October 30, 2008

If you can't say something nice try anyway. Voters are asked to come up with something nice to say about the candidate they aren't voting for. Can we give it a try?

I know we're mostly Obamites and Obama Mamas here, but if there are any McCain-supporting lurkers out there (Fes...are you there?), I'd like to hear from you too.

  • I'll start...I like SenatorMcCain. He's his own man and has a great sense of humour.
  • yeah...I think Sarah Palin is really awesome in Alaska!! I think it's really great when she is there and only has a limited political scope in Alaska only. I bet she is the bestest hockey mom evar in Alaska. She is my favorite lipstick-wearing pig!!
  • I think it's nice that people like Sarah Palin are allowed to participate in the democratic process. Howzzat?
  • OK, OK -- I like McCain for standing for the classical version of the Republican party, less government interference or spending, of a strong individualist outlook, being the party of Eisenhower or Teddy Roosevelt. It couldn't have been easy for McCain to remain true to that, nor watch what his party became.
  • John McCain was a handsome guy 30 years ago. I mean that...
  • I admire that McCain is generally willing to admit his personal failings. That Frontline special on the two candidates made me sympathize with him a lot more than I had previously. Before this election, he also struck me as blunt and honest almost to a fault (for instance, after the whole Keating Five thing blew up, he didn't run for cover, he took every single interview requested of him that he could schedule). The 2000-era "Straight Talk Express" was a beautiful, real thing, and my sincerest hope for him is that we'll all see that McCain come back after the election's over.
  • I say this not as snark -- I'm considering it a goal here to come up with a non-backhanded compliment about Palin that doesn't involve her looks. Right now I've got nothing, but there's gotta be something.
  • I admire Palin's tenacity. That's a fine quality...
  • Well, there you go. She's tough and evidently unafraid of a fight.
  • lesseeee.... Several things out of Palin's mouth the other day weren't as stupid as they could have been. (how's that?)
  • Not good enough. Come on.
  • I always thought that Goldwater's sort of "nuke-em" philosophy would probably solve a lot of problems.
  • wait, that's over?
  • Palin is exactly the sort of person I want as a neighbor. Buried under all the waffling and bush-like crap that's gotten attached to his campaign, McCain is a sensible guy. If the bush years hadn't happened (say, if it were 2000 again) I'd be inclined to give him a serious thinking about.
  • I admire the fact that Sarah Palin accepted McCain's offer to be on the ticket...and that she endured the extremely harsh criticism from the press and the late-night hosts and still came out swinging and stayed on her message.
  • That does say a lot about someone. Not any person could withstand that kind of direct attention, on such a large scale, almost instantaneously...
  • He's got a nice smile.
  • McCain survived more that five years in a North Vietnam POW camp. It is nearly impossible to imagine the suffering that he had to endure. And yet, he was able to survive and had the abilities needed to wed a beer heiress, win high political offices, and survive the tear-the-man-down battles to be the presidential candidate. John McCain could have been the man of the hour, except for the abysmal performance of his party leadership these last few years, and the undeniable charisma of his opponent.
  • She makes me feel better about my own flute playing.
  • I think it's nice that people like Sarah Palin are allowed to participate in the democratic process. To make it to the higher levels of US Government, you have to sell your soul over and over to get there. You cannot get to the next level by being right on the issues. You can only get there by having the support of the party powers, and by kissing whatever asses it takes to raise enough money to win. The only way around this is to spend yourself directly in, like Ross Perot, or to be famous enough to do it, like Schwarzenegger or Ventura. Sarah Palin found another way, and I am glad she did. She is not from great money. While many people at the highest levels of US Government have, at one time, lived somewhat like me, they all did so a long time ago. Sarah Palin was living like me two years ago. That is great. She was a small-town mayor two years ago. Now, a small-town mayor can probably only jump straight to governor in a state like Alaska, but at least she did it. And she could have become the Vice President. I think that is fantastic. I disagree wholeheartedly with her politics and I think that she is not intellectually up to the job, but I felt that way about George W. Bush, too. So, to sum up, my nice thing to say about Sarah Palin is that maybe she is showing that the top of our government doesn't have to be such an exclusive group that required soul-selling to get into.
  • On somewhat similar lines, I think Sarah Palin makes an excellent local politician. She's engaging, charming, and she delivers well when comfortable with the subject matter.
  • John McCain refused to accept early release from a Vietcong prison camp out of respect for his fellow soldiers. This is an outstanding act of valor.
  • Palin's got nice tits. (Someone had to bring the tone down.)
  • Ralph, thanks for addressing a lot of issues over the years. Obama, a lot of people are counting on you if you win. I personally don't feel you are qualified, but, given my overall opinion of politics I don't really care. Sometimes a fresh face with new ideas is all you need. If you win, good luck. If not, try again. If you don't win, next time have the balls to pick your own running mate and don't let the party saddle you with such a douche bag. John, I wish you had won the nomination in 2000. I think things would be a lot different now if you had. That said, I think you missed your window and should retire gracefully out of politics if you lose this election. Sarah, never heard of you until this year. Please go back to Alaska and stay there. Joe, fuck you. You piece of shit.
  • I'll second that comment in reference to Joe...
  • The plumber or the Biden?
  • I was thinking Lieberman myself...
  • He's not long for this world.
  • It can pretty tasteless at times, but McCain has a sense of humor.
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  • "Ralph, thanks for addressing a lot of issues over the years." I have tried my best. Thank you. Also, perhaps I am wrong, but I don't believe that "Joe, fuck you. You piece of shit" fails into the general let's play nice guidelines of this thread.
  • Also, John, you were great on SNL when you played John Ashcroft. Brilliant.
  • Fes...are you there You know, I think about the least likely strategy for getting Fes back is asking him to play token right winger again.
  • Need more threads about threads.
  • It also didn't work when we asked him to put on the Enlarged Prostate Halloween costume, which seemed like a sure bet.
  • While we're on the subject of saying nice things... I admire Ralph's dedication. His eloquence. And his affinity for pink tacos.
  • I really like this idea. People really ought to do more of this sort of thing, because the problems we're facing today are going to require people to work together, people who differ ideologically. The first step toward working together is to let go of the blind hostility that grips even the best of us all too easily when we engage in politics. That being said, one thing about John McCain really stands out as a positive: he realizes that America is facing some big problems, and he genuinely wants to help Americans solve those problems.
  • Mos Def, I think you have good ideas but you are not getting my vote. I have loads of good things to say about McCain, most of which are written above. Sorry guys, Palin stumps me.
  • And I'm from Minnesota, so I hear that accent DAILY and it doesn't sound so bad unless it comes from Sarah Palin.
  • Ralph was onto something with the Corvair.
  • I like this idea. I think quiddy has the best interests of MoFi at heart, and I say that as the victor and owner of the keys to the server.
  • Y'know, Ron Paul's laugh lines are kinda cute.
  • I'm thinking this election would be much more fun if that McCain fella would occasionally refer to his opponent as "you wascally wabbit".
  • Out of all republicans, McCain is the best. He actually served in the military, and was a POW. I respect the man.
  • As a senator, John McCain has shown astonishing integrity. His efforts towards campaign finance reform were extraordinary. Had he won his party's nomination in 2000 and been President for the last eight years, he would probably have done a far better job than the current guy. I would still probably have disagreed with him on a variety of things, but it's likely that the USA would be a happier place right now if President McCain were the one about to leave office. Maybe the Republican Party would be saner now, too. We'll never know.
  • In 2000, I would have supported McCain over Al Gore, had he won the nomination. I continued to respect him up until a few months ago, when he started getting desperate and slinging the mud. Having read a few mini-bios of McCain, I think I understand his motivation. His entire life has been one of lofty expectations, whith both his father and grandfather being men of great accomplishment. John, by comparison, has been a failure. He has said his greatest fear during his POW days was that his father would somehow find out that he broke under torture. Years after his release, and after his father's death, he learned that his father had indeed heard of his "great shame". John McCain's life since then has been an all-or-nothing desire to make it up to his father by becoming President and restoring the family name to honor. He's panicking now because this his his last shot at redemption. I feel sorry for him.
  • Whatever nice things I have to say about McCain, I've never fallen for that canned stuff in regards to his POW days - and wouldn't necessarily say nice things about him *just because* he happened to be a POW. In fact, there's a lot to suggest that McCain has been involved in a POW coverup... but since this is the nice thread, I will add that I think John has a soothing voice when he's in a good mood.
  • Nothing new to add, really, but echoing the sentiment that McCain has, on balance, had a distinguished senate career, and that if he had won in 2000 he might have made a good leader. Sarah Palin shows great determination and single-mindedness in her pursuit of what she believes in.
  • ... and she has nice tits.
  • Sarah Palin shows great determination and single-mindedness in her pursuit of what she believes in. Man, am I having a hard time biting my tongue!
  • You guys know you don't have to type comments, right? We don't have a quota system or anything.
  • I like middleclasstool because he doesn't have a quota system.
  • I like this idea. I think quiddy has the best interests of MoFi at heart, and I say that as the victor and owner of the keys to the server. OK, yeah. Well, for my part, I think you gotta give it to the politically inexperienced little lady from the small, provincial town whose creativity and tenacious attitude has seen her build a reasonable momentum toward the final vote. I just hope that, after Tuesday, tracicle can find herself a job. I guess she's not all that bad, if you like that kinda admin. She certainly doesn't deserve to starve out on the street or nothin'. Oh - and the shrunken POW-head for Hank. Thanks.
  • McCain isn't Bush. (Sorry, I live in AZ and that's the best I can do.) Although... His entire life has been one of lofty expectations, whith both his father and grandfather being men of great accomplishment. John, by comparison, has been a failure. Scarily familiar...
  • MonkeyFilter: We don't have a quota system or anything. Uuhhhh, so does that mean I don't get a toaster?
  • I kind of like Sarah Palin's glasses. That's all I got.
  • i think it's courageous of McCain to show such disdain for having a symmetrically shaped head. And I like how Nest of Vipers Palin chose to look like someone as awesome as Tina Fey.
  • Man, if her name was Nest of Vipers, I couldn't not vote for her.
  • We're slipping. We're slipping.... Quick, find a Pollyanna to say something nice. Isn't Pollyanna one of our Monkeys? I'll try to say something. I'll really try..... unnnnnnnnnnnhhhhunh! Palin doesn't have fangs. There! I did it!
  • Palin looks remarkably sane and well-rested for a woman with a new infant and an insane campaign travel schedule.
  • Both Obama and Palin are historically pot users. And they both admit they inhaled it, so they are both models of honesty, although on the policy side they don't want to decriminalize it. I'm looking forward to seeing if they run the country (in the former case) and the senate (in the later case) from behind bars.
  • She's good at hiding large sums of money i tried. i really tried.
  • I have nice things to say about McCain, honestly. Sadly, I am so disillusioned at how he has let his campaign be handled and the fact that is has resulted in some conservatives turning into gleefully willful ignoramuses and hate filled people that themselves can say nothing positive about anyone that does not agree with them that I no longer feel I want to say anything positive about McCain. I find myself quite saddened by that. I want to be a better person than that, and I am so filled with despair when I see the stories and the videos of the wild eyed "supporters" of McCain (really they would side with anyone that was running against whatever it is they think is going to destroy them today) that I don't think there is anything good to say about him at this moment. I hope that post-election is kinder to him than the election has been, and I hope he can become a kinder person in turn. Yet, I am unable to forgive him for fanning the flames of ignorance, racism and xenophobia simply to achieve a thing for himself instead of achieve that thing for the good of the country that he wants to represent.
  • ethylene? wow! hey baby. I think you should still get your A for effort there, considering the conversation was in last night re all the ways we could sic wolves on SP: armed with high powered rifles, in helicopters, perhaps with SP smeared with some yummy wolfbait?? in a small room, hungry... I could go on, but I am trying to be nice :)
  • Com'on guys, we've got to elevate this a bit. Wolves prefer fresh meat rather than slimy disgusting stuff, therefore... Sarah Palin is NOT wolfbait!! Sorry, I just listened to her on the radio. Woman's politics sets my teeth on edge. Makes me want to shake her and scream, "Lady, what universe do you live in?!?!??"
  • We already have several threads for saying bad things about them.
  • It was a valiant effort and much appreciated anyway, rocket.
  • McCain is giving one hell of a classy concession speech.
  • John, you did good tonight - and gave me a newfound respect for you. There was something pure and full of integrity there - in the face of the booing crowd - and I do admire you for that. Wish I had seen more of that before tonight...