John McCain's speech this morning in Arlington, Va., had at least two notable previews of potential campaign themes.
The first was his harshest swipe yet at the Bush administration, an indication that McCain will make another charge at the change narrative.
Said McCain: "We cannot spend the next four years as we have spent much of the last eight: waiting for our luck to change."
The second was a subtler nod to a sentiment that's nagging at undecideds: Do we want Democrats controlling both the White House and Congress?
Said McCain: "Senator Obama is measuring the drapes, and planning with Speaker Pelosi and Senator Reid to raise taxes, increase spending, take away your right to vote by secret ballot in labor elections, and concede defeat in Iraq."
The message here is that electing McCain would put a check on what probably will be a heavily Democratic Congress. It's an appeal to those voters who believe their country needs to depart from the policies of the current administration, yet might have reservations about handing the keys and the wallet to a Democratic Congress and President.
Look for more of this theme not only from McCain, but from Republicans in tight Congressional races who will note their election would help counterbalance a likely Obama administration.
Is one-party domination a troubling prospect? Democrats, especially, tell us what you think.
Monday, October 13, 2008
McCain: The one-party plea
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48 comments:
Theres a lot of damage to be undone. Four years of all Democratic rule will get some balance, and by then we will be ready to have more of a split system.
When the Republican presidential nominee has to tell us that we have 8 years of damage to undo, thats more of an endorsement for the Democratic opposition than for his own candidacy.
I think McCain is just grasping at straws. Attacking Obama hasn't worked, so why not try the "one-party plea"? I don't think this tactic will work either.
I'm glad that this has finally been brought to light in media discussion of the election. One of my main concerns with an Obama presidency is that while he may intend to be true to his word with his recent swing toward more-moderate policies and talking points, once he's surrounded by the Liberal voices in congress his message of change will be blown out the window and he'll be just another politician. Neither candidate has all the answers by any means, but a McCain presidency would ensure that one of the most important provisions of the Constitution remains in effect.
We've spent the past 2 years in Congressional deadlock, leading to the lowest voter satisfaction in history, due to having a President who is at utter odds with our Congress. The fact that the Senate is split, with Cheney holding the tiebreaker, and Bush willing to use veto power, prevents any substantial change from occurring.
This is a dead-end argument for McCain. Once again it promises nothing other than to sustain what has been going on for years... changing NOTHING in the process.
Sounds like he is desperate, and grasping for things to point out to rattle the undecided voters. It's about this time in each election where the Republicans start trying to strike fear amongst the undecideds, and when they also start harping on abortion (knowing they aren't going to do anything to ever make it illegal) to rile up the evangelicals.
So he wants things to stay the way they were the past 2 years?
Does anyone even bother to vet these talking points before throwing them out there?
We'd have a continuation of the gridlock with McCain as president.
Congress couldn't pass the bailout bill the first time because both Republicans and Democrats in the House didn't listen to their party leaders asking them to vote for it. Who's to say that either the Senate or the House will follow party leadership or the President if sweeping changes are suggested?
I can live with 4 years of a 1 party majority House and Senate and Presidency after the last 8 years.
I'm not really excited about higher taxes (who would be) but come on folks - who's going to bail out the U.S. when it comes time? I'd rather not get to that point.
I agree with what DW said at 12:32PM. I'll add, I listened to McCain's speech this morning and I liked what I heard. The crowd was really fired up and it was all about McCain... not swipes at Obama.
The country doesn't need stalemate, we need solutions. What we need is a President and Congress that puts the country's interests first...not the party interests. While McCain espouses that concept, his campaign and recent history suggest otherwise. Obama has the best chance to really change the path forward.
So wait... what would be the change? Republican President, Democratic Congress, gridlock.
No difference from what we have now....
Raise taxes, raise taxes, raise taxes, I don't know about you but I'm at a point now where the last thing I need is to pay more taxes. cut the military & raise taxes to put in their pockets. Why would anyone in their right mind vote the democratic ticket. He says oh no I won't raise taxes on middle class! Yeah Right! He's raising taxes on companies big & small you don't think that'll affect the middle class? We'll get smaller raises (if any) and our benefit packages will be cut because companies have to pay more taxes. Smarten up people it will be a huge impact on middle class!
McCain in now talking about the past 8 years and the Bush administration. When he was running during the primaries, he never said a bad word about the administration. He was so focused on the war and "victory" which will never come because you can't win the war on "terror". Terror is a tactic, not a group of people. For this reason, McCain has a true disconnect with the real issues. Fight the war from economic strength. Cut off the money to countries saying they are fighting with us, but we have not seen any true results. You want defeat the radicals in the middle east. Show the world we don't need to oil. And to the people who responds to this post and say we need to "drill baby drill", we need a manhattan type project to find a new energy source, and walk away from oil. This will make the oil in the middle east the same as the sand that they all. All over the place and worthless.
I think what most of you Obama supporters don't realize is, nobody is happy or comfortable with things the way they are right now. Bush has made huge mistakes. But, one thing i am sure most McCain supporters will say, they aren't necessarily thrilled with McCain, but you hear of absolutely NO terrorist/racist/deep loyalty to certain groups, like you do with Obama. And there is nothing anybody can say to take the 'sense or feeling' that we have about him away! Trust is HUGE. When you are running for office, who you 'run with/have affiliations with/can be connected with', matters more than any 'perfect plan' that Obama may try to sell us. Again, trust is HUGE, and Obama is all about distrust!! It may not be spoken in the liberal media, or in most of these blogs but there has got to be fear that there is another side that will not fall prey to believing all that Obama says, because it is what he stands for that we KNOW to be who he really is!
I'm glad he quit being so negative. That was awful.
I am 100% with McCain on this one.
If it doesn't frighten you to have Obama in the White House with Pelosi running Congress, then you really do deserve what you get. Unfortunately, the country will suffer as well.
This country was built on hard work, not hand-out programs.
The tax system in this country has always been progressive, so the idea that folk with taxable income under $250k will not have a tax increase is palatable, and will benefit most individual taxpayers and small businesses. As for suggestion that Obama's tax platform is bad for business, many fail to realize that US business effectively "pay" the lowest tax amongst the industrialized nations.
McCain has been part of the the problem the last 8 Years. You folks can listen to his bull and believe it if you want to. 8 is enough. Go Obama!
If one party gets all the votes, it will look suspicious. Don't be greedy. Let the Republicans keep some of the small states in the back.
A McCain Presidency would insure a Palin Vice-Presidency, and perhaps a Palin Presidency. If you think things are bad now...if it ever came to pass that Palin had to take over for McCain, it would make the Bush presidency look like good times. Like Bush, Palin does not understand or respect the Constitution and the separation of powers. Cheney understood, he just ignored. If McCain is sincere about his concern for our country, let him drop Palin from the ticket, and then I might consider voting for him. Otherwise, no way!!!
Measuring the drapes?? Hell they've already picked out the china pattern, ordered the linens and arranged the movers.
This election is OVER - Get used ot it!
This is a Complete and utter repudiation of odious Republican politics and its brand of crony capitalism.
You won't see a republican elected to major national office for 20 years after this. GOP will be utterly marginalized and become a fringe player and a minor 3rd party - The party of unreconstructed racists, 'Merica 1st, and the tin-foil hat crowd.
The fiscal conservatives have already left.
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/10/a_realigning_election.html
I shudder to think what one party Democrat rule could bring. It would be the total unraveling of all restraint and any semblance of societal norms as we have known them for the past 300 years would be eradicated. America as we know it ( and have known it) could cease to exist. I hate to think how far we could fall both morally and economically in four years.
Mr. Rodriguez:
When Obama came to the cricket mths ago he said,"They are going to pull out all the shots to discredit him." American's have a short term memory and republicans feed of that. They also use the fear factor,(like if you don't vote for me, then this will happen!) Who cares let it happen. Mccain sounds like a used car salesman. talking about the same ol' junk. Obama is a new car salesman, fresh smell's and a new feel. America don't bet the bank on Mccain. He'll do just like all the other republicans in office. Nixon-vietnam, Reagan-IranContra, 1st bush-loss of jobs, 2nd bush-loss of the economy. Ya'll Know What to do Nov 4th. See ya in line at the Voting booth.
V Barnett Wrote:
"I listened to McCain's speech this morning and I liked what I heard. The crowd was really fired up and it was all about McCain... not swipes at Obama."
What Koolaid are you drinking? He absolutely took swipes at Obama. Lying to say that he will raise taxes & ripping on Pelosi & Reid and trying to scare people about D's in the House, Senate & White House.
The only reason he is trying this new 'Nice John' schtick is that the vile negatives werent working. Trust me that this is not his concience at work. He just wants to win. At any cost.
ATTN MIDDLE CLASS VOTERS: You will pay LESS in taxes with Obama. You will pay MORE in taxes with McCain. Dont let the R's & McCain & Miss Alaska lie to you on this...what they say is JUST NOT TRUE! Every decent newspaper in the country has laid out the exact numbers under both candidates' proposals. McCain would give MASSIVE breaks to the ultra wealthy, sticking w. policy that has CRIPPLED us economically. Obama wants reasonable tax cuts for middle America.
For the love of all that is good in this country, dont vote on what the R's are spinning...VOTE EDUCATED!
FYI: R's had control of both for 6 years...and look where it got us. On the brink of a depression. It's time for a sea change...and that will be Obama in the White House!
What exactly are people frighten about if Obama becomes president? His color.......That is the problem. McCain has done nothing but add to the problems we have now so please tell me how it is going to be the solution if he is already one the problems.
If McCain had such good ideas about turning the country around, why didn't he speak more forcefully before now? He talks about being a Maverick, but he voted with the same President he now criticizes, 90% of the time. Where was his judgment then? He wants to undo the damage in Washington DC, where he has been part of the problem for 26 years. He's not part of the solution, he is part of the problem.
The only change McCain has offered during his candidacy has been his change in personal political views on major issues. In the past year, McCain has systematically bartered his beliefs for the pursuit of power. He has changed his position on Row vs. Wade, stem cell research, immigration, offshore drilling, and the Bush tax breaks in order to appeal to the Republican base that he claims to have been a maverick against during his many moons in Congress.
Can we trust a leader that is willing to do anything, including surrender his values, just to get elected? It seems John McCain is out of touch even with himself.
I believe Obama will be elected the next president of the US. If you think we've got problems now, just hang on it's going to be one hell of a ride.
I love how people say, "Get educated!" and then say the darnedest things. Our gov't is designed to be slow a deliberative. Do we want a bunch of bad law pushed through a liberal Congress with no checks? If you think this corrects what is perceived as mistakes of the last eight years, you are wrong. It'll just be a new set of mistake compounding the overall problem. The only real solution IMHO is to push the power and taxation back to the States where you have a real chance of getting to know your representation. Let the federal gov't do the things they need to a get out of things like education, intra-state commerce, and tourism. I should be paying NC higher taxes than the Feds.
I tell you what. Give Obama four years with a super liberal Congress and see what happens. Balance of power is the key. Everyone criticizes Bush for vetoing all of these bills. Have you ever stopped to think that these bills were way to liberal? Look at Parade Magazine from Sunday. Anyone making less than $113,000 as a family is better off with Obama. Any family making over $113,000 is better off with McCain. Not exactly what Obama has been telling people is it? I'm not enthralled with either candidate. However, it scares me to think that Obama will pick the next Supreme Court Justices, etc. It will take years to reverse the extreme liberalism. Obama also wants to raise capital gains taxes on stocks to 25%. That will kill the stock market. Look at the facts. You may not like McCain but he will have better policies. I just wish people would stop comparing Bush and McCain. They are nothing alike. It disgusts me also when you see Farrakhan referring to Obama as the Messiah. What a disgrace to religion.
Finally! With a one party Washington, we are looking at certain socialism in America. No more checks and balances. this is not about racism (to the anon that made that point), it is about a system that works. If the democrats have all the power we are sure to see an increase in taxes (despite what Obama says), an increase in spending, a lenient and liberal view on terrorist countries, etc.)
Think back to the first 6 years of the Bush presidency - that stock market was at an all time HIGH, the housing market was booming and gas was around $2.49/gal., people were living large, unemployment was at an all time LOW. Bring in the democratic congress/senate in 2006 and it was all downhill from there. How quickly we forgot the prosperous times under Bush to then point fingers and yell 'change!' at his administration and party.
A fully democratic washington is frightening for those who work hard to earn a good living. Middle Class - we shouldn't be fooled...if Obama is elected, we will see change, and I assure you, it won't be for the better (at least not long term).
And I shudder to think what one-party rule has already brought us - the Republican party, that is. Bush had six years with Republicans in control of Congress, and look what that got us. And McCain was right there in the middle of it, being all "Mavericky" and voting with Bush 90-95% of the time. And now he's got all these great new ideas for undoing the damage? Give me a break.
I knew someone would post something about color. That is so stupid. The fear is not about color it's about having a liberal congress and a liberal President(Obama) in control of everything. If you think a new president will fix all the messes we are in or bring unity to the masses your wrong. I don't support either candidate because I believe neither can fix the issues and they just talk about issues that will never get fixed. Watching the debates and hearing both not answer the true questions but turning questions into a answer they could promote their views sickened me. No one had the nerve to answer how they would fix Social Security. They both danced around the issues as the last 3 Presidents. The only way to fix it is raised the Social Security tax or cut alot of the benefits. They know if they give this answer they have no chance at winning. So both give you the answer that sounds the best. Everyone wants to blame Bush for all this mess but I am sorry greed caused this and it start with you buying stuff you can't afford. So if you think either person will come in and clean up Congress or the Senate of taking money on the side to push pork onto bills then i guess you need a wake up call. I am not saying give up on the country, But the politions gave up on you long ago.
I agree 100% with all of you who believe McCain is part of the problem. How anyone could vote for the McCain/Palin ticket after 8 years of McCain sticking with Bush and thinking it will get any better than what it is right at this minute must need to have their head examined. And I also agree with who ever said that even worse would be to something happen to McCain and for Palin to become the next president of the US. If this happened they would be selling the US on ebay!
Go Obama!
I think the bigger concern is selecting Supreme Court judges. Having two parties in two branches usually ensures some level of moderation.
the most terrifying thing about mccain winning is the palin, who in their right mind would want her for president? mccain showed his inabaility to run this country when he picked an unquailified and totally inexperienced v.p. candidate. now we are supposed to fear obama because he went over someones house, if ayers is so dangerous why is he walking the street? mccains old buddy keating was convicted and mccain supported him and took money from him, what about that o ye of little memory.
At age 72 and in ill or at least highly questionable health, John McCain is a "has been" -- sounds like it, acts it, and looks it. The only question now is whether the voters intend to have this Nation join McCain in "has been" status.
I believe what most people fear from Obama is the unknown. He has no discernible record. Essentially, his resume reads that he was a senator for ~ 300 days before he felt he should be president. At least with McCain there is a track record that can be measured & judged.
In these uncertain times I believe most americans truly fear the unknown. Senator Obama could possibly be the greatest president in decades but who knows because, again, his resume is extremely weak. If President Bush has taught the country anything it should be that the leader of the free world needs experience and lots of it.
Very ironic that BO bashes the Republican theories of lower taxes (both business and personal) to drive the economy yet in his economic proposal this morning he does just that to get the economy going. If he thinks it is bad, then why does he follow to get the economy going? He obviously knows the real truth. If only Joe/Jill Public weren't so stupid and believing everything he says. Everyone is obviously not using their brains but only their emotions in this election.
Palin is a deal-breaker. No way would I vote for McCain after he showed such poor judgment, choosing her for V.P. Obviously a desperate move to win over the right-wing conservatives. No way would I want her a heart-beat away from the presidency of a 72 year old man - and that would be his age in his first year.
First, regarding health... McCain has had a clean bill of health and allowed review of his medical record. Obama is a current smoker whose mother died of cancer young, but his health records are completely off limits and distilled to a one page letter from his doctor.
Second, people keep forgetting that Biden has been in Senate & Washington longer than McCain.
Third, this is election between an obvious Marxist and a Democrat. Neither is good for our country and undermine all that has made this country great. It will be much harder to have rags to riches stories in this brave new world. What a way to help out the middle class? I have mine, you can't have yours...
The anti-Obama crowd says basically the same few things over and over:
- He has no experience (false)
- He is a closet Muslim/terrorist/Marxist/whatever (obviously false)
- He will raise taxes on everybody (false)
- He is an elitist who hates the poor (um...what?)
- He doesn't have a specific plan
To that point, simply read a transcript of the speech he gave an hour ago laying out specific details, point-by-point, for rescuing our economy from Bush's trainwreck.
But if you really think about the above, it's the same stuff they've been saying about Obama since the election began. And it DOESN'T STICK. At every turn, this stuff is disproven after a few days of media hysteria. If indeed Obama was actually cornered on something the media would go into a feeding frenzy (like they did, wrongly, with Rev. Wright).
As usual, nothing new from the McCain camp. The guy who thinks our economy is just fine, that Iraq is just fine, that having a gridlocked government is just fine, that the suffering of the middle class is just fine... I'm sure he'll think it's just fine if you're gullible enough to swallow the BS he's feeding this country.
Very ironic that BO bashes the Republican theories of lower taxes (both business and personal) to drive the economy yet in his economic proposal this morning he does just that to get the economy going. If he thinks it is bad, then why does he follow to get the economy going?
Nobody questions that lower taxes are a good thing... as you say, Obama himself wants lower taxes to be a key pillar of our economy.
What Obama, and most Americans I think, take issue with is the idea that those who already profit the most off our economy should get the biggest tax breaks. In the so-called boom years of Bush's administration, none of the wealth trickled down. The standard of living got worse, prices rose, and we were saddled with enough debt to outlive our grandchildren. Yet the middle class should bear even MORE of a burden to fix our economy, while the robber barons get even MORE breaks and make even MORE money off the working man's misery?
Obama isn't opposing tax breaks, he's giving them to the middle class so we don't drop to a third-world standard of living in order to support the billion-dollar profits of a few elite investors.
For those of you who may have seen this i'm sorry. But for those who have not please look at this chart with average tax breaks under each plan. I do like Obama's plan because its time for have nots to have more money to spend and the have's to help fun projects. We cant keep borrowing chinese money as what the current administration does.
http://www.parade.com/news/intelligence-report/archive/how-much-would-you-pay-taxes.html?archive=true
Obama is a current smoker
Actually he has quit smoking, though he admits "falling off the wagon" once or twice since the beginning of the primary race. I think we could all agree that there is no indication whatsoever that smoking has affected his health.
Third, this is election between an obvious Marxist
This term really shows your age. Is there even a living American who would actually consider himself a Marxist?
To anyone who thinks that McCain is the only one that is similar to Bush, you might want to read this article.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/10/13/wall.bush-obama/index.html
Similar... he's not similar, he IS Bush all over again!
Child of a dynastic Washington family who was too busy drinking and screwing his way through his education and military career to care about politics, then found himself in a fortunate position in his middle age in which he could marry rich, leverage family connections to get himself into politics, and ride a wave of mindless flag-waving into the living rooms of America. Once on the scene he suddenly gets comfy with hardline Christians, oil tycoons and military industrialists, selling his soul and our country's future in order to finally one-up the legacy of his father.
You'd have to pick through that narrative with a fine-toothed comb to tell whether it's about Bush or McCain.
Obama's health: The point is that he is a recovering smoker who is still in the throws of quitting... This impacts his health and could be a catalyst to early death.
Regarding the term Marxist... Exactly, how old do you have to be to use that term? What a lame argument?
The key is that both of these "candidates" are proposing significant changes to how our economy is structured. They are a right and left view on Socialism and yes Marxism. This is dangerous. It turns this great industrial, technological, and free country into France, Germany and England. If that is where we won't to go, so be it, but at least be honest.
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