Not Voting for McCain: Was it Palin or the Party?

Turned Off By the VP Choice

What he did by picking her was say: I'll do anything to win. He didn't care about the moderates or the independents, which unfortunately meant he didn't care about me. The real John McCain would never have done that. He went against his own principles."


The Case Against the Party

I would give anything to rewrite history and make McCain president in 2000. But in 2008, I don't think I can vote for him. Barack Obama is indeed the least experienced, least tested candidate in modern presidential history. But at least if he wins, I can be sure that the mobs who cry "terrorist" at the sound of his name will be kept away—far away—from the White House.

Well, I am voting for McCain, nothwithstanding. Yes, I wish this was the McCain of 2000, and that he had been the Repub nominee then instead of the moron we ended up with.

I'm not really thrilled with his choice of Palin, but he made a calculation that he needed to shore up his politcal base from the right in order to win. We shall see. I would have prefered Lieberman myself as his VP choice. However, for all her missteps and lack of experience, I think she can handle it. I am gambling that McCain is not going to suddenly croak- I don't see him running again in 4 years either way.

I think we saw the real John McCain in 2000. But Bush f'd him, then he f'd us all. And yes, you have to do what you need to do to win- if you lose ,what's the point?

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80 300SD (129k mi) 82 240D stick (193k mi)77 240D auto - stick to be (153k mi) 85 380SL (145k mi) 89 BMW 535i 82 Diesel Rabbit Pickup (374k mi) 91 Jetta IDI Diesel (155k mi) 81 VW Rabbit Convertible Diesel 70 Triumph Spitfire Mk III (63kmi)66 Triumph TR4a IRS (90k mi)67 Ford F-100 (??)

Same McCain. This maverick thing is thin. Too bad there's not a one-word description that combines shallow thinking with stubbornness.

selfish
self-centered
egocentric

You're talking about Obama, aren't you?

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80 300SD (129k mi) 82 240D stick (193k mi)77 240D auto - stick to be (153k mi) 85 380SL (145k mi) 89 BMW 535i 82 Diesel Rabbit Pickup (374k mi) 91 Jetta IDI Diesel (155k mi) 81 VW Rabbit Convertible Diesel 70 Triumph Spitfire Mk III (63kmi)66 Triumph TR4a IRS (90k mi)67 Ford F-100 (??)

A selfish socialist? That's a new one.






McCain started out flailing and has been ever since. For a guy who had his nomination locked up 6months before the other guy, McCain was surprisingly unprepared and strategy-less. His campaign never had focus. He pretty much conceded all policy arguments except perhaps Iraq. I don't know why he did so, but he did. Instead, he's all over the place with ad hominem attacks. This last one is hilarious. Note to McCain: The masses don't have a problem with redistribution of wealth. See Huey P. Long.

It's been an odd election. First, all the democrats had to do was put up pretty much any oldish white guy and they were a shoe in. Being Democrats and not happy with victory, they chose between a woman and a black guy. Then, all the Republicans had to do was put up a guy who was not very associated with the current president, decently conservative but not overly so, and they come up with McCain.

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1984 300TD

I am referring to the man who wrecked 3 navy airplanes not counting either the tragedy on the carrier flight deck, or being shot down. The man who after release from prison in Viet Nam found his wife not as pretty as he remembered so he played around until he found a younger, prettier woman with more than enough family wealth and connections to help him advance his new carreer.

Useless.

I managed to keep out of the political fray for the most part but I figured I'd stick my toe in the water at least.

I'd vote for Palin over any of the remaining three of the top two tickets. But I still don't know if I'm voting pragmatic or principled yet. I have a general disdain for career politicians and she's the least entrenched.

If McCain had any hope of getting the Conservative base to vote for him he had to shake things up a bit as he himself was supposedly the moderate. It's funny, he's been historically viewed as the moderate maverick. Lauded for bucking the President and his party any chance he got. Until he runs against a Democrat then all of a sudden he's labelled a raving Conservative by the same people who label Bush as a Conservative.

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1980 300TD-China Blue/Blue MBTex-2nd Owner, 107K (Alt Blau) OBK #15
'06 Chevy Tahoe Z71 (for the wife & 4 kids, current mule) '03 Honda Odyssey (son #1's ride, reluctantly) '99 GMC Suburban (255K+ miles, semi-retired mule) 21' SeaRay Seville (summer escape pod)

I don't think that's right. It wasn't his run against a Democrat that got him labeled as a conservative, it was his own choice to label himself as a conservative so that he could get the GOP nomination. That's why he bragged about voting with Bush 90% of the time.

She is the least entrenched. Also the least knowledgeable and probably the least ethical. There is one category in which she is not the least, she is definitely not the least offensive. She would be a divisive President if McCain wins next Tuesday and then can't finish his term.

I have also not decided who to vote for yet. I'd also have voted McCain unhesitatingly if he'd picked Lieberman. But I can't stand Palin. However, I can stand Obama even less. So I'll probably try to hold my nose tight enough to vote for McCain. The other 12 parties are pretty much pathetic jokes and thus no real alternative.

- Peter.

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2021 Chevrolet Spark
Formerly...
2000 GMC Sonoma
1981 240D 4spd stick. 347000 miles. Deceased Feb 14 2021
2002 Kia Rio. Worst crap on four wheels
1981 240D 4spd stick. 389000 miles.
1984 123 200
1979 116 280S
1972 Cadillac Sedan DeVille
1971 108 280S

It's ironic that the first link is to the LA Times; just last night I saw a story on the local (LA) news that the LA Times has a video tape of an event for Kahleed Rashidi (sp?) that Obama and Bill Ayres attended. They refuse to release the tape for no stated reason. Could it be because they are afraid it would hurt the Obama campaign? This tape was from 2001 I believe (but it may have been more recent, not older). Rashidi is an outspoken antisemite/pro-Palestinian activist. This connection obviously ties Obama to more unsavory characters and further connects him to Ayres. The Times, by the way is a notorious liberal rag.

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1993 300E 2.8 185k miles
2006 Mustang Convertible 4.0 Eaton Supercharged

If he was wearing a $300,000 outfit WHIIIIILE talking to the Germans, I'd feel better...

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Sharing my partner's 2012 Forte 5dr SX til I find my next 123 or 126..
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Do I miss being a service advisor ???

Guy named John Semmens wrote it as satire.