McCain is blowing his election chances.

There were a lot of red herrings in the Obama VP speculation -- did you see the "Obama/Bayh" bumper stickers? So while Pawlenty canceling appts. might mean something, it might be designed to throw people off the scent, too.

Interesting about McCain now saying he HASN'T decided. Just trying to stay in the news however he can, I guess..?

John McCain is still debating with himself, even on the issue of whether or not he has yet decided on his VP pick.

With the revolving door of continuing flip flops, they'll be tossing Dramamine rather than confetti at the RNC convention.

Everything I've read is saying McCain has made his selection and the person will be notified today and announced tomorrow morning. There are additional rumors that the name will be 'leaked' today.

Recently, the media has harped on the alleged effectiveness of McCain's (and his party's) attack tactics and criticized Obama's failure to respond in kind. John Kerry's speech last night at the DNC, however, highlighted the fact that McCain resorts to the despicable "swiftboating" tactics because flip-flopping "Candidate McCain" can't win on the issues. It appears that McCain believes that running a negative campaign may be his only hope to win the presidency. Otherwise, why would he resort to bashing his competitor rather than tooting his own horn?

But I agree with McGentrix that "McCain is blowing his election chances." The American voters have heard the Republicans "cry wolf" for eight years and their fear-mongering has worn thin while over 4100 warriors have been brought home in caskets with tens of thousands more maimed for life. In the final analysis, the Republicans have not proven that they are better equipped to deal with the wolves of the world, real or manufactured. Joe Biden is right: This country needs more than a good soldier; it needs a wise leader. The people of this country have spiraled into despair during the last eight years under Bush's regime. Bush and his cronies have plundered our coffers, sunk our entire nation into crushing debt, and ignored the basic needs of families.

Joe Biden has focused on the millions of average Americans who sit at their kitchen tables every night where they discuss the bleakness that surrounds their lives and the lives of their children. What is this country going to do for them? If McCain doesn't let the voters know what he's going to do to make their tomorrows better than their yesterdays, the voters are not going to race to the voting booths to elect him president. Obama and Biden offer us hope. What is McCain offering?

Some of this is designed to time this to take the spotlight off of Obama to some extent. I think McCain has probably decided, as Foxfyre points out, and maybe the vp already knows it, plus the others on the short list maybe notified by now. Obama people did a good job of hiding the selection until the last day, so is McCain. But they obviously delay final word until the last minute to prevent leaks.

You don't remember JFK's speech?

First a hearty hidey ho and WELCOME BACK to Debra Law. You've been a missed person lady. (Disclaimer: Debra is usually wrong, but she is so damn intelligent about it when she is. )

And Okie makes a point. JFK's famous line "ask not what your country can do for you, but ask what you can do for your country" is where McCain's base wants him to be. McCain's true base doesn't want the people feeding at the national nipple but wants policies and emphasis placed on the people being able to accomplish their chosen destinies. And THAT is the primary difference between the center core of the two parties. One looks to the government to solve the problems. One looks to the government to make it possible for the people to get it done. When McCain was dealing with themes like that, his polls numbers were going up like crazy. If he reverts to a more socialist/the government will rescue the victims theme, Obama will have no problems winning in November.

And we're all keeping our fingers crossed that McCain understands that when he makes his Veep pick too.

Thanks for the "welcome back," Foxfyre, notwithstanding your "disclaimer." I wonder how the people in this country will "accomplish their chosen destinies" when they are living from hand to mouth and 99 percent of the country's wealth has been placed into the hands of a chosen few? How can the average American possibly get a taste of the coveted "national nipple" when the Bush regime's chosen few have sucked it dry? Reality check: The "McCain base" does not disdain drinking from the public trough so long as they're the ones doing the drinking. You ignore the problem: Bush and his cronies have economically raped and victimized the people, plundered the public coffers, and turned a record surplus into a record deficit. Like it or not, our government must answer the people's call for economic reform.

I do hope you'll keep up that line of thought Debra, because it does very much separate McCain from the "McSame" mantle that your side is trying to hang around his neck. McCain voted against the Bush tax cuts BECAUSE he was opposed to 'raping the public coffers'. He was wrong in the effect those cuts would have, and he admits that now, but his motives for opposing them were pure. He has been one of the loudest and most consistent GOP voice against wasteful spending and irresponsible fiscal policy.

It is worth noting, however, that once the Democrats gained control of Congress, they have INCREASED every Bush budget submitted. So yes, we need economic reform in a big way, but the McCain way holds more promise than the existing policies or the massive new spending proposed by the other side.

Score one for McCain.

And yes people are hurting, but why is that? Since the 1960's, we have poured mega trillions of dollars into the war on poverty with little or nothing to show for it. Obama wants to pour billions more into that. Why should we expect a different result? It isn't helping people when the government obtains more and more power and buys votes from people who never seem to figure out that they aren't getting their money's worth. It's time for smaller, less intrusive government and more policies to encourage people to take care of business.

Will McCain do that? I don't know. Frankly I'm dubious. But I am absolutely certain that Obama will not.

What can a "good American" do for his or her country? Hmmm. If you expouse Foxfyre's view, I suppose they can quit their damn complaining while Bush continues to funnel 10 billion of their tax dollars into his failed policies every month while his cronies reap trillions of dollars of profit. These damn complainers should look the other way while their jobs are being shipped overseas and while they lose their homes. These damn complainers only want to suck the national tit. According to Foxfyre, they should succumb to fear- and war-mongering, go dig a ditch somewhere for minimum wage, and wait for their son or daughter to come home in a casket.

Debra. One question. Whose responsibility is it to pass a budget? Allocate spending? Please tell me how President Bush funnels anything into anything without the consent of Congress. At the present time, a Democrat controlled Congress?

Foxfyre wrote, "It's time for smaller, less intrusive government and more policies to encourage people to take care of business."

What? You have got to be kidding! If my memory serves me correctly, Foxfyre strongly favors a government that intrudes into people's private lives. As a member of the "moral majority," Foxfyre favors governmental policies that impose her discriminatory views on others. E.g., government must prohibit same-sex marriage because same-sex marriage somehow injures her opposite-sex marriage; government must prohibit freedom of choice because a woman cannot be allowed to choose her own reproductive destiny. According to Foxfyre, "McCain's true base . . . wants policies and emphasis placed on the people being able to accomplish their chosen destinies." ROFL. Since when has Foxfyre ever been a champion of an individual's right to pursue his or her "chosen destiny" if she morally disapproves?

And where have you ever seen me apply an issue of 'moralty' to any of these things? Yes, it is the role of government to defend the Constitution and promote the general welfare. You have so distorted my views on same-sex marriage, I won't even bother to try to correct that here as it would completely derail this thread. Suffice it to say, however, that both Obama and McCain share my opinion on that, so it's pretty well moot so far as this election goes.

And you'll also be hard put to find any position that I've taken that is not in favor of smaller, more efficient, less intrusive government. I would invite you to join the discussion on the American Conservatism 2008 and Beyond thread to explore that further.

You might want to find out a little bit more about the budget Fox. It is passed in Oct. Elections are in Nov. The Democrats have passed ONE budget since they took over Congress and that was a compromise because of GOP filibusters in the Senate. We are only 10 months into that budget.

Well let's see. The last election was 2006 and yes, the 2007 budget was still a GOP budget. But the current Congress has passed budgets in 2007 and 2008 as well as projections for the next several years. These were in no way as small as what the President submitted to Congress. Also, the Democrats have certainly had their say prior to 2006 and the option to filibuster budgets they objected to, etc. But constantly you hear complaints from your side that Bush cut this, Bush cut that, etc. Where is the praise for budget cuts and fiscal responsibility? I haven't seen much of that.

Senator McCain, however, was pretty consistent in his objections to irresponsible spending the whole way.

You mean ONE?

Democrats took control of Congress Jan of 2007. The first budget they had control over was the 2008 budget passed in 2007. The 2008 budget is not yet passed.

The 2009 Budget is out there for examination though. See previous post too.

We have nearly eight years of failed leadership with Bush at its helm, with McCain agreeing with Bush's failed policies 95 percent of the time, and Foxfyre wants to place the blame on a "Democrat controlled Congress?" How do you think a bare majority can possibly control a deeply-divided partisan Congress when Bush wields veto power and places himself above the law? Get real. We need effective and wise leadership at the presidential helm of this country. Obama and Biden give us hope; McCain does not.

And you consider yourself an informed voter?

2007 appropriations passed on Oct of 2006
Election in november of 2006.
New Congress takes office in Jan of 2007
2008 appropriations passed in Oct of 2007.
It is Aug of 2008 and the 2009 appropriations haven't passed yet to my knowledge.

Yes, but it has NOT been appropriated.

Do you want to retract your earlier statements made from ignorance?