Why McCain Won

Alter - was writing this article some sort of 'it couldn't happen but I need to get it out of my system' therapy for you? There's no news here buddy - so just chill, go on vacation for 10 days or so and just vote. Much as I love your stuff normally, this was a waste of 8 minutes of reading.

No doubt about it, we will see European style socialism/Marxism if Obama is elected the democrats get a supermajority on Nov. 5. Half of the hard working country will work to death support the people on welfare (more will be tempted to go on welfare), to pay for the other half???s medical bills???. and we will end up broke.
Look at the biggest welfare states - California, New York and Illinois -which happen to be also the biggest economic failures with billions of dollars in budget shortfalls because the state taxes are about 10 percent or more on top of the federal taxes and are used for years not to grow wealth but to spread the wealth to non-working people???Not only that but the liberals who control state government have choked business and impose burdensome regulations that prevent new business from developing (example, California has huge oil resources offshore but so far has forbidden the oil companies to develop those resources. Now it is going broke with foreclosures and joblessness, while the governor takes pride in talking about emissions and global warming. Desperate citizens cross the border every day to pay for cheap Mexican gas ???)
Look at Texas, no income tax, encouragement of drilling onshore and offshore, business friendly, and now it is the only island of prosperity in the whole country. See for yourself and choose
The article is flawed insofar as it attributes to racism the reasons white people won't vote for Obama. So all blacks who vote for Obama are racist too? Double standard! If Obama is not elected it is because lots of people are afraid of socialism, the spread the wealth mentality.

OMG.. So the only people who vote for McCain are uninformed, right wing nuts, or racist? Alter, you couldn't be more wrong. Obama represents a BIG Federal Government, more taxes in the long run, and doest not believe in all of the constitution. He is for taking away guns (whether he has the support or not does not matter). I don't even own a gun, but I am tired of seeing the constitution disregarded by the "intelligent" and "enlightened ones". As an independent, I resist extreme moves to the RIGHT OR LEFT. We need a centrist federal government because STATES no longer set their standard of living. When the federal government gets control, we need them to stay in the middle.

And on the writing??? it was sub par.

The only thing this race is showing the US, and the rest of the world, is how racism is still alive and strong in this country. If Obama was a white man saying the things he was saying this election would be over. He would have almost every state under his belt after the last 8 years. We hear Palin's racial undertones and crowds flock to her like she's the savior when she isn't fit to run McDonald's let alone the strongest country in the world and we all know it. Socialist? Don't be stupid people this is clearly not the case, RACE is! As a WASP I am personally ashamed at what this election has brought out in my fellow Americans, it's a disgrace. I hear hate on every channel and everywhere I turn. Things have never changed in America, truth be told all we have done is cover and ignore the problem. This is why the rest of the world lacks respect for us as citzens and only come to this country to make and take our money.

I meant that the upper 2% control 90% of the wealth, which I'm assuming, most of you already know. At least I hope you all do.

Now, go vote the bastards out.

If Mr. Magoo and Failin win, expect a hard, long and protracted depression.
Not only will a majority of thee working class become despondent and lose all hope, so will the rest if the world.

WAKE UP AMERICA. IF MCCAIN WINS, THE WORLD LOSES. PERIOD.

We need to rid ourselves of the Republican party's elite serving ways and get back to a government that represents the majority, not the upper 25 that controls 905 of America's wealth. Time for a reverse Republican "Redistibution".

Reagan did it for the wealthy and Obama will FINALLY reverse it.

I feel like some people just did not read the article... never once did he say that the only reason Obama would lose is because of racism. In fact, Alter says specifically "That doesn't mean Obama lost because all, or even most, McCain voters allowed race to be a factor. But enough did to change the outcome."
Im sure you're all busy people, but read more than the first page before you criticize the man's article.

McCain is proving to be the leader of fear, inuendo and lies. Anyone who votes for him will prove themselves to me to be the same, and a question mark of whether their vote was because they can't see a black man good enough to be President will definitely be there.

McCain will win because the majority of the people who vote are hard working and do not share Obama's dream of "sharing the weath", giving non-payers-health care and generally just giving hand-outs...that the mantra of the Democratic party. Even with all the media's help...Obama will still lose!

Perhaps Obma will loose because people have figured out EXACTLY what Obama stands for. Change to a SOCIALIST society, Change to Trickle up POVERTY. REDISTIBUTION of wealth......ETC.

There is always a remote possibility that voters will elect John McCain. During this worse economic crisis since the depression, I believe Senator Obama is best equipped intellectually to a lead a team of financial and economic advisors including a former Treasury Secretary, a former Chairman of the Federal Reserve, the richest and most successful investor in history, and many other brilliant experts in economics and finance from the nation's best (and yes, the most elite) universities. Bear and Bull stock markets are driven by perceptions as well as economic realities (eg financial results). If Barack Obama is elected, I think the markets will respond very positively. Frankly, John McCain's economic plan is a not so disguised George W. Bush plan devised by former Senator Phil Gramm of the "nation of whiners" fame. How John McCain could say that the "fundamentals of our economy are sound" just before the largest investment banks in the world declared insolvency is beyond belief! Someone should inform John McCain that our economy is much more that the "American workers"!

Oh and one more thing, let's not forget that most people, when they vote are not voting for a candidate, but against the other guy. This is the reason why there will be so very many "Dont' blame me I voted for the other guy" bumper stickers out after Jan. 20th.

I believe the author has a point here. There are a lot of voters who vote with gut instinct, along party lines or because they have been misinformed. Misinformation that was observed in a McCain town hall meeting in Cincinatti. McCain had the decendy to correct it at the time, however some of his supporters still "do not feel sure" or "don't know enough" about Obama to vote for him.
What about the team behind the man? What about policies? What about the world's perception of the most powerful nation?
These questions are never addressed by these voters. That is what is wrong with the USA voting system, populism and misinformation. Until the education standards of the USA are improved these voters will always exist, much to the benefit of the Reps.

There is a silent majority in this country who do not support Obama, not because of race but because he stands for everything they do not believe in. They are silent and you won't see them at rallies or hear them on talk shows but they will come out and vote, and he is not their candidate.

Perhaps McCain will win, solely because people don't know what Obama stands for. For you to sit here and give Obama a racial excuse if he loses is nothing short of racist on your part. If he loses, which I agree seems very unlikely, perhaps it will be that they just don't feel comfortable with him leading this country.

Perhaps he won't be elected because he is only a Junior Senator. Perhaps he won't be elected because he has a useless rehtoric message. Perhaps he won't be elected because he is fundamentally flawed (see his wife's comments about finally proud to be an American and the falacy that he was unaware of Wright's opinions). Perhaps he won't be elected because of a lack of military service. Perhaps he won't be elected because Democrats have made this election about race when they nominated him. A white man with his credentials would have never made it through the primaries and everyone knows this. Last but certainly not least, perhaps he won't be elected because the U.S. is not quite that stupid.

I STRONGLY resent the implication that I am not voting for Obama only because I am a racist, right-wing Christian zealot. Give me a break, Newsweek. And SHAME ON YOU!