Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Ya-ta Boy]

It's been hours and hours since McCain delivered his big speech and not one of his supporters was excited enough to come online and tout the speech. Do you think that is odd? I do.

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"I don't work for a party," he declared. "I don't work for a special interest. I don't work for myself. I work for you."

The GOP nominee was making an aggressive play for voters from across the political spectrum � Republicans, independents and Democrats. And even as he preached bipartisanship, McCain served up Republican dogma to the willing crowd, on abortion, taxes, national security, oil drilling.

His trick was to appeal to his conservative supporters without turning off independents.
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There was a time when 'bipartisanship' meant compromise, not surrender to the other party's views. He seems to have missed that lesson. I used to respect his maverick status, but his behavior over the last 8 months has undermined that respect. It's harder and harder to believe what he used to seem to stand for. More and more, he seems to have acted for publicity to get himself on camera and ultimately into the White House to do the same damn thing the rest of his party has done--war on the middle class.

[Milwaukiedave]

His supporters think he's already won the election.

[Ya-ta Boy]

Don't you have to wonder where all the energy in support of 'the ticket' has gone? Was all the defense of her just bluster, whistling past the graveyard? Knee-jerk partisan support because they had no choice? When life hands you lemons, make lemonade? Making a virtue of necessity?

Years and years ago I debate the '80 campaign with a co-teacher named Bill. When Reagan won I dragged into work that Wednesday morning rather despondent, knowing I'd have to listen to him chortle. He did. But at the end, he walked out in disgust when I said something like, "It's probably a good thing that the far right has won. The public may need another dose of that nonsense to be reminded why they turned their backs on it in the first place". The Election of '08 may be the turning back to progressive government, government where power is used in an attempt to better the lives of the majority of people rather than in the pursuit of a past that never was.

[Tiger Beer]

When G.W. got in 8 years ago, it was his 'compassionate conservativism' message. That term is what I remember swayed the independents just enough to trust in him at that time.

McCain is a mystery. The special interest groups are just usurping the party, and McCain is bending over backwards trying to appease them and shifting heavily in their various directions.

This last week, McCain has been continously stressing his BIPARTISAN politics with the choice of very decisive vocal PALIN who just shifted him significantly to the far right of center.

I have no idea WHY McCain keeps throwing that word 'bipartisan'...and if he has thrown off the reigns of the Republican Party (as he keeps saying now)...he certainly isn't moving to any bipartisan middle ground of agreement on any issue that I am aware of with the center slight left.

[RufusW]

The only thing you can be thankful about with Bush's presidency is that it means Obama will get elected. It would have been Clinton if Bush & Co. hadn't f*cked up quite so badly.

Thesis - Antithesis - Synthesis

McCain's doomed....

[Ya-ta Boy]

There are echoes of the emporer Tiberias as reported by Suetonius in all this.

According to that eminent historian, Tiberias chose a real loser to follow him because his failures (mostly sexual) were so egregious that he thought by having someone even worse follow him that he would look good by comparison. Therefore, he adopted Caligula as his heir. Then the problem became staving off his own assassination by Caligula as long as possible. He held out as long as he could, but ultimately lost when Caligula smothered him and took power.

It looks to me like McCain has chosen his Caligula and is a) banking on Caligula to stir up enough support to get him elected, then b) scare the pee-waddin out of the Democrats enough that they will support him rather than inherit Chey....Palin if they drive him into a heart attack.

[Gopher]

[Nowhere Man]

[Gopher]

You know, Mrs. Gopher, you amaze me. One of my best students here. You listen, take in, and can recall every single thing I have ever said here.

I do not feel so confident anymore that you are simple a puerile, bitter, stalking grudge-holder based on intolerance of my views inasmuch as I am beginning to suspect that you might just be the most faithful Gopher-groupie and student of them all, taking notes and incorporating my previous points into new lectures, etc.

Cheers. And you get an A today, Mrs. Gopher, your sneering and simultaneous stalking-like attacks on multiple threads notwithstanding.

Oh. And be sure, like the predictable guy you are, to come back with something that is sure to amaze yourself.

[mises]

You decided against the killbox then?

[Gopher]

No. But the truth is, when I looked at it, it seemed a bit involved, time consuming. How long did it take you to go through all steps when you did it?

[mises]

Less than 5 minutes. Very easy to use and manage.

[bacasper]