The Obama campaign is slowly turning into one of those WWI German army divisions that keeps hurling mustard gas at the enemy — while standing upwind — and yet wonders why they’re wheezing badly while the enemy keeps advancing undaunted.
The latest Obama ad mocks John McCain for, in part, “admitting that he can’t send an email.”
Why can’t McCain use a computer or email? Because he’s an out of touch old guy?
Here’s an article from the Boston Globe written eight years ago:
McCain gets emotional at the mention of military families needing food stamps or veterans lacking health care. The outrage comes from inside: McCain’s severe war injuries prevent him from combing his hair, typing on a keyboard, or tying his shoes. Friends marvel at McCain’s encyclopedic knowledge of sports. He’s an avid fan - Ted Williams is his hero - but he can’t raise his arm above his shoulder to throw a baseball.
If the Democrats lose this election, it’s going to be because they were in such a hurry to bury McCain and Palin that they forgot to get out of the hole they dug before having the dirt shoveled back in. If I ran the McCain campaign, I’d mock the mockery — “Do we really want a president who doesn’t even know how to Google search? Do we want a president with such reckless disregard and lack of compassion for disabled veterans?”
As for the Democrats’ next ad, I can see it already: “Do we really want a president who is such a sissy that he can’t even properly throw or catch a ball?”
Uh, nevermind….
(h/t HotAir and Jonah Goldberg)
17 Responses
Are you serious? Who needs to type to send an email? Voice recognition software is such that many people with injuries far worse than McCain’s use modern technology unhindered. Why can’t McCain utilize this? Has he no tongue now?
Posted on September 13th, 2008 at 2:59 pm
Memyself,
My grandmother doesn’t use e-mail. She doesn’t think she needs it. Got any “scathing” comments to make about her?
Posted on September 14th, 2008 at 2:19 am
Yeah. She’s out of touch with modern culture. Does it really need to be said?
That’s okay for her though. She’s not looking to run the most powerful nation on Earth.
Did any of the above really need pointing out? Seriously?
Posted on September 14th, 2008 at 7:06 am
And furthermore, is your grandmother lying about her reasons? Is she claiming that her fingers simply can’t operate a keyboard, ignoring the fact that you can utilize voice recognition software?
McCain is hiding behind irrelevant injuries. This is clearly not synonymous with a stated disinterest from someone far removed from the presidency.
Again, isn’t this all quite obvious?
If you (or anyone reading this) has a genuine retort, I’d love to hear it. But the above is just pathetic.
Posted on September 14th, 2008 at 7:08 am
Okay. Here’s a “genuine retort” - Get a life dork.
Why exactly would you need e-mail to be president? You’ve got an army of people working for you (and if you’re a dem president, you’ve got an army of teen girls working on you).
He’s not a Luddite, you libtard. Just go see his website, his You-Tube videos, or his daughters website.
He likely doesn’t know how to do payroll for his employees too. This doesn’t disqualify him either.
Go back and tell your libtard professor how you showed those conservatives over on Mens News Daily who’s boss. He won’t need to know how shallow and stupid you are.
Posted on September 14th, 2008 at 9:02 am
Strangely enough, “libtard” and “get a life dork” are very poor retorts.
The point isn’t whether or not McCain can use email. the point is that he is using his POW injuries as an excuse. That’s a false excuse. Nothing in your attempt at a “retort” addresses the fact that McCain’s injuries are 100% irrelevant. His injuries quite clearly do not hamper his ability to send emails.
How much of this do I need to spell out for you? Apparently quite a bit. That’s unfortunate, as the concpets being discussed are not that difficult to grasp.
Posted on September 14th, 2008 at 3:19 pm
Memyself said,
How much of this do I need to spell out for you?
How much do you read? I answered your “points”, and you ignore what I say. He doesn’t need to use e-mail. He has people. He has a website. How exactly does he “use his injuries as an excuse”?
This is what I see here - you think he must use e-mail, he thinks he doesn’t. I have no idea who you are (though I suspect I know more about than you think), and he’s an American hero. Whose opinion should I care about?
By the way, “libtard” and “get a life dork” weren’t the retorts - one was an adjective describing you, the other was a statement for your edification. I guess these “concpets” are a little too tough for you to “grasp”, like the concpet of a spell check, mister “modern technology unhindered”.
Posted on September 15th, 2008 at 12:06 am
Actually, you very specifically described “get a life dork” as your “retort”. Thanks for keeping track of your own argument.
As for spell check, who cares. My words are clear and we all make typos. It’s a pretty pathetic attempt to mask your own inability to comprehend the discussion by picking on a typo.
And finally, to the root of your failure:
The article posted above specifically cites McCain’s injuries as the reason for his inability to send an email. The article I was responding to very specifically uses this excuse. Nowhere does it cite a disinterest or the use of “people”.
This is the moment when you would do well to close that slack jaw of your and wipe away the dribble of spit of your chin.
Now, do I think that McCain needs to use email to be President? No. I don’t think the ad in question is particularly compelling. But “Team Obama Steps in it Again”? Bull. Is the ad really a “reckless disregard and lack of compassion for disabled veterans?”
No. Because McCain’s injuries have zero to do with sending emails. Nothing. Zip. Zilch. Nada.
Using McCain’s injuries as a shield is pathetic. It is disrespectful to those with greater injuries that send emails every day. Painting Obama’s ad as disrespectful of McCain’s history is ridiculous. The ad has nothing to do with McCain’s history.
That’s it. End of story. I know you keep rebounding like a good little toy soldier, but you need to accept that you simply have no argument here. If you did, you would have addressed this from the start, rather than the utterly foolish attempts to introduce your grandmother to the argument.
I’ll even give you a fourth chance at bat:
How do McCain’s injuries prevent him from sending emails? That’s the discussion. Try to follow along.
Posted on September 15th, 2008 at 7:00 am
Oh. So the discussion is what YOU say it is? Well alrighty then.
How do McCain’s injuries prevent him from sending emails?
I don’t know. I’m not McCain. I’m not a doctor. Are you? You seem to know quite a lot about his injuries. You are one of these modern-day jeenyusses that consider “waterboarding” torture, but write off having your hands smashed with bricks as “an excuse”.
And you’re wrong about the point of this article. The point is - Obama’s ad is the ad of a desperate man (with really stupid advisers. Are you one of them?)
He will get even more outlandish in the next few weeks, as more and more people realize what a vacuous empty-suit he is (except you of course - I’m sure you’ll still be arguing silly points).
One more thing - you didn’t pay attention to MY point - check out his website. It has pictures and everything (even e-mail). And by the way, good job with the spell-check. I’d suggest showing it to your teacher - you might get a few extra minutes at recess as a reward.
Posted on September 16th, 2008 at 12:15 am
This isn’t exactly a chicken or an egg scenario. Article is posted, I comment on specific points about the article, you respond with weird tangents about your grandmother. Can you follow this simple progression? I mean, I know you can’t. So don’t worry. I’ll talk you through it. The discussion is based around the article I was responding to. What else would it be? The specific point I took issue with was obviously that McCain’s injuries are not a valid excuse.
The conservative party has explained on multiple occasions that McCain injuries prevent him from sending emails. That’s the offical excuse. That is false. People with “smashed hands” send emails. People with no hands are very active online. The technology to bypass McCain’s injuries is commonplace.
So, was Obama’s ad an example of “reckless disregard and lack of compassion for disabled veterans?”
Nope. Not at all. McCain’s disability is irrelevant here. His status as a veteran is irrelevant as well.
As for your “point”: I already stated that I didn’t think the ad was particularly compelling or that McCain needed to be computer literate. I’ve supported McCain since 2000. I simply think it’s sad to see his “straight talk” attitude lost under these lies. I think it’s sad to see him use his history and injuries sustained as a POW as an excuse. Particularly when that excuse is obviously false.
Yes, this screws up your simple minded with us or against us world view. If I criticize the strategies of the Republican party, I must be a “lib-tard”. Sorry, “jeenyuss”, I don’t need to be an Obama supporter to see that McCain is engaging in poor political tactics.
I understand. You have no valid response. That’s why you’re flailing like this. That’s why you you’ve now spent four messages avoiding the point with weak insults and strange facts about your grandmother and spelling. Either you can deal with the fact that the McCain camp is using a false excuse or you can cover your ears and try to drown out the sound of truth. Whatever works for you.
Posted on September 16th, 2008 at 8:49 am
As someone not voting for either McCain or Obama, I feel compelled to interject. Memyself, you win the irritating, self-important , piece of snot contest. While voice recognition software is indeed available, it is certainly not common place, and is not an all purpose solution. People suffering from something as simple as carpal tunnel syndrome have had to abandon careers because of an inability to manipulate computer controls. Your pat answer is anything but. Smart assed people like you are people I don’t want to know, and are among the many reasons I won’t vote for Obama, despite being equally unable to vote for MCCain.
Posted on September 16th, 2008 at 1:04 pm
Thank you, Les. Now I’m retired from this. Not worth the effort.
Posted on September 16th, 2008 at 1:32 pm
Not commonplace? Really? So Dragon Naturally Speaking software is uncommon? That’s one of the more popular forms of said software, and I bought my copy at CostCo. This program has been coming out for over a decade. Versions of the software exist for Windows95!
Is it an all purpose solution? Of course not. I never claimed it was a cure all for all computer related work. We’re talking about emails here. Nothing more.
This software it is a very common and efficient email solution for people with worse injuries than McCain’s. Now you can go ahead and attack me all you like. You can display total ignorance over the prevalence of commonplace voice recognition software. You can cry foul over my tone and explain how it somehow prohibits you from voting for Obama, a candidate I have already clearly stated I am not endorsing (nice bit of illogical from you on that one).
None of the above addresses the simple truth. McCain’s injuries do not prohibit him from sending emails. Not at all.
http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=dragon+speak&tag=googhydr-20&index=aps&hvadid=1098992261&ref=pd_sl_155lwr7ayu_b
Posted on September 16th, 2008 at 1:34 pm
Squiggy, you retired from this because you cannot explain why McCain cannot utilize a VERY common piece of software. If you could have generated a rationale argument, you would have. Instead you launched weird tangent about your grandmother and targeted spelling as an insult.
Dress it up however you like. The truth is plain,
Posted on September 16th, 2008 at 1:37 pm
Oh… and Squiggy, feel free to inflate your sense of self esteem with the typo in the above message. I put it there just for you, sweetcheeks.
Posted on September 16th, 2008 at 1:40 pm
I am an IT professional and of course am neck deep in the latest technologies available. I have found it somewhat funny (ironic as well) that in this wonderful age of technology, emails, blogs, etc… that people have lost the ability to communicate effectively.
Here’s a fact; with such impersonal forms of communication, we have lost the ability to effectively communicate face to face and the ‘art’ of writing an effective letter is being lost, or evolved out of existence. Personally, I want a President who can effectively communicate as we he is negotiating with other world leaders.
McCain ‘08.
Posted on September 18th, 2008 at 4:48 am
For the majority, the art of writing an effective letter was lost long ago. The internet has simply given voice to those whose personal correspondence previous to the digital era was limited to barely legible postcards.
Those who would have written an effective letter write effective emails. As an IT professional, you must know that the medium does not automatically dictate the content.
Posted on September 18th, 2008 at 8:55 am
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