# Obama Voters: Chill - He's No Fool **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [September 15, 2008, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-voters-chill-hes-no-fool/463678 "2008-09-15T08:12:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2008, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-voters-chill-hes-no-fool/463678/41 "2008-09-15T20:30:45Z")
> [@Captain\_Lance\_Murdoch](#): > > She travels with McCain most of the time instead of splitting up the way candidates normally do. McCain had an event today in Florida which was moved to a 15,000 person capacity venue due to the Palin buzz. Only McCain appeared without Palin and only managed to fill it to [about 20% capacity](http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2008/09/15/mccain-minus-palin-equals-smaller-crowds/). > [@](#): > > Roughly three quarters of the 16,000-seat Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena was empty when McCain took the stage with his wife, Cindy. The empty spots were littered with dozens of signs prepared in advance–the hand-painted ones meant to look like supporter-made signs but were actually made by campaign staffers. Among the discarded, untouched signs: “We (heart) Todd” and “The Winning Team McCain Palin.” > > To be sure, the unofficial crowd estimate of 3,500 is much larger than many of the events McCain held over the summer. But it is a far cry from the more than 15,000 that have shown up at joint McCain-Palin appearances both before and after the Republican National Convention. Newsweek had a great wide shot of McCain speaking before the mostly empty stadium but they’ve switched it for a tight shot of him looking swamped. That’s the liberal media bias for ya. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2008, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-voters-chill-hes-no-fool/463678/42 "2008-09-15T21:01:39Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > McCain had an event today in Florida which was moved to a 15,000 person capacity venue due to the Palin buzz. Only McCain appeared without Palin and only managed to fill it to [about 20% capacity](http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2008/09/15/mccain-minus-palin-equals-smaller-crowds/). [The Onion](http://www.theonion.com/content/news/top_story_on_john_mccain_run_out): > [@](#): > > Top Story On John McCain Run Out Of Obligation ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2008, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-voters-chill-hes-no-fool/463678/43 "2008-09-15T21:07:53Z")
> [@spoke-](#): > > It would be nice if the media would grow a pair and refuse to air the speeches of either McCain or Palin unless Palin is made readily available for interviews. Well, you know, the poor thing can’t handle much inspection or questioning. Funny how things change in a year. As [Mark Steyn](http://michellemalkin.com/2007/10/08/graeme-frost-and-the-perils-of-democrat-poster-child-abuse/) of the National Review Online said of SCHIP recipient Graeme Frost, > [@](#): > > The Democrats chose to outsource their airtime to a Seventh Grader. If a political party is desperate enough to send a boy to do a man’s job, then the boy is fair game. As it is, the Dems do enough cynical and opportunist hiding behind biography and identity, and it’s incredibly tedious. The bit about hiding behind biography and identity was a special added bonus. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2008, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-voters-chill-hes-no-fool/463678/44 "2008-09-15T21:14:16Z")
Anybody else read the title and flash on “Georgie…_Tirebiter_! He’s Not Insane!” ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2008, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-voters-chill-hes-no-fool/463678/45 "2008-09-15T21:24:40Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Anybody else read the title and flash on “Georgie…_Tirebiter_! He’s Not Insane!” Nah, but it’s certainly popped into my head at other times during this campaign. And in 2004. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2008, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-voters-chill-hes-no-fool/463678/46 "2008-09-15T21:52:56Z")
One good thing about all the Palin coverage is that Biden has been allowed to disappear for the time being. One thing that worried me about Biden was his long service in the Senate. I’m sure there are a few votes he’d like to have back and a few he had to hold his nose to vote for. But, no coverage at all of Biden’s voting record. ---
**Author:** ![blackcatrun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19b73/32.png) [@blackcatrun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blackcatrun)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2008, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-voters-chill-hes-no-fool/463678/47 "2008-09-16T00:28:10Z")
> [@DMark](#): > > I have a friend in California and she is (quite seriously) planning to move to Europe if Obama loses. She is about ready to have a coronary from reading polls and watching CNN like some political crack whore. It is all I can do to call her occasionally to try to lower her blood pressure. > > As I have told her: > > 1. Obama just went through a bitter Primary Campaign that looked like he could lose several times…and finally winning over Hillary was no walk in the park. > 2. Despite dire predictions by the NY Times just a week ago that he was hurting for funds, Obama raised $66 million dollars in August! He has close to $100 million for the campaign so far and we haven’t even hit the September tally. We can only imagine what is going to pour in this October! Supposedly, he raised $10 million alone on the day after Pain’s speech at the RNC. > 3. We haven’t had a single debate from the candidates yet…that will set the talking heads wagging and I have no doubt Obama will do quite well, as will Biden. > 4. As many have mentioned, polls at this stage of the game are not historically all that accurate and a few weeks, or days, can make a lot of difference. > 5. Money talks…did I mention Obama has a nice war chest and will be raking in more as the election nears? Do you really think he is keeping it in a savings account simply to accrue interest? Or perhaps they have a plan? > 6. Every reporter who has ever been to an Obama headquarters is amazed at the single-minded dedication, and vast numbers, of people working on their computers to get donations (they have done very well so far) and working on registration of voters (they have done very well so far) and planning on getting out the vote (my guess is they will do a good job there as well). > 7. Just going by the voter turnout during the Primaries, the Democrats seem willing to crawl over broken glass to vote this year… > 8. Did I mention that Obama has enough money to smack down every bullshit attempt to distract voters, especially in swing states? > 9. Obama is simply the best candidate Americans have had in a very long time. > 10. Obama is nobody’s fool. Take a deep breath, donate if you can, volunteer if you have time, but chill…in election terms, November is about a year away. Who is funding him is really a good story. That if lookedinto wouldhave him ina court room. Media is fawning all over him because he is a communist. Yeah they show up alright but most of them are sorta not really legal to vote. ACORN ring any bells? Part of obamas efforts. OOOPPS. Best Canidate? A communist? Are really sure about that? Empty suit maybe. No history at all to speek of. Well maybe announcement coming out of a domestic terrorist home. But more over we have a debate coming up. One is gonna see obama break. I would say nervouse break down. Your messia people is hiding. A secret he has used force of threat to silence. His history is one of freinds that are questionable in terms of legal law abiding Americans. Slap down a truth is a lot harder in front of the nation in direct confrontation. So when you find out what this guy really is can you have the courage to tell yourself you picked a dangerouse man for the job of running the country? Hey I can forgive. Just not forget. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2008, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-voters-chill-hes-no-fool/463678/48 "2008-09-16T00:40:46Z")
duplicate ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2008, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-voters-chill-hes-no-fool/463678/49 "2008-09-16T00:43:45Z")
> [@blackcatrun](#): > > Who is funding him is really a good story. That if lookedinto wouldhave him ina court room. > Media is fawning all over him because he is a communist. > Yeah they show up alright but most of them are sorta not really legal to vote. ACORN ring any bells? Part of obamas efforts. OOOPPS. > Best Canidate? A communist? Are really sure about that? Empty suit maybe. No history at all to speek of. Well maybe announcement coming out of a domestic terrorist home. > But more over we have a debate coming up. > One is gonna see obama break. I would say nervouse break down. > Your messia people is hiding. A secret he has used force of threat to silence. > His history is one of freinds that are questionable in terms of legal law abiding Americans. > > Slap down a truth is a lot harder in front of the nation in direct confrontation. > > So when you find out what this guy really is can you have the courage to tell yourself you picked a dangerouse man for the job of running the country? > Hey I can forgive. Just not forget. At least the Democrats picked a man who can write a coherent thought. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2008, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-voters-chill-hes-no-fool/463678/50 "2008-09-16T00:51:48Z")
> [@blackcatrun](#): > > Who is funding him is really a good story. That if lookedinto wouldhave him ina court room. > Media is fawning all over him because he is a communist. Funding? Well, clearly it’s coming from Chavez and Castro. Those commies stick together like glue!! ---
**Author:** ![Belowjob2.0](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Belowjob2.0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Belowjob2.0)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2008, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-voters-chill-hes-no-fool/463678/51 "2008-09-16T02:38:40Z")
> [@blackcatrun](#): > > Who is funding him is really a good story. That if lookedinto wouldhave him ina court room. > Media is fawning all over him because he is a communist. > Yeah they show up alright but most of them are sorta not really legal to vote. ACORN ring any bells? Part of obamas efforts. OOOPPS. > Best Canidate? A communist? Are really sure about that? Empty suit maybe. No history at all to speek of. Well maybe announcement coming out of a domestic terrorist home. > But more over we have a debate coming up. > One is gonna see obama break. I would say nervouse break down. > Your messia people is hiding. A secret he has used force of threat to silence. > His history is one of freinds that are questionable in terms of legal law abiding Americans. > > Slap down a truth is a lot harder in front of the nation in direct confrontation. > > So when you find out what this guy really is can you have the courage to tell yourself you picked a dangerouse man for the job of running the country? > Hey I can forgive. Just not forget. Okay, I’ll play. Tell me who is funding Obama. You know, right? Anyone can send Obama money. It’s not a private club. They even take donations from the marginally literate, so you can send a check today. Get someone else to fill it out though. Define “communist”. You have to get the definition from a legitimate source. Chick tracts don’t count. Neither does Klan literature. Define “empty suit”. If by empty suit, you mean top of his class Harvard Law School, 20 years in Chicago politics, and running one of the most effective, well organized presidential campaigns in recent history, while winning the endorsement of numerous senior politicians and business leaders, well then, yeah, empty suit is it. > [@](#): > > Your messia people is hiding. A secret he has used force of threat to silence. Tell us! Tell us what it is! **blackcatrun** , you don’t really come here for the hunting, do you? ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2008, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-voters-chill-hes-no-fool/463678/52 "2008-09-16T02:47:09Z")
> [@puddleglum](#): > > His win over the thick legged haridan was impressive I understand voting on the basis of race, but on the basis of _legs?_ Maybe Obama should have picked Jennifer Granholm, and instead of a VP debate we could have had a swimsuit competition. Wow. ---
**Author:** ![Lantern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d26b3c/32.png) [@Lantern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lantern)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2008, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-voters-chill-hes-no-fool/463678/53 "2008-09-16T07:15:50Z")
Yet another scathing WaPo [piece](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/15/AR2008091502406.html?hpid=opinionsbox1) about McCain from someone who used to admire him. Compare that piece with the [one](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/23/AR2008062301829.html)Cohen wrote a few months back called “McCain’s core advantage”: a classic example of a pundit going out of his way to give McCain the benefit of the doubt. I don’t particularly care for Cohen who is a spouter of the CW if there ever was one but that’s what makes his two pieces especially valuable as an indicator of the prevailing wisdom. They summarize what IMO is the fundamental story of the McCain campaign over the last two weeks: he has sacrificed a core advantage for a short-term political boost. I don’t think the boost is that big anyway and I don’t think it will last till November. ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2008, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-voters-chill-hes-no-fool/463678/54 "2008-09-16T07:46:08Z")
The thing that concerned me about Palin was the palpable sense of _relief_ she seemed to elicit. Not relief that McCain had picked a winner of a running mate (uh-huh), but that “now we have a reason we can tell ourselves we don’t have to vote for that **." (Fill in the blank for "**”.) It seemed like a segment of the population is grasping for something, _anything_ to give them a psychological defense against facing the fact that they really don’t want to vote for a \_\_\_\_\_. What else would account for the ridiculous lengths they would go to, to defend such a cynical and unqualified choice? And if that’s what’s going on, then no amount of persuasion will work on such people. IME, pointing out the irrationality of someone’s psychological whatchamacallit only encourages them to cling to it more tenuously. ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2008, 7:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-voters-chill-hes-no-fool/463678/55 "2008-09-16T07:58:50Z")
> [@Koxinga](#): > > The thing that concerned me about Palin was the palpable sense of _relief_ she seemed to elicit. Not relief that McCain had picked a winner of a running mate (uh-huh), but that “now we have a reason we can tell ourselves we don’t have to vote for that **." (Fill in the blank for "**”.) > > It seemed like a segment of the population is grasping for something, _anything_ to give them a psychological defense against facing the fact that they really don’t want to vote for a \_\_\_\_\_. What else would account for the ridiculous lengths they would go to, to defend such a cynical and unqualified choice? > > And if that’s what’s going on, then no amount of persuasion will work on such people. IME, pointing out the irrationality of someone’s psychological whatchamacallit only encourages them to cling to it more tenuously. Or tenaciously, even. ---
**Author:** ![Belowjob2.0](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Belowjob2.0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Belowjob2.0)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2008, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-voters-chill-hes-no-fool/463678/56 "2008-09-16T13:07:28Z")
> [@Koxinga](#): > > The thing that concerned me about Palin was the palpable sense of _relief_ she seemed to elicit. Not relief that McCain had picked a winner of a running mate (uh-huh), but that “now we have a reason we can tell ourselves we don’t have to vote for that **." (Fill in the blank for "**”.) > > It seemed like a segment of the population is grasping for something, _anything_ to give them a psychological defense against facing the fact that they really don’t want to vote for a \_\_\_\_\_. What else would account for the ridiculous lengths they would go to, to defend such a cynical and unqualified choice? > > And if that’s what’s going on, then no amount of persuasion will work on such people. IME, pointing out the irrationality of someone’s psychological whatchamacallit only encourages them to cling to it more tenuously. Anybody but the… well, you know. There’s a substantial amount of red state, white working class identity politics at work here too. It’s the “she’s one of us” vote. ---
**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 16, 2008, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-voters-chill-hes-no-fool/463678/57 "2008-09-16T13:32:46Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > On the one hand, I think it’s stupid to say the words “economy” and “strong” in the same sentence on the day our stock market hits the skids. > > On the other hand, it seems by saying something like this, John McCain is really trying to make himself the candidate of “hope.” First “Change;” now “Hope.” > > McCain is slowly co-opting Obama’s campaign messages, and turning Obama into the negative-nelly candidate of “same-ol’-same-ol” Washington politics. Obama’s go to start owning his message again, playing offense, and quit merely reacting to the bullshit McCain’s spewing. It’s what they did to Kerry 4 years ago. Kerry is a war hero. They attacked him on the grounds that he was supposed to be the strongest on and told lies to undermine him. That’s why McCain has been following the leader and parroting everything Obama says after a while (so far as campaign themes go, of course); to attack him at his strongest point. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2008, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-voters-chill-hes-no-fool/463678/58 "2008-09-16T13:47:14Z")
> [@blackcatrun](#): > > Who is funding him is really a good story. That if lookedinto wouldhave him ina court room. Around here, that kind of statement requires a cite. > [@blackcatrun](#): > > Media is fawning all over him because he is a communist. And that kind of statement requires at least an **argument.** ---
**Author:** ![stolichnaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bcef8e/32.png) [@stolichnaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stolichnaya)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2008, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-voters-chill-hes-no-fool/463678/59 "2008-09-16T14:12:58Z")
The idea is to throw so much crap around that the average dispassionate voter ends up saying “you know, it’s dirty on both sides, they are all dirty, I give up”. If everyone is dirty, then you are allowed to pick a guy who has been dirty without feeling bad. The mudslinging is intended to allow the person uncomfortable with Obama (for reasons of experience, race, religion, culture, whatever non-policy reason) but not sold on McCain to vote against their discomfort. If they are the same, McCain is less of a risk. This is why the reaction of the media in this case is so important. If there are really stories in mainstream publications where McCain is hit without the requisite “Obama is also dirty” paragraph, peoples’ perceptions could begin to shake a bit. It’s apparent to me anecdotally that one of the things we can agree on is that media driven trivia politics is bad for us and bad for our relationships with each other. No candidate wants to become the sole flagbearer for dirty fighting. I anticipate a retreat or at least a “balance” attempt on this issue, as media personalities seek to avoid being blamed for an Obama victory for four years. You know what? They will be anyway, and maybe some of them are realizing that. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2008, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-voters-chill-hes-no-fool/463678/60 "2008-09-16T14:43:48Z")
> [@puddleglum](#): > > Obama has never really been in a tough race before it will be interesting to see how he does. Beg pardon? what about the time in 2000 when Bobby Rush cleaned Obama’s clock in the Democratic primary for a congressional seat? [Rush won,](http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/09/us/politics/09obama.html?pagewanted=3&_r=1) taking 61 % of the vote to Obama’s 30%. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-voters-chill-hes-no-fool/463678.md?page=2)