October 6, 2008
And then the race got ugly, while the country fell apart. Obama pulls out the Keating Five gun and fires. Talk about kicking a guy when he's down.
Looks like they've both decided that personal destruction is what the voters wanted. Instead of rational discourse on the nation's problems and what they'd do to fix a broken country.
Bad move.
And more of why Americans hate their leaders, and both political parties.
At the same time, it is nice to see Obama not lay down to the GOP machine, like Dukakis, Gore and Kerry did before him.
The debate Tuesday night is gonna be hot.
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24 comments:
Well, I don't put the attacks in the same categorie.
On one hand, you have Flaylin' Palin accusing Barack of "palling around with terrorists" and not seeing America "as we do". (Which is rich considering that she sleeps with a man who was a member of the Alaskan sucessionist party.) She's referring to Ayers, but says it ambiguously, in order to make it sound like he's hanging out with some Muslim guy like Osama. She plays the subtle race card, by claiming he's against "our" American values. And further, the whole thing is a massive stretch as the association has been proven by many media outlets as being tenuous at best. So in full, it's just a bogus personal attack in order to distract and get the tribe energized.
Now Obama's pointing out of McCain's role in the Keating Five scandal is relavent. Is it a distraction to remind voters of McCain's past serious bad judgement in ethics and economics, when we are going through this bailout repeat?
In my book, there is a difference between a scurilous character attack which has nothing to do with anything and an attack that points out relavent truths.
And McCain should be better than this. I remember his reaction when the Bush campaign pushpolled in 2000 about the fact that he has a black child. It was dirty, it subtley appealed to racism, it had nothing to do with any political issue. Now he's incorporated the same tactics. What a sellout.
I like seeing Obama fight back, but in this case I really don't think he needed to
Old Man McCain is dead man walking. And Palin is just a joke.
But I guess Obama wanted to make sure the carcass was firmly in the ground.
Here's a good quote on Palin's attack:
"It's a giant changing of the subject," said Jenny Backus, a Democratic strategist. "The problem is the messenger. If you want to start throwing fire bombs, you don't send out the fluffy bunny to do it. I think people don't take Sarah Palin seriously."
"keith said...
Old Man McCain is dead man walking. And Palin is just a joke."
That about sums it all up.
Press 1 for Depression
Press 2 for censure and removal of Bushco-Cheneyburton
Press 3 for war crime trials
Press 4 for immediate expulsion of all political incumbents in DC
Press 5 for No Bid Halliburton contracts departtmen or Dick Cheenyburton personal voicemail
Press 6 for Global Nuclear War
America is Dead
DIE U PIGS
I say let McCain keep running his smear tactics.
Every time McCain’s campaign starts a new smear tactic Obamas Electoral Map widens.
America knows the truth and new registrations among Democrats has more than doubled new Republican registrations in key states that are traditionally Republican.
And now the Market is set to tumble. Yes its bad news for us but even worse news for McCain.
Your time living in Europe has muddled your memory of what America is like. It doesn't take much to make the white trash majority fearful of a black man.
Jared Bernstein: The Empty Campaign of John McCain
At this point I really wonder: what's in it for McCain? Why does he want to be president? Those who have followed him for years don't recognize his agenda, his tactics, his positions (e.g., the great populist regulator!). How could a man of seemingly deep conviction morph into this caricature? His campaign is empty, with no spiritual or intellectual core; its tactics have devolved into a series of crass surprises and Hail Mary passes.
I think waiting to use the Keating 5 until now was really good politics.
Because its relevant.
Obama can mention it, have a dig at McCain about his bad judgement in economic issues, and then pivot in the same sentence to what Obama will do to try and slow down the trainwreck. Smear and Hope, all at the same time.
I'm glad he waited until now.
OT - watched 'Taxi to the Darkside' on HBO yesterday, and saw archive footage of McCain just blasting the Generals/White House about the Abu Gheraib scandal.
My first thought was 'where the hell is THAT McCain? The one who used to stand for something?"
Sad to see a basically decent guy turn into a charactature.
call it a mercy killing. coup de grace. lest anyone still think that mcmaveripalin will be president.
No matter what, it is totally to Obama's credit that this thing (among others) has just sitting there waiting to be used, and he kept it locked up after months of smearing, letting McPain have their smirky rehearsed fun, then finally smack the brats and send them to their rooms.
Time to put the pit bull down and the old man back in the home.
What is Obama supposed to do, get swift boated by Quaylin and say nothing in response? Like it or not, negative campaigning works. It sucks, but it works.
The RNC has signaled its intent to ramp up the smear tactics. To sit idly by and do nothing to counter them (other than issue denials) is risky and meek. I hate this mud-slinging, but to paraphrase a 6-year old, "he started it." Obama is simply responding to the fear-mongering lies of McCain/Palin.
What else can he do?
Keating Five.
Countrywide Fifteen?
Fannie and Freddie Fifty??
The investigations are coming!
Keith,
you may think that McCain is in the political equivalent of a persistent vegetative state, but he has supporters who believe he is only down for a moment, and not for the long term. Obama had no choice here.
The GOP went its usual sleazy route, and Obama's campaign fought back by citing actual facts. While I don't like that it has come to this, perception is everything, and if Obama can't or won't defend himself against these slimy attacks, he will appear uanble to lead the nation.
No surprise here. Typical October phase of a Prez campaign. They all get ugly on the final stretch.
In the wake of it all, let's all thank Bill Clinton for signing legislation in 1997 forcing Freddie & Fannie to have at least 50% of their loans in low income/subprime.
"...It doesn't take much to make the white trash majority fearful of a black man."
" moretroops said...
What is Obama supposed to do, get swift boated by Quaylin and say nothing in response?"
"Quaylin". Perfect. Thank you.
I was too young to know what happen in the Keaton 5. I am so glad Obama had posted Keating economics, it is so important to know your history so you don't repeat it.
McCain would have done this a long time ago if it was Obama.
Obama had to do this. I just hope the criminals are arrested and tried this time around.
oh Frank...just stop please. If you have anything intelligent to contribute to this blog...I welcome it, otherwise shut up.
"Those who have followed him for years don't recognize his agenda, his tactics, his positions (e.g., the great populist regulator!). How could a man of seemingly deep conviction morph into this caricature?"
McCain's a smokescreen. The GOP needed a patsy and there he was, in all his glory, ready to ride. They know he can't actually win, but he's making enough noise and smoke to cover the retreats of the Booshites, who scamper away with taxpayer money dangling from their stuffed pockets and carpet bags and offshore accounts. McCain is meaningless, except as a diversion.
"It doesn't take much to make the white trash majority fearful of a black man."
This election year, the white trash majority (much of it rural and exurban) is not going to have much gas to get to the poll booth.
Oil, $10 a barrel when Bush entered office in 2000, now trading at close to $100.
A great tax increase for all the "white trash" that voted for him-twice!.
It appears that Obama has a bit of the pit bull in him also. Sic her, Barack!
If Obama turned his Harvard Law trained intellect on the details of the Keating 5, it will indeed be popcorn time.
oh Frank...just stop please. If you have anything intelligent to contribute to this blog...I welcome it, otherwise shut up.
My post is factually correct. Look it up.
Otherwise, f*ck you. And quit posting as anon pussy if you have anything to say.
My teenage son says:
"This presidential campaign politics has turned into a 'Yo Mama' TV show."
He gets it.
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