# Is McCain forked yet? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [May 25, 2008, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mccain-forked-yet/450604 "2008-05-25T23:58:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 27
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2008, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mccain-forked-yet/450604/521 "2008-09-19T23:19:56Z")
If McCain is elected I think there’s a good chance that the current economic crisis will kill him: [Congressional officials said they expected a request for legal authority to buy up the bad loans, at a cost in excess of $500 billion to the government.](http://news.yahoo.com/story//ap/20080919/ap_on_bi_ge/financial_meltdown_239) ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2008, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mccain-forked-yet/450604/522 "2008-09-20T00:01:03Z")
> [@DoctorJ](#): > > I don’t like it, and I especially don’t like the timing of it, while Obama has the momentum. But I think it might be smart in an assholish sort of way. > > What can McCain do about it? If he comes out strong against the ad, he is not only distancing himself from Limbaugh but also from Limbaugh’s position on immigration. That’s not going to play well with his base, and all that shoring up he did with Palin might start to unravel. > > Or he can defend Limbaugh’s honor and say his views were misrepresented, etc. Then he has to get into what Limbaugh’s views on immigration really are, and where McCain agrees and disagrees with them, and he’s back to the same problem. He also loses some moderates by defending Rush. > > It’s a real dick move, but it’s one that McCain might do well to let go. This is exactly why it’s a great ad - it attacks McCain’s fundamental issue, which is appealing both to his base and to independents at the same time. He’s flip-flopping so badly because he is trying to do both, and immigration is a big problem for him, since he either gets the immigrant haters mad or the Hispanics. He seems to be losing them fairly rapidly, according to the polls I read. ---
**Author:** ![Frostillicus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Frostillicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frostillicus)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2008, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mccain-forked-yet/450604/523 "2008-09-20T02:23:54Z")
McCain was at a rally today and I swear I saw the ghost of William Jennings Bryan. He was railing against the fat-cat executives from Fannie-Mae and Freddie-Mac and the millions in compensation they took when they left. And then he insisted to the crowd that it was “your money” and that the fat cats ought to give it back. Question: Does John McCain realize that up until last month, these two companies were private companies and that in no way was their excessive compensation “our money”? I’m gonna say… no. ---
**Author:** ![Oy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bc8723/32.png) [@Oy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oy)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2008, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mccain-forked-yet/450604/524 "2008-09-20T02:33:14Z")
Well, this week McCain has simply been flailing. You name a position, he’s taken it at one time or another this week. ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2008, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mccain-forked-yet/450604/525 "2008-09-21T21:36:18Z")
first it was houses. now it is cars. the hits just keep chiping away. even better than bush not knowing what was on his tax return. ---
**Author:** ![Oy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bc8723/32.png) [@Oy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oy)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2008, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mccain-forked-yet/450604/526 "2008-09-21T21:44:31Z")
> [@rocking\_chair](#): > > first it was houses. now it is cars. the hits just keep chiping away. > > even better than bush not knowing what was on his tax return. What about cars? I haven’t seen or heard that. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2008, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mccain-forked-yet/450604/527 "2008-09-21T21:53:18Z")
> [@Oy](#): > > What about cars? I haven’t seen or heard that. [This](http://www.newsweek.com/id/160091) silliness. > [@](#): > > When you have seven homes, that’s a lot of garages to fill. After the fuss over the number of residences owned by the two presidential nominees, NEWSWEEK looked into the candidates’ cars. And based on public vehicle-registration records, here’s the score. John and Cindy McCain: 13. Barack and Michelle Obama: one. > > One vehicle in the McCain fleet has caused a small flap. United Auto Workers president Ron Gettelfinger, an Obama backer, accused McCain this month of “flip-flopping” on who bought daughter Meghan’s foreign-made Toyota Prius. McCain said last year that he bought it, but then told a Detroit TV station on Sept. 7 that Meghan “bought it, I believe, herself.” (The McCain campaign did not respond to multiple requests for comment.) > > Obama’s lone vehicle also is a green machine, a 2008 Ford Escape hybrid. C’mon people. There’s more important stuff than this going on. ---
**Author:** ![ArizonaTeach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/45deac/32.png) [@ArizonaTeach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ArizonaTeach)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2008, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mccain-forked-yet/450604/528 "2008-09-21T21:55:31Z")
> [@Discordia](#): > > 1. If the allegations are true he has a problem with facts, not Spanish. > 2. It has nothing to do with what I said. Yes, it was a bit of a joke…but I forgot that even daring to suggest the messiah is anything but wouldn’t go over well…! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2008, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mccain-forked-yet/450604/529 "2008-09-21T22:14:22Z")
> [@ArizonaTeach](#): > > Yes, it was a bit of a joke…but I forgot that even daring to suggest the messiah is anything but wouldn’t go over well…! 😃 see, this kind of derisive attitude towards the other side is what going to cost Obama… err MCain the election… ---
**Author:** ![Oy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bc8723/32.png) [@Oy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oy)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2008, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mccain-forked-yet/450604/530 "2008-09-21T22:19:31Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > [This](http://www.newsweek.com/id/160091) silliness.C’mon people. There’s more important stuff than this going on. Thanks, **DSeid**. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2008, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mccain-forked-yet/450604/531 "2008-09-21T23:02:47Z")
Healthcare is dead. We are going to be fighting to save the economic system. Politics as usual is over. All campaign promises have been disallowed. ---
**Author:** ![Oy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bc8723/32.png) [@Oy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oy)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2008, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mccain-forked-yet/450604/532 "2008-09-21T23:13:31Z")
> [@gonzomax](#): > > Healthcare is dead. We are going to be fighting to save the economic system. Politics as usual is over. All campaign promises have been disallowed. Come over to this [thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=10224497). We may be saving the economy by selling off assets. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2008, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mccain-forked-yet/450604/533 "2008-09-22T01:29:49Z")
> [@gonzomax](#): > > Healthcare is dead. We are going to be fighting to save the economic system. Politics as usual is over. All campaign promises have been disallowed. This very issue was discussed this weekend on Bill Maher’s show. He had a very interesing and timely guest, Naomi Klein, author of _The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism_. Her thesis is that neocons and extremist capitalists invite disasters like the present one, have their government lackeys bail out the big bcsinesses, leave the taxpayers with the bill, and turn around and point to the bills as reasons not to spend anything more on public wellfare or social programs like universal health care. ---
**Author:** ![Oy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bc8723/32.png) [@Oy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oy)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2008, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mccain-forked-yet/450604/534 "2008-09-22T01:45:30Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > This very issue was discussed this weekend on Bill Maher’s show. He had a very interesing and timely guest, Naomi Klein, author of _The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism_. Her thesis is that neocons and extremist capitalists invite disasters like the present one, have their government lackeys bail out the big bcsinesses, leave the taxpayers with the bill, and turn around and point to the bills as reasons not to spend anything more on public wellfare or social programs like universal health care. Frankly, they have yet to show that degree of competence. ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2008, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mccain-forked-yet/450604/535 "2008-09-22T01:48:08Z")
> [@Shayna](#): > > New Battleground State Polls: > > **Michigan: Obama 50, McCain 41 > Ohio: McCain 44, Obama 44 > Pennsylvania: Obama 45, McCain 42** > > [http://thepage.time.com/2008/09/19/new-battleground-polls/](http://thepage.time.com/2008/09/19/new-battleground-polls/) 11,000 new people regitered to vote in the past week in Michigan. ---
**Author:** ![Shayna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shayna/32/17976_2.png) [@Shayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shayna)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2008, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mccain-forked-yet/450604/536 "2008-09-22T01:52:53Z")
> [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](#): > > 11,000 new people regitered to vote in the past week in Michigan. Woo Hoo! You guys rock up there! Keep up the good work! ---
**Author:** ![Oy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bc8723/32.png) [@Oy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oy)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2008, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mccain-forked-yet/450604/537 "2008-09-22T01:55:13Z")
> [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](#): > > 11,000 new people regitered to vote in the past week in Michigan. May I go back in time three decades and bear your children? ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2008, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mccain-forked-yet/450604/538 "2008-09-22T02:21:39Z")
> [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](#): > > 11,000 new people regitered to vote in the past week in Michigan. Sweet! Now we need to GOTV. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2008, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mccain-forked-yet/450604/539 "2008-09-22T02:26:06Z")
> [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](#): > > 11,000 new people regitered to vote in the past week in Michigan. To clarify, you mean registered by you, or by the Obama campaign, right? I’m sorry to not recognize your username and what you’ve said in the past, but without context, it could be 11,000 new Republican voters energized by Sarah Palin, for all I know. The only reason I think it might be for Obama is because of the congrats later on, and who’s making them. Further question: how confident are you that people who register will actually vote? Obviously, there’s probably some reason in the context of the exchanges that led up to the registration, but I’m not privy to that either. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2008, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mccain-forked-yet/450604/540 "2008-09-22T02:32:04Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > To clarify, you mean registered by you, or by the Obama campaign, right? I’m sorry to not recognize your username and what you’ve said in the past, but without context, it could be 11,000 new Republican voters energized by Sarah Palin, for all I know. The only reason I think it might be for Obama is because of the congrats later on, and who’s making them. > > Further question: how confident are you that people who register will actually vote? Obviously, there’s probably some reason in the context of the exchanges that led up to the registration, but I’m not privy to that either. New registrations are generally thought of as likely Obama or at least Dem voters. The Obama campaign targets likely Dem voters in their registration drives. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mccain-forked-yet/450604.md?page=26) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mccain-forked-yet/450604.md?page=28)