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McCain Campaign On Obama Speech: "Premature Victory Lap"
Perhaps not surprisingly, the McCain camp took a whack at Obama's Berlin speech by suggesting it's presumptuous for him to be speaking abroad in presidential tones while still a candidate.
From McCain spokesperson Tucker Bounds:
"While Barack Obama took a premature victory lap today in the heart of Berlin, proclaiming himself a 'citizen of the world,' John McCain continued to make his case to the American citizens who will decide this election. Barack Obama offered eloquent praise for this country, but the contrast is clear. John McCain has dedicated his life to serving, improving and protecting America. Barack Obama spent an afternoon talking about it."
Complete with a swipe at Obama's internationalism and an obligatory (if slightly more subtle than usual) allusion to McCain's war service.
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Sad.
July 24, 2008 3:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
Sad, and once again, over the top. "Victory lap"?
And this:
is just hyperbole.I'm really looking forward to when Obama and his campaign can respond directly to this twaddle put out by the McCain campaign.
July 24, 2008 4:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
Especially since McCain himself has been speaking outside of the country. What hypocrisy, check it out:
http://strategy08.wordpress.com/2008/07/24/is-canada-not-another-country/
July 24, 2008 4:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
YES!!! Looks like McCain took a premature victory lap in south America. I am wondering what happened to McCain's ability to think these days. By making those statements, he calls into question the reason HE went to south America.
July 26, 2008 5:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
Anybody else noticing that a lot of McCain's arguments against Obama lately seem to reduce to "Obama is winning!" Portraying your opponent as taking a "victory lap" implies the idea your opponent has reached victory. Complaining about the media or whoever "loving" Obama involves pointing out people really do love Obama. And so on...
I wonder if "Obama is winning!" is really a good message for McCain to be broadcasting right now...
July 24, 2008 4:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yes, it is probably the only things that McCain says that can be authenticated. His exaggerations are not very beguiling to his constituents. One of my daughters, married to an ex military man says that her husband, a staunch Republican is sick of the McCain whine and he objects to the really stupid campaign McCain runs. This whine of McCain's simply displays the worst of the McCain traits. Sad to see this happen in this man with such a great story. It may be the result of his aging, I am not sure.
July 26, 2008 5:43 PM | Reply | Permalink
Grumpy.
July 24, 2008 4:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
New title for this article/thread:
-- ARG
July 24, 2008 4:29 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think that pretty much every time I see or hear Mccain now.
July 24, 2008 4:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
MSM's he said/she said gets pretty ridiculous and even then McPain complains that he doesn't get enough! You could run a sock puppet against Obama right now and the polls would show 51%-48%!
July 24, 2008 8:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
Our latest polls show the Sock Puppet making gains in the heartland! Is Obama out of touch with common folks?
July 25, 2008 1:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
Did he say it in that sneering tone he almost always uses?
I think it we could just get voters to think about which candidate they'd rather put up with seeing on TV for the next four years, it'd be a slam dunk. Even if you agree with what McCain says, he still must be damned annoying.
July 24, 2008 5:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
Waaahhhhh!
wahh,wah, wah, slobber, slobber, waaaaaaahhhhhh!!!
What a bunch of whiny little slugs. They whine Obama doesn't go overseas enough, so Obama goes overseas, then they whine because Obama is overseas and not at home courting votes.
The entire McCain campaign needs to drink a bottle of surge, change its diapers, and take a nap.
July 24, 2008 4:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
The entire McCain campaign needs to drink a bottle of surge, change its diapers, and take a nap.
Laughing out loud!!!
July 24, 2008 4:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
Check it out! McCain just released his own special commentary on the Obama foreign trip.
You won't believe it!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwAXcR6wRuQ
July 24, 2008 4:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
Vote for me because I crashed down a plane and was held captive for five years- anyone with fewer stories to tell is disqualified to be a President, because he ain't American. In fact, he is a traitor. I'm John McCain, vote for me.
Contrast, a speech of hope, unity against cynical, dividing statement.
Way to run a campaign.
July 24, 2008 4:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
Graceless fuckers.
July 24, 2008 4:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
Word.
July 24, 2008 4:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
That too. Graceless indeed.
July 24, 2008 4:31 PM | Reply | Permalink
John McCain continued to make his case to the American citizens
Oh, come on, Tucker, all you've done this week is attack Obama.
July 24, 2008 4:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
Rhymes with "Tucker".
July 24, 2008 4:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
Ass Pucker? Sucker? Campaign_down_on_its_Lucker?
No, I got it: Dumb Fucker!
July 24, 2008 4:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
"Continues to make his case to the American citizens who will decide this election."
What case would that be?
July 24, 2008 4:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
EXACTLY the point. He has no case, so he wastes our time asking his spokesmen to issue smart-aleck statements.
My head hurts. I can't wait until November 4.
July 24, 2008 4:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
That is *such* bucketful craptacular campaign speak. Sheesh.
More of that old meme of Obama as a talking suit.
July 24, 2008 4:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
McLame once again proving he is the Lamest of the Lame by again shooting himself in the foot!
July 24, 2008 4:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
While grimacing and grinning...
July 24, 2008 4:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
to McCain camp- Jealous much?
July 24, 2008 4:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
right, who'd want a president that people around the world would want to hear give a speech.
July 24, 2008 4:04 PM | Reply | Permalink
This kind of self-righteousness is insulting not only to Obama, but also to the voters and is truly gaggifying
July 24, 2008 4:04 PM | Reply | Permalink
All Obama did was give a speech in front of thousands of people. He did not give a premature victory speech.
Unfortunately, Obama cannot help but sound Presidential. Is that his fault?
I suppose that it is also Obama's fault that McCain doesn't sound POTUS-ish.
July 24, 2008 4:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
Make that hundreds of thousands of people.
July 24, 2008 4:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'm sure you're right. I saw a number somewhere saying over 200,000 people. However in the absence of an official estimate, I wanted to post on the side of caution, lest I add to the hyperbole of this GE campaign.
July 24, 2008 4:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
I believe the 200,000 number was a German police estimate.
July 24, 2008 4:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
McCain also made another HUGE gaffe on the issue of foreign policy during that same CBS video. Cenk Uygur goes into great detail on this gaffe here, where McCain says that Iraq was the first major conflict since 9/11.
Uh.....what about Afghanistan?
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/cenk-uygur/another-john-mccain-gaffe_b_114797.html
July 24, 2008 4:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
Nice catch there...an amazing candidate w/ full command of all of 17 neurons in his fuckin head!
July 24, 2008 4:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
CBS edited this out as well.
July 24, 2008 4:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
McCranium!
July 24, 2008 10:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
I don't recall McCain ever making his case. I recall him attacking Obama ceaselessly. But nothing about why he's a better candidate or has a better vision for America. That would be nice to hear instead of this whiny bullshit.
July 24, 2008 4:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
Can we start calling him the Presumptive President yet?
July 24, 2008 4:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
This is what happens when you use Surge after the expiration date....
July 24, 2008 4:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
LOL!
July 24, 2008 4:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
"Can we start calling him the Presumptive President yet?"
Call him what you want, just make you sure to spell his name right..
July 24, 2008 4:25 PM | Reply | Permalink
McCain Campaign: Premature Implosion.
He can take Viagra for that, right?
July 24, 2008 4:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
"McCain Campaign: Premature Implosion"
Too Funny. I think I'm going to title my habit of clumsily thrusting on top of my girlfriend as "The Premature Surge" in honor of the McCain Campaign.
July 24, 2008 4:27 PM | Reply | Permalink
"The Pre-Surge"
July 24, 2008 4:56 PM | Reply | Permalink
You had to know McCainCo was going to attack the "Citizen of the World" remark, and push McCain as "America First".
Secondly, you can bet McCainCo had had two press release attacks ready today regarding Obama visiting the troop hospital in Germany. If he decided to go it would have been "Obama exploiting the troops for a photo-op" but since he decided not to go it's "Visiting wounded troops is never inappropriate"...
Finally you can expect an attack tomorrow on Obama's use of "Choosing the devil you know over the devil you don't know" remark in tonight's interview with Brian Williams. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/07/24/obama-on-election-choice_n_114791.html
July 24, 2008 4:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
so john mccain doesn't think america is a part of the world?
i don't understand why they take that line of attack.
you can be both a citizen of AMerica, and (seeing as how america is part of the world) a citizen of the world.
is this rationale too complicated for republicans to understand?
July 24, 2008 4:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
unfortunately, for many it is.
July 24, 2008 5:04 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yeah, the "devil you know" line was a poor choice of words on Obama's part considering the absurd climate of this election. Get ready for t-shirts with horns sprouting from the Democrat's head. But all that will do is entertain the Republican faithful and keep them from doing their work.
July 24, 2008 4:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
Do you really worry about this?
I honestly am not worried about anything they say about Obama. We knew it would be a smear campaign - mainly because the Repugs don't have anything else to run on. Nada.
But I sure don't worry about what they come up with next.
July 24, 2008 4:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
i only worry about it because i'm afraid that most voters aren't as tuned in as i am.
if they were, why is john mccain rising in the polls after a week of blunders, gaffes, screw ups and mistakes on the one issue he's supposed to be an "expert" on?
July 24, 2008 4:43 PM | Reply | Permalink
Because the media is busy questioning Obama's legitimacy and readiness. Nary a word about his opponent. I suggest we start a write in campaign that McCain receive equal coverage and scrutiny. Just not fair that Obama is hogging all of their inane questions and vapid analysis....
July 24, 2008 4:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
Jonze. Thanks for the link. I saw the video and wasn't concerned. He differentiated the "devils" by playing devil's advocate quite well.
One thing I like about Obama's candidacy is that he isn't afraid to talk to about reality while rest of the field was pandering to whatever the fickle voters wanted to hear. He has always addressed the voters as adults and it is up to the voters to behave like one.
July 24, 2008 4:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
Does McCain have anything positive about his own campaign?
Nope.
July 24, 2008 4:27 PM | Reply | Permalink
And I know this has been remarked upon before, but it sure is nice to have a presidential candidate who can properly pronounce "nuclear".
July 24, 2008 4:27 PM | Reply | Permalink
Well, it might have happened earlier, but I think the first President to pronounce it "nucular" was Jimmy Carter, who had a degree in nuclear physics from the Naval Academy.
July 24, 2008 5:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
Perfect timing for Obama to have gone and done the international thing. It puts plenty of pictures of him with world leaders looking presidential into the public's stream of consciousness early enough to cut against the Repubs' not CIC material mem.
He also has baited the Repubs into spending a bunch of their war chest now on media, and now has the luxury of time and money to respond appropriately. And, with the focus on the economy and enviroment here in the US, that is a discussion that will take place on Dem terms, making his cutting off the Obambi bullshit with regard to foreign policy all the more important.
In the next month before the convention, I would now like to see Obama's team get aggressive and take McCain on over oil, environment, infrastructure, and the economy and finish boxing him in. I like the way the calander is set up for Obama at this point, and am thrilled that he has gotten this trip out of the way at this juncture, and that it was so successful.
It has been a good week.
July 24, 2008 4:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
McCain evidently stands for nothing but defeating Obama. His campaign couldn't be less enthusiastic about their own candidate...it's all about Obama, Obama, Obama. They act like they are as obsessed with Obama as they say the media is. Seems like a strange strategy to talk about Obama all the time.
July 24, 2008 4:31 PM | Reply | Permalink
Just because someone throws you a ball, it doesn't mean that you have to catch it.
July 24, 2008 4:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
I guess the next attack is that it's been almost a week since Obama spoke to the American people. Why doesn't Obama love America?
Which, of course, will then be repeated endless by talking heads on every channel....
July 24, 2008 4:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
"Does Obama love America? We want to hear from you, America! Call us at ***-***-**** with your opinions and questions for our expert panel."
"McCain says Obama doesn't love America. Is he right? Check back after the commercial for our exclusive clips of McCain declaring his love for America and all things American: My friends [blink], unlike my opponent [laugh], I LOVE America [blink]. My friends [twitch], [blink] [blink] why won't Obama say he loves America? [twitch] [laugh] It's because [blink][laugh]he doesn't,[awkward silence] my friends. [blink, twitch, blink][awkward silence] He loves the world! [twitch] I [twitch, blink] LOVE America! [blink] What?! [twitch] Ya little punk! Why I ..."
you get the picture!
July 24, 2008 5:14 PM | Reply | Permalink
Exactly.
July 24, 2008 6:04 PM | Reply | Permalink
Get off my Lawn!
July 24, 2008 6:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
Johnny.....wipe the mustard and bratwurst juice streaming out the corner of your mouth before you speak.......it just isn't POTUS.
Oppps....here let me help.....you got some on your tie too.
July 24, 2008 4:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
Now It's time for McCain to go on a European tour.
Go on McPussy, I dare ya. Do it. Do it.
Bwak, bwak, bwak.......
Chicken!!!!
July 24, 2008 4:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
I propose McCain go to Berlin and hold an intimate "town hall" event of about 500 people.
July 24, 2008 5:06 PM | Reply | Permalink
I can see it now.....
"Bomb, Bomb, Bomb.......Bomb, Bomb, Berlin"
July 24, 2008 5:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
Speaking of premature victory laps: Isn't that what Bush did in a flight suit, with his Mission Accomplished banner, and isn't that what McCain is doing now with his "The Surge Worked" declarations.
Another female suicide bomber today in Iraq. The enemy is regrouping, which will make McCain's Surge become yet another case of War Monger premature ejaculation.
July 24, 2008 4:43 PM | Reply | Permalink
July 24, 2008 5:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
Weird, because while McCain was whoring himself out to corporate America, Obama was working as a community organizer. I guess that isn't helping Americans in need though.
Tell that to all the people he served.
July 24, 2008 4:43 PM | Reply | Permalink
Bullseye.
July 24, 2008 4:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
McCain on ZZZZZ . . .
July 24, 2008 4:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
Wonder if Johnny will receive a residual check from Kraft for all the free airtime he gave their products??
July 24, 2008 4:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'm waiting for Joe Biden to weigh in on the latest McCain nonsense like the redefinition of the surge.
July 24, 2008 5:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
John McCain...
He's running a truly pathetic campaign.
My goodness, do the republicans really
think McCain can lead? It's so sad, that
I, a liberal, am starting to feel sorry for
him.
July 24, 2008 5:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
Don't!
You'll only feel dirty in the morning.
July 24, 2008 5:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
Please don't. He's in charge of this campaign, and he's revealing what an actual scum he is. John Mccain doesn't deserve anyone's pity. Only scorn.
July 24, 2008 5:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
no sympathy for the foe until he is vanquished!
July 24, 2008 5:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
Well as long as McCain and his surrogates continue dismissing the World in their unilateral style,...nothing will change from the last 7 years. American citizens have awakened to the fact that the world matters,...and it's time for a leader to lead to change, not dictate others to change, the way the Republicans do. McCain wouldn't be able to fill a German Gymnasium of 500,..let alone 200K. Of course,....the McCain camp uses the citizen of world quote right in the same sentence where Obama says he comes today as a citizen of the US as well. If that's not disrespect to the world by saying americans are more important than citizens of the world,....I don't know what is.....Proof of "Pure Arrogance".
July 24, 2008 5:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
Recognize the rhythm?
"I have a lifetime of experience that I will bring to the White House. I know Senator McCain has a lifetime of experience he will bring to the White House. And Senator Obama has a speech that he gave in 2002."
"John McCain has dedicated his life to serving, improving and protecting America. Barack Obama spent an afternoon talking about it."
July 24, 2008 5:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
This was the problem about Hillary's insane and utterly selfish attacks on Barack: she explored and established a potent line of attack against him that works well with these god-awful low-information voters that we suffer from...
And because a high-profile Dem opened up the line of attack, she has given these uninformed lines saliency...
July 24, 2008 5:47 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think we've all given McCain's statement much more attention than it merits.
July 24, 2008 5:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
Is it me, or do these responses sound childish?
July 24, 2008 5:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
They are childish. It's not just you.
McLame keeps releasing the equivalent of: "I know I am but what are you?"
July 24, 2008 5:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
Cool Tena, u knew what I meant :-)
July 24, 2008 5:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'm agree. In fact 4 of 5 people will agree.
July 24, 2008 5:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
Before the bashing begins, an amendment: Do McCain's Campaign responses sound childish. Need edit feature!!
July 24, 2008 5:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think much more 'short bus' than childish/infantile.
July 24, 2008 7:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
or is that "I know you are but what am I?"
*sigh*
My comments would be ever so much more scintillating if I could preview them before I hit send.
July 24, 2008 5:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
My comments would be ever so much more scintillating if I could preview them before I hit send.
And lo, a great cry arose across the land...
July 24, 2008 5:29 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yeah, and a great excuse disappears.
I should be careful what I wish for. ;)
July 24, 2008 5:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
Emulating Joe Biden's remark:
Every McCain statement from now to Nov. will go like this:
"Noun-Verb-Surge-Waaaahhhh!!"
July 24, 2008 5:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
LOL!
Love you avatar - Groucho and I share the same birthday.
July 24, 2008 5:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
Your obviously holding up better than he is.
(I suppose he'd make a crack like that.)
July 24, 2008 10:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
very good!
July 24, 2008 6:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
GOP's problem is that they focus on what the other party is for, and then position themselves against it. They seemed to have adopted the religious rights practice of moralistic judgement and exclusion when it comes to both people and political issues. As much as they'd like to believe it, their views aren't the only ones that exist.
McCain needs to stop criticizing and start coming up with some 'for' arguments of his own.
Personally, I don't think he's capable.
July 24, 2008 5:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
A question....http://www.tagg-lines.com/2008/07/question-for-mccainiacs.html
July 24, 2008 5:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
This guy has ZERO CLASS! He is just as ridiculous as Bush and he certainly has the potential to be much worse. He obviously didn't learn from Hillary's campaign that sometimes you have to learn how to be gracious.
If he would just keep his stupid mouth shut for ONCE or exercise an ounce of class and grace he would be so much better off. He seems to think that unless he is in front of a Black audience he is shamelessly pandering to giving Obama credit is unthinkable. He is showing himself to be a poor sport more and more each day and the more he reacts like this the more he hurts himself in the long run.
Every American should be proud that we can have a presidential candidate go overseas and draw 200K supporters NOT protestors to hear him speak. There was no violence, no protesting, nothing but openness and admiration...there is finally light after 8 years of darkness and anyone who claims to love this country and the promise it posseses should be able to acknowledge that.
July 24, 2008 6:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
No, it's the creepy looking grin that gets me. Someone (Cindy?) must have told him to smile more. Should have told him to stop not making sense instead.
July 24, 2008 6:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
Premature victory march?
Have no fear when you have your uncircumcised condom hat to wear:
http://www.dependablerenegade.com/dependable_renegade/2008/07/his-campaign-di.html
July 24, 2008 6:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
McCain, you're such a premature sore loser.
July 24, 2008 7:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
so the mccain campaign doesnt dispute that it's going to be a victory for obama? wow. what an admission!
July 24, 2008 8:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
MCcain is looking pretty sad right about now.
He went to a German restaurant???? How childish, ungracious and just petty can you get.
I wish McCain would just grow a spine and buck up. You can have the last word on everything, you can't dominate every single day. His inability to let go of lost causes and move on, or to be gracious, is pretty pathetic.
It all goes back to his disastrous Green Screen Challenge to try to upstage Obama's claiming of the nomination. Instead of simply congratulating Obama's success like a mature adult, he had to try to steal the show and snipe at him.
McCain is basically a petty little jerk.
July 24, 2008 8:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
Janus McCain obtained a Marriage License to Marry Cindy, while he was still legally married to his first wife.
Wasn't that a premature victory lap?
July 24, 2008 9:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
If this is a premature victory isn't.............the McCain campaign, by mentioning Obama's name and the word, victory, in the same sentence, a premature acknowledgment of what they believe is the inevitable outcome? Is this not a Freudian slip of gargantuan magnitude?
July 24, 2008 9:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
I wonder what McCain's campaign thinks about McCain's speech in Canada as the presumptive republican nominee?
July 24, 2008 9:47 PM | Reply | Permalink
The McCain campaign is sounding increasingly bitter with each passing day and each cheap shot. Only a couple of days ago it was all about the love affair MSM was having with Obama. Excuse me but Chris Matthews routinely wets his pants in his praise of John McCain and CBS edited out McCain's response to a question asked by Katie Couric and substituted a different answer from the interview, trashing journalistic ethics. My how the mightly have fallen! Poor CBS, no honor and no ratings. Now they are hanging their hat on another loser, John McCain.
July 25, 2008 1:33 AM | Reply | Permalink