Obama: McCain is 'losing his bearings'

[BigD_95]

Obama: McCain is 'losing his bearings'

WASHINGTON (CNN) – Barack Obama chastised John McCain Thursday for engaging in “smear” politics, and defended himself from critics who question whether he is capable of being commander-in-chief, during a wide-ranging interview with CNN’s Wolf Blitzer -- his first sit-down since the Indiana and North Carolina primaries.

“This is offensive, and I think it's disappointing,” Obama told Blitzer, when asked his thoughts about McCain’s comments that the terrorist organization Hamas wants Obama to be president. “Because John McCain always says ‘I am not going to run that kind of politics,’ and to engage in that kind of smear is unfortunate, particularly because my policy toward Hamas has been no different than his.

“I’ve said it’s a terrorist organization and we should not negotiate with them unless they recognize Israel, renounce violence, and unless they are willing to abide by previous accords between the Palestinians and the Israelis. So for him to toss out comments like that I think is an example of him losing his bearings as he pursues this nomination. We don’t need name calling in this debate.”

Blitzer’s interview with Obama can be seen in full at 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. ET in The Situation Room.

On the topic of national security, Obama said that the American people are looking for a leader with “good judgment” -- a trait the Democratic presidential hopeful said he possessed.

“Whether it’s my judgment on Iraq and recognizing that that was going to be a strategic blunder, to my insistence that we need to talk not just to countries we like, but countries we don’t, to my assessment in terms of how we had over-invested in the Musharraf government in Pakistan and that was going to be setting us up for failure later on,” Obama said. “I think I’ve consistently displayed the kind of judgment that the American people are looking for in the next president.”

Obama also talked in-depth about the Democratic nomination battle with Hillary Clinton, the Supreme Court, economic policy, and he spoke emotionally about his mother and wife.

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/05/08/obama-mccain-is-losing-his-bearings/

-- CNN’s Mark Preston and Alexander Mooney

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

1. Keep hittin' out of the park, Obama

He's taking charge and framing the issue. "Losing his bearings" will go great with "losing his temper" "no coherent plan", etc. etc.

[anigbrowl]

3. not so far away from 'losing his marbles' either :-) .nt

[SoonerPride]

4. That's what I thought.

His bearings are spilling out of his puffy head and rolling around on the floor.

[PoliticalAmazon]

27. I was thinking maybe McCain needs a front-end alignment. n/t

[BOSSHOG]

2. I hope

whomever the Dem nominee is is successful in helping McCain meltdown and explode, preferably on live TV.

The only difference between McCain and bush is that McCain served honorably in the military.

[redqueen]

18. Preferably during a debate.

Should be lots of people watching.

[roseBudd]

28. Yes and during a debate with a much taller candidate, McSame has short man complex

[redqueen]

32. Ooooh...

I hadn't thought of that!

:rofl:

[Starbucks Anarchist]

33. Are you a Marx Brothers fan?

I'm imagining McCain as Harpo puffing himself up before finally going nuts.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

48. He's basically the same height as Jon Stewart.

That jumped out at me.


Hillary is reportedly 5'7".

[roseBudd]

50. John McCain is reportedly 5'7" I imagine Hillary does not wear flats

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

51. You're right.

[CreekDog]

49. the Republicans better make sure Romney's battery is fully charged

they might need to put him into operation.

[rocktivity]

5. Losing his bearings--nice

Don't expect Obama to be as "gentlemanly" as he is with Hillary--I think you're going to see a much more aggressive version.

:headbang:
rocknation

[redqueen]

20. Obama said as much!

He said he wasn't going to get into it with a fellow Dem, but he would with McCain.

:D

[bunnies]

6. Obama to McCrazy: "its ON".

Gobama!

[Tim4319]

7. John McCain is a nother Republican puppet!

Just like GWB, who was formed out of clay in Karl Rove's room, is being used as a pawn by the Republicans. I believe John McCain is being used pretty much the same way. How can one deny how he was once hated by majority of the Republican Party, to him changing much of his thinking to conform to many of the Republican ways. He is a puppet.

I am glad to hear Barack address that issue squarely and right up front. I hope he does not back off!

[casus belli]

8. The old man won't know what hit him

He's had the luxury of being able to fight him via surrogate for the whole primary. When they share a stage and present their vision for the future to Americans, it's not even going to be a close race. And when McCain realizes he's outmatched, he'll go negative like most desperate politicians do.

[David__77]

9. I LOOOOOOVE it!

It hits all the right subconscious notes without being needlessly nasty seeming. He's very good indeed. I saw great skill in him way back in early 2004 as a primary senatorial candidate. I am so pleased to see him advance this far! We will indeed demolish McCain - he'll be political dust.

[nichomachus]

10. Brilliant

"losing his bearings"

That's basically saying that he's crazy without actually saying that he's crazy. Love it.

[TexasObserver]

11. Crazy John McCain is proving he talks without thinking.

"Shoot from the lip" is the phrase most commonly associated with the senate's most diminutive male member; i.e., the smallest prick in the senate.

[Schema Thing]

12. It's almost like the press are really just recalcitrant teenagers

and have been for so many years.


And when a politician actually speaks to them like an adult, they respond positively.

[redqueen]

23. That's an interesting take...

I hope you're right.

[FrenchieCat]

13. There we go.......

What a classy punch line! LoL!

[Vinca]

14. Yesterday McCain said he wanted to put missile sites

in Czechoslovakia. One problem: it doesn't exist anymore.

[redqueen]

24. Oops!

[BigD_95]

25. is that true?

[Vinca]

37. Link.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/05/06/mccain-wants-missle-defen_n_100474.html

[jazzjunkysue]

40. Are you serious?! He really said that?

Popcorn, please.
:popcorn:

[livetohike]

15. First, the wheels came off and now the bearings are gone!

LOL

[KillCapitalism]

16. As intelligent and eloquent as Obama is...

I have no doubt he will make McCain look like a bumbling fool.

[redqueen]

17. I wonder if McCain is sad that his free ride is over...

or if he's more scared.

[Goodnevil]

19. Wasn't McCain's Wife

quoted as saying that John will run a clean campaign?

[Javaman]

21. If by saying bearings he means marbles, then he's right. nt

[Ichingcarpenter]

22. McCain Muntiny aka Captain Queeg

Captain Queeg:

Ahh, but the strawberries that's... that's where I had them. They laughed at me and made jokes but I proved beyond the shadow of a doubt and with... geometric logic... that a duplicate key to the wardroom icebox DID exist, and I'd have produced that key if they hadn't of pulled the Caine out of action. I, I, I know now they were only trying to protect some fellow officers..

[SteveM]

30. Great movie (in color). Was that Bogart's last?

[momster]

42. Not Quite

He made a handful more, including Sabrina, before dying in 1957. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000007/

[SteveM]

53. Thanks. I loved "Key Largo." Disturbing themes, fine acting (nt)

[SlipperySlope]

26. Mr. Clean talking here

McCain doesn't see the train acoming.

[ProgressiveEconomist]

29. Bearings... or MARBLES ?

[Thrill]

31. Wolf actually had a good interview. None of the stupid ass Rev. Wright and Flagpin shit

[Avalux]

34. I keep telling everyone the gloves come off with McCain.

The GE will show us the fight in Obama. He will be able to go after McCain like he couldn't do with Hillary.

[Carrieyazel]

44. Saying you're "offended" means the gloves are coming off?

He's gotta go in harder than that.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

47. Very true.

If Obama had been too rough with Hillary, it would have been framed as the angry black guy beating up on the older white lady, which of course, Hillary would exploit to no end.

[NashVegas]

35. LOL ... That Didn't Take Long At All

[GoesTo11]

36. I think Obama meant it in a classier way "bearings" = sense of direction

In the context of the quote, he's saying that McCain is losing his way, straying off the high road, etc. Not making a losing his marbles joke.

Prediction: News loop spin will be about Obama's saying McCain lost his marbles, how Obama is taking the low road, etc.

[David__77]

38. I disagree.

I don't think the news cycle will focus on that. But if it did, it's to Obama's advantage and McCain's detriment. It posits Obama as the Democratic contender in the general election, and raises questions about McCain that can't help him. It's a fact that he's frequently befuddled. I believe he can be typecast more easily than many would think.

[me b zola]

39. Yeah, I heard it as a "loss of moral bearings"

I think he may be setting up the counter punches to McCain's "maverick" talking points. Obama will be able to easily say that once upon a time McCain was "his own man" (a McCain talking point to distance himself from bush*), but just in the last two years McCain has went from opposing torture to legislating for torture, went from opposing bush*s tax cuts for the wealthy to supporting tax cuts for the wealthy. The word 'bearings' also has a military connotation, hence further taking away from McCain's argument that his military experience would make him a better CIC.

Yep, loss of moral bearings. Very shrewd on Obama's part. :thumbsup:

[jazzjunkysue]

41. Fabulous turn of phrase. I'm loving this. Barack is hitting all home runs.

Bill Clinton only wishes he was this good.

McGramps is gonna give Barack so many great opportunites.

The next 5 months are going to make up for alot of the loss of heart in the last 8 years.

Then,Barack is going to put this country back on the tracks and drive it home.

[Carrieyazel]

43. One drawback for Obama: "I'm offended. They wanna hurt me. Don't hurt me."

Makes him look weak to the swing voting crowd.

[SoonerPride]

52. No, he hit back nin the same breath.

Call it out as offensive and then say "old crazy man is confused again."

He also smacked Mittens around in the same interview.

Pointing out that Mittens was now out of the race and watching from the outside: "Here we are and there he is."

[Lucky 13]

45. Feels good to be sparring with Republicans again, doesn't it?

:)

[ecstatic]

46. and stupid McCain took the (perceived?) bait! Will it really be this easy

to confuse and out maneuver McCain?!