Undecided Voters

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[JT]

I am aware of his injuries, but it's also a presence thing that goes beyond the injury issue. It's the pacing on the stage during the debates, failure to look at Obama. His stiff smile.

Again, I KNOW these are superficial issues and are not SUPPOSED to be relevant to what goes into making a great leader. What I AM saying is that many voters will make a judgment about someone and not be able to put their finger on WHY they walk away with a certain impression of someone.

Let's put it this way. If you have two guys who claim to be brain surgeons and one speaks in an Alabama Southern drawl and one speaks with a British accent -- who do you think comes across as having a higher IQ to most folks?

Just saying....

IQ is meaninless.

How did McCain get his injuries?

Abe Licoln was not an attractive man was he. You place way to much weight on the unimportant and minimize the truth. See you on CNN spinning.

I.Q. may be meaningless, but it kind of bothers me that McCain finished 893 of his class of 899 at the Naval Academy.

One of the greatest military leaders of all time was Stonewall Jackson. He was very near the bottom of his class the first couple of years at West Point. He improved dramatically his last year. But he was an orphan that didn't have the advantages of a prominent admiral for a father.
However, McCain crashed 7 planes while in the Navy! Any Navy or Air force folks here that ever heard of anybody else in either branch wrecking 7 planes while in the service?

[Lulu76]

I cannot tell you how many times in my presidential campaign and history classes that we were told: If Lincoln had run in the television era (or even the radio era), he would not have won. If it didn't matter if you were attractive to the voters, John Edwards wouldn't get $400 haircuts and Sarah Palin wouldn't have a stylist who gets $24,000 to make her look pretty. It's all about the look. Is that fair? No, but it's reality.

I know McCain got his injuries while he was defending our country in Vietnam. But if one more person insinuates that I am anti-American or against the troops because I didn't vote for him, I will scream. I think it's great that he's a war hero. But so is Max Cleland, and in my opinion, what was done to him was very unpatriotic.

If that is what you got out of that class fine. What a shallow comment to make, I bet everyone laughed. Maybe you should go back to school and get a degree in something you could actually use. I am so glad I don't have a liberal arts degree.

It's a shame they don't have classes on good manners and social skills in college. You could've picked up a few electives.

I'm done talking to you. I don't mind political discourse, but there is no need to personally insult anyone. That's not how I operate.

And that's all I say, because I respect Anthony and this board way too much to finish telling you what I'd like to say to you.

[flip-flop]

However, McCain crashed 7 planes while in the Navy! Any Navy or Air force folks here that ever heard of anybody else in either branch wrecking 7 planes while in the service?[/b]

Being from an air force family I can tell you (YOUR FAULT OR NOT) you crash more than 1 and you are not gonna be flying again any time soon. Unless your father and grandfather are both admirals of course.

[California Girl]

Geeez... I go out to buy some Halloween candy for the munchkins and I come back to quite a debate going on here!

Gromit, I completely understand what you said in the first place about how the candidates are perceived. War injuries or inability to raise his arms aside, McCain is not exactly what I'd call a dynamic speaker. He does look very uncomfortable in front of the camera. Obama, on the other hand, is very pleasant-looking and seems much more relaxed. But I know they have stylists and handlers and coaches, so I endeavor to look past the "superficial" things and try to understand what is really being said, and by whom. If it was all about looks, I'd be at the polls right now casting my vote for Sarah 'cause she's so durn cute!

[California Girl]

I.Q. may be meaningless, but it kind of bothers me that McCain finished 893 of his class of 899 at the Naval Academy.

Well, someone had to be 893! Look on the bright side, Pete... at least he wasn't 899!

[DaveS007]

You're right, hardly anyone asks for transcripts anymore...the degree is the only thing that matters.
I know I said I'm outta here, but sitting at the airport is boring..had to jump in.

I think it matters. It shows that he was a poor, undisciplined student. That is not a good quality.

It's a shame you think that. If you knew anything about military academies you would know that graduating even last is a huge accomplishment and something to be very proud of. They are the finest, courageous, generous people on the planet.

[Teddy Salad]

However, McCain crashed 7 planes while in the Navy! Any Navy or Air force folks here that ever heard of anybody else in either branch wrecking 7 planes while in the service?

To be fair, I think it was only 5 planes, and only the first two were due to pilot error. If he hadn't been from a prominent Naval family does anyone think he would have been allowed to fly again after the first two crashes?

[Pete (Mr. Marcia)]

You're right, hardly anyone asks for transcripts anymore...the degree is the only thing that matters.
I know I said I'm outta here, but sitting at the airport is boring..had to jump in.

I think it matters. It shows that he was a poor, undisciplined student. That is not a good quality.

It's a shame you think that. If you knew anything about military academies you would know that graduating even last is a huge accomplishment and something to be very proud of. They are the finest, courageous, generous people on the planet.

The articles I read regarding his days at the academy suggest that the only reason he didn't get kicked out altogether was due to his father's pull. He sounds like another baby Bush to me. Another hard drinking frat boy whose daddy bailed him out of jams.

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[Pete (Mr. Marcia)]

However, McCain crashed 7 planes while in the Navy! Any Navy or Air force folks here that ever heard of anybody else in either branch wrecking 7 planes while in the service?

To be fair, I think it was only 5 planes, and only the first two were due to pilot error. If he hadn't been from a prominent Naval family does anyone think he would have been allowed to fly again after the first two crashes?

Lets count how many bones in his body were broken due to beatings. Flip, you want to jump in 5x10 foot cell and get beat around? How about you Pete? Seems likethe shallow end of the pool is getting crowded.

If getting beat up qualifies one to be President, then Soxfan should be our next Commander in Chief.

[California Girl]

Ok you guys... you want to get into this kind of a discussion, please start a new thread. This began as light humor and was never supposed to get negative or insulting to anyone, yet it has. I like you guys, so don't do this.

I knew I shouldn't have posted that excerpt from that article in the first place.

[Pete (Mr. Marcia)]

Ok you guys... you want to get into this kind of a discussion, please start a new thread. This began as light humor and was never supposed to get negative or insulting to anyone, yet it has. I like you guys, so don't do this.

I knew I shouldn't have posted that excerpt from that article in the first place.

Okay, fine...I'll stop. I hate it when you scold me like that.

[Lulu76]

I'm sorry I jumped in. None of this is helping you make your decision.

[California Girl]

I hate it when you scold me like that.

I know.