Less jobs and more war

[YOhio]

McCain's rise really has been incredible. In Michigan he campaigned on the idea that Michiganders better get used to the fact that jobs aren't coming back. In New Hampshire he said we could be in Iraq for another 100 years. In Florida he said there are more wars to come. He's joked about bombing Iran. On numerous occassions he's said he doesn't know much about the economy.

He has no real unifying theme, he's not physically attractive and doesn't appeal to the base of his party. It's a sad indictment of Mitt, Rudy and the GOP that McCain has done so well. How has he done it?

[myboynoah]

Originally Posted by YOhio

McCain's rise really has been incredible. In Michigan he campaigned on the idea that Michiganders better get used to the fact that jobs aren't coming back. In New Hampshire he said we could be in Iraq for another 100 years. In Florida he said there are more wars to come. He's joked about bombing Iran. On numerous occassions he's said he doesn't know much about the economy.

He has no real unifying theme, he's not physically attractive and doesn't appeal to the base of his party. It's a sad indictment of Mitt, Rudy and the GOP that McCain has done so well. How has he done it?

Rudy miscalculated, Mitt miscalculated and is a new figure to national politics, Thompson climbed into the hammock, Allen said "macaca," Santorum lost in Pennsylvania. Did I miss anybody?

Given time I could get behind McCain, but he sure doesn't make it easy.

[Venkman]

Originally Posted by YOhio

McCain's rise really has been incredible. In Michigan he campaigned on the idea that Michiganders better get used to the fact that jobs aren't coming back. In New Hampshire he said we could be in Iraq for another 100 years. In Florida he said there are more wars to come. He's joked about bombing Iran. On numerous occassions he's said he doesn't know much about the economy.

And he keeps winning. I just keep thinking, what the fuh??

noah's basically hit it. I really think the big thing with Romney is his relative unknown-ness. The more people listen to him I think the more they realize he's a superior candidate to McCain. I think he's still got a shot.

[TripletDaddy]

Originally Posted by YOhio

McCain's rise really has been incredible. In Michigan he campaigned on the idea that Michiganders better get used to the fact that jobs aren't coming back. In New Hampshire he said we could be in Iraq for another 100 years. In Florida he said there are more wars to come. He's joked about bombing Iran. On numerous occassions he's said he doesn't know much about the economy.

He has no real unifying theme, he's not physically attractive and doesn't appeal to the base of his party. It's a sad indictment of Mitt, Rudy and the GOP that McCain has done so well. How has he done it?

Stranger things have happened.

Bill Clinton looked into the camera and admitted lying to the American public.

The next day, his approval ratings actually went up.

Go figure.

McCain is an uninspiring candidate. He is old, boring, seems tired most of the time. He does not ignite passion. He seems better suited to be a tour guide within the Pentagon than the Commander of it.

[YOhio]

Originally Posted by myboynoah

Did I miss anybody?

The state of Iowa. They delivered this one big time to McCain.

Another thing I don't understand is that folks who are seemingly anti-Iraq war support McCain, a guy who will likely be as or more hawkish as GWB. For instance, the mainstream media. Liberal papers across the land are fawning over McCain, yet print the word Iraq with disgust.

To your point that McCain's success is due more to the mistakes of others than his attractiveness as a candidate, I think you're spot on. It should be noted that his campaign has been mistake prone, but the timing has been good to him. Romney's initial miscalculation of swinging hard right branded him a phony, a label he still can't shed. Giuliani's late mistakes cost him critical airtime. McCain was fortunate enough to put his major problems behind him before November.

[myboynoah]

Originally Posted by YOhio

The state of Iowa. They delivered this one big time to McCain.

Another thing I don't understand is that folks who are seemingly anti-Iraq war support McCain, a guy who will likely be as or more hawkish as GWB. For instance, the mainstream media. Liberal papers across the land are fawning over McCain, yet print the word Iraq with disgust.

To your point that McCain's success is due more to the mistakes of others than his attractiveness as a candidate, I think you're spot on. It should be noted that his campaign has been mistake prone, but the timing has been good to him. Romney's initial miscalculation of swinging hard right branded him a phony, a label he still can't shed. Giuliani's late mistakes cost him critical airtime. McCain was fortunate enough to put his major problems behind him before November.

You mention another thing, the media absolutely loves him. He's the maverick, the guy that always gives them the soundbites. How many times has he been on Meet the Press with Russert during the primary season? Three?

Dick Morris said something interesting tonight. He cited Florida exit poll data showing only 28 percent of Repubs identified themselves as conservative (Mitt carried them 2-1) while the rest said moderate to liberal (38 percent said liberal). McCain carried those. McCain is pro-life but gets the pro-choice vote. Radical Islamic terrorism, tap codes, whispers, foot soldier in the Reagan Revolution . . .

These early primaries and Huckabee's presence have really helped him.

Couldn't he at last sit up during the debates? That hunching over makes him look very shifty, which he as tonight.