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McCain faces offensive on the home front

JOHN IBBITSON

From Friday's Globe and Mail

Latest comment posted at 7:08 AM EST 22/08/08

Tries to fight perception as aloof, rich man after he can't remember how many houses he owns ...Read the full article

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  1. old curmudgeon from Armenia writes: 'When I bought the first one, my husband, who is not a beach person, said, 'Oh, this is such a waste of money; the kids will never go.' Then it got to the point where they used it so much I couldn't get in the place. So I bought another one.' Who among us hasn't been forced to do the same?

    Who indeed? Why just the other day I was forced to buy another condo in Manhattan for the same reason. Damned kids making me look bad.
  2. Michael Sharp from Victoria, Canada writes:

    Kerry would have been the richest President in the history of the US.

    Ketchup apparently paying better than the Hanoi Hilton.

    If you catch my drift.
  3. Canadian Abroad from London, United Kingdom writes: Did anyone actually think either one of them is like you or me?

    Although this sure looks bad for McCain.
  4. Michael Sharp from Victoria, Canada writes:

    McCain has one redeeming factor which will assure him the Presidency.

    He is NOT a flake.
  5. Eric Carter from Keaau, HI, United States writes: FYI, there are no private beaches in Hawaii, by law (going back to ancient Hawaiian times). Obama went to popular beaches, such as Sandy Beach in East Oahu. He bodysurfed there (it does offer just about the best bodysurfing in the world!).

    More desperate Republican lies...
  6. Expert Eal from Canada writes: McCain is the biggest flake in America as far as I'm concerned.

    What kind of a man would bootlick Bush after the nasty campaign of 2000?

    Answer: No man at all would do that, but a flake would.
  7. George S from Toronto, Canada writes: This campaign is resorting to mudslinging a lot earlier then I thought it would. Hopefully they focus on what they offer in service to their country rather than trying to knock their opponent down a peg or two.
  8. Duane Freemantle from writes: The question was obviously a trap that McCain did not prepare for. There are ways of answering the question. A candidate not having the correct answer or correct method of not answering the question, can be made to appear out of touch with the average person. This is what the Obama campaign office took advantage of, and this is not mudslinging. It is important for the political candidate to answer difficult questions according to what they believe the populace wants to hear. With the economic problems in America and increasing house foreclosures, not knowing how to answer a question to 'How many houses do you have?' is just plain bad politics.
  9. P B from Calgary, Canada writes: Less than four years ago, Senator Obama was deeply, deeply in debt, before giving that awesome speech at the 2004 Democratic convention and seeing a paperback reprint of his first book become a bestseller. His wealth is new, and earned, and I am sure he knows precisely how many houses he and Michelle own. (Does he rent in Washington?)

    Senator McCain will look for ways to redeem himself from an offhand comment. I continue to hope that the election will be fought on issues (Iraq, health care, national security, trade) that matter and that questions of elitism, wealth, and patriotism will play a much reduced role.
  10. Dropped Acid - Climate change is a socialist conspriacy (I don't think...) from Canada writes: .

    Getting shot down on your first combat flight and treated better than all prisoners because your dad was high-up in the military is the only qualification necessary to become president of the united states.

    A lack of vision also helps.
  11. Jesse Winger from Calgary SW, Canada writes: I can't tell you how many houses I own...
    oh, wait a minute: one.
    How could I forget?
    McCain is a rich, fat-cat Con artist. A faux hero in my books.
  12. Paul F. from Toronto, Canada writes: Michael Sharp from Victoria, Canada writes:

    McCain has one redeeming factor which will assure him the Presidency.

    He is NOT a flake.

    -----

    Have you seen the guy make a speech? He has a creepy smile.
  13. CM Chen from Toronto, Canada writes: The political silly season is fully upon us.

    Now that the race has tightened up, be prepare for more nastiness from both sides.

    I am glad that our election campaign is so much shorter and less negative. Well , other than having image consultant that indulge in psychic ways or to dissect how not to eat a hot dog....
  14. Paul F. from Toronto, Canada writes: Duane Freemantle from writes: The question was obviously a trap that McCain did not prepare for. There are ways of answering the question. A candidate not having the correct answer or correct method of not answering the question, can be made to appear out of touch with the average person. This is what the Obama campaign office took advantage of, and this is not mudslinging. It is important for the political candidate to answer difficult questions according to what they believe the populace wants to hear. With the economic problems in America and increasing house foreclosures, not knowing how to answer a question to 'How many houses do you have?' is just plain bad politics.

    ----

    Live by the sword, die by the sword. It's like Britney Spears complaining about papparazzi.

    He has hired Karl Rove's protege to run his campaign, hence we get the ad where Obama is compared Britney Spears. Now people are complaining that asking him how many houses he has is a trick question?

    Ya, right. Give me a break.
  15. John Sullivan from Halifax, Canada writes: I think Obama is an interesting candidate but pretty inexperienced and I worry that he's a figment of marketing imagination. What is really annoying me is his aloof and arrogant response to Clinton and McCain as is no one is allowed to ask him any questions. Obama talks down to everyone but he is going to have to soon explain why his half-brother lives in a slum in Nairobi on a $1 per month.
  16. newage blues from United States writes: There's a lot of different ways McCain could have answered the question. He could have distinguished between homes and investment properties, or between what he owns and what his wife solely owns. The way he answered was really stupid and lazy, he wasn't thinking at all about how what he said would sound to most people who either own one home, or one home minus the mortgage, or no home.
    It was pretty obvious a couple of months back that McCain didn't know anything about the difference between Sunnis and Shiites, despite its centrality to the war in Iraq. That's certainly bad enough, but I'm wondering if he has learned anything about the difference since then. Some reporter should ask.
  17. Major Pain from Canada writes: Lord above, what about who has better ideas for their economy, social programs, or even about helping fix highway infrastructure, for goodness' sakes? Is schoolyard sniping really the only way to get through to the average American?

    When I was younger and less experienced, I used to hate Americans because I thought it was a country of dolts. Then I met a bunch of them and revised my opinion upward. However, this campaign (not to mention the last 8 years of their enlightened policy) is shifting my view back again. Darned shame...
  18. David any from Swirling Dirvish, Canada writes: I don't dislike McCain...I think he is better than his party(Rep). I hate (whoops too strong a word) his party.
    I like the Democrats so I am behind Obama. However he may be just a glib populist. I like the language of Obama and of hope. Obama is like the old Windows commercial....'Where do you want to go today?'
    Mc Cain= a good person... fallible...human.
    Obama= carpet bagger...strong speaker...intelligent...but I am not sure abouthis humanity...he wants to win and is good at it.
    I don't want my neighbour and our best friends under the Republican party again...
    This will be a great election. It will get better ratings than American Idol.
  19. Stephen P from Cambridge, Canada writes: Actually McCain is not a war hero. Heroism isn't that cheap. To be heroic the act must be voluntary, of great risk and have at its heart a noble motive. Also success helps. McCain was a war victim, and victimhood isn't heroism.
    Having said that, I should say that to ask such a intellectually mediocre man such a question is unfair. I think the questioner should have begun by asking McCain how many feet he has and then work up to how many shoes there are in a pair...
  20. Sandy _Boston from Boston, United States writes: I bet Paris Hilton knows how many houses she owns... and probably without consulting her staff!
  21. El Cid from Canada writes: I'm not surprised that McCain was confused by that question - he's not a spring chicken after all. He gave the same answer that he'll give people on Education, the Economy, Iraq, Health Care, etc....'I'll have to talk to my advisors'. That's EXPERIENCE in action, folks! Maybe an easier question would be 'how many richer-than-God trophy wives do you have?'...or how many 'sick and handicapped wives have you cheated on and divorced?'. Me, I'm more interested in those kind of questions to get a sense of a man's character. Obama having off the cuff dealings with a real estate swindler - big fricking deal...the owner of the convenience store I go to went to jail for some kind of fraud (tax, mabye?) a few years back, but I never stopped going to his store. On the other hand, a work acquaintance of mine left his wife and two kids for another woman...I won't speak to the slime. In the end, who would you TRUST more?

    Poor McCain....this is going to be a long three months for him.
  22. Stephen P from Cambridge, Canada writes: NWT Knifer from Yellowknife, Canada writes:

    Obhama
    rpaed
    and idividual
    unfder
    Obhama
    Obhama was pracing
    hereo
    democtatic Congree
    Obhama in his last days because the DNC Convetionis going to dump him

    Quick NWT Knifer, how many mitts in a pair?
  23. daver d from toronto, Canada writes: Obama has to take a page from the Republican play book and bury McCain (no POW pun intended). He should slime him and make McCain's obscene wealth and ignorance a constant theme until November. Bring on the Keating 5, bring on his age and apparent senility. Arizona is full of weak old people and that's where McCain deserves to stay.
  24. NWT Knifer from Yellowknife, Canada writes: McCain served enough said!!!!!!!!!!!
  25. Shane Nahumko from Poznan, Poland writes: McBush look good when he can stick to subjects he knows, like 'bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb Iran' (http://theendisalwaysnear.blogspot.com/2008/05/when-talking-became-bad-thing.html) or professing his faith in god and guns, but this little gaff may come back to haunt him as it doesn't take much to tip the scales in a US election (http://theendisalwaysnear.blogspot.com/2008/08/and-non-loser-is.html)
    Let's hope this does it, for all our sakes.
    www.theendisalwaysnear.blogspot.com
  26. Stephen P from Cambridge, Canada writes: NWT Knifer from Yellowknife, Canada writes: McCain served enough said!!!!!!!!!!!

    ?
    On a tennis court?
    In a restaurant?

    You should put your crayons away. You're making other members of the territory look bad.
  27. Hank M from Hamilton, Canada writes: NWT Knifer, you should be ashamed to be a part of the rep. campain of false inuendo that seems to take advantage of the ill-informed. That, in my opinion, is pure evil.
    'He was on a private beach owned by and idividual who is unfder investigation. The same person who bought Obhama his first home!' - HE WAS NOT ON A PRIVATE BEACH AND THE PERSON IN QUESTION DID NOT BUY HIM A HOME, BUT RATHER THE LOT NEXT TO HIM AS PART OF A PACKAGE THAT BO COULD NOT AFFORD IF THE LOT WAS INCLUDED.

    'anyone who wishes to be president has to be American from birth, being a naturalized citizen doesn't count' - BO IS AMERICAN FROM BIRTH AS HE WAS BORN IN HAWAII TO AN AMERICAN MOTHER.

    'He denies that his school he went to was a training camp for known terorist!!' - OF COURSE HE DENIES IT, BECAUSE IT IS FALSE!

    If you cannot support your preference with truths, then it is time to examine the validity of your preference.
  28. Stephen P from Cambridge, Canada writes: Hank M from Hamilton, Canada writes:
    'anyone who wishes to be president has to be American from birth, being a naturalized citizen doesn't count' - BO IS AMERICAN FROM BIRTH AS HE WAS BORN IN HAWAII TO AN AMERICAN MOTHER.

    I presume this comment was intended for me. I made the comment about this in reply to a silly rant of NWT's. The point was that obviously Obama was born in the United States or he wouldn't have been able to run for the presidency. I apologize if my meaning was unclear.
  29. Donald Duck from Ottawa, Canada writes: First if people stop feeding the trolls, they would stop posting and you could have a rational discussion. They don't care what you say so long as you reference their comment.

    Second, McCain not knowing how many houses he has DOES NOT MATTER. What matters is the economy, foreign policy and healthcare, these candidates should both focus on those issues and what they would do to improve them rather than this navel gazing, 'I'm more of a regular guy than you' stuff.
  30. No Name Economist With Different Ideas from Canada writes: Sandy Boston from Boston, United States writes: I bet Paris Hilton knows how many houses she owns... and probably without consulting her staff!
    ________________________________________________________

    Sandy, You beat me to it. I was thinking the same thing. I saw her campaign video.. spoof... but she made some really good points regarding the environment. I'm thinking she is a lot smarter than we all think, either that or has some smart friends...
    Could you picture an America with her as president? We would all be skinny, have nice homes, be well dressed and have little dogs. I like it... Except maybe the small dog part. LOL
  31. Whatever You Think I Am I Am from Canada writes: NWT Knifer from Yellowknife, Canada writes: How sad has Obhama become!! He has now stooped to atacking a national War hero!!!!

    Obhama spnet twoo weeks sitting on a private beech haveing been jetted outthere by a Privste jet. The same owner of the private jet and beach bought Obhama his home! What type of relationship is this.? Sure obhama does alot more for this guy than run around in a speedo!!!!!

    He dresses in cloth form Italy

    He has gone to an Ivy league Univesity!

    He denies his religious faith!

    He denies that his school he went to was a training camp for known terorist!!

    McCain has been for America from his birth!

    Obhama is about to be dumped at the Demorcratic convention and he is now in Panic!!

    Hillary is about to steal thenomination from him!! because the Liberals now accept the fact that Obhama can not beat a War hero!
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Were you drinking when you wrote the above?
  32. Stephen P from Cambridge, Canada writes: Actually not knowing how many houses one owns is relevant. If something that obvious has to be referred to one of his staff, let's find out who that person is and make them the candidate.
  33. No Name Economist With Different Ideas from Canada writes: NWT Knifer from Yellowknife, Canada is not drunk. He is just getting used to using his new i-phone.. NWT, switch back to your BlackBerry.. LOL
  34. K Morris from Toronto, Canada writes: I don't understand what all these anti-Mccain posters are arguing without any merit. Obama's campaign at this point is so weak as he is sliding in the polls that he has to revert to attack ads on how many homes McCain owns. This has no relevence to the election. The thing I have noticed on Obama is that he is the biggest hypocrite of them all. He claimed that he would not stoop to negative attacks and that is exactly what he is doing. Am I the only one that noticed that he couldn't answer a straight question when asked last weekend by Rev. Warren, What is your definition of a human life? He didn't even answer that, he basically answers like a typical politician that lies by going around the answer. The funny thing is that he keeps pandering to whatever is popular based on the location he is speaking. Iran is not a serious threat, a weak later to AIPAC Iran is a grave threat. I will speak with all these leaders that are not friendly to the US and then retracts his comments. I thought Bill Clinton was arrogant but this guy is a piece of work. Obama was against offshore drilling and when he saw the popularity of McCain on the subject he flip flops. Look I respect a leader that changes position that he had years ago due to concerns of the economy and oil prices. But when a politician keeps flipping back and forth depending on which crowd he speaks to, that is simply someone who is playing with peoples emotions. The person who is guilty of this is Barak Obama. I ask this question to all those Kool Aid drinkers out there What Hope does Barak represent. As far as I am concerned his slogan is False Hope 2008 Change you don't want to see. This guy wants to tax everybody while the economy is hurting. He openly admits to it and people are following him like he is their messiah. If you ask me he is worse than Kerry because John Kerry did not play people like Obama does. As far as John McCain goes he is not perfect but he is more trust worthy.
  35. Brian Havelock from Winnipeg, Canada writes: Mr. McCain strikes me as a man who is past his prime and not alert enough for the demands required of the main resident of the Whitehouse.

    Further to this he seems to see more war and aggression as a solution to American problems. His positions on the abortion issue(refelecting the religious right) as contrary to equality and pro-choice .
    His American foreign policy might fit with Pax Americana or Full Spectrum dominance but in my view this will lead to further decline in American power and influence both in terms of economy and military capacity.

    Americans are at a crossroad moving forward. I know how I would vote if I were an American.
  36. Mr Malcontent from Canada writes: So he and his wife own a lot of properties , and he had a little moment were he couldn't remember how many. He does have a lot on his plate . Not a big deal
    Bet he doesn't know how many pairs of shoes he owns either.
    I thought Obama was going to bring politics to a new level.
    Obama cannot remember for the past 20 years ever hearing Rev Wright giving a racially charged sermon.
    Guess both of them have memory lapses
  37. El Cid from Canada writes: K Morris, ask McCain's first wife how trustworthy he is. And that IS relevant...it is a good indicator of someone's character and ethics. Compared to George Bush, McCain is as honest as a saint....but that's compared to Bush. Bush has lowered the standard so far that he makes everyone look good. And flip-flopping??? I'm surprised you have the guts to point your finger at Obama when McCain should be running a waffle house with the number of times he's changed his position on various issues. Perhaps he just can't remember what he said before. Obama a flip-flopper...that's really, really ripe coming from the McCain side.
  38. Ho Ho from Canada writes: I don't like McCain for the simple fact that he dumped his first wife for a younger, richer, more connected girl just a few years after he back from Vietnam. If a woman stood by you during your lowest days, you just dont do that.
  39. Michael B from Canada writes: What I cannot for the life of me understand is that American voters don't like so-called elites. These people have to spend million and millions of dollars campaigning, but they're supposed to be average joes? And do they really want some average joe running the freaking country? The answer SHOULD be NO. Maybe they want a guy who's down to earth, fine, but you need a guy who can look at things in a nuanced fashion, you need a guy who can see deeper into problems, because this guy is going to have to straddlea behemoth and try to make it work.

    I say pick the guy who thinks before he talks, who won't talk down to you (or didn't use to, anyway), and who tries to be as honest as possible (which often means seeming slightly duplicitous, because noone is ever 100% sure about anything, ever, no matter what they say)
  40. Mr. Justice from Anytown, Canada writes: Say what you want.

    McCain will be elected president. All he has to do is wave the flag and say 'Boo!' to the Democrats.
  41. Greg Van Zandt from Canada writes: Two new polls show Barack Obama has lost his lead. A Wall Street Journal/NBC poll puts him at a statistical tie with John McCain. Only half of Hillary Clinton's former supporters say they support Obama going into the Democratic convention next week in Denver. A Reuters-Zogby poll puts McCain five points ahead of Obama, a reversal of the 7-point advantage the Democrat had in July
  42. Robert White from Waterloo, Canada writes: Americans better hope that the party machines run the country and not either of these two.

    Obama is young, I suspect by the time he gets to McCain's age, he'll have seven houses too... and may have trouble remembering it.
  43. Paul F. from Toronto, Canada writes: I think people are forgetting about what this election is about. It isn't about one person per se. It is about what team of advisors and personalities will make up the next administration. The Bush administration has a proven record of failure, and mass deception. America is weaker because of the housing bubble and the Iraq invasion, and the Bush administration's unilateralism. The idea of carrying out war without threat and letting Wall Street do whatever it pleases has hurt America. Despite McCains criticisms of the execution of the war, he thinks that the end game in Iraq is victory. People think the surge is working, but the fundamental issues underlying the violence there are not resolved, and the key combatants have not been disarmed. Whatever maverick status McCain may have had, it has been buried by him changing positions on no less than 60 key questions. Here is a link to his political position changes during the election campaign. http://www.alternet.org/election08/90956/ Now his positions are actually on the right of the Republican Party. He is no longer a moderate. Obama has many flaws as a candidate. But he recognizes the initial invasion of Iraq is a mistake and he would have handled the situation with Georgia much better. Bush's position of always being 'hard' has had completely self-defeating result. You think it is clever to insist on Georgia being part of NATO, or backing the hothead regime there? How about Russia's vote on the Iranian nuclear program, or selling sophisticated weapons to Syria, or compelling the central Asian republic to stop giving logistical support to the NATO effort in Afghanistan? For McCain that's not even considered. He just says 'kick them out of the G8'? Same American exeptionalism, unilateralism. It will drive this world closer to war and actually undermine US influence in the world.
  44. Tax me! I'm Canadian. I'll roll over! from Canada writes: :
    The Real John McCain:

    I encourage everyone to see this video about McCain in his own words. It has been watched over 3.6 million times - probably hijacked by the Obamamessiah drones. Nevertheless it shows a doddering man whose train of thought is still boarding at the station:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEtZlR3zp4c

    Another interesting exchange occurred between McCain and his current wife, Cindy, in 1992:

    Three reporters from Arizona, on the condition of anonymity, also let me in on another incident involving McCain's intemperateness. In his 1992 Senate bid, McCain was joined on the campaign trail by his wife, Cindy, as well as campaign aide Doug Cole and consultant Wes Gullett. At one point, Cindy playfully twirled McCain's hair and said, 'You're getting a little thin up there.' McCain's face reddened, and he responded, 'At least I don't plaster on the makeup like a trollop, you c-nt.' McCain's excuse was that it had been a long day. If elected president of the United States, McCain would have many long days.

    http://tinyurl.com/57kh7w

    What a charming man. If I said that to my wife in public, let alone PUBLIC, I would be picking up my teeth with broken fingers.

    McCain served his country. Thank you. He clearly CANNOT serve as President. Neither can Obama.

    Americans had a real chance with Ron Paul. Too bad the media never let them know about it.
  45. Paul F. from Toronto, Canada writes: Robert White from Waterloo, Canada writes: Americans better hope that the party machines run the country and not either of these two.

    Obama is young, I suspect by the time he gets to McCain's age, he'll have seven houses too... and may have trouble remembering it.

    -----

    You can dismiss this all you like. But with many Americans losing their one home right now, I would not be so flippant on this question.

    'It's the housing crisis, stupid.'
  46. K Morris from Toronto, Canada writes: El Cid, McCain never lied about his failed marriage. Maybe you should ask your friend Obama why he has so many friends that equate to bad judgement and in some cases those who hate America such as; Jeremiah Wright, William Ayers (Terrorist), Tony Resko (Convicted Felon). These people are those that Obama is close to. I question Obama's judgment he is not fit to be president. Being a President is more than being able to speak well in front of a teleprompter. It means being able to make tough decisions even if it is not popular. I don't care how popular Obama would be to Canada or the rest of the World keep in mind that this is America's election and they will see fit who they want to lead them the next four years. I myself don't side with either party I always look at the individual candidate but I have noticed that Obama is just full of hot air and he knows it because if this election really is about the issues, Obama should be really scared. Hillary Clinton said it best, John McCain would bring a lifelong worth of experience to the White House and all Barak Obama brings to the table is a speech he made in 2002. I honestly think that if Americans feel they have had it bad the last 8 years they will be begging to have Bush back if Obama is elected. He is the furthest left candidate Americans have ever seen running for office and Americans will not be eager to vote for a leader that wants to redistribute wealth. That is not the American way.
  47. Prairie Boy from Canada writes: Obama wasn't all vacation, he was learning how to speak without a teleprompter. In case you haven't noticed when he doesn't have the teleprompter he is about as eloquent as a can of soup.
  48. Just Hmmm from Canada writes: I wonder if McCain has the seven addresses stitched to the inside of his shirt just in case he gets lost during his morning stroll to the corner.

    Don't forget ... supper is at 3PM.
  49. El Cid from Canada writes: j boland from United States writes: Obama looks like the total jerk he is for this kind of nonsense. Kerry's wife was/is worth several hundred million and no one even asked that kind of idiotic question.
    ------------------------------------------------------------
    Your memory must be failing you too...or maybe that's a character flaw all GOP supporters have. John Kerry was ridiculed, hounded, attacked on a DAILY basis over his wife's wealth and accused of being completely out of touch with the common American...and those were some of the 'polite' attacks against him. Funny how the GOP can't stand it when the Dems play their game against them. But it's sad when your 'retort' is limited to the same, tired BS about Ayers, Rezko, and the Clintons now??? You've posted that same post how many times already??? In case you didn't notice...that is so yesterday. Bring up Reverend Wright too...that happened a few months ago...maybe somebody here was living in a cave and missed that one. LOL.
  50. god bless canada from Canada writes: maccain is in the 70s obama is in his 40s .i would think by the time obama is in his 70s he will have more homes that he does now still no bad he has a million dollar home.why is when somone does well in america the american people and canadian people hate it .is this not the american dream to be rich have many houses cars and welth when did this become a bad thing.its what you do with that welth maccains family donates a lot of money and time helping the less fortunet.and obama spends time in a church that hates america.and i do believe it was a set up question becaue when obama came out on his stup he said maccain got it wrong he said maccain said he had 5 homes but obama said he had seven .who cares how many homes he has i ould be glad to have a president that has been succesfull in life.would you rather have a president who did not have a job all his life and was broke no you want a leader.and about that crap about him getting special treatment in a vietnam prison camp. thats bull crap he was offered because of his dad a way home earlyer he was a hero when he said no and let anouther piolet go home 3 years earlyer than him.i dont think there was any special treatment as they tortured them all the same.the torture is why to this day maccain can not even lift his arms above his head.you may not like him but dont disrospect the man.i like the way obama talkes he is a great speaker but when you break down his words there is really no meat in the words he says a lot but meens nothing
  51. Overtaxed and underlaid from Canada writes: Woo, I'm happy to see the Dems fighting dirty. That's the only way to win in American (and Canadian) politics. Issues don't win elections. The problem is they still aren't going far enough.

    Where are the ads painting McCain as a bumbling confused old man?

    Where are the ads showing the Senate Committee formally admonishing McCain for 'poor judgement' in the Keating 5 affair?

    Where are the ads showing him saying he wasn't opposed to a military draft? Or that he cheated on his first wife? Or that dozens upon dozens of Republicans, including a number of high-ranking generals, are horrified at the prospect of him becoming President?

    C'mon Obama, knock him down and step on his neck.
  52. Prairie Boy from Canada writes: Well if Obama were such a great human being why, when he is a millionaire, does his half brother live in a shack? Oh right he isn't prez yet so it doesn't count. How many shacks does his brother live in? Oh BS walks when it is your money.
  53. Mr Malcontent from Canada writes: Tax Me
    In todays media frenzied , American Idol mentality US ,
    Ron Paul didn't have a chance
    An honect, highly intelligent person that doesn't walk the walk, and talk the talk, doesn't have a chance
  54. Ballin Munson from toronto, Canada writes: All the above comments give lie to the 'fact' that Canadians know more about the US than vis - versa. The people trashing Obama, and supporting Mccain - where are you when everyone is trashing Harper on other blogs? Do you know anything about who you are defending? The people who are supporting Obama, do you realize that a 'left - wing' Democrat in the US is still far, far, far to the right of a 'conservative' in Canada? Obama, and most of the Democrats (who control Congress, both houses - look it up, if you want to understand how the US federal Gov't works) are not proposing comprehensive health care, support the current Federal tax system (38% starting at $250,000, if you do not know - a whole different universe from Canada). Not even a hint of gun control. And these are Democratic policies. By comparison, no one in Canada is proposing, say the privatization of the CBC, the selling of AEC, raising military spending to anywhere near the 3% of GDP it is in the US, or of a massive reduction of taxes. And the CPC get branded as cypto nazis! Give me a break. There is no federal sales tax in the US (GST, anyone?) and no support form the 'left' for it. The only people who are 'out of touch' on the US Presidential election, are the Canadians commenting on it. The next time all you NDP/Liberals are vacationing in Florida, talk to a REAL American, (ask them hard questions - you will be surprised at the opinions that will come from the mouths of Democrats, let alone Repulicans), and not just the hoser from Timmins on the next blanket
  55. Maggie Now from Canada writes: Obama better be careful about his attacks on the old guy or McCain may attack him with his walker! (if he can remember where he put it!)
  56. Festina Lente from United States writes: Why all the stir over the elections in America? Don't you Canadians have sufficient cause to be astir about your elections...in your minority governments? From this remove I see you have some serious problems that need tending. Cheers!
  57. El Cid from Canada writes: K Morris from Toronto, Canada writes: El Cid, McCain never lied about his failed marriage. Maybe you should ask your friend Obama why he has so many friends that equate to bad judgement and in some cases those who hate America such as; Jeremiah Wright, William Ayers (Terrorist), Tony Resko (Convicted Felon). These people are those that Obama is close to. ------------------------------------------------------------ Guess what...Obama ISN'T my friend. He's as much my friend as he is Ayers, Rezko, or Wright's. McCain lied about being a patriot. He condemned his own country's involvement in Vietnam (he signed a confession), he refused to be re-patriated to spend more time with his Vietnamese buddies and he impregnated a Vietnamese woman (that from Bush/Rove's 1999 campaign against him). His 'wounds' were a result of his crash, not torture from his Commie friends. Does that sound like nonsense? Is it outrageous? No more outrageous that comments that Obama is friends with...or supports Ayers' criminal past. No more outrageous that implications that Obama was great buddies with a criminal real estate developer. And no more outrageous than suggesting Obama is in tight with a reverend he has since cut all ties with. EVERY politician has connections and has had photos taken with slugs of all kinds...McCain is NO different...but I'm not attacking McCain on his connections with Catholic-hating ministers, corrupt Presidents, or other corrupt politicians. His wavering stands on a variety of issues are much easier to attack. And since Obama has wavered on a few issues of late, perhaps you should be concentrating on that rather than absolute nonsense.
  58. Paul F. from Toronto, Canada writes: K Morris from Toronto, Canada writes: El Cid, McCain never lied about his failed marriage. Maybe you should ask your friend Obama why he has so many friends that equate to bad judgement and in some cases those who hate America such as; Jeremiah Wright, William Ayers (Terrorist), Tony Resko (Convicted Felon). ----- The Karl Rove slime machine is in full operation. Do you want a list of nutcases who have actually endorsed McCain (unlike your list of people that have not). My favorite is John Hagee, the evangelical who calls the Catholic Church the 'Great Whore'. McCain has changed a lot since the days when he called these types: 'agents of intolerance.' McCain accepted the endorsement without even checking into the guy, and only rejected it once confronted with these quotes. Just to give an example of how the Rove slime machine works, let's look at the example of this poster. He accuses Obama of having a 'friendship' with the former Weatherman William Ayers. What exactly is this relationship. They served on board of the same charity. What charity was it? The Chicago Annenberg Challenge (CAC), a public-private charity founded in 1995 dedicated to improve school performance by what it called 'on the ground' investments in the form of professional development and technical assistance. When the denunciations of Ayers started, guess who came to his defence? Mayor of Chicago Richard M. Daley and the editorial board of the Chicago Tribune immediately issued statements in support of Ayers. Why? He has broken with his radical past and has worked hard to promote educational reform. The facts of course matter little when you are trying to slime someone. Goebbels thought it was an effective technique. But we know how Goebbels ended up.
  59. The Bull from Canada writes: i get a kick out of Canadians getting all worked up about American elections, like it matters.

    if it's our self-interest that matters, then a Republican has always been better for us.

    oh wait. that doesn't fit the narrative.

    sorry.
  60. Paul F. from Toronto, Canada writes: Prairie Boy from Canada writes: Obama wasn't all vacation, he was learning how to speak without a teleprompter. In case you haven't noticed when he doesn't have the teleprompter he is about as eloquent as a can of soup.

    ----

    If you are trying to say that Obama is worse speaker than McCain, you are just nuts. In fact it is painful to watch McCain give a speech.. Actually, I wouldn't be claiming McCain's strength will be in the debates. Actually, that's what will settle this in the end. McCain is NOT quick on his feet.

    Let's take this whole inexperience thing to task. It is true that McCain has done public service in the military, but Obama has also done public service in the inner cities. Obama has worked hard to get where he has, and so has McCain, but he has also married into money.

    And talk of Obama being a carpetbagger are laughable. When McCain was first running for congress in the 80s, he only moved into the district (in Arizona) DURING the election campaign.

    Lastly, for someone who comes from a state where the housing crisis is hitting pretty hard, I wouldn't dismiss the 'not knowing how many houses I own' question as having some effect.
  61. He Shoots! He Scores! from Chicago, United States writes: Why do those who favour McCain appear to be barely literate liars in the main?
  62. Paul F. from Toronto, Canada writes: The Bull from Canada writes: i get a kick out of Canadians getting all worked up about American elections, like it matters.

    if it's our self-interest that matters, then a Republican has always been better for us.

    -----

    Your comments are completely self contradictory. Not that you have noticed or anything.

    It doesn't matter, but then it matters is basicially your argument. Actually, who is in charge of the United States does matter. And having one who will make the world less safe actually does matter. John McCain will make it less safe.
  63. Ballin Munson from toronto, Canada writes: The Bull from Canada writes: i get a kick out of Canadians getting all worked up about American elections, like it matters.

    if it's our self-interest that matters, then a Republican has always been better for us.

    oh wait. that doesn't fit the narrative.

    sorry.

    ABSOLUTELY - 1,000 % correct. But few here would examine the history, or admit it...
  64. Bosco . from Toronto, Canada writes: Who cares how rich he is, I don't see a lot of poor folk running for the Presidency or PM for that matter.

    How rich is Al Gore? How rich is George Bush (sr. & jr.).

    They are all people of privilage.
  65. Katalin I. from Whitby, Canada writes: So it seems our POW cannot speak for himself as he needs his staff to help him get a grip on the number of homes he actually owns. But let's give him the seat in the Whitehouse... heck yeah! For all of you McCain lovers, I'm going to have a cigarette now.
  66. Tim Bryson from Claresholm, AB., Canada writes: Paul F...this sort of tactic comes out of the Leo Strauss playbook of lying for a cause. It seems to be a feature of the far right in both the US and Canada. Karl Rove is indeed at it again.
  67. Joe Dick from Kingston, Canada writes: Is it the G&M's job to publish attack pieces on a presidential candidate in favour of Obama?

    What happened liberals when Harper stuck his nose in?

    Or is that different?
  68. Prairie Boy from Canada writes: There is a court case in Philadelphia that states Obama is inelligible to be a presidential candidate. Guess who is bringing it and it isn't the Republicans.
  69. K Morris from Toronto, Canada writes: Attacking someone because of their age is pretty low. The John McCain I saw last weekend at the Saddleback Forum looked very sharp. He didnt' have any problems answering questions to real issues not stupid questions as to how many homes or properties he owns.

    If the Obama camp is going to keep up with these negative style attack ads they better be careful because it is going to backfire. And he will end up giving the election to McCain. Remember this election is a refferendum on Obama, people already know what McCain stands for, they just don't know what Obama is really thinking. We know Obama can talk the talk but I think people are realizing that he can't walk the walk.
  70. Simon Upshot from Canada writes: If America elects McCain the whole world will completely give-up on them. With 8 years of Bush I'm worried it's already too late. They've already lost their super power status, and already have lost the respect of the entire world. For more years of McBush and you can forget the US ever being a super power or respected again for at least 30 years.

    It's terrible what has become of a once great nation. And to think that anyone would even consider dropping them even lower is madness.
  71. Bosco . from Toronto, Canada writes: What I find more interesting is that Al Gore owns several large homes all over the country that he heats & cools while they are sitting empty.

    Hypocrite.
  72. He Shoots! He Scores! from Chicago, United States writes: Bosco, Obama has no old family money behind him. He's pretty much a self made man who has succeeded on his own merits.

    One thing about McCain that bothers me is that he struggled in the military and was far behind the curve in promotions for someone who came from the Naval Academy. This indicates that he never had the confidence of his commanding officers. This is borne out by the fact that McCain did destroy a number of aircraft which is something that normally would get a pilot grounded for good. I suppose that because his father was a high ranking naval officer on the general staff had something to do with him being kept on. McCain himself humbly admits that it was his mistakes that caused him to be shot down and captured.

    One thing is certain, McCain has often suffered from severe lapses in judgement. The Keating 5 scandal being another example of that. The best thing for the US would be for McCain to return to the US senate and continue being the 'maverick' GOP representative from AZ.
  73. Reality Check from Ottawa, Canada writes: ouch
  74. Keep It Real from Canada writes: What's new... another rich white guy running for president... Must be so nice to have so many houses!

    I really hope Americans are not that stupid to vote in a guy like McCain!
  75. Prairie Boy from Canada writes: Paul F Take away the teleprompter and someone else's words and you get Uhh, well uhh you know uh it's not in my paygrade. Wow I am dazzled.
  76. Kim Morton from Canada writes: At his age he is lucky he remembers his name.
  77. Tim Bryson from Claresholm, AB., Canada writes: K Morris...criticizing Obama for a negative ad? You're joking right? After all, who has made an art of the smear campaign? Karl Rove. In fact, it was Rove who sank McCain's campaign in 2000, with the rumers of the 'black love child'.

    Its about damn time the Dems played the repug game. Its the only way they'll win in November. That's a shame, but its also the truth.
  78. Rain Couver from Canada writes: If McCain were elected, the White House would be turned into an assisted living facility, the VP is going to be the real leader.

    The old guy will just be dressed up and wave at everyone with that vacuous smile old people get when they know family is coming to visit.
  79. roy f from van, Canada writes: I was kind of hoping Obama would lay off of this kind of nonsense.
    Just stick to politics, guys.
  80. xoxo hockey girl from Canada writes: So what if McCain has many houses so what? What is wrong with being rich? Just because of that he's evil? Or just because he's rich can't run a country?

    What about Obama? I wonder how much money he has made during his campaign? What about Obama using the race card? Or the fact that he's lived all around the world? It isn't cheap to live in Hawaii or Asia.

    This just a clear example how both sides are just not respectable in my eyes. McCain for trying to hide behind his age and Obama for dividing the country racially. Great with these guys gunning for office it just kind of makes me glad that I'm in Canada.
  81. He Shoots! He Scores! from Chicago, United States writes: 'roy f from van, Canada writes: I was kind of hoping Obama would lay off of this kind of nonsense.
    Just stick to politics, guys. '

    Unfortunately, the 'nonsense' is now standard politics. Obama is plainly more intelligent than McCain and comes from much more humble roots. The attempts by Rove to paint Obama as an out of touch elitist have to be countered and McCain is providing the talking points on that issue. Kerry didn't respond to the swiftboat lies and it cost him (though the fact that Rove had convinced 70% of the US electorate that Iraq still possessed WMD in 2004 didn't help either).
  82. Tim Bryson from Claresholm, AB., Canada writes: McCain's response to this ad is to produce an ad that is not even based on fact. And to think, some people trust this guy.
  83. sam johnson from Canada writes: xoxo hockey girl - try the crosswords. i think you'll enjoy it. when you're finished try to organize the jumble of words into a coherent thought.
    they won't make any sense either.
    barak obama divided the country racially? oh, yeah he's black.
    get out the whitewash!
  84. Philip McRae from Vancouver, Canada writes: Well the left go rid of Hillary and now they are using McCain's wife's financial success to attack him. What has the DNC got against women? The DNC hold Obama as PC being his colour represents a past racism and then attack McCain and his adopted daughter with accusations of being the product of a black/white dalliance. What has the DNC got against blacks? If I was a woman or a black American I'd wise up to the DNC shell game and embrace McCain. Having my sex or colour used to play victim shell games in hopes of attracting my vote leaves me cold. Perhaps if I viewed myself as a social victim I might succumb to such emotionalized manipulation. Not that Hillary Clinton's supporters have. And good on them.
  85. He Shoots! He Scores! from Chicago, United States writes: 'xoxo hockey girl from Canada writes: So what if McCain has many houses so what? What is wrong with being rich? Just because of that he's evil? Or just because he's rich can't run a country?'

    If you can't remember or don't know how many houses you own, how could you be expected to run a country?
  86. C Braun from Canada writes: Even that vocal Obama supporter, Diane Francis is getting nervous about McCain now. Up until recently, she smugly assured us Obama was a sure thing. Not so much now. She concedes that recent international events have made McCain a much more attractive candidate. Whether or not he would indeed be better suited to guide America in a more prickly world is irrelevant; that had always been his main selling point (vs. Obama - change - domestic issues). McCain's popularity is on the rise.
  87. He Shoots! He Scores! from Chicago, United States writes: 'Philip McRae from Vancouver, Canada writes: The DNC hold Obama as PC being his colour represents a past racism and then attack McCain and his adopted daughter with accusations of being the product of a black/white dalliance.'

    I think you're a little confused on the issues. Rove (now working for McCain) started the rumors of infidelity with racist overtones to aid bush in the 2000 GOP primary. It worked.
    • Posted 22/08/08 at 10:58 AM EST |