Riiiiiiiight...
Posted on 10/16/2008 12:15:53 PM PDT by goldstategop
One thing I liked about the Bush/Gore debates is that it was obvious both men loathed each other and they didn't care who knew it. That liberated them, for good and ill.
By contrast, for all the characteristically ponderous huffing from Bob Schieffer about "negative campaigns", McCain was never able to cast aside the Senatorial collegiality and really stick it to Obama. Why couldn't he have used the s-word - "socialism"? Why couldn't he have said that his opponent is a perfectly pleasant fellow but he has an all but blank resume so all we have to go on is his votes and his associations and both suggest a doctrinaire liberal well to the left of, say, Bill Clinton? Why couldn't he have pointed out that Barack Obama would be the most left-wing president ever elected in the United States?
McCain lacked the killer instinct. A man who cheerfully crashes planes and survives years of torture appeared nervous that clobbering his opponent might dent his image as Mister Bipartisan. You look at the way he sneered at Romney in the primary debates and compare it with his tentativeness toward Obama. His reluctance to whack the Democrat wound up, by default, elevating Obama. When a veteran Republican who's been on the national scene for a quarter-century and a Democrat whom nobody had heard of 20 minutes ago appear to be equal in stature, then by definition the Democrat wins.
And that, Kathryn, explains those insta-polls. McCain has no one to blame but himself.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
BINGO...Ping!
Love Steyn, but I’m not sure he’s right.
He’s right that McCain didn’t “go for the kill,” ideologically speaking, as I’d have liked him to.
But remember: I thought Lazio totally won his debate with Hillary! Clinton. I loved the part where he walked up to her and confronted her.
But arguably that lost him both the debate and the election. It was *perceived* as domineering and intimidating.
So, I’m just not sure that McCain didn’t do the right thing by balancing both respectfulness (incredibly, Obama is actually an elected official), and aggressive pursuit of Obama.
It worked, imho. Obama was constantly on the ropes and blinking. But McCain — of whom I’ve NEVER been an admirer — still comes off as a gentleman.
Now we see how the still-malleable voters perceived it.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
McCain wants to be liked. It’s a character flaw in a leader. It makes McCain try to be nice to evil.
Obama disdains McCain as something in the way of his quest to be Mahdi or whatever he thinks he is. His disgust with McCain radiated from him.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
please don’t post Steyn....he’s a creep and we should all ignore him and boycott his publications.
Exactly, this is way Americans rarely nominate Senators and when they do the Senator candidate usually loses. Alas this year both parties nominated a Senator and that is why the most compelling vote getter is a VP candidate Governor. This is the first time ever a VP candidate matters so much and it is because she is the only executive running on either slate.
Riiiiiiiight...
Well, not really ——— I am still making headway, two more relatives and a neighbor lady, after seeing the CPUSA story I printed out from yesterday finally agreed with me they now think Obama is a commie and will now vote McCain. Joe the plumber got them moving the CPUSA endorsing finished the job. Still a few left, but progress is progress.
I would say I have convinced maybe 20 people total to NOT vote for Obama.
Just Monday a long long long time Democrat relative voted absentee for McCain. I thought she was a gonner.
Got a $40 magic jack, Internet calls anywhere for free ... You can get an out of area number to hide your own if you wish.
Do your part... Get them to vote for the girl.
Mark Steyn is not a creep. You must have him confused. Mark Steyn is the most funny and consistently brilliant columnist out there. And he has a great accent.
>>please don’t post Steyn....he’s a creep and we should all ignore him and boycott his publications.<<
Holy Crap! Are you talking about MARK Steyn??
He is amazing and spot on!!!!
An Icon here on FR. I love him to death.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
Sadly, I fear Mark Steyn may be right. I was willing to cut some slack to McCain to be his wishy-washy self if it was going to bring in independents in this Democratic year, but it doesn’t seem to be working, and McCain does not seem to be articulating the real dangerous problems with Obama. And to preemptively rule out Wright months ago was ridiculous. Wright is a legitimate issue that should have been in the mix all along.
I was saying how disappointed I was that McCain didn't give O the verbal spanking he could have, how he pulled his punches when he seemed to have O on the ropes, and didn't follow through.
My wife said that McCain won't do those things for one simple reason: McCain is white and Obama is black, and in our current political and social climate, no white man can afford to tear down a black opponent and not be labeled a racist.
I said that McCain should let rip and let the race-baiters play the race card, that the country was sick and tired of bogus charges of racism hurled around indiscriminately to stop debate.
My wife said that that's the way that angry conservatives feel (my wife is an angry conservative too, but not as angry as I am), but that the soft independents and Hillary Dems that McCain needs to win would be turned off if he was perceived as being “too harsh” with Obama.
I still think she's wrong, but her thinking may play a part in the way the McCain campaign assesses their situation.
When you nominate the party’s maverick to be your standard bearer, there are consequences. Imagine if we had a Rep candidate who could go after Obama on immigration [read amnesty] and a cap and trade system to address global warming.
maybe....isn’t he the guy that HATES Sarah Palin...and anyone religious.....(I realize he can be witty.....but somehow that doesn’t make up for it....)
Yes, and wanting to be liked excludes you from being a leader.
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