Is the McCain Brand Damaged?

Yes. I used to like the guy, but he caved in.

Mccain is like a fish outside of water
flip flop flip flop flip flop

McSame has no brand, no direction, no vision, no leadership, he is confused about everything you can imagine: irak, Afganistan, economy, health care, national security, etc. McSame is really confused that the only option he has is to continue WBush-Cheney failled policies, because he has no ideas himself. God save America from McSame.

This 2005 interview with Tim Russert sums it up nicely:
RUSSERT: The fact is you are different than George Bush.
SEN. McCAIN: No. No. The fact is that I have agreed with President Bush far more than I have disagreed. And on the transcendent issues, the most important issues of our day, I’ve been totally in agreement and support of President Bush.
STRAIGHT FROM THE “STRAIGHT TALK” EXPRESS!

Irish Gal,
How about that offshore drilling suggested by McCain? Do you think THAT will help?
Funny that the US oil companies have 360,000,000 acres of land (size of two states)they are not using at all, they are not operating at full capicity, and yet they need to drill offshore?
Ever consider that the oil companies, who have made RECORD PROFITS for the last four years, don’t want the prices to go down?
They are in business to make money. That’s it. They don’t care about the American people.
Or maybe you propose NUCLEAR power? We’ll just dump the waste in your backyard. Ok?

And now there is video that shows McCain saying he didn’t love America until he was deprived of her Company.
Hmmmm………… Wonder what the right wing attack dogs will say about that!

I don’t admire McCain as much as I used to; however, I wholeheartedly salute his bi-paritsan efforts and years of service in the U.S. Senate and trust him to lead this country. As usual, this election comes down to having to choose the lesser of two evils. One, McCain, is not my ideal candidate. The other, Obama, is totally repugnant to me. So the scale tips heavily in McCain’s favor and he wins my vote.

Curious, you can blame “big oil” in which every Congressman (both sides of the aisle) has a vested interest in, but the reason they are “BIG OIL” is lack of competition. I don’t buy your talk about millions of acres going unused period. I also don’t buy your crap on Nuclear. You’re just a bleeding heart liberal who cares more about Poo Bear than real, honest, hard working people. You may have missed my point that gas has gone up $1.50/gallon since November of 2006 when Democrats took over Congress promising to lower gas prices. Yes, I am laughing out loud. Democrats are not for the “little” people, they are for themselves and this country will learn a very hard lesson. SO BE IT!!!!

McCain is ambitious, to the point he has given up his independence and is doing all he can to win the conservative base, even seeking endorsements from intolerant pastors (Hagee & Parsley). I actually supported him in 2000. I think he had a better chance back then.
I’m starting to think Bush wants McCain to lose. McCain says we should lift the ban on offshore drilling and Bush chimes in on that too. It feeds right into the Bush 3rd term line.

Irish Gal
you can say that gas has gone up under a democratic congress, in which case you are right…
but you can also say its gone up under a bush administration…
you can even then go further and say hey look at all those guys in and loyal to this administration… hey they are all tied to oil… hmmm thats strange
and then you can say hey we went to war in iraq for no good reason and even though the administration says it didnt go there for oil (although mccain disagrees with this as hes stated)
but that the war in iraq would likely drop the price of oil, d. cheney even states oil will drop to 20 dollars a barrell
and then bush says even if something happens and it doesnt he will talk to his saudi oil friends and they will be able to up production… although that hasnt happened either
and NOW we hear yesterday that 5 big oil companies are now getting exclusive contracts in iraq…
lol…

McCain drives many of us nuts, but the alternative is far worse.
He can easily win this election if he steers the obvious course. Obama has already acted as if he (Obama) was a lobbyist for OPEC.

bhrandon,
McCain agreed to Obama’s proposal in March, 2007. Obama is the one weaseling out. American are not stupid.

Bhrandon: Bush has been President since January of 2001. Gas has gone up $1.50/gallon since November of 2006. What changed you say, Congress. You can twist it however you like, but gas did not go up $1.50/gallon until the democrats took over Congress and their solution to lower gas prices is sue OPEC and raise taxes on “BIG OIL”. Geeze, how did these people get through life.

McCain is 95% Bush. With the exception of a few well publicized differences, due more to his cranky temper and grumpy personality, he has supported the Bush disaster from day one. Signed, Sealed and Delivered for the criminal Bush child. End of story. End of the Republican Party.

It’s amazing how the media is deciding this election. Between American Idol and all the shows out there for braindead Americans they have shown that Americans have become dumb enough if you repeat anything in the media they will eventually agree. It’s too bad this country has turned into a bunch of liberal tools and people’s independence is gone.

It’s pretty sad what liberals have turned into. Liberals used to be independant, fight for people’s liberties and actually have logic behind arguments. It used to be fun to debate liberals but it’s not longer a mental challenge.
Liberals now have de-evolved to the point they can only debate with emotion, distraction, and ideals and largely are an empty shell like their candidate which is why I’m not surprised .of their blind support of Obama. You can tell what their viewpoint and argument will be by media coverage the previous week which is pretty amusing. It is so easy to debate as a “modern liberal” or “progressive” :)

and Iraish Gal…their is one solution and one solution to the gas problem…
Do you think we have enough oil in this ground with globalization to last for the next 100 years? and if you do what do you base that on?
so lets start drilling more…take the chance of ruining the planet a little more…keep us on our junkie addiction…and then hope that our grandchildren are suddenly left with nothing.
There is one solution that should have been started decades ago… and that is to GET US OFF OIL… NOW.
the oil companies…want that to happen slower… and they are spending lots o money to make sure that happens.
the republicans have an answer that may come back to bite this country and the world in a way that may destroy…the world…do you get that.
It’s like people who say global warming doesn’t exist… fine…
If it doesn’t exist and all the people who say it does are wrong…we took a hit on the economy.
If it does exist and we don’t do anything… what happens if the people who say it does are right?
If we don’t get off this dependence and keep drilling and using because prices are going up to $5 (as opposed to the rest of the world where the price is often in double digits now)…
and oil is not an infinite supply…what happens?
time to get smart… John Mccain’s solution that almost all the experts will not stop the problem (even if it does have a reaction in the markets)…and the oil won’t get to market for 5-10 years…it takes the risk that we will stay on this path and use up resources that should stay until closer to a world with none…
can you imagine all those things that will always run on oil…suddenly with NONE.
Get smart.

I would have considered voting for 2000 McCain. He truly seemed to be an independent thinker. Now he seems to be toeing the Republican party line at a time when he should run screaming in the opposite direction. I could not vote for McCain 2008.

“The 2000 John McCain wouldn’t vote for the 2008 John McCain.”
Posted by: godblessusa
Exactly! I really liked 2000 John McCain. People around here liked him so much that they didn’t even bother to check to see if he had changed when the Primaries rolled around. However, he has changed, and he’s not the same candidate he was in 2000.
People are starting to wake up to that fact, and now that people are noticing that the 08 model is such a step down from the 00 model, doubts about the McCain brand are being raised.

I admired John McCain during the 2000 primaries, particularly for the grace and equilibrium he maintained while being slimed by the Bush campaign in South Carolina. I also respected his courage in calling nut cases like Falwell and Robertson “agents of intolerance.”
This guy is just not the same John McCain. He is snappish and thin skinned…his responses to criticism are over the top. He’s now embracing the “agents of intolerance” he used to decry. Every time he opens his mouth, he seems to contradict a previous position or belief. Perhaps he simply doesn’t remember what he’s said before. It’s kind of sad to watch.

Yep John P. There are trillions of dollars at stake to milk out of the US if Obama is president so mainstream media isn’t even trying to mask its bias this election. Just hopefully there are enough people who aren’t zombies since I don’t see how you could have a thinking brain and vote for Obama regardless of what media tells you to think.

Agreed EyesOpen. The merit/reason for the flip flop makes a big difference in my book. I am a moderate who leans more conservative on a lot of issues but get frustrated with both sides. I’ve become increasingly frustrated at liberals because it seems theyve bypassed conservatives in close mindedness, intolerance, and uniformity. I respect “classic” liberals still but “modern liberals” scare me.

Mr. McCain is conservative and will win or lose on that basis. Mr. Obama is liberal and the same applies in his case. The GOP doesn’t deserve to win, given recent years performance, and the Dems are too far left to win. It should be pretty close, but most Independents will probably go with Mr. McCain. We aren’t interested in catchy labels like maverick, etc.

the confusing part is that McCain was so popular because of his differences with the GOP but now he’s going out of his way to promote how much he has in common with the party. I would love to have the McCain of just a few years back as the president, but sadly, I don’t know which version would end up in the Whitehouse. (this coming from a die-hard Democrat)

Independent: McCain is a lot of things, but conservative is not one of them. I can’t for the life of me understand how the GOP will nominate someone who actually might appeal to Clinton supporters. So, maybe he’s moderate or whatever and he’s planning on winning that way. But don’t plan on conservatives being enthusiastic about him.

The strenght for McCain will not come from independents, but for the millions of Democrats that will not vote for Obama. Obama, on the contrary, is counting on the independents, and he is not doing so good with them since half are with McCain.

Flip flop flip flop…I Caught a McCain!!

Nobody flips and flops more often than BO and company. Change that you can believe to doom America.
Nobama, Never Obama, anyone but OBama.

Definitely Common Sense: If McCain (the Republican nominee, remember) is counting on Democrats to win, rather than his base, then he is going to lose. Obama, on the other hand, is playing up to his hippie base and left-leaning indies – which is usually how you win.

Republicans numbers usually go up the last days of any campaign. If Obama is going to win with his hippie/liberal/youth/black base..good luck with that. Historically, Americans vote right of center..Obama is so left he’s off the map.
I just don’t like who he associates with and wouldn’t vote for him if J.C. came down from the heavens and endorsed.
McCAIN ’08!

When McCain wins in November, it’s not because voters like him that much. He has problems with the social conservatives and independents don’t think he’s really that “maverick.”
McCain will win because people will vote against Obama. The conservatives will come out in full force to vote against ultra-lib Obama. 25% of Hillary supporters are voting for McCain (others are staying home), and he has 1/2 the independents. That’s why McCain looks happy these days.

Wow. There are a lot more conservative republicans on abcnews blogs then I thought.
I pretty much gave up on mainstream media as my source for election 08 information after BO was nominated. the liberal media is foaming at the mouth at the opportunity to have a Black Democrat be president, you never even hear how socialist his policies are…

Joe, I like the concept.

Not all Hillary suppoerters are stupid. I know some that have switched to Obama.

If McCain appeals to Clinton supporters, then they’re not really Clinton supporters. Those two are so far apart when it comes to MANY issues, that it’s laughable people are threatening to vote for JM. It shows me quite clearly that those supporters don’t understand the issues facing America, or are simply choosing to ignore them out of emotional attachment to a candidate.
By the way, when you vote in a pro-life, supporter of tax cuts for upper 1 percent, a flip flopper who as recently as May declared that he would be willing to talk about windfall taxes on oil profits, then you get what you asked for. And I’ll thank you when I’m struggling to put on the table for my daughter.

McCain shot his foot early in the campaigning with an effusive show of support for Bush, which has created for him a Tweedle Dee link to Bush’s Tweedle Dumb. He’s also capitulated to some notorious figures of the religious right like the anti-semitic, John Hagee. Bang. Now, in spite of his public flip flops, he’s going after Obama, with the blessings of some pundits, for similar behavior behaviors. Bang again? I’d say he needs to stop self maiming.

Irish Gal….Your logic is so flawed, it is ridiculous. McBush…McSame..McWar (pick your choice)”Used” to be a Maverick. Since then he’s embraced everything the Far Right loves…John Hagee, Rod Parsley, tax breaks for the VERY WEALTHY, advocating being in Iraq for 100 years. With what soldiers? We have an all-volunteer Army…but if we’re grinding them up in two fronts (Afghanistan & Iraq)how long can they be deployed? We’ve already lowered our Recruiting Standards…lets not forget BLACKWATER…with its sole source contract. Erik Prince and his co-horts have never had to work on a Competitive Bid..Only Sole Source…1.2 Billion per Year…Finally, I wanted to adress the blame on the Democrat “Controlled” Congress.
It is very dishonest and disingenous to say “controlled.” The Democrats do have a majority, but not enough members to over-ride a Filibuster or Veto. Same as Congress. Plus, blaming the Democrats for gasoline price increase is ludicrous. China and India have increased demand…it is Supply VS Demand…which is a Free Market principle. EXXON made $40 BILLION in profit last Fiscal Year…don’t think that they’ll drop their prices to the U.S. while shifting a higher charge to non-USA countries…Also, when they talk about opening up ANWR and Offshore. ANWR has 16 to 20 Billion total “potential” volume. We consume 20 million barrels per day = 7 Billion per Year. So, we’re talking about a Maximum amount of Oil of 3 Years…Do the Math and go to an Independent source (NOT Big Oil)…Also, Cheney came out and said that China was drilling off of the shore of Cuba….WRONG….Cheney’s office later issued a retraction…but this “false truth” is still getting mileage out of this story–especially Faux Noise Network. Do you actually feel better now than 2000 when BUSH 2 took office? Osama is still on the loose…food prices have gone up…gasoline is way up…we were supposed to fund the Iraq War with Iraqi Oil…what happened to that? Anyone who votes Republican this go around deserves the same CRAP they are peddling for the last 7 1/2 years.

Yes because he agrees with Bush on too many issues. He has flip-flop on too many issues,he will say anything to get elected. The McCain of 2000 is a different McCain of 2008 !!

bhrandon:
So what!
You didn’t want Clinton.
Patriot McCain is definitely better
than Big Mouth B O….
COUNTRY BEFORE PARTY!

JuJu @ 12:09 has it dead right. John Sydney McCain….44th President. NEVER B. Hussein Obama.

I read on CNN.com that John Edwards is on Obama’s VP list. This doesn’t mean he’ll be chosen. But if he is, I’m through. Obama says he wants change to come to Washington, but I haven’t seen any indication that it will happen. I’m tired of the same people advising him and names coming up as VP choices. I feel I’m in the moving “Groundhog Day”. I keep waking up to the same day.

ANd if you are a repub you voted for Hillary because she is a woman period thats all I needed to read.

One thing is clear from this post — the comeback from the McBush camp on Kerry’s critique in particular — the campaign staff is about as creative as their candidate (read that as zero!). Their continued attempts at “humorous” comebacks almost constantly fall flat.
Of course, when you have McBush to protect, you have your work cut out for you!
McBush is toast, and it’s only the first day of summer!!!
Obama 2008 — Yes, WE CAN!!!

About Hillary (liar ?)
“She’s the most unbelievable actress I have ever met,” said a woman who worked on Hillary’s Senate campaign. “I remember one time at a Women’s Leadership Forum event in New York, thirty of us sat around Hillary, talking about politics. And she said, ‘You know, I love this organization, not just because we sit around and talk about politics, but because of the bonds of friendship forming around us.’ The way she said it, people were riveted by her performance. But I had gotten to know her, and I could tell she didn’t mean it. She has this unbelievable ability to be a liar. She is soulless.”
EDWARD KLEIN

More lies
1. Remember the story she told about studying The Wall Street Journal to explain her 10,000 percent profit in 1979 commodity trading? We now know that was a lie told to turn aside accusations that as the Governor’s wife she profited corruptly, her account being run by a lawyer for state poultry interests through a disreputable broker.
She lied for good reason: To admit otherwise would be to confess taking, and paying taxes on, what some think amounted to a $100,000 bribe.
2. The abuse of Presidential power known as Travelgate elicited another series of lies….
3. In the aftermath of the apparent suicide of her former partner and closest confidant, White House Deputy Counsel Vincent Foster… [h]er closest friends and aides, under oath, have been blatantly disremembering this likely obstruction of justice, and may have to pay for supporting Hillary’s lie with jail terms.

There you go again, Joe. (gotta love that line). They aren’t unstable and/or paranoid. They are every bit as concerned and informed as you are.
This is the point: no one on this list is changing the mind of anyone else on this list. We are all advocates. Some are pros. Some are not. Some are in disguise some are not.
Think of the list like those think tank sessions that PBS used to run with Fred. Jake tosses out the latest ‘item’ and we chew it up like cows chew grass. Interested parties watch these lists to see if an issue is getting legs and how they will use the various responses for spin in some vector.
It’s easy to see this in action in the late night talking head fests where points are recycled as original contributions. These lists are the second and third stomach in the cow. By the time it gets to the CNN, MSNBC or Fox fests, it may be udderly ridiculous but there it is.
And it really does affect the election by indirection. Think karma. It isn’t justice. It is causal. It isn’t mindless by nature, but it can be by lack of discipline.
So the more anger and divisiveness we excrete, the more of that we’ll see on TV. IOW, what you’re eating from your plate is what the barnyard allows.

I beleive the Hillary supporters who switches had their eyes opened to what she was really about.

>>>BigDeal? | Jun 20, 2008 1:12:46 PM
Why are you barfing up stuff about Hillary from thirty years ago which has since been adjudicated and laid to rest many many many times?
Hillary, if you haven’t noticed…. is no longer running… so turn your direction finder towards somebody else’s life……. like, how about
B O’s?
His lies and deceits are much more current than hers… in fact, they’re ongoing!
COUNTRY BEFORE PARTY!!!

juju
“low information voters” seem to be making a choice on policy…
you seem to be making a choice on something else.
John McCain is on the wrong side of almost every issue…
he is on the other side from most economists, most foreign policy advisors…and most of all voters.
so get a clue… read about the promises they are both making and do the math with each you will see on almost every issue Obama is the better choice.
and then you yourself may get away from being a “low information voter”

could someone explain why the GOP throws Michelle down the stairs when the make the “proud of my country” remark and they give McCain a free pass when he said he didnt love his country.
dont answer
rhetorical question.

eyes open
I have met all three of those candidates to which you refer…
I went and heard them speak in small venues…where we got to ask them questions…
Obama does not lie and deceit as yuo like to spin it.
He mis-states on a rare occasion as they all do…he changes his mind on different issues but 99.999 % of the time it has to do with his vision… Mccain has done a 180 on half of the big issues facing us…in less that 2 years…or since he started needing the right wing.
and until you go see them all and listen to all their policies and meet them and here their promises and hear them stumble on answers (as Mccain does when pressed in small groups or makes a joke to take the sting out of his turnabouts)
you really don’t kknow what you are talking about.

McCain has lost his bearings….. confused even.

I tell you which vp choice is going to do the most damage to the Mccain brand…
Pawlenty (the guy he’s focusing on)
this guy is going to reinforce Mccain’s great and noble gas tax holiday fiasco…
If you didn’t know Pawlenty reduced the states deficit and taxes…by what? drum roll…by cutting back on infrastructure in the state.
Yeah…the same infrastructure that Mccain’s gas tax holiday wil damage.
the same infrastructure that pays for levees …
the same infrastructure that has not been updated correctly in 40 years.
the same infrastructure that includes bridges…
Now what do we know about minnesota’s infrastructure…hmmm…that the bridges aren’t doing so well…
and why do we know that because one biga** bridge finally collapsed because it was ignored…
thannk you governor Pawlenty… what will you do for America?
oy…now that will damage the McCain brand… good judgement picking the guy ignoring infrastructure when it is one of the biggest issues we face as a country now.

I can’t Wait for November when I can vote for John McCain.
I can’t wait for November when I will NOT vote for John Kerry.
A woman can have to many Johns!

At this point we need as much change as possible.

SPEAKING OF AGE:
This country is not growing any younger;
treat it gently and with reverence… AND AT ALL COSTS, PROTECT IT!
COUNTRY BEFORE PARTY!

Why are you still harping on Hillary? I thought she was out of this thing. Or are you worried that maybe she isn’t?

In the quiet of the voting booth… the right will eventually vote for McCain; the left will vote for Obama and the middle will vote for the one they feel represents their values.
McCain is floundering right now because he is opposing a “blank slate” that has no defined values but the commercial trademarked key worded persona created by a political strategist. To the cynical pol, he is the perfect candidate: half white, half black, no pesky legislative history, no history of opinions…. and on and on. He can come on TV and say anything since there is no backing for anything he says.

He can come on TV and say anything since there is no backing for anything he says.
Posted by: smartprimate | Jun 20, 2008 2:39:01 PM
————————–
AND Obama has the money to BUY the
whole shebang!

LOL at the character issues. You’re telling me Hillary and her family don’t have twice as many character issues to deal with? You people really confirm the belief that Americans are nuts. No wonder other countries shakes their heads at our political system and foreign policy blunders.

2 days ago:
In front of a sea of news cameras at a press conference earlier today, when senior House Democrats discussed the ongoing energy crisis that has spun out of control on their watch, Rep. Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) dropped this bombshell as he stood next to House Democratic Caucus Chairman Rahm Emanuel (D-IL): He proposed a Washington takeover of the entire oil industry!…
Another step by the ultra liberals to completely socialize America!

John McCain debates himself daily……He has flip flopped on almost every single issue.
How can he debate Sen Obama when he hasn’t finished debating himself.
John MCCain of 2000 would NOT support or vote for John McSame of 2008

HP Boston said: McCain will win because people will vote against Obama. The conservatives will come out in full force to vote against ultra-lib Obama. 25% of Hillary supporters are voting for McCain (others are staying home), and he has 1/2 the independents. That’s why McCain looks happy these days.
LOL!!!!!!!! This is too funny. You really think this old fart is going to win? Seriously now.

McCain is a tainted meat patty. He should be recalled.