Jim Stillman
Nevar
I “know” why Conservatives dislike Senator Obama; why do they support Senator McCain.
July 22nd 2008 17:51
I have read the postings of my fellow politicalcertainty contributor, Randy Inman, as well as the far less lucid and entertaining musings of SL and her coterie of followers, and have yet to hear one word about why one should vote for John McCain other than Senator Obama is (take your choice): a traitor, a hater of America, a baby-killer, a communist, the husband of an evil hater of America, an “idiot” [this last from SL referring to the former Editor of the Harvard Law Review, the same SL who is incapable of uttering a simple declaratory sentence without including childish name calling]. What I have not heard is any positive about Senator McCain.
Until now.
A writer on another site sent me a message the other day:
I responded:
First, welcome to AC and, obviously, to my site. Please visit and comment often.
This exchange made me focus on something that had bothered me about American politics and campaigns over the past 30 years or so. The campaign style engineered by Karl Rove and others has been one of attack. Considering the abilities and intelligence of George Bush (43), this might have made sense in 2000 and 2004, but it was just being vicious in 1988 and 1992 when the GOP had a well respected and seasoned candidate in President Bush the elder. In spite of this, the GOP trotted out the Willie Horton advertisement, a blatant attempt to appeal to the worst instincts among us.
In the same manner, the Republicans choose not to present the true admirable qualities of Bob Dole in 1996 and, instead, ran a campaign accusing Bill Clinton of, inter alia, murdering Vince Foster!
And now the same GOP partisans disparage Senator Obama by calling him names. There is delight in pointing out his middle name is “Hussein”
Let’s start with some agreement:
First, both Senators McCain and Obama are honorable and honest men.
Second, both men would, to the best of his ability, attempt to act in the best interests of the United States.
Neither man is a supporter of genocide or the wanton killing of babies.
To suggest that either man is “an idiot” or “unpatriotic” or a “terrorist” is absurd and makes the speaker unworthy of debate.
If the only thing that can be said about John McCain is that he isn’t as bad as Barack Obama, that’s faint praise indeed. But I would like to hear from the people who will vote Republican and simply explain why.
I posted a comment on SL’s site a day or so ago (she called it whining):
SL, you and Lester are certainly a team act!
I am posting a comment on the inability of the Right to find anything positive to say about any policy belief or value for which Senator McCain stands. I realize that you will not waste your valuable time to read my liberal crap (as you so charmingly express your intellectual curiosity) and that you would rather call Senator Obama puerile names, but some of your followers may be, in the interests of fairness, decency, honesty, etc. may be willing to satisfy my curiosity.
I have read the Conservatives point out all of the things that disqualify Senator Obama, including his middle name. He's a communist, or at least a socialist; he wants to murder babies; he wants to raise taxes; he hates men and women in the armed forces; he is a traitor; he hates America; his wife is evil; he's an "idiot"; we disagree on each and every one but at least you are able to articulate what is wrong with the Illinois senator.
But, and here's the big difference between us, you are incapable of stating anything that you like about the GOP candidate. It's all about Senator Obama's negatives. What has Senator McCain done that qualifies him to be president? The last GOP candidate for whom Republicans could say something positive was President Bust, the elder.
As I said, you won't read my site -- even if I had the guts in opening it up to invite Randy Inman to add his far more conservative thoughts. But one or two of your followers may be willing to at least listen to "the dark side"!
She won’t join in, due to a well-reasoned and certainly justified sense of inferiority, but maybe there are others who will help me out.
Until now.
A writer on another site sent me a message the other day:
Mr. Stillman, don't you feel that since John McCain experienced being tortured as a prisoner, he is much more deserving of the presidency than an inexperienced candidate like Barack Obama? Remember, your relatives may have experienced the horrifying Holocaust, and John McCain experienced his own torture. Please think again.
I responded:
First, welcome to AC and, obviously, to my site. Please visit and comment often.
As to Senator McCain, he is a genuine war hero and suffered greatly as a POW. No question or argument from me. But I do not see that as, by itself, make him "much more deserving of the presidency". He may be a better choice because of experience but I do not see torture as relevant, nor do I see the connection with any relatives that may have killed in Europe almost 70 years ago.
This exchange made me focus on something that had bothered me about American politics and campaigns over the past 30 years or so. The campaign style engineered by Karl Rove and others has been one of attack. Considering the abilities and intelligence of George Bush (43), this might have made sense in 2000 and 2004, but it was just being vicious in 1988 and 1992 when the GOP had a well respected and seasoned candidate in President Bush the elder. In spite of this, the GOP trotted out the Willie Horton advertisement, a blatant attempt to appeal to the worst instincts among us.
In the same manner, the Republicans choose not to present the true admirable qualities of Bob Dole in 1996 and, instead, ran a campaign accusing Bill Clinton of, inter alia, murdering Vince Foster!
And now the same GOP partisans disparage Senator Obama by calling him names. There is delight in pointing out his middle name is “Hussein”
Let’s start with some agreement:
First, both Senators McCain and Obama are honorable and honest men.
Second, both men would, to the best of his ability, attempt to act in the best interests of the United States.
Neither man is a supporter of genocide or the wanton killing of babies.
To suggest that either man is “an idiot” or “unpatriotic” or a “terrorist” is absurd and makes the speaker unworthy of debate.
If the only thing that can be said about John McCain is that he isn’t as bad as Barack Obama, that’s faint praise indeed. But I would like to hear from the people who will vote Republican and simply explain why.
I posted a comment on SL’s site a day or so ago (she called it whining):
SL, you and Lester are certainly a team act!
I am posting a comment on the inability of the Right to find anything positive to say about any policy belief or value for which Senator McCain stands. I realize that you will not waste your valuable time to read my liberal crap (as you so charmingly express your intellectual curiosity) and that you would rather call Senator Obama puerile names, but some of your followers may be, in the interests of fairness, decency, honesty, etc. may be willing to satisfy my curiosity.
I have read the Conservatives point out all of the things that disqualify Senator Obama, including his middle name. He's a communist, or at least a socialist; he wants to murder babies; he wants to raise taxes; he hates men and women in the armed forces; he is a traitor; he hates America; his wife is evil; he's an "idiot"; we disagree on each and every one but at least you are able to articulate what is wrong with the Illinois senator.
But, and here's the big difference between us, you are incapable of stating anything that you like about the GOP candidate. It's all about Senator Obama's negatives. What has Senator McCain done that qualifies him to be president? The last GOP candidate for whom Republicans could say something positive was President Bust, the elder.
As I said, you won't read my site -- even if I had the guts in opening it up to invite Randy Inman to add his far more conservative thoughts. But one or two of your followers may be willing to at least listen to "the dark side"!
She won’t join in, due to a well-reasoned and certainly justified sense of inferiority, but maybe there are others who will help me out.
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Comment by Randy Inman
Waxing Political
Football Dogz
NCstuff
But what it comes down to is I am voting AGAINST Obama not FOR McCain. In my opinion Obama has no expierence in anything and except for being a great public speaker if he can read his material, he offers not much of anything.
Voting for McCain because he was a POW is about as dumb as voting for Obama because he is black. People should decide which one is closest to their political beliefs and decide who to vote for that way.
Comment by RubySoho
Music Zone
Thought Zone
Do you think McCain will let me be his vice?
Comment by Randy Inman
Waxing Political
Football Dogz
NCstuff
Comment by Anne Tootill
I hope we will now get to read all about the positive attributes of Senator McCain, apart from his Vietnam experience.
Comment by Janet Collins
Acceptable Etiquette
The Social Critic
Janet Collins Blog
Well put! Unfortunately most debates about politics end up being about discrediting the one that is least liked - or is from a party that is not favoured - rather than constructing a good argument why a person's more favoured candidate would be better. Maybe they just don't know.
Janet
Comment by Jeff Musall
Randy - since you don't like McCain much, let me ask you this -who did you like of the R's this time....a pretty motlely crew, if you ask me.
Comment by Randy Inman
Waxing Political
Football Dogz
NCstuff
Comment by Randy Inman
Waxing Political
Football Dogz
NCstuff
Comment by OnlineWriter
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