I think John is doing what he should do. He is going after the one that he thinks will be his opponent in the elections. But I think he needs to have better references and not make mistakes like this. I mean it kind of makes him look like he doesn’t know what he is talking about. But hey…give the man a break…they all mess up every now and then. Let’s just hope he doesn’t do this too much!

Cynthia, Covington, Ga.

I’m a registered independent in Arizona. I couldn’t vote in the primary. I have been following your campaign coverage but haven’t see anyone comment on the impact of voters such as myself. It is my understanding that independents are voting for Obama in higher numbers. I know this will only impact the general election but I’m curious how many registered independents were unable to vote in primaries and how it is projected to affect the election.

Steve:
Why is it I can’t help but think that McCain’s “Gates of Hell” promise will just become a classic soundbite like Bush’s “Read My Lips” did. If McCain knows how to get Osama, then why haven’t we gotten him yet? I’m thinking he’s going to end up eating those words but then again, perhaps I’m just too skeptical.

John McCain scares the hell out of me!
Doesn’t he have a reputation of having a temper in the senate?
Why would we want a president who needs anger management?
I admire the fact that he served in Viet Namn and sympathize that he was a POW, but to put someone like that in charge of our country?
YIKES!
Just something IMPORTANT to ponder. . . .

I am 60 and see the “old guard” hanging on by its fingernails. McCain’s nor Clinton’s barbs about Obama’s alleged inexperience or hollow words will take root with younger and more progressive voters. This country is ready for new leadership and a new direction. It has been lied to and manipulated by the existing political&business establishment for too long. Non-whites have been kept at the political margins for too long. A new America is coming and it will be less extreme and more centrist, less white and less afraid of change. Obama is a manifestation of an underlying political current that will be felt for years to come, like it or not.

I find Obama to be very thoughtful about his approach to things. I agree that what he suggested, is what bush has done… and Obama has said that had we not gone in to Iraq and been sidetracked, we would have caught Osama already… he is all for the Afghanistan war - he is all for fighting terrorism… so when McCain and right wingers put him to task on the war - they are inserting their big feet into their mouths without forethought that we’ve already heard Obama’s position on the matter of Iraq, Osama and the middle east… wake up McCain and stop using fear tactics to get votes, you are sounding just like the status quo Bush 43.

It would be great to “take out” al Qaeda. What can be done to help prevent a future crop of terrorists & how much more bloodshed will this mean for the countries involved?

Well, I am a registered Republican, a former US Army Officer, over the course of the last 30 years I have gone from a conservative right wing fanatic to a left wing liberal. Unfortuently, my views and opinions have not changed, only the scale on which they are measured has changed. McCain lost my confidence when he started courting the current exterme right of the party, while a bit of a hot head, McCain has always been able to balance right from wrong, but he has gone over to the dark side, anything it takes to get votes. Final straw for me was his statement that the bill stating the waterboarding and other methods could not be used by the CIA should be vetoed by Bush. Come on, in the past McCain has called waterboarding a illegal practise, a crimminal act, and now he comes out saying Bush should veto the very bill specifically making it illegal, as if it is alreay in the civilized world, so much for moral high ground, anything to appease the right wing fanatics even if it does harm to the nation and threatens the safety of our servicemen and woman. I expected better from McCain. Guess for the safety and well being of the nation in the fall I will be casting my vote to who ever is not the Republican canidate for President. Have a nice day.

Bob,
Every president that we have elected in modern times has won based on “It’s time for new leadership and . . . I’ll change Washington.” This is what sounds hollow to me. Why haven’t elected a senator as president since Kennedy? They have a record and experience and so we don’t elect them. Yet the very years since have gone down in history as some of the most politcal divisive in America. Whether new or old politics power is the common denominator. I don’t decieve myself that it is anything else.

This is precisely the problem with politics and media coverage of it. McCain’s rhetoric has been all over the political map of recent years. His presidential campaign has had a virtual bucket-load of political fodder on which the media could feed such as the 180-degree inflections as you have cited.

He’s against Bush… he’s for Bush… he’s against tax cuts… he’s for tax cuts… he’s against going after Al Qaeda in Pakistan… he’s for going after Al Qaeda in Pakistan… oh, there’s much more.

I’m confused by this… what did the GOP call John Kerry? Oh, yes… flip-flopper. Straight Talk Express should be renamed the Curly Q Express (sponsored by Arby’s).

Robert
Jakarta

John McCain is fight two fronts. One is the Republican Party and its extreme right wing and the other is the idealistic Democrats like Barak Obama. Either way, he needs to re-address his statements to be more progressive and reduce his dagger throwing toward other candidates.

That kind of talk from McCain just turns me away from him. I would rather go for Obama and his common sense approaches to the problems we face. We don’t need any more macho tough talk from our Presidents.