Senator John McCain (R-MAVERICK) has a very good chance at winning this presidential election if he does one thing, and one thing alone. And that would be to stop running any kind of political advertisement whatsoever. All they ever do is bite him in the ass.
We saw it with the one that suggested Senator Barack Obama voted for a bill which would have taught kindergartners "comprehensive sex education," including the controversial reverse cowgirl method. This is most certainly a complicated sexual position one shouldn't know about until they're 15 years old, 16 tops. There was also a video on the McCain website that Obama was against the electric car, which also implies that Senator Obama is a card-carrying member of The Stonecutters. This, of course, was a blatant lie. The Stonecutters is a fictional group, and even if it were real, Obama's white grandmother was not a member and therefore he is ineligible to apply for admission.
So yeah. Pretty bad track record.
The latest one churned out by Camp Maverick after the first Presidential candidate head-to-head debate displays three separate occasions when Obama (D-UNQUALIFIED!) mentioned that McCain was "absolutely right" about certain points, which was a nice tactic to help outline the differences between his ideas and McCain's. I'm sorry, it was a nice strategy. (I get those two confused.)
All of this is inconclusive evidence that Sen. Obama is not ready to be president, because presidents are supposed to fervently disagree with whatever an opponent says or thinks.
The approved message, in case you haven't seen it:
Meanwhile, here's how Sen. McCain feels a good president should debate:
As you can clearly see in the latter video, if Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says that nuclear capabilities is a good thing for Iraq, the President Secretary of State can simply stall the process by saying "No it isn't!" until the Iranian president gives up, goes home, and funds a world class national hockey team.
With one debate down, McCain has gone Jules Winnfield on Obama's ass. "Say 'absolutely right' again. SAY 'ABSOLUTELY RIGHT' AGAIN!"
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - troll
Matthew clearly just doesn't understand...
2 - Baritone
Yes he does!
3 - Glenn Contrarian
McCain did look good - but he does not look presidential. What I did see of the debate showed McCain continually saying ‘Obama simply does not understand’, and trying again and again to belittle Obama.
Obama, OTOH, was doing something only the BEST presidents do - he was reaching across the aisle by pointing out not only where McCain was wrong, but where McCain was RIGHT.
You see, one candidate showed a tendency towards leadership-by-contempt, and the other showed leadership-by-encouragement.
I saw the same thing so many times in the Navy. Almost always, commanding officers and their seconds-in-command (the executive officers) are in ‘good-cop-bad-cop’ roles. Without exception, the BEST commanding officers played the good cop and had their executive officers (however unwillingly) play the bad cop. The WORST commanding officers got it backwards. (when it comes to Bush and Cheney, Bush might have had the right idea…but his lack of intellectual curiosity and Cheney’s simply evil nature were a recipe for disaster)
Watching McCain and Obama, it is glaringly obvious which one would get it right…and which one couldn’t.
4 - Jordan Richardson
Well done as always, Matthew. Very enjoyable read.
5 - Arch Conservative
If bi-partisanship is the defining characteristic of a good president then McCain is your man Glenn.
An examination of both men's records reveals that Obama more frequently votes along party lines.
6 - Lisa Solod Warren
McCain was angry, ugly, smirky, silly, and misspoke over and over. He also recycled his canned comments, old speeches, the Miss Congeniality shit and the not speaking to our enemies crap over and over and over. He sounded hard headed and he kept talking about "winning"in Iraq. He sounded old and in the past and he never once spoke directly to Obama or looked him in the eye. He never mentioned the middle class. He said "sure" he would sign the bailout, he was weaker than Obama on his economic policy.
The only good thing he did was show up.
The American public fell for none of it.
Obama, who members of the press fault for not being "angry" enough knows full well that the American public who still are wary of a black man won't vote for an "angry" black man, kept his cool, was congenial, gracious, but tough and smart. The public saw it and got it, finally.
7 - Pablo
I never cease to be amazed at the complete naivete of the American people. Case in point:
Jim Lehrer lifetime member of the CFR, who happens to be the moderator and questioner of the Presidential debate last night. He said "No one but himself had chosen the questions to ask the candidates, and that his questions were not screened ahead of time by anyone.
Only a complete fool would believe this yoyo. Here we have two men competing for the most powerful job in the world, yet they will allow Leherer to ask them any question without screening, and he gets to decide all the questions. Sure he did.
Its all staged, these schmucks (McCain and Obabma)work for the same people, bought and paid for. The only real dupes here are the american people who will fucking believe ANYTHING.
8 - Arch Conservative
Amen to that Pablo.
9 - Honesty
Speaking of reaching across the aisle, it is clearly Obama who could admit when he agreed with McCain by saying that he was right. McCain would not agree on anything with Obama when he knew Obama was right. So take a good look at who reaches across the aisle and doesn't just talk about it. Obama the real CHANGE candidate '08!
10 - Al Barger
Suss- I believe Obama agreed with McCain as many as eight times in this debate, and in all fairness you have to admit that agreeing with John McCain eight times would be a pretty good reason to condemn anyone.
11 - Arch Conservative
"Obama the real CHANGE candidate '08!"
How long did it take you to come up with that novel little bit of insight Honesty?
Why didn't you throw in a "yes we can," for good measure while you were at it?
Let me know if you ever have a thought come into your mind that didn't start out as a talking point at the DNC or Obama's HQ will ya? I've never seen anyone's head explode before.
12 - Silas Kain
Wonderful, Matthew! The press made us feel that John McCain would fail miserably. And in the aftermath, the press reluctantly acknowledge that McCain held his own. But the press is in love with Obama and not as much as for Barack Obama the man but in retaliation to John McCain who used to be the journalist's best buddy. How different this election cycle would be had Tim Russert been alive to comment. Rest in peace, man from Buffalo, you're sorely missed.
13 - Matthew T. Sussman
"How different this election cycle would be had Tim Russert been alive to comment."
We would certainly have more football metaphors, that's for sure.
14 - Silas Kain
Hail, Mary, full of grace,
Bring back Tim Russert
From outer space.
Amen
15 - Bonnie Perl
For the first time in many years I have worried over and over if the whole world would fall apart.
Obama has brought hope to the aging, ill, handicaped,and middle class. My family has to work extra days and weeks a year trying to keep their heads above water working to keep their small bisness together, helping me, college for the kids, medical for their employees and themselves: MaCaine certainly has no worries, he wants to use the little money the middle class has left. I don't see him taking his personal wealth and spending it on this country. Look a little further and you will eventually see where his money goes. As my 12 year old grandson said last night "Grams, we have hope". Thank goodnes for obama. Even a 12 year old can see the chance that change can come again.
16 - pleasexcusetheinterruption
I never cease to be amazed at the complete naivete of the American people. Case in point:
Jim Lehrer lifetime member of the CFR, who happens to be the moderator and questioner of the Presidential debate last night. He said "No one but himself had chosen the questions to ask the candidates, and that his questions were not screened ahead of time by anyone.
Only a complete fool would believe this yoyo. Here we have two men competing for the most powerful job in the world, yet they will allow Leherer to ask them any question without screening, and he gets to decide all the questions. Sure he did.
Its all staged, these schmucks (McCain and Obabma)work for the same people, bought and paid for. The only real dupes here are the american people who will fucking believe ANYTHING.
There we go with the CFR shit again!
You know Pablo, the one thing the American people agree on is hatred of conspiracy theorists.
17 - Silas Kain
I never cease to be amazed at the complete naivete of the American people.
That's charitable. I call it the stupidity and apathetic attitude of the American people. We wait until we're in the midst of a full blown catastrophe before we pay attention. We're a society that doesn't prepare for the proverbial "rainy day" and the flood gates have blown wide open. I blame Congress for this mess and ultimately those people who cast ballots to send these 535 individuals to represent us. The old "not my kid" attitude where we're at when it comes to our respective delegates to Washington. We would never in a million years think that our Senator or Congressperson is to blame. It's always everyone else but us. Or, better yet, it's the White House. Suck it up, America. Look in the mirror -- you'll see who is at fault.
18 - whodunnit
I have seen the enemy and it is us.
19 - pleasexcusetheinterruption
Lisa,
I think you're being a bit partisan in your interpretation of the debate. You might agree with Obama or trust him more, as I do, but I think you're vastly overly estimating how effective Obama was in this debate.
McCain was angry, ugly, smirky, silly, and misspoke over and over. He also recycled his canned comments, old speeches, the Miss Congeniality shit and the not speaking to our enemies crap over and over and over.
Laughing at your opponent is one of the best political strategies. He had several good one liners which I'm sure will float around for a while. He went off script several times. At 9:28 he gave a very effective answer about how he would cut spending - killing boeing contract, kill ethanol subsidies, obama has most liberal record.
At 9:42 he gave an effective answer to Obama rubbing in his opposition to the Iraq war. McCain responded aproximately "the next Pres is not going to have to decide whether to invade Iraq or not. The next president is going to have to decide when we leave, how we leave and what we leave behind." Then he goes on and nails Obama for opposition to the surge - making Obama looking naive for saying 'it succeeded beyond my wildest dreams.' McCain dominated Obama on the issue of Iraq and polls show just 39% of Americans trust Obama on Iraq. McCain owned Iraq.
McCain had an original and effective discussion about Georgia. Obama ended up just agreeing.
A large portion of the country believes the President should not talk to our enemies. Obama was defensive on the issue and had to parse words to get out of it.
He sounded hard headed and he kept talking about "winning"in Iraq.
The consensus in this country is the surge is working.
He sounded old and in the past and he never once spoke directly to Obama or looked him in the eye.
He was quite animated for the second half of the debate citing numerous personal examples, making negative references to Obama's record, making numerous historical references.
Obama, who members of the press fault for not being "angry" enough knows full well that the American public who still are wary of a black man won't vote for an "angry" black man, kept his cool, was congenial, gracious, but tough and smart. The public saw it and got it, finally.
He came across as competent and well-versed. It will be a reassuring performance for many people worried, and these people will be more likely to vote for him now. But he ultimately came across as less experienced overall.
I ultimately agree with Obama and trust him more on the issues discussed. I think Obama held his own. But if you want to pick a winner, it was McCain.
20 - pleasexcusetheinterruption
Glenn,
I strongly disagree with your interpretation.
What I did see of the debate showed McCain continually saying 'Obama simply does not understand', and trying again and again to belittle Obama.
I think that was a very effective line by McCain. I think he prepared this line of attack from the start. I counted at least 5 times where he said 'Obama simply does not understand' and he called Obama naive at least once. He laughed at Obama outright several times. Very effective in my opinion. He's making Obama look risky. People are already afraid of voting for Obama. Making Obama look inexperienced, naive etc. is a great line of attack playing on peoples preconceptions. You and I might think it's dirty politics, but an undecided independent is going to be scared by McCain's conviction that Obama is naive and dangerous.
Obama, OTOH, was doing something only the BEST presidents do - he was reaching across the aisle by pointing out not only where McCain was wrong, but where McCain was RIGHT.
People always say they want bi-partisanship but when it comes down to who they vote for, they care about who's got the experience and who's right on the issues. Obama held his own but didn't win on either front.
21 - Clavos
Props to you, Peti.
You're one of the most objective and least partisan writers/commenters on these pages...
22 - pleasexcusetheinterruption
Props to you, Peti.
You're one of the most objective and least partisan writers/commenters on these pages...
Thanks.. it's not too difficult of a feat given the crowd around here, everyone's got an axe to grind it seems. Presidential elections won't be won by the spin BC writers come up with!
And if the eternal racket next door doesn't end soon you might find me defending abstinence only sex education in the near future..
23 - Silas Kain
You know what gets me most? Any student of American political history knows full well that the debates, journalism and tenor of politics in the first hundred years of this waning Republic were down right brutal compared to today. There's no real debate in Congress any more. All deals are made behind closed doors with lobbyists in the room hanging giant financial carrots in front of the deer-eyed politicians who get sent to Washington. When I watched some of these "representatives of the people" chatting with the press this week I was mortified. The ONLY Senator that impressed me this week is Senator Shelby from Alabama. Perhaps Alan Ball should develop a show based on the machinations of the Congress. It seems that the only way we can ed-u-mi-cate the American public is to show them a 60 minute tv show once a week.
24 - Dave Nalle
I have to admit I fell asleep during the debate. I've got it on tape. I plan to play it again at bedtime and see if it works consistently.
Dave
25 - pleasexcusetheinterruption
I have to admit I fell asleep during the debate. I've got it on tape. I plan to play it again at bedtime and see if it works consistently.
Dave
Dave don't you know debate is a fundamental part of democracy? Shame on you!
;)