DISQUS

GileS · 1 year ago

Why don't people hit harder on the fact that there is a difference between going negative based on facts.. and going negative based on lies? It seems like every time someone points out McCain's lies they argue back with Obama has gone negative while he claims to be a different type of candidate. It's not the same thing! I understand Obama has as well released a couple of sketchy ads where you can argue how truthful it is. But 95% of his ads have been 100% based on facts and even uses McCain's own words. McCain continues to release ads that are base on lies and completely false. Is this just an argument not worth bringing up or are people just missing the opportunity?

davidfromsandiego · 1 year ago

ok i've got a great line for obama:

"it is clear that on the economy and all the issues that matter to middle income families mccain is offering another bridge to nowhere for 8 more years of bush economic policies, it is time that the american people tell the republican party "thanks but no thanks"

insouciantlad · 1 year ago

Nice....I hate that Joe Watkins guy; Ari ripped him apart!

Jason · 1 year ago

I want Ari to be a surrogate for me.

Millineryman · 1 year ago

I like Ari, I hope we see more of him. Thanks for posting this.

Liza · 1 year ago

And he's cute too!

ray · 1 year ago

That guy is good.Millionaire mindset is a repeatable line for other Dem attack dogs. Just add the qualifier 100 to it. 100 million $$ mindset of McCain = wall st. crisis.

hmmm · 1 year ago

It would be nice to have the sound effect of a bell (ping ping) everytime this guy comes on. Last time he knocked the $hit out of that Brad Blakeman, this time I'll give it to him by a majority decision.

He calls them liers all the time. Cojones..

ezpz · 1 year ago

I love this guy!

Ari's answer to David Shuster's 'report' that Obama had more negative ads recently was awesome. "Amen!" says Ari.

Good that he pointed out the difference between going "negative factually" as opposed to being the liar that McCain is.

Contrary to how the press tries to characterize it, if a *fact* about a candidate points out something negative about that candidate, it's NOT a negative ad.
So when they compare ads that are true but not flattering to the candidate, to ads that are complete and slimy lies, that's not only apples and oranges, it's fresh vs rotten fruit.

And that Watkins guy is a useful idiot, sorry to say.

already been said · 1 year ago

Actually, ezpz, any ad that serves to point out the opponent's negatives instead of one's own positives is a negative ad. It has nothing to do with being perceptually factual or flagrantly dishonest because both are subject to interpretation.

ezpz · 1 year ago

abs, if a candidate puts out an ad based on fact that's intended to draw contrast between himself and his opponent, that's not, imo, a *negative* ad.

OTOH, when McCain puts out an ad that TRIES to draw contrast between him and Obama based on pure lies, that's more than a negative ad. That's pure sleaze.

For the media to try to put the two on equal footing is a misleading oversimplification, and one that feeds right into Joe Watkins' talking point of "I thought Obama was supposed to be different kind of politician.".

already been said · 1 year ago

I understand, ezpz, that you really want to fight for Obama. But a negative ad IS a focus on igniting fear or anger toward the other candidate, as opposed to igniting hope toward yourself. It plays into the "lesser of two evils" paradigm that we are used to dealing with in elections because all the voter is left with are a bunch of negative comparisons. Obama is not all negative comparisons. But truth of the matter is Obama's campaign has turned increasingly negative compared to the "hope" and "optimism" of his earlier campaign. One could argue that he had to go negative because of McCain's negativity, but it's negativity nonetheless. (That Spanish ad Obama did, for example, linking MaCain to Limbaugh was a real disapointment.) And the reason why McCain surrogates appear glad to engage in this mud-slinging is because they feed of of the negativity.

Steve · 1 year ago

Seconding the Joe Watkins hate.

leo · 1 year ago

Cliff Schecter is/was like that too.

eclecticbrotha · 1 year ago

Joe Watkins is an idiot. Imagine having a black GOP surrogate come on TV and accuse the black presidential candidate of "wanting to start a race war" and you have Joe Watkins in a nutshell. Ari could have eviscerated him by pointing out the "plan for the economy" McCain spoke about today was launching another tired attack on Obama.

CHANGE · 1 year ago

Thirding the Joe Watkins hate. Typical GOP surrogate, practices lying through his teeth in front of a mirror to control his laughter at how stupid the lies are. I'm insulted every time he opens his mouth. Sorry there are so many like him, especially that sleazy Castellanos (sp) creep.

Tell Ari he is a STAR!

Duncan Watson · 1 year ago

Nice work Ari, Fourthing the Watkins hate.

DutchDyke · 1 year ago

Brilliant!!

John McCain has a millionaire's mindset and doesn't understand the people of the middle class. He doesn't understand the economy when it comes to 'Main Street'.

Absolutely brilliant, and they should repeat that over and over again!!

JoyIA · 1 year ago

Fifthing the Watkins hate, what an effing tool. That said, I'm still waiting for an Ari v. Tucker Bounds showdown... I swear, he'd send Tuckie crying home to his mama!

Allison · 1 year ago

Oh my God yes someone to wipe the floor with that pathological idiot.Ari is a champ and knows his facts.

FreedomFries · 1 year ago

McCain has an economic plan like he has a plan to win iraq and get bin laden- ill follow him to the gates of hell .... blah blah

DutchDyke · 1 year ago

Also, has anyone else noticed that when the GOP talking heads, be it Joe Watkins or Pfutenhofer (or whatever her name is - I couldn't find it just now.) that they just start to smile/grimace when they get asked a question??
It seems like when they're kinda stumped, they don't smile. Then, when they get asked a question to which they have an actual boxed answer, they get this weird smile.
As if saying, 'listen to this, do YOU believe it? I don't - but this is what I have been rehearsing!"
Something like that.

WestCoastian · 1 year ago

I'd love to see Ari in a Tucker Bounds match up myself. He's quick and ready with a one, two punch and I like that!

SeattleAJ · 1 year ago

Ari Melber is fantastic! That guy should be on all the talk shows... "John McCain knows as much about the economy as Sarah Palin knows about the Bush Doctrine". Are you freaking kidding me? That's awesome!

already been said · 1 year ago

I found both of them annoying myself. Both were negative and sounded like two schoolyard kids talking about each other's mama's.

mikecoatl · 1 year ago

Well done, Melber, stuffing it to that snivelling twit Watkins! He laughs and laughs as if all this shit is funny. But it isn't, because NOTHING LESS THAN THE FATE OF AMERICA is at stake here. And they call Obama arrogant?

caligirl · 1 year ago

ez, i completely agree with your assessment on negative ads.

ari and debbie wasserman-schulz both kicked some u-know-what today. i'd love to see ari v. that crazy ass michelle bachmann... where did that NUT come from (bachmann)?!?!

ezpz · 1 year ago

caligirl, I saw parts of Larry King tonight.

Where do they GET these people from?

The Michelle Bachmann you mention - was she the one with the plastic look and (fake) red hair?
Maybe she's Carly Fiurino's replacement taken from the pool of back ups.

The next segment had two other (male) jerks on the right.
Both were hatefully and sarcastically mocking Obama.
Neither were too bright.

Stephanie MIller and the other guy from the left were both great.
I loved Stephanie's line that went something like: 'maybe he [McCain] can invent a way back machine to undo Iraq, just like he invented the blackberry'.

And yes, Debbie Wasserman-Schultz was great, as always.
So was the other lady (on the left).

caligirl · 1 year ago

oh, and i agree with the watkins-haters here. watkins is a disgrace.

TimF · 1 year ago

I love Joe Watkins in a "I want to punch my TV" kind of way. That guy spews talking points like it is nobody's business. He's always so convinced that everyone is going to love everything McCain says. I've never heard him concede a single point to anyone. It's quite impressive.

cybergal619 · 1 year ago

Watkins is a douchebag who only knows how to randomly repeat pug lies. I want all of us to give that "expert" a collective and huge raspberry when Obama buries McSame in November!

manamongst hussein · 1 year ago

I´d put Ari slightly below Begala this week, and believe me I´m not Begala fan post Clinton-Obama primary but he has really been strong as well as funny this week. And he understand how good government works.

manamongst hussein · 1 year ago

¨clooney, clooney clooney!¨

Tommy · 1 year ago

I agree with the Watkins hate, guy doesn't seem to have an original thought in his head.

Also hate Brad and the cross eyed guy, can't remember his name, but it's MSNBC's GOP hack.

And have to agree on the Begala comment, he's not afraid to say anything, It was slightly refreshing for him to call out CNN's Palin love fest as BS a few weeks go and take off his mic and leave in the middle of a debate. At least since SNL it seems they are no longer afraid to criticize her. As if Amy Poehler saying grow a pair woke them up.

Beca · 1 year ago

I haven't read the Wash Post yet (have to go out and find it!), but how could they say that Obama has had more "negative" ads than McCain?! All McCain has done is lying negative ads, are they not counting the ones where he just lies?
Somebody else needs to review this info. It is hard to believe.
Besides, the "negative" that comes out of Obama's camp is more serious in nature and more focused on the issues than bashing' McCain's negative are low blows, bashing, inuendos, lies and more lies.

JS · 1 year ago

Huffington has a good article on McCain health care proposals, this am.

mr.ed · 1 year ago

Melber's wunna them pesky Jews everybody wants as a lawyer when they get their cracker asses in deep yogurt.

CarolAl · 1 year ago

Joe Watkins is a rude, argumentative, smiling bully, a younger, black Bill-O. It's great to see Ari put him down but good!. Another one, (cross-eyed) Ron Christie was on Hardball the other night, continuing the sex ed. for kindergarteners smear. Seems he found the curriculum extremely offensive and vile. As an IL teacher and a mother, I can assure the public that Stranger Danger and teaching about inappropriate touching is a very appropriate part of the safety curriculum for young children. Perhaps Alaska, the state with the highest rape and incest rates, should consider the idea. Christie's interpretation of the IL law made our curriculum sound preverse. I wonder if he has any kids...

Two other Republican attack dogs who defend their talking points in a nasty wasy are Miss Prim, Nancy Pfotehauer, and Snake Lady, Cheri Jacobus. Cheri looks like she has a forked tongue. Both are attractive young blonds, but their words are sharp and nasty.

Chase · 1 year ago

Ari Melber may be my new hero. And I agree with Tim, Joe Watkins for as big of a d-bag he is, he is quite impressive with his unwavering support of the candidate and the talking points.

highway67 · 1 year ago

Ari baby. I asked you this last time and you never answered me ... WILL YOU MARRY ME, PLEASE??????

caligirl · 1 year ago

ezpz: michelle b. was the dark-haired one. she is very, VERY odd. seems insane.

the red-haired lady was annoying, but i couldn't help laughing at her 50s hair and makeup!

shel · 1 year ago

Never could stand Brad Blakeman and Joe Watkins is horrbily obnoxious. (He rendered Brad speechless - didn't think it was possible)

Love watching someone tear 'em a new one.

Nafsllib · 1 year ago

Reminds me of Sam Seaborn from the West Wing

Dusty · 1 year ago

I just saw Mr. Melber debating with Amanda Carpenter (townHall.com). We need a dozen more like him! I love the way he can tell these rethugs to kinda shut the f**k up in essence - I let you talk, now it my turn. She tried to act insulted. NEVER let a rethug take over YOUR conversation.

I think I'm in love with Ari!

Allison · 1 year ago

As a black person I am embarrassed to see one of my own who is supposed to be intelligent be so dumb and stupid enough to be lying and supporting John McCain who has no clue about economic issues by his own admission and none as a Foreign Policy pro except to regurgitate his POW experience. Joe Watkins needs to take that stupid grin off his dumb ass face and fight for what is right. No wonder some whites do not want to support Barack when if they are already prejudiced and they see this clown it just adds to the stereotying.
I am not saying I am agreeing with them I am only being real.

Thanks Ari we need more of you to knobe surrogates for Barack you rock always!

Debra Moore · 1 year ago

This is the first time, that I've seen except for ex-Hillary supporter Congressman Schultz, that a democrat holds their own against the repugs. Right On! Ari, OMG whoever your boss is should give you a fat raise! You left that other guy looking like he would rather have been someplace else at the end of that take. Have any of you seen Ms. Schultz though she's another one that calls it like it is and won't back down to those Liars. She was tenacious when she was with Hillary and she is just as tenacious working on behalf of Obama, I just wish Hillary was also, but thats for another post. Gooooooooooo Ari! Ari for president 2016.