Bush sharper than McCain? Ok Now I'm worried.

"President Putin of Germany..."
- John McCain



I like him.
John McCain.
I do. Always have.

Even when some of his policies and positions jibbed with my own I still felt he could be electable and worthy of a vote. Mostly because I always thought that he tried his best at times in a party that didn't fully accept him. He reminded me of that one guy on a football team that looked like he should be there but it was clear that he shouldn't. McCain is that sort of guy that at times goes out of his way for approval, while trying still to hold on to some sort of independence. He'll pander and sing the horrible "Bomb Bomb Iran" song then try and play peacemaker.

It was his duality dance between democrat and republican that I respected. I felt that most politicians should attempt such a thing and not be so polarizing. To me they would be at least more tolerable, but even though they are all the same they must make us feel that they are different than the "other group". Cool. I get it.

Personally I can forgive a gaffe and have a good laugh at one. I've laughed at a few from both candidates but admittedly since I am always bombarded with the very active anti-Obama campaign I just seemed to focus on him specifically, or rather debate the sometimes outrageous and unfounded charges being leveled at him by the more zealous supporters of his opponent.

The one thing I noticed from all the online attack topics about Obama is they never mention their support for McCain. In fact his name rarely comes up at all or is summarily dismissed when it does. This could leave some to wonder if these attackers were conservatives at all and just independent/undecided voters that can't stand Obama. I think that may be the reason why McCain is ignored.

The bottom line is that it all kept my focus off McCain...which was good for him. Although I have watched cringing as he delivered some of his on-air speeches and interviews (particular the depressing "Change we can believe in" one) I just ended up being left with some sort of real pity for this man. Like watching your grandfather stumbling confused about how to work the remote control and you just feel compelled to try and help him. His speeches were far worse that some of the confounding doozies Bush left us with. After looking a little deeper and listening a little more though I have come to a definitive conclusion.

McCain seems genuinely lost. More so than our current president.

It isn't that I cannot understand the effects of jet-lag and campaign fatigue (I have defended both candidates with this argument) and it isn't that he slips up like Bush does in certain areas, it just actually seems as if he REALLY has no clue what is going on and where is. What disturbed me most was that after looking over some of the things that come out of his mouth I began to wonder if senility had set in. Anyone that says his age shouldn't be considered is in denial. It most definitely should. Aging can have a serious effect on the mind, more so in some than others. It is something I have considered while listening to him and I asked myself a serious question.

Is he brazenly lying, or losing his memory?

Take for example his trip to Iraq.

He explained that it was safe to walk the streets and neighborhoods and that he didn't wear body armor. He also went on to say that General David Petraeus didn't ride in an armored Humvee.



In reality he was guarded by over 100 men, was CERTAINLY wearing body armor and had three Blackhawk helicopters and two Apache gunships. Petraeus of course did ride in an armored vehicle and had no problem contradicting McCains odd claim. This is where I seriously started to consider my opinion of this man. I couldn't tell if he is lying to make Iraq seem safer or he absolutely forgot that one overwhelming detail of his trip. Neither answer is promising or gives me more confidence in the man.

Bush, although far from being an eloquent speaker flubbed words or phrases here and there but there was never such a general confusion about current events that I noticed in McCain speeches or interviews. This worries me because in my mind the next president should...must...be able to correct the current mess left by this administration. The man to do this has to be mentally capable and in my opinion exceed the capabilities of President Bush. Bush trumps McCain on this in my opinion.

I was aware of most of McCains odd comments but seeing them strung together in such a way as they are in the videos of the following threads gives you a good impression of how at times McCain not only contradicts himself...but flat out forgets or lies about his positions, experience and the actions of others.

McCain Dazed and Confused

Whoops: McCain volunteers wife for topless contest

MCain-Can't Operate a Computer

John McCain: Lost in Space

Is this why everyone is talking about Obama instead of looking at McCain?

I'm beginning to think so.

- Lee

Funny you should make this post, since on my way home today I was listening to an XM radio broadcast of John's town hall meeting in Erie PA.. I was not impressed, to say the least, especially considering that town hall meetings are supposed to be his forte, the place where he feels most comfortable and is most effective.. This is *not* good - listening to him interrupt questioners repeatedly to get in comments like "Thank you for your service", or to drop in complete non-sequiteur bad jokes that weren't funny, or even remotely relevant to the subject being discussed. The repeated foreign gaffes, also, like referring to a country that hasn't existed for about 15 years now, or making basic geographical mistakes, again, the area he's supposed to be strongest, also do not fill me with confidence.

I agree that it's quite plausible that he's suffering from the effects of aging, and if this is the case now, in four years time, how bad will it be? The job of president is not really less demanding than the campaign trail, or at least, should not be, if it's done correctly.

I'm not really an Obama supporter either, but I think if the country chooses McCain, it's in for a very rough time. We don't need another leader that's inarticulate, and confused about even basic concepts. I'm really tired of the lack of concentration on what exactly both candidates are going to do to change things - Paris Hilton should not have a more articulate energy plan than two Presidential candidates. Personally, I'd love to see an indepth interview with both candidates, even with time to prepare answers to questions ahead of time, but with an interviewer that would stop the rhetoric every time it got started, and force them to flesh out their ideas and policies with actual explanations, instead of allowing every word out of their mouths to be vague promises and slanders on the other candidate.

E.g, John McCain, in the broadcast I was listening to, said "We need to expand the military". I want an interviewer that could say "Ok, you say that, but given that the majority of the country is against war, and we have the biggest military in the world by many orders of magnitude by far, and a multi billion dollar deficit, can you please lay out the exact reasons we need a larger military morally, diplomatically, and how you intend to finance this expansion economically, whilst simultaneously maintaining tax cuts, and putting other money into x,y,z. How do you reconcile this expansion with the deficit, or is it simply that you don't, and cannot?."

I think if you had that kind of an interview with both candidates, and a big buzzer to press every time they gave a generic vague answer, you'd soon find out who the candidate you actually want is.. We shouldn't be choosing the next president based on what the pundits say and think, because honestly 99.9% of what they have to say is completely and utterly inconsequential in terms of how the country will actually be run for the next four years..

I'm going to say it again.

How the hell is McCain the guy who got the Republican nomination?

reply to post by Johnmike


I couldnt agree more.
The more and more videos i watch of Ron Paul - the more and more i smell a pro-war conspiracy from deep within the halls of the GOP.

That and the fact that McCain is nowhere near Republican principles, even classical or neoconservative. It makes no sense. He never had any real support, and then he started destroying everyone in the polls?

It's enough to make me wonder if something fishy is going on. McCain, who was seen as more of a closet Democrat (RINO, Republican In Name Only), and Obama who has almost no experience at all? And the Libertarian candidate is a neocon, too.

What the hell? It really makes you wonder. Remember, guys. In this election, we get to "choose!"

[edit on 13-8-2008 by Johnmike]

Originally posted by Inannamute

I think if you had that kind of an interview with both candidates, and a big buzzer to press every time they gave a generic vague answer, you'd soon find out who the candidate you actually want is.. We shouldn't be choosing the next president based on what the pundits say and think, because honestly 99.9% of what they have to say is completely and utterly inconsequential in terms of how the country will actually be run for the next four years..

Oh certainly.

I'd love to see a Q&A with both these guys and have them really lay out their answers.

It's funny though, I don't think conservative pundits want to shower praise of support on McCain very often...or more than needed which is why they focus on attacking Obama. I honestly don't believe his party is enthusiastic about him at all. Some said they'd vote Democrat before voting for him.

All I can say is I hope they sharpen his pencil before the debate because he could literally fall apart on stage. He won't have Lieberman to bail him out either. Not something I'd want to see.

Thanks for the info.

- Lee

Originally posted by Johnmike
I'm going to say it again.

How the hell is McCain the guy who got the Republican nomination?

I blame Planet X.
Something cosmic could only be the result of this unlikely choice.

The conservatives I know don't like him but they don't want Obama for Prez so to quote the great philosopher Homer...Simpson

"Well, what are you gonna do?"

- Lee

Obama - An inexperienced politician that has flip flopped on almost every issue. Sometimes on the same day.

McCain - A senile old man that probably needs help putting on his clothes in the morning, and has flip flopped on almost every issue. Sometimes in the same day.

You guys are really stuck between a rock and a hard place. Vote third party.

Originally posted by ben420
Obama - An inexperienced politician that has flip flopped on almost every issue. Sometimes on the same day.

McCain - A senile old man that probably needs help putting on his clothes in the morning, and has flip flopped on almost every issue. Sometimes in the same day.

You guys are really stuck between a rock and a hard place. Vote third party.

You are correct, and I am worried.
Nader can't save us from one of these two.

- Lee

No third party candidate has even a hope of winning the presidency until people believe that a third party has a hope of winning the presidency..

The vast majority of people nowadays, I believe, if they vote at all, vote for the candidate they dislike the least, not for a candidate they believe in. Even if they believe in a third party candidate, there's really no reason to waste your vote on one (most people think) because they cannot win, and by wasting your vote on someone who is unable to win, you could end up stuck with the candidate you like the least.

Eg, some Nader fans might end up voting Obama, because they don't want to be stuck with McCain, and view Obama as the lesser of two evils, or vice versa. Until the media supports a third party candidate, until a third party is given equal time, weight and voice, nobody but a republican or a democrat can win, and since nobody but a republican or democrat can win, the media won't pay any attention to anyone else, and nobody will vote 3rd party. It's a self defeating catch 22 situation.

What you really need, as well as a Red party, and a Blue party, is a White party, that stood for the third color in the flag (not anything else), that stood for purity, honesty, accountability, and all the things that the current parties just simply do not offer.

Aaaah Lee, the Liberal Boob is at it again.

Fact is, both McCain and Bush show their experience and wisdom time and time again, and through this most recent crisis.

How did Obama do?

Originally posted by Inannamute

The vast majority of people nowadays, I believe, if they vote at all, vote for the candidate they dislike the least, not for a candidate they believe in.

That's a sad truth, I think. Unfortunately I never found a candidate I believe in through the "several" elections I've been of voting age in which to participate; like many others, I've always felt like I had no choice but to choose the less of two evils.

*sigh*

Originally posted by jetxnet
Aaaah Lee, the Liberal Boob is at it again.

Fact is, both McCain and Bush show their experience and wisdom time and time again, and through this most recent crisis.

How did Obama do?

Oh yea, McCain shows his wisdom all the time

Like here where he labels Putin as the President of Germany.
www.liveleak.com...

Or how about this gem.
www.youtube.com...

I could go on all day posting these but I think you get my drift. This man is completely and utterly clueless about anything outside America, and even issues inside America, like the economy.

I bet this man can't even find Russia on the map, much less Iran.

If you liked Bush's stand up comedy routines over the last 7 years, yea, you're gonna love McCain

My favorite quote of the last few days is the whole "This is the 21st century, you can't just invade sovereign nations and expect to get away with it nowadays"...

I mean.. Yeah.. Obviously... Who DOES that anymore?

Oh yeah.. Us.. oops.

Bald faced hypocrisy. Does anyone actually listen to the words coming out of their own mouths?

Originally posted by lee anoma
Is this why everyone is talking about Obama instead of looking at McCain?

YES!

I had the TV on yesterday and I heard that we were about to see McCain's latest ad. I said, "I bet McCain's ad is all about Obama." And then I heard the chant, "O-ba-ma! O-ba-ma"! And sure enough, the entire ad was about Obama. Not a damn thing about McCain! The only thing McCain said was that he approved the message!

McCain can't afford to put himself in his own ads. Some of his supporters are smart enough to see how ridiculous it would be to have this man as the POTUS.

I used to say that anything would be better than Bush... I'm actually doubting that...

Originally posted by Inannamute
My favorite quote of the last few days is the whole "This is the 21st century, you can't just invade sovereign nations and expect to get away with it nowadays"...

I mean.. Yeah.. Obviously... Who DOES that anymore?

Oh yeah.. Us.. oops.

Bald faced hypocrisy. Does anyone actually listen to the words coming out of their own mouths?

That statement made me laugh.
I think McCain's handlers wanted him to appear tough with foreign policy/affairs and so he went and said something stupid.

He also went on to say "today we are all Georgians"...



Lastly McCain also stated that this conflict was the “first…serious crisis internationally since the end of the Cold War.” thinkprogress.org

I really am not sure he knows what is happening internationally.
I hope his handlers don't show him BBC news...his head may explode.

- Lee

What's sad is that in that video, McCain is clearly speaking from cue cards.. and that's the best his writers could come up with?

It's really pathetic how little he knows about his supposed strongest area of expertise. McCain the foreign policy expert makes me want to scream in frustration.. How is it that we have so many politicians that can make the entirety of the US look dumb in the world's eyes?

I *know* there are intelligent and enlightened people in this country.. so why aren't we electing them instead of these bottom feeding mouth breathing morons?