I know you are gonna get plenty of heat from this one, but I am staying out of it. Great blog, by the way.

People are attacking McCain because he has been too nice. I for one want to see him stand up to the mudslinging that Obama is doing. He has plenty to work with...and it's not mud..it's plain cold facts. Obama seems to be winning with his rhetoric.

hold out for the october surpise - www.obamacrimes.com - it's gonna be good :)

Southgapassion,

I hope you're not hinging your hopes on the natural-born citizen approach working.

http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/...

(and earlier you'd mentioned that factcheck.org was biased, but the wife of the founder of the Anneberg fortune (who, as you pointed out, founded Factcheck.org) is a McCain supporter, so you'd think they'd want to discredit Obama - 2nd name on the list linked below. http://www.johnmccain.com/informing/news... )

If you don't know anything about John McCain, I can only ask "Where have you been?" Do you realize that two years ago, John McCain tried to get a bill passed that would have provided for oversight over Fannie Mae? You know Fannie Mae, don't you? The one along with Freddie Mac who caused this financial mess. It didn't pass because the "Suit" and the rest of the Dems in the House and Senate wouldn't vote for it. Did you know that Senator Christopher Dodd (D) of Conn. received more money in the way of political contributions then any other Dem, and he is Chairman of the oversight committe. Oh, yes, and Sen. Obama received the third largest amount. The John McCain that you don't know has received nothing from either Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. I'll tell you what, I know more about John McCain and where he stands for the country then I know about the other guy. Oh, the oratory is marvelous, he can certainly make a silk purse out of a sow's ear, it's just like the snake oil salesmen of the past. He sure tells you what you want to hear- a slice of the pie in the sky. However there is no plan on how he is gonna pay for it except taxes, and you know who will pay those. He has no resume, no military service, no voting record either in the Illinois State House or the US Congress, unless you consider voting "Present" a tangible record, he associates with unsavory characters, and has no substance at all. If you want to find out some things about Sen. Obama, go on the internet. There's plenty there and it's all true. Think about all this before you vote for what's good for the country.

What a relief to read a reasoned, well-modulated and intelligent blog on the national political scene. Thank you so much, Spottedtrout. THAT's the way to support the candidate of your choice.

As for Old Blush's comment, "If you want to find out some things about Sen. Obama, go on the internet. There's plenty there and it's all true," what a foolish statement to make! Surely you don't believe everything you read?

It is the absence of this type of hysterical rhetoric that makes Spottedtrout's blog in support of John McCain so much more credible and worthy of attention.

" Reasoned?" Maybe well-modulated and sounding intelligent, but anyone who blames Sarah Palin for " inciting" the words of a racist idiot who happened to be in her audience is far from truly intelligent and reasonable.

Palin is responsible for that jerk in the audience, but Obama is not responsible for the vomit spewed out of his long-time reverend's mouth? Palin didn't have a 20-year relationship with the creep in the crowd and probably didn't even know him. Obama has very close ties to Wright.

katieog, you've fallen for Spotted Trout's beautiful way of speaking just like you and so many have fallen for BO's poetic way of speaking. Apparently you believe what you read ( and hear) when it sounds good.

Hmmm..."idiot," "jerk," "creep," "vomit." Now, see, by using these words, you've discredited what was probably a valid argument. Certainly a more persuasive argument could have been made without them.

Whether I agree with his or her premise or not, I'm going to listen to and respect people who can articulate their argument well. It shows that some thought went into their stance, and they should receive full marks for that alone.

Reading (and hearing) doesn't make me a believer, watchdog.
Reading (and hearing) does give me an opportunity to weigh all sides of an issue and come to a decision I can live with, maybe even be proud of.

I understand what you are saying, katieog. But not everyone goes by your rules. Some believe all the hear about one candidate, and none of what they hear about the other. They will make their decision off the top of their head and vote. We all know that the majority of politicians are talking out the side of their mouth. That's what an Aunt of mine use to say. "You can't trust him. He's talking out the side of his mouth." All we can do is hope whoever is elected will lead us in the right direction.

Thanks, spottedtrout and katieog, for well-presented, thoughtful blogs without the overkill of emotionally loaded language. We have a long history of Presidential campaigns filled with vicious personal attacks on candidates, their families, and their supporters, so all of this is nothing new, but it is worrying to people who value logic and reason. No matter who wins the election, the world is not going to come to an end. This country has survived misguided and incompetent administrations, but I can't think of any President who has been deliberately evil; even the worst have believed that they were doing the right thing. If more people recognized that at least the opponent's intentions were good, maybe some of the fear-based incendiary rhetoric would stop. And yes, I do know what is paved with good intentions.

Great comment, teaboyfan. We have to pull together as a nation if we want to come through this most difficult time. I am a McCain supporter, and it did my heart good to hear him say Senator Obama was an honorable and decent family man.

Thanks, CBWill. I'm supporting Obama, and while I disagree with McCain and Palin on most issues, I have the greatest respect for their characters.

"idiot," "jerk," "creep," "vomit."

Any person who stands in a crowd and yells " Kill him" about anybody is in my opinion an idiot, jerk and creep. Sorry if you don't approve of my vocabulary but they were the nicest ones I could find for someone like that. No I do not support Obama but I certainly do not support people like that man, and I can't see where anyone can say Palin caused that scene or approves of it.

As for vomit, that's a very accurate description of the garbage Jeremiah Wright spews from his mouth.

I respect Spotted Trout's ability to write - there is most certainly skill there. I respect ST's right to his or her opinion, too. But I also have that right to express my own opinion and choose to be more direct instead of sugarcoating things with flowery words.

Oh, I can use those flowery words too, but when it comes to straight shooting,the pretty words can get in my way. Besides, when someone makes comments like "Saucy Sarah’s inciting folks who are angry, afraid, tired and looking for an easy target to verbally assault" it infuriates me because (although using pretty, well-modulated words) they're still spewing their own version of "hysterical rhetoric."

And I believe I made my point well - blaming Palin for that man's stupidity is ridiculous, and you can't deny Obama's support of Wright's divisive and hate-inciting words, can you?

teaboyfan you do indeed bring about a good point, but people SHOULD be emotionally involved in the future of our country,regardless of their opinions or candidate of choice. Criticizing Palin for what someone in a crowd of her supporters did makes fare less sense than someone pointing out BO's support of a man who has publicly cursed our country.

You are right, Watchdog. That is what I meant when I said people believe everything said about one candidate, but choose not to believe what is said about other. Some of it may be true, some of it may not. We just have to try to make an educated decision that we can live with. If we are wrong in that decision, we will just have to grin and bare it. I'm very confident with vote I made. He may not win, but he got my vote.

Speaking of inciting hate as if Wright alone doesn't do it and Obama himself with his refusal to support our troops and salute our flag and hang out with someone who bombs our capital, take a look at PDiddy Combs, the biased reporting of Wolfe Blitzer, etc. Better yet, check out Madonna on this site. (Now there's a role model for you.) When I see this day after day after day from Obama supporters it just really disturbs me. Anyway, Sarah Palin is way too wholesome and clean for the likes of Madonna. If Madonna were a Republican and did this, I'd still be ashamed of her behavior by the way. Who would want to pay to listen to that hate period?

www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3vrmXRdOOs

I don't have much of an opinion of Blitzer, but Pdiddy and Madonna are just plain sickening. Real role models. But I know, Obama has no control over them, but McCain/Palin has control over someone in their audience. Yeh! Right! That's my whole point. You believe what you choose, plain and simple.

I watched Ted Nugent being interviewed last night on the Hannity and Colmes show. I haven't had time to research it, but I believe he has acted in a less than tasteful way in favor of Republicans in recent years. No one should look up to these kind of folks. Just being fair and balanced. However, I do see a lot more of disgraceful behavior on behalf of the liberals/democrats.

I am voting for Obama, but I have in the past been a big fan of Johnny Mac's maverick tendencies. I believe he has been misguided by going on the attack to strengthen support from his republican base. McCain has always had broad appeal to independents and moderate democrats, but he is losing those very people by being a mudslinger. I hope at the debate Schieffer will ask: if defeated would you accept a cabinet position with your opponent? I would like to see the old McCain in place in the Obama Administration as Sec Def or national security advisor or secretary of the Navy. Nice Blog spottedtrout, I miss the old Johnny Mac too.