McCain Accepts Nomination: "Change is Coming"

John McCain accepted the Republican presidential nomination last night, “Let me offer an advance warning to the old, big spending, do-nothing, me first, country second, Washington crowd: Change is coming... I have that record and the scars to prove it. Senator Obama does not. You know, I’ve been called a maverick, someone who marches to the beat of his own drum... I don’t work for a party. I don’t work for special interests. I don’t work for myself. I work for you."

McCain suggested using "the best ideas from both sides" and spoke to his experiences as a prisoner of war during the Vietnam War--and how America saved him. He also tried to distance himself from the Bush administration, "I fight to restore the pride and principles of our party. We were elected to change Washington, and we let Washington change us. We lost the trust of the American people when some Republicans gave in to the temptations of corruption... We're going to change that. We're going to recover the people's trust by standing up again for the values Americans admire." (McCain also included the Democrats and Obama among those who lost America's trust.) Here's a transcript and video is below.

Barack Obama's spokesman Bill Burton issued a statement, "He admonished the 'old, do-nothing crowd' in Washington but ignored the fact that he's been part of that crowd for 26 years, opposing solutions on health care, energy and education. He talked about bipartisanship but didn't mention that he's been a Bush partisan 90 percent of the time, that he's run a Karl Rove campaign and that he wants to continue this president's disastrous economic and foreign policies for another four years. With John McCain, it's more of the same."

McCain and Obama will have their first debate on September 26, but they will appear together a forum about public service on September 11 in NYC.

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I'm not saying that John McCain is a goose.

That's not what I'm saying at all -- not even remotely.

No, really, honestly, I promise you that I'm not saying the man's a goose, or a chicken, or a duck, or any of those things.

I'm just saying that he laid a big fat egg tonight.

That's all.

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From the looks of that photo, he just crapped in his Depends. Change is coming all right... In his pants.

Right, McCain! You don't work for a party or special interests, but you'll roll right over for the Religious Right -- remember those "agents of intolerance" you were telling us about?

And I feel so sure you're going to do away with partisan rancor, as you send your attack dogs out to bash the "angry left" and attack your opponents' patriotism and commitment to our country by suggesting that they put their country second.

Where's your flag pin, by the way?

Please keep attacking small town America, working mothers, and innocent children Democrats. This biased hate will lead to your demise. :D

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Oh yeah, right. McCain represents small town America and working mothers. You might want to take a look at this chart. Seems to me like McCain represents rich people. Keep smoking that crack rock GOPers.

"Kentucky Blue, Methane and John McCain"

Name a grass, a gas and an ass.

..."for the Religious Right -- remember those "agents of intolerance" you were telling us about?"

There's that all purpose boogeyman the "religious right" again. Yawn. Anyone who isn't a paranoid, militant atheist might fall into that category.

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Actually, the religious right is a very specific political group. You know, the kind of people who blown up obgyn clinics for example. You asshole.

McCain is FOR people who blow up abortion clinics?

I must have missed that episode of Meet the Press.

Neither candidate stands for change, since they both represent the same old same old just in a different package.

Lousy speech, no energy, no real cause to speak of, and the same predictable crowd of miserable old yokels and hee-haws. Only the most desperate, cynical tax evaders could spin this muck into a Movement. it's a bowel movement at best.

McCain is a baby killer. Watch "Hearts and Minds" , those bombing raids weren't clean attacks on military targets. They almost always resulted in civilian death and very often were sent out to deploy chemical weapons which poisoned the countryside permanently.

What size foil hat do you wear, Chris Lee?

Baby Killer is the kind of term that will get your jaw broken, whether a soldier did that or not.

If this guy is elected then be afraid..... be very afraid.

The GOP needs a smart, opportunistic woman with a strong and experienced spouse for support! Judith Nathan for Presdient 2012!

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After last night's speech I know for sure I will voting for Giant Douche over Turd Sandwich.

I can't vote for someone who can't lift their arms above their head.

The Economist even wants the old McCain back, the one who actually did all that stuff he talked about. Not the pandering to all those who previously tried to destroy him.

How can I vote for a guy who embraces the bully who beat him down just to get elected.

He's like a school on sunday, no class.

Change, my ass. At one point in time, McCain could honestly say that he was a maverick and represented change. But we all know he sold his soul to the GOP's conservative wing.

says person already ashamed of u.s. (who isn't so sure that we're a better country than this, though it would be nice for some evidence in support of that thought to present itself in november): in what way does he represent any improvement over the current administration? what solutions has he introduced to the conversation? that barack obama is the same as paris hilton? is that even sentient? you're damn right change is coming, in his depends, as noted before--there's no way he's not carrying a load of shit in his diaper in the first pic.

palin thinks a pipeline in alaska is "god's will" and asked her constituents to pray for it. seriously. and of course there's that whole thing with her husband working for big oil that i'm sure presents no conflict of interest. palin also supports widespread aerial hunting of wolves. these are facts. if you're all about ruining the environment, pandering to oil, and killing animals, then she's your cunt.

and, for you types who like to read things that require you to be able to follow several connected points (not that you're thinking of voting for mcsame, but still), there's a good article in the times about historical economic growth and income disparity patterns under both parties. to quote the author, which part of the obama menu don't you like?

i'm getting the fuck out of this country if it's dumb enough to elect yet another piece of republican establishment shit. i wish i'd left in 2000.

Looking at the RNC crowd you just know that each and every one of them has a "cheeses of the world" limited edition commemorative plate in their cupboards and paid in 3 easy installments for them. Man McCain needs to invest in Crest Tartar Control since Gingivitis and plaque are leading causes of heart disease. I liked half of McCain's speech. He had this easy speaking way like he was trying to sell me old timey sweet tea but the other half was batshit insane. How the hell can you say you hate war when you insult japan, vietnam, iraq, afghanistan, Iran, and then proceed to bitchslap russia and then yell at everyone to "FIGHT WITH ME! FIGHT WITH ME!". Anyway, VOTE FOR REVENGE! Vote against 8 years of people telling you to drink from a poisoned well and trying to make you drink another 4.

I wasn't terrified of a McCain presidency until he picked that fundamentalist as his running mate. Do not mistake: if McCain is elected, dies in office and is replaced by her, our country is doomed.

"Baby Killer is the kind of term that will get your jaw broken"

GOP supporters haven't had any regrets in going around calling Obama a baby killer... for opposing a bill.

From his speech: “I fight for Americans. I fight for you. I fight for Bill and Sue Nebe from Farmington Hills, Michigan, who lost their real estate investments in the bad housing market. Bill got a temporary job after he was out of work for seven months. Sue works three jobs to help pay the bills.”

This man is so utterly out of touch with reality he believes the victims of the subprime mortgage crisis to be house-flippers who couldn't turn a profit on their investment properties. What about the millions of people who lost their homes - their only homes - to predatory lenders? What a phony.

Re: 6th photo. Trig belongs to those two. That shot is very parental.


Man, this party (and it's delegates) are itching for a fight with someone. Very scary.

If by change he means, "the same old shit", and by maverick he means, "lobotomized partisan hack", then yes, I agree whole-heartedly with his speech.

"We have to catch up to history, and we have to change the way we do business in Washington."

He's exactly right - and a good start would be for him to retire to Arizona.

He might have been a good choice in 2000, but if he manages to get elected this year, it will be like Willie Mays hitting .211 for the 1973 Mets and falling down in the outfield after being blinded by the sun. Just sad.

i love it. obama supporters posting as "future taliban" "baby hitler" "nanny state"

and by the way baby hitler...do you do anything at work all day or do you sit around and post on every gothamist article. your boss must have his head up his rear...or else you work in a big completely wasteful government office

"ma bell" is obsessed with people working in wasteful government offices... while he/she posts about it all day.

Preeeeetty sure those screen names are jokes. But you know better, Phone Company Lady.

You know when you have a friend who won't admit he or she is absolutely wrong on a topic, then one day this person suddenly believes the opposite without acknowledging the change in opinion, as if you won't notice? I feel like I've been living in a bizarro world in which Republicans are suddenly acting as if they have been concerned about the environment, working mothers (?!), and healthcare all along.

I can't get over how he praised Bush for his leadership, then bashed Republicans in Washington. Um...?

You have to admire the chuztpah of the Republican Party.

Only they could run like they are the opposition party on a theme of change despite the fact that we've had a Republican President for the past 8 years, a Republican House for 6 of the past 8 years, a Republican Senate for 5 1/2 of the past 8 years, 7 out of 9 Republican appointed Supreme Court justices, a lobbyist industry that all but required you to be a former Republican official, and a politicized civil service in the Justice Department and who knows how many other agencies.

on 11/4 we will find out how many idiots above the age of 18 live in America, by tallying up the votes for Grandpa/Gidget

i run a small business. i can do whatever i want all day.

obsessed? yeah sure that's fine. i am obsessed with slackers sucking the coffers of hard working americans. lets raise taxes! this way we can take money from the working people and give it to slackers doing nothing in government offices! fantastic idea

he looks like he just let go of his walker, 'look cindy! i can walk on my own!' this guy is gonna fall down a flight of stairs and end up in a coma or something.

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Comments like baby killers, old yokels, hee-haws and this "I can't vote for someone who can't lift their arms above their head" from Kojak actually help the GOP ticket. Say it to McCain's face and he'd probably beat the crap out of you.

I don't want McCain to be president. But, he's earned the right to get respect.

How about we let all American businesses outsource their labor to third world countries, and then hope that the trickle-down theory encourages other healthier first world countries to outsource their labor to us? This way, American businesses complaining about fair wages and taxes don't actually have to deal with actual American workers, and Americans can reap the benefits of the number of vacation days enjoyed by rest of the first world community.

At this point it can't hurt to try, right? ;)

And let's not forget, McCain has been making statements since at least January that he knows how to get bin Laden, but he can't tell us.

Why do we have to wait until January 2009? Why not tell us now? Ok, maybe it's top secret.. so he could at least tell Bush?

"i run a small business. i can do whatever i want all day."

Maybe everyone else here does too.

" i am obsessed with slackers sucking the coffers of hard working americans. lets raise taxes! this way we can take money from the working people and give it to slackers doing nothing in government offices! fantastic idea"

If you have a problem with government workers, take it up with the government that gives them cushy jobs they cannot be fired from. What does this blog have to do with that??

"What size foil hat do you wear, Chris Lee?

Baby Killer is the kind of term that will get your jaw broken, whether a soldier did that or not."
I would like to see you TRY to break my jaw.
"Foil Hat" what an idiot.

Can someone honestly tell me what makes John McCain a hero that's done so much for this country? Certainly just being a hard-nosed POW isn't it.

"Hero POW"
He was a survivor


By Ted Sampley
U.S. Veteran Dispatch
November 1999
(updated 2008)


John McCain seriously violated the Military Code of Conduct by trading "military information" and making numerous public statements that appeared favorable to the communist war effort in exchange for "special treatment."

The Code: Consisting of six articles in simple language, the United States Military Code of Conduct orders American military personnel to resist capture at all cost and if captured; to attempt to escape, to give the enemy no information other than name, rank, serial number and date of birth, to take charge if senior, to obey orders of the seniors, to accept no favors from the enemy and to make no written or oral statements disloyal to the United States.


In the original writing, the Code was declared the definitive code specifying the responsibilities of American military personnel while in combat or captivity.

The Code holds U.S. prisoners of war responsible to protect--at whatever cost--the cause for which the United States stands by continuing to carry on some form of resistance with the enemy. The establishment of the Code of Conduct was the result of what was considered in 1955 an embarrassing high number of U.S. servicemen held prisoner during the Korean War who apparently did little to resist collaborating with the enemy.

According to a Congressional Research Service Report (CRS), one out of every three American prisoners of the North Koreans and Chinese collaborated. The degree of collaboration ranged from such serious offenses as actually siding with the enemy to the relatively insignificant offense of broadcasting Christmas greetings home and therefore putting the communists in favorable light.

Although collaborating with the enemy is nothing new, there were a number of examples of it during WWII, its ramifications caused considerable damage to the morale and survival of U.S. POWs during the Korean War and later the Vietnam War.

The Korean War marked a new dimension in the relationship between U.S. servicemen taken prisoner and their captors. For the first time, U.S. prisoners of war were viewed by an enemy as more than soldiers from the other side temporarily restrained from conducting war. It was the first war fought by the United States against an enemy whose pathological desire to control the minds of U.S. prisoners extended the war into the POW camps.

North Korean and Chinese communists were not hesitant to use brutal and bloody torture as gruesome tools in their efforts to exploit U.S. prisoners of war into making public statements that appeared favorable to the communist war effort.

Communist interrogators also sought to further control their prisoners by manipulating them into looking to the detaining authorities as a source of leadership, thereby breaking down the leadership and internal discipline within the POW population.

In previous wars, prisoners were subjected to some inhumane and brutal treatment, but the enemy did not take it upon itself to tear down the chain of command within the prisoner ranks.

When the communists succeeded, a condition of distrust among the prisoners became the norm rather than the exception. Morale dropped and mutual assistance among the prisoners lessened.Chaos followed and the failure of the POWs to care for their fellow prisoners resulted in a higher death rate and made the captives more amenable to accept the doctrine of their captors.

Very few American servicemen were mentally prepared to protect themselves from such barbaric treatment and intense indoctrination attempts.

Through inhumane treatment and manipulation, many prisoners were forced to collaborate with the communists. Twenty-one chose to remain in China, refusing repatriation.

After the termination of the hostilities in Korea and the subsequent release of American prisoners of war, many former U.S. prisoners were criminally charged and tried for offenses that "amounted to treason, desertion to the enemy, mistreatment of fellow prisoners of war, and similar crimes."

The emotions and compassion of the public were aroused, as graphic details of the inhumane treatment of U.S. POWs in communist prison camps surfaced during the trials. Public discussion caused intense arguments over what should have been done about Americans who were "brainwashed" in Korea and what to do about those in future wars who may be the recipients of similar bloody treatment.

On August 7, 1954, the Secretary of Defense directed that a committee be formed to recommend a suitable approach for conducting a comprehensive study of the problems related to the entire Korean War POW experience. The work of that committee resulted in the May 17, 1955 appointment of the Defense Advisory Committee on Prisoners of War, headed by Carter L. Burgess, assistant secretary of defense for Manpower and Personnel.

The committee took heed of the ongoing divisive debate, noting that while all services had regulations governing the conduct of prisoners of war, "the United States armed forces have never had a clearly defined code of conduct applicable to American prisoners after capture."

Claiming the new code had been hammered out of "home-forged" American principles with no room for turncoats--prisoners who declare their allegiance to the enemy--the committee conceded that the Code did, however, allow special consideration for those who yield only under torture.

A Presidential commission was appointed after the Vietnam War, in 1976, to reevaluate the code of 1955. After a study, the commission recommended a subtle revision to Article V which, in its original form, stated: When questioned, should I become a prisoner of war, I am bound to only give name, rank, service number, and date of birth. I will evade answering further questions to the utmost of my ability. I will make no oral or written statements disloyal to my country and its allies or harmful to their cause.

President Carter ordered the revision in 1977. The word "bound" was changed to "required" and the word "only" was deleted.

This just in from FOXNEWS.com: Senator Palin switched shitty colleges 6 TIMES in 6 YEARS! WTF? Very Very Shady. Again, yesterday FOX showed the RNC in regular Standard Definition and every other channel had it in High Definition. Is it a metaphor for the Republican party? That you shouldn't see them clearly and transparently but in a hazy and muddy way to camouflage their weaknesses? Is it cause Fox knows their uneducated base has no technological savvy and has no HDTV's? Why No HDTV for FOX? Why?

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mdowning, you could've made a perfectly reasonable argument without dropping the C word. This is coming from someone who was predisposed to agree with just about everything you said until that point.

John McCain is puppet,(his wife a scary puppette) and the Vice a creacionist radical pitbul puppette! But many many many are so into the faith based type of politics that will totally ignore this little FACT!

I completely agree with Toby Von. McCain and Obama may each a different type of engineered media image, various 'beliefs' and 'ideas', but in reality no matter which is elected they will do the same old thing and nothing will change.

Both candidates, and both parties, are completely beholden to big business. The US refuses to make any real social change. Obama and McCain are standing around arguing about what should be non-issues like abortion, and drilling while the economy has bottomed out and we're at war on two fronts. Those are issues.

John McCain is perfectly suited to Preside of the coming "War Culture". An endless occupation of Iraq, foggy war in Afghanistan, the drumbeats of the Iran War, militirization, demonization of intellectuals (the press, "elites"), Nationalistic "values"...

The whole apathetic take on politics is very harmful. You are eentitled to think nothing will change...pesimism exist.
But to let the republicans pillage what was achived by Democratic presidencies previously, to let them organize new wars to inflate a few's bank accounts,to let them give money to church based organizations( yeah radicals too, those that dont' like science) and to see the public education be cut smaller and smaller by each Republican period in the white house, will only make america a a very IRRELEVANT country.

John McCain's strong skill is National Security? After backing down and bending over for President Bush and his cronies, I know McCain will bend over for the terrorists. Or he will panic and bomb the wrong country like Bush.

compelling argument robingee. but since it seems that you have nothing to say that is has any resemblence of a coherent argument i will move on.

listen. free market capitalistic ideals have given this country, by far, the largest GDP in the world and made us the leaders. competition is the heartbeat of any well run organization. it keeps you on your toes and cuts fat when necessary. small businesses turn into big businesses that employ tens of thousands of hard working employees. is the system perfect? absolutely not. but it works and it has worked better then any other system ever implemented in the history of this world. there will be vallies, but the peaks by far outweigh the vallies.

do i believe john mccain that he will stay out of our lives and pockets? hard to say. but at least he says he will so we can hold him accountable when/if he doesn't. barack obama is sitting there telling us that he is going to expand an already bloated government and increase taxes that are already too high. it is going to absolutely kill the small businessman. then we will all be wondering why the first class american innovation that we have become so unappreciative of has disappeared.

don't say you weren't warned.

Whare is this place Warshington? McCain keeps talking about changing this place called Warshington. Can someone tell me where that is and what have they done to anger this war monger so much? I've looked at a bunch of maps and I can't find Warshington anywhere.

Heh, "ma bell" is a typical Con... ask them a direct honest question and they say you're not worth answering. Oh well, back to my slacker government job!

Obama and McCain Tax Proposals:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2008/06/09/ST2008060900950.html

Here's an interesting article from this week's New Yorker...

Another article in the issue called "Vets for Democrats" (couldn't find it online) says:

[Marine captain] Kuniholm pointed out that Obama has raised six times as much money from service members overseas as McCain has, and that his ratings from Disabled American Veterans are much higher. 'The McCain campaign can rant however it wants to,' [Sergeant] Smith said, 'but when you look at the records, McCain hasn't been there for veterans. At the end of the day, his support for veterans has been bankrupt.'

ma bell, allow me to refer you to the article i've already attempted to refer you to: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/31/business/31view.html?em

ma bell, tell me which part of the obama menu don't you like?

and ma bell, since you're all about smaller government and the government not interfering with our lives (warrantless spying, anyone?) allow me to remind you that shrub inherited a budget surplus and is handing over a record deficit to go with his record expenditures. pray tell, phone company lady, how one can achieve anything resembling a balanced budget without raising taxes. i'll say it: the rich should be paying more than they have been. and by rich, i mean those at the 95th percentile and above, who've been given break after break since shrub walked in. note that the economy is garbage, despite all the "stimulus" provided by shrubby. and don't say "cut programs," because that doesn't come anywhere near the amount needed to reduce the deficit in a meaningful way. i'd love to know where the idea came from that "obama is sitting there telling us he is going to expand an already bloated government." really, i'd like an example of him saying something about expanding government in an area that mccain would not.

and sorry jmh, i see this lady a prime example of "the c word." it wasn't sexist--i'd have labeled a man behaving the way she does with the same word. i'm not down with anything she stands for, and i know damn well i've got the moral high ground on her regardless of the label i choose for her. maybe i could have chosen better, but this is someone who has quite a bit of potential to cause greater harm than she already has, and yes, i feel strongly about that.

politburo, nice call. i'll bet catching bin laden has something to do with "staying the course" in iraq...you know, so the taliban and al qaeda can keep doing everything they were doing prior to 9/11 without any interference from those pesky americans.

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One of the things that would make me laugh if it wasn't so sickeningly disgusting is the whole "left wing elites" thing those living breathing turds keep repeating. Did anyone notice that Cindy McCain was wearing $300,000 worth of clothes and jewelry? She has more money in clothes wrapping her ass than most people in this country make in ten years. GOP represents working families and single moms, LMAO!!!You fucking brainwashed idiots!

NYC is full of Obama-bots!!

try thinking for your selves

The real problem in this country is that individualist thought go to the extreme even to the point of thinking the only use of government is help public enterprise. The mere thought of public interest is a demonized concept.
The big difference between america and europe... and I don't see them having such a fall behind system. In fact moving ahead than the states...something in the system is not working and that is that Invisible hand republicans adore as god.

wow, soopaman, you really showed nyc. congrats!

i suspect you'll condemn those who are better educated (but not so wealthy that they have to vote republican to protect their precious tax cuts) (and yes, nyc is better educated than the national average) and who have thought individually and come to the conclusion that obama is indeed a better choice as "elitist." "like, you mean, that goddang guy can read a book, and wants to go to warshington? hot damn, that elitist, prolly thinks them funny bones we dug up means animals been a'changin' and stuff and wants to keep god out of them science books too."

look, soopa, they're both far from perfect, but one's far scarier than the other, and i'd say anyone who can't see that is far worse than a robot.

#59 you're telling the wrong party to think for themselves. Also, we think of other people besides ourselves. That's what is needed.

Cindy McCain's earrings alone cost $280,000!?!?!?

I hope babyhitlr is right with the fund raising totals because to me this race could be another close one. let's hope bon jovi could work his magic and get more voters out there.
unless he's an elitist rock n roller, then I guess those seeing his concert at CP were all sipping wine and eating cheese.

63: dems are into throwing money at problems to make pretend its fixed. Sure lets increase funding to the homeless so they eat better but lets not bother to have them contribute to society. All the money in homeless programs yet I still have to be harressed by homeless on the street. They spend so much time on the street the should be paid to clean the shit up that they make.

dems are into throwing money at problems to make pretend its fixed.

That sounds like a summation of the 'war in Iraq.'

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