I know the hour is late, but… John McCain, if you’re listening, here’s what I think you should do in tonight’s debate:
- First, announce that you’ve fired your campaign management, and that you’re dumping Palin and replacing her with Romney. Come clean and say she was a bad choice, bad for you and even worse for America. Condemn the scare tactics, say you’re sorry for the bad blood.
- Then take the gloves off. Explain to those 60 million Americans, in as simple terms as you can, that even in dire times, presidential campaigns are about character, and that you wonder, for example, how 20 years of attending Jeremiah Wright’s church might have shaped Barack Obama. Let your opponent answer, listen attentively, then let the matter rest.
As you know, I kind of support the other guy, so I don’t really want you to take my advice. But if you’re looking for a truly mavericky thing to do, well — I challenge you to come up with a bolder plan.
Uh, ho could do something really wacky and explain how the hell he’s going to pay for all the wars he wants to get us into, or how Palin is the best candidate he could come up with as a running mate.
Nawwww… that’s crazy talk.
I’m more interested in how any US citizen could possibily entertain voting for a guy who can’t understand the basic fact that, raising the capital gains tax would be only prove to be counterproductive for the US government’s take of revenue.
Obama is a socialist through and through, and while socialists here in Europe might find his tax tax tax schemes inviting, they would be a nightmare for the average American taxpayer….as the revenue shrinks and the call for more taxes to be skimmied from the people increases.
Another reason why Obama’s brainstorms should be given the stiff arm and he be denied the top seat, is his insistance to “sit down without any preconditions with Iranian leaders.”
Good grief.
You should consider yourself lucky — at least you can vote.
The rest of us poor bastards on this planet can only pray you guys are not stupid enough to elect a 72-year-old cancer survivor, whose death in office would leave us with a dimwit zealot fiddling with the red button.
Jari,
Hyperbole doesn’t suit you well, you are more than able to defend your position about McCain and Palin, without resorting to the US Democrat handbook of vitriolic rehtorical ad hominin attacks.
A person doesn’t rise to the level of Governer of a US state being a dimwit. I understand the angst involved in such statements for those who view the last 8 years as a disaster for US foreign policy, but attacks against someone’s intellegence is pretty silly.
Personally, I am more worried about the political views of the Dems main guy, B.Obama than with the very hypothetical scenario you present.
While an Obama victory would bring a major sigh of relief (as wella as a finger in the eye of republican leadership) in Europe, it would most certainly bring Europe that much closer to the reality of being in reach of a nuclear armed Iran.
That is the more scary of scenarios.
Come on.
KGS
In light humour http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bq-eeWow_WU
Okay, Kenneth. Let’s hear what a conservative American has to say about Palin:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122419210832542317.html
KGS,
I’m admit I’m on the left side of the political scale so my opinion my not carry much weight but clearly, while Palin has very good political instincts, she has demonstrated no evidence that she possesses any intellectual curiosity or aptitude.
I don’t agree with McCain on many issues but I’m confident that he can think them through and has demonstrated an ability to do so on several occasions.
I have no confidence in Palin to do the same and so think Jari may be closer to the truth in classifying her as a dimwit.
I think he may be wrong, however, in declaring her a ‘zealot’. I suspect her theology is much like her political philosophy: opportunistic, unsophisticated and not the subject of much introspection.
Ok Jari, here is one back at you. ;.)
Peggy Noonan’s only claim to fame was her being Ronald Reagan’s speechwriter, which she was great at. Of course, she had plenty of great ideas to work with, but when left to her own ideas, she’s got absolutely nothing to bring to the plate. She can still place words together nicely, but they are meaningless bullshit because they are spawned from within the bubble.
Noonan is a member within that clique called the “Washington Establishment”, the very same clique that Gov. Palin attacked in her debate with Biden. It’s understandable that she hates Palin, because she is not from Noonan’s crowd, and never will be, and for that very same reason Noonan hates the current president.
Hi iago68,
Just because you are on the Left doesn’t mean you don’t have valid criticisms of Palin. However, I think one of the key errors anyone can make (myselff included) in judging/criticizing a politician or political opponent, is to question or underestimate the other’s intellegence.
Again, the woman is no dimwit. One thing that hasn’t helped is the knee jerk reaction of the McCain crowd in micro-managing her.
On the other hand, when looking at the Democrats, there is a noticeable lack of control on “Talkin Joe Biden”, who is soo gaffe prone it’s farcical. If the media were not already in the pocket of the Left, we would be seeing non-stop reports on the imbecle called Joe Biden. But we do know all about W’s lack of brain power don’t we?
This all beings me back to another touchy area that Jari would/might be defencive of, that being, media bias. One can’t help to notice the obvious thrust and attention to Palin, while Obama’s relationship to B.Ayers and Acorn gets a rather short shrift.
Perhpas that’s a subject for a later date. :-)
Kenneth, here’s a snippet from a Fox News transcript of Palin’s interview with her traveling press on the campaign plane yesterday:
—
QUESTION: Last night at the fund raiser you made a comment about the area being a pro-America area of the country. I was wondering if you could explain that a little bit more, what you meant by pro-America?
PALIN: Every area, every area across this great country where we’re stopping and where also the other ticket is stopping and getting to speak at these rallies and speak with the good Americans, it’s all pro-America. I was just reinforcing the fact that there, where I was, there’s good patriotic people there in these rallies, so excited about positive change and reform of government that’s coming that they are so appreciative of hearing our message, hearing our plan. Not, not any one area of America is more pro-America patriotically than others.
—
Does this sound like a coherent person to you?
Jari,
We both can point to politicians speaking off the cuff with the media, that may, or may not have been their best formed, and informed response. Your example proves absolutely nothing.
I can use the following to counter the portion you snipped from the Fox interview….come on.
QUESTION: But you said that, you know, “Obama doesn’t see America the way you and I see America.” Do you think Obama loves America as much as you do?
PALIN: I know Obama loves America. I’m sure that is why he’s running for president. It’s because he wants to do what he believes is in the best interest of this great nation. I believe that our ticket can do a better job for America as we reduce taxes and reign in government and allow our private sector and our families to prosper, to grow, and to keep more of what they earn and produce so that they can reinvest according to our own priorities. I think that that is best to get the economy back on track. It’s a better agenda for America. But I don’t question at all Barack Obama’s love for this great country.
I think up until now, the Republicans have been very sportsmanlike with the Obama-Biden ticket (read= too nice). The Repubs have most likely done “too little too late” -due to McCain’s true sense of decency- concerning Obama’s background. HE (Obama) represents a more disturbing figure than Palin could ever be in five life times.
His being locked within the Chi-town political apparatus (a true insider) as well as his being funded by the Soros machine, as well as his CLOSE ties to B.Ayers and others who manifest a deep distrust and outward hate for all that America stands for,…is MORE NEWS WORTHY then a statement or two from a career politician/governer from the state of Alaska.
If you would show just a tidgen of interest in Obama’s background, as well as in the movement that drives his campaign that uses children in almost Fascist/Communist cult of person fashion, where THE ONE is almost the focus of worship…then I would believe that you are serious about level headed criticism, not partisan (anything but another Bush era) politics.
Just today in the Keskisuomalainen, Mika Horelli writes in the Ulkomaat that Finns in the US are voting for Obama because he’s so honest, which speaks more about the MSM’s loathing to touch on any of the hot button issues concerning the background of this “highly groomed for the moment” candidate.
If a republican presidential candidate was known to have maintained a close relationship with an unrepentant neo-nazi, having given his secular work rave reviews, as well as launching his political career in the living room of the same individual…….you can bet your back teeth the Left leaning media would have relentlessly pecked the concervative candidate until he withdrew his candidacy. That’s a fact.
But with Obama…we see people such as yorself more interested in a woman’s (supposed) missteps with a couple of interviews and the image of her conjured up by a very hostile media.
That says more about the media (to which you belong) than about Sarah Palin. Good grief, look at the whole picuture, start asking the hard questions, not just about the Republicans which is justified, but also about the Democrats, and “THE ONE”…Neo/Obama.
I still have yet to understand why such an intelligent man would be so staunch in his support for a raise in the “capital gains tax” when it’s a fact that such an increase would reduce the government’s revenue. The answer of course is that the man is a died in the wool socialist, and it’s in his nature to do so, regardless of how self defeating it would be. It’s that sense of “fairness” and the need to “spread the wealth around” that he just can’t help feeling a fondness for.
In light of all that….the McCain/Palin ticket is the only sensible choice right now. KGS
Off the cuff? Okay, let’s hear what Palin actually said in her original remarks in North Carolina:
“We believe that the best of America is in these small towns that we get to visit, and in these wonderful little pockets of what I call the real America, being here with all of you hard working very patriotic, um, very, um, pro-America areas of this great nation.”
That sound any more coherent to you?
I do agree with you on something, however. The U.S. media clearly has a pro-Obama tilt. I mean, you’d be hard pressed to find a major newspaper, liberal *or* conservative, that hasn’t endorsed him…
I fail to see why you are so fixated on her speaking style…am I then forced to dig up reams of clips of Obama doing the same? Obama: uh..eh..no..uh..eh I mean..eh..uh..em well , ok folks let me collect my thoughts here…..eh..oh..em etc.etc..
Come on, I’m not going to question his intelligence based on that.
Again…you ignore all that I wrote about Obama’s background, his lying, dissembling and obfuscating. It’s also very likely that his book was the work of William Ayers, which means are more serious relationship than what he’s actually led the public to believe.
Chew that one over, then get back to me about how troublesome Palin as a VP might be.
Kenneth, do you realise that one can be pro-McCain and still think Palin was a poor choice? With Romney or Crist or Jindal on the ticket, choosing between the candidates would be much more difficult even for me. The fact that one supports McCain, which I think is an easily defendable position, doesn’t mean one has to resort to rote bullshit and defend Palin to death.
Jari,
I of course reject your notion that I am resorting to “rote bullshit”. Am I really defending Palin to death, solely because I haven’t been convinced by your examples and argumentation?
Again, I am more concerned with the past and present conduct of a very socialist candidate (Obama) -that you seem very willing to overlook….and not address- than I am with the governor of Alaska.
Why would Obama’s lies, obfuscations and socialist agenda make his candidacy …attractive at all?
As I’m not a native English-speaker, I will let Gen. Colin Powell answer that:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032608/
Jari,
Since you blog exclusively in English, I find your statement to be less than believeable. To be frank, you have been less than forthcoming in your responses.
As for psuedo Republican, Colin “I’m against kicking Saddam out of Kuwait” Powell, I am as least surprised as is John McCain:
“It doesn’t come as a surprise,” McCain said. “I’m very pleased to have the endorsement of four former secretaries of state, well over 200 retired generals and admirals. I’ve admired and continue to respect Secretary Powell.”
You have still to answer…why Obama is such a great candidate, though he’s the product of the corrupt Chicago political machine, favors absurd tax increases, helped to levy lawsuits against banks that refused to underwrite Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac’s bad housing loans, and is up to his ears in funding the highly corrupt ACORN organization that is currently being investigated byt the FBI for fraud?
Please, Jari, you have opinions on Palin’s failings, what about O, the man you said you would vote for if you had the chance. Your words, not mine.
KGS
Look, Kenneth. I’ve said before there are some things I do not dignify with an answer. And I have warned you before that I will not tolerate the spreading of slander or untruths in my blog. Yet, here you go again with your standard cut-and-paste McCain attack ad paranoia. Now, you’ve had your say. Let’s leave it at that and call it a day.
KGS,
Just catching up one your conversation with Jari I have to admist I’m amazed that you ask some of the same questions I have asked my father about his support for McCain. He refuses to answer questions about McCain’s questionable past (not to mention Palin’s) regarding compromising his integrity, questionable relationships (and yes, both McCain and Palin have had extensive contacts with right wing extremists which have been ignored by the MSM) but has no problem focusing on urban legends about Obama.
Obama certainly is left of center. It is a huge overstatement to claim that he is a ‘dyed in the wool’ socialist, just like it would be a gross understatement to say that McCain is a die-hard ideological conservative.
Regarding tax policy in general I can say that yes, Keynesian economics says that during a recession taxes should be lowered and government spending increased so that the economy can be stimulated. Unfortunately, that’s supposed to be balanced by restricting spending and raising taxes during times of plenty. The current Republican fever which states that there is no problem with reduced tax revenue and increased federal spending is clearly delusional. If Democrats were/are ‘tax and spenders’ the Republicans have become ‘spend and spenders’. There has been no indication McCain would change that (notwithstanding his incredibly weak promise to freeze federal spending – except military spending and entitlements which is the lion’s share of the budget).
While I understand you may think that Fannie/Freddie were the spark which lit the fire of our current economic problems or that ACORN is threatening the fabric of our democracy, speaking for myself I can say that I’ve looked at the claims of Obama’s involvement and been incredibly underwhelmed. While I am biased to discount information which may be detrimental to ‘my’ candidate, there just ain’t much there.
Likewise, while I am more attuned to negative information to McCain/Palin I try to put that into perspective (which is why I think those associations with right wing extremists is as irrelevant as the Ayers association).
We have to be honest here. Palin is simply unsuitable as either Vice-President or President. As I’ve said earlier she has never exhibited intellectual curiosity or any indication she would exert herself to learn about any national or international issues to any appreciable degree.
Ultimately, John McCain is on the top of the ticket however. In my opinion, he would have been a formidable candidate in 2000. I suspect that McCain would be classified as a ‘pseudo-Republican’ though and the McCain of today has had to compromise his integrity to such a degree that it’s no longer clear what he believes in and if he would stand up for any principles.
I agree with Jari here (surprise). I think you can make some good arguments for voting for McCain, but clearly urban legends, innuendo and outright lies are not among them.
Jari says: “Now, you’ve had your say. Let’s leave it at that and call it a day.”
Sorry I can’t respond to any more comments, you two can make best use of the situation and fire away. Let the salvos drop like thunder.