Republican leaders break ranks with McCain

[kpete]

Source: The Independent UK

Republican leaders break ranks with McCain

By Stephen Foley in New York
Monday, 13 October 2008

Senior members of the Republican party are in open mutiny against John McCain's presidential campaign, after a disastrous period which has seen Barack Obama solidify his lead in the opinion polls.

And as disputes raged within the McCain camp yesterday, Democrats took another symbolic step towards healing the party after their bitter primary battles, as Bill and Hillary Clinton made their first joint appearance in support of Mr Obama.

From inside and outside his inner circle, Mr McCain is being told to settle on a coherent economic message and to tone down attacks on his rival which have sometimes whipped up a mob-like atmosphere at Republican rallies.

Two former rivals for the party nomination, Mitt Romney and Tommy Thompson, went on the record over the weekend about the disarray in the Republican camp. And a string of other senior party figures said Mr McCain's erratic performance risks taking the party down to heavy losses not just in the presidential race but also in contests for Congressional seats. Mr Thompson, a former governor of the swing state of Wisconsin, said he thought Mr McCain, on his present trajectory, would lose the state, and he told a New York Times reporter he was not happy with the campaign. "I don't know who is," he added.

Read more: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/republican-leaders-break-ranks--with-mccain-959301.html

[my2sense]

1. He's toast - may as well concede with some dignity

Obama's going to demolish him during the next debate. I'm suspecting McCain won't be able to maintain his composure. He'll have a meltdown.

[YDogg]

2. please please please let it be so

:-)

[MadMaddie]

3. Oh Maverick McCain will not concede and he has no dignity

He is going to show the country and the world to what depths he is willing to go, three weeks to go - he has nothing.

[Virginia Dare]

4. Agreed, at this point he's looking at..

the best way to get out of this with a shred of dignity. I don't see it happening if he comes out swinging on Wednesday.

[Laelth]

66. He lost all dignity he had in 2000. See "Exhibit A" below.

Exhibit A

-Laelth

[FanOfKOAM]

67. Wasn't that pic taken in 2004? Anyway, he lost it. n/t

[Laelth]

70. Was it? I could have sworn it was 2000.

Either way, welcome to DU!

:dem:

-Laelth

[ForeignSpectator]

75. I also think it was from 2004 because in 2000 was *'s lying smear campaign against

mkkkain which makes the pic sooo much worse than it already would be...

[PolyD]

84. Cuddlin'

That picture says it all. I'm afraid to say that I once believed in John McCain a long, long, long time ago. Alas, George W. Bush and the Republican party have taken me from thinking I was an Independant, back to the Democratic Party. Thanks fellers! Oh and yeah um, Barack Obama as a candidate for President also sealed the deal for me to join the party. Thanks Barack!

[Virginia Dare]

86. Point well taken..

but he did have some dignity amongst repubs after that, now I'm not so sure.

[DUlover2909]

6. Too good to be true? I sure hope McLame loses his marbles.

[trickyguy]

28. I'm still waiting for the other shoe to drop. He's bound to screw up.

[MindMatter]

24. Not a chance

Obama has been playing a different game. He has had numerous opportunities to let McCain have it between the eyes. He has chosen a strategy to be magnanimous and confidence-inspiring. The Republicans love a nice shouting match where they can shout louder and longer then their opponent. They don't do so well when the setting remains calm enough for people to hear what they are actually saying -- and have the time to figure out it is a crock.

In another ear, maybe this would be a bad strategy, but at this moment, America is looking for a leader the believe can think things through.

That is the knockout punch you are looking for. It already happened before your very eyes. Obama will not change course now.

In addition to all of the above, Obama has the extra risk of being seen as an uppity, angry black man if he were to really mix it up with McCain. Fortunately he doesn't have to. McCain keeps digging himself a deeper and deeper hole and Obama simply has to stand by handing him a fresh shovel every now and then.

[elocs]

29. In keeping with a boxing analogy, Obama has a fight plan and strategy that is working well.

It is late in the fight and he is well ahead in rounds. He does not need to be stupid and go for a knockout. He is rope-a-doping McCain and campaigning him into the ground. McCain may not be able to effectively answer the final bell. So Obama simply needs to keep doing what he has been doing and fight a smart fight.

[stoge18]

49. Right on.

Barrack is sticking to his message and his plan. No need to fix something that's working pretty damn well already. WE deliver the knockout punch on November 4th.
:dem:

[harmonicon]

44. I don't know.... I think he's feeling shame

and rightly so. When he had to cool down people who came out to support him by explaining that Obama is not a bad man or a danger to the country, he of course did the right thing, but I assume realised that he had played a large role in people forming these opinions and fomenting hate. McCain gambled on selling out his soul and his principles to gain power, and it's backfired. Maybe he'll have a meltdown, or maybe he'll continue to regret his mistakes and be ashamed of his own behaviour up to this point.

[Roy]

50. Feeling Shame? Nahhh, I think he is just feeling defeat!

[frogcycle]

77. that's the plan n/t

[BayjanDem]

78. I have mixed feelings about this story

Obama has a lead, no doubt about it. But it doesn't take much for some people to mail it in come Election Day. I hope that some don't take things for granted. I like hearing about the dissension, but McCain has more lives than Lazarus. If we show up in big numbers, vote early it's a wrap.

[grace0418]

89. Agreed. I seem to remember McCain nearly going down in the primaries. There were

jokes everywhere about the "Straight Talk Express" being out of gas, with flat tires, etc. And yet, here he is, the GOP nominee.

[Purveyor]

5. I know from living here in Michigan that the GOP is pissed-off 'big-time' with McCain for pulling

out of the state and making being so public about it.

I know of at least two congressional seats that will most likely flip for the democrats because of this.

:bounce:

[Fire1]

92. Absolutely! They are taking lawn signs, marking up drive ways with chalk,

I've heard some real horror stories. They took my Obama sign early this a.m. Went and got another one, donated some more money and sprayed the sign with pam. If they do it again, I'm going to put piles of dog poop all around the sign (they can't see too good in the dark!) LOL!

[Olney Blue]

7. McCain proves every day that he should not be trusted.

[Dr.Phool]

8. A coherent economic message from Phil Gramm?

And that other guy who co-wrote "DOW 36,000"?

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[krispos42]

71. Oh, that book had a typo on the cover...

This is the corrected version


:rofl:

[WheelWalker]

9. McKKKrypt is going to flame out worse than the last Senator from AZ.

[Oilwellian]

10. McCain's erratic performance will take the party down?

How about the party's corrupt performance for the past 15 years? Do ya suppose that MIGHT have something to do with it?

[yellerpup]

17. You're on the nose with that revelation, George Oilwellian.

But, I think it goes back a lot farther than 15 years.

[theothersnippywshrub]

20. You're right about the past, but I think it goes back more than 15 years.

I think it started with Goldwater and so many other conservative republicans opposing the civil rights laws in the 1960's. That was soon followed by the racist dixiecrats switching parties and the launching of the GOP Southern Strategy. And that was soon followed by the Reagan Revolution which united the racist wing, the economic conservative wing, the Religious Reich wing and the evil communists (now terrorists) are hiding under my bed wing of the modern republican party. Then Gingrich took over GOPAC and taught republicans to recite the infamous list of divisive and hateful words. And the republican party reached its peak.

But its power was born of the evil it embraced over all those years and now it is becoming progressively weaker as that evil has driven away decent Americans. And the weakness now grows even more, like a cancer, as a result of the various GOP hate groups blaming not only decent Americans, but also other GOP hate groups for the growing weakness. And it is that growing weakness that is irritating other republicans, not McCain's erratic performance or the corruption of so many republicans. If McCain could find an evil message of hate that did not alienate decent Americans, all republicans would rejoice.

[Beregond2]

63. Well said.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

48. The GOP are hiding a lot of information

[cui bono]

11. McCain has got to be on the verge of a major outburst...

one day soon he's going to blow!

[MindMatter]

26. I don't think so. Why is there no juicy video f his temper?

Because he is able to remain in enough control that he doesn't go off in public. He'll easily make it through this debate without exploding. Besides, at this point, he must be somewhat reconciled to his fate, and at least a little concerned about his legacy.

A few weeks ago, he was still talking trash like "I've taken down better men than him (Obama)". At this point, surely he understands Obama is kicking his ass without ever really throwing much of a punch. McCain is clueless how to take on a guy like that. There is absolutely nothing in the Rove/Atwater/GOP playbook about this.

[cui bono]

32. He has gone off in public. And to his colleagues.

Here's some links. I can't find the story about a fellow republican congressman who said something about it.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/07/report-mccain-pushed-woma_n_124615.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/04/08/new-book-mccain-once-phys_n_95595.html

http://rawstory.com/news/2008/McCain_temper_boiled_over_in_92_0407.html

http://blog.case.edu/conservativemovement/2008/01/29/john_mccains_top_ten_temper_explosions

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/aponline/19991031/aponline183823_000.htm

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=4301022

[MindMatter]

37. You're making my point. There are no pictures, no video.

That means he has been able to control himself in cases where a camera would catch him. Wednesday will be no different.

That means he is not a deeply disturbed man who loses control. It means he's a prick that takes pleasure in being nasty with people. A classic bully.

[cui bono]

42. Well, you didn't say caught on camera, you said in public.

You may be right about that, I didn't check youtube though.

[Rainngirl]

54. Here's something about his temper...

http://bravenewpac.org:80/rage/

[stillcool]

12. Too late.

[ExPatLeftist]

13. I was wondering when Mitt would throw his fit.

He was publicly very pissed about the VP selection process, not only that he got passed over but how it was handled.

Hope he will continue this payback. Here's hoping their party will split in two.

[Kalifornia.Kid]

14. More Nuts Falling Off the Trees

[Chulanowa]

39. That pitbull needs lipstick

[Historic NY]

15. Yeah, we should encourage McSame some more.....

maybe they will make him walk the plank.

[L0oniX]

16. McLame ..call the Wambulance ..fix make better....

[whistle]

18. The republican party has leaders? Sorry, they have warlords, mob bosses

...chieftains and pirate captains, but I know of no leaders

[dhpgetsit]

19. Wow... The GOP in disarray?? And Dems united???

What sweet irony! The MSM must be really confused!

[tclambert]

25. And the term "moderate Republican" has been dusted off.

Somebody even said Obama Republicans, similar to the old-fashioned Reagan Democrats. You never hear of "Bush Democrats" or "McCain Democrats," do you?

[MindMatter]

27. And in the Senate, moderate Republicans now hold all the cards

After 15 years of abuse at the hands of the far-right thugs who were running the GOP Senate, the moderates now stand to drive the bargains they want. We only need about 5-10 of them to work with us. I bet we can peel off that many on any given issue.

[workinclasszero]

21. McKKKain should just cut and run

The republiCON party is toast! The party is over thieves.

[tclambert]

22. McCain's new economic plan

This just in: McCain intends to unveil a new economic plan at the next debate. Rumors are he wants to put the country back on the gold standard. Paper money will no longer have any value. If that doesn't work, wampum is next.

[AzNick]

43. Erratic is still the keyword

Whatever is plan is, nobody will trust him except for the usual diehard Reps.

[LaStrega]

23. Once again the UK reports what our MSM won't. n/t

[bertman]

30. Neither McCain nor the Republican party is "toast" until the last votes are counted

and Obama is declared our next President.

The Republicans always try to keep it close enough that their candidate can pull off a HUGE COMEBACK WIN. And unless Barack can post a 10 or 12-point lead the corporate media will call it a horserace to the bitter end. If they can do that and the polls (again corporate-controlled) say the race is tighter than 10 points, the machines will help the Republicans and the media will pronounce it a Republican last-ditch victory of epic proportions. I guess a lot of us have forgotten that Kerry was showing five to seven point exit poll numbers on election night '04, yet we awakened to the news that all of those exiting voters had lied to the pollsters. Yeah, right.

Right now we are seeing voter registrations being trashed at an unheard of rate as the Republican operatives work their "magic". The media are even keeping the Ayers/terrorist bullshit alive even though any sane citizen sees that baseless innuendo for what it is.

It's all part of the game the Repugs play so well.

[happygoluckytoyou]

34. Niether McCain nor the Republican party is "toast" until the last votes are MIScounted

[bertman]

46. LOL

[rebel with a cause]

73. Exactly and what better way to prove his maverickness

than to make it appear that he is not connected with the rest of the republican party. Just a thought. :shrug:

[LonelyLRLiberal]

91. CNN is already running programming suggesting a hidden racist vote that could cause Obama to lose.

It is interesting that they started talking about this issue right when Obama got a break-out lead in all the national polls.

[alofton]

31. This is what happens...

When the bottom has fallen out of your message... They are all in complete disarray and have no where to turn.

[Laelth]

68. Welcome to DU!

:dem:

-Laelth

[happygoluckytoyou]

33. BUSH TRIED...MCCAIN SUCCEEDED...the GOP is in a Death Spiral !! ====> HOWEVER....................

W00H00... i was in the middle... undecided... then i decided to vote for mccain. john "the bush republican" mccain. here is how i figure it... we have global warming... and the day sarah palin is the president of the united states of america, hell will freeze over. problem solved. no really. it could happen. when pigs fly, in air force one.

[Botany]

35. This just awful

[47of74]

64. Or is it more like...

[and-justice-for-all]

36. The mob scenes will not stop...

they cracked the can open on something that has been brewing for awhile. We know who makes up the base of the repig party, but now so does a hell of a lot more people....

I am glad to see them hang themselves however..THE PARTY OF OVER.

[scarface2004]

38. palin is itching to ramp up the lynch mob!!!

they don t call her barracuda for nuthin. she has told her inner circle to expect a kkk/aryan nation style rally this week complete with hoods and swastikas. she said she is looking forward to a lynching and mkane is a wuss!!!

[AzNick]

40. I think the US need to go through that

We can't go on as a nation without going through this phase.

[vssmith]

90. Do you have a link for that?

[ldf]

41. poor babies...

would you like a little cheese to compliment your whine?

yes, mccain hasn't done a thing right. and sarah was but the icing on the cake.

however, i hate to break it to those folks, but the person who has destroyed their party, AND THEM WITH IT, is none other than george W bush.

you know, the one they propped up and fellated every chance they got. (and for once, i mean that in the BAD way...)

now they are ASHAMED of the brazen hatred spewing from their core constituency, and are running for cover.

again, pooooooorr babies.....

:toast:

[minnesota_liberal]

45. So what?

A couple of "senior members of the Republican party" are upset with McCain.

This does NOT mean that:
1) McCain can't win;
2) McCain will concede the race;
3) Republicans will stop their vote caging efforts;
4) Republicans will stop lying about Obama;
5) Obama supporters can relax

[ginnyinWI]

47. and I hope this isn't just a head-fake to get us to stop working.

Everyone needs to go and vote. Imagine if everyone just decided that Obama has it in the bag and they don't need to go out and vote! Disaster.

[Window]

51. I'd love to see headlines like this in some of our leading newspapers.

[caseymoz]

52. OMG. This looks like a George McGovern sized failure.

Which was actually a turning point for the country. But I don't know that the Repub party is going to survive.

To think in 2004, Republicans looked invincible. This is an unprecedented fast change.

[spag68]

53. McCain is toast

Those few here that advise caution should be listened to. There are dirty tricks left in their bag that they have not trotted out yet, and may not use at all. If the puppet masters decide that it is to their advantage to allow our side to win an election, then it will be a landslide, and we will not know what their other tricks are. Give them credit for what they have done, the largest transfer of wealth to the wealthy in our history, and the destruction of many of our civil liberty's, as well as our reputation as a country. It will take vigilance if and when Obama wins to recover our lost dignity and a semblance of fairness in our society. That means working for every vote, and then keeping the pressure on for our own to do the right thing. End the war, slash the ridiculous military budget, and finally reverse the destruction of unions and other organizations that help working people. We should be watching carefully who is appointed to high level staff and secretary level positions in an Obama government. Now don't get all flamed out with me, I'm like our chances and am doing what I personally can to make this happen, as I know you here are too. I only advise pragmatic balance and judgment after we win this fight. I long for the truth even from our side. The dirty word taxes will have to be addressed and I for one am willing to pay if I believe that the system is fair. I think we are all of a same mind, as so many of our brothers and sisters out there are in dire straits. Now is the time to show our humanity, for in advancing our own country, we should try to remember to bring the rest of the world along with us. We either rise together of sink together, the world gets smaller every day. , and we're all on the same boat.

[spag68]

55. Republican leaders

First of all that is, at this time, an oxymoron. Second they are not dong for altruistic reasons, they are simply trying to cover their asses. I meant to say that in my prior post, but got insanely carried away.

[kpete]

57. your "insanity"

is both refreshing and coherent.

peace, kp

[spag68]

65. kpete

You're a good gy, here's to you

[GoddessOfGuinness]

56. The party's over...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YV5ynRFzrIM

The party's over
It's time to call it a day
They've burst your pretty balloon
And taken the moon away
It's time to wind up the masquerade
Just make your mind up the piper must be paid

The party's over
The candles flicker and dim
You danced and dreamed through the night
It seemed to be right just being with him
Now you must wake up, all dreams must end
Take off your makeup, the party's over
It's all over, my friend

[onager]

88. The Willie Nelson version works too...

Turn out the lights, the party's over,
They say that all good things must end,
Call it a night, the party's over,
And tomorrow starts the same old thing again

What a crazy, crazy party, never seen so many people
Laughing, dancing, look at you you're having fun
But look at me I'm almost cryin'
Couldn't keep her love from dyin'
Misery because for me - the party's over
Turn out the lights...

Once I had a love undying, couldn't keep it, wasn't trying,
Life for me was just one party after another
I broke her heart so many times, had to have my party wine,
Then one day she said, "Sweetheart the party's over."
Turn out the lights...

Irrelevant Personal Rant: man, that song brings back memories! I used to waste a lot of time in a grungy, fantastic shit-kicking country bar in Los Angeles. (Sadly closed now.) The kind of place where you sometimes had to step over two women fighting in the parking lot to get inside. The band always played "The Party's Over" at last call. And last calls in that joint tended to be...raucous.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

58. things are so bad that they are telling volunteer canvassers to link Obama with terrorists

this is shocking. The fact that volunteers are being told to do this!

[bjobotts]

59. McCain has always beenout for McCain only. Has no integrity.Rick Davis is worse.

[bjobotts]

60. Doing what Bush did but without the results 'cause we've seen what that got us.

[obamachangetheworld]

61. If he let the old Bush people hijack his campaign like they have

just think of what the next four years would be like if he is elected.

[debatemoderator]

62. Conservatism is dead n/t

[Laelth]

69. Let us hope.

And, welcome to DU!

:dem:

-Laelth

[47of74]

83. Circling the drain?

One can only hope! :)

[Skittles]

72. LOL - NO MORE GOOSE-STEPPING?

THIS I GOTTA SEE :rofl:

[Wetzelbill]

74. Mitt is so duplicitous, he's separating himself so he won't be tainted for another run

four years from now. The guy has no ideology other than he'd do anything to get himself in the Oval Office.

[TWiley]

76. Not a very well loved soccer mom

I guess she must bake lousy cookies

[Hubert Flottz]

79. "I don't know who is,"

I "is"...WrongWay McCrash has crashed 5 tax payer funded planes and he won't get a chance to crash the tax payer funded great ship of state if he "Stays The Course"

[Solly Mack]

80. Sometimes the kiss of death comes in the form of a hug

a seeming act of comfort that smothers you..slowly..and allows you to be party to your own destruction. The more you hug back...the quicker you stop breathing.

and I think McCain's defeated mind will also defeat his body.

I'm already bored by the inevitable media/D.C. love-fest

[underpants]

81. They dumped Dole in '96 to concentrate on Congressional races too

Sounds like the same thing

Mitt and Thompson are trying to set themselves up for a 2012 run

[KansDem]

82. They're not "mutineers." They're "Mavericks!" (nt)

[Stump]

85. The ship continues to sink...

as the band plays on...

[Supersedeas]

87. lil' Rove, Schmidt and Perino wanna-be Nicole Wallace have some 'splainin' to do

[classysassy]

93. Rats overboard

the vermin are leaving the sinking ship.