Originally Posted By mawnck >>Obama supporters defend this ad.<< I certainly didn't. Don't generalize. Life is not black and white.
Originally Posted By woody >>Whoa there! So, in your original post you claim McCain doesn't use e-mail because of a disability. Now, you acknowledge that he just doesn't like e-mail or technology. Which story is it gonna be?<< Okay, there's a bit of a disconnect. I thought the previous post meant "he doesn't like to email" because of his disability, not merely because of a personal preference. McCain cannot email. It just isn't possible and he can't do it efficiently. However, even with his disability, he accomplished much more than Obama or Biden. Nice attempt at gotcha, but I'm not conceding.
Originally Posted By Sport Goofy Of course you're not conceding. You obviously find it appealing to have a President that is so out of touch with reality and the general population. Perhaps you are one of those people that makes over $2.8M a year who will get their tax breaks if McCain becomes President?
Originally Posted By mawnck >>I thought the previous post meant "he doesn't like to email" because of his disability, not merely because of a personal preference. McCain cannot email.<< Do you ever concede ANYTHING, Woody? You ARE George W. Bush, aren't you.
Originally Posted By woody >>You ARE George W. Bush, aren't you.<< I disagree. If you say "I'm not GW Bush", I'll concede.
Originally Posted By Mr X ***Steven Hawking uses a computer and far more disabled than McCain. In fact, there are literally millions of people suffering with disabilities who are computer users.*** Beat me to it. Here's the deal...there's 2 reasons why McCain can't be bothered with computers, ONE of which I think the Obama campaign is TRYING to attack and shouldn't, and the other I think it extremely worth pursuing and they aren't. 1) he's a doddering old fool. It's true. Sure. BUT, it's not something people want to hear (everyone gets old, after all), and it's just insulting for no particular reason. The truth is, just like my Grandpa (love him, miss him tons!), he couldn't use a cellphone for anything short of a hammer (in a pinch) and is too old to really care. NOT an effective strategy, but that's what they're going for in their approach, right down to the "doddering old" music. BAD. They should be going with the "evil villain" music (which McCain is using against Obama, very effectively I might add), which brings me to the OTHER point. 2) He's far too rich to be bothered with such crap. THAT would be some attacks that would make some impact. THAT'S what Obama should be focused on, incessantly, until every swing voter has nothing more in their head except for "McCain is super-rich and doesn't care about us". Oh, and cue the evil music on that one too. Hell, Obama should fire his whole advertising staff and fly ME into headquarters. I could fix their hamfisted campaign in a matter of days!
Originally Posted By woody >>Steven Hawking<< Yeah, let's bring him in. He can't even speak without a computer. That's why he needs it. Most people in his case need computers to enable them to live a somewhat interactive lifestyle. McCain doesn't need to literally use a computer. He can have his staff use it for him and they do. McCain is quite savvy with technology. I'm sure he doesn't ignore it. This Obama ad is an attack on his age, but it misses the mark.
Originally Posted By Sport Goofy << The truth is, just like my Grandpa (love him, miss him tons!), he couldn't use a cellphone for anything short of a hammer (in a pinch) and is too old to really care. >> I'm not sure that's the truth anymore. My Grandma (who is over a decade older than McCain) uses cell phones, e-mail, and other new technology. There are plenty of aged people who keep up with the times. They might not be as savvy as today's college students, but you really can't effectively live in the year 2008 by ignoring these things altogether. McCain's folksy talk about not using computers appeals to the demographic that wants to go back in time to the way things were 30 years ago. There is no such time machine.
Originally Posted By Mr X <a href="http://www.jr.com/nuance-communications/pe/SAB_DNS9P_SL_REC/" target="_blank">http://www.jr.com/nuance-commu..._SL_REC/</a> Nuance communications "Dragon", naturally speaking for Windows (interesting company if you're a risk taking investor, by the way). ***Talk to control virtual all Windows based applications ***Browse the Internet by talking Yeah, Woody keep digging your hole deeper by telling us how poor McCain "can not" email. Yeah, right. If he cared, he could. If he were interested, he would. And the argument is absurd. The guy is ultra-wealthy..any tech available over the counter today was available to him ten (or more) years ago. The fact is, he couldn't be bothered. Cause he's too rich to be bothered. And, old (but rich is better).
Originally Posted By Sport Goofy << McCain doesn't need to literally use a computer. He can have his staff use it for him and they do. >> Thanks for pointing out exactly why he is out of touch with 99% of the American population. Most people have to use computers everyday. Their work requires it. I called my local voter registration office the other day to request my absentee ballot for the upcoming election. They told me that they no longer update absentee voter information over the phone and I would have to access their online tool to request my ballot. I don't have a staff to do this for me, and there was no longer a computer-free option available to perform this task. Maybe McCain's staff will go online and do this for me if I call them on the phone and ask them to do it?
Originally Posted By Mr X Sport Goofy, you could be right. My Grandpa died a few years back so perhaps things are radically different now. BUT, I think there is certainly still a group of folks who can't be bothered. Here in Japan, the cellphone revolution brought on an interesting backlash where they had to start selling something called "just-a-phone"..which was a cellular with big numbers and NOTHING more. For the folks who wanted a cellphone but couldn't figure out all the bells and whistles (hell, I sure can't, for about a week every time I buy a new model! lol).
Originally Posted By Sport Goofy ^^ Even "just-a-phone" is still a step forward in technology. It's not the McCain approach of burying your head in the sand and ignoring technological progress like it isn't important.
Originally Posted By SingleParkPassholder Heck, I have a brother who is blind and we e-mail back and forth all the time. The technology is out there. Whatever disability McCain has is no excuse. The ad is dead on.
Originally Posted By woody >>The fact is, he couldn't be bothered. >>Cause he's too rich to be bothered. Hmm.. I posted previously that Bill Clinton only sent 2 emails in his 2 terms as president. McCain could not be bothered, not because he is rich, but because he has lots to do. He cannot send email efficiently himself. And he earned his staff from the amount of work he does. You're pretty lame. I suppose the next thing you'll complain about is how many vacations he'll take.
Originally Posted By woody >>Heck, I have a brother who is blind and we e-mail back and forth all the time.<< McCain can pick up the phone, even a cell phone, but maybe not lift it up to his ear.
Originally Posted By SingleParkPassholder Who cares what Clinton did or didn't do? You can't move the goalposts in your own thread, woody.
Originally Posted By Sport Goofy << I suppose the next thing you'll complain about is how many vacations he'll take. >> I wonder how he decides which house he will vacation in from time to time? That must be a very tough decision -- so many choices!
Originally Posted By woody >>Who cares what Clinton did or didn't do? You can't move the goalposts in your own thread, woody.<< What goalposts did I move? I started this thread to focus on the stupidity of Obama's new attack ad. It is just stupid to talk about McCain's inability to email. It's as if Obama was unaware of McCain's disability... which shows Obama's inability to do a google search to find out why. Who's really computer illiterate?
Originally Posted By SingleParkPassholder Matter of fact, my blind brother participates in fantasy football and fantasy baseball on-line. He just e-mailed me about whether to play Kosuke Fukudome, since Fukudome's been in a prolonged slump and Piniella has been using him only as a late inning defensive replacement. If McCain's disability prevents him from using computers too much, my brother must be some sort of magician, being blind and all. Maybe I'll vote for him instead.
