Columnist - John Sammon
It was one of those defining moments.

During the final debate, John McCain said, in a response to a statement Obama had made about the importance of protecting the health of a mother in an abortion case, that the “health of the mother” is just a buzz phrase to promote an extreme, leftist, pro-abortion position.

The health of the mother EXTREMIST?

This comment will no doubt haunt McCain’s post-election nightmares.

A callous slip of the tongue. It says a lot about McCain, as does his by-now famous smirk, a smirking guy who thinks destiny has chosen him for greatness, and who also thinks that he’s done more for America than anyone else and is more of a “hero” (a constantly abused word) than anyone else.

McCain psychologically suffers from Joan of Arc Disease. This is a malady in which the sufferer sees himself or herself as too good, too pure for an evil traitorous world of subversives, a noble, chaste, heroic person locked in a struggle with ignoble people who are undeserving of the nobility the noble person is offering.

McCain can barely tolerate dissent, and often shows it in his mannerisms.

Obama on the other hand, actually seems to pleasantly embrace the right to have a different opinion.

The real Joan of Arc, a heroic girl, died in a fire, pure, free of the taint of the human foibles of failure, or sin. When you have Joan of Arc Disease, it’s easy to get carried away, to see the world in terms of, it’s them against me. You think that, except for a few cronies, I’m the only heroic man in town, the only good man in town, the only brave man in town, the only self-sacrificing man in town, the only intelligent man in town, the only holy man in town.

And on and on…ad nausea.

Richard Nixon had a major case of Joan of Arc Disease.

Look at the way McCain smirked during the debates. That’s another window into his soul. The smirk. That painful little bogus smile he gets when he grits his teeth and closes his eyes when his opponent says something. At other times, his eyes darted around nervously from side to side, and up and down.

Obama, on the other hand, offered a wide, full and genuine-looking grin.

This election will be decided not just on what the candidates said, but how they said it. Obama appeared confident and relaxed, or alternately thoughtful and reflective. McCain appeared as he often is, angry, erratic, and fearful.

Yes, fearful. McCain is capable of physical courage. But anger is driven, generated primarily by fear. What if I don’t get the upper hand? What if I don’t measure up to being the man? What if I don’t put you in your place, you, who are not as good as me?

What if?

For all his boning up on the issues, spinning it verbally his way, McCain never bothered to study his acting style on camera, how he comes across. He was reminiscent once again of Nixon during the Nixon-Kennedy debate in 1960. John Kennedy looked charming and relaxed, and handsome. Nixon looked haggard, nervous and dishonest. He refused makeup, and had just come out of a hospital treatment.

His eyes blinked like McCain’s.

McCain will always be remembered for the smirking little smile that was a not-very-convincing imitation of a smile, but was easily spotted for what it was, anger, a grimace.

Obama, regardless of political philosophy, came across as an inclusionist who is not threatened by other people. McCain seemed to view the world as white or black, good or bad; everybody who is not with me is against me. I think McCain sees life as a Darwinian contest in which a man to be a man has to measure up to a heroic struggle of some kind. Not the kind of painful, boring tolerance, the give and take, so necessary for progress in a two-party system where freedom of speech and the right to disagree is a center pillar of our Constitution..

Fear is what drives McCain, even though the persona he projects is one of physical courage.

Popularity: 5% [?]

“A woman voting for McCain and Palin is like a chicken voting for Colonel Sanders.” — Ashley Judd, Actress

CNSNews.com [Friday, September 26, 2008] - Actress Ashley Judd said Thursday she wants to see African children survive beyond their fifth birthday, women treated as “a lot more than the sum of our reproductive organs,” text messages sent to the cell phones of men in the Congo to improve their “attitude toward women,” and that–given Sen. John McCain’s poor rating by Planned Parenthood–an American woman who votes for McCain-Palin is “like a chicken voting for Colonel Sanders.” …[MORE]

Harland David Sanders (Colonel Sanders)	Ashley Tyler Ciminella (Ashley Judd)

Popularity: 6% [?]

John McCain announced that he was running for president to confront the "transcendent challenge" of the 21st century, "radical Islamic extremism," contrasting it with "stability, tolerance and democracy." But the values of his handpicked running mate, Sarah Palin, more resemble those of Muslim fundamentalists than they do those of the Founding Fathers. On censorship, the teaching of creationism in schools, reproductive rights, attributing government policy to God’s will and climate change, Palin agrees with Hamas and Saudi Arabia rather than supporting tolerance and democratic precepts. What is the difference between Palin and a Muslim fundamentalist? Lipstick. ….[ more ]

On the Republican “Fundamentalist Intolerance” Mouthpiece — ‘FOX Noise‘:

Asked on Fox & Friends about the “damage done” by having Keith Olbermann and Chris Matthews anchor MSNBC’s election coverage, the Media Research Center’s Tim Graham responded, “Not only is the damage already done, the damage continues. I mean, not only are they keeping these people on for an hour a night, they’re adding this lesbian Air America radio host, Rachel Maddow, on every night.”

| read more |

Reference: Why rednecks may rule the world (By Joe Bageant — Author of Deerhunting With Jesus)

Popularity: 12% [?]

 Columnist - John Sammon
The original scenario at the Republican Convention had John McCain standing before a giant computer generated digital movie screen, the latest high tech technology, showing a gigantic American flag, a giant crucifix, as well as an apple pie cooling on a windowsill, and a photo montage of an elderly woman (symbolizing the flag, religion, mother and apple pie).

All American themes. The pie, mother, and the crucifix were eliminated at the last moment when it was decided by campaign strategists that this was laying on the sanctimony a little too thick.

The announcer, sounding pious, reverential, solemn in an almost choking voice like it was the most important thing that ever happened, was to then read from a prepared text.

“John McCain is a fighter. He decided he was going to be a fighter at birth. He fought to come into this world. He fought for you in Vietnam, and now he’s going to be fighting for you in the White House.”

The spectators scream, yell and applaud.

“Many years ago, John McCain learned that life requires you to fight. He was standing on the deck of the Battleship Cornblatt with his war hero uncle, and the clouds parted and the sunlight shone upon him, and he was heard to say, ’some day, I’ll make this world a place to be worthy, but I’ll fight for the right.’

John McCain knows he’s a fighter.

He knows God. And he fights alongside God.

He’s the candidate for change. McCain supported President Bush in Iraq.

McCain is for change.

(Applause)

McCain supported Bush on immigration (guest worker program). McCain is for change.

McCain is against the Kyoto (global warming) Treaty. So is Bush.

McCain is for change.

(Wild applause).

McCain supports illegal wiretaps. So does Bush.

(Manic applause).

McCain is for change.

McCain is for the educational program, Every Child Left Behind. So is Bush.

They also agree mostly on health care, Medicare, taxes, abortion and trade.

McCain is for change.

But he isn’t afraid to fight.

John McCain isn’t slow to make the tough choices because John McCain understands you have to fight, and fight hard.”

A montage of heavily armed jet aircraft sweeps across the movie screen as a thrilling crescendo musical interlude of violins and harps, sounding literally like music from heaven, fills our ears.

The announcer piously resumes: “John McCain has fought. All his life he has fought. He fought for you back then (Vietnam), and he’ll fight for you now.

You see, destiny calls upon one special man each millennium to lead his people into the Promised Land. Pulling us into the future. Into our destiny. Our legacy. Destiny is only known to a very few. A select few. Courageous enough, bold enough. John McCain is one of those men. Very once in a great while, a great man appears whose greatness reflects upon us, that embodies the superior spirit of America, the supreme greatness of America alone among nations, the right, the duty, of America to lead, to teach, to uplift, to dominate, to spread itself across the globe.

Duty, country, family!

Only a man who is a fighter can know such a vision. A man who has fought. John McCain. John McCain loves his country. John McCain is his country. John McCain fights for his country.

John McCain will fight alongside you.”

The script (the version you saw on TV) was altered slightly when campaign strategists decided at the last moment they wanted to make McCain appear slightly more a man of the people.

Copyright 2008 Sammonsays.

Popularity: 10% [?]

George W. Bush has been an unmitigated disaster as commander-in-chief, he leaves his successor with a quagmire in Iraq and a steadily worsening situation in Afghanistan. I just hope he doesn’t entangle us with a war with Iran before he leaves office.

Bush made a mess out of our foreign policy playing general, now he’s going to make a mess out of women’s health playing Surgeon General. Bush is lobbying for a proposal that would equate some forms of contraception with abortion:

“Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., blasted a Bush administration proposal Friday that would change the definition of abortion and, she argues, limit women’s access to contraception.

The draft proposal written by the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS), which began circulating around Capitol Hill this week, would require hospitals receiving federal funds to hire medical personnel who oppose forms of contraception including birth control pills.

But Democratic critics including Clinton warn that the Bush administration changes would have ‘damaging’ consequences on women’s ability to access birth control.” …Quotation from ABC News/Matthew Jaffe

A medical practitioner has a right to a personal belief that it’s morally wrong to take birth control pills, but he shouldn’t have a right to refuse to dispense a morning-after pill to a woman who has been raped. Medical personnel shouldn’t let their religious beliefs interfere with providing patients with the medication they need.

Leading Democrats have spoken out against Bush’s proposal that would change the definition of abortion, but McCain has been silent on the issue. This is the same John McCain who was rendered silent when a reporter asked why many health insurance companies cover Viagra for men but not birth control for women.

John McCain should be anathema to anyone who cares about issues that impact women, but many angry Hillary supporters plan to sit out the general election or vote for John McCain. These women are so infatuated with Hillary, it smacks of a cult of personality.

If John McCain is elected president we will remain stuck in Iraq for a hundred years, and women’s rights will be set back a hundred years.

Popularity: 12% [?]