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Framing: 'I am not George Bush' a Mistake by McCain?

Submitted by BuzzFlash on Thu, 10/16/2008 - 12:06pm.

BE ELECTED
by Christine Bowman

Can you think of one quote from President Richard M. Nixon? Most of us can, and for most of us it's probably the exact same quote [near end of clip]:


In the October 15, 2008 presidential debate, one of John McCain's assertions seemed eerily reminiscent of Nixon's infamous remark:


"I am not ... President Bush." Some pundits have applauded McCain for saying that point blank. They say McCain's claim was a high point of the debate.

But was it instead more like a 2008 version of "I am not a crook"? Was it a weak, defensive assertion delivered by a GOP figure who has few options left?

Linguist George Lakoff of Don't Think of an Elephant fame says it's a bad strategy to speak using the same kind of language and underlying assumptions that your opponent has put forward. It's wiser to state things in terms of your values and constructs, not theirs.

Didn't John McCain last night slip up and use Obama's frame -- that Bush and McCain are the same? "McSame"? Four more years?

Bush/McCain

If McCain wants to distance himself from Bush, he should never mention Bush. Period. Yet at his last big media moment before millions of voters, he did just that. Should we look for McCain to invoke Richard Nixon next?

BE ELECTED

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Not Bush

Submitted by EthanQ on Fri, 10/17/2008 - 1:32am.
For someone who claims not be Bush, McCain does a great job channelling him!
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Far from being "the best

Submitted by Atmost11 on Thu, 10/16/2008 - 3:03pm.
Far from being "the best zinger of the debate", it sucked. The fact that he has to say it says alot, it re-inforces the fact that Democrats were right about Bush after all, it totally undercuts the Republicans, Loser McCain is basically throwing his so-called "Commander in Chief" under the bus, during what is suppoesdly still a "time of emergency".
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Far from being the best

Submitted by TheSkepticalCynic on Fri, 10/17/2008 - 1:01am.

Far from being non plussed by what McCain and his FUBAR Clusterf**k of a campaign would expect be a really telling body blow, Obama's quick rapier retorte was more telling did more damage I don't recall Obama's exact words but they came immediately almost as if he had been anticipating McCain's shot,
"Your policies are so much like Bush's it is difficult to tell the difference."
Had Obama not been as sharp as he has shown himself to be, it might have been somewhat effective. However,Obama's quick and telling response made McCain look like an ill manner boorish lout getting his comeuppance!

With only 18 days to go, eighteen hundred rosaries, and 3 novenas are not going to save this turkey and Failin' Pailin. here's the Republicans 2018 dream team,
Sarah Palin
Dan Quayle

The Skeptical Cynic hath spake!

Santa knows when you are sleeping,
He knows when you're awake.
He knows if you've been bad or good.
Unfortunately, so does Bush,
Cheney, Rice, Mukasey, and...
the FBI, ONI, CIA, MCIA, NSA,
DIA,MI6, MOSSAD, AIPAC,

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Next McCain commercial?

Submitted by revolution9 on Thu, 10/16/2008 - 2:31pm.
"I'm not George Bush. But I play him on tv"
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I am not George Bush!

Submitted by amendme1rst on Thu, 10/16/2008 - 1:03pm.
I was surprised with the hostility with which McCain said those words to Barack Obama. This is an angry man! For me, it was like when McCain refered to Obama as "that one." Being of mixed-race, I caught that reference immediately and was offended. When he said, I am not George Bush, McCain seemed offended with much anger, as if in much denial.
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