Patterico's Pontifications

9/23/2008

NYT: John McCain’s Verb-Fu is Unstoppable?

Filed under: 2008 Election,Media Bias,Politics — Karl @ 4:45 am



The NYT’s John M. Broder half-heartedly sets some Obama-friendly expectations for the first presidential debate this Friday, but the fact that John McCain “uses short, active verbs that project strength,” and “can connect with audiences on a visceral level using down-to-earth language” does not rank him as a debate champ as against the “uneven” and aloof Barack Obama

Indeed, Broder characterizes at least one McCain performance as “uneven,” but chooses to bury it in the middle of the McCain piece.  The effort reaches the point of absurdity when Broder stoops to include Obama’s Senate campaign debate against Alan Keyes as a “high-stakes” event  — when in reality, Keyes was a carpetbagging joke selected by state Republicans after Jack Ryan’s campaign imploded.  That debate was meaningless.  Moreover, even Broder admits that Obama improved as a debater over the course of the presidential primaries.

If Broder really wanted to set expectations for Obama, he might have noted that Obama previously ran away from McCain’s suggested series of town hall debates.  Or that Obama did so poorly at the Saddleback Civil Forum on the presidency that his campaign tried to claim that McCain cheated.  Or that Obama is the kind of candidate who brings a Teleprompter to town hall events and even to a rodeo.  Was Broder afraid that degree of candor might upset the delicate sensibilities of his paper’s rapidly shrinking readership?

28 Responses to “NYT: John McCain’s Verb-Fu is Unstoppable?”

  1. brings a Teleprompter to town hall events

    — You just can’t make this stuff up. And Robert Redford, who parodied this EXACT type of candidate 35 years ago, actually supports this loser just because of his left-wing positions? Incredible.

    Icy Truth (74c635)

  2. They had better make sure that the rules are clear that no teleprompters are allowed in the debates.

    JD (41e64f)

  3. OT, but Baracky is running an ad here in Indiana with an elderly lady talking about how McCain does not support women making as much money as men, and it cost her a lot of money over her career, that could have been better used feeding and caring for her children.

    JD (41e64f)

  4. So McCain hates women now?

    Mr. Pink (eae12c)

  5. Mr. Pink – You are missing the point. It is not that he hates women now, it is that he has always hated them, and in fact, has taken affirmative steps to keep them down. POWER TO THE PATRIARCHY !!!!!!!!!eleventy

    JD (41e64f)

  6. …feeding and caring for her children.

    And that feeding would have included much more fresh fruit.

    Old Coot (2f3a50)

  7. Obama and Ayers’ Excellent Adventure.

    I want to hear more talk about this in the debates.

    Ayers wanted teachers trained to instruct against “oppression” and to push schoolchildren towards political beliefs Ayers valued — apparently valuing them higher than actual education. Barack Obama agreed, and for several years worked in close partnership with Ayers to implement that educational policy. Even had Ayers never tossed a single bomb, this kind of educational philosophy would likely raise eyebrows with most parents, who desire a real education for their children and not some sort of political indoctrination camp. With the context of Ayers’ violent radicalism, however, it makes the CAC even worse — a breeding ground for future Weathermen, ready to follow Ayers’ lead when the time comes for the revolution that Ayers and his wife (and co-terrorist) Bernardine Dohrn to this day desire.

    Barack Obama not only supported this, he helped run this program for several years. What does that say about Obama’s idea of mainstream, as he has repeatedly described Ayers and Dohrn? What does that say about his own politics, his own ideas on education, and what kind of philosophy he brings to American politics?

    http://hotair.com/archives/2008/09/23/the-obama-ayers-connection-chicago-annenberg-challenge/#comment-1447484

    Joe (8102a5)


  8. “Ayers wanted teachers trained to instruct against “oppression” and to push schoolchildren towards political beliefs Ayers valued — apparently valuing them higher than actual education”

    If people want to know why our educational system got so politically correct and so mediocre at the same time, recall that it was thousands of men and women like Ayers and Dorhn who decided to attack our system via the next generation when they failed to do it with bombs. It’s the involvement of the New Left in setting educational agendas, policies, curricula, etc. that is a deliberate reprogramming of the next generation.

    Obama is just their Pied Piper.

    Travis Monitor (9e3371)

  9. Here is how the debate will likely go …

    Sen. McCain : I will not use my opponent’s youth and utter inexperience against him.

    Baracky : Um huh ummmm uh uh let’s see (gazes towards the heavens as if deep in thought) um huh uh uh um … As I have always said ____ (insert meme/lie du jour).

    JD (41e64f)

  10. Baracky is running an ad here in Indiana with an elderly lady talking about how McCain does not support women making as much money as men

    That’s probably a stretch. McCain’s actual position is just that women shouldn’t be able to sue if they’re discriminated against.

    That’s much better.

    At any rate, McCain is a much better debater. The media isn’t altering expectations, since any person that wasn’t hepped up on Obama fever knows he’s not so good. McCain, OTOH, is a charmer.

    jpe (08c1dd)

  11. That’s probably a stretch. McCain’s actual position is just that women shouldn’t be able to sue if they’re discriminated against.

    Evidence?

    JD (41e64f)

  12. Countdown to link to something that only marginally, if at all, supports the assertion made.

    JD (41e64f)

  13. JD, don’t hold your breath.

    Don’t forget that the Democrats’ prize speaker on this topic has been caught repeating a story that contradicts her own sworn testimony about events.

    SPQR (26be8b)

  14. Obama has never really had a debate. He and Hillary agreed on 99% of the issues. There was no debate..

    Dennis D (ae900a)

  15. Obama was absolutely miserable in his last debate in Philadelphia against Hillary Clinton. That was the debate when George Stephanopolous finally asked him about William Ayers and Obama completely dissembled about it. Obama got creamed in the PA primary after that debate and only won an anemic 65% of the vote in Philadelphia, and was crushed in the Philly suburbs as well as the rest of the state. Then he promptly refused any more debates. If Hillary had been able to get him one-on-one earlier in the primaries he would not have been the Democratic nominee.

    rockmom (e42807)

  16. Actually, Obama might want to look at the pay and hiring practices in his own office.

    Karl (1b4668)

  17. “Or that Obama is the kind of candidate who brings a Teleprompter to town hall events and even to a rodeo.”

    I’ve got a sawbuck that says the McCain team will demand a “pre-debate pat-down” to make sure Obama doesn’t sneak in any wrist- or leg-teleprompters. 😉

    MarkJ (42fe5b)

  18. ah, setting expectations low for the obama. We all know the silver tongued orator is not a good debater. The old man is much better – we all know that.

    Speaking of old men – is it true that Biden has had to aneurysm incidents? I got an email today that claimed he has – and it pointed out that obama smokes and both parents died young … which would leave us with …. aaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh… not her!!!!!

    quasimodo (edc74e)

  19. jpe is talking about McCain agreeing with the Federal Court decision that prevented a woman from suing her employer years after the legal limitations expired….

    The court ruled correctly, using precedents established by the SCOTUS, from several courts back, to the current court….

    So, when we agree with the courts, we’re wrong…

    Conservatives…..no matter what, we can’t be right, even when we are….

    reff (959425)

  20. Karl’s right, when Dems know a scandal is about to erupt in their own backyard, they go straight to the old tried and true playbook. They accuse the GOP of the very sins which Dems are guilty of.

    It only works if the MSM can be counted on to pretend that the initial Dem accusations are anything but a red herring. If seriously challenged, they can always fall back on the old saw, “they all do it,” or “both sides are guilty.”

    Students of political change know republics tend to degenerate into dictatorships. The way to ensure this one follows the pattern is to disignate MSM as the exclusive voice of the people.

    Ropelight (f4b89a)

  21. 16 Karl- correctomundo.
    I have no link but did read that McCain female staff makes more than the men on average. Obama may talk the talk, but McCain walks the walk. Of course the media is unable to report the truth.
    I recently tried educating a moonbat I know about Obama’s shortcomings. She was irate and merely said my points meant nothing. I only ever get the usual obfuscation from liberals and ad hominem attacks on my own character. And nearly all lib women I know loathe Palin with a passion. Seems she is evil because she was knocked up when she married and so will her daughter be. Plus Palin on her lonesome ensures that the SC will overthrow Roe v. Wade as Palin makes McCain appoint far right justices.

    madmax333 (0c6cfc)

  22. madmax333,

    You may not have the link, but I do in my comment.

    Karl (1b4668)

  23. Sexist racist fu*ks you all are. I know. jpe and Phil told me.

    JD (41e64f)

  24. 22.
    Keep up the great work.
    Yes, you do and I am sort of shocked that cbs news would link to nro. I saw cbs and blacked out. Do you think that Delbert Murdock piece would ever be pointed out on air by Katie Couric, Obama’s lapdog?
    I saw Stanley Kurtz on O’Reilly while clicking channels at 530 am. How many people have even heard of the Ayers-Obama work with the Annenberg Challenge?
    Looking forward to the media spin that Obama trounced McCain in the first debate and was Lincolnesque/MLKing-like. Someone here pointed out he’s more Rodney King.

    madmax333 (0c6cfc)

  25. hi/ did jack ryans run implode? did barracky kung fooey sue to get his divorce papers out? sorry- anyone have the details?/ btw/ LOVE ur site/ you are no 7 of 9 tho/

    mikey-he likes it! (359493)

  26. Good points, all, but I say we play up how great Obama is in front of a teleprompter as proof positive of his phenomenal debating skills. If he winds up bombing as bad as he did at Saddleback College, it will only make the performance look that much worse.

    Sean P (e57269)

  27. Comment by Travis Monitor — 9/23/2008 @ 6:11 am

    Travis, I think in this case we need to go to another tale: Pinnochio.
    Ayers is Giapetto; and ‘we know who’ is the dummy.

    Comment by quasimodo — 9/23/2008 @ 7:12 am

    Again I point out, that only if a vacancy occurs concurrently in the office of President and Vice-President does the Speaker ascend to the Presidency. In all other cases, a vacancy in the Vice-Pesidency is filled by appointment of the President, with the concurrance of both Houses of Congress (see Agnew replaced by Ford; Ford replaced by Rockefeller).

    Another Drew (053053)

  28. The Times (both LA and NY, but I’m talking about NY) have found their way to survive. As niche liberal publications. The MSNBC strategy.

    Kinda like the Post. The entire newspaper market is drying thanks to Internet advertising, so I think this is the smart way for the NYT to survive. Being balanced and doing good journalism is too expensive and challenging (both to the editors and to the NYT’s readership).

    Juan (4cdfb7)


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