# 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:** 37
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2008, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mccain-forked-yet/450604/721 "2008-09-30T23:48:57Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > If [this rumor is true and it makes it out there, it could be a big nail.](http://www.politico.com/blogs/jonathanmartin/0908/In_reintroduction_Palin_to_do_more_interviews_and_tell_her_story.html) Have there been any bootlegs of this show up yet? Is there someplace they might be likely to show up, if so? I tried searching googling and searching YouTube, but haven’t found anything yet. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2008, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mccain-forked-yet/450604/722 "2008-10-01T00:29:53Z")
> [@An\_Arky](#): > > Have there been any bootlegs of this show up yet? Is there someplace they might be likely to show up, if so? I tried searching googling and searching YouTube, but haven’t found anything yet. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/KsKfMuENxhY/hqdefault.jpg "McCain: I Might Suspend Again") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsKfMuENxhY) ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2008, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mccain-forked-yet/450604/723 "2008-10-01T00:39:50Z")
> [@Jolly\_Roger](#): > > What happens if he suspends? We’ve never seen that happen. He kept his ads running, kept giving interviews, kept his surrogates yapping … so what exactly did he suspend? ---
**Author:** ![Baal\_Houtham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baal_houtham/32/13604_2.png) [@Baal\_Houtham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baal_Houtham)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2008, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mccain-forked-yet/450604/724 "2008-10-01T02:10:55Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsKfMuENxhY](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsKfMuENxhY) My internet connection is a little jumpy right now, and maybe so was that YouTube video. But it appeared to me that during his first answer Sen. McCain blinked 76 times in 44 secs. I don’t know what to make of that, but it didn’t look good. ---
**Author:** ![Lantern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d26b3c/32.png) [@Lantern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lantern)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2008, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mccain-forked-yet/450604/725 "2008-10-01T05:18:32Z")
A slight problem for Obama is that he doesn’t appear to be moving into a decisive lead in a winning combination of states yet. He will probably need to win one out of Ohio,Florida,Virginia and Colorado but all of them are still tied. He has reduced his deficit in states like Indiana, North Carolina and Missouri but those are the kind of states which , if he wins, he will have probably have won elsewhere anyway. On the plus side for him we have a tracking poll in Pennsylvania now which continues to record an 8% lead. If PA can be taken off the table he will have a lot more resources to fight in the other states. ---
**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:** [October 1, 2008, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mccain-forked-yet/450604/726 "2008-10-01T05:40:49Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsKfMuENxhY](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsKfMuENxhY) I think Palin is rubbing off on him. He said the same “I will do anything necessary” talking point three times, and threw in the Obama will raise taxes talking point (verbatim from the debate it seems to me) once. At least he knew he was doing it. Is someone running him by remote control. Point 3, point 3, point 1, point 3! ---
**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:** [October 1, 2008, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mccain-forked-yet/450604/727 "2008-10-01T05:41:59Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > He shoots craps at casinos. By definition he loses, at least in the long run. The house has an advantage of up to 16.67% on every bet. That’s why my gambling is extremely limited. math runs strong in my family. 🙂 I wondered how much he lost. ---
**Author:** ![Lakai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de0a6/32.png) [@Lakai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lakai)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2008, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mccain-forked-yet/450604/728 "2008-10-01T06:06:47Z")
> [@Lantern](#): > > A slight problem for Obama is that he doesn’t appear to be moving into a decisive lead in a winning combination of states yet. He will probably need to win one out of Ohio,Florida,Virginia and Colorado but all of them are still tied. He has reduced his deficit in states like Indiana, North Carolina and Missouri but those are the kind of states which , if he wins, he will have probably have won elsewhere anyway. > > On the plus side for him we have a tracking poll in Pennsylvania now which continues to record an 8% lead. If PA can be taken off the table he will have a lot more resources to fight in the other states. Obama has Colorado at a comfortable [five point lead.](http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2008/president/co/colorado_mccain_vs_obama-546.html) Ohio and Florida are deadly close, but McCain was up by more than 6 points in Florida before the financial crisis hit. Obama won’t even need those states if he can carry North Carolina, Virgina, and Colorado. I expect a bump in the polls after the VP debate for Obama. Biden doesn’t even need to attack Sarah. He just has to show up an let her talk. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2008, 9:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mccain-forked-yet/450604/729 "2008-10-01T09:42:22Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsKfMuENxhY](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsKfMuENxhY) Oops, sorry; I meant the clip of Palin/Couric where Palin couldn’t name a Supreme Court case other than Roe v. Wade… ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2008, 10:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mccain-forked-yet/450604/730 "2008-10-01T10:12:33Z")
> [@An\_Arky](#): > > Oops, sorry; I meant the clip of Palin/Couric where Palin couldn’t name a Supreme Court case other than Roe v. Wade… According to all cites, CBS has not released it. [Instead, here is Palin with Couric last night, not being able to name any newspapers she reads.](http://thinkprogress.org/2008/09/30/palins-news/) That Couric and her ‘gotcha’ questions. ---
**Author:** ![Paranoid\_Randroid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/paranoid_randroid/32/18_2.png) [@Paranoid\_Randroid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paranoid_Randroid)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2008, 10:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mccain-forked-yet/450604/731 "2008-10-01T10:32:52Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > [Instead, here is Palin with Couric last night, not being able to name any newspapers she reads.](http://thinkprogress.org/2008/09/30/palins-news/) Weren’t you listening? She reads all of them! ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2008, 10:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mccain-forked-yet/450604/732 "2008-10-01T10:46:55Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > Apparently he isn’t yet, since nobody has thought fit to say so here. So perhaps a rephrasing will help: > > When will the forking of McCain happen? What else can McCain do to make sure he loses this election? Does Obama, who clinched the nomination months ago, even have to do anything at all to make sure he wins in November? Or is it enough to simply assume McCain will blow it somehow (and how?), or that the electoral vote will take care of itself ? > > Since the nomination is settled and we have been in general-election mode for some months now, certainly some thoughts should have percolated to the surface about what happens next. Can we begin to share some of them, perhaps? > Here it is, then: No, he’s not forked, nor will he be until Election Day. He’s been in the game too long, and made too many friends in the Beltway Bubble media, to have to pay the price for any major gaffes (just look at the way he’s skated on Hagee). He’ll have the support of the large number of voters who think the Iraq war was not a bad idea, just badly executed, and can still be salvaged. He’ll have the “Dems will raise your taxes” vote. He’ll be able to let the doubts about Obama’s substance continue to percolate into Conventional Wisdom. He won’t have to deal with being reflexively hated by any sizeable chunk of people. He’ll have the advantage of facing yet another Dem candidate whose supporters think the nomination is the prize, and lack a focus and strategy for November. He may not be able to win by much, but win he can. He’ll have the advantage of his supporters feeling unified by a leader, while smugly watching the self-proclaimed morally-superior Dems engage in the fun of tearing down one of their own strongest leaders. > > Who else wants to focus on the \*real \* prize now? I thought it might be worth looking back at the OP of the thread. Does anyone feel that it remains accurate? ---
**Author:** ![tnetennba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tnetennba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tnetennba)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2008, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mccain-forked-yet/450604/733 "2008-10-01T11:56:00Z")
No matter when it was posted, I don’t see any support for the argument that Obama supporters thought the nomination was the prize, and I’m baffled by the suggestion that Democrats have done so in the past. It’s the kind of retro-analysis pundits make after a loss, but I didn’t see anyone walking away, brushing their hands, after the nomination for any presidential election in my lifetime. If anything, both parties have hastened to get a nominee to focus on the general election. To suggest that McCain has or had at any point unified the party suggests the OP paid absolutely no attention to the primaries or the discussions from the Republican side. ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2008, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mccain-forked-yet/450604/734 "2008-10-01T12:21:51Z")
It seems like Quinnipiac polls have been outliers a lot of the time, so salt this post to taste. Quinnipiac is supposed to be releasing a poll today saying: PA: Obama 54 to 39 FL: Obama 51 to 43 OH: Obama 50 to 42 The poll isn’t up on Quinnipiac’s site yet. [This](http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,24433134-23109,00.html) is the first report of it I hit on Google. NPR mentioned it this morning as well. I’m skeptical of these polls since they’re pretty far out of whack with all the other polls I’ve been seeing. Still, damn. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2008, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mccain-forked-yet/450604/735 "2008-10-01T12:53:34Z")
Even if you don’t believe those polls, electoral-vote notes that a metatake (is that the word?) on all polls places Florida, Ohio and Virginia in tie situations, and North Carolina a hair ahead for Obama. It’s bad for McCain just that those are close; the way it’s shaping up he can’t lose any of them. It should NOT be close in North Carolina if McCain wants to win. As to the story that McCain might “Suspend” his campaign - which is bullshit, as already pointed out - at that point he may as well concede. The last “suspension” cost him in the polls, and another would swing fifty to a hundred electoral votes in two days. He’d look like a Republican Ross Perot ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2008, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mccain-forked-yet/450604/736 "2008-10-01T13:10:41Z")
If this trend continues, though, suspending may be McCain’s path to losing with honor: i.e., he goes down saying that he chose to put “Country First”, that he tried to help fix the economic crisis, Presidency be damned, that he may have lost votes but, by Golly, he put the national interests above partisan politics–a real maverick, and a true patriot, in other words. Hey, it beats “I fucked up six ways from Sunday,” don’t it? Same results, either way, and this way he can murmer soothing sounds as he falls asleep at night. ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2008, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mccain-forked-yet/450604/737 "2008-10-01T13:49:41Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > According to all cites, CBS has not released it. > > [Instead, here is Palin with Couric last night, not being able to name any newspapers she reads.](http://thinkprogress.org/2008/09/30/palins-news/) > > That Couric and her ‘gotcha’ questions. :eek: I wonder how many people will see that the same way I do: someone who came into my office with an answer like that to such a basic softball “so tell me about yourself” interview question–I wouldn’t hire him or her for **any** kind of management position whatsoever. ---
**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:** [October 1, 2008, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mccain-forked-yet/450604/738 "2008-10-01T13:52:45Z")
> [@Koxinga](#): > > :eek: I wonder how many people will see that the same way I do: someone who came into my office with an answer like that to such a basic softball “so tell me about yourself” interview question–I wouldn’t hire him or her for **any** kind of management position whatsoever. You elitist, sexist, you… ---
**Author:** ![Oy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bc8723/32.png) [@Oy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oy)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2008, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mccain-forked-yet/450604/739 "2008-10-01T14:01:44Z")
Most (not all) of the people still making up their minds are low info voters, not terribly given to thinking things through. All of 'em might be an answer that sounds good to them. In the past two days I’ve talked to two undecided or soft voters. I’ve pretended to be soft myself and simply commented that I thought McCain running around like a chicken without a head the past couple of weeks hadn’t been too impressive for me, but that Obama’s calm had seemed more presidential. That with “we can’t go on with what we have now” should win the day. ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2008, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mccain-forked-yet/450604/740 "2008-10-01T14:02:02Z")
> [@Frodo](#): > > You elitist, sexist, you… I’m guessing you’re being tongue-in-cheek, but really, that was one of the first interview questions I fielded right away when I sat down with the chairman of my current company. (“What newspapers do you read?”) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mccain-forked-yet/450604.md?page=36) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-mccain-forked-yet/450604.md?page=38)