# Responding to McCain: Good! Let the anger flow through you! Come to the dark side! **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [September 10, 2008, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/responding-to-mccain-good-let-the-anger-flow-through-you-come-to-the-dark-side/462904 "2008-09-10T05:34:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/responding-to-mccain-good-let-the-anger-flow-through-you-come-to-the-dark-side/462904/21 "2008-09-10T14:59:29Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > Erm…the quote I cited was him talking in Oct., 2007. OK…so he’s a zombie. Explains a lot, actually. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/responding-to-mccain-good-let-the-anger-flow-through-you-come-to-the-dark-side/462904/22 "2008-09-10T15:01:24Z")
> [@Laudenum](#): > > I’m amazed to see that Obama had the balls to claim that the pig with lipstick wasn’t Palin. I’m amazed to see that someone can string together a sentence in the English langauge while being ignorant of an extremely common expression. ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/responding-to-mccain-good-let-the-anger-flow-through-you-come-to-the-dark-side/462904/23 "2008-09-10T15:08:20Z")
Do you all know that Obama and McCain are standing together tomorrow at ground zero for the 7th year tribute to 9/11. I thought it was a well known fact these two actually liked each other in real life. Politicking on TV and in sound bites is not real life. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/responding-to-mccain-good-let-the-anger-flow-through-you-come-to-the-dark-side/462904/24 "2008-09-10T15:09:06Z")
> [@stolichnaya](#): > > It’s been described as “rope-a-dope” but I think what we’ll see as the weeks go by is more cool, detatched provocation designed to provoke an emotional response. I wouldn’t count on it. McCain is a veteran campaigner and no doubt he has been reminded and schooled ad nauseum to keep his temper in check when in front of cameras. I find it very unlikely he will make such a rookie mistake. ---
**Author:** ![Digital\_Stimulus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Digital\_Stimulus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_Stimulus)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/responding-to-mccain-good-let-the-anger-flow-through-you-come-to-the-dark-side/462904/25 "2008-09-10T15:10:17Z")
> [@Koxinga](#): > > Never said that Obama’s camp should be angry, that’s just the opposite of my intention. Maybe the title of my OP looked misleading, but I imagine this as Emperor Palpatine’s goading of McCain, not Obama. Ah, sorry about that. I associated the title with Vader goading Luke into accepting his hate and acting upon it with anger. My guess is that others would also, but now it’s been clarified. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![stolichnaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bcef8e/32.png) [@stolichnaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stolichnaya)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/responding-to-mccain-good-let-the-anger-flow-through-you-come-to-the-dark-side/462904/26 "2008-09-10T15:11:06Z")
McCain has shown a few flashes of anger at Obama, specifically I am thinking of that odd letter exchange that occurred last year. I think McCain likes Obama fine as a person, but he is goddamn pissed that the guy is in his face now, when the presidency should be his, and he should be running against Clinton or somesuch. ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/responding-to-mccain-good-let-the-anger-flow-through-you-come-to-the-dark-side/462904/27 "2008-09-10T15:25:25Z")
I think we need some 60s style political street theater to goad the McCains into sputtering perplexed fury. Pigasus, where are you? I’m holding out some hope that the debates could make a real difference if six-foot-two Obama is cool, calm and collected, and people can turn to McCain and say “oooh, he’s an _angry_ elf.” ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/responding-to-mccain-good-let-the-anger-flow-through-you-come-to-the-dark-side/462904/28 "2008-09-10T15:27:08Z")
> [@Steve\_MB](#): > > I’m amazed to see that someone can string together a sentence in the English langauge while being ignorant of an extremely common expression. If it can be lazily interpreted to allow him to feign insult, of course he’s going to do it. Personally, I’m hoping he’ll use the word “niggardly” at some point. Same effect and all. -Joe ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/responding-to-mccain-good-let-the-anger-flow-through-you-come-to-the-dark-side/462904/29 "2008-09-10T15:49:48Z")
> [@Koxinga](#): > > I’m holding out some hope that the debates could make a real difference if six-foot-two Obama is cool, calm and collected, and people can turn to McCain and say “oooh, he’s an _angry_ elf.” Sputter. We need some sputter. And bulging veins would be a nice touch. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/responding-to-mccain-good-let-the-anger-flow-through-you-come-to-the-dark-side/462904/30 "2008-09-10T16:00:48Z")
> [@Phlosphr](#): > > I thought it was a well known fact these two actually liked each other in real life. I thought it was a pretty well known fact that they didn’t really like each other in real life, due to the fight over the ethics bill. [http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/14/us/politics/14senators.html](http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/14/us/politics/14senators.html) [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/30/AR2008033002401\_pf.html](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/30/AR2008033002401_pf.html) ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/responding-to-mccain-good-let-the-anger-flow-through-you-come-to-the-dark-side/462904/31 "2008-09-10T16:06:55Z")
Wow, Obama [bitch-slapped the BS artists](http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/09/10/obama-accuses-mccain-of-swift-boat-politics/). (The attempts by the usual suspects to pretend that I just referred to Ms Palin as a “bitch” will commence in 10… 9… 8…) ---
**Author:** ![CJJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecc23a/32.png) [@CJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CJJ)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/responding-to-mccain-good-let-the-anger-flow-through-you-come-to-the-dark-side/462904/32 "2008-09-10T16:12:33Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > My basic frustration is that I want _both_. I want us to actually pay attention to the goddamn things that matter in our political milieu when we make this decision instead of paying so much attention to fluff and surface and rah-rah and fireworks and superficial crap like that. I want the American people to be fucking adults and do what needs to be done to make things run right instead of being 350 million 13-year-old girls at a Miley Cyrus vs. Cheetah Girls beatdown. Barack Obama repeatedly deflects these non-issues with the phrase “Americans are not that stupid.” Despite evidence to the contrary, I agree with him; it’s our political discourse that has become so incredibly stupid. I am certain there are plenty of voters who view this presidential election on a par with a reality TV show where the winner gets to star in “The Presidency” for the next four years. The conventions/debates are akin to “Survivor”-style challenges, and fluff like lipstick-pigs and teaching-sex-to-kindergartens are the usual twists which will later be edited with choice soundbites from each participant’s confession camera ala “Big Brother”. We have the media to thank for that, and the sooner people come to realize it’s _designed_ to insult their intelligence, the faster (I hope) it will go away. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/responding-to-mccain-good-let-the-anger-flow-through-you-come-to-the-dark-side/462904/33 "2008-09-10T16:25:48Z")
> [@CJJ](#): > > Barack Obama repeatedly deflects these non-issues with the phrase “Americans are not that stupid.” Just a nitpick: Obama did not say that. He said “Americans are not stupid,” in response to his contention that the Republicans think we’re stupid because they’re floating all of that crap. “Americans are not _that_ stupid” can be spun to mean that Obama does think we’re stupid, just not THAT stupid. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/responding-to-mccain-good-let-the-anger-flow-through-you-come-to-the-dark-side/462904/34 "2008-09-10T16:30:48Z")
> [@Koxinga](#): > > Today’s [story about Obama / lipstick / pig](http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D933HUT80&show_article=1) makes me think the best tactic for Obama now would be to make the McCain camp _angry_. Better if he takes the high road and leaves the baiting to his followers. Better still if that’s done by supporters **outside his campaign organization.** And they will do it, believe me. ---
**Author:** ![Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4da419/32.png) [@Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gala_Matrix_Fire)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/responding-to-mccain-good-let-the-anger-flow-through-you-come-to-the-dark-side/462904/35 "2008-09-10T23:11:31Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > Now, admittedly, Cindy’s money is less than three generations old, so she would be considered _nouveau riche_ in those circles… Anyone who knows _who_ in their family amassed their money is nouveau riche. ---
**Author:** ![Avumede](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/avumede/32/7235_2.png) [@Avumede](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avumede)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/responding-to-mccain-good-let-the-anger-flow-through-you-come-to-the-dark-side/462904/36 "2008-09-10T23:12:36Z")
What’s interesting is that I remember reading on this board a while ago (years ago) that McCain is unstable, disliked by the press, and known in Washington to be crazy. I haven’t heard any of that recently. He certainly seems stable, and the press doesn’t seem to mind him. I wonder if he changed, or it just previous assertions of instability were exaggerated. ---
**Author:** ![begbert2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/begbert2/32/3357_2.png) [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/responding-to-mccain-good-let-the-anger-flow-through-you-come-to-the-dark-side/462904/37 "2008-09-10T23:16:33Z")
> [@Avumede](#): > > What’s interesting is that I remember reading on this board a while ago (years ago) that McCain is unstable, disliked by the press, and known in Washington to be crazy. > > I haven’t heard any of that recently. He certainly seems stable, and the press doesn’t seem to mind him. I wonder if he changed, or it just previous assertions of instability were exaggerated. He changed - then he was the maverick, the outsider; now he’s in cozy with the big boys. ---
**Author:** ![Shayna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shayna/32/17976_2.png) [@Shayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shayna)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/responding-to-mccain-good-let-the-anger-flow-through-you-come-to-the-dark-side/462904/38 "2008-09-10T23:22:53Z")
[Lipstick on a Pig: Winning In the No-Spin Era by Someone Who Knows the Game](http://www.amazon.com/Lipstick-Pig-Winning-No-Spin-Someone/dp/0743271165/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1221088623&sr=8-1) _by Torie Clarke_. For those who don’t know who [Torie Clarke](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torie_Clarke) is, amongst other things, she’s the former press secretary of none other than John McShame. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/responding-to-mccain-good-let-the-anger-flow-through-you-come-to-the-dark-side/462904.md?page=1)