The McCain Speech

[AFBlue]

I'm a McCain guy, but I think he erred by going the route of structured speech for his victory in NH tonight.

I think he intended to come across as "presidential" and speak in more abstract terms, much as Obama had done successfully in Iowa....

But there's just one problem....McCain is NOT Obama.

Look, I like the guy very much and appreciate his straight talk, but I think he would've been much better served to deliver a simple speech off the cuff that showed his personality and thanked the voters of NH. It would've been much safer than what he tried to pull....which in my estimation was unsuccessful.

Does any of you think the speech actually hurts his chances in Michigan, or do you think that the 6+ point victory will be the key takeaway from NH?

[Extra Stout]

I'm a McCain guy, but I think he erred by going the route of structured speech for his victory in NH tonight.

I think he intended to come across as "presidential" and speak in more abstract terms, much as Obama had done successfully in Iowa....

But there's just one problem....McCain is NOT Obama.

Look, I like the guy very much and appreciate his straight talk, but I think he would've been much better served to deliver a simple speech off the cuff that showed his personality and thanked the voters of NH. It would've been much safer than what he tried to pull....which in my estimation was unsuccessful.

Does any of you think the speech actually hurts his chances in Michigan, or do you think that the 6+ point victory will be the key takeaway from NH?
People who are voting on the basis of public speaking ability would already be in the Huck camp.

[Mavtek]

Can someone please tell me why anyone would like McCain? He's absolutely nuts, he's an arrogant prick who has clear revenge issues.

[JoeChalupa]

I concur. I like McCain but that was one of the lamest acceptance speeches I've ever seen. Come on Johnny!!

[boutons_]

McCain has no voice, and no charisma, and certainly not telegenic, all of which count for TV-hypnotized electorate. Reading the speech was really dumb and leaden.

I think he had liposuction to remove that huge lump of fat from his left cheek.

[Ocotillo]

I think he had liposuction to remove that huge lump of fat from his left cheek.

I always thought he had a plug of chewin' tobacca in there??!!

Going for the NASCAR Dads like 41 did with the pork rinds.

[NASCARdad]

I always thought he had a plug of chewin' tobacca in there??!!

Going for the NASCAR Dads like 41 did with the pork rinds.

John McCain is a true red-blooded American not like ALL you whimps in here.

[Wild Cobra]

Can someone please tell me why anyone would like McCain? He's absolutely nuts, he's an arrogant prick who has clear revenge issues.
Well, McCain is a very smart man, and knows foreign affairs better than most. Still, he is too liberal to become the republican nominee. I like a few of his views, but again... Too liberal for me overall.

If he should manage to become the republican nominee, I believe he would be the next president. I think he would have a resounding win against any of the democrats. Many independents and liberals would vote for him! This is likely his appeal to many. He is the best chance of a republican win in November.

[Wild Cobra]

John McCain is a true red-blooded American not like ALL you whimps in here.
Agreed. Still, to liberal for the republican base.

[Nbadan]

....McCain is Bush lite......4 more years of Bush! Yeah that's gonna happen.....

[Holt's Cat]

McCain has gone through more for his country than any of the other presidential candidates, that's for certain.

[Nbadan]

Replace Bush with McCain and wash, rinse, repeat....

John McCain paints himself as a war president


John McCain burnished his credentials as a potential commander-in-chief of a nation at war on the latest stage of his bid for the Republican presidential nomination.

Speaking at military college in South Carolina and flanked by rows students in uniform, the former naval pilot and Vietnam War hero said the US must keep its troops in Iraq until al-Qa'eda is defeated.

He recalled meeting the mother of a young soldier killed near Baghdad who pleaded with him not to let her son's death be in vain.

"I told her: 'I will never, ever allow this nation to surrender'. We will never surrender, they will," he said, to thunderous applause.

Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2008/01/10/wuspols510.xml)

....means nothing...but it's very filling....

[T Park]

actually if possible mccain might be more liberal than Bush.

[Nbadan]

it's love

http://drudgereport.com/mch.jpg

[clambake]

I hear sominex is going to sue McCain for that speech.

[Holt's Cat]

The agents of change.

[PixelPusher]

I know the McCain campaign is strapped for cash, but you're telling me they couldn't afford a teleprompter?

[Nbadan]

McCain jumps 21 points, now national GOP frontrunner.

McCain 34 / Huckabee 21 / Rudy 18 / Romney 14 / Fred 6

CNN (http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/01/11/2008.poll/index....)

Dems are Clinton 49 / Obama 36 / Edwards 12

[nkdlunch]

he spoke more like Osama

[AFBlue]

....McCain is Bush lite......4 more years of Bush! Yeah that's gonna happen.....


Agreed. Still, to liberal for the republican base.

These two quotes tell me one of two things....

One, both of your are ignorant and have no idea what McCain stands for....which I find hard to believe since 98% of your time on this site is spent in the political forum.

Or...two, McCain defies conventional labels of "conservative" or "liberal" because he votes his conscience, which may be a more liberal stance on immigration and may be a more conservative approach on national defense.

[AFBlue]

McCain jumps 21 points, now national GOP frontrunner.

McCain 34 / Huckabee 21 / Rudy 18 / Romney 14 / Fred 6

CNN (http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/01/11/2008.poll/index....)

Dems are Clinton 49 / Obama 36 / Edwards 12

And this tells me that McCain's message of "you may not always agree with me, but I'm gonna tell you the truth regardless" resonates with the American people, even if they disagree with his stances on an issue.

[timvp]

Can someone please tell me why anyone would like McCain? He's absolutely nuts, he's an arrogant prick who has clear revenge issues.I'm still undecided but McCain in a general sense might be the most electable GOP candidate. Sure, he's old, he's made some poor political decisions in the past and he can come across as a war hungry maniac ... but he right now seems like the GOP's best chance.


Romney - Good candidate but being a Mormon kills his chances. Lame but true.
Giuliani - Good name recognition but too many skeletons.
Huckabee - Too preachy and his tax plan, though decent, would get shredded in debates.
Paul - Smart with some good ideas but MSM would too easily portray him as a nut.
Thompson - Doesn't want it enough.


McCain using his "I won't let the US lose this war on terrorism" card looks like the best chance.

If the MSM stops giving Ron Paul the David Duke treatment or if Romney denounces Mormonism, then I might have to re-think this . . .

[Kori Ellis]

I'm still undecided but McCain in a general sense might be the most electable GOP candidate. Sure, he's old, he's made some poor political decisions in the past and he can come across as a war hungry maniac ... but he right now seems like the GOP's best chance.


Romney - Good candidate but being a Mormon kills his chances. Lame but true.
Giuliani - Good name recognition but too many skeletons.
Huckabee - Too preachy and his tax plan, though decent, would get shredded in debates.
Paul - Smart with some good ideas but MSM would too easily portray him as a nut.
Thompson - Doesn't want it enough.


McCain using his "I won't let the US lose this war on terrorism" card looks like the best chance.

If the MSM stops giving Ron Paul the David Duke treatment or if Romney denounces Mormonism, then I might have to re-think this . . .

I don't really love any of the Republicans. I agree that many people might vote against Romney because he's Mormon.

What's funny is when I look at each candidate individually, I always think in my head "He doesn't have a chance." So... I guess if I feel that way about all of them, then any of them have a chance :lol because it's so wide open.

I don't think Ron Paul is as crazy as many others do. But he isn't going to win.

Eh ... the more I think about it the more I don't know who will win.

But as long as Hillary isn't President, we won't have to move out of the country. :clap

[Nbadan]

McCain after winning the South Carolina primary....

Source: AP


Sen. John McCain won a hard-fought South Carolina primary Saturday night, avenging a bitter personal defeat in a bastion of conservatism and gaining ground in an unpredictable race for the Republican presidential nomination. Democrats Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama split the spoils in Nevada caucuses marred by late charges of dirty politics.


"We've got a long way to go," McCain told The Associated Press in an interview. He quickly predicted that his victory in the first southern primary would help him next week when Florida votes, and again on Feb. 5 when more than two dozen states hold primaries and caucuses.

Yahoo News (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080120/ap_on_el_pr/campaign_rdp)

[AFBlue]

McCain brought it last night at his victory speech in South Carolina. I thought he put emphasis on the right points and maintained a fairly "conversational" tone throughout. Still, he's no orator like Obama, but I think it was a much improved speech over the one he gave in New Hampshire.