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McCain Has Already Lost |
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The dishonorable McCain-Palin “campaign” has found a way to make Bush’s presidential campaigns look relatively civilized. In utter desperation, McCain has conceded he cannot win on the issues and is trying to smear Obama by linking him to terrorists. This nauseating tactic is having very predictable results. At a McCain campaign rally, when McCain asked “Who is Barack Obama”, a supporter screamed “terrorist“! (McCain apparently, and inexplicably, did not disassociate himself from his supporter’s comment.) When Sarah Palin used slime politics to rev up supporters at another rally, she succeeded in getting one nutcase to scream “kill him”, in reference to Barack Obama.
I feel like I’m watching a version of Philip Roth’s The Plot Against America, turning into horrifying reality. As usual, the traditional media is utterly unequipped to cover this type of smear campaign–their response is to say “hey, both sides are throwing mud.” Any reasonable observer understands there is a big difference between the Obama campaign pointing out McCain’s Keating 5 history and the McCain campaign suggesting Obama is a terrorist. You might as well say the two campaigns are employing equivalent attacks because they are both speaking in English.
What the McCain campaign is doing is dangerous, it is dishonorable, and it is a losing strategy. I mean the last point in two ways. First, very simply, I think McCain will lose. The public recognizes he is out of ideas and even the hapless traditional media seems to realize his turn to slander is born of desperation. But even if McCain succeeds in poisoning the process and scaring voters just enough to eke out a narrow victory, what then? How do you govern a country after you have just run a campaign in which you suggested your opponent was a terrorist?
The reality is that there are tens of millions of Obama supporters who will never vote for McCain. McCain knows this–his smear campaign isn’t aimed at them. But his smear campaign will deeply affect Obama’s supporters, who will be utterly disgusted and forever alienated. McCain can never be their president. No matter how many times he says “my friends” in some hypothetical inaugural speech that I hope will never be, he cannot undo what he is doing now, and he cannot govern this country. You cannot divide Americans in this way and have an effective presidency. Bush’s own failed presidency has shown us that, and I would argue that McCain and Palin are going further than Bush did in their personal sliming of Obama.
Palins’ Un-American Activities
Imagine if the Obamas had hooked up with a violently anti-American group in league with the government of IRAN!. By David Talbot
Oct. 7, 2008 | “My government is my worst enemy. I’m going to fight them with any means at hand.” This was former revolutionary terrorist Bill Ayers back in his old Weather Underground days, right? Imagine what Sarah Palin is going to do with this incendiary quote as she tears into Barack Obama this week. ONLY ONE PROBLEM. The quote is from Joe Vogler, the raging anti-American who founded the Alaska Independence Party. Inconveniently for Palin, that’s the very same secessionist party that her husband, Todd, belonged to for seven years and that she sent a shout-out to as Alaska governor earlier this year. (”Keep up the good work,” Palin told AIP members. “And God bless you.”)
http://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2008/10/07/palins_unamerican/inde x.html
McCain Camp cannot talk about the economy because their Economics is for the Rich, the well-off and the well connected!
great comment–thanks. I would say McCain campaign also can’t talk about the economy because they have no real ideas, but your point is well taken
I’m for a march on Washington if Palin/Mccain some how steal this one. Luckly I won’t have far to march.
you and many others! last night’s debate went well for Obama though, so (I really hope) we can put the march on hold