Why didn't McCain say it to Obama's face? "It didn't come up in the flow of conversation."
- added October 10, 2008
- 17 responses
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- khaosworks
- added this
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- News and Politics (44763)
- Barack Obama (5435)
- Election 2008 (5423)
- John McCain (3911)
- Polls (247)
- ABC News (45)
- william ayers (22)
- Shame (14)
- Charlie Gibson (8)
- McCain's presidential campaign (3)
"This is a tough campaign," McCain told ABC News' Charlie Gibson in an exclusive interview. "I'm the underdog. I've always been the underdog from the beginning."
And in a surprising tactic, McCain repeatedly invoked Democratic Sen. Hillary Clinton -- an unpopular figure among conservative Republicans -- while defending his campaign's most controversial strategies: spending $300 billion to buy up peoples' mortgages and linking Obama to 1960s anti-war radical William Ayers.
McCain was most heated when pressing his campaign's attempts to connect Obama to Ayers, a co-founder of the Weather Underground, a Vietnam-era group that executed domestic bombings and plotted attacks on the U.S. Capitol and the Pentagon.
"[Ayers] wasn't a guy in the neighborhood. [Obama] launched his political career in his living room, in Mr. Ayers' living room. And I don't care about two washed-up old terrorists that are unrepentant about trying to destroy America. But I do care, and Americans should care, about his relationship with him and whether he's being truthful and candid about it," McCain said.
Obama says the personal attacks levied against him by the McCain campaign, particularly references to Ayers, are an attempt to "score cheap political points."
"Why don't we just clear it up right now," Obama told "World News" anchor Gibson in an exclusive interview on Wednesday. "I'll repeat again what I've said many times. This is a guy who engaged in some despicable acts 40 years ago when I was eight years old. By the time I met him, 10 or 15 years ago, he was a college professor of education at the University of Illinois . . . And the notion that somehow he has been involved in my campaign, that he is an adviser of mine, that . . . I've 'palled around with a terrorist', all these statements are made simply to try to score cheap political points."
But McCain was unrepentant when asked on Thursday by Gibson if Ayers is a "critical issue or factor in this campaign."
"I think it's a factor about Senator Obama's candor and truthfulness with the American people," McCain replied, before adding, "I don't care about Mr. Ayers, who on Sept. 11, 2001, said he wished he'd have bombed more. I don't care about that. I care about [Obama] being truthful about his relationship with him. And Americans will care."
Obama said on Wednesday to ABC News that the McCain campaign is making personal attacks "the centerpiece of the discussion in the closing weeks of a campaign where we are facing the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression and we're in the middle of two wars."
"I think that makes very little sense, not just to me but to the American people," Obama said.
McCain demurred when asked whether Obama's character or lack of candor disqualifies him to be president.
"I'll leave that up to the American people. But I have every right to insist that he be candid and truthful with the American people. And he needs to be asked about it, and he needs to be forthcoming," McCain said.
Obama had noted that McCain didn't raise the issue "to my face" in their debate on Tuesday, but McCain told Gibson he did not raise the Ayers argument during the debate because "it didn't come up in the flow of conversation."
But McCain told Gibson he felt comfortable with the subject as a focus in the last days of the campaign.
"I think it's something that needs to be examined. Sen. Clinton said it should be examined during their primary and it never was," McCain said.
(more at the link)
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- khaosworks
- 1 month ago
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McCain and the GOP will stoop to anything to get ahead. It's really sad for the people who actually believe in them and believe all the bs being fed to them. Sad sad sad...
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What's ridiculous is that the man has been deemed as no longer a threat to society (he is now a professor) so for mccain to try to get people to realize how dangerous this guy is when he is no longer a threat to society is ridiculous.
Meanwhile palin is off supporting a group to make alaska independent and that's not a hot issue? ugh I hate the McCain campaign and all of their ignorant followers.
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I dont think I would say anything to Mr. Obamas face. I hear he smells kind of bad. Maybe thats why he didnt say it to his smelly face.
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- powerhungry
- 1 month ago
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The entire world, and even the right wingers and Fox News noticed he did not attack Obama to his face. I felt he was a coward to go right back on the attack the very next day.
What kind of man attack you behind your back and never to your face?
Sad, actually
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- ninepounds6
- 1 month ago
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McCain and Palin are using schoolyard politics. Schoolyard bullies always stop their shit when a teacher or principal comes into the playground, they wait till backs are turned and then proceed. Not what America needs as a leader.
Leaders lead by example. Schoolyard bullies, bully behind the back of people who could punish them. We the voters can punish schoolyard politics with our votes and they know it! Too many people were watching the debates for McCain to say such things out loud. They instead incite anger with such comments at their rallies. Morons who would watch the fight instead of stepping in and stopping it!
We must stop the bullies, or we will be their victims next. We have been bullied by a "decider" and the Dart Vader for 8 years. Enough is enough!
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It's not over America. The Dem's have to get out the vote the day of, and they have to get it out EARLY.
There has to be NO room for tampering or closing polls.
The eastern states have the ability to send a strong message across the country. Vote early then call a radio show and tell tem how you voted. blog it, e-mail it.
The single thing the Dems can do now to get it right is to get out the vote.
best of luck.
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- kDrew_Productions
- 1 month ago
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Its time for change! Its time for the bullies to be sent packing. We are better than that! George W. has tried to bully the world and that hasnt worked out so well for America.
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I think Obama should just call out McCain's comments and force McCain to address them.
America needs to see Obama step up to McCain if he's going to promise us to step up to Iranian / Afghan leaders.
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I agree with IMMININT, McCain talked so negatively against Obama with such a passion on his campaign trail. Yet, you would never sense that from the town hall debate. I'm happy that Obama doesn't sink to that level.
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McCain better be careful using the words "old" and "washedup" People will wonder who he's talking about!
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You want candor McSame? How's this for candor Neo
Con? You don't have the temperament, the judgement,
the intelligence.or the honesty to be a President of the
USA. Why? Because you're a born looser. That's why.
You are so rotten to the core with corruption, so viciously
negativistic, and so fugly, empty, and meaningless that
it's obvious YOU'RE A BIG MONEY PUPPET. When you
talked to a true Hero of Vietnam you wanted to travel to
Rio "because you'd have a better chance of getting laid"
You also made a futile attempt to trump the Alaskan
State Govt.'s report of Palin's corruption defrauding a
civil servant of his job for personal motives falsely
claiming it was "due to budget cuts" It's my opinion that
you were born in the wrong time & place,McSame.Your
"experience" better qualifies you to be Adolph Hitler's
Propaganda Minister. DON'T YOU GET IT MORON?
PEOPLE DON'T WANT YOU BECAUSE YOU HAVE TOO
MUCH EXPERIENCE IN ALL THE WRONG THINGS!!! -
hey
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He didn't say it to Obama's face because he knew Obama would shut him down. The only thing McCain has going for him right now is the negative. His strategy is to appeal to the worst in people, and his tactics are these specific lies. The worse case scenario for McCain is for Obama to crush the lies face to face in a debate. He has to avoid it.
