McCain Closes Convention On His Own Terms

So more thoughts. The speech was pretty terrible, very boring. McCain lost control of crowd too often, possibly because of the protesters. He stumbled too often. There was no real theme to the speech.

I wonder how many GOPers are hoping that the ticket was switched right now…

His war record is honorable but if he is only going to hide behind it and refuse give clear sound policies he only dishonors himself.

McCain's speech, like Palin's, lacked substance. Are we Americans going to vote on negative personal attacks instead of economic strategies, again? God, I hope we have learned the lessons of the Rove-Bush tactics by now. Yet, there are those robotic idiots that feel warm and fuzzy wrapped up in the American flag without a supporting means for their families. Pathetic lambs.

McCain's courage is grounded in his military service to this country. If you listened to him tonight, you learned that his imprisonment solidified his love of country and submerged his selfishness. McCain's "military story" is not fiction; it was a life-changing experience that changed the course of his direction. Don't diminish it. We are blessed as a nation because of people like John McCain and anyone who serves in the U.S. military.

Are we Americans going to vote on negative personal attacks instead of economic strategies, again?

I saw the negative personal attacks, but where was this economic strategies? There is not a single candidate who questions the Federal Reserve, there is not a single candidate who questions the income tax, there is not a single candidate who supports real free trade, there is not a single candidate who, there is not a single candidate who has a solid plan to bring value back to the dollar, there is not a single candidate who has a plan to contain inflation. So where are these economic strategies again?

Or right, over at The Rally for the Republic on Tuesday.

What has Obama detailed about his economic strategy, outside of change and raise taxes on people making over 250,000. He has yet to detail anything about energy. talking about wind and solar don't count. We can't heat our houses with either.

Adam, the value of the dollar would go up if we stopped spending so much of it on foreign oil. So if we drill here we can bring that value back up. Just like the Canadians brought up their value of their dollar.

ZoolopolisHis war record is honorable but if he is only going to hide behind it and refuse give clear sound policies he only dishonors himself.

I think John Dickerson of nailed it: McCain Gambles That His Character Is More Compelling Than Obama's Issues">

I believe Obama has been pretty clear on his economic plan. Doubling the tax credits for the middle class and families with children is pretty much at the heart of it. Mandatory pension plans is also a major part of it. Criminalizing predatory lending practices, especially credit card companies and re-organizing the FED to include investment banks is also seen as a win-win. Remember, money you have in an investment bank is not currently FDIC insured if the bank goes belly up. Ironically, most people in this country have the major portion of their retirement capital in an investment bank account, not a regular bank account that is insured by the FDIC. One of the objectives of Obama economic policy is the correct that loophole.

The Obama middle / lower class will have a tax INCREASE!
Any marginal tax cut will be more than offset by mandatory insurance premiums. If insurance & it's premiums are mandatory, it's as good as a tax - just using a different name.
Net out of pocket will be BIG increase!

Side-by-side comparison of McCain and Obama's tax plans from the non-partisan Tax Policy Center.

Kill, it is NOT a lie. I do not know how you can say that ONLY the richest 5% have investments. Therefore Obama is misleading by saying that 95% of households will get a tax cut. It addition Obama cannot possibly pay for all he is promising if all he is going to do is raise taxes for the richest 5%. I find it so amusing that the Dems keep saying that voting for McCain will bring 4 more years of the same. The economy right now is suffering from a weak dollar that has been brought on by a nation that has increased its debt over the past 8 years. Where Bush has failed us is by not living up to be a fiscally responsible Republican. In fact Bills Clinton was more fiscally responsible (one of the reasons his was a good presidency). McCain has promised to cut spending and reduce the deficit. Obama has promised spending more than any other administration in History. Spending more and increasing the size of government the way Obama wants is for more years of the same that this country can't handle. McCain will bring the fiscal responsibility that is needed back to this country. What people need to realize is that there are certain things that we can just not afford. We should not be going in to debt to get them, nor should our government be going in to debt to give them to us. WE CANNOT AFFORD ANYMORE GOVERNMENT SPENDING INCREASES. It will ruin this country. Obama does not have the basic economic sense that more government spending and raising taxes is not the answer.

Most of the middle classes are not making a significant enough portion of their income from investments for a capital gains hike to impact them nearly as strongly as Obama's income tax reduction.

That's true for their standard savings, but not for retirement income in the form of 401(k)s, pensions and other random plans. Over 2/3rds of America now own stock.

Given that the upper 5% make something along the lines of 40% of the income in this country... yea he probably can.

That assumes of course that his tax increases don't harm the economy, or force the rich to move their income into tax shelters.

But you know what, I am starting to get tired of arguing for tax for the wealthy, even if I believe in them. Because I believe in tax cuts, real tax cuts, for the middle class even more. Is it right that the middle class tax bracket is at 25%? I'd support any candidate in a second who supported reducing the under $100k tax bracket to 10% only. Now that's a tax cut that would help over a hundred million Americans, would boost the economy, and would be down right awesome. The problem is that there is not a single candidate who cares about the middle class anymore. The GOP cares only about the wealthy, and the Dems care only about the poor people they can control. Where's the middle class candidate?

McCain is old school he Honors a woman. He respects and Honors no one around here with all the perversions thrown at men these days ( pretend love) everyone is confused.
Image is not everything... be careful who you worship all obamanites!

Yeah - that was hilarious! She didn't seem as depressed as Wed night either. On Wed she seemed so mad she couldn't even say Giuliani when she was done interviewing him.

That's because Rudy was lying directly to her acting like being mayor of NYC is the same as being mayor of a town in Alaska.

I can't wait to see what the Daily show will do with Andrea being bombarded by blowhards balloons.

She has no business being in journalism. She is so in the tank for Obama it is not funny. That is why she was so mad Wednesday. She new the Republicans changed the momentum. Oberman was pissed too. ITS PUNDIT DAMN IT not PUNDANT...lol what a fool!

I think it will be interesting to see how the protesters did get in. With some of the media flip-ups during the RNC, the last thing they need to find out is that the protesters are holding media credentials. That would basically confirm the GOP's paranoia that the media is out to get them.

Well, I presumed based on your comments yesterday about being able to wander onto the floor of the convention without too much difficulty or challenge that security at the RNC was notably less strict than that at the DNC. (Ironic?)

The protests were interestingly timed. It almost seemed like a staged move. I would have loved to see what his teleprompter told him to say...

Well, we wondered onto the floor when nothing was happening, and certainly nothing was being televised. We also had our credentials checked to get into the seating area, to get into the arena itself and to get past the outside perimeter (they were scanned there).

Hell they wouldn't even give Ron Paul a floor pass because they thought he'd make a commotion. Even in the arena he was required to be chaperoned.

So there is no way that these protesters did not have some kind of credentials. More than likely they may have actually volunteered for the event and were moles, or maybe they even worked for the Xcel Center. But who knows…

My preferred explanation is Democratic ninjas.

If you noticed, there was one protester who apparently was left alone, after ininitial rush to grab him. Why? He was a Veteran, a member of Iraq vets against the war. He was holding a sign that said "McCain votes against vets". I suppose this was in reference to the bill for increased benefits the he voted against. (He said later that it would give them too many benefits and they wouldn't reenlist.) They wouldn't take the risk of dragging a vet out of the hall! I am surprised the media did not seem to be interested in this.

I did notice that. I also noticed they didn't mind jumping the Code Pink lady. Sexism? ;-)

We need to approach both of those protestors about joining newsvine to tell their stories from their p.o.v.

Speaking of the protestors looks like they won't be charged (which surprises me)

Charging the protesters only keeps them in the spotlight longer and makes mini-martyrs our of them.

He could have fell down…

I actually think McCain kinda compares to Bob Dole. Both had problems with speeches to larger audiences, there is the age thing, the arm handicap thing, and both were far better at speaking one-to-one or to small groups in "retail" politics. Bob Dole actually ended up being quite funny when he became a guest member of the Daily Show (pre-John Stewart days) after the '96 election.

1st thing I thought was...oh gawd...not the green background again....

I rather would have listened to the protestors

Me too. Or had comedy central do commentary during the event.

The John McCain of today is a sad shadow of his heroic youth. After he lost to W he realized he had to sell his soul to the Neocons to be pres. Now all that's left of his youth is a hollow shell that hides the bile poured into him by the Neocons.

So if he has the experience, courage, wisdom and patriotism to "lead our country out of the difficult times we face," then where was he when our country was heading INTO these difficult times? After all, he's been a Senator and Congressman longer than Obama. Surely his experience and wisdom could have been of some use. Or was he just saving it until now?

I doubt that he had much to do with the greedy underfunded home buying idiots of the last few years. He has also pushed for a better solution to the Iraq war than Obamas weak give up and run attitude. He is not in favor of taxing the daylights out of those that invest in businesses that create the good paying jobs that we need and he supports an energy agenda that is realistic and doable. With Obama we just inflate the tires and all will be well. By the way I havn't seen anything great out of the Democratic controlled house the last two years. Have you?

"By the way I havn't seen anything great out of the Democratic controlled house the last two years. Have you?"

Yes. His name is Barack Obama.

Chuck - The Democrats hold the house and senate for 2 years, but have to pass legislation that will pass a Dubya veto - sort of limiting. And Obama's suggestion to inflate your tires is a perfect example of a great solution - it yields 3 - 5% reduction in consumption immediately, will immediately put downward pressure on oil and gas prices, has lasting impact and compared to drilling - it's free. The republicans don't get it. McCain said tonight that he favored taking all the good ideas wherever they came from if they helped move us forward. This brilliant idea jumped up and tapped him on the end of the nose - and his response was to belittle it.

McCain delivered a very good speech the was well founded with experience, honesty, and bi-partisanship. Let's face it Obama doesn't have near the experience, courage, wisdom, or patriotism that this man has. McCain is most certainly highly qualified to lead our country out of the difficult times we face.

I question the judgement of anyone who is an adulterer (although he is old now and may regret that he was that way although I doubt it because of the jokes that he tells) taken part in protecting a group who swindled elderly people out of their life savings (Keating Five), collaborated with the enemy in Viet Nam (which would probably never have been heard from him had it not been reported by VietNam veterans), has a temper and is not very intelligent.

I also question the judgement of people who would put an adulterous, drug addicted, mean-spirited woman who denies the existence of a sister like she is a piece of trash and who puts an adopted child in front of the cameras to boost her esteem as a person that has family values.
It really insults me because this child is obviously there just to make things look like they are not what they are.

IMHO, both of these people need to slither back to wherever they came from and pull the Pit Bull along with them.

Chuck,
Good point, if you are looking for talking points with no substance; the same folks that gave Bush two terms of ineptness. There is a community college in your location. Check in for some intelligence.

I disagree with that McCain says he does not know much about the economy and Obama does Palin does really know that much either since she was mayor in the town and left it in the red. so there is no help there either.

err, Obama's spent most of the last two years on the road to the presidency, not being involved in Senate business. True, McCain's been taking the same road but at least at some point in his senate career he actually accomplished something other than promoting himself.

As far as not wanting more of the last eight years of the same, let's not forget that the last two of them were completely stymied by Democratic competition vs. bipartisan cooperation. As far as I'm concerned we're no better off with energy or the economy under their watch too.

I'm an independent, not a party line voter. After spending two weeks watching both conventions I feel more comfortable with McCain standing up to do what's best for the country than Obama who toes the party line in all things.

I had a scary thought. Maybe the delegates really want Palin as Pres. and are waiting for him to die.

Maybe he can help by promising to serve only one term, setting up Palin for 2012 win or lose.

The strategy could work. He can then make his whole candidacy about victory in Iraq, and promise to either bring that victory in for years or step aside and let someone else have a shot.

Protesters a convention like this are clessless people that need a good lesson in respect. People that that take pleasure in this are truly sad indeed. Anyone with character would respect where they are and act in a mature way. How desperate and frustrated they must be to act like that.

I was hoping for McCain to offer up Cindy for a topless contest to attract funders for this floundering Republican candidate. This has been a circus event of outstanding proportions.

The delegates were barely responding.

Sorry Ladysmith, I was sitting forty feet away from the delegates and they were passionate and loud and excited.

Can Democrats only made personal attacks? Do you understand or even care about the issues? No wonder you're under the spell of the "American Idol."

Yes Judith, we care about the issues. That's why we know that a courageous POW doth not a President make.

A courageous community organizer is what this country needs!

The OttO ShowThe delegates were barely responding.
Sorry Ladysmith, I was sitting forty feet away from the delegates and they were passionate and loud and excited.

noticed this yesterday from the ny times blog of the event:

10:39 p.m. | Sleepy? Our colleague Patrick Healy reports from the floor: There is a delegate in the Utah section and a delegate in Puerto Rico who are both drooping, eyes closed - look asleep - both are men.

Okay? A couple of hung over delegates? Seriously, two out of the thousands crowded in and around the delegates is supposed to represent something?

Then I question if you really respect it.

Once again. Mccain did nothing that wouldn't be expected of any American service man. If he had not been shot down and held POW he definatly would not have had a distinguised career in the navy, He was definatly an under achiever, He would never have obtained the rank of his father or grandfather.

He didn't obtain the rank of his father and grandfather. Sure he obtained some of them but not the highest.

As a vet myself I am in awe of how anyone survives that many years as a POW. I appreciate the changes that experience must have had on McCain but I also don't need to be hit over the head with it. I understand John, I really do - now please tell me how the man you are today is going to lead our nation should you be elected President.

Didn't Grant get elected president because of his military? That turned out great, right?

I understand John, I really do - now please tell me how the man you are today is going to lead our nation should you be elected President.

I think that's the point of his story...

The Otto Show...
Clearly you are a one issue voter. The only thing that matters to you is the fact that he flew a plane, got shot down and fell into enemy hands. He wasn't a squadron leader, etc. That doesn't automatically make him suitable to lead this country.
No one that I listened to even spoke of the issues. I didn't learn much, other than the fact that I really feel pretty good about supporting Barack Obama.

Z...

Exactly true!

"McCain 2000" is long gone. The maverick is history.

"McCain 2008" is GWB wearing a McCain Halloween costume.

The once notable John McCain decided long ago that he would do anything to become POTUS. Ambition for the office has taken over, and he has agreed to bend over and take one for the team just to get that chance.

John McCain is a broken man... destroyed by the Neo-Con Re-Thug-licans that hijacked the party.

If McCain loses... and I expect he will... it will further devastate him, possibly to the point of no return.

Sorry John... but I can't vote for you. Not after you sold your soul.

Yes, KNAZ. He was a POW!!! He lost his A-4 over Hanoi and, instead of ramming it into Ho Chi Minh's office, or pulling out his side-arm 45 to pop the "crowd" confronting him, he GAVE UP! If he is the DIE FOR AMERICA son he claims to be, why didn't he?
This is FAIR GAME after what Kerry had to put up with in '04. Karl Rove got you BY THE SHORT HAIRS.

And a note on Palin: her daugther's a whore by the "Religious Right's" assessment and she is under investigation for abuse of power. She is a ditz with a tight butt and her husband is a traitor to the American republic!

and the National Enquire is running a story on Sarah Palin and how she is or was having an affair with her husband business partner, Now is this going to be another Edwards story they should have vetted her more.

Well. he lied anyway about Obama. Saying that he did not go across parties to get bills passed. You should be ashamed of yourself for falling for that same crap. Bipartisan my a**. what a joke.

Wow JK!

You're a real class act, aren't you?
I'm sure your fellow liberals are really proud of you and your foul mouth.

Try growing up a little and engage in an intelligent debate.

I agree his message was great. Unfortunately, many refused to hear it. This is not a competition based on presentation skills. The finest oration in the world is not going to protect us from terrorist, and should that conversation become necessary I'd much prefer a leader who can get right to the point than one who can speak eloquently but compromise the safety of our nation.

George W. Bush promised bipartisanship, as I remember, in the 2000 campaign. Look where that got us.

Indiprod...

George W. Bush promised bipartisanship, as I remember, in the 2000 campaign. Look where that got us.

Indeed he did, and he delivered on that promise. The poor and middle-class receive the same 'up yours' treatment from the Bush/Cheney administration regardless of party affiliation.

JK you clearly speak as a person who has no experience at all. When he was shot down and captured you are suggesting he should have basically committed suicide - that is absurd.

McCain lived to fight another day. He, and all the others like him, were dealt a @!$%# hand and they had to make the best of it - they had to help each other survive; by killing himself (via an empty gesture with his .45) he may very well have doomed some of his other POWs to death (who knows how much strength and hope some of his fellows took from McCains bravado?)

To denigrate the fact that he was a POW is an insult to pretty much every Vet who has ever known war. Your comments are sickening and not worthy of publication and I hope they are collapsed.

McCain did very well. Which means, of course, that the Republicans did not like it.

Could you elaborate on this, please?

And world leaders Ghandi, Churchill, DeGaulle, and Adenauer were "old" too. With age comes experience, and most importantly, wisdom.

Everyone gets old eventually. Do you know when Gandhi started his philosophy nonviolent resistance? When he was 36, 11 years younger than Obama is now. Churchill was an active leader throughout his entire life, not just when he was "old". Charles de Gaulle was only 50 when he took over as liaison to the British in WW2, just 3 years older than Obama is now.

Wisdom is not a monopoly of the elderly, and some elderly people decidedly do not exhibit wisdom. It's just silly to argue or imply that only "old" people can be wise or good leaders.

Could you elaborate on this, please?

The sameness of the Republican Party delegates reminds me of the former National Party of South Africa.

McCain tried to speak to America. The Republican delegates wanted McCain to speak to the "Afrikaners".

I think I get what you are implying but I'm not getting where you are coming up with it?

Everyone gets old eventually. Do you know when Gandhi started his philosophy nonviolent resistance? When he was 36, 11 years younger than Obama is now. Churchill was an active leader throughout his entire life, not just when he was "old". Charles de Gaulle was only 50 when he took over as liaison to the British in WW2, just 3 years older than Obama is now.

And McCain was 46 when he started his political career.

Does your argument reject the idea that Obama will probably be a wiser man in 26 years than he is today?

And McCain was 46 when he started his political career.

There you go. Age is completely bipartisan.

Does your argument reject the idea that Obama will probably be a wiser man in 26 years than he is today?

I think it would reject the idea that Obama will necessarily be wiser in 26 years than he is today. He may be or he may not be. I think he probably will be, but he strikes me as pretty wise right now. John McCain, on the other hand, seems to me to be backsliding. ;-)

Well, here are some readers comments after Giuliani and Palin harangues:

On Wednesday night, I watched the Republican convention, and I ultimately had to leave the room. Between Rudolph W. Giuliani and Sarah Palin, the level of mockery, ridicule and poison left me almost speechless. Sadly, not only was this rhetoric acceptable, but it was also wildly applauded and cheered.

Choosing the most disturbing aspect of the Republican National Convention on Wednesday night might be difficult for some, but there was a clear winner: the "Drill, baby, drill!" chants from the audience. Whether staged or spontaneous, those gleeful words showed a level of ignorance and recklessness that should be inconceivable today.

I'm sure that the conventioneers appreciated these presentations, but the bullying, domineering tone of these speakers was frightening.

We now know that the Republicans must be feeling very vulnerable.

In contrast, here is the advice of the number one Afrikaner Rush Limbaugh:

The worst thing that could happen tonight is a speech of how well he crosses the aisle and works with Democrats. Senator McCain has got to join all the rest of us under the concept that we want to beat Democrats. For tonight, keep hammering on offense what this team is, what this campaign's agenda is, deemphasizing the notion that somehow the American people are hell-bent on finding two parties that can work together.

So just broom the talk of working with Democrats.

Last night, McCain promised to end partisan rancor. The Republicans response to the speech was very muted. The delegates were very disappointed. They wanted McCain to speak like Rush Limbaugh. They wanted McCain to speak like an Afrikaner.

I agree! No substance! This ticket is all about image management and detracting from anyone who offers viable alternatives. They are masters. The RP is all about spinning images, symbols, and dogma so that the truth loses all meaning. It is an, 'assault on reason'. Phrases like 'plain talk', 'country first', 'smaller government', ultimately lose there original meaning.

killfile
I respect your reply and I meant no disrespect to chris matthews I love to watch him cover politics, he is one of the best. sometimes though he gets caught up in the moment, which is understandable, but I do believe that he is giving the message of the speech too much credit. we the Americans are not so gullible and we will see through his transparency. Ok he might get a slight bounce, but i still don't see it being that big and still believe he will not surpass Obama. but?
well to you and I it might not play that big, but some will question his age even more. it was appalling to view a sea of white people and being a white male, I saw nothing but a deviscive party riding the coat-tails of Barack Obama - trying to jump on the change train, well the train left the station!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Suggest you read Obama's speeches rather than just listening to them. The substance is sorely lacking.

Suggest you give us some examples instead of just stating unsupported arguments without substance (the irony notwithstanding…).

I agree...WAKE up and don't vote Republican or Democrat.....run, don't walk to your nearest Libertarian candidate. All states should have as a part of their ballot choice for "none of these candidates" as the State of Nevada does.

Folks will tell you by marking that as your choice you are 'throwing away your vote". No you aren't. you are voting your conscience and stating that none of the candidates presented suits you.

The talking heads gave Bush a great score in his debates against Gore and Kerry because he did an above idiocy performance. We have elected (not me, per se) dummies to run this country for 8 long years and John McCain is another dumb@ss to do Bush's policy crap. Are we going to be so stupid this time, or are we going to grow a spine and go forward? THAT is the question.

I personally will vote for Obama cause he has people in mind and like he says you start from the bottom and go up.

Beyond that, I'm sorry, yes I think Obama's work as a community organizer will actually prove helpful because, let's face facts, the first step of getting any group to solve any problem or achieve any goal is organizing them first. :)

Besides, I've said it before and I'll say it again: "I'm simple. If I have to roll the dice on someone, I'd rather the possibility of a positive outcome then an assured and proven bad one."

So your elders are just bores? Grow up! You, too, will get older every year, and perhaps you will discover how events have shaped your life and enabled you to learn and to grow as a person. Too bad you didn't listen to your grandfather; he had a lot to share that would have enriched you!

Judith, no one is questioning McCain's valor and courageousness as a P.O.W. all those years ago, and I am sure that it helped to create his character. Nevertheless that experience has nothing to do with whether or not he would make a good President! How will that experience help him to create an energy plan or balance the budget? Some of you folks are blinded by the Republican machine's strategy of waving the flag and creating fear that we will not be safe in the world without them. Try asking yourself if you are financially better off than you were 8 years ago, or if the US is better perceived in the world now than we were before Bush was elected. Or how about asking what has been done over the past 8 years to decrease our dependance on foreign oil? Oh wait a minute, I forgot, you are probably too busy waving the flag right now to think about those things.

Google "veterans against john McCain" they have a fact sheet on his military career.

Duchess, About your comment on adulterers. You must be questioning a heck of a lot of judgements then of a ton of Democrats (Bill, Ted,... the list goes on...) Maybe you should think before you write!! But then again people like you only see and hear what you want to!

Well said! I think Chris Matthews should start wearing Obama buttons and decorate his set with Obama posters! Any resemblance between him and unbiased reporting is purely accidental. I'm done with MSNBC.

Wrapping yourself in the American flag. What a great excuse for a spineless position on TRUE American patriotism and the need to go forward. Your post sickens me and the soldiers that fight for your freedoms.

Conservatives during the American Revolution sipped tea with the Brititsh occupiers while the liberal progessives fought for our independence. Now, you trounce on what we gave you. You "Conservatives" are traitors to this country's cause and post our beautiful flag as your poster! HOW DARE YOU.

Liberty was fought for by Liberals and Progessives, not those stuck in the mud backstabbing cowards

Brent - Excellent post! and given the mindless vitriol found in many (but not all) of the opposing posts leads me to believe that most liberals are blinded by their passion and rather than putting forth a cogent argument for their cause, they debase themselves with name calling and insults.

It's really too bad because this election is too important to waste on name calling.

Brent, I listended to Mccains speech, here is what I personally viewed and learned...

The man McCain is from a long lineage of warriors. His ancestry was resolute with war.
Hence the man was born into war. He runs his campaign as war is his touchstone to the people!

Born, raised and winding his life through in and about war, he tells his story...

It does not seem to matter to him that the Vietnam War in which he served, was an imperialistic national blunder to "stop communism from taking over the world!"
The pro war hype of that era would have the nation believe we were in grave danger- "fear" was once again the guiding light!

I was there as a young boy. I witnessed this abomination of our nation going into war- "stop the communists, they are taking over the world!" That was the word of the day. "The domino effect will..."

McCain, even to this day feels betrayed by the American peace movement as to why the Vietnam war was lost. This is familiar ground for the war culture that now has manifest itself in the Iraq War!
A war that McCain said we needed and voted for!

Yet another war that will go down historically as a political assignation of our constitution and our cultural beliefs!
Another huge loss of national equity and our beloved youth all because of political ego and the lack of political wisdom!

Wars are won or lost by the rightness of the participants! This is something viably important that McCain and conservatives don't grasp!

As our nations history goes we have never lost a war when we were right but now we have lost wars because we were ideologically wrong! It's not just about military strength- its about wisdom and justice!

McCains campaign, and his video bio are sequenced within his life of war.

Service and gratitude of and for his country is based on his war experience.

His biography finally sequences into his career as an AZ. senator.
Twenty-six years of senatorial time are blurred into nothingness!

His voting record parallels the GOP- a 10% difference from the GOP is supposed to define his presidency, and his given name the "Maverick?"
His record cannot be hidden, his ideology is full of contradiction- flip flops!

President Bush said, "Im the War president, Im the War president!"
It most definitely seems there is another one named John McCain following in the wings!
I truly hope he is not the one!

McCain says he's different then Bush, he's not the same!
Yet who was in the program directors chair off the convention stage as though he were directing the entire RNC proceeding?

Karl Rove!
McCain is the same as Bush- divisive, self-righteous, a fist-swinger with no answers for change from the destitude that his own party has created!

Palin was hand picked by Dobson and the Council of National Policy.

love your film work, anakin.

After he lost in 2000 he felt his mortality and surrendered to the Neocons to win the nomination. He's an old man trying to win immortality, the modern Faust.

Jayzus. Put yourself through school like everyone else. Why are you looking for a handout? Can't afford Harvard? Go to community college, get a job and go back when you can afford it. Hard work scare you? Get a loan and then file for bankruptcy like other proud liberals. Or get your higher education and put it to good use protesting. That's always a respectable thing to do, and the pay is great. Of course it's not about the money or working hard, it's what you stand for that matters most. There's plenty of hard working people perfectly willing to pay your way through college or your food stamps while you're protesting how bad and unfair things are.

I think John is not the old Bush republican, so if you haven't fallen over the liberal cliff, pick yourself up and step up to the plate and make a difference. John was talking to you tonight.

McCain is right about the schools. The teachers' unions are preventing changes in curricula and teaching methods, and consequently, many children are falling through the cracks, particularly in the inner cities. Also, the unions ensure that teachers are paid on the basis of number of years taught, not on whether they're good teachers. McCain wants to open up the system to competition, using vouchers and encouraging charter schools. Since Obama is supported by the unions, he won't try to effect any real school change.

I've never commented on here before but, as a teacher, I could not leave this one alone. The teacher's unions are not preventing change as much as the No Child Left Behind Act. The government is now controlling the curricula and teachers are not allowed to use proven methods of teaching as they once were. But, I will say, that we are creating a base of students who will be great test takers and teachers who can teach a test. How do you determine a good teacher? We are already subjected to multiple tests to receive a teaching license, just as doctors take the Boards, lawyers take the Bar, etc. What tests do our politicians take to prove they are 'good'?