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Barack 'Isotoner' Obama to Take Off His Third or Fourth Pair of Gloves and Get Tough

September 12, 2008 7:11 AM

Like any number of Democratic candidates before him -- Mike Dukakis, Al Gore, John Kerry -- Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., is once again declaring that he is going to take off the gloves and fight back against attacks from the Republican Party.

This is what you're going to hear from his campaign today, anyway, which is unveiling two new TV ads, including this attack ad against Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.


But just so you know -- this is, by my count, the 4th time Obama's campaign has officially or unofficially made such a declaration that Obama will "take off the gloves" and fight back.

That's a lot of pairs of gloves.

The Isotoner campaign, one might say.

Another part of today's claim is that the Democrat is going to aggressively claim the "change" mantle.

As part of this -- the staggeringly fresh assertion that McCain has voted with President Bush 90 percent of the time, a factoid Obama has only made 7,000 times before.

Today will also be, per the Obama campaign, the first day of the home stretch. This will be, to my count, at least the second time the Obama campaign has decreed such a new beginning, perhaps even the third.

Obama campaign manager David Plouffe lays this all out in a memo called "Heading into the Final Stretch" today, saying that "Obama said earlier this week 'enough is enough.' This election is too important and the challenges too big to spend the next 54 days talking about trivial non-issues. Today is the first day of the rest of the campaign."

Continues Plouffe, "We will respond with speed and ferocity to John McCain’s attacks and we will take the fight to him, but we will do it on the big issues that matter to the American people. We will not allow John McCain and his band of Karl Rove disciples to make this big election about small things."

- jpt

September 12, 2008 | Permalink | Share | User Comments (475)

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Why does Obama use personal attacks?

First lipstick on a pig and now he is making fun of a disabled vet and POW.

Obama: I'll 'respond with the truth'

I'll point at the cripple and laugh at him. Yea, um um uh, cause he can't use a computer keyboard and has to have his wife type for him. HAHAha...

Ya'know, um uh uh, the dude can't even tie his own shoes or raise his arms high enough to comb his own hair. McCain is so OLD! HAHahaha...

Posted by: Paul | Sep 14, 2008 1:52:42 PM

Out-of-date or more experienced as a world leader? Obama himself may be out-of-date in the eyes of some teenagers, or pre-teens, in terms of computer technology.

Posted by: vlong | Sep 14, 2008 1:40:03 PM

Drill here drill now!

Lot's of union job's with drilling, refining and transportation. Union jobs that will let a family have a house and some cars and kids and a life.

What does Obama have? Retraining? I don't want to sit behind a desk I want to work. I like to work. Drilling jobs can not be done by some kid in Bangladesh can they. I want a real job and McCain is my only hope to get real jobs back in America.

Posted by: Paul | Sep 14, 2008 12:49:05 PM

Tom says: we are sick of the destruction the republicans have done and will start the next revolution if things dont go back to we the people instead of what republicans liek we the rich and powerful.
________________________________________
How cute Mr. Tom.

Going to start a revolution are we? Okay, using the wet paper bag in your revolution Obama can't seem to fight out of has been approved.

LMAO....Don't maul me tiger...

Posted by: Seymour | Sep 14, 2008 12:35:05 PM

Obama campaign is like Al Franken's bit " it all about me" ::: Think of me OBAMA . send me, OBAMA money.

Posted by: old guy crumudgeon | Sep 14, 2008 10:44:02 AM

Liberals on this board are whining about Karl Rove, while their candidates camp, run by Axelrod, and the dirty Soros have literally gotten a free pass throughout most of this race, despite the many questionable antics, and associates of Obama. MSNBC political page features 5 negative headlines about Sarah Palin. CBS CNN no better. NY Times disgusting. They are relentless turning over every rock in search of anything, yet sweeping obamas dirt under the carpet.

Posted by: Badger1 | Sep 14, 2008 9:11:48 AM

Obama the liar! I'm so surprised! 20 years in a bigoted church yet breaks from it six month ago....
Last week he wasn't going to take our guns...he loves them now. Yet he's never voted pro second amendment...ever!!!

"Chairman of the Senate Telecommunications Subcommittee and regarded as the U.S. Senate's savviest technologist, McCain is an inveterate devotee of email. His nightly ritual is to read his email together with his wife, Cindy. The injuries he incurred as a Vietnam POW make it painful for McCain to type. Instead, he dictates responses that his wife types on a laptop. "She's a whiz on the keyboard, and I'm so laborious," McCain admits."

Posted by: Kennedy | Sep 14, 2008 8:08:13 AM

I used to respect Mccain and now not no more! He has his sold his soul for the presidency of United States. If lies about Obama without having conscious, he will lie to American people at some point in time if he becomes President. I would like to remind Americans, the truth is Mccain is the same as Bush, both have lied to American people. Mccain relies on mileading,lies and distortion to convince American people that he is for reform instead providing to solution on enconmy,health care,war in Iraq,education and much more. This last week he has aired negitive attacks on Obama practically everyday,which completely false. You call that change, is more of the same. Mccain had so much experince that he voted for the war and other side Obama was against the. More half the American people feel we have should not gone to war with Iraq it was a mistake. Most of congress said it was mistake too. Mccain is the one to lead Americans to victory in Iraq. Even Gen. Petraus said we might not achive victory. How does Mccain define victory in Iraq?Does anyone know out there? He can't even get shite or sunni right. Mccain once was true and is he is joke!

Posted by: valforobama | Sep 14, 2008 6:02:46 AM

If Obama had any honor he would pull the ad that belittles McCain over his ability to send email...
"Chairman of the Senate Telecommunications Subcommittee and regarded as the U.S. Senate's savviest technologist, McCain is an inveterate devotee of email. His nightly ritual is to read his email together with his wife, Cindy. The injuries he incurred as a Vietnam POW make it painful for McCain to type. Instead, he dictates responses that his wife types on a laptop. "She's a whiz on the keyboard, and I'm so laborious," McCain admits."

Posted by: Berry | Sep 14, 2008 4:18:45 AM


This is from a Forbes article from 2000 that anyone can find online:

"In certain ways, McCain was a natural Web candidate. Chairman of the Senate Telecommunications Subcommittee and regarded as the U.S. Senate’s savviest technologist, McCain is an inveterate devotee of email. His nightly ritual is to read his email together with his wife, Cindy. The injuries he incurred as a Vietnam POW make it painful for McCain to type. Instead, he dictates responses that his wife types on a laptop. “She’s a whiz on the keyboard, and I’m so laborious,” McCain admits."

McCain doesn't personal use a computer because he physically can't work for long periods of time with a keyboard. Fortunately, that is not a prerequisite to be President.

The Obama campaign is sick, those of you who add to its vicious echo chamber are sick, and the media is sick for not calling this 1982 ad what it is: a vicious smear of an honorable veteran's disability.

- Another New Democrat for McCain

Posted by: PanMetron | Sep 14, 2008 3:06:10 AM

Barack Obama is a true leader, inspiring the public by pointing them toward a future where America will regain its moral compass, engage its allies, help the helpless and share the wealth. He is a good man. All I see on the other side is fear, the past, and the way they disgraced America by killing 100,000 Iraqis and 4,300 American Soldiers. Nothing will ever erase the fact that the Republicans are guilty of great ineptitude and downright murder. I will NEVER again believe what they say, and they're not going to gloss over their lies and stupidity by putting a dress on it. They need to apologize to America for all the horrors they have brought upon our great nation, and for how they have disgraced it.

Posted by: Dan Rains | Sep 14, 2008 1:33:02 AM

When is anyone with a conscience from the McCain campaign going to stand up against this “win at any cost” campaign? Where is the outrage from honest Republican commentators?

I’m afraid that it will all come after the fact, and someone will write a book bemoaning the fact that negative campaigning works. And one of the staffers who is coaching Sarah Palin now will tell us, when it is too late, that she really was unqualified, but they were afraid of losing their jobs.

Where is the integrity from anyone on the McCain campaign?

Posted by: God Particle | Sep 14, 2008 12:25:09 AM

Obama spoke the truth the old man is out of touch and out of his mind for picking Palin as his VP. I used to support Clinton and would have gladly given McCain my attention but when he picked that sad stand in for Hilary that was when I decided to go with Obama. At least with Obama you don't feel like he'll say anything just to get the women vote!

Posted by: bea smit | Sep 14, 2008 12:18:55 AM

As sure as I am that Palin was not vetted properly for this historic opportunity, I am equally confident that the pit bull reference, like most of that remarkable speech, neither was written by a woman nor approved by a woman of any merit. Remember when Republicans lauded the image of strong Republican women, as once defined by Kirkpatrick, Kassebaum, Whitman and Rice, among others? The party of Eisenhower, Goldwater and Reagan is now the Grand Old Pit Bull Party and has set up Palin as both raging junkyard dog and doe-eyed pup needing adoption and protection. Make up your minds, boys!

Truthfully, the voters really do have a dog in this fight to stop the loyal Bushies from continuing to wreck the country and wage war without provocation. It’s just that it’s not that old hunting dog howling at the Sedona moon. And it ain’t the Maybelline pit bull from Wasilla, either.

Posted by: Jesica | Sep 14, 2008 12:08:43 AM

Palin’s “pit bull with lipstick” line surely will go down in history — if not the Feminism Hall of Shame — as one of the dumbest things a trailblazing smart woman ever said in public on this side of Stepford.

Since her debut in Minnesota, post-convention sales have gone up on T-shirts with slogans such as “My Hockey Mom Can Beat Up Your Soccer Mom.”

Given this sentiment and how the McSame Republicans seem to like watching women go at it, the menfolk in charge of the next convention might want to consider installing a rubber mat and introducing Jell-O wrestling at their next national frat party.

That’s sure to delight the flat-earth delegates who believe foreign policy experience is relative to one’s proximity to Vladimir Putin. But for the moment, let’s just let those sleeping dogs lie, shall we? No sense poking them more than we have to before November.

Posted by: Jesica | Sep 14, 2008 12:05:56 AM

McCain is a tool of Washington lobbyists. "His campaign manager lobbies for corporations outsourcing American jobs," the ad states, flashing an image of McCain with top aide Rick Davis. "The campaign chairman he picked last year . . . a bank lobbyist," it continues, with an image of McCain and former Texas senator Phil Gramm. "If seven of McCain's top advisers are lobbyists, who do you think will run his White House?"

Posted by: God Particle | Sep 13, 2008 11:43:29 PM

In response to nh Pragmatist

Wow you people need to get a clue. I am so tired of you getting away with saying someone lied about WMD.YEY the UN, CLINTON,FRANCE,RUSSIA,CHINA.ENGLAND, and 45 other world leaders for 10 years before Bush became president. So of course he believed there were there everyone had been saying it for 10 years. You morons that want to change history can’t or do not want to remember what it was like after 9/11. 92% of the American people wanted to attack Iraq hell most wanted to wipe out Iran and Saudi Arabia too. So get off your silly stupid childish high horse. Because if he did not attack Iraq and there were weapons and something would have happened to America you would all be crying he did not do his job. You people that forgot 9/11 make me sick. Because it is people like you that if you get your way will guarantee it will happen again.

Posted by: william Johnson | Sep 13, 2008 10:43:49 PM

In response to: Berry, you think McCain cares about disabled people and veterans?

Every pc of legislation you listed was voted against not be cause of what was in it but what was added to it by the DEMS. CUT funding for American troops serving in Iraq. Add special interest earmarks like 300 million Sen. Obama requested. So you are misrepresenting the picture completely. The veterans Love McCain as do the service personnel of the armed forces. 93 % approval rating. I guess that means Obama has 7 %


Posted by: William Johnson | Sep 13, 2008 10:32:23 PM

For all you brains out there it does not matter who controls the senate and the house. what matters is who has the votes. Both sides are great at stalling and getting nothing done energy for example the dumb dumb democrats want no drilling that want new fuels that are not here yet. they want cars that get 100 miles a gallon not here yet so they stall and the taxpayer pays for it.

Posted by: Ron | Sep 13, 2008 10:20:56 PM

PAGE 1 NY TIMES
PALIN'S RECORD AS MAYOR OF WASILLA AND 2 YEARS AS GOVERNOR
Personal Vendettas... Censorship... Cronyism...
Secrecy And Lying...

Posted by: RipGOP | Sep 13, 2008 8:28:50 PM

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