Tonight we're due for our second Presidential debate, this time in a "townhall" format with the venerable Tom Brokaw moderating. It's John McCain's preferred format - he's better with the honest ad lib and the quick retort than he is with a set speech - and it's only 30 days out from election day. It seems like a critical moment of decision for the McCain campaign, and discouraged conservatives are shouting that it's time for McCain to "take the gloves off" and take the fight to the enemy, leaving Obama bloodied and broken. If such an outcome is possible and if the McCain campaign has any hope of victory, this seems to be the most opportune time to hit Obama and hit him as hard as possible.
McCain loves consensus and compromise, but in this campaign he has been too merciful to his opponent and too gentlemanly in his criticisms. He has avoided certain controversies and certain topics, and refused to take certain lines of attack against Obama and against the Democratic party in general. Such caution is understandable if he is concerned about being able to work with Democrats once he is in the White House, but he seems to be forgetting that he won't be in the White House at all if he doesn't win, and he's not going to win the election unless he starts playing hardball. We're past the point of collegial rhetoric. It's time to take out the bats and start breaking some knees.
If McCain seriously intends to win this election, there are heretofore taboo topics which absolutely must be raised in this debate. There are names of people and of organizations which must be named and forbidden words which must be spoken. These include:
• ACORN. The new Federal Electoral Fraud Task Force launched a major raid on their headquarters in Las Vegas today. That gives McCain a reason to mention them and to go into some detail on Obama's history as a paid activist working for ACORN front group Project Vote, as an ACORN trainer and as a lawyer working for ACORN's housing program which is suspected of massive misuse of federal funds. The "community activism" of which Obama is so proud was mostly on behalf of ACORN and related groups whose goal is to disrupt the electoral process and promote massive voter fraud, using money taken from the taxpayers under false pretenses. During this campaign Obama was caught making illegal payments to ACORN. A reckoning is coming for ACORN and Obama needs to account for his connections to them.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Jon Sobel
Nicely done. Couple of problems I see with this as a strategy for McCain, though: Obama can turn corruption charges back on McCain with the Keating Five scandal, which is much more resonant with the public (fairly or not) - at least the public above a certain age - than any of the obscure associations you're talking about. Second, he can turn any terrorist associations back on McCain with the simple fact of the 9/11 hijackers being Saudi and the close ties of the Saudis with the House of Bush - something which, again, resonates much more than the associations you mention.
2 - Marlowe
What's a matter Dave - Governor Palin's arm get tired?
Gasp! Obama finds inspiration in a community activist who had socialist leanings! I remember that terrible sign being hung around MLK's neck too. No doubt Obama will next be discovered to have read Gandhi's writings! Ashrams for everyone!
And the wrecking of Fannie and Freddie? PPAAALLLEEEZZZ! Let's start with the strip job the Republican congress did - moving it from being a government agency to a "private" one.
If I were you old man I'd keep an eye on the bull pin - you're not much of a "relief" for Palin the Mudslinger (at LAST they found something for her to do that she was good at - nasty sound bites!)
Marlowe
3 - Baritone
Does anyone hear the word "desparation" resounding around Dave and all the McCain butt kissers.
A few months ago, Dave voiced his total distaste for McCain and even claimed he was considering a vote for Obama. How his tune has changed.
B
4 - dee
This post reeks of desperation... McCain has already been running the nastiest and dirtiest campaign I have ever seen in my lifetime and its been working so well with McCain tanking in the poles... so please by all means continue to attack Obama... You insult every voter who has voted for Barack throughout the primary and in the upcoming election when you continue to attack him with this crap... all McCain can do is attack however, he and the republicans offer absolutely no substance or detail on any issues that actually matter to a vast majority of the people, all they do is attack and they look foolish... Why can they only attack? because most people don't like the republican positions anymore... they don't work and are obviously skewed towards big business and the rich, and unfortunately for the republicans the majority of the American people are not rich nor do they own a business... both candidates have pasts, and that is what they are, pasts, the people want to know what these candidates are going to do NOW about the economy, etc...
5 - Cindy D
Dave,
Are you serious? If McCain has any brains he won't take that road.
CNN Report fact Checks Obama's KeatingEconomy.com website.
The Verdict: True
6 - Al Barger
dee- Anybody who has voted for Obama richly deserves to be insulted. I'm not much on McCain, but he at least passes the threshold of not being a commie who is happy to make years of common cause with multiple different terrorists. I am befuddled by how it is that the Ayers association alone wasn't considered an utter disqualification.
And this tit-for-tat about Keating is utter nonsense. McCain was only very marginally associated with Keating, and has repented of even that profusely. And even if you held Keating's ill behavior against McCain, it's relatively minor. OK, Keating looted his bank. That's bad. But he wasn't setting off hundreds of bombs and openly making war against his country. He wasn't trying to kill US soldiers and their dates.
And they really, really, really need to have HUGE ads and billboards reading
OBAMA=ACORN
ACORN=OBAMA
OBAMA=ACORN
ACORN=OBAMA
OBAMA=ACORN
ACORN=OBAMA
OBAMA=ACORN
ACORN=OBAMA
OBAMA=ACORN
ACORN=OBAMA
Goddam ACORN is one of the couple of groups absolutely at the very root of this current economic crisis. They were the racists mau-mauing Congress into making the banks give out a big portion of those stupid mortgages, both with their brownshirt tactics like showing up at bank branches to disrupt business and by hiring lobbyists to put the pressure on banks and Fannie.
Jumpin' Jebus on a Frickin' Pogo Stick, Obama and his criminal, thuggish ACORN buddies should be the very poster children for this mess.
7 - Lumpy
Obama has already trotted out the weakass Keating accusations and they fell flat.
If there is desperation on the right it is for McCain to stop playing pattycake and really fight.
8 - larsbarbow
I admit I was fooled by McCain when he ran in 2000. Then I saw him sell his soul to Bush, to the religious right, and every lobbyist that waves a dollar his way. Even worse, it's become apparent that his sexism, racism and frat boy sense of entitlement have been part of his character all along. You should worry more about what your affection for the sleazy old creep says about you Dave.
9 - DiannaD
All four wheele of the Straight Talk Express have come off.
Now Palin and McCain are sliding on their asses.
10 - Cindy D
And then there is the problem of your running mate starring in "Palin Around with the Secessionists"
"My government is my worst enemy. I'm going to fight them with any means at hand."
This was former revolutionary terrorist Bill Ayers back in his old Weather Underground days, right? Imagine what Sarah Palin is going to do with this incendiary quote as she tears into Barack Obama this week.
Only one problem. The quote is from Joe Vogler, the raging anti-American who founded the Alaska Independence Party. Inconveniently for Palin, that's the very same secessionist party that her husband, Todd, belonged to for seven years and that she sent a shout-out to as Alaska governor earlier this year. ("Keep up the good work," Palin told AIP members. "And God bless you.")
11 - Lisa Solod Warren
McCain is already doing such an awful job, it's embarrassing.... jokes falling flat, repeating himself over and over; he looks old, acts old, sounds ridiculous..... he can't hold his own at all in his "preferred" format.
12 - Baritone
First in answer to Dave's question: No.
However, on the whole I think McCain did an overall better job. Again, there was nothing dramatic, but McCain was more comfortable and more engaging as was expected. His worst moment was referring to Obama as "that one." Rather sleazy, I'd say.
The thing that bothered me most regarding Obama's performance and to a lesser extent with McCain, is how they rarely go outside of their scripted answers, using the same phrases, the same bromides, etc. that we've heard ad nauseam over the last several weeks. Obama failed to actually answer questions more often than did McCain.
I don't think that this debate was a game changer. As with the last debate, no one fell on their face and neither rose above the other. When it comes down to it, it was in the end a rather ho-hum affair.
B
13 - Clavos
I tend to agree with your assessment, B-tone, although the talking dummies on ABC said that McCain's proposal to have the government buy up all the defaulted mortgages and then reissue new mortgages at the devalued current prices of the properties was a new proposal.
14 - El Bicho
"McCain's proposal to have the government buy up all the defaulted mortgages and then reissue new mortgages at the devalued current prices of the properties was a new proposal."
was that before or after he called for the spending freeze?
15 - Baritone
I thought the buying of the bad paper was part of the original bail out. However, the McCain people are saying that it is a new intiative in addition to the original $700b. Maybe the $700b is just to buyout the CEOs. The conservative base is NOT happy about this revelation.
The polls show Obama the winner. But, I can't say that I saw it that way. That McCain didn't score big, though, I think, ultimately, Obama wins simply because he apparently gave up no ground.
B
16 - Get Real
I think that "That One" won this debate (again). If Obama continues on this streak with his cool, calm, intellect persona, he will win this election.
It's too bad that McCain has nowhere else to go with his campaign but other than a smear rampage against Obama. Maybe he can't have a challenging, progressive debate.
17 - SteveS
"McCain's proposal to have the government buy up all the defaulted mortgages and then reissue new mortgages at the devalued current prices of the properties was a new proposal."
^That will probably end up costing him the election.
18 - Dave Nalle
Had McCain hit on more than the one of my points which he hit, he would have been the clear winner. But his unwillingness to take the fight to Obama in a serious way left him in a near tie which could be called either way.
There's one debate left. At this point McCain really needs to decide whether he can allow Obama to cruise into the White House unchallenged or if he will do his duty and point out that the emperor has no clothes, even if it means losing. Just hearing someone with the media's ear tell the truth about Obama would be refreshing.
Dave
19 - Cannonshop
Dave, McCain couldn't hit those points, because he doesn't Believe them. Did you Hear his "plan" for dealing with the mortgage crisis? It's Bliffle's Plan!
It's a Liberal Repbublican trying to sound Conservative against a Liberal Democrat with the mainstream media in his pocket and a wonderful speaking voice.
It's over, the election won't even be close, and even if it is, it's just a difference of degree on how fast the final endgame is carried out.
20 - Mark Saleski
do his duty and point out that the emperor has no clothes
he already has. 72-yr old man parts. icky.
21 - Lisa Solod Warren
Al:
McCain: Continued support for deregulation
McCain: Smear Tactics
McCain: Incitements to violence
MCain: Deregulation
MCain: Association with Gramm (deregulation)
McCain: Repeated marital infidelity
MCain: Incitement to violence and desperate tactics
McCain: Choosing an unqualified pit bull for a veep who whips crowds into a violent frenzy with fear and smear tactics
McCain: Deregulation (which, of course, led to this financial meltdown)
McCain: Lobbyists for Fannie and Freddie as his chief campaign advisors
McCain: "I don't know much about the economy."
McCain: Deregulation
McCain: Deregulation
McCain: Smear tactics, mudslinging, lying
McCain: Deregulation
McCain: Fake suspension of his campaign to go to DC and do nothing
McCain: Incite crowds to violence by lying and smear tactics
*Repeat the above ad nauseum.
Add into mixture slurs against women, racial slurs, general slurs re "elitists," pandering to George Bush, voting with Bush for last eight years, changing course just to get elected, his age, his poor judgment in picking Palin just to try and appease his conservative base, his war mongering, his refusal to talk before he bombs, his support of the Iraq "war", his support of continued tax breaks for the rich, and all in all, you have the kind of candidate who makes you feel, well, all cold and slimy inside.
22 - troll
'breathy sincerity' is grating...my friends
then again - so is preaching
23 - Cindy D
Cannon,
Did you Hear his "plan" for dealing with the mortgage crisis?
From what I gather listening to the commentary after the debate, that mortgage plan is already a part of the bailout package. It's apparently not new. And one of the analysts suggested that McCain should have read the plan before taking credit for it.
I think Obama mentioned that it was already part of the plan during the debate. (After he seemed surprised that McCain mentioned it as "his" plan).
So folks, have fun if we get the old man who apparently habitually doesn't bother reading briefings, plans as important is this one is, etc.
Either that or he thinks we're so stupid, we won't find out that this isn't his idea at all.
24 - Christopher Rose
I wanted to see a McCain that could at least give Obama a run for his money but what I saw was a slimy snake oil salesman. That "my friends" riff just reeked of insincerity and old school politics.
25 - troll
icky sums it up