Who Is The Real John McCain?
And will he ask himself, when this contest is over, if the dip into gutter politics -- the accusations that his opponent cavorts with domestic terrorists, his surrogates' use of Barack Obama's middle name to imply otherness -- was worth it?
We saw a flash of decency from John McCain yesterday when he told a supporter who said he was "scared" to bring up a child during an Obama presidency that the Democrat is "a decent person and a person that you do not have to be scared of." Another backer, a woman, called Obama an Arab. "No, ma'am," McCain interjected. "He is a decent family man with whom I happen to have some disagreements, and that's what this campaign is all about."
Or was it not a flash of decency but the real McCain? Perhaps he has reluctantly sanctioned the mudslinging and character smears over the last many weeks, convinced by his testosteronish team of former Bushies and lobbyists that in a year of such deep dissatisfaction with the Republican president and an economy heading for disaster, that they provided the only path to victory.
I can't help but wonder if the candidates had a gentlemen's agreement not to journey so far into the muck if the tracking polls would show a tighter race three weeks out. Or even, who knows, an advantage for the more experienced nominee. Has McCain's recent "erratic" performance, as the Democrats' have deemed it, been as much a reflection of his discomfort with his campaign's strategy as with the news of the day or his rival's surge?
(JENNIFER SKALKA)
Take a look at the vid of yesterday's Lakeville, MN, town hall:
He is is desperate old man who long ago sold his honor and integrity if he ever had any, which based on his biograpgy is doubtful, in order to try and fulfill his obsession of being president. This supposed change in tactics is just another one of his many flip flops non of which were done because of "honor"
Thank you John Mcain for finally telling your supportors the truth. Mr. Obama is just like you or me. A family man that only wants good for all americans. Born in Hawaii the same hospital that my husband was born in. His white grandmom still lives in Hawaii. I feel bad for her having to listen to the bad things people are saying about her grandson. Please no matter who you vote for show some respect. God bless you and your family
Thank you John Mcain for finally telling your supportors the truth. Mr. Obama is just like you or me. A family man that only wants good for all americans. Born in Hawaii the same hospital that my husband was born in. His white grandmom still lives in Hawaii. I feel bad for her having to listen to the bad things people are saying about her grandson. Please no matter who you vote for show some respect. God bless you and your family
Sorry -- but socialism, Acorn, Ayers, Rezko, Wright, Harvard Law, etc. AND what he did with each (failed Annenburg school project costing millions, failed Rezko housing project costing millions, training of people who then commit voter fraud, taking of Freddie/Fannie money w/ the pushing of subprime mortgages, etc.) does not make him like you or me. Well, they don't make him like me. What about you? And those connections and results make Barack Obama a worrisome prospect.
Sorry -- but socialism, Acorn, Ayers, Rezko, Wright, Harvard Law, etc. AND what he did with each (failed Annenburg school project costing millions, failed Rezko housing project costing millions, training of people who then commit voter fraud, taking of Freddie/Fannie money w/ the pushing of subprime mortgages, etc.) does not make him like you or me. Well, they don't make him like me. What about you? And those connections and results make Barack Obama a worrisome prospect.
Sorry -- but socialism, Acorn, Ayers, Rezko, Wright, Harvard Law, etc. AND what he did with each (failed Annenburg school project costing millions, failed Rezko housing project costing millions, training of people who then commit voter fraud, taking of Freddie/Fannie money w/ the pushing of subprime mortgages, etc.) does not make him like you or me. Well, they don't make him like me. What about you? And those connections and results make Barack Obama a worrisome prospect.
Stop it with the "Real McCain" crap. The answer to your question? IT DOESN'T MATTER! If someone passes out on the floor everyday smelling of liquor but "is really not an alcoholic" does it matter to anyone else??? NO. John McCain is a lowlife smear merchant. Period
Wow, love the comments! Glad other people share my opinion of McSame-McShame, or as he's been called an albino chipmunk! This man has run his campaign on his history as a prisoner of war, for his love of this country, but has run the nastiest campaign I have ever seen. He needs to stop the negative remarks and deal with the issues. Oh yea, he can't he doesn't have a clue!
McCain is an honorable man who endured what would destroy most of us when he was a prisoner of war.
Politicians lie, especially during election time, and McCain is no exception. However, when McCain says Democratic leaders played politics with the Iraqi war, he speaks the truth. Even Senator Biden has said that. Rep Murtha named the strategy the "slow bleed." At their best, Obama and Democratic leaders were wrong on the surge.
Whether or not we should have invaded is another issue. Even if Obama was right, our immediate problem was an out of control insurgency which needed to be stopped. Obama's solution for retreat would have been dangerous.
McCain tried to pass a bill imposing stronger regulations on Fannie and Freddie. He spoke about it in the Senate, and, in 2006 he co- signed a letter to that effect.
Stanley Kurtz described the role ACORN played in our credit crisis and the unwitting role Obama played.
This not negative campaigning. It is the truth. Senator McCain should have attacked Obama sooner and with more focus.
Barry Hussein will not win the election.
Why?
Muslim name.
Father was a moooslim.
Step-father was a moooslim.
Pastor is a hate-filled nutjob.
Wife is a hate-filled liberal activist.
Good friend and associate is Bill Ayers - terrorist.
Has numerous friendships with communists, anarchists and ragheads, I mean moooslims.
McCain-Palin by a comfortable margin.
If the "real" John McCain couldn't stand up to the people he pays to run his campaign then he doesn't deserve to be president. He's a sad old man who needs to go back to Arizona and retire.
If the "real" John McCain couldn't stand up to the people he pays to run his campaign then he doesn't deserve to be president. He's a sad old man who needs to go back to Arizona and retire.
First, Mcain just said those things because he would look even worse if he said he agreed, people President George W Bush bought his way to the white house with actual voter fraud,which explains how an idiot got elected as president...two Barack Obama has been running a positive campaign from the beginning, and sticks to the facts, I am sorry but Mcain comes off as an uptight asshole and Palin, lets not go there, no experience and definately someone not ready to lead, she doen's even keep up with current events, believes seeing Russia from her house gives her more experience than Barack on Foreign Policy, if thats the case Barack can say Canada can be seen from his backyard, lol, I mean we aren't stupid and hopefully will wake up to show that us Americans are better than that to vote for another idiot and his side-kick to be president! Obama needs everyones support, he will be that voice for all of us.
Praising Sen. John McCain for describing his opponent as a "decent man" is not unlike praising the arsonist for having the foresight to bring a bucket of water to the fire he started.
It is generally taken for granted that because of his prisoner-of-war record war John McCain is an expert on natural security and foreign policy issues, and, furthermore, that his character is above reproach. But after observing his small-minded, mean-spirited performance on the campaign trail (he’s no James Stockdale), I’m beginning to have serious doubts about him.
The man claims to know how to win wars, but how many wars has he actually won?
Would he have been admitted to the Naval Academy if both his father and grandfather hadn’t been influential alumnae? And given the fact that he graduated fifth from the bottom of his class, how much did he actually learn about the art of warfare?
He had been serving in Vietnam for only three months before his plane was shot down, and then was held prisoner for five years. So how could he have known what was taking place on the ground, where the war was being fought? What was the extent of his actual combat experience?
Those injuries to his arms and legs, where they inflicted under torture by his North Vietnamese guards, as is commonly believed, or were the injuries sustained when his plane crashed? And once his captors realized he was the son of an important admiral, a prized propaganda asset, would they have risked subjecting him to the same ordeal as an ordinary prisoner?
In his visits to foreign countries, did he confer with local community leaders, meet with ordinary citizens, study their history and learn about their customs beforehand; or was he merely escorted around by high government officials and military brass telling him what they wanted him to hear?
He says he knows how to fix the economy, how to create jobs, that he share the concerns of middle class Americans and small business owners. But what qualifies him to make such claims? How many jobs has he created, how many small businesses has he run? Wasn’t he born and raised in a financially secure, tax-payer funded environment—the U.S. Military—and later married into big money?
He says that voters don’t know who the real Barack Obama is. Well, at the risk of sounding unpatriotic, I’d say that it is he, John Sidney McCain, the one who is wearing the mask—and ditto for his unvetted running mate.