by Mark Silva
"O'Biden... Obama'' -- they may be starting to look alike to John McCain.
Now that both McCain and Barack Obama are airing the words of Democratic running mate Joe Biden on the question of testing the next president, McCain suggested today that he would have caught a lot of flak for saying what Biden said about Obama facing a test early in his administration if he is elected president.
"I've been tested, to start with,'' McCain said in a cable television interview. "Second of all, Sen. O'Biden was right - Sen. Biden was correct,'' he added, correcting himself with a laugh. "If Sarah or I had said that, could you imagine the reaction? Scaring Americans, etc.... But Sen. Biden had it right, this is an untested individual who has been wrong on the things he's been tested about.''
McCain and Sarah Palin, campaigning together in Hershey, Pa., today, sat for a talk with CNBC's Maria Bartiromo to talk about what the Republican ticket would do about the economic crisis.
"The administration is not doing what I think they should do, and that's go in and buy out these bad mortgages, give people mortgages they can afford, stabilized home values and start 'em back up again,'' said McCain, the party's presidential nominee and senator from Arizona. "I'd like to start with keeping people in their homes.''
Palin, the Republican Party's vice presidential nominee and governor of Alaska, said domestic oil drilling also must be stepped up: "We cannot lull ourselves into this false sense of security, just because a barrel of oil is 64 bucks.''
The McCain campaign has aired a TV ad highlighting Biden's campaign trail remarks: Mark my words: "It will not be six months before the world tests Barack Obama.The world is looking.We're going to have an international crisis ... to test the mettle of this guy. I guarantee you it's gonna happen.''
The McCain campaign ad concludes: "It doesn't have to happen.''
The Obama ad fills in the rest of Biden's remarks about Obama, the president who might face such a test. Obama, Biden said, has "steel in his spine.''
Comments
Problem is John, Americans are more afraid of how you will react to a crisis then any enemy.
Posted by: bill "Hussein" r. | October 28, 2008 12:35 PM
So, how has McCain been tested??!! Has anyone asked him?
"I've been tested...They won't test me - I'll test them"
Please tell us how you have been tested!! By being a POW? How specifically does being a prisoner prepare you to be leader of the free world?
Posted by: Rodger | October 28, 2008 12:46 PM
Among ordinary citizen this election is about hope vs. fear. Those with hope that there will be a better tomorrow they are willing to gamble on an opportunity for change. Many can see that Obama has the ingredients to be a successful president but they know that having the ingredients and being a success are two different things. They have trepidation but they have optimism. They can adapt.
Then there are those who are dominated by fear. They do not see a better tomorrow they are overwhelmed by the risks of today. They do not see what McCain will do to improve their lives but they are in need of someone to protect them from our "enemies". These enemies are liberals who do not care about America. These enemies are change and they are not very adaptable so change becomes frightening. The enemy could be al Qaeda or Iran or Russia, McCain is more "qualified" to face these threats. They see these threats as inevitable and not in our control so they want a person who is quick to react. It is inconceivable to them that a president can be prepared and is ready to respond because he has anticipated the attack and maybe even headed it off through anticipation. They do not realize that the ability to respond quickly is honed by being constantly unprepared.
I see the next two years as the bottom of our slide and that we can make progress as long as we maintain a level playing field. My hope is that a majority of ordinary people is optimistic for if they are we will elect a president who shares our optimism and ours will be a brighter future. That does not mean the next one to two years will not be hard. But it is worth it to turn this country around.
Posted by: Ron M | October 28, 2008 12:59 PM
Go McCain-Palin !!
I'll be voting straight Republican this election.
We need checks and balances in Washington.
Posted by: Democrat for McCain-Palin | October 28, 2008 1:09 PM
Latest Gallup Poll numbers have McCain gaining. In fact, it's a statistical dead heat (2% margin) using their traditional model. See www.gallup.com.
Yet another poll Mr. Silva will be forced to ignore. There's gotta be another tv show he can write about.....
Posted by: Disgusted | October 28, 2008 1:26 PM
Yet another poll Mr. Silva will be forced to ignore. There's gotta be another tv show he can write about.....
Posted by: Disgusted | October 28, 2008 1:26 PM
Bruce once again goes to "polls-R-us" to prove a bias. Hey according to Faux News....McBush already won.
Posted by: bill "Hussein" r. | October 28, 2008 1:47 PM
Hey RNCBruce, er, Disgusting. Nice spin on the polls. How's this for polling: Rasmussen Obama +5, Gallup Traditional (your source) Obama +2, Gallup Expanded Obama +7 (funny how you failed to mention this one), Diegeo/Hotline Obama +8, IBD Obama +4, Pew Obama +15, ABC News/Wash. Post Obama +7, GWU Obama +3, and Newsweek Obama +12. Also, little keyboard warrior, Brucie, the Gallup poll you mentioned had McSame tied with Obama at the end of last week...so according to your logic, McBush actually lost ground!
Posted by: Neal | October 28, 2008 4:16 PM
How can any liberal not jump on the McCain bandwagon after this inspiring speech?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lh9_QvJicy4
Posted by: alex | October 28, 2008 4:49 PM
Neal,
Here is the Gallup poll - please show me where McCain and Obama are tied:
http://www.gallup.com/poll/111568/Gallup-Daily-Presidential-Race-Narrows-Slightly.aspx
Posted by: Terry | October 28, 2008 4:59 PM
McSame was tested recently by the economy meltdown when he flew to Washington:
A republican in the latest issue of Time magazine, when McCain suspended his campaign and hopped a plane for Washington (after dumping Letterman and visiting Katie Curic) reported that, with the President and others, in the White House discussing the economic crisis, McCain was "the least creative person in the rooom at the President's White House meeting. He simply had no ideas, He didn't even have any good questions.
Posted by: g.Smith | October 28, 2008 5:08 PM
Go McCain-Palin !!
I'll be voting straight Republican this election. We need checks and balances in Washington.
Posted by: Democrat for McCain-Palin
What a dope.
First, if we all followed your logic, it would be another 8 years of Republican rule.
Secondly, for 6 of the past 8 years it has been COMPLETE Republican -rule.
And after 9/11 we're still looking for one man in a turban. Nice job.
Posted by: Jorge from Bloomington | October 29, 2008 1:13 AM