When McCain talks about Obama on the stump, he trades his typical graciousness for sarcasm and contempt. When McCain lectured Obama about the future of Iraq last week, he did so with what The New York Times called "a tone of belittlement in his voice." McCain has also called Obamamania a swindle. "America is not deceived by an eloquent but empty call for change that promises no more than a holiday from history," he said in Wisconsin last month. And he has huffed that "I don't seek the presidency on the presumption that I am blessed with personal greatness." After Obama issued a press release last May noting that conditions were still dangerous enough in Iraq that McCain had been forced to wear a "flack jacket" during a public tour of a Baghdad market, a McCain release taunted Obama for his inexperience, adding, "By the way, Senator Obama, it's a 'flak' jacket, not a 'flack' jacket." For good measure, an unnamed McCain aide drove home the point to the Politico, saying that "Obama wouldn't know the difference between an RPG and a bong."Obama has swung back in similar, if somewhat milder, fashion. Yeah, somewhat milder. That's putting it mildly.
Obama has swung back in similar, if somewhat milder, fashion. Noting that McCain had changed his position on the Bush tax cuts, Obama joked last month that "the Straight Talk Express lost its wheels." Later, he cracked in a Democratic debate that McCain "traded his principles for his party's nomination." Snickering at the idea that McCain is a scourge of lobbyists, Obama recently said that "he takes their money and has put them in charge of his campaign."
March 11, 2008
John McCain and Barack Obama: "Each sees the other as a posturing phony."
Writes Michael Crowley:
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Well, I agree that Obamamania is a swindle. But the press doesn't like it when you're mean to Bambi.
Obama is rougher on McCain than he has been on Clinton. If he was less mild in his responses to Hillary he would be way ahead of her now instead of worying about being brokered out.
She keeps running as the candidate with real experience. All he had to do was hit her on her experience- make her prove, verify, and document it. Of course that could be a real problem. For Bill and Hill.
"Obama wouldn't know the difference between an RPG and a bong."
No, I guess he wouldn't.
"Each sees the other as a posturing phony."
And they are both right.
I'm sorry, but Obama's just doesn't have as much to work with. He can clip McCain for hypocricy at the edges regarding things like lobbyists, but the the truth is that McCain has been courageous on this issue. The Boeing case is a great example. Democrats seem to be looking out for small special interests - i.e., Boeing and their workers, McCain is looking out for the American people in general.
In contrast, Obama has very little substance to fall back on.
Which one of the MSM will be the first to raise the issue of McCain's mental stability?
Who knew that McCain could do zingers?
McCain "traded his principles for his party's nomination."
That's not mild, just vague.
Of course, Crowler isn't about to use the word "vague" anywhere near the name "Obama."
What Crowler misses is that while McCain accuses Obama of being naive, Obama, the mild one, accuses McCain of being corrupt. It's stupid vs. evil, and Crowley sides with stupid. He does this with a predictable act of mental substitution -- he quotes Obama's words but describes Obama's image. In this context, milder doesn't mean "milder." It means "taller and better looking." As in:
Obama has swung back in similar, if somewhat taller and better-looking, fashion.
Who knew that McCain could do zingers?
...anyone who remembers the "McCain Sings Streisand" sketch on SNL a few years back.
Obama is rougher on McCain than he has been on Clinton.
Well he ain't leading by much so he still has to at least play nice so he still gets offered that VP slot when she gets the nomination.
McCain can do zingers. Unfortunately, a certain percentage DO come across as petty and mean.
However, Obambi being unlikely to distinguish between an RPG and a bong is a good, funny one.
(Mental image of Obama on his one visit to Iraq curiously sniffing the backblast muzzle of an RPG at a captured weapons display to see if it had been used for pot or hash smoking.)
McCain's problem now is that he being rendered irrelevant by the infighting between Obama/Hillary and the DNC. Not to mention that he is taking a tact that will prove fatal for his campaign in that he wants to be perceived as a calm and demeanored senatorial presidential candidate who won't willfully attack his opponent, but would rather use artful dodgering and senatorial charisma to carry him into the White House instead.
McCain has already declared that he won't run a campaign that will attack Obama or Hillary and calls them honorable Senators, blah blah blah. He's already laid down the groundwork for his defeat and in his defeat when he goes back to the Senate, he won't be perceived or seen as being bully and therefore will still be able to do business as a Senator and not get shunned when Democrats take over. Either way he loses and Republicans and Republicanism takes a back seat for 25 years and Conservatives and sit back and watch their hard earned capital and equity evaporate, along with everyone else before their eyes as the Marxist/Socialists take over running the country into the ground with their ineptitude in economic matters, their ineptitude in foreign policy matters, their ineptitude in legal matters, their ineptitude at administration, their ineptitude at domestic affairs, et. al.
Sure, you can make the case now that the current president has displayed ineptitude at all levels in the two terms he's been in office, but the problem with that is, is that history won't bear that out beyond the typical leftist/liberal derangement of all things Bush. What we will see here with an Obama or Clinton presidency is a complete racking of government and social policies going Marxist all because McCain doesn't understand that he has to win this Presidential campaign like he is going to fight a war to win it, but is instead going to fight this war to once again become a POW of it and this time becomes tortured by it just so he can look like a nice guy on his public face.
(Mental image of Obama on his one visit to Iraq curiously sniffing the backblast muzzle of an RPG at a captured weapons display to see if it had been used for pot or hash smoking.)
It's already been done: Tyne Daly looking up the back end of a LAW as it is being demonstrated. Dirty Harry picking her up by the stacking swivel (jacket collar) and yanking her out of the back blast
"The Enforcer", 1976
Obama is a milquetoast. Three times he's had HRC on the ropes, and three times he could not finish it. If he can't take her out, he can't take out McCain. McCain enjoys a good rumble, and Obama's public persona indicates someone who REALLY doesn't like getting his suit mussed (metaphorically speaking). Politics is war by other means, and the Democrats' likely field commander doesn't seem to be up to commanding the troops...unless he's commanding them to faint.
McCain's pandered so much to the Rep base -- including embracing a Pope-is-the-antiChrist-evangelist that even Bob Jones or Oral Roberts would look down upon -- that he should rename the Straight Talk Express the Bullshit Jitney.
sordid: Obama's got to pull his punches against the Hillmonster, lest he be thought an uppity black misogynist.
Methadras wrote: McCain's problem now is that he being rendered irrelevant by the infighting between Obama/Hillary and the DNC.
It's a long, long way to the general election. Right now, his opponents are tearing each other apart. When your enemy is self-destructing, don't interfere. (Sun Tzu--and still good advice, after all these years.)
Not to mention that he is taking a tact that will prove fatal for his campaign in that he wants to be perceived as a calm and demeanored senatorial presidential candidate who won't willfully attack his opponent, but would rather use artful dodgering and senatorial charisma to carry him into the White House instead.
It's a long way to the general. It doesn't hurt to be nice--for now.
McCain has already declared that he won't run a campaign that will attack Obama or Hillary and calls them honorable Senators, blah blah blah.
Senator McCain is going to run a campaign of ideas against Senator Obama, a very likeable Democrat. He'll have plenty of bloggers, TV pundits, and anonymous campaign aides to attack Obama's character/person in a more direct fashion. We are MONTHS away from the general election, and it seems like YEARS. What with the speed of the internets, this election cycle is excrutiating. If McCain wants to wait until 8 weeks before the general election before unloading the big guns on Obama, that's just smart strategy.
He's already laid down the groundwork for his defeat and in his defeat when he goes back to the Senate, he won't be perceived or seen as being bully and therefore will still be able to do business as a Senator and not get shunned when Democrats take over. Either way he loses and Republicans and Republicanism takes a back seat for 25 years and Conservatives and sit back and watch their hard earned capital and equity evaporate, along with everyone else before their eyes as the Marxist/Socialists take over running the country into the ground with their ineptitude in economic matters, their ineptitude in foreign policy matters, their ineptitude in legal matters, their ineptitude at administration, their ineptitude at domestic affairs, et. al.
Dems win one election, and it's goodnight gracie for America? No way. We've been in the White House for the past 7 years. Democrat voters are itching to put one of their own in the White House. This is the best possible election cycle in American history to be a leftwing Dem.
Sure, you can make the case now that the current president has displayed ineptitude at all levels in the two terms he's been in office, but the problem with that is, is that history won't bear that out beyond the typical leftist/liberal derangement of all things Bush. What we will see here with an Obama or Clinton presidency is a complete racking of government and social policies going Marxist all because McCain doesn't understand that he has to win this Presidential campaign like he is going to fight a war to win it, but is instead going to fight this war to once again become a POW of it and this time becomes tortured by it just so he can look like a nice guy on his public face.
Senator McCain is a tougher guy than you give him credit. Just look how he kept interrupting the NYT reporter. He's not a pushover. He's just being polite. POW. 5.5 years in Viet-fucking-nam. Tortured. Arms broken. Every hour of his life, do you think he doesn't notice that he can't lift his arms over his shoulders? Do you think he's forgotten?
It's possible to be polite AND to kick ass at the same time. Sen. McCain can't afford to be pigeonholed as a jerk who is making vaguely racist attacks against Sen. Obama. He has to take the high road--for now.
Sen. McCain is the best possible candidate for this election cycle. Republican primary voters aren't stupid and they aren't RINOs. They expressed their collective wisdom, which as it turns out, was actually pretty wise. Show some respect to the Republicans who chose Sen. McCain. Show some respect to the man himself. If there's anyone who can win in November, it's him.
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