Election 2008
Comments by nikobesti
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On Dems gather at Sunpie’s Bistro to watch VP debate
October 3, 2008 at 10:51 a.m.
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After watching both debates, I can see a pattern forming. Obama and Biden proposed solutions for many issues. Nearly every time they talked, they said, “We should do X, Y, and Z.” If anyone contends that they don’t know Obama’s platform, that he doesn’t propose solutions, only catch phrases, they’re either not listening or they’re lying through their teeth.
Any observer can contrast that sharply with what McCain and Palin have been offering in speeches and debates. First of all, they peddle fear that Obama is going to raise taxes (only for the 5% of Americans who make more than $250,000) and that Obama would sit down with Ahmadinejad (false again—he said he would meet with Iran representatives, not Ahmadinejad). Both Palin and McCain invoked both these falsehoods again and again. They talk about their records and their competitors’ records, but rarely talk about what solutions they would put in place. They don’t even have a response for the Democrats’ charges, they just deflect the question and repeat the same talking points.
Whether you like them or not, there is zero question which party is offering the solutions here. I’m hoping Americans are tired of fluff and dodging tough questions and issues.
On Dems gather at Sunpie’s Bistro to watch VP debate
October 3, 2008 at 10:51 a.m.
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First of all, I thought Palin did a good job for the level of her knowledge. She is a confident speaker, and she came off quite well. The problem, though, is that she’d been studying talking points on many subjects and instead of answering questions, she could only reproduce those talking points. When a she got a second chance to talk about the same issue, she repeated the same talking points. She simply does not have the breadth of understanding needed to answer tough questions and counter Biden. But she did well, and I do like the Palin I saw last night much better than the one that dwelled in a sewer of lies and insults during her RNC speech.
Joe Biden was on point. I’d never seen him debate this well. He did exactly what he needed to: attack McCain, not Palin; show a good grasp of the issues; propose solutions that the Obama campaign would implement; he was respectful and not condescending. In fact, he passed up many chances to nail Palin on her record; he passed up every one. When Palin gave the wrong name of the commander in Afghanistan, Biden didn’t even correct her. And at least Biden answered the questions.
On David Goldberg: The costs of a lie
September 28, 2008 at 8:58 a.m.
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If you’ve liked our foreign policy the last 7+ years, you’ll love it under John McCain. McCain is at least trying to make a case that he’s different than Bush on several issues, but foreign policy is not one of those issues. In fact, the case can be made that McCain is more clueless than Bush. After all, Bush has warmed up to the idea of “time horizons” in Iraq, while McCain hasn’t moved on this issue. While Bush finally decided to try diplomacy with Iran, McCain still won’t “talk to the terrorists.”
In this world of Globalization 3.0, our relationships with other nations are more critical than ever to our nation’s economy and security. Make no mistake, another 4 years of bullying and chest thumping under John McCain will be disastrous for our nation.
On Conservative commentary: A servant’s heart
September 22, 2008 at 2:33 p.m.
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continued…
Mary wrote:
>The candidate and his minions came out swinging
>and tried to besmirch and smear the Alaskan first
>family.
This is the biggest whopper in there, and it this “victim card” has been played again and again by the right. This is a complete lie; Obama and his campaign have stuck to his word that families are off limits. Only one simple question here, Mary: tell me one, just one, single instance where the Obama campaign has attacked and/or smeared Sarah Palin’s family. Please note that posts you read on DailyKos don’t count. I cannot let this outright lie go. However, if you name me one smear I’ll concede.
Likewise, I’d like to you provide any proof you have that “Buyer’s remorse surely has set in.” Finally, I wonder how you can say “It is going to be a decision by the American people between two sharply contrasted visions for America” when you claim Obama doesn’t have a platform.
I just hope, really hope, the public fact checks McCain’s obvious lies. Factcheck.org, folks. Read it. I’m not saying the Obama campaign doesn’t have their fair share as well, but by all critical analysis, they don’t compare to McCains “pants on fire” lies that his campaign repeats again, and again, and again. (http://www.slate.com/id/2199923/) It won’t work this time, folks. Not this time.
On Conservative commentary: A servant’s heart
September 22, 2008 at 2:31 p.m.
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Now, Mary, I can’t let this stand. Your contribution sits right in line with the Republican strategy this campaign: subtle and outright lies. You take your assertions straight from Rush and the other pundits and offer zero evidence to back up your points. Tell you what, I’ll give you a chance to improve your writing. Let me just hit on two major ones.
You wrote:
>On the one hand, we have a presidential candidate who
>talks about change and hope, while having no distinct
>message of what that really means or how to make it
>happen. Barack Obama never has had a clear plan for
>the country, nor do people have a defined sense of who
>he is.
1. Barack has articulated detailed plans. Please check http://www.barackobama.com/issues/. Here he has an 8-page energy plan, for example. Can you tell me about the McCain energy plan? If it stretches beyond screaming “Drill Baby Drill!” over and over again, I haven’t heard it.
2. Regarding candidates not offering solutions or even a “sense of who they are,” let’s talk about Mrs. Palin. I wanted to come away from Sarah Palin’s RNC speech with an idea what she stood for. What policies does she advocate? How would these policies bring about the change even the Republicans admit we need? Instead, I saw that Sarah Palin stands for insults, smears, and attacks. Fear Obama! Your taxes will go up (despite his tax plan). Terrorists will win! Gas prices will skyrocket and Saudis will win! fear obama! Please look at Palin’s speech and tell me where she talked about clear plans. Additionally, Palin has had several opportunities after the RNC speech to share her clear plans. Instead, we got scripted answers. How do scripted answers show a “sense of who she is?”
continued…
On Conservative commentary: A servant’s heart
September 22, 2008 at 1:14 p.m.
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Jason, thanks for posting the Tim Wise piece. Brilliant. However, I wouldn’t chalk all this up to “white privilege.” Karl Rove and the Republicans have been conducting (and winning) fear and smear campaigns in 2000 and 2004 when the Dem candidates were not black. To me, this is good old fashioned GOP hypocrisy and double-speak which as defined this party for the last 8+ years. It’s “neocon privilege.” (However, I fully agree that if Obama had a son who’s Facebook page had “kick their f**n' a*s,” and talk about how you like to “shoot sh*t” for fun, Rush, Coulter and company would have some choice “thug life” quotes for him).
JLM, I see your point about injecting race, but that aside, what in the Wise piece is incorrect? For exampl, why does Bill O’Rilley level attacks at Jamie Lynn Spears and say her parents are at fault when she’s pregnant, but call it a “blessing” when it’s Palin’s daughter? Would you care to address these obvious inconsistencies?
On Former POW lauds McCain
September 19, 2008 at 9:40 a.m.
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As far as your rant about how Obama got where he is today because he’s black, you’re completely full of it. You don’t get to where Obama is today by free riding on affirmative action. Harvard does not make you president of the Harvard Law Review based on your skin color. Thanks for playing, though.
On Former POW lauds McCain
September 19, 2008 at 9:35 a.m.
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JLM: I hope you’re aware that Americans would see an “intellectual” president as a breath of fresh air. The world we live in today requires a leader who studies, looks logically at all situations, uses science and research, and communicates well with other leaders. I'm sick of the neocon mindset that every international problem can be solved by bullying and use of our military. Call me a liberal egghead if you want, but I think (and hope) more and more Americans are cautious about electing another chest-thumping warlord as president.
On Former POW lauds McCain
September 19, 2008 at 8:26 a.m.
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JLM: I’m confused.
First you say, “Obama would not make a good corporal.” But then you say, “The ultimate support of our military is for the C in C to assign a specific mission, to get out of the way and allow the military to decide how to accomplish the mission, to resist the temptation to micro-manage and to allow the military to fight, win and emerge victorious.”
So by your own recipe for success, you don’t want an officer as a commander and chief. If our president is supposed to provide a mission and let the real miliary minds take over, why do you insist on a president with a corporal skill set?
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On Republicans praise Palin at Storm Mountain Ranch
October 3, 2008 at 11:01 a.m.
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Steamboatdog: I like the Palin I saw yesterday better than the one I saw at the RNC. If you watched that speech, there's absolutely no way you can say that she did not level cheap shot after cheap shot. Her RNC speech was filled full of lies and insults. Criticizing Obama for being a community organizer is not a cheap shot? I'm glad she stepped out of the sewer yesterday. Biden did go after McCain, but the attacks were true, unlike Palin's lies during RNC.
Sarah Palin is not prepared to be VP. This is not a huge issue in itself. I don’t she’ll have much to offer McCain’s administration, but I don’t think she’ll hurt things. What’s more important here than Palin’s lack of qualifications is McCain’s decisions making. What does this say for how he will select his cabinet? Will he again defer to the evangelicals when nominating Supreme Court appointees? McCain either showed a lapse of judgment or showed that he’ll cave to interests within his party. Both possibilities are extremely dangerous for our country.