Jack Cafferty goes beyond the usual Neo-Con pro-war, pro-business comparisons and finds some revealing similarities between Dubya and McCain...
The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the writer..NEW YORK (CNN) -- Russia invades Georgia and President Bush goes on vacation. Our president has spent one-third of his entire two terms in office either at Camp David, Maryland, or at Crawford, Texas, on vacation.
His time away from the Oval Office included the month leading up to 9/11, when there were signs Osama bin Laden was planning to attack America, and the time Hurricane Katrina destroyed the city of New Orleans.
Sen. John McCain takes weekends off and limits his campaign events to one a day. He made an exception for the religious forum on Saturday at Saddleback Church in Southern California.
I think he made a big mistake. When he was invited last spring to attend a discussion of the role of faith in his life with Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, at Messiah College in Pennsylvania, McCain didn't bother to show up. Now I know why.
It occurs to me that John McCain is as intellectually shallow as our current president. When asked what his Christian faith means to him, his answer was a one-liner. "It means I'm saved and forgiven." Great scholars have wrestled with the meaning of faith for centuries. McCain then retold a story we've all heard a hundred times about a guard in Vietnam drawing a cross in the sand.
Asked about his greatest moral failure, he cited his first marriage, which ended in divorce. While saying it was his greatest moral failing, he offered nothing in the way of explanation. Why not?
Throughout the evening, McCain chose to recite portions of his stump speech as answers to the questions he was being asked. Why? He has lived 71 years. Surely he has some thoughts on what it all means that go beyond canned answers culled from the same speech he delivers every day.
He was asked "if evil exists." His response was to repeat for the umpteenth time that Osama bin Laden is a bad man and he will pursue him to "the gates of ." That was it.
He was asked to define rich. After trying to dodge the question -- his wife is worth a reported $100 million -- he finally said he thought an income of $5 million was rich.
One after another, McCain's answers were shallow, simplistic, and trite. He showed the same intellectual curiosity that George Bush has -- virtually none.
Where are John McCain's writings exploring the vexing moral issues of our time? Where are his position papers setting forth his careful consideration of foreign policy, the welfare state, education, America's moral responsibility in the world, etc., etc., etc.?
John McCain graduated 894th in a class of 899 at the Naval Academy at Annapolis. His father and grandfather were four star admirals in the Navy. Some have suggested that might have played a role in McCain being admitted. His academic record was awful. And it shows over and over again whenever McCain is called upon to think on his feet.
He no longer allows reporters unfettered access to him aboard the "Straight Talk Express" for a reason. He simply makes too many mistakes. Unless he's reciting talking points or reading from notes or a TelePrompTer, John McCain is lost. He can drop bon mots at a bowling alley or diner -- short glib responses that get a chuckle, but beyond that McCain gets in over his head very quickly.
I am sick and tired of the president of the United States embarrassing me. The world we live in is too complex to entrust it to someone else whose idea of intellectual curiosity and grasp of foreign policy issues is to tell us he can look into Vladimir Putin's eyes and see into his soul.
George Bush's record as a student, military man, businessman and leader of the free world is one of constant failure. And the part that troubles me most is he seems content with himself.
He will leave office with the country $10 trillion in debt, fighting two wars, our international reputation in shambles, our government cloaked in secrecy and su ion that his entire presidency has been a litany of broken laws and promises, our citizens' faith in our own country ripped to shreds. Yet Bush goes bumbling along, grinning and spewing moronic one-liners, as though nobody understands what a colossal failure he has been.
I fear to the depth of my being that John McCain is just like him.
CNN
So Obama and the Dems are basically running against President Bush (McSame as you refer to him), and yet the best they can do against a clone of the President with the all-time least favorable rating among the electorate, is to be in a dead heat?
That's so impressive dan...seriously, it really is.
To accent what would have to be considered a monumental failure of the Democratic Party to break through against the unpopular, lame-duck Bush/Republicans;
McCain takes 5-point lead over Obama-Reuters poll
Wed Aug 20, 2008 7:11am
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - In a sharp turnaround, Republican John McCain has opened a 5-point lead on Democrat Barack Obama in the U.S. presidential race and is seen as a stronger manager of the economy, according to a Reuters/Zogby poll released on Wednesday.
McCain leads Obama among likely U.S. voters by 46 percent to 41 percent, wiping out Obama's solid 7-point advantage in July and taking his first lead in the monthly Reuters/Zogby poll. (Most would consider a 12 point swing in 1 month a monumental collapse of support for Obama)
The reversal follows a month of attacks by McCain, who has questioned Obama's experience, criticized his opposition to most new offshore oil drilling and mocked his overseas trip.
The poll was taken Thursday through Saturday as Obama wrapped up a weeklong vacation in Hawaii that ceded the political spotlight to McCain, who seized on Russia's invasion of Georgia to emphasize his foreign policy views.
"There is no doubt the campaign to discredit Obama is paying off for McCain right now," pollster John Zogby said. "This is a significant ebb for Obama."
McCain now has a 9-point edge, 49 percent to 40 percent, over Obama on the critical question of who would be the best manager of the economy -- an issue nearly half of voters said was their top concern in the November 4 presidential election.
That margin reversed Obama's 4-point edge last month on the economy over McCain, an Arizona senator and former Vietnam prisoner of war who has admitted a lack of economic expertise and shows far greater interest in foreign and military policy.
McCain has been on the offensive against Obama during the last month over energy concerns, with polls showing strong majorities supporting his call for an expansion of offshore oil drilling as gasoline prices hover near $4 a gallon.
Obama had opposed new offshore drilling, but said recently he would support a limited expansion as part of a comprehensive energy program.
That was one of several recent policy shifts for Obama, as he positions himself for the general election battle. But Zogby said the changes could be taking a toll on Obama's support, particularly among Democrats and self-described liberals.
"That hairline difference between nuance and what appears to be flip-flopping is hurting him with liberal voters," Zogby said.
Obama's support among Democrats fell 9 percentage points this month to 74 percent, while McCain has the backing of 81 percent of Republicans. Support for Obama, an Illinois senator, fell 12 percentage points among liberals, with 10 percent of liberals still undecided compared to 9 percent of conservatives.
OBAMA NEEDS TO WORK ON BASE
"Conservatives were supposed to be the bigger problem for McCain," Zogby said. "Obama still has work to do on his base. At this point McCain seems to be doing a better job with his."
The dip in support for Obama, who would be the first black U.S. president, cut across demographic and ideological lines. He slipped among Catholics, born-again Christians, women, independents and younger voters. He retained the support of more than 90 percent of black voters.
"There were no wild swings, there isn't one group that is radically different than last month or even two months ago. It was just a steady decline for Obama across the board," Zogby said.
Obama's support among voters between the ages of 18 and 29, which had been one of his strengths, slipped 12 percentage points to 52 percent. McCain, who will turn 72 next week, was winning 40 percent of younger voters.
"Those are not the numbers Obama needs to win," Zogby said about Americans under 30. The 47-year-old is counting on a strong turnout among young voters, a key bloc of support during his primary battle with New York Sen. Hillary Clinton.
It made little difference when independent candidate Ralph Nader and Libertarian Party candidate Bob Barr, who are both trying to add their names to state ballots.
McCain still held a 5-point edge over Obama, 44 percent to 39 percent, when all four names were included. Barr earned 3 percent and Nader 2 percent.
Most national polls have given Obama a narrow lead over McCain throughout the summer. In the Reuters/Zogby poll, Obama had a 5-point lead in June, shortly after he clinched the Democratic nomination, and an 8-point lead on McCain in May.
The telephone poll of 1,089 likely voters had a margin of error of 3 percentage points.
The poll was taken as both candidates head into their nominating conventions and the announcements of their choices of vice presidential picks. The Democratic convention begins on Monday in Denver, with the Republican convention opening the next Monday, September 1, in St. Paul, Minnesota.
http://www.reuters.com/article/polit...080820?sp=true
Gore = Fail
Kerry = Fail
Obama = Fail?
Slow learners.
Obama is really a dumbass. He goes into a VFW gathering and spews the crap he did yesterday and expects to win. Don't think so. Trying to justify losing the war in Iraq.
Surrender I should say.
His true leadership qualities were displayed in the little church interview. He offered nothing against what McCain displayed. McCain made mince meat out of him.
you do like old fart story telling time.
McShallow, McSimpleton, McIncurious, McDumb, McIgnorant, McConformist, McPuppet
EXACTLY how Repugs prefer their Presidents, in their own image.
He "equals" Bush because thats what the unified Democratic Party strategy is.
Funny that McCain and Bush have had such different relationships with the right wing base for the past decade.
What BS did he spew in the VFW gathering? He was correct to challenge McCain and call him out for question his patriotism, and the notion of a timetable to get out of Iraq being some kinda surrender...has always been total and complete bull . McCain offers nothing outside the last 8 ed up years. I'm not saying Obama is the cure to all problems but McShame sure as isn't.
Obama's plan for "the pull out" from Iraq was nothing short of surrender. And everyone knows it.
McCain said today that he is not questioning The Messiah's patriotism, he questions his judgement. Wonder how he is going to react to Putin telling the U.S. and Poland we cant have missiles in Poland.
In my opinion, The Messiah has not got the ability to make a rational
judgement. He is agenda driven and brainwashed.
how do you surrender a mission thats accomplished?
Liberals are weak.
Damn, America needs a third party to kill the also weak repubs.
Last edited by Anti.Hero; 08-20-2008 at 03:09 PM.
Considering the democrats still want to run against presiden Bush rather than senator McCain just shows us that McCain is the better man.
You mean the plan Iraq itself wants? If you think thats surrendering no wonder you buy into the Repub bull . Explain how pulling out on that time table...taking conditions on the ground into account as well = surrendering? nonsense. How long do you want them to occupy Iraq? 100 years?Obama's plan for "the pull out" from Iraq was nothing short of surrender. And everyone knows it.
Considering McCain offers little different than the last 8 years of horse - can you blame them?Considering the democrats still want to run against presiden Bush rather than senator McCain just shows us that McCain is the better man.
Most people should be smart enough to grasp polls mean exactly right now. I can pull out 3-4 that have Obama up as fast as you can site todays. The conventions haven't even happened, VP picks have not happen, there has not even been a single debate yet which should play a big part. That and its August. Polls have been all over the place going back to the primaries - with little accuracy.Most would consider a 12 point swing in 1 month a monumental collapse of support for Obama)
From the tenor of your post (whiny) I’m guessing that you’re an Obama fan.
Other than numbers, the Reuters/Zogby poll consisted of plenty of points to consider, discuss or counter, but instead you submitted a mindless rant peppered with a few Capt. Obvious remarks such as; “it’s August”, “The conventions haven’t happened”, “no VP”, etc.
The trends are noteworthy in that Obama once had commanding leads in most polls; Newsweek had him ahead by 15% and 3 weeks later had him in a dead heat. Gallup and Rasmussen had him ahead by nearly 10% after his “World Tour” and since they have been in within a couple of percentage points. And the current Zogby poll has a swing of 12% for McCain.
If, as you say, the polls don't mean " ", then there would be no reason for Obama's camp to be opining as to why he's falling in the polls.
Thanks for playing.
The Democrats won't say it, but they have buyer's remorse. McCain is poised to take the McLead and he'll take Obam-uh's lunch money during the debates. All these liberals that walked about with their chests puffed out 2 months ago are very nervous although they won't admit it.
If they think running against Bush again is their ticket to victory, then by all means go right ahead and do that. The Democrats have a tendency to underestimate the intelligence of the voting public, that's why they run ty campaigns and lose.
"But.. But... Everyone hates Bush. Remember?"
Not as much as they hate fake candidates with far left ideas that they don't agree with, or liberal doctrines they don't subscribe to.
This is not a liberal country. The people do not represent what you see or hear on Comedy Central. Get a clue, Obam-uh.
fwiw, HUSSEIN, the black Muslim, treasonous, communist terrorist, is leading Sick Old McPander. HUSSEIN will badly outspend Mc in Sep/Oct and has a huge, much stronger grass roots org that McJerk can only dream about. With only 3% lead or so, the HUSSEIN still stomps McSlimeBot in electoral votes. Sick Old 95% McAnkleBiter is road kill, just like dubya's legacy.
ok, now that's funny!
Me thinks your making too much out of one poll in August. Other polls still have Obama up 3 points...if you look at this realclearpolitics polling chart you'd see that McCain has peaked even higher before but Obama has never lulled lower...in fact, if the polling pattern continues for Obama this is as close as it gets for McCain, especially with Obama's VP pick and the Democratic convention coming up in the next few days.
McSame promises the same totally failed, destructive, incompetent type of Cabinet that dubya has:
"Judgment? McCain Says He'd Have Picked Cheney, Rumsfeld"
http://www.jedreport.com/2008/08/judgment-mccain.html
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