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Obama Attacks McCain As 'Risky,' 'Erratic'
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ShareOctober 09, 2008 1:11 PM
ABC News' John Berman, Sunlen Miller and Ursula Fahy report: Barack Obama described John McCain as risky, erratic, and uncertain, and that was all just in his first event of the day. Obama has had no shortage of critiques of McCain in recent weeks, but he opened up a new front based on the mortgage buyout plan first proposed by the Arizona senator at Tuesday's debate.
McCain suggested Tuesday that the government should buy back some of the bad mortgages now plaguing the U.S. economy. At the time, it was thought he was proposing the government should buy these mortgages at the new, fallen value. That would mean the banks and lending institutions that made the loans would absorb the difference.
However, when the campaign released more details of the plan Wednesday, they made it clear that McCain was proposing that the government buy the mortgages at their original, higher price; higher -- that means -- than what they are worth right now. Which would mean the government, backed by taxpayers, would make up the difference.
It is this, that Obama charged, is a "risky idea."
"We have to act to fix our broken economy and restore the credit markets, he said. "But taxpayers shouldn't be asked to pick up the tab for the very folks who helped create this crisis."
The McCain campaign had issued a paper statement explaining McCain's new mortgage buying proposal Tuesday that said lenders "must recognize the loss that they've already suffered."
But when they posted the plan to his campaign Web site Wednesday, that sentence was missing. A McCain campaign official chalked it up to a "simple mistake," telling Politico, "that language was mistakenly included in the initial draft, and it's been corrected."
Simple or not, Obama pounced, not just on the details of the plan, but the fact the details seem to be changing.
"I don't think we can afford that kind of erratic and uncertain leadership in these uncertain times," said Obama. "We need steady leadership in the White House." These are words that Obama aides have been tossing around for weeks, clearly trying to subtly and not-so subtly question McCain's fitness for leadership, his temperament, and maybe even his age. If you had a nickel for every time an Obama aide used the word "erratic," you might be able to afford to attend one of the senator’s big ticket fundraisers.
But the repetition has a purpose. In the latest ABC News polling, McCain held a 50-44 percent edge in "trust to handle an unexpected crisis." By calling him "risky" and "uncertain," Obama is clearly trying to chip away at that. (It should be noted Obama has a 50-40 percent advantage in trust to handle the economic situation.)
But whatever rhetorical beating McCain took from Obama in Dayton, Ohio, the man who set up the sound for the event suffered even worse.
There was clearly an audio problem in the minor league baseball park that is the home to the Dayton Dragons. Several times during Obama’s speech, people in the audience complained that they could not hear. At one point, he told the people sitting behind him, "I can't turn around the whole time." When the sound didn't improve, he asked somewhat peevishly, "what's the problem now?" Then, in the type of political swipe normally reserved for Republicans, he said, "Where is my sound man? I am gonna have my sound man come out here, so everyone knows who messed up the sound."
Luckily for the sound man, the audio improved, and the audience never got to see him publicly shamed.
Obama is in Ohio five out of the next six days, clearly trying to put an enormous amount of pressure on McCain, in a state that no Republican has ever won the White House without.
ABC News' Teddy Davis contributed to this report.
October 9, 2008 | Permalink | User Comments (599)
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Why is it that when you write about Obama he is "attacking" McCain, but when you write about McCain he is "invoking" or "calling out"?
Posted by: CJ | Oct 9, 2008 1:37:13 PM
How are my fellow PRISONERS doing today?
Posted by: angie | Oct 9, 2008 1:37:19 PM
If this "Terrorist" guy Obama is Pals with is so bad, Why was he never found gulity of it? He is a teacher now right? If is is so bad dont yout think Bush would have him sent out of here?
Posted by: John | Oct 9, 2008 1:39:24 PM
McCain's campaign shows no discipline. The posting on the website should have been proofed before posting. The bottom line is the Obama campaign has stayed on message and been very patient. Obama has been thoughtful and unflappable, presidential, that is. The McCain campaign keeps on rolling the dice and coming up with snake eyes.
Posted by: Know When to Fold Em | Oct 9, 2008 1:39:42 PM
Mack - KEATING 5 you can not spin this one. Sorry McCain was all involved and was told by the Judge that he exerise BAD JUDGEMENT! TIME AFTER TIME MCCAIN HAVE SHOWED HIS BAD JUDGEMENT. PALIN WAS ONE OF HIS BIGGEST BAD JUDGEMENTS.
Posted by: GL | Oct 9, 2008 1:40:04 PM
"Here's how independents hear it:
"The economy is collapsing and you guys want to talk about this crap?"
It comes down to judgment, character and trust which are none of the above in Obama's case. He couldn't even pass a background check to work for the FBI, and we are going to give him the most powerful job in the country, if not the world?
Posted by: Mack | Oct 9, 2008 1:40:44 PM
Mack, McCain was part of the Keating 5. Not sure I get your circular logic? I know you'll probably respond with an insult, don't bother. McCain is losing on the issues.
Posted by: wow? | Oct 9, 2008 1:42:23 PM
"If this "Terrorist" guy Obama is Pals with is so bad, Why was he never found gulity of it? He is a teacher now right? If is is so bad dont yout think Bush would have him sent out of here?"
It was thrown out on a technicality.
"guilty as hell and free as a bird, America is a great country" direct quote make by Bill Ayers.
Posted by: Mack | Oct 9, 2008 1:42:36 PM
Dow has fallen 35% since last October.
Palin/McCain blaming main stream media for not focusing on Ayers.
Ask yourself, what is in your best interests.
Posted by: doug | Oct 9, 2008 1:43:15 PM
sam - you can shout that Obama is the riskier candidate all you like, but the voters see what they see.
McCain is erratic. And overly emotional. His performance during the Russian military action in Georgia wasn't reassuring. Neither was his performance during this economic crisis.
And let's not forget its not just an age thing. Google "senator hothead" and out of 100 current senators, and who knows how many former senators, I'll bet you every link that comes up is about John McCain.
Posted by: Paul | Oct 9, 2008 1:43:21 PM
McCain/Palin - live in a dream world. Where would the money come from to pay off these mortgages??? More from the taxpayers, of course. Haven't we lost enough. Some of these people are just as much at fault, buying houses they could not afford, and we should bail them out too. It seems like the more you hear about McCain/Palin the worse it gets. But this was a mistake (mcCain) it was written in - doesn't he check anything out? Scary
Posted by: kmn | Oct 9, 2008 1:43:49 PM
Ayers is a dead horse and the Repub's can keep beating it all they want. They need to create a new crisis or this party is over.
Posted by: Adolph | Oct 9, 2008 1:43:52 PM
McCain gets ideas from Hillary Clinton.
(see http://clinton.senate.gov). I wonder why Obama opposes it and I think in order to solve the financial we have to get the root of the problem.
Posted by: sarah | Oct 9, 2008 1:44:31 PM
What bothers me most about Obama is that he does not display passion or compassion. He doesn't seem to really get excited unless he is talking about himself. He seems disturbed when he is personally attacked but is not flustered by the economic downfall of the country ("they'll call me if the need me"). In the first debate, he couldn't even remember the name of the soldier whose bracelet he wore! It was just a prop for him.
This is unlike McCain who shows emotion by the expressions on his face and in his tone of voice. Obama calls McCain unstable for caring about issues. I call Obama uncaring for what is referred to as his "cool" demeanor. Obama's agenda is himself, and nothing else. He wants to make sure his daughters can keep having $1000 birthday parties and $10000 dance lessons, and Michelle can keep buy $600 earrings. When asked if he'll protect the country, he responds that of course he'll protect his family. When asked what's great about America, he answers that he had a lot of opportunities here. He has never said that he loves America because of what it stands for, just for what he got out of it.
I'm afraid of what he'll do if he wins because he won't commit on anything: he changes his position to avoid controversy. All the other presidents we've had, good or bad, seemed to love America. Obama does not and this is scarry.
Posted by: tina | Oct 9, 2008 1:46:46 PM
And let's not forget, McCain is the guy who tried to have a fist fight with a 95-year-old in the Capitol.
McCain confronted and had to be pulled away from Strom Thurmond, after Thurmond interrupted McCain during a committee hearing.
McCain slammed the 95-year-old Thurmond against a wall, and had to be pulled back and away by others before doing it again. And ask yourself, how many body slams can a 95-year-old survive? If he hadn't been physically restrained, John McCain may very well have killed Strom Thurmond that day.
Posted by: Paul | Oct 9, 2008 1:47:54 PM
And all this by McCain over a perceived insult? And this is the guy some of you want in the Oval Office?
No thanks. I'll take the steady, less risky choice.
Posted by: Paul | Oct 9, 2008 1:49:14 PM
tina, you don't see what others see. the economy is in the tank and McCain doesn't seem to get it. you can make stuff up about Obama or project your own feelings onto him, but it only resonates with the Fox News set. Obama is a proud American just like you.
Posted by: huh? | Oct 9, 2008 1:50:07 PM
Well, well, well... That's the teapot calling the kettle mulatto.
Posted by: hmn | Oct 9, 2008 1:50:34 PM
Norman are you having a bad day. Obama is not a thug or terrorist and you know it. Hope you have a better day tomorrow.
Posted by: Randy | Oct 9, 2008 1:51:22 PM
My Fellow Prisoners,
With each passing day, I fall further and further behind in "That One's" rear view mirror, and from what he did to Hillary Clinton, once he gets a lead, he never relinquishes it.
So, in consolation, I'm providing free buttermilk vouchers to all who supported me and my parrot Palin.
We're sinkin' and sinkin fast!!! HELP!
John McChicken McCain
POTUS OBAMA - "THAT ONE" who Opened up a Can of Whoop A** on the GOP
Posted by: Nat Turner | Oct 9, 2008 1:53:53 PM
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