Imploding Obama Campaign
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| Sat, 09-13-2008 - 10:47am |
The arrogance is astounding! This will defintely backfire on him.
Friday, September 12, 2008

Wondering No More
Yep. The day after 9/11, as part of its "get tough" makeover, the Obama campaign is mocking John McCain for not using a computer, without caring why he doesn't use a computer. From the AP story about the computer illiterate ad:
"Our economy wouldn't survive without the Internet, and cyber-security continues to represent one our most serious national security threats," Pfeiffer said. "It's extraordinary that someone who wants to be our president and our commander in chief doesn't know how to send an e-mail."
Well, I guess it depends on what you mean by "extraordinary." The reason he doesn't send email is that he can't use a keyboard because of the relentless beatings he received from the Viet Cong in service to our country. From the Boston Globe (March 4, 2000):
McCain gets emotional at the mention of military families needing food stamps or veterans lacking health care. The outrage comes from inside: McCain's severe war injuries prevent him from combing his hair, typing on a keyboard, or tying his shoes. Friends marvel at McCain's encyclopedic knowledge of sports. He's an avid fan - Ted Williams is his hero - but he can't raise his arm above his shoulder to throw a baseball.
In a similar vein I guess it's an outrage that the blind governor of New York David Paterson doesn't know how to drive a car. After all, transportation issues are pretty important. How dare he serve as governor while being ignorant of what it's like to navigate New York's highways.
Update: Well, now the story is up on Drudge (You heard it here first!). Re: Mark's point about how the supposedly web-savvy Obama campaign can't handle Google, here's another story confirming he has difficulty using a keyboard. Ironically, it's from one of the most pro-Obama journalists out there, Jacob Weisberg, in an article in Slate in 2000:
"Six months ago, no one would have pegged McCain as the most cybersavvy of this year's crop of candidates. At 63, he is the oldest of the bunch and because of his war injuries, he is limited in his ability to wield a keyboard."
Now, in response to some angry criticism already coming in: Feh.
Some say, So what if he was handicapped? He could still learn how to send email.
Sure, but why would he? Bill Clinton sent two emails during his entire presidency and often admitted he didn't know squat about the internet.
One reader says "Steven Hawking knows how to use a computer!" Yes, because if he didn't he couldn't do his job or communicate. McCain, like Clinton, didn't have that problem. Here's a more sane version of t he same complaint:
You are ridiculous about this. While of course McCain probably can't type for long periods or in the manner in which many of us do, there are a tremendous amount of people that peck with just their index fingers. He also can surely use a mouse. How much typing do you really have to do to send emails and use the internet. Plus, when he was asked point blank about it he never said he couldn't type. I am sure he can't use a blackberry, but there are tons of people with far worse injuries than McCain that use a computer.
That's absolutely true, I'm sure. But they need to use computers to get through life. McCain doesn't. And the fact that he's not blaming his disability hardly sounds like a serious indictment. If he did blame his disability, many of the same folks yelling at me would be complaining that McCain's whining.
Now, I'd hardly be surprised if McCain could type for short stretches and all that. The point is, that it's perfectly understandable why he wouldn't get in the habit of it.
Oh one last point for now: Lord knows I think the chicken-hawk arguments are stupid. And I don't think the fact that Obama never served in the military should count against him in and of itself. But how stupid is it for the Obama campaign to claim that McCain is unqualified to be president because he can't grasp cyber-security issues based on the fact he has never sent an email when the McCain campaign can just as easily say Obama can't understand first order national security issues because he's never fired a rife, flown a plane, commanded men in battle, or faced an enemy? I mean which prepares someone to be commander in chief better, hitting "send" on AOL or fighting a war?
Update II: On the other hand: I don't know what to make of this interview with the New York Times. He sounds awfully web savvy in it, which makes the Obama ad sound unfair. And if you read it closely, it sounds like he knows how to surf with a mouse, but doesn't do much by way of typing.
http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=OTliMTNiZjg5ZDEwZWNiZDYwZWFjN2JlNjNjNjkxZmM=

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"for our public education systems to include sex ed classes which allow educators to teach the mechanics of sex no- but it's hard to provide "medically accurate" info on STD's without it. , the details of STDs yes, if you read the text it
Seriously, give it some thought. Read Barr's positions on the issues, and ask yourself if he isn't more of a true conservative than McCain, and whether he's not more in line with your own personal political views and desires.
Ashes where the bodies burning
No more war pigs have the power
Hand of God has sturck the hour
Day of judgement, God is calling
On their knees, the war pigs crawling Begging
LOL.
Can you tell me how many Presidents we've had that have been graduates of the Naval Academy? Quick, there's only one, can you name him?
If you said "Jimmy Carter"....well, you're no ordinary GoOPer. ;o)
We've also only had one from Stanford University (though I highly doubt anyone finds that a lacking institute of higher education). There've been none from Brown University, none from Cornell, none from Penn, none from Columbia....shall I go on? ;o)
What about the facts **I** posted did you find unworthy? Just that they didn't agree with your own worldview? Sorry, facts can sometimes do that to a person. They're stubborn things, facts - or, if you're Ronald Reagan, "stupid things," LOL. In fact, what "facts" has oldfaithfulmom posted in this particular thread, at all? That "Berkeley types" are "anti-military?" Or that they're "pansies?" If this is your idea of "facts," it's no wonder you're voting for McCain.
Ashes where the bodies burning
No more war pigs have the power
Hand of God has sturck the hour
Day of judgement, God is calling
On their knees, the war pigs crawling Begging
Alicia, you know as well as I do that Obama didn't put that language into that bill. He didn't author the original bill, and he didn't sponsor it, and he didn't add the language you've seen fit to highlight in all-red.
So, I'll ask a third time: do you believe that Barack Obama believed then - or believes now - that five year olds in kindergarten should be taught the mechanics of sexual intercourse, the use of condoms or other prophylactics, or the dangers of STDs in school?
The fact that you've avoided answering that question, but instead keep referring back to "the language contained in the bill" says a great deal, frankly. Please answer me directly. Or at least admit that you're not going to, if that's the case. Your avoidance and ducking of the question is tiring.
Ashes where the bodies burning
No more war pigs have the power
Hand of God has sturck the hour
Day of judgement, God is calling
On their knees, the war pigs crawling Begging
Ashes where the bodies burning
No more war pigs have the power
Hand of God has sturck the hour
Day of judgement, God is calling
On their knees, the war pigs crawling Begging
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