# McCain not as forked as the McCain Forked thread, but still forked **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [October 8, 2008, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-not-as-forked-as-the-mccain-forked-thread-but-still-forked/466951 "2008-10-08T03:49:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 21
**Author:** ![grayhairedmomma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/47e85d/32.png) [@grayhairedmomma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grayhairedmomma)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2008, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-not-as-forked-as-the-mccain-forked-thread-but-still-forked/466951/401 "2008-10-22T17:49:33Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > As to her scarf … man, if you’re spending $150K on clothes you’d think you’d make a better fashion choice than that. I guess it proves what McCain has been saying - it’s not how much you spend, it is how you spend it. > > Seriously could her handler be someone who knows that (s)he is out of work in two weeks anyway so why not have a little subversive fun? From the haphazard way the scarf is on, it seems to me that someone in the crowd gave it to her and she put it on without really paying attention. ---
**Author:** ![stolichnaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bcef8e/32.png) [@stolichnaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stolichnaya)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2008, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-not-as-forked-as-the-mccain-forked-thread-but-still-forked/466951/402 "2008-10-22T18:09:15Z")
Either way, it’s kind of a stupid thing to notice/care about. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2008, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-not-as-forked-as-the-mccain-forked-thread-but-still-forked/466951/403 "2008-10-22T18:15:07Z")
> [@stolichnaya](#): > > Either way, it’s kind of a stupid thing to notice/care about. Yeah, it’s completely trivial, granted. Still, after all the laser-like media scrutiny that’s been devoted to the issue of whether, when, and why Obama will or will not [wear a flag lapel pin](http://www.swamppolitics.com/news/politics/blog/2008/04/obamas_flag_pin_flew_again.html), the question of why Palin is wearing a Democratic-themed scarf seems almost substantive by comparison. ---
**Author:** ![Merkwurdigliebe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/74df32/32.png) [@Merkwurdigliebe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merkwurdigliebe)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2008, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-not-as-forked-as-the-mccain-forked-thread-but-still-forked/466951/404 "2008-10-22T19:01:39Z")
> [@Jolly\_Roger](#): > > I’d like Obama to win, but how likely is a blowout? A win would make me happy, a blowout would require a party. > > I do worry about a Mccain surge coming up. I don’t know from where its just a feeling. As I have said before, McCain doesn’t say anything about his ideas. Its all rhetoric and sound bites. But people still fall for it. Well, I guess I mean that if you see that these states have gone for Obama, you can safely begin to party because it’s almost assured that he’ll win the Presidency. I was just trying to find an East-coast win situation where an extremely conservative estimate of the rest of the states will still guarantee a win. The West Coast, Hawaii and Illinois is what I consider as close to a political certainty as anything else. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2008, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-not-as-forked-as-the-mccain-forked-thread-but-still-forked/466951/405 "2008-10-22T19:04:10Z")
[The AP says it’s Obama by one.](http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gkM0JvRRUl81LuDA_P2t_goU2kGAD93VM4PO0) They also say that it “matches what Dems and Reps have said privately.” What significance does that bear? Are internal polls a better indicator of “real” feeling in the general populace than outsiders’ polls? (An [AOL story](http://news.aol.com/political-machine/2008/10/21/a-closer-look-at-the-state-polling/) pondering this point.) Oh, and a conservative claim that [the polls are all wrong!](http://wizbangblog.com/content/2008/10/21/gallup-and-new-coke.php) ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2008, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-not-as-forked-as-the-mccain-forked-thread-but-still-forked/466951/406 "2008-10-22T19:09:49Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > [They also say that it “matches what Dems and Reps have said privately.” What significance does that bear? It lets the author write a story about how close the election is, and bury this remark down in the seventh paragraph: > [@](#): > > The new AP-GfK head-to-head result is a departure from some, but not all, recent national polls. I find it impossible to believe that 13 percent of voters are still undecided or are going for a third party. I find the conclusion that McCain’s support among Republicans is actually _stronger_ than Obama’s support among Democrats to be absurd on its face, as evidenced by things like voter turnout, donations, registrations, early voting data and common sense. > [@](#): > > Eight of 10 Democrats are supporting Obama, while nine in 10 Republicans are backing McCain. Independents are about evenly split. ---
**Author:** ![Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bc8723/32.png) [@Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fish)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2008, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-not-as-forked-as-the-mccain-forked-thread-but-still-forked/466951/407 "2008-10-22T19:10:33Z")
All the polls… are wrong. All of them. Except the ones saying McCain is ahead. All of them. …Really. This is the kind of person for whom Fox News was made: the person who so strongly believes the world IS a certain way, he refuses to credit any news source that says otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![Jolly\_Roger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/91b2a8/32.png) [@Jolly\_Roger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jolly_Roger)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2008, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-not-as-forked-as-the-mccain-forked-thread-but-still-forked/466951/408 "2008-10-22T19:14:40Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > Yeah, it’s completely trivial, granted. Still, after all the laser-like media scrutiny that’s been devoted to the issue of whether, when, and why Obama will or will not [wear a flag lapel pin](http://www.swamppolitics.com/news/politics/blog/2008/04/obamas_flag_pin_flew_again.html), the question of why Palin is wearing a Democratic-themed scarf seems almost substantive by comparison. McCain defend Palin with this: > [@](#): > > “She is a governor, the most popular governor in America,” McCain said. “I think she is the most qualified of any that has run recently for vice president.” > > “I’m amazed. I’m amazed. Which is better? Serve 35 years in the United States Senate and say you’ve got to divide Iraq into three different countries, or be governor of a state and a reformer and give people their tax dollars back and bring about reform in the way that your state does business? Which is better?” Amazed? Well, I guess he would be. But I don’t think that any gaffe by Biden can make up for the distance between them in qyualities for VP. Biden has far more experience and it looks like Palin’s experience has been padded. Besides, anyone that says they have foriegn experience because they can see Russia from their porch is freakin’ nuts. BTW Palin could have given even more tax dollars back by not flying her kids arounfd on the taxpayers dime. > [@](#): > > Parker called Palin “out of her league” in a September column urging the Alaska governor to drop out of the race. Brooks, meanwhile, called Palin “a fatal cancer to the Republican Party” during a forum hosted by The Atlantic magazine earlier this month. I know the right wing will not agree with me, but I believe its more out of a “I will not admit a mistake or defeat” attitude than reality. Palin is not qualified to be president should something happen to (Heanen help us) President Mccain. Despite the other flaws I personally feel Palin has, she’s a cancer for the republicans because she’s the lowest common denominator. She has popularity with the base, she’s _kinda_ good looking, she has the whole fundie thing…but at the end of the day she’s divisive, decietful and abusive of authority given to her. Is that what the republicans to think of them? It must be. Because if they didn’t they would endorse her so much. McCain also said: > [@](#): > > “She has ignited our crowds,” McCain said. “She has a wonderful family, a great husband, great values and she shares my worldview.” Since Mccain has chosen to attack Obama instead of talk about the issues, I’m not sure what his world view is apart from his voting more that 90% with Bush. And John…I really really don’t give a shit about how you think how great her famiily is. When you show up with pics of Christmas dinner with them then you can comment on how nice they are. What does that have to do with the VP slot? I only care about the fact that the VP has to step up if the prez can’t. I don’t vare too much about their family being nice. > [@](#): > > McCain also mocked suggestions that Palin has to face tough interviews on the Sunday shows in order to prove herself to voters. > > “That’s hilarious. With thousands of people showing up at town hall meetings, I’ve never had a person show up and ask when she is going on ‘Meet the Press.’ Not one.” Maybe because its obvious your campaign doesn’t want her to give interviews like that. As it has been said “Joe the Plumber has given more interviews than Palin”. I’m not thinking that McCain ahiould admit defeat. No candidate ever does that untl election day anyway. But really…is Mccain depending on Palin to now save his capaign? If the candidate for prez has to depend on the VP candidate for votes theres a problem. [Full article here.](http://news.yahoo.com/s/politico/20081022/pl_politico/14820) ---
**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:** [October 22, 2008, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-not-as-forked-as-the-mccain-forked-thread-but-still-forked/466951/409 "2008-10-22T20:23:53Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > [The AP says it’s Obama by one.](http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gkM0JvRRUl81LuDA_P2t_goU2kGAD93VM4PO0) url] Funny that poll. The all RV result is 47 to 37 Obama yet the LV screen they apply brings it to a one point game. So the issue comes down to the question of whether Obama supporters are very likely to stay home while McCain supporters are very likely to come out, or equally so, or the opposite. If you believe the first then this poll may not be far off. If the last (as I believe) then it is not only wrong, it is very very wrong. ---
**Author:** ![tnetennba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tnetennba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tnetennba)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2008, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-not-as-forked-as-the-mccain-forked-thread-but-still-forked/466951/410 "2008-10-22T21:28:53Z")
Nate Silver on the very good election blog, [fivethirtyeight.com](http://fivethirtyeight.com), just wrote about suspcious LV models. After pointing out obvious flaws, he asked the AP pollsters to contact him directly and explain why their methodology is scientific. He also suggested they do micropolling of people who indicate they already voted in states with early voting to figure out how many would have not been considered a “likely voter” by their own definition. I’m increasingly impressed by the breadth of his coverage and the depth of his analysis. Interestingly, he actually made his way to electoral porn (as one of my friends calls it) from a successful stat-driven baseball blog. ---
**Author:** ![Peanut\_Gallery](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/838e76/32.png) [@Peanut\_Gallery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peanut_Gallery)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2008, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-not-as-forked-as-the-mccain-forked-thread-but-still-forked/466951/411 "2008-10-22T21:44:06Z")
> [@cricetus](#): > > Nate Silver ! Interestingly, he actually made his way to electoral porn (as one of my friends calls it) from a successful stat-driven baseball blog. Somebody should start a blog to compile stats on how often this fun fact gets tossed out to the teeming millions… (Nothing personal) ---
**Author:** ![TWDuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@TWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TWDuke)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2008, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-not-as-forked-as-the-mccain-forked-thread-but-still-forked/466951/412 "2008-10-22T21:55:57Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > It lets the author write a story about how close the election is, and bury this remark down in the seventh paragraph: Quote: The new AP-GfK head-to-head result is a departure from some, but not all, recent national polls. Well, that certainly looks better than Quote: The new AP-GfK head-to-head result is a departure from almost all recent national polls, but we did find _one_ that agrees with us, kind of. ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2008, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-not-as-forked-as-the-mccain-forked-thread-but-still-forked/466951/413 "2008-10-23T00:47:59Z")
> [@Bayard](#): > > [Politico](http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1008/14811.html) thinks the “cavalry” is never going to come for McCain. That’s an interesting article. This paragraph stood out for me. > [@](#): > > Another GOP strategist lamented that McCain lacked a core group of rich friends who were willing to part with their money. **Harold Simmons** , a Dallas billionaire, underwrote the entire cost of the initial Ayers ad for AIP — but his investment wasn’t matched by other wealthy Republicans. I never heard of Harold Simmons until now, but if he had financed a bunch of ads for Obama, we wouldn’t hear the end of him. George Soros is like the boogie man of the right, but has he financed millions of dollars in attack ads? It’s another case of…it’s ok if conservatives do it [whatever] but not when liberals do it. [Leaper’s link](http://wizbangblog.com/content/2008/10/21/gallup-and-new-coke.php) was interesting too. It all sounded very reasonable and intelligent until this paragraph: > [@](#): > > So, could I be wrong? I have to be honest and admit that I could. But in that case, we’d have to ask why the polls do not generally agree with each other, why Gallup is trying to spin three different models at the same time to get a grasp of the picture, why McCain and Obama are both so interested in Pennsylvania, yet neither is working very hard in Ohio right now. We’d have to explain why McCain-Palin rallies are now attracting thousands more people than Obama-Biden rallies, why Letterman suddenly found it cool to have McCain on his show and SNL decided they wanted Palin on theirs. We’d have to explain why there are not a lot of Obama signs visible, but we hear about his army of lawyers getting ready. We’d have to explain why McCain and Palin appear to be so relaxed while Obama and Biden look like they’re worried. That whole thing made me laugh out loud. More cognitive dissonance. ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2008, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-not-as-forked-as-the-mccain-forked-thread-but-still-forked/466951/414 "2008-10-23T02:24:56Z")
[Chuck Todd claims that there is real tension between McCain and Palin–and they also lack chemistry (forgive the Dkos link, but it includes the vid and the trasncript).](http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/10/22/18514/838/634/639069) My favorite part: \*you almost wonder why they wanted them sitting next to each other. \* ---
**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:** [October 23, 2008, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-not-as-forked-as-the-mccain-forked-thread-but-still-forked/466951/415 "2008-10-23T12:53:33Z")
snorts and mayhem. mccain met her twice before picking her, has gotten a lot of flak for picking her, and she is dragging down his numbers. why would he be comfortable with her? he has to play the hand he dealt himself. ---
**Author:** ![tnetennba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tnetennba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tnetennba)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2008, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-not-as-forked-as-the-mccain-forked-thread-but-still-forked/466951/416 "2008-10-23T13:22:48Z")
No, no, he’s really (wince) proud of her (blink blink blink). That’s what he said on TV, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![42fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/4/b487fb/32.png) [@42fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/42fish)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2008, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-not-as-forked-as-the-mccain-forked-thread-but-still-forked/466951/417 "2008-10-23T14:09:44Z")
> [@pepperlandgirl](#): > > [Chuck Todd claims that there is real tension between McCain and Palin–and they also lack chemistry (forgive the Dkos link, but it includes the vid and the trasncript).](http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/10/22/18514/838/634/639069) My favorite part: \*you almost wonder why they wanted them sitting next to each other. \* Are we sure it’s not sexual tension? ---
**Author:** ![C3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/c3/32/3108_2.png) [@C3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C3)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2008, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-not-as-forked-as-the-mccain-forked-thread-but-still-forked/466951/418 "2008-10-23T14:12:17Z")
> [@42fish](#): > > Are we sure it’s not sexual tension? ew. ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2008, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-not-as-forked-as-the-mccain-forked-thread-but-still-forked/466951/419 "2008-10-23T14:18:11Z")
Seems like he may not be even mildly forked. [AP SHOCK POLL: OBAMA, MCCAIN EVEN…](http://apnews.myway.com/article/20081022/D93VPI9O0.html) [IBD/TIPP: CLOSE…](http://www.ibdeditorials.com/Polls.aspx?id=309546869309178) Sure, other polls differ, but all my instincts tell me this ain’t over yet by any means, and Obama supporters would be foolish to count their chickens just yet. (Many of them seem to think the election is all but won.) ---
**Author:** ![C3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/c3/32/3108_2.png) [@C3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C3)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2008, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-not-as-forked-as-the-mccain-forked-thread-but-still-forked/466951/420 "2008-10-23T14:25:31Z")
> [@aldiboronti](#): > > Seems like he may not be even mildly forked. > > [AP SHOCK POLL: OBAMA, MCCAIN EVEN…](http://apnews.myway.com/article/20081022/D93VPI9O0.html) > > [IBD/TIPP: CLOSE…](http://www.ibdeditorials.com/Polls.aspx?id=309546869309178) > > Sure, other polls differ, but all my instincts tell me this ain’t over yet by any means, and Obama supporters would be foolish to count their chickens just yet. (Many of them seem to think the election is all but won.) Look up just a tiny bit, posts #405-412, for discussion on this same issue. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-not-as-forked-as-the-mccain-forked-thread-but-still-forked/466951.md?page=20) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-not-as-forked-as-the-mccain-forked-thread-but-still-forked/466951.md?page=22)