The Atlantic - Latest Comments in This is just frustration

Re: This is just frustration

CW — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 20:06:25 -0000

You're confused. No one asked for Obama to start waggling his jowls back and forth, all frothy at the mouth and purple in the face from the high-volume screeching. No sir.

We wanted him to go on the attack. Don't just play lame defense to every fake Republican strike about inexperience or hating America or freakin' Terrorist Fist Jabs or whatever lie they dream up. That's the Kerry move, and it's quite '90s. Obama has gone on the attack pretty well now and again.

Despite hippie paranoia that any aggressive statement makes a Dem look angry and scary as a rabid Grizzly, sitting on your ass in the lotus position askin' for a hug from across the aisle has gotten us jack. No one respects it.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got to beat a co-worker comatose for his improper apostrophes.

Re: This is just frustration

DaveinHackensack — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 09:44:43 -0000

SeanH,

McCain has explicitly said Obama is patriotic. Ta-Nehisi wrote this,

"You start by claiming liberals aren't patriotic."

If he's going to make an accusation like that, he should back it up with an example, if he has one. Claiming "subtext" doesn't cut it -- especially since Ta-Nehisi seems sanguine about Pelosi's statements last weekend.

Regarding Afghanistan, neither candidate has presented a realistic strategy. The idea that the problems there stem from a lack of troops raises an obvious question: why have things deteriorated there as we and Nato have increased the number of troops on the ground dramatically over the last few years? The country was more stable years ago when we had fewer troops on the ground.

Re: This is just frustration

SeanH — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 09:14:06 -0000

When has McCain ever said that?

It's just the subtext of his freaking campaign theme, Dave. The only point of constantly carrying on about how you put "country first" is to imply that your opponents do not. Also, how is his constantly repeated smear that Obama would rather lose a war than an election anything but a cheap claim that Obama isn't patriotic?

Obama's too highminded to make the obvious judo move on McCain, but I'm not: Right now the situation continiues to get worse in Afghanistan. The NATO commander there is begging for troops to turn things around, but they're not available because they're tied up in Iraq. John McCain still defends the decision to take our eye off the ball in Afghanistan and and tie up our troops in an uneccessary war in Iraq. Looks like John McCain would rather lose a war than admit to an error in judgement.

Re: This is just frustration

elizabeth — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 07:35:27 -0000

mccain looks even worse than he actually was because people now have Obama's calm, mature, zen-like qualities to contrast him with. And in these times, zen wins. McCain just does not get it. He does not get that constantly looking angry, referring to fighting, and making these self-righteous references to his suffering in POWcamp are not what people want in times of crisis, especailly because we're in this crisis partially as a result of seven years of warmongering and violence.("I spent a part of my life with very bad health insurance" geez, get off that schtick already! You sound like the guy at the party everybody tries to avoid).

I think Obama is suddenly doing so well in the polls because people have wanted a reason to vote for him without reservation. McCain has given it to them these last few weeks. I think the calm he projected during the debate sealed the deal.

Re: This is just frustration

brooksfoe — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 07:20:47 -0000

I am angry about hostile questions repeated as if not answered the first time to their satisfaction. - Bigfoot

As a member of the press, I say with all due respect, you could not be more wrong. Up through the 1970s, when a reporter asked a politician a question, there were two responses: they answered the question, or they said "No comment." Since the 1980s, politicians have been perfecting the art of responding to questions by just saying whatever the hell they have on their minds, regardless of what was asked, and journalists are supposed to just meekly write it down and report it. Screw that. John McCain has spent the last month assaulting the members of the media as un-American pointy-headed elitists and lying to their faces, and they've finally had enough and are starting to insist he answer the questions they ask. I say good job. Maybe we reporters can now start to actually do our jobs again.

Re: This is just frustration

Used2bdemocrat — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 01:06:16 -0000

Senator McCain handled these liberal elitist in a very kind way. If I were in his shoes I would have been much more forceful in letting them know just what kind of scum of the earth that I believed that they are. The so-called journalist in this election cycle had better hope that the black racist marxist socialist frsud obama is able to steal this election, because otherwise they are not going to be very popular with a McCain whitehouse or the electorate that puts McCain there. This cycle has been one of the worst in history for a media trying to influence a nation. Its time for the media to be unbiased and report the facts that the people have repeatedly requested: Ayers, Rezko, Wright, Annenburg, racist ideology, black power, black panther association, muslim associations, its past time to vet this fraud called obama. America is not stupid, and that fact will be shown come Nov.

Used2bdemocrat

Re: This is just frustration

Bigfoot — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 23:48:18 -0000

I too am angry at the news media's attitude. I am angry about hostile questions repeated as if not answered the first time to their satisfaction. I am angry that only one set of candidates is subjected to this kind of questioning. I am angry about the lipstick on a pig remark and other attemps to goad McCain into unleashing his reported temper. I am angry about unfair and false allegations about Sarah Palin's children. I am angry that Obama is never asked about Rezko, Ayers, his Arab money men, his foreign campaign contributors, his fake campaign contributors, his payoffs from Fannie Mae, his cocaine use, his birth certificate, his strongarm tactics against anyone publishing news items unfriendly to his campaign, such as most recently in Missouri, his busing of Illinois residents to vote in the Iowa caucuses, and any other questionable things for which his darlings in the news media will not hold him to account, but yes they will make sure that John McCain is brought under their Inquisition and every word that he utters will be scrutinized, parsed, second guessed, and searched for hidden lies or repressed neuroses, and that Sarah Palin must be burned at the stake outright. This is the most disgusting campaign I have seen in my sixty three years of life, and the chief object of my disgust is that group of sophists, cynics, hypocrits, and partisans who call themselves journalists.

Re: This is just frustration

DaveinHackensack — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 23:31:07 -0000

Ta-Nehisi,

This post of yours made it to the "Best of the Blogs" section on RealClearPolitics, so congratulations.

Regarding this comment of yours though,

"You start by claiming liberals aren't patriotic."

When has McCain ever said that? The last prominent politician I can think of who claimed her opponents weren't patriotic was a liberal -- Nancy Pelosi, last weekend.

Re: This is just frustration

JohnJohn — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 22:45:13 -0000

McCain reminded me a bit of Bobby Knight in a post-game interview. All leaning close to the mike as if to lord over his interviewers. His comments dripping with sarcasm and contempt, thinly veiled in a layer of bad humor that only he finds funny. Just put a sweater vest on him.

McCain's team is getting bounced out of the tourney early, just like Bobby's used to. Watch out for flying chairs!

Re: This is just frustration

idi — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 22:41:54 -0000

Watch this CSPAN video. Barney Frank, Maxine Waters and democrats are definitely to be blame back in 2004 for stopping the regulation of Fannie and Freddie and the mainstream media do not even care to report. Obama is part of the problem and not solution.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3p1Wc2NFa3w

Explosive Video, Fannie Mae CEO calling Obama and the Dems the "Family" and "Conscience" of Fannie Mae

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dn2ODtyIH0o

I can understand if Senator McCain is frustrated because the media is so biased.

I believe that him and Gov. Sarah will fight for the people and cleanup Congress.

Re: This is just frustration

Lemar Mundane — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 21:18:28 -0000

I have used the Jackie Robinson analogy a lot. Let me use one more analogy: Tiger Woods.

When Tiger wins a major tournament (Masters, US open, British open, PGA championship), he has never lost a lead. It is rare that he shoots a great score-- usually a round around par --in the final round. He plays his game-- but what happens is his opponents take chances, and they wind up shooting themselves in the foot by shooting really high scores.

Sounds like that is what's happening here. Imagine if McCain picked Romney.

Re: This is just frustration

John — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 19:19:47 -0000

If I had to play a word association game with typical Dem and Republican blogs it would be this. Republicans: Unreality. Dems: Handwringing.

I'm a dem supporter but god we have some bed wetters, they are frightened of everything. The Republicans just coddle themselves with lies. Get real here. The vp debate is a side show that can do McCain very little good and could sink him. Palin has been defined in the public consciousness, I don't care how well she does and at best it will be mediocre, she's Tina Fey. If she has some more Couric eye blinkers it's all over. If you don't think this girl is going to be nervous you must be totally insensitive and nervous people who aren't too bright make mistakes. Biden, all the whining about gaffes, what do you think he's going to do, start hitting on her. He's going to essentially ignore her unless he sees an opening and then he's going to hit the ball into her court and she's going to flounder. This girl is a peabrain, even pea brains can fake it sometimes but not up against Joe Biden in front of 50 million people after seven days of cramming. Anyone remember Citizen Kane when the Italian singing coach is trying to teach Susan Alexander grand opera. Impossible. Impossible. Impossible. Chill out, at best it's a draw at worst (for McCain) it's over.

Re: This is just frustration

Sporcupine — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 18:12:51 -0000

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say the McCain know that they're going to lose, and are basically just letting it rip now."

I've thought the same thing twice in the last four days.

I thought it when I read about dinner with Joe and Hadassah at Cafe MoZU, known for Café MoZU in Washington, offering "sophisticated pan-Asian at the opulent Mandarin Oriental Hotel," during Saturday night's negotiations.

I thought it today when I read his interview in the Washington Blade.

The Republican base will resent both, and they make most sense if the candidate no longer cares.

Re: This is just frustration

Charlotte K — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 17:33:56 -0000

I don't think we're going to see Obama get angry, because I don't think he IS angry. I think he is focused and determined. When I want to see him angry is AFTER the inauguration when I would like for him throw the moneychangers out of the temple, as it were....

Re: This is just frustration

SeanH — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 16:09:57 -0000

Interesting seeing those two clips together for comparison. You can tell he's actually redfaced in that second clip.

Re: This is just frustration

Raul Artoro — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 15:50:54 -0000

Wow...dude is so pissed...I mean..he was rocking back and forth...and Barack does not have get mad...the people are getting mad for him...that little 300 dollar check I got back in 2000 from push is about to cost me 10G...I pissed enough for Barack...Barack needs to stay cool...no need to bust out at the end of the debate...and say "Wu-Tang"

Re: This is just frustration

frankie d — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 14:42:10 -0000

a controlled, tactical expression of anger is a very useful tool. all good communicators use it.

clinton...reagan...truman...ted kennedy...malcolm x...mlk...muhammad ali...

it works, but it has to be done in a calculated fashion.

it cannot simply explode, haphazardly, out of nowhere.

obama WOULD benefit greatly, imho, if he were to use this tool.

at a time and place of his choosing.

what we see with mccain, in these videos and in other instances, is an example of a guy with a temper, on the verge of losing that temper.

that is a very, very different circumstance than expressing anger in a fashion that moves your agenda forward.

mccain is just losing it.

obama is, at this juncture, benefiting from his defensive style of politics. his opponent is screwing up royally, and obama is simply playing defense and letting it happen.

you see this same dynamic in sports all of the time, and that is why so many coaches choose to employ defensive strategies. often, an opponent does self-destruct, and a defensive posture allows one to capitalize and exploit those mistakes.

what we are going to see now is more of this historically brutal, dishonest campaign from mccain. and what is going to follow is going to make lee atwater look like michael dukakis.

what is that old bette davis line? better buckle up, cause it's going to be a bumpy ride!

we'll see how the american public reacts, and how well obama weathers it.

Re: This is just frustration

torrentprime — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 14:13:30 -0000

Can people please stop asking for Barack Obama to "get angry" now?

Amen. This seems to have a whole lot more to do with (albeit, some) liberals wanting to get some of their own back and a whole lot less to do with winning elections. They just wanted a chance to yell and scream at Republicans on a national stage.

Same with the Hillary dead-enders who came out of the woodwork the second McCain's convention bounce put him up over Obama for a whole 8 seconds and claim, again, that Obama had made the mother of all mistakes my not tapping her. What it was really about was another chance to trot out their never-ending quest to prove that It's All About Hillary for them.

Re: This is just frustration

hubcapiv — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 14:06:45 -0000

What I see in McCain is a man who hasn't been challenged much in many years.

===

That's funny, I said exactly that this morning talking to a friend. I think he is surrounded by a bubble of people who are awed by his POW hero status, and he doesn't hear a lot of dissent...not for long, anyway.

FWIW I think a challenge for any leader throughout history is how to make sure you're not just being told what you want to hear. The good ones aren't afraid of being challenged, the bad ones make sure they never are.

Never believe your own press releases.

===

What the heck was he saying about FDR never going on television at the end of clip 2? Did I misunderstand or is he even more delusional than first meets the eye?

===

That's a half-hearted attempt to nail Biden for one of his recent gaffes - Biden mentioned FDR going on TV during the Depression.

Re: This is just frustration

Warren Terra — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 14:05:22 -0000

You didn't include the href warren. No linky. :(

Oops. Sorry, I suck.

Let's try this again:

McCain's delightful answer to an admittedly oddly posed question about his position regarding government-provided healthcare

P.S. This time I used the Preview function, so I see that my normal html doesn't work here; adding quotation marks around the URL in the href function made it work.

Re: This is just frustration

Julio — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 13:57:42 -0000

Ha, this apparently is when keeping it real goes wrong. McCain is the damn Georgetown cocktail party type.

But this is further evidence of the ineptitude of the McCain campaign. Hell, the fact that he's talking to an Iowa newspaper in the first place shows that no one knows what they doing over in McCainland. I mean, I don't care if Bush won it last time, Iowa is not a swing state fool! Obama has something like a ten point lead last time I checked. McCain's never held a lead there. A possible newspaper endorsement ain't about to change that. There was no upside to this interview. Only the big downside of clips like this popping up on the internets.

Oh, and according to Sean from fivethirtyeight, the little lizard tongue thing that McCain does is probably a tell. He does it after he thinks he got away with something.

Oh yeah, and Ellen, the FDR thing was a reference to Joe Biden stating incorrectly that FDR gave a speech on TV in 1929 after the stock market crash.

Re: This is just frustration

Doctor Jay — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 13:54:39 -0000

What I see in McCain is a man who hasn't been challenged much in many years. And what challenges he's faced, have been faced in one-on-one situations where he can simply intimidate the other person into giving way. That doesn't fly here. The cameras are rolling, it can't be intimidated.

With regard to anger, it isn't about not having anger, it's where and how you let it show, and to what purpose. For example, the speech that Obama gave at the VA after being accused of putting politics ahead of what's good for the country. Remember when he said, "I love my country!" There was a lot of emotion in that sentence. There was some anger, which is the sense that someone has gone too far, and violated you.

It was entirely appropriate to be angry at someone who calls you a traitor. But he lets it go there. It has limits. It isn't about intimidating you into doing something.

Re: This is just frustration

hubcapiv — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 13:53:43 -0000

I understand the desire from some on my side to want our candidate to express some righteous anger, but Obama didn't get to where he was in this race by venting.

===

Yep. You don't convince fence-sitters by being angry. A good old rant is fun...for about two minutes. Then it gets tired and sad. Only die-hards want to hear that stuff day in and day out.

I remember a story about Jay Leno waaaaay back when he took over the Tonight Show. Leno was getting whacked for being, well, not as funny as he was as a stand-up comedian. And Leno owned up to it - yes, he was funnier doing stand-up. He said something like, "It's a different job. On the Tonight Show you're literally in people's bedrooms. You're the last thing they see before they go to sleep. Being abrasive works in stand-up, but it wears people out night after night."

I think there's something to that in politics. McCain's maverick schtick can be fun as a sideshow. But a steady diet of it? No thanks. I'm projecting, but I think McCain's circus act last week changed a few minds. Can you imagine four years of that frenetic nonsense? How exhausting.

Re: This is just frustration

Ellen — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 13:53:06 -0000

What the heck was he saying about FDR never going on television at the end of clip 2? Did I misunderstand or is he even more delusional than first meets the eye?

Re: This is just frustration

ukobserver — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 13:52:43 -0000

I can't help being wryly amusing by McCain's dogged insistence, when queried about the veracity of some of his claims by the Des Moines Register interviewer, that he has never, ever departed from the truth in this campaign (the Straight Talk Express doesn't do detours!). Sure, taking words out of context may not be lying, but there's a whole world of difference between 'not lying' and 'telling the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth'. In fact, 'lying' with the truth is probably the worst form of lying since it is purposefully designed to deceive the hearer in a manner that an outright fib rarely will. It's sad that John McCain - that erstwhile standard bearer of honour! - has fallen so low.