Spare a thought for McCain...

"the great honor of my life."

"Senator Obama has achieved a great thing, for himself and for his country. I applaud him for it,"

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/nov/05/john-mccain-concedes-election

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/27545964#27545964

 

I thought McCain's speech was appropriate.

And Obama's response was commendable.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/11/04/mccain/index.html?iref=newssearch

From what I have been reading lately, I think that McCain feels some shame in some of the tactics that his campaign resorted to. It definitely brought out the worst in him.

 

Lets see how long this lasts.

I think so too.

 

I think that McCain feels some shame in some of the tactics that his campaign resorted to. It definitely brought out the worst in him.

Yeah, he couldn't even get his own employees under control, but he was supposed to lead the nation and even the "free world."

 

Its a shame McCain really couldn't run the campaign the way he wanted to. He never would've got any support or $$ from the republican machine. He seemed like a different man a year ago then he did the last few months.
He had to distance himself from Bush & that's is hard to do when your the guy from the party > that wants to take over the party that made a mess of things. Palin only energized other republicans(at best) so that move was no help. I was a Dr.Paul supporter(Not McCain-or-Obama) so all Im saying is that I think he had to deal with not only his own baggage but Bush,s too. - and >
People had enough of that guys silly shit.
I guess ,as a vet, it pains me to know that he has trouble even combing his hair from battle scars. (just personal memories from a different lifetime*)
Now- Obama can really make a difference- well ,if he puts the right people in the right positions he can. A historic day/time for American History- never mind polictics.
- -Now its time to - -
Time to roll up the sleeves ,D.C & get things done !!! There is plenty to do >from the woeful economy, to the wars on 2 fronts that need to come to an end, to regaining the respect of the European community that we kind of lost under Bush,s reign. and many others that I don't want to start naming here.
New group- hopefully new ideas

4AM ramblings,
jACK

 

I think both candidates really deserve a lot of credit for wanting to take on the responsibility of facing the problems this country faces. Honestly, you must have a pretty deep commitment to being a public servant to want to willingly put yourself through that stress. It is not going to be an easy 4 years for Obama.

 

wacky, i'd like to spare a thought for YOU for being so gracious

[after all the you-know-what earlier]

i honestly don't think there's that big of a difference between them

but what difference there is might mean a hell of a lot to some people who haven't been doing so well lately

[all around the world]

 

Very dignified.

 

Wacky, I agree with you 100%.

For the record, you advocated well, and your graciousness really speaks volumes about your true character.

I was ashamed at the reception McCain got from his own supporters. Very disrespectful of our country, our process, and the man who led them.

 

McCain is by all accounts an honest and honourable politician, who would have made a passable President, probably an improvement on George What's-His-Name. McCain is apparently a maverick and a little too centrist for most Republican right wingers. That is a point in his favour.

I don't think either McCain or Obama have committed to a quick pull-out from Iraq, where in my opinion the U.S. has no business. As for Afghanistan, on the one hand I think the Taliban suck, they are ugly and disagreeable in every sense. The Taliban represent the worst that Islamic fundamentalism has to offer, and that's pretty bad. On the other hand, it is not the place of the U.S. or other NATO countries such as Canada to tell Afghans how to run their country. Let the existing Afghan powers fight it out amongst themselves.

Around 1960, in a different U.S. presidential race, some American right wingers were distressed that the the Red Chinese were threatening to take over the islands of Quemoy and Matsu, then held by the Chinese nationalists led by Chiang Kai Shek. At that time, candidate John Kennedy stated that "those islands are not worth the bones of a single American." Same statement applies to Iraq and Afghanistan, not to mention Vietnam.

 

I would agree with you, except the US and NATO have already destabilized the region. A change of government is no justification for a schizophrenic foreign policy.

As Obama stated on Iraq "we need to be as careful getting out as we were careless getting in".

 

Schizophrenia refers to split personality within an individual. It does not refer to a change of policy when one state administration replaces another. A change of government is often the only way an undesirable foreign policy can be changed.

As for NATO destabilizing Afghanistan, when was the last time that nation (or more accurately, that group of tribes) was stable? Granted it is unstable now, there is nothing in McCain's or Obama's policies that will lead to more stability there in the future. Obama is in fact talking about pulling out of Iraq in 16 months and responding more strongly in Afghanistan, which is not the brightest idea I've heard.

 

actually, schizophrenia is a disorder that has nothing to do with split personality.

In a colloquial context, it refers unpredictable wavering between extremes.

Any wise foreign policy avoids changing tack too quickly whenever possible.

 

My previous statement was in error. The Wikipedia references to schizophrenia and dissociative identity disorder indicate that they are different disorders. The reference to DID states,

"Patients may experience an extremely broad array of other symptoms that resemble epilepsy, schizophrenia, anxiety, mood disorders, post traumatic stress, personality, and eating disorders."
​

So they are different, but sometimes related, disorders.
As for changing tack too quickly, there is no such thing. If I were taking over from Bush, I'd change policy as fast as possible. Believe it.

 

which is the difference between presidential material and some guy who thinks he can fix the world.

 

Which or What?

What is the difference?

Presidential material does not think they can fix the world.

 

i was referring to the idea that changing tack too quickly does not hold inherent risks.

A smart executive takes a bit of time to get a feel for the lay of the land before making huge changes. A bunch of guys on a forum don't have the burden of presidential responsibility.

Consider, that getting out too fast could lead to a need for future intervention, while getting out too slow can be equally disastrous.

Doing anything before you get your bearings is just plain stupid.

 

lol...makes sense now.
Thanks.
I took it as a seperate thought.

Obama has had the last 5-6 years (since the invasion of Iraq) including nearly 2 years of campaigning to formulate his policies, surely that is enough time to "get the lay off the land" and to "find his bearings"!
We are told constantly Iraqis do not want US troops there.
So, immediate withdrawl is the best thing to do.
It will also passify vastswathesof US citizens.
I understand what he has said about Iraq, but that is a tactic used to shift responsibility and be on both sides of the fence at the same time.

After withdrawl there would be no further intervention, as the US would just have to say: "NO".

So, one "change" failed before it even starts. Perhaps.

 

I don't hold anything against somebody who votes for a candidate because they stand for issues that will improve their quality of life. That is what is so great about this country, that we have that choice. Under an Obama administration, the top 5% will not enjoy the tax benefits that they have had under the Bush administration. That is part of the ups and downs we all experience. Often times the result of policies like that affect more than that 5% however, which is also something that the bottom 95% have to consider. I have respect for anybody that analyzes the issues and chooses what will benefit their interests, based on the information that is available to them.