The Obvious Point: McCain is the Wrong Nominee

by: Matt Stoller

Thu Sep 04, 2008 at 23:08


If I'm a Republican, I'm really annoyed that Palin isn't running for President.  McCain's speech was not nearly as good or as interesting as Palin's, and he's an awkward speaker.  The loudest applause came from his references to her.

This was Pain's coming out party.


More (Chris): The local newws caster in D.C. even said "he's not a great speaker. He's no Sarah Palin." McCain got upstaged by his own running mate. This is going to reflect terribly on McCain.
Matt Stoller :: The Obvious Point: McCain is the Wrong Nominee

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The Obvious Point: McCain is the Wrong Nominee | 56 comments
Yeah maybe, but she's not (0.00 / 0)
signed

Maverick POW Maverick Maverick

John Bush (0.00 / 0)
[ Parent ]
No flag pin (4.00 / 4)
On John McCain.

As usual, only Nixon can go to china.

Palin (0.00 / 0)
Would be destroyed.   She is no Obama.  She is Bush with Breasts.    Incompetent moron with a quirky accent.
Tweety (4.00 / 1)
Tweety thinks McCain will be ahead in the polls next week.  NO FUCKING CHANCE.
ROFL (0.00 / 0)
Andrea Mitchell up to her eyebrows in balloons...  

"I think the economic logic behind dumping a load of toxic waste in the lowest wage country is impeccable and we should face up to that."
-Lawrence Summers
please oh please (0.00 / 0)
someone post video of andrea mitchell caught in the balloons
John Bush (4.00 / 5)
OMG, Tom Ridge just called him John Bush! That is to fucking funny!
Tape! We need tape! (4.00 / 1)
[ Parent ]
palin (0.00 / 0)
let's fire up the power of the internet and bury Palin before she has a chance to challenge obama in 2012
let's not and focus on beating the guy actually running in 2008 (4.00 / 6)

[ Parent ]
Especially since she seems to have a superhuman (0.00 / 0)
ability to create a massive wake of questionable ethical behavior.
[ Parent ]
I am of the view she's a ticking time bomb (4.00 / 2)
But then I think the Republican brand is shit for at least a decade (due to the Bush=Carter effect that's happened) so what the hell do I know compared to the political blogger pundits
[ Parent ]
She's no longer ticking (0.00 / 0)
The explosion has commenced.

Now, her husband -- that's another matter. Tick-tock, tick-tock...

[ Parent ]
Dude, 2012 is almost like 4 years from now (4.00 / 1)
It's, like, a whole other decade and stuff.

"Those who stand for nothing fall for anything...Mankind are forever destined to be the dupes of bold & cunning imposture" -- Alexander Hamilton
[ Parent ]
She wouldn't run then... (4.00 / 1)
Not unless Obama is in trouble.  If she is the great idiot hope of the then she waits until 2016 unless Obama is in trouble.  Then she has the experience credentials.   Of course she also runs into Hillary, Warner or Schweitzer.
[ Parent ]
I gotta tell you (0.00 / 0)
Assuming she goes up to Alaska for eight years and "gets moderate", she kills Warner.
[ Parent ]
Warner Key Note (0.00 / 0)
Yawn.

But, a 52 yo Palin might not have the same hot librarian zazz to temper that nasally delivery and the putrid content of her brain. I suspect her time is now. If they don't win (AND THEY WON'T!) she may be the next senator from Alaska (just a guess since I have no idea what is going on up there), but doubt she's Reagan in lipstick.  

Laugh hard. Its a long ways to the bank.  

[ Parent ]
McCain is the one who's running (4.00 / 3)
The focus has to be on McCain and the fact that his policies (and temperament) aren't just McSame, they are McWorse--worse than Bush.  He has no more idea how to revive the economy than the current cast of clowns who have done nothing to stem the forclosure crisis which their laissez-faire policies aided and abetted, no answer for the 6-month decline in jobs and the 6.1% unemployment rate, and nothing for the health care crisis.  Sarah Palin knows nothing whatsoever about any of these problems and has no solutions either.  Neither hockey sticks nor lipstick will put food on the table and your kid in college.

Speaking of which, she spent 6 years going to small colleges and community colleges until she finally got a degree from the University of Idaho.  Suggests she might not be the "quick study" of all the processes and issues involved in governing the whole US (let alone foreign policy) that she needs to be.  

John McCain--He's not who you think he is.

[ Parent ]
Yup -- Charisma (0.00 / 0)
She's got it. He doesn't.  
She speaks powerfully about hate, she denigrates, (4.00 / 1)
its powerful, but America doesn't want it. I an still saying this convention wont do it for them. This is not what America is looking for.

Change
"We must break up the banks and never again let them get so big that they distort our politics and take down the economy.
[ Parent ]
Apparently it is (0.00 / 0)
She's more popular than Obama or McCain and judging from the reactions I got from their speeches at home, it's a slam dunk for the low info voters. Don't fool yourself, America doesn't have a fucking clue what it wants.  
[ Parent ]
Popular does not equal votes for the top of the ticket (0.00 / 0)
Edwards was popular in 2004. It didn't help Kerry. Bush was unpopular. He still won. The polling I've seen so far indicates that she is super popular with Repubs, the opposite with Dems and indies and moderates are kinda luke-warm, at least with regard to her effect on their vote.
[ Parent ]
Partisans love it (0.00 / 0)
But I'm not sure that independent and swing actual voters really do.  Things are bad and they want solutions.  Sure, there is that cohort Stan Greenberg called the "F*ck You" voters, but many people know that is kind of a luxury this time around.  Women in particular that I have talked to are actually put off by her.  Though I'm not the expert on the subject (Rachel Maddow is my idea of a hottie), my impression is that most women resent a woman who so obviously uses sex appeal to get ahead.

John McCain--He's not who you think he is.
[ Parent ]
Yes, you're right (0.00 / 0)
but in the wake of last night's speech, a lot of independents and swing voters I know back home think McCain has solutions.

[ Parent ]
Where do you live? (4.00 / 1)
It sounds like you live in a red state where independents are just those Republicans too dumb to register.  The real anti-partisan, government-is-corrupt independents weren't likely to find the corrupt, wingnut partisan Palin all that enticing.
[ Parent ]
New York (0.00 / 0)

[ Parent ]
You called "a lot" after the speech? what did they like about her? (0.00 / 0)
[ Parent ]
not her (0.00 / 0)
McCain...apparently he gave specific answers? and they were touched by his sacrifice and service, blah blah blah, same old crap. He's strummed the heartstrings and won a few votes. It really is that easy.  
[ Parent ]
I find it hard to believe and I think the polls will show otherwise. (0.00 / 0)
[ Parent ]
I find it hard to believe too (0.00 / 0)
but there you have it. If McCain is not ahead on Monday, then it flopped, if he is, then it did it's job, if he's ahead 3+ points, then it's over, sorry.  
[ Parent ]
The talking heads seem to have LOVED McCain's speech..! (0.00 / 0)
Gergin gives it an 'A', says it proves McCain a "formidable" candidate.

Halperin goes with either an 'A-' or 'B+'.

Seriously, did everyone here see a different speech from the one they did?

Maverick POW (0.00 / 0)

[ Parent ]
They have been properly chastised for being unfaithful this last week. (0.00 / 0)
They are very sorry and they will not do it again.
[ Parent ]
Talking Heads Lie (4.00 / 4)
The lesson learned from the Peggy Noonan live mike incident is that in front of the camera they are all actors playing a part.  If you want truth read Open Left.
[ Parent ]
I don't know (0.00 / 0)
but the buzz back home is that McCain nailed it. He even changed a few votes of people I know who had decided on Obama last week.

People are so freakin' fickle.  

[ Parent ]
My experience is many people like that tend not to vote at all (0.00 / 0)

[ Parent ]
I know these people (0.00 / 0)
they vote. They don't know why they vote and have stupid reasons for picking a candidate, but they vote and McCain's speech returned him to the "maverick 2000 McCain" in their minds.

Any success we've had defining McCain as another Bush was wiped out by that speech.

I'll be shocked if McCain isn't up in polls for the rest of the month now.  

[ Parent ]
Well I think you should prepare to be shocked (0.00 / 0)
But I think we should both wait for some scientific polling which always gives a more balanced and representative sample than anecdotal evidence.
[ Parent ]
I have tended to be right (0.00 / 0)
this election cycle. I predicted, based on anecdotal evidence, that there would be Hillary supporters who wouldn't immediately go over to Obama after the primary. I predicted that the Obama-McCain race would be close to the convention.

I don't really want to say what I predict for the future. I hope to GOD I'm wrong and I'm doing everything I can to make it NOT come true. After hearing the reaction to the Republican Convention back home, I don't have anymore hope than I did two weeks ago.

[ Parent ]
To be honest (4.00 / 1)
Those two predictions are kinda no-brainers but we'll see.
[ Parent ]
If they were no brainers (0.00 / 0)
how come I got flamed for suggesting they were possible back in March?  
[ Parent ]
Some people have no brains (0.00 / 0)

[ Parent ]
McCain, hire a food tester! (4.00 / 3)
If he wins (which he won't), I wouldn't put it past the reThugs to pull a "John Paul I" to get the VPILF moved into the first chair....they really hate McCain and love Palin.  It was painfully obvious tonight.
Thats a meme I'll see again (4.00 / 1)
John Paul McCain I

Not a lot because no one remembers, and few paid attention. But it'll spread.

Change
"We must break up the banks and never again let them get so big that they distort our politics and take down the economy.

[ Parent ]
From Krugman (0.00 / 0)

"My country saved me," McCain said, "and I will fight for her as long as I draw breath, so help me God."

At this point, the director should have cut to a reaction shot of Sarah Palin, the vice presidential nominee who statistically would stand a chance of becoming president should the ticket be victorious in November.



John McCain--He's not who you think he is.
[ Parent ]
how nice to hear this narrative about Repubs (4.00 / 1)
I remember how people would say Bentson should be the nominee, or Edwards.  

New Jersey politics at Blue Jersey.
But I also remember jokes about (0.00 / 0)
how Bush/Cheney was just like Bush/Quayle in reverse.  
[ Parent ]
And to Matt's obvious point (0.00 / 0)
After McCain's big speech, the music went quickly from the stupid country shitkickin' "Raising McCain" to Palin's theme song, "Barracuda".

Slacking toward the apocalypse
Barracuda (0.00 / 0)
Ann and Nancy Wilson, HEART, "are pissed" about McCain using Baracuda. They already told him to knock it the hell off the other night. Now he's in for a really deep heap of whoopass.
Someone should ask them to make an ad or something (0.00 / 0)

[ Parent ]
Comedy (0.00 / 0)
I don't think she'd be the right nominee, either... (4.00 / 5)
She made a big splash Wednesday night, but that was because she was speaking under the most favorable conditions possible.  First, expectations had been driven low enough so that she could exceed them by merely waving to the crowd.  She had a speech written for her by the top Republican writers in the country, and only had to read it off a teleprompter in front of a rabidly partisan audience ready to cheer for her at the drop of a hat.

But what if she was the nominee?  What if she now had to go on the campaign trail, give interviews and press conferences, and generally engage in interaction which required more than just reading a script off a teleprompter?  We've already seen some previous unscripted moments of hers, and they haven't been all that impressive.  I think of her "what does a vice president do all day?" line, as well as her admission that she really doesn't think too much about the Iraq war.  I have little doubt that, were she to have to deal with the rigors of a presidential campaign where she couldn't be "protected" (and merely trotted out to read another canned speech every now and then), she'd quickly accumulate enough gaffes to tarnish her image.

Everyone seems to think of her as "the next Republican star," but the character that comes the closest to my mind is Mario Cuomo.  Yep, Mario Cuomo.  Remember his keynote address in 1984 that electrified the Democratic convention (mainly, it turned out, because the rest of the proceedings were so lackluster -- sound familiar, anyone?), was the talk of the nation for several days, and led many to speculate that the Democrats wished he could have been the nominee rather than Mondale?  Rather quickly, his national appeal started to fade, and in a few months he was a near-forgotten figure, consigned to his gubernatorial post until swept even out of that office during the "Republican Revolution" of 1994.

While many of you may think otherwise, I see Palin's appeal as fading fast, at least outside the fundamentalist bloc that, in itself, is not enough to sustain a national political career.

Maybe its the disgust the sound of her voice gives me, but... (4.00 / 1)
I think she seems more like Bush II but without the favorable political conditions of 2000.  Ok, she has slightly better command of the English language, but she seems to have the same sort of 'charm' that the media and GOP like and drives people who have an IQ above 100 nuts.  

I think she is in the wrong window to have much success barring a disastrous four years under Obama. Bush II makes it hard for most people to risk it all on another lightweight with a media, idiot-friendly 'character', especially considering her lack of integrity and corruption. That said, I thought all of Bush II's pre-campaign corruption and baggage would do him in quickly in 2000 but the media was blind to most of it and refused to do due diligence on what did come out, so anything is possible.

[ Parent ]
And the digital pictures on the screen didn't really help him (4.00 / 1)
"Well, several readers have written in to tell me that the building is actually the main building on the campus of the Walter Reed Middle School in North Hollywood, California. And sure enough, this page on the school's website makes it pretty clear that they're correct."..."But several readers have suggested that perhaps one of the tech geeks charged with setting up the audio/visual bells and whistles for the evening was tasked with getting pictures of Walter Reed Army Medical Center but goofed and got this instead. At first I thought, No, that's ridiculous. This is a major political party with big time professionals putting this together. Nothing is left to chance. I mean, is this the RNC or a scene out Spinal Tap or Waiting for Guffman? I still have a bit of a hard time believing they're quite that incompetent. But when you figure in what appears to be the utter lack of any logic for this school being behind McCain and the fact that it has 'Walter Reed' in its name, I'm really not sure you can discount this possibility."
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/a...

Whuahahahaha!

"This was Pain's coming out party." (0.00 / 0)
A truer typo was never blogged.
The Obvious Point: McCain is the Wrong Nominee | 56 comments
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