February 29, 2008

GETTING HIS ANGRY ON:

McCain steps up criticism of Obama (Julie Bosman and Elisabeth Bumiller, February 29, 2008, IHT)

"On the issue of my differences with Senator Obama on Iraq, I want to make it very clear: This is not about decisions that were made in the past," McCain said. "This is about decisions that a president will have to make about the future in Iraq. And a decision to unilaterally withdraw from Iraq will lead to chaos."

McCain, the likely Republican nominee for president, was reacting to Obama's response to a hypothetical question in a debate in Cleveland on Tuesday night, when Obama said that although he intended to withdraw American forces as quickly as possible, he reserved the right to send troops back if Al Qaeda were forming a base in Iraq.

"Al Qaeda is there now," McCain said in Houston, with a tone of belittlement in his voice. "So to state that somehow if Al Qaeda were there that he would consider going back militarily is really a remarkable comment, and I don't think displays an understanding of the size of the threat and what's at stake in Iraq."


We can argue about whether it's a good or a bad thing, but it pretty undeniably seems to be te case that Maverick dislikes even the usual political back and forth with colleagues he respects, but revels in going after those he holds in contempt. Thus, the gentlemanly tenor of his contest with his main GOP rival, Mike Huckabee, as opposed to the cold-bloodedness with which he dispatched the poseur, Mitt Romney. Because of this dynamic, he'd be fairly unlikely to really pummel Ms Clinton, who he likes, but appears eager to get it on with Senator Obama. The free ride Mr. Obama has received from the press and his fellow Democrats will serve him ill in this regard, as he's utterly unprepared to deal with criticism.

Posted by Orrin Judd at February 29, 2008 6:59 AM
Comments

Until the MSM convince America that McCain is a cranky old man who doesn't get along with anybody and is unfit for the Presidency. McCain's dislike for Romney wasn't because Romney was a poseur - it was because Romney was McCain's biggest threat to the nomination (Huckabee was never a threat) - and McCain has a long history of going ballistic on people who dare to challenge him.

Posted by: AWW at February 29, 2008 9:00 AM

MSM can't convince its grandmother that she is old, let alone anything about McCain. How did the little NYT sermon turn out last week? Biggest help to McCain in getting the conservative base to rally to him, much better than he could have done himself.

Posted by: sam at February 29, 2008 9:45 AM

AWW may be right. Obama's comeback retort about no Al Qaeda in Iraq till the invasion played well on MSM.

Posted by: RC at February 29, 2008 9:58 AM

The largest voting bloc is old folks. Many of them are cranky (and proud of it!). McCain saying that Obama doesn't know the difference between Polish and polish isn't going to offend them at all.

Posted by: Mikey [TypeKey Profile Page] at February 29, 2008 1:16 PM

the difference between Polish and polish

"I do know the difference. Shinola is a shoe polish."

Posted by: Raoul Ortega at February 29, 2008 1:46 PM

Romney was a threat to McCain? Only even theoretically until Huckabee smoked him in Iowa. The bubble burst, it was just a matter of when, not whether.

Definitely a poseur, though. What a weird eschatological vanity campaign spurred on by leeches sucking on Romney's vast funds.

Still trying to figure out why folks like Jones III and Grudem came out for him...

Posted by: Jorge Curioso at March 5, 2008 11:48 PM
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