The McCain campaign's mounting incoherence -- born of the candidate's attempts to straddle the political center and the right, and of his apparent ignorance of the content of his own proposals -- is a sight to behold.
Just in the past few days, there's been a drumbeat of contradictory messages. McCain pledged to balance the budget by the end of his first term, but provided no details for what is a politically impossible task right now -- made more so by his proposed tax cuts and increases in defense spending.
Then McCain denounced the pay-as-you go element of Social Security, in which today's taxpayers pay the benefits of today's retirees, as an "absolute disgrace." It's not clear why he said this -- of course, if you have rising numbers of retirees and relatively few taxpayers, it's a problem. But a "disgrace"? This is, after all, the way the program was designed and has operated for 70-plus years. The campaign's explanation -- the "disgrace" is the failure to address the coming shortfall -- doesn't really make sense. So we're left with the impression, justified or not, that McCain somehow questions the rationale behind Social Security itself.
Now, McCain's staffers are apparently telegraphing the idea that he will abandon cap-and-trade as his big fix for climate change. This is probably wishful thinking on the part of conservatives. But still -- this is the centerpiece of McCain's climate policy. Or is it?
McCain's position on Iraq also got muddled on the question of whether we will be maintaining bases in a peaceful Iraq for decades to come, or leaving much sooner at the behest of the Iraqi government.
Presidential campaigns are always semi-improvisational -- they can't just rely on position papers, and must respond to changes in the world and the political environment. But this goes well beyond semi -- these are not intelligent or even opportunistic adjustments to events, but random, chaotic changes. This isn't jazz, it's noise. There seems to be some fundamental confusion about what McCain's policies are or should be, and also about his underlying principles. On a practical level, you never know precisely how a candidate's positions will be translated into actual policy -- but you can get some general ideas. That doesn't seem to be the case here. We don't know what McCain would actually do if he becomes president. And at least right now, neither does he.
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Make sure that your voting registration is current and valid, that you have a voter's card or something official to enable the election judge to find you on the rolls, and that you have an official photo ID just in case you're challenged.
In 2004, having lived in the same house for 22 years (and voting in every election - I take this very seriously!), my name was erroneously removed from the voter rolls. I did vote, but the experience worried me. Just saying... this time, it's *really* important. Be sure you get to have your voice counted.
So, McCain-- I got news for you. The USA owes me for with interest for my retirement, and that is a tidy sum as I paid the max virtually all of my working life.
If this clown is elected President, he will turn out to be worse than Bush because he does not have a clue as to what he doesn't know. He was almost last in his class at the Naval Academy for a good reason - he is not smart.
It is time the MSM vetted John McCain on the facts about government.
By dictionary definition, a Liberal is: broad-minded; especially : not bound by authoritarianism, orthodoxy, or traditional forms.
Liberals tend to think in shades of gray rather then black and white.
It's a thought process often too demanding on people who are ignorant on particular subjects because it requires a depth of knowledge and some ability to think in the abstract. Senator Obama is at his perceived weakest among the ignorant and the Main Stream Media when he expounds intelligently and thoughtfully on a subject.
Intellectual thought doesn't play to the masses because the MSM reduces all issues to sound bites and inanities - which both plays to and encourages more ignorance. The Lincoln-Douglas debates weren't hampered by 30 second "Lightning Rounds." Of course, that was before serious issues
So yes. I will criticize Senator Obama when I think he abandons the precepts of Liberalism in favor of the convenient. However, I will actively and tirelessly try to defeat Mr. McCain and his gang with all the power at my disposal.
Being a Liberal ain't easy. Many of Mr. McCain's supporters would undoubtedly like him to bite his tongue on a daily basis. As Liberals, we wish we could bite our collective tongue when it comes to our own standard Bearer, but we can't. It's just not in our nature, or our moral fiber.
I used to watch MSNBC. At one time I thought they were a "one from column A, one from column B" network and that still may be the case. Nonetheless, the shallow coverage; the dumbing down and cliched bandying gets on my nerves. Same pundits, no real experts brought to the fore, an no substansive debate. Hello......Anyone at the tiller? CSPAN and NPR are my last hope.
We maybe expected coherence from McCain?....
Cap and trade: forget it.
Social Security: dismantle it.
Employer-funded health care: emasculate it.
Foreign policy: taunt and bomb it.
A smorgasboard of delights for disgruntled liberals.
Why isn't there an uproar in the media?
He position alone on social security alone start a revolution in Florida
His positions on healthcare and abortion should precipitate mass marches by feminists
His lack of support for veteran services and his opposition to the GI bill (even though he claimed to sponsor the bill) should have vet organizations running to the media
I don't get it
It's almost like he is screaming please don't vote for me.
http://www.barackobama.com/issues/iraq/
Right wing propagandists can't talk about Obama's policies; they can only ask questions that foment doubt without addressing the content of Obama's remarks. That's their game. ElizaW is parroting the propaganda.
I mean, how can even the Republican party run a guy so inept?