So, to analyze, we know what Obama was trying to do here. McCain has been using the bracelet line many times over the campaign, it's a standard part of his stump, and an effective one too. The Obama camp clearly wanted a response to that, and so they crafted one here.
So there's two parts to the gaffe; one was the immediate response, "I have a bracelet too..." which made it sound lame and childish. The line would have come off much better if he had first talked about something, anything for a minute, and then bring it up at the end of his response.
But the reason I thought it was a huge gaffe on Obama's part was that he totally muffed the name. Cynics will say that McCain's soldiers bracelet is just an election gimmick, one that McCain doesn't think much about off the stump. But by looking down for the actual name, Obama proved the gimmickyness of his bracelet.
Or was that the point? To show up McCain as in "I have a gimmick too." Which would be an attempt to bring McCain down to Obama's level as just an ordinary cynical politician. I really don't think that's what Obama intended to do.
On the substance, it reflects a major cultural divide between Obama and McCain. McCain comes from a culture which deeply values the sacrifices of soldiers and making sure those sacrifices are meaningful. Obama seems to be saying that soldiers should never have to sacrifice in the first place, which is a nice thought... maybe he can banish evil while he's at it.
Anyway, gaffe, blown opportunity, or effective response: sound off in the comments.
David Stacy is a network administrator from Cincinnati, OH. Dave has been blogging at nixguy.com since 2004, and AOL's political blogs since 2006.
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Obama has a bracelet too. McCain fought next to half those men whos names are on those bracelets; Obama was given his and had to remember who gave it to him. Next time you see a photo, look and see if he's wearing it.
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GE
8:34AM Sep 27th 2008
CNN) – Prominent conservative columnist Kathleen Parker, an early supporter of Republican VP candidate Sarah Palin, said Friday recent interviews have shown the Alaska governor is "out of her league" and should leave the GOP presidential ticket for the good of the party.
The criticism in Parker's Friday column is the latest in a recent string of negative assessments toward the McCain-Palin candidacy from prominent conservatives.
It was fun while it lasted," Parker writes. "Palin’s recent interviews with Charles Gibson, Sean Hannity, and now Katie Couric have all revealed an attractive, earnest, confident candidate. Who is clearly out of her league."
Palin's interview with Couric drew criticism when the Alaska governor was unable to provide an example of when John McCain had pushed for more regulation of Wall Street during his Senate career. Palin also took heat for defending her foreign policy credentials by suggesting Russian leaders enter Alaska airspace when they come to America. Palin was also criticized last week for appearing not to know what the Bush Doctrine is during an interview with Charlie Gibson.
“If BS were currency, Palin could bail out Wall Street herself," Parker also writes. "If Palin were a man, we’d all be guffawing, just as we do every time Joe Biden tickles the back of his throat with his toes. But because she’s a woman — and the first ever on a Republican presidential ticket — we are reluctant to say what is painfully true."
Parker, who praised McCain's "keen judgment" for picking Palin earlier this month and wrote the Alaska governor is a "perfect storm of God, Mom and apple pie," now says Palin should step down from the ticket.
“Only Palin can save McCain, her party, and the country she loves," Parker writes. She can bow out for personal reasons, perhaps because she wants to spend more time with her newborn. No one would criticize a mother who puts her family first. Do it for your country."
Parker's comments follow those by prominent conservatives David Brooks, George Will, and David Frum who have all publicly questioned Palin's readiness to be vice president.
"Sarah Palin has many virtues," Brooks wrote in a recent column. "If you wanted someone to destroy a corrupt establishment, she'd be your woman. But the constructive act of governance is another matter. She has not been engaged in national issues, does not have a repertoire of historic patterns and, like President Bush, she seems to compensate for her lack of experience with brashness and excessive decisiveness
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Bob
10:04AM Sep 27th 2008
As a veteran, I find it insulting that Obama makes fun of those of us actually trying to serve our country instead of trying to rape it. We've got troops on the ground in a war and he's undermining our efforts and the efforts of our Commander-in-chief. It's a shame that he couldn't even remember the name of the person on the bracelet he was wearing. Another Jane Fonda, communist type running for office.
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GE
8:34AM Sep 27th 2008
Mc Cain has made some really bad choices with his campaign. Choosing Sarah Palin, without really looking into her background, was a huge mistake for himself, his camapaign, the Republican Party and for America. This will be his DOWNFALL. His "irratic" behavior lately tells us much about this man.
Palin is an INSULT to all hard- working Americans who have a BRAIN. Although very few voters pay attention to the VP choice, you need to do this in this election because SHE IS A HEARTBEAT away from this presidency and she is not BRIGHT enough to run this wonderful country. WE deserve BETTER!
Palin's lack of experience puts all of AMERICA at RISK and makes us vulnerable targets for terrorism in the World. Palin is uninstructed on so many different issues, she lacks good judgement and has ZERO critical thinking skills. I am embarrassed by her and her lack of political savy. Surely, the Republican Party has many more experienced candidates & qualitfied politicians. There are numerous Republicans who have so much knowledge on foreign policy, the environment and the Economy. There must be more moderate type Republicans and "middle-of-the-road" Republicans who are PRO-Choice- Pro-Environment,Pro-SCIENCE, pro-Education, Pro-Healthcare. Palin is an religious EXTREMIST- Hide the KOOLAIDE, folks; Heaven's GATE, here we go AGAIN. In my opinion, she is LOONEY!
I hope everyone caught Palin's interview with Katie Couric.....Palin was so "programed and so scripted" and could not answer simple questions about the War in Iraq and the Economy. If it was not in her script, she could not process the questions Couric was ASKING. This is SCARY. She reminded me so much of BUSH & his hayseed incompetence. When GW addresses the PUBLIC, HE READS A SCRIPT BUT DOES NOT KNOW WHAT IT SAYS OR MEANS. He mispronounces names and babbles through like a two year-old. The light is on but the info. is NOT being processed. Both Bush and Palin cannot answer questions off their scripts. Frankly, they are both quite stupid and not World Leaders. FRIGHTENING!
What has happened to the REAL Republican party? Where have they gone???? They used to be fiscally responsible and now they are not and they ALL GAVE free reign to the Crawford Village Idiot and did not challenge his AGENDA. WE are in this mess becasue of the GOP-plain and simple. Has everyone in this party been posessed by religious fanatics, religious cults and religious extremists? Keep your religious beliefs out of politics. Just because you claim to be a Christian, it does NOT make you ethical-case in point, Bush, Cheney, Mc Cain,Rove, etc.
When Clinton left Office, our Country was moving forward. Everyone loved us. Our Nation's finances were clean and in ORDER. Clinton and HIS administration left us in the black. WE were looking good and a WORLD LEADER. Right now the poorest nations refuse to ACCEPT U S A Currency.......our economy is sliding fast with the help of the GOP at the HELM. Hey GOP, if you want Republicans in office, can you pick some sharper bulbs??
The GOP has let America down. WE are at WAR and a WAR that they created based on lies, the same lies Mc Cain continues in his campaign. When Clinton left office, gas was about $1.50/gallon and now it is $4.30 a gallon in certain parts of the Nation. When Clinton left Office, Cereal was about $1.85 and now it is $5.20 a small box. America was PROSPEROUS and MOVING forward. People wer buying homes and investing. Now there are foreclosures and people are losing everything!!!! People have lost their life's savings. People are unemployed and have lost jobs and their livelihoods. People have lost themsleves WHILE THE GOP LIES ON. Enough is Enough.
Banks and Financial instituions are going under but the people at the top are still walking away with hundreds of millions(many are the personal friends of Mc CAIN and BUSH-one just happens to be Mc Cain's best friend). The cost of Education and Health CARE has skyrocketed. The typical family cannot afford college for thie children or even trade schools. The Environment is frightening and Mc Cain and BUSH have IGNORED EVERYTHING, the signals, the symptoms and could CARE LESS.
KATRINA and its aftermath was a TRAGEDY and Bush and Mc Cain were eating birthday cake on the TARMAC. So many lives lost and so much devestation.....they could care less. Value human life- do they? Doubtful! All talk and no SHOW. Gore did more for ALL Katrina victims and he was not our president! He should have been. At least he cared.
Electing Mc CAIN is a huge mistake. He is DICK CHENEY in disguise. He has this BULLY mentality, is arrogant and gruff and has no plan for REAL America other than his focus on Iraq. Where is his plan for the Middle Class, jobs, the economy? Mc Cain seems to be focused on Iraq and that is his AGENDA. He is stuck too much in the Vietnam ERA and has nothing to offer the America public on the economy, new jobs, etc.TODAY!!! He seems OBSESSED with Iraq and I personally thinks there is some senility there that is being hidden by the GOP and his campaign advisers.
I personally do not care about his WAR record. He is NOT my HERO- Any man who leaves a DISABLED spouse to carry on with his MISTRESS has NO integrity and is not a HERO in my BOOK. His record, these past 8 years, under BUSH tells me everything I need to know......He has done nothing for the AMERICAN PUBLIC. He is OUT of touch with the Blue Collar workers, the UNIONS, the families who have built this great Nation.
Mc Cain thinks Middle Class Americans have at least 5 MILLION dollars in their SAVINGS accounts....... What PLANET is Mc Cain from? Again, he is not my HERO. I cannot relate to Mc Cain, his 13 cars and his 7 homes and his BARBIE heiress wife.
I cannot relate to Palin - she seems like a total "HEAD-CASE" who could use some psycholgical counseling and some DE-PROGRAMMING from her religious CULT experiences. I am voting for Obama and I will not vote for any Republican running for OFFICE in November. I want CHANGE & I want to feed my family.
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GE
8:40AM Sep 27th 2008
Mc Cain should have spent less time on his MAKE-UP and more time on his DEBATE. He is so stuck in the VIETNAM era that he has lost sight of what is happening in AMERICA at this time; RIGHT NOW. He is out of touch. His agenda is all about IRAQ and he has no real plans for getting us out of the mess he helped CREATE.
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Jane
3:48PM Sep 27th 2008
OH REALLY, OBAMA HAS A BRACELET ... PROBLEM, HE WASN'T WEARING IT ... MAYBE, THE SAME PROBLEM HE HAS WITH WEARING HIS PATRIATISM ON HIS LAPEL. MCCAIN WAS THE CLASS ACT LAST NIGHT, AND DEFINITIVE AFFIRMED HILLARY AND JOE'S PRE-NOMINATION FOR THE DEMOCRATS THAT HE IS NOT READY.
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miapas
9:06AM Sep 27th 2008
I HAVE A BRACELET TOO!
Sounds like Sen. Obama could care less.
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ftq73
9:14AM Sep 27th 2008
bottom line is I trust McCain with forign policy and I do not trust Obama with it, Obama is a smart guy I just dont think he has what it takes to keep my country safe.
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Kitty
9:06AM Sep 27th 2008
I am not much of a Palin fan. There would have been many other choices that would be better suited for the VP. I think this has hurt him more than it had helped him. Listening to them both, McCain sounds much more confident in that role. Obama seemed lost at times. Like without his speach writer or one of his MANY advisors he is unsure of himself. Not exactly what I had hoped to see. Nor who I hope to see in the white house given the present situation. Interesting that he did not want to even meet about the bailout, but suddenly now "I support it". It is clear that BOTH of them are more intelligent than Bush or Kerry. This was more of an actual debate than the "I know you are but what am I?" sort of thing we saw last time.
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barry
9:07AM Sep 27th 2008
GE.....What debate did you watch and why do you all hate a Conservative Woman? Let's see....Only the Governor of Alaska....Wasn't Bill Clinton only the Governor of Arkansas??? What is in Arkansas??? If it were only possible to split the Country in two. Give the Dems one side...and watch it FAIL and give the Conservatives the other side and watch everyone want to come to that side. Just like Lousiana...run by a Democrat..can't make decisions and always has to blame someone else. No matter how muxh you hate it... SARAH...AMERICA'S MOM
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Paul
9:15AM Sep 27th 2008
It is clear that the fanatics that support B.Hussein Obama will say he won last nights debate when in reality if these people would pull there heads out of the as_s they would see that senator McCain exposed B.O. for the dangerous man he is and waht a terrible, scary president he would be. I watched the debate not expecting McCain to do well but he was on the top of his game and better then I had ever seen him. B. Hussein Obama is a well polished speaking man who is basically not unlike a used car saleman. He would say anything to be elected as the first black man. A oersons skin color does that make a good leader. He has no experience to speak of while McCain has a lifetime of experience to be prepared anbd ready to serve begining day 1. McCain/Palin 08! Hillary 2012!
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hank
10:23AM Sep 28th 2008
Obama better wear that bracelet all the time now. "lame and childish" is the way I view him in his entirety. He has no backbone to stand up to the dictators in this dangerous world.
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AmericanGirl
9:17AM Sep 27th 2008
The whole debate was a landslide for McCain. Obama looked very UN-Presidential. I would never feel safe with Barak Obama in Office. The terrorists would be on our shores the day after he took office.
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Audrey
9:35AM Sep 27th 2008
Senator McCain is an old man living in the past. He is repititious, spiteful and negative. He definitely is not ready for our world today. As far as the bracelet goes obama showed his because all McCain did all night was brag brag brag. But all his good deeds ere a long long time ago. I am 73 years young. McCain is still in the 20th century.
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Shocked
9:19AM Sep 27th 2008
GE,
Who do you think has the time or cares to read you long pasted in posts?
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Jamie
9:30AM Sep 27th 2008
Obama isn't even American in aything he does. He has no sense of being patriotic, he doesn't appreciate the men and women defending our freedom and our rights. How can he be president when he doesn't value anything our country stands for and this comment about the bracelet shows that even more.
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Shocked
9:25AM Sep 27th 2008
Obama is a shiny new toy for the democrats. The debate last night showed that beneath the surface there's not much there. I have yet to hear anything from him of substance that I can believe will make this country a better place for those he refers to as "on mainstreet". In my opinion he has the same appeal as Santa Claus...a nice thought, but an unrealistic idea. His vague assertions of how he would change our country and our economy are about as possible as Santa Claus delivering toys around the world in one night.
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BonBon
9:30AM Sep 27th 2008
IF you are going to wear a bracelet in memory of a fallen soldier Obama, try to remember his name next time....I have a bracelet too!....so immature. Also on the next debate please stop interrupting Senator McCain on his two minutes...and making faces. Thank you.
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charles
9:39AM Sep 27th 2008
I shall vote for McCain because: 1) he would be the first Commander-in-chief for 16 years who has had actual uniformed COMBAT service, and understands warfare and the troopers who must fight it on an intimate level, 2) he WILL face off with the Congress on ALL "PORK" projects included in legislation and work diligetnly to make Washington live within its means which to me has to be the foundation of solving any and all financial crisises of the USA! That's it, these two are all I need; oh, and it helps to be determined to vote against that empty suit, Barack Hussein Obama, whose candidacy, considering his grossly shallow pool of experience, is an insult to the office of President. As for Sarah Palin, it would seem that Obama's lack of experience, especially on foreign policy, qualified his selection of Sen Biden, a Washington insider icon, but McCain is not allowed to balance his ticket with someone, like Palin, who can and did excite the GOP base for his election and bring the traditionally sought out executive experiences of an actual Governor to a ticket. For all the insults by some of Sarah Palin's lack of foreign policy experience, I need only ask them to compare her to some "Veeps" of the past, and ask that it be acknowledged that NO ONE comes to either the Presidency or "Veep" absent of some need of that "on the job training" she is being criticized for. The moaners and groaners of the "peanut gallery" of the GOP need to get a grip; it is they who are harming the party, and its efforts to secure a future variant from EU socialism for America, not Sarah Palin. A President McCain has been tagged with a "life expectancy" handicap, which only became more intense fodder for the Liberal media, and now I guess the "peanut gallery" of the right, but ANTONE can die today; no one's life time is etched in stone. I had a nephew who dropped dead on a college football field at the age of 19, never having been anything other than the epitomy of youthful vogor and health, and I was diagnosed with cancer at 43, absent of any family history or other normal indicators. People die every day of auto accidents in this nation (more than die on the fields of foreign conflict). Age is relative, and should be no more of a factor in this contest than Obama's skin color (I won't call him Black, or African-american, eventhough he has been sold as the first Black candidate for the Presidency, as he was birthed of a White mother!
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Abby
9:34AM Sep 27th 2008
Can anyone tell me this for certain: has Sen. Obama even visited our troops in the Middle East? Has he spoke to those still there, or has he limited himself to just talking to those who have come home, and those who survived the men and women who died fighting? Has he seen what these soldiers see day in and day out? Or has he been too busy wooing the American public to vote him into Office and not made the time to actually see for himself what is going on outside of the US?
Let's put aside party affiliations, gender and race, and really listen to what each candidate has to say; look at what each candidate has done; and compare the experiences of each candidate. Take away the speech writers, the handlers, the advisers, etc, and look at what each candidate can bring. Because honestly, when I do that, I know WHO I'm voting for, and it's not Sen. Obama.