I was not saying that McCain is a saint. But just trying to present a balanced side to all of the people on this site who think Obama can do no wrong, is the model of integrity, etc.

A racist campaign?

I must be racist too because I don't like having Barry raise my taxes. I must also be a racist because I think Barry's got less foreign policy experience than McCain. God I feel terrible. I'll have to pray for all the other racists like me

Isn't it a fact that two people that Obama was running against both dropped out of those races for information that was leaked to the press? Isn't it also a fact that he challenged the signatures on his opponents' petitions?

Mike, you're in the Hive. Your blog doesn't have hive scent on it. They are going to swarm you, bite you to death and dump you in the vats. I know you accept that risk, because you could not have wandered in here by mistake. If you poke these ants, you are going to get bitten. What's the point? You thinking you'll change a vote?

You happen to be a Naderite? I'm looking for a Naderite to swap votes with.

People, chill. All political viewpoints are welcome here.

I am curious. Did the poster object to the campaign tactics of President Bush in both 2000 and 2004? Namely, the sliming of John McCain in North Carolina with the "black Baby lovechild" nonsense, and the swiftboating of John Kerry?

In the light of the last 8 years of Rovian slime we've all be subjected to by the GOP, you inference that he had something to do with the press leaks, and allegations of voter suppression seem fairly minor, frankly.

It is par for the course for the opposing party to challenge signatures. I doubt that was driven by Obama. As for the press leaks, there is simply no evidence he was behind that. You don't expect anyone to hold Obama personally responsible for this, do you?

Did people hold Bush personally responsible for the slime his campaign threw at McCain in 2000?

Like I said, my point was that all politicians are slimy - even Barry Obama.

Billy, you are saying the initial post wasn't a bit provocative, just a "different scent"? One could voice legitimate concerns about either candidate in a constructive way. This post began with name calling and character slurs. Trollish.

MiddleClassBill, you bring up a good point, which is our tendency to want to see our leaders in an idealized way. To be sure Obama has his flaws and less-than-attractive attributes. To deny this is always a mistake. He is somewhat preening, and may be ruthlessly ambitious underneath the cool demeanor, willing to say and do anything to advance his ambition, although this hasn't been my impression. If you are truly concerned about character of the candidates, do yourself a favor and read the article on McCain in Rolling Stone. Sociopathic behaviors can be acts of commission, or omission/misrepresentation. McCain seems disturbingly narcissistic, somewhat sociopathic and histrionic in my opinion, if there is truth to the portrayal in the Rolling Stone article. Like Bush, his overriding motivation seems to be achieving more than his father or grandfather. Everything is a means to that end; everything else is secondary to this "life mission". This perspective explains an underlying consistency in what superficially appears to be inconsistent behavior he has exhibited recently, in comparison to his his past "more maverick" days.

Sliminess is particularly concerning to me as well, since it is a social manifestation of an unhealthy personality. Richard Nixon was slimy and had a paranoid personality. Jack Kennedy was deeply flawed, narcissistic, probably not so slimy. I am not certain that Obama is any more or less slimy than McCain, or Clinton. My observation is that he seems more capable of healthy attachment and relationships in life, which is a sign of a healthier personality. I can't imagine him calling Michelle "a trollop", for example, although I do wonder whether that may be a term of endearment for the McCain's.

What would be constructive would be to provide a link to the material you are referencing. What is the source for the allegations regarding Obama? All politicians have been known to engage in misrepresenting their opponents.