What are the Republicans up to?

[shadowknows69]

They are running John McCain, a man running purely on his war experience, and not very well to boot, and possibly the worst public speaker since, well, Bush.

On any given day either Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama or Marcel Marceau, could debate circles around this guy, in their sleep. I can see where the GOP would think they cold have beaten Senator Clinton as it's the fight they've been planning for fifteen years now, but it doesn't seem like McCain has a prayer to stop Obama. So what happened to the evil geniuses who have stolen power in this country in 8 short years? Secret despots building upon decades of silent planning to rule the world, one wonders how they could have allowed this?

My only thought is they must be relying on some superstar VP candidate to save them. The reverse Dan Quayle if you will. Where Dan was George Bush the Firsts best job security and Cheney has been George the second's, I fear the GOP is actively engaging in grave sitting for their own candidate.

It has to be prominent in even die hard GOP minds that McCain's first term could be the intellectual equivalent of Reagan's second; propping up their aging, barely coherent, puppet, wired to ear pieces and teleprompters so the neocon cabal can field the press conferences in real time behind the curtain.

They know he can't be two termer, and they know he's going to get his ass handed to him in debates. Are they really just going to rely on the old "Democrats want big government" BS they've always fallen back on when they're on the wrong side of the issues? Can these mad scientists and James Bond villains really have fallen so far?

Or do they still hold the keys to the counters? The machines are still out there people and it's been proven they can be tampered with. This more than any other reason is why we need to unite strongly in this election. We need polls going into November with Obama ahead by double digits and I expect we'll get no hope from the media on this point. I guarantee all polls will have this as a horse race when I know in my heart there can't be that many people out there who still want the self destructive status quo we have going now.

They wouldn't have let McCain get this far, and I mean they would have done anything (ANYTHING) to stop it, if they didn't have a card up their sleeve.

So, I beseech you fellow Democrats, whatever your feelings about the primaries, if your feelings have been hurt, if you don't love our candidate but think he's better than McCain. If you at all hold holy our Democratic ideals as a party and the idea of another Republican President is poison to your soul as it is to mine, then I beg you to come out in November. We need to overwhelm the machines and the exit polls, or so help me they will steal it again.

On to November and victory!!!!
S

[underpants]

1. Never forget.... it was supposed to be George Allen

the re-incarnate of Ronald Reagan (they could morph his father into Ron in ads) but alas those 62 seconds of youtube

[YOY]

3. And about 4,000 Virginia voters

Including me.

Thank GAWD the "football man" is gone. There was not an ad in Virginia where the guy wasn't caressing a football like he's ready to grease it up and start humping it.

[underpants]

7. Yeah it really is a prop that he took with him everywhere

the funniest part is that he was FOURTH string (they basically created a string for the Redskins' coach's kid) on a UVa team that was barely above club level. In fact the place to be was up in the stands in your orange and blue tie having cocktails not standing on the sideline hoping for a massive blowout so that maybe MAYBE you could get into a game

:eyes:

[YOY]

8. My wife, who is not American, said:

"Are American voters that stupid that you need a obvious prop that has nothing to do with anything in every ad?"

I had no good answer.

[shadowknows69]

14. Oooh a football!!!

Shiny.

[Butch350]

37. Oooh a football!!!

Fellow Browncoat ? Stay clear of the Purple Bellies and the Reavers!

Just Another Independent.

[shadowknows69]

49. Aw gorram it, now I have to watch Serenity for the 163rd time.

[geckosfeet]

34. The only answer to that is yes.

[11 Bravo]

18. I can remember you and I warning people back in '06, underpants.

I guess it was incumbent on we Virginians to let the rest of the country know what an asshat that pigskin-humping, faux cowboy, aw shucks, piece-of-shit racist truly was (and is).

[underpants]

27. Yep!

:hi:

[Alter Ego]

58. Macaca sank any political ambitions George Allen ever had or will have.

[LakeSamish706]

2. My guess has always been that this Administration is going to do something...

like (shock and awe) event to cancel this election in November and thus, not give up power. As you have stated, McCain really seems to have a snow balls chance in hell of wining in November.

[TheDebbieDee]

5. I think Dimson will talk more about trying to invade Iran

to get more National Security-minded repukes out to vote for McCain if McCain falls too far behind in the polls!

[loudsue]

22. Bush is currently amassing troops on the Iranian boarder.

Anybody that thinks the danger of starting a war with Iran has passed is fooling themselves. They will pump up McCain by saying that we 'don't want to elect someone like Obama when we're in a "nukular" war defending Israel.'

Shadowknows is correct: they have a plan. They have ALTERNATIVE plans if the first one doesn't work. Those republican/neocon think tanks have brazillionz of dollars in planning, and they're not going to go into a hidey hole just because kkkarl rove is in Texas keeping his head down.

Obama needs to choose his VP candidate VERY carefully and strategically. The DLC (republican infiltrators in the Dem party) have just had their plan handed back to them, and they, with all the other republiCONs, are on the warpath.

All that potential money isn't going to sit idly by and let "we the people" take over their precious money-maker-country.

Watch the news media continue to cut off Obama's speeches so that people don't really hear what he's saying....just like they did Edwards when they were pushing him out. Watch the media keep posting unflattering pictures of Obama, and flattering pictures of McCain. The subtle, and NOT so subtle, propaganda tools will all come out of the tool box.

[YOY]

4. Rallying the Troops

The California Gay Marraige Act may have come just at the right moment. The media still isn't putting it's full attention on McCain and the slew of crap that he has in his pocket.

The racists are already in full swing (Curious George shirt guy for example.)

Batton down the hatches. Battle stations ready. They're not gonna swiftboat this one!

[Tyler Durden]

6. We underestimate that campaign to our mortal peril.

Always remember: Republicans will mobilize behind a dried cat turd with ketchup on it, as long as it has (R) beside it on the ballot. Remember Bush?

Also they can't really lose here. If they WIN, they can blame failures on Grandpa and the Democratic Congress. If they LOSE, they can blame failures on the Democratic PRESIDENT and Congress (an even BETTER scenario in some ways).

The actions required to fix what is wrong are drastic and draconian; the chances of those actions being taken by Obama OR McCain are slender at best: a Centrist and Senility were not what was needed this time.

[shadowknows69]

11. I fully agree with you there Tyler

I am however more optimistic about Obama, you know that. I'd like to think I'm not star struck easily, and I think he'll actually turn out less centrist than people think. Hey I was primarily a Kucinich supporter in 2004 and 2008, then, both years yielded down to Edwards and then, ended up voting for our nominee. I think if he can pull this off that it will be more important symbolically than any policy he'll be able to implement, and we all know that about 90% of all Presidential promises aren't things they can make happen without a willing Congress anyway. I actually wrote a column similar to what you're saying that we need real progress, obviously, above the need for an historic event. I'm not so sure I agree with that completely anymore because some people need those benchmarks and feeling of history to motivate them. I think with Obama we will hopefully find we'll get both progress and history. I get the sense from the man that he doesn't want to be known as the first black President who ended up only being a mediocre leader. Whatever happens I feel he'll be working for "us", We the people. That will be a nice change.
S

[Tyler Durden]

17. I just hope your truce picks up support.

But I doubt it.

The Obama Campaign MUST remember that they have to woo 15 out of 16 Clinton Supporters to support him, otherwise, the Republican Candidate WILL WIN.

[shadowknows69]

19. I fear I'm on a lot of ignore lists, no one's fault but my own I know.

I considered writing something longer but it all would have come down to: "Sorry, I was a jerk like y'all were. Everyone's guilty here, let's shake and have a beer."

[Tyler Durden]

21. I've taken the tack that:

"My name's PAUL, an' this is between Y'ALL."

[KSCFAN]

41. Sure way to win this election.

Focus on the things that you can get 80% of the people behind. There is 1 HUGE one that Obama can focus on. End all of the wars and bring all of the troops home. If he promissed to concentrate on that alone in his 1st term he would win in a landslide. Don't push the Progressive economic stuff. Once you get the troops home and save Trillions (with a T) of dollars a year people will gladly apply some of that savings towards healthcare. But the big drag on the economy is the empire. If you do that you can brush off all of the "Big Government" attack ads and you would have huge support.

[Coes]

9. The "Commander In Chief" card?

That "Democrats are weak on defense" crap, combined with McCains military record?

Gonna be a lot of "Excessive Spin" icons in the Top 10 Conservative Idiots from now on.

[shadowknows69]

13. If wes Clark was a Repub I'd be scared

But McCain's experience, heroic as it may be, does not in any way prove he is a good military leader on the strategic level. He flew jets, like supposedly W did, for fun, and I think Obama will tear that argument down quickly.

[KSCFAN]

42. Don't get caugh in the game.

Don't argue tactics. Don't argue 16 months vs 3 years or anything like that. Focus on the big picture which IMHO is We can't police the world. It is bankrupting us. Bring all the troops home and focus on talking. The amount of money it would save would be astonomical. It's expensive maintaining an Empire. Ask the British.

[WeDidIt]

10. Nobody really votes for the Veep

It's a fact of presidential politics.

[Tippy]

12. Republicans are up to no good.....as always n/t

[O.M.B.inOhio]

15. A few notions...

Yes, it's very uncharacteristic of the Party of Perpetual Campaigns to let their main man look so bad for so long. So what are they up to? Top-of-my-head ideas:

1) They have a White (and he will be) Knight in the wings. Perhaps Romney who so nobly stepped down to help the party, unlike certain parties we know. Or Cheney himself. Or someone with charisma. Perhaps they were planning on running Charlton Heston.

2) Cheney's shadow government will continue operations after Obama is elected.

3) They will not give up power. After all, Bush was seated in a coup by the Supreme Court. Maybe they don't even need pretext for suspending the Constitution.

4) They're really thinking outside hte box and will eventually shift support to Bob Barr and the Libertarian Party.

5) Election fraud awaits, and the difference between exit polls and official results is attributed to unspoken racism or white "cold feet."

6) McCain's the best they got and everything they are doing is above board. Now that's implausible!

[shadowknows69]

16. 2,3 and 5 would sadly be my bets

2) I don't think they can think out of the box enough to go for a black "Manchurian Candidate"

3)I hope the fuck not because if so then I have to become a minute man and I'm to old, fat and broken to be a good revolutionary right now.

5)most likely of the three which is why we must come out in massive numbers, or hire our own hackers.

[yellerpup]

55. We will have a better idea of their plan when the VP choice is announced.

The person chosen will tip the strategy to come. McCain is sick, obiously so, I thought from watching him (between snores) try to give his speech last night. I've been wondering if Jeb will wind up second fiddle so that none of the contracts, or any of the trials-to-be that are currently being investigated will be quietly squelched, and the nonstop trashing of our infrastructure will carry on seamlessly. To beat them at the polls we have to overwhelm (raise an army, metaphorically) them and now, thanks to Obama's campaign, there are enough people registerd and enough people vitally, enthusiastically involved to do just that. Let them be scared for a change. K&R, btw. Nice post.

[jmowreader]

23. Or the unspoken 7) I keep alluding to

Namely, throw the presidential election, then have the Congressional Repukes stonewall everything the Democrats try to do for the next four years so the Democrats look like a do-nothing party. Then, after the Democrats Have Done Nothing For The Last Four Years, they bring in their Candidate For Change--maybe they could beg Sarah Palin or Linda Lingle to do it by then.

There's really no other reason to try running Methuselah for president. The Republicans don't like him either. He's too liberal for them and too conservative for us.

Best way to throw the election? About a week before November, they'll have a press conference and ask him a fairly mean question. The resulting eruption will register on a seismograph.

[kentuck]

20. No good.

That is all.

[ironrooster]

24. you're giving them way too much credit

the pubs are fraying at the edges - it was never supposed to be MCain but he was the only one seen by mod pubs as being sufficiently distanced from * - so all they are holding is their asses.

this is our election to fuck up - the pubs are going down in flames big time (IF) hill and bill will just STFU and be gracious and step aside.

[FatDave]

38. I believe you're correct.

We're probably the only two here though. It just seems to me that the republicans have finally fucked things up so badly that they can never get the stink off. They don't even have the power or the money to be nefarious anymore.

[GirlieQ]

25. McCain is a placeholder like Pope Benedict

McCain's age and complete lack of, well, anything that would make him a strong candidate, had me questioning the Republican's choice like you. I realized that it's probably a Pope Benedict situation. They have people who are younger, but they don't want to put them in a position of power yet, but they needed to put someone forward.

McCain is just a placeholder until the Republicans recover their image to the point where they can field a candidate that has a chance of winning. Why would the put out a strong candidate just to be slapped down by Obama or Clinton? Nominees who lose by large margins are pretty much out of politics. McCain probably only has one more senate run left in his career, so backlash from a failed run is minimal. I think that it was a reasonable choice for the Republicans.

[Patriot Abroad]

36. I think that's a bit harsh on the Holy Father

Just sayin!

[FatDave]

39. You make it sound like he was chosen by the RNC.

He wasn't. He was chosen by the republican populace. And they chose him because they thought he had the best chance of beating Hillary.
:rofl:
Rest assured, the RNC and congressional republicans would shake loose of him if they could.

[Prophet 451]

26. I can think of a few possibilities

1) The VP will be Lieberman and the Walking Yawn runs on a ticket of faux-national unity, parlaying that image of being a maverick by buddying up to the more hawkish Dems, maybe making an approach to Hillary (whether she'd accept is another matter).

2) There will either be no election or no transfer of power. I'm hoping this one is unlikely but you know that W and Cheney are thinking about it and with Directive 51, they can do it more or less legally.

3) The Repubs are throwing the election. This seems unlikely but... There is an episode of the political satire The New Statesman which involves the then-Tory government discovering that the economy is going to collapse regardless of what they do, calling a snap election and throwing it which puts Labour in power just as the economy falls apart, creating a backlash which would destroy the Labour party. Now, in the episode, the whole thing ends up being a collosal con-job by Alan B'Stard (the protagonist) but given the death spiral the economy now seems to be in, I could see it happening.

4) Best case scenario, the Repubs are falling apart. While Bill Clinton was in power, there was a quiet struggle going on for control of the Republican party because the pro-business types (who were often socially liberal) and the Religious Reich. W's ascendance put that on hold because he was able to be both but the Walking Yawn can't be considered one of teh Religious Reich under any circumstances so their coalition is falling apart again.

[Independent-Voter]

28. I don't think there's any real conspiracy to be had. They had a big crop of bad candidates this

season, none of which gained an overwhelming amount of traction. McCain is their candidate by default, much like Clinton would have been if Obama hadn't come out of nowhere and wiped the floor with his ground game and organization.

Both the Dems and Pubs look to be undergoing some sea changes with their orgs. The pubs have the traditional small govt types/neocons/and religious nuts, and the Dems have their own neocons/far left/centrist-moderate factions to play pretty.

Oldschool top-down political organizations are getting left in the dust. Obama's just scratched the surface of what's possible with social networks, fundraising, and other internet-based systems. Fogies like HRC and McCain don't have a clue about how to campaign with 24/7 internet access allowing anyone to instantly fact-check them, even within a press conference or debate. Good riddance I say.

[windbreeze]

31. NOPE...I don't agree...

sadly, I say there is a game going on, that we, the voters, are not privy too...obviously I, no more than anyone else, knows what it is...but I am sure it will manifest itself before Nov., 2008..

These people have not spent the last 8 years, putting all their ducks in a row...ie: signing statements, Exe. orders and laws like the Patriot act/Military commissions act, for NO gd reason..it's been done ON purpose, FOR a purpose...and anyone who works that deliberately, does not go away when someone else wants them too, they go away when THEY want too...They can't stand McCain...and imo, he is a case of smoke and mirrors...we should have suspected that right away...but then consider that they have been telling the American people to kiss their asses since the day that * was selected by the SCOTUS(after all, isn't he the one who said he'd like to be a dictator??)...hasn't anyone noticed all the scandals that have been swept oh so carefully and completely under the carpet, never to be talked about again....I am sure I don't have to list those scandals, right?????

Perhaps someone might tell me why the Democrats did not put securing the vote on the top of their list as THE MOST IMPORTANT issue they had to deal with since 2000??? or hell, even earlier???It's been 8 years since the election was stolen from Gore, and yet...here we are...wondering if it will happen again..WHY?? should we even have to be concerned with crap like this, where there are just as many other things that concern us, like how to get to work, and how to eat, or maybe how to afford medical insurance???

We underestimate this bunch at our own peril...take nothing at face value where they are concerned...always, always look for the ulterior motive behind anything they do...they ARE and ALWAYS WILL BE, up to something...and chances are...whatever it is...is NOT good for us, or our country..wb

ps: where's Jeb??

[ironrooster]

40. windbreeze

I thnk they actually did try to put into place some really bad shit (and succeeded in some areas) but nothing so bad that it can't be rolled back. I think they have lost the support of the pentagon - and the national guard is still under individual govs orders should an "untoward incident" happen. So I'm cautiously optimistic. I do agree that the stakes are MUCH higher than most people suspect - and should progessives take both house and the presidency the "permanent majority" needs to be ours.

Media ownership (break-it-up)
expand FOI
Create an office for an Archiving Czar to make sure that admin branch emails and other shit doesn't ever get "lost" again.
Heavy tax hit for moving corp headquaters offshore.
Reform the Federal Reserve by CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT if necessary.
Reign in CIA and NSA

Well, it's a start...

[windbreeze]

50. I wonder....

exactly how many patriots will have to die, in order to have any one of those taken care of? Yes, it would be a start..and I figure you must be an optimist..wb

[rasputin1952]

29. The GOP has had "bad" candidates for a long time...

Anyone could go to their local grocery and find the same candidates in the veggie bins.

There are some decent R's out there, but I can't think of one off the top of my head, maybe Hagel, but he has some pretty wild ideas too. Some states have some decent R's in their state houses.

One thing is for sure though, McCain is the sacrificial goat this time around. it will almost be sad watching him getting eviscerated in the first debate, if there are others, it will be a bloodbath.

[Mike L]

30. Don't get so cocky. BO didn't handle tough questions well in the debates with Clinton.

McCain looks bad as a speaker, but independents aren't as likely to hold that against him as they will be put off by BO's "elitist" speaking style. I think it all averages out.

[smoogatz]

33. You can stop calling him BO now.

Senator Obama has a much nicer ring to it. And in 375 of the 378 primary debates, he did just fine, thank you very fucking much.

[JuniperLea]

65. I prefer BHO...

I've often refered to Bush as GWB, his father as GHWB, Hillary as HRC, Bill as WJC...

[Prophet 451]

43. "elitist" = "he speaks above a 4th grade level"

I can't blame Americans for being unfamiliar with that since it seems liek Obama is the first politician to try treating the voters as adults in about thirty years.

[JuniperLea]

66. It's this fucking shit that keeps the shit storm around here blowing

You fucking blow.

[grace0418]

32. Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama or Marcel Marceau, could debate circles around this guy

I remember 8 years ago saying MANY, MANY times "Who the fuck would vote for this idiot? He can't even speak English, and it's his mother tongue! He's a spoiled, good-for-nothing imbecile and anyone who listens to him speak or debate for 10 seconds will see that."

And yet, look who has been "president" for the last 7+ years.

[Patriot Abroad]

35. The card up their sleeve: Lieberman

Yep. Was a loser for VP for the Dems, now gonna be a loser for the Rethugs.

[Butch350]

44. Voting Fraud - Rigged Voting Machines...

The GOP must have an ace-in-the-hole trick. Hell, Mel Carnahan can beat McCain.

There must be some kind conflict with Iran in the making, something that's gonna flock the American voters to McCain, "war herooooo"

[Swamp Rat]

45. Great post

[Bluerthanblue]

46. k&r !

I'm wondering if they realize they've screwed things up so bad, there isn't one among them who could do anything other than make it worse.?- :shrug:

It IS going to take a mighty effort to turn this country around, and I don't envy Obama the job- but I can't think of anyone better able to take it on, and lead us out of this mess.

:hi:

great post Shad-
peace~

[anonymous171]

47. Everytime someone throws some criticism his way he's like "I'M A WAR HERO!"

[ContinentalOp]

48. I don't think Republicans want to win.

They want to pass the war, inflation, recession and all of their other problems onto a Democratic administration. The plan was to make Hillary president and spend another four years using the right wing echo chamber to further vilify liberals and the Democratic party. I think they were trying to set up a Carter style one term Democrat who could be the scapegoat for all of the problems the Bush administration created.

[lib2DaBone]

56. Exactly... Typical Republican Activity.....

Republicans can't change. They have only one play book. They will somehow create disturbances at the National Conventions this summer using Provocateurs and blame it on the "Liberals". Then, they'll crank up the talk radio echo chamber and convince all the Ditto Heads that the last 8 years is the fault of the Democrats. FOXNBCABCCBSCNN will all fall in line and the brainless sheeple will eat it up. They might even use Directive 51, due to the fact that the oil price crises has a death-grip on our economy and things are tanking faster than anyone thought. (read: Airlines and Auto layoffs in the news today). Somewhat off topic, but today's announcement of thousands and thousands of lay offs from United and GM is a warning bell. Mega layoffs, while at the same time they stripped out unemployment benefits from the war funding bill! Brilliant! Rocket Scientists in Washington, D.C.

[newamericanpatriot]

67. Bingo!

Absolutely right.The Repugnicans, to a man, are all moaning about how they "don't stand a chance"... Their media stooges are echoing the stock phrases.... McCain looks like a complete moron on video and they don't care.... Absolutely something's up.

They've sewn up surveillance and the intelligence communities and can and will continue to keep very close tabs on everyone and anyone with power.

My bet - they want our man in there and then they'll have China call in their debts, and/or their Saudi pals manipulate oil prices to pull the rug out from under the tottering economy. You can always count on the Rethugs to act consistently.

It would indeed be a mistake to underestimate the POP.

They ALWAYS have a plan for our future....

[Historic NY]

51. What war experience, sitting in a prison cell..............

http://www.usvetdsp.com/may08/day_bud_moh.htm

[tigereye]

52. because conservatism is a moribund concept!

:party: :bounce:

[smoogatz]

53. McCain is totally third tier.

It was supposed to be Allen or Giuliani. McCain, believe it or not, is the best they've got.

[AZBlue]

54. I think they knew they'd never win 08 and it's a way to shut him up.

I'm quite sure McCain is constantly whining that he's never gotten "his turn" so this is a way to give him that without losing anything they could possibly have won anyway.

[NorthCarolina]

57. McCain is a sacrificial lamb for this election cycle, that's obvious

why put someone out there that's seen as possibly having a "political future" when they know they have zero change at prevailing in November given the national political climate. Better to put out a sacrificial lamb who can't do too much damage and then hope for a change in political winds for future elections. Also gives them some time to rework their platform.

[HCE SuiGeneris]

59. They are up to their eyeballs in the slop of the pigsty they created

and they need the Democrats to bail them out again.

[TexasObserver]

60. Right now, they're running their Pro Hillary sites and pushing her in national media.

The GOP's number one project is pushing Hillary Clinton and the trouble she's causing the Democratic party. That's they one big play right now, and they're running most of the Hillary sites that attack Obama.

[Skwmom]

61. I've wondered if the Clintons struck a deal with them. They'd provide

a weak GOP nominee in turn for the Clintons helping Bush get a second turn. I listened on tape to a book about Hillary Clinton. According to the author the Clintons were offered a free pass in 92 if they would let Bush I win a second term. They refused the deal and the GOP was outraged. Clinton defended Bush on the war and Katrina. I was told by a long time Democratic insider that Kerry/Edwards was to be the ticket in 04. They would lose but not by too much and then Hillary Clinton would run in 08. In addition, Carville called the Whitehouse and told them that Kerry was going to contest the OH vote and a bunch of the OH provisional votes disappeared (handing the election to Bush). In addition, according to posts I've read, it appears that the Clintons undercut Kerry in other ways. So yeah, I think a deal might have been struck.

[Skidmore]

62. Trying to figure out how to adapt their playbook for a population

that has learned how to do the endruns.

That big mountain of ugly they created is burying them.

[DeeDeeNY]

63. You give them too much credit

This bunch is really not very bright. They rely more on cheating and lying than they do on their brains. McCain was actually the best of a very sorry bunch.

[reflection]

64. about 350 lbs. if Limbaugh is any indicator. n/t