Grandpa McCain for President

Our right to cast our votes for the leaders of this great land is a very special right. I would never tell anyone which way to vote because that's just way to personal, and I think that is something the idividual needs to address on their own.

Everyday in our adult lives we are often faced with making choices that involve choosing the lesser of two evils, it's a realistic fact of life.

I personally would never throw my vote away, I cherrish that right way to much.

TRUTHHURTS

GW;

I'd have to disagree with you about the temper thing. Not that he doesn't have one but that it is a bad thing. Sometimes you just can't be a nice guy and get your point across.

There are people out there that only understand one thing. Strength. To them negotiation is a sign of weakness. I think that we might have to take the tack of doing some SERIOUS butt kicking before some people understand that we are not going to take it anymore.

As to the lesser of two evils, I've always equated that to asking someone if they'd rather die by firing squad or hangman's noose. It just makes me feel better when I say that I think this one is better than the other one. Makes it a little easier for me to sleep at night with that little rationalization.

Mike Heemer http://24.23.126.8/ Petition for choice (5 or 7) in Nov.

GW,

The lesser of two evils has been in the blogs on more than one occassion.  Hoping my memory serves me right, I seem to remember the general consensus in agreement.  Yes, we will always have the staunch defenders of a particular party, regardless of how bad the leader or party is.

I agree with you on the last two elections because that's how I thought the situation was.  At first, my only real objection to McCain was his age & possible health problems.  But the more I've heard of him, his voting record etc. the smaller my consideration of him gets.  On the other side, well, another tough choice.  But you gave me an idea.  The scarecrow, huh?  I'll think on it.  I voted for Bush once, so how much worse can a voting choice get?  JATFUR.

RichK

Dang, I just can't stay out of the comments today.

Insightful blog, GW - and a problem in many elections.  Many clever cliches come to mind, including: 'no decision is a decision'

Try not to think of it as a "lesser of two evils" but instead of who is better qualified.  Kind of fits Finder's thinking above, Lesser of Two evils is just to depressing.  One has to be better than the other, or they would not be the "lesser" of the two evils. 

As a side note, think of those poor Liberals who are wringing their hands over who to endorse in their dramatic, flowery, we will recover, agent of change endorsements.  Talk about of the lesser of two evils.  

 As for you, my recommendation

Go for the one with the most positives, not the least negatives!!!

GW,

One of the things I forgot to mention @ McCain is the oft mentioned probability that he will carry on much in the way of Bush's policies.  I really hope he doesn't because I think that this country just can't survive any more of anything that resembles Bush.  Case in point is an article I came across that sounded interesting.  If you care, go to commondreams.org, 05.09.08 & scroll to the article by Vincent Bugliosi, yes, THAT Vincent Bugliosi, titled, "The Prosecution of George W. Bush for Murder."  Yes, you read correctly.  Just another insight.  JATFUR.

RichK

Tight spot to be in. Bush is a total disappointment to me, it really doesn’t matter what, or how he choose to go too war, what matters is how we get out. If what Vincent Bugliosi says is true find the evidence and prosecute him, and if you can’t come up with it, it is a total waste of time to constantly bitch about it. The point being what do we do now. I don’t have the answers, but I do feel to just withdraw our troops at this point would be detrimental to this nations security. Iran would like nothing better than for that to happen. One of the worst things we can do at this point is to show weakness as a nation. If you remember what Osama said, “Just Kill a Few of their soldiers and they will go home.”

Our soldiers were not trained to be policeman, they were trained to take out the enemy, win and come home, and they are very good at that... As I said tight spot to be in, Obama Scares the Crap out of me, as I said we don’t know who he is, he has no experience with defense, or any thing else in politics. Although he was a community organizer, before being a senator He has only two years as a junior senator, he hasn’t even introduced a bill in the senate He has even said that he got confused on which button to push for a vote he made. Green, for Yea, Red for Nye, and yellow for abstain. Now how hard could that be? I like CCC advice of choose the one with the most positives. After careful consideration, even though Scarecrow sounds good, I have to concede, McCain would be the best president considering the positives, and negative aspects of all the candidates involved. The biggest problem I have with McCain is his stance on Immigration, and the water boarding thing. I say do anything that you have to do to get the information out of them. They don’t ware uniforms, so they don’t fall under the guidelines of the Geneva Convention. What say you guy’s  For I am the Ghostwriter

...damned if you do. Yes, it's redundant. This may very well be one of the worst political years in history. At the least, it's the worst in my lifetime.

Both GW and Solo make excellent points. Neither of the two major candidates left standing should really have the job. (By the way, thanks Solo, for the link. It was interesting and I only read it because I have such tremendous respect for Vincent Bugliosi. I have read several of his books. I don't know that I completely agree but I certainly don't completely disagree either. Strawberry Fields, Forever.) :>)

Working with what we do have, I am still leaning towards Obama but not for any of the "right" reasons. With John McCain, he has stated honestly that he intends to continue this pointless waste of soldiers and money in Iraq. He also is soft on the major illegal immigration problem we have. His ideas are just outdated and have been proven to be more of a detriment to this country. It is ironic since it was the fact that McCain was swamped by Bush that caused me to leave the Republican Party. Now, had I lingered, it would be McCain that would force me out.

Obama, going strictly by "experience", shouldn't have the job either. There are a couple of caveats though. One, how many of us, with absolutley no legislative experience, have thought "I could do a better job than these nitwits"? I know I have and I know I am right. I know you are also right. So, that cancels out the "experience" question. Secondly, he can not unilaterally do much damage all by himself. He would need bad ideas and a willing Congress to put them into action. Since I have no idea what his "bad" ideas might be, I would just as soon wait and see. There are far too many pwople who without benefit of "jumping" would never reach a conclusion. So they will. I still maintain that Jimmy Carter was the worst president of the 20th century. That's just my opinion. We survived him. The country caught on quickly and he served only one term. Bill Clinton was the most loathsome president. Even after eight years the country survived him. George W. Bush has had eight years of terrible leadership and somehow, we still go on. I think we make too big a deal out of who the president is. I believe we as a country will survive anyone. It may not be pretty but there will always be The Promise Of Joy. Allen Drury said so :>)

I firmly believe we need someone who frowns on this country sticking its nose into everyone else's business. I think trade is fine but it should be honest trade. I also think any corporation that ships jobs out of this country should be taxed into  poverty. If they have such contempt for the people they sell to, there is no reason to treat them with respect. End all corporate subsidies and we'll see how fast jobs come back to our shores.

This rant has been approved by me. ;>)

Lily's Lore "I don't ever want to be rescued And I don't ever want to be saved I got a feelin' that I'm gonna be alive forever Dancin' on the edge of a grave..." Jim Steinman

Not that i was born yet, but i sense another 1976 election.  A close election, but a probable loser for the Republicans.  Or 1968, a close election, but this time with Republican victory.  This time however, the most important subject which will eventually boil back down to the war is in the hands of the Republicans.  The Dems. know this situation well as they lost in 1920 to Warren Harding with his "Return to Normalacy" slogan.  Harding, Nixon, and Carter make up the three worst President's of the 20th century not to forget Hoover.  Harding, Nixon and Carter were all elected during or after extreme circumstances suchas WWI, Vietnam, Watergate and a Presidential Pardon.  All three were horrible President's.  Now we have yet another extreme circumstance much like these where the incumbent party is in deep doo doo.  Harding died in the midst of a corruption scandal, Nixon resigned and Carter was just the right man for the wrong job.  Unless we have a secret FDR in the field, the next President whoever he may be will either be more unpopular than the preceeding President or just a four year mediocre.  History repeats itself and i don't see anyone in the field making up the bring us out of the hole motiff as FDR did. 

You can expect the electorate (the majority) to make a decision based on ignorance to what will make this country better, rather a decision based upon who will take us out quick and return us to normal state of affairs the fastest.  With Obama giving healthcare out and McCain making it as complicated as taxes, With Obama saying we need change and promising us all the cookies in the jar, eventhough the jar is empty and was only full of cheap cookies, this will be enough.  Aged 48 versus aged 72, the same ole same ole plans that will never work coming from McCain versus a new change with no plan.  It will be close, but the Dems. will win if based on what history teaches. 

Both parties do this.  Truman was very unpopular leaving office so the Dems put up the boring outdated A. Stevenson twice against Eisenhower, not smart.  Bush is exrtemely unpopular not as unpopular as Truman, but still we are putting up McCain, old outdated plans and old person, he is no Reagan.

So yes GW, we're screwed.  CCC, i'll vote for McCain b/c he is better qualified but i may be voting for the 44th and the 45th President of the US.

I hope that all the folks in MCS Blogland that are confused as to who to vote for, will cast a write in vote for President Scarecrow.

TRUTHHURTS

GW, LILY,

GW on your remark @ finding evidence.  It prompted me go back & read the article again.  If you want evidence, I think that Mr. Bugliosi provided it in the form of timelines, documents from the NIE, reports from the CIA, the mentioned "15 other US Intelligence agencies, the addresses of Hans Blix & Mohamed El Baradei to the UN Security council & at in at least one instance the words of Bush himself.  On 1-.07.02 he claimed that he knew there were ties between Sadaam & al Qaeda, all evidence to the contrary, & then on 11.17.03, he finally admitted that there was no evidence of a connection.

If Mr. Bugliosi's accusations are accurate, there is the evidence.  This should be made clear at this point.  The documents in question are from government agencies & are a matter of public record.  The documentation of the addresses to the UN Security Council are a matter of public record.  The public admission by Bush himself is a matter of public record.  If one is given information by a government agency & then alters it or tells the public the complete opposite, that is a lie.  It is not mis speaking, being misquoted or taken out of context.  It is a lie.  I don't know if that was the first time Bush lied to the American public, but as we have seen, it was not the last.  It sounds as if you are questioning the validity of this.  Documentation, actions and statements, in the context with timelines have always proven useful as evidence in the investigation & prosecutorial processes.

On Obama, yes, he has limited experience in politics.  But if that were a viable criteria, many people would not be qualified to sit in the Oval Office.  Being confused with the buttons?  Maybe he's really from Florida.

I agree with going with the positives but, only a fool would ignore the negatives.

As I've stated before, I don't agree with the views on physical torture.

Lily, glad you enjoyed the link.  Just another eye opener from Uncle Rich.  I'm still not leaning that much for Obama.  I do know that I'm definitely NOT leaning towards McCain.  As I've said, I'm not sure if this country could survive another conservative Republican in the WH who is so willing to follow the policies of the current administration.  Hillary isn't showing much for me to lean in her direction either.  Like so many other people, I'm in the pickle jar labelled "undecided."  I don't like being in that position.

Yes, this country has survived presidents like Carter & W.  I think we can still survive.  But one also has to look at the cost.  There's the rub.

On taxing corporations who outsource their production.  You have to remember that it takes two to tango.  Those corps who outsource do so not because they have any contempt but because Americans are supporting them by buying their products because of low prices.

Thus endeth the sermon.  There is a garage that needs cleaning...badly.  Hope everyone has a great weekend.  JATFUR.

RichK

Then this case has been broken wide open by Mr. Bugliosi, and others. Well Helter Skelter now he and others must rush this data to congress so impeachment and crimminal charges can be filed. It all happened here on our little blog site.

I think there are some major pieces missing from this puzzle. I would suggest more research be conducted first. Try to stay away from far left web sites and media outlets that spin conspiracy theories.  

I believe that if Mr. Bugliosi et al had all the hard evidence that was needed to prove crimminal charges they would be filed, and the Democratic Congress would be happy to go for it.

My guess is that President Bush will not be impeached, and crimminal charges will not be filed that are based on a solid prosecutable case. Reason being there is no case, no proof, and no evidence that will stand up. Only spin and accusations.

Bottom line, if Congress and far left Bush haters had what they needed for impeachment they would be on that faster then a one year old baby on a binky

TRUTHHURTS

I have read a good piece in the recent past regarding the experience issue and Obama. In fact, he has similar government experience to many of our past presidents. If I recall correctly, his credentials going into this election cycle are nearly identical to Abraham Lincoln's. 

Unfortunately I have not been able to find that article again to provide a link. but I'll keep looking. I suppose I could just recreate it by researching all the past presidents. At any rate, I might think twice about disregarding Obama purely on the experience issue.

Granted many of his years are at the state level, but so was W's prior experience.

bigmig

You may be correct about the expeirence levels, I would have to research it.

But what I can't help thinking about is that it's a completely different world now.

The geo-political climate has drastically changed since Pres. Lincoln. There are more players in the world order. The issues are much more complex. Enemies of the world are more sophisticated. Global economies are at play. Nuclear weapons that can wipe out nations have been developed, and more then ever people that hate our way of life are seeking these weapons.

Now I am not saying that if Pres. Lincoln was reincarnated today he could not handle the job. We will never know for sure one way or the other. But I think I would like someone with more experience.

TRUTHHURTS

Age discrimination is against the law. I can understand health being an issue but we've had a VP for a long time with a bad ticker and he's still here. No one knows when death will come knocking and I think experience in life where age is concerned is an advantage.

Other issues aside for me personally age and experience is a positive, not a negative.

http://24.23.126.8/ Petition for choice in Nov. 7 Commissioners or 5.

I guess Obama thinks he has been to 57 states. Experience......Yes it's important. see this link.

http://www.floppingaces.net/2008/05/09/obama-visited-57-states/

TruthHurts

Big & Marsha,

Thinking @ the experience factor, I couldn't help but thinking of Eisenhower, one of our presidents who usually comes in the top 10 favorites.  I don't know how his political experience would be compared to Obama.

As far as age discrimination goes, I have to wonder where the dividing line is between genuine concern & discrimination.  I think it is a valid subject as is the health of a nominee.  I don't remember how much of a concern Cheney's health was leading up to 2000.  Anyone remember?

On discrimination in general, It looks, as far as discussions in the news have went, that age, race, health & gender have all been a factor.  Personally, of these, I think that age and health are the only valid concerns.  If you want to consider more discrimination, check out the % of people who would automatically & vehemently discount a candidate for no other reason than they might be an atheist or agnostic.  That has absolutely nothing to do with politics or the above reasons, so now one would have to ask @ the thinking processes of the voting population.  Pretty sad, I think.  JATFUR.

RichK

If you can’t dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with bulls**t. IMHO that is the code of most politicians and some of the people that blog.

People are throwing names of presidents around as if they are supposed to be symbols of greatness. History has idolized Abraham Lincoln but in fact he was one of the most hated presidents during his tenure. The South hated him for obvious reasons but people in the North hated him because of the way he bullied. He suspended habeas corpus, created the draft, initiated income taxes and finally issued the emancipation proclamation. Soldiers deserted en masse, manufacturers lobbied for government contracts and delivered shoddy products, government officials made fortunes from kickbacks. FDR bent and abused the constitution more than any other president since Andrew Jackson. He initiated government programs that we are still paying for today. Those programs were needed at that time but the concept of government giveaways has drained the treasurery and put a burden on the taxpayers that will never see relief. Harry Truman was a bought and paid-for politician working for the Pendergast machine in Kansas City. U.S. Grant had a corrupt administration that he couldn’t control.

Each president in our history has had some point of contention for the American public but each president has done something good for America too. Even Nixon accomplished some good things while in office but he will always be remembered as the only president to resign and leave town in shame. How George W. will be remembered is still up to historians to determine. Would I have rather had Gore or Kerry? NO.

Walt,

Good information.  Also good, at least for me, is your obvious respect for the right of people to express their opinions, and your obvious regard for those holding an opinion not necessarily in agreement with yours.  It tells a lot @ person.  Goodbye,

RK

OMG TH what a link. That got me thinking about Obama as a candidate. Do you suppose that if he war a flag pin he would have been able to count the stars, or maybe if he had a key placed in front of him he would have known what color button to push for a vote? I bet Dan Quail new how to vote, and how many states we have, he just had a problem spelling potatoe.

Let’s do this, ladies and gentleman let me count the red flags so far, and I don’t mean the Soviet flag, or China’s. It’s obvious that the Obama family thinks that America is a mean country, based on Mrs. Obama’s Statement about how she has never been proud of America until now, and her own admission that America is mean.

When the National Anthem plays Most, not all place their hand over their heart and at least lip sink the words, Obama doesn’t.

Barack Obama can set in a church for twenty year and claim he has never heard his pastor spew the hate sermons that have come to light.

Obama plans to have Write speak at a campaign rally, and then realizes that would be a bad Idea, because if any of his hateful sermons got to the press It would make him look bad.

Obama distances him self from Write but will not denounce him as a friend, but equates him to his mother.

His pastor Wright goes on TV and stands by all of his Hateful, and unjustified lies that he has made.

Obama stands by his church, as Wright retires, but the new pastor is just as bad as write with the hate speech he spews. Follow these links and read about it.

Is it just me, or does anyone else thinks that there is a pattern here that should scare the hell out of most Americans?   

One more thing, its kind of the topic How is it that when Hillary states facts that are statically correct about how based on exit poll she can carry the white blue collar workers vote, she is called a racist.

How is it that when 92% of blacks vote for Obama It is considered not to have anything to do with race?

How is it if a white person says that he would not vote for Obama they are considered to be racists?   Just some food for thought.   

http://www.newsmax.com/insidecover/Replacement_Obama_Pastor_/2008/05/07/94285.html?s=al&promo_code=4A90-1      

http://www.newsmax.com/kessler/?s=al&promo_code=4A90-1          

For I am the Ghostwriter

walt,

all president's except for william henry harrison, 1 month in office and died form pnemonia contracted in his long inaguration address.  Although he did some good before he became President, serving in the army, "Old Tippecanoe and Tyler too".  He was the ninth.  He also spawned a child who spawned his grandson, our second electoral only victorious president, and our 23rd president and he did little but some good, i like presidential history

I find it curious that in all the explanations, why would any one want to vote into office a person who who would basically continue the utter failing policies of George W Bush.  I just don't see any kind of logic to support this reasoning.

RichK

Rk I can sum this up in a few words, Experience, over NONE and the possible scenarios of his racist friends confirmed beliefs scare the hell out of me. I explained them in OMG TH what a link. And not to mention the following link.  

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrsBKGpwi58

A vote for McCain being another vote for four more years of Bush is a talking point being thrown about often these days.

Rather then focusing on issues without answering hard questions, detailing excactly how the dems plan to do all they claim they will do, like universal health care. Universal health care for exapmle will bankrupt the nation, just as it did in California. More money will be taken from our paychecks with increased taxation, and government involvment in our lives..

It is easier and safer to throw out statements that create red herrings for folks to chase. Another favorite is McCains age, which should not be an issue. He has been given a clean bill of health and has a family history of folks living very long healthy lives. His mom is in her 90's and as smart as a whip.

McCain if elected will be his own man. He has his own ideas, and is more moderate politicaly then Bush. If elected he will make his own legacy based on his actions and policies.

We should not be fooled into chasing red herrings, and we should stay away from far left media outlets and web sites that will keep us chasing after them and taking our eyes off the ball.

We must take ALL the canditates to task. Asking them tough questions and demand detailed and specific answers to the issues. Excactly how do they plan on fixing the problems, and how excactly will their solutions effect each and every person in the US, along with geo-political, geo-ecomonical ramifications. We all need to stay focused. 

TRUTHHURTS

Solo - Your comment above about McCain just following Bush's "failing policies" is straight out of the liberal kool-aid pitcher. 

If the Republicans would have nominated Joseph Lieberman, we would be hearing the same thing from the left.   McCain is his own man and if anybody on the right has proven their indpendence from the party line, it is McCain.

Regarding Obama - I have to recycle some comments I made in March about his lack of experience.  He is about 90% charisma and 10% content.  And again, if I was forced into either voting for Clinton or Obama (maybe waterboarded??), I pull the lever for Clinton any day.  Fortunately waterboarding is against the law so I will vote for McCain.

**************************** 

Minnow - very small fish,

Ocean - very large intimidating body of water, of which a minnow when placed in the Ocean is sure to become dinner. 

If said Minnow happens to be the leader of the largest country in the free world, then said country is now "up the creek without a paddle."  Please don't make me explain this one.

Obama, i.e. the Minnow - Experience, law school 1991, Senator since 2005, State Senator 8 years.  (2 points extra credit for suddenly seeing the radical dangerous ways of his church of over 20 years, kind of makes you wonder how long it would take him to recognize a nuke in North Korea?)

Clinton - i.e. the Whale - Experience, law school 1973, Senator since 2000, First lady extraordinaire.  If dropped in the middle of the ocean, lumbers around but survives. (2 points extra credit for her First Ladyship - she had to see or hear at least something useful)

McCain - i.e. the Shark - Experience, Senator since 1987, House of Representatives 1982-1986, Baddest Navy Captain around 1981.  If dropped in the middle of the ocean, not only survives, but pretty much rules the waves. (20 points extra credit for being old, I mean, experienced and wise.)