Presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama talk with moderator Jim Lehrer following their debate at the University of Mississippi in Oxford, Miss., Sept. 26, 2008. McCain is hoping for a strong performance in Tuesday's debate. Obama has taken a lead in US polls and with independents. (LM Otero/AP)
McCain seeks to shift race’s focus
Tuesday’s debate is a chance to regain campaign momentum.
By Alexandra Marks | Staff writer/ October 6, 2008 edition
Reporter Alexandra Marks talks about new campaign strategies for Sen. John McCain, prior to Tuesday night's second presidential debate.
New York
With Barack Obama continuing to consolidate his lead in the polls, John McCain needs a game-changer.
He’s counting on two things to bring that about: an aggressive advertising attack on the Illinois senator and a great performance in Tuesday’s town-hall-style debate in Nashville, Tenn.
The goal is to shift attention away from America’s economic crisis and again raise questions about the Democrat’s readiness to lead as well as his associations in the past.
The opening salvo came over the weekend when Senator McCain’s running mate, Gov. Sarah Palin, attacked Senator Obama for “palling around with terrorists” because of a past association with William Ayers, a Chicago education professor. In the 1960s, Mr. Ayers was a member of the Weather Underground, which claimed responsibility for several bombing attacks.
The Obama camp called the comment “desperate, false, and offensive,” and it noted that the two men did know each other but that Obama has always condemned Ayers’s “detestable acts.”
The Democrats also say that McCain is simply trying to divert attention from the economic crisis, which has helped Obama take a lead in national polls as well as among independents and in some vital swing states that Republicans won in 2004.
“Obama has to keep the pressure on linking McCain to Bush on the economy, because that’s a twofer: It’s what’s driving his current lead and tipping the tossup states into his column,” says Larry Sabato, director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. “McCain has a much tougher job: He has to try to find a way to change the direction of the election in the remaining two debates. That’s very hard to do with words when the daily headlines scream ‘economic disaster.’ ”
This week, the McCain camp plans to run a series of advertisements that tie Obama not only to Ayers, but also to Antoin “Tony” Rezko, a Chicago financier and longtime Obama supporter who was convicted of money laundering earlier this year. He is scheduled to be sentenced a week before the election.
“McCain’s goal is to cause people to say, ‘No-bama,’ to reject Obama because that’s his only shot,” says Professor Sabato. “People are only going to go back to McCain if he’s the default candidate, if they’ve already rejected the ‘big change’ candidate.”
The Obama campaign is also staying on the offensive. On Sunday morning, it released an ad that accused McCain of being “erratic in a crisis” and “out of touch” by trying to “turn a page” on the economic crisis. It also called McCain’s attacks on Obama’s past associations “dishonorable, dishonest assaults.”
The Democrats also continued to hammer away at McCain’s healthcare proposal, which calls for health insurance tax credits of $2,500 for individuals and $5,000 for families. The Republicans would pay for it by taxing the health benefits that individuals now receive from their employers. Obama’s camp notes that it is the first time that health benefits would be taxed and calls the plan “radical change.”
“What Senator McCain is proposing is really dangerous for the American public because … not only would he tax health benefits for the first time in history, but more seriously he would dismantle state-based regulation and tie the hands of those folks who are involved in consumer protection,” Gov. Kathleen Sebelius (D) Kansas, an Obama supporter, said in a conference call with reporters Sunday.
The McCain campaign acknowledges that it would tax currently exempt health benefits as personal income. But it argues that giving a tax credit would equalize a system that currently favors employees who get healthcare benefits over individuals who have to buy them on their own. McCain’s senior economic policy adviser, Douglas Holtz-Eakin, also insisted that it would not undermine state regulations and called the Obama campaign’s ads on the issue “cynical and deceitful.”
“They are saying that it’s a big tax increase, and that is also false,” said Mr. Holtz-Eakin in a conference call with reporters Saturday. “If you are receiving from your employer the health insurance that Barack Obama has decided everyone should have, you will have more money left over for healthcare than you do right now.”
The two candidates are now preparing for Tuesday’s debate – McCain at his Arizona ranch and Obama in North Carolina, a once reliably Republican state that Democrats are hoping to turn in their favor. Last week, McCain assured a voter he would “get tough” using Tuesday’s debate to aggressively go after Obama. His campaign has done nothing to play down expectations, as often happens in predebate skirmishes. Part of the reason is that the debate is town-hall-style, where voters ask the questions. It’s a format McCain excels in.
“John McCain is very good at relating to people and expressing his views. If there’s ever a format that would favor him, it’s the town-hall meeting,” says Darrell West, director of governance studies at the Brookings Institution in Washington.
But Mr. West and other analysts caution that McCain has to find a way to shift the debate toward foreign policy and away from the economy, which remains on most voters’ minds despite passage of the bailout package on Friday. “As long as the debate focuses on the domestic economy, he’s playing on Obama’s home court,” West says.
McCain also has to be careful to contain his well-known temper on Tuesday. As his campaign has struggled with questions about Governor Palin’s experience and McCain’s negative-ad strategy, he has on occasion been “sarcastic and irascible,” as The Des Moines Register in Iowa reported about a recent editorial-board meeting with the Arizona senator.
“In this one, the town-hall format, you have to be polite and warm to the audience and respectful to your opponent,” says Allan Louden, a debate expert at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, N.C. “That’s going to make it hard for McCain to switch the game in this debate. People also judge candidates by how they treat each other.”
Comments
2. Mike of Arizona | 10.06.08
Looks like the “Straight Talk Express” has turned into “The Hate Talk Express”………
3. John Hess | 10.06.08
I am definitely supporting and voting for Obama. McCain has already lost the election in my book and should give it up.
4. james bliss | 10.06.08
McCain seeks to shift race’s focus…(for the thirteenth time in the last 3 months). can anyone else read the writing on the wall? he is struggling because he has no idea how to court independents without alienating the RNC.
5. Michael | 10.06.08
McCain is going to get very dirty in the next month, he is desperate. He has really become a pathetic individual, he has been shown to be a immoral and faithless fraud.
6. Scotty | 10.06.08
This isn’t the McCain team grasping at straws. They’re past that.
No, they’re just blowing pitiful bubbles as they go under.
7. Hannah | 10.06.08
Let him who is without sin among you be the first to cast a stone …
http://washingtonindependent.com/9039/did-mccain-learn-from-the-sl-crisis
hyp·o·crite
Pronunciation: ˈhi-pə-ˌkrit
Function: noun
1 : a person who puts on a false appearance of virtue or religion
2 : a person who acts in contradiction to his or her stated beliefs or feelings
Remember the S&L Bailout? John McCain Hopes You Don’t.
8. James Aitchison | 10.06.08
John McCain has lost his mind. What kind of man would allow Obama to be characterized as Ayers “pal?” A mean man of low character, that’s who. So, they live in the same town (Chicago) live in the same neighborhood, sit on the same school board, and are both college professors working on the same educational issues. This makes them pals. Please. Palin: get a job. Stop insulting our elbows. James
9. ds | 10.06.08
Flailing McCain, such a wonderful site.
This election is over, McCain might as well step aside at this point, and save the taxpayers the public finance funds.
Time to move to florida and retire, McCain. And for your running mate??? she might as well retire too, like anyone in their right mind would elect her for anything at this point. I know of a cheesy little scrapbooking place in my nieghborhood that might hire her when she starts looking for a new career. Im sure theyre pretty stupid and folksy over there, she will fit right in.
10. Carol Lovewell | 10.06.08
I believe Mr. Ayers has an obligation to come forward with a comment regarding Gov. Palins ridiculous comment about Sen. Obama “palling” around with him. Attacking ones policies is one thing. Out right lies are another and should not be tolerated.
11. Remigio Christopher Obol | 10.06.08
I feel hurt reading the word “attack, attack. I think it is not human-politic to attack opponent in political campaign. Candidates should reason out and explain in detail their disagreements of each others plan to govern USA. Attack is a manifestation of failure, waeknesses, anger, aggression not only on the opponent but also on American citizens when he becomes president.
He is not only attacking his opponent but the whole his supporters and the party he stands for.
he seeking is to become the leader of the nation, he should be sobber, and
Secondly, whenever, a candidate has a good policy, the other should agree and make the necessary amendments to be complete and in favour of the needy.
Thanks
God bless America.
12. Drew | 10.06.08
By the McCain campaigns own admission, the smears against Barack Obama have started and the “dirty tricks” have begun. The GOP will do anything in its power to win the elections of 2008, including voter intimidation and suppression. The web site below has a growing list of some examples that the republicans are employing for this election cycle. The site is a list of links that take you directly to legitimate news articles. Again, these are from LEGITIMATE news sources and are not opinion or op-ed pieces:
http://www.republicantricks.com
http://www.republicantricks.com
Please forward this web site address to as many people as you can, especially those in States that are directly affected - like Florida. The republicans cannot be allowed to steal or alter the outcome of this election!
13. Sandy | 10.06.08
I completely agree with Governor Palin. If we are going to fix this struggling country and can fight the terrorists who would seek to harm the wonderful people on Main Street who are struggling to pay the bills around the kitchen table, and the army. What we as American people are going to look out and see the possibilities of this great nation of ours, and the freedoms and equalities that we Americans need to be able to fight for our children, and for Israel.
14. Barbara | 10.06.08
Dirty politics. The weaker party always takes this road. Smear campaigns instead of letting us see what they will bring to the White House. McCain has spent more time in the last few days on the attack with inaccurate accusations, subterfuge and innuendos to win this election that he has lost sight of what really matters. Us. He is using Mrs Palin to do his dirty work because she has a higher profile at the moment. Is this what we have to look forward to for the next four years? I see McCain as weak and tired fresh out of ideas to sell himself. He is running out of steam and this is just a campaign. What will he do if he is president? Is this what you want to see in the White House?
15. obamaterrorist | 10.06.08
obama is a muslim and he has all the support he needs from a rock solid Mulim network worldwide.
obama is ready and willing to talk with Ahmadinajad and Hamas without preconditions,which is INSANE, and thereby putting America directly into the mouth of danger.
Obama’s presidential campaign has been injected with millions of terrorist money to finance expensive advertisements throughout the campaign.
obama is deceiving America, willing to crawl through a montage of American dead corpses, to pave the way to the White House.
This couppled with the fact thatAmericans are totally unaware about this fact, makes obama’s way smoother than he had ever expected.
No wonder Palestine and Iran are jubilating in the streets at the prospect of an obama victory.
obama is a fraud, and once elected, nothing will be able to make him resign,
not even a second American Civil War.
16. Mimi | 10.06.08
Reading the blogs, there’s no doubt McCain is suffering from dementia–there can be no other explanation for his behavior. It looked like flip flopping a few months back but for sure now McCain is losing, fast, his short term memory. It’s too bad his family hasn’t recognized his condition but, on the other hand, what could they do with someone who is characterized as quick to anger. Now imagine, the presidency would fall on Joe six-pack? More like Bush’s twin–a facade for the power and control group, the over zealous fanatics of the right wingers by whose actions show they’re not truly believers in God, but believers that they can take over. Shameful! Throughout the world they’re watching. OBAMA-BIDEN
17. Yéil Raven | 10.06.08
How a McCain/Bush/Schmit/Rove campaign would Change a Light Bulb
How many members of McCain/Bush/Schmit/Rove campaign does it take to change a light bulb?
1. One to deny that a light bulb needs to be changed;
2. One to attack the patriotism of anyone who says the light bulb needs to be changed;
3. One to blame American Voters for burning out the light bulb;
4. One to arrange the invasion of a country rumored to have a secret stockpile of light bulbs;
5. One to give a One Trillion dollars to Wall Street for the new light bulb;
6. One to arrange a photograph of Bush, dressed as a janitor, standing on a step ladder under the banner: Light Bulb Change Accomplished;
7. One campaign insider to resign and write a book documenting in detail how McCain/Bush/Schmit/Rove was literally in the dark and out of touch with the American Voter
8. One to viciously smear #7;
9. Sarah Palin to campaign on TV and at rallies on how John McCain has had a strong light-bulb-changing policy all along;
10. And finally one to confuse Americans about the difference between screwing a light bulb and screwing the country.
18. Mike Harrington | 10.06.08
I have watched an honest American hero sell his soul, his honor, and his dignity to be elected to office. His selection of Governor Palin as his running mate actually made me re-think my views because he has descended to a new low. Now he is saying he will attack Obama’s character. Does McCain sound like a leader? Do you think Palin can step in and fill his shoes if he should die? Who do you think would be running this country? Maybe his advisors, mostly lobbyists, because she sure doesn’t have the smarts to run this country.
19. Chaifuddagee | 10.06.08
I wonder if Joe Sixpack realizes that Obamas tax proposal will put more money back in his pocket than McCains. Does Joe Sixpack know who is really looking out for his interests?
20. dennis | 10.06.08
you guys just don’t get it. Its not about Obama when he was 8 years old its about his judgment when he was a adult.You can keep saying he was only 8 when it happen all you want. But its his judgment when he was a adult knowing who this man was and Rezko another bad choice. He is running for President and those two people were bad judgment.You think you can pull dirt up on Palin and Mccain but when they do the same thing Mccain is wrong. Dem’s have been throwing dirt for a long time now its time the rep do the same thing.In truth dem’s and the media started the dirt throwing when they decided to dig up things and trash Palin.Go ahead and do all the keating 5 stuff you want Mccain was found innocent.Obama knew this man was a terrorist and thethat Rezko was a crook and still decided to hang with them.He should have stayed a long ways from them.
21. Ronald Surratt | 10.06.08
John McCain has long been known for his short temper. Whether or not this should disqualify him to lead this nation I leave up to you, But here is a curtailed history, taken partially from a memo by the staff of fellow Republican Mitt Romney.
Sen. McCain Repeatedly Called Sen. Pete Domenici (R-NM) An “A**hole”, Causing A Fellow GOP Senator To Say, “I Didn’t Want This Guy Anywhere Near A Trigger.”
“Why can’t McCain win the votes of his own colleagues? To explain, a Republican senator tells this story: at a GOP meeting, McCain erupted out of the blue at the respected Budget Committee chairman, Pete Domenici, saying, ‘Only an a–hole would put together a budget like this.’
Offended, Domenici stood up and gave a dignified, restrained speech about how in all his years in the Senate, through many heated debates, no one had ever called him that.
Another senator might have taken the moment to check his temper.
But McCain went on: ‘I wouldn’t call you an a–hole unless you really were an a–hole.’ The Republican senator witnessing the scene had considered supporting McCain for president, but changed his mind. ‘I decided,’ the senator told Newsweek, ‘I didn’t want this guy anywhere near a trigger.’
22. Edmund Hunt | 10.06.08
When making lurid allegations that the media refutes, it is then necessary for a candidate to attack the media that has not just recorded the allegation. At this phase in the campaign, the candidate has to make a lot of charges and hope some of them stick. If the media just report them without any critical evaluation, it serves the purpose of the candidate of spreading the charges. If the media evaluates them and criticizes them as untrue or inaccurate, the candidate appears to be lying in desperation.
Palin can’t afford to let news organizations critique her allegations. The whole point of a smear campaign is to make at least some voters have second thoughts about the opposing candidates, hoping to invoke the “where there’s smoke, there’s fire” thinking. Because Obama is black however, she runs the unusual risk of having her attacks interpreted as a form of racism. When the AP calls her on her “terrorist” charge, she has maintain her innocence and hope to intimidate other media outlets from contradicting her.
While there are certainly plenty of people in the US who will not vote for Obama because he is black, the GOP and McCain can’t be seen to support overt racism. In this desperate stage of the campaign, they have to invoke as many fears and biases as possible, but without appearing to don the garb of the ***. Palin will make other comments about Obama being black, being a Muslim, being radical, being a friend of terrorists, and, worst of all, being a liberal.
It remains to be seen in the next five weeks, how ugly and mean the McCain campaign is willing to be, how much the media is willing to report uncritically the allegations, and how willing the public is to consume right wing smears.
23. Karen | 10.06.08
Can the Republicans please do or say “SOMETHING”, “ANYTHING” intelligent or more over relevant. Our Country is sinking into the toilet and taking the world down with us and the best that Sarah Palin can muster is a rote article from the New York Times regarding a guy who did something henous when Barack Obama was eight years old. How long did it take your shipwrecked team to dig that out of a grave? Sheesh!
Ms Palin you are such an insult to thinking people - women especially
24. LOGOS | 10.06.08
To :obamaterrorist
Thank you for these utterly inflammatory comments. It won’t change the unconditional Republicans or Democrats minds. However, it will tremendously help those of us who are undecided. If the McCain plank is based on the the Palin and “obamaterrorist “ kind of arguments, the decision is much easier and straightforward. I’ll vote for anybody who is exactly on the opposite side of such non-sense. I’m being very polite and using uncomplicated words and syntax so that you understand
25. Hmmm | 10.06.08
Maybe this market is tanking because it’s pricing-in an Obama win? Just a thought…
26. Vic Iyer | 10.06.08
McCain and Palin are totally out of their mind. I lost whatever little respect I had for McCain. He has poor judgement and it shows in his VP pick and past actions. He need to change his slogan from “Country First” to “McCain First”. Time to call it a day…
27. May | 10.06.08
Obama and the media start the dirty campaigning when they started throwing dirt on Palin.I am not for Mccain or Palin just stating the facts.Sending in every reporter they could find to find dirt on her and yes calling her names and making fun of where she is from. So if you want to blame someone for starting this blame the dem’s
Obama/Biden 08
28. Sarah C | 10.06.08
McCain has already lost the election, and now seems determined to lose every ounce of dignity he has left. The flimsy personal attacks his campaign is attempting to make against Obama is yet another example of short-sighted, desperate decision making that had been running his campaign into the ground. McCain has far more damning skeletons in his closet, and if he brings smear tactics to the forefront of his campaign, it will backfire on him tenfold.
29. Tim Dunn | 10.06.08
Talking to Iran may be pointless, but I can’t see any way for it to be dangerous. It would improve the opinion that the rest of the world has of us, and that would make it possible for us to get more support for sanctions against Iran. As is so typical of her, Governor Palin claimed it would be dangerous without explaining how it could possibly be dangerous. Palin is not only uneducated, she is illogical. No intelligent, rational person could possibly want to put Palin one elderly, cancer prone heartbeat away from the leadership of the free world.
30. LOL | 10.06.08
you guys are something. Obama has been throwing dirt for awhile now about Palin. but you liked that it was fun. Now the Mccain or should i say Palin is throwing it back you are all in a panic.Its shows with all the name calling and Palin did this and that and Mccain is dishonest. Whats dishonest about saying Obama had dealing with these two men. He did its a fact. Its not made up its true but you can’t handle the truth i guess.
31. Tejas | 10.06.08
It’s sad how pathetic John McCain and his campaign have become, I once thought he was a decent man, not now
32. Tim Dunn | 10.06.08
Dennis, we don’t know what Obama knew about the professor’s history when he was offered a fundraiser in his house. I do know that I looked up the history of the Keating Five on Wikipedia, and that the Senate ethics committee declared that McCain had shown ‘bad judgment’ by meeting with regulators who were investigating Keating, who ultimately was convicted of bank fraud. The Senate Ethics committee felt that the meeting could easily have frightened off investigators who had less integrity and courage than those McCain met with.
See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keating_Five
Considering that McCain went on to vote for more deregulation for banking, I’d say his judgment didn’t get any better. This crisis has many fathers, but McCain is one of them. Putting McCain in charge of cleaning this mess up is a very bad idea, because his gut instinct is hostile towards regulation, and more regulation is exactly what we need.
33. Philip J Dennany | 10.06.08
My take on McCain: Democrats accept McCain as a war hero when in fact his former conrads report he was perhaps a coward that he willingly spilled US Military secrets that endangered US soldiers at the time while held by the Vietnamese. He was never tortured but instead was given special treatment and was instead used only as a barganing chip, because his father was known be high Brass in the US Navy. Instead of being treated as a hero McCain should have been prosecuted for his willingess to endanger his our troops elsewhere on the ground. His only contribution was bombing of North Vietnam, some of which was suggested to be areas where innocent civilians were known be be the only target, with no reason to think were areas of Vietnam defense facilities. He was a repeated burden on the US military due to his in-flight hotdogging that was he was known to be routine habit, his as well as repeated carless accidents while in flight, all forgiven only because of the high ranking position of his father. McCains hot-dogging accidents caused unnecesary loss of many of our own lives, was an unnecessary drain on the defense budget and had he not been an elite offspring, little doubt that he would have been dismissed from the Navy. He would be little different than the tyrant George Bush that is believed to have his hand in the treasonous terror scam of 9-11 and the lies and manipulation of intelligence that gave us the genocidal and criminal invasions into Afghanistan and Iraq. McCain would indeed involve the US in many escalations in world violance that is in fact caused by the US aggression and covert operations conducted by our CIA an aided by certain corporate interists. Still today McCain wants to continue the insane BOMB! BOMB! BOMB!
34. Marty | 10.06.08
this is funny.The dem’s have been throwing dirt at the Mccain campaign for awhile now and that was great got him ahead in the polls. Now that Palin is fighting back you guys say they are dishonest and playing dirty.All she is saying is Obama has bad jugdment on who he has hanged out with. and he did. Its not a lie he did have dealings with those two guys. its a fact. but it seems the dem’s can’t take the truth.Maybe they are so upset because in their hearts they know Obama messed up being tied to these two guys.WE will see Obama mess up and show his true colors in the weeks to come.He will say something he wished he didn’t say. He’s been this clam guy that can take anything but now that the pressure is on he will brake. and i think thats what the dem’s are scared of deep down inside.
35. sam | 10.06.08
After Obama was pummeled over the weekend for his alleged ties to a former radical Weatherman Bill Ayers, a top Obama aide accused McCain Monday of waging a “dishonest, despicable smear campaign.”
At the same time, the Obama camp got down and dirty, launching a Web documentary reminding voters that in the 1980s McCain was one of the “Keating 5,” a group of congressmen who were investigated for trying to fend off charges against a campaign contributor who was a major player in the savings and loan scandal.
McCain was later exonerated of wrongdoing, but criticized for “poor judgment.”
Obama having ties with these two men was not a lie. Its a fact and to say they were being dishonest about it is a lie.Its fact.Obama did have bad judgment. with the Keating 5 Mccain was caught up in it but at the end was exonerated of any wrongdoings bad judgment maybe i think it was more of a misfortune.But if you read the writing up top. Obama was already playing dirty. He already had a Web documentary about Mccain made to send out at the same time Mccain started talking about Obama’s ties. Obama is just as dirty as the people he has hung out with.
36. solsenz | 10.06.08
And this coming from someone that participated in a witchcraft ceremony? Thinks that Foreign Policy is about geography, and Russian migs are landing in Alaska which has been proven false by Norad? Please, this woman needs to go back to being a beauty queen!
37. JayMagoo | 10.06.08
The worse economic crisis since the Great Depression is barreling down on us because of the Republican’s unrelenting campaign of “deregulation.” So what does John McCain talk about? He wants more deregulation
Millions of Americans either have no health insurance or too little, because the Republicans wrote legislation to deregulate the health care and insurance industries; so what does John McCain talk about? He wants to further deregulate the insurance and health care industries, taking even more people away from affordable health care.
This election isn’t about some 68 year old professor who was a radical nutcase when he was in his twenties. It’s about us and how the Republicans want to continue their disasterous policies which are guaranteed to cause millions of Americans to suffer and the rich few at the top to prosper.
38. Dennis | 10.06.08
Tim if Obama is what he says he is informed he knew who this guy was. AS you all say Obama is smart. If he didn’t know who they were doesn’t that make him uninformed and maybe stupid.you can’t make up things to make Obama look innocent.He knew what he was doing.saying i didn’t know does not make for a good president. Will he say next time i didn’t know this guy from Afgan was a terrorist? stop making excuses for him. He was a adult and made the choice to have this guy help him.
39. Lucien BONNET | 10.06.08
RE:
McCain seeks to shift race’s focus
Tuesday’s debate is a chance to regain campaign momentum.
By Alexandra Marks | Staff writer / October 6, 2008 edition
———————————————————–
Montreal, CANADA, October 4, 2008
TO THE NEXT UNITED STATES OF AMERICA NEW PRESIDENT:
SIR:
“MAY I CALL YOU “O” ?”
Because of MAIN STREET!
Because of WALL STREET!
Because of the final electoral sprint - ending soon next coming november 2008 - while THE WHOLE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA has its eyes on YOU.
Everyone expects You to be democratically elected and see that something happen in America.
In March 1983, one of humanity’s most famous spokesmen, Pope John Paul II, came to our country - ‘Haîti’ - and loudly proclaimed what each and every one of us had been whispering:
‘Something must change here.’
Today, more than ever, a lot of people of The United States of America stand up, longing for something and working to make something happen.
“Go thou America ahead and show us thy true countenance in a positive light.’ It is up to everyone to play his or her part in order to let thee regain thy mark of excellence !”
With this letter, I am communicating with You, SIR, and with the whole people of The United States of America.
40. Michael Boss | 10.06.08
I’ve always had a great respect for John McCain, even though I plan to vote for Obama. I’ve lost some of that respect over Gov. Palin’s comments. They are, in a word, deplorable.
How would the McCain/Palin camp feel if Obama supporters broadcast an ad suggesting that McCain’laudable efforts to seek reconciliation with North Vietnam as “palling around with America’s enemies”? Trust me, if that were to happen, Barack Obama would lose my support in a heartbeat.
What angers me more than just a scurrulous attack ad, however, is the continued Republican tactic of stoking the culture war. Americans of conscience, regardless of party affiliation, need to reject this tactic. We are, as Barack Obama has repeatedly said, “one America”.
41. peter | 10.06.08
we don’t know what Obama knew about the professor’s history when he was offered a fundraiser in his house.he should have done his homework. is that going to be his excuse when he is president. i didn’t know
42. terry | 10.06.08
I don’t know how far a McCain commercial is being distributed, but in Minnesota, the spot talks about the Wall Street “money-bags” taking public dole and he (McCain) wants that to stop. As these words are spoken, an image of an African male appears on the screen, implying the Wall Street crooks are African. How despicable.
43. Richard | 10.06.08
When will people wake up? The GOP has spent the US taxpayers into a 10 trillon dollar hole. The leadership of the GOP is about ready to do the largest dine and ditch in the history of mankind. Over 90% of the federal deficit was on the GOP watch. GOP presidnets have signed over 9 tillon dollars in difict spending. How can they call themself the party of responcible spending. What a joke.
44. basementfrog | 10.06.08
The Straight Talk Express has turned into the Bull S**t Express.
Good grief, Obama was 9 years old when this man was in the Weatherman organization in the 1960s.
Moreover, every person trying to overthrow a rotten government is not a terrorist. As a matter in fact, Jefferson (the major man responsible for the content of our Constitution) told us we needed a revolution about every 10 years. We are overdue. Our own Declaration of Independence (mostly written by Jefferson) states that “when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government”. Such was the situation in the 1960s.
As for Ms. Palin: she sleeps with a man that has openly worked for the destruction of the Union. That is a far different situation than the Chicago professor. Mr. Palin was a member of the party working for the secession of Alaska from the Union. And she praised them only 6 months ago….
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwvPNXYrIyI
Secession party 6 months ago. 7 year membership, Mr. Palin and his wife was a supporter if not a member.
MRS. PALIN AND HER HUSBAND OPENLY WORK FOR THE DESTRUCTION OF THE UNITED STATES.
45. Ronald E Dick | 10.06.08
Palin has a lot of gall to criticize anyone’s religious affiliations. She believes in witches. She just might be the reincarnated mayor of Salem, Massachusetts. The way she is spewing venom is a good indicator.
46. ted | 10.06.08
If only Obama agreed with McCains precondition that they will have town hall style debates then this smear campaign by McCain would’nt have happen.
This just illustrates Sen. McCain’s high handed approach-you agree to what I say otherwise I’ll punish you.
McCain is a self righteous individual(maverick) who covers up his shortcomings by being obnoxious.He must have a guilty feeling when he let himself be used by the Vietcongs for propaganda during his captivity.He must have a guilty feeling when he accepted Keating’s campaign contributions and luxury vacations in exchange for favorable ruling on Keatings Lincoln Savings Bank during the late 80’s bank meltdown.Did not push for legilation to prevent that from happening again. Now it is happening again causing bank meltdowns.
Are we going to elect a McCain whose ambition is to be the commander in chief because he cannot be an admiral and the only way to achieve that is through the presidency?Never mind the economy we will achieve prosperity through war conquest philosophy.
47. Sandra Cohen | 10.06.08
The whole McCain Palin ticket stinks: from 5 naval aircraft lost by McCain, the fire aboard the USS Forrestal, with which he was involved, his selfish playboy infidelity and divorce, to marrying Cindy the very rich politically connected young woman from Arizona. His election to Congress, his involvement with the Keating Five, and his narcissistic choice of Sarah Palin, a woman with lots of skeletons.
Questionable parentage of Trig, ( is Palin Mother or Grandmother) to the current Pregnancy of her 17 year old daughter…is she now? or was she then? And the pathetic parading of her barely functional family on the public stage! Then there is the issue of Troopergate!
They are both obtuse, lying , opportunistic, out of touch, repetitions of Bush/Chaney.
Wake up Americans. Vote for your Pocket book. Vote for change.
48. Sandy | 10.06.08
This Ayres smear is all a red herring to distract us from the real issues. First of all, it happened forty years ago, and all charges were dropped against him before even going to trial. Secondly, in 1980 Ayres turned himself in and wrote letters of apology to the lawyer that was wounded expressing his remorse: this was still fifteen years before he ever met Obama. Thirdly, Ayres became a distinguished university professor writing books on youth education and on the social and psychological factors that lead young people to commit violent crime, obviously an attempt to address and understand his own troubled past. If Ayres was ever a criminal, he is certainly reformed now and has been for decades. Either way, it has nothing to do with Obama.
49. jefflz | 10.06.08
Our retirement plans are going down the drain and all McCain/Palin come up with are desperate smears and hate speech. People need to know, for example, what McCain is going to do to Medicare. That is more important for the country
From the Wall St. Journal Oct. 6, 2008
McCain would pay for his health plan with major reductions to Medicare and Medicaid, a top aide said, in a move that independent analysts estimate could result in cuts of $1.3 trillion over 10 years to the government programs. The Republican presidential nominee has said little about the proposed cuts, but they are needed to keep his health-care plan “budget neutral,” as he has promised. The McCain campaign hasn’t given a specific figure for the cuts, but didn’t dispute the analysts’ estimate.
50. erik | 10.06.08
Very sad what republicans rely on to get elected. Its says a lot about this country and who votes for them.
51. jefflz | 10.06.08
About the Keating Five scandal. It is relevant today because McCain was not exonerated. He gave evidence against his co-conspirators in exchange for charges being dropped. This is tells you a great deal about McCain’s lack of honor and the conduct of his dirty campaign.
52. Mike2 | 10.06.08
Michael Boss -
“What angers me more than just a scurrulous attack ad, however, is the continued Republican tactic of stoking the culture war. Americans of conscience, regardless of party affiliation, need to reject this tactic. We are, as Barack Obama has repeatedly said, “one America”.”
I couldn’t agree more. I use to respect McCain, circa 1999, because he believed culture wars were dividing America. Now he IS the general.
53. eldora | 10.06.08
If Guilt by association is the game:
Why not accuse McCain of sympathising with organized crime based on his long relationship with his father-in-law, the late Jim Hensley, a twice convicted felon who got his start in the beer business through shady dealings with organized crime figures.
Why not accuse McCain of plotting illegal partisan dirty tricks based on his ties to Gordon Liddy who was convicted in Water Gate scandal and who admitted plotting to murder Howard Hunt among others. Liddy calls McCain his friend. McCain appeared recently on his radio show and said he admired his (Liddy’s) principles. Liddy spent over four years in prison, but today has a radio show spewing poison the lunatic fringe of the far right.
Why not accuse Sarah McCain of wanting to succeed from the united states based on ties to the Alaskan Independence Party whose goal it is to succeed from the United States? Her husband was a member for two years, she attended their convention and less than a year ago lauded the group in TV address to their convention….certainly a closer relationship than Obama’s to Ayers.
So what if Obama had dinner with Ayers onced a week which he did not.. That doesn’t make Obama a terrorist or sympathetic to terrorist any more than John McCain’s association with his father-in-law makes him sympathetic to organized crime.
Ayers is today a respected educator and a professor at the Universirity of Chicago who is active in trying to improve public education.
Jim Hensley who got his start in the beer business through some shady dealing and did spend time in prison on a felony charge became a respected philanthropist.
Gordon Liddy has not changed his tune and is still a dangerouls nut case spewing poison.
The Alaskan Independence Party is still going strong.
55. Joe W | 10.06.08
What is most troubling about what McCain, said through his surrogate Palin, was that Obama was “palling around with terrorists”.
THAT IS AN EXTREMELY RACIST REMARK (and a lie).
The reason I say that: Ayers was never, ever called a “terrorist.”
He was called a RADICAL, an ANARCHIST and similar terms.
This is not a trivial point.
The extant definition of TERRORIST refers to Islamic-extremists or radical religious groups. This is not even a subtle attempt at racism.
56. alfr4ed | 10.06.08
I read all mails sended by Obama Husein : all are lie!
He has education from Wahabit school - most radical Islam school.
He is still Islamist, but hiden for political purpose.
Most his money for campain is from Islamic contrys - not from americans citizens.
He nice speak but only what is good for public, where he can receive some politycal points
The same way start Hitler : what hapy: we remember! No more!
Elect him as President means: desintegrated USA from inside!
All this you can find on internet when you look not only one way!
-from Obama side!
57. Eric Balcom | 10.06.08
folks,
I strongly recommend that you see “Religilous” movie. It is great insight into how the religion effects our lives.
A must see
58. kaye | 10.06.08
people are so uninformed. everyone thinks the republican party is the problem for the economy… NOT. the economy was strong until the dems took power in the house and senate three and a half years ago. now look where we are. as far as guilt by association - you bet. if you are in politics, every person you meet up and continue association with, you know who they are and what they can do get you where you want to go. obama’s connections to organized crime and freddie mac/fannie mae execs who are no longer “in power” shows the type of people he is associated with and his lack of morals. speaking of morals - live birth abortion is murder - obama lobbied FOR it. he doesn’t want to kill terrorists but will kill babies. experience - obama was a senator for 143 days roughly - not enough experience to rule the free world. mccain is only a senator as well but has far more years in. palin has more governing experience than either of them put together. women democrats should be ashamed of themselves. women need to work together instead of running each other down. how do you think this country ended up in such a mess? by men running it!!!!!
59. Mike | 10.06.08
Look at both sides objectively, then vote for who you think would make the best president.
Don’t waste your time calling people names and being outraged and angry all the time.
Clean the anger and greed and ignorance from your own mind, if you want to be happy.
60. Loraine | 10.06.08
Former Senator Phil Gramm, McCain’s “economics guru” (who recently said Americans are a bunch of whiners, is the Senator who slipped in the “degregulation” legislation shortly before the Enron debacle. This same Phil Gramm will likely be McCain’s Secretary of the Treasure if he is elected. Can we afford that even remote possibility??
61. jrt | 10.07.08
What is the mater with SaraA Palin?People are loosing their life savings,their homes,and their kids’education money and she is talking about this professor who worked with OBAMA to improve school education years ago.Who cares who met who when,just tell us how we will get out of this mess.If she or MCcain her do not have any answers,please SHUT UP. JRT
62. dittmer | 10.07.08
“School Education”? “de-regulation” with reading some of the coments here, It appears that the Obama/Daly machine has infiltrated all blogs. The finance problem has been brewing for years under COMPLETE and direct Democratic control and only surfaced 4 weeks before the election. What a co-incidence. right ! Pelosi and Frank should be in jail for treason.
The POINT of Obama’s associations is that is where he refined his philosphy of what he wants to make this Country to be, and he has continued those relationships to this very day!
as the saying goes, You do not depart from what you learned as a child, and this child was indoctrinated in a Mosque in Indonesia for his entire childhood, we are in for the greatest assault on our freedoms since 1776.
I am still waiting to see his birth certificate and his immigration papers required by US law, after he renounced his US citizenship as required by law in Indoneshia to attend their schools.
We are talking about an illegial alien who is a terroist sleeper cell financed by the Saudi’s, pretending to be a Christian. If he was selling used cars everyone would run.
WAKE UP AMERICA THIS IS A SOCIALIST ISLAMIC TAKE OVER!
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1. mcgreen | 10.06.08
I guess the dead give away is the picture of Ayers is black and white because color photos weren’t common back when Obama was eight years old.
It’s so lame. I’m not sure why the McCain doesn’t actually talk about the issues and offers proposals, solutions to the problems the nation faces. I’m afraid it’s because they are a one trick pony, the solution is always less regulation and more corporate tax breaks.