Republicans For Obama? I'd say we know who's the better uniter. :)

Photon1001 · 10-26-2008, 08:42 PM

"I just got the feeling that Obama will be able to handle this financial crisis better, and I like his financial team of [former Treasury Secretary Robert] Rubin and [former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul] Volcker better, McCain's handling of the financial crisis made me feel nervous.
...
I feel really badly. I just hate to go against someone I served with in the Senate. I voted and I got it mailed and I dropped it in the mailbox and it tore at me to do that.
...
We have to be a moderate party. We can't be for all these foreign military adventures. We have to stop spending so much money. My God, the deficit is so high! The Republican Party I knew in the 1970s is just all gone."
-Former Sen. Larry Pressler (R-S.D.)

[link]

Welcome to Republicans for Obama | Republicans for Obama

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3s4LXWmCeU

YouTube - Michigan Republicans for Obama

YouTube - Republican for Obama in Ohio

YouTube - 6 Million Republicans

HughRuss · 10-26-2008, 08:47 PM

Scott McClellan endorsed Obama for president, also.
(Press Sec. under Bush)

Photon1001 · 10-26-2008, 09:26 PM

Another first:

FiveThirtyEight.com: Electoral Projections Done Right

Photon1001 · 10-26-2008, 10:37 PM

Why Obama

Fellow Republicans,

When deciding which candidate is best to now lead our nation, we ask that you consider supporting Senator Barack Obama. The U.S. faces serious challenges that are not being addressed by our political leaders. Elected officials of both sides have found it easier to appease their parties’ fringes to win elections, and media companies choose to shock, amuse and divide us. In the meantime, the problems we face as a nation grow as they are passed on to future generations.

We need a leader who can lay the foundations of another American Century—someone who can get past our partisan and ideological divisions, as we strengthen our standing in the world and tackle the challenges we face at home. We need a leader who understands our differences, but who also knows the importance of finding common ground. While we continue to debate and address many issues on which we all have strong opinions—abortion, gay rights, the relationship between church and state, to name a few—we need a leader who can command the support needed to break our government’s paralysis and meet the growing challenges we face as a nation.

I thought this was really good.

[link]

thatguyoverthere · 10-27-2008, 12:37 AM

Good thread. I liked those videos, especially the end of the third one. Palin testifying to the effectiveness of Obama's message really works well.

Many Republicans love their country, know we need a significant change in direction, and realize that one of the candidates represents a far likelier chance for real change than the other.

Quite honestly, the smartest as well as the most principled Republicans never got on the McCain train to begin with. They knew he couldn't be trusted to stay on one side of an issue, and they weren't going to sacrifice their beliefs just to be kneejerk partisans (like the remaining McCain supporters.)

I had forgotten about Francis Fukuyama! He's one of the godfathers of neoconservatism. For him to come out and support Obama... that's overcoming a partisan divide like the Grand Canyon. I wonder how it feels for neocons to know that their entire movement has been reduced to tatters in just a few short years, and all as a result of them getting their own way.

Angus_Aboot · 10-27-2008, 11:27 AM

Couldn't all of this Neo-con support be a bad thing?
Adelman, Krauthammer, McClellan, Hitchens, etc...

"On 'the issues' in these closing weeks, there really isn't a very sharp or highly noticeable distinction to be made between the two nominees, and their 'debates' have been cramped and boring affairs as a result." - Christopher Hitchens

It sounds like they realize that the popular Obama will continue their unpopular policies.

Just a thought.

Photon1001 · 10-27-2008, 11:42 AM

Christopher Hitchens is a moron who thinks Americans should be proud of the Iraq war.

Angus_Aboot · 10-27-2008, 11:49 AM

Originally Posted by Photon1001

Christopher Hitchens is a moron who thinks Americans should be proud of the Iraq war.

Agreed. And he supports Obama.

Photon1001 · 10-27-2008, 11:52 AM

well, then I guess even he isn't a complete Palin *cough* pinhead. Of course a lot of "brilliant" ultra-right wingnuts seem to be backing him now. I'd say that being able to inspire both smart and not so smart ppl alike, well that's pretty cool.

Angus_Aboot · 10-27-2008, 11:58 AM

Originally Posted by Photon1001

well, then I guess even he isn't a complete Palin *cough* pinhead. Of course a lot of "brilliant" ultra-right wingnuts seem to be backing him now. I'd say that being able to inspire both smart and not so smart ppl alike, well that's pretty cool.

Oh, he supports Obama, well, then he isn't a warmongering idiot.

The fact that those "'brilliant' ultra-right wingnuts" are backing him is a cause for alarm.

JaJae · 10-27-2008, 12:08 PM

Originally Posted by Photon1001

well, then I guess even he isn't a complete Palin *cough* pinhead. Of course a lot of "brilliant" ultra-right wingnuts seem to be backing him now. I'd say that being able to inspire both smart and not so smart ppl alike, well that's pretty cool.

Your view of Hitchen is based primarily on his support for a particular candidate for president? I think Hitchens is pretty extreme in his views, but he articulates them well and has rationed reasoning based on history and facts to get to where he is. I know a lot of people despise him because they find him to be an extremist, but I've watched quite a few debates he's done and I find the man fascinating. If you take him away from the soundbytes and listen and actually listen to the man you might actually learn a thing or two. That said, I disagree with him on almost every issue he opens his mouth on, however, he is extremely bright and interesting.

Using ad hominems because you disagree with him on an issue doesn't make him a pinhead.

Photon1001 · 10-27-2008, 12:32 PM

"Believing in religion is fine, believing in God is the crazy thing"
-Christopher Hitchens.

Oh, yeah, he's smart as a tack.

...and then not 2 minutes later, he then said this:

"the reason for evangelical hypocrisy is because its the same as Larry Craig. Its the Craig factor. Those who condemn things mightily, and go on hammering at the pulpit about them have a secret share in the desire for them."

So, in all fairness he does seem to be at least smarter than Sarah Palin.

Rouger2 · 10-27-2008, 12:40 PM

Presser's right about the economy McCain is sure to depend on his buddy Phil Gram, after all he did say he wasn't good on the economy, and if he does you better hide your wallet.

JaJae · 10-27-2008, 12:57 PM

Originally Posted by Photon1001

"Believing in religion is fine, believing in God is the crazy thing"
-Christopher Hitchens.

Oh, yeah, he's smart as a tack.

...and then not 2 minutes later, he then said this:

"the reason for evangelical hypocrisy is because its the same as Larry Craig. Its the Craig factor. Those who condemn things mightily, and go on hammering at the pulpit about them have a secret share in the desire for them."

So, in all fairness he does seem to be at least smarter than Sarah Palin.

I recommend you watch him debate religion with some religious scholors. You can find hour+ long debates on Google Videos. You can pull his soundbytes, but until you listen to him rationalize his arguments you're doing yourself a disservice. He is highly intelligent and extremely well read on issues of religion. He presents his views very well.

Photon1001 · 10-27-2008, 01:18 PM

^Yeah, I've listened to him plenty, unfortunately I really only agree with about half of what he says.

Swift · 10-27-2008, 04:30 PM

Originally Posted by Photon1001

^Yeah, I've listened to him plenty, unfortunately I really only agree with about half of what he says.

so you guage a person's level of intelligence based on how much you agree with them?

Photon1001 · 10-27-2008, 04:33 PM

No, thats not fair, I was just being sarcastic, pinhead doesn't necessarily mean stupid, imho, just not understanding something. Of course Christopher Hitchens is a smart man.

motivez · 10-27-2008, 10:54 PM

Over the last week I've met almost a dozen Republicans who voted for Bush in '00 and '04 who were glad we had Bush during 9/11, don't like Al Gore, and thought they couldn't trust Kerry who are enthusiastically supporting Obama this time around

One of the main reasons: Palin

Another main reason: McCain's dishonorable smears

They don't think he has any real message, and think it's time the country had a new direction.. and the one to provide that is Obama.

khari · 10-27-2008, 10:56 PM

Remember when all the Hillary voters were going to vote McCain? How many democrats thought that showed McCain was "really the better uniter"?

You fucking Yanks are all nuts.

motivez · 10-27-2008, 11:18 PM

That was almost entirely just sour grapes from people who poured all their energy into a candidate that lost. It's understandable.

PUMA and the like are dead. There's no significant number of former Hillary supporters who are voting for McCain.