McNasty Loses Debate Skirmish, but War on 'The Cool One' Slogs On

by Scrivener | October 15, 2008 at 09:00 pm

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• Will John McCain's insensitive abortion gaffe cost him female votes?

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McNasty showed up tonight armed with his Long Island "surprise," Joe the Plumber, the Everyman who just happened to confront Barack Obama the other day about the Democrat's tax plans (funny how those things happen). The Republican presidential candidate smirked and scoffed and blinked and winked and rolled his eyes and huffed and puffed. But even though he played the Joe the Plumber card to the hilt -- forcing Obama to address the citizen surrogate by name -- Big Bad John couldn't bring down the Temple of Obama in the third and final U.S. presidential debate.

More raffish than arrogant, calm and cool, the rightful heir to the JFK mystique, Democrat Barack Obama let McCain bluster and flail, applying the salve after Johnny Rocket burned and fizzled.

The mainstream instant polls awarded Obama a solid if not spectacular win. Commentators on Fox News and The Drudge Report's reader tally gave an overwhelming rose-colored thumbs up to McCain (but a Fox focus group handed the night to Obama).

Obama had his chances to put McCain away; true to form, he perplexingly refused to do so. McCain, as promised, had the temerity to bring up Obama's professional relationship with convicted Sixties radical bomber turned college professor Bill Ayers. When moderator Bob Schieffer asked McCain if he thought Obama did indeed "pal around with terrorists," as his running mate has charged, the candidate refused to answer. When Obama reminded him that voices in McCain-Pain crowds have shouted "terrorist" and "kill him" at the mention of his name, McCain refused to issue a rebuke, instead choosing to express his pride in his supporters.

Obama very easily could have interjected something sharp and clever like, "John, how would you feel if Joe Biden said that Sarah Palin's husband has palled around with a bunch of secessionists?" But he didn't. Perhaps wisely -- if he ends up winning the election. One TV pundit accurately described Obama's strategy as doing a Muhammad Ali- style "rope-a-dope" -- lean back and let your opponent wear himself out with a fusillade of punches that never find their mark.

By not losing, of course, Obama wins the debate. But a seven-point lead in the polls easily could give way to any combination of the following: the Bradley Effect (when white folks tell pollsters they'll vote for a black candidate, but won't); voting machine "irregularities" and the inability to do recounts without a paper trail; an "October Surprise"; or simply "buyer's remorse."

Obama won the battle tonight -- but he could have used the occasion to put it away. He didn't. He could have seized upon McCain's testy dismissal of the "health of the mother" in the abortion debate. He didn't.

And he never had a chance with this particular Joe the Plumber, trust me on that.

And so we await the next shoe that may drop, very soon.

ARE THE McCAIN-PALIN CROWD AGITATORS
THE SAME STORMTROOPERS WHO DO THIS:

http://www.nowpublic.com/world/american-gestapo-state-supported-terrorism-targets-u-s-citizens

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Sanjay Jha

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 22:10 on October 15th, 2008

Scrivener, I like this story. It's good stuff.

Scrivener

at 23:12 on October 15th, 2008

Thx for the GS, Sanj.

fastback

at 02:07 on October 16th, 2008

A look at Obama and you could see that the comments were on target as he grimaced and smirked his way through the debate. Obama is nothing more than a made up candidate with little to no experience. His debate consisted of a lot of aahs and stutters as he tried to answer in the politicaly correct way. McCain highlighted the facts about Obama and that`s called attacks. You want to see real attacks on person look at the attacks on Sara Palin and her family. The debates have also been moderated by msm liberals with little fanfare from the media. Here is a fact, Fox news kills all the other "news" stations with their ratings and someone like Brit Hume sits on the sidelines. I have to wonder what is Obama afraid of and do you really want him to be president when all he will do is pander to friendly media? Could he really stand up to terrorists? I don`t think so!

nagamas (not verified)

at 02:58 on October 16th, 2008

Watch FoxNews (aka R Murdoch) gradually change its leaning when Obama comes into power. This happen with their flagship "The Australian" when the Liberal lost to Labor. Hanmity - your days at FoxNews are numbered. Lol.

BallyZACA

at 05:18 on October 16th, 2008

Something smells in <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 />Denmark! Apparently, according to the "liberal left-leaning wingnuts" and their socialism-owned media are saying NO'bama won the debate? NO’bama's camp must have planted their ardent confederates’’ within the independent voters who appeared on CNN's group. When questioned at the end a majority of these “wingnuts” finally showed their true support for NO'bama... they've got to be confederates’ who lied their way in as independents!

If, McCain happens to win this election... there are two things certain... that "RACE" and "GENDER" are alive and well in America. Firstly, that a black-American is still unacceptable for being elected President; and, secondly, that women who supported Hillary Clinton will show the nation how p***ed-off they still are at her having been slighted, and for the NO'bama camp's kicking her while down, by not offering her the VP spot on the Democrat ticket! We'll see what happens in 18-days, this may not be the route that the liberal-wingnuts and their socialism media believe it to be!

-END-

dunkelberg

at 06:15 on October 16th, 2008

I see. So, you were a Hillary supporter?

dunkelberg

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 06:21 on October 16th, 2008

Liberal! Liberal! Snark! Snark! Joe! Joe! Sneer! Snark! AYERS! ACORN! SNARK!

McCain was better, but needed far more than those "arguments" to make any headway.

Rhonda J Mangus

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 06:25 on October 16th, 2008

Scrivener, I like this story. It's good stuff.

Fairbanks

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 11:24 on October 16th, 2008

McCain pulled his punches and Obama knows it.

Obama very easily could have interjected something sharp and clever like, "John, how would you feel if . . .

But he didn't, and McCain didn't. A couple of gentlemen.

merlingraycat

at 12:29 on October 16th, 2008

Why do they even call them debates? The two candidates (we need a Third Party) just keep repeating the same campaign rhetoric over and over. I had to turn the last two debates off. I couldn't stand it any longer.

joe smith (not verified)

at 23:33 on October 16th, 2008

For "Joe the plumber" to think of purchasing a business that makes exactly above the $250,000 limit below which Obama's tax plan proposes no new taxes seems extremely convenient (for Mcain-Palin). This is especially suspecious considering the fact that he currently makes around $40,000 and would actually stand to gain in tax treatment under the Obama plan.

Joe the plumber claims that he wants "some action and not words" ....I guess he needs more of the action that we have seen over the last 8 years ...he will get more of the same with Mcain (who voted with Bush policies over 90% of the time)....the same Wall street greed...the same Washington lobbying....the same hateful smear politics run for Mcain using Rove tactics.....I guess the looming recession has not knocked some sense into joe the plumber who needs more action before he can wake up and smell the coffee!!!