Undecided Voters Laughed At (Not With) McCain

Time:

In politics it is generally not considered a good sign when voters are laughing at you, not with you. And by the end of the third and last presidential debate, the undecided voters who had gathered in Denver for Democratic pollster Stan Greenberg's focus group were "audibly snickering" at John McCain's grimaces, eye-bulging, and repeated references to "Joe the Plumber."

The group of 50 uncommitted voters should have at least been receptive to McCain--Republicans and Independents outnumbered Democrats in the group by almost 4 to 1, and they started the evening with much warmer responses to McCain than to his Democratic opponent, Barack Obama. But by the time it was all over, so few of them had declared their support for McCain that there weren't enough for Greenberg to separate them into a post-debate focus group. Meanwhile, the Obama supporters had to assemble in two different rooms to keep their discussion groups manageable.

Read the whole story: Time

Comments

[plaidlemur]

Good sign, but everybody--and I mean everybody-- must vote to cinch this thing.

[missnina]

Please, my friends, do not believe we can rest.

We have seen the last 2 stolen elections cause so much harm to this great country. This year WE MUST have a landslide. No one can sit this one out just because Obama has been ahead in the polls. Thats not enough. The last 2 elections were close, this one needs to send the message: WE WANT CHANGE AND WE WANT IT NOW! Let us show the entire world it means to be live in a free nation, let us show them what liberty looks like.

Democrats, SHOW YOUR SUPPORT. Everyone please wear blue when you go vote for Obama, let there be visual proof of what we demand.

Republicans wear red if you wish. Hold your heads up high. Let us see who can without shame.

[darlene91406]

Ummmm...was that last post a 'fake' post? It had so many misspelled words in it that it just couldn't have been real (independent, pathetic, truly).

Now I see who is voting for McCain.

That blogger might want to look at McCain's Education Policy again, I think he might want to make sure it covers him in case he decides to go back and get his high school diploma!

[Mordev]

wow you week-willed Obama fanatics are the thing that us indipendants are laughing at, I was going to vote indipendant, but after seeing your pethetic attempts to belittle Mccain, maybe I will vote for him just to piss you off. You people truely are sad.........

[liseworks]

it's spelled "weak" - might be a good idea to study some 2nd Grade spelling today instead of being here .....?

[Knowitall]

Come on everybody. Spelling like that could mean that Mordev hasn't yet made it out of 2nd Grade and therefore may not be old enough to vote. In which case we have nothing to worry about. Of course, if he/she is old enough to vote, he/she has more to worry about than we do, since any one of our votes will cancel him/her out.

[liseworks]

it's spelled "pathetic"
it's spelled "truly"
it's spelled "independents"

[dct1999]

Maybe if you could actually spell independent we would believe you.

[SMCX2]

You beat me to it...

[angiemomma]

You would cut off your nose to spite your face? Now THAT'S sad.

[breakingnews]

"week willed"? Which week? Next week? The week after that? Such a weak argument. Truely :)

[yeshe]

Now this is funny !

Joe the Plumber:

Turns out that Joe Wurzelbacher from the Toledo event is a close relative of Robert Wurzelbacher of Milford, Ohio. Who’s Robert Wurzelbacher? Only Charles Keating’s son-in-law and the former senior vice president of American Continental, the parent company of the infamous Lincoln Savings and Loan. The now retired elder Wurzelbacher is also a major contributor to Republican causes giving well over $10,000 in the last few years.
What a "coincidence"!

http://www.eisenstadtgroup.com/2008/10/15/joe-the-plumber-wurzelbacher-related-to-charles-keating-oops/

[research]

Lies, deceit, trickery and distraction:

It's what Republicans do.

[angiemomma]

They are known for that, aren't they? Americans are catching on...their days are numbered.

[liseworks]

He was a plant - no doubt about it -

[Knowitall]

That was kind of obvious. Just like Sarah Palin asking Joe Biden if she could call him Joe, so she could throw out that stupid line toward the end of the debate "Say it ain't so Joe." Everybody knew it was a set piece. Just like the "I am not President Bush" and "You should have run in 2004". That stuff is not going to work anymore. What the Republicans needed were electable candidates, especially in the VP slot. This would have been a different race if McCain had chosen somebody like Romney. (Thank goodness he wasn't smart enough to do that!!)

[margardner]

Please forward this to the MSM's CNN, FOX, MSNBC, they also need to stand corrected about this "joe the plumber" guy.

[promisedlyric]

Wow... I don't know why that's even shocking what won't they do to get??? Oh get someone qualified...

[BluePride]

Everybody RUN...

HomeComing Queen Palin's got a GUN!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59mOukUZNUo

Obama's got VISION: Yes, We Can Can:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVwpMB8QAUU

McCain's View:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKVBq4VbC6w

[Alexandro]

i guess it shows when you only finish 895 out of 899......maybe that happened for a reason!?
I know John, i know! It's never your fault, always "circumstances" or other people, but maybe, just maybe, it is your fault and yours alone! Ever thought about that?
And then, you might not even be able to see the light at the end of the tunnel - i can imagine that this is kind of a stretch if you only finished 894 out of 899!

[liseworks]

This part of cognitive recognition & responsibility is usually learned at age 17 - McCain's emotional development isn't quite there yet -

like a young teen, he still prefers to ogle Palin rather than learn anything ....
he'll get back to ya on that, though, .....you betcha -

[doctordoubt]

I'm thinking that sh ot of Mcwhoever going for Obamas a$$ is a shopped image of him behind Palin.

[ajax2]

John McCain has just introduced a relative of Charles Keating (Joe the Plumber, which he's neither) to defend his tax policies. This is an insane act, nothing to laugh at.

[wazzucoug]

Once again, McCain is McCain's biggest enemy! He does not possess the temperment or judgement to be a senator, let alone president of the United States of America.

[girlylexus]

I totally agree with you

[promisedlyric]

you betcha!

[nian]

Does nobody else think it odd that the post debate wrap up people in the media didn't focus more on the fact that in one statement, McCain defended people yelling hate speech at his rallies, and said that the people at republican rallies are better and more patriotic than people that attend the democratic candidates rallies.

Nobody seemed to mention this. I'm sure that Maddow and Olbermann will, but they're preaching to the choir.

[BrianGlanz]

There has been a concerted effort to keep race below the surface of this election, by the media and by Democrats. For one example, neither Senator nor Mrs. Obama used the word "race" in their convention speeches, despite even the anniversary of MLK's most famous speech.

Obama did not shy away from addressing race when and how the nation needed it, during questions about Rev. Wright, but Obama has not taken one step toward using his race for political gain. This is the story of Obama's life. When he applied to Harvard Law School, when his race would have been a significant advantage, Barack Obama did not tell them his race.

Barack and Michelle Obama are sewing loose ends of history -- African, African American, and American -- with the great fibers of their being. There was a time when we needed to be told that we should judge each other not by the color of our skin but by the content of our character. MLK stood tall and told and taught us, and if it took a generation, we heard him and learned.

Now is not that time; now is the time America needs someone to show us. Obama stands tall in our time. Do not demand that echoes of history be shouted anew, let them echo. It was said, now let it be done.

[liseworks]

Very good historical assessment !!
NOW IS THE TIME !!

[liseworks]

I agree - & I wish someone would make the point, that this is also very telling of the types of people in the audience - consider this :
1) the people who spoke at the microphone were ONLY the people with a microphone - there must have been many more just like them who DIDN'T get a chance at the mike -
2) if I had been at an Obama rally & anything to do with violence against McCain was yelled out, not only would Obama have seriously denounced it, but the majority of the crowd would have booed them like helll.
HUGE difference between these 2 parties & their constituents : HUGE !

[mjtaylor22]

WE NEED THE SMART GUY, AND A STEADY HAND PEOPLE. OBAMA WILL HTINK THRU SITUATIONS BEFORE THROWING CAUTION TO THE WIND

[liseworks]

Clearly - I used to complain that this election was taking soooo long, but :
TIME IS ON OUR SIDE like the song goes ....
In time, we've see the stark difference in the emotional / temperamental stature of the 2 candidates -

We need the smart, mature guy : Obama. (ironically, the younger, less experienced one) ~

[uvymopkq]

The Obama camp has dropped to a new low. The Associated Press about an hour ago: "Two Missourians say they were surprised to receive credit card statements indicating they had donated to Barack Obama's presidential campaign. Sandy Pogones of Camdenton and Steve Larman of North Kansas City each found a $2,300 charge on their credit card--" They both contacted the credit card companies which dropped the charges. Sandy Pogones said she's contacted the Missouri attorney general's office and the FBI. Steve Larman of North Kansas City says he just wants to know if another organization is funneling money to Obama or if somebody's using Obama's name to steal from people.

[nian]

Yet another fake outrage fraud claim, led by Limbaugh. wow, two people got a messed up charge on their cards. This happens with thousands of times a day with businesses and organizations of all types. really, talk about a new low... Limbaugh reaches a new one every single day.

[liseworks]

If this is even true, it's so easy for Limbaugh or the like, to have done this expressly as a tactic to smear the Obama campaign ....& to have gullible fools believe it - so it could just as easily da.mage the Repubs. if this is, indeed, a true story.

[promisedlyric]

I can't believe people are still so hateful, ignorant and obsessed with the color of someones skin instead of what's in front of them... Obama doesn't need to steal, you should try reading and watching.. integrity can't be purchased... you should stop while your behind!!!

[KevinFitzz]

It was a good thing that my wife was out of town on business because I LAUGHED OUT LOUD at times during the debate. That silly, little elfish man tried and he tried but he just couldn't make it.

[stellamystella]

It would be funny, if we were not listening to someone who could hold the highest office in our country. Given that I find it both terrifying and tragic.

[Butai]

These so called undecided voters might have laughed at McCain but believe me if they are leaning to the GOP they will STILL vote for him because Obama is BLACK! You'll see on election day. If Obama wins it will be real real close. Anyone who thinks it is a done deal is nuts.

[Brillig]

We really dont care if he wins by only 1 vote in each state - just so he wins

[doctordoubt]

Yeah, that's true, but think how humiliating a landslide would be for the rethugs.

[Shieldmaiden]

We're nowhere near done. Polls do not get you elected, votes do. So we've got to show up to the polls in massive numbers and show them what a landslide looks like.

[promisedlyric]

Sad but true, it's obvious this isn't about intelligence, integrity or change.. it's clearly about realizing where we live and how much hasn't changed.. WHITE People have stolen, raped, lied, forged and fraud's almost everything they touch, and yet the fear a BLACK man the same man the stole to build this country, that has more class, more heart and more insight than a man that probably still burns crosses on peoples lawns wearing sheets... whats funny is why give some much energy to people you hate, people you feel are beneath you, why resort to tricks, name calling and game playing if you are clearly the better opponent.... all I can do is my part and hope more than less of America is thinking beyond the way they may have been raised...