175 Comments

1. JMH:

Rather than quote Jimmy Carter, I’ll quote Brett, I guy I worked with twenty hears ago – “Fair (Fare) is what you give the bus driver.” Yes, it’s unfair that McCain pays the political price for the Democrats creating an economic fiasco. But it’s also dangerous. If one party can consistently blame the other party for it’s own screw ups, how will they ever learn not to screw up? Worse, if Democrats in Congress (whether they control Congress or not) can impose gridlock on a Republican President and then use that gridlock to tar and feather him, they have a perverse incentive to throw monkey wrenches into the works.

But back to McCain. I share Roger’s general outlook, but I think the real damage to McCain’s chances didn’t come from the financial mess so much as it came from McCain’s own lackluster response. He ended his convention speech with “Fight! Fight!” but that’s the one thing he isn’t doing. He’s been pussyfooting around Obama, pulling his punches, and not pointing out the fraud at the core of Obama’s entire candidacy.

Oct 9, 2008 - 9:43 am 2. vb:

For all Obama’s pretensions to be a citizen of the world, he is hopelessly provincial, locked in a bubble of theoreticians. These are the people who believe it when pols, pundits, and intellectuals from other countries strut their superiority before them and expect us to kiss their feet.

Oct 9, 2008 - 11:48 am 3. Pajamas Media » Why I Still Think McCain Will Win:

[...] the entire story here [...]

Oct 9, 2008 - 12:16 pm 4. Self-hating boomer:

Most Americans, I believe, love their country for what it is–not what it could become if suitably socialized, taxed, neutered, and otherwise recast. If McCain-Palin can effectively articulate that message, they will win.

That’s a big “if”, when you consider that the Obama campaign has denied that their ambition is to make draconian changes. Before McCain-Palin can effectively articulate that message, they have to articulate just exactly what concretely the Obamites have in mind. They’re not even there yet.

Forget what the McCain-Palin agenda is, McCain can slam dunk this if he can simply convey precisely to the American voters what the true Obama-Ayers agenda is.

Oct 9, 2008 - 12:31 pm 5. Bob:

So…
Let me get this straight….
The current fiscal crisis is Bill Clinton’s fault, brought on by the policies of the democrats, and anyone can see that and could see what was going to happen from the policies. That about sums it up eh?

The problem is the GOP controlled the legislative branch from 1996 to 2006, and the whitehouse from 2001 to present.

Therefore, even if the policies of the Clinton administration WERE responsible for the current mess, the GoP would still have to explain why they did NOTHING to change these policies for the last 12 years during which time they had either legislative control, executive control, or both.

Stupid arguments don’t help us, people. They just make us look like morons.

Oct 9, 2008 - 12:37 pm 6. Sean Delgado, Los Angeles:

Sorry that McCain blew it by not bringing any of this to the attention of the voters, his only opportunity was on the national debate stage where he could have spoken without being edited.

The media wall will prevent any of this from being seen by voters, being presented only by and to the `vast right wing conspiracy’ and by others as a last gasp.

I do not understand why McCain did not expose this man, now its too late, everybody I know is laughing at this last minute right-wing attempt, while in fact all of this has been around for awhile and McCain is almost liable of collusion in helping to keep this out of the news and peoples awareness.

Once elected the ministry of truth will wash all this away so they’ll be nothing further to worry about and McCain can try to retire to one of `his’ myriad homes before, out of `fairness’ they are reallocated and redistributed to the poor and less fortunate for future low income housing estates.

Oct 9, 2008 - 12:37 pm 7. Jay:

Mr.McCain is afraid of being labeled a racist. In his mind that is political poison the same that being labeled anti-semitic is. The left and right have been guilty of these tactics for so long no one seems to remember what politics was like before everyone became afraid to tell the truth. We need to let Europe be European and consume themselves with their own pathetic guilt. America should steer clear of that trap but with people like Obama and George Soros it’s going to be difficult. It’s time to fight for real now,who cares if someone calls you racist. Sticks and stones remember?

Oct 9, 2008 - 12:37 pm 8. AJ:

he will absolutely win. the polls are always wrong, and exactly how many folks outside of the cities and college towns will vote obama?

mccain signs are 20-1 over obama signs in real America where i live

Oct 9, 2008 - 12:45 pm 9. el polacko:

i fear that, at this late date, mcain may have trapped himself into a corner and that any punches he tries to land will be seen as the desperate and angry flailing of a man who knows that he’s going down for the count.
i’m still clinging to the hope that polls are simply wrong and that the electoral map is not what is seems to be, but i can’t deny that i’m nervously awaiting election day.

Oct 9, 2008 - 12:46 pm 10. wayne:

McCain just promised in Waukesha Wisconsin to prosecute Chris Dodd and Barney Franks BY NAME for the mortgage crisis.

Limbaugh has just aired it on his show.

Finally, I think the gloves are coming off.

Its about damn time.

Oct 9, 2008 - 12:48 pm 11. kevin c:

hate to tell the LAST POSTER THIS-NOT ALL REPUBLICANS ARE SMALL GOVT TYPES. LET ME SEE-SENATORS SNOWE COLLINS WARNER VOINOVICH HAGEL MARTINEZ AND FRIST HAVE NEVER BEEN ALL THAT CONSERVATIVE. NIETHER HAS REPRESENATIVES LIKE CHRIS SHAYS,PETER KING AND ABOUT 2 DOZEN OTHER RINOS WHO ACTED MORE LIKE LEFTISTS THAN AMERICANS. GINGRICH TRIED TO COMPROMISE WITH CLINTON-AND TEN MINUTES AFTER MAKING A DEAL BUBBA WAS ON THE NIGHTLY NEWS SAYING “I NEVER AGREED TO THAT”. MAYBE YOU CAN TELL ME THE LAST TIME A MEDIA OUTFIT NOT NAMED FOX OR TALK RADIO EVER REPORTED ANYTHING THAT MADE A DEMOCRAT LOOK BAD. REP CUNNINGHAM FROM SAN DIEGO IS SITTING IN A FED PRISON-WHY ISNT WILLIAM JEFFERSON OR BAGHDAD JIM MCDERMOTT? WHY ISNT PELOSIS TIES TO T BONNE PICKENS WIND PROJECT BEING REPORTED ON? WHY NO NEWS ABOUT AYERS? WHY DID THEY WAIT OVER 18 MONTHS ON JEREMIAH WRIGHT AND STILL REFUSE TO REPORT ON REV OTIS MOSS,WHO JUST AS ANTI AMERICAN AND A BLACK RACIST AS WRIGHT IS. OF COURSE POSER-YOUR LIKELY JUST A SOROS PAID PLANT GETTING YOUR ORDERS FROM COMMIE MELIDOS DAILY KOOKS WEBSITE.

Oct 9, 2008 - 12:52 pm 12. kevin c:

LOOK AT THE CROWDS PALIN IS DRAWING-LIKE USUAL,THE HATE AMERICA MEDIA(THESE POLLSTERS ARE PART OF IT,THEY NEED TO DO WHAT THE MEDIA WANTS TO GET ATTENTION) IS TRYING TO SHOW THE COMMIE PIG OBAMA DOWN OUR THROATS. IM NOT MUCH OF A MCCAIN FAN,BUT AT LEAST IM PRAYING PALIN CAN SHOW HIM THE LIGHT.

Oct 9, 2008 - 12:56 pm 13. KansasGirl:

I know Senator McCain will win. I just want the patriots out there to realize what will happen when he is elected. It’s going to be mayhem. Just like Kenya.

Oct 9, 2008 - 12:57 pm 14. Jeff:

AJ,

That may be true, but the folks in the cities and college towns get multiple votes vs. one to each of the rest of us.

Oct 9, 2008 - 1:03 pm 15. heather:

Have you noticed that what Sarah Palin says in her speeches gets picked up by the news? Now, the large dinosaur media uniformly sneer at her statements, but they DON’T IGNORE THEM, and even quote some of what she says.

This is very hopeful for the Good Guys.

Also, it seems that aside the very gloomy Intrade statistics, there are some pollsters that maintain that this is a tie.

Many on the Right berate McCain-Palin for not concentrating on The Economy. However, the Ayers Connections seem to be extremely fruitful. Jay Cost, the stat guy at RealClearPolitics has said that this is the smarter way to go; that life is unfair, and that Republicans are associated with Wall Street, somewhere in the DNA of the American voter. In the end, the Ayers-9Chicago Machine connection is indicative as to how Obama will deal with crises like the Economy and Foreign Affairs…

Oct 9, 2008 - 1:05 pm 16. Mark:

Another typically insightful post, and (of course) another with which I completely agree. However, I have based my own prediction of a McCain win on another calculus which undecided voters will process in the last few days of October. When determining who should be our next president, voters should and will give more consideration to the selection our enemies would make rather than that which would be made by our friends. Is there any doubt that Messrs. Putin, Ahmadinejad, bin Laden, etc. would strongly prefer an Obama presidency to a McCain one? In an increasingly dangerous and competitive world, this simple factor outweighs all others in choosing the man who will occupy the Oval Office for the next four years, and it resonates more strongly with voters who don’t see or don’t care about the abstract Euro-fication of the United States an Obama executive offers.

I continue to believe that, despite the recent atrophy of the McCain campaign and regardless of the skirmishing over the next few weeks, that the application of this voting criterion will deliver a sizable McCain victory.

Oct 9, 2008 - 1:06 pm 17. John Austin TX fitness:

If MCCain wins your prediction will increase your stock considerably. I read Sowell and Rabinowitz all the time, and I know what BHO is really about. Others can see it but they are voting for him anyway. This is the ultimate AA hire.

Oct 9, 2008 - 1:09 pm 18. Robert Hurley:

Unbelievable – - 8 years of Republican rule and the economic disaster is the fault of teh Democrats. Somehow, I don’t thinkt he majority of the voters will believe you.

Oct 9, 2008 - 1:10 pm 19. Jack G:

You were right the first time … it *was* Jimmy Carter who said “life is not fair”, not JFK. I remember when he said it.

Oct 9, 2008 - 1:13 pm 20. katablog.com:

I too wonder why McCain becomes milk toast at these debates. I watched his and Palin’s Wisconsin stop today and if McCain had used half the energy he used there during the debate, he would have done a lot better.

Probably the worst thing McCain could have done at the 2nd debate was announce a $300,000 Billion housing bailout without explaining that this was not new money but part of the $700,000 billion already committed. Even so, bailing people out who didn’t make their mortgage payments by using the tax dollars of those who did buy a house they could afford and paid their mortgages is still not a conservative concept.

I’m on the fence as to whether McCain can pull through now. Yet I can’t bear the thought of turning the country over to Obama and his Chicago thug pals for even a mere 4 years.

I do know that this is not the America in which I grew up, the America I learned about in school and the America my husband served with his heart and soul for 26 years. I want my country back. The socialists have taken over.

For those who contend the Republicans should have stopped the friends of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac during the Clinton administration – you need to go back and really learn what happened. Just because there is a majority of one party doesn’t always mean the majority wins. It also doesn’t mean that all Republicans are true conservatives.

The bottom line is that subprime loans are at the bottom of the economic crisis. Subprime loans were created by the Democrats as a socialistic effort to give to “the have nots” by taking from the “haves”. It “worked” for awhile and that’s what brought us to this point. However, we certainly can’t ignore AIG’s insurance of these pieces of crap bundled into bigger pieces of crap as to being a contributing factor.

Oct 9, 2008 - 1:16 pm 21. Jaycee:

I would like to see McCain make a list of all of Obama’s unsavory associations and tape it to the front of his lecturn during the last debate. Go down the list, one by one, and ask Senator Obama to explain to America why he chose to cultivate these associations. He should also point out that the American public has asked him to do this as the mainstream media chooses to ignore, omit or gloss over them.

Oct 9, 2008 - 1:23 pm 22. Someone75:

I have to agree: McCain very well could win this election. Michael Moore’s new movie “Slacker Uprising” argues exactly that. He shows the 2004 race and how the media, the polls, and “popular opinion” all were behind Kerry. But, Kerry lost. I will never underestimate the GOP’s ability to get a massive vote turnout. Heck – they got ME to vote for Bush in 04, although I kind of regret that now.

Oct 9, 2008 - 1:37 pm 23. Boris:

“Most Americans, I believe, love their country for what it is…”

This isn’t about what America “is.” at all. It’s about the direction of the country. No wonder you guys are losing so bad: you’re not even sure what the real battle is about.

Oct 9, 2008 - 1:38 pm 24. Markus:

That’s fine. McCain’s a nationalist, Obama’s an internationalist. And a closet commie and a closet Muslim. Works great when we’re not having an economic implosion, as Kimbell admits we are. So then you must move to the idea that Dems are responsible for this collapse. Even though Republicans have controlled House and Senate from 94 to 06, and Presidency from 00 until today. A pretty hard sell.

Oct 9, 2008 - 1:43 pm 25. Jack Cerf:

“Allies are not just people who happen to be where you are or who happen to be doing the same things you do. You choose allies deliberately for a reason.” Like Joe Stalin 1941-45?

Obama is a shrewd opportunist. He chose people who would be useful to him in liberal Democratic politics in Chicago, and he walked away from them when he no longer needed them. Let’s have a little focus on who he’s allied himself with now.

Oct 9, 2008 - 1:55 pm 26. Addietwed:

I pretty much agree with the article. I don’t buy into the hype of the MSM that Obama is winning and McCain does not have a chance. The MSM has been manipulating politics, the economy, War, Terrorists and they manipulated our defeat in Viet Nam. I would bet that at least 70% of the population loves and believes our country is great. They are like me, “sleepers”. We have been busy living our lives and raising our families. But with this new guy and his socialist views, total lack of experience, the militant tactics of his followers to get votes, Camp Obama, Voter Fraud, playing the race card every chance he gets, everyone in his past are either communists, socialists or have openly expressed their hatred of America, Ayers and his wife -“unrepentant terrorist,” “lunatic leftist” who held a fund raiser for Obama in his home, 20 years sitting in a church preaching Black Liberation Theology, (that right there should scare the crap out of any American white, brown or black). I think when it comes time to vote the “sleepers” will awaken and vote for McCain/Palin. Even if they dislike McCain the alternative is pretty scary.

Oct 9, 2008 - 1:58 pm 27. HRPKathy:

Boris – the ignorance of your last statement is the reason democrats have held the WH only twice in thirty years.

BTW – the polls looked just like this four years ago – just ask President Kerry.

Oct 9, 2008 - 2:05 pm 28. Marc Malone:

Bob – There’s a Dem meme going about that the Pubs “controlled the White House or Congress for 12 years”. You proffered that here. It’s used as a way to deny Dem responsibility for this mess.

It’s not true.

The Pubs had a majority in Congress, but they did not control it. That would require a filibuster-proof majority, which they never had, which means they had to give the Dems what they wanted, sometimes. The Dems were able to block many things. The 11 (!) 2004 F/F hearings were grossly obstructed by the Dems. It’s not that the Pubs didn’t try to do something, but they were not a monolithic block on this, and the Dems were.

Bush has been in the White house for 8 years, but the MSM have simply cut his legs out from beneath him. His power comes from the people, but the MSM have done all they can to discredit Bush in the public eye. Thats’ the real danger of a biased media: the ability to weaken our President to the public detriment.

Seriously, if the Pubs thought at all that their own guys had anything to do with this, they’d give them the boot. We don’t tolerate this kind of things in our own ranks. Look how easily Gingrich got pushed out for a minor thing of dubious validity.

The only reason the Dems are able to hang this on the Pubs is the complete lack of leadership within our ranks. This is a leadership crisis within the Pub party. We’re supposed to be the party of values and morals and character, but we allowed guys like Foley and Hastert to be in power. It has brought us to near ruin as a party.

Oct 9, 2008 - 2:09 pm 29. Will:

All McCain has to do in order to win is this:

He must hammer home the importance of drilling.

He needs one, simple message that will encapsulate all the country’s concerns.

This message is it.

Why? Because:

1. It’s wildly popular
2. Obama is against it
3. It’s sound public policy.

If we drill, we get more oil.

If we get more oil, gas prices will come down.

If gas prices come down, the cost of everything — food, textiles, electronics, etc. — will come down too.

If gas prices come down, everyone will thus be saving more money.

They will spend less on gas. Less on food. Less on everyday purchases.

This, in turn, will make families more financially solvent.

Less mortgages will go into default.

Banks will stabilize.

Credit will start flowing again.

The DOW will stop dropping so precipitously.

McCain *must* hit this point. He can win with it.

Plus, it plays to the one thing even Palin’s critics acknowledge is her strength — energy policy and taking on the oil companies.

And finally, it’s a national security issue as well, which lets McCain talk about his greatest strength (national defense) while addressing the country’s most immediate concern (the economy).

I really hope someone can get this message through to McCain. It’s the winning strategy.

At the very least, everyone here should keep repeating it, or we’re going to have Obama as president, or even worse, Obama as president in a landslide.

Oct 9, 2008 - 2:09 pm 30. proud elitist:

No, katablog… sub-prime loans are not at the bottom of the crisis. This crisis is a merger of many different types of crises, to include the sub-prime issue. This is a shared crises by both Dems and Repubs. The problem is the culture of this crisis resides with the Republicans and their deregulation, free-market, as long as things go well there will be no oversight. And yes, I can easily admit how the Barney Franks did not help things out.

We are at a philosophical crossroads with regard to how we run our national finances and keeping tabs on such issues. Oversight was not exactly practiced by the Republicans these past 14 years…

Jaycee — I would presume you would want the same for McCain, right? A list of his unsavory associations that could also be gone over by Obama. I mean, full disclosure on both sides should be what we all crave in this election.

Someone 75 — I am more afraid of election stealing as was on display in Florida and Ohio (2000 and 2004, respectively. Voter fraud, etc. Look up the name Michael Connell (or Mike Connell).

People on this website blather on about ACORN without doing a d*mn bit of research into which party dabbles in voter fraud more than the other. (Hint: Refugs). You also may want to read about the ACORN in Nevada, the cooperation of ACORN and why a crackdown has occurred. Probably not exactly what you thought it was about…

Here’s the thing, with the recent economic crises, Obama has been slow and steady. McCain has been erratic. People, on both sides, are paying attention. And are leaning towards the one who has acted calm and cool all along.

Oct 9, 2008 - 2:14 pm 31. Lefroy:

Roger, you are of course right about the average American loving America for what it is. The trouble is that the outcome is likely to be decided by knee-jerk hip-pocket issues, which will favor Obama and not the incumbent party.

My comfort is that there will be no reason to think that Obama won because the voters embraced his view of a sadly broken America.

Oct 9, 2008 - 2:25 pm 32. Chris in Toronto:

Here’s a thought: make sure every Republican you know gets out to vote. It’s that simple. In a close race, every vote counts. (I’m in Canada so I can’t help, but my thoughts and hopes are with you good foot soldiers!)

Oct 9, 2008 - 2:27 pm 33. tim maguire:

I too believe that McCain will win for roughly the reasons you give. IMO, Obama’s problem is not so much “You’re beautiful, I love you, now change,” but “our self-esteem and worth as a nation will be decided by the citizens of other nations”–no real American would accept such a formulation.

However, given that the Republicans have held most of the marbles the last 10 years, it’s hard to argue that the Democrats ruined the game. McCain’s hands are tied on the economy, he has to distance himself from Bush and the Republican leadership.

Oct 9, 2008 - 2:29 pm 34. Guilt by association won’t work | Think Forward:

[...] This seems to support my view. SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: “Guilt by association won’t work”, url: “http://kenanthony.bustablog.com/2008/10/guilt-by-association-wont-work/” }); [...]

Oct 9, 2008 - 2:29 pm 35. LSD:

Nicely put!

While I was demoralized by McCain’s recent debate performance where he seemed to channel Mermaid Man rather than Ronald Reagan, he does have a lot going for him. McCain is a moderate and as such should pick up more votes from the mushy middle (a large contingent who tend to be invisible to the enthusiastic pollsters and pundits.) He also has a running mate who is the only one of the four that fluently speaks like the average American (a trait that seems to enrage the elect, but that was also mastered by every President elected since Nixon.)

It will be interesting to see how Obama addresses the American people with his recently-purchased air time. I don’t see how he can continue to say that everyone who opposes him is de facto racist. But maybe he can.

Oct 9, 2008 - 2:36 pm 36. Bob:

hello?

Oct 9, 2008 - 2:38 pm 37. Elizabeth:

Interesting to read your perspectives. Thankful that you are wrong. Your ignorance is glaring. Thank the Lord that most people have evolved.

Oct 9, 2008 - 2:40 pm 38. Chip:

Obama is running on a platform of CHANGE…

But does he really expect the voters to believe that he will veto anything that Nancy and Harry send over to his desk?

McCain will win because the voters will come to grips with the prospect of an Obama economic policy that would wipe out the remaining strong sectors of the U.S. economy.

Oct 9, 2008 - 2:49 pm 39. earl:

“Putin, Ahmadinejad, bin Laden, etc. would strongly prefer an Obama presidency to a McCain one?”

They’d prefer McCain in my view. They probably would much prefer another 4 years of Bush, of course, as he does tend to alienate the world, turn the world against the US, and so make their own prospecting for allies more potentially fruitful.

But they know Obama will be more likely to build American alliances successfully, cutting off their own efforts at the same.

If I was any one of them, I would be loudly endorsing Obama, knowing that the stupid section of the American electorate would react by voting against my stated choice (I would assume, of course, that I could not influence the smart voters, who would make their own decision and not care one way or the other which choice I endorsed).

Oct 9, 2008 - 2:49 pm 40. Paul:

Good article.

-Paul
http://mccainpalin2008.blogspot.com

Oct 9, 2008 - 3:05 pm 41. Richard:

Obama is like a cheap photograph, the more the sun shines on it, the more it fades.
26 days and all sunshine. By Halloween he’ll be the “invisible man”, just the empty suit.

Oct 9, 2008 - 3:15 pm 42. Frank Logan:

Despite what everybody thinks, this race has been over since the end of the primaries. Hillary exposed the real Obama to her supporters. Most of them see Obama as the empty suit with radical, racist, and crooked allies just like conservatives. They watched Obama’s supporters use gestapo tactics to capture the various state caucases. They feel that Hillary was cheated of the nomination. Their anger is real and it runs deep. Their slogan is “Country before Party” Various sources have indicated that 58% of Hillary’s supporters will support Obama. That leaves 42% who will not. About two weeks ago, a Fox News poll indicated that 28% of Hillary’s supporters said they were voting for McCain. From comments I’ve read on blogs aimed at Hillary followers, the remaining 14% will abstain, and not vote for president/vice president. What this all means is 11-12 Million democrats will not be voting for Obama and around 7 million will actually be voting for McCain. At the electoral level, this translates to 350,000 democrats in both Ohio and Pa. will be voting for McCain. In 2004, Bush won Ohio by 135,000 votes and lost Pa. by 130,000 votes. McCain will win both. Obama can not win without both. Anybody that thinks Obama has a chance in Virginia, N.C., and Florida is dreaming. He will probably lose Wisconsin and maybe Michigan. The democratic party is badly split. Look for a McCain landslide of 325-350 electoral votes to 180-200 for Obama, and it has nothing to do with race.

Oct 9, 2008 - 3:15 pm 43. Joseph Marshall:

So numbers don’t convince you. Well, I would expect no less. Speaking as a Democrat, it is my sincere hope that the numbers on election day don’t convince you either. Now that Karl Rove has retired, Republicans seem to have lost their last electoral realist, so there is a good chance they may never figure out why this election turned out the way it did. That would suit our electoral realists just fine.

“Most Americans, I believe, love their country for what it is–not what it could become if suitably socialized, taxed, neutered, and otherwise recast. If McCain-Palin can effectively articulate that message, they will win.”

Right there is the major failing among you. You still do not understand that you are not “most Americans”. You are a plurality of somewhere between 40-45% of Americans [There go those pesky numbers again] and you have to sell your point of view to the rest. Moreover, it isn’t just your candidates who have to do it. It is you.

To sell a point of view, you have to step beyond the illusion that the soundness what you believe should be obvious to any sensible person, or to the majority of people. This is very hard, I know, and requires a little imagination about why another point of view than your own might seem equally reasonable. That’s what a good salesperson does.

Moreover, you need to wake up to the yawning gap between what your candidates have preached and what they practice. The one that you put in the White House in 2004 is just about to preside over the government’s de facto nationalization of the entire banking system. If that isn’t Suitably Socialist I don’t know what would be. Where on earth did that come from?

The one you are trying to elect has proposed buying up billions of dollars of individual home mortgages. And he says a few days later that he’s also going to balance the budget. Presumably he will be doing this while keeping our military well funded so we can be safe and strong, and he’ll also be cutting all our taxes in the bargain.

The difference between your point of view and mine is that I need no such watertight compartments in my mind between “loving America”, “limiting government”, “defending against terrorism”, “cutting taxes”,”deregulating oppressed markets”, “balancing the budget”, and “rescuing [pc for 'bailout'] the financial system”.

Since these notions are largely incompatible with one another, your point of view requires watertight separation, because it is inconsistent to a degree just short of psychosis.

This makes your point of view a very hard sell.

If you start from the premise that goverment must be proactive and sensible regulation is primary to the safety and well being of us all, you can actually put up a priority list that makes sense even if it doesn’t always overcome sales resistance.

But, under the circumstances, I don’t expect to encounter very much sales resistance.

Oct 9, 2008 - 3:36 pm 44. Rastlin:

The GOP DID try and push legislation as well as
the president. BUT…you know what i’m going to say……..The democrats in congress voted it all down. Check the congrestional records.

GOP tried to stop this from happening, the DNC
tried to push for more spending and bigger govt.
Check your facts before posting something so stupid, Bob.

Oct 9, 2008 - 4:04 pm 45. Mark:

earl:

You’re being too clever by half with your supposition that the stated support of Mr. Obama by our enemies (cf. Fidel Castro, Hamas’s Ahmed Yousef, Louis Farrakhan) and condemnation of McCain by other enemies (cf. Hugo Chavez) is some sort of reverse-psychological ploy. You also undermine your own credibility by disparaging any who doubt your view as “the stupid section of the American electorate”.

Oct 9, 2008 - 4:42 pm 46. Mast-man:

Joeseph Marshall,

Do realize the poll that came out that said 58% of people in the US consider themselves as somewhat conservative, conservative or very conservative? Supposedly this poll comes out every Presidential election cycle and it is always within 2-3% the same in every election. Do you wonder why people don’t call themselves liberal that are running for office? Or the fact that nObambi refutes the fact that he has been labeled the most Liberal voter in the senate? 2 places more than the admitted Socialist Bernie Sanders.

President Kerry and President Gore were also leading in the polls the day before the election.

bon chance

Oct 9, 2008 - 4:47 pm 47. William James Harper:

The results of this election don’t depend on ardent, loyal Republicans or Democrats. It’s those pesky undecided and independents. Honestly, I don’t think anyone can predict even at this date how they will vote.

Oct 9, 2008 - 4:55 pm 48. TheOrchidThief:

Sorry Roger;

Not Benjamin Disraeli…but Samuel L. Clemons, aka Mark Twain, a fellow Missourian. Other than that, I agree with all your basic comments and conclusions.

Oct 9, 2008 - 4:57 pm 49. TxSaintFan:

To proud elitist:

Certainly, there is blame to go around – but the root cause of the Fannie/Freddie mess should be laid at the feet of Barney Frank, Maxine Waters, and all of the Democrats who railed that Franklin Raines was doing such a wonderful job and the Republicans were just out to screw poor people.

President Bush could have spoken more often and more forcefully, but would anyone have listened, given the excoriation he has gotten at every turn by the media and the Democrats in Congress?

A thought for you, there’s another way to read the “calm and steady” of Obama. He knew this disaster was playing into his hands – why would he get involved? The lack of leadership in “they can call me if they need me” is telling. Did McCain get a resolution – no – did he change the arc of the debate – yes, and to the country’s benefit.

No one has all of the answers to this, including Mr. Obama.

Oct 9, 2008 - 5:00 pm 50. Obama for Omerica:

Bear in mind that when the Media goes in the tank for a candidate everything put out by the media becomes suspect.

You would know that if you lived in a country where the news organizations were an arm of the governement.

Which is what is Happeneing Here.

It is no wonder that 55% of americans do not trust the news currently.

How that translates to election day could be devestating for Obama.

Oct 9, 2008 - 5:00 pm 51. daddy dave:

I’d like to see Obama asked several questions. They may be duds. He may answer them perfectly. But I’d at least like to hear him answer them.

1) When was the most recent occasion you used cocaine? (hey, it may be decades ago, in which case it’s not important, but come on! at least ask! Nobody even asks! It’s as if it would be impolite or something)
2) Some of your supporters have been calling for war crimes charges against the current administration. As President, would you consider this course of action?
3) Has your campaign been bankrolling a smear campaign against Palin, including against her daughter? (there have been questions about this but no conclusive link)
4) Do you really have 30 investigators in Alaska digging up dirt on Palin? How does that fit with your vision of a new kind of politics?
5) In your opinion, who is responsible for the September 11 attacks? (I sincerely hope that this question would be a fizzer)
6) You’ve indicated that you would cut military spending. Tell us more about that.
7) Have you ever been aware of voter fraud action by ACORN?

Oct 9, 2008 - 5:04 pm 52. P. Ami:

@Joe Marshall

I agree with you on a few points regarding how the current administration facilitated our current situation. The way in which deregulation was enacted was neglectful and forgetful of the famous quote by Reagan, “Trust but verify”.

It is ridiculous for us conservatives to hold Congress and the White House and still blame the Dems when we couldn’t right the ship. It is ridiculous for us to have nominated one candidate who for the last 8 years was incapable of articulating America’s national and international interests. With Bush’s lack of articulation we have allowed others to articulate our interests for us. Since Bush couldn’t sell the war well, those who opposed it found it easy to talk America out of that challenge. The same can be said for any number of other issues. Now we have selected another candidate who fails to articulate America to itself and who, I fear, if he wins will be unable to drown out the message put out by those who articulate negative policies well. This negative policy is what Obama is all about.

The Republicans, in Congress or in the White House, have not followed through with policies that we voted them in to enact. It wasn’t deregulation that screwed us up, it was a lack of transparency and which allowed businesses (banks and other companies) to play with figures to make the company look healthier then they were. Now the government hands these same companies our hard earned money in an effort to avoid a market correction of these inflated values. That is not conservative and it is not good for America. The problem with any of us supporting the Democratic Party is that none of them even pretend to have policies we might agree with. I don’t want much regulation. I just want a market that is aware of what it is buying. I don’t want the government to take care of me. I want a country that facilitates opportunities for me to take care of myself. I don’t want a government that is interested in its own power for its own sake. I want a government that has just enough power to protect my stake. Neither party has done much of a job in allowing these liberal notions to function as they should and I blame the Republicans for letting their constituents down by not representing these ideals as they promised.

Oct 9, 2008 - 5:07 pm 53. Turfmann:

Chris in Toronto:
Here’s a thought: make sure every Republican you know gets out to vote. It’s that simple. In a close race, every vote counts. (I’m in Canada so I can’t help, but my thoughts and hopes are with you good foot soldiers!)

Oct 9, 2008 – 2:27 pm

Oh, what the hell, Chris, come on down. Apparently its ok to register to vote in at least 10 states without any bona fides. Just look for a big ACORN on a shop front window, walk in and ask “where do I vote for Obama?”

Oct 9, 2008 - 5:11 pm 54. Valerie:

John McCain was not my first pick as a candidate for President, and neither is his party. But the more I watch him, the better I like what I see. He’s not elaborate, but he is for real.

Oct 9, 2008 - 5:14 pm 55. Frank Logan:

Joseph Marshall

Thank you Joe for letting us read your words of wisdom. I can’t wait to tell my grandkids how you exposed our major failings, and the yawning gap of our candidates, and that no longer do I have to keep watertight compartments in my mind. I wasn’t sure how long I would be able to continue. I was feeling panic, but then you showed me the light. GOVERNMENT, yeah, that’s it. Safety and well being for all. Thanks again Joe. You ought to run for supreme leader after Obama.

Oct 9, 2008 - 5:34 pm 56. TeamPlayer:

Guys, gals, I’ve interacted with a few of you in here and with a few exceptions, It’s been a good experience. Can we please reign in the venom on the right? You want to call Obama an idiot, a liberal, a marxist…fine. But the right-wing is starting to cross the line into “guy from the street”, “terrorist”, “radical”. Honestly, this is getting scary. He might not be your favorite candidate, but this sort of talk is incendiary. We all have to live together in this country. You all know I’m know a Palin fan but I’m not going to call her things that incite such violent reactions. You’ve seen the parking lot videos and the tractor videos. The racist, radical crap needs to stop. Please don’t sit by and let it happen. I was very critical of Kanye calling out Bush with my friends. No matter what you hear on the left, the current talking points out of the far right is beyond anything I’ve ever seen. You can’t let this sort of thing slide. Please let’s all calm down a bit.

Oct 9, 2008 - 5:36 pm 57. By The Fault » Blog Archive » It’s Not Over:

[...] I may be crazy but I am not [...]

Oct 9, 2008 - 5:36 pm 58. Paul:

Joseph Marshall–
Touche! You nailed it. I don’t understand how Roger and the usual commentators can trot out the same, tired analysis while looking at McCain’s super-Socialist mortgage plan, the Bush-backed nationalization of banking and the “bailout” (read: privitization of upside profit, and socialization of downside risk). Talk about cognitive dissonance!

There are plenty of America-loving, patriotic, educated, wholesome people who disagree with your analysis. Not because they don’t understand facts or have been blinded by the MSM. But because they’ve analyzed the situation and arrived at a different conclusion. There are also a lot of idiots — on both sides.

But at the end or the day (that day being November 4), you’ll have plenty to blog about, because you can get ready to bitch about President Obama for the next four years. Sorry…this time the polls are right.

Oct 9, 2008 - 5:53 pm 59. Nine-of-Diamonds:

You still do not understand that you are not “most Americans”.

Brilliant insight from Josh. I hope it didn’t take him too long to come up with it. If the Josh Marshalls on this forum even bothered to look around they could easily discover conservatives who doubt that McCain will win, or that Conservatives even represent a majority of the electorate. For crying out loud – right on PJM’s homepage:

http://pajamasmedia.com/richardminiter/2008/10/09/why-mccain-is-losing/

But it’s much more fun to misstate RK’s position, snivel about the “death of political realism”, and make bizarre comments about Republicans beins socialists. Step aside, RepubliKKKans. Marshall and the “electoral realists” are on the march!

Oct 9, 2008 - 5:54 pm 60. Chip:

I have to applaud John McCain for at least trying to stabilize market value of real estate, especially in neighborhoods that have been hit by job losses tied to infrastructure.

Obama is pandering to supporters by still saying that it was Wall Street that caused this spiral.

Even the Boston Globe has gone full circle to admit that it was Barney Frank’s arrogance that started the trend:

http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2008/09/28/franks_fingerprints_are_all_over_the_financial_fiasco/

It will come down to how many voters are smart enough and quick enough to see that Obama’s economic plans are repeats of what failed during the Carter administration.

Personally, part of me wants Obama to win so I can see the meltdown of the liberals who won’t know what hit them. But alas, I am too concerned about this country to actually want to see the Democrats get what they deserve. I would rather see the youth of this country prosper. I didn’t get my opportunity until the Reagan years because of the Carter mess, but another Reagan may not be in the wings to salvage this next generation from what will certainly amount to chaos within an Obama administration.

Country First today, tomorrow, and always!

Oct 9, 2008 - 5:55 pm 61. Freeedom is just another word:

Obama could have allied himself with all sorts of other people. But, time and again, he allied himself with people who openly expressed their hatred of America.

Just wait if and until Mr. Odinga and Obama connection gets vetted out.

Mr. Odinga lost an important election in Kenya. He lost by only a slim margin. He ordered the rioting and looting that followed. Christians, black Christians, killed. Innocent children killed.

Mr. Odinga aligned himself with teh Kenyan Muslims. In return for Muslim endorsement, he agreed to put in Sharia law once in power.

Mr. Obama is Mr. Odinga’s relative. Hey, I have relatives I don’t get along with. Mr. Obama, on the other hand, not only aligned himself with Odinga, he campaigned for him. Rallied for him.

All of this is on YouTube. The pictures and video are by the European press who cover Kenya.

Did Obama break US laws by campaigning and meddling in international relations?

Why was Obama hanging out with terrorists.

The pool of Obama’s friends and allies goes much deeper than Ayers and Rev. Wright.

This is why Hillary started to win, and was silenced by Obama and shut out.

Can’t some of the reporters in Alaska covering trooper-gate start on this?

This is not about race. It’s about national security. The story has to be told. Obama wants the helm of the free world.

Oct 9, 2008 - 6:01 pm 62. vizbit:

Except for the few within our borders that are willing to throw all common sense out the window –

like that ignorant sheriff in Fl. who got onstage, in uniform, to participate in a violent-inducing outburst that presents itself as political campaigning, with no thought of law enforcement rules/ethics, no intervention by the upstanding gov to prevent his lapse into insanity. He lost his job playing the role as the terrorist enforcer -

Americans for the most part will not fall for winks, half-truths and lying by omission, outlandish skits, not this time. There’s too much at stake. It makes no sense.!

Here’s the other half in the so-called “Obama Ayers Connection”:

The Annenbergs were contributors to Prez Reagan’s campaign in1980. Leonore Annenberg served as his Chief of Protocol.
She is the widow of Walter Annenberg, Ambassador to the UK, present head of The Annenberg Foundation, involved in philantrophic endeavors such as “Education Reform”.
One particular project, The Chicago Annenbeg Challenge, involved Professors Barack Obama and Bill Ayers, the latter a former terrorist.

Are professional encounters the same as close relationships ?
How many other people and political parties are we now to accuse of palling around with Bill Ayers, of being terrorists?
But if it’s the middle name thingie, that’s the missing link, the missing wheels off the straight talk express., it makes no sense.

The only audience you have are those who have no access to the whole truth and guess what, we’re getting the word out in 2008, into the most surprising places.

When I say this article and the McCain campaign are way out of touch, it’s said without apology.

Oct 9, 2008 - 6:10 pm 63. TeamPlayer:

Chip, just as an fyi, a survey of economist (in Economist magazine) showed overwhelming support for Obama’s economic policies. I would be pretty skeptical if all these economists conspired against their own better judgment just to support the Democratic candidate (even if they were Obama supporters, which I don’t know). From the gas tax holiday to the mortgage buy-backs, McCain’s latest proposal seems distinctly big government, welfare-state.

Oct 9, 2008 - 6:13 pm 64. Paul:

We need to face the facts.

We can’t just say that since we don’t agree with the decisions that voters appear poised to make, that they’re somehow not making those decisions. The arguments against Obama are things that could CHANGE the direction of the race, but as of now, they are NOT the electoral facts of the race in and of themselves.

Barring as of now unforeseen and highly improbable events, an Obama landslide is far more likely than a McCain one. Perhaps even far more likely than a McCain squeaker.

Watching the polls make me suspect that a McCain victory could very likely look like this. The following scenario involves McCain overcoming deficits in state races which are smaller than the national deficit.

1). Hanging on by the skin of his teeth to all of the Bush 04 states in the east and midwest except for Iowa.

2). Picking up one electoral vote in Maine’s Second District.

3). Losing New Mexico but winning Colorado and Nevada, thereby pushing him to 270.

Of any McCain victory scenario, this appears to me the one with the highest probability of success (though the probability of it failing is higher) and it would probably involve a defeat in the popular vote.

A Wild Card McCain victory scenario would involve picking up either Wisconsin or Minnesota, which would then bring him to 270 exactly (again, if he held all the Bush 04 states in the east and midwest except for Iowa). Then he’d win even if he lost New Mexico, Colorado and Nevada. And it wouldn’t require him to win Maine’s Second District.

I totally discount, incidentally, the prospect of McCain picking up Pennsylvania. I think it’s an Obama lock. And Michigan? Forget it. McCain was 100% right to allocate his resources elsewhere.

The problem with any McCain victory scenario, obviously, is that it seems highly improbable that Obama will not pick up at least ONE Bush 04 state in the east and/or midwest besides Iowa. If he gets even one, game over. If I had to guess, I’d say that Virginia is the most likely to fall–largely because of demographic shifts in Northern Virginia (even since 06) that favor the Democrats.

I’ll also add that even a drastic narrowing of the national head-to-head poll numbers wouldn’t significantly alter the fundamentals of the race at this point, despite the fact that state polls are lagging indicators. McCain would need to be up by something like 5-10 (which just ain’t gonna happen) in the national numbers for him to see safe margins in battleground states where he is now, in some cases, behind by double digits. It’s time to quit dwelling so much on those national numbers.

Oct 9, 2008 - 6:26 pm 65. John:

Paul,

You are so wrong! and the sad thing?? you dont even relize it.
See you here November 5th if you dare lol

Oct 9, 2008 - 6:28 pm 66. Andrew Sarkadi:

“Allies are not just people who happen to be where you are or who happen to be doing the same things you do. You choose allies deliberately for a reason. The kind of allies you choose says something about you.”
How true, Roger and when you look at the list of the allies of the US, I think you can rest your case. They are too numerous to mention here but let’s pick some out at the top of our head. ALL the blood-thisty, dictatorial regimes in Central and Latin America, provided they were to the extreme right of the political spectrum. The same aplies to the Philippines, South Korea,Franco of Spain and Salazar of Portugal, just to name a few. Gee I’m glad you brought up the subject!

Oct 9, 2008 - 6:32 pm 67. Frank Logan:

Team Player, Please be more specific. What far right talking points, racial statements, radical “crap” are you talking about.

Oct 9, 2008 - 6:52 pm 68. thegr8_1:

In baseball every team wins 54 games and every team loses 54 games. The other 54 games separate the men from the boys and win or lose pennants. In this election most of ‘the other 54 games’ are the Hillary voters and the untalked abput Hispanic voters. They will detemine the winner. Bill and Hillary haven’t gone out of their way for Obama. I read in a zip code in Texas Hillary received ten times the contributions as Obama and now McCain is doing the same. Bill Richardson raised $250k for Hillary although Bill is still mad at him. Do not let the media influence you vote for McCain as though your vote means he will win your state by one vote. We have a fork in the road and the wrong choice will make Carter look like a tea party.

Oct 9, 2008 - 6:59 pm 69. thegr8_1:

A=Arrogant
C=Communist
O=Obama
R=Really
N=Naive

Also time to take the Ohio Sec of State away in handcuffs and an orange jumpsuit.

Oct 9, 2008 - 7:10 pm 70. Richard L.:

What team is that Teamplayer? Obama’s obviously. You cite a Euro rag with Euro data and ignore that 75% of economists responding to WSJ sided with McCain. Just move across the water dude. Me thinks you make Roger’s point.

On another comment, I agree with Bob that this crisis IS the GOP’s fault. They are crying now (softly so hardly anyone will hear them) how they warned the Democrats. Hey chumps, the fact is when you were in charge how hard did you push the point. Considering the world-wide disaster that occurred ON YOUR WATCH maybe you should have made more of stink about Frank & Dodd gumming up the works?

The fact is the GOP leaders have been the most spineless, witless and fatuous legislators imaginable. We elected clods and we’re reaping our harvest. The Democrats at least fight for something; themselves. Our team fights for nothing.

If the GOP loses it’s because they earned it.

Oct 9, 2008 - 7:15 pm 71. thegr8_1:

Make that
A=Arrogant
C=Communist
O=Obama
R=Ready?
N=NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oct 9, 2008 - 7:16 pm 72. KansasGirl:

I know McCain-Palin will win. Good over evil, everytime it’s tried. Don’t doubt yourself.

Oct 9, 2008 - 7:24 pm 73. Frank Logan:

P.Ami, Your absolutely right the republicans are as bad as the democrats. The republicans were elected to follow conservative principles. Instead, they become part of the problem. Their efforts are spent getting re-elected instead of doing what they thinks is best for the country. It’s human nature. You and I would do the same. The only answer is TERM LIMITS. One Term ONLY in the House and One Term ONLY in the senate. 4 or 6 years in the House, 6 or 8 years in the senate. No lobbiest money required or allowed. It would put SERVICE back into public service. The main reason to be elected, would be to serve your country instead of POWER. Think about it.

Oct 9, 2008 - 7:28 pm 74. Paul:

“Paul,

You are so wrong! and the sad thing?? you dont even relize it.
See you here November 5th if you dare lol”

John, there was a previous “Paul” a few posts before mine–I’m not him, and I don’t know if you were directing your comments to him or me.

But if McCain wins, I’ll be celebrating on November 5th and crowing like a rooster when I’m not dancing a jig.

I think, however, that to make a McCain victory possible we’ve got to focus on the places where Obama is vulnerable and McCain has a chance to make up ground. Unfortunately, that means at this point a pretty narrow battlefield. I just think that we have to identify that battlefield now and FIGHT LIKE HELL THERE instead of places where the odds don’t favor our side. Denying reality makes victory less likely–not more.

And that means, and I believe this very strongly, fighting like crazy for places like Colorado, Virginia, Nevada, and Maine’s Second District and keeping a presence (for tactical reasons) in places like Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Minnesota, but not pinning too much hope or spending too much of our thin resources there.

Oct 9, 2008 - 8:06 pm 75. Von Bear:

I work for the federal government and my wife is a teacher. We gross $250,000 per year. I am exempt from social security taxes. We both have pension plans that will pay out almost 100% of our salaries. We have the best of health plans that cover everything for life. We have months of vacation and sick leave. Special programs take care of almost all our needs.

Even when we are at work there is not much to do. Obama means more money for us. To hell with the suckers that work for a living.

PS: There are millions of us.

Oct 9, 2008 - 8:07 pm 76. TeamPlayer:

Richard L., you are correct. I am voting Obama, but I promise to keep the discussion civil. The Economist is a pretty well respected magazine, so I wouldn’t go down the Euro-rag road that quickly. That said, I read the WSJ article, where about half declined to respond:

http://blogs.wsj.com/economics/2008/05/08/many-economists-back-mccain-but-more-are-silent/

Only about 27 people responded compared to 142 for the Economist.

Frank, I would ask you to google some of the videos at Palin rallies where crowd members shouted “kill him” or the McCain rally where someone yelled terrorist within earshot, or the “parking lot video” from Strongsville where people identified Obama as an actual terrorist or Mr. Keating’s latest comments on Obama being a “street guy”.

Is winning so important that we have to go there? I’m fine defending policy, character or intelligence, but the vitriol is getting a bit much, no?

Oct 9, 2008 - 8:17 pm 77. P. Ami:

Mr. Logan,
Term limits are an interesting proposal and I’ve not put much thought to it. To be sure the Founding Fathers did not think these were required, so I would have to read a more thorough articulation of the issue. I would say that career politicians are a basic problem with the current environment.

If there are no lobbyists then how does a candidate gather support? How does he publicize his candidacy? How do the various “special” interests make themselves heard if they do not send representatives to lobby our elected representatives? Special interests have a negative connotation but I don’t quite understand how government serves the people if the people cannot approach candidates or elected civil servants? These are just a few questions that came up when I considered your suggestions.

Oct 9, 2008 - 8:26 pm 78. Believer:

Well, this may very well be why McCain will win:

Have you been asking yourself, “Who IS this guy?” (meaning BO)

Here’s the answer, just uncovered: BILL AYERS!!

Yep. If you read Cashill’s article today at americanthinker.com, which I hear is excellent, you’ll find his research and study shows Barry did not write his bestselling memoir. Bill Ayers is most likely its author!

Don’t you just love it?! I heard Cashill on Rusty Humphries show, and I’m convinced. This is getting too good.

Oct 9, 2008 - 8:26 pm 79. Bob:

Marc

“filibuster-proof majority” is required for control eh? When you have the ability to completely block ANY legislation from even coming out of committee? I don’t think so.

To simply ignore the role of our own party is not going to help. We have to confront the mistakes of the past and move on. We MUST fearlessly confront our past in order to achieve our goals in the future.

PS – were you up at the lake recently?

Oct 9, 2008 - 8:30 pm 80. Marc Malone:

Richard L – You’re right. The Pubs blew it by not fighting against the Dems hard enough about this. Of course, they probably didn’t all understand how bad this was going to be. (Kinda like Obama’s election.) The Dems just wanted it more.

The irony is, that there were a couple Pubs who actually tried to fix the problem. One of these few, these merry few, was McCain… and he’s getting pasted by this mess, even though he tried to stop it! ‘Tis a Greek tragedy.

Oct 9, 2008 - 8:36 pm 81. TeamPlayer:

one more follow up. Again, I don’t believe Sarah Palin is un-American at all, but the facts are that she and her husband have consorted with extremists groups. I am not stretching the facts, but I’m realistic that you cross paths with all kinds in politics and your actions matter more.

http://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2008/10/07/palins_unamerican/

The article does not condemn Palin just as these Obama smears reek more of desperation than anything else. Again, there’s a big difference in calling someone dumb or unethical versus a national security threat. If the Obama campaign was pushing the secessionist angle, I would cry out loud that the accusation is a stretch and beneath him. I would ask you to do the same. Turning a blind eye is just as bad. C’mon this is how parties maintain power, by dividing the electorate with just viciousness.

Oct 9, 2008 - 8:39 pm 82. M. Stephen Lamb:

Roger Kimball quotes somebody saying that Obama believes “we’ve lost face among the nations of the world — presumably our moral superiors. He is here to reform the fallen America.”

What utter b.s. Fallen from what? A history of horrid racist slavery, of native American butchery, of women-hating anti-sufferage? Just when, Senator Obama, did America rightly have the respect of our presumed moral superiors? What kind of nonsensical history lesson is this, Senator?

Of course it’s pure drivel. But, boy (there, now call me a racist for merely drpping that word), it sure plays well with the mob. A mob of guilt-laden, non-thinking, emotionally-driven elites ready to settle the score of America’s past history. A historical image Senator Obama claims we need to restore in the world today.

These people are simply kooky nuts, lusting for power for power’s sake.

Oct 9, 2008 - 8:47 pm 83. Judy, NYC:

it’s time for a third party. better late than never. the dow dropped to 8500 today, another 679 points down. we have now lost over 2.5 trillion dollars in 3-1/2 weeks and the democrats and republicans knew it was coming, and they didn’t tell us, didn’t introduce legislation that would help with a financial crisis before this debacle. just like some medieval kingdom, we’ve been royally screwed. these scum in both parties have been helping themselves to build global portfolios shaped by worthless mortgage backed securities that led to this catastrophe. indeed, both parties knew because it’s been some time since the interest on mortgages stopped coming in. or, didn’t you know that.

Oct 9, 2008 - 9:02 pm 84. earl:

Von Bear:

Do you not understand supply and demand must balance? Inefficiency increases with overcapacity, right? Especially when marginal costs are low, yes? We NEED a strong demand component moving forward. That’s thing the first.

Second, your attack portrait is unconvincing. Not just because even though everyone knows a teacher, almost no one knows a teacher who grosses anything close to $250,000. Or $150,000.00. OR $100,000.00 for that matter. Most teachers are in the five figure range. But also because it’s the same with federal employees, though they probably tend more toward the top of the five figure range, and into the VERY low six. I defy you to find more than a handful over $110,000.00. The point is there are NOT millions of fed employee/teacher couples with an income even approximately approaching $250k. Never mind all those other perks. To be an effective strawman, your strawman MUST be believable.

Third, and perhaps most disturbingly, your argument seems dead set on suggesting that Obama’s tax program is designed to unfairly benefit public employees and teachers, who are already leaching off society, and who cruelly mock us normal people. This seems to indicate almost unbelievable level of incompetence in forming argument strategery. frank luntz would be like… “well, it’s not important what people like… its… oh @#%&! this Bear, this is NOT going to test well. Try a different balloon.”

Fourth, Obama’s tax proposals are not more favorable to the $250k tranche than McCain’s. McCain’s program, depending on circumstances, can kick almost an additional $7k off the tax bill for that tranche, so if our federal employee and teacher really are in that tranche and really are that contemptible, and sticking it to them is the deciding factor for your vote? Then you have to vote Obama. Good job.

Fifth… this is beat to death — but the sad thing is I could go on and on like this.

You seriously need to get a grip and THINK before you write. With friends like you…

Oct 9, 2008 - 9:04 pm 85. Paul:

Von Bear, if you’re at $250,000, doesn’t that put you at the threshold for paying MORE taxes under Obama?

Sounds to me that you’re one of those evil rich bastards that Obama is gunning for.

Oct 9, 2008 - 9:06 pm 86. fred:

That first post by “Bob” at the top of this thread is a prima face example of how little people actually understand the general mechanics of this financial mess.

These are the things you never hear from the Obamabots:

1. The 1977 Community Reinvestment Act

2. Barney Frank’s and Chris Dodd’s stewardship of the banking committees that oversee the program.

3. THE BIG ONE; 1995 President Clinton tasks Attorney General Janet Reno to force an expansive and liberal interpretation of the CRA and to begin aggressively lending out to people who have no jobs, no credit history, and no realistic way of making the obligation work.

The disappearance of any semblance of prudent underwriting and oversight was forced by that event in 1995. Reno effectively strong-armed the banking community. The banks caved in. The loans were made by the banks, and then sold to the government, which then issued the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac paper for the final act of the securitization process.

“De-regulation by Ronald Reagan” was never the cause of this mess. That’s the meme that has been making the rounds in the Leftist blogosphere and their talking heads shows. It’s a crap explanation that functions as scapegoating.

The Big Media and parts of the New Media are filled with people who, frankly, need to take some graduate courses in economics and finance, so that this intellectual sloth and sloppy writing about these events can be reversed.

Oct 9, 2008 - 9:32 pm 87. The Eagle:

McCain has one last chance: the next debate. And there’s only one strategy for him: repeat and repeat and repeat and stress to the very last minute everything that the MSM has been trying to hide: Ayers, Wright, Flagler, Obama’s Muslim origins/faith, place of birth, all of Obama’s leftist and marxist “associations” … and try to show people how all the Left in the world and all the enemies of the US support “The One”.

Oct 9, 2008 - 9:35 pm 88. fred:

People like “Von Bear” are parasites. I’ve got nothing against the money he and his wife makes, if they work for it and add value to the economy. But they don’t. And he’s proud of being able to scam the system. He wants Obama to expand the cookie jar to a larger size, and make us pay for his sugar highs.

I work for a company that has clients whose money is managed by the portfolio manager I do research for. The vast majority of these people make either a little less or significantly more than “Von Bear” does, and they do jobs that are demanding. They don’t get months of vacation and health plans like congressmen and senators. The vast majority of these people do add value by their work. AND OBAMA WANTS TO TAX THEM MORE. Plus, his tax increases will go down to levels a lot lower than $250K a year, and that will hit me too.

The hauteur of the parasites reminds me of how close this country could be to civil war in the future, if the Left pushes things too far. They had better be careful if the worst ever did come to pass. A lot of carpenters would be busy with work building scaffolds.

Oct 9, 2008 - 9:40 pm 89. fred:

It drives me to no limit of exasperation that Sen. McCain will not crush Obama about Obama’s pledge to end the ballistic missile defense shield. That program is becoming more and more successful, and is now approaching the phase where it will be a laser system in the not far distant future, so that it could wipe out MIRV attacks.

Given the statements that come out of Iran about its intentions when it gets the hydrogen bomb, and given that it is working on longer range ICBM rockets which it can weaponize, ending missile defense is a stupid idea. In fact, it amounts to dereliction of duty, maybe even treason.

And there are other programs he intends to end.

Obama has absolutely no clue whatsoever about how to conduct foreign policy or understand and implement military strategy. He would be a total disaster here. I would use more colorful language to describe it, but am sure the PJM folks would not approve of trooper language.

Oct 9, 2008 - 9:47 pm 90. TeamPlayer:

http://clapboard.org/temp/SarahPalinReport.pdf

You guys are ok with page 4, pathetic SATs and an IQ below 85? Really? For the VP of the United States? Really?

There isn’t a more qualified Republican? I don’t need George Will or Newt. You don’t have to be a genius to be effective, but an IQ of 83?

Oct 9, 2008 - 10:19 pm 91. vivo:

Markus Oct 9, 2008 – 1:43 pm:

“McCain’s a nationalist, Obama’s an internationalist. And a closet commie and a closet Muslim.”

Translation:
McCain lives in a island.
Obama understands we are not alone.
Commie: useless name calling.
Closet Muslim: “I don’t know how to get my facts”.

Pathetic.

Oct 9, 2008 - 10:27 pm 92. vivo:

vizbit Oct 9, 2008 – 6:10 pm:

Well worth repeating:

“Here’s the other half in the so-called “Obama Ayers Connection”:

The Annenbergs were contributors to Prez Reagan’s campaign in1980. Leonore Annenberg served as his Chief of Protocol.
She is the widow of Walter Annenberg, Ambassador to the UK, present head of The Annenberg Foundation, involved in philantrophic endeavors such as “Education Reform”.
One particular project, The Chicago Annenbeg Challenge, involved Professors Barack Obama and Bill Ayers, the latter a former terrorist.

Are professional encounters the same as close relationships ?
How many other people and political parties are we now to accuse of palling around with Bill Ayers, of being terrorists?
But if it’s the middle name thingie, that’s the missing link, the missing wheels off the straight talk express., it makes no sense.

The only audience you have are those who have no access to the whole truth and guess what, we’re getting the word out in 2008, into the most surprising places.

When I say this article and the McCain campaign are way out of touch, it’s said without apology.”

And remember, Ayers was fighting the VietNam war, an obscene war where the military brass was drugging the troops and bringing dope through official channels. GOP=ADD.

Oct 9, 2008 - 10:40 pm 93. vivo:

KansasGirl Oct 9, 2008 – 7:24 pm:

“I know McCain-Palin will win. Good over evil, everytime it’s tried. Don’t doubt yourself.”

Do you really know what “good” means?

Have you ever thought about your own “evil”?

You’ll be surprised you may not be going to “Heaven” . . .

Oct 9, 2008 - 10:47 pm 94. vivo:

Von Bear Oct 9, 2008 – 8:07 pm:

You heard the folks. I believe more in what they tell you than your hypothetic situation. Millions? You really are goofing in your job and smoking weird stuff.

You sound like the GOP ticket . . .

Oct 9, 2008 - 10:58 pm 95. vivo:

McCain can win: electoral fraud.

It’s been done before and the weenie democrats couldn’t fight it. God is watching (and doing nothing, too) . . .

Oct 9, 2008 - 11:04 pm 96. Someone75:

Lets reserve judgment until Palin’s troopergate report comes out tomorrow. The First Dude’s testimony didn’t sound too promising.

Also, McCain is largely preaching to his base. At this time, candidates are assumed to have their base intact. They spend October going after independents. Too bad independents are running to Obama. And no amount of race bating will change that. Hey – if you can win on policy and ideas, win by lying.

Oct 9, 2008 - 11:46 pm 97. Anat:

I have a question for you Americans. Are there any polls comparing present voting preferences to actual 2004 voting? I mean, what percentage of Obama supporters say they voted Bush in 2004, and what percentage of McCain supporters voted Kerry? Surely, this should be one way of assessing trends.

Oct 10, 2008 - 12:31 am 98. Fazza:

According to Roger: “One loves America for what it might be when suitably purged of greed, racism, inequality, sexism, indifference to the environment, etc., etc. The other loves America for what it is.”

Obama loves America now. But you can love a child with all your heart, yet still recognise its flaws and want to help it grow out of them.

Oct 10, 2008 - 1:01 am 99. proud_american:

vivo:

You said: “And remember, Ayers was fighting the VietNam war, an obscene war where the military brass was drugging the troops and bringing dope through official channels.”

Are you sure you want to go down that road? Lyndon Johnson, Democrat president and commander-in-chief at that time was the one who sent soldiers over to Vietnam.

Oct 10, 2008 - 1:42 am 100. gaetano catelli:

thank you, Roger.

Oct 10, 2008 - 4:18 am 101. Mike Maynard:

“You’re beautiful, I love you, now change.” That is Team Obama’s message.

what condescending horseshit.

Oct 10, 2008 - 4:18 am 102. Frank Logan:

P. Ami, The reason the founding fathers didn’t require term limits maybe because they didn’t see being a represenative of the people as a vocation. They themselves were landowners, businessmen, etc., who were in service to the country rather than earning a living in the congress. As to point two, nothing about term limits precludes anyone from lobbying the congress. A single term limit removes the cover of donating to the re-election campaign of the lobbied represenative. Any exchange of money would be seen for what it is, an illegal bribe. In my view, single term limits would put SERVICE back into government service more than any other solution to our biggest problem, the 535 people in the House and Senate. Regards

Oct 10, 2008 - 4:57 am 103. TeamPlayer:

whew…

I posted a link for Ms. Palin’s transcripts. It appears the documents may be false:

http://gawker.com/5061283/sarah-palins-high+school-grades?t=8243229#viewcomments

Oct 10, 2008 - 5:05 am 104. Frank Logan:

To all the conservatives on this thread don’t despair, for reasons listed above at 3:15, this race has been over since June and McCain wins BIG. The VP picks didn’t change it, the debates won’t change it. Obama is running against Obama and he can’t win. Regards

Oct 10, 2008 - 5:07 am 105. Sheila:

I think Obama will win, and here’s why. Too many losers, who wouldn’t otherwise get their hand out of their crotch and their a$$es off the couch, are going to go out and vote, because they want to be part “history” having voted for the first “black” president.

I hope to God that I’m wrong.

Oct 10, 2008 - 5:28 am 106. McCruel:

McCain will win because America trusts a rambling, senior with PTSD and witch hunting secessionist more than an up and coming leader who understands the issues. Just kidding Obama will win, but please conservatives go to off shore gambling sites and put your kid’s college money where your mouth is. After all if your kids are like Sarah Palin’s they won’t be needing a college fund.

Oct 10, 2008 - 6:24 am 107. McCruel:

By the way Sheila you are probably a racist. If you are not please come to Chicago and discuss your views on race relations openly.

Oct 10, 2008 - 6:26 am 108. Blogs For Victory » McCain - and America - Can Win:

[...] 10th, 2008 at 09:48am Mark Noonan As noted by Roger Kimball: The question I have most often been asked the past few weeks is whether I stand by my prediction [...]

Oct 10, 2008 - 6:48 am 109. Sandra M:

Will said:
“f we drill, we get more oil.
If we get more oil, gas prices will come down.
If gas prices come down, the cost of everything — food, textiles, electronics, etc. — will come down too.
If gas prices come down, everyone will thus be saving more money.
They will spend less on gas. Less on food. Less on everyday purchases.
This, in turn, will make families more financially solvent.
Less mortgages will go into default.
Banks will stabilize.
Credit will start flowing again.
The DOW will stop dropping so precipitously.”

I agree. Additionally, he Axis of Oil should convince everyone to make energy independence a top priority of the McCain administration.

A couple of days ago, I suggested that Sarah Palin do a 15 or 30 minute infomercial on kitchen table issues tied to the issue of energy. Now, it seems Obama has taken up that idea and has bought half an hour of time on CBS.

I can’t take 30 seconds of pie in the sky Obama but Sarah Palin talking to the American people about energy would be mesmerizing. I saw her interviews on Larry Kudlow on the topic of energy before she was a VP candidate and she was terrific.

McCain sometimes fails to connect the dots as in announcing in his first debate that he was against the corn ethanol subsidy. So? He should have explained that diverting corn from livestock feed to fuel was driving up the price of food. In announcing his 300 billion idea of supporting mortgages, he failed to explain it would come out of the 700 billion already legislated. Let’s face it. McCain is NOT a great communicator. Palin is. The greatest since Reagan.

Make a 30 minute infomercial with Sarah on energy and kitchen table issues. . Ask for donations and enough will come in to show as often as need be before the election.

Oct 10, 2008 - 7:01 am 110. Bob:

hey rastlin: cite me one, JUST ONE, bill that would have prevented the financial crisis in your view that the GoP pushed and the dems managed to block while the GoP was in control of both the congress and the whitehouse.

tell me to check my facts? Check YOURS.

Oct 10, 2008 - 7:13 am 111. Sheila:

“By the way Sheila you are probably a racist”.

Thanks for the laugh McCruel! Have a great weekend!

Oct 10, 2008 - 7:23 am 112. Vas is Das Kapital:

Separation of church and state, indeed. How about separation of economy and state? Fret not, neither liberal nor conservative. Whoever wins is painfully irrelevant. The “power of your vote” will ensure that one part or another of your freedom will be legislated away from you, and none restored, as only Ron Paul and 4 million Constitutional law abiding people demand.

Oct 10, 2008 - 7:24 am 113. Bob:

And Fred, gotta tell you – this mess is NOT RR’s fault, but no one is saying it is. rather, it is the direct fault of George W. Bush and the GoP congressional majorities of 1996 to 2006 who acted in direct disregard of the conservative principles they were elected to implement. Instead of less spending, we got MORE. Instead of less intervention in the market, we got MORE. etc. etc.

The bottom line is that conservatives were responsible for electing a bunch of people that professed conservative values as a front for lining their own pockets. That happened because conservatives became more focused on party unity than actual conservative principles. Like the overindulgent parent, conservative voters did everything in their power to rationalize away the faults of GoP candidates, find someone else to blame whenever anything went wrong, and above all to never, NEVER, admit mistakes. Do that with your kids and you end up with irresponsible messes who can’t make their own way in the world without you pulling their asses out of trouble all the time. Do it with your party and you get a bunch of self serving greedheads running things who pacify with preachy piety while robbing you blind.

Whenever anything breaks about charlatans high up in the GoP ranks, why is our first reaction always to try to start talking about the faults of others?

We need to be loyal to conservative principles, NOT whoever happens to currently be in the GoP leadership. If the GoP leadership rejects conservative principles, we need to change the leadership, or change parties.

Oct 10, 2008 - 7:29 am 114. KB:

I agree wholeheartedly with your final sentence that “If McCain-Palin can effectively articulate that message, they will win.” The problem is the first word, “If”. I don’t think they will articulate it. And thus they will, sadly, lose.

Oct 10, 2008 - 7:57 am 115. EJ:

It’s not too late…24 days to the election is a lifetime in politics, especially with the new media. All I can say, after McCain wins we will owe PajamasMedia, Rush, Sean, RedState, Levin, NoQuarter our gratitude for saving this country. They are the true patriots of this century.

Oct 10, 2008 - 7:57 am 116. lgkick:

A sad and illusional piece! The kind of sad optimism that you can detect on FoxNews and LittleGreenFootballs where more than 80 percent believe that McCain won the second debate or Sarah Palin was the best choice for VP. The sun won’t hide itself by you repeating it’s night it’s night.

You believe that McCain will win because democrats messed up the economy even though republicans have been in power for 8 years? Are you saying the republicans were not capable of fixing the mess the democrats created? So why should we vote for them to stay in power if they can’t fix problems and only blame democrats? Let’s assume democrats are 100% responsible for the current market crisis (which is what only a rightard would believe); but then your guys were in control of everything for 8 years and they couldn’t prevent this crisis? This only proves that they are crippled freaks with no brains and not deserving of another 4 years to just whine about what democrats have done in the 90’s (just like the author is doing now).

You believe McCain will win because he loves his country the way it is? Only illusional people love the US the way it is. This is a country that does not care for its sick, does not care for its elders (some of whom have to postpone their retirement), does not care for its hurricane-struck population, wages war on countries that have not threatened it, and supports dictators around the world. Being a true patriot means to see these shortcomings and do your best to solve them and move the country forward. The kind of blind love that is advertised by the right wing nationalists is deadly and poisonous. America is not perfect and needs improvement. Her image has to be improved around the world. Her poor, sick, and elderly need protection, healthcare, and housing. Her children need a better education to be able to compete with other nations and stay on top of the game. She should direct her attention from useless and endless wars to the wars that matter and are of higher priority. McCain will fail to do any of this especially when accompanied by an unexperienced hockey mom who can’t construct logical and intelligent sentences in response to simple questions.

I believe McCain will not win and let me tell you why. Americans are desperate for change. Yes they do love their country and think of it very highly but unlike their illusional rightard friends, they know this country is not moving in the right direction. McCain is not representing change! He represents Bush. He is 90% Bush. This is not what Americans want now. Obama on the other hand represents change, the change that we need.

Oct 10, 2008 - 8:15 am 117. Frank Logan:

lgkick, McCain will win because 20% of your democratic party brethren hate Obama’s guts. That 11 million democrats not voting for Obama.

Oct 10, 2008 - 8:47 am 118. Nine-of-Diamonds:

Methinks the deluded astroturfer above needs to lay off on the exclamation points and think, for a change. To think (s)he would have the gall to post drivel like that and then make fun of retarded people.

“rightards”. Classy.

Oct 10, 2008 - 8:58 am 119. Joseph Marshall:

To all the people who mentioned the 58% who self-identified as “conservative” I can only say that you must watch what people actually do, rather than just what they say.

I have carefully watched the numbers of this election all year. For a good portion of that time, including right now, McCain’s numbers have hovered around 42%. I take this to be the rock bottom of his support who would never vote against him in any circumstances.

Between April 1 and today his numbers have gone higher than 45% only for about 1 week following the RNC in his convention/Palin bounce. So I would take 45% to be the upper limit of his solid support. This is the population segment which most of PJM and most of its commentors fall into. The people in the comments above who are clearly “conservative” but not blind to the essential “Socialism” of recent events, probably also fall within that 45%.

It is an objective fact that McCain has to sell his message to the 55% who constitute the rest of us, and, particularly, to the 6-8% who currently have not committed to either candidate. If he doesn’t do this, he will lose.

This is not a new phenomenon. In 2004, along the same timeline, the national numbers varied from +8% for Kerry to +8% for Bush. This tells us that about 15% of the electorate are truly persuadable, and Bush himself only drew +1-2% in the final tally.

So you are not a majority and you have a sales job to do.

But the numbers also tell us that, after the first week in September, not only have Obama’s numbers gone steadily up, McCain’s numbers have gone steadily down. If this trend continues over the next 25 days, the popular vote numbers will come out somewhere around 60% Obama to 40% McCain, with an EV count above 350 for Obama, up to as much as 376.

It is my personal opinion that McCain is actually losing support by fixating on attacking Obama’s character with Ayers, et.al. rather than trying to sell what he, McCain, has to offer to America. In one fashion or another all of Obama’s opponents have concentrated on why Obama shouldn’t be President rather than why they should.

Hillary Clinton lost doing this, and from April to September McCain has led Obama nationally for only one bare week. All the rest of the time he has been behind. You would think that somebody would figure out that this wasn’t working.

But the overwhelming majority of you have merely wanted McCain to “take the gloves off”. Well he has. Palin has called Obama a pal of terrorists, McCain has called him a liar, every once in a while in the rallies somebody calls him Barack Hussein Obama, and someone in the audience is always shouting “Traitor!”

And, for all the assertion of its bias, the MSM actually is covering all of it. If they wern’t, I wouldn’t know about it. So far nothing has happened except that your guy has lost a little more ground.

Really, slash, trash, and burn politics is an emotional addiction, and, as with all addicts, nothing matters but the fix. Not winning, not governing, not dealing with worldwide equity market panic. Just the fix.

Oct 10, 2008 - 9:35 am 120. BMoon:

Frankly, It will all come down to $$$. Americans love God, country and baseball, but if the current meltdown continues and farmers cannot get loans to buy seed, and the stores start to empty, Americans will toss everything they believe in and will go desperately for anything and anybody called “Change” no matter how unsavory and antitheitcal to everything their country stands for, and without even attempting to thoughtfully consider what “Change” they are submitting to.

I have met too many Americans voting for Obama who are already in this severe somnambulent state of denial, stupor, and abject hypnosis. They are utterly enfeebled and delusionary. If the crisis gets worse, they, like their distant cousins a few decades ago in Europe, will sell their souls to one of the most dangerous extreme people that has ever appeared on the American political scene.

May I be wrong.

Oct 10, 2008 - 9:47 am 121. O Dr. Hoppe viu o futuro, m´er irmão… | Dicta & Contradicta:

[...] depois leiam no Tio Roger sobre quais visões das Américas estão em disputa na eleição Barack Hussein Obama X John [...]

Oct 10, 2008 - 10:18 am 122. Big Ben:

Its starting to look like Obama will win,barring soem unforeseen event. Truth be told,if the Republican ticket were Guiliani-Romney or Romney- Palin or any combination, it would not change the result.
The protracted War,abysmal economy and the MSM wee just too many hurdles to overcome.

If Obama does win, the Republicans (and conservatives) must be ready to wage move-on type guerrila warfare against the ruling elite, and must have the fortitude to persevere and ignore the inevitable charges of racism.
Maybe after a few years of Obama cronyism and incipient Socialism, the middle can be moved to the right.

Oct 10, 2008 - 10:37 am 123. Joey:

Seeing this country, loving it, and loving what it has the ability to become is Anti American? Are you kidding? Wanting to destroy it, as the Republicans seem bent on, is anti-american no matter how many times they yell out “Patriot.” This article is bunk. The country should not be “the last great hope” when we can achieve what we hope for. To always wish but never seek to achieve, is anti-american.

One loves this country, for what it is and what it can be. Another loves this country, and wishes to keep the flaws, and seems bent on bringing on more flaws. That is American? No matter how loud you yell “Patriot Patriot Patriot!!!” It is not true, to love yourself and be able to improve is love, to love yourself and cut off your arms, that is not love.

Oct 10, 2008 - 11:26 am 124. mtraven:

For the diehard dittoheads who keep on flogging the stale Bill Ayers meme, this letter may be of interest:

As the lead federal prosecutor of the Weathermen in the 1970s (I was then chief of the criminal division in the Eastern District of Michigan and took over the Weathermen prosecution in 1972), I am amazed and outraged that Senator Barack Obama is being linked to William Ayers’s terrorist activities 40 years ago when Mr. Obama was, as he has noted, just a child.

Although I dearly wanted to obtain convictions against all the Weathermen, including Bill Ayers, I am very pleased to learn that he has become a responsible citizen.

Because Senator Obama recently served on a board of a charitable organization with Mr. Ayers cannot possibly link the senator to acts perpetrated by Mr. Ayers so many years ago.

I don’t suppose this will make much difference to the incurable lunatics of the right. Fortunately their numbers are dwindling as people wake up to the utter catastrophe of Republican rule.

Oct 10, 2008 - 11:29 am 125. Bob:

“If Obama does win, the Republicans (and conservatives) must be ready to wage move-on type guerrila warfare against the ruling elite”

No no no no no no.

This is the attitude that got us into this mess – that winning is more important than doing the right thing. If we do the right thing, eventually we will win. But if we are just committed to winning, and don’t focus on doing the right thing, then we will (if we ever do win again) just end up with the same sort of crowd that got us into this mess and destroyed the GoP.

If we do lose, we need to focus on being a constructive minority party, constantly pushing the best solutions to problems, with a view toward building a record that will make voters understand we have the right solutions and return us to power, with a view towards finding and promoting leaders actually true to conservative principles rather than political gamesmanship.

Look at the impeachment of clinton. what did that get us? Nothing! Look at Karl Rove – for all his skill with short term political gain, look what he’s cost us – were going from control of all three branches to control of none in less than 2 years time – and the dems may even get a filibuster proof majority.

If we want to recover from this, we can’t pretend its anyone’s fault other than our own. When I was a kid, I sometimes would bring home a bad grade and try to make excuses – the teacher didn’t like me, the assignments were too boring, I had too much homework… etc. etc. My dad always said there are no excuses – either you succeed or you don’t. If you don’t, you don’t whine about how it was all so unfair – you figure out what YOU need to do do to succeed, and you do it. Confronting your own shortcomings is vital to that process.

Oct 10, 2008 - 11:34 am 126. vivo:

proud_american Oct 10, 2008 – 1:42 am:

“vivo:

You said: “And remember, Ayers was fighting the VietNam war, an obscene war where the military brass was drugging the troops and bringing dope through official channels.”

Are you sure you want to go down that road? Lyndon Johnson, Democrat president and commander-in-chief at that time was the one who sent soldiers over to Vietnam.”

Reps and Dems are all guilty in my eyes. What this country needs is decent people to run it and really care for its people’s welfare.

Oct 10, 2008 - 11:45 am 127. Ratatosk, Squirrel of Discord:

And herein lies the problem with blogs.

A majority of the country seems to like Obama. It seems incredibly unlikely that he is actually an evil Socialist bent on destroying America. It seems far more likely that he’s a Democrat competing against a Republican in a national election. Look at yourselves, its as bad here as it is at Daily KOS. If YOU ALL AGREE on something, you’re probably wrong. If you think you’ve “got the goods” on the other teams candidate, you’re probably full of s*it, worse yet, everyone seems to be surrounding themselves ONLY with people that agree with them. There are statements throughout the entire comment section of pjmedia (and other partisan sites), which are obvious, incredible nonsense. If this keeps up, our nation will die. A house divided against itself cannot stand.

Not only is this sort of bulls*it bad for the country, its bad for you brains. If the other guy can only win if he’s an evil dishonest trickster with the backing of an overtly evil MSM… you’re lying to yourself. Not only that, but your lying with easy lies… easy for people that want to believe to believe… and easy for people that don’t want to believe, to not.

I can’t count the number of posts I’ve read this week that start off brilliantly “McCain must talk about his economic plan vs. Obama’s…” and then veer off into crazy land “AND HIS EVIL CRONIES!!!!”

Look, every one of the people you mentioned is an American. Maybe not one you personally like or agree with, but they are your fellow countrymen. Yes, some of them seem to blame America, want to fight the America that exists now, etc… but that’s not illegal, in fact its the whole point of our country. Just because Obama sat on a board, or had a meeting, or worked with someone on a project, doesn’t make him some sort of evil overlord bent on subjugating the world. These arguments make as much sense as the “Skull and Bones” arguments that idiots hurled at GWB.

Vote for the person you think will do the best job… but if you think the other guy is EVIL… then please, for the sake of the future of this nation, realize that you’re biased and adjust your arguments.

I don’t want Obama to be president, but this INSANITY, this BULLDADA, this PACK OF NONSENSE must stop. Obvious stupid is obivous and right now, to the majority, all of these accusations LOOK OBVIOUS AND STUPID. If you don’t get back on message… you know the actual issues of an Obama presidency, instead of imaginary Chicken Little proclamations, then we’re gonna see 8 years of Dems running everything.

If deep down, you want bigger government… if deep down you want Universal Healthcare, if deep down, you want a foreign policy based on talks and compromise rather than action… then by all means keep this up a few more weeks. Keep arguing about Obama’s friends and Obama’s secret Muslim Communist Black Panther ties…

and then, when Obama and all his friends take over Washington, you can smile and say “I helped do that.”

Please, please, take off the blinders and GET TO WORK, or this is over and we’re screwed. Not because of Ayres and Panthers and Weathermen and Muslims and Rezko… but because of a fundamental difference in political ideologies. I know ideology can be hard to spell, and if you don’t use your brain, probably hard to talk about in a blog post. But, please try.

For the Children.

Oct 10, 2008 - 11:48 am 128. BMoon:

Ratatosk,
The policy issues are as important as the character issues. We must sound out BOTH loud and clear.

As for the post and quote by mtraven, you and the letter entirely miss the point. It is not just has association with terrorists, but his LIEING about it. Obama has lied continually about all his associations, not speak of over a hunred other issues.

Honesty is as American as free enterprise and Obama could not tell the truth if “Stanley” beat him with a Louisville slugger over the head 100 times.

Oct 10, 2008 - 12:43 pm 129. airth10:

This deserves repeating even though it wouldn’t get through thick skulls like Kimball’s. It was written by ‘Bob’ earlier. But I wish I had said it:

“So…
Let me get this straight….
The current fiscal crisis is Bill Clinton’s fault, brought on by the policies of the democrats, and anyone can see that and could see what was going to happen from the policies. That about sums it up eh?

The problem is the GOP controlled the legislative branch from 1996 to 2006, and the whitehouse from 2001 to present.

Therefore, even if the policies of the Clinton administration WERE responsible for the current mess, the GoP would still have to explain why they did NOTHING to change these policies for the last 12 years during which time they had either legislative control, executive control, or both.

Stupid arguments don’t help us, people. They just make us look like morons.”

Oct 10, 2008 - 12:51 pm 130. AK Wilks:

The CRA only covers depository institutions, like banks and thrifts, which only account for 25% of recent lending activity. The CRA does not apply to the mortgage companies like Countrywide and Ameriquest that were behind so many bad loans. The CRA also had nothing to do with the wave of Wall Street and banking deregulation started under Clinton and the Congressional Republicans, and greatly intensified under the Bush era, which led to no document loans and no income loans. These type of sub prime loans were mostly for middle class homes, and it was the Bush White House, SEC and Treasury which let them occur, not the Democratic minority in Congress! And it was Sen. Phil Gramm and Fed Chair Alan Greenspan who strongly resisted any regulation of credit default swaps which DIRECTLY led to the current crisis.

And Fannie/Freddie, which had been insuring up to 40% of these risky loans, saw Wall Street and the mortgage companies buying up these sub prime loans so much that their market share declined to 22%. It was the Bush White House, in 2005, which ordered James Lockhart, the Fannie/Freddie regulator, to direct them to buy more loans, making $40 Billion available for that purpose. Their share increased to 33%. Thus, it is the Republican Executive Branch which bears the most responsibility for the current mess. Yes, Barney Frank and Maxine Waters squealed about regulating Fannie/Freddie in 2005. But who cares? The Republicans controlled the House, Senate and White House in 2005, and they didn’t pass anything. Nothing passed until the Dems took over in 2007. And it was the Bush White House in 2005 that ordered Fannie/Freddie to buy MORE bad loans, not less. Bush and Congressional Republicans also intensified deregulating Wall Street and the banking industry, putting no controls on credit default swaps and other exotic instruments. Virtually every element of the current crisis was set by Republicans – after all they mostly controlled the Congress from 95 to 07, and the White House, Treasury, Federal Reserve and SEC from 2001 until now.

Conservatives need to admit that the policies of no regulation simply did not work, while still showing that excessive regulation is not the answer. Until they do that, the American people will not trust them, and it looks like Obama is headed for a 5 to 7 point landslide win, and the Dems pick up 5 to 9 seats in the Senate, and 20 to 30 in the House.

Oct 10, 2008 - 1:08 pm 131. myth buster:

You know, I’d like to know why people expect Obama to provide them with health care, when he voted to deny it to critically injured babies.

Oct 10, 2008 - 1:33 pm 132. William Briggs:

We’re have the same discussion over at my place:

http://wmbriggs.com/blog/2008/10/06/john-mccain-will-win/

I also think McCain will win, but few of my friends are as confident. I say, they watch too much regular media which obviously will not present any message other than that McCain is losing, will lose, etc.

Oct 10, 2008 - 1:40 pm 133. Nine-of-Diamonds:

“you are not a majority and you have a sales job to do…”

Wow. Belaboring the obvious is so much fun.

I still can’t understand all the stupid comments about Conservatives thinking they’re a huge majority. There’s plenty of criticism re: McCain’s campaign strategy on Republican blogs if you bother to look for it, and it’s common knowledge that Dems make up a majority of registered voters. Again – there’s a post saying McCain’s going to lose right here on PJM; too bad it seemed to escape the notice of some of the superior intellects around here. The lectures about “electoral realism” and “selling your message” are pointless – as are blanket statements that the Conservative movement is out of touch with reality.

Oct 10, 2008 - 1:43 pm 134. Steynian 268 « Free Mark Steyn!:

[...] AMERICA without apology, by Roger Kimball …. [...]

Oct 10, 2008 - 1:55 pm 135. RobertE:

Roger expresses almost exactly what my wife and I thought after the so-called townhall debate the other night. For obvious reasons, Sen McCain can’t move smoothly across a stage and engage an audience like a Reagan could and Gov Palin can. I hate it when people criticize him for appearing “stiff” and having odd body language. But what I believe what he sometimes lacks in physical presence he more than makes up for in emotion. During the last debate his tone was almost always optimistic, he was friendly to the audience, and genuinely gracious to Obama at appropriate moments. Obama came off as dour, snobbish bordering on snarky, and pessimistic. Maybe it was the format, but we didn’t see anything in Obama that would make anyone swoon. Where the heck he got the reputation as a great orator is a mystery to us.

This country may be going to hell in a handbasket, but I’d rather be in it with someone pleasant instead of a mope.

Oct 10, 2008 - 2:12 pm 136. Obama08:

I like how no Republicans mention Mr. G. Gordon Liddy, a close friend of John McCain. I also like how they blame the Dems for the financial mess. While there is plenty of blame to go around, tell me how Obama is to blame when he has been in the Senate for 2 years and the Republicans in control for 12 years? Now that is playing with the numbers! John McCain is (or WAS)a fervent supporter of DEregulation which led to all this mess. He is a desperate, desperate man, and he will do anything to win. Why don’t you all look up the Liddy connection and also the fact that one of McCains supporters Leonore Annennberg also has a connection with Ayers, so does that make McCain “guilty by association”? come one people – WAKE UP AND SMELL THE BULL****

Oct 10, 2008 - 2:52 pm 137. Edward A.:

When will McCain stop jumping around with new policies/gimmicks. His suspension of his campaign only strengthened the talk of McCain’s ’shooting from the hip.’ He needs to be consistent and show himself a leader. His ‘new theme, every day.’ Why can’t his staff fashion a coordinated campaign?

Oct 10, 2008 - 3:19 pm 138. Mandy:

In remember when Roger Kimball had common sense — not to mention integrity.

Oct 10, 2008 - 3:56 pm 139. Frank:

McCain is going to lose. Obama is going to take this country in a winning direction again, over the dusty bodies of the dinosaurs who got us into this untenable postition.

Your party is over, it’s time to sweep out the confetti and let someone else try.

Oct 10, 2008 - 5:09 pm 140. WChancey:

What Republicans don’t get is that the robber baron method of running this “last best hope” needs to be stopped. Even Dwight Eisenhower warned of the grip and future effect of the military-industrial complex. How many other monomaniacal actions by your group of warmongers and rich thieves are going to plunge us further back in America’s potential evolution as a global example? The truth is obvious around the world – when American forsook the legacy of real action based on hopes for improvement, other nations reverted to their past actions also. The war is over, if America will let it rest. Give it up. Your children are dying.

Oct 10, 2008 - 6:38 pm 141. Nine-of-Diamonds:

“While there is plenty of blame to go around, tell me how Obama is to blame when he has been in the Senate for 2 years and the Republicans in control for 12 years?”

Well, Baracky’s been in bed with Acorn since before he was in the Senate – right? No risky loans to underqualified minorities, no housing crisis. And even assuming that he had nothing to do with the crisis (which isn’t true), why on Earth would you assume someone who still associated with people like Franklin Raines will have sound economic instincts?

“In remember when Roger Kimball had common sense — not to mention integrity.”

It’s nice that you can type up random sentence fragments. Keep it up and you’ll be making coherent points someday.

Oct 10, 2008 - 7:17 pm 142. Tye Gaffney:

It seems as if the majority of comments on this blog are angry at Obama getting all this attention. People will find someone to blame and right now it’s Bush. Obama is saying what people want to hear and this whole political scene is being played out as a movie–it’s serious yet enertaining. McCain is the antagonist and Obama the protagonist. In my opinion, Obama is not playing pure politics he’s using emotion and that’s why so many big politicians and celebrities are supporting him. No–Obama will not save the world– God has that power but it doesn’t hurt to have Buffets’, Kennedys’ or Spielbergs’ supporting you no matter what their agendas. The majority of working citizens don’t follow up with politics so they are not following up on all the details that hard core political enthusiasts use to qualify or disqualify the candidates. People are not concerned about what goes on in politics when they get home from work,0 they are more concerned about things that affect them in their every day lives and it’s relation to the people in their lives and families. For example, things like food, money,bills,work, play,health, relationships, enertainment,violence, morals, children, sex, school, dreams, goals, business or religion. Every day I’m dealing with a number of these issues but I seldom hear about politics. However, when I talk to people from all walks of life about it they have strong opinions, they say it’s important; then things turn silent or negative. What I have noticed is that they are more interested in talking about their family health or religion. Obama is doing somthing right and people are responding (even some media outlets)in huge numbers and that cannot be ignored. What it it? Why is everyone crazy about Obama? For the ones who don’t want him to win I say it’s mostly fear of the unknown. Conservative talk show host Neal Boortz admitted this when a caller asked why Boortz dislikes Obama. Talk show host Shawn Hannidy even stated that he will pack his bags and leave the country if Obama wins (he may well have to do that). Some people are predicting that McCain is going to win and the polls don’t mean a thing. Do you think that Sarah Pailin being found guilty of abusing her powers (when she had her ex- brother-in-law fired) will strike well with voters? What about the debate October 7th? When Obama spoke the reponses(lines) from independent undecided voters both women and men where mostly at the top. When Mccain spoke the reponses(lines) stayed mostly in the middle and even went down when McCain made negative comments. Whether you are in favor of Obama or against him he is creating electricity that’s why I believe he’s going to win. Its the little people who make a difference and Obama is talking to them without using political jargon.

Oct 10, 2008 - 9:13 pm 143. ProgMeister:

no, no … McCain will not win. It’s not because of the financial crisis and not even because of his remarkably poor choice of a running mate. It’s because, unhappily, he has shed his dignity to win an election.

IF he still wants a shot, he should immediately fire Davis and Schmidt (and others) and take to the airwaves with a sincere apology for the manner in which he has conducted himself … along with an honest statement of his case for the presidency.

The American people are very forgiving … but I don’t think he’ll do it. But you can see in his eyes lately that he knows it’s what he should do.

Oct 10, 2008 - 9:55 pm 144. diane:

jmh

I agree! Now, what can we do?

Oct 10, 2008 - 10:19 pm 145. Marymb:

I a middle class American and a military spouse. I say “yes” to my country, to my community with my entire life.

I am scared. My family, my friends, all of whom are working or middle class, they are scared. From jobs to health insurance to pentions and home ownership, we have all worked so hard and played by the rules only to watch CEO after CEO ship our jobs overseas or shut down a company while taking millions for the deed.

Yes, I love this country. Yes, it must change. It’s possible to feel, to live, both. One canidate gets that. It’s why I’m voting for Obama. And so long as McCain continues to ignore it, he’ll continue to lose.

Oct 10, 2008 - 11:03 pm 146. McSame:

You guys can quit pretending you are different than that racist woman who McCain had to take the mike away from today. I cant wait to come back here in November and laugh my butt off. Keep it coming, turn against McCain then we will see a significant mandate for change in the total votes. It will be enough to keep your issues as far from the front as possible. Your ignorance will be your undoing. And please respond, I dont care, whatever you say I will have the last laugh. Black is back baby!

Oct 10, 2008 - 11:12 pm 147. DavidN:

My prediction: a landslide for Obama. I expect him to win 40 states, probably get a 55-45 popular vote, and waltz forward with the cheers of the media and Hollywood. He’s explained to everyone that the economic crisis is the result of the “failed economic policies of the Bush Administration”. Saturday Night Live notwithstanding (they actually did a skit about the Dems thinking no one noticed they’re to blame) most of the voters will find this explanation believable, because they’ve been told Bush is an idiot for 8 years, and Cheney’s evil, just evil. The Republican explanation for what happened is longer, involves pointing out that much of the problem was caused by minority homebuyers who shouldn’t have qualified for loans in the first place, and is more complex. The minority homebuyer thing is almost guaranteed to generate accusations of racism. People *want* to believe this is Bush’s fault, because he’ll be gone next January, and because they don’t want to think that this *isn’t* the fault of the banks and institutions that lend people money for houses. It’s also been pointed out that Barney Frank, a long-time defender of the “affordable housing” fad, was living with the guy at Fannie Mae who was in charge of inventing creative financing for these new homebuyers. No one wants to say anything about *that* for fear of being accused of homophobia. You might get accused of homophobia, racism, etc., if you point out that the Democrats are responsible for this. If Obama vaguely accuses Bush, he instead doesn’t get accused of anything, because no one will complain about him accusing Bush of doing something he didn’t do, and no one will accuse him of anything else, either.

Oct 11, 2008 - 1:09 am 148. Nine-of-Diamonds:

Ooh, more “lifelong conservatives” and more whining about racism. To think Axelrod couldn’t have given us a better class of astroturfers – I feel cheated.

I kind of want 0bama to win – it’s going to be terrible for all of the drones who invest their hopes & dreams in him, IMO. Eventually they will realize that he is just a man – not the quasi-devine blank slate onto which they project their fantasies. Dems will be in control of two branches of government and will have little excuse for failure. Eventually voters are going to demand responsibility, and 0bama has shown that his ambition’s not matched by a desire to really achieve anything once he’s in power. The presidency’s just another Affirmative Action post that he “deserves” b/c he’s the “right” skin color. It’s the adulation alone that he wants – tough decision making is above his paygrade.

Going to be an interesting four years with the 0bama-bots’ deflecting every criticism with cries about bigotry. And good luck to their Great Leader if he thinks running against Bush is a viable long-term strategy. As many other rulers have found out, you can only blame the man who came before you for so long…

Oct 11, 2008 - 8:12 am 149. lefty wing:

Do You want a recist criminal who paid $850,000 to Accorn to drum up phony voters accross the country. a man that lives in a world of terrorists and racists criminals. Now Farrakhan calls him the messiah. He trains up his disciples to attack and accuse thoese who question his motives. You are called a racist and biggot if you dont agree with your messiah Hassan Obama cousin to Odinga the Muslim genocidal killer of christians.

Oct 11, 2008 - 8:19 am 150. Tao Te Truth:

These Democrats (Liberals/Socialists/Communists whatever you really are) are incapable of seeing the truth. When presented with facts, their brainwashing kicks in and old tired Communist lies rise from the intellectual grave like so many zombies.

Have you ever argued with a Democrat stuffed full of zombie lies? After killing off one undead argument with a double barrel of truth, the brainwashed Democrat will resurrect another factually challenged rant buried deep in his skull by a “Womyn’s Studies” professor, or the like. These screeds lie dormant ready to spring to life and terrorize decent people. Killing off these maggot infested arguments is quite a sport if you have a taste for that sort of thing.

Sarah Palin has a taste for zombie killing. That is why she is so feared by Lefties. Unlike the weak elite Republicans, the working class won’t duck a fight. She represents the awakening of the Middle America and the zombies in the Democrats’ heads are ululating in fear.

Country club Republicans, on the other hand, just don’t want to get their hands dirty. This pisses off Working Class America. And right on cue, the media Democrats scare McCain with a typical zombie argument, “anger is bad, Republicans are angry, Republicans are bad!”

Hell yes we are angry. McCain has brought boxing gloves to a street fight. Need a reminder?

Senator Craig taps his foot in a public restroom looking for a quickie, and the elite Republicans call their own out of bounds and send him packing.

Congressman Frank sleeps with a man he is supposed to be regulating and gets television time to resurrect disproved Communist anti-capitalist rants.

There is no end to this fight. If Obama wins (God help us!) do you think that will quiet the zombies? Of course not! If McCain wins will the zombies go back to their grave? Suck it up. We are in a nasty fight, just re-read some of these Lefty comments.

These zombie rantings are smelly and gross. They are psychological warfare meant to demoralize you. But they are easily killed if you don’t lose heart. Stand up and fight. Drive real voters to the poles. Make a $20 donation from a real citizen. Talk to a real undecided voter and explain to them the truth. It’s time to act!

P.S. I can’t wait to see what undead arguments this double barreled blast of truth awakens.

Oct 11, 2008 - 9:04 am 151. not this time:

your team needs to keep listening to the surfer on the street. you need to be out here in the deep dark netizen. there’s 24/7 dirty pool going on to silence people’s choice and opportunity to express their right to the *FREE*, unencumbered, *UNCENSORED* exchange of information.

start a blog and type about mike klonsky and see how far you get.

no. make that:

type a blogspot blog and or have godaddy as your host and type about mike klonsky and see how far you get.

trust me

Oct 11, 2008 - 10:19 am 152. momof3:

A military spouse voting for Obama? That’s amusing, to say the least. Given that he hates your spouse and thinks he’s a murderer, but at the same time wants to send him in to any african country where the inhabitants decide to try to kill each other.

I don’t want the government in my healthcare business, I don’t want to give my hardearned money to people too damn lazy to work, and I don’t want to help my neighbor pay for his house. I also don’t want my kids sent to Obama-camps to be brainwashed. I am voting McCain. So if nothing else, I can say I didn’t help elect That One. Just like I never helped elect Bush, not for govenor, not for President. Self-respect is worth a lot.

Oct 11, 2008 - 10:46 am 153. bluecollarbytes:

The best way to go after ObamaShow was Always his standing as a far left liberal with leftist tendencies and associations. McCain follows his own gut running against Barack. It’s the gut of a long-time U.S. Senator, an ideological maverick steeped in Senate protocols and membership in a top exclusive club. McCain was a poor choice to wage this current battle with the lunatic left. Republicans needed an ideological conservative, but of course they’re not even in agreement on that. Social conservative Sarah Palin’s entrance offered hope to the Republican’s ’social’-base, but “our day with her” may need to wait till 2012. Perhaps it’s fitting for Obama to land right in the middle of the Democrat created housing mess. Let him, Barney’s Frank, Nanny Pelosi, Harry Reid, Chuck Schmucker, Hillary Clinton and the rest finish the job they started on revolutionizing our economy and GOVTs’ relationship Over us. Will pop-media change course then and report on Obamanian failed policies, and continued govt interference with the individual efforts to “build America”? Somehow I think the tone of reporting will reflect the absolute blindness media has when it comes to their great Black Hope.

If ever we needed ‘one of us’ in the white house it’s now. Neither Obama or McCain fits this description. We need the “up and comer” upstart from Alaska. We need decisions made for US, not special self-interest groups, community agitators, hedge funders, EU bureaucrats, Spain, and domestic political careerists at all levels. Just having a Palin whispering sweet middle-American somethings into McCain’s ear would be a good start. The other 3 in this race bring long-established political baggage, ties to entrenched DC interests-whos only concern is what’s in it for them. More than ever, Americans are fed up with this, something they’ve always known, but now see in their home values, gas prices, and retirement funds. Obama’s answer, and to a somewhat lesser extent McCain’s, is MORE of what ails ya, but this time without the ‘mistakes’. Obama’s call for ‘pragmatic’ politics is meant to cloud his personal history as well as cloaking his leftist agenda for our future. At least McCain would have Sarah Palin, the single average American in a white house containing thousands, speaking up for the millions who are finally saying ‘enough already’. imho

Oct 11, 2008 - 6:42 pm 154. oldpapajoe:

As someone has already said, McCain will lose for a number of simple reasons: he has no energy [I mean he is 72!], he is not a leader [a US Naval Aviator twenty years ago doesn't count], he has no message [what is his sloganm anyone know?], he has no plan.Sadly we will have to put up with a stuffed shirt, liberal, antiamerican as our Commander in Chief!! Good Lord almighty. And just to make things interesting, we will have a depressed economy for the next five years (it will take a strong Republican President and Congress a year to finally see more than two quarters of economic growth. Hang on for the next four years, save your money, cut back on expenses, and VOTE Conservative in 2010 and 2012.

Oct 11, 2008 - 6:45 pm 155. cincinnati kid:

“Did the Democrats intend to cause a financial crisis? Of course not.”

…but the PROGRESSIVES did – google the phrase “Cloward-Piven Strategy”, read the DiscoverTheNetworks article for background & the AmericanThinker piece “Barack Obama and the Strategy of Manufactured Crisis”

Oct 11, 2008 - 8:36 pm 156. Eric:

I think you are correct,

Oct 11, 2008 - 8:44 pm 157. Tennwriter:

Rule of Republican Politics: A smiling and bold conservative wins, a country clubber or other type of Republican loses.

Ya’ gotta be a Happy Warrior and a Conservative.

Now, Senator McCain may defy this, with the aid of a Happy Warrior, Sarah Palin, and because of who he is. As Jerry Pournelle put it, if I remember right, McCain is a country clubber, but unlike them, he keeps his word, and he’s made promises.

So…

Try to imitate Palin as much as you can, in your own way, Senator McCain.

And don’t be afraid, the polls always say the R’s are going to lose until they win.

Oct 11, 2008 - 9:27 pm 158. John:

You are delusional and very unfair. Its bush who has been president for 8 years and now you want to blame the dems for everything. Shoct on you NOVEMBER 5TH when its President Obama.

Oct 12, 2008 - 1:21 am 159. earl:

hey there oldpapajoe, remember 8 and 4 years ago when you told us how important it was to vote GoP for the economy?

That sure worked out great, eh?

You can bet we’re all listening to you again!

Oct 12, 2008 - 5:58 am 160. opti 1:

I truly believe that when this election is over, you will see McCain win here. The shady elitist socialist Zero is going to start getting his due and questioning. I belive this is the right time just before the election. However, once this happens, look out and stay low as the tinderbox of racism, hate and negativity will boil over and we will have LA riots all over this country in those large blue cities.

Oct 12, 2008 - 8:37 am 161. Andrew Ian Dodge:

I am still convinced that McCain will win but it’ll be closer than I previously predicted. Its going to be one hell of a night whatever happens. Its just a case whether or not there is going to be one almighty political hangover the next day.

Oct 12, 2008 - 9:21 am 162. Kevin A.:

About a month ago when McCain clearly had the momentum I predicted he’d win in a landslide- I assumed when people looked at Ayers, Rezko, etc., that there’d be no way they’d vote for Obama. I still think McCain can win if he’s tough and on message these last couple of weeks, but it’s going to be close. I don’t think Obama’s as far ahead as the polls indicate; ACORN’s probably screwing up the internals with people registering 70-some times.

Oct 12, 2008 - 2:05 pm 163. Matthew Black, MDiv:

I am struck by the overt religious, Christian language of this article, and the argument that the Obama campaign focuses attention on the sins of the U.S.A. while the McCain campaign celebrates the inherent goodness of the country.

This is, essentially a theological argument. And it is bad theology.

Christianity asserts that God creates humans, calls them good. Humans sin. God loves humans for their goodness, and calls upon them to repent of their sins.

America has goodness in it, inherently. America is sinful – obviously. The list given by Mr. Kimball is a good list: “greed, racism, inequality, sexism, indifference to the environment, etc.”

If Mr. Kimball is interested in repentance of these sins, great, let’s talk theology. If Mr. Kimball is only interested in “America without apology,” then how can America ever see anything remotely like redemption or salvation? We cannot celebrate the inherent goodness of America without acknowledging its flaws. We cannot insert our faith into politics with integrity without acknowledging our country’s “sins” and seeking their forgiveness and our nation’s redemption.

Oct 12, 2008 - 4:37 pm 164. TeamPlayer:

This site drives me to distraction. McCain, when he’s not listening to focus groups offers a great, reasoned, independent voice in the cess pool that is D.C. and you want him to emulate Sarah Palin. His campaign is thrashing about, but at his core, he would make a great President. Instead, you’re advocating a stewardess?

Oct 12, 2008 - 6:02 pm 165. Ron:

The republicans will get slammed this election. Obama/ Biden wil win and the democrats will have at least 60 senate seats. The republicans will be left a slimy pile of jello..THANK GOD!!! The American people had the wool pulled over their eyes in 2000 & 2004 and they have decided NOT AGAIN!!!!

Oct 12, 2008 - 7:18 pm 166. BACKBENCH MEDIA » test:

[...] America without apology Support Pajamas Media; Visit Our Advertisers [...]

Oct 13, 2008 - 1:18 pm 167. Sandy Dog:

Senator Obama seems like a very fine and warm person, and a brilliant, intelligent, and capable leader. But I strongly disagree with his political views. I want my vote to address the political issues and not the personality of the man. Truthfully, Obama would win on personality. But it’s like a good surgeon; I want competence more than popularity!! However, I see that the masses are responding positively to a great personality, and that even people with conservative values are being persuaded by the charm and charisma. Don’t be fooled that al-Qaeda will be as charmed!!

Oct 15, 2008 - 1:57 am 168. Tom G.:

It’s about time we had a good-lookin President…I mean c’mon, Ahmadinejad is KNOWN to be partial to cute guys, right?

Oct 15, 2008 - 5:36 pm 169. Rick:

Sure McCain will win, the polls are wrong, the experts who say that he has lost all the debates are wrong and Sarah Palin is a brilliant woman. Now, those who honestly believe that, I have some swamp land to sell you. There is one and only one significant different between the two candidates and the majority of their supporters… intelligence. Obama and Biden are far superior intellectually than McCain and Palin. McCain was 580th in his class out of 585 students – wow, that’s marvelous, while Palin attenede 6 colleges because she just couldn’t figure college out.
The states that McCain is winning are almost entirely those with the lowest scores in all educational categories, the most drop outs, the fewest college graduates and the most rednecks with pickup tricks, gun racks, racist beliefs and no true understanding of the issues. It’s sad but true that the stupid states voted GW into office, and they are making this campaign closer than it should be. McCain offers few new ideas on anything, while Palin offers nothing but soundbytes. Yet, the stupid people speak up loudly. That is the saddest part of America. Stupidity is running rampant, as you’ll see on many of the postings on this board.

Oct 15, 2008 - 10:37 pm 170. Payne W:

I’m constantly asked the same question: Do you think McCain can win? I tell them all that fortunately middle America is wise to what’s going on in the MSM. We don’t buy the crap in the poles, we don’t listen to Chris “tingle up my leg” Matthews either.

They must think we are all idiots to believe the stuff they put out. If everyone who knows Obama is a danger to our way of life votes for McCain it will be McCain by a landslide. If they listen to the Obama surrogates who say there will be riots in the street if Obama doesn’t win and choose not to vote it could be close. Hang in there and don’t let the left convince you not to vote and we’ll elect the right man come November.

Oct 16, 2008 - 11:30 am 171. Rick:

Intreesting how nobody on this board has anything positive to say about McCains plans for the nation’s future. This is the most racist group ever, scared because he is an African American, scared of “riots in thne Street” I’m sure your friendly neighborhood KKK folks won’t be at all angry when Obama wins. He’s not dangerous, he’s smart. New ideas are what this country was founded on, not a bunch of people sitting around while GW destroys a great nation and McCain will follow in his footsteps. Payne W., your way of life sounds like the typical Racist, backwards logic that depicts the Southern McCain supporters, uneducated as usual.

Oct 16, 2008 - 5:17 pm 172. Roger’s Rules » Is Obama a “transformational figure”? You don’t know the half of it!:

[...] it sell? In an earlier post, I said that “Whatever else it is, this election is a referendum on two very different [...]

Oct 20, 2008 - 7:36 am 173. C:

McCain will win.

Nov 1, 2008 - 2:06 pm 174. Afreet:

I love looking at threads like this after they’ve been proven so very very wrong. McCain will… wait, what?

Nov 5, 2008 - 1:35 pm 175. Martha G Torregrossa:

“YES WE CAN!” Americans are proud of their country and the voters were the spokespeople on November 04th, 2008. You don’t have to be a Republican to be an American. Americans include all that are citizens and not who meet the criterions defined by Republicans. John McCain abandoned his principals and stooped to the lowest denomination of the “good old boys” promoting fear and instigating over-generalization of the inexperiences of O’Bama. Even The Fox Network was out foxed by the wit of the O’Bama and his strategist. The game of chess is strategic in using the pawns(community organizers) to spear-head advancement to attain positions in stengthening the battlefield. Roger, McCain used 20th century politics vs O’Bama’s 21st century strategies of being very personal with the american people. Also, by acknowledging that “we the people” are the spokespeople of this country not the presidential canidates. With our votes, we have shown the genuine love for our country all Americans and its’ people. O’Bama has given us a life line to pull “America” up by her boot strings and gain back our international intergrity and respect theoughout the world. We got ambushed by George W. Bush. The Republican Party became divided instead of uniting and supporting Mc Cain, so the party divided and failed your supporters. McCain became the weakest link diassociating with the RNC by self-destructing with his choice of V.P. He tried to debunk O’bama Campaign by choosing a female to gain cross-over female voters that supported Hillary Clinton, but it back-fire on him. Sarah Palin was chosen to gain the religious right, which is religiously wrong from trying to be so godly, when they don’t practice what they preach, or adjust the rules to accomdated forgiveness for their human errors, not sins, does this sound familiar? What in the world was he thinking about? Does wearing glasses mean you are intelligent?

Nov 7, 2008 - 9:51 pm

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