McCain is now using the same guys whose racist push polls destroyed his candidacy in 2000 to put out robocalls in ten states attacking Obama. Lightly put, the statments made in these calls are misleading. More accurately, they're filled with lies. STAY CLASSY, MCCAIN.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/18/us/politics/18robo.html?_r=2&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

10/18/2008 11:54:04 AM

His mailers are getting pretty awful, too

I got one yesterday that had the "I don't regret bombing..." quote, with no attribution to Ayers, right next to a picture of Obama.

CLASSY.

10/18/2008 11:59:43 AM

I got a mailer from Elizabeth Dole saying that atheists love Kay Hagan.

Seriously.

It basically had the opposite of the intended effect on me, however.

10/18/2008 12:01:20 PM

The house I stay at hasn't gotten anything from McCain as far as I know. Plenty from local Republicans, though, some of it fairly appealing.

10/18/2008 12:13:27 PM

I bought some posters from both parties to decorate my classroom.

Now I'm on everyone's mailing lists. The sheer bulk of the campaign mail I'm receiving is getting silly.

10/18/2008 12:44:32 PM

I remember past election years (senate or presidential) i wouldn't get any mail/campaign propaganda. I seem to get at least 1 thing in the mail every day, its kind of depressing.

10/18/2008 2:24:30 PM

I didn't feel like starting a new thread for this, but I was looking up some information on health care because it's a big issue in this election, and I found out some things that surprised me a bit.

According to several studies I looked at, including the WHO's analysis, the US has one of the worst overall health care systems in the world. We fit below almost any other major industrialized country. We spend more than any other country, and yet still fail miserably. Our emergency care is the best in the world, and we have the best response time (which I believe to mean access to services).

Some reasons mentioned for this include our focus on cure, which is more lucrative than prevention. We have the highest rate by far of preventable deaths, the lowest rates of people with "normal body mass" (only 22 percent of the women in this country have normal body mass, apparently). Our doctors make significantly more than any others throughout the world. We have the largest differential of any industrialized nation between the upper and lower class, with the largest portion of those who are considered in poverty. This is seen as a primary cause of poor health care. The amount of health care money that goes into administrative costs is 7.5 percent, 2.5 percent higher than what is deemed acceptable. This was largely due to the lack of centralization and automation of records, and the difficulty of administration of 50 states. The recommendations I saw suggested that a greater degree of centrality and uniformity in a system lowered these costs immensely.

This would tend to suggest that moving more towards a socialized system was better in the long run than the short run. I'm sure people will have differing opinions, and you can take it for what it's worth, but France's health care system was rated number one in the world overall. (I understand that for many people the concept of socialized anything or government control is an immediate red flag. I'm just reporting what I looked up, which of course is not all the information or comprehensive, just what I found in a quick search. I attempted to find as many unbiased sources as possible.)

I was somewhat on the fence about what seems to be the best way for us to manage the health care issues (although I have already chosen a candidate, Obama, for various reasons), but this made me more supportive of the proposals from Obama related to a government health care system that covers more people. It's strange how we still believe America is automatically the best at everything. While I firmly believe in the strength and responsibility of the individual (i.e., don't get fucking fat and out of shape and then get surprised when you have a heart attack).

Anyway, not really a comment on the specifics of their health care plans, more about the general belief that government control hurts the system and provides worse care. In the end, it looks like other countries that have coverage which is more uniformly applied allows for consistency that reduces costs overall.

10/18/2008 2:56:09 PM

Quote :

"i would encourage anyone up right now to tune in to pbs' frontline right now biopics on mccain and obama"

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/view/

The Choice 2008.

10/18/2008 3:22:57 PM

100,000 in St. Louis for obama


Drudge is hilarious. numerous times his main headline has referenced mccain/palin rallies drawing 20000 people or so.

today he's got the obama pic. in st. louis but the main headline underneath is McCain: OBAMA POLICIES SOCIALIST.

[Edited on October 18, 2008 at 4:09 PM. Reason : .]

10/18/2008 4:08:27 PM

Get a free official campaign bumper sticker:

http://my.barackobama.com/page/s/splashsticker/

[Edited on October 18, 2008 at 4:27 PM. Reason : .]

10/18/2008 4:26:08 PM

I'm glad to see that McCain is calling Obama out as a socialist. His adoring throngs don't think so, but Obama still has a hard row to hoe. All the biased polls in the world can't erase the wisdom of the Americans who see him for the danger to our country that he is.

10/18/2008 4:32:48 PM

you do know that the united states government used tax payer money to buy up equity shares in private banks right?

quick. what one word would you use to describe that

[Edited on October 18, 2008 at 4:35 PM. Reason : .]

10/18/2008 4:34:37 PM

It disturbs me greatly. Let's be wise enough though to not elect someone who is setting out to make us more and more socialist. Ron Paul ftw.

10/18/2008 4:38:12 PM

^^^ Do you seriously buy that or is the Chicken Little mentality just part of your charade until election day?

10/18/2008 4:45:07 PM

i'm guessing he really believes that...makes me lol

10/18/2008 4:49:12 PM

"Chicken Little" mentality? What do you call the mentality of Comrade Obama's minions? How about "Ignore Reality"

10/18/2008 4:49:35 PM

this dude is pretty fuckin' clever guys

10/18/2008 4:51:26 PM

i call mccain "sucky reality"

10/18/2008 4:52:28 PM

true, but the suckiness of McCain will not approach the suckiness of Obama.

10/18/2008 4:56:36 PM

i have hope lol

10/18/2008 5:02:46 PM

I wish Obama's policies were as socialist as bcsawyer seems to think they are.

10/18/2008 5:52:26 PM

mccain drummed up about 7000 supporters in concord today

10/18/2008 5:52:31 PM

^^seriously, me too. i mean, when did socialism become such a dirty word? there are already so many socialist programs in the country/world that are beneficial. fundamental capitalism is more dangerous than a capitalist/socialist model that many countries use.

10/18/2008 5:59:36 PM

Boogity boogity boogity!

Our economies will be like those it Europe! Oh Noes!1

Is that really what McCain is going to run with? Lame.



And thanks for the link to the free bumper sticker. Obama got a few extra bucks from me for his generosity

10/18/2008 6:15:13 PM

socialist? lol, in Canada, Obama would be a member of the conservative party.

10/18/2008 7:34:31 PM

How are you going to call Obama socialist when Palin practically lived on Russia's doorstep?

From listening to her talk, it's like her house is in Russia.

10/18/2008 7:56:16 PM

^^^ and Obama will certainly pull a few more bucks from you due to your stupidity and "generosity"

10/18/2008 8:27:50 PM

I think Americans like the idea of spreading the wealth around.....next up McPalin calling him communist.

10/18/2008 9:31:35 PM

stupid Americans like that idea, yes.

10/18/2008 9:33:57 PM

The US has been "spreading the wealth around" for almost a hundred years.

[Edited on October 18, 2008 at 9:36 PM. Reason : ]

10/18/2008 9:35:57 PM

that's part of our problem

10/18/2008 9:37:22 PM

why do you hate america?

10/18/2008 9:49:14 PM

^^ I disagree.

It's what has allowed us to develop our massive military and our technological superiority that drives our economy and formerly mentioned military.

If prior generations had a time machine, they could have achieved the same goals with more focused spending on a smaller budget, but time machines don't yet exist.

10/18/2008 9:51:45 PM

oh my, that's rich. The US's military supremacy was brought about by our economic might which emerged from WWII. read: capitalism. read: no distribution of wealth.

10/18/2008 9:53:05 PM

^ you realize all taxes are redistributing wealth, even a flat tax?

Redistributing wealth of this nature has no bearing on a system of capitalism.

[Edited on October 18, 2008 at 10:22 PM. Reason : ]

10/18/2008 9:55:34 PM

that's not true. but nice try

10/18/2008 9:56:52 PM

McPalin 08
Country First!

A vote for Obama is a vote for Terrorism!

Quote :

"Sarah Palin for recent comments that she likes to visit “pro-American” parts of the United States."

What the fuck is wrong with this woman. Was she serious about this or was this a flashcard Karl Rove handed her. Agree with Obama or not; but if anything the only "anti-american" in this rhetoric is Sarah Palin herself. I guess Palin does not support democracy and peoples ideas that are contrary to her hockey mom policies.

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/10/18/mccaskill-mccain-campaign-erratic-and-all-over-the-map/

[Edited on October 18, 2008 at 10:22 PM. Reason : L]

10/18/2008 10:17:06 PM

well, it probably is

still surprising that a conservative of any type would vote for Obama. But, stupidity takes all shapes and forms these days

10/18/2008 10:20:32 PM

unlike some people he has hope

10/18/2008 10:22:16 PM

The only person you have to blame for 4 years of Obama is McCain.

10/18/2008 10:22:33 PM

^^ hope? haha. don't worry, Obama will take all of that from you. along with your money

10/18/2008 10:24:07 PM

^^^^ Well, this was posted on 'nother message board:

Quote :

"So I am wandering out to my car this morning and I happened to notice one of my neighbors struggling with chainsawing off a big limb from his front yard Maple, we all have those trees here. Still cleaning up from the ice storm last spring. I looked and I could just see he was in over his head and ran up just in time to help keep the huge branch from falling ring on him. We got it off to the side nicely and introduced ourselves the way men do after help has been given. He offered me a beer which I took and we stood there kinda Hank Hill like going like "That was a big limb" "A'yup" and such. Then he asked me where I lived and I pointed out my house with the big Obama sign out front. He goes like "Obama heh....." and I gave him my usual liberal communist atheist line about creating a workers paradise. Ya know, the things we liberal always say. An this big ole Okie redneck, with a McCain sign in his yard mind you. Said to me "Ya know, I think it might be better if that Obama fellow won" He looked sad saying it. I asked him about that McCain sign and he kinda sighed an said he liked McCain but.....then he let out the punch line. He looked at me with kinda sad old eyes and said: The way things been working out, them Republicans gotta go awhile. Damn, there was no victory in that encounter at all. I bet that sad sack will go in and vote Obama but it will hurt him to do so. Or maybe he will vote McCain and that will hurt him. Here in the belly of the republican beast I am seeing a real sadness about the coming election. The Republicans are at the best being stalwart, the Dems..hell, it;s party time, even here. I dunno. I remain skeptical about Obama winning. The Bradly effect and all that, but even if McCain wins I still just feel a shift in the American body politic. The right is destitute seems to me, not of funds or influence but of the grassroots enthusiasm that all political parties need. Like my chainsaw wielding neighbor. A natural born Republican if there ever was one and that poor fucker was actually thinking of voting Democratic this coming November. The "right" as we know it is dead. It will rise again no doubt but in what form?"

It seems some people are just sick of republicans

[Edited on October 18, 2008 at 10:24 PM. Reason : ]

10/18/2008 10:24:17 PM

i'll be honest...i probably was gonna vote mccain til he picked palin...def was gonna tell people i voted for obama but woulda voted for mccain in the booth

10/18/2008 10:26:15 PM

Quote :

"i probably was gonna vote mccain til he picked palin"

I was the exact same.

Realistically though I was also starting to get a little weary of McCain over his summer campaigning. Growing closer to Bush, padding his speeches with neo-con appeal, negative campaigning. I may have shifted to Obama anyway but Palin was the tipping point.

[Edited on October 18, 2008 at 10:31 PM. Reason : L]

10/18/2008 10:31:17 PM

nice. don't even have the balls to support your candidate. good work, man

10/18/2008 10:32:12 PM

clearly he's NOT his candidate

he WAS

but no longer

10/18/2008 10:33:49 PM

you don't get what I was saying, but that's not surprising

10/18/2008 10:41:32 PM

IM SO ANGRY GRRRR

poor burro

10/18/2008 10:42:58 PM

^^its ok...you live in an alternate reality, lol

10/18/2008 10:43:08 PM

Just to be clear... for the next four years, you want the gov't under complete democrat control.

Pelosi, Reid and Obama running the whole show. Nothing to check their ultra-liberal agenda.

You might be getting more "change" than you want.

10/18/2008 11:14:51 PM