TenuredVulture wrote:It's actually pretty amazing how much the race issue has changed in national politics. George Bush puts Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice in top foreign policy positions. He gets criticized, because Sec. State and National Security Adviser have nothing to do with Black people. Contrast that with Reagan, who is criticized for giving Sam a token position as HUD secretary.

It's still there, but the conversation is changing a lot.

seke2 wrote:

Mountainphan wrote:This is a solid point. However this also, in my opinion, applies to Obama. It is not at all clear what he stands for and I think this is intentional since his resume is so thin. Hence the broad but shallow themes of "change", "hope" and so on.

I'm not going to disagree with that, but Obama's message has been clear from the start. He does represent change. That is his message. I am something different, I will change things, I will inspire people to serve and get involved, etc. McCain doesn't have that overriding platform, and this whole "no wait, we're change, vote for us" thing is ridiculous. You can't claim to be change agents when you've been part of the establishment for as long as McCain, especially not when your recent track record follow in lock-step with the current leadership.

Mountainphan wrote:For those who are concerned about Palin's inexperience, this same question applies to Obama. The only difference is he's the one running for President.

Before we got a chance to know Sarah Palin, this argument had some water. Like I said back then, maybe she was going to prove herself to be the Republican's answer to Obama. Instead, she's proved that she was a terrible choice who is closer to a national joke than anything else now. Obama supporters concede he doesn't have as much experience, but he's proven himself through the last few years in the national spotlight. We aren't going to have this debate again because Sarah Palin has fallen flat on her face in every non-scripted interaction so far. She's not only inexperienced, she's completely unprepared for what she's gotten in to. Obama is inexperienced for a presidential candidate, but he seems to be very prepared.

Mountainphan wrote:McCain's far from perfect, but I trust him more on most issues (energy policy, foreign relations, etc.) than his opponent.

Totally fair, though I don't get it, especially foreign relations, given that the rest of the world by a huge margin wants us to elect Obama.

Camp Holdout wrote:

Houshphandzadeh wrote:So are we having us a debate tonight?

yeah. someone should make a gamethread in here.

Monkeyboy wrote: Can you imagine Obama doing a town hall down there and getting all that free ad time with no rebuttal? Oh man, I'm sure Obama hopes McCain stays home.

Monkeyboy wrote:

Camp Holdout wrote:

Houshphandzadeh wrote:So are we having us a debate tonight?

yeah. someone should make a gamethread in here.

I think McCain's people are now saying he'll be there. Bowing out would be suicied. He was probably hoping Obama would panic and agree to drop the debate, making McCain look like the leader/savior, but it didn't work. Can you imagine Obama doing a town hall down there and getting all that free ad time with no rebuttal? Oh man, I'm sure Obama hopes McCain stays home.

Monkeyboy wrote:

Camp Holdout wrote:

Houshphandzadeh wrote:So are we having us a debate tonight?

yeah. someone should make a gamethread in here.

I think McCain's people are now saying he'll be there. Bowing out would be suicied. He was probably hoping Obama would panic and agree to drop the debate, making McCain look like the leader/savior, but it didn't work. Can you imagine Obama doing a town hall down there and getting all that free ad time with no rebuttal? Oh man, I'm sure Obama hopes McCain stays home.

Houshphandzadeh wrote:

TenuredVulture wrote:It's actually pretty amazing how much the race issue has changed in national politics. George Bush puts Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice in top foreign policy positions. He gets criticized, because Sec. State and National Security Adviser have nothing to do with Black people. Contrast that with Reagan, who is criticized for giving Sam a token position as HUD secretary.

It's still there, but the conversation is changing a lot.

I think it's funny that no one talks about Obama as mixed. It's like his white momma didn't exist. All one-drop-rule and $#@!.

Houshphandzadeh wrote:

Monkeyboy wrote: Can you imagine Obama doing a town hall down there and getting all that free ad time with no rebuttal? Oh man, I'm sure Obama hopes McCain stays home.

With constant cuts to Palin hanging out at the Irish Pub.

Mountainphan wrote:Unless Obama is running for President of the World, what thre rest of the world thinks about our election is not important.

Other countries worry about their own interests first and foremost, a lot more than who currently occupies the WH.

I don't see any foreign governments slamming their door to the United States based on who is in the WH, therefore foreign relations is much more complex than a popularity contest.

jerseyhoya wrote:

Monkeyboy wrote:

Camp Holdout wrote:

Houshphandzadeh wrote:So are we having us a debate tonight?

yeah. someone should make a gamethread in here.

I think McCain's people are now saying he'll be there. Bowing out would be suicied. He was probably hoping Obama would panic and agree to drop the debate, making McCain look like the leader/savior, but it didn't work. Can you imagine Obama doing a town hall down there and getting all that free ad time with no rebuttal? Oh man, I'm sure Obama hopes McCain stays home.

He's already in Memphis.

Woody wrote:A mulatto (obama), an albino (mccain), a mosquito (biden), my libido (palin), YAH

jerseyhoya wrote:If anyone here watches the debate live instead of the Phillies game, I will seriously question your priorities.

Palin’s recent interviews with Charles Gibson, Sean Hannity, and now Katie Couric have all revealed an attractive, earnest, confident candidate. Who Is Clearly Out Of Her League.

No one hates saying that more than I do. Like so many women, I’ve been pulling for Palin, wishing her the best, hoping she will perform brilliantly. I’ve also noticed that I watch her interviews with the held breath of an anxious parent, my finger poised over the mute button in case it gets too painful. Unfortunately, it often does. My cringe reflex is exhausted.

Palin filibusters. She repeats words, filling space with deadwood. Cut the verbiage and there’s not much content there. Here’s but one example of many from her interview with Hannity: “Well, there is a danger in allowing some obsessive partisanship to get into the issue that we’re talking about today. And that’s something that John McCain, too, his track record, proving that he can work both sides of the aisle, he can surpass the partisanship that must be surpassed to deal with an issue like this.”

...

If Palin were a man, we’d all be guffawing, just as we do every time Joe Biden tickles the back of his throat with his toes. But because she’s a woman — and the first ever on a Republican presidential ticket — we are reluctant to say what is painfully true.

What to do?

McCain can’t repudiate his choice for running mate. He not only risks the wrath of the GOP’s unforgiving base, but he invites others to second-guess his executive decision-making ability. Barack Obama faces the same problem with Biden.

Only Palin can save McCain, her party, and the country she loves. She can bow out for personal reasons, perhaps because she wants to spend more time with her newborn. No one would criticize a mother who puts her family first.

jerseyhoya wrote:I think she means the conservative media.

jerseyhoya wrote:If anyone here watches the debate live instead of the Phillies game, I will seriously question your priorities.