What IS Acceptable to Say About McCain?
By anniepa
@anniepa (27955)
United States
July 5, 2008 4:23pm CST
This is really a serious question, I'm not being a wise-a$$ I'm totally sincere and puzzled. We all have discovered saying anything about his military service is a definite no-no and that also extends into his years in the Senate since he's served on the Armed Services Committee and has traveled abroad so that's somehow also related to his war hero status. His character cannot be questioned at all, period, due to his having been a POW. I think some people would excuse him if he became a serial killer for that reason...lol.
I've been around long enough to know that politics is subjective and that what one person sees as a simple observation may be seen as a vicious attack by someone else but it seems as if this is true this year more than during any other election cycle. To me - and remember, I already said politics is very subjective so I'm not claiming to be objective here - it seems like "anything goes" with Obama but everything is out of bounds with McCain so I guess what I'm asking here is for someone to set the boundaries.
Annie
3 people like this
9 responses
@piasabird (1737)
• United States
5 Jul 08
OK, granted I haven't been involved in many political discussions on mylot. But elsewhere I haven't seen anyone use kid gloves on McCain.
What could anyone possibly say that's negative about his military service? I don't care if people bring up legitimate beefs but his service to our country shouldn't be in question.
I've heard he has a very bad temper. I've also heard that even his wife gets the brunt of it sometimes. So that's a negative there. I don't think we need a hot head as president.
I'm sure there are other negatives but someone will have to enlighten me to them.
3 people like this
@piasabird (1737)
• United States
5 Jul 08
I don't think so.
However he does have many years of political experience in the senate. It's Obama who is a junior senator ...... and he doesn't even have ANY military experience at all.
3 people like this
@ClarusVisum (2163)
• United States
6 Jul 08
Say whatever is true. I have a series on my blog called "Reasons not to vote for McCain", and everything in there is based on factual information.
http://clarusvisum.blogspot.com/search/label/Reasons%20not%20to%20vote%20for%20John%20McCain
2 people like this
@steeltownfan5828 (252)
• United States
6 Jul 08
Wow...where to start...
#12.So...am I a bad person because I have a friend that thinks I would look better if I competed against someone in something I have more experience in? I know that it was a stupid thing to say, but that was clearly the harmless point he was trying to make: McCain has an experience advantage. No denying that.
#11.So oil companies are greedy. We all know it. But let's put a new spin on this and paint it as John McCain's fault, when he would benefit not at all from it. Oh, and attack Bush while we're at it, just to be original.
#9.Oh, and pull out a beyond dated quote from five years ago that could easily have been taken out of context (I'm tired of the excuse too, but I could easily see it happening on this one), y'know, just for kicks and giggles.
#10.I love using McCain saying he doesn't support torture and saying that it means that he does...and then calling his statements "bizzare".
#3.Sorry, I'm not really into baby killing, and I'm sorry my candidate isn't either.
#8.No, citing wikipedia isn't flimsy at all.
#6.You don't do ANYTHING halfway. Ever. Not even to go cry to mommy when it's not going your way. The troops say that the job isn't done. Why doesn't anyone believe those that have seen it firsthand?
And on flip-flopping:times change. People change. If you said something that was wrong, it would be irresponsible not to say so.
@steeltownfan5828 (252)
• United States
7 Jul 08
#12-And you should lose your job without a second chance because of 1 dumb comment in which everyone ignores the point you made clear. In fact, everyone should! I bet you would be the only employed human.
Oh, and McCain just has more political experience in general; don't pretend it wouldn't help.
#11-Spin is not lying; spin is twisting fact to make another look bad. John McCain is not "in on" a conspiracy to screw you. John McCain is trying to provide gas relief until new fuel sources can be developed.
#9-Sure: "Senator, if the U.S. helped to initiate peace talks and provide aid to bridge the gap between Sunni and Shiite Muslims, could anything come of it?" Easy enough.
And by hindering the US and supporting their own terror and tyranny enough to be all that remains of the axis of evil, isn't Iran, in a way, helping Al-Qaeda and their mission of terror?
#10-But he didn't vote for torture. Do you know that he didn't know full well that Bush would "manipulate" the policy? Maybe you just hate Bush for so many empty reasons that it's the worst offense imaginable when someone DOES trust him.
#3-I really prefer "pro-life", but whatever. Seeds do not have nearly as many functions of trees as fetuses do of more developed humans. Seeds do nothing. They do not kick, move, touch, feel, or think. Only living things do these.
#8-And I can go edit wikipedia right now. I ignored the suject material because no snappy comebacks came to mind immediately.
#6-Thanks for sharing (if you listen REALLY closely, you can actually hear the sarcasm dripping off of that). I haven't talked to anyone who's been there that thinks it's time to pull out.
Why did we need to go into Iraq? Simple (even if this isn't what Bush said, it was necessary because of this): Follow me here. Say we don't invade Iraq. Saddam Hussein takes over Kuwait, right? And now he has more oil money, making him richer and more powerful. And now he has the resources to go after, say, Syria, then Jordan. More resources, more power. And then the bombshell: Iraq takes over Saudi Arabia. All of a sudden, he is more than a crazy dictator; he is a crazy dictator with oodles of resources. Next, it's Iran. And now a man with a major vendetta against the U.S. is basically unstoppable. How long before he gets to India? China? Japan? Europe? You see where it's going.
Maybe it's now time to, ON AN EXPERIMENTAL BASIS ONLY, start moving troops to Afghanistan. Maybe. That's a case you could make to me.
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So it's your opinion that he moves from wrong to right. Clearly, others think differently. At least one other.
@missybal (4490)
• United States
9 Jul 08
I don't know what you mean by anything goes with Obama. God forbid we bring up the fact that the reason he is such a rave with the nation is because he's black. Can't bring up the fact either that he's half white too. Don't talk about how he never served in the military because his grand-dad did it for him. Don't bring up the fact he has less experience. Don't talk about his wife. Don't bring up the fact he once was taught Muslim beliefs.
It goes both ways...
1 person likes this
@missybal (4490)
• United States
10 Jul 08
How many times has the POW thing come up? How about how Obama supporters tried to even connect him with the KKK? How about how they say he's just another Bush and that he is for this war? An Obama supporter goes on the attack when you say any of the things I listed above. Same with the McCain Supporters with what's been put out there about him. What I'm trying to say is it's even on both sides. You can't say anything negative on either one, don't dare question their character. You asked why it wasn't acceptable to say any of those things about McCain... Well how come it's not acceptable to a lot of people to say anything about Obama's character. Honestly I read a lot on this election and I feel there is more negative talk on McCain and his character than Obama when really there is on paper more to write about with Obama. Most of it seems to come straight out of Obama's mouth.
1 person likes this
@snowy22315 (180743)
• United States
6 Jul 08
I dont think McCain should be critcized in any way, shape or form for his military career, a career that very nearly cost him his life, and entailed more sacrifice than you or I could possibly envision. Beyond that I think anything he does or says is fair game. As a previous respondent said "It seems like anything goes with Obama." Why shouldn't it be the same for McCain?
1 person likes this
@anniepa (27955)
• United States
6 Jul 08
I think we're in agreement about McCain's military service. However, the point I've been trying to make is if it's an attack on that service to say it doesn't make him automatically qualified to be President than it seems that at least to some people that's all he needs to be given the job.
Annie
@steeltownfan5828 (252)
• United States
6 Jul 08
Even as a McCain supporter, I think that you have a valid point. For all the ridiculous things people make up about Obama, it should be fair game to say what you want about McCain.
But here's the other side of the coin: Of course McCain has issues and negative quirks. So does everybody else. And most importantly, he appears to have significantly fewer than Sen. Obama.
2 people like this
@ClarusVisum (2163)
• United States
6 Jul 08
"most importantly, he appears to have significantly fewer than Sen. Obama."
Strongly disagree. Most of Obama's 'issues' are based on fabrications or half-truths to begin with, and just a few days ago I uploaded a video to YouTube highlighting 28 of McCain's flip-flops. Pandering is a big, big problem to me, because even if I supported McCain's (current) stances, I couldn't vote for him because McCain seems all too eager to change his stance if he thinks it'll get him a few more votes.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=W9jgXzgvFZI
2 people like this
@steeltownfan5828 (252)
• United States
6 Jul 08
A major lack of experience isn't a half truth.
Anti-American stances on military and other things isn't a half truth.
Supporting baby-murder isn't a half-truth.
@KrauseHome (36448)
• United States
6 Jul 08
So much agreed here. I think I could not have said this one any better here. Personally I am not sure which of these 2 is the least of 2 evils. But I am tired for one of all the Bashing, without anyone being able to dig in and see what McCain is or isn't as well.
Since when is it about your past to what counts in who will be our next President? Where are the Debates on the issues at hand that should count, like Health Care, Jobs, the Economy, Gas Prices, the War in Iraq, etc. instead of just deflaming someone for who their friends are or aren't.
Personally, I am not sure who I will Vote for, but I feel it is high time they start showing what they will do in office instead of what they did in the past, so that someday everyone might really have an educated guess on who they really want to Vote for. Just my thoughts.
1 person likes this
@albert2412 (1782)
• United States
6 Jul 08
McCain is a war hero and should be awarded the Metal of Honor.
It is Obama that has been given a free ride by the press. No one talks about Obama being Tony Resko's lawyer or that Obama supports late term abortion, where babies' heads are crushed or their legs and arms are torn off of them. I would like very much to see Obama treated to just as much close scrutiny in the press as has McCain. I personally see Obama as an obamanation, a murdered and a child abuser for supporting abortion.
@missybal (4490)
• United States
9 Jul 08
McCain is not a war hero because he was a POW, although I have a great deal of respect for all he has had to endure that most of us will never be able to relate to. I don't believe that he is looking for everyone to classify him as a war hero but just the fact that he was a POW should not be brought up as something that qualifies nor disqualifies him as a potential president of the U.S. I do however believe that being a POW does something to a man's character and to say that McCain is some kind of War Mongrel is an outrage... Just as it would to say that because Obama once was surrounded by the muslim faith that he would be a terrorist. McCain is not off limits and has not been treated so. He's being followed around by anti-war demonstrations as if he is for war, and being attacked as if he is just going to be another Bush.
1 person likes this
@anniepa (27955)
• United States
7 Jul 08
First, nobody is denying that McCain was a war hero and I think he did receive some sort of medals at the time, I'm not sure. Obama has been given a "free ride by the press"? Welcome back to Planet Earth!
This isn't a post to debate the choice issue but since you brought it up it should be noted the majority of Americans are pro-choice and the late term procedure you referred to is illegal in most cases. there should be an exception for the life and health of the mother as well as for some other extenuating circumstances such as severe deformity of the baby, in my opinion. It's certainly not for me to say that a woman should give her life or future health or that she should have to give birth to a child that would never have a chance at being anything more than a vegetable.
Annie
@cynddvs (2948)
• United States
8 Jul 08
I think with everything that has been brought out about Obama whether it was true or not McCain shouldn't be off boundaries. After all we've got this thing called free speech. People say Obama supporters get defensive when debunking all of these lies coming out about him but then they get all mad when we try to say anything about McCain. I for one don't think Obama's religion or anyones religion should ever come up when running for office. I think religion is one of those topics that boundaries should be set on.
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