# McCain campaign slams Obama's visit to his grandmother **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 23, 2008, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-campaign-slams-obamas-visit-to-his-grandmother/469233 "2008-10-23T17:27:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2008, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-campaign-slams-obamas-visit-to-his-grandmother/469233/81 "2008-10-24T01:38:54Z")
> [@MEBuckner](#): > > I think it’s a [“Country First”](http://www.johnmccain08store.com/eshop/10Expand.asp?ProductCode=MPS-VB2) sign. What’s second, Western or Bluegrass? ---
**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2008, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-campaign-slams-obamas-visit-to-his-grandmother/469233/82 "2008-10-24T01:41:45Z")
> [@Zebra](#): > > Why don’t the Republican’s try and pass a law that says Grandma O must be kept on life support? You know, looking back on it, that might have been the start of the Republican implosion. ---
**Author:** ![BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bcef8e/32.png) [@BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2008, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-campaign-slams-obamas-visit-to-his-grandmother/469233/83 "2008-10-24T02:10:51Z")
> [@Fish](#): > > McCain had to charter a helicopter from Pennsylvania to make it to the David Letterman show on time. > > Ho! Ha ha! Guard! Turn! Parry! Dodge! Spin! Ha! Thrust! Man, I’d pay just about anything to see McCain’s beak flip up in his face. Palin’s to. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2008, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-campaign-slams-obamas-visit-to-his-grandmother/469233/84 "2008-10-24T02:16:05Z")
> [@Long\_Time\_First\_Time](#): > > Why would anybody say something so mean-spirited on national TV? > > Is anyone in that campaign thinking at all? The electoral vote predictions would suggest that the answer to that question is “no.” I mean, McCain’s campaign is losing Virginia, South Carolina, Missouri… they may now be losing Indiana. They’ve gone from being a little ahead to being in a near-hopeless situation in less than five weeks. Does this strike you as being a COMPETENT campaign? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2008, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-campaign-slams-obamas-visit-to-his-grandmother/469233/85 "2008-10-24T02:17:50Z")
> [@howye](#): > > I will gladly earmark my $60 contribution towards visiting ailing grandparents. Just a little more pork barrel spending us Democrats love. It’s a damned earmark! ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Carrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@Captain\_Carrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Carrot)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2008, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-campaign-slams-obamas-visit-to-his-grandmother/469233/86 "2008-10-24T02:28:24Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > I mean, McCain’s campaign is losing Virginia, South Carolina, Missouri… they may now be losing Indiana. Nitpick: North Carolina. Obama isn’t winning South Carolina unless there’s an immense landslide. Which could well happen. And from FiveThirtyEight, some really bad news for McCain, and a couple of good bits. Bad for him: Winning Texas by only 10 points. This sounds kind of concern-trollish, but consider how reliable Texas has been. Apparently, not so much anymore. Losing Montana by 4. On the margin of error. This is a state that even Clinton only won once. Winning Georgia by only 5. Georgia’s only voted for a Democrat once since 1964, and that was for a favorite son. Winning Kansas by 12. No danger of Obama winning here, but that’s 13 points less than Bush got in 2004. Losing Indiana in two polls, at least one of which is outside the margin of error. Indiana, like Virginia, has not voted for a Democrat since Johnson, when everybody outside the Deep South voted for him. Losing Ohio by double digits in two different polls. Almost every single other poll Good for him: Winning Arkansas and Louisiana by double digits. I have to admit, I’m really surprised that, given the GOTV efforts by Clinton and Beebe, the margin here is even wider than it was. Losing North Carolina by only 2. Okay, enough of my interpretation, I’m sure you can read the page for yourselves. ---
**Author:** ![BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bcef8e/32.png) [@BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2008, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-campaign-slams-obamas-visit-to-his-grandmother/469233/87 "2008-10-24T02:33:26Z")
> [@BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed](#): > > Man, I’d pay just about anything to see McCain’s beak flip up in his face. Palin’s to. Oh God, I spelled “too” wrong. Holy crap, I don’t think I’ve ever done that before. Wow. I have to go turn in my English teaching credentials and commit suicide, and because I’m in Japan it’ll have to be seppuku. It was nice knowing everyone. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2008, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-campaign-slams-obamas-visit-to-his-grandmother/469233/88 "2008-10-24T02:41:45Z")
> [@pepperlandgirl](#): > > He’s still trapped in the 1960s. He WAS trapped in the 1960s. For five and a half years! ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Carrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@Captain\_Carrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Carrot)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2008, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-campaign-slams-obamas-visit-to-his-grandmother/469233/89 "2008-10-24T02:46:24Z")
> [@Green\_Bean](#): > > He WAS trapped in the 1960s. For five and a half years! Technically, half of that was in the '70s. ---
**Author:** ![Gotterfunken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/58956e/32.png) [@Gotterfunken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gotterfunken)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2008, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-campaign-slams-obamas-visit-to-his-grandmother/469233/90 "2008-10-24T02:47:22Z")
> [@Long\_Time\_First\_Time](#): > > 1. Many of the smears are mutually exclusive. You can tar Obama as a ghetto, drug using street punk 0r an arigula eating elitest. But how can anyone be both? Well, in my case, I live pretty close to the ghetto (in midtown Memphis, you’re never too far away from a ghetto), and I’ve been known to smoke some weed _and_ I eat arugula (usually not at the same time, though). 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Drain\_Bead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Drain\_Bead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drain_Bead)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2008, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-campaign-slams-obamas-visit-to-his-grandmother/469233/91 "2008-10-24T02:54:45Z")
> [@Green\_Bean](#): > > He WAS trapped in the 1960s. For five and a half years! Best five-and-a-half-years joke I’ve heard so far. ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2008, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-campaign-slams-obamas-visit-to-his-grandmother/469233/92 "2008-10-24T02:58:25Z")
> [@Drain\_Bead](#): > > Best five-and-a-half-years joke I’ve heard so far. Indeed. Well played, **Green Bean**. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Nader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Darth\_Nader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Nader)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2008, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-campaign-slams-obamas-visit-to-his-grandmother/469233/93 "2008-10-24T03:00:44Z")
> [@Long\_Time\_First\_Time](#): > > For anybody under 40 - they have no memory of tax and spend great society democrats, or long-haired LSD-using hippies. In their world, it’s the Republicans who have spent like there’s no tomorrow and proudly break the law. Preach it, brother. ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2008, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-campaign-slams-obamas-visit-to-his-grandmother/469233/94 "2008-10-24T03:03:06Z")
> [@Captain\_Carrot](#): > > Winning Georgia by only 5. Georgia’s only voted for a Democrat once since 1964, and that was for a favorite son. Georgia went for Carter both times (in '76 and in '80, which was otherwise a disastrous year for the Democrat, natch) and for Clinton once, in '92 (but not in '96). Other than that nitpick, it is pretty astonishing that Georgia is polling so close this year. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2008, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-campaign-slams-obamas-visit-to-his-grandmother/469233/95 "2008-10-24T03:14:57Z")
> [@Captain\_Carrot](#): > > Nitpick: North Carolina. Obama isn’t winning South Carolina unless there’s an immense landslide. Which could well happen. > > And from FiveThirtyEight, some really bad news for McCain, and a couple of good bits. When I was searching for a link to post to that news story, one result took me to a blog page at the Wall Street Journal. Their map showed McCain 189 and Obama 183. Clicking on it brought up another page, probably more up-to-date, with Obama leading 259 to 163. Don’t know why they haven’t updated the first page; just like the colors, maybe. ---
**Author:** ![Queen\_Bruin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Queen\_Bruin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Bruin)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2008, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-campaign-slams-obamas-visit-to-his-grandmother/469233/96 "2008-10-24T03:23:40Z")
I just lost my grandmother two months ago. She was my most favorite person in the world. I miss her every day; her character is the example to which I try to aspire. I’ll be lucky if I’m half as good a woman as she wasl. I wish I could have visited her one last time. It is right now my deepest regret in life. If Obama didn’t go visit her, I’d think less of him. Same if McCain’s mother was ailing. WTF is wrong with people? ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Carrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@Captain\_Carrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Carrot)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2008, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-campaign-slams-obamas-visit-to-his-grandmother/469233/97 "2008-10-24T03:38:04Z")
> [@MEBuckner](#): > > Georgia went for Carter both times (in '76 and in '80, which was otherwise a disastrous year for the Democrat, natch) and for Clinton once, in '92 (but not in '96). Oh, yeah. Given how much time I’ve spent going over these, how the hell did I screw that up? ---
**Author:** ![Onomatopoeia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/onomatopoeia/32/4145_2.png) [@Onomatopoeia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Onomatopoeia)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2008, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-campaign-slams-obamas-visit-to-his-grandmother/469233/98 "2008-10-24T03:40:32Z")
> [@BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed](#): > > Oh God, I spelled “too” wrong. Holy crap, I don’t think I’ve ever done that before. Wow. I have to go turn in my English teaching credentials and commit suicide, and because I’m in Japan it’ll have to be seppuku. It was nice knowing everyone. Hey **Bell** , is Nova still screwing over their English teachers over there, or are they finally out of business? ---
**Author:** ![E.Thorp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@E.Thorp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E.Thorp)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2008, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-campaign-slams-obamas-visit-to-his-grandmother/469233/99 "2008-10-24T04:13:07Z")
> [@The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](#): > > Obama “should be \*humping \*his bags on a commercial jet”?!? Who uses a word like that anymore? Is it a regional thing? Yeah, it’s probably regional. I’ve used it a lot (raised in Ohio FWIW). ---
**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:** [October 24, 2008, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-campaign-slams-obamas-visit-to-his-grandmother/469233/100 "2008-10-24T04:21:01Z")
> [@E.Thorp](#): > > Yeah, it’s probably regional. I’ve used it a lot (raised in Ohio FWIW). I thought it was a military term. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-campaign-slams-obamas-visit-to-his-grandmother/469233.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-campaign-slams-obamas-visit-to-his-grandmother/469233.md?page=6)