It's been weird... almost like different parts of the team ain't talking to each other. One thing that stood out to me was the setting: McCain did a townhall yesterday and today. It's one thing to say "Who is Obama" on a stage to a crowd and distancing yourself from the crowd reaction... it's quite another to have to directly react to statements made by one of the wing-nuts. It looks bad, and if McCain is what he represented himself to be over the last decades, it would probably feel strange, too.
This was a while back. As much as he've compromised to become the Rep nominee, he's shown his back bone at times to uphold things he believes in. If Palin doesn't scare the crap out of me as a female GWB, I'd still give serious consideration to McCain. <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/u-nVJGsTdKU&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/u-nVJGsTdKU&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
awesome freaking video. I guess I'm crazy, but more videos like that, and less videos about Obama's connections to Ayers and unicorns, blah blah, and they could have really built a campaign.
To be honest, I think his goal was to make uncommitted voters afraid of Obama or at least raise doubts about how trustworthy he is, not to incite the base to become an angry mob. I've used this quote before but it really is appropriate to the situation. This is McCain campaign manager Rick Davis in 2004: That's what McCain was trying to do, cripple the voters trust in Obama.
Let's just not even go there. There are idiots on both sides of the aisle. Let someone bring up George Bush's name once on the campaign trail to see what happens. I know Bush isn't running but the idea that only one side has idiots is just plain stupid.
This election, I've gotten to know the real John McCain. He gets no +1 from me for denouncing the fervor he inspired once it became clear it was a political liability. Prior to his run as a dedicated Bushie, I was quite the McCain supporter. This campaign, he has made me feel like a fool for ever thinking he was a good and honorable man. This latest shift in position is consistent with who he really is... a make-believe maverick.
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You know I have always been a big supporter of McCain and told my wife if McCain ran for President I would vote for him. Whoever is managing McCain's campaign has done a terrible job and his VP pick of Sarah Palin was miserable. J
Davis might well have been right about the basic premises of a smear campaign. However, this particular smear campaign they ran simply wasn't a very skillfully done. Basically, they are saying that Obama associated with (1) a 60s radical who protested the war violently, and (2) an angry-sounding black preacher who said negative things about America. I doubt either one of these pieces of info was particularly damaging to Obama in terms of the "swing voters." I'd bet most of the relatively informed voters are not suprised that a Democratic politician knew some far-left flag-burning types. Also, few relatively informed people are suprised that an African American would know people in the community who are angry at the country (we saw Josh Howard on youtube). Frankly, I don't think this kind of stuff scares that many voters who would considered voting for Obama (or any Democrat) in the first palce-- it's kinda par of the course for most Democratic politicians. Hell, didn't we hear the same kind of crap about Clinton, Gore, Kerry, etc?
Several things. 1. McCain brought it upon himself because he took his campaign down this general direction. 2. Part of the reason lies in Obama, because of his race and name. Not saying it's his fault, but he is simply going to be hated a lot more than, say, Hilary, on just those those two factors alone. 3. I REALLY hope things don't get ugly, because it really can. And that would really set our country back. But he's also building up rage among many. Rage that even Karl Rove and his swiftboat/flip-flopping shenanigans did not raise.
In case you completely missed it, the point isn't that all the idiots are on one side. The point is one campaign has recently been feeding and encouraging it's idiots to go off the deep end and act like goons while the other has not.
If the tactic of having lynch mob-style rallies were helping McCain in the polls, rather than creating a distinct media backlash (which is seeping into the daily tracking polls) would the 2008 John McCain have asked them to stop? Sorry guys, but I'm skeptical that the same John McCain who authorized this and hired the slimy bastards from South Carolina in 2000 would have cared much had it been successful. Once you sell your soul it takes more than a "come on my friends, stop saying you want to kill him" to get it back. Respect +0
This thread is the perfect example why minorities don't vote Republican. The crackpot baby killers on the left > the anti-immigrant bigots clinging to guns and religion Go Obama! Go ahead, raise my taxes, give my money to the crack addict who prefers welfare to getting a job, legalize gay marriage but NEVER NEVER let the bigots have power.
Look at the footage from both campaigns and tell me there is not a difference. Mention GWB at any place now and you'll likely be vomited on.
There is a difference in this election, yes. Just as there was a huge difference last election. There are idiots on both sides. Which side is more vocal changes depending on the election year.
Yes, but my point is that I don't think that was ever his intention. It's a sad side effect that resulted from a poor smear strategy. Trying to link Obama to terrorists, using his middle name with negative connotations, and asking "Who is the REAL Barack Obama" gets a much stronger reaction in this post 9/11 culture than Kerry having his military service discredited and McCain being alleged to have an illegitimate black baby and the McCain woefully underestimated the kind of reaction his smear tactics would get. I think he meant to instill fear but never counted on the fear manifesting the kind of hate that it did. I guess he should have known better but we all know that McCain is someone who likes to make quick decisions and live with consequences.
