<p>The one upside to McCain is that he won’t be seeking reelection halfway through his term. I’m not even 100% sure he would do what is expedient as far as the party is concerned. His career in politics will be over he might actually try to do something productive!</p>
<p>Yup. He’ll be a lame-duck from Day One!</p>
<p>I am still stuck back in how could Obama listen to Reverend Wright for so many years and not leave that church sooner? I have tried the same scenario with several people and what would they do if their pastor/rabbi/priest said similar things and everyone would walk out, fire the guy/gal, etc. Then comes the defense that it is a “black church” so it is OK to be racist or stupid because blacks are so oppressed and can’t somehow be held accountable by the same standards as whites/hispanics, etc. So then what other standards are different that Obama adhers to?</p>
<p>I did not see this election in racial terms until confronted with this hypocrisy in his church and therefore in himself. Although I am not so fond of McCain, what choice is there? Obama showed such poor judgement as regards this tripe he listened to for 20+ years. </p>
<p>Therefore, although I have leaned towards Democrats more in the past, I would never vote for Obama.</p>
<p>From my observation, McCain is very very hard on himself. He readily admits downfalls & shortcomings even when they aren’t really anything noteworthy.</p>
<p>I think this stems from his years at the Naval Academy where midshipmen are routinely evaluated, focusing specifically on the area which MOST needs improvement. At USNA, they don’t seem to focus on all the things that you do WELL - everyone there does lots of things well - they focus on what you DON"T do well! I would imagine that practice continues throughout active duty in the military where Fitness Reports (which include all forms of “fitness” not just “physical”) are routine. Pilots, similarly, are constantly evaluating and looking for “glitches”. It’s just in Mccain’s nature - and with Admirals for a dad & grandfather, I’d imagine he’s extremely self-conscious.</p>
<p>Just a little armchair (“desktop”?) psychology!</p>
<p>But that’s why I think he blames himself for errors in judgement - wishes he’s been more standoffish to some people with whom he was thought to be associated. And I think this attitude carries over to his statement about not being that strong on the economy - to McCain, if you aren’t “the best”, then you aren’t very good.</p>
<p>…I know someone will attempt to dismiss these assertions in light of the fact that McCain graduated USNA at the bottom of his class - heck, just getting in that place & graduating at all is a phenomenal achievement! Any criticism about his class rank is undeserved. (and who knows, McCain might have been trying to make “anchor”, that the last in class rank - s/he gets a dollar from every classmate which totals in the neighborhood of $1000. Not too shabby for 1958!).</p>
<p>“this tripe he listened to for 20+ years.”</p>
<p>Many people, like me, who know that church and its members, have said over and over that the sound bite you saw was not in any way typical of what happened there every Sunday. But you needn’t take our word for it – the vast majority of Wright’s sermons are on tape, and you could rest assured that if he’d given a speech like that even once a year over the last twenty years (much less 1000 speeches, one per week), we’d be seeing all 20 examples on the news and on Youtube. We aren’t, because he didn’t. But you seemed determined not to listen to the facts. I probably shouldn’t waste my time repeating them.</p>
<p>swatparent - good post.
It all boils down to “leadership” or lack thereof.</p>
<p>Obama just hasn’t shown ANY real leadership.</p>
<p>Hey all you dems without a candidate - c’mon over! McCain’s a geat guy! We feel lucky to have him as a candidate. He’s pragmatic and not too extreme! Welcome to the “new” Republican party - where pragmatism & statesmanship have emerged over extreme partisanship & dogma! Yay!</p>
<p>Life, Liberty & the Pursuit of Happines - that’s what we’re all about!</p>
<p>“pragmatism & statesmanship”</p>
<p>Invading Iraq was pragmatic and statesmanlike? Could have fooled me. Those of us on the Democratic side who care about government policy are not going to switch parties no matter what a terrific guy you may nominate. I’m thinking about the judges HE will nominate…and the abstinence-only sex ed funding he will push for, etc. [John</a> McCain Campaign to Brody File: Eliminating “Abstinence Only” Programs is Wrong - The Brody File: David Brody Blog - CBN News](<a href=“http://www.cbn.com/CBNnews/164102.aspx]John”>http://www.cbn.com/CBNnews/164102.aspx) This is an easy, easy call.</p>
<p>bz2010, I like McCain. I like Obama better. And I’m comfortable enough in my assessment not to have to resort to the kind of lame excuses that Swatparent has offered to justify my preference. In fact, what I find interesting is that the bulk of the criticism of McCain is about the policies he supports - Iraq, gas tax “holiday”, etc. - while the bulk of the criticism of Obama is about things like what his pastor said every 500th sermon, or how his wife phrases her positive feelings about America, how he stands while listening to the national anthem, and the like.</p>
<p>But then, if I was a Republican I’d avoid talking about the issues, too.</p>
<p>McCain did not attend the church of the pastor in question regularly for 20+ years.</p>
<p>Rev Wright was Obama’s spiritual advisor for the campaign until he was really pushed to fire him. Then he didn’t quit the church until the visiting priest recently had such a horrible diatribe against Hillary Clinton. And then Obama resigned only with deep reservations and regrets, and for political expediency, to preserve his support from Hillary.</p>
<p>And in the process he compared Rev Wright to his grandmother who raised him with great sacrifice, and said he could not neither disown her or him,as a comparison. I mean, he compared that poor woman to Wright? And he sold his own GRANDMOTHER down the river to protect his relationship with Wright? What a jerk!</p>
<p>How can Obama be criticized for his stands on issues when he never TAKES a stand??</p>
<p>I get it, don’t you? That’s his PLAN!</p>
<p>We don’t know much about Obama & that’s why people grasp at straws to try to find something discernable about him. All we have to go on are his actions (or lack thereof) in the church he attended. People wonder, “Does Wright speak for Obama?”. When he dedicates his book to Wright, has him baptize his kids, calls him his spiritual leader, etc. it appears that Obama is VALIDATING Wright & what he stands for & preaches. How much more of a sanction can you have??</p>
<p>But BTW - I have real problems w/ Obama’s extreme left-wing POLICIES as well. He wants to DOUBLE the capital gains tax - and raise other taxes as well! No, I think the bulk of criticism about Obama IS about the issues. When he DOES take a stand it is always wrong, wrong, wrong! (Didn’t he just reverse himself on his approach to Iran?).</p>
<p>Sorry, but “O” doesn’t know his patootie from a hole in the ground. You gonna hand over your Ferrari to someone who barely knows how to drive??</p>
<p>I have a LOT of reasons to vote for McCain. None more important than the opportunity to weaken the religious right wing of the GOP.</p>
<p>OTOH, I also have a LOT of reasons to vote for Obama.</p>
<p>I know I will be happy next January regardless of who is taking office.</p>
<p>This comment applies to those who don’t strictly vote party lines:
Maybe if Obama had a track record that could seriously be evaluated on its merits, criticism (or praise) would then have a foundation on which to rest. But in the abscense of that concrete foundation, one must rely on other aspects of Obama the man. Hence the rev, his wife, the pin… etc.
As far as I am concerned I am anxious to see more attention focused on what Obama actually plans to “change”, how he will “change” it, and what it is goling to cost all of us. Only then will he be seen as the extreme left wing radical that he really is.</p>
<p>It amazes me how so many can dismiss his lack of experience and put their trust in him because he has “charisma”.</p>
<p>[YouTube</a> - John McCain vs. John McCain](<a href=“http://youtube.com/watch?v=ioy90nF2anI]YouTube”>http://youtube.com/watch?v=ioy90nF2anI)</p>
<p>The greatest thing about John McCain</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>How refreshing! …and I have no doubt, true.</p>
<p>Well done, my friend.</p>
<p>.</p>
<p>“How can Obama be criticized for his stands on issues when he never TAKES a stand??”</p>
<p>[Barack</a> Obama | Change We Can Believe In | Issues](<a href=“http://origin.barackobama.com/issues/]Barack”>http://origin.barackobama.com/issues/)</p>
<p>On that site alone, he takes quantifiable stands on everything from how many billions of gallons of cellulosic ethanol he thinks we should be producing in 2013 to what kinds of businesses ought to be covered under an expanded Family & Medical Leave Act. But surely you’ve read through each of the issues on the site, or you wouldn’t make such a sweeping claim that he “never takes a stand.”</p>
<p>McCain’s track record: after 25 years of “extensive foreign policy experience”, he still can’t tell a Sunni from a Shiite.</p>
<p>Isn’t that at least a little bit disturbing? (for the record, I voted for McCain in 2000.)</p>
<p>^^^ Slip of the tongue, that’s all.</p>
<p>mini, you should know that there is no such thing as a Shiite. Except in the American media, which seems unable to say Shia.</p>
<p>“…I know someone will attempt to dismiss these assertions in light of the fact that McCain graduated USNA at the bottom of his class - heck, just getting in that place & graduating at all is a phenomenal achievement!”</p>
<p>Oh, come on. It wasn’t any achievement for McCain to get into USNA–he came from a family of admirals. In fact, his poor performance there suggests strongly that he didn’t get in on his own merits.</p>
<p>Clearly, the former prisoner of war, US Senator and Republican presidential candidate had no ambition or skills of his own. </p>
<p>What a slacker.</p>