John McCain: The Only Great Man

[chance1]

running for Pres this year that is

so I'm on the elliptical machine at a gym in Orleans, MA (CC) - and on CSPAN is David Brooks - from Tues - speaking at a young conservatives conference

love Brooks - he's so honest and good - worked for William F Buckley - he's the conservative columnist at the NY Times which is kinda like .................. fill in the blanks

anyway he spoke for an hour or so with Q+A and i stayed on the machine to listen/watch

he said John McCain is a great man - not a great conservative - and not too organized - and not a policy "wonk"

anyway, i looked up this piece he did (he referenced it) and it is good

John McCain is a great man - a man of honor - or courage - who fights against wrongs - with little regard for his personal impact



Brooks says he has "energy" - not like a 72 yr old guy - he said in his speech "u wouldn't have wanted JMac at 55 - too ADD"

that he doesn't "spin" - that he's earnest and honest and humble

he lead the charge against jack abramoff

he championed the surge when it was political suicide

that he is ............. a fine man

Op-Ed Columnist
The Character Factor



By DAVID BROOKS
Published: November 13, 2007
Rochester, N.H.
David Brooks


About six months ago, I was having lunch with a political consultant and we were having a smart-alecky conversation about the presidential race. All of sudden, my friend interrupted the flow of gossip and said: “You know, there’s really only one great man running for president this year, and that’s McCain.”

[Quote truncated by moderator] Copyright 2008 The New York Times Company


http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/13/opinion/13brooks.html

 

[cynicus]

David Brooks also said several months ago that we would look back and understand how great Bush was and how just his attack on Iraq was. He is another panicked right-winger trying to run for cover.

 

[chance1]

David Brooks also said several months ago that we would look back and understand how great Bush was and how just his attack on Iraq was. He is another panicked right-winger trying to run for cover.

watch him on cspan - im sure they will replay it

he's hardly panicked

he has criticized repubs numerous times

and says very good things about obama - his aptitude and his ability to read people

he is very credible

he said tuesday that iraq will not end up bad - that the surge was a great move and desperate and unpopular move made by a president who is less concerned about the moment and more concerned about the future

listen/watch/read him

 

[Spensed]

Not more McCain spin, where being graded next to bottom of his class at the Naval Academy equals fighting against the system.

The class dunce is reinvented as the class hero. Give us a break. LOL.

Many Americans were dumb enough to fall for this with George W and hopefully they won't fall for the same thing again.

 

[RandomAccess]

Not more McCain spin, where being graded next to bottom of his class at the Naval Academy equals fighting against the system.

The class dunce is reinvented as the class hero. Give us a break. LOL.

Many Americans were dumb enough to fall for this with George W and hopefully they won't fall for the same thing again.

Never, EVER underestimate Americans! About half of 'em can make really BAD decisions. . . often, the same bad decision twice!

 

[Jannus]

so I'm on the elliptical machine at a gym in Orleans, MA

You really need to vary your workouts more, chance. The elliptical seems like all you ever do in the gym.

Brooks says he has "energy" - not like a 72 yr old guy

For once, I agree with one of your posts, chance.


McCain doesn't act a day over 71!

 

[chance1]

Not more McCain spin, where being graded next to bottom of his class at the Naval Academy equals fighting against the system.

The class dunce is reinvented as the class hero. Give us a break. LOL.

Many Americans were dumb enough to fall for this with George W and hopefully they won't fall for the same thing again.

kinda figured ud either not read it or not get it

its about what a great MAN he is - honest, integrity - doing the right thing

not about him being a genius or policy maker or speaker

whatever spensed

u have exposed urself again with a tedious and eyes closed prior post

the more things change ...................

 

[chance1]

You really need to vary your workouts more, chance. The elliptical seems like all you ever do in the gym.

context is a wonderful thingy

see - if im lifting (and i do) i can't watch tv - political tv - cnn/msnbc/fox whatever

but on the elliptical (and i do love it) i can

soooooooooooooo

thanks for the advice

but...............

if i said

"was at the gym bench pressing ............... well - there would be no political context"

but i just may try it next time

for shits and giggles

 

[andysayshi]

I guess everybody, including David Brooks, is entitled to their opinion.

From the sidelines, when I see Obama speak I see a confident, articulate, educated man - "smart as a whip!", as Bill Clinton described him.

When I watch McCain I see a befuddled, tired old man, frequently correcting misstatements or looking to advisers for assistance. He may be a decorated war hero who served his nation with honor, but a man who is a diplomat and statesman for the most powerful nation on earth needs more than history and bravery behind him.

In my view, McCain may be a great man, but not necessarily for reasons that will make him a great President.

 

[maxpowr9]

I honestly peg McCain as a moderate- republican. I really don't think he is a bad person, just the "team" he is on has done so poorly recently. That is the downfall to having a bipartisan system.

He seems to have some candidness when he speaks on television (more so than Obama). You can tell he feels uncomfortable when he has to spew alot of the right-wing crap to get people to continue to support the party.

Chance, why cant you just watch Rachel Ray at the gym with all the other housewives? lol

 

[chance1]

I guess everybody, including David Brooks, is entitled to their opinion.

From the sidelines, when I see Obama speak I see a confident, articulate, educated man - "smart as a whip!", as Bill Clinton described him.

When I watch McCain I see a befuddled, tired old man, frequently correcting misstatements or looking to advisers for assistance. He may be a decorated war hero who served his nation with honor, but a man who is a diplomat and statesman for the most powerful nation on earth needs more than history and bravery behind him.

In my view, McCain may be a great man, but not necessarily for reasons that will make him a great President.

i hear u

and i agree that BO is more articulate and appears more confident

and perhaps ur right about what this country needs right now

i disagree but .....................

the piece is really about JMac's character - not about his electability or if he is the best candidate

that said ................. haha

i think "character" is the most important characteristic of the person we choose for pres

thanks for ur thoughts

 

[chance1]

Another thread where someone's convinced by what they are already convinced. McCain deserves to lose this election. He had his chance, and one this nation has rightly suffered in choosing Dubya over him in 2000, but time has not been good for McCain, and it is best to recognize that he is not a viable option.

feed ur head

feed ur head

brooks is an intellect - far greater than mine

i missed this piece the first time around

and think it accurately captures how me and many feel about John McCain

a 5 pt diff in polls currently proves it - the fact that conservatives r supporting him despite his positions on key issues ......... proves it

he's a great man

the author even makes the point at the end that McCain may not be the best person for the job

and yet u make posts like this

feed ur head man

 

[Just_Believe18]

John McCain is not a great man, Chance. He is not honest, nor smart, nor capable of leading and uniting this country.

There are so many issues he is so wrong about and so backwards. Republicans are trying to scare Americans that Obama doesn't have a plan to lead. But just by comparing his website to McCain's there is so much more depth in policy. Take Education for example. John McCain supports No Child Left Behind, which has been a policy failure. Basically, he wants to continue the system exactly as Bush has left it. Obama, on the other hand, has a detailed list of what will change for NCLB, including some very good ideas about how college students can pay off student loans and how teachers can be recruited and successfully retained.

And that's just one policy. And McCain has no vision for it.

 

[Spensed]

^ Completely agree. Chance, as usual, is just campaigning for McCain.

David Brooks' opinions about McCain's greatness are pro-McCain hacking and, like Chance's own pro-McCain shilling, have little objectivity or real value.

Brooks' prevous opinion was that you must be anti-Semitic, if you didn't support the Iraq invasion. LOL.

 

[R.B.S.]

An interesting view from Great Britain:
"Why we should fear a McCain presidency?", Financial Times

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/1a47e1ac-f9b0-11dc-9b7c-000077b07658.html

 

[smelter]

An interesting view from Great Britain:
"Why we should fear a McCain presidency?", Financial Times

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/1a47e1ac-f9b0-11dc-9b7c-000077b07658.html

Mr McCain’s policies would not be so worrying were it not for his notorious quickness to fury in the face of perceived insults to himself or his country. Even Thad Cochran, a fellow Republican senator, has said: “I certainly know no other president since I’ve been here who’s had a temperament like that.”

For all his bellicosity, President George W. Bush has known how to deal cautiously and diplomatically with China and even Russia. Could we rely on Mr McCain to do the same?

When our "bring it on", diplomatically ham-fisted President is seen as a better choice than McCain, warning bells should be ringing nonstop. I've said it before, McCain as Commander-in-chief scares the bejesus out of me.

 

[Spensed]

Democrats agree......

Well maybe, if you take their quotes out of context and apply them to McCain, before he started contradicting himself.

 

[chance1]

John McCain is not a great man, Chance. He is not honest, nor smart, nor capable of leading and uniting this country.

There are so many issues he is so wrong about and so backwards. Republicans are trying to scare Americans that Obama doesn't have a plan to lead. But just by comparing his website to McCain's there is so much more depth in policy. Take Education for example. John McCain supports No Child Left Behind, which has been a policy failure. Basically, he wants to continue the system exactly as Bush has left it. Obama, on the other hand, has a detailed list of what will change for NCLB, including some very good ideas about how college students can pay off student loans and how teachers can be recruited and successfully retained.

And that's just one policy. And McCain has no vision for it.

where to begin ........

first u drop a dime on JMac in ur first paragraph - with no backup - Brook's piece has detailed reasons why McCain is the one great MAN running for Pres - written in Nov'07 when he (JMac) was struggling mightily

heroic, honest, courageous, heat seeking missile against wrong doing, humble, etc

u provide NADA

as for his policies .................. not part of this thread but like spensed accused me of ........... campaigning ................ well that be u

brooks admits mccain is not a policy wonk or visionary (not in this article) and even in this article says he may not be the best choice for pres

but instead of reading the article, u and spensed and xyz obama sniffers instead crash the party with ur partisan drivel

as for all the CHANGE BO wants to make .............. be careful about ALL the CHANGE u wanna make - big govt programs funded out of ur pockets - taking on far too much - this isn't graduate school u know - the man needs to govern - and between Iraq and the economy ............. he/anyone will have their hands full

the point of the piece is JMac is a great man

don't ask me ............... or Brooks .................

ASK THE DEMS in the youtube video - Biden, Feingold, Daschle, Howie, Hillary and .................. THE CHOSEN ONE

course they hate that they said that - but they did

and it's on tape

thanks vanman

to all who wanna get into iraq this, economy that ............. save it for another thread will ya

this is about McCain's character - which clearly is sterling

cya boys

 

[chance1]

Well maybe, if you take their quotes out of context and apply them to McCain, before he started contradicting himself.

the dems would be hard pressed to suggest "i didnt say jmac was a great man'

in context, out of context

great is great

find another argument spensed - im sure u will

jmac is only 5 pts behind THE CHOSEN ONE in clearly a dem sweep year - hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

why? cuz McCain is a great man

may not be enuf to get elected

but it's enough for people to support him and or consider him

and enough to drive u nuts

 

[White Eagle]

An interesting view from Great Britain:
"Why we should fear a McCain presidency?", Financial Times

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/1a47e1ac-f9b0-11dc-9b7c-000077b07658.html

This is exactly why I like British reporters. They tell it like it is.

In 1999, Mr McCain declared: “The US is the indispensable nation because we have proven to be the greatest force for good in human history . . . We have every intention of continuing to use our primacy in world affairs for humanity’s benefit.”

He may have said this back in '99 but boy george has really screwed it up. And McBush wants to take over where he left it. Scary, to quote Smelter, Scary....

Reflecting the neo-conservative programme of spreading democracy by force, Mr McCain declared in 2000: “I’d institute a policy that I call ‘rogue state rollback’. I would arm, train, equip, both from without and from within, forces that would eventually overthrow the governments and install free and democratically elected governments.” Mr McCain advocates attacking Iran if necessary in order to prevent it developing nuclear weapons, and last year was filmed singing “Bomb, bomb Iran” to the tune of the Beach Boys’ “Barbara Ann”.

And to carry on boy george's platform, if they don't want democracy, invade and force them to take it.