New at Reason: Chapman on Obama and McCain

In his latest column, Steve Chapman watches as major party frontrunners John McCain and Barack Obama both stumble. Will they get their acts together by November?

Read all about it here. 

Comments

Curious Hussein George | June 2, 2008, 7:31am | #

Don't forget Obama telling fat Americans that they have to walk not drive, have to sweat without air conditioning, and eat as much as they want because foreigners don't think the alternative is OK. Or McCain telling the NRA and gun owning Americans they can't sell and swap their unwanted guns without going through an FFL for a background check.

jib | June 2, 2008, 8:21am | #

This article is brilliant deductive logic. But it doesn't comport to observed facts. E.g.

Obama and McCain have both verbally disrespected 90% of Americans.
Therefore these Americans will resent McCain and Obama.

This makes sense to me but where is the proof it's actually happened/happening?

joe | June 2, 2008, 8:32am | #

You've gotta be kidding me.

Graduation speakers have been telling the kids to set their sights on lofty things from time immemorial.

An agonizing stretch to justify a "pox on both houses" thesis.

Episiarch | June 2, 2008, 8:41am | #

Chapman does what, two stories a week for Reason? Can't they find somebody with better analysis skills? I thought Weigel (who is actually good at this) was the primary political reporter.

Rhywun | June 2, 2008, 8:44am | #

Gosh, both candidates are floating appeals to their respective bases. The horror!

Elemenope | June 2, 2008, 8:45am | #

I agree with joe, and I agree with Episiarch...this is shaping up to be a bad morning!

:)

Episiarch | June 2, 2008, 8:47am | #

this is shaping up to be a bad morning

Well, we know what you should do in case of a bad morning, right? Puff puff.

Art-P.O.G. | June 2, 2008, 8:53am | #

Well, we know what you should do in case of a bad morning, right? Puff puff

I agree. Cocoa Puffs always cheer me up on gloomy mornings. ;)

Reinmoose | June 2, 2008, 8:54am | #

I can see where the public might not take well to what John McCain said, but promoting the Peace Corps? I don't see how that many people are going to sit at home and say "well, clearly he doesn't realize that if you really want to help people, you will engage in free trade and innovation," especially since they've shown tendencies for resenting even the concept of free trade.

Nope, it's just not a good comparison.

Guy Montag | June 2, 2008, 8:54am | #

Chapman does what, two stories a week for Reason?

Yea, and if he left out taxing us into abject poverty in this piece it might be taken as an improvement.

Can't they find somebody with better analysis skills? I thought Weigel (who is actually good at this) was the primary political reporter.

Yea, that is what I was thinking. Perhaps something bad happened to Dave after he said "bad" things about Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Chapman is just filling in? I hope not, but stranger things have happened . . .

Guy Montag | June 2, 2008, 8:57am | #

Actually, this conroversy could be solved through a government program. If more federal funding were focused on this issue it might receive the attention that it deserves.

Art-P.O.G. | June 2, 2008, 8:58am | #

Too easy gettin' in cheap shots on statists, Guy.* :D

*although, to some people, I'm a Statist.

Guy Montag | June 2, 2008, 9:14am | #

Art,

Oh, whatever do you mean? Me taking cheap shots? You must be joking!

Guy Montag | June 2, 2008, 9:17am | #

I suggest a system of settling this disagreement between the two politicians be take to the several States, plus DC, and let them decide.

I believe that would be 51 geographically defined groups, but I underatsnd that Sen. Obama has a larger number in mind.

LarryA | June 2, 2008, 9:22am | #

Obama practically sneered at any students in the audience who would "take your diploma, walk off this stage, and chase only after the big house and the nice suits and all the other things that our money culture says you should buy." He warned the graduates that "fulfilling your immediate wants and needs" indicates "a poverty of ambition."

Last time I checked most recent graduates were “fulfilling (their) immediate wants and needs” by finding a job that paid enough to rent a basic dwelling and put food on their family’s table while paying off their student loans. It may come as a shock to Obama, but not all college grads live like he does.

Guy Montag | June 2, 2008, 9:24am | #

Last time I checked most recent graduates were “fulfilling (their) immediate wants and needs” by finding a job that paid enough to rent a basic dwelling and put food on their family’s table while paying off their student loans.

Don't forget happy hour at Bullfeathers, for those recent graduates going to work in DC. Oh, and kickball fees too.

Warren | June 2, 2008, 9:24am | #

Yet another content free article by Steve Chapman.

R C Dean | June 2, 2008, 10:07am | #

If Obama keeps yammering on about public service for college grads, sooner or later he's going to start alienating all those young 'uns who are supposed to put him over the top, because lurking in the background of all these encomiums to public service is mandatory public service.

joe | June 2, 2008, 11:29am | #

Last time I checked most recent graduates were “fulfilling (their) immediate wants and needs” by finding a job that paid enough to rent a basic dwelling and put food on their family’s table while paying off their student loans. It may come as a shock to Obama, but not all college grads live like he does.

Actually, the Obamas talk about coming out of college and paying off their student loans all the time. It's one of their most favorite talking points, especially now that they're in a general election campaign with someone with such a different, atypical experience.

Standard Issue Libertarian | June 2, 2008, 12:13pm | #

It may come as a shock to Obama, but not all college grads live like he does

Everyone has the opportunity to raise their standard of living. Don't resent those who did just because you were too lazy and/or stupid.

Scabard | June 2, 2008, 12:15pm | #

If Obama keeps yammering on about public service for college grads, sooner or later he's going to start alienating all those young 'uns who are supposed to put him over the top, because lurking in the background of all these encomiums to public service is mandatory public service.

That would be more true if he wasn't running against the guy who thinks all young 'uns should be in the kind of mandatory public service where they are armed and sent off to get killed while maintaining the empire.

economist | June 2, 2008, 12:24pm | #

"Obama should be proud of his record as a community organizer"
No, actually it sounds like a lot of BS. While I dislike McCain, I prefer service in the fight against communism to whatever the hell Obama did. (Full disclosure: If your job title includes the word "community" I tend to dismiss you rather quickly)

J | June 2, 2008, 1:08pm | #

Steve, please write an engaging and interesting article.

R C Dean | June 2, 2008, 2:11pm | #

That would be more true if he wasn't running against the guy who thinks all young 'uns should be in the kind of mandatory public service where they are armed and sent off to get killed while maintaining the empire.

I'm not saying the campus crowd will vote for McCain. I'm saying Obama better start soft-peddling the "public service" rhetoric or his campus supporters might not find a reason to vote in November.

Obama should be proud of his record as a community organizer

Just what did he accomplish as a community organizer?

joe | June 2, 2008, 3:31pm | #

If you don't know what he did, how do you know if he should or should not be proud of it?

Anyhoo, outside of black helicopter circles, the existence of the Peace Corps and other service programs is not seen as the first step to rounding us all up into camps. I don't think Barack Obama actually has to start "soft-pedalling" anything. Service programs are wildly popular among college students.

whollycow | June 2, 2008, 3:59pm | #

"Obama should be proud of his record as a community organizer"
No, actually it sounds like a lot of BS. While I dislike McCain, I prefer service in the fight against communism to whatever the hell Obama did. (Full disclosure: If your job title includes the word "community" I tend to dismiss you rather quickly)

Didn't the fight against Communism all but die last decade? Oh wait, I work for a community credit union, what I have to say doesn't matter to you.

economist | June 2, 2008, 6:52pm | #

"Didn't the fight against communism all but die last decade?"
I was referring to John McCain's service in the Vietnam war.

Scabard | June 2, 2008, 8:29pm | #

Just what did he accomplish as a community organizer?

He organized the community! Duh!


;)