McCain Praises Obama at NAACP
ABC News’ Ron Claiborne Reports: In his speech to the NAACP convention in Cincinnati today, Senator John McCain (R-Arizona) praised Senator Barack Obama (D-Illinois) and made a rare mention of the historic nature of his candidacy as the first African-American to be nominated for president by a major political party.
"Don’t tell him I said this," McCain said, "but he is an impressive fellow in many ways. He has inspired a great many Americans, some of whom had wrongly believed that a political campaign could hold no purpose or meaning for them. His success should make Americans, all Americans, proud."
Watch the VIDEO HERE.
McCain noted that when President Theodore Roosevelt invited Booker T. Washington to dine at the White House, many Americans were outraged.
"America today is a world away from the cruel and prideful bigotry of that time," he said. "There is no better evidence of this than nomination of an African-American to be the presidential nominee of his part. Whatever the outcome in November, Senator Obama has achieved a great thing."
In his speech on June 3rd, the night Obama effectively wrapped up the Democratic nomination, McCain did not mention the history that was made by his nomination. In an interview broadcast the next morning on Good Morning America, he was asked why he had not cited it. McCain said, "I congratulate him and I congratulated Senator Obama not because of any reason except that he (ran) a very effective campaign. And he’s done a very admirable job. And, as I said, he’s motivated a lots of Americans to be involved in the political process."
The following day, Charles Gibson asked McCain if he ever thought he’d see a day when there was a black person nominated for president by the Republican or Democratic parties.
"I did because — as I felt there will be a woman who is president of the United, because I have a great faith in the American people. And I have a great faith in their sense of justice and their judgment of people on their qualities, as Dr. King said … by the content of their character, not by the color of their skin."
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Obama could never be as gracious as McCain.
Because Obama is a meglomania.
Posted by: carpenter.nyc | July 16, 2008, 12:13 pm 12:13 pm
carpenter.nyc | Jul 16, 2008 12:13:56 PM
**************
don’t worry, i bet the next time obama gives a speech in the old people’s home, he will lavish mcbush with praises.
Posted by: johnosahon | July 16, 2008, 12:18 pm 12:18 pm
Let the egomaniac Obama top that one!
Posted by: Aston | July 16, 2008, 12:18 pm 12:18 pm
Obama praises McCain everyday as a war hero
Posted by: watching | July 16, 2008, 12:24 pm 12:24 pm
Here is the test. If an Obama supporter thinks there is anything wrong with McCain’s nice compliment, or that it is ‘too late,’ or that Obama is better at complimenting, they are really in deep, wouldn’t you say?
Posted by: Wade | July 16, 2008, 12:30 pm 12:30 pm
Obama has praised McCain time and time again being a war hero. All this nonsense about Obama not being gracious, it simply not true!!
McCain would be a fool to bash Obama at a NAACP event, just like Obama would be foolish to not show praise for McCain’s service at a Veterans event.
Posted by: Jennifer | July 16, 2008, 12:56 pm 12:56 pm
Wonder why McCain didn’t compliment him on any of his legislative accomplishments?
Posted by: Robert in Cleveland | July 16, 2008, 1:03 pm 1:03 pm
Unlike Obama, McCain is unafraid to speak to people who won’t vote for him.
Posted by: geevill | July 16, 2008, 1:10 pm 1:10 pm
I thnk this was very cool of McCain, who is a great American. Obama 08
Posted by: Constantone | July 16, 2008, 1:16 pm 1:16 pm
Here’s another talking point for the McCain campaign: McCain remembered something. God bless the old boy!
Posted by: ericmiami | July 16, 2008, 1:30 pm 1:30 pm
Sen.McCain will put his country frist
above everything else and has done so
( P.o.W.),will Sen.Obama do the
same if he has the chance to do so ?
Posted by: vinnie | July 16, 2008, 1:32 pm 1:32 pm
Wonder why McCain didn’t praise him for his community development work in converting public housing into private housing?
Posted by: Robert in Cleveland | July 16, 2008, 1:43 pm 1:43 pm
mccain’s military record doesnt mean that he is going to be a good president.
and everyone knows it.
Posted by: melissa | July 16, 2008, 1:43 pm 1:43 pm
Melissa– but a 143 days in the US Senate means Obama will be a good POTUS–right?
Posted by: Robert in Cleveland | July 16, 2008, 1:48 pm 1:48 pm
robert,
i never said that. just like i didnt say that his record shows he will be a bad president it doesnt show anything when it comes to president! so why bring it up?
Posted by: melissa | July 16, 2008, 1:51 pm 1:51 pm
Thank you Melissa, I’m glad we agree.
Posted by: Robert in Cleveland | July 16, 2008, 1:53 pm 1:53 pm
agree on what? that mccains military record neither helps nor hurts him?
Posted by: melissa | July 16, 2008, 1:54 pm 1:54 pm
No– that Obama has no qualifications.
Posted by: Robert in Cleveland | July 16, 2008, 1:58 pm 1:58 pm
i didnt say that either and neither did you!
Posted by: melissa | July 16, 2008, 2:00 pm 2:00 pm
Melissa– you may not of said it, but admit it, you certainly think it.
Posted by: Robert in Cleveland | July 16, 2008, 2:02 pm 2:02 pm
if your asking me am i 100% sure he is going to be the best president ever, no. But am i 100% sure that mccain would be the biggest mistake usa ever made -yes!!
do i think obama could be a good change yes i do.
Posted by: melissa | July 16, 2008, 2:07 pm 2:07 pm
what do you want from me?
all the answers for the world? i dont have them.
I dont assume to know everything about everything but from what i do know i believe the better choice is obama..
i dont think he is god or that he can do no wrong but lets be real about things mccain has done alot of things that people over look everyday- he said himself he doesnt know economy. he claims he has a great knowledge of foreign affairs but then does things he should know better by making stupid jokes with a country we already are having problems with, to me not smart!!
Posted by: melissa | July 16, 2008, 2:37 pm 2:37 pm
I was right. I am living in a world insane given some of the comments that have criticized McCain for his totally complimentary statement…sometimes I guess you can’t say anything nice about someone…
Posted by: Wade | July 16, 2008, 2:45 pm 2:45 pm
McCain has a record and past we can judge. What, other than words, can we judge Obama by? I think you will find many skeletons in his closet.
Posted by: Robert in Cleveland | July 16, 2008, 2:57 pm 2:57 pm
The Odd Prophet is indeed odd. He makes no sense. Or is it me?
Posted by: Robert in Cleveland | July 16, 2008, 3:02 pm 3:02 pm
I have listened. But the message seems to change all the time. Which one should I hear?
Posted by: Robert in Cleveland | July 16, 2008, 3:07 pm 3:07 pm
Perhaps it takes a better level of wisdom to understand the odd prophets. After all no man gives what he does not have!
Posted by: Micaiah, the Odd Prophet | July 16, 2008, 3:08 pm 3:08 pm
You sound willing to learn wisdom, Robert. Just maintain a stable positon and do not waver. To see a man’s rthymic movement in the dark, you need to squat down and maintain great concentration. Apply this and you will soon be at home with the truth.
Posted by: Micaiah, the Odd Prophet | July 16, 2008, 3:16 pm 3:16 pm
Then Robert, you were only in this by induction not by nature. It is real nature that matters not pretence for nature runs in the blood but induction is superficial.
Posted by: Micaiah, the Odd Prophet | July 16, 2008, 4:15 pm 4:15 pm
Again, dear Robert, do not forget: we are talking about Obama and Mcaine, lest we digress and derail. Rather you than me because the odd prophet is always having “THE WORD”
Posted by: Micaiah, the Odd Prophet | July 16, 2008, 4:19 pm 4:19 pm
Are the conservatives in both parties still asleep? Do they not know that in the Constitution Party there is a real conservative. It is assumed that Obama and McCain will run on their respective tickets. It is also assumed that they both will take running mates who are just about like them that the people like.
It’s time to wake up and recongnize that the Constitution Party is on the rise. Now is the time for conservatives of both parties to go away from their respective parties, as neither Republicans nor Democrats want to do anything about securing the borders. They both want to give a free pass to the illegal aliens already here. That’s a slap in the face to their expatriots who gave up citizenship in their former land for a new land. They assimilated into this country and learned English. They knew that to learn English would get them to better positions in this country.
I know this because I have spoken in the past to people of a foreign race, and they told me that in order to get ahead in the business world, you had to learn English.
Do these illegal aliens want to learn English and want to contribute to the American economy? Not on your life. They take the money earned from here and send it back to their mother country.
If you love your mother country so much that you send American money to your country, why then did you leave your mother country?
This is what we will get with either Obama or McCain.
Let’s wake up and smell the stench brought about by Obama and McCain.
Thank God I can live as an American where what I just said about Obama and McCain are protected by our gracious FIRST AMENDMENT!
Posted by: Robert Littlejohn | July 16, 2008, 7:02 pm 7:02 pm
Robert Littlejohn, that poem is a hogwash. So an imagination belongs to the humanoid race traceable only to the dark age! It’s issue that Americans need to discuss nor race.It’s solutions to our problems we are in search of not locations and maps. You must be asleep, yourself.
The drumbeat is sounding so clear and yet so ambigous to the insensitive. But this my homeland. I am a true American. We are thought by Patriots to do what we can do to get it to her greatest height. That’s what I am committed to do////.
Posted by: Micaiah, the Odd Prophet | July 17, 2008, 2:10 am 2:10 am
To quote:
“Wonder why McCain didn’t compliment him on any of his legislative accomplishments?”
In Response:
Its Because he has NO, NONE, ZIP, ZILCH legislative accomplishments. At least McCain reaches accros party lines to make legislation to work. The thing i like most about McCain is that its not about POLITICAL PARTY POLITICS, its about getting the work done with bipartisanship. does Obama do that? REMAINS TO BE SEEN
Posted by: Eric | July 17, 2008, 6:56 pm 6:56 pm