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Headstrong: McCain Fails The Big Five Tests
The Philadelphia Inquirer ^ | 10-19-2008 | Micahel Smerconish

Posted on 10/20/2008 8:31:21 AM PDT by TAdams8591

Head Strong: McCain fails the big five tests His aim is untrue in too many areas, so a longtime Republican is voting for Obama. By Michael Smerconish - Inquirer

Inquirer Currents Columnist

I've decided. My conclusion comes after reading the candidates' memoirs and campaign platforms, attending both party conventions, interviewing both men multiple times, and watching all primary and general-election debates.

John McCain is an honorable man who has served his country well. But he will not get my vote. For the first time since registering as a Republican 28 years ago, I'm voting for a Democrat for president. I may have been an appointee in the George H.W. Bush administration, and master of ceremonies for George W. Bush in 2004, but last Saturday I stood amid the crowd at an Obama event in North Philadelphia.

Five considerations have moved me:

Terrorism. The candidates disagree as to where to prosecute the war against Islamic fundamentalists. Barack Obama is correct in saying the front line in that battle is not Iraq, it's the Afghan-Pakistan border. Osama bin Laden crossed that border from Tora Bora in December 2001, and we stopped pursuit. The Bush administration outsourced the hunt for bin Laden and instead invaded Iraq.

No one in Iraq caused the death of 3,000 Americans on 9/11. Our invasion was based on a false predicate, so we have no business being there, regardless of whether the surge is working. Our focus must be the tribal-ruled FATA region in Pakistan. Only recently has our military engaged al-Qaeda there in operations that mirror those Obama was ridiculed for recommending in August 2007.

Last spring, Obama told me: "It's not that I was opposed to war [in Iraq]. It's that I felt we had a war that we had not finished." Even Sen. Joe Lieberman conceded to me last Friday that "the headquarters of our opposition, our enemies today" is the FATA.


TOPICS: Editorial; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Pennsylvania
KEYWORDS: liberalrepublican; michaelsmerconish; noconservative; opportunist; pa2008; smerconish; talkradio
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To: TAdams8591

Another life long Republican that has seen the error of his ways and is now on the path of righteousness with Obama. Boy am I convinced .. that this is just more processed oats.


21 posted on 10/20/2008 8:44:54 AM PDT by Peter Horry (Mount Up Everybody and Ride to the Sound of the Guns .. Pat Buchanan)
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To: TenthAmendmentChampion

Sellout!


22 posted on 10/20/2008 8:45:04 AM PDT by ScottinVA
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To: TAdams8591

I guess of 0bama was running against Bush, he would have a point.

But, alas...


23 posted on 10/20/2008 8:45:13 AM PDT by Boiling Pots (Wright, Ayers, Alinsky, ACORN and Odinga - Attack!!)
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To: TAdams8591
Your correct. Republican in name only. not a conservative. Read the article on the rebirth of the fairness doctrine. We are going to be driven away from the Constitution. I think America has been dumb down. Just look at the television programs. Television is the 1960s was meant to be a training tool. Well it has taught people well. How to be ignorant and uneducated. How many idiots sit in front of the tube instead of reading a book or going to the Library. How many young adults are drop outs? They aren't even ready for college. Turn off the tube and do some research and quit reliaing on everyone elses opinions.
24 posted on 10/20/2008 8:45:38 AM PDT by rstark56
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To: TAdams8591
Reason #5 on the Smerconish List

Hope. Wednesday morning will come and an Obama presidency holds the greatest chance for unifying us here at home and restoring our prestige around the globe."

What a load of squat!

25 posted on 10/20/2008 8:46:47 AM PDT by tapatio
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To: Question Liberal Authority
I don't understand how you get from "not voting for McCain" to "voting for Obama". It's like saying "I don't want to step in that dog poop, so I'm going to smear my entire body with crocodile dung".

You are so right. I find it hard to believe these types. Your analogy is perfect.

26 posted on 10/20/2008 8:46:58 AM PDT by Southflanknorthpawsis
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To: jennyjenny
I'm glad you've never heard of him. : )His core principle is the advancement of his own career. Michael has been slowly rising to prominence. He guest hosts the O'Reilly show and now other MSNBS talk shows.

Mike Gallagher had him on his program today, discussing the above topic of this article, and as Mike said, we should not continue to buy the books, read the columns, buy the newspapers or listen to the programs of any Republican turncoats who endorsed Obama.

Conservatives must not continue to support Smerconish.

27 posted on 10/20/2008 8:48:08 AM PDT by TAdams8591 (McCain/Palin '08)
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This is a correction to Post #12.

It was Stalin, not Lenin, who had Trotsky killed. The act took place in his Mexico City home, not his hotel room.

Interestingly, Trotsky's great-granddaughter, Nora Volkow (daughter of Esteban Volkov), is currently head of the U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse.

28 posted on 10/20/2008 8:48:10 AM PDT by Vigilanteman (Are there any men left in Washington? Or, are there only cowards? Ahmad Shah Massoud)
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To: Southflanknorthpawsis

I hope Hannity calls him up and gives him some serious s**t!


29 posted on 10/20/2008 8:48:19 AM PDT by ScottinVA
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To: tapatio
What a load of squat!

Barack Hussein Obama : The Joy of Socialism

30 posted on 10/20/2008 8:48:58 AM PDT by TChris (So many useful idiots...)
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To: KeyLargo

Yep. But I’ll bet his fill-in spots for Glenn Beck are over.


31 posted on 10/20/2008 8:49:00 AM PDT by Be_Politically_Erect (If I didn't think he'd get emotionally attached to it, I'd tell Obama to kiss my A** !)
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To: TAdams8591

Smerconish must have missed Biden’s statement today that the election of Obama is guaranteed to cause one and as many as five crises within the first six months!


32 posted on 10/20/2008 8:49:21 AM PDT by Williams (It's The Policies, Stupid.)
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To: Mr.Smorch; pburgh01

Anyone who thinks the real battle was Afghanistan and that there were no reasons to attack Iraq related to the congressional authorization of 18/19 Sep 2001 simply doesn’t do sufficient background reading.

He’s not very well read....unread.

And you also add that he’s unreadable and hard to listen to. Doesn’t surprise me.


33 posted on 10/20/2008 8:51:15 AM PDT by xzins (Retired Army Chaplain Pro Deo et Patria)
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To: TAdams8591

:-D )))

No, but seriously, Mike...why are you supporting Barry? Because the reasons you’ve listed make no sense whatsoever.


34 posted on 10/20/2008 8:53:22 AM PDT by RichInOC (Obama/Biden '08: We're Not Smarter Than Trig Palin.)
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To: TAdams8591

Heard him on the radio with Mike Gallagher this morning.

Smerk is in disagreement with O on invading Pockeeston

Disagrees with his tax policy

Disagrees with O’s stand on born alive protection act

Either the man has his own brain aneurysm at work or he has a mighty interesting FBI file.


35 posted on 10/20/2008 8:53:48 AM PDT by Carley (she's all out of caribou.............but does have a bracelet!!!!)
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To: Question Liberal Authority
Smerconish's (or Smerc as David Gregory affectionately nicknamed him)primary concern is what would advance his career. He must somehow believe supporting Obama will advance his career.

Philly as you well may know is extremely liberal and democratic with a high percentage of African Americans. Supporting Obama may well broaden the audience for his program as well as for the local Philly station. He has been guest hosting on MSNBC. I'm sure this move also ingratiates him to his MSNBC buddies and help him go from local to national prominence.

36 posted on 10/20/2008 8:55:55 AM PDT by TAdams8591 (McCain/Palin '08)
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To: ilgipper

Smerky shows what an idiot he is. Only idiots hold onto the belief that if we got BinLaden, it would have solved everything. What we have done in Iraq is the right thing. What Iraq can be is another reason it is the right thing.
Small minded people never could see the whole picture. Smerky has been one of the smallest minded people that the Philly radio crowd has had to endure.


37 posted on 10/20/2008 8:56:56 AM PDT by donnab (Will the real Obama please stand up?)
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To: TenthAmendmentChampion

Ugly as hell. : ) I really thought that would hurt his “advancement” to cable Television. Guess I thought wrong!


38 posted on 10/20/2008 8:58:09 AM PDT by TAdams8591 (McCain/Palin '08)
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To: RichInOC
It does if you consider that Smerconish is one of the biggest opportunists in the talk show industry. : )

Please see reply #36.

39 posted on 10/20/2008 9:01:21 AM PDT by TAdams8591 (McCain/Palin '08)
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To: TAdams8591
McCain fails the big five tests His aim is untrue in too many areas, so a longtime Republican is voting for Obama.

Obnama, who fails in *every* area.

Dumbass. Big Tent sucks. This story is proof.
40 posted on 10/20/2008 9:02:59 AM PDT by Khepri (It's the audacity, stupid!)
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