2008 Presidential Election - Obama v McCain (6 Viewers)

Who would you vote for?

  • Barrack Obama

    Votes: 380 76.0%
  • John Mccain

    Votes: 120 24.0%

  • Total voters
    500

Iron

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Waiting for McCain to hop into someone's lap...
 

Iron

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I dont like how climate change is almost irrelevant to this campaign. How important was it to ours? We were talking end of the world baby - it was like THE issue facing humanity - they're talking about jobs and shit.
 

Lentern

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Iron said:
America is one of the most polarized countries on earth. Independents dont matter like they do here. President Bush's campaign found this out in 2000, where a mild, centerist platform appealing to moderates lost the popular vote by about half a mill. 2004 was a totally different strategy from both parties - the aim was to fire up those who are already on your side to get out and vote.
So hang the moderates. In America, everybody has an opinion and they love to talk about it. That is why Palin is so important; she is there to convince the right-leaning majority that the ticket is 'change', in touch/pragmatic, and able to articulate how Obama embodies every liberal thing they hate. Like every good VP, she's a pitbull stirring up hatred and fear, while McCain offers reassurance and strength. 5 weeks out, it's still anyone's race because people are far more motivated by hate than love.
It is beautiful. None of the mealy-mouthed, spineless drizzle we're subjected to.
No silly, Palin is what we in Australia call Mark Latham. A conviction politician, circuit breaker, inject life into a drab contest, rattle the bars of the cage, make a splash, turn over some tables, leave the opposition running for cover as they don't know what's going to happen yet, push to the side those nay saying pansies who clearly are just holding back the parties potential. John Hewson was another one, as was Adlai Stevenson.

They attract votes without any real consideration as to how they repel them, To be honest Obama is not a whole lot better as a choice, his black, his oratorical in his speeches, he's against the Iraq war, he's young, he does the boogie with Elen Degeneres. But for all the people who decide to turn out to the rallies and so forth that make them oh so popular these glossy folk end finishing last.

Ultimately moderate voters value safety over anything. And despite Palin mobilising the republican base so greatly she has blown out the huge amount of moderates whom McCain had a monopoly on. Six months ago I reckon McCain could have won in excess of thirty five states, now if he gets it he'll trip over the line. Trust me absence of negatives trumps presence of positives in politics. Even in America.
 

Iron

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Obama side stepping on fucking everything! What a piss weak response to climate change. McCain on nuclear was at least A answer
Shape shifter! Is it a gas? is it a liquid? is it a solid? NO, it depends on the question, Obama!
 

Iron

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Oh my god, he's even backing away from universal healthcare. This guy is as weak as they come
 

Iron

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Obama has been effectively bullied by questioners, the moderator and McCain. He has been on the defensive the whole time.
A joke
 

Lentern

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He's been really aloof and cultivated. Suited to debates at the lectern but not for this kind of debate. He needs to talk to the audience not give speeches. But McCain has gone in fairly genially so it probably won't make much of a difference, if the debate got a bit heated Obama would be in trouble.
 

blue_chameleon

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McCain is a freakin phoney!

"My friends".

Using soft toned voice. Oh god.
 

Iron

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Aw I welled up a little tear when McCain thanked the navy officer and they shook hands
 

Trefoil

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Iron said:
America is one of the most polarized countries on earth. Independents dont matter like they do here. President Bush's campaign found this out in 2000, where a mild, centerist platform appealing to moderates lost the popular vote by about half a mill. 2004 was a totally different strategy from both parties - the aim was to fire up those who are already on your side to get out and vote.
So hang the moderates. In America, everybody has an opinion and they love to talk about it. That is why Palin is so important; she is there to convince the right-leaning majority that the ticket is 'change', in touch/pragmatic, and able to articulate how Obama embodies every liberal thing they hate. Like every good VP, she's a pitbull stirring up hatred and fear, while McCain offers reassurance and strength. 5 weeks out, it's still anyone's race because people are far more motivated by hate than love.
It is beautiful. None of the mealy-mouthed, spineless drizzle we're subjected to.
That's a load of bullshit. 30 to 40% of Americans are independents (it's up from 2000 and 2004). This isn't an election you can win by polarisation, and the fact that McCain is losing is partial proof of that.

You'll find multiple polls on Rasmussen, Gallup, etc, showing that whilst Palin polarises her own party, she repels independents. That makes her a poor pick for VP.

If you honestly think that McCain can win this, I have a bridge to sell you.

http://pollster.com/

Yeah, that's right: Obama has twice as many electoral votes as McCain, and 50 more than necessary to win.

Also, you'll find that anybody winning by a landslide this late in the election, as Obama is, has never lost in the recent past - 95% of voters are now already committed to who they vote for on election day.
 

Trefoil

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Anybody count how many times McCain has used his 'my friends' line? It's gotta be upwards of 50 by now.
 

Iron

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Meh, both are excellent candidates but it's clear who'd make the better president. No knock out blow, but Obama was once again exposed as more style than substance.

I'm depressed because Americans prefer style
 

Trefoil

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And yet, it's McCain who is avoiding the economic problems to focus on negative attacks. To me, it's clear who has the substance in this election, and that's Obama.

Before this campaign started, I actually felt somewhat safe in McCain - I thought "he's not a retard, a bigot, an extreme capitalist like the other GOP candidates". As the election progressed I realised that was just false hope on my part - he's almost exactly like them, and certainly willing to have them whisper in his ears 24/7.
 
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Trefoil

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Anyway, as for the debate - McCain isn't winning. Why? Because physically, Obama is calm, cool and collected, whilst verbally it's mostly a tie (sure, let's call it for McCain).

But McCain needs to powerfully win this debate in order to remain in the election game. He isn't doing this.
 

Enteebee

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I want to support mccain, but i truly just don't see that he won that debate either in style or substance..
 
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I didn't watch all of this debate, but I thought Obama was clearly winning. He seemed much more calm, comfortable, and alctually talking about the questions. Whereas McCain kept talking about, "I've done x in the past. I know how to do x" without explaining what he would actually do...
 

Enteebee

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Although, I must admit the first debate they had... I'd actually put it closer to a tie, both conceptually and stylistically. Which is funny because, at least the media, has been trumping up how good mccain is at 'town hall style' debates :/
 

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