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FacebookSun Editorial:
Bereft of straight talk
Despite rhetoric Thursday, McCain’s campaign so far has been about wedge politics
Fri, Sep 5, 2008 (2:09 a.m.)
On Thursday night John McCain, as he accepted the Republican Party’s presidential nomination, talked about ending the “constant partisan rancor” in Washington.
McCain was talking a good game of ending nasty partisanship, but the record tells a different story. For starters, McCain has voted with President Bush’s policies more than 90 percent of the time — and this president has been the master of brass-knuckles partisanship.
McCain also has surrounded himself with handlers who worked on George W. Bush’s campaigns. It’s not a surprise, then, that the right-wing wedge politics that Bush perfected, and which worked to divide this country even more during the first eight years of this century, are with us again.
Well before the parties held their national political conventions, the McCain campaign launched relentless negative ads against the head of the Democratic ticket, Barack Obama.
McCain’s selection of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is yet more proof of the politics of division. Despite her ability to energize the base at the convention, who out there really believes that Palin is the most qualified individual — man or woman — to be a heartbeat away from the presidency?
Although Palin is said to have battled the Republican establishment in Alaska, she is hardly the reformer McCain touts her as. After all, while she now says she is against the infamous piece of pork in Alaska known as the “Bridge to Nowhere,” when she ran for governor in 2006 she supported it. When it was clear it was going nowhere, she flip-flopped and opposed it.
The American people deserve better than a cynical presidential campaign, a win-at-all-cost strategy. There are too many important issues that deserve a serious debate: the economy, national security, education, health care, energy and the environment, to begin with.
The presidential ticket that truly engages in straight talk, while offering the right ideas to get this country back on track, is the one that Americans are yearning for. The next two months will tell which, if either, party fills that bill.
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The Sun
Locally owned and independent for more than 50 years.
The LV Sun wants to complain about nasty partisanship.
So lets recap part of Obama’s acceptance speech.
Here is Obama’s take on the character of John McCain:
Obama said "The truth is, on issue after issue that would make a difference in your lives – on health care and education and the economy – Senator McCain has been anything but independent."
Obama said "Now, I don’t believe that Senator McCain doesn’t care what’s going on in the lives of Americans. I just think he doesn’t know."
Obama said "It’s not because John McCain doesn’t care. It’s because John McCain doesn’t get it."
Obama said "John McCain likes to say that he’ll follow bin Laden to the Gates of Hell – but he won’t even go to the cave where he lives."
Was that is really helpful to the political discourse.
Look Future2012,
I know this is beyond your comprehension but what Obama said is true. McCain's record is there for you to read, you are just another clueless idiot who doesn't understand the context of Obama's statements and never will.
Who out there really believes that Obama was the most qualified primary candidate — man or woman — to be the president?
18 million voters, Nance, chose Obama.
18 million voters.
Who thought Palin was most qualified for VP?
McCain.
Clearly, just judgment and temperment is an issue.
John McCain
September 4, 2008
"I know some of you have been left behind in the changing economy and it often seems your government hasn't even noticed. Government assistance for unemployed workers was designed for the economy of the 1950s. That's going to change on my watch. My opponent promises to bring back old jobs by wishing away the global economy. We're going to help workers who've lost a job that won't come back, find a new one that won't go away.
We will prepare them for the jobs of today. We will use our community colleges to help train people for new opportunities in their communities. For workers in industries that have been hard hit, we'll help make up part of the difference in wages between their old job and a temporary, lower paid one while they receive retraining that will help them find secure new employment at a decent wage."
John McCain
September 4, 2008
"Education is the civil rights issue of this century. Equal access to public education has been gained. But what is the value of access to a failing school? We need to shake up failed school bureaucracies with competition, empower parents with choice, remove barriers to qualified instructors, attract and reward good teachers, and help bad teachers find another line of work.
When a public school fails to meet its obligations to students, parents deserve a choice in the education of their children. And I intend to give it to them. Some may choose a better public school. Some may choose a private one. Many will choose a charter school. But they will have that choice and their children will have that opportunity.
Senator Obama wants our schools to answer to unions and entrenched bureaucracies. I want schools to answer to parents and students. And when I'm president, they will."
John McCain
September 4, 2008
"My fellow Americans, when I'm president, we're going to embark on the most ambitious national project in decades. We are going to stop sending $700 billion a year to countries that don't like us very much. We will attack the problem on every front. We will produce more energy at home. We will drill new wells offshore, and we'll drill them now. We will build more nuclear power plants. We will develop clean coal technology. We will increase the use of wind, tide, solar and natural gas. We will encourage the development and use of flex fuel, hybrid and electric automobiles.
Senator Obama thinks we can achieve energy independence without more drilling and without more nuclear power. But Americans know better than that. We must use all resources and develop all technologies necessary to rescue our economy from the damage caused by rising oil prices and to restore the health of our planet. It's an ambitious plan, but Americans are ambitious by nature, and we have faced greater challenges. It's time for us to show the world again how Americans lead.
This great national cause will create millions of new jobs, many in industries that will be the engine of our future prosperity; jobs that will be there when your children enter the work force."
Palin has one of the highest approval ratings for a sitting governor in the USA.
In a Rasmussen poll she has a national approval rating this equal or slightly higher than Obama and McCain at 58%.
LOL...Biden rating is 48%.
According to early Nieslen ratings, more people watched McCain than Obama. Palin had 37 million watched and Obama 38 million.
Only 24 million watched Biden....you know... the guy that Democrats offically released his selection at 3:00 AM in the morning in a text message.......LOL
Are they ashamed of Biden or was the 3:00 AM text message a dig at Hillary?
18 million Democratic Primary voters voted against Obama even when it was apparent that he would win the nomination.
I would never say that Democrats are good at picking presidential material.......Kerry, Gore, Dukakis, Mondale and Carter......LOL that is not a measure of qualification.
Barak Obama
August 28, 2008
"I will cut taxes – cut taxes – for 95% of all working families."
"Now is the time to finally meet our moral obligation to provide every child a world-class education. …I'll recruit an army of new teachers, and pay them higher salaries. ….We will make sure you can afford a college education."
"Now is the time to finally keep the promise of affordable, accessible health care for every single American."
"I will set a clear goal as President: in ten years, we will finally end our dependence on oil from the Middle East."
"And I'll invest 150 billion dollars over the next decade [$15 billion per year] in affordable, renewable sources of energy – wind power and solar power and the next generation of biofuels; an investment that will lead to new industries and five million new jobs that pay well and can’t ever be outsourced."
No other detail provided in speech
Not seeing the difference, Future. They're ALL campaign promises. Neither one gives specifics; they never do.
I want to say I'm surprised you'd fall for it, but I'm not.
Hmmm.
Future, a day or so ago you said, "go to McCain's website, for health care, education, economy, taxes,small businesses, etc. "
Aren't you aware you can go to BarackObama.com for the same specifics?
Sheesh!
Here's some shortcuts, so you can skip all the donation begging:
Energy Agenda: http://www.barackobama.com/pdf/factsheet...
Economic Agenda: http://www.barackobama.com/pdf/issues/ec...
Small Business Agenda: http://www.barackobama.com/pdf/SmallBusi...
Home Ownership Agenda: http://www.barackobama.com/pdf/issues/Mo...
Agenda for a Stronger Partnership with Europe: http://www.barackobama.com/pdf/Fact_Shee...
Plan to Actively Engage China: http://www.barackobama.com/pdf/FactSheet...
Strategy to Promote Global Development and Diplomacy: http://www.barackobama.com/pdf/issues/Fa...
Any more specific for you?
I might have voted for the McCain of 2000, but he is no longer with us, RIP. Obama is no better than the McCain we have today. Obama has re-stated/flip-flopped/lied about some major issues alrady: Offshore drilling, FISA and NAFTA.
When Obama says he will give tax cuts to businesses that don't out-source jobs overseas, I have to wonder what he really means. I won't even bother giving odds on Yucca for Obama, he's already started saying how he wants (clean and safe) nuclear power.
It seems the ONLY reason I would vote for Obama, as opposed to "None of the above", is that the thought of McCain having 2 or 3 Supreme Court justice picks scares me even more that Obama's Messiah complex does.
Give Obama some more time.
He is growing as a person and a candidate.
If non-military options do not work then he is willing to use military options to deal with Iran.
Sooooo when Obama and Biden both said McCain did not say enough in his acceptance speech, it was really okay because they did not say anything either.
Future, you gave quite an astute three paragraph paraphrase of Obama's speech earlier.
Care to do the same for McCain?
Somehow I doubt it, as McCain's speech was Bush's economic policies wrapped up in POW fuzzies.
I've searched McCain's site for similar PDF policy briefs... I've never found them. Please, be my guest and enlighten me.
There are 3 sections I put in up above, direct from McCain's speech last night
Obama did strongly suggest in the Fox News O'Rielly interview that he would used the military option if non-military actions did not stop Iran.
I may vote for him now.
I've searched McCain's site for similar PDF policy briefs... I've never found them. Please, be my guest and enlighten me.
John McCain is a joke!!!!!!!
Of course his speech was bereft of straight talk, he hasn't talked straight since 2000!!!!
The John McCain that could be respected was lost long ago, when he chose to give up all of his great ideals and vote with Bush 95% of the time.
5% does not a maverick make!!!!!!!!
Future2012, I don't get your point. Please clarify what you mean.
If you mean that both candidates could not lay out their entire agenda, for every single issue facing us, I think we all agree with that. I think you are arguing with youself.
But I agree, Obama's web site offers many many specifics, but John McCain's is very heavy on attacks on Obama.
Where are the specifics on John McCain's website?
I think Obama should update his website.
He needs to put in "The Surge Worked"
and
"I will strongly Consider the military option with Iran"
Jfnance32, welcome to July.
http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsN...
Really, I thought you knew better than that!
I'll take Obama's position, which is "diplomacy first, sanctions, then bombs."
I'll leave McCain's position, which is, "bomb bomb bomb, bomb bomb Iran."
Now that you are finally familiar with positions Barack Obama has made public three months ago, could you tell us what McCain's position on Iran is? Other than "bomb?"
Wow......Obama might bomb Iran!!!!!!!!
Golly Gee..........I change my vote for Obama.