Obama Praises McCain on SNL
EmailCOLUMBUS, OHIO — Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., had some kind words Sunday for Sen. John McCain’s performance on Saturday Night Live last night.
"We can argue and debate our positions passionately, but all of us have to summon the strength and the grace and the humor to bridge our differences and unite in common effort," Obama told the crowd of 60,000. "I missed it yesterday, but I saw him on Youtube. John McCain was funny yesterday on Saturday Night Live."
Obama continued: "But that’s part of what our politics should be about, being able to laugh at each other, but also laugh at ourselves, be able to understand that all of us –- black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, Democrat, Republican, young old, rich, poor, gay, straight, disabled, not disabled –- all of us are in this together. All of us have work to do. All of us have responsibilities."
The crowd cheered.
"We can’t afford the same political games and tactics that always pit us against one another, make us afraid of one another," Obama said. "That’s the oldest trick in the book."
– Jake Tapper and Sunlen Miller
USS Gabrielle Giffords Honors Courage 
Mitt Romney's Full Speech at CPAC 2012
Rock on, Chicago.
Posted by: Tungsten | November 2, 2008, 2:20 pm 2:20 pm
When Senator Obama says something like this I admire him and know it to be his true beliefs.
Should McCain says something like this, I know the next day he’ll be back to calling Obama a terrorist, or a traitor, or a socialist, or a communist, or someone who teaches sex to kindergarten kids, or whatever smear and fear suits his political ambitions.
Moral consistency is not something McCain knows anything about.
Posted by: pefros | November 2, 2008, 2:27 pm 2:27 pm
McCain was funny. It’s okay to give a foe a compliment.
Posted by: Nancy | November 2, 2008, 2:28 pm 2:28 pm
mcccain should not be a foe,
i don’t think obama see mccain as a foe,
he just sees mccain as not being right for president.
after bush we need a break from the reps.
Posted by: cheer up, smile, nertz! | November 2, 2008, 2:31 pm 2:31 pm
McCain is a good actor– he has a gift for comedy. Shades of his 2000 self. I see a bright future for McCain on SNL when this is all over.
Posted by: mila | November 2, 2008, 2:33 pm 2:33 pm
yes, mccain and palin should go on snl.
when that moose was shot, it was great.
i hope to see mccain and palin on snl
more.
Posted by: cheer up, smile, nertz! | November 2, 2008, 2:36 pm 2:36 pm
It was a pretty funny skit. And Obama can afford to sigh out compliments when he’s ahead like he is with two days to go…
Posted by: matt | November 2, 2008, 2:39 pm 2:39 pm
Obama leading by over 6 at RCP.
Get out and vote. Weve almost put McCain away.
Posted by: bubba | November 2, 2008, 2:45 pm 2:45 pm
Audio: Obama: I will bankrupt the coal industry..hope your listening Ohio and Penn. and VA
———————-
Guess they got their daily fear talking point in their email today.
McCain supports the same thing, put an end to dirty coal production and a cap on emissions.
Posted by: Yawn | November 2, 2008, 2:52 pm 2:52 pm
Obama is the bigger man. I think McCain will & should be absolutely ashamed of himself when this is all over. Shame on all McCain supporters that spread the smears. Very un-American and very un-Christian of you all.
Posted by: Cindy | November 2, 2008, 2:53 pm 2:53 pm
Come on Jake, it must have broken your heart to have to post this. Admit it. I hope you’ll be able to look yourself in the mirror on Nov. 5th and say you were completely unbiased in this election. I’ll be happy to remind you that you were not if you need some help. Happy to provide links to your own posts. I hope it’s all been worth it to you.
Posted by: Cindy | November 2, 2008, 2:56 pm 2:56 pm
I wonder if some people ever reread their own posts dispassionately. Constant negativism by some… In light of the SNL reference, we’ll consider these folks to be “Debbie Downers”.
Posted by: MIguy | November 2, 2008, 3:05 pm 3:05 pm
Where does McCain align with Bush:
Iraq War..
War with Iran..
Tax Cuts for the rich..
Foreign Policy..
Gun Control..
Budget & Economy..
Education..
Homeland Security..
Supreme Court..
Crime..
Government Reform..
Health Care..
Abortion..
Free Trade..
Cuba..
Civil Rights..
Social Security..
Immigration..
Welfare & Poverty..
Corporations..
Energy & Oil..
Environment..
Principles & Values
Vote McCain for more of the same.
Posted by: Concerned is a McCain shill | November 2, 2008, 3:11 pm 3:11 pm
Nice sentiment from Obama.
But perhaps he was trying to look all patriotic and warm knowing tapes of Rev Wright were coming out.
How can you spread the love when you soaked up all that hate for 20 years?
Posted by: riley | November 2, 2008, 3:12 pm 3:12 pm
Obama: We’ll bankrupt any new coal plants
In Obama’s own words transcribed video
Let me sort of describe my overall policy.
What I’ve said is that we would put a cap and trade system in place that is as aggressive, if not more aggressive, than anybody else’s out there.
I was the first to call for a 100% auction on the cap and trade system, which means that every unit of carbon or greenhouse gases emitted would be charged to the polluter. That will create a market in which whatever technologies are out there that are being presented, whatever power plants that are being built, that they would have to meet the rigors of that market and the ratcheted down caps that are being placed, imposed every year.
So if somebody wants to build a coal-powered plant, they can; it’s just that it will bankrupt them because they’re going to be charged a huge sum for all that greenhouse gas that’s being emitted.
That will also generate billions of dollars that we can invest in solar, wind, biodiesel and other alternative energy approaches.
The only thing I’ve said with respect to coal, I haven’t been some coal booster. What I have said is that for us to take coal off the table as a ideological matter as opposed to saying if technology allows us to use coal in a clean way, we should pursue it.
So if somebody wants to build a coal-powered plant, they can.
It’s just that it will bankrupt them.
Posted by: Steave Cuozzo | November 2, 2008, 3:18 pm 3:18 pm
Disingenuous, to say the least.
Posted by: Wade | November 2, 2008, 3:19 pm 3:19 pm
To those of you who make over $250K…
I think you pay enough taxes. And I don’t think you are selfish if you don’t want to pay more.
I am voting for John McCain.
I do not want a $500 handout/bribe.
If I want more money I will earn it myself.
And if you own a business and must scale back, I hope you will layoff the employees that voted for Obama.
Call it economic justice.
Posted by: bailey | November 2, 2008, 3:20 pm 3:20 pm
Does Obama ever talk about how taxes for the middle class were significantly cut under Bush?
I don’t care for a lot of Bush’s politics, either, but I am a firm believer in giving credit where it is due.
Posted by: Wade | November 2, 2008, 3:21 pm 3:21 pm
VOTE!!!!!!!!!!
THE ONLY POLL THAT MATTERS IS NOV. 4!!!!!!!!!
VOTE!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: This is SO Old | November 2, 2008, 3:29 pm 3:29 pm
riley,
Obama doesn’t have to “try to look all warm and patriotic” — he IS both.
As for Reverend Wright ads… I just saw one last night — in California! It came from a PAC group. I was glad to see them wasting their money.
By the way… not only is the famous “GD America” quote from Wright never repeated in its entirety (with Biblical reference to God actually doing just that to “those who harm innocents”) — it is also NOT the only thing he ever preached in all those twenty years. The audacity of hope is an excellent concept.
Get over it. You’re not going to win or lose an election using religious leaders — there is plenty of hypocrisy to go all around the political spectrum (at least three times) in that group.
PS — I applaud Senator McCain for showing humor, reminds me of the man I once knew and truly liked. I hope that guy comes back and works hard within the Senate.
Posted by: dassis | November 2, 2008, 3:49 pm 3:49 pm
Wade,
“Does Obama ever talk about how taxes for the middle class were significantly cut under Bush?
I don’t care for a lot of Bush’s politics, either, but I am a firm believer in giving credit where it is due.”
Sure but he cut that at the same time he was running two costly wars. That translated into huge deficits.
It was the wrong time to cut taxes. Now would be a good time with the financial crisis but there’s really no more room to cut them.
Posted by: Paul New man | November 2, 2008, 3:49 pm 3:49 pm
And this is why Obama should be and will be President! Why cant Mccain ever say nice things about Obama?
Posted by: TRUE AMERICAN FOR OBAMA/BIDEN | November 2, 2008, 4:01 pm 4:01 pm
Obama 46.7% McCain/Palin 44.6% Undecided 8.7%
The 2.1% spread is the closest the race has been since October 23 when Obama had a slim 1.1% lead. It also means that McCain has cut the lead in half in this poll since yesterday, when Obama had a 4.5% lead.
Fight on, true believers.
Posted by: Steave Cuozzo | November 2, 2008, 4:04 pm 4:04 pm
There were 60,000 people at an Obama rally in Ohio today and only 3,000 at a Palin rally in Ohio around the same time! Everyone talks about how popular Palin is but it’s obvious her after convention appeal is gone.
Obama/Palin 08!
Posted by: Kathy | November 2, 2008, 4:05 pm 4:05 pm
Why does Obama always have to separate people into categories? [MLK, Jr: "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character."]
Obama: “all of us –- black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, Democrat, Republican, young old, rich, poor, gay, straight, disabled, not disabled –- all of us are in this together.”
Posted by: jeanette | November 2, 2008, 4:11 pm 4:11 pm
I’ve lost count. How many times have I heard Barrack Hussein Obama say, “That’s the oldest trick in the book.” But what confuses me is… he’s always talking about something different. Now I cannot figure out exactly WHAT is the oldest trick in the book. Can any of you ‘hear no evil, see no evil, report no evil’ reporters, who must have all of these documented, please tell me what the answer is?
Posted by: confused | November 2, 2008, 4:14 pm 4:14 pm
Paul New man:
….and yet, you support Obama’s supposed tax cuts….so Bush’s cuts bad, Obama’s good.
oookay.
Posted by: Wade | November 2, 2008, 4:43 pm 4:43 pm
Obama (D-ACORN) sounds like he just gave his concession speech.
Posted by: Captain America | November 2, 2008, 5:56 pm 5:56 pm
“That’s the oldest trick in the book.” – Barack Obama
He should know. His campaign is ruthless with it.
Posted by: Thank God for Karma | November 2, 2008, 9:48 pm 9:48 pm