McCain to Hillary in the General Election Debate.

[Meldread]

Now that John Edwards is gone, let's imagine what will happen in a McCain debate if Hillary is the nominee.

McCain: "So let me get this straight, Senator Clinton. You were against the war before you were for it, now you're against it." "Friends, I think we've been down this road before."

McCain: "I valued your work in the Senate, Senator Clinton, but if I may be honest for a moment, it has always seemed to me that you've based your positions off of what was popular - that wasn't leadership - that was following. I'm a leader. I have a proven record."

McCain: "In the Democratic Primary your argument to vote for you was based on experience. Well, Senator, I have more experience than you - when can I expect your endorsement?"

McCain: "I do not feel surrender is an American strategy."

McCain: "Yes, I am glad you brought that up <Moderator Name>. I do feel it is important to talk about Bill Clinton's role in the White House - this is obviously a historic election - but I am not fond of a co-Presidency or political dynasties. I've never believed in that. American's know what they are getting with me - honesty, truth, and leadership - and I've proven it all my years in the Senate."

McCain: "Senator Clinton, I do think it's a relevant topic to talk about Election Reform. As American's are aware, I've championed election reform - getting this dirty money out of politics - I've worked with our colleague, Senator Feingold - a Democrat - to get Election Reform passed. No one in this election has taken more special interests and lobbyist money than you, Senator Clinton. When I get to Washington, I plan to stick to my record, not waver like the wind."

Hillary: "I have 35 years of experience..."
McCain: "I was in a Prisoner of War camp 35 years ago, where were you?"

I'm having nightmares about the above possible scenarios, and others. It will be devastating beyond belief, and I am not sure how she even combats him. The best she has is the economy, but McCain will just use that as an opportunity to point out it was under Bill Clinton, not her. He will use that as an opportunity to induce fear into the electorate of a new "shadow" Bill Clinton Presidency. Not to mention, he will steal Romney's line about what Bill Clinton will do with all the time on his hands... and of course Bill cannot keep his mouth shut...

Ughh... So many nightmare scenarios. :scared:

[Tom Strong]

1. Hillary will take McCain's "100 Year Plan" in Iraq and beat him into oblivion with it. n/t

[jgraz]

4. Hillary's Iraq plan will be indistinguishable from McCain's

She's far to cowardly to run to the left of a "war hero" on foreign policy or national security. If McCain and Hillary are the candidates, look for Ms. Hawky McPanderface to show up at every opportunity.

[Meldread]

7. That's true, but...

...I think the fact that he's been consistent on where he stands on the war will balance out the fact that she was against it as she was for it, then against it. It's the same attack used on Kerry by Bush... and he won.

[MyNameGoesHere]

2. is this before or after they roll his

old decrepit ass on the stage, and hear him mumble on? Come on now that is not even close to reality. HRC is going to just stand there and let him run all over her?

[Meldread]

10. No, it isn't what she says... it's his responses.

Most people don't watch the debates. They watch the snippets on the nightly news. If he comes prepared with a few zingers - it will be like Hillary's slumlord slam on Obama. That's pretty much the main focus in the snippets.

McCain is also a media darling, like Obama, but Hillary lacks in that department - the media will always prop up McCain over Hillary.

[Barack_America]

3. Ugh. That is exactly what I fear as well...

*shudder*

[livetohike]

5. McCain isn't smart enough to think on his feet like that

Hillary or Obama will destroy him in a debate.

[Meldread]

11. He doesn't have too.

All he needs is one or two zingers that will be repeated by the media again and again... He can prepare for that ahead of time.

[Tatiana]

6. Well, you've nailed it.

Especially this part:

"I do not feel surrender is an American strategy."

[BenDavid]

8. If HRC really, and I mean really get down and dirty with mccain

all HRC will have to do is say, Senator McCain, we all admire your service to this country but one question has bothered me for a long time. How could someone like yourself that was a POW and told us you were tortured, how is it that you caved so fast to Bush and approved Bush to keep on torturing human beings.?

[Meldread]

12. She'd be so screwed if she said that.

We're very partisan here, but the media, and most of the American public will NEVER forget her with a slam like that. She will be seen as slamming an American War Hero, no matter how true it is - she will be crucified.

[Norwood]

9. Right on the nose

Its gonna suck and it wont be much different if Obama somehow manages to get the nod.

[Meldread]

14. I think Obama is slightly stronger.

For one, Obama has been against the war since the beginning. It allows Obama to attack him forcefully on the Iraq issue and capitalize on the fact that the American public have turned against the war.

McCain only has one weapon over Obama: experience. Hillary is using that same argument and it hasn't been as effective as she hoped. However, unlike the battle between Obama and Hillary - Obama will have free license to go after McCain. He can bring up experience if he likes, but then Obama can use his Rumsfeld line again and again. "No one had more experience than Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld, and look where that got us - look where you got us, Senator McCain, and look where you want to keep us for the next 100 years."

Additionally, he would be able to leverage the Clinton years, ironically, as Hillary endorses him (if he wins the nomination), and be able to invoke the economic prosperity of the Clinton years to attack McCain with - that is something I do not think many have thought of as of yet.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

13. She Will Take McCain Apart In A Debate She Just Has To Be Careful Not To Come Off As Mean

~

[Meldread]

15. The problem is this...

...what will be replayed by the media again and again. All he has to do is get in that first quote I made:

McCain: "So let me get this straight, Senator Clinton. You were against the war before you were for it, now you're against it." (McCain looks directly into the camera.) "Friends, I think we've been down this road before."

He can't do that to Obama.

McCain's biggest weakness is his love of war and I think we need a candidate who can take him on that very issue.