Comments on: McCain Campaign Leaks On Resuming The High Road Prove False: Ayers Issue Extensively Used

By: crosspit

crosspit — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 00:06:06 +0000

OT– to listen to Palin say with a straight face that she is concerned about Obama's truthfulness and not being open with the American public is surreal.

By: crosspit

crosspit — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 00:04:46 +0000

What I'm now worried about is the GOP using voter purges in the swing states to eke out a slim win for McCain. Even if there were to be (which I doubt actually) a landslide, if millions of voters are disallowed with sleazy legal tactics that take months to investigate…. Only 26 days and NOW there are questions about SSA verifications?? Is there enough time to get even those straightened out before the 4th? Data entry errors/incompetence could cause the election to be ridiculously close.

On a positive note, at least I can now hope that McCain and Palin will be doomed after this appalling campaign. I thought Hillary Clinton went beyond the pale, of course. No doubt McCain will simply apologize for his bad judgment and all will be forgiven.

By: chasinfremont

chasinfremont — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 23:26:21 +0000

How did John McCain become a kamikaze? I used to like John McCain. Isn't there anybody in his campaign who realizes that without votes from Independents his cause is lost? Watching this whole drama unwind is so painful, mostly because in spite of all the chaos in the world today, the Red Meat Take No Prisoners wing of the Republican party still wields so much power in the face of overwhelming evidence that this approach is doomed to failure. A gravely wounded animal will strike at all who approach, even those who wish to rescue it.

By: pacatrue

pacatrue — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 22:15:32 +0000

I haven't ever given a dollar to a political campaign. Bizarrely, since I'm on this blog, I view politics as rather personal and don't like the idea of any national organization with my name. After viewing the new Ayers ad, I'm about to go give a few bucks to Obama.

By: jchem

jchem — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 22:12:15 +0000

“Conversations I have with my Republican friends sound more like them trying to talk themselves into voting for McCain than really supporting him.”

I don't think they are actually voting for him. They're voting against Obama. The same thing happened in '04: Anyone but Bush, and this year during the primaries / caucuses. I participated in the IA caucus and I can't even tell you how many people there were simply voting against Hillary, especially after the first round when their candidate was no longer viable.

By: Rambie

Rambie — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 20:47:58 +0000

I don't know about AZ, but here in Utah I have yet to see a McCain yard sign or bumper sticker while I do see Obama ones here and there. In 2000 & 2004 there was a plethora of Bush signs and bumper stickers about with no Kerry or Gore ones in sight. Just a observation from one of the reddest of the red states.

Conversations I have with my Republican friends sound more like them trying to talk themselves into voting for McCain than really supporting him. There is no doubt that McCain will carry the state, but I do wonder what the popular vote will look like this year.

By: jchem

jchem — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 18:56:55 +0000

Good point Jim; I'm not aware of his popularity in AZ but they would may be wondering what happened to their man.

I think regardless of who wins, he will have a very difficult time with the public. Both parties clearly don't like the candidate on the other side. Can you imagine McCain and Obama gathering in Unity, NH at the end of all of this imploring the country to come together?

The standard seems to be set too high for either one. Whoever wins will be expected to take us out of Iraq, turn the economy around, do something about Social Security, and a whole host of other issues. What if that doesn't happen? What if we truly are in a long term slide? We'll see a bunch of fingerpointing and no one wanting to take the lead on any issue. Look at where that has taken us lately.

By: Jim_Satterfield

Jim_Satterfield — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 18:25:12 +0000

McCain has so badly damaged his image that if he loses I wonder how weak he would be in his next run for the Senate if he makes one.

By: PWT

PWT — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 18:02:55 +0000

I think, no matter what campaign tactics McCain employs, he will be a one term president. He is old, the republicans will be in the minority and it is likely that either man will have to make touch decisions during their term which will not endear either to the public. What I don't understand, is how Mr. Panetta would anticipate that Obama would be a one term president.

Obama will have the advantage of having run a relatively clean campaign, he will have democratic majorities in the house and senate and would seem to have most of the country supporting his proposals which will likely be enacted once he takes office. Given these advantage, it would seem that he should have an easy time getting re-elected in 2012, unless Mr. Panetta believes that his presidency will not be a successful one. I believe that it will be a disaster, but hey, I'm PWT, not an democratic ex-chief of staff.

Does Mr. Panetta know something that we don't or is it just the old Clintonista in him?