The major US news media has been superficial in dealing with the Iraq War and the ‘war on terror’. It is now a fully enshrined conventional wisdom that George W. Bush’s troop ‘surge’ was a huge success and vindicates McCain’s early support for it, notes Robert Parry.


It might seem unlikely that the United States would elect John McCain to succeed George W. Bush when that would ensure continuation of many unpopular Bush policies: an ill-defined war with the Muslim world, right-wing consolidation of the US Supreme Court, a drill-oriented energy strategy, tax cuts creating massive federal deficits, etc., etc.

But there are reasons – beyond understandable concerns about Barack Obama’s limited experience – that make a McCain victory possible, indeed maybe probable.

Here is one of the big ones: The US news media is as bad as ever, arguably worse.

On Monday, Obama gave a detail-rich speech on how he would address the energy crisis, which is a major point of concern among Americans. From ideas for energy innovation to retrofitting the US auto industry to conservation steps to limited new offshore drilling, Obama did what he is often accused of not doing, fleshing out his soaring rhetoric.

McCain responded with a harsh critique of Obama’s calls for more conservation, claiming that Obama wants to solve the energy crisis by having people inflate their tires. McCain’s campaign even passed out a tire gauge marked as Obama’s energy plan.

For his part, McCain made clear he wanted to drill for more oil wherever it could be found and to build many more nuclear power plants.

These competing plans offered a chance for the evening news to address an issue of substance that is high on the voters’ agenda. Instead, NBC News anchor Brian Williams devoted 30 seconds to the dueling energy speeches, without any details and with the witty opening line that Obama was “refining” his energy plan.

So, instead of dealing with a serious issue in a serious way, NBC News ignored the substance and went for a clever slight against Obama, hitting his political maneuvering in his softened opposition to more offshore drilling.

Williams’s quip fit with one of the press corps’ favorite campaign narratives, Obama’s flip-flopping. But the coverage ignored far more important elements of the story, such as the feasibility of Obama’s vow that “we must end the age of oil in our time” or the wisdom of McCain’s emphasis on drilling – and nuking – the nation out of its energy mess.

And, as for flip-flops, McCain’s dramatic repositioning of himself as an anti-environmentalist – after years of being one of the green movement’s favorite Republicans – represents a far more significant change than Obama’s modest waffling on offshore oil.

The Sierra Club, one of the nation’s premier environmental organizations, has repudiated McCain and now is running ads attacking his energy plan. But McCain’s flip-flops – even complete reversals – remain an underplayed part of the campaign story. They just don't fit the narrative of maverick John McCain on the "Straight Talk Express."

read more here http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=27270

McCain is not going to win. Obama is gonna beat him by a landslide.

SeanT21:

McCain is not going to win. Obama is going to beat him by a landslide.

I don't think you've been following the news lately. . . this is by no stretch of the imagination a "landslide" in Obama's favor right now.
If anything the Obama camp must not underestimate McCain, the rest of the Rep presidential hopefuls did and look where they are now.

If McCain wins, i would turn to a goat!

Hardly to think McCain may win!

Still neck to neck battle competitive on both presidential candidates!!! Near ties poll on both McCain and Obama!

Just wait and see the real result after NOV 4TH ELECTION, then you will know for sure!!!

90 days more to go!!!

I think McCain will win:

1. he is slightly ahead on the polls
2. something will be brought up against Obama soon and Americans will decide to vote McCain

OR

3. Americans will shine their eyes and realise that they dont really want to see a mixed race man (the son of a 'bloody' African) occupying the white house.

My gut tells me McCain will win

YEAH americans can turn their back from obama,

you can tell whites are 79percent and blacks and others are 22percent i guess,

so ii guess people are just over hyping obama, as for me i love obama very well as a black man , but if he succedd will he touch them by hand , or had there been any american president that has not touched any body lives in america,

people should not judge obama as the first black president but i guess he is just laying a foundation for other blacks, no black have even reached this stage he has gotten into,

well Good luck obama and mccain,

dudu-bobo:

I think McCain will win:

1. he is slightly ahead on the polls
2. something will be brought up against Obama soon and Americans will decide to vote McCain

OR

3. Americans will shine their eyes and realise that they don't really want to see a mixed race man (the son of a 'bloody' African) occupying the white house.

My gut tells me McCain will win

Excuse Me but What Polls?? Obama is the one leading in the polls as for today.

JeSoul:

I don't think you've been following the news lately. . . this is by no stretch of the imagination a "landslide" in Obama's favor right now.
If anything the Obama camp must not underestimate McCain, the rest of the Rep presidential hopefuls did and look where they are now.

Obama is winning the hispanics vote
Obama is winning the females vote
Obama is winning the black vote

Source- MSNBC!!!

:-Xhey sean i add ed you on yahoo ok baby

get to know me ok

myspace.com/blackalpacino

The latest pole does show that Mccain and Obama are not that far apart from each other. This country has not let the issue of race rest. If Obama does win, it will be a miracle.

care less who wins, US would always look out for its own interest.

And shouldnt every country do the same?

Yeah there is always something the Mc Cain camp tries to confuse voters about
Against Senator Obama, 3 otta 10 peeps still have a have a problem believing his actual religion, . . . . . . . .

Then they also tag him a s a celebrity stating that he is too exotic,

and most importantly, they insist he is inexperienced, despite all he

has done for the State of Illinois. . . . . . . . .Nov 4th is just around da corner with God on his side I know victory is his,

. . . . . . .it truly is time for a change!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

TOYOSI20:

Yeah there is always something the Mc Cain camp tries to confuse voters about
Against Senator Obama, 3 otta 10 peeps still have a have a problem believing his actual religion, . . . . . . . .

Then they also tag him a s a celebrity stating that he is too exotic,

and most importantly, they insist he is inexperienced, despite all he

has done for the State of Illinois. . . . . . . . .Nov 4th is just around da corner with God on his side I know victory is his,

. . . . . . .it truly is time for a change!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

bla bla bla. Its all a ruse, code for the real facts - he's black and so we cant imagine those who were slaves mere 100yrs ago sitting in the white house.

- 3 outa 10 have "difficulty" believing his religion - what a load of crap . . . this are the same pple who were crucifying him over his PASTOR'S comments? Do they have pastors in mosques now?

- They think he's too exotic, a celebrity - doh wasnt Ronald Reagan more of a celebrity? Infact an actor?

- He's inexperienced? - Aha and what experience did Clinton have? 8 yrs as governor of a backwater state like Arkansas? Surely he learnt plenty about foreign policy there.

U preaching to the choir, I'm a supporter of Senator Obama,

I think he is very charismatic, and he gives one hell of a speech ,

But this morning I listened to what Rudy Juliani had to say about his pick for VP candidacy it made me cringe, wrong choice. . . .BIDDEN are ya kiddin' me?,


The Mc Cain campain immediately came out with that ad mocking both of them,
What happened to Senator Clinton, her supporters are still furious over what went down. . . . . . . .

oh and let not forget the Resco case which still happens to be the 900lbs gorilla in the room. . . . . .

TOYOSI20:

You preaching to the choir, I'm a supporter of Senator Obama,

i wasnt even refering to you, merely using the points you made in your last post to highlight the hypocrisy of the anti-Obama brigade which i didnt expect you to be a part of. Read between the lines next time, its not that hard.

What's wrong with Bidden? He has more foreign policy experience in his index finger than Mccain has in his brain.

What the f*ck is a Joe Biden? Honestly, your whole campaign has been based on change and thats how it has been for a while. Then all of a sudden Obama picks Biden as a running mate then starts attack ads against McCain, change much?

Biden has been known to make O'reilyish comments like dumb black kids remark,, and his "first clean African-American" statement.

I don't care about this elections since I'm not American. But if I had to vote, I will vote Obama because he is the BETTER candidate.

davidylan:

i wasnt even refering to you, merely using the points you made in your last post to highlight the hypocrisy of the anti-Obama brigade which i didnt expect you to be a part of. Read between the lines next time, its not that hard.

What's wrong with Bidden? He has more foreign policy experience in his index finger than Mccain has in his brain.

No need to get sour, what this about reading through the lines?,  , don't think there is any need for that. . . . .

i belive senator obama oght to be ready for the worst , what ensued

btw himself and Senator clinton was child's play compared to what he should expect in the coming months,

And as for Bidden. . . .don't see any change there, he selected an old politician with 30 years in the senate. So much

for change in the White House, and doing away with old politics.

i remember, Biden in 2007 in an ABC interview denounced Obama for

his lack of foreign experience and said, " Barack Obama is not ready to serve as President." . . .

The Republicans will have fun with that , lmao

n-guage:

What the f*ck is a Joe Biden? Honestly, your whole campaign has been based on change and thats how it has been for a while. Then all of a sudden Obama picks Biden as a running mate then starts attack ads against McCain, change much?

Biden has been known to make O'reilyish comments like dumb black kids remark,, and his "first clean African-American" statement.

I don't care about this elections since I'm not American. But if I had to vote, I will vote Obama because he is the BETTER candidate.

No doubt, don't think i have shown and keen intrest in politcs until now, . . . . . . . .

I have Senator Obama to thank for that. . . . .

SeanT21:

Excuse Me but What Polls?? Obama is the one leading in the polls as for today.

Obama is winning the hispanics vote
Obama is winning the females vote
Obama is winning the black vote

Source- MSNBC!!!

Leading by a margin of less than 10% is far from being able to claim victory 
While he may be winning in those categories you have to take into account that they are all minorities. Anything could change at the last minute so be careful how you use words like 'landslide'. ^{Children are fond of using words they just heard without bothering to find out the meaning.}

I think it is very difficult to predict who is going to win at this time. ABC polls as at this morning had Obama leading Mccain nationally by 49 to 43 from a sample of about 1000 voters. The polls reminded me of John Kerry's slender lead over George Bush in the last election before the 'Swift Boat' Campaign against John Kerry. I believe the events in the next four weeks will separate the winner from the loser. Thinking in terms of media coverage, I think Obama has come under more scrutiny than Mccain. This makes him more vulnerable to slips than Mccain. I'll like to see Obama win because I believe he is the better candidate in terms of his vision. However, I believe Mccain has better chance of winning because he has had stronger showings in polls of people who 'actually go out' to vote. If I am asked to place a bet, I will place my bet in favour of Mccain (though I wont put a lot of money).

davidylan:

bla bla bla. Its all a ruse, code for the real facts - he's black and so we can't imagine those who were slaves mere 100yrs ago sitting in the white house.

- 3 outa 10 have "difficulty" believing his religion - what a load of crap . . . this are the same people who were crucifying him over his PASTOR'S comments? Do they have pastors in mosques now?

- They think he's too exotic, a celebrity - doh wasnt Ronald Reagan more of a celebrity? Infact an actor?

- He's inexperienced? - Aha and what experience did Clinton have? 8 years as governor of a backwater state like Arkansas? Surely he learnt plenty about foreign policy there.

spot on davidlan,
i really dont expect obama to win. i remember toshmann saying something about black man in white[/b]house. that is not likely to happen.
they say he is muslim and crucified him for his pastor.
they say they dont know him well enough and yet they knew his[b] former pastor so well up to 20yrs ago
they say he is not known well enough yet 200,000 people in europe came to listen to him.

they say he has not foreing policy experience yet bush followed his policy to set a timeline/dateline/timetable/ for withdrawal

they say he has no foreing policy experience yet he got it right on not going to iraq. got it right that there is a deviation of focus on afghanistan, the real war on terror

they called him elitist. . . wait . . who called him elitist? john maccain with 4 . . .no . .5 . . . no 7 . . no 11 . . .he does not know the number of houses that he has and he is married to an heiress, and who else called him elitist? ahaaaa, hillary the witch, who owns 109 milla with billy the priapic yet obama has only one house, raised by a single parent who died and then a grandmother, worked as a community organiser . . elitist . . na wa o

and they are doing all this to someone who is mixed, who will be called oyibo if he entered lagos. which hope person like me wey black like charcoal get

abegi, we know how far. make the guy de campaign de go jare.
e don try, at least he stopped hilly-de-witch
and that to me is a big achievement

all her witchy followers can go ahead to vote for john. he is not a bad guy after all. but the witch is evil hoha

The news that Davidylan has joined the rest of the human race must be celebrated. Chineke God ! I have been away from Nairaland for far too long. Davidylan supporting Obama?

Back to topic:
Lets hope "Tigress"Hilary tears into Mccain with same relish with which she did Obama.