Sen. John McCain threw a bullet into the Bush administrations assertions that Kerry would be weak on defense. He stated that no he would not be weak and that Kerry has served his country well.

He also stated that this type of innuendo from both sides of the aisle is not helping the American people with important decision making on the future and direction of our country. This type of back and forth bullcrap will bring low turnout in November because the people are tired of it.

I am a middle of the road voter, and have long respected Senator McCain for his candor and lack of bullcrap.

He is a straight shooter, and I value his opinion on matters very much even though at times I disagree with his stance on issues.

Let us get to the core of our problems. The current parties and their leaders all sound like they should be shooting back and forth in here ala Colonel and Thomas Crowne.

No more name calling. Let us all get to the facts.

I liked McCain, too, but he was too "good" to become a president. his 'outspokenness' and strong personality reinforced by a powerful sense of morality made it obvious to the experienced election watcher (not saying I am one... too young to be that) that he would never become pres.

theres no way the fed reserve , the eastern establishment, defense contractors, and everyone else who rigs the presidential election would allow such a respectable and honorable man to become the number one of the United States of America. theres no way they will let that happen. just look at how quickly dean lost and how fast Kerry rose like a phoenix from his ashes. in the real world, Kerry would be as predictablely elected as pat buchannan was in 1996.

McCain would be a good president, republican or not....

think this would be a hell of a time for McCain to run a third party campaign. He would draw plenty of votes from both sides as well as the independents and probably put both parties in their place.

It might be a good time for a "I'm sick of their crap" campaign.

I don't think he'll run though. He might be gearing up for a shot at 2008 though.

He knows that the Bush crime family spent vast sums of money to defame him. At one point prior to the 2000 election, I was sure he would be our next president & that I would vote for him.
Then, a primary win woke up the BEAST, and the rest is history.
Going into the 2K election, we had 2 of 3 choices that would have guranteed that 9/11 would not have occurred and that the recession never would have happened......the right two weren't put into power.
I truely believe that if the Bush administration ws not such a monumental failure, we could have had Kerry still winning the primary with Dean as a Kuccinich also ran & never a front runner for any period, and McCain actually being strongly considered for VP or President on an independent ticket with Jeffords. Bush's ineptitude actually squashed an excellent opportunity for a third party.

Although I can not seem to like Bush.

I can not see 9-11 or the recession being avoided had anyone been in the white house.

You have to love McCain. He's the only politician that isn't owned. If there is pork in a bill he won't vote for it no matter what. Now that's a tru conservative. I have to agree with Bout Time on the recession and maybe even 9-11. If McCain was the president there would be no defecit. If he gets in the race he'll get my vote even though he's (ick) pro-life.

I would vote for McCain if he ran. I think he would be a great president. It would be nice to have a president who does not lie.

Spending time in a POW camp for months on end creates a no bull# mentality I guess.

I read that he was even given the option to go home from the POW camp and refused because it would not be right to leave because he was an Admiral's son while the others remained there.

I'll try to find it.

Originally posted by KrazyJethro
Although I can not seem to like Bush.

I can not see 9-11 or the recession being avoided had anyone been in the white house.

The recession was artifically created as a leverage point to push through tax cuts and the reppeal of dividends & inheritence taxes.
That was far and away the primary goal of this administration's backers.
Having been part of histiroic economic growth, Gore would have worked diligently to reinvigorate the economy from it's plateau. Relevant to innovation as a capitalistic venture, Gore was much better than Clinton. A Gore White House would have had the US positioned as the world's owner of applicable alternate energy cell technology by the end of his first term.

As for 9/11, the Gore Commision report mirrored the Hart-Rudman report on airport & airline security....both of which called for Federalizing airport screeners - thus intensifying the screen, and for locked bulletproof reinforced cockpit doors. Given the obvious that he would have implemented his own findings, box cutters would not have crashed planes.

Also with a Gore presidentcy:

- All investigations into all things Saudi ( almost all of the highjackers were Saudi) would not have been called off after inaugeration.
- THe drone dedicated to bin Laden's every movement would not have been grounded, as it was by the Bush team
- The NSA would have continued to be Sandy Berger or someone of his caliber - he was obsessed with terror interdiction. Condi "Long Grain" Rice? Nope.
- The AG would not have been John "Jesus" Ashcroft, who didn't have anti-terror measure even ALLOCATED on the first budget he submitted for his department

It's a false comfort to think it would have happened on anbody's watch....but that's just not true.


And Saph.....the new avatar looks like Wanda Sykes!

I have heard alot of rumors of Mc Cain Crossing over and Possibly VP Nomination.. They would clearly win, and would set up McCain for a Presidential run in 8. Would be one hell of a ticket.. and one else heard these rumors and is there ANY truth to it

BT: I had to get my warrior face on for the upcoming election...Dubya's going down!!! But now that you mention it, she does have a Wanda-ness about her. (all the better I like Wanda Sykes)

Fury: Those waffles are not having the desired effect...you just made me really hungry. Maybe you shouldn't try to pin Kerry to tasty breakfast treats. It only makes him look more desirable.

I know that's what was sent out to all the good little Republicans (*** "Say Kerry Waffles & say it all the TIME !!!" - Luv, Karl ***), and boy, you guy's fall in line better that Rockettes......but where's the beef, er, waffles?

I think you are giving the president entirely too much credit.

To say that he has that much control over the economy is a little rediculous. If that were true, would we not see a serious rebound after the taxcuts went into effect, as if to prove the effectiveness of them?

I would think so.

Also, as to 9-11, it is impossible to say whether or not it would have happened if Gore was President, as we do not have in depth information needed to make that claim.

We don't even know if it was really Bin Laden or not.

Originally posted by KrazyJethro
I think you are giving the president entirely too much credit.

To say that he has that much control over the economy is a little rediculous. If that were true, would we not see a serious rebound after the taxcuts went into effect, as if to prove the effectiveness of them?

I would think so.

Also, as to 9-11, it is impossible to say whether or not it would have happened if Gore was President, as we do not have in depth information needed to make that claim.

We don't even know if it was really Bin Laden or not.

It is infinitely easier & possible for a CEO to tank his company than it is to build it up. The talking down of capabilites is what brought on the recession, and that started on the campaign trail. We, unfourtunately, have our country's fortunes dialed into the stock market. You don't think that the CINC bull pulpit exerts influence on market conditions? Or his administrations CBO's projections? Or statements by his economic team?
The tax cuts were never sold as economic stimulus until midstream, by this administration.

On 9/11, it is far from impossible to say that it would not have happened the way it happened under Gore's watch. It is fact that it would not have happened under the scenario it followed.
- background checks on Saudi's would have continued
- airport screeners would have had all the post 9/11 measures in place pre 9/11, since the came exactly from the Gore & Hart-Rudman reports
- they never would have been able to gain access to the cockpit.

Bin Laden probably had nothing to do with it, except accepting the credit.

...especially Europeans, think Bush is an Azzhole?
They've been snapping on Monkey Boy for 4 years!

On the Slate Waffle list: All of them are nuanced evolutions of opinion garnered from time and experience, except the Affirmitive Action flip flop....now that's a flip flop.
Jumpin' Bejebus man, we've had enough tunnel vision, my way or the highway, because JAYZUS said so bulldinkies coming from the white house for 4 years, no?
Can't we have a president that thinks like the rest of us grown ups....there's more factors to an issue than black & white?

What are you folks gonna say when Bush wins a second term? : )

Don't say your gonna move out of the country....

V