Crushed by the Elephant

I guess Johathon Alter studied history with Joe Biden. VP wannabee Joe, said FDR went on TV in 1929. TV wasn't invented until 1939; FDR wasn't president until 1933. Alter says FDR calmed the nation against "fear itself" during the bnaking crises. Huh? FDR used that phrase to calm the country after Pearl Harbor.

Another silly idea in this article is that the McCain campaign attacks are confusing McCain supporters. Not quite. I attended a Palin rally. The only comment she made that brought the entire audience to its feet was when she said she would be taking off the gloves. The McCain/Palin supporters want a more aggressive campaign AND ARE NOT CONFUSED.

The reason the Obama campaign has been dissemmbling about Ayers is they know informed people will ask what Obama did for 4 years on Ayers foundation. What did Obama do with $50 million in funding he was in charge of. Then we will get a glimpse of what an Obama Presidency. Millions and billions wasted on radical leftist programs that accomplish nothing.

When Palin burst on the scene at the RNC, the Obama campaign was knocked sideways. You could see the intimidation in Barack himself. He could recognize what we know: Obama is all talk; Palin is all action. While Palin delivered a $13 million sports center for her town, Obama was frittering away $50 million on worthless leftist educational initiatives. So the Obama campaign does what its good at. Hide his record, go on the attack.

Lou Dobbs reports on ACORN corruption and ties to Obama, including Obama Campaign paying ACORN $800,000 for voter registration activities.

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/bestoftv/2008/10/09/ldt.tucker.acorn.under.fire.cnn

The link below describes how some in Congress tried to use the original version of the bailout bill to divert money eventually recovered to groups like ACORN, a group Obama has a long association with. See: Wall Street Journal

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122247015469280723.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

I, heard McCain make the comment "my fellow prisoners" and was so stunned that I didn't follow the rest of his comments. What went through my mind was, "WHY is he addressing his fellow prisoners, has this guy reverted to the VietNam war?? My inclination is McCain is suffering from the pangs of dementia or Altzheimers where memories from long ago are vivid but short memory is gone. The fact he did NOT CORRECT himself is an issue of great concern. When was the last time John McCain had a mental evaluation? Perhaps one of the very reasons McCain has allowed the ROVE CLONE to take over him and his campaign is because McCain can no longer think for himself?? Remember, one of his campaign heads stated, "John McCain does not speak for the campaign" when McCain said something that was not part of the ROVE script. I believe all of us must consider that McCain in not mentally stable and is contributing to his misstatements and erratic behavior. We cannot afford to have someone with this degree of mental deficiencies as our leader. Sarah Palin is not an intellect and knows nothing about how to lead the country, although, I must agree she is McCain's robotic high-heeled hyena with lipstick and knows how to work up their supporters to the pitch of a mob, "kill him", "off with his head", "traitor", "Arab", etc. These "partners and soulmates" are instigating, inciting, encouraging, condoning, and promoting hatred, bigotry, resentment, racism, and downright ugliness! Remember, hatred begets hatred, bigotry begets bigotry, resentment begets resentment, racism begets racism, and ugliness begets ugliness! Those horrific republicans in their rallies who are shouting such vile rhetoric are only FOLLOWING McCain and Palin and reflecting the hatred, bigotry, resentment and ugliness which McCain and Palin exemplify. These "partners and soulmates" have sold their souls to the devil (or Sarah's witches) in their efforts to gain the White House. Neither is fit for these high positions in our leadership. Should they win, will we be known as the nation of hatred, bigotry, resentment, racism, and ugliness?? The world already has lost a lot of respect for America, put these two into the positions of power and the world will lose total respect for America. McCain's and Pilan's remind me of the lynching mobs of the 1960s!!

Both Rove and Palin are in contempt of court for failing to testify when subpoenaed. And yes, Rove needs a Republican President to pardon his sorry @ss for all the crimes he has perpetrated during the Bush administration.

Bush was a Rove puppet. The next Rove puppet up for inspection is Sarah Palin. How much do you bid for this Lenscrafters model turned politician, America?

Actually, I would vote for Rove before I would vote for Palin. If you have to have corruption, you should want the puppet master instead of the puppet. It makes for a better show.

Sorry if I sound cynical. I am one of millions of angry Republicans who feel that the GOP has been taken over and destroyed by this toxic maniac, Rove.

In an election season rapidly drawing to a close, the last few days have all but sealed the deal for Obama. The worst part of the triple whammy that has hit the McCain campaign - Troopergate report, increased negativity in ads, and the over-the-top anger and blatant racism at their rallies - is that any constructive message that might let him back into this race has been obscured. Obama gets to talk about his plans for the economy and appear forward-thinking and statesmanlike, while McCain and Palin are forced to play defense for another week and the press is covering their problems instead of their platform, as much as one exists. Palin has given up attracting any new supporters and is strictly focused on the base's cultural agenda, and when was the last time the press focused on McCain's economic platform in a positive way? An old quote from a early 20th century Southern pol goes something like, "The only way I lose this election is if I'm caught in a hotel room with a dead girl or a live boy." Obama's smart enough to sleep alone for the next month.

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Hi Mr. Jonathan Alter,

The content of this article is worth the time to mentally digest. I too have begun to wonder whether McCain has a strong enough hand to lead this country, or whether McCain will be a worse version of Bush, allowing others to tell him how to think.

Imagine McCain wins the election and soon after the same people that forced him to select Palin over Lieberman and Tom Ridge for VP, are now arm twisting more concessions from McCain via Sarah Palin. Now that is scary.

P.S. . . And like the previous poster (ClassicGirl79), I too will never forget the "gray-head lady in red" at McCain's rally. Honestly, I cannot figure out why so many people of 'supposed semi-intelligence' thinks Obama is a Muslim, or Arab, or anything but a true Christian believer?

NEWS ALERT: McCain/Palin indicate American citizen worst terrorist!

With no mention of Osama Bin Laden or Al Qaeda, McCain/Palin have indicated that an American white man named Bill Ayers is "The Terrorist" of this era.

Incredibly, McCain/Palin believe that Bill Ayers has no redemptive value, while even Al Qaeda thinks that Osama Bin Laden does!?

The American people should ask McCain/Palin if Albert Pike had any redemptive value.

The American people and the World are suppose to believe that an American white man is so vile and toxic that simply being near him makes you guilty of "palling around with terrorists."

These sentiments being advocated by McCain/Palin against another American citizen, in light of the acts Osama Bin Laden and Al Qaeda have committed against America, are truly reprehensible!

Further, McCain/Palin "must" be held accountable for their efforts to incite violence against Senator Obama at their rallies. Even people attending those rallies report that the atmosphere is xenophobic and racially tinged.

America has this unfettered hubris about not wanting to be warned when her actions are opening the proverbial Pandora's box, but there is a tsunami of "change" moving throughout America and the world and...

Amazing how two or more people can look at the same situation, yet see it differently; since both can not be correct, then, apparently, someone is wrong. Also, I find it strangely superficial that such negative focus is placed on the subject or persons whom the writter is not particularly in favor of, but the the other side of the coin is never shown, just as the other party of interest is never focused on in a negative way, although there is a mountain of evidence of misbehavior just waiting to be uncovered and brought to light, in fact has been uncovered and made public by those who are consistant enough to expose it, people who want the WHOLE truth, not just a one-sided version. SOMETHING is going "OFF THE RAILS", alright, but, as I stated earlier, its strange how some people can see the truth, but others, who look at the SAME thing, see it different. Hummm...yes, there definitely may be a conspiracy going on, but don't see it as a conservative one as much as I do a liberal one attempting to make it look like a conservative one. Don't try to insult people's intelligence, just makes their distrust reach even greater heights.

I have to agree. McCain has made many very bad steps in his blind ambition to be Prez. #1is hiring Rove and his mean men, the very people who denigrated him in 2000. #2 Putting Palin on his ticket was the most disasterous thing he could have done. We as a country need to come together as a nation. Not this pit-bull with lipstick who won't even show up on Meet the Press, or any other news program. #3 Running all of those negative ads lately. It shows desperation on his part, that he'll do anything, step on anyone to get what he wants all the while accusing Obama of 'Blind Ambition" What the Hell?? God help us if he is elecdted to the highest office at his age and Palin puts something in his metamusil and she becomes the President. The Main Stream Media needs to look at both of the Palins record with the AIP. She is the scariest thing I seen in a long time. Is she the seperated twin of Dick Cheney at birth? We need to come together as a nation, not condone racial epithets and slurs that are so hurtful to the very soul of our great naation. One concerned person in California.

Jonathan Alder's got it wrong. McCain's does not lack toughness - he lacks character and integrity.

An excellent example is John McCain and Sarah Palin's decision to attack Obama by ridiculing his middle name. According to Palin, Hussein = terrorist = Muslim.

Understandably, as a native of Wasilla, Alaska, Palin does not know much about the rest of the world. Therefore, she does not understand that Hussein is not an strange or exotic name. In fact, if you used Google and traced the origin of that name, you'd know that Hussein means both good and handsome. It's no small wonder that Hussein is one of the most popular names in the world. Who wouldn't want to be named Hussein?

In fact, Hussein was the surname of one of my students a wonderful, diligent, graceful young lady. Her father, Mr. Hussein, was a concerned, loving, supportive parent who often checked in with me to find out his daughter was doing in my class. As a public employee, I do not know anything about Mr. Hussein's religious beliefs. However, if I were apply the precepts of the Book of James in the Bible, which measures faith by works, I have to say Mr. Hussein's religious beliefs (or lack thereof) were far more worthy of God that the superstitious nonsense spewed from the pulpit of the Wasilla Assembly of God that produced an ignorant bigot like Sarah Palin.

Beyond maligning people's names, Palin and McCain are attacking the loyalty and patriotism of millions of American Muslims, some of whom are serving our country in Iraq and Afghanistan. The anti-Islamic fervor of Palin's campaign reminds me of the anti-Semitism of Central Europe in the 1930's. And increasingly, a McCain rally reminds me of a cross-burning lynch mob of Ku Klux Klan, and probably attracts its share of Klansmen as well. No one is safe. From attacking Muslims, it will be easy to attack Latinos, African-Americans, Jews, gays... any one who is not "an American like the rest of us."

McCain and Palin are anti-American. They are assaulting the very principles and ideals that this country represents. They are a disgrace to America. Every member of the Republican party, as well as their apologists in the media, should hang their heads in shame.

It behooves every patriotic American to denounce the fear, ignorance, and bigotry that the GOP is using to win votes. McCain and his Republican allies offer us fear and hate. Obama and his Democratic allies offer us courage and hope. Let's vote for hope.

In a few weeks we will make a choice that will decide our future.
I follow an economist named Bob Proctor. He has called the top and bottom of every market crash since the 70s correctly.
Also, he perfectly predicted the current real estate market meltdown and the picture he paints about what will happen in the next couple years
is terrifying.He thinks it will be worse then the great depression.
The banks in the U.S. are going under one after the other. Countrywide ,Bear Stearns, Lehman Brothers and Merrill Lynch , Fanny and Freddy Mae ,AIG
The government took them over because they are essentially bankrupt. Even with the goverment nationalizing hundreds of billions of dollars in debt the stock market is crashing
the credit markets are frozen and all of us may suffer beyond anything in the last 80 years.
McCain just like Bush " doesn't understand the economy".
That not just my opinion its his own words. Not only does he not understand how to fix it but he does not understand exactly what is broken.
It is no surprise that he doesn't. The people that make up these securities use complex mathematical models very few people understand.
Bush and McCain both can take the credit for this mess since they helped deregulate the laws that were protecting us.
Bush's economic advisor Phil Graham wrote the deregulation bill that allowed banks to take huge risks with all of our future.
Now, Phil Graham is the head of McCain's economic policy.He is also McCain's choice for the next secretary of the treasury.
No one in this country can afford for that to happen. The last time Bush met with his economic advisors was in March. He didnt realize that anything was wrong. Phil Graham had the guts to say that we are in a mental recession after he helped create the worst economy meltdown in our lifetime. Check out this link to the truth http://my.barackobama.com/keatingvideo
It will take the best and brightest minds in the world to get us out of this nightmare. As bad as Bush has done, McCain would be
even more destructive because things are in much worse shape. The next president will not inherit a surplus like Bush did but a crashing economy and a 11,600,000,000,000 (trillion) dollars deficit. Most of it Bush created and it will take decades to pay it back.
If you do what you have always done then you will get what you have always got.
When it comes to policy Bush and McCain are the same 90 percent of the time.
So why are the polls even close then ?
Mccains team just said they no longer want to talk about the economy.Instead they would like to spend time talking about obama
which means running the biggest smear campaign in history.
They think they can just tell you lies and you wont be smart enough to see through it
Let's teach him we are smarter than that .
Elect Obama Biden 2008


Check out this video of sarah palins interview and ask your self if she understands what she is talking about.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r36Xc0GG4iQ

Although I am a staunch Obama supporter, I, too, am disappointed to see Sen. John McCain engage in the very same campaign tactics that he once (rightfully) denounced. I absolutely deplore the "politics of personal destruction". They should have no place in electing our President--or the local dogcatcher for that matter. There can and should be heated debate between the candidates on issues and policies, but the personal attacks must go. They reflect badly not only on those who engage in them but on our country itself. The nation is facing a true crisis, and the last thing we need is more hate and polarization. We need to come together as a nation and figure out a way for ALL of us to get through these difficult times. In my view Sen. Obama is the better candidate to take us in the right direction. (Incidentally, I'm a 71 year old white female--supposedly planted firmly in the McCain camp, right? NOT! Hope there are lots more out there like me.)

OBAMA: THE AFFIRMATIVE ACTIONS CANDIDATE!

NEVER IN THE HISTORY OF THIS COUNTRY HAS A PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE BEEN GIVEN SUCH A FREE PASS BY THE PRESS AND JUST ABOUT EVERYONE ELSE!

I AM WAITING FOR A BLACK PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE TO MAKE IT ON HIS OWN MERIT.

COLIN POWELL COMES TO MIND!

This link of a CSPAN video clip may help set the context, as these hearings were at the time of McCains attempt at S.190.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MGT_cSi7Rs

"Video Unearthed Democrats in their own words Covering up the Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac Scam that caused our Economic Crisis"

@ star3 and krohn.

HOW SAD.

So after reading all the above, the best you could come up with is to continue with your "POLITICS OF FEAR AND HATE"? How sad indeed.
Star3, so Obama is being backed by a muslim terrorist group? You guys are so daft with your useles and baseless assumption. It sadden my heart that the so called America who is said to be leader of the free world could be populated by all you senseless and bigot minded citizens. What a shame? It surprises me that you could be so daft as to believe that the esxistence of any such association can remain unexposed for this long. GROW UP MAN. Enough of all these lies, Fears and Intimidation. Fact is American populace are now more independent at making up their m ind (thanks to technology advancement), unlike in the past when GOP controls the media and as such find it easier to spread lies and fears about any opponent. By the way, wasn't Palin lies about Obama opposition to the signing of Iraq's agreement - which formed the basis of McCain's advert accussing Obama of placing his political career above his country - not debased today?

I used to like and respect Mr. McCain, not any more-- for the past few weeks the way he was engaged in inciting angry and raw emotions that we have seen from his rally, I am very scared the way he is conducting his campaign. These tactics beneath a national hero and he has done enough to his image, even if he is elected I do not think democratic congress would embrace him, he would be lame-duck president from the start

JONJON long time no see. Bet you were the weasel behind the cover photo.

ACORN was brought up when Sen Clinton was still running because of the (now confirmed) probarry voter registration fraud, especially in Lake County, IN. When all is said and done, when all the caucus and voter registration fraud is exposed, Sen Clinton will be proven to have had the most votes. But what is she doing? Out campaigning for barry when he has not had the integrity to come clean to the black community that she and Mr Bill are not racists. The fact that he has not done this and continues to use them to stump only reveals his egomania and complete lack of character. And the fact that it took him so long to reach out to Mr Bill, the only Demo to win against the GOP in 28 yrs and continues to allow him to be attacked about his supposed disloyalty to the party is despicable.

Why did the GOP stay in the lead until the economy tanked? Because axelrod (the brainchild of the "most amazing campaign in history") had absolutely no experience against the GOP. And had there been no economy? Had McCain picked Romney? What type of American allows the last president of economic prosperity and peace to continue to be painted a racist while he is out stumping so barry can be elected?

Judgment?

Seen any of those pink-faced presidential failures out on the stump? Kerry, Dean, Dodd, Judas, Edwards and all the others who raged at Sen Clinton to get out of the race? Barbie Pelosi or Donna Brazile? Roland Martin, Rep Clyburn, Rep Lewis who are happy to talk about what racists "The Clintons" are? Keith Boykin, Michelle Bernard, Tanya Acker, Jamal Simmons and all the other "strategists" who were more than happy to rage at "Hillary" to just get out so she wouldn't dent the chosen one's halo? How many times have they raged at THAT WOMAN, who was campaigning for barry before he became the nominee? How much time has Bernard spent ragging about "Clinton fatigue" and referring to Mr Bill's "Global whatever Initiative" (which she didn't even know happens every fall explaining his press junket) vs registering the EIGHT MILLION eligible black voters? Bob Herbert? Gene Robinson?

How many churches has Revs Sharpton/Rivers PERSONALLY visited to register those EIGHT MILLION eligible black voters? How many of the black politicians, pundits, strategists and cowardly journalists have PERSONALLY gone into their communities and PERSONALLY helped register voters?

How many of those who make a living trashing "The Clintons' (including Chelsea) have done ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to help the first black man be elected president?

How many continue to yak about the BITTER WHITE RACISTS have done ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to help elect the man who has for the first time made them feel proud about their country?

How many race based inflammatory columns on HES BLACK! & BLACK AIDS! (AIDS arose in Africa) vs calling on black voters and community lead

Unfortunately ,McCain has to walk a thin line. We all know that politics is a dirty mud sling. That is the way the game has been played since George Washington. However, this is our first campaign where there is a man of color, so people are sensative about color. Is is an attack to ask what did Barack Obama say to Ayers that so inspired Ayers to launch Obama's career? What did Obama do during the 20 years he sat in that his church that he now decries? Why does Obama refuse to release his most basic records?. Obama is a blank slate from his past to is public uniform. I have never seen him in a Aloha shirt, no baseball cap, he leaves himself and his past a blank slate and people are all too willing to blindly follow this man with a sealed history. Again I ask where are his high school photos. Where are his Aloha friends? Where are all these records?

Click and get sick!! You have been warned!!!




http://usawakeup.org/USSA.htm

Palin has 10 times the 'magic' when she speaks on TV. Lieberman may be a great friend and politician, but he and McCain don't communicate that well on TV. McCain's fight isn't with the GOP, he has a true battle against Obama.
The 'Arab' comment is a simple summary of what people think they're seeing. Obama is deceiving us about who he really is. Refer to Malcolm Gladwell, 'Blink'. Conservatives know what they see, yet don't know quite how to say it. Obama's birth father was Muslim, his adoptive father was Muslim, his mother married two Muslim men. He was registered in an Indonesian school as Muslim. Indonesia is the largest Muslim nation in the world. When did Obama stop being Muslim and why does he say he has always been Christian? When he did join a church, its pastor was a 'former' Muslim, and clearly not mainstream or orthodox in an American understanding of protestant Christianity. Is he lying about who he is and what he believes? Why do his choices as an adult put him in association with the New Party, Ayers, Rev. Wright, and Chicago politics? He has the most liberal voting record in congress. Does he really want to destroy corporate America and replace it with socialism?
McCain's biggest problem is that he is following the rules too closely. He is a military man and he is campaigning by the book. He is allowing Obama to tell us who he is. McCain should be telling us who Obama has proven himself to be. Obama's line, 'they want to talk about me, not policy' is an admission that he is unelectable if people realize who he is. We're voting for a person to lead not the best policy wonk.