Defeating John McCain and the Continuation of the Bush Nightmare
For Democrats in this country, the choice has been difficult. Now, it is almost excruciating. The freshness and vitality of Barack Obama versus the experience and doggedness of Hillary Clinton. In the wake of the endless nightmare of the Bush years, Democrats seem to want someone truly exceptional. They seem to want a candidate who will actually have a chance at cleaning up some of the mind-blowing mess that George Bush has created in eight years. Unlike the Republicans, who elected Bush twice and who organized a recall of California Governor Gray Davis and replaced him with body-builder/action star Arnold Schwarzenegger, who went on to lead California into an even bigger fiscal mess than the Davis years saw, Democrats want substance as much as electability. Gore seemed a likely choice, but Gore would have none of it.
Edwards was right on many important issues, but seemed green in the post-9/11 world. He isn't, actually, but appearances trumped his ideas and rhetoric. Now we have two people remaining on the eve of Super Tuesday and the most significant question is "Which one can beat McCain?" Hillary Clinton has done everything right. She stood by her husband and endured the ridicule of Republican bullies like Newt Gingrich during what must have been the worst time of her life. She rewrote her own epitaph by crawling out from under the rubble of her marital troubles and became a Senator in a state where the egos in the political arena are as oversized as New York's skyline. She studied hard, as she always has, and she won. Twice. She became a role model for all other women in politics. She is smart. She is tough. And most people agree that she will probably run a better White House than any other candidate that has taken the field.
But Hillary Clinton is wrong on the war in Iraq and that should matter a lot in this race. Critics of Hillary Clinton who are leaders in the Democratic Party that I have spoken to privately believe that she is too much like McCain to offer voters a meaningful choice. "Voters will choose a real Republican over a fake Republican every time," one politico said to me, slashing at Clinton for her tilt toward the right on the war.
"The Clintons don't know when to get off the stage," another offered, suggesting that eight years of Bush and the war on terror seem to have pushed the Bill Clinton years, where Hillary will remain inexorably framed in the minds of many, into a bygone political era.
Barack Obama represents hope to many and some in Clinton's camp have underestimated how much Americans are hungering for that hope in 2008. Obama is clearly not McCain. He is young. He is against the war and he is inexperienced. Republicans, to their shame, will trumpet McCain's experience over Obama's, running as fast as they can from the fact that Gore was the smarter, tougher and more experienced candidate in 2000. Republicans don't care about anything but winning. That's why they put forth candidates like Reagan, Arnold and Bush. By the time they reach the end of their first term, it's assumed they have all the experience they need. Like their nephew at the bank.
Which candidate will have the best chance against McCain? The experienced one or the exciting one? The one who is smart and tough and whose stances on some issues are oh-so-similar to those of the presumed GOP opponent? Or the less experienced, less tested one who has many Americans believing that someone more like them may make a return to the White House? During the Democratic debates, I wanted someone to ask one question. "Do you believe that any of the people sitting in this audience have as much hope of becoming president as you do?" I think that should matter, because the presidency of this country has become the exclusive preserve of legal elites and political or corporate barons. And our country is suffering as the result of it.
Vote on Tuesday. And let's begin the job of defeating John McCain, and his continuation of the Bush nightmare, right now.
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Certainly, McCain endorses gargantuan "defense" spending while advocating more arrogance and swagger by the US in the Middle East, without even the faintest hint of comprehending the gut reaction by so many hundreds of millions of people to such utter, frightening stupidity.
Ensuring the defeat of McCain is an object all those opposing the "militarist" point of view need to work toward.
Whodda thunk littl Georgie would be the Great Uniter???
We the People come together now in our mutual disgust of the most criminal administration in American history.
Yes, We Can
We Must
We Will
Q. After McCain dumped his training plane into the ocean and later flew into power lines, why did the Navy let him keep flying?
A. Our military is run by nitwits. I know. I am a
Vietnam veteran (and not proud of it).
I applaud your well thought out post with one exception. The Democratic choice this time is excruciating only in the sense that both Obama and Hillary are exceptional candidates. The edge however I believe has to go to Obama for a couple reasons. First, the illogical hatred of all that is Clinton by the right wing voters who would sooner have their ditto heads ripped off their shoulders than to allow another Clinton in the White House. And secondly the fact that I believe that Obama would be a more formidable opponent against McCain. I have been on the fence for weeks now but I will be casting my vote for Barack today. The stakes are just too high to chance it.
Alec, I can't even believe that the Repubs dare to even run a candidate for 2008. If the people have a good memory, the Repubs won't win another election for a hundred years. McCain is a big fan of George Bush and his policies. Hard to believe. Do they think we haven't been paying attention?
I am just glad to see the effect that the McCain success is having on the right wing media. Things are going downhill for the blow hards - and if McCain takes the ticket - win or lose - he will have shaken the tree of the conservative talking heads.
http://thefiresidepost.com/2008/01/31/ohg-rea-tone-on-demise-of-rush-limbaugh/
We are in a state of flux. This country is experiencing a revolution. We are about to show the world the power of the vote in a free Republic.
Ohg
http://thefiresidepost.com/2008/02/05/this-american-revolution-2008/
The plurality of Americans look at the election in terms of what's best for the country. We're so so tired of the perspective offered here: of who should be beaten, us vs them. Obama's positive oratory is going over so well precisely because so many of us are tired of the narrow-minded partisanship exemplified by this article. People don't care what's good for the Democrats or Republicans, people want what's best for the country.
Stuart's "Random Thoughts" blog
What a great article. A vote for Obama says to the crowd Yes You Can. And what fun to have the gorgeous Michelle, the little girls and the brother in law who is a basketball coach, opening up the shutters, letting in hope and confidence and shooing out all that darkness and paranoia. What an inaugural ball! What great food and music. What a great day when we can rejoin the world as a friend.
C'mon Alec, we're all Democrats here. You don't have to sell us on a Democrat for '08. You asked the question, "who's more electable" and then didn't answer it. You know it's Obama. Why don't you just say so? That's all that matters! Who's more ELECTABLE. Clinton will energize the entire GOP base. Obama will will energize the entire Democratic base, plus the independents, and even (if you believe the polls anymore) some Republicans who want change more than they want another Republican. You have a DUTY to say what you feel. Don't hide behind, "I haven't made up my mind" The primary is TODAY! SURELY you've decided by now. Why not share your decision with us?
Alec, Totally agree. It is Obama Time. Just one criticism: After the word, "corporate" and before "Baron"? You omitted the word,"Robber". It may not be the 19th century, but the term fits those scumbags who are running our country.
Warmonger McCain Biblically, Constitutionally Unqualified To Be President
Contact: John Lofton, 410-760-8885, 301-873-4612, aol.coml.com
MEDIA ADVISORY, Feb. 4 /Christian Newswire/ -- Recovering Republican John Lofton, Editor of TheAmericanView.com and co-host of "The American View" radio show with the Constitution Party's 2004 Presidential candidate Michael Anthony Peroutka, has issued the following statement. Mr. Lofton is a former Republican Party official who worked at the Republican National Committee (1970-73) where his bosses were Sen. Bob Dole and George H.W. Bush. He was the national GOP's chief party propagandist serving as Editor of "Monday," the RNC's weekly publication:
Proverbs 26:17: "He that passeth by, and meddleth with strife belonging not to him, is like one that taketh a dog by the ears."
Proverbs 16:7: "When a man's ways please the LORD, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him."
John McCain's statement https://www.democrats.org/page/contribute/100years that it is "fine" with him if we are in Iraq for 100 years reveals him to be a warmonger who, in no way, understands how God's Word and our Constitution limit the God-ordained civil government office of President of the United States. Thus, Mr. McCain is thoroughly unqualified to be President.
McCain's philosophy of government also demonstrates he's unfit to be President. He has said: "We believe government should do only those things we cannot do individually, to tax us no more than necessary, and spend no more than necessary, and then get out of the way...." But, this is ambiguously dangerous nonsense showing that McCain does not understand the oath he would take if elected. When elected, he would make a solemn promise to God that he would "preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States" – a Constitution that strictly limits what Congress can do re: taxes and spending (Article I, Section 8). The Constitution does NOT say the Federal Government can tax and spend as is "necessary
Listen to this:"The AmericanView" Radio program 141
http://www.iotconline.com/aview/aview%2020080201.mp3
Alec:
McCain will win & for another 4 years u will not be invited to the White House. Sorry.
Alec,
You are right on the money! The contrasts between a beat up, overweight, balding, short, and very old McCain with a puffy cheek from melanoma and big scar on his face, who's also got a bad temper and is senile and can't lift his arms high enough to comb his own hair, versus a young, attractive, thin and obviously in good shape Barack Obama will be huge in the media especially one so obsessed with celebrities and how they look. Already someone has reserved the domain name: insanemccain.com before I could buy it.
Also, Hillary has twisted herself into a Gordian knot on her Iraq vote, she could be worse than John Kerry when the GOP starts attacking her as a flip flopper and what's worse, she was defending her vote on the war until 2005 long after it was clear Saddam didn't have any WMDs. Even I could produce the perfect flip-flopper ad/video to attack her with that would resonate well among anti-war voters to divide them and confuse them enough they might not vote for her even if they wouldn't vote for McCain.
Everyone needs to step back and think long and hard about the problems Kerry had in defending his war vote when he refused to admit it was a mistake. We also need to remember how the flip-flopper label stuck to him on Iraq. The truth is that no Democratic Senator should have trusted Bush enough to vote for that War Resolution while not trusting Carl Levin enough to save them from their mistake in doing so.
RJ Crane, topplebush.com
There is no time like the present to start a new future.
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