The McCain Thread

[Excel]

The differences between Obama and McCain will be very obvious. (Whether it is personality, policy, etc.)

Seeing their literally polar opposites politically (old, white republican vs. young, black democrat...high school teacher boring speaker vs. pumped team captain speaker...and thats just what you see on the surface.

 

[Matt]

Perhaps, but McCain has history on his side. Obama can claim to be a uniter, and McCain can say "Time out, who here has the actual record of doing it?" Like him or hate him, McCain's record does support that he is a uniter where as Obama doesn't really have a record. Being an outsider may not always be the best thing in the world.

 

[Matt]

Seeing their literally polar opposites politically (old, white republican vs. young, black democrat...high school teacher boring speaker vs. pumped team captain speaker...and thats just what you see on the surface.

Y'know, McCain is not as bad of a speaker as you make him out to be. In fact, I dare say you have not once watched a McCain speech. He is not as energetic as Obama, but he is very good at creating a connection to his audience when he speaks. Kind of like Bill Clinton was known for doing. That will really aide him in winning over the blue collar vote. Obama's speech, while energetic, give off the perception that he is talking down to voters...which will hurt him in a general election. There is more to public speaking than charisma. Perhaps the most important aspect is connecting with your audience. So far, Obama has only been able to connect with three audiences (white collar, intellectual, "elitist" Democrats, the young voters, and black voters...two out of three of those demographics, despite record turn out are still the two smallest voting demographics in the country). Meanwhile, he has proven time and time again to be unable to connect with the two most important demographics as they vote the most, the blue collar, middle class voters and senior citizens.

 

[The Senator]

I can't take anyone who says "my friendshhhhhhh" four hundred times in his speech seriously.

 

[DorkyFresh]

I can't take anyone who says "my friendshhhhhhh" four hundred times in his speech seriously.

i haven't been following the race...but i really don't want McCain to become president. it would be nice if we could get a president who doesn't say "Amurrrrka" but instead "AMERICA".

 

[Matt]

Never-the-less, Obama talks DOWN to voters as opposed to talking TO them. McCain talks TO them and that is a huge advantage in winning the blue collar vote.

I dare say though, Jman...that you would poke fun at McCain even if he was the most charasmatic man on earth. Would you not agree?

 

[The Senator]

Never-the-less, Obama talks DOWN to voters as opposed to talking TO them. McCain talks TO them and that is a huge advantage in winning the blue collar vote.

Back up a minute-- how does he talk down to voters? I hope you aren't referring to the "bitter" comments, considering they were comments made at a private dinner, not on the stump. If we want to talk about folks talking down to people, look no further than McCain, who referred to the Vietnamese as "gooks" in public and his wife as "c***" in private.

I dare say though, Jman...that you would poke fun at McCain even if he was the most charasmatic man on earth. Would you not agree?

I understand what you said about him, and while I think he's "folksy" and "relatable," I find it hard to take anything he says seriously when he whistles through his teeth and pronounces every "s" sound with a prolonged "shhhhh."

Just like how I can't take any Southern Senator seriously when they say "terra" instead of "terror."

But really... I think it sounds like he's simply playing politics when he says "my friends" all the time... it's so damn fake...

 

[Marx]

Never-the-less, Obama talks DOWN to voters as opposed to talking TO them. McCain talks TO them and that is a huge advantage in winning the blue collar vote.

I dare say though, Jman...that you would poke fun at McCain even if he was the most charasmatic man on earth. Would you not agree?

Just because McCain talks TO voters doesn't mean that he isn't just as phony in his speeches.

Have I mentioned that I can't stand the "my friends...friends...my friends...friends...friends...my friends" bull****???

 

[Matt]

Back up a minute-- how does he talk down to voters? I hope you aren't referring to the "bitter" comments, considering they were comments made at a private dinner, not on the stump. If we want to talk about folks talking down to people, look no further than McCain, who referred to the Vietnamese as "gooks" in public and his wife as "c***" in private.

No, there is more than the bitter comments. His entire demeanor is that of being on a pedestal. Take the bowling in Allentown for example. The one time in this campaign he has pandered. His entire attitude when he did horribly was "Well, its just a silly game anyway." Granted, he was able to laugh at himself, but the entire time he also had a demeanor of considering the entire thing stupid. And it may be stupid to him, but to some voters, bowling is fun and for him to come and try it in a patronizing manner isn't going to help him.

Also, the "****" comment has been debunked for nearly 10 years.

I understand what you said about him, and while I think he's "folksy" and "relatable," I find it hard to take anything he says seriously when he whistles through his teeth and pronounces every "s" sound with a prolonged "shhhhh."

Just like how I can't take any Southern Senator seriously when they say "terra" instead of "terror."

Hehe, fair enough.

But really... I think it sounds like he's simply playing politics when he says "my friends" all the time... it's so damn fake...

Just because McCain talks TO voters doesn't mean that he isn't just as phony in his speeches.

Have I mentioned that I can't stand the "my friends...friends...my friends...friends...friends...my friends" bull****???

Yes, it is fake, it is pandering, but that is what American politics is. Pandering works. Obama's pedestal approach will lose him the election. Unless he is willing to start pandering he is going to lose every state but New York, Massachusettes, Illinois, and California. That is what the game is. Obama's entire "I'm too good for this" approach isn't going to work when John McCain is out talking to voters, doing things they enjoy with them, and yes, pandering.

 

[Marx]

Yes, it is fake, it is pandering, but that is what American politics is. Pandering works. Obama's pedestal approach will lose him the election. Unless he is willing to start pandering he is going to lose every state but New York, Massachusettes, Illinois, and California. That is what the game is. Obama's entire "I'm too good for this" approach isn't going to work when John McCain is out talking to voters, doing things they enjoy with them, and yes, pandering.

You know that I have a problem with Obama too. He's extremely arrogant. You and I have talked at length about his "I'm-too-good-for-this-pedestal-approach." It will be his undoing.

McCain is just as bad with his geriatric lapses in memory and overall presentation though.

 

[The Senator]

No, there is more than the bitter comments. His entire demeanor is that of being on a pedestal. Take the bowling in Allentown for example. The one time in this campaign he has pandered. His entire attitude when he did horribly was "Well, its just a silly game anyway." Granted, he was able to laugh at himself, but the entire time he also had a demeanor of considering the entire thing stupid. And it may be stupid to him, but to some voters, bowling is fun and for him to come and try it in a patronizing manner isn't going to help him.

I think you're looking too much into it. If he said "voters who bowl are stupid," I think I could agree with that. He said it was a silly game. I say virtually the same thing whenever I lose some kind of game-- if anything, he was brushing off his loss. What was he suppose to say? "I bowled an awful game, but I'm just glad I got to bowl"?

Unless he is willing to start pandering he is going to lose every state but New York, Massachusettes, Illinois, and California.

That's a bold prediction, considering he has solid leads in Maryland, New Jersey, Delaware, Rhode Island, Vermont, Connecticut, Maine, Washington, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Iowa, and he currently has leads in Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana and Minnesota...

 

[Matt]

I think you're looking too much into it. If he said "voters who bowl are stupid," I think I could agree with that. He said it was a silly game. I say virtually the same thing whenever I lose some kind of game-- if anything, he was brushing off his loss. What was he suppose to say? "I bowled an awful game, but I'm just glad I got to bowl"?

How 'bout, "Well, I'm not very good, but at least I had fun,"? All about making a connection.

That's a bold prediction, considering he has solid leads in Maryland, New Jersey, Delaware, Rhode Island, Vermont, Connecticut, Maine, Washington, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Iowa, and he currently has leads in Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana and Minnesota...

Not so much a predicition, more exaggeration. I am simply commenting that unless he learns how to pander, he will lose big.

 

[Sebastos]

I don't care about McCain. As former President Carter said, "We need someone young for President."

 

[Superman]

I like this point by point counter-arguement to McBush's BS speech.

[YT]Lo51XfhgA-A[/YT]

McBush is just talking out of his ass.

 

[Matt]

I like this point by point counter-arguement to McBush's BS speech.

[YT]Lo51XfhgA-A[/YT]

McBush is just talking out of his ass.

Supes, you are forgetting some very important things...McCain has a record of being an across the aisle moderate (or at the very least acting as one). A couple years of pandering do not change that. First impressions are very hard to change, and when most of the country first got to know McCain during the 2000 primary, the media adored him and painted him as such. Then he did things like campaign finance reform, and averting the nuclear option at the 11th hour. Yeeeah, no matter how much you, and Olberman (who no one really watches outside of die-hard political junkies) try to paint him as this crazed neo-con, its not going to work.

I am not defending McCain or saying what he is one way or another. I am simply stating how the public percieves McCain and frankly, playing up the Bush connection when he has a record that says otherwise isn't going to work on independents and swing voters (who these types of things are meant to convince). In fact, its going to have quite the opposite effect. It is going to rally the neo-con base for him without him having to waste a bit of effort doing it or pander to them.

 

[Mister Sinister]

Of course the Iraq war will be over by 2013.

Spoiler

President Obama will have withdrawn the troops by 2010.

 

[StorminNorman]

Of course the Iraq war will be over by 2013.

Spoiler

President Obama will have withdrawn the troops by 2010.

 

[StorminNorman]

I like this point by point counter-arguement to McBush's BS speech.



McBush is just talking out of his ass.

McBush? Thats cute.

Lets ignore the fact that McCain has a well established record as a moderate.

 

[Matt]

Of course the Iraq war will be over by 2013.

Spoiler

President Obama will have withdrawn the troops by 2010.

Surely you can't believe that. Barry is already looking for ways to go back on that promise. "Well, if Al Queda is in Iraq, I'd have to reconsider and deploy appropriately." NEWS FLASH BARRY! AL QUEDA IS IN IRAQ! THEY GO BY THE NAME "AL QUEDA IN IRAQ"

 

[Arkady Rossovich]

It's impossible for McCain to just end the war by 2013. The army is basically about to break,and he wants to show the world that America's still on top. I don't think so,at best..it can be like Obama said. America can withdraw by then for the most part,and let them fend for them selfs.

He's better than Obama and Clinton. I'm voting for him in the election. I support his stance on immigration. I support what he says about fiscal responsibility. He works with the Democrats. His plan for Iraq is better than Obama's or Clinton's since they can't even withdraw correctly.

I can imagine there will be many against you then.

 

[hippie_hunter]

I can imagine there will be many against you then.

Well duh, it's called democracy. There will be many people who are going to vote Obama just as there will be many people who are going to vote McCain. Seriously, think before you post about American politics.

 

[StorminNorman]

Well duh, it's called democracy. There will be many people who are going to vote Obama just as there will be many people who are going to vote McCain. Seriously, think before you post about American politics.

Democracy? You still think America is a democracy? Its a tyrannical dictatorship! America...must be destroyeed! [/Arkady]

 

[rdh007]

McBush? Thats cute.

Lets ignore the fact that McCain has a well established record as a moderate.

The political man-love he's made to Bush cannot be ignored either. Who is John McCain?

 

[StorminNorman]

The political man-love he's made to Bush cannot be ignored either. Who is John McCain?

Do you believe that you can not respect a politician and yet disagree with him? I think its obvious that McCain superficially coddled more to the right than he had, mainly to allow him the spot as a Republican nominee - and I have no problem that because his actions were still, very much, the same moderate he has always been.

 

[rdh007]

I do have a problem with him coddling and then trying to pass himself off as a maverick still. Or if he'd just done it closer to the election--that's pretty standard. But he'd been doing it since 2002.

After Bush's people went after his kids in South Carolina, McCain's respect for Bush makes me question his own integrity.

I do believe that you can respect and disagree--I find that to be the case with you and hippie_hunter, for example. Joe Scarborough ain't bad for being wrong.