Hussein: “That Question Is Above My Pay Grade” - With Video
It doesn’t seem to be as divisive an issue in this election as in elections past, but abortion is still a political issue. Rick Warren grilled the two candidates last night, showing his pull as an evangelical minister. His book “The Purpose-Driven Life” has sold over 25 million copies making it the best-selling hardback book ever, so you know this guy has some sway. I’m glad he’s using it, the mainstream media sure as heck isn’t going cover this issue in any depth.
Here is how they answered Warren. After the vid is an excellent take on how both performed by Mark Hemingway:
Sunday, August 17, 2008
NRO
McCain As Good As Obama Was Bad [Mark Hemingway]
I don’t want to get to overheated about what occurred tonight, but I do think McCain had a clear and decisive victory over Obama. It all comes down to something that Phil Bredesen, the Democratic governor of Tennessee recently said about Obama: “Instead of giving big speeches at big stadiums, he needs to give straight-up 10-word answers to people at Wal-Mart about how he would improve their lives.”
By that standard, McCain did extremely well and Obama did very poorly. McCain’s answers were direct, confident and, most importantly, serious. When asked about what leaders he would consult as president, he first suggested Gen. Petraeus, architect of the surge, who he correctly praised as one of America’s all-time great military leaders. By way of contrast, Obama suggested he would seek out the advice of a typical white person, er, his grandmother and his wife Michelle, who’s still trying to decide whether she’s proud of her country.
When asked “At what point does a baby get human rights, in your view?,” McCain answered “At the moment of conception.” Obama’s answer here was flaming-dirigible bad:
Whether you are looking at it from a theological perspective or a scientific perspective, answering that question with specificity is, you know, above my pay grade.
That spectacularly inept metaphor is going to haunt Obama throughout the rest of the campaign. News flash: There’s not a job on the planet above the pay grade of the President of the United States. If you can’t solve every problem and are humble about it, that’s fine — but you can’t get away with being unsure about the most defining moral issue in politics. Of course, he didn’t put down the shovel:
But let me speak more generally about the issue of abortion. Because this is something, obviously, the country wrestles with. One thing that I’m absolutely convinced of is that there is a moral and ethical element to this issue. And So I think that anybody who tries to deny the moral difficulties and gravity of the abortion issue is not paying attention.
So after completely hedging on the question and declining to give a specific answer — he wants to speak “more generally” about the issue? And, lo and behold, speak more generally he does: “I’m absolutely convinced of is that there is a moral and ethical element to this issue.” In related news, Obama is also “absolutely convinced” that the sky is blue, water is wet and puppies are adorable. None of this, however, tells me a thing about his judgment and moral worldview.
But what bowls me over about how craptacular his answer here is, did no one on his campaign ever anticipate that he would have to talk about abortion, such that he could come up with a better answer than this? Surely they would have had to expect it at this forum in particular.
His answer here was in many ways reminiscent of last April, where he imploded in his last debate with Hillary. He was asked to respond to his then-recent clinging to God n’ guns remark. He totally botched the answer and, like this evening, it seemed as if he was totally unprepared for the question that would most obviously be asked.
But I also think that it’s worth noting that Obama wasn’t just bad, but that McCain was very good. He was the perfect balance of likable and serious. He also came across as informed, offered far more policy specifics than Obama, highlighted his faith as was appropriate to the setting, and almost everything he said bolstered his conservative credentials. (His comments on taxes and what it means to be “rich” were especially good in that regard.) I’d wager that for a lot of conservatives watching, McCain went from the enemy of my enemy to someone they felt good about voting for. He may yet foul that up, but I suspect he may be riding high for a while after tonight.
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I don’t fucking CAIR if Hussein had “jet-lag” from his vaca return.
Last night showed he can NOT think on his feet … or his ass … and KNOWS he does NOT have the experience to be President of the most powerful country in the world in his fuck-up answer about Justice Clearence Thomas …
He thinks he avoided the soundbite of such in future GOP ads … But did himself much worse in NOT completeling the word “experience” and hedging on it instead …
He has NO depth of thought or experience.
He deflects by using such bullshit answers as “Above my pay grade” …
Non-committal shit that surpasses even Bill Clinton’s “I just want good poll numbers” CYA stance while in the WH.
“Danger, Will Robinson … Fucking Danger …”
August 17th, 2008 at 9:25 amso if it is above your pay grade shouldn’t life in the woomb be preserved rather than allowed to be destroyed. That seems a bit of a canard to me.
August 17th, 2008 at 10:02 am[…] “That Question Is Above My Pay Grade” - With Video August 17, 2008 — budsimmons https://pat-dollard.com/2008/08/the-candidates-on-abortion-with-video/ Posted in B Hussein Obama, Barack Hussein Obama, Barack Obama, Hussein Obama, Islamic […]
August 17th, 2008 at 10:16 amChildren say the darnedest things.
August 17th, 2008 at 11:05 amI said it before in my analysis of Batman vs. Redacted as the true poll of the American people, and I will say it again here: The Presidential election of McCain vs. Bambi isn’t even going to be close, no matter how desperately the MSM tries to propogandize it. And that includes if Bambi selects Her Heinous as his VP.
For absurd political theatre, I didn’t think the Dims could top their 2004 selection of the second biggest traitor against America to come out of the Vietnam War, and run him against an incumbent President who has successfully prosecuted the Global War on Terror for the previous three years. John Effin’ Kerry? What’s the matter, Dems? Was Hanoi Jane not available to take the call?
But they clearly topped 2004: Unless Hillary stages a coup, Obambi will be their nominee. And I dearly hope he selects Kerry as his VP under the misguided notion it would add “foreign policy / war” chits to the ticket. Or, better yet, maybe he’ll name Jimmy Carter as VP for HIS wartime and economic “gravitas.” The only thing then missing would be for Hanoi Jane and Obambi to pose by the same anti-aircraft gun that shot down McCain, with caption reading: “The Torch is Passed.”
August 17th, 2008 at 11:28 amreally? because I thought Obama put up a great show. I disliked his responses of course (except on gay marriage, that was perfect) but overall Obama was the victor in that little match-up.
McCain just managed to be annoying the entire time.
August 17th, 2008 at 12:05 pmObama is a sleeper cell. I just hope more people see the truth before the election and we get a REAL American in the white house!
August 17th, 2008 at 1:29 pmJudas clicked the wrong bookmark again.
August 17th, 2008 at 1:34 pmSadly, Judas is of the same blood as Obama. How ironic.
August 17th, 2008 at 2:52 pmI thought the headline read “That Question is Above My Gay Parade.”
Good show from McCain. Nice to see Obama squirm last night.
August 17th, 2008 at 5:27 pm