McCain Adviser Refers to ‘Nation of Whiners’ (No drilling allowed but whine about gas prices)

NY Times ^ | 7/11/2008 | MICHAEL COOPER

[tobyhill]

I’m not sure it was a big mistake. It’s the Democrat’s in congress that’s in charge and if McCain can make a case that even though people right now are whining about the economy, mainly gas prices, he can turn it around by expanded drilling.

[massgopguy]

Listen to the Ad about the price of gas. It doesn’t complain about real economic hardship. It states that the person doing their bills won’t be able to take that big vacation this summer. Whe I was a kid, we would go over a relatives house for a week and then they would come over ours. This was in the 60’s, not the 40’s.

[Bitsy]

Go Phil Gramm. He told it like it was and if the truth hurts - tough nuts. We have become a nation of whiners and the whiners in Washington listen to the whiners in the nation ie, code pink and every other liberal, commie, environmentalist group known to man. As a daughter of parents of the greatest generation, I'm sick of the whining. So you go Phil!!!! Say what most of the nation is thinking!

[Sgt_Schultze]

Not news. The NYT is trying to put McCain on a weekend defensive and define the agenda for the Sunday talkers. The Washington Times had this story on Wednesday - HERE is a link to the original story the NYT simply re-wrote.

[tobyhill]

Some people have CWS, Chronic Whining Syndrome.
These people were whining about never being able to get in a house. The banks then made special loans to them to appease them. They then whined about not being able to afford the home the banks made special financing for.
These same whiners complained about the “environmental impact” of expanded drilling but now whine about gas prices.
They whined about using MTBE in our gas and demanded Ethanol as a replacement but when they get the replacement they whine about food prices.
These WHINERS are found at every job. They don’t like their jobs, unless it’s payday, and even then they find something to whine about.
The MSM created this society of whiners by always claiming everything is worse than it may really be.
There are problems but no more and no less than previous generations but we hear about them on a 24/7 cycle.

[silverleaf]

McCain threw Gramm under the bus before the news tickers stopped ticking.

[norwaypinesavage]

Here's the quote from the Washington Times:
"You've heard of mental depression; this is a mental recession," he said, noting that growth has held up at about 1 percent despite all the publicity over losing jobs to India, China, illegal immigration, housing and credit problems and record oil prices. "We may have a recession; we haven't had one yet." "We have sort of become a nation of whiners," he said. "You just hear this constant whining, complaining about a loss of competitiveness, America in decline" despite a major export boom that is the primary reason that growth continues in the economy, he said. "We've never been more dominant; we've never had more natural advantages than we have today," he said. "We have benefited greatly" from the globalization of the economy in the last 30 years. "Misery sells newspapers," Mr. Gramm said. "Thank God the economy is not as bad as you read in the newspaper every day."

I think few could find anything wrong with this.

[TomGuy]

Unhelpful maybe but dead on.

Ole adage: It depends on who's ox is being gored.

The family trying to make ends meet with rising fuel prices, food prices, utility costs (those winter heating bills will be hitting the mail just prior to the November election) are feeling pinched/crushed.

Retirees living on fixed incomes who discover filling their car gas tank may cost nearly $100 feel the hurt. Additionally, they are losing interest-income as interest rates on their savings are at historic lows.

==

Yeh, they are going to rush to vote for the guy whose economic adviser calls them whiners.

==

Several of the elitist Fat-cat, country-club Republican politicians who spend more time on the golf course than at the grocery store may find those whiners are sending them into retirement in November.

==

Wonder who will be whining the loudest on November 5, 2008?

[Bitsy]

hahah, too true. He should have said ‘a Senate-full of whiners,’ tho, to be more specific.

If you are interested AOL has it’s usual poll on the matter.
If you want to post the info on FR OK.

[squarebarb]

Commentators in the MSM, including Fox, always summarize a Republican comment in the announcer’s snarky voice, and then play back the actual recording of the Democrat rebuttal.

Nice little technique.

Makes me furious.

I had to listen to Shep Smith encapsulate the quote and then listen to Obama’s voice refuting it.

Typical of Fox radio and all the rest.

[Dixie Yooper]

"You've heard of mental depression; this is a mental recession," he said, noting that growth has held up at about 1 percent despite all the publicity over losing jobs to India, China, illegal immigration, housing and credit problems and record oil prices. "We may have a recession; we haven't had one yet." "We have sort of become a nation of whiners," he said. "You just hear this constant whining, complaining about a loss of competitiveness, America in decline" despite a major export boom that is the primary reason that growth continues in the economy, he said. "We've never been more dominant; we've never had more natural advantages than we have today," he said. "We have benefited greatly" from the globalization of the economy in the last 30 years. "Misery sells newspapers," Mr. Gramm said. "Thank God the economy is not as bad as you read in the newspaper every day." I think few could find anything wrong with this.

Find anything wrong? It's beautiful! Almost Reaganesque!

[tobyhill]

There is a lot of whining going on out there and some is justified but the ones who are whining but also helped create the problems need to go take a hike.

[jtal]

I love Phil Gramm. When he was senator from my state he was never shy about proclaiming politically incorrect truths.

I remember once when he was running against uber-liberal Llyod Dogget for the Senate back in ‘84 he commented on some law to “help” the disabled with horrific unintended consequences thusly: “Look at that. Look at that! They’re ENCOURAGING people to be handicapped!”

There was another line about the elderly and social security that I wish I could remember but I can’t.

Dogget used this quote prodigiously in his ads but it didn’t make a bit of difference as Gramm won handily. ‘Course this was back in the Reagan days - today who knows - maybe PC has infected even the Great State of Texas.

Sad to say - I think we have become a nation of whiners.

[tobyhill]

I hope the MSM keeps playing it over and over because it may very well snap some out of their Chronic Whining Syndrome and those people can finally see past the whining then put the blame where it belongs.

[roses of sharon]

Wow, you should run for office....as a Democrat, lol.

[NoLibZone]

add to the statement : research of ANY alternatives to fossil fuels and I agree.

[Eagle Eye]

“Look at that. Look at that! They’re ENCOURAGING people to be handicapped!”

My annual Social Security statement came in recently and I was quite surprised to see that I'd collect more in disability than retirement if I was eligible to retire and collect social security.

So your right, it seems that I am better off being disabled than retired!

[Reagan Man]

Some folks found Phil Gramm’s remarks to be insensitive.

I thought they were spot on.

What was real funny, was Obama’s response. He gave a bad imitation of Jay Leno -— silly and pandering.

[dfwgator]

"You were born, got in line, and ya died! And that's the way it was and we liked it!"

[tobyhill]

Not only did he give a bad imitation he slipped when he said people are whining about gas prices and all McCain wants to do is drill. Over 70% of Americans want drilling.