Carter-Madhu

I actually don't think so. I don't think it's great and wonderful when people cheat on their spouses, but I also don't think it's usually of that much relevance to their qualifications to hold office.

It's not really a shock to me that the same kind of type A, megalomaniacal individuals who are often drawn to run for high public office also have trouble resisting the temptation to cheat, and resisting the temptation to cheat recklessly.

And we never, ever know what kind of understanding these individuals may have with their spouses on the subject of marital fidelity.

So I don't really think that the press, or either party, should make as big a deal about marital infidelity as they do.

What bothers me more than marital infidelity from any particular politician is marital infidelity accompanied by hypocrisy - marital infidelity from people who speechify about or run on a platform that includes sexual morality, the sanctity of marriage, and that sort of thing.

(When I was a child my grandmother used to wear a button on her lapel - the message is obviously dated now but its underlying meaning sticks with me - it read "The Moral Majority is neither.")

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Richie Waves

Response from the Gobama Campaign:

Personally I wouldnt have said the "town with 9k people" bit... McCains dogs be on that as another example of Obamas elite attitude when it come to small town America..

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My lastfm

Oooh, Betty! the cat did a shit in the hat

Trout Recreant

I thought Alaska was part of Canada!

In all seriousness, I'm trying to analyze this as a purely strategic move. I wasn't voting for McCain before and this doesn't change anything, but one of the obvious concerns for Obama's campaign is disenfranchised Hillary Clinton supporters. There has been quite a bit of speculation that a large percentage of them will not vote for Obama because he beat Hillary - and beat Hillary up during the process. Despite her speech, which I felt was lukewarm at best, and a really good one by Bill, people saw that as what is was: the Clintons toeing the party line.

So, McCain figures if he picks a woman, he has a decent chance of picking those votes up. If he picks a pretty (relatively) one who hasn't had a lot of scandal, he might not alienate his current supporters, and he's hoping to capitalize on the "Washington DC Maverick) image that he thinks will beat Obama.

This wasn't a bad move by him from a purely strategic viewpoint. What's Obama going to do? Complain that she has no experience. McCain replies that while she has less than Obama, he doesn't have much either, and he's running for President, not VP!

The bottom line for me is that I dislike Obama and McCain. I didn't know much about Biden before, but I already hate him, and I am willing to bet that I won't be able to stand Palin. Obama gives me a glimmer of hope that we might get out of Iraq before my 9-year old son is old enough to be drafted, and he might not fuck everything up as badly as McCain, so I guess I have to grudgingly vote for him. I might as well enjoy the chess game, because I certainly am not going to enjoy the result.

Cindy Claveau

After the speech was over last night I started channel surfing. I hit CBS, NBC, CNN and Fox.

All of them had good words for the speech except for (hold onto your chairs) Fox, where Charles Krauthammer and Fred Barnes (Weekly Standard) basically said "he didn't say anything new, same old politics".

Which some of us here have already said, but as they were saying that, the cameras were panning the audience and finding all the Dems who were crying. Maybe it was their selective coverage, but all the criers were women

After that I couldn't take any more politics and switched to Investigation channel for my weekly crime show

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Sometimes, "I hit it with my axe" is the best solution.

Trout Recreant

I know it's wrong, but I laughed at this a bit. I'll go try to be a better person.

(and I NEVER would have said it, especially in his position)

Beau Perkins

Well, this really does destroy any case he had about Obama not being experienced enough.

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Colette Meiji

Well Obama doesn't have much experience either.

They really shouldn't be harping on that I don't think, it might turn round and bite them

He is in his FIRST senate term, 19 months of which hes largely MISSED due to campaigning.

And before that he was a State Senator in Illinois.

Daisy Rimbaud

I completely agree. Clinton's big mistake was not simply saying "It's none of your DAMN business, push off."

de Gaulle's reaction when it was reported that one of his ministers had a mistress, was, "What do you expect me to do? Recruit my Cabinet from a monastery?"

Lincoln's remark about Grant is also relevant.

Cindy Claveau

So you're just a cynic. Like me

The irony is that it doesn't matter who's elected, we're already working on the agreement to withdraw.

Rice Reaches Draft Deal For Iraq Troop Withdrawal : NPR
My own opinion is that I'm sick and tired of the divisive, prejudicial politics we've had for the last 8 years. Years when "gay", "secular" and "science" have become curse words, and most importantly, years when we've witnessed the negative blowback of the Wolfowitz philosophy of military unilateralism. It's done us NO favors internationally, it's actually hurt us in dealing with the inevitable crises that arise (see Georgia) and it's hurt us in dealing with the real future threat, China.

For all of those reasons and a few more, I have no compunctions about voting Dem this year. It's more than just "lesser of two evils", for me it's about undoing the damage done by the current administration and making sure that our next Supreme Court appointees are social liberals instead of hardline rightwingers. Obama could fuck up a lot of other stuff during his term, but if he at least does all this I'll be content.

Colette Meiji

well not really, McCain is the nominee after all.

so Basically

we have a

Experienced Pres. Nominee/ Inexperienced VP nominee

Against a

Inexperienced Pres. Nominee / Experienced VP Nominee.

Richie Waves

The threat of those SCOTUS appointments McCain could make should really light a fire under the arses of the immoral majority...

Atia

So what do you really think of Biden?

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Men are all alike in their promises. It is only in their deeds that they differ. Moliere

Colette Meiji

I used up my whole quota on that word until after 6 o'clock

Remind me, I will let you know then.

Rose Alba Karuna

OMG - I still have a button exactly like that in my jewlery box. We need a "very old person" smilie.

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Lexxi Gynoid

Mentioned? yes
The Most Popular Governor

As VP, yes, but I do not have a link for that at the moment.

Allana Dion

Any links to these quotes?

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blergh thing

Trout Rated!
Playful, yet sultry and smoky. I am giving you a 6.8 on the Trout Recreant Rating Scale of Sluttiness. Congratulations! You are not a slut, but given the right situation, you certainly have the potential.

Richie Waves

Leslie Savan: John McCain's history of sexist comments | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk

Brave Republic

You are foregtiing that in the case of McCain he was separated at the time and he didn't lie about it

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CAVE ADSUM
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io Kukulcan

Is she married to Michael Palin?
'cuz if so, they're gettin' my vote, regardless of political stances.

I want a presidential cabinet like this:

Richie Waves

Affair --> Separated---> Divorce


And he left a disabled women... you're a joke if you think thats not wrong.

Cristiano

I have to give McCain credit for one thing - it was Obama who was expected to make a bold, exciting VP choice to stir things up even more - Obama played it safe, and McCain seized on that opportunity. On top of everything else, I think it will even further anger Hillary supporters, though hopefully not enough to vote for McCain. I don't see how anyone could ever call themselves a Hillary supporter and then still vote for McCain in spite.

Well played - it may seem calculated, but it was a brilliant move.

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"At least he died doing what he loved most - blogging on the Huffington Post" - 30 Rock

* slu stuff *

Mereille

I can't find a direct link to the gorilla joke, so I'll have to punt, and reference KO talking about it.

1.
2.
3. This is the best I can do for that comment
The Raw Story | Book: McCain temper boiled over in '92 tirade, called wife a 'cunt'

4. McCain opposes equal pay bill in Senate

edit: I forgot the Olbermann link. Fixed.

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I don't know why I think I can manage Second Life....just look at my First Life! Gah!

Mereille

Actually the court records, and McCain's book disagree on the timing. According to court records, he had to have been seeing Cindy for several months before the separation.

Cristiano

McCain's broken marriage and fractured Reagan friendship - Los Angeles Times

Colette Meiji

Well doesnt look like he told the Bitch comment, just laughed at it.

Wow, he is looking OLLLLD.