Arizona Senator John McCain (official)

[RB07OSU]

Originally Posted by Buck88

McCain versus Hillary? That's the best we have in this country?

God help us.

I know this was posted awhile back and Obama is in it now, but this is how I feel. I see it as this: McCain does cater to both sides but I don't see how that is a weakness all of the time. Not voting along party lines means you might actually vote honestly and not let the strings move the puppet from your constituents. On the other hand, can Republicans trust McCain to actually vote along the platform he is selling now that he is running for president?

None of the candidates take a strong stance on abortion (which is important to me but not the rest of the country right now). McCain's suggestion to give the decision back to the states may be seemingly more "constitutional" but I think it will only complicate the matter and make it nearly impossible to ever ban it nationally. Yes, it will likely decline significantly but from what I've heard, it will complicate the issue even further. I don't see how it's so unrealistic...I honestly think it's one more Sam Alito away from being banned nationally. It's not about what's realistic, it's about what McCain wants there.

On the war, I think McCain has a good grasp on the situation, moreso than the rest of the field. He knows how complicated the situation is and how far Iraq is from being stable. For awhile I have been losing support for the war but then again, if we pull out there are going to be repurcussions...how serious I don't know but I just see Al-Qaeda waiting for us to leave. I think we need to progressively keep pulling more and more troops out and eventually leave completely. I think McCain is a bit too dug in at this point and Obama seems to have a bit more reasonable suggestion on the war as of now.

On universal health care...not sure what to think yet. Mili, how is it working in Hawaii? OregonBuckeye, how bout in Oregon? All my friends in med school say they will quit the second a Democrat gets in because of universal health care. I always liked it being privately done amongst businesses for the most part but with the economy getting as bad as it is, the gov't may need to do something.

I think McCain has done some great work as a senator (like the McCain-Feildgold...it's a step in the right direction) but I do agree he does get a bit too liberal at times. I think the vital thing for McCain right now is just to work on the independants+his own party, while Obama and Hillary bicker it out. Even more importantly is getting his vice...I think either of Romney or Huckabee would be a huge hit and in my opinion Huckabee would be the best, simply because that would go over well with evangelicals and more conservatives. I also hope he elects one of those 2 because I wanted one of those 2 to win the Republican candidacy in the first place

[shetuck]

Reuters: McCain campaign suspends staffer for race video

McCain campaign suspends staffer for race video

Thu Mar 20, 5:10 PM ET

Republican John McCain's presidential campaign on Thursday suspended a staffer for sending a racially charged video involving Democrat Barack Obama and his controversial preacher.

The campaign said Soren Dayton was disciplined after it was learned that he had been sending out the video, which the Internet site Politico.com said used the controversial words of the Rev. Jeremiah Wright to portray Obama as unpatriotic.

"We have been very clear on the type of campaign we intend to run and this staffer acted in violation of our policy. He has been reprimanded by campaign leadership and suspended from the campaign," said McCain spokeswoman Jill Hazelbaker.

Dayton had no role in the McCain communications office and was described as a low-level staffer who sent out the video via a device used for online social networking.

cont'd...

[Indica]

mccain could be a good president but I am tired of our leaders being completely clueless about the islamic world and the various cultures that it consists of. at least obama can pronounce pakistan, something that no other american that i've met can do.

[tibor75]

Originally Posted by RB07OSU

On the war, I think McCain has a good grasp on the situation, moreso than the rest of the field. He knows how complicated the situation is and how far Iraq is from being stable.

yeah, that's why he's confused basic facts about al qaida and iran multiple times in the past 2 weeks.

[BuckeyeMike80]

Originally Posted by tibor75

yeah, that's why he's confused basic facts about al qaida and iran multiple times in the past 2 weeks.

Yeah we know Tibby, you're the only one with any grasp of any situation...run along adults are talking here

[Wingate1217]

Originally Posted by tibor75

yeah, that's why he's confused basic facts about al qaida and iran multiple times in the past 2 weeks.

Tibs,

I have been out of pocket the last couple of weeks. Do you care to elaborate on your above quote?

[ORD_Buckeye]

Actually, Tibs is spot on about McCain's gaffes regarding militantly Shiite Iran and militantly Sunni Al Qaeda. Now, I don't think that McCain is THAT ignorant about the fundamental basics of middle eastern politics. I just think he's cynically crawling into the gutter to pander to the NASCAR mouthbreathers in his base who couldn't begin to discern the difference if Rush attempted to spell it out for them in monkey talk.

What's next from the Straight Talk Express, a lengthy disposition on how man once used dinosaurs to pull farm plows--The Flintstones as documentary?

That kind of cheap political pandering from the supposed "straight talker" is, in my opinion, even worse than being ignorant of the situation in the first place.

[methomps]

Originally Posted by Wingate1217

Tibs,

I have been out of pocket the last couple of weeks. Do you care to elaborate on your above quote?

Washington Wire - WSJ.com : McCain Stumbles on Iran and Al Qaeda

McCain, who had visited Iraq a day earlier to talk with military commanders and Iraqi officials, spoke at an event in Amman, Jordan, where he expressed concern about Iranians ?taking al Qaeda into Iran, training them and sending them back? to Iraq. But Iran and al Qaeda are associated with different branches of Islam. Iran is a mostly Shiite country and al Qaeda is primarily a Sunni militant group; Iran has been reported to help Shiite extremists in Iraq, but not their Sunni counterparts.

McCain was flanked by the two other members of his congressional delegation: Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman and South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, who are both supporters and close friends. According to a report in the Washington Post, Lieberman later whispered into McCain?s ear, prompting McCain to correct himself: ?I?m sorry, the Iranians are training extremists, not al Qaeda.?

[BuckeyeMike80]

Originally Posted by ORD_Buckeye

Actually, Tibs is spot on about McCain's gaffes regarding militantly Shiite Iran and militantly Sunni Al Qaeda. Now, I don't think that McCain is THAT ignorant about the fundamental basics of middle eastern politics. I just think he's cynically crawling into the gutter to pander to the NASCAR mouthbreathers in his base who couldn't begin to discern the difference if Rush attempted to spell it out for them in monkey talk.

Well if the limp-wristed tofu-eating liberal elitists didn't look down at the NASCAR types....

You get where I'm going. Damn that was condescending and I can't stand NASCAR.

[ekeen]

Originally Posted by BuckeyeMike80

Well if the limp-wristed tofu-eating liberal elitists didn't look down at the NASCAR types....

You get where I'm going. Damn that was condescending and I can't stand NASCAR.

Damn man! You forgot: effeminate, unattractive, unusual, socially retarded and dependant. Get those stereotypes right man!

[Buckeyeskickbuttocks]

Originally Posted by BuckeyeMike80

Well if the limp-wristed tofu-eating liberal elitists didn't look down at the NASCAR types....

You get where I'm going. Damn that was condescending and I can't stand NASCAR.

Originally Posted by ekeen

Damn man! You forgot: effeminate, unattractive, unusual, socially retarded and dependant. Get those stereotypes right man!

"Come again?"

John Glenn - Was taking his giant balls in to space on authority of nothing more than a few geeks with calculators while you were talking "big" about how soft Dems are.

[BuckeyeMike80]

Originally Posted by Buckeyeskickbuttocks

"Come again?"

John Glenn - Was taking his giant balls in to space on authority of nothing more than a few geeks with calculators while you were talking "big" about how soft Dems are.

Ok I'll raise your John Glenn with a William F Buckley Jr.



Seriously though, you missed the point of my post (I think I hope).....

[BuckeyeMike80]

Originally Posted by ekeen

Damn man! You forgot: effeminate, unattractive, unusual, socially retarded and dependant. Get those stereotypes right man!

I didn't need it simply because in every political philosophy there are NASCAR fans (trust me there are) just like what he describes.

I didn't need it because my point wasn't what liberals are or aren't, it's that stereotypes do absolutely NOTHING to further the conversation.

That's why politics in this country suck. Rich people (they're greedy the bastids), poor people (lazy), white people (racists) - you get the point. Everyone is friggin stereotyped these days. So much for everyone is equal. Instead of that everyone is now grouped by their ethnicity, monetary status - everything and it's been that way for a LONG time now.

And as with the "mouth-breathing NASCAR" types he denigrates, there are smart people on both sides too.

There's no need for that here. I thought we were above it

[Buckeyeskickbuttocks]

Not really, Bmike... I'm just [censored]ing around. Way too early to be worried about any of this.

[ekeen]

Originally Posted by Buckeyeskickbuttocks

"Come again?"

John Glenn - Was taking his giant balls in to space on authority of nothing more than a few geeks with calculators while you were talking "big" about how soft Dems are.

We aren't talking about John Glenn when we poke fun with those stereotypes. Glenn is in our fraternity so of course we couldn't fault him. I don't even fault Carville since he's one of us too. Frankly I wouldn't mind having a beer with both of them.