Nash McCabe: Everything wrong with America

The BBQ Pit
1

Shorter Nash McCabe: I’m out of work, and my husband is a disabled coal miner who needs surgery for a brain tumor, so naturally I’m basing my vote for President on who wears an American flag lapel pin.

McCabe, you may recall, is the Latrobe, PA woman who appeared on ABC’s abortion of a debate the other night to ask Obama why he hates America so much, er, I mean, whether he believes in the American flag.

:headdesk:

If this really is the “average voter” everyone is so on about, I have to wonder if the country deserves a President like Obama who talks to us like we’re adults. Does that make me an elitist? If so, pass me some brandy and a goddamn robusto.

2

This is me whenever I see news coverage of the presidential campaigns:

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I mean, obviously the most powerful job on Earth should go to the candidate with the better soundbites.

3

I’m starting to think the only solution is to have the small number orf worthy states (VT, MA, WI, MN, OR, WA and northern CA) secede and join Canada. Those of you who are worthy but live in non-worth states can move.

4

Then ABC news tracked her down so that she could ask the question during the debate.

From Salon.com :

As Will Bunch put it:

So Nash McCabe wasn't located at random at all. Instead, someone at ABC News decided that they wanted to go after Obama on the patriotism issue, and they actively sought a Pennsylvanian who they knew wanted to bring it up. I assume they thought it would sound better if "a typical voter" asked the question instead of Charlie Gibson. "You see, we're only raising the issue the voters really care about," they can claim

The debate was a disgrace, now it turns out it was also a set up driven by the desire for sinking to the lowest tabloid level.
I would love to see going back to debates being hosted by the League of Women Voters. Maybe it would help folks like Nash to see that lapel pins are not issues.

5

In democracies, people get the governments they deserve.

6

No, in a democracy, we all get the government that the voting majority deserves.

7

Heh. Latrobe. I grew up about forty miles from there.

I said before that Obama wasn’t doing so hot in the Mon Valley - well, here’s your proof.

And let’s not whine about what she’s basing her vote on - the Democrats here are so close in policy prescriptions that naturally small cultural differences loom bigger than they would otherwise - especially in a primary race.

8

For me, it’s not the “small cultural” aspect of the choice, as much as the idea that Hillary “struggled for years” just like this unemployed disabled coal miner’s wife.

I’m not saying Hillary didn’t work hard, but her life has been one of rather good fortune. Her parents were reasonably successful in business, she went to fabulously good colleges. Through Bill, she’s always been very well connected politically, so much so that she got the NY Senate seat, without ever having lived there prior to deciding to run for that office.

Clearly McCabe understands the idea of struggling, but I’m baffled at how it relates to Hillary Clinton’s life.

9

Yep, and it’s a really good thing we don’t live in a democracy, too.

10

It’s not that bad, you don’t have to poke your eye out! On vacation at a Chinese restaurant the other week we saw a guy talking into his cell phone in another booth, all the while with his hand positioned exactly like there where from our angle it looked like he was poking his own eye!:eek:

11

I’m not sure it qualifies as a struggle, but she has been on the receiving end of more hate-filled bile than just about any other public figure for the past 15 years. How many other people have stuff like this
marketed?

Struggle probably isn’t the right word. More like how she continues to go on despite all the BS slung her way.

12

George W. Bush, probably.

13

I was hoping it is the right word, so that if she fails to get the nomination she can write a memoir entitled “My Struggle”. :smiley:

Not to mention the wealth the Clintons have racked up in the last few years.

It’s one of the mysteries of this campaign that a black ex-community organizer can be labeled an “elitist”, while his politically well-connected opponent who’s enjoyed the advantages of great wealth and a huge initial fundraising advantage is suddenly a struggling populist.

Notice how, in addition to the “shot-and-a-beer” drinking, gee-I-loved-hunting, gutter ball-bowling image Hillary’s been promoting, she also referred to her blue-collar grandfather to show Pennsylvanians how woman-of-the-peoplish she is?

Sheesh, I thought Edwards was bad enough with the “son of a mill worker” theme.

It would have been interesting to hear McCabe’s response if ABC News had asked her about Hillary’s “Screw 'em, Bill” remark in reference to blue-collar Southern whites.

14

According to the blog for Howard Kurtz (Washington Post writer), a couple of weeks ago she was quoted in the New York Times as saying, “How can I vote for a president who won’t wear a flag pin?” And then ABC News tracked her down and invited her to the debate, where she asked, “Senator Obama. I have a question, and I want to know if you believe in the American flag. I am not questioning your patriotism, but all our servicemen, policemen and EMS wear the flag. I want to know why you don’t.” And as Jon Stewart pointed out, of course she’s questioning his patriotism. And it’s a superficial way to decide.

15

As I mentioned in the GD thread-- It’s like she’s a bit bitter about her economic plight and is clinging to this flag issue to feel as if she has control over something.

16

:eek:

Gott in Himmel!

:smiley:

17

Indeed - this is a republic. If this was a democracy, we would’ve lost the Pseudo-War in a cakewalk.

18

What the hell does that question even fucking mean? I personally can’t stand the idiotic “respect this piece of fabric and by extension lapel pin/t-shirt/America™ Brand Slushee Cup” bullshit, but I freely understand that there are lots of people who do buy into it. But what, was she expecting Obama to admit to being an extreme solipsist and say, “No, I do not believe that such a flag exists?”

Jesus Christ there are moments when I hate Americans.

19

Actually, I’ve never seen an EMS uniform that has a flag on it. I’m sure they’re out there, but I doubt they’re even a majority. I’ve certainly never worn one. Although I did wear a Finnish flag pin on St. Urho’s Day.*

St. Urho
Paramedic

*Because I hate America and grasshoppers, but I love purple beer.

20

I think that the issue of whether a presidential candidate wears a flag pin or not ranks about 1 billionth on my list of priorities. But then again, I am a liberal who clearly must hate America.