A Quick Question
by Brian Pierce • Jan 30th, 2008 at 9:08 pm • 15 comments
For the McCain supporters in the crowd, is it at all concerning that, after tonight’s debate, you have been forced into a position of hoping that deception is more persuasive than truth? Even a little? Particularly since, you know, McCain is supposed to be overflowing with integrity and “straight talk”? No?
Update: For those who didn’t see the debate, the deception I refer to is on display here.
Comment by J. Prescott on 30 January 2008 at 9:18 pm:
Geeze, Brian, thanks for the specificity when it comes to your complaint. As someone who only saw bits an pieces of the debate so I don’t know exactly what you are talking about. Would you like to clarify?
I mean, that would be like me asking how it feels to support a candidate based on how he looks and how he sounds as opposed to any sort of critical review of his policies. That would just be kind of silly on my part, wouldn’t it?
Comment by kofi the sad part is his guy won't be running against anyone after next week on 30 January 2008 at 9:27 pm:
Brian’s acting like his guy is already running against McCain.
Comment by kofi the sad part is his guy won't be running against anyone after next week on 30 January 2008 at 9:27 pm:
Brian’s acting like his guy is already running against McCain.
Comment by kofi the sad part is his guy won't be running against anyone after next week on 30 January 2008 at 9:27 pm:
Brian’s acting like his guy is already running against McCain.
Comment by Billy Joe Mills on 30 January 2008 at 10:05 pm:
Brian, stop being pathetic.
McCain is twisting Romney’s word a bit, but I think the interview is essentially ambiguous as to what Romney would favor.
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/Story?id=3003765&page=1
Comment by tet on 30 January 2008 at 10:10 pm:
Looks to me like McCain was quoting him out of context and Mitt caught him.
However, I must point out that the clip appears to have some material cut out of it, so there is no way to tell whether the candidates’ speeches were actually what was really said or whether the clip was manipulated to make McCain to look bad.
I didn’t bother with the debate, opting instead for National Treasure: Book of Secrets which was an admitted work of fiction instead of a covert one. The best part of it was that there was a president I could be proud of in the movie. Damn shame such men are only available in Hollywood scriptwriters’ brains.
Tom Trumpinski
Comment by Brian on 30 January 2008 at 10:32 pm:
Tom,
The clip was edited down some, but not in any way I think is significant. That was the clip I could find on youtube right after the debate, I’m sure if you search youtube later on you’ll be able to easily find the entire exchange if you’re interested.
Billy,
If it were anybody other than McCain who was engaging in this, would you be so nonchalant about it? If it were Hillary Clinton? If it were Hillary Clinton doing the same thing to John McCain? Somehow I doubt it. Romney’s position has never been anything close to ambiguous on this point. Do you have any idea how much of an uproar would be caused if a major Republican candidate (excluding Ron Paul) were to come out in favor of a timetable for withdrawal? Of COURSE Romney doesn’t support that and never has. Anybody who has a brain and even the slightest desire to be honest knows that. McCain OBVIOUSLY brought it up right before Florida because it was a close race, and it is OBVIOUSLY deceptive.
I’m not broken up about it, by the way – it’s not like it’s the first time, nor will it be the last, that a politician has engaged in a blatantly unfair attack on another politician. I’m just saying, don’t blame me for suppressing a laugh every time McCain is characterized as a straight talking politician of transcendent integrity.
Comment by Billy Joe Mills on 30 January 2008 at 11:36 pm:
Brian,
I’m sorry that John McCain is a political candidate who uses political tactics.
The distinction with Hillary is that for her deception is a repetitive practice, not something of rare not that is, in fact, so rare as to inspire an entire post devoted purely to that one twist of the facts. If I were to post every time Hillary twisted facts this blog would become intolerably copious.
Comment by kofi the but i wouldn't waste the spit on 31 January 2008 at 1:09 am:
Brian is right. McCain was despicable about this. He has been for a week. He loves to preface his comments with “let me give you the straight talk” but this attack was baseless and amatuerish. And his persistent smirk throughout the exchange? What a slimeball. If you want to attack Romney there are a dozen different issues to hit him on. Pick one. McCain’s behavior regarding this issue is abhorent. He makes Bill Clinton’s recent behavior look classy. Watching McCain during this debate, I wanted to spit on my TV.
Comment by kofi the but i wouldn't waste the spit on 31 January 2008 at 1:09 am:
Brian is right. McCain was despicable about this. He has been for a week. He loves to preface his comments with “let me give you the straight talk” but this attack was baseless and amatuerish. And his persistent smirk throughout the exchange? What a slimeball. If you want to attack Romney there are a dozen different issues to hit him on. Pick one. McCain’s behavior regarding this issue is abhorent. He makes Bill Clinton’s recent behavior look classy. Watching McCain during this debate, I wanted to spit on my TV.
Comment by kofi the but i wouldn't waste the spit on 31 January 2008 at 1:09 am:
Brian is right. McCain was despicable about this. He has been for a week. He loves to preface his comments with “let me give you the straight talk” but this attack was baseless and amatuerish. And his persistent smirk throughout the exchange? What a slimeball. If you want to attack Romney there are a dozen different issues to hit him on. Pick one. McCain’s behavior regarding this issue is abhorent. He makes Bill Clinton’s recent behavior look classy. Watching McCain during this debate, I wanted to spit on my TV.
Comment by kofi the watching mccain tonight felt like six years in a vietnamese prison on 31 January 2008 at 1:47 am:
Btw, lest Billy think I’m just the fringe neocon, CNN’s dial tracking during the exchange had Romney above 80 approval and McCain below 30.
Comment by kofi the only thing worse than a liar is a hypocrite on 31 January 2008 at 2:14 am:
Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., one of the most stalwart supporters of the war in Iraq, said Thursday that he might propose that the Iraqi government meet certain benchmarks for the United States to continue its engagement.
Fellow senators and independent political scientists said McCain’s thinking reflected growing concerns within the Republican Party about the course of the war, and also might mark a turning point for the likely 2008 presidential contender, whose previous unconditional backing of the war may have hurt his prospects.
McCain said Thursday that he hadn’t yet decided on precise benchmarks. “They’d have to be specific, and they (Iraqi government officials) would have to meet them,” he said.
Asked what penalty would be imposed if Iraq failed to meet his benchmarks, he said: “I think everybody knows the consequences. Haven’t met the benchmarks? Obviously, then, we’re not able to complete the mission.”
http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/byauthor/166271
Comment by tet on 31 January 2008 at 9:17 am:
I think Kofi not only slam-dunked that one, but shattered the backboard at the same time.
Tom Trumpinski
Comment by Karen Pierce on 31 January 2008 at 5:21 pm:
Brian,
Dad agrees with you