Patrick Ruffini - like this blogger, no great fan of John McCain - has a delightful rebuttal to the chosen message by which Democrats hope to pummel McCain in the coming months. The DNC, et. al. is going to tell us ad nauseam in the coming months that John McCain equals George Bush. The problem is voters have an entrenched opinion, once one gets outside the universe of partisan Democrats, which stands in opposition to that conclusion. Or has Ruffini says: "Excuse me while I McYawn."
Case in point: John McCain comes to the Northwest talking global warming, explicitly breaking from 43, and runs this ad:
Sure, his conservative base isn't exactly thrilled (for good reasons noted here and related to here as well), but it simply affirms the point: the "McSame" theme is laughable.
UPDATE: Commenter Ida/JK has been deleted. He/she is the previously banned Steve/Conservative not Republican/Sue.
Posted by Eric Earling at May 12, 2008 07:49 PM | Email ThisIf he cared about the environment, he'd be clamoring to get us out of Iraq.
Posted by: Unkl Witz on May 12, 2008 08:48 PMThey differ on the few issues Bush has stood by his conservative principles somewhat such opposing the green lobby.
Quite frankly we can not afford a McCain presidency any more than we can afford a clinton or obama presidency. But a McCain presidency will destroy the GOP and any hope at fiscal and monetary reform that is desperately needed.
Posted by: Lysander on May 12, 2008 09:55 PMIt's not hard to understand why Al Gore makes his chicken little confabulations. He stands to make a profit off of many of the green businesses which will benefit from his Marxist ploy. But one would hope McCain would be surrounded by several intelligent people (who might make up his future cabinet, etc.) who should be pouring lots of cold water on such hyperbole. Anyone who does an even cursory look at the state of climate science would conclude that the Earth is not warming, nor is there any sense at all in chasing a climate bogeyman for a possible mitigation of .7 degrees Celsius over 50 years. Is there not one rational mind on the McCain bus?
It's pretty clear that John McCain is indeed a Maverick. He's got his own view of reality, and he clings to it like a pit bull. For all those lefties that express constant derangement with respect to Bush, there is probably some justifiable concern over McCain. As much as McCain often falls on the Marxist side of the fence, there will be many right leaning issues where he clings to his isolation-chamber-honed stubbornness that will make Bush look like child's play.
It's tough choice this year, Dud or Dud Light. The good news is that this is a one term Carter-like disaster in the making.
The only sane reason to even cast a presidential ballot, is for the possibility, and it is slight, that McCain will appoint strict constructionist judges to the SCOTUS.
By the time our 44th President is done wreaking havoc, we are going to badly need a sane interpretation of the US Constitution.
Posted by: Jeff B. on May 12, 2008 10:25 PMConservative pundits and pollsters are painting a worst case scenario for the GOP and most on the ground grumpily agree. Liberals are wetting their pants with gleeful anticipation of their rightful coronation
So, which party will be more shocked when they lose in te fall... the one with low expectations or the ones with the wet pants?
Posted by: Ragnar Danneskjold on May 12, 2008 10:28 PMNo conservative could ever vote for McCain after hearing that program!
If you don't trust the link go find it for yourself. Google Mark Levin. Click on his web site. Go to the "audio" section of his web site and then click on the May 12th program. It really is simple as that.
But then again, with facts it will force you to think, and it is much easier just to go with whomever the Republicans throw out regardless of how socialist that person may be.
Posted by: Larry on May 12, 2008 10:34 PMBut the subtext of this ad is that we need to do something about energy for national security reasons. That will sail right over the heads of the global warming alarmists, but it makes good sense to me.
As for McCain being the same as Bush, whoever believes that has not been paying much attention for the last 8 years. The two have been at loggerheads more often than not.
You need to update your facts, as of April the long term increase is only 0.1 C. The trend has actually been down for the past 10 years, 1998 being the peak. The sun's energy output is very low right now and for some unknown reason is not returning to normal that is why there has been a record drop in tempertures even with an absense of normal global cooling events like high sulfur volcanos. C02 does continue to rise from all time record lows. I do believe that man is causing a small amount of global warming, due to pavement, buildings, and a little bit because of CO2, and for the most part it is a good thing.
The current thinking is that global warming will cause less hurricanes and less tornados not more, note that McCain's ad is out of date already.
The problem I have with McCain on the subject, he is aligning with the environmental zealots who are driving out rational scientists.
Posted by: John McDonald on May 13, 2008 06:23 AMBack to the bong and beer buddy.
By the way, I see your girl is talking about packing it in. LOL!
Posted by: Army Medic/Vet on May 13, 2008 06:34 AMIt's normal for 'delusion' to rear it's head at this point, but this is utterly ridiculous! :)
Rep. Tom Davis, a Virginia Republican and former chairman of the NRCC, told the WaPo, "The House Republican brand is so bad right now that if it were a dog food, they'd take it off the shelf."
Your "talent" has a real problem this year with the public reaction to your last eight years.
Sort of agree with you, if your prespective is getting Republicans elected. I was a passionate money-sending-in Republican, but now I really don't care if they win because they don't share my values at all.
Under the Republicans we have seen:
1. The fastest expansion of the government EVER!
2. The fastest erosion of private property rights
3. No success in doing anything for pro-lifers
4. No success in doing anything about a single government entitlement
5. Horrible preparation and response to Katrina
6. Nepotism running rampant
7. Continued money going to support terror groups
8. Losses in the war on terror in Sudan, Uzibekistan, Lebannon, Somalia, Nigeria, etc.
9. Putting innocent soliders in jail and threatening them with the death penalty.
10. Nominating personal lawyer to the Supereme Court.
11. Actively fighting against border control
12. Putting innocent border control agents in jail
The list just goes on an on ... I'll never confuse a Republican with a Conservative in my life again. Republicanism is a brand, Democrats are a brand -- sort of like Coke v. Pepsi. Neither party really gives a rip about what they put into too law, they only care about positioning themselves for the next election. Clinton was in reality much more conservative than Bush. McCain, I won't vote for him.
This will be a great election to lose, at least Obama is a real communist.
Posted by: John McDonald on May 13, 2008 07:08 AMYou hit it. With Barr in the fight will McCain keep tracking left, or move to the right?
As of now he has been sticking his party in the eye.
I'm pretty sure will find out soon.
Posted by: Army Medic/Vet on May 13, 2008 07:37 AMI said that would be the least of our problems if he's elected, but duly noted.
Posted by: Palouse on May 13, 2008 07:46 AMI think it may be indicative as to just how desperate you are to find something to cling to in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary that your world view is collapsing around you.
You folks have to broaden your news and information sources. Listen to someone other than Rush/Hannity/Medved/O'Reily/Levin and this blog. They are lying to you, just like Bush/Cheney lied to you for eight years.
You don't want to be the last to know.
You should explain to Ms. Palouse that holding one's hand to one's chest has nothing to do with patriotism. That it is just a meaningless gesture much like saying amen after enduring a prayer you don't particularly agree with.
Tell her Obama really is a patriot who loves his country so much he tries to help and make it better. Tell her that after he graduated from the most prestigious law school in the nation, he skipped the opportunity to go to work for a large corporation or law firm and make tons of money very quickly. Instead, he returned to Chicago to work to help poor folks.
Then remind her that patriotism is not loving that colored rag hanging in the back of the picture. Patriotism is loving your country, and all the people in it. Not just the ones you'd like anyway.
Expect to see that picture again this year. Just like I'm sure all of the liberal 527's are ready to queue up every picture of McCain appearing with Bush.
Posted by: Palouse on May 13, 2008 08:19 AMObama-nation is an abomination.
Posted by: Rick D. on May 13, 2008 08:28 AMBut shame on you for not explaining the difference to Ms. Palouse when that "teaching moment" arrived. And shame on all the 527's on both sides of the aisle who will try as hard as they can to make these meaningless gestures into reasons to vote for or against a certain candidate. That is unpatriotic. If they really loved their country, they would stop that kind of crap and get back to the important policy issues that will actually matter in the long run, like what is best for this country we really do love.
Oh, and tell Ms. Palouse that Unkl Witz grew up in the rolling hills of western Nebraska where his family raised dry land wheat. Tell her that he loves to travel through the Palouse because it reminds him of his very happy boyhood in those wheat fields.
And while you're at it, tell Michelle we really don't give a damn what Obama's dad was or thought. Here again, that has nothing to do with what's best for this country.
Posted by: Unkl Witz on May 13, 2008 09:08 AMWe have to take a stand somewhere, this country is creeping into socialism at an alarming rate. We have had a wonderful country and still do.
America has lifted millions out of poverty through our form of capitialism, in my travels I see western economics making massive improvements in India, China, Turkey, Ukraine, everywhere. People can educate themselves via the internet, health research is going faster than ever before thanks to the US Medical companies, research and the development of wireless telecommunications (all american technology) has given phones to the poor nations, saving and improving lives worldwide. We have taken in the world's poor, conquered disease, given away more money than any society in the history of the world, defeated the worst atheistic tyrants in history, have honored the individual through private property rights, free speech, freedom of religion, a list of freedoms now copied in numerous countries. Our food delivery system through continuous refrigeration (an american invention), has lowered food waste, lessened food bourn diseases worldwide saving millions of lives (thanks to McDonald's). For example, fifteen years ago I could not eat a meal in mainland China or E. Europe without a massive risk of getting sick, now I can thanks to the efforts of american multi-national fast food companies and their quality standards. American research into semiconductors magnetics, etc. has allow computers to be available to everyone, created sensors that save lives everyday, the american GPS system is saving fuel through better routing, locating lost sailors, and bombing the crap out of terrorists. The list goes on an on ... Sit down for 10 min and right down as many American inventions, American cultural advancements as you can. Plastics (american) saving fuel, improveing and saving lives everyday. Remember we were the European rejects - not bad for a bunch of rejects :-).
The list goes on and on ... be proud to be an American (wink Michele Obama). Let's not give into pandering politicians who buy votes, destroy the value of the dollar, promise free health care (another communist lie). Work hard, enjoy freedom, and believe in a higher power.
Posted by: John McDonald on May 13, 2008 09:24 AMMcCain's fiscal policy and stance on the war on terror are enough for me to support him, even though I disagree with him on several issues (AGW mainly). But I listen to Mrs Palouse's opinion on issues and candidates because she is pretty reflective of people who don't follow politics closely, but votes.
I spent many great years on the Palouse, and it's where I met Mrs Palouse, so it has a special place in my heart.
Posted by: Palouse on May 13, 2008 09:34 AMFar be it from me to get between you and the Mrs on political matters. I suspect you and I probably agree on more things than you might think as well. Like fiscal responsibility and limiting the role of government. And there are a lot of things about John McCain that I like.
But I can't abide by his support for a war that has destroyed one nation and will destroy our own nation as well.
And I don't think it reflects well on either you or Mrs. Palouse to post her rather shallow political emotions on this forum.
"As a rule, I am very careful to be shallow and conventional where depth and originality are wasted."
- Lucy Maud Montgomery
http://www.aim.org/aim-report/is-barack-obama-a-marxist-mole/
Hillary's senior paper was also glowingly about Alinsky. Many American aviator Viet Nam POW's were "handled" and "indoctrinated" for years by the KGB: Was McCain one of them?
Comrade Obama is an enemy of the United States; Hillary is borderline; McCain cannot be trusted. Remember, Russia was overthrown by a revolution within a revolution by communists, who subsequently murdered millions. History repeats itself unless we learn its lessons. The most frequently charged federal crime is conspiracy.
This is not politics as usual.
Posted by: The Pirate on May 13, 2008 10:39 AMI'm not concerned, about posting it or your opinion of it. Neither is she. Neither of us make apologies for our opinions, maybe that's why we've lasted so long.
Her comment about that picture resonated with me, because I'm willing to bet there's alot of other people out there who don't follow politics closely who also think he's not patriotic. The whole perception is reality thing is quite true in politics. While you may not believe it, that doesn't mean a whole lot of other people who vote, do.
Posted by: Palouse on May 13, 2008 10:53 AMNot all voters, Eric. Just Republican ones (and ones who don't pay much attention to politics). The problem is that independents are going to start seeing a McCain that is very different from their long-held perceptions when they see him spouting Republican talking points about the war and the economy in debates.
Then again, he may decide that he needs to "throw Bush under the bus" the way Obama did with Wright. Either way, he probably loses. There just isn't a large enough constituency of people in the country right now to send someone with an R next to their name to the White House.
Posted by: thehim on May 13, 2008 01:22 PMYour bong.
Posted by: thehim on May 13, 2008 01:25 PMYou could have read any number of websites in 2004 that said the same thing, followed by alot of liberal exploding heads when he was re-elected. And despite the sweeping victory by Democrats in 2006, what exactly has improved so much since that will resonate with voters? Not a whole lot. I hope the rest of the Democrats underestimate McCain, like so many underestimated Bush.
Posted by: Palouse on May 13, 2008 01:32 PM
Ricky D and Ragnar will be more than happy to associate anyone with the slightest left leanings with communism. It's not just Obama. These same individuals also believe that the world was created in 7 days and the Sun revolves around the Earth.
"the world was created in 7 days and the Sun revolves around the Earth"?
Even Ragnar isn't that stupid....
Now Ricky D? Perhaps so.
Posted by: Unkl Witz on May 13, 2008 01:39 PMI called Obama a Neo-Marxist. He'd probably call himself that too if he had a lick of integrity, but alas, he can't even decide day to day whether or not to wear a lapel pin.
Which way is the breeze blowing today Barry?
Posted by: Rick D. on May 13, 2008 04:01 PMAnd calling someone a communist just doesn't quite stick anymore. That worked pretty well in the 50's and it might still work in whatever godforesaken trailer park you live in, but it's just not the bogieman it used to be.
Can we move on to the issues now, like Global Warming and the War in Iraq and the Economy? And leave the name-calling where it belongs??
Grow up Michelle!
Posted by: Unkl Witz on May 13, 2008 05:13 PMYou're quite welcome.
Posted by: Michele on May 13, 2008 05:20 PM
