US 08 Presidential Campaign General Discussion Thread #8

[anitram]

John McCain is a liar. And it appears there isn't a paper in the country that isn't calling him on it these days.

John McCain is trying to claim that black is white when he argues that his running mate, Sarah Palin, has not accepted earmarks as Governor of Alaska. While it is true that she has sought fewer earmarks than her predecessor, Governor Frank Murkowski, Alaska still leads the nation in terms of per capita spending on earmarks, according to Citizens Against Government Waste. ...

Four Pinocchios for McCain for his clumsy attempt to rewrite history.

Weekend edition - Fact Checker

 

[diamond]

..and name calling has never won elections..

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[anitram]

No, it never has.

"Flip flopper"

 

[BVS]

she's a thorn in the side to the women's movement.
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Wait, I thought you said she was feminist? How can she be a feminist, and a thorn in the side of the women's movement?

McCain is really rubbing off on everyone, you all seem to think you can double speak.

 

[corianderstem]

I live in a neighborhood that's known as the Scandinavian neighborhood of Seattle. And I just bought this shirt. It makes me smile. (If this isn't a great place to post it or isn't appropriate here, yolland, let me know.)

 

[Lila64]

..and name calling has never won elections..

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and hopefully lying won't either

 

[diamond]

Wait, I thought you said she was feminist? How can she be a feminist, and a thorn in the side of the women's movement?

.

i want you to try on this one, reeeeally try.
i contend a female can be a feminist w/o being part of the women's movement.

wrap your brain around that one.



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[U2DMfan]

She's a feminist because of who she is, not what she does?

There's probably some kind of truth in that idea but I don't know how much sense it really makes.

Let's just say it would have to defintitely be a different kind of feminism.

 

[Bluer White]

There are no pro-life feminists. Didn't you get the N.O.W. memo ?

 

[Se7en]

more like political expediency:

chastise the femi-nazis when they offend you.

high-jack feminism when it benefits you.

standard, really.

 

[Diemen]

Folks, what do we think of McCain's argument as to why his campaign has gotten so slimy:

"Well, if Senator Obama had done as I asked and agreed to doing town hall meetings, the campaign wouldn't be like this."

Honestly, this is so unbelievably juvenile pathetic it blows me away. How does a grown man running for the most powerful office in the land let that kind of absolutely asinine logic slip out of his mouth, let alone stand as justification for even more deceitful and dishonorable tactics?

His convention speech reminded me of the reasons I first liked him, and a brief flicker of hope rekindled that we might actually see some of "the maverick" come back and restore some honor to the Republican/Rovian way of politicking. It's a real shame that speech turned out to be a complete sham.

What an utter disgrace.

 

[yolland]

more like political expediency:

chastise the femi-nazis when they offend you.

high-jack feminism when it benefits you.

standard, really.

This is certainly a glaringly, conspicuously new line of argument coming from the social conservative camp: "Oh we love feminism, always have! We think it's right-on! An idea whose time has come! It's just that we want more of a space opened up in it for conservative ideas, is all!"

It's a no-brainer that women who favor Democratic policies on women's and family issues--which, obviously, include tax policy, healthcare, education, eldercare, and civil rights as well as being pro-choice--aren't going to vote for a ticket with different policies on all those issues simply because there's a woman on it. You'd have to have a pretty low opinion of women to expect them to do that, just as you would to expect that socially and fiscally conservative women would've voted for Hillary simply because she was female.

 

[phillyfan26]

This election has turned nightmarish, hasn't it? I mean, take any worst case scenario on an Obama-McCain matchup and throw it out. No one could have predicted the lows McCain has hit. No one. I expected better of him. Many did.

But, as always, that little "R" next to his name will win out with the conservative crowd, no matter what he does.

 

[diamond]

She's a feminist because of who she is, not what she does?

There's probably some kind of truth in that idea but I don't know how much sense it really makes.

Let's just say it would have to defintitely be a different kind of feminism.

unorthodox feminism?

 

[MrsSpringsteen]

Sarah Palin is the right kind of feminist.

 

[diamond]

and wrong for others..

 

[MrsSpringsteen]

You know what I mean

Kid tested, diamond approved

No Sarah Palin witch photos? What a letdown..

 

[diamond]

hard to do w an 80% per cent approval rating.


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[MrsSpringsteen]

Yes I'm sure approval ratings have a direct correlation with witch photos

 

[BVS]

i contend a female can be a feminist w/o being part of the women's movement.

Well my point is, I'm wondering how you define the "women's movement"?

 

[anitram]

Bad tax cuts. Bad!

Alan Greenspan says the country can't afford tax cuts of the magnitude proposed by Republican presidential contender John McCain — at least not without a corresponding reduction in government spending.

"Unless we cut spending, no," the former Federal Reserve chairman said Friday when asked about McCain's proposed tax cuts, pegged in some estimates at $3.3 trillion.

"I'm not in favor of financing tax cuts with borrowed money," Greenspan said during an interview with Bloomberg Television. "I always have tied tax cuts to spending."

 

[Lila64]

Got this in an email today about McCain's health issues...

John McCain's health records must be released

 

[Tiger Edge]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L16IVxHB4lY

 

[anitram]

The Obama campaign has responded to that Rove comment:

In case anyone was still wondering whether John McCain is running the sleaziest, most dishonest campaign in history, today Karl Rove -- the man who held the previous record -- said McCain's ads have gone too far.

 

[Diemen]

I'm shocked that Rove actually said that in public. Granted it was a kind of weak admission. "Doesn't exactly pass the 100% truth test" eh? Most people call that lying, Karl.

File that in the "You know you've gone too far when..." department.

 

[financeguy]

Those Rove comments are interesting, perhaps there is truth in the rumour that the Bushies really don't want McCain to win?

On the other side of the fence, there's another little rumour that the Clinton's don't want Obama to win.

Clenis was reported the other day as saying that he is doing everything he is asked to do to help the Obama campaign - doesn't that imply that he doesn't really want to help, but is only doing so under duress??

 

[WildHoneyAlways]

Well my point is, I'm wondering how you define the "women's movement"?

And feminism, for that matter.

 

[A_Wanderer]

The Democratic presidential candidate's slump in the polls has sparked pointed private criticism that he is squandering a once-in-a-generation chance to win back the White House.
Party elders also believe the Obama camp is in denial about warnings from Democratic pollsters that his true standing is four to six points lower than that in published polls because of hidden racism from voters - something that would put him a long way behind Mr McCain.
The Sunday Telegraph has learned that senators, governors and union leaders who have experience of winning hard-fought races in swing states have been bombarding Obamas campaign headquarters with telephone calls offering advice. But many of those calls have not been returned.
A senior Democratic strategist, who has played a prominent role in two presidential campaigns, told The Sunday Telegraph: "These guys are on the verge of blowing the greatest gimme in the history of American politics. They're the most arrogant bunch Ive ever seen. They won't accept that they are losing and they won't listen."
After leading throughout the year, Mr Obama now trails Mr McCain by two to three points in national polls.
Party leaders and commentators say that the Democrat candidate spent too much of the summer enjoying his own popularity and not enough defining his positions on the economy - the number one issue for voters - or reaching out to those blue collar workers whose votes he needs if he is to beat Mr McCain.
Others concede that his trip to Europe was a distraction that enhanced his celebrity status rather than his electability on Main Street, USA.
Since Sarah Palin was unveiled as Mr McCain's running mate, the Obama camp has faced accusations that it has been pushed off message and has been limp in responding to attacks.
A Democratic National Committee official told The Sunday Telegraph: "I really find it offensive when Democrats ask the Republicans not to be nasty to us, which is effectively what Obama keeps doing. They know thats how the game is played."

Barack Obama under fire for ignoring advice on how to beat John McCain - Telegraph

 

[maycocksean]

^Obama better get it together. There's not much time left.

 

[maycocksean]

YouTube - Karl Rove: McCain's Ads Have Gone Too Far

In fairness, he did say that both campaigns have "gone too far."

Though I would argue that both have and I'd be curious what his examples of Obama's campaign "going too far" would be?