Rage among conservatives

[low_delta]

Why are Republicans so angry? No really, why are they so upset over McCain's apparent disadvantage in the polls? Sure, liberals were really upset when Bush won, but this seems a little different. People are angry and demanding that McCain "take it to Obama." They know all these awful things about Obama, and expect McCain to spew the vitriol the same way they do. They expect him to talk about Obama being a Muslim, and things like that. They expect him to be all fire and brimstone preaching about the evils of liberalism. It's good to hear that he's not buying into that (somewhat).

At a rally in Minnesota on Friday, a woman told McCain: "I don't trust Obama. I have read about him and he's an Arab."

McCain shook his head and said, "No ma'am, no ma'am. He's a decent family man...[a] citizen that I just happen to have disagreements with on fundamental issues. That's what this campaign is all about."

And I think it's not in his his best interest to go that negative, since he doesn't have to win the votes of the conservative - he has to win the votes of the undecided. I'm sure he knows that. I think that's what's hurting him. He's making up for his lack of substance with attacks on the other side. Lack of substance + negativity = loss. But even with a solid platform, he'd have trouble winning votes if he sounds like a jerk.

Comments

[low-delta.livejournal.com]

I think that's a bit unfair. He was put into a tight spot. He didn't say, "no maam, that's not true. He's not an Arab, he's a decent family man." He was addressing her fears that Obama can't be trusted. McCain's words can, of course, be taken that way, and may cost him some votes (if any Middle Easterners would have voted for him anyway), but if you hate the guy, there probably isn't much he can say that wouldn't piss you off.

[sirreal13.livejournal.com]

Obama would have said it more diplomatically. "Senator McCain isn't a terrorist just becasue he's Irish. He may have been a hard drinking womanizer at one time, but not becasue he is Irish. Anyway, you have nothing to fear from a Mccain presidency. Now that he's in his 8th decade of life, he's very sedate and not nearly as bellicose and ignorant as Bush. Palin, of course is another story."