profligate needn't worry, Obama is on their side too, and they know it. And they show it, just look at his overflowing campaign treasury. No, there's not much for McCain to "debunk" Obama on since they both believe in the same bunk; more largesse for corporate interests, more boots and bombs in Afghanistan and throughout America's self-declared empire, more favors for well heeled contributors. The ad symbolizes how little space there is for disagreement between the competing wings of America's Duopoly Party. It's this whole rotten system that needs to be "debunked"!
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Much ado about McCain's age:
When we consider the ages of some of the
'heavy weights' who were leaders of countries in the recent past, McCain's 71 or
72 isn't anything to holler about.
The following is a list of only some of the worthies and their respective ages at which they were leaders of countries:
Nelson Mandela (81), Winston Churchill(80),
Mao Zedong (80s), De Gaulle (78), Clemenceau (76), Jawaharlal Nehru (75), Ronald Reagan (second term-73).
Like how their experience and resilience helped them to hold such high Office despite
their age, it is the very same things which are going to help McCain to be successful in his election-not his being 'not-so-young'.
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#2 neil A2
Want to learn more Obama the man? Just google "Tony Rezko", his genrous next-door neighbor, friend, supporter, fundraiser and former client.
Also look up "Wiliam Ayres" one of Obama's earliest supporters and fundraisers.
While you're at it, you might also want to familiarize yourself with official corruption in Chicago and Illinois. Googling some key words should do it or you can check out Jon Kass' columns in the Chicago Tribune.
Would you be surprised to know that Obama was pretty much an unknown in Ilinois until he ran for the US senate? Yep. That's right. Before then he was pretty much a typical Chicago Democrat Machine politician.
You also might want to google "Patrick Ryan" Obama's former GOP opponent for the Senate?
Happy Googling...
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If I were McCain I would not choose my running mate until after Obama did. He could then select someone with qualities Obama's VP lacked.
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It might work, if McCain's people can
fire off one of these a week.
Not a shred of truth, but so what?
When has that ever been important
in American politics?
I still think McCain is the better man,
but he has crummy people working for
him. He should be presenting positive
ideas, not running a negative campaign.
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Not many US Presidents have come directly from the Senate, and there is not much in the record of any Senator, particularly one with a short career, which qualifies him for the presidency. This, alone, is not sufficient reason to discount Obama. A precedent is John F. Kennedy, who was similarly criticized for being too inexperienced, especially compared to Vice President Nixon. His promise to "get America moving again" was no more specific than Obama's call for "change," and his claim of a "missle gap" was invented.
So how did it turn out? Kennedy was elected because he seemed right for the times. His inexperience led him to approve the Bay of Pigs misadventure (which Eisenhower did not), but his sound judgement and careful approach got us through the Cuban Missile Crisis which followed soon after without mishap. He led us astray by laying the groundwork for the Vietnam War, but it was his successor who let it get out of control. He stood up for West Berliners, letting Europeans know that the US would stand with them against the Soviets (in the west, at least), and he started the "men to the moon" program, which spurred technological development in the US. This was a time when Americans thought we could do anything, and we did a lot, some good, some not. A mixed result.
We don't know how an Obama presidency will turn out, because it's always a crap shoot, regardless of the experience of the candidates and the platforms their parties put forward. It will come down to the (so-called) presidential debates. If Obama seems like the right man for the times to enough voters, he will win and we will just have to hope it turns out well.
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All that advert does it put me off McCain. It doesn't push me any closer to Obama, but it certainly pushes me away from his opponent.
Cheap and dirty.
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McCain's crazy Britney/Paris/Obama video only goes to show just how low the GOP is prepared to stoop - and how silly they have become.
The GOP have allowed themselves to become totally complicit in raising Senator Obama to superstar level so that people will now be begging to hear what Obama has to say. And as we already know, he has plenty to say - in the most eloquent terms of any politician for decades - and none of it will be comfortable listening for Senator McCain and his crew.
The GOP have scored an own goal and given their opponent an open field to score again and again.
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McCain needs a lot more than clever adds to catch up with Obama. His his admission of economic ignorance, his gaffes concerning he Sunnis/Shiites and the Iraq/Afghanistan border, his flip flop on offshore drilling and immigration and other issues indicate he is out of touch with reality and that his touted "experience" lacks an in-depth knowledge of issues. Nist importantly, he needs to get rid of the albatross that the Bush Administration represents before it drags him into oblivion.
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Showing young attractive white women in a political add against a black man is a cynical attempt to inflame racial passions. Shame on McCain for resorting to what I consider a new low in his political campaign. The add demonstrates McCain's desperation and the fact that he does not have anything positive to say about the issues that are important to the U.S. electorate.
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That's a stretch Dominick. I think the ad's intention is readily apparent: to draw a parallel between celebrities who don't seem to have any redeeming virtues and Sen. Obama.
If I were McCain I'd keep hitting on this point. It may very well have legs. Obama's lack of experience is worrying for a lot of Americans, Americans who like me are leaning but not yet committed to him.
I'd be surprised if either VP is named before the conventions (ok, maybe a few days before). You want the VP to be announced to the country just in time to take advantage of the post convention bump.
The truth is that the VP choice isn't all that important anyway.
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MikeIL Kudos for your blogs about your state Senator, his path from unknown polititician to rock star, and his choice of friends along the way.
I fear that Obamaites are so blinded by the stars in their eyes that they fail to ask themselves a basic question - just where did this guy come from and in such a short time? The real answer reveals that he is in no way qualified to become our Commander-in-Chief. despite the photo-ops with the troops he DID meet.
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ref #9
First Kennedey had far most experience than Obama. Second he was a moderate in the Liebermann mode.
There is a book published in 1960 call Kennedey and Nixon whats the difference?
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"Like the Florida strategy of the former New York Mayor. And it might be similarly unwise."
No, I don't agree with the parallel. Giuliani decided that the voters would be ok with him blowing off the states with early primaries. We're not ok with that, especially if the candidate is from one of the big states like New York.
It's traditional for the opposing candidate to lay low during the other party's convention. In this case McCain gets to make his argument after Obama's. That can be an advantage as it gives him an excellent opportunity to frame the issues for the rest of the campaign.
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NobleFlorian writes that "he (Obama) is in no way qualified to be Commendar-in-Chief"
Can he give us his reasons ?
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Yes, by all means let us know what qualifications are required to be CIC.
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@15
I think your fears are unfounded. Both sides have their fair share of the "blind", who don't dissect the issues but follow vague propaganda or misplaced loyalties. Assuming that an entire side of this election is comprised entirely of this minority is somewhat disingenuous.
The possibility that Obama will be unable or uninterested in making good on his rhetoric is not being consciously or subconsciously suppressed by Obama supporters. It's something we've considered and factored into our choices.
The bottom line is that there are rational people on both sides of this national debate who have come to different conclusions. It's a tough pill to swallow, but it's possible for two intelligent people to reach two different, intelligent conclusions given the same information.
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Does any of it really matter? I would argue that neither of the candidates are good choices for the Presidency, but also that either of them are exactly what we as Americans deserve.
Has anyone in America noticed that our Government just Socialized Fannie Mae and Freddy Mac? That means the CEO's get to keep the profits while the taxpayers get to eat the losses.
Does anyone realize that debt does not equal wealth; that debt decreases wealth, and that both these candidates promise to increase our debt, making us poorer as a nation?
I get the feeling the answer is no; everyone's too busy watching the circus. "Ooh, a bright, shiny object!"
I also get the feeling that America is heading for a long stretch of economic hardship, that no matter who wins the popularity contest it's going to be a long, ugly stretch, and that most of my countrymen are going to be completely blindsided and will never understand that it's our own fault.
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The only qualification required to be Commander-in-Chief of the US Armed Forces is to first be elected to the Presidency of the United States. The electorate decides who is qualified for that post.
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To 18 and 19
A history of leadership and a demonstrated understanding of how the US military works (and doesn't) would be some basic qualifications. After all, Constitutionally, heading US foreign policy and the US military are what the job of President of the US is all about -- not domestic issues.
E.G. as Hillary Clinton contended, it would have been nice of Obama to have held at least one hearing about the war in Afghanistan after having manaveured to chair that Senate Committee as a lowly Freshman and especially after naming it as what should be the sole focus of the War on Terror.
It also just would have been pretty darned decent if Obama had visited the wounded servicemen in Germany as he had planned -- even though cameras and reporters were not allowed. After all, as anyone who has ever been in the military knows, a commander is responsible for the welfare of his men. If he actually wants the job, maybe he should act like he actually cares about those servicemen and considers them as something other than extras in a photo op.
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#2 MikeIL
Thank you for the leads.
I did not find much that was objective.
What should I be looking for with Patrick Ryan? He sounds like a Tom Clancy character.
It is most unfortunate that Mr. Ayres ever existed.
I did not see a direct business connection with Rezko. Rezko was a customer to Obama's employer. He also appears to use campaign funds to influence. Obama could have been most anyone and still gotten the money.
Back to the topic.
Looking forward, where can I find something Obama actually did that would benefit the nation?
I am getting mixed signals of what his idea of "change" entails.
Has he given us anything of substance, yet?
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Re: #22
Hey, that was my line! Curses!
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More to do about little.
Yeats 1919
We all know this is a democrats year, they are the annointed party by media and polls alike,.. so why is BHO only 4 to 9 points in the lead this late in the game. Hillary? Anger over the smack down he gave her?
Typically the VP is convention grade material, but I think McCain may be waiting for the Democrat Convention. After the big gathering and stadium love fest, an early morning announcement may pluck some wind from BHOs sails.
All a moot point though, it's a numbers thing, and his (BHOs) first rodeo won't give the American voters the confidence to pop a paper shard for Obama in the privacy of the voting booth, regardless what they'll tell a neighbor or pollster.
Four years is a short time to wait, a long time for creedance to build, and another shot to take over in a possible better economy, finished war games and outragious debt.
Fight'n Hillary "One More Time"
i have hope, peace out
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The ad does work because it addresses the two topics where the Democrats are very vulnerable: higher taxes and drilling.
It doesn't work because the Britney/Hilton images seem foolish and childish. Those who were not impressed by Obama's trip to Europe are not going to be impressed by that. Those who were impressed by his trip love him so much that it doesn't matter what he says or does. His appeal in both the US and Europe is almost entirely emotional.
Meanwhile McCain is unnecessarily alienating people in Europe.
It's a depressing choice: Obama and a huge increase in new taxes and regulations, plenty of anti-business rhetoric and political correctness. Or - McCain and a stale and flat status quo.
There isn't much of a choice.
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RE: #23
"After all, Constitutionally, heading US foreign policy and the US military are what the job of President of the US is all about -- not domestic issues."
No.
Article II, Section 3 states:
He shall from time to time give to the Congress information of the state of the union, and recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient;
The state of the union and recommendations for action clearly must include domestic issues.
He also has the power to appoint judges to the Supreme Court and "other public ministers and consuls", also clearly a domestic responsibility.
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#27 - TimothyR444
"Meanwhile McCain is unnecessarily alienating people in Europe."
I don't think so. Seems to me that most of Europe has convinced itself that the election is a foregone conclusion. They could be in for a rude awakening yet.
I have not encountered anybody here yet who feels alienated by McCain but even if there were, why should McCain worry? We don't have a vote.
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I can't see McCain's logo without thinking of oven chips.
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The president appoints all the people that set the agenda for our country. Education, Energy, Environment, Health, etc.
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Obama is not perfect. There is a lot of evidence for that.
But John McCain = George W. Bush. For all intents and purposes anyway. Except that McCain is not as sly as Bush, and his latest comments criticizing Obama are even more desperate and off-base than even Karl Rove could muster. I'm hoping we Americans aren't stupid enough to fall for this crap, but I'm not so sure.
If I were Obama, I would parody this latest attack ad from McCain comparing McCain to Bush and Nixon, and some other defunct, archaic Republicans who are all country club, back-slapping swagger, and nothing else.
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"I don't think so. Seems to me that most of Europe has convinced itself that the election is a foregone conclusion. They could be in for a rude awakening yet.
I have not encountered anybody here yet who feels alienated by McCain but even if there were, why should McCain worry? We don't have a vote."
thenodio:
Interesting. Most of Europe assumes that Obama will win? I assume that's what you mean. I do think it's likely, but it still looks quite close.
So - yes, there will be a rude awakening if he wins, which in itself will likely produce a fresh resurgence of anti-Americanism.
McCain should be concerned about the perceptions in Europe. It always matters how a major nation is perceived elsewhere. With great power comes great responsibility.
Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy and Reagan had excellent foreign relations teams and advisors. Sargent Shriver worked for years as diplomat to France, with positive results.
It is possible to combine strength and dignity with friendship and diplomacy. McCain seems unconcerned with how he is perceived, at least so far. Obama is just a lightweight - indulging in trendy anti-Americna rubbish, which does delight crowds in Europe. There is no need for those two extremes.
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I know I wouldn't mind a rockstar as a president! I'm not kidding. I still think racism is the main reason people criticize Obama. They hate everything that is not white, male and close-minded.
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Mike Comment#3 - Speak for yourself! I love the sound of fabulous foreign accents! Think about it - the US is only 5% of the world population but is also the only superpower and what it does effects the entire planet. Therefore it would be selfish and just plain wrong if the next president, who I hope is a rockstar, only thought of US voters.
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#33 - TimothyR444
Yes I meant that most Europeans expect Obama to win. It is also worth noting his approval ratings over here (again important to remember that you guys choose, not us) at 60% (UK), 64% (France) and 62% (Germany). Interestly, his approval rate has soared in Iraq (www.iht.com/articles/2008/07/17/mideast/baghdad.php).
However, it is also important to remember that this is in large part to do with European attitudes to George W which range from comical dismissal to visceral hatred. The politicians might bow and scrape but trust me, the ordinary folks loathe him.
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It is a nice little advert, not too suggestive but just the right tone to sway a few.
However all it needs now is for the Obama camp to create their own:
"He's one of the oldest men ever to run for President, he says he is up to the job, but his Medical Records paint a worrying picture."
Drip, drip, drip from both camps until you end up voting for the lesser of two evils rather than the person you think is best for the job.
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Gary_A_Hill #9, you can make up your own fictional history and post it as fact here but the real facts about Kennedy are....he did not win the Presidential election in 1960. He became President because his bootlegging father's Mafia friends had the Chicago Democratic political machine rig the election with tens of thousands of votes of people who were dead, voted multiple times, or didn't exist. The finaly tally wasn't known until the morning after the election when he squeaked by in Illinois and won their electoral votes which decided the election. Nixon was somehow persuaded not to challenge it.
The Cuban missile crisis was not solved by Kennedy's sound judgement, it was caused by his unsound judgement, the result if his inexperience. As a result, all human life on earth nearly came to an end. The crisis was resolved not by John Kennedy but by his brother Attorney General Robert Kennedy who selected one of two cables from Khrushchev to respond to while ignoring the other. The result was a secret deal to remove the Russian missiles from Cuba in return for the US removing obsolete Jupiter missiles from Turkey 6 months later and not publicly admitting a connection. Also the US promised not to invade Cuba.
Obama if elected will be tested fairly early in his presidency and I am quite confident he will prove just how utterly incompetent and unsuited he is for that office. We'll be lucky if he doesn't do something really stupid like back himself into a corner where the only out is a nuclear strike against someone....like Irna, North Korea, or Monaco.
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Chancy: Let me count the ways! However, looks like my like-minded fellow-bloggers did the job for me.
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This McCain ad is most unfortunate, not for what it says, but for its delivery. These sorts of ads are just offensive, irrespective of which candidate airs them. What are they thinking?
Can we have some 'Vote for McCain, because he doesn't need to do a world tour for the cameras. He's already been there, done that, and not only visited the wounded--he's been one of them.'
Or: 'We prevail in Iraq, because McCain insisted on this course of action. Obama would have created a bloodbath that would have made Cambodia look mild, had his approach to Iraq been embraced.' Visuals of peaceful Iraq vs the killing fields of Cambodia.
McCain's campaign is run by Dumb and Dumber...
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Eddienix,
Your wish is granted!And as to the Commander in Chief Test....
Salaam, etc.
ed
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Justin, the convention is where the choice of V.P. is normally made.
BBC itself did a piece on possible V.P. candidates for McCain. McCain really needs someone with a lot of shine who will campaign for him. Sarah Palin (the Governor of Alaska, and nothing like Michael Palin) would add some glamour, but I don't imagine her accepting. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson of Texas would have been good, but has already said no. Another possible is Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal. McCain also has the advantage of waiting to see who Obama chooses.
Obama needs a nuts and bolts type who will be the practical one, while Obama has the lofty ideals.
Thank you MikeIL. With all the hoopla, something about Obama just isn't right. With the U.S. economy barreling down toward the center of the earth, I am not sure it is really going to matter who gets it.
I have on my blog stuff I call the Pioneer Party. It is more just localized philosophy of helping ones neighbor etc. Maybe I will go through with it and start it LOL!
This is the most interesting American election in 80 years. More and more though, it is coming under the Chinese saying, "may you live in interesting times."
I can hardly wait.:-(
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And...on picking a VP...wait wait wait, until the convention, let the tension build, and make the press churn the waters and verbiage about this decision.
Then, pick Fred Thompson, and watch conservatives finally show up with their cash and their passion for this election.
Wishful thinking, I realize, but we need someone with a brain amongst the quartet offered by each party.
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If McCain wants to win, he and his supporters will have to find ways to take killer shots at Obama (figuratively speaking of course.) This sniping won't work. They are going to have to take the gloves off, get down and dirt, and get into rolling in the mud with him. You can't win a fight if you aren't willing to muss up your hair and maybe shed a little blood including your own. Usually, if they can't find dirt, politicians invent it. Remember the letter the Democrats invented last time that cost Dan Rather his job? The Republicans will need that and worse, real or fictitious. What's important in politics is not what is true or real but what people's perception of it is. One vulnerability he has is his wife with her big mouth. A few well placed blasts at her should get him going. He doesn't take kindly to even mild criticism of her.
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Ed_nix #32
How to say this, Even though the party affiliation of McCain=Bush, politics and policy offered are quite the difference by what is taking place=ie;
Stance on war (listen to the generals and do what I say), taxes, big government,(additional deptarments, regulation) foriegn policy (same crap, different head of state).
McCain=different/old school, pre 1980
Obama=Bush/change not knowing one day to next.
David Hume (1711-1776)
BTW, listen to Bush without the promters, listen to Obama without the promters.
comical its so funny
butt puppets
namaste, companion
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#21, joshkin2001, you are right on the
money! Pretty soon the Saudis will own
our banks and we'll be renting from them.
On the other hand, a total economic
collapse need not be a bad thing...
the US public might wake up to the
fact that they have to save for retirement,
and that nobody is going to save them.
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MAII, if the world ends, you can find me
under a roulette table in Monaco.
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PRESIDENT OBAMA
Chilling,.. isn't it. Whats in a name, for a rose by any other name would still smell as sweet!
Andrew Jackson, December 4, 1833
Wonderful links Ed #41, perfect and to the point, and I thought humor was done for the night. You might like how this one fits todays world, a different war, sames campaign.
Campaign Commercial
purpose of love
peace
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Re: #48
Nice quote.
One point: Jackson said that 175 years ago, and it still hasn't happened.
The states lost of lot of power at the end of the civil war, but they still have a good bit. Take as an example Texas' carrying out the death penalty of Mexican nationals against the President wishes. The Supreme Court will uphold the state's rights over that of the Federal Government, should it come to it.
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Matthew 19:21,22
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I fail to grasp why so many Republicans and religious rightwingers continue to accuse the liberals of big government and big social spending. Is it not President Bush and his Republicans who 'achieved' the biggest deficit and the biggest housing crisis in US history after President Clinton and the Democrats balanced the books and reigned over one of the strongest economic upswing in US history?
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#19, there are a number of characteristics a "commander in chief" should have:
a) Kinda helps to know what you are talking about. Obama has shown that from Iraq to the Arab-Israeli conflict to North Korea and Iran that he doesn't.
b) Kinda helps to be right. McCain was one of the few who supported the Surge back in the day when the consensus was that Iraq was lost, that it was a hopeless civil war when all the US could do was to find a way to gracefully leave and that it should suck up to Iran and Syria to "help". Obama was against it. McCain was right - as incidentally was GWB - and Obama was wrong.
c) Helps not to be wrong, Obama seems to think that if the US redeployed all it's troops in Afghanistan that would automatically win the war there. It won't - the Russians had far greater numbers and they didn't "win" - and also it is meant to be a NATO effort but in reality only the Brits are pulling their weight. Having more troops is not going to change that Pakistan is aiding our enemy and that Pakistan is part of the problem not the solution.
d) If you can't manage to be right and come being wrong, it helps to have the humility to accept facts when presented. Obama has STILL not accepted that opposing the surge was wrong, STILL has not accepted that just putting an arbitrary deadline is wrong and that "diplomacy" with Iran simply hasn't got anywhere - just like it didn't get anywhere with the DPRK. He is someone who forms his ideas, fixates on them and distorts, bends and lies about facts to "back up" his preconceived views. Sound familiar? It is Obama who is the real third term of GWB.
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16, Magic.
I would not insult anyone by comparing him to that sanctimonious weasel, Joe Lieberman.
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"Is it not President Bush and his Republicans who 'achieved' the biggest deficit and the biggest housing crisis in US history after President Clinton and the Democrats balanced the books and reigned over one of the strongest economic upswing in US history?"
enviroklaus:
The answer to your question is actually "no".
The GOP congress spent far too much. When the Dems were in control for several decades, they ALSO spent far too much - and over a much longer period.
In the 90s, the government was divided, and the deficit went down. The idea that the Dems were responsible alone for the successes of the 90s is absurd. Divided government keeps one party from making too much mischief.
Of course, it was the technology boom and a huge increase in productivity that created the boom of the 90s. A sharp drop in interest rates and strong growth balanced the budgets.
That is my major concern with Obama being elected - other nations are not concerned with the huge burdens the Dems will place on the economy. I like some of their policies - but their view of business is childish and rooted in the 1930s.
As a business owner, I am very worried. This congress is notoriously anti-business, and Obama is a weak and narcissistic politician who is too passive to disagree with them - even if he wants too. The one point that is never made on this pro-Obama blog is that he is definitely not a leader. The congress will slam through huge tax inceased and regulation that will slam an economy that is already fragile.
Also - remember that Obama is a protectionist. That is disastrous for the economy, and that includes the rest of the world.
I would prefer a divided government. That way Washington is at least somehat accountable. They are so fantastically arrogant, on both sides, that only the opposition can keep them from running amok.
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18because he is a secret racist .
I for one care little for his cruise experience in ww2.
little about tit.
he has never had any other arguement other than Barak is inexperienced.
Tosh as he might say.
he's a cad and a racist.
which no doubt he will deny.
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Mc claim is getting unfair ageist hassle says Matt frie.
no . Obama has had nothing but ageist and racist troubles.
no matter how well he speeks acts or details plans.
ignore and hear what they want, old farts.like mc crime
now that i hace said farts the mods wil probably mod me at knobby flora's request.
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39 where did they do your job there , old thing
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49 andy remember texASS is a very weird state. and produces some very weird people.
And they love to kill people for others crimes.
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I'm confident that if tested, Obama will show us what shows on the campaign trail - a cool head, the knowledge and quickness to speak without the teleprompter, the ability to listen, and enough wisdom to seek the best advice. All those are excellent command traits.
As an armchair historian, I've got to say that the press from the Bush administration and often from McCain sound like, say, the dispatches from Salerno beachhead to HQ in the days just before the big German counterattack that Patton had predicted from afar, all the dispatches saying things were fine and going according to plan - when they weren't - bad command example. Former co-workers are calling me after they were laid off; the housing crisis has yet to play out; now energy costs are rippling through prices, just like Asian demand drove up building material prices and thus construction costs over the last few years. Yet the Republicans tiptoe around the economy with Pollyanna press releases about how it's not so bad.
The canard about Obama as a tax-hungry bad-for-business candidate is a joke. He sought the counsel of economists from both parties who left their Washington meeting with him praising his plans. His tax plan is a net savings for Americans making $250,000 or less annual salary (over 95% percent of us). Health care insurance reform would save the same 95% of us time and money.
What sacred business tax breaks need to be spared from Obama? Maybe the Bush laws that led to hundred of realtors driving around in Hummers they wrote off in the first year of ownership? The exemption for lottery-sized inheritances? (George Washington was no fan of large inheritances by the way). I worked with a relative for some years in a family business, so I know the long hours, hard work, and challenges, but I draw a line between protecting opportunity and protecting greed.
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If there's something "clever" about this ad I must have missed it. If anything, I think it's an ad that exhibits desperation on the part of McCain. This ad has all the hallmarks of a a man who knows he's already beaten and is clutching at straws in order to gain votes. You only have to listen to the "superstar" inferences at the beginning of the ad to know this.
Granted, just because you're popular, that doesn't necessarily mean you have the wherewithal to be a good president, but when you take all things into account, Barack Obama would be make a far better progressive president than a 70 plus year old politician with staid political views. Put simply, the choice for the electorate is a no brainer.
Barack Obama has proven on his recent visit to Europe that he is very presidential in his manner and in the way he conducts himself. As I've said on numerous blogs and websites, the job of President of the USA is not one that carries a trainee program or an internship; you learn on the job, and I've no doubt that the former head of the Harvard Law Review has the intellectual wherewithal to pick up those skills quickly along the way.
Finally, a question for Obama's detractors who claim that he's not "ready". Before he became president 8 years ago was George W Bush "ready"? I think not. On that premise alone, you should know that Barack Obama is more than ready for this particular "challenge" in his career.
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Jaybird, Namaste.
Well met again. Well said.
Salaam, etc.
ed
P.S. Ms Marbles, "sanctimonius weasel" - Love it.
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When will McCain pick his VP? Some are saying after the democratic convention to take away the boost the convention will give to Obama. The press here recently seems focused on McCain's age. They keep showing closeups of a bandage on his face where he had a possible cancer removed for biopsy. If elected he would be the oldest at 72. There have also been doubts cast about his recollection of events such as troop numbers and event sequences during the Iraq war surge. Criticisms that are not applied to a much younger Obama who was aged eight when McCain was being held in Vietnam.
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With regard to the ad, the reference to domestic oil drilling not be as effective as McCain hopes with GOP Senator Ted Stevens from Alaska under indictment for corruption.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080731/ap_on_go_co/stevens_2
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Conservatives Wonder If Negative Ads Could Reduce McCain's Stature
;-)And a comment:
ed
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Top McCain Surrogate Refuses To Endorse McCain Attack On Obama
Watch
;-)
ed
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I just love the tone of voice in this:
John McCain is blaming Barack Obama for high gas prices???
And, for those who ask "Where's the beef?", there's a reference link to detailed policy.
Nice
ed
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ref # 53
All the Marbles: So voting your conscince over party doctrine is being a weasal? Too bad Obama does not have the courage to go against his party.
Lieberman is far better role model than Barack
Getting back to Kennedey my point was his views. He would be disgusted with Ted's liberal outlook and would be disgraced by Joe being a stooge for Hugo Chavez.
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The desperation that is evident in the attacks against Obama remind me of the treatment that President Clinton received from the time he was first nominated until this day. The irony is that both Clinton and Obama are success stories that represent what is best of America.
In contrast with recent Republican candidates, these two men have humble backgrounds, got outstanding educations because of their intelligence and commitment, and rose to the highest levels because of their vision, and enormous popularity.
McCain may have it right after all, Obama, like Clinton, is a celebrity, something that judging by the tiny audiences that McCain attracts, the lack of interest in his trips, and the modest donations he has been receiving he can not claim.
Unless McCain changes course and focuses on issues, with the fear card as a centerpiece, he may fall so far behind he will never recover from his failed strategy. Fortunately for him, many Americans feel uncomfortable with the idea of a minority sitting in the White House. Can you imagine what would happen if Obama selected Richardson for VP? My money is on Biden.
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ref #68
Dominick I disagree with a few of your premises.
I think McCain ads have been accurate and the You Tube about the media is spot on.
No doubt there are people uncomfortable with a minority as President. But why can't people be against Obama for lack of resume. That was the democrats mantra in 2000.
McCain has been focusing on the issues by telling the voters the many differences between the two
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I have to disagree with those who think the McCain ad is successful. What I see is an Obama surrounded by cheering thousands (and a coterie of blonde popstrels!), and then at the end, a solitary McCain, looking out of the frame as if auditioning for a Bergman film. Whose gang do you want to be in?
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Frankly, McCain has gone one notch up in my already favorable estimation by the sense of humor as represented by the "rock star" 'take' on Senator Obama, who is quite
witty himself. If two groups from the same
panel of arbitrators can come to different conclusions when presented with the very same evidence, why not people like me, differing from some other commentators!
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McCain needs to take care emphasising his "Experience".
There's a big difference between 40 years of working, doing varied jobs, in various roles honing different skills and one year of experience repeated 40 times!
His self confessed ignorance of economics, his obvious lack of geography (physical and social) and his flip-flopping on offshore drilling and other policy issues, it would appear that all the years of experience Mr McCain has acquired have taught him is that he finds it hard to learn anything or make a decision.
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A lot is being made about the lack of experience of Obama. Am I missing the point here or has the current president never really been succesful in any of his endeavours, whether that be in the public or private sector. As an executive of an oil company his father owned did he not lose the company millions. Has he not run America's finances into the ground? Was he not elected for 2 terms by the American people? Is too much stress being put into Obama's experience by people who are afraid that a black man might come to power? How could he possibly be worse than what you have at the moment. A President who chose to stay away from NYC in the immediate aftermath of 9/11? A man outshone by Giuliani? A man who has led America into 2 foreign wars with no end in site and no sign of Bin Laden and no evidence of either WMD's or financing of Al Quaida from Iraq. Do you really want to have a 70 year old as your leader? Can you risk continuing the rot caused by the last 2 Republican terms? Don't you think American politics needs a breath of fresh air?
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#38 - I don't believe Obama will be tested early on in his presidency and found lacking. Even if he was, how much more blundering and ineffectiveness can he demonstrate that hasn't already been done by GWB and he still got reelected. I'm referring to his reaction in the school to learning about 9/11, I'm referring to his attacking the only Middle East state that wasn't actively supporting terrorism and I'm referring to his decisive action and relief plan for the victims of Hurricane Katrina that has truly been the envy of emergency services and aid agencies worldwide that enabled the rapid recovery of New Orleans, without them missing a beat. (BTW, I'm being sarcastic, not ironic)
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Not everybody is hurting!
Cheers!
;-)
ed
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I am English. To those Americans contributing to this, we have reverted to the American description we 'British' used to slightly resent - but not since Scotland became autonomous and SNP-led.
The thing that interests me in the quite elevated comments above - mostly avoiding invective with one or two notable exceptions - is the emphasis on policy.
In British elections (for the English, we only have British elections - the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish have regional and British elections) there tend to be a drip drip of remarks about how it ought to be policy that is discussed because our elections are not 'presidential'.
Surely in a truly presidential election, the personality of the president is crucial ? I realise policy gives a clue to the policy direction - although there are so many easy ways out of that, particularly early in the term that it's almost meaningless - but is not the personality the most important thing ?
Nobody has a clue what events will throw at a president so perhaps the GOP's thrust at 'lack of experience' ought to be about 'lack of time to demonstrate character' ? I wouldn't know what Obama's character looks like because it seems quite well protected from scrutiny. He does seem to get tetchy when the barbs land close to home, I have to say that.
As someone above said, maybe the debates will bring that out. Maybe McCain will forget something that will bring a gasp from the audience or maybe Obama will not have known something in the first place because it didn't seem inportant to him.
To those who say McCain is pointlessly alienating Europe (another Americanism like 'English' - I assume it means mainland Europe) - we do it all the time. Never did us any harm.
...and jacksforge - who's knobby flora ?
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"This latest ad is a cleverer effort I think at debunking Obama - less angry than the military hospital attempt but sowing the seeds of doubt. "
You think this ad is clever? It seems more misconcieved. Whatever McCain's admen think ceelbrities are popular and get enormous media attention, associating Obama with them seems to be a very risky strategy.
BBC journos etc may hold Paris Hilton BS in contempt, but they have a huge following, far more then any politician. Both McCain and Obamas and Brown would give their eye teeth to get similar coverage.
Sarkozy realises this in spades.
Certainly the ad may show Obama as frivolous, but in this day and age that is a positive not a negative thing - especially if you want to appeal to young voters.
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Hello Justin!
You have come a long way! You no longer ridicule the American people personally and I admire your courage to admit to it that it was wrong and stick to politics. Whether you are pro-American or not..that is your personal choice.
Sadly though, the BBC is STILL the most bias news outfit in the modern world.
You see Justin...most of this country DOES NOT care if there were 200,000 Germans adoring Obama. We do not care if the BBC and most of Great Britain favors Obama. It merely backs up the bias. Please remember..that every terrorist group favors Obama as well..what group does that put Europe in?
Yes...America has always respected the Europeans MANY TIMES MORE...than the Europeans have respected America. Who are the the better peoples due to this FACT? I have English friends that come here 6 weeks a year for the past 8 years. I told them before they came..you will not hear the USA blasting Western Europe like what is done to us...they did not believe me. Now they do.
It is not a matter of that we do not care about Europe and what they feel...they are family to most of us. We do care. The bias and hate though, will never be accepted.
I am 57 and when I was 21 I started travelling the world.... England first and then all of Europe plus. There was no Iraq war...and even then..there was constant ridicule of American people.
We are not Europe..we do not WANT to be Europe. We do not want to be sitting ducks! You have no way of protecting yourselves other than "talking". Your dipolmacy with Iran for the past 5 years is evidence of how well that works isn't it? They laugh at you. When your captured sailors were being released and each kissed his hand..I will never forget the grin on the Iranian Presidents face...NEVER! Yes..someday..it will be wonderful when Diplomacy does work and there are no wars. It will be a wonderful day when it comes. It is not yet here...and you know it.
Obama , the reason Europe favors him is to weaken the US. Oh..that is such a great idea! Then, upcoming terror ridden countries will rule you all.
So foolish....and your lack of power, merely is covered up by the term "Multiculturisum". You can not do anything about it.
All countries should respect each other. All countries should keep their traditions and love of country. You should NEVER lose who you are....but it is happening.
Well...WE DO NOT WANT TO BE LIKE YOU! We are a different country.
We accept everyone and try hard to melt in societies..yet..all practice their own religions and keep their own traditions.
Until the BBC hires even two conservatives to give a balanced opinion in your news...what is written..can not be believed as truth. Till then, most of America must write the BBC...and they do.
Justin ..you personally have come a ways..because you live here..not in a perfect society but a decent society. Only the ignorant masses have no clue and write so many untruths. Although you are NOT balanced, your reporting has improved greatly. You still lean far to the left. A reporter must cover both sides equally. An article may be written by any BBC correspondent..it may mention a bit about the opposition at the end, but is still 95%
bias to the left. I suppose just a "mention" of the opposition makes you balanced. It does not.
I do thank you though, for your great improvement of trying to understand...and not ridiculing the people of the United States. Got to work a little harder though on your political bias. A top rated journalist hit's their peak and seen with great admiration when they can report both truths or both injustices. You can do it if anyone can.
A friend from New York,
Colleen
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04:18am on 31 Jul 2008, laughingblacksheep wrote:
#19, there are a number of characteristics a "commander in chief" should have:
b) Kinda helps to be right. McCain was one of the few who supported the Surge back in the day when the consensus was that Iraq was lost, that it was a hopeless civil war when all the US could do was to find a way to gracefully leave and that it should suck up to Iran and Syria to "help". Obama was against it. McCain was right - as incidentally was GWB - and Obama was wrong"
Kinda helps not to make too many silly assumptions. The surge has not "worked" , look at the numbers of Iraqis being killed, all the US has done is arm sunni gangs and recognise the divisions of the country.
The militias are still there, the Kurds are practically fighting an open war with Turkey and Syria and Iran have been immeasurably strengthened.
If that counts as working then god knows what failure would be.
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I remember that GOP attack ad against Harold Ford Jr in Tennessee 2 years ago. The use of attractive white women is quite effective in stirring emotions.
I also noticed the word "Foreign" oil juxtaposed with Obama's face. Maybe purely coincidental but the subliminal message seems clear to me.
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Unfortunately, I had to listen to this ad without the sound, so I was unable to hear, what I would assume, to be a mockingly condescending voice-over and distant booming Bass Drum of Doom inherent to most negative television of both parties. I will say that I like the final image. McCain, in profile, the sun near its horizon illuminating a simple, kindly face that seems to ask, "When is the nurse returning with my pudding? Because it's time for my nap."
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These are times of doubt, resignation, cynicism and skepticism in America. What there is stand for is something that is touching, moving and inspiring. That is what causes transformation, openings for action and new ways of being in the world.
McCain talks about the past and rants about the problems of the past. I think we know what he's capable of doing to and for our country; it's probable and almost certain how it will turn out. Obama speaks of future possibilities and the possibility of possibility. In that way, he gives America-- and the world-- hope that America will be in partnership with other countries instead of leading by brute force, intimidation and arrogance.
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Elkeelin,
That reminds me of somethingThomas Paine; Crisis, December 23, 1776So get out and vote!
xx
ed
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Chill0 (#76), please correct me if I am wrong, but my understanding is that "Britain" refers only to England, Scotland, and Wales, and the inclusion of Northern Ireland makes the "United Kingdom."
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Chill0 (#76), when Americans speak of "Europe," they include Britain and Ireland.
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MikeIL shows desagreement with Obama in his comment about "showing the seeds of doubt" article, specially with, what he calls, Obama's "celebrity" strategy, consisting it in touring arround using his rhetoric and charisma to win votes. Mike IL is right, this is just image exploitting. Well, this might be 3rd world countries' style, but the correct word for this political behavior is known as "populism". "3rd World countries" sounds offensive and ignorant. First, there is only ONE WORLD, where everybody shares earth, air and water; second, it is used by MikeIL as a negative adjective; third, it sounds inappropriately, "undeveloped" countries is slightly better, as the correct way to refere to less industrialized countries; and, fourth, industrilization and hyper consumption are not synonymns of develop and social wellbeing. Pollution, poverty, and loneliness produced by industrilized countries support this idea.
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The US is well on its way to losing the balance of pwoer in the world to the east. The last thing you need is an aggressive inward looking grumpy old man, who wants to bomb everywhere he doesn't like.
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I knew it!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/07/31/mccain-planned-to-attack_n_116091.html
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I blew it!
;-)
ed
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To me it seems John McCain is becoming more desperate every day. Campaign tactics like McCain's often backfire. At the other hand, McCain needs to do something to get more media attention.
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86 well said . i think that mike meant to say was the third world is full of darker people than him and did you notice that Barack is..a little darker.
but that would be just to obvious.
Or he'd rather have a bombiran Mc Cain and the many thieves.
I think he has done amazingly well concidering the anti youthist attitude to him.
Hell it's not like he is that young.
Mc Crime is that old.
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To DougTexan #45
Hi Doug,
Interesting post, and nice Hume quote, but I'm not quite sure what you're trying to say.
First of all, I sort of agree with you that McCain is a "pre-1980" Republican, but if that is true, why is Ronald Reagan always the first name he brings up? Was Reagan a pre-1980 Republican? Yes, I understand McCain loves to praise Barry Goldwater and Teddy Roosevelt too, but I don't see the substance in that. Even if I did, I wouldn't care much since they belong to an era that no longer can exist.
I think McCain is more like Bush than anyone really wants to believe. He is pro-intervention, extremely pro-war in Iraq (and possibly Iran), he is against raising taxes (presumably for any reason, even to cut the massive deficit, fight inflation, pay for the housing crisis or sponsor a rebuild of the dilapidating American infrastructure i.e. bridges, trains, highways, utilities, etc), he is pro-drilling, pro-big oil, pro BIG business (in my opinion, at the expense of small businesses), he has no substantive plan for health care or medicare, and he appears to have little interest in tackling environmental issues. Most importantly, McCain essentially admits he is often clueless about economic issues, in an era when the economy is quite fragile and as there are great economic shifts inside and outside the U.S.
Even though I won't vote for him, I have to admit I like McCain. I like the fact that he appears to try his hardest to be honest and forthright and work with some degree of integrity (as much as a presidential politician can). This is where he differs from Bush in my opinion. From day 1 I never believed Bush and his people were honest or had integrity (except Colin Powell).
McCain seems to me essentially to be a misplaced foreign policy hawk. Isn't the war in Iraq already essentially won? If not, then what has to be done to win it? Why do I even care if we win it or not? Isn't the real war in Afghanistan and Pakistan? We lost the Vietnam war and Americans are no less free than before that war. So why does McCain so badly care about Iraq? I think I know. It has to do with honor, not freedom. McCain lives in a mindset of honor, a mostly aristocratic value of an imperial 19th Century. In terms of the past, it is a far more European value than an American one. McCain values honor. I don't very much. I think we live in an era where we need to be practical, not honorable. And we need to let others take care of themselves. Get the troops out of Korea and Germany. End the war on drugs (as it currently exists). We need the extra money. We have problems at home.
However, I must say I am annoyed by Obama lately. He seems like he is trying too hard to please everyone. He needs to stop acting like a Clinton and get back to explaining how he will fight for change. Obama is beginning to lose some of his substance, but I can't see how McCain really trumps him here.
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DutchNemo wrote:
To me it seems John McCain is becoming more desperate every day. Campaign tactics like McCain's often backfire. At the other hand, McCain needs to do something to get more media attention
Actually Obama is getting desperate he played the race card. That is what his campaign does when anyone brings up his lack of qualifications
So much for Obama new way of politics.
Same old left wing ditrabe, hopefully this will eake up a few messianic supporters
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Jack: Back to your not so old nasty self I see. I thought we had put a stop to those so-called clever nicknames that you seem to revel in. Need I remind you that in the not too distant future you will be old yourself, and I don't think you will take too lightly to being made fun of.
As for my old self, I take my advanced age as a badge of honor. I am still young in heart, clear of mind, and I am 16 years older than our next President to be.
Have you seen the polls lately? And I don't mean the ones you see on CNN, MSNBC, ABC, CBS, or NBC!
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Taken as a communications effort , this clever (however we define that) ad by McCain is telling:
what does he and his group think of the American public? Not much is my feeling, the ad is an attempt of logic using guilt by association, in this case the celebrity gone wrong.
I don't see what Obama has done that can be described as gone wrong.
Is Obama vapid? No, he talks in terms of working together, that he isn't without faults, that there is hope.
Does Obama have anything to say? His platform is evolving is my hope, give the candidate a chance.
Would I vote for McCain? No, he still can't get it together and communicate in ways that don't express anger. This ad is a failed attempt at being clever, instead is more revealing about McCain than in its failed attempts to say much about Obama.
Its too clever, its childish. We need a candidate to be elected who thinks, acts, and yes believes in hope for a better world.
That is a small premise to some, to me it is everything. Wisdom will follow.
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ref #95
As far as Obama not doing anything wrong, in term of accomplishments that matter he has done nothing.
In term of his association Wright Ayers and his extreme partsianship all fair game
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To Gary_A_Hill #84
You are of course correct. 'British' is a constant problem to Northern Ireland as is 'Ulster'. My mother actually came from Dundalk in the Republic of Ireland but she was born in 1909 so she was born a UK citizen. In truth, I don't even know if the whole of the British Isles was called 'Britain' then.
The problem with 'Ulster' is that that province includes Donegal which Northern Ireland does not.
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Gary & Chill,
Further ethno/racial complications abound. The tribe called Scots were Irish, and no friends to the Picts, so the "Plantation" was in a sense, a reverse migration....My part of Scotland (Galloway) was considered part of Wales long ago, and the Gaelic widely spoken here until the 19th Century was of the Cymric variety (Welsh), quite distinct from the Irish and Scots forms...
In Scotland, each region generally prizes itself above all others, and we have jokes about how mean Aberdonians are, and how "man(y)ana" is a Highland Gaelic word...Teuchters (highlanders) are regarded by city folk like rednecks...
Additionally, in Ireland, there is a vast difference between the "Anglo-Irish" (within the pale) and the rest. Dublin, the home of Guinness, is actually an "English" city. And, perish the thought, Arthur Guinness was an Englishman!
This isn't unique to the British Isles. Just ask any Hessian about Bavarians or any Bavarian about Austrians, any Fleming about Walloons, or any Floridian about Californians, etc., etc.
Peace to all
ed
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More seeds of doubt: Is Obama too thin?
Is "thin" a new code word for black?
;-)
ed
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And he's Uppity!
Yeah!
Salaam, etc.
ed
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To Neil_A2 in post #24 ...and anyone else interested in Obama.
Regarding Rezko; this is what Obama's hometown paper of record, the Chicago Tribune wrote in 2006.
By Ray Gibson and David Jackson | Tribune staff reporters
November 1, 2006
"When Sen. Barack Obama decided to buy a stately $1.65 million home last year on Chicago's South Side, Antoin "Tony" Rezko and his wife wasted no time. The same day the Obamas closed on the house, the Rezkos closed on the purchase of the adjoining vacant lot, which once was the estate's lush side yard.
In normal circumstances, the two real estate transactions probably wouldn't have raised an eyebrow. There is, after all, nothing illegal or untoward about an aggressive developer buying hot property next door to a rising political star."
The Obama's later purchased a section of this lot from the Rezko's at a price far below actual market value. Rezko at the time was under investigation for corruption and today is in prsion on that same charge after having been convicted earlier this year.
SO what?
Well John Kass of the Chicago Tribune writes a news column almost exclusively on corruption in Chicago and Illinois. Yes, corruption here is prevalent enough to occupy one columnist almost full time....Well anyhow, Obama and Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojavich probably were not too happy when Rezko wrote them both a letter from prison recently "promising not to rat out his friends."
Here is a link to Kass' column on that matter.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/chi-kass-13-jun13,0,1570658.column
And...so how is it that most of the nation, neah the world is totally unware of the rampant corruption in the political nursery where Obama was reared?
This column touches on that subject as well.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/chi-kass_bd11may11,0,4134722.column
People in Chicago and Illinois have a very high level of tolerance for corruption. They are quite accustomed to constant news of politicians and influence peddlers being indicted, convicted and imprisoned.
Will the world news media ever actually get around to doing its job and telling the Obama story from its beginning WITH ALL THE WORTS? The Chicago and Illinois media has been doing it for years, but for some reason, stories of political corruption among Obama's friends, supporters and partners, never make it outside the hometown region. Why is that?
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Where are you Jack? Too ashamed of "dissing" us old folk, and upset at the dramatic turn of events in the polls? I wonder if you and Ed are reconsidering your idolatry of your rock star candidate, who passed up a chance to visit wounded soldiers because his entourage of slavering media worshippers, with their omnipresent cameras, were banned by the Pentagon.
I wonder too if you and Ed and the other Obamaites on this blog site are as upset as the liberals in Hollywood because the McCain ad equated your man with the ballyhoo that surrounds inconsequential people like Britney Spears and Paris Hilton.
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Ref 102
I reckon we were all talking about alcohol!
What the latest polls tell me is that it is too early for either camp to claim victory!
I do, however, find the swings in public opinion a bit disturbing. Looks like Britney, Paris, and Moses are more important than our fiscal and economic calamities, our crumbling infrastructure, our inadequate health and education systems, and the energy crisis that is draining our treasury and pocketbooks.
In my opinion, the latest polls are a reflection of what Obama has failed to do, rather than an endorsement of McCain's strengths. Obama must choose a running mate with impeccable credentials and experience to help dispel one of his greatest liabilities: his lack of experience which, right or wrong, will continue to hunt him throughout the campaign. There is not much he can do about the other: his ethnicity. He could, however, help dispel the notion that he is a Muslim and unpatriotic by talking about his upbringing, his convictions, and his family.
Most importantly, he must refocus our attention to the economic disaster caused, largely, by the disastrous policies of the Bush Administration and the Republican controlled Congress that was in place during most of the Clinton and Bush years.
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Oldermort the presidential cantidate for the GeriaTRICK Old People
is a waste of time nuff said. i would not go to a doctor just because he is old and I will not vote for a corpse just because he is old.
It was not a sex tape of him with Britany spears and Paris hilton.
Interesting choices there Britan y and Paris, and Obama.
just after a tour of britain and france.
then i always thought the advertising slogan"what can brown do for you ?"was suspicious
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Meh. I thought this ad was actually better for Obama. Nevermind Brittany and Paris (we yanks are so used to seeing them on TV they probably pass by most people's screens unnoticed, except when bored 24-hr news anchors point them out).
There's a couple weak attacks on warped versions of Obama's positions, but beside that, there's great visuals of Obama speaking before a massive crowd and looking like a leader. Meanwhile, McCain's visage at the end is a bit like Mumm-ra.
To be honest, I wouldn't be suprised to see these same visuals in an actual Obama ad. Meanwhile, McCain campaign manager Rick Davis is busy trying to find something bad to say about arugula (think I'm kidding? google that up).
At this rate, McCain'll be jumping the shark by mid-August. Maybe there's still time to replace him with McCain 2000.
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Ref 99
Is "thin" a new code word for black?
No, but it may be disturbing to many.
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Jack: I wonder if anyone else really understood your 104 offering. I got the Britney and Paris comment, which was quite clever, but as for the rest of your garbled and of course intentionally badly written blog I was unable to interpret it.
What, no mention of the new polling figures?
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Playing the reverse racism card
http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/08/race_and_the_race
Regading the Moses ad, if the Democrats had done something similar, the religious right led by Weasel News and Rush Limbaugh would be holding mass demonstrations about its "shocking sacrilegious themes" and how these "elitist liberal secularists don't respect the Church".
I saw a report on the Situation Room last night about Tennessee voters who still thought Obama was a Muslim. I can't find the clip on youtube yet, hope someone puts it up. It's quite depressing and shows what Obama is up against. The GOP is hoping the fear factor will win them the election. They don't need to play the race card directly. All they need to say is "he's a risk", and the voters will fill in the gaps.
It's very effective but it also means that Obama will find it easier to occupy the moral high ground. He wants to shape the narrative of this campaign as one of "Hope and Change" against "Fear and the Past".
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nobleFloridian, I believe that Jack posting #104 was meant to highlight his fascination with double and perhaps triple entendres, but then I share the same fascination and I too have wondered about the many possible interpretations of the UPS ad campaign (and not just the obvious ones)
Britain as Ms. Spears and France as Ms. Hilton is just too choice to pass up.
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Jack: And as for the sleazy comment about my WWII cruise, one of those voyages included a swim in the Arctic Ocean when we were on our way to Russia escorting a convoy. Hope THAT makes you cringe with shame!
Watching some of my shipmates, wrapped in the Union Jack, slide down a plank into their eternal rest in those frigid waters was an experience that will live with me forever.
And I need hardly remind a person of your intelligence that if not for the "Greatest Generation" you would not be making these snide remarks on BBC editors' blogs.
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Noble Fellow Floridian,
Rest easy - we all hold you in high honour, even jack, as you well know. You've clearly managed to keep hold of what McCain is just as clearly losing, and I'm sure you can see the signs, as sad as it no doubt will be to one who will probably vote for him anyway.
I recommend to all, a trip to the Radio 4 Saturday Play, which this afternoon concluded a two part dramatisation of Tom paine'w life - stirring stuff, and at least the scond part will be available for "listen again/iplayer" for another week. I hope y'all can also manage to get part one.
The BBC are superb with this sort of thing. The pictures are better on radio...
Salaam etc.
ed
()
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and ed I have no respect for him.
this world is on a brink and the ones killing it are like him .
so I for one would kick him in the ass and be done with him.
let him slide over his brink. not drag us all with him.
I am not suprised he survived in ww2 I see him as the sort that would be climbing over his comrads to get to the top.
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109. At 4:54pm on 02 Aug 2008, Chicoan wrote:
nobleFloridian, I believe that Jack posting #104 was meant to highlight his fascination with double and perhaps triple entendres, but then I share the same fascination and I too have wondered about the many possible interpretations of the UPS ad campaign (and not just the obvious ones)
Britain as Ms. Spears and France as Ms. Hilton is just too choice to pass up.
thank you .
Brown in this case being(heroin) for those that did not get it.
If you ever get a chance to see the barometer in shepards bush roundabout,
a rather big joke will become obvious.
Nick named "the Works" for it's resembalence to a hypodermic needle.
right next to the biggest smack area of london.
(also where the BBC are)
where many advertisers are. hence the obvious conclusion that they meant "Brown"
just so as no one thinks I was looking from a racial angle .
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Teuchters
I heard that meant someone too familiar with sheep for their own good.
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and jacksforge - who's knobby flora ?
ah he would be a knob and a fake slime. just like all margerine .
(flora is a margerine)
it is pathetic but instantanious as are much of my writings.
so sorry.
nobel floridian. I
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knobby flora has a tendancy to try to get everyone posts moderated for gramatical errors or because he gets called old.
a tire some trait.
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If you are swayed and influenced by Campaign ads, you might be a Redneck.
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and knobby i don't care if I get old.
but you do obviously.
so why carry on
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as for polling figures,
who cares if they all think they will vote in Nov for Mc Crime.
mosty of those geriatric old voters may not even be around by november, if viox and the rest of the medical drug pushers get their way.
Let mc cain in, and then you will see 4 years till the "End Times"
that old duff will screw it up and make the mayan prophicies come true.
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118. At 8:20pm on 02 Aug 2008, Byron1436 wrote:
If you are swayed and influenced by Campaign ads, you might be a Redneck.
nice
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Justin: And so I say farewell to all bloggers who have used the site to conduct themselves with dignity, and to the moderators who have allowed Jacksforge to spew his filth directed at me. I really thought that those who moderate the blogs were supposed to live up to the literal meaning of the word i.e. "within reasonable limits; avoiding excesses or extremes; temperate".
Thanks Ed, for the kind words in blog 111 - it seems you were dead wrong about Jack! I wish you well.
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Ref 108
I watched the same CNN program and what amazed me the most was the comment made by a middle age man who concluded that Obama must be a Muslim because he doesn't have an anglo-saxon name! If the persons interviewed in that program represent a significant percentage of the voters that will go to the polls in November I predict Sen. McCain will win by a landslide.
Fortunately, McCain's political record is inconsistent with his recent rhetoric. He is a moderate, seeks consensus, and has been a major player in bipartisan legislation including, ironically, the current ban on offshore drilling.
An interesting aside is the lack of emphasis that the media is placing on McCain's religious convictions - or lack thereof - and his involvement in the Keating Five mess.
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ref 121 Jackforge trying to discuss issues with you is as useless as trying to with any other Moonbat.
ref 108
I don't watch CNN due to their bias, but I have seen both ads and it seems more of attacking Obama lack of accomplishment. And remember even in the primary Obama surrgoates like Axelrod did play the race card. Ask Geraldene Ferraro
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well if you stopped calling us all anti semetic then maybe I will stop calling you a racist.
na na na.
your discussions always get back to that root of all evils, our inabillity to love Israel for bombing innocents and starting wars whenever they can get away with it.
and then you call us anti semetic.
as for the race card it was played by all the hillery people which is why I concider them racists and appaling
I have been against hillery
and am still more against her than Mc Crime,as their personallities go.
I would rather have a democratic house and senate with mc Crime at the top(mc Crime is over the top , he is a sleezy politition like most but no worse) than a democratic house and senate with hillery at the top.
I think she knows nothing of right and wrong,(evidence. going to war with gusto , allowing race to be used, obliterating Iran speech, all while drunk and insisting that pot heads should be allowed pot for medical if they can prove it.) what a hypicritical drunken OLD hag.
It was not Obama that brought race into it.
It was the racists.
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Dominick,
I would say UNfortunately his recent rhetoric is inconsistent with his political record. This indicates, to me at least, that, whatever integrity and good sense he might have had, he's losing it.Sad, really.
Salaam etc.
And Noble, water and ducks' backs come to mind...
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ed,
your so polite. but as you know with me age is nothing. and insults are just there to remind people not to ask for it.
as he did.
if I were real nasty I would ask him why his boat sunk, was it because he was on deck trying to make shadow puppets during black out.
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Ref 128
Ed, my take on what we commonly refer to as "flip-flopping" is that it is either a part of the process of learning and accepting opposing views, or a cynical attempt to get votes even when it means sacrificing our principles.
My hope, which may be wishful thinking, is that if McCain is elected he will revert to his true convictions rather than pursue the ideas he is currently proposing.
I plan to vote for Obama, but the impression I am getting from relatives, friends and neighbors is that beyond the facade of tolerance expressed by many when they are asked about the acceptability of a black President is a clear opposition to such eventuality that goes much deeper and is more pervasive than the issue of age and inexperience.
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130 here here to every thing expressed here by you.
though I hate to say it.
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ref #130
ed and Dominick, I respecfuly disagree about your contention that is race that may be turning people off to Obama.
Remeber in 2000 a poll said that most American would have voted for Colin Powell.
And this election, many rep wanted Rice to run
Obama's surrogates might wish to find a better way to address this than playing the race card which they have done
Oh Jackforge your oppinion is neither wanted or needed.
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Ref 132
There are many Americans, possibly a majority, who do not consider race a factor in a Presidential election, but to suggest that race will not be a factor in the outcome of the election is as naive as my hopes that, if elected, McCain and his Republican cabinet will exercise fiscal responsibility.
Racism, although not as pervasive as it was five decades ago is still latent among the less educated segment of our society and it is directed not only at Americans of African descent, but against the so called "Hispanics" and against every ethnicity that is different from the European descendents that still represent the majority of our population.
It is true, however, that there are other reasons for Obama's problems during an election year when a Democratic candidate should be cruising to victory. The most important are his failure to articulate his proposals in terms that people understand, rather than trivializing important issues with soundbites, and his failure to talk about his background and family in a candid way to help dispel some of the doubts that some people still have about him.
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Dominick,
On the matter of wishful thinking, I suspect it is. On the matter of skin colour, I dearly hope to be able, once again, to be proud of my country. Personally, I think 'flip-flopping' is an inadequate term; I see near-total incoherence, and it seems to be increasing.Fingers crossed.
and Namaste ()
ed
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Who's playing the race card?
Watch
Salaam, etc.
ed
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After eight years of Bankrupt leadership from Bush , if the American people elect a Republican we truly deserve what we get .
more war , a shrinking middle class, a valueless dollar , more jobs lots overseas and milliions more without health care
maybe P T . Barnum was right
"no one has ever lost money underestimating the intelligence of the American public "
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Ref 137
I agree with your opinion, and would add to the items you listed our inadequate education system, raiding the Social Security trust fund to give the illusion of lower deficits, the "emergency funding" scam, the erosion of Constitutional and Civili Liberties - not to mention the reputation of our country - and our crumbling infrastructure.
I think it is embarrassing that while we don't hesitate to spend almost a trillion dollars in an unprovoked war against a country that had nothing to do with 9/11 and was not a threat to us, we refuse to pay for the replacement of our Third World style levies with ones modeled after state-of-the-art systems such as those in the Netherlands, build new bridges and tunnels, resurface roads, modernize our power grid, modernize our ports and airports, and many other badly needed improvements at home.
Sadly, to some people being patriotic is defined by lapel pins and the number of F16s in our arsenal, rather than our willingness to make financial sacrifices conducive to improving our standard of living and providing future generations with the means to prosper and succeed, that our parents left us.
Unfortunately, the emphasis today is on borrowing to keep services we want, but don't want to pay for, and buying things we can not afford but must have because our next door neighbor or a friend has them.
I fear for the future of my country, and I worry about the future of my grandchildren. I am convinced that we may never recover from another four years of Reagan or Bush II fiscal and economic style policies, so aptly described by Bush I as "vodoo economics".
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ref 137 and ref 138
No doubt the Bush administation has made many mistakes. But the last two years especially in regard to the economy clearly lays with the Democratic congress. Who has been more concverned with useless hearing than addressing economic stimlus packages and energy needs.
If you have problems with Bush you should have as much a problems with Pelosi and Reid.
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Ref #139
Judging by the fact that the 2007 $162 billion federal budget deficit is the lowest of all the budgets passed by the Bush Administration, looks like the hapless Democratic majority in Congress deserves credit, not scorn.
A Senate with 49 Republicans, 49 Democrats and two Independents is hardly a majority for either party; and the small Democratic majority in the House has been incapable of overriding Bush's veto threats. The fact is that the Democratic "majority" in Congress has not been in office for two years, had little influence on the 2007 budget, and can do nothing to overcome the effects of funding the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the $200B in interest that we pay every year for the debt accumulated during the Reagan and Bush years.
The Dems can be blamed for many things, but being responsible for our deficits and national debt is not one of them. The Republican party has an exclusive on trickle down economics, borrow and spend, the deregulation that facilitated the mortgage crisis, and other facets of Voodoo economics.
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ref 140
But they can be blamed for going on vacation and refusing to vote on a bill for drilling and alternative energy.
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141
good on them then, that's a good time to take a holiday to the unpolluted coast line(as unpolluted as it will get)
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Ref 141
Don't forget that the current moratorium on offshore drilling was signed in 1990 by President George H.W. Bush with the approval and support of most U.S. Senators, including Sen. McCain. We should also remember that offshore drilling has been allowed off the coast of Texas, Louisiana, Alabama and in most states. What is in dispute is drilling in public lands, such as ANWR, and off the Florida, California, Oregon, Washington state and New England coasts. In my opinion, it should be up to the citizens of each state to decide what they want on an issue that affects them directly, not the Federal government.
In addition to environmental risks aggravated by the distinct possibility of hurricane, earthquake, and mechanical malfunctions; drilling will not influence a drop in gas prices, will not have a significant impact on imports without reciprocate reductions in consumption and changes in lifestyle, and will not take place for at least 7 to 10 years. Pausing for five weeks to consider the pros and cons of a decision with major risks to our future, including the early depletion of a non-renewable commodity is a wise decision, regardless of what the pundits say.
I am as concerned about our dependence on foreign oil and the effect that it has on our economy as everyone else, but I think the issue should be debated calmy, without electoral implications, and ought to be focused on what is best for our country. Destroying our environment to keep our Hummers humming should not be a priority.
We should focus on the development of energy efficient vehicles, improving public transportation, changing the workweek to four days, telecommuting, and relying on wind, solar, alternative fuels to reduce electric costs.
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ref #143
I don't disagree with your last two paragraphs but the drilling can be safe even through Katrina there were no oil spills.
And since I assume both of us are working the lazy Democrats should have stayed in session.
And there is enough oil sources that we can exploit in 5 years that it would be worthwile to do.
Also don't forget the oil sands of alberta which should be viable than.
As someone who lectures on Green and sustainability and knows far more about it than Al Gore it can be done safely
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Gary Hill is right, it is customary to choose V.P. at the conventions. That's some of it. theoriticaly, the nomony (i know, spelling!) is chosen there, also. legally speaking, Obama and McCain are not yet even nominated for the their respective parties, even! Technolically! (Spelling?) As far as the US Government goes, the Constitiuon was written as 13 states (at the time) as induviduals "countries", or states. the job of any federal Gov. was foriegh (spelling, again!) policy AND to uphold the constitution. The states were to make there OWN LAWS, assuming they didn't go against the US constitution, the ONLY domestic policy, or power, the US Government had. That all went to **** after the Civil War. Many would like to think it was about slavery (don't get me wrong, a bold indever, and great end to this injustice, indeed) ,but it was about States rights Vs. F.D.
And the States lost, period!
The US presidents job IS foreign policy an CIC of the US military. The Congress and House is to set laws for theses foriegn, and sometimes domestic, policies.
The judicial, THE MOST IMPORTANT PART, imo, is, ONLY, and I mean, ONLY, to make sure that ANY law, be it State, Local, or F.D. is NOT against the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, nor the Declaration of Independance.
It is made clear, in my opinion, that ANY AND EVERY STATE has the right to make they're own laws an rules, as long as is does not ( and I stretch this) infringe upon the laws of the Union, which is what we really are . A Union of (indivisual) States, tied by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. The US Gov. is primarily (by original pre-Civil War Constitution) a foreign policy maker, not a domestic policy maker!
I am sorry, did I express an opinion here, ooops!
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Magic,
And don't forget to look at Google Earth (other satellite views are available) and take note of the destructive nature of such exploitation...Snagletooth, Well said, and never mind the spelling! Words were with us long before dictionaries and spelling.
Salaam, etc.
ed
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snagle , i second the don't worry about spelling. spelling is the stupidest reason to argue about when the subject is so much more important.
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oh and majik if you are the so called green lecturer then god help this planet,
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funny I am giving a talk to the nw eco building guild my self this week.
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Of course, Kathy Hilton is quite right in objecting to one of the latest McCain negative ads. I used to respect and admire John McCain, even though I'm a Democrat, and was looking forward to some reasoned arguments on policy between the two candidates in the lead up to the election. My disappointment in the way that the McCain campaign, as well as the man himself, has lowered itself to these childish and insulting ads only increases my hope that the more statesmanlike Senator Obama can persuade the American voters that he is the more suitable choice for Commander-in-Chief. The McCain insults are not only directed at Senator Obama but also at Ms Hilton and Ms Spears, while the reference to Moses in another ad makes mockery of religious issues, thereby insulting Jews and Christians alike. NOT FUNNY, John McCain, but definitely childish. Not even accurate or true. Certainly not Presidential and ultimately insulting to the intelligence of American voters.
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According to Webster's Dictionary:
"Racism
Main Entry: rac·ism
Pronunciation: \'ra-?si-z?m also -?shi-\
Function: noun
Date: 1933
1 : a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race
2 : racial prejudice or discrimination"
If we use the actual definition of the word and examine both Obama and McCain it clearly becomes evident that Obama better fits the description of "Racist" due to his 20+ yr. affiliation with Rev. Wright who often and regularly blames "White America" for many of "Black America's" problems. Where McCain has gone to great lengths to keep racial and other prejudice out of this campaign by publicly and loudly castigating his supporters even for using Obama's middle name -- Obama conversely is glad to use his middle name when he thinks it suits him and mention race when it suits him as well.
Even when it come to his own family, he was quick to refer to his own grandmother as a "typical white person" -- "afraid of blacks".
When it comes to prejudging people based on the color of their skin -- Yes, indeed who is the real racist?
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# 154, Mike IL
How do you square your assertion that Obama plays the 'race card' with his long-standing opposition to slavery reparations?
Instead he encourages education* to help minorities help themselves.
I do not get e-mails supporting Obama or blaming whites for anything. I do get plenty of unwanted spam telling me lies such as Obama is a Muslim, he will have a cabinet full of radicals (well I guess maybe not Wright or Jackson, now) etc. Is this because the die-hard partisan Repulicans and anti-Obama camp are more willing to stoop to these tactics? Seems to say more about them than Obama.
* On the education topic, average state funding for higher education has fallen about 50% since the start of the Reagan years, according to the WSJ, almost a crime here in the country that bootstrapped itself up with the GI bill and led the world in research and innovation - will we be able to continue?
Noble, while I disagree with some of your politics, thanks again for your service, and good luck to you.
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ref 146-148
First Jacky boy you don't know my credentials but I subscribe to the Bjorn Lomberg philosophy.
I talk about a specific area not generalities. Having said that I know at least 100 professionals who know far more than the hypocrite Al Gore.
Gore has been proven wrong and any serious discussion should not include him.
And yes oil exploration is more important than the Porcupine Caribou, whose habitat will not be harmed.
The oil sands are going to be expolited weather any of the enviro-hypocrites want it or not
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153 are you and marcus related?
No serious discussion would include you.
stop making up who you are . you are not majik, and you are not always right, in fact rarely are you right.
But then will you say who pays your wages and tell us who you are under the thumb of.
Bjorn Lomberg philosophy?
is this the one where he says stick you head in the sand and say "I don't hear you "over and over again?
http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2007/9/13/105130/672
You should give us your resume(fact or fiction)
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McCain's ad is fitting and accurate. Voters distrust celebrities on important issues-- like oil independence and national security. The really scary part of Obama's trip was thousands of hypnotised Germans chanting in unison for a charismatic leader--not very comforting to most Americans.
That scene "will be the moment" Obama lost the election if, by God grace, he loses.
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