October 15, 2008
Feels like taking crazy pills
The Politico's Ben Smith posts an e-mail from a Republican consultant who showed a hard-hitting ad to a focus group of voters.
The reaction wasn't quite what he had expected.
Reagan Dems and Independents. Call them blue-collar plus. Slightly more Target than Walmart.
Yes, the spot worked. Yes, they believed the charges against Obama. Yes, they actually think he's too liberal, consorts with bad people and WON'T BE A GOOD PRESIDENT...but they STILL don't give a f***. They said right out, "He won't do anything better than McCain" but they're STILL voting for Obama.
The two most unreal moments of my professional life of watching focus groups:
54 year-old white male, voted Kerry '04, Bush '00, Dole '96, hunter, NASCAR fan...hard for Obama said: "I'm gonna hate him the minute I vote for him. He's gonna be a bad president. But I won't ever vote for another god-damn Republican. I want the government to take over all of Wall Street and bankers and the car companies and Wal-Mart run this county like we used to when Reagan was President."
The next was a woman, late 50s, Democrat but strongly pro-life. Loved B. and H. Clinton, loved Bush in 2000. "Well, I don't know much about this terrorist group Barack used to be in with that Weather guy but I'm sick of paying for health insurance at work and that's why I'm supporting Barack."
I felt like I was taking crazy pills. I sat on the other side of the glass and realized...this really is the Apocalypse. The Seventh Seal is broken and its time for eight years of pure, delicious crazy....
Honestly, this disconnect, wherein voters admit they're aware of all the reasons why Obama is the wrong choice -- and yet they'll vote for him anyhow -- is just a symptom of how deeply damaged is the Republican brand, and how John McCain is the wrong candidate to mend it.
I keep telling my friends that if you can't vote for McCain, then vote against the other guy.
These voters are allowing their distaste for the GOP and its nominee to drive them to voting-booth malpractice.
Vote in haste, repent at leisure.
Or, to quote Bill Murray in Groundhog Day, "Don't drive vote mad."
Posted by Mike Lief at October 15, 2008 09:28 PM
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Comments
How can we vote for McCain when Palin is his running mate? I am a strong defender of women, women's causes, but how can she be a good choice? Can we focus on issues? Who is capable of running the country? Who will defend the middle class? Who is/should be in control of the country? Can you vote for Palin as President?
If you can't vote in good faith for McCain, can you vote for in good faith for Palin? Good God people, think about it. She isn't even seen...the McCain camp has hidden her because she is incapable of leading our country and an embarassment to the GOP. We have this old dude running, who may very well not survive his term in office, and we will turn it over to? Uncomfortable, Icky, I need a shower just thinking about things that might come.
Blue collar plus is the most offensive term I've heard so far. Who is the blue collar plus? I can tell you that teachers make +- 40k (in so cal, many places far less). Who is more blue collar than teachers?...which is a crazy concept in itself. Are they not to be venerated? Who will lead our next generation? Your children, taught by our current teachers, who earn often under the poverty level. But McCain doesn't even address that, or us.
If you want to take a stand, take a stand for educating our youth. Take a stand for making the next generation better. Take a stand for empowerment and employment for the underrepresented, ignored, and over worked.
Bill Murray is a gem though...
Posted by: Dawn at October 16, 2008 07:35 AM
what a lovely, stirring, ringing testimonial for teachers, dawn. lemme guess: you're a teacher, right?
i assume this because you neglected to mention
A) teacher's pensions - the main reason they go into the field
B) that whole "3 months off" thing; which sorta skews your horrific stories of "less than $40K" upward if prorated to a full year (that thing everyone else works)
C) no mention of teacher performance. as measured by falling test scores; and anecdotally by the legions of moron teens at the burger joints unable to make change. teachers aren't even a teensy bit at fault for that? holding teachers accountable is Wrong?
D) your notion that teaching, as a profession, is somehow Nobler, nay even Better than mere *jobs*. ("are they not to be venerated?") news flash: being a teacher is just a job. no more and actually quite a bit less important than, say, plumbers. or electricians. no, teachers are NOT to be "venerated". when they produce nothing except scads of sullen dullards, they're to be FIRED. whattaya think?
naturally, you - a female "feminist" teacher - reflexively, pavlovianallistically (now THAT'S a word!) bash palin, who you obviously know nothing about except what you were told to believe. in other words, you're a flaming hypocrite.
naturally, you're for obama.
Posted by: the asset at October 16, 2008 12:51 PM
As a registered Republican I have near hatred for the party. I hate the Democrats too but this rant isn't about them. I despise George Bush. He is the about the dumbest public official and most inept human being to ever hold the presidency. He is nothing like Ronald Reagan. Iraq is a disaster and a war built on Republican lies. Corruption, ear marks and now the Wall Street mess occurred under Republican rule. What is the difference between Republicans and Democrats? I can't tell any more. Don't tell me that Republicans are fiscally conservative. Bill Clinton was a responsible steward of the economy. George Bush spends money like a drunk sailor in a strip club.
Don't tell me that Republicans are more moral with senators soliciting cops in bathrooms for gay sex and a congressman screwing his male interns. To think that Bill Clinton was nearly impeached by Republican hypocrites over a BJ when George Bush and company lied to the world about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq is just incredible!
The Russians kick a little but in Georgia and we go crazy. We, however, act surprised when we invade a country, blow its cities to hell after assuring the world that it's crazy leader is an Islamic extremist who has weapons of mass destruction. The rest of the world knows that the Iraqi leader is a whiskey slugging secular dictator with no such weapons. They assume that the U.S. is after Iraqi oil. And you wonder why this country is hated and feared around the world because of George Bush? Oh, and by the way, now the war is about the freedom of the great Iraqi people. This is what we are spending 10 billion dollars a month and thousands of American lives for.
I will still vomit in my own mouth and vote for McCain. I'm mainly going to vote against Obama the communist. I have more hatred for communists than rich Wall Street whores who stole the country blind and now hold their hands out for government money.
When the election is over I'm going to resign from the Republican party and register as an independent.
Posted by: jimmydean at October 16, 2008 07:27 PM
I find jimmydean's raving rant to be singularly offensive. I was a drunk sailor in many a strip club, but I was careful with my money. It's obvious you hate our armed forces, so good riddance to you (though I did vomit into my mouth once, so high fives there, bud).
Posted by: LT at October 17, 2008 09:24 AM