Oct 27, 2008 8:53am
Summit the Mountain
Email"You could think of this as trying to summit a mountain," a senior aide to Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., tells Byron York in the National Review.
"Both campaigns have to summit the mountain. In most elections, one campaign has some kind of advantage over the other — maybe they get a ten-minute or a half-hour head start — but both sides have to climb the same face of the mountain. In this election, we’re not climbing the same face of the mountain. They’re climbing the side of the mountain with boardwalks and latte stands and playgrounds for the kids, and we’re climbing the side of the mountain with axes and ice picks, and one slip and you’re dead."
- jpt
Sen. DeMint: GOP Race Could Go Until Convention 
Obama Avoids Questions on Contraception Rule
In interviews, Mr. Obama was modest and careful. (In a rare slip, he told The Associated Press: “I’m not interested in the suburbs. The suburbs bore me.”)
Suburbs = middle class white people
Translation: Obama doesn’t care about the middle class or white people excpet to take their income.
Posted by: geevill | October 27, 2008, 9:01 am 9:01 am
You don’t climb a mountain with an ‘ice pick’.
Which may have something to do with why they’re having trouble climbing the mountain.
Posted by: The Phantom | October 27, 2008, 9:07 am 9:07 am
In interviews, Mr. Obama was modest and careful. (In a rare slip, he told The Associated Press: “I’m not interested in the suburbs. The suburbs bore me.”)
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According to AP – ONE interview when Obama was in college.
If you are in college and you don’t find the suburbs “boring” – something is wrong with you.
Posted by: facts DO INDEED matter | October 27, 2008, 9:11 am 9:11 am
To you rocket-scientists pushing the “I’m not interested in the suburbs” quote. Yes, he said that. In 1990. That’s 18 years ago (since math is hard.) And he was talking about where he wanted to live and work.
Let’s see… oh! In 1990, McCain voted against the Civil Rights Act, which has helped prosecutors fight countless anti-minority hate crimes.
So, if you want to say that Obama is anti-Suburb/anti-middle class from an 18-year-old quote about where he’d rather live at age 28 or so… and extrapolate that to mean he doesn’t like “middle class white people,” (as if they’re the only ones in the suburbs), go nuts.
But then I get to say, based on his views 18 years ago, John McCain is an anti-black racist who supports lynching.
Posted by: Lettuce | October 27, 2008, 9:13 am 9:13 am
Sure, it was a toxic year for Republicans, but they didn’t exactly have to throw all their ropes and safety nets over the precipice.
They could have been patient, it’s not worth stealing the news cycle from Obama for two weeks by picking Palin. They could have vetted the VP pick properly and picked someone who didn’t have so many skeletons in the closet. They could have been focussed, and steady on the message instead of whirling around like a demented windmill on Ayers and trying to turn the page on the economy. They could have chosen not to resort to Swift-Boat politics and hatemongering and McCain could have kept his promise, not to “Take the low road to the highest office.”
As we have seen, he is not a man of his word.
Posted by: Grey Matter | October 27, 2008, 9:13 am 9:13 am
McCain has the hard climb up the mountain because the press refuses to print the truths about Obama, like…where is this story Jake?!!!!
Barack Obama, in 2001:
You know, if you look at the victories and failures of the civil-rights movement, and its litigation strategy in the court, I think where it succeeded was to vest formal rights in previously dispossessed peoples. So that I would now have the right to vote, I would now be able to sit at a lunch counter and order and as long as I could pay for it, I’d be okay, but the Supreme Court never entered into the issues of redistribution of wealth, and sort of more basic issues of political and economic justice in this society.
And uh, to that extent, as radical as I think people tried to characterize the Warren Court, it wasn’t that radical. It didn’t break free from the essential constraints that were placed by the Founding Fathers in the Constitution — at least as it’s been interpreted, and Warren Court interpreted it in the same way, that generally the Constitution is a charter of negative liberties: [It] says what the states can’t do to you, says what the federal government can’t do to you, but it doesn’t say what the federal government or the state government must do on your behalf.
And that hasn’t shifted, and one of the, I think, the tragedies of the civil-rights movement was because the civil-rights movement became so court-focused, uh, I think that there was a tendency to lose track of the political and community organizing and activities on the ground that are able to put together the actual coalitions of power through which you bring about redistributive change. And in some ways we still suffer from that.
Posted by: samhiguchi | October 27, 2008, 9:14 am 9:14 am
Where I live people get in trouble all the time because they try to climb the mountain in street shoes, or they are in bad physical condition, or they wander off the trail. Sure, they can whine that it was the mountain’s fault, but……
Posted by: Precipice | October 27, 2008, 9:15 am 9:15 am
Obama was a 30-year old man, not an 18-year old college student kool-aid drinker.
Posted by: geevill | October 27, 2008, 9:16 am 9:16 am
ah,
folks don’t fall for that oh poor pitiful us-we republican have to climb the mountain with an ice pick, and we are so hard done by and booohooobooohooo!!!wha!wha!wha!
won’t you feel sorry for us and vote for us? we are just like you,
you have to climb mountains just like us
with axe, and do you get any latte?
no, we don’t either, do your kids have playgrounds? no we don’t either.
we poor poor pitiful republican.
reporter: What kind of jacket is that you are wearing, it does not seem adequate for this rugged mountain you are having to climb?
Poor Republican Climbing the hard mountain: Oh, this old thing, I got this old thing a Sak’, do you like it?
when i get finished telling you how hard this mountain is to climb, i am going to send the jacket to the charity shop. Yes, I think red is a good color for me.
FOLKS DON’T BE FOOLED WITH THE HARD DONE BY STORY OF THE REPUBLICANS.
IF THEIR MOUNTAIN IS HARD TO CLIMB IS BECAUSE THEY DID NOT MAKE PROPER PLANS FOR CLIMBING THE MOUNTAIN ANYWAY.
THEY ARE SLIPPING, AND WILL FALL, BECAUSE THEY ARE PULLING EACH OTHER DOWN, THEY ARE TO BUSY LOOKING OVER ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN AT THE CHILDREN IN THE PLAYGROUND, AND SMELLING THE LATTE. INSTEAD OF TELLING WHAT THEY WILL DO TO CLIMB THE MOUNTAIN AND BEYOND.
Posted by: cheer up,smile,nertz | October 27, 2008, 9:21 am 9:21 am
McCain campaign,
Why did you choose to climb on the harder side and make things harder for yourself in addition to not bringing safety harnesses?
The Democrats have learned from 2004, and now they’ve built a fantastic ground operation. The Republicans? Not so much now. They made so many unforced errors. McCain only has himself to blame- he made it harder for himself (appearing erratic, started the mudslinging after pledging for a “different kind of politics”) even without Bush’s long shadow falling over him.
Posted by: Grey Matter | October 27, 2008, 9:27 am 9:27 am
Obama Bombshell Redistribution of Wealth Audio Uncovered.
Guess Jake Tapper will never gonna do any story about it
Posted by: Steave Cuozzo | October 27, 2008, 9:31 am 9:31 am
Sounds like the McCain campaign should have chosen a different route up the mountain.
Posted by: Fred | October 27, 2008, 9:38 am 9:38 am
Poor McCain. My they are pathetic. Perehaps if they had a reason to climb, and sense enough to choose the correct path it would have been easier.
Posted by: Thinking | October 27, 2008, 9:43 am 9:43 am
Let’s give the Republicans another chance.
Sure they had 8 years in the White House and 6 of those with full control of congress and the senate . … but gee whiz . .. don’t you think they deserve another chance.
Everybody makes mistakes and the Republicans made some, but gosh darn it, everybody deserves a second chance.
The Republicans have said they’re sorry for the mess they created, and they’re even nice enough to be arguing amongst themselves about who’s to blame for everything.
And maybe that McCain seems a little unwell and angry, and the Palin woman – well, a little dipsy – but heck – take a chance.
Posted by: pefros | October 27, 2008, 9:44 am 9:44 am
8 more years!
Posted by: pefros | October 27, 2008, 9:45 am 9:45 am
8 more years of Republican rule and we will not be able to summit the mountain ourselves.
Lead, follow or get out of the way. Right now I think the Republicans should get out of the way.
Posted by: Thinking | October 27, 2008, 9:54 am 9:54 am
At times the only way a party can revive itself is to be ousted from power. Perhaps Sen. McCain will use this final week ensuring his campaign is run on a positive note and thereby ensuring he will end his campaign in dignity and honour.
Hopefully, voters will give the Presidency to Obama as well as a majority in the house and senate so they can move their agenda along quickly. In a time of economic crisis and 2 wars the new president will need to pass legisalation without alot of fillibustering. This is one instance where a strong majority is required!!
Posted by: Dee | October 27, 2008, 10:03 am 10:03 am
John McCain and Republicans have never supported average worker. That is their old, old solution that has not worked. The hate and fear mongering done by Republicans for three presidential elections is despicable. I am embarrassed to even say I am Republican. We Americans have had 8 years of mostly Republican rule. America is in financial meltdown!! America can not afford to Elect John McCain.
This lady who is registered Republican has now cast her vote for Barack Obama
Posted by: Sharonklim | October 27, 2008, 10:06 am 10:06 am
Whining about someone not wanting to live in the Suburbs?
The global financial markets have lost $11 trillion this month and today several major markets in Asia lost another 10%+ and you people are whining about Obama saying he’d prefer to live in the city when he was single and 30 years old?????? Get a life!
This is how the Bushies destroyed our economy and bungled Iraq and Afghanistan. They made grand plans about privatizing Iraqi government run industries and setting up a new stock market but didn’t think about something as basic as sending enough troops over to prevent widespread looting, securing weapons depots, or managing the occupation.
They displayed a complete lack of focus on what is important.
Much like the McCain campaign – no vision for the future, no ideas, no strategy, and so now, no hope.
And in only 8 more days, we can thankfully all say good riddance to the utter nonsense they have defiled the Internet, airwaves, and telephone lines with.
Posted by: Bud | October 27, 2008, 10:09 am 10:09 am
vote vote vote
OBAMA BIDEN 08…!!!
NETHERLANDS ANTILLES
Posted by: tsuby | October 27, 2008, 11:51 am 11:51 am
vote vote vote
OBAMA BIDEN 08…!!!
NETHERLANDS ANTILLES
Posted by: tsuby | Oct 27, 2008 11:51:52 AM
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Is ACORN in the Netherlands signing up voters now? I wasn’t aware the Netherlands had a “dog in this hunt”.
Posted by: Molly | October 27, 2008, 12:42 pm 12:42 pm
This lady who is registered Republican has now cast her vote for Barack Obama
Posted by: Sharonklim | Oct 27, 2008 10:06:35 AM
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Sharonklim: Don’t whine when the things us republicans have been telling you come true. You will be like someone that voted for Bill Clinton; they were no where to be found..no would admit to voting for him. See you in the soup line if ogama is elected.
Posted by: Molly | October 27, 2008, 12:52 pm 12:52 pm
Ladies and gentlemen, the 2008 award for the most tortured simile goes to…(sound of envelope ripped open)…Sen. John McCain for “Summit the Mountain!”
Posted by: chuck | October 27, 2008, 1:02 pm 1:02 pm
Chuck, honey, keep up. It was an AIDE to McCain, not McCain himself, who used the ‘summit the mountain’ analogy. I think it’s actually apt. Everyone said this was the Democrats’ year. Obama has raised buckets of money after walking away from his pesky old promise to take public financing, and thus has outspent McCain 4 or 5 to 1. The fawning media has largely ignored the potential voter fraud brought to us by the ACORN scandals across the country, the millions of dollars raised from questionable donations on the internet that may have allowed people to skirt campaign finance laws, Biden’s bizarre assurance that enemies of our country would test Obama within months of inauguration and that we would all think he was responding in the wrong way, Obama’s flipflops on a variety of issues including FISA and NAFTA, etc. etc. Given these advantages, Obama was not fighting the same battle for the presidency that McCain was.
And yet, there are those of us who, like McCain, are stubborn optimists. We remain convinced that McCain will indeed carry the day and win this election. We have faith in the American people. We know McCain is traversing a more perilous route to the top, but we know he can handle it.
I am Joe Moderate.
Use your brain/Vote McCain
Posted by: moderate | October 27, 2008, 1:54 pm 1:54 pm
Oh, forgot to mention that I’ve got a little bet with my son over how many posts we’ll get before the inevitable “It’s Obama who had the harder path because he is black” shows up.
And Phantom, he (the son, not the Chosen One) also thinks you need to review your knowledge of mountain climbing. There are many conditions under which one would indeed need an ice pick to safely make progress up the face of the cliff.
Posted by: moderate | October 27, 2008, 2:00 pm 2:00 pm
“Chuck, honey, keep up. It was an AIDE to McCain, not McCain himself, who used the ‘summit the mountain’ analogy.”
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Of course, you’re right “moderate”: it was an aide to McCain who used that tortured simile. I guess I was just confused trying to figure out which “campaign theme of the hour” McCain’s campaign was using.
Posted by: chuck | October 27, 2008, 2:08 pm 2:08 pm
Campaign Obama has already
scaled the summit and planted
the flag.
Posted by: anon | October 27, 2008, 2:14 pm 2:14 pm