My Friends, I'm Going to Lie About Everything
The concept of a debate typically involves two sides presenting opposing ideas reflecting different world views. Tonight was not a debate. What the American people saw instead was Senator Obama presenting coherent answers to difficult questions, while his opponent perpetuated old lies, often unrelated to the subject at hand.
Let's just say what everybody is thinking, but too polite to say out loud. Senator McCain has become the creepy old uncle that embarrasses the family at weddings and holidays. He rants incoherently, repeats himself, lies about the past, and mumbles answers that make no sense. The kids lower their eyes, squirming in embarrassment, while mom and dad pretend that Uncle Mac just said something interesting. Well, we are not sitting around the kitchen table at Thanksgiving; we are electing a president of the United States. Too much is at stake to let the crazy uncle near the liquor cabinet.
Every time McCain takes the microphone, we all cringe just a little, waiting for the next stumble. He rarely disappoints. Let's put everybody out of our collective misery and get Obama into office. The election has become a charade. Any sane person with a pulse recognizes that McCain is not the man for this job.
Good news did come out of the event tonight. The environment was discussed often, and in a variety of contexts. While "drill now, drill often" is not exactly a prescription for energy independence, the notion that we must shift our economy from fossil fuels to renewable energies has become mainstream. We are not debasing ourselves with arguments about the reality of climate change. We no longer question the importance of protecting the environment. What was once considered extreme fringe has finally, finally, become respectful, and central to arguments about our future.
Having given that rosy assessment, however, we are not ready to sing Kumbaya. While both candidates acknowledge the importance of the environment, only Obama (or "that one" as McCain referred to him) has proposed realistic solutions. Just as the implosion of our financial system required drastic intervention by the government, so too will the response to the growing global environmental crisis.
McCain often apes Reagan in stating that the government is the problem, not the solution. He ignores the fact that Reagan increased the size of the federal government more than any his predecessors and instituted the largest tax increase in history. But setting aside that small discrepancy between reality and claim, McCain just voted for massive government intervention into the free market with a $700 bailout, to correct a structural problem he himself helped create while praying to the god of deregulation. McCain is only against government when the sound bite serves an immediate need. With that background, we cannot trust him to devote the necessary resources to shift our economy toward sustainability using strategic incentives to stimulate the market and expanded research into new renewable technologies.
Let's put the old uncle to bed for the night so the adults can have a serious discussion.
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We are supposed to Honor McCain for his service to our country 40 years ago. I was cool with that at first. I lost a brother in Viet Nam. But now I have heard him lie so much for personal gain... heard him lie about how prepared Palin is and how she is a natural leader... heard him lie about putting his country first... heard him lie about his role in the economy meltdown and suspending his campaign and blah-blah blah. So now I don't believe anything he says. I know he got a free pass into the Academy that he all but pissed it away. I know he wrecked some jets. And I know he got shot down and captured by the Viet Cong. What happened next we take him at his word for. And that's the problem His word ain't so reliable and now nothing passes as sacrosanct. Sorry... is that too unpatrioti
I am still writing in HILLARY CLINTON on my ballot.
( I read your mind) I say "SO WHAT?" That is my choice.
DO NOT VOTE FOR OBAMA UNTIL YOU GO TO google.com and read one at a time about:
AUCHI and Obama
REZKO and Obama
AYERS and Obama
ODINGA and Obama
WRIGHT and Obama
FRANK THE MARXIST POET FROM OBAMA'S BOOK.
AND DON'T VOTE FOR McCain until you read all about his romance with Cindy and his wife and children at the time.
KEATING and John McCain
KEATING and Cindy McCain
I agree that McCain makes really embarassing verbal gaffe's (even after watching Bush do it for 8 years), but I don't really agree that he is outright lying. Skirting the truth, absolutely. Telling one side of the story, absolutely. But that's not the same as lying, it's what politics is all about. If your upset that McCain is lying, then you have to be just as upset about Obama. He does the exact same thing, he just delivers it in a much smoother way.
For example:
McCain says that Obama is going to nationalize health care and the government is going to run everything. A lot of analysts say that there are partial/distorted truths, but it's not part of the plan; it's not an outright lie. It's really misleading though and would be characterized as inaccurate.
Obama says that McCain is going to end up cutting our employer supplied medical insurance. Again, a lot of analysts say that there are partial/distorted truths about this, but it's not the goal of the plan; it's not an outright lie.
They are both very misleading and ignore all but the one aspect they choose to pick on. Politics as normal.
McCain's Senate voting record on Renewable Energy proves he has consistently *LIED* during this campaign that he supports Renewable Energy:
http://www
Can we discuss for a second how McCain completely blew off the idea of making sure that these new energy sources are safe before we put them into use? He basically said something to the atune of, "Obama wants to test to make sure Nuclear energy is safe. Whatever. I was on a Navy ship with Nuclear power and I'm fine." Whaaaaaat?
Two MAJOR issues I thought of right off the bat,
1. You would endanger American lives by implementing an untested alternative energy source!
2. YOU are certainly not the perfect picture of health to use as an example of how "safe" nuclear energy is for Americans.
I realize that non of his illnesses or physical shortcommings are related to the use of Nuclear, energy, but still, give me a break! He's so out of control.
The old uncle is still caught up in the cold war. He called the Bin Laden led mujahideen 'Freedom Fighters' for driving the Russians out of Afghanistan. They were terrorists then and they are terrorists now.
McCain Called Bin Laden's Mujahideen Freedom Fighters Again
http://new
Yeah that was exactly how the spin was at the time. They were "freedom fighters" against the "evil" Russians. Once they drove them out, all of a sudden they became "terrorists". Kind of like putting lipstick on a pig, LOL.
An excellent summation, Jeff! The seething resentment Mc$ame has for Obama was near-palpable, and I too noticed that Mc$ didn't appear to want to shake Obamas hand after the debate..ho
Despite coming off old and incoherent (actually I'm less worried about the Alzheimer's now than I was), at least Senator McCain didn't take his campaign to that very low place that his self-described 'pitbull' has. We can thank him for salvaging some honor and recognizing how foolish going there would be for him and for the country. I applaud him for going down with the ship he helped to build on deregulation with some honor intact. He will recover some good will for his sacrifice and service to our country despite the current mess we are in due to his party.
The only problem is that McCain is not going down with the USS Deregulation; he pretends that he had nothing to do with creating the crisis. In fact, he claims he is a "maverick" who rang an early warning bell. Both factually false claims. We should indeed honor McCain for his service to our country, and for his incredible bravery. We should not, however, elect him president.
McCain is a great role model for me – on what not to do. I’m only 10 years his junior and I never, ever want to become the grumpy old uncle/dad/grandpa that embarrasses everyone, in the way McCain has demonstrated. Please. I have 5 adult children and 12 grandchildren. I want them all to enjoy being around me, not dreading the experience. My wife has put up with me for 42 years and in I want our retirement years (if I ever get to retire) to be joyous for her. I love my large family, although I admit it takes a lot out of me at times, and I do catch myself occasionally becoming impatient. After seeing what non-attention to traits like that lead to (McCain), I appreciate watching him grovel and sneer in his disgusting superiority because it keeps me on my toes as to how not to act. Thank you John McCain, for the object lesson of what to avoid and how not to act.
Great post.
Sad, THE World is crashing and we have to watch that liar....ma
I must admit Obama had a consistent coherent plan. It is:
The financial crisis: Throw billions of government dollars at it.
The environment: Throw billions of government dollars at it.
The housing crisis: Throw billions of government dollars at it.
The energy problem: Throw billions of government dollars at it.
Health care: Throw billions and billions of government dollars at it.
Friendly foreign governments having financial problems: Throw billions of government dollars at it.
Oil crisis: Throw billions of government dollars at it.
Afghanistan: More troops and throw billions of government dollars at it.
Struggling middle class: Throw billions of government dollars to them with tax cuts.
Yup. That's a consistent coherent plan that I can understand. I can't afford it, but I can understand it.
Is that as much of his plan as you are able to comprehend? Or are you just not listening?
Oh, you mean instead of the Republicans throwing billions of tax payer dollars at their super rich friends. Warren Buffett says it all by pointing out that he gets better tax breaks than his maid, and that's not right.
Sorry, but who is it who's doubled the federal debt in 8 years (in addition to degrading the military and sinking the economy)? Not the liberal democrats.
Under Republican misrule, the rich have prospered at the expense of the rest of us, and the country as a whole. Well, Party's over!
I really do not care who did what when. Both parties have failed in their elected responsibilities. Both parties got us in this mess. We can not change the past. We can change the future.
The real question is where do we go from here. We face an economic crisis unlike any we have seen since 1929. We have government spending out of control. We have a Congress, Senate, and yes a President who have used the government as their own piggy bank to finance their pet projects. Well guess what. The piggy bank is empty. My part of the federal debt is about $33,000.00
So is now the time for the President, Congress, and the Senate to line up their own new pet projects and push forward on them adding billions or trillions to spending? NO!!!!!!!!!!!
We need to get our bank accounts in order and stable. We need to control spending. We need to eliminate waste. We need to cut the debt. Once that is done then, maybe, just maybe, we might be able to afford some new programs but not until that is done.
Yes, let's start another war and throw money at that, along with the two we have going.
The biggest myth ever perpetrated in politics is the idea that Democrats are fiscally irresponsible, and that Republicans are adept at managing our countries finances. The biggest deficit until the most recent Republican was under Ronald Reagan, as well as the largest tax increases. The largest debts and deficits in our history are all under Republican presidents. You disparage Obama's plans, yet I hear no cries of agony about $1 trillion spent on a useless war, or $700 billion to bail out Wall Street. Republicans are drunk on the notion of "borrow and spend" as a governing philosophy, and we see the results as our financial system collapses around us. Perhaps Obama's plans could be criticized, but Republicans have lost all moral authority to do so.
The Federal Government as a whole is fiscally irresponsible. Not just Republicans. Not just Democrats. I have complained that government has 1 employee in the Department of Agriculture for every 4 farmers. That's fiscally irresponsible. I have complained that for every welfare dollar 43 cents end up with the needy. That is fiscally irresponsibility. I have complained about $2200 hammers. That is fiscal irresponsibility. I have complained that you could get twice the return on your social security payment if you could invest it on your own. That is fiscally irresponsible. I have complained that a $700,000,0
As for the war our President said "Together we must also confront the new hazards of chemical and biological weapons, and the outlaw states, terrorists and organized criminals seeking to acquire them. Saddam Hussein has spent the better part of this decade, and much of his nation's wealth, not on providing for the Iraqi people, but on developing nuclear, chemical and biological weapons and the missiles to deliver them."
For that reason we went to war. To leave before the Iraqi government is ready to take over would be farther fiscally irresponsible.
As for the government neither party has any moral authority.
Jeff, I think if you read the transcript and did not know it was Barry's words you would find much of what he said as incoherent and not "coherent.
But John McCain has a big ol' V8 under there? RIGHT?
And Giuliani? Romney? Huckabee? Thompson? This is your all star team...
Maybe our yearning for a politician who can actually complete a sentence is a consequence of suffering eight long years of abuse of mangled syntax. I am amused by the idea that Obama is criticized because he can communicate well, yet Republicans love to call Reagan the "great communicat
My yearning is for a politician who will actually stand up and say NO! Do we need more government. NO! Do we need to increase government spending. NO! Do we need to be the world's super cop? No it's someone else's turn. Do we need a government that is our nanny wiping our noses every time we sneeze. No.
My biggest problems are not being solved by the government. They are being caused by the government.
We need a leader who will say no to the oil lobby on tax relief. We need a leader who will say no to new government entitlements we can not afford. We need a leader who believes and follows "Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country.".
As far as I see neither candidate meet these criteria.
You may disagree with Obama, but at least you know what he's just said. Can't make the same claim for McCain or Palin. Esp Palin. She speaks as if she's just learning the language, English as a seconf language.
Hey, why did McCain imitate that old man Fred Sanford kind of walk?
'Cause it isn't an imitation if one walks that way because one is actually old and creaky.
he looked more like that cartoon character , 'cotton' , from king of hill.
I'm laughing so much, I'm crying-
You hit the nail on the head!
And if I reply with something similar about Obama you would brand me as a bigoted, red neck, member of the KKK. Who is running the smear campaign?
Looking at the both of them on stage was so striking. Even the "walk on" was so different. Obama strode in looking fit, confident, with a huge winning smile. McCain literally waddled on stage (yeah the torture thing) but beyond his walk, the smile was forced, the gestures were not genuine. Standing next to him McCain does not look like he belongs on the same stage. The distain the McCain has for Obama still bubbles up. You would think he could fake for just one night, but it is so strong he cannot keep it in check. To be sure McCain will go to some ralley today and proclaim himself the big winner. Sad, so very sad.
After seeing this last night, McCain should be GLAD that there were not a lot of town halls between the two of them. Maybe he will stop using that as an excuse now for disgusting campaign tactics.
Wow. Is anyone out there really listening to the candidates? When Obama speaks, I feel like I am at a High School student councel election and he is running for president saying "and if I when, there will be NO HOMEWORK, and the students scream with joy". Mr. Obama says alot of things that people want to hear, but reality is he will not be able to make them happen. Just think about it. Has anyone thought about what kind of health care service we will have if the government funds the insurance? Also, giving quarterly payments to those who make under $50k a year, is the earned income credit not bad enough where these people who earn $12k a year receive $4k back at the end? It is disgusting. We are encouraging poverty. What about a plan that rewards those families with 2 working parents that make between $75K and $150K??
You don't read very much do you? (or think very much either)
Here is the answer to all your questions; http://www
All you have to do is click on it, and READ for little while.
Then you will understand that what McCain, Palin, Limbaugh, Hannity, Kristol, and Rove have been telling you is total bullshit.
Good luck!
My point....a
Did you notice McCain refused to shake Obama's hand at end of debate. And, he and Cindy beat their feet out of Dodge as fast as they could after debate. Obama and Michelle, on the other hand, meet with all Town Hall participants, took pictures made sure there was a group picture with all of them. I guess McCain is just too "upper crust" to mingle with the common folk while Obama and Michelle are common folk.
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