# What is McCain's message on Obama? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [October 12, 2008, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-mccains-message-on-obama/467547 "2008-10-12T02:15:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 3
**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 13, 2008, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-mccains-message-on-obama/467547/41 "2008-10-13T13:03:00Z")
> [@What\_the](#): > > \…Here are the character reasons you shouldn’t vote for him … Ayers, the Reverand…\ I’d be very interested in knowing why Obama’s “association” with William Ayers, based on the facts we know (not hysterical rantings from nutjob e-mail spams) reflects in any way on Obama’s character. Do you think the guilt-by-association reflects on any of the people/institutions in [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=487623)? If so, why? If not, why not? ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2008, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-mccains-message-on-obama/467547/42 "2008-10-13T13:19:38Z")
> [@Frostillicus](#): > > Can’t he be both, like the late Earl Warren? Wait, Obama was a sleazy male stripper? Why hasn’t the McCain campaign brought this up yet? ---
**Author:** ![Merkwurdigliebe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/74df32/32.png) [@Merkwurdigliebe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merkwurdigliebe)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2008, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-mccains-message-on-obama/467547/43 "2008-10-13T14:23:15Z")
> [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](#): > > On the other side we have Obama linking McCain with Bush. Never mind that association was not voluntary [really?](http://www.nobodyasked.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/bush-mccain-hug-72.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![SmellMyWort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SmellMyWort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmellMyWort)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2008, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-mccains-message-on-obama/467547/44 "2008-10-13T15:30:10Z")
> [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](#): > > Look, while I believe that Obama is the best bet for president, I’m not comfortable with the prevalent charge that McCain’s attempt to link Obama with Ayer’s as a terrorist, with Rezko as a felon, and Wright as a subversive racist shit disturber is unwarranted. In each case Obama associated himself with these people as his benefactors financially or spiritually. At best he used these people (I personally don’t have a problem with that), or at worst he lacked judgement or just plain naive. > > On the other side we have Obama linking McCain with Bush. Never mind that association was not voluntary. McCain was a Republican long before Bush and involved in federal politics even much longer than Bush. Never mind that the animosity between the two has been ongoing for at least 8 years. > > Yet given the general contempt throughout America for Bush, far greater than Ayers, I’d say that McCain got the short end of the stick on this particular issue. How exactly did Obama financially or spiritually benefit from or “used” Ayers? It’s my understanding that they sat on the same board of directors. I don’t really see that as an association that benefits one person over another. Seems to me they both just had in interest in improving education in Chicago. Maybe you know something the rest of us don’t… ---
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2008, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-mccains-message-on-obama/467547/45 "2008-10-13T15:58:37Z")
How could McCain call Obama a decent man. a good family man, et cetera, if any of the charges - Ayers, Wright, Rezko and God knows what else - had any weight whatsoever? All this negativity is the shit of desperation. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-mccains-message-on-obama/467547/46 "2008-10-14T00:56:51Z")
> [@SmellMyWort](#): > > How exactly did Obama financially or spiritually benefit from or “used” Ayers? It’s my understanding that they sat on the same board of directors. I don’t really see that as an association that benefits one person over another. Seems to me they both just had in interest in improving education in Chicago. Maybe you know something the rest of us don’t… There was that fund raiser hosted by Ayers kicking off Obama’s political career. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-mccains-message-on-obama/467547/47 "2008-10-14T00:57:57Z")
> [@Merkwurdigliebe](#): > > [really?](http://www.nobodyasked.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/bush-mccain-hug-72.jpg) I’m speechless ! Thats even worse than [this](http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/10/ben-affleck-barack-obama.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-mccains-message-on-obama/467547/48 "2008-10-14T01:06:17Z")
> [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](#): > > There was that fund raiser hosted by Ayers kicking off Obama’s political career. It was a coffee in his house. I’m not even sure it was a fund raiser, but if it was, it probably raised a hundred bucks, tops. Compare that to McCain strongly supporting Bush in 2004, and voting with him so much of the time. That is [until today.](http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081014/ap_on_el_pr/mccain;_ylt=AhVrD1e9U37E9DibkuQArSNsnwcF) ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-mccains-message-on-obama/467547/49 "2008-10-14T01:12:58Z")
According to [this piece from the Washington Post](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/10/AR2008101002456.html) by the author of The Kite Runner, McCain and Palin are now referring to Obama by his full name, Barack Hussein Obama. Is this a very visible tactic? I have not heard about it other than in this article, but from Indonesia it is impossible to know precisely what it is like in the US right now. ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-mccains-message-on-obama/467547/50 "2008-10-14T01:22:35Z")
> [@CairoCarol](#): > > I have not heard about it other than in this article, but from Indonesia it is impossible to know precisely what it is like in the US right now. It’s not all that easy to know precisely what it’s like in the US if you’re in the US right now… I think that Palin prefers to refer to him that way, but I am now actively avoiding her [del]venom and bile[/del] “speeches”. ---
**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 14, 2008, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-mccains-message-on-obama/467547/51 "2008-10-14T01:28:10Z")
> [@CairoCarol](#): > > According to [this piece from the Washington Post](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/10/AR2008101002456.html) by the author of The Kite Runner, McCain and Palin are now referring to Obama by his full name, Barack Hussein Obama. Is this a very visible tactic? I have not heard about it other than in this article, but from Indonesia it is impossible to know precisely what it is like in the US right now. I hope the article is wrong. Doing this would lower my estimation of McCain another notch, and I’m quickly running out of notches for a guy I not only used to respect, but was prepared to vote for in 2000. ☹ ---
**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 14, 2008, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-mccains-message-on-obama/467547/52 "2008-10-14T01:38:35Z")
I just read the article, and it doesn’t say McCain and Palin are referring to Obama by including his middle name, but that supporters are, which is already known. It’s racist and inexcusable, and McCain should denounce it, but his supporters saying it is not the same as McCain, or even Palin, saying it. ---
**Author:** ![ladyfoxfyre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ad7895/32.png) [@ladyfoxfyre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ladyfoxfyre)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-mccains-message-on-obama/467547/53 "2008-10-14T02:12:11Z")
> [@Onomatopoeia](#): > > It’s racist and inexcusable, and McCain should denounce it, but his supporters saying it is not the same as McCain, or even Palin, saying it. Give it time, dear. Give it time. I have no doubt that M’lady Palin will be using his full god-given name in no time. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-mccains-message-on-obama/467547/54 "2008-10-14T02:33:45Z")
> [@](#): > > originally posted by **onomatopoeia** : > it doesn’t say McCain and Palin are referring to Obama by including his middle name, but that supporters are Arghh, my reading skills are failing me. I glossed right over “speakers at McCain-Palin rallies” and interpreted it as McCain and Palin themselves. Still very interesting, but not the same thing. ---
**Author:** ![monavis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e0b2c6/32.png) [@monavis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monavis)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-mccains-message-on-obama/467547/55 "2008-10-14T11:37:10Z")
> [@What\_the](#): > > I find it funny that the word “pal” is being dissected since it came out a week or so ago. No one was very interested in what the word “neighbor” meant when Obama used that description way back when. > > Whatever the message is, McCain has a perfect opportunity to make it the focal point the last couple of weeks since the libs are so outraged over all the inflaming going on. > > \ If you wouldn’t think of voting for a black man because of his skin color… I don’t want your vote. Go away. > > A man’s character doesn’t have anything to do with skin color. > > Here are the character reasons you shouldn’t vote for him … Ayers, the Reverand… > > \ You couldn’t vote for Jesus either because he hung around with Sinners and was a bleeding heart Liberal Monavis [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-mccains-message-on-obama/467547.md?page=2)