Political Punch

The comment immediately below is an example of the type of support Sen. Obama received at the inception of his campaign: sudden, blind devotion to an unknown entity with no regard for the candidates' records and based on an analysis devoid of historical accuracy.

Obama supporters turn a blind eye to the fact that his made-for-media imagery is also propped up financially by a variety of special interests and politically by a contingency of former party losers. His supporters also display scant ability to distinguish between what G. W. Bush and G. H. W. Bush have each done and are responsible for, versus what W. J. Clinton has accomplished and is responsible for. Hypocritically, they blame Sen. Clinton for any shortcomings in the latter's administration, yet simultaneously reject any experience she may have gained from participating in it.

Finally, they cling to the "hope" that there would be some sort of magically induced "change" involved in an Obama presidency whereby the candidate with no national-level experience or record would somehow pull it all together and adequately perform the required tasks when backed up against a wall.

Finally, it is ironic that in the case of his AA constituency, there is such little regard for the fact that Obama's mostly Arab ancestors were slave traders of black Africans. Yet that elitist upbringing is why much of middle America has long since rejected his candidacy.

Honestly, folks, keep on dreaming.

i find it upsetting that because your cannidate won't get the democrated nominationation you would switch and vote for Mccain.
Hillary won't get the nomination because of who she is and the people that won't vote for Obama is mostly because he is black and he will get the nomination over a white woman and that is what you are upset about.
Because for me Hillaray and Mccain have been around for a long time .What have they done to keep Bush from getting this country in this mess,over 4,000 lives lost, economy in distress and you would turn the country over to them when they have voted for alot of Bush's policies.
This country has not grown much at all because if the majority of what you can say is about what Obama ex-Pastor said and the bag of garbage Clinton brings with her doesn't matter, we are in trouble as a country.
i am greatly sadden

dl, you wrote: "He (Sen. McCain) will keep the middle class holding the burden of huge tax cuts to the wealthy."

The top 1% of the nation's wage earners account for 39% of the total income tax revenue; the top 5% of the nation's wage earners account for 60% of the total income tax revenue; the top 25% of the nation's wage earners account for 86% of the total income tax revenue; and the top 50% of the nations wage earners account for 97% of the total income tax revenue.

In fact, in 2000 the top 1% accounted for 37% of the income tax revenue, and the top 5% accounted for 56% of the income tax revenue. Therefore, the Bush 2001 and 2003 tax cuts have actually decreased the overall tax burden of the middle class.

I am a Hillary supporter. But I will vote McCain before I could ever vote for Obama.

Obama will take away everything this Great country stands for.

Obama came from nowhere, with nothing and knows nothing and has done nothing for this country.

Obama has Blamed everyone, eluded, evaded, hid.

His best friends in life are evil, People he choose to have a deep personal friendship with knowing what they thought, felt and wanted. He continues to have them as his persoanl friends and he owes them all, for their hard work, donations and standing by him though all these years. Something Obama values greatly.

Obama's religious convictions which he vowed to with his church, are part of him and his life. something he values greatly.

Changing the government, is a long time dream of Obama, But his changes and yours differ. He wants to rewrite the constitution. He wanst to redistribute the wealth of the country, He wants to redistribute the power. Something he values Greatly.

He is the worst person in the world to hand our country over to.

I do not like or approve of his friends, his religion or him wanting to change the entire ascpects of our government.

I will vote for Hillary or McCain and urge all to do the same.

yes, i saw that, but for me the thing they miss is not just the woman thing
the truth is sen. clinton is the better of the two candidates.

she is more prepared to be president that barack obama is.
sen.clinton already talks about the issues with the knowledge of a president.
obama cannot speak about the issues without a prepared speech.
everytime he is on without a speech
he messes up.

On GMA this morning they had this same discussion about Hillary supporters not voting for obama in November. An Cokie Roberts dismisses us by saying women will come around in the fall.
IT will not happen it goes too deep the hatred for anything obama.

McCain is the true uniter. He's a man of "all the people". He's the best of all worlds. A centrist who listens to all points of view, makes a decision, and sticks with it. No wishy-washy flip flopping with him, trying to please and appease everyone. He's a true leader.

McCain has reached across the aisle during his 25 years in the Senate to find common middle ground with Democrats. He's actually been to war. There is no doubt that this is a man who loves his country and will always put America first. He doesn't have to wear a flag pin to show his patriotism; he's a true patriot!

debbie, what do you think sen. clinton has achieved in the past 16years?

from here on out everytime some of these people get on tv and say
yes, the HRC supporters will come around,
someone should say, "that is what you say now, but what if you are wrong?"
because they are wrong.
just as they are wrong to be putting the lesser of the candidates up for president.

everytime obama has to talk without a prepared speech HE shows how inexperienced he is.

this country has to many problems right now to be turning it over to a novice-especially one who is saying he is going to change (i say he is going to try to tear-up) washington.

I read where a major money giver to the dnc-said if the dnc and obama want to cont getting contributions from him
they will need to tone down the talk of
"old washington" and changing washington"
so watch how obama is going to start changing that tune.

It's fun reading all the comments from Republicans trying to cause trouble.

Hillary has fought so hard for many things. A vote for McCain is a vote that would harm everything she has achieved in the past 16 years.

The next president expected to replace to people on the Supreme Court. If that is McCain, the Supreme Court will be conservative for the next 12 years.

Everything Hillary became in politics for, will be lost if McCain becomes president.

1. Stop sending Obama money you need to pay your bills. He doesn't care so you have to. He can't fix the system. You can set your priorities.

2. Stop watching the political pundits on CNN, MSNBC and ABC. They are spinning the facts to suit their owners and that is a very small group of very very rich people. It isn't wrong to be rich. It isn't a right either.

3. Get very involved in your local races. The change you are looking for does come bottom-up, but that isn't an idea from Barack Obama. It is basic information theory. The local systems make all the important decisions. The global systems just ratify those. Vote your own self-interests.

4. Drive less. Make the oil companies feel the pain in the pocketbook so they will have to become competitive. This doesn't mean you are at fault. It means you have to take back control.

5. If someone says you have to cut back on heat, food and other necessities, tell them they need to move to Haiti where people do that every day. People with jobs deserve more respect than to be told by a man with a Harvard law degree that his friends can live in gated neighborhoods but you have to live in a house trailer.

If Obama is the nominee I'll vote McCain, and down ticket I'll vote for the democratic Senator and Representative.

Better McCain as a place holder than Obama as anything

Im for Hillary over Obama.

If Hillary is not on the ticket, I will vote for McCain.

Hillary and McCain are far better than somone as dangerous than Obama.

Obama does not know what hs is doing, nor does he care. He cares about Himself first and foremost.

He will not protect or defend this country. Nor Keep the Best interest of this Great country at heart.

He only cares about himself and wants to make history.

It will be foolish and stupid to even think about putting this country in his hands.

Please vote for America and not Obama.

dl,
if you did not want mccain for president, you should have been encouraging the bigwigs of your party to be fair,and you should have been compaining to the media about the biased reporting they were doing.

everyone knows sen. clinton is smarter than obama when it comes to dealing with the issues that face us. everyone
knows obama cannot discuss the issues without a prepared speech in front of him (just like geo. bush)

I will watch and wait for the day (and it will come)when i hear donna brazile and co. say "we got it wrong"
people like her-she says she is uncommitted but she campaigns hard for obama with ever word-and she knocks sen. clinton every chance she gets.

the unfairness of these people is up front and right out there for all to see and they don't care that the american people see them being as they are.
mccain and his supreme court will not overturn roe v wade.

so for whatever there is to come with a mccain presidency the only people we will be able to blame
are the leaders of the democratic party.

After 30 years voting Democrat. John McCain will be my choice for president in November if obama is the nominee. I glad to see him reaching across the aisle to democrats who are unsatisified with the choice forced down our throats this election year.
Go McCain 08!!!!

seah

McCain will spend billions on the continueing war...that is what he has said over and over.

He will do nothing to help the economy but let it work itself out.

He will keep the middle class holding the burden of huge tax cuts to the wealthy...or keep taking money from China.

He will keep "not" talkin to Iran...which has given them the ability to win further ground with the world community, given them more strength with the terrorists and more leeway to go assist terrorists, and made us look like bumbling buffoons.

The list goes on.

A vote for McCain is stupid...nice guy yes...hero yes...

stubborn obtuse man (like my dad or Granddad) driving us down the same road as Bush that heads over a cliff... all in the name of lookuing "tough" but yet stupid...yes.

Good. I want to like Senator McCain more. I hope he wins me over. I doubt he will, but I will still vote for him if Hillary is not on the ballot.

Gay marriage one step closer to equal rights.

Anyone even thinking of voting for Obama, needs a Reality Check.

He came from no where with nothing.

He has done nothing for this country or the people he was working for in Chicago or Illinois.

He evaded, eluded and voted present on almost all major issues. a Major cop out
and evading held accountable for anything.

He is a speech, using peoples, needs, wants, religion and emotions to get votes.

Does he stand behind what he says NO.
Evident by his NAFTA Rhetoric and games.

He is made up of empty campaign promises and Propaganda to win over people for their votes.

Will he be held accountable for what he has said? No, it was all just talk to get your vote. Just Political talk.

Nothing is in writing, he has done nothing, so it is all merely words.

When you look at who worked for years, gave and helped him get where he is. You have a diverse group of people he owes Like Rezko, Wright, Ayers, Archie etc. Those who have had 20 year relations with him, gave their time, money, hard work, their hearts and souls and worked to get him from Chicago to here. Are the wind beneath his wings and who he is indebted to.
You are nothing, merely a vote to get him where he wants to go.

He is a high pressure salesman, Talking you into things he wants you to believe.
laying it on thick, Making you think that he cares, about you. He only cares about his personal agenda and that does not include you.

He has done nothing for you, besides win your vote and pretend he cares about you.

He is not your typical candidate who has spent a few years working for you and making changes. He has done nothing, absolutely nothing when he could have been working toward what he says he wants to do for you.

He has voted PRESENT hundreds of times so he could not be held accountable for anything on major issues.

He has misled you and told you half truths about things.

He has down right lied, Straight faced to you.

He only wants to talk about the issues.
Which he has scripted. He refuses and evades important Questions on issues. Like how does he plan to do that, where will the money come from etc,. Why? because he has no Idea.

He has promised everyone everything. From the rich in San Francisco to the poor in New Jersey. From the Big companies to the small businessman.
So all will have what they want under Obama, Yea sure, Impossible.

Every issue, every problem he promises to address. Yea sure. Impossible.

He uses Religion and his idea of Christianity as a bargaining lever. To appease the religious people.
His definition of Christianity and yours is not the same.

Him using the war in Iraq against everyone, when he voted to fund the war, is for the war and a hypocrite.

Stop and think before you vote.

Giving someone control of your country and your life is a very serious issue.

A Democrat voting NO for Obama, because I care about my country and All Americans.

I saw this posted somewhere by a HRC supporter, and I totally agree.

I quote:

"They keep knocking McCain's age. But, if Obama is the Dem. nominee, all McCain has to do is just stay alive and keep breathing for me to vote for him.

I will take a McCain Presidency and a possibly funtional Dem. Congress (that would be new) over an Obama one anyday.

Old John Sydney is tough, and he at least has a real history."

Amen!

I don't think it matters if McCain is a guest on "Ellen." The way the DNC has messed up the democratic primaries, and now is pushing Obama on us, McCain should do good.

If the Democrats can load up both houses, it really won't matter if McCain wins. He probably will prove to be better than Obama.

Obama seems to think he is King and all the people need to completely accept all the stupid things his wife says in her speeches. Yet, she and Obama's supporters (and the news media) have from the very beginning gained up on Bill Clinton and also on Hillary when Bill ran. It just goes to show, he doesn't understand a darn thing about this Country. How can one bring change if one doesn't even understand anything about the people?

HC has all the left wing party against her. But that does not make BO more electable. Bill Clinton was a president who had a philosophical governing line. His influence on the party is very substantial. Even as they try now to deny his legacy on the left wing, power hunger obliges, they carry on many themes that used to be his. Read Matt Bai "Clinton Referendum".
The very big mistake of the left wing : they are so blinded by their power hunger and their agenda advancing strategy that they just cared about defeating HC, even using the anti-Clinton machine, but they show now their flaw. Don't they understand that power is real, and not just the projection and the hope for it?
The party runs or the individual that runs can pull the party ahead. With Bush it's the party that runs and does the governing business. It seems so with BO for the Dems. He has the entire left wing machine behind to haul him.
Mc Cain is trying to show he has some guts standing on his own line. People who dare to do so usually must have a philosophy, a theory about governing to dare stand out and do things that are not necessarily liked by some wing in the party.
He tries to move towards the center and that is clever. Nevertheless, the issues at hand are tough ones, economy, globalisation, the Irak war that involves geopolitics in foreign policy but the war bill is a problem with a declining economy.
The destiny of americans is at stake in this coming election. Looking at character traits, BO is a light weight fighter compared to HC and Mc Cain.
The left wing promotes "Hope and Change" with their candidate. And they want to force down on the voters the acceptance of the notion of being progressive such as voting for a black candidate and then try to push forth that the candidate is beyond race while attacking Bill and Hillary for carrying out such race issue and at the time the Rev. Wright connection maybe never shows that BO never got beyond race.
As Matt Bai writes in his report "Bill was bulletproof". Even HC seems less of a whiner than BO. Maybe the voters don't know all about governing policy theory or philosophy, but they have some kind of instinct and intuition that is at work. They may be wrong some time but never belittle their will and their expressions. That is the first lesson for the left wing to learn.

Jgaw, you wrote "...don't bother with those people you know you are not going to win." That hits it right on the nail. How can Sen. Obama be the uniter/unifier if he is just going to right off that portion of the electorate that will not vote for him?

Countallthevotes, you wrote: "Since the Republicans had decided on winner take all primaries and no caucuses..." Actually the Republicans had caucuses in CO, HI, IA, KS, ME, ND, NV, WA (& Primary), PR, GU & VI. Some of the primaries were winner-take-all by congressional districts instead of statewide. Other states were winner-take-all only if one candidate won the simple majority (50% plus 1); if the winner had less that 50% plus 1, then the delegates were allocated proportionally according to the percentage of the vote.

This general election could be a very interesting election. First of all, while it is tempting, I don't think you can really compare the number of Democratic votes cast to those of the Republican votes cast in the various primaries. That had more to do with the fact that the Clinton-Obama race has been an exciting and hotly contested race. THAT is the main reason for twice and three times as many Democrats heading for the polls. The general election may not generate as much excitement so the numbers may drop on the Democratic side and there will probably be a slight increase on the Republican side.

Usually the vice-presidential selection does not make that much of a difference. But this year could be different. Should the Democrats end up with their "dream ticket," Obama-Clinton, that could make the race very exciting (and could bring in the primary Democrats -- but it could also turn off the Independents). I, personally, believe an Obama-Richardson ticket would be a better ticket.

On the Republican side, if the Democratic ticket is either of the two afore mentioned tickets, Sen. McCain will have to select either an African-American or Hispanic, a woman, or an African-American or Hispanic woman to be his running mate in order to be competitive. Otherwise race (and possibly gender) would take center stage over the issues. There a number of very qualified conservative Republican Hispanics and African-Americans, both men and women. But convincing an African-American to run will be a challenge. Nobody wants their families to experience the ridicule that conservative Republican African-Americans frequently receive from their peers when they choose to run for public office. Since Sen. McCain is already campaigning on staying in Iraq until victory is achieved, I believe his strongest running mate would be Dr. Condoleezza Rice. But she has stated on numerous occasions that she is not interested in running for public office. But if Sen. McCain could somehow convince Dr. Rice to be his running mate, that could shake up the entire general election. In fact, due to her strong California ties, and Sen. McCain's home state being right next door, California could actually be in play. Even if they didn't win the state, it would force the Democrats to pour tens of millions of dollars into the state that would otherwise be spent in the traditional battleground states.

We shall see!

jgaw >I agree

Any person that makes lower to middle income and votes republican is a glutton for punishment.

texasdemocrat,

I think nothing will motivate the Republican voters more than having Obama as the Dem nominee. The Dem who was recently elected in MS was a real conservative. That is different scenario than having a socialist or worse running for POTUS.

countallthevotes,

You're correct, but they may stay home. The recent loss in Mississippi suggests poor Rep turnout. Mr. McCain may be the better candidate, but gridlock with a Dem Congress is possible. The next four years years could be difficult for the poor. The wealthy will not be affected.

texasdemocrat,

If the choice is between Obama and McCain, trust me the Repubs will vote for Mccain, no matter how conservative and fundamental they seem.

Countallthevotes,

I agree.
His supporters most of them age under 29 years old.
Those college students haven't had much experience how hard to make money to support a family.
Some of them may still live with their parents.

Mr. McCain is going to annoy GOP Conservatives by appearing on "Ellen". If he loses that wing of the Party, he can't win in November. That would not be all bad for the GOP. If they have to eventually lose control, why not now, and let the other party take the blame for the next four years.

Sarah,

I have two words for you:

FIRST AMENDMENT

A good move by John McCain. Is there anyone who doesn't like Ellen? McCain is after Hillary supporters, not just the Repubs and he understands this. There are far too few registered Repubs to carry any GE. He knows this. Funny, as the Repub nominee, but he won it early on by merely a squeak in most states. Since the Republicans had decided on winner take all primaries and no caucuses, their winner was clear and early. The Dems screwed this up royally. Hillary is right on. If the Dems had winner take all, she would have been our nominee months ago. How very silly of the DNC to come up with a primary plan that in no way mimics the electoral college and then on top of that disqualifies FL and MI, two pivotal states in the GE.

What were they thinking??? I am so furious!!

I agree with jgaw, and westcoastmessanger and questioner and all prior posters, Hillary is by far the best candidate and by far the most electable. If we count FL and MI, she leads in the popular vote 55% to Obama's 45%. 80% of the pledged differential between Hillary and Obama is due to caucuses. We all know that caucuses in no way reflect true voter preference. They simply are not representative of the constituency at all. What mother leaves her little kids and goes caucusing for the night? What senior citizen does that? What about the voters who simply cannot afford to leave their jobs? I have no idea who came up with the concept of caucuses and why they would ever be used. There are no caucuses in the GE.

I look forward to tomorrow when we get the KY results. Of course, the Obamaphiles will once again call those voters "hillbillys."

In case you folks have not read about it, the New Hampshire Supreme Court today ruled that 17 year olds cannot vote in the primaries for the presidential election. Of course, they already did. The US Constitution mandates that to vote in the GE you must be 18. The primaries are regulated by the individual states. NH Consitution provides explicitely that the voter must be 18. I do wonder nationally how many 17-year olds voted in the primaries. Imagine Obama recruiting high school students to vote for him; 17-year olds. He did just that!

Bottom line here, good for McCain. He is reaching out and he will reach all the way to me if Hillary is not the nominee.

Nothing wrong with McCain going on Ellen's show even as he has a anti gay marriage stance. Believe me, not all Ellen fans believe in gay marriage as well. Doesn't mean you can't enjoy her show.

Good for McCain for going on - and good for Ellen for letting him.

And gay marriage is still wrong.

it tells me something when i see
sen. clinton fighting on in spite of the deck being stacked against her,the media against her, the dem. party against her. and she does not get off message, she fights on. she shows how strong she is.

and then there is obama-who has the professional politicians, the media and the dem. party-and everyday he shows a weakness-everytime he opens his mouth when not giving a prepared speech, we learn a little more of how he is not ready to be president.
it is easy to get into the conspiracy theory mode. because the dem. bigwigs and media seem hellbent on forcing us into accepting this man who it is plain for any thinking person to see-he is not ready to be president. he said it himself.
so now it is the time for the dems to have a sleeper in the white house.

i know it has been said we are a strong people-and in the past we have proven so.
but i wonder if after geo. bush and things being as they are can we stand another term of an underqualified person as president.

well,
this is an election year, and mccain and clinton are campaigning for the votes from all americans

it is obama who thinks he can write off, disrespect, and ignore voters.
and still win. (he and his handlers, must think they know something we voters do not know)

i like john mccain going personally to selma, la, and on ellen better than
obama sending a flyer with a picture of himself in front of a big cross to kentucky. on this i do not agree with wille brown who said-don't bother with those people you know you are not going to win.-well that just seems to me the focus is all about him and his winning.
for me a potential president or any position you are suppose to represent all of the people. even if you do not agree with everything the people do.
which is part of what i don't like about obama,
first no flagpin then ok if you want me to wear a flagpin i'll wear it.
and just like the debate with sen. clinton in which she schooled him right there on national tv.
about farrakahn
she told him you have to go further
and he said (and i will never forget this) ok, if she wants me to say denounce, i will denounce him, and the audience clapped and she said good.

a potential president trys to talk with all the citizens-friends and foes