# Fuckity Fuck - McCain's Going to Win **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 4, 2008, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuckity-fuck-mccains-going-to-win/458834 "2008-08-04T19:06:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2008, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuckity-fuck-mccains-going-to-win/458834/21 "2008-08-04T20:01:54Z")
What Obama needs to do is take the gloves off when they get on the debate stage. McCain is easily provoked, and the spectre of the potential prez losing his cool on national TV makes me drool. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2008, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuckity-fuck-mccains-going-to-win/458834/22 "2008-08-04T20:04:33Z")
[QUOTE=Rhythmdvl] Of course, I may have been whooshed and missed the sarcasm, but “raving socialist”? “Teh Libs”? I’m sorry if I’m missing a nuance or something, but these are such vapid, empty, parrot-like inanities that using them to defend the south kind of silly. [/QUOTE] There is no nuance. It has nothing to do with being a red-stater. It has everything to do with it being **Clothahump**. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2008, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuckity-fuck-mccains-going-to-win/458834/23 "2008-08-04T20:04:40Z")
[QUOTE=wolfman] It will soon all be explained in the new Al Gore blockbuster exposing ACGAD(Anthropgenic Catastrophic Global Atmospheric Decent) [/QUOTE] You have officially been added to my funniest poster list. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2008, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuckity-fuck-mccains-going-to-win/458834/24 "2008-08-04T20:07:22Z")
I personally think the pollsters are in a cabal to make us think the race is close to make us watch more television and therefore, more advertising. That or Obama needs to learn how to deal with the negative ads. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2008, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuckity-fuck-mccains-going-to-win/458834/25 "2008-08-04T20:07:31Z")
On the other hand, it’s not encouraging seeing Obama [pander](http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=5512043) to those who want unworkable fixes to high energy prices, the nation’s security be damned. _"Not only did Obama push for drawing from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, he also reiterated his changing position on offshore drilling — first revealed last Friday — suggesting that he could live with it if done in an environmentally sound way and as part of a bipartisan energy compromise._ The limited drilling part isn’t so bad (both McCain and Obama have now reversed their opposition to more offshore drilling), _if_ it can be tied to requirements for a comprehensive energy plan which includes beefing up alternative energy production and conservation – but drawing down the strategic reserve is a really awful idea. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2008, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuckity-fuck-mccains-going-to-win/458834/26 "2008-08-04T20:09:48Z")
**MCCAIN DEFEATS TRUMAN** ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2008, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuckity-fuck-mccains-going-to-win/458834/27 "2008-08-04T20:10:14Z")
With turnout in US elections being relatively low (by world standards), an important aspect of winning elections is “energising your base”, i.e., motivating your supporters to enrol and vote for you. I get the feeling that in this election it’s Obama’s base which is being energised, while McCain doeshave mouch of a base anyway (since he’s not the sort of candidate that most Republican voters really support). So polls showing a close tie now might be deceptive, because a much higher proportion of Obama’s 45% will actually vote compared with McCain’s 45%. In addition, if a lot of the Democrat’s traditional base won’t vote for a black candidate, they might not find that a really good reason to get out and vote for the other guy, if the other guy is not from the party that is normally supported. So again, they are probably polling as McCain supporters, but they won’t get out and vote for the lesser of two evils. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_fight\_the\_hypothetical](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/59ef9b/32.png) [@Don\_t\_fight\_the\_hypothetical](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_fight_the_hypothetical)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2008, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuckity-fuck-mccains-going-to-win/458834/28 "2008-08-04T20:20:29Z")
Still it’s not a good sign that the dip occurred after the attack ads this weekend. Expect this to convince them it worked and I’m sure they will run many more such ads. The sad part is that people are stupid enough fall for this kind of stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Digital\_Stimulus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Digital\_Stimulus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_Stimulus)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2008, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuckity-fuck-mccains-going-to-win/458834/29 "2008-08-04T20:33:14Z")
[QUOTE=Jackmannii] …but drawing down the strategic reserve is a really awful idea. [/QUOTE] I was wondering about this; specifically, the last bit of your linked article says: > [@](#): > > Obama said that, under his plan, oil companies would bid to borrow easily refinable light sweet oil from the reserve, and replace it later with heavier oil. > > Elgie Holstein, an Obama energy adviser, said that, while fewer refineries now are capable of refining the heavier stuff into gasoline, in the future that won’t be the case. Does that make Obama’s refinement (pun intended) any better? More generally, does tapping the reserve make any _sense_? ---
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2008, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuckity-fuck-mccains-going-to-win/458834/30 "2008-08-04T20:33:46Z")
[QUOTE=Don’t fight the hypothetical] Still it’s not a good sign that the dip occurred after the attack ads this weekend. Expect this to convince them it worked and I’m sure they will run many more such ads. The sad part is that people are stupid enough fall for this kind of stuff. [/QUOTE] I wonder, if there is any thinking-through about the ads as time goes on or an accretion of “these ads are stupid” reactions, will this change. **Giles** , excellent analysis. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2008, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuckity-fuck-mccains-going-to-win/458834/31 "2008-08-04T20:38:35Z")
Sheesh, it’s only [del]June[/del] [del]July[/del] August, for pete’s sake. I’m not going to pretend I know who’s going to win until Dan Rather calls Florida for one of them. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2008, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuckity-fuck-mccains-going-to-win/458834/32 "2008-08-04T20:38:38Z")
[QUOTE=Digital Stimulus] More generally, does tapping the reserve make any _sense_? [/QUOTE] No. It’s a hedge against foreign sanctions or some other catastrophic event, not a political football. ETA: That said, if there were some catastrophic event which cut off our oil supply, the Strategic Petroleum Reserve would only last about a month anyway. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2008, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuckity-fuck-mccains-going-to-win/458834/33 "2008-08-04T20:45:51Z")
[QUOTE=Clothahump] Hey, Dan - kiss our collective red-state asses. Perhaps if the libs tried running someone who wasn’t a raving socialist and a fool to boot, y’all might have a better chance. But thanks for playing anyway. [/QUOTE] Obama is no more a socialist than you are, as you know. And less of a fool, as you **should** know but don’t. ---
**Author:** ![Weirddave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/919ad9/32.png) [@Weirddave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weirddave)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2008, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuckity-fuck-mccains-going-to-win/458834/34 "2008-08-04T20:49:58Z")
From the OP’s lips to God’s ear. [QUOTE=Really Not All That Bright] If you want a raving socialist, we’ll nominate Che Guevara next time. Obama has mild socialist tendencies. [/QUOTE] I would agree with you, except I would say he has moderate socialist tendencies. If McCain is smart enough, this should be Obama’s undoing. McCain should dial back the negative ads a little bit (although his [new one](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mopkn0lPzM8&eurl=http://wbal.com/apps/news/templates/elliker_show.aspx?articleid=10569&zoneid=11) is screamingly funny, and exactly what Obama deserves. If you run your campaign as a cult of personality, don’t be surprised when your opponent mocks that) and release a series of ads that directly highlight the more liberal and socialist things that Obama has proposed, backed up by quotes from Obama’s website and his speeches, along with what McCain proposes instead. I envision targeting maybe 5-8 specific policies, it doesn’t have to be every single issue, and it certainly can’t be things like immigration where McCain is just as wrongheaded as Obama, but Obama has put enough out there in spite of himself that he’s vulnerable IMO. That outta be enough to swing 5-8% of those middle of the road undecideds to his side and with them comes the election. I know that big intrusive government plays big here on the SDMB, but thankfully amongst the voters who make up the independents and undecideds (IOW, the people who are going to decide this election) it really, really doesn’t, and McCain needs to take advantage of that demographic. QED. > [@Beware of Doug](#): > > don’t understand how government works, and are just sick to fuck of it no matter what it might do for them. These want a simple cut-my-taxes-and-leave-me-alone president, Maybe they realize that government doesn’t work. As for the rest of it, I can’t imagine anyone who has at least the brain capacity that God gave lint that wouldn’t want not just a cut-my-taxes-and-leave-me-alone president, but an entire cut-my-taxes-and-leave-me-alone government. ---
**Author:** ![VoluntaryPlan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/9fc29f/32.png) [@VoluntaryPlan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VoluntaryPlan)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2008, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuckity-fuck-mccains-going-to-win/458834/35 "2008-08-04T20:53:36Z")
[QUOTE=Vinyl Turnip] **MCCAIN DEFEATS TRUMAN** [/QUOTE] Gasp! McCain was Dewey all along! ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2008, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuckity-fuck-mccains-going-to-win/458834/36 "2008-08-04T20:59:36Z")
[QUOTE=Zebra] I personally think the pollsters are in a cabal to make us think the race is close to make us watch more television and therefore, more advertising. [/QUOTE] That’s the most plausible conspiracy theory I’ve heard for quite some time. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2008, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuckity-fuck-mccains-going-to-win/458834/37 "2008-08-04T21:01:00Z")
[QUOTE=Weirddave] I would agree with you, except I would say he has moderate socialist tendencies. [/QUOTE] No pol who supports a universal health care plan that would still leave the private health insurance companies in business can reasonably be credited with even “moderate socialist tendencies.” ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2008, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuckity-fuck-mccains-going-to-win/458834/38 "2008-08-04T21:01:45Z")
[Every Draw down a National Catastrophe:](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strategic_Petroleum_Reserve#SPR_drawdowns) > [@](#): > > SPR drawdowns > > [edit] Petroleum sales > > ``` > * 1985 - Test sale - 1.1 million barrels (175,000 m³) > * 1990/91 - Desert Storm sale - 21 million barrels (3.3 million m³) > o 4 million in August 1990 test sale > o 17 million in January 1991 Presidentially-ordered drawdown > * 1996-97 total non-emergency sales for deficit reduction - 28 million barrels (4.5 million m³) > * 2005 - Hurricane Katrina sale - 11 million barrels (1.7 million m³) Katrina shut down 95% of crude production and 88% of natural gas output in the Gulf of Mexico. This amounted to a quarter of total U.S. output. About 735 oil and natural gas rigs and platforms had been evacuated due to the hurricane. > > ``` > > [edit] Petroleum exchanges and loans > > Note: Loans are made on a case-by-case basis to alleviate supply disruptions. Once conditions return to normal, the loan is returned to the SPR with additional oil as interest. > > ``` > * April-May 1996 - 900,000 barrels (143,000 m³) lent to ARCO to alleviate pipeline blockage. > * August 1998 - 11 million barrels (1,700,000 m³) lent to PEMEX in return for 8.5 million barrels (1,350,000 m³) of higher quality crude. > * June 2000 - 1 million barrels (160,000 m³) lent to Citgo and Conoco in response to shipping channel blockage. > * July-August 2000 - 2.8 million barrels (450,000 m³) to supply the Northeast Home Heating Oil Reserve. > * September-October 2000 - 30 million barrels (4,800,000 m³) in response to a concern over low distillate levels in the North-eastern U.S. > * October 2002 - 296,000 barrels (47,100 m³) lent to Shell Pipeline Company in advance of Hurricane Lili. > * September-October 2004 - 5.4 million barrels (860,000 m³) lent to Astra Oil, ConocoPhillips, Placid Refining Company, Shell Oil Company, and Premcor after Hurricane Ivan. > * September-October 2005 - 9.8 million barrels (1,560,000 m³) lent to ExxonMobil, Placid Refining, Valero, BP, Marathon Oil, and Total S.A. after Hurricane Katrina. > * January-February 2006 -767 thousand barrels lent to Total Petrochemicals USA due to closure of the Sabine Neches ship channel to deep-draft vessels after a barge accident in the channel.[13] > * June 2006 - 750,000 barrels (119,000 m³) of sour crude lent to ConocoPhillips and Citgo due to the closure for several days of the Calcasieu Ship Channel caused by the release of a mixture of storm water and oil. Repaid in early October 2006. > > ``` ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2008, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuckity-fuck-mccains-going-to-win/458834/39 "2008-08-04T21:03:24Z")
[QUOTE=VoluntaryPlan] Gasp! McCain was Dewey all along! [/QUOTE] No, [Obama is Dewey](http://www.slate.com/id/2196413/). Gotta get your talking points right. ---
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2008, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuckity-fuck-mccains-going-to-win/458834/40 "2008-08-04T21:05:35Z")
[QUOTE=VoluntaryPlan] Gasp! McCain was Dewey all along! [/QUOTE] There’s a too-easy age joke in there somewhere! Well, actually, it’s right there in plain sight. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuckity-fuck-mccains-going-to-win/458834.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuckity-fuck-mccains-going-to-win/458834.md?page=3)