Did John McCain Redeem Himself today?

[berni_mccoy]

John McCain did two things: He corrected a woman who thought Obama was an 'Arab'. And he told supporters that they should not be 'scared of' an Obama Presidency and he got booed for it.

I believe this was a retraction of what they've been doing. I believe McCain got very negative feedback from high-ranking officials in the RNC and took a good look at what he was doing.

He's obviously going to take a hit for this in the polls.

But the real question is: did he redeem his recent smears of Obama?

[polichick]

1. Not even close.

[Roland99]

2. Fuck. No.

[frogcycle]

3. shit no

[msallied]

4. Absolutely not. Only a humble concession speech and fading into obscurity can redeem him.

And I have a feeling the pitbull not going to shut her disgusting trap.

[alcibiades_mystery]

5. The smears are still on air: 100% negative campaigning on "character"

McCain had to say something because the "lynch mob" narrative was become a major story on the newscasts, and because internals no doubt showed him tanking among independents on that basis.

[ShortnFiery]

6. No, not by a country mile. eom

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

7. No. He's merely trying to cover his wrinkly old ass

in case people start showing up at his rallies wearing pointy white hoods.

[AllieB]

8. No. He's only playing 'good cop' to Palin's 'bad cop'.

She was still spreading smears and whipping up the crowd into a racist frenzy. McCain playing 'good cop' makes him seem above the fray.

[Muttocracy]

9. too little, too late. nt

[Danger Mouse]

10. No, absolutely not. He can't take them back. But he did do one thing...

he showed that on some level, deep in his soul, he realizes how disgusting he's been, and perhaps part of him regrets it.
It shows that some part of the man that was once John McCain lurks somewhere down there. Drowned in raw ambition and lust for power.
I'm not angry at him anymore...just kind of sad. Sad that these are the lengths that people will go for power, selling ever last scrap of dignity for it. He's a pathetic figure.

[FrenchieCat]

11. He might think so, if we thinks we're that stupid.

[politicasista]

12. Um. Nope n/t

[Arkana]

13. Fucking no.

The racist epithets at his rallies will continue, and unless he wants to look more like an impotent figurehead for a virulently hateful anti-Obama movement that is now rivaling Hillary hate in terms of ferocity, he can do nothing to stop it. Nothing.

[billyoc]

14. He lost control of the mob he created. They shouted him down when he tried to make them stop.

WE'RE the ones that will be reaping the whirlwind for this.

IMPEACH MCCAIN

[Feron]

53. I agree that he's lost control.

For me at least, I think that was a moment of clarity for him.

Unfortunately the mob is in such a frenzy that it's too late and I don't think that McCain has the integrity to stop those attacks altogether.

[liberal1973]

15. Heck no

Too late Mcbush. You're fucked. ;-)

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

16. Huh?

[Rectangle]

No Freakin Way!!!!!!!!!

:mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:

[ErinBerin84]

17. no

I think the "you don't have to be scared of Obama" was good, but too little too late, and they are going to continue the character assasinations...I think a GOP senator told him to stop bc it was hurting them too. Also, didn't really correct the woman...didn't say that Obama was not an Arab...said he was a family man (what, Arabs cannot be family men?)

[iiibbb]

18. I'm a forgiving sort... as long as he loses the election.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

19. It depends...

on what his campaign does tomorrow.

If Palin is still peddling this particular brand of crapola, then clearly McCain is too much of a wuss -- he just doesn't want to get any of that stink on him. But if the entire campaign stops the race-baiting attacks, then maybe you have to give him credit.

But don't hold your breath (unless you've already voted absentee).

[tularetom]

20. No fuckin way

He's scared shitless to confront Obama about the Ayers thing because he knows Obama has shit on him that he can use to flush McCain's bony pasty ass down the shitter for good.

He's just trying to back off the tough talk in hopes that Obama won't slam dunk him at the debate.

[ChazII]

21. another , NO ! n/t

[PresidentObama]

22. He didn't do anything to redeem himself. He did NOT do the right thing.

This was about politics. His smear and fear tactics are backfiring, and now he's trying to distance himself from the wildfire of insults towards Obama that he and Palin caused.

[BrklynLiberal]

No Way. It was a momentary relapse into reason.

It won't last.

[BlueIdaho]

23. Did he drop out of the race today?

If not - then - no.

[stillcool]

24. Nope. that was just a little..

sleight of hand.


Before campaigning in Ohio, Sarah Palin introduces John McCain at a rally in Waukesha, Wis.
Article published Friday, October 10, 2008
By JIM PROVANCE
BLADE COLUMBUS BUREAU CHIEF

WILMINGTON, Ohio — The hockey mom was on the attack last night as GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin used her first Ohio solo appearance to accuse Barack Obama of hiding the true nature of his relationship with former radical Bill Ayers.


“Just two days later he was saying he knew about the background after that first meeting. ... So it comes back to he didn’t know that he had launched his political career in the living room of an unrepentant domestic terrorist until he did know it,” she said.
-------------
“It’s not negativity,’’ she said. “It’s truthfulness, and American voters deserve to know. ... It raises the question again about Senator Obama’s judgment, and it raises the question about truthfulness, and it raises — no, actually it answers — the question about ambition.’’

http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081010/NEWS09/810109980

[dflprincess]

25. Check out the NYT article

The local media was quite tooly about the whole visit - just falling all over themselves about how wonderful it is that McCain wants to stop the attacks (probably because, like any bully, he's afraid Obama will confront him at the next debate). The Times appears to have a slightly different take:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/11/us/politics/11campaign.html?ref=politics

McCain Lauds and Attacks Obama in Same Day
By ELISABETH BUMILLER

LAKEVILLE, Minn. — After a week of trying to portray Senator Barack Obama as a friend of terrorists who would drive the country into bankruptcy, Senator John McCain abruptly changed his tone on Friday and told voters at a town-hall-style meeting that Mr. Obama was “a decent person” and a “family man” and suggested that he would be an acceptable president should he win the White House.

But moments later, Mr. McCain, the Republican nominee, renewed his attacks on Mr. Obama for his association with the 1960s radical William Ayers and told the crowd, “Mr. Obama’s political career was launched in Mr. Ayers’ living room.”

The dizzying statements came on a confused day when Mr. McCain’s campaign pounded Mr. Obama as a “liar” in an incendiary television commercial about Mr. Ayers and as Mr. McCain abruptly announced another economic policy proposal, this time a plan to suspend mandatory withdrawals from 401(k) retirement accounts.

The events reflected Mr. McCain’s frequently lurching campaign. For the past several weeks, as the polls have shown Mr. Obama, the Democratic nominee, gaining increasing ground, Mr. McCain’s traveling road show has veered from message to message and from pumping up hostile crowds to trying to calm them down. Each news cycle seem to bring another tactic as the campaign appears to be trying anything and everything to see what might work.

His temporary embrace of Mr. Obama came as Mr. McCain was repeatedly implored by voters at the town-hall-style meeting to “fight back” against Mr. Obama at the next presidential debate, on Wednesday, and to stop him from becoming president. But unlike at an earlier town-hall-style meeting this week in Wisconsin, where Mr. McCain sharply agreed with voters who urged him to punch back, this time he drew a line...."

Much more at the link.

BTW the crowd estimate was 2,200 - which pretty much packed the auditorium (or gym) they were using.... All the way to Minnesota to pack a room with a lousy 2,200 true believers. It doesn't strike me as the best use of his dwindling campaign time.

[elfrangel]

26. Nope...no way.....uh-uh.....

Not until he puts a muzzle on that lipstick wearing "pitbull" of his will he even come close to making up for it......and I'm not sure that would really help.

I might...MIGHT....feel more forgiving post election....but don't plan on it.

[budkin]

27. No fucking way

[falcon97]

28. No.

If McCain would not have responded to the 'Arab' question, he would have been finished. Telling people not to be 'scared of' Obama allows him to look above the fray while supporters continue to fan the flames of hatred and intollerance. IF there is a sudden change of course, THEN I'll give him some credit.

[Forkboy]

29. Yes

Ha...made you all look!

Of course he didn't. :)

[Willo]

30. Not at all.

I'm still glad he finally said something but he has a lot more to do to redeem himself.

[Warren Stupidity]

31. And then proceeded to repeat the Ayer terrorist pal charge

So fuck him. He is an ass monkey of the worst rank.

[Left Is Write]

32. No.

[Liberal Veteran]

33. Hardly. The party insiders basically told him the magic 8 ball says "Outlook Not So Good"...

.....with regards to his campaign and that he was hurting the entire party.

In a nutshell....they said, "Hey! You gonna fucking lose and you're taking the rest of down with you with your desperation. Knock it the hell off!"

[Colobo]

34. It was a stunt.

[liberalmuse]

35. For a few minutes, but...

while I acknowledge he FINALLY did the right thing, I'm withholding judgment until he completely puts a halt to this ugliness. Frankly, I've never seen anything so vile coming from a political campaign in my life. He has a helluva lot to redeem for. It did make me think a lot about racism, and how evil it is, and how hideous its purveyors are.

[Ikonoklast]

36. He lost all honor.

One cannot unsay what has been said.

McCain is a dishonorable man.


But he did accomplish some good...he just about single-handedly destroyed any GOP down-ticket candidates hopes of election.

Way to go, John. I guess you crash everything.

[grassfed]

37. No Seppuku No Redemption

[Starry Messenger]

38. Hell to the no.

Long way to go for that.

[mscuedawg]

39. Three days too late...Hell no...and the Repubs can do with that what they will...

I dont owe McCain my sense of gratitude for taking his head of out his ass before he started a riot...he's been in politics too long...he knows what the hell he's doing...

[progressivebydesign]

40. No fucking way! His campaign turned right around and did a conf. call implicating MICHELLE today!

The only switched tactics... trying to pain John as a good guy, while continuing the hate thru Palin (who continued it today at fundraisers) and thru his surrogates.

[Cha]

41. No, and now they're bringing in

Michelle with the Ayers shit.

Deflect Deflect Deflect away from TrooperGATE.

[DrZeeLit]

42. Two Words: Babbling Idiot. Flip Flopper. Shuffling Oxymoron. (okay that's a total of 6 words)

[berni_mccoy]

43. lol

[Trajan]

44. He recognizes the danger ....

And is having second thoughts about the extreme rhetoric, surely ...

But here is the thing: IF he lowers his fists, then he loses support from these red eyed devils who are frothing at the mouth for blood.

I am sure there are level headed republicans who are utterly appalled by the implications of an eventual tumult if provoked by their rhetoric .... The GOP could lose support for DECADES ....

They are already in deep shit ....

[karynnj]

45. Not unless he follows through - and even then he won't have the respect he did in 2000 n/t

He might though have saved his soul.

[NotThisTime]

46. Hell no, he protected himself publicly from having to say it to his face next week

[Neutralator]

47. He didn't redeem but I commend McCain for doing what had to be done...

He unleashed the smears and fear mongering....unfortunately, only he can put it to rest. Although I doubt it will die down that easily with the base.

I'm sure he got directions from GOP, SS, possibly others and some internal polls too but it is still hard for him to do what he did. I'll never forgive his actions but I'll forgive the man personally.

I still wish he directly countered saying "No Obama is an American and a Christian". Saying "Decent family man" is a very nice thing but in this context he's deflecting the issue and not refuting in it's entirety.

I'm so relieved after this. I was very fearful for Obama's life.

[aein]

48. It's a start. I, for one, applaud him for it.

[4lbs]

49. Not really, considering that he and Palin should have never even done it in the first place,

since he vowed to wage a clean campaign last year.

[Hansel]

50. Not a chance. Just following Pawlenty's directive is all. n/t

[Chichiri]

51. A hundred miles to redemption, McCain's gone about 46 feet.

So yeah, he's got a little more hiking to do.

[sunnybrook]

52. some on here have suggested that it might not have been RNC

but Secret Service that handed out the orders

[Mark E. Smith]

54. Kind of like the guy who says he doesn't beat his wife anymore, right?

One day off doesn't make much difference.

[d00mzday]

55. Nope but he managed to Piss off some WingNutt voters.

Looking around a few republican forums, many seemed not to be to impressed. They are convinced Obama is a terrorist lol. Makes you wonder what will happen if there preacher Palin is forced to take the same stance and rallies.

[Swamp Rat]

56. nope

[TankLV]

57. No.

Next question - this is easy...

[political_Dem]

58. No way. /eom

[bridgit]

59. no

[jberryhill]

60. One small step for John McCain, but no giant leap for America /nt

[TheKentuckian]

61. He has a long way to go

a long damn way.

In my opinion McCain had dishonored himself throughout this campaign and has now gone to the bottom of the sewer. This world is the beginning and I hope he is truly mindful of that.

[DrTeeth]

62. TOO LATE, LUTHER!!

too... late

[mhatrw]

63. Fuck, no.

Next question.