Obama: McCain better than Bush

[Joe Biden 2020]

http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0408/Obama_McCain_better_than_Bush.html

I'm scratching my head on this one.  I think he's right, but I'm wondering why he would say that when even he has said a McCain administration would be the same as a third Bush term.

Any insight as to why he would say such a thing?

[Eraserhead]

It's true, of course. He'd still be a terrible President though.

[Joe Biden 2020]

It's true, of course. He'd still be a terrible President though.

Hence, he preceded the statement by "either democrat would be better than McCain"

[Lief 🗽]

Well, sure.

Obama >>>>>>>> Clinton >>> No President at all >>> McCain > Bush.

Still a dumb thing to say.

[jokerman]

Very true, but a dumb thing for a Democratic candidate to say.  Why concede the best point we might have to gaining the White House?

[Democratic Hawk]

http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0408/Obama_McCain_better_than_Bush.html

I'm scratching my head on this one.  I think he's right, but I'm wondering why he would say that when even he has said a McCain administration would be the same as a third Bush term.

Perhaps Obama is saying that McCain would be better than Bush in terms of competence or style; however, in terms of ideology and policy, a McCain administration would be the same as a third Bush term

Dave

[Speed of Sound]

I was in the stands when he said that. The crowd didnt seem to disagree, as it brought them all to thier feet.

[7,052,770]

When Hillary says this, the Obamites crucify her.  When Obama says this, the Obamites agree.

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

When Hillary says this, the Obamites crucify her.  When Obama says this, the Obamites agree.

Surprised?

[JWHart]

Um....no, if Hillary wants to say that McCain is better than Bush, I'm fine with that, although I agree it seems odd, strategically speaking.

Likewise, if Obama said that McCain would be a better president than Clinton, I'd be upset with him.

[Eraserhead]

When Hillary says this, the Obamites crucify her.  When Obama says this, the Obamites agree.

Clinton basically said that McCain would be better than Obama, Harry. There is a pretty significant difference between saying McCain would be better than Bush and saying McCain would be better than Obama.

[Democratic Hawk]

When Hillary says this, the Obamites crucify her.  When Obama says this, the Obamites agree.

For Obama to say that McCain would be better than Bush is one thing; but for Clinton to enhance McCain, by belittling Obama, is something else

Dave

[Verily]

When Hillary says this, the Obamites crucify her.  When Obama says this, the Obamites agree.

No, Clinton has a tendency to say that McCain would be a better President than Obama. I don't see Obama saying McCain would be a better President than Clinton. (Unless you think Clinton would be only as good as Bush, which I'm sure some people do.)

[Joe Biden 2020]

When Hillary says this, the Obamites crucify her.  When Obama says this, the Obamites agree.

No, Clinton has a tendency to say that McCain would be a better President than Obama. I don't see Obama saying McCain would be a better President than Clinton.

Mainly because Obama seems to be more grown up in this campaign than Clinton does who is 14-15 years his senior.

[Person Man]

http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0408/Obama_McCain_better_than_Bush.html

I'm scratching my head on this one.  I think he's right, but I'm wondering why he would say that when even he has said a McCain administration would be the same as a third Bush term.

Perhaps Obama is saying that McCain would be better than Bush in terms of competence or style; however, in terms of ideology and policy, a McCain administration would be the same as a third Bush term

Dave

That's about right. Probably more comptetent on the execution of foreign policy and disaster management, but he will still probably do the wrong thing...just in a better way.

[specific_name]

Seems that he just sort of let it slip. For most people who agree with Obama, McCain is still better than Bush. But it's a major point of Democratic strategy to never acknowledge out loud that McCain is not a carbon copy of Bush. He has to be painted as just like him when ever possible. So it is a poor idea to suggest that he's not.

TL;DR This isn't a gaffe but it just proves that Obama is not as savvy as some claim, he should know better than to ever say that.

[Joe Biden 2020]

Bush wasn't the worst president to ever sit in the Oval Office, but definitely McCain would be a better president than he, and Clinton would be even better and Obama would be better than all 3 of them.

[Democratic Hawk]

When Hillary says this, the Obamites crucify her.  When Obama says this, the Obamites agree.

Clinton basically said that McCain would be better than Obama, Harry. There is a pretty significant difference between saying McCain would be better than Bush and saying McCain would be better than Obama.

Clinton, at the very least, has most certainly sought to enhance McCain by belittling Obama

She has done this by equating Obama's 'lack' of experience with that of Bush. This infers that McCain would be better president than Obama, who'd be as bad as Bush

Dave

[Sasquatch]

Saying someone is better than Bush, isn't saying a whole lot.

[Math]

hum, I was thinking that "the Clinton administration, and the Bush administration, and each successive administration has said that somehow these communities are gonna regenerate and they have not".

So, actually these administrations aren't exactly the same or what?

[Nym90]

Obama seems to be making a habit of getting in trouble for stating things that are obviously true.

Ah well, such is politics.

[Math]

You must be logged in to read this quote.

http://thepage.time.com/response-from-obama-spokesman-bill-burton-5/

The audacity of hope, without doubt...

[Torie]

Obama seems to be making a habit of getting in trouble for stating things that are obviously true.

Ah well, such is politics.

Well, Obama never seems to get into any trouble no matter what that really hurts him with Dem primary voters, but in this case, I don't see any trouble at all. Hilllary suggesting that McCain is a Bush clone just causes her to lose credibility; few believe that.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

The statement wasn't pro-McCain, it was anti-Bush. Not really something McCain can use to his advantage. "Vote McCain, he's better than Bush!" is hardly a compelling slogan.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0408/Obama_McCain_better_than_Bush.html

I'm scratching my head on this one.  I think he's right, but I'm wondering why he would say that when even he has said a McCain administration would be the same as a third Bush term.

Perhaps Obama is saying that McCain would be better than Bush in terms of competence or style; however, in terms of ideology and policy, a McCain administration would be the same as a third Bush term

Dave

Great, the same failed ideology and policies with better PR. Obama is wrong. McCain would be much worse than Bush.