road rage on the straight talk express

well mccain blew it. not that i was rooting for him to turn it around nor did i believe he had a shot in hell of doing so but he didn't have to sputter and spit and eye-roll and finger quote his way so far down into the crapper that even joe the plumber would have a tough time getting him out. but that is what he did, all the while speaking to the conservative base and not to the moderate undecideds. its funny, i thought that the terrorist-whisperer was supposed to energize the base, if you are going to go on national t.v. and do that then what the hell IS winking barbie for?

the only word for it all is ridiculous. mccain was snide and obnoxious, constantly interrupting obama and interjecting his derisive and disrespectful digs as if he expected all of us to laugh along with him in that mean-spirited-lets-talk-shit-
about-someone-like-they-aren't-sitting-right-there-and-
hearing-everything-that-we-say kind of way. it is not the way a respectable grown-up professional person should act and it certainly isn't the way i want the person representing us on a national stage to behave. it was gross and embarrassing. i thought he spent most of the time coming across as an angry and disgruntled fuss-pot whining about the fact that he wasn't winning against someone he clearly dislikes and doesn't respect and ended it by pathetically imploring us to give him a shot and vote for him anyway. it came across like a last ditch resort and as if the best reason he could come up with for us to make him the president is that it isn't fair if he doesn't get to be in the white house and he just really wants it, okay? not terribly inspiring.
the real low-lights for me (aside from the afore mentioned general off-putting behavior and attitude) were:

3. joe the plumber. boy did i get sick of THAT. gimmicky and irrelevant. is this one random guy (who, btw, is coincidentally related to charles keating through marriage- if you believe in coincidence), who mcaain chose to exclusively address throughout the entire debate, supposed to somehow offset mccain's 3 for 3 record of not saying "middle class" ONCE in the debates? are we the people supposed to feel attached to joe's story and by relating to joe he therefore relates to all of us? (i will say that my joe was kind of tripped out by having 80 percent of the debate sort-of addressed to him). well let me say this, i do not relate to joe the plumber. joe the plumber is interested in purchasing a business with a profit margin of $250,000 a year. that business has got to cost a least a couple million to buy. i don't know about you, but i could not afford to purchase a business for a couple million bucks and if i could, honestly, i don't think i would really mind paying an extra $900/yr or so to relieve some of the financial stress of the middle/lower class. mcaain said it himself "joe, congratulations, you're rich". mccain, congratulations, you are looking out for the rich. well done, way to be exactly like the rest of the republican party. how maverick-y of you.

2. "health". hey mccain, you're a "dick". oh no wait, you are a dick. no quotes. the idea that the government should scrutinize a woman and determine whether or not her health is in danger enough or her health concerns are legitimate enough to allow her take action and make a medical decision on her own behalf is frightening. and the fact that mccain was so flippant and sarcastic in his response and so political and nit picky in his motivations for saying it was offensive. i want a president who is concerned about my "health", thanks, as stupid as you seem to think that is. (almost as stupid as obama's "extreme-environmentalist" theory that we should dispose of nuclear waste safely. what a liberal moron, am i right?)

1. the number one totally despicable and off-putting moment was mccain's response to bob schieffer's awesome and ballsy question about the negative tone of the campaign. he started out with the classic "she was asking for it" argument by claiming, basically, that if obama had agreed to do a bunch of town hall style debates around the country like he wanted, he wouldn't have HAD to incite hatred and fear amongst the right-wing extremists at his rallies. obama also probably shouldn't have worn that slutty dress. he then went on to not take any personal or political responsibility but instead turn into a 4-yr-old and started whinging about his feelings being hurt by the apparently MUCH more despicable comments by congressman lewis.

"But the fact is that (this campaign) has taken many turns which I think are unacceptable.

One of them happened just the other day, when a man I admire and respect -- I've written about him -- Congressman John Lewis, an American hero, made allegations that Sarah Palin and I were somehow associated with the worst chapter in American history, segregation, deaths of children in church bombings, George Wallace. That, to me, was so hurtful.

And, Senator Obama, you didn't repudiate those remarks. Every time there's been an out-of-bounds remark made by a Republican, no matter where they are, I have repudiated them. I hope that Senator Obama will repudiate those remarks that were made by Congressman John Lewis, very unfair and totally inappropriate."

first of all, stop being a baby. stop playing the victim. because of things YOU said and PALIN said, people have called for obama's death. an independent statement, not at all aligned with obama's campaign and one about which obama's campaign has put out a statement saying the comparisons are inappropriate is not comparable in the least, never mind being the worse offense as you seem to be implying. obama doesn't need to do anything more and if mcaain needs to be coddled and coaxed out of his sulk that is his problem. he looked pathetic and self indulgent and went on throughout the course of the discussion on this "topic" to defend the people at his rallies(!) and get unreasonably indignant about people suggesting otherwise. it was like how could we possibly think that military wives or veterans would say such a thing and how could we even suggest it!?! um... shut up you dick. second of all, you have repudiated EVERY remark made by a republican? not only is that statement false, it is totally absurd. how could you even possibly do that? every republican? really. you are embarrassing. i was so put off by his behavior in that moment i thought "this is as low as he goes". i hope it is anyway or god help us all.

by contrast obama was the consummate gentleman. despite the fact that he has been the victim of much more incendiary remarks he took the high road and didn't, for want of a better phrase, cry about it. he tried to diffuse mccain's huff over the whole thing, despite mccain's continual interruptions and implications that obama didn't even understand what he was talking about it, and then went on to try and steer them back to the issues, illuminating the fact that running nasty and negative campaigns doesn't do anyone any favors when it comes to trying to work, in a bipartisan effort, to address the challenges our nation faces right now. as opposed to the other candidate, he made this about the american people, not about his personal feelings.

"I don't mind being attacked for the next three weeks.

What the American people can't afford, though, is four more years of failed economic policies. And what they deserve over the next four weeks is that we talk about what's most pressing to them: the economic crisis.

Senator McCain's own campaign said publicly last week that, 'if we keep on talking about the economic crisis, we lose, so we need to change the subject'.

And I would love to see the next three weeks devoted to talking about the economy, devoted to talking about health care, devoted to talking about energy, and figuring out how the American people can send their kids to college. And that is something that I would welcome. But it requires, I think, a recognition that politics as usual, as been practiced over the last several years, is not solving the big problems here in America."

so there you go, if that doesn't shine a light on these 2 candidates i don't know what else does. for shame, mccain. you have fallen from grace.