Welp, we're fast approaching the end of Obama's first year in office. Aside from health care reform and perhaps Guantanomo, can anyone make a solid claim (as solid as conjecture can be) that McCain would have done much of anything that Obama hasn't?

- Would he not have also included in his cabinet financial officials who serve the interests of Wall Street?
- Would he not have also sought various spending schemes aimed at jumpstarting the economy?
- Would he not have also embraced the same Bush/Cheney executive power and secrecy abuses (state secrets, indefinite detention, FISA, etc)?
- Would he not have also sought to shelter Bush Administration officials from prosecution for their roles in various abuses during Bush's term?
- Would he not have escalated the conflict in Afghanistan?

This isn't meant to be an exhaustive list; these are just meant to be jumping off points. What would President McCain have done that President Obama hasn't?

Probably less black celebrities visiting the White House.

A better question:

What would McCain have NOT done?

http://www.theskyiscrape.com/index.php? ... &Itemid=51

Created RM 4?

McCain would have already died by now (he's 100 years old right?)

also, levy johnston would NOT be famous.

seriously though:

would we still have two people imprisoned in N. Korea?
surely McCain would not have bowed to anybody.
he wouldn't have won a nobel peace prize and he wouldn't have gone to Europe to get the Olympics to the US.


also, i'm curious how the RM right-wing thinkers feel about their criticisms of the administration, considering things wouldn't be that different.

He would have cut taxes since he says that every week on the Sunday shows.

He had some very good suggestions. I think he may have been more serious about curbing executive power in some aspects than Obama has been. He talked about mandating that the President do something similar to what the British PM has to do, appearing in front of the legislature to take questions and justify his policies. That would be a great thing, although obviously the American President couldn't do that with the entire Congress. Maybe just the Senate.

As far as foreign policy is concerned, I think McCain would have made the Afghanistan decision sooner, and I think he would have put more troops there. Iraq would be unchanged.

Wow g2t, you are a fuckin racist bro...u are like a Palestinian in a Tel Aviv Disco here

which is to say you're fucking up our forum

Yeah, he probably would've cut taxes. Thus, our national debt would be about $12.2 trillion instead of $12.0 trillion. Then again, he probably would have spent about $200 billion less, or at least taken another month or two to spend that money.

Also, he would've clearly stated his position that he doesn't believe gays should be able to get married, but should have the same rights under civil unions; which is distinct from Obama's position that gays in civil unions should have the same rights as married couples, but not actually get married.

Additionally, McCain would've been opposed to financial reform, in contrast to Obama's being generally favorable towards, but unwilling to actually instate, financial reform.

Didn't McCain want to shut down Guantanamo?

we'd be drilling for oil all over the place.

Still would have been a stimulus, I can't imagine it being much different than the one Obama passed. The Democratic Congress would have tacked on spending projects even though it would lean more heavily towards tax cuts.

Actually, I am pointing out that neither blacks or celebrities voted for McCain.

Racist would be...well you know all too well, don't you g_v.

oh..."actually"

This post gets an A+

The gist of this thread, I think, is that all of these politicians are essentially the same thing. Further, there is very little they can do that will actually make a material difference in each of our lives.

I get behind this message.

probably stayed a POW so he wouldnt pick palin again

This is a nitpick, but McCain probably wouldn't have cut taxes so much as not allowing the Bush tax cuts to expire.