Monkeyboy wrote:It's made especially important since McCain is looking pretty feeble, IMO, and refuses to release portions of his medical records. Even a member of his own campaign staff said that "Most doctors" believe McCain will be alive at the end of his 1st term. Most doctors?!?! MOST?!?! 1st term!?!? I can only fill in the logical conclusion that some doctors don't think he'll make it. And the 2nd term is, I guess, completely up in the air.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvesa49zSIM&eurl=http://therealmccain.com/doctors/[/youtube]

dajafi wrote:Monkeyboy, your lack of deference reveals you as a hopeless sexist.

Nigel Tufnel: "What's wrong with being sexy?"

David St. Hubbins: "ist... sexist, Nigel."

Laexile wrote:The McCain campaign thought they could win the game on an even footing. Obama did agree to the town hall debates.

Oh, we're definitely going to be doing some town hall debates... "I look forward to, you know, having more than just the three traditional debates that we've seen in recent presidential contests.

That was the last we heard about it for two months when Obama said they weren't going to have town hall debates because the campaigns couldn't agree on them. Even dajafi suggests the real reason was because it was a format that McCain would likely do better. Obama was way ahead. Why even recognize there was an opponent?

Then Obama reversed himself on public financing. Again he blamed the McCain campaign for not agreeing and insisted it was necessary because the Republican 527s would outspend him. And really his donors were just like public financing. Granted, 60% of his money comes from large donors, but the media is enamored with his long list of small donors. No candidate had ever opted out of public financing.

Then the Obama campaign announced there would only be three debates, not the five Barack had mentioned. There just wouldn't be time.

Again Obama saw an advantage and took it. McCain was left with a campaign that was behind. He couldn't use town halls to catch up. And they were going to be outspent. Apparently if the other guy is duplicitous anything goes. Barack Obama promised a new kind of politics. John McCain promised a respectful campaign. I think both men were genuine at the time. They both broke their word.

Why did you leave off this quote from that article?

Obama did, however, caution that both campaigns would have to figure out the timing.

Did McCain offer a similar caveat to the respectful campaign pledge?

dajafi wrote:Maybe the saddest thing I've seen about the Darth Vaderization of McCain:

Town hall was screened

Granted, there was an understandable reason for it:

Sen. John McCain's town hall style meetings "are generally open to the public where anyone may wait in line on the day of the event and come in without an advanced invitation," according to Fox News.

However, at last night's 3,500 person townhall in Michigan -- "the first time Palin is taking questions from the public -- only ticketholders are allowed in. People had to pick up their tickets at local GOP offices after RSVPing for the event."

While openness to the public and a willingness to answer all questioners is important and admirable, it pales in significance compared to the imperative of protecting the delicate flower of Alaskan womanhood...

Seriously, why are these guys so terrified of Palin having to face questions from journalists or voters?

Both sides do it. Obama did a campaign stop (speech and Q & A) at Schott Optics in Duryea, PA a couple of weeks ago. Of the 150-200 in attendence, only 2 dozen or so were Schott employees (screened invites) while the rest were Obamafolk (volunteers, campaign staff, etc.) and local Dem bigwigs. Mediots viewed as potentially unfavorable were denied press passes, and the campaign vols were the only ones allowed to ask questions during the Q & A.

I'm not pointing a finger at Obama, just pointing out that both sides do it. Both sides "orchestrate" events to avoid negatives and emphasize positives. To think (or expect) otherwise is, perhaps, wishing for a utopic process.

I'm not trying to insinuate that Obama wouldn't do such a thing, but was that campaign stop labeled a "Town Hall" discussion? I think that phrase should only be used when it's open to the public.

Phan In Phlorida wrote:

dajafi wrote:Maybe the saddest thing I've seen about the Darth Vaderization of McCain:

Town hall was screened

Granted, there was an understandable reason for it:

Sen. John McCain's town hall style meetings "are generally open to the public where anyone may wait in line on the day of the event and come in without an advanced invitation," according to Fox News.

However, at last night's 3,500 person townhall in Michigan -- "the first time Palin is taking questions from the public -- only ticketholders are allowed in. People had to pick up their tickets at local GOP offices after RSVPing for the event."

While openness to the public and a willingness to answer all questioners is important and admirable, it pales in significance compared to the imperative of protecting the delicate flower of Alaskan womanhood...

Seriously, why are these guys so terrified of Palin having to face questions from journalists or voters?

Both sides do it. Obama did a campaign stop (speech and Q & A) at Schott Optics in Duryea, PA a couple of weeks ago. Of the 150-200 in attendence, only 2 dozen or so were Schott employees (screened invites) while the rest were Obamafolk (volunteers, campaign staff, etc.) and local Dem bigwigs. Mediots viewed as potentially unfavorable were denied press passes, and the campaign vols were the only ones allowed to ask questions during the Q & A.

I'm not pointing a finger at Obama, just pointing out that both sides do it. Both sides "orchestrate" events to avoid negatives and emphasize positives. To think (or expect) otherwise is, perhaps, wishing for a utopic process.

I think dajafi's point was that part of the John McCain mystique is that he doesn't do politics as usual, in particular how he conducts town hall meetings. But that is not true.

Phan In Phlorida wrote:

dajafi wrote:Monkeyboy, your lack of deference reveals you as a hopeless sexist.

Nigel Tufnel: "What's wrong with being sexy?"

David St. Hubbins: "ist... sexist, Nigel."

Well, you know, it's a thin line between clever and stupid.

(Also, David St. Hubbins, see "Wit and wisdom of ...")

Woody wrote:IF TOWN HALLS ARE SO EASY WHY DOESN'T OBAMA WANT TO DO THEM HE SAID HE WOULD AND THEN FLIP FLOPPED LIKE HE DID ON EVERYTHING ELSE, LOOK IN THE MIRROR, DONKEYS

/LAexile

Why do I need to post? I have Woody. We Jews don't do tattoos. I do like that if I say that I want to hear both sides of a story before making up my mind that I'm a ridiculous partisan hack.

Please let me know when Barack Obama becomes comfortable doing town halls and then we can talk about Palin. Almost every appearance he makes is a campaign speech. He's never done a town hall in anything other than friendly territory and the rare times he's asked a question off script he stumbles through his answers.

Monkeyboy is certain that McCain is on his deathbed, pretty much because he's partisan. It seems like Democrats are certain McCain's going to die and are upset about Palin. You aren't going to vote for them anyway, so why should these concerns be more important than my concerns about Obama's naivete? If I'm such a partisan why am I able to admit negatives about my Party while the response either ignores Obama or belittles any criticique?

The one question no one seems to want answered about Palin is whether she's doing a good job as governor of Alaska. She's no intellectual, but I didn't know that was necessary to be a good President. Truman, Eisenhower, LBJ, and Reagan were certainly not intellectuals. I doubt Democrats hold Adlai Stephenson and Jimmy Carter in higher regard than Truman or Johnson.

phdave, McCain offered a respectful campaign and has failed to live up to that pledge. His belligerence when confronted with the tenor of his campaign is disappointing. Their response to such questions is that Obama said he'd do the town halls and backed out. And please don't give me that Obama said they'd have to figure out timing. At the time Obama talked about five debates and town halls there was 22 weeks before the election. How could he not find the time? Are you telling me they couldn't have appeared together at or after Saddleback? When they were both in New York for 9/11?

John McCain has failed a character test. He promised us a respectful campaign and hasn't done so. Republican, Democrat, or Independent should be mad. Why isn't Barack Obama held to the same standard?

Don't worry, you were a partisan hack long before you said that

Let's keep things straight here. LAExile voted for John Kerry. I'm the partisan hack.

Dear friends:

Barack Hussein Obama has taken the nation by storm. From obscurity, with zero executive experience, or much of any kind, he has vaulted into the position of Presidential frontrunner. It is stunning. On the surface, it appears attributable only to his eloquent oratory and his race. But an invisible factor may be a strong spiritual force behind him, causing some people to actually swoon in his presence...

Last week at Obama's acceptance speech, that spirit exalted itself in front of a Greek temple-like stage, and to a huge audience like in a Roman arena. Obama was portrayed as god-like. His voice thundered as a god's voice.

At the end, Democratic sympathizer Pastor Joel Hunter gave the benediction and shockingly invited everyone to close the prayer to their own (false) gods. This was surely an abomination, but it was compatible with Obama's expressed theology, and Hunter's leftist leanings.

God was not pleased...

Enter Governor Sarah Palin. With incredible timing, the very next day, Sarah Palin also appeared out of nowhere...

We quickly learned that Sarah is a born-again, Spirit-filled Christian, attends church, and has been a ministry worker.

Sarah is that standard God has raised up to stop the flood. She has the anointing. You can tell by how the dogs are already viciously attacking her. But they will not be successful. She knows the One she serves and will not be intimidated.

Back in the 1980s, I sensed that Israel's little-known Benjamin Netanyahu was chosen by God for an important end-time role. I still believe that. I now have that same sense about Sarah Palin...

Only God knows the future and how she may be used by Him, but may this noble woman serve to bring renewal in the land, and inspiration.

What the heck were the Roman crowds doing in a Greek temple, though?

"Democratic sympathizers"

I saw that earlier. The old line "God, please save us from Your followers" would seem to apply.

(Also, didn't they say the same thing about Bush?)

Woody wrote:

Dear friends:

...

Back in the 1980s, I sensed that Israel's little-known Benjamin Netanyahu was chosen by God for an important end-time role. I still believe that. I now have that same sense about Sarah Palin...

So, the "second coming" will be the love child of Netanyahu and Palin :?:


(...begging for one of those morphed face images of Netanyahu/Palin)

Laexile wrote:Please let me know when Barack Obama becomes comfortable doing town halls and then we can talk about Palin. Almost every appearance he makes is a campaign speech. He's never done a town hall in anything other than friendly territory and the rare times he's asked a question off script he stumbles through his answers.

Do you have some sort of list of events or other sort of information that shows how many town halls he is doing relative to other types of events? And how do you know that whenever he is asked a question off script he stumbles? Do you watch all of his town hall events or something like that? I mean, it's possible but that seems like a lot of work.

Laexile wrote:phdave, McCain offered a respectful campaign and has failed to live up to that pledge. His belligerence when confronted with the tenor of his campaign is disappointing. Their response to such questions is that Obama said he'd do the town halls and backed out. And please don't give me that Obama said they'd have to figure out timing. At the time Obama talked about five debates and town halls there was 22 weeks before the election. How could he not find the time? Are you telling me they couldn't have appeared together at or after Saddleback? When they were both in New York for 9/11?

I honestly don't get the connection between Obama not wanting to do the type of event that McCain wanted to do with the type of campaign McCain is running. It seems like an excuse.

Campaigns negotiate every detail of debates and there was never any agreement on format, timing, number, etc. Candidates are at events in several states each day so I don't find it too unbelievable that there would be timing issues.

McCain couldn't even make it to the cone of silence before Saddleback, so how could have have had time to do another event there?

Laexile wrote:Monkeyboy is certain that McCain is on his deathbed, pretty much because he's partisan. It seems like Democrats are certain McCain's going to die and are upset about Palin. You aren't going to vote for them anyway, so why should these concerns be more important than my concerns about Obama's naivete? If I'm such a partisan why am I able to admit negatives about my Party while the response either ignores Obama or belittles any criticique?

Please don't put words in my mouth. I never said I was convinced he was on his death bed. I have said on several occassions that he doesn't look good, and he doesn't. I could be reassured with a full release of his medical records, but they are not forthcoming.

Wait, there were "Democratic sympathizers" at the Democratic convention?

Oh noes

In other news, the Defenders of Wildlife campaign to get a TV commercial about Sarah Palin's wildlife policies in Alaska on the air has resulted in 14,000 donations. The commercial is airing in Ohio and Florida, and has had more than 300,000 online views.

Laexile wrote:I recognize ptk gets all of his hard news from the DNC, but I fail to see why people who've had their homes foreclosed and the mail doesn't forward shouldn't be stricken from the roles. You must vote in the precinct where you live. If you no longer live in a home you can't vote in that precinct. I'm pretty sure that applies to Republicans too. Perhaps get both sides of the story and then make up your mind.

ptk is not a democrat. anyway, that was a pointless description of him.

so people w/o homes can't vote?

pacino wrote:

Laexile wrote:I recognize ptk gets all of his hard news from the DNC, but I fail to see why people who've had their homes foreclosed and the mail doesn't forward shouldn't be stricken from the roles. You must vote in the precinct where you live. If you no longer live in a home you can't vote in that precinct. I'm pretty sure that applies to Republicans too. Perhaps get both sides of the story and then make up your mind.

ptk is not a democrat. anyway, that was a pointless description of him.

so people w/o homes can't vote?

What the Dems should do is carefully check rich people, to make sure they're not voting in two or I dunno, 7 locations.

pacino wrote:

Laexile wrote:I recognize ptk gets all of his hard news from the DNC, but I fail to see why people who've had their homes foreclosed and the mail doesn't forward shouldn't be stricken from the roles. You must vote in the precinct where you live. If you no longer live in a home you can't vote in that precinct. I'm pretty sure that applies to Republicans too. Perhaps get both sides of the story and then make up your mind.

ptk is not a democrat. anyway, that was a pointless description of him.

so people w/o homes can't vote?

Is that like people without property can't vote?