McCain: bad politics, bad judgement

McCain finally lets it slip ... he is White and racist

First he would even look at Barack the first debate. Now he will not even speak to an African-American who asked the question ... topping it off with referring to Obama as "that one."   I've been just hoping that it would not happen, but being a realist, have really been waiting for the "N" word to raise it's ugly head and it came close tonight. And here I thought it would be Palin who would hammer that Republican Coffin nail in.

From Joan Walsh at Salon.com:

This town hall didn't help John McCain

Barack Obama dominated this debate from the very first question. John McCain fielded directly, when he condescended to the African-American questioner, a young man named Oliver, who asked how the $700 billion rescue plan passed last week would help the average American. McCain first implied that Oliver and other regular voters wouldn't know that much about Fannie Mae and and Freddie Mac, then went into the misleading Fannie/Freddie claims Andrew Leonard broke down here. Then McCain told Oliver that his plans would "help Americans like Allen ... stay in their home." Allen? Allen was the nice older white man who asked the first question. So what about Oliver? Did he not matter? Was McCain confused?

John McCain's gaffe just now wasn't so awful or inhuman, but it was equally tin-eared. He called Obama "that one." Really. Asking if the audience knew who voted for the Bush-Cheney energy bill (an Obama mistake, by the way), he pointed at Obama: "That one."

My first reaction was that it was a little racist – depersonalizing African Americans has a long rhetorical history. But I think it was more like something a cranky babysitter would say, Angry Uncle Joe, or, yes, Mr. Wilson: "You know who broke the coffee table? That one."

Awful. He can't hide his contempt for Obama.

— Full Salon.com Article

Gwen Ifill

From Meet the Press

You were WRONG!

From The Huffington Post

John McCain is running a new campaign ad that actually attacks Barack Obama for agreeing with John McCain. This has to be the first time in history that a candidate ever went negative on his opponent for being too agreeable.

If the ad had a lighthearted, funny tone I think it could work. But instead, it is angry and sneering, just like John McCain.

[video removed so as not to give McSame too much of this blog's space.]

Aside from the tone, the ad's problem is that it reinforces Obama's message that he is willing to work across party lines. Why in the world would a campaign put up an ad that says that the opposing candidate only cares about doing the right thing, not about winning the political battle.

Basically, McCain is accusing Obama of being a decent guy.

Moreover, everybody knows that Barack Obama has serious disagreements with John McCain, starting with Iraq -- where John McCain was unequivocally wrong:

Bill Maher this week

I'm not sure I'm going to watch all of Bill Maher tonight. It is on right now, and Ralph the Crater is on. I just cannot stand him.

Don't get me wrong, I think Ralph Nader has done a great service to this country in protecting the consumer, but I think he needs to get out of politics and ruining the results of elections.

If he is the cause of Obama losing this election, I just might 'hire a couple of good ole boys to go and beat the shit out of him.' (thanks to Dolly Parton for that last line from the movie 9 to 5)

Talking Heads

I'm sitting here waiting for the 1:00 showing of Bill Maher on HBO. The TV is on MSNBC and I'm just listening to the talking heads.

The debate IMHO was dull and uninspiring. Of course, I know who I'm going to vote for .. with much conviction .. so I truly believe these debates are for those in the USA who have not been keeping watch of the primaries and are now trying to decide for whom they are going to vote.

I did not watch the debates, but I heard every word. I guess I should have watched, as I am told by the "talking heads" that McSame never looked at Obama. Cowards and bullies never do.

I am, however, looking for a good comedy... I think the Biden/Palin debate should be much more intriguing for my time and viewing pleasure.

City Of Ember

Coming in October, this interesting movie was advertised just before and after the debate. For movie trailer and synopsis, go to cityofember.com.

This Tom Hanks produced film stars Tim Robbins, Bill Murray and Martin Landau. The movie's website is luscious and informative. Below is the ad that ran Friday Night.

US Presidential Debates to Air on BBC America

For the first time ever, BBC AMERCA will air all four Presidential and Vice-Presidential debates in their entirety, followed by distinctive and comprehensive analysis of the candidates' performance on the issues. The newscasts will air live from 9/8c to 11/10c on BBC America and BBC World News.

On Friday, September 26th, Washington Correspondent Katty Kay anchors the program live from the first debate between Presidential hopefuls John McCain and Barack Obama in Oxford, Mississippi. Matt Frei will anchor the Vice Presidential debate on Thursday, October 2nd, as well as the following two Presidential debates on Tuesday, October 7th, and Wednesday, October 15th.

Executive producer Rome Hartman said: “BBC World News America will take viewers out of the spin room and into the real world. While our competitors spend time listening to campaign surrogates spouting pre-cooked claims of 'victory' for their candidate, we'll travel around the world to get real reaction from real people who've just watched the debate and made judgments for themselves.”

Obama's Response

Barack Obama conducts a press avail in Clearwater, Florida on 9/24/08.

McCain Asks To Postpone Friday Debate Due To Economic Crisis

NEW YORK — Barack Obama's campaign says he is inclined to go ahead with Friday's presidential debate, even though rival John McCain is calling for a delay. McCain said Wednesday that he wants to stop all campaigning tomorrow and postpone the debate so they can work together on the financial crisis.

But Obama campaign officials say the senator is inclined to move ahead.

McCain said the Bush administration's plan seemed headed for defeat and a bipartisan solution was urgently needed.

What Else Would President McCain Postpone in a Crisis?

So now John McCain wants to suspend his campaign and postpone Friday's debate so he can go to Washington and work on the financial crisis -- as if his vast economic expertise is what's missing in all of this.

After years of being the Senate's champion of deregulation, and an admitted economic lightweight, John McCain suddenly wants to pretend he's our knight in shining armor? But wait -- wasn't it McCain's own party and policies that created this crisis? Wasn't it his own economic advisor, Phil Gramm, who called Americans "whiners" in a "mental recession?" Didn't McCain recently praise the fundamentals of our economy and call himself a "fundamentally a deregulator?"

Come to think of it, the last thing America needs is for John McCain to go back to Washington. Because that's exactly where he and his cronies created this financial mess.

Lincoln ran for office during the Civil War. Reagan ran at the height of the Cold War. Bush ran with two wars raging in Afghanistan and Iraq. But McCain can't run during a crisis on Wall Street?

— News Story
— Full Opinion from quote

Quiet Biden back to the fore

From the BBC:

Amid the hyper inflated excitement that still follows Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin wherever she goes, it is sometimes easy to forget that she has a rival for the job - Joseph Biden.

This interesting article goes on to say regarding the vice-presidential debate in Missouri on October 2:

Joe Biden and Sarah Palin actually have some things in common.

Both claim to speak the language of the ordinary, hard-working, American family. Both eschew ivy league intellectualism. Both have sons serving in Iraq.

But, of course, it will be the differences everyone will be focusing on.

Joe Biden's task will be to paint his opponent as untried and untested; too risky to place a heartbeat away from the presidency.

But he has to make that case without appearing patronising or demeaning, or in any other way opening himself up to the charge of sexism.

The silver-haired, battle-hardened, Washington insider versus the self-styled hockey mom from the remote reaches of Alaska.

It is one of the most keenly anticipated bouts of the entire election, and perhaps more than any of its predecessors, it could have a real influence on the outcome.

— Full BBC Article