new mccain ads (not for toasty, jenks, or other socialist obama nuthuggers)

[88Mariner]

Re: new mccain ads (not for toasty, jenks, or other socialist obama nuthuggers)

i like john digweed, a lot, in fact. but i'm not sheep. i think the more you like a person, the more critical you become of what they do.

[sammwalk]

Re: new mccain ads (not for toasty, jenks, or other socialist obama nuthuggers)

exactly. so while there'll always be folks who blindly follow somebody, it doesn't mean that even most of them aren't critically evaluative of that person.

the way I see it, the ruin of the 2004 election is what is behind this. people were so unhappy with bush, and he still won because of the typical GOP campaign strategy. with this pitiful loss still fresh on the minds of anyone other than bush supporters, people are trying even harder now. and it comes through in the show of massive support for obama, who imo is probably up to the task. it's just enthusiasm for relief from blundering administration and exasperation at the last futile attempt to topple it.

i started out with a pretty even view of both mccain and obama (among the other candidates) and in the course of the campaigns, mccain has sickened me with his tone, his wavering positions, and now his mudslinging. whereas every time I listen to obama, he makes good points and actually answers questions instead of dodging them. say what you will about the followers but obama would clearly be better for global stability.

[toasty]

Re: new mccain ads (not for toasty, jenks, or other socialist obama nuthuggers)

What exactly is the problem with being enthusiastic and excited about your candidate, anyway? Obama is the first candidate in my lifetime where I've really felt like I could get behind the dude, and I've never seen so many people who were never involved in politics before getting involved. Maybe they are attracted to him because of the soaring oratory and rockstar vibe, but if that encourages people to get involved in the process and actually learn about candidates beyond the superficial b.s. that most of us are spoonfed, I don't see how that's a bad thing.

And might I add, you could just as easily accuse some in the GOP of sheeplike behavior, with the primary difference being the level of excitement. I was talking to a friend of mine the other day who (1) thinks George Bush is an idiot, (2) likes Obama, (3) is not a McCain fan, but is voting for McCain anyway because he's always voted Republican. He literally shrugged and said, "Well, he's an 'R,' and I'm an 'R,' so I guess I'm voting for him." That is the very definition of herd-like behavior. As a matter of fact, George Bush might not have had an opportunity to fuck us over for the last four years if more republicans had looked beyond the "R" to determine whether the guy actually governed according to republican principles.