I'd rather vote for a foul-mouthed gambling addict and adulterer who hasn't been seen in church in ages, than a church-going black man with a stable temperment and family life. Obama's just TOO scary!!

I'm in colorado, and it would be nice if they'd air that ad in Colo Springs (Dobson territory).

"might Christian conservatives in places like Lynchburg and Tallahassee care about McCain's love for an activity -- and close ties to an industry -- they find immoral?"

In a word... No.

McCain should have made the ultimate gamble by putting all of his federal campaign funds on black. Maybe then he could have "raised" something close to what Obama was able to raise.

They will not care one whit - as long as the evil Obama is vanquished. As I've said all along - one usually has to pay top dollar at Cirque du Soleil to see contortionists of the sort the "religious right" has become. Dobson, Robertson, all of the snake handlers who would have nothing to do with McCain a few months ago have agreed to turn a blind eye to his many personal and policy failings in the interest of defeating Obama. John McCain could eat a live baby at one of his rallies and it would be okay with them.

I may be a Vermonter now, but I was born and raised in Tallahassee. It is NOT the conservative part of the state -- maybe the environs around it, but Tallahassee is one of the most reliable democratic voting areas in the state. Sure, it might be conservative compared to NYC, but the Florida wingnuts are someplace else.

Speaking as a newly minted Floridian, I find it hard to believe that a state that has dog racing, horse racing, jai alai, a lottery, and at least a handful of casinos (Indian owned yes, but who do you think gambles there?)would think twice about supporting a craps player for president. The conservatives here rationalized their support of gambling long ago and it's healed without a scar.

Remember that this is the same basic people that rail against other people watching porn, strippers, and nudie magazine but can support a president who can suggest his wife become Miss Buffalo Chip, a pageant with nudity, banana fellating, and FSM knows what else.

When they do it it is good wholesome fun. When others do it, it is an evil affront to god.

Never under estimate the power of a partisan to rationalize.

It's actually only immoral if Godless Democrats do it.

Seitz @ 10:02 says:

McCain should have made the ultimate gamble by putting all of his federal campaign funds on black. Maybe then he could have "raised" something close to what Obama was able to raise.

One quibble: With all his socialist talk lately, I think he's put some on red too.

McCain has a history of taking a gamble and then waiting to see what happens (e.g., choosing Sarah Palin without properly vetting her). Not what you want in a president. I wish someone would put that in an ad.

I really don't think the typical right wing "christian" really cares about this stuff except in the abstract. For most of them, their "morals" and "principles" are like a comfortable sweater: goes on or comes off according to the weather--politically speaking.

two things:

1) McCain's career was launched and in large part supported by another industry the fundies don't like (alcohol), and the guy who built Cindy&John's fortune was mobbed up to the hilt.

2) Obama gambles a bit too, but he likes poker and is reportedly very good at it. This is a good skill to have in a leader.

McCain's recklessness has become increasingly obvious

Gosh, I'd have thought that five wrecked airplanes would be a pretty big clue.

Echoing comments on McCain's history of taking a gamble, I think voters wrestled with second thoughts on the war hero. "He clearly knows that this is on the borderline of what is acceptable for him to be doing. And he just sort of revels in it." If he'd remained a pilot, and become a Blue Angel pilot or something, it's easy to imagine his name in a headline about a horrific air show crash.

Steve hasn't been paying attention. The Republican evangelical is the prosperity evangelical. They worship their lottery God, and think that will bring them the riches. And when they get their big payday, they don't want no stinkin' Commie-Pinko liberal messing with it and giving it to some no-good welfare queen.

Can you please not club Tallahassee with Lynchburg? This place is as blue as it gets. In 2004 Kerry won 62% of Leon County (http://www.leoncountyfl.gov/elect/includes/Elections%20And%20Results/2004Elections/2004GEElectionSummaryReport.pdf) and in 2000 Gore won 60% of Leon County (http://www.leoncountyfl.gov/elect/includes/Elections%20And%20Results/results/2000g.txt). So please do not insult us residents of Tallahassee by saying that it is all red and conservative.

Krishnan

Actually, having grown up in a conservative Baptist household, I can tell you they will care. They will also, however, believe that Obama is not a real Christian because he goes to a 'Black' church. They don't like McCain, but at least he pretends to like them, unlike his opponent.

The thing that really irritates me is people who would actually pick our president because of something as irrelevant as this. Biblically its in the smoking and drinking category. So McCain does something that is legal all over the world, including about 10 states. My feeling is if they can get over his womanizing, his divorce, and his co-heir to an alcohol distributorship, they can get over a little gambling.

"They don't like McCain, but at least he pretends to like them, unlike his opponent."

Yeah, because Obama has made it a point to bash Baptists at every opportunity.

No. Wingnut freakazoids apply their so-called "values" only to political enemies, i.e. Democrats. Political friends - republicans - get a pass on all sins of all kinds, including gay sex, adultery, abortion and murder. Gambling - by a republican - isn't even a misdemeanor.

Stop falling for the myth that right-wing freakazoids have objective moral standards. They don't. Their "morality" is a flexible weapon to be used only against those who threaten their hold on political power, nothing else.

And stop getting fooled by the idea that so-called "values voters" are stupid. They may not be educated, but they are extremely clever and know exactly what they're doing.

Money is irrelevant to them - it's power that matters. The power to subjugate and control everyone else.

I have lived and worked with these in-human monsters my entire life, so trust me on this.

Gambling is nowhere near as scary as Abortion or Gays -

"Gambling - done by a Republican - isn't even a misdemeanor"

Well, that depends on whether it was done legally in Nevada or outside the state lines. Loved the headlines in the Libertarian Review-Journal blasting any bookie busted out of state. This hypocrisy extended to the funeral of Mo Dalitz, who had a photo taken with Meyer Lansky when Mo was a hitman for the Murray Hill mob in Cleveland and associated with "Murder, Inc" - However, Mo came to Vegas and built a casino empire, as well as developing their first shopping mall, a major hospital and La Costa playground. When, he died, every major public official in the state, Catholic and Mormon officials in the state came to his massive funeral. Most of middle and upper management in the casino industry were Mormons, as well as local police, sheriff and judges. As long as payoffs were made to the powers to be, all was forgiven. Just a different method of "Tithing".

I definitely disagree with the folks here who say this won't make a difference. Not all Social Conservatives are the same. While some are just hypocritical Republicans who are only SoCons as a way of feeling superior to others, there are others who really do mean it. They walk the walk, and it might at least make them think twice about voting for McCain to realize that he's not a good dude. Of course, if they're convinced that Obama is a secret Marxist Muslim, then I suppose voting for the gambler would still make more sense. But I really think this gambling issue could work to persuade some of them against McCain.

And overall, liberals have got to get out of the mindset that suggests that conservatives are some sort of monolithic group that can't be torn apart. They're not. They're a weak coalition of many different types of people which can be played off of one another if it's done properly. There is no one conservative, even if it sometimes feels that way.

might Christian conservatives in places like Lynchburg and Tallahassee care about McCain's love for an activity -- and close ties to an industry -- they find immoral?

Why would any "christian" care about gambling when there's so many gays to hate?

What I wonder is why no one has investigated McCain's tax returns to see if he's reported his gambling winnings. If he hasn't, Oh, My, Oh, My! That's a (federal felony) no-no. I saw it mentioned once somewhere, but no one seems to have taken up the quest.

Not to mention his coziness with gambling interests. No need to mention that, right?

Ed