Schieffer: What American Voters Want

Why Candidates Have Succeeded Or Failed Tells Us About Ourselves

(CBS)  Weekly commentary by CBS Evening News chief Washington correspondent and Face the Nation host Bob Schieffer.

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Here is what I think I've learned, halfway to Election Day, in our longest campaign ever.

Americans like candidates with a positive message - those who appeal to our better angels, who believe this is a good country which has within itself the ability and strength to be a better country.

Voters responded favorably this campaign season when candidates promised to bring us together and didn't like it when candidates or their surrogates tried to divide us.

They are proud we have reached the point where a woman OR an African American can be president - and that has a lot to do with the success of Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.

They didn't like it when those two got into a nasty, petty, partisan fight during one debate, and the way both have dialed back since then shows that they have figured that out.

Rudy Giuliani did a fine job on 9/11 but his campaign showed us you can't scare people into voting for you.

Fred Thompson showed us that unless people believe you WANT to be President, you WON'T be President.

Mitt Romney had good credentials and great wealth, but he showed us you still can't buy the Presidency.

No, voters showed us they prefer someone who sticks to his principles, like John McCain.

And, let's face it, Americans still have a soft spot for a candidate who just seems like a nice guy, which is why Mike Huckabee is still hanging in there (if only by a fingernail).

I think we've learned a lot in this campaign - about the candidates, and about us.

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As we leave you this morning we want to acknowledge the loss of two men who were a big part of this broadcast over the years: Paul Taylor, who directed this broadcast for many years until his retirement in 1999, and Frank Giles, who was big as a bear and gentle as a puppy, our longtime cameraman here in the studio.

Our condolences to their families.

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E-mail Face the Nation.

[joyous88]

what do we want?

How about to be rid of these lieing , cheating, stealing, anti american republicans that run the country right now!

[adiant-2009]

Amusing trivia! I thought you were going to make a serious approach. I was wrong! Why did I think it was not going to be trivia? Well, I always paid attention to whatever you said, since you started. I''m a few years older than you!

[random_radar]

what American voters want is extremely simple: they want someone who will take from their neighbors and give to them.

You may not like me pointing that out to you, but lets admit the truth--democracy is where the majority votes to steal from the minority.

[taddles-2009]

"That change, plus spell-check, would give a more accurate picture of the poster!

Posted by quatrops at 10:41 AM : Feb 12, 2008"

I think Mr. Ed was a white horse so depending on which end you''re looking at I think that''s a very fair assessment of the poster.

[quatrops]

Weither? Produse?

The original "Mr. Ed" was, as I recall, a talking donkey with lots of smarts.

The one currently posting clearly picked the wrong animal . . . it should have been an elephant (Mr. Dumbo? Babar?).

That change, plus spell-check, would give a more accurate picture of the poster!

[mistered9]

I learned a lot from this campaign. I need to change parties and not to Republican. Democrats are stupid. They want one thing and vote for the other. They are infatuated with looks and talk. Weither you can produse what you say doesn''t matter, and they let the news media manipuate them. Wake up before you vote!

[dgwooster]

Americans are still scared. Unfortunately they''re going to put another hawk in the White House (so he can ''protect'' us). So much for "home of the brave", I''m afraid.

[nearl4511]

What the American voters do not want.....

No more Bushes EVER.

No more Clintons EVER.

[ggm1957]

Well Skybarr, I guess you forgot that Bush was not really "elected." He did not win the popular vote - got it because of his darling relative messing up Florida. Then the next time, there was an issue with voting machines. Interesting how things are justified.

[user168-2009]

%u201CLIVE THE CHANGE YOU WANT TO SEE IN THE WORLD.%u201D

I am an Asian woman of 60. I have never been more excited for our young adults than today. GO! GO vote for you dream, vote for TRUTH -

WISDOM, COMPASSION, AND COURAGE!

VOTE FOR OBAMA!


Here I have a message for Hillary-the-dirty-trick: Do not do unto others what you do not want others to do unto you. What goes around comes around.

Why do you, Hillary constantly want to remind us that you and us women are women? Do you really think all women are two-year-old-don%u2019t-knows? Do you think all women are unhappy souls (like you) that they have to fight (for you)? What are you fighting for, Hillary? What is not enough of you, Hillary? One vote for the "HELL is this thing called WAR" Iraq War isn''t enough? Why create more fight and war to divide our country? Why don''t you want PEACE in this country FOR OUR CHILDREN? Honestly, to me, Hillary, you are so confused (or calculating) that on one hand you want all the women sympathy-votes, but on the other hand you are a real women hater who wants to destroy women by destroying their mind, heart, and soul!

God help those who help themselves. Demand (respect) not from others but from yourself. Hillary, be truthful! When there are not thousands, but hundreds of thousands that "hate" you, there must be a reason.

I have never come across one with wisdom, kindness, and courage being "hated", not to say by so many.

Our nation''s youth is smarter than you Hillary can imagine!

[bm6005]

cuz "GW" didn''''t have the b@llz to do something. just shutup crybabies.
Posted by skybarr

He proved that he didn''t have any ballz with his non-existent war record during Viet Nam you MORON!!!!! I served so don''t tell me to shutup. I earned the frickin'' right to ***!!

[bm6005]

I want to see a completely newly elected gov''t. NO INCUMBENTS, vote all the b astards OUT!!!

[enoughya]

McCain is principled? Like when he ripped off the taxpayer $100 billions of dollars in his Keating 5 role to cover up for S&L crooks. Or was McCain principled when he cheated on his injured first wife? Give me a break--McCain is nothing more than a common street thug.

[oleander8]

"If GW didn''''t respond to 911 then you cry babies would be mad cuz "GW" didn''''t have the b@llz to do something. just shutup crybabies." Posted by skybarr

Bush had the country and the world behind him when he went in to Afghanistan - it was everything that came after that that proved him a disaster.

[Syndicate]

Sorry Roger but you have just demonstrated you do not know what the hell you are talking about. McCain is one of the most principled people that has ever served this country. That is a fact not open to dispute. I suupose one could argue the sky is green but we all know better than that.

[rogerstj1]

Schieffer and his media buddies have a never-ending thing for McCain. These are people in the media who are supposed to be critical thinkers. McCain "Principaled?" Give me a break. Only principaled until he wants to be President. What a hypocrit, and Schieffer his ardent promoter. Time for the media to take their jobs seriously. The Bush-break is over; time to get back to work.

[knyghtwolf]

skybarr, it was the justice department that responded so quickly because bush was in hiding because he was afraid of getting killed by them thar "turrorists fella''s" and that is a direct quote. There are still millions of unanswered questions about 9/11 that we, THE PEOPLE, want answers. bush did not see RED, WHITE, and BLUE when the Twin Towers fell, he saw about mile wide YELLOW streak down his back.

[skybarr]

And if GW is such a bumbling idiot then why did the American people vote him in a second time? If GW didn''t respond to 911 then you cry babies would be mad cuz "GW" didn''t have the b@llz to do something. just shutup crybabies.

[sebastian27-2009]

Yes, Binky, it is true that many people have been fooled by Huckabee. He is not the good guy that he projectys, nor is a bad guy. He is just another Bush. Opinionated, head strong, and secretive to the extreme. If McCain wins and selects him as VP he will be sorry. Huckabee will hog all of the glory, if there is any.

[dano21054]

I have had this eerie feeling during the past year of watching the presidential campaigning, that I have been actually watching the movie "Being There". I hear "Change! Change! Change!" I hear about "getting past partisanship", "bringing people together". Yet, the only REAL in depth information as to HOW change and bipartisanship will come about seems to be coming not from the candidates, but from pundits and people on the street.

Here''s the scenario:

Reporter: Senator Chauncey Gardener! How will you bring about change in the White House and what does that really mean?"

A: Ahh. Change, like the seasons is good.

Reporter: OK, folks. You heard it directly from the cadidate''s own mouth! Senator Gardener, like the change from a cold barren winter landscape, will create what we Americans really want! A glorious spring- like growth of prosperity and good will amongst the decision- makers in Washington D.C.! I can speak for this reporter when I say, Senator Gardener has cleared the path for my vote!!"

Sheesh!

DanO

PS- Go rent the movie. It exposes a lot of what we see... or want to see.