Crescent-News.com - McCain energizes Defiance crowd in speech today

Home | Back

McCain energizes Defiance crowd in speech today

October 30, 2008

Get the Flash Player to see this player.

Email To A Friend
Printer Friendly
Comments

By TODD HELBERG
cnedit@crescent-news.com
Despite freezing temperatures, Republican candidate John McCain delivered an energizing campaign speech this morning on the steps of Defiance Community Auditorium.
Several thousand persons braved the chilly weather, some of them waiting for four hours or more before McCain took the podium around 10:15 a.m. today, 15 minutes after his scheduled stop.
Introduced by his wife, Cindy, and South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, McCain needed less than a half hour to talk about plans to cut taxes, reduce spending, win in Iraq and Afghanistan, and stand up to America's enemies. All the while, he drew sharp comparisons between himself and Democratic candidate Barack Obama, who leads in recent presidential polling.
"We have a clear difference, Sen. Obama and I do," said McCain. "He wants to raise your taxes. Raising taxes makes a bad economy much worse. ... If I'm elected president I won't spend nearly a trillion dollars more of your money, Sen. Obama will. And he can't do that without raising your taxes or digging us further into debt.
"I'm going to make government live on a budget just like you do," continued McCain. "I'll freeze government spending on all but the most important programs like defense, veterans care, Social Security and health care, until we scrub every single government program, get rid of the ones that aren't working for the American people. ... I will veto every single pork barrel earmark bill that comes across my desk."
In recent weeks, McCain has also made note of Obama's plan to redistribute the tax burden.
"He's (Obama) more interested in controlling wealth than creating it, and in redistributing wealth instead of spreading opportunity," McCain said. "I'm going to create wealth for all Americans by creating opportunity for all Americans. Sen. Obama is running to be redistributionist-in-chief. I'm running to be commander-in-chief.
"My opponent's massive new tax increases is exactly the wrong approach in an economic slow down," McCain later added. "The answer to a slowing economy isn't higher taxes. That's exactly what's going to happen when the Democrats have total control of Washington. We can't let that happen. We need pro-growth and pro-jobs economic policies, not pro-government spending programs paid for with higher taxes. This is the fundamental difference between Sen. Obama and me. We both disagree with President Bush on economic policy. The difference is he thinks taxes have been too low and I think spending has been too high."
The redistribution talk surfaced recently following a question to Obama from a Toledo businessman "known as Joe the plumber " concerning how his tax plan would affect him.
"Well, now we've learned more about Sen. Obama's real goals for our country over the last two weeks than we have learned over the last two years," said McCain. "And, that's only because Joe the plumber asked him the right question right here in Ohio. That's when Sen. Obama revealed he wants to ... "spread the wealth around, spread your income around.' "
McCain thought Joe would be at today's rally, but when he called his name, no one answered. Instead, he said, "All right, well you're all Joe the plumber. So all of ya stand up. ... Wherever you (Joe) are, let's give him a round of applause."
As for small businesses like Joe's, McCain said they need support.
"Small businesses employ 84 percent of Americans, and we need to support these small businesses," the Arizona senator said. "Taxing small businesses will kill jobs. We can't let that happen."
On energy policy, McCain said he favors promoting alternatives. But he especially mentioned offshore drilling, nuclear power and coal.
"Remember when we started talking about drilling offshore, he (Obama) said he would ... "consider drilling offshore,'" recalled McCain. "We're going to drill offshore and we're going to do it now. When I'm president we're going to do it now. And, we're going to build nuclear power plants. We can create 700,000 new jobs by building 45 new nuclear power plants. ... We will use clean coal technology. Clean coil technology will restore the economy of this part of the country."
As the campaign nears its end, the McCain camp has portrayed Obama as too unversed in foreign affairs to meet global challenges. McCain said he believes this provides a marked difference, given that he served for many years as a Navy pilot and was held prisoner-of-war during the Vietnam War.
"The next president won't have time to get used to the office," he said. "We face many challenges here at home and many enemies abroad in this dangerous world. Just the other day, Sen. Biden warned that Sen. Obama would be tested with an international crisis. I have been tested, Sen. Obama has not. Sen. Biden referred to how (John) Kennedy was tested in the Cuban Missile Crisis, and I have a little personal experience in that. I was on board the U.S.S. Enterprise, sat in a cockpit on the flight deck, waiting to take off. I had a target, I know how close we came to a nuclear war. And, I will not be a president who needs to be tested. We know Sen. Obama won't have the right response to that test because we've seen the wrong response coming over and over again during this campaign. He opposed the surge strategy that's bringing us victory and will bring us victory in Afghanistan. He said he would sit down unconditionally with the world's worst dictators ... ."
McCain's stop in rural Ohio was no surprise. While the Obama campaign has targeted the state's rural areas more than Democrats did in 2004, no president has won the presidency without carrying the state since 1960.
He reminded supporters of that today.
"I need your energy," he said. "I need your enthusiasm and, my friends, I know history. I know the last time anyone was elected president of the United States without carrying the state of Ohio was John F. Kennedy. We're going to carry Ohio and we're going to win the presidency, and we need you out there working every single moment."
And, he acknowledged that he still trails in the polls but, "We're coming back."
"Last night Sen. Obama said that if he lost he would return to the Senate and try again in four years for the second act," explained McCain. "That sounds like a great idea to me. Let's help him make it happen."
In concluding today's speech, McCain showed vigor and fire, exhorting supporters not to give up.
"Don't give up hope," he said. "Be strong, have courage and fight. Fight for a new direction for our economy. Fight for what's right for America. Fight to clean up the mess and corruption, infighting and selfishness in Washington. Fight to get our economy out of the ditch and back into the lead. Fight for the ideals and character of a free people. Fight for our children's future. Fight for justice and opportunity for all. Stand up to defend our country from it's enemies. Stand up. Stand up and fight. America is worth fighting for. ... We never give up. We never quit. We never hide from history. We make history. Now let's go win this election and get our country moving again."

Comments

By Posting to this site, you agree to our Terms of Service Be polite. Inappropriate posts may be removed. Crescent-News.com doesn't necessarily condone the comments here, nor does it review every post.

36.	Posted by DHSgrad2000 November 1, 2008
	Does your daughter have a voice? Most professors, even if they're lefties, wouldn't ignore someone else's viewpoint if they actually brought it to the floor. Contrary to your beliefs, most professors I know are pretty ethical and don't grade on your political ideologies. They actually grade on how well you perform in their class on the subject of that class! I find your comments scary. You really believe professors grade on personal ideology rather than performance. That's the kind of misconception that irritates educators. That's not responsible parenting, or thinking. Simply because you aren't an open person, don't project that narrowness on to educators. And I don't mean to say you aren't open because you're Republican, to be clear. You're not open-minded because of your simple outlook - a hasty, nasty generalization that professors would lower a grade for a person simply for having their separate beliefs. I went to a Republican heavy college in SW Ohio. With a majority of Republican students and so many liberal professors, it's a wonder how anyone passes classes and graduates - by your litmus test. Perhaps you might try and not look at every professor as the same, just as you wouldn't want to be a racist or a sexist. Then again, I guess it's wrong in some eyes to actually believe that people can all be different even if they share a skin color or gender or religion. Thankfully there are many Christians out there that don't try to equate their Christian beliefs with the US Constitution. I'm glad John McCain was in Defiance, but it was unethical for the superintendent to have the rally on school grounds. If they wanted to be fair they could have simply cancelled school. Instead, they bussed kids in and put them center stage behind McCain, with DHS letter jackets and endorsement signs as proof. I find it very ironic that the many blue collar workers of Defiance would vote for a man simply because he says he won't tax you. What he says and what he plans are two different things. I heard McCain say at the rally that Obama is going to tax most of those at the rally. Really? Since when is Defiance made up of those who rake in 250,000 a year? I heard McCain say he won't have a trillion dollar budget, and yet that is exactly what the Truth Squads showed after the debates. I guess you and your daughter, holbrookie1, should close your eyes and ears when someone with a different viewpoint speaks. Shutting out other ideas and other opinions always helps, doesn't it. I guess it's just really nice to have someone who looks like your dad or grandpa keep calling you "My friend." Ironically, in many Middle Eastern cultures "my friend" is rhetoric that means "my enemy." Perhaps McCain picked this up when he was in Iraq last, licking the oil from his fingertips.

35.	Posted by jneill7854 October 31, 2008
	I sure hope none of you McCain supporters get health insurance from your employer. McCain wants to include healthcare within taxable income both for the employer and employee. That means you will pay more income tax and bring home less pay. Employers will pay more in SUTA, FUTA, Medicare & Fica. Employers general liability and work comp insurance is based on gross payroll and those rates will too rise. If employers have to pay more to offer healthcare, it will no longer be offered. But McCain will then give us a $5000 tax credit to apply on a $12000 policy for a family of four. When your in the grocery store, pick up this week Newsweek and go to the centerfold. It compares both healtcare plans. The first item under the McCain side says "If your health insurance is employer provided, kiss it goodbye!"

34.	Posted by holbrookie1 October 31, 2008
	Don't be like that you know what I am talking about.. If you differ with them you better watch out for your grades. She didn't say anything but other kids did. But I wanted to go and fight with him but she said no. This is young people and some of these professor think they can tell them anything..

33.	Posted by BAllen October 31, 2008
	Holbrookie, what kind of education did your daughter get with closed ears? If you can't bear to hear out anyone who differs with you, it's usually because your views don't hold up well under scrutiny.

32.	Posted by holbrookie1 October 31, 2008
	Majority of teacher are democrats. When my daugher was in college she had to close her ears because of the lefty professors.

31.	Posted by DHSgrad2000 October 31, 2008
	mjmarks: ".Will teachers talk about the Dem Party views in the classroom? Maybe not but why should that even be an issue. I'm sure that no matter if your household is Dem or Rep you yourselfs don,t sit down with your children and point out the differences of the issues. " As professional educators, we are responsible to show both sides of the issue. We can't make personal endorsements in our class rooms. That's unethical. Especially to little kids. You are teaching them math and history, not shaping their personal beliefs. Parents are not professional educators, in general. Please don't use that analogy to endorse, because it's not logical. One is paid to educate on the world, on all sides, while one is your blood. One is providing a service. One is family.

30.	Posted by holbrookie1 October 31, 2008
	Your taxes will go up when obama rolls back the bush tax cut and you watch when obama gets in office people that are making 42,000 a year their taxes will go up. If you don't believe obama will raise your taxes came back in a year after he gets into office and we will talk. Don't forget the low wage earners will get a welfare check.

29.	Posted by DHSgrad2000 October 31, 2008
	The problem with arguments from both sides is that many of you conflate your personal beliefs ands analytical lenses for the truth. No matter how mature sounding your overall responses have been, it is still sad when I see people within both parties on here act write phrases like "This is a ___. He is ___." Or that "You can't be rational because you're a _____." It's annoying as an independent who admired George Voinovich as a teen growing up, voting mostly Republican in my first election when I was of age. I now live in Chicago, and I know that influences my vote. But, I too am a strong, rational thinker Dixiejack. If I lean more to one side, it doesn't mean I lose my rationality. I watched all of the debates. I listened, I observed the two candidates behaviors. I listened to their political rhetoric as just that. Rhetoric. I realize both candidates distort the facts. If you look at their records with sterile eyes and a considerate mind you may feel that simply seeing how many Yeas and Neas they put in on the issues doesn't paint the entire picture. I can call myself a Democrat and vote for a Republican. I can be a Republican and vote for a Democrat in three straight elections. You can call me a hypocrite because of my voting record. But you don't know this hypothetical me. You don't know my rationale for voting "the other way." I posit this above example because it's more than listening to what they say or what the "facts" say, especially after 18 plus months. The facts can be spun. It's about personal belief. For me, my belief is informed and rational. I look at character and what they say and how they say it. I look at their consistency of argument. For example, watching the Defiance rally on CNN I was struck when John McCain basically denounced the same bailout plan that he once "stopped" his campaign for. To me, as a rational person, I just find that contradictory. I think it's rational to pick someone with great moral values and a consistent message. For me, I don't want the candidate who keeps changing his message. Also, as a rational person, I am tired of hearing McCain say he wants to "win the war in Iraq." And I was disheartened when he actually screamed at the rally that Obama would "forfeit the war in Iraq." I'd like to know what McCain's idea of a victory is. To me, I am rationally scared of his rhetoric. I guess embedding American soldiers into the Iraqi culture by having a Big Brother presence and paying off informants with our American tax dollars is a victory. If that is McCain's definition of victory - paying Iraqis to be peaceful and also living side by side and threatening them as a military presence - sounds pretty much like a victory by fear. Yes, less troops are dying. But over the long haul, when can we leave with such a victory in sight? Can General Petreus and co. guarantee that no matter if we leave within a timeline or at some undetermined time - can GP guarantee that the Iraqis won't breathe a sigh of relief and then start fighting each other again? How dare a US President want to lead by example, not by fear, and to bring American troops home - as simple as that! And as someone who teaches at two colleges and yet makes less than 35k a year, and doesn't get health care and cannot afford to with the current capitalist system --I'd be happy to have affordable government healthcare. But again, I'm just trying to think rationally, as an educator. This is why I'm voting Obama. This and much more. You can vote for who you want to vote for. But please, people of my hometown, on either side, stop pretending your "facts" make everyone not voting the same as you as wrong or stupid.

28.	Posted by mjmarks October 31, 2008
	I am so angry at the closed minded people in Defiance Ohio. Our school children are the most important thing we have for our future. To deny them the chance to see a part of history is absurd.No one said that the Dems could'nt bring in their canidates to Defiance. We urge people to get out and vote and unless we teach our children the importance of using that right and all that leads up to your final choice as to who you vote for, then don't expect our youth to want to vote when they become of age. My grandson is in 4th grade at Spencer and was so excited to be able to see McCain speak. Did he understand everything that was said? Probably not but he will never forget being a part of history no matter who wins the election.Will teachers talk about the Dem Party views in the classroom? Maybe not but why should that even be an issue. I'm sure that no matter if your household is Dem or Rep you yourselfs don,t sit down with your children and point out the differences of the issues. Stop picking on the school system for being smart enough to take our kids to the rally and start talking about the more important issues going on in this world.

27.	Posted by BAllen October 31, 2008
	I live in Virginia, but as a Defiance native, I was thrilled to see my good ol' hometown in the national spotlight. The reason for the attention, however, was somewhat less than thrilling. John McCain trotted out the same tired messages he's been trying to sell for months now. Barack Obama, he claims, will raise everyone's taxes. We know this is not true. Obama has made his tax plan clear, with ample details presented online, in print and on TV. McCain counts on the strategy that if he tells the same lies long enough, someone will believe him. Unfortunately McCain did not have the infinite wisdom of Joe the Plumber to back him up, because Joe apparently did not get the memo that he was expected in Defiance. C'mon Joe, it's an hour's drive, max. Betcha John would have picked up the tab for the gas. Of course, Joe's role in the McCain campaign rhetoric would be a little more compelling if Joe was, you know, actually a plumber, or didn't seem to have some tax issues of his own, or was actually trying to buy a plumbing business. The reality is he would do better under Obama's plan than McCain's. But then, facts aren't really the McCain campaign's strong suit. Let's be real. The campaign is flailing right now, hopping from accusation to accusation about Obama, hoping something will stick. He's a socialist. He's a redistributionist (what does that even mean?). He pals around with terrorists. He's a liberal tax-and-spend guy. None of it sticks because none of it is true. McCain's strategy has been one Hail Mary pass after another. In contrast, Barack Obama has been calm, intelligent and consistent. He has shown how he would compromise and work with, not demonize, those who disagree with his positions. And his campaign has one hell of a ground game. It's my hope Defiance will see right through the McCain rhetoric. It's a better town than that. And on Nov. 4, America will reject the divisive politics and fear-mongering put forth by John McCain and Sarah Palin. We're a great country and we deserve better.

Next 10 Comments |