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McCain defending Barack, trying to put out the flames of hate that he has helped fan in the past week.
Bring back the old McCain... he has got to be embarrassed by the tone and direction his campaign and his supporters have taken. Eight years ago McCain was a good man, and I believe he is still a good man... but he is part of a party that is an absolute disgrace, and he has disgraced himself with a disgusting and pathetic campaign.
Bring back the old McCain... he has got to be embarrassed by the tone and direction his campaign and his supporters have taken. Eight years ago McCain was a good man, and I believe he is still a good man... but he is part of a party that is an absolute disgrace, and he has disgraced himself with a disgusting and pathetic campaign.
Perhaps, even in defeat, he can regain the respect of some of us who disagreed with him, but once found him to be a decent man.
* lies
This really makes me angry. Half of those people there are confused about Obama because of the shit McCain himself twisted and smeared. His ads. His speeches. His VP candidate winding people up to the point they were calling for Obama's life. Now McCain is the good guy? He's the voice of reason now? Bullshit.
I expect all of those ads to be off the air tomorrow and Palin to STFU altogether.
I truly believe it's never to late... but he was definatly pushing it...
- Also, I would like him to formally address the fact that somebody yelled out at one of his campaigns rallies to kill Obama. If this mob mentality continues to intensify, I will soon be genuinely be concerned for Obama.
Maybe, just maybe, he's waking up to the reality of the situation. Perhaps he's realizing that his tactics aren't working, and he is taking to heart that members of his own party are speaking out against his disgraceful and dishonorable campaign. Or maybe his earpiece fell out and he got all confused.
Wow. I now understand a little better why McCain still has 40-45% of the vote... senility.
I feel sorry for McCain in that he does not have enough pull within his own campaign to control what we've been seeing lately out of his camp. I'm not voting for him, but I'll upvote his comments in this video. He's actually a decent man. He needs to reign in some of the people surrounding him, and put a stop to the environment at his rallies/speeches that fosters people yelling out hate speech.
You're far too kind. A lot of the shit coming out of his campaign is coming directly from his and Palin's mouths; especially all this bullshit about Obama's affiliation with Ayers. He deserves defeat, not pity.
I didn't expect to see that. It's a nice gesture, but I don't expect this to be the beginning of a return to sanity and civility for McCain. I don't understand why the hell he would attempt to defend Obama after all the shit he's pulled lately.
Wow. I now understand a little better why McCain still has 40-45% of the vote... senility.
I've seen a number of clips now, in which people take something that fails the most simplest of logic and run with it. It's quite sad to see actually. As in this clip by sifted by dead_tufo:
http://www.videosift.com/video/Drunk-American-Rednecks-talk-polotics
He started this and he's going to crash and burn for it.
Good riddance.
McCain should have gone with the softer style right from the start and try to flirt with the people who have "liberal left-winger values" but believe in the conservative antiregulation economic system etc.
Perhaps lately McCain has been watching more news about his campaign from places other than Fox. I'm hoping he had a moment where he thought "God, is that really what I sound like?" It is possible that he's just doing this as a political ploy, but I can't bring myself to believe that he is that manipulative. I obviously can't vote for him at this point, but it seems to me that he is a decent guy that has been steered down the wrong road by those dishonest Republican strategists.
(Whoops, link fixed.
McCain might be trying to do the right (sane) thing, but his campaign is still busy fanning those flames.
Nice job with the link.
I want to believe he is trying to do the right thing and show some leadership... but this is a small step in the right direction... i'd like to see a lot more of it... and ENOUGH with the horrible campaign adds... he can't just step back and say these are the 'crazies' he has been fueling this... and that idiot running mate of his has been even worse...
Because if obama is killed over that, McCain would have indirect responsibility for it.
He has had years of doing the same thing, but after all the policies, ads etc, Sarah Palin (who, let's face it, is around more for the "oooh shiny" factor than she is for political accumen) he suddenly has a change of heart?
Seriously, this is the guy that referred to Obama as "that one" not a couple of nights ago? Now he has the deepest respect for him?
The fire is lit and burning, the house has started to collapse and he thinks a thimblefull of deceny at this late hour is going to save it.
As Obama said, he can't just grab a "For change" poster now and have a change of heart in the middle of a crisis. It's disengenuous and too little too late.
I'm not John McCain, but I approve this message...
The fire is lit and burning, the house has started to collapse and he thinks a thimblefull of deceny at this late hour is going to save it.
I doubt he believes that it will save his campaign... it's more likely that he is getting heat from other Republicans for making the party look worse than it already did. Heck, there are numerous Republicans who refuse to put "Republican" next to their name on the ballot.
Nice job with the link.
Sorry, fixed it! (That's what I get for trying to reply to something at 6am...)
Things have just been so horrible for so long, and these guys just seem to keep doubling down on how inhuman they act. To see McCain not just relent, but say "You can trust Senator Obama" gives me hope that America isn't dead after all.
I don't think it's a sign that they're going to stop doing what they've been doing, I don't think it redeems him for what he's been doing, and his history certainly gives me reason to think this personal change of heart is self-serving and not an ethical objection.
But for a little while, I'll give him the benefit of the doubt, because I want to believe that maybe, just maybe, there's some shred of humanity in these people.
I don't understand why the Republicans try so hard to impress the extreme right christians...
...because there are MILLIONS of them, they have BILLIONS of dollars, and they ALL vote according to what their extreme right leaders tell them to.
Don't get me wrong, I'd like to see more of this from both sides (and from Nader too), but I can't take it for real. Few things are in politics nowadays.
Btw: How the hell can people boo the line "I want people to respect him"? How pathetic is that.
his campaign injects all these lies about obama into the public's mind through propaganda like fox news and such for the past several months and then only a few days before much of the country will be receiving their mail in ballots in the mail, he tries to be "the bigger man" by implying that it's all false and that obama is a good man.
research some brainwashing tactics and you'll see that people will over all gain some respect for mccain while still having these thoughts about obama in the back of their heads. it's subliminal. it's a political ploy and i'm sure it's working beautifully. just look at the title of this video.
this seriously makes me feel ill. i just wish everyone could see this crap and not make emotional decisions when they choose. this is not a time for emotion, it's a time for logic and rational decision making with the use of cold hard facts.
It is too late for him now though, it just comes across as an act. And I think it confuses his base.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkzvFAOcw6I
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLa5EeLNUSk
And here's Bill slamming both of them:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S417X0RsHks
I don't love O'Reilly or McCain or Limbaugh, I'm just pointing out that Obama has gotten his hands just as dirty as McCain. Ugh. I hate these presidential candidates more than any others I've seen in my lifetime.
http://www.videosift.com/video/McCains-Latest-Obama-is-a-terrorist-add
At least what that ad says is true, albeit HEAVILY slanted and WAY over the top. Both of these guys are despicable. Mark my words: Obama will not be a good president. And if by some miracle McCain wins, he'll be almost as great a disaster.
Give me a break, you guys. Obama pulled the same stuff on McCain. Remember that Spanish language ad that slandered Rush Limbaugh, took his words out of context, and tied him to John McCain? The ad makes a pitiful attempt to make McCain seem like a bigot, when we all know that he is not. That's hate-mongering if I've ever seen it. There are others but I'm going to take a nap instead of finding them.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkzvFAOcw6I
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLa5EeLNUSk
And here's Bill slamming both of them:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S417X0RsHks
I don't love O'Reilly or McCain or Limbaugh, I'm just pointing out that Obama has gotten his hands just as dirty as McCain. Ugh. I hate these presidential candidates more than any others I've seen in my lifetime.
Here's the "context" from Mr. Limbaugh himself:
"If you are unskilled and uneducated, your job is going south. Skilled workers, educated people are going to do fine 'cause those are the kinds of jobs Nafta is going to create. If we are going to start rewarding no skills and stupid people, I'm serious, let the unskilled jobs that take absolutely no knowledge whatsoever to do -- let stupid and unskilled Mexicans do that work."
Actually, that still sounds pretty bigoted to me. Quote is from Limbaugh's Wall Street Journal piece:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122178554189155003.html
As for the tactic, it's panic time. Last week it was "gloves off." Now this? He's simply trying anything that might work.
I just got back from the UT vs. OU football game... and something stuck me... how much more these people sound like the UT and OU fans cheering at and/or against one another... than people supporting their country/candidate/or belief...
It doesn't even matter to them... McCain could be anti-puppy and these people would support them... (I'm sure there are many in Obama's camp that might apply, but i have NOT Heard the venom anywhere near the level it is with McCain's)
In the end... it's their 'team' thats losing and right or wrong they really don't care anymore.
To respond to the issue they are equally vile... I disagree completely... there seems to be this notion out there that they are both being as vulgar towards one another... I've seen absolutely nothing to support that...
McCain may not be a bigot... but when good men do nothing... they are not good men... these are HIS people... and his VP candidate that are behaving like bigots... and he has intentionally fueled that flame... you can't now step back and pretend like it was there just because it's leaving a bad taste in the mouths of most Americans...
Hook'em Horns!!!
The comment from the guy who says he's afraid of Obama reminds me of the line in Easy Rider - yeah they're afraid, but it's not a runnin fear, it's a killin fear.
the only reason why mcain got the "maverick" nickname was due to the fact during the "saving and loan" hearings(the keating 5),mcain was upfront about his involvement,and actually apologized and asked to be forgiven/
that was it...one "im sorry" and BOOM,he's a maverick,which he then parlayed in the coming years into almost a political brand-name.but if you peruse his voting record,well...not so "maverick-y".what you will also find,among his bad-tempered tirades,is that he is a genuinely likable fellow.
not a bad sort at all.
the reason why this showing of decency and respect is so confusing to many,is that mcain has been a literal puppet for the republican political machine.he is being told what to say,and how to say it.all based on polls,focus groups and a veritable treasure trove of political machinations.
thats why the john mcain we saw in 2000 is unrecognizable to the mcain we see today.
but we all recognize the tactics,now known as "rovian tactics",and why?
because they WORK,or they did,for many, many years, the FEAR quotient worked on the american populace like a hyper-fight-or-flee drug.make people SCARED of a nominee,and your victory is in the bag.
to my utter joy,elation and amazement,those tactics this year seem to be backfiring.no small part due to the internet and its growing independent media.
but i dont think its just "rovian tactics", that strip a politician of his humanity.i think polling and focus groups can be overdone,and cause an almost draining of personality from a politician,remember al gore in 2000?
remember years later when we saw him speak and we were all like "where was this guy in 2000"?
macain is not a bad sort,its his campaign managers,and his advisors,who strip him of his humanity and leave us all watching a puppet dangling from strings.twitching like vacuous doll experiencing a grand mal seizure.
i apologize for the length of my comment,but i felt it necessary to point out the myopic nature of our current political "popularity contest",and who really deserves the blame for the dehumanizing of our politicians.
i dont agree with mcains policies,but the choice of his campaign to delve into "rovian tactics" was his campaign,it's leaders and advisors.
my hope is that these tactics in 2008 will result in an epic fail.in which case will mean that campaign advisors will steer clear of future "rovian tactics" and maybe become more creative,and MAYBE..hope hope hope..create a civil,informative and honest campaign.
we can all hope,cant we?
but my over-riding misanthropic cynicism says that palin will continue to appeal to most base,ignorant and bigoted of us.
i hope in wrong.
till next time..peace.
>> ^thepinky:
Give me a break, you guys. Obama pulled the same stuff on McCain. Remember that Spanish language ad that slandered Rush Limbaugh, took his words out of context, and tied him to John McCain? The ad makes a pitiful attempt to make McCain seem like a bigot, when we all know that he is not. That's hate-mongering if I've ever seen it. There are others but I'm going to take a nap instead of finding them.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkzvFAOcw6I
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLa5EeLNUSk
And here's Bill slamming both of them:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S417X0RsHks
I don't love O'Reilly or McCain or Limbaugh, I'm just pointing out that Obama has gotten his hands just as dirty as McCain. Ugh. I hate these presidential candidates more than any others I've seen in my lifetime.
Here's the "context" from Mr. Limbaugh himself:
"If you are unskilled and uneducated, your job is going south. Skilled workers, educated people are going to do fine 'cause those are the kinds of jobs Nafta is going to create. If we are going to start rewarding no skills and stupid people, I'm serious, let the unskilled jobs that take absolutely no knowledge whatsoever to do -- let stupid and unskilled Mexicans do that work."
Actually, that still sounds pretty bigoted to me. Quote is from Limbaugh's Wall Street Journal piece:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122178554189155003.html
Even though I'm right, your comment got a vote and mine got downvoted. It's almost laughable.
Speaking of taking things out of context, did you read the paragraph after the one that you quoted? He says:
"My point, which is obvious, was that the people who were criticizing Nafta were demeaning workers, particularly low-skilled workers. I was criticizing the mind-set of the protectionists who opposed the treaty. There was no racial connotation to it and no one thought there was at the time. I was demeaning the arguments of the opponents."
This time go back and read the entire article and not just the parts that will help you win your argument, m'kay?
Why can't you just admit that Obama's ad was sleazy and stupid? I can admit that McCain's ads have been. OPEN YOUR MIND.
Obama is Stoking Racial Antagonism
by Rush Limbaugh
I understand the rough and tumble of politics. But Barack Obama -- the supposedly postpartisan, postracial candidate of hope and change -- has gone where few modern candidates have gone before.
Mr. Obama's campaign is now trafficking in prejudice of its own making. And in doing so, it is playing with political dynamite. What kind of potential president would let his campaign knowingly extract two incomplete, out-of-context lines from two radio parodies and build a framework of hate around them in order to exploit racial tensions? The segregationists of the 1950s and 1960s were famous for such vile fear-mongering.
Here's the relevant part of the Spanish-language television commercial Mr. Obama is running in Hispanic communities:
"They want us to forget the insults we've put up with . . . the intolerance . . . they made us feel marginalized in this country we love so much."
Then the commercial flashes two quotes from me: ". . . stupid and unskilled Mexicans" and "You shut your mouth or you get out!"
And then a voice says, "John McCain and his Republican friends have two faces. One that says lies just to get our vote . . . and another, even worse, that continues the policies of George Bush that put special interests ahead of working families. John McCain . . . more of the same old Republican tricks."
Much of the media that is uninterested in Mr. Obama's connections to unrepentant 1970s Weather Underground terrorist William Ayers and Rev. Jeremiah Wright have so far gone along with the attempt to tie me to Mr. McCain. But Mr. McCain and I have not agreed on how to address illegal immigration. While I am heartened by his willingness to start by securing the borders, it is no secret that we have fundamental differences on illegal immigration.
And more to the point, these sound bites are a deception, and Mr. Obama knows it. The first sound bite was extracted from a 1993 humorous monologue poking fun at the arguments against the North American Free Trade Agreement. Here's the context:
"If you are unskilled and uneducated, your job is going south. Skilled workers, educated people are going to do fine 'cause those are the kinds of jobs Nafta is going to create. If we are going to start rewarding no skills and stupid people, I'm serious, let the unskilled jobs that take absolutely no knowledge whatsoever to do -- let stupid and unskilled Mexicans do that work."
My point, which is obvious, was that the people who were criticizing Nafta were demeaning workers, particularly low-skilled workers. I was criticizing the mind-set of the protectionists who opposed the treaty. There was no racial connotation to it and no one thought there was at the time. I was demeaning the arguments of the opponents.
As for the second sound bite, I was mocking the Mexican government's double standard -- i.e., urging open borders in this country while imposing draconian immigration requirements within its own borders. Thus, I took the restrictions Mexico imposes on immigrants and appropriated them as my own suggestions for a new immigration law.
Here's the context for that sound bite: "And another thing: You don't have the right to protest. You're allowed no demonstrations, no foreign flag waving, no political organizing, no bad-mouthing our president or his policies. You're a foreigner: shut your mouth or get out! And if you come here illegally, you're going to jail."
At the time, I made abundantly clear that this was a parody on the Mexican government's hypocrisy and nobody took it otherwise.
The malignant aspect of this is that Mr. Obama and his advisers know exactly what they are doing. They had to listen to both monologues or read the transcripts. They then had to pick the particular excerpts they used in order to create a commercial of distortions. Their hoped-for result is to inflame racial tensions. In doing this, Mr. Obama and his advisers have demonstrated a pernicious contempt for American society.
We've made much racial progress in this country. Any candidate who employs the tactics of the old segregationists is unworthy of the presidency.
So you are saying that Limbaugh's after the fact apologetics amount to a retroactive recontextualization of what he said on the radio?
The paragraph you quote is not what followed on the radio show, it's how he is attempting to weasel his way out in the article. He has a well documented history of saying absurd and racist things and then making a stink that he was "just making a joke" or that his listeners "didn't take it that way" etc. The fact that he is trying to cover his ass does not indicate that he is not guilty as charged. I submit that his track record suggests exactly the opposite.
... and then have an election filled with out right lies, massive willful ignorance, hate mobs, death threats, propaganda, claims on vote rigging by both sides.
All during a massive financial collapse brought on by debt and greed.
Yay democracy. Yay capitalism.
America preaches the values... but can't set an example for the rest of the world.
Note how all the hate and ignorance seems to be coming from one small minded 40% of the country?
You then wonder why people downvote your comments?
Limbaugh would happily call you a feminazi, for daring to speak on his behalf.
Don't be offended by my saying that; it's Limbaugh's fault.
OPEN YOUR MIND -- and your eyes and ears too while you're at it.
You're up against slanderous, libelous traitors to your country, historical revisionists who hide their crimes with the absolute complicity of the mainstream media. The previous generation of radicals was busily sabotaging the war at home while you were having your arms broken. Expect no mercy now, and sure as hell don't expect "mainstream" liberals--lost to the Siren song of Hope-Change and "free" health care--to listen to "fair" Niceguy McCain.
If The Anointed One knows the radical histories of the company he keeps, then he is one of them.
If he really doesn't know or never knew, then he's a fool and still in no way fit to lead.
The "McCain liberals love and respect" is a loser and patsy. You better wake the f--k up.
Alex Jones was right and the democrates blocked wallstreet! WAKE THE #(@!( UP!
Don't give me the 'But.. But... Democratic Congress!!!' argument... Bush had six years of a Republican congress who rubber stamped anything the man put on paper.
To reward that party with another president is to suggest to them their tactics of fear (arabs, muslims, terror!!!!), pandering (here's $250 Joe Bob, now ignore the $500 we'll be taking later in taxes), and outright corruption (too many to name, but I will be glad to if anyone wants details) are the way you believe the country should be run.
I don't care if the Republicans ran the Second Coming of Christ (who, by the way, would never be a Republican with all his feed the hungry, visit the sick, and comfort the imprisoned schtick) I would have to vote against them because I cannot, and will not support the way they have been conducting themselves the last eight years, squandering our soldiers, our dollars, and our reputation in the world and at home.
I've had enough. So this independent voter is running a straight Democratic ticket coming election day.
http://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/make_believe_maverick_the_real_john_mccain
>> ^thepinky Speaking of taking things out of context, did you read the paragraph after the one that you quoted?
So you are saying that Limbaugh's after the fact apologetics amount to a retroactive recontextualization of what he said on the radio?
The paragraph you quote is not what followed on the radio show, it's how he is attempting to weasel his way out in the article. He has a well documented history of saying absurd and racist things and then making a stink that he was "just making a joke" or that his listeners "didn't take it that way" etc. The fact that he is trying to cover his ass does not indicate that he is not guilty as charged. I submit that his track record suggests exactly the opposite.
I'm not defending Limbaugh so much as criticizing the ad. Whatever Limbaugh's record may be, the comments were indeed taken shamelessly out of context, changing Limbaugh's meaning and expressing opinions for him that are obviously not his own.
I hate talk radio. Let me point out something about it. The hosts purposely say shocking, hateful, one-sided things in order to get the listeners excited enough to call in. Limbaugh does what he does. I'm sorry, but his extreme right-wing comments taken out of context are not exactly the best indicator of how McCain feels about Mexicans.
@thepinky, so Limbaugh's a saint, and those jokes weren't in bad taste because they were jokes intended to put words in the mouths of Democrats, and hence the offensive things he said are really the Democrats' fault, because they are the racists, in Limbaugh's opinion?
You then wonder why people downvote your comments?
Limbaugh would happily call you a feminazi, for daring to speak on his behalf.
Don't be offended by my saying that; it's Limbaugh's fault.
OPEN YOUR MIND -- and your eyes and ears too while you're at it.
No, he's not. In fact, I thoroughly dislike Limbaugh. Please see comment above. However, there is a difference between "jokes in bad taste" made by a shock jockey and taken out of context and McCain's immigration policy.
However, I see that I can't make you see that Obama is not perfect when it comes to ads. Please go about your business downvoting comments and videos that oppose you and forget that I ever dared to point out that Obama is a politician.
Here's the logic you're using to "make me see":
1. McCain Obama is friends with terrorists, at every rally, and in a flood of ads, nationwide.
2. Obama says McCain is friends with a racist (Rush Limbaugh) in a very targeted Spanish-language ad.
3. Therefore, both "play dirty", therefore McCain isn't any worse than Obama.
I'm sorry, McCain being a raging liar, impugning Obama's patriotism, and trying to get people to think he's some sort of terrorist threat, and using most of his campaign funds to push that message is not equivalent to trying to say McCain and Limbaugh are part of the same party.
Here's why:
1. McCain is, at best, grossly exaggerating the relationship to Ayers
2. Obama denounces Ayers' past actions
3. Ayers isn't massively involved in Democratic party politics
4. Obama is not lying by saying Limbaugh is supporting McCain
5. McCain does not denounce Limbaugh's support
6. Limbaugh is massively involved in Republican party politics
There's also something to be said about the volume at which the message is being put out -- I watch a lot of coverage of this campaign and I've never seen that Obama ad, or any mention of it. The McCain ads, on the other hand, are his main campaign message, and I see an ad about Ayers or some other bullshit in every commercial break.
OPEN YOUR MIND.
There isn't even a slight level of moral equivalency here.