Why Republicans Are Fighting An Uphill Battle In '08
Pity the Republicans, their base is so radical that when they appeal to their base they appal the rest of Americans.
The Republican base is the 28-30% of ideological neoconservative Americans who still support an unpopular war and an unpopular President. The base also has many other defining characteristics that will not be discussed today because war is the issue at hand.
Republican politicians [specifically this time around] are desperate to pander to their base and believe that pandering to their base is the only way to be elected.
The only problem with that notion is when your base is far outside the mainstream there is no way to appeal to the base and the majority of American voters, which are desperately needed to be elected.
On one hand you have John McCain who supports the recent troop surge that most Americans were opposed to and still defends going to war with Iraq although there were not any WMD's or 9/11 connection.
John McCain used to be favored by a number of Moderate and Independent voters before he started keeping company with radical Jerry Falwell, after admitting him to be an extremist.
McCain lost even more credibility with the independent minded when he gave out misleading information regarding the security of Iraq and then made a photo op trip to Baghdad to try to give the illusion of security in Baghdad. His misinformation was quickly noted by correspondents on the ground in Iraq as being "beyond ludicrous."
McCain didn't help himself either when he admitted that he sees no "plan b" for Iraq if the troop surge does not work.
McCain's latest incidents include singing "bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb Iran" to the tune of the Beach Boys hit "Barbara Ann" and then deciding to use the "Barbara Ann" song at events.
McCain also flubbed when he "joked" to Jon Stewart that he had a present for him — an IED that he could place under his desk.
Leaving some to wonder that perhaps someone who cannot give honest assessments about the Iraq War and has no "plan b" for it, who takes lightly the possibility of having to bomb Iran and makes jokes about Improvised Explosive Devices should not be the next President of the United States.
On the other hand you have Rudy Giuliani, America's so called mayor. Giuliani can't get it right with the Conservatives he needs to pander to because he has been married three times and is just not Conservative enough for the real neocons, even though he advocates war.
Since Giuliani is having a hard time convincing the hardliners that he is a true neocon he has recently begun invoking the spirit of Ronald Reagan (the hero of the right) and referencing to his "leadership" after 9/11, even though Giuliani was slammed by the International Association of Fire Fighters, which is nation's largest firefighters union.
I had once viewed Giuliani as a real contender until recently because of his ability to siphon off Independent and Moderate voters still nostalgic for that courageous post 9/11 leader.
But Giuliani is driving a wedge between himself and the American people by pandering to neoconservatives by advocating an unpopular war and claiming only Republicans can keep America safe, especially if it is him. (wink, wink.) His mob ties aren't helping him either.
So there they are, the Republican front runners who can barely impress people in the same political party that make up their base.
So they have to try even harder to impress "the base" so it's essential to them to hammer extreme on the rhetoric which in turn only alienates them further from the rest of the voters who are a lot smarter and much less intimidated by threats and fear than they were a few years ago.
That's why the Republicans face an uphill battle in '08.
Showing posts with label John McCain. Show all posts
Showing posts with label John McCain. Show all posts
Saturday, April 14, 2007
McCain Sees ‘No Plan B’ for Iraq War
“I have no Plan B,” [if the troop surge does not succeed in Iraq] Arizona Senator John McCain said in an interview with journalist from The New York Times.
No "Plan B"?
Isn't that one of the biggest problems with the war to begin with?
That invasion was planned without a "Plan B"?
The occupation was planned without a "Plan B" and now the surge is without a "Plan B".
Because we all know that the best way to win a war is to not to have a backup plan if your first plan does not succeed.
John McCain is a strong supporter of the war in Iraq and the recent troop surge and is running for President.
McCain has recently been ridiculed for giving out misleading information regarding the security of Iraq.
Senator McCain had asserted that “There are neighborhoods in Baghdad where you and I could walk through those neighborhoods, today,” and that "General Petraeus goes out there almost every day in an unarmed Humvee."
Both statements of course, are untrue. Read McCain's April Fools Day Joke and McCain Lies To Media, Calls Media "Jerks" After Lies Are Exposed for more information regarding McCain's fairy tale vision of Baghdad.
“I have no Plan B,” [if the troop surge does not succeed in Iraq] Arizona Senator John McCain said in an interview with journalist from The New York Times.
No "Plan B"?
Isn't that one of the biggest problems with the war to begin with?
That invasion was planned without a "Plan B"?
The occupation was planned without a "Plan B" and now the surge is without a "Plan B".
Because we all know that the best way to win a war is to not to have a backup plan if your first plan does not succeed.
John McCain is a strong supporter of the war in Iraq and the recent troop surge and is running for President.
McCain has recently been ridiculed for giving out misleading information regarding the security of Iraq.
Senator McCain had asserted that “There are neighborhoods in Baghdad where you and I could walk through those neighborhoods, today,” and that "General Petraeus goes out there almost every day in an unarmed Humvee."
Both statements of course, are untrue. Read McCain's April Fools Day Joke and McCain Lies To Media, Calls Media "Jerks" After Lies Are Exposed for more information regarding McCain's fairy tale vision of Baghdad.
Monday, April 02, 2007
McCain's April Fools Day Joke
Related : McCain Lies To Media, Calls Media "Jerks" After Lies Are Exposed
Once upon a time I believed that Arizona Senator John McCain was one of the few decent Republicans in this country. But once upon a time I also used to believe in Unicorns and Care Bears and the power of a good decoder ring.
You know John McCain. He's Mr. Strait Shooter, Mr. Strait Talk Express...
But lately, McCain's shooting and talking is no longer strait, but a little crooked.
When asked what "Plan B" was regarding the troop surge Condoleeza Rice replied "Plan B" was to make "Plan A" work. It seems now that Republicans and war supporters have resorted to "Plan C", lie your freaking ass off.
Last week McCain was ridiculed for saying “There are neighborhoods in Baghdad where you and I could walk through those neighborhoods, today,” and "General Petraeus goes out there almost every day in an unarmed Humvee."
McCain's ridiculous assertions were obviously false and were quickly and hotly rebutted by CNN's Michael Ware.
“To suggest that there’s any neighborhood in this city where an American can walk freely is beyond ludicrous. I’d love Sen. McCain to tell me where that neighborhood is and he and I can go for a stroll.”
That's right, because there are not even any streets in Baghdad where an Iraqi can walk freely, so you might as well forget about an American doing it.
Ware also stated that “In the hour since Sen. McCain’s said this, I’ve spoken to military sources and there was laughter down the line. I mean, certainly the general travels in a Humvee. There’s multiple Humvee around it, heavily armed.”
McCain looked like an ass, everyone was laughing at him. He sounded like a senile old fool trying to sell us snake-oil with the promise of eternal youth.
So now, to prove just how safe Baghdad really is on April Fools Day (of all days!) McCain went to a Baghdad market accompanied by 100 soldiers, 3 Black hawks and 2 Apache Gunships.
See how safe Baghdad is? You only need some odd 100 soldiers, 3 Black hawks and 2 Apache Gunships to be safe on the streets of Baghdad! Now, if only we had 100 soldiers, 3 Black hawks and 2 Apache Gunships for every Iraqi, imagine how safe Baghdad would be then!!
So, I think it's obvious. Senator McCain went into that Baghdad market with the intention of trying to prove that he had been correct in his assertion that it was safe to walk the streets in Baghdad.
What McCain really proved by his heavily armed visit was how just how unsafe it is in a Baghdad marketplace.
McCain illustrated perfectly just how dangerous the streets of Baghdad are when his intentions were to illustrate the exact opposite.
UPDATE : Think Progress reports that NBC Iraq correspondent Tom Aspell said this of McCain's marketplace visit :
“It looked as though the whole trip had been arranged by someone to get rid of the negative publicity about [McCain’s] remarks in the States earlier in the week.
"It seemed as though he’d come to Baghdad, made a point of going to a market, staging this kind of visit to the market, and it just seemed to backfire.” He remarked that this weekend’s deadly violence in Iraq “made the trip look rather foolish.”
Related : McCain Lies To Media, Calls Media "Jerks" After Lies Are Exposed
Once upon a time I believed that Arizona Senator John McCain was one of the few decent Republicans in this country. But once upon a time I also used to believe in Unicorns and Care Bears and the power of a good decoder ring.
You know John McCain. He's Mr. Strait Shooter, Mr. Strait Talk Express...
But lately, McCain's shooting and talking is no longer strait, but a little crooked.
When asked what "Plan B" was regarding the troop surge Condoleeza Rice replied "Plan B" was to make "Plan A" work. It seems now that Republicans and war supporters have resorted to "Plan C", lie your freaking ass off.
Last week McCain was ridiculed for saying “There are neighborhoods in Baghdad where you and I could walk through those neighborhoods, today,” and "General Petraeus goes out there almost every day in an unarmed Humvee."
McCain's ridiculous assertions were obviously false and were quickly and hotly rebutted by CNN's Michael Ware.
“To suggest that there’s any neighborhood in this city where an American can walk freely is beyond ludicrous. I’d love Sen. McCain to tell me where that neighborhood is and he and I can go for a stroll.”
That's right, because there are not even any streets in Baghdad where an Iraqi can walk freely, so you might as well forget about an American doing it.
Ware also stated that “In the hour since Sen. McCain’s said this, I’ve spoken to military sources and there was laughter down the line. I mean, certainly the general travels in a Humvee. There’s multiple Humvee around it, heavily armed.”
McCain looked like an ass, everyone was laughing at him. He sounded like a senile old fool trying to sell us snake-oil with the promise of eternal youth.
So now, to prove just how safe Baghdad really is on April Fools Day (of all days!) McCain went to a Baghdad market accompanied by 100 soldiers, 3 Black hawks and 2 Apache Gunships.
See how safe Baghdad is? You only need some odd 100 soldiers, 3 Black hawks and 2 Apache Gunships to be safe on the streets of Baghdad! Now, if only we had 100 soldiers, 3 Black hawks and 2 Apache Gunships for every Iraqi, imagine how safe Baghdad would be then!!
So, I think it's obvious. Senator McCain went into that Baghdad market with the intention of trying to prove that he had been correct in his assertion that it was safe to walk the streets in Baghdad.
What McCain really proved by his heavily armed visit was how just how unsafe it is in a Baghdad marketplace.
McCain illustrated perfectly just how dangerous the streets of Baghdad are when his intentions were to illustrate the exact opposite.
UPDATE : Think Progress reports that NBC Iraq correspondent Tom Aspell said this of McCain's marketplace visit :
“It looked as though the whole trip had been arranged by someone to get rid of the negative publicity about [McCain’s] remarks in the States earlier in the week.
"It seemed as though he’d come to Baghdad, made a point of going to a market, staging this kind of visit to the market, and it just seemed to backfire.” He remarked that this weekend’s deadly violence in Iraq “made the trip look rather foolish.”
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
McCain Lies To Media, Calls Media "Jerks" After Lies Are Exposed
The picture "strait talk" John McCain has been painting of Iraq is one of success and harmony.
A place where westerners can walk the streets safely and the commander of the Multinational Force in Iraq can travel around in an unarmed Humvee.
Sounds like "Mission Accomplished", right? The only problem with that scenario is that John McCain's claims about Iraq are completely false.
The Republican Senator from Arizona who wants to be President in 2008 is carrying such a large load of lies that one has to be surprised that the wheels on the "Strait Talk Express" have not blown out as a consequence.
It started on Monday when McCain claimed to radio host Bill Bennett “There are neighborhoods in Baghdad where you and I could walk through those neighborhoods, today,”
The lie continued on Tuesday when McCain spewed out on CNN that "General Petraeus goes out there almost every day in an unarmed Humvee." McCain then claimed that those who said it was unsafe for Americans to leave the heavily fortified "Green Zone" were "giving the old line of three months ago."
Journalist Michael Ware, who has worked for both TIME and CNN and has been in Iraq for several years strongly disagrees.
Ware stated in response to McCain's claim that “To suggest that there’s any neighborhood in this city where an American can walk freely is beyond ludicrous. I’d love Sen. McCain to tell me where that neighborhood is and he and I can go for a stroll.”
Ware also stated that “In the hour since Sen. McCain’s said this, I’ve spoken to military sources and there was laughter down the line. I mean, certainly the general travels in a Humvee. There’s multiple Humvee around it, heavily armed.”
Ware makes it quite clear that "Senator McCain is way off base on this one."
Watch the video below :
How dare McCain be so openly misleading about the conditions in Iraq? Is McCain that stupid, or does he think that the American people are that stupid?
This morning McCain was confronted by John Roberts of CNN with his fudging of the facts when Roberts stated “I checked with General Petraeus’s people overnight and they said he never goes out in anything less than an up-armored Humvee.”
Roberts also noted that a recent report by retired Gen. Barry McCaffrey stated "no Iraqi government official, coalition soldier, diplomat reporter could walk the streets of Baghdad without heavily armed protection.”
So not only has McCain's statements about Iraq been proven to be false by journalist Michael Ware, but also by former and current military officials.
But you know ole' strait talkin' McCain, he blundered “Well, I’m not saying they could go without protection. The President goes around America with protection. So, certainly I didn’t say that.”
But McCain did say General Petraeus went out without protection, he said he went out in an "unarmed Humvee".
To top of his own audacity McCain also appeared on GOP friendly FOX News and stated that he sometimes lets “jerks from the media” on board his "Strait Talk Express" bus.
Nice talk from a guy who wants to be President of this country, who knowingly misleads those "jerks from the media" about the conditions in Iraq in order to try to gain temporary political points at home.
The picture "strait talk" John McCain has been painting of Iraq is one of success and harmony.
A place where westerners can walk the streets safely and the commander of the Multinational Force in Iraq can travel around in an unarmed Humvee.
Sounds like "Mission Accomplished", right? The only problem with that scenario is that John McCain's claims about Iraq are completely false.
The Republican Senator from Arizona who wants to be President in 2008 is carrying such a large load of lies that one has to be surprised that the wheels on the "Strait Talk Express" have not blown out as a consequence.
It started on Monday when McCain claimed to radio host Bill Bennett “There are neighborhoods in Baghdad where you and I could walk through those neighborhoods, today,”
The lie continued on Tuesday when McCain spewed out on CNN that "General Petraeus goes out there almost every day in an unarmed Humvee." McCain then claimed that those who said it was unsafe for Americans to leave the heavily fortified "Green Zone" were "giving the old line of three months ago."
Journalist Michael Ware, who has worked for both TIME and CNN and has been in Iraq for several years strongly disagrees.
Ware stated in response to McCain's claim that “To suggest that there’s any neighborhood in this city where an American can walk freely is beyond ludicrous. I’d love Sen. McCain to tell me where that neighborhood is and he and I can go for a stroll.”
Ware also stated that “In the hour since Sen. McCain’s said this, I’ve spoken to military sources and there was laughter down the line. I mean, certainly the general travels in a Humvee. There’s multiple Humvee around it, heavily armed.”
Ware makes it quite clear that "Senator McCain is way off base on this one."
Watch the video below :
How dare McCain be so openly misleading about the conditions in Iraq? Is McCain that stupid, or does he think that the American people are that stupid?
This morning McCain was confronted by John Roberts of CNN with his fudging of the facts when Roberts stated “I checked with General Petraeus’s people overnight and they said he never goes out in anything less than an up-armored Humvee.”
Roberts also noted that a recent report by retired Gen. Barry McCaffrey stated "no Iraqi government official, coalition soldier, diplomat reporter could walk the streets of Baghdad without heavily armed protection.”
So not only has McCain's statements about Iraq been proven to be false by journalist Michael Ware, but also by former and current military officials.
But you know ole' strait talkin' McCain, he blundered “Well, I’m not saying they could go without protection. The President goes around America with protection. So, certainly I didn’t say that.”
But McCain did say General Petraeus went out without protection, he said he went out in an "unarmed Humvee".
To top of his own audacity McCain also appeared on GOP friendly FOX News and stated that he sometimes lets “jerks from the media” on board his "Strait Talk Express" bus.
Nice talk from a guy who wants to be President of this country, who knowingly misleads those "jerks from the media" about the conditions in Iraq in order to try to gain temporary political points at home.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
